adventures of jimfab

things going onz

2012-02-09T07:29:00.001-08:00

Apc 65

Alvis concert

Ride with Chuck

Sam wants a new shirt

Rodney goes Glamis

2012-01-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

Fun Fun And more FUN!

2 original songs by JF featuring Norm.

other stuff

2011-12-18T18:07:00.000-08:00

check it

river run

2011-12-18T17:33:00.001-08:00

Fat bikes are kewl

here is what was going on

2011-08-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

It is summer here, and a hot one at that. Have not ben on the bike much since the mesa trip. I have picked up the guitar this summer. here is some of the things we have been up to.

Enjoy

Gooseberry Video

2011-05-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here is some more from the Gooseberry trip..... and a little from Sedona with Bob.

Rock ON!

Spring Gooseberry Mesa trip

2011-04-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Last week i got myself up to the St. George area for a great spring bike trip. Although i invited Many, Many of folk only Rodney and Ron made it out from Diego for all the fun that was to be had. On the way in i rode the famous Zen trail and the green valley loop in St. George. They were a bunch of fun but did not live up to the hype. I made it up on the mesa just after dark. After some driving around i found a place to make camp, turns out it was the same great place we stayed last fall. I threw up the hammock and fell fast asleep. In the middle of the night i was woke up by a few dozen cows with bells that had come to drink from the puddle just outside my camp, kinda funny. The next morning Rodney and Ron arrived, we quickly got ready and went right out on the Gooseberry classic trail, one of the best trails in all the land.... Moab included. After lunch we took a nap then went out again. This time we poached some local trails.... Oh man, i can see why they hide them..... Honestly...... the finest trail i have ever ridden..... ever.... it was a pure mountain bike trail...... Amazing!!!! That night i got the big idea to sleep on the ledge by camp..... Awesome!!! The next day we rode the Jem trail +. We took a couple wrong turns that took us to some spectacular places. Almost 30 miles on the day on the most diverse trail, and beautiful trails i have yet to ride. another must do.... The last morning, we wanted a short ride so we could get out early so we checked out the windmill trail.... that turned into rocks and ledges.... into... yellow.... into.... pratice......into....... south rim.......into....white....... Another AMAZING trail. Soon after i was going home.... another great trip....

Enjoy

up the luge

2011-04-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Lately there has been quite the buzz about going UP the luge trail. Typically a down hill, it is also fun to go up. So today i thought i might record the effort. Beware, there are some spots that are so fast you may be at risk of a seizure. The action begins just after the coyote trail.

Enjoy- JF

Sedona with Bob

2011-03-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got together with Bob from Ramona for a great trip to Sedona. Weather was PERFECT and the trails as always were fun. We got in just under 30 miles of blissful trail before getting subway and heading home. On the way back I caught up with James at his work for the grand tour. Needless to say, Safeway takes it's I.T. pretty serious and they are in good hands with James!

Enjoy!

AZT 65 overnighter

2011-03-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

Everybody

This week Tim, Rhino, and Myself got out for an overnight trip on the northern AZT 300 route. We Hooked up with tim who was to be our guide on this adventure at the picket post trail in Superior. We shuttled a car back to Freeman road and the AZT trail. from there we went north riding some AMAZING trails including the infamous Ripsey hill and ridge line. We made camp by the Gila river near a Water cache that Tim left on his way out. The next day we made our way north along the Gila and into superior. We all had a great time. Thanks to Tim for showing us the way! It was quite an adventure!

Cherio

Look out for cacti

2011-03-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some form the other day. Amy and I got out and ran into Harvey and Nick out on the trail. We chatted a bit then split up. We later found a fresh impression that looked allot like Harvey in a cacti. Turns out he was checking it out to see if it was cozy. He said it was not. Also.. here is a fun video of some of the harder to make sections of the park.

Enjoy-JF

nice day

2011-03-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

I will just let the pictures do all the talking.

Cherio-JF

New bag for Rhino

2011-03-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

Today i was able to get Rhinos new frame bag done. His detailed drawing made it a snap and it turned out great. Each bag just gets faster and better. I think it will serve him well. The next project is a gas tank for his, and my bike. I am having fun with the Go Pro. It will take some time to learn the edit software, but i am sure i will get it in time. Because nobody ever believes that it can be done, i got it on the Go Pro today..... Climbing and cleaning Boy Scout hill, Followed by some of the best and most fun trail in the land. The Video seems fast to me, but i think it is just the view because the times match up. Things look much slower from 2 foot higher. Also... I took the time to explore a cool wash today, pictures included.

Enjoy-JF

Sicko

2011-02-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

The last week has ben a bummer, Sick with a cold or something. Today i was able to get out for an easy ride and try out the Go Pro. It was fun. I even found some new under construction trails with a sweet bridge. It has not ben worked on in some time but has tons of potential. Here is a short video of Gradsgy, to S&M, to Park ave.

cherio-JIM

Happy birthday

2011-02-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

I am now a veteran of 12,410 earth revolutions. YEA! Not much going on lately, Amy got me a GoPro camera so be expecting some neat video soon. I got the safari rack on the square car, and i am sick. One guy found out the hard way the consequences of violating a no trespassing sign! EEK. Here are a few photos from the past coupe weeks..

Cherio-JF

Sunset on boy Scout Hill

2011-02-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

Everybody

The new wheel and tire are working out great. Bontrager it seems finally made a good 29er tire in the Team FR3. AMAZING!. am able to climb pretty much whatever i want now. In fact i am 4 for 4 on cub scout, and 3 for 4 on boy scout with the new combo. Normal for me was 20% and never on cub scout hill. Had a great TNFF this week, I got to cover the eastern trails before the ride then blew up big during the group ride, but what a blast. I was too tired to take any pictures so here are some landscape photos from the past week including the lead in to Boy Scout Hill. Turns out BSH is 82 foot gain in what i am guessing is about 1/8th mile. Tough. Also go the garage cleaned out and started work on the new XB safari rack, Waiting on mail order parts but should be done in under 2 weeks.

Cherio

Super Bowl Party

2011-02-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

Not for me. Was another great day to enjoy empty trails and nice sunsets.

Cherio

Another Great week

2011-02-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

Not a ton of stuff going on this week. I am still run down from the APC but we did get out on all the normal weekly rides. It has also ben very cold here for the past few days..

Cherio

Antelope Peak Challenge

2011-01-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my first Antelope peak Challenge. A 65 mile tour of the desert outside of the town of Oracle Arizona roughly following the Arizona Trail. It was fun trail with no shortage of challenges. The 14 miles of the gas line road were the toughest for me, those hills really kill my energy. However the single track of the AZT and painter boy trails made me quickly forget about the gas line. It took me nearly 10 hours with stops to finnish. This was also the first test of my new generation 3 backpack. It worked very well, but no matter how well a pack is designed you will still feel the weight of 6 liters (1.5 gal) of water in the pedals. I felt like a semi truck for the first 40 miles. But i did finnish with a bit of water to spare at 10 hours!

Cheers-JF

Ride with Shannon

2011-01-28T08:41:00.001-08:00

A few days ago Shannon with Baja designs came into town for a few demo days. A few of us were lucky enough to catch up with him and show him some of the Eastern trails. We had a great time. Here are some photos from the ride...

Enjoy

Mystery Tech

2011-01-22T17:27:00.000-08:00

In recent weeks I have found some super nasty, rocky, fun, technical trail. Where it is is a secret, but here is some picture and video.

Sam's ride

2011-01-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I got sam out for a bit O running. She did good, but was tired.

Cherio

Amy's 15

2011-01-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

Everybody

Sunday Amy and myself got back out for another ride. Seeing that we had all day and great weather we got in a good one. 15 Miles, Amys longest Mountain Bike ride ever. I think she did a few 50's on the road bike years back. We went from the school out park ave to toohaker, Gasden, coldwater, dysart, 18, Ep, Power line, Corget, and back. 800 ft gain. Out near the quartz pile she got a bit brave and dumped the bike landing in some cacti. The next day I got out for a 50 mile ride, temps according to the stem captain were 81 most of the day. Quite warm for this time of year. But what a great day!

Rock on

another fun TNFF

2011-01-16T08:47:00.000-08:00

Last thursday the TNFF had a surprise visit from one of the IBIS guys that was a friend of Harv's. We had a great time!

Enjoy

amys sunset ride

2011-01-07T18:35:00.000-08:00

Tonight Amy and I got out for a nice sunset ride. The weather was perfect and the sky put on quite a show for just us. We even got rained on for a second.

Enjoy

Photo contest Baja Designs

2011-01-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

Everybody

Last night was Yet another Fun, but cold Thursday Night Fun Feast ( TNFF ). About 12 folks showed up to brave the 40 deg temps to attack the recently sanitized eastern trails. It was a good time had by all. Unfortunately for me, I lost my light battery on the drive over. My EOS headlamp did a good job, but i sure did miss the big light of the old magicshine. When i got home i got on the net to research a new light. I had always had an interest in the Baja designs new light. Having dome work for them years ago i know that they make GREAT products. As fate may have had it, they are having a night time photo contest, the winner gets a new light! Just so happens that i have an extensive collection of night time shots. I submitted a few photos. They put them on there Facebook page for you to vote on If you get a chance and you have a Facebook account please drop by http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57100&id=150322801650861

and vote for my photos, or on the others if you think they are better.....

Update... This morning i took a drive to try and find my battery. I found it... it is busted

but i think I may be able to get it working again?

Cheers-JF

Broken spoke

2011-01-05T13:46:00.000-08:00

Half of this is for informational purposes, the other is for entertainment. Here is some broken spoke nipples, and more from Tumco and a new section of trail i recently found. I wont tell you where it is, but i would be happy to show you! Also a map of what i like to call the estrella 40.

Cherio

Late X-mas with the folks

2011-01-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

Last week we met Mom and dad out at Tumco for a day of Christmas. Dad and I had another great ride exploring the cargo muchacho hills. This time i took my normal 29er and had a blast riding the old mine ruins. Also pictured is some of amys first ride to the quartz pile and part of my estrella epic.

Cherio

AZT 300 prep starts this new year

2010-12-29T16:30:00.000-08:00

Everybody

The decision has ben made to give the AZT 300 bike race a go this year, The 300 is an "underground" bike race covering the fist 300 miles of the Arizona trail, starting near the mexican border south of Tucson going north through Tucson and further north. The record for the race is 2 days, 9 hours. I dont think i will be that fast, but i will give it my best. Anyway, the new year will start the prep for the miles involved. It will be much like my divide prep. The event is mid April, about 3 months away. Thats the plan anyway. Anybody with me? Rhino? Jim? Harv? Nick?

Check out the event

Rock-N-roll

Elliot market boy scout hill 20

2010-12-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

Everybody

Yesterday, Nick, Rhino and myself got out fro a great ride. We all met at the Elliot market at 9. Our route took us for a grand loop of the eastern trails. About the only thing we did not catch was trail 18, and the coldwater. We had a great time with perfect weather. All 3 of us were able to clean PAW including Rhino on his full rigid SS!!!!!! The best part was being able to take the guys on a "secret" trail for the first time. They would say that i would call it my favorite trail.... Stats... about 20 miles and 1900 ft gain.

Cherio

Amys first ride at F.I.N.S

2010-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Amy and I got out to FINS the other day on BICYCLES...... I think she had a good time, she tells me to get my own bike.....

Tumco

2010-12-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend we got over to Tumco again to meet the folks, my sister, and my Aunt & Uncle. Dad and i went for another tour of the Cargo Muchacho mountains..

Amy's 5K

2010-12-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks back amy entered into her fist ever 5k run at the Iorngirl Tempe. Amy did great finishing mid pack. followed by a spectacular finish line vomit session!

Halloween and Laughlin

2010-11-26T17:31:00.000-08:00

Everybody.....

Here are some pictures from halloween and out trip to Laughlin... All were fun.

More from Moab

2010-10-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i got a photo CD in the mail from Steve from Moab. Here are a few of yours truly..

100 more feet

2010-10-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Today i went back out to the Oasis to cut some more trail, The first time since last spring. Jim had been out a few times and got some serious work done. Although we are in some rocky country and going is slow, I think that we will have a loop done by the end of the year. If we could get some help out there we could get it done in 2 weeks. I think this is going to be a one way trail until it gets ridden quite a bit. Check out the newest 100".

Guilty dogs / TNFF

2010-10-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Work sure gets in the way of having fun. Last Thursday was another great TNFF (thursday night Fun Feast) . I only got a couple photos cause somehow Harvey and myself got split from the group of almost 22 people and did the ride by ourselves looking for somebody. We went non stop for a long time before finding the others on exposure of all places. We had a great time. Also, last night i thought i might bake some brownies, and the dogs thought they would like them after bed time. I woke up when the pan hit the floor. Here are some guilty dog pictures.

Estrella Epic

2010-10-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

everybody

Finally, A real cool day here in Arizona. There was a 50% chance of rain today and temps in the high 70's. I was hoping to get caught in the rain, but when you want it you never seem to get it. None the less it was a great ride that included FINS, Secret, Toothhaker, Pedestrian, Gasden, Butterfield, dysart, the horse arena, unknown, toothhaker, secret, Park ave west where i got a flat. ( TNT stans is not as good as real stans ) past harvs, to the corget trail, to fins, to the rusty rake to mars meander, to my car. I did not take a spedo or gps, but i am guessing about 35 miles and took 4.15 with a flat fix.

For your entertainment
me and a tree got in a fight, my stans monster, final resting place of a cacti, and some other stuff.

quartz peak day

2010-10-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Everybody

I have ben slacking on the photos lately. I got the camera all charged up and back on my pack so get ready. Yesterday I took of in search of quartz peak located far south in the Estrella range, think closer to Mobile than Goodyear. I was going on what I could see on google earth. One thing GE wont tell you is what the roads are like and where fences are. Turns out, most of the roads i was counting on were super sandy, and the park has a pretty stout fence around it. Not a huge deal. None the less i had a great time. I took off from FINS and made my way out there. I did not find the peak trailhead, i thought i was close but i think i was about 3 miles away. I got about 30 miles in on the trip, mostly bushwhacking around the sandy roads. It was a blast.

Cheers- JF

tour de southern Utah

2010-10-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Powell, Zion, Huracane, Navajo lake, Moab.......

Guess where we went last week.

2010-09-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

I bet you can't guess!

Slow week

2010-09-12T11:06:00.001-07:00

Everybody

It was another great week. I got out for all the normal night rides tuesday, wed, thurs..... Had a bunch o fun but did not take many pictures. Just wait till the next post...

For your entertainment.... A few shots from the past week, including what i like to call " redneck gets a compact car ". Enjoy!

Jim's go to flag

2010-09-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Yesterday Jim and myself got up to flagstaff to do a bit of riding. We had ourselves a great time with perfect weather. The plan was to ride up the fort valley trails to the secret trails around to shults creek and sunrise trail, but we found some unmarked trails we HAD to check out. These trails took us up, up, up before dropping 800 foot in less than a mile on a wicked down hill trail that ran into the rocky ridge trail. After riding we got some chow with chuck the dog at a pizza pub before going home. It was a good time.

For your entertainment....

Prescott ride

2010-08-31T18:58:00.000-07:00

Everybody

I recently had the honor of heading up to Prescott to join some of my friends for a GREAT ride and evening. We all met up at Tom's "cabin" up in prescott. ( Very nice place Tom ). Tom had the ride all planned out for Ben, Matt, and myself. I forget the names of the trails, but I can tell you it was 18 miles of some GREAT singletrack in 70 deg air. Perfect! Everybody had a great time on the ride before grabbing some of the best "new york style Italian" food i have ever had. I went home that night but the guys stuck around for a road ride down the big hill and back. The drive home was also great, windows down and radio up the whole way again with cool temps all the way home.

For your entertainment.... some pictures of the ride

TNFF 08/28/10

2010-08-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Last night saw a HUGE turnout for the " Cool " 90 degree weather we had last night. It was a great group. I did not have my spedo last night but somebody said that we did over 15 miles. We hit 95% of fins, missing only northstar, and the bear claw to Murle's mile connector. I think there was well over 19 people that took the start. Here are some pictures from the night. I think that the one with the moonrise behind the group is my favorite night shot yet.

Enjoy...

Weekday adventure

2010-08-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Everybody

The heat has finally backed off a bit allowing some afternoon rides. Here are some pictures from the last week including a ride with Jim T. and the Wednesday night Dairy guys. The ride with Jim ended with an unfixable flat that had me hoofing it back to the cage. Enjoy...

Flagstaff adventure

2010-08-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

Everybody

This weekend Amy and I got ourselves up to Flagstaff to try and beat the heat in the valley. It always happens to us this time of year where we are just fed up with the heat and need a break. We figured we would test out the new car to see how it will do on a good road trip. Amy got out of work early on friday so we were able to be on the road by 2. The drive was good, more traffic than i am used to on my weekday trips. The car ran great and held all of our junk. We got into town around 5.30. We did some window shopping before heading into the tourist district where we did more window shopping before grabbing dinner. Next we set out to find a camp spot. I had the camp off of 89A by sunset crater in mind. We got in there right around dark and got camp made before enjoying a fire and turning in for the night. It was a cool 50 something overnight. Perfect! In the AM we broke camp and went back into town for some breakfast at the village inn. The chef salad was great! Before leaving town we got some gas and got the first ever official gas usage check...... 220 miles on 6.5 gal! Even at 3$/gal it only cost 19$ to get to Flag. 33MPG!. On the way home we only used 1/4 tank. I ant wait to see what we get out of this tank. To compare, the Titan coat about 50$ to get to Flag. It was fun for sure. A great escape from the heat.

Some pictures from the trip...... Amy was tired when we got home, and i think Willow missed her.

TNFF 08/19/10

2010-08-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Thursday night saw yet another great thursday night ride hosted by Harvey. It was another HOT one, somewhere around 108. This week we took off for the eastern trails that we had worked on the week before. About 15 folks showed up to brave the heat. It was a good time to say the least. I will let the pictures tell the story of the ride.

Enjoy!

P.A.W. Trail day

2010-08-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Yesterday I got out early to help with some trail work out on P.A.W. ( Park avenue, west ). Marc, Harvy and myself left from Harvy's house a little after 8am. It was already in the mid 90's by then. I think the overnight low was 90. When we made it to the top of P.A.W. we ran into Lorne and John. We did about an hours worth of work near the top. I thought it was a great trail before, now it is great! I sweat so much that my feet squished when i walked because there was so much sweat in them. On the way out Harvy got an unfixable flat. He took the Pug back to his house to get his truck and I pushed his bike in that direction. It was a nice change to slow down and walk some of those trails. There is allot missed whizzing down a trail at 12 mph. Harvy was back in no time with a cold grape soda. Good times!

For your entertainment..... Some trail work pictures.

out with the new, in with the old

2010-08-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Yesterday, I traded in the Titan for a more economical car. Got myself a used.... pre owned Scion XB 2005 model. It is the same thing i had bought new back in 2005. If i had kept that car, i would have just finished paying for it and it would have about one billion miles. This one has a scant 80k. Nothing for a toyota. We are now a 2 XB family. James is going to come over for dinner tonight. Amy suggested that we get some food to munch on. I suggested crackers, cheese, and salami. She said " that's too fancy" . It sounded like a redneck joke to me. Ha Ha ha ,,,,

For your viewing pleasure the new and the old..........

Midnight Century

2010-08-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Saturday night myself, Rhino, Steve, and Matt got out for the west valley midnight century. We left out of Buckeye at 11pm. The weather was perfect! We had a great time. We got back into Buckeye at 7AM. We got 75 miles for the night. This one is going to be an annual epic for sure.

For your entertainment....... some pictures from Saturday night.

Kaibab MTC

2010-07-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

Everybody

This week i got myself up to the Kaibab plateau. This is part of the Colorado plateau that is responsible for the Grand Canyon. the Kaibab is a 9000 foot mesa near the north rim and lies between lake Powell and lake Mead. My goal was to try the infamous Kaibab Monstercross. A 130 mile trek around the plateau. My plan was to do an overnight trip with 60 miles the first day and 80 the next. This was not to be. The only service on this route come at 80 miles. Unfortunately there is about 8000 foot of climbing to get to that point over the highest point on the plateau. There is also NO natural or man made water sources along the route. I took 6L of water with me. This will normally get me up to 100 miles. I figured this would be enough to get me to the store at 80 miles. I brought my filter because of reports of game waters i could use if i had to. It turns out that 6L is not near enough on the Kaibab, especially with a full bikepacking load. When i made camp at 40 miles at 8000 foot i had about 2L left. I was planning on having space dinner that uses 16 oz. This would not leave me much water for the next 40 miles that had 4-5000 foot of climbing. I made the decision to go back the way i came in the AM because there were a few large puddles in the trail i could draw from if need be. Lucky for me rain threatened that night so before bed i set up my rain coat as a water catch on my bike in the hopes of collecting some water. Lucky for me it sprinkled all night. In the morning i had collected 3/4 L of water from my jacket and another 1/4 L from my ground tarp. If i was careful this would be enough. But I knew i still had 41 miles and about 4K climbing ahead of me with 4-5 hours of riding. Lucky for me I ran into a forest service worker around 30 miles that gave me some H2o and a gatorade to get me home. It was a blast! Cant wait to get back.

For your entertainment..... some pictures from Kaibab

Strange cool day

2010-07-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Today was a strange cool by Arizona summer standards cool day. It was like 95 and overcast. The perfect day to get out in the middle of the day. I went out to try out some of my new bags. I got all the bags loaded with all the junk I may take on a 2 day trip including food and a stove. The bike and the bags worked great! I think i fixed all the little issues i had with the first burrito bag. It held tight, no wiggles even on tough, rocky, tight single. I rode from the market to park ave. east over to the new trail to S&M to the quarts pile through the park to the arena and back out on 18. It was great to get out during the day time. I also got out yesterday, but it was like 100. Still nice for AZ summer.

For your entertainment..... A jumping cactus ball in my leg, my bike and new bag, and a few clips of video taken over the last few weeks.

Wednesday night ride 7/21/10

2010-07-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Got out with the always fun Dairy guys again last night. I always have fun with them. We got a small break in the heat last night. Storms threatened so it cooled down to 104. It is amazing what another 4 or 5 degrees can do to you. A good strong tailwind helped quite a bit. We did fins to secret and back. I showed the guys the urban assault return trip through Estrella. Not sure if it is new or if i never noticed before but there is a big red no trespassing sign by the swing gate that leads onto the dirt access road behind the golf corse that leads into the fairways. Harvy, is that new or have i never noticed it? Anyway, we got something like 13.5 miles. Was fun.

For your entertainment.... A few pictures from last night.

Flagstaff shults pass

2010-07-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Yesterday i was able to escape the heat for a day and got myself up to Flagstaff. It was a perfect 75 up there. I took all my gear on the ride, I was half planning to get lost and camp out for the night somewhere out there but that did not happen. I did get to test out my new butt bag and handlebar burrito bag. They both worked well, but i did find some areas to improve the design. To boot, i got rained on. It was friggin cool! I did not know the extent of the rain until i got home. Turns out some folks got flooded out below the shults fire area. The trail was like riding in a small river. It was cool. There were a bunch of closed trails due to the fire, but i still got myself a great ride. On my way out I stopped at the outdoor surplus store. Got myself a Big Angus air core sleeping pad for a great price. If you are looking for a sleeping pad dont waste any time or money on anything else like i did. In fact.. check out Big angus sleep system. They have a built in pad and is super lightweight. I was looking into building a similar system. I will write up a sleeping system comparison sometime. Also, the spot tracker page worked well, check it out, click on jims personal spot tracker link on the main page.

For your entertainment.... Pictures from Flag. I wanted to take more, but the water fogged up the camera about an hour into the ride and i was unable to take more.

Hot TNFF

2010-07-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Everybody......

Last nights TNFF was the Hottest I can ever recall. It was 117 when I left my house. I still have a raging headache the next morning. By the end of the ride it had cooled down to a brisk 109 according to Harvy's computer. It was so hot that Harvy's nite rider lights batteries overheated and would not turn on. Most of the group got 12 miles in 1H 10M ride time. The spot tracker almost worked perfect except i did not manage to get it into tracking mode, i just sent an OK message. It is going to take some getting used to.

Go HERE to see what the third day of the tour divide was like that did me in.

Also, It sounds like the WV Midnight dirty century is A go. August 8th, at midnight. Go to the new southwest Bikepacking Group website for more info. Be sure to leave a comment to let us know you are in. Also be sure to sign up to follow the site so you can get all updates. There will also be a 40 or 60 mile option. you will need about 5-6 hours of lights.

For your entertainment..... some photos from the TNFF

Amys laguna ride

2010-07-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Everybody.....

Sunday morning we got up from our " night under the stars ". I was able to talk Amy and Dad into a " 3 " mile ride to the lake and back. I may have exaggerated a bit on the distance. We wound up with 14 miles and about 3K of climbing. Amy only cried once. I had it on video but she somehow erased it. But they did great! Dad took his rands crank forward out, amy rode my blue 29er and I took my pug. The weather was perfect. D did not know there was a lake or trails out there witch was amazing considering he spent two years in the air force looking down on that area from the radar station on the hill. It is always neat to show someone something new. We were on our way back home by noon. Was a blast.

For your entertainment..... Pictures from the Lagunas.

goodbye Tamone

2010-07-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Last weekend Amy and I made a whirlwind trip to SD again, this time our plan was to get Tamone ( Amys parrot ) to Margot on Ramona for a new place to live. we got out of Buckeye around 10 am Sat morning. The drive was nice and boring. Only had to declare myself as A US citizen 4 times. We got to Margot and Dans house around 4 or 5. She was very excited to have Tamone, Amy was crying the last 30 miles into town. It is for the best. Tamone will get loads of attention there. With the dogs and busy life's he got very little attention here. After that we got some dinner and took off for Mt. Laguna to meet my folks that were already up there for some camping. Amy wanted to give camping under the stars a shot. We got there just after sunset made a fire and had a great chat with M&D. D even kept his political talk to a minimum this time. M must be after him for that. Although i do love to hear opinions on how the government should be ran almost as much as sanding stucco..... Almost. We made it through the night. It never got very cool at night and my 25 deg bag was overkill. The next morning Amy wanted to get home but i was able to talk her and D into a "3 mile ride".

For your entertainment... the trip, Amy Tamone and Margot.

thursday night fun fest

2010-07-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Everybody

It has ben a whirlwind of so many activities since the 4th. so this will be a 3 part series broken into each activity. The first was last thursday night at Harvy's Fun! Fest. Harv never disappoints. The ride was fun as always despite 112 temps. Even RAYNE GREY made it out to say hello! we rode for just an hour, but what we lacked in time we made up for in speed. I think that was the fastest we have ever gone on the mile into boneyard and up huts donut. We was movin. Harv let everybody jump in his pool. That felt great! One guy managed to break his frame in a big way on this ride. Bench racing was great afterwords. Many more plans for ridiculous rides were thought of.

for your entertainment..... Rane, Jim, and the gang, A broken frame, and if it loads some action shots!

Fireworks show

2010-07-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Things have been quiet the last few days. It is real hot and it is very hard to drag yourself outdoors when it is over 100. Summertime in the desert is a great time to regroup and get ready for fall, winter, and spring. I have gotten the garage ready to work in again. I am going to make Rodney a new 29er Helmsley. Pete came over yesterday and we finnished his "bumper dumper" for his jeep. I got out a few times this week to ride the bike. I have decided that i am going back to the tour divide again next year. It is hard to watch all the people i was riding with finnish and i feel my 1/3 life crises can't end till I complete the entire route. Other things.. I ordered a spot tracker off of ebay, so soon you can track even my most boring of rides.

For your entertainment.... The best thing about working as a paramedic is that you get payed to attend events others take time off of work to attend. Our truck did the fireworks standby. I got some great shots. I have never gotten closer to the action. was cool. And, if it loads. I may or may not have fallen into the canal on my way to work the other day. Watch and see.

Big Ideas

2010-07-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Last night was the first Thursday night ride of July. It was HOTT. But we all had a great time. There was a great group despite the fact it had to be over 108, more like 112. Harvy AKA Brian had his brand new bike there, it was real nice. There were a few new folks there this week as well, i hope they had a good time. I wanted to ride ahead of everybody and capture some video and pictures for the site, but every time i would get in front of the group they would turn a different direction.... Most everybody reported 12-14 miles on the night. We all went to Harv's after for cold refreshments and Tony showed up from the shop. We got so dreaming about some big rides for the fall. Jim T. wants to ride the road across the US and got a couple others to buy in on the idea, Tony wants to start a Crit race and host an event at PIR, I have the crazy idea to try and make it from Buckeye to San Diego on the road in 24 hours, and or 2 days. Tony said he was in on the 2 day thing, Roman is down for whatever. It is going to be a fun fall. I was even able to plant the seed on others doing the divide race again next year. Also big plans to start the southwest bikepacking group. It looks like the first ride will be in october. we also made plans for Moab near the end of September. I think i may need more days off?

For your entertainment..... the new pack compared to my old MULE, My fire truck causing traffic, A sweet retro bike, and some folks riding harvs howl..... enjoy!

Camera fun

2010-06-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Today i started my attempt to keep the bicycle to a fun and recreational activity. I figured what better way to slow down but to take some photos and video. It is time to make this Mac work a little bit. It is real stupid, but here is what i figured out today.

For your entertainment.... Fun at FINS video with Jim Croche

Frame bag frenzy

2010-06-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

Everybody

This sewing thing is cool. Today i finished my second frame bag for the original Pug frame. I think this one is much better than my first attempt. I learned allot on this one. I am sure the next one will be even better. I got a chance to use the 6L hydration pack i made in San Diego. I must say it is the most comfortable pack i have ever used. This is despite the massive weight of all the water in it. It wears very low and keeps the bulk of the weight below the belt line and on the flattest part of your back when riding keeping the weight off of your shoulders. Standing is not an issue either. I think i am going to try and make a more refined unit. The only place i can see that needs improvement is some kind of baffle in the bladder itself. I am going to look into fuel cell foam, but it obviously needs to be non toxic.

For your entertainment..... the new frame bag, all the frame bags, and the backpack, and a nice picture from the divide

San Diego trip

2010-06-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone

Amy and I took off for SD this weekend to enjoy some cooler weather. We got to mom and dads house around midnight and went right to sleep but the dogs kept us up. The next day we had some Mi Ranchito then ran into rodney at kirks bike shop. We got ourselves some 3$ big gulps from 7/11 and went down to the mecca to catch up with the gang at Josh's house for a bit, even the dirt bag was there. Then we went over to see Travis Butler and his family. They are doing great and was good to see them. After that we went for dinner at Amy's Dad's place, it was good to see them also. The next day we had decided we were ready to get home from the Laguna ride. I met the gang at Kirks at 7 and caught a ride up there. We had a great time up there, we got ourselves 26 miles. Amy picked me up at the top of the hill and we were on our way. Happy to be home again.

For your entertainment....... the gang, Rodney's swollen knee, and some other photos from the Lagunas.

On a happy note

2010-06-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

After i got home from the tour i made the commitment to learn how to sew. So i got an old singer machine off craigslist and went to work. In a week i have went through about 6 spools of thread and 10 plus yards of fabric. My big interest in sewing is to create new better camp and bike gear. Just like the motor mounts of the old days i am trying to make stuff i need that is not made commercially. In the pictures are a frame bag i made for my homemade pug, and a new hydration pack built to fit my large country ass, and keep me hydrated. It is made around a 6L MSR bladder. The largest bladder commercially available in a hydration pack is 3L or 100oz. Here in the desert southwest big fellers like myself need more water. this totals 1.5 gallons. I built it with the bulk of the weight below the belt line so that my hips would carry the weight and not my back. I am going to put it through its paces this weekend with the guys in San Diego. Further report to follow. My sewing is getting way better every day, but it still sucks.

For your entertainment, a leather cab-e hat i made for the dogs, my frame pack, and my backpack. Enjoy

Sad day on the tour divide

2010-06-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

It is with great sorrow that i report the passing of a fellow divide racer Dave Blumenthal. Dave collided with a pickup truck on a narrow gravel road near steamboat springs in the morning hours a couple days ago. Police and EMS were on scene within 20 min of the accident. Dave was transported by air to a hospital in Denver where he was pronounced brain dead yesterday morning around 11 am. In one more great act of kindness Dave is being kept alive for organ donation. Dave leaves behind a wife and 4 year old girl. I feel very fortunate to have met Dave before the start of the race as we shared a dorm room at the Y on Banff. I was able to chat with him a couple of times. He seemed like a very fine fellow. There is a donation fund set up for his family, i will add the link when i get it off of the bikepacking site. This is a picture of Dave and his little girl taken sometime near the start of the race. https://www.greenmountainclub.org/ is the website requested by the family for donations. Here is the newspaper story.... http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2010/jun/24/bicyclist-dies-after-steamboat-area-

crash/

Here is Dave's personal blog, it wont take long to discover he was a good human being. Tragic loss. http://type2fun.wordpress.com/

I found this photo of us all at the start. Dave is 2 to my left in the green jacket. Between us is his buddy and my new friend Davis Trembley.

Quitting is forever

2010-06-16T10:59:00.001-07:00

Everybody

I had hoped to be writing this in mid July to let everybody know i had made it to Antelope Wells in good condition, but the stars were not aligned for me. I am sorry to say that I am out of the race and back home after only 270 miles of the canadian Rockies. Not to make any excuses, long story short, I started to urinate blood late into the first day, followed by kidney pain on day 2 and 3, and a STRONG desire to return home to my beautiful wife. I am sure i could have stayed in eureka and recovered and moved on, but I feel that i had learned the lessons of the divide early. I am pretty disgusted with myself, but at the same time i have a renewed appreciation for the life i have at home, I am a very lucky man. I knew this before but it often takes something like the great divide to remind you of this. I will write a more comprehensive review of my trip in a few days. I am still trying to make scene of everything I experienced and appreciate the lessons thought to me by the great divide. I would whole heartedly recommend that everybody experience there own personal great divide adventure at least once in there life, the lessons learned about life will help you appreciate the simple things and appreciate the things you may take for granted. Thanks again to everybody that supported me in this adventure! More to follow soon.

For your entertainment, some shots from the great divide.

Links for you to enjoy

2010-06-07T22:43:00.000-07:00

Everybody

Here are some links to the tour divide armchair action....

www.tourdivide.org

www.mtbcast.com

www.bikepacking.net

For your entertainment.... La Paz county line... and moonrise over A saguaro

T minus 4

2010-06-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

Everybody

It is getting close. I think i have everything done that needs to be done. Tony at Estrella Cycles took time out of his busy day today to help me squeeze my bike into a bike box for the plane ride. We also got a bunch of my gear in the box as well. My Smartwool jersey was waiting for me when i got home, so now i will not stink..... that bad. I got my last 30 miles in today on the canal. I feel good. I also got a final refinement to my sleep system attachment to the bike. Turns out a simple bungee cord and an old shoelace was the best and lightest and most secure option. Yesterday amy and I took a drive to the Pig downtown and got the only available set of GEAX TNT saguaro tires in Arizona. These tires have ben out of stock everywhere for some time. Just so happened that they took a new set off someone's bike cause they did not want them. Mom and Dad are on there way over to say i before heading to Colorado in there new rubber-tramp-mobile. I was contacted by Matt Lee, the major personality behind the tour divide to transport a few Spot devices with me to Banff. I expect them in the mail today. More tomorrow!

For your entertainment... A map of my favorite training ride i call the west valley monstercross, 40 to 55 miles of singletrack fun. Second is Dad riding Pugsley at Glamis. Finally is horseshoe bend near Page, Az

Enjoy- Chewbaccha

Buckeye dairy farmers

2010-06-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

Everybody

I managed to brave the heat on Wednesday night after my ill fated morning ride in an attempt to see the wednesday night dairy gang before i left. We had ourselves a great ride as always out at fins. There were 6 of us in total. At the end of the ride Ben came over and handed me a wad-O-cash and said it was a collection from the Wednesday night gang. I was unsure what to say as i am uneasy taking things, but it is VERY appreciated! Thank you Guys! I will put it to good use keeping fed and warm on the tour. I am very humbled by the outpouring of support from everybody. I guess i had better not let everybody down. Less than 7 days to the start. The weather is not looking ideal at the start, but that is OK with me. I phoned airport security today trying to find out if i can wear my bike shoes on the plane, they said No. Had a good last day at work yesterday. I was able to get everything squared away for my absence and we had a KICK ASS Meth freak out call. Lesson learned.... Don't do drugs! This morning i rode out to Goodyear and back, it is officially hot now. I am going to continue to sort out my kit and get things ready to go. for your entertainment a couple pictures of the Wednesday night group out at FINS and yet another spectacular Arizona sunset. Enjoy, and Thanks!

Humble Pie

2010-06-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hey, Today was a prime example of why testing, knowing, and having the right equipment is key for a good ride. I set out at 0500 to get in the last long ride before i head off. The plan was to ride the canal to Goodyear then into FINS and meet up with Tony and Jim at 0630 at the eliot market. Right around the dog track i hear a hiss from my front tire, bummer. i waited to see if the stans would work. it would have if there was any left. I had not added any for some time and was waiting until i swapped in my race tires and stems, that stuff is expensive. Anyway i put my new tube in and took off, i still had time to catch them if i put the hammer down. Within a mile it was flat again. Needless to say 7 patches, 1 tire iron, and 1.5 hours later i was headed for home. I still got 25 miles, but wanted 60-70 today. Oh well. Other lessons learned 1. I need a safety strap on the GPS, the mount is cheap. 2. I need to fix my shoe laces, they got wrapped around the pedal twice today, 3. always carry a tube with slime or stans in it, it is worth the weight, 4 bell glue-less patches SUCK!

Humble Pie......

there is ALWAYS somebody that has done it bigger, better, faster, the harder way, you name it. Always stay humble, cause it is true... here is proof.

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~gs114208/GDR/

simply amazing!

For your entertainment shadow drafting, and my broke tire.

Welcome friends, Tour Divide Plus

2010-06-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by and your support!

I am not an avid "Blogger" so please stay with me.. Anyway 7 days to Banff and 10 to the start. Everything is going great. Only one more day of work and i am home free. What is more cool is that our schedule is changing from 24 on 48 off to 48 on 96 off on the 11th of July, since i had up to the 13th off i now have till the 18th off. Ha. Cool. Anyway, i am just about ready with all my gear. I found out last week that my old sleeping bag that i thought was super-duper was in fact not. Lucky for me REI was having a big sale so amy and I broke out the old CC and drove on out there and got the "cool stuff ". Dropped about 2-3 Lbs off the load and saved a ton of space. On a kinda bummer note... My special bags i have ordered a while back will not be to me before i leave PHX. But.... they will be waiting for me in Banff, better late than never i guess. I really wanted to test them out a little before setting sail. Oh well this just adds a new dimension of adventure to this grand adventure. The cool part of getting the bags in banff is that there creator and innovator will be there to help fit and properly load them witch is cool because he is like a legend in the sport of ultra endurance bicycle events. Besides that... It is officially HOT in the Phoenix area now. All day training is out. This is OK, It fits into my training plans to taper off before the start. I think i got myself a great base built up and i hope it serves me well. Anyway, i will try to add a couple pictures to this. This is my bike and most of the stuff i am taking with me. Also is the TD poster. and a cool photo from Castner Mtn, between Flag and Sedona.

Thanks- jim

Big days

2010-04-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

Training is going well. Last weekend mom and dad were here and i was tired so i took 4 days off to recover. It has seemed to be for the best, i feel good this week. My goal for this week is over 200 miles, got 75 the first two days. I hope to get 50 or more today. I am on my way to Banff, I bought a plane ticket, my adventure cycle maps, a map holder, a mont-bell UL down inner jacket that weighs a scant 7 oz. Today Amy and i are going to go look for rain gear.

On another note... the Boys and Girls from the Union L4311 surprised me yesterday with a check for $250 to help me out on my journey, Then later that day Dave and Pete threw in another 100 bucks.... I am speechless for once in my life. Thanks everyone! It means allot to me! It also helps allot. I hope to do you all proud!

I don't have a total on a total prep cost yet, but it it going up faster and faster. Before i go i will try to break down the total cost. Thus far with bags, sleep gear, tickets, maps, GPS, special clothing i am in for about $1200. This is just to get basic Bikepacking gear. I still need to fill my kit with some other specialized gear, tools and clothes. I keep trying to refine my kit in my head as i train with the gear, I don't like surprises on the trail. I hope i am totally dialed in by race day....... month.

I received an e-mail from Leighton White, a 2 time finisher of the TD and a Firefighter in Colorado. He has ben a big help. He brought up a great point that many guys although very strong developed race ending knee issues when they hit the big mountain passes because they were not used to either climbs, or sustained pedaling for hours on end like on hills or headwinds. I think the bulk of my las 2 months of training will be aimed at getting my knees ready for the challenge, so less singletrack and more big long climbs for me. Viva Yarnell!

For your entertainment, lights on secret and dad on a pug.

Laters-nancy

Letter of intent

2010-03-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today was the day of days. I officially submitted my letter of intent to the tour divide web site today. www.tourdivide.org . There is no backing out now. Now starts the challenge of getting myself ready to go. I need a passport, lots of bike parts and camping gear. I need to get a plane ticket and a couple days off work. Looking forward to it all.

Yesterday Jim and I went back to Sedona for some great singletrack. we got in 25 miles and had a blast. I also put my order in with www.carouseldesignworks.com for a new seat bag and a frame bag. All is going well i think. still need rain gear, a new sleeping pad and a way to secure my sleep gear to my bike. I also need the maps for the route. I think that the training is going well, i think i am on target for the task at hand.

Sedona big Friggin Loop

2010-03-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Sedona Big Friggin Loop report

The day before

With much anticipation the day before was here. I kinda feel like a kid at christmas. I spend the morning getting the bike ready, washing my clothes, and putting all my food together. Amy finally sends a text at about 10am that she wants to go, cool. I call and bug Tony again see if my new back tire and frame bag have arrived yet. My back tire is literally down to cord and i did not want to attack wet slickrock on that tire, but i would. Good news Tony said they expect it in later that day, cool. It all works out, as soon as amy gets home we were off to the shop to pick up the tire, bag and about 80 bucks worth of other stuff. Tony was nice enough to let me change the tire in the shop, and i promptly spilled stans all over the place. Nick gave me that look and asked why i was changing my tire the night before the race, i giggled because he had not seen the one that came off and i described my old tire to him. He laughed then got out the air compressor for me when he saw me struggling with the floor pump. We said goodbye to the gang at the shop got some gas and some arbys and we were off. we pulled into sedona around 9.30 or so. The manager of the hotel reminded me of andy dick in road trip. We were both tired and fell right asleep.

the morning of

I got up about 15 min before the alarm and was anxious to get the day started. I ran myself through the shower and picked out my layers for the day. the news said it would be in the high 20’s in the early hours. I got myself together, woke amy, adjusted my new frame bag one more time added endrolites to my drinks and we set off to find a hot breakfast. Turns out not much is open at 5.30am. We found a NY bagel store with a bright open sign, so we went in to find a neat little bagel shop. Fresh bagels are the best. We finished up and took off for the IGA parking lot where the event was to start from.

The parking lot

We pulled into the parking lot to find about 20 folks already there getting ready. From the street you could tell this was going to be a different scene of people. There was no shortage of folks pulling well sorted 6 thousand dollar rigs from $500 dollar cars that were also well sorted for hauling bikes and equipment. As soon as we pulled into a spot everyone was looking to see if i was perhaps an old friend. Once they figured out i was someone they had not met they would wave, say hi and went back to what they were doing. I got myself together and amy took the truck and went back to get some more shut eye. Even though i was a stranger to these folks it somehow felt like old home week. Everyone was eager to meet me and find out where i was from. Cursing around the lot checking out everyones rigs was a cool experience. This was a very different scene for sure. The bikes were high end utilitarian. Very well sorted and thought out parts for the amount of miles that these folks intended on doing. Most everybody's handelbars looked like a jet cockpit with maps, GPS, computers, Bags, bells, and cup holders. The biggest surprise to me is when 7 am came on and there was nobody thrashing to fix there bike. The leader Scott came and gave a small talk before the start. Basically, the river is high and dangerous, you are on your own, have fun!

The start

Without any ceremony the group of 28 took off together to the trailhead. On the way i rode next to a guy from Colorado that travels all winter riding his bike all over, he had just come from Moab, i was jealous. Once we hit the trail the group started to sort itself into a pecking order as all rides and races do. I fell into the middle of the pack with much respect for the mileage ahead. There were a couple guys that took off like it was a 10 mile event, someone made the comment, “ do they know this is a 60 mile event” we al laughed about it and went on. Everyone was very friendly, this was not like a typical XC race. It was neat to meet new folks and hear there story’s. I rode for a while with a guy from New Mexico, after riding with a guy from Queen Creek. Most of the talk was about the excitement of the event and of events past. We would taunt each-other through technical sections, everyone had a great humor about the whole thing and you could tell that they were all extremely seasoned and experienced riders.

River crossing

About 2 hours into the ride a pack of about 10 had formed as we came upon the first big river crossing that seemed to be on everybody's mind. We pulled up on a hill overlooking the cross just in time to see the lead group crossing. We all watched as one guy with his bike above his head ( a 6 thousand dollar bike ) and water up to his chest slipped on a rock and in he went. He latched onto his bike and drifted about 10 feet downstream and started looking for his cell phone he had just lost. The rest of us shook our heads and got the maps out to find a way around. Someone figured out that there was a bridge a few miles down. The group had picked up a couple more people during this episode. We all decided to ride the extra 3 miles to go over the bridge.

Getting lost

When we rejoined the trail on the other side of the river we somehow took off counter-clockwise on a section that was supposed to be clockwise. We would not figure this out for some time. The trail took us up a fun hike a bike trail with about 500 foot of climbing. Some rode but most walked. Near the top myself and a guy they called Walt took off just cause it was so friggin fun. some of the most technical climbing i had ever done. Before i knew it walt and the pack were gone and i decided to press on thinking they would all catch up some time.

New friend

I had ridden the next few miles by myself. I came back onto pavement for a segment to cross 89a and hop on a new trail. At the trailhead was a guy working on a power bar. I stopped to take in more gummy bears and chat. I forget his name but he is from chandler riding a new spot 1x9 29er. We decided to press on together. The next 10 miles or so were a blast, then we hit the creek.

The Creek

The trail took us to a creek that was about 20 foot wide and 1-2 foot deep. we could see the trail on the other side. We were like, cool lets do it. We took or shoes and sox off and crossed, put shoes on and rode on. 300 foot later, another crossing. The same thing with the shoes, and the same thing with the river x12 more times. An adventure for sure. By the 6th crossing we were just laughing at ourselves. It took us about 1 hour to go about a mile, but we finally made it out onto some cool singletrack and were making time again.

A meeting with Scott

Myself and my new friend rode another 10-15 miles of the best of sedona. We decided to stop and eat some food, we were about 7 hours into the day. As we were stopped the leader of the group Scott came from the other direction on the trail and told us about the next crossing that was just ahead of us. Then he told us we were going the wrong way...... bummer. He said the next crossing was much worse than the first. He told us we would be wise to bail out soon and head back. We talked about it and figured he was right so we bailed out and headed back to oak creek about 12 miles away by road.

bike and bean

we had hammered the ride home. we turned into the bike and bean to find about 100 other folks drinking beer and eating pizza. it was like a night at harvs. turns out there was a group doing what they called a spring fling. The spring fling is a yearly 4 stop camping and riding experience where they camp and ride in 4 locations in 4 days. Sounds like fun to me. I gave amy a call to pick me up, said my goodbyes and i was gone.

Fun

All said and done it was a great experience! Everyone was friendly, and despite the river, it was a total blast. I was surprised that nobody spoke an ill word about the problems of the day, and how everyone embraced them as a challenge in witch to test themselves against. I think that 6 people finished the course, crossings and all in over 11 hours. My hat is off to them. Not quite the 7 hours of the previous year. Myself i got 50 miles in 8.5 hours. I will be back next year for sure!

For your entertainment, The Ramona gang at the amasa back trail in Moab, UT 2009

shade structure up

2009-09-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

busy the last few days, I got the bulk of the super shade structure up over the last few days, got some work done on peat's jeep bumper. all i have left to do is to ad the top and some paint and a few more gussets. went on a few bike rides, one at FINS and a road ride with the dairy guys. ill post pictures when i get em in da computer.

laters