The Other Side of Racing...

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of "working" for Primal at the Bailey Hundo, a 100-mile mountain bike race in Bailey, CO. They also offer a 50-mile version, the 'Hundito'.

I was tasked with manning an aid station for the racers. I worked alongside another fantastic Primal ambassador, and we had our tent and supplies set up by 8:30am, just in time for the first racer to roll through right before 9.

Primal, all ready to roll at Aid Station #5!

We had tables of food and water out, along with energy gels, sports drink mix, and all manner of sweet and salty snacks. A couple more volunteers joined us throughout the day, people who just donated their Saturday to help feed a bunch of sweaty bike racers-amazing!

Yummy snacks!

My point to all this is that, as a racer, you never quite realize how much work goes into putting on a single race. And how many people graciously volunteer their time just because they enjoy cycling, or their spouse or friend is in the race, or because they are just good people.
And watching some of the first professional racers come through, and seeing their less-than-stellar attitudes, it was a good reminder to me to always be nice to the volunteers and race marshals. ALWAYS!

Unfortunately, it was the professional men who were the least gracious, didn't say thank-you, and who griped about the course, lack of directions, etc. They stormed through the station, took what they could find, and left a trail of dust in their wake. Not the best way to show your appreciation for the volunteers who made the aid station possible.
Now, on the flip side, once the pros were gone, the remainder of the racers were exceedingly thankful and grateful that we were there. They all said their 'pleases' and 'thank-you's' and were much more fun to help! They even let us pour water all over their heads and necks!

So that's the end, just be nice and thankful for the people who make racing possible. Myself included, I will now always, always thank all the volunteers and race directors!

Thanks for reading, I will step down from my soap-box now...

Fun riding and camping in Eagle, CO!

Hal and I have been enjoying the trails around Eagle, CO for the past two days.

We've been parked at the Brush Creek Pavilion, where it appears you can car camp overnight...(hope we don't get kicked out tonight!)

*Oops, I spoke to soon...we just got the boot from the Pavilion, driving to visitor center now...!!!*

You can also car camp (but not tent camp) at the Eagle Visitor Center. 

Yesterday we rode from the Pavilion over to the Pool/Ice Rink Trailhead, where there is a fun little BMX course, not to mention a sweet network of singletrack. 

My personal favorite was the Haymaker trail. For a challenge, you can ride up the Boneyard trail and then descend the actual Pool/Ice Rink trail-super fun. We picked up a free trail map at the Visitor Center, but be sure to stop into the local bike shop, Mountain Pedaler. 

Today we explored the trails above Eagle, from the Horton TH. Had a harder time finding our way to the top, due to inconsistent trail markers, but once we got up to Mike's Night Out, it was straight downhill for over an hour! But it did take almost three hours of climbing for that reward ;) From Mike's Night Out, we followed Abram's Ridge down-so FUN!

To us, the town of Eagle seems like how Louisville was when we moved there over five years ago-quaint, friendly, and not crowded. Everyone we've met has been extremely kind, and there are kids riding around without their parents late into the evening! 

Can't wait to explore more great places in Colorado this summer!

Getting lost on the Kokopelli Trail/Still Having Fun/Loooong day in the saddle...

Because I can't figure out how to download my Garmin file, here's a picture of our route...
See the little tail that goes right, into Colorado?! That was our scenic, 30 mile, 3 and 1/2 hour detour...

The picture above of our ride really says it all. Where we got lost, how far lost we really got, how long we were out (too long, almost 15 hours!), and our impressive 13,000+ feet of elevation gain!

Yes, the end of the Kokopelli Trail is in Colorado, just not the part we ended up in! 

The irony of all this is that Hal has done about 1,000 of these night-time epic events, and never ever has he gotten as lost as we got. Also, we kept saying how the Kokopelli is so well marked that it would be difficult to get lost-ha. Not funny.

But, this just goes to show me that these loooongg events, of which I have done not very many, are far different than any road bike race! In the dark, at 4 am, we missed our turn, which, on the map, didn't look like a turn at all. Not to mention there are identical trail markers up in the La Sal Mountains that are for "Paragon Trail", and they are the same font and color as the "Kokopelli Trail" markers-damn! 

So we didn't see our left hand turn, and since going downhill felt so good at that point, it was 15 miles later that Hal put his foot down and said we were lost. So lost that we weren't even on the sections of map that we brought! So lost that we had to climb almost 2,000 feet back up into Utah, back to the La Sal Mountains, and then head down toward Dewey Bridge. 

When we reached Dewey Bridge, it should've been mile 60 of our 142 mile ride. Instead, it was mile 90 for us. With over 80 miles still to go, and it getting late in the afternoon, not to mention that Andy and I were out of food and water, we decided to call it and head back to Moab. Turns out, the paved 30 miles back to Moab were riddled with hail storms, epic headwinds, and traffic....Not the easy coast home we were hoping for...

The hard decision to head back to Moab...

          

All good rides end at Milt's!

So, now we have to come back and try again, in the fall, when the temps are under 90 degrees. Maybe the 3rd time's a charm?! 

I was impressed with how well our bodies held up under the conditions, how strong we felt while riding, and how great our gear worked. The trail is NOT easy! Tons of climbing, hard technical parts leading up to Dewey Bridge, and extreme weather conditions.

Mandatory 'hike-a-bike' up Rose Garden Hill

I suppose it's as Hal says, "If it was easy, everyone would do it." Well, it wasn't easy, and we only saw two other mountain bikers out there, with big packs on their bikes-they were probably doing it in a few days. They didn't look happy when they passed us, either.

I was most sore on my shoulders, from my heavy pack. And heavy for me is about 13 pounds...Not to mention my sit bones, which aren't used to 14 hour days in the saddle...Took almost two days for me to be able to sit, without wincing, on my bike saddle again!

All loaded up.

The best part about getting ready for the trail and attempting the trail was the family time we got to spend in Moab! It was SO great to have my parents there, to help us with the shuttle, have meals with, and ride with when we got skunked the first time due to unseasonably wet muddy conditions.

Family dinners!

The day after we mustered enough energy to hike to Corona Arch

So there you have it. Too muddy the first time, got lost the second time, third time maybe, maybe?!

Thanks for reading, and following our adventure! 

Please let us know if you have any questions about the trail, we would be more than happy to provide detailed intel!