El Freako: Colorado Trail Race 2013 Report

WOW!!!
My head is still spinning three days after completing the hardest ride of my life: The Colorado Trail Race: 562 miles and give or take 70,000 feet of climbing. I pedaled and hiked with my bike across Colorado for 6 days and 14 hours. It was such an amazing time. I saw old friends and met/rode with some new friends. The bond that ensued riding together is beyond words that I can describe without sounding to gay. LOL! I laughed so much riding with Cameron, Ian, Adam and Ty. Kudos to Danny Powers and Joey Ernst as well for putting in a great effort. We leap frogged all along until the last day where they finally got away from us. The conversations I had with each rider was unique. I witnessed the lows and highs of each person I rode with including the lows and highs within myself. I witnessed souls sucked away from the continuous hike-a-bikes that would not end. The riders I rode with are some of the best riders in the country in my opinion. This ride is no joke. No aid stations, no support, just you and your bike and what you brought along for the ride. This shit is serious.

I could detail day by day and drag this report out long and dry but I'm not. I'm going to post some pics and call it good. It was a fucking hard race and I got it done. I'm a happy camper. Bike packing is addicting and after days out there in the wild I want more. And more it will be. I want to thank my wife; Laura Kyriakakis. She has heard me talk about this ride for the last two years or so and has let me spend the money on the gear that has allowed me to complete this ride. It's not cheap. She was a trooper to drive to Denver and drive right back putting in a 16 hour plus day to get me back home. I love her dearly. Thank you Laura!!

Sleeping out in the wild is just so awesome. Your head fucks with you when the sounds of the forest comes alive at night. It's amazing. I slept on an ant hill one night and slept in crazy places some of you could not imagine. Bike packing is awesome as much as it is scary.

I want to thank Kokopelli Bike and Board, my team sponsor. These guys rock. The best shop around hands down. Thank you Pete, Scott and Paul. You guys are awesome.

The new 29er Ti frame by Kokopelli Bike Co rocked and met every expectation expected of it by me. I was surely nervous to ride a new frame but I wasn't scared. Ride it and see what happens. Very impressive ride quality. Descends and ascends like no other. I put that bike through the motions and it performed beyond what I asked of it. Thank you.