Riding strong, Trevor Stein of Murillo, Ontario looked good on this portion of the single-track mountain bike race held last Saturday on the Pincushion Mountain trail system. Photos by John Stember
The annual Sawtooth Mountain Bike Challenge, made up of three adult and two single-track youth races, took off on Saturday morning, October 20 at Pincushion Mountain. The event acts as a fundraiser for Superior Cycling Association’s trail maintenance and this year 34 riders showed up from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario to compete. Three different courses were available: an 8-mile citizen class, a 15-mile sport class, and a 22-mile expert class.
Despite double-checking the race trails the night before, two downed trees, a stiff winter wind, and a soft layer of snow made for harsh riding conditions. “It was just one of those days that living in northern Minnesota forces you to embrace,” mentioned race volunteer Sam Hedstrom.
In the women’s 8-mile race, Sarah Nault from Hugo, Minnesota took first place with a time of 1:03. Michaela Clingaman finished a few minutes later in second, followed by Sally Goodman in third. For the third year running Lisa Weispfenning of Washburn, Wisconsin finished in first place in the women’s 15-mile with a time of 2:02. Veronica Ellingson of the Twin Cities followed in second. Unfortunately, no female riders signed up for the 22-mile race this year.
Above: Calvin Weispfenning of Washburn, Wisconsin seemed a little tentative here, but he finished his race strong. Right: Everyone at the starting line had some last minute items to check and things to think about before heading out onto the difficult but exhilarating single track trails.
For the men, Isaac Hagen of Chanhassen, Minnesota took first place in the men’s 8-mile race with a time of 52:35. He was shortly followed by Woody Gilk for second place and Noah Billings for third.
Warren Gebauer of Hugo, Minnesota finished in first place for the men’s 15-mile race with a time of 1:41. He was followed by an unidentified rider in second, and then Jack Weyenburg who took third.
In the expert division, Justin Hatcher of Hayward, Wisconsin took first place on the 22-mile course with a dominant display of 2:13. Paul Robson of Duluth followed for second, and Dave Pinner from Ontario took third.
Awards were handed out at a packed Voyageur Brewery, complete with beer tokens and a bike raffle. Race volunteers talked of bumping up the race next year due to harsh shoulder season weather. There were also tentative whispers of a new trail project named Jackpot, rumored for solid dirt and beautiful lines, which would connect Tofte and Lutsen. Expansion projects like these would not be possible without fundraising events like the Sawtooth Mountain Bike Challenge, which supports the Superior Cycling Association’s trail maintenance program.
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