Pug Swap-> Snowblind

Ms Puglett had to be put down. Snowblind the Princess time.

As built...

As sung...

As done...

300 degrees of separation

As ridden...

Murphy log skinny backwards (no snow/ bit of ice/ no threat)

Thanks to Charles and James at Behind Bars, and the riddlers of Surly. Wonder if light weight Al in the cold would have made it this long (5 years) bulldozing under my dead weight?

Fact- Did you know Ace Frehley wrote Snowblind.

What's your favorite Black Sabbath Song? (The Dio years count.)

"Do you know what your doing?"/ Bootleg Canyon

No matter how you spin it, renting a bike is a drag. Don't shift right, brakes twitchy, thumb only sram shifting, and most of all- the fear of buying it.

So I walk in All Mountain Cycles, tweeking hard in need of a ride. Get to the counter after a room full of DHers move aside. "I'm hear to rent the 26 Stumpjumper FS", I say. "Ok dude, do you know what your doing out there?" says bike shop Guy. "I'm an extreme novice", I say. Guy looks at me "extreme what?' and laughs. ha

2.3" rental felt small

Day 1, classic Ricoh, go as far out into nowhere until the sun starts to come down... Made my way over to where Mother trail meet the new Ernies End. That Ernie trail was wicked/ death grip fun. Recently built, super tight along the ridge, full exposure to nothing but cliff and loose rock. Got sucked in, started seeing shadows of darkness and turned back for fear of being the next stupid statistic.

Day 2 theme, I got to get too the top and scare myself... West End trail to Caldera to gravel up too top. DHers hanging out waiting to start race. It was exactly as Jim had said, DHers everywhere, smirking at some dude in lacra riding around on a wimpy xc bike. The race was on Boy Scout, not Skyline (double black diamond. ha). Race official tells me the trail is off limits only way down is the double black diamond/ Skyline. Baggy Pants crowd heckles me to go down Skyline. Ok, game on baggy pants... Some baggy pant cuts me off, ok dood drop me... I get angered and chase, didn't catch, but didn't get dropped either. Still lost a couple points. If only my girls were there to hold my hand. Jack would have had the baggy pants wondering why they need all that gear.

Reaper trail was off limits as well. Biked up around it. Was impressive listening to all the DH bikes slamming the trail as they moved with the gravity. You could hear the suspension and brakes a half mile away...

Blah blah. Had just as much fun riding around in a flood plane gully away from all the people. No bike trail, just the ditch Jack told me to follow down to Hoover Dam. I didn't even come close to riding that far down. Hat off to JacMay for that feat. But I did leave some nice rental bike skid marks in the concrete culvert half pipe. ha

Ricoh type fun. See the skid marks?

Pat Tillman bridge/  Hoover Dam

I did drive down to see the new bridge (named after Pat Tillman), and drove by the Hoover sign that Jim wheelied past. Ha. I need my girls with me to pull off that Ricoh feat, especially on the day when you have to catch a plane home.

Oh, and got a pretty good farmer sunburn too boot. But didn't gamble a dime, Jack was disappointed.

Can't Bike In Vegas -> Couture MMA

"I will find a way to punish self..." Hours of OSHA process safety has left zero time to get to Bootleg Canyon so far. Hey! Randy Couture's MMA gym is on only 3 miles away. I use to wrestle, I'm in shape, Randy Couture is way older than me, matter of fact most of the Goons are way older than me, if scart I'll just resort to throwing weights around and sweating on some electric machine...

So I get there. Friendly MMA guy at the desk, "sure come on in... You want to work out, sure. We have weights, cardio, we have classes for you too..." My response, "ahhhh.... Classes. I can wrestle but thats about it..." Friendly MMA, "no worries Essay, you'll do fine, everybodys welcome."

Randy Couture's Mat

I get in, get a leg weight burn going, sweat up, cardio, the trainer guy points at me, "you ready for some muay thai???" Put on the spot, "Who me. Ahhh never done it." "No worries, ay" says the Canook. I follow, line up, warm up with some sort of line dancing they'd do at any mall fitness. Throw some punches in the air with a bunch of dudes that look like roadies (all shaved up with fancy clothes). "This is yag" I said to self. Just walked off back to dead weights.

Got a good burn and watched some grappling. Those dudes are more the MTB of MMA. No leg shave, no fancing clothes, full of dirt from rolling on the ground.

from the corner where I hung out for much of the time

While doing circles in the weight corner, Forrest Grifffith walked past. I thought, man he reminds me of Futureman (a non bike BD buddy of mine). There were plenty of other TV fighters there as well. One riddler from the reality show, can't remember name and too affraid to ask. ha.

All in all, I'd rather be on a bike lost in the desert. Hopefully later this week.

8's+3/ Red Four

Hillside figure 8's for 8th, ID'd as 888. Bested by the 88 that took 3rd. Jimmmmay!

Say Le Vee Gray Pug(s)

Jims secret weapon, keep the BB warm... Riddle this...


Henge Worthy.

Unsure if Horns/ MVP held down the 3rd or 2nd overall Coldbear series spot for me?   Burn it.

"Red four. Red four. Red four. Don't forget your parking spot dummy." Said to self as I'm shuffling into Lindberg terminal...

Las Vegas now. Will I need the niterider for Bootleg? Need to find the Jacmay ditch ride down to hoover dam. Jack called me on it.

Teeter Wobble/ No Studs/ Bootleg?

Jackmay told me about new teeter on the west end... Head on a swivel, spotted on return route. 25' 2x10 plank with no anchors. Just thrown across logs. Perfect. When on it, your thinking "will it pivot or not..." Then once validated, it adds a third rotational/ wobble dimension. Makes you grin.

Non-LCR, but very good/ picture does no justice

Very odd week. Thought my work clipboard got stolen while at 1st grade concert, phone call in middle of ride yesterday requiring kid evacuation, 6th grade green sheet fibs, wedding class, pool party, pack for Las Vegas work trip...

No time for studs. Hillside at noon/ flight at 5pm. I got that Guess Who song in my head "Got Got Got Got no time!!!"

Hope to have time for Bootleg Canyon this coming week. Will see if can pull off between process hazard analysis training. See OSHA 1910.  

Hot Legs!

Rod said it best... Jim second best...

Was 'Hot Legs!" under the mud...

2.5 hours of slogging along riddling "whens the chain gonna break..."

Eagle log has some mud on it now... 2 for 4 isn't bad in baseball, but tree skinny riding with slick nates is riskay. Did a spinnaroony and shot right off it... My witness even riddled the Rd Squrl.

Mudblind in front

Artistic for a bunch of goons + a pickle. Trashed bikes... Good thing Spring is here.

9 chains never broke...