Woodland Ventures: Colorado Trail Race

The start at Waterton Canyon is pretty mellow and quiet, mostly hushed chatter and nervous excitement. The race organizer gets on the tailgate of his truck and gathers the 60 or so of us around and reminds us of the rules and then states that we should go out there and 'lose some sleep, get wet and have the adventure of our lives'! Not hard to do in this race...

We roll out from the parking lot onto the gravel road of Waterton Canyon in a huge peloton of bikepackers at 6am sharp. I slip into my own little world on the six mile gravel road climb up to the Strontia Springs reservoir checking out other guys and gals setups but not really chatting with anyone - guess I am a little nervous and not really up for chit chat, mostly wondering what on earth I have gotten myself into. I probably ride too hard on those easy six miles and get to the singletrack behind 4 other guys. The guy in front asks if the guy behind him wants to pass, and he says 'don't worry man, we've got all day', and I respond, 'all day? more like all week!'.

I'm feeling good in Segment 1 and soon I am on my own in the cool, early morning, dew-covered, slightly overgrown trail down along West Bear Creek. I get to the South Platte approaching the first real big climb of the trip at mile 17 up to Chair Rocks as the day starts to heat up. By about the 8th switchback or so I am sweating heavily (signs of bad things to come) so I strip down to a short sleeve and carry on. I get into my home turf of the burn areas in Buffalo Creek and start to experience the first of numerous and ridiculously painful cramps in my legs. I must have gone too hard, sweated too much, and not eaten properly in the early morning jitters at the start. So my body is highly depleted of salts and electrolytes and my legs start seizing up.

At the CT crossing on Hwy-126 outside Buffalo Creek I get to see Mom and Wendy and the girls who give me a nice little visit and a cheer onward. Later in the day I am wishing I hadn't seen them at all (just made me more homesick!)

I am in mid-conversation with Scott from Santa Cruz later when my legs cramp up again and I can't even get a word out to him that I have to stop. I half fall off my bike onto the side of the trail and can't find a position to ease the cramps, so I just lay there watching my leg muscles constrict into golf ball size lumps wanting to scream out but trying to act like nothing is wrong as others racers pass me by. I never see Scott again, and wonder the rest of the trip what he must have thought happened to me!

The cramps last for the next 25 miles into Bailey and I never, ever, ever again want to experience that pain. Rain has been falling lightly on the ride into Bailey and I can see heavy rainfall ahead on the road ride to Kenosha. There are a bunch of racers stripping the Conoco in Bailey of most of their food. I get some Lays potato chips hoping to ease the cramps. After eating lunch and stocking up on food for the next push I roll out of my hometown and shortly catch up to a few riders on the dirt road to Shawnee. Thunder is crashing hard overhead and we see strikes of lightning hitting the ridgeline on the opposite side of the highway. The thunder is so loud that I am instinctively ducking! Then the rains unload in a torrential downpour and the three of us riding together can only laugh. We are soaked!

After 5 miles of dirt I regain the highway in Shawnee under clearing skies and begin the 15 mile pavement ride to Kenosha on US-285. There are narrow shoulders in spots and the ride is harrowing as big rigs and RV's rumble past throwing up heavy rain spray. By the time I reach Kenosha I have already shed my rain gear and have dried off pretty well. There are a bunch of racers at the pass: Calvin, John, Crissa, Nick, Adam and myself. Todd from Jackson Hole comes the other way (a 5-day finisher from last year) and he gives us all a pep talk about the coming trail! His effort is done though for some reason and he is meeting a friend to take him home. So much for his big talk!

After fixing a busted water bottle cage (yes, already broken gear!) I set off from Kenosha back on the trail leaving a few racers at the pass. The weather is again looking grim so I don rain gear. It is about 7pm and I am feeling the effects of a long day. Another 6 miles or so and I am slowly walking up Georgia Pass with John from CO Springs, Larry from Reno (has the same shoes as me and has mentioned that fact several times in passing today!) and a guy from Minnesota. I bail first and set up camp wishing them good luck as they head into the darkness. I set up my first bivy and spend a few minutes getting everything organized and then sit down to eat dinner as it starts to rain...again! Dammit! I hastily shove food in my mouth and then climb into my bivy. It rains ALL NIGHT...heavily. My bivy is leaking and I am forced to try and hold the opening closed and up above my head so water isn't pouring in. By morning it is misty and humid and the upper half of my bag is wet. My shoes and socks are soaked and my rain gear is damp and I am not well rested. I begin the slog up Georgia Pass in a strangely mist enshrouded forest in cold, wet gear.