question on forum - any interest in changing or standardizing to a platform with better connectivity like RSS feeds, twitter, video, and the like?  it would be great to use a single site for maps, forum, info, race tracking, and web 2.0 connectvity, including social net -- you guys on FaceBook?

A platform with better connectivity is a great idea.  For all you Facebookers, I just created a group "Colorado Trail Race".  It would be nice to have 1 central location instead of tidbits spread out, but I think it will be hard to standardize.  For the small number of poeple intersted in the CTR, it feels a bit spread out already.  Seems like twitter kinda fizzled and died and MTBR forums get clusterfu(ked with too much garbage from anonymous posters.  With Scott as the admin, backpacking.net might end up being the best vehicle for this sort of thing...

[huge]

Thanks for all the feedback guys!  Good thoughts on the pros and cons of modifying the course.  For me, the single biggest drawback is the resultant record keeping issue.  Second to that is visualizing (and experiencing!?!) horrible weather on the 33 miles of trail from Spring Creek Pass to Stony Pass - 100% above treeline with 8000' of elevation gain! A potential show-stopper to be sure.  Compare that to measly segment 6 - Kenosha Pass to Breck - 33 miles and 4500'.

But then again, the additional challenge and uncertainty is a huge draw...

I just bought a plane ticket Denver-Tuscon RT for $189!  See ya'll in April!

[am]

  Hoping to be there this year.

Awesome!

I seem to remember suggesting leaving out Breck->Copper but allowing the possibility of putting it back in, should the racers want it, or should the CTR be deemed too easy.   I can't tell how serious you are though...

Well, I am moderately serious, mainly because I intend on riding the CTR again next year, and I haven't ridden the new Cataract Ridge reroute. I've been told it would be a fair amount of hike-a-bike, but I'd love to check it out.  It's far enough out there that just checking it out practically entails a multi-day ride, so why not experience it first hand during the race?  I don't think that adding in those segments would double the difficulty of the CTR, (well... maybe close though!) but it certainly would make it even more weather dependent...  Plus Lake City would then be even further out of the way making the stretch from BV to Silverton even more committing.  Oh yeah, and Frisco is more out of the way too...

As far as finisher percentage goes, it's interesting to note that 60% finished in '07 in atrocious weather, while only 40% finished in '08 in nearly flawless weather.

I welcome any thoughts and feedback from anyone who has ridden the CTR or intends to ride it in '09!

Starts Sunday, August 2nd, 2009 - 6am

http://www.climbingdreams.net/ctr/

With 23 starters and 9 finishers last year, I'm thinking the CTR might be too easy.  Maybe we should add the Breck-to-Copper segment + Coney Summit + Cataract Ridge reroute?   (  For Sebastian) 

Been unplugged from the Matrix, and just found this thread.

The CTR has been listed as an ITT with a "suggested start time" since its inception in 2007.  If a point-series is put together and defined, IMO, it should include non-group start ITTs.  Not sure how that would work though - what if someone ITTs a course after a King as been crowned?

In any case, personally I am only minorly intrigued with the idea of some kind of "point series".  I want to do as many of the underground multi-day bike races as I can next year (albeit, only the ones where the average temperature is > 32F!), and it wouldn't make any difference to me if there were "points" associated with the various races tying them together as a series.  I guess, for me, that's not really a motivator, that's all.  Maybe it would be (is?) for others, so I have no problem with including the CTR in the series if you want to run with it, Scott.

OK, that's 3 already for 7/27.  However, I've had a few people (here and privately) ask me about starting it on Saturday or Sunday morning.  Originally, the weekday start was chosen mainly to avoid crowds at the TH. And for '08, Monday was chosen to maximize motel/campground availability along the trail, since most places near the trail are packed on the weekends that time of year.  A Sunday AM start shouldn't be a problem for motel/campground availability.  I suppose Saturday wouldn't either, since most people that are *racing* will just bivy along the trail rather than seek out a motel, especially for the 1st night out.  Saturday or Sunday minimizes time away from work for most of us also.  <raises hand>

So, now I'm thinking Saturday/Sunday AM may be the best choice.  A full moon on 8/5 makes an 8/1 or 8/2 start rather attractive too.  Maybe at 6 or 6:30 am so most can get at least 1 good night's sleep before the race starts?

Ahh, so much for the poll...     Comments?

Depends mostly on late season snowfall.  Tons of info/pics/discussion on this exact question somewhere over on MTBR.  Might be good to start a new thread for that discussion here too.

Want to hear what the rest of you think before I decide...

Depends on your definition of fun. 

Totally!  My definition of fun probably starts out on your current scale somewhere near 5 or 6, but after a few days of minimal sleep, slips to 7 or 8... 

Anyone else agree? 

Should 10 = most rideable

or 1 = most rideable

?

I think 1 should be "most rideable".  Some guidebooks I've seen (e.g. Moab, Fruita) rate the technical difficulty on a 1-5 scale where 5 is super gnarly.  There really should be a 6 though, for mandatory hike-a-bike.  I guess you're not really trying to characterize the exact same thing though since your number is more of a fun-ness factor.

I've gotten into the habit of packing 1 day's worth of food in a gallon-sized, heavy-duty, zip-lock freezer bag.  This makes rationing easy for multiday rides, and also provides a convenient trash container as the ride progresses.  Without a rack, durability is key - unless it's a heavy duty bag, you'll probably end up with the contents eventually getting all over the place.  I guess I've never really thought of this as an issue since you *always* end up with less bulk (trash only) than you started with (food + trash).  Unless you're packing out your sh!t to, I suppose...

That is a fantastic page, Scott!  It's awesome in its simplicity, and yet it still has so much potential for links and other info to be added.  Thanks so much for starting this forum too.  It will be nice to get away from the MTBR slagging.