MY RESPONSE TO THE RESPONDERS...

First of all let's get this straight, you, (anonymous), have always been welcome to post your comments on this blog in response to whatever I choose to ramble about in a whimsical whim of rant or rave. I welcome the body punches thrown back my way, and to the contrary, any post which induces a response of thrashing desires towards me is a good post, not a bad post, because it has clearly touched a sore spot which needs to be addressed by the locale. So, back to the point. I am planning a return to Eagle one day to run for Mayor (not really), on the platform of "More Fun and Less Taxes". You may think this funny, and that I'm an idiot, which is fine with me, because I am at times. But if the town were to take this simple platform for itself seriously, it could make it. That town's main attraction is fun, not shopping. Get the people there to have fun and the rest will take care of it for itself. I tried, not many cared. The above picture is taken from BLM Land in Pueblo Lake State Park, this trail rolls like this for 40 miles (you can see it climbing the rolling hills in the back ground), it brings people to Pueblo, a place I would not even think about going unless this was there. The race this weekend brought hundreds (if not a thousand) of people to town for the weekend. They all camped, ate meals in town (all though our choice turned out to be a ill fated), and had one hell of a time riding their mountain bikes there, it was FUN. The likes of Jay Henry, Paul Gorbold, Ryan Cantrell, Pam Davis and many other Eagle County residents as well as Gretchen Reeves, Sari Anderson and even Chris Carmichael came to PUEBLO to race, and I was there working, making money. There was a smaller event there the weekend before, they are getting it, and so is the BLM in that region. This race was held on STATE PARK grounds for crying out loud. That would be like doing a mountain bike race up at Sylvan Lake State Park around the lake, headin up Sneave Gulch, going up McKenzie Gulch and then coming back to Sylvan Lake for the finish, IT'S A STATE PARK, just like Lake Pueblo.

With that said, I AM thankful to those who supported and helped what I was trying to do there. People like John Shipp and John Mac who made the short track series happen last year. The sponsors and the the people who stuck around to help with tearing down courses, I am thankful for that, you are a bunch of good blokes. And I'm glad that the Vail Rec District has decided to keep the series going and I'm more than glad to help. But why did'nt the town of Eagle step up to help promote the series? They knew about it, and sat silent. You would think they would jump on board to help make this happen, but instead it falls on silent ears. The races in Eagle are actually held on Eagle County grounds, so hail to them for the use of the facility and the grounds. 

What does this have to do with empty store fronts and tax base problems in Eagle Ranch and Eagle? GET THE PEOPLE THERE TO SPEND MONEY, you have an endless resource of FUN there, use it and promote it, GET PEOPLE TO COME THERE instead of driving by on the way to Fruita and Moab to do what is already in place. THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. 

In the meantime, I will continue to dwell in Western Kansas, it's actually quite pleasant here, and it's warmer, and I like that. Gas has not quite hit $3.50/gallon just yet, I like that too. 

Let's see , what's next, oh yea, I made a little bit of money for two years as a realtor, but not a lot, just some, enough to get me through a couple of years. I had to take this position after my 20 year outfitting career was cut short by Cordillera, where I was managing two rec programs, and was sourced out to one of the larger Outfitters in the valley because of their own economic woes with the club. So I performed my duties as a Realtor for a couple of years, no big deal.

So bag on ME all you want for bagging on Eagle, it needs help, the help is in your backyard, promote it, and it will work. Until then, if you do not have a better solution, then continue to stare at the emptiness and watch it grow, or do something about it, have an imagination, make it work, and have the balls to post your name when you respond, ok?
 I'll be back in Eagle often, to ride, work when applicable and I'll probably bring groups of friends of mine from down here in Western Kansas, Longmont, Colorado to introduce them to the mountain biking in the area, and we will spend money, somewhere up there, just not sure where, but somewhere.
Bottom line is this blog has done WAY more good than bad for the town of Eagle, Colorado. I never saw much of your support during the good, but crack the negative door open and it's good to see you all over me. Cheers.

YA KNOW, IT'S FUNNY....

 It takes me just about the same amount of time to drive to Arapahoe Basin from Longmont as it did from Eagle, and I did that yesterday, and Ski Patrol crushed their Avalanche routes early and got the East Wall hike from Little Lenawee peak and the lower traverse open FAST and safe, so we could go rip lines, and there was a foot of snow up there, and it was magical. Some pics from Al's Blog of the First Notch, Second Notch, and North Pole. This is the year of a lifetime at Arapahoe Basin....you better get ya sum soon.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ENDURANCE SERIES KICKS OFF SATURDAY

Race #1 of the series is this Saturday at Pueblo Lake State Park. Possible shorty night ride tomorrow from Arkansas Point campground if I can get there on time with Jen and get the tent set up, otherwise we'll just drink OBB Beer and wake up with the A game rolling Saturday morning....see you there.

TODAY WAS THE DAY...

The views from Loveland Pass in Colorado are simply mesmerizing. On a clear day you can see some of Colorado's and the Nation's most spectacular peaks and valleys. Loveland Pass sits on top of the continental divide, which for those of you who do not know, "divides" the water sheds here in the United States of America. All snow and rain that falls on the east side of the divide eventually rolls to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean via the Mississippi River once it gets there. To the contrary, all snow and rain which falls on the west side of this "divide", eventually makes it's way to the Pacific Ocean via the Colorado River should it be lucky enough to avoid all the irrigation and human needs along the way.

My father was a good man, he, unlike myself, really had no enemies during his lifetime. He was a simple man who lived a fairly simple life, who got dealt a bad hand in life health wise when he had to battle a brain tumor at the ripe old age of 40. He won that battle for an additional 29 years of life, but it left him scarred and unable to live at the level he would have preferred for those 29 years. He was a really funny guy, and I loved him, a lot. He really liked to fish, and taught me how to.

When my father passed some dozen plus a couple of years ago when I was 39 years old, I had just spent the entire winter in South Florida to be closer to him as his health had become fragile. Upon hearing the news from my mother that he had taken a turn for the worse and was on life support, I told my mother I would fly right home. Her response to me was to stay put as my brother and sister were already there. She told me to simply remember him the way he was when I left to come back to Colorado after the previous winter. This is what I then chose to do. When the call came one evening just a couple of days later that he had been taken off life support as he had wished, it was a tough day, but also a relief, as to know such a difficult struggle is over brings peace, and time heals our wounds and makes us better, we must take the good, and I have.

My father's ashes were split amongst those who wanted. I had carried some of my father's ashes for all this time until today. And it was a very good day. I spent the day with my girlfriend Jennifer at Arapahoe Basin teaching her how to ski, and she learned some, and we had so much fun. I'm moving to Longmont, Colorado to be with her, and I'm excited for the change. When we left Arapahoe Basin today, Jennifer had to head back to Longmont and I had to come back to Eagle for several reasons. I chose to come back over Loveland Pass, in a raging wind and blowing snow day which was spectacular on the Divide. Many years ago when my father was in better physical shape, he came to visit me in Colorado with my mother, and he stood on top of Loveland Pass and was in great wonderment of the views and grandeur.  We stood there together, and I pointed out all the peaks and bowls still covered with snow in late May, and explained to him how myself and friends would strap our skis on our backpacks and sometimes walk for hours to go ski some of the off piste and incredibly beautiful terrain he was looking at. 

Today I stopped on the top of the Divide on my way back to Eagle, explained to Jennifer what I needed to do, and walked about a half mile in incredible wind and blowing snow along the east ridge line of the Divide. This is where my father's journey now begins, half on the east side, and half on the west side, and the views are still the same, and the journey will be grand. Rest in Peace Dad, with your luck you will end up in a fountain in Vegas.

WORLD'S GREATEST DOWNHILL IS ON....

And so it's on, another mountain biking season officially opened in the town of Eagle on April 15th. At 12:01am last night, I hit the trails of Eagle to kick off the season with the "Legal in Eagle" ride, which incidentally nobody showed up for, so I had a go of it solo, and it was dog ball ass cold at about 25 degrees, but the ride was actually pleasant, and of course fun. With that, it was followed up pretty quickly with the first and always lung awakening ascent of the Abram's singletrack and a screaming descent down the World's Greatest Downhill, which is notoriously in it's best shape of the year at this time...here's the action.

APRIL'S GREATEST HITS.....FROM THE VHOLDR COUNTOUR HELMET CAM, ON MY HEAD, IT'S BEEN A GREAT RUN THIS SEASON...

I'M JUST SAYIN, THAT'S GOTTA HURT

THE BONERYARD...IT'S ON

In case you have not been overwhelmed with one upperness from Eagle already, the ONE fun thing to do here is getting rolling. The Boneyard is riding perf, and the lower stuff should be fine on Friday unless it shits water out of the sky like it is predicted. Look for recon reports shortly. Today it was pretty tasty on the Boneryard, until the windchill dropped temps big, and the snow rolled in over Hardscrabble Mountain.