Shimano Saint Components

Since the brakes on my mountain bike are pretty much shot, it's time to fix that problem and take my bike's components up another level. Behold... these are some of the sickest brakes out there, for both form and function.
Shimano Saint Levers
Shimano Saint Calipers

Santiago Oaks Trail

Today I rode another trail in the OC called Santiago Oaks. Although I usually have a great time on any mountain bike ride, I was blown away by how insanely fun this one was (aside from the 3 B's). It starts off with three BRUTAL climbs, but after that the ride is all paradise... Rock Drops, Jumps, Rock Gardens, Chutes, Etc... It's a MTBR's Playground! I'm pretty sure Santiago Oaks is where I will be riding next weekend, and I will have some photo's and videos to show the trails layout.

11:11

Tonight my fiancee and I went and saw one hell of a show at the Orpheum Theater in Downtown Los Angeles! Who was playing you ask... Rodrigo Y Gabriela... thats who! I already knew that Rodrigo Y Gabriela's music sounded cool, but hearing them play live was mind blowing, and added a whole new dimension to the songs. They are two of the best guitarists out there and the music that they create with only 2 acoustic guitars seems almost impossible to do. Once again, I forgot my camera, so here is a picture I snaked from FLICKr. Check out their music if you haven't heard of them already, and definitely see them live if you ever get the opportunity.
Rockin Out Bigtime

4 Isn't Enough, But 5 Is Too Much!

The McGill Trail at Mt. Pinos is is my new favorite trail. You can quote me on that. Besides taking a saddle to the chest on my last ride of the day and completely jacking up my rear tire on a bail, the day went off without a hitch.
The Shuttle King aka Mr. SCOA
Our Riding Posse For The Day

Angeles Crest Highway... Or What's Left Of It.

Scorched Earth...

McGill But Not Mike

I went up to Mt. Pinos again this weekend to hit the McGill Trail with some friends. Overall it was a great session. I think the only bad thing that happened all day was that one of my buddies cracked his bike frame and only got in one ride... WEAK! Other than that we got some cool riding footage (to be edited and posted soon) and some cool pics. Stay tuned...
The Filming Mission Begins Now!
Jumpin...
Mini X-Up On The Tree Branch In Your Face Jump
I Was Trying To Go Big... I Swear!
Me Likey!

Mountains On The Moon

Here's a Ranger at the Mt. Wilson observatory's update on the Station Fire that has F'd the local mountains up beyond belief. The outlook is pretty grim.

The Angeles Crest Highway, California Highway 2 - a National Scenic Byway - is now mostly a path through utter desolation. Many have described it as a moonscape. The best I can describe it is as a landscape in a perpetual, ashen gray winter. There are places here and there where the whimsical nature of the fire has left an acre or two with chaparral in place, but what one mostly confronts - from the arson point a few miles up from La Canada all the way to the Red Box turnoff - is this eery, wintry landscape as far as the eye can see.

By contrast, the Red Box Road is mostly in good shape. In one sense, once this fire is history, we can expect for a very long time to have serious rock and dirt slides on the Angeles Crest, and I expect there will be massive slides during the forthcoming wet season.

And here's some additional great news from Caltrans...

More than 40 miles of the Angeles Crest Highway from La Canada Flintridge to Islip Saddle have been closed indefinitely because of the Station Fire, which has burned off road stripping and destroyed guard rails and signage along the scenic route, Caltrans officials said.

Judy Gish, a Caltrans spokeswoman, said the highway’s pavement remains largely intact, though further damage to the 66-mile road is possible as the fire continues. She said it was too soon to estimate the cost to repair the highway or when it could be reopened.


150,000 Charred Acres That Look Just Like This

A Week Later...

The Station Fire is still burning strong...
Is That An Atomic Bomb? Nope... Just The Station Fire!

Mt. Wilson Camera Fire Time Lapse Video

This video is pretty amazing, and shows just how crazy the fire up in the San Gabriel Mountains is.