CTR 2013 Discussion

[mtbcast]

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!!

Glad to hear you're okay!

[Gimmearaise]

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.

It has not stopped raining here in CB for a day now, I know it's not the CT. But wow this is a never ever for me.

[aaron w]

Hey all, what a great race.  I'd like to write a few thoughts later when I'm not so tired...

Quickly though, regarding the Tarryall detour:  I loved it.  Very scenic and it was nice to stretch the legs out.  I did the first half in the sunset/dark.  Slept near the end of the construction zone.  That part rode really fast for me, not sure why I felt so great at 10:30 at night?  Then did the Hayman part in the early morning.  I hope this detour remains in the race. 

Last night being driven home to salida it rained steadily most of the way.  I was really feeling for all the racers on course, must have been a wet night.  Also going through fairplay on my way back, the town was setting off all of their 4th of July Fireworks.  I hope that some racer was up in the Kenosha Pass region enjoying the show, it was awesome! 

It was awesome to be out their talking to old friends and making new ones, I love this bikepacking community.  Cheers, Aaron W

[Twenty-niner]

What a race this year. Kudos to everyone who saddled up and had the courage to tackle it.

Big high fives and congrats to Danny and Joey, who rode solid the whole time, from what I could cipher here in Blue Dot Land. Good on ya for representing Dtown! Looking forward to getting the full download.

[Matt Schiff]

Hey all, what a great race.  I'd like to write a few thoughts later when I'm not so tired...

Quickly though, regarding the Tarryall detour:  I loved it.  Very scenic and it was nice to stretch the legs out.  I did the first half in the sunset/dark.  Slept near the end of the construction zone.  That part rode really fast for me, not sure why I felt so great at 10:30 at night?  Then did the Hayman part in the early morning.  I hope this detour remains in the race. 

good to meet you at carvers the night before.

As for the detour I'm glad Stefan left it to a vote and that's what we chose whether informed or not. I voted for it but hated the idea once I was out there that we were trading in paved miles for a detour that has, and will have ultimately 26.something paved miles. I remember when I made the left onto pavement I was confused what this was all about and once it continued on it frustrated me. It's all about expectations though. It's the same thought I'm sure goes through people's minds on sargents and cataracts when they don't expect it to go on forever. Once the sun came up the hayman part was beautiful. I think stefan is right that both routes are not ideal by any means. Guess we have to go make our own trail.

[franzr]

I have to add my favorite comment too.  On one of the most rocky parts leading to Sargents Mesa, I was riding with Ryan Franz and he says, "This part doesn't flow very well."  LOL, understatement of the year...

--Stefan

My memory, in which your reply was equally amusing:

Me: This part isn't very flowy.
You: It's the "antiflow."

My rookie experience was incredible--soul-crushing at times but overall I'd say I "enjoyed" the hell out of it. Can't imagine a better way to see the highlights of Colorado! Though not planned ahead of time, my strategy organically became quite regimented: ride 90mi, sleep 5 hours, repeat. Worked well, and was enough sleep that I never struggled with staying awake. I often saw tire tracks in front of me veering off the trail--made me feel for those pushing through the witching hour ahead of me.

Unfortunately, currently my race memories are obsessed with the Tarryall construction experience I shared with Pete Basinger. We got to the flagperson at 7:30am, then were allowed to follow the pace vehicle starting at 8am. A couple miles in, a worker with a pickup made us put our bikes in the pickup for the next 6.6mi. We voiced our desire to ride but not too adamantly so as not to be a PITA to people trying to do their job correctly. There was a lot of active large machinery--we had to wait for over 10 minutes in the pickup at one point--but man I wish we could have ridden. I know that we didn't have a choice and if anything it cost us time, but it feels like an asterisk to me, didn't truly ride the entire way! Oh well. Maybe an incentive to repeat CTR?? Wouldn't be the only incentive I suppose!

After that actually I enjoyed the Tarryall detour. I have great memories of rock climbing in the South Platte area and I loved seeing Big Rock Candy Mtn, The Castle, and other scenes of previous adventures.

I'll try and post a real writeup soon, spending time with my wife and little one right now!

Ryan Franz

[mtbcast]

Mark Caminiti called in from above Janet’s Cabin! Eric Foster called in with a finish call! He apparently got a mild concussion from the crash he had. And Bob Butrico called in to say he is OUT!
http://mtbcast.com/site2/

[dream4est]

In copper- I am having an amazing ride
It has rained for 20 hrs straight - now sunny !
I love this race- so hard yet so awesome
See y'all later

Mark c

[NT]

I met Michelle a few miles before molas pass yesterday, huge props to her for pushing on!! Tons of respect for the courage that takes. It's been dumping buckets for over 24 hours now in the silverton area. Much needed moisture but hoping it ends soon. Things are pretty soggy around here...

[Done]

I love this race- so hard yet so awesome

Mark c

Great photo, Mark. You look like someone who's been enjoying the CTR for about a week!

I'm enjoying watching your blue dot. Stay safe, and enjoy your final miles into Denver. I wish that I could have been out there with you this year!

[mtbcast]

Colorado Trail Race 2013 Day 8 True Ups!
http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/podcasts/

[desertrat]

YEAAA Forest Baker!!  Triple Crown. Done. WELL DONE!!!

[Buttermilk]

well done Triple Crowners Forest and Eric. What a great way to spend a summer.
Forest, I'll see you on Labor Day in Ca for the CSTR.

[jryter]

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!!

Jim Dirksen! What a guy! by the way there was still a lot of pushing to go... Glad your OK.

[desertrat]

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!!

VERY glad you're OK!!!  

[DanHickstein]

A trip report, of sorts:

Seeing a series of four headlamps (Dave, Erin, Jason, and Paul) climbing Segment 1 up from the South Platte River last night around 11 pm, it seems that a local homeowner thought that the lights belonged to lost hikers and called the local sheriff. Of course, by the time he showed up, the others were well up the hillside and the sheriff found me, sitting down by the river, having stuffed four Kebler Pepper-Jack Sandwich Crackers into my mouth (in the interest of efficiency), my gear strewn along the side of the river (in an effort to find the water filter, which is somehow always at the bottom of the pack), trying to work a clogged-up water filter pump with my knees while flipping through the trail databook with my hands.

After blasting me with his spotlight for an uncomfortably long period of time without saying anything, he steps out of his car and asks the usual cop-question, “What are you doing?”

When talking to a police officer, there is always an implied obligation to offer the whole truth, so I considered replying with: “I’m trying to consume my 6,000th calorie today, drink some of this delicious stream water, and take a break from riding through heavy rain and fog so thick that I had to walk my bike at times because I couldn’t see three feet in front of my face. The ride started almost 7 days ago, preceded by the consumption of delicious breakfast-brick served up at Carver’s that must have consisted of at least 10 eggs. Nearly every waking hour for the past week has been spent riding, pushing, or carrying my bicycle. At night I’ve been crawling under trees and falling asleep with my rain clothes on. I’ve been subsisting on an assortment of junk foods, mostly peanut M&M’s, Twizzlers, and Snickers, but the biscuits and gravy at Jan’s in Buena Vista, the nachos at the Tennessee Pass Cafe in Leadville, the “bacon cheeseburger mac-n-cheese” at Copper, and the lifesaving hamburger at the Stagestop Saloon on Tarryall road, all count among the best meals that I’ve ever tasted. My front tire is going flat, I’ve got almost no brake-pads left, and the bolt holding my dropout onto the frame is just barely hanging on after a late-night repair (aren’t singlespeeds supposed to be more reliable?). My body is in an equally abused and battered condition to my bike. The last time that I did laundry, it was in a sink. Everything I’m carrying is dirty. And Wet. But I’m glad that I’m here.”

But, since I had to shout over a raging river to be heard, I decided to keep things simple. After hastily swallowing some half-chewed crackers, I yelled: “I’m riding my bicycle!”

I immediately realized that this might seem suspicious, because it was 11:30 at night, and because I had left my bike in the bushes, where the sheriff could probably not see it. Also, I expected that this would lead to a lot of follow-up questions like: “Why are you riding a bicycle this late?”, “Why are you riding a bicycle this far?”,  “If you’ve already ridden your bicycle this far two times before, why would you want to do it again?”, and “If a 1x11 setup offers all the reliability and weight-savings of a singlespeed, why wouldn’t you just run that and save yourself some hike-a-bike on the steeps and a lot of spinning out on the road sections?”

Luckily, this cop really understood the core mantra of an endurance race like this and didn’t slow me down with any bullshit questions. In response to “I’m riding my bicycle.” He thought about it, and yelled back: “Okay. That’s fine. Just keep going.”

So, I’m very impressed with the Jefferson Country Sheriffs Office and their staff’s deep grasp of ultra-endurance mountain bike racing. When provided with the opportunity, many cops would offer superficial advice like “Remember to keep your weight centered on the bicycle.”, “Eat a good balance of foods to keep your energy up.”, or “Camping is not allowed by the river here.”

But no. This cop cut straight to the core of things. If it’s midnight, pouring rain, and you’re trying to finish a 540 mile race, there is really only one piece of advice you need. “Just keep going.”

So that’s what I did. 6 days, 22 hours, 34 mins. Half a day faster than last year even with the scenic gravel grind.

--

Also, did anyone else think it was awesome that the owner of the Stagestop Saloon (on Tarryall Road) was super excited about the race? He was following it on trackleaders and it seemed like he knew the names of most of the racers and he could tell you the splits of how long it took people to reach Denver from his shop. He said that he even let some of the racers camp next to the store. I’m guessing that this will be a popular place for racers (and fans??) in future years if the Tarryall detour stays.

Oh, and it was great riding with you Jason! I'll give you a holler when we're heading up to South Dakota!

--

And now for some photos:


Ryan Franz tackles the breakfast-brick at Carver's.


Start of the race in Durango!


Stefan Griebel enjoys the singletrack after Kennebec Pass.


Pushing up Segment 23 outside of Silverton.


Sink-laundry in Leadville.


Jason in the early morning near Tennessee Pass with ~35 degree temps.


The sweet descent off Searle Pass and into Copper Mountain.


My trusty steed on top of Georgia Pass


2:35 AM finish at Waterton. Thanks to Dave for the photo!

It was a great ride!

Dan

[Kallus]

Kudos to...
-All the Riders for being courageous enough to start this race. Special props to those who endured hail, altitude sickness, concussions, & more.
-All the folks who looked after riders who were temporarily unaccounted for - or who needed extra care.
-Stefan for organizing
-Joe for MTBCast
-Photographers who shared photos of the route >12K!

Attaching some shots from tonight in Waterton. Forest & Scott were greeted by Andrew, Jason T., Paul, Matt & others who came back out to the finish line to watch them finish. Cowbell & finish-line tape included. Nice homecoming & tailgate!

[joeydurango]

Back in Durango.  What a ride!  Congrats to everyone who started, everyone who's finished, and everyone who will finish!  Thanks for coming into Velorution Cycles the week before the race - it was great to meet so many of you.

My second CTR was more like a CTR(T) - a Colorado Trail Race (Tour).  Pulling into Silverton on Sunday night, I was faced with a decision - push over 23/22 in the moonlight and go for 32 hours with no sleep, or slow down and crash in the city park?  A customer of ours SPOT-stalked us in Silverton and told us that Jesse had been there six hours prior - and that's when I decided that I personally didn't want to torture myself that much just to watch Jesse, Jefe, Schiff, et al duke it out hours/days from where I was.  So instead, I decided to ride with my good friend Danny - and we had an awesome time.  We pushed ourselves hard every day but didn't overdo it - about 19-20 hours a day on the bike.  I took lots of photos.  We ate a bunch of food.  And lo, it was badass.

Opposite direction?  I personally think it's more difficult on net.  The HUGE climb out of Durango, all the stuff leading up to Sargents Mesa proper (and you thought it couldn't get any worse!), Kokomo Pass, and the Ten Mile Range stick out as much tougher in this direction to me.  Then again, there's the sections that are so much more fun north-bound: Coney (22), Fooses (wicked fun!), everything between HWY 50 and Camp Hale.

As for Tarryall - man, that sucked.  But I did vote for it, and I will vote again to keep it.  Terrible?  Yup.  But more in keeping with the rest of the race, and it's nice that the CTF Databook now matches the race course exactly.  And I might not think it quite so terrible if it weren't for that construction we had to slog across, or for the consistent headwind that made pedaling downhill on pavement at 12mph seem difficult, or for the rocks near the end that kept creeping across the road animatedly when I was delirious and just ready to be done with Tarryall.  When gravel roads come alive, it's time to go to bed, unless you're Jefe or Jesse of course.

By the way, you two - amazing efforts.  Even the small bits of info I gleaned from other people while out there made it obvious that it was an incredible race.

Photos later.  Cheers!

[Shirey]

Scott Shirey here... came in last night at 2:15am for a 7day-22hr-15min finish.

Geez, that was hard.

I'll try to come up with something more profound later.

[GrizzlyAdam]

I'm back in the office, where instead of "CTR finisher", I'm just "the guy that took a week off." But what a week! It was great getting to meet and ride (hike) with so many of you.