Mmmmm bacon

Pork products are good. This one's for Sean.

http://www.recipestar.com/pages/bacon_life

Twisted Boot rocks!

Chainsaw is all smiles moments before launching into the Crested Butte FTBW Fat Tire 40.  After, not so much but she did pull down a solid 4th place despite a return trip up her least favorite CB trail, Deer Creek, and seemingly every other up possible in 40 miles.Go Momma!Meanwhile Trout and Highroller snuck away from the Moots expo to explore the local parks and playgrounds, watch some soccer, slide some slides, eat muffins, play with trucks, etc.Morning training session, SPRINT Poppa, SPRINT!Then time to get back to work!  Nice spot to set up for a weekend of demo rides and talking smack...

Ocho!

For ride #8 Highroller went deep on Father's Day courtesy of Chainsaw and the Weasel who stuffed me full of cranberry granola pancakes at Freshies and then set me free by heading up to Steamboat Lake for a date with the beach.  THIS guy decided some climbing was in order (remember I'm racing the Thunderhead Hill Climb, like, tomorrow) so I headed up through Strawberry Park to the unloved Elk Park Rd, there to discover 6 ancient SE Asian ladies diligently clearcutting the forest of all fern fiddleheads to later fry in tempura batter I assume.  Once it became clear I wasn't going to bust them they kindly removed the pinch-claw lockdown they had me contorted into and let me scamper off, up, up, up the semi-unrelenting climb to the Lower Bear junction where I ran into none other than the infamous D. Hyde and his lovely Eve descending from their own private Idaho.  Neglecting to mention the martial artists grannies lurking below I waved them on and continued with the solo climbing all the way up to vacant Elk Park and the FS boundary with the Zirkel Wilderness.  Was it freakin' beautiful? Did I have the place to myself?  Were there flowers in abundance and clear flowing streams to ford? Yes, yes and Yes!
From thenst I dropped down to Lower Bear (one of the best stretches of singletrack around IMO) to the Strawberry Park Hotsprings, Hotsprings TR to Mad Creek, up, up again to Swamp Park and another touch at the FS boundary, then one more climb up and over to Red Dirt before finally dropping down to the pave and then big-ringing it all the way homeward for cheeseburgers and ice cream.  Maybe 5 hours door to door. That family 'o mine is pretty cool, thanks guys!  Incredibly I feel pretty ok, though finding the worst of the damage is starting to take 48 hours to show up as I slink further into aged decrepitude, I reserve the right to be crippled tomorrow.
Y'all?

Are you there Uber-Ancestors? It's me, Margaret

Something like Lupine-Larry's- Blackmere-Blair Witch-Quarry-?-Ridge Rd-?-Ridge Rd-Ridge Tr and then back

Ride Numero 6 for this cowpoke, and just in time too as some of the upper Emerald Mtn trails will be closed for the next month for logging out the beetle-kill.  At this pace it's touch and go weather or not I will be able to fit into the Vermarc Cyclocross skinsuit I ordered (yes, seriously) come fall.  I'm guessing yes, but not at an aesthetically pleasing level...

Tour Divide race is on and nearing WY

Check out the epic in the making, in real time, from the comfort of your own couch.  Sounds like some seriously crappy conditions out there for the racers, lotsa mud!  Moots rider Eric Lobeck holding onto 2nd right now but is off route getting both derailleurs replaced...hope he makes it back on course and claws back up to leader Matt Lee

http://tourdivide.org/ 

Fat Tire Bike Week June 22-27th

http://www.ftbw.com/

Beckett, Trout

Men, I know what you're thinking as you peer upon this brief photo-montage of the incredible Highroller chewing up the scenery on Spring Creek..."So THAT's what Hai Karate cologne LOOKS like!" "Where can I get some?"  Well don't worry I have you covered.  From my private reserve I have set aside a bottle for each of you for when the time comes. When does the time come, you ask?  I'll let you know but it generally comes sometime around oh, 2024 (seriously, don't ask me before that).  Never fear Shannon, there is a bottle of pepper-spray with your name on it too darling.

MTB #5 in the books and in the legs, at this point can a 21st place race result be too far away for our intrepid hero?  I doubt it!  If anything I have to worry about over-training.  My better half (really more like my better 5/8ths) pulled down an 8th place in Expert at the Town Challenge race at Marabou last night and is now deep into last minute mental preparation for Chainsawing up the Winter Park HC this Saturday.  Highroller makes his own Town Challenge debut next week at the Thunderhead Hill Climb (trying to play to my strengths, wait, hill climb...what the?)

What is that, the stink-eye?

B.A.

Ride time!

Not totally shocking but Trout is turning into a major biker, yesterday riding down to the Library, to Little Toots Park, to Sweet Pea for lunch and then back home. That was not apparently enough for the 'lil terror as our evening walk ended up being a run all the way up Butcher Knife Creek and back home. Sort of a duathalon, especially if your legs are only like 16" long...

3rd MTB ride 'o the year

Why are you looking at me like that? What, is it June already?  Steamboat weather has not been kind to our early season riding plans, lots of mud season this year with snow up to last week, rain and crappy cold temps.  I missed out on any spring desert trips too so the above hammer-fest with Vermont's fastest riders was only Highroller's third time out this year...pitifull. And painful, real painful!  But man, what a blast to be rolling along East Coast style on pine duff, roots and actual dirt!  Chainsaw reports that Emerald Mtn trails are finally opening here so I'm looking to get out on my OWN bike for a change and throw down at the hoe-down.  FR trails sound clear and dry, anyone getting out on the dirt?