#followcamfriday chasing afternoon light with Randy Sooter and Kyle Mears on La Milagrosa, the most classic trail in Tucson, Arizona

After getting denied last week, we were determined to get a late afternoon redemption lap on La Milagrosa. Last week, everything exploded at once, leaving us out on the trail, well after the sun had set for the evening. Not a big deal really, it's just a shame to miss out on one of the best sections of trail in Tucson. The two last sections of Mili, directly before and after the last climb are two of my favorites anywhere in the world. As fast as you want to go. Remain upright or explode in a fireball of twisted carbon and metal. 

When I am planning these rides when cameras are involved, I am always trying to play the light game and this oftentimes leaves us racing sunlight to get out of the woods or off of the mountain. Shooting in blown out, midday light is suboptimal in my world. I mean, the riding is just as much fun, but the footy for the boys is somewhat lacking when the sun is high in the sky. Hella cinema. Basically, I have been doing this long enough to not shoot in shity light. That said, sometimes I wait a bit too long to start the day, leaving zero room for error. Errors were made. 

Again, due to another camera snafu, we found ourselves almost riding out in the dark, again. People ask me all the time why I still run a gimbal and the last few minutes of my video are one of the best reasons. You see, internal stabilization is great and all but stops working in low light. The entire bottom of this one would have been unusable if I was shooting without a gimbal. Instead, we have perfectly smooth, low-light goodness with heaps of grain. Some call it "cinematic". Believe me when I tell you that this would not be possible with the newest GoPro's internal stabilization.  I like the look of the grain and darkness as we finish this one. 

There is just something special about riding Milagrosa into the sunset. Of course you can't actually see anything, but the beauty is so overwhelming that you don't actually need to see to feel the vibe. Riding blind into the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen is special. What you cannot see cannot hurt you. It is hard to explain, but Randy and Kyle understand. It's a vibe, the type of thing you never forget. You can almost taste the tequila as the bottom draws closer. Eyes up, heels down. 

#followcamfriday picking up where we left off last week with Kyle Mears and Randy Sooter on two of the finer sections of the Arizona Trail.

The question still remains. Will we make it off of the mountain before we run out of light.... This was one of those rides that didn't leave much room for error. Unfortunately for us, errors were made. This is a relatively unrelenting section of trail, perhaps we will budget more time in the future. Tequila tastes the same in the day or night, so what does it really matter what time we finish... 

We showed you the top of this one on Bug Springs in last week's episode. Bug ends at Prison Camp and then descends Molino back to the road again before climbing for another 20 minutes to access Bellota. These two sections of the AZT are world class, no question. Plenty of sharp rocks to keep you honest and ensure a late arrival. 

Sometimes it just isn't in the cards to make it home on time. Sometimes a perfect storm of chaos breaks anything and everything possible just to remind you that things can always get worse. Sometimes drones fall out of the sky. Sometimes tires don't hold air. Sometimes these things all happen at once and they are out of your control. Could be worse. 

Randy has been living at the bottom of Milagrosa for many years and was quoted as saying " I have never ridden this thing in the dark before" The miracle of FollowCamFriday is delivering. I will be throwing a light in my pack in the future. Lessons that I already have learned but apparently needed to learn again category. 

I mean, we still had fun. We weren't going to let a little darkness keep us from pinning one of the most technical descents in Tucson. That would have just been rude. If I am being honest, the trail seems smoother when you can't clearly see the rocks that are trying to break your wheels. Next time I get into trouble, I am going to just close my eyes and trust my skill. Let er' buck. 

#followcamfriday sampling one of Tucson's finest DH tracks with the squad. 

Tucson is definitely making an impression on me. There is just something special about the realness and rawness of this town and the surrounding trails. This place is growing on me. I could live here for a few months out of the year, no question. It is WAY too hot in the summer, but riding in a short sleeved jersey in February certainly has its charm. 

I think I like the riding here so much because it is hard. The ground is abrasive, the rocks will slice your skin, and the cactus.... Don't even get me going on the cactus. There is a bunch of it, living inside my body as I type these words. Maybe I am just bored of riding manicured, feel good trails. I honestly couldn't be bothered. Lemmon is hard. This place breaks bikes, bodies and your spirit. I need more of that in my life. Suffering builds strong character and makes tequila taste better at the end of the day. Any time of day, for that matter. 

The ride is only as good as the company you keep. Feeding off of your friends energy and stoke is as real as it gets. Cut that shit with a knife, get it down your throat. The energy I can harness from my friends is surreal. Always surround yourself with good people. Always. Randy, Kyle and Jonny are keeping the levels up. Squad of legends, smashing down the hill, laughing the entire way. Nothing better. 

All I actually care about when I am riding is finding natural trail gaps. Sometimes they are only a few feet, sometimes they are twenty. Sometimes they are over sharp shit, often they are for no other reason than to make the person behind me laugh. When I hear that laugh, I pull up harder off of the next one. And so the game goes. Always pull up. Fucking always. Always make your friends laugh. 

Randy Sooter is such a legend. Randy is the only person I have ridden with in the last 6 years that doesn't use Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Youtube, or any of the other white-noise distractions that we are all so addicted to. I love this about Randy. He is too busy living in the present to give any fucks about social media and it's negative impact on our society. Legend. 

Technology isn't all bad. If you would have told me 5 years ago that I would have an autonomous drone chasing me while I ride my bike with an electronic drivetrain, I would have laughed in your face. And here we are. What a time to be alive. The Skydio 2 drone really has been a game changer from a filming perspective. The technology that allows this thing to chase us, keep us in frame, and not crash 47 times is mind numbing. The footage coming out of this thing truly does justice to the amazing landscapes that I am fortunate to find myself enjoying on the daily. 

I was thinking of buying a small piece of land adjacent to Lemmon. You know, one big enough to park my van on, and with enough space for a few more. Maybe a garage and a yurt. Maybe some jumps and a swimming pool for Pete. You can get 10 plus acres here for what a 1/3 acre lot costs where I live. Might be time to cash in some of that Dogecoin. Pete will thank me. 

#followcamfriday taking on the infamous Lemmon Drop with Tucson loc-dog, Randy Sooter. 

You always remember your first Lemmon Drop. Aspen Draw, Sunset and Incinerator Ridge are all distinctly different and amazingly rad, especially trying to chase Mr. Randy Sooter around on his home tracks. This is all under snow currently as I type these words, but this is not to be missed if you find yourself in Tucson, Arizona. The ski area actually opened last week as the terrain above 8000ft got dumped on. Tucson can always use the moisture. 

Incinerator Ridge is one of the finest pieces of trail I have ever ridden. Straight jank, top to bottom. After riding this thing, Milagrosa looks..... smooth. Incinerator is an absolute fist-fight. Not everyone's cup of tea, an acquired taste for sure, but unlike anything else I have ridden. So good when chasing Randall down the proper lines on this one. Like riding through a sea of microwaves. My happy place. 

Randy Sooter owns a gymnastics studio in Tucson. His mat stills come through in his riding. Tumbling routine on lock. Pommel Horse champion. Randy even crashes well. This goes to show that having a solid foundation in gymnastics does volumes for your riding skill. You had better start training if you intend to keep up with Randall. Legend!

This part of Sunset is fun because you can die here. Like any trail worth riding, mandatory exposed traverses with consequential moves always keep things interesting. Don't fall left, don't look left, heels down, eyes up. Great success. Randy is a ninja. 

I really do need to get back to Colorado one of these days. The riding and weather have just been too good to leave. I will take 70 degree days in January over a low-snow year in Colorado any day. I am very fortunate to be able to make the most of the seasons. Like the saying goes, make hay when the sun shines. I am almost out of tires though, this place is hard on gear. Almost time to head home and restock the levels. 

Riding more animals than a carnie in Tucson, Arizona with Bryce Straka, Kyle Mears and Randy Sooter. #followcamfriday petting zoo edition. 

So basically, it goes like this. You start on Wild Burro and climb up to Wild Mustang, ending on a descent down Javelina. All of the animals get their turn, none are left out. This petting zoo in the Tortolita's is lined with rocks and cactus. Perfect. 

As it just so happens, Pete is scared of donkeys. I found this out last year when I was in Vegas and some wild burros scared him good. Ever since that day, Pete has not been friends with the burros. Enemy's for life. While Pete is far too old to run on rock for 10 miles, he would have stayed behind anyways, for safety's sake. Good Boy. 

Kyle Mears, Randy Sooter and myself were lucky to get the tour of this Tortolita classic from Tucson local legend, Bryce Straka. Interestingly enough, Bryce is from Wyoming and went to school with one of my oldest friends Eli, from back in the DH racing days. My what a small world the cycling community is. Bryce has more skill in his little finger than I have in my entire body, so needless to say, we had fun. Thanks for the tour amigo!

Now that Kyle has a van and can travel around with me, he can nose pick every turn until he blows off of the trail. Loves front wheel champion. Weather I am riding in front of Kyle, or he is riding in front of me, we are basically trying to make each other laugh the entire way down the trail. Every nose bonk is worth ten points, every huck to flat is worth twenty. Break a bike part, win the game. We make party. 

People that ride jank constantly can always get their euro-turn game on. This is absolutely mandatory technique down here, not just to get around the tight ones efficiently, but to keep all of the parts from being smashed off of your bike. The inside-line rock game here is next-level. A clean exit keeps you from running into cactus. Proper form on display above from Bryce. Come in hot, grab a fistful of front brake and pivot like your life depends on it. Dial. 

Cheers Mears. Until next week. More trails will be smashed. The rocks are already fearing the wrath of Kyle's rear wheel. 

#followcamfriday with Randy Sooter on what may be the finest raw descent in Tucson. 

If I never ride another manicured, sanitized, sidewalk of a "mtb" "trail", I will die a happy man. This is mountain biking and why I get out of bed in the morning. If the"flow" trail you enjoy so much isn't full of huge booters, you may be wasting your time. All of the sharp things, trying to kill you, from the very top, to the very bottom. This is mountain biking.

So basically, this one is a sea of moving boulders, lined with cactus and other sharp plants. One slight mistake and you will bleed. Randy Sooter, Kyle Mears and myself were all dripping blood from one extremity or another after this one. Randy fell down, Kyle and I plowed cactus. All in a day's work I suppose. Wouldn't have it any other way. 

Agua Caliente is a 2700ft out and back. It is a hike a bike for most and probably not most people's idea of a "fun ride". If you do decide to carry your bike to the top of this one, make sure you bring a pick or some pliers for the Cholla. Randy was quick to remove these from my hand with 2 sticks. Randy is a ninja, and so the saying goes, " only a ninja can kill another ninja" Lesson learned, you cannot just pull them out with your hands. Blood everywhere, big smile. 

Randy Sooter is my hero. He is my spirit animal. Randy does not use social media, no IG, no FB, no Twitter or Tik tok. He will probably never watch this video or read these words. Randy owns a gymnastics studio in Tucson, prefers death metal, and enjoys the occasional glass of Tequila. Randy is living in the moment, free of the plague that social media is spreading. Oh the irony. I want to be Randy in my next life. For now, I'll just keep posting and feeding the algorithm. 

I have spent some time in the Chilean Andes and this one reminds me hugely of the terrain around Santiago, Chile. The anti-grip lives here too and is waiting to throw you on the floor in a hurry. For some reason, this style of raw riding always humbles me and puts a smile on my face. It is hard, sometimes it sucks. That is good for my ego. Much love.

If you do attempt this one, please don't hate me forever. Fair warning. This is not a feel-good trail, not a blue-bird powder day, but more of icy moguls in the rain, type ride. Character building situation. However, if you have the skill and the mental ability to shred in this environment, there will be nothing more rewarding. Time for cup of Mezcal. We earned it. 

#followcamfriday if the rocks don't get you, the cactus will. Tucson with the mayor. 

It has been way too long since I have filmed an episode with Kyle Mears. Kyle just bought a van, so are programs are lining up nicely. Same team. Now that we are both living what some affectionately refer to as "van life", we can ride together more. "van life" is secret code for "something is broken and I haven't showered in a few days".

There is just something special about the sunsets in Tucson. Throw up some kitty litter roost and we have ourselves the lightbro we are always looking for. This is enough to drive a man to drink Mezcal. I have been enjoying another agave spirit lately known as Bacanora. It is basically a less smokey version of Mezcal, typical of the Sonoran desert, just to the south of here. Hot tip from Instagram on that one. 

Randy Sooter lives in Tucson and owns a gymnastics studio. Randy does not use social media and gives no fucks, so when I come to Tucson, I hang with him. Randy is an absolute shredder who rides for all of the right reasons. How refreshing in today's narcissistic social media shit show. Believe it or not, it still counts as a ride, even if you don't post about it on social media. Yes, I realize the irony in the typing of these words. 

This is what is known locally as the "advanced loop". Basically, 12 miles of rock slabs and smashing that somehow remind me of Whistler, just with more cactus and less moss. True slab riding is hard to find in Tucson. Fifty Year Trail, Cowboy Slickrock, and Middle Gate deliver the goods. All of the grip. 

Double over head pitted brah. Roost is rare down here due to the absence of loam. Gravel to your dome! I am honestly not sure how I made it through the next section with the dust and the light. Guess I got lucky. All in a day's work. 

As the sun sets on another amazing day, I realize how much I miss riding with Kyle. Followcamfriday basically started with me chasing Kyle around Moab for a day, going to his place to review the videos, drinking beer and laughing our asses off at the ridiculous lines we were riding. This really reminds me why I do all of this and motivates me to keep things cracking. I basically live for watching my friends get loose, right before my very eyes. Nothing better. Mezcal is delicious. 

#followcamfriday driving cars and riding bikes with Alex Petitdemange in Phoenix, Arizona

This was my first time ever riding as a passenger on an actual track. I only got a little bit car sick and was absolutely amazed by the driving skill and commitment by Alex. Everything makes perfect sense now. 

Alex has been racing cars for most of his life now and much of the skill that he displays on the track crosses over to how he rides his bike. Seeing the two sports influence each other was rather surreal. It is true with both disciplines, exit speed is everything. Limit of grip is the determining factor and slight mistakes will end in disaster. 

Alex's friend Eliot let us borrow his M3 for the day so that he could do some hot laps with me in the car. Alex taught me a  handy trick before we got started. Basically, put the seat all the way back, engage the seatbelt so that it locks and then push the power seat all the way forward until the seatbelt is basically choking you. This is proper practice in a car without a harness. I was amazed at the g forces and at how much my collar bones hurt after a few laps. Driving a car like this is exhausting. 

In addition to racing himself, Alex has been doing some teaching and helping others learn how to drive better. We did a handful of laps in the 550hp M3, the most powerful car Alex has ever driven at the track. Despite my fat ass sitting in there, he was able to set some of his fastest lap times. Barf. 

After we got good and car sick, it only made sense to ride some bicycles at South Mountain, just down the road from the track. Multi Sporting at it's finest. It takes the brain a minute to adjust from car mode to bike mode as it turns out. That said, the resemblance is uncanny and is is glaringly obvious that Alex is good at racing anything that has wheels. 

While you can't exactly nose-pick a car, you certainly brake hard into turns and accelerate out with speed. This is what works on the bike too. Every set-up is rewarded with amazing exit speed. Just like on the bike, races are won in the turns. Poetry in motion. 

South Mountain has a special kind of anger in the ground. It has not rained in months and the rocks are loose and unrelenting. This is where tires go to die. Keep your body off the ground and lean away from the cacti. Great success. 

#followcamfriday chasing around Mr. loves back wheel in Sedona, Arizona

Not gonna lie, I am pretty happy to be back in the land of the red rocks, riding with Lars and Frenchie. Getting the quaranteam back together just in time. As it just so happens, Jeff Kendall-Weed was in town, so we got a couple of rides in. 

Sneak attack! 
Every Thursday at Posse Grounds Park, there is a phenomenon known as Yappy Hour.  Despite there being a sign on the fence prohibiting dogs from entering the field, Sedona is okay with 1 hour of chaos per week to run the doggos. Grab the poop bags and leave the leashes in the car. Pete is getting too old for this and he will basically sleep for 2 days straight after this puppy party. Live for it. 

Jeff's riding style is unique, all his own. It's like Braydon Bringhurst and James Weingarten had a baby. They named it Kendall-Weed and the back wheel saw most of the love. The world is your oyster, make the most of it. Slickrock skate park things. Nothing better. 

As I type these words, I find myself in Tucson. Don't worry Sedona, I will be back for you once I break some rocks and smash some parts, a bit further south. The riding in Tucson makes Sedona look smooth. Should have brought more tires... 

The Hogs are some of my favorite trails anywhere. Crowded and blown out, but fun nonetheless. Christmas week through New Year's was complete chaos in Sedona. Not that I would expect anything less, but I was amazed by the crowds. Fortunately, there are plenty of places to hide. Stay away from the vortexes and you will be dialed. Jeff has all the energy he needs, so we were able to avoid the masses for the most part. 

I actually want to go skiing, but it isn't really snowing quite yet where I live in Colorado. Fortunately I have this house on wheels that holds my dog and some bikes and some tequila and some snacks. Priorities. I honestly wish I had brought my road bike to do a lap on Lemmon in Tucson. I had the pleasure on 2019 of riding the finest climb in the United States. I will return. 

Keep it locked right here for more adventures from the desert. I will be here until further notice, or until I break all of the parts and burn through all of the tires. Whichever comes first. Then, I will go skiing. I am truly spoiled. 

#followcamfriday wishing everyone a Happy New Year! Let's put this dumpster fire of 2020 behind us and ride forward into 21. 

Last week I had the pleasure of spending some time at the original Rampage site in Virgin, Utah. My how far the sport has come. The things these guys are doing today in these hills is certainly humbling. This is where it all began. Props the the pioneers of freeride for pushing bikes and bodies in the name of progressing the sport. No, I will not be going out for Rampage in 21. Way above my pay grade. 

It is reasonably amazing what you can get away with on a trail bike nowadays. Real tires, big fork, and a coil will buy you some confidence. I really need to come back here with my 165 and actually send some shit. There is only room for so much crap in the van. I can't be taking Pete's bed up with my DH rig. Puppy priorities. Truth be told, if I had my DH bike, things may get dangerous. I don't trust myself with that thing sometimes. My 165 makes me make bad decisions. What can I say? 

I want to formally thank everyone who entered to win my Season Of Giving campaign over the last month to benefit the Grow Cycling Foundation. Props to my partners Yeti Cycles, Rockshox, Smith Optics, and Maxxis for donating prizing and experiences. All of the winners have been  announced over on my Youtube page- WINNERS. 
Congrats you lucky dogs! 

I have to say that I feel very fortunate to have had a reasonable year, despite the global chaos. The bike industry is crushing it as people are finding more ways to get outside in these pandemic times. It's a curse and a blessing but I have luckily come out on the right side of things overall. I am truly sorry for those that have not. I have just been lucky with my profession and positioning. I fully realize that others are not in the same boat. Let's put 2020 behind us and move into the new year with optimism. Just keep riding forward, don't look back. 

I have never been one to make resolutions. This year has taught me a ton and made me reflect on my circumstances more than ever before. I have things really good if I am being honest. Yes, I work my ass off, but at the end of the day, I have it really, really good. No question. I hope to use my voice and reach to give more back to the sport in 21 and bring some awareness to organizations and causes that need a helping hand. If I can leave this sport better than I found it, I call that a win. Go ride your bike.