El Freako from Rico

Black Canyon Trail-Arizona

2012-02-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Black Canyon Trail-Arizona.
I have been hearing a lot of talk about this BCT so I had some convenient days off during the week again and met Shawn Gregory down in Arizona to ride the BCT point to point. Shawn was already in AZ at his home in Fountain Hills so it was good timing to do this ride. It is a shuttle and a pain to do it but worth the effort. I drove straight through after work on Monday night and slept about 2 hours before I met up with Shawn. I suppose it is good training with little sleep. Right. We started just North of HWY 69 that heads to Prescott and rode to the Carefree highway. The ride was 67 miles point to point and 5500 feet of climbing. Ride time was 7 hours and 9 minutes according to my Garmin. The single track is amazing. It flows so well and the climbs are cut just right. The single speed is a good option on this ride as everything is rideable. Get out and ride it.

Sunrise outside of Phoenix on Tuesday morning.. Ride time!

Add caption

Tire issues at mile 45.

Arizona Forest.

Arches Nat Park Roadie Style and a SS Ride in Moab

2012-02-13T08:12:00.002-07:00

I had some days off during the work week and made a trip to my favorite winter riding area; Moab. I brought along Shady and Nacho as well. I have never ridden Arches National Park on the road bike and decided to give it a whirl finally. It is a great ride with great climbing and good miles not to mention the scenery is world class. I ended up with 44 miles and 4k of climbing (2 hours 54 minutes pedaling) starting at the Arches visitor center. You can add more miles by including the newly paved bike path as well that goes out to HWY 313. I rode it during a week day so traffic was minimal. I would expect the weekends to be a bit busier with more traffic to deal with. Now is a great time of year to go. The temp was between 40-50 degrees.

The next day Shawn Gregory and Steve Reiter came over to meet me for a ride. Since Shawn and I had ridden the Mag 7 trails the previous week we decided to do a good size loop which included Sovereign, Klondike Bluffs, Baby steps, Mega Steps, EKG and back to Sovereign where we started. It turned out to be a 40 mile loop (4 hours 14 minutes pedaling time) which can be made longer depending on time and how you are feeling. Endless possibilities on the North side of Moab.

Shawn getting his groove on.

Steve having some fun.

Shawn looking way too serious.

Steve and I on the Mega Steps trail.

Mag 7 Trails

2012-01-27T15:14:00.007-07:00

I haven't posted much on the blog lately and even missed a posting of our St. George/Vegas trip from two weeks ago. I will have to post some pics of that soon. Anyways I got out to Moab this week on Thursday with Shawn Gregory to do some new and old routes strung together referred to as the Mag 7 trails. We decided to make it a big loop which included a bunch of pavement. Good junk miles. We parked at HWY 313 and HWY 191 north of Moab and rode the pavement up 11 miles on 313 to Gemini Bridges road where we descended for a short distance and took a right turn on Bull Canyon Trail. This is where the Mag 7 starts. It is signed extremely well with no worry of getting lost at all. Bull Canyon, Arths, Little Canyon, Gold Bar, Blue Dot (gnarly) and down the Portal (extremely gnarly, you can die here). Than it is a not so quick ride back to 313 via Potash Road and the bike path to the truck. 44.3 miles and 4500 feet of climbing in 5 hours. What a great loop. The snow was minimal and we even saw a porcupine which was odd to me in Moab in the lower desert climate. I would expect them up in the La Sal's up high but not that low. A first for me in all of my time spent in Moab and that's a lot of fucking time! He was running across the snow on the Bull Canyon Trail. Awesome.

If you can get out and do the Mag 7 loop, you will not be disappointed.. I even have the GPS track if you need it. It has some sweet stuff to keep you smiling. Also checkout utahmountainbiking.com for info and GPS track.

Watch this video of some crazies riding most of the Portal Trail. Pucker up buttercup!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erk4BR2GNPo&noredirect=1

The Selma Ti loving the views. New brakes worked flawless. I even cut the lines and bled myself. Shade Tree bike mechanic at its best.

Shawn having some fun.

Mr. Porcupine. He scrambled into the tree quickly.

Fat Biking on the White Rim (in a day)

2012-01-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

White Rim in a day........100.7 miles, 7k of climbing, 10.5 hours total pushing the fat bikes around a big circle. Kokopelli Team members, Shawn Gregory, Kiviok Hight, Paul Adams and I along with fellow Rico rider Dan Holmes navigated the White Rim clockwise starting near the top of the Mineral Bottom climb. What a blast it was. Packed red dirt and some snow to make it interesting.

Sand Canyon

2011-12-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Went South to ride dry singletrack on Tuesday with Paul and Kiviok out at Sand Canyon located about a dozen miles West of Cortez. It was the maiden voyage for the the new Salsa Selma Ti single speed and Sand Canyon is a great testing ground for it with the gnarly techy sections and rocky terrain. I was not disappointed with the bike as it performed great. We attempted several attempts at a few tech features trying to hone in the skills. I took a few falls due to my left cleat sticking at inopportune times. I think the shoe tread is/was the issue and I took the Dremel to the tread when I got home.

The weather was super ideal for a late December ride which typically would have snow on the ground. No jacket needed. The snow fall has been lack luster thus far but it will come in time. Maybe I will get a chance to use the new snow plow soon.

Kiviok cleaning the 301 feature.

Kiv makes it look easy.

Paul showing his skills.

Paul rethinking which line to take on the 301.

Killer Kiviok dabbing.

Me getting after it until I fell.

The left cleat was sticking so I couldn't get out of my pedal in time.

When in doubt carry the damn bike.

Uh...left foot problem again. Damn!

Me dropping in!

Killer at work.

Fun rock sections.

Kiv sitting on a cactus.

Me showing the boys how to ride.

The new ride. It was sweet........

Snow Biking

2011-12-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

I know it has seem like forever since I last posted by not a whole lot going on these days but riding a bunch and I am proud to say that I haven't once been on the trainer this winter yet. A lot of that has to do with having the new fat bike and working nights has given me some day time riding advantages.

Lenny from Albuquerque was up visiting his parents outside Durango so we met up along with Kiviok to do a fat bike ride up Taylor Creek Road on Monday. It was pretty ideal riding conditions as far as snow goes. Bluebird day for sure. We were able to ride nearly 8 miles up with 2100 feet of elevation gain.

A Moonlander, a Pugsley and a Mukluk.

Lenny and I enjoying the perfect blue bird day.

Lenny and Killer Kiviok getting a good workout on the long climb up Taylor Creek.

Winter Time

2011-12-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

I've been getting after it on the new fat bike of late. Lots of miles riding from the house and up to the snow routes. No trainer yet this year thanks to the Mukluk.

Fat Biking

2011-11-14T08:17:00.002-07:00

I haven't posted in a while due to just being busy with the new job at the Sheriffs office working 12 hour shifts and riding the new Mukluk. The fat bike is a game changer for a single speeder mountain biker like myself. It is heavy and has gears. I've learned to use the gears even though I do tend to ride it like a single speed as I tend to stand a lot. It will keep me sane in the winter as I will not need to ride the trainer as much and get out in the elements with the fat tires. Let the fun begin.

Moab is a great place for a fat bike.

I think I can float across this obstacle.

It rained a bunch in Moab and saw water runoff like Ive never seen it before.

Rico.

Night ride after work on the Ilium Road near Telluride.

The Bar Mitts are great for the cold and keep the hands toasty while wearing light weight winter gloves.

Salsa Mukluk 2

2011-11-01T14:36:00.000-06:00

It's here...my Mukluk 2 showed up today at Kokopelli Bike shop. Looking forward to pedaling it around in the snow this week.

Salsa Mukluk 2

More Moab

2011-10-31T12:47:00.002-06:00

We took advantage of the great weather and jaunted on over to Moab with last minute for some warmer than Rico weather riding. I ended up with 50 miles and 4000 feet of climbing. Not big miles but fun miles and if you know Moab the terrain it isn't so easy.

The weekender mobile man cave. New decals from the bike shop.

New trail in the Brand area.

Overlooking the Sovereign area.

Lucy having fun.

The Ti-licious single speed enjoying some riding time.

Phil's Time Again

2011-10-28T10:16:00.000-06:00

I had a mid week day off and took advantage to go ride at Phil's again before the storm rolled in that dumped a few inches of snow in Rico. I rocked the secondary bike; The Vassago single speed full rigid riding the big loop in just under two hours. I didn't see one person on the trail making it very enjoyable.

On the Ledges loop.

Stinking Springs Loop.

On Stinking Springs trail on one of several overlooks facing the sleeping Ute.

Phil's World Pre-Halloween Ride 2011

2011-10-24T13:57:00.000-06:00

Halloween is almost here and it was time to ride Phil's World in costume. A bunch of the Durango folks and locals from the area have a tradition of riding in costume and having a parking lot party. SKA brew was on tap. After a good hard effort of 20 miles with Shawn, Krista and Todd Park we enjoyed some beers and snacks. Also this year a time trial on a 60 pound bmx rig was in store only of course after drinking a mandatory 3 beers.

Yep, I rode all of Phil's in that mask. It was warm!

Yep, there is a helmet under there somewhere.

Laura the witch! She even had a broom attached to the seat.

Shawn Gregory in his Hawaiian get up on his full rigid clunker. Sweet skirt!

Mukluk 2

2011-10-21T11:52:00.000-06:00

The next bike to add to the collection; Salsa Mukluk 2. A FAT bike for the snow and whatever else gets in my way. I should have it anyday now.

Fall in Rico

2011-10-21T11:40:00.000-06:00

This time of year in Rico can be amazing when the weather is right; and right it is. (Until the snow starts to fly consistently). We have the bluest skies around. I'm sure of it.

It's been a good week of 'recovery riding" after the Zuni 100 ride. I rode home from work once this week already and a mountain bike ride on our local stuff in Rico as well as a 6 mile run on Barlow Creek Road. Tonight (Friday) will be another ride home on the road bike to start the weekend off in correct fashion. Maybe some Phil's World or Boggy riding this weekend. The high country is out of commission with the last snow fall sticking up high from 3 weeks ago. The temps have been in 20's for the overnight lows and I even saw ice midday in the shade in Rico. Stay low. I might even finish up my wood splitting.

Rico riding.

Rico. Just right outside the house.

Barlow Lake in the background. Brought the lights in case I got carried away running too far.

Mr. Beaver in Barlow Lake doing his thing.

Zuni 100 2011

2011-10-18T12:01:00.016-06:00

Gallup, New Mexico

The Zuni 100 was as awesome as ever if not more so with an added 10 miles of track to make it a true 100 mile race. Perfect weather. It was loose, buffed in spots with lots of undulating terrain. 100 miles, 9,200 feet of climbing. It took me 10 hours and 45 minutes to finish this monster. I was 3rd overall and 2nd single speeder according to the results. Danny Powers missed a turn and was regulated for it in the end sending me up one spot. Bummer for him. I started falling apart a bit in the last 15 miles as I ran out of water and didn't feel like eating. It ranks in my top 3of any 100 mile mountain bike race. This was my 4th finish of the Z100 and to date I have the most finishes of anybody.

Laura rode as well riding the 50 mile course with some friends from Rico; Mike and Sue. A good time by all with a sweet after party to boot put on by the Gallup Trails 2010 people.

Other locals riding were Paul Adams from Kokopelli Bike and Board Racing Team and fellow Rico resident Dan Holmes. Unfortunately they both had a DNF but still finished with some great miles.

Full results here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&key=0AsSR1PCM3HHPdElfS0VMQVlrVl96ZDRPdnFMMmZ4WXc&hl=en_US&gid=4

Finished!!! Time for a beer.

Moab Season

2011-10-13T12:37:00.000-06:00

That time of year again to visit one of our favorite riding destinations; MOAB. We had a some neighbors in Rico join us as well as Paul Adams to ride our normal routes such as Sovereign, Green Monster and the Klondike Bluffs area. The weather was perfect and we found some new single track trails out in the Baby Steps area. Moab is doing a great job adding new trails. Back for more soon.

Our sweet camping stash in Moab.

Nacho and Lucy having some fun. They love Moab.

The view from the camping area.

Beer drinking spot.

Another view from the camping spot.

Sovereign Trail area.

New single track in the Klondike/Baby Steps area; Mega Steps and EKG. So much fun.

Crested Butte 100 Pics

2011-10-05T19:37:00.001-06:00

A nice walk up to Deer Creek Trail with Pete and Brian. Geez, I look short next to Pete! Thanks for the pics Brian.

Happy to be finished. Here comes Pete.

Tim getting finished.

Mountain Flyer Crested Butte 100 Write Up

2011-10-04T21:00:00.000-06:00

An excellent write up of the Crested Butte 100 by Chris Miller.

http://www.mountainflyermagazine.com/view.php/8th-annual-crested-butte-classic-2.html

Awesome pics Chris!!

Crested Butte Classic 100

2011-10-04T15:18:00.002-06:00

The first weekend in October was a great one with me racing the Crested Butte 100. I have NEVER ridden in Crested Butte and was excited to go over and do much of the trails in one day on a hundy ride. Sure we didn't cover all the trails but I definitely received a good dose of what is there.

The ride started a bit after 6.30 am in the dark cool fall morning air. The temperature was hovering around 35-40 degrees. It looked to be about 75 people to start.

We rode three loops starting and ending in Crested Butte at the Brick Oven restaurant. Loop one was about 25 miles taking a bit over 2 hours riding up Kebler Pass to Dyke trail an back via Kebler and Wagon Trails. The third loop took over 4 hours and over 30 miles long sending us out on the Lower Loop up the Slate Du’Huez forest service road onto Washington Gulch/403 Trail (super fun downhill on the 403), up Schofield Pass and onto the 401 Trail and back to town via Gothic Road. Damn that was a long loop. The third loop was 20 something miles with the ride ending on Deer Creek but first going out Brush Creek to Strand Hill single track, Canal Trail back to Brush creek and up to the start of Deer Creek. There was some hiking for sure on the single speed. On the final loop I was riding with Brian Powers from Cheyenne and a local rider named Pete. All of us on singles. I did manage to fall towards the end of Deer Creek puncturing my left elbow pretty good. Bummer. It's still pretty swollen.

I ended up finishing in 10 hours 50 minutes and 14 seconds. 95 miles and 12,044 feet of climbing per my Garmin 705. I was set up with a 32x21 gearing but maybe a 20 tooth in the rear would have worked a bit better for all of the road segments. Looks like I placed 3rd overall single speeder behind Danny Powers and Matt.

It's always a good time to see all the bad ass endurance guys at these events. Nice job to everyone.I'll be back to ride more of Crested Butte.

Here is link to a sweet video Chris Miller shot of the riders throughout the course:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?permalink.php&id=100001561868504&story_fbid=220161444712313&mid=4f48bceG42a1919bG1e78a95G52&bcode=cQAWyjVh&n_m=jeffnlaura2001%40hotmail.com

Eastfork.Blackhawk.Scotch Creek

2011-09-28T11:59:00.000-06:00

Laura crossing one of many creeks of the day on our way to Blackhawk Pass.

Celebration Lake at Bolam Pass.

Yep, we are going up there. Blackhawk!

At 12k elevation. Not a breeze in the air. Perfect peace up high.

Perfect.

Summer Demise

2011-09-19T09:20:00.001-06:00

Alta Lakes.

Somewhat of a winter storm hit the Colorado terrain on the front side of the weekend to make for an interesting ride on Sunday in the Alta Lakes area. Saturday was a wash as the rain didn't subside until late afternoon leaving the local mountain tops with a nice white cap.

Shawn trying to figure out what the pallets are doing in the creek. Where is the line?

Shawn enjoying the snow.

A beautiful Colorado day after the storm blew through.

Vapor Trail 125 Mountain Flyer Write-up

2011-09-15T09:49:00.000-06:00

Here is a great write-up by Mountain Flyer Magazine.

http://www.mountainflyermagazine.com/view.php/full-moon-and-clear-skies-for-the-vapor-trail-125.html

Vapor Trail 125 Finish 2011

2011-09-13T15:10:00.006-06:00

Another notch added to the Vapor Trail finishing belt. Yep, finished in 17 hours and 38 minutes this year. I shaved an hour and 20 minutes off of last years time. 2nd place single speeder. 18th place overall out of nearly 40 finishers. I'm pretty stoked. The field as a whole was stacked with super talented cyclist. We had a mix of Colorado Trail racers and Great Divide racers in the field of 49 starters. This race is not a joke and only for the serious endurance racers. 125 miles and 20,000 feet of climbing. I ran a 32x22 which was a good call as I almost ran a 21 tooth. (ask Eszter how the 21 felt but than again she is tougher than me.) Single speeders aren't necessarily smart people.

Monarch Pass transition. Change shoes, socks and eat bacon and eggs.

I wasn't totally sure of how I would perform but one of three goals for me this year was to knock off time from last years finish. Done. And secondly not crack, bonk, cry, climb into the pain cave or whimper during the ride. Done. Thirdly, no mechanical issues. Done.

The 10pm start was exhilarating as we rolled of of downtown Salida with a full police escort lights a blazing and a good size crowd to send us off. We rolled out of town in a neutral roll out for a handful of miles and it was racing time when we all turned onto the gravel road heading to Blanks Cabin where the Colorado Trail would greet us with techy fun single track. You have to be heads up on this section and ready for the night time riding. Some were not prepared, most were.

I made it to the first aid station and quickly downed some nutrition and more fluids. HEED was my friend through out this race as every aid station was well stocked with it. I filled my water bottles and jumped back onto the bike. Now it was time for a 10 mile grind to Alpine Tunnel where some hiking awaited us. I made it up to the Alpine Tunnel railroad grade where I stopped and changed socks as my feet were sweating in the Spez Defroster winter shoes. I also popped in some toe warmers with the fresh wool socks for the upcoming descent off of Granite Mt where the coldest temperatures would be. But first we had to make the ascent up Tomichi Pass which I walked much of and the dreadful march up the rocky single track to the top of Granite Mountain. The handful of miles to the highest point of the race is rocky, straight up at times and loose. I was definitely struggling to get good footing at times. After the climb up to the high point of 12,900 or so it is a 14 mile descent which takes more than an hour. I rode it safe and actually walked the very top section in the dark. It throws a bit of everything at you; techy scree and rooty single track. Once in the last few miles it gets really fun and you can fly through the trees without much effort. But tt seems to never end at 6am in the morning. I was by myself through out this section and arrived at aid station number two at 7.15am. I was ahead of my schedule from last year by nearly 45 minutes. Awesome. Here at the Snowblind aid station was Dave Weins cooking up breakfast for us riders. I had some sausage and eggs and cozied up to the fire for a break to warm up and eat. The top notch volunteers lubed my chain for me and I filled my bottles and I headed out to conquer Old Monarch Pass where last year I cracked a bit. Not this time my friends. I rode with John Fulton and Craig for most of it and we battled it up to the top and over to Monarch Pass where I was happy to arrive a full hour ahead of lasts year time. My energy level was high and I was re-energized to see my wife Laura there to help me transition for the next half. The Salida high School mountain bike team was there to help as well. They grabbed my bike; lubed the chain and filled my bottles. I was impressed and grateful. I sat in the chair and was catered to by support staff and Laura. Bacon and eggs were hand delivered to me. I felt like a VIP. I changed my shoes and socks and kept a wind vest and knee/arm warmers for the next section. The rain jacket was still strapped to my handlebars for any inclement weather and sans pack for the entire race. I had a frame bag and feed bag. That's all I needed to carry everything. Shortly after I arrived at Monarch, Eszter rolled in. She was out quickly after receiving the same VIP treatment I was enjoying. I jumped up and hoped on the bike. Scott Morris was laughing at me knowing all to well what I was doing. I'm not getting chicked. I caught Eszter quickly and was hoping we would ride together a bit but she dropped off the pace and I was not to see her again until the finish. I was definitely feeling good with the 22 tooth.

I was off to navigate the Monarch Crest Trail, over to Marshall Pass, and my all time lest favorite; Starvation Creek. In my opinion there is no reason to send us down Starvation Creek only to climb the 5 plus miles and 3k of climbing back to where I had just been. Really!!! I was hell bent to do this 12 mile loop in less than two hours. I left Marshall Pass at 11.11 am and was back at 12.50pm. Nicely done as I didn't stop once to eat, drink or piss the entire loop. I cleaned the whole climb back up not stopping once. It hurt like hell. I was with John Fulton once again as we leap frogged the entire race and with a geared rider, Cameron Millard from Leadville. Cameron was putting down some serious wattage to get out of this loop. I think he may have been aggravated he had two single speeders matching his effort. He was breathing pretty hard and he didn't want to talk much. I was cool with that. Let's get the hell out of here. After I arrived back at Marshall Pass to reiterate my hate for that section to the support staff. They jsut laughed. I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich washing it down with some Coca Cola and headed out to ride Silver Creek and finish on the Rainbow Trail to highway 285 and back to the finish in Salida. The next 20 plus miles took me two hours and 38 minutes. It felt like 5 hours. The Rainbow trail seems to never end and I felt like Bill Murray did in the movie Groundhog Day. F*&$ me!!!! Get me out of here is all I could think about. I knew I was almost finished so I just pedaled and pedaled. The descent to highway 285 was fun and took me 30 minutes to ride the asphalt back into Salida. I arrived at the finish line at 3.38 pm on Sunday after starting at 10pm on Saturday night. I had crushed my previous effort by an hour and twenty minutes. I was very happy. I felt super great at the finish and Laura mentioned to me that I looked like I hadn't even raced and must have hid in the bushes. LOL!!! I was on a high for sure. Sweetness.

Thank you to the incredible volunteers at the aid stations and to Shawn Gillis, Tom Purvis and Heidi Slaymaker for putting together another epic Vapor Trail 125 event.

Labor Day

2011-09-07T10:57:00.002-06:00

I already posted of our bike packing trip but additionally we got out for some high country riding on Sunday and Monday all the while trying to taper for the Vapor Trail 125. It is hard for me to taper down. When the weather is great and you live where I do it is hard to chill out. Laura and I rode up Roaring Fork on Sunday over to the Divide Road and onto the Colorado Trail and down Scotch Creek. A very good ride with both road and single track thrown together. 38 miles and 4k of climbing. I took the Vassago with the full rigid for this ride as the Airborne is ready and primed for the VT125. It was a fun filled weekend with Paul Adams and his wife Kari coming up to the house from Cortez on Sunday evening for some dinner and drinks.

At the top of Roaring Fork.

Hey now!

On the Colorado Trail posing for a pic..

Laura cruising the Colorado Trail.

Additionally I got over to Durango on Thursday of last week to have Chris at 3D Racing install two additional water mounts on my bike. One bottle mount just doesn't cut it on long rides and I rather not carry a pack on rides shorter than 200 miles. Chris at 3D Racing is a super nice guy and we hung out for two hours talking bikes amongst other random topics. I could have hung out all day talking to him. He has been building bikes out of his shop at the same location for 20 years. Awesome. I don't get why Vassago doesn't install at least two mounts on the small frame. I now can get a tall bottle into the seat tube cage. Sweet! And for longer rides I can put on my third bottle cage that is located on the down tube.

2 of my 3 bottle mounts. The 3rd mount is on the down tube near the BB.

On Monday Shawn Gregory and I rode up Scotch Creek to the Colorado Trail and down salt. 25 miles and 3500 feet of climbing. I need to rest now.

At the intersection of Salt and the Colorado Trail.

I upgraded to the smaller and lighter SPOT 2 and took it for a test run. Works great.

Vapor Trail 125 on Tap

2011-09-06T12:01:00.001-06:00

That time of year again. The Vapor Trail 125.

Check out the website for the Vapor Trail 125: http://www.vaportrail125.com/

Follow all of the racers on Trackleders.com starting at 10pm on Saturday September 10th in Salida, Colorado as we navigate 125 miles/20,000 feet of climbing on some of Colorado's finest single track.
http://trackleaders.com/vapor125

And if you use trackleaders.com in any fashion please donate to keep free tracking available for all of us racers and spectators. Click on the "donate" button to contribute. Thank you.
http://trackleaders.com/

SPOT GPS messengers allow us to be tracked in near real time as the race progresses. If you spend any time at all in the back country a SPOT could save your hide. I just upgraded to the SPOT 2 which is smaller and lighter than my SPOT 1 which happens to be for sale.

SPOT 2 GPS Messenger

http://trackleaders.com/vapor125

Biikepacking Fun

2011-09-04T08:48:00.001-06:00

The bike setup.

Some call it bike packing while others call it bike camping. Nonetheless it is the same concept; load the bike with gear and peddle somewhere and camp. Get up in the morning and peddle some more. Some do it for days, weeks or months. We did it this time for one night. Laura, Paul Adams and I left Rico at 6.30pm on Friday and arrived back in Rico early afternoon on Saturday. We peddled over to the Burrro Bridge campground where we made camp and made some cup-o-soup and drank a bit of alcohol we hauled with us. I packed in two PBR's while Laura and Paul packed in some hard alcohol. I was excited to try out my new alcohol stove made by Westwind that runs on any alcohol including everclear. Recommended is the denatured alcohol which works the best from what I read (less soot). It worked flawlessly. The stove is small and compact with it burning alcohol which isn't as flammable as most stove fuels. Eco friendly. The new Stoic 30 degree sleeping bags were just awesome; lightweight at 1.6 lbs with 800 down fill. Laura and I were both warm with the morning temps at around 35 or so. We used the Medical Adventure Kits lightweight bivvy's that weigh in at 8 ounces with the only drawback that they keep in the moisture. Otherwise a great combo and lightweight for bike packing. It was my first run with the Revelate bike packing bags to boot. The seat pod and handle sling/pocket were very nice. The less weight on your back the better. Overall the ride was great, not too long or not to short. 38 miles and 5k of climbing. This was Laura's first forray into the bike packing realm and she really enjoyed it. Bike packing changes up the rountine biking. Sure, you have to buy more stuff but it is really worth it. I'm really focused on getting my gear dialed in and being ready for the Colorado Trail Race next summer. It is my new obsession I guess we can call it. Also on tap will be a bike packing Kokopelli Trail overnighter. Maybe September 17th or 24th. Anybody in?

Going that way!

Laura on the Dunton road.

The bivvy setup. Laura nice and warm.

Awesome views.

Time for some hike-a-bike on the West Fork.

On the Calico where it meets Horse Creek.

Paul getting after it on the Horse Creek single track.

Paul enjoying the flowers and scenery.

Where the f*&^%$#@ singletrack go??!!!!

Burger and beers at the Enterprise in Rico.

Telluride Riding

2011-08-31T16:37:00.000-06:00

TR and I got out for a nice easy spin on the singles/rigids in Telluride after work on Tuesday. It was a bit muddy from a short afternoon downpour but not too bad. Just enough to irritate you and get the bike muddy. We started at Society Turn/Lawson Hill cruising down the Goose to Bilk Creek across highway 145 and up Deep Creek Road ? to Last Dollar and over to Rudy's and down Mill Creek Road. We ventured onto the Valley Floor single track and back to the cars. 19.5 miles and 2K+ of climbing. A perfect ride as I need to rest the legs for the upcoming weekend of riding/bike packing and for the upcoming Vapor Trail 125 on September 10th. Also in the prairie dawg colony was a badger looking for dinner. Very cool to see the wildlife at work. Eat those damn dawgs up!

On Rudy's Ridge overlooking the $50 million piece of land that TRide wasted money on. Just my opinion.

Bilk Creek climbing wall.

A badger on the prowl for prairie dawgs. I was told they eat 30 dawgs every 6 weeks. No shit!

Rico-Telluride 100

2011-08-29T14:54:00.000-06:00

The roll out for the Rico 100.

I knew without a doubt I would finish the Rico 100 but it was not to be. Damn! We had 11 riders sign in and 5 finish the entire route. Congrats to the finishers; 3 on single speeds and two geared riders. See results posted here: http://coloradoes.wordpress.com/swes-event-list/rico-run/rico-run-forum/

The course was in great condition despite two days of rain in the area. We made quick work of the first leg making it to highway 145 at the Eastfork TH at 10.30am. We had a neutral aid station with water, cookies, soda, etc that Laura had set up that morning for us. Thanks Laura!!! We caught up to Danny and Ryan at the aid station as they were getting ready to head out toward Telluride on the next leg of the adventure. Brian, TR and I downed some fluids, refilled bottles and ate some food and headed onward to Telluride as well. This next leg of the course would take 6 hours to navigate. Much longer than I had anticipated. We stopped at the Conoco in Lawson Hill for a much needed resupply for water and food. I didn't feel like eating but forced myself to eat some fries and a cookie along with a Mountain Dew and bottle of Gatorade. TR and Brian opted for a corn dog which they said was awesome. The grease stick didn't sound good to me at that time. The thunder and rain had started as well but looked like it would clear up a bit for us which it did for the most part as we negotiated the Galloping Goose Trail back to highway 145 and on up the climb to Lizard Head Pass putting us back to the resupply point.

TR, Brian Brothers and I arrived back at the neutral resupply at 4.40 pm; about an hour later than I had planned. I wasn't feeling so hot after grinding back up the pass and the weather wasn't looking that favorable for us. So us three who had ridden together for most of the race called it. I finished my ride with 75 miles and 10,150 feet of climbing. Not a bad day on the bike for sure. I cleaned up the aid station area and packed the Jeep up and drove it back to Rico while Brian and TR pedalled back down the highway in the cooling temps. And I saved Laura a trip to pickup the Jeep at the same time. I was bummed to not have finished it but that is bike riding. Sometimes shit happens and you move onto the next goal. It was a great full day on the bike in the outdoors with some awesome people. Sometimes you need to appreciate what you can do and not what you couldn't or didn't do. Someone hand me a tissue please. LOL!!

More fun on tap this weekend with a bike packing trip on Friday night in the local high country. Anybody is invited to join in on the fun. Heading North out of Rico on Friday evening riding up the Dunton Road and camping in the Dunton area with a great route back over to Rico and coming down Burnett or Horse Creek via Eagle Peak or Johnny Bull. And yes there will be some hiking.

The Vapor Trail 125 on September 10th in Salida.

On Sunday we went for a short recovery ride on the Rico locals loop with TR, Danny, Ryan, Brian and myself after having an awesome breakfast at my house and coffee. Damn we are great hosts!

TR rocking up the climb. Recovery ride my butt!!

Ryan digging the old mine building.

Danny and Brian appreciating the recovery ride I chose.

24 Hours in the Sage/Laura's First Ever Solo Effort-3rd place

2011-08-26T10:39:00.003-06:00

Laura on one of her 9 laps.

Yep, Laura's first ever solo effort and she placed 3rd in the women's solo division in the 24 Hours in the Sage!!! 9 laps, 126 miles and 10,000 feet of climbing in 24 hours. Very awesome! I'm so proud of her. Laura had less than two weeks to prepare for a solo effort after losing her duo partner. She only slept for an hour at 7am and she just kept it going otherwise. She learned a few things about solo racing and she experienced what I go through during one of these events. It's as equally fun as it is painful. You get tired, your body starts to hurt but you keep going. If you can't keep going you shut it down for awhile. I am familiar with what she was going through so having me in the pit was an advantage for her. She has pitted for me over the last 12 years and now it was my turn to reciprocate. TR was there as well to lend equal support and with two seasoned bikers in her pit she was destined to succeed. Shawn and Dani Gregory were also on hand to assist with Dani pacing her on one lap before dusk. She used my Ay Up lights and loved the night riding. The right lights make all the difference. Thanks everyone who helped in Laura's effort. All she had to do was stay on the bike and she did.

Rico!

2011-08-18T15:42:00.001-06:00

Some random pictures from this past week on my adventures around Rico. I really do love where I live; until the snow starts to fly than I will bitch for a while.A long while!

After work ride on our locals loop in Rico on Wednesday night.

Lucy and Nacho after our hike up Ryman Creek.

Shady and Lucy swimming in the beaver ponds in Ryman Creek.

Horny Toad....first time to see them around Rico.

On the high road above my house. 3.7 miles up and 1200 feet of climbing.

Escalante Days XC Race

2011-08-17T11:18:00.004-06:00

Out front leading the start of the race.

The Escalante Days XC race in Dolores Colroado this past Saturday was another tough one. Aren't they all! The weather conditions were near perfect with it being a bit warmer than last year. I had ridden every day during the week leading up to the race with a light spin Friday in Rico the day before. I knew my legs would not be the freshest up the hill. Give it hell is all I could do. We hit the hill and four single speeders were in front of me (Dave Lefevere, Steve Reiter, Robin and some dude from 3D racing) . Damn. Not much I could do but ride my ride and not fret. Hopefully I would catch some of them but knowing the course as I do I know it is hard to catch anybody once in the single track unless mechanicals come into play. I had Max from Telluride on my wheel with his music blaring away with Terry Gorsuch not far back. Max flatted in the Maverick trail in the big drop and now it was Terry chasing me like Sasquatch. He eventually caught me in the Boggy trail area and went around me which played to my favor as all I would do now is ride his wheel (talk him to death as well) and see what would happen on the climb out of Bean Canyon. He couldn't drop me. Terry and I were all alone for the next 10 miles or so and as soon as we started the climb out of Bean canyon Terry started to fade. I said I would get in front and pace but he quickly faded off of my wheel and I soon caught a geared full suspension rider (full Pivot Bikes kitted dude) and passed him at the bottom of the last climb. Now I was sitting 10th overall in expert/pro class and all I had to do was keep on the gas. Also back on the descent into Bean Canyon we passed a single speeder with a flat. The 3D Racing guy. One down and still three single speeders up front. I hit the pavement to the downhill finish and passed Robin from Durango on the road as he was fixing a flat as well. Alright, another single speeder down so only two single speeders in front of me. The day was looking brighter and brighter. I finished 3rd overall single speeder and 1st in my age group and 9th overall expert/pro rider. I'll take that! I finished in 2:15:59. A bit slower than last year. Terry came in at 2:17:20 with Shawn Gregory in at 2:20:21 (amazing he raced with 500 miles in the legs from his Colorado Trail Race finish a week prior.) Dave Lefevere finished first again with Steve Reiter in second position. Great race everyone.

Cortez Journal write-up here: http://www.cortezjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=16445

Bikepacking and Some

2011-08-08T11:38:00.001-06:00

The bike packing setup. Sleeping bag on the handlebar. All food in frame bag. 3 bottles of water on the bike with 3 liters in the pack = HEAVY!

With the Colorado Trail race going on I decided to do my own overniter on the Colorado Trail. I have never bike camped as all of my overnight rides have never allowed me to actually stop and sleep. I'm committing now to race the CTR next year.

My good friend and Kokopelli Bike and Board race teammate Shawn Gregory finished his first Colorado Trail Race in 13th place overall on Saturday night. Congrats to him. We were there with his wife and daughter when he finished. He rode a single speed with a 32x22 gearing.

Anyways, I had the bike all ready to go for my Friday evening assault. I left Rico at 6.30 pm riding up the highway to Barlow and climbed Barlow to sleep at Celebration Lake. That was a long two hours to pedal 15 miles and 3k of climbing. I arrived right at dusk. I felt every pound of gear I was carrying. The extra weight of a Fosters oil can and Dirt Rag magazine was worth it. I think. I ate two mini burritos and read my magazine and drank my Fosters after arriving at the lake. I didn't sleep exactly great. When you are by yourself in the woods you hear every little noise. I had brought my IPOD to listen to music as well. I expected to see some of the CTR riders go by during the night but nobody came by until 5am. I was looking for the Carney brothers and my buddy Shawn to come by sometime in the early morning hours. The Carney brothers showed up around 6.30 am with no sign of Shawn. He turned out to be a few hours back at this point. I spoke to them a few minutes and they continued on there way to finish the last 50 miles of the race. I packed up and eventually caught back up to them and we rode together over Blackhawk. I turned off at Scotch Creek to continue back to Rico. It was a great experience to bivy overnight. I will definitely do more bike packing trips which will allow me to grow more accustomed to being by myself in the back country. My biggest concern/fear was bears. I pedaled 35 miles and climbed 5000 feet. Carrying the extra weight was a great workout. The legs were well tired. I have great respect for the CTR riders carrying all that gear for nearly 500 miles. It will be my turn next year. Now I will obsess over it and by this time next year Laura will be tired of hearing about this race.

I went back out on Sunday on the full rigid Vassago. The Vassago just had a makeover done this past week with a new Stan's No Tubes Crest wheel set, fresh Maxxis Ignitor tires, Easton carbon seat post, replaced the black Chris King headset with a mango Chris King headset (thanks Laura), replaced black salsa seat binder for a mango Salsa seat binder (thanks Laura), took off the white Clarence bars and put back on the black Mary bars. No more white except the white brake housing which looks cool by itself. A new look. I love it.
I again like Friday night rode up the highway North to Barlow Creek Road and hit the Colorado Trail at Hermosa Peak traveling to Section Point where I descended down the Circle Trail. I had intentions of riding up the highway to East Fork but Barlow was calling me again. I had two crashes along the way that beat me up pretty good. One was a helmet to rock impact with no major harm done but some bruising and the first one was an over the handlebars rodeo after the front tire slid off of the trail. The full rigid is tough on some days. This is one of my favorite loops in the Rico area and takes about 2.5 hours covering 25 miles and just over 3k of climbing. I love where I live.

The comforts of home. A Dirt Rag mag and a Fosters Oil can. Carrying the extra weight was worth it.

Awesome morning at Celebration lake.

On Blackhawk Pass. A perfect day for a ride.

Sunday ride up Barlow to the CT and down Circle on the full rigid. Barlow Lake in the background.

Wild flowers at the base of Hermosa Peak on the Colorado Trail.

Hermosa Peak.

Section Point.

Getting ready to drop into the Circle Trail and into Rico.

Sneffels Beating

2011-08-01T14:45:00.004-06:00

The Sneffel's endurance ride went off at 6.30am on Saturday morning in Ouray with 9 brave souls. 4 single speeders and 5 geared doods. We started promptly at 6.30am. I was left to organize the sign in/out list as Matt Turgeon bailed. I think he made a wise decision. LOL!!

I was on my single speed 29er Ti Airborne with a 32x22. I had completed this race the prior year and it's funny how quick the memory of the pain and route diminishes in that one year gap. Pain is temporary I'm told. Instantly on the beginning climbs out of Ouray I was fullly in tune of the pain and route as we grinded up to Imogene Pass. It was all Colorado boys up front; Doug Byerly (Durango), myself (Rico), TR Larsen (Montrose), Thomas Ray (Aspen) and Paul Adams (Cortez) leading the pack. Myself, TR and Paul ride for the newly formed Kokopelli Bike and Board Racing team.

Toward the top of the pass Doug made his move with his spinny gears and charged ahead not to be seen again until we finished at the Ouray brew pub. We summited at the pass and ate some food and took a few minutes for pictures. The 4 of us charged down Tomboy into Telluride where we watered at the courthouse water spicket. Fast and furious we left Telluride and made our way up Jud Weibe and onto Deep Creek. The single track here is steep. Lots of hiking on the Deep Creek section. At mile 20 we had already amassed 6500 feet of climbing. Oh yeah...I remember this from last year. The 4 of us were spread out a bit with TR and I staying together for the most part. He seemed to have the better legs of the day and I was pushing hard to stay with him when we where actually pedaling. The hiking was no problem for me and we pushed hard on every hike-a-bike. TR and I hit the Last Dollar Road section at about 1pm which would put us at CR 9 around 2.30pm and hopefully before the rain came down. We made good time on the climbing on Last Dollar Road. We stopped in the Grey Head area to eat and hydrate before the bigger climbing began. I knew there would be some hiking on the 2nd to last switch back on the ascent to the summit of Last Dollar Road. My plan of carrying only 3 water bottles on the bike and no water bladder on my back was working great as I could water up at T-Ride and water up at a stash of water and food I had at County Road 9. TR and I hit CR 9 at 2.30pm and soon came Paul and Thomas. All together again just like a party. We ate and filled up with the water that I had stashed the night before. The Gatorade and Coke were most enjoyable at this juncture. We had a brutal 25 miles ahead of us and nearly 6k of climbing. The pain was staring me straight in the face. I was not looking forward to either the mud or the long hike-a-bike switchbacks that were to come. I wasn't exactly feeling great at this point. TR was feeling good and Paul was in survival mode and ready to pull the plug and bail down the highway but he seemed eager to continue and finish the route. Paul wouldn't be very happy later on. Thomas was in cruise mode and was looking forward to the adventure still awaiting us in the Dallas Divide trail system. We where at mile 50 with 10k in the legs and 8 hours logged. The clouds were forming and I knew it would be 50/50 with the rain. Optimism is key when diving head first into what you know may be a miserable handful of hours clawing to get through the terrain that lay up ahead. I went through this in the prior year riding solo for nearly 6 hours; miserable in the rain and mud. This time I would have company. We all 4 started the 7 mile climb to the Dallas Divide trail head. It was warm and muggy and I had to keep taking my endurolytes so I wouldn't cramp. I was losing mass amounts of electrolytes in the hot humid air. We made it up to the trail head where we turned left and we waited a bit to see if Paul was coming up. We made a visual and kept pushing on. We definitely stopped much more than I would have if I was flying solo. It happens at times like this. It's not always who is the fastest and I already knew I wouldn't beat my previous time. We were in 2nd place standing still with Doug up front. I was fine with that. It seemed all up hill from the start of the single track with some short downhill sections. We climbed toward Blaine Basin and onto the nasty 1.3 mile switchback ascent to the summit of Wilson Creek. This is a poorly designed trail and obviously not designed for a bike to be ridden in either direction. The rain had started while climbing into the Blaine Basin section but just a drizzle to make it feel nice and cool out. This was going to get ugly. We made our way over the summit of Wilson and down hill to the Moonshine Park section. The clay was beyond rideable yet alone hiking condition. We had to walk most of the way to the summit of Moonshine Park and slipping backwards at times in the clay to make the last 50 feet of Moonshine Park summit. STUPID! The descent was equally as fucked. I couldn't even roll my wheels while walking the bike. The clay and grass were enemy #1. I was pulling hunks of the clay from my front wheel and fork crown. We slid and crawled on down for a bit and we eventually hit some alpine type soils and we could ride most of the single track. We saw Paul up at the top and watched as he went down in the clay. DUH! I did go down once on a hidden root in the wet grass. Lots of hidden obstacles to watch for. I didn't need to get hurt at the end of a long day. The switchbacks down to the frontage road were precarious at times and I had to walk some of them. Paul had caught back on at the beginning of the 3 mile descent. Once at the frontage road it was a nice 3 mile cruise into Ouray and finish up at the brewery. Us three tied for 2nd overall with TR and I tied for 1st single speeders. The beer, bison burger and fries hit the spot. Thomas came in shortly behind us for a 3rd place finish and 5 rider in. three after some navigation issues. 3 other riders came in after midnight. These endurance rides can be super adventurous. You need to be prepared for a long day or night out in the extreme elements. Congrats to all.

TR and Thomas atop Imogene Pass. 2.5 hours into the ride.

Paul Adams and I atop Imogene.

TR and I posing for pics.

Thomas taking a nature break.

The Kokopelli Bike and Board race team members enjoying the after affects of finishing a monster epic ride.

Mega Friggin Sneffels Loop

2011-07-28T09:24:00.001-06:00

This was 3 weeks ago toward the top of Imogene Pass. It will be rough road action.

The Mega Friggin Sneffels Loop is this weekend. One of the many endurance rides on the Colorado Endurance Series calendar. Looks to be 14 people signed up as of today (Thursday). Come on out and play. I uploaded some sample pics from the Internet. I hope to take some good photos during the ride.

http://coloradoes.wordpress.com/swes-event-list/big-friggin-sneffels-loop-bfsl/

Lots of climbing to 13k.

On top of Imogene. To the right is Ouray and to the left is Telluride.

More Driving than Riding Weekend

2011-07-26T15:16:00.000-06:00

We spent more time driving than riding this past weekend which wasn't my ideal weekend but Laura was determined to go ride Hartman Rocks in Gunnison before she races duo in the 24 Hours in the Sage next month with Dani Gregory. Okie dokie. The weather was a bit warm for the dawgs so we only stayed one night and beat feet back to Rico. We had fun grilling and hanging out with Dave the owner of the KOA on Saturday night.

Monday, Laura and I went for a hike with the bikes up Circle Trail and made a loop of it connecting with the Colorado Trail. It was not Laura's ideal ride with the 4 miles off and on the bike on the Circle Trail. It is high country and hiking is called for sometimes. LOL!!! She should know better by now to not trust me when picking routes. We were gone for about 5 hours and we beat the rain back home. A great day spent with the wife.

The next beating is this weekend: Mega Friggin Sneffels Loop. One of the coveted rides in the Colorado Endurance Series. Come out and play.

http://coloradoes.wordpress.com/

KOA campground in Gunnison.

Hot air balloons overhead.

The ti rigs.

Laura's Ti 29erbike. 23.2 lbs 2x9 gear setup.

Going for a hike-a-bike up Circle Trail on Monday. All of my gear is on the bike. No pack needed on my back.

Laura in the wildflowers on Circle trail.

The lunar moon bowl atop Circle Trail.

The Crusher in the Tushar-Race Report

2011-07-18T15:34:00.011-06:00

The inaugural Crusher in the Tushar was epic. Burke Swindlehurst, the race promoter and pro roadie, has had this vision of the Crusher for many years and he pulled it off most beautifully. I cannot state loud enough how efficiently the race itself was organized. There were volunteers everywhere on the course giving heads up on oncoming traffic and potential dangers. At least a hundred volunteers were on hand along the course and at the 4 aid stations with local law enforcement personnel to ensure a smooth race. Mission accomplished.

The hand ups of cold water and First Endurance electrolyte drinks along with First Endurance gel flasks was nice to have as the time off the bike was minimal. Just ride on through and grab and keep rolling. I took full advantage of these hand ups to minimize time off of the bike with my only time off of the saddle was to piddle with my broken Egg Beater pedal. More on this below.

Here are the stats:

5th place single speed open division

69.5 miles

9,864 feet of climbing

6 hours 17 minutes total time on course with my moving time 5 hours 59 minutes. (the broken pedal cost me some time and possibly a 3rd of 4th placing)

Average HR-152

Bike of choice was the single speed cross bike with a 42x22 gearing, 34cc tires and On One Mungo bars with Ouray grips for extra cushion. Overall a good choice of what bike to ride. Larger tires would have been nice for the loose downhill.

The race started in the town of Beaver, Utah and rolled out with a gradual climb of 10 miles up Beaver Creek canyon Road with four of us at the front of the single speed class pushing a good pace which might have caused some damage to all of us later on in the race except the first place winner, Brad Cole from Fort Collins, who thoroughly crushed us all by a large margin. As soon as we turned off of Beaver Creek Canyon Road and onto FS 137 he was gone and I was not about to chase this early on in the race. So for the next 20 plus miles I was sitting in second place with Steve Wasmund right on my wheel in third. At mile 30ish we hit the gnarly downhill switchbacks toward highway 89 and to Circleville where the route goes from 5kish elevation back up to over10k. Tom Ament caught me on the start of the downhill and with his mountain bike setup was easily able to descend faster than I on 34cc cross tires. Now I sat in third place with lots of mileage to go so I just suffered alone through the headwinds along highway 89. This is where Steve W. caught back on while tucked into a group of geared bikes and went flying by me. I had no desire to spin faster with the upcoming climbs looming ahead. Now I'm in 4th. This was a slight mistake as I could have made up a few minutes to stay with him in the mini peloton but shortly after I left Circleville and began the ascent on the loamy sandy double track my left pedal made a funny noise. I looked down to see that my pedal was coming off of the spindle. Fuck me! I stopped, assessed the damage to realize it wasn't totally coming off. And there goes another single speeder; Brent Cannon, who was charging full throttle and chased back onto to place 2nd...........damn, 5th place now. The inner bearing had disintegrated but to my dismay the end nut was still intact after taking the end cap off to assess. All right, there goes 5 minutes dicking around with this pedal. I didn't need this mechanical at this juncture as the big nasty climbing was to begin. I was able to apply some pressure toward the crank arm with my leg while pedaling to minimize the pedal possibly coming off of the spindle. I stopped again a few miles later where the dirt turned back to asphalt on road 153 to assess the pedal once again. I took the end cap back off and used a borrowed socket to check the end nut. Still tight on the end but the pedal had about 1/4" plus of lateral play on the spindle. Concerned I was. Onto the big nasty climb. I just tried to minimize the play on the pedal as I climbed/walked the nasty switchbacks we had descended earlier. It was hot and I started cramping. Just great I thought to myself. On the bike, off the bike as I battled the cramps. Just making it to the top and onto the next aid station was the immediate goal and I would be fairly happy. I finally made it to mile 59 where the 4th and last aid station was located with some renewed motivation and I was not going to let a broken pedal stop my race. I was going to finish either way. I drank a coke and downed some First Endurance gel flasks, grabbed some full bottles of hydration assets and within 10-15 minutes of stopping or so I was back on the course with 10 miles to finish and with most of that 10 miles up hill with a slight downhill reprieve before the last tortuous mile to the finish line which was about 400 feet climbing to just kick the crap out of you for no good reason. Thanks Burke, you sick bastard! I finished and was lucky to hold onto my 5th place. As soon as I crossed the finish line there was a person handing out cold Gatorade and bottles of water. Thank you!! I was tanked. Just an awesome event which really put the hurt to me. You know it's a quality course if you feel like you left it all out there when you finish. I'm already planning for next years strategy.............

The bike of choice for this beating; ss cross with 42x22, Mungo On One handlebars were comfy.

Friday morning spin up Beaver Creek Canyon.

Puffer Lake at 10k.

Beaver Creek. Took a bath in here after the race.

Have to leave sometime. Cya next year!

SmackChat Endurance Interview

2011-07-12T09:39:00.000-06:00

Check out the new interview format featuring endurance athletes: SmackChat Endurance. A great forum for endurance athletes to get their story out there and provide insight on how the endurance athlete operates. Created by super athlete Thomas Ray out of Aspen, CO. Thanks for having me on your podcast to ramble about what I do.

http://smackchat.podbean.com/2011/07/11/el-freako-from-rico/

Cross Riding

2011-07-11T13:28:00.000-06:00

http://www.tusharcrusher.com/

With the Crusher in the Tushar coming up this Saturday July 16th I have been putting the miles on the single speed cross bike rather the mountain bikes to be more accustomed to it as most of my time is spent on a mountain bike. The Crusher course is rerouted due to the road damage by the heavy snowfall this year but it will still hurt just as much. 69 miles and over 10,000 feet of climbing. Yeah, that will hurt!
I rode Thursday from Rico North up the Dunton Road and to the end of Eagle Creek Road putting in 42 miles. When I got back home from this ride I decided to go back with the Mungo On One bars as they will be a bit more comfortable on the long dirt roads and the braking will be better. I also upgraded the brakes on the cross bike to Avid Single Digit V brakes with Problem Solver Travel agents to work with the roadie style brake levers. A great system with lots of braking power. Initially I was going to go with my Salsa cheater brakes on the roadie style drop bars but the Mungo bars are much much better suited for the off road type of riding I will be doing in The Crusher. I also received a set of Hutchinson Bulldog 35cc tires from Paul Adams that I am really liking on the rough stuff. I got out Saturday for a ride heading South to Hillside and was turned around 7.5 miles up by the constant pesty bees and flies so I decided to drop back down the highway and go up Roaring Fork and the same scenario unfolded with the same type of insects descending on me like I was fresh bait. Very annoying as much as I was perplexed why they were bothering me so much. Maybe I smelled too good or the orange kit was attracting them. Dunno! I was able to get in 50 miles and 4400 feet of climbing on this day and a good dousing of a rain storm to boot which allowed me to test out the new Loki rain jacket. Very awesome indeed. I even put on the built in mittens over my cycling gloves to stay dry and the hood. Sunday I rode North from Rico and went up Barlow Creek road a few miles and took the first right turn and ascended a few miles up until the road dead ended at 10,800 feet and I than back tracked to Rico riding just under 30 miles. The legs felt so-so so I ended the ride short. Time to cut back a bit on the bike but with some limited riding this week and going to Beaver Utah on Wednesday to preride the first hill climbs of The Crusher. 42x20 or 42x22 for this race......maybe the 22.

The view from Barlow Creek area.

Dunton Road by the meadows up high.

4th of July Weekend 2011

2011-07-06T09:41:00.001-06:00

Dusk on the 4th in Rico on the hill to light fireworks.

It was a very busy weekend with only one ride done on Saturday and full involvement with the Rico Fire Department attending to 4th of July festivities. As well my buddy Dale Savage and his son Hunter are in town for a week to enjoy the high country and escape the heat of Las Vegas, NV.
I decided to skip the Durango Dirty Century with tired legs from the previous two weekends huge efforts and it was the right call to make. The legs felt tired on Saturday's ride.
TR came over from Montrose on Saturday morning for a mini epic training ride. We rode North out of Rico to Groundhog Stock Trail near Lizard Head Pass south to Winter Trail, West Fall Creek Trail and onto the Calico and down Horse Creek and back into Rico. It was only a 34 mile ride and 5200 feet of climbing but it felt like a lot more as it took us nearly 5 hours to cover this route. Lots of hiking and crawling over the snow fields at 11k elevation. The motor bike dudes cleared Winter Trail the previous day so it made it nice not to stop and tree hop. The snow on West Fall Creek should be melted in another two weeks. I was amazed how much is still up there.

The Rico 4th of July celebration went well with a picnic and softball games on Sunday and the parade and fireworks on Monday. And wading in the cold Dolores River chasing plastic ducks for the duck race. It made for a very busy weekend. I definitely got my fill of my volunteering duty with the fire station.

Slipping and sliding in the snow on West Fall Creek Trail.

Because We Can

2011-06-30T06:53:00.000-06:00

On our way home to Rico from Telluride (where we both work) we (Laura and I) decided to ride the Groundhog Stock Trail. We rode it clockwise from the bottom of the Dunton Road and Hwy 145. It it only a 14 mile or so loop with just under 2k of climbing but feels much longer. Especially when my legs are tired and I'm on the full rigid. There is some hike-a-bike toward the end of the single track riding in this direction. A bit bumpy from the hoofs that have been pounding it but overall a good trail to hit after work or a good one to connect to other trails in the area such as East Fork or Winter, etc, etc.......

Death Loop 2011

2011-06-27T09:50:00.007-06:00

Well, I wanted to ride the high country on the single speed mountain bike this past weekend to scout out Blackhawk but I had a better idea pop into my head: DEATH LOOP-aka-San Juan Scenic Byway in one day. Solo. And on my geared ti Dean road bike. Yep, 225 miles of road riding in one day. I have done the ride two years ago in a clockwise direction and missed the chance last year and this time I was to ride it counter clockwise from Rico. I started at midnight on Friday night and finished back in Rico at 6.15pm Saturday night. 225 miles, 16k of climbing, 14.3 mph average ( I wanted closer to 15 mph avg) 15 hours and 46 minutes of pedaling time and 18 hours 15 minutes total time out in the elements. I saw many deer and elk at night, several coyotes and a set of green cat eyes staring at me through the scrub oak atop Mancos hill at 3am within 15 feet of me. And it looked to be a very big cat. I was a bit freaked out after that encounter.
My pedaling time was good throughout the day. I was at mile 84 in Durango at 4.30am. I had to conquer two passes on my way to Silverton, Molas at 10,910 elevation and Coal Bank at 10,640 feet elevation. I arrived in Silverton at 9.30 am. I have raced the Iron Horse Classic in under 3 hours from Durango to Silverton but I wouldn't see that kind of pace today. Uh duh! I was granny gearing (39x25) the passes as the legs were tired from the previous weekends 24 hour racing efforts. I really could have used a compact chain ring up front. I expected the fatigue to set in climbing the passes and knew I was in for a long day. I was not disappointed.
I arrived in Ridgway before 1pm at mile 165 after clawing my way up Red Mtn Pass at 11,018 feet elevation. That was a long 8 miles up from Silverton. Now it was a nice downhill 16 miles to Ouray. The headwinds were kicking in now and the 9 mile ride from Ouray to Ridgway wasn't pleasant. It was going to be brutal climbing up Dallas Divide over to Placerville. The winds were worse than I thought they were going to be. At times climbing Dallas Divide I was pedaling at a mere 5-6mph. I was getting battered. After an eternity I made it to the top of the divide and battled the wind all the way to Placerville. The downhill was even a hard effort. After a brief stop in Placerville to rehydrate I started the 16 mile grind up to Telluride. Keystone Hill was hot! I was wilting like a drought stricken daisy. I stopped at the gas station for some cold drinks and knew I had to battle up Lawson Hill still and onto and over Lizard Head Pass. I know these roads like the back of my hand and knew what was to come. After grinding to Lizard Head Pass at 10,200 feet elevation I saw Laura riding to meet me and to get her own training in for the day on her cross bike. The head winds picked up again on the South side of Lizard Head and all the way to Rico. Of course more wind, why make it easy on me on the final 12 miles descent. Damn I was tired. My initial goal of 16-17 hours were put to bed earlier with the ferocious head winds and I was looking at 18 hours total time which was fine with me. Cross it off the list until next year. A great day in the saddle with amazing scenery. I truly live in a great place.

The 24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest-The Results

2011-06-21T11:20:00.004-06:00

Jeff And Paul of Kokopelli Bike and Board Racing Team on the wooden box!!!

The end result: 2nd place overall in the solo single speed class. 13 laps, 208 miles and over 14,000 feet of climbing. Kokopelli Bike and Board Racing ended up with two on the podium; Paul Adams in third place. Nice job!!

It was a battle royal throughout the night and into the morning. I was in 2nd place by only a few minutes at times behind teammate Kiviok Hight until he dropped out with a mechanical on his Trek just before the halfway point. I just smiled and motored out without eating or drinking any food as I saw the opportunity to gain some time on Kiviok if he did manage to get back out on course which wasn't the case in the end. Bummer for him. Around lap 9 or so Jeff Wood got around me and I was chasing the whole time. After I completed lap 10 at 4am I was in rough shape and had to try to calm my nauseous stomach down by eating some solid food and drinking a Coke. It was hard to choke down the food but I forced myself so I could get myself going again. It took awhile and I was back on the bike after chilling for two hours which didn't cost me any placing as my teammate Paul Adams had to chill out for a bit as well and we ended up going out together on our 11th lap. This was 2nd and 3rd place going out together. Game on!! Toward the end of the 11th lap Paul had dropped off into his own pace as I kept on the gas and I came into the pits fired up. I needed to close out the race still with two more laps and with the sun shining my energy was renewed. I was feeling great on my 12th and 13th lap with some good lap times but not enough to close in on the eventual winner Jeff Wood (2 hour down time cost me). Teammate Paul Adams kept it going as well to maintain a firm secure grasp on 3rd place with 13 laps to boot. Paul and I were pretty consistent with the lap times with the exception of the down time. Awesome job by the Kokopelli Bike and Board Racing Team!

My flat lander buddy Keevin Blue from Huntington Beach, California impressed all by taking the overall in the solo geared class with 13 laps. He beat up on the local boys while racing on a spanking shiny new 29er Specialized carbon rig. His first ride on the new bike as well as his first time on a 29er and killed it. Just awesome Keevin!!! Congrats!!!

Also a big congrats to the Back of the Pack crew for hanging in there as well to finish with some great laps.

Results here; http://www.24hitef.com/?q=node/10

Myself, Jeff Wood and Paul Adams on the podium.

Keevin Blue and Lenny Goodell post race fun.

Enjoying the after affect.

The 2nd place mug.

The pit.

The private after party away from the race venue. The wind drove us to a new location for Sunday night. Paul Adams, myself and Laura, Dan and Kara Dirtland and Keevin Blue. Kathryn Grohusky and crew ended up up in the same spot as well.

Paul enjoying the post-ride relaxing.

The Beatdown-24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest

2011-06-16T11:01:00.000-06:00

Time for another beating this weekend in the Enchanted Forest racing 24 hours in the solo single speed class. I'm ready!! There are 26 solo ss'ers in my class and it is some stiff competition.

SSUSA 2011 Video

2011-06-13T13:06:00.000-06:00

Sweet video just came in from Barry Reese of the SSUSA 2011 in Boulder.

http://vimeo.com/24960858

Stoner Mesa/Bean Canyon Riding

2011-06-13T11:11:00.001-06:00

A great weekend of riding in Bean Canyon and the ever popular Stoner Mesa loop. Not huge miles but enough to feel it after accumulating 122 miles between Monday and Thursday. No ride Friday after work so Laura and I got out to the new restaurant in Rico; Dew South. The food was good and it is nice to have a place to go eat out when the craving arises. As well the Enterprise bar is open again after a long winter hiatus.

Laura and I ran errands for a majority of the day Saturday in Cortez and finally made it up to Shawn's house to park at our exclusive trail head parking area. Shawn has a nice secret route to the Boggy/Bean trail system from his property. By coincidence Killviok was right behind us so we rode together. Laura went out for her own 20 mile ride as Killviok and I rode Bean Canyon first and than did a loop on the Maverick trail. The trails are in prime condition. Hard, hard packed. We racked up 22 miles and 1800 feet of climbing. By the time we were done riding it was well past dinner time so we decided to stop at the Dolores Brew Pub before driving home. Shawn and family joined us as well and we enjoyed some great food and a beer each. We still had the 35 mile drive home. It made for a long day but that's what you do when you live in a remote town like Rico.

Sunday was to be a ride on the Stoner Mesa trail. Paul Adams and Killviok of Kokopelli Bike and Board Racing Team joined in and we met up at 9am. We park at the lower Stoner Mesa TH and ride the 8 miles of pavement up and turn right on the dirt rode and ride that another 7 miles up to the trail head. This is a great training ride loop. Than it is 12 miles of pretty rough single track with a wicked switchback rough descent at the end. All of the trees are cut out so there is no tree hopping at all. On my full rigid single speed it was a good beating riding the rough cattle beaten trail with lots of roots and tree limbs to boot. The ride is a solid 2.5 hours of pedaling time and we stopped to take pictures and chat. 27 miles.

After I got home Sunday I took the dogs for a hike just south of Rico. They certainly enjoy the mountains. Lots of creeks for them to enjoy and waddle in. Another good weekend in the books.

Next weekend will be the beatdown in the 24 hours in the Enchanted Forest.

Bushwhacking through a huge Ponderosa on Bean Canyon

McPhee Lake Overlook

Stoner Mesa TH

Paul cranking through the skunk weeds

A small lake on the Stoner Mesa trail

Killviok negotiating a tight turn.

Lucy with her stick.

Enjoying my walk with the dogs Sunday afternoon.

Nacho enjoying the wild.

SSUSA Photos

2011-06-10T09:37:00.000-06:00

Boulder Falls

Todd Sadow enjoying the cruiser ride.

TR and Will

Jake Kirkpatrick in the funky white hat and DJ in black tshirt

The crowd watching the river swimmers in the hosting competition

Tubing in the river for hosting rights for 2012.

Some cold folks.

TR getting his drink on at Shooters.

DeeJay riding the bull.

Hillside Grinder

2011-06-10T09:30:00.001-06:00

Grinding up Hillside. The road is in primo condition.

I had a mid week day off and took advantage and rode the cross bike down HWY 145 to Hillside to see how far I could get before the snow turned me around. I was able to get up to 10,700 feet and 13.5 miles up hillside from highway 145. I ended up with 50.6 miles and just under 4k of climbing. 3 hours and 55 minutes of pedaling time. This is a perfect cross ride if you want to stick to just pave and fire roads but Grindstone/Bear Creek are up there for a great mountain bike ride once the snow recedes. The gearing seemed appropriate with a 42x18 and with the Crusher coming next month I will be doing more of these type of rides getting used to the beating the cross bike gives you on the fire roads. The Crusher may require a lighter gear (42x20?), cheater brakes, gel padding under the bar tape and fatter tires. I recently put new Avid V brakes on which are much better than the cheapo's the bike had originally.

Other excellent cross rides:
Dunton loop from HWY 145 (approx 60 miles and 3k+ of climbing)
Roaring Fork from HWY 145 (options are an out and back up to the divide road, over to Purg/Durango. Or loop around to Bolam Pass and down Barlow to HWY 145)
Taylor Creek from HWY 145 (out and back)

There are lots of options for these type of rides around Rico.

ps....Rode up Scotch Creek this week too. Snow turned me around ajust below 10k. I think Blackhawk may be rideable later in July. The Durango Dirty Century may have to reroute depending on snow melt off.

SSUSA 2011 Post Race Report ...........

2011-06-06T10:15:00.004-06:00

I'll get right to it...bragging rights....4th place!!!

SSUSA 2011 in Boulder was pretty awesome. 100 of the finest single speeders around. TR and I from the Kokopelli team made our way over to Boulder on Friday morning. The event organizers did a great job putting this together with some fun hosting competition festivities for hosting the 2012 SSUSA. Vermont won. East coast next year for this one. Friday night kicked off with a mandatory cruiser ride to a couple of drinking establishments. First stop was Shooters where we drank PBR's, registered for the event and rode a mechanical bull. The bull was intimidating but I gave it a go and was put to the ground fairly quickly. Next stop was to a bar in a basement called Downers or some thing close to that. Things got a bit out of control for sure. Getting to bed early for the 9am race start was the goal but 3am comes quick when hanging out with the Niner crew; Fuzzy, DJ to name a few. Wow, I was wrecked trying to get up Saturday morning after a passed out drunken stupor with 3 hours of sleep. If you want to call it sleep. Anyways TR and I drive over to the Nederland High School where the start of the race was to begin. There was some heavy hitters for this one; Fuzzy, DJ, Nick Gould, Cameron Chambers, Robin G, Chad Cheeney etc, etc. etc.....The neutral roll out was about 5 miles up the paved road and over to Rollinsville where we took a right turn on a dirt road and another right where to our surprise was the Dale's Pale Ale motor home blowing his horn. Awesome. No beer for me but Christina Begy was soon chugging one down before the start. For those of you that recognize that name she is a bad ass single speeder. So, Jake gives us a talk about the course and we do a short Le Mans style start and up, up, up we go. The first fire road climb was steep than we turn onto a short steep singletrack section where it is rocky and than over a short snow field. Game on. I had shaken off the drunken cob webs and realized it's racing time. Let's go people. Race time!! With the uphill fire road section at the beginning the field had fractured apart. There was a handful of us blazing the first few miles with Eszther, DJ, Todd Sadow (Epic Rides Guru) and some others. Soon it was just a few of us. We saw Chad and some others at a later intersection looking for the flagging and they chose a direction that wasn't correct and Eszther found our way with our small group. Back on track and going again. The singletrack was awesome with some creek crossings, tight swooping climbs that were leg busters with the 32x20 gearing. The short punchy stuff was a fuel zapper but I just kept on the gas with a few of us hanging together. We soon made it to the halfway point where I kept on going and Todd stopped for some water and later missed a turn where a lot of others missed as well. I later passed up on the next feed stop where apparently there was margaritas and such but I motored through and a guy was handing out Slim Jim beef jerky so I threw that down for some fuel and kept on motoring. I was soon by myself and caught up with Will Inverso and DJ. Will was fading and DJ punched it and took off. He apparently soon missed a turn. I was up and over the final climbing sections where we were going backwards on where we had descended earlier. A lollipop route. I was to the final switchback and some dude passed me which to my surprise I rolled in at 4th place. That dude took my third! LOL!! I was stoked to get 4th. I was amazed so many had missed turns. I really should have been closer to 8th or 10th place. Nick, Fuzzy, DJ, Cameron, Chad, etc all missed turns (some multiple turns) on the route. TR as well missed a turn and rode a couple more miles. I was diligent to watch the flagging as I have learned in previous experiences it will pay off. Just don't put the head down and hammer. Nick probably would have won as he was off the front at the beginning but FAIL. Eszther finished right behind me and took the women's overall. She is tough! People were trickling in for the next hour or more and we drank some Dale's fine beer and pedaled our way back to the high school in Nederland in which involved more climbing on the pavement. The after party was held at 6pm at the 303 Distillery in Boulder. Great schwag give aways and good times talking to old friends and meeting new friends. What a weekend!!!

Stats:
Miles. 26.66 including warm up
Elevation gain: 3800 feet
Calories burnt: 2000
Beers consummed: A fucking boatload.
Hours of sleep in two nights: 9 hours (3 on Friday night and 6 on Saturday)

Zuni Birthday Weekend

2011-06-01T10:29:00.000-06:00

Zuni birthday weekend. Fun riding. Rode approximately 100 miles and 9000 feet of climbing. This place is awesome. Enjoy the pictures.

Crusher in the Tushar

2011-05-31T11:58:00.000-06:00

Just signed up for this beating slated for July 16th in Beaver, Utah. 79 miles and 12,000 plus feet of climbing on dirt and pavement. The single speed cross bike will be the weapon of choice. Gearing? 42x20???

Quote from the race website: This unique 79 mile course starts in quiet downtown Beaver, Utah and finishes at Utah’s newest ski resort, Eagle Point. The course features a nearly perfect 50/50 split between pavement and dirt fire-road and gravel sectors which allow riders to explore the stunning back country of Utah’s little-known Tushar Mountains and Fishlake National Forest.

SSUSA 2011-One Week Away

2011-05-27T11:07:00.001-06:00

I'm really looking forward to the SSUSA race in one week in Boulder, CO. I haven't been to Boulder so it will be cool to see some new scenery; meet new friends and see old friends all with one common thread.......riding a single speed. This is an all exclusive single speed race. No geared monkeys around. My gearing choice will be difficult to choose as the race course details aren't divulged until Friday night on our mandatory cruiser ride around Boulder. I'll come prepared with multi gear selection and hopefully with local knowledge of the trails I can get some insight on the terrain. It should be a great party.

White Rim in a Day! Dundo!

2011-05-23T10:09:00.007-06:00

With a week's rest after completing the Kokopelli Trail we were off to ride the WRIAD. The usual suspects made the trip over; TR, myself, Paul Adams and of course Laura. Shawn Gregory and Kiviok Hight made a bad choice to stay local and ride some pretty muddy trails around Dolores. We were delayed one day by the heavy rains on Friday so we started at 3am on Sunday morning. The rim route turned out to be in excellent condition with the typically sandy sections packed down rather nicely. Even the moon silt dust at Potato Bottom was great. We rode the route in a clockwise direction starting 10 miles down Mineral Bottom Road so we could ride that grinder of a road in the dark and finish it off in the beginning rather than at the end of a long day. We would finish the ride attempting to ride but hiking some of the switchbacks up the Mineral Bottom road and motor the three miles to the camp. The first 60 miles were spun out quickly in just under 5 hours. The 32x19 gearing was a good choice. I typically always use a 32x20 and my legs just like that gearing for everything. I felt the 19 gearing on some climbs from my tired legs riding the KTR the previous weekend; which was a big effort..... Naturally I guess. It didn't start getting hot and humid until mile 85 or so when were going up the backside of Hardscrabble which has nearly a 20% percent grade. Murphy's Hogback earlier in the ride clocked in at a 23% grade at one point. We had to hike around Upheavel Wash as it is back flowing upwards from the swelling of Green River. We also ran into Laura who was doing an out and back on the Mineral Bottom side. She has been training hard of late. My goal was to have under 8 hours and 45 minutes of pedaling and I made it in camp at 8 hours and 39 minutes. Paul was in at 8:36 and TR in at 8:48. I even had some water left over. I started off with a full 3 liter bladder and three 22 ounce bottles on board and a 12 oz Mt. Dew. I have been using the Osprey packs on the past few endurance rides and they make the best product out there IMO. I am an Ergon fan (grips) but their packs are really uncomfortable for me and I have had my problems with the Ergon failing at inopportune times; for example a shoulder strap ripping out in the middle of the KTR in 2009. Come on, German products are usually pretty good quality? A pack shouldn't fail; especially when it is brand spanking fucking new. Also the Osprey bladders are made by Nalgene and they are easy to use with a handle to hold the bladder while filling it up. Highlights of my gear were the Osprey pack, new Ti handlebars and Ti stem are cushy. Ay Up lights rock. Super light on the helmet. I don't eat fast food but rarely but a McDonald's cheeseburger is great during these rides. Nutella and honey on a tortilla are good to bring along. Honey Stinger waffles are great. Raisins,, tums, Salty Nut Rolls (Paydays) and Turkey Bites to boot.

The stats: 100.3 miles
elevation gain: 6852
saddle time: 8:39
calories spent: 4788
average speed: 11.5mph
average HR: 130
Max HR 172

TR and Paul's preride conversation. "TR to Paul; this is my first time to ride the WRIAD, do you think I can make it?" Paul to TR; "Just be careful out there. Jeff and I can pull you through and babysit you if needed." TR to Paul. "Thanks Paul, you guys make me feel good about myself. I'm just scared but the positive encouragement really helps me." Paul to TR. "Dude, no problem."

Laura prepping dinner on Saturday night.

Sunset on Saturday night on Mineral Bottom Road

An hour into the ride. Picture op at the Park Entrance.

Beware of road closures

Sunrise on Sunday morning.

TR posing for the camera

Grinding away.

White Crack turnoff

The view from Murphy's Hogback. Lunch break. See the road down there...that's where we are going.

Lunch break at Murphys Hogback. I look worked.

Paul looking cool.

On the Green River.

My bike posing next to the Green River

Green River

Ruins along Green River

Upheavel Wash flooded out. Hike around.

Hmmmmm. Odd rock formation.

Hardscrabble camping area.

Happy 10th Anniversary to Laura and Myself

2011-05-20T11:18:00.000-06:00

Wowza!!! Married 10 years!! May 19th was the big zehn! That's German for 10. Just thought I would throw that in. Laura is such an awesome person and I feel fortunate to have met her 13.5 years ago (well, really 23 years ago but that's a separate story) thanks honey for a great life. Together we have been on an incredible journey. Let's keep it going.............I love you Laura!!!!!

White Rim in a Day

2011-05-19T15:26:00.003-06:00

White Rim in a day assault this weekend. I've done it twice counter-clockwise but never clockwise. Looking for a fast loop with minimal stoppage and starting at o-dark thirty. It's right around 104 miles and approximately 8k of climbing. 32x19 gearing should be good. The weather is looking great unlike the local weather in Rico which is crappy throughout the weekend. It can stop snowing any time now.

Washout on Mineral Bottom before rebuilding from flood waters in August 2010.

Mineral Bottom's new road recently finished.

Flooding at Upheavel Wash on west side of Mineral Bottom due to spring runoff.

Kokopelli Pics

2011-05-17T08:49:00.001-06:00

The Kokopelli Bike and Board teamies ready for an all nighter.

Paul and I ready to rock.

I'm ready for an epic!

Sunrise on Rose Garden!

Me happy to see the sunlight.

Flowers blooming on Rose Garden Hill. Not a rose though.

T-Ray and TR.

Cottonwood Canyon. Usally this creek is running but not this year.

Rattler!!

Sunday morning wreckage. Chris Horton sleeping under the stars.

Another wreckage. Paul Adams.

The sag van. It can hold lots of bikes........Thank you to Laura for all of the support.

Even Nacho was tired.

SSUSA 2011

2011-05-16T14:31:00.001-06:00

The next race June 4th in Boulder.

2011 Kokopelli Trail Race Assault-Post Ride Report

2011-05-16T11:33:00.008-06:00

The Kokopelli Trail........where to start. First off the statistics of the ride; 18 hours and 51 minutes total time out in the elements (15:34 pedaling time). 141.36 miles, Elevation gain 16,712, calories expended 7783. 9.1 mph average moving time.

We had 6 riders start on Friday night at midnight. Of the 6 riders 4 were on single speeds; myself, TR, Cat and Paul. Of the 6 starters 3 of us finished the whole ride; Myself, TR and Cat. 5 of us started in town at the Moab town park and we met up with Thomas Ray at the Slickrock TH. So, it was 6 of us to attempt the ride fully self supported and get through with no major mishaps. Mostly that held true but there was some mishaps. Only one mechanical in our group (except T-Ray later on) which was myself while descending down Thompson Canyon to Hideout ....my chain ring completely fell off as I had apparently lost all 4 chain ring bolts. WOW. Well, I was prepared and had 4 chain ring bolts with me as these are easy to carry and you never know what may happen. Extra chain links, chain section, bolts, cleat bolts, etc can come in handy on these epic rides. It took me no time at all to replace the bolts and continue on. All 6 of us were together when we filtered water at Hideout. This was about 5.30am on Saturday morning. We were making good time of the trail. The first two major climbs were brutal as always coming out of Moab. I was looking forward to the eventual sunrise and as we completed our hike-a-bike in the Cottonwood Canyon/Rose Garden Hill area the sun was hitting the La Sal's. (pictures to be uploaded later from the camera.) Cat was moving quickly and T-Ray, TR and myself were shedding clothing at this point and we hadn't seen Paul and Chris since we turned right off of Fisher Valley Road after leaving Hideout on the Thompson Canyon Trail. TR and I waited a bit and with no sign of them we assumed they missed the right turn. We continued on with our suffering, riding some sections and hike-a-biking some until we ascended to the top of Cottonwood Canyon Trail/Rose Garden. It was all down hill for the most part except for the climb out of Cottonwood until we hit Dewey Bridge with some rollers at the bottom. We caught back up to T-Ray on the descent into Dewey on the Entrada Bluffs Road and Cat as well at Dewey and to our surprise there was Paul and Chris. Sure enough they had missed the turn and descended down Fisher Valley Road and over to Dewey Bridge. We were all together again. We ate some food and continued on to the Yellowjacket area. Cat had started before us and we were not to see her again until the finish. T-Ray was a few minutes behind us. After getting through Yellowjacket we filtered water along the Colorado River which would be out last watering hole and worst case we could filter at Salt Creek if needed. We had a nice tail wind going into the flats toward Westwater Mesa. We descended off of Westwater Mesa and were grinding away to Rabbit Valley making good time. At this point going into Rabbit Valley Chris started to fade a bit but he regrouped and stayed on for a while. We eventually lost him on the climb to Salt Creek. Paul waited for him at the top of Troy Built and stayed with Chris to bail at Mary's Loop where it connects to the frontage Road. They called Laura and she picked them up. Chris was pretty far gone and it took him a couple hours to get better. We encountered a rattlesnake on the Westwater Mesa which was my first time to see one up there ever. He wasn't very happy it seemed. The last 15 miles may be the hardest as you have to ride/hike down to Salt Creek and proceed out of Salt Creek drainage hiking up to Troy Built. Once on Troy Built it is mostly rideable but with tired legs the small climbs seem tough and I chose to walk more than ride. Once off of Troy we descended down onto Lions which isn't much fun this late into the game. I was again walking techy sections that I could clean otherwise but I was tired and didn't want to hurt myself close to the finish. I was thoroughly happy once TR and I turned onto Mary's loop as it would be the last stretch of trail before the finish. I was pretty tired and was happy to see Laura with cold water, cold PBR's and pizza. Cat and her boyfriend Matt were there waiting for us to finish which was nice. Cat rocked the course! Back to T-Ray. Apparently he flatted 4 times and was walking down the frontage road when Susan found him and picked him up. Nice effort T-Ray! So, of the 6 that started 3 got the total completion. T-Ray, Paul and Chris didn't earn the Kokopelli merit badge but came close. They had equal miles and a bit less climbing. Next time. Also, I told myself this was the last time to ride the KTR but pain has no memory and I'm already planning next year riding from Loma to Moab. This was my 5th completion of the KTR and I hope to continue the tradition until I really get sick of doing it. A true test of endurance self supported riding and the gear you bring. Yes, there is bigger rides to do out there but this one fits nicely into my schedule. The Grand Loop and CTR are on my bucket list.

5 KTR starters on Friday night. Cat Morrison, me, Chris Horton, TR and Paul Adams.

Filtering water at Hideout. This was about 5.30am Saturday morning.

Filtering water on the mighty Colorado.

Kokopelli Trail Assault

2011-05-13T11:57:00.002-06:00

That time year again for a Kokopelli Trail assault with a few other riders. Tonight at midnight the wheels will start spinning. I'm hoping to shave some time off from previous years efforts. Minimal water to start with as I can filter water at Hideout in the early morning. No need to have the bladder full for the big climbs carrying the extra needless weight. 3 bottles on the bike will suffice. I'm trying a 32x21 gearing this time around instead of my normal 32x20. I'm thinking the 21 gearing will allow me spin more efficiently in the early stages of the ride that have two major monster climbs. On the other hand I will be spinning madly on a couple flat long mileage areas. We will see what the outcome is. No moon light to speak of as the next full moon is on May 17th. It will be pitch black out there while clambering about in the La Sal's. Another note. No water stashes, no outside help unless in dire straights. Fully self supported ride. This changes the whole dynamics of a long endurance ride. Endure. Ride safe.

Kokopelli's Trail is a 142 mile (229 km) multi-use trail in the U.S. states of Colorado and Utah. The trail was named in honor of its mythic muse, Kokopelli. The trail was created by the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association (COPMOBA) in cooperation with the United States Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service.

Hoping to see this guy early to late afternoon on Saturday.

Snow again?!?!?

2011-05-11T12:04:00.000-06:00

Yes, I realize I live at 8800 feet elevation and shouldn't bitch about the snow but my GOD it is May 11th and we are receiving winter storm accumulations of snow. At 7.15 am this morning when I took this pic we had nearly 8" and it has been falling all day in Telluride so I'm sure Rico is buried. I'm over it. The high country around Rico will be rideable in August maybe. LOL!! Don't get me wrong, I love living where I do. It is paradise.

Cortez Journal Write-Up of Mesa Verde Race 12 Hour Race

2011-05-11T09:41:00.000-06:00

A great article by the Cortez Journal of the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde.

http://cortezjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=15380

24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest

2011-05-09T13:06:00.001-06:00

Coming soon is another solo singlespeed attempt next month. This is an awesome course located up in the Zuni's outside of Gallup, New Mexico. 16 miles of 100% single track. If you have never raced here you need to get out and join in on the fun. This is also the same location where the Zuni 100 is held in October as part of the New Mexico Endurance Series. The 24 hour race is a fundraiser to solve CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) in which I have a close friend who suffers from this ailment. Come support the cause.

Wouter Weylandt dies after stage 3 crash at the Giro d’Italia

2011-05-09T11:14:00.003-06:00

Sunday Post Race Ride

2011-05-09T10:47:00.001-06:00

I awoke early Sunday in Cortez where I had camped after the race. Its nice to stay late and not worry about driving as the post race awards and visiting with people is just as big part of the race as is the actual racing. Some people just race and scatter for the hills and do not enjoy the after party. I got to talk to Dave Weins in length about several topics. He is a great guy to talk to.
Sunday proved to be a fairly nice day in Rico with the exception of the winds that were blowing from the south at 20-30 mph. Laura and I jumped on the cross bikes for a spin up to Lizard Head Pass and back. The tail wind going up was wonderful but I knew the return trip was going to be unpleasant. And it was. I just buried my head and pushed through blasting the music. It took Laura about 20 minutes plus longer than me to get back. She wasn't too happy either and a nice headache to boot. That's cycling. I did an extra few miles and ended up with 28.5 miles and 1700+ feet of climbing. The legs were a bit sore form the race but still felt good to push the single speed up the road.

Laura atop Lizard Head Pass.

Me at Lizard Head Pass. Short sleeve jersey at 10,300 feet is nice. That's a first this year.

Yep, after wanting a new tattoo for the past 10 years I finally pulled the trigger and did it. A Chris King single speed cog. You only live once. I love it.

12 Hours of Mesa Verde

2011-05-08T12:53:00.002-06:00

The 12 hours of Mesa Verde effort for me this year was exactly how I predicted it would end. Me not dealing with the warmer weather. Living in Rico where it was last week in the teens doesn't lend to dealing with warm weather in May. I got so nausea and sick during lap 4. I cramped for over an hour between lap 4 and 5. Just brutal. I thought I was doing the right things in terms of hydration etc but obviously not. I went south. I have yet to find my groove this year in terms of my racing. It's been an ugly few races. Good thing I'm not a paid pro or I would be out of a job. LOL!!! Amateur shit it is! Some of the BWR racers did well with Steve Reiter from D town placing 2nd in our solo single speed class and Shawn Gregory from the newly formed Kokopelli Race team placing 3rd. Paul Adams, another Kokopelli race team member did great placing 4th behind Shawn and only within minutes of catching him at one time. Good job everybody!

TR and I sporting the new Kokopelli race kits. Looks like I will be splitting time wearing both BWR and Koko team kits.

The Next Beating-12 Hours of Mesa Verde

2011-05-02T12:24:00.000-06:00

Fruita Fat Tire Fest

2011-05-02T12:08:00.001-06:00

Laura and I headed out to the Fruita Fat Tire Festival to do some riding, see some old friends and of course drink some beer. TR met up with us as well and he was excited to ride his freshly built Niner single speed. We awoke Saturday morning to a fresh dusting of snow and freezing temps. The snow melted off quickly with the help of the high winds and the temperatures somewhere in the 40's. We rode the Kokopelli trails on Saturday morning after visiting the expo center and buying a few things. Loki outdoor wear was there blowing out some great jackets and I bought a soft shell (Myth Soft shell) and a rain jacket (Tak Light Shell) and Laura also bought a Tak Light shell rain jacket; hers being the 2011 version and both of mine the 2010 versions with better pricing of course. The jackets have built in gloves and face covers and hoodies. Ideal for where we live and I have never owned a great lightweight shell rain jacket for the rainy rides I get caught in. I've been making do with a cheap version brand from REI. Anyways, we covered most of the trails in the Kokopelli system until the weather worsened and we headed back to town to enjoy the fat tire festivities. We were invited to the VIP party to watch the bike film 'Life Cycles". What a great movie and well filmed. Sunday we met up with some Vegas friends and rode the 18 Road trails with the wind at a constant 20 mph.Zippity was a bit sketchy on the exposed ridge. The trails were super fast both at the Kokopelli and 18 Road trails.

Myth Soft Shell

Tak Light Shell

Yep, snow in Fruita.

Gourmet coffee from the gas station.

On Mary's overlooking the Colorado River.

Laura cruising up Mary's.

Weekend Riding

2011-04-19T09:17:00.001-06:00

It was a great weekend for some more bike practice at Phil's World. The weather was nice and warm and I actually obtained my first sunburn of the season. Niceeeeee! I received my early birthday present on Friday; titanium handlebars for my Airborne made by Ti Cycles out of Portland Oregon. They make lots of custom ti products from handlebars to custom frames. They have the same sweep as the Mary bars (30 degree) without any rise. They are super plush. Ti bike, ti bars and I think a titanium stem is next with ti spacers and a ti top cap.

We stayed home on Sunday and I got out on the road with the mean Dean road bike for the first time this year. It has only seen roller miles indoors and it was begging for some outside time. I obliged and rode to Telluride and back to Rico. I had a nice headwind all the way back which wasn't much fun but what can you do? Just ride and grin.

Climbing out of Ophir to Telluride. The grade is 16 percent in spots.

Wilson in the background at the overlook near the Alta Road turnoff outside of Telluride.

Shawn Gregory took a nasty fall just after the Rib Cage area and potato chipped his front wheel. He is OK for the most part with bruised ribs and bruised internal organs. Ouch.

That time of year again with the Mexican Lager by Ska Brewing Co. Good beer after a good ride.

12 Hours Dawn til Dusk 2011

2011-04-11T08:44:00.000-06:00

The 2011 Dawn til Dusk didn't go exactly as I wanted it to. The wind and weather did me in as I mentally checked out when the rain/snow started to fall during lap 5 so I called my race after lap 5 and finished in the overall 40+ age group in 9th place. At this juncture Dan Durland and Charlie Hayes were off the front with a big lead with Gregory, Hight and myself racing behind in our age group. Durland flatted and stopped after lap 7. He was dundo from the cold. The raced was called at 5pm due to the deteriorating conditions. The snow was pounding down in the last hours of the race. There was a lot of tough people that kept on going in the crappy conditions that started around noon. I wasn't that tough on this day. The winds were ridiculous at about 25-35 mph and gusts probably over 40mph. I was physically blown over a few times. Congrats to the people who toughed it out and stayed in the elements. It wasn't my day to keep on motoring in those conditions. I certainly was on pace to obtain 8 laps before the race was called as I had lap 5 finished up at 12:36pm and plenty of time to get to 8. Mike Melley finished lap 9 in the under 40 age group but he was not in before the 5pm cutoff so it was not counted. The after party was great with lots of free beer. I had more than my share for sure. LOL!! Good times nonetheless.

Friday afternoon was nice except for the wind but the weather was not to cooperate.

Sunday morning at the race venue.

SOLD!!! Titus Racer X and KHS SS For Sale SOLD!!!!!!!

2011-04-05T11:27:00.003-06:00

SOLD!!!!

Laura's Titus Titanium Racer X is for sale. She is a full convert to 29er so it is going bye bye! Listed on eBay here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270731327221&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

SOLD!!!!

Also her KHS single speed soft tail is being sold on eBay here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270731265887&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

12 Hours of Dawn til Dusk

2011-04-05T08:24:00.002-06:00

Just a few more days and I will be off to Gallup for the 12 Hours of Dawn til Dusk for my first 12 hour race of the year. Ive been doing this race since it's inception and it has snowed twice in the history of this race. The weather isn't looking so great at this point as it is actually getting worse by each day. The competition as usual is stacked. Two years ago (2009) it snowed/rained the night before the race and the race was cancelled. The trails just were not rideable at all even after a few hour delay. Hopefully the race Gods have pity on us and the storm passes without much to do. Nothing to do but drive down and see how it plays out. It's just money and time, right?

Weekend Wrap-up: Miller and Riding

2011-04-04T11:47:00.003-06:00

Millers final resting stop in Rico.

It was a tough weekend emotionally starting on Friday when we had an appointment to end Miller's suffering. It's never an easy call to make when you are ending a life. Miller was suffering; not eating or drinking water for nearly a week except maybe the smidget of jam or honey he would lick off our fingers. We had Miller for 13 years from when he was just a wee little kitten. He provided Laura and I so much joy his entire life. His name comes from my favorite garage beer; Miller. He was always an active vocal cat. Super smart and always there to greet you when you came home. He enjoyed dog food and would come eat with the dogs when they were fed. He was the lead dog (cat) amongst the animals in the house. Even Nacho would bow down to Miller. I never thought it would be easy to lose a pet but this was pretty damn hard on us. Laura and I chose to be in the room when they put the lethal injection into Miller. I wanted to see him go peacefully. And he did. We buried him in our yard in Rico on Friday evening with one of his favorite blankets and a few of his favorite items. He has a nice headstone in which I will engrave his name. We have been lighting his grave at night with a candle and had a 8x10 picture framed of him Saturday which is hanging in the living room. We miss him dearly. Rest in peace Miller.

With more than a few tears shed we put miller to rest. Laura and I decided to name Saturday's mountain bike ride at Phil's World "The Miller Memorial Ride" which will happen the first weekend in April every year. I rode 42 miles on Saturday and Sunday was a good easy ride at Phil's for 22.5 miles. Laura rode her new Vassago 1x9 and rode a total of 47 miles with both days combined. The Dawn til Dusk 12 hour race is this Saturday April 9th in Gallup, NM. I think I'm ready.

Below is LK's new Vassago and my single is below hers. I was out washing them in the snow on Sunday afternoon.

Miller the Cat-R.I.P.

2011-04-01T17:59:00.002-06:00

Miller hanging with Manny the Moose in his last hours. Now he is in Awesome World. We love you little buddy!

Miller the Dude!

Miller our beloved cat of 13 years passed on Friday April 1st. He will be put in his final resting spot in Rico on our property. An evergreen spruce tree will be planted at his resting spot. Damn I'm going to miss my little buddy. He had developed a cancerous mass in his chest cavity combined with a heart condition that led to his rapid health deterioration. I never thought I would lose him and never imagined it would be this hard on me. Damn it. We loved him so much.

A POEM FOR THE GRIEVING...

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush

of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there, I did not die...

-Anonymous

Phil's World Weekend

2011-03-29T09:25:00.000-06:00

It was a nice weekend to stay local and go ride Phil's World down in Cortez. Training was to be multi laps on Saturday with a few guys from the area; Kiviok, Jeff Fox and Paul Adams. 4 laps on the race loop resulting in 65 miles and 5500 feet of climbing in 5 hours and 42 minutes. Kiviok was on fire and set a mean tempo the whole time. He is addicted to the 29er single speed. I easily forget how hard those laps are until you do a few. Mitch Fedak started off with us and it was good to see him for a few minutes.

Went back down on Sunday with Laura and did a nice recovery ride on the race loop. I think the weather scared everybody off as there was only 7 cars in the parking lot. I had Monday off and rode 21 miles at a nice tempo on the JabberWocky full rigid. Laura received her new Stan's wheel set from the bike shop on Saturday. Stan's Crest rims with the new Stan's 3.30 hubs. Pretty sweet wheel set for the price. She dropped 3 pounds off of the new build. Now a respectable 25 pounds for a steel 1x9. She loving it.

Laura negotiating the Elbow section at Phil's on Sunday.

Laura's Bandersnatch and my Jabberwocky.

More of the same....Moab

2011-03-22T11:14:00.001-06:00

Another long weekend in Moab after TR and I made the decision to bail on the Sedona Not so Big Friggin Loop. Just not worth the drive to ride 35 miles. I cannot get enough of Moab it seems lately so it was an easy choice to go back for the third wekend in a row. Maybe we need to buy a house there. That would cover us in three states. We have the place in Vegas already, a mountain home in Rico and a place in Moab. Sounds good to me.

Anyways the weather was far from ideal and I felt terrible due to my allergies kicking my butt for a few days. Thursday was a bust as the weather in Rabbit Valley was bad and Moab wasn't good either. Friday we met up with Fred W. and rode Moab Rim>Hidden Valley>Pipedream and back to the Moab Rim trailhead. A nice loop with 2 hours of solid pedaling. Pipe dream is a new trail and worth riding. Hidden Valley from Moab Rim was pretty cool as well and new terrain to me. Laura and the kids came over on Friday night as well as Paul Adams and we camped again on Willow Springs road. Saturday we rode the usual Sovereign trails over to Klondike/Baby Steps and back to the Sovereign area to ride some sandy 4x4 roads back to camp. It was a 4 hour ride with lots of wind in our face on the way back to camp. Laura did her own thing and rode her newly built Vassago Bandersnatch. She is loving it. Sunday was a short ball buster of a ride on the Brand Trails. There is a new trail that connects Lazy E to Bar B trail called Deadmans. TR, Paul and I hammered the loop with lots of high intesnity involved. My HR was hitting almost 180 on sections of the trail.

Cruising along the Colorado River on our way to Moab from Rabbit Valley.

Van Nation in Moab. Notice the arch in the background. That is Poison Spider up on that mesa as I have seen the arch from above. The van is great for long weekends. The built in bed is awesome and makes it easier to go places and have a comfy sleeping experience. TR has a true conversion van with mood lights inside.

Camped off of Willow Springs Road. Found a great spot with awesome views.