For years I’ve starred up at the canyon wall that surround the town of Moab, wondering what exactly is up there any how could I get there. Well, a few weekends ago, I found out exactly how, and it was followed by one of the best days on a mountain bike I’ve ever had. I’m talking about the classic trail link-up of Mag7 to Gold Bar to Portal. Each of these three trails is unique and incredibly challenging for drastically different reasons. And 5 1/2 hours later, my two friends and I were back at the truck, exhausted, and ready for a beer to cap off an incredible day on the bikes.
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Appreciating Fall and the Ski Town Shoulder Season
The other week, before the first October snow fell, I was out on a run at my local trail system that I can hit on my lunch break. The area is called Round Valley, and it sits right in the center of Park City and boasts panoramic views of the Wasatch mountains. And on this casual run, I began to grow more and more of an appreciate of this time a year. In ski towns, we call it the Shoulder Season, which is the time between our popular tourism seasons of Winter and Summer. And the longer I live here, …
Cabin Life: Tools, Gear, & Snow Recommendations
We’ve lived in our log cabin for a year now, and have learned so much. As a little background, we live in a place called Tollgate Canyon which sits just above Park City, Utah at 8,000 feet in elevation. Our winters are very harsh, averaging about 300-600 inches of snow a year. This means you really do need the right tools for the job to not only get you through the long winters, but also to utilize the summer months to get all your projects done. Here are just few of the tools that I’d recommend having if you want …
Mountain Biking Gooseberry Mesa | Bucket List Riding
The mountain biking at Gooseberry Mesa (Trailforks Link) is unlike anything else in the world. The landscape is completely unique, even among the already diverse Utah riding styles we have in the mountains and the deserts. But how could a mesa, with only 100 feet of elevation gain from trailhead to point, have nearly 700 feet of climbing on the average ride? Well the answer to that is short, steep, and out-of-the-saddle punchy climbs that highlight the entire trail system, that’s how. And though that might sound like most riders’ nightmare, I’m here to explain why the slickrock trails at …
Exploring Town of Kihei on the Island of Maui, Hawaii
Kihei, on the island of Maui, Hawaii, was significantly less touristy than Lahaina. And that is a good thing! It really seemed like this was the place people actually “lived” on the island if they were outside the big city Kahului. Of course there was a main town center, but this town really seemed to have the beach as the main focus for being here. The town stretched for miles along the coast facing due west, which led to some incredible sunsets each night. We went scuba diving right off the beach, even went surfing. Our time in Kihei was …
VIDEO | Rafting & Fishing the Snake River in Jackson, WY
Over the 4th of July weekend, my wife Courtney and I, with our dog Gregor in tow, headed up to Jackson, Wyoming for the weekend to do a little rafting on the Snake River. We set out to run the 13 mile stretch of Class I/Flat Water river from the Wilson Boat Ramp down to the South Park Boat Ramp. The views were incredible as we floated down stream, leaving views of the Tetons in our wake. This was the second trip out on our raft BB, and we are slowly getting the hang of this rafting thing.
The Eden Epic | A Truly INSANE Mountain Bike Race
7 Hours in the saddle. 8,000 vertical feet of climbing. 3 miles of hike-a-bike. Oh, and of course a rain-storm that came in just as the racers were on the 9,500′ ridgeline dropping the temps to a finger-numbing 40 degrees. That’s just a part of the sufferfest that is known as the Eden Epic mountain bike race. Mixed in, during the 45 mile perpetual slog, was actually a stunning landscape that wrapped around high above the Eden valley. Check the course out on Trailforks.com. The race course was a mix of forest roads that were rocky, muddy, and steep, as …
Is Bend, Oregon the Best Mountain Town?
I honestly cannot believe after going to Bend, Oregon every summer for the past three years, that I haven’t written more about it. The reason I say this, is because, quite literally, Bend is my wife and I’s favorite mountain town we’ve ever been to. Which makes more sense why we’ve made the 12 hour drive here every year, without ever being disappointed. Quite frankly, the mountain town vibe, the endless River activities, the incredible breweries scene, and of course the amazing mountain biking are just the tip of the iceberg of reasons why Bend is the best mountain town …
Cabin Life: Year in Tollgate Canyon
One whole year, 365 days in the books living up on the mountain. My wife and I have experienced and grown so much since moving into our dream log cabin in August 2021. But now is a time to recap on all the highs and lows that we’ve gone though living in Tollgate Canyon just outside of Park City, UT. The Wildlife First thing that comes to mind is the wildlife! Before moving up here, I’d seen maybe 3 Moose in total in Utah. Within our first month, we had seen a moose on our property 4-5 times a week! And …
Trail Running With Your Dog and Developing a Bond
My adventure dog Gregor and I head out most mornings from the house in the dark, cold, quiet, mountain air. Headlamps and light-up collars sending us off into the dark on the dirt roads, up and down along the contours of the mountainside we live on. My dog, living his best life, runs ahead by about 10 feet smelling all the scents along the way. As cars come, I call him back, waiting for the neighbor to pass by. Deer scramble from the open areas, into the wooded sections, upon the first sight of us. Sometimes my dog will try …