Pisgah Stage Race: Day Three, Four, and Five

Ahhh... a proper Pisgah race start if I'd ever seen one.

Stage Three:

Right up the side of a mountain.  No fussing about.  This also means lining up kinda close to the front and getting to the slightly technical but short Sycamore Loop in good company.  It's one of my favorite ways to end a ride on this side of the forest, but I guess it's also a soft way to start a very hard day. 

All race images courtesy of Icon Media Asheville

There's a lot of pain to be found climbing up Thrift and Upper Middle Black, and our only reward is riding down a gravel road from Hot Dog Gap down to another gravel climb up Clawhammer.  I'd complain, but at least I have plenty of time to eat and drink, which after yesterday's ride is a gift. Up and over Upper Upper Black and then down the hootenanny known as Avery Creek.  So. Much. Fun.

Also so much body weight squats.

After Avery, there's more climbing to an even rougher descent down Bennett Gap (or as Kerry Werner calls it, "Bennett's Gap").  Aside from the whole Satan's Staircase and Q*bert Rock portions which are no longer in my whale house, it's a slap tickle fight of fun.

Not outta the woods yet though.  Still gotta climb Lower Clawhammer and get back up to Hot Dog Gap for a shot at redemption on Lower Lower Black where I managed to stay in my line and not almost die.  Fifth single speed on the day and really settling into moderate expectations.

Stage Four:

People have been hyping the weather all week long for this day.  I try to tell them that looking at Pisgah weather more than a few hours out it almost as pointless as personal hygiene, but no one listens.  Some of their concerns start to rub off on me, and I approach the day with some dread... and a light jacket strapped to my top pipe.

Another rolling road start means I'm going to get spit out the back of the "haves" pretty early.  No matter.  I roll with Colin and we talk about important stuff like the debt ceiling, the newfound popularity of pickle ball, and Sigourney Weaver's Oscar-deserving performance in "Alien."  
 

Our cordial ride ended when we got to the bottom of the Funnel Top climb.  I knew I wanted to get back as many spots as possible before we got to the drop down Horse Cove (I guess Kerry Werner would call it "Horse's Cove") down to Squirrel Gap going the opposite way as we did on Day Two.  I passed a mess of people, survived unscathed on Squirrel, was treated to the human car wash known as Laurel Creek, climbed 5015 like someone who has gone up it three too many times, and headed up Laurel Mountain at a leisurely, don't blow my load pace.

Pilot rock is what it is.

I haven't gone down Pilot Rock on a leisurely ride since 2021, and before that... mebbe it's been a decade?  Sure, heat of the moment descents during Pisgah 111k or 55.5k or stupid rigid adventures with Watts at PMBAR, but for the most part, the focus is always less on fun and more about survival.  This was no different.  Someday, I'd like to go back, look at the lines, and session some stuff like in the olden days, but...

Race is race.

As soon as I dump out on the final road to the finish, the sky opens up... and I'm okay with that.  At least I got off Pilot before it hit.

Finish fifth.   Again.  Dammit.

As previously mentioned in yesterday's post, we (a group of we) had decided that there wasn't post-race inebriation celebration after the final stage, we had one the night before.  Its occurrence was definitely felt Saturday morning.  At least we had a very neutral six mile roll out to the stage and a hangover friendly climb to start the day.

I know Butter Gap well enough tho, so I start moving forward as much as I can.  I get a decent shot at it, but someone decided to stop in front of me on the log drop, so I dismount, try to scramble past, lose my footing, and for the first time all week, eat the proverbial shit.  Dammit.

Back on the bike and rolling, and I'm, pleased to find out that we're not doing all of Long Branch like I thought.  Now the only challenge left is the eight mile "easy" climb to the five mile "cake" descent.  

I pretty much zoned out.  Climb, climb, climb... descend... smile?

Finished.  Fourth on the day, but nowhere near enough time scraped back to pull me outta the fifth position in the single speed class.  Nonetheless, many a good time was had.

FWIW: This was either my 38th stage race finish or 40th* if you count the two Full Pulls I've done at the Tour de Burg (harder than 90% of all the stage races I've ever done).  I'm tired.  PMBAR is looming.  Trans-Sylvania Epic is threatening.  

Did I mention that I'm tired?

*sigh*

* I just did the math... I think I'm off.  Way off.  Dammit.