Park City Dirt Jam 2011

The Park City Dirt Jam took place September 17, 2011 this year.  One month earlier than normal.  The idea was to hope for better weather than the past few years when it was held in October.  Well, Mother Nature didn't treat us any better this year.  Friday, the day before the event, it rained heavily late in the afternoon, only to create some frustrated people who have worked tremendously hard to revamp the entire Dirt Jump Park.

I met my brother Tate at the Dirt Jumps early Saturday morning along with some other friends to help get things set up for the event.  Well, the rain had left more water than we all wished, but we worked hard to drain puddles, shovel, rake, and dry out as much of the park as possible. 

The event was a little late starting, and the kids were cooperative but chomping at the bit to ride the newly revamped park.  Tate opened the park around 12:30 or so, and the conditions were as good as could be expected given all the rain the day before.

The Dirt Jump Park has come a long way in a few years.  Many hours of hard work have gone into creating a fantastic park.  I'm really proud of Tate for all the work he has put forth and accomplished surrounding this Park City owned Dirt Jump Park.  I am also grateful for Derek Thompson, Bryce Sacks, and many others for the many hours of work they have put in to make the Dirt Jump Park what is has become.  Thanks guys, we are all very appreciative.

 

The sunshine started to slip through the early morning cloud cover and the event began. Red Bull, Silver Star Ski, Slim & Knobbys Bike Shop, White Pine Touring, Bern Helmets, Park City Mountain Trails, and several other sponsors through down swag, and plenty of give aways. Everyone got something to take home.

The Expert/Pro level riders began riding the upper set and were killing it. Mad style, and skills. BMX & Dirt Jump Mountain bikes were the bikes of choice.

Pro riders Kelly McGarry, Eric Porter, Mitch Ropelato, Nick Van Dine, Derek Thompson, Bryce Sacks, & a few others were there. The coolest thing about these guys is that they were just having a good time just like everyone else including the little kids 4+ years old. I suppose in a way, none of us there really want to grow up!

As the Jam continued & the dirt dried out more the pro line was in full session. These jumps are so big that when designed they put in a technical section called the "Squirrel Catcher" to prevent riders without the skills to hit these jumps.

Nick Van Dine showing some courage and sending it huge off the Pro line. Very impressive to watch!

Daniel Riley is a local teenager in Park City.  During the past two summers he has been a Park City Employee and helped coach kids during the dirt jump clinics.  Aside from being a good rider himself, he is a very creative cinematographer/editor.  Some of the following video is filmed by him while flying a helicopter like device that he connects a camera to and flies via remote control.  To top it off, he build it himself!  Someday we will be sitting in theaters watching adventure sports where he contributes his skills & creativity to production. 

Park City TV also did a segment on the Dirt Jam.  Great interview with Tate Shaw & Bryce Sacks giving some history behind the park itself.

 

I really find it incredibly cool that a municipality will step up, support, and allow such a fun place to recreate.  To all those responsible for the creation, maintenance, and continuation to the Park City Dirt Jump Park

THANK YOU!!!!!

GTNP Backpacking, September 6-7, 2011

September 6-7th, is a great time to backpack.  The Labor Day crowds have left for home by this point, and beauty abounds.  A friend and I, went to Grand Teton National Park and did a 2 night, 2 day trip.  Our first night, we camped at String Lake camping area 13.
 
We started hiking in the dark around 10 pm on Monday night.  From our headlamps, we saw some other animals eyes in the dark which was a little scary considering the recent book I've been reading; 'Mark of The Grizzley, True Stories of Recent Bear Attacks & The Hard Lessons Learned', by Scott McMillion. 

The next morning, we broke camp and started hiking up Paintbrush Canyon.  It was a beautiful morning; clear with little wind.  We backpacked up the canyon and took a brief break to catch our breath as we climbed over 4000 feet.  We stopped for lunch at Holly Lake.  It was chilly, and the cloud cover began to roll in and it became darker with rain clouds moving quickly over the ridge of the divide.

The rain began to fall and it cooled off quicly.  I thought we might be in for a rough next several hours considering our backcountry permit for the night required us to continue into the North Fork of Cascade Canyon. 

As the rain fell, we huddled for a few minutes next to a large dead tree that provided shelter from the wind and rain.  After about 15 minutes, the rain tapered and we decided to press on and head up to Paintbrush Divide while hoping for continued good weather.  As we hiked up the trail, the weather changed for the better.  However, we passed many people coming down from Paintbrush Divide.  All of them said that the weather on the divide was pretty cold, snowing, and very windy.  I guess it should not suprise anyone that's how it is at 10,700 feet in the Teton Range in September. 

There were a couple of men coming down the trail that were fully loaded with heavy backpacks, trekking poles, and all the gear.  As we passed one another of course the typical backcountry exchange occurred.  "How's it going?" I asked.  "Good, but we turned around at the divide", one of the two men responded.  "Oh yeah, how come?" I inquired.  "The pass is so exposed and dangerous to cross, you have to be crazy!  Hell, we are on vacation from Michigan & it's just not worth it pushing it too far" was his response.  We exchanged our best wishes and continued on our way.

I thought to myself the pass can't be that bad otherwise we would have been warned by the Rangers when we picked up the Backcountry Camping Permits.  No warning, therefore it can't be that bad so we pressed on.  A short time later we encountered several other parties all of which came over from Cascade Canyon passing over the Divide.  All of them said there were a few steps that required some concentration, but it was easily accomplished.

As we continued hiking up toward the divide we saw some ski tracks in the snowfield below.  I'm always amazed how passion for skiing will make someone work so hard to get a few turns in during the summer months....whoever you are that put down these tracks, you have my respect!

We continued hiking up the trail and over the Paintbrush Divide (which was not nearly as exposed or scary as our friends from Michigan said).  From the top of the divide at 10,700 feet, you have a fantastic view of the surrounding mountain range in the area.  Also, a beautiful view of the Tetons. 

We didn't stay long on the divide because it was very windy & it started to snow.  The clouds rolling in over The Grand created for some very cool views & photos.

As we passed over the Divide, we started to decend down into the North Fork of Cascade Canyon.  You can see the trail is very obvious at this point, but has tons of rocks and has great views of Solitude Lake along with a birds eye view of the entire canyon.

After hiking down the canyon, past Solitude Lake, and a huge Mule Buck we found one of about 5 designated camps in the North Fork of Cascade Canyon.  We set up camp, made dinner, and then enjoyed the view from The Room At The Top of The World.  The sun set, and the moon rose above The Grand.  The end of a great day!

 The next morning, we took our time getting up and heading out.  We descended Cascade Canyon and headed back to the truck at the String Lake Trailhead.  As we were hiking out, we passed our two friends from Michigan.  They were hiking up Cascade Canyon.  As we passed each other, I recognized the two men & said hello again.  We stopped and visited about our trips.  Evidently, the night before they descended all the way to Jenny Lake Lodge.  They asked how The Divide passage was for us, and we said it was a lot like they said, but we were able to navigate it safely (again, it really wasn't that bad).  We parted ways, & I could not help but chuckle & be grateful for growing up in the West.

I had a great trip and enjoyed being outside.  It gave me time to clear my head, remember old friends, make some new friends, and simply enjoy being outside again.

MS 150 Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride

On May 25, 2011 thousands of cyclist were in Logan, Utah for the MS 150 Harmons Best Dam Bike Ride. The event is a fund raising effort for Multiple Sclerosis. I was one of the lucky participants and had a great time.

I proposed the idea to my employer to sponsor interested employees enabling participation in the charitable event. They graciously agreed to do so, and contributed the necessary fund raising requirements for several of us to participate.

The event was fantastic. It was a beautiful day in Cache Valley. The route is mostly flat, and the surrounding views were fantastic. I planned on riding 100 miles, but the week of the event I became sick with what seemed to be the 24 hour flu. Obviously, I was concerned that I may not be able to complete the full 100 miles. However, I was able to accomplish the goal of 100 miles.

Yes, it was my first century ride. To some, this may not seem that big of a deal (and I suppose it's not), but I was happy that I accomplished my personal goal. More endurance rides await!

The data from the Garmin Edge 800 cycling computer is below. I hope that I will be able to participate in this same event in the future. It was completely enjoyable, and a great cause as well. For more information regarding the event, please visit the link at the bottom of the page.


http://bikeutu.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_UTU_homepage

Winter 2010/2011

My Snowbird Season Pass was a great purchase this past summer. I had a great winter season, enjoyed some great friendships, made some new friends, and skied a fair amount as a "Full Time Employee" of one of many public companies in our struggling economy.

The winter re-affirmed that I don't necessarily love having to work, but that with some creative time management I can get a few extra days on the hill.

Yes, Snowbird is still open on the weekends through the end of May and possibly into June with the record snowfall totals, but I think I'm focused on riding my bikes instead of skiing. Who knows, maybe I'll get another day or two of skiing before the year is done.

Winter 2010/2011 totals maintained by Suunto Wrist Top Computer:

Days: 66 (21 powder days; 4 days on the Snowboard)

Runs: 616

Vertical Fee: 911,100

Backcountry Tours: 3

Ten things I appreciate from this past winter:

1. Get up early and beat the traffic on a powder day.

2. Have patience on a busy powder day while the canyon is closed and traffic is at a standstill.

3. Manage your fear and use it to your advantage creating greater focus and confidence.

4. Be creative and ski lines that do not immediately look interesting.

5. Have courage, and speak to the local attractive females at EVERY opportunity.

6. Have MORE courage if those females in #5 are rippers.

7. Straight line to get out of a tough line.

8. Know when to say, "Ten More".

9. Rocker skis are awesome for the Wasatch Front.

10. Snowbird is a big place with plenty of future opportunity to explore more skiable acres.

This past winter was great. I had a fantastic time and hope that my knees will hold up for several more years to come. I do not know what I will do if I can't ski; I love it way to much! Thanks to all who made this season a great one!

December 2010

December 2010 has been the 3rd greatest snow accumulation December in history for the Salt Lake City, UT area. In other words: It has been a great start to the ski season.

The weather forecast looks promising for the next several days. I have 14 days of skiing in this year already, and am only working 4 more days for the rest of this month.

I'll be staying in SLC for the Holiday's......skiing is great here, so why leave? Besides, home is where you lay your head at night.......Snowbird is where I call home for now! Down the road of time? Well, who knows where I'll call home!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Cycling Season Recap

This past Spring, Summer, and Fall have been good as far as cycling goes. With today being much warmer than normal for December here in SLC, UT I felt much inclined to dust off the road bike and go pedal. Excuses aside, I didn't go today after all.

With warm temperatures, and 10 days of skiing already in the bag, today my thoughts turned to biking vs. powder faceshots. Oh how I wish I could ride!

Snow is in the 10 day forecast, so my thoughts may drift back to the "White Room" before long. As such, I'll hold off from reading the latest Bike & Mountain Bike Action Magazines that arrived last week and try to maintain the correct seasonal perspective and keep turning the pages of Powder Magazine instead!

The information below is tracking from April 1, 2010 to today for Road & Mountain events.

Bikes, Drivetrains, & Impressions

I recently completed the custom build of a 2011 Specialized Enduro S-Works frame. I decided to build the bike with specific products of interest. My build is similar to the spec bike made by Specialized. It's sweet: 2011 Specialized S-Works Enduro

The people at Specialized are awesome. I was missing a needed part for the headset. In a pinch & on a Friday late in the afternoon, I was able to go visit them at their warehouse in SLC and pick up the needed part.

Major shout out to Don of Customer Service at Specialized....he is smart, helpful, and super nice. Ironically, when I shook hands with him I recognized him from a conversation we had one evening on the trail. I remember it specifically because he was riding the bike I would soon be building. We talked about it, and he raved how awesome it is....turns out that he speaks the truth!

I will always ride products made by Specialized and have for many years. Their products are the best, they have always been helpful, and they stand behind their products 100%.

My build ended up very similar to this, but with a few key differences.

Everyone in the biking world has heard about Sram and how awesome they are. I've ridden on their products for over a year now, and was so impressed that I'd build the new frame with an entire set up of XO which is new for 2011. My initial impression is excellent. Strong breaking power, clean & swift shifting, and strong but lightweight parts.

The guys at Binghams Cyclery in Sandy, UT have suggested a few times that I should try a Sram 2x10 drivetrain. I wouldn't say that I was skeptical, but I'm not always a big fan to move away from what I've grown comfortable with in the typical 3x9 drive trains we all have ridden on for years. It works, it's reliable, and proven, right?

Let me be honest. I thought to myself that if I didn't like 2x10, I'd sell it off and go back to what I was comfortable with given years of riding. No big deal!

Well, the boys at Binghams Bicycles in Sandy, UT really know what they are talking about. The 2x10 set up is AWESOME! Lighter, faster, and the ratios make much better sense.

For the first couple of rides on the new build, I intentionally rode trails I have ridden many times. The idea behind doing so was to work out the gearing ratios, compare lap times, and dial in the suspension, and work out any other fit related kinks common to a new bike.

Yesterday, on the maiden voyage ride, I rode the Corner Canyon trails in Draper, UT. As I was climbing up Clarks Trail, I felt like I was a lot slower than normal. Once I crested out, and hit the lap button on my computer, I found it was the fastest time of the season.

Maybe it was because I was excited to ride a new bike. Maybe it was because I didn't ride the day before. Maybe it was because the gear ratios were better for me and as a result I could push a larger gear without noticing it as much compared to the 3x9 set up. Obviously there is plenty of room for discussion surrounding these ideas, but I think it was because of the 2x10 drivetrain primarily.

Today's splits showed the same improvement, and on a different trail system here in SLC.

The Crankbrothers Iodine wheels are great and a bit of a risky purchase. Spendy, $950 MSRP, and totally different than most wheels on the market. The wheels are super stiff, are quick to roll, & are true after a few downhill sessions on the Bobsled trail.

Many opinions surround these wheels, but my initial impression is a positive one. I read many reviews where people would complain/cheer about the hub noise. There is no secret, it's a loud hub. In fact, it's louder than I thought it would be. I suppose I will not notice it after a while, and when I do it will serve as a reminder to pedal.

Perhaps my riding buddies will get a pair of their own, or learn to ride faster to get ahead of the noise; either way, I like the wheels.

The 2011 Fox Talas 36 RLC fork is sick! Nothing more to say because years of quality products speak loud enough.

Lastly, I'd like to give a huge shout out of appreciation to Mike at Utah Mountain Biking for taking time on Friday evening to help complete the build. For any purchases you need, buy through him & support the website and the brick & mortar shop in Lehi, UT.

Mike, thanks for helping me out with the parts order and the build! Much appreciated buddy!