The fourth race in a local series has just occurred. The trail was filmed in Chainsmoke 2 from a helicopter as Richard Lancaster showed all who have ridden it since the way it is done.  It is very hard to get a grasp of how steep the trail is without actually walking or riding it. This trail makes the average Pro course on the National or local circuits appear rather tame. It is not high speed, but twisty, loose, steep and rock strewn. Shaums March in 2002 was trying to get Richard to ride for Chumba  Wumba and rode the trail with him and was surprised by its difficulty.

2 angles, same shoot. STEEP and Kyle has no chain!

Further down, about 5 of these on the trail.

It is fast at the top and narrows as you get closer to the more technical parts.  Dropping in at the peak sends riders down a chute that is slightly off camber with small drops in it thrown in between corners. There are no berms here just loose shale, with sharp mica thrown in for good measure. It is all about line choice and trying to stay on line and not get sent off course. Doing so will usually result in a spill down the side of the hill/cliff. There were a few well known Pro’s who were invited along with a free ride up in a truck ,  who decided it was better to sit this race out. There were a total of nine racers; one of the top contenders going in couldn’t race because a plate was just removed from his wrist. Another surprise was to see Richard up there at the old stomping grounds to give the trail another run and be there to witness it if anyone could beat his record of the mid 1:40's down this steep pile of rocks and drops.

Caused the first injury of the day.

Richard on the back of above feature.

Josef passing Jeff who took a spill.

Pedaling is not really needed there are about five short parts that it can be done. There was actually one rider Kyle who had no chain! There was actually a fair number of spectators out there and hiking either up or down is no easy task. If race courses were close to this technical the number of spectators would surely rise. The first run down for Dann was the fastest of the day with a 1:56, Kyle Wideman and Nate Lewis tied for second with a 2:04. Richard started with a 2:30, then a 2:13 and his fastest was a 2:08 not bad for such a long break from riding. The riders were stoked and I waited at the bottom to watch them at the finish on the final run. Brian Quinn had a close call with a hard spill over the bars from about five feet up!

Further down into a drop.

Jeff dropping in....

From above.

All told it was a sick event; the riders knew they had given a good ride since they made it off the hill. Richard said that five runs was the most he ever did in a day and when asked by fellow riders to do another run he said his arms are jello and four runs with no falls makes it a day for him. That race was the most fun at a MTB race I have ever had as a spectator. To all the riders thanks for showing us how it is done!

Lancaster over the harder of two lines and about to cross the line!

Baggs coming in for the win.

Brian Quinn about to spill HARD!

OHH God.......he walked away after laying on the ground for a short time.

Place Rider Time 1 Time 2 Time 3 Points

1 Daniel Baggs 1:56* 2:09 2:06 100

2 Kyle Wideman 2:04* 3:11 DNS 95

2 Nate Lewis 2:04* 2:14 2:14 95

3 Richard Lancaster 2:31 2:13 2:08* 90

4 Jeff Kendall-Weed 4:44 3:40 2:22* 85

5 Josef Duller 2:58 2:27 2:24* 80

6 Ryan Borick 2:25* 2:30 2:40 75

7 Brian Quinn 7:26 4:52 2:36*