[Cruze]

Anyone have any other hobbies other than being a motorcycle enthusiast ? Noticed this off-topic area was a bit empty so I thought we could collect and share some things about ourselves

Literally, anything from wood working to barbie collecting

I personally like to collect knives.. No I am not a violent person nor do I use them for anything more than cutting the tape that keeps packages closed lol. I just seem to have an infatuation with them, but no specific types. Anything from throwing knives to hunting knives.

Actually went to the store the other day and seen swords... I may progress on...

What about you guys ??

 

[eddie]

I'll bite.
Beside owning and enjoying a pair of motorcycles, I like to do volunteer hiking trail maintenance in a nearby state park.
My preferred "specialty"? Clearing trees that have fallen and are blocking the trail.
In fact, I took care of two such trees just this afternoon. =)

There are 40 miles of hiking trails and we clear anything you have to duck under or a 5 year old can't step over.
I use an old Army pack/frame setup to carry in all the necessary cutting equipment + safety gear, snacks, water, etc...
It's hard work sometimes, but lots of fun!
That's me running the saw in the 1st photo.

 

[Cruze]

That's super cool ! Looks like quite the weight to lug around though so it definitely seems tough. Do you guys cut the fallen trees up into stump sized sections and just line the trail with them or just throw them into a pile on the side of the trail ??

Mr.Happy looks like the most useful of all of that gear though !

 

[OpenRoad]

Great hobby eddie! That's one way to get some free firewood, but would probably need an atv to haul it back to your house. Had to look up what an aerostich mr happy was and now I want one to bring on all my adventures.

Mine aren't as philanthropic in nature, I do enjoy swimming and scuba diving when the opportunity arises. Other than that there's hiking, kyaking, and other outdoor activities.

 

[Cruze]

Great hobby eddie! That's one way to get some free firewood, but would probably need an atv to haul it back to your house. Had to look up what an aerostich mr happy was and now I want one to bring on all my adventures.

Mine aren't as philanthropic in nature, I do enjoy swimming and scuba diving when the opportunity arises. Other than that there's hiking, kyaking, and other outdoor activities.

I looked into them as well ! There only $9 !!

Aerostich Mr. Happy Puppet :: Aerostich Motorcycle Jackets, Suits, Clothing, & Gear

 

[eddie]

Oh, yea. That loaded pack is heavy! LOL

99.999% of the wood is simply left in place as it's too remote to retrieve.
We make whatever cuts are needed to open the trail, put the cuttings off to the side and are done.
If a tree is near a campsite, I'll cut limbs and such into firewood size lengths for hikers, though.

Our biggest challenge to date took place in 2011 after the April tornado super outbreak.
A F1-F2 demolished a measured total of 24,000+ feet of trail.
Some days, we'd get yards cleared. Others, mere feet. It was unreal.
The 1st photo is a campsite (what's left of it) after me and another volunteer spent about 30 man-hour hours over a few weekends. It took another 100+ man hours to clear it all away. The second is an example of the stuff we had to clear just to make a pathway through for hikers.
The last photo is just one I took of my girlfriend on a hike not long after things were reopened.

 

[Cruze]

Holy moly that's a heck of a lot of work. But that is extremely appreciated, you're a darn good person Eddie. Takes a big heart to volunteer and help others out in the community and what not so extensively

 

[eddie]

Holy moly that's a heck of a lot of work. But that is extremely appreciated, you're a darn good person Eddie. Takes a big heart to volunteer and help others out in the community and what not so extensively

Thank you!
What amazes me to this day about the tornado cleanup is that out of all the volunteers and sheer volume of hours worked (pinched fingers, small cuts & scrapes + a lot of tick bites aside), nobody got hurt.
I had a few X-rays taken on a tweaked ankle and really hard hit shin bone, but nothing was really damaged, though. =)

 

[Cruze]

Well, thank god for that !

This turned into what's your hobby to let's learn about good friend Eddie and I don't mind it at all.

How many volunteers do you typically get to come out ??

 

[eddie]

Well, thank god for that !

This turned into what's your hobby to let's learn about good friend Eddie and I don't mind it at all.

How many volunteers do you typically get to come out ??

I wasn't trying to hijack my own thread. ;-)
You guys do cool stuff, too! Let's hear about it!

PS: To answer your question. As few as three or four on a monthly work day up to 50 soldiers from nearby Ft. Benning on special occasions.
Those guys ROCK!
15 Captains from three countries helped us build a 16 foot wooden bridge 2.5 miles down the trail in less than 90 minutes one morning. (pics below)

 

[Rokrover]

OK, I'll try to stay on topic. My hobbies over the years have included rock climbing, adventure hiking, classic camera mechanics, steam rail roads, battleships, muscle cars and similar diversions. Motorcycling satisfies most ingredients of these pursuits with adventure, the outdoors and machinery.

 

[OpenRoad]

You must be extremely fit, I can barely get to the top of a bouldering wall. Is the first one actually your car?

 

[Rokrover]

Is the first one actually your car?

No, my pockets were never deep enough to afford let alone maintain such an extravagance of horsepower. Rather dangerous too with the driver's view blocked by the supercharger! My hobby was just photographing car and motorcycle shows when we lived in California. The Virgil Elings motorcycle museum was nearby and I attach a picture I took of their lovely OHC Manx Norton with exposed hairpin valve springs.

 

[Cruze]

Always had a thing for hotrods. Beautiful blower

Picture number 3 that you posted above looks crazy ! How tall was that thing ?!

 

[Rokrover]

Always had a thing for hotrods. Beautiful blower Picture number 3 that you posted above looks crazy ! How tall was that thing ?!

That tower with me on top is Mt. Olympus in the Santa Monica mountains. It is 100' high (twice that on the opposite side) and the rock is scary breccia embedded with loose cobblestones. I wish they fired up that hot rod so I could hear the blower running! Meanwhile, my picture of a nice Harley is attached, perhaps as inspiration to unleash the drill? Just kidding :wink2:

 

[Cruze]

100 feet in there air ?! That's intense ! Is that the highest you've been ?

I personally get afraid of heights so that's definitely a no-no for me haha, I envy those that can do these things

That Harley is gorgeous though... kinda gets my mind stirring quite a bit

 

[OpenRoad]

My pictures are not as interesting, but I'll dig up that one picture of me stalking a turtle while diving. Not into photography unless I'm under water.