Bootleg is well known for its rough terrain.  From XC riding to downhill,  the rocks are sharp, the trails are tough & there is no such thing as shade!   Luckily the Mob 'N the Mojave is held on President's Day weekend, which typically means cool weather in the desert.  This weekend was no surprise as the sun was shining & the temperatures were fairly comfortable in the daytime... but once the sun drops, the jackets definitely come out!  One big surprise, is that the winds were relatively calm... 9 out of 10 times when I come to this MTB desert oasis called "Bootleg Canyon" the winds are howling!  


SATURDAY PRACTICE

After driving into Vegas the night before, we rose early & made sure that we had first tracks on the mountain.  Haha. Ok, in all reality, we woke up around the crack-of-noon like true downhillers, stopped at the local Jack-in-the-Box & slowly made our way to Bootleg Canyon.   Riders were surprisingly still taking their first couple of runs.   I later found out that the Super D start time was thrown off by apparently a few hours... which, in turn, delayed DH practice.   With only a few trucks on hand, it made for a long day.  

The downhill courses here are known for their length & their rocks.  It's a perfect place to test how your winter training is progressing since you need to make sure you're fit enough to race down the full length of the course... otherwise you're in for a nasty surprise!  Rocks are gnarly here - similar to volcanic rocks in areas.  Harsh enough to tear the leather of my hiking boots... I dread the memories crashing here while downhilling.  Tires last for about 3-4 runs here, then it's time to swap them out for some freshies... "IF" you're lucky.   Time to make nice with your tire sponsor!   Tubes are a hot commodity here as well.   I couldn't count the number of flat tires that rode by me during practice.  

Shuttling to the top of the mountain... wow, that's an event in it's own right!   I swear some of the drivers had contests on whether or not they could throw their passengers from the truck... or see who could come closest to the edge of the cliff with out falling.  Shuttle times lagged, as there were only a few trucks on hand.  Although you ended up waiting a bit for the shuttle to arrive, it was pretty much smooth rolling 'til the end of the day when one truck apparently was starting to loose its breaks.   NOT exactly the ideal place to lose your brakes!  

There were a one common phrase to the day... "This isn't really a race course!  Awesome riding, but not good for racing!"  Although Bootleg is known for it's riding trails, it's not necessarily a favorite spot in a riders mind for a place to race for some people.  The racetrack started out in typical Bootleg fashion, traversing through the top of the mountain then dumping you near the infamous "Poop Chute" section (although the "Poop Chute" wasn't used at this year's event).  Beginner & Sport riders continued on with their normal racetrack on what was apparently a fun and fast flowing course.  Pros and Experts were directed off just before the "Poop Chute" and traversed along the opposite side the valley, sending riders off approximately 5 rock drops.  Most of the drops weren't bad enough to ride over (as long as you carried your speed), but a few were a bit tricky to riders as some were a bit blind.  On a 5 - 6 minute course, it's hard to remember where the drops are.  As if the rocks, drops, and tight tracks weren't difficult enough.  The trail actually had a couple of climbs!   One about half way down the track (about the time the lactic acid is building up in your legs) and the final climb, albeit short, comes after you're riding in a flat & tight wash.  Not exactly an ideal downhill race track.  Regardless, riders made due & tore it up!


SUNDAY RACE DAY

Regrettably, after a good dinner at the casino's buffet & chilling with friends at the bar,  we had to rise up early to make it for the short practice.

Considering the amount of time for the shuttle trucks to do one run, it was a bit surprising that there was only one hour of practice allotted on race day.  Regardless, riders seemed to have gotten at least one run in to warms themselves up.

Being that the best of two runs was to count for the final result, riders had to determine whether or not they would attack on their first run or save their strength & energy for the second.  It was rather interesting to see what riders would elect to do.   Would a mistake on their first run relegate them to play it safe or PINN the second run?  For the most part, judging by times, it would appear that riders played it conservative on run number 1, then go for broke on the second run.  A few riders regretted their decision as many collapsed as they crossed the finish line. 

Even on a 5+ minute track, it's shocking that the victory would be decided on mere tenths of a second.   Reno, CA native, (Jon Wilson Northstar/Giant/Fox/Oakley), drove down & took the days win and $500 in cool hard cash!  Just on his tails, Ryan Condrashoff (SantaCruz/X-Fusion/Nema) slid to second by two tenths of a second behind Jon!

Surprise of the day, Kevin Aiello (Yeti SoCal) actually grabs the fastest time of the day with a 4:59 – three seconds faster than the winning pro!  When organizers found out that the fastest time was set by a non-pro, they took $100 out of their own pocket to award Kevin of his well-deserved accomplishment! 

Woman of the weekend, Lisa Myklak  followed up her Super-D victory on Saturday with a strong win in the Downhill.  Lisa bested her nearest competitor by 11 seconds!

Speaking of results, here is where things got a bit interesting & confusing.  There was an extremely long delay (what seemed like a few hours) sorting results & determining placements.  With the rumor about the start of the Super D on the previous day being a mess, no one thought much on the timing structure for the downhill at first.  Then like a jigsaw puzzle, ideas were starting to come into place... but no one seemed to have a proper fit.

Rumor spread like wildfire that  the timing "system" wasn't quite up to par.   Times were supposedly off and there were apparently some "stretches" in the rule book.  Some riders were complaining about "cheater lines."  

With the delay in results, the sun falling behind the mountains, & temperatures dropping... attitudes and patience were starting to run short.  Throw in a bit of alcohol and you've got some interesting conversations!

These are all "circumstances" to be taken with a "grain of salt."  A few riders possibly had a right to argue, others might just have gotten caught up in the conversation.   Timing systems at smaller events indeed aren't always accurate, but you work with what ya got!  In the end, it was gsome great racing out at Bootleg!