sleep is for the weak

It seems like as the week roles on I get progressivly more pre occupied with what southern California has to offer, and I am not able to update this blog as much as I would like. So i hope I don't leave any thing out.

On Wednessdays my friend and I have begun a routine of hitting the BMX night at the local skatepark as a prelude to beers and live music. Both of us used to ride as much as we could growing up, as the years have gone by it seems like I ride my bike less and less. We joke that its our old man BMX night, because we ride for about 10 minutes and then just hang out untill they shut off the lights.

After the park we stoped by the Detroit bar. They have great sound there, and all the music that I have seen there sounds incredible. I think just by virtue of being in southern California the talent level in some of these bands is incredible. This week was no exception.

The next morning I was up early for a ride with the photo editor at the magazine, which was a huge thrill since I have been reading the magazine since I started riding in the mid 90s, and he was one of the founders of the magazine 14 years ago. As it turns out he assumed that I had a car, which was going to be important since we were shuttling the trail that day. Our only option was for me to drive the Powder magazine car. This is a mid 90's police car with "powder" spraypainted on the sides, skis screwed into the hood in an X shape, and stickers covering every square inch in the most charmingly tacky way. This car is definatly a sight. Polariods are pinned to the roof as documentaiotn of all the people who have travelled in the car, along with notes written on the doors, dashboard and anywhere there is free space on the interior. The car has been an ongoing story for the magazine over the last three years, it is on the last page of every issue and chronicles its cross country travels during every ski season. It drove just like how I though a cop car should drive... fast!

The trail was in the Ortega mountais in Orange County. The road leading up to the trail head was only wide enough for one car to drive up. The landscape was littered with huge bolders that from a distance looked liked giant tombstones along the mountain range. It was stunning, those are the moments that make me remember why I ride a bike.

As soon as we droped in I knew it was going to be a fast pace. Dave had about 35 pounds of camera gear on his back and he was absolutly flying down the trail. About half way down we stopped to shoot a few photos, It was a great expirience to see how a true industry proffesional opperates when he is working with a rider, me in this case. I was amazing when I saw the photos today. Everything was on piont, the composition, the light, it all worked. I hope there is more hand on expirience like that during the time I'm here.