Build it, and eventually, they will come...

Long before the iPhone became a vital organ for survival and long before I ever properly mountain biked, Apple had a hand held device called the Newton. Many companies had so-called personal assistant devices (palm pilot, handspring, etc..) that were more of a pain than a help. You had to learn how to write so that it would recognize your notes. The internet was in it's blinky tag infancy, no wifi so you had these crappy cards that were a sort of crappy bluetooth/wireless mess, hardly any cross-application support, nor sharing of data from any sort of cloud. Apple's Newton was amazing compared to the others. So well ahead of the curve. Unfortunately, the Newton too was well ahead of the curve of technology and it would be killed off by the return of Steve Jobs at the helm of the Apple ship. 20 some years later, the technology finally caught up (software, wifi, bluetooth, touch screen tech, ram, processor speed, etc..) and we are living the actuality of what the Newton dream had been long ago. Build it and eventually they will come...

I was thinking about that last Sunday as I was ripping my dropped bar rigid 1x mountain bike down a steep rocky trail. Traversing rocks, deep snow, some mud, more rocks, more snow, and lots and lots of rocky dry trail with a huge shit-eating grin on my face.

The thing is, rigid drop bar mountain bikes have been done times and times before. I am definitely far, far, far from the first. But I do feel that right now the technology has finally caught up to the initial promise of the drop bar mountain bike. We now have high volume tires with modern treads and tubeless capabilities. We have clutch derailleurs that lessen chain slap and helps keep the drivetrain running smoothly in the rough. We have gearing options that are workable across myriad terrains. Frame geometries have gotten better and more specific. And disc brakes have found their way into the realm of all biking. Build it and eventually they will come...

With the current trend of longer, slacker, lower mountain bike frames with shorter than short stems, wider that mega-wide bars, and longer travel in the mountain bike world, the options for a rigid singlespeeder are pretty slim. Add in the plethora of adjectives "gravel" and "adventure" muddying all sorts of bike-linguistics and it is easy to find oneself lost. That is where the dropbar 1x mountain bike comes in. It's the new rigid singlespeed (for gravel, for adventure, for bike packing, for what I've always called "mountain biking" = getting from point A to point B however the most fun and least paved way is).

Not only does it rip and put a smile on your face on the trails, but that long pavement or gravel road ride to and from the trail into that stupid headwind is a whole lot more pleasant with the drop bars than fighting it with flat bars.

Spring Is Coming

Years ago, I spent a couple summer weeks scraping and painting an old barn for a co-worker for some extra cash to help pay for life. I was in college and had a part-time job for a video and audio production company and I operated their new digital audio and video editing bay. Richard was a producer and often used me out on the field as his key audio recorder, as well as main recording engineer for all of his voice-over talent for the CD-ROMS we were producing.

I would ride my old Honda 250-CM out to his place in the country. Scrape and paint for a few hours in the afternoons after class and work. Nights in the mid-west seem to last forever in the summer. Dusk would come around 9:45 or 10 PM most of the time.

Richard would come check on me. Offer me some lemonade or tea. Then disappear into his house. Only to re-appear as I was cleaning up the tools and putting things away for the night. He would always make sure I cleaned the brushes properly. "An artist always cares for his tools" he would say. Then we'd walk across his garden and he'd send me home with some fresh veggies and hot peppers grown from his garden.

He had an old golden retriever that I can't recall the name of anymore. It has been such a long time since I've thought about those days.

I remember seeing him helping out his elderly dog. Out the screen door, across the old wooden porch, down the worn wooden steps, and out into the yard to relieve himself. Bent over holding the weight of the rear legs and end of the old dog. Richard loved that dog, hated to see him lose his ability to walk. To stand. The dignity. But Richard wasn't ready to say goodbye and not ready to give up hope that the old dog still had a few good days left in him.

One evening, whilst walking across the garden towards my bike, Richard asked me what my favorite season was. I answered "fall". I love the bright reds and yellows and oranges against the late summer greens. The smell of fall. The pumpkins and approaching caramel apple season. Spiced ciders. The cool and bug free nights around a campfire. Finally relief from the heat and humidity of summer. The return of the trails in the woods from the rapid weed growth of summer.

Richard listened then said his favorite used to be fall as well. When he was younger that is. Now, now he looked forward to Spring. The flowers blooming. The return of the green from the brown and white of fall and winter. The birds. The blue skies. The early Spring rains. Spring had now become his favorite season.

Why, I asked. Because it is the return of hope. The return of life.

Spring is coming.

Year of the Dog

 A dropbar mountain bike named after a Chocolate Lab (Baxter) with custom geo, specifically designed around dual wheel sizes (27.5x 2.25-2.24 & 700x35-37), and a supple custom Retrotec fork. The Whaxter is aptly born to run in the Year of the Dog. Fitting.

"The Dog is a true companion, associated with loyalty, honesty, intelligence, and a strong sense of right and wrong, as opposed to the Rooster, which has a tendency to be demanding and a tad persnickety. Dogs are known to be swift and passionate believers in their own personal philosophy and does his best to protect high-integrity people and support their cause."

Backyard Trails Leads To Alexander

Having escaped the weekend's rain by heading to the Southwestern part of the state, we came back to tacky and perfect trails on our backyard (literally, the trails start .54 miles from the door) mountain trails. There are tons of trails and you can connect to the Divide Trail and head North to Wyoming, or South to New Mexico.

With the Sun staying around longer during the day, it opens up the post work hours for getting in some extra trail miles during the week. Of course you will spend the first hour and a half climbing 10 or more miles, then the next 20 minutes ripping down bermed, table-topped, doubled, and kickered flow/downhill trails. That is if you don't opt for the gondola ride up (lazy peeps with that suspension stuff) Braaap-titude!

Everything from exposed trail through mountain fields, to exposed rocky ledges, to lush Aspen forests. The mountain has it all and then some with ever changing light and views as you wind your way up and around the mountain peaks. Just watch out for the Moose. They'll getcha.

As the sun set, it was back to the homestead to chill until Alex and Krystal showed up. They performed the mega-drive from San Fran to Steamboat (well technically Sacramento to Steamboat as they "split" the drive into 2 days). At least "Bike Town USA" rewarded their Herculean effort by allowing them to "pahk" the "cah" for the remainder of their stay and offering ample bike-venturing.

In search of dinner post 9PM.

We kicked their visit off right with a bike ride to Freshie's for breakfast. (Winona's is the other spot, but for Veggiefornians, Freshie's is the jam (not jelly)). Followed up with a cruise along the core trail and Yampa river through town and over to a VIP tour at the Moots factory. A return trip with side trail jaunts and Howelsen Hill stops as well as a quick tour of the mountain and Gondola Square.

Everything close seems to close at 9PM on Tuesdays.

Then back to the condo for a bit. Krystal opted to nap and explore on foot with her camera, hunting flowers and rocks. While Alex and I suited up and headed out for a late afternoon spin. The monsoon season is here for a bit, meaning the occasional afternoon pop-up storm can happen. We were about 15 miles into our gravel and two-track ride when the storm started to hit us. When it rains here, the temps drop and drop fast. We paused to put on our windbreakers and continued onwards. Ripping down singletrack along Mad Creek.

Beer and Pizza it is.

The original plan would have taken us right out of Mad Creek  towards North Routt and over to Fly Gulch and the airport loop; all gravel and dirt roads. The storm however, had other plans. As the thunder, rain, sleet, and wind were continuing North, we turned left and made an alternate plan. Back up the two-track to the hot springs trail, up over the Strawberry Park climb, then back into town and home. 29.9 miles and about a bagillion feet of climbing all above 6800 feet for sea-level Alex. He'll thank me around mile 126 of Kanza.

Awaiting Pizza outside the local market.

It's one of my favorite loops ( airport gravel, up Mad House, down Mad Creek (or Red Dirt when not storming), up Hot Springs, up Lower Bear and back down to town via road and urban trails), especially fun on a cross bike. It showcases the myriad options of terrain and views Steamboat offers, all easily accessible from town. We didn't have the time or cash for a pit stop in Strawberry Park (the top of the hot spring trail) to enjoy a dip, but the relax time hanging out, chatting, and listening to music while watching the sunset from the German beer hall patio was worth skipping the dip. Recovery beer > sulfur water this time around.

Core trail photo-op.

Core trail photo-op-op.

Jazz hands along the Yampa.

Thanks for making the drive and letting me show you around this special little town. Best of luck to you both at Kanza. Keep you wits and finish before dark. You've got this.

Meta.

Enjoying a post pave-gravel-dirt-singletrack-killer climb ride at the backyard Brau Haus patio.

Meta Meta Krystal. Photog photoed.

Sangre de Cristo

Spent Memorial Day weekend across from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the Penitente Canyon. Amazing riding, climbing, and camping. If you're looking for one of those "local knowledge" only hidden gem kind of rad camp-scursions without the "locals only" attitude, put Penitente Canyon on your bucket list. Everything is easily accessible from camp be it mountain bike trails, great hiking, or challenging and fun slab wall climbing. Plus the sunset and its alpenglow are worth watching over a campfire.

Hard to believe that tent is going on 11 years old now. 

 I do not miss the Southeast or Midwest's oppressive humidity one bit. Plus the lack of mosquito and other pests make camping such a pleasant activity here in the arid West. If only I could bottle this weather and take it with me everywhere. Crazy to think that out here, shade actually works. Whodathunkit?

Taking in the Sangre de Cristo mountains at sunset.

Alpenglow.

Luckily J.D. doesn't cut trail.

 Tubeless recommended, and I wouldn't go flip-flopping off any trails or around the campsites at night without a light. Cactus abound and are seemingly everywhere. Make sure your pets stay on trail and don't wander. Also, I recommend carrying a pair of tweezers with you on your rides, just in case.

We escaped with only an incident or two of dogs stepping onto cacti, but really only the first bit we were there. They quickly learned not to wander off the dirt.

 

Steep ups. (I made it)

So much radness. The trails there embody everything I love about Pisgah (without the dampness and slimy moss), Sewanee, North Georgia/Ocoee, Northwest Arkansas, and Moab trails all packed into a convenient area at 8,000 feet of elevation. Rocks, drops, gravity defying climbs, roots, trees, grins and shins. One of those trail systems that has something for every rider and ability with technical yet bike-flow-minded trails. Follow the cairns and rock guides though, else you can end up with an unexpected 100' to flat or so drop or two..

Rock and drop roller coaster of fun.

   

 

 

 
As we drove back to the 'boat, we stopped for a local burrito lunch along the river park in Salida and enjoyed some coffee and baked goods in Leadville. These small mountain towns definitely add a unique charm to the myriad road trip options available out here. Can't wait for this weekend's adventures already. Thank you BLM land, you make living an active outdoor lifestyle a lot more affordable and practical.