Pisgah 111 Race Report

Mad hike a bike skilz are a prerequisite.  Photo by Brado.

Deciding what to take and what to chance not taking was a difficult task the day before the race.  A hydration pack was a no brainer.  It was going to be hot and I was most likely going to have a death grip on my bike for most of the race.  However, there was going to be lots of time spent pushing, carrying, and lifting my Niner Jet 9 RDO, which weighed 22.6 pounds, through the mountains.  The less weight I had to carry was going to add potential horse power to the machine.  Being little does make it easier to climb, but ounces can feel like pounds.

The Pisgah gods love sacrifices!  They are hungry for flesh and metal.  Knowing this I decided to take two tubes, pump, tire lever, tire patch, tire plugs, derailleur hanger, a few chain links, and a quick link.

My legs were not sparkly race morning, so I took it easy on the climb up Clawhammer.  The race would not be won here, but it could definitely be lost.  I focused on my heart rate and fortunately only saw Lisa pull away; I was able to stay on the wheels of Kim and Elizabeth.  Once at the top, my legs were ready!  Buckhorn and South Mills could have been stupid fast, but I had enough sense to settle and let the trail come to me.

Squirrel Gap was a pleasant surprise as I had not ridden it since the trail work had been done.  It was still evil in spots as evidenced by the crashes in front of me, but I showed my respects and left it unscathed and with a smile on my face.  It was here that Kim let me by as she bobbled on a creek crossing.

Cantrell Creek was a first for me.  What a gnarly derailleur gnasher, front wheel basher of a descent!  I let several guys go past me; it was obvious that this was their back yard as they flew by.  It was hard to see what was around the corner; the undergrowth was so thick!  I caught up to Lisa who was having some chain suck issues and motored after I slowed to ask her if she needed anything.

Aside from the occasional mud bog on South Mills, it was pretty uneventful.  Having go go gadget legs and not needing anything from aid station #1, I continued on to Bradley Creek.  The crossing felt "oh so good" on my neuropathic metatarsals.

The demi god of bike portaging, Lisa Randall, blew by me in one of the many creek crossings.  I managed to catch back up to her on FS 5015.  Together we took turns pulling each other up the fire road climb.  Life was good ... reminded me of our Trans Rockies days.  We stopped at aid station 2.  The volunteers were waiting on us hand and foot.  I love it when they have their sh!t together!  I refilled my hydration pack, drank a Coke, and grabbed one of my salty red potatoes ... food for the soul!  Lisa pulled out just moments before me.  I caught back up to her on the descent with my gravel road surfing skills.  Together again we rode up FS 5000.  Even though it was a smooth consistent climb, my legs were beginning to bark a little.

Once we hit Spencer, my legs were happy again.  It is just something about single track.  Spencer Gap --> Spencer Branch --> Never Ending Road -->  Fletcher --> Lower Trace was a sh!ts and giggles experience, save for having to maneuver around two dudes on the Lower Trace.

I didn't particularly care for that "little" hiccup of a hike-a-bike (at the beginning of Yellow Gap, I think).  Basically a 3 foot ditch at a 20% grade for a tenth of a mile.  Not enough room in the ditch for both you and your bike, so you either had to walk the ditch with you bike high on the rim ... or both you and your bike had to skirt the edge of the rim, hoping the bank did not give way or a rhododendron grab your bars and send you plummeting down the ditch with your bike on top of you.  Yea ... I played out all these scenarios as I pushed my way to the top.

After climbing on Yellow Gap, I then popped back out onto FS 1206, going the opposite way I had come, meaning I now got to climb for 2 miles.  With a squeaky chain, the climb seemed infinite!  Upon returning to aid station 3 (which was also aid station 2), I asked for some chain lube.  Thank you whoever worked on my bike; I was squeak free the rest of the race.  I also refilled my hydration pack again, grabbed another potato, and motored on.  As I pulled out, Lisa was pulling in.       Well that sent my adrenals into overdrive!  Had I slowed on that 20 mile loop, or was Lisa's second wind kicking in?

The remainder of the race was going to indeed be interesting as Eric decided to treat us with a "fanny-kicker" of a 20 mile section.  The appetizer was Laurel Mountain:  a spectacular presentation of blooming laurel and its spider webs of roots to the nth power and bike portaging spread throughout.  All I knew was that I had to giv'r the whole time or else Lisa would catch me.  As I was struggling up the last but most brutal hiking portion of Laurel, I came upon a racer in a TVB kit.  I just had to ask him if HE was the one in the Knoxville, Tn personal injury lawyer commercial.  He said, "No," but still seemed kind of embarrased.  I agreed that it was a corny commercial and he graciously let me by; probably did not want to partake in any more of that conversation.

Hking AGAIN on Laurel Mountain.  Photo by Brado 

Next on the plate was Pilot Rock.  I would consider this the dessert, kind of like a dark chocolate cheesecake.  The first few bites are deliciously rich and mouth watering, but by the time I am half way through it, I am full.  Since I cannot take it home, I  am forced to finish it.  Those last few bites hurt and my body is ravaged by its richness ... or in the case of this trail, the bone/muscle jarring 3 mile descent where I am jack hammered all the way down.

After a blistering section of fire road, a mostly level South Mills River, and what seemed like a never ending ascension of Buckhorn Gap (all the right-handers look the same!), I arrived at Black Mountain.  (Insert a coup de grace here.)

Black Mountain, the last course on the menu.  This reminds of when my Mom making a big pan of super cheesy 5 layer meat lasagna when I was a little girl.  But then the veggie side is a heaping pile of brussel sprouts.   No way!  Lasagna is a meal unto itself; I shouldn't have to be tortured with these "alien heads."  And that is Black.  Only 6 miles, but 2 are pure hell, 2 connect the "pure hell" sections, and 2 are heavenly.

Smiles ... or grimaces?

The final 6 miles took me about 47 minutes.  I finished with a winning time of 8:02:43.  I am glad to say I survived another one of Eric's potential "soul-crushing" events.  However, for me as well as all the others who survived the day, I think we can say that this was a "soul-lifting" event.  Jeff Papenfus may not have been there in body, but he was with each and every one of us in spirit.

PMBAR Race Report

The wooden nickel cost 30/100 teams a 2 hour penalty as they failed to adhere to Rule #13!

My first Eric Weaver race is in the books.  And I must say that it has been the best race of the season.  My first foray into mountain bike adventure racing and I am hooked!  I really did not look at it as a race (well, maybe a little) but more as a fun way to spend an epic day in Pisgah learning the network of trails, dialing in my navigation skills, and using gear that I will come to rely upon come Labor Day weekend.

The day before we had talked to several PMBAR veterans who had told us that it was a mad start and the best thing to do was to race up to Pressley Gap and then pull out the map and beging plotting.   At that point we had decided to try to hang with some of the big dogs and try to get an idea where they might be headed first.

My PMBAR bike,  fully loaded it weighed 29 pounds + 6 pounds on my back.

Race morning was chaotic.  I got separated from my partner, Todd Henne, and I could not hear the pre-race meeting.  Finally we hooked up about 7:50; Todd had the Ziploc bag with map and passport inside.  At 7:52, Eric said, "Go!"  Fortunately for us, we had a "deer in the headlights" start, so we actually opened up the passport and map and began reading the instructions.  All the rules were pretty typical, save for #13, which was brand new for this year:  "Every team race packet contains a wooden nickel that must be given to the race director prior to leaving the start."

We plotted out our points, in a counter-clockwise direction, so as to get the 3 mandatories and the closest optional to those mandatories first.  Then, if we were still feeling frisky, we would go for the 5th (Farlow/Daniel Ridge), which was way out there by itself.  As we were dropping our nickel off, Eric stated, "There are going to be a lot of frustrated teams, including several big dogs, out there." (30 teams did not drop their nickel off).

Climbing up Thrift Cove and Black, I knew I was going to have a good day.  My legs were very sparkly, and I had to keep a governor on the motor.  Todd wass an awesome partner and kept me cool and level-headed.  We had the same cadence, shifted gears at the same time, and knew when to get off and walk.

Our first checkpoint was South Mills River/Squirrel Gap.  The trails were in excellent shape and blazing fast!  I was all sh!ts and giggles on the South Mills River descent until I rounded a corner and there stood Brad and Matt.  Taking my eyes off the trail, just for a split second, caused me to hit a slab of off-camber wet rock and down I went before I even realized it.  I "Super-Manned" over my bike and landed just a few feet from Brad's feet.  I bounced up quickly, refusing to acknowledge the pain in my shoulders and right thigh.  I checked Stumpy ('08 Specialized Stumpjumper FS) out; whew, nothing broken.

photo courtesy of Brado

So I embarrassed myself in front of the "Pisgah Yeti" and the "Jeremiah Johnson of Pisgah", but I was also glad that we ran across them; it reassured us that our route and checkpoint order was a good plan.

Once we got our stamp from South Mills River/Squirrel Gap, we then headed towards our second checkpoint, South Mills River/Bradley Creek.  Here is where we made a mistake and did not take Horse Cove to Cantrell Creek but rode Squirrel Gap to Mullinax.  Oh, well, Squirrel was in such fantastic shape that I was not too disappointed.  The work done on this trail was very minimal but vastly improved the quality of the ride. 

We boogeyed to the second check, passing a lot of teams on the way.  So far, the route we took, along with my sparkly legs, made it seem like it was "all down hill."  Todd was feeling great as well.  I was quite surprised, as he had put in a podium effort at the Cohutta 100 the weekend before.

Our next checkpoint was North Mills River/Lower Trace.  Sweet!  I had just ridden the Trace Ridge area 2 weeks before on a recon mission.  Lucky call ... I knew exactly how to get there.  I had even ridden a section of Bradley Creek that intersects with FS1206.  That was fantastic as I knew exactly how many creek crossings there were.

Unfortunately, Todd took quite a digger on one of the Bradley Creek crossings and landed right on his hip.  Soaked our passport as well, but luckily it held up the remainder of the day.  The cold creek crossings worked wonders on my legs and feet, but they shut Todd's legs down.  He had a hard time on FS1206 as his legs were not wanting to cooperate.  We passed by Stephen Janes station at Yellow Gap; looked like a party!  We refilled our Camelbaks at the North Mills campground.  Used to racing with a Camelbak, I had emptied most of it.  Todd, on the other hand, still had quite a bit left ... our second mistake as he was under fueled.  I should have been telling him to sip every 10-15 minutes.

The single track seemed to bring Todd back to life and we crushed the Lower Trace descent and the hike-a-bike out of there went by quickly as well.  It was here that I did not know Wash Creek; it may have been the better way to go, but Trace Ridge is such a blast to descend.  Once again, no regrets.  As we climbed up out of that lollipop loop, we were now going into our 6th hour of racing.  For once in a long time, I was feeling great on the gravel grinders.  My bike felt chainless.  As we hit Yellow Gap again, we stopped to lube our chains; Todd's bike had become the "squeakinator" in the last hour.  Stephen gave me some homemade hummus which was to die for! 

As an aside, Stephen Janes used $150 of his OWN to provide delicious and tasty snacks for the racers.  Talk about a morale boost:  grilled cheese sandwiches, ice cold cokes, hummus and chips, cookies, etc.  I suggest we return the favor in giving to his non-profit, Trips for Kids WNC .


Our next check was Laurel Mountain/Pilot Rock Connector.  Getting our single track mojo back, we were able to motor to the checkpoint.  I always forget how long Laurel really is.  Up the last steep hike-a-bike, my bike suddenly got HEAVY.  Man, was I glad to see the volunteer and get the passport stamped.  But unfortunately I left my mojo because I absolutely sucked going down Pilot.  I couldn't clean anything!  I don't know if it was the super loose trail conditions, fatigue, bad fork/shock set up, or the lingering memory of my crash on South Mills.  But my mind and body were at war ... and the mind kept winning.  Todd, with his big wheels (Specialized Epic 29'r) did not have any problems.

Partners in Pisgah

Once we popped back out onto FS 1206, we made the decision to head back to the Start/Finish with 4 checkpoints.  We figured that attempting Farlow/Daniel Ridge was gonna take 2 2 1/2 hours.  But we were risking a catastrophic failure in the form of a crash or bike mechanical that could cost us the race or more time.  With Todd feeling the Cohutta fatigue monster and I nursing an injured knee, we made the right decision to finish with 4.  No regrets!

We were the 2nd team with 4 CP's to finish in  8:40 and that put us in 12th place out of 100 teams.  Not bad for two middle age out of staters.

Finishing with grins ... not grimaces!

Kudos to Eric Weaver for this race that tests your mind as well as your body.  Thank you, Todd, for being a wonderful partner.  I hope to be able to race with you again!

The Swank Race Report

Now that's the way to end a fantastic, fun-filled season!  I was worried after my Berryman fiasco that I would repeat, either with a bike or body mechanical.  I left everything out on the trail and could not have raced it better.

2008 S-Works SJ FSR with Ergon bling!

I chose Stumpy to race, for the stability and extra travel.  I raced her at The Pisgah Stage Race and was in awe how she responded to the technical terrain ... I can only imagine how a 2011 model would perform!

Upon arriving at the venue, it was 21 degrees.  I must have muddled around for an hour or so, trying to figure out what I was going to wear.  I started out with several layers, but as the sun rose and warmed the landscape, I shed most of it. 

The start was Lemans style; I took my time and spared my ankles.  I hit the first bit of single track probably in the top 30-40.  It was a pretty mellow pace climbing Thrift Cove.  I was wanting to go, go , go, but I also did not want to spend precious energy passing people or throw a stick into my derailleur.  I do believe this 20 minutes spent warming up Thrift Cove was in my best interest.

As it opened up onto some double track, I was able to let the reins loose and fly.  Indeed I did fly by a lot of people.  My legs were sparkly and it felt as if there were no chain on the bike.  I had not ridden the first section of Daniel Ridge since '08 so I did slow a bit to negotiate the tight, twisty turns and multiple bridges.  But once out onto FS 475, I gunned it.  One fellow I passed said I was in first place, to which I replied, "No, I am not.  There are quite a few guys in front of me."  He then proceeded to tell me I was probably in the top 20.  I took that as a top 30-35; not bad this early in the race.  I usually am pretty consistent throughout the entirety of the race, while a lot of guys seem to blow their stack about the midway point.  I had multiple carrot opportunities in front of me.

The top of Butter Gap Trail

Butter Gap was a hoot.  Having ridden it the day before, I was able to rail it, despite the leaves.  There was one sketchy area where a natural spring follows the trail; it was slick and muddy, but I managed to keep the rubber side down.

You ride down this rocky section; may not look it but traction is superb.

Long Branch is a 2.5 mile climb back up to FS 475.  Although super steep in areas, it flows well.  I was able to ride it all, despite having a couple guys in front bobble.  The next bit of fire road was climbing up to Farlow;  all I know is that it is much easier to race up this steep section when you are fresh as compared to seeing it on Day 3 of the PSR.  There were a few downhillers at the top getting ready to ride Farlow.  As I passed one of them, I earned a new nickname, "the goddess of internal combustion."  Quite a compliment, thank you very much Mr. Downhiller.

I do believer all the leaves on Farlow made it easier to ride.  It made the trail appear smoother;  I leaned back onto my rear tire and let Stumpy do the work.  I did dismount in several areas, fearing death or dismemberment.  Hey, this gal has gotta work come Monday!  One guy on a Gary Fisher SS 29'r blew by me like I was sitting still.  He was awesome!  But I did ride more of it than during PSR.  I also ran the hike-a-bike sections faster.  I was able to hold my own within a group of guys during the hiking.  Let's remember, I am having to push/carry a greater percentage of my weight than the men.

On the final descent down the last bit of Farlow and Daniel Ridge, I did let a few guys by me.  They were rockin' it.  I also had vivid memories of that dreaded sidewall gash at Berryman and did not want a repeat on this rocky descent.  I stopped at aid station 3 and grabbed a bottle to get me through the last 10 miles or so.

I treated this last 10 miles like an XC race.  Knowing that the last few miles were descending Thrift Cove Trail to the finish, I rode the last 7 miles like a scalded dog!  After big-ringing FS 475 and Davidson River Trail, I TT'd up FS 475B and FS 225.  This 4 miles of climbing I had done earlier this year while on a recon mission so I knew just how far I had to go.  I put the hammer down and passed ALL the guys who had passed me on Farlow.

I did let Mr. SS Phenom by on Thrift Cove.  This last bit of single track was over before I knew it.  I could smell the hamburgers grilling on the final 0.5 mile descent.  Oh, that was mouth watering!  I rolled under the Finish line in 4:15:03 ... 1st lady and 18th O/A (out of 150).  Whew!  A perfect season ender!

Coach dialed me in perfect for the last two races.  I am most grateful that I was able to perform well at both; that definitely gives me the confidence I will need going on into the winter preparing for 2011.  Hmmm ... now I get to start planning my 2011 season.  Exciting times ... exciting times indeed!

Pisgah Recon

Cresting the Black Mountain hike-a-bike

 

 

 

With last week's training schedule consisting of long days in the saddle, I opted to head for Pisgah to get my skilz on for the upcoming stage race.  I was able to get in a delicious, although crazy tough, 5 days of 4+ hours on the bike scouting the trails and gravel roads.  I chose Stumpy as my steed ... a bit more travel and a more relaxed position makes for an easier ride on this type of terrain.

Wednesday was a rough for me as I reminded just how tough The Forest is.  I had forgotten to put on my Pisgah legs ... still had my XC legs on.  Squirrel Gap was ... well, Squirrel Gap, only more eroded and overgrown.  The weed-wacking took its toll on my arms and legs; think of 100 lashings.  Unfortunately, this trail is set to be demolished .... ummm, reworked by people with big machines, and the race director is not allowed to touch it, as in clear the weeds.  So I guess the top-level pros will get to clear it for the rest of us.

Bridge connecting Buckhorn to Squirrel Gap

 I got to experience the long hike-a-bike section of the Black Mountain trail.  During last year's race, a course marshall was sitting on the rock in the above picture saying, "You are almost to the rideable part."  And yes, stupid me believed it.  Well, this year, you ain't gonna sucka me!  Some sections of this trail involve doing military presses with your bike to get up the trail.

The final descent off Black Mountain has also been reworked, but it should be in fantastically fast, fun shape come race day!

Wednesday night I hung out with the Asheville Janes'.  A super cool family, I was treated to a never-ending plate of Caribbean chicken and rice with peanut sauce, grilled squash, cantaloupe, and homemade Blue Ridge Parkway blueberry cobbler.  To top it off, I was stoked to sleep in Jubal's bunk bed with Transformer sheets.

I awoke Thursday ready to conquer Stage 4.  The start is straight up on Thrift Cove which then dumps you onto Black Mountain which goes straight up ... forever .... to get you to Turkey Pen.  When hike-a-biking is no fun anymore, I call it pushing.  Well, I pushed for a long time.  Turning onto Turkey Pen, I was immediately greeted with a wall of downed trees.  Pushing then turned to bushwacking.  As I was relishing the idea of being able to eventually get back on and ride, a huge tree not 50 yards to my right came crashing down, taking several in its path, like dominoes.  Sh!t!  What little adrenalin I had left got spent watching that cataclysmic show of natural force.  Thankfully the domino effect went away from me rather than towards.  I turned on the afterburners to get away from the top of this ridge where a lot of trees looked like they could go at any time. 

After 2 hours and 45 minutes, I made it to the Turkey Pen parking lot.  A sum total of 10 miles!  (Todd has since said that this WILL BE CLEAR come race day.)  After more trail, I eventually ended up on Squirrel Gap, although going opposite the previous day's direction.  This is where Pisgah demanded a sacrifice; since I was the only one out there, well the picture below clearly explains.

 

 

 

 

 

I was riding up and over a rather large rock when my front wheel got stuck in a perfect 26" size hole in between 2 rocks.  I desperately tried to fall uphill, but gravity won, and I tumbled down the hill about 10 feet before a rather large rock stopped me by bashing into my lower leg just below the knee.  Thankfully only a gash and a bone bruise to my tibial crest.  Squirrel Gap is no easy place for a rescue party to get to.  After assessing myself and my bike, I chose to walk a bit and gather my senses. (And that night, I ordered a SPOT.)  I now know how Danielle felt during a lot of her 2008 season!

Having the wind knocked out of my sails, I rode the remainder of my time a bit more cautiously.  I did not complete the stage as the rather large portion of pushing consumed a large chunk of time ... and my leg hurt like heck!  This stage is going to be the hardest as it is almost all single track. Thursday night Zeke and I demolished roast beef hoagies and steamed broccoli.

On Friday, Zeke and I rode a portion of Stage 3.  We started out of Kuykendall Campground and rode up FS 471 to Gloucester Gap.  My legs were feeling great and the climb was a delight to giv'r ... good roadbed and a steady grade.  From the 4-way we took a left and headed out to Hwy 215, rode it for a bit, and then hopped on Trail 129 (later we found out this has been taken out of the stage).  This trail was straight up and straight over Big Fork Ridge and then it leveled off along a beautiful creek and Courthouse Falls was an amazing work of natural art!  Even though this is not in the race, I am glad I persevered along the first mile of pushing.

We decided to skip Farlow Gap as we have both ridden/slid down that trail many times.  We then split up.  I rode more of the single track, including Daniel Ridge and Cove Creek and then slayed some demons on the gravel road climb up FS 475-B.  Last year, I fell completely apart on the gravel road sections.  This year, less a diseased gall bladder, I chewed up the fire roads and spit them up.  I can honestly say I loved the gravel this year ... brappp!

On Saturday, Perry joined in on the fun.  Zeke shuttled Perry and I to the Turkey Pen Gap parking lot.  From here we intended to ride the remainder of Stage 5.  It was drizzling when we started, but warm.  Vineyard Gap Trail was fun and had some flow.  The descent was steep and the waterbars slick, but rideable.  Some of steep ups I had to get off and push a little, but that was mostly due to the fatigue I was beginning to carry in my legs.  The 6, or was it 7, creek crossings were o.k., but there were some DEEP mudholes along Bradley Creek Trail.  I found out the hard way on one when I sunk up to my axles and about endo'd.  After another good gravel grinder up FS 5015, we hopped on to Laurel Mountain Trail.  All was good until we hit the steep hike-a-bike; the heavens let loose with rain (hmmm ... reminds me of last year, only 30 degrees warmer). 

At the intersection of Laurel Mountain and the Laurel Mountain connector, we turned left.  What I did not know or see was that the trail we should have turned left on to was an even sharper left.  So after about a half mile of pushing, it just did not feel right.  I looked at the map, but could not figure out where we had gone wrong.  (I still don't think the NG Map and the actual trails at that intersection jive.)  So we kept pushing on forward.  This was a pretty wicked trail, too.  Perry was beginning to doubt his wanting to race here.  Well, after about 45 minutes of pushing we ended up at a sign that said Pisgah Inn to the right.  WTF!  With us in a downpour and the temperature dropping, we were NOT going back. 

Warming the core at the Pisgah Inn Restaurant

 We rode to the Inn, went straight to the restaurant where we both ordered coffee, and then I attempted to call Zeke.  I was able to reach him the first time.  Zeke saved us from an 18 mile pavement descent in a cold downpour.  Pilot Rock will just have to wait until race day.

Sunday morning I expected to wake up feeling tired and with cobwebs in my head.  I awoke to feeling none of the past four days in my legs.  Had I been possessed by the Energizer Bunny?  It still could be a different story once I hit the trail, though.  I fueled up on coffee, fruit, and oatmeal.  Our intention today was to go as hard as we could.  We started out by climbing up FS 477 and once again my legs were sparkly.  After a quick descent we picked up Club Gap Trail, all of which was rideable.  From there we explored the portion of Black Mountain between Club Gap and Buckhorn.  Boy, was it overgrown!  Just when I thought my wounds from the previous days were healing ...  let's just say that having injured legs lashed by more undergrowth is not very pleasant.  The descent down to Buckhorn was a whoo! hoo! experience.  Unfortunately I will have to go in the opposite direction on Stage 4.  I finished up my ride time with another 5 mile gravel road climb;  I emptied the tank on this one. 

I came to Pisgah with two goals:  gain knowledge of the course and leave it all on the trail.  I accomplished both.  Pisgah also taught me a lesson or two.  Beauty can be treacherous.  Be self-sufficient and expect the unexpected.

Meet my new riding buddy!

For those who want the ultimate test of skills, fitness, and mental tenacity, come get your fill of Pisgah at The Pisgah Stage Race.  Todd has stated that the trails will be a lot clearer than when I rode them.  The course will be well-marked, the aid stations well-stocked, and lots of people out there cheering you on.  But take heed ... this race will make ORAMM look like child's play.  Be prepared to ride hard, get wet, and hike ... alot,  If you are both mentally and physically prepared, then you are going to have one helluva good time.