Skills Camp at Nipika

Weekend highlights ...

Riding, riding, and riding. With some stretching, rolling, and eating mixed in. Not much sleeping.

Despite being worn out after going hard three weekends in a row with racing and a hockey tournament in the middle, I was happy I went to the Nipika camp this weekend. Even if I couldn't giver' the whole weekend.

Nipika hosts a new style of trail to me. It's rougher than the bald smooth trails we're spoiled with out in the Bragg area and hammers the body a little. That's not a bad thing, you sort of feel even closer to nature on this trail system: lots of rugged sections with many roots and dips and soft loam, some steep scree slopes to challenge you on descents, some amazing views (some of the river far below you inches from the trail! EEK!), some calf-cramping hike-a-bikes too. It's definitely a more primitive trail network, much like you should expect to find in a glorious off-the-grid haven like Nipika, whose reigning king is Lyle. I also love that I was on those trails with two wheels this time and not demonstrating my lack of skate skiing skills.

Deja View: photo by kate

Thanks to Lyle, Patermax, and Steve for leading us through the trail system (at Nipika and in Invermere on the Deja View trail) and for letting us name the freshly-cut trail we'd christened for Lyle ... ride Tatertot trail next time you're out there. And thanks to Catherine Vipond for sharing her weekend with all us chick mountain bikers; she led a fireside chat on Friday and shared her experiences with racing on the National Team, and she took the girls through race starts in a skills session Monday. She makes a mean s'more too. And of course, thanks to Martha for bringing us all together to learn more and share our passion for mountain biking with like-minded women!

We didn't all keep the rubber side down all the time but we had fun earning our bumps and bruises!

Thanks also for the birthday cake, card, song, and candles! Thanks to Heather for the birthday foot massage (my dogs were barkin after the hike-a-biking). The cherished mini Cokes (thanks Liana) and rum (thanks Lyle) were awesome too! The final thanks goes to Mister RCMP officer on Hwy 93 who turned a $196 speeding ticket into a birthday card and let me off the hook! For real!

And thanks to the smoke detector in our cabin. Sorry again Lyle about the melted plastic bin on the heater. :-/

photo by margaux

Deja View

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Salty Dog Road Trip

It was a great weekend in Salmon Arm with friends. Sarah, Lauren, Kate M and I headed out Friday for Salmon Arm. We broke up the 6+ hour drive with a comfy overnight at Sarah and Sean's at Kicking Horse. When we rolled into Salmon Arm Saturday morning the temperature was well on its way to 30C. We hit Skookum Cycle for registration then headed for the trailhead to do a pre-ride. It seemed like every Calgary mountain bike club was represented in the parking lot! The season is officially underway!

Wow the first impression of the course was a little deflating. It seemed like we were climbing technical-ish stuff forever and then we realized the Garmin was saying 2.5kms. Oh boy ... 7.5ish to go. We weren't in Arizona anymore. Haha. Up up up we went in the scorching heat. The climbing topped out at about 1100 feet and then the back half was a long fun descent. Fun but techie ... I was using all my focus and concentration to remember what I'm supposed to do on the loose dusty trail with plenty of roots, drops, steep declines, ramps, bridges, and tight turns. I managed it all but I kept thinking it was going to feel pretty stressful in a lap race with doubley-fast elite races screaming up behind me. I felt the course would have me at the max of my current skill level. Oh well, nothing left to do but chill out, fuel up, and get some rest before race day.

Sarah was my partner for this race -- on her single speed! Thankfully, she did the start lap which started with a big road climb to spread out the field. After watching the start, I got myself ready for my lap. Just under an hour after the start Sarah came into the transition zone (which was utter chaos for the first lap) and tagged up and I was off. I was relieved that the lap felt shorter than the pre ride ... I'm not sure why but the progress seemed faster (it wasn't, in reality, but the perception was welcome). It didn't seem to take as much out of me to get to the top and start my descent. It didn't hurt either that the day brought us a few light showers and overcast skies to keep us from overheating.

I took up racing partially because it's reportedly a great way to increase your skills and become a better rider faster. That little theory was in full effect this weekend. After each of my three laps on race day I felt like I was getting better at the technical descending. I was more and more comfortable and natural with my bike handling. What a great feeling! Never stop learning! :)

Race Number Two done!

My worry about the fast riders actually was not unfounded. I did have a few unpleasant experiences with riders who maybe lost their manners over the long winter off the single track? I did just fine though. There were a couple places on the first lap where I just pulled aside to let a few riders drop into and through a tricky section and then took it at my own pace. The field was spread out even more in my second and third laps and I had no more trouble with riders not giving me a chance to find a safe/comfortable spot to give some room -- many were extra courteous and appreciative. Since we'd done a full pre-ride I knew there was nothing on the course I couldn't ride so that helped the confidence.

It was a great day. A lap race brings a different feeling to a race since all abilities and speeds are all over the course at the same time. So it was a totally different experience than the Whiskey Off Road where the field is moving from start to finish. Also I think there were more racer-types than at the Whiskey where some of the crowd were maybe more about getting out for an epic ride. What I like about lap races is the community feeling in the staging area; all the between-lap riders and supporters are hanging out, snacking, sharing stories, encouraging each other and having a great time.

We had 5 Spin Sisters in the event and our tent was flanked on either side by Calgary's Terrascape team and the Dead Goats. Calgary was well represented ... Cyclemeisters were out in numbers too. After the 6 hour event was over, we quickly packed up the Rav and started the trip back to Calgary. I got home at midnight after dropping everyone off at home. It was well past time to have a shower. Haha. Thankfully I booked today off work ... plenty of time to get the bike cleaned up and get caught up on a few things.

Next up ... Nipika mountain biking!

Posted with Blogsy