2008 Desert 100 - aka 100 miles of rocks and whoops

[SpeedyManiac]

Well, I'm back home after quite a weekend down in the desert. Here's a recap of the weekend:

We've had an exceptional winter up here in the Kootenays, and as a result haven't been riding much. I've been racing once (in Spokane on March 9th) and riding maybe a half dozen times on what little ground is snow free around here. Usually there's a big crew from the West Kootenay area (Nelson, Castlegar, Trail) that goes down every year but due to the late spring it was down to two of us, both new to the Desert 100.

My buddy Greg (KTM300XC) and myself were originally going to drive down Friday night but we were slow getting ready so we ended up leaving here Saturday afternoon. We arrived fairly late in Odessa after running errands in Spokane and trying to get dinner in Odessa, which was packed. Luckily, we found a parking spot close to the front and got setup (mainly, put gear bags under the truck, then unrolled our sleeping bags in the back). After a noisy sleep, thanks to inconsiderate people with loud generators we got up bright and early to get signed up and ready to race. Normally our races don't start until 11am-1pm so the 9:30am start was a lot different for us. As a result, we were quite rushed and left scrambling after the riders' meeting to make it to the start on time. Jostby (ggrider.org member) stopped by while I was madly tossing gear on so unfortunately I didn't have time to chat. Anyways, I made it to the start on time and got lined up along with 1200 racers between the two waves. I was racing the 250 class while Greg was in Open.

After waiting around for the cannon, we got off to what can only be described as one of the coolest starts I've ever experienced. I had a lousy start since I was slow to the bike and had accidentally left it in neutral but pinned it over the desert and passed a lot of guys going through the first gate. I was on a mission since Greg had got a great start and I definitely didn't want to hear him rub in beating me all the way back home later. The dust was brutal and my arms pumped up early so I kept a steady, consistent pace. This seamed like a good idea since a lot of guys were hitting the ground hard in the treacherous conditions. The terrain was a lot different than the Kootenays (wide open, flat, sage brush, lots of rocks in Odessa where as we have tight, technical singletrack with loamy soil at lower elevations and more rock higher up) but not too different from Chile. Chile had more sand, cactii instead of sage brush and a lot more elevation change. I kept up a decent pace trying to pass guys and avoid the dust. Coming through a choppy right hand bowl turn I got some whiskey throttle and quickly found myself on the ground facing backwards. I dusted myself off and picked up my bike while dodging oncoming riders. It was at that point that Greg came motoring by me, even though I didn't remember passing him. Turned out he had major arm pump so he dropped back before the first turn. I got going again and eventually got back into a rhythm, only to have my hand tape slip and the blisters started. I stopped for about 30 seconds to rip the tape off my hands because it was hindering my grip on the bike. This helped immensely and let me wick it up to full on race pace and I started passing guys. The rest of the lap went relatively smoothly with only a small crash in a silty rut slowing me down. The course was pretty cool, especially the techy sections down by the river and some awesome 3rd-4th gear singletrack near the end of the lap. The course was already starting to get hammered, so line choice was key.

I rolled into the pit area after around 2 hours (not spectacular, but I knew I could put in a faster 2nd lap). I was only a few minutes behind Greg which was fine since my parents said his hands were a mess and he didn't stop to fix them. I had a longer pit stop in order to re-tape my hands, which was a smart choice. The blisters were bad, but manageable. After a while the pain isn't noticeable so it's not bad for racing. I pinned it right away in order to make up time, and was feeling great. My suspension was a little stiff first lap so I backed off the compression on my forks and shock and it helped. I finally started riding like I know I can and was picking off riders everywhere. I made smart line choices trying to save energy, yet I could still hammer the whoops if need be to get around people. I was actually having fun! My hand tape slipped a little bit on my left hand but I still felt good. At the 25 mile mark (75/100 miles overall), disaster struck. I came through a choppy right hand corner and got a little squirrely. My left hand slipper, I compensated with my right hand then accidentally grabbed a handful of throttle. The next part is a little tough to piece together as I remember going 'Oh Shit' then waking up on the ground. I think the bike scooted out from under me, then somehow I either got a sage brush trunk or handlebar end in my goggles, popping out the lens, breaking my nose and knocking me out. I think I was only out a few seconds as a guy I had just passed was asking me if I was alright. I kinda shook it off, got up and picked up my bike. I wasn't feeling good and just stood there, then a couple sweepers came through and pulled my bike off to the side and stayed with me. I stopped seeing stars after a few minutes, so I pulled out my tool kit to try and straighten my bark buster and get the kickstand spring back on (that was the only damage from the crash, well, that and the tower for my steering damper was knocked loose, which I didn't notice until loading my bike back in the truck). I spent probably 15 minutes or so straightening out my head and bike and decided to continue with the race, just to finish.

The next 5-10 miles were pretty slow. I stopped at a first aid station to re-tape my hands so I could hold on to the bike. After that I slowly got back in a groove and picked up the pace. The whoops were taking a toll on me but I found smooth lines and got back up to race speed. I started picking off riders again in a vain attempt to get a decent finish. I loved the sections near the river and the rolling singletrack near the end of the course. I rolled into the finish feeling strong and could've gone for another lap. It would've been tough, but guaranteed I'd have made it. My total time is around 4 and a half hours I think, though I won't know until the results are posted.

After the race we packed up and made a B line back home to get some sleep before work Monday morning.

Notes:
-I'm now going to test a few different products for my hands since the tape is hit or miss.
-Greg beat me (darn it!) but hit a wall physically after about 80 miles. Not bad considering he hasn't ridden since mid-October last year.
-I'll be back next year to try and better my finish. I know I can get in the top 50, probably a lot higher if I can keep it on two wheels. My speed is there, but crashes really slowed me down.

Tally on body damage: broken nose, 8 blisters on my left hand, 4 on the right, mild concussion (not sure, I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow) and lots of bruises. I'm pretty sore today and unsure if I'll be racing in Kamloops this weekend (frustrating since it's a points event).

For anyone in the Northwest, I recommend checking out the Desert 100, even if you don't race. They have a cool poker run and dual sport ride and the whole weekend is a blast. Next year I'm going to go down Friday night to check out all the activities. In the mean time, it's time to heal up and get ready for the next races.

[Rick]

Speedy,

Great write up! Sorry to hear about the get off and the damage to the body....

[SpeedyManiac]

Doctor's diagnosis: nose isn't broken, but the cartilage is damaged where it joins the bone (it will be alright though) and I had a concussion. Looks like I'll be sitting out the Big Kahuna (PN race) this weekend since it'll be bad if I get another knock on my head.

[PEB]

That was a heck of a weekend wasn't it? It was my first time over at the 100 as well. I was blown away by the magnitude of the whole thing. We rode over 70 miles on Sat. so by about 3/4 of the way through lap one on Sunday my arms reached terminal arm pump. I had never experienced anthing like it. I went from passing everyone in front of me to barely keeping up. By about ten miles onto lap 2 I slowed down to something decidedly less than race pace. All those bikes I had gleefully passsed ealier passed me back and then some. I managed to hang on and finish in a dismal 5 hours.

Speedy, I am pretty sure I saw you and your bike along the side of the course. I slid to a stop just down the hill from you, you looked fine (must have been before the getoff) and I still was in the mindset that I was I an race not the Survival event it turned into for me.

I will return next year and come better prepared(in better shape!) All that passing and riding in a pack has got me thinking I should race more often, I got a real kick out of it.

Paul B

[SpeedyManiac]

Was my helmet off and did I have some tools and stuff out? If so it was after the crash and I was trying to straighten my bike out.

It's a cool race and I can't wait to try it again next year!

[flybars]

Hey Speedy, glad your ok. The Odessa 100 is something else. Lot's of friends from Cashmere go down there every spring and compete. Most come back with broken bones, but can't wait for next year's race. I've rode parts of the courses in the off season, but at 58 and only 5 or 6 years on dirtbikes, won't be in the Sunday race. U guys are crazy! If I can't see where I'm going, I like to hold back a bit before resuming forward progress. But at Odessa, U stop or slowdown and your gonna get hit most likely. Sometimes it rains just before the race and the river rises. Lots of drowned bikes.
Great write up Speedy! I'll have to get down there this next spring and do the easier stuff. Then watch the big one on Sunday. Bob