Frank Harms Memorial Ride and Dedication - Saturday, 10/18/25

KenS said:
What a great day! NJ NICA teams were out in force riding Allaire, and a great group of Frank’s friends rode out to formally dedicate his bench and install the trailside workstand.

Frank was semper paratus when it came to trailside tools, so it gives me great joy to have these tools at a place that we've stopped together so many times to rest, talk, fix mechanicals or just chill.

Frank secured permission, designed and flagged that whole switchback trail, so the bench location is perfect. It's cool to have some tools out there so far from the main lot too.
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Chill I did today. 2 great memories of that spot. I was there on the 100 degree day we had to carry all the shale dust that was dumped at the trailhead, 1 bucket at a time, to build up the top of the new switchback section. Brutal heat but I remember with a smile every time I ride over it, as it's still there.

I also have a good laugh remembering as we cut the switchback, someone hit a hornets nest full on with a shovel. I remember him running through the woods being chased by a cloud of pissed off hornets. Another smile as I pass that section every time.

I smiled as I sat on Frank's bench today, albeit while getting choked up, at all the time that's gone by, all the friends and miles of smiles shared at our little local patch of sand.

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MMuller said:
Chill I did today. 2 great memories of that spot. I was there on the 100 degree day we had to carry all the shale dust that was dumped at the trailhead, 1 bucket at a time, to build up the top of the new switchback section. Brutal heat but I remember with a smile every time I ride over it, as it's still there.

I also have a good laugh remembering as we cut the switchback, someone hit a hornets nest full on with a shovel. I remember him running through the woods being chased by a cloud of pissed off hornets. Another smile as I pass that section every time.

I smiled as I sat on Frank's bench today, albeit while getting choked up, at all the time that's gone by, all the friends and miles of smiles shared at our little local patch of sand.

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If I had a dollar for every time we've found stinging critters out there.....

I can't remember who found the nest that day, maybe @Brian Snyder ??
 
Re: the trailside tools, I should mention that Frank was so prepared when it came to packing tools, that I often purposefully left my house in point sans tools, because I knew that he would have them if a mechanical occurred and I didn't like wearing a pack. After borrowing a tool one day, Frank said, "You know cb, one day I am going to leave you in the woods" or something to that effect, probably a bit more colorful. Fast forward a few months, while riding with him and @Rogers I had a mechanical of some kind, and those two left me to deal with it, as promised. The details are blurry, but I am pretty sure I had to walk back to the lot. After that my jersey pockets were properly packed to self-rescue. Wookiees....
 
KenS said:
If I had a dollar for every time we've found stinging critters out there.....

I can't remember who found the nest that day, maybe @Brian Snyder ??
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I believe so! It was around 2009 or so? Another great Frank memory: I had done maybe 2 or 3 TMs. We were splitting up to handle different issues and I (Mr. now I'm a TM expert) volunteered to stay and fix one section where water was building up. Perfectionist me worked really hard, thinking of the best pitch for drainage, rideability, etc. Proudly went to get Frank to show him my amazing job. Big smile "That's a damn fine piece of TM Marc." Then went on to point out the only problem was that it was exactly opposite of the way it should be. Like an exact negative image, where water would settle onto the trail, not drain off. It was there, that day, I learned that water doesn't travel uphill. Thank you Frank!
 
KenS said:
I tried to come up with more Mitch ribbing, but he worked his bum off on these work stands. Even though a vast majority of his work was in talking smack, he was somehow in almost every work photo I captured with a tool in hand. Maybe it was the moon cycle or something?
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the only viable explanation is sorcery, probably the dark kind.
 
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