Fond memories of the dry days

I was caught in Butte with a little show and not much go. I think I can master some what the mud on the coast but miss those tractiony fast dry days.

Holly racen in the mud

Hi all how you doin? I had a long weekend trying the race each day thing which is a bit hard on old peeps. Saturday was a staler day in Salem on a old golf coerce with out any pavement. Just grass ,sand and pathways of loose grave. The temp was great with plenty of sunshine,after raining all the day before.

The numbers in each race where alot like Montana. I had maybe 12 in the young 50+ Steve Yene a well known road and cross racer was there with a few other very strong riders and even the organiser of the tour of the Walla Walla Steve Rep

Things went out fast and I was drooped by Steve Y. in a hurry so holding second was what it looked like it might be especially when after catching B-35+ riders you would be blocked some time more than the front rider. But 3 laps in the man looses some throttle and I pull up for a while then manage getting gap threw a sand trap and away I went for the next few laps to the win. That with some bigger rides and some cross practice paid off.

I hooked up with some friends I meant in Tucson last year and stayed in Portland which is so hip especially on the east side of the river. We did some a promotion party for a magazine called Wend that is mostly athletic story and picture descriptive..Well they had free good wine and beer which we all no isn't the best recovery way.

So for real we do get home and in bed by ten with a six thirty am. up and depart from the house to the Cross Crusade venue in Hilsburo fair grounds to get a good spot around the coerce and believe this is a most with 1,300 to 1,400 races and any were from 500 to a thousand spectators who get on the crazy side often.

The youngsters again for me 69 riderstried doing thing you always do at the start get up to the front but on this very muddy and grease like traction alot of the time I started losing touch with the top 15 right a way. I no more than was sort of getting the mud thing then I was in a front wheel slide and down with ten feet or so of body slide, they go bye bye again. So towards the last third and we are running into many of the 120 B 35+ riders who started 2 mins. ahead of us I get bumped on like the only mild down hill and slide out and to top that guy gives me the WWO wrestling fly body slam,I so stars and shit then just like that got up and just wanted to chase peeps down again.Guess I had some testy goin on,ribs head and neck hurt after the driney went away. So just when I am getting this slick city tricky corning gig out it's over. I ended up 5th which was a big shock thinking I was way furhter back.

So with my venture into the world of crasy numbers and very festive peeps wearing some nothing or something very spectacular and colorful. I would highly recommend this venue just to experience,race or both....Good fun...

More of the Bend thing

So a few more of the trail and Old Mill District. Lots to see and do in a spread but close area.There is that Missoula vibe here but to me and others theres nothing quite like the Zoo town vibe.

I have bean looken over the scads of entrees for the Nationals Cross Race. After doing the nats last year in Kansas I'm seeing double the numbers all ready. Oregon is like cross capitol with the cross crusade getting any were from 1,000 to 1,400 people at there scenes which is over the top but pretty cool. They are the true rock stars of cross even though Montana has the best thriller dance crew. Doin it up solid gold style. The rolling thunder cross race this weekend will rock. Peeps can check out results and probably video on Montana cross.com

It is raining here in Oregon imagine that and supposed to all weekend so this wimp Nancy will have to buck up or stay off the bike.All for now take care.

Bend trail and cross nat venue

It has seemed like I either got the pig flue or some stomach mass up but might be coming out of it. And just in time cause I wanna race a couple crossies this weekend with Salem Saturday and Hillsboro cross crusade Sunday. SO gotta buck up a month after not racing. It is supposed to rain so the real thing oh my.

I blew over to Bend the other day and it was a real treat on the trails right out of town like Z-town . They have way more corner grove going on making the ride like cross coarse. Not allot of long climbs were I was with quite a bit of flatter easy up and down stuff.

So checked out the hipster side of town around the Old Mill District with the De chutes brewery close by also the amphitheater which are all a part of the cross Nat's venue with thick groomed grass,gravel parking lots pavement and dirt grave like pit area. i only could tell in a few areas were peeps had bean ridding Cross bikes. What ever they lay out it shouldn't have much climbing but some good run up spots and looks to be pretty fast but who knows what nature will bring and that's the beauty right?

Oregon trail fall time

Oregon trail fall time

So here I am in Oregon again and the green is really green,which is easy on the eyes. The weather compared to Zoo Town cold spell is a nice reprieve. I'm not ready yet for the freeze down,to wimpy for that.
The temps have bean 60's and dry till today now the green maker is falling from the sky for who knows how long.
The road ridding is so stellar after trying to navigate around pot holes,canyon sized cracks and traffic most every where to or from in the and Missoula area. You can be out in the country doing loops with rolling hills and some leg breaker climbs with out the challenge of so many fast moving impatient drivers. But it's not the perfect world there are always a irate gonna mow you down type any where.
The mountain biking is great but not that much challenging compared to what the Rockies throw down. It's like go fast and freeway smooth most the time.
The air quality is way better than the Zoo Town stuff but ho needs all that fresh air when you are close to the Rockies ,it's gotta be there right???
When you ride trail in the moss covered trees and rock areas with the thick dark forest you get the fairy world feal,kinda earie but exciting when your out there all alone.
Looks like Montana cross racing was blessed with the real aliments of cross with cold and snow. Way to go Flurrie and all the rest of the hardy souls terrine it up.

Time for the vision quest to start up

Well now the last week has passed and I am a free spirit again and ready to move around and in joy the off time from work. So were should I go first? I feal the south warm air pulling at me.

It's bean a nice summer and great to be social with as many friends as much as possible. I will miss all the biking buds and others that are all so great to spend time with. And oh ye Zoo Town with it's vibrancy.

I with a few hardy few did the Pat tee Canyon Hill climb.The wind was almost hurricane force going up hill,that's just not right.I did some of Stuart Peak with Schultz the day before so the legs weren't very amped up. Our boy Josh Tack kicked it again up the big nasty. The NRO team riders did well taking 5 or more of the age groups. The best part was the crasy priceses people brought for entree,some good imagination out there.

Cross season is in full swing all around and many peeps are with the fun from Wednesday to the weekends of 2 day full on racing.OK all take care and ride safe and rubber down...