-
Crisp
One of the strangest parts of riding a bike in California is how quickly you can move between different ecosystems. This ride started in the desert, moved up through a lush and green temperate area, then topped off here, in this wasteland. Stranger still, the trees were covered in ice, as though light dew had…
-
Views for Days
From a few weeks ago, a rare day where the sky was so clear you could see (what I assume is) Catalina Island from Mt Lukens 👀🫡
-
Fire Layers
One of the things that happens in the mountains around LA, especially (but not only) when there is a fire nearby, is this weird, natural gradient that creates distinctive layers. In this case, there’s a gnarly fire many miles to the NW, and from Mt Lukens truck trail you get these layers of hazy blue.
-
Oops, I Did It Again
I was trying to get a photo of a fun, snakey section of Mt Lukens today, but due to some absurd lighting and fog that was well outside my technical capability to correct for, I couldn’t get the photo I wanted. I gave up and just pointed the camera outward. It felt oddly familiar to…
-
Above
One of my favorite things about cycling in Los Angeles is how during certain times of the year, you can go from an overcast, crummy morning into a sunlit shining day by simply climbing 5,000 feet into the sky. I’ve seen this sort of scene countless times, but I stop and gape at it every…
-
They’re creepy and they’re kooky
I was in Montana recently for a long weekend, where the bulk of my time was spent on a boat on a lake, which was glorious. But I did sneak in a bike ride. I snagged a rental and copped the short route of the Last Best Ride, which had been held the week prior.…
-
Crispy Summers
I’ve been trying to experiment with getting more in the foreground—didn’t really work here, but whatever. The mountains outside Los Angeles are starting to take a strange turn, as they often do in late Summer. Equally green and burnt to a crisp, browned and yellowed, with a hint of deep red. It’s a color scheme…
-
Ringa Ding Rincon
I’ve accidentally done my last two big rides through areas in California recently on fire. Or maybe there are just so many areas that have been on fire in the last decade that this is inevitable. This time, the ride was along the Rincon trail in Angeles National Forest, which suffered through the Bobcat Fire…
-
I like Big Basin (and I cannot lie)
A couple weeks ago, I finally made it up to Northern California for a ride. Specifically, to Big Basin State Park. I linked together a series of fire and forest roads using the Old Growth Classic bike race as a base for my route. This was easier said than done, as Big Basin—along with its…
-
Spooky
About five minutes after this the sidewall of my brand new front tire was sliced wide open, forcing me to shove a $5 bill in there as a boot along with my only tube. Back tire had a slow leak that the sealant couldn’t seem to plug entirely, but it got me home. But hey,…
-
This is the End (of the Day)
Sometimes, you get a glimpse of one of the doorways between worlds. Where the light hits just right, and you can see—for just a moment—an entrance. On the other side is, well, that’s still unclear for most people. But for you, in that brief time, it’s all so very obvious. But then the moment passes…
-
🏔️
I wasn’t expecting a bunch of snow on today’s ride, but I didn’t hate it. About 3/4 up Mt Lowe I hit about six inches of snow and had to hike-a-bike for a while. It was, fortunately, gorgeous along the way. Ran into three fallen trees to boot.
-
License to Chill
From Grand Teton National Park It’s funny how different a national park—any national park—feels early in the morning. Before the crowds arrive, you get a glimpse at what made these parks worth saving in the first place. By 11am or so, as the park fill up, that feeling often flips, making you wonder where…
-
Here’s Luken Through You
Taken on Mt. Lukens, December 16 2023—I think I’ve taken some variation of this photo, from this spot, at least a couple dozen times. I just love what it looks like from right here. This time, I’d accidentally set the exposure at +3 while fumbling with my camera and wearing gloves, but I like how…