Utah is a breathtaking state, and I’m always excited when I have the opportunity to travel through. This summer, a childhood friend, his son, and I had the chance to ride through the idyllic landscape together. Anthony and I grew up in the same neighborhood and his younger brother, Carlos, and I have been pals for close to 22 years now. Our families bonded and we would constantly go on camping trips to ride our ride dirt bikes, having the time of our lives. It was fun to now bring Anthony’s son, Hayden, on our adventures.
We had three days to do our ride, which was a nice pace that allowed us to take in the scenery around us. Hayden is relatively new at riding so it was exciting sharing insights with him on how to progress and concur rough terrain (he took some spills, but who am I to judge?….I took the best one on the trip)!! This trip invigorated me in many ways, and I’m looking forward to seeing our families and network continue to expand so we can share these adventures with friends and family, old and new.
After wrapping my trip in Utah, I headed to Taylor Park, Colorado. A place I had once been to in my youth, but have been eager to return and explore. Needless to say, there were no disappointments. I was alone during this leg, which i do not advise, even if you’re a seasoned rider with a GPS locator. But I threw caution in my pocket (not the wind), and went out anyway.
Riding dirt bikes has always given me the flow state of mind that I crave. Fully focused and shut out any thoughts in my mind to enjoy the experience and be in tune with the act of riding. I believe that motorcycles can hold true forms of freedom and individuality. Everyone’s experience on a bike is truly individual, but in a community, experiences are mutually shared. This is why motorcycle cultures are so strong, and, well interesting to say the least. I mean, look at my attire, I look like a grown-up child dressed as a power ranger. While on my bike, I feel fast, agile, and strong in this attire, like a power ranger!
I am so happy that I was able to make this part of the trip happen. My favorite trail (414) took me up to 12,500 feet across the continental divide on a single track, that for me, was perfect. In the video, you can hear me gasping for oxygen while saying “OH COOL”. I covered a total of 78 miles in one day and returned back to my campground to grab my drone to watch the sunset over the reservoir. Flying over the water and seeing alternative views was the cherry on top of a great day. I set up my fire, cooked some tacos, and went to sleep under the stars.
Before leaving, I took notice of all the fishermen lining the river headed off the reservoir. I had some time to spill, so I stopped to talk and photograph them. They told me they’ve been pulling in fish all morning. but during the hour I was there, no dice. I’m not a fisherman, but i do enjoy watching the dance of fly fishing.
Before taking off to my next location, I stopped in Westcliffe, CO to stay the night with photographer Dan Vermillion at his yurt. We made some killer pasta, shot some pellet guns, and went for a nice hike around the property. Colorado was amazing, and I can not wait to go back!
