Team

Secret Identity

Photo: Tom Robertson Photography 

We put on our superwomen disguises and raced to the top of Sawmill Gulch last week.  Bet you guys didn't know a few of us were super heroes. 

Thunder is in the air!

Can you feel it? 

Mt Alpha Juniors Kill it!

Mt Alpha Junior Riders - Clara Murray and Ellie Bardsley at Werks Mountain Bike Race in Helena

Every year Great Divide Cylery of Helena hosts one of the last races of the season up Davis Gulch. The "WERKS" race has always had a healthy dose of junior races due to the efforts of Jeff Proctor. Proctor started a Junior Bike program that focuses on Mountain Bike and Cylco Cross and has probably the largest group of kids riding in the state. 
So it was exciting to bring MT ALPHA's junior girls over for the event.

Ellie Bardsey (12yrs)  racing in Helena!Registration on race day started at 10am. We showed up 10mins before 11am and the officials informed us that the JR race was at 11am! YIKES! This info was not on the flyer, so we were planning on racing at 1pm. However, this did not phase Ellie, she jumped out of the car and without warming up went to line up to race. Right away Ellie's shoe strings got caught in her chain, everyone passed her while she worked on her shoe laces. She was way behind the pack of 20 or so jr riders, so she had to motor up the mountain to catch up.
After passing 10 or so kids, she finished as the fastest Jr Girl, and 8th overall.Way to go ELLIE!  

Ellie - First Place JR Girls

Racers meeting. Jen racing Cat 2 women (3 laps) and Clara race Cat 3 women (2 laps)

Clara Murray is our high school sophomore from Hellgate. She is 15yrs old and is scary fast on downhills. She registered for the Cat 3 race. This was 2 laps at 9 miles. Clara was in first place when she wrecked hard on the second lap. She ENDO-ed over the handle-bars on a corner and the bike landed on her head. With her front tire flat, she hiked 2 miles to the end to receive a big round of applause at the finish line. 

She ended up taking 2nd place at her first race!

Way to go CLARA!!!!!

(BTW- she is gonna need a new helmet after that sick wreck)

Clara pre-riding the course

 Feeling good after the race! 

MT ALPHA JRs  - Thumbs UP!

Jr Alpha's - pre riding the course

Ouch!

Cat 2 women - MT Alpha Jen Bardsley 2nd place

GO ALPHA! Ellie, Clara and Mama Jen in Helena, Montana

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

Wizbang Hats + MT Alpha = Greatness

Ok... We know it's still almost 100 degrees every afternoon and the last thing you're thinking about is buying a hat for winter.... BUT!

Wizbang Hats are THE PERFECT under-your-helmet hat for late autumn mtb and cross. They're super light weight, so if you get too hot, it can easily be stuffed into your jersey pocket. AND they're great for cold weather running too. If you're into that.

Why are we promoting Wizbang Hats?  Because 1) they're super great.  we love them and want everyone to experience they're greatness; and 2) They're made locally (bonus) and 3) for every hat sold on this site (the hats on the right hand side of that site's page), Wizbang is giving MT Alpha a cut! Sweet.

So ladies (and gentlemen, maybe) order yourself one of these sick hats.  You won't regret!

Buy one. 

Also-  Heidi KILLED this weekend at Annadel XC in California, her new home turf!  She brought home a 3rd place win! Nice work Heids!  We miss you already!

Photo: Tom Robertson Photography

Jay Rutherford and Linsday Campbell Series Winner!

Results here. 

Thanks to everyone who came out and raced the MT Alpha Super D Series!

And a HUGE thanks to the best Real Estate Co. in town: ZILLA STATE! omg, without your help we'd still be up at Marshall trying to set the course.

And thanks to all the MT Alpha girls who came out every week to help set up! You girls are golden ;)

and thank you to MTXC and MSLAXC for your unwavering support!

And thank you to Betty's Divine, Black Diamond and Caffe Dolce for your sponsorship and providing SUPER SICK prizes.  We love you!