This is a high quality video of my visit to the ER in Mammoth. WARNING: It’s very graphic.

Untitled from MoonDogg on Vimeo.

That was the question I asked Josh, as he was inspecting my leg.

“It’s probably going to need a few, yeah” was his reply…. Yeah, right. Just a few…

Is there a worm on my leg?

We were traversing the Dragon’s Tail in Mammoth. Myself, Josh and Khristian. I suggested we go all the way to the tail, because that it my favorite part of the mountain. It usually has the deepest snow, and the least amount of traffic, because it’s not easy to get to. There is a little bit of a valley you have to get across, and Josh said he didn’t want to hike.

‘What are you talking about? I never hike. You just have to bomb it and keep up your speed.”

And bomb it I did. I was trucking, making split-second decisions on which path to take, as there were several forks. You are basically on a single-track, up, down and around trees. It’s a bit of a roller-coaster ride, with no time to stop and think about it. You just have to go, soak up the bumps make the turns, duck under tree branches, and if you are successful you can make it to the powder mother lode.

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Busted by the Terminator

See More Pictures Here

We had a large group head up to Monterey this year, which made it much more fun than when I rode up there by myself last year! Included in this years trip were Me, Gary (Dad), Robert, Donell, Bruce, Steve, Ryan and Phil. Also Khristian and Lake rode the train up.

The ride up was probably the most fun of any I have done yet. I made an effort to string together the best bits of all the rides I’ve done in the past.

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Freight Train Wall Ride – Whistler Bike Park 2008.08 from MoonDogg on Vimeo.

Posing for a shot on A-Line

In July, I joined my friends from Santa Cruz on an epic trip to Whislter, B.C. to spend 6 days riding the amazing trails at the Whistler Bike Park.

There were eight of us, ranging in age and skill level, but one thing we all had in common; a desire to step up are riding skills. And this is just the place to do it. There is a wide variety of terrain, trail styles, and features. Anyone who spends a week riding here is going to go home a better rider. We all pushed our boundaries, and I know I left feeling like I really accomplished something.

I hopped on a plane early Friday morning. Khristian was flying out of town to Oregon the same day, so we had Steve drop us off at LAX. The plane ride was typical, except for the Red Bull & vodkas. They seemed particularly effective. Of course, I hadn’t had a drink in over 9 weeks, so that likely had something to do with it.

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Me and a few of the plethora of umbrella girls

This was the 3rd year in a row that I made plans to ride up to Monterey, CA for the MotoGP races. I assumed that I would be accompanied by Robert, Donell, and my father. The same group as the last 2 years. But Robert and Donell were not up for it. ‘It’s too hot. It’s too far’. Gallery

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10 of us spent the Memorial Day weekend riding epic trails in Santa Cruz. With the help of our friendly guides, we experience some very memorable rides, especially in Aptos. This was probably the best ride I have ever been on, which isn’t saying a lot, really. An 8+ mile fireroad trek, then down another 6 miles of the sweetest singletrack through some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine.

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The Old San Juan Trail is a semi-famous trail in the Ortega’s. I’ve ridden it several times, both UP and down (unlike some people I know….). The latest trip was a memorable one. We had the biggest group so far, and I was really excited to have some girls riding with us. However, my excitement slowly turned to guilt and sorrow when I started realizing that perhaps they were in over their head.

SJT is a super fun trail, with a lot of vertical descent and a wide variety of terrain. But its not for the inexperienced. Its very rugged and technical, with lots of potential for serious injury. I had not fully appreciated that until I saw how much difficulty the girls were having.

But in the end they were champions, and I know the’ll be asking us to take them back up there by the end of the summer!!

More pics in the Gallery.

Took a mtn. biking trip to Moab in April. Finally got the pics up in the Gallery. It was really fun, and Khristian’s first real biking trip. The annual Jeep Safari was going on at the same time, so there was a ridiculous number of Jeeps in town and on the trails.

We also went hiking in Arches National Park. That was pretty amazing. I didn’t realize how close to Moab it was; just a few miles outside of town. Definitely an awe-inspiring place.

Had an epic 4 day weekend in Mammoth last week. Pics and vidz in the Gallery (also from January trip). Several feet of powder and lots of killer runs on the Dragons Back and Tail. Tons more snow falling this week, time to head up again.