Virgin

#followcamfriday riding some southern Utah classics again this week with James Weingarten and Harrison Ory. 

There is just something special about Virgin, Utah. There is a certain feel to the air, a palpable tension looming. The history involved with this place is pretty heavy, and you can honestly feel it as you hike up some unreasonably exposed cliff to ride an old Rampage line. The air is thick with emotion. For me, just getting to spend some time here and get my head adjusted to this type of terrain has been very humbling and satisfying. 

I'm old now. I will never compete in Rampage and have no intentions of even thinking about that sort of thing. I have the utmost respect for the guys that do this for a living. As one spends time in any terrain, things begin to normalize and progress, but this stuff is beyond comprehension for all but a select few. Huge respect for those that can conquer the mental chess that is normalizing 50ft drops. It's humbling. 

This is the 2015 Rampage site and a few of the less consequential lines and features are still riding and being maintained on occasion. I spent a couple of weeks in these areas and didn't pedal my bike once. Bikes don't get pedaled here, they get carried. If you could climb this line, it wouldn't be worth riding down. That is the point. 

After carrying our bicycles around all morning, James and I went for a shuttle lap on Flying Monkey. The monkey is as rough and chunky as ever, and I wouldn't have it any other way. This was my first time riding this on my DH bike, and I do not regret that decision. Trail bikes are amazing these days but they still aren't DH rigs. Admittedly, there are fewer and fewer places where you actually need a downhill bike in the US, but I guess that is what makes riding it so special. 

Exposure is your friend until it isn't. Even the mellow lines here take some commitment. 

I looked right into the eyes of the waitress and ordered some rocks with a side of jank. She brought me exactly what I had ordered. I tipped her well for her timely and attentive service. 

Sometimes I wonder how my life would be different if I had followed the freeride path instead of trying to be a racer. I don't regret my path at all and am very thankful for where I have ended up, but sometimes I just wonder. The older I get, the more I want to progress at this type of riding. Age and risk are rarely a sought after combo, but there is just something special about this type of riding that does it for me. I think I have pedaled too many miles in my life and now I just want to hit jumps and send cliffs. I've earned it.