[pct-l] Bleating Goatheads

[Brett Tucker" <blisterfree@earthlink.net (Brett Tucker)]

Solid inner tubes? No flats? Hmmm... oh well, back to the drawing board.

The dreaded goathead: herded many of these in my mountain biking days in
Albuquerque, before changing professions. Less common along the PCT,
although I seem to recall they occur in profusion just north of Warner
Springs, where once they riddled my foam pad and groundsheet in holes,
clinging tenaciously, following a poorly and hastily made camp in a sandy
wash. They seem to have emanated from the nearby sagebrush.

The PCT needs more goatheads, in my view. Big, well-fed ones. Raised on
butyl rubber and chain grease.

Definition of a future not worth inheriting: when mountain bikers stay home
because the ATVs along the Crest are just too dang dangerous.

- blisterfree


----- Original Message -----
From: Marion Davison <mardav@charter.net>
To: Brett Tucker <blisterfree@earthlink.net>; PCT List
<pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2002 10:37 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Caltrops?


> Fascinating.  I ride a mountain bike many miles a week here in the high
desert
> (Victorville) and I have solid inner tubes.  Here in the high desert we
have a
> native plant that produces a thorn called a goathead.  Like the caltrops
device
> pictured, the thorn is naturally designed to always fall with one vicious
point
> sticking straight up.  They are murder on dog paws, bare feet, and bike
tubes.
> It is about the size of a bb and rock hard.  They are scattered everywhere
in
> the high desert.  Sort of nature's land mine for bikes.  I spent my
childhood
> barefoot in Orange county, but between the desert ants and the goatheads,
one
> can never be barefoot here.
> Marion Davison, "llamalady"
>