The Mongolia Chronicles

The Light. The Light.

Was insane this morning. Despite still feeling a bit under the weather.....it was a fantastic ride. So nice to be back out in the woods in the early light and check on all the 'regular' places. God bless commutes.

Best Q Shot Ever....

Best Dad/Q shot ever. Two Mad Men - embarking on a journey - with a very unknown outcome - deep in the clutches - of each other.
Right coast was sweet - sweet as sweet gets with all the trimmings....more details later.

If a finger-flip Lien lands in the woods......

Does Neil Blender hear it on the west coast?

Scrapped this trick about 2 years ago after repetetive and painful shin slams, credit cards and other various and sundry other 'issues' associated with a 180 spin of the body, while the board does an inward finger flip - all in the air - then landing presicely on the back tail of said board. Phew. Wasn't even going to skate today. Rode, felt like DOOOOKUS after the 8 minute gulch ride. But somedays...you just gotta. I don't even know when I started thinking finger flip. It just came to me. It's such a strange thing, as you kind of have to suspend your body in the air while your board does the flip thing...and you watch, and time it - and finally - it all comes together - and that's a righteous feeling. I am not dead yet. And for this - I am grateful.

In riding news......

The Singlay - the crucifix of LOVE is back on the trail. OUCH!!!! Spoiled I have been by the 23 pound loveliness of the PIVOT. I will have a pivot in the near future...even if I gotta steal it. So - along the lines of the above...if a trail starts in the middle of the woods - and goes NOWHERE - does anyone care? I do. Mr. Fitness does. But I think that's about it. We have evolved to a place on the heavens of the MTB universe where trails don't go anywhere, we never die, we never grow old. It's a great place. Nearvana - if you will........
Off to Ny to ride this:

Le Conquistador Topples Stovepipe Peak Via 8 minute gulch, gaining membership into The Fakarwe Tribe

Donny was 'concerned' about his cycling specific fitness. Luckily, he showed up on ONE of the payback rides where you basically take a pounding for hours and hours for "the best 8 minutes of singletrack I have ever ridden." We took that pounding, and it was OK. We were representing pilots around the world, seeking the steep and the (not) so remote. Any time one is lost - is good time. Great time.
We found the thing, after the road climb and the other stuff, and the thing was good and fast and sweet and blissful. Then - knowing - full well - that EVERYTIME you do the 'DIRECT' route - it takes longer than the "I know where that goes" route. 90 minutes later, after we hobbled up 8 minute gulch (trademark - m.luscher) we found the same exact trail - that we started on. When we lost faith - when we opted out of the grubby looking, tree-filled gulch that was MAYBE 400 yards from sweet singletrack - we lost our way.
But it was still grand.
Never stood on top of this peak - Stovepipe Peak - 8,8000 feet above sea level - in the damn middle of fricking nowhere screaming - "WE'RE THE FAKARWE??????". Exploring, is always better than knowing where you are. We know where the trails AREN'T - so next time - we have better odds of finding out where they are.
And we had fun. And it was good.

Bunt Files Re-Opened

Back on the horse. 50 attempts. If I do 50 - every day from now until I am 45 - I will do like 25,000. I think it's in there. Felt some good pop on a few today. It will come.
Tomorrow - we ride. Long, and up and with freinds and with sentiment.
As it ever was.

Boulder Ditch Building Association

Such a huge contrast today.
Rolling at dawn - bunch of these lately. It's a good thing. A great thing. A bonus. Thought I was maybe getting sick yesterday but woke up feeling great, and rolled with a smile and some tasty tunes and a pick up of a great neighbor to jump into the ride.

We rolled NAWTH....and found the damn thing that it took me three whole tries to find.

The 'character' of the trails we rode for the first 90 minutes were prime. Sustainable, 15+ years old, smooth, season to season - just amazing resources. Grins all around. we then transitioned to some 'newer' resources, and it's safe to say that it basically ruined my day. I have stayed off this 'area' of trails for 3+ years, simply because I could see exactly where it was going. I am not going to go off on some tangent railing on 'Freeriders' because I really respect and admire some of that type of riding. Very cool way to interpret and expand what you can do on a bike. The thing that really boggles my mind - and perhaps someone can answer this for me: Why build a trail that you KNOW is going to be un-rideable in a season or less - best case scenario? I mean - that is a ton of labor, a ton of effort and a ton of time off your bike digging, shaping and locating the route for a trail. This is a huge commitment of time and energy. Wouldn't it be so much better to build something that will last? Then after years and years of this - you are experiencing this HUGE system of trails that are sustainable and fun and ride-able year after year.

I'd love an answer to this. Maybe it's just - hey - it was fin for a while - now we'll build somewhere else and somewhere else and somewhere else???? Dunno.

Just Riding ALong

Completely asleep at the wheel last night on the way home. Perfect evening, cooler temps up high - but the legs were tired (from the stresses of Tuesday am and the thrutching of LOST). I was struck by the complete absurdity of the commute I was involved in. I rode some stuff, some other stuff, hiked a bit and ended up on a road near my house that leads to a trail that goes to my house. The sun was soft and light in the sky and I was tired, heading home to a bath with the Dude of Dudes. It was awesome.
Friday with Tyler ride in the am.....then an all day Quinn fest saturday...then NewYork and the beach - all next week. I can smell the salt water and the early morning surf checks over coffee with my family....smells goooooodt.

Two Trails Diverged......

And since it was LOST Tuesday (now a tradition in it's second week and showing no signs of slowing down) I went one way. I don't remember which. I got l-o-s-t. I thought I was in the place that goes down to the other place - but I ended up basically circumnavigating the area I thought I was in on a trail I have certainly never seen and ending up back on something I haven't ridden in a few years. Took THAT thing in a generally eastward direction. Headed across the roads to look for the entrance to the other thing, went ENTIRELY the wrong way, for about 30 minutes. Doubled back, headed up the other road, slowly closing in on my 9:30 meeting. Missing the meeting would indeed be a bad career move, so I was hauling ass. Found the entrance to the other thing had been replaced by a house and some huge gates. Easy - hike around. HAH! Got lost. Now really getting desperate - 3 hours into the ride - to actually get to a road/Boulder - some kind of indicator that I would soon be able to get to work. Took a flume like thing that I KNEW would turn out poorly - and dropped about a thousand feet. Came out between two houses, slid down a tailings dump and into the road and hopped on and started hammering for the bus.

Hobbled into Moe's and there was girl and dude...egg sandwich already ordered and cooking.

This was a good illustration of perspective. I had great perspective today due to girl smacking me in the head with a frying pan of love and support this past weekend. Gotta keep the perspective. As long as I am lost - I am happy. Gotta keep that in mind.

That's What Ramps are For

Nice when the black van shows up in the driveway...and skaters...good skaters...flow out. Inspires someone like me. And I need to be reminded of the power of skateboarding. It is inestimable.

Tour D' BabyHead

4 hours. 5,000 feet. Headed up into Gawd's country. High = Good.