The Jemez mountains came to being through several eruptions of a massive volcano. Millions of years later, the volcano’s caldera remains as a beautiful alpine setting, and a 80,000 acre public space. The Valles Caldera National Preserve hosts various events, and even serves as the backdrop for the Longmire TV show. This year, the Caldera added a mountain bike race to the list. The Pyroclassic bike race (this is where the geologists in the audience are chuckling – since most of the Jemez were formed by the pyroclastic flow of ash and rock). hosted about a 150 racers, pro to beginner. The weather was fantastic, and everyone had a great time. Hopefully this’ll be the first of many races in the VCNP.