In April, my friends at Vitality Films in Grand Junction, CO, set out on a mission to do as many sports as possible in one day within the 20-mile radius of Colorado’s Grand Valley. They managed 7 – from skiing at 10,000ft in the morning to biking the desert in the afternoon and paddleboarding a lake by sundown.

Check out the full adventure at www.GrandDayCO.com. #GrandDayCO

Prying my eyes open in complete 5 a.m. darkness, stumbling across ski bags and gear tossed in duffle bags the night before, out into an empty hallway, and down the stairs to frigid winter Gunnison air.  It’s the same routine every big mountain competitor repeats for each trip, but when I round the corner the energy changes.  Half the Western State Freeride Team is already at the van, jamming skis and bags into every nook and cranny trying preserve precious legroom.  Cold and tired, collectively we’re in it together and the mood improves every time a new face comes around the corner.

A few hours into a twenty-something hour drive to Canada we roll into a sketchy gas station in the middle of nowhere.  The team swarms the convenience store for snacks.  Although traveling together in a small, cramped space can be grueling, it builds friendships and connections like I’ve never experienced.

Up on the mountain the camaraderie is even stronger.  The team pre-inspects the venue together,, sharing thoughts and ideas on various line choices and encouraging each other with positive vibes.  Every athlete is nervous and scared standing in the start of a comp run, but having coaches and teammates by your side is calming and reassuring.  Whether you stomp your run or crash, there’s always someone at the bottom giving out high-fives and hugs.

The freeride community is small, the stoke runs deep and everyone is friendly and supportive.  Having a team surrounding you makes it that much better.  Shared meals, victories, defeats and injuries, we’re in it together, cheering each other on with plenty of laughs, high-fives and hugs.

Overall I had a super successful and more importantly fun season!  Thanks to everyone who was a part of it!

I  lived in Colorado for 4 years before the winters of Utah drew me away permanently.  I had the best summer of my life and the worst winter of my life in Crested Butte.  I am a Utah powder snob after all.  But seriously, Crested Butte in summer is one of the most amazing places to ride a mountain bike and I try to go back when I can.  I have mountain biked some incredible places, but for me nothing compares to the Butte!

Upper Upper Loop and Snodgrass

Lush singletrack, yes please!

Sometimes the ride to the ride isn’t all that bad.

Don’t be fooled, the buff is always followed by some technical.  That is one of the reasons I love the trails here!

Just a typical view while riding.

Did I mention Crested Butte is world famous for its wildflowers?

Trail 401

Trail 401 is probably the most popular trail in the Butte.  After a long slog up to Schofield Pass and then another mile or two up some steep singletrack at treeline you are blessed with one of the most scenic descents around in the world, for real, in the world.  High alpine riding with wildflowers and some real technical sections thrown in make this ride unforgettable.  It is a must do classic for anyone who rides!

Can you see the singletrack going across that mountain?

Don’t crash enjoying the views through wildflowers!

The climb up was scenic but lung busting at this elevation!

My wife enjoys the down more than the up, don’t blame her!

Mt Crested Butte

Monarch Crest Trail/Silver Creek/Rainbow

This is an absolute must classic up there with the Whole Enchilada in Moab.  This is high alpine riding at its finest.  You get dropped off at the top of Monarch pass, riding over 35 miles with most of it singletrack and downhill.  This is not an easy ride though, there is some lung busting climbing at close to 12,000ft  and some wicked long descents that will push even the best.  The Silver Creek section is a personal favorite piece of trail I have ever done. It is all downhill  and every type of riding mixed in, plus it just keeps giving, it is unreal!  Be ready to be self sufficient though since you are deep in the backcountry and it is a long day in the saddle. No bike mechanicals wanted out here. Sorry I don’t have more pictures of Silver Creek my mind and body were to preoccupied with flowing down the trail.  Rainbow section is up and down but super flowy and ends with a steep and rowdy downhill.  This is an epic ride on so many levels.

Just riding some singletrack above treeline.

Yes I am stoked to be here and away from my windowless office!

My wife probably has more fun than me.

Doctor’s Park 

Another Classic.  Really long climb up but super scenic.  I think it is like 12 miles of climbing for 7.5 miles of descending.  But truth is that descent might rank as one of the best pieces of singleltrack around. Once again no real pictures of the rowdy downhills, kinda preoccupied from not crashing.

River crossing at the top of the dirt road climb crossing  to the doubletrack climb.  I am tenderfooted so I thew some flip flops in my pack.  Not a bad idea since a lot of rides in the Butte have real river crossings.

You are looking at a small portion of the doubletrack climb after the river.  Be ready to go up at the Butte to go down.

After the ride hang a hammock next to the river and forget all about your cell phone and tv!

Reno/Flag/Bear/Deadmans Loop

I think this is the most XC loop in the Butte.  Probably the only ride you may come across people on hardtail 29rs people seem to love so much in Utah.  Most of the trails in the Butte warrant a full suspension rig, preferably a true trail bike with 5 plus inches of travel.  But you do a lot of climbing out here and you need something that can go up as well as go down some real terrain.  This trail has some super flow and is super scenic like all the trails.  3 climbs up with 3 downs.   The last downhill is technical and rooty.  Real mountainbiking!

Did I mention how flowy this trail can be?

Miles of flow, yes please!!

Town Trails

After riding almost 200 miles in a week it was time to head out.  Ended the trip with the trails right out of town.  Not bad views from town!

Singletrack in flowers with a view never gets old.

Kebler Pass

If your drive home can take you over Kebler Pass I highly recommend it.  Some of the best camping and aspens forests.

Adventure Dining Guide heads into the Colorado backcountry with Summit County natives Jake Black and Tanner Banks.  Tanner explains how to start a healthy fire in the snow using an avalanche shovel, while Jake cooks up his Venison Hobo Hot Pockets.  This fun episode has some great pointers to help you get cooking during the winter.

To watch the full episode and learn the secrets to Jake and Tanner’s successful meal check out www.adventurediningguide.com.

I caught my first ever bankroll on camera with the handle mount cam. I got so stoked!

I caught my first ever bankroll on camera!

Photos from the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association National Championship. The event took place on last season from March 29th – April 8th and was located at Copper Mountain, Colorado.

This summer started out a little difficult for me. I was stressed out after juggling a few jobs and full time school. Upon graduation I was a shambling mess. I could not hike over a quarter mile without some knee pain developing. And I had back and jaw pain from poor posture. I has just ended a relationship as well, so let’s get emo and add a broken heart to that list… *tear*.

With the new found time from leaving school and consolidating into one job I began what I called the “montage summer” where I dedicated myself to rebuilding and healing myself. I started working out two or three times a week, focusing on my legs and back. I began taking Tai Chi classes which helped retrain my movement to make it easier on my knees and back and I began to meditate in a style that relaxed my mind, and allowed me to dissolve the pain I was feeling all over my body.

I have made a surprising recovery! I am hiking again and spending time in the places I love with the people I love! You don’t get to the the montage of the work, but you do get to see the reward! Hiking, tubing, paddleboarding, camping all I am missing is footage of a nice evening around an outdoor fire pit! Enjoy the vid and the world!

As the Colorado Rockies have been seeing some early snow, Joel and I sat down and nutted out a trip to Denver to make use of the resorts on offer with the epic pass. Originally we had planned to drive, but the 16 hour drive there and back had us leaning towards flying, and fly we did.

We arrived in Denver last Sunday after riding opening day at Heavenly. Tahoe hasn’t had a great deal of snow so only one run was open at Heavenly but to finally ride down that mountain looking over Lake Tahoe was really something else. There’s a lot of satisfaction involved in getting somewhere and doing something you’ve always wanted to do. That aside, we were psyched to be on the road and in the air and to get to Denver and ride some open terrain.

Joel lining up at the Rocky Mountain Express.

Denver copped a few inches of snow the night before we got here and snowed steadily the first day we rode. It set us up for a super fun week, of which we’ve got a couple more days to get a few more good rides in before we head back to Tahoe, hopefully to more snow.

By chance on the way out for a few beers we ran into an Australian couple in a store we were checking out. The accents really catch your ear when you’re around nothing but Americans and they gave us a few tips as to where to head for a cheap drink. We ended up catching them between rides the following day and we’ve spent a chill couple of days hanging out with them. Today, Dom and his girlfriend Adele came along to Keystone with us and it’s been nothing but good times with these two people.

Yours Truly, Top of the World at Breck.

The snow they got here on those first couple of days set us up for a perfect week of nothing but clear blue skies and fast, fast riding. The T-Bar had opened and we got plenty of untracked lines through the glades close enough to the peak here at Breck, but not without a hiccup. As it was all fairly new snow, the third day of use I had on a brand new board resulted in a base puncture and a trip to the tune shop to get some P-Tex and a base grind to get her back to good as new. The fifty bucks was well worth the fresh turns we got on those few runs.

Keystone today was super fun. Some of the longest runs I’ve ever ridden, Whistler aside. They really make the longer trips up the chairs and gondolas worthwhile. We were misled as far as how long the free bus trip to Keystone would take, in the end it was about an hour and a half. Under estimated by approximately an hour and ten minutes. Brilliant. The trip wasn’t without it’s characters though. We stopped at a hospital and met a skier who had just left after receiving a total of 84 stitches taking a tomahawk tumble down a cliff. An old guy, presumably drunk, handed him quite a decent amount of marijuana saying “My friend, you look like you’re in pain”. It’s very legal in Denver, but you can’t drink a beer anywhere but a bar. Go figure. It was a funny trip none the less.

We’re looking forward to a chill last couple of days here in Breckenridge before heading back home. A buddy Adam will be at our place by the time we’re home and is staying for about a week then it’s not too long til my little brother heads down to spend Christmas with us.

The next few months are shaping up to be super fun. Will be sure to keep updates coming.

Cheers amigos!

G

Enjoying opening day at Keystone Resort, Colorado!

Photos by Chip Proulx (@chipproulx)