North Dakota Here I Come: Mountain Biking the Maah Daah Hey Trail with Western Spirit!

I launch my five-day mountain bike and camping tour with Western Spirit in North Dakota on Monday. I'm here in Bismarck, North Dakota's capital, thanks to a gal named Gnat. Yes, gnat, like the fly.  I will ask her why she chose that name while our group of 8 guests and three guides pedals our fat tires along the Maah Daah Hey trail. If you are headed to North Dakota, here's the office of tourism contact!

It was Gnat's hot pink hair that I noticed in the expo area of the Sea Otter Classic, a bike festival held in Monterey (an hour south of me in Santa Cruz) in April. With that stand-out hair, I assumed it was the same cyclist I had met briefly at a women's mountain bike skills clinic, the Dirt Series, in Santa Cruz, a year ago. I went to say hi.

Gnat learns about bicycle fit during the 2009 Dirt Series, a mountain bike clinic for women.

Turned out neither of us planned to return to the two-day mountain bike skills camp in 2010 though it had been excellent. Instead, Gnat told me about a bike tour she had signed up for in North Dakota.  Mountain biking in North Dakota had never crossed my mind.  I was intrigued. When she said the tour outfitter, Western Spirit, was the host of the trip, it sounded like a good match for me.

I had gone on a Colorado mountain bike tour (Colorado Singletrack) with Western Spirit several years ago and it had been a great experience - and an incredible challenge to mountain bike at high altitude. Here's the story I wrote about that trip for Singletrack Magazine.

My tour starts Monday with a drive from Bismarck to the town of  Medora and ends Friday. I am stoked to mountain bike by day and camp by night - though a bit nervous that I am renting a bike and camping gear here rather than schlep mine on the airplane.

Here are the details of our itinerary. Thankfully, other than a hefty load of water on my back, all my gear will be packed in a truck. Will be fun. Stay tuned!

I used my laptop's built-in camera to snap this photo while I was stretching in Denver Airport. I arrived in Bismarck this afternoon.

Learn to mountain bike or improve your riding with skills clinics - coed and women-only mountain bike camps

I'm always on a quest to become a better cyclist, especially when it comes to riding singletrack trails on my mountain bike! For the past two years, I have signed up for the women-only Dirt Series clinic, a two-day skills intensive which has come to my town of Santa Cruz, California. The Dirt Series rolls out again in 2010, with a new title sponsor of Trek Bicycles. The Santa Cruz clinic sold out all its spots within 24 hours, but fortunately, there are Trek Dirt Series camps offered around the U.S. and Canada that still have space. They offer women-only camps as well as co-ed options. I'll write more about my great experience with them in my next blog post.

Another way to get better on the bike is to sign up for a mountain bike camp with Alison Dunlap, two-time Olympian and former national and world champion in mountain biking.

I still haven't ridden in Moab, Utah! I must change that!

 I have taken afternoon clinics with Alison Dunlap and had the opportunity to interview her as a journalist at Sea Otter Classic and other major bicycling races.  She is a great teacher - fun, patient, encouraging and of course, a master at her craft. Here's the scoop on the Moab, Utah, camps with Alison.

Alison says:
"After running skills clinics for the past five years, we have decided to take a break, and instead focus our energy on expanding our Moab Camps."

April 27-May 1, 2010   Novice/Intermediate
We are introducing a new Beginner/Interm 5-day Moab Skills Camp

"For those of you that have come before, we have a new Intermediate/Adv Ride Camp."
May 11-15, 2010   Intermediate/Advanced
Sept 28-Oct 2, 2010   Intermediate/Advanced
Cost:
$1985:  All inclusive
$1595:  Without lodging and massage

More about Alison
She's a  USA Cycling certified Level II coach, a United States Anti-Doping Association Athlete Ambassador, a member of the USA Cycling Olympic Selection Committee, and a certified Wilderness First Responder.

If you have taken one of Alison Dunlap's camps or had her coaching, please leave a comment here on this blog and let me know what you thought!

Dirt Series by Rocky Mountain Bikes - Day 2 report of camp April 25-26, 2009

A handful of stellar coaches from this weekend's Dirt Series camp for women mountain bikers stood still for a moment for this photo on Saturday morning at The Bicycle Trip. Photo credit: Karen Kefauver.

NEW PHOTO LINK: Finally, all photos posted! (May 9, 2009)
http://picasaweb.google.com/karen.kefauver/DirtSeriesByRockyMountainBikesSantaCruzCampByKarenKefauver?feat=directlink


My arms and back are so sore today (Monday) that I can barely type, but this incredible soreness is worth it. After 2 full days of mountain bike skills clinic this past weekend with the Dirt Series presented by Rocky Mountain Bikes, I achieved my primary goal - learning key skills to lift my front wheel over logs and other obstacles on the trail. I also achieved my secondary goal: to consume a record number of chocolate S'more Luna bars... Next year, I will try to tackle bunny hops and a bigger "teeter totter."

Evan, left, of The Bicycle Trip was one of the Santa Cruz shop's mechanics who led skills sessions on Saturday night during the 2-day Dirt Camp. Here he gives Gnat a hand. Photo credit: Karen Kefauver.

I finished the all-women camp Sunday evening at 6 p.m. after a group ride at Soquel Demonstration Forest (AKA "Demo.") Our posse of 6 women was led by super-talented coach Kathy Pruitt: Current downhill World Cup competitor and US National Champion, ten-time US National Team member, former Junior World Champion and pro women’s motocross racer, living in Santa Cruz, CA. The 24-hour mountain bike goddess Melanie Dominguez of Santa Cruz volunteered to be our sweep which was helpful because she knows the trails so well.

Links from this past weekend's Dirt Series in Santa Cruz, California:
1. PHOTOS of Saturday Clinic by Richard Masoner of Cyclicious:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bike/sets/72157617234146101/
2. PHOTOS by Chris Matthews of Specialized at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrismatthews/sets/72157617406484038/
3. Post your own pics:
Dirt Series Photos - post your pics!

My pre- clinic blog post for the Santa Cruz Sentinel
http://www.santacruzlive.com/blogs/outside.

* I will post my photos of this clinic tomorrow at my photo gallery! and blog here that they're up.

Clinic time at The Bicycle Trip Saturday night! Nate tells us to keep the chain clean and check the tires and the brakes before each ride. Photo credit: Karen Kefauver

Dirt Series in Santa Cruz: Mountain Bike Skills Clinic for Women

Candace Shadley, left, founded the Dirt Series clinics. In 9 years, 5,000 students have taken the clinics! Jill Kintner, Olympic bronze medalist in BMX in Beijing at 2008, helped teach the series in Santa Cruz.

Today I was one of 53 women participating in the Dirt Series by Rocky Mountain Bikes, a clinic put on by women for women to improve mountain bike skills! The two-day workshop is hosted locally by The Bicycle Trip and is taught by an amazing team of talented coaches, most of whom are based in British Columbia, Canada. The series is now in its 9th year!! and travels to different locations in the U.S. and Canada through early September.

NOTE: Special thanks to Richard Masoner of Santa Cruz, for taking these 2 great photos in this blog entry of me (and others) at the clinic today. Check out his website: Cyclicious - Bicycle News and Views at http://www.cyclelicio.us

This is the second year I have done the camp. I had such a fantastic experience in 2008 at the Santa Cruz, that I signed up online right when registration opened - and good thing, because it sold out in 3 days flat. The waiting list was so long that another day was added - on Tuesday (space still available).

There is still space left in the one-day version of the clinic Tuesday, April 28, in Santa Cruz: I blogged out this too at: http://www.santacruzlive.com/blogs/outside.

Today's Dirt Series clinic highlights:

- Meeting at the Bicycle Trip in the morning to register, eat yummy breakfast treats and learn Who's Who of our amazing coaches!

- Practicing how to lift my front tire over logs on the trail! "Front Wheel Lift" skills clinic rocked!

- After morning skills clinics - also including cornering, straight line riding (rode a small teeter-totter!) and descending/braking, we ate lunch at Harbor High - yum! Special thanks to Happy Valley Conference Center in Santa Cruz for providing our lunches!

- In the afternoon, a group of 6 of us plus 2 coaches hit the trails at DeLaveaga Park to put some of our new skills to the test!

Dirt Series in Santa Cruz: Mountain Bike Skills Clinic for Women
Originally uploaded by richardmasoner

- The evening wrapped up back at The Bicycle Trip where we could attend different clinics. I went to Bike Maintenance Clinic taught by Nate and vow to do a better job lubing and cleaning my bike chain!

Tomorrow is the second and final day of the clinic - same structure - skills clinics in the morning, followed by a group ride in the afternoon. Tomorrow, headed to Soquel Demonstration Forest!

Fueling the fire for adventure travel with relaxing yoga retreat at Mount Madonna

Just when you thought that I'm a non-stop, globe-trotting adventure travel journalist, you get to glimpse this other side of me, pictured below — Extreme Rest and Relaxation!

Karen blissed out on a chilly spring afternoon at Mount Madonna Center in Watsonville, California. I took the opportunity to do some serious Rest and Relaxation - in the photo, I am positioned in a "restorative reading" pose!
Photo credit: Karen Cooper, new friend from the weekend and fellow cyclist!

I returned for a second year to an annual yoga retreat for women that is hosted by two of my favorite yoga teachers: Laurie Broderick Burr (based in Santa Cruz) and Kelly Blaser (Bay Area). I have known each of them for 10+ plus years and they have been very influential in the yoga practice which I started in 1995. I try to practice daily asanas by attending classes at several local studios - Pacific Cultural Center's Ashtanga Yoga Institute and Yoga Center Santa Cruz.

The women's yoga retreat April 10-12, 2009, started Friday afternoon and stretched into Sunday (Easter Sunday). Our group of 23 women and 2 instructors bonded over several yoga classes a day (full disclosure: I slept through early morning sessions!) a fabulous hot tub, delicious vegetarian meals and planning for our next getaways.

Laurie and Kelly will host a co-ed retreat at Mount Madonna in the fall! Check out their websites for details or to join their mailing lists.

COMING UP NEXT - BIKING!
The yoga retreat helped me gear up for the following 3 weekends:

April 16-19
Sea Otter Classic, including mt. bike race on Saturday, April 19. - NEXT BLOG ON THIS!

April 25-26
Women's mountain bike clinic all day Saturday and Sunday with the Dirt Series.

May 1-3
Coolest 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race - I am on a women's relay with the Go Go Go Girls Team!
Race happens in Cool, California (east of Sacramento!)

Happy Trails!

Henri (left) greets Karen after her race finish Saturday at Sea Otter Classic. Karen and Henri will be on the same women's relay team at Coolest 24 Hours Race coming up first weekend of May. Photo Credit: Winona Hubbard

Biking on the Brain: 3 events I signed up for + Bay Area Mt Bike clinics by SLaB

Karen feels the love from the furry mascot at Sea Otter Classic 2008 in Monterey's Laguna Seca Recreation Area.

Lots of fun bike events coming up fast! Here are 3 I am doing in 2009!

My next blog post will be about the Women's Dirt Series! April 25-26 in Santa Cruz (and other dates/locations in U.S. and Canada).

1. Thursday, - Sunday, April 16-19, 2009
Sea Otter Classic is just around the corner. For the first time in many years, I registered to race the women's cross country event! (Saturday at 8:30 a.m.). Wish me luck. Or better yet, encourage me to get off the computer and onto the trails more! I have been riding on Saturdays with Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz MBOSC at Wilder Ranch/UC Santa Cruz and some Tuesday nights with Mike Evans' crew.

2. Sunday, May 17
Strawberry Fields Forever Road Ride
This is a fantastic event - celebrating its 20th year this summer! I have registered to ride the 65 mile course - there are also 25 and 100 mile options. It will sell out fast - it does every year! Hosted by the Cyclists Cultural Exchange of Santa Cruz. $40 well worth it.

3. Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3
Coolest 24 Hours Race (Mountain bike)
I average one 24-hour mountain bike race a year. Always as a women's relay, no racing solo for me, thank you! The past two years - or is it 3 now? I have been a member of the Go Go Go Girls team and we have attended 24 Hours of Adrenalin race in Monterey, south of Santa Cruz an hour. We are changing it up this year and racing at Cool, which is near Sacramento in Northern California. I have attended the race before and it's a great event - 700 racers max, profits go to cancer research.

A handful of the Go Go Go Girls Team - Henri, Winona (team founder), Rita and I - rode together at Wilder Ranch State Park.

Check out SLaB's Women's and Coed Bike Clinics - For riders + those who'd like to start riding!
Beverly Garrity of Cupertino, California, is the women behind SLaB (Ride Strong Light and Beautiful!)

STRONG, LIGHT and BEAUTIFUL has exciting new clinics and events on the calendar!
No charge to be a Strong, Light and Beautiful rider: Attend an event or purchase a jersey and/or merchandise, ride with us, and you are SLaB! (Website to reflect this by end of March).

CO-ED!
There are men out there who haven't been riding in years! Pass along these dates to those guys you know that are ready to get active on the trails, or haven't felt stable maybe on their road bikes.

GROUP RIDES
We will continue to offer group rides as the daylight increases. We plan to join other clubs group rides and events and trail volunteer work throughout 2009.

APRIL 11
Skills Clinic and Ride - CUPERTINO, CA
Beginner, Beginner-Intermediate and Intermediate!
Go thru basic skills and mechanical tips for your bike - 9-11a.m. $60
Then ride up the fire road to access Freemont Older's trails for on the trail assistance and testing out our new skills!
11:30-1:30pm. Enervit bars and energy drinks provided. Bring snack and required to have water bottle or hydration system for ride.
If you need a bike or want to try a full suspension or hard-tail GT, 3 mediums available first come first serve.
County Parking Fee not included.

MAY 16
Super Beginner/Beginner clinic - CUPERTINO, CA - 9 a.m.-12:30. $50 pp
Haven't ridden in years? Want more stability on your road or hybrid or mtn. bike?
Learn balance, weight distribution, cornering, braking techniques to encourage you
go ride more challenging trails and roads.
Bikes available to use - limited sizes and qty.
County Parking Fee not included.

JUNE 13-14 (price will be group rates, a great deal! Weekend of a lot of fun!)
2 nights 2 days in DOWNIEVILLE, CA
Beg-Intermediate riders
Shuttles with expert riders to join us on rides. They will assist, coach and/or guide us for an enjoyable descent!
Yuba Expeditions Bike Shop http://yubaexpeditions.com/
Carriage House www.downievillecarriagehouse.com

"I am Strong, Light and Beautiful while riding my bike"

Here's Bev taking a sandy, downhill turn during a clinic she organized that was taught by Olympian Jill Kintnter at Sea Otter Classic 2008.

4 Fun Outdoors Events Coming Up - Life after Tour of California

I snapped this picture of pro cyclist Levi Leipheimer, who won not only Stage 2 of Tour of California (pictured here in Santa Cruz) but also captured the overall title of champion, for the 3rd year in a row.

The Tour of California, the biggest professional road bike race in the U.S., ended February 22, in southern California. The 9-day stage race traveled more than 800 miles. It stopped for the first time in my city, Santa Cruz, on Monday, February 16, for the finish of Stage 2. For weeks, I worked on multiple media projects related to this amazing bike race, including:

My Stories about TOC
• Adventure Sports Journal TOC 2009 preview
• Good Times cover story on twins Andy and Ben Jacques-Maynes
• Santa Cruz Sentinel report on Stage 2 race
TV Show
• Comcast cable preview of TOC race - I hosted the show & will soon post to You Tube!
Events
• Movie Night at the Rio - moderator of post film discussion
• Race Day Kids' Costume Parade for City of Santa Cruz - parade emcee
Online Community
• Facebook TOC Stage 2 - I created & maintained group page for more than 650 cycling fans. Thanks to all who made it so much fun!

Race is finished, here's what's next for me - and maybe you too!
Karen's 4 Favorite Outdoors Events Coming Up:

1. Banff Film Festival - International World Tour
Now showing! (In Santa Cruz Feb. 27-28).
Check the website for dates in U.S., Canada and 32 other countries. I love these films on mountain sports and culture. There's always a variety of films showcasing sports including mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, snowbaording, kayaking and aerial sports like paragliding. Video clip intro:
http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/tour

Stay tuned to my blog! Next report is on trip to British Columbia, including Whistler, where I snapped this photo of a snowboarder while I was riding in the Sno-Limo.

2. Sea Otter Classic - Festival of Bicycling!
April 16-19, 2009
Monterey, California (Central California)
I have attended this huge festival of bicycling for nearly 15 years! There is bike racing, recreational rides and great shopping at this huge event - thousands of spectators and athletes for road, mountain bike, mountain cross, downhill, cross country, BMX and more.

3. Dirt Series Mountain Bike Skills Clinics
U.S. and Canada
Love mountain biking? Want to get better? Last year, I signed up for a two-day clinic, for women, taught by women, in Santa Cruz. It was so awesome that I signed up again this year's Santa Cruz clinic (which is sold out with a filled wait list). But there are other cities with spaces left. The series also includes clinics that are co-ed. (*I posted schedule at bottom of this posting).

4. North American Handmade Bicycle Show
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Feb.27 - March 1
With 120+ exhibitors, this year's show is shaping up to be a classic: 20% larger than the San Jose show in 2007, and approaching the 2008 peak in Portland. Check it out if you can!

Coming Soon on my Blog - 2010 Olympics Sneak Preview! Plus, Elephant seals, Mark Allen and Mardi Gras! This photo is from my trip to Whistler, British Columbia in February.

MORE About NAHBS
The North American Handmade Bicycle Show moves from city to city each year. It is scheduled for February 27 – March 1, 2009, at the Indiana Convention Center. The show is dedicated to showcasing the talents of individuals around the world whose art form is the bicycle. It aims to be a meeting point – online and in person – for frame builders and consumers looking for custom-made bikes, for the sharing of ideas, and promotion of a special industry with a rich history. Since its first year in 2005, NAHBS has grown from a show with 23 exhibitors and 200 attendees. For more information, see.

MORE about the DIRT SERIES Schedule
April
* [25-26] Santa Cruz, CA
May
* [2-3] Laguna Hills, CA
* [16-17] Calgary, AB
* [18] Calgary, AB (co-ed)
* [23-24] North Vancouver, BC
* [30-31] Whistler, BC
June
* [13-14] Park City, UT
* [20-21] Sun Valley, ID
* [27-28] Whistler, BC
July
* [11-12] Bend, OR
* [18-19] Hood River, OR
* [25-26] Whistler, BC (co-ed)
August
* [8-9] North Vancouver, BC
* [22-23] Canmore, AB
* [29-30] Fernie, BC (co-ed specialty)
September
* [12-13] Whistler, BC (co-ed)

Karen's April-May '08 Event Schedule - Sea Otter Classic, Yoga and more biking!

FUN STUFF COMING UP:

Sat.-Sun. April 19-20
Sea Otter Classic, Monterey, CA
Held Thursday, April 17- Sunday, April 20 at Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Monterey, California (an hour's drive south from Santa Cruz), the Sea Otter Classic is the ultimate festival of bicycles - for road, mountain bike and BMX riders. I am going Saturday to ride a recreational, cross-country mountain bike event - not ready for racing at the moment.
Sunday at Sea Otter, I will attend a women's mountain bike skills clinic and ride hosted by Olympic BMX hopeful Jill Kintner.

Fri.-Sun., April 25-27
Women's Yoga Retreat - Mount Madonna Center, Watsonville, CA
Led by Laurie Broderick-Burr and Kelly Blaser, retreat highlights inclue: Asana classes and group meditation, delicious vegetarian food, and gorgeous vistas from the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Sat.-Sun., May 3-4
Mountain bike clinic: Dirt Series presented by Rocky Mountain Bicycles
In April, North America's premier traveling mountain bike skills instruction program takes to the road for its eighth season. This year, the Dirt Series by Rocky Mountain Bicycles offers an
unprecedented 19 women's-only and co-ed mountain bike camps in destinations like Sun Valley, Southern California, Park City, North Vancouver, and the Dirt Series home base of Whistler.

Memorial Day Weekend: Fri.-Mon. May 23-26:
Great Western Bike Rally
Paso Robles, CA
From their website:
The Great Western Bicycle Rally is a large, friendly, family-oriented bike event extravaganza dedicated to recreational cycling that transforms the Paso Robles fairgrounds and the surrounding countryside into a pedaler's paradise.