I DIDN'T Ride My Bike Today, Cuzz....

Faust29 said:
Man... That brings back memories. I think we had a standing appointment for stitches with our younger one. The dentist was also on speed dial... Gave me his personal cell after the first couple times. It looks like your little guy is hanging tough. :thumbsup:
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Both my wife and I have scars there from stitches as well. This is his second time cutting it open. Doing good today but a little grouchy, he was a trooper.
 
Mikie said:
Felony. I checked.
imtbtrails Article 366 Page 17 Section 6 Paragraph 1 "When Undergoing Travel" and I quote:

"Mountain biking activities take precedence over family reunions,
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Not sure I can abide by this rule. I just spent a week in Mammoth with all my kids and grandkids. I love my bike and riding but - priorities.
I only rode my bike once for an hour and a half. Had to show my son Panorama/Mammoth Rock trail.
Thanks for letting me brag a bit.
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West Face of Leaning Tower – again!? Around a thousand feet of steep, strenuous but technically easy aid (hanging on gear) climbing. Lots of it has gone free (hanging on hands/feet) at a high grade (12-13). Read: We aid climb. The route starts left of the highest tree above the orange spot. You traverse there from the right side.

wflt2_1.jpg



The traverse is mild technically, but has big exposure. There often is a resident rope (or two, wtf?) fixed in place, as seen here.

wflt2_2.jpg


wflt2_3.jpg



We staged the gear at the start and waited nearby for sundown. This, of course, cannot be done without flip flops and a bluetooth speaker.

wflt2_5.jpg



Our plan was to climb through the 9 hours of dark and whatever left in the morning shade (west face). We had me starting first on the lead, then Brant would take over when I needed. I got in a rhythm, Brant encouraged me to keep leading, so I did – to the top. I haven’t done (been able to do) that for many years, so I was stoked. But it was not easy at all – I was retching at the anchor after a couple of those pitches, took two falls on pitch #5. I had a few small breaks while Brant moved up, but as a team we were moving for just over 16 hours on the climb.

IMTB Sunday Sunrise™ photo entries. Brant, never more psyched to work all night, hanging out under the Evil Tree Roof. (The tree fell off a couple of decades ago.)

wflt2_6.jpg


wflt2_7.jpg



As usual, hiking the gear around the woods was a brutal penance. We keep experimenting with an alternate route to make it easier...with mixed results.

After 36 hours including no sleep, hiking, climbing and rappelling, I drove out of Yosemite with a couple stops to shut my eyes for a few minutes. I pulled over at a secret bivy spot near Tioga Pass and nodded out for two hours, then sent the drive home in time to wish the weaz a happy day.


Technical notes: A continuous infusion of Tailwind helped me gut this one out. I brought no water on the climb, just 250 oz (7.5 liters) of medium-strength TW, which I was still sipping the last of when we finished the raps. Consumed one Doubleshot and a few Emergen-C packs. Brought but ate no food other than a fruit leather at the summit. Also, no alcohol around this ascent. Love to booze; don’t love what it does to performance at my limit.

Good times on my favorite big wall climb with a good friend. A good send-off before I put MTB more in focus.
 
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Yo Mike that looks crazy!
I will stick to where the rubber meets the dirt!
Goooood job!

mike said:
West Face of Leaning Tower – again!? Around a thousand feet of steep, strenuous but technically easy aid (hanging on gear) climbing. Lots of it has gone free (hanging on hands/feet) at a high grade (12-13). Read: We aid climb. The route starts left of the highest tree above the orange spot. You traverse there from the right side.

View attachment 55942


The traverse is mild technically, but has big exposure. There often is a resident rope (or two, wtf?) fixed in place, as seen here.

View attachment 55943

View attachment 55944


We staged the gear at the start and waited for sundown. This, of course, cannot be done without flip flops and a bluetooth speaker.

View attachment 55945


Our plan was to climb through the 9 hours of dark and whatever left in the morning shade (west face). We had me starting first on the lead, then Brant would take over when I needed. I got in a rhythm, Brant encouraged me to keep leading, so I did – to the top. I haven’t done (been able to do) that for many years, so I was stoked. But it was not easy at all – I was retching at the anchor after a couple of those pitches, took two falls on pitch #5. I had a few small breaks while Brant moved up, but as a team we were moving for just over 16 hours on the climb.

IMTB Sunday Sunrise™ photo entries. Brant, never more psyched to work all night, hanging out under the Evil Tree Roof. (The tree fell off a couple of decades ago.)

View attachment 55946

View attachment 55947


As usual, hiking the gear around the woods was a brutal penance. We keep experimenting with an alternate route to make it easier...with mixed results.

After 36 hours including no sleep, hiking, climbing and rappelling, I drove out of Yosemite with a couple stops to shut my eyes for a few minutes. I pulled over at a secret bivy spot near Tioga Pass and nodded out for two hours, then sent the drive home in time to wish the weaz a happy day.


Technical notes: A continuous infusion of Tailwind helped me gut this one out. I brought no water on the climb, just 250 oz of medium-strength TW, which I was still sipping the last of when we finished the raps. Consumed one Doubleshot and a few Emergen-C packs. Brought but ate no food other than a fruit leather at the summit. Also, no alcohol around this ascent. Love to booze; don’t love what it does to performance at my limit.

Good times on my favorite big wall climb with a good friend. A good send-off before I put MTB more in focus.
Click to expand...
 
mike said:
West Face of Leaning Tower – again!? Around a thousand feet of steep, strenuous but technically easy aid (hanging on gear) climbing. Lots of it has gone free (hanging on hands/feet) at a high grade (12-13). Read: We aid climb. The route starts left of the highest tree above the orange spot. You traverse there from the right side.

View attachment 55942


The traverse is mild technically, but has big exposure. There often is a resident rope (or two, wtf?) fixed in place, as seen here.

View attachment 55943

View attachment 55944


We staged the gear at the start and waited nearby for sundown. This, of course, cannot be done without flip flops and a bluetooth speaker.

View attachment 55945


Our plan was to climb through the 9 hours of dark and whatever left in the morning shade (west face). We had me starting first on the lead, then Brant would take over when I needed. I got in a rhythm, Brant encouraged me to keep leading, so I did – to the top. I haven’t done (been able to do) that for many years, so I was stoked. But it was not easy at all – I was retching at the anchor after a couple of those pitches, took two falls on pitch #5. I had a few small breaks while Brant moved up, but as a team we were moving for just over 16 hours on the climb.

IMTB Sunday Sunrise™ photo entries. Brant, never more psyched to work all night, hanging out under the Evil Tree Roof. (The tree fell off a couple of decades ago.)

View attachment 55946

View attachment 55947


As usual, hiking the gear around the woods was a brutal penance. We keep experimenting with an alternate route to make it easier...with mixed results.

After 36 hours including no sleep, hiking, climbing and rappelling, I drove out of Yosemite with a couple stops to shut my eyes for a few minutes. I pulled over at a secret bivy spot near Tioga Pass and nodded out for two hours, then sent the drive home in time to wish the weaz a happy day.


Technical notes: A continuous infusion of Tailwind helped me gut this one out. I brought no water on the climb, just 250 oz (7.5 liters) of medium-strength TW, which I was still sipping the last of when we finished the raps. Consumed one Doubleshot and a few Emergen-C packs. Brought but ate no food other than a fruit leather at the summit. Also, no alcohol around this ascent. Love to booze; don’t love what it does to performance at my limit.

Good times on my favorite big wall climb with a good friend. A good send-off before I put MTB more in focus.
Click to expand...
I really love these climbing posts Mike! These pics are fantastic too!
 
CBone said:
Not sure I can abide by this rule. I just spent a week in Mammoth with all my kids and grandkids. I love my bike and riding but - priorities.
I only rode my bike once for an hour and a half. Had to show my son Panorama/Mammoth Rock trail.
Thanks for letting me brag a bit.
View attachment 55937

View attachment 55938

View attachment 55939
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So good. Summer in Mammoth is just awesome, and such a great place for family memories.
 
Rear brake lever went to the handle during Sun morning ride. One piston stuck in the out position. After getting it unstuck, it clearly had pissed mineral oil so checked with a quick start of a bleed. No good, seal damaged. No caliper repair kit seems available for Shimano XT m785, 4 yrs old and now obsolete. My guess is that there is another rebuild kit that has exactly the same seal, but it was only around $12 more for a new m8000 caliper over the rebuild kit for same. Jensen to the rescue, 1 day delivery and with a quick install and bleed, all's well. Took the opportunity to pull the front wheel and check the pads, good thing too as they were close to toast. A few minutes of coasting down the hill from home a few times to bed in new pads fore and aft and a check that nothing was leaking she's good to go again. No swear words needed today. :thumbsup: I'm saving the old caliper for cannibal parts in case the front decides to act the fool.
 
blixet said:
Rear brake lever went to the handle during Sun morning ride. One piston stuck in the out position. After getting it unstuck, it clearly had pissed mineral oil so checked with a quick start of a bleed. No good, seal damaged. No caliper repair kit seems available for Shimano XT m785, 4 yrs old and now obsolete. My guess is that there is another rebuild kit that has exactly the same seal, but it was only around $12 more for a new m8000 caliper over the rebuild kit for same. Jensen to the rescue, 1 day delivery and with a quick install and bleed, all's well. Took the opportunity to pull the front wheel and check the pads, good thing too as they were close to toast. A few minutes of coasting down the hill from home a few times to bed in new pads fore and aft and a check that nothing was leaking she's good to go again. No swear words needed today. :thumbsup: I'm saving the old caliper for cannibal parts in case the front decides to act the fool.
Click to expand...


Shimano does not sell rebuild kits for any of their brakes anymore. They are now consumable items. Run them til they leak and replace them.
 
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