With only 152 verts remaining to reach my goal of 400,000 in calendar year 2000, I returned to my old stomping grounds on Vedder Ridge and Sumas Mt.

I parked at Mark and Janet's (they had gone skiing), spread a little Xmas cheer at Rena's, and then headed up the Frost Rd. spur onto Vedder Ridge, just as I did on January 1 of this year, and so many other times.

I got my 400,000 verts before I got to the top of the first steep climb, and then continued up to the top of the ridge above the Piano Drop, where I posed my Jekyll in front of a bit of logger humor, a big rock that has been placed on top of stump.

Then I ripped back down the Frost Rd. spur, rode the Frost Rd. and a bit of the South Pass Rd. to the Paradise Valley Rd. To my pleasure, I felt very strong on the killer climb at the beginning of the Paradise Valley Rd., handling it all without going into my lowest gear (a first).

Bo and Terry and Keylee were home and in a holiday mood. I spread some cheer and got some too. The funniest thing I heard all day: Bo and I were talking about figuring out life. I said something banal like, "well, if you ever get it figured out, let me know." And Bo said something equally banal, like "I think that's when you go to heaven." At which point Terry said, "no, that's when you come back as a dog."

Approximately 1500 verts. I now have 401,158 verts total for the year 2000. My grand total for the year ultimately proved to be 404,978 verts. This is over 100,000 verts more than I climbed last year, and breaks my own previous world record for climbing on a mountain bike.

Vert Quest chronicles "The Man Known As Mongo's" pursuit of the World Record for climbing on a mountain bike, 404,000 vertical feet, or the vertical equivalent of 13 sea-level-to-summit ascents of Mt. Everest during a 12 month period. Mongo's mountain bike climbing tricks are distilled in Mongo's Over-the-top Guide to Climbing.