kelley acres

Some shots from the fateful event, courtesy of W. Browne.

Early in the first lap, running the log barrier...


This next was the sketchest part of the course. Down a steep little drop, over a straw-covered wood bridge, then in and through a mud pit. A lot of people struggled though this, some getting off and running the whole thing, but remembering to gear w-a-y down prior to the drop I managed through three times without a bobble.



I think I was in about forth position here, but soon made short work of this NVCC rider.

And this must have been mere moments before the mishap...

So I didn't really get to make short or long work of anyone.

Anyway, I thought it was a really fun, original course. The atmosphere and trails reminded me a bit of Granogue, just not quite as grand as all that. I would have loved to take away my first cross win on that course, and I nearly did. But the butterflies... The previous three times down that fast left-hand turn I felt like I could have taken it faster, so on the fourth pass I did, and now here I am, typing incomplete thoughts with one hand...