
It was Thursday and I had two choices: drive 17+ hours and go to the race in Colorado, or drive 5 hours and go to the race in Mammoth, CA. Recalling my drive back and forth to Hangtown and how it almost killed me (literally), and this time I was bringing my wife and 2 year old daughter, I chose to keep it in California.
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| Mike Sleeter Click here for more photos. |
Hitting the road we decided to make a quick stop at Competitive Edge in Hesperia so I could take a track shot. While I was there, I found an interesting sign outside of the fence that surrounds the track. It reads "Ride Where You Like, Lose Your Bike." I wonder how many of our tax dollars were wasted while several bureaucrats thought up that stupid slogan. Why couldn't they nicely ask people not to ride in illegal areas? Do they really have to threaten our bikes! Take a look at the sign and decide for yourself.
Back to Mammoth. Breathtaking is probably the best way to describe the track and the local surroundings. The environmentalists did their best to shut down the race completely but the race organizers struck a deal with them and it looks like the race is here to stay, for now at least. The Mammoth race organizers are some of the best I have seen. Every race was on schedule if not early, and I didn't hear one rider complain about anything. If you have never been, I suggest you try and get up there before it's gone forever.
—BDW