If you have ever spent time deep in the mountains then you know that the only sounds are the wind and the noise of your own tracks, but when that mountain speaks it speaks loudly. The roar of an avalanche or the bottomless rumbles of rock fall shatter the near silence with a exclamation mark of raw power. If you are in the mountains and you hear any of the sounds of the mountain cataclysm then you stop, you stop dead in your paces and pay attention.

Kevin Phelps is a man that has been described to be like the mountains. People revere Kevin Phelps because he is as solid as the granite peaks, and as determined as the glaciers that carved the granite. He doesn’t act flashy or speak unnecessarily of himself, he just acts, and when he acts everyone stops and listens. His style upon a bike is powerful and unyielding. He appears to bend cranks as he turns them up the hills then tries to choke hold the trail into submission when it points downwards.

He has achieved much but I doubt he has a resume, and he doesn’t blog or Tweet. More so, if you were to ask him to list his achievements then you would be met with a shrug of the shoulders.

Such a rider needs a bike that reflects his own attributes and attitudes. Phelps chooses to slay trail from aboard a steel hardtail crafted by Chromag. No nonsense, to the point, with zero gimmicks, just creations of care hewn from steel.

Handmade creations mostly built in Squamish and designed for Whistler riding, or as some riders refer to it, BCXC – a blend of back breaking, thigh tearing climbs, then steep, rocky, rooty descents that are like several downhill courses placed top to tail, and spiced with all kinds of Whisgnar (sic) that require power moves and finesse in equal measures.

It is not just Kevin Phelps that rides a Chromag. There is a guerilla army of loyalists who take the barebones of the beautiful steel frame and by hanging differing combinations of kits create something completely of their own that reflects their own style of riding, and personality. There is a die hard core of locals (and an increasingly international family) who choose to take to the trails aboard their Chromag, and they do so not out of a financial choice or a stylistic statement, but rather because they cherish and respect the heart and craft that runs through everything Chromag do.

The perfect time to really get a handle on how much people love their Chromag’s is at the annual show and shine. Chromag riders and lovers come together to show off their custom painted machines, to beam with pride at their only bikes adaptability, or to just dress their bike up in costume, just for laughs. It is here that you can spend a few beers time strolling between the amassed riders taking and appreciating what, for many, is something more than a bike.

But don’t be mistaken, no one showing their bike is a nuts and bolts geek, each bike has been ridden way past the point where the rubber still gleams and the cables are slick. Chromag owners are Chromag riders. Even though a cursory glance at the show and shine may leave you thinking it is a collection of bike nerds lusting over metal with sweaty hairy palms, a closer look would reveal that each bike has miles upon miles, and possibly years upon years of history. Upon each bike there is marked a colorful journal of the trails, journeys, missions, and times well misspent that are shared with its owner. The paint wear on the chainstay from a million hard fought rotations upon rugged British Columbian singletrack, the scratches in the top tube maybe from one time in the Chilcotins when they were float plane dropped into the wilderness, the grips and saddle chewed by the dog. Or was it a cougar? The tales get taller as the second keg gets opened.

It’s here where the bike is truly kept in perspective. Rather than an image of marketing perfection, the Chromag is seen as just a tool. A tool to go out and celebrate life from upon the saddle. The trail and the tales lived on the trail are nirvana, the bike a means to get there. Whereas there are people that live inside internet forums, or fed off numbers and charts of E-engineers, or become so obsessed with the machine that they never quite have time enough for the pure enjoyment on the trail, Chromag owners get it like no other band of bikers.

A wise man said, “Never mistake the pointing finger for the moon at which you are pointing”. I’m not pointing at your bike or a Chromag, but I have a feeling that there’s plenty Chromag riders shredding the moon.

EDITOR:
Silly Anne (Priscilla Hoe

EDITORIAL MANAGER
Josh Poulsen

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Chris Sullivan
Tara Steele
Joss Dewaele
Kevin Landry
Taylor Loughran
Ki Kopkau
Kelby Fischer
Micayla Gatto
Adrienne Schofhauser
Mark Eller

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Chris Sullivan
Bill Schwalbe
Kevin Ludwig
Dave Hord
Dave Mackie
Ki Kopkau
Dan Waters
Adrienne Schofhauser
Ralf Hauser
Steve Hall

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS:
Micayla Gatto
Matt Phelan

WEB MASTER:
Sean Hreha, PHP, HTML and Flash Man

CONTRIBUTING SHOPS / COMPANIES:
Pine Mountain Sports, Bend, OR
Penn Cycle, Duluth, MN
Go Ride, SLC, UT
Art Barn Productions, Squamish, BC

All rights reserved to FREEHUB Media, LLC. Copyright 2010.

FREEHUB MEDIA, LLC
Bellingham, WA 98226
www.FreehubMag.com
Editor@FreehubMag.com

This photo was taken at the NWCup #3. I was taking a break enjoying a coolbeverage in the Transition Race tent when I decided to try and get a few motion blur shots of races crossing the finish line. I was shooting with the 1D Mark III & 24-70 f/2.8 L set to 1/13 @ f/11.  was shooting a very slow shutter speed, even for motion-blur, so I was pretty stoked on this on. I really like how there are a few TR450’s in the foreground adding some interesting colors.
Photo Ki Kopkau

FILM CANISTER
Art Barn Productions, Squamish, BC

BEHIND THE LENZ
Ki Kopkau Photography, Seattle, WA

FRIENDLY FRONTS
Leavenworth, Washington

CREATIVE PEEPS
Micayla Gatto

COMMUNITY
Trek Dirt Series
International Mountain Bike Association

Here is Issue number 8, yep…8! We are waiting until Spring 2011 to print our next bi-annual, and will then start with two a year for Spring & Fall. Make sure to check our website for daily updates and contest to win sweet product! To everyone that has helped make our dream a reality, THANKS!

Freehub “Reader Photo Contest” winner [2nd place]
Photo by Kevin Ludwig at the new Telluride MTB park

Words & Photos by Chris Sullivan

Though it’s been soggy and on many recent spring days… snowy, I knew that today, the upper trails of the Phils’ Trail network would be well-drained and tacky.  We wanted to shuttle up to the Wanoga Trail Complex and check out the recent work done in the area by the fantastic members of the Central Oregon Trail Association.  Since the start of 2010, COTA volunteers have cumulatively worked 2,200 hours on the area’s new and existing trails!  Dedicated riders and passionate volunteers have created progressive trail “park” features,  blazing fast singletrack and everything in between which make Central Oregon such a fun place to get your cycle fix.

The most recent work has been done about 15 miles outside of town as you head up towards Mt. Bachelor, on a couple of trails named Funner and Tiddlywinks.  Ridden as a loop, these two trails will peel back a smile on your face as you bank from berm to berm for about 13 miles.  But today, we’ll be going for a little longer ride, known as “Funner to town”.

Though we could’ve picked up a ride from our upstairs neighbors at Cog Wild cycle tours, we were on our own schedule so we ditched our pick-up vehicle at the shop, and jammed up to the trailhead in my truck.  Pulling in, I remembered the last time I was here — the notorious Ice Crit Race was raging on and I was slammin’ a Pbr’ shin deep in snow… ahh good times…  But today, we are just below the current snow level, and the dirt looks dee-licious!

Right out of the truck, my riding partners and roommates, Joe and Carly, took off toward the top of Funner.  Now, don’t let the name fool you.  There is a LOT of fun to be had on Funner, and as I chased them down, we soon converged at the first of the new “trail passing lanes”.  These are a really cool feature that is being added all throughout the new trail system.  It allows riders to hopscotch or pass each other on short offshoots of the main trail.

We’re cookin’ down the trail now, and we get to the first of many 2-3 foot rock drops with plenty of speed to sail us smoothly onto the landings.  Carly left her hardtail at home, and was rallying one of the shop’s demo squish bikes through the freshly-packed pumice berms.  The trail was living up to its’ name as everyone was feeling pretty confident, gaining speed even as it’s turns through the trees were getting tighter, and the air a bit more lofty.  Pullin’ in hot, we convene at the Storm King juncture, and take a breath to settle some adrenaline.

Regained, we make our way down the trail toward the Cascade Lakes Hwy where we cross to the other side of the forest.  Watching a couple of roadies make their way up the big hill, I think about this highway as one hell of stretch of road that can take a person on damn near any kind of adventure they  might desire.

Storm King is a great trail to really get a good flow going even as it meanders uphill.  It’s slightly technical, but keeping a smooth rhythm as we crank our way uphill doesn’t seem to be a task… until we start to near “Helipad”.  Only then, do I notice my breathing start to get a little heavier.    We meet up again at the next trail juncture and bee-line it to the start Bend’s infamous “Whoops” Trail.  Bombing down the service road, we rolled up to  four other groups of riders gathered around the T.H., swapping sandwiches, dropping seatposts, and talking good dirt.

Leaving the other riders, Carly took the lead and said she would pull camera duty as we cinched our packs down tight.  Right off the service road, you can start to pump your way through the rollers as you gain speed, tossing tires from side to side.  I loosen my grip just before taking flight.  The trail is fast today!!  And no need to pedal if I don’t speed check, so I’m letting the berms do their thing, and they’re doing it well!  No sluffing speed as my rubber grips the pumice like its sandpaper and… you gotta let out a whooooop!!!!

Skidding sideways as we pull onto the “300” road, we see a couple of other riders and one kid sitting on the tailgate of his truck with a broken wrist.  He’s the shuttle D.D. for his friends that can still ride, but he says he’ll be back on the trails in a few weeks.

We keep the juice flowing as we descend down “Ben’s” trail.  While this trail isn’t at all tricked out or technical, it is a dragstrip for flowing in your top gears.  It’s a fantastically sustained rally race towards town as we play catch-up with each other.   I don’t know about my partners, but I’m definitely laughing my face off!  Pulling onto Skyliners Road for a few pedal strokes, we decide to roll through the Slalom Play Loop and see what those nutty trail-builders have been up to

The Play Loop has been an ever-expanding course. In the six years that I’ve been here, it just keeps getting bigger and badder every time I come down it.  It’s fast, it’s big, and it’s intimidating.  As I gaze down the course and take in the radness of all those perfectly sculpted jumps, I spin down my gears a few and drop in.  Never too graceful on the track, I clear a few of the doubles and start to feel confident… until I case the next set… doh!  Humbled, I shoot for the smaller section of the course as it splits and continues on at least 4 more berms, and 6 more jumps than the last time I rode here.   There’s still about a ¼ mile of open corridor that someday might be packed with more features as we pedal through toward the Phils’ Trail parking area.

Super-stoked, we roll the double-track a couple of miles back to town and make it back to the shop just as the Pine Mountain crew is closing down.  It was damn good to be riding a bike and not wrenching on a bike today!

WORDS : Tara Steele
PHOTOS : COGGS and Bill Schwalbe

There are some things that I just love about mountain biking; riding under tall trees with ferns and singletrack that keeps your attention with a variety of features. It just puts a smile on my face.

We spent the weekend exploring the trails in Duluth, MN preriding many trails in preparation for upcoming races later in the season. Of the three trails that we rode, Lester-Amity, Piedmont and Mont du Lac, the trail system at Piedmont impressed me most.

Located atop of Skyline Parkway in West Duluth, Piedmont is a gem of a trail, offering the intermediate to advanced rider over 10 miles of trails over a variety of granite outcroppings, bridges, roots, rocks and boardwalks.

The Piedmont Trail system has been built and maintained by COGGS (Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores). A map of the area is available on their web site (www.coggs.com ), as well as parking information and trail descriptions. In addition to this, COGGS has done a fantastic job with signing all the trails and designating levels of difficulty, similar to those found on ski slopes. We started our ride off of Haines Road, just a few blocks above West Skyline Parkway. I would recommend parking to the east, at the lot off of Hutchinson Road, which features a large parking lot with trail maps.

We began our ride on the snowmobile trail and after a short climb, entered into the singletrack at Section 7. Ridden from Haines Road, Section 7 features a gradual climb over roots, rocks and step-ups.  I later decided that it would be a blast as a descent.

At times the trail is fast and flowy, with short, steep climbs and descents and a few tight trees. The trail also features its’ fair share of rocks, both large and small. One of the highlights was riding on the granite boulders buried into the earth, especially in Section 5A where they are stepped up and vary in size and shape. I was reminded of riding on slickrock, but without the drive half way across the country.

We rode most of the trails, only missing out on a few sections.  It was great to ride the intermediate terrain first to get a feel for the trail. The intermediate trails at Piedmont keep your attention and require your focus to clear them cleanly, but are not overly difficult. There are plenty of bridges and boardwalks over marshland areas and rock step ups that require focus on what lays ahead instead of the flora and fauna around you.

The black trails, in my opinion, were more difficult than most of the black and double black trails in the Twin Cities area. For example, Section 8A featured many, many large rocks and drops with exposure that require some advanced bike handling (think trials), skills, that I for one, do not possess.

Like many trails in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, much of your time is spent riding the under the canopy of tall trees, with ferns brushing your calves. On occasion, you are rewarded with views of Duluth and the lake; a great reminder of how much fun mountain biking can be.

Next time you’re in the Duluth area, be sure to check out Piedmont. It’ll put a smile on your face and I promise that you won’t be disappointed!

Words by Joss Dewaele
Photo by Steve Hall

Riding Downhill bikes in Utah is not like riding in Whistler.  There are no groomers, no manicured jumps and no water.  It is the Wild West of DH.  And, just as the Golden Spike closed the Wild West in 1869 in Utah when the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads joined, the highways from California are bringing a population boom that will soon close the Wild West DH trails in Utah.  Perhaps years from now, when all the Utah trails are paved highways of geometrically perfect berms and jumps, cycling historians will look back fondly on the days of “Freeride” which had their birth at the Red Bull Rampage in Utah.

We at Go-Ride (www.go-ride.com) focus exclusively on high-performance, full suspension bicycle machines.  We have a passion bordering on obsession with downhill riding and racing, and we have been doing it for a decade.  Two of our riders, Von and Kris, rode at the first Red Bull.

If you want to experience quintessential Utah DH along the Wasatch Front (Salt Lake City), you have to go to the Bountiful B.

Like many cities outposted near foothills, Bountiful, UT displays its pride with a gigantic B constructed on the most visible precipice of the nearest passing highway.  In this case, the B is placed just above a parking lot which feeds into an OHV area.  Unlike a lot of trailheads that many mountain bikers are used to, this parking lot is not your serenely wooded, aesthetically-placarded, feng-shui parking lot.  Likewise, these trails have none of those qualities.  You will find no trail maps, no delicately harvested zen gardens, and no trees other than sharp, pointy scrub oak.  What you will find is a typical Utah slack-jawed free-for-all — moto hill-climbers, helmetless, shirtless, often times toothless four-wheelers, bow hunters, gun toters and maybe even your occasional Neandertal-throwback stone chuckers who have graduated to the much more civilized leather sling, a la Clan of the Cave Bear.  It is common to see someone sitting on the side of the dirt shuttle road shooting a rifle off a cliff toward the city of Bountiful.  It is even common to see someone shooting their guns across the DH trails.  One time a camouflaged rifleman set up a target at the base of one our finish-line jumps and was shooting directly up the trail!  It is for this reason that we so highly discourage hitting jumps blind at the B.  Despite these legends, no mountain biker has ever been shot while riding the DH trails at the B, even during the fall hunting season when Utah schools let out of an entire week for “deerhunt.”

But, just because no one has been shot does not mean that these trails are “safe.”  Before heading up to the B to find the trails, please be honest with yourself: are you good enough to ride these trails?  do you have a DH bike, meaning 7-10 of travel?  If not, are you a skilled enough rider to navigate black-diamond trails on a lesser machine?  Please, be honest with yourself.  We have seen many riders attempt these trails, only to come back down bloodied and bruised, pack up their six-inch “freeride” bike into their Huyndai, and pick their way through the 4×4 parking lot, past the incredulous, semi-toothless stares of the locals.

All trails at the B are accessed by a rough, sometimes four-wheel-drive-only shuttle access road.  There is no chairlift and there never will be.  The trails are typical Utah, loose gravel over hardpack, with your occasional fall-line flash-flood rut littered with loose boulders.  Remnants of jumps lay scattered afield, and can certainly be ridden once scouted for safety.  We highly discourage hitting any of the jumps blind (see above).  The trails will drop huge elevations very quickly, as you will see from the shuttle road drive to the top of the trails.  Some trails traverse hillsides, losing elevation more slowly, and others go straight the fuck down.  Beware of the high speed double track sections that you may encounter, as blind turns may yield uphill moto or quad traffic.

If you decide to test your mettle, you will not need to sign any waivers.  However, the author does have a couple of words of advice from his own initiation experience with Bountiful.  When taking the first shuttle ride up the trail, do not feel obligated to accept the first offerings of beer, shots from the flask, or hits from any smoking objects.  Unless you are extremely comfortable attacking foreign terrain under the influence, we recommend reconnaissance of the trails while sober and alert.  If you do happen to enjoy a sporting beer on the ride up, avoid the suggestion by your fellow shuttle-mates to ride “stupid-shit” on your first drop-in.  As a starter, we recommend riding Bruce, Add-a-Bruce, and Smoking Apples.  Depending on the time of year, you will ride the trails mentioned in reverse order.  If the road is dry enough to access the higher drop-ins, you will start with Smoking Apples and finish on Bruce.  We will not bother with the arcane directions to the drop-ins.  Simply make your way to the B parking lot on any given Saturday or Sunday, and try to get in with a shuttle crew.  If you look like you know what you are doing, and you have beer, and/or $5, you will have no problem getting shuttle access to the trails. … Good Luck!

123 Archibald Way, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
The location of the art barn, and the beginning of the middle of this story, which would be like skipping  to Temple of Doom or Back to the Future 2. However Our Raiders of the Lost Ark, or Back To The Future 1, is way to convoluted of a story for this article, so here are the Cole’s Notes:

The crew, at that time consisted of, Taylor Lougran (filmer), Pat Henry (filmer), Kevin Landry (rider), Ross Mcmaster (rider), Jordie Lepage (bmx rider and photographer), Jon Fry (bmx/mtb rider), Kyle Stratichuk (bmx/mtb rider, Mark Woodward and Chris Rasman (both young budding pro snowboarders). We had all met and become good friends in various places throughout the last few years and found ourselves living together in Whistler.

The art barn itself, the actual physical structure was a house which we essentially inherited from a group of infamous whistler snowboard shredders and film makers. These guys had lived hard, rode hard and partied hard in the place for several years and during that time made several standout snowboard films under the Gnarcore moniker. Springtime in the mountains is the end of fresh snow and cold temperatures, and beginning of the thaw, Whistler’s human population is no different and most dedicated snowboarders and skiers follow the snow down south, or get to work saving for the next winter season. The snowboarders which inhabited the art barn did a combination of things, with the end result being an empty house in Whistler, close to a lake, with ample bike storage and plenty of space for dirt bag mountain bikers.

That summer our goal while living together was to create a mountain bike movie out of our experience, this quickly lead to the realization that to produce a mountain bike film you need a free summer and a large amount of funding. The former never comes without the ladder, and we all ended up getting full time jobs, which took up the majority of our free time. We still had a great summer, riding and filming almost every day, with as many different friends or couch dwellers as we could. We started building really creative lines and learned so much about filming, editing and the entire creative process. By September we had produced a teaser, a production timeline and a plot summary for the movie and headed to Interbike. We distributed over 100 DVDs of the teaser, with the goal of soliciting sponsors to help us fund the next stage of production slated for next summer. Standing, almost awestruck in the busy tradeshow in Las Vegas, we realized we knew very little about the business side of filmmaking, and while everyone loved our teaser we couldn’t get any sponsors to pull the proverbial trigger.

Fall was quickly becoming a big winter with lots of early snowfall that was accumulating in the high alpine. Mountain bikers, like their snowboard counterpart scatter when the snow falls, chasing an endless summer south to New Zealand or Australia or working and saving for the next summer. Pat headed to Vancouver to start film school, while Ross moved into a place with his then girlfriend, now wife. Kevin headed to the interior, then to work in Northern Alberta with a final destination of New Zealand to catch the last bit of summer. Taylor headed to Squamish to work for Alterna Action films as their principal cinematographer. Chris and Mark were only interested in the winter from the beginning and salivating at the mere thought of pow slashes. Jordie, Kyle and Fry also stayed in the Art Barn to ride snow that winter, and are still living there today.

It was around this time that high quality, self produced mountain bike movies, distributed through online magazines and internet forums were becoming almost as powerful as DVDs. Internet movies allowed you to reach as many people as a traditional DVD would but at a fraction of the price to produce. The added bonus was that your movie was viewed worldwide by your peers; only really core riders would be keen enough to search out mountain bike videos online. Aunty Selma was not buying these films for her nephew in Flordia that liked to ride scooters.

We had the technology and started filming, producing and distributing web videos.  This led to another eventful summer, from a new home base in Squamish B.C. Taylor was still in Squamish, and had a spare room so Kevin ended up there after coming home from Queenstown. Ross and Laura moved down into a bus they were renovating into a home. Pat had finished film school, stayed in Vancouver and was working in the cities’ film industry. New riders joined the crew, with Paul Stevens coming down from Whistler to ride and film. Squamish residents Chad Hendren, Jeremey Norris and Craig Bullin begin filming, building and working on web edits as well. Craig’s film brought him and Taylor back to his hometown of Graves End, in the U.K. and over to France for the Masters world Championship. Derek Chambers of Nelson B.C. stayed in Squamish filming with us for a month and produced a great edit. Harley Hensgin of Portland also stayed with us and put out several web edits in that time. Kevin and Ross were both filming web edits with Taylor as well as building and filming for the Collective alongside Richie Schley. They also found some work building lines for Freeride Entertainment and sculpting Whistler’s slopestyle course.

It was through this switch to web videos that we learned two essential elements of our production style, the first being to ‘Do it yourself’. If it needed to be built, we built it, if we had to camp in the alpine for several days, we got out the bivy bags, if we had to come back to the same spot six times until the elements matched up perfectly, we did. We wanted to utilize cable cam shots so we bought the gear and through trial and error figured out how to do a variety of cable shots. One technical cable cam in Cat Lake took over a week to rig up, dial in, shoot, what for weather, shoot, rig down.  For the aspects we could not master, we met likeminded people along the way who had mastered those skills and brought them in house. This is how we met Justin Hannewyk who was behind Precip Productions, a Whistler based web Media Company. Justin had the skills to take our web videos into a new realm of production quality, the computer savvy to distribute them more effectively and the work ethic to do so. He also was proficient with a camera and dolly rig and was an excellent producer. The web video made by Kevin, Taylor and Justin has won Best Cinematography at the WAFF International Adventure Film Festival and website PinkBike.com selected it as web video of the year. It was through this collaboration with Justin and Precip Productions we discovered the other essential aspect of our production philosophy which was to involve as many talented people as possible. This allows us to have many different perspectives on the story being told in each film, which in our opinion creates a richer more developed film.

Our new project is Titled ‘You Like This’ {please format from facebook, including thumbs up symbol} and is a collaboration with many of the people mentioned and several eager new faces. It is a full web film, essentially accomplishing our goal of creating a full length movie while utilizing our current perspective. It will be done when it is done, and the storyline will develop from its actual production, rather then adhering to a pre-written, contrived plot. We can say however that everyone has been busy; Taylor, Jeremy, Paul and Chad have been building hard in a spectacular zone. Kevin, Andrew Tiet, Triple Pat, Taylor and Chad have been developing new big mountain lines in an area once seen in Ride to the Hills (if Ride to the Hills was on DVD you could check out the spot). Paul has also been busy filming a web segment in Squamish as well as building some very creative lines in Whistler. Plans are in motion to film on some big alpine trail rides as soon as the snow melts and to get high in the mountains with our downhill bikes. Todd Hellinga has found a way to capture the essence of two wheeled adventure, most likely due to many miles in the saddle, and many photos taken. He has been exploring and scouting several new zones and will be working with us as a photographer and rider. Whistler residents Seb Kemp and the infamous Len Hornridge have been keen to shoot, so expect some slaying from them. We will be filming in more locations then just boring old Squamish, including Garibaldi Highlands with Miranda Miller, Valleycliffe and Pair of Dice mines.

Doc Brown once said ‘Where we are going, we don’t need roads’ which really has nothing to do with the production of our film, but is a great quote. Stay tuned to Freehub media, PinkBike.com, the Banshee Bikes blog, ArtBarnFilm blog and the Raceface riders blog for photos updates and stories from filming.

There have been so many people who have been seen through the lenses of Art Barn Film, if only for a few frames. Ether fellow rider, filmmaker or character have helped shaped the perspective of Art Barn Film and these people, in no particular order are: Matt Juhasz, Stu Baxter, Mike Metzger, Mason Mashon, Grant Brashers, Harley Hensign, Ginger Si, Seb Kemp, Dylan Wolsky, Todd Hellinga, Katrina Strand, Jon Hadfield, Cheekeye the Dog, Dave Hord, Brain Starkey, Matt Beardmore, Keith Martin, Dave Roulou, Timberr, Brandon Watts, Brad Bethune, Evan Schwartz, Chris Winter, John Scarth, Jeremy Schabb, Darcy Whittenburg, Colin Jones, Brett Tippie

Current Town: Seattle, WA

Digital or Film? Digital.

What kind of equipment are you on?

Canon 1D Mark III, Canon 7D, Canon 17-40 4.0 L, Canon  28-70 2.8 L, Canon  50mm 1.8, Canon 70-200 2.8 L, Canon 400mm 5.6 L, AlienBee 400, Canon 580ex II, Nikon SB-28 (x3), Pocket Wizard Plus II (x4), Pocket Wizard mini-TT1, Seconic L385 Light Meter, bunch of light stands, a few bags, and duct tape. Combined weight (65lbs)

How long have you been Shooting?

I’ve always had cameras, but wasn’t until a few years ago I really started to get serious about trying to make it into something more than a hobby. I think it was also right around the time I started a more corporate type job and realized my life required some sort of creative outlet. I’m still trying to figure out how I can make a living and quit my desk job.

What is your favorite subject to shoot?

Any thing that moves I guess, but if it had to go with one…I’d say surfing. Unfortunately there’s not much of a market for surf photographers in Washington. My second choice would be an Olin Mills photographer.

Proper education, or self taught? If so, where?

Dad taught me how to hold a camera and enrolled me in basic darkroom classes when I was a kid. No other formal education when it comes to photography. I’ve always been interested to see what college programs had to offer, but more for the business side of things.

What is the best or favorite shoot you have ever done? Why?

My favorite would have to be few days shooting Snowmobile X-Game gold medalist Joe Parsons, with the crew from High Life Films. We had White Pass to ourselves, a snow cat for building features, a sled for everyone to get around on, plenty of beer, blue bird conditions, and a guy willing to back-flip a sled over a 120ft step-up until everyone got a perfect shot. It really made me realize how much a subject’s attitude can make a huge difference in shots I go home with.

Who are your mentors or influences?

It hard to name a single person, but if I had to construct the ideal photographer it would posses some of Ian Highlands technical skills, Jordan Manley’s creativity, and Chase Jarvis’s self-promotion mojo. Its really tough me not be influenced by everyone I see taking pictures professionally these days. There’s so much to be taken from seeing other photographers work and what they produce.

Tell us the funniest story from your shooting career:

I really don’t have a story that sticks out in my head as the funniest. I guess every time I strap on 45lbs of camera gear and attempt to ride a bike, snowboard, snowmobile, or hike, it can be pretty entertaining for everyone I’m with.

Tell us the most tragic story from you shooting career:

A few years ago I was shooting a FluidRide Cup @ Dry Hill and a CAT 1 kid made his way on to the Pro course during practice runs. He lost control and flew off into the woods near the corner I was shooting. He was up immediately trying to get his bike out of the bushes so I didn’t think it was that bad until I went over to help and noticed the cut on his thigh. He landed on a tree limb which sliced him down to the bone. He was freaking out a little insisting on riding down so Casey Northern and I did our best to keep him calm while we waited for the race EMT. Because of where he was on the track it took a little while to get him to off the run. I remember his mom screaming when she made it up the course only to see him being loaded into an ambulance.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Regardless of which direction one approaches the town of Leavenworth, the journey there is all about progression.  From the West, drivers slowly climb from the lush coastal valleys surrounding the Snohomish River up and through the increasingly alpine landscape of Stevens Pass and the North Cascade Range.  The approach from the East is starker yet; the barrow pits along the road transform from an alkaline wasteland of bunch grass and rattlesnakes into a spillway for glacial runoff in just a matter of minutes.  Once in Leavenworth, the eyes are greeted by a truly Bavarian scene. Rugged mountains complete with alpine waterfalls provide a fitting backdrop for the cottage-style architecture that has been incorporated into the exterior of seemingly every building in town.  German folk music emanates from a park on main street where an art festival is underway and tourists ebb and flow from the candy shops and restaurants, giving a primordial slime-like life to this tourist town.

OUT OF THE BAG

While the theme park attractions offer plenty for the less adventurous who travel here, Leavenworth doubles as a little known Cascadian Shangri-La for mountain bikers and  it serves as the perfect hub for some of Washington’s best trail riding.

ROOTS

Like many towns of the Pacific Northwest, Leavenworth has its roots in the mining and timber industries and  this accounts for its its rise from trading outpost to industrial hub.  When the Great Northern Railway discontinued service to Leavenworth in the late fifties, the small town on the east side of the Cascades faced extinction.  As a last ditch effort to replace the economic stimulus that the now closed sawmill and mines had once provided, the town leaders took aim at the last resource they could, tourism.  In only a few short years, the town underwent a drastic renovation resulting in the Bavarian incarnation seen today.

OPTIONS

While modern Leavenworth continues to sustain itself with tourist friendly resorts, shops and festivals, its geography attracts visitors for a myriad of adventure-based pursuits as well.  Brutal class 5 whitewater only minutes from town, some of Washington’s best skiing just up the road at Steven’s Pass and many of the best epic rides in the state make Leavenworth an outdoor recreationalist’s dream.  Even better, most of these spots are a short thirty minutes or less from town..

VARIETY, THE SPICE OF LIFE

Perhaps the best part about the riding around Leavenworth is the fact that it’s as varied as the terrain it takes place on.  The Sage Hills area just outside of Wenatchee offers moderate to strenuous single track XC riding in a near desert environment.  Those who aren’t afraid of a little bit of climbing can experience the rare treat of ascending out of the alkali flats all the way up into loamy steppe forest on their climb to the top.
The Xanadu area just ten minutes from downtown provides an equally scenic, though vastly different riding experience.  After an easy service road climb, Xanadu quickly descends through a recent burn, and the new trail is an enduro rider’s wet dream — techy rock sections, steep, blown out turns with exposure and a Mario Land bermfest at the bottom for good measure.  For those looking to take it to the next level, the neighboring ridge offers Tres Hombres, a bona fide freeride trail with more technical rocks, jumps and drops than you can shake a stick at.

GOINGS ON

If you’re looking for a more organized way to check out the riding in Leavenworth, look no further than the Bavarian Bike and Brew Festival, held every summer.  Boasting a USA Cycling sanctioned XC race and a regional brew festival, the event draws several hundred riders from all over the Northwest.  As an added bonus, the race takes place on a small organic farm just a short drive from town.  The brew fest goes down on the owner’s front lawn on Saturday night with a live band and beer garden that serves up brews from many regional and national microbreweries.

SHOPS

Maps, beta and all of your riding needs can be taken care of at Das Rad Haus, Leavenworth’s premier bike shop.  The friendly and knowledgeable staff can give you up to date information on local trails, keep your ride rolling smoothly or even hook you up with a new Trek rental bike.

EAT & STAY

Hit up the Munchen Haus Bavarian Grill and Beer Garden in downtown Leavenworth for authentic Bavarian fare.  Offering a variety of traditional German sausages, all the ice cold Hofbrau you can drink and the largest mustard bar in the area, the Munchen Haus makes for a great post ride destination.
For stay, the Icicle Village Resort, conveniently located right downtown, is a full service destination resort offering several accommodation possibilities from motel rooms to multi-room condos, all of which are first class.  Aside from being within walking distance to downtown, the Icicle Village’s inclusive hot breakfast and outdoor pool/spa make it the perfect place to stay.

FINAL TAKE

With some of the most varied and fun riding in Washington, Leavenworth is one of the best kept mountain biking secrets around.  Well suited as a long weekend destination or a quick day trip, there’s something for every type of rider to enjoy and the scenery is world class.  For those with friends or family that don’t ride, the town’s many other attractions keep it fun for everybody.   So if you’re in the Northwest and are looking for something a little different and off the beaten path, check out Leavenworth. It won’t disappoint!