Red Bull Final Descent, Angel Fire, NM 2012

I'm a little late with this post as this event was at the end of September, but I figure if all the old fashioned paper mountain biking magazines can do it, then so can I.  So, I finished the final race in the 12 hour Red Bull series.  It went off at Angel Fire, and I LOVED this course.  The part about racing on it for 12 hours was grueling at times and fun at times.  I had some awesome individual lap times that I can't wait to go back and make even faster.  I liked the changes they made to the course, and I am excited to go ride that course again down the new and improved World Cup.  I feel pretty pumped that I actually completed the entire series, since endurance racing has never been my favorite activity.  I was beat at the end, even though we had a lightning hold for part of the race.  Sean was the best race support ever, fixing several mechanicals and supplying appropriate nutrients. 

The pit crew.  Sean and I texted back and forth for the duration of the race to determine supplies and help with mechanical issues. 

 

Bishop running around the pit.

 

This mouse hung out at the base tent with Sean.

 

After the race...Amber about to fall asleep with Bishop.

 

coming throught the tent on one of many laps

the running start

 

lining up for the event

 

Requisite early morning prerace meeting.

Early morning before the race.

 

Night podium

Guanella Pass Fall Bouldering and Four Wheeling

We scoured Guanella Pass and had a great time exploring, but didn't find many ideal boulders.  The leaves were out in full glory turning their yellow, red, and golden colors to attract the leaf peepers.  This made it even trickier to find the boulders because most of the people out were not bouldering, but rather just taking photos.  Nevertheless, it was a refreshing day outdoors.  Loved, loved, loved being outside having small adventures today.

  

 

Moab watched Sean playing on the boulder.

 

 

Sean having some fun on some solid rock.

Amber...reach!

 

...yeah, need to go up from here.

 

Good thing we found this chill boulder, since we hadn't been bouldering outside in a long while.

...and part of the time, Moab lounged under the boulder and watched the forest.

 

Bishop had zero interest in bouldering, alternating between watching the squirrels and chasing the squirrels.

...a brief glimpse of some Fall trees.

 

We passed by some peaks in our adventures.

James Peak Wilderness

Sean, Moab, Bishop, and I had a relaxing day four wheeling and exploring in the James Peak Wilderness.  The sun was shining and it was a fun day.

 

Sean, Bishop, and Moab

 

Amber, Bishop, Moab

 

Bishop chasing a tail :-)

 

 

It was a day full of some views and some lakes.

 

Even Moab enjoyed some walking and looking about.

 

We all enjoyed walking about above the treeline.

 

We went through Rollinsville on our way back and got a glimpse of some leaves turning.

 

More leaves...tis the season.

 

Some cows enjoying the day in Rollinsville.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Bull Final Descent Winter Park, CO 2012

Another twelve hour race done with 33 laps down Trestle Bike Park, spending five hours on Trestle DH and seven hours on Boulevard.  I felt truly happy that I survived that long on the bike as a pro solo women's competitor, as this race was slightly more physically challenging than the event at Jackson Hole, WY.  The media was out taking lots of nice photos while I plugged away lap after lap...Many thanks to all the people that cheered me on throughout the race, and many thanks to Sean Smith for providing the best pit crew services ever!

Photo by Jody Grigg

 Photo by Eddie Clark

 

 

 Photo by Jody Grigg

 

Photo by Sean Smith

 



Red Bull Final Descent, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

I just arrived back home from my first solo 12 hour race at the Red Bull Final Descent in Jackson Hole,Wyoming.  I finished with 78 laps, coming in second place.  It was a super fun, super challenging event.

I was pretty stoked to have survived that many laps.

The Red Bull girls were there to pose with the male competitors.  We figured they should have had some Red Bull guys for us ladies to pose with too...

This was a moose walking along side of the road on our way back to the campground we stayed at during the event.

These were the piles of antlers piled up in the town.

Summer Fun!

Summer is quickly nearing an end, but it has been fantastic overall!  Besides all the traveling and racing, Sean and I also did some classic XC riding in Colorado and some super fun days riding downhill in Angel Fire, New Mexico.  We also had some play days at Winter Park and Granby Ranch.  The doggies even got to join us on these trips, so they were also stoked to chase ducks and squirrels and bikes, and they were worn out at the end of the day.

Sometimes Bishop wants to go back outside and play.

And sometimes the doggies are exhausted from all this fun outdoors.

Amber playing on the drops at Angel Fire, NM.

Ducks chillin' on the pond under the lift at Angel Fire, NM.

Yay berms! And yay beautiful weather at Angel Fire, NM.  It was rainy at night and sunny with awesome dirt during the day, like in this moment when Amber comes around the corner.

Sun setting and making the sky pink and blue in Angel Fire, NM.

Amber taking a break to read the signs on Georgia Pass, CO.

 Sean riding through some trees on Georgia Pass, CO.

Granby, CO, TripleDHip:  Amber 1st, Amy 2nd

Amber's Triple DHip prize this year.

2012 Gravity Nationals, Beech Mountain, North Carolina

In a nutshell, it was an unlucky week for me at nationals.  I experienced some sporty riding in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, full of changing weather conditions and crashes on course, and spending way too much time on the ground with my bike sideways or fully upside down.  I also endured excessive amounts of time in the parking lot being my own mechanic at this event, since Sean wasn't able to make it.  Fortunately, the Shimano tent did help me get my derailleur back in top shape after I temporarily lost most of my gears, and my friends helped me with building my bike up properly and making a few adjustments.  It was brutal not having my usual mechanic support on hand, but I got through it, and The Fix Bike Shop just finished putting my bike back in top working order again now that I am back in Colorado for a few days.  All in all, I still had a fun week hanging out with biking friends at the hotel, and riding downhill.  I guess I'll just have to look forward to an awesome race at next year's nationals.

 Dirt Rag captured this shot of me, Amber Price, on course during one of my finer moments coming off the drop at the top of the course.

 Matthew Delorme photographed some of the essence of the changing conditions.

Dirt Rag captured this great shot of the view from the top of the mountain where we lined up for our race run.

Amber Price captured this shot of some local scenery.  Not a bad picture, especially considering it was taken on a phone.