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Snowbird Bicycle Hill Climb |
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Team Bikeman -
Race Reports
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Written by Tim White
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Wednesday, 05 September 2007 |
29th Annual Snowbird Bicycle Hill Climb
Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT
August 28th, 2007
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The 29th annual Snowbird Bicycle Hill Climb was held August 28th. This is one of if not the oldest running race in Utah and was well attended with about 450 finishers. The race starts in the city of Sandy, winds through a couple of neighborhoods and enters Little Cottonwood Canyon. It covers 10 miles and gains 3,500 feet of elevation.
In past years Snowbird has held a King of the Mountain competition where the day following the Hill Climb a race is held to the top of Hidden Peak from the Snowbird parking lot. Hidden Peak is the mountain that the Snowbird tram summits. This race covered 3,000 vertical feet in 5 miles of dirt and gravel roads. Those who competed in both races would have their times combined to see who would be crowned “King of the Mountain”.
This year a new race was introduced. The “Ultra Widowmaker” would combine the two races into one event. The racers would finish the Snowbird Hill Climb, ride to Gad Valley where their support crew would have the racer’s mountain bike ready, and then climb to Hidden Peak for a total of 6,500 feet over 15 miles.
I’m a climber, so when I heard about the new category (about a week before the race) I decided to do it. My wife would normally do the Hill Climb, but she is out on injured-reserve, so she agreed to be my support crew. I didn’t do much to modify the bikes except putting eggbeaters on the road bike so I wouldn’t have to switch shoes along with taking extra food and fluids for the first race so I wouldn’t be as spent once I got to the second stage.
The morning of the race was an ominous one. We had a pretty good view of the canyon we were going to ride up from the city and it was black and thunderous. It was raining at the start, but nothing compared to what was apparently going on further up. About 10 minutes before the start, the organizers announced that the 2nd half of the race was cancelled due to safety (lightning) and the perceived impassability (mud) of the course. My wife who was at the transition area said it was coming down in buckets.
The start to the Snowbird Hill Climb road race got off pretty well. I have done this race several times, but not in this kind of weather or wind. Drafting always plays a role in this race on the lower section, but once the canyon starts, average speeds are usually less than 10 mph, so the pack splits apart. This year, the gusts of wind coming down the canyon kept a large pack together. As we rode up the canyon, the storm also moved up the canyon and we never did see the heavy rain, while the winds stayed pretty strong. I stayed in the main pack for about 4/5 of the race before falling off the back. I made a couple of efforts to get back on, but couldn’t bridge the gap. I ended up 4th in the 30-39 citizens category.
FULL RESULTS
Tim
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; "click to enlarge")
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