Las Vegas pictures...

Vegas stripPeople gambling

The tower in the middle Robbie Madison jumped up and down on it on his motor bike on New Years day 2009

Ceasar's Palace

Bootleg Canyon mountain biking, Boulder City, NV

During the trip with the fam in Las Vegas during the weekend, I really wanted to go biking in the Bootleg Canyon trail system near Boulder City twenty minutes away from Las Vegas. So I went on a Sunday(the day after my Hurricane race) and it was really great. The weather was very nice and the trails were awesome, there were a lot of jumps too. I did 13 miles and it took about a good old hour and a half. There were a few people there but not a lot, which was great. If you just go on the green trails and go really fast, you can get some big air on the jumps! That was really fun. Lot's a turns and burms and a some pretty good climbs to get to the top. I went in the cross country trails area and there is a downhill bikes only area which you have to shuttle up on the road because nobody wants to climb up to the top with a 45 pound downhill bike. It looks like a good trail system for everyone and I would go there again. Just don't go there in the summer time when it's scorching hot but you can ride in the mornings and evenings though. Check out the website http://bootlegcanyon.org/ for more information and pictures.

Race #2: Cholla Challenge in Hurricane, Ut

After a big all day rainstorm on the day before, it made the sandy trail conditions perfect for the nice day in the middle of nowhere by Hurricane, Ut for the Red Rock Bicycle's Cholla Challenge mountain bike race as part of the Intermountain Cup Race Series I am doing. I did like this race better than the last race in St. George a month ago. Because there were more smooth, faster singletrack with spectacular scenery. I did a lot better too because I had a chance to train for it during the whole month before because of nicer days in Ephraim, I was totally out of shape during the St. George race though. On this race, I got 5th place which is good for myself. It was in the beginner class so I did drop a class from the class I did in St. George. I guess I will stay in this class for the rest of the year. I had a lot of fun and it was a very nice, fun race. My dad was also there for being my fan. He said he had a lot fun.

Four days of mountain biking....

On Wednesday, I was going to go biking with Chris Jaussi and Durke after our day of our jobs but I didn't get off work until 6:00 but they went ahead but I still went by myself up the Canyon Road until the A-frame house. It was great, temperature wise, about 65 degrees and it was nice to be climbing. On Thursday, Chris wanted to try again and go riding with Durke and I because I was going to be able to ride with them, I even got off work a little earlier but Chris had to baby sit so Durke and I went anyway and we went up to Black Hill and found an awesome trail the motor bikers made in the last three years. Now, this trail is really the coolest trail I have ridden on, you can ride up a singletrack trail from the bottom of Black Hill along the west face and it goes all the way to the top and then it continues on down the east face very steeply, then it goes very fast along the meadow on the east side of Black Hill. When you loop around at the end of the downhill, then it'll shoot straight right back up the east face which was way too steep for a mountain biker. So we stopped there and cut through and got on a road back to town. The trail was long, it's got to be at least 5 miles and it even kept going. So awesome.

Then on Friday, I got off work early, at 1:00, ate lunch, then went up the Race Loop by myself this time, the day was a lot warmer which was at an unseasonably 78 degrees(checked the thermometer, in the shade too). It was really nice to ride in the more of a heat again, it felt so good. My legs were achy from the last 2 days of riding though but I went anyways and it was a total blast. I was the second tracks on that trail, I guess another mountain biker rode on it before I did. The muddy spots from the snow was barely, barely dried off. This trail is on private land but it is ok'ed for mountain bikers and hikers in the land but no atvs or trucks were allowed which is good because I don't want any of that stuff on that trail, just mountain bikes or shoes on it. The trail used to be doubletrack but now it's singletrack since they closed it for atvs. It is an awesome bike trail now!

Finally on Saturday, was pure fun riding. It was a nice day but not as good as Friday because it was a little windy but still perfect. I did exactly same ride I did on Thursday which is Black Hill again but my legs felt a little better so I rode great. It was great fun! Those four straight days of pure hard riding was really worthwhile.

St. George Red Rock Desert Rampage Bike Race

Missed the snowstorm, clouds, and the cold. That's because I was in St. George racing on my lovely red mountain bike in the sun and dust. I didn't do good but I finished it at least and I am happy about it. It was a very tough course with lot's of climbs. I raced in the sport class and they did 2 laps, after one lap, I was about to give up, I was actually thinking about stopping. I actually got in the car and sat and thought about it. Then I just stuck up and said, "at least finish it". So I got on my bike again and did the last lap. I finished it in 1:33:21. It was very hard and I think I actually died at the top of the mountain. The trails were great and LOT'S of people! It was bumper to bumper during the whole race. Durke Gordon and his wife and kids were there. Also Ladd Bradley and his wife so I parked by them and had a good time with them. We were expecting Chris Juassi(my boss) to be there too, but he was at a home show for his company where I am working. He said he should be at the Hurricane race in April. I am going to go down a class next race(beginner). I have a lot of training to do!

Park City Ski Trip

Deer Valley Resort(rated #1 ski resort in North America like 5 years in a row)

Jordanelle Gondola

View of Jordanelle Resevoir from the gondola

There it is, the $350 a night motel room

Heated pool and hot tubs with snow surrounding it, yes it was warm in it.

Park City trip was given to us from Karen as part of her time share. Thanks Karen, it was a lot of fun. We had the motel room at Marriot Summit Watch for a week but I stayed there for 4 days and dad is still there for the whole week. I skied at Deer Valley one of the days and it was a very good resort. It was the first time I skied it and I could see why it was #1 resort in North America. Great runs, lifts, good snow, and good service. There weren't any lines either! I had a lot of fun skiing and it wasn't cold at all. I'd go there again.

First big ride of the year!

2 hours. 13 minutes, and 34 seconds(2:13:34), that's how long the ride was. Pretty good during February in the Utah mountainlands. It was at a decent temperature, barely, to go out for a long ride today which was at 55 degrees in the afternoon. I started from 5 mile Junction(Pigeon Hollow), went through Spring City, Mt. Pleasant, to Fairview on the backroads and back to the junction. It was 35 miles long and I just gunned it. I went so hard and was having so much fun. Did some climbs and threw in a couple of sprints(watching the Tour of California in the past week motivated me). I hope it'll do for the mountain bike race in St. George in two weeks, I think. I got a lot more rides to do to get ready for the race, I just don't know how I am going to do, I haven't raced in 8 years so I am just going to do the best I can and see how I do and work from there.