A Rake and a Gun.

The sense of accomplishment that comes from creative endeavors is something I revel in.  These past few weeks I took it upon myself to restore some beloved trails that had fallen victim to some logging.  I reconnected an old section that joined the upper and lower network of trails, and I also installed a brand new loop.  One fortunate thing about logging, is that it creates vast corridors through the woods, with great line-of-sight, and pre-packed surface (hard surfaces mean fast, and fast trails are the best trails!).  I did it for me, because I wanted a sweet little power loop, but I also did it for the bike community, because it created access to some new terrain, and can be ridden by all skill levels.  To me, "difficult" doesn't always equal enjoyable riding, so I set about crafting something with flow, cool sections, and solid distance.  I think this will be a wicked addition to the already great selection available for wheels and feet alike to play on.

At present, I don't have any photos depicting my efforts to share - so what we instead have is a display of my abilities with a .22 bolt-action rifle.  This was a different kind of afternoon in the woods, and as it were, I did this right after I finished the loop!  It was fun to hang with the guys and have a little marksman competition.  I'd never done this before, though I've always been keen to put some lead downrange!  We are now thinking of making this a regular event and having a little friendly monthly gathering with a competitive twist.  To me, this is just like going out for a ride with friends: we're competing to see who is "on" that day, while enjoying being outside, and the shared company of like-minded folks.
As of recent, I've been realizing more and more what it is that I enjoy about my hobbies; while often it is the thrill of the activity itself, I now see that there is also a tremendous social component involved as well.  Sharing the ride, the range, the trails, the fun - it's what gives the those times that extra zest, the "memorable" factor.  From new inside jokes, to stories shared, the bonding and comradery that is created among a group brought together by a common interest is a unique and exciting element in life.  Full circle, I think that was one of the driving forces behind my motivation to build some new dirt ribbon:  the idea that there is only more good times and funny antics to be had now that it's there!

GATORAAADE! ; H2O! ; GATORAAADE! ; H2O!

The slight dread of knowing you're going to run out of water is a tough way to start a ride.  But, as long as you ration correctly, and don't build up some weird anxiety about it, you'll get through it
.  In the past 5 months, I have done this more times than I think are acceptable, but each time I've learned a good lesson about mental fortitude and physical limits. 

At least it was a nice day!

Still being able to push at 70-80% for the whole ride while taking in too little water is an interesting and unique challenge each time you do it, because the external factors like the weather, and the trail being ridden are not consistent.  You must "feel" it out as you go, deciding at what intervals you ought to drink, and for how long you can possibly wait to indulge in a sip. 
What makes it more interesting, is when the whole group is poorly prepared and everyone is dealing with the same questions regarding effort/rationing.  Thankfully, this wasn't some crazy survival scenario, it was just a fun, albeit poorly planned for, Saturday ride with friends.  But the lesson each time never changes: be better equipped for the journey ahead, but don't underestimate your ability to push yourself physically and mentally.

Sensational Spring Season

The Might Silver Fern in NZ - photo taken on a hike.

Spring in New England is like a post-apocalyptic wasteland.  It's really warm in the day, freezing cold at night, the trees are bare, and you're not sure if it's going to rain or snow, or both.  You plan the day based on what how the walk to the mailbox went: Slipped on black ice?  Better fire up Netflix and put on the kettle; Stopped to admire the bird songs and soak in the sun?  Get out there and hangout with Nature.  Thankfully, there have been more days allowing for the latter, and that is uplifting.
Yesterday, I went for a jaunt in the woods, to go scout a logged area for some potential new mountain bike trails.  It was late afternoon, but because the canopy was lacking foliage, the sun was still ripping through the branches and bathing muddy ground in renewing warm.  The birds haven't yet returned from their winter homes, so it was a fairly silent evening stroll aside from the crunching of my steel-toes crunching against the snow, ice, and logging slash strewn about. 
The mini-hike proved fruitful, and I was able to lay the groundwork to reclaim the land for multi-sport use, post-logging.  But, the bigger picture was me was the enjoyment of being alone in the woods, just bopping around.  I "hike" almost every weekend at a race when I do a track walk or two, but I think a lot of people forget that true hiking is not on a well-worn trail with a hundred other people on a Saturday afternoon; it's wandering in the woods, navigating the undulating topography and getting away from the populous - at least that's the appeal of it for me.

First Ride Of My Third Summer

A friend in NZ and I were messaging one another on facebook the other day, and as we signed off, his exit line included the phrase, "Enjoy your third summer!"

I hadn't thought about this...I hashtagged "second summer" until my fingers hurt on instagram for the last 5 months, but somehow this continuation of the season momentarily escaped me.  It's pretty wild to think about.  I have wanted to chase summer for many years, and to be finally doing that just feels...right.  Granted, skiing is my second love, but it is so weather dependent, I found myself more often frustrated than stoked in recent years.  In a very cerebral sense, it's weird that my life revolves around revolutions: that of bicycle wheels, and similarly, the Earth around the Sun.  I structure my life around these two cycles, and sometimes I pause.....and laugh because on paper it seems ridiculous.  But then, on a more esoteric level, it makes all the sense in the World, and the prospect of living in any other fashion would be equally as ridiculous.

Sunny and 70, what's not to like?

Even after riding in the Southern Summer for the Northern Winter, I still felt a great sense of joy and excitement yesterday when I got out on the trails for the first ride of the Northern Summer.  I know it could have just been another day on the bike, but I really reveled in the occasion, because despite the snow that was still residing in the shade, I know that in the immediate future, there is more Summer to be had; to me, that's the best news.  Summer isn't just a denotation on a calendar or a season for the weatherman to ruin with bad predictions:  it is play time.  It is the time when all of my friends and I gather in the woods with wheeled steeds, happy-yell a lot, and get dirty.  Pretty excellent, right?
The other elements of warm weather, greenery, hammocks, suns-out-guns-out, blah blah blah SUMMER make me smile and happy.  Winter, it holds these elements too, but I think it really breaks down to the nostalgic and angelic implications of Summer - when we were free to roam and be reckless as kids.  Those were our glory daze, our formidable years come to life, the months of our reckonings for all that was to become of our lives.
Now, at 25, not much has changed; Fighting the rift of unemployment, misdirection, self-doubt, and anything else sitting around thinking too much can conjure up.  But, I'm reveling in it this time around.  I have momentum for the first time in a long time.  I just got home from something amazing.  It's almost Summer again.  I'm an adult, but I'm going to shirk those duties for as long as possible.  I'm going to keeping riding my bike, taking photos, and writing until something happens.  A lively mind and body, unchained to a desk or some soul-stifling existence is my M.O.  I'm trying to find a way to have a life-long vacation, and make a living doing it.  I'll probably have to hustle harder than if I'd just sat down in an office and pushed a big red button for 50 years, but that's not a life worth living, now is it?  We get one go at this, and I don't want to look back and think about how nice the sun looked through the break-room window on a blue-bird Summer's day...

Back In The Granite State

Just something visual to appease the readership.

Arriving home to a wet, cold, snow-covered world was a little depressing, I'll admit it.  After spending our Northern Hemisphere winter in the Southern Summer of New Zealand, the shock of a late Winter took a moment to recover from.  Thanks to all this insane climate change though, the weather is about flip-flop like an American politician and go from ice-cold to quite warm almost over night.  So, things are looking up.
Better yet, the race season is officially under way with the opening round of the World Cup happening this weekend in Lourdes, France.  Despite not being a real professional rider or photographer, it still feels weird seeing all these people I spent time with/around for the past few months on my computer screen instead of in line at the gondola - I feel a little left out!  The feeling is abating though as with each passing hour on this warm, breezy Saturday, the snow is visibly melting.

Due in part to the fact that I'm no longer traveling far-and-away, this blog is going to resume a more close-to-home style of reporting, though I'll still try and keep it interesting for those of you still tuning in.  It will be heavy with bike-related content, but I'm going to also see what other kind of yarns I can spin based on the goings-on around here in the meantime.  Photographic content ought to remain the same, though the views might not be nearly as spectacular as they have been for the past few months - just a fair warning.
So, while we wait for the season to really cooperate, here is a compilation of photos shot entirely from my balcony in Queenstown:

Not bad, eh?

The Long Trip Home

I highly recommend reading your boarding pass carefully, 14 hours is a long, long time to spend in an airport.  The good news though, is you can buy your way into the VIP flight lounges and enjoy the perks usually reserved for the traveling elite.  So, the unlimited wifi, food, coffee, and booze will help soften the boredom of waiting for your PM, not AM, international flight.  At least I wasn't in a rush...

The Whakarewarewa forest has both amazing riding, and equally amazing views.

It was an amazing finish to a tremendous 4.5 month stay in New Zealand: two weeks in Rotorua, enjoying all things, "BIKE"; Shooting photos for a week at Crankworx, working my way out of the Y.M.P. [Youngest Most Pathetic] position in the media room, and earning the respect of the cadre of photo-elites of the mountain bike industry, was to me, the perfect culmination of my time Wy Way Down Under.  After the event, I was able to enjoy three day of premier riding with old friends, with whom I was reunited on the other side of the world.  Hooting and hollering, sliding corners, and generally shit-talking was all I could have asked for - it was so much fun.  There are few things I enjoy as much as spending time with close friends, riding bikes in the woods.  To be able to do so in such a magnificent setting was both surreal and amazing.  The places my bike has taken me is something that I marvel at constantly, and a constant I hope to keep in my life. 

Smashing root-infested, slick corners is a fine way to spend the day.  Photo by my good friend Dave.

I arrived back home to dismal weather and "meh" temps, but this will give me the opportunity to settle in, compile some photographic work, and prep for the up-coming summer.  This is all one big adventure, and I'm happy to be once again doing something different, even if I am in a familiar place.  I'm be putting together a more comprehensive photo essay of my travels, and I'm actually looking forward to the retrospective because it will be like being back in NZ all over again!  

Making It Into The Big Time

A good friend and I put together a piss-take gallery over on VitalMTB.com for the Slopestyle finals at Crankworx Rotorua, mainly because we had no client obligations and such.  Take a look!

Here's one of my shots from the gallery, click over to the gallery to see the rest!