The "Iceman Cometh Challenge Bicycle Race" is the largest 1-day mountain bike race in the U.S.
It is a 27 mile point-to point race---from Kalaska to Traverse City, Michigan through the pine forests of northern Michigan. Iceman has become the biggest single-day mountain-bike race in the world--this year being the 19th annual. Conditions can be anything from dry and hot to ice slicked, muddy and blizzard white.
My friend, Judy, and I drove from Auburn on Saturday morning-11/8/2008-in mostly rainy weather to Kalkaska to see the start of the race--it was 44-degrees when we left home and 39 when we got there. It was light rain and cold when Paul started the race. His starting time was 10:15 a.m. We found the spectator sight at the half-way mark for Paul and got to watch him climb a long hill--still rainy. We then met him at the finish line in Traverse City----he had hoped to finish in the "top 10" in his age group, but did even better than that---he finished in 5th place.
My granddaughter, Lexxie, also raced in the 14th annual "Meijer Slush Cup"--it is a "half-frozen" version of the Iceman. She raced on an 8 mile course with the same rainy weather. She started at 9:00 a.m. in Traverse City, so I did not see her until her race was over. She took
3rd place in her age group. What a great day for the Mapes family!!! We all stayed overnight in Traverse City so we could attend the awards presentation.
