Finding Mental Clarity on a Dirt Bike Adventure courtesy of BRIAN PIERCE
Dirt Bikes have challenged me my entire life . They have helped me learn how to dig deep , finding untapped energy and grit , when I thought I reached my limit . It wasn ’ t until the 2021 Shady Burro trip that I started actively chasing these moments that test my character . This search for adventure , for another chance to test and push myself , is what propelled me to drive across the country to Colorado for the third time this year . I was on my way to meet up with Morgan again , this time for his annual DEATHMARCH ride in Taylor Park .
WHAT IS THE DEATHMARCH ?
The DEATHMARCH is a dirt bike ride that was brought to fruition by Morgan from Highland Cycles . From what I gather , it wasn ’ t created on purpose , but by accident when a ride in Taylor Park went awry . Since that first journey on rough single track 15 years ago , Morgan has been revisiting the roughest Taylor Park trails every year on his birthday weekend . They start at 7am , and finish when they finish . This year they rode 180 miles of Taylor Park single track , ending 13 hours after getting started .
If you haven ’ t ridden in Taylor Park , you may not understand what “ the roughest single track ” means . Though the years haven ’ t been kind to all of the trails in the Taylor Park Reservoir area , there are still some hidden gems . They are hidden gems because the vast majority of dirt bikers don ’ t want to bounce , crawl , and sometimes push their way through a ride . The riders with Morgan though , that ’ s what they live for . This was the crew that I needed to join , a group of riding buddies that don ’ t care about speed , they care about technical trail riding and high levels of stoke !
DRIVING 850 MILES TO RIDE FOR ONE DAY
As you ’ ve seen from my other trips west this year , riding in Montrose and racing the 2022 Shady Burro Enduro , it ’ s not a quick jaunt to our neighboring state . It ’ s a draining drive across the vast State of Texas , a quick cut through New Mexico , and then a slow meander along Colorado scenic highways and mountain towns to get to Taylor Park Reservoir . It took me 15 hours to drive the 850 miles , a drive that wore on me more than I thought it would .
VOL . 7 ISSUE 11 - NOVEMBER 2022 // PAGE 43