Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Sedona Experience...

From December 2011


From December 2011
We arose early on our first morning in Sedona Arizona. George, Keith and I were there on "business" to check out the point of sale system that our sister store, OTE Sedona, has been using. A great excuse to do a little work and a lot of riding. As I walked outside I noticed the full moon wasn't looking normal. It had a shadow over part of it. I was accidentally catching the last of a lunar eclipse that I hadn't known anything about. It was a pretty cool way to start the day.

From December 2011
Another goal of the trip was to capture some great images for use in advertising and generally stoking people on the riding in Sedona.

From December 2011

Getting great photo's means getting out early. However it was darn cold with the sun not up yet so we warmed up at the local bike park before heading out onto the trails.

From December 2011


From December 2011
On the way to the trails we ran into a little pack of javelina's. These little oinkers weren't too afraid. Scattering into the brush when I got within 10 feet. All except one.

From December 2011


From December 2011
Once off-road we quickly pointed our bikes uphill to create a little heat. Once on top the sun did the rest and the feeling of cold would not be one we'd feel again until we were back in Colorado.

From December 2011


From December 2011


From December 2011


From December 2011


From December 2011


From December 2011

It's easy to think that Sedona riding would be similar to Moab, but really the only thing they have in common is that the rock is red and the trails are fun. Sedona couldn't be more different. Hundreds and hundreds of miles of singletrack spider web their way through the pinyon/juniper forests in town and out. They are rocky, technical and at times very flowy.

From December 2011
The trails are also a bit more "prickly" then what we are used to. The consequences for losing concentration are two fold...a fall down a ledge or cliff, and the added insult of landing in a cactus at the bottom.

From December 2011


From December 2011
Keith's kneepads proved to be a good idea, but the case could be made for some shin protection too, if only for protection from the spiny trail side vegetation.

From December 2011
Black and White or Blue and Red...

From December 2011


From December 2011


From December 2011
It's a big landscape, Keith and George cruise far below me on singletrack dwarfed by the surrounding monuments.

From December 2011
And the day glow yellow lichen is a strange contrast to the dark red rock. At times it seems a can of saftey yellow paint has exploded all over the place.

From December 2011


From December 2011


From December 2011


From December 2011


From December 2011
A big thanks goes out to Jason and Mike, the new owners of OTE Sedona. Jason let us dirtbag it on his living room floor, and Mike gave us plenty of beer! It was cool to meet all the folks that are part of the Sedona community of mountain bikers and trail builders. From the USFS trail crew to the old school rouge trail builder that we met at the bar. Hopefully thanks to their hard work this little grom will be rippn' Sedona trails many years from now, and hopefully we will be too! Enjoy this quick little video of radness that is Sedona!

3 comments:

  1. Dude these pics and video are awesomesauce. We came out from Denver the same time you were there, and stayed until the weather turned to shit. Which trails did you get out on?

    --Mark

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  2. Absolutely fantastic stuff Landon!

    Lee @ Trek

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  3. To Laidlaw...Man I wish I new what trails we were on. It just doesn't seem to matter down there, it's all fantastic!

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