TwoWheeledWorld

Here’s a little Moab / Fuita helmet cam action from a few weeks ago with some seriously over the top music.  Enjoy!

If you read Part I of this story you know how things ended so I’ll pick it up from there…

Ahem……

‘Tomorrow’ may have promised new experiences, but ‘last night’ had precious few memories for some…

And once the desert sun rose high enough above the horizon to chase off the cool morning, the smell of bacon, eggs, potatoes, and coffee slowly started to percolate from tailgates and camp stoves among us…

The plan for those who were willing and able was to ride a far less known trail that was well outside of town:  Fisher Mesa…

………………..Virtually all who venture to Moab, Utah are predestined to ride the infamous Porcupine Rim – I am no different.  The two are almost synonymous: Moab, Porcupine Rim.  Porcupine Rim, Moab.  Las Vegas, gambling.  Peas and carrots.  And for those who have ridden it, imagine yourself standing at the very edge of the Porcupine Rim overlook, gazing down to Castle Valley far below…

and up to the other side…  that’s Fisher Mesa.

And the thought of flirting with a new trail was intriguing not only to me, as almost all dozen-plus vehicles, each loaded with 1-3 bikes rolled out of camp in a tight caravan.  We’d make the turn east on Hwy 128, and follow the Colorado River, turn south up through Castle Valley…

…until the road began to climb steeply towards the top of the valley.  Red rocks and cottonwoods gave way to pinons and junipers as the road climbed, until finally, huge Ponderosa pine trees dominated…

45 minutes after leaving Moab we were high on the slopes of the La Sals, which were white with snow…

The best part was the feeling of isolation, as we found the trailhead parking lot (almost) completely deserted…

Following a quick equipment check the group formed a tight line and jumped aboard the narrow ribbon of singletrack which twisted loosely down through open forest…

One adjustment that the mind would have to contend with was that the ride is an out and back, so everything we descended we’d have to climb to get out.  That fact seemed not to matter as wide grins quickly surfaced on our faces.  Soon after the singletrack started, it dipped down a steep ridge, where persistent snow reminded is of our elevation.  Soon, the trail would level, and would find the eastern edge of the mesa which it would follow for most of the ride…

Here, similarities to Porcupine Trim are abundant, with a couple stark differences.  For one, the La Sals were behind us to the southwest, an unfamiliar angle for those familiar with the Moab setting…

as the valley below and to the east appeared completely undisturbed…

And two, the trail was deserted – we saw no one else.  This, when compared to the thousands who flock to Porcupine Rim’s now-widened trail.  The isolation and obscurity of where we were was half the thrill.  Well, that and the cliffs…

We took our time, to take in the views, the solitude, and enjoy the ride, and we regrouped for lunch at the cliff’s edge; miles from any road, structure, or even person…

Faced with the climb back out, we elected to make this our turnaround point.  The group would string out quickly as we gained elevation once more.  One by one, we’d make it back; happily worn out, and would be greeted to post-ride frosted barley pops before making the trip back to Moab…

Clearly one of the peak times to be in Moab because of the weather, as we approached town the late afternoon sun glowed a bright orange and the hot wind filled the cab.  We’d pass an increasing number of cyclists riding it in, pass kayaks being loaded onto pickups, river rafters meandering the Colorado River, and see campsites swelled with tents and RVs on the river banks amongst the willows.  Everyone happy to be there, happy to have themselves worn out by this massive playground for the outdoor adventurer in us.  Recess for the soul…

………….I promise I’m done reporting on trips to Moab for a while, with one exception.  One the way back home we stopped in Fruita where I broke out the helmet cam once more.  That video action is in the editing department and will show up here very soon.  And besides, I hear the trails up at the Mountain Command Post are drying out sooner than usual, and I expect we’ll be checking on things there rather soon…

I’ve been accused of spending a lot of time in Moab this Spring.  Not a bad place to escape to, if you want the truth…

My most recent trip was starkly different from the last, but equally as memorable.  Me and The Mrs. would tag along with the Dirt Divas on their annual trip to Moab for 4 days of sand, sun, and mountain biking.  For one thing, we’d ditch the hotel stay this go around in favor of camping on BLM land out near Sovereign Trail, 10 miles north of town…

And for another thing I was excited to get the chance to do some rides I’d never done before.  The objective was simple: it was a camping trip first, heavy on the mountain biking.  An escape from our weekday lives.  A chance to get back to living based on the angle of the sun, to leave our watches at home and unplug from the blah of societal life…

Prerequisites were equally simple: bring enough beer for several very late nights around the campfire, and bring firewood….lots and lots of firewood…

Not knowing more than two people invited to this gig, the Mrs. and I knew nothing of who we would be spending the weekend with, but know all too well that mountain bikers make for good people to know; and we went into it with open arms.  That’s the interesting thing about camping: it seems to be the great equalizer of people.  Everyone has a funny story to tell and there’s no better place to share than around a campfire…

…On the way out the two of us would stop in Grand Junction for a new (to me) ride at the Lunch Loops.  Just a few minutes south of town and overlooking the Colorado National Monument, the trails here provide many short loops made up of twisty, flowy singletrack that were perfect for a warmup for the four days of riding and camping that we were embarking upon…

It was a great way to ease out of civilization.  Following the ride we’d again head west on I-70, and would slide into Moab in the late afternoon.  Directions to the campsite were crystal clear:  Turn left here, go about .5 miles, turn right at the red rock, head up the 4wd road a bit, veer right at the tree, right again at the spur by the wooden sign, and grab a spot.  Clear as day…

And as day turned to night, the fire began to roar and more cars loaded with bikes and gear would bounce up the rocky trail to the campsite…  Car doors would open, LED headlamps would click on, we’d all shake hands, clink beer bottles, and vow to meet again in the morning when we could see…

Anyone who’s ever camped away from the lights of the city during a new moon knows the vastness of the midnight sky on a clear night.  Late that night I’d duck away from the fire, find a rock nearby and gaze, refreshingly, towards the Milky Way for a least 45 minutes in awe before retreating to the comfort of the sleeping bag… Everyone needs a truly grounding experience in their lives…

The following morning we’d wake, open the tent door and see at least a dozen cars and some 25 people struggling to wake up.  With an array of riding abilities the group would fracture for the day.  The Mrs. and I chose to ride Bar M and Deadman’s Ridge.  A ride very close to camp, Bar M is a series of punchy singletrack loops that makes for a nice coupla hour ride without fear of getting marooned…

Deadman’s Ridge is a prime technical challenge of steep ridges and rocky descents, on par with Sovereign Trail….

Deadman’s would be a solo time trial effort on my part, and I was sure to capture the footage on the GoPro…

And with temps in the mid-80’s and no breeze, a scorcher it was…

There was a strong contingent of climbers amongst the group and so the late afternoon activity lead us to Arches National Park, to Owl Rock…

Having climbed maybe 5 times in my life, this sucker was well out of reach (literally).  Non-climbers took in the view of the evening desert sun, having nowhere to be, no obligations to tend to, no emails to check, for the duration.  We’d laugh and heckle our new friends on the wall above…

…As 6 or 7 climbers made the 150′ ascent and stood atop the rock, howling at the sun…

We’d drift back out to camp with plenty of light for getting settled, piling wood in the empty fire ring, and cooking dinner.  You know you had a serious campfire the night before when not 20 minutes after throwing wood on the still-hot ashes from 24 hours earlier the thing self-ignites.  Had we been in a forest, we’d have surely been more careful.

And once the sun disappeared the debauchery would ensue once more.  After a full day, and two more wide-open days dangling in front of us, a relaxed and euphoric group of new friends gathered around the blazing fire.  We’d share stories from the day and jokes from past experiences which fueled the energy of the night just as the wood fueled the bonfire we were encircling…

It’s truly inspiring how a campfire can bring strangers together in a way so indistinguishable from our everyday work lives…

Bottles were emptied, and emptied…………and emptied………. And as night turned into early morning the embers burned low, and one by one the sound of tent zippers from each corner of camp lulled us to sleep…  tomorrow promised new experiences….

I was able to compile a little musical montage of some of the scarier sections of what Moab has to offer from the recent trip.  Please, enjoy the 80’s rap  that I have chosen.

Make sure to turn it up a bit…

With two days down and two days to go on our Moab spring training camp extravaganza, The Stunt Double and I spent the evenings eating, eating again, eating dessert, and texting each other from across the hotel room.

And we probably added at least 100 hits to that honey badger YouTube video everyone’s been talking about…

The next morning we were again greeted to sunny skies and warm temps as we headed out of town, meeting up with our camping com padres to tackle the formidable Gold Bar / Golden Spike / Portal Trail ride.

Arm warmers were quickly shed as we made our way west towards the Gemini Bridges area.  Another part of Moab I’d never ridden, the Jeep road would quickly steepen, cresting the mesa and opening up to sweeping westward views, while we were flanked by slot canyon after slot canyon as we dug deeper into the desert…

Following a few more miles towards Gemini, we’d turn off onto Gold Bar trail which is a mix of slickrock, sand, and juniper which climbs steeply towards the rim…

The miles tacked on as we climbed from west, to southeast, ledge after ledge, toward the rim that overlooks Moab.  The higher the trail lead us the more dramatic the views became.  Soon, we’d look southwest and see the Colorado River, where Amasa Back would reveal itself; the spot we’d been the morning before off, in the distance…

Taking ample time to soak in the views, we’d continue, we’d fix a flat or two, watch one of our com padres do a slow-motion endo off a three foot rock ledge, and continue our climb towards the rim…

Gold Bar Rim trail turns into Golden Spike at some point in the vastness of the Utah slickrock desert.  Golden Spike is also one of the toughest Jeep trails in the area, and feels like a massive rocky plate shifted at about a 30 degree angle.  The Golden Spike trail contours much of the plate, up and down, but with a general upward climb…

The wind…. it’s the wind that clues you in as to what you’re about to come upon.  The realization that the horizon seems to just drop off up ahead is a clue that the rim is close by.  And sure enough, after one more rocky ledge, after the trail turns around one more juniper tree, as you’re “just-riding-along”…

Wham….

More or less a coupla’ thousand feet to the valley floor…

Can you find the bikes in the picture above?  …….vertigo……

We’d spend our fair share of time feeling like we were the most important things in the world, the Stunt Double did his best “I’m the king of the woooorld!” line…

and we’d move on towards what can only be described as, well, a lot scarier than this, as we headed due south towards Portal Trail…

Now anybody who knows Moab and anybody who’s a fairly proficient Google-user knows that Portal Trail has some significant dangers…

This is a screenshot of the helmet-cam video that the AV department is currently working on, by the way…

Anyhoo, Portal Trail is some serious $h!t.  If you’ve ever been to Moab and look towards the northwest, and…….well…….UP, you’ll see it….

I took one single picture because it was just that scary…

There’s a trail in there somewhere.. and while the trail is rough enough that even the immortals are forced to walk a third of it, here’s the vantage point from my helmet-cam…

Yyyyyyaa.  Riding down Portal isn’t exactly about the skillz you gotz, or the training you’re doing, it’s about not dying…

The trail precariously descends through the thousand-or-so-foot cliff somehow, hugging the cliff wall until the slopes finally begin to relax and the trail eases its deathgrip on the dainties…

More than a few pucker-sections later we’d find ourselves on Potash Road, on the banks of the Colorado River once more, hooting, cursing, and elated as we pedaled back towards Moab…

The final day of the trip we did what most do and headed back towards Colorado, but first turning the tires towards Fruita for one more ride.  Only an hour and change from Moab, if offers a nice break in the drive home.

Fruita’s become a real mountain bike destination in the past 5 or so years, and it deserves its own trip.  For this quick ride it was just the Stunt Double and I, having bid farewell to our riding partners the night before at the Moab Brewery…

The Book Cliffs was where we’d spent only an hour or so, cooling down the legs as a storm front approached from the north…

In contrast to the incessantly rocky and unforgiving terrain of the Moab desert, the Book Cliffs of Fruita offer a tamer set of terrain, and a bit less of a chance of death-from-cliff.  The powdery, flowy trails soothed the system as we eased back into society on this quick cool down, which was a fitting end to the weekend…

So there you have it… spring training camp in a nutshell.  In fact, the trip was such a success I’ve got another one scheduled with the Mrs. and some of her friends in another few weeks.  In the meantime, I’ll be busy getting the helmet-cam video all ready to go.

And in other news, I’ve taken possession of my 2012 racing machine: the Specialized S-Works Epic carbon 29er…

This bike marks the first time my bike has more carbon fiber than metal, including the wheels… I’m counting my blessings to be able to have a dedicated trail bike as well as the F1 racing machine, and I can certifiably guarantee this beauty will never, EVER come close to hitting the rocky Moab dirt…but I’ll be heading back in a few short weeks…!

Historically, spring is one of two times during the year I typically make the pilgrimage to Moab, Utah for a mountain biking extravaganza.  It’s a time to ditch the cold and snowy Rocky Mountains for the desert; to hopefully dawn shorts and short sleeves for the first time of the season, and to really stretch the legs.  Moab is like no other place on Earth when it comes to mountain biking, and if you have been there, you know.

It was for all of these reasons that I met up with the Stunt Double and posse for a mountain bikers’ annual rite of spring…

On our way into town we pulled off on Dalton Wells Rd about 15 min north of town for Sovereign Trail.  Not having ever done it, nor knowing where we were going we thought it was a perfectly safe way to inaugurate the weekend.  And with a quick fist bump we jumped on the bikes and rode…

It wouldn’t take long for the fun to begin.  Sovereign Singletrack and Salt Wash are comprised of about 20 miles of trail made up of singletrack trail, slickrock, rocky ledges, and energy-sapping sand.  The overall elevation gain from the ride is relatively small, but continually rising out of the saddle for  punchy climbs, navigating tricky descents, and dropping small ledges really takes it out of you.  And it’s a great way to see Moab from a distance…

A truly Martian landscape this place is…

With the 3 hour warmup ride complete, we’d head into town, rest up for the night, and wait for the others.  It was time to git downda bidness, as they say…

The following morning would be a twofer: Amasa Back/Jackson’s followed by LPS/Porcupine Rim.

Amasa Back is a “quick and easy” thousand or so foot climb from Kane Creek Rd at the Colorado River up to one of the most amazing vistas from here to Mars…

Once topside, the self-portrait is a must-do…

We were feelin good.  You could seriously spend all day up there.  The views looking to the west are reminiscent of a Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote cartoon from WB.  The road in the valley far below served as part of recent race courses we’ve all done so often…

An optional descent off the top of Amasa Back is Jackson’s Trail.  It’s a fast, twisty introduction to some of Moab’s “high-exposure” areas with several hundred+ foot drops from the rocky cliffs to the Colorado River below…

You go off the edge here and it’s a costly mistake.  Which is precisely why I made the Stunt Double go first…

With the morning’s ride a nice inhalation of spring and temps in the mid-70’s, it was time to grab a some energy back at the cars and decide where to head for the afternoon…

Anyone who’s been to Moab has undoubtedly ridden Porcupine Rim, and anyone who goes there for a long weekend always returns to the fabled trail.  We would be no different as we’d load the bikes and head from west of town to the high plateaus of the La Sal foothills to the east…

Having ridden most of the morning already we’d get shuttled up the 10 or so miles to the Porcupine Rim drop-off, and would ride the remaining 4 miles to the start of LPS.  Lower Porcupine Singletrack is some of the best singletrack in the area, made up of seemingly endless twisty turns through pinon and juniper on solid hardpack trail.  We’d descend quickly to the Porcupine Overlook and would all practice our wheelies at the cliff’s edge.  I’m still practicing mine, and it seems I’ve got a long way to go…

The 13 or so mile descent from 7400′ to 4000′ was where I got the chance to really test out my new Specialized EVO.  With 6″ of travel, it would prove severely addictive, and the perfect trail bike for Moab. We’d stop often, taking in the valley views,  not at all wanting to end the ride…

Rest assured, I brought along the GoPro HD helmetcam and captured some seriously scary footage, to be compiled into a fantastical musical montage which will be released here soon.  Descending Porcupine to the Colorado River we’d flow, turn through turn, one rider after another, each experiencing the trail in our own way, and smiling widely.

Speaking of experiencing the trail in our own way, one of ours was experiencing the weekend on a carbon fiber hardtail.  Knowing his riding abilities from racing against him the past few years, it surprised none of us that Lucas P (aka The Boy Genius)  was first down most sections of the trail while we soaked up every bump on our trail rigs.  The first few times I rode Moab was on a hardtail, and it was a truly painful experience.  I did not envy him the back pain he must have experienced…

“Age has it’s advantages…” I heard the Stunt Double say as we left their campsite and pedaled to the comforts of our hotel…

With Day 2 of Spring Training Camp 2012 complete, we’d spend the rest of the evening eating, re-hydrating, a little bike maintenance, and putting the legs up as the sun set to the west over what would be the following day’s trails…

Comin’ up next, the rest of the weekend’s rides including Gold Bar/Golden Spike, and the Holy $h!T of them all, Portal Trail… stay tuned…

Lucky for us we got one more day of winter this past February.  Like most, I’m starting to daydream of warmer days and drier trails.  I’ve developed an unhealthy relationship with my winter gear and I’m ready to start shedding some layers…..

On the other hand, I’ve had plenty of opportunity to get better at skiing.  One recent outing I was able to verify that my helmet still works.  And of course, the footage is currently in the editing department.  I thought I’d give you a peek at what I saw in the split second that it took for me to go over the bars at 12,000ft…

Here we are as I get a little forward rotation in the air.  Notice the arm position in preparation for a big hit…

One bazillianth of a nanosecond later, this was the last thing I saw as I landed, and immediately ejected from both skis leaving them perfectly aimed downhill and motionless…

And here we have impact.  Notice the “No Pain No Jane” sticker on my helmet is in plain view, as the GoPro camera mount ripped right off as I did my best ostrich impression…

In cycling related news, another one of the steeds is up on the auction block as the 2012 racing season approaches…

FOR SALE!  Either the complete bike, or as the frame/fork.  Never crashed…..which is less than I can say for those skis… Interested?  Leave a comment!

Well the snow is piled high in Denver and I’m truly starting to forget what it’s like to ride a mountain bike…

How regional these storms are is the interesting thing.  60 miles south of here, in The Homeland (good ol’ Colorado Springs) they continue to ride on dry trails.   For instance, the Stunt Double sent me a video clip from one of his recent outings; one where he’s obviously getting ready for some bigger trails than he’s used to…

He was using terms like “bitchin” and “totally railed it” so I can only assume he’s feeling ok.  It’s all good, I’m THRILLED to be getting my own riding in, and loving every last second of getting nowhere on the rollers…

As has become the norm these winters I’ve been getting my fair share of DH time on the boards, desperately trying to capture the essence of a my skiing experiences for you all.  It’ll come together…

We’ve got a lot of winter ahead, but with each shovel stroke thoughts of spring are creeping into my head.  And the 2012 team and calender are starting to come together too, as they typically do this time of year.  Rumor has it that McDonald’s and Porsche are out, Pikes Peak Acura is in.  I’m just  hoping I can get my hands on one of those new demos…

Now that Ski Country USA is finally starting to get their fair share of snow I’ve actually begun collecting some helmet cam ski footage.  Besides, what’s the fun of watching helmet cam footage of long road rides?

Please, take a quick 60 second bump run with me.   Today’s interval sessions, if you will.  Turn up the volume for some mid-80’s rap, yall.  Set me up, Rev.

Well, Happy New Year to everyone.  Here’s to hoping that 2012 is bigger and better than ever.

January means it’s high time to start doing my homework again.  And so far, this winter’s been a complete role-reversal to last year at this time.

The ski resorts are dry, while the Big D saw twice its average December snowfall.

Recent mountain bike rides have meant spending more time washing the 6 lbs of mud off my bike than actually riding it.  But with January’s current mildness, the snow’s all but gone and what road riding you can get in before the sun sets has been good…

Particularly last weekend’s ‘cafe’ ride with the boys, which included a stop at Valdic’s favorite cappuccino joint in Morrison.  Valdic, the Luna Chix Pro Mountain Bike Team manager for the past decade couldn’t stop screaming, “see, you should’a had’a cappuccino!” in his heavy European  accent, while cresting every hill ahead of the rest.

And while those who are trying to make a run for the glory head to the warmth of Arizona these months for training camps, us mortals bear through the shortened days and cold nights…

But the good news is that today is longer than yesterday.  And I guess that’s part of what makes summers so great…

And besides, I’ve got PLENTY of helmet cam ski footage to collect, having barely broken in the skis this season, so I can only hope for snow.

And speaking of things that make you feel too cool, you ever get the sense people are laughing at you?