Breckenridge 100 2011 - Loop 1

The Breckenridge 100 Mountain Bike Race is a race I looked at over the last couple years, wanting to race.  Of course between family vacations, other races, etc. I didn't make it until this year.  I really missed out during the previous years because the Breckenridge 100 is one of the best races around.
Of course with the record snowfall this year/Spring I was a little concerned about the 3 different snowfields required to cross during Loop1.

This may sound strange to some of you, but my main goal for the Breckenridge 100 was to not get sick (stomach problems) and to enjoy the race.  I didn't have a time or specific placing I was aiming for, only to feel good and have fun.  And of course, I wanted to keep pedaling and not stop and rest.

And you know what?  I accomplished my goal and had an amazing time at the race.

Did I say I had a good time at the race?  The Breckenridge 100 course is Top Notch!  It had everything I had envisioned in a high altitude Colorado race.
Loop One

There were quite a few people at the mass start in Carter Park of this year's Breckenridge 100.  Carter Park is the start/finish and feed zone area of the clover leaf style layout of the race.

I figured right from the start that I would ride my own pace up the first 12,400 ft climb since I had all day to go 100 miles.  Normally I would have the urge to try and ride fast and stay towards the front.  I didn't want to burn all my matches in the first 3rd of the race.  We casually followed the Police escort through Breckenridge to the Peak 9 dirt road and started up the dirt ski run service road.

I felt good and settled into a nice rhythm imagining I had a good hour or so to climb up to top of Wheeler Pass, 12,400 ft.  Before I knew it we were way above town and hitting the first snow field. 

I wondered if I was going to need the extra pair of socks I packed at the feed zone.  I quickly realized that in the 2-3 minutes it took to cross the snowfield, my feet didn't feel wet at all.  Maybe it was the wool socks.

Above the tree line there was plenty of snow melt happening and sections of the dirt road became wet and muddy.

Luckily most of the road was still hard packed dirt and rocks mimicking a cobblestone road, so the mud was minimal.

The course took a hard right off of the ski run service road and started on the Wheeler Trail that made the Bow Hunter Trail in the PCP2P look like a freeway.  I don't think I have every been on such a narrow trail.

One wrong leaning motion to the right would send you rolling thousands of feet down towards the town of Breckenridge.  It was intense because of the sloppy mud and rocks but fun at the same time.

Before me I could see a snaking line of riders traversing across the mountainside.  Off in the distance it looked liked ants along the next snowfield. 

When I arrived at this next snowfield, I could see it was a little more intense than the other two we had previously crossed.  The slope of the mountain was very steep. 

Volunteers were armed with ice axes to rescue you in case you fell and slid beyond the staked slide rope.  Once across the snowfield, from here I really couldn't believe my eyes.

 I looked straight up and could see riders shouldering their bikes above me, scrambling up the hillside.

 For a moment it seemed as though we all were involved in some sort of adventure race.  Think of trying to shoulder your bike up the local climbing wall at REI.  Yes it was that steep.  Of course if the snow field was not there, covering up the switch backs of the trail we wouldn't be clawing our was up the mountain.  After a couple minutes of climbing straight up the trail was visible again.  During the climb I didn't stop moving and was able to move up a couple places.  Once on the trail there were only 3-4 switch backs and then the crest of Wheeler Trail 12,400 was upon us.

I took a quick look back to see the distance and elevation I had covered and pointed the bike down for the descent.  At first I really couldn't believe how good I felt at over 12,000 feet, or quickly came the top of Wheeler Pass.

Of course the only 12,000+ ft peak I can compare Wheeler Pass to is Columbine Mine in the Leadville 100 which comes halfway into the 100 miles, not right at the beginning.  It definitely helps to get the 12,000+ ft climb out of the way first during the race.

The descent off Wheeler Pass was clouded with a smell of burning brake pads.  The stench was so strong it was hard to breathe.  I literally had to look around to see if a Semi-truck was next to us heading for the runaway truck lane the smell was so potent.  The deeply rutted trail from years of use combined with Spring runoff was encumbered with tundra like vegetation.

I passed a couple slower riders only to go into one of the first turns that was hidden by some overgrown bushes and lost my front wheel off the trail. 

Yes the back side of the mountain although not as steep as the front side still carried a fairy good pitch.  The next thing I knew I was going over the bars rolling over like a turtle.

I quickly arose to get my bike off the trail before other riders would come crashing into it.  Thank goodness my bars can spin all the way around without hitting the top tube or I would have experienced a carbon nightmare including my brake lever punched into the top tube.  My water bottle I had in my jersey pocket was out on the trail.  Remember the slower riders I passed?  Yep now they were passing me.  One even said as I was picking up my water bottle off the ground, "better get that bottle you are going to need it today."  I put my water bottle back into my jersey pocket.  I knew my bike would be alright as I basically just rolled over, and didn't check it out for any broken parts as I was racing and needed to get back to riding.  I quick inventory of my other pockets and I was on the go.  I started to wonder if my iPhone had fallen out and had to slow down to reach back and feel.  Luckily it was still there.

Of course I am sure you are wondering now why and I carrying my iPhone.  No I was not expecting a call, I had the GPS MotionX app running that would broadcast my position to my crew on their iPhone/smart phone so they would know when I was getting close to the feed zone.  It would update them every 10 minutes.

I didn't notice I cut up my right knee until half way down the descent.  Oh well a little blood doesn't hurt anything right?  The blood was not running down my leg and was gathered around the point of impact so I figured it couldn't be too bad.  Ride on!

The Colorado Trail descended out passed the treeless tundra into the shaded pines.

The trail became a little wider and started to open up a little.  It was time to rip some downhill.  One problem, I was behind the slower riders again.  There were a couple of us in a line (all who were faster on the downhill) who finally convinced the two slower riders to let us by and we opened it up.

There is one thing Colorado does right, super fast single track downhills, on tacky, loamy dirt inside the Pine forests.

I had a grin from ear to ear all the way down to Copper Mountain were we exited the trail onto the paved bike path.  I found myself wanting to ride up the 12,400 ft Wheeler Pass again just to ride the downhill again.

The bike path back to Frisco was a nice recovery where you could eat/drink and spin quickly.  It was a downhill slope were you could carry some good speed while letting your eyes roam at the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Once inside Frisco the race turned off the paved bike path an onto the Peaks Trail.  There was and aid station here where I drank a lot of ice cold water and ate a gel or two.  Last year when I didn't make it into Leadville we took a family vacation to Breckenridge and I rode the Peaks Trail from Peak 9 to Frisco as an out and back.  I knew what this trail had in store for me and knew the climb to over 10,000+ ft wouldn't be too bad.

The Peaks Trails is one of the better trails around.  It is full of log bridges over streams and bogs, rock gardens to navigate, and of course soft, tacky Colorado dirt with plenty of ups and downs.

I was feeling good riding along in the shade of the pine trees.  I saw a little wall hit/kicker on the side of the trail and even though I was racing I couldn't pass getting a little air.  I could ride miles and miles of Colorado trails.  The Peaks Trail and every trail I had been on during the race had ZERO dust.

The Peaks trail ended spitting us out onto the pavement for a screaming fast ride down Ski Hill Road back into town toward Carter Park.  I was wearing and filming the race with my Contour HD on my helmet and of course it turned off right at the end of the Peaks Trail.

I came into Carter Park were my race crew all were ready to help me.  My Dad cleaned my sunglasses from the mud splatters they received during loop 1 and held my bike up.  My Wife helped me change the battery in my ContourHD helmet cam and helped me get the gels I needed. My Brother cleaned and lubed my chain.  My Dad put the water bottles back into my bike and jersey pocket.  This time there were not any missed pockets.  I shed my arm warmers and vest.  My kids were all there to give me "five" and "knuckles."  A quick kiss to my wife and off for loop 2.