JDurk
Well-Known Member
Shout out once again to Mike Kuhn (@kuhndog) of The Outdoor Experience Organization. This is my 2nd time participating. As soon as registration opened for the 2017 5-day race, I pre-registered. Once again was joined by the same teammate who also raced last year. We were able to talk 2 others into joining us, 1 for the 5-day and 1 for the 3-day that was added to the schedule. 5-day racing started on Thurs, 5/25 and 3-day started Sat, 5/27 through Mon, 5/29. The 3 of us doing 5-day were the only Clydesdales and all ride for the same team.
We were able to borrow a trailer for accommodations which was awesome. Tent camped last year which was ok, but a trailer with AC is way better. Headed up on Wed, 5/24 so we could get as close to the electric hookup. Got a decent spot.
Saw some familiar faces around the area, in tents, vans, RVs, and trailers. Most are MASS or TSEpic racers from last year. PA, NJ, NY, MD, MA, VT, VA, KY, and Quebec were all represented.
After getting all set, we made a short drive to Happy Valley Brewing in State College for race sign-in and packet pick-up. Good food and beer. Recognized some more faces from last year. Pro’s and (in)famous riders of note: Kerry Werner, Justin Lindine, Aaron Snyder, Cody Phillips, Vicki Barclay, Sonya Looney, Kaysee Armstrong, Rich Dillen, and Watts Dixon. Didn’t stick around too late.
Stages varied a little this year from last year. All but Stage 2 started and finished from camp. All stages had timed enduro descents mixed in. For Stage 2, we travelled to Tussey Mtn Ski resort.
Stage 1 – Big Poe We Go
Poured rain all night and into the morning. We had a noon time start and it stopped raining around 11am. It was also a little chilly. Course is pretty much an out and back loop. Started at race HQ with a moto lead out to a long segment on gravel roads. Climbed to some multi-use trails with a lot of ST mixed in. Rocks and roots were slippery, but not much mud. Was keeping a decent pace, however on the return trip, missed an arrow while hopping a log and started heading out again. Realized it after a mile and turned around. In the final approach back to camp, turn off the road for some tight, slimy ST that leads back into camp. Finished 2nd on the day. https://www.strava.com/activities/1005651249
Stage 2 – Enduro
Travel to Tussey Mtn Ski area for the 10am start. Group roll out to the trail head. Only the descents will count today, so ride between at your leisure. Like last year, there was a long wait for the 1st enduro. Weather was still chilly and damp. While waiting, hear the familiar English accent of State College resident and X-games BMX vert champ, Jamie Bestwick nearby. Enduro 1, 2 and 3 get you warmed up. Enduro 4 and 5 are both exciting and scary at the same time. Roll to the finish at a pavilion where Happy Valley Brewing is serving beer and the Philly Bike Expo ordered a bunch of pizzas. Finished 2nd. https://www.strava.com/activities/1006870635
Stage 3 – Tussey
Riding here in Rothrock is pretty much the #1 reason I came back. Group roll at 11:15am across Rt 322 to re-group at the start/finish in Kearns Campground. Start racing at 11:30am. A rain course was implemented by a request from the trail maintainers of Rothrock. John Wert Path was swapped out for a road leading to Tussey Mountain Trail. On the descent from Tussey, Happy Valley Brewing had a beer stop right before the descent. I joined the SSer’s, who had decided on Day 1 to not race anymore, for a beer. After descending the switchbacks of the last enduro, a loop around Colyer Lake was included. Seemed to be a newly built flow trail, similar to Nox or Raystown. Stop at the last aid station and catch up with a team mate. We ride together for some time, he drops me on an overgrown climb. Find him waiting at the finish. 2nd place on the day. https://www.strava.com/activities/1008673718
Stage 4 – Bald Eagle State Forest
Start is at camp HQ again at 11:30am. Similar start as Stage 1 using the road and ST near camp. Then head out on gravel to use the moto trails again heading to Enduro 1 through Seven Mountain Conservation Corp. Loop out and back with another trip through SMCC. On the way in, get overtaken by the 5 “not racing” SSers and we ride together through Enduro #3. Hit a road, both gravel and paved and paceline with the SSer’s, draft Dicky Dillen and Watts Dixon. They drop me on the next climb. Final stretch back into camp is a slimy, rooty off camber trail next to a stream. 2nd place again. https://www.strava.com/activities/1010481272
Stage 5 – Cooper’s Gap
Rains again all night and stops just in time for the race start. A rain course again. Dutch Alvin and Chicken Peter have been substituted with gravel and Enduro 1 is out too. After signing in, head for a short 1.5mi ride to the start on Stillhouse Hollow Rd. Rode out on the slimy trail we finished on yesterday. All riders need to cross a stream. After staging and a short climb, we bomb down Stillhouse as a group. The 1st Enduro down Sassafrass feels like it’s straight down. Can smell brake pads, then there’s a 90deg right that I’m overshooting and use a tree to stop and then it keeps going. Climbing back to the check point, it’s not much more to go. Find 2 team mates there. We hit the aptly named Beautiful Trail that leads to the pucker inducing last Enduro of No Name Trail. Gravel and paved roads lead back to Stillhouse, a climb that seems to never end. Settle in a make the climb without walking, which I didn’t do last year. Bomb back down to a stream and I hear a lot of voices. The SSers stashed beers earlier and were just hanging and heckling. Get a hand from a volunteer on the climb out of the stream and find a puddle of sealant under my rear tire. It’s less than 2 miles so hit it was CO2. Ride a little, goes flat, CO2 again. One CO2 left, so walk for a while. Once I’m close enough to camp, hit it was CO2 again and ride to the finish doing a wheelie. 2nd again. https://www.strava.com/activities/1011895555
Suns out, Memorial Day burgers and more beer from Happy Valley. Awards start at 4pm. Clean up and head back to HQ. Since there was only 3 Clydes, we weren’t included in the daily awards, so they took care of us on the last day. Stan’s No Tubes wheelsets for each of us.
Stage 8 commenced in front of our camp area. The not racing SSer’s showed. Can Jam, corn hole, and adult beverages.
Great time with these guys. Already thinking about 2018.
I wrote about my experience last year if you want to read it here. http://www.mtbnj.com/forum/threads/trans-sylvania-epic-2016.39878/
We were able to borrow a trailer for accommodations which was awesome. Tent camped last year which was ok, but a trailer with AC is way better. Headed up on Wed, 5/24 so we could get as close to the electric hookup. Got a decent spot.
Saw some familiar faces around the area, in tents, vans, RVs, and trailers. Most are MASS or TSEpic racers from last year. PA, NJ, NY, MD, MA, VT, VA, KY, and Quebec were all represented.
After getting all set, we made a short drive to Happy Valley Brewing in State College for race sign-in and packet pick-up. Good food and beer. Recognized some more faces from last year. Pro’s and (in)famous riders of note: Kerry Werner, Justin Lindine, Aaron Snyder, Cody Phillips, Vicki Barclay, Sonya Looney, Kaysee Armstrong, Rich Dillen, and Watts Dixon. Didn’t stick around too late.
Stages varied a little this year from last year. All but Stage 2 started and finished from camp. All stages had timed enduro descents mixed in. For Stage 2, we travelled to Tussey Mtn Ski resort.
Stage 1 – Big Poe We Go
Poured rain all night and into the morning. We had a noon time start and it stopped raining around 11am. It was also a little chilly. Course is pretty much an out and back loop. Started at race HQ with a moto lead out to a long segment on gravel roads. Climbed to some multi-use trails with a lot of ST mixed in. Rocks and roots were slippery, but not much mud. Was keeping a decent pace, however on the return trip, missed an arrow while hopping a log and started heading out again. Realized it after a mile and turned around. In the final approach back to camp, turn off the road for some tight, slimy ST that leads back into camp. Finished 2nd on the day. https://www.strava.com/activities/1005651249
Stage 2 – Enduro
Travel to Tussey Mtn Ski area for the 10am start. Group roll out to the trail head. Only the descents will count today, so ride between at your leisure. Like last year, there was a long wait for the 1st enduro. Weather was still chilly and damp. While waiting, hear the familiar English accent of State College resident and X-games BMX vert champ, Jamie Bestwick nearby. Enduro 1, 2 and 3 get you warmed up. Enduro 4 and 5 are both exciting and scary at the same time. Roll to the finish at a pavilion where Happy Valley Brewing is serving beer and the Philly Bike Expo ordered a bunch of pizzas. Finished 2nd. https://www.strava.com/activities/1006870635
Stage 3 – Tussey
Riding here in Rothrock is pretty much the #1 reason I came back. Group roll at 11:15am across Rt 322 to re-group at the start/finish in Kearns Campground. Start racing at 11:30am. A rain course was implemented by a request from the trail maintainers of Rothrock. John Wert Path was swapped out for a road leading to Tussey Mountain Trail. On the descent from Tussey, Happy Valley Brewing had a beer stop right before the descent. I joined the SSer’s, who had decided on Day 1 to not race anymore, for a beer. After descending the switchbacks of the last enduro, a loop around Colyer Lake was included. Seemed to be a newly built flow trail, similar to Nox or Raystown. Stop at the last aid station and catch up with a team mate. We ride together for some time, he drops me on an overgrown climb. Find him waiting at the finish. 2nd place on the day. https://www.strava.com/activities/1008673718
Stage 4 – Bald Eagle State Forest
Start is at camp HQ again at 11:30am. Similar start as Stage 1 using the road and ST near camp. Then head out on gravel to use the moto trails again heading to Enduro 1 through Seven Mountain Conservation Corp. Loop out and back with another trip through SMCC. On the way in, get overtaken by the 5 “not racing” SSers and we ride together through Enduro #3. Hit a road, both gravel and paved and paceline with the SSer’s, draft Dicky Dillen and Watts Dixon. They drop me on the next climb. Final stretch back into camp is a slimy, rooty off camber trail next to a stream. 2nd place again. https://www.strava.com/activities/1010481272
Stage 5 – Cooper’s Gap
Rains again all night and stops just in time for the race start. A rain course again. Dutch Alvin and Chicken Peter have been substituted with gravel and Enduro 1 is out too. After signing in, head for a short 1.5mi ride to the start on Stillhouse Hollow Rd. Rode out on the slimy trail we finished on yesterday. All riders need to cross a stream. After staging and a short climb, we bomb down Stillhouse as a group. The 1st Enduro down Sassafrass feels like it’s straight down. Can smell brake pads, then there’s a 90deg right that I’m overshooting and use a tree to stop and then it keeps going. Climbing back to the check point, it’s not much more to go. Find 2 team mates there. We hit the aptly named Beautiful Trail that leads to the pucker inducing last Enduro of No Name Trail. Gravel and paved roads lead back to Stillhouse, a climb that seems to never end. Settle in a make the climb without walking, which I didn’t do last year. Bomb back down to a stream and I hear a lot of voices. The SSers stashed beers earlier and were just hanging and heckling. Get a hand from a volunteer on the climb out of the stream and find a puddle of sealant under my rear tire. It’s less than 2 miles so hit it was CO2. Ride a little, goes flat, CO2 again. One CO2 left, so walk for a while. Once I’m close enough to camp, hit it was CO2 again and ride to the finish doing a wheelie. 2nd again. https://www.strava.com/activities/1011895555
Suns out, Memorial Day burgers and more beer from Happy Valley. Awards start at 4pm. Clean up and head back to HQ. Since there was only 3 Clydes, we weren’t included in the daily awards, so they took care of us on the last day. Stan’s No Tubes wheelsets for each of us.
Stage 8 commenced in front of our camp area. The not racing SSer’s showed. Can Jam, corn hole, and adult beverages.
Great time with these guys. Already thinking about 2018.
I wrote about my experience last year if you want to read it here. http://www.mtbnj.com/forum/threads/trans-sylvania-epic-2016.39878/
