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Race Report by Dave Longinotti Bear Trap Basin MTB Race, 2000 Drove all the way to Bear Valley in 1997 to do this race(used to be=20 in October, to find 1 or 2 feet of snow on the course).. I actually=20 went out and tried to pre ride the course and found out that HARD way=20 how Badly and MTB works on SNOW.. (It quickly becomes a single speed=20 when the rear cassette packs up with ICE!!!! Anyhow, the race was cancelled that year, and it NEVER has been well=20 attended, usually the WHOLE field has been like 10 or 15!!! But the race is great training for the other High Country Races, (the=20 24hours of Tahoe and Mammoth).. T The 'Old' Bear Trap Course has 14 mile lap with about 3000 feet of=20 climbing PER LAP.. The SPORTS did 2 lap.. Did I Mention the top of=20 the course is at 9000 feet. I have a long History in Bear Valley.. I've won 4 races in Bear=20 Valley 3 on pavement and the other a MTB race (My first)..I always=20 race a level higher there than at Sea Level, I'm not sure why.. Anyhow, the course starts in the Village of Bear Valley and has about=20 1 mile of pavement to Bear Lake where you enter a jeep road that=20 takes you up to the top of the Bear Valley Ski Area parking lot where=20 you enter a service road that goes the rest of the way to the Top of=20 the BEAR CHAR.. (Elev. 8700 feet) there( for you Skiers) you start=20 down a Intermediate run called Mokolomne West and then make a hard=20 left inter the 1track.. There is this WICKED off camber left just=20 SUCKS you off the course.. :Then there was the series of unmelted=20 snow banks that you had to CX over. After that comes the real single track. When I race this course in=20 1997 as a beginner I was pathetic in this part.. I had hoped to just=20 over whelm, but when you reach out to shake 'Mother Earth' she has a=20 way shaking you back. I was humbled, but still better than I was in=20 1997. The course deviates from the old 97 Terra Bear course and head=20 to the top of Corral Ridge (a pumice and Baby head nightmare) then=20 goes into the SNOWY FOREST and drops into Bear Trap Basin.. This=20 section was all Jeep Trail, but NOTHING like the East Bay, this is=20 MUTANT JEEP Trail where one rut is 3 feet higher than the other=20 ruts.. Oh, and there was 1.5 MILES of steep baby Heads in silt=8A=8A.. '''''""""" There there was more MUTANT JEEP ROAD until you finally reach "the=20 cabin" in Bear Trap basin. Then a moderate climb (7000 to 7500) out of the TRAP to the=20 top of Corral Ridge, but they you follow the ridge to 7800 the drop=20 thru the Mutant Single track a Granite boulder that II'msure the=20 experts can ride over by I have to run it, then another 1 mile of=20 Mutant Jeep trail to Hiway 4 and back to the Start.. Anywho, we Lined up the the start... ALLL TEN OF US!!.. There were 2=20 experts (Jeff Rappetti, and another dude, 5 Sports counting the Women, and 2 Beginners).. On the Pavement I tried to settle in on t;he wheels of the Experts,=20 but when we got to he School house, the grade gets slightly bigger, I=20 downshifted and they just DROPPED ME LIKE AROCK THIS SUCKS>> Onto the dirt, one of the Sports was ahead of me, but=20 not for long, 100 meterllater, he dismounted and so did I, I ran past=20 him and remounted. he seemed to be losing his "stuffing like the=20 stawman in Wizard of Oz".. a few yards later is a sharp left and the=20 jeep trail continues to climb to the Ski area.. The race in 97 went=20 the same way, I made that Left and suddenly my whole body felt=20 lighter and I was riding away from my class. I knew this was a VERY LONG race and I had to restrain myself on the=20 opening climb.. but at the top there was NO ONE in sight. (back in 97=20 there was a 35+ and ane 18+ 20 sec back. The climb to the top of the Ski Mt. is not technical although it=20 needs attention to the 'smooth' line. At the top of Mt, I was overwhelmed by the silence and the solitude,=20 I could see 1/2 mile back, there was no, and the flip side was that=20 the Experts were "UP THE ROAD".. That's OK, I know that Rappetti is=20 good.. Into t6her Single track, I was riding, well not as well as I would=20 have liked, but at least I was RIDING and not Waddling thru the hard=20 sections. Thru the ski area, over the LUNAR RIDGE and down thru the=20 snowy forest.. Then the ENDLESS SEA OF BABY HEADS.. At least I HAVE=20 TH TRACK OF THE EXPERTS TO FOLLOW.. Finally, at the bottom of the=20 course "the TRAP"..I wasstilll alone.. I( fgured if they haven't=20 cought me by now, I've won;. Thing is.. I still hjad 2 more hours to=20 race !!!!.. Zooo.. Up Corrl ridge.. more Baby head and silt.. then down thru the=20 Rock Garden and the more Mutant Jeep trail back to the Start.. I roll up the the finish line, as agreed, I rip off my camelback and=20 throw it and then bottle, BUT LINDA IS Sitting in her lawn chair=20 reading.. Oh, Oh did you want a bottle, she walks over to the car and=20 hands me the bottle, WHERE'dTHE OTHER CAMELBACK.. I'm Screaming....=20 (I'm the GODAMN LEADER AND THE Road or trail some freekin thing!!.. I=20 run around the Volvo, seize the other Camel Back putmy right arm thru=20 it, grab the bike with me left, fling it around my body as I'm=20 running up the course, ju mp on th ebike, and get my left arm thru=20 the Camel Back.. as I leap on the bike and I'm rolling up the road,=20 maybe 35 sec lost.. THE SPOUSE POINTS ARE POURING THRU A GAPPING WOUND AND I KNOW THIS..=20 IF I'D BEEN A RATIONAL BEING I WOULD BE WORRIED, BUT NO, I WAS THE=20 "LEADER ON THE ROAD/OR DIRT OR TRACK ... " AND NOTHING MATTER BUT=20 STAYING AHEAD OTHER 3 GUYS.. (I hopethis captures the "crystalline'=20 INSANITY of the situation)> Up[ the second lap, I keep feeling that the rear is going flat, I=20 keep hearing the soiunds of riders back.. I crest the top, I ride thru the snowy forest the endless babyheads,=20 but stranglesy, this time the fear and tentativeness is gone, the=20 mental chatter is silenced, the sound of my own breathing is=20 DEAFENING!!, the roacks are coming up thick and fast but I'm putting=20 the bike exactly where I want it to go, at the bottom wasthis wiced=20 right left.. But I say a line to the left that no one had ridden,=20 between two boulders off a a drop off, but the I lost concentration=20 and totallyh messed up the next corners.. Up the out of the Bear Trap=20 basin, I was losing concentratino, I was stalling out climbs that I'd=20 'cleaned before, but I made it out and down thru the mutant single=20 track and fire road. Back on the frontage road I was thinking.. Zipp up the jersey, get=20 ready for the victory salute.. But the finish line is rough and=20 bumpy, not suited ot putting both hands in the air.. I stop and say,=20 well,, I won the Sport Class right ( all ages).. and Velo Bob says=20 YES, but they ALL DROPPED OUT AFTER THE FIRST LAP, so YOU ARE THE=20 LAST RIDER>. My baloon DEFLATES>. I'm DFL!!!~.... I stagger to the cooler of soft drinks and grabl a water and a 7 Up.l=20 I thinking that I Screamed at LINDA for not having the bottle ready..=20 WHEN THERE WAS NO PURSUIT!!!!!.. I tell LInda.. that I guess I better=20 apologize, got to take drink, and I miss my mouth and pour 7up all=20 over my chest!!!!!
It was great course, and I'll doit again..
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