Yes, Another Middlefork!

Greetings, Jerk. I tell you what, we have really lucked out so far this season. The deep cold has gone away, and the rain has yet to make a season out of stuff. So what do we do when life hands us lemonade? We drink that delicious lemonade, then turn it into jenkem and go Zambian-Street-Children style on it.

Thursday was upon us, and you know what Thursday means. Oh yes, Thursday is another glorious day that Energor has bestowed upon us with which we are to ride into glorious victory. So yours truly (Casey Ryback), Tropical Storm Mason, and Nico Toscani
(Nico also seen here) ventured down to do a Middlefork-to-Strother Creek-to-gravel-road-bailout.

A nice 32+ mile route that takes us down what we all agree to be a series of THE best downhills in Missouri. To give you an idea, the first descent from the gravel lot (DD/32) down to the first major bottoming out at a road/creek takes 15 minutes, with only about 2 or 3 of that involving any kind of climbing. It is literally over 11 minutes of descending. Where else can you find that around here? That's what I thought. As I stressed last week, this trail has the most fun descents in MO. The fastest, and most "carve-tastic." That's right.

We met and headed down 21, only to make two stops that were filled with pee and poo shivers. Before we knew it, we arrived at the parking lot, only to find this interesting bit of.... well... you make your own assumptions because I'm not commenting. Just know that I didn't do anything to her, and I didn't touch the clothing - it was like that when we got there:


From the trail:

Mason:

Took this one while pedaling uphill:

Mason:

Nico:

Casey Ryback:

Etc...

The best:

These two tornado-ravaged buildings have been a pile of fucking rubble since '04:

What an amazing rocking chair:

Now onto more serious business. We have a homework assignment for you - you being the awesome rider who makes fairly regular trips down to the Potosi area to ride Council Bluff, Trace Creek, Middlefork, or whatever. If you drive down 21, you know all of these landmarks. So we propose a challenge: Take a photo involving you and the following landmarks (as many as you can) that you'll see on the way down 21 to the Potosi area:

-The Porn Shed (Bonus points for being *in* the Porn Shed)
-The big rocking chair
-ordering food or a beer in Steve's Place
-ordering food or a beer in Rick's Place (technically on DD)
-the "boob" buildings (technically on C)
-next to some kind of "murder house"
-the pink elephant
-the "sea of dead cars"
-with one of the following - Ford Festiva, Subaru Justy, Geo Metro, or Mazda 323. A Yugo, if you can find one.
-with as many decorative wagon wheels as possible
-the Petroglyphs (hint: in a State Park)
-getting some "Chester Fried Chicken" in the BP at 21 and 8
-if stopping at a gas station, get a photo of one or two parents getting into their vehicle, while smoking, with their infant child in the seat (windows up)
-in "Off The Hook"

Please be careful when stopping on Hwy 21, otherwise known as "Blood Alley." If successful, a prize for you.

In the meantime, do less political arguing and more riding. First local XC race of the year is upon us - Lost Valley is this weekend! Come to the Pabst Tent for some free brews! Seriously, brah!

-Casey F. Ryback