Utah Velo Club

Photos of 2010/2011 snow events

Snowshoeing is Back

Post your times on local hill climbs

Post your Hill Climb Times and Compare to Other Riders

Ski Poles: Generally regular ski poles are a little shorter than you need for snowshoeing so the adjustable ones are preferred but don't add a great deal of worth over the regular ones. So if you have regular ski poles I wouldn't spend the money on adjustable. Put them at the bottom of your priority list.

Boots: Good leather hiking boots with some "thinsolate" insulation is preferred. Snowshoes will generally fit almost any kind of boot. I've seen guys use ankle high trail-running shoes with their snowshoes.

Gaiters: These are high priority. You must keep snow from getting in your boots and these form a seal from your pants past the top of your boots to prevent any moisture from entering your boots. You don't need the string that goes under the boots if they just keep the top of the boot sealed off. I prefer the shorter gaiters that come just above the top of your boot and not go clear to the knees.

Clothes: We wear long leg and arm underwear with a lined nylon-type shell on the bottom and long sleeve jersey with a thin hoody on top. Then a fleece vest that can easily be removed and stashed on a camelback-type hydopack. For emergency need carry a down coat with a hood incase of a need to stop for an extended period of time. Glove liners are usually sufficient for your hands but have good insulated mittens to put over them for extra cold days or wind conditions. Dark wrap-around sun glasses are essential. Goggles are not recommended because they fog up easily. I like a baseball cap to shade the sun from my eyes and with the thin hoody my ears are plenty warm. Most of the time I don't put the hoody up. Nice fitting leather boots are best and if they have some light "thinsulate 400gm" insulation your feet will be OK. I don't like the heavy boots with rubber bottom and sheep skin lining. They usually don't fit well and are too heavy and hot.

Common Rookie Mistakes:

> Camelback hydration pack is a must rather than carrying bottles. BUT the mistake is made by not draining the water back into the bladder at the start of the hike and after each drink. You must keep the tube drained or it will freeze in about 5 minutes. Tuck the end of the tube inside your shirt at your neck line. This keeps the condensation at the end from freezing up.

> Bring a light snack to eat such as trail mix, energy bar, crackers, cheese, partially cooked potatoes, etc. Not all of these but just what ever you like to snack on.

> Don't dress too warm... but pack a warm coat as an emergency way to stay warm if you have to stop for some reason. It's nice to have a warm coat when we stop for lunch on long hikes.

> Try your snowshoes on at home and get the straps adjusted to your boots before you arrive at the start point. It is amazing to me how many people get there and have never even tried them on and didn't know how to put them on or which was the right or left shoe. I hope I'm not insulting your intelligence by pointing this out but it always happens after Christmas EVERY YEAR to someone.

> Arrive early enough to be ready to hike at the appointed time. A rookie mistake is getting there just as everyone is leaving and then having trouble getting the shoes on etc.

Complete explanation of Club Rules of the Road.

Club Motto: It is the responsibility of every person in the group to assure the safety of everyone else in that group.

1- Etiquette: Hold your line in the pack or pace line. Do not move to either side without looking and signaling your intentions. Communicate verbally and with hand signals when you move sideways or slow down.

2- Road Hazards: Use Hand Signals for all road hazards including cattle guards, gravel, pot holes, rocks, etc.

3- Braking in a paceline with a following rider must be considered a last resort. When approaching a traffic light and the light changes to amber, If you can safely continue through do so but don't slam on your brakes. Stop if you can do so safely without causing chaos behind you. If the pack gets split then those who went through MUST slow or stop on the other side to allow the others to catch up again. The same is true in the case of stop signs with traffic cutting off part of the pack. The MUST wait rule promotes more caution by those who get cut off. Do not risk going through for fear of getting dropped.

4- We will stop at all stop signs and proceed with caution and regroup on the other side of the intersection.

Map and route information: By clicking the link for the ride map notice that you can print a "Cue Sheet" at this web site by clicking on "Show" on the left side of the page near the top, that gives you the option of Whole Route, Elevation Profile, and Cue Sheet. Also you can zoom in and out to see very detailed parts of the route. It gives the options of street map, satellite, or Hybrid to view the routes. There are no excuses to get lost anymore.... Please study the map and print the cue sheet if you are not familiar with the routes.

All riding abilities welcome: The purpose of the club is to encourage and assist cyclists who like to ride with a group and to do so safely. There will be times in every ride where racing takes place and people will be dropped. But there are also regroup locations where we can get back together. The best way to get better is see how you perform against others of your age and experience. The members of the club will encourage and help you so please don't feel unwelcome if you can't keep up the pace. Just bring the map and cue sheet and stay on course. Please notify the ride leader if you do NOT intend to finish the day's ride with the group. Cyclists need to ride with someone faster than they are if they want to improve. Our club is to promote cycling with everyone from beginner to State Champion Racer.

RULES FOR PARTICIPATION: 1- If you do not intend to stay with the group you must notify the event leader before the start or at one of the regroup locations. 2- If you have trouble keeping up, yell for someone to drop back with you until the next regroup location. 3- If you are in the lead on a segment you must stop for regrouping at least every 30 minutes. 4- If you form your own group of two or more people, do not leave the planned route without notifying the leader of your intentions. 5- Have fun, be safe, and assure the safety of others.

Post your hill climb times here

Events This Month

Jan 28	Sat	7:30 a.m.	Tibble Fork-Mill Canyon. 5- hours to the saddle on the South Ridge of Mill Peak.	Tibble Fork main parking lot North of the lake. Route Map	Take SR-92 up AF Canyon (Left at the fork)
Jan 30	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
Jan 31	Tue	6:15 p.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
Feb 2	Thur	6:15 p.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
Feb 4	Sat	7:30 a.m.	Pine Hollow 7-hour hike.	Pine Hollow Parking above Mutual Dell. Route Map	Pine Hollow,Ridge,Deer Crk So.,Top of Loop,Salamander.
Feb 6	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
Feb 7	Tue	6:15 p.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
Feb 9	Thur	6:15 p.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
Feb 11	Sat	7:30 a.m.	Pine Hollow 5-hour Top of Loop - Bear Canyon - Mutual Dell	Pine Hollow Parking above Mutual Dell. Route Map	Take SR-92 up AF Canyon (Right at the fork)

Sep 24	Sat	7:30 a.m.	74-Mile Ride Hobble Creek Right Fork	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	We Will Join the 52-Mile Group at 1600 E. 800 N. Orem Park your vehicle in the library lot or 100 South so you can get out when we get back. Parade will close Main Street and 100 E.
Sep 24	Sat	8:15 a.m.	52-Mile Ride Hobble Creek Right Fork	1600 E 800 N. Orem. Parking Lot for the Provo River Trail	Meet the bunch from American Fork
Sep 26	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
Sep 27	Tue	5:45 p.m.	22-mile Club ride Alpine Hill Climbing	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	There are 2 spurs where slower riders can rejoin the group.

May 9	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
May 10	Tue	5:45 p.m.	22-mile Club ride Alpine Hill Climbing	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	There are 2 spurs where slower riders can rejoin the group.
May 11	Wed	6:00 p.m.	Show-n-Go ride	Northeast corner of the parking lot at the Smith's store on SR-92.	Route to be determined by the group that shows up.
May 12	Thur	5:45 p.m.	Criterium Race	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	Will ride as a group to Vineyard then race a Crit. and return
May 14	Sat	7:30 a.m.	94-Mile Ride AF - West Mountain loop Video of this ride last week	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	We Will Join other groups along the way.
May 14	Sat	8:00 a.m.	Join above group and do 74 miles Video of this ride last week	Vineyard Elementry School at 400 South just West of Geneva Road	Join the other groups
May 14	Sat	8:45 a.m.	Join the above groups and do 47 mile loop Video of this ride last week	Meeting place map link. Gas Station East of Exit 260 on I-15 in Springville. (SR-77) This is the Station at the corner of 1750 W. 400 S (3900 S). If you were standing in the center of the intersection it would be Northeast of you on the corner.	Join the other groups

Nov

Sat

8:00

a.m.

49-Mile Ride

AF, E-Mtn, Suncrest loop 2400 feet of climbing.

Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF

Route Map

We expect to average 17 MPH until we get to mile 35. Use this to figure the time when we will pass various points along the way.

come join in at points along the route if you can't do the whole thing. You can also turn off and head home early if needed. This will be better for iffy weather days.

Jan 8	Sat	7:30 a.m.	5-hour snowshoe hike You don't have to go the full distance and can turn around at any time. Please bring a buddy with the same time frame in mind.	Pine Hollow Trailhead Parking Lot If you want to car pool, I will be at the paved parking area just East of the Alpine Irrigation pond 100 yards West of the junction of SR-92 & SR-146. I can haul about 12 people and will depart the parking area at 7:10 a.m. so be there and loaded on time.	Take SR-92 to the closed gate at the Pine Hollow Trailhead. We start hiking at 7:30 a.m.
Jan 10	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
Jan 11	Tue	6:15 p.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
Jan 13	Thur	6:15 p.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are quite intense so come out and stay in shape.
Jan 15	Sat	7:30 a.m.	5-hour snowshoe hike Silver Flat Lake and beyond. You don't have to go the full distance and can turn around at any time. Please bring a buddy with the same time frame in mind.	Tibble Fork MAIN Parking Lot North of the lake. If you want to car pool, I will be at the paved parking area just East of the Alpine Irrigation pond 100 yards West of the junction of SR-92 & SR-146. I can haul about 12 people and will depart the parking area at 7:10 a.m. so be there and loaded on time.	Take SR-92 to the Tibble Fork turnoff (SR-144) We start hiking at 7:30 a.m. We will go up toward Silver Flat North of the parking lot.

Sep 21	Tue	5:30 p.m.	22-mile Club ride Alpine Hill Climbing	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	There are 2 spurs where slower riders can rejoin the group.
Sep 23	Thur	5:30 p.m.	Criterium Race	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	Will ride as a group to Vineyard then race a Crit. and return
Sep 25	Sat	7:30 a.m.	94-Mile Ride AF - West Mountain loop	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	We Will Join other groups along the way.
Sep 25	Sat	8:00 a.m.	Join above group and do 74 miles	Vineyard Elementry School at 400 South just West of Geneva Road	Join the other groups
Sep 25	Sat	8:45 a.m.	Join the above groups and do 47 mile loop	Gas Station West of Exit 260 on I-15 in Springville. (SR-77)	Join the other groups
Sep 27	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are not full so come and join the fun.
Sep 28	Tue	5:30 p.m.	22-mile Club ride Alpine Hill Climbing	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	There are 2 spurs where slower riders can rejoin the group.

Date	Day	Time	Event	Place	Remarks
Jul 17	Sat	7:00 a.m.	74-Mile Ride Hobble Creek Right Fork	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	We Will Join the 52-Mile Group at 1600 E. 800 N. Orem
Jul 17	Sat	7:45 a.m.	52-Mile Ride Hobble Creek Right Fork	1600 E 800 N. Orem. Parking Lot for the Provo River Trail	Meet the bunch from American Fork
Jul 19	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are not full so come and join the fun.
Jul 20	Tue	5:30 p.m.	22-mile Club ride Alpine Hill Climbing	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	There are 2 spurs where slower riders can rejoin the group.
Jul 22	Thur	5:30 p.m.	Criterium Race Drew will sub as ride leader	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	Will ride as a group to Vineyard then race a Crit. and return
Jul 24	Sat	6:00 a.m.	28-Mile Ride Tibble Fork/Granite Flat	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	1:45 time estimate
Jul 26	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are not full so come and join the fun.
Jul 27	Tue	5:30 p.m.	22-mile Club ride Alpine Hill Climbing	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	There are 2 spurs where slower riders can rejoin the group.
Jul 29	Thur	5:30 p.m.	Criterium Race	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	Will ride as a group to Vineyard then race a Crit. and return
Jul 31	Sat	7:00 a.m.	74-Mile Ride Hobble Creek Right Fork	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	We Will Join the 52-Mile Group at 1600 E. 800 N. Orem
Jul 31	Sat	7:45 a.m.	52-Mile Ride Hobble Creek Right Fork	1600 E 800 N. Orem. Parking Lot for the Provo River Trail	Meet the bunch from American Fork
Aug 2	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are not full so come and join the fun.
Aug 3	Tue	6:00 p.m.	20-25 Miles with the Boat Dock Bandits	NW Corner UVU Parking lot "V"	+ or - 18 MPH average mostly flat
Aug 3	Tue	5:30 p.m.	22-mile Club ride Alpine Hill Climbing	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	There are 2 spurs where slower riders can rejoin the group.
Aug 5	Thur	6:00 p.m.	20-25 miles with the Boat Dock Bandits group Route Map	100 W Center St. in Springville NW corner of City Complex	Rolling hills, rural roads + or - 18 MPH average
Aug 5	Thur	5:30 p.m.	Criterium Race	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	Will ride as a group to Vineyard then race a Crit. and return
Aug 7	Sat	6:00 a.m.	77-Mi Gauntlet with 5 hard climbs	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	Granite Flat, Cascade Sprs, South Fork, Squaw Peak
Aug 9	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are not full so come and join the fun.
Aug 10	Tue	6:00 p.m.	20-25 Miles with the Boat Dock Bandits	NW Corner UVU Parking lot "V"	+ or - 18 MPH average mostly flat
Aug 10	Tue	5:30 p.m.	22-mile Club ride Alpine Hill Climbing	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	There are 2 spurs where slower riders can rejoin the group.
Aug 12	Thur	6:00 p.m.	20-25 miles with the Boat Dock Bandits group Route Map	100 W Center St. in Springville NW corner of City Complex	Rolling hills, rural roads + or - 18 MPH average
Aug 12	Thur	5:30 p.m.	Criterium Race	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	Will ride as a group to Vineyard then race a Crit. and return
Aug 14	Sat	7:00 a.m.	74-Mile Ride Hobble Creek Right Fork	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map	We Will Join the 52-Mile Group at 1600 E. 800 N. Orem
Aug 14	Sat	7:45 a.m.	52-Mile Ride Hobble Creek Right Fork	1600 E 800 N. Orem. Parking Lot for the Provo River Trail	Meet the bunch from American Fork
Aug 16	Mon	5:45 a.m.	Spin Class 1-hour	Gold's Gym - American Fork	Classes are not full so come and join the fun.

Dec 5	Sat	9:00 a.m.	50-Mile Bluffdale - PG Loop Several shorter options available of your choice along the way	Bike Peddler 24 E. Main, AF Route Map	Flat Road Speed 24 mph Avg. Speed for ride 18 mph
Dec 5	Sat	10:45 a.m.	25-mile Highland-Vineyard Loop	Meet at Kohler's Corner Gas Station. Alpine Highway and SR-92.	The 50-Mile group will be at that gas station about 10:40 and will meet this shorter ride group there.

Jul 21	Tues	5:30 p.m. New time	22-mile Club ride Alpine Hill Climbing Please signup so Larry knows how much food and drink to get. Click Here	Start and Finish @ Larry Winzeler's home 6639 Woods Holow Lane, Highland From the light at Smiths Marketplace on SR 192 and Highland Blvd (start of the route up and over Suncrest), go 1 mile North on Highland Blvd., trun right on Woods Hollow Lane and it's the 2nd house on the right. Big Grey trailer beside the garage.	We'll go for a ride the usual Alpine hills. Everyone is invited to hang out at Winzeler's for food and drinks and watch the TVO'd version of the day's classic Alps Tour de France Stage
Jul 21	Tues	6:00 p.m.	Boat Dock Bandits AF Marina Loop	meet at the NW UVU parking lot	20 miles, road speed 18-19 mph
Jul 23	Thur	5:45 p.m.	40-mile Club ride Vineyard with Criterium Racing for those interested and fun course for others.	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map Cue Sheet	Flat Road Speed 24 mph Avg. Speed for ride 18+ mph
Jul 23	Thur	6:00 p.m.	Boat Dock Bandits 20-mile Hare Krishna Temple	Northwest corner of Springville City Park (100 West and Center Street)	road speed 18-19 MPH average speed 14-18

Jul 18	Sat	7:00 a.m.	Utah Velo Club 90-Mile Ride There will be a $15 entry fee due at the start of the ride to pay for the SAG wagon and the Mona Snack Stop.	Vineyard Elementary School at 620 E. Holdaway Rd in Vineyard Take 400 South West of Geneva Rd... This is Holdaway Rd. The school is on the South side of the street Route Map Cue Sheet Please signup if intending to ride, I need the numbers. There will be a drawing for a $50 gift certificate at the Bike Peddler if signed up before Friday at noon and you ride in the event.	We will have a SAG wagon with water and spare wheels and a jug of water and a snack table in the Mona Park (fruit, bread, peanut butter, jam, bars)
Jul 18	Sat	6:30 a.m.	Utah Velo Club 109-mile Century Ride There will be a $15 entry fee due at the start of the ride to pay for the SAG wagon and the Mona Snack Stop. Route will be AF, Springville, Goshen Canyon, Mona, Santiquin, Payson and back to AF.	Bike Peddler, 24 E. Main, American Fork Route Map Cue Sheet Please signup if intending to ride, I need the numbers. There will be a drawing for a $50 gift certificate at the Bike Peddler if signed up before Friday at noon and you ride in the event.	We will have a SAG wagon with water and spare wheels and a jug of water and a snack table in the Mona Park (fruit, bread, peanut butter, jam, bars)

Jun 18	Thur	5:45 p.m.	36-mile Club ride Show-n-Go Stan and Frans are racing in Cedar City	Bike Peddler 24 E Main., AF Route Map Cue Sheet	Flat Road Speed 24 mph Avg. Speed for ride 18 mph
Jun 18	Thur	6:00 p.m.	Boat Dock Bandits 20-mile Hare Krishna Temple Click here to signup for the ride	Northwest corner of Springville City Park (100 West and Center Street)	14-18 MPH average speed
Jun 20	Sat	7:30 a.m.	Longer Ride - 73 miles Hobble Creek Bill is Ride Leader Stan and Frans are racing in Cedar City	Bike Peddler, 24 E. Main, American Fork Route Map Cue Sheet	NOTE: Everyone is welcome to ride with us. We will break up into groups of 5-7 riders to come out of the canyon. This will not imped the traffic.
Jun 20	Sat	8:15 a.m.	Shorter ride - 51 miles Hobble Creek Bill is Ride Leader Stan and Frans are racing in Cedar City	1600 East 800 N. (Orem) Route Map. Cue Sheet	NOTE: Everyone is welcome to ride with us. We will break up into groups of 5-7 riders to come out of the canyon. This will not imped the traffic.

May

Mon

5:45 a.m.

Spin Class 1-hour

Gold's Gym - American Fork

Classes are full so come a little early and join the fun.

August 2

Sat.

6:30 a.m.

61-mile

Big Climb

Butterfield Canyon Leave Bike Peddler at 6:30 a.m. Route Map.

Complete explanation of Club Rules of the Road.

Club Motto: It is the responsibility of every person in the group to assure the safety of everyone else in that group.

2- Road Hazards: Use Hand Signals for all road hazards including cattle guards, gravel, pot holes, rocks, etc.

Snowshoeing: Great cross training for cyclists! Click to see how

Snowshoeing again: PLEASE Be ready to hike at 7 a.m. SHARP: Meet at the Pine Hollow Trail Head at the closed gated up SR-92 . This will be a loop hike. We will go up Pine Hollow Trail and bushwhack South toward Horse Falt then down to Salamander Flat and back to the parking lot. Bring drink and snack. Plan on 4 hours hiking.

Bike Ride! Meet at the new Smith's Food store at the intersection of SR-68 and SR-73 West of Lehi. Be ready to ride at 10 a.m.!!! We will do the Vernon out and back trip which is 86 miles. The weather looks OK. See Map #18 for this ride.

Club ride format: The route will be divided into segments (by distance and/or by landmarks) designated by the ride leader at the start of the ride. All riders start together and each person goes at a pace of their choice. At the end of the segment all riders turn around and ride back to the last rider (who will give them the Turn Around Signal) and then stay with the last rider until the beginning of the next segment. This puts the group back together before the start of the each segment. All riders will be given a break for food and drink before starting the next segment. The same process is repeated for each segment. It is very important that when the fastest riders go back to meet the last rider that they ALL ride together to the beginning of the next segment. As the group grows larger with riders coming back it will give a draft for slower riders and all can practice paceline riding. Some riders who reach the end of a segment may wish to rest rather than ride backwards to meet the others but everyone must be together at the beginning of the next segment. Riders who DO NOT intend to finish all segments MUST inform the group when and where they will drop out. The last rider MUST know that he/she is last and MUST give the turn-a-round signal to the faster riders coming back to meet them. All riders should know the number of participants in the group. If bike trouble or flats occur in one of the segments the group will know and will be able to assist. All participants must be accounted for before proceeding to the next segment.

Objectives of this Club ride format: > Accommodate the wide spectrum of riders in the club. > Let beginners and slower riders know they are welcome and will not "be holding anyone back" nor will they be left alone for the whole ride. > Faster riders will go for a longer distance with harder riding and no waiting for others. > Give everyone group riding experience. > Be able to account for all riders. > Group can assist with mechanical or tire trouble and riders will not be left alone with a problem. > Ride leader can be better able to account for participants.

LOTOJA War Stories 2005

What a brutal day of riding in the rain, wind and cold temperatures. What I know is that Larry, Dale, Kevin and Jason finished just before 9:00 pm. Tara, Brent and I finished @ 10:30 pm in the rain & 37 degrees - my wife and son followed us from Alpine to Teton lights flashing - but we finished. Out of the 1000 riders only about 360 finished. 38 people went to hospital and hundreds more were hauled off of the mountain in school buses. It was one of those rides for full winter gear and a lot of can do attitude. Also Sunday at the awards ceremony they honored the cancer survivors that rode in the race, then to my embarrassment they read my story which was a great honor to all those who have overcome cancer and are fighting adversity now. It also made me realize how blessed I am to have family, friends and a great club to ride with that help me overcome my physical challenges. My personal thanks to you for the support and encouragement you have given me!!

Steve Allred

Here is a copy of Steve's cancer story that is on the LOTOJA web site that he is referring to:

My name is Stephen Allred and I am a two-time cancer survivor. I share my story in hopes of providing support and hope to all of those who have had Cancer intrude upon their lives and for those who are striving to overcome all the challenges life has set before them.

In 1997, I was diagnosed with a rare cancerous tumor inside my spinal cord just below my brain stem. After going to multiple cancer specialists and neurosurgeons and repeatedly being told that the tumor was in-operable my wife and I found Dr. Apfelbaum at the University of Utah Hospital. He specializes in this rare form of cancer, a cancer that no other doctor would consider treating. After meeting with him it became apparent that surgery was my only hope for survival. However, the risks of surgery included the possibilities of not surviving, or surviving as a quad in a wheelchair connected to a breathing machine for the rest of my life. After much anguish the decision was made to have the surgery.

After a great deal of prayer, the skilled hands of a brilliant surgeon, and a small miracle, I survived the surgery. I woke up breathing on my own and I could even wiggle my toes! What I could not do was feel anything from the chest down. I was numb and I still am numb, however, this is a small price to pay for the ability to breath, walk, and cycle on my own.

In 1998, I was diagnosed with my second cancer; Thyroid cancer. Back under the knife I went and this time I had my thyroid removed. Wondering what the cancer had in store for me next, I received good news; both of my cancers were encapsulated which meant I did not have to endure chemotherapy or other secondary treatments. With the support of my family, friends and numerous hours of Physical Therapy I learned to walk again at first with canes and eventually on my own. It took over five years to regain my balance and retrain my muscles.

In 2003, I attempted to ride my dusty mountain bike for the first time after having the tumors removed. Looking like a rather large five-year-old on their first bike, I wobbled clumsily down the road on my bike. I had little balance and could not feel my feet on the pedals, but I continued to ride (or wobble). It felt really good to be active again. In September of the same year, my friends talked me into buying a road bike, which I have learned to love. The bike has helped my strength and balance return to what I possessed pre-cancer. I have crested six thousand miles on my bike and am going strong and cancer free. I rode LOTOJA for the first time in 2004. It was amazing, brutal and rewarding in the same breath. I look forward to riding this year's LOTOJA!

Steve Allred

Well, let me tell you about the 206 miles and almost 8,000 feet of climbing epic ride, rumor has it the 2005 Lotoja was the "hardest" in the history of Lotoja. I had the pleasure of riding with my dad (Lotoja Legend- Stephen Allred) and Brent Simpson. The three of us finished the ride in the dark at around 10:30 pm after braving the consistent rain and 37 degree

temperatures. I must say we had some of the best support- while riding the last 47 mile leg several cars drove by yelling out names looking for their 'lost' riders- our support stayed by our side to the bitter end! Big thanx to our support crew and the encouragement from passing cars and motorcycle riders! As far as War Stories go you will have to talk to Brent about his "gloves" and summer apparel and my dad (Steve) about his stunt riding. My horoscope for the day of the race said to "pamper myself" does having support (Mom Pam and little brother Jason) come out into the cold pouring rain to squeeze

frozen Goo into my mouth count? What an experience! On Sunday at the awards ceremony they announced that approximately 370 people out of 1,000 completed the ride. CONGRATS to all who did finish! I am happy and proud that we all finished without injury and I am looking forward to next year's Lotoja (has to be better right?) What an experience!

Tara Allred

I dont know that I would want to brag too much about this years LOTOJA ride, other than to say that I was there. Anyone want to buy my bike? HA HA.

A promising nice and cool start, (lower 60's) turned into a wind and colder fall rainstorm. At about 30 miles, I had mechanical problems, badly torqing my chain and limping into the 35 mile break stop to take out about 8 total links before continuing on. (lost access to about 4 gears)

Must have been foreshadowing of what was to come, because for me, it essentially got worse from there.

The next 30ish miles into Feed station 2 turned into an endurance and weather slug-fest up only a 2000ft elevation gain, but new to the course this year. The earlier starters (CAT 1-5) got wind, rain and even some snow, leaving more rain and wind for the rest of the crowd. Everyone was wet and cold. Arm and leg warmers got cold and wet, Wet feet, hands, etc. Few were adequately prepared for all-out wet riding or racing.

You know those $9.00 simple clear PVC rain jackets in Performance Bike or Nashbar mags? GET ONE!!! Simple and cheap, they will keep your torso dry and help keep you warm. Plus, it looks and rides better than the plastic garbage bags that some of us ended up wearing. Those wind and waterproof aero-shoe covers would be a good idea too, both are cheap insurance for a season of training and a planned "season-capping" ride of this sort.

At the 2nd feed zone, all available vehicles were being used to treat near or definite hypothermic bikers, with Idaho State Troopers transporting severe cases to the hospital, and a significant quantity of riders awaiting the arrival of school buses for transport to their support vehicles. I warmed up my fingers over a little propane BBQ unit, helped build a windscreen for the staying bikers out of empty Cliffbar bulkshipping cardboard boxes, and got back on the saddle.

I biked into Montpelier ID at 80 miles and 5 hours total ride time. Having planned for a sub-5hr century, and the minimal elevation to route distance, this was not anything for me to smile about.

In Montpelier, Race Officials or those in charge of the loudspeakers informed all riders and support crews that the race was called/canceled for weather. My wife/crew support was there to experience a mass-casualty-like hypothermic treatment operation, with biker bodies literally laid out and spread all over the park. Local EMT's, Firefighters, and support crews were all trying to improve rider conditions and body temps.

Intermittent snow, sleet, rain and wind was on the rest of the course, and you could continue to ride into if you had support a crew, and adequate clothing. All Neutral race feeding stations and support was canceled, and support crews could now drive with the bikers from this point on. (Originally, LOTOJA support vehicles were kept at a multi-mile distance, or on a completely separate road course)

I turned in my race chip, changed and sat in my heated car seat, visited the local Artic Circle for some Hot Chocolate and solid food, and went home. Evidently 4-500 others did close to the same.

Now seeing the results, I was a bit surprised to see the finishing times posted in the 9:50's for relays, and 9:57 for single riders. True bikers, road animals, maniacs, or all of the above? I didnt even know that they were still keeping time.

My claim to fame is that I personally know and have ridden with the 6th place overall rider. 9:57 for 208 miles. He beat me then, and now. He must be on some sort of juice. (Yeah, thats it.)

Next year will be my year!

David Blackburn

I made it to mile 152, darkness, rain, snow and falling temperatures took their toll so I dropped out. At mile 152 it was about 6pm and there was no way I was going to make it in before dark so I quit. Please forward my congratulations on to those that competed.

Mark Mclean

It was the most challenging LOTOJA race I have ever done (and this is my 3rd one). I finished in 12 hours and 25 minutes. My overall finish was 243 out of 380 people that finished.

My group, the 5200’s, started at 6:50 am. By the time we got to Preston we had caught the group in front of us and the weather was turning bad. You could see the dark cloud coming from the west and there was a strong wind blowing east.

As we went up Strawberry (1st climb, 25 miles long) the weather got colder and the rain turned into snow. By the time we got to the top there were cyclists shaking uncontrollable at the top. Very few people were prepared for this kind of weather. It was 34 degrees at the top.

Then came the decent. Ad a wind factor of 35 to 40 miles an hour (decent speed) and trust me, every part of your body was frozen. It was the worst decent ever. Your face, knees, fingers were expose to the constant beating from the snow. It felt as if your skin was burning. It was impossible to shift or try to break. Your hands were literally frozen.

As I descended, I saw ambulances going up. I latter learned they had people suffering from hypothermia at the summit.

The Next Feed zone after the Strawberry climb was at Montpelier. About ½ the cyclists made it to this feed some. They had ambulances, fire trucks and even the locals came out with blankets to help. It was not a normal feed zone.

When I arrived I got my winter stuff on but I could not stop shaking for about 20 minutes. I had a Lady (Probably a local resident) put blankets on me and helped me warm up.

One guy arrived a few minutes after me, got of the bike and just collapsed on the pavement. People covered him up with blanks and the paramedics loaded him up on an ambulance. It was bad. I understand they sent 3 to 4 school buses to get people off the strawberry canyon.

After Montpelier, (mile 75) the weather got better for maybe 1 hour, but them the rain and wind came back. You had to take it 1 feed zone at a time and not think about the distance to the finish line.

380 Finished out of 1000.

Javier … I am a 2005 LOTOJA surviver.

Several Velo club members from the Valley rode LOTOJA in our group and finished together including Blain Gough, Matt Robbins, Ben Ritchie, Chad Carnesecca, Dave Sandberg, Kevin Callahan and David Roadie. The ride was wet, cold and tough but we managed to make it. And in fact I think most are eager for next year. However, we would have loved some of the nice weather.

Chad Carnesecca

War story is an under statement... I wish I could report on the whole race but I was just picked up by a relay team 2 weeks before the day of the race. The group that I rode with had 3 guys planning on riding the whole race and a relay team to help support them (pull on the flats and pace them up the hill climbs). I drove up Saturday morning looking for a nice ride. As I came into Cache Valley I watched the thermometer on my truck start to drop. There was a huge grey/black storm front moving from the west. My relay leg was 45 miles from Preston, ID to Montpelier ID. By the time I arrived in Preston the temperature was 50F, wind chill took that down to ~40F and heavy rain. Our 3 full riders came into the feed zone and stopped for water and food, then took off again. We waited and waited and waited for the first relay member. She took off from Logan with apparel for cool temperatures but nothing for rain. We called on the cell phone and couldn't reach her. After it looked like everyone had been through the feed zone we decided to drive back through the route and see if we could find her, just then she came rolling in. Glad that she had made it and happy her leg was over, she broke down and just sobbed. She tried explaining what happened but could hardly talk through the tears and the shivers. She heard us calling her on the cell phone but couldn't use her fingers to answer the calls because they were so cold. I grabbed the timing chip and thanked her for motivating me (or demotivating me) and took off... I caught our other 3 riders about 2 miles outside of Preston. They were warming up in the support vehicle and finding gear to combat the rain and cold. One of them decided to take a break until the next feed zone in Montpelier. So 3 of us took off again. It was hard to see due to the rain so I squinted out of one eye mostly. I couldn't feel my feet, then my fingers, and the cold air blowing through my helmet kept giving me headaches. But hey, this was my first LOTOJA and as far as I knew this was all part of the experience! The weather got better about 5 miles outside of Preston as we started up Strawberry canyon. At the base of the climb up Strawberry, we lost another one of our full riders. He told us to go ahead and he would be packing it in when he got to Montpelier. And then there were 2. We may have been protected from the wind in the canyon because it didn't feel as cold (or maybe our body were generating more heat due to the climb). The rain slowed but was still keeping up soaked. As we reached the neutral feed zone at the top there were people abandoning left and right. Ambulances had been dispatched to treat people for hypothermia. As we rolled down the other side of the canyon we passed 2 school buses heading up. We later found out they were being used for sag wagons due to so many people dropping out of the race. The last ten miles of my leg were some down hill rollers and then dead flat into Montpelier. We had organized a pace line of about 10-12 people. I tried to pull the rest of the way into Montpelier knowing that I was done soon. I gave up my timing chip to the next relay member and they took off. I came home after that but got an update at work this morning. One of the full length riders and the relay team arrived in Jackson Hole at ~9:45 PM. The two other full length riders managed about 100-125 miles off and on throughout the day. I have been looking for updates on the internet about the race but haven't seen much. I know for a fact there were a lot of DNF. I had a great time and hope to do it again someday. My experience this year has taught me one thing and that is to bring ALL of my cycling gear to the race because you never know what you might need!

Brent Rawlings

Hi Stan I can give you a little information that I know. They announced at the awards meeting on Sunday morning that 386 had finished out of 1000 but I am pretty sure there were a few more who came in late. But only about 40% finished. I heard numbers of 30 to 100 that were taken off in ambulance for hypothermia. Larry Winzeler and I took off at 7:18 and hooked up with Kevin and Jason Winzeler in Montpilier I believe and finished just before 9 P.M. We saw Troy in Montpillier wearing a garbage bag to keep dry but didn't see him again; not sure whether he finished or not. Brent Simpson, Steve Allred, and Steve's daughter Tara all finished and pulled in around 11. At the awards ceremony I saw what looked like Randy (can't remember his last name) receiving a third place award in his group.

It was cold and tough!

Dale Hadley

this is matt, just to give you a quick update on the LOTOJA, it was everything that they said that it would be. wind, rain, and cold. Blaine Gough and I were able to finish but it wasn't pretty. It took us approximately 13 hours to complete the LOTOJA. I saw a few other club members, but didn't know how they faired in the race. I had a very challenging day, but enjoyed it some haha. We had good support vehicles, and rode with a good group most of the way. It's something that i don't want to have to do in the near future again haha. I will join some more rides with the velo club when i can walk again. On the course, we had three major hill climbs, and my training with you, and the other velo club members this summer, really paid off. I appreciate your help, in preparing for the LOTOJA. and look forward to more rides.

Thanks, Matt Robbins

I have ridden LOTOJA since 1999 (missed 2000 deployed to Europe, DNF in 2001, missed 2004 deployed to Iraq), yes this was the worst weather ever. I finished 5th in the Citizen 55+. That's my story.

Randy Johnson

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