Well fall has come and gone and I didn’t get to posting once during that time. Winter is in full swing (more or less). Evie and I are living in Scottsdale, AZ for the time being, she is teaching a few classes at Grand Canyon University. Here are some of the other happenings as of late.

We came back to AZ in October for about a month before spending most of November in Colorado Springs. I got to sneak in a ride up Pike’s Peak before the weather turned bad. It was a pretty cool ride up to 14,000′.

While in Colorado we did some traveling to smaller towns across the state where Evie had some job interviews, beating most of the snow, it was a nice way to recharge before 2017 rolled around.

Christmas we spent in Illinois with my family. We’ve been flying on Allegiant Airlines out of Mesa and have had really great luck. All of their flights are direct and super cheap. We flew to Missoula, MT, Rockford, IL, and Colorado Springs, CO. The flight from Mesa to CO Springs was $39, pretty awesome.

2017 Begins

The MBAA season has started, it’s getting a little less weird to throw a # plate on in January. Having a marathon category is super. A great way to get in a good base ride without having to go full gas from the gun.

This year I’ve moved to the role of Executive Director which I really enjoy. Registration numbers are on a dramatic rise and we are continuing to grow. Plans for a fall enduro series are in the works among other cool things!

Our friend Bobby from Grand Junction came down and stayed for a week with us. We did one of my favorite rides (right up there with Four Peaks 🙂 ) the Arizona Trail from Picket Post down to the Gila River (and back). It was a big day with long ripping descents and spectacular views.

There is so much to explore in Arizona and we’ve barely scratched the surface!

Boy, looking back the past 9 months have been a pretty good time. Evie and I got to explore a lot of cool places this summer, try out some new races and meet some new faces.

In August we went out to Steamboat Springs for the Steamboat Stinger 50 miler. That was a tough one on trails I’ve never ridden. I managed to pull out a 4th place. Then came the super fun Labor Day weekend in the Black Hills of South Dakota for the Dakota Five-O.

The Dakota Five-O

The Dakota Five-O is always a blast and this year was no different. More and more Wisconsin peeps are coming out every year which is turning it into a reunion since so many of us have moved away. This year Chris and Michelle and the Adventure 212 crew came out along with Brian and Corey.

Spearfish is a great town and it’s always a great week camping at Spearfish Park. We got a spot right next to the creek this year which was perfect. Evie and I did a bunch of hiking along with pre-riding. My parents were passing through on their trip to Banff so we saw them a bit. Hit up the ice cream joint downtown along with a few glasses of wine and beers.

As for the race itself, I ended up getting a flat about halfway through that I wasn’t able to keep booted, even after hiking back to the aid station and lining the sidewall with duct tape. I think the wet tires had something to do with it because there were a lot of sidewall tears by good riders this year and in years past I rarely heard of anyone getting flats.

Bummed on not being able to finish, I still had a great time and will have another go next year.

After Dakota I took on a new challenge of racing above 8000′ at Outlier Vail. Maybe it was the spectacular views, or maybe I just paced it well, but after climbing for over an hour cresting out at 11,500′ I felt alright. No headaches, no bonking, my goal for the day was achieved so ripping down to the lodge on singletrack was a bonus!

Fire on the Rim

Last weekend I raced in Strawberry-Pine, AZ at Fire on the Rim. A super challenging 45 mile race that takes you up a long gravel road climb from the start before getting into some fast doubletrack and chunky, rocky, good singletrack. I got the win, which was a great way to end the season!

Sunday Evie and I went Salt River Tubing for the first time. It was a blast floating down the river through the Salt River Canyon and a great way to start off season! Lots of new exploring to be had this fall, our list of places keeps growing!

Until next time…

Thanks to all the awesome support this season from first and foremost Evie. Then all the guys at McDowell Mountain Cycles, Mike’s Mix, Crank Brothers, and everyone who came out to cheer me on!

Evie and I spent last week in Mammoth Lakes California, one of the most beautiful places in the country, but before that we did, we got to experience some other cool parts of nature.

Winter Park, CO

In June, we took a trip to Winter Park, CO where Evie spent a summer in college working at a kids camp and exploring the area. The world famous Trestle bike park was our destination, the drive was awesome and the park did not disappoint.

Before jumping on the lift I took a spin up to Berthoud pass, topping out at 11,307′ which was pretty awesome. After we rode some awesome trails with monster berms and big jumps we grabbed pizza and then went for a hike near the pass. We hiked about a mile up above tree line and had some spectacular views!

Mammoth Lakes, CA

The last two years Mountain Bike Nationals has been held in Mammoth Lakes, CA. A great venue with lots to do, Mammoth is an all around great place.

Evie raced Downhill and I did XC. My course was the same with a few more holes and bumps. The Cat 1 DH course was a monster. Super loose, big rocks, and gnarly 4-5 foot drops. We arrived on Wednesday to get some practice time in. It’s always fun to go to these kind of events because it brings in people from across the country, many of our friends whom we don’t get to see, but a few times a year.

We rented a condo from the same place last year right by the start finish. Joe and our friends Jonnie and Michele stayed with us and we all had a great time hiking, riding, and listening to live music at the village. I even saw a bear!

Our races went well. Having to stop trail side during the race last year bettering my result was going to be pretty easy so I just went into the race with no expectations of placing, just to ride a strong 6 laps start to finish, and I did. I ended up 22nd on the day which I’m very happy with considering I rode a solid race, holding my position at the start, putting time in on the descents, and picking a handful of guys off as the race progressed.

Evie also had a good race placing 2nd in the Cat 1 30-39 women on a super chewed up course. The women were the last to go on Saturday. Each day the course was changing a ton which made it hard to dial in your lines so we were both very happy with our results.

On Saturday Joe and I did a fun ride up to the top of a nearby mountain peak with some incredible views of Mammoth and the surround area.

Up next, The Dakota FIVE-O, my favorite race of the year on Labor Day weekend in Spearfish, SD. Until then, happy trails.