Rage in the Sage Schedule of Events

Friday, May 28• 3-7 p.m. — Registration

for Sage Burner and Gunnison Glory at IOOF Park

• 5-6:30 p.m. — Gunnison School of Yoga Session at IOOF Park

• 7-10 p.m. — Gunnison G l o r y P r e s e n t a t i o n a n d Climbing Film at The Bean Coffeehouse (120 N. Main St.)

Saturday, May 29• 6:30-7:30 a.m. — Registration

for Sage Burner at Hartman Rocks

• 7 a.m. — Registration for Gunnison Glory at Hartman Rocks

• 7:30 a.m. — Sage Burner starts at Base Area

• 8:30-9:30 a.m. — Yoga at the Base Area (Hartman’s)

• 10 a.m. — Gunnison Glory begins at Hartman Rocks

• 2-9 p.m. — Check In for Original Growler at IOOF Park

• 4 p.m. — Sage Burner Awards Ceremony at IOOF Park (New Belgium Beer Garden and Live Music by U-47)

Sunday, May 30• 7 a.m. — Original Growler

starts at IOOF Park• 8 a . m . — S l a c k l i n i n g

Expedition/Chair Massages at Hartman Rocks

• 9 a.m. — Nature Awareness Workshop at base area

• 10 a.m. — Gunnison Glory ends

• 12 p.m. — Gunnison Glory awards ceremony/raffle at Hartman Rocks

• 1-5 p.m. — Original Growler and Gunnison Glory after party at IOOF Park (New Belgium Beer Garden and music)

• 5 p.m. — Original Growler awards ceremony at IOOF Park

Races heat up in year threeMatt SmithTimes Staff Writer

When 300 riders reach the base area of Hartman Rocks on Sunday morning for the third edition of the Original Growler mountain bike race, they better have their big-boy boots on. Or big-girl boots, should that be the case.

The 32-mile loop that makes up this cross country course is jam packed with as much singletrack trail as one person should ever want to ride in a day. That is, of course, unless they’re taking on the two-lap, 64-mile version of the Growler.

“The course is great in the fact that it’s almost all singletrack,” said local rider Travis Scheefer, who took the 32-mile men’s title in 2009. “Whereas in other races, there’s a lot of road and places where you can just zone out.”

All 300 spots in this Sunday’s Original Growler mountain bike race filled within hours of becoming available. Seen here, Denver’s Richard DiGeronimo tackles the course in the 2009 edition of the race.

Times file photo

Competition grows in Growler No. 3

Duncan CallahanSpecial to the Times

(Editor’s Note: Duncan Callahan has first place finishes in the Moab 100 Ultra, Leadville 100 and Sage Burner 50K to his name. He lives and trains in Gunnison.)

Jack’s Trail comes as a rude awakening as you begin the 31-mile Sage Burner adventure by shocking your body awake. Then comes the ripping downhill on Tail-Pipe, followed by the beautiful Ridge Trail with fancy footwork ability a pre-requisite to get down in one piece.

Thus is the way of this beautiful race. Up and down, up and down.

The rhythm of Hartman Rocks is interwoven into this race course. Indeed, the course builders — Dave Wiens, Scott Drum

Race hard. Don’t quit. Happy trails

24 Ho

urs of Gunnison Glory

2010

24GG

RAGE IN THE SAGE WEEKEND

Growler on page B6

How many routes can you climbin 24 hours?Luke MehallSpecial to the Times

Gunnison Glory, the endurance climbing fes-tival that will take place out at Hartman Rocks this weekend, is the only 24 hour climbing event in the Western United States.

Inspired by the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell in Arkansas, the event had a solid show-

Bolted, traditional and mixed climbing and bouldering will all be in play at this weekend’s 24 Hours of Gunnison Glory.

Courtesy photos

Gunnison Glory climbs into year-two

Burner on page B6 Burner on page B6

Fat Tire BikeWeek Concert

FREE SHOWMt. Crested Butte

KARL DENSON’STINY UNIVERSE

Gunnison Country Times Thursday, May 27, 2010 • RAGE IN THE SAGE SPECIAL INSERT • 1

3 GATEWAYThis is mostly a nice roller, with gentle ups and downs. There is one steep, short climb with switchbacks early on and one technical rock outcrop near the middle. For that, be prepared to take a hard left, follow the cairns up the rock face, and step on the gas.

If you’re going to

Enjoy the RideEnDifferent mountain bike races ar

known for big mountains, big climThe Original Growler is all abou

factor is off the charts.It all boils down to this: Singletra

1 RIDGE TRAILOnly the “Full Growler” faithful will experience the Ridge Trail this year — on their second lap. It’s appropriately named, sitting high above Tomichi Creek and the valley below. Portions of this “techy” trail go right up next to the abyss. Don’t look down.

2 TOP OF THE WORLDOne of the newer trails at Hartman’s, built only a few years ago. Ridden in this direction, it’s all about the climb, and it’s a great one. Couple of steep switchbacks, a few rock problems, but nothing too strenuous or that can’t be ridden. Top of the World is a perfect example of how climbing can be fun.

5 DAVE MOE’SNamed after local Rock ‘n Roll (Sports) legend Dave Meyer. A steep and loose climb to get up to the trail, but once you’re there it’s worth it.

6 ENCHANTED

FORESTHonestly, this is more fun ridden

the other direction. But sometimes you

gotta pay to play. As a side note, earlier this week a herd of cows was hanging out in this vicinity

and the trail was a bit loose.

3

4

5

6

7

4 DIRTY SOCKA little climby at the front, a nice descent at the end

with a modest technical section in the middle. There is a narrow bridge crossing, but it is signed and going this

direction shouldn’t present any problems.

Photos and text by Chris Dickey

NEW & USED SPORTING GOODS • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • 970.641.1893 • 115 W. GEORGIA AVE., GUNNISON

We also carry climbing accessories!

Come on in and check out our...

BIKE SHOP

BIKING ACCESSORIES

FULL SERVICE REPAIRS & PARTS

And so much more!

2 • RAGE IN THE SAGE SPECIAL INSERT • Thursday, May 27, 2010 Gunnison Country Times

race, you might as well ...

Enjoy the Ridenjoy the Ridere known for different characteristics. The Leadville 100, for example, is

mbs, out-and-back course, mostly jeep roads. ut the trails. Hartman Rocks was made for mountain biking. The fun-

ack ... it’s why we ride.

7 OUTBACKIf you feel a little “out there” on

Outback, you haven’t seen anything yet. This is still considered the “front

side” of Hartman’s. This is a fun trail, with a little bit of technical and a little

bit of rolling through the sage.

9 JOSHO’SOne of the fastest and most fun descents at

Hartman’s, ridden in this direction. Beware of a few tight turns in the trees, but other than that let it roll.

The climb out (pictured here) is a grunt.

11 THE NOTCHWhen you’ve reached The Notch, you know you’re almost home.

But don’t relax just yet. There are a couple of challenging rock problems to get to the top, and then some very steep, loose,

screamer sections on the way down. Where possible, get off the gravel and on to solid granite. Better traction, ya know?

LEGEND

Both Laps

Lap 1 Only

Lap 2 Only

Dirt Road

Paved Road

Power Line

Map courtesy of Ben Clauss

12

8

9

10

11

10 RATTLESNAKEOne of Hartman’s signature trails. This one offers a little bit of everything, in roller-coaster fashion. There are a few spots where options are presented to the rider. Generally speaking, the dirt trail is the safer route, while the rock option may be more direct and faster — but you better be ready to huck it or hold on.

8 BAMBI’STypically used as the “back entrance” to Hartman’s. This is super fun ridden in either direction. For the Growler, it’ll be a scream of a downhill. No major technical sections so you can pretty much let it roll.

50

135

50

The

Cre

sted

But

te B

rew

ing

Co.

India Pale Ale

Gunnison, C

olorado, U.S.A

. Th

e C

rest

ed B

utt

e B

re

wing Co. Gunnison, Colorad

o, U.S

.A.

Open 4-10 Friday, 4-10 Saturday, 12-9 Sunday and Monday. Live music Monday night 5-8pmLocal brews…

Gunnison Country Times Thursday, May 27, 2010 • RAGE IN THE SAGE SPECIAL INSERT • 3

and Jake Jones — had this in mind three years ago as they mapped out what has become an instant spring-time classic running race.

The Sage Burner has lived up to its billing as a race to show-case the beauty of Hartman Rocks, and I for one am com-pletely hooked. I love this race, not only because it is in my backyard, but also because the true nature of Hartman Rocks can only be experienced by running a large loop, which includes just about every major Hartman Rocks singletrack. This race has it all, from steep climbs and nasty drops to gradual dirt ascents and technical running sections.

This Saturday I will be rac-ing the Sage Burner 50K for the third consecutive year, as will many more. Many have faced challenges and many have effortlessly floated on its “but-tery” singletrack. In 2008, the first year of this great event, 70 people toed the line in either the 25K or 50K events. Last year this event tripled in size to over 200 competitors.

As you move on from the Ridge Trail and up the big climb on Top-of-the-World, you do begin to warm up and find a rhythm, one that will not leave you, if you are lucky, until the finish. Dropping down the north side of Top-o-the-World, the main goal needs to be to stretch out the legs from all the initial climbing and technical running.

As you head down onto the

Water Treatment Plant trail, the temptation is to pick up the pace and hammer it out. Don’t. This could leave your legs dev-astated for the rest of the race. A quick scramble up to Gateway trail leaves you gasping and quickly you come to the realiza-tion that this is only seven miles into the race.

No time to dwell on this though; it is time to move on. Eventually, through a mix of technical rock sections and dirt singletrack bliss, you end up about to head out on Buddy Bear and Dirty Sock and beyond. It is here, approximately 11 miles into the race, that aid station No. 2 greets the runner. This is the time to re-fuel and re-focus.

The bone crushing descent down Enchanted Forest and the subsequent climb leaves the

50K runner on the verge of seri-ous fatigue as you see the mile 15 aide station and begin your drop down toward the Aberdeen Quarry. This is a chance to take a brief rest before a gigan-tic climb up the technical Skull Pass Trail.

I have many fond memo-ries from this climb, as a place where decisions are made and character is forged. In the inau-gural 2008 Sage Burner, this is where I launched my attack on a flagging Tim Parr and began to try and overcome a 5-minute deficit.

A sagging spirit is quickly renewed at the top of this climb as you pass the aid station and realize you have just passed the halfway point. The Outback trail is next, which is by far my favorite part of this race course.

I usually use this as my “surge” trail.

Working around in this counter-clockwise fashion, the 50K racer maneuvers eventu-ally to Bambi’s trail, Gold Basin Road and then up the infamous “Elevator Climb.” This steep quad-buster takes you from Gold Basin Road back up to the Powerline and Josho’s trail.

Most hike this climb and they cannot be blamed for that, as it comes some 24 miles into a difficult run. Dropping down Josho’s and Broken Shovel is the time to put the hammer down. Just don’t forget the ensuing run back up the Sea of Sage.

After navigating the devas-tatingly deceptive Rattlesnake trail, it is all downhill on Becks and the infamous Notch. If you have any legs left at all, this is a great place to make up time on those who have lost their legs long ago. However, taking risks coming down the Notch is not advised, as any fall will lead to serious wounds.

Coming into the finish-ing stretch is exhilarating with many spectators and the bloom of pride from finishing a daunt-ing 31-mile run in the beautiful Hartman Rocks Recreation Area.

I look forward to seeing you all out there this weekend, bat-tling hard, fighting through fatigue and pushing back boundaries. The Sage Burner is a fantastic race that has become an instant spring-time classic in the high desert. It is a course to be respected and a field of par-ticipants to be admired.

Race hard. Don’t quit. Happy trails.

Scheefer plans on returning to the 32-mile edition, or “Half Growler,” to defend his title in 2010. What’s yet to be deter-mined is who among the other 299 riders will give him a run for his money.

With last year’s second place winner Brian Smith out of com-mission for Sunday’s soiree, who steps up is anyone’s guess. Last year, Smith finished just under 10 minutes behind Scheefer, who crossed the finish line in 2:49.07.

The course has pretty much stayed the same for 2010, except for the fact that it will be ridden in reverse. That’s a fact that leads Scheefer to believe it might be even more grueling.

“I think the course might be a little more challenging,” said Scheefer, entering his third Growler. “The other thing you don’t realize when you’re out there is that it’s a lot of climb-

ing.” Durango’s Travis Brown will be

in attendance to defend back-to-back “Full Growler” titles, after winning last year’s race by almost 14 minutes over Gunnison’s Jeff Irwin. Brown was the only rider to turn in two, sub-three hour laps in 2009.

After taking second last year and finishing in a close third in 2008, Irwin is just hoping that Brown somehow finds a way to beat himself.

“Travis Brown is still one of the fastest guys in the country,” said Irwin. “He’d have to have an extremely off day for anyone else to really have a shot at it.”

Golden’s Kelly Magelky is among a large pack of profes-sional contenders that could slip onto the leader board. Magelky finished just six minutes behind Irwin in 2009.

But Irwin is more concerned with properly preparing himself for the daunting task ahead. For him, that means “eating before

you feel you need to” and “drink-ing more than you think you should.”

“It’s a pretty tall order,” said Irwin. “And you can’t fake it out there once you’ve blown.”

The number of female rid-ers to finish the “Full Growler” increased from three finishers to seven from year one to year two, and that number is expect-ed to continue to rise this year. According to Crested Butte’s Laura Anderson, who took sec-ond both years, the level of talent pulled in is also on the rise.

“There’s going to be a lot of good women out there,” said Anderson. “I think it’s going to be the most competitive field, whether it’s the small Growler or big Growler, that we’ve ever had.”

The only question remaining for Anderson, is how much fun she wants to have. While she’s signed up for the full 64-mile jaunt, thoughts of sitting back after a shorter 32-mile trek have

crossed her mind in recent days. “I’m still trying to decide,” said

Anderson. “It’s between going out and having a hard race and then sitting around and drinking beer while everyone else suffers, or suffering for seven hours.”

Locals Jennifer Smith, Susan DeMattei and Jari Kirkland will also be big threats for how the final podium shakes out. Boulder’s Eszter Horanyi owns the rights to the women’s “Full Growler” title, while names like Sonya Bugbee, Jennifer Gersbach and Sonya Looney have been thrown in the mix.

Only time will tell and time is running out for participants in the 2010 edition of the Original Growler. The race starts at 7 a.m. sharp on Sunday from IOOF park in downtown Gunnison.

(Matt Smith can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or mattsmith@gunnisontimes.com)

Growler from page B3

Burner from page B3

ing in its inaugural year, with 40 climbers, and promises to be even bigger this year.

Climbing will kick off on Saturday at 10 a.m.

So what’s it all about, and what can a climber expect to experience out there?

The concept is simple, to climb as many routes as possible in 24 hours. There will also be a 12 hour youth category with the same challenge.

The event is promoted as a festi-val and a personal challenge, rath-er than a competition. All com-petitors will have equal chances at prizes from their 40 plus sponsors via a “golden ticket” giveaway. Prizes will also be awarded to the top male and female climbers.

Hartman Rocks is reminis-cent of the world-famous Joshua Tree climbing area in southern California. Granite domes, spires and crags that are surrounded by rolling hills, with incredible vistas of surrounding mountains. The rock is some of the sharpest any-where, so a roll of athletic tape is recommended, especially for 24 hours of continuous climbing.

Event organizer and Gunnison local Alec Solimeo reported that more than 300 routes are on the scorecard for Gunnison Glory this year. The climbs are bolted, traditional, mixed and boulder-ing. Many of the boulder prob-lems are quite tall (up to 20 feet) so a crash pad is another advised piece of equipment. A helmet is required for the roped climbing and a headlamp is essential for night climbing.

A steady intake of water and proper nutrition is essential to success. Food and drink will be available at the event from local businesses.

Yoga sessions will happen over the course of the day, with teach-ers from both Gunnison and Crested Butte leading classes out at Hartman’s. Other events include chair massages, yoga, slack-lining and a nature awareness workshop for youth.

The most difficult and trying time for the event will be during the night time. Some climbers will choose to mostly rest during the evening hours, while others will persevere and continue climbing. Volunteers from the event will patrol to ensure safety. Caffeine-infused drinks and gels will be popular choices for those trying to go the distance.

Once the climbing is over at 10 a.m. on Sunday, the Gunnison Glory will move in town for an after-party awards celebration at Sugah’s Café/IOOF park in down-town Gunnison.

For any last minute information contact Solimeo at 719.239.1939.

Glory from page B3

Duncan Callahan, seen here, is looking for his second Sage Burner 50K title on Saturday at Hartman Rocks.

Times file photo

July 9 – 10, 2010 Kids Camp with Bearfoot July 6 – 8, 2010

inparadise

DREW EMMITT ( HOST ) AND BILLY NERSHI / BLUE HIGHWAY

RALPH STANLEY & THE CLINCH MOUNTAIN BOYS / BEARFOOT

SPRINGCREEK BLUEGRASS / SHANNON WHITWORTH

Base Area at Red Lady Lift, Mt. Crested Butte, CO 81225

4 • RAGE IN THE SAGE SPECIAL INSERT • Thursday, May 27, 2010 Gunnison Country Times