Spring time has flown by, and we are already back in the gym. Testing and REAL training starts next week. Hopefully my body adjusts quick to lifting weight cause those first few workouts were pretty painful!
After my trip to Mike Wiegeles Heli-skiing, I had a quick trip home to Tremblant to take care of a few things and see my family.
Upon arriving back out west, I was going to take a few chill days and just bum around the ski hill. My good friend Georgia Simmerling who is on the Skier-Cross National team texted me saying I should Fore run their national champs which were happening at Sunshine. After arriving at 3AM in the morning from Quebec, I was up and on my way to the hill around 7:30. Upon arriving, Georgia told me the coaches managed to get me a freestlye FIS card and that I could race. I was pretty stoked and had a great few days skiing around and learning tons of new things from the SX team. The races themselves were super fun and I got to race head to head with Marielle Thompson (Olympic Champ, overall WC winner) in my first round which was pretty cool! She smoked me obviously but it was great to hit some jumps and learn lots of new things and some new lingo. I now know what a full press is and if you do not do it when you should, you are going to have some major air time. Big thanks to all the SX coaches and team for the fun times! Ski-Cross is wicked fun.
After all that craziness, I got a new bike. I was so pumped, and remain so. Money can't buy happiness but it can buy bikes and that IS HAPPINESS! Thanks to everyone who put up with me trying to decide/convince myself/ justify this purchase. I am super stoked on my new Rocky Mountain Altitude, thanks Outside for the stellar sale and fit.
Then Matt Monod and I hit the road to my favourite place I'd never been to; MOAB.
This trip was unreal, I went to the bike mecca of the world, with a new bike, and a guy that rides bikes like no other. I was so stoked to be going with Matt because he is such an amazing rider and I knew I was going to have to bring my A game to keep up! Matt is also a super easy going positive dude, and had the same mindset as I did about what we wanted our trip to consist of; Biking.
Our first day, we were pretty ambitious. We got our whereabouts and had a sweet warm-up ride of about 2 hours. It was the first real test for my bike and I was on cloud 9. We were both so pumped about the new dirt and sick ridding, we decided we should probably do the famous SlickRock trail, but under the full moon.
We started back on our bikes around 8PM and rode out to a sick place off trail to get a good view of the sunset. It was awesome. Then it was dark, and the moon was nowhere in sight, the dotted trail was also nowhere to be found. After a good hour of joking and sketchily riding our bike in the dark down some super steep stuff in the dark, I spotted the trail! Good timing cause we were both starting to think this is not so funny anymore. The moon came out but the one cloud in the sky was blocking its rays but we were ok now that we were back on track. We made it back to camp and laughed about what hacks we were. A good story thats for sure!
The next day we rode this sick area called Mag 7. It was a sweet Super-D and other then getting swamped by 30 jeeps on the road, and taking a wrong turn at one point, it was unreal. We met some other riders that offered to shuttle us back to our car cause in that case we could ride all the way to the highway and make our ride that much sweeter. after 3-4 hours of the most fun trail I had ever done, we made it to the parking and ended up making other arrangements as our original ride didint make it due to bike failure. My legs have not been that tired in a long time!
Then off to Fruita Colorado! Matt said the riding was suppose to be even better there, and because it was Jeep week in Moab, it was quite busy and not what we wanted.
Upon pitching camp at this place called 18 Road, we ran into Brandon Dyksterhouse! He was about to go ride the race loop for the upcoming race with a few friends, so Matt and I had a quick lunch, hoped on our bikes, and went for a race pace ride! Brandon is fit, and he shreds the downhill. It was a lung burner but so fun.
We joined the same group the next day and went and rode the Kokopelli area. Long tough ride but unreal along the Colorado river.
Then our 2 new friends, Ben Brown, Steamboat ski coach extraordinaire, and Brian Eggleton, Equipment manager, best boot guy in Colorado, changed there plans to stay an extra day and hit Moab again, Porcupine Rim! We had such a sick crew, everyone was shredding. This trail was so sweet, and other then quite a few flats and bike difficulties, it was an epic day.
On and on Matt and I went, accumulating a ridiculous amount of miles on our bikes, exploring a different zone everyday, meeting new riders, trying to convince our legs that they could do it..
When all was said and done, we met some great people, and pretty much enjoyed everyday and maximized our time on the bike.
Special thanks to Matt Monod for being such a great adventure partner. Not only was he a great guy to follow on the trails, but also a great cook. We ate so healthy, Americans were laughing at us. When it came to camping organization and everything, Matt always had a plan and a good idea. It was so inspiring to follow Matt around, he is the best biker I have ever ridden with and definitely brought my riding to a new level. Matt will be competing in Downhill this summer so be sure to cheer him on!
http://www.backdoorbiking.com/#!about1/c1f3q check it!
Now we here! Back to Canmore, its been a beautiful week of biking here, and powder on the weekend! I love spring in Canmore.
I got bit by a dog while on my bike last friday buts its all good. Just a flesh wound and no rabies.
One more week of skiing and a bit of lead in gym training, then the fun begins!
Also, thanks to Tony at CBB for taking Matt and I on some sweet rides, and the help with our bikes in the shop. Check this place out if you ever are in the area and need to go to a bike shop, its the best in Fruita! http://www.backcountrybiker.com
See ya
After my trip to Mike Wiegeles Heli-skiing, I had a quick trip home to Tremblant to take care of a few things and see my family.
Upon arriving back out west, I was going to take a few chill days and just bum around the ski hill. My good friend Georgia Simmerling who is on the Skier-Cross National team texted me saying I should Fore run their national champs which were happening at Sunshine. After arriving at 3AM in the morning from Quebec, I was up and on my way to the hill around 7:30. Upon arriving, Georgia told me the coaches managed to get me a freestlye FIS card and that I could race. I was pretty stoked and had a great few days skiing around and learning tons of new things from the SX team. The races themselves were super fun and I got to race head to head with Marielle Thompson (Olympic Champ, overall WC winner) in my first round which was pretty cool! She smoked me obviously but it was great to hit some jumps and learn lots of new things and some new lingo. I now know what a full press is and if you do not do it when you should, you are going to have some major air time. Big thanks to all the SX coaches and team for the fun times! Ski-Cross is wicked fun.
After all that craziness, I got a new bike. I was so pumped, and remain so. Money can't buy happiness but it can buy bikes and that IS HAPPINESS! Thanks to everyone who put up with me trying to decide/convince myself/ justify this purchase. I am super stoked on my new Rocky Mountain Altitude, thanks Outside for the stellar sale and fit.
Then Matt Monod and I hit the road to my favourite place I'd never been to; MOAB.
This trip was unreal, I went to the bike mecca of the world, with a new bike, and a guy that rides bikes like no other. I was so stoked to be going with Matt because he is such an amazing rider and I knew I was going to have to bring my A game to keep up! Matt is also a super easy going positive dude, and had the same mindset as I did about what we wanted our trip to consist of; Biking.
Our first day, we were pretty ambitious. We got our whereabouts and had a sweet warm-up ride of about 2 hours. It was the first real test for my bike and I was on cloud 9. We were both so pumped about the new dirt and sick ridding, we decided we should probably do the famous SlickRock trail, but under the full moon.
We started back on our bikes around 8PM and rode out to a sick place off trail to get a good view of the sunset. It was awesome. Then it was dark, and the moon was nowhere in sight, the dotted trail was also nowhere to be found. After a good hour of joking and sketchily riding our bike in the dark down some super steep stuff in the dark, I spotted the trail! Good timing cause we were both starting to think this is not so funny anymore. The moon came out but the one cloud in the sky was blocking its rays but we were ok now that we were back on track. We made it back to camp and laughed about what hacks we were. A good story thats for sure!
The next day we rode this sick area called Mag 7. It was a sweet Super-D and other then getting swamped by 30 jeeps on the road, and taking a wrong turn at one point, it was unreal. We met some other riders that offered to shuttle us back to our car cause in that case we could ride all the way to the highway and make our ride that much sweeter. after 3-4 hours of the most fun trail I had ever done, we made it to the parking and ended up making other arrangements as our original ride didint make it due to bike failure. My legs have not been that tired in a long time!
Then off to Fruita Colorado! Matt said the riding was suppose to be even better there, and because it was Jeep week in Moab, it was quite busy and not what we wanted.
Upon pitching camp at this place called 18 Road, we ran into Brandon Dyksterhouse! He was about to go ride the race loop for the upcoming race with a few friends, so Matt and I had a quick lunch, hoped on our bikes, and went for a race pace ride! Brandon is fit, and he shreds the downhill. It was a lung burner but so fun.
We joined the same group the next day and went and rode the Kokopelli area. Long tough ride but unreal along the Colorado river.
Then our 2 new friends, Ben Brown, Steamboat ski coach extraordinaire, and Brian Eggleton, Equipment manager, best boot guy in Colorado, changed there plans to stay an extra day and hit Moab again, Porcupine Rim! We had such a sick crew, everyone was shredding. This trail was so sweet, and other then quite a few flats and bike difficulties, it was an epic day.
On and on Matt and I went, accumulating a ridiculous amount of miles on our bikes, exploring a different zone everyday, meeting new riders, trying to convince our legs that they could do it..
When all was said and done, we met some great people, and pretty much enjoyed everyday and maximized our time on the bike.
Special thanks to Matt Monod for being such a great adventure partner. Not only was he a great guy to follow on the trails, but also a great cook. We ate so healthy, Americans were laughing at us. When it came to camping organization and everything, Matt always had a plan and a good idea. It was so inspiring to follow Matt around, he is the best biker I have ever ridden with and definitely brought my riding to a new level. Matt will be competing in Downhill this summer so be sure to cheer him on!
http://www.backdoorbiking.com/#!about1/c1f3q check it!
Now we here! Back to Canmore, its been a beautiful week of biking here, and powder on the weekend! I love spring in Canmore.
I got bit by a dog while on my bike last friday buts its all good. Just a flesh wound and no rabies.
One more week of skiing and a bit of lead in gym training, then the fun begins!
Also, thanks to Tony at CBB for taking Matt and I on some sweet rides, and the help with our bikes in the shop. Check this place out if you ever are in the area and need to go to a bike shop, its the best in Fruita! http://www.backcountrybiker.com
See ya
