Late late-season conditions

It was 40 and pouring in the Valley Thursday; meanwhile, it dumped about two feet on Big Mountain. Alissa, Cody, and I went up to hike ... and shred. It was my 21st time up since January 15, just under 50,000 vertical feet hiked!


Dusting off the "winter" equipment.


It's really cold.


Green valley, white mountain.


Cody's flyin'!



In other news, I raced the Herron Hammer ... a mountain bike race. A lot of climbing, a lot of single track, a lot of fun. I need training wheels for the descents. I finished third in the "Cat. 2" about two minutes back. I've ridden my road bike twice in the last two weeks. Cow Country is two weeks away, 90 miles long. Our stage race is a week later. Then, June 19, back to Pittsburgh until the end of July. And then there's that girl in the pictures above ...

Recently ...

Me and Ben went to shred the Whitefish skate park. I shredded the 10-foot-deep bowl ... with running shoes on Crank Brother's pedals ... and no helmet. Maybe I'm not really shredding ...

Sunday we -- me, Ben, Chris, Josh, Dale, Terra, and Alissa -- shredded the Middle Fork in a raft. The water was cold; we got wet, we got drunk, we had an awesome time. The night ended at Blue Moon karaoke with my "USA! USA!" rendition of "Born in the USA." At least five people left during the performance. My "screamo" version of "Okie from Muskogee" preceded this. It was pretty much the best day in a long, long time.

Pig Trails, Bear Mouth

Ben and I have been shredding the Pig Trails. Cody comes sometimes, too. Best trails.

Bear Mouth was really hard. The group of 30 split about 30 miles in. The group of 15 dwindled to eight by the time we topped-out the five-mile climb. I was there. Then I struggled to take my pulls for the next 35 miles, trying to manage the worst runner's stitch I've ever experienced on the bike (that's called an excuse). Someone put in a half-assed attack with about 10 miles to go, the group cracked, I imploded, and I soloed in for 8th overall, 3rd Cat 3. I was ready for a 65-mile race -- but Bear Mouth was 75. This was my longest day in the saddle this year. Lesson learned ...

Next road race isn't until the first week of June, the Cow Country Classic. It's 87 miles ... I'll be ready. Between then and now, though, there is one race ... a mountain bike race. My first. Pretty psyched about it ...

Also: Ben and I are moving in with Brewery Katie on June 1. This will be my fifth residence this calendar year (4500 Farm to Market, Hatfield St., 6775 Farm to Market, West 8th St., West 2nd St.). By October, there will probably be two more ...

This week: The last seven days

I went to Walla Walla, Washington, for the Tour of Walla Walla. Here's the transcript from my "Twitter" feed on FarceBook (the first and last time I'll ever use that term):

April 14: On the way to Walla Walla, 8 hours to go. 40-mile circuit race on Friday afternoon. And we're off ...

April 15 a.m.: Walla Walla Walla Walla Walla Walla, Washington!

April 15 p.m.: Finished 10th in Stage 1. Went solo up the final climb from 1K out ... got caught with about 100 meters to go. Oops. Time bonuses put me at 00:12 back going into the time trial in the morning. Oh, and it was 45 and raining the whole race. Sucked ...


The finishing climb.

April 16 a.m.: I borrow a TT helmet, aero bars, and a skin suit and STILL finish 02:50 back in a 9.5-mile TT. Awesome. Now at 02:53 back in the GC. Crit. in five hours ...



Great riding.

April 16 p.m.: Sitting about 10th wheel going into the final corner in the crit., feeling good, then ... bodies everywhere. Locked up the back wheel, slammed hard into some guy's back with my front wheel, but didn't go down. Sucks for me, probably sucks more for him. Field all gets same time. 30th, 02:53 back going into the 65-mile "brutal" road race tomorrow. We'll see ...


The Yellow Jersey is 18. It's my third year of racing and I'm already washed up.

April 17: Went down swinging: got into a 2-man, 15-mile break ... got caught, field finish. Finished 02:53 back in the GC, 25th. Second straight stage race I've lost by the exact same amount of time I lost in the TT ...

Big thanks to Walla Walla Couch Surfing Carrie and her housemates for the floor, the food, and their hospitality! Sweet kids, for sure! $50 a night hotel beds? Nah, up with people! They're cheaper!

April 18: Left Walla Walla at 4, got a beer in C D'A, drove to Hot Springs-ish, slept in the car, drove home, slept more, and was hiking up Big Mountain with Cody by 1:30. Next-level ...

I got home from Walla Walla, slept for two hours, then went back to Big Mountain, first time since mid-March. Next-level. The lifts are shut down, Cody's allowed to shred! We did.


"Ready?"


"Go!"

As soon as the Bear Mouth road race is out of the way, we'll probably spend a majority of May hiking up. I've hiked up 19 times in 2011, almost 45,000 vertical feet ... and there's still a 130-inch base! The Summit Trail should be open by July ...

Ben and I spent the rest of the week either mountain biking or complaining about the weather from the comfort of our living room. Then it got nice.

We played bike polo Saturday evening. Yeah, seriously.

Easter Sunday I rode the West Glacier Loop, up to Hungry Horse Dam and home, 60 miles. April 24: First ride of the year in just a jersey and shorts. Sun dresses and sandals were out in full-force on the warmest day of 2011 ... 58 degrees.


Re-filling the bottles at a fresh spring always makes the Hammer stuff go down a little easier ...


"I think I should fake sick for work tomorrow and come back and camp here later."


So we did.

It started to rain on us at 3 a.m. I set-up in the car. I woke up again at 4 to about a half-inch of snow ...

Rocky Mounain Roubaix

The team went down to Frenchtown for Rocky Mountain Roubaix.


Montana rules! Freedom! USA! Nobama! Etc., etc.


Four bikes and eight wheel sets shoved into the back of a van = about $14,000. Yeah, I know ...

The race stayed together until the final climb. I didn't flat! (Seven Flathead guys started, four finished.) I came out of the field at 1K, attacked hard, looked back, nobody. Kept going hard, looked back, again, nobody. I soft pedaled the last 200 meters and took the Cat. 3 win by about 15 seconds. Cool. A lot of snow meant a lot of skiing and that means low bike fitness in April for most. I think? I'll take it. I got $40, covered expenses for the day, and three upgrade points. These are the things Cat. 3 dreams are made of!


Back in the Flathead. Big Sky for sure!

I'm in Walla Walla, Washington, for the Tour of Walla Walla. It's 45 and raining ... trying to get psyched for Stage 1, a 40-mile circuit race in six hours. Tomorrow is a nine-mile time trial (I borrowed an aero helmet, clip-on bars, and a skin suit -- no excuses) and a 40-minute crit. (an 80-man, dead-flat, four-corner 40-minute crit.). Sunday is a 65-mile road race.

My legs feel great. We'll see ...

Seasonal depression ...

It hasn't hit 50 degrees yet in the Flathead this year; the 10-day forecast does not forecast a 50-degree day. There's still about a foot in our yard. It feels like it's never going to melt. The seeds are ready to be sowed; our garden has been mentally plotted. Motivation to do anything awesome has been hard to muster. I'm sick of road riding; I'm sick of cross country skiing; I quit hiking the mountain three weeks ago. I really want to hike, but the snowshoes are retired for the season. I hate whining about the weather, but, well, it's broken my spirit today, 38 and raining for the fourth straight day, spring break ...

I haven't shaved in three months, though, so my beard looks sort of awesome ... to me.

"Biking" vs. Biking

I'm in "deep preparation" for the Tour of Walla Walla. You know, base miles, intervals, hill repeats, lactate threshold time trial efforts, mid-ride chocolate syrup shots disguised as an all-natural, nutritional supplement, frequent naps, compression socks with Crocs, etc., etc. Incredibly enjoyable, but boring bike stuff; the stuff my admittedly lame Cat. 3 dreams are made of. My pal Pete, on the other hand, is getting it right. Pete began pedaling north out of Whitefish last week, plans to be in Fairbanks, Alaska, by early June, and will then hike and ski Mount McKinley. Oh, and then he'll ride from Fairbanks to his parent's house ... in Michigan. Eat your heart out, Danny Chew.

I encourage you to follow Pete's adventures at his Blog, Pedalin' Pete.

"Just a fool with a bicycle dream, with a goal to ride it." A dream so "foolish" his parent's took out a life insurance policy on him ...

More discovery, less bike ...

Also, the Polson Speed Wagon Classic is two weeks away. Most epic race in America? I'd put a dollar amount on that. Check out totally-legit Missoula photographer Tom Robertson's photos from last year's race. So sick; I'm psyched.