Deep Forest…

My MTB animal totem is the Angry Squirrel...

Friday afternoon Kurt and Scott dropped by and we hit the road for Hartland Mountain Bike Park.

Spaceframe in action...

Scott is once again schooling us on a rigid mountain bike…this time single speed just to make it interesting for him!

Kurt in the forest...

We managed to pry Kurt away from his books long enough to shred some dirt.

Scott demonstrates a semi-fat roll in...

I’m already thinking of modifying Scott’s brakes so they are 25% engaged all the time he is riding.

I may be slow, but I dress to impress!

Of course I now have the excuse that I’m slow because I have to haul around 8lbs of photo gear to document the ride.

The start of the aptly named "Get Wet" Trail...

For the time being I just jam my DSLR into a basic camera bag which I then jam into my 10yr old Camelback Transalp backpack. I’m always guarding the rear of the pack uphill or downhill so the extra weight/bulk isn’t a big deal.

Happy to be back aboard the Nomad...

Having to pull off the backpack and get the camera out every time isn’t ideal, but I’m keeping my eyes open for a dedicated MTB hydration & camera pack. They exist, but are $$$ so I want to make the right choice and my first priority is a fast prime lens when I’ve got some money saved.

The Dream Team...

It’s good that Kurt came out for a ride so that Scott had someone a bit faster to ride with. Not only do they have more fun, but it takes the pressure off me to catch up as fast as possible so I can enjoy  bumping around in the forest at my own pace.

My typical perspective on Kurt as he rides away from me...

When I run into folks that know me from my blog I often get surprised looks on the trail wondering why I am not the uber biker they thought I was based on my photos and ride reports. So this is me setting the record straight. I’m slow!

Kurt doing his mountain goat impression...

You may have already figured out that my mountain bike photography interest continentally allows for me to stop and catch my breathe while I snap some action shots of other folks riding.

Heading downhill...

Luckily both Scott and Kurt are willing stunt models who don’t mind riding the same section of trail again and again while I futz with the camera.

Wait for me!

Although I love my Pugsley it sure was nice to have 6″+ of suspension at both ends to smooth out the trail and make riding significantly less tiring. My Nomad even goes uphill really well so there isn’t much downside to this bike.

Scott and his buddy Big Fat Larry...

We spent a lot of time messing about on Fun Trail at Hartland which deserves its name.

I'm loving the dark green landscape we have to play in...

I agreed to put away the camera once we got to the top of Mount Work so we could enjoy the ride down without interruptions.

Wall ride...

I may have broken my promise once…

Hartland glamour shot...

…or twice!

Time to play...

Once back at the bottom we rolled over to Two Trees Trail and a few rocks that are always fun to play on.

Kurt going wild...

Bikes, rocks and body armour make for a fun time…=-)

Scott showing how you roll rigid...

Everyone took a few laps on Scott’s Jones Spaceframe.

I'm no Porcelain Rocket...

The Jones is a very fun bike that likes to roll over obstacles and loft its front wheel on command.

Whoa Nellie!

Scott’s got it geared 25T x 36T which seems awfully tall for us weaker folks, but he makes it fly and he rolls smoothly down even the roughest trails. We’re not sure how he does it, but it’s fun to watch!

Two thumbs up for another great ride...