Kaibab Cruisin’

What seems like an early bought of summer monsoon moisture kept us from hitting up the much anticipated first Red Canyon weekend.  That area I think would be a quagmire clay mud hell in the wet…so we turned our attention to the firmer ground of the Kaibab plateau.  With the KMC coming up mid-June, why not to take a look at some stuff we haven’t yet seen?

Base camp was what LW calls “the most astounding spot on planet earth that you can drive to.”  I’d have to agree.  The view from the tent door:

Yep, we pretty much camped on the Rainbow Rim trail.  Wow and whoa and wheeeee all the way around!

We had originally planned to do the 130 together.  But the more we rode (of the 200 route) the more excited LW got for the whole 200 shebang.  It’s a freight train of excitement that can only be halted by the finish line. 

 

A good thing, of course – ‘cept I have this little GL ride coming up.  There will be what, about 11 days between finishing GL and starting the KMC 200?  Well sure, why not.

It was a great weekend for some final equipment trials.  New bike, new kit/bags, everything is different about this GL.  The wet weather on the Kaibab at 9k’ was a good wake up call for how nasty things can get at elevation for a desert dweller.  The pre-game head games of what to bring, what tires to use, what gear to use are in full swing now.  So consuming!

Doing GL on a SS will afford me the simple experience.  I’m keeping the cockpit uncluttered, in tune with the true nature of single speeding.

 

Ummm…single speeding with a power meter, GPS, custom light set that is!  Maybe I need a Kindle on there to read while spun out on the few flat sections? 

Just in case anyone reading this thinks the KMC200 won’t be that tough – I’m here to tell you it will be a total ass-kicker.  DaveC, you are slightly sadistic.  It’ll have the duration of a 24 hour race minus the support, minus the safety net, minus the pit crew doing your thinking for you.  It’s more of a  head game than is apparent at first.  It is in a different league than the 130 – altogether.  Bailouts?  By the time you need one you are committed. 

I’m getting myself all worked up.  The next 3 weeks are going to be interesting!