When I’d come up on racers from behind with the Betty 6 illumined, my light would completely drown out the other riders’ lamps. It’s that bright. The night was a blur, interrupted by a one-hour hike-a-bike to 12,600 feet up a path better suited for a mountain goat, at around 4 a.m. The reward: 90 minutes of downhill on twisty, smooth, wooded Replica Cartier we1002sf Tank Francaise Watch singletrack.No matter how bright your light, the longer a race goes on in the night, the more tired your eyes become. So dawn brought the relief of easier sight, as well as a fresh energy. And still the trails went up and down, grinding nine miles up Old Monarch Pass, taking in a section of the Monarch Crest Trail, tacking on an exquisitely hard loop in Starvation Creek, and finally spitting us out on the Rainbow Trail.
When I finally crossed the line, 16 hours and 53 minutes after I’d begun, in 6th place of the 26 of us that drug ourselves all the way around the course, my GPS registered 126 miles and just over 20,000 feet of climbing. I headed for the shade of an elm tree and succumbed, with a Coke in hand. Begin phase four: Relief.A full week after the event, my feet were still numb from the hike-a-bike, my energy was nil, and I maintained that I probably Replica Cartier w31077m7 Pasha Seatimer Watch wouldn’t return to Salida next year. But it’s now been three weeks, and with tens-of-thousands of calories ingested since the race, dozens of 10-plus-hours night’s sleep, and plenty of time to reflect, I finally see the experience for its rewards. Which is to say, I’ve moved from the relief to anticipation: I’m ready to do it all over again next year—faster.—AARON GULLEY
Back in October 2007, we predicted one ofthe next milestones of adventure would be a freeBASE, a climb sansropes with only a BASE parachute as protection against a fall. ThisAugust Dean Potter delivered, freeBASEing a 5.12+ route on the Replica Cartier wb707231 Tank Americaine Watch northface of Switzerlands Eiger. We caught up with Potter to talk about hisaccomplishment.Read the interview and then watch a video here.Its law! The Transportation Fringe Benefit to Bicycle Commuters got tucked into the 451-page, $700-billion bailout bill that passed the House a few hours ago. While Wall Street breathes easier, bike commuters can expect $20 a month in tax benefits.
