Is it really an underground event when there's a website and course maps? Kinda. We live in the age of the internet, long gone are the days of going to your local bike shop every week to discover the local rides and races throughout the area. I’ll refrain from linking directly to the event website, but you can probably find it by googling some info about endurance racing in the good ‘ol PNW. I say probably, because it’s a small, tight community that goes to these events, and they aren't really organized. After all, we’re just a bunch of friends riding bikes together in the woods, and for legal purposes, it will stay that way.
These events are bound to get bigger. Word of mouth is powerful, and there’s a huge contingent of athletes in Bellingham that are more than happy to turn themselves inside out (read: work hard) for some local bragging rights. But, while we’re in the golden era of enjoying trails with good company, I’ll stay blissful and ignorant to the powers that be and are determined to regulate our fun. This past weekend, I enjoyed hurting myself alongside friends in the beautiful Larrabee forest. There were two group ride distances to consider. First, the ‘long’ route, at 60 miles and 10k vert, and the ‘short’ route, 25 miles with 4.5k vert. Since I'm still recovering from a broken ankle, I chose the short route and got my trusty “XC” bike ready for the task. I enjoy being a bit of a contradiction, so working extra hard on a steel-framed 130mm trail bike is right on brand.
The short route was challenging enough for a day, and I felt woefully underprepared after dropping into the first “descent”. Starting with a 35-minute, 1700’ climb is tough, but I managed my seasons-best power numbers and felt my fitness coming around after doing some intervals the week prior. However, after blowing myself up and falling back behind a couple of minutes, the infamous Ridge descent wasn’t a welcome encounter for my tired legs. The descent is proper fun with tons of exposed rocks and roots on top of endless line choices. Seeing as this was my first time riding the trail, I picked all the worst lines, and wasn’t mentally prepared for the hike-a-biking within! I highly recommend riding this trail if you’re up for an adventure, shuttle bros and chair lift lovers need not apply.
I won’t be writing an entire “race report”, since most people weren’t racing. But I had a lot of fun pushing myself through trails I would normally avoid, and I’m excited for future events. Underground racing is a privilege, and I’ll do what I can not to lose it, so forgive the vague details, you’ll just have to be there next time 😉.
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