Trail Maintenance on TR#48

Saturday April 10th was to be a trail day consisting of making TR#48 rideable for the Whiskey Off Road that will be here on the 23rd and 24th.  This task would consist of a few hand picked volunteers to clean up the debris from fallen timber as well as trimming trees, shrubs and that pesky "Cat's Claw Vine" that will shred anything it can, including tires and flesh with ease.  Also on the list was to clear snow still left on the North faces of the trail.  While most had melted, there still are "considerable" amounts left over and this makes great  runoff in the streams and washes below.

"Glacier removal"

Brooke and I arrived a little late to this expedition, but there was plenty to do.  About 150 yards onto the trail we came upon Steve Lummer hacking his way through some snow and ice with a pitchfork and making fairly good progress, but he was alone and sweating pretty good.   The rest of the crew went to the top of TR#48 and were to work their way back down and meet in the middle.  We decided to help out Lummar with his task of clearing the frozen ice packs.  Tools at our disposal: a trenching spade shovel, 2 metal rakes and 2 pairs of clippers.

While Steve's pitchfork was impressive, it was no match for the spade slicing through the packs of snow.  We decided to simplify this task with an assembly line type of feel to it.  I would lead the trio of man power by slicing and dicing the chunks of ice and snow, Steve would then remove said chunks and Brooke would follow behind with the rake and groom the now freshly exposed trail and clip off any tree branches and cats claw hidden under the snow.  It was quite impressive and we were rolling along, taking these things down 1 by 1.  Until the "mother load" was discovered.  Trail #48 in a new section of trail made just in time for last years "Whiskey" to connect two sections of existing trail and eliminating the fire road traveled years prior.  About half way up there is a 90 degree turn with a rock bridge and opposing rock faces and a newly formed waterfall to intimidate the less traveled rider.  This is where we found "THE GLACIER"..............3-4 feet of snow and ice.

While in the midst of tackling this cluster of we had a couple of riders doing a pre rides. As they passed by, they thanked us for the hard work and for clearing and maintaining the trails' for everyone's enjoyment. With the "glacier" conquered, there were only a couple of small one's remained.  Those cleared with ease, the heavy lifting was done.  We were past the snow pack.  What lay ahead was trimming and pruning and grooming the trail as we made the turn to the South face.  A couple more bikers and runners came past and said thanks for a job well done.  A trim there, a snip here, it was now lunch time as stated by Brooke.  Just a few minutes later,  the others were coming back down the trail.  We made our way down the trail passing each section we had just cleared just moments earlier.  I didn't keep count, but there had to be about 15 of these frozen slabs of snow and ice.   With the Subie packed up and good bye said we headed into town for some grub.

We stopped by the Brown Bag Burger for some tasty burgers and fries, because thats what Brooke had specified dangit, and nothing else was to satisfy that type of hunger.   Another good day here in Prescott and a sense of accomplishment to boot.

Cheers....

Never a dull day at SUBWAY

So today we had a little scare.  It was about 11am, we're in the store.  We get about 5-6 customers in and process them quickly.  A young girl steps up to pay for her food and I give her the credit card back, her friend says something to her.  She looks at me and just goes blank and makes this horrible face with accompanying groan.  I was kinda of puzzled at first.  It lasted for a bout 5-7 seconds, and then I thought to myself, " what is going on here?"  Then her eyes got fixed and dialated and then she started falling backwards.  She was in freefall mode.  With the counter sperating us, I was unable to do anything.  Luckily as she's falling backwards, one of our regular customers, Gabby, was next to her in line and was able to catch her from behind just in time before she smacked the gound with her head.

This girl was having a siezure.  She lay on the ground going through the usual symptoms of a siezure.  Her friend now in total shock and frantic not knowing what to do.   Gabby made sure that the girl was out of harms way as she lay on the floor.  I asked her friend if this was normal?  If this has happened before to her?  Just to find out if she was an epileptic or something worse is about to transpire.   A friends wife just had a brain aneurism, so that was on my mind.  The friend stated that she had not had a siezure in a while and was doing good.

I made the call to 911 and they dispatched the local ambulance and fire department.  While in route she finally came to.  She was out of it for about 10 minutes.  I felt bad for her.  Totally disoriented,  I was used to these types of events working for my mom at various hospitals and such but at least there is immediate help around.

The friend made the call to the boyfriend/husband and he arrived shortly thereafter.  A look of worry accompanied his face.  They took her vitals and made sure she was OK.  She denied the ambulance ride,  can't blame her for that one, they are not cheap.  She was going to go to the hospital for a further check up.  As she got up, she could barely keep her balance and still looked traumatized.  Within a couple of minutes the lobby cleared and everything was back to "normal."  Other people in the complex were now coming down to see what had transpired.    I told them what had happened and they all hoped that she was going to be OK.

The strange thing is,  in the summer of 2006, we had a similar incedent, another young girl had gotten over heated and dehydrated, and passed out in our lobby.  We weren't there for that one.  About a year later, while at a get together with some rock climbing friends at the Orme school where they were teachers, that same girl was in attendance.  She had told us she was exhausted and needed something to eat and drink but waited a little to long, hence passing out in our lobby.  she was so embarassed that she never came back to our SUBWAY.

Run-ins with local government

So there we were minding our own business at a stop light the other day, when out of nowhere, a Prescott Police Officer pulls up next to me and starts revving his engine.  I look at him, he looks at me, I look at Brooke and shrug my shoulders.  Me in the left lane and he in the right, the light glowing red.  I give him "the look" and throw it into first.  Revving the engine ever so slightly.  Does he want to?  Was this for real?  Brooke next to me saying" NO Andy! Don't do it," but I couldn't help myself.  This Po-Po wanted some action.  I did think to myself.....just for a split second......is this guy for real?  Then the light turned green.  All you could hear was the trubo spooling up and the exhaust rumbling.  1st.......2nd......3rd......4th...I had this guy by at least 5 car lenths by the time we hit 85mph....... and then he pulls in back of me......... with his lights on and sirens blaring.

This is the shot from the police helicopter..........WTF!

I start to slow down...but not too much, just enough to "juke" him..........and then I make a break for it.  Whooosh.  The turbo kicks in again and we're hauling ass through traffic.  Weaving and dodging cars in each lane headed towards Prescott Valley,  I make a quick left then a right and a left again, and then I see it..........................he called for back up.  We had total TOP GUN moment.   Brooke says to me" you got another "bogie" on your six".....where did they come from?  "Talk to me Goose."  "They're coming in hot Mav."    Now with two squad cars in tow, just for fun, I cut through a neighborhood.  School must have just gotten out.  there were kids everywhere.

Flying down the street at about 70mph, honking the horn so no little ones get pancaked.  They all moved without hesitation, good thing too.  I wasn't stopping.  Until I hit a dead end.  I down shifted and pulled off the most amazing drift move ever.  The rear end of the Audi swung around narrowly missing the barriers.  Quattro has it's perks.....All 4 tires spinning now, grabbing gears,  I split the two patrol cars right down the middle in a game of chicken.  No time to think, just act.

This chase didn't last long as they had other squad cars blocking some of the side roads, this left me no choice but to head to the mall parking lot.  It was like being a mouse looking for the cheese.  Only, it was the way out of the labyrinth of concrete curbs and driveways.  And this is where the story ends....every way out was blocked.  Sunofabish..................you get the picture.  This is the end result.  They let Brooke out of the car because she says I held her against her will.  We'll talk about that when we get home.

The only thing is.......is that this whole story is a fabrication.  None of this actually happened. The names were changed to protect the innocent.  No not really, it's us.  We just happened to be at the mall and saw the cars and I said "take a picture and I 'll make something up."

Have a nice day.