Blue Loop 2009

An attempt at a recap of the weekend, I shall make.

But I do want you all to scroll down to my initial posting about the Blue Loop to get the course profile. That is thing with the line that goes up and down like the stock market that tells you how much up and down we do everyday. Officially we did something like 16,000 feet approximately of climbing over the weekend. Approximately up and down Mt. Lemmon twice. We started in Clifton AZ which is at just about 2,500 feet and rode up to 9,000 feet somewhere out side of Alpine, AZ and lost all of that elevation the last day. That is where those insane down hill pictures come from.

So the first day we rode from Clifton, AZ t o Glenwood, NM. A short 60 mile bike ride with 2 intense holy cow up hills with one having us climb over a Mountain, 4,800ft total elevation gain. A small one but still a bump in the road that had evergreens on top. It threatened to rain all day and I know most of us were just waiting to get most of the day but it never happend. The best part of the ride was the top of the Mountain, the trees man the trees. The worst part was as soon as we entered NM the road turned to strait chip seal pebble stuff, with rolling hills, and a fierce head wind. A super crummy section that I am sure happy I had Nelson and Max in front of me to fend off. It drizzled at night but all in all a great day. Also dinner had a high light. All the vegetables of the whole meal were local to the town.

Day two we awoke again to serious scary looking clouds in the distance. Enough to make me make all the kids carry a jacket. The days ride starts in Glenwood, NM and ends in Alpine, AZ. Another super hard day with 2 major climbs, with the second being longer than the first. Total elevation gain 5,346ft. After the tough day of yesterday I allowed the team to break up into smaller groups and to have more space. I think this worked out really well with the team actually working harder. However Max was not feeling well and did not ride. Then about 45 miles into the ride at the top of the days hardest climb the rain said, "Move". I was at the top of the pass with almost every boy on the trip. The thunder cracked and we had to ride the last ten miles into Alpine through freezing cold rain. Julia and Ashley were smart enough to get a ride in via the sag truck and stayed mostly dry the whole time. We boys rode in, got cold, and now I am sick along with Kramer. Dang. That night though we were able to make a fire and dry out while GABA and Linda made an incredible meal for 100 people on little more than a camp stove. The salad with the mandarin oranges was the high light. Best part of the day winning the climb up the biggest hill and watching the team work super hard. Worst having my feet go squish squish every time I peddeled really cold on my way to camp.

Day three well if you look at the pics it is the most beautiful, probably top five hardest rides, I have ever done. I have to say every rider as well suprised and excited me with their efforts on this day. Sometimes, I worry about rider commitment and energy levels, and willingness to work hard, however on a day as hard as today and the fact that not a single rider gave up, complained, never quite, well I should never really worry. This was the type of day that reenergizes me for months to come. Really I just want to thank everyone on the trip for an awesome time and great day, weekend, and year.

Thanks team.