CTR 2010 Status and Updates.

[ActionJackson]

Mark Caminit called in from Copper Mountain waiting for Quiznos to open.

Sending on Cheers to Mark C. I rode with him for a few days during AZT this year. He just puts his head down and pedals. Go Mark!

[ScottM]

Man, they just can't buy a break.  Looks like several small cells have developed already today, and one is right on top of Ethan.  Jeff seems to be in the clear for the moment...

[timroz]

Do you know if he's carrying a cell phone? There isn't a land line on the route necessarily until he gets to Copper Mtn and the SPOT won't send out more signals if he has it in the wrong mode (OK vs Track). There is a good chance that nothing is wrong at all if the only signs are that he hasn't checked in. Do you know what bike he is riding and color jersey to check the start pictures with?

Plus he probably thinks the SPOT is working fine, therefore there is no reason to check in.

[Joe Chastain]

If you get as good a description as possible so that the riders who call in can know what to have seen.

More info from you now might keep you from having to drive.

[lonefrontranger]

Man, they just can't buy a break.  Looks like several small cells have developed already today, and one is right on top of Ethan.  Jeff seems to be in the clear for the moment...

ugh, yea, poor Ethan looks to be getting hammered up at 11,000'; hope he's safe/not above treeline and staying warm.  Dunno anything about the CT down in those parts but that does NOT look friendly.

... holy buckets, Eszter is absolutely flying!  It looked as though she was riding with/near Steve Lacey for much of yesterday but it almost looks now like she might even catch Dave Harris.  She's a very strong rider but I also hope she's pacing herself. Moab was her first 24 hour race last year, and I know she's no stranger to epic backcountry sufferfests (thanks to her husband) but the multi-day thing is pretty new to her.

[Pivvay]

One thing with the rain...if you survive it and it stops for a while, you start to feel really good. It keeps reinforcing that your gear works and that you're tough enough. Plus when it's raining and there is no shelter you have no choice but to keep riding and riding rather quickly at that.

Plus the CTR is short enough that at least the leaders will only get rained on for 4-5 days in a row, haha.

TD 2009 = I saw rain 16 of 19 days and I wonder if Matt saw it every day?

Either way, all these riders are super tough and I'm impressed!!!

[bmike-vt]

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keep posting pics. most excellent, and different scenery for those out east.
inspiring for sure. riders and the mountains.

[kkomoro]

Thanks, everyone,  Just heard from Tom.  He is in Breckenridge with some serious bike problems and needs to figure out his STOP... Is going to try to make it to Copper..

[dwj]

Thanks for the write-up, Dug. You have been going well this year. Even your short course riding has been impressive. I dare say your bug last week had more to do with undermining any multi-day superpower (read: constitution) than being way past-peak. No worries. "The Race" ain't going anywhere--in fact it only seems to get better with each edition. There's always an ITT in a couple weeks if it's not sitting well with you.

thanks. I think I'll leave it be for the year. This race is still very much evolving. Might go cruise Cataract/Coney in a couple weeks if the rains ever cease.

[dwj]

Last year I got rained on every day, but it was a typical colorado thunder shower, rain for an hour then you couldn't tell anything had happened. It'll be interesting to see what happens if those guys and gals get slowed by the weather out there in the black hole. A trip into Lake City maybe mandatory for a lot of people.

[Joe Chastain]

Glad he's ok, probably not happy, but ok.  Even I'll sleep better. 

Ok all you guys, they may be tough as nails to you fellow riders, but they're still our chillun's.

[mtbcast]

Nathan Gallion called in saying he made it to Copper alive and got his brake fixed at Gravity Sports.

[ScottM]

I too am wondering if anyone has insider info on the trail angel...

I kind of doubt he's there again, but someone else might be...

Loved the Chex box photoshop job, Joe.  Awesome!

[mtbcast]

Loved the Chex box photoshop job, Joe.  Awesome!

Don does some amazing work. That's just after sending him an email this morning. "I'll have it by lunch!"

BTW, Folks, Zack Guy called in packed and leaving Buena Vista!

[Stefan_G]

Wednesday 8/4, 14:50

Here we are on day 3, and WOW, I must say that I am quite impressed with this year's crop of CTR racers.  The rain keeps on pounding, but rather than getting harvested, these racers just keep growing and growing!  Word about the difficulty of this race must finally be settling in to prospective racers before they commit.  The last few years' finish rate of 40% seems to be getting taken seriously as we're over 1/4 done for most racers, and over halfway done for the leaders with only 3 casualties so far.

Several of the riders are on Segment 8, the Searle/Kokomo pass area between Copper and Leadville.  The riding on this piece of trail is a blast.  A short hike to the high point of Searle Pass, then high-altitude meadows with panoramic views over to Kokomo Pass.  A 2500' drop down to Hale leads to a fairly easy climb up to Tenessee Pass, then a cruise into Leadville.

Heading up to Searle Pass

Ethan nearing Kokomo Pass in the '09 CTR

Approaching Kokomo Pass, and heading to the mountains in the distance

Jefe on a cold and wet morning in the '07 inaugural CTR

Loose and steep descent to Camp Hale - Photo Credit: Bart Spedden

After Leadville, there is only Segment 11 of singletrack before detouring again into Buena Vista.  The middle pack of the racers are currently here.  A short and steep climb on the Mt. Elbert trail is followed by great aspen filled flowy riding all the way down to Twin Lakes.  The riders are allowed to ride across the Twin Lakes Dam again, then another climb and a seemingly never-ending powerline road takes them to the steep drop into Clear Creek and the detour into B.V.

Descending to Twin Lakes

Aspen groves above Twin Lakes

The leaders are now beyond Buena Vista where the Colorado Trail really starts getting rough.  It's almost 200 miles to Silverton with no resupply once you leave the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs which means racers better really stock up on food.  The fastest guys will be 2 days for this section, while the slower riders may take 3 or 4.  So, 2-4 pounds of food per day for 4 days - the weight adds up quickly, and every pound of weight slows you down that much more for the gnarly steep climbs ahead.  This committing section will test even the burliest CTR veteran's mettle.  Good judgment, planning, preparation and experience are super important for successfully executing this leg of the race.  And as we all know, good judgment comes from experience, and experience frequently comes from... poor judgment.

Most MTB'ers know about baby-heads.  Well, here are some adult-heads on Chalk Creek Segment 14

A diamond in the rough of Chalk Creek Segment 14

Water is plentiful along the Collegiate Peaks

The 3 race leaders (Jeff K., Ethan and Jesse) have already attained the Continental Divide high above Fooses Creek where the the Colorado Trail joins the Continental Divide Trail for many miles.  This section is the very popular "Monarch Crest", often ridden as a shuttle ride from Salida.  Riding the CT from Denver instead of shuttling up Hwy. 50 is certainly the hard way to get to this gorgeous trail!  After Marshall Pass, the infamous Sargents Mesa deceptively lures in the unsuspecting racer (currently, leader Jeff Kerkove!) with its smooth forested trail and grassy meadows, only to pummel said racer immediately thereafter with loose talus riding and rocky trail so bumpy you are often walking the flats.  But at least there aren't many flats... The trail is typically heading straight up or straight down before popping out on Hwy 114.

Fast singletrack on Monarch Crest - Photo Credit: Bart Spedden

Intro to Sargents Mesa, Joe Bagley (I think) in the '09 CTR - Photo Credit: Scott Morris

Looking back towards Monarch Crest from Sargents Mesa

The fun terrain past Sargents Mesa - Photo Credit: Bart Spedden

[k2krill]

Hey all.  I was out yesterday and today and came up with these.

[Pivvay]

K's! refueling of choice for me

[mtbcast]

Cat Morrison called in from Buena Vista! And Gabe Dillon called in as he was about to head up Copper Mountain!

[darksandal]

keep posting pics. most excellent, and different scenery for those out east.
inspiring for sure. riders and the mountains.

Doug Johnson did a narrated audio-slide show for us at KRCC here in Colorado Springs that you can watch here:

http://krccnetwork.org/tbs/2010/07/28/500-miles-through-the-backcountry-on-bikes/

[Stefan_G]

Greg Bachman is out.

Hi Stefan, Greg Bachman here.  Yep, I'm out for the second year in a row.  Fell coming down Georgia, on the rocks, hurt some ribs, tried to push the bike a bit, ate some food, took some meds, still hard to breath deeply, so bailed off the west ridge above keystone and went home.  I've started to think that to go fast, and try to stay upright with a full load, a lenz milk money might be the way to go rather than a rigid karate monkey ss for someone closing in on 50.

Thanks for putting this together.  Perhaps I'll try again just on my own (July under the full moon)

peace,
greg