ORAMM

Having ridden up Mt. Washington in 2001, I felt that Mt. Mitchell ride in NC would be a good bookend. And since Mt. Mitchell is taller, I felt compelled to take this opportunity to step it up a notch. I later discovered that this ride doesn't actually go to the top of MtM the way the road ride does, but at 63 miles and with 11,000 feet of combined climbing (and descending) I figured it was good enough.

In 2006 I blew my back out about four weeks before the ride, so that made this attempt a little more special. Of course, it is a bit intimidating, but as long as you are patient most endurance events are do-able to one degree or another.

200 yards of hike-a-bike up from the Blue Ridge Parkway takes you to the top of Heartbreak Ridge. I'm sure there is a story about the name for that ridge, but I don't know it... My story was not one of heartbreak but pure fun. The Parkway being at about mile 46 of a 63 mile ride known as ORAMM in North Carolina.

I pushed my bike past the singlespeeder who was right in front of me but at the top of the trail, the start of the downhill I let him go first just so I wouldn't hold him up. There was one other guy that I let go but then it was all me for I don't know how long. Some loose rocky stuff, some roots, rhododendron pushing in on both sides, big ol' red pine trees, stretches of sweet smooth narrow singletrack, then hit the brakes for a switchback; some of which were so steep I had to lock the front wheel, plant my foot and flip the back of the bike around, then off again... Simply letting go of the brakes, you can *feel* the acceleration just pull you forward. [At the finish one guy was telling another guy I was talking to that there is that one wet section that he is just never able to clean. I remembered it, and remembered that it reminded me of some trails I ride all the time. I guess I did well to clean that section.]

Finally, there were a bunch more switch backs and I knew we were almost at the bottom. One group of folks bunched up and stopped who let me through with a "Nice job" and I was pedalling downhill as fast as I could. Came to the railroad tracks and there was no train so we carried across and down the access road to the paved road and 100 yards to rest stop #5. I was totally stoked. "Wow, that was FUN!" Two elderly ladies were sitting there and one said that I was the first person she saw who said it was "fun."

But the heat, three mile (that's all?) uphill and my stingy water consumption conspired to deliver me to the top of the last long uphill, and to the bottom of Kitsuma on empty. The long painful push up Kitsuma created quite a site for the tourists casually hiking down the same trail we were struggling with. They had no idea. But I managed to dig deep and energy for the ride down Kitsuma. I think it was faster than my first ride down it eight and a half hours and sixty miles earlier.

Once I hit the hardpack, I chatted with the guy who had followed me down Kitsuma. Said I had pulled him which was nice. We flew across the last set of train tracks into downtown Old Fort and then struggled to follow the signs to the finish line. I saw the Finish sign and headed hard for the bridge across the creek. OOPS. Came in a little too "hot" locked it up and had a nice show of energy for all the folks who had already finished and were sitting around eating, drinking, resting and chilling off in the creek.

After the ride down Heartbreak Ridge, I think the best part was sitting in the creek post-race chatting with the others who had all just been through the same hell and had a pretty good idea about how you were feeling. Wash off, cool off, chill out. All at once. Sweet.

Cooled and cleansed, I piled into the car and made a quick drive back north into Virginia; a couple hours sleep and then off on the final leg back to Pennsylvania. Lots of driving, but it was a good trip. Visit with Jim and Sarah. Visit with Jeff and some riding in Dupont Forest. And one of the toughest rides in the East with some awesome singletrack.