One Week Out

The bike course is marked.

We got a little rain last night and it feels a bit damp. I haven't been to Turkey yet today, but I would guess the trails are firm.

The course is marked with red and black checkered ribbon. It's not heavily marked, like it will be in the race, but I marked all the turns and you should be able to see it if you pay attention.
I incorporated some trails that haven't been used in a few years, so I'll be weed-eating and cleaning up trails today. The trail I'm going to cut through the woods is pretty clear already, but I'll break the trail today.
The course spends most of its time on the west side, which is pretty fun. It drops down and around a pond and comes out onto the powerline trail just below the steepest hill. You'll turn left onto powerline and ride out and down the drops by the old truck (be careful). Just before the next washed-out creek crossing, turn left into the woods again. Follow those twisty, rooty trails next to another pond (the one by the old shipping containers) out almost to the Pepsi Plant, then turn right and ride up to the spider. Take the Ridge trail to the point and circle back until you almost get to Lipbuster again (where you rode up), but make a left before you get into the clearing and take a nice, meandering trail down to Ho Chi. Right on Ho Chi and left on the new trail with the bridge that takes you down to the main trail. Wander around back to the left under the powerlines and down the boulders to the paved river trail. This part can be confusing right now without all the extra markings. Take a left on the river trail. Ride down to where the trail goes into the woods for Lo Chi. Don't take that trail. But right across from it is another trail that heads off to the east, down a loose, rocky trail- stay on that trail to the creek crossing. Up the other side is a pretty tough lift, so it probably will be a get-off point for most people. The rest of that uphill is pretty easy though. Then you'll see more markers meandering through the woods, doubling back and eventually re-joining the paved river trail. This time take a left back toward the parking lot. Just before you get to the parking lot, turn left into the grassy field and ride around the outside of it, all the way to the drinking fountain and across the parking lot entrance to transition in the big field west of the parking lot.

That's it. I think it's a fun course. I went out and blew up early on yesterday, which made parts of it not that fun, but overall I think the trails link together good and there is some stuff that hasn't been used much. So I think you'll like it. Ray Hall is out on the course today, getting ready to kick your ass. He told me he thought it was one of the most creative courses ever put together at Turkey. So go have fun.