Sunday, March 20, 2016

Dirt Biking at Metcalf

After many weekends of rain (and park closures), I finally had great weather to ride my 2013 Honda CRF250R off-road motorcycle at Metcalf Motorcycle Park.

I arrived early, around 9:00 a.m., and the park was already busy (but the parking lot was only partially complete. I unloaded my dirt bike, filled it with gas, and put on my riding gear.



I rode the easy beginner's trail - also called Trail 1 - a few times to warm up. Once I got more comfortable, I decided to try Trail 3 - the long trail that runs around Metcalf.


Trail 3 was much more challenging and had a few steep descents and ascents. I dropped the bike twice but incurred no severe damage (just a few scratches).

I had a great time riding trails for two hours. I did not shoot a GoPro video this time, but there is an excellent video already recorded on YouTube;



Saturday, March 12, 2016

Intro to Dirt at Hollister Hills SVRA

After purchasing my Honda CRF250R dirt bike, I realized I needed additional training to get more comfortable. I repeated the Intro to Dirt class with Garrahan Off-Road Training in Hollister Hills SVRA, CA.

The class was initially scheduled for Sunday, March 13th. However, Brian moved the class to Saturday, March 12th, due to the rainy weather.



On Saturday, March 12th, I woke up early, at around 7:99am, to prepare for the drive to Hollister. I arrived at the Hollister SRV around 8:35am (it was a one-hour drive with almost no traffic). Brian was setting up all of the dirt bikes and unloading all of the protective gear.

Since I already had my own gear, I dressed and rode. Brian selected a Honda CRF150 for me. It was not too small, not too big, and very light. Compared to my CRF250R dirt bike, the CRF150 is much shorter and more delicate.

We rode a few rounds on the nearby vintage track to warm up. Since it rained the day before, we used the kids' track.

We proceeded with more dirt bike drills, learning to smoothly break, accelerate, slide the rear wheel, and turn the bike. After a few drills, we rode the Hamilton trail. After the trail ride, we stopped by the vintage track for refreshments and then rode to the training grounds to continue drills.


I did many acceleration drills. Stopping drills, smooth shifting drills, and cone weave in and out drills. After this, it was time for a quick lunch.



After lunch, we rode a few more exciting trails. Some were very steep and muddy! It was an absolute blast.


Thursday, March 3, 2016

Pops Concert at Dartmouth Middle School

Today, we attended a performance of Dartmouth Middle School's Pops Concert - the first concert in 2016. Alex played trumpet in the Jazz and Concert bands, and we were eager to observe his performance.



The Chorus started with California Dreamin', initially composed by The Mamas and the Papas. This was followed by the Beatles' classic "Let It Be" and "Pinball Wizard" by The Who.

The Beginning Band took over next with "Cool Kids" by Echosmith, "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri, and "All-Star".

Since Alex plays in the Jazz Band, I was eager to see him play. The Jazz Band played two songs: "It Is What It Is" and "Elvin and the Hip Monks".



Alex moved back to the Concert Band, where he played his trumpet on "Cheerleader," "Summertime" from George Gershwin's famous opera "Porgy and Bess," and "Take On Me" by the Norwegian rock group A-ha. I really liked "Summertime".



The Symphonic Band took over and played "Tell Me It's Over," followed by Toto's "Africa" and the "Greatest Hits of The Beach Boys" - a medley of tunes.

This was a fun musical program, and I enjoyed Summertime and The Beach Boys.


The Pops Concert Program


Jazz Band

  1. "It Is What It Is" by Victor Lopez
  2. "Elvin and the Hip Monks" by Doug Beach and George Shutack
Beginning Band
  1. "Cool Kids" arranged by Patrick Roszell
  2. "A Thousand Years" arranged by Paul Murtha
  3. "All-Star" arranged by Michael Story
Choir
  1. "California Dreamin' " arranged by Roger Emerson
  2. "Let It Be" by Lennon and McCartney
  3. "Pinball Wizard" arranged by Roger Emerson
Concert Band
  1. "Cheerleader" arranged by Patrick Roszell
  2. "Summertime" arranged by Robert Longfield
  3. "Take On Me" arranged by Paul Murtha
Symphonic Band
  1. "Tell Me It's Over" arranged by Sam Neipp
  2. "Africa" arranged by Jerry Davis
  3. "The Beach Boys Greatest Hits" arranged by Michael Brown