Stay close to home, and race the E12 on June 23?

or...

Travel a bit and do the Kaibab on June 16?

or...

Throw inhibition out the window and do both!?

I climbed a long way today on loose rocky singletrack. I had no power in the legs, and there was no mojo either. To top it off, I hadn't really planned for a huge ride, but that is what it was shaping up to be. So I decided to head home. I came to a trail junction, and feeling confident where the intersecting trail led, I pointed the bike down. And wow...did I go down. The elevation profile actually goes vertical. What took me nearly 2 hours to climb, I descended in about 15 minutes. The trail just went straight down the mountain. No switchbacks or traverses, just down.

My gloves have Ergon green embedded into them I was holding on so tight.

Behind me the TV is on. Some talking head on ESPN is trying hard to sound intelligent about some NFL prospect. The NFL draft is looming, and ESPN devotes far, FAR to much time to it. It's teams picking players. Picking teams. Remember when you were a kid on the playground, and teams were picked? That's getting a week of TV coverage now.

Apparently the above mentioned prospect is 30lbs heavier than Peyton Manning.

And now I read Dave's latest thoughts, as his evolution in the sport continues:

"Because its me and the course and it's as simple as that. It's pure. The only external influence on my actions is the wind, sun, trail. To me, this is the essence of athleticism - or dare I say the human experience."

I hear that siren call of the solo mission. The lonely dark, the wide open spaces. Life is much to short to worry about going in laps (all the time) and certainly much to short to pontificate about how far this NFL prospect will slip because he doesn't have the smarts of Tom Brady.

(I'm not making this stuff up, it's on behind me...it's awful.)

As I progress in this world of endurance racing, I am realizing how small it can make the rest of the world feel. After the KTR last year, I lined up at a local XC race. It felt...insignificant. I raced, and had fun, but at no point did I ever have to go anywhere near that spot I found on Troy's Loop, sitting in the pseudo shade, eyes blurry, feet numb, and mind foggy. At that point everything was significant. Every forward movement, each pedal stroke, each rock and boulder and passing minute meant something.

I think that is what we are all trying to duplicate. Dave's world seemed to change with that race. Mine did to. For the first time the "human experience" was as clear as it's ever been. At least the athletic part of it. I'd be cheating my experience if I said that bike riding only, closed the gaps that family and religion fill.

But there is something about truly mind numbing physical exertion that brings people to their knees.

I won't pretend that this only happens in bike rides. It must happen for runners and climbers and...football players? Do big time athletes have these epiphanies? Or are they to busy negotiating contracts, drive by shootings, snorting drugs and hangin' with a posse to even notice?

Vision quest.

The Heroes journey.

That journey ultimately ends with the innocent and naive becoming the wise and learned. It is the discovery of the powerful self. Of knowing just how deep you can dig, when digging is all you have left.

ESPN doesn't want to know about that though. They are to busy reporting about the arm strength and eating habits of college footballers to know that the real stories are taking place high in the mountains, or deep in the desert.


Rose Garden Hill, Kokopelli's Trail

Justin Kline at Princeton Tec has been really cool this year in helping me out with lights for my races. The PT Switchback series is easily the best set up I have tried, and they come in at a good price point. In the market for lights? Take a serious look at the Switchback series.

Justin has recently started blogging about his travels around the USA. He his hitting all sorts of events, from Sea Otter to the DSG, to the 24 Hours of Moab. All in the name of shedding light (literally) on the new SB series. What is already becoming a must read blog, Living on the Dash, is sure to amuse and inform as Justin offers a unique perspective on the world of endurance racing.

The second half of the Kokopelli Trail is all about gaining, and then losing altitude. Big climbs follow big descents follow big climbs.

From Dewey to the summit of Entrada Bluffs road is an 11 mile grinder. Made more difficult than it needs to be by loose rocks and sand. I think Mike Curiak once used the term "shandy".

After the gnarly descent through Rose Garden you are climbing once again, this time into the scenic Fisher Valley. Take some deep breaths in the valley because once through it, its time to get serious again. The North Beaver Mesa climb is rhythmic and consistent. But that doesn't mean it is easy. Combined with the steady pace, and mega views, this was my favorite section of the trail on Saturday.

After a short respite, Gateway road tops out the entire Kokopelli trail, at nearly 8600'. The climbing is on graded dirt, but it's steep and late in the day. Rest up on the fast windy pavement plunge because waiting at the bottom is La Sal Loop Road.

Long, steep, switchbacks are the final order of the day. They are paved, but that isn't going to make things any easier with 125 miles already in your legs. The reward is in the views, and the very fact that this climb, is the final climb. Save some gas for La Sal Loop Road, you will need it.

Elevation Cheat Sheet

Saturday was a good time. 5 of us set out to debunk the KT from Dewey to Slickrock. Dave Nice turned around after a few miles, feeling sick. So 4 of us, me Ed, Jen and Gary continued on into the misty morning. Trail conditions were ideal. The rain kept the sand ridable and the temps cool. We even ran into a little snow atop N. Beaver Mesa, up at 7500'.

I can't say enough about the incredible terrain that the KT covers. Huge views are everywhere. On race day those views may be obscured by heat and fatigue, but yesterday they were crystal clear (if misty), and we took the time to enjoy them.

The water situation is good...right now. In a month will those streams still be running? I hope so. There are several options for refilling along the way. And now that I know exactly where they are, it changes my water strategy somewhat.

Race day will be long and tough. If the day heats up, you can count on lots of glassy eyed stares as riders pick their way up these big climbs. It's going to be a great time!


Ed, Jen, Gary, Patti, and Dave...thanks! I had a great time.

And also thanks to my wife and kids, who came along with me. Thanks for being patient at the camp ground while I followed the obsession.

Want more details about the route? Click the map. Want pictures? Click the link below:

KT Recon: Dewey to Moab

One of the reason's I had so much fun at last year's KTR was the incredible terrain. The Moab area is one of my favorite places on the planet. Especially Fisher Valley. That entire area is nothing short of spectacular. Last year we rode through under the cover of darkness, dimly lit by the moon. In fact there were times when the moon shone bright enough to catch a glimpse of Fisher Towers or far down into Professor Valley. It was some of the best ride experience I have had.

This weekend I get to go back and ride the same route, this time during the day, and in the opposite direction (Dewey to Moab). I am excited to get back into that country, to feel dwarfed by the giant rims and canyons, to ascend from desert to alpine, and then descend back down to desert. The mojo has always flowed in that area for me. From high school camping trips, to the KTR...I can only hope that trend continues on this weekends KT exploration.

My 2 year old son had choked on a piece of apple last week. We thought he got it all up, but afterwards he was wheezing. When that didn't clear up after a few days we decided to get it checked out. Long story short...last night he had a bronchoscopy, where the doctor goes down the throat with a scope and clears out any obtrusion. Sure enough, a small chunk of apple was found in his right bronchus, and then removed.

It meant 18 hours at the hospital, about 17 of which were spent waiting. Either waiting for the surgery to happen, or waiting afterward to get the all clear to go home.

So now everyone is home, and doing fine. And while this was a fairly common procedure, there is something unnerving about handing off a 2 year old to strangers, and entrusting his life in there (capable) hands.

I am getting to the point, which happens before every big race, where I start to focus exclusively on that upcoming event. In this case, the KTR is up next. And what a wonderful beast it is. 142 miles, no support, deserts, mountains, red rock and a very cool mojo that permeates the route.

Kokopelli was the ancient god of fertility, mischief, good fortune and a host of other things. If any or all of that is true, it can be found on the trail named for him. There is rich history in the Moab-Fruita area, and the KT traverses that history in both literal and figurative ways.

We racers are not the first to use the desert and mountains for our personal vision quests...the ancient ones have preceded us, left a path, and now we follow suit. The motivation behind each racer is as varied, and as primal as the terrain we will climb over, under and around.

But in the end, I think it is the same thing we seek...

That nebulous movie idea I talked about? The wheels are being set in motion...

There is a film that has had quite an influence on me. It is called Baraka. It's a non-verbal film, just images and music. I tried to imitate its style once.

I awoke this morning with an amazing image in my mind. It involved La Sal Loop Road, Fisher Towers and time lapsed footage. I wonder if what I imagined is even geographically possible to shoot.

I plan on finding out.

Ed E. posted this shot from his weekend adventure on the KT. He called it "memories". It conjured up all kinds for me.

I am a filmmaker. I am a mountain biker. Once, many years ago, the two came together. In the time since, I have gained experience in both areas. Significant experience.

It's time the two met again.

The film I have had running through my mind looks nothing like anything you'd find here. Those type of movies have been made 1000 times over. I think the world only has so much room for heavy metal and drops. Those films have taken up that space, and then some.

The good people at Gripped Films are breaking new ground. Off Road to Athens and the upcoming 24 Solo are nice diversions from the loud and obnoxious world of free ride movies.

However, even those films focus on the people we hear so much about.

The film going through my head will cut to the heart of the sport, it will have a homegrown feel, a texture, a grit. And then again, maybe it won't have any of those things. Right now it only exists in pulses of inspiration. They come at strange times. Sometimes I am riding, sometimes I am sleeping. When they come they are fleeting, I get hit with an image of the White Rim, or the Kokopelli Trail. Sometimes I see faces, or hear voices. Whose? I don't know yet. But they are out there.

You are out there.

I feel the intangible growing thicker. Perhaps it is time to put pen to paper, and tire to dirt. Image to film, and film to the masses.

I remember my first competitive race season. It was 2002, I was racing the Sport category in the Intermountain Cup XC series. My overall goal was to win the series. I learned quickly that in order to do that I would need to actually finish on the podium. It was not enough to just race every race. I also learned that to finish on the podium, I had to go fast. Well duh.

I had to force myself to go out hard at the start of the race. If I went easy in the beginning, hoping to reel guys in, I never would see the leaders again. The sport races were just to short for any sort of strategy. You had to go redline from start to finish. Once I figured that out, I was able to finish consistently in the top 3.

What's my point?

Well, endurance racing is starting to resemble those Sport races I used to do. Guys are getting so fast that they can punch it early and leave the vast majority behind for good. In a long race I am constantly reminding myself to pace evenly, eat often, eat early, pace pace pace....

Sometimes I wonder if I pace myself into a slumber.

I think it is time to push my limits again. I am not going to jump in and go kamikaze so I can DNF 4 hours later due to extreme exhaustion and dehydration. But I think I can do more, be faster, go faster.

Maybe I can't. But there is only one way to find out....