Holy crap, it's going to happen (pending approval)

I've got a big announcement, but first...

About a month ago, Fajita lost my Light on a Stick while on vacation in Florida.

It fell out of her pocket while walking on the beach. She was upset. A search party was formed, but their efforts were futile. Tears were shed. They returned home and informed me that I was now lightless. More tears...

Yesterday, I made excellent use of my time. I broke out an old LED light that I bought during the early years of LED technology from a manufacturer who assured me it was bright enough to ride in the woods at night.

It was not.

But now with the addition of an old 1" quill stem, a Back Forty strap, and the other Salsa Chili Pepper grip not used with the original Light on a Stick, I now have a very useful Light on a Stick II.

It's a little more busy than the original Light on a Stick, it's way heavier, but it is harder to lose, way brighter, and can stand up on it's own. I'm considering quitting my day job and building Lights on Sticks for a living.

I noticed that I will disappoint multiple sponsors with that poorly planned image. You can only see the 9 in the Bike29 sticker and Dick Bruceman will certainly be miffed that my tub of Pro Towels are facing the wrong way. Should I tell him that I keep re-using one of the towels by crumpling it up and stuffing it under the lid to keep it moist? Probably not. Sponsor Liaison and Equipment Acquisitions Director, Admiral Ackbar is not pleased with my performance (but happy to at least make the shot).

In bigger news (like something could be better than Light on a Stick II), Pisgah Productions, the people who bring you events like PMBAR, Double Dare, and P36 have a new event planned (permit pending).

I'm sure Brado will be commissioned to produce something slightly better, but that's the best I can do for now.

The idea for this race was being tossed around by Eric "PMBAR Honcho" Wever and Jeff Papenfus for quite some time. Some of you might remember that Jeff passed away as a result of a riding accident that happened this past summer. Eric has decided that the race will move on and that the proceeds from the 2012 event will go to Jeff's widow, Lisa.

The original idea was for a 100 mile route. Eric forwarded the proposed route to me a few months ago, and when I looked at it, I called him up to tell him he was crazy.

To say it was hard would be an understatement. 100 miles of Pisgah ain't no joke. Keep in mind that the last time something of that magnitude was attempted (AKA: The Hush Hush Ride/Pisgah 99) only Brad Kee finished, and it took him @22 hours (he survived by eating his own toes). I broke out the map and tried to think of another route, but honestly, unless you stay on gravel roads as much as possible, you're going to be out there a very, very, very long time if you plan on busting out a full hundie.

So I ignored the concept of 100 miles and just stared at the map. I tried to think of a route that would have a maximum amount of fun with a minimal amount of needless suffering. A route that would make it easy for the promoter to have aid stations in logical locations and would see that people could actually finish the whole course and HAVE FUN. The kind of route that I would want to race... some of the best stuff that Pisgah has to offer in a way that would offer a shit ton of bang for the buck.

For those that can read a map or already know Pisgah:

276->477->Clawhammer->Buckhorn->SMills->Squirrel->Cantrell->SMills->Bradley->5015->1206->5000->Spencer->Spencer->n.e.r.->Fletcher->ResRd->Lower Trace->NMills->Yellow Gap->5051->1206->Laurel->Pilot->1206->476->SMills->
Buckhorn->Black

Well, that's the plan anyway.

For those that don't know Pisgah or can't read a map:

Nice paved flat to gravel road climb to start (break up the field), semi-wide introduction to the trail (nice filter), some of Pisgah's finest technical trails (Squirrel/Cantrell) while you still have the energy to cope with it, a nice mix of mellower trail, double track and gravel to get you to the descent on Spencer, over to more woodsie fun on Fletcher and Trace (that whole side of the forest will be awesome), a gravel climb to a classic Pisgah Laurel-to-Pilot loop (my favorite descent in Pisgah), some gravel to the "Wheelchair Ramp" climb (my name, not the forest service's) with one big push to the top of Black for one hell of a descent to the finish.

Eric is going to find out what the distance comes out to as soon as he can. It will be more than fifty but less than a hundred miles. Will it be 100K? Not exactly, but it will be the Pisgah 100% Awesome. Some of the best riding that the PNF has to offer, hands down, in one race.

This will not be the typical Pisgah Productions event. Eric plans on stepping it up quite a bit to make this slightly less grass-rootsy and more like what folks are used to seeing at other backcountry endurance races. While this will mean a slightly higher entry fee (compared to his very reasonably priced/more adventure oriented races), there will be support, course markings, CATEGORIES, a timing system that's more sophisticated than The Boy (my son) and an Excel spreadsheet.... all the whiz bang top notch stuff that you could ask for if you were the kind of person who asks for things.

A marked course, so none of this business:

photo cred: Clay Faine

And absolutely no wooden nickels.

Can you tell that I'm excited?

This will be a "must-do" event.

The date (tentatively) is May 19th, two weeks after PMBAR.

Mark your calendars. Sharpen your pencils. Change your oil. Check the batteries in your smoke detectors.

All good things to do, just not all relevant to this post.