JB's Adventure Blog: Big Adventure at Pisgah!

Yo,

I knew the Pisgah Mountian Bike Adventure would be a strange event coming into it but I guess that was half of the excitement. The race is contested by two man teams that have to navigate their way to secret checkpoints announced only after the gun goes off!

After the long 6 hr haul down to western North Carolina I set up camp at Todd Braunum’s house at Glenn Cannon. I was greeted by Todd and Garth Prosser his team mate. Regular endurance race junkies and masters of the trails at Pisgah they where the team to beat or so we thought. My team mate for this race Mathew Lee showed up at 11 after stashing a nalgeen of water deep in Pisgah forests famed turkey pen region.
The race in true adventure race spirit had a mandatory equipment list including survival basics like; a whistle, space blanket, compass, water filter or iodine tablets, lighter, a flashlight of some sort and a rain jacket. Wholy crap what am I getting into, I thought. Matt re assured me that the race would only be a 5 ½ hour test of metal but it turned out to be a lot longer than that!

All new to me, the race had like this passport that you had to get stamped and I was thinking it reminded me of the one Chris and I carried across country borders during Trans- Alp. The gist of the Event was that you had to hit 4 of the 5 check points in any order that you want on any trails you want. Off limits where a few fire roads hiking trails and pavement short cuts.

I suggested we just follow the Pisgah mtb tours owner Todd Branum for a little while since he knows the trails better than the salamanders that live there. Matt voiced against that because it wasn’t in the spirit of the race. I agreed. Then we of course had to get lost!

As the race started it was hot because we where climbing crazy steep trails with bikes on our backs in the hot sun and this was only the first 20 mins!

We did’t get too far off course before I realized we where heading towards the sun! This is not north!!!!!!. We stoped dead in our tracks and wiped the crumpled map. Where are we?? I took the map from there and figured we had been of course for close to 20 mins.

Added to the first check time of 20 mins back that putt us at almost 40 mins back by 3hrs into the race. I was frustrated HOW did they get that far ahead of us???
Matt and I were riding at a smooth stiff tempo and we had made only the 30sec map stops. The other teams we found out took a few trails that where shorter and had less climbing.

As we sped for our second check point we were passed by the on coming leaders Garth and Todd, then another team then a 3rd team, as we finally found our mark we saw a fourth team that was coed. We where definitely behind the ball. I refueled for both of us as Matt did the passport check. I gave him encouragement to get going, lets go, lets go. I wanted him to get a little head start as I picked up some surprise food at the check for both of us. Bananas and Fig Newton’s never tasted so good.

Then next 2hrs was unrelenting climbing. I was starting to really feel the distance and the pushing I did to help us gain back some time. This high mountainside trail was slick from the light rain. The Rhododendrons where prehistoric sized I had never seen them this big. They where the size of apple trees! The single track got progressively more rooted and rocky until we where forced to dismount. I had to try the next section. It was a juicy crux move with some slanted bedrock with some ledges and a few rugged slabs to get traction. I almost made it. I was stuck in my pedal and almost trashed my derailleur I didn’t take any dumb chances after that. We hit the sickest decent I have done all year called Pilot rock! It was super fly steep wicked trial armored with bed rock slabs and log ledge drop offs! I had the need for speed! Matt suggested I enjoy the downhill and we would meet at the bottom! I caught the 3rd place team on the way down and past them at mach 5 threw a rock garden. They looked at me kind of stunned that I was riding it but this is my thang!

Matt wasn’t far behind and we mad a good pass.

Todd ripped his Derailleur hanger off and he and Garth where trying to go single speed. This moved us into 2nd 15 mins out from the lead! We had a shot at it.

As we found the 4th check a strong storm blew in and froze us with sheets of heavy rain. Despite the weather we decided to go for all five, check points for the time bonus and a shot at the win. We did the last leg in 1hr 30 but the time bonus was only 1:30 so we unable to make it up.

In the end our time bonus for hitting the elusive 5th checkpoint was just not enough to make up for our navigation error and we ended up a solid 2nd. We where however the first of only two teams to get all 5 check points in just under 9hrs!

It was really nice to see my Mom at the finish. I was surprised even though I knew she was coming to see me at the race. Later that evening I took my Mom and Mark out to dinner at a really hip restaurant called Hob Knob in Brevard. She expressed how she had a good time talking to the racers and watching today. We had a great time catching up and I gave her a ride in my new Volkswagen Jetta .5 ! . She now resides in Otto North Carolina so I don’t get to see her often. I am going to make more road trips that way so I can see her.

Quote of the week was from a grime covered racer with a beer in his hand wile still frozen to his steed as if he forgot how to walk. How’s the beer I asked with a smile? “I have been drinkin creek water for 5 hrs”!
I understood his answer.

Thanks for riding. Uh.. reading.

Jeremiah.

jeremiahbishop

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 8:12 PM

Big Adventure at Pisgah!

Archives