On The Pegs October 2018 - Volume 3 - Issue 10 | Page 96

On The Pegs
Adventures in Checking
By Jon Stoodley
On The Pegs
I really like checking a section and my
all-time favorite event to check is the
Ute Cup Trial in the mountains of Colo-
rado each August. The event is orga-
nized by RMTA (Rocky Mountain Trials
Association- http://rockymountaintrials.
org/utecup.htm ) and I think the RMTA
is about the oldest Trials club in the
U.S., having started in 1969. The Ute
Cup began the next year in 1970, mak-
ing it just about the longest running
annual event in U.S. Trials. I first attend-
ed the Ute Cup 30+ years ago in the
mid-1980’s with my oldest son, Jim, and
I will be going back again this year just
to check the event both days for my
10th year in a row (except for the year it
was not held due to severe fire danger).
If you really want to consider yourself a
Trials rider, this event should be on your
bucket list. The RMTA is a great club
and a nicer or more dedicated bunch of
Trials enthusiasts you will never find.
The Ute Cup is an endurance Trial to a
degree, with loops sometimes up to 25
miles but the loop is beautiful and not
like the Scott Trial in the U.K. where the
loop is sometimes a lot more difficult
than the sections. It’s a wonderful ride
in the mountains in some of the most
beautiful scenery in the U.S. (the alti-
tude can range from a little over 8000
ft. to about 13,000 ft. ) and the sections
are generally set for a NEOTT Senior-
Amateur/Intermediate level and I’ve
never seen any I wouldn’t at least try
my hand at. There are no splits in the
Vol. 3 Issue 10 - October 2018
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sections; all riders ride the same lines.
Riders ride two loops each day, one in
the morning and one in the afternoon
and the sections are usually different
from Saturday to Sunday. The event is
held in different parts of the state each
year and this year it will be on The Rain-
bow Trial near Salida.
As it’s sometimes a long and ardu-
ous event you will want your bike to
be in top shape, properly jetted for
the altitude and the cooling system
serviced as cooling systems are not
as efficient at altitude. You will need a
spark arrestor and a Colorado Off-Road
permit (usually obtainable on site) and
all-weather riding gear. First time riders
don’t realize it can get really cold in the
mornings at that altitude. I remember
rolling out of bed one morning at La
Garita to put on my gear and it was 28
degrees outside. Most riders carry a
backpack with them on the loop with
extra tools, parts and gas just in case.
I’ve had a lot of adventures checking
the event. One year I was the last one
down the mountain from my section at
the Rainbow Trail and it had started to
really rain. At one point, the single track
trail had been washed out on the side
of the steep mountain side (straight up
one side of the trail and straight down
the other side) so I had to gun it and
loop up the side of the muddy wall so
I would slide down to catch the trail on
the other side but I made it! Happy to
have survived, I pinned it down the trail