lcarreau - May 5, 2008 5:18 pm - Voted 10/10
The plainbelow the High Tatras is only 880 metres?
That's about the same elevation as
several trails in the Mojave Desert of
California & Nevada! How many kilometers
is this valley from the ocean? Tomas,
you forgot to tell me about 'mountain
bike riding' in Poland and Slovakia.
Is it just as popular as it appears to
be the the western US?? The Mojave Desert
appears to be heating up and becoming
warmer, but I've gotten used to it. Guess
I'll go outside and find some more rocks
and trees to take photos of. TAKE CARE!!
Tomas Kristofory - May 16, 2008 2:35 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: The plainHi, Larry, Take care! :) The plain is good, because if you travel underneath (in slovak conditions there lead very important road/highway and railway through the plain), the whole time you see all important summits. There are no fore-ranges bothering the view.
The ocean is very far away from here. I guess nearest saltwater is some 600 kilometres to the SW.
Mountain bike riding is not very popular here. There are mountain bike freaks and some strenous forestry roads arranged for mountain biking. In High Tatras you can't go higher than to the mountain hotel Sliezsky dom 1670 metres along the road. If you go there from Poprad, you will have 1000 metres of altitude gain on some 15 kilometres distance. However, there are several really hard mountain bike trails in other ranges. You can get from Sumiac to the summit of Kralova hola (1948 m) in Nizke Tatry range with with 1066 metres of altitude gain on 5,1 kilometres distance. Another perfect slope is in Lucanska Mala Fatra, also with 1000 metres drop off from 1400 m to some 400 m in the city of Martin. That trail is used for some international mountain bike races. You will also find bikers who are breaking laws on the main ridge of Nizke Tatry or in Velka Fatra. I have seen there also some (mountain novice) guys on motorbikes at the lighter passage of Velka Fatra main ridge asking me whether that was the way to Krizna - most important summit in Velka Fatra. I was horrified when they asked me that. The route includes some rocky passages and exposed ridges. Needless to say, they would damage rare mountain flora. They turned their motorbikes back, because they saw really tough passage in front of them. You can see, there is also adverse site of slovaks' character. Cheers Tomas :)
lcarreau - May 16, 2008 4:51 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: The plainThat is okay, my friend Tomas. I
don't want to paint with a broad
brush, but I have witnessed the
behavior of some Americans as
being quite adverse! I hide myself
from them. We do have a system
of 'routes' set up for the
serious mtn. bike/motorcycle riders.
One popular location is Park City, Utah, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Another is Mammoth Mountain in California.
If people like to ride in the dirt,
there is the "Moto-Cross" track in northern Utah, and you can ride over Butterfield Pass to the Kennicot Copper Mine area.
Of course, an all-time greatest route
for mountain bikes is the 'Slickrock
Trail' near Moab, Utah. You will always
find solitude during the weekdays. My
brother & I often rode bikes on specified
trails in the Oquirrh Mtns, where we
grew up. Instead of pedaling up, we started at a high place (8,000 ft.) and rode downhill! It was very fun, but I always wondered why my "brake pads" wore out. I don't like to see folks breaking the law, but there's those who do and there's nothing to be done except write down their plate number and report to the proper authorities. Have a nice weekend! :)
- Larry of AZ
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