‘04 ORAMM Report
Just another Sunday ride in the park, right? That’s never the case in when I go to Western North Carolina. Featuring the highest peak East of the Mississippi, WNC is the setting for some unbelievable epics. You have so many choices there: Nantahala National Forest, Dupont State Forest and of course Pisgah National Forest. For this week’s adventure I chose Pisgah. Why you may ask? Well, because that’s where the Off-road Assault on Mt Mitchell is held.
For the last 5 years Todd Branham and Co. have been putting on this fantastic epic challenge. Imagine cloud encircled peaks, lush green valleys, high mountain wildflowers and fresh water springs. Now imagine seeing none of it as you hammer on a mountain bike for 55 miles and climb an accumulated 13,000 feet. That’s what I call a good time.
The race starts in Old Fort, which is just about 20 miles east of Ashville, NC. It’s a quiet little town, until 200 mountain bikers show up at 7 AM and cause a ruckus. That’s 120 more riders than last year! The word is definitely getting out. I first heard about this race last June while I was in Pisgah for a week of riding with some friends. A local, Jeremy, kindly agreed to show a bunch of Floridians a real Western North Carolina epic. He was a little hesitant about what route he wanted to take us on at first. Once we explained the 6 and 8 hour rides we had been doing all week he agreed to take us on a pre-ride of the ORAMM course. To make a long and funny story short, Jeremy was a little overwhelmed by the flatlanders climbing abilities and tossed his Clif Bars on top of the biggest climb. Sorry Jeremy. Check out his web page if you are ever heading to WNC for some riding http://www.wncmountaingoatepics.com/.
So, back to the race. I showed up at 7:30 with my girl friend, Rebecca, and began to get ready. It wasn’t just a race though, it was a bit of a reunion. My training buddy from Tampa, Harvey was there, and a group of Ridge Riders from Lakeland, FL, and Dean & Wick from the Pisgah trip last year, and Val & Ted from Tampa, and Charlie & Davie from Ellijay, Steph & Julie who are going to the 24 hr Solo Worlds and Rodney from the SE Trek team who always beats me in XC races (by a lot), and even my favorite Pisgah guide Jeremy. So while I registered and prepared to roll out I had a lot of hellos to give and receive. I also made a mental list of all of the riders I wanted to finish in front of, which of course was all of them.
The start is neutral for the first 3 miles, which is good since I didn’t warm up at all. I was to busy shaking hands and what-not. The pace was fast just like last year, but I had a plan and it wasn’t time to go hard yet. I sat in and drafted at the back of the lead group. I knew I couldn’t ride on the front and still have energy to make it up the first climb. That first climb is a doozie. 4 miles up and over Kitsuma Peak. The only time anyone rides it this direction is for this race. I guessed there was about 30 riders in front of me, but no worries. I held my line as the trail narrowed to single track and the 200 riders tried to squeeze in.
Unless you are one of the gifted and lucky first 10 riders you will have to walk some of this climb. It’s a combination of steepness, the roots & rocks, and the rider in front of you. If that person in front of you dabs their foot down, most likely you will be walking. It only took a 100 yards for that to happen to me. I did the hike and ride combo up to the top. I managed to get to the front of the small group of 5 or 6 riders I ended up in, but couldn’t catch the ones in next group, yet. I had a quick nature break at the top and off I went down the switchbacks on the other side. The trail dumps out to a parking lot and then a paved road. It was a good time to eat some gels and rest.
From there it’s about 8 miles of down hill dirt road to the first SAG stop. I rolled through that SAG grabbing a banana as I went. Another mile or less go by and the climbing begins again. This time up the lower end of Heartbreak Ridge. I bet there is a good story about it’s name, but I don’t know it. This section has about 10 switchback on the way up. For the benefit of those unfamiliar with switchbacks, they are a 180 degree turn, which are used to traverse a steep hill. For some reason I have never mastered the art of riding through a switchback. My success rate is improving, but I don’t really understand why. I am better going up, then I am going down. Unfortunately as soon as I get over the top of this climb I have a descent with a handful of switchbacks again.
Once I ungracefully make it through those darn turns, I am onto the rolling and usually scenic Star Gap. It’s a over grown double track that wraps around and through Star Gap. I say “usually scenic,” because today the clouds are so low you can’t see 200 yards. I continue cruising along. I’m still going with my plan and not riding hard yet. I’m not getting passed and I did manage to pass a rider or two. I may have been in 25th place, maybe higher. Then I hear puffffissssss…ssss….sss….ssss….ssss…sss…sss. My front tire developed a pin hole and I could hear each time it pointed upward.
I rolled down the hill it happened on and part way up the next one. I jumped off, pulled the spare tube & Co2 I had taped under my saddle and popped the front wheel off. I unrolled the tube. Doh, it’s a shraeder valve (that would mean the wrong size in English). Luckily I packed a second with the correct valve. I get the tire off the rim and pull the tubeless valve out and stick the tube in. Once the tire is all mounted up again I start with the Co2. Mean while at least 5 riders have passed me, including a few of the ones I knew. Everyone asked if I was OK and some seem to pick up the pace when I said yes. I made a mental note of all of them. Instead of the Co2 filling my tire with air as it should, it froze the valve shut and sprayed white mist everywhere. Luckily I pack a second (see a trend here?) This one worked and I was rolling again soon. Of course another 5 riders had passed me.
I was off again and glanced at the time. 2 hours in, it was time to move to the next phase of the plan. Attack. I began to reel in the riders who passed me while I was fussing with the tire. I grabbed a chunk of PB&J as I passed through Sag #2 and headed for the big climb of the day, Curtis Creek Rd. It’s about 12 miles from SAG 2 to the top of Curtis Creek Rd where SAG 3 is, which wouldn’t be a big deal if it wasn’t for the 2700 feet of climbing. The plan had been to save my energy for the this and the next climbs. I was itching to go to. I drafted another racer into the base of the climb and then kindly thanked him by dropping him a few minutes later. I ran into a big bunch of the riders that passed me during my flat. I gave and received a few whoops of encouragement from my friends and sped off to tackle this hill.
I felt great as it began to really pitch upward. It’s a long climb, but there are no real steep parts. It’s pretty steady, which I really like. I just slowly built up the speed and slowly the riders I passed where no longer just the ones that had passed me early, but others who where ahead from the start. I enjoyed that look of surprise and agony as I got as cruised passed rider after rider. I came to a long straight section and could see JJ, the last rider to catch from my downtime with the flat. He must have really picked up the pace to get so far ahead. I yelled to him. “JJ, I’m coming for you.” He turned and looked. He was struggling as I rolled by. I smiled to him. It took one hour to reach the top.
I stopped to refill my CamelBak and grab some food I sent up to SAG 3. I downed two gels and took off. Two riders passed me while I was at the SAG. One, who looked to be in my class, was right in front of me and the other, a woman who I had seen at other races was out of sight. It was flat for about two feet as we exited the SAG and then dropped 1000 feet on a gravel road. It’s also on the north face of the mountain, so it’s freezing cold. I was shivering. I tucked down to keep the wind off my chest and passed the guy in front of me in a switchback. He stayed with me as the road levels off and then slowly crept back upward. We passed the woman as the climb pitched up again. He rode up next to me. He asked “is one was as long as the last, because I was close to bonking on the last one.” I said yup and offered him a gel. He declined and I decided he needed to go away. I stuck with my plan, though, and didn’t accelerate quickly. I slowly built up a good rhythm and slowly he drifted further and further back.
Looking up I could see the road above me. I saw a guy in blue pushing his bike. I looked back and my shadow rider was just about gone. I set my sights on the walker and rode on. As I rounded a corner I could see it was Rodney the Trek guy who was struggling. I hadn’t seen him since the start 4 hours earlier. “Man” he says in his souther draw as I go by, “I’ve never climbed this much in my life.” I rolled on to SAG 4. It was 4 hour 20 minutes when I stopped. I grabbed another chunk of PB&J and ate a gel.
The guys at the SAG told me I was 21th and the leaders were WAY ahead. I didn’t expect to be close since I was an hour and a half back last year. I knew Rodney had been part of the lead group over Kitsuma, so that was a good sign. I was working my way back up there. Out of the SAG and up the Blue Ridge Parkway. I passed one more rider and was passed by many cars. After 4 and half hours in the woods it’s a bit of a shock to be in traffic again. The weather was good, dry and high 70s, so I imagine the parkway was busy. At mile marker 353 I cut across the road and into a little trail you would never know was there if it wasn’t marked for the race. That may be a good thing, since it leads to one of the best, yet least known downhill runs in Pisgah.
I stumbled a bit climbing up the ridge. It’s a hike-a-bike for 100 yards straight up the ridge from the parkway. Even if you found the trail you would think you had any business taking a bike up it. I could see another rider up ahead of me wearing a red jersey. I trudged along and reached the top as I saw him ride away downhill. This is the top of Heartbreak Ridge. I remount the bike, donned my sun glasses and headed off. A minute later I stopped, removed the foggy sunglasses and hoped I didn’t get mud in my eye while traveling at a high rate of speed through a narrow trail.
I passed red jersey. A few minutes later I rounded, successfully I might add, a tight switchback and see a crankarm with a pedal attached laying in the trail. I said out loud “That’s not good.” I looked up to see a tall man heading toward me saying “That must be mine….” I passed him too. Once or twice on the 8 miles descent I actually had to pedal a couple times. Unfortunately my rear derailleur shifter decided it would call it a day a bit early. I suddenly found myself with only 3 of the smallest cogs in the back. This made a bit tough to get up the steep parts. Fortunately I had plenty of gravity to work with at the time.
I survived the switchbacks on the lower end of Heartbreak and headed for the last SAG. I didn’t stop, just emptied my pockets of gel wrappers. I must have passed two or three more riders who did stop. I was at least ahead of the 19th spot where I finished last year. I made the hard right hand turn after SAG 5 and started up hill again. This is where the rear derailleur issues really causes a problem. I had put a lot into the climbs earlier and was hoping to cruise through this last one with a nice spin up the hill and over Kitsuma. I dropped the chain to the little ring up front and the smallest in the back. I figured out if I held the shifter lever in it would give two more cogs in the back , making a it little easier to turn the pedals over. This worked OK, but my thumb was going to hurt from holding it.
It was 4 miles back to the Kitsuma parking lot. I made it OK, passed one more rider and didn’t cramp from pushing the harder gears. My thumb was killing me though (3 days later and it was still sore). I passed through the parking lot and into the woods for the last section of this race. A half dozen or so switchbacks later I was at the top. I always forget about how long this ridge is. You drop down a little and then it’s back up again and then drop down a little and back up again….. This goes on 4 times at least and each time I try to ride at far as possible with the gear selection I had. Pushing my bike over the top of the last one I was ready to finish this thing. My stopwatch just ticked past 6 hours, which was the time I hoped I would be done in. Oh, well.
I rode conservatively down the gnarly down hill I had hiked up just 6 hours ago. It was still wet and pretty chewed up from this morning’s traffic. I tried to smile for the photographer near the bottom, but I was concentrating too hard on staying upright. I still felt good, but my upper body was getting tired, particularly my right hand & thumb. No worries though, I was on the home stretch now. I exited Kitsuma park and headed back to Old Fort. It’s 3 miles back down the pavement into to town. I was pushing the biggest gear I had, mostly so I didn’t have to hold that lever in any more, but also so I might catch anyone else coasting in.
I didn’t catch anyone though. I made it into the finish with no wrong turns, unlike last year. I rode through the finish without much fanfare, since most everyone that knew me was still out riding. I had 6:16 on my watch, but I started it a couple minutes into the ride. That was definitely better than last year’s time of 6:42, so now I just had to see what place I came in. I was hoping for top ten considering how few riders where hanging around. I spoke briefly with Harvey’s wife Lauren to inquire how Rebecca was doing. Lauren worked at SAG 1 & 5, but didn’t remember seeing her. I said thanks and other stuff that probably didn’t make much sense and then headed for the creek for a quick bath.
I was submerged shin deep in cold water when Rebecca came walking up. This was surprising since she was in casual wear and an hour early. I couldn’t hear her over the sound of the water, but I could see a hospital bracelet on her wrist. That’s never a good sign. She was stung by a bee and had to bail. She is allergic and got to see what the local hospital ER looked like. She was not very happy about having to quit the race, but would be back to try again. I finished the ice bath, changed clothes and headed for the finish again. I was looking for results and a burrito.
They had both waiting for me. 12th place in the men’s open division at 6 hour 19 minutes. I was happy with that. So with a burrito and a cup of Highland Ale I recounted the adventures of the day with my friends, new and old.
I don’t have any pictures from this one, so if you where there and have some to share send them on over.
I’ll add a quick note here about my preparations for the Worlds. I have been working with a coach who has me training like I have never trained before, efficiently. I work hard, then recover and do it again. Unlike what I used to do, which was race, race and then race. The ORAMM showed me that my training so far has paid off and with some more work I will be at my best for Worlds. Good thing too, because the competition will be tough. I’m working on the logistics of getting myself, my bikes and equipment along with my support crew up to Canada. This, by far, is the most stressful part, but I think it will all come together in time.
Thanks for reading,
Eddie O
BURN Energy Drinks http://www.sourcedrinks.com
Chainwheel Drive Bicycles http://chainwheeldrive.com
Specialized Bicycles http://www.specialized.com
Carb-Boom http://carb-boom.com
Titec http://www.titec.com
GNC of Lakeland, FL http://gnc.com
Dr. Jamie Brenon
Eddie O