Fight the power!

Stairways To Heaven Race - Los Angeles from The Bicinity on Vimeo.


Found a good video about some fixie dudes rippin around LA. Sure they are breaking just about every traffic law in the books. But I say big deal, they are on a bike! How about the crazed workaholic speeding around in a 8000 pound death machine. Anyway, its pretty good cine' and it got me in the mood to stick it to the man.

This week has been mostly bitter, a little sweet. If you haven't heard, Whitefish Mountain Resort called their landlord, the USFS and instantly got a new policy approved regarding uphill travel on Big Mountain. This new policy, put into effect without prior public input, bans uphill travel after lift hours throughout the season until two weeks after season closure. I guess I don't find this too surprising, it was only a matter of time. Free uphill on the big was one of the last examples of this user group on a forest service leased ski resort. Further proof that we don't live in a democracy, it's nothing but an elaborate illusion.

I don't know what I will do once this new policy goes into effect. I had just cancelled my gym membership because I've had so much fun on Big Mtn this year. As of yesterday, I've summited 28 times on skis, mostly after hours. Because of this, I have stayed fit and mostly depression free this winter. I have shared some amazing times with close friends climbing the mountain, watching the sun go down over one of the most beautiful places I've ever lived. They too have jobs during the day, pay taxes and now have nothing after work. I guess the man would rather we pay for gym memberships and run on treadmills with tv screens. The man can't make any money if the people are just walking around staying fit. Such a shame.

Anyway, I'm doing what I can in our corpratocracy to voice my opinion about this travesty. I am hereby not going to spend any money at Whitefish Mountain Resort, Ciao Mambo's, Mackenzie River Pizza, Craggy Range or the Whitefish Aiport, all under the same ownership. I urge anyone who shares my discontent to do the same. Calling the forest service is great, but hitting Foley in the pocketbook is the only way to get back what's ours. If you've eaten at Mambo's or Craggy this shouldn't even be much of a sacrifice. Remember, WE are the majority. Power to the People!  I'll leave you with the sun setting on the Flathead valley, and our freedom.

Hotsprings Plains Hotsprings, A killer Loop!

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Today was great! First bike ride in almost 3 months but well worth the wait. A composite team of Flathead and Missoula riders set out on a great 60ish mile loop. I say ish because i don't train with computers, coaches, HRMs or Power. I just like
to ride my bike in fun places with my amigos. My road bike wasn't ready so i set out on "the creamcicle", a 2007 Kona cross bike with large knobby tires and 1x9 gearing. This is nothing new to me, in fact I havent ridden on slick tires since 2007. Anyway, eight or ten of us set out to chilly but amazing skies and had a great time. Shaun Radley got some great beta on a backroad between paradise and plains on the other side of the river, see map. I don't know why I don't live in Paradise, it's amazing! The five mile climb out of Plains was a little tough for the first ride but with age comes wisdom and I didn't bother to explode trying to chase Matt ice. After the ride, we sat down at Symes hot springs with a much older and fatter bike gang, the Bandido's MC. They seemed a little soft for a motorcycle club, they all drove to Symes in their car! Today really stoked my fire with road, so much so that I'm adding a new element to the blog: Hot or Not!

Hot:

Anyone who showed up today

Matching kits (we're mid twenties now only Bill Schultz can pull off the Split Kit)

Road!


Not:

Anyone who didn't show up

Having to wear more than jersey and shorts (not cool)

Riding on trainers, go skiing for pete's sake!

goodnight...

"Time to get serious"

A phrase I say far more than I actually do. Like a wave approaching the shore my fitness builds every spring and well into the summer. When things go right, times come when I feel untouchable, a "purple patch" according to some. But all waves eventually find a beach. For me that means the enticement of celebrating after doing well usually brings me right back to where I started...almost. I've noticed that although my body is totally useless each winter, every spring I start out a little better than the year before.

Exempio: One spring in high school I went out for the track team. I had shown promise as a runner in junior high so this was nothing new to me. However the food that is somehow legal to sell to high schoolers in america was dragging me down. On the first day of practice, we went on a co-ed EASY group run, I made it a half mile and quit the team. A prime example of someone I call Phil 1.0.
Fast forward to 2009: After half a decade of racing anything with two wheels, I knew how to train, how to hurt and how to save it for race day. That pic of me is from my first race of 09, the Riverbank Run in Missoula. I had a great time and PR'd in the 10k, 5k and mile all in one morning. This was the first appearance of Phil 2.0, a totally different person.

Anyway, I try to look for improvements anywhere I can. They can be small from week to week but year to year they should start to appear. There is no staying the same. We live in an emergent universe. Things that are possible now were unthinkable a short time ago. Apply that to training and staying the same isn't staying the same. It's getting worse. So who wants to see where they're at and run the Snowjoke Half marathon next weekend? I know a lot of people that could easily improve. Heck all Doug needs to do is finish without the vultures pecking at his scalp!

Stickittodaman! A President's Day Tribute

The phrase "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism" is often attributed to Thomas Jefferson. According to the Monticello webpage, this is not the case. Regardless of whether or not he said such words, they perhaps apply more to today than 1776. Today is Presidents day, A day that we are supposed to honor the presidents and our democracy. However at this juncture of time and space, I have determined our President is nothing more than a chosen suit and we certainly don't live in a democracy.

Do you really think that checking one of two boxes every four years is a democracy? It's an insult to your intelligence.

By the time any of these people make it into office, they are heavily indebted (literally) to the interests that got them there. They have no time to help the people, they must serve their master! How can someone be called president if they run a country thats currently 12,363,899,843,891 dollars in the hole? They are nothing more than a puppet. So here's to you Mr. President, I'm only doing what your predecessor supposedly told me to. 


Here's a great documentary about Noam Chomsky, one of the greatest intellectuals of our time. It's called Manufacturing Consent. If you have a couple hours to kill, he tells a necessary tale of the multibillion dollar effort to keep us distracted from unfavorable truths. It was made in the eighties but even more true today, minus some really bad hair.  


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5631882395226827730#

Workin' for the weekend.

I respect the weekend warrior. No one cares if they compete, no one is looking anxiously for their result. Ultimately, the only one pushing the weekend warrior is himself. He just does it because he knows thats why he was placed amongst the cosmos. Yes, some athletes have dreams of "making it", and some do. Thats great, but for me not really worth envying. I follow those who know they're never going to get paid, yet compete at the highest level of their sport anyway. Because the purest of passions have nothing to with money. it's just something in you, it's innate. Like the butterfly that fly's to Meixco. What else could drive someone to summit the Big Mountain (2,200 foot climb) in 27 minutes for free? Well, actually, they lost money after the entry fee. Thanks event promoters...

To my knowledge the whole US National Randonee Team has day jobs. Our best placing last go round at worlds was 30th of 90. Not bad for a workin stiff! The sport is getting more popular in some circles, but doesn't really appeal to the masses (pun intented) in America. We are more interested in riding chairlifts, superbowl, getting fatter, and paying doctors and pharma to come up with complex answers to problems that shouldn't exist. I had a few extra pounds last month, so I started walking up mountains, not seeing "doctors". Wo, too much rant!

Anyway....

Brandon French and Ben Parsons are holding a slideshow/raffle to help offset the cost of traveling to Andorra at the end of this month for the World Championships. Andorra is in the Pyrrenees im Spain, obviously not a cheap tik. They have traveled the Rocky Mountains in their entirety, and should have some amazing pictures and stories to tell. Brandon has previously raced in Europe and should have some fun times to talk about. They are auctioning outdoor related gear that has been donated, so obvi there might be some deals. Phil's Liquidation has been hired as auctioneer so bring your $$$ and lets have a good time sending these guys to worlds!

Slideshow and Auction at Reds Theater

30 2nd ST E. KSSR

Thursday. 7. Feb 18. 2010 

PS although Ben and I are now teammates I completely disagree with this news report from last summer's TNRL:

"At this stage of the season, the expert stage is up for grabs. Ben Parsons, one of the top cyclists in the valley, was almost unbeatable last season, but on this particular night, a flat tire prevented him from finishing. 
“He didn’t win last week and he didn’t finish today,” Knight said, “so who knows, in this mixed-up, crazy world.” -Flathead Beacon

I get no love.

Up North...