Nats lead-up

oh-alrighty, so USA Cycling Mountain Nationals is this weekend, in Granby, CO, and i've been thoroughly been enjoying my life during the lead up!

Here's a brief recap of... life?

Over the last couple weeks, things have been on the up-and-up. A good friend, Alex, from Oregon came up for about a week and we busted it over to the Methow for 4 big days of riding. both the Road and mtn bikes came along. The photos following are not in order, at all. I'll just say that each ride, without a doubt, included some flashing of the local Methow gang sign. We weren't there to just kick it, crushing it was also on the agenda. Lots of weird faces were made while trying to pedal really hard. LOTS of climbing, altitude, post-ride dips in FREEZING beautiful streams. Quite the life out there! One incredible balsa-wood - uss 747 methow - airplane flight from the (almost) top of a fire lookout at the top of Harts Pass (the highest drivable road in WA state at around ~7500feet?) A really awesome mountain bike ride up Starvation Mountain, lots of stream crossings, climbing. Alex was a great companion to rally with. Alex hung around after the Methow trip to experience some great rides in the Bellingham area, and long enough for me to bust him a pretty dang snazzy 'mr. t' style mohawk.

Tom also came up from Rainier for Last weekend. It was great to kick it with him. He picked a bunch of strawberries and Raspberries and made some bangin strazzleberry jam... To which we answered back by making up some Gluten-Free Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes! THEN we got some heavy, seriously, really heavy, whipping cream and had a normally amazing morning of watching the tour de france, hitting up the local newyork times crossword puzzle with the pancakes and some tea.

Please feel free to click on any image to see a larger version.

Some of Tom's Strazzleberry Jam

Alex's head shapin

Our place has looks like this on a regular basis.

Methow!

Thanks for the rad photos Alex!

There were a good few of these things on the Starvation mtn ride.

About to close the books on a long, incredible day of riding.

Methow: day 1, tried to hang on Alex's wheel around the switchback up to WA pass, he dispatched me quite easily.

Tuesday this week, one of my favorite views from the Chuckanuts

Sweet singletrack

Frangrance lake

The anthem has been put the ringer lately.

Tom and I interwebbing to the extreme

Gluten-free buckwheat sourdough pancakes, freaking heavy whipping cream, FRESH strazzleberry jam. mmmmmmmm.

Nice evening pedal back home from work. It was a really nice cruise.

Val Badia!

Tom, putting out the vibe in the spando

Cruising up Chuckanut, Alex behind me taking the photo.

One incredible thing about riding in the methow in the summer, each ride is followed up by an incredible ICE cold plunge. It's incredible, if the body has a reset button, this is one of the closest ways to get at it.
Liberty Bell group

Massive waterfall, heading up to WA pass from Methow Valley

tarmac, and tarmac

Methow: Day 4, I hardly ever listen to music when I ride, but when I do it can be really motivating. This is me just finishing a really hard effort on my way up
Methow: day 3, Alex braving a rushing brook, coming down from Starvation mtn.

Methow: day 3, Starvation mountain rally sesh on the back side!

Yeah, you know where we are.

heading up Starvation.

Pretty straight forward ride profile.

Evidence that the ride is near completed and that their may be a river near by...

Happy bicycles!

Methow: Everyday we were treated to stunning views of new and exciting places.

Deanna, we took this photo especially for you!

Methow: Day 2, on a fire look out atop Hart's Pass. The flight was nothing short of world domination.

The view from Hart's Pass, looking Northwest.

Coming down from Hart's Pass.

Alex, our first valley view as we pedaled up to Hart's Pass. Methow!