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

 Just a quick post; had a fantastic time visiting the Coast Gravity Park in Sechelt, British Columbia this past weekend. Video and Picture are from a portion of the trail “Flight Deck,” which truly lives up to its name. Full of lofty mandatory jumps and a fun berm at the bottom, it’s a great way to finish a lap from “Coastal Cruise,” the more technical but still flowy upper pro line that feeds directly into the fast, floaty line of doubles that make up Flight Deck. Spent the evening celebrating my good friend Michael’s recent birthday around the campfire in Porpoise Bay Provincial park. Whiskey and a rowdy day on bikes made for a wonderful weekend.

Flight Deck Quick Clip

 

The warmth of spring is slipping through the weather patterns more and more each week . The trails are starting to dry out and the beckoning call from your mountain bike starts pulling at your heart strings, urging you to lose yourself on the rolling mountain trails no longer blanketed with white sheets of snow. You heed it’s call, wiping away the light layer of dust she’s collected, exchanging it for a fresh offering of grease, lube, and TLC. You look down and next to you is your best friend: wide eyed, silly grin, and wagging tail. He knows that it’s bike season, and the stoke is high! He looks at you with those big eager eyes and you remember that there is no greater joy than sharing the trail with your favorite pooch.

We completely agree! There is no one better to share the trails with than your furry friend. With singletrack and puppies on the brain, we are super excited to introduce you to Kira, our newest Spread Stoke family member. She’s a 4 month old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix who makes us laugh and enjoy the outdoors on a daily basis. With the approaching bike season upon us, the anticipation of hitting the trails with our new 4 legged friend is invading our every thought. While Kira still has a lot of growing up to do before she’s ready to bike with us, she’s really enjoying watching other dogs hit the trails! To help you get stoked for mountain bike season, Kira would like to share her favorite selection of “Trail Dog” videos with you. Cheers to an epic bike season full of dirty paws and keepin’ it rubber side down.

Need some mtb accessories for your bestie? Here are Kira’s top picks for mountain accessories. 

Wolfgang Man & Beast:

Wolfgang was created to celebrate the unique relationship between a dog and his people. We offer American-made leashes and collars for your pup using only the finest American leathers and textiles, plus a distinctive collection of wallets, belts, t-shirts and hoodies for you. We build our products locally, transport them minimally, and they’ll be replaced rarely. SHOP HERE FOR WOLFGANG GEAR.

Ruffwear:

Ruffwear’s mission is to build performance dog gear to enhance and inspire exploration for outdoor adventures and their human companions. Save Up to 40% off Ruffwear outdoor dog gear! SHOP HERE.

With great success comes great responsibility and no where does that come into play more than the recently announced GoPro of the World contest series. Different facets of action sports have already held these type of events for example; freeriding: Race Face Ultimate Freeride Series, skiing: Super Unknown,, snowboarding: Real Snow Backfunktry, Skating:  I don’t know… something like Real X-Street Games Bladez Xtremes  Houston or something I imagine.

Regardless, here is an awesome entry by Fabio Wibmer who arguably should have won last year’s event. Rumor has it he had a higher consensus than the number of climatologists who believe in man-made climate change. With this entry, it would be quite a surprise if he didn’t win this time around. #cowspiracy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka3ZA5XRq8Q

Fall is my favorite time to visit Moab and the desert!  Go out and ride!

]]> http://spreadstoke.com/bike/mountain-biking-in-moab-utah/feed/ 0 http://spreadstoke.com/bike/teton-pass-jackson-wyoming-mountain-biking/ http://spreadstoke.com/bike/teton-pass-jackson-wyoming-mountain-biking/#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2015 17:07:26 +0000 http://spreadstoke.com/?p=5546 Some footage from July up in Jackson, Wyoming. Riding Lithium and Fuzzy Bunny off Teton Pass with some buddies!!    ]]>

Some footage from July up in Jackson, Wyoming. Riding Lithium and Fuzzy Bunny off Teton Pass with some buddies!!

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.

It was eight years ago when I first tasted Maui’s red earth on two wheels. It has been a fairly pivotal memory in terms of my riding experiences. Quite a lot has changed in that time. There is an ever growing, ever evolving mountain bike scene on the island. Hawaii’s Maui Island offers a variety of constantly shifting weather, fantastic après spots, heaps of rental opportunities, beautiful scenery, and really great riding. All this within an hour drive of Kahului airport. Let’s begin to break it down.

West Maui

Widely known for it’s overwhelming tourist scene, expensive but equally beautiful golf courses, annual surf comps and crazy winter swells,  Maui is also host to the Xterra Triathlon Championships. My friend and riding host Tony set me up with a sweet rental from West Maui Cycles and we set off to Kapalua to sample the mountain bike course. Most of the course is nestled in what was once one of the islands most beautiful and premiere golf courses. Fifteen years of over growth and going to seed has taken it’s toll on the old village course however.

I was told a crew of around two dozen trail workers with saws and tools head out a couple of weeks before the big event to prep and restore the 32km loop. It offers 3300 vertical feet of up and down, spectacular views, and is sure to make you sweat. Lots of water is essential here as temps can sustain at a very humid 30°C (86°F) or even more on hotter days, as it tends to be on this side of the island if it isn’t raining. Another thing to remember is that this loop is part of one of the most difficult triathlons out there, the climb is a real punch! Tony and I were only able to ride some of the trail, as much of it was still quite overgrown. It was also the first trail riding I had done in several months, so the 15km we did get to ride had me worked. We ended the ride by cruising back down the double track, past the lower parking lot at the Ritz near the beach for a very welcome swim in the tepid, but heavy surf. I must say, swimming in the ocean after a ride is sure to get anyone’s stoke on! However, the real highlight of the day for me was our après session at Miso Phat Sushi.

We were hosted by the owner Shawn and his business partner Dove (who also happens to be Tony’s girlfriend) to the finest sushi I have ever had in my life. Also note worthy was the Lilikoi ice cream Dove made, my God it was like Hawaii in your mouth! Their secret to success is some magical combination of a small place, magnetic personality, their own boat named ‘Shiso Phat’, relationships with some of the locals who can supply them with fresh catch other restaurants just can’t get, and an A+ executive chef. If you find yourself in Kapalua/Kahana it is a must visit! Check them out here www.misophatsushi.com and on facebook or instagram. If you’re interested in learning more about the Maui Xterra Championships you can do that here at www.xterraplanet.com.

UP COUNTRY & MAKAWAO

Lush rain forest of tropical ash, cook pine, eucalyptus, and a sea of ferns beckon you through the cool air and steezy vibes of Makawao and the forest reserve. Strolls through the gallery rich village, Maui-Mex and cerveza beckon you after your ride. These are the things I fell in love with my first time riding here in 2007. Don’t take my word for it though. You see Makawao is host not only to a plethora of  galleries and artists, but a few heavy hitters in mountain biking who’ve come to call it home for their families and businesses.

Krank Cycles is one helluva bike shop. Owner Aaron Reichert (AKA Moose) started up the shop a couple of years ago. Nestled in this wonderfully sleepy and arty village, they are a huge part of the mountain bike community and it’s initiatives to show what Maui has to offer the sport. Their rental fleet is top notch with the latest superbikes, dirt jumpers, XC rippers and DH rigs. The staff truly shine here, offering friendly advice and directions to all the riding around the area. Be sure to check out the Krank facebook page for sick shred pics and daily trail report updates.

Makawao Forest Reserve

This Mecca is a short ten minute drive from the shop, or a good 45 minute pedal (be prepared to climb!). It is home to red-pow Valhalla. The state, and county have gotten behind the community and a local trail association to elevate this multi-use recreation area and transform it into a world class mountain bike destination. What would you like? Flow trails, juicy winding single track, full on DH, berms, dirt jumps and table tops, wall rides, or skills areas? You name it, they’ve build it. All very sturdy, very professionally built and maintained.

These trails rail, the locals are a very friendly and stoked bunch, and the red dirt of Maui is sure to leave some souvenir stains on your kit. After a session in the forest you simply must go to Polli’s. It is a local institution, has been in business since the beginning of time, and is quite simply the best Mexican food on the island, hands down!

BIKE PARK MAUI & SKYLINE TRAIL

While I was there for two weeks I didn’t get an opportunity to ride the bike park. Not for lack of trying though. On occasion it will close due to rain or high winds. If not from the weather, they are probably hard at work building and improving the various trails and features in the park. I missed out on two planned days to ride the park due to both the above mentioned variables, so I can’t personally comment on the riding. However it does look amazing.

Bike Park Maui caters to groms and intermediate riders, but seems to have everything a shredder would want all wrapped up in a super progressive, professional and buffed out package. Founder of RockShox, Paul Turner, owns and operates this beauty of a park on his own land just a five minute drive down Baldwin Ave. north of Makawao. Cost is $15 dollars per day.

Another area I have lusted to ride (for years now) is the infamous Skyline trail starting at 10 000 ft. atop Mt.Haleakalaa National Park. Littered with desert fauna and prehistoric plants, the trail descends some 7000 ft. into Poli Poli State Park in the Kula Forest Reserve. It requires a shuttle run to ride, so you’ll need a couple of vehicles and some early planning to make it work. An inquiry with the fellas at Krank could find you shredding with the locals on one of their shuttle missions.

This is pretty much the DH trail we all dream of. Views from the top are nothing short of spectacular (on a clear day you can faintly make out the curvature of the earth), and the trail itself descends through several different climate zones. Pads and full face helmets are recommended. It has been prone, over the years, to getting worked over by rain and the occasional tropical storm. This is mainly the reason I’ve missed out on riding it. One year (2012 I believe) the trail was completely wiped off the map by rain and wind fall. That year even the crater trails in the dormant volcano of Haleakala were destroyed. The passion the locals and trail workers have just won’t let them die though. Actually, for the hiker in you, the crater trail system is a once in a lifetime trek through the Mars-like environment of cinder cones and lava rock. There is a network of trails and backcountry huts which you can book, but be warned it is some very heavy hiking I’m told, so be well seasoned! There are also some super fun zip line operations, galleries, and local farms (including a lavender farm) to check out on your down days when you’re not riding, surfing, golfing or doing what ever else you’ve traveled to this one of a kind island to enjoy.

Maui is not just a surfers paradise anymore.

Music:
Black Devil Disco Club – Bee Boop
Blue Hawaii – Lilac

Video:
Jay Sanders
Tony Crisologo

Editing:
Jay Sanders

I originally created this story for the app Steller Stories, but wanted to share it here on Spread Stoke too! This is a visual journey of the trails I rode this summer while impatiently waiting for the big dumps of winter.  And…well, we’re still waiting here in Utah.  I’m going to bust out my bike tomorrow in hopes that it helps to switch up some storm karma.

Click on the photo below to start rolling!

Who couldn’t resist getting first tracks of the season?

The route looked like: Guardsman – Crest – Pinecone – Mid Mountain – Jenny’s – Ski School

The air is becoming crisper and the wind is transitioning from welcomed relief to the bringer of chills and goose bumps. Winter is upon us and if I have learned one thing from my time in Utah is that winter can sneak up on you like a gangster doing a drive-by in a Prius. These coming signs of winter combined with a recently announced contest by Go Pro gave me enough motivation to make the trek down south to Green River.

This trip would mark my 9^th trip down to the River of Green but I’ve always stuck close to the car and if I ventured out far, it was only to ride a line with enough time to head back. I’ve always wanted to pack out, set up camp and spend the night out which would allow me more time to explore and travel out further than previously possible. Recently, I acquired a legitimate backpack for long backpacking excursions and decided to give it a whirl.

Between my normal job and doing the odd job for my landlord, I was able to sneak away for two days. After completing some early morning work, I packed up and ventured south. Driving as far as the BLM roads would allow, I ended up parking my Subaru into the general area where I wanted to explore and packing in from there. This was a learn-as-you-go process for me and it was an unusual sensation walking a bike out with 60lbs of camping and riding equipment on my back.

While I’m not sure how far out I hiked out, this gives some perspective

About an hour into my journey to Mordor, I found myself walking through a gully that dumped into a riverbed. This seemed like a cool way to finish off a line so I set up camp on the edge of the dry riverbed and begun my hike up the hills to see if a line could connect into the gully. To make a long story short, I found one. After a couple hours of hiking about, the sun began to set (approx. 5:45 PM) and the temperature dropped dramatically so I decided to return to camp and hunker down for the night.

The camp spot at dusk with the full moon rising in the back

Awaken by the ambient light of the sun reflecting off the orange and tan rocks at the base of the next mesa over, I began the morning ritual of kratom, granola bars and water. Eventually the sun crested and bathed my tent in its comforting warmth equivalent to an embracing hug from a loved one. It was time to mount the iron steed and to attempt to ride the line I scoped out from yesterday.

The top of the line starts out steep and loose with shale rocks peppering the landscape. With no discernable line, I had to aim towards recognizable areas with hopes I wouldn’t run into a rock poking out at an odd angle. Afterwards, the line dumps you onto the classic Green River spines where you eventually were dumped into the gully. Mini-wallrides to be had, the gully was the icing on the cake.

An overview of the line

When hiking this far out by yourself, being safe is a top priority and in this case, there was only enough time for one attempt. This one attempt was further rushed by the fact that due to my location, the sun had already begun to set behind the mesa at a rapid pace at about 1:30 PM. After reaching the top, I took about 5 minutes to get my gear on before dropping in.

View from the top of the line

My ride down wasn’t near clean as I had to dab my foot/dismount my bike in the top section and in a lower portion during an awkward climb up to a narrow traverse across. These dabbles disqualified my footage from being included in the Go Pro contest so I’ve included it in this bastard child of a trip report.  Hopefully next time I’ll be able to clean this line which I’ve dubbed the Gutter Slut. Thanks for the name inspiration Stan (Dan) Brown!

Editor’s Note: Check out Scott’s other bike edits on his Vimeo channel.

Riding Corner Canyon has become a regular lunchtime tradition.  I am definitely ready for snow but this will due in the meantime.

This is a been a year of ‘firsts’ for me. This Summer I took up mountain biking, originally to humor my boyfriend and his passion for adrenaline, but as the summer progressed biking became an escape that forced me to confront my fears and learn what I’m truly capable of.

Hands-down, my favorite trail is the Pinecone Ridge Trail.  It begins at the top of Guardsman’s Pass and takes you up the infamous “Puke Hill,” but then propels you downhill through a incredible canopy of orange, red, and yellow (the colors popping during the fall).

Just this weekend, I noticed how much better I got at the switchbacks. I skidded through the turns with my back tire, caught myself, and kept going. That was such a rush for me, I nailed what my boyfriend had been trying to articulate for so long and I just wasn’t getting it before. But this time I felt the turn, I felt the catch back to the trail, and I felt empowered. I’m addicted to this feeling now. It wasn’t about keeping up with my boyfriend or humoring him because it’s something he likes to do, it was about me and how comfortable and capable I feel on my bike. I’m addicted.

Tram laps in the Summer? Dreams do come true! Snowbird Resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon dropped a stoke bomb on mountain bike fiends this week announcing the grand opening of their brand-spankin-new Big Mountain Trail. Needless to say, we’re aching to get to Snowbird ASAP to do some laps on what will certainly be a premier must-do trail when visiting the Wasatch.

According to the Ski Utah video (see below), the trail is approx. 3000 vertical feet, 7.5 miles long, and takes about 1 – 2 hours to ride depending upon rider experience. So that means it’s a <10 min. ride up the tram for a massive descent back to the tram deck. CAN.NOT.WAIT! From the video, it looks like there are lots of smooth berms to rail, a few wood features, and a mix of high alpine and aspen single track to give even the most spoiled of riders a mega-fix of downhill fun.

Here’s some beta directly from Snowbird.com about the trail:

• Hours: 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Access: Hidden Peak (Tram MTB ticket required), Down-traffic ONLY after 11 a.m.
• *Trail Rating: Blue (intermediate)
• Distance: 7.5 miles from Hidden Peak to the Snowbird Center via Dick Bass Highway.
• Trail drops 2,900 vertical feet with an 8 percent average grade. Wide-open straightaways, tight forested turns, small earthen tabletops, wooden bridges and amazing down-canyon views. Very little pedaling required. Helmets required.

• Adult $19 Half-Day, $29 All-Day
• Child $16 Half-Day, $24 All-Day
• Snowbird season passholders (winter 2013/14 and 2014/15) $10 All-Day

For more information about Snowbird’s mountain bike trails, hours, and ticket prices, visit Snowbird.com.

When I first came to Brule, Alberta, I was profoundly excited at all the mountain biking potential it so quietly held.  I imagined there was a world of trails waiting, wanting to be discovered. Sitting in the yard, I would look at the mountain for hours. It was a strange combination of hoping and knowing there was an epic trail on her, waiting to see the love of a mountain bike.

Slowly, bit by bit, I am familiarizing myself with this place. Talking with locals and neighbors to get every little bit of information on what exists out here. However, with so much high quality riding in Hinton, Jasper and just outside of Brule, it has taken me a few years to find the riding right here in town. Knowing that if it didn’t already exist, this place was ripe, and perfect for building it… or maybe just restoring it. Brule sits right on the Jasper National Park boundary, and the area is full of nearly 100 year old mining roads, old prospect trails, and ruins.

Yesterday was a throwback. I ventured out and up to the Brule graveyard. A final resting place for many of the Groat family, among others, who helped make this region, and this province what it is today. I only meant to ride up there to see it, as I had not previously taken the opportunity.  Too busy riding the well known trails around our community pasture, nordic centre and Hinton, I began falling into the belief that nothing lay on that mountain but bramble and bear shit. I longed for single track.

I wasn’t prepared for a big ride. There was a half litre of water in my pack, 15% battery in my phone, and I had no idea what I was about to find. No camera, no tracking the ride, a raglan t-shit, no knowledge of what lay in front of me. I only knew these three things.

1. There were trails leading off the road.
2. When the mountain was on my right, I was headed toward Ogre canyon,  and when on the left back towards Brule.
3. All my hopes were about to be confirmed. The best feeling ever!

The bugs were bad. There was bear shit on the trail. It was over grown in many places. I ran out of water and filled up at the creek. I have no idea how far I went, or how much vertical I covered.  I kept riding this old single track as it wandered up and down and back up along the hillside below the mountain. Flowing S turns took me from a climb into a descent,  switching back into a climb. Every time I thought it petered out, I would come across an intersection.

This was the throwback. It was like falling in love with this sport all over again.

I couldn’t ride every trail I saw. I never rode the same trail twice, and I was able to do a complete loop back to the graveyard road (which is 52 st. oddly enough, in a town with only three streets!). This region has so much hidden potential to be a world class destination for our beloved sport. In many ways it already is. But I can’t help feeling there is a piece of that puzzle, waiting to be dusted off and joined with the rest.

I was in full pursuit of a dream, atop a bicycle, our noblest invention (thank you Stance films for “Life Cycles”).

It felt like a quest, a noble cause.

This summer, pursue your dreams and fly by the seat of your pants once in a while. Seek out the adventurer within.

Spread stoke, go far, and BE in the Mountains.

Whether you’re shuttling up or making the climb, the Pinecone Ridge trail atop Park City Mountain Resort is simply a shit-eating-grin-of-good-time kind of trail. It’s fast, flowy, and smooth. Here’s a quickie edit of Kevin enjoying some of Park City’s finest single track …

Deer Valley lifts opened last Friday for lift accessed mountain biking ( AKA downhill cruising)!  I went out with some buddies to do some filming which resulted in lift story telling, encouraging each other to try new features, launching over handlebars, flying on buffed single track, and lots of laughs.  The black and blues were well worth it, not to mention the incredible Peach Manhattans from the Glitretind Restaurant at the Stein Eriksen Lodge.

Check out the good times…

Cheers to lots of biking this summer!

Video courtesy of John Parry.

After his death-defying tumble over a 30 ft. cliff at Red Bull Rampage last October, Dustin Schaad spent the next two months in Tahoe mending a dislocated ankle and a sprained wrist. Pretty minor injuries considering, some might argue, Dustin’s err “might be the most hideously spectacular crash in the history of mountain biking.” But, Dustin was broken more by his failure than the actual impact of the crash. His biggest injury was the living nightmare he experienced, replaying itself in the back of his head during those two months of rehab. See Dustin’s Wild Crash here.

A few weeks of physical therapy allowed Dustin to get back on pedals near the end of November, but there was still only one thing on his mind. Late autumn dirt was riding well, and with only a couple days back in the saddle, Dustin was quickly over the tease of the trails and oozing at the idea of some big mountain freeriding before winter. The replay continued to bother him though, and he knew the only way to rid himself of the bad memory was to replace it with a better one. He had ridden cleanly through his line in practice the day before qualifiers. He knew he could do it again. The hurdle was convincing himself once more.

Plans were made for redemption. The mini-van was packed to the brim, and Dustin and I headed south from Salt Lake City to meet up with videographer Adam Clark at the Rampage venue in Virgin. It was the first week of December and none of us had ridden in the Utah desert that late in the fall, so we weren’t sure how conditions would fare. The weather was calling for lows in the teens and a possibility of snow. Dustin seemed determined not to end his season with the bad memory lurking, so we decided to play down the forecast and take a chance on adventure.

The original plan was to scope some terrain near Green River to warm-up on, but as we got halfway through Spanish Fork Canyon, our concerns about the weather became a reality. Snow blanketed the mesas and a deceivingly thick mud by the roadside looked challenging enough for a four-wheeler, let alone a two-wheel drive mini-van. We pulled over and sat in silence for a bit contemplating the chances of similar, unrideable conditions farther south. Another 5 hours on the road to get skunked didn’t seem too enticing, and I could see the disappointment eating Dustin up inside. He finally broke the silence and asked if we should turn around and wait for spring. There was only one question I needed to ask to get an instant decision – Do you wanna ride bikes or not?

When we rolled into Virgin, chance turned to fortune. Blue skies and dry dirt welcomed our arrival, and the stoke meter was back to 10. We cracked a couple beers and setup camp as the sun sank behind the Red Cliffs Conservation. An early sunset made for a long cold night by the fire, but a little tequila and some local entertainment in the form of shooting stars and coyote calls helped pass the time as we made plans for morning.

A huge temperature gradient had turned the dirt to frosted concrete overnight and unfortunately, frosty dirt thaws to a thick, sticky peanut butter. A little maintenance was needed to scrape the mud off some of the in-runs and lips receiving direct light in the morning. It was a little concerning until we realized the sun was baking it back to tack as the temps rose out of the teens and into the sixties by midday. West of camp though, snow from a couple days prior was still visible on the taller mesas, and an updated forecast showed a huge winter storm from the north would be arriving soon.

We worked our way up the venue removing mud on a few lines for Dustin to warm-up on. A grimace here and there was evidence of the lingering pain in his joints, but it wasn’t going to keep him from accomplishing what he came back to Virgin to do. There was no contest pressure, but Dustin did have a few challenges to overcome. It was his first time back on a big bike after the crash, riding solo in one of the gnarliest freeride locations on the planet, and trying to grease the line that almost ended his season if not more.

Once Dustin felt comfortable enough to give it another go, he rode into the top section a couple times, stopping at the beginning of the technical cliff he had fallen down in qualifiers. Below him he could see the bomb hole his body had left in a small patch of dirt, surrounded by bone crushing rocks. Dustin laid his bike down and crouched at the edge of the cliff for a while to meditate before hiking back to the top.

Goggles on, helmet buckled. With a deep grunt and a big exhale, Dustin was ready to reconquer. Once more he dropped into his line with speed, slashing the berm above his fall zone to setup his approach. Creeping over the edge, he let it loose, gaining momentum through each of the three drops before railing the bottom turn with power.

A huge weight had been lifted, and after a couple celebratory fist pumps, Dustin was ready to have some fun sessioning the rest of the venue. By the next day, storm clouds were visible to the north and we new our time in the desert was coming to an end for a few months.

Dustin finished the trip by freeriding a line he had never done just outside the venue. By the time we got back to camp in the afternoon, the wind had picked up and a cold sprinkle began to fall. Winter was upon us, but too late to keep Dustin from redemption.

Witnessing his crash in qualifiers, I was blown away when Dustin walked out of the venue with merely a scratch on his body. Almost more impressive though was his immediate return to Virgin to reconvince himself of his ability. The goal of this conquest was to be able to move on. You have to confront and conquer, and Dustin did just that. He knew he needed to recover quickly and return to face a demon that would only get bigger with time. Now, the only thoughts on Dustin’s mind are about the next adventure, the next big thing.

View Dustin Schaad’s Desert Redemption video footage: DUSTIN SCHAAD’S DESERT REDEMPTION

Dustin Schaad’s super gnarly crash at last year’s Redbull Rampage made most of the bike world cringe. Well, Dustin healed up and went back to the desert to conquer that same pucker-factor line and get some redemption. And that he did! Check out this incredible collaboration between Dustin and Adam Clark … definitely a must watch.

If you need some more Dustin in your life, check out the interview with him from last Fall here. 

Cheers!

This weekend reminded me of how truly amazing life is and just how fulfilling it is to spread stoke to those around you. There is simply nothing more warming to the soul than sharing life-lifting moments with family, friends, and even strangers who you instantly connect with after exposing them to a unique experience. It’s been an overwhelming privilege to be able to share the last few weeks with so many fantastic friends, family, and random strangers that drift in and out of this bizarre thing called my life.

While the last few weeks have been amazing to say the least ( there has been a huge amount of skiing, lots of après-ing, partying, dancing, giggling and a serious lack of time dedicated to laundry), the last 72 hours have been pretty fucking epic, specifically. There are fewer things that make me happier than being able to ski fresh snow (many first tracks off the tram) and then bust out my bike to conquer new single track all in the same weekend. Multi-sport season has arrived, and safe to say, life is gooooood!

Here’s some photos from the last week and inspiring snippets of wisdom:

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. – Henry Ellis

Jupiter Peak at Park City Mountain Resort

When it comes to life the critical thing is, whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude. – Gilbert Chesterton

Mineral Basin, Snowbird Utah

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. – Maya Angelou

View across valley, Snowbird Utah

 The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware. – Henry Miller

Lookinp up Jupiter Peak, Park City Mountain Resort

A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life. – James Allen

Tunnel to Mineral Basin, Snowbird Utah

Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier. – Albert Schweitzer

Bonneville Shoreline Trails, Salt Lake City Utah

I have a simple philosophy: Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. Scratch where it itches. – Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Bonneville Shoreline Trails, Salt Lake City Utah

The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware, joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware. – Henry Miller

Bobsled Trail, Salt Lake City Utah

You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like there’s nobody listening, And live like it’s heaven on earth. - William W. Purkey

Warning: Coronaritas always lead to dancing.