A belated race report on the 2015 Mountains Revenge!
Dead of winter right now, but I just got all my bike repair parts including the new rear derailleur to replace the one I smashed during loop four of the Mountains Revenge last summer. That got me thinking about how I'd never done my race report, so I figured I would put down a few thoughts.
Several no-shows and a couple late arrivals left us with only four starters for the mass start, although Ken Boyer did put up a very strong time trial the night before after he had a scheduling conflict. So at 2pm, Nick Woodland, Bernie Romero, Phil Von Hake, and myself rolled out of Keystone Village to tackle loop #1: a classic on the Westridge section of the Colorado Trail. David Pickett Heaps and Eric Brown were a bit late to start but would soon follow.
I brought out a bit more squish than the others with my Yeti SB-66C and quickly fell behind on the climb up Keystone Gulch road. My intent was to go without sleep, so I wasn't in much of a hurry anyways. Once on the Colorado trail I was flying down the very familiar descent when I heard some metal break off from my pedal and fling off to the side of the trail. At first I thought it was my cleat, but it turned out to be one side of my SPD pedal. So for the rest of the race I had to line up the correct side of the pedal so I could click in; annoying, but not a deal-breaker. I finished up lap 1 in third place behind Bernie and Nick.
Lap 2 was a crusher, up through Montezuma and then a very tough & loose HAB over Radical Hill. I could see Nick a good ways in front of me and I think Bernie gave us a shout from the top, but I could never make any ground up on either of them. Once over Radical Hill you get to ride (and hike) some cool rolling jeep roads on the top of the world. We got a little light rain and enjoyed a beautiful sunset up there before the rowdy descent back down to Montezuma on St. Johns Road.
Once I got back to camp I was surprised to find that Nick wasn't back yet, because I knew I had never passed him. After a few minutes he came riding in and I was crushed to learn that I had inadvertently skipped a portion of trail from Montezuma to Peru Creek Road. I was totally bummed because I figured I was relegated, but I headed out for loop 3 anyways since it was a relatively easy, but tremendously fun loop through Summit Cove.
I was in a mental funk though until it dawned on me that loop 4 would head straight back up to Montezuma and I would have a chance to ride the section that I had missed. My punishment would be an extra couple hundred feet of climbing and two or three extra miles, but it seemed to be a way to get back on course and to fairly compete in the event.
Loop 3 was mad fun; a great night ride through Summit Cove on smooth flowing trails. I felt great and enjoyed it immensely, but I knew that loop 4 was going to be a killer.
Nick and I were in camp together and we both figured Bernie was already out on the loop, but I guess he decided to catch a few zzz's before loop 4. I took off before Nick because I had to ride the punishment loop that I had missed on loop 2.
Loop 4 was a long 33-mile adventure over Deer Creek, followed by a gnarly descent down Garibaldi Gulch. While hiking up Deer Creek about 3am I saw some lights ahead and eventually caught up to Nick. I was happy to enjoy some company and we spent the rest of the HAB bullshitting our way through night. We didn't know that Bernie had taken a break and we both assumed he was way ahead since we didn't see his lights. It was about 4am when we finally got to the top.
Adam had warned us about the ruts on Garibaldi Gulch and he was not lying. With the advantage of all that travel on my Yeti I was able to rock surf my way down a little faster than Nick, but when I reached the bottom I found that I had smashed my rear derailleur to smithereens. I couldn't shift at all, but I did have my lowest gear available.
The thought of being stuck over by Breckenridge was giving me a mild panic. I hiked up the steep hill leading to the Galena Ditch trail and took a food break to figure out a plan. Nick caught back up after a couple minutes and pushed on.
All I could do was stand & mash on the pedals, but I figured I'd continue on the loop since all the hideous climbing was over anyways. So I was able to keep going, but pedaling that hard was wiping me out. The road climb back up to camp / transition finished me off. It was only 8am and I still had plenty of time to take on loop 5, but knew I would have to walk the entire way to Montezuma and that seemed too lame. I had 102 miles in the bag and I guess I was content, so I took a short rest and drove the 15 minutes back home and climbed in bed.
Nick and Bernie manned up for a few more miles towards Warden Gulch and Nick took home the official title with 107 miles. Hat tip to Ken Boyer for his 115 mile effort the night before; I wish he had been there for the mass start with us. Looks like he has already signed up for more punishment next year, as have Nick and myself.
So far there are 16 registrants for 2016. I hope everyone follows through because it would be super fun to have that many folks out on the course together. Kicking it off with Lenawee will be badass.
Here's my Strava of the first 16 hours until my GPS ran out:
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Dixie Hangover
Goals fell by the wayside after Dixie.
Nothing in the tank for training.
Managed one lap at the Firecracker but my hands were so sore I could barely shift or even hold the bars in the chunky stuff. So I bagged it after one lap and enjoyed some cold beer.
No Breck 100 is this condition either.
I've still managed some fun adventure cycling and crazy bushwack recon behind my new house, but the urge to race fast has been lacking.
Just been riding and exploring.
Still fired up for the Mountains Revenge and 24 hours at slow speed. Definitely ready for that.
Nothing in the tank for training.
Managed one lap at the Firecracker but my hands were so sore I could barely shift or even hold the bars in the chunky stuff. So I bagged it after one lap and enjoyed some cold beer.
No Breck 100 is this condition either.
I've still managed some fun adventure cycling and crazy bushwack recon behind my new house, but the urge to race fast has been lacking.
Just been riding and exploring.
Still fired up for the Mountains Revenge and 24 hours at slow speed. Definitely ready for that.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Dixie 200 Race Report
Despite my still-tingling fingers from my literally jangled nerves, I enjoyed a great ride in southwest Utah in the Dixie 200 last week.
I had one goal and that was to finish and to remove last summer's CTR-DNF from my most recent bikepacking memory bank. Once the weather forecast ruled out any chance of rain, I decided to leave the sleep kit in the truck and planned to push through the first night without sleep. I hoped to be close enough to the finish by the time I started getting really sleepy that I could use that as a magnet to pull me the rest of the way in. Turns out that is pretty much what happened, with an assist to Rick Miller who caught me right as we got to the Spruce Trail at dusk on Saturday. I think his company went a long way in helping me to fight off the sleep monsters as we moved into that second night.
Here's a few random thoughts on the course...
Huge 4000' climb to start:
This wasn't too bad. It seemed like it went by pretty fast and I think I was up top after about 2.5 hours. I rode conservatively and managed to finish off the climb without damaging myself so that went according to plan.
Sweet Singletrack up top:
I was captivated immediately when I hooked into the singletrack up top. The terrain was beautiful rolling meadows without too much more climbing for awhile. I got lucky at the blind turnoff into the grassy field when I saw Scott Schaefer riding back up the trail towards me after missing the turn. He saved me a little time there as I surely would have continued down the perfectly good singletrack trail for who knows how long. That was a good lesson that I'd better be on my toes and not assume anything.
Tempting Flatish Roads:
After the singletrack and grassy field traverses, we linked in to some pretty nice dirt roads for awhile. I was tempted to open up the tempo a bit, but instead I stuck to the plan and soft-pedaled through it all. I reminded myself that I was going to go all night and that I had better hold something back so I could keep it together. Looks like some nice camping up there, and I think my wife would enjoy riding on those nice roads so I definitely plan to come back.
Confusing Brush Patch:
Sometime before crossing paved road #14 for the first time, my GPS track strangely diverged off the trail again. I walked back and forth looking for another trail, but finally just chuckled at Dave and started hiking through the brush patches for a half mile or so until it linked in with another old trail and continued on my way.
Water Spigot at Te Ah Campground:
Here I was reminded what an novice I really am at this stuff. All my prior bikepacking experience has been in the Colorado high country with its cool temperatures. Half the food in my bags was already absolutely disgusting. It turns out that a block of sharp cheddar cheese turns into a putrid, liquified mess in 90 degree temps. Same for my snickers bars and chocolate expresso trail mix. I was relieved to be on pace to hit Tod's at a decent hour because I was going to need to switch out a few things.
Virgin River Rim Trail:
What can you say, except, damn! what a fine trail. The scenery was jaw-dropping and I made quite a few stops to enjoy the view. The trail itself was a great mix of flow, tech, and some decent climbing & descending as you worked your way around to the next rim ride. I will be back for sure to ride this trail unloaded. Once it ended I took my first errant turn and flew downhill a good ways on the wrong road. I think this one cost me about 20 minutes. As Nick Woodland stated, at any road junction, always assume that Dave would pick the crappier-looking option and you would generally be correct.
Tod's Store:
I made it here about 5:30pm and was sorta bummed that noone else was there. I hadn't seen anyone since the top of the first big climb and I was starting to think that everyone in front had ridden away and would never be seen again. I ate a burger, replaced my runny Snickers with Paydays, and stowed a Bomb Burrito away for a late night snack. Rick pulled in just as I was mounting up and we chatted for a couple minutes, and I was off again at 5:50pm if I remember correctly.
Approach to the Paunsaugunt Plateau:
It was finally getting a little cooler and I was trying to get my mind prepared for a long nightime push. I got water from the spigot in the park at Bryce Woodlands (hold the handle up and wait!) and continued up some pretty decent roads before the GPS track ended at what appeared to be private property in all directions. I probed around before realizing that the track was indeed telling me to proceed into the overgrown vacant lot right in front of me. I saw evidence of fellow travelers and pretty soon an actual trail appeared that climbed very steeply up to a road of some kind. I got up there just before total darkness arrived and I changed into some warmer clothes and got my lights set up.
Grandview Trail:
I am amazed from looking at the pics from my fellow racers who went through during daylight. I guess I had some sense that there was some scenery and viewpoints, but for the most part I felt like I was riding in Vietnam or something. The trail was rough and overgrown, but still fun and mostly rideable. I was pretty surprised that there were not more downed trees because it sure didn't feel like too many people go riding on the Grandview. I knew to expect some crazy ravine crossings and I was not disappointed there. I was feeling good though and had a very positive frame of mind so I had a lot of fun. I finally popped out at the trailhead about 2am and finally saw some fellow racers bivied up.
Finally I had caught someone. I wondered if they would get right up and start chasing me.
Crawford Pass:
I read the word "Pass" in the trail name and really hoped that I didn't have some ridiculous climb to reach it. I had been prepared for Grandview, but I don't know if I was expecting another difficult singletrack immediately after. But that trail turned out to be fun and a little easier than Grandview.
Sometime around 4am I decided to lie in the dirt for a few minutes. I set my alarm for about 30 minutes but I woke up shivering after only about 15. Felta lot better though. That's really the first time I've tried one of those short cat-naps and I was happy to feel a bit rejuventated.
Running Out of Water on the way to Tropic Reservoir:
After the awesome trail-side spring on Grandview, I missed all the other water waypoints and had to start rationing as the sun came up and I was riding to Tropic. I was getting concerned when I finally noticed some trickling water running through the tire ruts of the logging equipment that was parked all around. I didn't waste any time and immediately started filtering right out of the tire ruts. If I would have just gone about 100' feet furthur then I think I would have found a much more appetizing place to refill (Podunk Creek?), but I wasn't taking any chances.
I skipped Tropic Spring because I didn't want to go off route and I managed to make it to the next campground water spigot about 8:30am. I had made it through the night. I ate alot and used the facilities and changed back into my warm weather clothes. I kept expecting for those I passed sleeping to catch back up, but so far I was staying ahead.
More decent (climbing) roads led to Thunder Mountain, but I getting really sleepy.
Thunder Mountain!
But first its naptime!
It was 10:30am and I felt like I should keep pushing because that's all I'd been doing so far. For the first time I felt sorta close to the finish. But something wasn't quite right, and I knew I wanted to have FUN on Thunder Mountain so I laid down under a tree and took my longest break of the race at 45 minutes. I ate and took my shoes off and dozed off in the shade for about 15 minutes until Scott rolled up. That jarred me awake and then Jason pulled in shortly after so I got up and decided to try and race for a little while longer.
And wow, that is another sweet trail and another I will be back to ride unloaded.
What little power I brought to this game was pretty much gone by this point. I shifted to granny at every upslope, but I did have a lot of fun cruising on the martian landscape of Thunder Mountain.
Indian Trading Post:
I was baking in the mid-day heat, refilling water, and cramming a tuna/tortilla in my mouth as Scott, Jason, and Mike all caught up to me for good. Mike and Jason had the great idea to move over to the shady porch of the Indian Trading Post and to see if they had any snacks for sale. We all enjoyed cokes, and ice cream and candy bars. My lethargy was increasing and I knew I'd better keep moving forward so I bid adieu and hit the road again knowing full well that these guys would be passing me in short order.
100 Degrees to Panguitch Lake:
Shit it was hot and no shade to be found anywhere. I was close enough to my truck that I still had easy motivating to keep slogging forward. Bumpy, butt-hurt, demoralizing roads though. I looked over my shoulder on a rise and saw Jason, Mike, and Scott charging from a good ways off. In mere moments that train caught me and I was shocked at how strong they were all riding. That was the last I would see of Jason and Mike. Scott would have smoked me too if not for his recurring tire problems.
I laid up next to the piped spring and could have gone down for hours if not for the piles of stinky cowpies and my faint recollection that I was not carrying a sleep system. So I stubbornly willed myself to Panguitch Lake.
Burger Barn:
Schafer and I rolled in together and crushed a burger and fries. I was basically out of food and didn't have a good idea of how much time I had left, so I ended up buying way too much for the final push. My backpack was so heavy. I had a couple hours of daylight left, so even though I was absolutely crawling towards the Spruce Trail, I was getting excited to be closing in on the finish.
Rick Arrives!
Rick and I are friends and we drove up together, but neither of us had ridden together up to this point at all. I was really happy to see him when he caught me at dusk just before the Spruce Trail. It made the last few hours more fun then it would have been otherwise, and I really didn't have any problem staying awake.
The Spruce trail was pretty funny. I knew to expect some deadfall, but I got really concerned when going through one of my most hated experiences.... downhill Hike-a-Bike! Thankfully it didn't take too long before we were wallowing over trees and climbing back up to the Sidney Peaks again.
This might have given me more trouble alone, but instead I remember having alot of fun going through it with my friend.
Dark Hollow:
Rick and I hit the final descent at exactly midnight. I probably should have eaten a little more, but I wasn't expecting someting quite so rocky and technical. I was super cautious and hiked down a good portion of the way. I knew I was not on top of my game and I was starting to get frustrated. All I could think about was climbing in the back of my truck and going to sleep.
Finally after an entire hour we popped out back on the road, but I was still amazed at how far we still had to descend. My hands were hurting from jamming on the brakes so hard. My little GPS arrow just didn't want to get to the end of that damn track!
Yet, finally we did. Rick and I crossed the line together at 1:32am and a finishing time of 1:18:27.
Somehow Mike was still awake and came over to congratulate us. I think I was kindof delerious and not sure I was making much sense but I know I was excited to be done.
Rick had a beer and I thought about it, but instead I crawled right into my sleeping bag and crashed the hell out.
The Dixie 200 is a superb route. I agree with everyone else that has stated that is is just a great mix of bikepacking terrain. Every time I was getting exhausted from fighting through a tough section, then it would usually end just in time and be followed by something where you could semi-rest and put some miles down.
I'm not sure if I'll be back to race it again, but I want to ride these trails again for sure. I'm not sure if I could really go much faster because I had a pretty flawless run.
Thanks Dave for putting together such an awesome route and cheers to all the other riders I met. I hope to see you again on the trail soon. Congrats to Jason and Mike for taking home the victory.
I had one goal and that was to finish and to remove last summer's CTR-DNF from my most recent bikepacking memory bank. Once the weather forecast ruled out any chance of rain, I decided to leave the sleep kit in the truck and planned to push through the first night without sleep. I hoped to be close enough to the finish by the time I started getting really sleepy that I could use that as a magnet to pull me the rest of the way in. Turns out that is pretty much what happened, with an assist to Rick Miller who caught me right as we got to the Spruce Trail at dusk on Saturday. I think his company went a long way in helping me to fight off the sleep monsters as we moved into that second night.
Here's a few random thoughts on the course...
Huge 4000' climb to start:
This wasn't too bad. It seemed like it went by pretty fast and I think I was up top after about 2.5 hours. I rode conservatively and managed to finish off the climb without damaging myself so that went according to plan.
Sweet Singletrack up top:
I was captivated immediately when I hooked into the singletrack up top. The terrain was beautiful rolling meadows without too much more climbing for awhile. I got lucky at the blind turnoff into the grassy field when I saw Scott Schaefer riding back up the trail towards me after missing the turn. He saved me a little time there as I surely would have continued down the perfectly good singletrack trail for who knows how long. That was a good lesson that I'd better be on my toes and not assume anything.
Tempting Flatish Roads:
After the singletrack and grassy field traverses, we linked in to some pretty nice dirt roads for awhile. I was tempted to open up the tempo a bit, but instead I stuck to the plan and soft-pedaled through it all. I reminded myself that I was going to go all night and that I had better hold something back so I could keep it together. Looks like some nice camping up there, and I think my wife would enjoy riding on those nice roads so I definitely plan to come back.
Confusing Brush Patch:
Sometime before crossing paved road #14 for the first time, my GPS track strangely diverged off the trail again. I walked back and forth looking for another trail, but finally just chuckled at Dave and started hiking through the brush patches for a half mile or so until it linked in with another old trail and continued on my way.
Water Spigot at Te Ah Campground:
Here I was reminded what an novice I really am at this stuff. All my prior bikepacking experience has been in the Colorado high country with its cool temperatures. Half the food in my bags was already absolutely disgusting. It turns out that a block of sharp cheddar cheese turns into a putrid, liquified mess in 90 degree temps. Same for my snickers bars and chocolate expresso trail mix. I was relieved to be on pace to hit Tod's at a decent hour because I was going to need to switch out a few things.
Virgin River Rim Trail:
What can you say, except, damn! what a fine trail. The scenery was jaw-dropping and I made quite a few stops to enjoy the view. The trail itself was a great mix of flow, tech, and some decent climbing & descending as you worked your way around to the next rim ride. I will be back for sure to ride this trail unloaded. Once it ended I took my first errant turn and flew downhill a good ways on the wrong road. I think this one cost me about 20 minutes. As Nick Woodland stated, at any road junction, always assume that Dave would pick the crappier-looking option and you would generally be correct.
Tod's Store:
I made it here about 5:30pm and was sorta bummed that noone else was there. I hadn't seen anyone since the top of the first big climb and I was starting to think that everyone in front had ridden away and would never be seen again. I ate a burger, replaced my runny Snickers with Paydays, and stowed a Bomb Burrito away for a late night snack. Rick pulled in just as I was mounting up and we chatted for a couple minutes, and I was off again at 5:50pm if I remember correctly.
Approach to the Paunsaugunt Plateau:
It was finally getting a little cooler and I was trying to get my mind prepared for a long nightime push. I got water from the spigot in the park at Bryce Woodlands (hold the handle up and wait!) and continued up some pretty decent roads before the GPS track ended at what appeared to be private property in all directions. I probed around before realizing that the track was indeed telling me to proceed into the overgrown vacant lot right in front of me. I saw evidence of fellow travelers and pretty soon an actual trail appeared that climbed very steeply up to a road of some kind. I got up there just before total darkness arrived and I changed into some warmer clothes and got my lights set up.
Grandview Trail:
I am amazed from looking at the pics from my fellow racers who went through during daylight. I guess I had some sense that there was some scenery and viewpoints, but for the most part I felt like I was riding in Vietnam or something. The trail was rough and overgrown, but still fun and mostly rideable. I was pretty surprised that there were not more downed trees because it sure didn't feel like too many people go riding on the Grandview. I knew to expect some crazy ravine crossings and I was not disappointed there. I was feeling good though and had a very positive frame of mind so I had a lot of fun. I finally popped out at the trailhead about 2am and finally saw some fellow racers bivied up.
Finally I had caught someone. I wondered if they would get right up and start chasing me.
Crawford Pass:
I read the word "Pass" in the trail name and really hoped that I didn't have some ridiculous climb to reach it. I had been prepared for Grandview, but I don't know if I was expecting another difficult singletrack immediately after. But that trail turned out to be fun and a little easier than Grandview.
Sometime around 4am I decided to lie in the dirt for a few minutes. I set my alarm for about 30 minutes but I woke up shivering after only about 15. Felta lot better though. That's really the first time I've tried one of those short cat-naps and I was happy to feel a bit rejuventated.
Running Out of Water on the way to Tropic Reservoir:
After the awesome trail-side spring on Grandview, I missed all the other water waypoints and had to start rationing as the sun came up and I was riding to Tropic. I was getting concerned when I finally noticed some trickling water running through the tire ruts of the logging equipment that was parked all around. I didn't waste any time and immediately started filtering right out of the tire ruts. If I would have just gone about 100' feet furthur then I think I would have found a much more appetizing place to refill (Podunk Creek?), but I wasn't taking any chances.
I skipped Tropic Spring because I didn't want to go off route and I managed to make it to the next campground water spigot about 8:30am. I had made it through the night. I ate alot and used the facilities and changed back into my warm weather clothes. I kept expecting for those I passed sleeping to catch back up, but so far I was staying ahead.
More decent (climbing) roads led to Thunder Mountain, but I getting really sleepy.
Thunder Mountain!
But first its naptime!
It was 10:30am and I felt like I should keep pushing because that's all I'd been doing so far. For the first time I felt sorta close to the finish. But something wasn't quite right, and I knew I wanted to have FUN on Thunder Mountain so I laid down under a tree and took my longest break of the race at 45 minutes. I ate and took my shoes off and dozed off in the shade for about 15 minutes until Scott rolled up. That jarred me awake and then Jason pulled in shortly after so I got up and decided to try and race for a little while longer.
And wow, that is another sweet trail and another I will be back to ride unloaded.
What little power I brought to this game was pretty much gone by this point. I shifted to granny at every upslope, but I did have a lot of fun cruising on the martian landscape of Thunder Mountain.
Indian Trading Post:
I was baking in the mid-day heat, refilling water, and cramming a tuna/tortilla in my mouth as Scott, Jason, and Mike all caught up to me for good. Mike and Jason had the great idea to move over to the shady porch of the Indian Trading Post and to see if they had any snacks for sale. We all enjoyed cokes, and ice cream and candy bars. My lethargy was increasing and I knew I'd better keep moving forward so I bid adieu and hit the road again knowing full well that these guys would be passing me in short order.
100 Degrees to Panguitch Lake:
Shit it was hot and no shade to be found anywhere. I was close enough to my truck that I still had easy motivating to keep slogging forward. Bumpy, butt-hurt, demoralizing roads though. I looked over my shoulder on a rise and saw Jason, Mike, and Scott charging from a good ways off. In mere moments that train caught me and I was shocked at how strong they were all riding. That was the last I would see of Jason and Mike. Scott would have smoked me too if not for his recurring tire problems.
I laid up next to the piped spring and could have gone down for hours if not for the piles of stinky cowpies and my faint recollection that I was not carrying a sleep system. So I stubbornly willed myself to Panguitch Lake.
Burger Barn:
Schafer and I rolled in together and crushed a burger and fries. I was basically out of food and didn't have a good idea of how much time I had left, so I ended up buying way too much for the final push. My backpack was so heavy. I had a couple hours of daylight left, so even though I was absolutely crawling towards the Spruce Trail, I was getting excited to be closing in on the finish.
Rick Arrives!
Rick and I are friends and we drove up together, but neither of us had ridden together up to this point at all. I was really happy to see him when he caught me at dusk just before the Spruce Trail. It made the last few hours more fun then it would have been otherwise, and I really didn't have any problem staying awake.
The Spruce trail was pretty funny. I knew to expect some deadfall, but I got really concerned when going through one of my most hated experiences.... downhill Hike-a-Bike! Thankfully it didn't take too long before we were wallowing over trees and climbing back up to the Sidney Peaks again.
This might have given me more trouble alone, but instead I remember having alot of fun going through it with my friend.
Dark Hollow:
Rick and I hit the final descent at exactly midnight. I probably should have eaten a little more, but I wasn't expecting someting quite so rocky and technical. I was super cautious and hiked down a good portion of the way. I knew I was not on top of my game and I was starting to get frustrated. All I could think about was climbing in the back of my truck and going to sleep.
Finally after an entire hour we popped out back on the road, but I was still amazed at how far we still had to descend. My hands were hurting from jamming on the brakes so hard. My little GPS arrow just didn't want to get to the end of that damn track!
Yet, finally we did. Rick and I crossed the line together at 1:32am and a finishing time of 1:18:27.
Somehow Mike was still awake and came over to congratulate us. I think I was kindof delerious and not sure I was making much sense but I know I was excited to be done.
Rick had a beer and I thought about it, but instead I crawled right into my sleeping bag and crashed the hell out.
The Dixie 200 is a superb route. I agree with everyone else that has stated that is is just a great mix of bikepacking terrain. Every time I was getting exhausted from fighting through a tough section, then it would usually end just in time and be followed by something where you could semi-rest and put some miles down.
I'm not sure if I'll be back to race it again, but I want to ride these trails again for sure. I'm not sure if I could really go much faster because I had a pretty flawless run.
Thanks Dave for putting together such an awesome route and cheers to all the other riders I met. I hope to see you again on the trail soon. Congrats to Jason and Mike for taking home the victory.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Dixie 200 Pregame
Very excited to line up for the Dixie 200 that starts on Friday morning at 7:00am.
Here's the tracker for your viewing pleasure:
http://trackleaders.com/dixie15
Excited to ride in an area that I have never seen before. I have been to St. George and ridden Gooseberry and other greats around those parts, but I've never been up in the Dixie National Forest. The pics and ride reports look and sounds fantastic and the weather is setting up to be clear and dry.
Compared to my obsessive CTR planning efforts, I have done basically nothing except make sure I have a decent idea where to find some water out there. I bought most of my food tonight and I'll probably take enough to survive until the end without resupply if necessary.
I guess my main worry would be a recurrence of the achilles issues that have plagued me in both CTR attempts. I've talked alot about trying flat pedals, but was unable to find a local dealer for 5.10 shoes and didn't want to guess on a model online. So I'll be riding clipless again, and I hope to be attuned to any issues with my ankles so I can baby them to the end.
Easy to say and tougher to do, but I plan to hold some in reserve during day 1. With mild temps and a dry forecast, I am going to skip a sleep system altogether. Nights are short right now so maybe I can push through that first one and get a boost when the sun comes up Saturday morning.
I need to finish this thing. Got to put that CTR DNF behind me. Plus Rick Miller and I are headed out there together and he always finishes so I can't be sticking him with some logistical shit show to drag me out once he's done.
Slow and Steady. Relentless Forward Progress.
Look around, enjoy the view and remember how lucky I am to be out there.
Here's the tracker for your viewing pleasure:
http://trackleaders.com/dixie15
Excited to ride in an area that I have never seen before. I have been to St. George and ridden Gooseberry and other greats around those parts, but I've never been up in the Dixie National Forest. The pics and ride reports look and sounds fantastic and the weather is setting up to be clear and dry.
Compared to my obsessive CTR planning efforts, I have done basically nothing except make sure I have a decent idea where to find some water out there. I bought most of my food tonight and I'll probably take enough to survive until the end without resupply if necessary.
I guess my main worry would be a recurrence of the achilles issues that have plagued me in both CTR attempts. I've talked alot about trying flat pedals, but was unable to find a local dealer for 5.10 shoes and didn't want to guess on a model online. So I'll be riding clipless again, and I hope to be attuned to any issues with my ankles so I can baby them to the end.
Easy to say and tougher to do, but I plan to hold some in reserve during day 1. With mild temps and a dry forecast, I am going to skip a sleep system altogether. Nights are short right now so maybe I can push through that first one and get a boost when the sun comes up Saturday morning.
I need to finish this thing. Got to put that CTR DNF behind me. Plus Rick Miller and I are headed out there together and he always finishes so I can't be sticking him with some logistical shit show to drag me out once he's done.
Slow and Steady. Relentless Forward Progress.
Look around, enjoy the view and remember how lucky I am to be out there.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Die Winter Die!
Actual winter was nice, but May has been a rough month with constant rain and snow, a wrecked back to start, and a week-long cold to end. I am ready for June!
Trained well all winter and didn't gain twenty pounds for once. Lots of running through the cold months then got on to the bike regularly starting in March.
My daughter was born happy and healthy on March 27th and fatherhood has been amazing!
By the time April arrived I was sure that the trails would soon melt out and we would enjoy a long summer riding season. But then it started snowing in late April and has refused to stop. Finally today, May 30th was the first beautiful and sunny day that I can remember.
Threw my sorry back out on April 30th simply riding my hardtail around the rec path and was completely out of commission for two weeks. My wife and I had a roadtrip planned and I was scared I wouldn't be able to ride at all.
Luckily by the time I got to Sedona I was able to gingerly get back in the saddle to enjoy several rides on the trip without ruining myself further. While in Sedona I took a lap on the Hiline trail and had my mind blown. I did walk the terrifying chute into the creekbed at the bottom, but rode everything else... one of the best trails I've ever seen.
Hit the Continental Divide trail outside Silver City, New Mexico and damn, that is some fine trail too. If you access the CDT from the Little Walnut picnic area and head south you will hit a wonderful two-mile flowing descent down to Little Walnut Creek. That section was even great fun on the climb back due to the perfect pitch.
Here's some GPS on that one:
https://www.strava.com/activities/304698738
Visited my folks in Cloudcroft, New Mexico and did a thru-ride on the Cloudcroft Rim Trail. Based on the fact that noone else is likely to do something that stupid, I'm gonna claim a first completer on that until proven otherwise:
https://www.strava.com/activities/304699593
So I was glad to get some riding in on that trip since I was committed to the Gunnison Growler over Labor Day Weekend. My back was holding up but it was extremely tight and stiff (ok, normal) so I was paranoid about riding my XC hardtail, especially since I had only ridden Hartman's once before and still had never seen most of the race course.
Finally I decided to take my Yeti SB66c and focus on fun and not worrying too much about really racing. I knew I wouldn't be too speedy on that thing, but I wouldn't have to stress too much about the trail or the tech factor. So that worked, but yeah, I was slow. I got smoked on the neutral rollout to Hartman's and was damn near last to even enter the actual race course.
I did pick off about 60 people once I got into the trail so mentally it felt like a good race, but by the second lap I was pretty much auto-granny at the first sight of any upward slope in the trail. Did ride all the tech stuff though, especially second lap when I had a clear track. After cleaning the chute on Skull Pass the second lap (1st time was clogged) I got such a shot of adrenaline that I let it all hang out on the loose winding part after only to miss a turn and crash down into the ditch. Good times, no damage, climbed out and moved on.
So I have my time at 7:45 because I coulda sworn that they tell you that the neutral rollout is untimed, but that doesn't seem to be the case according to the results that put me at 7:59.
Fun, but grueling course, and if I race this again I will definitely bring my XC hardtail.
So all my summer goals listed in the prior post are still in play, but I'm stoked to add one more, and even more stoked that it is a bikepacking event:
The Dixe 200!
http://2-epic.com/events/dixie200.html
Rick Miller and I are gonna head down and give that one a shot. Much shorter than the CTR, but I need to get that DNF-taste outa my mouth and get my confidence back. I haven't done enough research to formulate an actual strategy yet, but I'm almost sure I'll ride my hardtail with flat pedals. I've got to find out of that can ward off the achilles problems I've been dealing with in CTR.
So that's what I've got for now..... I'll try to post up a Dixie Preview when I can.
Trained well all winter and didn't gain twenty pounds for once. Lots of running through the cold months then got on to the bike regularly starting in March.
My daughter was born happy and healthy on March 27th and fatherhood has been amazing!
By the time April arrived I was sure that the trails would soon melt out and we would enjoy a long summer riding season. But then it started snowing in late April and has refused to stop. Finally today, May 30th was the first beautiful and sunny day that I can remember.
Threw my sorry back out on April 30th simply riding my hardtail around the rec path and was completely out of commission for two weeks. My wife and I had a roadtrip planned and I was scared I wouldn't be able to ride at all.
Luckily by the time I got to Sedona I was able to gingerly get back in the saddle to enjoy several rides on the trip without ruining myself further. While in Sedona I took a lap on the Hiline trail and had my mind blown. I did walk the terrifying chute into the creekbed at the bottom, but rode everything else... one of the best trails I've ever seen.
Hit the Continental Divide trail outside Silver City, New Mexico and damn, that is some fine trail too. If you access the CDT from the Little Walnut picnic area and head south you will hit a wonderful two-mile flowing descent down to Little Walnut Creek. That section was even great fun on the climb back due to the perfect pitch.
Here's some GPS on that one:
https://www.strava.com/activities/304698738
Visited my folks in Cloudcroft, New Mexico and did a thru-ride on the Cloudcroft Rim Trail. Based on the fact that noone else is likely to do something that stupid, I'm gonna claim a first completer on that until proven otherwise:
https://www.strava.com/activities/304699593
So I was glad to get some riding in on that trip since I was committed to the Gunnison Growler over Labor Day Weekend. My back was holding up but it was extremely tight and stiff (ok, normal) so I was paranoid about riding my XC hardtail, especially since I had only ridden Hartman's once before and still had never seen most of the race course.
Finally I decided to take my Yeti SB66c and focus on fun and not worrying too much about really racing. I knew I wouldn't be too speedy on that thing, but I wouldn't have to stress too much about the trail or the tech factor. So that worked, but yeah, I was slow. I got smoked on the neutral rollout to Hartman's and was damn near last to even enter the actual race course.
I did pick off about 60 people once I got into the trail so mentally it felt like a good race, but by the second lap I was pretty much auto-granny at the first sight of any upward slope in the trail. Did ride all the tech stuff though, especially second lap when I had a clear track. After cleaning the chute on Skull Pass the second lap (1st time was clogged) I got such a shot of adrenaline that I let it all hang out on the loose winding part after only to miss a turn and crash down into the ditch. Good times, no damage, climbed out and moved on.
So I have my time at 7:45 because I coulda sworn that they tell you that the neutral rollout is untimed, but that doesn't seem to be the case according to the results that put me at 7:59.
Fun, but grueling course, and if I race this again I will definitely bring my XC hardtail.
So all my summer goals listed in the prior post are still in play, but I'm stoked to add one more, and even more stoked that it is a bikepacking event:
The Dixe 200!
http://2-epic.com/events/dixie200.html
Rick Miller and I are gonna head down and give that one a shot. Much shorter than the CTR, but I need to get that DNF-taste outa my mouth and get my confidence back. I haven't done enough research to formulate an actual strategy yet, but I'm almost sure I'll ride my hardtail with flat pedals. I've got to find out of that can ward off the achilles problems I've been dealing with in CTR.
So that's what I've got for now..... I'll try to post up a Dixie Preview when I can.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
2015 Resolution & Goals
Only one resolution: Be the best dad I can be.
But I did add a couple other racing goals, so here is the full lineup for 2015:
May 24, 2015 - Full Gunnison Growler
Time goal is to have a solid race and gain confidence in having strong early season form. I'll be pleased if I can finish in the top 50% of my age class in a tough field.
July 4, 2015 - Firecracker 50
Last year I PR'd with 4:48 and got 3rd in Sport Class, so this year I intend to move up to Expert Class. This should avoid the huge traffic I always have to encounter on lap 1 and probably gain a couple minutes based on that alone. I'd like to get my time down to around 4:30.
July 18, 2015 - Breck 100
I raced this in 2012 and finished in 11:52, so I definitely want to get below 11 hours. The lower the better.
August 1-2 - Montezuma "Mountain's Revenge":
I've heard about this one for a long time and was bummed to have lived in another era. But Adam Shaw revived this monster last year now I'll get my chance to see how many miles I can put down. Rough guess is about 100, but I'd like to get as far past that number as I can. I'd love to somehow get deep into Loop 5, the Lenawee / Warden Gulch Loop but that would mean something like 126 miles to finish. Jesse Jakomait did 155 miles last year so I have grave doubts about staying within 30 miles of him, but who knows. I think he had to do a Webster Pass / Red Cone loop and I know first-hand how brutal it is pushing up and over Red Cone.
September 12-13, 2015 - Vapor Trail 125
If I reach most of my goals I should be plenty battle-hardened for a ride on the Vapor Trail. No sense in setting any time goals for that, but I'll have a much better idea of how I stack up as the date gets closer.
But I did add a couple other racing goals, so here is the full lineup for 2015:
May 24, 2015 - Full Gunnison Growler
Time goal is to have a solid race and gain confidence in having strong early season form. I'll be pleased if I can finish in the top 50% of my age class in a tough field.
July 4, 2015 - Firecracker 50
Last year I PR'd with 4:48 and got 3rd in Sport Class, so this year I intend to move up to Expert Class. This should avoid the huge traffic I always have to encounter on lap 1 and probably gain a couple minutes based on that alone. I'd like to get my time down to around 4:30.
July 18, 2015 - Breck 100
I raced this in 2012 and finished in 11:52, so I definitely want to get below 11 hours. The lower the better.
August 1-2 - Montezuma "Mountain's Revenge":
I've heard about this one for a long time and was bummed to have lived in another era. But Adam Shaw revived this monster last year now I'll get my chance to see how many miles I can put down. Rough guess is about 100, but I'd like to get as far past that number as I can. I'd love to somehow get deep into Loop 5, the Lenawee / Warden Gulch Loop but that would mean something like 126 miles to finish. Jesse Jakomait did 155 miles last year so I have grave doubts about staying within 30 miles of him, but who knows. I think he had to do a Webster Pass / Red Cone loop and I know first-hand how brutal it is pushing up and over Red Cone.
September 12-13, 2015 - Vapor Trail 125
If I reach most of my goals I should be plenty battle-hardened for a ride on the Vapor Trail. No sense in setting any time goals for that, but I'll have a much better idea of how I stack up as the date gets closer.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Post CTR Analysis and New Goals
After reflecting on my failed CTR I guess I have a few thoughts.
I must move to flat pedals and I need to install a much easier gear for slow-pedal spinning even if that is contrary to my usual riding/climbing style. I don't think my achilles are going to hold up any other way.
But mainly I've thought a lot about whether I should/could have continued on. My achilles hurt like hell in 2013, but I was halfway across Cataract/Coney and I didn't really have any choice but to keep fighting through it. Through that I discovered that after crunching through the pain each time I resumed hiking or riding, the pain would ease up and eventually I was able to cope with it.
Last year my achilles blew up into intense pain right as I rode the final stretch into Buena Vista. Maybe I could have persevered like the year before, but I could not convince myself to leave the comforts of civilization to face the very hard trek to Silverton. I convinced myself that the pain was much worse this year, but now I'm not so sure.
After finishing in 2013 it took a month of recovery before I could ride or hike again. I was severely hobbled for 3 days this year, but I was able to recover much quicker and was back on to fairly big adventures about 5 days after dropping out.
My situation calls to mind an important point that Mark Caminiti has repeatedly made about the necessary ingredients for CTR success, specifically his point #6 below regarding injury:
6. Injury. What happens when you have body issues? The will to continue the journey when dealing with pain is very important for all racers, not just fast ones. I had to deal with intense pain in 2012 in AZT and CTR. I ended up taking one aspirin in 25 days though I dealt with a heel/achilles injury in Arizona and a stress fracture in the lower leg in CTR. Do you have that drive to succeed? Even if it means your elapsed time sucks in comparison to others or your goal? Many folks quit because their final time would be not good enough or they cant break a record, etc.
People have correctly remarked that it was a slower field in the 2014, but personally I was having a great race. Aside from my achilles I felt fantastic mentally and in every other way. So I admit that knowing I would have to watch everyone I had been racing near ride away from me if I continued was another tough mental challenge to face.
I'm married this year and was feeling guilty about the possibility of ruining myself for months after the race when my wife had already made big sacrifices leading up so I could train so much.
Live and learn.... as I've said, I had a great time even if quitting leaves a very sour taste in my mouth.
But there was also a silver lining. My wife found out she was pregnant the day after I dropped out! So I am very glad that I was there to share and support her as she found out that great news. We are going to have a little baby girl sometime around April 1.
So there will be no bikepacking races for me in 2015, although I'd love to do some 1 or 2 nighters at a decent pace with any good folks training for the CTR or whatever else this summer.
As for me, I've picked out a few 1-day marathon races to focus on. I've built up a very nice endurance base these last couple years as I've been laser-focused on the CTR. I hoping to throw in a little speed training, interval-type stuff for the first time in my life to see if I can get sorta fast.
So I registered for the full Gunnison Growler in May, and then I hope to peak for the Firecracker 50 and Breck 100 in July.
Usually I get lazy and fat every November/December, but I have been training hard so I'm feeling great right now. Hoping to be in great shape when the baby comes and my sleep get cut way back.
I'm not done with bikepack races by a long shot though. I know I'll be back for the CTR again someday because there is nothing in the world that can satisfy my thirst for adventure like that thing can. Hopefully I will come back stronger, but mostly wiser.
I must move to flat pedals and I need to install a much easier gear for slow-pedal spinning even if that is contrary to my usual riding/climbing style. I don't think my achilles are going to hold up any other way.
But mainly I've thought a lot about whether I should/could have continued on. My achilles hurt like hell in 2013, but I was halfway across Cataract/Coney and I didn't really have any choice but to keep fighting through it. Through that I discovered that after crunching through the pain each time I resumed hiking or riding, the pain would ease up and eventually I was able to cope with it.
Last year my achilles blew up into intense pain right as I rode the final stretch into Buena Vista. Maybe I could have persevered like the year before, but I could not convince myself to leave the comforts of civilization to face the very hard trek to Silverton. I convinced myself that the pain was much worse this year, but now I'm not so sure.
After finishing in 2013 it took a month of recovery before I could ride or hike again. I was severely hobbled for 3 days this year, but I was able to recover much quicker and was back on to fairly big adventures about 5 days after dropping out.
My situation calls to mind an important point that Mark Caminiti has repeatedly made about the necessary ingredients for CTR success, specifically his point #6 below regarding injury:
6. Injury. What happens when you have body issues? The will to continue the journey when dealing with pain is very important for all racers, not just fast ones. I had to deal with intense pain in 2012 in AZT and CTR. I ended up taking one aspirin in 25 days though I dealt with a heel/achilles injury in Arizona and a stress fracture in the lower leg in CTR. Do you have that drive to succeed? Even if it means your elapsed time sucks in comparison to others or your goal? Many folks quit because their final time would be not good enough or they cant break a record, etc.
People have correctly remarked that it was a slower field in the 2014, but personally I was having a great race. Aside from my achilles I felt fantastic mentally and in every other way. So I admit that knowing I would have to watch everyone I had been racing near ride away from me if I continued was another tough mental challenge to face.
I'm married this year and was feeling guilty about the possibility of ruining myself for months after the race when my wife had already made big sacrifices leading up so I could train so much.
Live and learn.... as I've said, I had a great time even if quitting leaves a very sour taste in my mouth.
But there was also a silver lining. My wife found out she was pregnant the day after I dropped out! So I am very glad that I was there to share and support her as she found out that great news. We are going to have a little baby girl sometime around April 1.
So there will be no bikepacking races for me in 2015, although I'd love to do some 1 or 2 nighters at a decent pace with any good folks training for the CTR or whatever else this summer.
As for me, I've picked out a few 1-day marathon races to focus on. I've built up a very nice endurance base these last couple years as I've been laser-focused on the CTR. I hoping to throw in a little speed training, interval-type stuff for the first time in my life to see if I can get sorta fast.
So I registered for the full Gunnison Growler in May, and then I hope to peak for the Firecracker 50 and Breck 100 in July.
Usually I get lazy and fat every November/December, but I have been training hard so I'm feeling great right now. Hoping to be in great shape when the baby comes and my sleep get cut way back.
I'm not done with bikepack races by a long shot though. I know I'll be back for the CTR again someday because there is nothing in the world that can satisfy my thirst for adventure like that thing can. Hopefully I will come back stronger, but mostly wiser.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
CTR Fail!
Spoiler Alert:
Had to bail in Buena Vista with Achilles pain that I was not tough enough to fight through this time. It was a disappointing result, but considering how much fun I had out there, I've mostly managed to get the sour taste out of my mouth already.
The toughest part of the decision was how quickly things went south on me. I was feeling good while filtering my last batch of water before exiting the singletrack and riding the wilderness detour to Buena Vista. But when I got back on the bike I noticed a little something different going on with my right ankle. I tried to deny it, block it out, and pedal on in to BV, but it quickly got much worse. I had to dismount twice around the railroad tunnels to try and get some relief, and by the time I finally rolled into town it was in severe pain.
So it was difficult to face those facts. I went ahead and bought my $50 of food for the trip to Silverton, and purchased a better water filter, thinking that if I completed these chores, then my Achilles would get back on the program and I could keep going.
I took an unhealthy amount of ibuprofen, taped it up, and tried to ride out of town twice, but it just wasn't happening.
So I made the call to drop. Maybe I could have fought through it, or maybe not, but having finished the race the year before, perhaps I just didn't have the will to deal with the pain.
So that is the end if the story, but what I actually remember from my 2+ days is the kickass fun I had out there.
It was a very different experience than 2013 when I had a slow start and spent most of my days on the trail solo and alone with my thoughts. This time I rode within a group of about five other guys and we just traded spots depending on who needed to filter water or eat and whatever time it was. It actually felt like a bike race.
So here's a recap of my too-brief time on the trail:
Day 1 - Waterton Canyon to a few miles past Kenosha Pass - 124 miles:
It was a smaller group than usual this year, with quite a few CTR regulars sitting out. Stefan said a few words and we all took off in a big group and chatted away during the six road miles leading to the singletrack. I got a chance to talk with Mark Caminiti and hear some about his Tour Divide run.
Once we hit the singletrack I just tried to climb at whatever speed would allow me to stay on the bike without spiking my heart rate.
Last year I lost my camera on day 2; well, this year I managed to lose it within the first two hours. However, I got lucky when I met Garrett Alexander for the first time and he was kind enough to pick it up for me. Garrett is one in the group that I would try to stick with for the next couple days. I cinched my stem bag tight and tried to refocus on keeping the rest of my gear along for the whole ride this time.
The storms were brewing as I crested mini Stony Pass, but I managed to mostly dodge the rain and lightning for about two hours until it started dumping on me at Goose Creek Campground. Heavy cold rain continued solid for the next two hours turning the road into a muddy mess, but it finally let up just as I reached the pavement at Tarryall Road. I noticed a bike leaning on the bridge guardrail, so I called out under the bridge so see if there was room for me to hide there as well and that's how I met Bryan Klahn for the first time. We shivered and bitched about the rain for a few minutes and then Bryan took off while I ate. But Bryan is another rider I would trade places with until he finally rode away from me out of Leadville.
About five miles from the Stagestop Saloon I ran out of water and bonked about as hard as I ever have in my life. I was numb and shaking when I crawled in, but I went straight for the gatorade cooler, ate an ice cream sandwich and a stack of oreos and recovered enough to go into the restaurant. Kept on eating.... cheeseburger, chips, pizza, and got back on my way at 8:30pm.
I hit Kenosha Pass at 11:15pm and decided to keep going as long as my progress was somewhat productive. Got about five miles, almost to Jefferson Creek Road before I started swerving off the trail and it was time to sleep. Climbed in to the bivy at 12:30am after 124 miles and an 18.5 hour push on day 1.
Day 2 - Sixty Six Miles of Singletrack to Tennessee Pass
I set my alarm for 4:30am, but of course I did not get up right away. Then I heard one rider go by... and then another... and so I pulled myself up and was riding again by 5:30am for the 2000' climb to Georgia Pass.
Enjoyed the climb, settling in to the CTR rhythm... gained the pass and met Aaron Boatman up there. I knew the Breck Epic would join the Colorado Trail at the bottom of the descent so I kept pushing in hopes of staying out of that traffic and I just barely managed to do so. I did get to watch the top 3 Pros blast through
the turnoff on Red's trail so that was cool.... took my one and only picture at that spot... CTR meets Breck Epic:
Weather turned out to be great this day, but I was still hustling to get over Tenmile just in case. I know lots of people hate Tenmile, but living here, I've done this climb or some other close variation tons of times and I guess I've gotten used to it. I just kept thinking about what I wanted to eat @ Copper and that pulled me along the trail.
Large Nachos and ice cream for dinner...... best part of the CTR is the gluttonous food you get to eat. We had a full-on dinner party @ Copper.... myself, Aaron, Bryan, Garrett, Josiah Morgan, and two other riders all ate and pulled out of town together around 5:30pm.
The climb up and over Searle & Kokomo Passes, down to Camp Hale, and back up to Tennessee Pass was possibly the best I felt during the entire race. Just a spectacular feeling when you are riding like that. I even entertained ideas of pushing into oblivion, but I settled for another bivy at Tennessee Pass @ midnight. Another 18.5 hours on the trail.
Day 3 - Tennessee Pass to Quit-town:
Aaron and I had crashed together and we got rolling at 5am, getting into Leadville for a breakfast burrito at 6. Aaron had some blister maintenance to do, but I was still feeling pretty good. No ailments to speak of at all really... I felt confident about keeping this 6-day pace up.
Once again I ran into Bryan and Garrett at the Loaf and Jug and along with Aaron, we all made our ride out of town together about 7am.
Still was making solid time around Twin Lakes where I took my first food break, but was soon pushing again with BV on the mind.
Aaron and I filtered water about 5 miles from Clear Creek Road and he asked me what physical issues I was dealing with.... I responded that I was pleasantly surprised that nothing was really bothering me yet..... but then I got back on the bike and the Achilles started jacking with me immediately. But I've already hashed out those sad facts.
Limped in to BV, made a feeble effort to convince myself to go on, and then I quit.
So that is my CTR 2014 story.... I have a few other themes I may delve into over time..... like how can I solve this Achilles thing? Which direction do I find tougher? How did the psychology of knowing I had already finished before contribute to my decision to quit?
Can I keep doing these bikepack races or is it just too much for my body?
Will I do the CTR again?
Sure would like to try CSTR some day too.... And the Moab Mountain Mashup..... Dixie 200????? Cococino???
Touring these route? Maybe kicking back, enjoying the towns and the associated beer?
I'll try to get down to the bottom of all this before CTR 2015 rolls around.
Had to bail in Buena Vista with Achilles pain that I was not tough enough to fight through this time. It was a disappointing result, but considering how much fun I had out there, I've mostly managed to get the sour taste out of my mouth already.
The toughest part of the decision was how quickly things went south on me. I was feeling good while filtering my last batch of water before exiting the singletrack and riding the wilderness detour to Buena Vista. But when I got back on the bike I noticed a little something different going on with my right ankle. I tried to deny it, block it out, and pedal on in to BV, but it quickly got much worse. I had to dismount twice around the railroad tunnels to try and get some relief, and by the time I finally rolled into town it was in severe pain.
So it was difficult to face those facts. I went ahead and bought my $50 of food for the trip to Silverton, and purchased a better water filter, thinking that if I completed these chores, then my Achilles would get back on the program and I could keep going.
I took an unhealthy amount of ibuprofen, taped it up, and tried to ride out of town twice, but it just wasn't happening.
So I made the call to drop. Maybe I could have fought through it, or maybe not, but having finished the race the year before, perhaps I just didn't have the will to deal with the pain.
So that is the end if the story, but what I actually remember from my 2+ days is the kickass fun I had out there.
It was a very different experience than 2013 when I had a slow start and spent most of my days on the trail solo and alone with my thoughts. This time I rode within a group of about five other guys and we just traded spots depending on who needed to filter water or eat and whatever time it was. It actually felt like a bike race.
So here's a recap of my too-brief time on the trail:
Day 1 - Waterton Canyon to a few miles past Kenosha Pass - 124 miles:
It was a smaller group than usual this year, with quite a few CTR regulars sitting out. Stefan said a few words and we all took off in a big group and chatted away during the six road miles leading to the singletrack. I got a chance to talk with Mark Caminiti and hear some about his Tour Divide run.
Once we hit the singletrack I just tried to climb at whatever speed would allow me to stay on the bike without spiking my heart rate.
Last year I lost my camera on day 2; well, this year I managed to lose it within the first two hours. However, I got lucky when I met Garrett Alexander for the first time and he was kind enough to pick it up for me. Garrett is one in the group that I would try to stick with for the next couple days. I cinched my stem bag tight and tried to refocus on keeping the rest of my gear along for the whole ride this time.
The storms were brewing as I crested mini Stony Pass, but I managed to mostly dodge the rain and lightning for about two hours until it started dumping on me at Goose Creek Campground. Heavy cold rain continued solid for the next two hours turning the road into a muddy mess, but it finally let up just as I reached the pavement at Tarryall Road. I noticed a bike leaning on the bridge guardrail, so I called out under the bridge so see if there was room for me to hide there as well and that's how I met Bryan Klahn for the first time. We shivered and bitched about the rain for a few minutes and then Bryan took off while I ate. But Bryan is another rider I would trade places with until he finally rode away from me out of Leadville.
About five miles from the Stagestop Saloon I ran out of water and bonked about as hard as I ever have in my life. I was numb and shaking when I crawled in, but I went straight for the gatorade cooler, ate an ice cream sandwich and a stack of oreos and recovered enough to go into the restaurant. Kept on eating.... cheeseburger, chips, pizza, and got back on my way at 8:30pm.
I hit Kenosha Pass at 11:15pm and decided to keep going as long as my progress was somewhat productive. Got about five miles, almost to Jefferson Creek Road before I started swerving off the trail and it was time to sleep. Climbed in to the bivy at 12:30am after 124 miles and an 18.5 hour push on day 1.
Day 2 - Sixty Six Miles of Singletrack to Tennessee Pass
I set my alarm for 4:30am, but of course I did not get up right away. Then I heard one rider go by... and then another... and so I pulled myself up and was riding again by 5:30am for the 2000' climb to Georgia Pass.
Enjoyed the climb, settling in to the CTR rhythm... gained the pass and met Aaron Boatman up there. I knew the Breck Epic would join the Colorado Trail at the bottom of the descent so I kept pushing in hopes of staying out of that traffic and I just barely managed to do so. I did get to watch the top 3 Pros blast through
the turnoff on Red's trail so that was cool.... took my one and only picture at that spot... CTR meets Breck Epic:
Weather turned out to be great this day, but I was still hustling to get over Tenmile just in case. I know lots of people hate Tenmile, but living here, I've done this climb or some other close variation tons of times and I guess I've gotten used to it. I just kept thinking about what I wanted to eat @ Copper and that pulled me along the trail.
Large Nachos and ice cream for dinner...... best part of the CTR is the gluttonous food you get to eat. We had a full-on dinner party @ Copper.... myself, Aaron, Bryan, Garrett, Josiah Morgan, and two other riders all ate and pulled out of town together around 5:30pm.
The climb up and over Searle & Kokomo Passes, down to Camp Hale, and back up to Tennessee Pass was possibly the best I felt during the entire race. Just a spectacular feeling when you are riding like that. I even entertained ideas of pushing into oblivion, but I settled for another bivy at Tennessee Pass @ midnight. Another 18.5 hours on the trail.
Day 3 - Tennessee Pass to Quit-town:
Aaron and I had crashed together and we got rolling at 5am, getting into Leadville for a breakfast burrito at 6. Aaron had some blister maintenance to do, but I was still feeling pretty good. No ailments to speak of at all really... I felt confident about keeping this 6-day pace up.
Once again I ran into Bryan and Garrett at the Loaf and Jug and along with Aaron, we all made our ride out of town together about 7am.
Still was making solid time around Twin Lakes where I took my first food break, but was soon pushing again with BV on the mind.
Aaron and I filtered water about 5 miles from Clear Creek Road and he asked me what physical issues I was dealing with.... I responded that I was pleasantly surprised that nothing was really bothering me yet..... but then I got back on the bike and the Achilles started jacking with me immediately. But I've already hashed out those sad facts.
Limped in to BV, made a feeble effort to convince myself to go on, and then I quit.
So that is my CTR 2014 story.... I have a few other themes I may delve into over time..... like how can I solve this Achilles thing? Which direction do I find tougher? How did the psychology of knowing I had already finished before contribute to my decision to quit?
Can I keep doing these bikepack races or is it just too much for my body?
Will I do the CTR again?
Sure would like to try CSTR some day too.... And the Moab Mountain Mashup..... Dixie 200????? Cococino???
Touring these route? Maybe kicking back, enjoying the towns and the associated beer?
I'll try to get down to the bottom of all this before CTR 2015 rolls around.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Mindset Pre-CTR
Last year I didn't even know if I could finish the CTR or not. Hell, by the time I crawled into Silverton I was still having grave doubts. Thankfully, I learned some things and caught my rhythm after leaving Silverton and finished in a sorta decent time of 7 days & 22 hours.
So going into this year, I know I can finish this thing because I've done it once already. I wasn't even in that great shape after coming out of ski season fat and injured and unable to really train until April 1st. I just didn't want to miss another year so I took a leap of faith and it worked out.
This year I aim to actually race the course, and that is exciting but also a little scary.
I'm not going to articulate an exact goal, and despite Jefe (& Jesse?) sitting out this year, I have no delusions about winning or racing near the front at all, but I'd like to chop 24 hours off and have a 6 day & change finish if I can.
There are many things in my favor for that.
I weigh about 10-12 pounds less this year. I'm riding a 29-er carbon hardtail that comes in at least 7 pounds less than the Yeti SB-66C I rode last year. And with more packing & gear experience I should be dropping 3-5 pounds there pretty easily. So I'll be chugging 20-25 pounds less along the trail this year and that's bound to count for something.
I know I'm in better shape and significantly faster on the bike as well. I've crushed all my local-ride PRs on this hardtail this summer and beat my best Firecracker 50-miler time by 21 minutes.
I've done lots of evil HAB training in an effort to prevent the achilles problems that plagued me last year starting day 2 and all the way to the finish.
Plus I have much more actual bikepacking experience. Last year I had only done one loaded overnighter in my life. Now I've got one CTR under my belt plus many other training rides and bikepack fun rides that I've been able to learn from.
I'm even using a cue-sheet with splits to guide me along towards my goal.
I'm so freakin' excited to start and I feel confident that I can reach my goals if I have a smooth run and most things go right.
Ahhhh..., but that's the big wildcard we face. What if things don't go right?
Last year my bike was flawless and I only had to rinse and lube the drivetrain the entire way. Bike maintenance and repair is a weakness of mine, and although I'm somewhat crafty in the field, this weakness could pose a problem.
I've only got 2 months on this hardtail, so I'm not totally sure how my body will react after taking the beating day after day. My Yeti wasn't the best climbing tool last year, but it sure was a plush descender. My body came out of the race pretty good; well, everything except my thrashed achilles tendons.
But there is no sense on focusing on any of that stuff. If I have a set-back, I will deal and move on. If I have a mechanical disaster that I can't repair then I guess I'll find a way to a bike shop somehow and get some help. If I have to relegate myself and continue on with a tour then I know I will have fun with that.
This is just a big excuse for Adventure anyways.
Good luck to everyone lining up this year. May you all have a beautiful time on the trail and I look forward to meeting and riding with as many of you as I can.
So going into this year, I know I can finish this thing because I've done it once already. I wasn't even in that great shape after coming out of ski season fat and injured and unable to really train until April 1st. I just didn't want to miss another year so I took a leap of faith and it worked out.
This year I aim to actually race the course, and that is exciting but also a little scary.
I'm not going to articulate an exact goal, and despite Jefe (& Jesse?) sitting out this year, I have no delusions about winning or racing near the front at all, but I'd like to chop 24 hours off and have a 6 day & change finish if I can.
There are many things in my favor for that.
I weigh about 10-12 pounds less this year. I'm riding a 29-er carbon hardtail that comes in at least 7 pounds less than the Yeti SB-66C I rode last year. And with more packing & gear experience I should be dropping 3-5 pounds there pretty easily. So I'll be chugging 20-25 pounds less along the trail this year and that's bound to count for something.
I know I'm in better shape and significantly faster on the bike as well. I've crushed all my local-ride PRs on this hardtail this summer and beat my best Firecracker 50-miler time by 21 minutes.
I've done lots of evil HAB training in an effort to prevent the achilles problems that plagued me last year starting day 2 and all the way to the finish.
Plus I have much more actual bikepacking experience. Last year I had only done one loaded overnighter in my life. Now I've got one CTR under my belt plus many other training rides and bikepack fun rides that I've been able to learn from.
I'm even using a cue-sheet with splits to guide me along towards my goal.
I'm so freakin' excited to start and I feel confident that I can reach my goals if I have a smooth run and most things go right.
Ahhhh..., but that's the big wildcard we face. What if things don't go right?
Last year my bike was flawless and I only had to rinse and lube the drivetrain the entire way. Bike maintenance and repair is a weakness of mine, and although I'm somewhat crafty in the field, this weakness could pose a problem.
I've only got 2 months on this hardtail, so I'm not totally sure how my body will react after taking the beating day after day. My Yeti wasn't the best climbing tool last year, but it sure was a plush descender. My body came out of the race pretty good; well, everything except my thrashed achilles tendons.
But there is no sense on focusing on any of that stuff. If I have a set-back, I will deal and move on. If I have a mechanical disaster that I can't repair then I guess I'll find a way to a bike shop somehow and get some help. If I have to relegate myself and continue on with a tour then I know I will have fun with that.
This is just a big excuse for Adventure anyways.
Good luck to everyone lining up this year. May you all have a beautiful time on the trail and I look forward to meeting and riding with as many of you as I can.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Last Big Stuff Weekend
I suppose this is my last weekend to put down some really big mileage and hard training before the CTR. By next weekend I'll be resting more and dialing the intensity back quite a bit. I've already done a fair amount of HAB training, but I wanted one more wild one to harden my mind for the many miles soon to come.
I've also been eye-balling the South Park Trail that leads from near the Guanella Pass summit to Red Cone Jeep trail over by Webster Pass for several years. A few years ago I actually climbed over Webster and drug my bike up higher over Red Cone Peak to grab SPT's western end to see how far I could take it. Turned out not too far as I missed a turn and dumped myself down into Bruno Gulch just a few short miles into the trail; decided to loop Burning Bear and back over Webster at that point. But I knew I'd be back.
This time I would catch it from the eastern end at the top of Guanella Pass.
July 24 - Argentine Pass to Guanella Pass:
Thursday after work I packed my gear and started riding a little after 8pm under the lights. There was no moon out and it promised to be a very dark night. And believe it or not, 13,200' Argentine Pass seemed to be the best way to loop this thing. I planned to ride over Argentine and then climb up to Guanella's summit for a bivy so I could attempt to navigate the SFT early morning and get back over Webster before any storms hit.
Silverthorne to Argentine Pass went a little faster than I expected. I was just over an hour to Peru Creek Rd and 2hr05min to the Argentine Trail HAB. I had descended this side, but never climbed it before, and I think I like it better from this side. It was so dark out that I could see nothing outside of my light beam, so I just put my head down and hiked. If I looked off to my left I just saw scary cliff dropoff to oblivion. As I neared the top I couldn't even see shadows or anything giving away the pass, so I was a little surprised when I crested after 3hr40min from the house. My crappy Garmin GPS watch always screws up elevation and had me thinking I had another 300 vert.
Just after midnight... the lights of Denver looked pretty cool, but cold wind and late night weirdness made me want to get down to Waldorf Mine at least before breaking. I know this area well during the day, but in the pitch black night I missed the easy railroad grade down and took a sketch-ball mining road a good ways before finally linking back in to Leavenworth Road. Late night has a way of making you doubt your route choices so I kept on pushing until I was safely back to Guanella Pass Road a little after 1am.
Still had a paved 2000' climb so I put on the tunes for that and slowly made my way up. Ate a bit up top and climbed in the bivy about 2:30am.
Argentine Pass to Guanella Pass
Despite being tired, I didn't sleep very well at that 11,700' elevation. Wasn't very long, but I stayed in the bag until the sun crested directly over Mt. Bierdstadt and quickly warmed up the morning.
I took care of a couple morning chores and took off down the South Fork Trail at 7:15am. I knew the trail would be decent until after the split-off for Square Top Lakes. Beyond that my recon told me to expect some cairn-to-cairn riding and I would not be disappointed:
South Fork Trail a couple miles after Guanella Pass Trailhead:
I've also been eye-balling the South Park Trail that leads from near the Guanella Pass summit to Red Cone Jeep trail over by Webster Pass for several years. A few years ago I actually climbed over Webster and drug my bike up higher over Red Cone Peak to grab SPT's western end to see how far I could take it. Turned out not too far as I missed a turn and dumped myself down into Bruno Gulch just a few short miles into the trail; decided to loop Burning Bear and back over Webster at that point. But I knew I'd be back.
This time I would catch it from the eastern end at the top of Guanella Pass.
July 24 - Argentine Pass to Guanella Pass:
Thursday after work I packed my gear and started riding a little after 8pm under the lights. There was no moon out and it promised to be a very dark night. And believe it or not, 13,200' Argentine Pass seemed to be the best way to loop this thing. I planned to ride over Argentine and then climb up to Guanella's summit for a bivy so I could attempt to navigate the SFT early morning and get back over Webster before any storms hit.
Silverthorne to Argentine Pass went a little faster than I expected. I was just over an hour to Peru Creek Rd and 2hr05min to the Argentine Trail HAB. I had descended this side, but never climbed it before, and I think I like it better from this side. It was so dark out that I could see nothing outside of my light beam, so I just put my head down and hiked. If I looked off to my left I just saw scary cliff dropoff to oblivion. As I neared the top I couldn't even see shadows or anything giving away the pass, so I was a little surprised when I crested after 3hr40min from the house. My crappy Garmin GPS watch always screws up elevation and had me thinking I had another 300 vert.
Just after midnight... the lights of Denver looked pretty cool, but cold wind and late night weirdness made me want to get down to Waldorf Mine at least before breaking. I know this area well during the day, but in the pitch black night I missed the easy railroad grade down and took a sketch-ball mining road a good ways before finally linking back in to Leavenworth Road. Late night has a way of making you doubt your route choices so I kept on pushing until I was safely back to Guanella Pass Road a little after 1am.
Still had a paved 2000' climb so I put on the tunes for that and slowly made my way up. Ate a bit up top and climbed in the bivy about 2:30am.
Argentine Pass to Guanella Pass
Despite being tired, I didn't sleep very well at that 11,700' elevation. Wasn't very long, but I stayed in the bag until the sun crested directly over Mt. Bierdstadt and quickly warmed up the morning.
I took care of a couple morning chores and took off down the South Fork Trail at 7:15am. I knew the trail would be decent until after the split-off for Square Top Lakes. Beyond that my recon told me to expect some cairn-to-cairn riding and I would not be disappointed:
South Fork Trail a couple miles after Guanella Pass Trailhead:
Fun adventure cycling for sure, but it would be awhile before I got back on a consistently rideable trail. The steep descent off this ridge to treeline was a hike, and would truly suck to hike up, so taking this section from Guanella summit is the way to go. I would never come back to climb this section.
Once in the trees, it mixed between great trail that got you smiling and chunky fall line walky stuff. A lot I would normally ride with friends, but back in there alone I was more cautious. I made it to Geneva Creek Road and a few miles beyond before I screwed up again, took a left down some good trail that spit me out in Bruno Gulch again... same place I wound up last time on the SFT but from the other side.
I knew how to get back this time though so I climbed Bruno Gulch back to the South Fork Trail. I missed the middle Kirby Gulch section, but it may have to remain unexplored... not bummed though because the wrong trail I took down to Bruno Gulch was the best and most continuous riding of the day.
SFT would end at Red Cone Jeep Trail & 11,750'. Some riding and lots of hiking.
Red Cone broke my heart. My map has a survey marking of 12,400' near Red Cone, but I somehow forgot about its true evil even though I have experienced it before.
Red Cone Peak is actually 12,801' and then you get to hike down at least 75% of the 700' descent to Webster Pass.
Here's a shot of Red Cone from 12,100' Webster Pass:
To this point I had covered around 15 miles on the day in a hair under 6 hours. Be ready for something similar if you ever decide to get some South Park Trail.
Got home about 2:30pm with a total of 77 miles and around 11,500' climbing.
July 26 - Silverthorne to Fraser Roundtrip:
Pleased to say I did not hike my bike even once today. I took a backroad, semi-dirt route to Fraser that turned out great..... decent climb but spread out over a lot of miles so I ended up with 85.5 miles and 6000' vert on the day in a solid time of 7hr15min. Legs felt better and better as I went along so perhaps we are getting ready for the CTR.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
CTR Training
The Colorado Trail Race begins in eighteen short days on August 10th and I'm pleased to say that I've been training well and with good intensity. I'm going to continue the punishment for a few more days... probably up though Sunday, August 2nd, and then I'm gonna kick it back and rest until the start.
Here are a few highlights of the last couple months...
Comfortably Numb in Whistler:
I skipped the bike park and opted instead for the famous, infamous, and notorious Comfortably Numb Trail that snakes through the valley from north of Whistler and back into the Village. I rented a decent XC/Trail hybrid kinda bike and took off up the Sea to Sky Highway to find the trailhead and a loop back to my hotel.
Comfortably Numb was a technical MMA-like fight on the bike. I enjoy technical riding so I'm not complaining, but I had to be cautious and walk some of the more extreme sections. I loved the rocky, rooty, XC sections... there is nothing flowy or fast on that entire trail, but its fun if you like to try and limit your dabs.
I think it is supposed to be about fourteen miles from trailhead to trailhead, after an 8-mile highway ride to get there. I was getting my ass kicked, but perversely enjoining it all the way through my lunch spot on a knoll overlooking Whistler Village. Seriously, I was sitting on a rock looking down towards the Village and my hotel.
Alright, lunch down, about 3 miles to get out so I was feeling completely worked but happy. But the trail kept going.... and going.... until finally I wound up back at the Al Grey Memorial Bridge just a few miles from where I started that morning! Somehow I became completely turned around and didn't even notice I was riding back on the same trail I had come in from. I was out of water and totally bummed for screwing up the track, but thank goodness I could take Young Lust trail out to the highway rather than beating myself up on the first miles of Numb again.
That was my only planned ride day, but my wife could sense my angst at dinner over screwing it up.... she said... you should rent another bike tomorrow morning.... isn't there a way to finish that thing off???
Well, in fact there was... a climb from Whistler Village called Yummy Numby that would link right back in to near the spot I had gotten lost.
So the next morning I did. And I walked a ton of that hellacious final descent. But I did see the whole trail and it was amazing. Finished up with several miles on the beautiful Lost Lake trails before cruising back to the hotel a happy man.
Comfortably Numb / Young Lust
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/517837965
Yummy Numby / Comfortably Numb / Lost Lake:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/517837997
Bikepacking - Colorado Trail - Waterton Canyon to Kenosha Pass:
For my CTR prep, I've been very curious about how I can ride this first section, so I decided to break it off on a 2-day bikepack trip starting at 6am, just like the CTR.
I had two fellow travelers along but we made a pact that we were independent and responsible for ourselves, so while we started out riding together for a couple hours, we soon split off to enjoy our own pace and plan.
I intentionally took it very easy at the start. If I have some setback during the CTR, I don't want to be comparing myself to some all-out preride from months back. I discovered a broken spoke merely 5 miles into the singletrack and I started to panic for a second since I didn't have a spare. I considered riding back out and finding a shop, yada yada... until I remembered a wonderful thing about bikepacking.... I had plenty of food and full camping gear and a blank slate on my schedule for that weekend.... so if the bike broke then it broke and I would deal with that if I had too. Turns out the wheel held up and I soon forgot all about it.
Completed section 1 to the South Platte in 2hr30min.... railed that descent on my Yeti SB66c (not my CTR bike this year though) and was feeling good.
Section 2 to Buffalo Creek was nice. I was getting in my groove and reached the start of section 3 @ 5 hours even.
I think I was picking up the intensity through section 3 because I really wanted to know when I could reach the Stagestop Saloon to see if a hot meal and any kind of decent resupply was available. I hit Wellington Lake at about 7 hours, ate a big meal and continued on....
Reached the pavement at Tarryall Road at 11hr45min.... filtered water and pushed on....
And then finally, just a little more than 2 hours later I reached the Stagestop Saloon and ate a fat cheeseburger and wings. So that was a little before 8pm.... good news for sure. I left there about 8:45 with intentions of riding to Kenosha Pass, but a flat tire soon convinced me to make camp and chill. I'd learned what I wanted so no big deal... I figured I'd practice getting up before dawn and continue on.
Set the alarm for 3:45 am.... didn't get up until 4:40 and was riding at 5:00.
Riding time from Stagestop to Kenosha was 3 hours so I'm hoping I can duplicate that at least during the race to reach Kenosha by midnight on Day 1.
This ride was mid-June and the snowpack still had Georgia Pass on lockdown, so I took highway 285 west to Boreas Pass and used that to get home in Silverthorne about noon the next day. Total about 160ish miles (gps died) in about 30 total hours so I was very happy.
Waterton Canyon to Stagestop Saloon
Firecracker 50
I don't race a whole lot, but almost every year I suit up for the Firecracker 50-miler on the 4th of July in Breckenridge. My first year living in Colorado, this race took me way over 6 hours to finish. Then 3 years ago, after adapting to these mountains and training harder, I managed a 5hr09min which got me 9th place in 40 year old Sport Class. Then came last year and my horrific going-blind experience and another 6+ hour finish.
So I wasn't sure what to expect for this year. I knew I'd been training hard, but at age 42+ I'm not getting any younger for sure.
Yet I somehow managed a 4hr48min and 3rd place (Sport Class) podium finish. Its been a while since I got to stand up there!
Very happy! Its nice to know I'm getting faster with age. Just hope to keep the improvement going.
Bikepacking - Colorado Trail - Tenmile Range to Marshall Pass
Mid-July I did a 3-day bikepacking trip on the Colorado Trail. I had a company golf tournament in the morning so I couldn't start until 5pm on Friday with the intention of reaching Marshall Pass in the early afternoon on Sunday.
This was the July 12 full moon weekend and the key for reaching these goals was an all-night sleepless push on Friday night.
This trip started right off with the Tenmile Range. The weather had been pounding rain all day, but as I started my climb from Frisco (using the Peaks trail to access the CT) the skied let up and continued to be non-threatening the whole way to the top of the pass.... until I got a look over the other side!
Huge sheets of windy rain and sleet raking the mountain. I threw on my rain clothes, losing my sunglasses in the process, and made a mad dash down to Copper. I was freezing cold so I skipped the annoying golf course traverse and rode straight to Endos Restaurant in the Village. Still, I had budgeted 5 hours for the Tenmile crossing and I completed it in 3hr15min so I was happy. I know I will be slower in the CTR so hopefully 5 hours is realistic after all.
I spent about an hour and a half at Endos eating about 2000 calories and drying my gloves in the bathroom. Finally about 9:45pm I started my climb to Searle Pass.
As I mentioned, I skipped a mile or two from highway 191 to the Copper summer road, but I got to Searle about midnight under a spectacular full moon. I was feeling great; not tired at all so I continued on over to Elk Ridge and Kokomo Pass. As I made the alpine crossing I noticed the clouds closing back in and the rain soon began to fall. I was mentally bummed to miss out on a full-moon ride, but what can you do other than put on the rain gear and keep going.
It was dark, late, and details are hazy, but I think I reached Tennessee Pass at about 4:30am.... ate a bit, regouped, and arrived in Leadville at 6am for a breakfast burrito at the bakery there. Drank coffee and kept it moving...
I love the singletrack near Twin Lakes... I got a second wind and busted that out pretty quickly.... rolled in to Buena Vista about 1pm. Huge Chocolate shake, giant cheeseburger and corndog and it was finally time for a little sleep. I took a 2hr nap in the park and woke up rejuvenated and feeling great.
It was 4:45pm Saturday when I left Buena Vista with very obscure goals about how far I would get before camp. I could not remember much about the two sections between Buena Vista and Highway 50. I would soon learn that the first was relatively easy, but the second from Mt. Princeton Hot Springs to Highway 50 is an ass-kicking, rocky technical hike-a-bike for the most part.
Looking at my map... I planned to camp at Mt. Shavano Trailhead, but upon reaching there, all ground was saturated and wet. I couldn't find anything resembling a campsite. After consulting my databook and fighting back tears, I knew I had to continue on to Angel of Shavano Trailhead for a good nights sleep. Thank goodness it was almost completely downhill. I finally crawled in to my bivy at 1am Sunday morning. Blessed Sleep!
Dawn came quick and I had food and water chores to do so I wasn't riding again until 7:15am.
Still, I was highly motivated to finish. My wife was going to meet me at Marshall Pass and I didn't want her waiting on me.
Hit Highway 50 just after 8am and began my final huge climb up the Fooses Creek Trail. It was surprisingly rideable for several miles and then so steep that I doubt any human can ride it except perhaps Jefe. Last part was brutal for sure, but I got there by 11:00am..... skies getting scary so after a quick bite I beat it down to Marshall Pass and got there at 11:45 am.
Overall, pretty happy with that. My kinda arbitrary splits had me getting there about 2pm, so I guess I was early???
I suppose we will find out soon during the real deal, the 2014 Colorado Trail Race!
Here are a few highlights of the last couple months...
Comfortably Numb in Whistler:
I skipped the bike park and opted instead for the famous, infamous, and notorious Comfortably Numb Trail that snakes through the valley from north of Whistler and back into the Village. I rented a decent XC/Trail hybrid kinda bike and took off up the Sea to Sky Highway to find the trailhead and a loop back to my hotel.
Comfortably Numb was a technical MMA-like fight on the bike. I enjoy technical riding so I'm not complaining, but I had to be cautious and walk some of the more extreme sections. I loved the rocky, rooty, XC sections... there is nothing flowy or fast on that entire trail, but its fun if you like to try and limit your dabs.
I think it is supposed to be about fourteen miles from trailhead to trailhead, after an 8-mile highway ride to get there. I was getting my ass kicked, but perversely enjoining it all the way through my lunch spot on a knoll overlooking Whistler Village. Seriously, I was sitting on a rock looking down towards the Village and my hotel.
Alright, lunch down, about 3 miles to get out so I was feeling completely worked but happy. But the trail kept going.... and going.... until finally I wound up back at the Al Grey Memorial Bridge just a few miles from where I started that morning! Somehow I became completely turned around and didn't even notice I was riding back on the same trail I had come in from. I was out of water and totally bummed for screwing up the track, but thank goodness I could take Young Lust trail out to the highway rather than beating myself up on the first miles of Numb again.
That was my only planned ride day, but my wife could sense my angst at dinner over screwing it up.... she said... you should rent another bike tomorrow morning.... isn't there a way to finish that thing off???
Well, in fact there was... a climb from Whistler Village called Yummy Numby that would link right back in to near the spot I had gotten lost.
So the next morning I did. And I walked a ton of that hellacious final descent. But I did see the whole trail and it was amazing. Finished up with several miles on the beautiful Lost Lake trails before cruising back to the hotel a happy man.
Comfortably Numb / Young Lust
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/517837965
Yummy Numby / Comfortably Numb / Lost Lake:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/517837997
Bikepacking - Colorado Trail - Waterton Canyon to Kenosha Pass:
For my CTR prep, I've been very curious about how I can ride this first section, so I decided to break it off on a 2-day bikepack trip starting at 6am, just like the CTR.
I had two fellow travelers along but we made a pact that we were independent and responsible for ourselves, so while we started out riding together for a couple hours, we soon split off to enjoy our own pace and plan.
I intentionally took it very easy at the start. If I have some setback during the CTR, I don't want to be comparing myself to some all-out preride from months back. I discovered a broken spoke merely 5 miles into the singletrack and I started to panic for a second since I didn't have a spare. I considered riding back out and finding a shop, yada yada... until I remembered a wonderful thing about bikepacking.... I had plenty of food and full camping gear and a blank slate on my schedule for that weekend.... so if the bike broke then it broke and I would deal with that if I had too. Turns out the wheel held up and I soon forgot all about it.
Completed section 1 to the South Platte in 2hr30min.... railed that descent on my Yeti SB66c (not my CTR bike this year though) and was feeling good.
Section 2 to Buffalo Creek was nice. I was getting in my groove and reached the start of section 3 @ 5 hours even.
I think I was picking up the intensity through section 3 because I really wanted to know when I could reach the Stagestop Saloon to see if a hot meal and any kind of decent resupply was available. I hit Wellington Lake at about 7 hours, ate a big meal and continued on....
Reached the pavement at Tarryall Road at 11hr45min.... filtered water and pushed on....
And then finally, just a little more than 2 hours later I reached the Stagestop Saloon and ate a fat cheeseburger and wings. So that was a little before 8pm.... good news for sure. I left there about 8:45 with intentions of riding to Kenosha Pass, but a flat tire soon convinced me to make camp and chill. I'd learned what I wanted so no big deal... I figured I'd practice getting up before dawn and continue on.
Set the alarm for 3:45 am.... didn't get up until 4:40 and was riding at 5:00.
Riding time from Stagestop to Kenosha was 3 hours so I'm hoping I can duplicate that at least during the race to reach Kenosha by midnight on Day 1.
This ride was mid-June and the snowpack still had Georgia Pass on lockdown, so I took highway 285 west to Boreas Pass and used that to get home in Silverthorne about noon the next day. Total about 160ish miles (gps died) in about 30 total hours so I was very happy.
Waterton Canyon to Stagestop Saloon
Firecracker 50
I don't race a whole lot, but almost every year I suit up for the Firecracker 50-miler on the 4th of July in Breckenridge. My first year living in Colorado, this race took me way over 6 hours to finish. Then 3 years ago, after adapting to these mountains and training harder, I managed a 5hr09min which got me 9th place in 40 year old Sport Class. Then came last year and my horrific going-blind experience and another 6+ hour finish.
So I wasn't sure what to expect for this year. I knew I'd been training hard, but at age 42+ I'm not getting any younger for sure.
Yet I somehow managed a 4hr48min and 3rd place (Sport Class) podium finish. Its been a while since I got to stand up there!
Very happy! Its nice to know I'm getting faster with age. Just hope to keep the improvement going.
Bikepacking - Colorado Trail - Tenmile Range to Marshall Pass
Mid-July I did a 3-day bikepacking trip on the Colorado Trail. I had a company golf tournament in the morning so I couldn't start until 5pm on Friday with the intention of reaching Marshall Pass in the early afternoon on Sunday.
This was the July 12 full moon weekend and the key for reaching these goals was an all-night sleepless push on Friday night.
This trip started right off with the Tenmile Range. The weather had been pounding rain all day, but as I started my climb from Frisco (using the Peaks trail to access the CT) the skied let up and continued to be non-threatening the whole way to the top of the pass.... until I got a look over the other side!
Huge sheets of windy rain and sleet raking the mountain. I threw on my rain clothes, losing my sunglasses in the process, and made a mad dash down to Copper. I was freezing cold so I skipped the annoying golf course traverse and rode straight to Endos Restaurant in the Village. Still, I had budgeted 5 hours for the Tenmile crossing and I completed it in 3hr15min so I was happy. I know I will be slower in the CTR so hopefully 5 hours is realistic after all.
I spent about an hour and a half at Endos eating about 2000 calories and drying my gloves in the bathroom. Finally about 9:45pm I started my climb to Searle Pass.
As I mentioned, I skipped a mile or two from highway 191 to the Copper summer road, but I got to Searle about midnight under a spectacular full moon. I was feeling great; not tired at all so I continued on over to Elk Ridge and Kokomo Pass. As I made the alpine crossing I noticed the clouds closing back in and the rain soon began to fall. I was mentally bummed to miss out on a full-moon ride, but what can you do other than put on the rain gear and keep going.
It was dark, late, and details are hazy, but I think I reached Tennessee Pass at about 4:30am.... ate a bit, regouped, and arrived in Leadville at 6am for a breakfast burrito at the bakery there. Drank coffee and kept it moving...
I love the singletrack near Twin Lakes... I got a second wind and busted that out pretty quickly.... rolled in to Buena Vista about 1pm. Huge Chocolate shake, giant cheeseburger and corndog and it was finally time for a little sleep. I took a 2hr nap in the park and woke up rejuvenated and feeling great.
It was 4:45pm Saturday when I left Buena Vista with very obscure goals about how far I would get before camp. I could not remember much about the two sections between Buena Vista and Highway 50. I would soon learn that the first was relatively easy, but the second from Mt. Princeton Hot Springs to Highway 50 is an ass-kicking, rocky technical hike-a-bike for the most part.
Looking at my map... I planned to camp at Mt. Shavano Trailhead, but upon reaching there, all ground was saturated and wet. I couldn't find anything resembling a campsite. After consulting my databook and fighting back tears, I knew I had to continue on to Angel of Shavano Trailhead for a good nights sleep. Thank goodness it was almost completely downhill. I finally crawled in to my bivy at 1am Sunday morning. Blessed Sleep!
Dawn came quick and I had food and water chores to do so I wasn't riding again until 7:15am.
Still, I was highly motivated to finish. My wife was going to meet me at Marshall Pass and I didn't want her waiting on me.
Hit Highway 50 just after 8am and began my final huge climb up the Fooses Creek Trail. It was surprisingly rideable for several miles and then so steep that I doubt any human can ride it except perhaps Jefe. Last part was brutal for sure, but I got there by 11:00am..... skies getting scary so after a quick bite I beat it down to Marshall Pass and got there at 11:45 am.
Overall, pretty happy with that. My kinda arbitrary splits had me getting there about 2pm, so I guess I was early???
I suppose we will find out soon during the real deal, the 2014 Colorado Trail Race!
Catching up on Life
Well, its been a good while since my last post, and a lot of cool stuff has gone down.
First and foremost, I got married to my longtime sweetheart on June 3rd. The State of Colorado is kind enough to allow consenting adults to handle that all on your own, so that's what we did. We celebrated with a fun trip to Vancouver and Whistler and here is a pic of the beautiful couple on honeymoon...
We've kept a pretty good pace of Random Adventures since we returned. Lots of local hiking and biking, but here's a quick recap of some of the more memorable escapades...
Ski & Ride Quandary Peak 14-teener:
Both of us had climbed Quandary before and I had skied it once, but Talai had not snowboarded it yet, so we decided that would be a fun goal. We needed the snow to soften up before the descent, and we figured that to be around 11am, so we kicked off the hike around 7am. We did a combination of hiking, skinning, and bootpacking and reached the summit about 10:30.... right on time...
A couple shots of the ascent:
The Chinese Wall Trail...
Finishing up on the Devil's Causeway...
First and foremost, I got married to my longtime sweetheart on June 3rd. The State of Colorado is kind enough to allow consenting adults to handle that all on your own, so that's what we did. We celebrated with a fun trip to Vancouver and Whistler and here is a pic of the beautiful couple on honeymoon...
We've kept a pretty good pace of Random Adventures since we returned. Lots of local hiking and biking, but here's a quick recap of some of the more memorable escapades...
Ski & Ride Quandary Peak 14-teener:
Both of us had climbed Quandary before and I had skied it once, but Talai had not snowboarded it yet, so we decided that would be a fun goal. We needed the snow to soften up before the descent, and we figured that to be around 11am, so we kicked off the hike around 7am. We did a combination of hiking, skinning, and bootpacking and reached the summit about 10:30.... right on time...
A couple shots of the ascent:
The descent was perfect, slushy, hero corn snow, but we were having too much fun to take any pictures. There was one lady so amazed that we would drag our equipment up there that she insisted on taking a summit pic so we obliged:
Slacker Relay - 3rd Place Baby!
Late June we teamed up with our buddy Mike for a half-marathon relay race from Loveland Ski Area down to Georgetown. As the name implies, there was nothing terribly difficult about the race, but it was fun to bring home a little hardware for our efforts!
Later that day Talai and I booked down to Creede and got a room before an early morning climb of San Luis Peak. San Luis was a beautiful hike along a section of the Colorado Trail that I'd never seen since its located inside the La Garita Wilderness and bikes aren't allowed in there. Its one of the easiest 14-teeners, but it was the first this season for both of us so we considered it a nice warmup for future adventures. I'm not sure of the exact figures, but this was over thirty 14-teener summits for both of us:
Finally, just this past weekend we did a spectacular 2-day, 23-mile backpack trip through the Flat Tops Wilderness. On day 1 we hiked over the pass near the Devils Causeway but continued on the East Fork Trail to pass a great number of gorgeous lakes before finally settling on a campsite at West Lost Lake.
While day 1 was a foresty lake and creek hike, day 2 spent virtually the entire day above 11,500' in the alpine tundra. I have no words to express the beauty on this hike, so I would only suggest that you do it yourself if you have the chance. The wildflowers were just amazing.... take Deat though, because so were the mosquitos...
Some pics:
Max relaxing after a long hike to camp...
The Chinese Wall Trail...
Finishing up on the Devil's Causeway...
What else can I say... its been one hell of a summer so far!
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Halls Creek Narrows - Capitol Reef National Park
Back in May I got to do a spectacular backpack trip to the Halls Creek Narrows in Capitol Reef National Park. These Narrows are three miles long and are touted as the best in Capitol Reef. The trailhead is about 50 miles from the visitor's center so it is a fairly remote route too.
I'd seen some pictures, but had never done a canyon / narrows type hike before so I was unsure what to expect. It turned out to be a spectacular trip that has gotten me excited about more backpacking desert adventures in the future.
Here are some pics and a few more details about the hike.
The trail starts at Halls Creek Overlook which is situated off the Notom/Bullfrog road. From the overlook you can get a decent shot of the double arch called the Brimhall Arch.
Brimhall Arch:
From the Arch you begin an 800' descent down the steep trail to begin your hike in the normally-dry Halls Creek:
We got out and back to our camp about 1pm and noticed a disturbing dark horizon and the sky began to spit an occasional raindrop here and there. After a short nap things looked even worse so we decided to hike back out to the truck that evening rather than camp a second night as we had originally planned.
I didn't want to tempt fate in a flood zone, and the thought of hiking back outside the river bank if it was running was not a good one, so we hustled out and got back to truck about 8pm.
..... only to find the battery dead and the trailhead deserted.
We had plenty of supplies so we just ate dinner and climbed back into the camper for some sleep in hopes that someone would arrive in the morning to give us a jump...... and then the rains and snow came in overnight.... turning the bentonite clay roads to mush and making the trailhead and access roads completely inaccessible.
Here is how it looked that day over the Waterpocket Fold:
Without any other options, I loaded up the hydration pack and set off for a 20-something mile run to Bullfrog Marina at Lake Powell. I hoped I'd thump a ride, but I did not see a single vehicle until I reached Highway 276 after exactly 20 miles on the run.
When I discovered Bullfrog was still 6 more miles away, I knew it was time for some hitchhiking; luckily my soggy butt was picked up by our guardian angel almost immediately. When this man (a maintenance worker at the marina) discovered that there was a damsel in distress back at the trailhead, he sprung into action and would not rest until we were totally out of that jam. All my love to Leon!
What a trip. I highly recommend the Halls Creek Narrows for a mind-blowing experience!
I'd seen some pictures, but had never done a canyon / narrows type hike before so I was unsure what to expect. It turned out to be a spectacular trip that has gotten me excited about more backpacking desert adventures in the future.
Here are some pics and a few more details about the hike.
The trail starts at Halls Creek Overlook which is situated off the Notom/Bullfrog road. From the overlook you can get a decent shot of the double arch called the Brimhall Arch.
Brimhall Arch:
From the Arch you begin an 800' descent down the steep trail to begin your hike in the normally-dry Halls Creek:
There are numerous cut-off trails that can shorten the meanders, but some recent pack horses had torn the sand up and we usually found it easier to just remain in the creekbed for the best route. As a result, a supposed 9-mile hike to the Narrows turned into about 10.5 miles.
Here is our first shot of the upstream entry to the Narrows. Our awesome camp was in that little patch of trees, but I would not recommend that if there is the slightest hint of rain in the forecast.
Our first evening we just explored this end of the Narrows as we were saving the big exploration for the next morning.
You can hike the narrows in a several different ways, but we decided to first hike over Halls Divide to the downstream entry to the canyon and then hike back upstream through the Narrows so that we would be right back at our camp when we finished.
The flowers were amazing and I just had to stop and take a whiff:
After hiking a couple miles over Halls Divide, we got a great overhead look at the entry we would use to access the Narrows:
The desert varnish on the thousand foot walls was beautiful!
I'd say you had to walk in the creek about half the time, but mostly it was just ankle or shin deep. There were a few deeper pools that could reach your waist though:
As well as a few narrow slots where you could reach out and touch both walls!
Only one pool required me to take off the backpack this time, but I've heard there are times when a little swimming could even be required.
We took our sweet time and spent over three hours to cover the three miles through the Narrows. I had my neck craned up about the whole time, speechless over this amazing place.
Towards the end we came to this gigantic undercut bank that the floods had chiseled out:
I didn't want to tempt fate in a flood zone, and the thought of hiking back outside the river bank if it was running was not a good one, so we hustled out and got back to truck about 8pm.
..... only to find the battery dead and the trailhead deserted.
We had plenty of supplies so we just ate dinner and climbed back into the camper for some sleep in hopes that someone would arrive in the morning to give us a jump...... and then the rains and snow came in overnight.... turning the bentonite clay roads to mush and making the trailhead and access roads completely inaccessible.
Here is how it looked that day over the Waterpocket Fold:
Without any other options, I loaded up the hydration pack and set off for a 20-something mile run to Bullfrog Marina at Lake Powell. I hoped I'd thump a ride, but I did not see a single vehicle until I reached Highway 276 after exactly 20 miles on the run.
When I discovered Bullfrog was still 6 more miles away, I knew it was time for some hitchhiking; luckily my soggy butt was picked up by our guardian angel almost immediately. When this man (a maintenance worker at the marina) discovered that there was a damsel in distress back at the trailhead, he sprung into action and would not rest until we were totally out of that jam. All my love to Leon!
What a trip. I highly recommend the Halls Creek Narrows for a mind-blowing experience!
Monday, June 2, 2014
May 2014 Training Wrap
Great Month, I put up some fairly big totals for me anyways.
Highlights...
Sweet backpack trip in Capitol Reef National Park ending with an unplanned 20-mile run to get help @ Lake Powell after my battery died in the backcountry and was inaccessible due to muddy roads. Trip to St. George / Hurricane, Utah to MTB Gooseberry Mesa, Hurricane Rim, and several other trails. Hiked Angels Landing in Zion NP one morning. First MTB ride in Eagle. First ride @ Hartman Rocks in Gunnison. Several big rides on the roads and rec path around Summit County to get some good miles in. Even hit the weights in the gym 4 times in the last 10 days. Several good days running to keep the soreness worked out.
Totals...
Hit 27 total days with a workout... 111.5 miles on feet, running, hiking, backpacking... 475 miles on the bike (330 on road, 145 MTB)... 50,600' climbing vert from all sources.... 81.5 hours
Got my weight down from 168 to below 163 during the month, so that was solid too. I might have a little trouble getting to my goal weight of 157.5 by the end of the Fat Cyclist Weight Loss Contest on June 21, but I'm not concerned.
I've dropped about 25 pounds since February 6th, so I'm extremely happy with that. I'll get these last few stubborn pounds off slowly as I need to fuel myself for some of these big rides I've been doing.
Goals and Cool Stuff for June???
I've penciled-in Friday June 20 for a Waterton Canyon to Frisco bike-packing dry run on the Colorado Trail. I'm anxious to see if I can reach the Stagestop Saloon in Park County in time to get a hot meal and resupply for the CTR.
Headed to Vancouver and Whistler and expect to ride the Comfortable Numb trail next Saturday.
May try to ski Quandary peak on the 11-13 weekend somewhere.
Its been warm lately, so perhaps the high trails will melt out soon and we can start doing some killer rides around home.
Highlights...
Sweet backpack trip in Capitol Reef National Park ending with an unplanned 20-mile run to get help @ Lake Powell after my battery died in the backcountry and was inaccessible due to muddy roads. Trip to St. George / Hurricane, Utah to MTB Gooseberry Mesa, Hurricane Rim, and several other trails. Hiked Angels Landing in Zion NP one morning. First MTB ride in Eagle. First ride @ Hartman Rocks in Gunnison. Several big rides on the roads and rec path around Summit County to get some good miles in. Even hit the weights in the gym 4 times in the last 10 days. Several good days running to keep the soreness worked out.
Totals...
Hit 27 total days with a workout... 111.5 miles on feet, running, hiking, backpacking... 475 miles on the bike (330 on road, 145 MTB)... 50,600' climbing vert from all sources.... 81.5 hours
Got my weight down from 168 to below 163 during the month, so that was solid too. I might have a little trouble getting to my goal weight of 157.5 by the end of the Fat Cyclist Weight Loss Contest on June 21, but I'm not concerned.
I've dropped about 25 pounds since February 6th, so I'm extremely happy with that. I'll get these last few stubborn pounds off slowly as I need to fuel myself for some of these big rides I've been doing.
Goals and Cool Stuff for June???
I've penciled-in Friday June 20 for a Waterton Canyon to Frisco bike-packing dry run on the Colorado Trail. I'm anxious to see if I can reach the Stagestop Saloon in Park County in time to get a hot meal and resupply for the CTR.
Headed to Vancouver and Whistler and expect to ride the Comfortable Numb trail next Saturday.
May try to ski Quandary peak on the 11-13 weekend somewhere.
Its been warm lately, so perhaps the high trails will melt out soon and we can start doing some killer rides around home.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
April 2014 Training Wrap
Had some ups and downs this month. Overall a solid month of training, but I had a stupid bike crash in Fruita on the 15th which bruised my ribs and forced me to dial back the intensity quite a bit for the last two weeks to allow them to heal.
Some highlights... won the Propinquity skinning race and set a PR... rode the Red Fleet trails in Vernal.... hiked the McKonkie Ranch Petroglyph trail..... rode the short version of the Holy Grail (Western Rim & Zion Curtain) in Fruita... and hit the Palisade Rim for the first time.
Totals:
25 total days with some kind of workout.
12 days skinning.
6 days on the bike
2 days jogging
80.5 miles on the feet skinning, hiking, and jogging.
114.75 miles on the bike
38,650' vert climbing so I missed my 50,000' goal, but that's all because the bruised ribs.
45 total hours of workouts.
Some solid mountain biking in Fruita, Vernal, Palisade, and decent climb through Montezuma on the rec path.
Weight only dropped from 171 to 168 so I have some work to do to reach my goal of 157.5 by June 21. I've had a good start to May and saw a 164.8 reading yesterday so hopefully I'm gaining some ground on that.
1st four days of May have been good with 3 days skinning and a 43.5 mile ride through Breck to Boreas Pass road until blocked by snow @ the Bakers Tank TH.
Today is closing day at Loveland so I need to try and weather the next few days of party season without blowing my diet too bad.
Goals for May.... lots of bike miles. I have a backpack trip in Capitol Reef National Park next week and then a scheduled trip to Gooseberry Mesa.
Got to keep it up!
Some highlights... won the Propinquity skinning race and set a PR... rode the Red Fleet trails in Vernal.... hiked the McKonkie Ranch Petroglyph trail..... rode the short version of the Holy Grail (Western Rim & Zion Curtain) in Fruita... and hit the Palisade Rim for the first time.
Totals:
25 total days with some kind of workout.
12 days skinning.
6 days on the bike
2 days jogging
80.5 miles on the feet skinning, hiking, and jogging.
114.75 miles on the bike
38,650' vert climbing so I missed my 50,000' goal, but that's all because the bruised ribs.
45 total hours of workouts.
Some solid mountain biking in Fruita, Vernal, Palisade, and decent climb through Montezuma on the rec path.
Weight only dropped from 171 to 168 so I have some work to do to reach my goal of 157.5 by June 21. I've had a good start to May and saw a 164.8 reading yesterday so hopefully I'm gaining some ground on that.
1st four days of May have been good with 3 days skinning and a 43.5 mile ride through Breck to Boreas Pass road until blocked by snow @ the Bakers Tank TH.
Today is closing day at Loveland so I need to try and weather the next few days of party season without blowing my diet too bad.
Goals for May.... lots of bike miles. I have a backpack trip in Capitol Reef National Park next week and then a scheduled trip to Gooseberry Mesa.
Got to keep it up!
Friday, April 25, 2014
Palisade Rim Trail
New trails are always fun, and I'd been meaning to check out the Palisade Rim Trail for a few years now. Last Tuesday I headed over with a friend to give it a look and I was very impressed. Not a ton of mileage there, but there is an upper and lower loop that could be repeated as much as you want.
Unfortunately, I have some bruised ribs from a minor crash the week before that I had stubbornly refused to rest and allow to heal. I was pretty sore from wrestling the bike around the trail so I was not up for multiple laps on this day.
The trail starts with a stiff climb through a canyon and up onto the mid-level of the rim. It is a reasonably technical trail, but its not as crazy as I'd heard it described in some places. I was riding pretty conservatively because I couldn't afford to crash on my ribs again, but I still was able to climb over most obstacles.
After the initial mile of relentless climbing it levels off for a second and gives you a little break before resuming a second climb to the higher rim level on the upper loop. We took a left away from the rim because it looked like the best way to get to the high point as soon as possible.
We topped out after about 4.5 miles and about 1600' climb.
Going clockwise on the upper loop means you get to do a high speed descent along the rim with some extreme exposure. I don't really get freaked out by exposure, but it was intense. It was a bit more difficult because we had some serious wind gusts pushing us around as well.
The descent was a blast... good mix of fast & flowy with some chunky tech bits thrown in to keep you on your toes.
A very nice ride even though my ribs are pretty screwed from the whole deal. Forcing myself to back off and let the damn things heal now.
Here's some GPS:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/486183491
Oh yeah... don't miss the petroglyphs!
Friday, April 18, 2014
Propinquity!
Yesterday was the 3rd Annual Propinquity Employee Uphill Skinning Race at Loveland and I was pleased to be able to pull out the victory over a really solid field.
The course is about 1.3 miles and climbed 1150' vertical feet to Ptarmigan cabin at the top of chair 2.
I also won this race two years ago and was third last year after being injured and not able to train for most of January, February, and about half of March.
This year I was surprised to open a little gap on the field right on the flat areas near the start. I was able to keep that gap for the remainder of the race, but I really didn't open it up too much more. I was hurting bad towards the end and looking over my shoulder a little bit. Thankfully, I could tell I had a pretty safe margin so I even let off the gas a little towards the end.
Mainly I'm just happy to know that my fitness is at a good level. My time of 30:42 is the fastest verified time I have ever done on that route.
Last year's winner was a little late to the start and he still managed to pull up into 3rd place, so he might have put some serious heat on if he had made it on time. I had about 3 minutes on him at the finish so I am pretty sure I was a minute or two faster.
Here is the GPS:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/482366591
The course is about 1.3 miles and climbed 1150' vertical feet to Ptarmigan cabin at the top of chair 2.
I also won this race two years ago and was third last year after being injured and not able to train for most of January, February, and about half of March.
This year I was surprised to open a little gap on the field right on the flat areas near the start. I was able to keep that gap for the remainder of the race, but I really didn't open it up too much more. I was hurting bad towards the end and looking over my shoulder a little bit. Thankfully, I could tell I had a pretty safe margin so I even let off the gas a little towards the end.
Mainly I'm just happy to know that my fitness is at a good level. My time of 30:42 is the fastest verified time I have ever done on that route.
Last year's winner was a little late to the start and he still managed to pull up into 3rd place, so he might have put some serious heat on if he had made it on time. I had about 3 minutes on him at the finish so I am pretty sure I was a minute or two faster.
Here is the GPS:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/482366591
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
One Million Feet!
I don't think I've ever looked at my "profile" on my Garmin Connect site where I upload my GPS tracks, but after returning from a good solid ride in the Fruita desert yesterday, I just happened to look at it today.
Yesterday's ride pushed me over 1 million vertical feet of climbing! That is over 189 miles into the air. I'm pretty sure that would be considered "Space" had I logged it all into one push, but alas, it has taken me several years and three different Garmin devices to reach that total.
Yesterday's ride pushed me over 1 million vertical feet of climbing! That is over 189 miles into the air. I'm pretty sure that would be considered "Space" had I logged it all into one push, but alas, it has taken me several years and three different Garmin devices to reach that total.
Lifetime Totals
Activities
Kinda cool milestone though.
Been doing pretty good so far in April. Have knocked out rides in Vernal and Fruita to get some MTB miles done. Also, lots of skinning at Loveland in preparation for tomorrow's employee race. I'm feeling pretty good, but as usual there will be some very formidable competition, so I expect to push deep into the pain cave for the roughly 30 minutes it will take to climb to Ptarmigan cabin.
The race tomorrow will be a good intermediate fitness check as we wrap up the ski season here at Loveland.
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