The season has begun! Pretty excited to be back at it after about 2 months of no structure. Pretty much since Interbike, I have been riding when I want and feel like it. Today started the base miles. It was a 4 hour session of pedaling through the mountains and a pretty chill effort....HR zones 2 and 3.
With the dumping of snow a few days ago...and some melting on Friday and today....I opted to stay on the pavement to keep dry and clean.
For the most part, roads were in good shape. Anything not getting any sun was a bit slushy...but still ride'ble with the mtb...and road bike for those who choose that weapon.
Temps were perfect today with highs in the low 50F's.
At roughly 9,000 ft the snow Ward, CO received was melting pretty quick. With the warm temps forecasted near 60F all next week...much of the snow will be gone.
I got in about 3 hours and 15 minutes solo....then caught up with Sonya to get in the last 45 minutes.
A short spin up the canyon outside Boulder was in order after yesterdays quick tundra blast. Good thing Sonya and I got out today, as the weather lady is calling for the first major snow of the season down here at 5,000 ft. How much? Only time will tell. For now, here are some clips from the spin today...
Go see the movie! Much more than just a movie about a mtb race. There are many stories within the Dave vs. Lance battle. Out of 5 stars....I give it 5 Stars. To date, the best mtb documentary I have seen.
Sonya and I headed just west of Ft Collins to get in some weekend hiking. Plan was to stay close to home, so the trails that push up to the north border of Rocky Mountain National Park were an easy call to make.
Early season snows made the trails above 10,000 ft deep in spots. Gaiters and/or snowshoes would have been a good call. Lucky for us, it didn't put a damper on the weekend.
Snow for the most part started to lessen the higher we went....especially above treeline. Thanks to the wind, all earlier snows were blown off the mountain and into the trees we just hiked through.
Up and up! We were not on trail above the treeline. We basically hiked to avoid snow.....and to follow what carins we could actually see.
The first day hiking result? Mummy Pass on the north border of Rocky Mountain National Park. This picture is looking south about 1 mile inside the north border of RMNP. Elevation was about 12,300 ft. Temps in the high 40F's and winds were pretty calm.
Day 2 had us heading in the same general direction. This time we headed a bit more east to Stormy Pass. This once again had us climbing up to 12,400+ ft.
Yesterdays hike had us on the backside of the ridge in the background of this image. Today, the temps were still around 45F degrees, but the winds were blowing at like 40 mph!
High winds = blowing snow. It was darn right cold at the top of Stormy Pass.....and not much shelter.
Getting out of the wind for a quick snack and rest.
Heading back down to the car at 8,600 ft. No snow....and much warmer temps.
Ergon is growing. It is amazing to see what has happened with the brand here in North America since the VP and I have got the Ergon green bouncy ball rolling. For 2010, Ergon sees more growth with the addition of Sonya to the employee roster to help out on the dealer side of things....and the addition of many new products. Also, we have outgrown the Ergon FJ. If all goes as planned, you can see the Ergon Sprinter Van on the road in 2010. It will be at races, clinic, demos, and other Ergon related events across the USA and Canada. The above image is a quick mock-up I pushed out yesterday to give an idea of what the new ride might look like. Stay tuned!
We owe a lot of our growth to our brand ambassadors. These athletes spread the good word on and off the bike. We are changing the sponsorship direction a bit next year. A lot of it has to do with budget....and in reality, who isn't paying closer attention to the budget these days. In 2009 I dealt with roughly 200 riders/teams. That is a lot of grips! For 2010, this number will shrink down. What will that number be? Not sure yet. But those who will represent in 2010 will be special. Special to us in that they represent the brand the way it needs to be. Image is key...and that is why the above hat might be seen on the heads of those rock'n the Team Green in 2010.
Stay tuned as details develop. Look Mom, I am actually using that 4 year degree in Graphic Design. Ha!
This is a brief summary of the 15 mile lap out at Behind-The-Rock outside of Moab, UT. It took us about 1.5 hours to scope out the course at an easy pace. I managed to cut the video to give you a good idea of what to expect should you ever decide to race out here. Oh, and for you solo guys from years past.....this is a mild reminder...:)
Training is done for the year, so the blogging is on the down-low......or I should say the updates are coming 3 times a week instead of everyday. Thing will get going again on November 1 for the 2010 season.
Wow, 2010 already!
During the month of October my hands are full of Ergon tasks, the 24 Hrs of Moab, and VelowSwap. Once these events get going, I will have more video and content to post. Also, a few hiking and camping trips are planned....provided the weather helps us a bit. It is already getting cold up high. Loveland Ski Resort is opening today....the earliest in 40 years! Hope this is not a sign of the kind of winter we will have here in the lower elevations.
I am now off to Moab for the 24 Hours of Moab. Ergon with have a 10x20 in the expo area selling product and housing 2 Topeak-Ergon athletes going for the stars-n-bars! Updates to come via Twitter and Facebook.
Well, not bread, but rather 'trail'. One day after the 7 hour ride/hike with Wiens and Yuki, I was ready to actually ride my bike....not push, carry, or drag it. Sonya and I headed west out of Boulder to get in a quick out and back on the Sourdough Trail. Lots of good techy trail west of town...and here is a sampling of the ride back to the trail head:
Another video to come soon. I am waiting on the ride footage from Wiens from Friday. There is more of a story to tell with that adventure.
2005 Results
12 Hr Sugar Creek :: 2nd
12 Hr of Metro :: 1st
12 Hr of Thunder :: 2nd
12 Hr of Winter :: 3rd
24 Hr of 9 Mile :: DNF
24 Hr of 7 Oaks :: 1st
24 Hr in Japan :: 1st
2004 Results
Stump Farm 12 Hr :: 2nd
24 Hr of Rapelje :: 1st
12 Hr Nationals :: 3rd
24 Hr of 9 Mile :: 10th
24 Hr Solo World :: 12th
24 Hr of Moab :: DNF
Bio
NAME: Jeff Kerkove
NICKNAME: Mr. 24
COUNTRY: USA (Colorado)
TEAM:Topeak-Ergon DOB: 2.7.1978
HEIGHT: 6 ft.
WEIGHT: 165 lbs.
RACE CATEGORIES:
Pro (XC & Endurance) Click for full Bio
With the dumping of snow a few days ago...and some melting on Friday and today....I opted to stay on the pavement to keep dry and clean.
For the most part, roads were in good shape. Anything not getting any sun was a bit slushy...but still ride'ble with the mtb...and road bike for those who choose that weapon.
At roughly 9,000 ft the snow Ward, CO received was melting pretty quick. With the warm temps forecasted near 60F all next week...much of the snow will be gone.
I got in about 3 hours and 15 minutes solo....then caught up with Sonya to get in the last 45 minutes.
Here are the numbers from the day.
