AK Winter

Winter has finally arrived in Alaska!

Been out riding a fair bit. 

True fatbike season has begun.

The uncompromising beauty of ice.

This picture tells a short story.

Ticket to ride.

 Winter is here to stay.  

September-October Photo Dump

I've been neglecting the blogosphere as of late. Here is a photo dump of the last 2 months of bike related shenanigans, as biking really does make everything a whole lot more enjoyable.

Scored a new ride on craigslist: Scandium Salsa Motorapido. The sheer carbon footprint of manufacturing this rare-earth-element frame will force me to ride bikes long into my old age to offset the carbon deficit, but is sure is light and pretty.

Fall began. Riding in crunchy dead leaves is a special feeling.

Flew to Colorado to visit friends and family, and learn a little about traumatic brain injury, and hopefully ride bikes.

Zomba.

After drinking 650b flavored coolaide the past two years it felt good to get back on a 29er.  Raleigh XXIX. 

Durango dust.

The sky is bigger here.

Just standing near these jumps caused a fracture to my clavicle.

"Some times you just need to look at some bikes." -Douglas G.

Colorado waterfalls are somehow superior to those in Alaska, but far from compatible to anything in Iceland. 

Brainiacs. 

Listening to booring lectures for one day was a small price to pay for getting rad with my best friends, road tripping across the state with my mom, buying cheap avocados, and gourmet donut holes.

God bless America.

Back in Alaska:

Gold Mint Trail; Hatcher's Pass.

Fun with Photoshop app, but not as fun as the ride.

I was out of town on beaches, mountain tops, or shredding desert single track for almost all the cyclocross races this year but I did make it to the final race as a fan. Loaded up the xtracycle for some BBQ action, in town adventure by bike. 

Badass fat-tire chariot. 

Bike wash. 

Cyclocropcircle.

The trails had a very spooky feel to them this past weekend, must be close to Halloween.

Holding on to fall as long as the snow stays away...

I think all the radiation from Japan is making the sunsets more beautiful.

Milking summer for all it's worth

The fireweed has turned, the ferns are beginning to yellow; fall is upon us. The four weeks between summer and the long dark stretch of winter. We ride through the mud and the rain eking out that last bit of singletrack beneath an already low hanging sun.

Camping outside of Nikiski with Nathan, for arguably the best stretch of beach riding between Hope and Homer.

I took about 50 pictures of this crazy house built straddling the sandy bluff and a huge boulder, one earthquake or tidal wave away from oblivion.

Plenty of river crossings to keep things interesting and ensure our feet were soaked. The stream was a deep oxblood rust from all the high iron content. 

What makes this 10 miles of coastline great is the myriad of oddly shaped stones littering the beach; creating an endless playground. The GPS said we gained 500 feet of elevation despite riding below the tide line for much of the day. 500 ft of rock crawling and sweet jumps. 

At this exact moment, I was wondering how strong my carbon steer tube is...

Euro-trip throw back: lunch of bourbon and bocadillos. 

Getting rowdy. 

The beautiful Nikiski: where every street in town this named after a petroleum company.

On the way back to Anchorage we surveyed some other beach riding options but none compared to the precious day's jib fest on the rocks.

Flat can be beautiful but is also boring.

Kenai Lake

Time for some single track up Devil's Pass to keep life more interesting.

Hunters on horseback out for moose, caribou, bear, whatever. 

 It's very important for one's equilibrium and riding performance to make sure that your bike components, helmet, clothing,and beer are all color matched. 

We chased a black bear for a couple miles, scared him off the trail with our constant screaming and horrible singing.

'Twas a glorious weekend.

Riding around Anchorage has been awesome as well, blessed with a few sunny days after record setting rains, meant muddy muddy trails.  I was impressed with the traction that the Vee Rubber Trail Taker 650b x 2.4 tires provided, allowing me to safely and stably peddle up the lung and leg burning Power Line Trail, a steady rise of over 3,000 ft out of the Anchorage city bowl.  

Great way to spend the afternoon, just out my back door.

The month of Fall in Alaska also means beautiful sunsets!


Cursing across town for a beach BBQ first time i've needed headlights in a long while.
Fortunately the dynamo power never runs out.


Making good use of the xtracycle bringing firewood, camp chairs, beer, and food down to the beach off Cook Inlet.



That small speck in the distance is the tallest peak in North America, Denali.