Winter!

We are fully immersed in winter! Finally! Wahoo! After 14 hours of driving through varying conditions, we are happy, healthy, and ecstatic to be basking in all Ketchum, Idaho has to offer.

 
We took advantage of a great day of skiing at nearby Baldy Mountain, along with Cait's Dad, JP, and brother, Jack. Here's Caitlin demonstrates her excitement for everything winter.

 
Post-ski, Caitlin and I hit the streets of Ketchum to run a couple of errands before heading over to Sushi On Second with JP and Jack. At 2° Fahrenheit, it was a brisk little jaunt. 

Tomorrow we'll head out for another day of skiing. The following day it's off to Lander to spend some time with the Hopemans!

Riley

Going, Going... Pop, Hiss... Done.

Another weekend, another cyclocross race! Saturday's race brought me up to Bellingham, Washington to participate in Thriller Cross. For the race, anyone donning either Christmas or Zombie-esque attire was given a one minute head start before the main pack of racers was released. Needless to say, I rarely need a reason to dress up.

 

Prior to the weekend, Cascade CycloCross had provided a brief preview into what the course would be like.

"We have compact grass. We have gravel trail. We have pavement. Those who have raced here in the past will testify that there can be some very boggy sections in the lowest terrain. That's okay - there are also hot showers and locker rooms. Bring a big towel and hope for mud!"

Very boggy sections in the lowest terrain was the tip of the ice berg for Saturday's race. It was the muddiest, stickiest, most wonderful course I've ridden thus far. Imagine pedaling through peanut butter. Now imagine doing that for an hour uphill, downhill, and anywhere in between.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to finish this race. At the end of my second lap I flatted and was forced to throw my bike over my shoulder and run the rest of the way into the finish line. I made an attempt to fix my dilemma in the pits but found not one, not two, but three holes! Impressive!

I hated pulling out but took it in stride. I'd had a great first lap and had ridden my hardest while smiling though a heavy layer of face paint.

The highlight of Thriller Cross was a section of snow they'd trucked in. With a full head of steam you would barrel into a couple of feet of snow hoping to have enough momentum to carry you through to the other side. I hadn't yet touched snow yet and couldn't think of a better way to become re-acquainted.

There's only one more cyclocross race left this season. On January 12th, I hope to be back in Bellingham, gritting it through the cold, and having a blast doing Chiller Cross.

Riley

Mud Boggin'

Last Sunday Cait and I found ourselves in Monroe, WA for the season finale of the Seattle Cyclocross Series. The event was held at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds alongside a youth motor cross competition in an adjacent building. With exhaust fumes in the air and my mouth mimicking machined noises, we had a fantastic day of riding.

Each cyclocross course is unique in its own way. Some have fly overs, others have barriers to jump over. This course had sand, a steep downhill into a 90° turn, a short but steep 75° uphill, and a wonderfully muddy section. In cyclocross-speak, sections of the course were "peanut-buttery" because of their muddy/sticky composition. We embraced the obstacles and both gave it our all.


 Cait giving it some gusto through the mud!


Cait on the move beginning another lap of mud boggin' glory.

 
This was my first Seattle CycloCross series race and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I was a little excited to find that I would be number 307 (the state of Wyoming's area code). 307 represent!

We both finished muddy, wet, smiling, and filled with excitement for the next opportunity to race.

Riley