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A Saturday
n8ht snowstorm
blanketed
the are4 leaving two
inches of
snow in
the campground and
another six
to seven
inches up on the
hiSher ridSes
of the course, making
rhe last-
minute decision whether or
not
to
hold the
event a bit stressful
to the 275 entrants,
not
to mention the club.
BLM
Ranger
William Schwa.e, SRI'4C'S
trail boss
Jordan
.
Bran& and
odrer
event oflicials went
out onto
the course at
a.
.6:30
am. to ass6t
the trail
conditions, after
which the decision
to
postpone the start time
from
7:30 until 9:00 a.m. and elimi-
the
third
loop was made.
Now it was
finally time to ride.
one covered
4l miles of single-track trails
through
bnsh,
several rocky sections
and
fire roads - racers
had
work cut
out
to
get
to ttle remote
gas
stop
wirh the extra
of snow and
rce
now added into the
mix.
Aring
the
fim special test, between
check one and two'
funecks
developed
eady, and
KTM/Enduro
fifiigineeringiMoore/Scott-backed
Stephen
Edmondson
nened
Sitt"
U"tt
..o." of
2. 129 at the checkouq
taking
the early lead.
d Gas Gas-mounted
Fr.ed Hoess
followed close
with a 2.140,
while
KTM/MaxxiVMotion
Pro/FMF-sPonsored
Garrahan's
2.149 was next. Other
top
competitors,
including
reiSnirE
champion
Mike Laffert),, droPPed
scores ofthree in the
test.
"VG
had to
sit there
and \dait,
it was
iust
one line and we
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Defending
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