Okay, things are starting to shape up for 2014. Last year I surprised myself with how quick I recovered after the big days/races/trips and how much mileage I really could take on. To this end, I've tried to lay out a schedule that ups the mileage and number of races for next season. Things are still a little unclear regarding how work plays into my late summer schedule- however, it seems that if there's a year that I can pursue AZTR/CTR, it's 2014! I know I'm a nerdy planner, but I hope the lead time will inspire some of you to join me! My goal setting keeps me motivated to hit the gym and pedal all through the winter so whatever works right?
So who's in on WRIAD in March? Maybe upping the ante with a fatty WRIAD in April? Un-official, totally off the books DRO Sampler is going to be put in this spring. Trying to work on my GPX track clipping skills to get a file out for the DS route. I have visions of partying and racing the fat bike against the serious folk at Mesa Verde and against the roadies at the 1/4 horse.....but only if the Dolores doesn't run. May may be river time...
Then there's the big boys.....starting with the AZTR at the end of March- a huge thank you to Rachel for letting me hijack spring break with this experience that's going to totally kick my ass...Who's up for the punishing DDC? Cracking the CTC? Or committing to the CTR? Come on....let's tackle these beasts! And then we'll end it all with a second go at the D-100, this time with lights but intent on shaving serious time off last year's ride. That'll be a fantastic way to finish out the season!
*='s scheduled and confirmed
**='s scheduled
***='s TBD but would fit the flow
** WRIAD- March Training trip
*2014 AZTR 300- ITT March 24th
*DRO Sampler 50/100 ITT- super un-official April project
**WRIAD Fabike- April project?
**Alien Run MTB Race- May 4th (fatbike)
***12 hrs. of Mesa Verde- May 10th (Fatbike)
**2014 Quarter Horse/Cruiser Crit- May 24th
(fatbike/boombox)
On Labor Day 2012, I experienced a horrible mtb crash in which I broke and ruptured ligaments on both sides of my left ankle. I had injured this ankle previously and this incident left my foot pretty mangled. The crash happened on the Coral Draw Trail while descending into the Hermosa Creek Drainage after a beautiful ride up high on the Colorado Trail. I was on crutches into early Oct and eased back onto the bike around town by November. Needless to say, I had some spare time on my hands and I distracted my injured self with thoughts of adventure, slated to start in summer 2013. I spent hours looking at maps, reading internet forums and finally settled on working out the logistics for an off-road route that combined 3 classic long-distance mtb adventures: the Kokopelli Trail that runs from Loma to Moab, the Telluride to Moab Hut Route that goes up and over the mighty Uncompahgre Plateau and ending the trip with the mega-classic Colorado Trail to Durango. Setting a goal for this expedition proved to be a powerful motivator during rehab and throughout the winter. I pushed my body hard and worked myself back into the best shape of my life. I participated in spin classes 3 days a week from Dec. thru March, took many early season trips to Moab to get back my legs and lungs and raced this year's Durango Gravel Grinder and Alien Run races to continue to tune up before the trip. I still closely monitor my ankle and I wear a big brace but as far as strength/endurance/flexability/balance/hike-a-bike goes, I'm un-impeeded by last fall's accident. (although I know arthritis later in life will be crushing!) Being in such good condition for this trip gave me an edge of safety and security that allowed me to stick to a schedule and logistics plan that I painstakingly had prepared. Although the route's daily mileage is small compared to other long-distance mtb tours, the effort required to move a full bikepacking kit with water and a week's worth of food through the desert, over mountains and through canyons was tremendous! Day 3 on the Kokopellli, the Snowshoe Trail up to the rim of the Uncompahgre and Telluride to Blackhawk Pass on the CT all stand out as big pushes! In the end, the result was an 11 day push (10 days riding-1 layover day) connecting some of the coolest off-road terrain in Moab and on Colorado's Western Slope. After conceiving and leading major backcountry expeditions both personally and professionally for the past 2 decades, this trip was by far one of the most successful and fulfilling adventures I've ever experienced. The KokoUnCoradosa was concieved as the KokoUnColorado, a route I still very much want to complete! Above, you can see the map which records my GPS data during this year's trip. It connects 18 road to the Kokopelli TH. (although I drove the distance between the two.) Below is the list of major roads and trails incorporated on the route:
Kokopelli Trail
Castleton Gateway Road
Paradox Trail
Tabeguache Trail
CO Hwy 141
The Notch Road
The Snowshoe Trail
The Uncompahgre Rim
Divide Road
T-ride to Moab Hut Route
Dave Wood Road/60X
CO Hwy 62
Telluride bike path
Galloping Goose Trail
CO Hwy 145
East Fork Trail
The Colorado Trail
Hotel and Bolam Roads
Hermosa Creek Trail
Loma, Colorado to Westwater
Ranger Station- 40
miles
Loma, CO.
·via the Kokopelli Trail to Rabbit Valley and
then on to Westwater. Early start at Koko TH. Car support. The Fruita
singletrack is awesome! Some scary hike a bike! Rafters with extra, really cold beers are the best!
Making miles without a full kit!
Always focused on logistics.
Westwater to Dewey Bridge- 42 miles
·via Kokopelli Trail w/ Yellow Jacket Canyon.
Nice to tackle this section without the full kit. Had car support in the AM. Cache
of water and bags at Dewey Bridge. Swimming in the Colorado River! Hot and
Buggy camping.
Westwater
Colorado River
Fisher Towers and La Sal Mountains
Yellow Jacket Canyon
Dewey Bridge to Southside of
Cowhead Hill-30 miles
·via the Kokopelli Trail. Early start-2mile detour due to lost sunglasses. Self-support. Got hot
and remote, quick. Heat beat me down and forced to hole up on backside of
Cowhead. Bugs and bears.
Morning at Dewey Bridge
Getting worked by the mid-day sun and high temps.
Southside of Cowhead Hillto Snowshoe Trail TH-40 miles
·Final stretch of the Kokopelli. Instead of
descending to Moab, turn right on Castleton-Gateway Road and head up and over
the La Sals on the way to the state line. Dry camp, hard initial push on the CG
Road. Nice water at pipe in the Beaver
Drainage and then a screaming descent into Gateway. Gateway Canyon Resort- park
bike at Adventure Center and hit Paradox Grill- get two lunches to go and enjoy
the air con and a beer while I wait. Scarf down both meals, resupply on
sunscreen and Gatorade, charge phone and use some really nice bathroom
facilities. Push onward to 6 3/10 Road-“The Notch Road” and ride/push up to
remote camp and cow puddle water at the Snowshoe Trailhead.
Last morning on the Kokopelli Trail
Heading east toward Colorado and charging over the La Sals
Castleton-Gateway Road
Top of Notch Road starting Stage 2
A wild and solitary camp at the Snowshoe Trailhead
Snowshoe Trail TH to Columbine
Campground-35.5 miles
·Wake up and push the 1.3 miles straight up the
Snowshoe trail (should be called snowshoe trench-no switchbacks and just sand
and rocks straight up to the rim) After suffering 2 hrs. finally hit Divide
Road and start grinding gravel. Stop at Cold Springs USFS Ranger Station (abandoned)
for water and push on to a wild night at Columbine campground, a mile below
Columbine Pass. Coyotes, bear, elk all roam freely on this part of the plateau.
Good water from a pipe down on the right when approaching the campground’s
entrance from the north.
Not enjoying the push straight uphill.
You let go for one second...bike goes crash!
The Uncompahgre Plateau was wild and covered with stands of old growth.
Columbine Campground to Dave Wood
Road/CO. Hwy 62- 54
miles
·Awoke early to grind out the final hours on
Divide Road and the UP. With only 15 miles left on Divide, I took a major wrong
turn onto Old Highway 90 and descended 6 miles downhill towards Montrose. After
catching the error, I Had to backtrack uphill in the sun- this 12 mile mistake
really hurt. So it was with great celebration that I met Rachel who had picked
up my location on the GPS. She scooped me up on Dave Wood Road as I was making
my way to CO Hwy. 62.
Divide Road, Uncompahgre Plateau
Dave Wood Road/CO. Hwy 62to
Telluride- 24.7 miles-DNF
·I chose to take the ride into resupply with
Rachel and save the Last Dollar road segment of the KokoUnCoradosa for another
trip. This allowed me to maximize my time with my sweetie on her one and only
day off. Good choice!
Telluride to Celebration Lake, Bolam
Pass-33.5 miles
·via Telluride Bike Path/Galloping Goose/Hwy
145/East Fork Trail, Bolam Rd. Big push out of T-ride. Powered by all the good
food and crazy people who I met in just 36 hours. Hard to leave Babylon but
fantastic to be at home in the Juans. Just kept riding all the way to Bolam.
Great day!
The Galloping Goose
Washed Out
Lizard Head Pass
Top of East Fork Trail
Bolam Pass to Big Bend, Hermosa Creek Trail- 30 miles
·via Colorado Trail Segment #26/Hotel Draw
Road/Bolam Road/Hermosa Park Road/ Hermosa Creek Trail to mile 4. CT right out
of camp and ticked off Hermosa, Section Point and Blackhawk in rapid
succession. To Hermosa Creek TH by 12:30. Went into final Hermosa stretch fast
and shredded a tire and messed up my rear rim on some riverside rocks. Broke
tire levers and replacement tubes in effort to repair. Finally borrowed a
second set of hands from some Czechs, fixed the wheel and biked back out the
four miles from Big Bend to the northern Hermosa TH. Amazing…what is it about the
Hermosa Drainage Vortex? Lot’s of weird incidents out there: lost dogs, bike
failures, accidents…etc.Made it back to
northern TH and Rae scooped me up behind Purg. Into town for a beer!
Colorado Trail Segment # 26
Still some snow to navigate around
Heading to Blackhawk Pass
So happy to see Rachel at Hermosa Creek!
2013KokoUnCoradosa305-total miles
Big Bend, Hermosa Creek Trail to
Durango, CO.-29 miles- DNF
53.7 miles total DNF Check out the video below:
I'd love to talk with anyone planning on repeating this route! There's much more to be done but it's a pretty pure shot- minimal pavement! I want to complete the CT finish and also try it Nobo...it would be nice going down the Snowshoe!
