Day four was the final day of racing for Trans Cascadia 2021 and anticipation was high. Like days prior, camp was bustling long before the sun began peeking through the trees with another big day on the horizon and a long, steep hike-a-bike section gaining nearly 4,000 feet waiting to test the field.

"It's my first ever Trans-style race, I knew it would be hard, but I didn't expect back-to-back 5,000 foot days. We were all pretty tired but we were in it together,” said Jill Kintner.

The vibes were strong and cohesive as the group slowly began pushing up the mountain. The steep ascents were matched with ripping fast descents on a very special section of trail, a delight for racers and staff alike. As the day progressed, camp emptied and nearly everyone climbed back up, heckling every rider who rolled to the end of a glorious final stage.

"I would say the camaraderie, the collective effort of everyone pushing really hard for miles and miles in the mountains, having a really good time, are some of my favorite things in the world. That's what we did for four days! It was perfect," said Michelle Parker.

Photos: Robb Perry (Instagram), Mike Thomas (Instagram), Chris Hornbecker (Instagram), Nate Johnson (Instagram), Riley Seebeck (Instagram)

It would be hours before the podium presentations and results were posted, though the massage tent was fully booked and the fire was already roaring. After another fantastic meal from The Bayou Catfish, the party got started. Special thanks was given to the staff by Forest Service District Ranger, Paul Willard, commending their efforts for maintaining deep backcountry trails year round.

It was a long, hard four days whose toll was felt even by the most experienced racers in the field. “I don’t remember anything,” remarked Aaron Bradford.

"It was nice to see people enthusiastic about coming out despite all that's going on in the world. Despite the fires, despite losing more than half our course just a few weeks ago, I think we were able to put together what's been the best year yet," beamed Race Director Nick Gibson.

After a notable speech from the staff lead and Race Producer Alex Gardner, the awards were underway. Aaron Bradford was the obvious choice in the Go Hard category, as he climbed his way up to third overall on the last day. Myles Trainer came from behind to take the win in the Pro Men’s field, with Myles Morgan recovering from mistakes at the start of the day to finish second, less than nine seconds behind Trainer. "The last day I had a couple of mishaps on the first stage and fell over once. The last two stages I brought it back and clawed back a bunch of time," said Morgan.

Photos: Chris Hornbecker (Instagram)

Jill Kintner took a dominant win in the Pro Women’s field, beating out Corinne Prevot (2nd) and Alicia Leggett (3rd) by over ten minutes. Osvaldo Olmos, Jason Hawkins, and David Marshall made up the Amateur Men’s Podium with Briana Valorosi taking the win for the Amateur Women.

The Trans Cascadia crew and all the volunteers overcame so many obstacles to pull the event off. Everyone present expressed gratitude, and one final cheer rang out through the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest. Camp had become a community over the last five days on and off the trail, that shined through as the party in the woods raged on all night with folks jumping over the fire for dessert.

After the dust settled, all agreed that they had experienced something truly special. Morgan Kurz, who won her entry from the Grow Cycling Foundation giveaway, was thrilled to have taken part. "That was the most epic riding that I've ever done, the hardest thing I've ever done, and the most rewarding thing I've ever done."