Power line sections.....always looking !

[Paul Danik]

Greetings,

   We took a little leaf peeping ride last evening and came across a country road we hadn't explored previously, so off we went. Yes, the leaves were nice, but the highlight of the ride for me was coming across one of those high tension electric right of ways that crossed the road we were on. "Back in the day" we rode miles and miles of these right of ways and simply referred to them as "power line sections". I don't care if we are on an interstate highway running 80 mph,  or on a slow country road doing 25, whenever I see one of these right of ways, even way off in a distance, I always look for any sign of a worn trail.  

   I have several fond memories of riding power line sections from years gone by, but one of my favorites occurred at the 1973 ISDT where we clocked a decent number of miles on these right of ways. Descending a rather long  downhill on one it was easy to see that at the bottom was one of those areas that laid rather wet and had a swampy look to it, there looked to be a number of rutted and sloppy lines through it and a few riders were spinning there way through with mud filling the air off there rear tires.

   I noticed one lone spectator standing right before this swampy section and as I approached it, and started to evaluate the worn sloppy wet looking lines, the spectator lifted his head and made eye contact with me and gave a slight nod to my right. Sure enough there was a very slightly worn trail that skirted the worst of this mess and made for an easy bypass, all strictly legal of course... What makes this simple bypass so memorable even after almost a half century, wasn't that the swampy mess was bypassed, but whom the spectator was, none other that Rolf Tibblin, also know as The Iron Man of Motocross ! Thank you very much Rolf !
 
   Back to the leaf peeping ride and the right of way that crossed our two lane road. I saw some dust way up the hillside and could see two younger looking riders on their cycles making their way up to the crest of the hill, probably out doing one of their normal evening rides. Little did they know their ride provided me with a quick trip down memory lane, hopefully my little story has provided some of you with such a trip as well.

Paul

PS  Want to know a little more about Rolf...

https://magazine.americanmotorcyclist.com/5667/rolf-tibblin/

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=405&lpos=0px&letter=T&txtFname=&rblFname=S&txtLname=&rblLname=S&discipline=0

[johnborn]

Great story. I love reading these stories of the memories of you guys that represented our country at these international events. Thanks for posting.

[Paul Danik]

John Born,

    There is another chapter to the Rolf Tibblin story and it involves your Dad.
 
    Your Dad and I used to buddy up and go to the AMA Life Member Breakfast each year at VMD and we also liked going to the AMA Hall Of Fame induction ceremony together as well. We were not happy campers when the AMA moved it to Vegas.  I don't recall the year, but one of the inductees was Rolf Tibblin. After the induction ceremony was over Rolf had a rather large crowd of folks gathered around him wanting to shake his hand and such. Your Dad and I hung back till Rolf was pretty much alone and then approached him and entered into some small talk and shook his hand and congratulated him on his Hall of Fame induction.
 
   As our time with Rolf was coming to a close I mentioned to Rolf that he might remember one of my neighbors, I mean 8.3 miles away still makes us neighbors where I come from, Rolf asked who my neighbor might be, and my reply was Jake Fischer....  Rolf lit up like a street light at dusk and stated, " Jake Fischer, he is one tough guy". I still laugh as I think of it. Here is the Iron Man of Motocross stating that Jake Fischer is one tough guy. Of course Rolf had reason to know how tough Crazy Jake is, at the 1973 ISDT Jake separated his shoulder about half way through the event and he still finished with a Gold Metal. AND, it was Rolf Tibblin who at Jake's request put his shoulder back into place. Some where there is a famous photo of that trailside procedure taking place. Your Dad and I laughed about that all the way home and many times afterward as well

   The link below will take you to a Rolf Tibblin interview that took place the same weekend of the induction ceremony. The interview took place in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOkY6KBlMmk

Paul

[Richard Colahan]

Paul
Some great back-stories...many thanks!

At a recent AHRMA XC race I was chatting with Jake about his 73 ISDT and I mentioned that even after all of these years I recalled that photo of Rolf Tibblin popping his shoulder back in. Now I might be wrong, but I think Jake asked me if I had an old copy of that photo...again I may be mistaken but I don't think he has one.

Anyway, a little web searching turned up the Cycle Magazine feature on the 73 ISDT...and there it is!
And Paul, also an excellent action shot of one of those Berkshire powerlines...just to help bring back more memories!

  https://badcurator.org/resources/Magazines/Cycle_Jan74/Cycle-Jan-74_ISDT-73.pdf



Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA

[Toolsurfer]

Yeah Paul , Back in the early 70's these power line right of way were used were I live for competition and just trail riding .  Only time I every got hurt was on one of these trails and the stumps were cut about foot peg height and I collected one with my new Norstar Munari boots and bent my angle back wards .  On crutches for about aweek or so.  That never happened again .

[Paul Danik]

Richard,

   Thank you very, very much for posting the link to that incredible article on the 1973 ISDT. The article seemed to be almost custom written for this thread, with the powerline photos and accompanying text, and of course the photo of Jake getting his shoulder popped back into place by Rolf.

   It was also very nice to see the praise cast upon Al Eames and Ed Youngblood for their rolls in pulling off the event, and of course praise was also given to John Penton for his financial support and we surely know he was a powerful force in making the event happen as well. Years after the event I saw Al Eames listed in the AMA magazine as the ride coordinator for a road event in the Carolinians, I think his son Dave had moved to that area and Al & his bride moved there as well in due time. His phone number was listed and I gave him a call one evening and we spent about an hour talking about the event. I was happy to be able to personally thank him for all of his efforts. At the time of the event gentlemen like Al Eames and Ed Youngblood were busy doing their jobs and I assumed the "best to be seen and not heard" mentality and went about my task at hand. It was great to eventually be able to connect with these fine gentlemen and give them the proper THANKS that they deserved.

   The article mentioned Eastover, I am almost positive that is where the final awards ceremony took place. I remember like it was yesterday looking into a very small barn like structure and seeing the World Trophy along with the other prestigious awards all polished up and ready for the presentation, which I had a ring side seat to observe. I also remember walking into a large ballroom where they had a large ice carving of A M A on the front table, it was there that a buzz erupted that the final results were ready. I remember getting a quick look at a copy of them a seeing that I had earned a Gold, I knew I hadn't dropped any route marks, but it made it official in my mind when I saw it in print. I quickly found a phone and a quick call was made home to my parents with instructions to let my mentor in all things motorcycling, Bob Augustine, know what his teachings had accomplished. I posted a link to Eastover today below, I hope to travel there sometime and look for that little barn. There is a video on the website that provides a glimpse of the shear beauty of that area.

http://www.eastover.com/

   The article made mention of Doug Wilford, Jim Piaseki and myself making up the Amherst Meadowlarks Club Team. I remember how concerned I was when I saw what club we represented, I mean the Amherst Meadowlarks, John Penton's home club the he helped establish, better not screw up I remember thinking....

   I could go on Richard, because you most certainly did help to bring back more memories  

Thank you, Paul.

[Richard Colahan]

Two thoughts on "powerlines"...

1. In his wonderful book The Golden Age of Enduros my friend Piet Boonstra gives a 1st person account of an absolutely brutal rainy 2nd day of the 1970 Berkshire Trials up in MASS.
He and the late Bud Peck were riding their 4 year old Triumph 500's at the back of the pack and the muddy powerlines...including the Colrain that was used in the 73 ISDT..took their toll. Piet talks of coming down the Colrain in a river of mud before he went over his hour with multiple chain derailments, but Bud hung on for the only Open Class Gold medal. The Marsha MacDonald photo of a soaked and exhausted Bud Peck standing alone at a late Sunday check point "wondering if anyone else was still out there somewhere" is an inspiration of perseverance.

BTW...of the 10 Golds won...5 were on 125 Pentons: Tom, Jack, Doug, Leroy and Dave Mungenast. Jeff won the overall...on a 250 Husky.
Piet's book is a great look back at the Enduros of the 50's and 60's...the "Golden Age" as Piet saw it.
I re-read that book every winter and it always gets me re-motivated to keep riding and racing. Still available on Amazon...

2. For anyone that rode the 350 mile Corduroy (in Ontario Can)back in the 70's or early 80's the infamous "Hydro Line" will come to mind. It was a 30 mile or so long powerline from the VERY remote gas stop in Whitney down to the town of Eagle Lake. You can find both of those towns on Google maps. Draw a straight line between them, through the Algonquin Park, and that would be the path of the Hydro Line. It wasn't all that tough of a ride...more of a transfer section...but at a 36km speed average...it always seemed that you just slooowly fell behind a minute or two. So it was 30 miles of no relaxing!

As you said Paul great memories from our wonderful sport!

Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA

[Rick Bennett]

Richard
Looking for this book, but not finding it yet. Thanks for the tip.

[Richard Colahan]

Rick...Wow...there were 6 copies still available on Amazon yesterday...today all gone.
However...Piet for years maintained an excellent Blog, and on this link he posted WAY more old b&w photos then are even in his book.

Warning: Set aside quite a bit of time and pour yourself a big cup of coffee before clicking on this link!
Incredible photos and stories going back to his start in 1948.

http://pietboonstra.blogspot.com/search/label/Photos%20of%20Enduros%20and%20Trail%20Riding

He knew and competed with JP and Bill Baird...in his book he tells the story of JP badly breaking his collarbone at the Little Burr. Piet tells the next check crew that JP is hurt and may need help. The checker looks up the road and says something like: "I guess not...here he comes now riding down the trail!" I had a chance to remind JP of that story earlier this year at our Mid-Atlantic Region banquet. JP lit up at the memory, and mentioned it as encouragement to the audience to "never give up...never quit" when he got up to give a few remarks.

As you tab down through the photos you will eventually come to the photo (and others) of the late Bud Peck on the Colrain powerline in the brutal 1970 Berkshire that I referred to in the post above.

Piet is getting on in years with the usual "elder" health issues and no longer updates that Blog, but I spoke with him yesterday and he is doing ok. His e/m address is in the Blog, and I'll bet he'd be pleased to hear from some POG members that care to send him a note.

In the meantime...keep trying to find his book on used book sellers on Google...

Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA