Sick Puke 2007 Challenge

Yesterday I gathered with a dozen or so other mountain bikers to take on the 2007 Sick Puke Challenge in Capitol Forest. My friend Courtland picked me up a little after 8am and we carpooled down to Capitol Forest just south of Olympia, WA. When we got to the "Y" everyone was ready to go and waiting on us to get ready. I brought coffee and banana nut bread for the morning start but with not enough time before we left the ride organizer, Jim, took it with him to the mid way point. The rain was coming down in a steady drizzle as we set off down the road and onto the trail. Shortly after we started riding on the single track three of us took a wrong turn and quickly learned the lesson of waiting at trail intersections for others to come along. This was my first time riding in Capitol Forest as well and Ben, from Minnesota. Soon Courtland, Ben, and myself fell into a nice rhythm and started riding as a small group. At the Fall Creek trail head the Sun threated to poke it's head out and was a nice change! The trail had been, and would continue to be, full of 6 inch plus deep mud puddles and wet over growth that proceeded to soak us to the bone! We all took a nip off of my flask of Crown for "warmth" and headed back out onto the trail before we got cold. At the mid way point at Wedekind area we met up with a couple of the guy's girlfriends in their car. We replenished our water from the cache that Jim left on Friday for the group. As people started to get cold we all set out again. soon there after it started to HAIL on us!!! When we popped out onto the road somewhere?? Jim met us with the by-then lukewarm coffee and delicious banana nut bread!! What a godsend!!! We picked up the other Brandon into our group. Brandon C. had been suffering pretty bad from cramps in his quad and hamstring, OUCH!! He proceeded to man-up and push on, way to go!! We soon crested Capitol Peak and the radio towers where, with out shelter, it was horribly cold and windy. On the way up to the peak it started hailing on us again and we all heard a singular VERY LOUD thunder clap!!! On the back side of the peak we had to do so route finding and made and extra trip up to the top of Larch mountain before finding the route and continuing on the trail. The rest of the trail continued to be wet, muddy, slick, and full of rocks, roots and ruts left by the motos. We finished the Sick Puke in a total time of 8 hours 30 minutes around 37 miles +/- and few. I GPS'ed the route with my new Garmin Edge 305 but it is new technology to me and I think between heavy forest canopy, clouds and my inexperience I lost some of the route...? Back at the "Y" we met up with Jim and some of the rest of the riders that either did or did not finish and Jim gave us our coveted Sick Puke 2007 t-shirts!! Courtland and I toasted with a cold beer (Fat Tire ta boot!!) and soon after we got on the road home. The ride was one of THE best mountain bike rides I have ever ridden and will go down in infamy as I continue to try to push the limits of my mountain biking endurance and skill!! I was also told by Jim that I was the first 29er to complete a Sick Puke in it's six years runn'n!! I also tried to take as many pictures as I could although my camera took kind of a beating and some of the pictures didn't turn out very well due to the wet weather... Post on the MTBR.com 29er forum