Catching Up

Island Park

After several disappointing races, I really didn't know what to expect coming into the end of the season. I just decided to regroup as best I could and see what would happen. We spent the weekend 2 weeks ago in Island Park, ID at our grandad's cabin. I did a couple rides, including a quick trip up Satelle Peak (this is a view of it from the cabin).
While I was riding, the kids swam in a nearby stream and rediscovered the great outdoors.

Evanston

I spent the rest of the week going pretty short, intense rides getting ready for last Saturday, marking the end of the 2007 Intermountain Cup Utah series. It has been a great year, and the this race was a fitting conclusion to it all.

Scott and Ian started the day off for us:


After the kids came the rest of us.

After Chad Harris's excellent finish in Jackson, I told him on the starting line I couldn't take second, so he would have to.



I started a little bit slow. Passing isn't a big problem on this course and I wasn't sure how I was feeling (this pic is about 3 or 4 minutes in).

Bart, Alex, and Thomas opened a gap pretty quickly. Blake Z wasn't too far behind them. Chris Holley fell back early but came back and passed me. I rode with him to the dirt road, but then he dropped me and took off to the last pitch of the first lap climb, which is really steep. I got bogged down there and several people, including Chad and Marc Wimmer rode past me. I'm not sure what happened.

I like the descending there, and Chad and Bart flatted on the downhill, so I passed Chad, Bart, and Marc before starting the second lap.

By the second lap I was really feeling good. When Bart caught back up and I figured he'd just blow by, but instead he rode with me for a bit, then went ahead. He passed Blake, and then I caught and passed Blake. On the dirt road Bart and Chris were riding together. I caught them and rode past, with Bart also dropping Chris and following me. I think maybe Bart had already given up on Thomas and Alex.

Bart rode past me at the top of the climb and then started the downhill in front, but he was worried about flatting again and was riding cautiously. It took a few minutes, but I got past him and then he followed me through the sand-pit and up the short climb that leads to the rockiest downhill. At this point he had no choice but to keep up so he could drill it on the last climb and beat me, but the speed through the rocks took his tire again and he finished the downhill on a flat tire.

I didn't know why he was gone, but I gave it my best to the end and finished in 3rd, 2 minutes behind Alex and 1 minute behind Thomas for my best finish yet. It was great to feel good and ride well.

Tetons

After the race, it was time to get ready for a week in the Tetons backpacking with my dad and brother Rob. Took in the beautiful scenery and enjoyed the chance to unwind. Despite having lived in Idaho and Utah for most of my life, I'd never done anything but day hikes and the Grand Teton there in the Tetons. It was great.