WSC Cycling and Gunni High School Team Ride

I like to wonder what would have happened if my high school had a mountain bike team.  Would I have joined?  Would I have started racing half a decade earlier?  Would I have mad skills?  What if I had a college aged mentor showing that racing could continue in college?  What if I had role models to look up to like that at the beginning of my riding?

The college team and the high school team combined forces this past Wednesday for some riding action at Hartmans.  The adventuring started with a relay race up the road and down Collarbone with each high schooler paired with an older, but still just as young at heart, college rider.  Racing continued with the Slow Race where everyone got to see which riders (and coach) spent far too much time trackstanding at traffic lights in their past.  Skills were learned.

Then we split into two groups.  The boys took a trip down V-Drop and the ladies took a trip down the Notch.  The stoke level was high all around.  If I have anything to do with it, we'll be doing this again.  The community of mountain bikers here in the valley continues to amaze me.

WSC Cycling Wins DII Conference Championships

The sixth and final weekend of racing in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Conference took place this past weekend in Durango, CO, home of Fort Lewis College.  Even without the majority of the teams downhillers, due to the lack of a downhill and only a dual slalom, the team came out with one of the largest groups of the season.  

 For the first time in WSC Cycling history, the team was able to field a full squad of four for the women's A race and two for the women's B.  Angela V, Jen S, Alexis K, and Madi S all rode strong in both Saturday morning's STXC race and Sundays XC.  Gabby and Erin rode to high finishes in the women's B fields in both races as well.

For Saturday morning, Owen and Ben represented in the huge men's A field.  Cody came out for the men's B race before jetting down the hill for a 3rd place finish in the Men's B dual slalom.  He plans to upgrade next year and take on the role of the team's dual slalom specialist.  Caleb and Ansel held their own against a men's A field that was stacked with FLC riders who'd been riding the track all week.  They were given an hour practice.

Ansel had the ride of the weekend on Saturday morning winning the Men's B XC on Brae's singlespeed.  He'd get dropped like a bad habit on the flats and power past everyone on the climbs.  Luckily, the bike was built to handle the abuse that Brae gives it, so it survived a race with Ansel on board.  Ben was also riding strong till an encounter with a narrow gate and a fence.  He finished, but went to visit the EMT's to clean the blood off his knee and leg, even though it made him look pretty hard-core.

Max threw down in the men's C race, getting the hole shot off the line.  Gabby did the same for the women's B race and she and Erin ended up 3rd and 4th.  

The A women showed how far they had progressed from a group that either hadn't ridden at all before the beginning of the season or very little.  Angela nearly cracked the top-10 after picking off riders one by one.  Alexis and Jen had strong rides finishing together, bidding farewell to Alexis' old bike, complete with V-brakes and suspension that doesn't really do a whole lot.  Madi finished off the race to become conference champion.

The team won several individual conference titles.  Madi won both Women's A endurance and B gravity, Cody won the B's gravity, Caleb and Ansel were 2nd and 3rd in A's gravity, Graham was 2nd in B's endurance, Erin was 2nd (?) in B's endurance, Gabby took home medals in both gravity and endurance for B's, Jen was 2nd in A's endurance...and there were more, but I can't remember, there were so many.

The team also won the overall which tallies the points of all the riders.  Winning the overall really shows the depth, speed, and dedication of the team.  The best part is, nearly no one is graduating this year.  The A riders are headed to Angel Fire, NM for nationals in two weeks.  Barring bad luck, the team of 12 should be bringing home some hardware.  

Wish them luck.

WSC Cycling Wins DII Conference Championships

The sixth and final weekend of racing in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Conference took place this past weekend in Durango, CO, home of Fort Lewis College.  Even without the majority of the teams downhiller, due to the lack of a downhill and only a dual slalom, the team came out with one of the largest groups of the season.   

 For the first time in WSC Cycling history, the team was able to field a full squad of four for the women's A race and two for the women's B.  Angela V, Jen S, Alexis K, and Madi S all rode strong in both Saturday morning's STXC race and Sundays XC.  Gabby and Erin rode to high finishes in the women's B fields in both races as well.

For Saturday morning, Owen and Ben represented in the huge men's A field.  Cody came out for the men's B race before jetting down the hill for a 3rd place finish in the Men's B dual slalom.  He plans to upgrade next year and take on the role of the team's dual slalom specialist.  Caleb and Ansel held their own against a men's A field that was stacked with FLC riders who'd been riding the track all week.  They were given an hour practice.

Ansel had the ride of the weekend on Saturday morning winning the Men's B XC on Brae's singlespeed.  He'd get dropped like a bad habit on the flats and power past everyone on the climbs.  Luckily, the bike was built to handle the abuse that Brae gives it, so it survived a race with Ansel on board.  Ben was also riding strong till an encounter with a narrow gate and a fence.  He finished, but went to visit the EMT's to clean the blood off his knee and leg, even though it made him look pretty hard-core.

Max threw down in the men's C race, getting the hole shot off the line.  Gabby did the same for the women's B race and she and Erin ended up 3rd and 4th.  

The A women showed how far they had progressed from a group that either hadn't ridden at all before the beginning of the season or very little.  Angela nearly cracked the top-10 after picking off riders one by one.  Alexis and Jen had strong rides finishing together, bidding farewell to Alexis' old bike, complete with V-brakes and suspension that doesn't really do a whole lot.  Madi finished off the race to become conference champion.

The team won several individual conference titles.  Madi won both Women's A endurance and B gravity, Cody won the B's gravity, Caleb and Ansel were 2nd and 3rd in A's gravity, Graham was 2nd in B's endurance, Erin was 2nd (?) in B's endurance, Gabby took home medals in both gravity and endurance for B's, Jen was 2nd in A's endurance...and there were more, but I can't remember, there were so many.

The team also won the overall which tallies the points of all the riders.  Winning the overall really shows the depth, speed, and dedication of the team.  The best part is, nearly no one is graduating this year.  The A riders are headed to Angel Fire, NM for nationals in two weeks.  Barring bad luck, the team of 12 should be bringing home some hardware.  

Wish them luck.

CB Nordic Trail Work Day

There's that feeling in the air.  The cold wind, the bare aspen trees, snow in the peaks.  Winter, is in fact, coming and with that comes the opening of the Crested Butte Nordic Center, boasting the best XC skiing in the state.  In preparation for opening, they're having a trail work day this weekend.  Check it out.

From the Crested Butte Nordic Center/Gunnison Trails:




Join the CB Nordic crew at 8 a.m. at the Nordic enter this Saturday, October 15.  THey usually work 'til about noon or so and then they'll buy you lunch.  Bring a shovel and/or rake if you have one and some work gloves.  Help your community owned Nordic ski center get ready for the coming season.

Hunting Season is Upon Us

From Gunnison Trails:

Just a reminder: Beginning this Saturday, the hills will be alive with the sound of gunfire. There are four periods of hunting over the course of the next several weeks.

Please be aware out on the trails and wear your hunter orange.

2011 Hunting Season Dates (Rifle Seasons)

October 15-19              First Rifle Season

October 22-30             Second Rifle Season

November 5-13            Third Rifle Season

November 16-20          Fourth Rifle Season

For more details, click HERE

Gunnison Trails Big Saturday

  

From Gunnison Trails:

Saturday October 22 – Gunnison Trails Big Saturday!

• 10am – the first annual Pummeler’s Butt 10-mile  (10-mile course map, click here), 5-mile (5-mile course map, click here), and 3-mile (3-mile course map, click here) trail running (hiking, slogging, crawling!) races at Hartman Rocks. Also, 2-mile and 1-mile distances for kids, and kids run and ride for free! The Pummeler’s Butt is a burly trail race that will start directly up V-Drop, then onto Ring Dike, Rattlesnake, Tech Becks, etc., etc. This is no pansy trail race. $15 entry fee. More details to come. Kids Races, too: After the start of the Pummeler’s Butt, we’ll have two kids races on a very spectator-friendly, one-mile long circuit at the base area. It has a hill in it – the climb up Lower Jacks – and the whee ones will get to try out their trail running skills. Depending on our numbers, we may run a one-lap and a two-lap race.
• 2pm – Growler Series Finals mountain bike race AKA, Two Weeks Before the Abyss (course map, click here. 20 and 10-mile courses). A classic, singletrack heavy off-road bicycling contest also at the Hartman Rocks area on BLM public lands. Categories will be: Long Course Expert, Long Course Sport (same course; around 20 miles), and Short Course (around 10 miles). Men’s and Ladies categories. $15 entry fee.  Kid’s races, too.
• Dual-Sport Contest! – Pummeler’s Butt and Growler Finals combined time for athletes with diverse skill sets.
• 4-8pm - Gunnison Trails Big Saturday! Dinner Party! at KOA Dave’s place – Just what it sounds like. Food and drink provided. This party is open to all Gunnison Trails supporters and anyone curious about what Gunnison Trails does. Dinner Party! is free. We will have a short program where Gunnison Trails’ mission, functions and projects will be outlined. Also, 2011 volunteers will be recognized. An inquiry about the availability of 9 Inch Nails to play at this party was submitted on their website. As of now, we have not heard back. More details to come.

Sunday October 23 – Rain (snow?) date for Gunnison Trails Big Saturday! Would that then be Big Sunday!?

Western Cycling Heads to the Desert

With only two conference races left in the RMCCC and Western State Cycling with a slim 500 point lead over School of Mines in the conference, a solid crew from Western headed to Grand Junction to race in the desert heat.  Or so they hoped.  Instead, racers were met with plummeting temperatures and snow on Saturday for the short track and dual slalom.  Still, the team rallied.

Erin O'Mara rode to a strong 2nd place in the women's B category while Angela Vitulli, Madi Semblanet, and Alexis Kelley raced in the incredibly fast women's A race in preparation for National Championships later this month in Angel Fire.

Cody Scott and Graham Ruhman represented in the Men's B race.  Cody got an impressive hole-shot but started to discover exactly how long 20 minutes of racing actually is.

Owen Tulip stepped it up and raced in the Men's A's along side Ben Jackson.

The Dual Slalom was held at The Ranch on a professionally build DS course that riders seemed to love.  Unfortunately, both Ansel Schimff and Caleb Woodworth got knocked out in early rounds of the Men's A's, but Cody Scott, who was planning on jetting to the Front Range as soon as racing was done, made it to the small final of Men's B's late in the day and finished an impressive 4th.

Madi Semblanet raced for the women's B's and finished 2nd and Max Matheny also raced, but I failed to get the results.

In the XC, Erin rode to another second place and continues to lead the conference for D2.

Jenn Drimmer Swift joined the fun in the Women's A's and rode strongly against a deep field.  Madi put her technical skills to good use and also rode a strong race.

Max and Graham represented Western in the C and B categories, being excellent sports to skip the team breakfast and race at the early hour of 8 am.  They were rewarded with pancakes when they finished.

Owen, Ben and Brae all lined up for the Men's A race and put their technical riding skills to good use on the chunky course.

The final conference race is in Durango next weekend and then the team's A riders will have a weekend off before loading up and heading to Angel Fire for Nationals.