Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
The riders of the 2024 Grand Loop are approaching their third night on the spectacular 365-mile route in Southwest Colorado and Utah. They’ve been navigating scorching temperatures and challenging terrain, and simply finishing the loop will be a massive accomplishment this year. Johnny Price has been out on the course, and he put together a quick update and photos from the first two days of the event here…
Words and photos by Johnny Price
Day 1: Hot Days and Early Leads
The sleepy town of Nucla, Colorado, was buzzing with activity as over 50 hearty souls lined up to test themselves on the 365-mile Grand Loop. Laughter and nervous chatter abounded as new and old friends waited for the clock to strike 9 a.m. After a few pictures, everyone slowly rolled out down the middle of the main street, an anti-climatic start to such an epic route. The course crosses the Dolores River before climbing into the La Sal Mountains, then dropping down to the Colorado River and the Kokopelli Trail.
Andrew Strempke jumped out to an early lead on his single speed, and everyone has been chasing him since. In the first 24 hours of the race, he traveled 190 miles! Matt Annabel, Todd Murray, Tim Tait, Jason Christiansen, and Matthew Turner are close behind. It looks like this front pack didn’t sleep the first night, so we’ll see if they can keep it up. Katie Strempke is first in the women’s field, with Karin Pocock and Alexandera Houchin chasing about 20 miles behind her. It’s going to be a hot one today on the Kokopelli Trail. Hopefully, everyone has enough water capacity to keep hydrated. There is still a ton of hard riding ahead, and there’s only one re-supply location in Fruita and Grand Junction. If riders don’t reach the McDonalds or Qdoba on the route within business hours, there is a 24-hour gas station where they can fill their bikes with all the processed garbage to get them back to Nucla.
Day 2: Scratches
Day two started for me at 3 a.m. I was sleeping in my camper at the old Dewey Bridge when the buzz of a freehub went past. I didn’t have any cell reception, so I wasn’t sure who it was. I saw Andrew’s lights go past around 11 p.m. when I went to bed, so I knew it wasn’t him, but all the other dots I’d been watching yesterday could be anywhere. I got up and drove in search of cell reception. When I came into cell service, I saw that two single speeders, Andrew and Matt, were in the lead. I couldn’t believe the pace Andrew was moving at.
I didn’t expect to see anybody on the Kokopelli until morning! As the sun rose, the temperatures crept higher and higher. It must have been close to 100 degrees for the racers moving along the Colorado River on the Kokopelli Trail. Katie was still leading the women’s field. She had a couple-hour lead on Karin and Alexandera heading to Fruita, but Karin ended up scratching. This left Jackie Baker, Alexandra Bridarolli, and Bex Howard in third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. The women’s race was down to five.
After refueling in Fruita, riders climb up the Tabaguache trail back into the mountains. This is where I ran into Bryan Klahn, now in second place about 20 miles behind Andrew. Bryan was in good spirits, considering the blistering heat. Only a few minutes later, Tim Tait came pedaling up the trail looking fresh. I promised this would be the last time he saw me on the trail, and we chatted quickly about how fast Andrew was going. Could he top Kurt’s time of 2 days 5 hours?
I boogied down the trail and drove toward the Kokopelli trailhead, where a few riders were about to be. Just as I parked in the lot, Brad Davis came rolling down the switchbacks, and I was able to snap a quick photo before he disappeared down the road. I can only imagine the anticipation of some good food waiting in Fruita. Katie wasn’t too far behind Brad, so I waited at the trailhead. The thing about dot stalking is that it always takes longer than anticipated. She rolled past just before sunset, and I snapped a quick picture of her before she was gone.
It has been fun being a spectator for a change. Trying to cover a self-supported race like this has presented its own unique challenges. The logistics have been fun. I get to see and ride much of the course, trying to intercept dots along the way. Initially, when I decided to take photos, I thought that I would hide around the course and take pictures to not alter the experience for the racers. But capturing good photographs without being detected has proven to be practically impossible. Alexandera asked that I not take photos of her during the race.
Looking Forward
Riders of the 2024 Grand Loop are now entering their third evening and are spread all over the 365-mile route. At the time of publication, Andrew Strempke is under 20 miles from the finish and appears to be the overall fastest rider unless something catastrophic happens. Bryan Klahn isn’t far behind in second, and Tim Tait is in third with the front group hot on his heels. Katie Strempke is currently leading the women’s race around mile 260, followed closely by Alexandera Houchin.
Head over to the 2024 Grand Loop event page to follow their progress live.
About Johnny Price
Johnny Price is a writer, mountain biker, and farmer. He currently lives in his truck camper with his partner and is trying to make time for what’s important. You can find him on Instagram @johnny_no__shoes.
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