eDUALSPORT
e
AMA National Suzuki Dual Sport- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Trail Ride Series
-
Dualin' it at Loretta
Lynn's Dude Ranch
By Kit Palmer
HURRICANE MILLS, TN, APR 3-4
ried catfish, hush puppies, country
music and miles of tight, single-track
and technical trails in southeastern
Tennessee were just a few of the amenities that lured more than 180 adventurous
dual sport riders to the Second Annual
Loretta Lynn's Cycle News Dual Sport
Ride. The turnout for this year's two-day
event more than tripled last year's inaugural ride, and from what some of the
riders who also rode last year said, it was
A highlight of the ride was a stop at a fire-watch tower. Those
three times the fun, as well.
not into high places wisely, chose not to make the climb.
The tight, twisty and challenging trails
that more resembled a scene from a
National enduro than a
dual sport ride were, for
many, the highlight of this
year's event. A formidable
71-mile loop confronted
the participants on
Saturday, while a slightly
tamer, yet still challenging
80-mile loop tested them
on Sunday. Most of the
trails were laid out on the
10,000 acres of the Loretta
Lynn's Dude Ranch by
promoter Dave Coombs
and his future son-in-law,
former National Enduro
Champion Jeff Russell, and
the only thing missing
were special tests and
secret checkpoints. Other
than that, the ride felt and
looked like a good 01' fashion eastern enduro, but
one contested by bikes
with turn signals.
The $50 entry fee
included two buffet lunches and a dinner, T-shirts,
Many riders visited this old post office/market on the ranch.
pins, and a "concert" held
at the ranch on Saturday
F
/
18
