return from bend

Well it was an amazing time. It brought back so many memories. It threatened rain, but only sprinkled, and I got to spend lots of time by a blazing fire telling stories, listening to others tales, laughing hesterically, and riding my bike with many, many great people. First off bend has some of the greatest trials, singletrack nirvana perhaps. I get lost as soon as I get on the trial system, there are just that many, all of them fun all of them fast, and swoopy. is that a word. So enough about that here is the real story.
I had four days away from seattle, got up friday morning feeling just awful, had to go to a doctor, met a really cool naturopath/doctor who had more time for me than any doctor I remember in the past and actually was a real person, no white coat, no stuffy attitude and most off no waiting forever in the waiting room and then the paient room. Community medicine rocks. So we were off and even on schedule, we did however wake up much earlier than expected. Truck was packed to the gills. dogs, bikes, camping stuff for days we were ready to hit the open road, a bit of traffic, memorial day weekend and all, so we detored down the washington side of the gorge and hit up a little brewery, Walking man, I really love their beer, got to meet Bob and Jacob the owner and the brewer, and sample some great beer, everything they brew is over the top good. The old stumblefoot barely wine, the homo erectus ipa, the knukledragger pale and on and on. Good break on the drive down, off to bend we went, more traffic in and underpowdered early 90's two wheel drive toyota and we finally arrived at 7 pm, set up camp and quickly headed to get some food in town. Lets just say that the weather was ditinctly not warm and we had forgot a few key items, what to do but make do, nothing a large camp fire wont solve. Then it was off to bed.
Day 2
we had friends from Seattle that were making their way down so we went in to town got coffee, tried to get ahold of the Vulture, did get ahold of the Vulture, got directions and headed out to his land. A short trip out of town and we were there, I got to see his new shop, look at what was a tube set but with his magic would shortly be a frame and fork, watch him craft my fork. I spent some quality time with wade. he happens to be one of my favorite people and he seemed more foucused and directed than I had seem him, amazing what your own space will do for you, we joke about getting older and more focused and what it all looked like. Wade has some great ideas and projects in the works, if only I lived closer I would love to be more invloved, but I digress. Back at the camp site to wait for our friends to arrive. They pull up we unload the bikes and are off. The trails are awsome did I say that already, up Stormking, a few brake problems for Pete, down the Whoops trail, Keith nailed it, the worlds largest bmx course, so much fun, 24 miles later we are back at camp after some pioneering and some wrong turns we made it. We all decieded to stay put and enjoy the camp and fire, a few beers and then off to bed.
Day 3
There was rumblings of a 50 miler to which I flat out said no. We as a larger group took of from camp, and made our way up the trails. Now riding with a group of 20 is a little bit of a challange so eventually the group splits those that are going for 20 and those that are going for more. Everyone says the trail that those going for more are headed towards is amazing, well I sit the fence as person after person goes, I can no longer say no to it, you only live once right. Well I am sick and still on the mend and this would later come back to get me. I have to chase back on to the group, I do. Then comes a grinder up a climb with a headwind that is like riding on marbles, I had to glue my ass to the saddle or I was a sail and my rear end wouldnt hook up. Finally Marazik, hike some snow on the top section and then, oh my god so much fun, cornering speed and hook up amazing, we were flying down the trail. Seemingly endless. finally we navigate back to a place I recognize, 35 mile in, I ride a couple more and then call danielle to come get me. I havent done this before but I had been without water and food for an hour and my body was telling me to get to town and get some food so that is what I did. Wise I shovled in so much food and got myself feeling better.
Later that night Wade shows up with his girlfriend Jessica we tell stories, wade I will never forget the monkey story, I am glad you told it. Remember this if someone ever says oh I got a monkey story, listen up you are sure to laugh and laugh hard. He brings me my raw frame, and off road fixie with no rear brake bosses, a true monster cross frame. wade you rock, amazing. i cant wait to ride it. I am in the process now of getting it powder coated and then it will be shred ready. I cnat wait. picture soon. i am such a terrible picture taker, I love photography I just always space taking picutres. next time, next itme
Monday, day 4
the most beautiful of them all, we go check out Skelaton cave, the bend brewery and head home. arriving there a little after 11pm. Back to the day to day. Thanks to all on this trip it was truely amazing and it was great to see you all. over and out and as always keep pedaling.

off to bend

I am off to bend oregon to hang out with the vulture, hopefully ride my monster cross off road fixie, that is if wade has put torch to metal and worked his magic, and continue to celebrate my birthday. I know it was on the 12th but I turned 32 and that means 32 days of celebration. There is a posse from reno coming up, been a long time brothers and sisters and another posse coming from the land of rain and sunshine that I now call home. So not that I have been blogging that much anyways, I really liked the last post so I wanted to leave it up front for awhile. Not much is different although we have been dealing with a bit more grey than sun lately, and the weather forcast is calling for thunder boomers in Bend, but I am going to have fun no matter what.
As far as my health energy comes energy goes some days are better than others, it gets old, still transitioning from one place to the next, life is always in motion, ever changing. I am planning to get my in city race on here in a bit, there is a big art show coming up sponsored by reload bags, that has a race with it and on the holiday of all holidays 6.6.06 there is a race to celebrate one of my all time favortie bands slayer. The new summer Cranked mag came out, the boys sure have been busy, it is full of great info and articles. So the end of may and early june are full of things to do, work is work after all, it pays the bills, although getting home at 3 every night gets a bit old and wears on the system, not the greatest for the recover angle of things. But I digress, I will rise again, as always pedal pedal pedal, and keep pedaling.

Is it the next thing to go commercial?

I have always had a knack for choosing those things in life that are on the fringe, but on the way in to the mainstream? Dare I say trend setter? no, that I am not, I just choose things that speak to me, and are with principal not what others or the mainstream is doing. As a kid in the 80's it was skateboarding, watching skate flicks and being influenced by Lance Mountain, Tony Hawk, Danny Way, Gator, the Gonz etc. California Dreaming was a state of mind, if only I could have grown up on the other coast I'd think. I skated for years, traveled and got quite good, never could fully commit to moving and got talked in to going to college, but always my focus was my passion for attempting, and completing tricks or series of tricks or one huge gap. I learned the meaning of calculated risk, the value of perseverance, pain, passion, dedication, through skateboarding and skateboarders I learned much of what I know in one way or another, it defined me and to some extent does to this day. I still look at benches and ledges and the whole urban landscape totally differently than most, I imagine the possibilities, It is a playground, not just a city. Life throws changes at us all the time, most of the time I apporach these the same way in which I would a trick on a board, observe, try and try again, until you get it. So there you have it, but I must get back on track here. So while looking around the net I stumbled on this www.mashsf.com I have watched many of Gabes films in the past, and it looks like he is taking the next step in urban bike films, filming them like skate films, check out the trailer it is impressive, it has that rebel undertone to it, very marketable, read that with sarcasm please. That comment however brings it full circle, fixed gear riding is with rising gas price, trails being so far away, the next market to be pushed in to the lime light. I admit there is nothing like splitting lanes in traffic on a fixie, all your sense are engaged, it is one of the most alive moments, at times it is almost as though you have a glimse in to the future because you have to be that confident or you wouldnt be doing what you are doing. I am going to continue to do what I do, maybe one of these days I will get it together enough to captialize on my forward thinking nature, or maybe I will just live life day to day doing what makes me happy and what comes my way comes my way, I am me at the end of the day and that is really what matters, that and spreading the gospel of riding, so if urban fixed gear is the next skateboarding I am so happy because that means more people on bikes and at the end of the day more people on bikes is the best thing that could happen in this country. As I have maintained from the begining we will change the world one pedal stroke at a time, as gas prices climbs I will continue to smile as the inevitable is one step closer, more people will figure out the simple joy of riding a bike one pedal stroke at a time. thanks for reading. as always keep pedaling.

Sun top Exploration

ON monday we took a ride towards Crystal Mountain to in theory ride the Sun top trail. I ahve been told that the sun top trail is quiet the epic, a long steep fireroad climb, followed by a steep single track climb and then a descent that goes on forever. I have been told to think of cramping fingers from so much braking. MOre please. We had a big snow year here in the northwest and everything was looking good untill we hit about 4,000 feet in elevation that is where the snow closed in on the road. We contemplated hiking but we had a ways to go and although I have never ridden it, the other two people I was with had and they said not worth the effort. I have never been a huge fan of hiking my bike, if I liked to hike that much I wouldnt have a bike. Nothing against a little walk in the woods, but lets face it a whole lot more can be seen and taken in from the seat of a bike. So we turned around bombed down the fire road, and rode the Skookum Flats trail. Which i rode about a month and a half ago, but it was much drier and faster this time. In this same area there is also the Ranger Creek trial, and crystal mountain is not too far off. I plan to find a way to link all three and attempt to complete them in one ride. I am confident that if my fitness keeps improving that I will be able to do this by the end of the summer. I think the ride will be somewhere in the 75 mile area, with gobs of steep northwest climbing. But given my past endevors I think that I could get it done. I plan to know all the loops before I link them all together, not need to be route finding while going for time. I hope that the sun stays out up here, it has been absolutly amazing this week, highs in the 70's, and sunny. Almost makes me forget about the rain. not really. So I have been getting more and more miles, I am averaging over a 100 a week and up to 150 which I think is good considering where my body, mind and soul were last year at this time. Lots of road miles, and geared to boot, but there is one way to get back in shape, carefully, and by taking steps to get there, not big jumps. So although I would like to be out there for more miles, I am happy with what I do get. Hopefully next year will be different. But that is next year I am here and now. ONly about 10 days until I leave for bend to hang out with a lot of good people. I am excited about this. over and out and as always keep pedaling.

life happens....

Life happens and I have not been blogging at all. In fact I havent really been spending much time on the computer. The weather here has been great for the most part, except the one day I went mountain biking at a local tree farm when it was pouring down rain. my new vulture jersey got broken in that day, the white is a little browner now. That ride done with my friend pete was one probably the second wettest mountain bike ride I have had ever been on. I thought for a bit that it may be the wettest, but there was a race in napa that I did years ago that was colder, wetter and more open to the elements. I digress. Lots has been happening. Work, ride, repeat. I have a job interview today with one of the local bike clubs to be a bike ambassador, sounds like it could be interesting and fun. How could it not be fun to advocate for bikes?
Twin six kit came. the argyle jersey is a crack up. I get plenty of comments while wearing that one.
Planning for Memorial Day Weekend, going to Bend Oregon, to see some friends and get plenty of riding in, right from my campsite. I can not wait. See the Vulture, sloane and many others. Looks like the REno clan is coming up to. Ill be taking photos and maybe trying to get a flickr site up and going here so that photos can be avalible all the time.
On the fitness front I am feeling a bit better, still taking it easy, but increasing the hours on the bike as well as the milage. I have even hit 15o miles in a week a couple of times. Not what it used to be, mostly utility miles running errands and the such.
Seattle is taking some adjustment for me, I still dont feel totally at home here, I have to drive to get my singletrack fix, which is not the way it was, this takes some getting used to. My friend base is growing, but not what it was in Reno. Speaking of Reno, trying to sell the house down there, the overhead is a bit much right now, and the renters that we had moved on so it is becoming too much work from so far away.
Got a new fork, and wheelset for the skull bike, thinking about getting some new skull rotors to match the bike.
Everything else is as it is. I used to laugh when my parents talked about how fast time seems to fly by as you get older, well it is picking up steam and I see what it is they were saying. I fight the urge of complacency, trying to make the days different and the experiences new, I see a bike tour or extended trip in the near future, for some perspective, some time to put it all together or to not have to feel the urge to figure it out, to just ride and pedal and experience the moment, the grandness that is living. I am about to turn 32 in a couple of days, I may have to do some sort of challange on my birthday to make it stand out. I do realize more and more that I lead a pretty unique life. The other day while riding in the rain, my chamois feeling much like a diaper that had been soiled, my face caked with mud it occured to me that not everyone gets it, we, those that are adventures seek out difficulty situations and activities, istead of searching for the easiest path, the one of least resistence. At that moment I smiled and it felt great to be alive. I search out moments that make me feel alive, and search for the edge, last year I push over that edge, I could turn and run, or I could learn and continue to test the limits knowing that the potential to fall is always there, but we humans a reslient and we get back up, and we move on, forward, why because what else is there to do. Lie down and die, become complacent and comfortable. we all need some comfort and a place to go home to, but I like to be out there alive, an intergral part of the world. So I have rambled on a hope to have made some sense. This is not meant to be a polished peice of work, just a brain dump. So get out there and be alive. Peace be with you and as always keep pedaling.