Cougar Ridge in the Rain

#followcamfriday Touring my Canadian friends and James Weingarten around an altered Vail classic. 

It had been almost two years since I had ridden with my Canadian friends Will and Mark of "The Free Radicals" I truly have missed these boys. Reuniting with old friends, post-Covid is truly special. Mr. James Weingarten also joined the party. Interestingly enough, James and the Free Rads had never met prior to this day, despite my huge amount of time and miles ridden with each of them on separate occasions. It's always special introducing best friends to other best friends. The circle is complete. 

Mark and Will were in town for a trail building initiative in Fort Collins. The dig culture in Canada is so advanced that these guys came to our country to help because clearly we need it;) Some of the trails that were burned near Fort Collins got some much needed love. Kudos boys. Love your work. 

James came over and met us in Vail for some park laps and some leaf peeping. After banging out six or eight laps, I decided to show the boys Cougar Ridge. This is accessed by a 20 minute traverse from the top of the gondola, and drops down to Minturn. I have been riding this for many years and was quite surprised how smooth things have gotten. This trend is really bumming me out. 

To be clear, Cougar Ridge was never a backcountry epic, but it definitely wasn't a carbon copy of the trails you would find in the Vail Bike Park. That was the beauty of it, stark contrast to the park.  I am sorry to report that the original character of this trail has been destroyed, and replaced with another flow trail. Just like the other flow trails, everywhere I look. Game Creek is currently receiving the same treatment. Making everything into a sidewalk is not the answer. These natural environments are forever altered. You can do better Vail. 

Rant number two. I am not against flow trails but if you want a flow trail, build a new one! Destroying natural trails that have been in existence for decades is completely unacceptable. Please stop. End rant. 

At the end of the day, bikes will always be fun and we are fortunate to have these places to ride and enjoy nature. Each trail has a certain feel and character, and the fun of riding bikes is experiencing that unique flavor first hand. Lets's strive for maintaining the unique story that each trail has to tell. The intricacies of each root and rock, each flat track turn, every rut and hole are important. A homogenized experience leaves us empty inside eventually. 

Mark wore his autumn ensemble to blend in a bit on this fine day. There is something satisfying about riding in the rain with the gray skies and vibrant colors that just does it for me. Adversity makes for a better story. Bluebird powder days aren't really my thing. Neither are flow trails. 

Despite being soaked, head to toe, and wondering where the roots and rocks went, we still had an amazing ride. Sometimes the ride is more about the people you are with than the trails or conditions. Colorado in the fall is truly something special to behold. Mother nature was putting on a show that will be remembered for some time. I just wish the trail could have told the tale that it once did.