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........