Mountain Biking - 2 toughest rides of 2003

In the road bike forum I saw a post for Most extream rides of the year - so I thought I'd do the same here. What are your 2 worst knock down, drag out, toughest rides of last year?

Mine
The CCP (Cascade Creampuff) 100 - 100 miles, 19,000 feet of climbing and a bad front shifter, 95 degrees - took me about 12.5 hours to finish - I hope to go back this year and knock 2 hours off my time.

Long Canyon, Idaho - 50 mile loop first climb is 5000 feet. 32 miles into the loop I broke my rear derailer off - turned my bike into a SS - 2 miles later the chain ring bolts sheared (too much tension) - I had to run the last 16.

Let's hear yours

Toughest rides:

1 was racing 2 days after losing a friend.

The other Racing for a title while ill.

The race at the Helen mountain bike festival. My first race, muddy as hell. Could hardly shift because my cogs were caked in mud. The climbs were impossibly steep and super slippery. It was hard to walk up most of them let alone climb. The descents were sketchy too.

The ride to the top of Black Mountain in Pisgah national forest. We started late in the day so we really had to bust our asses to get to the top. I was beginning to lose hope after about the 10th miles of straight climbing. It seemed like everytime I thought we couldn't get any higher up the mountain the trail would turn and we'd keep climbing. It was all worth it for like 10 screaming miles of downhill. I bombed downhill so long my hands, arms, and legs became numb from absorbing the shock. Definitely the hardest ride of the year, but certainly one of the best.

My worst two for this past year include one trip to ride the fire road at Frozen Head State Park near Oak Ridge. I had done it before, but I was not in that great of shape when I tried to attempt it. about seven miles of up hill taking about 2.5hrs. to do with about 30min. of downhill to get back. Nothing will scare you more than kicking up a rock into your frame while doing more than 35mph.

The other would have to be just a normal trip to The Pipeline in Monterey, TN when the temp was arround 100 and we all ran out of water after about three hours of riding. Man, that first beer once we got back sure hit the spot.

There are No bad rides. Just rides in which more experience is gained.

Worst ride of 1997 led to me doing a lot more training, to enable me to do the same ride in 2003. The South Downs Way Randonnee. 100 miles off road, 10,000ft of climbing, 200 other riders, and on a tandem. Did the ride but bonked at 65 miles. did not recover till 75 miles.

2nd worst ride was for my mates. 30 miles of mud across the local forest. My bike has good mud clearance, does not collect mud, and I can pick the lines in mud. Lost my riding partners now until the sun comes out.