Ok, now we're even.

Keeping up with a 3 year old is tough and Trout had been getting more ski days in than Poppa.  However this old dog knows many new tricks.  How about a day in daycare while your Ma and I go skiing Trout? Bwa ha ha ha!  Puking snow here in the 'Boat (10" today, 10" tomorrow and Fri too supposedly)... and little Howelson was plenty deep and fun for Chainsaw and I.

Trout's had more ski days than me!

Little weasel! Plus I drag him back up the hill myself, no magic carpet running today...

I guess it's worth it

In case you're wondering, this is how he stops, about 50' a run. No crashes over about 12 runs, except for the dramatic wrecks into and through the snow fencing each time. Thattaboy!

Happy Holidaze

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years Everyone!

Guess who finally got a digital camera for Christmas? Somebody who loves me thought my conceit and narcissism levels were a little low. Here are the first of what will likely be hundreds of self portraits.

PS What is the blog's policy on nudity? Sober nudity.

Happy Holidays from the Alford kitchen!

Trout's apprenticeship has begun, cranberry coconut muffins with Momma

Chef Trout will serve you now!

Why yes, that is Beef Wellington actually.  Merry merry to all from Highroller, Chainsaw, Trout and Grandma Penny

Happy Holidays bIKE cLUB!

Chainsaw's rookie cx campaign

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z70qi9---qo

Here's a little film summary of Chainsaw (and Trout's) first cyclocross season with snips from Frisco, Golden, Longmont, Westminster and Louisville races.  Thanks to all who came out to race or cheer!  She'll be back as part of a three-pronged Alford attack next year!

In The Buff

Matt Alford was spotted skiing Buff Pass this past weekend. Hooked up some nice turns and then tried to pull off an X Game looking maneuver. Nailed it! Great hangin with ya buddy.

Buff Pass weekend

Pete and friend Brian made the pilgrimage up to the 'Boat this weekend to plunder the fluffies, and plunder they did! Highroller joined in Sunday for a bunch of runs on the deep and steep side of Buff Pass until the thighs could take no more. Didn't flip the sled even once, though I did go ass over teakettle about 8 times... Good times!

En route to Trout's 1st ski day

Trout was crying to hit the face at Howelson after about, oh, 30 feet of practice with Poppa holding his hand.  I think not, son.  Let's work first on standing, and turning and stopping come to think of it.  Still the thought of him linking turns this year is amazing and exciting.  Let's. get. It. On!

Thanks have been given!

Thanks for the King Crab at $4/lb! And free beer, homemade coleslaw, stick(s) of melted butter and FRIES.  Thems dead pilgrims were kickin' themselves that they hadn't thought of it first!  Turkey? Bah!

Thank God, THAT's over!  The cruel world of cyclocross claims a couple more victims at the Golden event on Saturday.  Whew, that's hard!

Thanks, but no thanks. Loser!  Trout takes second to this hot little racer, but thanks to inborn obliviousness feels like he won anyway. What, all I get is this Moots sticker and "Participant" ribbon?!

Thanks for stairs.  Really, what would we do without them? Chainsaw might be feeling a bit differently here, in the middle of the double stack 'o stairs at the Westminster CX on Sunday.  Great race courses and decent weather for our wrap up cx double weekend.  Now the bike goes in the basement and the skis go on the roof rack!  Chainsaw sporting new boots to go with fresh G3s, Trout renting a full setup and even Highroller went and had his planks tuned.  Howelson (and backcountry) here we come!

Dang, missed it!

Chainsaw getting smoother over the barriers

Longmont CX

Cool course out at Union Rez with lots of gravel track, some beach wallowing, a pump track section, double barrier sets and a fast paved transition.  First time this season I was feeling really envious of Chainsaw, getting to rip it up on that course under some pretty nice cx weather conditions.  Trout got out on the track for some hot laps too of course!

Working the rhythm section of the pump track.

Trout is so bad ass he can twist Iron Man's head clear around, if he wanted to!

Chainsaw focused on her dismount/remounts and staying bobble free.  Worked for her and she got her best placing this season, 8th!  With a little fitness, and some cx specific training, she's going to be hitting top 5, no problem.  Trout and Highroller will settle for nothing less than the podium though so some extra cowbell-motivation is always welcome.  Next weekend after T-day will most likely be our cross season swan song, aiming for the Golden-Boulder double, and Chainsaw races at 1:50 each day if you want to come out and cheer her on.  Thanks to the Wachtelsmachers for getting their cross on today, well Dub at least.  I heard the dudes never made it out of the car, nappie nap! Out.

Bryan in a Snuggie, C'mon, that's funny

Son, this here is the Fruita!

To Fruita we go!  Team Alford packed up the increasingly tiny Subaru with a Moots, a Yeti, a Specialized Hotrock, or as Trout likes to call it, his "shark bike", tents, sleeping bags, pillows (roughin' it!), various super heroes, soccer balls, picture books, Tonka trucks and a lot of Trout's stuff and tore outta Dodge directly at the whistle, sliding down the brontosaurus' back and right onto the road a la F. Flintstone.  Despite driving the whole way I have no memory of anything until coughing up $7 to the Iron Ranger at Highline at about 10pm.  Ding! Fries are done!

Yes, Trout's wearing a cape.  Why?  You got some sorta problem with that?

Chainsaw got to hot lap Horsethief and Prime Cut while Highroller checked out the 18 Hrs of Fruita course (emminently singlespeedable!) and then hit up Joe's Ridge and the Kessel Run on Sunday.  Trout rode all over the place but decided he wasn't quite ready to remove the training wheels yet.  Everyone's got their own kinda kryptonite...

Palisade, CO.  Sweet Riverside Park in a sweet little downtown area.  Worth a looksee next time you're rolling through with a good looking cafe, bike shop! winery and more.  As you can tell by the pix the weather was AA+ perfect Colorado Fall.

Hitler Melts Down Over Randy Moss's Release..wmv

Get Dirty!

Hup, hup, hup!

Chainsaw attacks the barriers at Xilinx.  This set was only half height but claimed a lot of would be bunny-hoppers

Just like in cyclocross a bit of pain and effort was rewarded handsomely for the Alfords this weekend, with a great visit with FR friends and family being the payoff.  If it's worth doing, it's worth working for.  Chainsaw pulled down a great 11th both days and had some grins too, she may be hooked.  Trout got to hang with his little buds Shannon and Beckett, his favorite Aunt Jen and we even got to see Uncle Pete among other oldies but goodies. Thanks to Jen and Grandma Penny and the Wachtelsmachers for hosting us and thanks all who came out to cheer on Chainsaw, she really appreciated the encouragement! Peace, out.

Moab!

So, it's been a few years since I was in Moab. Fruita is just too close and flat out has better riding. However, Amanda had signed up for a half marathon down there last weekend and we have a few vacation days to burn. Use them or lose them.

We drove down Thursday and managed to get a fairly decent campsite close to town before venturing off to get in some late afternoon riding. Amanda is up to 6 rides on her new-to-her Stumpjumper. She really enjoys riding a real mountain bike and each ride has resulted in huge improvements, but from a small base as we say in the market research biz. The Slickrock practice loop wasn't the best place to start so we ventured into Poison Spider for a guidebook and map.

The Bar M Trails are a little more user friendly and gave Amanda a chance to get comfortable on her bike. And like most of the riding in Moab, the views are amazing. Arches National Park. If you look closely, you can see one of the Window arches in the middle of the picture.

The next day, we dug into the guidebook in order to find a longer ride that Amanda and I would enjoy. The ride out to Gemini Bridges isn't too technical and this slickrock is definitely Amanda's speed. She managed to drop a couple of the smaller ledges later in the ride. I learned how to take pictures like this from Alford.
However, although I was the only bIKE cLUB member within 300 miles, we still had some standard bIKE cLUB issues on the ride. Somehow, I got a flat riding uphill.
Oh yeah, that map came in handy.
I told Amanda we would end up down there in Bulls Canyon.

We ended up here. Gemini Bridges.
Standard Tourist Picture. On top of Gemini Bridges
In case you couldn't see that arch in the first picture, this is what it looks like up close.

With Amanda saving her legs for the half marathon, I got a couple of rides in on my own. I hit Amasa Back on Saturday morning. If you get a chance to ride it, and happen to run into a 60 year old Canadian guy putting on body armor that tells you that Jacksons is perfectly rideable and that you should ride it with him, don't listen. Just don't.
On Sunday, I rode Porcupine Rim from camp. It was a lot harder than I remember. This is Castle Valley from the top of the climb. Last time I was here, I was with Matt Cheseaux. We had headed out a day early for a Fruita trip. Same weekend of the Fruita cheerleader appearance. The night before, I slept in the back of the truck and he was in his bag on the ground. The drive back to Denver he was sick as a dog.

Too funny

You're speakin' to the choir here son

"Some girls like to go fast!  Some like to go slow.  That's the problem" - Trout Alford

I feel the need, the need for speed!

Trout workin' the pedal bike!

Akai shows up for some hot laps, running training-wheel free.  Trout needs a couple more weeks with the outriggers...

For Brad...

Americans Get Majority of Exercise While Drunk

Very important study:

http://www.theonion.com/video/study-americans-get-majority-of-exercise-while-dru,18198/#

Chainsaw & Trout battle for 'Cross supremacy!

Chainsaw mid throw-down. Note wicked Moots

Trout workin' the barriers

But there can be only one!  Trout probably deserves it too since he did like 25 laps for warm up and 50 more for cool down after decimating the Strider field at the Frisco Cyclocross event on Sat.  That little girl with the pink Strider and the butterfly wings? Destroyed, ego crushed, wings wilting rapidly under the relentless pressure of Trout's pace and smoothness over the barriers.  Chainsaw dug deep, real deep on her brand spankin' new Moots too, but there's no replacement for chamois-time, and this year she hasn't had much.  Couple more weekends though and she'll be back to the head of the field where she belongs!  Maybe even this weekend in Buena Vista if none dare join us for a Vernal, UT trip...

This bike is cool, too bad there's a fire ban

Chainsaw's new whip!

Moots Psychlo X a la Chainsaw

All I'm sayin' is it pays to know people in low places. You wanna?  Give me a ring

Octopi says "drink!"

Octember 9, 10 and 11, Vernal, UT, McCoy Flats...be there!

Bring your wheels, leave your woes.  Bring your booze and your boobs, leave the news on the tube. Drink cold brews with your buds, don't be moos chewing cuds.  Tell tall tales under stars, shoot your moon up at Mars!