The Golden Room

#followcamfriday live and direct from the Golden Room with James Weingarten and The Free Radicals. 

There is just something inspiring to me about riding through a sea of gold on my bicycle. Some people get pleasure from leaf-peeping, perhaps taking photos from a distance for their Facebook account. Being fully immersed is an entirely different experience. Especially when you consider that the leaves on the ground add a degree of technicality to the trail, hiding its rocks and roots and limiting traction. It's this beauty that will crash you. Perfect. 

My Canadian friends, Will and Mark had never ridden in the Vail Bike Park before. The timing to experience this place in all of its glory couldn't have been any more perfect. We shot this on closing weekend and the park trails had been closed for the prior five days, allowing a nice stack of leaves to accumulate. As the trails get ridden, the leaves blow off the tread and reveal what lies beneath. We were treated to what skiers might consider a powder day. 

I posted an edit from Vail about a month ago, riding with Teddy Jaramillo, but this was just too stunning not to share. After living in Colorado for half of my life, the fall is still amazingly special to me. It's almost sensory overload. When you combine the natural enjoyment and adrenalin from normal riding, and add in all of this natural beauty, it is overwhelming. I shed a few tears making this edit, lol

This made my day. Why yes, that is an E bike towing an analog bike uphill with a stick. One of the greatest things I have ever witnessed on the mountain. While everyone is out there hating on E bikes, these dudes are having the time of their lives and making it happen. Kudos gentlemen. Well played. The whole "earn your turns" narrative really needs to die. These dudes are going to have an amazing descent and are enjoying nature just like everyone else out here. No matter how you get to the top, climbing, chairlift, or stick-tow, the descent will be enjoyed equally. Just because you worked harder to get there, doesn't actually make it better. It just makes you more tired. 

James is definitely not bothered by the fact that the nuances of the trail are hidden by 2 inches of leaves. When the trails are wet and slippery, the best advice is to just ride them like they are dry. Easier said than done, but the same thought process applies here. Modern bikes do a pretty good job of keeping riders upright if you just let them eat. 

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Fall never lasts long enough, but it wouldn't be as special if it did. If the trees always looked like this, it wouldn't seem so surreal. Riding season is just about done now in the high country as the higher elevations took on some snow this week. Winter is undoubtedly, just around the corner. If you need me, I'll be in the desert.