#followcamfriday eating calamari with James in Queenstown. The sweetest blue run in the world. 

Interestingly enough, I didn't eat any seafood while I was in Queenstown. Even though some of the trails are named after fish, I chose to get most of my daily calories from the ice cream store. The dairy game is next-level in NZ. Happy cows make for happy milk, or in this case, ice cream. Maybe it's the grass. Whatever the reason, love your work NZ. If you need me, you can catch me standing in line at Patagonia Chocolates, trying to decide which flavors to get this time. Dulce De Leche is winning. I'm packing on those KG's. 

The Skyline Bike Park is unreal. There is a reason that some of the best mountain bikers in the world come here to ride and train in the off season. The lift line, which rarely gets deeper than about 20 people is basically half world cup DH and EWS pros, R Dog and 10 "regular people" that undoubtedly shred, mixed in to keep things mellow. This park rivals Whistler if I am being honest and the fact that there is no line means that you can bust out laps until your hands loose feeling.  Keep it up Skyline. It should be noted that this place is actually worthy of a real DH bike. Trail bikes come here to die. 

This was James' first trip to NZ and it was nice to see that he hasn't forgot how to properly turn. Pay attention kiddies, go out in the driveway and work on those stoppies until you go ever the bars and skin your knee. It is Kiwi tradition to ride without gloves or knee guards,  so go strap on your jandals and give it a go. 

Looking down at the lake from the park is relatively inspiring. James has realized that I am trying to pimp him on the inside, but really, I am just trying to see the lake. Eyes on the trail, always protect the inside line. This could be more dangerous than Instagraming and driving. Don't update your status and drive mate. 

This week's Kiwi language lesson is brought to you by summer. When you go the the beach, you bring your jandals and togs mate. My feet are funny looking after wearing my jandals for a couple of weeks.  A little girl actually asked my why my feet were so white...  True story. I had to laugh and explain that I live in the mountains and mostly wear shoes and ski boots. Which reminds me that I will be home in a couple of days and be straight back into ski season. Colorado has gotten a couple of meters in my absence. Time to ski I suppose. What a rad life I lead. Feeling fortunate. 

#followcamfriday from Cardrona Bike Park. New Zealand is sweet as. Hide your sheep, we out here. 

So. I have been in NZ for a couple of weeks now. James and I traveled here to race the TransNZ enduro. This 6 day event had a day planned at Cardrona, but the weather had other ideas. Heaps of rain and snow led to the cancelation of the race day in the alpine. ( heaps) is Kiwi slang for "lots". Still with me?? It only made sense that we got back up there after the race finished to get some sunshine and redemption for our rain day.  We were treated to a perfect day in the park. 

We were fortunate to get a tour from local legend, Pete Miller. Pete builds trail, wears purple shirts and is pinned. Got to love the Kiwi shredders. No gloves, no attitude, just pure love for riding bikes and getting people stoked on the trails. Take note cocky Americans, the Kiwi's are doing it right. My general rule of thumb is if someone needs to tell you how rad they are, the opposite is often true. So many locals that wear cotton shirts, no knee pads, and absolutely shred. And, won't talk about themselves. So refreshing.

Enter Brady Stone. Brady is a 19yr old Nelson local, running a similar program. A quiet, respectful, young shredder that will smash turns harder than anyone. Hide your berms. Cutties all day. Gloves? Yeah nah. Sweet as. Brady is intending to race a bunch of EWS rounds this year. Look out world. 

I hid James in my bike bag. He fits nicely in the overhead compartment. This was his first trip to NZ and definitely will not be his last. There are more trails to be ridden and more jumps to be sent. The seesaw feature pictured above is absolutely disastrous if you are trying to follow your bro. Wood to the head tube is never a good way to go. I was smart enough to go around, avoiding certain death. Just barely.  

I will be teaching you one Kiwi word in each of my upcoming NZ episodes. Today's word is "Chur" . It means, hello, good bye, good day, how are ya, yes, among other things. I would like to give a big CHUR to the Cardrona Bike Park for hosting us for the day. Definitely check it out if you are in the area. And definitely do the classic Peak to Pub run to finish the day if you can sort out the admin. 1300 meters to the pub. That is like 1 million feet for you Americans. Well worth ditching a car or having a driver for at the end of the day. Surely someone will be tired, or have broken their bike and volunteer to drive. Best part is you can all have a beer at the pub together. CHUR

Stay tuned for more shenanigans from the land of sheep and gloveless riders over the coming weeks. Maybe ditch your knee guards and pick yourself up some jandals. It should be noted that James did his first race in 10 years and handily won the 40 plus category. Chur James. Still got it. Never didn't have it. In the spirit of the Kiwi attitude, I am not going to tell you how my race went, but just say that is was sweet as. Chur. 

Does your favorite descent have a bottle of tequila chained to a tree on it? Unless you live in Tucson, you may be out of luck. #followcamfriday on Tucson's finest.

La Milagrosa - the crown jewel of Mount Lemmon. This is picking up where we left off last week, beginning at the snow line on Bug Springs and ending in the city of Tucson with Alex and Randy. I would love to ride the upper sections of the infamous "Lemon Drop", but that will have to wait until the weather improves. Nice down here tho...  Down coats at the top, tee shirts at the bottom. 

Par for the course with Frenchie Alex - nose picks for days. You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose... Not sure where that came from but I think my dad used to tell me that when I was a growing up. This is proper switchback technique. Learn now for success. 

La Milagrosa has a tequila tree. I could end the blog right here because there isn't really anything else to say, but I will provide some context. While I never condone drinking and riding, there are just some situations where this sort of thing is encouraged or even expected. If the man showing you the trail asks you to drink, you say yes. It would be rude not to. I don't care about your training, or your "racer" paleo, gluten free, hella vegan diet (including my own). Drink fucker.  As it turns out,  a small sip puts you right where you want to be for success on the descent. Cheers Randy. Loose is fast. Living proof. 

It's easy to forget what you were doing when you drink too much tequila. At least this gives me time to appreciate my surroundings... Tucson has some of the best sunsets in the world. If you look closely, you can see Randy's house. Inside that house, there is more tequila. But I digress... Oh yeah, bikes are cool. What was I doing?

If you find yourself on Mt. Lemmon, make sure you don't miss this one. You won't find the tree with the booze chained to it, but that isn't really for everyone anyway. I don't want you to end up with two flat tires, upside down in the bushes because of me. Just ride and enjoy. If someone shows you the tree, then you have to drink.

After living on the road for a month and not riding the road bike I have been storing in my van, even once. I decided that it would be a crime not to do the classic Mount Lemmon climb. For this 5500' grunt, I packed 1 banana, 1 water bottle and a down coat. It was well below freezing at the top. Ever question whether it is better to go slow on the descent to stay warm or sprint with the brakes on to stay warm? Yeah, that was me. Nipples erect, slowly descending, burning on 100 calories. Fortunately, road biking is easy and I made it back to Safeway and strutted around the parking lot in my baggies, amongst the 50 shaved and kitted people who are really into fitness. I don't think they understand me, but that's okay. They probably don't like tequila anyway. 

#followcamfriday on Bug Springs with Alex Petitdemange and Randy Sooter. Tucson tech at it's finest. 

After spending the last three weeks, riding ridiculous Sedona slabs with Lars, I headed south to decompress in Tucson. This would be my first trip to Tucson and the farthest south in the United States that I have ever been with a mountain bike. What have I been doing with my life?? And to be clear, this couldn't be further from "decompression" Tucson is ROUGH.

Enter Randy Sooter. Randy was introduced to me by Alex. Interestingly enough, they both have a background in gymnastics and this becomes very evident when following either one of these gifted gentlemen. Randy is an 8 time national collegiate club champion and now coaches and runs a gym in Tucson. Randy also has good taste in shuttle vehicles and drives a Bronco that just so happens to be the  same age as me.... 

As this was my first time in Tucson, I didn't really know what to expect. After riding Sedona for a bit, this place was reasonable rough and raw in comparison. Like, break your wheels and get flat tires, rough and raw. Pretty much what I am looking for when I ride my mountain bike. The decomposing  granite deals wonderfully with the moisture, which is good, because it rained more this week than Randy had seen after living here for most of his life. Seemed like perfect grip to me. 

As per usual, always jump everything. Back to the part about these guys having a background in gymnastics.  When your body awareness is on point, the trail is your playground. Every root and rock is a jump. Every corner, an opportunity to send gravel into the air. Crashing is a rarity, but even when these guys hit the deck, its fucking catlike. 

French Technique. I think this is a product of your surrounding. If you grow up riding jank hiking trails in the European alps, this is second nature. If you grow up riding flow-trails in the States, this is a skill that probably needs work. Frenchie Alex is dialed. Legend has it that Mark Weir built some unrideable swithbacks behind his house to practice before racing enduros in Europe because the turns were not challenging enough in the states... Smart man, Mark Weir. 

The sunsets in Tucson are next-level. People seem to think that all I do is race around and shoot video, but I promise you that I do make some time to appreciate my surroundings. I feel very fortunate to be able to travel to all of the sweet places to ride, and always try and make the most of my time and appreciate things fully. Keeps me grounded and reminds me why I ride and why I am attracted to dramatic landscapes and new experiences. 

Randy mentioned that the rivers on the trails were deeper than he had ever seen. The crossings were BB deep. I think that is good for your dirvetrain, right? Pete seems to like it. Soothing on his paws after walking around on all the sharp rocks. 

As I type these words, I am sitting on a couch in New Zealand. Sweet as bru. I just arrived for a bit of racing and a bit of filming over the next few weeks. The riding here couldn't be more different from AZ. Variety, spice of life. Once again, very fortunate and grateful opportunity to see the world by bike. Keep it locked right here. 

I always wanted to be a famous rapper when I was growing up. Instead, I ride mountain bikes for a living. Could be worse... #followcamfriday

​Y'all act like you never seen a white person before
Jaws all on the floor like Pam like Tommy just burst in the door
And started whoopin' her ass worse than before
They first were divorced, throwin' her over furniture (Agh!)
It's the return of the "Ah, wait, no way, you're kidding
He didn't just say what I think he did, did he?"
And Dr. Dre said, nothing, you idiots!
Dr. Dre's dead, he's locked in my basement (ha ha!)
Feminist women love Eminem
"Chicka, chicka, chicka, Slim Shady, I'm sick of him
Look at him, walkin' around, grabbin' his you-know-what
Flippin' the…

Alex is French, and may, or may not have an appreciation for rap music produced in the year 2000.  I was a big fan of Eminem back in the day. And Dr. Dre. Still am, I suppose. It would have been a crime to leave Sedona without filming this classic trail. 

I hope the lyrics that I copied and pasted above are stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Instead of cursing my name, I hope it rekindles thoughts of youth and perhaps reminds you of how cool you used to think you were, blasting this in the high school parking lot in your mom's Toyota Camary.  I really would have loved to license that song for use in my video, but I am pretty sure that Eminem needs to get paid a bit more that the #followcamfriday budget will allow.  

I spent three weeks in Sedona. Yup, 3. Still not bored of the place. There is just something about the trails, people, and the vibe here. Maybe it is the vortex energy... I can't put my finger on it, but there is something unique here. Perhaps the reason is because there are no "junk" miles. Every inch of trail in this place is engaging.  Always something to hold my interest. And as it turns out, if you sprint your way down every descent, things start to get very interesting, quickly. 

#Petecam is becoming a staple in my videos. The people like Pete more than me. Can you blame them? I mean, he smells, but is so handsome. He really needs his own Instagram. I bet people would follow him. If only his human had time to foster that sort of thing. Instead, his human is writing this nonsensical babble to keep you entertained. There are only so many hours in the day and Pete needs to be walked. 

So now what? Rain is in the forecast and I am inclined to head south. I have spent some time in Phoenix, which I truly enjoyed, but I was searching for something new. Tucson, here I come. I've never been, but have heard good things. It is about ten degrees warmer on average and the soil does better with the moisture down there. Plus, it's only about 4 hours away. Oh, and I brought a road bike so I probably need to go and climb Mt Lemmon. In baggies, of course. 

Until next time, stay classy Sedona. Thank you for your red velcro. Much love. 

Getting loose on the hog. Pig Trails from Sedona, Arizona with Frenchie Alex. #followcamfriay on the hunt for swine. Meat-sweats engage. 

After last week's' episode, we were due for a bit of a decompression session. The model of constant risk, just isn't sustainable for very long. That said, the pig trails are no cakewalk, but the chances of death go down slightly with this one. Part of the legendary "Triple H" loop, Hogs compliments Hiline and Hangover really well. Ride all three in a day to see what you are made of. 30 miles in Sedona is legit. Maybe throw an extra slice of bacon in your bibs. 

Truth be told, you are more likely do die of heart disease from all that bacon you are eating, than from riding the Hogs. Fortunately Alex is sprinting his brains out and offsetting his bacon intake nicely.  If you hear me cry-breathing in my video, it's because Alex is pinned and I am hanging on by a thread. Or by a pig tail... 

And yeah, Pig Tail has got to be the most fun minute of the Hog experience. Several jumps that work well with the natural terrain, put you just where you want to be. Look out for javelinas hiding in the bushes. I have seen several in the area on this trip. Legend has it that they wait for mountain bikers that case the jumps on Pig Tail and feast on their compromised bodies. Luckily, we cleared all the jumps and emerged unscathed. 

Alex Petitdemange works at Absolute Bikes on the Oak Creek side of Sedona. When Alex isn't turning wrenches or stealing your KOM's, he is busy petting animals. Pete approves. Interestingly enough Pete spotted his first javelina pack on this trip. Fortunately for Pete, he was on a leash. As I later learned, Ridgeback's were bred to hunt boar. I have never seen that ridge stand up so tall on his back.... Good boy.   

Frenchie and I have been riding and racing together for years. When FollowCamFriday first began, I filmed him riding Hangover and that was my first "viral" video. By viral, I mean, stolen all over the internet. It's all history from there. There is just something about the scenery and visual appeal of Sedona, throw in a skilled rider, and you have yourself internet gold.  Sure am thankful for my talented friends!

Spending time at the Sedona dog park has become our daily routine. You can tell my dog from the rest by all of the cameras hanging off of him. #petecam has become a thing in itself. Maybe dog POV will be the future. I am ahead of the curve there, stacking content for a rainy day. If you need me, I will be bent over, picking up Pete's turds with a black bag on my hand. There is no poop fairy. 

#followcamfriday pushing the limit and accepting the risk with Lars Romig in scenic Sedona. Do me favor and don't do this. At least, read my ramblings below before attempting... 

How do you view risk?
By definition- Risk acceptance or risk retention means the fact of accepting the identified risk and not taking any other action in order to reduce the risk because we can accept its impact, the possible consequences - we simply risk it.

I have never fallen into the risk vs reward mentality. I have no need to justify my risk for a "reward". To me, mentally pushing past my perceived boundaries IS the reward.  I don't need a pat on the back, or a gold star. It doesn't have to be "worth it". Accomplishing a goal is all the reward I need. This is what gets me out of bed in the morning. If the internet didn't see it, I would still be doing the same thing... 

Some would categorize  this type of riding as reckless. Some would say that the risk is not worth the reward. I respectfully disagree. Admittedly, this is not everyone's cup of tea, and I completely respect that logic. However,  do not mistake calculated riding for reckless riding. Lars and I have spent years in this terrain, getting to know the nuances and limit of grip. This isn't the sort of thing that you just jump into and send. It is very calculated and mythodical. You don't just jump on a sport bike and race the Isle Of Man TT. This is a process of incremental steps, incremental experience, and above all, respect.

The infamous "White Line" is regarded as the crown jewel of Sedona gnar. I have ridden the White Line more than 50 times. I approach it with the same mindset each time. Complacency leads to mistakes. In avalanche-safety circles,  there is much talk as of late to the "expert halo". If you become too comfortable with your surroundings and get lucky enough times, this can lead to a false sense of confidence. Approaching each line with a similar respect level is important to stay alive. Removing outside influences and factors, and seeing clearly what lies before you. Comfort leads to mistakes. When I am not scared in dangerous situations, I am falling victim to "expert halo". That very notion keeps me up at night, more than the lines themselves. Be scared, have respect.
All of that said, the White Line was the "easiest" line that we overcame this week. Perspective.

 Lars had been wanting to ride this line for 5 years. Watching a close friend overcome fear and conquer perceived boundaries is fucking surreal. I did not ride this entire line and was scared for my life. I will ride it one day, just needing to get my head around it a bit more, and adjust my perspective. Lars is definitely the first person to ride this section of rock. Full respect for realizing his vision after looking at this ridiculous line for 5 years. I was in awe, and I am a man who has seen some shit. 

So where does this leave us? My inbox is full of requests, asking to be featured in a FollowCamFriday episode. I am not sure that you really want to be in one of my videos. If you tell me how rad you are, or how bad-ass your 10 year old is, we simply can't work together. Respect and humility are the only way forward. Lars has this in spades. We trust and understand each other. Our risk acceptance level is the same. This also applies to backcountry ski partners. No, I won't go backcountry skiing with you.... It's not because I am too cool, or that I don't like you. It's very simple, I don't trust you with my life. We haven't built rapport.  Lars and myself are on the same program. Kyle Mears, James Weingarten, same team. There are very few people in my life that I am comfortable with in life or death situations. Lars is on that short list. 

So yeah, I am not going to tell you not to try and ride these lines. To be crystal clear, none of this was done for a camera, all of this was done for passion and breaking down boundaries. My fucking bike fell off a cliff and landed in a tree this week. Perspective. Respect. I got a little too confident and got put in my place. I failed. I posted my fail to the internet because life is not all peaches and cream. The struggle actually is real. I don't live in a fantasy world, I fall down like everyone else. My farts smell and so does my dog. What seperates people is the ability to get back up and keep cracking. I have learned a lot this week. As I type this with a glass of wine, at 1am in my van, I thank you for reading. 

The perfect storm! All of the best things in one neat little package, ready for human consumption. #followcamfriday from Hiline in Sedona with the all-star team. No squid, all squad. 

This one is gonna take a special team. Not everyone is up to the task. I am calling in the all-star squad for this one. Special ops. It has been raining... Levels are peaking... Stoke levels are approaching dangerous levels....  Overload imminent. Red velcro alert. 

The look on Jame's face speaks volumes. This grin eats shit. When you get this sideways look, things are about to get real. Fat kid in a candy store, real. Trails will be shredded, risks will be taken. Hopefully people are ready for the typhoon that is about to hit land. Sorry, I am being dramatic... It was a reasonably good day however.

When I can capture three riders in front of me in the same frame, we have a tight squad. This team is accustomed to riding really close together, trusting that the leader will do no wrong... Kyle Mears, James Weingarten, Jeff Kendall-Weed, always surround yourself with good people. I wouldn't be where I am today without my highly skilled and motivated friends. Showcasing their riding and getting you guys stoked is reasonably satisfying. My friends are rad.

Hiline is probably my favorite trail in Sedona. Perfect balance of tech, up and down, bonus lines, and risky maneuvers to keep my bean-brain engaged. Hucks to flat, yup. It has those. Sharp cactus to keep you in check? Yup, tick that box too.  

,JKW and myself and I have a very different technique for going uphill. I am more of a "spit on it and ram it in" type of guy. Jeff is more of a trials, hop, hop, stuff the dude behind you, kind of guy. Both styles work well to accomplish the same goal. I am a meathead masher, Jeff is a delicate sprightful butterfly. Sting like a butterfly, fly like a bee. As I write this, I find myself drinking an 8% kombucha... Do you enjoy my drunk keyboard pecking?
​But I digress. 

JKW JRA. Saving front tires, one wheelie at a time. He laid out the rules early on in this trip- When you see kids, do a wheelie. Simple really. Jeff is all about keeping the levels where they need to be. He is the nicest guy you could ever meet on the trail and makes every hiker and child smile at every opportunity. Well done Jeff. Be like Jeff. 

Go subscribe to Jeff candle weed's YouTube channel
If you are not a fan of unicycling and vlogs, go elsewhere. But if you are enjoying our situation, give hime some love on the interwebs. In the meantime, I'll be somewhere, riding on both of my wheels. 

#followcamfriday from one of the finest pieces of trail in the world. 

I had not been to Sedona for a couple of years, and as it currently snowing almost everywhere, AZ seemed like the logical choice for guaranteed shred. Even in the wet, Sedona rides well. The red dirt deals with the water exceptionally well as there isn't much clay in the soil. And when it dries just a bit, red velcro conditions occur.

You can go ahead and subscribe to Jeff's Youtube channel HERE. Unless you hate riding on one wheel, in which case, maybe don't.... #lovesbackwheel

In addition to JKW, we assembled an all-star squad to ride Hangover. James Weingarten, Lars Romig and Mason Bond, who interestingly enough rides a hardtail, doesn't care much for shirts, and has an affinity for bananas. This squad will surely do.

Ahhh.... the infamous Hangover saddle. After you take a few minutes to admire the view and have a snack, go ahead and nose-manual straight down into the depths of hell. JRA for James. If you are struggling for traction, consider using only one wheel. 

This is why the trail is called Hangover. Not because the people who created this masterpiece were drunks, but because you actually have to duck to ride this one. Fortunately for Jeff, he is short, like me, and just clears. I should be noted that you can't fall right.... Jeff did have one situation but fortunately, he swung on a branch and saved himself from certain injury. True story. 

Lars has lived in the Sedona area for his entire life and knows the rock better than anyone. When he isn't busy sprinting his brains out, or saving cats that are stuck in trees as a local fireman, he works closely with the local trail coalitions. Lars has been instrumental in building and keeping these trails open for you to ride. When you see Lars, make sure you thank him before he sprints away and tears you legs off. Mongo smash.

Mason doesn't give a shit about you wheel size or your suspension travel. Skills over springs all damn day. Be like Mason. Bonus points for pants and flannel kit. Living proof that you can't buy skills and nothing really matters but just riding your bike. 

#followcamfriday with James from my favorite trail in Denver. Stay smashy, Dakota Ridge. 

"Favorite trail in Denver" is a bold statement. Longhorn is sweet, Deer Creek, Chimney, Enchanted.... So many good descents. After careful consideration, I prefer Dakota Ridge. 

I like this trail because it is hard. It is not sanitized, not friendly, and not for the faint of heart. Going up, going down, any way you slice it, Dakota is a fist fight. If you can clean the uphill stairs, and then the uphill rock section onto the ridge, you are having a good day. This section kicked my ass for so many years, and cleaning it every once in a while is special to me somehow. Nothing worth doing is easy. 

The wind likes to present itself in the most inopportune times. James almost got blown off of this cliff. Fortunately, James is a ninja, and it takes a bit more than a 50mph cross wind to knock this man down. 

Bonus lines. Did I photoshop James into this picture or did he boost off of that 6ft tall rock? I had never seen anyone ride this line before and it looked out of place. 5 feet high, aiming in the wrong direction, looking down the trail at the road in the distance. Can't be real. James things. 

The newly opened Dakota Ridge "South" section is well-worth a couple of laps. This was our first time on the new addition and we were pleasantly surprised at the quality of trail that continues the theme of the original creation. Thanks Tyson, love your work. And, to top it off, the South section is bike only. Hikers don't bother me one bit, but it is nice having a few less people on the trail, being so close to the monstrosity that is Denver, and all. Kudos again Jefco. 

Textbook James right here. The more time spent on one wheel, the longer your tires last. James doesn't have time to change tires, because he is too busy riding bikes, so he tries his best to only use  only one wheel at a time. Strategy. 

So, next time you go out and ride Dakota Ridge, make sure you clean those uphill log stairs. Session them until you cramp, or vomit. Don't come home until victory is yours. If you are one of those people who thinks that the log stairs should be modified because you can't ride them, Green Mountain is right across the street and has what you are looking for. Dakota Ridge is hard. It makes me feel like I suck at times, and I truly appreciate that. Less pats on the back, more punches in the face. Character building.