Now officially recorded in the Annals Of Awesome.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
What have I gotten myself into?
Crested butte wildflower rush xcountry race.
May Dog have mercy on my soul ~
May Dog have mercy on my soul ~
can't explain
Hipster rushes up to the park on a townie bike carrying chair, flag, mannequin.
Sets them all up like for a picnic, then just as quickly rides off into the morning.
Somethings you just can't explain...
Sets them all up like for a picnic, then just as quickly rides off into the morning.
Somethings you just can't explain...
Friday, June 22, 2012
chainless mayhem
Crested Butte's bike week features a signature bike race: the Chainless World Championships. Entrants race down into town from Kebler Pass, a 7mi straight downhill run, their chains immobilized, or missing altogether.
The mayhem ensues as the racers attempt to make the double 90D corner off the hill into Elk street, most hampered by the most ridiculous costumes ever to straddle a bike, yikes!
Oh yeah, and then there's a street party after. :-)
The mayhem ensues as the racers attempt to make the double 90D corner off the hill into Elk street, most hampered by the most ridiculous costumes ever to straddle a bike, yikes!
Oh yeah, and then there's a street party after. :-)
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
dead man on deadman trail
Found my limit mountain biking up here in Crested Butte's high country.
Tackled a rather renowned loop in these parts: Reno-Flag-Bear-Deadman's trails, 20 miles all told.
Starts with a deflating 5mi climb up to the first ridge to the top of Flag trail. From there you're rewarded with swoopy fast descents down to Bear. Then regain all that lost altitude to plunge once again creekside grinning ear to ear.
Completely spent in that 15 miles, you're again faced with a demoralizing climb back up to the top of Deadmans.
All that beautiful scenery somehow lost its charm as I grunted that 3mi uphill virtually kissing the handlebars, eyes locked on the trail 3 feet ahead. I finally achieved the last trail intersection @ mile 17.5 to find I simply had no more give in that last half mile to the final ridge at the top of Deadmans.
There was much suffering in that last half mile lemmetellya. :-/
But once topped out- oh joy! A plunging two mile descent blazing thru 1000 vertical feet via 32 switchbacks, transitioning from black pine forests into dappled aspen groves. It was all I could do to avoid killing myself in drop after rock-encrusted drop.
Awesome.
Once back at the truck I marveled in the days stats, still can't quite believe I had it in me: 4 hours in the saddle, 20mi, 3,300ft in elevation gained between 9500' and 11,100'. Damn that was a big ride. u
Thinking tomorrow I shall fish... ;-)
Tackled a rather renowned loop in these parts: Reno-Flag-Bear-Deadman's trails, 20 miles all told.
Starts with a deflating 5mi climb up to the first ridge to the top of Flag trail. From there you're rewarded with swoopy fast descents down to Bear. Then regain all that lost altitude to plunge once again creekside grinning ear to ear.
Completely spent in that 15 miles, you're again faced with a demoralizing climb back up to the top of Deadmans.
All that beautiful scenery somehow lost its charm as I grunted that 3mi uphill virtually kissing the handlebars, eyes locked on the trail 3 feet ahead. I finally achieved the last trail intersection @ mile 17.5 to find I simply had no more give in that last half mile to the final ridge at the top of Deadmans.
There was much suffering in that last half mile lemmetellya. :-/
But once topped out- oh joy! A plunging two mile descent blazing thru 1000 vertical feet via 32 switchbacks, transitioning from black pine forests into dappled aspen groves. It was all I could do to avoid killing myself in drop after rock-encrusted drop.
Awesome.
Once back at the truck I marveled in the days stats, still can't quite believe I had it in me: 4 hours in the saddle, 20mi, 3,300ft in elevation gained between 9500' and 11,100'. Damn that was a big ride. u
Thinking tomorrow I shall fish... ;-)
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
rider down
The rest of the trail 401 story picks up just one mile beyond our lunch stop vista. Carving turns thru handlebar high cabbage fields I'm waiting around a switchback for the rest of the team to catch up.
Will the Thrill comes into the turn too hot, sidewalls the only rock for 100yds and washes out.
I'm looking the other way but can tell by the sound alone this crash is not your usual stuff. 'you alright buddy?'. 'yeah' comes back a little shaky.
'Got blood?' 'a little' Will limps around the corner an my stomach goes to knots.
He's got a deep 2-3" gash below his kneecap impacted with dirt + blood = mud and seeping blood down into his shoe. His face goes ashen as I rinse the wound with my camelback and slap a bandage on it, keeping myself between Will and the girls to disguise the carnage.
Looking up, I assess we are but halfway to the car, thanking the trail gods Will's knee remains fully functional.
With a quick 'that should do it, you'll be alright- you think you can ride that Schwinn on down to the car?' Will's back on form carving turns again if but a good bit more carefully.
Not a single tear shed, not a single complaint on that long 3 miles back to trailhead. We stopped occasionally to offer encouragement, fuel, ibuprofen but never did he (or the girls for that matter) panic. Me on the other hand- inside I was a wreck.
Back at Crested Butte urgent care it was 90min of shots, scrubbing, sutures to put my my boy together again. Seeing him enduring that pain haunts me still as I relive the moment. Ugh!
So my little big man is off the bike for 10-14 days and stoically refused our offers to head back home. Currently he and Mom are dropping thank you chocolates off at the urgent care while I exorcise some demons in the park writing this.
Will the Thrill? That boy rocks the house.
And the rock? You will find it's shattered remains sitting trailside on the 401, mute witness to the moment when Immovable Object met Irresistible Force.
Will the Thrill comes into the turn too hot, sidewalls the only rock for 100yds and washes out.
I'm looking the other way but can tell by the sound alone this crash is not your usual stuff. 'you alright buddy?'. 'yeah' comes back a little shaky.
'Got blood?' 'a little' Will limps around the corner an my stomach goes to knots.
He's got a deep 2-3" gash below his kneecap impacted with dirt + blood = mud and seeping blood down into his shoe. His face goes ashen as I rinse the wound with my camelback and slap a bandage on it, keeping myself between Will and the girls to disguise the carnage.
Looking up, I assess we are but halfway to the car, thanking the trail gods Will's knee remains fully functional.
With a quick 'that should do it, you'll be alright- you think you can ride that Schwinn on down to the car?' Will's back on form carving turns again if but a good bit more carefully.
Not a single tear shed, not a single complaint on that long 3 miles back to trailhead. We stopped occasionally to offer encouragement, fuel, ibuprofen but never did he (or the girls for that matter) panic. Me on the other hand- inside I was a wreck.
Back at Crested Butte urgent care it was 90min of shots, scrubbing, sutures to put my my boy together again. Seeing him enduring that pain haunts me still as I relive the moment. Ugh!
So my little big man is off the bike for 10-14 days and stoically refused our offers to head back home. Currently he and Mom are dropping thank you chocolates off at the urgent care while I exorcise some demons in the park writing this.
Will the Thrill? That boy rocks the house.
And the rock? You will find it's shattered remains sitting trailside on the 401, mute witness to the moment when Immovable Object met Irresistible Force.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
strand hill
Yesterday's ride was more of a grocery run, if a stunningly beautiful one at that. Lower loop trail takes you back into town from Oh Be Joyful CG, maybe 4 miles. Gotta like that ice cream run!
Today was our first real workout- up Strand Hill overlooking town. 5 miles of climbing 1500ft had us all gasping in the rarified air. Made it tho, celebrated topside with gourmet deli sammiches. After that effort I swear I have never tasted the like. ;-)
The entire team really brought it today- lil buddy on his 24" wheels, Shredder on her 7 speed downhill rig. Sweetness topped everyone's effort with not one, not two, but three OTB's on the narrow, fast & swoopy downhill. Popped right up grinning each time having cheated Death once again- she's a gamer that one! :-]
Yes it was indeed a stellar Father's Day for this Dad. A happy one to you all out there!
Check these out~
Today was our first real workout- up Strand Hill overlooking town. 5 miles of climbing 1500ft had us all gasping in the rarified air. Made it tho, celebrated topside with gourmet deli sammiches. After that effort I swear I have never tasted the like. ;-)
The entire team really brought it today- lil buddy on his 24" wheels, Shredder on her 7 speed downhill rig. Sweetness topped everyone's effort with not one, not two, but three OTB's on the narrow, fast & swoopy downhill. Popped right up grinning each time having cheated Death once again- she's a gamer that one! :-]
Yes it was indeed a stellar Father's Day for this Dad. A happy one to you all out there!
Check these out~
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
oh be joyful!
Snagged last camping spot @ oh be joyful campground- right on the banks of the slate river a short bike ride away from town. For crested butte bike week no less. Score!
It's time for a cold one~
It's time for a cold one~
road trip
Heading out for a week riding the high country trails of Crested Butte. Someone watch the house will ya K thx!
gila's on the brink again
NM Council of TU » Blog Archive » Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire
Damn, those gila's can't seem to catch a break.
Whitewater-Baldy Complex, Gila National Forest, New Mexico, May, 2012
Photo by Kari Greer.
Credit USFS Gila National Forest.
Re-posted from NM TU:
Dave Propst, president of the Bosque Chapter and key member of the Gila Trout Recovery Team, is down in the Gila now, and the news is not good. It looks like 9 of the 14 populations of Gila trout have been affected by the fire. Rescue efforts are under way to salvage fish in watersheds that have burned before rain can wash ash into the streams. Yesterday those efforts ran into a brief snag regarding the use of the use of helicopters in a wilderness area to salvage fish, but Dave informs us that things have been resolved at least for the immediate future.
Photo by Kari Greer.
Credit USFS Gila National Forest.
Re-posted from NM TU:
Dave Propst, president of the Bosque Chapter and key member of the Gila Trout Recovery Team, is down in the Gila now, and the news is not good. It looks like 9 of the 14 populations of Gila trout have been affected by the fire. Rescue efforts are under way to salvage fish in watersheds that have burned before rain can wash ash into the streams. Yesterday those efforts ran into a brief snag regarding the use of the use of helicopters in a wilderness area to salvage fish, but Dave informs us that things have been resolved at least for the immediate future.
The plan is to physically remove the relic Gila populations (Spruce Creek et al), and it sounds like they’ve got a stream lined up in Arizona to hold them. For whatever reasons, these particular fish do not do well in the hatchery environment, so that’s not an option. However, populations such as the Iron creek Gila’s may be toast. And the healthy non-native trout populations in Willow, Whitewater and Mineral Creek will likely be devastated once the rains start.
Damn, those gila's can't seem to catch a break.
Monday, June 11, 2012
gravity
Team RoughRider's preparations for the Great Crested Butte Expedition of 2012 have been demanding most of our collective free time of late.
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| nm jr mountain bike club |
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| sandia peak day |
There are lungs to train, pistons to harden up, endurance yet to build.
All to meet the demands of riding CB's high country, most all of it above 9K, woot!
And that's to say nothing of equipment to tune, flies to tie (oh yes, there's a bit of fishing to be done too).
A Dad's work? 'tis never done it would appear ;-]
Ah well...
looks like I better get back at it~
Sunday, June 3, 2012
stomped
Tunnel trail? Stomped.
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| I had a hand in that |
I make it 5 straight miles of mostly climbing, up Tunnel+West Ridge and back down Otero+Tunnel, back to truck. 10 miles round trip.
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| West Ridge trail |
Up some of the more grueling, bouldery, babyhead-littered tread Otero has to offer. Then back down some of that ripping, flowy singletrack in Otero Canyon.
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| Otero Canyon |
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| Railing Otero |
Only to face that crushing half-mile climb back out of Otero and into Tunnel Canyon, to rip it all over again.
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| contemplating that long climb back up Tunnero |
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| flying down Tunnel Trail |
The girl can bring it~
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