Full Moon

Greetings Chupacabras. Here's a view of the moon coming up over the horizon on the way up to Old Camp.

Chupacabra Down

While some of us were heading to the IE this morning, a few of the other Chupacabras headed out to Boomer Canyon in Irvine.

Word on the street is that Gnarly Todd got a little too gnarly trying to clear a boulder on Rabbit Ridge and face planted into the rocks. 16 stitches later, Todd is recovering at home.

Chupacabras crossing the border...

A few Chupacabras decided to make the trip to the IE this morning via Black Star. A trip up to Beek's was followed by a great trip down Skyline into Corona. The trip back up and over was a little tough as the temperature started to rise. A good time was had by all.

4th of July Greetings from the Peak

Happy 4th of July Chupacabras! I can't think of a better way to celebrate our nation's independence than by taking a ride up to the peak. This picture was taken from Modjeska Peak. You can make out the Upper Oso Reservoir in the middle.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Chupacabras on the SART

A group of the fellas decided to give Christophe a proper send off before his return to France. A good time has been rumored to have been had by all today out on the Santa Ana River Trail.

Chupacabra Sighting

There was a Chupacabra sighting over the weekend out at Aliso Woods. A couple of the Chupacabras got together for some weekend fun. A good time was rumored to have been had by all. Special thanks to the Mayor for sending in the picture.

2010 Counting Coup

Wow! What a great day yesterday. We had great weather for the 2010 Warrior's Society Pow Wow.

The Counting Coup course was in great condition as crews were out earlier in the week grading and repairing the trail. Despite severe cramps, crashes, and a couple of on-course deuce drops, we all ended up finishing the race...with about 3 hours separating the group - John Andrews finished in about 5:30, while I brought up the rear in about 8:30.

The Coup was by far the toughest event in which I have ever participated. I was consistently challenged by my body to even make the check point cut-off times and finish the race. The severe leg cramping and stomach issues kept me constantly questioning my participation. That said, it's time to start preparing for next year's race. Let's try to get more Chupacabras out there next year.

Yeti 575

With the pending Coup, I went out and upgraded to a Specialized Epic Marathon 29er. That said, the old ride, an upgraded 2008 Yeti 575 in team desert turquoise, is listed for sale on eBay thanks to the help of Mr. Terry Best. If you know anyone who might be interested, please have them check out the following link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330414480884&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Ride it like you stole it!

Counting Coup

Well, the Coup is upon us...less than a week away. What sounded like a great idea back in October is now turning out to be my prime souce of stress for the week. No real expectations here - just to finish in 7:30 or less.

Chupacabras Undercover

Sunday proved to be another gorgeous day. With the mountain trails still drying out from last week's drenching, a few of the Chupacabras decided to go undercover on road bikes in an attempt to infiltrate Camp Pendleton. The picture above was taken on the base...something that we civilians don't see on a regular basis.

The ride down south was great, but the 30 mile return trip was hampered by some pretty strong head winds.

Chupacabras on the road

Well, after a week of rain, a few of the fellas decided to dust off the road bikes for a spin. It may be some time before the trails dry out. Tommy flatted on the way to San Onofre, which gave me the perfect opportunity to post.

Ride it like you stole it!

Weekend Fun

What a great weekend to ride. It was great seeing all of the fellas out on the trail on Saturday.

Sounds like the General and Bandito Vanentino had an exciting ride over the weekend... The pictures above are of the General and El Bandito at the bottom of the appropriately named "Car Wreck" Trail in Aliso Woods. Notice the car wreckage in the background of each picture. El Bandito tells me that the Car Wreck Trail makes T&A look tame and it demotes Rattlesnake to a beginner trail. Sounds like something to add to the to do list for the thrill seekers in the group. Plan to ride it like you stole it, though...El Bandito tells me that Car Wreck is not an authorized trail, if you know what I mean. I guess it just adds to the excitement.

Happy New Year!

Well, I'm a little late in wishing everyone a Happy New Year. May 2010 bring you all good health and prosperity...especially as it relates to mountain biking.

A few of us training for Counting Coup did the Coto Loop last night. On the singletrack above Firehose Jankovich encountered a skunk in the middle of the trail. I was following behind and was able to sneak by unscathed. Chupacabras Marquart and Fosdick were not as lucky, with Fosdick taking the brunt of the spray. All is well...with some help from his wife and some on-line research, Johnny Fos is now stink free. I can't say the same for his bike, camelback and helmet, though.

Ride it like you stole it!

El Chupamuzra