Dan "The Man" Reed walling it to a first place on the podium.
Idaho Enduro Series 2016: Round 4 - Tamarack Resort – Photo RecapTamarack Resort, located 8 miles southwest of Donnelly, Idaho, played host to the fourth stop of the Idaho Enduro Series last weekend. With over 30 miles of IMBA-designed trails, Tamarack Resort has something for everyone. The trails are varied, allowing riders to meander through mountain meadows on machine groomed trails or rocket down expert level downhill trails that twist, turn, roll, and drop nearly 1,700 vertical feet from the top of the Tamarack Express chair lift.
The bike park was once regarded as one of the best in the country. When planning first began in the mid-2000’s, Tamarack spent more than $2 million to create a best-in-class trail system, but the trail system closed in 2007. 2016 was the first year the park was back in action, offering lift-serviced mountain biking every Saturday and Sunday from June 25 to September 5, and the Idaho Enduro Series was happy to be there! Recent rain revitalized the once dry, dusty trails and Saturday was a spectacular fall day complete with sunny blue skies and an abundance of classic Idaho fall foliage.
The Pro, Expert, and Sport Men course consisted of 4 timed stages over approximately 15 miles. The course utilized the resort’s lift for 2 uploads, while racers were required to pedal one transfer stage from mid-mountain to the top, approximately 700 vertical feet. Most of the race action took place towards the middle of the mountain on 2 expert level trail segments – Rockstar and Exit Stage Right. Notoriously technical and challenging, Rockstar involves a tricky entrance on to a steep, long rock roll, followed by a mandatory drop before a sharp right hand turn.
Exit Stage Right is a narrower trail featuring slow speed tech, awkward corners, and a 740mm wide squeeze between a large rock and a ponderosa pine. Crashes were aplenty throughout the race, with many riders proudly displaying war wounds and sharing stories of their racing adventures around the beer garden at the end of the day.
The most demanding segment of the day was stage 4, sending riders on a gravity ride from the top of Smoke Jumper to the bottom of the mountain via the previously raced Rockstar and Exit Stage Right segments. This stage accounted for nearly half of the total race time and rewarded those who were able to put together a clean top to bottom run.
The Reed brothers have been battling for the top pro men’s podium spot in the Idaho Enduro Series all season. Daniel Reed stood highest on the podium on Saturday, edging out his brother by four seconds. Janea Perry, a late registration from Medford, Oregon, claimed the top spot of the pro women’s podium by winning every stage of the day.
The fifth and final stop of the Idaho Enduro Series will be at Bogus Basin on Saturday, October 8th. Full results and more information on the series can be found at
http://idahoenduroseries.com.
Views of Long Valley wherever you ride.
Getting "low" on Show-Low.
Entering the rocky section of Exit Stage Right.
Taylor Reed getting horizontal on his way to second place on the podium.
Melanie Yakemovic smiling for the camera on Pura Vida.
Shredding the course for a third place finish is Heather Thiry.
Kyle Bickford entering the trees toward the beginning of Rock Star.
When in Idaho... Art Widmar rocking the flannel.
Riders transitioned by both chairlift and granny gear.
Crazy drops are frequent on Smokejumper.
Ryan Winterswyk rippin' over rock sections on the first run of the day.
Styling through the course at the top of the mountain.
Dropping down into Long Valley.
The beginner class was looking sharp early.
Transitioning up to get things going.
Women's Pro Podium: 2nd - Megan Carley, 1st - Janea Perry, 3rd - Heather Thiry.
Men's Pro Podium: 2nd - Taylor Reed, 1st - Daniel Reed, 3rd - Kyle Bickford.
Words by Blake Carley