Breckenridge 100 2011 - Loop Two

Breckenridge 100 2011 Mountain Bike Race

My report of Loop One can be found here.

Loop Two

Right from Carter Park you start Loop Two climbing the Moonstone Trail switchbacks.  It was encouraging to hear my Dad yell "Go Brando!" and hear my kids cheering me on as I was climbing the many Moonstone switchbacks while within their eyesight.  The switchbacks were nice and mangeable and didn't require much technical effort to get around each turn, but the hill was steep.  Even though the hill was painful the brilliant high altitude pine forest scenery helped take your mind off the climb.

The switchbacks started to mellow out as the trail turned into Barney Ford trail and ended up popping out onto Sally Barber Road.

Here was a nice recovery off the single track climb where you could eat while climbing up to the Sally Barber Mine.  The Sally Barber Mine climb was on a dirt road with small rocks.  I still was feeling good and remembered some advice that Kyle had told me.  He said to smile to help yourself happy and going well.  His advice worked all day. 

The dirt road descended quickly into a valley where we turned up the Little French Creek Road. 

From here off in the distance you could see a huge 12,000+ ft peak.

Having never been on this section of trail I could only wonder if we were going to have to climb over that peak or not.  Only time would tell.

Little French Creek Road immediately turned up and it was time for for a visit to Granny's.  I can't remember how long the climb up Little French Creek Road took, but it was Granny Gear time the whole way.

The road was a very primitive road mostly of embedded baby head rocks.  The kind that are somewhat loose that really test your balance and bike handling skills.  To make the climb more interesting there were three different creek crossings. 

Of course once again the scenery was still fantastic.  There were some riders around me who were walking, resting, and trying to ride.  I rode the whole thing without taking a dab.  Strangly enough there were a few cabins up the canyon.  Not sure if there were ski in during the winter cabins or if they had summer use.  The only way to get to the cabins would be on foot, horseback, or bike as the road didn't allow motor vehicle use (which was fairly evident because of the condition of the road). 

Still in the Granny Gear that looming 12,000+ ft peak was getting closing and I could see a small trail cutting across its face.

I thought, no way are we riding alone the face of another peak again!  Especially not now that my legs have more miles in them.  Right when I could see the Little French Creek Road continue on up towards the Peak, we turned left onto Little French Flume for a much deserved break.

Not that there was time to rest, but I wasn't needing to climb in the Granny Gear anymore.

Little French Flume is a narrow trail cut into the mountainside that has the remains of an old flume running along side and/or on the trail.  It is slightly downhill and with some pedalling offers a fast descent.

You really had to pay attention to the different trees, flume, and old stumps that could knock you off your game.  It is on these trails that I really like to see how fast I can go.  The trees became a blur to me as I focused on the trail before me knowing my tires would hook up on the damp dirt and hold their line.

The fun of Little French Flume didn't last all day, but the speed and fun increased as we started on American Gulch Road.

The American Gulch Road looks like the entire road was made of old mine tailings and it is wicked fast and wide open.  There are plenty of those water retention hills/bars along the road perfect for catching air.  I should have counted all the jumps but it seems like every couple seconds I was airbourne.  What a good way to follow a hard climb by launching off jumps.  There were even some burms around the corners and different wall hits you could take. 

I never have had so much fun on various sections of a race.  I love the Breck 100!

At the bottom of American Gulch Road I stopped at the aid station to once again fill up on ice cold water and gels.  From here the trail went up a road parralel to a nice brook filled meadow.  Soon enough we would riding along another section of the Colorado Trail.

Last year the day after I rode the Peaks Trail I rode this section of the Colorado Trail.  It was this section of trail that convinced me I needed to ride the Breckenridge 100.  I have fallen in love with the Colorado Trail.  I knew this trail well.  I have replayed it in my mind many times.  I also have watched the video I made reliving the pine covered Colorado Trail.  The climb was nice and shaded switchbacking climb up to about 11,000+ ft before the real fun would start on the most amazing downhill.  I was alone on the climb, but I caught some riders towards the summit.

I was wearing my ipod during the race in one ear and put the buds in both ears for the downhill since I knew no one would catch me and need to pass.  This section of Colorado Trail is the fastest, most wide open trail around.  I would compare this section of trail to a local trail, "Joy" in American Fork Canyon.  It surpasses "Joy" in fun factor and trail length.  I know that is a bold statement.

I was having so much fun I was yelling WWWWHHHHOOOOHHHHOOOO!!!!

At the Dredge Boat aid station it was water and gels again.  My stomach was doing well and I didn't want to change anything from what was working.  We turned onto Gold Run Road after climbing the switchbacks of Discovery Ridge Trail.

I am not sure if there was a fire or the trees were cleared for constructions or beetles but the Discvoery Ridge trail was bare with fallen trees everywhere.

I was not sure how we were going to make it back to Carter Park after the descent down the Colorado Trail.  My mind had last year embeded in its memory and I figured the Loop was over after the Colorado Trail.  I was wrong and my body felt it.  Gold Run Road was a long dirt road climb exposed into the sunlight.

I was not mentally prepared for another climb before Carter Park and the climb started to take its toll on me.  I felt my speed going slower, and my energy depleating even though I just ate at the aid station.  I am not sure if my lack of long rides this spring were catching with me or what but I was faltering.

The road didn't end soon enough and a big thanks out to the race organizers for putting in more down hill single track before Carter Park.  I needed the downhill to get my spirits back up.  The downhill of Side Door Trail and X10U8 was some of the darkest section of trail during the whole race.  Not sure if it just seemed darker after leaving the exposed dirt road or not but it was hard to see.

The downhill quickly got my attention as it was full of exposed tree roots and various rocks.  But this type of techinical single track trail was just what I needed to get my mind and body back into the race.  The Yeti performed remarkably navigating me quickly and safely to Carter Park.

I came down a few switchbacks and could hear the announcer and my family cheering for me. 

My wife helped me change the battery of the ContourHD helmet cam.  My Dad held the bike and changed my water bottles full of CarboRocket 333. 

My boys tried to find little things/tools to help with my bike and even tried to take out the new water bottle for a different one they wanted to put in.  I drank about half a Cherry Coke to help me during the last part of the race.  I thanked my crew and started off.  I forgot to give my wife a kiss and came back a couple feet to kiss her before loop 3.