Stop #2 for the New Mexico Enduro Cup found it’s way to Los Alamos, NM at the Pajarito Ski “Hill” for a bone-jarring, white-knuckle race amongst ponderosa pines. While this race was part of the New Mexico Enduro Cup, it unfortunately evolved into an exhibition, and podium placings didn’t actually garner points towards the cup. However, it didn’t slow down racers, tame the fun, or make the beer any less refreshing after 3 stages.
The Los Alamos Rock ‘n Roll EnduroFest turned out to be an entire weekend devoted to the way mountain biking should be: gnarly and muddy with enough beer, music, and events to keep the entire family entertained. Concerts featuring local bands set the atmosphere on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Besides the race, there were clinics and even backcountry guided rides in the national forest land at Pajarito.
While there were a few kinks being ironed out as this was the first enduro race for Los Alamos, the race itself didn’t disappoint. Three timed downhill stages made up the race. The first two stages were lift-assisted with more than 3,000 vertical feet of descending on tight, fast singletrack.
With a thick fog and recent rains, the typically technical terrain was even more challenging. Slick rocks and roots from the recent rain combined to cost quite a few racers precious seconds after running off the trails. Both the first and second stage routes are listed at Pajarito as being “XC” trails. However, these weren’t your grandma’s XC trails. Stage 1 highlighted tight switchbacks and numerous rock gardens. The 2nd stage routed racers over every 2 and 3 foot kicker the mountain had to offer. Though smiles were abundant as racers crossed the finish line, they were somewhat short-lived. Likely due to the shear technical level of the race, almost half the field at this point opted to hit up the local breweries instead of enduring more mountain biking nirvana.
The 3rd stage required competitors to dig deep as they pedaled just shy of the crest at around 10,000 feet. After pointing the nose of the bike downhill, it was white knuckled riding to the base of the ski area. The downhill, expert trail of “Dogpatch” left most racers gasping for air and checking their brake pads to see if they still existed. While the finishers were exhausted, every one I spoke to had a great time and would be back again next year (with fresh brake pads).
Check out Mountain Bike Mania’s recap and video of the EnduroFest:
MTBM6 Hilightis from Ross & Sammy McDonald on Vimeo.
In addition to the enduro race at the Pajarito Ski area, the cafe at the lodge offered hot-off-the-grill burgers and brats, while local breweries were setup onsite with a large selection of the finest New Mexico beers. The weekend of festivities wrapped up on Sunday with the Valles Caldera PyroClassic XC race, just a short drive from Pajarito and Los Alamos.
Rumor on the block has it that next year will be an even larger shindig, with possibly two days of enduro racing spanning the Pajarito Ski area and backcountry trails in the national forest. Enduro racing in New Mexico is gaining traction. With the varied technical terrain that the state has to offer, it will not disappoint.
August 10th takes enduro racing to Albuquerque, NM for the Sandia Bomber Enduro. The series wraps up September 7th at Angel Fire for the New Mexico Enduro Cup Finale.
2 Comments
Aug 7, 2014
This one looks like a ton of fun--may have to look into it for next year. I've ridden a few of the trails above Los Alamos and the terrain is indeed rugged. An expanded event that used more than just the ski hill could be most excellent!
Aug 12, 2014