the REALM

Within 12 hours of returning from CB we were back on the road heading for our annual pilgrimage to cheese land. The typical rides were on hand, carbon this, carbon that, SS Superflys and the like. Then there are the "project" bikes. This little beauty was well below the UCI weight limit. Belt drives are coming. Hold on.

Day 3 on the bike. After the CBOCD we arose to our usually coffee, oatmeal and egg scramble and then headed off to Upper Loop and then out to Deer Creek. Upper Loop is a sweet singletrack strewn with techy rock sections through groves of aspen. Once on Deer Creek the climbing took it's stranglehold on us as we encountered some of the steepest most technical climbing of the week. Once through the saddle and on the final descent it was fun. Nate escaped harm as he dove between aspen. Then came the cows as we dodged turds for the last 4 miles.

Two days in and we opted to hang around the campground. Dave recovery from his tree impact and Nate needing a free day after 6 days of pounding the singletrack/doubletrack. The typical day started with coffee and oatmeal followed shortly by some style of egg scramble. Nate quickly found his axe skills while the rest looked on. An evening with the staff master kept things interesting.

Woke up to beaming sunshine for ride 2. A lazy morning got us into town half an hour late to the meet point. The condo boy's were gone. We rolled out Brush Creek road and started the journey to Teocali Ridge. Under rays of sun it wasn't long before we caught up the front group of five. They had spun it around when they approached a massively long stream crossing. Seemed that the stream had jumped it's banks and claimed our double track for it's own. Not to be denied, I pushed the group on. Shoes off, ready for a river rock massage.

Back on the bikes and vertical we go. The loose rock strewn singletrack tested our balance and ability to maintain traction. After what seemed like miles, we reached the ridge and the entrance to a winding dream ribbon of singletrack. A short stop to peer up at Pearl Pass and it was back on two-nines turning roots and rocks into doubles and triples. Nate hit the pause button with a pinch flat but after a team flat fix and glove retrieval we were chasing the group keeping pace with motos on the descent. Soon we came up on Dave whose close encounter with a pine tree left him with a hair line fracture and minor dislocation. Ride on we did though. Table tops and stream crossings led us back down Brush Creek and into Old Towne, dodgeing the rain just in time for sweet potatoe frys at Paradise Cafe. Does it get any better?

Ride 1 had us starting at 9,400 ft below Gothic mountain. The route...Schofield Pass, 401, Snodgrass mountain, Washington gulch, 403. The Elevation gain, 9,400 feet to 11,280, back to 9,400, up to 10,000, back to 9,600, up to 11,360, back to 9,400. The weather, sun, rain, sun, rain.

Recap...back from Crested Butte, off to Madison. Stories and images to come.