Oly Dirt - Bikes On Olympia Dirt: Dry Hill

What can be said about this event? The word coming back from those who pre-rode the week before described death defying gnarly descents and sheer vertical walls of loose rock depositing into hard 90 degree corners. It's not like the CDC was going to send us down the Dry Hill Pro Course or something, I mean we are on trail bikes, right? Wrong. CDC Dry Hill Enduro - the single most gnarly Enduro race course in the US. I vacillated all week. Should I go? Should I race? I have a business and family to support. I'll be wearing a half shell and puny knee pads - no way I'm lugging around the proper safety equipment. Thursday evening I came to my senses. There was no way I was going to miss this legendary sounding event! I'd feel nothing but regret if I missed it, and I knew it. Game. On.

Camp - 50 yards from the Pacific Ocean

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The course lived up to the hype.

Stage 1 was rooty, rocky, steep and then it got real steep. IT WAS AWESOME!

Stage 2 was little bit of everything. Some fast tight treed single track, a wide open bike park style section and finishing with some more pumpy single track with little jumps thrown in. IT WAS JUST NEAT.

Stage 3 was real. Dropping off the DH course start platform into totally blown up steeps and corners, then railing what felt like a pro level DH course - that's because it was. IT WAS AWESOME. AGAIN.

The transfer stages were real. Not totally over the top, but solid and stiff climbs with some good exposure to the orange orb. 2500-3000' of it.

Had a great time. Glad I went. Raced like a self employed adult with something to lose - slow.

Thanks CDC. The stages, support, timing and results were all quite dialed and on time. One of the most well run events I've participated in. And from what I hear this is the most well run Enduro series in the West . Solid.