8th Annual Yeti Tribe Meet in Winter Park

WIENER DOG LIMBO TRICKS

Once a year the dedicated Yeti Tribe gets together to show off their latest Yeti builds, get re-acquainted, go for epic rides and m a y b e, have a brew or two. This year was no exception.

The group was 250 strong and met in an uncut stream side field at the edge of Winter Park, Colorado to continue the tradition. The Sarge has attended every official tribe meeting held since 2002. For this event, I loaded up a total of 10 bikes, 3 kin folks, 2 wiener dogs and all the camp gear to test the aging Silverado over Berthod Pass. All 7 Yetis were assembled front line in camp for drooling eyes.

Yeti freaks from all over the US and a couple of foreign countries assembled in the Beaver Village Lodge meadow to celebrate our brand.

Group 8:30 am mounted up for a 30 mile trek through Tipparary Creek and other Grand County singletracks while Taylor and I chose to cruise over to the WP Resort for chair rides up and super sweet downhill bombs on the long travel heavyweights.
"Lets make one more run before the 4:00pm lift deadline". One too many, the wind bounced us around on the lift line and cold wet gusts welcomed us to the summit. By the time we streaked down to treeline, it was pouring down hard on the final descent making the downhill course slick, nasty and cold.

Icky ride back to camp...seems like we were laughing though.

Cudos to Sarah Rawley, Chris Conroy, Steve Hoogendoorn, Big Joe Hendrickson and all of the Yeti crew that made the happening. Death to the coffee delivery boy.

See you next year in Durango.

Sol Vista National Championship Races Just Another Good Time

Just hated to stay home on a summer weekend so we tripped over to Sol Vista Resort for the 2009 National Championship Races.

SV is not the prettiest ski resort in Colorado and it does not have great facilities or many runs. What it did have this weekend is sun, loose powder sand and over 800 competitors in 5 disciplines. Race winners here took home a Stars & Stripes Jersey.

While I definitely just showed up for a good time, it turned out to be a fun course with high-walled berms, powdery turns and a short uphill climb where I could spin the XC legs and take advantage of the pure downhill competitors.

SOL VISTA NATIONAL SUPER D
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Men 50+
1-Paul Zarubin (Northstar at Tahoe)
0:07:12
2-Robert Bevard (Horns Hill Hucksters / God / Bike Doctor)
0:00:08
3-David Strouse (COMotion Sports / Yeti)
0:01:59
4-Woody Harris (Mojo Wheels)0:02:13
5-Michael Kast
0:02:48

Much needed brownie points were gained when we pulled up at the Winter Park Chateau instead of the Super 8 I had mentioned earlier. The next 7 weekends are spoken for in the name of ME and my cycling. Love You Terri!!

(http://www.winterparkchateau.com/index.html)

FIRECRACKER 97 - NO-WHERE COLORADO

While most mountain bikers were heading for Breckenridge, Durango or Winter Park, I loaded up the Jayco and Silverado and beelined to wonderful Sterling, Colorado in the northeastern part of the state to enjoy the 4th of July celebrations.

Actually, we did not see any fireworks and forgot to put the flags out at the dilapidated Buffalo Hills RV Park off I-76 at the Sterling exit. Use to be a Jellystone Park campground in the '70s with a few signs of Yogi bear still around. Only there for the monthly elder-care trip spying on the 79 year old father-in-law since he never writes and let the phone thing lapse a couple of weeks ago. Long story.

I did managed to salvage the weekend by loading up the Yeti Road Project with dual water bottles and the road jersey with Powerbars and gel packs before proceeding northeast for beautiful Julesburg Reservoir (AKA Jumbo Lake) via State Highway 138 that parallels I-76. My work buddy, Brad Case was camped there with 87 relatives and various clan members so I thought I'd make a surprise appearance and bum water bottle refills.

After 40 miles of flat highway I was greeted with 5 miles of muddy country roads before topping out at the reservoir. I was so impressed with the local town of CROOK I passed through, I thought I'd share some stats with you in case you are looking for that perfect place to retire:

CROOK, COLORADO

Population in July 2007: 126.

Population change since 2000: -0.8%
Males: 65
(52.3%)
Females: 61
(47.7%)
Median resident age:
50.0 years
Colorado median age:
34.3 years
Zip code: 80726

Estimated median household income in 2007: $44,278 (it was $32,500 in 2000)
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $78,647 (it was $48,500 in 2000)
Mean prices in 2007: All housing units: $81,511; Detached houses: $82,721;

Mobile homes: $41,750

Since the males outnumber the females, I'd shy away from Crook if I were a widower.

The real thrill of the day was trying to outrun the ominous clouds and pending thunderstorms predicted for the area. I managed to made it back to ex-Jellystone world about 1:00 pm just in time to beat the T-storms.

Oh yeah, another wonderful biking weekend on the road in Colorado..and yip, the ole' man's doing fine.

Although I thought a lap around the lake would make the ride a century, I finished up with a total of 97 miles round trip. Close enough.

Crested Butte Challenge Too Much...

What a change a couple of weeks and 3,000 foot elevation gain can make!

The Shimano XTR Cross Country race at Crested Butte Resort threw me to the ground, stomped me and took away any cockiness Angel Fire and my fastest century ride may have planted. I came with nothing to offer the mountain and was anaerobic 200 yards from the starting line. Two laps with 1,600 feet of gain per lap threw me into the hunch-back survival mode and brought up the question again-- "WHY THE HELL DO YOU DO THIS? "

I'm just glad I'm not paying a cycling coach this year to tell me how bad I prepared for a particular race. I could list the variables but in reality, sometime you feel good and are happy with the outcome and sometimes you just suck and die. This was one of the races I sucked and died.

Finished 10th out of 10 on this one but still ranked 2nd in the series.

What I will always do despite the pain and results, is have fun!!

The best part of the weekend had to be the Sunday morning 8:00am start of the Super Downhill race. COMOtion chums Cris Taylor, Cary Dunn and I shared a chilly and wet chairlift ride to the top of the mountain for a mud slopped downward hurl. We pretended we were going to beat somebody to the finish line. Mission accomplished!
Yeti "Bossman" Chris Conroy was right there beside us on the SD startline proving the adage "practice what you preach" .

Crested Butte trails are like no others in Colorado with really dark organically rich soils that suck up moisture and produce spectacular wildflower carpets . The off-camber singletrack trails are deep and just waiting for you to bang a rim side into them so they can toss you over the handlebars like a rag doll.

With racing done, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and reminders we we live in ( and never leave) Colorado.

A picnic lunch along the Taylor River on our way to Cottonwood Pass and home ended another memorable MTBing race weekend.

A Ride With 7,500 of my Colorado Cycling Friends

The Elephant Rock Ride is not popular among the cross country race crew but, I still enjoy seeing families, "chubbies", old geezers and ex-high school jocks head out together on the open plains of central Colorado with one common goal FINISH!

The event was the first chance to try out some of the magnificent prodeal sponsor stuff. The Ritchey carbon wheelset contributed greatly to my best time ever with an average speed of 17.2 mph for the wind riddled 100 miler. A top speed of 46.2 mph was recorded 5 1/2 hours into the ride. Total crank time was 5 hours and 50 minutes. The borrowed Topeak Prepstand Max grabs all bikes by the downtube and serves as a stable rack for last minute chain lubes and shifter adjustments. Continental 4000S tires had more air in them when I finished than when I started.

Colorado headquartered and potential 2010 sponsor, Pearl Izumi made the ride extremely comfortable with their new Octane series bib shorts. A hundred miles in the saddle is no time to have your panties in a wad. The PRO series chamois kept me comfy throughout the ride and drew at least a couple of whistles from (bluehaired) ladies as I sprinted by out of the saddle.

E-Rock has definitely grown over the 7 years we've been riding it. The RV parking lot was 20% full when we snuck in a few minutes before the 3pm check in time.

Still the way to beat the massive Sunday morning traffic jams, camping at the Douglas County Fairgrounds lets you relax before the morning frenzy and shower a couple of hundred yard from the finish line.Munching on cedar plank grilled salmon the night before the ride helped provide needed protein and yumness.

Throwing in off weekend century road rides is a good way to keep the drumsticks from going flabby. Another weekend off then we climb the 10,000 foot Crested Butte cross country course. Next road ride-Copper Triangle http://coppertriangle.com/ August 1st.

NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN AGAIN SOON-ANGEL FIRE -MSC#3 =STXC XC & SD

...not quite the hat trick....

WOW, what a great Memorial Day weekend in New Mexico. We used the 5 day vacation to combine the best of interests in family and racing into a neat package under the conifers and clouds of Angel Fire Resort, New Mexico.

Strouse clan L to R, papa, Tori, Bethany, Shyala, Joshua, Anthony, Chris, Teresa and Kaitlyn.

I've finally figured out the formula to actually end up on the top wrung of the podium... Leave your series competition in Denver and beat one local and a no-show.
Sarge's first Super Downhill (SD) race was a bit more intense than expected. The volcano trash deposited a million years ago was daunting enough as it formed a trail of jagged ridges you were suppose to race over. But the start line mentality was bizarre. These guys ARE SERIOUS about SD and the start line reminded me of scenes from Braveheart as they raced on foot from the start line to the bikes. Part of the ritual included a starting position of one knee and one elbow on the ground, facing the opposite direction of the waiting overweight steeds 50 yards away.

Grandson Anthony and I were way too laid back for the super downhill crowd so I was happy to finish 20th out of 22 starters.

Scoring a 2nd place victory in the 40+ Short Track Cross Country race behind fellow teammate Carry Dunn was another highlight of the weekend. And I HATE Short Track!! COMotion dominated the Cat 2 30-40 yr. old class and the weekend bringing home a near perfect 972 & 986 score extending the lead on the way to the 7th championship year.

Crested Butte- here we come!

SHORT BREAK FROM BIKING CHASING GOBBLERS

Just spent four days of solo brain-drain turkey hunting along the Purgatoire River in Southeastern Colorado. The hunt site was about as far away from civilization in Colorado as I could find. Twenty five miles south of La Junta, then 23 miles of dirt road to the ranch headquarters, 4 more miles into the ranch to the campsite and a final 2 1/2 mile mountain bike ride each morning to the roost area.





I wasn't entirely off the bike. Days before the hunt were spent outfitting the race retired 2007 ASR with a shotgun rack, GPS mount and hiking boot friendly platform pedals. The head strap mounted Petzel provided enough light to follow cattle trails on the pre-dawn rides in.
I believe I'm safe in declaring that I'm the first person ever to baptise an XTR crankset in the Purgatoire River crossing it twice a day to get to the roost areas.

Continental Mountain King tubeless 2.4's worked great in the land if prickly pear and cholla catus, sandburrs and yucca. Evidence of many punctures were present but the Stan's did its job every time.

In 1982 the Sarge was living in Oklahoma and feverishly involved in the out-of-doors. Before the passion was mountain bikes, I was chasing wild turkeys and slaying monster large-mouth bass every chance I had. I'm twenty seven years old in the photo above with one of my first birds.

During the last 27 years, the birds have gotten smarter. I evidently have not. After setting up on the same lone gobbler and his hens three mornings in a row, the closest I could call him in was about 75 yards. Just out of shotgun range. God bless him!

SECOND INSTALLMENT ON THE MSC TOUR COMPLETE

Back in 2006 when I competed in the cow pattie XC race at Nathrop, I ran the 3 laps in 2 hours and 6 minutes to finish 7th.. This year, the identical course (log jump #3 worn down from crank strikes considerably) took 2 hours and 8 minutes to finish 4 out of 5. Three years older and only added 2 minutes? Could be worse.

The course was a blast with long flat road sections, off camber sandy technical drops and twisty turny singletrack avenues along the banks of Chalk Creek. Mount Princeton served as a spectacular backdrop for the second race of the season.

Sunday morning quiet time with the girls, biscuits, eggs, bacon and coffee proved too tempting to roll out for the early AM short track race.

We did make it over to the venue to watch a bit of the gravity events on Sunday. Pretty cool. These kids ride on adreneline and spikes of testestrone to beat the other guy to the timer.

Cat 1 COMotion racer Matt Juth saw heavy competition on the short track.

Still early in the series, I have time to knuckle down and get serious about training 3-4 days a week, spending time in the weight room and cutting down on junk food and brewskis. It could happen.