Assaulted, Off Road, on Mt. Mitchell

On 7/22/07 I ventured out to the starting line of the Off Road Assault on Mt. Mitchell for the Second time. This year there were about 70 more riders and I had 8 more gears. I hadn't been able to obtain and build a Vassago SS so I rode my Bandersnatch set up w/a 1X9 (this should have made it easier)...

I figured that gears would allow me to go out with the front riders and avoid getting caught up in the bottleneck at Kitzuma that I had to deal with last year. I was right. The race started and I was able to go out with the front 50 to 60 riders without pushing my heart rate too high and saving energy for the end of a long day of riding. As we approached Mill Creek to start the 4-5 mile climb to Kitzuma I was feeling good. Approx. 2 miles into the climb we spot a detour. I guess our race organizer decided that climbing Mills Creek was too easy so he added a single track detour with some rather steep climbing. This immediately taxed the system and increased the heart rate. However, this was a great addition allowing us to spend a little more time on some single track and off the gravel road. After a mile or two of fun new single track we were spit back out onto Mill Creek and began to finish our route up to Kitzuma for the first of two rides on this trail.

I climbed well and was lucky enough to get with a group that ascended well. Unlike last year, I was able to stay on my bike and ride most of switchbacks (somewhere during this section of trail I lost and old friend and fellow rider from Charlotte, Charles). Things changed however when the trail pointed down. The group that climbed so well was unable to keep the pace on the technical downhill and timidly descended until some local Bio-Wheels riders came up behind us and began to haggle them until they either crashed or gracefully pulled off the trail. We released the brakes and made up some time on the last 2 miles of single track.

From here we proceeded to head up the road and past the first rest stop on the lower side of heartbreak. This is a another technical, steep climb full of switchbacks. Again, unlike last year, I was able to ride most of this trail due to the fast start and avoidance of the bottleneck. We quickly came to Jarret Creek and began our 4 to 5 mile ride though open grassy fields and rolling terrain. I met up with Matt, a fellow Bandersnatch rider on this section of trail and would repeatadly pass and be passed by him until we reached the third rest stop at the top of Curtis Creek. Coming out of Jarret Creek we passed the 2nd rest stop. I quickly stopped to check my water and decided that I had enough to make it to the 3rd rest stop which was posted at 34 miles on the que sheet. I continued to ride, realizing that up to this point I had gained several positions since starting the climb at Kitzuma and I continued to feel great. Things will change soon....

We begin our climb up Curtis Creek feeling fairly fresh and looking forward to the 3rd rest stop where I would refill my camel back and eat a little solid food. The first 2 to 3 miles of this long 9 mile climb went well. However, around mile 33.7 I ran out of water. At mile 34 I realized there would be another 5- 6 miles before arriving at rest stop 3. This crushed me mentally and an hour or so later I was also physically crushed. I wasn't the only one who timed this wrong and I wish I was. With the exception of one fellow Bandersnatch rider (thanks Matt), there were several friends and fellow riders that passed by and who were unable to lend me any water due to running low themselves. About 40 to 50 riders passed me during the last 3 to 4 miles of this climb of which I walked about a mile of even with gears and while I was trying to recover at the rest stop. After about 30 minutes of drinking and eating everything in sight at the long awaited rest stop 3 I trudged on.

The 6 or so miles of climbing up the Parkway to the start of Heartbreak was painful. I climbed well when I could climb but everytime I got into a groove and began to catch up with a small goup of riders my legs would cramp and lock up. These were the worst cramp I have ever had in my life. Both legs would lock at the knee and I would immediately begin to flip over the bars of my bike. I continued to drink lots of water and take an unhealthy amount of endurolytes. The cramping would eventually stop, but not until I had lost about 10-15 more positions and wrecked twice due to locking legs. Once I finished the Parkway climb I began my descent down Heartbreak.

This part of the race went well. Descending technical singletrack on a steel 29er made me forget all about the last 2 hours of suffering. Without effort I was able to catch up with and pass several riders on the downhill. After reaching the bottom and the final reststop I stopped to drink and refill my camelback which I had emptied during the last 1-2 hours of riding (Thanks to Bolt Brothers for being there with some snacks and liquid to go). It was at this rest stop that I got the motivation to finish strong. I was told that Charles, an old friend and fellow rider from Charlotte who had passed me while I was suffering on Curtis Creek was just a few minutes ahead. Determined to catch him and not looking forward to climbing the new steep singletrack off Mills Creek I began to climb.

This climb went well, the cramps stopped and was back to feeling well. As I climbed and debated on whether or not I should try to walk or ride the first part of the single track I realized that the detour wasn't there for the second climb up and I could relax again until reaching Kitzuma.

As I started climbing Kitzuma, feeling exhilirated, knowing that after this next 1.7 miles of torcher I would be home free. I stayed seated and climbed looking ahead on the trails above me for any sign of Charles. About a mile into the climb, there he was. He was almost in the exact same part of the trail where we split ways at the beginning of the race. I rode by whinning about my day and went on to the descent where I caught up with the same two guys I descended Kitzuma with about 5 hours earlier. Again we descened quickly and recovered a few more spots that were lost on Curtis Creek. We hit the road and headed towards the finish.

On the road on the way back to the finish, I passed a single speeder giving up spots to those with gears as I did last year, # 174. A few minutes later I finished the race and began to settle down. Realizing the finish line announcer was calling everyone's name and # as they came in after hearing # 174 being called and realizing I had not heard my name, I approached him to see if he had seen me finish the race. He had not. The only thing I could think to do was tell him I finished several minutes in front of # 174. After looking at the list of finishers, he proceeded to tell me that his finish had not been recorded either. After several minutes of arguing and having # 174 tell the finish line announcer that it was true, I had passed him a couple of miles back on the road before the finish. We were both put in the line up where "he thought" we should be. I was placed in the line up. SEVERAL MINUTES BEHIND # 174?

Who knows where I really finished and who really cares? I was able to make improvement over last year, I had no mechanicals, I tested my physical and mental stamina and I had a lot of fun. Thanks for putting on another great race. I'll be back next year (WITH MORE WATER).......