So after getting set up with the tents we drove into town and found the race registration made sure I was good to go and got my number. After that we headed back to the campground to cook some dinner and set up my sag bags for the race.
Hit the sack at a decent hour and set the alarm for 0630hrs got around had to make sure we got the morning coffee especially before this epic adventure. Now onto the race!
I strategically place myself in the back of the pack and started out cruising with about a 1/3rd of the field having the same idea apparently. After the nice warm up on the road we hit the first fireroad which was still a nice steady climb and still a good warm up. Well a half a hour or so later we hit the single track were we are welcomed by a pleasant hike-a-bike due to the back up.
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Phrases like "Not going anywhere for a while?" come to mind as I look up the long line of riders in front of me. Well we eventually get thru the hike-a-bike and start riding up the trail and make our way back onto the road up to the first really fun part of the trail Kitsuma! Switchbacks and climbing fun stuff there so I manage to hike the switchbacks ride the straights up to the top. After that we are greeted with a short section of some HECTIC downhill, fortunately the Hectic part was only for a short stretch and and when it finally went downhill again it was downgraded to radical! I saw some hardtails out there and as I smoked the bakes through this section I wondered how in the heck did those guys ride this??! Well it is down to the first sag stop and I am registering almost 17 miles on the computer(it was suppose to be 15mi). Anyway a refill on the water fresh bottle of accelerade and one of there gel packs along with a turkey and cheese wrap made by the wife I am off again more climbing up some twisty single track switchbacks. By the way when they say the trail is in its natural enviorment they mean it 6ft diameter trees and all across the trail. We were rewarded by some wide trail rolling downhill to the 2nd Sag stop at which point I am registering 30 miles(this was suppose to be at 24mi). So along with the other riders I was hanging with I sat there discussing the impending 9mi and 2800ft climb in front of us until finally I motivated myself and headed out. I can't say I rode the entire thing but if I had hit this trail 2yrs ago after coming out from AZ I think I could have, we used to ride a trail up Carr Canyon, steeper grade just about 2 miles shorter but that not being the case I walked about 2 miles of it. Well sag point three was a welcome site were I sat recouping for a good while especially once I heard that the fabled 5mi downhill on the parkway was more like 4mi uphill and 3mi downhill. So I switch out my mp3 player get another wrap and accelerade and head up the hill after the nice break on the road where I had to stop to take some pics of the great view
After that the real fun began. There was some serious hike-a-bike section where once again they emphasized the trail in its natural state
This hike-a-bike was followed by a wicked(fun)downhill section which left my tri's smoked and my rear brakes just as smoked! It was the same switchbacks we came up earlier just in reverse back down to the sag point 5 where you went back up to Kitsuma(thought this was the Off Road Assault on Mount Mitchell?) and then back down the radical downhill again, brakes screaming at this point. Further review revealed the pads where gone at this point so the noise was enough to keep any wild animals away! Well I came off the trail and hit the last three miles of road to the finish and manage to find some leg strength to finish off strong.
Overall it was a challenging and fun ride I took my time at the sags and enjoyed the trail as I rode through. It refreshed the definition of Mountain Biking for me versus XC riding and made me wish we had some of that terrain in this area. This is definitely a ride I will be looking to put on my calender next year as well
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