Girls On The East Side

Places to Go and Trails to Ride

2012-01-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

The list of mtb trips to go on keeps growing and it's all about finding the money, time and energy. I figure if I write them down I will be more apt to do them:
1. So Cal - Fontana, Viper trail, Santa Barbra
2. Whistler
3. Oregon Super D Series, Whoops trail, Black Rock
4. Duthie Park Washington State
5. The Whole Enchilada, Moab, RedBull Rampage

I am sure there is more, this is off the top of my head. I think it's a good start . . .

True Beauty Inc Sponsorship and Athlete Programs

2012-01-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

True Beauty Inc Sponsorship and Athlete Programs

Being In the Moment

2012-01-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I just want to look down. Mountain biking is all about looking ahead, anticipating our next move before we get to it. What we are doing right now has already happened, in a blink of an eye, and it does not matter as much as what lies ahead, which then passes in a blink of an eye and we're again looking ahead. It's a strange space to be in, not here right now, but always one second ahead. It sort of goes in-line with and against the peace we try to seek in our everyday non-riding lives. Live in the moment.

I am horrible with meditation, I say I am going to practice it, but I don't even know where to begin and I don't put any effort into beginning it. I do, however, try to practice being in the moment. Not letting my thoughts wander to anxiety about the future or regret about the past. Just right now. The perfect moment. I'm exactly where I am supposed to be doing what I am supposed to be doing. This, obviously, is not the practice of looking ahead.

I find both mountain biking and being in the moment a great practice for the brain, and the soul for that matter. But how to do both without them conflicting is sometimes conflicting. On my best rides I am energized and feeling aggressive - strong and intent. The focus it takes to be an aggressive rider is somewhat meditative, nothing else exists in that moment except for you and the trail and your bike and your breath, and I'll say it again - what lies just ahead. And what lies just ahead is constantly and rapidly changing. It's a perfect combination of being strong but relaxed. Relaxed enough to flow like water through the trail. Strong enough that your brain and body work harmoniously to muscle over and around obstacles that you only see as clear paths. It's trickery in a way. That is not a rock. Look beyond. That is a ribbon of path around that rock or that rock is now a launch pad into the next section of trail. Thank you rock for being such a great launch pad. It's not an obstacle it's only what is beyond.

Lately, in life, I've been practicing being in the moment and being satisfied with that moment. The other day I went out for a ride and all I wanted to do was look straight down. I did not want to look ahead or to think lightning fast. I did not feel the energy to have my body react spontaneously. I said to my friend I was riding with - these are the days I just need to hike. The problem, however, was I was not certain I was feeling that way until I got on my bike and tried to ride. And I say 'tried to ride' literally. I could not for the life of me get motivated enough to master some of the tricky sections of trail I had mastered a million times. I was paralyzed really, by fear mostly. Because I noticed if I'm not feeling particularly energetic or motivated suddenly that steep, rocky, narrow section seems very undesirable. This is not fun, this is not what I want to do right now and even though I may possess the skill the brain is very much in control. That's the thing with mountain biking, it is a mind-over-matter sport more than anything. If I put my mind to it, I CAN do it. It's convincing the mind to let go of reasonable or unreasonable fears. It is reasonable to be afraid to jump a gap. However, we desire to challenge ourselves and the thrill and satisfaction of achieving a new goal usually, hopefully, overrides the fear. And that's outside of the physical feeling of mastering a new trick or section of trail. A mountain biker knows when something feels right and when it doesn't and we all ride in pursuit of that 'right' feeling. Not to mention the endorphins and adrenal that we've all become addicted to when we are doing our sport and we are doing it well. The mind-body connection is unavoidable. And that brings me back to my original statement. Sometimes I just want to look down. It could be a variable brain chemistry thing, it could be something else going on that I am unable to put out of my head. But it is an uneasy feeling for someone who is normally driven to wanting to achieve and master. After two or three rides like this I start to wonder, will I get it back? Will I always feel this unmotivated, will I always just want to look down instead of looking ahead?

I am sure the answer is no. Just as sure as I am in this moment right now. For now, I will accept and resign myself to look at what is right in front of me. Life is a balance - work, family, relationships, me. Sometimes I need to jump off that tight-rope and just sit. Nothing happens when I sit. Maybe nothing is supposed to happen right now. And then after some time sitting I will be ready to look ahead. Look fast and strong and look ahead.

Season Finale

2011-09-28T08:50:00.001-07:00

The Tara Llanes Classic MEGA DH ('mega downhill' must be enounced in a baritone monster-truck-rally-announcer's voice. MEGA DOWNHILL. It's unavoidable) was the perfect way to cap the Northstar Downhill Series for the summer. Bringing in 200 racers and loads of vendors this is the 5th TLC running with Tara herself MC'ing the event that has a great vibe.

The meganess in the Tara Llanes Classic lies in the fact that this course is almost twice as long as any other DH course - 10-13 minutes - with a nice lung-busting, leg-burning climb a few seconds into the race. Although the climb is merely a gap in time when it feels like your wheels are just standing still as you try to power your heavy, squishy-travel bike up soft powdery dirt, it got a lot of talk. Some competitors chose to ride their lighter all-mountain weapons and even spotted was a (gasp) skin-suit sported by pro-men's first place finisher Ryan Condrashoff. But obviously the dude knew what he was doing.

For most of us regarding bike selection and outfitting the climb took a back seat to what lay ahead on the descending trail, Sticks & Stones. This is a trail that lives up to its name. The dirt is loose-as-fook in the top section, sinking into corners and riding the slide. There a few drops off logs and because it's Northstar, always rocks, which then descends to the lower section into rock-garden-palooza - trying to make a clean pass through a particularly gnarly rock-garden was my highlight challenge of the day. The course then shoots the racer out to a speedy ending through the newly restored (nice job trail crew!) Datona Berms off the wooden-feature stadium jump to an all-star fly into the finish line. Way fun! And by the time the racer is at the bottom it seems the climb at the top is a distant memory, far removed by all the other radness encountered on the trip down the mountain.

Lending to the good vibe at TLC is its mission with proceeds being distributed between the Tara Llanes Road to Recovery Fund and the Reeve-Irvine Research Center to find a cure for spinal cord injury. Tara doles out the awards and gives hugs. Friends that have raced together all season are there for the last and final and tons of new faces who have traveled long and far all co-mingle. The vendors are there to show off their new products and offer support - much thanks to the Specialized tent for bleeding my SRAM brakes on my Santa Cruz V10 just minutes before I had to be at the start gate. Big thumbs up!!And here's the lowdown on the women's podium:
Female Open
1. Abigail Hippely 10:59
2. Robyn Embrey 11:11.4
3. Tasa Herndon 11:30.9
4. Adrienne Schneider 11:42.4
5. Rosemarie Daiek 12:18.7
6. Miranda Carr 12:46.4
7. Jaclyn Paaso 13:20.0
8. Mary Moncorge DNS (unfortunately Mary had other matters to tend to - her boyfriend's shattered wrist from practice)

Female Sport 29 and Under- a slight course variation from the Open competitors so times don't compare
1. Shanna Carlen 12:00.7
2. Anna Wigandt 13:43.7
3. Morgan Howe-Cobb 13:49.0
4. Allie Sorrensen 17:43.5

Female Sport 30+
1. Brooklyn Dewante 13:00.0
2. Kirstie Douglass 13:35.3
3. Marika Holmgren 15:49.0
4. Ivy Lui 16:13.1

Adventures in Ashland

2011-06-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Two races back-to-back in the past month have been held in Ashland, Or and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to ride! The trails are really well built; twisy, jumpy, tacky and berm-a-liciuos!!! all winding through a beautiful canopy of trees.

The first race was the Spring Thaw DH that only one of us from GOES (our new acronym for Girls on the East Side. Like it??) competed in. It was cold and snowy/rainy on race day but I managed to take 1st in my category and 2nd fasted woman on the mountain of the day earning me $100! (This well covered my race entry but not quite the travel expenses. Still, getting money for winning a race felt like a pro for a half-of-a-second, hehe). As usual I raced with some really great women and am glad to get to know more new rad lady shredders.Did I mention it was snowing/raining . . . and it was really c-c-c-cold? I sat in the car after my pre-race practice run wrapped in a sleeping bag and couldn't even take my helmet and goggles off because I was too shivery.Our second race, four weeks later, was the super fun Super-D. We started at the top of Mount Ashland and raced our way 12 miles through several different terrains, including Catwalk my new favorite trail that we raced in the Spring Thaw. Tina and I were the two GOES that represented and placed well in a tough category. Tina taking 6th and I seconds behind placing 8th. I wasn't feeling so great on race day - tired and a bit of a headache/sore throat but pushed through and managed to have a blast despite it all. Our plan for next year is to put in more XC training miles well in advance of the race because of the nauseating climb and for me - more rest!!! (and perhaps my own private room. Five of us crammed in a crappy hotel room with bikes, luggage, and what not and all were snoring and farting around me. Sheesh!!).

My new buddy that I see around at some of the races shot this photo. I look like I'm about to laugh because I think I am . . . all these guys on the side of the trail with beer cans lined up in a pattern and someone shouts my name. What, who? Oh, I can't let my concentration break. I've descended now to the Cinderella trail and it is steep and loose with tight berms and hoppy ruts . . . must concentrate, must not laugh, almost to the finish line!

After our race day on Saturday we spent Sunday exploring a few new trails down the mountain and I am now convinced that Ashland is the greatest place to ride . . . we'll be back sooner than later for sure!View from the top of Mount Ashland. There was snow at the top and warmth at the bottom. The trails finished at beautiful Lithia Park.

World Cup Schedule 2011

2011-06-02T08:44:00.000-07:00

2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
April 23-24: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (XCO/DHI/4X)
June 4-5: Fort William, Great Britain (DHI/4X)
June 11-12: Leogang, Austria (DHI/4X)
July 2-3: Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec, Canada (XCO/DHI/4X)
July 9-10: Windham, New York, United States (XCO/DHI/4X)
August 6-8: La Bresse, France (DHI)
August 20-21: Val di Sole, Italy (XCO/DHI/4X)

2011-01-28T18:53:00.001-08:00

2011-01-11T20:10:00.000-08:00

Tammy Donahugh's Summer 2010 from Tammy Donahugh on Vimeo.

MTB'ing As an Art Form

2010-09-29T21:03:00.001-07:00

It seems mountain biking is such an art form because you don't see things as they really are. Instead of rocky, root strewn ground you see a line, a distinct path through the patterns -- and maybe something tricky to play off of -- that your eye and your tire follow before your mind even commands them to. Instead of a thread of trail outlining a cliff's edge you see in a-half-of-a-heart beat a sturdy monorail that your bike is naturally hooked to. Mountain biking is fast and slow at the same time. In what else that we do could this condition possibly exist?

Last Super D of the Season

2010-09-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

The adventure began before we even got on our bikes. Once we reached the top of the Zephyr lift the trucks and vans were waiting for us racers to take us to . . . bumm, bumm, bummm . . . the very top of the mountain. Our bikes were tossed (in our minds they were tossed. Someone made a comment about 'bike spaghetti.') into the backs of vans and eager, mindless riders piled into SUV's with no seats in the back. Up terrain that looked like you should only ride your bike down we bounced our way around the back side of the mountain to make the climb to the top. The ride was so bumpy that one of the racers, our new friend Roxy, bounced so high her already unstable shoulder popped out of socket. The van stopped while a few riders got out and collectively popped the shoulder back without so much as a squeal from Roxy. She still raced, placing 3rd.

Once at the top, our nerves now taking over, we lined up ON OUR BIKES for our mass start - yay, not La Mans style! Off the line I was the third girl out of ten. I really wanted to hold my position so even though the dust from dirt-thick-as-could-be coming off the first two riders was choking out my vision I tried to stay fast. I could only see the top of Adrienne's, the rider in second, helmet in front of me and I kept my eye on her helmet's movement -- if the helmet went up, set- up for an obstacle, if the helmet tipped sideways, crouch in position for a turn. It was that way for what seemed a long time but I am sure was only a minute until we hit thick, thick dirt single track that was on a slight upgrade. The pedaling was nauseating and I could hear Tina, who was on her light xc bike, coming up behind me. I could also see Adrienne, on her heavy DH bike, slowing down. Stuck between the two I held my own back down the familiar side of the mountain and in to rocky, silty terrain. I was keeping good speed until a wipe out in a sharp, rutted out corner sent me over the handle bars. . . I was cussing like a sailor when Tina (sport class) and Molly (pro) stumbled past me. Damn it!!!! I vowed to catch them and quickly overcoming the mental aspects of the crash I sped up to them on the ladder bridge where Tina had dove off because of two flat tires. I passed her slowing down to ask if she was alright and hearing a word I am sure was "fine" I kept in hot pursuit of Molly, now the rider in front of me. The rest of the rocky, twisty race I was pushing it, but not as hard as I know I have in the past. I think I was a little worn out from a long week of work, but still, I made a strong finish through the technical, but 0h-so-fun bottom of the run to place 1st in Sport class (finishing behind all three pro's).

It was a great run for a last race . . . I am just sorry for Tina who flatted out. Big bummer! At least she took it like a sport. Hopefully next year we can say 'she took it like a pro.'

FUN

2010-09-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

See Jane Jump Festival -- DH work-shop, all ladies, with pro coaches. I wannna go, I wanna go! Next year.

See Jane Jump 2010 from Darcy Turenne on Vimeo.

Funny

2010-09-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

I love this video (Darcy Turenne) and I love Dakine gear . . . sponsorship one day maybe??

True Travel Love from Darcy Turenne on Vimeo.

2010-09-08T09:14:00.003-07:00

Took a nice long XC ride yesterday evening . . . oh my aching muscles. It hurts so good.

Race Weekend

2010-08-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a race weekend extravaganza at Northstar . . . ok, well not that dramatic, but it was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work with a case of the nerves mixed in.Practice run Live Wire Classic, Sunday Sept. 29, 2010: Taking it easy, testing out the legs.

Friday evening was the Super D -- the race started with a nice fat stretch of lung & leg burning pedaling, ugh. The Le Mans start had me in second place when we hit the twisty, pedally single track. The lead girl was a xc racer who admonished the rest of the girls before the race to "hold back at the start to save some for the end." Then she took off like a shot, hahaha. Nice. Unfortunately none of us were ever able to catch that tricky girl. I was still holding second when I arrived at the fun downhill part of the course, the upper section of Karpiel. Karpiel is a double-black diamond that I had never ridden before, especially not on the Nomad. However, once I got over my intimidation it turned out to be the most fun section of the course (can't wait to ride it again. I'll wait until I get my DH bike to ride the lower section which is much nastier with steep rock gardens and drops and such). The dirt was loose and there was a bit of sliding around but all-in-all the course was in good condition. From Karpiel we hit a section of Pho-Dogg I had never ridden before -- fun also! Then on to twisy, rocky, flatish Woods - technical, tough and challenging, finishing on fast, smooth Deer Path (back to rocky, twisty a bit at the end on Lift Line -- one of my favorites). Having a blast and pushing it as much as I could I came in 1st in Sport class and was thrilled!

Live Wire Classic, Race photo

After resting up a bit on Saturday, Sunday came and the big Live Wire race was on! I learned something comparing these two races 1) Don't put too much pressure on a race, the nerves will break my concentration 2) I need a little alone time before a race to get inside my head. [Friday I had no expectations and about two hours alone before the race to get warmed up and in the right space]. I felt pretty good during my race run, but definitely made a few mistakes which cost me valuable seconds and I definitely could have pushed a little harder -- although, after comparing notes, you feel like you're spent at times on the course. The track could not have been in more perfect condition! A nice rain the night before left the course super tacky but not muddy at all. It was bliss. It was quite chilly waiting almost two hours at the top for our start time (too much time to get the nerves going and too many people to find any time inside your head). Even though I wish I could have raced a little faster and gotten about 15 seconds better time, I have to say - wow! it was fun. I love riding Live Wire -- and next year there is another race and I can correct the mistakes I felt I made this race (not enough speed into the jumps, faster in the corners, keep LOW the whole time). Next year I will also have a dedicated DH bike which will help out considerably. Until then my awesome Nomad got me through two races this weekend with a 1st & 4th place. I even got new tires put on her just for the weekend -- Minions -- and as Mike at ABW says, "Minion's are the shit!!!" I quote. I also agree.

The thing I also enjoyed about this race weekend was not just the riding and the pushing and challenging myself to bigger and better things, but the atmosphere. No other sport I have been involved in before has the camaraderie been so fantastic. Everyone is happy on a bike and the women in the sport reach out to each other. It is amazing. I made more new friends this weekend and they are fun, super-chill women. Just the kind I like to hang with. And I admire them for how they push themselves. Monday, I was tired, I could barely get out of bed . . . and it was so worth it! We'll be racing again in a few weeks - the final in the Super D series and maybe even the Boondocks DH race on a borrowed bike. We'll see . . . I'll keep you posted.
p.s. - Tina was unable to race the Super D and came in 2nd in Live Wire. Woot, woot. Go Tina!
Marianne is kicking ass developing a strong leadership presence with NorCal and the Placer Foothill Mountain Bike Club. Very impressive ladies, very impressive!

Race!

2010-08-24T10:46:00.001-07:00

Two races coming up this weekend: Friday the Super D and Sunday Liiiiivewiiiire (aka Livewire Classic) . . . three days and counting.

2010-08-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

Wow. . .

Storming Northstar

2010-08-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

Today we stormed Northstar, or actually, Northstar stormed us. First run down and it started hailing, followed by pouring rain and then thunder and of course next came the lightening. The lifts were shut down and the only way to get in a second run was by pushing your big DH bike up to mid-mountain and catch "Lift-Line" run -- which several of us riders who couldn't get enough did. But before we called it a day and gave in to the weather, we captured a few small jaunts on photo and video . . .

If you can see way down the road you'll notice all of us sad sacs pushing our bikes up the fire road . . . we must ride! Thanks T for letting me borrow the 951, that bike rules the school!!

kd

Super D #1 Northstar

2010-07-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday kicked off the first race in the Super D series for Tina and I up at Northstar. After compartmentalizing our day -- working in the morning, getting into race mode in the afternoon -- we headed up the hill and the butterflies started. I found that laughter really is the best medicine and once we started cracking jokes the tension melted away . . . that's the ticket.

However, things didn't go so smoothly for me once we got on the mountain. My Lyrik fork was just rebuilt by a local bike shop the day before and while it seemed a little stiff on first impression, I really didn't have time to give it a good test run until my practice run where I found out I had about one inch of travel! I was cussing like a sailor the whole way down and not even sure I was going to race at that point. When I was supposed to be up at top of the course at the mandatory race meeting I was down at the bike park's quickie bike shop -- although they didn't have the time and resources to perform a real fix on the fork, they took care of me by taking some air out of the fork and putting some lube around the dust seals. This got me to about four inches, not quite the ride I'm used to, but still I decided to head up the mountain to attempt to race anyway. Arriving late I was happy to find they still accepted me and in a few minutes I was lined up for the (lame) Le Mans start to the race.

After a false start (I heard the word "GO" and me and another girl started running, even though the guy was still only explaining the rules -- oops. No harm) I took off like a shot and managed to be the first girl to reach her bike, flip it over, jump on and take off towards the dusty, rocky, loose single track that would be our challenge for the next 20 minutes or so. There was one length of flat fire road in between and that was where I was passed by a super-fast xc girl. I vowed to catch her on the DH but was met with one more bike malfunction - chain jump. After another session of cursing I had the chain back on the ring and was back on my bike, but alas unable to catch her. The rest of the ride was quite the arm pumping, leg pumping challenge with plenty of technical sections and twisty turns.

Tina, who for her own bike issues had to ride her heavier DH bike, caught up to me at one point and we got lost for a minute which didn't help in my quest to take the lead - it was a confusing course for sure!! After all was said and done I was very happy with a second place finish, Tina in third. It was a great race overall and we even made a new riding buddy, Roxy from Oakland. Looking forward to the next race -- and getting my Lyrik dialed in!!

New Trails at Squaw (these photos are not from there)

2010-07-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I rode with a really fun group up at the new bike park at Squaw Valley, Tahoe . . . it was crazy and beautiful . . . and unfortunately we did not get any photos. Although the photo ops were great, no one had a camera, or would have wanted to get off their bikes long enough to take a picture for that matter.

So, totally unrelated, here are some photos taken on the confluence trail in the canyon just beyond my house. These were taken on a nice, hot, dusty Sunday morning. . . Northstar Super D race in five days and counting!

kd

Megavalance -- we should try it!

2010-07-11T20:08:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to click on the square in the right hand corner to make it full screen (like I forgot to do). Enjoy!

Skill and Fitness

2010-07-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

You hear those two words a lot when you talk about mtbing: skill and fitness. Yesterday on my way home from working in Reno I stopped at Northstar for a few hours. It was a relaxed day because I had not gone up with any of my friends to ride and it was a second-hand trip to my business trip in which I did the presto-chango from business suit to freeride clothes in the parkinglot after a 10 minute nap in the driver's seat of my Highlander.

It was a great ride! Working Livewire with run after run was a blast in progression. Then I decided to pedal across the mountain to the trail we had ridden in the first-ever Super D at Northstar last year (right before I shredded my knee for the season. yikes!). Flameout is the name of the trail . . . and it is brutal. I now remember why I was so whooped after the race last year. That trail is 20-25 minutes of t-e-c-h-n-i-c-a-l (if you really want to spell out a word that long). It is physically and mentally punishing and makes you cry out for the smooth, flowy, easily-launched-in-the-air ride of Livewire. I was beat up after Flameout. At least in DH you have gravity to help you overcome obstacles (albiet I don't hit the big features in trails like Boondocks. Talk about demanding) . . . but this course it's you and rocks and twisty, narrow single track and gravity isn't always there to lend a helping hand. Sometimes sheer brutal pedaling speed is the only way to attack. It is quite equally demanding of both skill and fitness . . . and in this Super D season which starts July 23rd, I look forward to crushing it.

MTBing: The Adventure Art

2010-07-05T14:51:00.000-07:00

It's hot and dusty and summer riding is in full swing.

Sorry we haven't been posting lately but we've been out living adventures.

Marianne has left for Sweden (her home country) and is living the good life visiting friends and family and swimming, kayaking and biking around scenic lakes. We miss you Marianne and are a tad bit jealous simultaneously. That happens. Before she left she rode the Pioneer trail out of Nevada City -- can't wait for her to come back and show us the way.

I, Kirstie, have been off seeking new trails and adventures. I met a really nice couple at Sea Otter and connected with them for a kick-ass ride in Ukiah, Ca. They were generous enough to take the day off and show me some of their DH trails. The first one rocked hard -- steep, (but a bit loose), windy, jumpy. It had it all. The next trail was a true freeride adventure -- complete with harrowing experiences. They said it was a new trail their buddies had built but as we skid our way down a steep, shrub encrusted mountain-side any semblance of a trail disappeared. We found ourselves lost -- for about three hours -- basically managing our bikes down the mountain as opposed to riding. Once we found our way down the shaley mountainside, out of a waste-high weeded hillside and through the backyard of a farmer's house, down his private road and out to finally find our vehicles we kissed the ground and celebrated what is to go down in history as a great adventure. (It's always nice to look back and say how much fun that was although while you're going through it you're cursing the circumstances you have put yourself in). A few days later I found myself off to Northstar with Tina and we had a BLAST! I went back the next day to watch the National Pro GRT race but was too pooped to really ride much -- did a little. And this past weekend found me on a late night drive up to Downieville to spend the night in the back of a pick-up truck -- ahhh, open air sleeping is the best!! The riding was glorious the next day, although the amount of snow at the top on Sunshine was a little wearing to slog through. We were warned but chose to forge our own path -- occasionally getting lost. I love Downieville for the riding (excellent!), the scenery (spectacular) and companions you meet on the way (always friendly). Definitely DH MTBing is the friendliest sport I've participated in so far. Today took me on a challenging XC ride through the back trails of Applegate -- Hermet Hut trail, always a good one!

Tina's been busy too. Besides our incredible day of riding at Northstar, this past week her and I rode the fun, fast, flowy part of FHDL loop and enjoyed ourselves the whole way. She's out kayaking today after a Confluence ride. I can't wait to hear about her adventures.

There is no shortage of great stuff to ride. We've even found two new trails in Auburn that are begging to be better explored by the Girls. Time is the only barrier. Balancing life with riding is an art and we are always perfecting our art. And we are loving it!

2010-06-08T22:33:00.001-07:00

Did I mention I met the Athertons in the med tent at Sea Otter . . . what, only once or twice? Oh, ok then.

In Case You're Wondering

2010-06-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

World Cup DH MTB Schedule

2010 World Mountain Bike Calendar

May 15-16: World Cup DHI #1 & 4X #2, Maribor, Slovenia

June 5-6: World Cup DHI #2 & 4X #3, Fort William Great Britain

June 19-20: World Cup DHI #3 & 4X #4, Leogang, Austria

July 24-25: World Cup XCO #4 and DHI #4, Champéry, Switzerland

July 31 - August 1: World Cup XCO #5, DHI #5 and 4X #5, Val di Sole, Italy

August 28-29: World Cup XCO #5, DHI #6, and 4X #6, Windham, New York, USA

August 31 - September 5: World XCO, DHI & 4X Championships, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada

From Race Pace To Going the Distance

2010-06-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Two days in a row of riding with the ladies and the elbow is feeling fine . . . the fracture is just a distant memory. Time now to get the muscles back in riding shape -- Northstar should be opening soon! Sunday the ladies and I climbed our usual butt-kicking climb to the top of one of our favorite trails (which may be the site of a super fun Super D race course coming soon if the race promoter can get past a few recently encountered snags). At the top of the trail I was challenged by a random dude who was riding with a friend -- he saying he had only ever seen two girls riding a Nomad before and I was the second one. He wanted to see what I could do on that bike. I tried to say I was just coming back from an injury but after a good long group discussion about bike set-up and components I decided no more sitting and talking and 'no excuses' and took off -- with Tina, two random dudes and Marianne on my tail. I flew! I don't think I have ever ridden the Culvert trail so fast or so precise -- or ever had that much fun on it! It seems the key to speed on that trail is staying loose and flowy in the rutted sections, having a good lean in the corners (and letting the rear drift a bit) and using the small jumps and rocks to launch into the next section. After pausing at a common pause-area the gentlemen passed by with a 'niiiice job' and we waited for Marianne who had experienced technical difficulties along the way. Victory was had!

The next day Marianne and I set out on a completely different ride. I took my son's new awesome XC bike, a Giant Trance x2, and Marianne and I rode what will become known as the Cross the Canyon Waters' Edges Ride -- or some name more more clever when we think of it. It was a new loop for us that we invented along the way. We started at the bottom of the canyon at Mammoth Bar by the edge of the middle fork of the American River . . . climbed up Ranch trail, up Ranch Dressing Trail until we crossed Foresthill Road then headed down Doc Gordon's road (a big breezy fire break trail) cruising down 1.5 miles to the stunning Upper Lake Clementine. We enjoyed the serenity at Clementine's water's edge for a few minutes until we made the leg-pumping climb back up and over and down Stonewall to the other side. Back to where we started. It was a beautiful tour of the canyon -- the foliage was green and the wild flowers still blooming thanks to all this late in the season rain and a touch of humidity. It was quite the loop. And it pooped me out. I was toast the rest of the day. I'm sure that ride helped me get my bike riding legs back though. Both rides did in their own way -- Two totally different rides on two different bikes in two days. How lucky am I? Pretty darn lucky!

Maribor World Cup Results

2010-05-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes-local pro-rider Joanna Petterson placed 13th in the first World Cup DH race held in Maribor, Slovenia. Congratulations!

And you should really read Rachel Atherton's account of the race by clicking on her post in our Blog List to your right --> . . . you might want to grab a cup of coffee, or beer, or wine, or beverage of your choice and settle in first. The read is worth it.

Maribor World Cup: Women's DH final full results

Women	Time	Diff
Women	Time	Diff
1 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain Bicycles	3:39.59	0
2 Emmeline Ragot (Fra) Suspension Center	3:39.90	0.31
3 Floriane Pugin (Fra) Iron Horse-Kenda-Playbiker	3:43.33	3.74
4 Céline Gros (Fra) Morzine-Avoriaz 74	3:48.08	8.49
5 Mio Suemasa (Jpn) www.funfancy.jp	3:50.66	11.07
6 Myriam Nicole (Fra)	3:55.17	15.58
7 Emilie Siegenthaler (Sui) Scott 11	3:59.20	19.61
8 Fionn Griffiths (GBr) Norco World Team	4:03.87	24.28
9 Tracy Moseley (GBr) Trek World Racing	4:06.05	26.46
10 Miriam Ruchti (Sui) Team Vario Racing	4:07.12	27.53
10 Claire Buchar (Can) Chain Reaction Cycles/Intense	4:07.12	27.53
12 Anita Molcik (Aut) Yeti	4:07.52	27.93
13 Joanna Petterson (RSA) Commencal USA	4:08.81	29.22
14 Jessica Stone (GBr) 2Stage Factory	4:09.06	29.47
15 Petra Bernhard (Aut)	4:15.39	35.8
16 Melissa Buhl (USA) KHS	4:16.77	37.18
17 Caroline Sax (Fra)	4:30.87	51.28
18 Fanny Lombard (Fra)	4:33.14	53.55
19 Emma Atkinson (GBr)	4:58.35	1:18.76
20 Sophie Borderes (Fra)	5:18.66	1:39.07

Back On Bike

2010-05-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Man what a feeling. To be back on a mountain bike. Yesterday I got back on the trail and rode, really rode for the first time since the fracture. No doctor's note required -- we know what our bodies need and can handle. Mine told me it was time to ride. The first section of single track on the Culvert trail was a little harry. I didn't remember the line being so rutted out and I could feel the chatter in my elbow, but nothing that was telling me to stop. When Tina and I got to the end of the Culvert trail I said to her, 'when were there so many rocks involved in mountain biking?' Haha, we had a good laugh. And then I followed 'Her Quickness' down Clementine and I marvelled over every section of the trail. Wow! What a feeling. My legs were burning, my lungs were working and my heart was beating right out of my chest. I'm sure my heart was pounding not just because I've gotten a little-out-of-mtb-shape but because I'm so in love. So in love with mountain biking.

See you out there!

Sea Otter Was Classic

2010-04-27T21:44:00.001-07:00

(Photo of practice run before race shows me riding with a yet undiagnosed fractured elbow -- ouch!)

Sea Otter Classic 2010 had us hoping for the best this year. We started out missing one girl from the Eastside so only two were going to represent. (One girl got a brand new totally bitchin' [yay, 80's slang] Intense 951 as a trade off. Sometimes those decisions have to be made). The other two of us signed up for a race we were not yet familiar with at Sea Otter -- the Super D. We went in not knowing what to expect and one came out pleasantly satisfied. If this post seems all about numbers 1,2,3 -- it's because it is: Three talked about racing, two went to the race, and one ended up racing.

I started out Thursday practice on an absolutely gorgeous day out at Laguna Seca all by myself -- no one from my group showed up until that evening. The course was more than perfect. It was fast, flowy, jumpy, challenging but not too rutted-out. Riders lined up for practice runs chatting excitedly with each other, happy to be together where bike lovers/geeks/enthusiasts come from all over. I met local people, people from Florida, people from Nashville. It was awesome! I was feeling really good on my bike too and focused on having a great ride. I wanted to get in as many runs as possible so I figured I'd hang out on the DH course most of the day.

First run, I got familiar with the course -- and as I mentioned, it was fun! Second run, was probably my best of the day and I felt totally at one with this course and my beloved bike. I was getting really excited for the race on Saturday. Third run, I was surprised at how I was already feeling tired. It's amazing how much physical and mental strength and stamina a three minute course demands! It totally blows my mind and is very hard to explain to some people who couldn't understand -- how long is race, they ask? About a mile, I say. Uhhh, is there response. I explain it's like a sprint, a very intense, high skill level sprint. The mind and body are working very quickly and powerfully together (I usually don't give that much information). What can I say, I'm in love with the sport.

It was my fourth run where I crashed on a gap jump. I'm not exactly sure what happened. I mean I know that I decided to land on the right side of the jump and that the landing was off-camber, but it happened so quickly that I was tossed to the ground, sliding across the dirt on my full-face helmet. Thank you helmet. I let my body go limp -- you know that feeling when you know you are not going to pull out of a crash so you just surrender to lessen the torsion of your body at impact (learning to crash . . . it is one of the skill levels). The pain was immediate but the endorphins were high and I didn't realize that I needed to go to the medical tent until about an hour later. Once I got home an x-ray confirmed a fracture in my right elbow.

To spare the reader any more details, I opted not to race in either race, the Super D or the DH. I made a practice attempt at the DH before the race and the course was very choppy now compared to Thursday and I decided since I couldn't ride to my full potential and that I would listen to the pain, I wouldn't race. I was beyond disappointed about the DH race, but had to tell myself "there's always next year." And there is. I got excellent care from a totally hot intern in the medical tent. (In fact he emailed me and asked if he could use my case for his class presentation. Go for it dude). I got to meet Rachel, Gee and Dan Atherton in the med tent. Dan actually gave me some riding tips and the greatest smile ever. (Thank you Dan!). So, Sea Otter, like anything in life, is what you make of it. And what you take away from it. I chose to take away a great experience (although Friday I was suffering quite a bit) and continue learning from this classic year at Sea Otter.

Healing is going really well. I'll be back on the bike again soon!

Jump Session #1

2010-03-27T17:40:00.001-07:00

Today was all about clearing that one gap jump at the top of Culvert Trail.

We took a few practice runs at it . . . and then hit it and cleared it . . .

and then cased it. Then it turned into a flat changing (and broken chain fixing) session as we tallied up three collective flats for the day. Jumps and flats -- all in all it was a good start. Now we are readying for Jump Session #2.

MTBing is the Best Medicine

2010-03-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

When the weight of the world is on your shoulders and you're having difficulty pulling out of a funky mood . . . there's nothing like getting on your bike for a quick skip and hop down a beautiful trail to set your world straight and put a huge smile back on your face. The welcoming glow of single track. (Auburn, CA)

Awww, race cancelled

2010-03-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Apparently the first Gold Country Gravity Cup race was cancelled due to lack of participants (come on people!). However, an "event" is still happening that day, April 3rd . . . and apparently a bbq. - Thanks for the nod Olmstead. haha.

Sometimes We Hike

2010-03-18T14:11:00.001-07:00

. . . and sometimes we need to take our bikes back to the places we hiked and ride. -Fern Creek Trail, Mt. Tamalpais.

Mud

2010-03-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

With all the rain it's been a bit muddy around here lately. Luckily, it doesn't stop us from doing what we love the most! However, it does mean that almost as much time is spent on clean up as it is on riding -- and sometimes you have to choose your lines competing with where the water is running -- and even past some waterfalls in rocky areas where there hadn't been a waterfall before. (It catches you a little off-guard when you come flying up to it). It all just adds to the gooey, slippery, sludgy excitement. It's in complete juxtaposition to the gritty, powdery dirt of summertime at Northstar -- which I am dreaming of too.

Since the Gold Country Gravity Cup Series in Auburn (our backyard) starts in three weeks and there is training to be had, I hope Stonewall has a chance to dry out a little because here we come! Muddy or not.

High School ride music video

2010-02-17T11:34:00.001-08:00

Here is a two minute slide/video of some footage (with a very modest camera I had in my back pocket) from two recent rides with the high school mtb. club. I'm behind the camera but Tina and Kirstie are captured a few times. We like riding with and inspiring the kids, and we do need to mind our behavior around them, ha, ha. One of us skidded for fun and a kid reminded us that we should ride, not slide. Sweet!

Amazing Bike Handling Skills by Trials Rider Danny MacAskill -Enjoy

2010-02-14T22:42:00.000-08:00

Now go try your own. Have fun!

kd

Taming of the what . . . ?

2010-02-11T15:25:00.000-08:00

bwaaahahahahaha. This old ad is definitely out of date especially when it comes to at least three spirited women I know who have absolutely NO yearning to "be tamed" (or being compared to a car) . . . to all the ladies out there on bikes - let it fly!! The higher the better.

CCCX #5 DH Race Results

2010-02-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

Women's Sport Class

1 328w 3'52''.86 Mary Moncorg'e unattached Livermore
2 338w 4'09''.31 Tina Wilson Girls on The East Side Auburn
3 312W 4'19''.08 Ayshe Tuncer Chainsmoke Aptos
4 310W 4'26''.22 Jill Henrich Chainsmoke Sunnyvale
5 337w 4'28''.39 Kirstie Douglass Girls on the East Side Auburn
7 320w 4'41''.66 Natalie Morris Ventana Sacramento

Full race results here . . .

It was a beautiful weekend for a race in Salinas, CA. The sun was finally shining after weeks of clouds and rain. We pushed our bikes up a two mile hill to the top of the course for practices and the race -- thank goodness the course was fast and fun (see the "Thumbs Up" post on course conditions two posts down) -- which always makes it worth it! The riding was great and the atmosphere was too. It's so satisfying being around a group of people who share your passion for MTBing and the comradery is inspiring! The Girls on the East Side met the Dirt Divas (how gang do we sound?) and hope to do some riding in Santa Cruz sometime. Looking forward to more races in the season - yeaaaah!

(Race photo of Tina and practice photo of Kirstie taken by Rick Rasmussen).

PFMBC ride the Quarry Trail

2010-01-31T22:41:00.001-08:00

Ride leaders Rich and Marianne had to ride single speeds today so we picked the Quarry Trail with less climbs than our regular routes, but we had plenty of fun with mud puddles, short cuts and detours. Thanks to everyone that joined us and made this a memorable ride.

Thumbs Up

2010-01-30T18:38:00.000-08:00

Practiced the CCCX race course today -- really FUN! The course has steep sections, lots of corners, winding single track, and few small jumps . . . and no rocks - smooth sailing on tacky, not at all soggy dg almost the whole down. The sun was shining and we had huge smiles as we figured out the course today. Let you know how tomorrow goes - yeeehaaaa!!

How Excited Are We?

2010-01-25T20:11:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you . . . pretty darn excited! The reason is The Oak Tree Super D coming this Summer, June 19th and August 14th.

Rumor has it a DH series is starting too, April 3rd.

See you in our backyard!

PFMBC 2nd & 3rd ride

2010-01-17T17:56:00.001-08:00

Here is an Animoto video of the two latest rides with the high school kids. It's a blast to ride with them and watch their progress. The American River Canyon is an amazing playground for us mountain bikers. Some kids are already so good that they are hard to keep up with. Others are just starting out and their improvements can be noticeable in one ride. These last couple of rides we stayed together as one group and the strong riders would climb the hills twice to allow newer riders a chance to catch up. On downhill sections the fast riders could practice balance skills etc, while waiting up for the group. As the club grows we'll offer two different rides for the kids. One competitive and one recreational. I hope you like the video.
Marianne Levine

Riding In The Rain

2010-01-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

A little rain and mud never hurt anyone -- in fact I am of the opinion it is good for anyone. Today we had an amazing ride in the 'inclement conditions'.

Obligatory post-ride photo.

Marianne was cracking up because at one point in the ride I had mud all over my teeth. I said it must have been because I smiling the whole way. Fortunate for us we knew the trails so well because visibility was not on our side -- glasses all fogged up and spattered with rain drops and mud. We didn't miss a beat though.

I couldn't put my washing machine through that mess so after washing my bike (in the now pouring rain) and then my helmet, goggles, gloves, shoes, camel back I had to strip down outside and hose off my clothes as well. We were covered -- and we were happy.

Quotables From Historic MTB Women

2010-01-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

"My saddle was getting way more action from me than any person was." - Jacquie Phelan

"Women can be strong and do anything they want." - Marla Streb

"To me it's a soul sport, an art form. I see the world in a different light when I'm looking at it from a bicycle." Missy Giove

All of these sentiments have been uttered among the Girls on The East Side at one point. Maybe just worded differently. Maybe almost exactly the same. It's interesting to note that no matter what level you ride at, we share a common thread about the sport we love . . . more to come . . .
kd

More on Bikes

2010-01-11T17:50:00.000-08:00

Read a small blurb about the first recorded female mountain biker. To see a little more, watch the documentary "Klunkerz." Klunkerz tells an interesting history about the origins of mountain biking. My favorite point made in the documentary is that mtb'ing was born out fun -- a group of people wanting to do their own thing, go out in nature and have FUN -- before it became an industry. I hear you!!
kd

Epic first club ride for Placer Foothills Mountain Bike Club

2010-01-10T10:23:00.001-08:00

Download now or watch on posterous

First Epic Ride.mp4 (12019 KB)

Placer Foothills Mountain Bike Club had its first official ride yesterday! We had 4 high school riders, 8 ride leaders and were joined by pro downhill rider Joanna Petterson. Joanna is ranked among the top 20 racers in the world and she races for South Africa but resides in Folsom and Kauai. Several riders missed this historic day and for them, our fans and the riders that made it, my husband and I put together a music slide/ video of some footage from our ride. The music selection was approved by our son Dylan and his friend Jordan Klopp. Jordan is joining our club. Please note that one picture is of our Norcal League competition from Oakmont High School. They have their jerseys and were finishing time trials on Stage Coach Trail. We don’t have our jerseys yet but we sure look like fierce competition. What do you think? Please comment.

Posted via email from levineclan's posterous

Girls On The East Side hit the East Side.

2010-01-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

What a fun day. Yesterday was a valuable but long day of practicing coaching techniques for the Placer Foothill Mountain Bike Club for high school kids so we had to ride like we minded our behavior, but today we got to tear it up on the East Side. East Side Girls on the East Side, literally! We were psyched because we don’t ride on the east side as much as we would like to. We had a brave “joiner inner” named Lisa Auchincloss. Rarely do women riders want to ride with us. Lisa is a strong road rider for U.C. Davis but she also enjoys mountain biking. She did great on the east side and discovered her new favorite trails. We hope that she'll join us again. In the first picture we are getting ready to ride the East Side which had been swept by fire last summer. Lisa took the picture of Marianne, Kirstie and Tina. In the second picture we have Lisa, Tina and Kirstie getting ready for the fun thrill of Stonewall. At the end of the day we were freckled by mud and enjoyed a Single Track beer and a Gobble Me Please sandwich from Tsuda's Eatery. Yum. What a perfect day. Thanks ladies. Next Sunday we'll hit it harder!

Updated Race Schedule

2009-12-31T20:51:00.000-08:00

January 31st - DH- CCCX - Salinas, Ca
April 3rd - DH - 1st of a DH Series- Auburn, Ca
April 16th -18th- DH & Super D - Sea Otter Classic-Monterey, Ca
(May 13th - 19th - Trip to Moab!!)
June 19th - Super D - The Oak Tree Super D - Auburn, Ca
June - October TBA- Super D Series (5 races)- Northstar-Tahoe, Ca
August 14th - Super D - The Oak Tree Super D - Auburn, Ca
September TBA - Mammoth Bar DH - Auburn, Ca
October 2nd-3rd- Super D - Tara 4 - Northstar - Tahoe, Ca
kd

Excitement is a new bike . . .

2009-12-31T14:50:00.000-08:00

Some of us were very nice this year and got a BIG present under the Christmas tree (no, it wasn't me. I'll try and be nicer this coming year - hehe). Yummy, my mouth is watering looking at the picture. Can't wait to meet the new beast in person. TRW - we are all gonna have a blast!!

Our Playground

2009-12-19T08:46:00.000-08:00

Out here are some awesome local trails you can't beat for a five minute trip into the canyon! This morning as I took a side-tracked drive through the canyon just taking it all in I saw a truck full of guys we know with their bikes hanging out the back and I knew they were doing shuttle rides into the mist. I wanted to go home and grab my bike and join them so badly, but the flu and office work I had to attend to left me musing about the rides these boys were about to take instead of taking one myself. Hohum. Tomorrow is another day! You bet I'll be there.

Girls on the East Side Hit Northstar on the Back Side

2009-12-17T22:28:00.000-08:00

(We found the back side of Northstar had fewer people and more powder than the main trails. Right up our alley).

(Hey, what happened to Livewire?)

What do you do when your home town trails have been washed out and the snow has fallen thick in the mountains? . . . you head up to your usual mtb park and trade in the bike for skis -- for now. (Two of the three Girls pictured here with one daughter on the snowboard. She's a bad-ass in her own rights on the board. That's the way it's done darling).

That was Monday. Today the trails had a chance to dry out a little, and although there were a few slippery areas, some lines washed out and tree branches littering the trails -- it was an awesome ride! In fact on Flood Trail (aptly named) a fallen tree lay across the trail with a bare branch on the ground and the bushy part of the rest of the tree making a perfect arch above it. The obstacle at first caught me off guard and I grabbed a handful of brakes, then my brain quickly processed it as something fun to try and hopping my bike over the branch while at the same time crouching down to fit snuggly through the opening of the other leafy branches, it was an obstacle that rivaled any made at a bike park. Yeeehaa! All that was left to do was light the branches on fire and I could have lept through a burning ring (nod to the Man In Black). Just joking -- even though the canyon was still quite damp, no one is recommending lighting anything on fire, ever, I assure you. Luckily where we live there will be plenty more winter riding ahead -- and we'll hit up more skiing too. It's good to cross train and you can't beat it when it's so much fun!

Enjoy . . .

2009-12-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

Katie Hayes Promo from 406 Productions on Vimeo.

Tenetive Race Schedule 2010

2009-12-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

January 31st - DH- CCCX - Salinas, Ca
April 16th -18th- DH & Dual Slalom- Sea Otter Classic-Monterey, Ca
May TBA - DH - Spring Thaw Downhill - Ashland, Or
June - October TBA- Super D Series (5 races)- Northstar-Tahoe, Ca
October 2nd-3rd- Super D - Tara 4 - Northstar - Tahoe, Ca

Yeeeehhhhhaaaaaaaa!!
kd

Winter DH Race Series

2009-11-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

CCCX Fall/Winter DH Raace Series. . . See you there?
kd

Indoor Bike Park

2009-11-07T08:36:00.001-08:00

While we pretty much get to ride all year round in Auburn, with it getting darker earlier and the chill starting to set in, life would be so complete in the winter if we had one of these close by . . . Ray's MTB Indoor Park.
kd

Why We Ride at Night

2009-11-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

We ride at night because we didn’t get a ride in during the day and still need our fix.
We ride at night because we long for the feeling of adventure and isolation.
We ride at night to make tired trails new and to make known trails unknown. Our bike lights are lower than the sun and cast a long shadows on the trail, making “baby heads” look much larger and obscuring our depth perception. It’s surreal and spooky.
We ride at night to explore forbidden trails that belong to hikers and horses.
We ride at night to commune with the moon , the dew , the crisp air, and the rising and turning of the night sky.
We ride at night to have the green, yellow and red sets of eyes staring and piercing the darkness from our left, right and center.
We ride at night to encounter the unseen owl with the flap of his wings, the frantic rustling of the deer in the brush, the coyotes laughing from some nearby ridge and to feel the presence of the cat that creeps ever so close. We ride at night to hear the silence, the frogs and the crickets.
We ride at night because we love our bikes and darkness should be no reason to let them sit dormant.
This piece is really written by Chris Wilcox who used to work for a bike light company. I added a few lines that I thought would make the experience complete.

Atherton Project

2009-10-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

I love this family!
kd

2009-10-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

After driving through the Mojave Desert for a non-bike related trip this weekend, I decided one thing, well, more made a committment to myself -- no matter where I go, I will always bring my bike with me. I can always play hookey the next day if neccessary. I wanted to ride my bike through the desert soooo badly!
kd

A Video For You

2009-09-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Recovery

2009-09-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

Things that help one come back from a knee injury:

RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation - learned that running x-country in H.S.)
Physical Therapy (including ultrasound and electrical stimulation)
Yoga (stretching, strengthening and mobility)
Easy Gym Workouts (get strength back and keep mobility)
Laughter and Tears
Suportive Friends and Family
Easy Road Rides Graduating to Trail Rides
Accupuncture and Herbs

WaLaa . . . back on the trail!!

Freedom

2009-09-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder why I love mountain biking so much -- it can be a lot of work, maintenence and some days, frustrating. Then, a conversation with friends after a great ride one evening reminded me of learning to ride a bike as a child in the foothills of Meadow Vista. There was really not a flat, smooth surface around (apart from a section of road that we had to climb a gravelly hill to get to). I remembered that feeling as a kid, when you had no preconcieved notion of how you were "supposed" to do something, and you would see an area you wanted to ride your bike to and would just take off and go in that direction. There were no trails -- just a lot of rocks, fallen tree branches, and piles of slippery pine needles that you just furrowed through to get to your fort or whatever destination called.

Now we ride trails that have built obstacle as well as natural ones -- but the feeling is the same. Freedom. Freedom because you know that you can just take off in a direction (or master a skill or have as much fun as possible) and just go out and do it. (No quote from Nike intended. Swear!) That is ultimate freedom -- and having that ability is what drives us to work even harder to keep it.

Photo: Livewire, Northstar, Ca
kd

Auburn DH on the Map

2009-09-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday Sept. 12th was the first annual Mammoth Bar DH Race in Auburn, CA and while none of the Girls On the East Side participated (coming back from knee injury for one, special out of town visitors for others, etc.) it was still exciting to be spectating -- and planning our attack for next year's race!

The course, Stonewall to Rocky, is one of this rider's favorite in Auburn -- and I plan on getting more practice on Rocky this coming year, especially after watching a few gnarly crashes that left me sort of nauseated for the poor riders that went down hard -- one being carted away by ambulance with a VISIBLY broken wrist and probably nasty concussion.

We spoke to race officials and found out that one pro female rider, Joanna Petterson, was supposed to be at the World Cup in Schladming, Austria and her and her sponsor chose for her to compete in Auburn's race because the purse was bigger -- she came in with a winning time of 2:52 which is amazing! We don't have all the names or race times yet, but below are photos of some riders that literally went flying past us!

It was great to see pro bike handling skills up close and live in our own back yard. (The crappy camera I used didn't do justice for capturing action shots).

A group of local riders coming down during timed trials (which ended up not being timed due to some kind of mechanical failure to much of the riders' displeasure).

Hanging on, keeping speed, and having keen agility on your bike is key to getting through the aptly named "Rocky" trail.

Most riders chose the clearest line. This rider bounced out of that line and managed to choose another on the fly and impressively stayed with it to a clean finish.

Others were not so lucky.

Some flatted out and got passed. Flats -- the bummer of the mtb race.

Looked like this young rider might not have children one day after he got thrashed around so hard he broke his seat clean off (check out the seat area -- gone!). The male dominated crowd responded as audibly as he did. He limped off the course nearly in tears during trials and came back on his friend's bike to race. Nice job man. (Pretty much confirming that he still will be one).

Remnants of his seat on the side of the trail.

One of the pro women lifting up the front end to fly over the very last section to the finish.

One of the men doing the same.

Although it was an unpredicted overcast day, the sun shone through sporadically highlighting the first annual Mammoth Bar DH race . . . can't wait to race it next year!

Fire, Lefty, Nomad and Duende!

2009-09-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Last year we had some bad fires in California that made the sky thick of nasty smoke. It was hard to breathe and ride. These fires didn't really come near Auburn but it sure felt like it. We couldn't ride hard for weeks. It was depressing. Last weekend we had a fire in Auburn that made national news and consumed over 60 homes and businesses. That fire was hardly felt in our canyon and we kept on riding. This picture is from last year when Tina, Kirstie and I decided to ride despite the poor air quality. We rode the Forest Divide Loop Trail and ended the ride with an adult beverage at the Middle Fork of the American River. Kirstie rode a Cannondale Lefty at the time. Doesn’t it look unbalanced with a fork offset to the left like that? It’s an interesting concept. It was best described by a guy we met on the trail. He said “it’s like getting a blowjob from a guy. Everything feels fine until you look down!”. Andy Olmstead said it differently, he said “It’s like walking a tightrope, keep going and don’t look down”. You did well on your Lefty, Kirstie. I imagine it’s every bikes dream to ride as many trails as possible. You rode it on some crazy trails where it had to be ridden like a Pogo stick. No wonder that fork is busted. So now you’ve moved on to a Nomad! I thought your Nomad rode like a dream and agree with the gal that said “After riding a Nomad you wonder why they make other bikes”.
My only hesitation is that it is too fun. It makes the normal jumps and rock gardens seem like nothing and we need a new thrill. Then we start looking at jumps we've seen Shawn fly way high off and I ….stop myself thinking I don’t want to end up in the East Wing of Kaiser. There is that thin line between life and death that the gypsies call “duende”. It’s a kick and a half! Can riding be fun and safe at the time? I’m not sure but please stay on the living side of "duende".

Good to Be Back(ish)

2009-08-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have no exciting DH tales to tell -- no new jumps, no big drops, no rock gardens to crush. Just a girl, a bike, and a rolling cross country trail winding along the river. But the excitement inside myself was enormous. Today I rode on the dirt, on a real trail, for the first time in five weeks since I injured my knee (Bla, bla torn meniscus, bone contusions bla, bla, bla, grade II MCL injury).

I slipped out early this morning without telling anyone. I knew my steadfast companions would join me if I asked, just like they had on the two warm up road rides we took in the past weeks, but I didn't want to hold anyone back not knowing how hard I would be able to push myself. Besides, coming back from an injury is an emotional journey as well as a physical one. I knew I could push myself more mentally in the solitude of the trail -- and I did -- and it felt fantastic. It also felt strange trying to resist the auto-pilot urge to launch off a rock or bunny-hop a rut (albeit it's a mild trail) so I set my sites on trying to avoid the obstacles instead of having fun with them.

(Sunshine on my [bike] makes me happy . . . nod to John Denver).

I'm definitely going to need to work on my strength -- cardio and muscular. Climbing some of those hills was tough. I was instructed to not get out of the saddle too much, but you can't sit down when the terrain is steep and the dirt is loose, so after a little standing climbing, a couple times I had to get off and push the bike. I also couldn't pin it too much around some of the corners because the crouched position made me cringe. But all in all, it was a beautiful start!

On my drive out of the canyon I saw Marianne's and Tina's vehicles parked at the trail head of one of our favorite trails we love to rip and a huge smile spread across my face. I'll be joining you ladies soon, is what I thought. I'll be joining you soon!

"Rogue DH MTB Trails"

2009-08-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the contribution of one of our readers, an article that mentioned local trails in Auburn was brought to our attention. While I am in NO way aligned with the activities highlighted in this piece, I have to say I do enjoy the spoils of their illegal activities. I also enjoy the use of the word "rogue," "thrill-seeking mountain bikers," and "pirate trail builders" sprinkled in the article. Maybe we should rename ourselves, Girls on the Rogue Side! HaHa!

(My advice [not that you're asking]: Tread lightly, spread cheer, and give back -- at whatever you're doing. Om.)

Kirstie sighting at the Warped Tour!

2009-08-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

The bike striking knee did allow Kirsitie to join the Warped tour and get back stage passes for 3OH!3 with Hannah. Nice to see you get your mind off your bike, Kirstie. Who's singing to whom here? Give the mic to Hannah. Looking good in your shades, Kirstie. You don't look like you're missing no canyon!

Tina is Smokin

2009-08-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

I met Tina a couple of years ago in the canyon. We rode with a big group that got divided into smaller groups and Tina was the other girl in our small group. We headed down the Confluence Trail and I tried to keep up with Tina. She had an amazing line and a confident style that was admirable. The guys were talking about her. I had never seen a girl ride like that. I couldn't keep up, she so smoked me, but I tried and I had fun during the short distance that I could follow her line. At the end of the ride I asked her if she would ride with me when I got a better bike. She gave me her number. A couple of months went by and I got my new bike and I called her. We met by the Confluence and rode up the hill and had fun getting to know each other until we got to the "no talking down hill" single track overlooking the Middle fork of the American River. Tina joked for me to stay on her ass and it's been a joke between us ever since. (I could return to that in another blog entry). She was nice enough to slow down for me so I could ride her line and we did that every couple of days for at least 50 rides until she felt that she had created her "Mini Me". Often we'd switch so I would ride in front of her and she would stay right on my ass and watch what I was doing and let me know what I could improve. Eventually I would ride her line right on her ass and at times we were flying. But then recently I noticed how hard it is to keep up, she's way ahead of me and all I see is her dust cloud. Tina is really good and she undoubtedly got better. Tina is smokin! I don't know if it's the Gym or the boyfriend or a combination of the two. Whatever it is it's working. I'm sure Tina will be smokin in her next race.

Today my daughter took me to the mall for back to school shopping. She had me come with her to the dressing room of a new store called PINK. On the door of the dressing room I read "Tina is smokin"! I'm not kidding, it was engraved by the store design team. You would think I wrote it but I didn't.

Pretty soon Kirstie will be back riding with us and she'll be smokin in no time because she is so mentally ready to ride with us. When she does I should go to the PINK store to add "Kirstie is Smokin". That Nomad bike is really working for her. (In another blog you'll learn how we met Kirstie).

A Swedish Ride

2009-08-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Sweden! It was great to bond with my folks and enjoy their fabulous outdoors. Every day I tried to prioritize bonding with my family and riding my bike around this lake. It's called Lake Siljan and this region is known as the cultural heart of Sweden. It is rich in culinary traditions, art, architecture, music and sports. A highlight for me is bike riding around a smaller part of this lake which is doable because of a long bridge bank called Fornby Banken. I like to ride from our country home down to our village's tiny boat club and then continue along the waterfront. There is a little foot path that goes around the lake but sometimes it's tricky to stay on it with a bike, but I sure try. A big plus for Sweden is a law called "All Mans' Rights" (Allemansrätten in Swedish). It allows us to trespass upon any one's property. Maybe a tenth of the lake is private property and the owners may be sunbathing right by the lake as I ride by on my bike. Everyone seems okay with this. Swedes are proud of All Mans' Rights and take it for granted. I don't miss those "No Trespassing Signs" that are so popular in the U.S. This unique law works in Sweden because it's a big country with 96, 000 lakes and only 9 million people. On my bike ride around the lake I have had some great experiences including lots of skinny dipping, encounters with moose, and one time years ago I saw an owl snatch a rabbit and then struggle with his flight as he tried to take off with his dinner. He dropped down so low that I could hear his wings flap right by my head. Then he gained control of his victim and his flight, and took off across the lake, but he stayed low as the rabbit weighed as much as him. That was an unforgettable visual and I think it is the experience of nature that is the high light of a ride around Lake Siljan. There are no cool jumps or satisfying downhill sections along this path, so when Tina and Kirstie come join me in Sweden we will travel to a bike park for that kind of kick. The lake ride is strenuous enough for an endorphin kick and the scenery is so precious that it induces sweet dreams.

DH riding is just becoming popular in Sweden. Many ski areas are grateful that the mountain attracts business during the summer months so they build fun runs for DH enthusiasts. My cousin Anders, offered to lend us a cabin near a great bike park called Kläppen. I imagine we would have a blast on these trails. Here is a video of a fun run and pardon the Swedish!

Big Fat Finger to Knee Injuries

2009-08-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

Arrrgghh. I haven't blown dirt out of my nose in weeks!

I haven't escaped. I haven't been captivated by the sound of dirt tearing underneath my tires. I haven't felt my heart beat blood through every vein in my body. I haven't been so single minded that all other thoughts are crowded out except for the trail and my bike.

Instead, I have a constant nagging pain in my knee and the glare of life without my bike. . . (not for too much longer I hope! Then I will come back with more focus and determination to be faster in the corners and get more heighth to clear bigger jumps!).

2009-08-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

Girls on the East Side recently spotted on the Confluence Trail, Auburn, Ca.

Minus one member -- rider down. (Torn meniscus, waaaa! Severely missing my bike!!)

I still ride in my imagination for the time being.

Plenty more sitings ahead as I have temporarily taken the position of photographer.
Please Come Again!

SUPER Delicious

2009-07-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

The Super D up at Northstar last weekend was more than I had hoped it would be. It was tougher . . . and it was a bigger kick than what I anticipated. As with most things there was a favorite and a least favorite part; and the least favorite was the Le Mans start (or as Americans like to spell it 'Lemans.' Le Mans is actually the name of a city in France that was known for it's motoracing and the first French Grand Prix. The "Le Mans start" takes its name from the way racers lined up across the street from their cars and ran across the street and jumped into their cars to begin). Not being the same sport, the two should not share the same lame start.

Now on to my favorite part; which was the long, twisting, obstacle-ridden descent that gave the rider a good 16-25 minute challenge, time depending on your class. It was no boring firebreak trail that I had seen in videos of other Super D races. Along with some peddling (not too much) it was scenic, it was rocky, it was thick powdery dirt and it was FUN!

Tina Wilson - 2nd Place Women's Open Class

Kirstie Douglass - 3rd Place Women's Open Class

She's Got A Bike

2009-07-31T18:33:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the gift from one of our site visitors!

(She may not be smiling in this image only because she's being aggressive on the jumps. The smile will spread after landing it).

She Needs a Bike

2009-07-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Reason #4 out of 125 reasons to love mountain biking. . . it puts a smile on your face.

125 Things to Love About Mountain Biking

2009-07-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

Reason #47: It's never the same ride. You can ride the same trail over and over and it's always a different ride every time.

(OK, so I have not actually counted how many things I love about mt. biking and I do not know if this reason is really number 47 -- just throwing out random numbers. You get the picture).

Hey We're Not Pu*#ies

2009-07-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

Should we be concerned that the some of the road bike cronies actually think that mountain bikers are pu$&ies? I had to pull Kirstie back from a moment that was quite embarrassing for a group of road riders that under estimated a spunky mountain bike babe! Changing a flat tire, incognito between two vehicles on a Sunday 90 degree morning, a group of road riders passed while saying "I wonder where all the mountain bikers are? Bunch of pu#@ies!" Kirstie with hands on hips, lips out, and a dash of attitude took this brief opportunity to jump out from between the vehicles, take a hit for all us mountain bikers and say with a vengeance, hey we are not PUSSIES! After pulling their head from their a_ _, they decided that they were no match for the spunk monster and continued on their spandex ride!

trw

Urban Mountain Biking -- Looks Like a Kick!

2009-07-04T22:37:00.001-07:00

Everyone's A Star

2009-07-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

Jumps, drops, table tops, ladders, whoops . . . My muscles are aching from head to toe, but I have a huge smile on my face. Tina and I spent the day yesterday at Northstar and had a blast! We had planned on taking photos to document at least a little of our trip, but neither of us concerned ourselves with that while riding and having the time of our lives -- on our bikes and just in general. Since there are a lot more trails in the park than we were able to explore yesterday, we are definitely making a return trip soon. We already have some trails scouted out that we want to hit next time.

Oddly no one who worked at the resort could give us any information about the course for the upcoming Super D race (speculation was because they have not picked a course yet or because it would be unfair to others to share that information with some). Having never ridden a Super D race, I just hope the course is actually fun and not some boring x-country course. This remains to be seen . . .

Tina and I relaxing after working hard and having fun all day. A brochure at Northstar boasts that one run, Livewire, has over 45 jumps. We did that run at least five times, plus others . . . you do the math.

2009-06-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

Girls on the East Side on the podium.

Sea Otter Classic DH 2009

Marianne and Tina cruising around after the race.

Our friend Johnny wearing the jersey. Niiice job Johnnhy!

This is a picture of me (Kirstie) . . . oh, actually, ok, this is a picture of Sam Hill as he finishes his winning run in the dual slalom. Thumbs up man! -- Wining moment captured by Marianne. Thumbs up Marianne!

Blazing Saddles

2009-06-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

Temperatures reached the 100's in the canyon this weekend but that did not allay Tina and I from getting in some intense riding time. (Our third member Marianne is in her home country of Sweden right now riding bikes around cool, picturesque lakes and taking midnight swims). Tina and I, however, are battling the heat and the insane star thistle that crowd out the lower half of the Confluence trail. No problem . . .

Yesterday after a later than planned start (due to a side trip to the bike shop to fix a hole in a tubeless tire and brake pads that were rubbing on a slightly-warped rotor) we climbed up the Clementine hill to the Tunnel trail and landed some new jumps we hadn't tried before. Exhilarating! At the bottom of pushing our hardest through the Confluence trail we celebrated with a much deserved cool swim in the river. We were so hot we actually had the chills . . . ? Even the breeze generated by riding down hill was like a convection oven.

Today's riding, even though we shuttled, was harder than the day's before. We started the morning with a three mile run (yes, we momentarily traded in our wheels for trail shoes) up the Confluence trail for a little cross training and to scout out some new lines. Then our shuttle driver met us at the bottom to take us to Stonewall, East Side, Tunnel and Confluence.

It was hot, hot, hot and by the end of the last run we were weak as kittens and riding a little sloppy I must say. Luckily we started out riding pretty sharply -- although we did leave a little skin on the trail -- me on East Side and Tina on Confluence. We had to admit, though, we went down with flair and style. It's all in hanging on until the bitter end while still going down smooth, getting up, dusting yourself off, giving an "I'm OK" shout out to your buddies and then hopping back on the trail.

At least no equipment trouble today aside from my chain bouncing off and getting wedged after landing a jump. A little frustrating to deal with in the blazing sun with a full-face helmet on, but we had that fixed in no time.

We ended today's ride with another swim in the river, stinging our fresh scrapes and with a little less juice than the day before. We were both in need of a large portion of food and more water than we had brought. We dragged our soaked bodies back to the truck barely uttering a word . . . until we started laughing at our sorry asses.

Since we're training for the Super D race at Northstar next month it's no time to stay inside just because it's hot!

Until next ride . . .

Girls On The East Side

2009-06-28T08:45:00.001-07:00

Coming soon . . . a mountain biking adventure story of three women who love to tear it up on the East side of the American River Canyon . . . and other destinations as well. Getting excited? You should because we know we are, every time we swing our leg over that seat and get on our bikes to ride!