The skies are already starting to clear and the forecast is sounding dry and warm for the this weekend's Copper Harbor Fat Tire Festival. On-site registration/ bib pick-up will be at the CH Welcome Center from 3:00-5:00 on Saturday and 11:00-1:00 on Sunday (race day). ALL RACERS MUST PICK UP THIER CHIPS ON SUNDAY BETWEEN 11:00-1:00 on Sunday. The 13 & 23 mile XC races will begin at 2:00 with a mass start, parade roll-out. The Jr Fat Tire will start at 12:30, with all races finishing at the Grant Twp Park.

The course will be mostly marked and open for folks to pre-ride by Saturday afternoon...no "offical" pre-view ride scheduled for this year. (It will be open prior to this, although not marked for the race.)

New as a planned activity this year will be a "Fat Tire Reception" on Saturday night for racers who roll into town early. Live acoustic music performed by Houghton's own Justin "JJ" Plichta (of Blackflies fame and fortune and composer of "Blood on the Snowplow") will be hosted at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge from 9:00-midnight. There is no admission and will be a nice chance for folks to hang out and socialize, without going too big on on race day eve.

This post or these posts are long overdue. There have been some huge happenings on the team that have nothing to do with riding and racing, and we didn't even recognize them here. This is more important than any race report.

Let's start with probably the biggest - Heather and Caleb were married. By my count they were actually married three times (without ever stepping foot in Vegas). After what looked like a picture perfect wedding in Grand Bahamas, a honeymoon, and a Downstate celebration, the lovely couple threw a fantastic wedding bash at their house here in town.
I don't know what Caleb did, but right after the wedding, Heather took off for a month to Bolivia. The wedding party served as the impetus for them to put the finishing touches on their great looking house.

Speaking of home improvements, Mark and Annie had everyone out to see their pretty much done new house near High Point. We all marveled at the handy work as the kids discovered the joys of dropping things from the second floor. The following week the house was the sight of a Monday night ride, the perfect Monday night use for a house that is just off of the Churning trails.

Speaking of kids, Tammi and Chris celebrated the high school graduation of Whitley from Jeffers High. That makes two out of three ready to leave the nest (to some degree).

Terry and Sue Ellen also played host to the biggest group ride the area has ever seen as they hosted the IMBA trail crew and well over 100 riders. The many rides were followed by a fish fry thanks to Caleb and Steve.

For those of you who pore over the bike mags, also keep an eye on Dirt Rag for the nearly monthly published works of Ryan.

Lastly, be nice to Steve W. who managed to break his collarbone trying to launch himself over the bars while riding down in Cable, WI. Hopefully, we'll see him by the end of cyclocross season.

Eight Red Jackets headed down to Marquette last weekend for the Ore to Shore Epic mountain bike race. Ryan Labar gave a stellar performance with a 6th place age group finish, coming in 67th overall. Pat Szubielak tackled the Hard Rock, once again, finishing in 17th place in his veteran age group, and James Bialas crossed the finish line in 27th place with his usual determination.

Bruce Pletka rolled into 4th place for his age group in the Soft Rock 28-mile race and Chris Lehto was in 10th. Terry Kinzel was beaming as he crossed the finish line to snag 24th in his age group..

It was the Red Jacket – Bluesky Health women, however, who made their podium debuts in the Soft Rock. Tammi Lehto brought home 2nd place and Diane Ursu 3rd, both women finishing in the top 25 of the Women's Division with 199 racers.

The Red Jacket - BlueSky Health team is back on familiar turf this weekend and will be lining up at the 3rd Annual Great Deer Chase in Calumet.

Cancel any plans you have for July 4th weekend for the next few years. You should be going to the Oesterling Farm in Marysville, PA for the VisitPA.com MTB stage race. This is the most fun race I have ever been to (sorry Sam, I never thought something would pass the Fat Tire). Why? It's all atmosphere. This entire race takes place on the race director's in-laws farm. You camp and hang out in the back yard. The start line is 20 yds from your tent. All of the races go have the same starting line and they all go right by your tent. There is a Friday night XCTT in the dark, a Saturday XC race (part of the Mid Atlantic Super Series race series), a Sunday AM Hill Climb, and a Sunday afternoon STXC. For this year the XC was not yet included in the Stage Race results, but that will be changed next year I was told. What else makes this great? The MASS racing scene is very laid back compared to WORS. The semi-pros/pros were just hanging out with everyone and dispensing advice when asked. Frisbee with Harlan Price, Tricycle racing with Rob Lichtenwaller, and a pre-ride with some of the VisitPA.com semi-pros. Debbie, who is not usually a fan of attending races outside of Puerto Rico, was already planning next summer before I started the Hill Climb. Over the course of 4 races and a weekend you really get to know the other racers and it makes the competition that much more fun. more

Two members of the Red Jacket - BlueSky Health Cycling Team made their way down to Boyne Mountain this weekend for the Boyne Mountain Marathon, an MMBA Cup Point Series event. Caputuring top honors in the Beginner 30-39 category was Brett Hamlin, who posted the second fastest time among all racers in the Beginner event. Chris Schmidt, racing in the Expert 40-49 category, came in 4 minutes out of first, but good for second place - and third among all expert riders.

The Marathon, which contained nearly 1500 feet of climbing per lap, flowing single track and eye-popping downhills offered few chances for recovery and was a true test of endurance. Temperatures pushing 80F and high humidity further tested riders' limits, but a cool breeze served to keep things in check.

Next up for the Red Jacket - BlueSky Health Cycling Team is the 12-Hours of Potluck endurance event in Marquette on July 19. The Team will be sending at least three 3- or 4-person teams to the event and hope to give the Marquette riders a run for their money!