Breck Epic Stage 3 - The Circumnavigation of Mt. Guyot

Halfway done with the Breck Epic and the legs are telling me that they want to be done. The alarm goes off at 6:00 am and so i can get the drop bags full up with needed supplies. A couple stages have 3 stations that they will bring a designated bag but generally it is two. I have been packing them up with a couple bottles with some carb powder which will be filled with water when at the aid station. On the first stage and this third stage i packed rain gear but fortunately, no rain. On stage 2, i packed no gear and Poof! sleet and rain. I am gonna pack it so it doesn't rain going forward. I may just have that power. In any case, i then take the drop bags to the designated spot and head back for some oatmeal and pb toast breakfast. Come 7:45, i'm kitted up and out the door to warm up the legs. This morning needed some warming but they were feeling alright. At 8:30 am, the race is on.

Today's stage took us to the highest point in the Breck Epic, 12,000 ft. As normal the climbing begins right away out of town. This time id ducked into single track after a few miles and i fortunately made it through the bottle neck fairly quick. The climbing kept going on and on but it was handled. I was making good time until the next ascent...which is where everyone had the time stop. This is the major climb of the day but i would say it was more of a 1000 ft ascending hike. The trail was rough and the breathing was rougher. Here is a pic of only halfway up.

That was a long slough above the tree line. Payback for that was a super sketchy downhill that lead to some good stuff. As the downhill waned, the uphill started again. Another long climb along some jeep trail that folks were driving up to check the view at the top. It was a nice view, i admit but after that climbing, i wasn't gonna loiter. I had to stop a few times on that climb to catch the breath for 20 seconds. The downhill after that though was so rocky, rooty, sketchy, and full of fear! I am not much of an enduro/downhill guy so i gotta say, there was much fear out there. It was so bumpy, my chain was through off once. After that, the momentum was gone and i fell down a couple times. i wasn't going fast so that does cause it somewhat. One of the falls bashed my seat into my leg. Ouch! Gotta sore spot there still so that will have to get worked out on the mountain tomorrow. I was so happy when that descent was done that the next batch of uphill was a welcomed safe zone. My legs didn't like it though. I had to pause a couple times to breathe and a couple times to hike a bit. Once crested, the trail went down, up a little, and down and up a little and eventually to the finish. It ended up being around 32 miles or so and 6500 ft of climbing...Oof!