CTR 2013 Discussion

[Danno]

It's almost mystical how much this race captivates me every year.  As an avid mountain biker who has biked some of the sections, it's a race that I can identify with in some fashion, I can visualize what these riders are doing, even as the efforts are superhuman and ridiculously beyond anything I can comprehend.  And that's part of the wonder of it, that I have this little window into a very solitary, non-publicized, yet truly remarkable bit of athleticism and endurance.  I really can't express how incredible I think this event is, and how amazed and stunned I am every year at the finish times of even the middle of the pack riders, let alone the jaw dropping times of the winners.

Congratulations, you are all winners, and thank you for letting me get a peak into it and feel a part of it every year.

[Nancy]

Ditto, Danno! Beautifully said.

[Done]

Wow, great vibes this year. Truly awesome that so many racers sharing their stories. I'm really looking forward to getting back out there in 2014.

[Herb]

Such epic tails I have read on this amazing race. Each one of your write-ups are so inspiring they are compelling me to give this race a go. Thanks to all the competitors for the stunning pictures and nail biting stories of courage and endurance. Congratulations to all and especially my buddies from Nor Cal, Will and Brue who stayed on-point and finished strong. I would love to hear your stories as well. I wish you all a speedy recovery!

[nepbug]

Chrissy arrived at Kenosha Pass about 30 minutes ago.  This is about 12 hours slower than I expected out of her.

She stopped early yesterday, which is uncharacteristic of her.

All of this makes me think that the adventure race took a little bigger toll on energy levels than she at first thought.

If she can make it through the first few days I'm sure her body will get right back in the groove and start hitting a good pace.

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[Woodland]

Chrissy arrived at Kenosha Pass about 30 minutes ago.  This is about 12 hours slower than I expected out of her.

I thought she was plugging along pretty well :-)

Probably underestimated the Tarryall detour...I can't wait to slog around in the sand out there tomorrow!

[mtnbound]

I recall reading somewhere in these posts that Tarryall would probably take around 10-12 hours (SB), which seems pretty reasonable considering 70 road miles with plenty of dirt and sand roads, some steep uphills and plenty of overall elevation gain, plus 5 miles of singletrack (which alone might take an hour).  Of course, there may be a small stop at the Stagestop Saloon!  Going SB, I don't think too many will make it to Kenosha the first night, unless they are in the top of the field or are arriving after midnight (assuming start time around 5 or 6 am). 

Chrissy rode Tarryall in about 12 hours (6 hrs yesterday and 6 hours today), so I think she is plugging along pretty well also.  However, the adventure race may be taking its toll. 

Josiah Morgan is plugging along pretty well too.  He has really been picking up the pace in the last few days, riding until 2 or 3 am and starting again at 7 am.  Good luck to both Chrissy and Josiah!  And good luck to Woodland too! 

[THE LONG RANGER]

Going SB, I don't think too many will make it to Kenosha the first night, unless they are in the top of the field or are arriving after midnight (assuming start time around 5 or 6 am).

My experience going SOBO: I made it to Kenosha at ~ 9:15pm, on a 4:00am start. It's a lot of track to cover, but the single track is very smooth, and the road is doable, if you have enough water. None of the route was virgin ground, for me - I knew where to grab water, what to expect in terms of terrain, etc. BIG help!

[nepbug]

I really think the adventure race might only affect day one and two for Chrissy, after that it's even money for the most part.

I'm interested to see if she pushes over ten mile before stopping tonight.  She knows how much that section hurts and will be anxious to get it behind her.

I was up at Kenosha last night from 11 pm -1 am in case Chrissy showed up so I could provide conversation for the push over Georgia.  Of course, all I did was cat nap in my car.  It was pretty wet up there.

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[schillingsworth]

It's really good to see Josiah knockin' it out, he had quite a stomach battle during the short time I rode with him during the AZT300.

We're trying to get in touch with Mark to see what's going on. He had reservations about his knee holding up going into the CTR, hopefully he is simply taking a break and will get after it soon enough.

He's a tough hombre. At first we joked about his back-tracking the other day 'probably going back so he could clean a section of trail!!' Keep at it Mark!!

[Buttermilk]

Glad folks are still on the trail and moving along.
Huge props for Michelle D. for getting back on the CTR one more time. She has the tenacity to finish this thing...hope she has the time.

[tetontodd]

Good vibes and hopefully good weather to all the riders still on the CT getting after it!

This year was special!

 I want to chime in and send tons of stoke to all the guys I rode with this year starting from the top: Gannon, AJ, Schuester, Spencer, Robinson, Stewart, Kee, Fusco, Ernst, Powers, Weinsheimer, Hopkins, Hemperly, Noble, Ian Altman(MY Hero), Foster and Paul Bosworth!!

These boys gave me energy when there was none to be found! What a great adventure!
I will post a write-up as the weekend closes, I returned to Jackson after the race to a happy family and tons of window washing.... No rest for the wicked!!

[nepbug]

Chrissy passed the point of no return for ten mile, looks like she's electing to push over it in the dark.  That's a good sign for energy levels!

That descent off the top won't be fun in the dark though.

[nepbug]

Michelle D. has gone off course to get to Gunnison.  That's a pretty sizeable detour, I doubt it was just so she could have a warm bed and meal tonight, I wonder if she's calling it quits or taking a day to assess things before pushing on.  We'll watch the dot and see.

[Gimmearaise]

My race report, man I cant wait till next year!!!!
http://gimmearaise.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-colorado-trail-race-2013-race-report.html

[markphx]

We're trying to get in touch with Mark to see what's going on. He had reservations about his knee holding up going into the CTR, hopefully he is simply taking a break and will get after it soon enough.

I had to bail. From the start, I was developing two decent size blisters on my heels from HAB'n in my Specialized Rime shoes. The walk up Stony Pass sealed my fate. Not only did the blisters on my feet reach full potential, the bottom of my feet became badly bruised. I woke up on Wednesday morning near Carson Saddle with all of the toes in my left foot completely numb, indicating nerve damage of some sort. I managed to knock out Segment 22 but my feet were just killing me on the Jarosa Mesa HAB. I met back up with Josiah at Spring Creek and he mentioned wanting to push on at a faster pace. I gave it a shot, but came to the realization on the La Garita Wilderness Bypass that I didn't want to risk permanent damage to my feet because I knew that the Sargents Mesa, Searle/Kokomo, Tenmile, and Georgia HAB's lied ahead.

I pedaled to Creede, got a meal, and slept off of this dirt road outside of town. I pedaled to Pagosa Springs on Thursday and got a ride to La Plata County Airport from there, where I rented a car and drove back to Phoenix on Thursday night. I'm glad I pulled the plug because my toes are still slightly numb and both of my feet are still swollen.

I completed the CTR last year (SoBo) and I have to say that the NoBo direction is exponentially more difficult. The altitude and HAB were absolutely brutal. It's a shame I had to bail because my mind started coming back around after the Stony Pass HAB. When I return, I'll be sure to bring my tried and trued Pearl Izumi Alp-X's.

[markphx]

It's really good to see Josiah knockin' it out, he had quite a stomach battle during the short time I rode with him during the AZT300.

Super proud of my amigo Josiah! This ride is coming together nicely for this dude. After battling brutal stomach issues on a 2012 CTR ITT attempt and this year's AZT 300, it looks like the bikepacking gods have granted mercy and safe passage on him. Copper Mountain became a time vortex for him, but he escaped and knocked out the Tenmile HAB today. I'll bet he pushes for Kenosha (if not farther) tonight. Looks like he's in for a late Sunday night finish or an early Monday morning finish. Keep at it kid.

[franzr]

Finally got my pictures up. Hope to get my writeup done soon! Not a lot of other riders in these, but have at least one each of Dan Hickstein, Aaron Johnson, and Pete Basinger. Great riding with all of you!

https://plus.google.com/photos/102061043430286305022/albums/5907743940103323153?authkey=CIqtkcfXqeWo9QE

[nepbug]

Chrissy texted me from Copper today and I just read them.  She said she was excited to get some hot food there and that she hasn't been eating enough, but is turning around.  She said that ten-mile still sucks doing it at night and the descent sucked too.

She didn't like that today was the start of the Copper Triangle ride, crowds everywhere.  She also said she hopes to make BV tonight.  Looking at her current position at near Twin Lakes I think that is a possibility. 

She'll probably be rolling into BV at 12:30 or 1 a.m., by my rough armchair guess.  Her good progress today is a great sign that she's getting into the groove and doing much better than she was last year.

[RonDog]

Super proud of my amigo Josiah!

He's now cruising the fun part. We saw him Wed while having a lunch break on the side of Cathedral Rd. He stopped to chat but when we mentioned that Apple served us a root beer float an hour ago, all he could say was "Gotta go!"