The Mongolia Chronicles

DO NOT harsh my mellow

Yes. It's budget time. Which means LONG hours in subterranean rooms with MONDO spreadsheets and calculators and percentages and margins and overages and EBITDA and damn - this all feels pretty grown up. So - blowing it out for 2 hours on local and historical trail; crossing historical bridges that are now wider and safer - and not RIMMED with nails. It all felt pretty civial and I realized that average speeds on something like this are like - um - 3x - average speeds of OUR trails. And that - is OK.

We paraded the mapleton area with Sir CockToastin and his merry maid. Kicked fall leaves around on a 55 degree nite in Boulder. No, despite the stress and angst.....all in all it was a pretty good day.

I got my Pump to: "PLUSH"

Huge day. Quinn got his pump - to STP - none the less. I got my pump @ 16 or something and I was probably listening to like Kenny G. So, this kid has the cool, as in Lupe as in what it takes. He refused to face the day without skating. There goes my hero. He got the hips thing today - the ability to create his own momentum. Does one need anything else?

'Tis the season

Yes, we rode the storm in. And now we need to dig out. 14 degrees this a.m. A lovely dawn hike - and yes dad - we will be shoveling the ramp out. Leave it to the midget to keep me motivated.

@FL first and possible final FP Roll for '11

I am a judgemental fuck, if I do say so myself. I am working HARD on being much less judgemental. One of my favorite ways to determine character is to take people on select groups, or systems of trails. Based on how they respond, I can usually suss out what's below the surface. I took the F-meister into some bizarre twisty shit yesterday, and his spirit soared. We nailed the front edge of the storm. Quite literally welcomed the first flakes as they dropped from far away clouds and landed on The Park of Fun, while cracking beers that had been properly chilled on the outside of the pack while the temp went from high 40's to mid 30's in less than an hour. We rocked the 1,000 feet back to the house on the twistiest and fastest of Patient Zero, 1, 2 AND 3 and rolled into the shed, and then the pub. Orchestrated perfectly, a military strike of appreciation and gratitude for the power of winter, and the power of play.

Waiting for The Storm

Ah, yes. T-shirt weather. Dry trails and knees exposed to the warmth will soon be replaced by sub - 15 degree temps. Wow. All in a days work.

Dude and I had quite a moment last nite. We were bombing down FR trails at dusk, and a LARGE bobcat bounded right across the trail not 10 feet in front of us. Quinn screeched to a halt and excitedly asked if I had seen it. Wow. That was the capper to an amazing stretch here of temperate days, TONS of riding, no airplanes, and just some really high quality time @ home. Girl and I rode in the dark this morning - and I mean it was DARK - couldn't wear glasses until about 20 minutes in. I am worked over, sated, happy, toasted, exhausted....ONE MORE DAY....I think I can do it.

 

Convoluted. Classic. Connections.

I may be the King of hyperbole. That is arguable. I may be a total Doosh/Sheriff/NMBY loser. Possible. But I will declare - that as of today's carry/crawl/fight in the woods for 2.5 hours - that I can connect any 2 random points in Boulder county - with MORE STYLE and PANACHE than any human alive. My versions of STYLE and PANACHE usually involve things that most would not consider actual recreation in the woods and I KNOW they would not call it 'riding'. It's more like 'using a bike to access bizarre shit at two ends of some really dense woods. I call this COMMUTING. FIghting a slight cold. Woke up feeling VERY tired - but I heard the call. I heard the siren call of a ride I have not done but once this year, and maybe half a dozen times EVER. It was dense. And dark. And convoluted. And the LAST time I did it - last Fall - I believe - I MISSED one connection so badly I got to work after 12 noon. Ouch. But today - I angled and dangled and crawled and sniffed my way down this BITCH and missed my exit - the rope swing as my marker - by less than 10 feet. That is a margin of error I can be proud of, Dammit. A few moments I was wondering if I could get to work on time, and a few others I was wondering if I was going to even FIND BOULDER. So, as it is, in the nether regions of Mongolia.....I sought and loved. I was so excited to stay on route on this one I was even shaking a few times with anticipation and glee. Oh, lordy......whatta gift. TGIF.

When I was a kid......

We stacked logs, three high sometimes, and jumped 'em. Wheeeeeeee. We had a big puddle in the backyard we built this shitty little plank/ship thing in and we played war. Our 'ramp' was a re-purposed ping-pong table, nailed to a bunch of logs and lumber. We used to draw things like the Valmont Bike Park and The Ned Skatepark on our notebooks. The Dude of Q thinks this all pretty normal. The world class action sports resources - including his own bowl and dirt track - in his own yard. Normal. Normal's pretty fucking cool these days.

Oh, and R - The Rabbit's theory about thieving critters was spot on. Spock has teeth marks in his head, and is a few feet from the throne, over there with the gnome, above the baby leg. Yo.

In Darkness and In Stealth

Yesterday, riding was not an option. I could barely move. Whoaaa is me. 4 days of hard rides and skating and yard work and wrestling the midget man....I was cooked. The days are shortening - for sure - and energy wanes - until Quinn sees his new snowboard. I got my first snowboard when I was like - um - 25? Burton Mystery Air...rocked it hard w/my Sorrels. Dude is ready to rip.

Strong coffee, and a 28 degree morning, crisp leaves and air and dirt, dirt, dirt all the way to the horizon. Solid 2 hours before the email machine really started cranking. Took it easy. Took in the sights (Bridge may freeze before road surface). Some skids in there in the Knocker of Tommy....geee - who could that be - R? I think we are the only two on this beast these days. Really quiet out there, long shadows.....but the riding is SO DAMN GOOD that I think Quinn and I will be hitting the bike park after school today.

Good day, this.

Maintaining 'Steez' is a Daily Grind. And a daily devotional.

On the bike today it was an inspired - yes - let's double loop that last hideous climb to get some 'Da Kine' trail kinda day. After Fry ripped through a very tech climb that I dismounted for, we continued upward, embracing the suffering of steep, lose climbs, and I was - in fact - laughing outloud as the bod feels good and to push deep into my suitcase, or attache of pain - was really just a lovely exerience after some 13 hours in the saddle and some 15,000 feet of climing in the last few days. We have Indian Summer - it was HOT today - and perhaps these are the days that are here to remind us about how we should gather and focus for the winter. I realized - I haven't been skating enough. Yep, The Steez needs yet another ressurection. And just as Quinn may have to explain to his teachers and our peers, and my parents and his grandparents why he is getting a rather expensive electric trials/dirt bike...in the same breathe I will explain - why - after all these years at my advanced age that I am still obsessed with pivot to fakie's, and that FS-50's with a tweak and a small air in feel as close to surfing as I can get. We will explain. They may not het it - and that's fine. But we will. The thing about Dad-hood - is that every day is an opportunity to literally instruct your kid(s) how you want them to go at the world. So, if I break other bones on cusp of 50 trying to learn a new trick in a young man's sport....so be it. If Q gets wrecked on a stunt or bridge or dirt jump or bowl and I have to explain it to the world....at least he and I will understand each other and I will be sending him into the world the way I want him to go. Which is confident. Ignorant of social norms and expectations. And railing hard into every turn, relationship. bowl, transaction, illness...anything. If he goes at the world like a stubborn person into a brick wall...my life will be complete. It is this - that I need to 'teach' him - everyday.

Quintessential Fall

As Fall as fall gets other than the 68 degree temp here at 8,000 feet. Wow. The weather, and the trail are winning the battle of fatigue and I struglled climbing today but did end up making some additions to the matrix that is the hood. Gorgeous elk antlers right before my very eyes...I think I will not make it to 830pm tonite. zzzzzzz.