Meet MT Alpha: Sarah Castle

Photo: 2012 Tom Robertson Photography

Sarah Castle is rad. I met Sarah about one and a half years ago. I instantly liked her. Sarah provides a demure presence and yet can provide a quick, witty retort to any worthy comment.  Further, she is crazy ripped (I have a crush on her strong climber arms). If that’s not enough, she is also incredibly intelligent. In fact, her presence in Missoula is a result of her seeking her PhD in Forestry with an emphasis on studying something along the line of microorganisms in the soil (……that’s a very generalized interpretation, so if you want to learn more about it, please feel free to ask Sarah).

So, with Sarah’s busy work schedule, we are lucky to have snagged her for the MT Alpha’s. And believe me, we are very lucky! This past summer Sarah took part in RATPOD, a 130 mile road tour through the Big Hole Valley and up through the Pioneer Mountains. The distance and the hilly terrain it covers assure that it is no easy feat to complete this ride. Add into it the notorious headwind that often greats riders as they complete the last fifth of the ride and you have an epic event! Now, I have a number of other friends who took part in the ride this past year. Two of these folks include fit, seasoned riders Owen Gue and Anya Wechsler.  Highlights of the ride from Anya and Owen included the amazing scenery, the crazy headwind in the final miles, Owen scarfing down three slices of pie; two cokes; and one frozen snickers bar at the pie stop, and Sarah Castle’s strength. Honest, they were so impressed with what a strong rider Sarah proved to be. She hooked up with them at the start and rode the entire 130 miles with them.  In this ride, Sarah proved her stamina on the bike.

Photo: 2012 Tom Robertson Photography

Not only did Sarah conquer RATPOD this year, but she also had her debut in mountain bike racing.  Her first and second encounters were on the Missoula XC course. First in the Wednesday night beer league races and second in the Hammer NutritionMissoula XC race. Riding this course for fun is no easy task, let alone racing this course. And racing it as your first mountain bike race is an even bigger deal as courses don’t get much more challenging than the steep uphill climbs and technical descents on this course which leave little chance for rest. Despite the challenge, Sarah managed to get on the podium during the Missoula XC race.

So, while Sarah will be the last to celebrate her accomplishments, as she is more eager to applaud others first, I am happy to have had the chance to share some of them with you. I am excited to ride with Sarah on the MT Alpha’s and I am eager to see where her riding, her academics, and contagious personality will take her.

-Heidi "Killer" Gaskill