realtime

For more words and visuals on The Griz-viz, "X" marks the spot. Memo weekend was a blast!

mother nature's son

spring buds

Every spring, a gathering of off-road mountain cycling enthusiasts rendevous at the beloved 4-H camp in the Penn Roosevelt Forest. Pure and simple, this is the soul of our sport. Thanks Griz.

norwegian wood

Someday I will actually have a camera to accompany me on my exciting journeys. I could have a photo collage insted of tons of words and explanations. I could take some pictures of the nice woods coming alive in the spring. Mammals gathering, birds singing, rattlesnakes shakin' their tails. Some things that did strike me this time around was the badass loop that Elk and I rode in Thorpe on Saturday. It's hard to get bored with the network of trails here. So many ways to ride everything. I was truly grateful for the 9:30 pilsner break at the top of Pisgah. Thanks bro. Shortly after the ride ended I was about to throw in the towel, but upon further investigation, I gathered the essentials, and headed to French Creek for the MASS ride on Sunday. Meeting the gals, Val and Linda, and the Bean's for some pre-ride carb loading. The cabins were rustic, but better than the back of my truck, and the beer was tastey. So tastey the next morn was a bit ruff. Rolling to the start I was wondering how I was going to feel. After the start I was just glad to be sucking the wheel of the infamous "litterbug." Man that cat is strong! Trying to reel him in the whole day left me with a second place. Huber-1, litterbug-1. Oh well, at least I didn't spare on the fun the previous night or after the ride, but it was mother's day so I couldn't hang too long. Sorry! The ride home left me with a more efficient way home, no reception and a newly found car problem. Hmmmmm

maximus

I got to say it was a good day. The weather was beautiful, the course was epic indeed, and I was feeling very good. I settled into a nice pace to the top of "dead woman hollow." Cruising up the climb with Buck, he assured that we were at least in the top 4. I stopped to refuel and drop a liter, and got back on the horse. Rolling through the roads, duel tracks, and woods I caught back up with the Buck, with the leaders in sight to the entrance of the "three mile trail." I stopped to refuel, quickly, for the last time, chugged some High-Life, and we hit the singletrack. Making some turns we caught up with Timmy D, but unfortunately he was fixing a flat. Making a few more turns we caught up with the leader. Some burley dude, that according to Buck, was seen litering on the trail. We both agreed that the liter bug should not win, but this guy could rip it up on the duel tracks. The three of us rode to "rattlesnake ridge," were Buck and I both blew by the burley guy on the downhill. Realizing that there was probably some duel track before the end of the race, we started pushing hard on the singletrack. Making a few turns, the race started to come together with riders from the shorter loops, but there was no real traffic. At this point, I was feeling strong enough to crank it up to the finish. Fully rigid, fatty smile, first place finish. Some people did not have such good fortune, which I always hate to hear, when mother nature comes through with such a nice day to ride. Results from the race can be checked out here. On another note, it's time to dig in and help out some people that really need support. Team Bury the Dragon is sponsoring a "bike gear" raffle to raise money for the HERA Women's Cancer Foundation. 100% of the proceeds of the raffle are being donated. Show some support for a great cause by clicking here to make a donation.