Thunderdown in the Underdown: August 2013

Monday, August 26, 2013

2013 WEMS Championship

Saturday October 12th, 2013
Underdown Recreation Area

10 Hour: 10AM to 8PM
6 Hour: 1PM to 7PM
3 Hour: 3PM to 6PM
Sunset: 6:20PM

There will be pitch black racing!

This race counts as 2 races for series riders who have completed four other WEMS races this season.

Course:

15-ish miles for 10 Solo, 10 Duo, 6 Solo
9-ish miles for 10 Team, 6 Duo, 3 Solo
The course is much like last year's layout, but over 200 feet of boardwalk has been added since we saw you last. All racers will ride trail CC, our latest and greatest. The long course will ride Oktoberfest this year.

The first 100 racers will receive one of the brand new WEMS water bottles. Registration includes your daily trail pass! Registration

Camping is available on site for a small fee. No reservations necessary.
The closest gas is in Gleason, but the best snacks will be found on the north end of Gleason at Prairie Pines.
The best burgers and pizza are found at the Lighthouse on X south of Gleason.
The best swimming hole is where J crosses the Prairie River on the way to Bloomville.

Wausau will put the Thunderdown Cup on the line while Rhinelander looks to take it back. Register your town by 3PM on race day.

Thuderdown winners will again receive growlers, pints and more.
WEMS series winners will receive their awards and prizes from Hammer, Giant, Primal, Velocity and more.
The Velocity wheel set will be given to a lucky series rider. Every race entered by a series rider earns one entry in the drawing.
Bonus prizes and post-race festivities!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Underdown trails are in great shape, although they always seem tougher on a hot day like today. There are no group projects on the horizon, but there are a few things to do before race day. Help is much appreciated. Post a reply if I don't see you first.

Mow Oktoberfest (T, S, TT)
Mow G, U, W, F, V area
Figure out water bars on I
Cut roots on G & H
Mow White Lightning (I) and start-end of LL
Rake through skidder tracks once they finish getting the logs out (U)
Monitor log jobs that might happen on X, M & KK
Remove leaves once they fall

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Honey Badger BURGR

274 Miles, 191 Gravel :
Merrill, Gleason, Summit Lake, Hazelhurst, Phillips, Prentice, Ogema, Rib Lake
Download PDF Here

I didn’t set out to build a giant ride, and it’s a good thing that I didn’t realize how long it would be or I might not have set out to ride it yesterday. The plan was to link the gravel gems of five counties, and that led to a 285 mile ride that took me 24 hours to complete. I’d been apprehensive about riding through the Averill Creek wolf pack and hoped to pass them before dark, but the route proved so much longer than expected that I didn’t reach wolf territory until 2AM.

I didn’t get eaten and didn’t even see the wolves in the Newwood fog. Everything went just right on the ride. It never got too hot or cold, and clear skies gave me the light of a full moon. Running my Jetlite on low gave plenty of light and made it through the night with power to spare. I was able to ration the battery by riding by moonlight on the easier roads, but it probably wasn’t necessary.

With towns along the way for resupply, I’d taken a wad of Hammer Gels, a bag of honey badger burgers and four bottles that never went completely dry before another town was in sight. I found three of the towns completely shut down in the dark, but somehow managed to get what I needed. Once I asked some local kids where to find water in Ogema at 9:30PM and was directed to a church left wide open, and in Rib Lake I bummed a bottle of water off a fisherman who happened to be out at 11:30.

Morning Deer

I ate a variety of food so my guts and my head stayed good the whole time, and my legs stayed solid all the way because I kept a sustainable pace that I should have discovered long before I got so old. I got to ride some great roads and really enjoyed my time out there. Only one road gave me doubts, but most Wisconsin gravel is fast and good. I found a great variety of remote roads and sometimes went hours without seeing a soul. The route links a good chunk of the Bearskin with the Pine Line Trail and even passed the future location of Merrill’s River Bend Trail.

Town Hall Road

Morning Coyote (on the last hay bale)

With the reconnoitering now complete, I don’t know if this route will ever turn into an event, but if it does I think a strong group under race conditions could use the finished cue sheet to get it done in about 21 hours as long as they don’t stop for meatball subs. We’ll have to see.
Some things are hard to resist.