Farolito Walk

  The Holidays....... What a time of year. A time when we are supposed to be good Americans and consume until we explode.
  Christmas eve I had to work. I decided to ride the bike in because I was going to meet Autumn and Ella and her dad and assorted other characters after I got off work for the Farolito Walk. About 25,000 people show up for this cool thing in town where everyone puts luminarias out everywhere and light farilitos in the street. It all happens on Canyon rd. and the area around like Acequia Madre. People Will just be huddled around a fire that they build right there on the street out of Pinon wood and they will sing Christmas carols. It sounds whacky but the vibe was really good. Any way Hope everyone is Chilling with some good friends and doing things that make you smile.
  Here are a couple shots from our walk.

A lot of luminarias

  What is in your audio player? I have Ruben Romero- Adobe Christmas in, to keep in with the festivus vibe.

It's a WHITE MESA Christmas

  Saturday was a good day. It had us heading south to White Mesa. The trails at White Mesa are a blast! They are very flowing and chock full of line choices. Anthony was kind enough to give me a lift down there to meet Robert and Aaron from the front range. I believe we rode around 15 miles. We could of ridden more but I had to keep stopping to take in the wonderful views.
   Christmas time is upon us all. It is a fun time but also a time full of too much consumerism. I wish there was a way to make Christmas a little more rootsy. Instead of BUY BUY BUY! You gotta keep up with the Jones' next door.
  On Friday Autumn, Ella, Autumns mom Kathy and I went to 10,000 Waves for a tub soak in the evening. It was really nice. I can't wait to go back there after a day of Pow up at the ski hill.
  What is in your audio player? Currently I have Death Cab For Cutie- Plans in my player. I liked that Hamad was the first to answer me and said that he had Astrud Gilberto in his player.Thanks for answering Hamad!
  I had a Left Hand Brewing Christmas beer the other night. It was tasty, but not as tasty as a celebration ale with which I judge all other xmas beers.Here is a blurry shot of it.



Here are some shots from White Mesa
Robert peddling on the fire road


Another fire road shot

Robert and Aaron regrouping at the Mesa top.

Hike a Bike

The Spine the trail runs along

couple of rest stop pics




A silhouette shot

Aaron enjoying the ride

I liked this rock


Anthony coming up the trail after breaking his multi tool

his Topeak multi tool


I like this shot of Robert

Bench Mark


exposed section


Anthony coming down from a little kick out(I missed it of course)

ribbon of trail

Robert enjoying the ride

Landscape shot


up top about to descend


Anthony on a much photographed section


Robert took this shot,same spot

Here is a funny thing. It has some bad language so don't watch it if you are sensitive to such things: Charlie Brown Kwanza

Rusty cars and Ghost towns

Finally made it up to Ride Glorieta Baldy on Monday.We decided to park in the LifeWay Glorieta Baptist Center The recommended route is up a fireroad climb up 63A for 12 miles then descending on single track coming out at the Baptist Center.Total of about 21 miles
Since we only had a few hours we decided to ascend on single track and come back down single track when we needed to.I had never been to the Glorieta Baptist Center before. Let me tell you it is Mammoth it is like its own city. It is crazy how much money religions have. I wonder if Jesus has vacationed there.
We had a great ride. It is really nice up there.Real woodsy feel. I can't wait to go back and do the whole thing.
What is in your audio player? I have Neil Young at the Royal Festival Hall in London,2/27/71 in my player currently. A guy at work hooked me with it. I had a few tracks from it but never the complete show. Before Neil plays "Old Man" he talks about how he had just wrote the song a couple months ago and how it is about a man and his wife who he had bought a ranch from and the man and his wife had stayed on to take care of the cattle.
Some pictures of the Oil fires in England.
Here are some pictures from the ride Monday.
Anthony's fancy pants wheel

First part of the trail

Bikes with rusty car frame

Ice skating ahead

Lots of climbing

random trail goodness

Anthony airing it and me blurring it.

Decided to take a break at the ghost town


Shot of the hotel ruins and a grave




Anthony grooving with another rusty car in the distance


Sweet Ride!
Then later on after i picked Ella up from school and went for some ice cream I got to enjoy one of these.

Homage to Billy Kain

This is crazy, isn't it?
What is in your audio player? I have Modest Mouse: The Lonesome Crowded West in mine currently.
I have been wishing i could go ride Lake Redman(A nice set of trails near York PA.) lately. Here are a few shots from the trails there
Here is Mike being transported into another frame of mind

Ahhh Falll

WhiteHall boyyyssss

Todd and Mike chillin

Todd airin it out

Me riding along


Boardwalk action


A little sun through the trees

A little worms eye view

Post ride parking lot

I miss ya Billy Kain

This day in history

1901: Theodore Roosevelt, in a speech to the house of representatives, kicks off his effort to curb the power of business trusts.
I guess he didn't really succeed.He seemed like a good guy though.I wish Bush would be more like him.
I was reading the new Dirt Rag and came across the Access Action section and it has a article about Gary Sprung. I really liked what he had to say about more moderate forms of land protection. It seems to me we all should be waging our battle against the Goverment and big buisness to stop this seemingly unending destruction of our natural space. Instead of battling against other trail users.Enough Politricks.
What is in your audio player today? I am listening to Fela Kuti- Best of Fela Kuti
I hope everyone had a delightfull week. Winter has finally arrived here it seems.I went on a ride on Wednesday to Dale Ball with Anthony and Jay. We met up at the Sierra Del Norte parking lot.We thought it would be good to start on the north side first thinking that gets the most sun.The trails where a blast.A good bit of the trail was covered in snow and parts where completly dry.We ended up getting a full loop in. I was late for work though. Just by a few minutes.It was worth it. I shot a few shots of the ride.
This first shot is of a switchback on Dale Ball north

Jay in the shadows

this is a sweet rock garden that is a challenge to make it through
keep your cadence!

i like this picture it is Anthony on the Dale Ball south section that has a lot of good rock ledge type of stuff. Real fun.

a Chris King hub+some retro neon action

This is coming up upper canyon road to connect back up with the central part

The IF catching some rays

OK i am off to make blueberry pancakes with Ella then off to work. Peace!