Lynn's story: Trough Creek Gravel Grinder

BaseCamp athlete Lynn Botelho shared her experience at the 2025 Trough Creek Gravel Grinder in Pennsylvania.

A lovely end to the series. First for the day and first for the series of Trans-Sylvania Epic Stage Races. That said, it wasn't my best race, despite the results.

My mind and body were not synchronized. My attention was not focused. I over cooked two descents and was thankful I pulled them out safely. I decided to be safe (since I had already locked down the series). I decided to slow down. Smart. But not glamorous. A loss of over a mile per hour. That said, descents are my thing!

BaseCamp taught me to SAIL. I did the best I could.

The course was awesome! Big hill that took me right past my camper (no lie if I don't admit that sleep wasn't a draw...). There were technical singletrack and snow mobile stuff. Oh fun. I love that stuff! Thank you, Trans-Sylvania Productions. But at the end of the day, the thanks goes always to BaseCamp Explore Team, Indiana Cycling Center, Matt Reininger, and particularly Samantha Muir and Puppers.