Whistler Bike Park delivering the goods. #followcamfriday with Ariel Lindsley, starting at the top and ending at the bar. 

Tour Du Wizzla continues as we ride Top Of The World for your viewing pleasure. Obviously, this is completely covered in snow as you read these words. We filmed this in August, under overcast skies and chilly temperatures. TOW is the crown jewel in the Whistler necklace. All the good rides start here. 

Is the red light blinking? Is this thing on? This episode is mostly filmed backwards, which means I cannot see my camera, which means I can't really see if I am filming or not... Fortunately Ariel has a keen eye for the blinking light of send. When you see the red light, pull up. Those are the rules. Ariel complies. 

If you look closely, Ariel is wearing pants and is actually riding a different bike here. We filmed this over 2 days, to get normal, and reverse POV, to offer some different perspectives. I think Ariel is faster in pants, on his wagon wheeler. But, that's just me. Ariel refers to the reverse cam as "shark cam", named after a video he saw on Youtube of a shark chasing a boat. Seems applicable. Maybe I should tie a fish to my ass. 

Have a look at Ariel's eyes here. He is looking through the turn. This is perfect form and execution. There is something to be learned here. Also to note, is his spacing behind me. If this appears close on a GoPro, he is almost touching my rear wheel. Commitment on fleek. 

Ever wonder what is happening behind you. If your friends are rad, they are taking bonus lines and hucking everything in sight. I present to you, example A. Unbeknownst to me, there is a spicy bonus line here. Always interesting to see other peoples interpretation of the trail. My job is rewarding in this way.  

If you use this rock as a jump, you can clear the no-hiking sign..... Extra bonus points and pints for Ariel. Remember the old arcade games, where you would gather coins? Remember the sound of the coins? Ding Ding Ding. That is the only thing going through my bean-brain as I look at this photo. Every "ding" represents one more pint that Ariel can have at the bar when we make it to the bottom. If we make it to the bottom...  Gather those coins friends. 

Well, that is a bold statement... #followcamfriday buckets of loam in Whistler situation with Ariel and Matty. 

I am not big on claiming best anything.... Best wheel size, best country, best tires for the front range....Best anything. The term "Best" is very subjective. People ask me all the time what the best ( insert thing) is, and I rarely know what to say. Which is the best Yeti??? Well, I have no idea.... They are all sweet. 

So, what makes the best day ever? It's a combo situation. The people, the bikes, the trails, the vibes. My "best day" can never be your "best day".  Again, highly subjective. Any time I am riding with Ariel Lindsley and Matty Ryan, the probability of BDE definitely exists. 

So, what made this day so special? This day was the perfect storm of squad, moisture levels, and trail selection. And how about the trail selection? We rode the Whistler classic "Kashmir", into a trail that didn't officially exist yet, and back into the park for some flow. Any time you get the privilege of being one of the first people down a fresh bit of trail, you are right where you want to be. When loam passes you as you descend, levels are on fleek. 

Loam is a drug. When people say "loam to the dome", they actually aren't riding loam, they are riding loose gravel in Colorado and spouting off about how epic it was. When organic material is hitting you in the back and passing you in the air, you are riding loam. When you are shaking at the bottom and all you want is another lap, you are an addict. Now you understand me better. 

I have been saving this one for the day when "Line Of Control" was made official. I am not in a position to be posting unsanctioned, hidden trails, so this one had to wait. Now that LOC is official, it will be ridden into the ground and undoubtedly be a pile of loamless dust by the middle of next summer. And the cycle continues. By the time I make it back to Whistler next summer, this one will be unrecognizable. But, I will forever remember, bouncing down the hill on the squishy carpet of green, and shaking and twitching at the bottom. I am a addict, check me into the clinic. 

Squad goals. Loam laps off of the chair. The only thing I can compare this to is a 3ft powder day. Except, you ski the same line all day and it doesn't really get skied out. Free refills. Double overhead loam barrels all day. The levels were right where they needed to be. Best day ever. 

#followcamfriday searching for dirt on Mt Joss in July with Tom Kiwi Bradshaw. It's winter up here eh.

Sometimes enthusiasm trumps common sense. Throw in some abnormal athleticism and you find yourself standing in the snow on the top of a mountain. With your bicycle... Where did I leave my skis..... 

Now while I am not condoning this sort of behavior, sometimes you make a bad call and find yourself in the alpine a bit too early. Truth be told, you can't really hurt the trail when you can't actually see the trail. Right? Interestingly enough, the 2 meter deep snow patches gave way to complete blown-out dust about half way down. Tom can be seen here testing the snow levels. 

When you get Tom and Ted together in one location, there can be no bad days. They are a team. A "squad" if you will. It is absolutely impossible to have a bad time when these boneheads are present. We should all be so lucky to have friends like this. 

Mount Joss, located near Revelstoke is a unique experience. We chose to do this as an out and back, totaling about 4000' of gain/ loss. Some have been known to access this by helicopter, we opted for the hard way. Tom had a flight to catch that afternoon, so we figured we had better try as hard as possible to make him miss said flight. 

Dogs make everything better. Tedd's dog #lovesbackpaw, just like dad. This black projectile is pinned, and will be the last thing in your way on the descent. 

When you have walked through so many patches of snow that you can't clip into your pedals any more... Or, just Tom being Tom. Why we love him. 

Green room. After doing battle on the icy tundra above, the trail eventually gave way to some authentic jungle riding. I saw a monkey. Next time I do this ride, I will be packing crampons and a machete. The contrast was amazing actually. Spring time in BC... Got to love it. Errr, July. 

So, if you are looking for a challenge and are in the area, give this one a rip. The views and alpine are unrivaled. Just maybe wait till August, so you don't have to giver skidoo. Eh. Oh, and Tom made his flight. What a bummer. Bye Tombo.  

. Truck shuttles are cool, chairlift laps are sweet. Helicopter rides? Next level! #followcamfriday take me to the top, magic bird in the sky. 7000' descent off of Mount Cartier in Revelstoke, BC. With 15 people. 

This is the second edit I have produced from a lap on the infamous Mount Cartier in Revelstoke. Last time we did this, it was so smoky that you could not see the valley floor below. As wild fires become part of the summer norm in the interior, we were lucky to fit this one in on on a crystal clear day in July. 

The descent off the top of Cartier is one of the finest I have ridden,  anywhere in the world. 7000' of amazing trail, beginning in the alpine, winding through classic BC pine forest, and finishing with a ripping fast section to the road below. This one has a bit of everything. 

When was the last time you did a proper euro-turn? Do you even nose-pick bro? I am not talking about the type of picking that you do when no one is looking or you are driving your car on the highway... Tight switchbacks require a bit of finesse. Ted has got this game on lock and can basically go around every tight turn on his front wheel. Set up high, grab a bunch of front brake, commit, swing that ass end around, giggle, repeat. Now do it 45 times and drink a beer. Win.

The second most important skill to learn is the elusive "frame surf". This technique is not recommended for off road applications but is very acceptable after a 7000' descent, once you reach the pavement. Bonus points if none of your friends are wearing shirts. Oncoming traffic.... More bonus points.

Yes, this is as steep as it looks. If one were to crash, the bike would go for a very long way before stopping, several hundred feet below. Seems like the perfect place to ride manuals. If you are Ted Morton, that is. No big deal, JRA. I personally wasn't even watching as I was distracted by the lake views below. Not sure which approach is more dangerous really. Stunts or lack of focus. Somehow, we made it. 

If you ever have a chance to ride in a helicopter, make it happen. It costs about 200$ but when you consider that you are riding a 10K carbon spaceship bike, this is a drop in the hat. It is basically an adult amusement park ride and is well worth the price of admission. And after said amusement park ride, you get to actually ride your bike down a mountain. Double win. 

Tom Kiwi Bradshaw is a fucking legend. Life of the party, wearer of jandals, Tom is a man who lifts the mood of any situation. Always stoked, always motivated, one of the finest humans I have met. Be like Tom. Wear a custom tailored flower shirt, pin it, and have a few laughs. Cycling done right. Cheers Bru! 

Hunting Grouse with James at sunset. #followcamfriday from August in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

What is this "lightbro" that everyone keeps talking about? It's the light, bro. You will know it when you see it.... There is something blindingly magical about riding off into the sunset in a dust cloud created by your friend's rear wheel. I really can't see a thing, but being our first run down this thing, it's definitely for the best. Trust James. 

Enter Grouse. The newest trail on Buffalo Pass in Steamboat Springs. Steamboat has made the claim to be "Bike Town USA", which besides being absolutely ridiculous, has always left me reasonably underwhelmed. If I am being honest, the riding in the Boat is a bit green for my taste. Not a destination I would travel to with my enduro bike. Well.... Grouse changes that notion for me. Add this to Fish Creek Falls and I could definitely see riding there for a weekend. 

If you are familiar with my riding style, I am a man who prefers breaking wheels on rocks to rolling singletrack. You can do that on Grouse. Don't misunderstand me, Steamboat is scenic and all, but I am looking for a trail that challenges me and could possible injure me. That is what gets me out of bed in the morning. Grouse delivered. Well, not the injury part, but it is at least possible. And that is a good thing. As bad as that sounds. 

Challenge? Yes please. I am not trying to feel good about myself when I ride. I am trying to find trails that make me feel like I suck. In this spoon-fed society of over-celebrated mediocrity, I like getting reduced. I like to suck. It builds character. Blue bird powder days? Nah, I'll take storm laps with my hood up. Visibility is overrated, face shots are hydrating. If you feel like a hero all of the time, you probably are far from it. Adversity builds progression, not pats on the back for 17 place at the pony show. 

And yes, I fully get it. We need easy trails to get people into the sport. It's why I have a job. I get it. This trail is not one of those trails. It is hard, and it will challenge you. We need these trails to offset the current trend of mass produced flow and  sanitization. Grouse has character. A steady diet of jank leaves Nate a happy boy. James concurs. 

So good work, "Bike Town USA" This one is sweet. You are still not "bike town usa", but we do really like this trail. This is a wonderful step in the right direction and is far more interesting in my mind than anything in the bike park. There is even a mellow climbing trail to access this thing. Again, good work. We shuttled.... but I like where your head is at. Steamboat. You feel less like the 90's to me now. Steamboat. 

This video was shot in August. Yesterday I went skiing for the first time of the year. As we transition into winter, I have been enjoying digging through the hard drive and remembering the fond times that summer has brought. Ah the memories. It is desert, dessert season now. Look for me eating gelato in a crowded place the locals call "Moab" soon. Honestly, I am looking forward to skiing this year. I know you hate skiing if you are reading these words, but I need the recharge. Powder does that. #offleasonfatkidlife

When James is not riding some sketchy rock face, on one wheel, without even looking at if first, he runs Float.org. In a nutshell, Float runs tee-shirt campaigns and donates 8$ from each sale to a different animal charity each week. You like animals right??? Well the holiday season is coming and I really can't think of a better way to spend your hard earned money. Give the gift that keeps on giving. I should be in marketing.... Quit spending all your money on new bike parts. Wait... 
FLOAT.ORG