Call it what you will - it's not riding

That picture says it all.  No riding, except on the indoor stuff.  I don't fat bike.  You'd think otherwise, but I'm not a fan.  I'm sure has it has its place, but not really for me.  Maybe doing anything that suggests fat just makes me a bit self conscious.  Whatever.  I don't do the fat thing.

So..............another sleepless night.  Stewing over a ton of sh.........crap.  Been working on a problem for a client that I've finally cracked and now the math begins.  Trying to do phase vectors in ones head will keep anyone awake.  More so, a lot has happened this past week that just has my head spinning.  Back when I was in high school, I'd run stadium stairs several nights each week, late enough it would keep me awake for hours.  Needless to say, many hours spent listening to "Stereo X" deep-cuts, maybe playing solitaire, playing my guitar, or just mulling things over.  When you're sixteen, you can only mull so much over in your head, given I didn't even know what a phase vector was at the time.  Lots of time lost.

This past week I lost another one.  Make that several  - from my younger years.  As I write this, a dear gentlemen that I've know since moving into this valley is winding his watch for the last time.  It's nothing I can adequately describe, but that is a bunch of empty to deal with.  I need the hurt that is Monte Cristo.  My day starts in just a few more minutes and I'll move past it for now, only to forget the pain that drives me, or any of us for that matter.

To those in the Plaid of my Class; Remember Marisa and the others that have already gone. I guess we're not immortal anymore.  To all; be somebody's, anybody's hero and pass it along.  Just for a minute.  Be larger than the moment - for the moment.

Man it's dark this morning........

Ride HARD!

Click here - Not too loud

Winter

Not much for riding, in fact no riding at all.  The prospects of a successful race at "True Grit" in four weeks are grim, or non-existent.  It is what it is..............

I did spend the day yesterday, at Alta with my bro's and long supporters of HHH.  No, it wasn't getting in a few turns.  We were working, more like doing my best to try to help.  I can't call any of that work, as it is truly a break away from the realities of my day-to-day.  They were still doing control (avalanche) when I first got up there.  There is something about all of it that just takes me away.  Skiing was and will always be my first love.  The cold clear air, the deep snow and the sounds of charges echoing off the canyon...........man!

On a more real not; one of my neighbors lost his battle with the "Big-C" yesterday.  A big quiet guy, that had been fighting for a while.  They finally gave him a terminal diagnosis a couple months ago and he pushed the odds.  What to say...........  I wanna say this is why we fight, but it just keeps happening.  Sometimes it's hard to believe any of this makes a difference - at times.  For now, I'll have an image in my mind that will stick and likely frustrate me.

It all seems so empty this morning..................

I love winter, but I miss being able to ride over Monte when I need the solace.  I remember an afternoon 40+ years ago, when times were good.

This one is for you Jack!
Please be with me - Click Here

Covers off and stand.

Tough Times

Needing bike time............

Winter in the Northern Wasatch is not ideal for outdoor bike training.  Last year I was able to ride a ton on parts of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Network.  This year is completely different.  The main service road is snow packed and sketchy at best.  Looking up toward some of the single track, it appears there are places it has burned completely off, but other places it may be 12" deep.  This isn't going to work.  I tried some parking lot riding, to work on technique, but patches of ice make that hazardous as well.

I have only a few options, and none of them are close to ideal.  Indoor training doesn't get me the time I need on my mountain bike. Road riding, steep repeating hill intervals on the hard tail is good cardio and leg strength, but still no technique.  Heading south is a considerable investment in time, for nowhere near the riding hours.  I've only got about 5 weeks and had better get it figured out, or it will be another "no show" for the True Grit.

All things considered, it's been a pretty crappy past few months.  Sometimes you just have to hang on and work toward the change.

Ride HARD - or something..........  

Hey Bull Dog - Click here "You know anymore?"

Initial Post 2019

What's ahead?

A lot of changes this year.  Most of them won't be noticeable on the outside, but they'll be there.  2018 was nothing close to the banner year we needed for HHH as a whole.  As such, we need to make a few change and put the program "on the map".  The "Porpoise" on the other hand, well...…..we got some pretty good traction.  We'll build directly from our efforts last year.

The season will start a little earlier than last year, if I can stay healthy - no crashes!  True Grit is less than two months out and I haven't been on anything outside of a spin-bike or trainer for more than a month.  A lot to do between now an then, but I'll figure it out.

I still have a couple crazy ideas for this year, but I need to look at things in depth to make any decisions.  Assess and plan, we'll figure out how to execute form there.

Traction

So......the push at the end of last season provided considerable traffic.  Up until last week we were still getting regular looks.  Whatever it was that brought you here, stick around and tell others.  The "Porpoise" community is building steam.  We're all in this together - in some way or another.

It's gonna be a great year!

Ride HARD!

You'll know this one.

Final Post 2018

Heroes.................

Click Here for more info about the Fighting 486th

Another sleepless night.  I need to be moving snow around 03:30 as this is where my day starts this time of year.  What a better time to put it in the can - so to speak.

About the ride

Well..........there hasn't been a ride for a couple weeks due to weather.  I've also not had the chance to hit the "shore-line trail" either, but I don't expect to have much time there before that is under snow as well.  So I'll tell you about the ride some 33 years ago.  Actually, a series of rides that started when a friend of mine and I bought our first mountain bikes.  In the day, revolutionary.  By today's standards........... it makes me laugh.  We used to ride from the top of Ogden Canyon, up Wheeler Canyon, to Snow Basin - my old stomping grounds.  Occasionally we'd ride up the service roads to the top of a couple of the lifts - because we could.  It was way different back then.  We never saw any other mountain bikes, in fact, people on horseback would look at us if we were from another planet.  Snow Basin was completely deserted during the summer months. Still, it was a break from what had become a rather crappy situation in most other respects.  Somehow I knew things would never be the same, but I never realized how cold it would get.  The next few years I rode the heck out of that bike, simply to get away from whatever was behind me.  During the winter months, I'd ride around Willard Bay as fast as I could, while later I'd take my dog and ride the always empty and local North Fork Park.  Man, has that changed as well.  I always had a little hope and that was all that mattered.

If you go back a read my final from 2017, you'll tie hope to heroes.  If not, just trust me on this one.....

This year..............

"Hadley My Hero" - is where we left off last year.  It was my inspiration for what I needed to do this year.  That was before the busted ankle and the humiliation that became last summer.  Thanks, Reggie and fam; It made literally all the difference on race day.  You are my heroes.

To those that contributed - in any way.  Thank you so much.  Your overwhelming support literally took me to my knees.   I know you were supporting the cause - the "purpose" and not the "porpoise", but my gratitude for your support is well beyond measure.  What a humbling experience to know of such tremendous people.  It does give me hope.  Thank you for showing up when you did. Obrigado!

I've learned a lot -still, but have even more that I need to resolve.  That's for another day.  I'm already looking toward next year with optimism, as I have already scheduled a couple races and am considering something a bit unconventional for HHH.  All I can say is, swing back around in a month or so.  I'm not going to put it off like I did this past year. 

One last thing to answer a question

I've been asked about the "Juniors Farm" thing.  It's nothing too deep, but it is like this: That was a very happy time in my life.  It formed me.  The Scotsman that wrote the number (Jimmy), died not too long after that.  Linda died about twenty years ago - of cancer.  Both of them are something to me for reasons nobody else will ever understand.  The short of it is, it reminds me of when times were good - before the realities of life.  I long for the chance to reconcile.

Please come back in a month or so.  We have a lot to fight for............

Here's to heroes - Click and enjoy this one.........

The Porpoise 2018

Thanksgiving Morning

Pressing My Luck

Seemed like a good idea at the time.  You know - going for an early ride this morning before the weather got much worse.  There are few, very few things that will keep me off my bike, but ice is certainly the one thing, if not the only thing that I truly hate.  I love the cold - I can dress for it.  The wet, the mud, even the snow - I can deal with everything but ICE!  Don't ask me how, but I managed to get all the way to the hill at Cold Water before my bike came out from under me.  I really had to think it through, as I was committed to getting a ride in this morning, but the risk - scratch that, the danger is not worth the chance.  One of my neighbors had this very thing happen to him a few years ago and it put him in the hospital for four days - dang near killed him at that.  Last year I had my bike come out from under me after riding over Ben Lomond peak, down past Willard Basin.  There is no more gut-less feeling than when your bike goes from under you.  It is completely unpredictable, never the same and always bad.  Just stopping for this pic below I was standing on an icy bridge deck.  Bad idea..............

I've never been a big holiday fan.  However, as a kid, I used to love going hunting on Thanksgiving morning.  From my earliest memories, I remember some of the most unbearable conditions; snow, fog, ice, wind - it didn't matter I truly loved that experience.  From probably four years old 'till....well when things changed. I couldn't carry a gun until I was twelve, but I didn't care.  Truth is, most of those hunts were completely unsuccessful from the hunting perspective, but I remember so much about them all.  One year it was so cold while duck hunting, I remember thinking if I shot my gun a few times, I could warm my hands on the barrel (stupid) - not that I would ever do it.  The last year I can remember was perhaps the only successful hunt on Thanksgiving.  Chasing Chukars in a foot of snow up where I would ultimately break my ankle last March.  The irony......

Through some of those years, as I got a little older, there was this phenomenon called FM radio.  In particular, there was this early local station that would play nothing but deep tracks and extended full versions.  Virtually no commercials and absolutely no talk - none.  It was XM/Sirius thirty years earlier, but better.  I'd leave that playing all night, very low, with only the light of the tuner illuminating my bedroom.  It was magic. While at work yesterday, I was going over a project with a tech.  While going over the details of some calculations he used the phrase "FM", which I learned early on in my career, that's what techs often call engineering.  Later in the day, I had business over in the other valley.  Afterward, I took a couple of my boys over to the farm for a little target shooting.  Cold and windy, it was reminiscent of those earlier days, when on a cold autumn night, I would listen for hours to the magic of FM.  Those were great days and I miss the magic.

Some uncut magic with a touch of Chopin

Watch out for the ice and Ride HARD!

Slowing down?

Next season is in the gate......

A couple of good rides on the dirt this week.  The ride Monday was pretty cold and pretty much the way I like it.  27° by the time I got back to the house.  Tonight was a tad warmer like upper 30's when I got home - riding shorts weather.  The trail is mixed with snow, ice, some minor mud and a ton of leaves.  No other riders either night, but I did happen on to a bull moose Monday night.  A couple weeks ago I tied a bell to the bottom of my saddle for such occasions.  Still, this feller was right in the middle of the single track, not sure what was coming at him.  By the time I saw him, I was coming out of a blind turn at just under warp speed - literally no time to adjust.  Fortunately, the moose had already turned around and was for getting out of there.  I've had it go the other way when the moose has sent me packing all the way back from where I just came.  All that is what makes this absolutely great.

Had a quick meeting with the company riding club Poobah.  He's getting ready to retire, so another guy and I are going to split duties.  Thus, we are already starting to look at kits, gear, rides, and activities for next year.  This is where Huntsman and Lotoja get the primary funds for the HHH function.  I also registered for my first race - okay ride.  True Grit is March 9th near Santa Clara.  This is the race I was training for last year when I jacked-up my ankle.  I've also been getting notices for Leadville, but that is definitely a long shot at best.  I'm also looking at a different approach to fundraising for next season.  Stay tuned.....................

I've noticed the page views have started to slow, so maybe time to cool it for a while.  Still, if I can still ride in North Fork, the season can't be over yet.  Meanwhile, riding is always good when you can get it.

We're not done yet.

Ride HARD!

Should I stay or should I go?