#followcamfriday back from ski vacation, straight into the thick of it. Flying Monkey with James Weingarten.  Monkeys don't fly, they swing. 

I went skiing for a bit. Sorry, not sorry. Thanks for understanding, I feel much better now. I am actually wanting to touch my bike again.... My plan worked. Discipline is important. All of the gym selfies and indoor trainer photos posted by "pro" mountain bikers didn't crack me either. Outside is my area. 

I rode for the first time in a month this week. If I am being honest, I am more than okay with taking a little break from the bike, in fact, I really needed it. This last month represents the longest time off of a bicycle in the last 6ish years. Guess I was due. 

I did my best to eat everything in sight and put on some weight, while sitting on the couch for the last month. Unfortunately, ski touring every day has had the opposite effect that I was looking for. Now I am skinny. And cold. And I need more down coats. Pete is pictured above for reference. He is licking his lips, begging for bacon. Dear Pete, you can't have my bacon, I need it. I'm cold. 

What were we talking about again? Right. Bikes. So I rode with James the other day. James is my summer friend, so I have been missing his presence for the last month. I was relieved to learn that James is still a ninja, nothing has changed. I felt like a complete passenger, but James was dialed. It is remarkable how strange my bike felt after sitting in the garage for a month. She must have been mad at me, jealous of my skis, sitting just feet away and getting all of the attention.  I even lubed her twice before riding her, but she was still mad. 

This sort of thing should be mandatory at the start of every trail worth riding. If you can't ride the first feature, just turn back. This one may not be for you. Squirrel catchers are a beautiful thing. Not everything should be easy. I am looking in your general direction, "flow trail". Not everything needs to stroke people's egos and reward mediocrity. It's okay to suck at times. It builds character. There are plenty of things that I am scared of. Everyone should be challenged. Mountain biking is supposed to be hard. End rant. 

If you didn't jump the qualifier fence, surely you can't stomach this exposure... One mistake and you are falling a very long way off of a very big cliff. That three-foot tall fence jump doesn't seem so bad now, does it? Poachers are warned. This beast doesn't get easier. Quite the opposite actually. 

So I guess that everything is going to be okay in the world. I like bikes again, and am feeling fresher physically and mentally than ever. James crawled out of this rock to manual this entire trail. Pete the dog is fit as fuck #faf ,from xc skiing every day. All is right in the world. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Yay bikes. 

First inaugural #followcamfriday winter edition. Disclaimer- there is no MTB in this video. If you hate snow, keep scrolling. 

Sometimes I go skiing. If I am being honest, I love skiing just as much a riding bikes and could have happily gone in that direction as a career choice. Thankfully I didn't, and ski for fun, without sponsor obligation or much of an agenda. Riding bikes pays the bills. Skiing keeps me sane.  

Japan has been on my bucket list for a very long time. The skiing, the food, the culture. There is nothing not to like about Japan. I had the best ramen and sushi of my life on this trip, by far. No question. I had better sushi off of a conveyor belt than I had ever tasted previously in my life. For $28. True story. 

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I have been so busy riding bikes and shooting videos , and answering questions about bikes, that I almost forgot how much I love to ski. Correction- need to ski, to be happy. Skiing is in my blood. My mind and body need a reset from the constant bike situation that I have created around myself. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the situation I have created, each and every day, but at times, I need another focus in life. When it is time to ride bikes again, I will be fresh and stoked, not burnt  and tired. Balance is key to most things in life. Skiing gives me balance. 

So yeah, Joey Schusler, Thomas Woodson, Blake Gordon (who took this photo above) and myself, skied our brains out for 9 days, drank sake, and ate fish. We submitted 3 volcanoes and skied balls-deep pow, the rest of the time. We all work in the outdoor film industry, take photos for a living, and travel the world doing so. This was a solid squad and the goal was to basically NOT work. We all work hard, year round. This trip was for skiing. Yes, photos were taken and obviously I made a video, but there was no agenda. Just ski.  

When traveling the world with these cats, it is never a bad idea to bring a head lamp. The tour will always be longer, we will always run out of food and water, and get lost more than once. Some people are looking for a relaxing vacation to chill out and get some rest. These are not those people. That said, we did spend our fair share in the onsen after skiing every day. Would be rude not to. It is important to keep those hygiene levels in check while ski touring for 7 hours a day. 

 Mount Yotei is the classic Hokkaido volcano ski line. The skiable crater at the top offers 360 degree pow lines. We were fortunate to get a clear day to make the 6K climb to the summit. After banging laps in the crater for a couple of hours, we decided to circumnavigate the rim, before descending into the sunset in the valley below. That day will go down as one of the most memorable ski days of my life. Very fortunate. 8 hours later, we were at 7 Eleven, panic eating fried chicken and ice cream. 

I would never be caught dead at a 7 Eleven in my country. Not a chance. The 7 Eleven's in Japan however, are top-notch. We started and ended every day here. Snacks, Sake, and the best damn fried chicken a man could ask for. Seriously. I was apprehensive at first, but am now missing this place at home. This was where second breakfast, and first dinner went down each day. 

The gas in this photo is reasonably poisonous. It burned my lungs for a bit, but I think it somehow gave me superpowers. Science says different, but who listens to "science" these days anyway? The gasses that escape from the earth smell like eggs, just like the gasses that escape from me. Coincidence? I think not. 

I haven't ridden my bike in almost a month and I am very okay with that. It's not like I am just sitting on the couch, eating cheeseburgers, I am just taking a little break. When I walk into my garage and look at my bikes, I am almost getting the urge to ride one. Almost... There is still some skiing to do in Colorado. The longer I can abstain from cycling, the better my return will feel. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. 

#followcamfriday getting our XC on at Blue Diamond in Las Vegas, Nevada

Normally when I am traveling with my bike, the last thing I am looking for is XC trails. I am usually trying to find the rougest, jankiest, most unfriendly trails to ride my bicycle down. Every once in a while though, I just slam a protein shake and giver. 

Merrick and Kevin are both clearly into fitness. Merrick basically made me cry-breathe on every "descent" . Merrick is a giant man, and once that giant man is up to pace, it is all I can do to hold his wheel. I feel like a Prius, chasing a freight train. Clearly I need to harden up. 

Once again, I am in Vegas, without feeling the pull of the strip. I have bicycles to ride, after all. While I could spend thousands on hookers, drugs, and booze, this is definitely a better use of my time and energy. 

Big night out for Pete. He was getting some much needed down-time after sending it at the club all night. He just doesn't have the stamina of a young pup anymore. 

Every ride should end with a tube ride. The Whole Enchilada ends like this. Get pitted.

Merrick knows the first rule of riding bikes. Always pull up. Never not. I am still in Japan skiing pow, until further notice. 

#followcamfriday ticking off red-rock classics with Lars and Alex. 

As I type these words, I am in the mountains of Hokkaido, Japan, skiing powder. It occured to me that I had not taken a non-bike related "vacation" in about 5 years. I love mountain bikes, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I just need a break. I am definitely not complaining, I love my job and feel fortunate to be able to travel and ride almost every day, but sometimes, I just need a change of perspective. A reset, if you will. 

Yes, a change of perspective. I have ridden Sedona many times over the years and filmed all of the classics, more than once. Hangover and Hiline are two of my favorites, without question.  My new drone is definitely allowing me to be creative in a different way and show the beauty of Sedona from a different angle. Same friends, same trails, same lightbro, just from a different perspective that had not previously been possible. 

I am currently hanging out at backcountry touring lodge and hot spring situation with some close friends. We are ski-touring every day, eating sushi and staying away from the internet and work, as much as possible. It is increasingly hard to remove myself from grip of my iPhone and the constant white-noise that is my social media. This trip is refreshing and a much needed reminder of how much I love traveling in the mountains with close friends. The connection that people form in these bonding situations is just not possible on a phone or a computer. I call this "real life", and I need more of it in my life. 

So about Sedona. It is hard for me to even focus on typing words that are related to mountain bikes as I stare out the window of our ski lodge, as the peaks are just about to lose the orange afternoon light. My mind drifts to the day we just experienced, and what adventures are on the books tomorrow.  But the content machine must keep being fed. It is ravenous. So here is the most cinematic shit that I have ever produced, thanks to my new toy. I hope you enjoy the visuals. 

So what keeps calling me back to Sedona? I guess the answer is real experiences with my close friends. We push each other, feed off of the energy and progress together.  The trails are fun, the scenery is unmatched, but the people, that is why I do all of this at the end of the day. Without my friends, I would have nothing. Go out and get weird with your friends in the mountains this weekend. I don't care if you ski, or you ride, or you hike, or whatever. Just leave your phone in airplane mode and live that "real life" that looks so sweet on the internet. 

#followcamfriday putting the new Skydio 2 drone to the test in Sedona with Lars Romig. 

What a time to be alive. If you had told me 10 years ago that a drone that follows you around is coming, I would have laughed in your face. Well, now I have seen everything. Whatever your stance on drones is, you have to admit that this is a pretty amazing bit of tech. The possibilities are endless. Sky's the limit. 

So you are saying that this drone follows the #followcam??? Yup. That is correct. The Skydio 2 is autonomous. This is certainly a tool that will come in very handy for my current style of filming. This thing has subject tracking and obstacle avoidance, so basically, you just launch it, lock it onto a subject and ride. Mind melted. 

This is a tool that will keep things fresh and breath new life into trails that I have filmed several times. Like the infamous "white line" . If you ask me, it's easy and has certainly been done to death on the internet. I still have full respect for this line and while it does require full-focus, it's been done before and isn't exactly revolutionary. This drone will allow me to show this sort of thing in a different way, from a different perspective. Fresh. 

And about getting bored of "white line" ....... Well, Lars and I decided to try and ride some lines above the traditional route, just to keep things fresh. Linking this from almost the top of the ridge, through the normal descent, and all the way to Chicken Point is actually a reasonable chunk of "trail". The upper part is steep and exposed, proceed with caution. Lars is the man for the job, no one has more experience riding the steep red rock slabs of Sedona. 

I compare riding exposed lines like this to ski mountaineering. The aesthetic is important. This is a beautiful line, etched into the side of a dramatic landscape in an iconic location. Much like some of the greatest ski descents in the world. The beauty of the mountain and challenge to overcome fear is enticing. Intoxicating even. The natural beauty is humbling. None of this is for the camera, just to be clear. This is for us, to feed out need. Without risk, you have nothing, are nothing, and will accomplish very little in life. 

Happy New Year! I am not a fan of resolutions, because I try to always live correctly and don't need a certain date to make a change for the better, or an excuse for that matter. My resolution is to keep riding my bike, keep loving my friends, and keep exercising my dog every day, and to keep drinking gin. Cheers to 2020. Thanks for the ride.