For those of us living in the northern hemisphere, the official first day of summer is just a couple weeks away. June 21 is the summer solstice, the longest day we’ll see all year. But, as it turns out, there’s a way you can make this day seem even longer — at least metaphorically (and probably painfully, too).
Every summer solstice, a group of dedicated (and by that I sort of mean certifiably insane) mountain bikers get together for what they’ve designated as De La Park City, a sunup to sundown day in the saddle. According to the event’s organizer, Jeff Kuehn, De La Park City is simply a celebration of mountain biking. “It’s not a race. I like to call it a non-competitive endurance mountain-bike rally. There are no numbers, no bibs, no results, no waivers. It’s just about riding all day with no distractions. And not being in a rush to get anywhere. How great is a day where the only thing you have to do all day is just pedal?”
If by “pedal” he really means “sleep,” I can certainly see where he is going with this. But alas, Jeff and his band of bikers really are kind of agro. And they look forward to this day all year long.
“This is one of my favorite things I do all year. It’s a unique celebration of a wonderful sport and it’s an excuse to ride all day, without the pressure of a race,” he says.
This year marks the event’s 10th anniversary, and in past years the group has seen everything from snow to hail to heatstroke. “You really need to come prepared for anything. Be ready for an adventure,” Jeff suggests. “We’ve had years where we’re all huddled together on a mountaintop trying to warm up, and there have been years where we’ve ridden up to Shadow Lake and gone swimming to cool off. Improvise and adapt is our theme.”
This year, because of all the snow still capping the higher elevations, De La Park City will likely have a few new twists. “Since we might not be able to get to any peaks, we’ll likely be mixing in some lower-elevation excitement. We’re playing it by ear and will decide our routes at the last minute. Whatever’s dry is fair game.”
Which appeals to me because I know the Rail Trail is mostly dry and I’m pretty sure I can handle that.
Jeff says he’s also toying with the idea of turning the post-dinner leg into a bike-for-beers cruiser ride. (Also of significant appeal to me.) “In the past, that last leg after dinner has really just been a suffer-fest for most of us. So we’re thinking after dinner until dark, we’ll just cruise around town and bar hop.”
Having participated in the past (although admittedly never making it beyond noon), I will say this is a great day to be out celebrating our glorious trail system, meeting new friends and riding your bike, simply for the joy of it. Having fun is the only agenda. And all riders of all abilities are welcome to join.
For those interested in participating this year, you need to meet at White Pine Touring at 4:45 a.m. on the 21st. The ride begins as soon as the sun starts to surface. Bring some cash for meals and an official De La Park City T-shirt should you desire wearable proof of your insanity.
And if you’re not quite 4:45 a.m. ambitious, you can always meet up with the group later in the day. They’ll be posting their whereabouts on White Pine’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WhitePineTouring and on Endurance Cycle’s website: www.endurancecycleservice.com.
But come prepared. It’s going to be a really, really long day.
If you have a story idea for Redcard Roberts, please e-mail her at [email protected].
Amy Roberts is a freelance writer, public-relations guru and globe-trotting thrill seeker. In a former life she worked in TV news, both as a reporter and sports anchor. She has bagged peaks on six continents, kayaked the Zambezi and Nile rivers, swam with great white sharks in South Africa and tracked mountain gorillas in Rwanda. She was once very nearly sold for 2,000 camels while traveling through Morocco.