Although the Hornsilver campsite was a fine plan B destination, it was close to the road and loud. Guess Harley's sound the same everywhere, but the echoes off the massive cliffs amplified the famous sound over and over and over. Despite the scenery of awe and top notch facilities, we had to find another plan. On a tip from Robert, our campsite host, we found Gold Park campsite spot #7. It was 7 miles off the main road into the huge mountains, valleys, and streams of premier postcard Colorado.
We found our spot. The race was 6 days away and Brown needed to lay low, no riding. Rest and lung acclimation was his priority. He hadn't had a drop of alcohol in 6 weeks and rode 400+ miles per month to prepare, his body was a mountain biking machine, he was ready. Also, he felt his nutrition improvements could give him an extra edge--what to eat, when to eat, where to eat, how to eat, and why to eat.
Three years prior, in his first Silver Rush MTB50, Brown barely missed qualifying for the 100 mile Race Across The Sky, otherwise known as The Leadville 100, the big daddy mountain bike race of them all. After watching Belgium team destroy the USA squad in the men's World Cup round of 16 at the Famous Bar, we headed back to Gold Park #7. It was dark and quiet as we hit the hay, Homestake Creek rumbled and tumbled nearby. "The race is cancelled," he said as I was just dozing off.
