Gunnison Growler 2013

This past Memorial Day weekend, 700 racers filled the Gunnison Valley for the Gunnison Growler. The Growler has been around for 6 years now and every year becomes more and more popular. The race is held at Hartman's Rocks, and is sure to test anyone's ability. There are two races, the 32 mile race, which was held on Saturday, and the 64 mile race held on Sunday. Each year the tough course rotates directions from clockwise to counter-clockwise. This year happened to be the faster (clockwise) direction.

This was my first race on Team GO (Griggs Orthopedics).  I felt the pressure in the days leading up to the race, but that was expected. Not only that, but my legs were not feeling 100 percent after I raced the Kokopelli Trail the previous weekend.

I woke to my alarm at 5:00am, after a decent night sleep. For breakfast I made some bacon and eggs. Stew Gross and I made our way down to Gunnison shortly after eating. I was pretty nervous. I knew I would feel better once on the trail. After getting changed and packing my food in my jersey, I was ready. We all piled in on the street in downtown Gunnison just waiting for the shotgun start, singling the neutral roll out to Hartman's.

It was cold but I knew I would heat up fast. Bikers were rubbing tires jocking for a good position on the road. Once we reached the entrance to Hartman's, everyone took off and it was complete chaos. The narrow road created a bottle neck. I wanted to keep to the left as there were no washboards on that part of "Kill Hill." Later in the race Troy kept saying local knowledge is to our benefit. This was one example of that. I got up "Kill Hill" and noticed not many riders behind me. I was at the tail end of the leaders group.

I was thinking my pace was too hard, but I just kept pushing. Josho's, Sea of sage, Skyline, and down to Bambis. After completing the difficult Skull Pass section, I made my way back up to the first feed zone. I was greeted with a platter of food, bacon, bananas and Honey Stinger gummies. The support crews were overwhelmingly helpful. Rhett was all over the place... Skull Pass-Base Area-Skull Pass...that is true dedication. I changed out my bottles grabbed some bacon and got going toward Enchanted Forest. Ochs would soon pass and eventually Troy as I rode solo through Dave Moes, Josies, and Gateway.  I reached the Top Of The World/Ridge intersection when I noticed Evan pumping up his tire that was giving him some issues. I rode through the Ridge like a sloth and made my way down Collarbone.

I reached the second GO feed tent. I knew there were a bunch of GO riders ahead of me so we all must have kept the the support crew pretty busy. I was in and out quickly, knowing one of the hardest climbs lie ahead, Backbone to The Notch. This is when my legs succumbed to the pain for the first time. I got off my bike on the sandy Backbone climb and hopped back on for The Notch. There were some fun spectators at the Beck's junction which gave me a bit of a boost. It wasn't over yet as we then had to climb up Rattle Snake, brutal.

By this point everyone was a good distance apart, which was nice. Josho's, Broken Shovel, Skyline, and back down to Bambi's. The course was pretty beat up and dusty after the race on Saturday and the first lap of Sunday. The climb out of Bambi's was tough and Evan passed me. I was determined to stay on his wheel. I again made it to Skull Pass as the heat of the day started to crank up. The climb from the bottom was painful and I started to cramp up. I reached the feed zone and had to get off my bike and get some fluids in me. The support crew, again, was super helpful and made sure I didn't stay too long.

I felt refreshed, I downed a banana, some gummies and had two fresh bottles for the finish.  Evan was still in sight which was my driving force not to let go. I reached the Josie's climb when I saw Jefe. He was behind me as my legs started to fade fast. He caught me at the Gateway trail junction. I knew it was the final stretch but when he mentioned it I picked up my pace a little bit. The Cokes our supporters were handing out were adding up and giving me an extra boost.

I saw some other riders ahead and passed them just before The Ridge, that was such a confidence booster. The finish line was near as I suffered up The Ridge, exhausted and cramping. My legs wanted to stop as I started to climb out of Tailpipe. The cramping got worse and worse, but I was so close. I made it to the top and cruised down Collarbone with feelings of joy running through me, I had finished.

Team GO killed it. Brian Smith took 3rd (5:02:15) and only 7 seconds back from the winner Kalan Beisel. Brian Dillon took 4th (5:07:52) and 1st in the 20-29 class. Dave Ochs crushed the single speed class and was 13th overall with a time of 5:37:27 . Troy Hiatte placed 12th at 5:36:50 and Stew Gross rounded up the top 15 with a time of 5:43:07. The rest of the men placed in the top 25 with Jefe Branham in 21st (5:47:54), Evan Ross at 23rd (5:48:55), and myself at 24th (5:49:59). The women slayed the course with Janae Pritchette winning the ladies class at 6:14:05 and Jari Kirkland right behind her at 6:15:55. Sarah Stubbe was also in the mix at 6th place for the ladies at 7:12:23.

Overall, Team GO did a wonderful job on Sunday, with the help of Rhett and the whole support team. A big shout out to the whole team at Griggs Orthopedics, thanks for what you guys do. Acli-mate you guys rock thanks for the boost. Rock n' Roll Sports and Dave Moe, thanks for having such a rad shop. Stan's No Tubes thanks for keeping them tires rolling, by far the greatest invention ever! I'm new to this and I have a lot of more people to meet but to the rest of our sponsors, thanks for everything. This would not be at all possible with out you! Go To Guide, Pike Builders, Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Rudy Project, Elk Mountain Lodge, High Mountain Concepts, The Alpineer, SRAM, Chucks Glass, and Squirt. Finally, thanks to Gunnison Trails and Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association for having trails for us to ride, with out them we would be nowhere. YOU. GUYS. ROCK! Thanks again and have a wonderful summer, until next time.

2013 Gunnison Growler Race Report

The Growler weekend came and went fast, but not without a bunch of suffering from 700 Racers. The weather was beautiful and the singletrack was in great shape...until the end. Check out my race report at Griggs Orthopedic Website.

Check out the results here at Gunnison Trails Website.

NEIL

2013 Kokopelli Trail Ride Report.

My unconventional race schedule this summer has turned into more then I could have ever imagined. Since the Arizona Trail Race, I have not really done much of anything, a few rides here and there but mainly just some R&R, and it's been great. This past Saturday at 12:30am (Friday Night) me and only a hand full of others set out for the rugged Kokopelli Trail. I set a goal of 15 hours. This was just a number I threw out there, not really knowing how fast I could do it. Last fall Mike Behrendt and myself rode the trail from Loma to Moab in 48 hours, camping and relaxing. This time I would start from Moab, Utah and end at the Kokopelli Trailhead in Loma, Colorado.

Check Out 2pedal.com for the Kokopelli Trail Guide Book.

My girlfriend Lindsay, our friend Kristi, and myself arrived in Moab at around 8:00pm. I wanted to get some food, pack my gear and get a quick nap in before the odd 12:30am start time. The day before I changed out my Maxxis Icons for a more fresh pair. I have never had problems with my tubeless tires but the unknown spirits above figured it was a good time to. Something had gone wrong with my valve stem. I tightened down the circle screw where the valve meets the rim. Usually the Stan's No Tubes Sealant will fill that gap and it did momentarily, but not for long as air continued to escape near the valve. I packed my stuff up and tried to take a nap in a very party friendly campsite. I gave myself and hour and a half to nap, I slept maybe 10 minutes.

I got out of the tent, got changed, and hit the road where I would meet 3 others at the town park in Moab. Peter Basinger (who slayed this years AZT 300) and two others. The four of us slowly climbed up to the Slickrock Trailhead where the race technically starts. Marshal, another rider, was on route already as he started at 6:00pm on Friday, but we were not sure how many more were already on course. 1:00am hit, signaling the very anti-climatic start. 

The the start and my setup.

I started the climb up Sand Flats Road at a fast pace.  I wanted to give myself a cushion if I needed a rest or had mechanical issues. I knew what was ahead from riding the trail last fall but I really didn't know what to expect riding it from in the opposite direction. The half paved, half gravel climb was roughly 12 miles. It was dark and still relatively warm. After Looking at my GPS I realized I missed my first turn "stupid Neil" I said aloud. I got on track and climbed LPS and UPS (both part of the Porcupine rim trail). After reaching Mountain Loop Road my legs received their first break after the biggest climb of the course. I descended down to Castle Vally Campground where I hit 40 MPH a few times, what a rush! I quickly got back to climbing up Castelton Road. I avoided looking at the time for most of the first section. I knew I needed to keep a good pace. I saw lights in the distance behind me. Was Peter catching me already? I turned my lights off and rode in the dark until I was around the ridge and out of site. As I continued up the paved climb it started to rain. Rain was in the forecast but knew it would be isolated showers. I finally reached Fisher Creek, still with no recollection of time. I stopped at mile 30 and assessed my water situation on the Fisher Creek Bridge. 2 liters plus a full bottle. I was not drinking a lot of water but felt fully hydrated. I continued on without filling up.

After pedaling through some classic Moab sand the rain really started to come down. It didn't last long but it made for a more difficult ride through the sand. The decent down to Onion Creek Road was fast, fun, yet draining. I saw lights in the distance ahead of me, not knowing if it was another rider or not. I continued my decent down to Hideout Campground  and noticed the light in a different position. I was now certain it was another rider or a least someone, but truly who would be out in the middle of the night but us. I worried about my rear tire and started to baby it, I could tell it was losing air but I filled it at a higher PSI at the start to over compensate. I finally caught the light at the Hideout Campground(mile 42), it was Cat Morrison filling up on water. She said she had started at 12:00am. We chatted briefly about the race and where we were from. I too filled up on water, and quickly parted ways with Cat. I reached Fisher Valley just as the sun started to illuminate the canyons. This trail has a powerful spiritual feeling about it.

The sun rise was beautiful.

I reached Rose Garden Hill Road and eventually the legendary hike-a-Bike section. I got to the top and noticed a bikepacker, it was Aaron from Salida. He was bikepacking the trail as an out and back from Loma. We chatted as I de-layered, changed out my sunglasses lenses, and ate my chicken sandwich. I did not stop for long as I figured both Cat and Peter were on my tail. This climb was brutal for me, lots of ledges and loose rock made it difficult. However, it didn't last long and soon I was cruising down Entrada Bluffs Road where I eventually hit the Dewey Bridge which marked the half way point. I stopped when I saw another biker, it was Marshal. I asked how he was doing, "not good" he said.  He had been dealing with stomach issues and throwing up, he said he was finished. We chatted briefly about my pace and I quickly took off again. Just as I got on the Dewey Bridge, I looked down at my tire, it was nearly flat. This is where I started to get off my bike to deal with my tire far too often. I filled it up with my Co2 and got on my way.

Top of Entrada Bluff Road

I started up Yellow Jacket Canyon and boy was it sandy. The views of the La Sal Range were beautiful but this section will not be remembered for that. While climbing one of these short but steep sandy climbs I tweaked my IT band on my right leg. I had to get off my bike, stretch, down a few Advil, and rub on some pain cream. I took it easy on the rest of that climb. The Advil kicked in slowly as my thoughts of quitting on Highway 128 faded. Other then my tire and knee, I started to feel good that I was over half way done, and the hardest sections of the course were behind me.

The section from Highway 128 was fairly un-amusing, besides the little bit of singletrack along the Colorado River. It was around mid morning when I arrived at the Cisco boat landing(mile 74). I started to notice more and more people around. I was exhausted at this point, but prevented myself from bonking by chowing down on Cliff Bars and Snickers. I was still not drinking a lot of water, but I knew I should, it was getting very hot. I stopped again to fix my tire. This time I attempted to take off my valve stem so I could put a tube in my tire. Not happening. The Stan's sealant was working against me as it glued the valve ring to the valve threads. I filled the tire with some more Stan's Sealant, and used up the last bit of my first Co2 canister and the first bit of my second and final canister. I was good to go...until I noticed my fork was not showing the correct amount of travel yet again. This same thing happened on the Arizona Trail Race earlier this spring. So I started to stress out a bit. I was certain Peter and Cat were pretty close behind as I kept stopping. My knee hurt, my rear tire was not holding air, and my fork was all messed up. I was increasingly going thru the mental ups and downs of the race. Self-supported racing is never easy, and this was a prime example.

when the going gets tough, document it!

After riding out the flattest section of the Kokopelli Trail, I reached the Westwater Junction (mile 96). Here I had two options: I could take a left to continue on the Kokopelli Trail or go straight (off course) to fill up on water. I decided the 4 mile detour would be a good idea, fill up on water rather then have another thing to worry about. I quickly filled up at the spigot at the Westwater Ranger Station. I got back on the road, where every car seemed to be in a big rush. The wind was blowing hard at this point and storm clouds started to build around me. I got to Bitter Creek Campground which was a welcoming sight to see so many people. I stopped again to fill up my tire.  I was nearly out of Co2.

I asked two very kind gents if they had an extra Co2 canister, luckily they had one that they may be willing to part ways with. They insisted I have it after I told them what I was doing. I felt confident I had enough Co2 for the rest of the ride. My fork was slowly losing more travel and all I was thinking about was getting to Rabbit Valley. Soon I hit the very familiar Western Rim Junction. A part of me felt like I was home, I was in Colorado after all. I had not seen more than 5 people from the start of Yellow Jacket Canyon and now I was weaving to avoid the congested trails on a Saturday afternoon.

I was boiling hot, tired, and just wanted to stop pedaling for the day. I finally made it to the Rabbit Valley parking lot and knew I was on the final stretch. Why does the final stretch always seem to take an eternity? I burned through the road ahead knowing I have a lot of hike a bike ahead of me. I was still worried Cat and Peter were on my tail. I got to the singletrack portion that leads down to Salt Creek. I was on and off my bike making sure not to do anything stupid. I made it across the creek and started the long hike up Troy Built Trail, which took a long time. Lions Loop was next, which got a bit better, but still plenty of technical spots where I had to get off my bike. Finally, Mary's Loop, it was the final stretch and I soaked it up. My rear tire was holding enough air, and people were staring at me like "why does this guy look like crap." I reached the final downhill of Mary's Loop and made my way up the road to the finish, looking back once more time for Cat or Peter. I made it to the top and did not pedal another stroke down to Lindsay and my car with 143.3 miles showing on my Garmin Edge.

Although I did not finish under 15 Hours. I didn't know how difficult this would actually be, and yes I dealt with a few unexpected situations.  My knee being out of wack, my tire that probably got me off my bike for 40 minutes total, and my fork which has been very stubborn this spring. When it was all said and done I finished in 15 hours and 27 minutes. Lindsay was waiting for me with a huge Chipotle Burrito. I told myself at the end I would never do this trail again....now I can't wait to beat 15 hours.