AdventureCORPS Presents the March 3, 2012 Death Valley Century, Ultra Century & Double Century

The first AdventureCORPS event of 2012, held March 3, provided a fantastic day of cycling in perfect weather. 375 riders began the event: 146 of 155 completed the 105-mile century, 45 of 45 completed the 150-mile ultra century, and a record 160 of 175 riders completed the double century. The feedback has been positive and the memories will last a lifetime. We salute everyone for lining up, and heading out, to face whatever fate had in store! Luckily for all of us. Mother Nature "made up for" the extreme weather we experienced a year ago and blessed us with an absolutely gorgeous day to enjoy "Mother Nature's Greatest Sports Arena," Death Valley National Park. Lucky us!

We hope our Spring Death Valley riders will join us for another AdventureCORPS event in 2012, such as CORPScamp Death Valley on March 27-31, Hell's Gate Hundred on March 31, Mount Laguna Bicycle Classic on April 21, and the Fall Death Valley Century, Ultra Century, and Double Century on October 27, not to mention Furnace Creek 508 on October 6-8. (Info via the links on the left of this page.)

Attesting to the wide-ranging popularity of this ride, we had riders from no less than 19 American States, plus the UK: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, ID, MA, MD, MN, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OR, PA, TX, UT, WA, and WI.

Thanks to the wonderful volunteers who made it all happen! (Let us know if we missed anyone!)

Friday CORPSyoga Class: Laurie Streff

Start Line: Joe Garza, Scott and Jordan Palka, Marco Apostol, Cynthia Daley, and Catherine Gallagher

Badwater: Ginger Kuhn, Josh Hosea, Dennis Bearce, Anna Stowe, Pamela Kanaby, and Barbara Friedman

Ashford Mill: David Leef, Deb Dexter, Josh Morgan, and Imre Udvardy

Jubilee Pass Century Turn-Around: Steve & Karen Gray

Salsberry Water Stop: Cynthia Daley and Marco Apostol

Shoshone: Jeff Bell, Rich Stuart, Lorraine Hildenbrand, and Krista Englemann

Stovepipe Wells: Christine McBride, Kathi Nash, Marco Apostol, Ken and Theresa Guralnik

Furnace Creek: Joe Gargoyle Garza, Laurie Streff, Jeff Brown Bear Bell, Michela Hendricks, Steve and Karen Gray, Marco Apostol. Donna Watson, Cynthia Daley, Lorraine Hildenbrand, and Krista Englemann

SAG: Lee Maggot Mitchell, Mike Angelfish Angelos, Chris Adams (MotoSAG), Gary Baierl (MotoSAG), and Eric Smith

Subway Special Delivery: Rich Stuart

Special thanks are also extended to the wonderful people at the Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort, the Subway of Pahrump, Liberty Ambulance of Ridgecrest, the National Park Service, and Cal Trans in Bishop.

	Show 1: Friday Yoga and Saturday Start Line Photos by Chris Kostman and Marco Apostol
	Show 2: Badwater, then Jubilee Pass 10am-11am Photos by Chris Kostman
	Show 3: Jubilee Pass 11am-1145am Photos by Chris Kostman
	Show 4: Jubilee, Salsberry, Ashford, Badwater, Stovepipe, and Finish Photos by Chris Kostman
	Show 5: Salsberry Pass 950am-1100am Photos by Marco Apostol
	Show 6: Salsberry Pass 1100am-1215pm plus a few from Stovepipe Photos by Marco Apostol
	"Double Trouble: My Death Valley Crusade," Michael Collier, San Francisco Chronicle Editor, 2/3
	Part 2 by Michael Collier, San Francisco Chronicle Editor, 2/13
	Part 3 by Michael Collier, San Francisco Chronicle Editor, 2/24
	Part 4 by Michael Collier, San Francisco Chronicle Editor, 2/29
	Part 5 by Michael Collier, San Francisco Chronicle Editor, 3/8

Here are just a few highlights of the 500+ photos we have online here from this event (click any of these thumbnails, or any of the slideshow links above!):

Awesome, Unsolicited, Totally Appreciated Feedback!

I wanted to thank you for a outstanding event. The support to riders reminded me of the old Nissan Xterra commercials--"everything you need and nothing you don't." I also want to thank my fellow riders. Compared to large (2000, 3000+) century rides in the east where I come from, the ability and courtesy of the field of riders was exceptional. It was the first century I rode in where I felt at ease joining any line and sharing the road with any other rider. At the same time, it was completely inclusive--not one shunned or excluded. - Mark Mulligan, Annapolis MD

Thanks for putting on a great event! This was my fourth time - first time to do the double. Riding at night through the desert back from Stovepipe Wells was a profoundly beautiful experience - all I could do was think about all the people in my life and what they meant to me. Congratulations and much appreciated! - Mitch Flynn, Buffalo, NY

I wan't to say "thanks" for a fantastic time in DV Saturday. All the staff were exceptionally nice, especially the two ladies in Stove Pipe who were super friendly and helpful even though I arrived before they were completely setup. Also wonderful were the heartfelt cheers of encouragement from my fellow riders. Big thumbs up all around. - Brook Henderson, the man in cyan...

Thanks Chris for putting on such a great event. I did Spring and HGH with you guys last year, and I knew I had to make DV Spring 2012 my first ever Double. Cycling under the moonlight with Mars, Jupiter and Venus all in the sky above a practically glowing white salt flat was something I'll not soon forget. Coming back to work on Monday was a very rude awakening after that high. Thanks for that weekend respite.

PS, almost 10% of Saturdays participants have uploaded their DVSpring event data to Strava. Very cool! - Jon Mayfield

I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how wonderful the Spring Century was. Everyone was super nice, the volunteers were fantastic and the whole event was so great I'll definitely be back! Thanks again! - Rachel Wells

Thank you Chris and Laurie for putting on an amazing event. Incredible professionalism. Giving volunteers. The perfect setting. I don't know who you paid off for that weather today it was perfect. It couldn't have been better, except maybe bringing in a team of massage therapists for Sunday morning massage, on our dime : ) THANK YOU!

Here's an excerpt from my Facebook Post….
Wow what a day. Finished my first Double Century, the Death Valley Double Century in 12:35 minutes (spinning time). Way faster than I ever thought possible. It was truly an amazing experience. Memories include: watching the sun rise and set in the magical place that is Death Valley. Feeling the first warmth of the sun while passing Badwater at 187 feet below sea level. Pushing through double calf and single hamstring cramps. Cresting the 3133 ft final pass and realizing that i just climbed several thousand feet more than I ever had before. Feeling "second wind" for the first time at 144 miles realizing I was going to finish strong with two new friends (we rode probably 185 of the 200 miles together. Getting pumped up listening* to U2 Achtung Baby and the Joshua tree, Radiohead, ok computer, and johnny cash through a moon-less Death Valley night lit only by the stars and planets. And finally tearing up countless times thinking of the stories and learning from he experience I want to share with Jenna, Lily and Charlie when I get back home. It feels great to be alive. I am a truly blessed, fortunate person. Let's do it again!

* P.S. On the "listening" comment, I was using Aftershokz Bone Conductive Headphones, not in my ear, so you can hear 100% of the sound around you. The only way I'd listen to music on a bike. - Gregory Morse

I had a great time in Death Valley - thanks for ordering up the great weather to help me complete my 97th Double! And, it was Craig's 130th double - 50th on a tandem. (You talk about all kinds of things over 200 miles...) As always, thanks again for a great event! Take care. - Lynn Katano

Great events that creates lifetime of milestones in people's lives...this is what you do !!! - Jonas Mas, Adobo Velo

Yesterday's double was awesome. Your race organization superb. And the volunteers, without a doubt, the most helpful and supportive. Your roving SAG, especially mortorcyle man, was very cool and despite the remote location I never felt exposed. I'm just sorry that John Clare was not among the field. God rest his soul. - Dave Stefanides

For those who have never been to Death Valley it has that incredible beauty of the desert matched with a wonderful remoteness that really marks “Vacation!” It was so wonderful to leave an email response at work that says “I will be out of cell phone range today; I’ll get back to you on Monday.” We camped, which gets a tad chilly, but the awesome array of stars is just breathtaking.

And then the bike ride. We rode the Death Valley Spring Century that starts in Furnace Creek and rides to Jubilee Pass and back (there is also a 150 and 200 mile option). One rest stop in Badwater. Another just before the climb to the pass. The same on the way back except now Badwater is perfectly timed for some great Subway sandwiches!

I rode with my friends; a strong practiced rider who has been my mentor in biking, and his 14-year old son who this year simultaneously got taller than me and surpassed me in strength. The three of us rode a rotating pace line for about 40 miles, and we started to get the rhythm of the line pretty well, picking up a couple mph. with much less effort. I’ve been a bit hesitant to draft. Always nervous about getting close, but on this ride I mastered that fear. Mastered…and overcompensated. Wheels touched once, still standing. Cool! See, worried for nothing. Mile 43ish…. Wheels touched another time and *boom!* off on the ground. Thankfully I fell while riding a slow pace uphill and onto some very soft sand. Dusted off. Got over the post-fall jitters. Reset the chain. Back on and onward….and lagging back a respectable distance in the paceline; lesson learned.

Rest stop at mile 45, then on to the Jubilee Pass climb. About 7 miles of constant 4-8% grade. Plod, plod, plod. My friends were far ahead by now. Oh well. They waited at the top and we had a fun descent. Back to the paceline home. Except I couldn’t keep up. Really struggling to generate power. Kind of kicking myself. Gee… all these 50 mile training rides….and see what happens! Power to mile 60 then fade. Should have trained longer. Grumble, grumble. Told my friends to go ahead and they finished about ½ hour before me. All’s well. The speed was still respectable for me, and the ride was beautiful.

The following morning, we pumped up the bikes for our traditional 50 mile breakfast ride. My friend said, “do you know your brake is on?” Hmmm. Well, not really “on” but the back tire was rubbing. I said, “um, so THAT’s why my tire sounded different after the fall!”
All the struggle up the hill from 45-52. The lack of power generation from mile 60-100. The self-berating for not training better, might, just might, have been avoided had I checked my tires after the fall. 55 miles with the brake (partially) on! My friend mentioned that I probably had the best ride of my life and didn’t know it. Another lesson learned.

This is a beautiful ride and has great ride support. I encourage anyone who hasn’t done it to give it a try one year. - Ride on, Catherine Gallagher

I just want say thank you for putting on the show. I had a great time as usual and look forward to next Adventurecorps ride. It has got to take a tremendous amount of planning to effectively support a ride in such a remote location. Thank you again. - Phil Auriemma RideWithGPS link

Really enjoyed the ride last Saturday. Was a great break from the grind here. Want to thank you for a well supported ride. Hope to be back to try for the ultra- or double-century! - John Olson

Thanks so much for a great event. It was my second double this year and was very much a challenge and riding under the moonlight out there near Stovepipe Wells I will never forget. It was breath-taking, just loved it all the way the end. - Rick Brule