VT MoJo

Get out and find your MoJo

As I write this, I'm thinking about the trails here in Vermont. Early Spring is a special and particularly fragile time of year for trails in Vermont. It can be very tempting to get out and ride your favorite trail, but its important to be mindful of all the hard work it takes to build and protect these trails. It's always a good idea to check in with your local mountain bike club (it's a great resource and a great benefit to belong to one) to get the skinny and beta on how a trail network is fairing. All it takes is a little homework before we get out there to make sure all that blood sweat and tears doesn't all go to waste before you find your early season MoJo.

A quick check of the FOTW site showed us what was open, so we loaded the bikes and headed out for a spectacular early-season ride.

Now get out there, and happy trails.


T&S

Best. Helmet. Ever.

I had the pleasure of riding my bike for more than two hours the other day. As the crow flies, I should have been an easy 45 minutes from door to door. But I was in no mood for flying. I rambled down every turn I could, accepting invitations past farmhouses of all colors, fields of all types, forests, farms, and hills, and reveled in every non-working / happy-pedaling minute of it. I milked it.

I also had the pleasure on this ride or adorning my head with the Cannondale Teramo - a helmet that blows all others out of the water.

It's the incredible fit - and the cinching mechanism - that is incomparable to any other helmet I've tried. First, it's low-profile and incredibly light. Second, the easy-to-use dial at the back of your head tightens the internal structure of the helmet neatly onto your head. An easy tick of the dial to the left or right - even while on the fly - is all it takes to adjust. A pad of lightweight foam - the same foam that crocs are made from - keeps the dial soft against your head. This is the only helmet for which it is the internal structure that holds onto my head, rather than the straps. You can move and turn your head, or tackle the strongest headwind, and that thing is on there. Tightly. Lastly, it is amazingly comfy. You've gotta try it.

Head on down to your local bike shop and slap this beauty on your head - you'll be sold instantly.

Vermont

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Spring in like a lion....

Just days after riding single track in VT, we found ourselves back on snow with 4 inches of new fallen white. Weather in VT? Just wait a couple of minutes....

Spring back to winter!

T&S

Easter Sunday; back to VT singletrack.

Every year it's a given; we gather early Sunday morning, drive South, and ride bikes. One important  thing we noticed this year: some are just learning. To watch a young kid laugh and giggle as they ride their bike was something that really brought me back to my youth, to how a bicycle was an integral part of my life growing up, as it is for others.

Another Easter ride with friends, bikes, and the feeling of Spring in the air. Winter isn't over yet but Spring in VT is a special time of year where anything can happen.

Ski Local

Who says you need to "ski like a local" when you can simply ski locally.

T&S

Come Ski With Us!

Well folks, the word is out. After getting up high and checking out the snowpack, this years Camel's Hump Challenge (CHC) is set for this coming Sunday, March 3rd.  If you haven't checked out this BC tour yet, this year would certainly be a good one. The stream crossings are good with a little negotiation, and the snow is deep and stable. Did I forget to mention it's absolutely beautiful up there as well? Come on out and see the surrounding forests amidst the Camel's Hump and see a new and different side of this iconic mountain.  

2013 Camels Hump Challenge

Love

It's that day where you might just want to grab the one you love and let them know how much they mean to you.

Here's to my valentine; that brown eyed girl I met over 13 years ago and am still crazy in love with.

T.

Play to live.

Odin and Buddy ruffing it up.

This weekend with the new fallen snow we couldn't help but revisit some of our favorite places. (Might I ad our friends in CT almost had us making a surprise visit home as storm Nemo dumped as much as 40" over the weekend; unbelievable.) The last time this happened I was 7 months old and it was 1978. My father had to abandon his purple Ford Pinto...yeah pretty sweet, to post hole home with diapers......it's been awhile since then. Sure we've been out scraping around after work but nothing beats hanging out with friends in fresh powder.  Some of our best friends and teachers happen to have four legs and an insatiable appetite for food, powder and play. I caught Odin and Buddy, after following us around all day in the VT back country proving that life is always more fun when shared with good friends, who also like to live and play in the mountains.

Have fun out there...

T.

Tired boots.

Legends of the Thaw...

Well it's January here in Vermont and at times it can get warm, wet and windy! While the Ol' Ski Hill out back can get kind of.....well, lets just say it was beautiful..

Never let yourself second-guess getting out, no matter the conditions. In the end you'll always be glad you did.

Good thing I had the fat skis?! Where are my E99's when I need them most?

Good thing I brought some cold beer.

T.