Pssshhhhh… 80 miles!
When I think of 80 miles, I think of:
- An hour and a half car ride.
- A long weekend road bike ride with more flats than steeps.
- A multi-day raft trip with a bunch of friends.
But when my friend and colleague, Kara Armano proposed that we do an 80-mile mountain bike ride over the course of two days, I thought, what the heck?
I signed up that day, ready to try a new adventure. Plus, I had never been to Durango before, so I figured it would be a great way to see/experience the area, which I certainly did (sometimes face first).
The event was the CT Jamboree, a two-day, 80-mile mountain bike ride on the Colorado Trail to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis. All proceeds benefited the non-profit Heuga Center, the Colorado Trail Foundation and Trails 2000.
Shortly after signing up it become apparent that I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. Turns out that most of the Colorado Trail near Durango is well above 12,000 feet. It’s also an incredibly technical trail with steep climbs, talus field descents and tight, sandy switchbacks.
Our group consisted of five people: Kara and her husband, me and two other friends. The plan was to leave Carbondale Friday, as close to 2 p.m. as possible so that we would get to Durango at a reasonable hour. Of course, we didn’t end up leaving until after 4 p.m. And that soon became the theme of the trip; things don’t always go as planned.
We left Carbondale around 4:30, waiting while Nick, Kara’s husband, chased down four separate UPS drivers in a valiant effort to retrieve his mountain bike, which he had sent back to the frame builder for repairs. Finally, Nick found his bike in the back of last brown truck and with all our bikes loaded we saddled up for the five-hour drive to Durango.
Unfortunately, once we got to Durango, Nick discovered his disc brakes were trashed and he was going to have to borrow his friend’s hard tail (yikes).
The morning of the ride came early, 6 a.m. check-in at the top of Molas Pass (10,880ft.). I note the elevation, because I would like to think that the elevation explains why I was breathing so hard right off the bat. The first day’s ride took us from Molas Pass to Hotel Draw—more than 30 miles south. Each day had significant elevation gain and loss, somewhere in the realm of 6,000 to 7,000 feet per day. This very important piece of information is something that I should have taken into consideration when signing up to bike 80 miles.
Half way through the first day, we had experienced several highs and lows, literally and physically. After numerous crashes and several bike repairs, the ride began to take its toll on our group and upon reaching our first and only checkpoint, our group dwindled to four. Kara could go no farther.
After the checkpoint things did not get any easier. With one of the hardest hill climbs still ahead, it was impossible to enjoy any of the downhills knowing that with every down there was a significant up. Fatigued and close to bonking, I have never been so happy to see 60 or so people all hanging about at one campsite. After a hearty meal, I crawled into my tent and crashed for the night.
Day 2, down another rider, we rode from Hotel Draw south to Durango; this portion of the trail is roughly 40 miles long. I dreaded the thought of having to sit back on the saddle for another 40 miles. Thank goodness for Assos cream.
Similar to the prior day, the amazing views helped distract me from the fact that I was on my bike climbing yet again. The day consisted of lots of mud, a few hike-a-bike sections and lots of fast downhills, one of which I served me a nice bloody nose. I came to the conclusion that my bike tried to commit suicide and in the process took me down with it. This accident has no reflection on my mountain biking ability whatsoever.
Overall, the whole experience was incredible, hard, but well worth it. I would for sure do it again next year.
Check out more pictures of the ride, here.
Special thanks to all the organizers who put on this wonderful event, my friends for donating, and Dave and Kathy Croll, you guys rock.