Mount Hood 08' #2

First lift ride up at 9:00 am, coming out of the clouds.
This was the view from the top, above the clouds.

Boardin into the clouds.

Looking over a rock field into the terrain park.

Mt. Hood goes huge with their summer snowboard terrain park.

After snowboarding all morning, a lunch and a little rest. Mountain biking in the evening.

We did a 22 mile round trip ride on a part of the original Oregon trail. It was through some great, old growth forest double track. Some awesome descending, and what goes down must climb back up.

It was a full day in the mountains. Got back to the truck at dusk.

Mount Hood 08'

Mount Hood Snowboard Limo.

Descending the mountain road down from Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, 9 miles, down and back up. On Monday.

EPO dopers really SUCK!!

The second EPO doper was caught in the Tour de France.

Dopers go home and don't ever come back!! If you are a doper and you show up at a race, at the World Level or Local, think about how you are cheating everybody and just go home.

I have managed Jeff Hall for many years, he has played by the rules. He has been tested many times, always negative. He has raced against the top riders in the world since 1993, at World Cup, USA National Races and 2 World Championship Races. Some riders have been caught cheating.

A local rider in Minnesota was caught a few years ago, they take money and UCI points from honest riders. That rider whined about it, sent letters to the press looking for sympathy. That rider SCREWED everybody he came into contact. Both people that were on his road teams and racers like Jeff who raced against him fair and square. I can't believe the ignorant bike teams and the ignorant press that go running back to these dopers to feel good and get their name in the press.

This is my drug rant, like it or not.

On a positive note, GOOD LUCK to Jay and Jake Richards in Vermont at the USA National Championship Races and all the other Minnesota mountain bike racers. I know it will be a lifetime memory for you all. Keep Your Heads Up!! Ride hard. Good Times!!

Up North in Minnesota... eh

Out on the roads in the morning, the ride to the river. the water is clear and running fast through the woods. This is a nice 27 mile round trip ride, to the river and back. Sometimes we continue on around the lake, Whitefish Lake, for a good 37 mile ride.

This day, I was able to grab a lunch after the morning ride and get out on a true North Woods mountain bike ride in the afternoon. It is out to a remote lake, about 6 miles from the pavement, it is a rolling 4 mile pavement ride to the dirt. About 20 miles round trip. The challenge of this ride is not the distance, rather it is the swamps and mud. The beavers have dammed up the creeks that link the swamps together. It creates thigh deep, nearly waist deep, murky swamp water sometimes 30 yards long. I can ride most of the flooded trail, the unknown is the hidden rocks under the surface. The deep water over the ATV trail keeps this trail pretty much untraveled. Good Times!! Get back to the cabin and just jump in the lake.

Wyoming in May

The new helmet protecting the new face hardware.

The view from the cockpit of the Wyoming snowscape.

Natures art.

Sidehilling in the fresh pow, making my own trail.

Sled meets tree.

30 minutes later, sled is free and tree is slightly trimmed. That is why you should carry a shovel and folding wood saw.

A sweet 60 MPH wind.The snow was deep for May 2nd.

One of the local Wyoming guys I rode with on Saturday catching some air.

12,000 foot ridge.

With the Snowy Mountains in the mirror, I was heading home on Saturday, May 2, after riding all day. This was a good Wyoming sled adventure.

I left home Wed. night , sledded Thur., Fri. and Sat.. Got home Sun morning by noon, 2100 round trip miles later. In those 4 days in the mountains there was a blizzard that dumped about 18 - 22 inches of snow with winds up to 70 MPH. Good times!!

COLORADO

Made the decision today. Got to see the snow covered mountains once more this winter. Leave Wed., it's going to be snowing Thursday. This will be an exploratory trip. Get in quick and get out quick, be home Sunday night. Hit Wyoming Thursday and maybe Colorado Friday. See about Saturday, go with the flow. There is still up to 12 - 14 feet of snow up high.

Later

Adversity is Good

This is the difference a year can make. The big challenge of an injury is to maintain some form of fitness and repair. With the roof of my mouth broke and my teeth totally rattled, along with my jaw being broke. The fact is a soft food diet. A person can't take in enough calories. The body has to repair itself, but you are not as active. I lost about 15 pounds. Plus my energy level was down.

One of my intake of calories and nutrients was the protein drink and carbohydrate drink that Jeff and I use. Also the Power Bar gels. We use them for bike racing and I use them for my winter activities, snowboarding and snowmobiling.

The great thing about the energy drinks and Power Bar gels, is that they are full of the nutrients that a body needs for rebuilding and repair. I added some soups, yogurt and peanut butter. Also, beer can be a part of the liquid diet...ummm, beer.

I gained back some weight and have regained some of my fitness. I want to get on the bike here soon and get in better shape than I was.

Life can be like athletics. Adversity is a factor that can help the drive and one can learn from those experiences that are tough. Then keep in mind your larger goals that will help you maintain your cycle back. You just have to react along the way and adjust.

Mountain Cat

The Arctic Cat sold this week. It was a good sled, we had a great first year exploring the Snowy Mountain Range in Wyoming with the Cat and the 800 RMK. I had the Cat for 3 years, went out West 5 times each of the first 2 years, so we spent some good time out there.

The above pictures, were before the Minnesota Northshore hit. The below pictures, were with replacement parts, hood and seat.

There hasn't been any big adventures since February. With the face on the heal, it has been recovery time. I had 3 sledboarding (snowmobiling into the backcountry with the snowboards) trips planned in March and April. Had to put them on hold. I have never in my life, been injured for this length of time. Two months..."Knock on wood".

I want to keep up my fitness. Did some good hiking in the woods, swamps and hills of my youth. Several 3 - 4 hour outings, used the time to set up my GPS unit. With this extended Spring it was still snow and ice covered, here in Minnesota. I still have 5 weeks of vacation, so there will be trips and adventures to come. The snow will last for a couple more months out West and there is always mountain biking in the mountains and around here.