North Fork
Ensure
View off Chimney Rock
Ensure
View off Chimney Rock
This past winter was epic. Words cannot begin to describe how awesome it was. Skiing over fences and 5 foot natural bases. Purchased a new pair of skis and totally dig them.
Winter turned to spring like the flip of a switch. It was almost like there was not an in between season with the cold rainy days-which made for more riding time.
April provided tons of riding and base building. Although I had to work for the WVMBA race weekends I still got tons of riding in.
May brought my first race of the season, the New Martinsville Road Race. I had gotten in some good base up to this point so why not push it some more. Caught a ride over with jon martin and after breakfast at a no name diner in mannington we made it there. Since I had just gotten my new super fast Trek madone I decided to race the 4/5 race. Not sure why I upgraded considering I had never even placed before in a cat 5 race. I missed out on bridging up to the 123 group at the start but kept the lead 4/5 group in sight the whole race and worked with a chase group of 5 or 6 riders. In the end I ended up 9th. Waited on jon to finish return to baristas for some food then grabbed the camelbak and started riding back to Fairmont. Ended up with around 100 miles for the day.
Next race up was the Tour de Lake. It was my first mtb race of the season and I def wasn't ready. Spencer is always wet and the day was no exception. Had a crappy start and 1st 1/2 lap. It started coming around after awhile and I began passing some folks and ended up 10th.
The following week was the annual spring Gnarly North Fork. It was a beautiful day and to this point the most memorable of all north fork rides. Towards the end of the trail we took an option and did a little bouldering out to chimney rock. I thought I had found chimney rock several times but I now know where it really is. On top there is an unobstructed 360* view, from petersburg to the north to the north fork river valley and the south fork river valley. Here's the GPS. Hardest 61 miles but did set a new time record for the ride.
June brought the first downhill race of the season and things went downhill quick before I even got to snowshoe. I had everything packed up and headed out early sat morning to get down and get some practice in on Saturday. My car has had a slow coolant leak for the last year but I had just been topping it off and keep on going, however on this day it wouldn't work that way. Between Buckhannon and Elkins rolling across the hills I look down and the temp gauge is beyond the red. Efff. Pull off cool down make some calls since jon hasn't been out to practice yet and let him know not to wait. Limp home and pack my stuff into the new car and do a retake that evening making it down around 9pm. Totally screwed now since I now I only have 1 hour of practice on sun morning, and I haven't rode my downhill bike since October. 1st practice run was just to get a feel for the course, 2nd I had to man up and hit it all including the baby road gap. Although I cleaned everything I just wasn't feeling fast and it showed in my race run. Had a good time though getting in some of the first DH runs of the season.
The rest of June and July I was kept busy at work and around home and didn't get much riding in. Around the middle of July I decided to do the Wild 100. I have done the race off and on since 2001 and know Slaty really well. Leading up to the race I put in a ton of road base miles and only 3 rides on my mountain bike. Just enough to where I knew I could finish the race. Race day came and at the start I grabbed the map and began looking for ckpt 1 glancing over the map I saw ckpt 2 then found ckpt 1. stuffed the map in and go. Several were already scattering jumped in the madness and i'm off. Battled with a coed team for awhile and had a couple solos pass me climbing up props. Is this really how the day is going to go? Going to ckpt 2 it started pouring the rain down and didn't let up. Gauley mtn trail turned into a river and the mudholes were bottomless. I was feeling good at this point picked up the pace and began passing folks. Ckpt 2 was an out and back so there would be 2 way traffic. Within a mile of the ckpt I pass the 2 leaders returning and with a few feet I pass a couple others. Confirm ckpt 3 and begin backtracking. Although I didn't immediately catch anyone I could tell I was in 6th overall. Really? I went from battling with a Coed team to 6th overall. Passed another rider and moved up to 5th. Can't really give the secrets out on the rest of the race but I ended up winning the solo class and was 3rd overall.
Also got to go back to Snowshoe and ride on Chucks birthday the first of August. It is amazing to see progression happen. I was completely sketched out at first, wouldn't hit a single feature taking the go arounds. WTF dave, this wasn't me but I couldn't do it. Even rolling up to upper quick draw I stopped and had to look at it before I would hit it. This led to Chuck saying that I was sketching him out because I wouldn't hit anything. I slowly progressed through the day getting comfortable and finally hit the baby road gap late in the afternoon. And when I hit it, it wasn't the must hit because I have to feeling like my practice before race 1, it was a progression my own self pushing me not someone or something else.
Next race up was the Tour de Lake. It was my first mtb race of the season and I def wasn't ready. Spencer is always wet and the day was no exception. Had a crappy start and 1st 1/2 lap. It started coming around after awhile and I began passing some folks and ended up 10th.
The following week was the annual spring Gnarly North Fork. It was a beautiful day and to this point the most memorable of all north fork rides. Towards the end of the trail we took an option and did a little bouldering out to chimney rock. I thought I had found chimney rock several times but I now know where it really is. On top there is an unobstructed 360* view, from petersburg to the north to the north fork river valley and the south fork river valley. Here's the GPS. Hardest 61 miles but did set a new time record for the ride.
June brought the first downhill race of the season and things went downhill quick before I even got to snowshoe. I had everything packed up and headed out early sat morning to get down and get some practice in on Saturday. My car has had a slow coolant leak for the last year but I had just been topping it off and keep on going, however on this day it wouldn't work that way. Between Buckhannon and Elkins rolling across the hills I look down and the temp gauge is beyond the red. Efff. Pull off cool down make some calls since jon hasn't been out to practice yet and let him know not to wait. Limp home and pack my stuff into the new car and do a retake that evening making it down around 9pm. Totally screwed now since I now I only have 1 hour of practice on sun morning, and I haven't rode my downhill bike since October. 1st practice run was just to get a feel for the course, 2nd I had to man up and hit it all including the baby road gap. Although I cleaned everything I just wasn't feeling fast and it showed in my race run. Had a good time though getting in some of the first DH runs of the season.
The rest of June and July I was kept busy at work and around home and didn't get much riding in. Around the middle of July I decided to do the Wild 100. I have done the race off and on since 2001 and know Slaty really well. Leading up to the race I put in a ton of road base miles and only 3 rides on my mountain bike. Just enough to where I knew I could finish the race. Race day came and at the start I grabbed the map and began looking for ckpt 1 glancing over the map I saw ckpt 2 then found ckpt 1. stuffed the map in and go. Several were already scattering jumped in the madness and i'm off. Battled with a coed team for awhile and had a couple solos pass me climbing up props. Is this really how the day is going to go? Going to ckpt 2 it started pouring the rain down and didn't let up. Gauley mtn trail turned into a river and the mudholes were bottomless. I was feeling good at this point picked up the pace and began passing folks. Ckpt 2 was an out and back so there would be 2 way traffic. Within a mile of the ckpt I pass the 2 leaders returning and with a few feet I pass a couple others. Confirm ckpt 3 and begin backtracking. Although I didn't immediately catch anyone I could tell I was in 6th overall. Really? I went from battling with a Coed team to 6th overall. Passed another rider and moved up to 5th. Can't really give the secrets out on the rest of the race but I ended up winning the solo class and was 3rd overall.
Also got to go back to Snowshoe and ride on Chucks birthday the first of August. It is amazing to see progression happen. I was completely sketched out at first, wouldn't hit a single feature taking the go arounds. WTF dave, this wasn't me but I couldn't do it. Even rolling up to upper quick draw I stopped and had to look at it before I would hit it. This led to Chuck saying that I was sketching him out because I wouldn't hit anything. I slowly progressed through the day getting comfortable and finally hit the baby road gap late in the afternoon. And when I hit it, it wasn't the must hit because I have to feeling like my practice before race 1, it was a progression my own self pushing me not someone or something else.
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