Blast the Mass- MSC Stop #4

Well, there is 4 down, and 3 big races to go. Snowmass was the most recent stop of the Mountain States Cup series. It is always a nice race, because I don't have to travel anywhere. There is always something about sleeping in your own bed. Snowmass in turn was also delegated as the Colorado State Championship race. There was cool state champ jersey's on the line, and because of that everyone was ready to get it on. The course is phenomenal, it starts of with a grueling long climb, then some great rocky/rooty singletrack, creek crossings, screaming descents, and like always a nasty climb at the end. Anyway, the pace went out fast, and I was able to hang on for 3rd place. Joanna also raced (2nd race ever!!!) and did a great job. We just don't know how great a job she did, because they had the results all messed up at the finish. We finished before 10:00am and waited til after 5:00pm to get results, and they still didn't have them together. Overall, it was a great weekend AGAIN for COMotion!!! Three top finishers, and state champions. Congrats to Matt Juth (Sport Mn), Megan Castle (Expert Wm), and Jon Chambers (Semi-Pro). There was a couple 2nd place finishes, and a couple 3rd place finishes. Even though the results aren't available STILL, I am pretty confident the COMotion is solidifying it over-all points lead in the MSC series. Sorry I don;t have any racing or podium pics. We got to tired of sitting around, and went out for some sushi in Aspen. Mike Giem, decided he would celebrate for everyone though-------

Here is a great example of a pic worth a thousand words!!!!

Boni, Felix and I hooked up on Sunday for a great ride in Carbondale on Mushroom rock. Sorry Felix, I know it wasn't one of your favorite rides, hope you will ride with me again. (As soon as boni sends me some pics I will get them posted. Have a good week everyone. Next Stop Telluride!

South Canyon is going OFF!!!!

There is a section of the Colorado River by New Castle called South Canyon. Every year about this time, kayakers flock from not only CO, but all over the country. When the water hits a certain CFS (cubic feet per second), this awesome wave forms. For all kayakers this is the dream, a perfect wave, an easy park and walk, and a great eddy (pool of water to hang out in). This South Canyon wave goes off only two time a year. Once while the river is on the rise, and the other while the river is receding. Well, with our funky temps, and super quick runoff, the wave was only here for a day or two on the way up. It only goes off between 3000 & 3800 cfs. Well, the time is now, it has been going for 3 or 4 days, and I was able to make it down with some buddies today for my first attempt at this wave for surfing. Surfing in a kayak is when you enter the wave facing upstream, and there is literally a wave that has formed because of the amount of water, and the river bottom. Just like a surf wave in the ocean, except this one never stops. There is no white sandy beach to hit, not that that is all that bad. Anyway, professionals come in, and are throwing all these huge tricks, and it is pretty fun. Good thing there was no bike riding in the schedule today, so I am able to hit the WAVE!! Now we pray it stays for a couple more days. People go crazy when the wave goes off. People take days off work, drive from all across the country, and there was people there @ 7am this morning when I was heading into work.... Good thing it is in our backyard. Here are a couple good pics courtesy of one of my good buddies Nick Armano.

(This one is of Nick)

4th of July

Well, once again the bloggin has been kept to a minimum, the temperatures here in CO have been kept to a maximum, and everything in between has been a blur. Joanna and I headed over to Breckenridge, CO for the 4th. There is a mtb race there called the Firecracker 50. It is 50 miles of buffed single track, flume trails, fire roads, and rocky descents. Some people do it solo, some do it on a singlespeed, and some do it as a team. Ryan "Pudge" Schultz and I decided to take on one 25 mile lap each, and did it as a team. It is not a simple feat to do just the one lap, as there is 5700ft of climbing per lap. Here is the elevation profile

Super fun course, it goes up above treeline @ 11,500ft, and you ride past a couple of historic mines, and on some of the flume ditches that were used to carry the water from the mine with the gold in it. This race is also to crown the National Marathon Championship, so there were a lot of the big boys in town. Here a little comparison, Pudge and I finished the 2 laps as a team in 4hrs 59min. The winner of the men's Pro solo division did both laps by himself in 3 hrs 40mins. Yeah, we were only 1 hr19min's off of the lead!!!!! Not to Shabby.........

Here is a before Shot.............................

And After............... I was glad to be finished.

Afterwords, we made our way back to Glenwood for the weekly Wednesday Jazz in the Park, and an awesome fireworks show to follow. We met Todd, Nicole, Ryan, Mary, Nick, & Kara down at the park, and had a picnic dinner, and a couple cocktails, and watched the fireworks, and all the weirdo's that live in G-wood. More to come next weekend, Joanna and I have a big race in Snowmass on Sat, and then my parents/grandparents come on Sunday. That in itself should make for some good blogging. Stay Tuned..................................