Washington Cyclocross State Championships 11/20 and Seattle CX series, Sprinker Center 11/21

This was a my weekend debut into cyclocross(CX). After listening to
friends talk about it and watching several races (and finally having
the funds to buy a new road-ish bike) I figured what the hell, I'd
give it a try. Catagorys are a bit different from mountainbiking in
that everyone starts in Cat4 and even that is broken up by age. Points
garnered thru the series and wins allow for moving up to a higher
ranking. (It's a roadie system, little understood by wood rats like
me).
The goal was simply to ride and not get passed or dropped, and finish.
Goal accomplished.

The WA State Championship is a decieving title. I at first thought it
would be a run out for the points leaders. Wrong. Its a non series
race, still fledgling in the making and whomever wins each catagory is
the state champion.
Don't let it fool you, these folks want to win and go all out. I got
to the State Championship held at Steilacoom park really early,
temperatures in the mid to high 30's, thinking I had a 915 start time
and wanting to ride the new bike at least a 2nd time before a race. I
ran into Bob and Sarah right off the bat and after signing into
followed them around on a warm up lap. Turns out my race wasnt to
start till 1015 so I had time to take some pictures and watch Bob and
Andy race. Standing at the end of the straightaway leading into the
first corner and watching 30+ riders hammer in for the hole shot, all
I could think of was 'holy shit!'. Amazingly enough even though it
was a transition from pavement to muddy grass on a sweeping right, no
one bit the dust.
Before long it was my turn to race. The temperature dropped a bit and
the wind was kicking up, standing at the start line waiting I was
freezing! At the whistle the Cat4 masters 45+ took off, with me
trying to hold on to the pack.
I lost the pack before we were even out of the 1st field. I figured
just keep going, maybe everyones adenalin would run out and I would
catch someone, anyone... About 1/2 into the 1st lap of 3 I was headed
up the hill to the low barriers, time to dismount, leap and remount on
a hill. Instead of trying to remount uphill I ran to the top and
remounted on a bit more level ground, I also caught up to someone in
my group, cool, I might not be last!
The course wound thru fields, back fand forth thru the grass and then
up a hill for about 1/2mile, then desended down to a really nice spot,
a S turn section under some oak trees. This leads out to another hill
with soft gravel near the top, soft gravel on skinny tires! From
there the course goes downhill thru some nice corners, slightly bermed
and then back to the flats and another set up barriers, taller than
the 1st set.
Having never done running dismounts, it took a bit of concentration
but I was able to get thru and even passed a rider while going over.
Of course she immediately passed me a again and I was back to the
chasing the back of the 45+ riders.
By the top of the climb on the last lap I was spent, after only
30mins! I managed a final push to the finish line and crossed it
without passing out, about 15 secs or so behind the rider I had been
chasing. Last place, 11th, but not lapped and after a min I was able
to breathe and speak again. Holy crap!! Yeah, lets do that again!!
And so I did.
Sprinker Rec Center the next day, Sunday, was even colder and spitting
snow. I got there and signed in a bit too late to practice before the
Cat4 and Cat4 35+ so had to wait it out and get out for a practice lap
after they had finished.
This Seattle CX race was even better attended. There were over 45
riders just in my class! Cat4 mens and womens masters and Cat3 womens
SS all starting about 30 secs apart. There had to be well over 125
rides out for the 1015 start.
Juniors led off followed by 45+ men. This course starts off with a
very short straight and right into the trees and turns. It took almost
1/2 a lap to get spread out. This race would be 4 laps, 2 barrier
areas and a sand runup and a grassy mud run up (with a barrier at the
bottom). I did fairly well I thought, even passed a couple riders
both young and old. The off camber dismount into the sand hill thru me
off and I could just not get the hand of the running dismount there.
But I could and did run in the sand!
The race was a blast, many folks I knew were on sidelines yelling
encouragement and crowd was awesome. Tired and sore and 41 mins later
I crossed the finish line with a final sprint. I found out a couple
days later I was not last, finishing 37th with 1 guy behind me only
completing 3 laps and about a 1/2 dozen who didnt finish (or maybe
didnt start?).
Wandering around the parking lot after putting on some warm clothes,
Bob's Red Mill was there with some hot oatmeal and some friends were
getting ready to start the Cat1/2 race. It was too cold to stick
around and I was beat. 2 races in 2 days!
It was awesome! I'll be back to try again.

-Mike

Capitol Forest 50/100

An endurance race in Capitol Forest, or in Washington for that matter, was a long time coming. Every year there was grumbling, but no one was willing or able tostep up and put it on. Then, like genies from the endurance-race bottle, Roger Michel and 4th Dimension Racing appeared to grant the wishes of so many sadistic mountain bikers. Those wishes were granted and then some. The course was well marked, aid stations were appropriately place and stocked with Clif gels, blocks and bars, FRS energy, Nuun and many other goodies to keep the bonks at bay. The swag and raffle prizes were plentiful, and the course itself was sweeeeet. Not only did Roger promote and organize the event, but he came out to several FOCF work parties to get the trails in shape, andbrushed nearly 40 miles of trail by himself in the week leading up the the event.

Matt, Henry and the other 100 mile racers started off from Mima Falls campground at 6:30am, while Erin, Derek, Jim, FOCF regular Darin and the 50 mile racers started at 8:30. After the Lemans start, the course followed Mima Porter 8, which started off with some fast rolling terrain that progressed to a steady climb up through an old clearcut and into the forest above. The climb ended with a quick fast descent into Lost Valley. This section of trail, known by the locals as "the valley of death," is notoriously muddy, rooty, a real energy sponge. Thankfully, we were descending through the worst of it! Aid station #1 was

at Fall Creek, about 13 miles into the race. After refueling with FRS drink and come Clif shots, the course climbed up out of Fall Creek and continued to gain elevation all the way to aid station #2 at Wedekind, about 21 miles into the race. From here, the course followed a short section of doubletrack, then picked up MP8 once again for one of the most flowy descents into the forest. The silky smooth rail is scantly wider than my front tire and flies through the trees and lush green undergrowth; the only time the brakes were needed was to get around a couple switchbacks. Near the bottom the course began rolling and dumped out on C-1000 road, which racers were supposed to climb all the way back to the Wedekind aid station. The climb was steep but thankfully not a classic CF gravel road puker like the C-7000 or C-8200. Back at aid #2, I thought that the course would hop on the Crestline trail with it's techni

cal climbs and rock gardens, but no, we were supposed to keep climbing the road all the way the base of the peak, where the course would hop on the Green Line Six, FOCF's pride and joy and our namesake. But riding the road all the way there? Ugh. That road ride saved some energy, but it was tedious and never-ending. Finally racers reached GL6, which was in prime shape. The corners that were dusty and dangerous during the CF Classic were tacky and perfect; I literally forgot that I has been riding for 45 miles when riding down 6! After reaching the Fall Creek aid station once more, the course stayed on GL6, climbing for 2

miles and then descending nearly all the way back to the start/finish/lap transition at Mima Falls, mile 50. The 100 mile racers would turn around and to the entire loop again. I stoked to have finished the race and felt pretty good, but there's no way I would have been able to turn around and do it again.

This was my first endurance race, so my only goal was to earn that finisher pint glass. On top of accomplishing this goal, I also walked away with 2nd place in the Women's division! Matt rocked the course and got 2nd in the 100 mile Men's Single

speed. This was an awesome event and I really hope Roger and 4th Dimension will put it on again next year. I didn't realize how much I had been looking forward to this event until it wasn't there to look forward to anymore.

Results

Open Men 50 miler

Jim Graham, 17th, 21st overall (5:16)

Derik Archibald, 51st overall (6:16)

Open Women 50 miler

Erin Roe, 2nd, 71st overall (6:53)

Open Singlespeed, 100 miler

Matt Jagger, 2nd, 10th overall (10:49)

Masters Men 45+

Henry Gertje, 16th overall(11:56)

Oregon Super D Series: Oakridge and Sandy Ridge

Oregon Super D Series stop #2 Oakridge, OR 8.29.10 The Oakridge course is the longest super d race in the country. 14 miles long with 4700' of descending and 900' of climbing. Rachel, The Jagger's and The Graham's got down to Oakridge on Thursday. We took a couple runs Friday, rested Saturday and raced Sunday. Matt landed in second CAT 1 19-39, Rachel got fourth in CAT 2 Open, and I placed third in CAT 2 19-39. The Oakridge course is epic by super d standards. It is absolutely huge. The descents last forever. I actually looked forward to the climbs so I could recover. Hopefully the OSS will stop there again next year. If not, I'm glad I was able to have raced there. Oregon Super D Series stop #3, Series Final Sandy, OR 9.5.10 Trey, Jamey, Theresa(team support), Matt, Matthieu, Rachel and I attended the series final in Sandy. The course is on some very well built use specific(MTB!!) trails on BLM land just outside of town. The course was 6 miles long with a couple thousand feet of descending and a few hundred feet of climbing. Very similliar to the GL6 course as far as the numbers look. The course was a surprising mix of many NW mtb elements. It was a mini version of A Line, The North Shore and Capitol Forest all in one. Dropping in from the top(literally) you went through a section of perfect berms and mini table tops, followed by a little climb and then a section of fast North Shore BC-ish rocks and roots followed by another little climb and then you are dumped out at the bottom into bermy, flowy clay bliss. Aaaahhhhhhhh. The conditions were greasy and a little sketchy from the rain the night before, but we all raced the same trail under the same conditions so no whining. A massive amount of schwag went away with the GLSIXER'S between the podium prizes and raffle. In fact, it was almost eerie the amount of stuff we all seemed to keep winning. Lucky day I guess. Props to the promoter for putting in the time to round up good sponsors and schwag galore. Super D racing is really starting to thrive in the NW. It's amazing how many SD races there are now in the NW. It's great. It's actually more than great, it may be a Christmas miracle. Santa did get my letters! Super D is a newer discipline in the world of mtb racing, and it is certainly the most inclusive. There really is no way to take sides in it. If you come from XC racing, downhill or trail riding you have any equally good chance of doing well. And you are garunteed to have a good time. This is the first year of the Oregon Super D series. I was grateful to have had the time to participate in all three events. They are on to something, and they did a fantastic job. We are lucky to have this opportunity to race in what truely is the best super d series in the US right now. There is talk of expansion of the series next year too, and if you aren't there you are missing out. -JimEG Sandy Results Matt CAT 1 19-39 2nd Trey CAT1 over 40 4th Jim CAT 2 19-39 2nd Jamey CAT 2 19-39 4th Rachel CAT 2 ? Series Overall Matt CAT1 19-39 2nd Jim CAT2 19-39 2nd Rachel CAT2 Open 2nd

CAPITOL FOREST CLASSIC!!

The Capitol Forest Classic was only the best race weekend of the season. I'm biased, you say?Okay, let's look at the facts: two days of racing, free onsite camping, a delicious BBQ included in the race entry, a raffle that included a car stereo and $2000 gift cert for a new bike both days, accurate timing by a crew of well-organized volunteers, fabulous weather, a Super D and XC course that served up some of the best singletrack the NW has to offer, maintained by the one of the hardest working (and definitely the most kick-ass) trail crews in Washington, Friends of Capitol Forest. Try and beat that. Just try. That's what I thought. You can't.

Day 1: Super D

This course went down our namesake trail, Green Line 6, and anyone who raced could probably see why we named our team after this trail. A mix of tight switchbacks, swooping berms, flowy singletrack, roots, rocks, and even some small features, this trail has it all. Recent logging made conditions extra dusty and dry; the loose corners in the fresh clearcut caused even the pros to hit the brakes and proceed with caution. This didn't stop GL6 racer Matt Jagger from getting a smokin fast time of 20:21, winning the Open Men's category and coming within a minute of Nathan Riddle's sub-20 minute course record. Unfortunately, there was also some carnage on th

e course. Two people took a trip to the emergency room with injuries, one of them being GL6 ripper Kerry Tarullo. Kerry broke her collarbone and now has a steel plate and a number of pins in it, courtesy of Green Line six (the trail, not the

team.) On the bright side, her recovery is going well and hopefully she can get back on the bike soon!

Super D results:

Open Men:

Matt Jagger, 1st

Luke Brechwald, 4th

Derik Archibald, 5th

Kyle Curtin, 6th

Open Women

Michelle Kautzmann, 2nd

Expert Men 36+

Bernie Miller, 2nd

Henry Gertje, 7th

Glenn Graham, 8th

Lee Peterson, DNF (mechanical)

Expert Women

Rachel Delateur, 3rd

Sport Men 36+

John Curtin, 4th

Sport Women

19-34

Courtney Anderson, 1st

Erin Roe, 6th

Kerry Tarullo, DNF (injury)

Day 2: XC

FOCF has had a problem with rain in the past. In fact, the sloppy conditions of the 2008 XC race are near legendary. Not this year. But the cunning weather gods were just as punishing; instead of rain, we got heat. 97 degrees of heat. On a course with 2,500-4,000 ft of climbing, that's like twisting on a rotisserie in hell's BBQ. Many a strong racer was brought to their knees, or rather, their granny gear. Where Saturday's Super D saw broken shoulder sockets and collarbones, Sunday's carnage came in the form of cramping, vomit, and DNFs. The XC course started out with a fast rolling warm up, then began climbing through clearcuts on trail 8, which was like pedaling through an oven. However, once the trail entered back into the forest, the heat became more manageable. After reaching Wedekind, racers went across the "Crestline" trail, which served up some technical uphill sections which were hike-a-bikes for most. Racers were rewarded with a run down the Super D course from Saturday. Sport racers were done after reaching Fall Creek (16 miles), but the Expert/Open racers had to turn around and complete another 10 mile loop, which meant one more climb up though the clearcuts on 8. Despite the heat, GL6 had another excellent showing, Michelle earning 2nd in Open Women, and Erin and Courtney crowding the Sport Women 19-34 podium in 2nd and 3rd place. This was also Kyle's first XC race in the Open category. Although he had some incredibly bad luck with mechanicals, suffering both a broken chain and a flat tire, he and his bike still managed to finish the race!

XC Results:

Open Men

Matt Jagger, 6th

Luke Brechwald, 11th

Kyle Curtin, 12th

Bernie Miller, DNF

Open Women

Michelle Kautzmann, 2nd

Expert Men 36+

Henry Gertje, 8th

Expert Women Singlespeed

Erica Keller, 1st

Sport Men 36+

John Curtin, 13th

Sport Women 19-35

Erin Roe, 2nd

Courtney Anderson, 3rd

Crankworx, Whistler B.C.

I made the trip up to Whistler, BC for the biggest mountain bike festival in the world (Crankworx). It's really cool to see all the pros and freeriders that we watch on DVD and ride the most baddass trails. Everytime I go Whistler my riding skills progress exponentially. All the manufacturers are there with their 2011 bikes and components. SRAM and FOX set up service tents to work on forks for all the racers. The food and hotels are great. The atmosphere is buzzing with mountain bike goodness. I raced the Garbonzo DH. It's the longest DH race in the world. The upper section is super gnarly, rocky and rooty with some really big rock drops. It had rained the day and night before the race. Adding to the challenge. I crashed OTB near the end of the upper section. No injuries or mechanicals though. I finished without further incident. What an awesome race! I'm definitely doing it again next year. I also raced the A-line Big Air DH race which included over 40 jumps and berms. It's a super fast and flowy trail which requires racers to "squash" and/or "scrub" the jumps to maintain speed and not over shoot the jumps. Easier said than done for me. I flat landed some of the bigger jumps (scary). On the way back to the US we stopped and rode some of the "Northshore" trails on Mt.Seymour. One word IMPRESSIVE. The amount of work that

goes into these trails is amazing with all the rock armouring and ladder bridges. I'll be back for more!

-Trey

Results: Trey - Garbonzo DH MASTER MEN 30+ (38th PLACE out of 67 riders) 17min.56sec.

A-Line Big Air DH MASTER MEN 30+ (28th PLACE out of 46 riders) 5min.2sec.

NW Cup Finals: Port Angeles, WA

We had 3 GL6'ers show up to race the final Northwest Cup DH race in Port Angeles, WA on July 24-25th.

Rachel, Edward & Dani, and I (Trey). The weather was dry and hot! Riding in the back of a U-haul truck

for shuttling riders to the trailhead was like being inside a pressure cooker with a bunch of brussel sprouts.

Funky! Racing went off with out a hitch. This year at the DH race series has been good with hot food served

throughout the day with a spaghetti dinner following practice on Sat. One of the best things about racing the

NW Cup series is the instant race times posted on a flat screen for all to see with rider ranking too! The

campground we all stayed at would have been great if not for the younger crowd that partied till 2am. I

only raced 2 out of 4 races in the series this year but it has been great to ride a different trail each time.

Variety is good.

-Trey

Results: Trey - CAT 2 MEN 40-49 (3RD PLACE).

Rachel - CAT 2 WOMEN OPEN (10TH PLACE).

Edward - CAT3 MEN 19-39 (3RD PLACE).

Dani - CAT3 WOMEN (4TH PLACE).

Olympia Traverse

This year was the first ever Olympia Traverse, sister race to the Bellingham Traverse, a four-part relay race from Middle Waddell Day Use area to the Fishbowl Brewpub in downtown Olympia. The race was intended mimic the journey of salmon and the proceeds of the race went toward local conservation groups (and FOCF!!) GL6 racing showed up in force; the Middle Waddell starting line was splattered with bright green jerseys. We had a four person team (Natalie, Theresa, Mike C., and Dave S.) a two person team (Courtney and Erin) and two solo racers (Jamey and Kyle) representing GL6 and FOCF.

The race kicked off with a quick 3.5 mile run that looped up Waddell

Creek Road and then back on the Mt. Molly trails. Kyle was the first FOCF/GL6er to finish the run, with a time of 26:46. He quickly transitioned to his On One singlespeed and was off to do the mountain bike leg. Courtney was next out of the forest at 28:15, with Jamey and Natty close behind at 28:30 and 28:47.

I got on my mountain bike and sped out of the parking lot and down the road

to the Margaret McKinney TH. The course was dry, rolling and fast, a course FOCF/GL6 teams knew well. I passed several people in the first two miles of the 10 mile course, but my only goal (other than to ride as fast as I could) was to not let anyone besides Jamey pass me, which I was able to do! After passing that first group and inevitably being passed by Jamey, I was on my own for the rest of the race. Kyle kept the top FOCF/GL6 spot, finishing the course in 48:29 but by this time Jamey gained on him, finishing in 49:00. I was next across the line at 53:00 and Theresa came in at 57:13.

Next up was the road bike leg, which proved to be the great equalizer for the FOCF/GL6 teams. Kyle struggled a bit on this leg, already two legs in and pedaling an old road bike with downtube shifters, finishing the 25 mile road bike course in 1:20. Courtney held strong for her second leg of the race and finished with a time of 1:15. Meanwhile, Mike C., rocketed ahead and was the second FOCF/GL6er to finish, with a smoking fast time of 1:09, and Jamey, coming in at 1:08, was the first into a kayak for the final leg of the course. What this looked like at the road bike finish/kayak transition was three FOCF/GL6ers starting the kayak leg together.

I was the last to get in the water, but David and Kyle were just a minute or two ahead of me and I had the advantage of a better boat and previous paddling experience. I quickly passed Kyle and Dave and was determined to leave them behind me. Nothing like some friendly competition between team members =) David kept close to the stern of my boat for awhile, but as soon as I was out of the Budd Bay crossing (and current!) I was able to pull away from him and glide into Swantown Marina with a time of 42:00, where Courtney was waiting to make the final trek to the finish line at the Fishbowl Brewpub. David finished behind me at 47:15, followed by Kyle at 51:15. Jamey was already waiting, having a head start on us and finishing in a time 46:45. I relished this one and only moment where I was actually faster than Jamey and Kyle since they smoke me regularly on the bike.

The last leg of the race was the "trek" from Swantown Marina to the Fishbowl Brewpub downtown, where all team members finish together. Our participation prize for this event was a free beer in the BBQ/beer garden that was set up at the finish line. Great event, with a reasonable turn out and a fun course. I'm hoping it returns for next year!

Indie Series Final: Padden Mountain Pedal

The 18th Annual Padden Mountain Pedal marked the end of the 2010 Indie Series, which was only four races this year. Theresa, Erin, John and Kyle made the trip to Bellingham for the last race, where Theresa, Kyle, and Erin were in the running for an overall series podium (although mine was little more than a participation award for showing up at all the races.) Morning clouds quickly dissipated and by the time the beginners started their race, the mid-July sun was in full effect.

The course remained unchanged from previous years (I'm hoping for it to move to Galbraith at some point) which mean multiple laps on a short, technically challenging course. I prefer long laps or no repeated trail at all, so this course was not one of my personal favorites. I didn't pre-ride, so I relied on my recollection of the race last year to guide me. I remembered that the climbing wasn't significant but the technical challenge was, so I hammered the first climb right out of the gate and tried to stay on the wheel of the woman in front of me. By the time I reached the intersection where the beginner course branched off the from the sport/expert course, just shy of a mile into the race, I was wheezing and drenched in sweat. As the woman in my sight slowly pulled away, I realized my mistake; last year I did the beginner course, so I remembered less climbing and spent all my energy too quickly. Trying to keep my frustration at bay, I reached the top with another woman on my back wheel and started down the switchback-laden downhill. This was no time to relax, however; this downhill kept racers on their game. Fast sections abruptly ended in sharp turns, huge roots or quick hills that caught riders in the wrong gear.

Below the intersection where the lower trail reconnected with the upper loop, the trail became more technical with steep dusty chutes, a root drop and sketchy line choices. Thankfully, I lost the woman on my wheel in this section, and as the trail flattened out and began climbing again, I saw that I had gained some ground and caught up to the woman ahead of me. The last section included two technical climbs that required me to get off my bike and run up, and another fun downhill section that swooped down into the lap transition. I was budgeted my energy better for the climb on my second lap, but this time the woman behind me caught me right below the top, though I passed right by her on the downhill section again. By this time, the open/expert racers had started. It was cool to see them ride the steep technical climb section that I had to run up. Unfortunately, my nemesis caught me again early during the climb on the final lap and I couldn't reel her in on the downhill, though I came close to catching her in the finish chute. Thankfully for me, she wasn't even in my age category! This race wasn't timed, but even though I finished 3rd in my category (out of 3) I finished within a minute or two of the other female contenders.

There were a couple hours of down time between the race finish and the awards ceremony/raffle, so we enjoyed delicious food from a taco truck that was at the race and promoted our upcoming event, the Capitol Forest Classic (August 14-15!!!) People showed a lot of interest, which was exciting. Theresa also did some networking with a local screen printing company Liet Industries, which did T-shirts for the Indie Series, and ended up getting them to print up some FOCF shirts for our event!! Next up is the best mountain bike race event of the summer, the Capitol Forest Classic!

Results

Beginner Women

Theresa Nation, 4th; 2nd Series Overall

Sport Women 19-39

Erin Roe, 3rd; 3rd Series Overall

Sport Men 45+

John Curtin, 16th; 12th Series Overall

Expert U-18

Kyle Curtin, 1st; 1st Series Overall

Cascade Cream Puff 100

The Cascade Cream Puff went well with Henry and Todd pulling off finishing the event:

An excellent event with everything you need supplied, free camping, Dinner the night before and breakfast and dinner the day of the event plus nine times thorugh well stocked aid stations and nice helpful volunteers including a mechanic and chain lube crew at each station. Really just show up and ride with a couple water bottles on our frame.

16,000 feet of climbing and 16,000 feet of descending with 10,000 of that descent on the two times down the 17ish mile Alpine Trail. Puff Puff. They make you work to get to the start of that sweet downhill though, with a 30 ish mile mostly road climb and 4-5 ish mile of trails over a the just shy of 5000 foot Saddeblanket Mountain and a lot a lot a lot of Climbing.

-Todd

Results

Henry Gertje 3rd Place Cat 2 Men 45-54 11:57:29 105 overall out of 178

Todd D Singlespeed 28th Place whoopee 13:30:49 151 overall out of 178
(Ironically that time would have put me 4th place in cat 2 men over 45!)

41 starters did not finish.

Pro rider Corey Smith rode the course in 8:33:43
2nd overall on Single Speed was Evan Plews 8:52:02

Pro rider Rebecca Rosch fastest woman rode the course in 9:33:09

Fluidride Cup: Mt. Hood

If you like loose rock, rock drops, switch backs and tight & technical single track than Mt. Hood down hill racing is for you. Pro & cat. 1 had some vertical single track and big rock drops. Category 2 had the afore mentioned, a little bit of everything with alternate routes for the 3 in a row log drops that I decided not to try due to needing to work on Monday. Maybe next time.

The weather was great, very warm and lots of sunshine, finally regained some vitamin D along with some sunburns on the back of my legs where my knee/shin gards didn't cover. I had nearly forgotten what the sun looked like after all the rain we have had this winter. Lots of great people who made the event very enjoyable. Mtn biking is such a great sport because in general everyone is easy going and likes to have a good time.

5 Women in Category 2 and I finished in 3rd place. The next race at Mt. Hood will be on September 24-26, check it out at fluidriderracing.com, I hope that some of you can come. The next fluid ride race will be in Schweitzer Idaho in August 20-22.

-Rachel

Results

Cat 2 Open Women: Rachel Delateur, 3rd

Methow Cycle and Sport Mountain Challenge Race and Riding Weekend

Methow Valley woke me from the growing nightmare of lingering mud, monochrome and precipitation that the 2010 spring and early summer had become. Loup Loup pass was the gateway to a westside mountain biker's paradise. Thankfully, we had budgeted some time to ride outside of the race.

Courtney and I departed from Olympia Thursday morning, her Subaru splitting at the seams with two racers, our camping and bike gear, firewood, food, two medium sized dogs and of course our bikes. Our plan was to secure a site at Loup Loup campground, which was right next to the new race venue at Loup Loup ski bowl, get a ride in before nightfall, and meet up with Theresa and Bernie the following day. In past years, the campground next to the Methow race venue was packed with mountain bikers in the days previous to the race, so I assumed that this year would be no different, even if the venue had changed. Not so this year; when Courtney and I arrived the campground was nearly empty. We set up camp with just enough daylight left for a short ride, so we headed out to last year's race venue for a quick spin around the beautiful Black Bear trail. Those 6.5 miles were all it took for us to fall in love with the panoramic views, wildflowers, and dry trails of the Methow Valley.

The next day, we picked up Theresa at the Twisp River Pub and fueled up for our pre-ride of the new race course. Theresa was waiting on Bernie to bring the rest of her stuff, including her bike, so she explored parts of the course on foot while Courtney and I set off on our bikes. We learned that the course had been shorted at the last minute; Sport riders now had to complete only one 12.8 mile lap instead of two. I was initially a little disappointed, but disappointment was replaced by relief the further I pedaled (or walked) along the course. The course opened with a doubletrack climb on XC ski trails, with brief sections of newly-built singletrack thrown in. The singletrack trails were fresh and therefore soft and loose, which sponged energy from my legs as a I strugged to maintain traction up the steep sections and around the numerous switchbacks. In two miles and 800ish feet of gain, we arrived at a viewpoint of the ski runs and mountains in the background. After just two miles, I was completely out of breath, which did not bode well for the race the following day. The trail continued to climb, but there were sections grade become a little more manageable and easier to sustain. The climbing became peppered with short steep downhill sections, and after a sustained doubletrack descent, the course turned on the Bear Mountain trail, the only real, previously established singletrack of the entire course. After navigating a bog reminiscent of Cap. Forest, the trail descended through somewhat technical terrain for three miles; the trail was loose and dry, off-camber and exposed at times, with rock gardens that begged to puncture tires and tubes. The Bear Montain trail ended on a long, ponderous stretch of fire road, and then, much to my dismay, another section of climbing. The grade wasn't nearly as bad as at the beginning of the race, but I was so tired by that point it was all I could do to keep spinning in granny gear. I knew Courtney was probably waiting way ahead of me somewhere, but I couldn't go much faster than a crawl. And this was only the pre-ride! The course ended in yet another doubletrack descent, this one gravelly and sketchy; at speed, I felt like was riding on large ball bearings. By this point the evening sun was falling through the trees on the blue carpet of lupine that fringed the trail, filling the air with the fragrance of pine and flowers, which was pleasant after such a hellish ride. Back at the camp, Courtney and I shared our trail beta with Theresa: the course was brutal. I dreaded the thought of racing it the next day, against other people, without taking breaks to snap pictures or catch my breath.

In a bizarre turn of events, Bernie ended up not being able to make the drive to the race, leaving Theresa with no gear and no ride. Jamie came out to pick her up in the wee hours of the morning, leaving just Courtney and I to race the following morning. Both of us pondered scrapping the race altogether and just riding instead, but having already ponied up the entry fee, we were already committed to endure the course one more time. Once on the course, I was grateful for the pre-ride, not that it improved my performance, as I was passed by nearly all racers in my field within the first two miles, but knowing what was ahead allowed me to budget my energy better and I had way more fun descending the Bear Mountain trail. However, during the fire road section I began to feel a little nauseous and weak, a feeling which got worse once I hit the last section of climbing before the final doubletrack descent. I grannied it through to the descent, where I was passed by the Open class race leaders who had started a full hour after I did. I heard later that their average lap times were just over an hour. I crossed the finish line and tried to catch my breath. My lungs felt constricted and the nauseous feeling I tried to keep at bay for most of the race was back in full force. I could barely talk to Courtney, who had finished the race a full 20 minutes before I did, and only felt better after ten minutes sitting the shade drinking water. Apparently going from sea level to high levels of exertion without a break at 5600 feet does have some effects.

We went back to the campsite to change and recuperate before the awards, raffle and the beer garden. Courtney rocked the course and took third place for Sport women 19-34 with a time of 1:40, only a few minutes behind the second place winner. I came in 5th of 6 and couldn't have been happier; I didn't finish last!

Courtney and I stayed two more days and rode as much as we could in this breathtaking area. We did two rides on Sunday, Buck Mountain and Pipestone Canyon. Both were incredible. Nothing can match the flowy descent down Buck Mountain, or traversing the rim of a Pipestone Canyon to later drop down and ride through the bottom of it. Before returning to Olympia on Monday, we returned to the Sun Mountain trail system and rode the lower loop of last year's race course, around the Black Bear, Patterson Lake, Rader Creek and Magpie trails. I could have stayed another week.

Results

Sport Women 19-34

Courtney Anderson, 3rd

Erin Roe, 5th

Test of Endurance 50

Todd's Report:

About 240 riders showed up for the Test of Endurance in Blodgett Oregon. It was warm and overcast to start and then misted and drizzled through out most of the day. The first climb had been gravelled recently so the start was 240 bikers struggling up a steep hill for 1/3 mile or so with big soft gravel, lots of gnashing of gears and cursing of falling over riders in there, but it packed down sort of for lap 2. Mostly up and up and up to the first aid station on roads with mild grades and the step grades here and there, though my judgement is clouded a bit and some might think those mild grades steep. The singletracks were wet and muddy and then a lot of really muddy spots. It seemed to take forever to get to Aid station 1 with 3000 feet of climbing, form Aid 1 to the start line then has a lot of downhill and an additional 1100 feet of climbing in it. The lap point was right at the bottom of the newly gravelled road so after that first 25 miles you got to jump right back on a tough 3000 foot climb. Some of the cross hilling and downhill sections of trail were really steep and dangerous and muddy and slimy, I ran some few hundred yards here and there. Saw heroic dudes endo down steep mud steps. The second lap I kept even with Henry till Aid station 3 where he got out a minute ahead of me to go as I relieved myself guzzling Heed and eating bananas. Then I just lost the power to climb out that last section and walked several of the steep hills.

A lot of top riders at the event and both the pro men and pro women broke the course records and I don't know how they did it in those marginal conditions.

A test of endurance and mental stability and biking stamina for sure.

Henry Gertje rode Cat 1 at 6:08:58 placing 12 of 14 in the cat 1 45-54, and 1 D

Todd Davison rode Single Speed at 6:13:37 placing 12 of 13 with 6 DNF


If either of us had rode cat 2 men 45-54 we would have been 7th and 8th out of about 25 and 10 DNF's so we racked up pretty good times for some older dudes with jobs.

-Todd

Henry's Report:

A few thoughts: Todd placed 123rd of 231 riders. Henry placed 117th out of 231 riders. If we raced in the Cat 2's, we'd have placed 7th and 5th of 25. Placing near the middle of this race on our first try was a solid show for GL 6. This race is one of the Norba Ultraendurance Nationals Qualifiers, so there were a lot of high quality racers there.

The course is the same as the Mudslinger that is run a month or two earlier, but the Slinger is only one lap. I heard a few pros say that the course was in worse shape for the TOE. Slimey, with red stuff like Capitol Forest. My derailers and tires clogged up, so I had to pick mud, gravel and grass out. Each lap, there were sections I walked down, then up with feet slipping. It became worse as it went along. Greasy slots developed in the steep spots that sucked your tires in.

I saw several people fall down, so I rode the descents very conservatively. In spite of the 6 mile double track beginning the first lap, I found myself braking behind a host of people with better road climbing ability than single track skill. The toughest part of this ride was that the single track didn't allow the mid field riders to open up and flow. Full suspension and aggressive tires would have been an advantage. Almost as tough was that the climbs were numerous with little relief on the descents. Experience with this course makes a big difference.

It's interesting to note that the TOE is literally 1/2 of the Cascade Cream Puff 100. The CCP is in 3 weeks. The TOE is a prep ride. Hopefully the CCP singletrack will flow and it won't rain the whole time!

Leavenworth Bavarian Bike and Brew

After weeks of rain, the day of the BBB was fast upon us. Many wondered if our legs were going to up to the challenge. OK, maybe not 'many' but I did wonder if I would hold out climbing 1500+ ft twice.

Friday's pre ride under partly cloudy skys was muddy and slick. I ran in Courtney on the trail as she finished her preride, covered in mud. Not a good sign but hey, we're from Western WA so we can't exist without mud.

The preride was a good idea, to acclimate and enjoy the views. By late afternoon the word was the trail was drying out, hope rose for a tacky trail on Sat. GL6ers and Oly Orthopedics gathered in a restaurant downtown Friday night after packet pickup at Uncle Ulis. 20+ riders gathered in the bar around one little bar table!!

Saturday dawned clear and promising with everyone at the cabin in a good mood and ready to ride.

Theresa was off 1st, riding down to the start of the race about a mile away. I followed shortly in the car to take a few pictures. Race start times were an hour and half apart so there was to be a lot of folks out on the trails. Most of the team rode Sport with a few in Expert.

The start is on a hill and up a fireroad; ready, set climb! Fireroad for first mile+ and then onto trail. The trail is a series of steps for another mile and then you round a corner and begin a serious grind. The climb was as remembered, brutal. The waterbars seems smaller tho, worn down or built up in my imagination over the past year, they didn't seem near as tall this year. A steep section at the top of climb signal we were at the end and almost at the water drop at the top of the down hill.

The downhill was screaming!! Waterbars had a tendency to interupt flow but it was a blast! The lower stream crossings were now armored and very rideable compared to the year before. Before I knew it I was back at the start and on my way up for a 2nd time. I took a slight break at the top of the fireroad to let the majority of the expert/open class pass on their 1st lap. At the top of my second climb I was passed by some of the opens on their 2nd lap, damn if they weren't flying (or there was one heck of a shortcut somewhere). At the finish, I didnt even have the omph to sprint to the line, just a coast downhill. Would have finished almost mid pack of the Clydsdales if it weren't for the fact that 3 dropped out. I finished next to last. But I finished!!! Hardest race I've done and more than worth it, now, wheres the beer!!

After showering a bite to eat at the cabin it was back to the race site for awards, music and beer. Really good beer. The festival is on a private organic farm next to the start and is just a totally cool place.

Luke and Derik took 2nd and 3rd expert single speed. Klye, in a class all his own, took first in expert and a mention on the podium that he was the youngest expert AND did the course on his single speed!! Wild applause throughout the grounds!! In all, 20 GL6ers and Oly Orthopedics came out to play and race. A fantastic time was had by all and everyone is planning on returning next year.

Whew! Oly area was well represented!!

-Mike

Results (GL6 and Oly Orthopedics)

Beg Women 19+ Theresa 6th

Sport Clydsdale Mike 9th

Expert Jr Kyle 1st

Expert 19-34 Erik Anderson 10th

Expert SS Luke 2nd

Derik 3rd

Todd 4th

Expert Women 19-34 Erica 4th

Expert Women 35+ Michelle 1st

Jen Jennifer

Sport Men 45+ John 20th

Sport Men 35-44 Brian 19th

Sport Women 19-34 Brandee 5th

Courtney 6th

Erin 12th

Sport Women 35+ Rachel 10th

Ann 12th

Stefanie 14th

Karen 16th

Chris 17th

Hood River Super D: Oregon Super D #1

The Oregon Super D series started off this weekend with the third annual Hood River Super D, in Post Canyon. This course was rumored to be one of the most technically challenging super D courses in the Northwest. The course dropped over 3000 vertical feet in 7 miles, with 400 feet of climbing.

Jim and I arrived in Hood River around 1pm on Saturday afternoon and headed straight to the bike shop to get our race packets and ask around to see what the conditions were like. Upon pulling in to the bike shop it was impossible not to notice all of the bikes on tops of cars and trucks were covered in mud and clay! They looked like they just got done riding the moto trails in Capitol Forest after only a couple days of dry weather in May. I was particularly worried because I'm running Schwalbe Racing Ralphs front and rear on my new super D bike, and although they're the best tire I have ever ran for moist and dry conditions, they are not good in thick clay type mud. Jim was stoked on his Fat Albert tire choice. So, after talking to some people in the bike shop it sounded like the trails might dry out by race day, so my nerves were eased a little.

At the top of the course you realize that there is a lot of vertical in Post Canyon, and the upper trails look really similar to a lot of our moto trails. The course drops in to some really fast and rocky moto style trails before popping out onto a road for about 50 yards and dropping into something you are more likely to see in an expert level downhill race track. Super steep chutes with deep ruts, tight trees, and wet roots and rocks everywhere. Much worse and about 3 times longer than the upper rocky section at Dog River. That section ended with a log drop onto road that shot you into the most fun part of the course. It was like a mile or more of slalom style trails with perfectly flowing corners with the best traction you will ever find. At this point in the trail you feel like you are in really good shape and hardly working at all. Then you hit the first climb and you realize super d races are hard. I was basically anaerobic for the next mile or so of trail. It's kind of a rolling climb with small sections of descending between the small climbs. When the climb ended you drop back into a flowy section that ends in another expert level technical chute with rock and root drops everywhere, and ends with a ladder bridge drop back onto the fun flowy stuff. Three quarters of the way down the course you pop out onto a double track, stairstep road climb that takes all the rest of your energy reserves. The course ends with about 2 miles of some of the best single track you will ever ride. Super flowy and fast with perfect radius turns, one right after another.

The course dried out throughout the day on Saturday, and by Sunday morning it was in perfect racing condition. I was the first GL6er out off the top and I had a very clean run with only a couple small mistakes. After reaching the bottom and getting my instant time and result (they have a very cool timing system) I realized I should have been less conservative because I was behind third place by 2 seconds. Trey, David, Matthieu, Glenn and Jim were all scheduled to take their runs about an hour after mine. Trey had a good clean run with no crashes, David was conservative on the descents and motored up the climbs like a bat out of hell, keeping Matthieu off his back tire. Matthieu had a bad spill on the first gnarly rock chute, but had a clean run after that. Glenn crashed hard in the rocky chute as well and bashed up his ankle pretty bad, but still finished strong. Jim took a heavy digger right off the top in the fast rocky section and smashed his shoulder bad enough to just head back up to the truck and call it good. Rachel said she was just happy to make it down in one piece and have a good time doing it.

Overall this was one of the best Super D courses I have ever ridden. The race promoters really have their stuff together and it shows with the good timing, and the good course layout. The next race is in Oakridge and it is 16 miles long! I can't wait!

-Matt

Matt- 4th Cat 1 19-39

Trey- 5th Cat 1 40+
Glenn- 10th Cat 1 40+

David- 17th Cat 2 19-39
Matthieu- 22nd Cat 2 19-39
Jim- DNF

Rachel 4th Cat 2 35+

Indie Series #1: Whidbey Island Mudder

The 2010 Indie Series kicked off with what was rumored to be the last installment of the Whidbey Island Mudder. GL6 got the party started right; we pre-rode the course on Saturday, then set up camp and chilled with some BBQ and beer as we prepped our metal steeds for the race the next day. Not many other racers openly challenged the ominous weather report to camp in the open field Saturday night; we were one of three groups to camp on-site. We retired to our tent/camper/car under a clear sky and the soft white eye of a waxing moon, but were awoken from sleep several hours later by the predicted volley of rain. The morning air was chill and damp as Theresa and rest of the beginner class prepared for their 10 am race start, but the adverse weather had improved the course drastically. The speed-sucking sandy pits of previous years were tamed by the overnight rain, and the course was still in great shape by the time the sport racers hit it at 2 pm.

The course dished up the same fare as previous years, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. This was a relentlessly fast, intense course that required nearly as much mental focus as physical stamina. The course wound through stands of young alder trees that grabbed at rider's handlebars, up over aptly named "anthills" and down some ripping doubletrack filled with whoopties to keep it interesting. There were ample places to pass, but racers were never by themselves; I constantly fought to pass the person ahead of me while another racer was simultaneously breathing down my neck. This competition demanded constant focus and coaxed every last bit of energy from each racer. What a great race!!

Mike made his season debut in the Clydesdale class, where he took an impressive 6th out 12 competitors. Theresa returned in full effect after her ankle injury, taking 5th in Beginner Women 19+ after a hard battle. Erica and Kyle raced their first race in the Expert class, and Erin raced her first Indie Series race in the sport category. Bernie looked the most badass after his finish, with blood oozing from several scratches on his arms and legs, and a bloodstain blossoming on the right side of his jersey; despite a couple crashes, he still rocked into 5th place in the incredibly competitive expert class. Kyle kept up with the big boys in expert (on his rigid singlespeed no less!) and John returned to the racing scene in the sport category. GL6 2010!!!

Results

Expert Men 36-44

Bernie Miller, 6th

Expert Women 19-34

Erica Keller, 3rd

Expert U-18

Kyle Curtin, 1st

Sport Women 19-34

Erin Roe, 5th

Sport Men

John Curtin 25th

Clydesdale Men

Mike Scholl, 6th

Beginner Women 19+

Theresa Nation 5th

Dog River Super D (Fluidride Enduro Round 1)

If we were going to drive three hours down to Hood River, David figured that we might as well get in as much riding as possible. He planned a sweet weekend of sampling some of Hood River's signature riding areas - Post Canyon on Friday, race Dog River on Saturday and Sunday, Syncline on Monday - and he rented a four "bedroom" house in White Salmon for GL6 post-ride shenanigans. The staging area for this race was a sea of GL6 jerseys; Todd, Lee, Kerry, Courtney, Rachel, Dave, Trey, Matt, Matthieu, Kyle and myself made the trek. John didn't race but took some sweet photos.

FRIDAY

Unfortunately, my work schedule didn't comply with David's plan and Friday afternoon found me not perched on the saddle of my Norco Fluid, but teaching Macbeth to tenth graders. As I slogged through act 3 scene 4, Lee, Kerry, Rachel, Dave and Courtney were out ripping it up at Post Canyon. Having packed the night before, I left for Hood River straight from work, arriving just in time to meet the girls for the post-ride beer and dinner at Big Horse Brewing Co. I spent most of my day envisioning the trails I could be shredding while encased in my classroom with no windows, but after I heard the ride report from Post Canyon my jealousy faded slightly. Apparently, the shuttle ride turned out to be a debacle full of wrong turns, hike-a-bike climbs, map checks, and repeats of that telltale phrase of every doomed ride: "don't worry, I think it's around the next bend." And of course, said the ladies, what else was to blame but the mixture of male (over)confidence and a poorly drawn map? Just kidding guys =) The drive to our rental house was almost as adventurous; after three U-turns and twice pulling off the road to check the directions, we finally made it to our home for the next few days, where we discovered the fourth bedroom was actually a converted shed with twin beds set a little ways apart from the main house. Courtney and I stayed in this fourth "bedroom," which thankfully had heat.

SATURDAY

Saturday was the first round of the Dog River Enduro Super D. After a delicious breakfast of french toast and strawberries a la Lee, we loaded the vans with bikes and dogs, and headed out the Dog River trailhead. It had rained overnight, but thankfully the skies cleared somewhat as we approached the trailhead. We arrived in time for most of us squeeze in two practice runs before the race began. The course was fantastic! With the exception of a tricky rock garden in the first mile and some sharp, challenging switchbacks, the trail was smooth and FAST. It was 5.5 miles of daring yourself not to touch the brakes. The shuttle dropped riders off about a mile away from that starting gate, giving the the course a built-in warm up. Out of the gate, riders followed a section of gravel road which ended in singletrack. About 500 yards down the trail was a tricky rock garden that led up to a switchback, both without much room for error. After this, riders navigated a couple other switchbacks, then the course ripped along the hillside through the pines. Three more switchbacks greeted riders near the end of the course. By the time the race began, the course was fairly blown out from all the practice runs, the brake bumps, ruts and blown turns adding some difficulty. The day ended with Lee and Matthieu nearly tied for third place (among several others), and Courtney, Kyle, and Matt also in contention for a podium spot. Our post-race celebrations started at Full Sail Brewing in Hood River, but ended at a much cooler locale, The Thirsty Woman, located in a small community just east of Hood River. It looked as if someone had knocked down a few walls and converted their living room into a small bar populated with locals and an eccentric selection of beer. Not able to find an open supermarket, we stocked up on breakfast food at a 7-11 and headed home. Surprisingly, a 7-11 can provide for all your breakfast burrito makings. Who knew?

SUNDAY

Courtney cooked our 7-11 Reser's brand treasure into delicious breakfast burritos to fuel us up for the second round of the Dog River Super D. The weather was sunnier this morning, but it was hard for us to get our race mojo going. We spent the morning drinking coffee and munching egg and bacon stuffed burritos instead of getting in another round of practice runs. Thankfully our morning lethargy didn't show up in the results for the day; nearly everyone shaved 20 seconds or more off their time. Unfortunately, the battle between Lee and Matthieu for third place ended in a flat tire for Lee and crash for Matthieu, knocking them both down in the overall rankings. GL6 was still a still presence on the podium; Matt took 2nd in Cat I Mens 30-39, Kyle took 1st place in Cat II Mens 16-18, Kerry took 2nd in Cat II Open Women, and Courtney took 2nd in Cat III Open Women. After the race, we stopped at Double Mountain Brewery, where we ordered six pizzas and somehow ate all of them. This place left Full Sail in the dust; it was the best food and beer we had the whole trip! Once again, work called me away from the trails, so I headed home with a growler of Double Mountain IRA and a belly full of pizza. Dave, Rachel, Todd, Trey and Courtney stayed one more day to ride Syncline before making the trek back up north.

Results

Cat I Men 30-39

Matt Jagger, 2nd

Cat II Men 16-18

Kyle Curtin, 1st

Cat II Men 30-39

Matthieu Denuelle, 5th

Lee Peterson, 6th

Cat II Men 40-49

Trey Clay, 4th

Todd Davidson, 5th

Cat II Men 50+

David Snyder, 1st

Cat II Open Women

Kerry Tarullo, 2nd

Rachel Delateur, 5th

Erin Roe, 6th

Cat III Open Women

Courtney Anderson, 2nd

NW Cup #2

Rachel, Edward and Dani all headed back up to PA this weekend for the NW Cup #2. This was also the first stop on the Pro GRT tour, so they were treated to seeing some top DH racers rip it up as well! Race report soon....maybe?

Results

Cat II Open Women

Rachel Delateur, 6th

Cat III Men 19-29

Edward Vergara, 3rd

Cat III Women 30-39

Dani Vergara, 3rd

Budu Final Race: Soaring Eagle

What a way to end the series! Not only was the weather warm enough for sightings of shirtless racers at the finish line and pale white Washingtonian legs, but there was cash and schwag at the end. Dani even managed to score a pair of $150 Specialized sunglasses! I walked away with a waterbottle, but the pinkish tinge of a sunburn was very satisfying. Theresa was still out with a sprained ankle, but Dani represented GL6 during the beginner race and earned third place! Erin, John, Dave, Kyle, and Edward raced the Sport race and Erica was back from her injury in the Singlespeed category.

The course was identical to the previous Soaring Eagle race, in layout and conditions. Though it was sunny, the previous day's rain created some soft muddy sections the gave the calves a nice splattering. Unlike last time, however, the race organizers decided to let the Sport women start first instead of last, with a three minute interval between them and the next category. Last time around, only one woman was able to complete the entire four laps without being lapped and pulled off the course, so the point was to give the women a head start so they wouldn't get lapped. Thoughtful though this gesture was, it did not work as intended. Instead of only getting passed by a few leaders at the end of the race, the women were now passed by over half of the ENTIRE sport category throughout the race. On top of this, places to pass effectively were limited. I found myself riding off into the bushes, taking poor lines, loosing speed and spinning out to let someone pass me, which made getting into a good groove nearly impossible. Those passing were forced into an equally awkward position while trying to pass strings of people that were going slower than they were. Good idea gone wrong, but at least everyone, both women and men, were equally screwed =) In the end, the constant passing was more an annoyance than something that sucked up time.

Unfortunately, Kyle had his first mechanical of the year, breaking the chain on his sweet new singlespeed ride. That didn't stop him from dominating the U-18 category for the series; he had enough top three finishes under his belt to keep him in the first place slot for the series in the Sport U-18 category. I had my best race of the season so far, complete with an all-out push to the finish, shaving three minutes off my previous time for the course and finishing 2nd in both my age category, overall for the Sport women, and for the series. David finished a solid 9th, breaking the top 10 for his large age category, and Erica finished 3rd. This was a great early season series!! Well-organized, mellow, and FUN!

Results

Beginner Women 30-39

Dani Vergara, 3rd

Sport Men 30-39

Edward Vergara, 13th

Sport Men 40+

David Snyder, 9th

John Curtin, 20th

Sport U-18

Kyle Curtin, DNF (mechanical)

Sport Women 30-39

Erin Roe, 2nd

Sport Singlespeed

Erica Keller, 3rd

Budu #5: Ft. Steilacoom

Ft. Steilacoom Park is located just off a busy street, boasting sprawling parking lots, three soccer fields, a dog park and some random red barns. The starting line was set up in a wide grassy field, with a stand of trees at the far side and no visible hills whatsoever. Looking at this landscape, we assumed the race course would be mellow, maybe twisty, but mostly flat and fast. Derik even brought his single speed cyclocross bike, feeling it might be the best performer given the terrain. At the registration tent, one of the race organizers mentioned that each 4.5 mile lap had 1100 feet of elevation gain. Not possible, we thought. 1100 feet in 4.5 miles? Here? We were wrong.

If there is anything the course was not, it was flat. With the exception of the starting sprint into the trees and the singletrack, the course was constant up and down. There was no sustained climbing, but many short climbs, and three lung-busters. The course started off tightly twisting through trees, where there were some large log rollers, and then it headed up some doubletrack to the water towers that was the first (and steepest) climb. After a short downhill section where I crashed on my second lap, the course climbed back up and opened up into a field of small bushes and scotch broom. The course ended with a fast downhill section. With the climbs, log rollers, fast downhills and hairpin turns, racers were kept on their toes the entire time. The course was an unexpected pleasure to ride!!

Results

Beginner Women 30-39

Dani Vergara, 4th

Sport Women 30-39

Kerry Tarullo, 1st

Erin Roe, 4th

Sport Men 30-39

Edward Vergara, 15th

Sport Men 40+

David Snyder, 13th

John Curtin, 26th

Sport SS

Derik Archibald, 7th

Lee Peterson, 9th

Sport U-18

Kyle Curtin, 2nd

Expert Men 40+

Bernie Miller, 6th

Expert Women 40+

Michelle Kautzmann, 4th

Budu #4: Cookin in the Kettles, Ft. Ebey State Park

What an awesome weekend! While Rachel and Edward were representing GL6 in the NW Cup in Port Angeles, Lee, Kerry, Todd, Matt, Erin, Erica, Kyle, Theresa and David were across the Puget Sound at beautiful Ft. Ebey State Park on Whidbey Island. It was a preview of the summer to come; camping in a beautiful location, surrounded by a horde of other mountain bikers, racing along dry (!) trails that served up a hearty helping of challenges for the skills and the lungs. Pure NW bliss!

The weekend started out on a good note: we ended up scoring the LAST campsite in the entire campground! On top of that, the rain that battered everywhere else (including our teammates in PA) passed through briefly at night, leaving the sandy trails nice and tacky without being muddy for the race the next morning. We even had sunbreaks during the race!!

The course was the best of the Budu series, hands down. Perfect trails twisted through beautiful coastal forest with peek-a-boo views of the beach and the Sound for those who could tear their eyes away from the course. Colin, our photographer for the day, reported to seeing a racer stop and take a photo during the race. The 95% singletrack course had a bit of everything; climbs, roots, tight turns, switchbacks going both up and down, and ripping downhill sections (which more often then not ended in a hairpin turn leading to another steep uphill) Beginners did one loop (7 miles) Sport/Singlespeed did two laps (14 miles) and Experts did three laps (21 miles) My GPS reading for the 14 sport course clocked 2570 feet of elevation gain.

As icing on the cake, several GL6 racers walked away with medals around their necks. Matt Jagger earned 2nd place in the single speed category, with the second best time in the sport/singlespeed class overall. Erica and Kerry Tarullo (GL6er in all but name) represented for the ladies, with Kerry earning 1st place in Sport Women 30-39 on her single speed, and Erica taking 2nd in the women's single speed category. Erin joined Kerry on the podium, taking 3rd in 30-39 Sport women. Kyle continued his podium streak with 2nd place U-18 Sport, and Theresa earned her first medal, taking 2nd in the Beginner Women 30-39 category. And of course, we could be found at a local brewhouse (all ages of course, Kyle) raising a glass to another awesome weekend of camping and mountain biking in the Northwest.

Results:

Beginner Women 30-39

Theresa Nation, 2nd

Sport Men 40+

David Snyder, 13th

Sport Women 30-39

Kerry Tarullo, 1st

Erin Roe, 3rd

Singlespeed Men

Matt Jagger, 2nd

Todd Davison, 10th

Lee Peterson, 11th

Sport U-18

Kyle Curtin, 2nd

Singlespeed Women

Erica Keller, 2nd

NW Cup #1

While other GL6ers were across the sound at Ft. Ebey, Rachel, Edward and his wife Dani were ripping it up on their big bikes at NW Cup #1. Hopefully a race report to follow....

Results:

Cat II Men 30-39

Edward Vergara, 13th

Cat II Women 40+

Rachel Delateur, 4th

Cat III Women

Dani Vergara, 3rd

Budu #3: Soaring Eagle

Last year's Soaring Eagle race was one of the sloppiest, muddiest races of the season, but thankfully this year was different. While the course wasn't exactly dry, it wasn't quite the energy-sucking hell of the previous years. The weather report called for rain, but we were spared of all but just a few drops while the races were going on.

The coarse opened with short stretch of wide gravel travel that wasn't quite long enough to spread everyone out before hitting the singletrack. Luckily, so of us were advised at the starting line to get a fast start in order to avoid the inevitable bottleneck at the trail entrance, which led to an immediate downhill section. The coarse was swoopy, with a couple of tight turns and slippery roots to keep everyone on their toes, but without an significant climbs or descents. Even without sustained climbing, the trail was soft enough to keep the cranks constantly moving and the heart rate high. Approaching the lap transition was another fun downhill section that ended in an abrupt right hand turn back onto the gravel section. Like the previous Budu races, racers who were lapped were cut off at this lap transition point.

Kyle Curtin continued to rock his category, taking 2nd place in Sport U-18, and his father John Curtin, recovered from injury, came out for his first race of the season! Lee and Theresa also finished strong in their respective categories. Way to go GL6!

Results:

Beginner Women

30-39 Theresa Nation, 7th

Sport Men

U-18 Kyle Curtin, 2nd

30-39 Edward Vergara, 20th

40+ John Curtin, 28th

SS Lee Peterson, 7th

Sport Women

30-39 Erin Roe, 3rd

Expert Women

30-39 Courtney Anderson, 4th

Budu #2: Black Diamond

It was dry and cool for the Black Diamond Race. Seven Green Line Six Racers showed up for the event. The track was dry and rocky, lots of tight turns and lots of brushy trail that makes passing difficult. Beginner Class did 2 laps, Expert Class did 5 laps and the Sport and Single Speed Class did 4 laps. Laps were 2.5 miles. The course was good and fast except the several hundred yards of cobblestone and the many tight turns in the coblestone areas.

Matt and Todd and Kyle went for a warm up ride up land on the trails on the East side of the road and the trails up there are excellent tapeworm in heavy forest with few rocks.

-Todd D.

Beginner:
Dani Vergera F 30-39 4th Place

Expert:

Courtney Anderson F 30-39 5th
Rachel Delatuer F 40-49 4th

Sport:
Kyle Curtain U-18 1st Place
Edward Vergara M-30-39 14th

Single Speed:
Matt Jagger 3rd Place
Todd Davison 8th

Budu #1: Dash Point

This year's Budu Westside Series opened up with a new venue, Dash Point State Park, and April weather that somehow lost it's place in time and ended up in February. Azure skies, brilliant sunlight, temperatures pushing 60 degrees, and the mountain bike season opener; is there a better way to spend a Sunday? A whopping 17 bad-ass GL6ers turned out. We had racers show their stuff in nearly every category!

A few of us had ridden the course earlier in the week and the ride report was ominous; mud bogs, slick turns, slippery roots, logs and bridges, tire-eating mud. Much to our relief, the boggy, muddy trails had dried out significantly during the pervious days' unseasonably awesome weather. The race started at the beginning of the campground, winding around the sites before entering a wide section of singletrack, which allowed riders to gather speed and sort themselves out. Riders were greeted soon enough by tight turns, short, steep sections, and a few log-rolls. Climbing was dished out in short, lung-busting bursts, and halfway through the course on the aptly named "Technical Trail," riders had to navigate through a couple tight spots, over slick roots and some tricky log bridges, which thankfully were covered in wire mesh to improve traction. "The Downhill" gave riders a little breather before spitting them back out on "Log Jam" for another lap.

We had a solid showing, including two first place finishes. Erica Keller took it for Women's Singlespeed and Kyle Curtin rocked Sport U-18. Even for those not bringing back a podium finish, it was great to see everyone in the mountain biking community once again. Bring on Budu #2: Black Diamond and the 2010 season!

GL6 Results

Beginner Women 30-39

Theresa Nation, 5th

Sport U-18

Kyle Curtin, 1st

Sport Women 30-39

Kerry Tarullo, 2nd (based on time, miscategorized in Mens)

Erin Roe, 5th

Sport SS Women

Erica Keller, 1st

Sport Men 30-39

Edward Vergara, 14th

Sport SS Men

Todd Davison, 7th

Lee Peterson, 9th

David Snyder, 11th

Expert Women 30-39

Courtney Anderson, 3rd (1 to go)

Expert Women 40+

Michelle Kautzmann, 4th (mechanical)

Rachel Delateur, 5th (1 to go)

Expert Men 30-39

Jamey Poelker, 11th