Although I am not a fan of iTunes and the “forced” Apple World – I sure do like the little Airport Express. Its a wireless access point that can act as a wireless sound card. Many of these can be purchased to make a great for setting up a multi-zoned sound system in your house, all controllable from an Android, iPhone or iPad. Unfortunately it only works with iTunes – but I can live with that as long as I dont have to register on the stupid iTunes store and be forced to but more apple products. Sure beats the large expense of Sonus, especially if you already have a bunch of powered speakers around the house. Its $100 a zone, but these expresses are on eBay for $30-$40, so it can be a little cheaper.

BUT – there’s a bug.

Every time I shutdown iTunes, my Airport Express will disappear from the network. I can ping the device and it works, but AirPort Utility and iTunes wont see it. Sometimes unplugging and plugging in the Airport works. Sometimes I have to reboot my PC that has iTunes. This really takes the fun out of it.

So scouting around for a solution I learned about the “Bonjour” servcice – installed by iTunes or Airport Express. This service is used to discover Apple devices on the network. The bonjour service is listed as mDNSResponder.exe under task manager.

Here is what I first tried. Which did NOT work:

1. Windows Firewall: make sure all rules enabled for private and domain for iTunes and Bonjour
2. Disable IPV6 on your network adapter on the computer with iTunes – since I have an internal network this wont cause me a problem. I will have to check Remote Desktop though, as one article I read said this could be an issue.

I had to do some more digging.

1. Win7 reboot would fixed the problem – 30 mins later, airport would be gone.
2. I could connect to the AirPort buy using AirPort utilit and click on “Configure Other” and connect to the AirPort via its IP Address
   
3. Looking at the AirPort log – I could see it say “Disconnected from Network” – although this didn’t tell me much

4. Clicking update on the Airport Utility would make the Airport discoverable again. – 30 mins later, airport would be gone.

So the problem could be anywhere: the Bonjour service, the Airport Express device, something in Win7, something in the wireless network. There was lots of talk about multicast and routers, so I decided to use an older linksys WAP connected directly to my switch, that was connected directly to my win7 computer. Well this seems ed to work… for now…

Update: 4 days later… Having the AirPort Express connect to my old LinkSys WAP seems to have solved the problem. No dropped connections, no reboots required.

Extending front to back

• Shane Watts Vol1 02:28
• WHY? Help to learn to be comfortable standing
• Ride standing, steady across a field move body front to back
• Extend body as far back as possible (straight arms)
• Extend body as far forward over the bars as possible

Stop and Go – Extends

• Shane Watts Vol1 03:15
• WHY? Use body weight to counteract forces of motorcycle; help to develop throttle and clutch control
• Ride standing on bike
• When accelerating move body as far forward
• When stopping move body as far back as possible
• Pull in clutch when stopping

Standing Figure Eights (Trials Style)

• WHY? develops standing control for tight trails
• Ride standing on bike
• Progress to tighter and slower
• Steer with your feet
• Use clutch to control speed

Sitting Figure Eights (MX Style)

• WHY? Useful to develop fast cornering
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbpAxr3oRi8
• Cones about 15m apart
• Ride sitting on bike
• Slide up to gas tank
• Extend inside foot over front wheel
• Start slow and come in wide to the cone (entrace should be the same to the exit)
• Progressing to fast, use back brake to slide into corner

Slow Ride

• WHY? Useful for developing balance for technical trails and deep ruts
• Ride standing on bike
• Go as slow as possible, even stopping, without putting foot on the ground
• Look far ahead
• Key is to balance
• Turn bars and or move knees for balance

Balance on Rail Tie

• WHY? Useful for developing precise wheel placement
• Shane Watts Vol1 10:15
• Ride down a railroad ties or boards
• Keep straight line
• Look far ahead
• Try both slow and fast
• Try both standing and sitting

Sitting Loft Front Wheel

• WHY? Useful for getting over logs and other obstacles
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duIk3avS6j0 (about 1:40)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JT0SR-OI5M
• Compress legs
• Compress front shocks
• Pull up on handlebars
• Lean back
• Apply throttle
• Try both in first and second gear
• First learn lofting and tapping the rear brake

Standing Loft Front Wheel

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUFVlKF0XXY  (its trials, but the same concept)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duIk3avS6j0
• WHY? Useful for getting over logs and other obstacles; good for showing off.
• Drop knees, compress front shocks
• Push forward, lean back
• Apply a bit of throttle, when all the way back
• Try both in first and second gear

Pivot Turn

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQApmXwoEUY&feature=relmfu
• WHY? useful for turning around in very tight places.
• One foot on peg, other leg well out on ground
• Stand over the bike
• compress the front shocks
• slip the clutch
• move weight back
• lift and turn
• try alternating  legs
• to start just raise the front wheel without turning

Grinding on a Log

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPbXWBMKjnM&feature=plcp
• WHY? very useful for developing the balance and skill to keep your front out of deep ruts, but your back tire in.
• Front wheel on one side of log, rear on opposite
• Progess to standing
• Move  weight back and forth
• Try with just front wheel on a rail tie

Donuts

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns2xHWNq-U0
• WHY? first stage to learning drifting, useful for fast corners
• One leg out
• Lean bike so on side knobbies
• Give throttle
• Progress to pivoting around the leg

Compression Hop Launch

• WHY? Use a kicker to launch the bike over a bigger obstacle
• Dirtwise Video
• Be comfortable with stand up wheelie first
• Start with just the kicker and launching the bike
• Stand up
• When coming to the kicker, preload suspension
• When over the kicker, Pull up as if a stand up wheelie

Links

offroadschool.fr  figure eights, logs, rock steps   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P0kfyqepok&feature=related

Here is a fun B loop with a couple of B+ sections. Plus a little bit of road to make this a fun day trip dual sport adventure.

Distance:
About 60km long

Level:
Lots of easy “C” logging roads and lots of “B” roads with rubble, rocks, little logs. A couple of B+ sections, but they are short. Worse comes to worse you could walk your bike through them.

Time of Year:
This area should be free from snow from May to November

Access:
Go out past Sooke to Anderson Road. Turn up the road, keep your eyes peeled to the bushes on the left for an ATV track bypassing the gate. This route changes all the time so you’ll have to keep you eyes peeled.

GPS File:
Adventure Ride – Tugwell Alligator.gpx

Map:
(click on image to enlarge)

Here’s Cam deftly maneuvering his 640 down the rock steps and rubble from Tugwell Lake.

This is such a pretty lake, surrounded by a beautiful little road lined with birch trees. Its such a beautiful spot. Like Donner lake, its on the rarely visited west side of Strathcona Park. It is accessed from the Ucona mainline logging road out of Gold River. The lake is accessed via somevery old and rough roads.

Be sure to look for the geocache!

Distance:
One way, there is about 7km of logging road out to the road access and then about 10km of old road going around the lake and back out onto the logging road.

Level:
The rough road is very rough and definitely has some “B” sections. NOTE: The Lake is almost completely inside Strathcona Park, the road around it should only be travelled on foot or bicycle.

Time of Year:
This area should be free from snow from May to November

Access:
In Gold River, head down Muchalat Drive, then turn onto Ucona Dr – towards the Rod and Gun club. This is the start of Ucona Mainline.

GPS File:
Adventure Ride – Kunlin Lake Loop.gpx

Map:
(click on image to enlarge)

This is such a beautiful road around the lake (click on image to enlarge)

On Ucona mainline you can see the south side of the imfamous Colonel Foster mountain

On the way in, be sure to stop off at Star lake

Here are the twin rocks where the geocache is hidden.

A nice little bridge across a feeder creek to the Ucona river.

Donner Lake is a beautiful mountain lake on the rarely visited west side of Strathcona Park. It is accessed from the Ucona mainline logging road out of Gold River. There is a very rough old road that leads out to the lake. But its worth the effort.

There is even a canoe and paddle at the lake if you want to truy some fishing.

Distance:
One way, there is about 7km of logging road, then about 11km of very rough old road out to the lake. About 5km of this road is in Strathcona park so you should be doing it on foot or bicycle.

Level:
The rough road is very rough and definitely has some “B” sections.

Time of Year:
This area should be free from snow from May to November

Access:
In Gold River, head down Muchalat Drive, then turn onto Ucona Dr – towards the Rod and Gun club. This is the start of Ucona Mainline.

GPS File:
Adventure Ride – Donner Lake.gpx

Map:
(click on image to enlarge)

Doner Lake (click on image to enlarge)

A nice place to sit and enjoy the view.

Bridge across a Ucona feeder creek

One of the many creek washouts along the way

View of the mountains from the trail to Donner Lake

If you like to do a little riding and a little hiking, then the Kludahk trail is a good destination. Beautiful Alpine area, cabins, meadows, lakes. Visting each cabin makes a nice series of day trips.

Distance:
The furthest cabin, out and back would not be much more than 50km.

Level:
Most of the logging road is easy. There are some steep roads and waterbars to navigate here and there.

Time of Year:
Snow up in the Alpine can linger well into June and even July.

Access:
Head out past Sooke on highway 14. A half hour further you will be in Jordan River. Keep going past JR, up the hill, then a couple of km you will come to China Beach park. Right across the street from China Beach park is Jordan River Main (JR Main). Just head on up!

GPS File:
Adventure Ride n Hike – Kluhdahk Trail.gpx

Map:

Meadow Cabin

Tower Cabin

Here is a nice day tour up to a beautiful large alpine lake right at the top of the Beaufort range of mountains on Vancouver Island. Its pretty easy logging road right up to Tsable Lake, with a “B” option looping back along Allen Lake Main.

NOTE: If you are a good rider on an enduro race bike you may wanto to take an OPTIONAL way down TRM6000 to Comox Lake and make a big loop. It is steep, switchback, eroded and dangerous. If you do decide to take this route, here are some MAJOR WARNINGS:

1. There are a couple of slides that may have completely wiped out the road – be prepared to turn back on a steep, nasty eroded road.
2. You can only travel on Comox Lake Main after 6PM at night – including weekends – so you will have to time your trip accordingly.
3. You will need to have a license plate and all that goes with it.

Distance:
If you go out and back, the distance will be about 70km. If you do the entire loop it will be about the same.

Level:
To Tsable lake most of it is easy logging road. There will be a few rocky sections closer to Cumberland and as you progress up to Tsable Lake. Some steeper road. Lots of waterbars towards the top.

If you want to try TRM6000 you better be a good rider. It is steep, switchback, eroded and dangerous. (Did I say that twice?)

Time of Year:
Tsable Lake will probably have snow up until early July. Check local weather conditions and plan accordingly.

Access:
In Cumberland, head down Sutton Road and when it takes a sharp turn you will see the logging road entrance going into the woods.

GPS File:
Adventure Ride – Tsable Lake.gpx

Map:

“B” route back to Allen Main. Looks pretty cute here. Halfway along it gets to be a bit more “sporting”(click image to make larger)

Cumberland reservoir on the way up Tret River Main

The twin falls coming off of Tsable Lake. Take TRM down the the helipad for a nice view.

Here is a loop for the hardier crowd. Lots of very rough double track, five creek crossings, multiple ATV tracks. Best to do this on a smaller woods bike with good tires. The tough guys can take their 650s.

Distance:
Its about 60-70km round trip.

Level:
Lots of rough double track. Definite B sections. Going up past Tugwell to Ranger lake includes a bunch of rock steps. A few rough ATV tracks, five creek crossings, a couple of them harder than usual. A bike suitable for a hare scramble should be no problem. Real good riders on 650 DS bikes with good off road tires will be OK. (their names are Dave and Al)

Time of Year:
Mt Muir might be clear of snow as early as June. Best to check on the forums if going early or late in the season.

Access:
Head to Sooke, then drive on the 14 out past Sooke. After you pass down and up through Muir Creek, you’ll come to a flat stretch of road through a clearcut. That is blueberry flats. Part way down the road, keep your eye posted to the north, as there will be an ATV track into the area.

GPS File:
Adventure Ride Boyds Mt Muir Loop.gpx

Map:

An example of a washed out road with a bunch of rock steps. Try it in the rain with about 20PSI in your tires.

Muir Creek Crossing. Looks mellow in the picture, but thats about 18 feet deep! (ha ha).

Here is a nice day tour up to a pretty alpine lake right at the top of the San Juan ridge at the start of the Kluhdahk hiking trail.

Distance:
If you go the long way, the total distance will be about 80-90km.

Level:
You can do a nice “C” level loop just on logging roads (the green tracks). Pickups manage it, so big DS bikes with 50/50 tires wont be a problem.

For the more adventerous, you can go along the San Juan valley and then up the ridge alongside Williams Creek. This is an old washed out track. Better riders could do it on their DR650/XR650. 200-350 woods bikes would make cake out of it. The ridge is marked with a red track.

Time of Year:
San Juan Ridge has been known to get up to 20feet of snow (really!). A yearly snow depth is 6-10feet. The snow is usually on the roads up until July (seriously). October is a stunning time to go as well, even November, but check on the forums to make sure there is no snow.

Access:
Head to Shawnigan Lake, then out Renfrew Road. If you are trucking it, you can unload your dual sport at Burnt Bridge Park. If you have a non-plated bike, best to take it further down to the yellow bridge, so the RCMP dont hassle you.

GPS File:
Adventure Ride – Walker Lake.gpx

Map:

Creek at the top of the waterfall… (click image to make larger)

And a little walk down the creek gets you right to the top of the waterfall

View from San Juan Ridge

View of Wye Lake