Wholistic Fitness

ilg…blazing yet another a Rocky Mountain High this morning..hovering way over the rest of the world on the World Class Singletrack of Dutch Creek…

come on Noble Sangha!  wanna experience what it’s like to do an 5,000′ vertical world-class descent with a 3x World Cup Downhill Champion and two other World-Class descent specialists?

come and watch your feeble near-fifty year-young el coache in a Noble Effort on a Downhiller’s version of a yoga mat…

the magic singletrack of Dutch Creek in all her autumnal splendor…you ain’t gonna find this in any Durango MTB Guidebook…

Cast of Characters from L-R:  Sam, my next door neighbor and railin’ ass bike mechanic at one of Durango’s many fine bike shops; Hassle Free Sports…Sam totally un-wanked my wanked front tire early this morning before our ride…THANKS Sam!   next:  Anthony Diaz…now, trust me,  ilg has had the High Honor of riding with and coaching this nation’s best downhill MTB’rs…yet, NEVER has ilg seen such a wily, twisty cat on mind-bendingly warped and steeped technical descents like Anthony…known locally as ‘The Squirrel’ because when you attempt to follow him down a MTB descent?  All you see is this trashing, twisting, unreal fast-twitch twitching of his rear end as he literally sails down insanely dangerous terrain…i bow in WOW!   Next up:  my ol’ Durangatan Sista; Elke Brutsaert…with over 12 National Titles in Giant Slalom and Downhill along with 3 World Cup Downhill victories,  Elke showed up for today’s monster ride on a 29″ hardtail…this is one rad babe that has been ragin’ for a loooong time.  on the far right is Darien;  another pro specializing in Slalom and just back from killin’ it for Durango (again) at Nationals…

then…there was ilg…i told my girls as i kissed them both this morning before racking our bikes on the cars;  “Pray for Daddy…please.”

to which Dewa replied,
“Daddy,  don’t worry…if you go cush {crash},  Mommy and i will come and pick you up…”

our put in at about 10,250’…Anthony drove.  if any of you have experienced what it’s like to be a passenger in the back seat of fully loaded SUV being driven by a 20-something world-class downhiller 3,500′ up a jeep road well let’s just say, it reMinded me of a much younger ilg…my only remark upon disembarking was,
“Well,  i’m glad to just get on my mountain bike just to bring DOWN my Adrenalin spike from Anthony’s driving!”

Darien pointing on the map to Sam our massive vinyasa for the day…basically, 30 miles of pristine singletrack (we never saw another cyclist, nor even tracks from another MTB’r for the first 18 miles) starting at Timberline,  gaining several hundred feet and then, dive bombing down an anal-sphincter fatiguing slice of heaven…

Darien on one of the several mucky creek crossings on a long climb up toward the Dutch Creek ridge…

ilg will say this: for being World Class Downhill racers,  these homies can climb!

Elke leads Darien up above Timberline…

Darien leads the discussion of the route-finding…in the background, an autumnal storm brews over Grayrock Peak…

complex signing in the High Country…i’ll still take this over big city complex signing any day!

it was shortly after this pic was taken that i somehow managed to clean a half-mile 22% technical uphill section which all the kids had to walk up…it nearly busted my lungs, broke my legs,  yet,  ilg had to do it for Durango Old Schoolers!

Sam heaved up next to me a few minutes later at the top saying, “Damn, bro…i heard that you were crazy tough, but you cleanin’ that section was insane!”

dat’s right, young one..dat’s right…

then, my high light moment was immediately and repeatedly humbled on the ensuing monster 20-mile+ descent…looking, uh, southwest over the north La Platas…

L-R;  Anthony and Sam look back up the descent after Elke augered into some fallen aspen saplings…i almost did too!  from here, the real sine qu non of the Dutch Creek Trail begins with a considerable descent of several untinterupted downhill singletrack;  highly technical at spots and just drop-dead gorgeous as you rail parallel to and across several times Dutch Creek…awesome, awesome, awesome….you better get here…

Elke;  “C’mon ilg!”

ilg; “i’m comin’ on, Elke!”

Elke is a famed coach for downhillers and works with the DEVO kids of Durango youth mountain biking…it is one of my many dreams for Dewa to be one of her students…DEVO starts kids at age 5…which is probably why Durango has more National and World Champions in cycling than any other town in America!

a typical taste of a Dutch Creek version of a yoga mat;
you gonna pick your line, trust it, and BREATHE through it

or are you gonna stiffen, get sacred, and forget to breathe and free your mind?

by the end of the ride,  i finished strong, right behind Anthony at the end of the 5-mile high speed descent of Hermosa Creek Road…

then, it was 2 hours of cycling, running, wind-sprints, swinging, and wrestling with my daughter upon arriving home without any food and pretty dang fatigued…oh, the days when i could just come home and crash and watch the Denver Broncos lose with the liberty of putting my feet up and drinkin’ and a brew…not no mo!

really hope you enjoyed this Offering, and please, get out here and feel this beauty via sacred sweat for yourself…booking Private Intensives all the time, all seasons, all abilities,  all intensities or lack thereof;  there ain’t nothing like a WF Private Intensive among the birthplace of WF itself!

have a great week full of sadhana breakthroughs and Divine inSights..

ec