How about a riding update?? We spent the last days of Feb and early March trying to find good snow but really to no avail! The snow was BAD everywhere we went! Seems like we spent some fun times at The Pines in Island Park just waiting for the snow to fly! We also hit the NASH TRAILER BASH in Fernie, BC for a wild weekend of meeting new friends and riding in the “rolling Hills” (They don’t call them the Rollings Hills for nothing 🙂 Great to meet Devin and all the Nash people, what a great crew! Finally, around Expo time, we hit some great filming weather and watched as Brad, Doug, Dave, Wes and Shawn Hastings tore up the snow in the bright sun! Then off to our “pre-Jackson Hillclimb” Ride! How much fun can you have?!?!? We rode our buns off for many days, although 2 of the days we got snowed in. That’s right, it was snowing so hard we stayed in the motel! Special thanks to the FLYING SADDLE RESORT in Alpine, Wyoming for the amazing hospitality!! After several days of hard snow, we finally hits the hills and found knee-to-waist-deep powder everywhere!!! With the sun shining our paths, we had one of the most exhausting days of the year! Most of us only put on around 35 miles and we were whipped!
One of the riding days was very cool! BRAD STORY had received an e-mail from the MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION about a young man who had Hodkin’s Lymphoma and received a wish from the Foundation. His wish was to spend a day in the mountains with one of his heros, Mr. BRAD STORY!!!! WHAT AN HONOR AND EXCITING E-mail!!! We met Joe and his family for breakfast on a sunny morning and headed for the steep stuff! We could have taken Joe and his father on a trail ride but what fun would that be? He wanted to watch Brad climb!! We took them into the backcountry and immediately realized both Joe and his father were great riders! Yes! The TS riders took a few practice runs on the warm-up hill and then we headed to the dreaded “Anaconda” Chute. We have been looking at this chute for many years and Brad figured today was the day with one of his biggest fans watching. Brad entered the crazy off-camber chute on his 1200cc turbo and started up the narrow chute! At the top he pulled hard left and launched into the air over the windlip at the top! We all gazed in wonder at the skill and style of Brad!! NICE!! We then took them even further into the backcountry where Dave, Wes and Brad all did some more cool stuff! Another highlight and unforgettable climb was Brad’s “IT DOESN’T HURT!” Chute! You’ll have to watch TS 8 for the story but let’s just say Joe and his father got to help Brad pull this absolutely CRAZY chute!!! Joe exclaimed as he looked down from the top of the chute, “This is the reason I picked a day with Brad Story as my wish!!” Yeah!!
Also spent some fun times in Jackson Hole at the World Championship Hillclimbs. Always a favorite trip of mine, this year was no exception! Too much fun!! Got tp hang with old friends and new in Afton and Alpine, even got to ride an amazing new area which we will surely go back to again!!
Coming up: I really miss the thump-thump-thump of the helicopter so we will surely be heading north to Canada soon. Not to mention I miss all those crazy friends I have up there!!
– March 31, 2009