Two major forces were on a collision course in New Jersey this past weekend. Hurricane Joaquin was spinning out in the Atlantic, threatening to make landfall and the second leg of the Enduro Triple Crown was slated for the Mountain Creek Bike Park. Just as the course map was being released to the public, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency for parts of southern New Jersey because of potential heavy rainfall and flooding. Luckily, Joaquin knew better than to mess with mountain bikers, and the storm wisely moved further offshore, setting the stage for a mixed bag of weekend weather and a raucous King of the Mountain Enduro. The Mountain Creek Bike Park packs a wallop in a deceivingly small package. The mountain looks pretty benign from a distance but hidden on its wooded flanks are world class rock gardens, flowy single track lines and park features of every description. The Creek put their best cards on the table for this enduro and racers were treated to a smorgasbord of challenges.
Saturday practice was damp, but not soaking. Heavy overnight rains had pretty much let up by mid-morning and departed with a dense fog clinging to the upper reaches of the mountain. The gloomy forecast kept the rider numbers low on Saturday. More than 50 pre-registered racers did not pick up their plates on practice day so there were plenty of folks running the course blind on Sunday, a sketchy proposition for sure.
The rain had saturated some areas, especially the grassy and open stretches, and many rocks were coated with a greasy layer of mud. Other sections, particularly high on the mountain, drained nicely and set up with sweet tacky dirt.
Mountain Creek's unique, high-speed Cabriolet Lift, an odd cross between a gondola and a bird cage, provided some protection from the elements for the quick ride to the summit. Father and son Phil and Carson Beard, part of a racing family of four from Vermont with the Bicycle Express Racing team, came on Friday afternoon and got plenty of practice time in before Sunday's race. After a few loads of the laundry, the strategy seemed to pay off as the duo both took wins in their respective age categories.
After a chilly lift ride up Vernon Peak to start the day, racers traversed and climbed to the top of Granite Peak for the beginning of the race. Stage One was perhaps the purest expression of enduro racing, with a little bit of everything encapsulated in its four-minute challenge. The stage began with a fun romp through open woods before traversing down a steeper hillside.
Following some sloppy stretches and challenging short climbs, the track came to its crux section which opened with this smooth rock roll over, sent here by pro Michael Bateman who is now racing with a just-formed team called The Collective.
After another slick slab and off-camber corner, racers had to use balance to negotiate a slot between a rock and a tree before diving down a steep muddy chute. Dan McCormack, with JRA Cycles, used some body English to thread the needle.
After a climb back up the mountain, Stage Two took racers out into the hinterlands of Mountain Creek on its South Peak. This was the longest and most pedally segment of the race with times topping the five-minute mark.
Numerous log pyramids, stream crossings and a sketchy old road with broken pavement chunks were the main obstacles on Stage Two. Racers, including James Byron pictured here, found there was no keeping their feet dry on this stage.
The transfer between Stages Two and Three was a big one, climbing from near the base of South Peak all the way back to the summit of Granite Peak.
Stage Three was the second longest of the day and charged through alternating sections of woods and open slopes with taped corners keeping racers on their toes. Canadian Tyler Pratt pinned it through the wooded top section.
As the track descended the mountain, conditions got progressively sloppier. This off-camber section, handled nicely by Mark Schnepel, became a greasy nightmare by race day.
Much of Stage Three followed ski and work trails, which collected water in deep ruts. Quinn Cambell, with the Ide Ride team from Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, continued his winning ways with a lightning fast time and his second Triple Crown victory in the 15-18 age category.
A long, flat pedal to the finish of Stage Three was a fitness challenge for riders as peanut buttery mud turned it into a slow churning slog fest.
The Cabriolet lift took racers to the top of Vernon Peak for the final two stages. Stage Four started out with a bang as the track descend steeply down an eroded rock chute on Outlaw. Consistently quick Paul Dotsenko, with Fast Line Racing, turned in his second consecutive 8th-place finish in the Triple Crown pro field.
After a challenging, steep and loose mid-stage climb, the rest of Stage Four followed the Tempest Trail which is loaded with park features. Aidan Casner, another member of the new Collective team, threw some style off this table jump en route to a second-place finish in the 15-18 category.
In addition to berms, tables and step-downs, this signature rock drop, hit by Michael Stem with Knolly Bikes, was a highlight of the fast and furious Stage Four, the shortest segment of the day.
Stage Five was the crux of the race, and one of the rowdiest enduro tracks I've ever seen. The vast majority of rider inspection and practice time was spent on this stage. Last year this segment was only ridden by the pro fields but it was opened up to the masses this year, which resulted in some inspired riding and some healthy servings of humble pie.
The stage started innocently enough with a cruise and pedal through the woods. After joining the DMLH traIl, a few ledgy drops gave a brief preview of coming attractions. Isaac Allaire, winner of the first leg of the Triple Crown at Burke Mountain, had a solid showing with a seventh-place finish on the day.
A slick, off-camber corner with roots and frame-crushing rocks waiting at the bottom was the first big challenge for riders. Garison Clapp, with Lucky Components, stayed in the saddle through this first test.
The fun really got going with this slab entrance to the rock gardens. The abrupt transitions between rocks sent numerous riders over the bars on race day.
The next section was a geological marvel and gave riders endless headaches as the tilted rocks were covered in slick mud. Ben Moody, from the Highland Mountain Bike Park trail crew, took home the 5th spot on the day. Moody, a veteran racer, is always a threat and won a Triple Crown stop in 2013 and finished 4th in the first race at Burke this year.
The Stage Five rock garden is long and sustained. The challenges just keep coming, like a demented real-world arcade game. Fast Line Racing's Jason Scheiding, a talented fixture on the Eastern States Cup tour every year, had the second-best time on Stage Five and took fourth on the day.
There were a few line options through the rocks, but for most racers this was point-it-and-pray territory. Keith Mayotte held it together nicely through this section.
The final two steep sections were linked by a rocky traverse that was nothing but trouble. A momentary loss of momentum spelled disaster as it was next to impossible to get restarted, especially if you were trying to clip back into your pedals.
One last boulder field marked the conclusion of one of the longest rock gardens on the east coast. Derek Bissett from the BMC Trailcrew had the fastest Stage Five time of the day, due in some part to sending it through this dicey rock gap that was avoided by most racers. Bissett also tied for the fastest time on Stage One and finished in sixth place on the day.
This was the first year the amateurs got to race Stage Five and most gave it a valiant effort. Few rode it clean and there were plenty of crashes but most were game to give it a go. Mountain Moxie amateur Clair Sick had one of the better dismount's of the day.
Many wisely chose the pedestrian option.
After a foggy and damp practice day on Saturday, a surprising blue sky greeted racers on Sunday morning.
Though not really into foliage season yet, signs of the impending autumnal change were beginning to show.
On race day, the mountain took its toll on the field of almost 150 racers.
It took its toll on equipment too. Mountain Creek's square-edged rocks are where derailleurs go to die.
The women's pro field was topped by Eastern States Cup enduro overall champion Lauren Petersen. Luna pro rider Marla Streb was leading Petersen through the first four stages when the wheels came off for Streb on Stage Five and Petersen pulled out the win. Following her victory in the first Triple Crown event, Petersen is clearly the woman to beat. After flatting in last year's race and finishing a disappointing fourth, Petersen was looking for some redemption this year. The Paradise Racing pro upped her fitness and skills this year, and her new ride from Intense Cycles seems to be working like a charm. Of her race performance, Petersen said: "A lot of us struggled mentally on this one with the slick conditions, challenging stages, and just overall starting to feel a bit burnt out as we get towards the end of the season. Mountain Creek threw everything at us in terms of pedaling, technically challenging sections, and big transfers. At the end of the day it was a great feeling just to finish unscathed!"
Bicycle Express Racing pro Kim Quinlan finished 37 seconds off Petersen's pace to claim the runner up spot for the second time in the Triple Crown Series. Coming off the XC season, Quinlan admits to benefitting on the pedaling sections. "I do more trail riding than anything, since I don’t have a lot of time for lift serve. Enduro is a fun mix for me, especially at the end the season. Just enough gravity to scare me and push my skill level, and then some pedaling, which I secretly love. I think I may do more enduro versus XC next year." Like many racers, the end of the season blahs are starting to kick in a bit for Quinlan. "Motivation was tough with this enduro. The cold temps and rain on practice day, and with mental and physical fatigue kicking in from a long XC season, it was hard to focus. Having a fun weekend of pre-riding and racing with friends was key for me! Mountain Creek is really rocky, and had the dreaded Stage Five that everyone was talking about again this year. Stage Five made me nervous, but the hardest part for me on race day ended up being the flat rock gardens that had gotten pretty greasy. It was easy to lose momentum and slide out. So after hitting the bigger stuff and feeling good, it was the unexpected sections like those that got me! It was definitely worth the trip from Vermont for this one. Mountain Creek put on a really fun, professional race this year!"
Mountain Moxie pro Clarissa Finks, who works for Burton Snowboards, rounded out the podium with consistently close times in every stage. Her only big bobble came on Stage Five where she tumbled early in the rock garden, smashing her helmet's visor into a stylish shark fin. "I got some bumps and bruises from my tomahawk through Stage Five but nothing too bad and I'm going to see if I can keep it together until Highland. Racing with the ladies is so much fun!! Thank you for all the support and pushing me to be a better rider!"
The women's pro podium from left: Kim Quinlan-2nd. Lauren Petersen-1st, Clarissa Finks-3rd
For the pro men, Giant Factory Off Road Team pro Seamus Powell eked out a dramatic three-second victory. Powell had wins on Stages One and Four and showed his strength in all aspects of the enduro game. After getting injured in practice and missing last year's King of the Mountain race, the victory was especially sweet for Powell. "Mountain Creek is a venue that will bite you if you're not careful. Letting the mountain and tracks come to you is pretty key to not getting mechanicals or crashes at Mountain Creek and I think that's the mindset I raced with. Sometimes that works, sometimes not. It's a gamble I took and it worked. The tracks were right on par with everything I've raced this year around the country. Maybe not the length but most certainly the terrain was perfect. That said the race win was a surprise to me. Happy to say the least!"
BMC trail crew pro, and defending Triple Crown champion Adam Snyder took the runner-up spot in a nail-biter. The former alpine ski racer from Stratton now lives in Colorado where he is a regular on the North American Enduro Tour, finishing an impressive 5th overall in 2015. After racing to a near dead heat with Powell on the first two stages, Snyder took a six-second advantage on Stage Three only to give it right back on Stage Four. "The race was a tight one. It keeps you excited and motivated, especially this time of year, to keep training. I thought Mountain Creek did a good job with different styles of stages, some pedally, others really technical and slippery. I think Stage One was what you want and picture when you think of what an enduro should look like. It was techy, really physical, had some little grunt climbs and was on an awesome trail. The biggest challenge was staying upright and making the least amount of mistakes possible. It may not have been raining for race day but that made for more peanut butter mud and greasy rocks. When I head East for the Triple Crown Series every year I always love being back. I always miss it here."
Saben Rossi, another member of the new Collective/Competitive Edge Cycling team, turned in his best performance of the year to take the third spot. Rossi, a regular on the Eastern States Cup enduro tour, has been steadily progressing up the leader board all summer and finally put it all together at Mountain Creek. "I've been feeling more comfortable on the bike as of late. I'm starting to better understand my personal limits as well as the bike's and it seems I am racing more effectively. Spreading all five race stages out with varied terrain and transfers that linked the entire course together creatively made for a great race experience."
The men's pro podium from left: Adam Snyder-2nd, Seamus Powell-1st, Saben Rossi-3rd
Mountain Creek put on a challenging and fun event and the post-race vibe was fueled by a giddy mix of relief and exhaustion.
The season is sadly winding down. The enduro circus will raise its tent for the last time this year at the Over Mountain Enduro hosted by Highland Mountain Bike Park on October 25th. Don't miss it!
MENTIONS:
@MCBP
Awesome video and race recap!
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