#followcamfriday taking on what I would consider to be Sedona's most dangerous line with Lars Romig. 

Some things were never meant to be ridden on a bicycle. Cathedral Rock Trail definitely falls into that category. Although it is technically legal to ride, I certainly cannot recommend that you go and ride this one. Sedona has a great number of wonderful mountain bike trails to choose from. This is not on that list. 

Lars has been thinking about this one for many years and had ridden most of the sections, just never the crux. There is just something special about linking the entire "hard" part together in one go. The game of chess comes to mind. With one notable difference. It is relatively hard to die playing chess. 

Simon Bosman gets credit for the first descent of Cathedral in 2016.  His ride was so remarkable at the time that it ended up on the evening news. To our knowledge, no one has attempted the line since, and with good reason. It is highly dangerous. Lars is the second person to clean this beast of a line. To be clear, I still have one small section to ride before I can claim a clean on this bit. I rode the "crux", but couldn't quite get my head around a section at the top. I'll be back. 

The hard part, pictured here, is definitely a consequential maneuver. If you fall to the right, you will be taking a helicopter  ride, directly to the hospital. 

In order to pull this off, we got up at 5am and began our hike to the top. No, it is not rideable on the climb. Cathedral is one of the most popular hiking trails in Sedona and is normally riddled with tourists. This trail is absolutely impossible to ride with random people hiking all over it, so we got an early start and were rewarded for it. This short section of trail is a conga train for most of the day. Early bird gets the worm. 

The saddle of Cathedral has been in 1 million instagram posts and is basically the most cliche' shot in Arizona. People in today's society feel social validation from posting this sort of thing. It is almost a contest in these people's brains to post all of the iconic locations and make others feel jealous in the process. What a vain existence. Almost as bad as posting selfies every day. To be clear, we do this sort of thing for the challenge, and personal growth that comes from overcoming fear, not for the "summit shot" or to make our friends jealous on their cell phone. This is all about the mental challenge for us. Nothing more. 

Well, personal challenge, and the beautiful sunrise that we got to witness without hoards of Iphone wielding tourists, gawking about on the ridge. Just us, our bicycles, and the sunrise. What a way to start the day. The top of the saddle is definitely a special place and I definitely get the allure. I will say though that with 50 other people standing up there, it is hard to appreciate in the same way as standing up there alone. 

Pete looks nervous here. He can feel the energy. Pete is smarter than Lars and I, so he opted to stay in the Ranchero for this one. Be like Pete. Stay in your Ranchero. 

#followcamfriday speeder bikes through the aspen forest with James Weingarten. 

There is currently snow on this section of trail. The leaves are not quite turning yet. Hopefully the weight of the snow does not cause them to all fall off before they get to show their colors this year. Seasonal confusion is definitely setting in. I am never one to complain about the weather, but missing fall would be a bummer. There is just something about blasting through the golden aspens that does it for me. Call me crazy.

There is a chase scene in Star Wars when "speeder bikes" are being ridden at ridiculous speeds through the tight forest. Any time that I am traveling in excess of 30 mph through the aspens, this classic scene comes to mind. Now we just need electronic lazer shooters and lightsabers to go with our electronic drivetrains and seat posts. Technology is finally catching up to Star Wars. 

Green room in full effect. Just a couple more weeks and this will be blindingly yellow. I can only imagine how fast you could go if you actually knew this trail. The robust foliage keeps the speeds in check for the out of towners. 

It is advisable to come as close as possible to these posts in the trail. If you time things just right, as James did, you can actually air past each one, narrowly avoiding death in the process. Danger-man James is always keen to up the ante, and make an otherwise mediocre section of trail more dangerous than it should be. And that is why we love Mr. Weingarten. Legend. 

The aspen corridor on Game Creek rivals the tree sections on Doctor Park. The perfect pitch and amazing sight lines are conducive to speed. If you lay off the hooks for a few seconds, free speed is gained. You actually don't need a drivetrain for this one. My kind of trail. 2500ft down, 0ft climbed. 

Rumor has it that there is a new bike park near the bottom of this thing. Minturn just opened a brand new, public bike park in town. What a time to be alive. Maybe the snow will melt, the leaves will turn, and Fall will proceed as normal. It's not time to go skiing quite yet. 

#followcamfriday riding my favorite section of natural trail in Crested Butte with fellow Yeti Cycles athlete, Sarah Rawley

Between the amazingly dry trail conditions and the wildfires burning around the state, health levels are definitely diminishing. It turns out that riding for 6 or 7 hours in these conditions is suboptimal for my well-being. This ride was amazing, but it felt mostly like smoking a pack of darts. Health and vitality, yay. I am still coughing up dust from this one. It was worth it. 

Sarah Rawley works for RockShox in Colorado Springs. There is no better weekend getaway than a trip to CB to escape the city. This also happened to be her birthday weekend. Another trip around the sun. Another year wiser. Cake was eaten, wine was sipped upon, bikes were shredded. Perfect weekend. Minus the smoke. Sarah picked an ambitious ride, considering the conditions, but when your birthday occurs, you get to pick the route and sandbag everyone. Well played. 

As the saying goes, "if you ain't hiking, you ain't biking". I definitely cannot recommend that you climb Double Top to get to Waterfall. Truth be told, there is actually no easy way to get there. Perhaps that is why it this one is special somehow and stays so good. "Nothing worth doing is easy." Another appropriate saying that comes to mind when I think about riding Waterfall Creek. 

Soon enough this aspen forest will be glowing yellow. This is hands-down my favorite time to ride in Colorado. The temperatures cool, the tourists retreat, and the hills come alive with color. There is just something magical about the fall in CB. I always feel fortunate to be riding local when the trees are popping. This is mountain biking in its purest form to me, and what motivates me to ride the most. Stunning and humbling somehow. 

This was my first rip down Middle Cement Creek. Some recent trail work had this section running mint. Sarah fell down once, but after riding for 6 hours, that sort of thing starts to happen. 

Classic Crested Butte. Just another winding ribbon of singletrack, heading down-valley through the aspen forest. Trail Perfection. This is the stuff of dreams. We are very fortunate to have these experiences. Now, if it would just rain....

#followcamfriday dusting off the big bike for some DH laps on Vail MTN with James Weingarten.

Riding a proper DH rig just feels special somehow. I built my Yeti SB165DH several months ago as a park/DH rig, in hopes of riding it at Whistler. Well, as we are all well aware, the pandemic had a different plan, and Canada doesn't want dirty Americans in their country currently. Can you really blame them? I bet the brake bumps are at record low-levels on Aline, right now. 

Despite Vail owning Whistler, the Vail bike park is lacking. The employees are often rude, the trails are in desperate need of an update, and if I am being honest, I have never been treated with respect or made to feel welcome at Vail. Mountain bikers are treated like second class-citizens in Vail, but they sure are happy to take our money.  I just try and block all of that out, and enjoy riding my bicycle down the hill, as fast as possible. As it so happens, dealing with all the negativity over in Vail is somehow balanced out buy the smile that riding DH runs puts on my face. I'll call it a wash. Tolerable once or twice a year for some laps, but I don't make a habit of it. 

Vail has every opportunity to make this a world- class operation. I know that they hold themselves to this standard in the winter. It sure would be nice if they tried a bit in the summer, or at least were nice to us. So much wasted potential. I surely realize that mountain biking is not making resorts money in the summer, unless you happen to be the Whistler Bike Park. Maybe that is the problem. Corporate profit rules everything. It sure would be nice to keep more employees working, year-round, and support the local businesses in the village. But I digress. I am just a second-class mountain bike dirtbag, what do I know? 

Despite my disdain for Vail as a corporate entity, we did have fun riding our bikes on this particular day. It rained the previous night, and the trails were not as dry as we had heard. The lack of smoke in the air was enough to make my day honestly. After basically smoking a pack of cigarettes per day, thanks to the wildfire situation in Colorado, fresh air was a welcome respite. We are nowhere near as bad as Cali, but the health levels been less than ideal, to say the least. I am really feeling for my friends in the west coast right now. Such a bummer. 

James and I made a quick stop at the Frisco Adventure Park before driving over Vail Pass. I am constantly amazed at this place. We are so very fortunate to have this park and owe a huge thank-you to the trail boss, Cody Landers. These jumps are truly a work of art. The community that surrounds this park and the overall vibe is absolutely amazing. Kids, families, pros, and noobs, all riding together and enjoying the outdoors. This is such a valuable resource for Summit County and is actually turning people into life-long cyclists and growing our sport. Thanks for all that you do Cody!

Building community and making everyone feel welcome is the correct approach for growth. Nothing here has to do with corporate greed, people will not yell at you, or make you feel unwelcome. Sort your shit out Vail Resorts. You can do so much better. You owe our mountain communities more. You owe your employees more. Simply being nice, would be a great place to start. 

#followcamfriday on one of the most classic descents in the state with James Weingarten. 

After riding Two Elk East a couple of weeks ago, I suppose it would have been rude not to go back and give traditional Two Elk a rip. We had actually planned to ride the chairlift at Vail on this fine day, but Vail decided not to open the chairlift. Thanks Vail. Never forget that Vail hates you. 

The jank is real. This trail is quite the contrast to the "East" Two Elk portion, which I much prefer, despite being considerably less vert and mileage. This Colorado "classic" is fun if you like to ride slow. It's scenic... I'll give it that. It's absolutely stunning in the fall actually. It's just not conducive to riding fast or with proper form. It's more of a fist-fight, which I normally prefer, but when the obstacles are hidden, we are engaging in a special game. Roulette. 

Timing on this one is important. The taller the foliage, the more danger is involved. There is a sniper rock hiding on the inside of nearly every turn. Don't even think of leaning your bike in the turns, using proper technique. You will lose a crank arm if you are lucky, a leg if you are not. This is one of the few trails where speed is actually not your friend. I am not entirely sure how James and I made it down without incident. So many close calls with the lurkers in the bushes. 

You can take James out of the street, but you cannot take the street out of James. Ride everything. Never not. This was the safest part of the ride somehow. Between the wildfires burning nearby, and the amazingly dry conditions, I might as well take up smoking. Nothing feels quite as satisfying after a big day on the bike as smoking a pack of darts. 

This one left me thirsty for some reason. I am always thirsty, if I am being honest, but the dust and smoke and lack of fucks given by Vail, was enough to drive a man to drinking. Don't get me wrong, we rode our bikes, and that is always better than not, but something inside of me was just craving whiskey. 

#followcamfriday packing on those lb's for maximum momentum at Trestle Bike Park with Joey Schusler and Thomas Woodson. Fat-Kid Season is here. 

This is day-one of chairlift season for me in 2020. Quite the contrast to how my summer usually plays out. This year has been quite different indeed, and I guess I feel lucky to be able to ride bikes at all. So throw in a chairlift, and it is all gravy at this point.  

Joey and Thomas just spent ten days riding the Colorado Trail in its entirety from Denver to Durango. Seems fitting to do some "recovery" laps in the bike park with the crew. Add in the fact that Joey just built up a fresh YetiSB165dh and that "new bike day" stoke is uncontainable. I have been loving my 150 lately but couldn't help and be a little jealous of Joey's rig. Mine is collecting dust and looking sad in the garage. 

If you are going to ride through a tunnel at 30mph, you had better be in a tuck. It's only fitting. Proper technique on display from Mr. Schusler right here. 

When I was in Japan in January with Joey and Thomas, masks were commonplace. This was pre-covid. If you want to ride here, you need to wear one. I am not sure why my country is having such a hard time with this concept. It is not political, it is just looking out for your fellow man. It's that simple. 

Despite riding my brains out lately, nothing quite prepares you for the beat down that 10 laps in the park can provide. I need a few more days under my belt to get back to my normal self. In the meantime, I will be eating cheeseburgers and ice cream. Weight equals speed. Momentum is key. Extra snacks for all. 

#followcamfriday from the iconic Hartman Rocks, in Gunnison, Colorado with Colin Pickett. 

Strangely enough, this was my first visit to Hartman's. I get requests for this one all the time, and despite being about 3 hours away from my house, I had never made time top stop and ride. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I always drive over Cottonwood Pass on my way to Crested Butte. Somehow, I rarely pass through Gunnison. I guess I didn't know what I was missing. 

I spent the last week camping at Hartman's, while filming a segment for a Matchstick Productions film that will be released in the spring of 2021. Yes, Matchstick of the ski movie world. I am not gonna lie, I have watched every ski movie they have ever produced, and was flattered to film for a week with the MSP crew. So much history there. I wouldn't be where I am today without the influence that these ski films had on my life choices, back in the day. I had a wonderful time working with, and getting to know MSP boys. They are dialed, and I couldn't be more excited for the film! Stoked. 

Colin Pickett lives in Crested Butte and has been riding out here for many years. He was kind enough to let me chase him around for the morning and get me all dialed in on the the rock lines. Colin and I raced DH bikes together, back in the day, and we have always been in the same Colorado race/ride scene. Colin shreds, and I am stoked to be able to show this skills for your viewing pleasure. 

This is a meaty huck. Basically a 10ft out, 10ft down, to a solid rock landing. If you screw this one up, you will be going to the hospital, directly. The landing has the texture of a cheese grater and would be the last surface in the world that you would ever want to put your body down on. Fortunately, Colin is dialed, and makes light work of Freefall trail. This is old-school, tech-gnar, radness. Live for it. 

Another rad feature on Freefall. This rock spine is classic. If you have ridden this, than you know. Classic Hartman's. If you look closely, you can see my van parked in the distance. The camping scene out here is equally as amazing. How have I never been here before.... It may have something to do with the pull of Crested Butte. It does get hot out here for sure, but the high-country riding is just minutes away.  CB is like a tractor beam on my van, but Hartman's is definitely worth a detour. 

So, next time you are near Gunnison, grab some whiskey and snacks, and budget a few days for some campfires and stories. This place is legendary. It should also be noted that Colin rides all of this stuff on his moto too. Rowdy! 

Followcamfriday first lap for James Weingarten down Two Elk East in Vail, Colorado. There is nothing like the first time. 

There is just something special about "first lap" on a new trail. You only get one first kiss, one first Covid, and one first go on a new track. I have had 3 or 4 laps on this special bit of trail and it still feels as good as the first time. Still not sick of it. Can you blame me?

While most prefer the more "classic" Two Elk descent that ends in Minturn, the "East" version just holds something special for me. It's steeper, faster and more technical than the classic route. Basically what I am looking for in a trail. Both descents are fun and both are accessed off of the top of Vail Pass by Bowmans Shortcut. You burn a bit of vert on the bike path at the bottom of TEE, but I am more of a quality over quantity guy, at the end of the day. 

Always be getting the shot. It's not going to get itself. This particular section feels more like BC than Vail. As we cannot currently travel to Canada, I'll take it. Get your shit together, Merica. 

What are you looking at? If you have to ride pavement on your enduro bike, there is absolutely no sense in wearing out both tires.... 

James runs a weekly t shirt campaign and donates the proceeds to a different animal charity each week. Help save a walrus, monkey, owl, or another deserving furry friend HERE

Enter the green room. 

Road bikers look on in confusion as James uses only one wheel to pass through the gate at 30mph. Seemed appropriate to me. Keep it locked right here for more social distancing intiaves in the Colorado high-country. 

Simply put, the Colorado Trail never disappoints. Segment 7.4 from Wheeler to Copper with Botsy Phillips and James Weingarten. #followcamfriday alpine social distancing tour 2020. 

I can't think of a section of the Colorado Trail that I am not a fan of. After climbing this section many times over the years to access Miner's Creek, this was strangely the first time I have ridden down this bit. It certainly won't be the last. Basically, 3000ft of rad. 

If you time this one just right, you will only encounter a couple of short sections of snow. The decomposing granite goes from snow-covered, to dusty and blown out, over night, so best to catch this one right after a rain, or just as the snow permits access. No Colorado high-country adventure is complete without a river or snow crossing. Wet feet are the norm. Now we are mountain biking. 

Copper Mountain looms in the distance as we drop into this 3000ft rip to the valley floor. The Colorado Trail continues up from there, climbing past Copper, over Searle Pass, and eventually to Camp Hale. The descent down Searle is also a gem. 

If exposure isn't your thing, this may not be the trail for you. I was surprised that James didn't manual this entire section to make it slightly more dangerous. One clipped pedal and you are gonna have a bad time. 

Long live the chunk. This section is littered with talus. Baby-heads as far as the eye can see. This is my prefered riding surface, if I had to pick just one. Footballs and mailboxes and microwaves FTW

Botsy and James are having a discussion about snacks. If you are trying to do this as a loop from Breck, consider bringing some. You will need them. Fortunately James sustains himself off of back-wheel love and doesn't actually need to eat on these mega-rides. James' cup is full of stoke.  How satisfying. 

Nothing quite like a 30mph manual through the trees and rocks. What could go wrong?

There is just something special about these old, eroded hiking routes that make for some of my favorite riding. As rough and natural as they come, 10ft wide, and full of bonus lines. Big thanks to the hikers for beating this thing in and widening it so much over the years, it truly does make for a world-class section of trail. For a user group that traditionally hates mountain biking, they sure do make us some sweet trails. Many thanks. Keep it up trampers. 

#followcamfriday ticking off another high-country classic with James Weingarten and Botsy Phillips. 

How had I never ridden this one before? I have gone up and over Miners Creek, but had never had the pleasure of descending the Wheeler Trail into Breck. Yes, Spruce Creek and Burro are riddled with hikers, but on the right day, at the right time, this 3000ft rip is absolutely world-class. Unless you don't like roots and rocks, in which case you might be reading the wrong blog. 

As we all navigate the "new normal", I can honestly say that I am enjoying spending time with my close friends, close to home. After traveling full-time for the last 5 years, I guess a break was exactly what I needed. While I have been extremely fortunate to travel the world with my bicycle, sometimes you just need to take a step back and appreciate what you have in this life. If there is a silver lining to the pandemic, this is it. A time to reflect, reevaluate and appreciate what I have in this life. 

This is season 5 of Follow cam friday. The very first person I filmed riding was Botsy Phillips. It seems like yesterday to me. That is how fast my life has been moving for the last 5 years. A blink of the eye. It moves that fast. When I look back, it all seems like a blur. Time to slow down and appreciate these experiences to the fullest. It is comforting to know however that the original idea I had has not changed very much. My videos are still about riding with my friends and exploring new trails. Nothing more. It's never been about me, it has always been about my friends. I am unbelievably thankful for my friends. 

Botsy is living his best life, growing old gracefully, in the air. Recently married and with one more child since we have ridden last, it is comforting to see that he is still pinned and more motivated than ever. 

James also seems more motivated than ever, after becoming a father. I wonder how many years will pass before the children learn to go faster than the fathers. That is a tall order as both James and Botsy are pro-level riders, but I can only imagine how rad their children will be on the bike, growing up with this sort of influence. Neither of my parents really rode bikes when I was growing up, I guess I picked it up on my own. I bet James' son won't even use a front wheel when he starts riding. 

I guess what I am trying to say in all of this is that bikes are the glue that holds us together. No matter what happens in life, pandemics, children, injury, marriage, whatever, we will always share this passion and stay motivated. Keeping the levels right is the key to life. Yay bikes.