BC Stage Race Day 3

Given the technical challenges and the access (or lack thereof) during the BC Stage Race, I am trying to get caught up and capture the days from memory while they are still relatively fresh...so here goes for day 3:

We had an early start to the day since we would be required to do some travel to get to the start of the race for day 3.  We took a bus from Campbell River to the ferry terminal where we were all in 'hurry up and wait mode' until the ferry departed for Powell River where we were going to race.  As a result, it was a late start time.  Since the ferry was late on departure, we ended up having little time once we landed in Powell River to sort everything out and get the head in 'race mode'.  As usual, the ferry rides provided amazing views of the inside passages around BC.

Day 3 was the turning point of sorts for me as it was the first day that the terrain would not cause me to fall off my bike.  After a lot of falling the first two days, I realized that my mind was a little rattled.  I swapped out my rear tire from a Schawlbe Fast Fred to a Maxxis Crossmark and lowered my tire pressure a little in order to better fit the terrain we were riding.  It ended up being HUGE difference.  A more aggressive tire on the rear meant that it was not nearly as slick through the never ending roots and rocks...it also did wonders for my fragile state of mind at the time too.

The stage itself was a 51km stage with a little over 1,000 meters of elevation gain throughout the course:

The terrain unrelented with a climb to get us to elevation at the beginning of the day and then continued rocky, rooty, slippery as snot on a doorknob (to use the BCBR phrase), technical singletrack.  At points it was difficult to stay hydrated because the terrain demanded your full attention.   The best places to hydrate and eat was usually on the uphill climbs.  The good news was that I was starting to ride better, the bad news was that there was still many, many a root to ride over!  Imagine a spiderweb of roots with them going in every direction.  The saving grace was that the scenery was absolutely spectacular (as usual),

We had a great base camp location right on the water with amazing views looking east.  This part of the world is really impressive with tons of lush green vistas and snow capped peaks.  All this lushness also meant that it was just the perfect recipe for a breeding ground for roots!

At this point, the legs were holding up OK and I was starting to get anxious about Day 4 which had been highlighted as the single hardest day in the 7 day stage race - let's just say that it did not disappoint!