Duluth Dirt Spanker

Jumped back in the singletrack MTB racing this weekend.  Passing on the always fun & flat U.P./Calumet Great Deer Chase on Sat.  I went the other direction with MN MTB Series for the MTB-ing Duluth style – the climbing & narly-ness that makes up the Duluth Dirt Spanker on the recently Mother Nature landscaped hills of Mont Du Lac. 

Great weather & good to see so many familiar faces.  The five lap race primarily tested ones ability to climb & to descend.   Took a brake check filled first lap which put one’s life if not health & well being in jeopardy on a few occasions and tuned it into 3 solid laps to follow with Adam Swank & Nicoli Anikin in tow.

Don’t get me wrong the Dirt Spanker is a fun course, just a different kinda fun, in terms of the skills & abilities one brings for it.  Flow sorta gets thrown out the window in places & it’s a dance of sheer finesse with raw power. 

After riding for so long you note that many trails just develop their own identity.  Whether it’s the U.P of MI, or CAMBA or Seeley or Duluth or Lowe’s Creek in Eau Claire or  9 mile in Wausau.  I’m partial to my own back 40 trails here at home & what CAMBA & Seeley bring but could also hang out a sign “Have single track?  Will ride.”  So when you talk to others who’ve experienced the different trail systems they just “get” what you are talking about.

I work on a play by play later, whether’s Mike Bushey’s vote of confidence at the beginning, seeing Charlie Farrow barrel up the crazy steep climbs on single speed (how the hell do ones go about picking a gear for a race that’s all up & all down??  Charlie, help me with that one?)  or finally catching up to Matt O’Meara for the first time this season. 

Though for a race I put on the calendar to have fun with, it came out pretty descent(pun intended).  9th in the Elite men’s field despite running outta gas on the 5th lap.  

Up Next… the Seeley Pre Fat