This one takes me back to the #followcamfriday roots. Don't fall left, don't fall right, maybe just don't fall. Riding in the Alps with Francesco Gozio on our new Yeti SB130's

This trip has left an impression on me, to say the least. Interestingly enough, this was my first trip to Europe and definitely won't be my last. I was sent here for a Yeti project, photographed by the legend that is Dan Milner. Fellow Yeti ambassador and Italian guide, Francesco Gozio joined us as the other "athlete". I guess we are "adventure athletes". Is that a thing? 

This project will see the light of day on the Yeti site in the spring of 19, showcasing the ability of our newly built SB130's, in their preferred habitat. In between "getting the shot" with Dan, I strapped on the trusty camera and filmed some of the more interesting descents in the Alps. I mean, how could I not. This place is unreal. 

Mont Blanc is looming in the background. Always there with her imposing presence, whenever the clouds parted. A good reminder to be humble, and good perspective of how small we truly are. 

Some would say that riding in this terrain is risky, even careless. I personally live for this sort of thing, fully accepting the responsibility and acknowledging the danger. The risk vs reward thing is an interesting debate. Most say that this isn't worth the risk. I have never done this sort of thing for a camera, only for myself. I was riding my bicycle along the edge of a cliff, long before there was social media, or YouTube, for that matter. It truly makes me feel alive and fills me with positive energy. That is my reward. Typing this sentence on my computer is not exciting to me. This is. 

Francesco Gozio was an amazing partner to have on this project. I had never met Dan or Francesco before I showed up on Dans's doorstep in Chamonix. Dan is s legendary ski and bike photographer and is regarded as one of the best and most experienced in the industry. I mean, he just got the cover of Bike mag this month, one of many. Dan's ability to tell a story with a single photo is unmatched. Both of these gentlemen have no problem going that extra mile to make something better. It shows in their character and in their work. These are the people that I enjoy surrounding myself with. Highly motivated, humble, bad asses. Good folks. 

If you need a guide in Italy, Francesco is your guy. You can thank me later.
RIDE OVER YONDER GUIDED TOURS

None of us had ever ridding this section of trail before. When we asked a local for beta, his description was "lumpy". I don't think I could have come up with a better description myself. I will definitely be incorporating this into my vocabulary. As it turns out, I am a big fan of "lumpy". Basically, what I am looking for in a trail. And how did the new 130's handle it? I was astounded. A bike that I can climb for 6 hours and then ride lumpy trails on. My happy place. 

Comprehensive bike check HERE

Keep it locked right here for more shenanigans from Europe over the next few weeks. I will be riding trail, drinking wine and trying to get fat on gelato before winter sets in. 

#followcamfriday meets #tequilacamtuesday. Any Questions?

Live and direct from my man-cave, I bring you through the build process, detailing the finer points of tequila and espresso consumption. 

If you guys have any questions, head over to my youtube page and ask away! If you are interested in the individual part spec, you can find that HERE

Huge thanks due to my partners for making this build come to life!

It's not every day that you get to do loam laps off of a chairlift. #followcamfriday in the green room with the big 
​#loambowski

Creekside.... So hot right now. All it needs is a few more trails and we won't have to go to the Whistler Village ever again.... Well, your prayers have been answered. This new bit of trail connects the Garbo zone to Creekside, enabling riders to do a full lap into the existing Creekside trail system. 

We were very fortunate to "test" this new trail for the builder Scott Veach. Love your work Scott! After all, somebody has got to blow up all the fresh turns and clean the loam off of the trail for the public. It's a dirty job but #loambowski is well equipped to handle these tasks. Ariel officially declares this trail "shred ready" for public consumption. 

So basically now, you can start in Creekside, ride something sweet over to Garbo, head up the chair, and drop back into Creekside from where TOW ends. Full loam back to Delayed Fuse. There are 2 trails going in currently, Midguard is more flow, Trail 14 is more natural. Perfect options to get you back over to Creekside without too much faffing about. These sections will hopefully be open for public consumption by the time you read this. Don't worry, we made it safe for you. 

 I really enjoy the backwards filming perspective. Ariel calls this "shark cam", named for a shark video he saw on youtube where the shark is chasing the camera, just inches behind the boat. I prefer to call it "reverse cow girl" . But, that is another story for another time... Either way, this provides a uniqued perspective and shows the steepness of the trail much better than forward facing footy. 

If you look closely here, you can see Ariel. This is proper fall-park attire. Pants and a bright jacket. Notice how he contrasts the forest and is actually visible in the frame. All black is trending. Unless your name is Semenuk, the all black thing is hard to pull off. Put some bright shit on so I can see you for fuck sake. Look how nice Ariel looks in orange. So handsome. 

#loamatose #loamloamborghini #loambowski
If you need us, we will be blasting through the forest, bouncing down the hill. If you can't hear your tires, you are doing things right. 

Blasting loam on Blackcomb with the one and only #loambowski. #followcamfriday in the green room.

Dark Crystal is the newest trail to be adopted into the ever-expanding network of radness that exists on Blackcomb. There is still a bit of top-soil left for shredding, so go and do a lap while the getting is good. The powder day will be over soon. 

If you look at this picture closely, you will see "Dingo" calmly riding a nose manual down this rock slab. No big deal, JRA. Matty Ryan is a legend. This is just normal Whistler stuff. I feel like I am being desensitized to reality. Whistler is just different I guess. The skill level here is a notch above....

We wouldn't be in Canada without some wood, right? Nathan Rennie was once quoted as saying "mountain bikers ride on dirt" in an old bike movie that I may have watched too many times. I would imagine that there isn't much wood in Australia. Canada is different. 

Ariel Lindsley is a Fox engineer/tester/spirit leader. He works remotely in Whistler and gives valuable feedback that influences the future of mountain biking. Without Ariel, things would be different. He is the eyes on the ground that steer product development in the correct direction. Ariel works his ass off. He also rides better than you. He also parties harder than you... ha

Blasting through the green room. Every high line, an opportunity to send. Every hole, a chance to bottom out your rig. This trail is amazingly abusive at speed. Not that I would know but I would imagine this is how bull-riders feel at the rodeo. Just for 10 minutes straight. And minus the pissed off, large animal.... Hacking holes for 10 minutes straight is my happy place. More please. 

Cheers boys! That was a lap to remember. Perfect dirt with a proper squad. Does it really get any better? Back up for another. Until next time friends. 

Believe me when I tell you that Benny and Landon De Vall are the future. What were you doing when you were 9? #followcamfriday with groms in the Whistler Bike Park

Oh, to grow up having your back-yard be The Whistler Bike Park... I can't even imagine. These kids are so far ahead of the curve that it left me somewhat speechless. Benny is 11 and Landon is 9. The future is here, keep your eyes on these groms. And, just start sending them free stuff right now. 

I have always refrained from shooting young kids. Here is how the conversation goes- Super keen parent- "my kid is the best! you should film him and make an episode!"  Me- " Awe, so cute... I only film my close friends"... Internal dialogue- Truth be told, your kid is more cute than "pinned". My videos are about shredding and I am not trying to post cute kids riding slowly. I also do not post cat videos. I am not mining for views, I am keeping it real.

Don't get me wrong, supportive parents are rad. I just don't want to film your children. Or your cats. Just because you are old and used to be fast, you cannot live vicariously through your children.... 

Enter Judd De Vall. Father to the boys, Judd lives in Whistler, builds trail and is raising his boys properly in the bike park. Judd raced DH for years and is super pinned and motivated to ride. He is passing on his passion to his boys correctly. He isn't jamming bikes down their throats and telling them that they have to win races. He is teaching them respect and to be humble. So refreshing! Judd is an all-star dad. Oh Yeah, and mom was an Olympian.... So there's that. Needless to say, cycling runs in the family. 

I was absolutely in awe following these guys on their 24" bikes in the park. This really puts the wheel size debate in perspective. These kids could give a shit about wheel size, they just want to send. Just like me. Perfect company. 

As it turns out, when you weigh 70lbs, you have to sprint everywhere to keep speed. Here I am coasting along, and these guys are sprinting everywhere possible to maintain. Pretty inspiring really. It's a good thing that they are so small, if we were the same weight, I would have surely have  been dropped. 

In a world dominated by social media, this is an interesting situation. These kids aren't even old enough to use social media. Kudos father Judd. My world revolves around creating content, and if you are reading this, much of your time is spent at the computer as well. I can't even tag these guys.... I can't drive traffic for them or blow up their IG accounts. They don't have IG..... Crazy! Such a shift in thinking here for me. This kids are all passion, no other motivations. They are just having fun riding their bikes. Isn't that what this is supposed to be about. Smash your iPhone..... after reading, liking, and sharing this post....

Smurfy day for a ride in the wet. #followcamfriday on Gargamel in Whistler with Braedyn Kozman. There are certain trails that people generally don't ride in the wet. This is one of them. On a side note, I always had a crush on Smurfette. So there's that. 

Continuing the theme from last week, black dirt and green foliage are the norm now in Whistler. Fall has arrived. Pretty good time to be up here if you ask me. Last week was park, this week is pedal. Fortunately, Whis delivers the best of both. Enough to make Nate a tired boy at the all- you- can- eat trail buffet. 

Temperature regulation is a constant battle in these conditions. Camouflage climbing cape engage. This is a popular technique in the area. The cape is faster in every situation. Every. 

Gargamel has existed for many years and is what I would consider a "Whistler classic". Rocks slabs, chutes and roots. The perfect recipe for disaster in the wet. Perfect time to give this one a rip. The first time I rode this was about ten years ago. We ended the ride in the dark after getting lost for a bit. It can only be better than that time, right?

Always nose-pick when the slabs are wet. It's the only way to spice up the already habanero-level descent. You see, making things easier isn't always the best protocol. Lets make things harder. I like challenge in cycling and in life. I fell down more than once on this one. Character building. Don't bitch, get better. It's that simple. 

If I was pretending to be a  photographer, and not busy chasing someone around with my video recorder, this is the spot I would choose to take a still photo. Nose-pickable moss covered rock, lake views, green things. All the elements. Now, where did I put that camera....

Sometimes in the wet, the climbs present as much trouble as the descents. Bob and weave, bob and weave, repeat. What ever gets you to the next section of rad. Full commitment on display here. Braedyn is a ninja. 

Looks pretty grippy right? Get this bit wrong and you are basically falling into a hole with logs in it. I prefer aligators, but logs will have to do. Always add more spice to your food. Your food is bland. 

Keep it locked right here for more black and green from Whistler. This place never ceases to challenge and amaze. Hopefully I remain in one piece for the duration. If not, at least I gave er' skido!

Always ride in the rain. #followcamfriday from the best bike park on earth with Braedyn Kozman. Keeping things moist for your Friday. 

Most people have a different attitude when the rain is falling and the skies are grey. Personally, this is my happy place. Perfect moody fog, perfect lack of shadows, perfect for "getting the shot" in my world. Oh yeah, and the dirt is best-ever too. Added bonus. Most reasonable would be sipping a hot toddy by the fire and talking about that one time they rode Crank It Up. Not us... 

You see, increased moisture levels mean increased stoke levels in our world. Symbiotic relationship. Basically, we are frothing.
Enter Braedyn Kozman. Braedyn is 22, lives in Whistler and spends most of his time riding around on his rear wheel and jumping sketchy gaps when he is not coaching kids in the park. One super-grom, passing on the skills to the mini-groms. Rad. I can't even imagine being a kid growing up in Whistler.  

Fall in Whistler is something special. Once the chaos of Crankworx dies down, things get back to normal. Dry dirt is replaced by hero traction and my liver gets a much needed break from "keeping the streak alive". Thanks for making me an alcoholic, Free Radicals. Owe you one. 

Basic bridge right? Cedar has amazing grip when wet. Good thing for us because the possibility to be upside-down is ever-present when riding in these conditions. All part of the fun I guess. 

Now, if we could just get Dirt Merchant to open back up. I check the trail status at least three times daily.... Every time I ride Freight Train, I have a look to the left, hoping for that rope to be missing from the entrance to my favorite trail. Still waiting Whistler. Love your work. Trying so hard to be patient. 

If you need me, I'll be in Whistler for a couple more weeks. The leaves are just starting to change and the smell of fall is in the air. The taste of loam is in my mouth. I'll be piloting my Loamborghini through the woods until I am loamatose. Hopefully I survive loamlife.

The kids are alright, the future is bright. #followcamfriday from Sol Mountain Lodge in Revelstoke, BC with groms.

What were you doing when you were 14? If you are old like me, you were probably playing video games and still peeing the bed. Things are a bit different in the Monashees. Seth and Ryan are out here shredding on the daily. Some would call them "lucky". In reality, these kids work really hard to make this a reality. 

You see, in addition to riding every day, these kids are building trail. This is part of the BC culture and is refreshing to see at such a young age. These kids have had their hands in a great deal of the newly constructed trail surrounding Sol Mountain Lodge. Their dad Aaron, operator of the lodge, wouldn't have it any other way. Work hard, play hard. 

This was my first time visiting Sol and I was absolutely blown away. This ski lodge, turned bike lodge, is located south of Revelstoke in the Monashee Mountains, known best for its legendary powder skiing. As the climate changes, lodge operators are staying ahead of the curve by offering summer activities that have a premium feel. Why not play in these beautiful mountains year-round?

Always bring Ted Morton with you to test the stunts. Ted is still  a "grom" in my eyes, and makes for a perfect crash-test-dummy. What you can't see in this photo is the 40ft drop, to his left. And yes, he jumped that gap in the rock to get out there. 

The views up here are amazing. Alpine lakes and rock slabs for days. I can't think of a better place to spend a couple of days, exploring the alpine.
Sol Mountain Lodge Info Here

Not bad. 

So basically, if you see Seth and Ryan out there, give them some nucks. These kids are the future. Work hard, play hard. I can only imagine what they can do when this place is covered in a blanket of snow, and the bikes are traded for skis. Wu-Tang is for the children. 
​Keep it locked right here for more Canadian escapades. 

Call it out if you have a better one... Fish Creek delivering the tech. Not sure how we made it without anything breaking... #followcamfriday with James

So.... this is our first lap ever of the notorious Fish Creek Falls trail in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This is probably the most technical trail in the state that I can recall riding. Let me know if you have a better one. I am in amazement of what my bicycle is capable of in these situations. 

And it certainly doesn't hurt to have James leading the charge. Making sense of the puzzle is Mr. Weingarten's forte. A bit of finesse will get you through most situations as it turns out. Same rules apply to life in general. Better to go in smooth than just ram it... 

Hikers make the best trails. I could give a shit about riding smooth flow trail if it does not involve jumping. The hikers that frequent Fish Creek have done an amazing job of eroding and brading the absolute shit out of this one. Perfect in my book, the rougher the better. There are one million line choices on here, a thinking man's trail,  if you will.  Everyone was amazingly nice too. I think they may have been amazed that we were riding down this thing. Nice folk. 

I would definitely recommend picking an earlier or later time of day to check this one out. This is one of the most popular hiking trails in the state. With scenery like this, that all makes perfect sense. But yes, it's a complete tourist trap in the middle of the day. To reiterate, everyone was super nice, and so were we, so everything worked out. A little bit of a friendly "hello" goes such a long way. Nothing but smiles and good vibes. 

This section was particularly interesting. Basically a carved-out rock channel to get through the steep cliffs. We got some good cheers and strange looks as we rode through. Maybe people were waiting for us to crash like your typical NASCAR fan in the Deep South. Maybe people were genuinely stoked that we could casually ride this section that they could barely walk... I prefer to believe the later explanation. 

Next time you find yourself near Steamboat and are up for a challenge, give this a rip. Grouse is really good too. Fish Creek is more natural and takes the cake in my book. You will break things, and you will see people, but you can thank me later. 
If you clean it top to bottom first go, I owe you a beer. Best of luck frothers. 

When was the last time you rode your bike in Steamboat? #followcamfriday bringing you the course preview of next weekend's Revolution Enduro Event. Come on out and support local racing! Throw things. Heckle. 

There is a 2-day, 8 stage enduro race happening in Steamboat on August 18-19 2018. Info HERE. There is still time to register for the party. Haven't ridden in Steamboat? Time for a vacation. Treat yo self. 

If I am being honest, Steamboat has never really been a destination for me, due to its lack of technical trail opportunities. Steamboat is beautiful, scenic, absolutely stunning really, but relatively smooth. If you read this blog, you will know that I prefer to fight with rocks than cruise on buff singletrack or flow trail. Enter Grouse..... Haven't ridden it? Just wait. 

I just knew there was good riding hiding somewhere in the boat. Grouse blew us away. James and myself live for this sort of riding and were amazed at this masterpiece of tech. In my eyes, Steamboat has been the least progressive when it comes to mountain biking in Colorado in the last 15 years. This one changed our perception. More of this please. 

Always a pleasure to meet other enthusiasts on trail. James tests out one of the many rock booters that litter the upper section of Grouse. This descent will be broken into two stages and when combined with BTR, will make for a solid 3-stage, day 1. 

And yes, there are go-arounds for all of the consequential features. Not that we rode any of those, but they are out there. This race is not meant to be intimidating, but rather, inclusive. Everyone can ride this trail, everyone will have fun. The bonus features aren't really faster anyway,  just more interesting.....

Day 2 of this race will be in the bike park, traversing through the widely spaced aspens that Steamboat is known for. 

Did I mention that Steamboat is scenic? Basically the perfect ribbon of singletrack, leading you delicately into the aspens. This is what you might find on a post card. Do they still have post cards? This is what you might find in an Insta Story..... 

As a man who appreciates some good Mexican food, the taco cart at the bottom of the mountain will not let you down.  These tacos get an 8 out of 10 on my internal taco scale. 

And this is precisely why I like riding with James. Everything is rideable. Everything is a jump. Pull up. You know the deal. The older we get, the more we act like children. Yay bikes. 

Classic #lovesbackwheel situations. Pavement is just an opportunity to use half of your wheels. Unicycle world championship coming soon. Keep it locked right here!