PMBAR Monsoon of 2019

Pisgah Productions

After last years race we quickly wanted another shot at this race to see if we could do better. We had a lot of time that was wasted and figured we should be able to get all 5 check points. So, when it was time to sign up, I didn't waste any time to get us signed up and its a good thing since it sold out very quickly. It is amazing how many people sign up to do this very difficult race, but here we were right with all the other crazies.

The house had a great set up for bikes

We got there on Friday and went for a short ride after getting settled in to the house. We took the 8 mile climb up to Bracken and enjoyed the trip down. We were a little worried about the trail conditions with all the rain they had had, but everything was in pretty good shape. The weather also kept changing for the weekend, so it was hard to tell what Saturday would hold for us. The most recent forecast showed the rain holding off a little while and we hoped it would hold off long enough for us to get finished, but we really didn't think we would be that lucky.

Climbing to Bracken

I felt like I got to bed early enough and soon enough it was time to get up and get rolling. We got ready and headed to the start area. We didn't make it to sign in the night before, so we had to take care of that first. The line was not bad and didn't take very long and we were left waiting for the start. I was really hoping for a good day. Leading up to this weekend I got busy and really didn't get in the riding that I needed and was pretty worried about how well I was going to ride. We left last year with high hopes and here I was worried about just finishing. Not exactly where I wanted to be.

What pain does this passport hold?

The morning drug on a little, but it was finally time to get the coveted passports and see what the day held for us. Looking at the passport, I was immediately stressed. Most of the check points were not a big deal for figuring how a route, but there was one that was over at Danial's/Farlow and with what I thought the off limit sections were I was not sure how I was going to get there. I was also trying to weigh the pros and cons of going clock wise versus counter clock wise. We thought about what area would be best to ride in the rain, so we took off in a clockwise direction.

photo cred: Icon Media Asheville

We started off just like last year and did the prelude loop (correctly this time) and didn't slice the sidewall this time. We made the loop and were finally off. Going up Black is never easy but we made our way, just a little slower than I would have preferred. Then we went down Maxwell and up Clawhammer and headed toward the first check point. It was taking longer than I would have hoped, but eventually we rolled up to the intersection where I was headed, but there was an issue. No one was there. Eric said something about having to look around a little to find some check points, so I figured it had to be close. Then I decided to get the pass port out and make sure. That is where I figured out that I made a mistake. Not a huge one, but I still took us to the wrong place.

Still in good spirits here

Apparently when I was stressing out how to get to the one check point, I didn't really read this check point very well and thought we were in the same place that I have had check points almost every other time I have done this race. So, we were sitting on Squirrel and not Horse Cove. We had to head down Cantrell Creek to the other end. It didn't really take too long before we hit some other riders and finally got our first check point........ 3.5 hours in to the day. Then we headed toward Turkey Pen.

Turkey Pen check point. Who ate all the cookies?

The next check point was less dramatic and it didn't take very long to get there. We were seeing other racers on and off, both gong the same direction and also going the other direction. I was not sure we were gong the best route, but I didn't think my legs had a Turkey Pen trail in them. As we were getting close, I had to try and talk my teammate in to going down Bradly Creek. I knew all about the creek crossings and was a lot less worried about that over the hike a bikes going up Horse Cove. It started out pretty normal, but after we passed the 5015 intersection things got a little more interesting.

photo cred:Jon Cartwright

There was some rain starting to come down, but it didn't feel like it was too heavy. The big issue was all the trees that were down and all the other debris. This was a lot worse than last year. There was a point that I said that it was a good thing that there were other riders around us or I would have bet money that we were no longer on the trail. This continued on for way too long and the rain kept getting heavier. Eventually we made it up to the road, but as the lightning was crackling and the thunder was very loud, I stated that I was not going up to the Slate overlook. I am sure that was not the safest place to go, but more of the issue was that my legs were really feeling the efforts from Bradly Creek. I knew that the hike up to the overlook was not easy and just might put me in deeper than I wanted to. I figured that if we made the trip over to Daniel's, I would be able to hit Bennett before heading home and finishing. If I went to Slate, I may not want to go to Daniel's and that was the other mandatory check point.

photo cred:Jon Cartwright

So, this section was about as low as I got for the day. The sky's opened up and started pouring on us. Thankfully the temps were warm enough that we were not freezing. We looked at each other and said that Epic is way over used, but this year we have been in some damn Epic conditions in our races together. The rain was cold, but we were doing good enough. The next issue was when the hail started to come down. First I was just thinking how crazy it was to be riding in hail, then the size of the hail got bigger and it really started to hurt. We rode along a little bit and next thing I saw was Jeff pulling up under a tree. This is where Jeff looked at me and said, "It turned out to be a pretty nice day!". That was the standard comment for most of the ride. It is just ridiculous enough to make me smile every time it is said. Thankfully the hail let up pretty quickly and we could take off again. Things were moving a little slow, but not too far down the road the rain had stopped and I was feeling better riding the gravel road. The legs were feeling better for this section, but it took us a long way to get out near the next check point.

photo cred:Jon Cartwright

We finally hit the end of 225 and started down the trail, but the rain started coming down again sometime. It was also a little colder this time and I had to stop and finally put my rain jacket on. It was raining harder and harder and before we hit the loop there was so much rain that we were riding in a river. The trail was actually a 2.5-3' wide river running down the whole trail. All you could do is follow the flow and hope that I didn't hit anything.We eventually made it to the check point and there was several people there. Our house mates Hedge and Mario (Sammy) came rolling up. We chatted a little about what way we were going to go. There whole check point you could hear people trying to decide how to go back. In my mind, we had two options. First was to turn around and head back the same way we just came. The second was to continue around the loop and take 475b back to the top.

photo cred: Icon Media Asheville

In all actuality there was a third option. If I knew this was an option, I am pretty sure I would have said we needed to go this way. We could have continued around the loop and taken the paved road (276) that I thought was off limits all the way to 477. The hike up Bennett would have sucked, but I would have dealt with that when we got there. The other group was heading back the way we came, so that is what we did with the hopes of riding together. Unfortunately that didn't last very long. I was moving too slow to hang on. Once we hit the road I felt like I was rolling better, but I was really slowing down when anything pointed up.

The trip up and over Bennett was kind of a blur. I was just trying to keep moving. I think it was still raining some, but not really sure. I have to admit that I walked a lot more going down Bennett then I normally do. I can't ride it all when conditions are good and today with the wet roots and me not wearing my glasses had it hard to actually see. This all got in my head and kept me from riding some stuff. At the bottom I had to make a quick stop and while I was there I took my rain jacket off. I think my partner wondered if I got lost for the amount of time it took me to hit 477. Then we made the trip toward Clawhammer and started the climb.

photo cred: Icon Media Asheville

There were a few racers around us again, but the other team from the house was long gone. I was moving pretty slow, but it was really all I had left. I knew my legs were toast when I had to walk a short section on Maxwell. I was just tired of turning the pedals over and needed a change. It didn't take me too long and I got back on the bike and headed toward home. The hike up to lower black really hurt. I had to stop a couple times to regroup. My tank was empty and my will to keep moving was fading. But, what would I really do if I quit now? My trend of walking down more sections continued on black. I am pretty sure Jeff was tired of my speed, but he can't officially finish with out me.

photo cred:Tammy Bushong

Eventually I made it to the bottom and we rolled across the line. Very thankful to be done!! Another PMBAR finish in the books and another PMBAR leaving me in disappointment and wanting to do better. We rolled in with a time of 11 hours and 7 min. and in 10th place SS. In the big picture this was not really horrible considering everything. The SS class was full of heavy hitters as usual and tough to beat. The weather this year was something else and made a lot of things very interesting. My lack of fitness heading in to the race sure didn't help either. But, if I would step out of my Eeyore mentality I would notice that this is my fastest time for PMBAR ever and that some team finished in 13 hours and 55 min. with only 4 check points. Things could have always been worse. 

Here are a couple things that I look at even though every year is completely different and really can't be compared. But here I am, compared to last year we finished 1/2 hour faster. We rode 10 miles longer. We had 1/2 hour less stopped time. We climbed 1000 more feet of elevation. One less cut sidewall. One less busted water bottle. One more poop emergency in the woods. We never really got lost this year other than heading to the wrong check point. We saw one less black bear. We competed the same number of check points and we ended up in the same finishing place in the SS class. I looked at the numbers and we would have had to made pretty good time up to Slate to make any real difference in our finish placing. The 5th check point probably would have put us in 9th SS, but that's assuming I could ride the rest in the same time.

photo cred:Tammy Bushong

I want to thank Jeff for putting up with me being so slow and all of my negativity/whining about being such. I gave him enough heads up before the race that he really should have known what to expect from me and he kept saying it was all good. That doesn't make it any easier for me to not feel bad when I am not riding very well. Even on my good days I am not as fast, so when I am not riding as well, it makes it worse. I would much rather be the person waiting. I also want to thank Richard for everything he did and it sure helped make the weekend as awesome as it was. Thankfully we didn't have any major issues other than me. I am very disappointed that we didn't get 5 check points. It was probably the easiest that it has ever been for me to have the chance and I just didn't have it in me. Even with all my negativity with myself, my low point was not really as low as other years. I must have just been a little off for the whole day. Somehow I was missed by Icon Media Ashville in all the pictures, I dropped my glove at the finish line and was bent over for the pic, I missed the group picture while talking to Eric and even Jon only got a blurry pic of me on 1206. I would have taken more pictures myself, but I didn't get my phone out much with all the rain.

Will we be back next year to get the 5th check point? I really don't know. Last year we immediately said yes. This year we were closer to hating each other, so it has yet to be determined. Also, every time I ride Pisgah I wonder why the heck do I ride a SS there and why I don't have a FS bike. The only thing I can come up with is that I must be dumb. Only time will tell.

These are the guys I inspire to be (or at least as fast as)
photo cred: Icon Media Asheville

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