A quick entry before heading home for the night. The Red Sox did it. They finally won the World Series, and with relative ease. As a superstitious individual, I had my doubts, especially when the lunar eclipse hit. I figured that may be some divine intervention that would resume the curse, but alas, nothing happened.

Now that that ordeal is done with, I can officially stop watching TV for quite some time. Went on a stellar hike tonight up the mountain behind my work place. The exact location where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains. Sunset to near darkness, picking my way along the trail near the end, trying not to tumble down the mountain as a result of an errant step. The near full red moon was rising to the east, over the lights of Boulder. I kept hearing sounds in the bushes...mountain lions perhaps? Hiking is rad. Especially hiking up a mountain. To live on the foot steps of a mountain is something I'll always strive for, but I'm currently lucky enough to have one also right behind my place of work. I can literally leave my office and be hiking straight up in about 90 seconds.

Tonight, a celebration. Suz and I will head to the big city to dance the night away to Paul Van Dyk at the Church. Lots to celebrate too: good health to self, friends and family, one of my best years ever in some key events I target on the mountain bike, some super trips, a great girlfriend, two rad dogs and a Red Sox title! I've learned that this thing called life is basically a roller coaster ride, and celebrating the good times is as key as rolling with the bad ones.

Monday, October 25

A little bit off-beat lately. As a DJ, you try to avoid it. One record coming into play a little faster or slower than the record on the decks. It sounds like a muddled mess. Life has rhythms, and right now I'm enjoying being a bit off rhythm. The calm before the storm. Or perhaps, change. Looking for a new vibe, something bright, fresh. To be honest, the standard commute, which now starts in pitch blackness and ends in a bitter frozen corpse impersonation down mag lacks passion for me right now (however I suspect the time change will help). Definitely ready for ski/snowboard season. Walked the dogs this morning, and could hear the drone of the snow-guns firing away just over the hill. Three fresh inches in Happy Valley only. Glittering, sparkling against the dawn glow. Fifty days this year - at least – on the snowboard, and about double that on the nordic skis. Some racing too. That's the goal at least.

I've been selected for jury duty. In a stroke of ill-fated bad luck, I somehow made a cut from 50 people to six. Three to four days this week, locked in a courtroom. But actually, it gets out earlier than work normally, so I may try to sneak in a ride home tomorrow night. Probably the last one of the season, as the time changes this weekend.

Full on late fall here. Spent the weekend doing nordic ski plyometrics – running through the woods, over rocks, jumping like a little kid – and stacking wood in snow squals. One cord. It may take some doing, but I'm going to try to convince Suz to let us heat the house with say 80% wood heat this winter. I just like it better than propane. The aesthetics of it all. Cheaper too. The past few nights have been good - roaring fires, and the Red Sox whooping butt in the World Series. Two more wins, and I will have filled my Tee Vee quota for the next decade or so.

Saw the Rollinsville Rednecks on the RTD today. Missing my group of friends a bit. No, actually a lot. Perhaps with winter around the corner the crew – Josh, Megan, Berto, Timmy, Stacey, Dave, Shenna, Whit, Sue, Kevin, Maggie and Susie will renew the custom of weekend AM breakfast, or a trip to the local Northern Exposuresque movie theater. I love being a hermit in the woods, but community is key too. As Berto said to me one day at the Ned Laundromat as I was bitching about tourists, "Hey man, it's people that make the world go round."

Thursday, October 21

The Intergalactic Singlespeed Space Federation congratulates the Boston Red Sox for their dismantling of the evil empire New York Yankees. This message was forwarded on from one of our field correspondents...

A friend of ours, a tried and true Red Sox fan living on Long Island or a Red Sox fan who lost his way on the Island after the game, sought his revenge on all his Yankee friends who had tormented him and generations before him, on his beloved team. At 1 AM he went around to Long Island homes choosing his victims carefully, for all who awoke to this horrific sight on their way to work and school...in their own driveways! This is a photo of our driveway with the dastardly deed!

The past week has been an unbelievably stressful time of watching playoff baseball. For those of you who don't know, I love baseball. As a kid, I wanted to be center fielder or pitcher for the Red Sox. I used to spend hours each day tossing a ball off the garage door wall practicing my fielding skills, much to the chagrin of my parents when I broke the garage door one day. I've suffered through many Red Sox defeats, as a youngster in 1986 to the Mets, and more recently various random chokes culminating with a loss to the Yankees last year.

Last night, I came to the realization that I could not watch this game 7 at home, for fear of smashing the remote control when Boston screwed it up again. Instead, spent the evening with fellow intergalactic pilots at the Lazy Dog, willing the sox along with every pitch with 300 other crazed Red Sox fans (and a handful of quiet Yankees fans).

They finally did it. Almost. 48 hours more of reprieve before the World Series starts, and then it'll be another week of stress, late nights, and hopefully, euphoria at the end.

Friday, October 15

Just like that, back on the bike today. Explored the Undiscovered Planet solar system this morning, getting thoroughly lost before hitting the road and a direct time saving route into B-town. Saw many beautiful things on the ride today. An orange hew off the continental divide mountains. The mountains are stark white - in mid-winter form already, swirling in a constant storm frenzy. It would be a bad year to be Donner.

Also saw a cornocopia of simultaneous motion this morning. First, the motion of the bike. Then, the flow of the blue river. At the same time, yellow leaves were dropping from leaves, driven by a light breeze. And then, the whisping of the sage grass, caused by that same breeze. Four dimensional motion. All to the backdrop of some winding trance music in the iPod.

Not bad, not bad at all.

Thursday, October 14

Checking in to the blog after an extended absence of just not really feeling like writing much. Actually, been taking a break from a few things that are norms for me – writing and riding – to let the stoke recharge. It's been a bit hard to motivate to ride in the AM. It's been in the 20's lately, snow falling, the winds have been whipping down from the divide, and it's dark in the mornings. Been electing instead to do the bus thing, get some reading in, and make my workouts a brisk hike up one of the many fabulous hiking trails in Boulder, followed by some time in the gym. Just getting in shape for ski season, and letting the natural flow take its turn.

One of the keys for me to be stoked on riding down and up the hill almost every day from March/April to Montezuma's Revenge, and then putting in the total focus and effort that the Revenge requires, is some downtime from the bike in the winter. Still up for the adventure, but it's not a requirement to ride. I have the ultimate respect for Timmy, riding down the hill almost every day all winter long, but for me getting out on a pair of skinny skis or a snowboard, on the blanket of white, in the woods, is as enjoyable as the time on the bike. I need the balance. I'm not really a biker first - I'm a mountain rat whose first choice of exploration is a singlespeed bike. But I like other things too, like hiking, XC skiing, snowboarding, backcountry skiing etc. As a famous Swenson brother said - "Any day above timberline is a good day." No matter what the tool.

I have to admit, I wish my 29er was here. Matt Chester is building it, bless his heart, but it's taking some time. A new sensation, a new ride would be nice. Soon though.

Hiking has been cool. I like powering up to some peak or place, the slower pace, the ability to see even more than when riding. Red and orange canopies, crisp air. Yesterday hiked up to Royal Arch during lunch time, and saw almost nobody. I did see my breathe, however, as temps were in the mid-40's. If you motor, hiking can be a great workout, so it's all good.

Let's see, what else. Went to Great Sand Dunes National Park last weekend with the youth group. Spent the time hiking around the dunes, jumping, digging, sliding on a "snurfer." A kick ass place. A good group of kids too. Must go back to this place soon and do an epic adventure GPS led hike across the entire dunes. Check out a few images here.

That's all for now. Winter is arriving quicker than normal to Happy Valley, and I still have to order a cord of wood. Unsplit this year, cause I want the workout, Rocky Balboa style. The Red Sox are down 2-0 to the Yankees...dissapointing and stressful, but hope remains. Let the good guys win.

Wednesday, October 6

After a few days being off the bike, and letting the cold ease out as opposed to jackhammer out, was back on the bike this morning. An odd commute in that it was actually raining the whole time, but not the normal chilled to the bone type rain we normally get. It felt Pacific Northwest-like, almost like a cocoon. Waterproof pants and jacket kept things relatively comfortable the whole way across. Being on the trail, where you are sheltered and speeds are slower, was much better than some brief stints on road, where the rain and wind hits you with full force, and you create your own chaotic weather system by moving fast and water kicking off your tires.

For a rainy morning in the woods, it was darned crowded. Found a dog, a yellow lab that proceeded to follow me for a mile or so on the trail. Found a spot where there was cell phone coverage and called the owner, who was frantically looking for the pup. Waited for ten minutes by the side of the road for the owner to come and pick up the dog. Then, later on the trail near the slash pile, passed a guy walking two puny rat dogs. Odd because I've never seen anyone here on the nicest of days, let alone a rainy one. His dogs proceeded to nip at my ankles while I pedaled past, all the while he's assuring me the dog is just giving me "love bites." After about the third or forth of these love bites, where his dog actually frayed my rain pants a bit, I was ready to lose it on the guy, but something about the rain and peaceful atmosphere refrained me from doing so. Good riddance, though. Then, later, on another trail, I came upon two guys who looked like they were surveying something. An odd location for surveying on an odd day. Actually saw more people and dogs in the woods today: three and three, then I have on all my morning commutes combined for the entire summer.

This wet pattern is good - let's hope it keeps up for another six months, and brings us a real winter for once.

Saturday, October 2

It was a dark, stormy night in the Nederland galaxy. Indeed, so stormy that many a pilot wondered if this years mission, a night ride authorized by the Intergalactic Single Speed Space Federation, would even be possible. Hence, a high level call to none other than Nick Carter at 9-News. Nick, who shockingly answered this important request, gave the pilots the go ahead, calling only for fog and clouds. Thank you Nick.

At 5:40 this pilot and two new inductees into the pilot ranks, Zach "Silent but Deadly" Vanderkooy and Tawnya "the yelper" Armstrong embarked in an ancient craft, Hayduke, through mist a fog to meet the troops riding the RTD Space Shuttle. Despite the challenges of a night time mission, more than 35 pilots showed up for the event, a perfect number. This years route was a common space route, but oddly enough a first for the IGSSC. But first, a visit to the Moss Isle Pioneer Inn, home to all sorts of alcoholic ruffians. Quite a shock for them to see costume clad pilots, including a return of the original 1999 Wookie by none other than Pluto Pilot himself! Indeed, conditions at the past IGSSC events have been too warm to even consider the Wookie.

After drinking one cheap PBR each, the pilots embarked on their mission. It must be noted that sadly, some regulars did not attend this year version, including the original pilot himself (Collarbone), Heather (training for TDD), and shockingly, Meriweather. Meriweather is the crown jewel of the pilots, and apparently was abducted by COG (see his blog) just hours before the event. Morale was crushed upon this discovery.

Pilots are a resilient bunch, and many of the regulars were there, including T-Brown-Trip, Jeremy Polo Sport Korgan Hobelski, The Belgium Wonder Paco (thanks for the kind words about 03 TDD), Munky Stein and Pilot Dubba. Led by this core group, the pilots rebounded from Meriweathers absence and rode into the night. At first, the end of the day dusk accompanied the riders past the West Mag galaxy, but this soon gave way to full fledged darkness, a challenge which caused many a pilot to hit the dirt, including Munky! Not to worry though, these are pilots, not pussies and we bounce back better than a XTR derailleur dropped from the top of the Grand Canyon. The pilots encountered many dangers, including a leaking natural gas valve set up by the Shimano empire to blow all pilots to smithereens, and cold, wet, conditions which made the margin for error absolutely zero, lest pilots be forced to resort to cannibalism.

A beautiful sight though, to see 35 pilots and trainees arcing though the Blue Dot solarplex at warp speed, with only their lights betraying their position. Under a cloak of clouds and fog, the pilots were making their attack on the geared empire a success. Through the car wash - many a whoop and holler of joy there. The clouds suddenly lifted, revealing bright stars from the Milky Way galaxy. Many a stop for refreshments, as this is a necessary component to any intergalactic event. Only a few craft issues - a flat tire by T-Brown and Douggie, who may be the lightest weight pilot in the history of the universe.

After some debate, the pilots decided to take the more honorable route down the Magnolia time warp, and a mistake this was not. Fog creeping up from the Boulder valley was awe inspiring for even the most jaded pilot. Fortunately, we did not hit a bear, and almost everyone completed the ride (as usual, a few pilots were lost to the geared empire in battle, but these things happen).

All in all, one of the best IGSSC events ever – why the federation has never made this a night event before is stunning. Sadness over Meriweathers abduction, but hopes that freedom will reach this key pilot in time for the TDD tomorrow evening. 9 pm at Eben G Fine Park in Boulder.

Click here for Federation initial classified images of this historic event. More to come soon.

Friday, October 1

An early morning Intergalactic Single Speed Championships forecast from Happy Valley. Current conditions: 35 degrees, and a light, wet snow is falling. Clothing advice, from top to bottom. Warm wool socks, shoes, booties, leg warmers, bike shorts, wind pants, underlayer long underwear top, wool jersey (or if no wool jersey lots of layers), some sort of water proof top, two pairs of warm gloves, ski cap, helmet. And finally, a warm down ski parka (packable) of some type if you really want to be toasty on the final descent. Or, substitute all this for a big, furry bear suit. Oh, and don't forget the flask.

May the force be with you.