This is the desert. Trails are usually
dusty and packed down like concrete or loose like a pool of
quicksand. But not today, not this day. Rain is here, and it's
fucking awesome. The start line is a sea of cheap waterproof shells,
some people are wearing plastic bags. I am one of the few people with
a hooded jacket - when a small crowd notices, jealousy ensues. The
sun is rising, though you can't really tell because the sky is hazy
and grey.
The promoter announces that the 15+
mile lap loop has been altered to a high water route, which skips the
rocky descent and replaces it with smooth rollers. I am on a 4 person
team and am the first to ride – the lap starts on pavement for a 2
mile uphill climb before turning right onto the trail. Shit. I hate
climbing, even more so on the road. I start out at the middle of the
pack, but I don't stay there for long. A guy on a singlespeed fat
bike with his hands off the bars passes me and I figure I should just
accept my place at the back of the line.
The rain stops by the time I get to the
trail, so I ditch my jacket at the team tent and keep riding. The
trails look like someone came through and covered the course with
peanut butter. Climbs are slow (well, slower than normal) and drops
are sketchy at best. Naturally, a shit eating grin appears on my
face. Really though, there's mud in my teeth.
A few hours later it's time for lap 2.
The trails are almost completely dry, but they are tacky as hell. The
back half of the loop is slightly downward sloping and I keep
pedaling. It's fast and scary and my eyes are watering so much I can
barely see. I'm pumping the backside of rollers and finding a flow
that is rare for me on race days. My bike has changed from green to
clay, my hands are numb and my shorts are splattered in layers of
dirt in varying degrees of dryness. This is the desert. Rain is here,
and it's fucking awesome.
