9th Official Tribe Meeting and Celebration of Yeti's 25 Years in Business

Highlight of the Tribe Meet was having Steve Hoogendoorn, Vice-President of Yeti place the 9th Tribe Meet pint glass in my custom display case.  I've yet to find a another Yeti freak who can claim attending all 9 and preserving all 9 pint glasses.  Amazingly, pint glass #2 rode the Snowmass downhill course in 2003 in the ASR's bottle cage and survived. Tribemeet glasses represent gatherings in Snowmass , Salida, Crested Butte, Steamboat Springs, Fruita, Winter Park and Durango.

Durango was the natural choice for the 25th Anniversary gathering. Part of Yeti's history,  http://yeticycles.com/#/company/a_brief_history .

Durango has been the home of many past and present cycling icons including Ned Overend, Shonny Vanlandingham, Juli Furtado, Lisa Muhich, John Tomac, Missy Giove, Jimmy Deaton, Greg Herbold, Todd Wells, Travis Brown and Versus announcer Bob Roll.
The RV parking sucked for such an event but then I've never been 100% happy with many gatherings not under my control.  Would have been nice to spread out the awning and set up with  friend's

tents nearby.  Over it.  The food service and quality were tops this year and I did not see anyone going hungry.  Keg beer cascaded beautifully all weekend.

Saturday's ride caught us lolly-gaging after my announcement that these thing always run behind time.  Not this year.  The bikes and buses were loaded on time and Fred and I were lucky to flag down the last outbound bus and stand in the back for the hour plus mountain road ride to the top of Junction Creek.   The ride group included the lion's share of the Yeti staff, international racers and Yeti brand distributors from Australia, Spain and the UK.  The bulk though, were average "Joes".... Yeti followers from around the world including first time attendees, serious weekend warriors, bike shop owners and at least one honeymooning couple.

The mass start leading us to the 25 mile ride centered around the Colorado Trail was a treat to see.  Everyone is confident in their own riding world but now suddenly paired up with riders of many backgrounds... Silently, many questioned if they could keep up with the group or had the wrong outfit on.   A little bit like the starting line on any race day.  Only a few scab brands present among the sea of Yeti turquoise, white and yellow.

Amazingly, the large  group spread out quickly with some not making it 200 feet without pulling out the Kodaks to begin digitally groping the high country scenery.  We sped off  with the first quarter of the group and never saw most after that.  We actually had some "lone time" enjoying the singletrack swoops, ugly baby-head dodging chutes and enduring the quad burning misery climbs you really don't want company for. 

We descended into Durango in small groups and immediately sought out food and water.  Our group held Dr. Chris a local, who guided us into the best taco joint in town where we filled our bellies and then trudged across town for the Horse Gulch trail leading back to camp.  The 4 mile climb in 98 degree weather was as taxing as any climb all day. Tom Fox  of Optic Nerve fame was in the group and pulled away on the dusty climb not panting in the least. Pearl Izumi's Ben Molina, Fred and I brough up the rear with beer serious thoughts.  Nice to climb out of the canyon and see the monstrous white tops of the Yeti party time canopy and awaiting kegs. 

Spending time with other Yeti freaks is always a ball.  Hosting our Great Britain friends and rubbing elbows with the company's brass made the trip well worth it.  While we were on the road with Fred and Molly, Chris and Megan, COMOtion teammates, newly weds and the whole Yeti scene, I am reminded that none of this would be possible without the 100% support I get from my junior high girlfriend and bride of 37 years.... Teresa.  Thanks again honey, I love you.

Huge kudos to all the Yeti staff, especially Sarah Rawley for putting it all together. Think I'll buy her a long sleeve jersey and leg warmers.

For a full official video account of what you missed, plug in to this link

http://www.yeticycles.com/#/features/tribe_gathering/1/
then start planning for next year! Now, I wonder where the 2011 Tribemeet will be? I still have 3 spots left in the pint glass display.

Wholly Mama----What a Cool Week Preparing for The 25th Anniversary of Yeti Cycles and the 9th Annual Tribal Meeting In Durango..>>

Following the July whirlwind, we geared up for the second week of August getting ready for the 25th Anniversary celebration of Yeti and attending the 9th Annual Tribe Meeting in Durango, Colorado. Durango is the historic home of the bike company.

Expanding the experience was the fact that we had invited our British friends Fred and Molly ( F&M )  to be our guest for the event. We wanted to share some of the things Americans and especially Coloradoans take for granted including endless MTB trails, kinship with the Yeti tribe and the bluest skies in the world.

Fred  and Molly helped COMOtion teammate Chris Taylor and me negotiate the 2009 UK Yeti Tribal Meet in Wales last year so it was only proper that we return the favor (or is it favour?). Fred shows up with the Yetiman tattooed to his right calf........ Tribe membership solidified.

Our 10 day adventure began with picking up F&M at DIA on Saturday the 7th.

After re-cooping from the flight, we unpacked "junk bikes" brought over for reasons we may explain later.

Sunday we hooked up with Fred Nolting at Wheatridge Cyclery  http://www.ridewrc.com/ to take delivery of 2 brand new Yeti ASR "5s".  The 5's would be used for the week long adventure and then returned home to the Queen's Island for pure envy by "junk bike " riders back home.

Monday we toured Yeti in Golden met the crew and  then spent 30 miles and a few hours riding getting climatized at 5,300 feet.  Riding the Big Dry Creek Trail from east Broomfield around Standley Lake and back, we paced 16 mph proving the lungs still work. Riding strong half way up the elevation ladder.

Tuesday was packing and travel to Monarch Spur RV camp http://monarchspurrvcampground.com/or for the first night away from the Big "D" staging for our high altitude ride at 11,112 feet beginning on Monarch Pass. 

We will ride the Monarch Crest Trail Wednesday morning providing views of the Arkansas Valley Collegiate Peaks and spectacular singletrack rides on one of the state's most coveted mountain descents.

Joined by a few COMOtion friends and supporters, we zoomed the CTR but had to bail at Marshall Pass in order to make it back to the camp on time.  We were pushing onward to Durango and wanted to complete the dreaded Wolf Creek Pass descent hauling the 4,800 pound Jayco and a truckload of bike stuff by dark. 

MCT ride group included Brian, Ryan, Melanie, Sarge, Doug and Fred.

THURSDAY was a no ride day although we were up early to deliver Sugar and Cinnamon to the Happy Hounds and Fat Cats http://healthyhoundsandfatcats.com/ doggie daycare. The rest of the day will be spent enjoying the required Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad trip to Silverton and over-eating.

The following days in Durango rank their own blog posting.  Check back soon........

Month of July Full of Ups and Downs

Whirlwind July with every weekend consumed by an event going up and down or up only and down only.  holiday opener shot me 30,000 ft up courtesy of United Airlines to the Windy City for Teresa's Illinois cousins reunion.  OK, I only rode Doug's vintage English Racer ,10 speed up the block for him and back to check the brakes and shifting but that counts as a cycling weekend right?

Saturday the 10th had me lining up in Bergan Park for the Team Evergreen sponsored Triple by-Pass Ride. Ultimate up-down-up-down-up-down ride across Colorado.  Did it in 2008 but it ranks up there with the must do events in Colorado.  The capped 3,500 rider march sold out in 45 minutes on line.  Luckily, I had everything ready to go and was able to limbo under the line.  Ride went well until the final descent into Vail when cold rain-nearly hail greeted us and the thought of a rain slicked bike path descent shared with comatose roadies had me reaching for the ultimate multi-tool the cell phone.  Enough.  I'm freezing and Teresa is below in the warm Vail Roost Inn weiner sitting.  TAXI !!  Hot shower was awesome.  Only missed the Avon round-a-bouts and the dried out BBQ sandwich.  F&%*   It--I'm 50!

Following weekend lead us to the Fraiser River Valley to the USA Cycling National Champioships in Granby.  Friday night while in the Snow Mountain YMCA campground, it was impressed upon us once again the bleak future of the Lodgepole pines with the devistated masses of brown, weeping conifers choaked by the pine beetle.  Private camp sites were denuded of  cover and we felt like we were in the desert camping instead of  the Colorado forest lands.

Work buddy Mark Powers assured us by phone that a couple of the big rigs near him had left and we would be able to return to plan A and camp next to the Super D course at Sol Vista and make an 7:00am practice run more doable.

The idea was there is some climbing and I can beat the fat downhillers.  Oops, the senior riders were leftover cross country addicts from California and Virginia who thought---what the heck, I'm in Colorado till Tuesday and might have fun with this Super D thing.

The course was nasty as ever on the opening half mile with rocky bottoms and ash like dust covering the best lines. Lower half is made up of 8" deep grooves you're suppose to plant your front wheel in and just hold on

.  The ultimate down course in Colorado.  Crashed on the practice run and twice during the 13 min descent but still managed to make the podium with a 5th place finish only beating a couple of locals and a  DNF or two.  You know, take what you can get and be glad you finished without broken bike parts or a ruptured spleen.  Always my goal.

The ultimate up-up-up ride in Colorado is Mt. Evans.

Six days later I'm in the parking lot behind Beaujo's Pizza in Idaho Springs preparing for the Bob Cook Memorial Hillclimb up Mt. Evans.

OK it took me 3:28:25 to finish the climb from Idaho Springs to the summit of Mt. Evans.  That included 4 stops to check the old glucose level meter and GU up and a Kodak moment with an ornery marmot.

Beginning elevation is around 7,000 ft with a 13 mile climb up Hwy 103 to Echo Lake or mid-point where the next 14 miles climbs to the 14,100 feet above sea level mountain top.  Very little oxygen resides here.  Although the ride was not a piece of cake, race training paid off and I truly enjoyed slipping by recreational riders and 20-somethings with hangovers.

Descent is not as fun as you would think.  Never ending expansion cracks and chug-holes rock the carbon fork and preventing a pinch flat at 40 mph is always in the front of your mind. Final descent into Idaho Springs is a bit smoother but traffic escalates and you just want to get back to the Beaujo's Pizza parking lot.  Been there, done that....Off the bucket list. 

August started yesterday and planning for the 9 days of Monarch Pass, Durango Yeti Tribe meet and Kenosha Pass rides is well under way.