From the inspiring to the tragic, YETI presents ‘This Week in Adventure,’ the top news in the world of exploration and adventure to start your week.
Howard Grotts Wins Leadville 100 MTB
For the third straight year, Specialized rider Howard Grotts broke the tape at the Leadville 100 MTB race. Grotts crushed the 103-mile mountain course aboard Specialized’s new-to-market Epic Hardtail in a blazing-fast 6 hours, 19 minutes, and 18 seconds, finishing nearly 3 full minutes ahead of his closest competition. Rose Grant won the women’s division in 7:36:06.
Kilian Jornet and Maude Mathys Set Records at European Mountain Race
A screaming-fast race set up two new records at the European Classic Sierre-Zinal Mountain Race. The mountainous terrain (31 km, positive elevation 2,100 m, negative elevation 1,100 m) played into Jornet and Mathys’ strengths. Both dominated stacked fields of the world’s best ultrarunners. Jornet finished in 2:25:35, and Mathys crossed the line in 2:49:20. Check out the full story here.
Man Dies During Steamboat Stinger MTB Race
Sad news out of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where an unidentified man died during the Steamboat Stinger MTB race. According to a story in the Steamboat Pilot & Today, the Littleton, Colorado, man did not crash but suffered a medical event after sitting on a bench to talk to a race official. See the full story here.
Mont Blanc 7-Day Sea-to-Summit
Gábor Rakonczay reached the summit of 4,808m Mont Blanc on July 29. But what made his climb noteworthy is he started 7 days earlier. Rakonczay, of Hungary, ran 363 km from sea level at Genoa, Italy, to Mont Blanc before climbing to the summit. Read the full story here.
Possible Record Tarpon Caught in Mississippi
Don Ruiz hooked into one heck of a fish tale while on vacation in Mississippi. The San Clemente man landed a 77-inch-long, 185.5-pound tarpon that will likely become a new state record. The Department of Marine Resources weighed and measured the fish and will likely certify the catch soon. Check out the full story and see a photo of the whopper here.
Swenson, Nash Take Early Leads in Breck Epic
The 6-day Breck Epic mountain bike race kicked off on Sunday, with Keegan Swenson making a dominant statement in Sunday’s rain-hammered Stage 1. Swenson, a 25-year-old national XC champion, finished the 36-mile stage in 2:41:51. Katerina Nash beat the women’s field by 2 minutes, 39 seconds to win in 3:23:40. We’ll follow the race as it progresses this week.
Colorado Could Get ‘Palisade Plunge’ MTB Route
A 34-mile mountain bike trail with 6,000 feet of descent? Sign me up! A recent article in the Colorado Sun profiles a new trail that could easily become one of the top mountain bike destinations in the country. Located near Palisade, Colorado, the potential backcountry route has brought together diverse stakeholders in complex planning sessions that show wonderful cooperation and bode well for the future the project.
Boy Gets 16 Stitches After Muskie Bite
If you’ve ever caught a muskie or pike, you know how toothy these fish are. They also feed aggressively. But while they look spooky, they almost never attack humans in the wild. A boy in Wisconsin has a very rare tale to tell after a pike or muskie slammed into his foot while he prepared to waterski in Fox Lake. “I ripped it out, and I knew I was bleeding so I screamed I’ve been bitten! It was a lot of pain,” AJ said. Check out the full, bizarre story here and check out the video below.
GearJunkie Adventure Grant Winner Departs
Sara Ann Aranda won GearJunkie’s Adventure Grant for 2019. Her goal? To set a new FKT on a south-to-north traverse of the Wind River Range. We wish Aranda and mission partner Emma Athena Mure luck on their adventure and will follow them for updates.
