CTR 2013 Discussion

[gdillon]

One photo under 1000k on top of Georgia Pass.  Anyone know how to reduce the size of photos off my cell phone?

[mtbcast]

Hey all. Rode Kenosha to Georgia pass today. Saw 7 riders, talked to Nate, Brady, Danny, Joey, and dude in the yellow jersey on top that I can't remember your name. My pictures were too big to download, so I will post them up if I can figure out how to decrease the size.

If you're on a Windows machine, go download IrfanView. (Just be sure and uncheck the box to install the Google Toolbar.)It's a great app for manipulating images and it's free.

On a Mac, Preview will let you resize images under Tools -> Adjust Size.

[gdillon]

Couple other pics from yesterday.  Thanks, Joe.  I was trying to work off an ipad, but the computer made it much easier.  First pic is of Nate.  The next one is Danny and Joey.  Brady-- yours didn't take!  Looks like these folks are going to finish up today!!

[desertrat]

One photo under 1000k on top of Georgia Pass.  Anyone know how to reduce the size of photos off my cell phone?

Couple other pics from yesterday.  Thanks, Joe.  I was trying to work off an ipad, but the computer made it much easier.  First pic is of Nate.  The next one is Danny and Joey.  Brady-- yours didn't take!  Looks like these folks are going to finish up today!!

On an iPad or iPhone, if you mail the picture to yourself, it asks you the size you'd like it to have.  You can downsize that way as well. 

[desertrat]

Ran into Forest Baker heading up Tenmile around 6pm today. Looking strong and all smiles. AZTR, TD, and now CTR, that man is one tough dude! Congrats to the finishers and the folks still out there!

 

[jherget]

Good Day!
I am not much of a social networker, but felt compelled to post a small blurb about my attempt to complete this endeavor.

Soo...How does a person who lives in a country of 300 million people guarantee himself that he will meet 80+ wonderful human beings?

He attempts to ride the CTR.

Thanks to all of you for everything you do, and I look forward to giving this another go next year.  What a learning experience.

Best of luck to all,
John Herget

[jakomait]

Here is a write up of my week in Paradise:

It was another unique experience out on the Colorado Trail.  After 4 years of riding the CTR this was the first year I saw another rider every day.  It made the trail feel a little less remote and made it easier to remember this was a race and my competitors never sleep.  Literally!  Jefe is a burley individual that has the biggest mental capacity to overcome crippling fatigue by charging forward.  Relentlessly charging forward.  Always.  I never felt like I was racing him as much as we were both racing the never ending trail and just happened to be doing it at the same time.  I knew he would push farther into the night than I was capable of and accepted the time loss.  It was my goal to sleep less than last years’ 4 hours per night strategy to push my own limits but I would reach a point each night were I couldn’t see straight.  Taking a caffeine gel would have no affect at all to perk me up and I reached a point where I couldn’t even ride straight enough to stay on a 2 lane gravel road.  Last year I tried 5 hour energy shots but they only seemed to help for about 30 seconds then it was gone!  Fortunately my sleeping bag gave me a little safe place to recharge for a few hours then I’d get back in the groove hoping the rest would keep me riding faster to catch back up.

Day 1 was just a great day to roost some world class trails all the way to Silverton.  Maybe I went a little too hard considering how much I still had to go but it was too fun to ease up.  Fortunately the side effect was my pacing, by pure luck, kept me out of any rain what so ever for the first 3 days.  My first struggle of the race was dealing with Stony Pass lugging up a bike that was bloated with way too many frozen burritos, poptarts and jerky.  I barely made all the food fit and it took everything I had to keep my little 28t XX1 ring turning up that bastard Stony Pass road.  I was even heckled by a jeeper going down that I needed a motor!  At least he passed by me while I was still actually pedaling.

By midnight at Carson saddle I had zero coordination left and crawled into my sleeping bag for a few hours of rest.  I was not surprised to wake up to tire tracks in front of me but I was surprised to find this night crawler only a few hours into the day blazing down the dirt road off the side of Slumgullion with the morning sun burning out our eyes.  Wow that road is fun backwards!  The day continued on with me and Jefe constantly passing each other as we were respected our own systems and timing for water stops and gear adjustments.  An observer might have thought we were two antisocial dicks stuck in the same room trying to avoid each other but we both have done this enough to know coordinating pee breaks wont help us get to Denver any faster!  

The next challenge was dealing with the searing heat at Lajun trailhead all the way to Sargents Mesa.  I thought that trail was bad the normal way but it’s even worse backwards!  Stumbling through the rocks I was passed by a through hiker who had already through hiked to Durango and flipped a U turn and was heading back to Denver!  Me and Jefe managed to average a wopping 3.5 miles an hour for 6 hours to get through that but fortunately the idea of bombing down the descent to Tanks Seven kept me motivated to not sit on a stump and cry at how futile this seemed.

Waking up the next morning at the bottom of Fooses I was shocked to find my big toe wouldn’t move and was scratching my head as to how the hell I was going to get my shoe on.  I kept trying to find the right angle to slide it on and started wondering if I could pedal barefoot!  I must have mashed it on a rock hiking the day before and hated life so bad I didn’t even notice.  It was really tender to the touch but when I pulled on it nothing seemed broken so I took a deep breath and shoved my foot in the shoe.  Stepping down in my stiff mtb shoe I was relieved to not feel much at all and clipped in trying once again to find the source of the Crossmark tread in the soil in front of me.  Good trails brought high motivation and after I hit Mt. Princeton around 8:30am on Tuesday I dumped a big bag of food I was no longer friends with and fueled up with a pound of gummie bears and big ambition to make it to Leadville before the bike shop closed.  By the end of the race all I want is to live off of Perpetum and it’s the only place on the course to get more.  With so many good miles of trail between here and there it was a challenge I was up for and made it to my target with a slight ten minutes to spare.  Loaded up with a big stash of food in my Bedrock bags I had my best guess of what I needed to make it to the end without any more stops.  Hitting Wurtz Ditch I was a little apprehensive to this chunk of trail over to Camp Hale cause it seemed pretty hard the normal way but it just turned out to be one big climb.  Backwards was totally rad!  Trails like that I was so glad for my Reverb.  I dropped my seat and raced a gang of locals out for a dusk ride tearing up my cornering knobs all the way down to Camp Hale.  I can’t get my bloated bike off the ground but with so much weight on my handlebars it corners like a champ and it’s so fun to put that to good use.  

Leaving copper at 4 am after another few short hours of sleep I once again merged in with Jefe as he was just getting up from a quick nap and we both struggled up the Tenmile range.  Crawling up this steep sidecut trail made me think how dangerous it would be to go down.  Then I realized I’ve ridden down this sucker 3 times in the dark!  Wow, ignorance is bliss!  Back near civilization at Goldhill TH both Jefe and I were emerging out of our hole of apathy and were rejuvenated by the warming sun.  We both started trucking over to Swan River but then promptly fell back into our hole of apathy when cold rain chilled us as we started our way up to Georgia pass and then once again at Kenosha where a second wave of the storm washed over us.  

Into the Terryall tractor pull detour we did our best to pretend not to know the old route and pushed into the night.  It was around here that we were now in a race against each other and I tried so hard to ride through the night knowing Jefe would probably not stop.  Delirious with fatigue I struggle to stay on the dirt road and after a half an hour of swerving all over I prepared to cut my losses and stash myself under a tree for 90 minutes after setting my alarm.  I woke not to an alarm but to a bright sky and freaked out!  Scrambling to my feet I looked for my watch and saw it was still the middle of the night and my alarm hadn’t yet gone off.  The moon was just now peeking through the clouds and lit the land up so much I thought it was the morning sun.  Panic over I was still in the game but I knew I had time to make up.  Unsure if I could catch him I packed up my gear one last time and charged to the finish to give the trail everything I had.  I almost mentally cracked again at 3am struggling to keep my eyes open and steer my bike straight.  After slapping my face and pinching my arms I settle on a new technique of having a very loud conversation with myself to keep my brain from clocking out.  Insanity must be close!  Fortunately at 3:13am I finally hit the singletrack at Buffalo Creek and found enough buzz in the flowing corners to keep my eyes open till the sun took over.  The trail kept encouraging me to pin it in the perfect damp dirt.  As the sun rose I found myself drifting down swoopy turns into the South Platte Canyon felling so lucky to be out here in the mountains free to do what I enjoy most, careening down a perfect ribbon of trails at whatever capacity I desire.  Such a simple life on the Colorado Trail, it’s why I keep coming back for more!

Hitting the river I had one last climb that my body was more than happy to make quick work of pedaling all the way then another fun descent down into the final road and out to the trailhead.  I was fully spent and proud to cover all that ground as fast as I could.  Huge props to Jefe for another outstanding performance on the biggest mtb course in the universe.  And for everyone else who has the guts to even start this beast, you all are amazing and I hope you have the adventure of a lifetime.

Giver Skidoo,

Jesse Jakomait

[cable_actuated]

Hey, this is Ben Gannon checking in with my final assessment of the ride.

I finished last night (Fri 7/26) at 9:22 pm. From trackleaders it looks like I came in between Pete Basinger and Aaron Johnson.

I had a great time and felt like I got really strong near the end of the race. I went spotless because I didn't get a chance to train for the race due to work-related travel this summer and knew I wouldn't be in "contention for the win" (yeah right, who can even compete with those guys) or even that I could throw down anything near a race-worthy time. My mindset was to do a fast and efficient tour to try and finish in the week I was able to get off of work.

1) Kit: I've toured parts of the CT with traditional bikepacking setups (framebag, big seatbag, and big handlebar bag) and while I enjoyed the experience I hated the riding. I'm a small guy (5'6" 125lbs) and having that much weight both high and towards the ends made my bike handle like crap (tippy, awkward to turn, awkward to do step-ups or step-downs). I designed my bags this year around getting my weight low and centered to maximize ride quality...because the point of doing the CTR is to enjoy riding the trail! It worked. I kept the bike simple (BB7s, XC32 coil-sprung fork, 1x9 drivetrain, square taper cranks, platform pedals...probably the cheapest bike in the whole race) and didn't have any mechanicals.

2) Trail: I'm an optimist so I had pictured in my head that the southern half of the trail would be awesome, buff singletrack even though I had read tons of accounts that it wasn't. The southern half of the trail was hard, but not impossible, and some sections were actually easier than I had heard (Sargents Mesa is bad, but not that bad). The hardest part about the Durango start was the immediate elevation gain. I really felt the altitude. It might be harder in the northbound direction for this reason alone. The northern half of the trail has some of the best biking segments (Leadville, Buffalo Creek) but it also has some serious slogs (Searl and Kokomo, 10 Mile, Georgia Pass). It was interesting to see how some sections I knew from the other direction and thought would suck, weren't that bad, and some that I thought would be easy, were actually pretty tough.

3) People: Where were they? I barely saw anyone on the trail after the first day and when I did it was usually just a short, awkward acknowledgement of each other's presence (though I'm sure I didn't help this at all either). If I do the race again I'm definitely going to try to find a ride buddy with a similar time goal in mind. I definitely prefer a social bike tour compared to the race atmosphere.

4) Sleep: I slept every night and for at least 6 hours. I'm pretty sure I passed everyone back the next day who passed me in the middle of the night while I was sleeping and I don't think anyone who rode through the night looked like they were having a good time the next day. I know some people might deal well without sleep, but my personal experience and observations suggest that you should sleep during the race...unless you're one of the top dawgs.

5) Weather: The one time I got really down during the race was on Thursday evening. I had just passed Hwy 9 at around 3pm when it started to rain. I welcomed the rain because it had been really hot coming down Gold Hill and I thought a good afternoon thunderstorm would cool things off. Four hours later, when it finally stopped raining, I was cold, tired, and behind my pace for the day. Using pure will-power alone I slogged my way up-and-over the slippery roots of Georgia Pass and re-collected myself over a thawed frozen burrito at the bottom by Guernsey Creek. I convinced myself to keep going to Kenosha Pass and pushed at least half of what should be a bikeable ascent. Halfway to Kenosha, some dude on an Ibis Mojo passed me like a total badass carrying almost nothing with him (gastank and small backpack?). I was destroyed physically and mentally. Sleep saved me. On Friday I awoke feeling fresh, and then pushed all the way to Waterton with only a 57 minute stay in the Taryall Penalty Box. I'm lucky to have outrun as many storms as I did because I wouldn't have kept the pace I did if had been stormed on like this every day.   

Will I do the race again next year? I'm not sure. I know I could go a lot faster if I got some on-the-bike training and kicked it up to race pace, but I'm not sure I have the ability to deprive myself of enough sleep to ride with the big boys. We'll see what I feel like next summer.

Thanks to Stefan and all the other people who made this event happen. I had an awesome first CTR. Also, congrats to Jefe and Jesse for destroying us all. Now to obsessively watch Teresa Garcia's pink dot...

- Ben

[Matt]

If anyone doesn't know, Nic Handy (just strolled thru Durango) is not stopping there. His final destination is Lake Tahoe. Go Nic!
Congrats to all who have finished and keep trucking for all of those still out there!

[wookieone]

Hello everyone!
Just got home from the front range and my first access to a computer.
I am worked, still worked, tired, sore.
It was a tough race, the reverse made the first day brutal, but it was also lovely out there. The flowers were making me giddy even as my body was gripped with exhaustion. There was some seriously fun riding on the way to silverton, so fun. After that it was into the pain cave for me. I pushed 44 hours from the start without sleep making it all the way to the bottom of Fooses before laying down for 1.5 hours. Just wanted to get ahead of Jesse and put a gap on everyone else. Was not a smart move as I battled the sleep monsters for the rest of the ride, it was so hard to keep my eyes open, focused, my energy positive. But I do love such a challenge, so I kept it up even when it seemed fruitless. Like when Jesse caught me in Leadville, I knew it was over for me, there was no way I could edge him out. He was too fast, to focused, I was toast.
Slept again going up Kokomo Pass, for about :45 minutes, again at Copper for :25 minutes. Was struggling big time, but still kept running into and almost keeping up with JJ, but he was sleeping more, riding and esp. descending faster?!

Then Tarryall, oh how we CTR racers love thee!? Was trying so hard to keep the pedals turning, to stay ahead of who knew behind me, to keep up with Jesse, to try to get close to 4 days. Was low on food, scary low. Was popping caffeine pills, caffeine gels, 5 hour energy, still I would blink and wake up with my front wheel drifting across the road, sketchy shit. So I slept for 10 minutes, got up and rallied to the singletrack. The first section was awesome, I flowed, I flew, The second section I was scared, I almost killed myself riding off the road. I was getting angry, mad for not being done yet. I kept flushing the negative thoughts away, kept focusing, trying to hammer. I was so sure Jesse was in front, I just wanted to be done. I slept again after crossing the road into Buffalo Creek, no bivie, just laid on the ground, didn't even get to set my alarm and fell asleep. Woke up a half hour later, go up and flew down the trail. Get "er Done damn it!

I ate my last calories as I crossed the South Platte, a Gu Roctane, I was so hungry, but it worked and I pushed, pedaled and forced myself to the end. So happy to see the end, found out I passed Jesse in the early morning and I had won. Didn't feel like I really won and it still doesn't. Hard to put into words. But it becomes a battle with yourself, with your own body, with the trails, with your own mind. Sure I was trying to go faster than everyone else, but it was more motivation to see what I could do. It is all about pushing the limits of what we see as being possible. Never stop trying!
Big thanks to all who helped me out, Team Griggs Orthopedics, such a great group of bikers/people, Rock N Roll Sports, another wonderful  family of mine. My dog sitter friends for putting up with my crazy dogs while I was gone. My Mom, for picking me up at the finish and driving me home. Stefan for masterminding this madness. And a huge thanks to all of you who line up for these crazy events year after year, who keep trying, dreaming, exploring, never stop living your dreams!
Jefe
 

[Danno]

Loving the recaps, cool to get the different perspectives.  Props to all you guys.

[sj]

Great job to all those who dared to try this!  Doing that many miles, that high up is beyond my comprehension.  Doing it in the times that have been posted is even more amazing!!!

[Gimmearaise]

damn, I forgot to mention for any one around the trail near Brec. I left my sunglasses just off the trail north of tiger road. I know its a long shot but I left them in a group of three large pine trees on the right side of the trail (northbound). I biked to the finish with out shades and it really sucked... especially when 50mph winds and sideways hail came in the Hayman burn area.

[mtbcast]

Aaron Weinsheimer called in from the finish!
http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/ctr13/

[JosiahM]

Had to postpone itt start till either tomorrow afternoon or Monday morning.

[Johnny_mtb]

Forest Baker/s spot is still just East of Breck for 9.5 hours now. Wonder if his batteries ran out?
I'm sure he is up by Scott Ruff if his spot is acting up. We all three traded positions until yesterday when I dropped out in Leadville with a hurt knee.
Michelle DuLieu made it to Silverton! Wonder if she will continue?

[DaNM]

It's all a big lie, like landing on the moon, yea right is this the Internet or what?

[Matt Schiff]

Drove home this evening along I-70 with two hours of heavy rain. No lightning at least. I feel bad for anyone out with no shelter.

[sanjuanrider]

Congratulations to my friends Paul Bosworth and Jason Thorman for finishing early this morning. It looks like it must have been a rain soaked ride for the last 30 miles.

Just under a 7 day finish for these guys is just as amazing to me as the winner in 4 days. You guys are awesome.

Good luck to the remainder of the pack still pushing hard out there. For all the people watching this from their computers I'm here too say these guys/gals still on the trail are not slackers. They are riding as hard as they can and continuing to endure lack of food, a good nights sleep, and pure fatigue.   Keep rolling hard guys and gals that are still out there "slaying the beast".

[BuffCreekGirl]

Hey all,

Jarmila Gorman here, safe n sound albeit bummed... I've decided to scratch because I smacked my head pretty hard coming down Sargent and ended up with a mild concussion and whiplash, leaving me unable to be on the bike for more than 2-3 mins at a time. I made it out to Rte 50 to hitch a ride to Salida - and Jim Dirksen picked me up and drove me all the way home!!!

What an adventure. I was sooooo looking forward to the fun sections of the race, after all that brutal pushing. So glad to have been a part of it and wish the remaining active riders the best of luck!!