Thunderstorms and Rainbows

There is something comforting about thunderstorms to me. Some of my fondest memories are during thunderstorms or hurricanes actually. Here in colorado, the thunderstorms pass all too quickly it seems, but today, there was one that came in with such gusto, that my memories came rushing to the surface, just as quickly as the storm rolled into town.

I have been helping a friend with his roof, and while there was not really a forecast for weather, there is always a 50% chance that the weather guys are wrong. We put most of the finishing touches on the roof this morning at about 8am, just before the waffles hit the table, and i'm glad we did.

Leaving work, it started to sprinkle, but I stopped by my old neighbors house with the dog to say hi and congratulate them on their recent engagement. Right as i walked inside, the storm rolled in and CRASH BOOM! lightning and thunder galore. The dogs were freaking out running in circles trying to find places to hide, and the wind picked up. I sat there in the kitchen petting the dogs and thinking of how fantastic the storms have been recently.

Nighttime Lightning storms, extended rains, flooding, and hail. Most people thing this weather is terrible, but it always brings a smile to my face. I remember having to evacuate the beach house during hurricane Bob back in 1991, and we went to the town hall and hung out in the basement. My cousin Rachel and I played cards, and it was one of the only times that i was actually able to play my game-boy for more than 30 minutes at a time. Then I remember another time at the beach, where we were playing monopoly because it was raining and storming and we couldn't go on the beach. Eventually someone came up to our house and told us that our boat was floating away, so we had to go chase it and I had to sit on the bow to weigh it down so we could get it safely to the marina!

Kayak surfing in Rhode Island during hurricane season was always the best, because nobody was around, and the surf was always up, with decent breaks. I can recall a couple of days surfing for hours without seeing another person on the beach, and going to grab a nice warm cup of soup and a hot chocolate when i was done.

There is something about the smell of static in the air, steamy pavement, and wet leaves slapping your face after a good storm. Not only is there something special about the storms, but without the rain, we wouldn't have rainbows.

Buffalo Creek Freeride Trail Building

Along with riding trails comes making sure that trails are built properly and maintained. It has been a year or so since I have had the opportunity to go out and do some manual labor and put some love back into some of my favorite single track locales. the Colorado Mountain Bike Association has teamed up with team Evergreen, the Forest Service, IMBA, and the FRMBP to build a new sweet trail through some of the burn area though Buffalo Creek. The purpose of this trail is going to be a gravity oriented, downhill/freeride trail with drops, berms, technical sections, and other fun obstacles that are different than Buffalo Creek has ever seen. The progress has been great, and things are starting to move along.

Here are some pictures of the build day!

Mountain Bike Photos from Winter Park

So Me, Evan, Jamey, Stefan, and Nate all went up for a nice day of downhilling at Winter Park. We had an awesome day, that ended with beers and pom-frites.... i saw a deer, jamey double flatted, and I walked down after we had no tubes left and I flatted! It was one of my top 10 days of riding, and for those of you who are wondering who the classy guy in the tuxedo jersey is, its me!