one year

A year ago, I won the Princess Of The Hills Award: Or something like that. I got to wear a Tiarra. Cyn is so cool like that.


I am guessing this had something to do with climbing????

Cyn was gracious enough to notice that racing was difficult for me psychologically, but massively successful physically. Last year, she was my 'manager'. She took care of me while I freaked in the face of the sheer numbers of people in the XC race scene. She managed my fears and doubts and freaking insanity at the start lines. She made sure I ate, and drank (and looked decent). She and I pre-rode courses, we pre-inhabited the race town, we pre-road-tripped every weekend before the race weekend. Cyn is a damn good pal. One of the best, hands down.

Tomorrow night is another night ... another Dirt Crit Award night. I am excited to go ride with my partner, and then excited to attend (dirty, sweaty, and post-ride-luminescent) Cynthia's what... 5th year of award giving? This year ought to be interesting. Having abandoned this (2007) follow up year of XC racing, I have been remarkably absent not only from the 'race scene' as I knew it (green girl that i was anyway), I have been remarkably absent from The Presence of Cyn... which leaves a bit of a hole in my heart, as I absolutely love being around her.

I guess 'absent' is not quite the right word. This season (not that I am only a seasonal friend of Cynthia), she was equally deeply there for me ... as a pal, as a guide. This year, Cyn basically saved my ass (among other deeply supportive gestures). Sometime between the hours of 11pm and 12 am one particular night this last spring, Cynthia answered her phone when I rang from the edge of NoWhere in the midst of a ToBeBrilliant Ride, calling Cyn in the middle of the night. Cyn delightfully hopped out of her comfy bed, and hauled her ass out into the middle of the desert and picked my sorry ass up. I was afraid of the dark. I was afraid of the darkness inside, as well as the claustrophobic feeling of the darkness that was surrounding me. Cyn saved me. There is no way to express or explain the internal situation from which she simply saved me. She was simply There. I will never be able to repay her.

Not only that, but she gave me this super cool, super comfy, totally sexy wool jersey to wear in the process (Cyn, you should know that I wear it: on rides, to bed, on hikes, out on dates with Ed, to the movies, and out to dinner (both fancy and otherwise).

Cyn, thank you.

Cyn, I am posting this blog tonight to warn you: Watch Out! ;-) Awards are fun, and we ALL like giving them to the people we LOVE, adore, admire and ... . You'll just have to wait and see ;-)

more

i wanted to write about another one of my rides in cb. i don' t know which one to pick tho (lucky me).

my experience at work today went something like this: focus-focus-focus (5 minutes), type, focus-focus (2 minutes), transported Psyche and spirit climbing kebler pass to hit the dyke trail. wondering how i can keep this pace up this lovely dirt road to get some of that good stuff i'm so hungry for. absolutely ROOOLLLIIN'!. oh, um, focus-focus-focus (3 minutes) type type type, focus (1 minute), re-breathing the moment of pause at the tip of the dyke trail; soaking in the coolness as is breezes right through me. it's so still and so cool and so quiet. i can hear and feel my heart beating.

ohyeah. focus focus. type focus. damn the trail is like petrified mud bumps and moonscapes. um, focus type type. whack-thwat, the over-grown GREEN and flowery things slapping my arms through the forest and meadows. damn, moving too fast, better keep it in check! feeling clumbsy on the bike and man this is so funny!

phone call. um, who? uh, sure. i'll take care of it in a minute.

and ooooooooooohhhhhh the lush brush of green and color just dense and rich and deep ..... wham! striking the wicked little descents into the streams - SPLASH- and the numb burn of the power-steeps out. note to self: do not eat-it going into one of those things. look ahead. let the bike take it. type type type type type.

you need this document by when? oh, sure. no problem (what IS this person talking about?)

yeeeah. where was i? read read email read type type read focus. these power climbs are so hard when my legs are so tired from the other ride. lots of trees down. this will make the racers wonder. damn there are a lot of bugs ... biting me. they must like my sweat. or is the the wool jersey? or the combination? omg, i have to make it up that!!!! yeeehaw... this is why i ride a pony!

ARGH: focus. focus. focus. F O C U S.

ssllliiideeee ... almost missed the tuuuurrrrn, moving too fast, enjoying too much and smiling too hard ripping thru the somewhat softer, darker, happier dirt. phew. corner corner the aspens are SO TALL! don't look up. look out. never mind the snot. it's steep, and powdery, and freaking phenomenal. and gosh, i'm kinda tired.

type type.

tired. tired. focus. type type type type type. send email. type. focus.

i forgot about that climb back up kebler. ughtype. focus. just one pedal stroke at a time. one pedal stroke at a tiiimmmmeeee.... one more pedal stroke at a time.... my heart beat feels deep, and Good.

tyippity typte type focus sort of focus ...... focust type read send email type type read focus.

good. road is done. now: new single track is alwasy good. no matter what state you're in. take it. take it! it's fast. it's bumpy (still) won't be for long, above the road. wonder how far down this goes. it should go all the way back into town. DOH! missed the corner. off the bike. back up onto the track.

type type focus. phone. igonore it. focus.

this last part is just too giggly fun. beats the hell out of going down a dirt road. stream. rocks. very loose rocks. watch it. steep switches back down to the road. that didn't suck one bit at all. i'm dirty! where are all the people?

type. type......... typppppeeeeee..... focus. a little. close the door to the office.

favorite thing to do after a good ride: lie down and soak it all back in. preferably bordering on a nap. on the porch of this fine sweet home. in the middle of cb. my spirit place.

focused.

back ...

from CBLand ;-). The place that holds my spirit.



It's definitely a special place for most who visit, even briefly.

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting for 10 whole days. As noted earlier, much riding, giggling, socializing, and solo-izing had been accomplished.

I really should have been keeping the blog up to date as the days rolled by. But really, there was no time for that. It's unfortunate, tho, because I might have had a lot to say about each and every day ... and about the magical residue of wheeling around such a grounding, inspiring, touching place as Crested Butte. Not to mention that every ride is a wonderful journey, no matter how painful, minor or seemingly 'regular.' I likely had a lot to say along the way.


Favorite ride: definitely Monday's 50 miler with Missy. We rode from town, and as noted earlier, hit Reno-Flag-Bear-Deadman's. It was, hands down, the most fun and inspiring ride of the week. The climbs were super sweet, and the descents were luscious. I was ON and felt Right and was honoring whatever Flow there was working it's way through the system. I did not stop smiling for a single second ... even in the head-wind back up the highway into CB. We didn't see a single soul out there out on the trails, save for two moto dudes who's power-ponies had decided to break down (aw). The air was sweet and cool. The waters were supremely refreshing (deep crossings!!). And all was well in the Universe ... (this itty bitty corner of it anyway). Missy is AmaZing! Truly a grounded soul and and an angelic spirit. I was lucky to have her company ... lucky to have her as a guide ... lucky to have her as a new friend. I learned a lot from Missy that day.

In fact, the women of CB astound me to no end. I was lucky all the way around to be in such company.


I have not yet processed most of the pictures. In truth, I've sort of not processed the whole experience of being on vacation! Lots of thoughts and evolutions and ... even some tears. Damn, life can be SO GOOD. And right now, I am so grateful.

(<--- this causes great thunder). In fact, thank you, Ed, for causing thunder throughout our spring and summer, throughout our rides, our adventures, our endless hours crossing our glorious State in my little MEWO-car, and for our endless hours of mtbExploration. Thank you for all our moments leading up to this particular ridge line, and this particular afternoon....



The CB Classic was just an amazing event ... to watch (blush). I rode too hard the whole 7 days before hand, and was obviously not going to subject myself to the 100 miles and endlessly vertical push.... I was truly fine w/ not racing, but rather disgruntled at the fact that my body just couldn't keep going? WTF?!??!

Needless to say: It was an honor to get to be there for Ed in his efforts to run the gauntlet of mountains, climbs, heat, competition and biting buggers. I got to run part of the show from the Brick (finish line/loop central), and had an amazingly entertaining day talking with every rider who ventured out to find their own personal oblivion. I envied every last drop of sweat. And it was a joy to get to send each and every one of them off with a blessing of energy and high-spirits. You ALL ROCK!!!

yesterdays rest day

so wednesdays 'lite' rest day turned into an adventure with veronica up and over gothic road... where we parked just a short ways down. we then hiked the 3+ miles all the way DOWN the steep road(which meant an incredible hike back UP)to the old townsite of Crystal... and then onto the old Crystal Mill. MInd you, Veronica is DUE at the end of September....... she is awesome!!

TOdays ride: tony's to uper loop to something else to brush creek road..... to strand to deer creek and hopefully also to snodgrass.

too much fun indeed.

i'm still working with the pics.... as in, they're too big for this slow-a$$ computer.... argh!

it's cool in CB today. nice cloud cover and it rained a bit last night. this will be GOOD for the otherwise dusty trails!

jj

vacation

Saturday:
403 down to the road, up to 401 down 401 thru lower 401 back to town.

Sunday:
baby shower.

Monday:
from town, to reno-flag-bear-deadman's back to town.

Tuesday:
from town, up to irwin, dyke trail, back to town on the sassy new single track.
added in a hike for good measure.

Wednesday:
so far: coffee shop and computer. lite lower-loop casual ride. possibly girls ride tonight.

Thursday:
i'll update when i figure it out. HUGE tho!

missing my partner. loving the cool air. delighting in the VAST and enormous space that CB has to offer. i love it here.

pictures will be coming at some point, i think..... i'm trying.....

can't wait for the race this weekend and all the freaking awesome friends showing up for a lovely weekend in a heavenly place!

jj

consanguinity

somehow, there is continuity between the person in the picture here
<-------

and the person in the picture below (my previous post).

that just astounds me.