http://www.ssportsman.com Words and images from the adventures of Emily and Scott Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:46:03 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en As much fun as we've had bikepacking this year, it was a simple pleasure to jump on some cross country trails on our unloaded bikes. Good endurance, good power but the technical skills were neglected for most of the season. Kill Me Thrill Me and Comfortably Numb, two cross country trails in Whistler ... http://www.ssportsman.com/2010/09/back-on-the-trails Beyond the CTR, our trip back to Colorado gave us the opportunity to make new friends, spend time with dear friends, and spend time together. Without an agenda, paying loose attention to the time, we explored our way back from CO to North Van. I only regret that we didn't ... http://www.ssportsman.com/2010/08/not-just-the-ctr This is a small part of my experience at the CTR.. Now, for the rest of the story....click here http://www.ssportsman.com/2010/08/scotts-side-of-ctr-2010 First, although I married Scott, who has a well established history of riding his bike really far in scenic places, the Colorado Trail Race was my idea. Scott took all of a heartbeat to agree that it was a fine idea. Plus the race started on my birthday!  Since endurance riding is ... http://www.ssportsman.com/2010/08/fun-with-failure-ems-12-ctr The work is over, the driving is behind us (for another week), it is time to play.. all of our training, practice, planning, homework, gear research over the past four months will be put into effect tomorrow morning, on Emily's birthday :D the Colorado Trail Race starts at 6:30 tomorrow morning The work ... http://www.ssportsman.com/2010/08/the-big-day I have been on the fence, tormented by weakness, questioning my ability to ride the CTR rigid, or whether I'd enjoy (survive) the ride more with a Reba on the front of my Walt Until someone near and dear to me told me to MtFU previously I thought that considering the CTR was ... http://www.ssportsman.com/2010/07/moment-of-weakness I'm going back to Colorado, but just for a bike ride. I'm going back to Colorado, but just for a little while. I'm going back to Colorado to visit family, visit friends, and visit places that comprise the person I am. The prep for the CTR has been challenging.  Finding the time to ... http://www.ssportsman.com/2010/07/can-you-go-back-to-where-youre-from "Let me tell you what Melba Toast is packin' right here, all right. We got 4:11 Positrac outback, 750 double pumper, Edelbrock intake, bored over 30, 11 to 1 pop-up pistons, turbo-jet 390 horsepower. We're talkin' some fuckin' muscle." Melba toast doesn't pack enough calories, and I don't know if I ... http://www.ssportsman.com/2010/07/close-to-final-touches There is a section of the CTR that has no replenishment options.  Essentially, we have to get enough food in Buena Vista to make it to Silverton (discounting Princeton Hot Springs). This segment contains the climb up Flooses,  Monarch Crest, and the dreaded S22 and S23 (Cataract Ridge); possibly two ... http://www.ssportsman.com/2010/07/ctr-prep-work-at-safeway The final long, hard weekend of training... It may be the daily commuting, but Scott and I both had still had some fatigue in our legs this week and we talked about taking it easy this weekend.  And then we made the right decision--- just go ride! Neither of us wanted to ... http://www.ssportsman.com/2010/07/shakedown-around-squamish-and-the-circumambulation-of-cloudburst-mountain