Ear to the ground

“It’s not like I really had a wild sex life anyway.”

– A new dad commenting on the fact that he now shares his bed with his newborn daughter

Enduring Purgatory

How much DMR can you do? Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort will put local riders to the test this Sun., Feb. 28, with the Styx Enduro. The endurance race will feature 2-person teams running laps on Purgatory’s infamous black diamond, and the team that stacks up the most laps between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. takes the honors.

Purg is billing the race as “a contest to push the limits of human endurance ... only the strongest will survive the Styx Enduro.”

Each team will have a card that is punched after a completed lap. This card will be turned in to Backcountry Experience at the end of the event, and the winning team will be determined. The last lap must be on the lift by 3 p.m., and a race official will be stationed at the top of the course until 3:15 p.m.

The cost is $50 per team, and race-day lift tickets for the passless masses are available for $25. Details and registration information are available www.durangomountainresort.com.

If sliding in a seated position is more your speed, a bike rally of a different color also lands at Purg this weekend. The annual Purgatory Skibike Rally meets Feb. 26-28 at the local resort. Skibike manufacturers Lenzsport, Kski, Geary and Brenter will be on hand to offer equipment demos and answer questions. But don’t forget the training wheels. Riders must be certified (free classes will be available).

The horse race

If you prefer your bike with pedals, your time may be running out. As of last Thursday, only a few slots remained at the starting line for this year’s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. The annual race/tour between Durango and Silverton takes off May 29.

On Feb.18, the IHBC had only 150 registrations left for the McDonalds 50-mile tour. There were also only a few isolated categories open in the Durango Coca Cola Road Race. The Morehart Murphy Regional Auto Center Criterium, Alpine Bank Time Trial and Quarter Horse to Purgatory all still have vacancy.  

Visit www.ironhorsebicycleclassic.com for details.