Race Face and an Easy Pace in the Ozarks....

From October 2010

My buddy Keith lured me into helping him drive halfway across this country, by offering an all expenses paid trip back to one of the first trails I learned to mountain bike on. It's also been many years since I've seen the Ozarks in the Fall.

From October 2010

Keith too, was having a kind of homecoming. He's been training this entire year for "the race that doesn't make sense." His goal was to go back to the place where he learned to ride and race a cross country mountain bike event that doesn't really fit his new style of riding. He would ride a long travel bike, wear the knee guards he always wears, have a visor on his helmet, use his adjustable height seat post, and wear shorts that don't make Missouri residents wonder about ones sexual preference.

From October 2010

They were off! The route was was almost 60 miles long, containing road, two track, and lots of rugged, rocky Ozark single track. After the lycra wave blew by I headed over to the Berryman Trail Campground, where I would depart for a less hurried ride through the Ozark hills. The trail I was riding would be used for the race, so I fully expected to eventually get caught by racers and forced to move over or fight for a position on the trail.

From October 2010

It was awesome out there. It was a blustery day so the forest was noisy. Leaves would get stuck in my tire and vibrate on the frame of my bike, a noise I hadn't heard in years. Acorns would painfully bounce off of my hands and helmet as they fell from the Oak's above. Squirrels would bound through the leaves watching me from trees. I was alone, the trail untouched, almost hard to see. But I new the masses were coming...

From October 2010

From October 2010

From October 2010

From October 2010

I happened on an old pond, the water was thick with Lilly pads and leaves, almost a soup!

From October 2010

From October 2010

This trail was built by the C.C.Corps during the 1930's. Most of the old trail signs are pretty much gone, but a few still hold on.

From October 2010

From October 2010

The Ozarks are in a drought year, so its ironic I was able to find the only mud bog on the trail. The leaf covered bog, swallowed my tires, gooping my chain and derailleur with gray clay mudd. I luckily found an almost dried up pool of water in the creek and did a full drive-train clean while trapped fish watched below the water. It was at this point that I was almost 1/2 done and I had still not seen a single bike rider. As I made a right hand turn, a connector road funneled into the main trail. All of a sudden the virgin trail surface was now churned to powder. Many bikes had been though here, but other than the pulverized leaves and dust, there was no body but me.

From October 2010

This video is not edited, nor does it have music. I was riding with one hand, holding my camera in the other. It ain't Whistler Bike Park video, it's "just riding along" on a trail that got me hooked on riding bikes...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gKbeYEi8C0

From October 2010

After 25 miles I popped out of the woods into the campground. I had somehow missed meeting a single rider on the trail during a race weekend. Four hours of riding, picture geeking, squirrel watching, and floating over the dry creek banks. It was shocking to be thrust back into the lunacy of a "cycling event." All the major players were there, including the guy above who claimed... "I like my helmet on backwards, it fits better this way." Time for a new helmet Chucklehead!

From October 2010

From October 2010

Keith finished strong, just under 6 hours, which was his goal. I'm proud of him for keeping a good attitude, despite being held back on every downhill by riders who never practice riding "technical" trails on their bikes. In our dream for the future of cross country racing, every kurmudgen will ride a longer travel, light weight bike, thus speeding everyone up on the descents, and still allowing them to "enjoy" their precious climbs. I doubt this dream will ever come true. Below are some random, funny or strange moments.

From October 2010

Like I said, it was a blustery day!

From October 2010

Missouri is the Meth capitol of the country, producing more than any other state. This town celebrated that fact by painting their water tower in celebration... (Mom, or any others who are blissfully unaware, an 8 ball is 3.5 grams of meth or coke.)

From October 2010

Our first breakfast in Kansas was "Mary's Waffles." As we left Missouri in KC, we ate at "Mary's Bar and Grill" My wife sure can cook!

MOAB 11--Will the real Poo Bike please stand Up??

From October 2010

Some folks may recall that last year, my beloved bike became, for a day, "The Poo Bike." http://gustifson-h-blakfur.blogspot.com/2009/11/fun-with-poo-bike.html

From October 2010

I'll use soothing photo's of the amazing Moab high country to ease our way into yet another story about Poo and bikes...

From October 2010

The Cottonwood Trees were dressed for the season on our way up to the base of the La Sal Mtns. My-self, Mary, brother Andy, and Nancy were going as high as the weather would allow. The plan was to ride up the Kokopelli Trail and intersect with UPS Trail for a ride down.

From October 2010

The fog was crazy. A line had formed at the sharp edge of a ridge line on one of the mountain peaks. The line extended all the way down to Porcupine Rim itself.

From October 2010

It was like Mother Earth was breathing, as the fog would roll upon us, and then withdraw just as rapidly.

From October 2010

Above, Andy enjoys the view of Castle Valley!

From October 2010

It was about here that things started to smell a little funny. The cows had been on the trail, and Nancy had hit a pie...or so at first we thought....

From October 2010

Problem is, I don't know any cows that use toilet paper!

From October 2010

Poor Nancy had run through a pile of human excrement, left squarely in the middle of the trail, T.P. and all. It had flung all over her bike and her clothes. We used pine needles to freshen her up as best we could. I'm not even gonna go into just how wrong it is to poo in the middle of a bike trail.

From October 2010

After clean up, we motored on, having quite a rippin' good day. The Poo Bike and friends, just riding along!

From October 2010

Just like last week Mary rode down and into The Wash. Nancy also rode the same line, clean as a whistle! But it was our brother-in-law, Andy, who made our jaws drop. Call it the Original Line, or the Stud Line or whatever...I'm now calling this the Bro Line. I've seen him ride it before, but this time, right at the top, he pulled up onto his rear wheel and proceeded to pedal kick his 40lb bike down each gnarly step. ABSOLUTELY HUMBLING! Then he rode up the wall and out the other side.

From October 2010

(So sorry I filmed this sidways)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcG7sdFdhSo

From October 2010

Today, before heading home, Blom, Jacques and I enjoyed October in Moab by riding Amasa Back/Rockstacker...seeing not a single other rider!

From October 2010

From October 2010

From October 2010

From October 2010

I'll leave those of us working in this industry with the above picture to ponder??? And those of us living on this planet with a picture of a bumper sticker, below....

From October 2010

Vernal Utah--The Secret...

From October 2010

Myself, Road-D, and J-Rad headed off early Monday morning for "The Next Moab." Or so the June 09 Bike Magazine article said. I'm not aware of many Fruita/GJ folks who have been up there, much less who have been guided by locals. We didn't know any locals, so we were planning on doing a lot of looking for needles in haystacks, in regards to good trails.

From October 2010

We started out at McCoy Flats, as that was the best known and mapped trail system. It was good XC trail, but J-Rad's and my bikes were a bit overkill. We made our way up and down chasing Road-D on his 29er hardtail. It was quite a bit more furious pedaling then I wanted to do.

From October 2010

The ride was about to change though. As we were sitting at a trail intersection two guys rode by, the second addressed us all with girl names. He says, "Hello Amanda, Nancy, Mary, have a great ride!" J-Rad instantly jumped on behind the guy, stalking him. The guy was clearly in over his head. Finally J-Rad says "Hey Sally, you ride pretty good for a girl." The guy let him by. When it came my turn to ride behind him it was terrifying. He was riding as hard as he could, and was very near crashing. Finally he let me by saying he was having shifting issues, but he did however note that he had "1-800-Excuses on his speed dial."

From October 2010

After some more furious pedaling I found a group of guys chatting at the top of a hill. Everybody was now laughing and joking as we were finding out that the guy who was talking smack was their BLM Ranger, who is in charge of recreation and responsible for legalizing all of the trails around Vernal. And the fast guy in the lead, was none other than the Troy of Altitude Cycles. We had accidentally landed right smack in the middle of a group ride of locals...on a Monday.

From October 2010

Post ride we assembled in their parking lot. A guy who I had met at our shop a few days prior was there, and he offered to shuttle J-Rad and I up Red Mtn, a trail described as similar to Porcupine Rim. We met up with Tree (yes, his name was Tree, and it was a nickname he gave him-self) and he dropped us at the base of one of the most terrible looking hike-a-bikes I've seen. The above pic only shows the first level of three. We were also given very vague directions.

From October 2010

From October 2010

Once on top we found singletrack with some fun jumps and drops. We were told that there were lots of man-made teeter totters and stunts on the mountain but we didn't find those. What we found was a descent as rough or rougher than Porcupine Rim. At one point I blindly launched off a rock and mid flight noticed a jeep sized hole beneath me. Coming up slightly short sent the GPS Road-D had loaned me flying down the trail.

From October 2010

We spent most of the descent looking to our right for singletrack spurs. We found a few, but the Vernalites hide their trails from ATV's rather well. Had we found the spur for the Rojo trail it would have been one of the best descents of my life. We would have to wait until the next day, guided by Troy, to find the Rojo secret stash.

From October 2010

From October 2010

From October 2010

From October 2010

Coming down Red Mtn we would occasionally pop out onto the rim. I was dreaming and hoping that surely a trail followed along the above rim. We didn't find it that evening, but it did exist and we were shown it on day two.

From October 2010

From October 2010

From October 2010

Road-D, Troy, and J-Rad (really gay photo, thanks guys!)

Rojo!!!! This trail is what I dream about. Gravity fed, tons of rock, drops, techy moves near cliff edges, and views of distant mtns. Riding it with BMX world champ Troy Lupcho made it even more fun, despite his love of spandex, the guy flat rips!

From October 2010

After lunch, Troy took us out to La Point. He promised our grin muscles would cramp after riding Cork Screw. He was right. The area is vast and wild. It reminded me of what 18 rd must have been like in the early days. The climb was steady, about twice as long as Prime Cut, and very similar. The descent was a full throttle blast on flowy narrow trail with drops into washes and jumps back out. I haven't had that much fun on my bike in a long time. The only photo's are from the top, it was just too much fun to stop on the way down.

From October 2010

Thanks to Troy at Altitude Cycles and all of his crazy crew for making us feel like part of a family. Anyone heading to Vernal MUST stop and get a map and advice from the crew at the shop. If you don't you'll just blunder around looking for the good stuff. I'm not normally one to push more people to trails, as I am kind of a jerk and like to keep sweet trails to my-self to avoid over crowding, but Vernal needs traffic to keep the trails in good shape. By speaking with our economic dollars we can help keep the trails from becoming oil wells, or torn to shreds by ATV's and other like minded rednecks. Go ride there now!

From October 2010