It was a muggy one up on the bluff as Jake and I toed the line for week 4 of the famed SPHotlap®. The ever interesting staggered start was employed to try and keep everyone pushing the pace and without knowing the official times, it was determined that Jake would start 5 minutes after me. (looking at the official times, it should have been 5:49, but that is neither here nor there).
The course was in fast condition as I tried to push the pace in a metered fashion. I didn’t want to burn up early and struggle just to finish. I was feeling pretty good up the first couple of climbs, and still hadn’t seen nor heard Jake on my tail by the time I hit the 5 way climb. I was pushing things, hoping that, if I didn’t hear him in the woods as I made my way to the DH that I might just have a chance.
Unfortunately I heard his rattling two-wheeled clap-trap bombing down the hill not long after leaving the new switchback singletrack above the 5 way. I knew that my goose was cooked, but wanted to stretch it out to see when the catch would happen. Sweat pooled in my eyes as I made my way down the DH trail, mentally preparing to try and bury myself on the climb to hell known as Stairway.
The recent rains have once again messed with the bottom of Stairway. Ignoring the lack of lines and keeping the wheels turning was the #1 priority. Making it past the first 20 yards, I tried to get into a rhythm, but Stairway would have none of it. ½ way up and forced me off the bike and into my death trudge. I couldn’t resist the urge to peek back. Still not seeing Jake, my hopes were raised… maybe he crashed into a tree? Maybe his chain broke? Maybe he decided to quit biking altogether, move to Isle Royale, have a sex change and live out the rest of his life as a lonely spinstress… I didn’t know and didn’t care at the moment… so I trundled on.
Bushwhacking through Isaa-godda-davida, essentially being funneled through the trail, I didn’t see Jake passing by on the field after Stairway… maybe I wasn’t as slow as I felt? After the Bomb Crater, and 180 deg I pushed the pace… then I suddenly heard that clickety-clack of a poorly tuned full suspension bike. It brought dismay to my ears… he was in the same section as me… the jig was up! An awkward descent into the Quarry hastened the catch, which happened just after the rock garden…
The rest of the lap was a disappointed mess of a blur. 2112 was cleared, but I knew my time was going to be slower, and I knew that I got my butt kicked by a low down dirty geared rider. Fumbling for my phone (acting as my stopwatch) allowed me to stop the time at 39:15. I was counting “mississippis” while I reached for the timer and tried to unlock it, etc… I got to 11 mississippi before actually hitting stop… so I am saying my “official” time was 39:04.
Jake finished in a little more than 32 minutes… so both of us were slower, but at the end of the day, fun was had, challenges were met, and it was another great SPHotlap®!
SPH Cup standings after 4 weeks:
1st (!) – Andrew “Job” Petersen – 5 points
2nd (tie) – Larry “Big Red” Warrington, Isaac “Westwind” Giesen – 4 points
4th – Jaqueb “The French Connection” Huot – 2 points
5th – Shane “Will I show up again” Lastname – 1 point
6th – Marcus “I have to work” Warrington – 0 points
