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Team Santa Fe Newsletter
July 2005
Races
Bike TransAlp Challenge 2005
8 Day Mountain Bike Stage Race
July 16 to July 23, 2005
Germany, Austria, and Italy
http://www.adidastransalpchallenge.com
Kim Bear & Kim Kreb, TSF Women 10th place/ 19 pairs 61:37:34
Jan Bear & Gary Johnson, TSF Masters 75th place/150 pairs 51:56:22
The adventure began in January of 2005. This year the Bike TransAlp
Challenge allowed online registration. We were shocked when we got up
at 6:30 am on the opening date to register and by noon the race had filled.
Even though the website seemed to accept our information, we were still
unsure that we were going to be a part of the 2005 race. The language
is dominantly German creating uncertainty that our entries were accepted.
We remained unclear until 4 -5 weeks later when we FINALLY got a confirmation
of entry. This year we would have 2 teams representing Team Santa Fe.
The women’s team was Kim Bear and Kim Kreb. Kim Kreb is a Leadville Trail
veteran who was eager to try out another endurance adventure. The men’s
master team would again be Jan Bear and Gary Johnson. We were excited to
try this adventure again, but this time wanted to rent a motor home and take
support along with us. Last year we relied on accommodations by the race
organization and ended up sleeping with hundreds. Gary’s two grown children
Seah and Erik agreed to go along and help us along with Jurgen Durrshcmidt.
Jurgen lives in Vail and had supported us in the Discovery Channel World
championship Adventure Race in Switzerland in 2001; we could hardly wait
to get someone who could speak German to help us out.
We flew across the ocean a couple of days before the race start date
and were happy to have the time as luggage was lost and flights were delayed.
After missing our original check in time for our motor home, we stayed
in a lovely bed and breakfast in Munich. Things could only get better. The
next day we checked out our new home, the McRent motorhome that sleeps 6
and headed to Mittenwald. The race began on Saturday, July 16 at 11am.
It was great to be matching everyday in our CWX jerseys and CWX gear. Even
our support persons wore CWX. We were very grateful to CWX to make us as
comfortable as possible for the endurance riding and all the weather changes.
It was good in the wet, humid, cold or heat.
There were 1,024 racers registered representing 27 nations. Nine hundred
and thirty-seven would finish the race in its entirety. The course was 724
kilometers (450 miles) with 22,293 meters (73,139 feet) of climbing.
All in all, in such close quarters (the motor home, Caravan is the
European term) all of our personalities worked pretty well. We quickly
got into the routine of racers riding all day while the motorhome and support
crew drove to the next town to set up camp and then meet us at the finish
line. We always had someone to meet us; Seah and Erik took great care of
us and our bikes. Jurgen took care of the camp site and motor home. The
racers rode technical single track, rapid down hills, grueling climbs on
surfaces including gravel, dirt, paved roads, bike trails and ancient paths
through farms land, villages and otherwise off limits nature reserves. There
seemed to be a lot more hike-a-bike this year, but maybe I forgot last year’s
course. The weather was rainy the first couple of stages with day 3 being
so bad, that the course was closed by the end of the day and racers were
pulled off. Both our teams made it to the finish line. Day 3 was amazing
as we ended up in snow up on a pass. It was a very long hike-a-bike however
at the summit a group of people were handing out mugs of apple cider which
rated 5 stars in my book! After drinking that much needed juice, you glissaded
down the other side in snow with your bike in tow. It was indeed a challenging
day and ended with heavy rain and lightening down in the valley. Gary and
Jan missed it, but the Kims did not. The women’s team started off 16th of
19 teams and by day 3 had moved up to 13th. They would end up in 10th place
of the women’s pairs and day 3 seemed to be a turning point. The most fun
day was day 6 which ended in fun single track. The finish was an hour from
Venice at a beach on the Adriatic coast. We recuperated in the ocean waters
and were very happy to be done.
Gary Johnson Stage 3 Hike a bike.[click on image for full size view]
Summary of stages
Stage 1:(7/16/05)Mittenwald, Germany to Mayrhofen, Austria, 111.33
km, altitude gain 2178m.
Stage 2: (7-17-05) Mayrhofen, Austria to Neukirchen, Austria, 85.72
km, altitude gain 3427m.
Stage 3: (7-18-05) Neukirchen, Austria to Lienz, Austria, 73.78 km,
altitude gain 2619m.
Stage 4: (7-19-05) Lienz, Austria to Sexton, Italy, 71.07 km, altitude
gain 684m.
Stage 5: (7-20-05) Sexton, Italy to St. Vigil, Italy across 93.64 km,
altitude gain 2833m.
Stage 6: (7-21-05) St. Vigil, Italy to Alleghe, Italy, 71.89 km, altitude
gain 2805m.
Stage 7: (7-22-05) Alleghe, Italy to Belluno, Italy, 71.05 km, altitude
gain 2724m.
Stage 8: (7-23-06) Belluno, Italy to Jesolo, Italy, 120.20 km, altitude
gain 1798m.
Stage 2, Kim B and Kim K. [click on image for full size view]
Thank you to our team sponsors for your continued support: CW-X jerseys,
CW-X biking shorts, Litespeed cycles, Terry saddles, Polar HRM, CamelBak
packs, E-Caps endurolytes and hammer gel, Bolle, Gaerne shoes, SofSole insoles,
Golite, Shain helmets, Dermatone sun screen, Hydropel, TriAll Three Sports,
BTI and Thorlo socks. Also thanks to our local bike shop Bike and Sport for
their help in preparation for the race.
UCI World Cup Amateur
Cross Country Race
Women and Mens race
July 10, 2005
Angel Fire Resort, NM
http://www.angelfireresort.com/UCI/races.html
Jan Bear 1:37:57.00 2nd in Sports 50+
Kim Bear 2:07:12.00 2nd in Sport 40+
In addition to the World Cup mountain bike races, the UCI offered
amateurs the opportunity to ride the course in a citizen’s cross country
race in Angel Fire, New Mexico. Jan and Kim Bear drove up to Angel Fire
early Sunday morning for the 7:30 am start. Both had to do 2 laps,
a total of 16 km of single track which climbed the Angel Fire ski area and
then descended. It was fun to be on the same course that the pros were doing,
but the trail was filled with challenges of roots, ruts, volcanic rock, and
worn trail with switchbacks. Kim “endo”ed on her second lap and broke off
her bar end. No injuries to her, just her bike. It was a good event to do
right before the TransAlp race, but immediately after completion we drove
back to Santa Fe to repair out bikes and then pack them up to leave for the
Europe and the TransAlp Challenge.
Twisted
10K
July 2, 2005
Salt Lake City, UT
http://www.highmountains.com/twisted10k/results/t10kresults070205.html
3 hours and 59 minutes; 1st place overall, 1st place All Male
Eric Jacobsen and Craig Mogel
Team Santa Fe raced in the second Twisted 10K in a series of 4 races.
This time, I raced with Craig Mogel, a teammate in last year’s Raid in Bend,
OR. Again, this was promoted as a twisted 10K where anything goes. And
again, it was far more than 10K for the pro class category (there was also
a beginner category and a sport category.)
Teams were staggered to start. We were the last team to start which,
in my opinion, turned out to be a big advantage. We were handed maps and
taped to a wall was a series of check point listings. We could not take
the listings with us so we had to make absolutely sure that we plotted them
correctly before departing. There was no coming back to correct a mistake.
Our first checkpoint was out in the middle of Utah Lake so we all ran
to our boats and paddled out into the lake. The next series of check points
were on shore and we could get the checkpoints in any order that we wanted.
Some teams split up because it was not listed as “against the rules”.
In the spirit of adventure racing, Craig and I stayed together believing
that was the intent of the race organizer. With our late start and this
philosophy, we returned to our boat in dead last. We began a long paddle
to the mouth of the Jordan River which enters Utah Lake. The next series
of check points were up river. While we paddled up river, I noticed that
we hit the last of the river check points and then paddled back down river
and back into the lake, so it was an up and back. The further we paddled
up river, the stronger the current became. And at one check point, I noticed
there was a trail in the woods next to the river. So Craig and I parked
out boat and jumped out. Instead of paddling, we decided to run to each
check point. This was a huge decision. We jumped from dead last to third
place!
Upon reaching the Lake again, we opted to portage our boats over a
fairly large peninsula. A good move. We moved into 2nd place with only
three check points to go. At the 2nd to last check point, the leading team
which was way out in front, couldn’t find the checkpoint. After a short
while, the leading three teams were all bush whacking through muck, snake
grass, insect infested, rotting, smelly, weeds trying to locate the mark.
The first place team decided it was not there and left for the finish line.
Two of us kept looking. Finally, we found the check point tied to a rotting
tree that had fallen over. And we were off. It was a two team race back
to the finish. The other team was clearly a better paddling team and they
quickly pulled out in front. We portaged a small peninsula and took the lead.
But again, they caught us just before the finish line and passed us. We
were second.
But when they calculated our staggered starts (they started second
and we started last) we had won by less than two minutes! It was fun.
I believe it moved Team Santa Fe from 4th overall into the 2nd place overall
position, but those standings have not yet been posted. Unfortunately
we will miss the next race in the series due to other travel plans.
Thanks to CW-X (I am a walking CW-X advertisement – I love the stuff),
CamelBak, Polar, Leki, and Suunto for providing great gear which was awesome
during the race.
Training Activities
Via Ferrata Expedition
Leukerbad, Switzerland
July 26, 2005
http://www.leukerbad.ch/en/navpage-SportLB-SportSLB-11305.html
The TransAlp Group: Kim, Jan and Samantha Bear, Gary, Seah and
Erik Johnson; and Jurgen Durrschmidt
The Via Ferrata Gang.[click on image for full size view]
Following the TransAlp race, we traveled to Switzerland
with Jurgen as our guide. Jurgen was our support person for the Discovery
Channel World Championship Adventure Race in Switzerland in 2001 and grew
up in Switzerland. We drove in the motorhome to Leukerbad, Switzerland and
took the gondola up to a hotel at the base of the Daubenhorn which we set
as a goal to summit. After an excellent night's rest and great meal, our
group began our adventure at 6 am on Tuesday. Via ferrata means protected
path and gives the climber cables and ladders to use so that a vertical rock
face can be climbed. We all had climbing harnesses with via ferrata kits
to safely climb this challenging terrain. The fixed route would take us
about 8 hours to complete. In the middle of the ascent we went through a
cave with a waterfall. We could not avoid emerging from the cave drenched.
We climbed about 1000 meters of altitude on the vertical rock face. The
route was described as the longest fixed climbing route in Switzerland with
more than 2000 meters of steel cables, 216 meters of ladders and 3 platforms.
It was rated as one of the most difficult via ferratas. We finally summitted
after 3 false summits and were eager to get off the cables and head back.
We descended back to the gondola via scree fields, a glacier and then into
a long valley with a braided river reminding us of the Eco-Challenge in New
Zealand. We all agree that the vistas were spectacular and the climb was an
amazing experience for us all.
Jan on the Via Ferrata. [click on image for full size view]
Rafting the Grand Canyon
of the Colorado River
June 17 - July 4, 2005
Barb Dutrow and Carl Gable
After waiting 12 years for a permit to raft the Grand Canyon, Carl Gable's
permit was finally up. As always, getting to put-in is the most difficult
portion of most adventures. We went with a 'painless private' trip,
so that gear was provided and food buying and packing was done by others.
Sixteen participants arrived at Lee's Ferry to begin the trip; rigging
of boats, loading food and gear, and preparing for the 18 day and 226
mile trip through the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.
Carl rowed an 18' oar boat and Barb spent considerable time in an inflatable
kayak. Carl honed his rowing skills and navigated all rapids of the River
without flipping! Barb, not being able to punch through some of the waves
or holes, communed with the fish several times. By the end of the trip,
she was expert at swimming class 5-6 rapids. Hiking several stunningly beautiful
side canyons provided a respite from sitting. One of the many trip highlights
was rowing through Crystal Rapid and Lava Falls (see picture). Barb thoroughly
enjoyed the 500 million years of geology overhead. The trip ended at Diamond
Creek, 226 miles downriver and 3000' lower. The adventure was a trip of
a lifetime and superb rafting experience.
Carl Gable, rowing the Grand Canyon Colorado River [click on image for
full size view]
Barb Dutrow, Soap Creek Rapid, Grand Canyon Colorado River [click on
image for full size view]
Lava Falls Rapid, Grand Canyon Colorado River, the fastest navigable
waterway in the western hemisphere (25-35mph)[click on image for full size
view].
Photos: B. Dutrow
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