#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!