Howdy fellow TBSers! On the eve my my first day of school, I thought I’d procrastinate from reading my assigned arguments by sharing a few pics from a few of the rides I’ve been doing out here in the Wasatch. These mountains are fun! I’ve been on the ground for about two weeks and have been getting out on some very scenic and challenging (for me) 4 hour rides about 4 times a week. Most of my rides have been solo and I haven’t been very diligent about digging out the camera, but this past week I snapped a few photos of the landscape to share.The view from along the Crest trail.
I hope everyone is well, I miss running into friendly faces on the trails here. Also, it has been interesting to note the differences in bikes between the east side of the great basin and the west. Everyone here swears by their dual suspension rigs with giant tires, which strikes me as very different from the rigid frames and single speeds that I was used to following around in Reno. I’ve had to listen to several debates over the merits of 5, 6, and 7 inches of travel. It is all greek to me, but since my sidewalls are becoming pretty thin I think I’m going to at least indulge in something a little wider, 2.3 or so. I get introduced alot as “Cameron, he rides a hard tail.” Which I think is really Utahan for “his bike is old.” 
That’s Erika Pollard, who has been a great partner and very good about pointing me in the directions of trail heads. 
A new friend named Ted, who rocks basketball jerseys and mustaches like it is his job. Top of the Spiro trail in Park City. View from the top, overlooking Park City. 
17
Aug
08
Good to hear from you Captain!!!
Are the trails any rougher there? big drops? I noticed that SLC is pretty money so maybe that’s the deal.
Hope to get out and see you soon homeslice!
-M
sweet looking vistas, Red Beard! hope to do some trail riding in the Wasatch with you sooner or later. it’s also super excellent to hear that you’re out enjoying them astride your human powered contraption. that’s about all that matters, right - not how far the bike sags when you punish it with rocks. isn’t that also part of the fun, being able to ride the same trails on totally different kinds of bikes. standing up and huffing on long, technical climbs on a single speed sure leaves a different impression than spinning in the saddle. i’ve had lots of bikes and ridden them on all kinds of terrain. over the years, i seem to be left with what doesn’t break. i get stronger (or just keep on going), and the bike gets simpler. i haven’t given up on a suspension fork though - the wrists are damaged goods and are happier with some squish between them and the traction patch. gears? well, at least i don’t have a bent dérailleur, parasitic drag, ghost shifting, or chain slap. then again, alot of that has been solved by the Rohloff 14-speed internally geared hub. maybe on my next geared bike…
keep us posted on life on the east side, especially as the snow flies. and say hey to the Pollards for us! i think the last/only time i rode mtb’s with Erika was when we busted up Peavine after work with friends (Margaret’s birthday) and descended to Verdi for pizza and beers. Erika crushed us on the climb and was ready for beers with us after descending the 3,000 feet to dinner. good folks.
j.r.
I love you and your hard tail cam-slam!!!!!! Go show those SLCers just how punk you can be with your 2.3 hunks of rubber. Keep in touch!
Hey man!,
Don’t let those jack-mos talk you into the springy bike from hell just because a rigid bike gets their garments in a bundle. (Note to self….don’t take any photos of the Redline with its new shiny Fox F29 so noone will realize what a hypocrit I really am). Actually I am looking for a new fully suspended but needs to be a 29er.
Glad to see you are getting out and about. I am sure that you will have nothing but free time now that law school has begun. Newton and I semi-discussed the possibility of coming out to see you sometiem this winter.
Keep in mind one of my favorite lines heard on the smoking patio when I was in high school sometime around 1977:
‘In this world of plenty bucks
Rock is cool and disco sucks!’
Sweet poetry.