Pumpkin Pants's blog

Dawn Til Dusk...

Why I even entertained the idea of racing solo in a 12-hour race is beyond me, especially when in all my life, I have only “raced” a 13-mile loop, placing last, mind you...

It was 6am and I lay awake in my down sleeping bag, listening to the racers stir around me, car doors opening and closing, chains being lubed, coffee being brewed. There was only a hint of dawn, but the frost that blanketed the desert was a dead giveaway that that it was VERY cold outside my cocoon.

I continued to lie there, remembering how I scoffed at Hunter S. Thompson’s account of his Honolulu Marathon racing experience. Hung-over at 4am, peering thru his hotel window curtains, looking out at the racers lining up in the darkness below, knowing he should be among them, but instead opting to crawl back in bed and participate only thru the remote control and the local news channel. How could anyone be so unmotivated!?

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Recently I traveled thru Egypt investigating the whereabouts of alleged mountain bike trails in this desert land, and checking out the sites along the way. I promised to give Walker Thompson, enthusiast in chief, as well as all of you, a full report.

While visiting the temple of Hatsepsut (pronounced as if to say “hot chicken soup” really fast), who was the only woman ever to have ruled Egypt as a Pharaoh, I made my way thru the swarms of tourists, and spied some trails that looked mighty fine on the foothills of the adjacent red rocks (refer to picture 1). However when I asked my guide about details; he informed me that those trails led to 2000- 3000 year old tombs in the mountainsides. That could be kinda cool, I thought. What was not as cool is when he added that has never seen a bike ridden randomly on hillsides or trails unless that was your only option in transporting goods from point A to point B in all of Egypt; others concurred. And women on bikes, forget it! Think long pants, long sleeves, and headscarf to add to the list of “what to pack” with your bike gear when headed outside the cities. Then you have to think about ditching the delicate women’s scarves for the more rugged men’s version – luckily someone showed me how to wear one, should I find a bike, and then an area in which to ride.

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Recently my incredible fiancé helped me purchase my first full suspension bike. Not only is it a sweet Rocky Mountain ETSX 30 with adjustable front and back 3.5” – 4.5” of suspension, but it’s a really pretty blue. Thank you, baby! So, with that I decided to take it to the next level and enter the beginner version of Breckenridge’s infamous Firecracker 50 mountain bike race….The Sparkler.

Geared up and ready, we led off the 4th of July parade downtown and started in a frenzy up the 7 mile climb on Boreas Pass. Encouraged and confident on my new set of wheels, I amazed myself by jockeying for position within the top 3 girls. By the time I was approaching the first aid station, no one was in sight behind me. I had visions of standing on the podium, the race director congratulating me, cameras flashing…Walker would be so proud….I decided I needed to be fresh and recharged for the singletrack and final downhill descent, so I eased over to the alluring snacks and icy cool Gatorade. Savoring that moment, I suddenly watched all of the remaining beginner girls race past me. Damn! My reverie was instantly shattered as I shoved in the last bite of my banana bread Cliff bar and hopped back on the saddle. I pushed myself hard and took some drops that in weeks before I would have walked, and I went faster on trails than I ever have before. With a polite “excuse me” and “on your left” I regained some ranking. All said and done, I placed 4th. Maybe next year I’ll make it to the podium….

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In my last tale from the trail, I wrote about our girls Porcupine Rim ride. What I neglected to mention is that the bike I rode was a hard-tail with a front shock offered less than an 1/8” of travel. Fortunately I didn’t know any better at the time. Walker is always helping to make my mountain biking experience better, so this weekend he announced that he picked up a new bike for me to demo: an Ironhorse MKIII, full suspension bike with 5” of travel in the front and back. Not only is this a lot of bike for a little girl, but it’s a dramatic, 180 degree change from what I have been riding. And it’s bright green. Not a soft misty sage green, nor a dark forest green, but a bright, extremely vivid Kermit the Frog green. Maybe this was because he knew I’d be riding solo and wanted to be able to easily ask people what happened to me….

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For generations and across national boundaries, people have romanticized the American West. Its virgin vast land, wild and untamed, beautiful, mysterious, and silently calling to us all. What could be a more appropriate place celebrate a bachelorette party?

Our group of five ladies – one of which, the lovely bride-to-be, Keeton - packed the pick-ups with mountain bikes, camping gear, one helmet with a bridal veil attached, half the local liquor store supply (thanks to our fabulous men at home) and hit the 2-lane highway on Friday afternoon a few weeks ago. We dropped down from the mountains and into the desert, headed for our weekend destination: Moab, UT.

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Fruita, Colorado in mid March couldn’t be more perfect. There’s something so wonderful about snuggling up into a down-filled sleeping bag after a long night by the campfire, then waking to the morning sun while it changes the desert cliffs from purple to orange. Sipping tea, I closed my eyes and let the warm sun soak in on this beautiful Saturday morning.

Walker takes charge of meals in the field, so I simply relaxed and waited patiently for my oatmeal as he outlined the day. Some say teaching your loved one anything is a bad idea; Many would agree. Walker, however, was either unaware of this philosophy, or thought of this as an experiment in the art of Zen. We would start on a “mellow, beginner ride” called Frontside.

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