Beggars CanNOT Be Choosers...

One day last week, whilst reading an article on the forgotten craft of ice cream making, I thought to myself, " I wonder what it's like to be a buffalo." I dropped the paper, grabbed my ride, my friends, and my holster and headed south until the earth was dry, brown, and barren.

It was there where we turned our fat tires onto what has become Colorado Springs's winter riding "field-trip," otherwise known as Pueblo Reservoir. When the Springs' trails are deep in snow and slush, Pueblo is as dry as a bone.

Well, it ain't Crested Butte..............but it's warm...............and it's singletrack...









I'm not willing to think about being stuck out here in 100 degree August heat, or in a windstorm; but on a 67 degree January day, I'll sure take it...

Somewhere inbetween the "Here Lies Jalmer" headstone and visions of Oregon Trail I couldn't stop saying, "I'm yer huckleberry..." in my head....over and over and over.

Riding here is actually really fun. The views don't get much wider- I mean, look at that sky... and you can see clear down to the Spanish Peaks, or "yo deseo que yo estuviera en algún lugar mejor" as they're also known.

Just do yourself a favor and bring some extra tubes. Cause if you get stranded, it's a long haul back to !Arriba! Mexican Restaurant, home of the original fried spaghetti.






Oh by the way, I got a preview of 2008's new secret weapon. Click the pic for details...

Bad Decisions and Good Punishment...

After a few weeks full of this...

I felt a little like Animal from the Muppets when I got back on my mountain bike.

But a few "teaser" days of nice January weather have decended upon the area.

Still, though, venturing a little higher than I should for as much cold and snow as we've been getting, I was definitely forcing the issue a bit.

And at times it was more like a hike, with a little riding thrown in...

But being rewarded with views like this make it worth it.

...Failing miserably to find a compromise between having fun and training...

When the trail flexes its muscles, one must flex back. One must also pay the price for spending a few hours "riding" through soft snowpack. You know you've chosen the wrong decent when the only tracks you see are from cross country skiis.

So crowned the King of Suffering, I took the long way home~

Like Itchy and Scratcy...

I typically have a 20 degree rule. If it's below 20 degrees, I generally don't ride outside. With recent weeks of artic air and intermittent snow storms, my mountain bike is daydreaming of summer temps as much as I am.





And trainer sessions are about as much fun for you all to read about as going to that indoor glow-in-the-dark minigolf place at the mall that you never see anybody in.....booooring...







But, any respite in the icy grip of Ullr and it's like mice to cheese: we all like to get out and play a little...

Yet, nothing eliminates my cherub-like demeanor faster than catching a cold. So within about an hour of snowshoeing in one of the area's best spots on Sunday I was feeling like loooooow tide.

Skies like this make it pretty easy to get out there~

The holidays are over.

I've gotten my once-a-year cold.

A new year is budding.

Time to shift into the 44...

A lesson was learned last night: I finally know who has the best margaritas in town. It did not, however, come without its consequences.

Esquire Magazine's tip #356: "A man should never take a picture of himself." They obviously haven't read my blog before they made their little list of tips.

Bad weather is no excuse to take a day off, but a bad hangover sure is...

Snowscapes and Singletrack...

Snoop called. He want's his dogg back.





You know, it never ceases to amaze me how fast the offseason goes. Here it seemed like just yesterday I was basquing in the glow of November, and now we're halfway through January starting to think about 2008. Hard to believe that when I'm faced with snowy scenes like these...







With views like this, who needs to travel anywhere?

Things are starting to take shape for the summer racing season. Hot off the presses is the 2008 Mountain States Cup race schedule: time to break out the Colorado atlas and start planning routes.

Until then, I'll keep using this site as my creative outlet.....I mean, how creative can you get sitting at a cubicle all day~

Happy Powder Day...

Let me put it to you this way: if every person in the world had a weekend like I did this past one, there would be world peace. Nobody would be hungry. Poverty would disappear. Ghandi's would rule the earth.




Steamboat Springs during a snowstorm is a little like being the main character in one of those snowglobes you get at Christmas. And this weekend, Mother Nature gave me one last Christmas present when she dished out about 14 inches of the lightest, fluffiest snow you could imagine over the course of the weekend.


Like a kid in a toystore...

It all started with a few hours on snowshoes atop Rabbit Ears Pass on Saturday. And as conditions started to deteriorate we headed back to town, and up to the remote reaches of Strawberry Park Hot Springs. Those who've been there know how steep the 7 mile stretch of dirt road gets at the top and so it came as no suprise when, after a couple hours of soaking, a 4 car pileup on one of the turns had blocked the road out. Not to mention the fact that two of the cars were sheriff's deputies. Now THAT's bad driving conditions.

Getting back close to midnight couldn't stop the sheer giddiness that ensued the following morning when we made our first turns on the skis...

Everyone on earth deserves a few powder days like this in their lifetime...

Words cannot describe the feeling one gets when bursting out from snow-covered trees and dropping into the pillowy merengue of the glades below. So I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...






Sincere thanks to Super T for setting the weekend up, and to our gracious hosts, Dick and Betty, 22 year Steamboat residents, for all your generosity. And by the way, if you ever get the chance to get a personalized tour from a 22 year ski-instructor local, take it. You won't be disappointed.

Out With The Old...

Every year about this time I get my race bike ready to put up on the eBay auction block and this year is no different. Know anyone who needs a nearly new 2007 Orbea Oiz? I'll give you the details if you leave me a comment...



Out with the old, and in with the new...And so I pull a backup bike into rotation for the time being...














Life's rough when your backup bike is a four thousand dollar Yeti. But enough tech-talk.


It's been snowing like it should in the mountains so this weekend we're headed up to Steamboat Springs for some completely unrelated-to-cycling activities, if you can believe it. Stay tuned for Ullr's snowy report...

2007 Becomes 2008

I thought it appropriate to recap on a few personal activities over the past 12 months.

2007 Year In Review:

- January - Snowed

- February - Snowed more...wished I were in the Carribean.



- March - Snowed more more...........more.













- April - the sun came out.









- May - Got a new bike - sweeeeet....









- June - Raced. Crashed said bike, trip to EmergiCare, got stitches.











-July - Won first paycheck for racing my mountain bike.
















- August - Attended more weddings in 5 weeks than in previous 5 years. Didn't get kicked out of ANY of them.













- September - Capped off 2007 mtb racing season with best cross country finish of career.














- October - Turned 32. Watched leaves change colors from the saddle of my bike.
















- November - Raced in first cyclocross race ever. Hated to love it.















-December - Drank my weight in beer.......thrice...








I can only hope 2008 will be as good for you all as 2007 was for me. Happy New Year~