Since it was my first race, I don't have much for comparison. But when they call Plattelkill "the mountain that moves with you", they aren't kidding!MMcG said:
Lots of shale made for some pretty sketchy, loose decents! Started off with a pretty tame decent through the woods on singletrack, where some pedaling was required. That section had lots of little jumps here and there, and ended with a 3' drop to a downed log you had to clear into a hair-pin right turn, that went right into a hair-pin left. That popped us out onto a section of double-track that was pretty steep and all shale, which made it real squirrly. This double-track decent had 3, 2' stepdowns as well. At the botom of that, was a small up hill that popped us out onto a ski trail which zig-zagged a couple times, and then dove back into the woods right down this gnarly ledge section. Down the ledeges and a banked right brough us through some tight trees to a 4' drop out onto anther ski trail. Straight across that ski trail went right back into the woods and onto the mountain cross course. Berms everywhere to rail!! Lots of fun in this section!! Our (sport/beginner) had an "around" the 12' road gap that the pro/experts were nailing and kept cruizing throught berms down to a steep roller than turn left and set you up for a small tabletop that went right into a small double. After the double it was a hard right back into the woods and onto the ladder that you see in my pics. The drop on that ladder was only about 2 foot, but with the speed you're carrying, I landed with my front wheel on the dirt at the bottom of the wooden tranny. After that ladder drop it was straight and into a hard left with a huge wall-ride and into the finish.
It was TONS of fun!!!! :devil:
