Sweet Tea

“Road Closed” said the sign. After 8 hours of driving this is what we had to show for it. 20 miles from Sugar Mountain, North Carolina we had been stopped by hillbilly construction. With no way to break the barricade we put our tail between our legs and seek out the detour they had laid out for us. Rand McNally told us that the hillbilly detour was approximately 35 miles in the other direction! Oh no you don’t! I quickly chart a new course and we buck a “U”. After a few minutes the map and reality are starting to argue, things are not as they seem. With reality winning we decide to venture on greeted by scarecrows made of junk, abandoned trailer homes and yes, the Church of the Serpent. Suddenly we are atop true southern construction, the gravel road. The Yankees are piloting a truck a little to long for our patented “U’s” and we are forced to carry on. After about 60 minutes we finally approach an oncoming car. We stop and throw out the hand of a lost northerner.
They smile, that way that only southern women who know where they are can. She gives us concise directions away from our gravel hell.

Ahhhh, Sugar Mountain we are happy to see you. We park and decide to mosey on up the course and walk it, since it has been drizzling for some time now and we have no intention on getting filthy yet. As we begin to fill out the paperwork to register we realize just how much this race is going to cost us. Typically to race Downhill and Super-D we pay approximately 85 dollars. Not here. They have tacked on a 10 dollar late fee and a 20 dollar lift fee. For those unaware of the customs of mountain bike racing the lift fee is usually included with in the registration fee. “I am not late!”, I belt out. “Yes you are”, she retorts. “Today is Thursday, the first day of walk-in registration, I am not late!”, “You could have registered online.”….”Uhhh, I don’t have a computer?” I smirk.
We both paid. 120 dollars to race a NORBA race.

We decide to go walk the course. We get on the lift, which is by no stretch of the imagination slower than walking up the mountain. We were passed several times by hikers and spectators through out the week. As the lift begins to ascend the rain begins to fall harder. Torrential downpour for 20 of the 25-minute lift ride. As we walk the course we are relatively impressed with the construction, it has a bit of length to it. Technical features and banked turns make it look really fun and fast. Half way down the mountain I notice that my wedding ring is missing, it has fallen victim of the Hillbilly Black Hole.
We decide too go look for a room for the weekend, previous plans to stay with a friend’s family nearby have fallen through.

Friday and Saturday we awake to clear skies. We suit up for practice and everything goes well for a change. The course is as we had suspected, fun yet challenging.

Saturday we race the Super-D and I race Downhill, both races feel mediocre, a few mistakes here and there but nothing major, just a failure to really connect the dots.
To my surprise I cross the finish line of the Super-D race ahead of the pack, time wise.
I have beaten the leader by 13 seconds. I am on cloud 9. I must now go and get dressed for Downhill practice. After a few runs Will and I are not overly enthusiastic about our performance. A couple of PB and J’s at the truck and I realize what time it is, 4:30. I race at 5:06 and I have to ride that slow lift to the top, I begin to run my bike up to the lift. I jump on and await the slow ascent. As I pass spectators along the course I get time updates, I am going to be cutting it close. When I finally reach the top I rush to the start gate just as the timer announces my name. I just made it. This is good, no down time to get nervous. I race. As I get through sections the cheers of friends and fellow riders await me. The run is solid but not perfect two mistakes cost me quite a bit of time. I cross the finish line intact and here my name called as the leader. Don’t get too excited there are still a few riders after me, all who stand a good chance of beating the time. To my expectations one rider does and I am knocked down to the second position where I will stay.
Two medals, one first place for the Super-D and a second place finishing for Downhill.
I feel better about the previous days adventures already. Besides, there is next weekend to start thinking about, Vermont is no joke! But still I am happy I won some races and I survived the south. And for those who don’t know I will sum up the south in two words,
“Sweet Tea”.