Matt was right.
After 155 miles, 21h of net riding time, 17K feet of total elevation and being in places that are only accessible by foot or by bike, the Kokopelli trail is bigger, more enjoyable, and the most adventurous thing I’ve ever done so far.

The Kokopelli trail is marked every few miles with a metal pole, with some sections marked better than others. The trail terrain consists of a single track, fire road and even a short section of paved road. It’s essential to follow the markers and stick to the map.
I carried a Garmin 705 preloaded with GPS tracking for safety and topo maps. There were only two locations were the marks conflicts with the GPS and I decided to follow the markers. This said, take a GPS with you, especially if you plan to go solo. It’ll help you feel more secure…

Before I started the ride I took the bike to two bike shops:
One in Boulder (where I stayed 2 days before the ride) for a rigorous checkup and to install tubeless tires (Tubeless tires are special tires that fit into a special wheel rim. They reduce the risk of pinch flat and allow you to run with lower air pressure for better traction).
2nd was in Fruita, the day before the ride, for final checkup.

Fortunately, I had no flats or any other technical problems. I used to lightly oil the chain at the end of every day and wipe the remains, as my good friend Matt S advised. It works…

To prepare for the most common technical failures I carried the following items: 4 extra tubes, pump, 4 CO2, extra rear derailleur, extra set of pedals, extra chain links, extra tire, 2 multi tools, 2 compasses, zip tie, black tape, extra set of shifting cables, extra rear derailed hanger.

This was without a doubt my biggest challenge, so far. I was relieved to find that I was mentally prepared for it. During the ride I constantly tested all the things I was doing: navigation, physical condition and also technical conditions.

I remember 4 special moments:

1. The first moment when I was alone for the first time after the truck left at the trail head.
2. Towards the end of the first day, when a hail storm battered golf ball size hail with howling winds, I stopped to put my warm gear: cap, leg and arm warmers. I don’t know how, but I felt a sort of serenity and a surge of extra energy and power to move forward.
3. Close to the end of the 3rd day, when all of a sudden I saw 3 riders, I called out “humans!!”.
   They were shocked to see me by myself…
4. When I reached the end and Matt, Hermosa’s owner, took a picture of me and said “you did it!”.
   I felt proud…

My Whistler backpack turned out to be an excellent partner: the expendable feature helped me to not just carry 3 L of sport drink and energy food, but also spare tools, spare tire, 3 spare tubes, compass and spare cloths. The cushioned straps worked well and even after an average of 5h riding time a day I didn’t feel any back or shoulder pain. The external pockets served me very well after I packed them with the map and food for easy access.

The ride WAS a JOURNEY.
It’s not about fitness, not about “finding yourself” – it’s so much more…
Only people who went on such a journey will be able to understand what I mean.
It has been an incredible, highly recommend, experience.

I want to thank my wife Anat and daughters Tal and Dana for supporting and understanding my “adventures spirit” and hours away from home in training.

To my friends: Eric, Yohan, Matt, Evan, Moshe and others who encouraged, supported and helped with training and advice.
To Aryeh and Yonat of Boulder who hosted me for 2 days before the event and the night when I returned.
To Doug ,who I met along the way on day one. To Matt, of Hermosa, for advice and direction.
And of course to Source, which provided me with quality gear and the platform to share my experience.

Until my next adventure…
Thank you,
Gili

For more pictures from the trail click here:
https://plus.google.com/photos/104366371327525746985/albums/5732187000285470353

The European Outdoor Conservation Association is a nonprofit organization working towards conserving our ecosystems. Harnessing the power of some of the biggest outdoor, sports and nature related companies in the world, the EOCA aims to preserve the world’s natural beauty and resources.

Every member can nominate up to 3 projects each year that they would like the Association to support. A shortlist from all the nominations is then drawn up, and every member can vote for what they think are the most worthwhile.

Together we have repaired trails in the Eastern Tyrol and Scotland, sent an expedition to research what will become of a protected area of Madagascar, created elephant corridors in India, protected the red-footed falcon in Bulgaria and protected the brown bear in northern Spain. We have saved an ancient forest in Sweden from logging, replanted mangrove swamps in Sri Lanka and Atlantic rainforest in Brazil and cleaned a mountain in Kyrgyzstan. And the list goes on. And on. And we have only been operating for five years. Imagine what we could look back on after 10 years. Fifteen? What a difference we could have made. Just a drop in the ocean, you might say – but that drop is growing bigger every time a new member joins…
Over the last 5 years, the European Outdoor Conservation Association has funded 36 projects in 26 different countries to the tune of €860,000! By July 2012, we hope to have committed our first €1 million to conservation projects……..

This year SOURCE decided to vote for the following projects:

• Restoration of the Kaiserjoch Trail Germany
  An urgent project due to a huge rockfall which destroyed a major footpath in the Austrian Alps. Due to the constant danger of rockfall, the trail needs to be re-sited on the opposite side of the valley. The trail needs to be carefully sited to keep hikers away from sensitive areas, protecting wildlife.
• The Eternal Valley, France
  This beautiful, wild valley in southern France, containing over 55 endangered species and housing 7 pure water springs is seeking permanent protection through Natura 2000, as well as bringing more visibility to the valley. 100% non-profit wild honey dedicated to wilderness protection will be produced and paths restored.
• Into the Meadows, UK
  This project seeks to restore degraded meadows in the Yorkshire Dales, one of the last UK strongholds for traditionally managed, upland hay meadows, seen as one of the scarcest and most threatened habitats in the EU.

Red Rock Canyon conservation is located 20 miles west of Las-Vegas and it’s one of the most beautiful formations in the Southwest. Following the advice of Chris, a Blue Diamond outpost bike shop owner, I went riding on 29er Hi-fly full suspension.

I packed my Whisler hydration pack with 3L of Perpeteum sport drink, spare parts, cell phone and food, and still there was ample room for more gear and food. The internal organization of 2012 Whisler is phenomenal, with a separate pocket for the reservoir, easy access to secure pockets and much more. The excellent back design allowed for super ventilation even during carrying so the rider can stay focused on the ride.

I started the ride with Alex, a local guy, and after 5 miles I branched off to continue the planned route.
Riding in the desert is nothing like East Coast riding: no shade, loose gravel, small rocks and tight single track. The first 12 miles were mainly flat with moderate climb. The 2nd part was the true reward: long descend with a remaining tight course along the foot hills of the red canyon mountains. The whistler straps proved to be excellent, the hydration hose is well positioned for easy access and the mini pockets on the strap allow for easy access to gel and energy bar.

During the ride I met several local riders, all very nice and helpful with pictures and guidance.

All in all, I logged 21 fun fun fun miles and the ride proved to be a good preparation experience for next month.

Less than a month to the big event…

Perperteum

We dedicated an hour to a thorough bike inspection, bike fixes and some first aid tips.
New crank bearing, new chain and new pedals are a few of the components that Matt has suggested to replace. Electrician tape, zip tie, and the most shocking of all tips: do not use a degreaser to clean the chain??!!!

What?
Not to use a degreaser?
A post ride routine I’ve had for years is all of the sudden a taboo?!
It’s as if your dentist told you not to brush your teeth…

Well, apparently the best method to clean a chain is this:

1. Lube the chain while pedaling backwards
2. Wrap a dry cloth around the chain part between the crank and the rear derailleur
3. Peddle backwards to collect all extra oil while getting the oil into the chain links and pin
4. Continue until the chain color is back to the original color

For Kokopelli trail Matt even suggested not cleaning the chain but to drop a few oil drips at the end of each day and spin backwards gently.

I guess I have a new routine now…

Below is a preliminary checklist which I’ve put together for the Kokopelli trail.

Next time I’ll tell you why I chose these items and more about my training routine, which I hope will ensure a successful and enjoyable trail.

• Bike
• Bike Case
• Nonperishable food like: whole grain pasta, dry fruit mix, dry cereal, canned food, bread
• Energy drink powder
• Source Whistler hydration pack
• 2  spare tires
• 4  spare tubes
• Spare bike parts like rear derailleur, cable shifters, bolts, spare cleats.
• Bike tools like Allen, spoke tool, cassette tool
• Buttcreame
• Sun cream
• Tent and sleeping bag.
• Sunglasses
• Bike cloths, including gloves and a rain jacket (just in case)
• Helmet
• Mini pump, Co2 and patch kit

As always, if you have any tips/suggestions or stories of your own you’d like to share – post a comment…

Interesting reading for both urban and outdoor enthusiasts…

Read the full article HERE:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/opinion/sunday/is-gps-all-in-our-head.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

There are numerous books, articles, posts, blogs and other materials talking about all sort of methodologies, heart rate zone, heart rate, power etc. My angle is quite simple: training isn’t just physical work, it is a mental state. It’s all about commitment, grit, not surrendering. It’s the motivation to wake up at 5:00 AM for a ride, when it’s freezing outside, or commit to a strict diet and always know what you eat, when and how.

Unlike running and other sports, where 3 hours a week will pay dividend quiet fast, 3 hours on the bike a week will take you maybe to the deli.
I receive assistance from an excellent pro bike racer, Brian L, who understands my duties (family, work, hobbies) and adjusts the schedule accordingly. Brian keeps reminding me to stick to my own plan, my own goals, my own schedule, and that we all have our unique goals and qualities.
We each need to understand our advantages and disadvantages and create our own personal training schedule accordingly, not forgetting our “regular” lives.

Last Sunday I did my favorite training work out, hybrid: riding MTN bike on the road to a remote location, ride the trails for some time and return home on the road. I met with three great friends: Brian C, Evan and my esteemed colleague, Harper. Overall it took me 4 hours including 3 hours on the road and one hour off-road. The trails were a bit muddy but who cares when you’re having fun…

Here I feed my esteemed colleague Harper with Carrot, my favorite post ride snack:

About Me

My name is Gili Torovezky. I was born and raised in Haifa, Israel, and I’ve lived in NJ, US, for the past 11 years.

A father (to adorable twin girls), a husband (to a lovely wife and care giving woman), a friend (hope good to many), a sibling (to two fine sisters), a cousin (to many), an uncle (to two long distance nieces) and above all, focus on the important things in life: modesty, perspective, success, happiness, values.

My passion is the outdoor or anything that takes my heart to go above 120 BPM.

Less than 30 minutes from the time I got home from work and I was ready to hit the trails. Nite-Riding to the park on the road (about 20 minutes). It’s super important to be visible and to see where you go. Spinner 3 Pro has an enormous carrying capacity which helps not just to hold a 3L bladder, spare tubes, hand pump, food etc., but also 2 headlight batteries and extra clothing, like rain jacket (just in case). Further, the Spinner 3 Pro has built in back reflectors which help with rider visibility at night.

I ended up riding for 2 hours with my friend Yohan (an excellent rider) across a diverse terrain: fire roads, single-tracks, creak crossing and much more.

On the way back home I stopped by my very good friend Eric M for a cup of green tea and small talk before continuing home.

More on Eric, Yohan, Evan and training in the next posts.

Till next time…

About Me

My name is Gili Torovezky. I was born and raised in Haifa, Israel, and I’ve lived in NJ, US, for the past 11 years.

A father (to adorable twin girls), a husband (to a lovely wife and care giving woman), a friend (hope good to many), a sibling (to two fine sisters), a cousin (to many), an uncle (to two long distance nieces) and above all, focus on the important things in life: modesty, perspective, success, happiness, values.

My passion is the outdoor or anything that takes my heart to go above 120 BPM.

Click here for Gili’s previous post.

Download and read the PDF version:

Page 68 and page 69

Check out the Country Walking magazine website.

I will ride on my “Jersey Devil” 29er bike (manufactured by Van Dessel, a boutique shop from Mandham, NJ). I will carry a Spinner 3 Pro backpack that will contain water (up to 3L), food, spare parts etc. This pack is of the highest quality and it’s produced by an Israeli outdoor company – Source.

Here you can see my bike and the backpack ready-to-go prior to last Sunday’s training ride:

.

and here they are in action:

P.S. – In the background you can see Harper’s head, a training partner often referred to as “esteemed colleague”. Harper is a Hungarian Vizsla with endless esteem and human like compassion. More on this in another post…

About Me

My name is Gili Torovezky. I was born and raised in Haifa, Israel, and I’ve lived in NJ, US, for the past 11 years.

A father (to adorable twin girls), a husband (to a lovely wife and care giving woman), a friend (hope good to many), a sibling (to two fine sisters), a cousin (to many), an uncle (to two long distance nieces) and above all, focus on the important things in life: modesty, perspective, success, happiness, values.

My passion is the outdoor or anything that takes my heart to go above 120 BPM.

The European Outdoor Conservation Association is a nonprofit organization working towards conserving our ecosystems. Harnessing the power of some of the biggest outdoor, sports and nature related companies in the world, the EOCA aims to preserve the world’s natural beauty and resources.

SOURCE, along with 70 other outdoor related companies, is proud to be a member of this organization. Together, these companies distribute grants of 30,000 Euro a year to important projects worldwide, with past projects including: creating an elephant corridor in India, protecting the red-footed falcon in Bulgaria, saving a forest in Sweden from logging, and cleaning a mountain in Kyrgyzstan.

We at SOURCE look forward to being involved in many of the EOCA’s projects. If you have an idea for a conservation initiative in Israel, feel free to email us or leave a comment below. Who knows, your idea may be the recipient of a 30,000E grant!

For more information on the EOCA and the projects please visit: http://www.outdoorconservation.eu/