PMBAR 2009

Where to start?
Team Tripp’in on Lactic Acid has successfully completed the 4th straight PMBAR. (Unofficially the longest running team to do so)
I arrived at the N. Pines camp site on Friday around 6pm. BrouSSard and Jonathan were there to heckle me while I started wrenching on the gears. I quickly found out I had the wrong chain ring. It should have been a 3/32 ring instead of a 1/8. After a few choice words and a couple of beers, I calmed down and put on the 33x21 gear (40.9”). I had planned on running a 34x22 (40.2”). I know it is not much of a difference, but I had rode a 32x20 (41.6”) a few weeks back and thought it was too tall. (I really spend too much time fretting about gears) It turns out that the 33x21 was perfect!
Saturday morning came quickly; we suited up and headed to the start/finish at the Black Mountain Trail Head. After checking in and BSing with some other riders, Eric handed out the maps and said Go! We opted to start up Black without looking at the map. That is one hell of a way to start a race. I paced myself fairly well knowing it was going to be a long day. Around 1 hour into the climb we were at the Turkey Pen trail head and it did not hurt nearly as bad as it has in the past. It almost seemed quick. Then down Turkey, which was in great shape. We snagged CP#1 and off we went to Squirrel to grab #2.
I got lost after that because I thought we were staying on Squirrel, but we ended up on a Fire road climb going towards Pilot Rock. I have never been on Pilot before, so this was a new experience for me. We hiked it up, most of it looks rideable. At the top we grabbed #3 and made the decision to go get 225 instead of 5000. This would mean that we get to go down Pilot now. It was a bit technical and rough riding on the rigid fork. I had a small miscalculation and went OTB in the hum-V section. I checked over myself and my bike. I am not sure how I wrecked there surrounded by boulders and did not break anything. Apparently luck was on our side today. We made it to the fire road and started the grind. We were about 6-1/2 hours in at this point and now we had to go out to 225. I was actually looking forward to some long fire road riding for a change. It would be a lot easier on the bones. On the way out to snagging 225, Wes D passed us. We were guessing that his team was the race leader at this point depending on what other teams had done. After grabbing #4 we started heading back to the Start/Finish and keg. It was now acceptable to start day dreaming about keg beer.
There are a few things I have learned riding with Jonathan on all these years. Something is going to break, get lost, or left behind. The question is, “What?”. PMBAR 2006 Lost the Map while falling down the mountain on Laurel. Double Dare 2007 left backpack at the start finish on the starting time trial. PMBAR 2008 – Broken handle bar while going 20+MPH down Clawhammer. Now this year...
The answer came while blazing down some fire road around a blind left turn. Jonathan had been leading the way and was about 20 yards in front of me. As I came around the corner I saw one of my night mares come true. (Getting hit by a car) The Drunken Monkey was laid up underneath a Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jonathan was staggering around like he just got clocked by a MMA fighter. I wish I could have seen the whole thing, just to see how he pulled it off. He must have laid the bike down and somehow bailed to the outside of the corner just before striking the jeep. After we determined that no one was hurt, I laughed uncontrollably for at least ½ hour. How the HELL did he pull that off without hurting himself? Simply AMAZING is all I can say. The guy’s face driving the jeep really summed it up. All he kept saying was, “Are you really okay?” He just looked shell shocked. The only damaged incurred was a broken front break lever. Ironically the only carbon fiber on his bike. Also ironic that last year he descended Black with no handle bar. Again this year he went down it with only one brake.
A few miles later Jonathan informs me of a mishap from earlier in the day. While getting ready before the start he put a drop of bleach in his eye instead of eye drops. He decided not to tell me so I did not freak out. That is insane! A normal person would have lost it, grabbed a first aid kit and eye wash to flush it out. But no, Jonathan just toughs it out so his partner does not loose it. Again we were lucky that there were no ill affects. You know, blindness, or a desolving eyeball.
We made it back in 10 hours with four check points for a 17th place finish. 17th also happens to be the place we got last year, but it only took us 6-1/2 hours then. Eric definitely stepped up the difficulty this year.
As to be expected, this years PMBAR was a great event. Thanks to all the volunteers people that made it happen. I am already looking forward to next years PMBAR.