A Backwards perspective on the weekend
I'm new to this whole video malarky, but I borrowed a GoPro camera for our weekend race trip to Crested Butte, and this is the result of my amateur attempt of editing (don't be too critical!)
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/25699325]
I raced the Mountain States cup this weekend in Crested Butte. This little town is one of my favourites in Colorado, and looking at the pictures below, I'm sure you'll understand why. A perfect town which has avoided the New money of the ski industry to remain traditional in look and feel.
It helps that the ski resort is a mile or so up the road from the town on the slopes of Mount Crested Butte. We drove down late on Friday night and stayed at the condo of our teammate Sonya, just minutes from the start line on Saturday morning.
The Mountain States cup races are normally of the standard 'lap format' XC race, which makes for exciting spectating, but limited fun riding. This one, however, is incorporated with the Crested Butte fat tire festival and instead takes a 40 mile jaunt through the mountains on the most stunning and technical trails you will ever find in a pedal powered (rather than chairlift powered) race.
The high mountains got a lot of snow this year, but after summer turned up at the beginning of June, there's been no rain in this valley. This meant everything was especially dusty, and even though I battled into the top ten for the first section of singletrack, I still got lung fulls of dirt for the first half hour. I enjoyed this race so much, that I had muddy teeth when I finished from all the grinning I had been doing. Looking around at 14,000 foot peaks, wildflower meadows and crashing glacial streams, it was hard to concentrate on the whole 'competition' thing., but in the end, with the chase of riders behind me, I got my head in gear and raced well. I feel like finishing in 8th was respectable and decent, but after not feeling brilliant for most of the race, I came away wishing I had done better. I knew I left everything out there, so that's all that really matters. More power to the next race.
I was pretty 'stoked' (thats American for Enthusiastic) on riding for the rest of the day, and set off to ride with Chris Miller who was jumping around the race course reporting for Mountain Flyer all weekend.
One trail in and my legs had other ideas, and a long ride turned into returning to the resort to snooze and eat, relax by the pool and take in the mountain scenery
The next day, there was just one thing on my mind: Bike ride! Sonya, being the somewhat local, planned the route and we set off for 4 hours of long steady climbs and ripping fast descents.
The snow hasn't quite melted in some spots, so mud was aplenty, and I got to show off some of my homegrown slippy trail techniques. I think the video and pictures are sufficient description!
The long drive home over cottonwood pass was made bearable by the halfway stop at K’s burgers in Buena Vista, and by the fact that Bill drove all the way back, and I stretched out and fell asleep in the back of the Geb-mobile.
Certainly made the miles count this weekend!