by Oz

There was a big group of riders last night...some familiar faces and some new
folks.....sorry but too many for me to remember....we decided to ride
ATM.....I wasn't feeling so good so I decided to use my platforms with my
walking shoes because I figured i would be doing lots of hike-a-bike.....

We started up Central and soon went under the freeway over to the dirt road.
We made our way through the housing tract to the water tank then jumped on the
single-track behind the houses. Sure enough, I couldn't muster enough
energy for the first little climb and I ended up walking. I proceeded to
have to walk the next two little climbs also.

Pretty soon I was DFL and for most of the way I only had the crickets for
company. Thankfully everyone patiently waited for us slow-pokes at the
various resting spots. When we reached the bottom of the M-Trail a few folks
decided to take the horse/bike path instead of the BOM trail and I should have
been one of them because my legs were toast at this point. As I rode on BOM
I came around a corner and a line of wild burros were crossing the trail ahead
of me....I let them go by then caught everyone at the Water Tank just before
the horse stables.

We made our way through the stables and up Box Spring Road. Before descending
Two Trees we gave some info to the new riders regarding the hazzards of trail,
the poison oak, the rock gardens, etc. We started going down and I
immediately had a problem with my front brake -I lost all modulation it was
either ON or OFF and it felt like it also had lost power....so I let everyone
go by and then proceeded slowly down Two Trees.

We finished by taking the Watkins cutoff then through UCR. Good to see
everyone hopefully I'll have my brakes fixed (and my legs rested) for the next
one.