Rounded Rectangle: ResultsRounded Rectangle: HomeSpanish Peaks Enduro – October 2010

 

Got Mercedes Sprinter van Wednesday after getting back from UK and spent a day sorting it out, put in bulkhead to create a living area with bed, fridge etc. separate from rear area with bike and parts (and dirty gear). So loaded up and headed out early Friday morning for Spanish Peaks enduro in Trinidad, Colorado run by Frame Twisters club and part of Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit (RMEC).

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Drove 12 hours from San Diego through Arizona into New Mexico, saw some great views, and stopped in a Wal-Mart car park for a sleep in van for the night. Got down near freezing overnight so was bit chilly in van but had extra sleeping bag so not bad but need to put in some more insulation in rest of walls but was comfy enough. Up early Saturday and drove 5 more hours through rest on New Mexico into Colorado and nice mountain pass then to Trinidad and just outside to where the event was to be held.

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Signed on, got time card and check info and had quick look at part of one test check which has an extreme section with rocks, horizontal and vertical tyres, quite a few logs from small to 18 inches high and one quite big bundle and some on angles, and one odd section with load of stakes in ground you had to thread through, looked reasonable enough. 

 

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So back into Trinidad and checked into a hotel for food and good night’s sleep and back to start by 6.30am Sunday as they had 6.45am riders meeting, it was near freezing and sun was not up. Start was 8.01am first 4 off as all US events seem to start early as most folks have to travel quite a way and early start/early finish gives you time to drive down Saturday and get home Sunday night so no need to take day off if you live within say 500 miles/8 hour drive.

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So first check was a transfer section which included the extreme test but untimed as such, got through OK but after that it was so dusty it was scary, could not see anything unless you hung way back then someone faster would pass you and no visibility at all, on Saturday it had been windy but hardly a breath on Sunday so was just hanging on the track. Part way through the check saw a guy lying down and load of medics directing us around so just rode steady not going to take chances as there were ditches and holes in places, thought about packing in to be honest but thought I would ride the rest of first of 2 laps just to see. Glad I carried on as got bit better but still real dusty in places, next check was a special test as such, impossible to clean, was funny going, very unique with much of the going riding in what they call arroyos which are basically dry stream/river beds that snake along having been cut from water runoff. These varied from few feet deep to over 15 feet deep and all had mainly near vertical sides with some barely wide enough for bars to get through and other deeper ones 20 foot wide. The bottom of the arroyos was mainly loose soft dry sand although a few were still wet and muddy sand, and a few rocks and bushes thrown in for good measure. So probably half the event was in these arroyos and rest linking them over mountain tracks, some bit rocky, a few nice climbs, some ditches etc. (most well marked to warn you but one nasty one I dropped into unseen a bit quick and was really lucky to stay on it, forks did the job very well). So after each of 3 special test checks on the lap you had an easy transfer/restart check with about 15 minutes free time so everyone gets back on time after being late on the special, oh and forgot to say everyone rides same schedule and each minute (row as they call it) can have expert to novice all 4 or 5 starting together so each check I had fast guys from behind catching up, so you let them past then you can't see again, pain really. So finished the lap happier, refueled, clean goggles and off for final lap, rode special checks better, less riders caught me and I caught and passed more in front but still taking it too steady so not expecting anything great in results but was an experience at least.

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At end was chatting to another rider and he said he had seen the injured rider taken away in a chopper and also they had the state police turn up so must have been a bad one, found out yesterday when I got back the guy had died, suspect he hit something in the dust, endo'd and landed bad and broke his neck, scary or what, glad it took it steady now.

So loaded up and drove for 9 hours that afternoon/evening and stopped in Flagstaff Arizona for another night in the van then Monday did the remaining 8 hours back to San Diego. Was going to go directly to event following weekend in Northern California and go via Grand Canyon etc. but needed to get back to finish of the van to make it more comfortable.

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Ended up 5th in class of 15 which was not great but only 9s from 3rd and second lap tests were much faster, if I had done similar times on first lap would have been 2nd.