This is Not Your Practice Life

 

“This Is Not Your Practice Life”  (credit - M. Bultemeier 2017)

Here are some notes for all you 2021 Crushers from my July 2, 2021 CrusherEX 100 ride along with some Old Bitch wisdom.  Take it or leave it. You can find my ride and more pics at my Strava.  

My prior CrusherEX experience: 2020, I rode the 225 twice  - first time off course DNF at 118 – 2^nd trip completed w/ my awesome downstate gang. I rode the 40 and the 100 solo unsupported in between the 225s. 

bike and cockpit setup

Unpacking the bike

2021 - What did I run?

·       Full-suspension mtb

·       Maxxis 2.35 Ikon front 21 psi, 2.25 rear 24 psi (same tires as all trips last year – I rode a Cutthroat w/ Lauf and flat bars on the 100 last year and on the 1^st 225 attempt).

·       2 liter backpack – one 28 oz. bottle – one BeFree .6 L filter soft flask for filtering and backup water (didn’t need for back up water). Filtered at Yellow Dog, gifted water at Huron and Outhouse.

·       I packed 4650 kcal – 1000 of that was Tailwinds – there was 1160 left (200 in Tailwinds).  I planned for 17 hours.

·       I carried enough stuff to get stuck out there (cold temp things; SOL bivvy, etc.- DM me if you want a detailed spreadsheet). Because I had no bail out option - meaning friend up there who could find me – my approach is, it’s better to have than have not - as evidenced by the number of riders who bailed attempts in 2020 because they lacked some essential gear item – including their attitude (*credit @rebeccarusch). Being a weight weenie produces limited advantages at CrusherEX - unless you are going for an FKT. Maybe I should get a friend up there just in case I have an unfixable mechanical someday. 

• ·       The 2021 course is stunning – do it. (the 2020 course was also stunning but this is stunninger).
• ·       The toilets at Al Quaal will be locked before you start your 2021 ride.  I’m certain this was intentional. Get your poops out someplace else or start your ride after 7 am.
• ·       It’s “harder” than 2020’s course – but what that means is you get to see all the cool stuff from last year’s 225 without riding 250 miles.
• ·       Your feet will be wet.  If you take your shoes off to cross a river, they will simply get wet on the next two track you find - meaning, giant puddles.  It’s still nice to check your feet and change your socks once (unless you are a FKTer).  I changed mine at Arvon.
• ·       There are cool things to see, hear, and smell – do it.
• ·       You might get hurt – I endoed in the gulch and knocked up my knee a little, but I knew better…..you only get so many of those when you Crusher.
• ·       Embrace the place. Yes! you will spend all day or more Crushing and then you have to find that darn Last Bluff single track trail and get that done before you can ride the half mile to the finish line that doesn’t exist. Ishpeming is a special place.  There are trails everywhere.  They are hidden between buildings and dump out on round-abouts. Come a day early – check out the area. It was just dark when I reached Last Bluff. I walked and pushed my bike a lot while the locals were shooting off fireworks and I could see fast food signs along the 41 strip and ponder what I would eat when I finished.  Ishpeming has this duality of forest in the city.  It was built around piles of rock and the trails were built through it – it’s unique.  It took me 70 minutes to get out to the streets again.  If you are a badass technical night rider – cool, but maybe pre-ride it so you don’t blow your Crusher a half mile from the finish line.

along the way

I intentionally rode the 2021 course the 2^nd day it was offered so I could NOT get intel from other riders. I wanted to experience it “blind”.  I wanted the challenge and I felt since I was familiar with the area, it was safe to do so.  BUT – regardless of how much time you spend looking at other riders’ Strava, prowling the Facebook group or how well your friend says he knows the area and will guide you, there are no navigation shortcuts. As I mentioned – off course, sucks. You can read about mine from last year.  

Yellow Dog

Study the maps.  Zoom in – take notes, make a cue sheet. (I made one, I didn’t refer to it, the mileage will never line up exact. But taking notes helped me remember the potential trouble areas.  I ran Garmin 1030+ for nav, a Wahoo Bolt just for data, a phone with GaiaGPS w track up but not “recording”.  GaiaGPS sorted out any questions that Garmin was asking.  But in some of those spots I knew the area from last year’s 225 so that was an advantage. I also carry an Inreach mini  - which I got after ending up in the swamp for 5 hours last July. Despite all this, I was very nervous before I left on July 2^nd.  That is good.  It meant I would stay alert.

on the way to the outhouse

Checkpoint #3 eluded me. I had the waypoints loaded to GaiaGPS – Dodge City was the only checkpoint I wasn’t sure about. My GaiaGPS showed it was off the course slightly. As in life – it was probably right in front of me, and I just couldn’t see it.  I spent a good half hour hunting until I decided it was time to carry on. As Al up at the Huron Crossing said when I told him I would be disqualified; “If that’s the worst thing that happened to you today, you’re having a good day”.  He was right.  I did have a good day.  I’d like to note that Al is a master at making his days “good.”  He and his wife, Michele, set up a heated hot tub at their camp spot on Lake Superior, Huron crossing. (They are from Vallejo, CA). I looked at it and thought what it must be like to rest in that tub in the dark with the stars and the Great Lake Superior rolling in.

Looking for the bra tree

Michele and Al's hot tub on lake superior

As Marci says; this is not your practice life.  We only get one.  Make it count.  Go have an adventure.  Crusher P2P is my next one. Thanks to Todd Poquette and all the volunteers at 906 Adventure for providing the opportunity. See ya out there.

never stop moving