Strangest thing I saw while riding......

[skiracer]

I was out riding yesterday, and saw something really crazy!  It got me thinking what other riders have seen out on the trail?  So, I thought I would start a tread for everyone to share their experience.....
As I said I was out riding, going through an area with lots of vines hanging from the trees. I was going down a straight  and saw this big vine hanging down. As I got closer I saw it moving!  Turned out to be a big black snake!!!! I got on the gas and out of there!! Not a big fan of snakes.....

1976 MC 5 Original Owner
1976 Penton 175 XC
1985 20' Hi Point trailer

[Mick Milakovic]

Roselawn, Indiana enduros in the 70's, lots of naked people watching from the fence rows!  Naked City, Sun City Fun Club, Ponderosa Sun Club; all had their borders somewhere around the trails.

Mick

[dennis brown]

while riding west of Tionesta pa, riding an old oil pipe line with 4 friends, I was leading because I knew the trail a turkey took off and hit me square in the helmut about knocked me off the bike.friends? thought it was very funny!

dennis l.brown

[Larry Perkins]

Practicing for the Baja series was night riding by myself in the Mark Twain National Forest in Chadwick, Missouri and came across a bear.  Luckily he was much more terrified of the rumbling four stroke than I was of him.  He hightailed it away.  Freaked me out because I did not even know there were bears there.  [:0]

Larry P

[thrownchain]

Riding in the southern tier of NY, almost ran over a skunk, possibly scared me as mush as it scared him. Both survived undamaged.

[Bob Bean]

Riding a ISDE qualifier out in Washington, Was going down a side of a mountain on a jeep trail when a herd of Moose came crashing thru the brush, jumped the road and kept on going downhill...
  It was like a freight train going thru there.. I was glad I wasnt 30 feet further down the trail or would have been flattened...

Bob

1986 ISDE Italy
1987 ISDE Poland
1989 ISDE Germany

[derek martin]

1) A tarantula crossed  in front of me on a transfer section a few years back at the New Blaine Arkansas AHRMA event. A local at the next check confirmed that they did have tarantulas in the area. Thing was as big as a terrapin.
2) Riding at a fair clip several years ago in the Shawnee following one of my brother in laws down a rocky downhill. Brother in law got bent out of shape in a large way and vectored square into a tree. He hit the tree dead center and it turned into mostly dust as it was dry rotted. Possible fatal had it not been. Proof of Guardian Angels.
3) LBL Dual Sport ride in late 90s. At a water truck stop a fellow rider walked up to me and asked what his face looked like. He had a wood stob about as big around as your thumb stuck in his head and poking out just under his cheekbone. I told him he looked good and walked him down to Mark Hyde at the Suzuki truck who arranged a ride to the hospital. Learned he was OK later on.
4) Street bike riding several years ago. A turkey buzzard came off a gut pile in the ditch as I rode past and ended up in my lap flailing his wings profusely for what seemed alike a long time until somehow we parted ways. Bike and myself had greasy buzzard leavings as a result. Nasty.
5) etc., etc.

[Gordon Brennan]

Well, this is a little weird. I have a Vintage Trials and Vintage HS on my property every year. On one section of the loop trail are some woops. I never thought that much about them until one day when I was walking the loop clearing branches and face slappers. I spent some time checking them out and they're kinda in a row and at the top end of a hill facing south. There are a few foundations around the property from the 1700's and earlier. Those people had to be buried somewhere, and I'm thinking the somewhat oval shaped holes might be caskets that have caved in. At that time they probably used wooden crosses, which would have rotted away by now. The property has been in my family around a hundred years, so I know no one has been there with a backhoe, or any other machinery.
Now I always feel a little creepy riding that section, like I'm doing something wrong.
Neat thread James.

[fischercycle]

HELLO, ALL POG MEMBERS, IF YOU ARE RIDING UP IN THE ALLEGHENY MOUNTAINS NEAR CROSS FORKS PA,( BE AWARE,) A GROUP OF US 8 RIDERS ENTER THE WOODS ABOUT 7PM. WITH OUR ADVENTURE BIKES, WITH ABOUT SEVEN  INCHES OF SNOW, AFTER ABOUT 2 HOURS OF ROUGH RIDING WE STOPED TO HAVE THE BACK GUYS CATCH UP,IT IS NOW 9.30PM.WE HEARD A LOUD GROWLING SOUND WE TOUGHT IT WAS A BEAR, THE BEAR WAS RUNNING FAST ABOUT 15FT PAST US AND THAN WE SAW GIANT MAN LIKE CREATURE FOLLOWING HIS PATH,SO THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS, WE GOT BACK TO THE CAMP SAFE BUT WE ALL NEEDED A CHANGE OF NEW UNDER WEAR, WE ALL CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION :(IT WAS SASQUATCH,SO IF YOUR IN THE ALLEGHENYS MTS. KEEP LOOKING BACK AND ALL AROUND,AND HAVE A GOOD RIDE , BUT TAKE EXTRA UNDER WEAR,JAKE

[Pat Oshaughnessy]

Jake I belive catch that sucker

[skiracer]

Glad you like it Gordon! I thought it would be fun......

quote:Originally posted by Gordon Brennan

Well, this is a little weird. I have a Vintage Trials and Vintage HS on my property every year. On one section of the loop trail are some woops. I never thought that much about them until one day when I was walking the loop clearing branches and face slappers. I spent some time checking them out and they're kinda in a row and at the top end of a hill facing south. There are a few foundations around the property from the 1700's and earlier. Those people had to be buried somewhere, and I'm thinking the somewhat oval shaped holes might be caskets that have caved in. At that time they probably used wooden crosses, which would have rotted away by now. The property has been in my family around a hundred years, so I know no one has been there with a backhoe, or any other machinery.
Now I always feel a little creepy riding that section, like I'm doing something wrong.
Neat thread James.

1976 MC 5 Original Owner
1976 Penton 175 XC
1985 20' Hi Point trailer

[Husky]

A couple years back myself and two friends were riding the Calisburg enduro just outside of Gainsville Tx.  Behind and riding over our heads our lead guy Mark snagged a 90 degree to the left as I zipped right on past. The only thing between me and the tops of trees about 30' ahead was a lone sapling.  I reached out and grabbed it as my 450 KTM just disappeared over the edge and into the tree tops.  I remember thinking if I was gonna come off the bike or go right on over.  My friend Robert Hicks, just behind me and having watched the entire episode unfold said it was the funniest thing he had ever seen as I was just parallel to the ground hanging on to that tree. Remarkably the bike was sitting upright in a little creek bottom with the Rekluse just waiting to go.

1970 Hodaka Super Rat
1974 Penton Harescrambler
1983 Husqvarna XC500
1988 Husqvarna Auto
2004 KTM 450 EXC

[Jason Rowland]

Primates have such a slow reaction time, and are at such a strength disadvantage pound-for-pound compared to ursidae, that I can't imagine Sasquatch was challenging the bear in any way.  I bet it was "date night"....

[Pat Oshaughnessy]

Date night in costume or? [)]

[hanksie]

It was 74or75.Harescramble at Abner's,Newcomerstown,Ohio.Was having a good day on my Piner when I came up on a 250 Yamaha MX rider on a section of single track off camber.No room to pass,we're plugging along when this rather large Doe comes charging out of the brush and T-bones this poor guy,knocking him & bike over.Stopped to help him up,he looks at me with a bewilterd look and say's WHAT HAPPEND?Never saw it coming.The deer never stopped. Bill