Hillside singletrack

Finally got out and rode the new trails the STA built this summer. I had pangs of guilt for not being involved like before. Janice and crew did an incredible job. An enormous THANK YOU!

Anyway loaded up pugs and left home at like 5:00, it was 20 degrees. I wanted to get up to the upper trails the fastest way possible so up Chester creek, up the road, south Bivy, up Spencer loop, push up gorge trail to Prospect dodging moose. then the fun began...


Swoopy is the word that comes to mind, rarely do the trails straight line. They tried to fit in allot of trail and loops in a relatively small area so the trails are flowing and kinda techy. A few inches of packed snow added to the bliss.. so basically lost on the loops the twilight faded and ended up back up in the Prospect heights I got out my headlamp and ate a 3 year old almond snickers, perfect for a first descent of the advanced loop. fun! finished it off by riding Brown bear - tour trail back to downtown. Great to get in a long night ride. tis the season.

October powder

Dry cold powder in October... mmmm..




Best early season snow ever!
This article also was run in the Sunday paper.

Seward slide show

We'll get one going at Speedway too.

Cantata!

Cold high pressure, time to get into the mountains!
Saturday sun up to sun down. expected more snow up high on the peak but there was actually less than last year 2 weeks earlier (despite there being snow on the ground in Anchorage) Recent cold temps turned the snow to a crust of sugar on top of rock - which isn't the most secure for climbing. oh well. up we went.

On the upper ridge:


Steve following the traverse:


The route is not the most straight forward, once around the notch at the upper part of the ridge you have to traverse down and around then slog up talus to get to the never ending summit ridge. But with work it always comes...



Excellent summit views of Eagle, Polar bear, Flute and Calliope

mmm Flute... looking nice and wintery... always tantalizing.


heading down..
Abby and Steve at the super exposed spot



Dan going "A Cheval": (more on that here...)



Abby leaving the upper ridge of Cantata behind:


and down down to the lakes. Eagle peak and Cantata in the Alpenglow...
(go ahead and click on this one)



This was my third time up Cantata, I simply love the peaks in the South Fork Valley. Every time I head back there its like returning to a familiar place. Big mountains, only 25 minute drive from home to the trail head. This is why I live here.


on to Sunday..
Blower powder at Hatcher Pass something like 6000' vert. I'm tired. Amazing snow conditions for mid-October. I'm not much of an early season skier because splitboards are expensive and I don't like rocks, but this was just awesome. Brook getting after it:

ha ha!

Polo

After almost a year hiatius, it's polo season again!

pugsley did good, even though our team got schooled, must have been the 2 fixies on the opposing team

Dan got off his bike to shoot photos for a bit..

Pugsley is happy

After a summer of being thrown in rivers, sunken in quicksand, launched down steep rocky slopes, used as a machette and just generally misunderstood. Pugsley finally is happy. Pugsley got its first snow!

Its officially an early winter in Anchorage, its been cold and we got some snow today, what more excuses is needed to go rally on semi-frozen, frost heaved trails?

Went for a super fun ride today in the APU nordic trails and singletrack connectors.. Its amazing how much fun new conditions, a fat tire bike, and no rear brakes can bring you.




Some skiers are really desperate...


in town secret singletrack fun..


and yes the poggies were overkill if you were wondering.

Menali - Leh

Vik Posted this link about a couple that just did a tour up along a similar route Dan and I did in 2000. Their photos are awesome. Makes me totally want to head back to that part of the world - like right now!
I almost think I recognize one of the people in traditional dress in Leh...


On a totally separate note, I turned 32 yesterday, hooray for getting older! sorta..

Eaten by Jaws

Went and Packrafted six mile creek yesterday with the usual suspects.
I've been packrafting ocean and big rivers all summer so the class 4+ rapids were a bit of a wake up. Everything clicked just fine however and we were nailing everything. Confidence was high and everything was grooving just fine

Until "Jaws".


A Class 4+, the second to last big rapid in the third canyon. I flipped an got impaled on the tooth of jaws - an anvil shaped rock in the middle of the current right after the hole. It was very, very bad for a second, luckily my head was out of the water. My carbon fiber paddle braced against my body under the water quickly snapped in half from the force of the water barreling down. I rolled off the rock grabbed my boat - then realized that the next drop "George Foreman" was incoming. With that coming at me fast I braced for impact with my feet down trying to protect everything important. I kicked off a rock mid drop and ended up in the hole. The all too familiar feeling of being in severly turbulent water and not knowing when the next chance for air was going to be I took in deep every chance I had, Lucky I didnt stick in the hole and in it a few anxious seconds later and seeing if I was going to be held down or not I was through it all. spent, and happy to not be hurt. oh well, what's a $200 paddle.. I'm Oficially done paddling for the year. packrafting is stupid.

Final Cut Studio - at last!

When meeting fellow bike tourer's you never know where the connections will take you.
In this case returning on the 48 hr ferry from False pass to Kodiak Island this summer I met a young couple of Rachel and Jeremy. Who were on a bike trip around AK heading into Canada. We hit it off, especially when I learned that Rachel had gone to school for independent film making. humm... I had a brand new mac sitting at home for this very purpose but no software to use with it.

Soo without getting into the details - Final cut studio... all 4 figures worth.



Make friends with people with bikes - you never know!

Now to learn a new platform and import hours worth of raw footage from Unimak island and the lost coast, I hope it keeps raining...

Moved!

Its been a busy last two weeks, I moved everything I owned and my shop into a new house and went to Vegas for Interbike. Interbike was cool, but it was a quick trip, I was run down before hand and the combination of not sleeping much, drinking too much, and just the aura of Vegas in general wore me out big time. I was so happy to get back to Anchorage. It was great to meet lots of people like the folks at Surly, Salsa, Dirt rag and others. Great to put faces to names on emails.

At any rate here is the new shop - its super cozy but heated! imagine that! I like it better so far even though its smaller than my old space:

First bags made in the new shop:


I got a cold now, but Dan, Amy and I got out for a little hike over the weekend. Fall is still here, but winter is closing in fast. I'm not ready for it yet, but I can't complain. Its been an incredible summer to say the least.