Harrisonburg is an amazing place. Every time I make it up there I come back with a new memory of incredible riding on ancient mountains. Massanutun is probably my favorite mountain. It stretches casually for close to 100 miles, only revealing its true strength to the well initiated. The Hoo Ha super D took a line on the ridge that I’d only seen on the ride up. The rocks were like tips of icebergs, pocking out of the dirt. I came across a rare feature twice; trees spaced exactly 550 mm apart, just enough to stop my 560 handlebar dead in its tracks. It’s fun to find that out while you’re racing. Super D was sick! I look forward to next week in Ashland Oregon.
XC course was amazing. It puts to shame most any other course out there, especially anything out west. It’s almost all singletrack, but singletrack of many different varieties. It all comes served up like a gourmet meal. Rocks are the main course but there’s berms for dessert and creeks, roots, mud, fast flow, and slow balance as sides. I was happy to take second although Jeremiah Bishop smoked me pretty good. He’s certainly king of his backyard. I can’t believe it took me 19 years to make it up for this race. I’ll definitely be back.
