The Assault On Mount Mitchell

The Whole Drafter Group Under The KK sign before the start (me leaning over my handlebars to get in some extra rest)

Well, its over. Official time was 7:38. Should have been better but was still a PR for me. Monday May 24th dawned a cooler but humid day in Spartanburg SC. First a little background: I probably trained more for this ride than my time represented. I have done this ride before and had problems ranging from dehydration to cramping to just complete exhaustion. So I went into this year with a little more trepidation than in most events. This ride, if not taken seriously can really hurt you for weeks afterwards. I enjoy my cycling too much to ruin it so I did not want to do an all out effort that would tax my body for days on end. After the ride in 2005, I was in pain and lethargic for 2 weeks. It drained me both physically and mentally for a long while. In fact, I gave up riding for a while and did other things. I did not want to do that in 2010. So even though I trained a lot of mileage, I wanted to make this a more enjoyable and memorable event. The week prior to this event, I was under a lot of stress due to a sales meeting and work stuff. The Sunday before was also stressful with my daughters confirmation and all of the logistical stuff that goes along with dropping cars, hotel stuff and just pre ride jitters. This year was also different than the last 2 times I had done the ride in the fact I was riding with a new group of folks that I had only started riding with 2 years ago. I had ridden and trained for Mitchell in 2004/2005 with Bill but he and I haven't ridden as much together the last year due to changes in his travel/work as well as mine. His priorities may have changed a little after his airplane landed in the Hudson in early 2009. I certainly missed having him around to give me hell this year. He is the person I have to thank for getting me interested in cycling again when I got him hooked on it a few years back. Andy and Jimmy also opted to not do the ride this year. So this was a new group with a different spin on things.

So, I left home about 3 PM on Sunday to drop my car at Marion NC. From there, I rode with another teammate to Spartanburg to the hotel. We checked in and went to dinner at a local place. It was relaxing hanging with all of the teammates and laughing and talking. I also saw an old high school friend that I had not seen in 30 years. So the Sunday evening was a good start to a long day. Sunday night I slept fitfully as I felt like I was coming down with a cold. It never materialized and I fought it with herbs and a sinus wash which seemed to help me. Now its Monday morning at 5 AM and the clock goes off. Even with a short night and little sleep, I felt pretty good. I was not able to eat the normal breakfast and my morning routine was all messed up. But still I was happy and ready for the day. Nervous? yes. But ready all the same.

We pushed off at 6:30 AM and the first 8-10 miles was a mass of riders of different abilities trying to find a comfortable pace. Some of our teammates went to the front and ran with the fast pack. I knew better than to do that as the last time I did that I blew completely up at Marion and struggled all the way to the top. I decided to hang back with our team and ride smart to Marion. About mile 20, I started to feel like crap. My stomach hurt, my heart rate was all over the board and I felt gassed already. Our average was not too high so I knew it wasn't caused by going out too hard. I dropped back to the middle of the group to try to see if I could get my body right. I ate some of a protein bar and felt like I was going to throw it up. I drank water every mile or so but it didn't seem to help. I also had to pee so at the first rest stop I hit the porta-pot and that seemed to help a bit. But even then I was struggling to find my groove. About 30 miles in, there was an accident right in front of me and a guy did a cartwheel over his bars. He hit pretty hard on his left shoulder and I stopped to help. He was in real pain so I hung out with him for about 8 minutes to see if I could help keep his neck stable. I dont think he had any neck injury but he complained about pain and numbness in his hands. A paramedic arrived and I went on my way. I had lost a group and had to ride alone for about 6-8 miles until I caught some of my team. Also, I dont know if it was adrenaline or if things actually got better with the body, but I started to feel better. Just as I was starting to get in a groove, TR flatted on a climb and I stopped to help him change his flat. Just as he started to put his CO2 cartridge in, the tube blew again and trashed his rim. So I left him to catch the SAG and took off by myself again. I climbed Bill's Hill really well and passed almost 50 people going up. This would be the setting for the rest of the day. We regrouped some at the top of Bill's but TR rode in with the SAG along with Bo from Cool Breeze who also had a wheel issue. We probably spent too much time gabbing there but its all about team. After Bill's hill I was feeling a little better but still not 100% up to par. I was climbing every hill better than I had ever climbed but the flat areas and rollers were just not being kind to me. I rode in to Marion with Keith and some other guy and Buddy was right there as well. We were at Marion in 4:45. Slower than I had ever been at that point but I still felt like I was in good shape. I did not stop at Tom Johnson's Campground because I thought there was a rest stop on the entrance to 80. I told Buddy there was one there but I found out quickly there was not. I decided to soldier on to the next stop about halfway up 80. Buddy and I took a few turns on 80 pulling each other but when we hit the little white church (where the climb really starts) I dropped him quickly. I waited on the first climb a little bit but he didn't seem to be responding. So I took off. I am guessing here, but I probably passed 50 people going up 80. I was in a groove and was really starting to feel good. I passed the rest stop on the left side of 80 even though both bottles were getting less than half. I was drinking water in one bottle and GU mix fluid replacement stuff in the other. I felt plenty hydrated and was not at all worried about running out. The 3 mile hard grade up did not seem bad at all. I still kept passing folks who looked like they were going to die. I reached the stop on 80 before turning on the Parkway. There I handed my bottles to a nice lady who filled them up. I poured in my GU replacement, ate a banana, peed one last time and was only there less than 2 minutes. I also fired up the I-Pod and took off. I caught more folks on the Parkway and probably passed another 50-60 people. Right after the tunnel it started to rain. First it was just spitting a little then it started to rain pretty good. This just made me feel better. I was hauling on the downhill for about 3 miles and looked behind me and I saw no one. At the overlook I saw a guy in a Devil Suit similar to the one the guy wears in The Tour De France. I was watching him and a van (which was illegally SAGGING for a rider) and I noticed my front wheel seemed soft. Damn, a flat. I stopped and changed the tube quicker than I have ever changed one. I didn't time myself but I know it was less than 1 minute. Only one person passed and for a few seconds I wondered if I had missed the turn. Guess it was hallucinations or something. Hell, maybe the Devil was real....In less than 1 mile, I passed the guy back and 5 others who were in different states of pain. My heart rate was great and I was feeling good. I still had not dropped to the 28 cog so I felt like I was going to be fine. I stopped at the entrance to the Park and didn't even dismount the bike. I handed one bottle to the attendant and grabbed a cup of real Coke. I was in and out in 30 seconds. The Climb into the Park was tough but I kept a good cadence and dropped to the 28. It seemed like no time had passed and I saw the ranger station. 1 mile to go. The last kick up I started to feel cramps in the inner thigh area and a little twinge in my calves. But I soft peddled a little and they never got really bad. Then through the mist and fog, I saw that guardrail. I always know I am almost home when I see that. I turned the corner into the parking lot and saw the orange cones. One last kick up the grade and I crossed the line. I never even looked at the clock and had no idea what my time was until the results came out today. I handed the bike to the guy, took my patch and waddled up the steps in my cleats. It was over. I saw Alain and we high fived. I found my bag and Alain and I talked. He beat me up the mountain by a few minutes but he worked hard too. Then we waited on Keith and all 3 of us had the famous tomato soup and a warm coke before heading to the bus for the 2 hour trip back to Marion. The weather on top was very cool and it looked like a scene from Scotland with the fog and wind. The ranger told me he had just checked and the temperature was 48. It felt good for a while but then it got cold quickly. Glad I had my jacket. On the way down in the bus, we laughed and joked with each other and Alain had the whole bus loosened up. We all looked at all the other poor souls still laboring up the mountain. Some people were on their bike for over 11 hours. Some didnt make the cutoff time at the top of 80 and never got to finish. This mountain can beat even hard core riders to a pulp. I admire anyone who can finish this event. No matter how long it takes. Riding in the rain and fog is never fun for many. Personally I would rather have that than the hot sun beating down on me as I struggle to reach the summit.

Back in Marion, we waited as all of the others showed up. They had some good food and we even had some beer delivered to us by Mikey. All I really wanted was 1 beer and a lot of water. It was great weather in Marion so we sit in the shelter in a cool breeze and had a blast talking about the ride. TR finished on Mike's bike (He only did the part to Marion) and Bo had even borrowed a wheel and finished the ride too. They didn't get the full 102 miles but they still did the hard part from Marion to the top. We packed up around 7 and headed to Mooresville.

Several folks asked me today and yesterday if I would do this ride again. Right now I dont know. Logistically its the biggest nightmare ever. Physically it is widely considered the second hardest century in the US. I haven't done the other one but I dont see how it could be any harder. So, will I do it again? Probably. Maybe next year. Maybe not. Maybe never. I feel very good 24 hours later. I had a massage today which really helped and I rested and hydrated all day. I plan to go out for a recovery ride tomorrow if I can. Thursday night I will be back at it with the Drafters. So I cant answer the "what will you do" question just yet. I still have Blood Sweat and Gears in one month which in itself is no picnic. Same amount of climbing but spread out over the 100 miles. Maybe I will know after that.

A final thought and conclusion to this post: I feel blessed that God has given me the ability and health to do these things. I know I will never be the first up this mountain. Time is no longer important to me either. What matters is I can ride my bike, enjoy the outdoors and be with great people. I firmly believe that the cycling community is the greatest group of people I know. We come together when one of us is in need. Adam Little would probably have been riding this ride yesterday but his young life was cut short a few months ago by someone who probably will live with that on her mind forever. Adam will never get to hold his wife again or pick up his children. He can never experience the tailwind on a warm spring day or laugh with his cycling buddies while having an after ride beer. His death was senseless and made many of us realize how easily it can all disappear. I dedicated my ride to Adam yesterday. I know he would have been up the mountain long before this old man saw the finish. But in some way, I felt like he rode with all of us a little yesterday. I saw it in the struggles of many who persevered. Godspeed Adam Little, and Rest In Peace brother.

Mount Mitchell Update

Well, its only 40 hours until the start of MM. Today was supposed to be a short easy ride with just some slow miles to ease the legs. I joined my group at 8:30 to get the ride in. About 15 miles in, it started to sprinkle. I know I should have taken the old bike to make sure I had a nice clean bike to ride on Monday morning. But I didn't think so I ended up sprinting back home to get out of the deluge. After spending an hour drying, wiping and re-lubing, I finally got it all done. So now its all in the bank as they say. Monday will be an EPIC day no matter what happens. Hope to get a post back on here Monday night or Tuesday that has a positive twist to it. This week has been nerve racking. I tried to taper my training which always makes me edgy. I spent the first part of the week in a sales meeting which also makes me edgy. Now I just want to ride the ride and let the Cycling Gods handle the outcome. Wish me luck......

Linville Gorge Trip-May 2010

A fellow asked me last year what made the "perfect" trip. I admit I was a little perplexed at how to answer that question. Every outdoor experience I take has something that makes me say "Well we will never beat this one". Even the really bad days in the outdoors beat great days inside. I feel blessed and fortunate that I get out as much as I do. If I had it my way, I would never be "indoors". Well, maybe there are exceptions to that rule but lets just say generally I would prefer to be outside. This past weekend was just another "Outdoor High" for me. Back last fall, I was put down as an advisor with 2 Scouts to lead a trip to DuPont State Park in Brevard. DuPont is a gorgeous place, but its not really set up for backpacking. Its OK for day hikes(if you don't mind a few cyclists) or for Mountain Biking. But not for overnight backpacking. So after huddling with my Scouts, we decided to change direction and go back to an old favorite "Linville Gorge". I never tire of going there because it changes with every trip. Its not extremely high in elevation ~3000 ft., but it has extremes in altitude gains and losses in short period. Linville was donated by John D Rockefeller in the 50's with a stipulation it remain untouched by man. It was designated Wilderness in the 60's and has remained fairly constant since. In 2004-2005, a bridge was constructed connecting the east side to the west side. Prior to that, you had to ford the river to access the other side. The folks who constructed the bridge did a great job making it "fit in" to a wilderness area. So our group of 17 folks broke into 2 groups. One group parked on the East side at Shortoff Trail and the other parked at the top of Pinch in on the west side. We planned to switch keys somewhere on the Table Rock trail around noon.

Friday afternoon was hot in Mooresville (almost 90) when we left. My group headed to the East side and hiked up the Shortoff trail to an area I knew would be out of the wind. A front was passing through that was supposed to cool things off but promised only a slight chance of rain. The hike up is about 1.5 miles and is a moderate hike. Steep in a few sections but not too bad. One of our Scouts had a boot issue almost immediately. He had already begun to form blisters before we were a mile in. I guess his boots didn't fit from last year. SO, he took off his boots and walked the final 1/2 mile in socks!! More on that later. When we got to the appointed campsite, it was already inhabited by 2 young men from UNC Chapel Hill who were just there for the night. I knew there was another site about 1/4 mile on down the trail but it is generally always taken. I asked them if they minded us setting up and they said sure. I don't think it was what they really wanted but they were very cool about it. Once we set up, the boys got an hour or so to gaze at the view off Shortoff Mountain. We thought we saw lights from our campers on the other side but we were not sure. We all sit by the fire the guys from UNC made. We watched as they tried to cook on a full size Coleman stove they had hiked in from the trail head. The white gas stove had a leak and I thought they were going to burn down the whole forest and kill themselves in the process. I offered my isopro stove thinking all they were doing was heating up some food. I had no idea they were cooking a feast for an army. The boys all watched as they cooked chicken, peppers, onions, soup, mashed potato's and filled wraps with all of this concoction. They had so much food, our boys all ate some as well. Everyone was full. I had very little gas left but it was all good. It was the least I could do for them since they let us crash their camp site. They had to go back down the trail for 1 mile to find water because they used all of theirs putting out the stove fire. About 11, I made them all go to bed because I knew the day ahead would be rough.

The next morning, we rose "kind of" early to start the day. I was kind of itching to get going but I knew you let boys go at their own pace. Our Scout with the Boot issue devised a makeshift moccasin (see picture above) to get him through the day. I pleaded with him to wear boots but he wanted to try the sock/duct tape version. "its your feet" I said. We took off about 8:30 towards Table Rock. The early part of this hike follows a long ridge line about 2 miles. Then it meanders around the top of the ridge before falling into the gap between Shortoff and the Chimney's. Once it hits the bottom , it is a nice walk in the gap for about 3/4 of a mile. We stopped at a campsite for a few minutes before quickly ascending to the chimneys. The hike up was pretty uneventful except for a couple with 2 boxers who thought there was a trail leading from the gap to the gorge. I tried to tell them I knew of no such trail but they insisted someone told them it was there. OK, have fun. We hiked through the Chimney's and on to Table Rock where I thought there was water. Guess what? NO WATER!!!. No big deal for us because we were going to the water (Linville River), but it was going to be bad info for the group coming up. We started up towards Table Rock and just as we were about to head up the trail to the top, we heard our other group coming up from Spence Ridge. We waited on them and switched keys/swapped stories and hiked up to a great overlook to see more sights. The wind was blowing really hard on the ridge. The boys would throw large sticks over the edge and they would blow right back over our heads 40 feet behind us!! I estimated the wind on the ridge was blowing 40 MPH sustained and 50+ gusts. Once you got off the ridge it was just a good breeze. Next we headed down Little Table Rock trail to intersect with Spence Ridge. Our climbing was over for the day but we still had a long hike. After a "slight" miscalculation (bad trail reading),we hit the Spence Ridge and descended into the Gorge. We arrived at the bridge and spent about 45 minutes pumping water and playing on the river.

We could have stayed there longer but I knew we still had 3+ hours of trail before we hit our campsite. So off we went. The Linville River trail follows the River from North to South. Sometimes you are right on the river and other times you ascend as much as 500 feet above it. It has a lot of turns and you need to pay special attention early in the year especially since it is fresh with new vegetation and is not highly used. The west side of the Gorge has trails that are just not used as much because of the steep trails that you have to take in and out. Most day hikers don't want to work that hard. We got off track only once and quickly figure out our mistake. Still it worried me that our progress was slow as I wanted to give the boys time to hang out and enjoy.

(A quick update on the 2 Scouts with boot problems: both were doing fine. One was still wearing his sock moccasins and his twin brother who had the same boot issues was wearing flip flops with duct tape)

So, on with the story: We finally made it to camp at 6 PM. It was a nice campsite and nobody there. It is by far the nicest campsite in the Gorge as its close to water and very flat. We cooked, set up, built a small fire, talked and just hung out. It wasn't too hard to get them in bed by 9:30 PM. I had prepared them for a really tough trail on Sunday morning. The Pinch In Trail is aptly named. Its only 1.6 miles in length but gains almost 2000 feet in that distance. It hurts your quads going up or down. It starts out kind of benign at first as it slowly ascends up through a lush dense forest. Then about 1/2 mile in, it turns up to the sky and has numerous switchbacks and "false ridges" where your mind tells you its over. then you crest and see another ridge line 500 feet further up. This happens 3 or 4 times. You are in a rugged section with no cover and the sun beats down on you. Even in cold weather its hot and hard to go. I personally feel this trail is one of (if not THE) toughest trails in the Carolina's. No I haven't walked them all, but I don't think many can compare. But, I was very proud of both Scout and Adults as we made it up in 1.5 hours. We were at the cars at 8:30 and loaded up to meet the other group. We only waited 5 minutes at the intersection and there they were. On to Morganton and a "quick" breakfast at Mickey D's.

All in All, it was a great weekend. The weather was about perfect. It was cool enough you could feel comfortable and the bugs were not bad. Warm enough to wear shorts, and NO RAIN. I classify my hikes as all Epic. No one knows when I will no longer be able to do these kind of things. I guess that's why I cherish all the time I spend with these boys and men. I know that one day, my son and his friends will all be in college or away at jobs or the service. I will be hiking these trails either alone or with another group of Scouts. But it will not always be the same. Epic? Maybe. But never the same. So I guess my answer to that fellow who wanted to know my perfect weekend would be "all of them".

My Review of Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX Trail-Running Shoes - Men's

Originally submitted at REI

Fast-paced adventure racers and demanding trail runners will appreciate the solid support of Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX waterproof shoes.

Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra GTX Trail-Running Shoes - Men's

Great Shoes-Even for backpacking

By Trail_Hound from North Carolina on 5/9/2010

 

4out of 5

Gift: No

Sizing: Feels true to size

Width: Feels true to width

Arch Type: Average Arch

Pros: Comfortable, Durable, Lightweight, Rugged, Good Traction

Cons: Poor Cushioning

Best Uses: Trail Running

Describe Yourself: Avid Athlete

I just got back from my first real test of these shoes for backpacking. For light (less than 30 lb. loads), I would highly suggest these. I used them on arguably the roughest trails in NC. Linville Gorge trails are rocky, steep and lots of climbs/descents. These shoes worked great. I did pull out the insoles and replaced with Superfeet blue. The insoles do not have much arch support or cushion but the inserts helped. Watch the lacing as it does not give and if you pull too tightly it can rub the top of your feet slightly. Other than that.....NO COMPLAINTS. I have the 2009 Gore-Tex model but these are pretty much the same except for a color modification.

(legalese)

Training for Mount Mitchell

Back in December of 2009, I decided to repeat something I swore I would not do again. In 1995, 2002, 2003 and 2006, I did The Assault On Mount Mitchell. This is a cycling event covering over 100 miles that begins in downtown Spartanburg SC and finishes on the summit of 6500 ft Mount Mitchell NC. My reasoning for never doing this ride again was twofold: 1. The logistics getting from Spartanburg to Mitchell and back home again are really crazy. You cannot ride back down so you have to take a bus down while your bike is transported to Marion. If you drive to Spartanburg, your car is there so you have to take a bus back there. So either you require a car drop the day before or someone has to take you to Spartanburg and pick you up at Marion. Its a crazy way to do things no matter what you do. 2. this ride takes mortal men down with a vengeance. Your mind and body take a while to recover and the training it requires is long and arduous. You never really "conquer" the mountain, you merely try to not allow it to conquer you. Call it a truce if you will.

But, contrary to my thoughts of never attempting this ride again, I decided to sign up. Many of my riding club were doing it so I thought "why the hell not"? So in January, I was waiting online to sign up at the prescribed time on a Tuesday morning at 10 AM when the event opened to the public. I quickly received confirmation I was in. Now the training must begin. I maintained my general fitness through January and February even though Winter 2010 in NC was cold, wet and totally contrary to cycling and heavy training. But I felt as though heading into March and April, I was in decent form. March and April were OK for training and I accumulated miles of about 600 and 750 miles per month. I knew April was going to require some serious climbing to be prepared for the 12,000 ft of cumulative climbing this event will give me. I made a trip to Brushy mountain in early April and was pretty pleased at the way I climbed. But Brushy (although steep) is not anything like Mitchell. A second day at Brushy on April 22 was even better and I climbed it 3 times easily. Again, not Mitchell but good training nonetheless. On May 2nd, a large group of my cycling buddies made the trip up to Marion to do the section from Marion to the top. I was feeling strong but also tired since I had been out the entire week before at a trade show. I only ran on those days and did some minor spinning on a trainer at the Opryland Hotel gym. We all started out in a big pack in Marion and headed up HWY 80. this highway is the hardest part of the ride with a 3 mile section of 15-20% grade. I did OK but made sure I saved some legs for the ride up the Parkway. From the entrance to the Parkway to the summit is 16 miles. I put in the I-Pod on the Parkway and settled in for the climb. Music makes a difference in your overall mindset when climbing or suffering. I was able to ride a bit smoother and not get over heated as I always do. It also probably helped that it started raining and the temps were much cooler. As I reached the entrance to the State Park, I felt better than I normally do. I knew there was a 2 mile stretch that will hurt but also a nice "false flat" area for about 1 mile that helps you recover. The wind was blowing 30-40 MPH but it was a cross wind or tail wind most of the ride up. I finally reached the summit in 2 hours 35 minutes from the start in Marion. Not bad as it was about the same time I had when I trained in 2006. Maybe even a few minutes quicker. There were 3 others there when I reached the top and with the wind, rain and cold, we decided to not wait and head down as quick as possible. Going down was very hazardous as it was wet and cold and foggy. Some places you could not see more than 20 feet ahead of you. On the Parkway, I reached speeds of 45 MPH. When we got to Highway 80, we were bombing the switchbacks and cutting the apex of curves very fast. I had a car between me and the other 3 so I got in behind him and let it rip. Once back in the lowlands, the temps rose and it turned out very pleasant. We got back to the cars and waited about 30-45 minutes for the rest of the group. Now the question is: will I be physically and mentally ready for this?

You really never know what the day will be like when you get up. It could be a good day and you feel strong and able. or, it could be a tough day with a bad outcome. 90% of Mitchell is mental. Yes you need to have the physical climbing and endurance down, but getting the mental part checked off is the hardest part. I am looking forward to this ride again. Maybe on May 25th I make an entry saying I will never do it again. But for now, I am embracing the challenge.