2016 Race Report // Day 4

Racers settled into Horse Creek Lodge on Saturday night with hot indoor and outdoor showers, a roaring fire pit, and another gourmet meal created by Chef Chris Diminno; provided by Chris King.

After a long day in the rain, sleet, snow, and slippery river crossings, the happy, but exhausted group cheered when the event organizers announced the cancelation of a stage for the final day. “Because we are ambitious, Day 4 is an ambitious day,” started Nick Gibson, “but we are going to be slightly less ambitious and cut out Stage 16.”

Day 4 was still a monster of a day with over 10 miles of riding, much of it on an exposed ridge at 5500 feet in snow and freezing rain. Racers – who were relieved to have a later start time – were shuttled up to start a roughly 1.5 hour liaison stage across the ridgeline to the top of Stage 17. Here racers started a descent that had expected fast times of 30 minutes and arrived to the bottom where fires to warm freezing hands were already burning.

A short liaise between Stage 17 and 18 took racers to their final descent of the race – 15 minutes of a flatter grade, but high speed trail. It was the perfect trail to end on and left everyone smiling and congregating around another warm fire with beers in hand.

Barry Wicks experienced the weather on the way to Stage 17 firsthand, “at the top on the liaison from the bus it was definitely raining and snowing; ‘wintery mix,’ I think is the correct term. It was really cool up there. It was nice that we were pedalling a bit, so it wasn’t too cold.” As for the choice to drop Stage 16 from today’s agenda, Barry thought the right call was made. “I’m pretty tired, it would have been hard to do another couple of hours out in the woods. Erring on the side of safety is the right way to go.”

“It was all types of weather out there, we had snow and sleet at the top. And there was a fire going at the top as well, so it was nice to warm your hands before you dropped in,” said Chris Johnston holding his celebratory finish line beer. “It was a super long stage, but not quite as long as estimated so I think a lot of us crossed the line with a bit of extra gas in the tank and could have gone a little bit harder. The second stage after that had really good flow, you still had to pedal hard to maintain that flow, but it was a really cool way to end the week.” At the start of Day 3 Geoff Kabush had a 55 second lead over Chris, “It will be really cool to see how it all pans out. I know I gave it my best, so whatever happens, I’m stoked!”

In the end Geoff Kabush would take the overall win and after finishing in 2nd last year, he says he didn’t have any expectations coming into this week, “I just wanted to come down and have some fun! These guys put on an awesome event in a really fun place to ride. I rode the trails as fast as I could and I think it went pretty well.”

Pro Men's Podium: In 1st Geoff Kabush, 2nd Chris Johnston, 3rd Peter Ostroski.

Rosara Joseph won her second consecutive Trans-Cascadia in the Pro Women’s category, “I felt like this year was definitely a step up in terms of the challenge; the trails that we rode were more physically and technically demanding, the days were longer and there was some more gnarly stuff on the trails. And we had the great privilege of riding some brand new trails and that was super exciting. I think people – specifically these last two days have been big days – have definitely been challenged but everyone is buzzing and it’s such a cool atmosphere and I really admire the attitude of everyone here who took part.”

Pro Women's Podium: In 1st Rosara Joseph, 2nd Meggie Bichard, 3rd Kathy Pruitt.

This year the Trans-Cascadia event expanded their area and, in working with local organizations, was able to open and use new trails to provide a more diverse racecourse. Like every true adventure there was adversity in the form of injuries and weather, but there were also incredible views, descents, competition, and of course basecamp life. When all was said and done yesterday, everyone gathered around the campfire to celebrate, not just the success of the entire 2016 Trans-Cascadia field, but also their shared experience over the last four days – and it would seem that the times around the fire generate the richest of memories.  

See Full Race Results Here

2016 Race Report // Day 3

The excited energy at basecamp this morning was palpable. Not only was a massive day of blind racing on the horizon for the participants, but it was a completely new course for the event team as well. Today’s stages represented the essence of why Trans-Cascadia was created. “It’s exciting,” said Rosara Joseph, wearing her leader jersey. “New trails are always cool – and I’ve heard only good things about today from people in the know!”

A planned 20 miles of pedalling and 15.5 miles of racing took racers from the trails around Oakridge to their new basecamp on the outside of MacKenzie. Stage 12 and 13 ran down Lawler on Hardesty Mountain, a trail that local Trail Boss, Derrick Bell, has been riding for over 20 years. Over the last two years Trans-Cascadia has been working with Derrick, the Eugene Trail Club; Disciples of Dirt, Kevin Rowell with the Forest Service, and Dirt Mechanics; a recreational excavation company, to extend the trail to the bottom of the mountain. “You used to pop out on the top of this gravel road and descend on it for about three miles; it was always kind of a buzz-kill,” explains Derrick. Money raised by the Disciples of Dirt and Trans-Cascadia paid for the necessary environmental study to green-light the project. The trail was officially opened today and contains a mix of machine and hand built sections. “That’s been a 20-year dream for quite a few of us. And today it’s being ridden on and rained on – perfect!”

Racers shuttled back up to the top of Hardesty Mountain to descend Eula Ridge for Stage 14. The finish line was full of a mix of exclamations of love for the trail to cursing its punchy climbs. Chris Johnston thoroughly enjoyed the stage, "there were two amazing descents. The stage could have been broken in two as there was quite a substantial climb in the middle, but there were some really cool steeper rocky descents. It was really loose and down the bottom there was lots of flow. Man it was rad!”

Stage 15 on Grasshopper Ridge was another Trans-Cascadia supported initiative by Derrick. The backcountry, 16-mile trail had a two-hour traverse up and down the ridgeline, through seven wide-open meadows, and ended with a 5.1-mile descent. Native Americans and pioneers used the original game trail before equestrians adopted it, but in recent years there had been little use and much of it was overgrown and difficult to find. Working with both the Oakridge and MacKenzie Forest Services, Derrick was able to secure permission to revamp it as a mountain bike accessible route. “This year the trail got completely cleared. Trans-Cascadia did a couple campouts and work parties on Grasshopper with the Santa Cruz crew; they did good solid work,” says Derrick. “Opening Grasshopper trail to me is huge, this year with the help of Trans-Cascadia, we opened 18 miles of trail in a short amount of time.”

Unfortunately, Nick Hardin went down on Stage 14; breaking his collarbone, and had to be extracted from the course. Mark Weir acted quickly, giving up his race run to help Nick – and serving as a reminder that when it comes to backcountry racing, people come first.

Due to the course hold of nearly an hour, the last bus of racers missed the cut-off for Stage 15. The results for this stage weren’t counted in the overall – but everyone was in agreement that the right decision was made in respect to everyone’s safety.  

Those racers who did ride the stage experienced everything from rain to sleet and snow – but a warm fire at the top helped keep spirits high. Geoff Kabush was one of the racers who rode Grasshopper, “it was beautiful up there! It was fun putting the ‘trans’ in Trans-Cascadia. At the end of the day I think [cancelling the stage] was a good call; everyone was getting pretty tired and it was getting dark. And I got some bonus fitness in there.”

Geoff’s strength in pedaling on today’s long stages earned him a further lead over Chris Johnson. “There is some amazing descending, some really good sections, but the climbs just far outweigh the technical sections and I find it really challenging to attack on the climbs and keep competitive,” said Chris. Peter Ostroski held on to 3rd place. And Rosara continued her winning streak, taking home her 8th straight finisher jersey.

Despite some logistical challenges and injuries today, the field of racers settled into their new basecamp tonight – tired and happy.

2016 Race Report // Day 2

Day 2 of Trans-Cascadia stretched over 18.1 miles of riding for Stages 6-11. The course sent racers backwards on the first three stages of Day 1 around Lake Timpanogas, which included some surprises; like a straight line down the scree field they hiked up yesterday. It may be the same trails but in reverse it has a different attitude, according to Lars Sternberg who raced in 2015 and is now back as a crewmember.

Next racers headed out on Middle Fork from basecamp for Stage 9 before being shuttled to the top of Moon Point for Stage 10, and then up to Larison Rock for Stage 11. Lars explains the transition that the racers experienced today, “when you exit the Lake Timpanogas area you are immediately greeted with a completely different style of trail and environment. The Oakridge trails are really dry and hard packed – loose and sketchy – whereas up at the lake it’s soft soil with a lot of organic and you can do no wrong with your cornering. So these racers went from hero dirt to Middle Fork, which keeps you on your toes, not too steep, but more meandering, to the two sketchiest trails around Oakridge. But they are also the most fun and are super fast.”

The logistically heavy day made for an early morning – and a fairly quiet camp last night, despite the abundance of Steigl on tap and readily available bottles of wine from Clif Family Winery. Racers rolled out of camp starting at 8am, many shivering in the brisk fall air.

At the start line, Trans-Cascadia veteran, Mark Weir was looking forward to today’s stages, “I don’t expect too much, I expect to have a good time and to try not to slap. And maybe make a couple positions up if I can, because today is more gravity fed. And I want to have fun and get to the bar at the end!” Mark arrived this year with much less prominent facial hair than last, but he was quick to explain that the shave was due to split ends, and not for aerodynamic purposes.

By the end of Stage 10, Whitney Anderson, who’d had the lead in the Amateur Women’s field after Day 1, had firsthand knowledge of the change in terrain. She described the stage as having lots of pedalling, lots of drifting through loose stuff, some rocks, and a few stream crossings. “Today I was pushing a little too hard because I thought Amanda was hot on my heels and I took myself out – I slid out in a corner in a loose clear cut. I definitely had to take a deep breath and take it down a notch.” Whitney also discussed the challenges with this specific format of blind enduro racing, “I had no idea where I was yesterday. When you’re racing with a bunch of people you don’t know, on trails you don’t know, you have no idea where you are in the mix. It was a complete unknown. And the stages I felt worst on, were my best stages. You have to push yourself but be able to reign it in at the same time. If you’re going way too hard that’s when mistakes happen, but if you slow down too much you’re no longer racing. It’s the fine line of pushing yourself and backing off just a little bit.” She finished in third place today, behind Corey Schmid in 2nd place, and Amanda Schaper in 1st.

Barry Wicks also had some challenges with today’s change in dirt quality, “I don’t even know what happened, I was just going really fast – well, for me, fast – and I think it was changing from all the wet dirt that we were riding up high, into that dry stuff, and I was just going a little faster that I should have been. I kind of tomahawked into the trees and came to a stop with a broken off branch jabbed right into my neck, but not quite puncturing it. It would have been gnarly if it had been an inch closer.”

The evolution, or devolution, of the dirt today didn’t have any impact on Rosara Joseph’s winning streak. Tonight she was awarded her seventh straight leader jersey – and it should be noted that there have only been seven to win since Trans-Cascadia’s inception. In 2nd place in the Pro Women’s category is Kathy Pruitt, followed by Meggie Bichard in 3rd.  

There was a shuffle in the Pro Men’s category with Geoff Kabush taking the lead over Chris Johnson, and new to the podiums was Peter Ostroski in 3rd. “The first couple of stages were short and hard to feel like you’re going fast, but the last two long ones felt like you could really settle in and get into a rhythm,” said Geoff about his 28 second lead over Chris on Stage 10. As a returning racer Geoff had some knowledge of the stages raced over the last two days, “I don’t remember the trails, but I kind of remember the rhythm and how long you have to keep pushing.”

Tomorrow stage is completely new to all racers, even those who raced last year. Basecamp is buzzing with speculation and anticipation, and Chris and Geoff are both looking forward to continuing their battle for the top step on some fresh – even never before ridden – trails.   

2016 Race Report // Day 1

OAKRIDGE, OREGON. As the racer buses rolled into camp at Lake Timpanogas last night, the first time jitters experienced by many of the racers became overshadowed by excitement. Given just enough information about where and when to meet the shuttles, racers were truly in the dark about what they were getting into; even returning racers aren’t guaranteed the same experience as last year.

The Nomad Team, Chris Johnston and Dylan Wolsky, are new to the event; “our bus stopped at the gas station and everyone just piled out and went to the liquor store next door, that was our first impression. It was awesome! You know what’s up from there on out!”  

Cut off from any Wi-Fi and cell service while in the backcountry, racers spent their first night setting up camp and bonding over gourmet food and around campfires. “Not having Wi-Fi creates camaraderie, there’s more socializing and interaction, instead of everyone sitting on their phones and updating Facebook or Instagram,” says Jaime Hill, also a new face at Trans-Cascadia.   

This morning racers awoke to a stunning view of Lake Timpanogas blanketed with mist and enough time for some to head out paddle boarding or swimming after breakfast. It wasn’t uncommon to hear exclamations from campsites about what a relaxed and ‘chill’ event it was as racers lounged about until their start times.  

“I’m looking forward to different trails, a different forest, and riding with all the amazing people that I’ve already met – and it’s sunny! Life couldn’t be better!”
– Elladee Brown

“I’m stoked just to ride a bunch of trails, just like it’s a bike trip and we are out there riding with our buddies. So far, there’re a lot of great people I’ve met and I’m looking forward to having fun out there!” – Jaime Hill

Amateur Women, Amateur Men, Pro Women, and finally Pro Men all rolled out of basecamp in packs of new and old friends, chatting cheerfully and calling out some good natured trash talk as they started the climb to Stage One.

Former World Cup DH racer, Bryn Atkinson is excited about trying something new with racing enduro. “I’m just pumped to get up there and take a rip down some fresh trails that I’ve never seen before! That’s pretty exciting and it’s a different style of racing than I’m used to, obviously.”

Today’s course took racers through stages 1 – 5; 17.8 miles of riding with 4110 feet of climbing. Starting from the lake they headed up the Indigo Lake connecter trail to the saddle to complete a clockwise loop through the trail systems before descending to climb the connector trails a second time. Racers finished back at Lake Timpanogas after completing a counter clockwise loop from the saddle.

“We pre-rolled through the first three stages; they are pretty fast and flowy,” says Ariel Lindsley who was out on course this morning confirming signage placement. “The dirt is really good, it feels like nobody’s ever ridden the trails, but the trails have been taken care of for the last twenty years. It’s not really technical, a few tight turns and that was it. A lot of high speed!” Zach Jarrett, who was riding with Ariel, commented on how amazing the trails are, despite how long they’ve been around, “we’ve got some backcountry singletrack that’s been here for probably fifty years and it flows like something that was designed for mountain bikes, so combining that with perfect dirt makes for a good day!”

Aaron Bradford and Rosara Joseph started the day in the leader jerseys having won the 2015 Trans-Cascadia. The end of stage five would see Rosara hold on to her leader position with a substantial lead over second place. Working full time and racing only Trans-Cascadia this year, Rosara let us in on her secret for winning; “I had a rigorous training schedule of riding occasionally and drinking a little bit, but not too much, but enough. It’s really hard to get the balance right; you’ve got to work at it. Last night I got off to a good start; I was throwing hatchets and drinking bourbon at the Transition Party Shack, so I feel like I had a really strong start, now I just want to build on it.”

Aaron took third place today with Geoff Kabush in second, and newcomer Chris Johnston in the lead. “It was amazing, it’s always a challenge to ride stuff 100% blind, but it was a good fun day. There were some pedally bits that made it really physical, I sort of gave it everything and kept consistent,” says Chris of his win. Geoff took two stage wins on the more physical sections and lost the lead by only 4 seconds.

Despite losing his lead, Aaron doesn’t plan to change anything for tomorrow, “the competition is certainly very fierce, more so than maybe last year. But I still have the same approach; wake up at the tail end of breakfast, show up hopefully in time to catch some John Wayne coffee grounds in the bottom of the barrel, then maybe come back to the campsite with a full belly and hang out on the inflatable [couch] and soak up a few more rays, and then kind of assess the situation. [I’m] probably going to be hung over because that’s a trending thing here. It’s all about decisions, making the right decisions. We’re at the right place, doing the right thing, and I’m just going to keep doing that.”

Jessie Gibson, volunteer and wife of event organizer, Nick Gibson, reflected on a successful first day, “it’s an amazing, super fun event to be a part of. It’s just awesome seeing all the work that Nick, Alex, and Tommy have put in all year long and to see it actually come to fruition. It’s more than I expected, it’s so much work to put on a race like this, especially a four-day blind race format with amazing food and amazing settings – and to see all that come together and the people that make it possible is so rewarding.”

As the afternoon sun cast long shadows on the hatchet toss and racers got ready to settle in for another night of solitude and bonding – some around relaxed campfires and others rallying for a more rambunctious night – it would seem that the second edition of Trans-Cascadia is off to an incredible start!