The Colorado Trail Race, 2013 Race Report

Please click here for my 2013 CTR race report http://wp.me/p3Ozct-3c




The Colorado Trail Race (CTR) had it's 7th annual start this year on July 21st at 4am. There were only two elements that could make this year's race more difficult than years past: a direction change or an alternative wilderness area detour. It so happens that this years CTR incorporated both. As a rookie to the CTR, but having rode the trail last year, I was not certain that the direction change was what made it the trail so taxing, but I knew that the additional 50 mile Taryall detour added a new element of challenge for many.

In any case, my first CTR would include riding 550 miles from Durango to Denver with little idea of how much time it would take. I set a goal of under 6 days, just to make sure I could get back to Crested Butte with a day to spare before work. All of my plans and preparations had been solidified roughly a week before the race, and all I needed was a ride down to Durango. It came down to the wire but Nate Stewart from Gunnison, a fellow CTR racer, volunteered to drive his car down to Durango.

Nate and my bikes in the back of his truck, if only they knew what they were getting into. 

We arrived in Durango on Saturday afternoon, got some food, a hotel room, and made final adjustments to our rigs. It was nice to chat with another rider the night before as it really helped me figure out some final details. I slept well that night, had dreams of beautiful mountain vistas, sunsets, and laughs. I woke up, put on the bike clothes that I would wear for the next 5 days, and headed over to Carvers for a delicious quiche and some coffee. 74 riders all assembled in front of Velorution Cycles and set off at 4:00am after Stefan, the race organizer, said a few words. Eventually we would hit the Junction Creek Trailhead where we were all bottlenecked for a while. I had a good position until I needed to stop to adjust my bike computer sensor. I dropped far back and it was a struggle to get back up front. The sun rose and slowly everyone spread out.

I had no real plan but to keep pushing. I got to Kennebeck Pass and eventually Indian Ridge where I had my first taste of the Colorado Trail hike a bike (HAB) with Jefe Branham and Max Morris.  Jefe eventually took off and I would never see him again. He went chasing after Jesse Jakomait who took off hot from the start. Blackhawk, Bolam, and Molas all passed with my lungs taking a beating. I forgot how high this trail can be. Even after training in Crested Butte, I still felt the altitude. I would eventually make it into Silverton around 6pm where I saw Matt Schiff and Jerry Oliver eating some food. I was certain I could make it to Silverton before the grocery store closed at 8, however I still packed a lot of food in case. I didn't purchase much at all in Silverton, just a few things to eat at the time.

I made my way up Stony Pass trying to bike as much as possible. The sun set beneath the mountains
just as I got to the top. I was getting my lights ready for segment 23 when I noticed my head light, a Fenix LD20, wasn't working. The same thing happened to me on the Arizona Trail Race 300 this year. It just shorted out for some reason. I replaced the batteries, banged it against my hand, event took it entirely apart, but had no luck. Fortunately I was prepared for this and had my Black Diamond Spot headlamp as backup. It emits 90 lumens for a good while on 3 AAA batteries. I rigged it to my helmet and pushed on. I didn't push too far in the dark, maybe 8 miles, before the sleep monster took over. My plan was to sleep a lot the first two nights just to feel rejuvenated. I slept 5 hours that first night. I woke in the dark and started to pack my sleep system. While packing Max and Eric Cutlip passed me. I eventually caught up to them and chatted with them a while. I rode the beautiful Cataract section pedaling harder then I would have ever imagined. It is truly a sight bringing your bike up to 13,000 feet. The views were unbelievable. I finally got to Spring Creek Pass and started the long, hot detour around La Garita Wilderness.

Stony Pass sunset. 

I continued to leap frog with Max as we got scorched by the afternoon sun. We made it to Apples Camp and it was really a treat. I had heard about the legendary camp but had yet to experience it. It was just what I needed, a Coke, chips and shade. I didn't stay long. I wanted to get past HWY 114 and get in towards Sargents Mesa before I would bivy up for a few hours. Both Max and I were counting on water from Razor Creek, but after further inspection we decide against filling our bottles with cow poop infested water. I was nearly out of water and knew I was going to need to detour to Baldy Lake. I road with Max until the sleep monster struck again. I contemplated continuing to Baldy Lake but decided to bivy up with Max. We slept 4 hours that night and it felt amazing.

The alarm sounded and before I knew it Max took off as I took my time getting my things packed up. I eventually got to Baldy Lake around 3:00am, filled up on water, and continued on to the infamous Sargents Mesa in the dark. Man, was I happy to do that section in the dark. Although I don't believe it's nearly as difficult going South to North, it is still so damn rocky. I stubbed my toe so many times that I would eventually bust up my left big toe pretty bad. The sun rose just as Sargents Mesa was behind me. Long descents, like the one to Tank Seven Creek, were starting to take a toll on my body. My feet were beginning to jam in my shoes and my arms became exhausted. After the long and steep hike-a-bike out of Tank Seven Creek, I finally arrived at Marshall Pass which was a welcoming sight as the area is so close to home.

I started to feel real good heading up the Crest Trail. I filled up on water and was ready for the heat of the day. All of a sudden, Travis Wildeboer came cruising by out of nowhere. He passed me so fast there was no time to chat, he was definitely on some sort of a mission. He continued on his fast pace and I followed, we would quickly pass Max making it the last time I would see him for the remainder of the race. I passed Travis on the way down Fooses, near the top, and had a blast on the 3,000 foot descent. It beat me up, but it was still a lot of fun. I stopped to eat some food just off Hwy 50 as Travis rolled up a few minutes later.

We got to chatting and Travis was trying to make it to the Buena Vista post office for a package pick up.  It was already about noon and I told him I didn't think it was very likely to make it before 5pm. He crunched some numbers, as he often would for the duration of the race. He knew it would be nearly impossible and slowed his roll. We chatted all the way from the Shavano Trailhead to Cottonwood Pass. Having someone to talk to made time pass, and I was really enjoying myself on the trail. It also did not hurt that this section of the trail is actually pretty fun and not that rocky. We stopped at the Princeton Hot Springs market quick for a snack and beverage before continuing on. It was a very warm day as most summer days are in the Banana Belt. While riding up the steep road we crossed paths with three southbound riders. It was nice to chat with those guys and get their perspective on the guys ahead. Having the opportunity to chat with other racers is something I will never take for granted.

We finally made it to Cottonwood Road as the sun was setting. Travis and I had planned to make our stay brief as we wanted to get as close to Twin Lakes as possible. We ordered some burgers and sandwiches from Jan's, and went to City Market while the food was cooking. I loaded up on batteries for the rest of the trip and got a few extra Cliff bars and a Powerade. I went back to Jan's, devoured my burger, which I loaded with mayonnaise, and stuffed my fried chicken sandwich for the next morning in my frame bag. After our 40 minute stop in Buena Vista we were on the road again, in the dark, in complete CTR bliss. The detour was fast, I really wanted to push the pace. I felt fantastic, Travis too, sometime during the detour Travis was wondering if we could catch Matt or Jerry. I said no way as I thought they would be pretty far ahead. I think that was great motivation however. We obviously did not want to get caught by Max but we felt we were going at a fast enough pace to catch those guys. We made it to the Clear Creek Reservoir as both of us became delirious. My goal was to push to the top of the initial climb and Travis followed. Not sure if he was seeing things or not but this was the only time I ever felt weird.  I knew I would at some point, but it never got all that bad. We made it to the top and decided to bivy up in a clearing two miles into segment 11.

Details are hard to remember, but I think I woke up around 3:30am packed up my stuff quickly and got on my way. Night riding is difficult, but it's a must in the CTR. The sleep really helped as I had a blast all the way to Twin Lakes. Before I knew it, the sun was starting to rise, and my spirits were high as a kite. One thing I never did on the Arizona Trail Race this April was listen to music. I decided to put in the ear buds for the climb up to Half Moon Road, and man I felt awesome. A little Bob Marley screaming in my ears was just what the doctor ordered. I quickly made it to Half Moon Road. I told Travis I was going to bypass Leadville as I felt I had plenty of food until Copper. He had plans of the same, not before we took a quick stop at the gas station off HWY 24.

At this point my knees started to hurt pretty bad. I became a bit worried but was still focused on the ultimate goal, so I told my knees to "shut up." I climbed up to Wurts Ditch and eventually Tennessee Pass. I was in a funk and expected Travis to gain some time on me, once we reached the downhill and crossed HWY 24 again, I was resurrected. It's funny how emotional a race like this can be. I still can't believe what our bodies are capable of enduring. This was a key moment for me because I really wanted to stick with Travis, and my goal the rest of the way was to keep pace with him. Travis is used to these demands. He is an ultra marathon athlete and his body is trained for grueling races like this. We cruised past Camp Hale and started the long climb to Kokomo Pass. A perfect time for a storm, right? It would eventually dump buckets on us. Not only that but hail the size of nickels fell for a good half hour. The storm made the trail a flowing creek which made it slow moving. Lucky for us, just as we reached tree line the storm had pushed West. Behind the storm brought blue skys, which made the double pass of Kokomo and Searle possible without stopping. Travis took off and I again thought I would never catch him. I started my decent into Copper and to my surprise, ran back into Travis.

Travis near the top of Gold Hill. We were truly blessed with the weather this afternoon.

We biked through Copper Mountain Ski Area and made our way off route a bit to the gas station off HWY 91.  I walked into the Conoco completely overwhelmed, it was not normal. I gathered my self and tried to remember what I needed... Ibuprofen!!!! My knees were really hurting and unfortunately I resorted to Vitamin I, as I like and stay away from pain meds.  I got a few snacks, a coconut water, ordered two sandwiches to-go, and a meatball sub to scarf down quick. My stop was quick, but not as quick as Travis who was always ready to get back on the trail. This was a good thing as it made me hustle whenever I stopped. I made my way back to the trail stuffed but mentally prepared for the HAB up Gold Hill, I nearly hiked the whole way to the top. Luckily the weather had turned to clear skies, and it would last the whole duration of the steep climb. We made it above tree line as I stopped and soaked up the views. Every so often you need to stop and soak in the beauty, and remember how beautiful the Colorado Trail actually is. We made it to the top and started the long descent which turned my arms into Jello. The sun slowly faded just as we reached the the trailhead. Travis and I stopped to eat some food, layer up, and turn the lights back on. The last major climb was in our reach, Georgia Pass. At first the riding was fun, but my body soon shut down and needed to sleep. Travis felt the same way so we bivied up about 8 miles into segment 6. I shut my eyes, knowing this may be my last rest until the finish.

Selfie near the top of Gold Hill

a typical section of the Coloraod Trail, Gold Hill.

I woke up to the crushing sound of thunder as rain drops started to soak through the trees and onto my bivy. It was around 3am and I rushed to get all of my things packed before the rain saturated all of my stuff. Everything hurts, my ass, my knees, my upper body, my mind. It is always so difficult to get back on the saddle after a few hours of rest, especially this far into the race. I got moving a few minutes after Travis and started the long stretch up Georgia Pass. It was raining pretty consistently, making every root as slick as ice. It didn't help that the Georgia Pass climb is a trail of roots. I reached for my sunglasses as rain started to get in my eyes. I usually kept them on my helmet, but when I reached for them, they were not there. I had been in such a rush to pack up my things that morning that I forgot my sunglasses on the ground. I was not happy. We finally made it to the top of the pass as another huge storm came whipping in from the West. I hurried to shelter myself near tree line as the rain really started to fall. Here I would layer up to prepare for the cold wet ride down Georgia Pass. I was freezing, my body hurt with every bounce from a root or a rock. After the pain of the century ended, we finally reached Kenosha Pass, filled up on water and were ready to embark on the unknown Teryall detour.

First we had 6 miles of unknown singletrack that I completely forgot about until it was in front of me. It went by fast and it was relatively fun. We then reached the famous Taryall detour. I now look at it in three parts. Part 1 being lots of ups and downs, a few turns here and there but very bland and uneventful. Part 2 started when Pat greeted me as we turned in to the Stage Stop "you Neil" he said. "Yeah" I responded. Pat was the owner of the bar and convenience store. He was completely into the race following us all on Trackleaders. He mentioned that there was some one right behind us. We went to his computer to find out it was Wayne Keith, who started his individual time trial on the 19th. I was happy to find out no one else was near us. I ordered a chicken sandwich and got a few items for the road. We thanked Pat and quickly got on our way as Wayne rolled in. He was excited as ever and pumped to finish the race, as was I.

Travis on Wellington Road

Part 2 continued until we were greeted by the construction crew. Just my luck, we missed the 10:30am opening and had to wait until 12:00pm. Travis and I were upset at the time because we thought it would hinder our sub 5 day finish. We took the time to sleep in the shade under a truck. Part 2 continued through the construction zone and through the town of Taryall. All in all it was not too bad. Part 3 however was the kicker. It started off fun, a nice climb, a nice descent, another nice climb, another nice descent. It was crazy to see how vast the Hayman burn area actually was. Soon the receptiveness of the climbs and descents became draining and before I knew it a storm with a consistent 35 MPH wind started entering our direct path. Before I knew it I was being pelted in the face and eyes by hail and rain. I really could have used my sunglasses right now. The storm didn't slow us down however,  as we knew the sub 5 day goal was in our grasps. It continued to rain all the way up Stony pass (the not so stony one), and all the way down to Wellington Road where segment 3 began. Taryall...Yes, it was longer then I could have imagined, yes, it was miserable for Part 3, yes, I voted against the detour, but looking back on it I can't say it was the worst part of the CTR. I even remember Travis saying on one of the downhills how awesome it was.

Me on Wellington Road. 

We started segment 3 as the rain finally came to a stop and the sun quickly set. We reached little Scaggy Trailhead. We were making good time and both Travis and I knew we had one more major climb left. We both made phone calls to our pickups stating we would be arriving at Waterton Canyon between 12:30 and 1:30am. We started segment 2 in hopes that it would be super buff singletrack, but with the rain the trail was slow moving. Travis and I talked the whole way down to the Platte River praising each others performances and talking about future plans. When we made it to the river, we sat and relaxed, for the first time there was no urgency. We chilled for about 10 minutes eating a lot of the extra food I was carrying and chatted with a friendly and curious police officer. At that moment I know I had done it, I could have walked the rest of the way and been happy with my performance.

We hopped back on our bikes and continued to talk. The climb was wet and cold but we quickly warmed up as our heart rate rose from the switchbacks. It seemed to last forever, but for some reason my body felt the best it did the whole race. It's funny the way that works. I'm sure if it was not the final stretch I would have felt like crap. We made it to Lenny's Rest and with one more final climb we knew we were home free.  In the final stretch we decided to cross the finish together, it felt right. We arrived to the parking lot where each of our significant others greeted us. We had finished the CTR at 1:30am on Friday morning. Our final time was 4 days, 21 hours, and 30 minutes. Just like that, I stopped riding my bike and I was ready for a shower and a bed.

Time for some pizza, a shower, and sleep!

I started Mountain biking about three years now, and I would never have imagined getting this into it, and doing something this ridiculous on a bike. But this is reality, and I love every bit of it. While I was on the trail, I told myself I would never do this damn thing again. It is amazing how fast you forget all of the pain and suffering. My hand is currently not working, my knees are still killing me, and my back is as sore as ever. Bikepacking is my favorite way of traveling and I can't wait for my next adventure.

I really need to thank everyone who supported me in this endeavor. My girlfriend Lindsay for picking me up at the trail head, and dealing with me working 70 hours a week this summer. Stew Gross for telling me I had what it took to race bikes, and of course for introducing me to Trackleaders. I was so into following those little blue dots, I told my self one day, Ill be a small blue dot myself! Rhett Griggs and Dave Ochs for giving me the opportunity to race on one of the best teams in Colorado. Its also pretty cool feeling being on the same team as Jefe, who has been a main inspiration for my bikepacking. Dave Wilson, thanks for the sweet Nuclear Sunrise Stitchworks saddle bag, and your advice on sleeping a lot early really paid off. I'm so stoked to be on Team Go (Griggs Orthopedics), Its a dream come true. Big thanks to The Alpineer my go to Crested Butte bike shop, SRAM (cant wait to be like Jefe with my new XX1, haha), Acli-mate best sports drink out there, Crested Butte Mountain Resort for employing me and for having some bomb singletrack, Rock and Roll Sports, The Go To Guide, Pike Builders, Elk Mountain Lodge, Rudy Project, High Mountain Concepts, Chucks Glass, and Squirt.

2013 Colorado Trail Race Prep

Ok, I guess there is a pretty big race coming up on Sunday morning, big for my standards and its time to start talking preparation.  It has been a very interesting bike season for me. In short, the spring offered early biking which helped prepare for the Arizona Trail Race, Kokopelli Trail Race, and Gunnison Growler. Then summer arrived, with only one race in the books since then with Salidas Big Friggin Loop. In between all that was the opportunity to ride for Griggs Orthopedics, Crested Buttes premier cycling team. One of my goals this bike season was to be apart of something, be on a team, experience support, and ride with sponsors on my back. I feel like I have an opportunity and more drive to cycle for a cause. I'm young, and this is an experience I could not pass up.

Since Salidas Big Friggin Loop cycling took a back seat to "life." In June I accepted a job as the accounts manager for a super cool PR firm in Seattle that works with outdoor brands, and hopefully bike brands soon. The best part....I work from home. Bottom line, with two jobs, roughly 70 hours of work a week and a summer full of fun its time to get my butt back on the saddle......for a very long time.

Thats what the Colorado Trail Race is for. To be honest, I have been avoiding the preparation, but now that I'm talking about it more and more it is getting me excited. July 21st at 4:00am a few other nut cases and I will set off on a 500+ mile journey from Durango to Denver to experience the best that Colorado has to offer. Now as far as my preparation goes, I have not had much time, so I'm going to keep it very similar to the Arizona Trail Race. I learned a lot in Arizona and my system seemed to work well, but there is always room for improvement. Still with these improvements, I have plans for next year when I have more funding to support them.

I have a goal in mind as far as a finish time, but I would rather not do any jinxing. I do however want want to finish in under a week, not get rained on (like that will happen), and push my self harder then ever. It is more of a mental challenge then anything, and I need to make sure I stay as positive as possible.

Here is my 2013 Colorado Trail Race gear list

Revelate Design Front Bag:

• Sleeping Bag 25 Degree Big Agnes
• Arm/Knee warmers
• Lightweight down jacket
• Buff
• Smart Wool cap
• Important Items that need to stay dry (when need be)

Nuclear Sunrise Stitchworks Saddle Bag

• Big Agnes Clearview pad
• Marmot bivy sac
• Rain pants
• Rain jacket
• Long johns
• Long sleeve thermal
• Long sleeve t-shirt
• Extra pair of socks
• Warm Gloves
• Spot Device in mesh pocket. (thanks Dave, finally a good place for my spot)

Revelate Design frame Bag

• Food (Start with 14,000 calories, just incase something happens and I cant get to Silverton.)
• Dried Fruit
• Peanut butter
• Honey stinger waffles
• Trail Mix
• Apple (one to start)
• Jerky
• And some other food that looks good when I head to city market on Saturday. 
• Aquamira tablets (water Purification)
• Replacement Lenses (clear/lowlight)
• First Aid Kit
• Shoe covers (small toe caps)
• PI ear warmers
• Spare tube
• CTR Databook
• Maps
• Cue sheet

Revelate Design Gas Tank

• Emergen-C
• Trail Mix
• Cliff Bars
• Cliff Gu's/shots
• Cliff Protein Bars 
• Aclimate
• Snickers

Revelate Design Jerry Can

• Batteries
• I-pod and headphones
• Chapstick
• Sun screen.
• Arnica gel
• Organic pain cream/chamois butter 

Camelbak Octane

• 2L bladder
• Pump and Co2
• Repair Kit
• Tape Stick
• Athletic
• Duck
• electrical
• industrial thread
• Shifter cable
• Zip Ties
• Park boots
• Extra Stans Sealant
• Break pads
• Multi Tool
• Small Knife
• Small towel
• Super glue
• Squirt Lube (2 small bottles)

On Bike Bars

• Garmin Etrex 30
• Cat Eye bike computer
• Fenix LD20 mounted

On Me

• PI P.R.O. bibs
• Pearl Izumi base shirt
• PI Elite Jersey (Griggs Ortho)
• Smart Wool Socks
• Giro DND bike gloves
• Pearl Izumi Alp Enduro Shoes
• Giro Aeon Helmet with Fenix LD20 mounted
• Pearl Izumi under cap
• Smith Eco shades
• Hope and confidence
• And a dash of luck

If you are bored at work, or just chilling on the couch after work go to this link: http://trackleaders.com/ctr13

Here you will be able to fine my little blue dot and watch my progress.

I really would like to thank my support team, even though you will not be able to support me. I can not thank Rhett Griggs, and the whole Griggs Orthopedic team enough for giving me the opportunity to join an amazing team with amazing people. It means the world to me and I'm so excited to represent team GO. I want to keep this brief but big thanks to, Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) for the support and the awesome trails on the mountain. I cant believe the trail system upgrades. I was blown away on Wednesday with the Pinnacle series. To be able to have a cross country race and a downhill race at the same time is a dream come true. Huge props to the trail crew and the whole team at CBMR. Also a big thanks to Acli-Mate, Stans No Tubes, Rudy Project, Squirt, Sram, Rock & Roll Sports, The Alpineer, Pikes Builders, The beautiful The Elk Mountain Lodge, Chucks Glass, High Mountain Builders, and the Go To Guide. This would not be possible with out all the support for some fantastic people, much love.

Salida's Big Friggin Loop

This past Saturday I planned on racing in Salida's Big Friggin Loop (SBFL). After the Original Growler, and my first race with Team GO I was super motivated. I wanted to get another race in before my busy non-bike schedule kicked in. Tom Purvis, the Salida local race organizer has done a fantastic job planning the 2 routes. The base loop is the shorter of the two at 90 miles and 10,500 feet of climbing, it follows the big loops route but takes a more direct route back to Salida. The Big loop consists of 107 miles with a mix of singletrack, dirt road, and very primitive trail. The course climbs roughly 12,500 feet through thick forest and wide open valleys.

If there was an option to ride a century I didn't want to pass it up, I was in for the 107 mile loop. The previous day I rolled into Salida with hopes to get a good nights sleep at the Days Inn. First, Lindsay and myself went to Amicas for some pizza and salad, I would highly recommend it. They are also a microbrew with a tasty IPA. We went back to the hotel where it seemed to take me forever to fall asleep. I was not all that nervous but for some reason I had a lot going through my mind, making it difficlut to fall asleep.

I woke at 5:00am excited for the race. I made my way to Cafe Dawn to get all my gear and bike ready to roll. Racers started to trickle in and soon enough the place was packed. Tom stood up to give a brief overview of the day ahead and explained about the 45 minute time reduction 'chip' long loop riders could find in the ghost town of Futurity. 6:30am arrived quickly and 65 riders swarmed the streets of Salida. We made our way up the contry side of Salida and steadly climbed up towards the Mt. Shivano Trailhead. I biked with Matt Schiff for a bit as 6 other riders took off ahead. Matt gave me some beta on the trail that was very helpful. We chatted a bit about bikes then he eventually dropped me a little ways after we hit the singletrack.

I forgot how difficult this section of the Colorado Trail was. I remember it being rocky from riding the Colorado Trail the other direction last year. It was much more difficult then I had anticipated. What I did know was the climb out of Prinston Hot Springs would be tough, with 1,400 feet of elevation gain in less then 4 miles.  I passed two short loop riders and one long loop rider before I got to the long decent into Buena Vista. I knew there were at least 3 riders ahead of me, and I assumed they were all going for the long loop.

I cruised as fast as my 38 tooth chain ring would go down to Buena Vista, trying hard to catch up to anyone I could. I arrived at Boneshaker Cycles, they were kind enough to have water and electrolight set ouside their shop.  It was a perfect location as it was still on course. It was getting hot, I took off my base layer and purchased a few Honey Stingers waffels, filled up on fluids and got on my way. My refuel was brief and soon I was off to unfamiliar territory, the east side of the long loop.

Jens Nielson passed me while I was at Boneshaker Cycles, I caught up with him on the climb out of Buena Vista. He set a good pace and I just followed him on the super fun Midland Trail. We climbed up Co Road 315 and I eventually passed him before the downhill where the long loop seperates from the base loop. I later found out Jens took first overall on the base loop. I took the turn left on the long loop, the head wind was brutal. I slowly made my way up and across HWY 285 into the South Park Basin.

After 285 I didn't see another soul, at least souls on bikes. The terrain was tough, lots of permitive roads that were rocky and steep. There is a lot of time to think when your in the saddle for hours and hours. I studied the tire tracks, I saw three, I figured I was in 4th because no one in their right mind would bring a bike out there for fun. The tail-wind was helping me a bit with it blowing at my back, it gave me a boost. Eventually after a few small climbs I ran into a locked cattle guard. It stated "No Tresspassing, No Hunting, No fishing." I didn't want to turn around as no one else did. I had no choice but to climb over and push on, hoping a rancher would not see me.

My willpower soon faded and cruise control set in. I had to dismount my bike numerous times because of locked cattle guards. I eventually got to the hike-a-bike section after passing the turn off, thank god for GPS. I knew my opportunity to pass someone was out of the question now. I was on and off my bike for a good half hour, hiking up to the ridge that would eventually lead me down to the Ghost Town of Futurity. In Futurity I found the 45 minute reduction chip quickly in a house on the right side of the trail. I also looked for a water stash that I secretly hoped was there, nope. I was conserving water pretty well but it was hot and I wanted to chug gallons upon gallons at that point.

I took off from the small little ghost town thinking it would only get eaiser. After descending down a road the long loop rejoined the base loop. I start to notice lots of tire tracks, I was thinking maybe I would have seen some one, nope. Better yet I would start the toughest climb of the day. It took forever, the loose rock and steep grade road was demoralizing, I wanted to just walk my bike. A jeep passes me, he says "your almost there" he saw the pain in my eys, those simple words were very uplifting. I finished off my last of my two water bottles. I had a little more then a half liter in my bladder left.

After making it to the summit of the climb my legs were beat. I was completely exhausted, I was just hoping for nothing but downhill the rest of the way. That's what I got, a very fast 10 mile decent into Salida. I recognized the North Backbone Trailhead which is part of the Arkansas Hills Trail System. I chugged the rest of my water signling a personal victory. I walked across the 3 railroad crossing and hopped back on the saddle and weaved my way to Cafe Dawn. I had made it. 107 miles, with 13,000 feet of elevation gain. This was a true test of endurance. I finished In 4th place (9hr 27min) just as I had thought. However, Jessey Jakomait who finsihed first (8hr 47min) did not find the chip, which bumped me up to 3rd... if we're playing that game.

Big Thanks to Team Griggs Orthopedics ( Team GO) and Rhett Grigss. I was the only GO rider in the field and it felt good to represent. I also want to thank the Alpineer for Calling SRAM multiple times this month regarding my broken Reba. The persistance eventually paid off with a generous upgrade to a 2013 Sid XX World Cup. The fork worked to perfection. Another big shout out to Rock and Roll sports where I spend far too much money. Acli-mate my go to endurance sports drink, and to the rest the sponsors: Go To Guide, Pike Builders, Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Rudy Project, Elk Mountain Lodge, High Mountain Concepts, Chucks Glass, and Squirt, thank you. Can't wait for the Vapor Trail.