Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Where is the smog?




The couple of days after a rain storm is the only time where smog is not choking our lungs.


You know its clear when Catalina Island is visible from the Verdugo Hills.


That shiny thing in the top right corner is an ocean, incase Jimbo and Chris were wondering.



Friday, December 07, 2007


Overlooking Burbank from the USGS post in the Verdugo Hills after the rain.
I could see clearly now the rain has gone...
I could see all the obstacles in my way...
Where is the rainbow I've been searching for...
Its going to be a bright *bright* bright sunshining day!


Finally got some good rain the other night. Was expecting more but it'll do just for now. Super-sticky today which made it tougher to ride up but a blast to ride down in. The trails will be nicely washed and hardpacked waiting for us to ride them tomorrow. The hillsides will become green again for a short while. Visibility should be crisp and clear. Get it while the getting is good !

Monday, November 26, 2007

Thankful to Ride


What a great ride ! The day before Thanksgiving we rode up in the Verdugo Hills to the top of Burbank Peak to enjoy the sunset and have a few drinks to be thankful. Mr. Osgood, Mr. Margoway, Mr. Barry , and my brother. The Long Island Ice Tea my brother brought was a good chaser to my Mammoth Brewery Double Nut Brown. Wild Turkey was flowing also. The sun went down and the moon came up which was a delight because I had no lights, bombing downhill in the glow of the moon while having a really good buzz is really fun. Not being able to see dips and bumps is just like turbulance in an aircraft. Senses come alive. Was that a mountain lion or a bush ? The alchohol is taking effect. Just stick to the hillside and go with the flow. Enjoy it.
We are all Thankful to be healthy enough to enjoy riding our bikes in the hills. Thankful to have friends and family to share these special moments. This ride goes down in the Archive of Great Rides with the likes of Jim Roff, Chris, Christie, Jay, and others that have made a lasting impression in my memory bank.



My brother with the San Fernando Valley in the back.


Of Wolf and Man... AWWOOOO!!!


Friday, November 09, 2007

Survivor : Fuzzy Edition

Last weekend I went on an "outdoor survival" trip with friends to Sequoia National Forest. The trip was organized by Dr. Wright (true mountain man) but could not help us out if we needed help, purely a spectator in our adventure.

We started off early Friday morning at the Walker Pass Campground with nothing but the clothes we were wearing and two trash bags. Because of the major hike in and out we opted not to take heavy or thick clothing : Hiking shoes, wool socks, Zip-off pants, shirt, and a fleece sweater. Other items were a knife, string/cord, two trash bags, and a hat. Oh yea, one uncooked potatoe that still had dirt on it. We were handed a topo map and a compass to navigate our ways to a particular area designated by Dr. Wright. To conserve energy and sweating (warm during the day , freezing at nights) I planned a route on the dry creek around three passes which added an extra two hours to my hike. A total of five hours of navigating around steep hills and dry creeks.

Along the way I was lucky enough to identify Pinyon Pine nuts on the floor. As I hiked on my path I became a hunter-gatherer. Pocket full of nuts for the evening. Found a couple of bear scat on the ground but looked to be old. Deer scat was also scattered about. No trace of critters anywhere. Setting up a snare or trap would be useless when I settle.

Arriving at the designated rendeavor area we were greeted with "great" news. We could not start a fire due to the wildfires and Santa Ana winds that had picked up. That means we could not boil our water, keep warm, roast my nuts (haha). The night was going to be cold, in the mid 30s. So I immediately built a solar still to gather water droplets from the ground moisture. Also started to build my debris shelter out of branches and fallen pine needles. The creek in which we settled by was totally dry so I surveyed the area and found a small trubitary to the creek. Scrambling up a steep grade full of granite boulders I found a sign of a freshwater spring. Digging deeper in the mud I hit GOLD, fresh water sprung up and I quenched my thirst. Marked the area so I can tap into it again for the weekend.

Because we were in a canyon it got cold and windy really quickly. With sunset at 6:00 (no watches, but could calculate with arm extension technique) it got dark really quickly so my debris shelter was less than optimal because of the ban on fire. I crawled in my shelter and went to sleep. Don't know how long I had dosed off but woke up freezing I couldnt feel my feet. Did not sleep after that and it seemed like eternity before sunrise.

The solar still did not work out as planned so I took the plastic bag to retrofit my shelter for the second night. Worked on the "bear den" for a good half day. Piling on as much layers of pine needles as possible to make a decent insulation. Ate half my potatoe for lunch and headed back up to my spring for more water. Crushed my nuts (haha) in a granite mortar and added some water to make a "soup", needed some flavor so I added some sage that I found on the way in, but still good.

As the sun creeped behind the canyon wall the winds started to pick-up again. From the experience I had the night before I made some needed adjustments to my den. Built the door on the other side and made the hut in a lower profile to hide from the wind behind a boulder. I had to literally crawl on my stomach into the den and get in a fetal position which was my doom for the night. Not being able to sit-up or stretch out I started to cramp up at nite. Being so cold and windy outside I stayed in the den and was getting in and out of sleep the whole time.

Light, the rays of life that warms up a body and gives hope! Eating my last piece of raw potatoe and breaking my den down to natural state we were ready to head out back. Chose to walk by the dry creek at first to see where my energy level was and it was moderately low. Decided to do a pass that had an elevation gain of 600 ft, it was a good idea to cut down the time but came across a camp that was totally littered with trash and cans. With one of my bags I filled it up with all the trash, tied it to a big stick....walked out with it over my shoulder. Its a duty.

I've been in similar conditions in the past but those were not planned ( getting lost on Mt. Langley or stuck on Mt. Whitney for one night with my friends broken leg) but overall it was a great experience. Lost 6 pounds in 3 days, grew a full beard, and had 35 different kinds of insect species on me. It was more rewarding on the mind and soul. Time did not exist, only the rise and fall of the sun was the tell. The calm and solitude is soothing. Bare minimum of food and water, no excess amount in a fridge or a corner street fast food joint. Being productive to live is more rewarding than being productive in a job to make money where you go and buy the needs. I dont know how long I'll survive out there but I could feel myself adapt and become stronger as the days past. The body will adapt to the surrounding conditions, the senses will become keen, and the mind will become acute. Afterall we are animals.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Yosemite

Exactly ten years ago my father, uncle, and I went up to Yosemite Valley during the fall season to experience the wonders that is Yosemite, the exact date was October 28, 1997 (3x5 photo with date on back). I was yearning for those same sensations that I had felt 10 years ago. As a small present to my older brother and sister-in-law I planned out a trip back to the Valley during the autumn season. Marco and Dianne came up also after visiting the Monterrey Aquarium where the baby Great White Shark is in captivity. I rented a cabin at the Curry Village for my brother and wife because it gets cold there in the fall and they wouldn't handle it. Fortunately I found an open campsite thanks to a hot-chick rock climber who was leaving early for the weekend where Marco and Dianne pitched their tent, troopers I tell you! Like usual I called terra firma my home right next to the fire pit with my sleeping bag.




Yosemite during the fall is the best time to go in my opinion. The leaves are changing to gold and red, when the wind blows they gently float to the ground to cover every inch of forest floor. The lack of running water in the Merced River and the large valley waterfalls are easily forgotten because of the lack of people. We were the first cars that Friday entering the parking lot where in the summer it is packed to capacity and long traffic jam extends out of it. That same parking lot was a quarter full on Saturday, hardly anybody there in the whole valley.




Vernal Falls on the Mist Trail



Breathing in the crisp air in the mornings opens up the lungs. The quiet that hangs over the valley soothes and calms a persons soul. Occassionally listening to the singing chirps of birds in a near by valley oak. The winds come in to liven up the trees and grasses for a few seconds and the calm continues. These are the sensations I was looking for and it brought back the memories that I could barely describe right now.









Overall the weekend was great. We had beers and chili by the fire at nights, hiked and biked all over the valley, did some bouldering near Camp 4, and the usual run in with the wildlife. Two adolescent cubs were very curious what that sleeping bag had in it, to their surprise it wasnt hot dogs but a hairy dirtbag, luckily momma bear wasn't interested.




Just hanging out



Chillin the most !

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Roids!

Don't use steriods kids, this can happen to you!


Symptopms : Abnormal growth and chicken legs


Hmmm ... no roids here ... just normal Jimbo


Uncontrolable RAGE!

Stay in school, be cool, and stay off the juice.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

They be GONE!

Is that ? It cant be ! Can it be ? No way! OMG ...its Jay...

on the catwalk..shakes his little toosh on the catwalk... yeaa on the catwalk... too sexy for california...





Jay sizing up his exit to Colorado.





Jim said he would never leave the ghetto, but when he got his first check ...HE BE GONE!


Ohio on the left, Arizona in the middle, Colorado on the right...
Wyoming here I come!

Monday, October 08, 2007

Sherpa!

Rock Climbing at Fossil Falls, CA. October 6-8


After a long, cold, windy nite sleeping outside
The ultimate wedgie device for the balls.

Overhangs are hard to climb up!

Jessica repelling a 110ft face
The view from the top of climb #3



P-Bag is officially a dork!









Monday, October 01, 2007

HOLLA!

HOLLA at the FUZZ!



The rage is coming.



The hurricane of pain ! It's gonna be a firefight!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Recharge the Battery

It feels really good to take a little break from racing and training during the season. With the stress of college finals and all the reports due it was a good call to put aside the bike for two weeks. Riding with Jay at his place was fun and hurt just a bit on the weekends, but gave enough joy to fill in for the week.

This Friday I start training for the Triple Bypass which is coming up really fast. Slated for July 14th in beautiful Colorado with the Roffster, training for long climbs and time in the saddle will be very important in the next two months. Call me up if you want to do a long ride. Also the Deer Valley National in Utah is around the corner on June 15-17 weekend. Getting some altitude riding in will certainly help with that event. Still contemplating if I should race Ellings Park on June 2nd to get my ass in some sort of race shape for Nationals. Like Bert the Hurt says "gotta race to get into race shape".

Cross-training I've heard is really important when doing the same thing over and over again like biking. Our basketball team, Los Guerrilleros, are in first place still undefeated in the league. Averaging 13.7 ppg and 7.6 apg. My frisbee golf score has steadily gotten better. Marco and Gardo still kick my ass on the opening drives tho. These refreshing and using-different-muscles-that-i-didnt-know-i-had are awesome! Especially the next day.

Dance the Good Time dance peoples....

Jimbo rocks !

Beers do too.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

National #2

I'm alive ! well... barely. Firestone Walker Santa Ynez Chamber of Commerce of Los Olivos Double Barrell Ale of Trek was this past weekend. Not happy with my result but pretty content on my performance, finished it ! I still cannot believe the difference from Sport category to Expert category is , just one mistake or foul up and the whole pack is gone never to be seen again. Now I understand what Vegas Bob has been going through the last couple of years moving from sport to expert.

The race started off really fast like usual but what made it worse was that the first 4 miles or so was the vineyard loop where it is all flat. If you are not in the pack to draft and get pulled along then your ass is getting sucked out from the back , thats what happened to me and a fellow racer. Inhaling large amounts of particulate matter is not fun either. Thats what I get for being a slow starter ... and a slow racer ... and a slow finisher ... haha.

The climbing wasnt that bad. Some of you know me and know that I love to climb, which is all I do in my hood. Again, felt my back and hips start to cramp up just like Sea Otter but I was on the Trek Fuel X 9.5 (Full carbon, full XTR, full $7000 worth of stuff that I will never own. Thanks to Jay Shipwreck for letting me borrow it while my poor 'ol Epic gets slowly fixed up) The back and hips felt much better when I flew off the singletrack and careened down the side of the hill. Still cannot believe I didn't get mangled into peices but flying off that log on the trail and landing INTO the hard right hander was priceless... hiked back up with some giggling.

Felt good about halfway through the race and started to pick it up going into the second lap, which is what always happens before I die again. Probably got lucky and caught my last 5th and 6th winds at one time haha. Result was 11th out of 14th. I had fun , didnt finish dead last, felt stronger mentally and physically. Whatever ... rookie season, rite ? please say "rite".

Thanks to the peeps out there cheering on in the heat. Roger and his buddy at the feedzone. The official feedzone kids who all ten of them splashed me. If I find out who planned that out ...i swear ! It was funny tho ... props.

One of these days I'll fully be prepared to race. Hiking around for 8 hours with measuring instruments on an island or drinking beer ... wait ... not that one... or working late the night before is not a healthy preparation at this level.

Shoutouts :
Vegas BOB ! Finally found his MOJO ! Welcome back dude !
Bert the Hurt . Fractured hand ... racing Semi-pro ... get this man a beer ! one for me too please.
Alex Boone . Homie who is killing out there this year. Congrats again on a first place race.
Greg Pleis . Thanks for the Sierra Nevada Porter after the race... the boot is in the right hands now.
All the sponsors. Kenda tires ( even tho I didnt have Kenda tires on, I wish I did! Bontragers suck ! ) and Kenda Girls especially.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Whenever I think about the Firestone Walker race up in Santa Barbara County, usually, I think of a good time. This might sound alittle weird for those who know the history between me and the race course there. First encounter came in 2004. Hauling ass on the singletrack by the creek like usual out of control and way too fast I ended up in the gulley ten feet below the trail. Luckily there was no water at the time but that damn tree in the bottom punched a hole through my hydration pack with a branch that could part the Red Sea again. Luckily it wasnt my spleen or kidneys (and maybe my ass itself). With water gushing out and stuck laying down on the ground
I had to let it go and climb up back on the trail to jugalong. Thanks to the race crews for dropping it off at Jimbo's trailor.

Going in to the 2005 race I had full confidence because of the 4th place finish at the NOVA Nationals in Arizona couple of weeks earlier. On top of the Olympic ridden Tomac of impending collapse (which was my brothers) the race started off great until we were tossed onto the downhill course. Cross country geometry and tin can thin aluminum was not meant to take a gap jump. Getting bucked and tumbling down the course happened in just a few seconds... still got up and rode off. Not so bad you might say about this race. Not done. couple of miles later on a steep downhill section on the back of the course something happened that I have never felt before and hopefully never will again. Confusion can best describe it before the pain set in. The bike split in half right down the middle, no joke. It was a total SuperMan slide because I still had my hands on the handlebars. Riding glasses shatters , helmet dented, wrist mangled... sitting inbetween two pieces of a bike that were being held together with the cables only. Holy Shit ! What just happened ? My bro is not going to believe this. I actually chuckled to myself.

For 2006 I entered the endurance race there at Firestone. Five laps ...15 miles each... oh yea chugging a beer every lap. That part did not go so well, basicly , the whole thing didnt go so well. I did complete it in just 8 hours but could have had a better time if that freaking BULL wasnt in the way! All I saw were nads as I was braking as hard as I could not to go fast first into the rear of this bull out on the singletrack. With a cliffside on the right and a fence on the left that bull had one way to go, thats what I thought, until it made a 180 to come right at me. With a fellow racer that was even more stunned than me we ended up climbing down the cliff so the bull can pass by. The bull didnt want to pass by and intended on Moo-ing us to death. Quick scram to the left and we were out. Saw the fellow couple of more times during the debacle that day.

Don't know what to expect this year at Firestone Walker. Expert class , nationals, borrowed bike again ... its a recipe for disaster again. The beer will be ready thats for sure!

Pic from 2005 : Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale and ice cream provided by Rhoda : makes it feel all better.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Constant Change

Just like the universe we are in a constant change. Whether it be the continents drifting ever so slowly across the face of the planet or the moods Big Al is in, things change all the time but some are for better and some are for worse. Just take a look back atleast 1 year in your life and compare it to today. Whats different ? Who is around you now ? How have you changed ? We dont like to ask ourselves such questions because it makes us feel awkward or the thought of dissapointment and failure might creep in so most of us ignore it outright. Those memories that actually make us think back to another time when it was different actually wasnt that different. The ability to look back and see the changes we've made throughout our lives and also to learn from them is the most important part. Some friends that knew me in high school but havent seen in years have said I'm a totally different person now. Gone from a preist to a "fuckit" kind of mentality. Even the way I feel about relationships and "love" have been changed drasticly because of whats happened in the past. But some people dont change, that is not healthy! Stuck in the same mindframe and making the same mistakes.

My brother got engaged and getting married this summer... and it is for the better.
Chris ending his relationship with girlfriend... and it is for the better.
The Roffs changed their geographical location... and it is for the better.
Christie totally changed her attitude about racing... and it is for the better.
Jay and Teri made major family oriented changes...and it is for the better.
I opened a new microbrew... and it is for the better.



Whats your change thats gonna be for the better ?

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

The Fuzz is Back !


After a long break from the blogging world I have returned on behalf of the peoples. The biking season has already started but the beer drinking has not stopped since I last left you. With Phoenix Nationals and Sea Otter under the belt it is time for some good 'ol fashion hoe down in the upcoming months (I dont mean your mom Chris).


Firestone Walker is just a week and a half away followed by Fontucky the following week. Isn't it great to get done with 3 nationals in just 5 weeks ? What are we going to do for the rest of the season you may ask ?? Some good micro-brew and driving for hours to Colorado and Utah sounds nice ! Riff-Roffs , here I come !


I still dont have a computer at home so I'll be posting clandestine style at school and bros house.


Happy stuffs , The Fuzz