Roll Call: Desert 100

[SpeedyManiac]

My buddy bailed on me, so I'm coming down in my white 91 Toyota pickup (reg cab, long box). My bike has red plastics, ISDE graphics and #348 on the side panels, no number on the front number plate. Hopefully I'll see you guys down there!

[PEB]

What a great weekend. Me and at least 5000 others had a blast in what must be the Wildwest of dirtbike events. Had a blast riding and people watching all weekend. The race was fun but ended before it really got going.

The start of this race is the highlight of the weekend. Imagine dirtbikes lined up for as far as the eye can see in either direction. I heard 1000 entrants and it doesn't seem that far off. Everyone lined up waiting for the cannon to go off. When the cannon sounds its a race to the start gates over a mile away across the sage brush wasteland. The bike started right up and I was flying. I soon backed off and let others pass me, the whole kids and mortage thing leads me to think 75mph flat out through the virgin desert is not a wise idea. I finished the first lap in just under two hours and felt great going into the second lap. The second lap started out great and I was starting to make up ground. At the first road crossing I get off my bike right next to Reverup(Roscoe) told him his bike looked sweet and then we were off( it was the onle time I saw him all weekend.

I was right behind him for a couple miles and then the front tire went flat. 19 psi and tire slime was not enough. I rode for awhile with the flat and really had not slowed down much. ThenI washed out going into a corner and went out into the brush bouncing off various obstacles. At one point I heard a big ding b ut nbever laid it over. Back on the course and now I realize the front rotor is bent. Bike is ride able but I oculd see and hear the caliper shooting back and forth, end of the race for me. A couple of the dudes I went with finished in just about four hours which was 45 mins faster than last year and I was on pace with them. I guess there is always next year.

I saw a couple other Gassers but and talked to one guy with a blue 4t but can't remeber his name. The guy i rode over with was milling around wating to see how he placed so I saw most of the awards. He ended up 5th in the 30-40 class and in the top 20 o/a. While walking to the trophy presentation I saw Speedy's bike loade up. The handguard mounts for his flexbars are sweet, as are the ISDE sickers from Chile. I also happen to see him get a trophy for something and the anouncers noted he was 18th o/a, nice work!

I have vowed to actually train for this event, and others as my fitness level really limits me and look to finish in under four hours.

[SpeedyManiac]

Sorry I didn't see many of you guys there. I saw Roscoe (Reverup) and he pitted with me and my friends.

To give you a little background, last year was my first year at the Desert 100. My buddies have been coming down to it for years, but it always conflicted with exams at university. Finally, last year I was finished school and could see what all the buzz was about down in the desert. Needless to say it was a cool race, but unfortunately I crashed really, really hard which slowed me way down. Knocked myself out and broke my nose, but got up and still finished in 4 and a half hours, 200 and somethingth overall.

This year I was pretty apprehensive about the race. Of course I'm going to do it, but to be frank, it scares the crap out of me! The speeds are stupid high and the course is extremely rough so any mistakes usually end in broken bones and/or concussions. My plan this year was to cruise and finish the race without injury. I spent way too much time last year laid up with injuries, starting with the one at the Desert 100.

I lined up about 3/4 of the way down the line, giving me a pretty straight line to the gate. When the cannon went off, I ran to my bike, it started first kick (surprise! I usually take 2 kicks to start) and I was off before anyone else around me. I cruised to towards the gate, but got passed by a lot of crazies on the way there. I physically could go faster but mentally I wasn't there. I was probably around 40-50th to the smoke bomb.

Once out on the trail it took me probably 30 miles to find a rhythm. The course was smoother than last year, but still rough, dusty and dangerous. I got passed by a bunch of people and passed a few others. No crashes on the first lap and I felt pretty good physically. I think I was somewhere around 80th after the first lap.

Second lap out I decided to start picking up the pace a little instead of just cruising. I passed probably 10-15 guys in the first 6-7 miles. I felt pretty good and continued to pass some guys until we hit the mid section of the course. Early on, the course was mostly flowy singletrack and pretty smooth. After the creek crossings (which were all bridged) the course opened up and got a whole lot rougher for the middle 15 miles. Lots of whoops and just not a whole lot of fun. I had softened my forks the day before to try to get some relief on the rocks, but it made them too soft to really pound through long sets of whoops. If it was only 2-4 whoops, I was fine. More than that and I was bottoming out really hard (even with 0.45 spring) and getting into some scary swaps. After a few holy shit moments I backed down to my first lap pace. Coming through one wide open whoop section I heard a funny two-stroke, only to look over and see Roscoe coming up on me. I gassed it again and took off. My pride dictates I don't like getting passed by guys I know. :P I continued along, only to come up to one silty whooped out hill and see a couple guys crashed. I dodged right, only to bottom out on a whoop, hit a rock in the silt and go down. Stupid me. I got up and the only thing that hurt was my left elbow (I don't wear elbow pads). The bike was still running so I picked it up and tried to catch back up to Roscoe. After my crash I was all over the place and couldn't really settle into a rhythm. I tried going faster, slower, anything but I continued to bounce off everything in sight and feel like a total squid. I came up to one rocky hillclimb and started laughing. There was probably 30-40 guys at the bottom of it just staring at it, and then a few more stuck on the hill. I looked up and wondered what the big deal was since we make the junior racers up here ride way worse things than that. Me and my big thoughts. I took a run at it, only to have some asshat on a KTM cut in on my line. I dodged right, hit a rock and bobbled then went to dab and tipped over. When I went to dab, my leg cramped instead of extending and I lost my balance. That was humbling. I picked up the bike and went to get going only to trip over another rock and tip over again. Idiot. Finally I got up and pinned it up the hill and continued on my not so merry way.

Fortunately, the last 15-20 miles of the course was probably my favorite. I found my groove and started picking off riders again. This part of the course was really wide open and I found some smooth lines with minimal whoops that I could jump over. I cruised into the finish to find Roscoe just in front of me, just into the finish line himself.

PEB must be mistaken. I was 17th in the 250 class, not sure on my overall position (probably somewhere in the 80th to 100th range). My time was 3:31 and change. I must say, it was nice getting to the finish still seeing straight and not hurting too much. A few of blisters and a few sore muscles is a lot better than a concussion and broken nose (and 12 blisters was the count last year compared to 4 this year).

I must say I'm pretty stoked though. A bunch of us came down from BC to race the 100 this year. I'd say we did pretty well with these results:

Bobby Prochnau: 1st overall, 1st open
Ryan Durkee: 5th overall, 1st 250
Geoff Nelson: 7th overall, 5th open
Malcolm Hett: 13th open, not sure on his overall finish after crashing his brains out 80 miles into the race (he was running in the top 10 before crashing)
Eric Demoulin: 12th 250, unknown overall
Jon Mutiger: 4th 200, just ahead of me overall
Victoria Hett: 1st womens, ??? overall

Plus there was a few others that I don't know where they finished. I think pretty much all of the PNWMA racers finished in the top 100 or damn close.

Congrats to all of the riders and racers - it's a tough event and anyone who attempts it should be proud. Now, I'm going to throw this out. Next year I want to be in the top 30 overall. That's the goal, high speed and all.

[jostby]

I snapped a few photos and will upload them when I can. Glad to hear everyone came through unscathed for the most part! Sorry Speedy but like your name says you zipped by too fast, all I got were incomplete shots (didn't have time to adjust my zoom) and shots of you heading away, maybe your better side? haha. the pictures I downloaded I resized smaller. If any of you want all of your shots pm me and I will e-mail the full size pictures. I only stuck around until the leader (Bobby?) came by on his 2nd lap. I was just west of the uphill after the last(?) checkpoint.

[REVERUP]

First things first. I wanted to extend a huge thanks to Steve and his parents and friends for welcoming my wife and I into their pit. Also for helping my wife with the pit duty's. This is often an overlooked part of a race and can really dictate how a racers finish will be. I know this was probably a pretty lack luster race to pit and spectate as the dust was fierce and we only come by the pit once.
For me it was a huge advantage to see that bright red Gas Gas easy up on pit row through the chocking dust and pull right up while other racers had trouble finding theres. It was cool to meet Steve face to face. My wife thought I was gonna run him down with the truck as I was showing up in the morning looking for him.
When he spotted my bike he darted out in front of me to greet me. So any how Thanks all.

I didn't really know what to expect until I experienced this race first hand. Ya, I heard stories the good, the bad, and ugly. But they always sounded like fond memories coming from those that had competed in the event. I told my wife I wanted to do this race and she agreed, but only if I did it for fun and rode smart not blind in the dust as I have in the past. So I assured her I would and that was my game plan, be safe and have fun, don't do stupid stuff. After all I already had 2 broken toes from the prior weekends enduro.

I got to the line a bit late so I rode by the line of bikes propped up on sticks and kick stands. It was very intimidating seeing that many machines lined up for what must have been a mile. Went through the gate for my mark and was offered a stick for a prop but turned it down as us Gas Gas riders have the perfect self retracting kick stand for this type of start. Rode back down the line about a quarter and found a spot ,set up my bike and walked back to the barbed wire fence and waited for the start.

Out front of us open range, sage brush, rocks and un ridden land for what seems as forever. Way out a mile or more I could see the smoke and the two poles we were going to race to and what looked like hundreds and hundreds of ants to the left of that. These were the spectators hoping to catch a view of the leaders or the carnage of racers.

Boom!!! We were off running toward our bikes, I stumble and fall down. Pick myself up and get to my bike and kick her, no fire. A three kicker and I'm off, and to my amazement still beating the 2 guys on either side of me off the line. This is intense, flat out, bikes flying by you then literally guys flying off ejected, dust and roost and carnage, lots of carnage, crashing into each other etc.. Me I'm in that 40 yard stare of concentration haulin the mail and wham I find something in the open that kicks my rear end up and quickly reminds me to back her down this is for fun be safe. I get to the poles and it is a frickin Mosh pit and believe me I know first hand what one is, I have been in a few in my time. Bikes and bodies are ramming into one another trying to get the advantage. I see several almost get taken down in the mayhem. I believe I made it through the poles around 200th.

First lap was an eye opener, its rougher out there than I expected. Deep silt whoops, rocky loose climbs, along with I dare you to pin it longer straights. It was a real offroad motorcycle rodeo. I picked off many riders where I could and when vision would allow, passing as many as 4 or 5 in a whack.

The worst rock climb gobbled me up on my first lap attempt. A couple racers were stuck in the main trail line. I stopped for a second and in a quick decision thought I could ride up the right of that trail through the basket ball sized loose rock of the trail. Found out it was far steeper looser and bigger rocks than I thought when I was up there. Still almost made it but the loose rock caused me to nearly stall and ultimately lose momentum. So I jump off to save my exhaust and bike from imminent rock rash and bash. I had to push and clutch and slowly climb up foot by foot till on top. Exhausted I pressed on, but with less vigor for the next 5 miles or so until I got my wind back.

After many more miles of excellent racing I arrived at the pits and told my wife it was fun out there and she replied good job your in 100th place.They gassed me up and gave me fresh goggles and I was off. Now for the real fun, no one was in front of me for a ways, no dust, pin it and reel em in I thought. I was feeling pretty darned good and confident in my self and my bike, it was working for me the way I hoped. Yep even without a steering damper.

I caught and over took many riders on that second lap, some who were down on energy and others I just was flat faster than. I was so focused I never realized I had passed Steve or his buddy, not sure of his name. I do remember seeing Paul at the road crossing but did not have time for interdictions. I remember him saying, nice bike! I was shocked at first to see another Gasser, and then later put 2 and 2 together.

Then I got back to that nasty, now nastier rocky hill and there was at least 40 bikes caught up on it. I stop and survey the situation, right then a line opens up. I take it like if I don't make it it will be my death. Well its a good thing it wasn't gonna be my death cause I got near the top and either a rock or I kicked her out of gear, Raaaaaaagrrrrrr. Stopped dead! pushing and clutching again, exhausted finally on top, Steve's friend now catches back up and cleans the hill, pauses as he sees me gasping for breath and goes look at my hands and holds a hand up and his glove is ringing with blood. I too see a bit of blood coming through my glove. Thats how rough the dez is, very bad blisters are the norm. So anyways I take off after him trying to get my wind back keeping him in sight but I never could catch him. He was going pretty darned good for how sore his hands must have been. Way to suck it up man!

Pushed hard once I got my wind back, but managed to get passed and dusted in pit row as I took the final corner too wide, losing 3 places in a split second. Sitting in line, and up pulls Steve saying "imagine meeting you here"! Pretty cool.

The Stumpjumpers put on an epic desert event that would be hard for any club to top. Its one everyone should be fortunate enough to experience.

This was a very fun day. I had said before the race that I hoped to make the top 50, but it didn't happen this year. I'm thinking I was top 75 or so. I haven't seen an overall posted yet. I did end up finishing 19th in the open class out of 87 finishers which included many seasoned heavy hitters in that class. I finished the race in 3:31min I believe.

My wife took some photos and I will put them up soon. Might not happen until tomorrow, I'm pretty busy.

Roscoe

[jostby]

So who was racer #249 and 282? Reverup I'm guessing you were 249 as you were right behind Speedy on the first lap, must have been PEB sitting (282) taking it easy with his flat tire? I also saw a yellow GG 4-stroke(??) during the race but missed getting a picture.
You all have my respect on this one (bleeding hands?? Never happens to me while I watch YOU while holding a beer!) My kid thinks he's going to do it next year.

[REVERUP]

Sucks we did not cross paths out there Jeff. Next time!
Yep I was # 249. I see you got a couple shots of me and one of Elvis. Who is on the 05, looks like the day before maybe?

[REVERUP]

Here are the results for those interested.
Looks as if I came in 72nd overall and Steve in 73rd. Not to shabby when you see all those entrants.


http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?k...eiBCW9voYgZLOg

[SpeedyManiac]

FYI these was 852 competitors.

[REVERUP]

Ya Steve, and those were just the finishers. I heard a total of just under 1,100.

Roscoe