Ouachita Goodness

Awwhh what can I say about 9 mates and riding all weekend long.......... DAMN THAT WAS FUN!!

FRIDAY:
We left early morning Friday and arrived in Ark. sometime around 5:30, after unloading all our goods we proceeded to do a little 6 mile gravel grinder/pavement tool street clothes style to get some blood flowing after the long days haul. Once back at the cabin the home brew that Matt McCutchen brought started to flow for Sammy, Matt, Jacob, Andy, and I.

SATURDAY:
We woke early Sat. wanting to get the bikes all ready for a nice 2hr tool on some of the Womble that wasn't part of the race course. Andy, Dennis and I rode half of this piece of trail last year so we knew what to expect getting to the lookout point. Once all the yahoo's were ready we mounted our steeds and proceeded to ride the 5 miles to the trail head. After an hour of riding we stopped and noticed we had lost a couple mates, Brian Abbott and Matt Yurkee (sp). So we hungout waiting, waiting,and waiting finally Dennis, Pete, and Andy started to head back to see what the trouble was. Matt had ran a rock through his sidewall..... Damn. They got him back up and running and we were off once agian to the lookout point. After hanging out at the lookout taking pictures and throwing rocks, and dead trees off the cliff (Matt M. and Pete), we got our ride back on. This piece of ecstasy has flow and super fast downhills that will make your smile sore:)

The trail popped us out at a small fishing village on a gravel road so we proceeded to head to the pavement and back to the cabin. Once we hit pavement we were having such a good time it dawned on us that we had been out for 3hrs of ride time and we had a ways to go yet. Hot damn:) At Mt. Ida the group split, some wanted Subway and the rest of us just wanted to get back to the cabin to throw down the viddles. Days total ride time 4hrs with just under 41 miles of riding. Hot Damn ditto!!:) The rest of the group returned, and showered up, then it was time too wait for 6pm to go register and throw down pasta at the feeding bunks. While waiting I broke out the seepa, we proceeded to kick that sac for 2.5 hrs, with a couple of us getting a good beer buzz (Matt M. and I carb loading). Registered and full of many plates of pasta it was time to passout and get a good nights sleep for the fun of the race.

SUNDAY "RACE DAY":
We unloaded around 7am and tooled around checking out the competition, gauking at the many beautiful rigs, BSing with folks some of us haven't seen in a while. Line'nm up kiddies. I lined up next to Dan Furhman of Route 66 Bicycles last years winner of the single speed catagory. Dan and I have duked it out before in the Heartland Race Series a couple of years ago, he's strong and rides alot. On the gravel and its GO! We (Dan, his brother and I)did our best to keep the groups draft as long as possible spinning a very high cadence, the group busted us on the hill before the long climb to the single track.

Once in the single track it was time to ring the bells on our bars as those that can ride the road fast couldn't ride trail worth a shit. Dan and I had broke from his brother on the long gravel climb, now it was just us passing the gearies and running hard. We were 1st and 2nd I was sure of it all I had to due was try and hang on. Dan running a 34x17 and I a 34x18 hitting the climbs with all we had. We would come to a cluster of wanna bees dabbing in the rocksor on a climb and Danno would bail like a seasoned pro cycle cross rider and run like a fucking deer (he's 6ft. plus and all legs) around 6 or 7 folks at a time while ringing his bell laughing. I knew I was in over my head trying to hold his wheel seeing this happen, I let him go right before the first feed station (23 miles in) and was to never see him again.

After that feed station there was a long climb where I got passed by the 3rd place rider, I told him to kick ass and proceeded to push my bike up the hill. Once through this section it was back on gravel heading to the half way point of the creek crossing that was about 18inches deep it was on this gravel that Danno's brother cought me, putting me in 4th now. After passing what seemed to be a crap load of mates with flats I was on the pavement heading to Sims. At Sims I stopped to fill water bottles. I come rolling up in a wheelie.....brapp,brappp. Rob Pennel creator of Badger 29'r Cycles grabs my bike, an older gentleman grabs my bottles and fills them up while Rob throws another in my jersey pocket, I grab some type of granola bar and I'm off agian. The wind on this piece of hwy sucked ass to ride alone, as did the bar I was trying to stuff down my throat.

Now back in single track and in 4th, feeling good, smiling ear to ear, I thought back to how shitty I felt last year riding gears on this very same piece of exstacy, while bullshitting with Gary Fisher:) I knew exactly what was coming my way, through all the little creek crossings, up the long and straight single track with small cacti on both sides trying to keeper between the green stuff. Now for the climbing/pushing to begin on this mountain goat trail:) It was here where the 5th place mate and I walked and talked. I wasn't liking that I was slowly loseing places anymore. Once at the top I let him go by as my left calf was starting to cramp a little bit. Following him, I wasn't going to let him out of my site, we were flying down one of the flowy sections where he hit a root and damned near ejected himself clean over the handle bars, rolling backwards and off the trail. This was my chance he seemed a little fatiged, I rolled by asking if he was ok, then stepping it up hard. My legs were feeling the pain of my effort when I came across the mate that took second place from me flated off the trail. It looked like he was just getting ready to put his wheel back on so I push harder trying not to pop.

Back in 3rd place, Sweet I think to myself. Rolling by the last feed stop I know I can hold'm off if I just keep the cramps from locking me up. I was trying to recoup a little bit on this last piece that climbs gradually for awhile. Going down.... hell yeah..... then at mile 51...... POP..... shit, I've just flatted! While fixing me flat those boy's rolled by me making sure I had everything and most likly thinking all the same thoughts I'd had pryor....sweet we're back in 3rd and 4th. Now in 5th place again I get my tire fixed and I'm rolling again knowing there is only one more killer hill ahead..... the Gravel Climb from Hell. I dig deep and rip my arms/legs off getting to the top... yahoo down hill from here. Rolling into town I'd told those who finished before me I was going to come in on the rear wheel brapping it. So with a hundred yards left I pull it up and the bystanders start yelling,clapping, and whistling as I roll through the finish line in a beautiful long drawn out wheelie. I'M DONE!!HELL YEAH, WHERES THE BEER!!

Thats my story folks, I'll have some pics later on. Thanks to Dennis Grelk for the ride down, your the man bro:) I only hope we can all do this agian soon. Everyone that went down kicked ass and finished, good job mates:) Basso has a nice write up also check it out, with some pics.

Peace