Slick Rocks, Mormons, and Weak Beer...

We must be in Utah!!!

Colorado was about as rad as rad gets, but it was time for the Adventure-Mobile load up and move onto radder pastures. We charged our way west in true Oregon Trail fashion, covered fiberglass wagon and all (truth be told, most of the time we used bridges to cross rivers rather ford it)

(Not sure why but I expect more reggae fans out here...)

So the thing about about Utah is, every which way you look, its the most epic sight you have ever seen. I mean, we've been to some pretty feckin' scenic spots on our trip, but not like this. We camped in our sweet new "Love Tub" (my new nickname for the trailer) for a few nights in Zion National Park and did our best to soak in the picturesque radditude of the land.

 (This is just a rest stop for crying out)


(Still at the worlds most scenic rest stop, while the sights were out of control, the shitter left something to be desired...)

So Zion National Park is definitely not the biggest National Park in the country, and happened to be penty busy while we were camped there, but it was packed full of Rad-tastic views as far as the eye could see.


(The Road to Zion included this gnarly rock tunnel; must have been a blast to dig through)


(Sprocket guarding our campsite like the total bad-ass we all know he is.)

So what do folks in Zion National Park, rad or otherwise, do for recreation? They hike up shit. Everybody. Especially the Angels Landing hike. Like everybody was walking up that damn mountain. We were under the impression climbing up Angels Landing would be a challenging test of fitness, skill, and mental focus, with the peak being a destination only the raddest of tourists were able to visit, a feat that cost five people their lives in the past ten years. Nope. Everybody and their grandma were slowly walking up that big ass hill, one excruciating step at a time, water bottle in one hand, digital camera in the other.

But we made it, and it was worth it. While the climb was challenging in ways other than expected, namely patience, the view was killer, we still got a work out in, and everybody survived.

(Yeah, we walked all the way up there, and then some, all while waiting for slow old white people to get out of the Goddamn way)

(Rem defying death to take a picture of her shoes)

(Myself defying death to take a picture of Rem taking a picture)

(A native chipmunk defying death by taunting me during a Clif Bar break.)

(Sometimes you gotta just stop and take it all in for a moment like this Zen lizard over here.)

(Aw yes, the summit of Angels Landing, a destination reserved for only the most adventurous of travelers, and apparently everyone else in the fecking park.)

(Had I known how ruthless the local wildlife could be, that chipmunk would have been toast.)


Turns out slowly walking up a hill behind a bunch of zombie paced, heavy set tourists didn't quite fulfill Rem's thirst for a good hike, so she set out to tackle "The Narrows", a 16 mile hike that supposably takes anywhere from 12 hours to two days to complete. Not my gal, she crushed it.

(Seven hours later she was back in the Casita drinking a beer)

(While Sprocket and I were excited for Rem's adventure, the idea of walking down a river all day isn't quite our style)

Sprocket and I are more of the wheelin' and shredding type, and took to the dirt. I checked out Gooseberry Mesa, a trail system 15 miles from the campsite, 10 of them being off-road, so even the drive out there was rad.


Just like Fruita, there are some dedicated trail builders in Utah, I mean, who else would take the time to create an entire network of trails out in the middle of nowhere. The pic above was taken at the trailhead parking lot. When you ride Gooseberry, you're out there, and its sick.

(Most of the trails were marked by white dots spray painted on the slick rock. The whole place is like one big rad rock playground.)

("Extreme Difficulty" = Game Face. Luckily for you loyal reader(s), this blogger was unfazed by this or any other warning sign, regardless of the actual danger present)

(Seriously though, epic views, everywhere you freakin looked, almost to a fault, my fault really, since I almost fell off a cliff while taking it all in, so pay attention radishes)

(So its like straight down if ya slip off that cliff.)

(Same trail, different epic view. While possibly the most scenic state in our country, the 3.2% beer is a deal breaker...)

(Post ride beer and turkey sandwich)

(And another post ride beer, just to be thorough.)

("Hey Chip, whatcha up to?"
"Oh nothing, just driving back from a little bike ride"
ON THE MOST SCENIC ROAD EVER IN THE HISTORY OF ROADS)

(Just some sweet shuttle bus we saw in town, no real story behind other than its rad as feck)

So after a few short days spent getting dirty in Zion, we packed up the Love-Tub and headed west, stopping back in the Bay for some... you guessed it, beer drinking and bike riding.

(At one point in our trip we drove through Arizona, that's about all that's worth mentioning about that)

(Vegas Baby! Except we drove straight through...)

Next Stop- Cali-Freakin-Fornia!

Stay tuned all you rad-tastic roaming radishes and anyone else that may accidentally stumble onto this blog looking for information on agriculture or culinary creations.

-The Rad Roaming Radish

I know, I know...

While definitely the Raddest, this Radish may also be the worst blogger ever. I apologize. I have no excuses, other than I am a greedy thrill seeking, beer drinking adventurer whose lust for living the Rad Life out weighs his commitment to this blog and it's loyal readers(I'm assuming "readers" is plural). Again, I apologize. These past weeks have been full of adventures; dirt jump shredding, gravel grinding, getting lost, farming shit, losing races, you name it, and it's been rad. My blog, however, has not. But believe me, this Radish will try and be better... Try anyway. (Technically I may just be apologizing to myself since no ones actually reads this blog, so if that's the case, apology accepted)

(The Radish picking monster organic radishes)

(Tater-Farming-Mobile)

Alright gang, stay posted, or not, either way we'll see how this goes.

-The Rad Roaming Radish

The Colo-RAD-o Saga Continues...

After experiencing the raditude of Fruita first hand followed by the epic trails and shredding in Frisco during the Outlaws of Dirt, a normal man probably would have headed home in fear of overdosing on radness. Well not me, and probably not the guy on this random billboard I saw in Denver.

So let me jump right in...

You need a sweet bike shop in Denver, Salvagetti's all the way. Just look at the sign. They have everything you need and a bunch of shredders working behind the

counter. 

One key ingredient in creating the epic cake of Radness that is Denver is the party scene. Find yourself in town on a Wednesday night with nothing to do and an itch to drink beer while riding a bike? Denver's got ya covered with the Cruiser Ride. 

Every Wednesday night a ton of rad folks meet up to drink some beers, then ride like 3 miles to a different end point each week, usually a parking lot, and then the party starts.

People get rad and social in two wheels. 

So this pic is useless but the party after the ride is epic. Dudes show up with turn tables, food trucks roll in and the 5-0 just let everybody do their thing. My kinda party. 

We also hit up the Zoo, because why not?

(Don't worry Giraffe, we've all been there)

(Rem stood less than two feet away from a cheetah and lived to tell about it)

(Managed to put some miles in out in the Rockies)

(Sprocket being Sprocket)

(Every skatepark in Colo-feckin-Rado is sick. The Denver park is no exception)

(Yet another rad park in Aurora)

(My boy Mike Kent slashing some concrete waves on the big wheels)

(Beer, bikes, a sweet bowl, some tunes cranking, for that moment in time we had it all...)

(Frisco Bike Park again)

We even experienced the epic Radness of nature while in Denver. Y'all may have heard about all the flooding in Boulder and other parts of CO. It got gnarly, but this bad ass Radish kept his cool... 

(There is a bike path about 10' below all that water)

(When Mother Nature is throwing down, sometimes it's best to hunker down, find a bar with some good brews and tubes, and play a little bingo.)

So after three long, rad, epic weeks in Denver, it was time to hit the road. 

 (The AdvetureMobile all loaded it up)

Next stop, Zion National Park in Utah for some hiking, slick rock shredding, and 3.2% beers (lame)

-Radish Out

Links!

Denver Cruiser Ride

http://www.denvercruiserride.com/

Salvagetti's Bike Shop

http://www.salvagetti.com/

Colo-Feckin'-Rado Part 2, Frisco!

(Part 2 out of who knows how many)

Gat Dayum! The Radness that is Colorado knows no bounds. It just doesn't seem to end. (Like, there's a cute chick literally parking her Honda Ruckus as I'm typing, you can't beat that) There's been several instances where I thought to myself "Wow, this must be it, the absolute peak of Radness, it was rad while it lasted, glad I was there..." And then BAM!!! Some other spectacular rad event occurs right before my very eyes. 

(Pretty sure Honda Ruckus' are the official mode of transportation in Denver. This one looks ready to defend our Rad Nation)

So you're probably thinking to yourself, "Well, if Colorado is so feckin rad, just how is this weird radish dude going to fit it all into his online journal of ridiculous rambling?"  My answer- One rad step at a time ladies and gentlemen. 

(Figured I'd post another pick of Hula Girl and the open road)

Let me pick up where we last left off...

After experiencing the single track Mecca know simply as Fruita first hand, we packed up the adventure mobile known affectionately as "Earl" and headed due east. Our plan, check out a few travel trailers to make camp life a little more luxurious and then find shelter, beer, and ultimately more radness in Denver. Things almost went according plan, but thank god they didn't. 

So instead of looking at trailers, we bought one...

(That fiberglass beauty you're staring at is a 17' 2001 Castia Liberty Deluxe. The beauty jumping for joy is my lady, clearly stoked on the purchase of our 1st home)

And instead of staying in Denver, we nabbed one of the last available camp grounds in Frisco so we could check out The Outlaws of Dirt, hell yeah. 

  Yup, rad things happen to rad people. Turned out my good buddy Nick was helping to organize the Outlaws of Dirt contest at the Frisco Adventure Park. Now, I'm not gonna cover all the details of the event, the rad dudes over at PSBmx.com already took care of that, but I can post up a few pics as whatnot, maybe even share my "feelings"...

(Check out the scenic-ass campsite, not bad view to wake up to. The epic monsoon rains at night were kind of a bummer, especially when we learned our tent was more "Water-Resistant" rather than "Water-Proof", but all that juicy precipitation made for good dirt conditions, gotta focus on the positive)

(I forgot to snap a pic of the sign so I grabbed this one off google, as you can see, they have tons of different lines to choose from with something for all shredders of various shredabilities)

(Here's the dirt jump section at the Frisco Adventure Park. They got a line for every shred level)

(Notice this event had everybody getting involved, young kids, old dudes, lady shredders, you name it. Just people on two wheels trying to keep the rubber side down)

Be sure to check out some of these links for even better coverage of the epic raditude compiled if dirt and two wheels-

Official Outlaws of Dirt website

http://outlawsofdirt.com/

PlusSizeBmx posted up some sweet coverage and a couple vids. Also check out all the other rad shit those boys post-

http://psbmx.com/ 

After shredding and watching other shredders shred all weekend, we headed to Denver, moved into some room we rented, and proceed to drink, ride, dig, shred, rage, bike-party, and God knows what else the next three weeks away...

But I'll save all that for another post. 

As always, stay rad. 

The Rad Roaming Radish