Valpo got over an INCH of rain so Bluhm got hit also.  Please give the trail a day to dry, wait till Saturday to ride Bluhm.  The Glen may have some mud as well so a day to dry will help out both trails.  I removed the front side deadfall near sign #16 & will get the tree in the Revenge next week after the race. 

Thanks to Jerry Proctor, Will T, , Lyle K & me.  We got to Bluhm @ 08:00.  Since it was a small crew we split up to get more done.   Proc & Lyle got some trees cut that were blocking the trail, I weed whipped a bit & Will moved some dirt to make a few log go overs more stable.  We then added some new logs to a mud pit near the end of the last "clover leaf" of the trail. 

If you ride the trail there are still lots of derailure snappers to run over.  Take a few seconds & kick them out of the way on your first lap.  Or if you have time, hike sections & remove the junk. 

Don't forget NIMBA series race #4 is in 2 weeks @ Bluhm County Park.  www.nimbaseries.org  for details

Thanks again guys,

No air Bud

Imagination Glen Time Trial Results are up at http://www.nimbaseries.org/2010Results/3OutbackTrail.aspx.

The Outback Trail apologizes for days in race day timings and the errors made in Sport Class placings.  For more details, click the link below.

With warmer weather you may have noticed some new riding partners on the trails ... with wings.  It's not only mosquitos, but biting flies as well that can bleed you dry.  Lets take some time to review recommendations for protection from an expert, the Department of Defense.

1) On exposed skin, use deet, no specifically use Ultrathon Cream (33% Deet).  It's a formulation that doesn't wash off, prevents skin absorbtion and is time released.  One application can last 12 hours.

2) Treat clothes with a permethrin spray.  It permeates the fabric and can last multiple washings.

3) Keep a headnet handy in case things get really swarmy.  The Deet may prevent a mosquito from biting your eyeball, but it won't stop a hundred from hovering within an inch of your face and it's very hard to change flats with hundreds of mosquitos so close to you.

You can find an excellent selection of these products at the local outdoor stores (you know the ones I'm talking about).  You can also find aerosol Ultrathon there which would be the one insect repellant to choose if you could only choose one.

All, please refrain from "checking" the closed sections to see if they are ready to ride.  That just puts more riders in areas that are too senstive to ride.

Further, what many casual riders consider "ready to ride" we recognize as "only good for a few riders".  In other words, the first 4-5 guys who go through may be OK.  After that it get progressively worse as you drive the moisture deeper into the soil.   Then it takes longer for the trail to recover.

Helping is showing up to trail maintenance days.  Helping is joining the group or making donations.  We've been doing this for a while and we'd really appreciate if everyone would not go into closed sections.  We close them for reasons.  And until you have to repaired a section once it's been permanently reduced to a mud hole, you're probably not the best person to make the call on whether a section should be open or closed..

So please, respect the trail closed signs and stay out of areas that have been taped off.   We want to ride them just as much as you.  We have ways of knowing when to check, and then ... we do.  And if it's ready to open, we open it.

Thank You.

Online Registration is now available for NIMBA Series. Race #1 is coming up on June 6th. You can buy a 6 race ticket for $100 anytime before the first race. Remember, that you get 5 bonus points in the series for extra races over 4.

Get all the information you need on the NIMBA Series Website, http://www.nimbaseries.org