All Hallow’s Eve Cyclocross Racing

It’s been a while since I had been to a ‘cross race. Maybe even a few years. And it had been just as long since I stood in a considerable, torrential downpour for hours on end. The Surf City Cyclocross All Hallow’s Eve event was my reintroduction to the world of cyclocross racing and my introduction to monsoon season in California.
Huge props to the Santa Cruz Factory Team for racing fast and keeping things positive in spite of the conditions.

A cyclocross rider in a bright MASH kit runs up a muddy hill at the Surf City Cyclocross.
A rider in a custom MASH kit and Santa Cruz Stigmata lighting up a dark day.
A large pool of rainwater on the side of the All Hallow's Eve course
It rained. Hard.
A black and white photo of two bike racers at the Surf City Cyclocross event in Aptos, California.
Justin Robinson chasing the leader on the last lap. Justin eventually took first for Santa Cruz Factory Racing.

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Bury Me Here // Banff & Jasper National Parks

Early in September I hit the road from Salt Lake City, Utah bound for Alberta, Canada. My mission was a simple one: a solo road trip to explore the mountains, rivers, and trails surrounding the Banff, Jasper, and Kootenay National Parks.

With a small truck and a light load of camping and bike gear, I had the freedom to stay or go as I wanted and to explore at my own pace. The US and Canadian highways took me through truly epic mountain passes, through glacial parkways, and into some of the most intensely gorgeous forests I’ve ever seen.

It wasn’t long before I had tucked away hundreds of photos and racked up more than 2,500 miles between Utah, British Columbia, Alberta, Montana, and eventually, Idaho.

Exposure Gallery

Below are a few images from my trip. For the really curious, I created a more extensive gallery on Exposure—enjoy.

Clouds Surrounding a Peak in Kootenay National Park
Clouds Surrounding a Peak in Kootenay National Park
Looking down over mountains and fall foliage on the Glacier Parkway in Canada
Overlooking the highway between Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada
Standing by the river at a campground in Jasper, Alberta.
Standing by the river at a campground in Jasper, Alberta.
Snow, Fog, and Foliage in the mountains Canada
Snow and fog mix with foliage in Kootenay National Park in Canada
Dawn over the mountains in Banff National Park in Canada
Dawn in Banff National Park in Canada
Snowy Peak on the Glacial Parkway in Canada
A snowy Peak on the Glacial Parkway in Canada.

The Wasatch Crest Trail

Shredding the Wasatch Crest mountain biking trail with Adam Riser and Re Wikstrom. The Crest Trail runs along the ridge between Big Cottonwood Canyon and Park City, Utah.

In the summer months this is one of the most popular rides in the area and recently free shuttles started running from the Mill D trail to the top of Guardsman’s pass. For visiting riders this is a classic and a must-do. The trail is a mix of flowing, well-ridden singletrack, moderate-length but punchy climbs, forest riding in and out of aspens, and fast-and-dusty descending back into Big Cottonwood.

Alternate exit options take you to either Park City or Millcreek.

More About the Rest

Read more about the trail here.
And see Adam’s photography and Re’s photography.

Adam and Re stand beside their bikes on a high-altitude stop along the Crest trail and overlooking Big Cottonwood Canyon

Re, Adam, and Jen discuss the Yeti 575 and the new Santa Cruz Bronson mountain bike before dropping back into the Crest trail A colorful, high altitude meadow on either side of the Crest trail. The mountains of Big Cottonwood can be seen in the background.

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Crusher in the Tushar 2013

In case you’re unfamiliar with the Crusher in the Tushar, it’s a long road/gravel bike race with a “fair” amount of climbing (read: TONS).
It’s definitely one of those things to add to your roadie bucket list if you enjoy pain, high temperatures, and a party in the mountains. The race is held every year outside of Beaver, Utah.

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Fruita, Colorado

The mountain biking in Fruita, Colorado is a little slice of heaven baked by the sun and carved from the desert. Singletrack trails crisscross the desert around the now-famous 18 road and even more trails skip along the spiny backs of nearby ridges that protrude from the mountains. Unless there’s a storm clouding the sky, sunsets light up the horizon nightly and stars blaze from one side of your vision to the other.

Brian checking his hardtail at camp on 18 road in Fruita

My shadow looming over our campsite in Fruita at 18 Road

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One Starry Night

The silhouette of a bike against the star-filled sky of Stanley, Idaho

Stanley, Idaho

Years ago the camping around Stanley, Idaho included a small, secluded site atop one of the ridges just above town. It took a heavy foot on the gas pedal, four-wheel drive, and a little bit of faith to climb the rutted and dusty road up to this site and it was worth the trouble. This is just a portion of the 360-degree view of the star-filled sky over this small Idaho town flanked by the Sawtooths.

Visit Stanley for the rafting, mountain biking (send me a message for some beta), and hot springs. You’ll never want to leave.

Moving Target

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|| The heat has returned to Utah. The dirt is dry and mountain biking season is back in full foce. In honor of the heat, I decided it was time to post these POV mountain biking photos. This is a continuation of the series I started a couple years ago during the winter. All of the bike photos were shot on the trail in Corner Canyon in Draper, Utah. I rode the same bike for every shot, a Civilian Bicycles Young Turk, and used the same camera rig described in my winter post.

With the explosion of HD resolution helmet cameras, this point of view is nothing new. No matter, as cliche as it sounds, this project was about trying a new technique and having fun. I accomplished both missions and came away with a series of photos that I find interesting. Years from now, when I’m old and gray, these photos will remind me how fun it was to ride my bike. My hope is that they’ll do the same for someone else too. ||