Chapter Gathering

By -
It's been a while since Teach appeared from his self-imposed seclusion, aka work. So when he suggested a chapter gathering the past weekend, of course Leader and Pit Boss had to make it happen. Nothing far, just down to Canon City and some of the best winter riding for the Front Range chapter members. There's rocks, there A-lines and B-lines and there's some great camping. So close, yet so far. Teach got down first, claiming a spot right on the trail. Leader and Pit Boss followed a little later, with Leader needing to practice what she preaches about working hard - also something about day 14... Of course, the invite for Deuce from BPR-NM was out there, but he had "homework." More then just studying for the BBI course he was taking, but "homework" in discovering the multitude of craft breweries Colorado Springs offers. He'd already gotten the tour of the primary sponsor for Leader's running antics, but with a brewery on every corner practically...

Friday night was party night, with "just the tip" of the hollow log engulfed in flames by early evening. And things got crazier from there... Once Backpack Dan showed up in the Chinook, it was full on chaos. Too bad Leader decided to sleep through most of it.

Just the tip he said..
The party made for a late start for the chapter ride the next morning. There were more gears then not, with Teach being the only pure BPR rider that day. As such, he got to lead the way around Oil Well, with Leader, Backpack Dan and Pit Boss following close behind. The guest on the ride tried valiantly to keep up, but his trail dog was better suited for the pace of the day. A good trail dog is hard to find and with some training, Stella would be the perfect companion. She could learn some things from Backpack Dan's dog BQ, who also joined on the ride. Unfortunately, work called for Dan and the first part of the ride was short and sweet. There would be more pedaling later, after the goodbyes were said and Dan drove off into the dust.

Teach and Pit Boss contemplating the life of a dog. Dirty shoes make great pillows when you are tired!
Two more rides that day! One midday and then a sunset pedal. So romantic, the sunset pedal... with Leader and Amy watching the boys vanish into the gathering shadows as they rode away. Yeah, there wasn't as much waiting on that pedal as we'd anticipated. But that's okay. Who needs romantic sunset pedals at the Back of the Pack anyway?

There wasn't much partying that night with all the interesting logs burnt already. And everyone - even the pups - were tired from a day of adventuring. Some solid staring at nature's TV and then it was bed time. Teach had an early tee time (or something like that) so wanted a good start in the morning. Leader and Pit Boss had another ride planned and wanted to pedal before it got super hot. But discussions are already in the works for another gathering - this time a little bigger and a little longer!

Sunrise - because you can't have too many sunrise photos.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The best kind of Mayhem...

By -
Image
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...
Read more

Gritty

By -
Image
True Grit Epic - one of the races on the BPR-CO calendar where the Colorado Charter is in full effect. Why? Well, rocks are fun. Steep downhills with rocks are fun. And suspension makes it all that much more fun! So yes, plenty of mechanical advantages on the Two Wheeled Self Propelled devices AKA Bikes. True Grit really lives up to the motto "Long, Tough, Technical" - and that's just the 50 mile loop! For those hearty souls brave (nuts?) enough to step up to the 100... Yeah. Not happening for this Crew. But anyway... True Grit is a tail of four trail systems, which makes it one of the best endurance races around. There is the relentless double track and single track climbs and sharp, washy descents of Barrel Ride, with the waterfall descent as the exclamation point at the end. Next comes Zen - some of the most fun to be had in 6 miles of singletrack that requires the ability to ride both up and down. No free speed descents in Zen; it's all earned speed. After the Thr...
Read more

Meeting of the minds

By -
Image
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...
Read more