This photo was taken in Laguna California. After a long group ride with the last fire road climb we were rewarded with a pot of California gold before the last decent 🔥

This one was around the time I started. My hard head learned that day that the ground is harder than It. Forgot my helmet that day but not my pride which should've been the thing to leave behind. Trying out my first jump at soaks (Santiago oaks) so I didn't know what to expect, I thought there was not much to it but to go fast and hold on. A good memory nonetheless. 

Just weeks after a devastating fire rolled through the canyons of southern California,  Mchenry Carlson fly’s down the Goonies trail is emersed in a scorched alien landscape. The sky and other weather conditions couldn’t have been more perfect for this shot to come together as well as it did. I get excited when I see this photograph because I know how many hours my friends and I have put into this trail which. Most of my fondest memories are of fun times spent working on and riding this trail. I chose this photo because I believe that it shows that there is a beautiful side to destructive things. Thousands of acres burned into the atmosphere yet the dirt that makes up the trail is completely untouched and unaffected.  (This is NOT an illegal trail, this trail is a private trail on private property that we have exclusive access from permission of the owner.)

Three Bears Trail, Boise foothills, Boise, Idaho on Christmas Day, 2020. Boise riding is year-round, but winter can mean cold days like this one. It was 35 degrees and cloudy when we clicked in that afternoon, but it was hard to be too upset about the overcast skies. The clouds never seemed to move but were always reshaping the available light. And then this happened — the perfect ribbon of singletrack winding through golden rollers under a gray mottled sky. 

This photo is such a feel good moment. It’s is with my nephews at Sedona on the Tempelton trail. As one nephew nailed the drop the other is taking a photo. It is just a classic photo with part of my family enjoying trails and epic adventures. Santa Cruz Hightower bikes rip the trails with family time. 

This picture was taken at the stair steps trail in Laguna Beach, CaliforniaThis picture is so special because I spent a long time trying to move to SoCal from the flat Columbus Ohio and when I finally accomplished that goal early 2020 I celebrated by getting myself my first full suspension bike and going down gnarly trails that I never thought I'd be able to tackle in my life, SoCal is a MTB paradise.

He's learning patience. Patience to face the uncertainly of highschool in the new normal that 2020 brought us. Patience to continue riding, even not knowing if he'll get to race again. Patience to wait for dad at the top of the climbs (top of Bumblebee). As a man of a certain age, I can no longer keep up with my NICA teenager, but I'm happy to pass the baton. Happy to teach him that a good sunset ride at Santiago Oaks fixes many things. 

This photo is from discovery lake trails in San Diego. The reason I’m submitting this photo is that, it’s the first photo of me back on a mountain bike. I used to ride a ton as kid me young adult, but then life happened. About 2 years ago I dove back in and started riding and bought a Trek Stache 5 and this is my first ride on it! I love that bike and even though I’ve since bought a full suspension, carbon 29er, I still take it out and ride often and think of this moment and how it rekindled my love of mountain biking. 

Photo taken at Mammoth Mountain Bike Park. Every time I go riding with my brother Nick, it’s a constant mental and physical challenge; to ride faster, to hit bigger jumps, to send bigger drops, (to show the boys up!!! for my fellow Ferda girls out there) and to absolutely destroy our Strava pr’s.  Riding my bike is when I feel the happiest and getting to ride with my older brother is an unexplainable feeling. I recently broke my collarbone while riding and have been out of commission for several months. A friend asked me how long of a break I was going to take from riding once I was healed, and being the mountain biker snob I am I replied “what do you mean, the time from when I crashed to the time I’m cleared to ride again is my break!!”.  Not even a serious injury can keep me from this sport, it’ll only make me a better rider. 

Taken at the top of Vista Trail in O’Neill park (aka the top of “Broken Shoulders” for Strava users 😁). I often take a little break here when training, as this is at the pinnacle of a long, steep climb. I love the ingenious “telescopes” mounted at the rest area, and there’s no better view to sight than my beautiful Giant Anthem race bike 😍😊.

Taken on the Lobo Trail in San Clemente. I was riding solo, strapped my phone to a tree and got a rad screen shot.  It turned out way better than I thought it would.  One word to describe this photo #committed.

This is my favorite mountain bike photo. This photo was taken at 
Catalina Island, on the Catalina Island Conservancy trail.  The Catalina trail is by far my most memorable trail.  The tails are well maintained. There are plenty of live animals to entertain you while riding, such as Bison, Sheep, Redtail fox, Squirrels etc. The ocean views seen from the 
tail are amazing.  The attached photo was taken at a rest stop located at the top of the Catalina Conservancy trail.  I choose this photo because of the beautiful location and because it represents the freedom I feel when riding my bike.

Location: Irvine, CA. Due to the COVID-19 stay at home order, a large number of "outdoor-goers" have swarmed to local hills to get some fresh air and Instagram photos, leaving in their wake, heaps of doggy bags and other junk. To keep our trail systems clean, we organized a mini trash clean-up and properly disposed of the items found. While in the finishing stages of this clean-up, we discovered a steep firebreak, which if groomed enough, would be a ridable chute. This is a photo of our guinea pig coming down the chute for the first time.

Jump spot at the top of Weir Canyon loop. Love that I can ride straight out of my garage to the loop and keep going all the way Santiago Oaks and beyond. Such good riding back in there. Everything from jump spots like this that the locals work hard to maintain, to challenging climbs, and long downhills like Barham Ridge to Chutes. If it wasn’t for you guys having my back with bones, parts and products I wouldn’t be on the trail as much as I get too now!

Photo taken on Spit Fire, Ladera Ranch, CA. Liam-10 years old
Jumping into the new year like...

...with all of the uncertainty in the world right now, I’m glad my son has found his passion and motivation for mountain biking! It keeps him busy learning new techniques, exploring new trails and just being a kid playing outside. 

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt” 

My brother, dad, and I rode up to Santiago Peak and around/down Blackstar a little while ago.  It was easily the longest time I’ve spent on a bike, as well as the most elevation gain I’ve gotten in one ride.  My brother decided to do a wheelie at each scenic turn, and this one(almost at the top) turned out the best of them.  We had a lot of fun on the ride, and it was all of ours first time riding on snow.

Taken in Irvine, California, during one of our most recent winter storms and with the assistance of a nearly full moon. I choose this photo because of how perfectly it encapsulates the spirit of my group of friends that have now been tightly knit together and glued to the local trails for an excess of 2 whole years. Always pursuing a higher degree of "pucker factor" as seen in Seth's face (ok, his legal name is not Seth but we have… replaced his legal name in favor of the infamous MTB YouTuber that he "stans" for lack of a better word). With the assistance of an integral flash, a tripod, a bit of creativity, and the last bit of remaining cooperation in my friends to "do another lap", we managed to perfectly capture an airborne Seth in his native habitat. It is also worth noting that the Path's Tustin location is actually in this photo, look closely and in what is roughly the left third of the field the bokeh background is our favorite MTB store!

I haven’t been riding for 2 years yet, but it’s changed my life. My physical and mental health have never been better thanks to my time on my bike. This pic was taken in November on my 54th birthday. This ride was with my buddy who has helped me learn and I cannot thank him enough. It was my first time riding Willows, Lizards, and TnA in Laguna. And what a view!

Getting both hands off the bars on the jumps at the Fullerton Loop, in Fullerton California. Always fun riding here, as there are many people sessioning the jumps. Great place to ride with others, and many features to learn on for progression, as well as features for advanced riders. 

To have a daughter that loves to be outside doing the same things you like to do and truly appreciates those times with you...there is no better feeling in the world!

This is a picture of my Trance X 29 at Beek’s place at the top of Blackstar Canyon in Orange County. This photo was taken on a mid week solo ride and my first trip up the canyon. I was blown away by the natural beauty and the quiet solitude of the place.  This is what makes mountain biking awesome.  You can get the rush of a rowdy single track on one trail and inner peace on the next.

Blood, sweat, and tears were put into this ride... and I mean literally. When I say those three words that is how I view the mountain biking world because every picture or video has a story behind it. I chose this photo of me riding Maple Springs Road, Silverado because this has definitely been the most challenging ride I have done so far and it was a big accomplishment. My times may have not been the fastest, but the fact that I completed it is what pushes me more each ride. As much as I wanted to give up I kept on going and made it to where I wanted. Had many happy emotions and definitely some frustrations on this ride as for it was my first time riding in snow. It was so worth the push for a beautiful view along the way and can’t wait to do it again! 

This picture was taken in South Lake Tahoe in September on an evening ride on a new loop that turned out to be unexpectedly awesome. I was lucky enough to spend September up in Tahoe and get some great riding in between all the smoke and destruction from fires. This photo epitomizes everything I love about mountain biking: the solitude, exercise, natural beauty, and most importantly the discovery and satisfaction from striking out on your own on an unknown piece of trail. I would never have seen this view if it weren’t for my bike taking me to new places. 

This was taken on the traverse over to Hardesty trail in Oakridge Oregon. The why.. look at it. Haha that’s what it’s all about. My best friend and I just taking it in. And I’m submitting this for him. He’s a amazing friend and a great 6th grade teacher that puts the kids first no matter what covid throws at them. He’s a mentor to me and my kids. And Id take a bullet for him any day. He’s the one in the back by the way.  Oh and he’s pretty fast on that Transition Trans Am!! 

This photo was taken on Strawberry, a high alpine trail in Crested Butte, Colorado. Having had the pleasure of living and riding in such a rad area, I feel like this photo showcases Alpine riding at its finest. It reminds me of why I enjoy  riding so much. The beautiful scenery, fast fun features, and it's lightly traveled nature combine to make my favorite trail in the Gunison Valley. 

P-12 is local spot here in Palmdale. The punchy climbs reward you with beautiful 360 deg views of the Antelope Valley.  This is the spot I’m at when I tell my wife I’ll be back in a hour.  Nothing but Wash, Jr’s and Slider are fast flowing trails that gets me home before she starts blowing up my phone.

Santiago Oaks the hills I learned everything about mountain Biking and grew a passion and love for.! This place has been my home for 10+years and being able to ride these hills when  the full effect of transformation into a super green bloom makes this place a riding wonderland and I’m  always look forward to these days as the days become longer with more daylight and we all have more time after work to push the bikes up and blast down them.  

I started mountain biking a few month prior to this photo. I went out to ride on my own and ended up meeting a few guys at the top of the Chutes climb. We got talking and I joined them, not really knowing the trails. They gave me encouragement and tips, helping me push my limits that day. Even though I walked a lot of features, they were patient and helpful. Later in our ride, they towed me into the this drop at the flag which was my first drop in mountain biking.  I’ve been riding with those guys (now my good friends) every week since, and we continue to invite new riders out to help them progress and push themselves safely. To me, it sums up what this sport is all about: having fun, pushing yourself, helping others, and riding bikes.

Pausing at Luge Flag last weekend with Lily, my BFF. She’s a year and a half year old Australian Shepherd, and we’ve been riding together over a year now. Since COVID put the brakes on MTB travel adventures, she’s been a great reminder how fun it is to ride our local trails, too. 

Mammoth 2020. One of the best camping/riding trips I’ve ever had. This photo was taken as we loaded up and were about to leave the campsite to head to the lifts. It was an amazing get away with some friends during the lockdown.

Photo taken in Costa Mesa, CA. Sure, sending it down gnarly trails with rocks and drops gets the adrenaline going. And crushing your PR on a long climb you've been training for will give you bragging rights. But at the end of the day, nothing beats a mountain bike ride with your kids. 

Not the sharpest photo In my books, this was a video screenshot my buddy took. I remember throwing it down too hard, and I wasn’t able to bring it back in time.  Long story short both my buddy Houston and I ended up in the bushes with a great laugh and story. Happy riding.

This photo was taken on the lower half of the Chutes/Ridgeline trail between Santiago Oaks and Irvine regional parks in Orange Ca.  This photo makes me happy because it was such a perfect day.  The dirt, the weather, everything about the ride this day was perfect.

Great photo because a newer rider to mountain biking challenging himself to difficult downhill. In addition, highlighting community (ie riding with our buds)!  

This photo is from last year’s annual mountain bike trip to Downieville CA (Chimney Rock Trail). We are a group of guys, who all work together, and share the love of mountain biking.   This was our 5th annual trip, and the picture captures the moment we crested a long climb and wanted to take a moment to enjoy the our beautiful surroundings.  This is one of my favorite photos because it reminds me of a week filled with awesome mountain biking, delicious beers, and tons of laughs with good friends.  

This is a photo where I checked a bike item off the bucket list. I grew up in a small town in SE Washington called Walla Walla. Up on the Blue Mtn. Foothills there was this radio tower you could always see from anywhere in town, at the top of this peak called “pike’s peak” (a local name, not the real one in CO). After I started to get into cycling, and even more specific, started loving the variety of adventure and gravel cycling after purchasing an ‘18 Kona Sutra LTD (I call mine “The Hulk”) I one day dreamed of taking off from my front door riding and then climbing the forest service roads and making it up to the tower and then back again all under my own Pedal power (~50-60 mile round trip, 4500-5000 of elev.). This is my picture at the top, tower in the background, before we started the hair raising descent down 15-18% grade rough gravel keep roads.

Photo taken in the Stough Canyon, Verdugo mountains in Burbank CA.
This is my gym during pandemic, few people and nobody bothers me. I come here after taking care of my patient. Let the craziness and stress out in a covid free environment. 

I've been road biking for a few years with a group of friends who I've tried to get into mountain biking. I was stoked when they finally started. This picture is one I got from my GoPro at Skypark Bike Park in Skyforest, California. They had never been to a bike park and had never ridden any wooden features like this. We had bypassed it on our first run down Arrow. On the second run down we veered right and hit the wooden feature and all you could hear were hoots, shouts and laughter as we railed it. Needless to say we all ended up getting annual passes.

This is a photo of me hopscotching through a rock garden on an old-school downhill track.

My daughter Violet with here TLD helmet we just got from the live Oaks Path Store. Riding sleepy hollow at whitting ranch. 

Photo taken in Irvine, California. This is where I first learned how to properly ride a mountain bike. Previously a slalom track, it has more recently been transformed into a rut track. Now, instead of racing head to head against each other, we see how hard we can blast each corner or how far we can lean. With most races canceled, it's a great way to keep a lighthearted and competitive spirit.
I am the rider in this photo.

Photo taken in Irvine, CA. After a few days of needed rain, we were finally able to fix an old and worn-down jump. It has existed for well over a decade (as identified through google maps), but we only found it recently after riding old local trails during the quarantine. Having been a prominent center for mountain bikers for years, SoCal often has flow trails slowing transforming into hiking paths, all you have to do is go out and look for them (legally of course). I am not the rider, but the photographer. 

Do you remember where you were when you fell in love?

This picture was taken in 2016 at Snow Summit, I was riding my 15 year old Specialized Rockhopper hard tail doing my best with what I had. At the time I rode once a month for fun...but it was this trip to Big Bear where I fell in love again with riding. After this trip I upgraded bikes and have been riding several times a week ever since. #LoveTheRide #NeverLookBack

Ground Hog Stock Trail, CO, summer 2020.  Greg Boyer aka “Texas Spider Monkey” on day two of our seven day Durango to Moab hut to hut trip. 

Photo taken at The Plunge in Sycamore Canyon Park, Riverside CA. My friend J got cold feet and braked last minute, while going through a 4-foot drop. He went OTB and face plant into Mother Earth. Brand new TLD Stage cracked in half, but saved his chin and a ER trip. It’s a testament to importance of wearing your helmet!