I traveled east to the Hilly Amish Country of Coburn Pennsylvania for the Wilderness 101. This race was the fifth stop on the National Ultra Endurance series and drew a big crowd. Due to the excessive hills and rocks my goal was to finish with enough energy to drink a beer before falling over. Mission accomplished.
The course started with a neutral roll out of the tiny mountain town and then started going up and up and up. The first 40 miles were a roller coaster of fire road and two track climbs through scenic eastern PA. After the 2nd aid station things started getting interesting. There was single track with roots snaking between rocks sharp as shark’s teeth. Those sharp rocks turned into big rocks the higher we climbed.
The only thing I remember after that was descents that smelled like burning disc brakes, climbing for what felt like hours and technical trail that made me feel like more of a sissy than anything ever before.
After 11:37 in the saddle, 1 scenic mountain view pop tart brake, 10,000 feet of climbing and one wrong turn adding six miles to the ride I was finished and beer has never tasted so good.
A special thanks to my wife for letting me leave town for the weekend, mother nature for making humbling trail and the crazy gas station attendant in state college for insisting on making me a breakfast sandwich without bacon and then giving it to me for free.
love dan
3 comments:
hey dan..nice riding with you for a bit in the 101. we hooked up after your detour, rode together for a while and then yo-yoed down little poe and into AS5. i think you mentioned that you were wishin' the 101 had a few more rocks in it like the ridin' in michigan. or maybe not. lol.
anyway, glad you survived and hope your future rides are good ones.
ray egolf
What's up Dan. I caught up to you after that nasty singletrack descent just before Aid #4, and we did most of the next climb and descent together (I was riding the black Intense Spider). Hope you had a good time at the 101. I know I did. Look to see you there next year? Who knows I might even come out and do the Mohican of Cohutta next year...
Ride On,
Jake
I had a great time suffering with all the guys and gals that I passed and that passed me. The mood was much cooler than at XC races here in Michigan. I will be at Shenandoah and more NUE hundies next year
df
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