FEATURE I TAKING ON THE SNOWSHOE GNCC
P84
passage for these guys. It's about
as country as I could imagine,
and it was a damn good time.
Saturday night's festivities
certainly lived up to their expecta-
tions, too. The racers and fans
come together in the village for
an epic night that feels more like
a country concert than a motor-
cycle race. A few riders whose
names will remain anonymous
also partake in the evening's en-
tertainment, taking in some adult
pre-race hydration, if you will. I
was blown away but told this is a
common thing for these guys. It's
a sight to see. This crowd knows
how to have a good time but
come race day, it's all business, at
least for the racers.
The Party's Over
Under Barry's advice, I lined up
my immaculately prepped GasGas
EX 350F for the Sunday morning
race in the Sportsman B class.
I'd be riding two hours in the
woods on a bike I'd never ridden
and in conditions I'd never rid-
den before. No big deal, right? I
was sure those 20-minute motos
back home at Pala would help
me out, and after the asphalt start
and dusty fire roads, I thought I
was in good shape. Then came
the woods and the rocks and the
roots and the ruts. I spent the next
hour and a half doggy-paddling
my way around the 12-mile course
and repeatedly asking myself what
I had gotten myself into?
Unlike anything I had ever
