Ear tick Removal

Check out this article.  It made a night and day difference!

Ear tick Removal

NEW LOGO!

We now have a logo! Expect to see some products in the future with this branding! Keep in touch.

Lyme Disease Sucks!

Saw this in the news. Multiple cross country mountain bike world champion Mary McConneloug will be missing this years US Mountain Bike Cross Country National Championships because she is sidelined with Lyme Disease. I know three people close to me who caught Lyme last year all in different geographical locations. I think doctors are both really underestimating the frequency and spread of this disease and too ready to brush off their patients as hypochondriacs. I think it is significantly more common than people realize. See the article at the link below:

Cycling News article: McConneloug sidelined with Lyme disease

Manhattan River Trails

I finally got a chance to try out my new helmet cam. Worked like a champ! Contour's trail mapping feature is pretty neat. Check it out. This is the old loop of the Manhattan River Trails in Manhattan, KS. This loop is roughly 3 miles and there is a total of 6 or so miles of singletrack here. Not much, but at least it is good quality trail and fun to ride.

Miller's Meadows Trail Review

I was in Wichita and figured while I was in a new part of Kansas, I would see if there were any new bike trails I could try out. Off singletracks.com's website I found Miller's Meadows. This is a nice enough place and they've made a lot out of very little. This place offers about 5 or so miles of singletrack with about 70% through what little bit of tree cover is in the Wichita area. Over all, it is a fun little trail with only moderate difficulty. It has nice flow, however, and will reward you with increased difficulty the faster you attack it. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more too, had it not been 110 degrees outside.

From Trail Hooligan

Singletracks directions are pretty on the money, and you will find a nice parking lot just off the road. The exact location is:

Datum: World Geodetic System 1984,
Latitude: 37° 39' 0.7915" N, Longitude: 97° 10' 25.1494" W,
MGRS: 14S PG 61114 68576,
UTM: 14S 0661114 4168576
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=37.650220,-97.173653



The trailhead is right there and well marked. The local club regulates traffic by designating your direction of travel by the day of the week. Saturday was clockwise, so I started off with the full onslaught of the sun as I pedaled through the un-protected, un-shaded, first mile. Better to start this way and end in the shade though.



Again, this wasn't a bad bit of trail. It was a lot more fun once you got into the woods. There were corduroy bridges in some of the creek beds that added a fun dynamic even if they didn't up the difficulty. The trail also appeared to be regularly maintained. I'm not sure if I would make a special trip out of going there, but since I was in the area, it was nice to get back on the bike. The River Trails in Manhattan have been unrideable due to the rain we've been getting. I have no idea what the financial or engineering capabilities of the club that maintains Miller's Meadows are, but should they choose to, they could easily add structures like teeter-totters, moustache rides, and fat-skinny-fat bridges as side obstacles to the trail.



I also made some friends on the way back. They wanted attention and bug spray...not necessarily in that order.

Hemet Cams

I am very excited about the Contour GPS I have in the mail, so possibly, I could start recording and mapping out different trail systems I visit. The GPS feature looks pretty neat and should be helpful if someone (me?) actually starts a database where people can find trailheads. Currently, I rely on singletracks.com's Iphone app to find new trails, but it is only marginal at getting me to the actual trailhead.

Speaking of helmet cams, this video is amazing! Since I am completely inept at bunny hopping, I might have to learn this. Then again, my saddle skillz are pretty much on par with my bunny-hopping skillz, so this might take some time.



Take a look. All the current helmet cams seem to have their shortcomings, but they seem to hit the target closest to the mark...especially with their Connect View app. Expect a full review soon.

http://contour.com/camera/contour_gps

Water Crossing and Flooding

Water crossings, rivers, ponds, lakes and streams are some of my favorite trail features.  The biodiversity in these natural areas is often many times greater then the surrounding trail.  Whether you love these water crossings or not, they are generally unavoidable for hikers, bikers and trail riders alike. 

In the springtime, many rivers overflow and have very strong currents.  During this time of year, special care must be taken to ensure that water crossings done safely and that risk is minimized.  If you are unsure about the waterway, it is not worth the risk!  While it is typically safe to cross familiar waters in summer and fall, caution must be taken to cross the same rivers in springtime.  There are countless stories of people and animals drowning, so it's no secret great care should be when deciding to cross a waterway. 

Before deciding to cross a river, one should check the current level; which can often be decieving.  This can be done by dropping a stick into the water.  If you see the stick get drawn underneath the water, know that is likely where you could end up too.  Be sure to evaluate the speed of the stick as well.  Shallow depths are also favorable, although there are no guerentees that the bottom will not have drop-offs.  If you cannot swim, being able to touch the bottom may not be sufficient as you could easily be pulled downstream where the water is deeper.

Probably the best river crossings are areas where there are exposed rocks or sandbars.  These locations can keep you away from dangerous currents, and also can serve to allow you to regain footing should you fall into the water.  Fallen trees can work for this purpose too, however care must be taken to ensure that the tree is of sufficient strength. Be wary if the tree trunk is not wide, or if it appears rotted.

If you are from the south, you probably do not need to be reminded, be wary of poisonous snakes in and near the water.  Snakes like the Water Moccisin carries potentially lethal poison.

Check out this website for additional information on How to Ford a River