Pour one out for an all-around great guy and good friend.

I just learned that a friend of mine was killed in an avalanche in California on Friday.  I wanted to write this post in remembrance of him and in sympathy for his family.

http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_8096397 

Mike was not only an awesome mountain biker and skier, he was hilarious, charismatic, and energetic.  He was never afraid to have fun and just be himself.  He genuinely cared about his friends, and always waited up for me on group mtb rides with the guys when I was getting dropped.  Thanks, Mike.  Next time I’m mountain biking in Flag, I’ll ride Little Bear for you.

Ride on and happy trails.

A new year, a new blog routine.

Where do I begin?  Since I last blogged, I got a blender for Christmas; the shed outside the house Kyle and I are living in had the door knocked down with a sledge hammer and Kyle’s CR1 was stolen with my race wheels on it (which I had not paid for yet); the bike has since been returned after being purchased from a junkie for 200 bones; a New Year has arrived; I went skiing for the first time since high school; I did some yard work and painted some bedrooms; I paid for my recently returned race wheels; Kyle and I adopted a dog; the dog got fixed; the fixing was not so successful; the dog’s scrotum became enlarged – larger than a softball; the dog is back under the knife today; I rode Madera Canyon on Saturday; hell froze over…

Bottom line, winter break was not so much a break after all.  I can’t wait to go back to school and get back into some sort of “normal” routine.

The dog’s name is George Washington Hayduke.  Google-it if you don’t know who that is.

Next weekend I’m off to Phoenix for a 12 Hour MTB Race with my new team.  Oh, by the way, I’m riding for a road team this year.  Yes, everyone, you heard that correctly…ROAD TEAM…Specialized Designs for Women/ Bicycle Haus, to be exact.  I’ll still be racing the pro mountain bike circuit as much as possible, but I’m learning how to be a roadie.  Yea, I told you, hell did freeze over.