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Mountain Khakis - SQUATCH APPROVED!

Slippery Sasquatch would like to welcome their newest sponsor - Mountain Khakis. The team is proud to represent such an awesome company. They make really great products for an active lifestyle. Stay tuned to find out how you can get some awesome Mountain Khaki's swag. Visit their site here.

Green River Games Oskar Blues Enduro

This past weekend was the second annual Green River Games. I was lucky enough to get a spot in the Oskar Blues Enduro race on Saturday, but had no idea what I was in for. First off, the Green River Gorge in Saluda, NC is an amazing place. The kind of place that is so scenic and beautiful that it makes you look up in the sky and give a nod - kinda like saying good job big guy, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this place. One thing that really gets your attention right away driving down into the gorge is how steep the terrain is.

Jonnynails Jr. at the top of Green River Gorge

These trails were a complete mystery to me as not very many people have ridden them and access to them just became available last year thanks to the folks who put on this great race. I believe they started as hiking trails and due to the nature of the terrain they are steep, burley, and raw. Besides being steep some of it was pretty exposed - the kinda place you don't wanna make a mistake or you go down the mountain for a ways. Due to some rain and the trails being really natural and not ridden much or "bedded in" we were in for a really slick ride as well. Unfortunately I was going in mostly riding the trails here blind, except for stage 3. I had never done the climb to the top and never got to ride stage 1 or 2. My main thought was just go have fun and learn it for next year. 

The alarm goes off at 5:30am on race day - those of you that know me are getting a good laugh right now as I'm the farthest thing from a morning person. We load up the family and get the whole crew down into the start/finish area. I'm really nervous because I don't know what to expect out of the first two stages. The race promoter doesn't make me feel any better as he talks about all of the dangers on course. Glad to find a few faces I knew - a couple guys from Faster Mustache, a few of the young pinners from the mountains, and some boys from Greenville.

The "OG's" pre-race. Cecil went on to a top 20

It's finally race time. We got sent off in one minute intervals and I'm at the very back of the group. I was told that I had 90 minutes to get to the top of Stage one. I was assured this would be plenty of time. Turned the Garmin on just to track everything so I know what's up. The funny thing is that I thought we would be riding the road out until it was time to climb up the mountain. This wasn't the case, straight into technical single track next to the Green River for the ride out and up. 

photo credit Jay Schultz GoJamMedia

It's not crazy techy, but for the "easy" part of the day it's taxing. Roots, rocks, creek crossings, skinny log bridges, exposure, hike a bikes, and it's super slick and muddy. It was a great trail, I mean this is a mountain bike race after all. The only thing is, there were zero easy miles and you had to power up a lot of stuff. It was tiring for someone who doesn't get as many chances as he would like to ride in the mountains. So I climb, climb, and keep climbing. An hour goes by and I'm still chugging. I pass by the hike into the Green River Narrows - you know the section with the ropes to get down? Yeah that one. I've only gone 4 miles in an hour!!! Map says 2 more miles to go and I've got 25 minutes. Things are not looking good. 

Finally down the mountain I get to go - all that climbing and I can finally enjoy some of it. It took a second to really get used to how lose it was. I was trying to push the pace, but not knowing the trail was tough. I had to shut things down really quickly a couple times - once near the top for a log pile that looked like an easy jump from far away, but as you got close there was no way. Again for a 90 degree off camber turn. There was a lot of high speed stuff, but then all of a sudden a tight turn. Rear tire sliding everywhere and the front getting way looser then I like it to. I see a little drop coming up so I wheelie off the end of it so that both tires land at the same time. A branch hits me in the face just as I'm going off it and I close my eyes for a second. Next thing I know the trail is going in the opposite direction then what I thought it was. I really tried hard to muscle it and stuff it in the corner, but it's to late. Funny thing is, I thought the Rhododendrems would stop me, but instead I punch right thru them like a hot knife through butter. Now I'm sliding down a really steep mountainside face first. Luckily I spot a small tree and hook my arm around it. Whew, glad that ride is over. Check myself out and I seem to be ok - a little bell ringing from hitting my head and my knee doesn't feel great, but nothing that appears major. To bad for me, my bike went twice as far down this super sketchy and steep mountainside. After 30 minutes or more I finally get my bike back up to the trail - I had to be careful not to fall again down the hill! I straighten some things out on the bike, but it's not to terrible. Now I gingerly make my way down the remaining trail. When I get to the bottom I had a choice to make - climb back up the climb again, show up late for stage 2, get a time penalty, and ride with probably no confidence, but get to know the trails. Or head back in on the trail you rode out on and DNF. I really hate to DNF, but it seemed like the thing to do as the bike wasn't shifting well due to a bent derailuer hanger, something was up with the rear brake, and I just scared myself _hitless!

Green River Games Enduro = 1, Jon = 0

I really enjoyed what I did get to ride (well over 2 hours - thanks garmin for making a bomber mount, still don't know how it stayed on my bike??) and I'll for sure be back next year. Thanks to the folks who put on the Green River Games! Next year I'll be pre-riding the course for sure, but something tells me I'll be up there well before then to ride! Keep the rubber side down Y'all!