Back of the Pack Racing Colorado Chapter

To say that I am ready for spring is an overstatement!  This is unusual for me because I am a fan of winter and love to experience a yin to the yang of our warmer summer months.  But this past winter really held my boots over the fire so to speak.  Over the past few years, I have ridden my bike an abnormal amount of times and feel like I am in pretty decent shape.  But something hit me like a brick wall this winter and took me completely by surprise.  About two months ago, I got hit with a cold that kept its storm cloud over me for about 6-8 weeks.  I will spare you the details of what came out of my lungs and head, but it wasn't a pretty sight.  The hardest part of these 6-8 weeks was not even getting an urge to put my feet onto my pedals.  The desire to hit the trails dwindled down to a faint glow.  Deep down though, with healthful retrospect, it feels to me that my body was telling me that it was beat up.  My body is getting excited for spring and the warmer months ahead.

Or an informal Chapter get-together with the AZ crew! No set plans meant a text from the Leader to Mad Rhino inquiring about riding plans. To wit, Rhino responded with a rather appealing ideas - a local race. A Short Track style race. Or as the website for the Short Track Papago states "an ad hoc MTB race purely for fun - and beer." After perusing the website, Pit Boss decided it sounded like a fabulous idea and the text was sent to Mad Rhino. The visiting members of the BPR-CO Crew were in! If only the Leader had fully read the course for that lovely St Patrick's day event. We may have understood a little more just what we were in for - besides riding our bikes.  Meeting up with AZ crew Jolly Rogers, Candy and Krazy Karl, we got a little more details. An anything goes - don't scare the natives - drag race from the meeting point to the Papago Park amplitheater. Any course, any route. Usually the race returned to the same point - but not this time. Happy St Patrick'

Another Saturday night in Leadville for the Crew - this time for the Mineral Belt Mayhem. After an afternoon of watching skijoring - apparently it's a big thing! - it was time for the fatbikers to take over downtown before heading off under the near full moon and waning sunset. There was a "gentlemans" controls start on the icy roads before the herd of riders was released into the darkness. With a long, gradual climb on the groomed nordic trail that is the Mineral Belt in winter, there was plenty of time to spread out the field. It was a long climb made harder by the thin air of Leadville. Lights dancing off the snow competed with the moon to illuminated the course.  After a downhill long enough to bring out the chills, there was another short climb. And then - back to winter on Endor. This section wasn't speeder fast, but twisting and and turning enough to confuse anyone. It was impossible to tell who was coming or going as the trail wound around trees. Groomed singl