Riding Singletrack with the Ladies

I went over to Slatyfork, WV to be an instructor/guide for the Elk River Touring Center Women's Singletrack Clinic. I've been going over there for years for these events that happen twice a year. Slatyfork is not far from the base of Snowshoe and is nestled up against a vast wildness of Gauley Mountain in the National Forest. Its the perfect area for honing skills on rugged singletrack.

The women that come to these clinics are so cool. I am always so pleased and amazed at the quality of lady that makes the trip out. They are fun, friendly and really want to be out on their bikes. They really made a lot of progress in the slippery conditions as well. We all had our little spills on either the wet roots or tiny edges, but in the end that is just part of mountain biking. Meredith is a great co-instructor and has the cutest little girl, Kate.

And of course the food was amazing! Rick is a great chef. So if you ever find yourself in tiny Slatyfork have an indulgent meal at Elk River. I loved the nettle soup, crunchy trout rolls, the stuffed trout and the sticky date pudding. Yum!

I'm gearing up this weekend for the Hoo-Ha! I'm excited for lots of reasons. First this is my first race back since my broken leg 11 months ago. I don't think about my leg at all when I'm on the bike now, even though there are still some repercussions from it on and of the bike like stiffness and weakness. Except for running and maybe wrestling, I'm pretty much good to go. But never the less, Kaylor's ridge is tough for even the best riders, so it will be difficult. I'll be doing the double xc(XXC) so I get to do Kaylors in both directions. And I'm doing the Super D which is a big adreneline rush.

Secondly, this is a huge event for the local biking community. The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition(SVBC) has worked really hard on building a new trail for the race. So all spring, every thursday and lots of saturdays groups of volunteers have gone out and created this amazing trail that is great for riding uphill or downhill. As a pro racer I never did much trail maintenance. Now, I'm loving being part of the other side of the coin.

And remember if you would like to donate, even the smallest amount, to me and the Team SVBC/IMBA you can go to
http://go.imba.com/site/TR/Volunteerfundraiser/TeamIMBA?px=1478081&pg=personal&fr_id=1200
Any amount will really help the trails.

Also, my buddy Jenny Smith the Killer Kiwi is coming to town. We haven't seen each other since she laughed her head off in Santa Ynez last year. She is going to crush the XC. Plus she is bringing her infamous dog Max. If you want to get an idea of how crazy Max is check out Jenny and Brian's most recent Blog post.

Also, if you into tough road racing there is a road race in Tucker Country on saturday. Big climbs, Big descents.

Sweet summer weekend ahead!