The Corporazzi

Sending me letters that just don't make no sense... Maybe an appropriate response would be a letter asking just where I can vacation with zero miles?

Rain

It doesn't rain here often but it did yesterday and this was the effect. Popcorn clouds? Sure.

trails

You probably know where where this is and if you don’t... you probably shouldn’t.
Matt Slater getting rad on a Larry Byrd pro model. (New bike!) Kick outs and bar turns all day:

Where's the chairlift?

First race in Idaho. It could have gone better. (it also could have gone worse)
A concussion, (with broken helmet), a meaty paw, two cut and bruised knees, a cut and bruised back, thigh, butt, ribs, kidney, shin, and shoulder are the makings of a fine weekend.
Phil got third in expert XC-and he's a downhiller. But not without a crash; staying true to the theme of the weekend.
Sleeping outside on the ground-reminiscent of years past at Mount Snow.
Getting all wrecked-reminiscent of the last time I tried to ride.
And the dual freeride...
A race made of wooden chutes and ladders-not a single turn. Riiiiiight.

Cue the cliche nature images...

I think I'll go for a walk

Actually, it started out on the bike (doesn't it always...). Then I saw a cool bluff/hill/mini mountain and decided I should probably go up there. You know 'to see what I could see'. Getting up was a lot easier than coming down.
Here's something I realized climbing up:
There's nothing keeping those rocks up there other than a little friction; as compared to back east, where the rocks are firmly planted in clay-rich dirt. Not here. These rocks are gonna come down, it's only a matter of time, and the size of some of them is enough to keep me on my toes.
Book smarts applied to real life:
Slope is dependent on something called 'angle of repose". It basically means that the size of the grain dictates the slope; a chunkier pile will be steeper and a more granular pile will be flatter. But the gray area is this: Some parts are solid and you're great, and then other parts, you take a step that sends you on a bit of a slide. The moral of the story is four parts: the whole nature thing is cool (1), pay attention in Geology (2), but don't forget about the 'real-life' factor (3) and I am a nerd (4).

Get your shoot on...

At the OK Corral? Whatever's clever. Here, Ben is about to find out his batteries are dead. Things went downhill after that.

It's alive!

A replacement has been found...

Albeit a bit different than what I'm used to. So far, it's been an adventure-and I haven't even gone anywhere yet. The studded snow tires are off now so it rides a bit lower and smoother.

Peace.