Eagle Creek Trail to just shy of Tunnel Falls:
11 mile round trip
2 boys
1 girl
Countless quiet vistas

Post-Hike Celebration
5  local craft beers
1 large pizza
3 fat smiles
2 long naps

Gear of Note
Columbia Reach the Peak Down Jacket (perfect. impressed.)
Old ass running shoes (worked surprisingly well)
Canon S100 (super happy with this new addition to the ultralightweight adventure camera brigade)
Double layer of 3-year-old Icebreaker wool (This is the good stuff, people! Pretty sure it will last forever.)

************

GNG HOME DELIVERY

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Every once in a while, the digital photography world starts making me totally nuts. When it does, I take refuge in the simplicity of film.

It reads differently.
It changes the feeling as well as the process.
It slows things down.

A photographer friend reminded me over lunch the other day that sometimes, when I’m sick of shooting a million tinny, empty frames, film just the thing to make me remember what I like about cameras. Capturing a moment or emotion or place in an image. Creating a physical record. Someone hands you negatives – a tangible object. A real thing. You can fuck it up. You can get it just right. But you’re going to have to wait to find out.

So just relax, ok?

Bend Roadtrip. Yashica T4. Kodak Portra 160VC.

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From camping in the Yuha Desert near a state prison to tackling the majestic Montezuma Grade in Anza-Borrego State Park, there was a little bit of everything.

Highs and lows.
Hot showers gifted by strangers.
Gut conquering carne asada tortas.
Gourmet “gas station” dinners.
Big headwinds.
Big tailwinds.
Desperate sunset shelter seeking.

But mostly? Quiet.
I turned the dial down and left it there. I rode in silence and squinted into the sun. I went to sleep at 7:30 or 8:00pm and then woke up before the sun, waiting for her.

My camera died for a couple of days, but there’s still a worthy little gang of photos from the whole ordeal.

The General Tour Overview

Day One: Borrego Springs to Yaqui Pass + Dirt Road exploration
40 miles

Day Two: Yaqui Flats to Camp Dunaway
65 miles

Day Three: Camp Dunaway to Bombay Beach
60 miles

Day Four: Bombay Beach to Arroyo Salado Camp in Anza-Borrego State Park
65 miles

Day Five: Rest Day, Arroyo Salado to Borrego Springs to stay with Helen and Daniel
15 miles into the most miserable headwind ever.

Day Six: Borrego Springs to Oak Grove Campground just off of SR 79. This day included the awesome climb up the Montezuma Grade to Ranchita.
45 miles

Day Seven: Oak Grove to Anza
30 miles

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Thanks also to everyone who turned up at our little party last night! Courier was packed solid and all variety of bikey friends spilled out the front door into the unseasonably warm evening.

So much fun!

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It was refreshing.

This is what I saw. My favorites include the shot of Beautiful Brubaker’s amazing muscular ass and quad as she rides through the crowd (I get to say this because I am friends and occasional sleepover snuggle-buddies with said ass) and the image of Georgia Gould absolutely giving it in chase.

Tina – don’t be mad! You’re so fucking beautiful it blows my mind and your fitness this year was inspiring for me. I love you.

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Not just any beer, though. Amazing beer. Hoppy beer! Fantastic beer! The beer to end all beer!

I’m talking about Ninkasi, of course. Tricerahops Double IPA may just be my favorite beer on the planet (it’s competing with Stone’s Imperial Russian Stout – but I reserve those mostly for very cold winter days). When Tricerahops can’t be procured, I’ll do a Total Domination IPA any day.

These beers? These Ninkasi masterpieces? They’ve changed my life. Much like cyclocross has. And now there’s a goddam NINKASI SPONSORED CYCLOCROSS RACE!

Are you kidding me? Sign me up. Seventeen times.

I want to make sure that you know about this confluence of amazingness because the Saturday races around Oregon simply do not get enough love.

People! Saturday ‘cross races are the new black! Seriously. I resolved this year to focus on Saturday races and let the Crusade be what it will. The result has been a lot of fun and exposure to some amazing new courses. And shit! I won some beer last week and I didn’t even have to start in the very last row!

Come to Washougal. Tip back a Tricerahops with me. Let’s race bikes and have fun and sing and play together like the old days. Then go home, rub your legs down, sleep in your wife’s pantyhose and show up to the Crusades the next day to throw your last burst of power into the horsey farm. You won’t die, I promise. The big kids do back to back races all the time.

See you there?
Details below.

NINKROSSI Cross Race -  Oct 16th

Half Fast Velo and Ninkasi Brewing are excited to bring a new venue, close to Portland, into the mix.  Come and enjoy a mellow atmosphere as we celebrate a day of fun Cyclocross and fine craft brew.  The Party (race) will be held at the Washougal Motocross Park, a 45 minute drive from downtown Portland.  Be prepared to have a great day of racing!

Official Flier:  NinKrossi CX Flier courtesy of Jenn Levo [PDF].

Course Map:  NinKrossi CX Course Map

Course Rules:  No beer hand ups. No drinking and driving. Have fun!

Parking:  There is ample parking in the Pro-pit area just above the race course.  Just follow the volunteers instructions. Parking will be $5, and collected at the first gate.

Team tents:  Team tents are welcome. We will have a team tent area designated along the southern edge of the parking area right along the race course (see course map).

Food & Drink

Food will be provided for sale by a few vendors.

* Coffee will be generously provided free of charge by Kobos Coffee.
* Chili and Corn bread by Around the Table catering.
* Belgian Waffles by vendor Three Little Birds.
* Beer by Ninkasi Brewing.  Racers with tokens from David Douglas receive one beverage of choice, Pre-reg or Day of racers with also receive a token with their registration. Spectators and racers looking for an extra beer will be able to purchase a hand crafted brew for $3.

Race Registration
$20 Online or Day of, $10 for any additional race.

Pre-registration:  You can preregister two ways.

* Click on the text OBRA Online Registration on the flier.
* Or follow this link RACE REGISTRATION.

Pre-registration will be open until Midnight after Thursday the 14th. (10/15, 00:00am)

It will save you time if you go to http://www.obra.org/pdfs/waiver.pdf, fill out the release and print it. If you need an OBRA membership, go here: http://www.obra.org/pdfs/membership_app.pdf $10.

Race Numbers

Bring your Cross Crusade numbers, we will be using these for the race.  Numbers on the left.  There will be lines just for racers who have a Cross Crusade bib number already. You will just need to hand over your release and entry fee and we mark you off, it’s that easy.

Camping: Camping will be available for those who choose. There is no fee, we just ask that you pick up after yourselves.

Junior Racers:  There are no junior race categories offered.  Juniors are encouraged to race the Junior Cyclocross Series in Eugene at the Psycho Cross Pseries. Juniors, who do choose to race, must choose between the Beginner or lowest category they feel comfortable in.

Mechanical Support:  Camas Bike & Sport will be generously providing mechanical support all day.  Mechanical support will be located near the pit.

Special Note: Please Drink Responsibly. If you find yourself in a position that you cannot drive home, please let us know. Your safety is the utmost importance to us!

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(hey, did I mention that I started a women’s cross team with Natalie Ramsland of Sweetpea Bicycles? I did! It’s rad! It’s so fun! More on that later.)

These Castelli speedsuits are OH-LA-LA luscious and have been featured by Cyclocross Magazine and Bike Rumor. They’re made with a slightly taller torso to accommodate the running and jumping required by cross.

Fact: Skinsuits give a rider an additional 10watts of power. Minimum.

Fact: This is a special edition, super ninja-fied suit of honor.

Fact: This skinsuit is so fucking fast it is, in fact, called a Speedsuit.

Fact: You will look stunning. You will pedal with fury. You will own the universe.

I have an Upper Echelon custom speedsuit and I’ll be honest: LOVE AT FIRST SQUEEZE! Really!

Shiny and slick and smooth and soooooo comfortable.

I put it on right away when I got it. Then hung out in my bedroom in it for a while, just for fun (please note: These are the Upper Echelon suits! Not the Ladies Aux suits!):

Then I went in my backyard and embarrassed myself (one of my favorite things to do) by wearing it while attempting to do tricks on my vintage circus bike:

This is the first run of speedsuits for my new women’s cyclocross team, The Ladies Auxiliary so I can’t show you what these look like in real life yet, but you can see from the art – they’re gonna be fast and furious and flattering.

We’re opening sales up to the general public just in case there are any amazing women out there who need a cozy, speedy suit to fly around in this fall. Just trying to spread a little Auxiliary love! Turnaround is approximately 2.5 weeks.

Cost is $145 + shipping. Want one? Email me asap. The order goes in first thing Monday morning.

**

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The Boys 10-12 group absolutely ripped out of the start gate with hometown hero Grant McElroy bringing the gold glory by only a wheel in the finishing sprint. Grant – you’re our hero! Portland salutes you!

In the Womens 13-14 group, Katrina Howard nailed her 8th stars and stripes jersey by riding straight off the front of the group, lapping the entire field, and then attacking them in the final lap so she could finish alone and post up in peace. Astounding.

And if that wasn’t enough, the Mens 13-14 group was even battier. Phillip O’Donnell and Daniel Park zipped off to open up a gap in the early laps, trading pulls like a couple of seasoned pro-tour riders. When they caught and lapped the field, they decided to sit at the front, dragging an entire chasing peloton up to the small group that had initially been behind them. And if that wasn’t weird enough, there was a HUGE crash in the final lap that took Park down.

With an entire lap on the field and a non-functioning bike, Park ran for the last quarter of the course, just beating a hard-charging peloton behind him to secure his silver medal. He pulled a sweet ‘cross remount about 4 feet from the finish line and crossed it on his bike, smiling through a mouth full of blood. Then he stopped and let me take an awesome photo of his bloody-mouthed grin.

No time for captions today as I’m running on four hours sleep and shooting out the door to shoot a day’s worth of time trials. You can see full results and more coverage at USAC’s website or browse hundreds of great participant photos over at Cascade Event Photography.

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