Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Feb 9, 2012, 10:00 am
In the fall of 2008 the United States government purchased assets from several financial institutions that were on the brink of financial collapse. The Troubled Assest Relief Program—TARP—and related bailouts, have cost as much as $7 trillion. TARP was the beginning of what has become an era ...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Feb 7, 2012, 10:00 am
I was recently and disparagingly called a “libertarian environmentalist” because of my support for a free society, and my opposition to the SkiLink project. The term was used by a Utah Republican lobbyist who sees no problem with legislators of his persuasion bypassing existing law (at the b...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Feb 6, 2012, 1:45 pm
It’s easy to be cynical. National news is grim. It’s an election year. And here in in Utah, the winter has been perfunctory. But cynicism is tiresome. And anyway, spring is near at hand. And with it, all the brightness and optimism that follow in its wake. Baseball. Singletrack. The White ...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Feb 1, 2012, 10:00 am
Camp Lynda is this weekend. Instead of chasing people around the St. George desert on mountain bikes, I will be home. Healing from cornea transplant surgery. I’m disappointed to miss camp. But I’m happy that I will no longer see the world like this:   I know some of you are thinking that no...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Jan 25, 2012, 1:47 pm
Big Cottonwood Canyon The never-winter is over. Pacific storms moved into Utah last week and dropped more than 40 inches of snow in the upper reaches of Little Cottonwood Canyon. The rapid arrival of new snow has turned the backcountry into an avalanche haven. The weak, persistent layer that formed...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Jan 23, 2012, 10:00 am
I’ve been running lately. Quite a lot. I have one rule: No pavement. Because that just hurts. Trail running is, if not pleasant, at least more tolerable than anything indoors. Except, it’s becoming enjoyable. And really, I’m not entirely surprised. I used to enjoy running. And so, for now, I�...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Jan 17, 2012, 10:00 am
This was the country the Mormons settled, the country which, as Brigham Young with some reason hoped, no one else wanted. Its destiny was plain on its face, its contempt of man and his history and his theological immortality, his Millennium, his Heaven on Earth, was monumentally obvious. Its distanc...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Jan 16, 2012, 10:00 am
“Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun…” What an odd winter the American West is experiencing. Dry. Warm. Almost spring-like, even. Snow, or rain, is supposed to arrive shortly. Which will only further complicate the precarious backcountry snowpack. Indeed, I h...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Jan 10, 2012, 12:28 pm
Forward movement is the means to every human end. Progress, such as it is defined, is often elevated above all else. Politicians speak of progress in reverent whispers. For athletes and coaches, it as an eternal pursuit. The businessman is obsessed with his progress up the corporate ladder, or th...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Jan 6, 2012, 10:00 am
“Dirtbag” is a term of endearment in the outdoor world. Being a dirtbag can be a good thing. Certainly it can be taken too far, and doing so just might be to your own disadvantage. But each of us who venture into the outdoors, whether on bikes, skis, or on foot, have a little dirtbag inside of...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Jan 3, 2012, 12:28 pm
I love Moab. But recently, it had been relegated down the list of my favorite places to ride. I had simply grown tired of Moab. Yesterday that changed. 43 miles of redrock and singletrack rekindled the flame. My new favorite trail? Deadman’s Ridge. Connect it to the Sovereign singletrack, and...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Dec 22, 2011, 11:35 pm
Christmas can be horrible. Really. The obligations, expectations, stretched budgets, terrible food, awkward social engagements… And that’s just the office party. But Christmas can also be wonderful. Underneath the material urgings is an ideal that transcends custom, culture, and borders....
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Dec 20, 2011, 10:00 am
Related posts:Photo of the Week (Week 40) 2011 P2P Aftermath Camp Lynda 2011 (Words)
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Dec 15, 2011, 10:00 am
“Apocalypse is a frame of mind… A belief. A surrender to inevitability. It is a despair for the future. It is the death of hope.” ~Jim Butcher, Death Masks I’ve maintained this space for well over 6 years. It’s been through several changes and upgrades. Dry spells. Indirection. And, onc...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Dec 13, 2011, 1:05 pm
Cyclocross is not over. Not yet. There is, between now and then, 1 more hour of hurt and pain and gritty, stupid smiles. 1 hour. And then, ‘cross—for me—will be over. I have mixed feelings about that. But, it is time for a change of pace. A breather. Maybe even a little time away from bikes, a...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Dec 7, 2011, 10:00 am
It’s December. And that means Christmas shopping. The mountain biker in your family can be a tough person to shop for. But he doesn’t have to be. In fact, there are a few essentials that mountain bikers always need, but don’t always want to buy for themselves. You see, mountain bikers pref...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 31, 2011, 10:00 am
I didn’t wear a costume during the Halloween cyclocross race. But I did do a fairly decent impersonation of a competent ‘cross racer. No flats. No crashes. And a sprint finish for… 13th. A long way from the podium. But it’s a result I am happy with. There were, after all, 55 starters ...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 27, 2011, 10:00 am
I’ve filled this space with glowing, hyperbolic praise for cyclocross several times over the last year. I love ‘cross. That’s not a secret. But I’m also competitive. Overly so. I don’t just want to race. I want to win. That I almost never win at all is an obvious, glaring, bald-faced r...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 24, 2011, 10:17 am
  Race #5 from the UTCX series took place at Wheeler Farm. Lots of singletrack, sand, and great weather. The song is Headlong Into the Abyss by We Are Augustines. Related posts:UTCX 1 (Video) Double Crossed SnowCross (UTCX 9) I Won’t Grow Up! (Video) Hurt So Good: UTCX 1
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 19, 2011, 10:00 am
... a bike? Fitness? Competition? Exploration? The term “joy riding” is often used to describe ... at its foundation, no different than a joy ride. The physics involved in each ride are identical. Pedaling is pedaling. The ... Of course, elevating the intensity of a ride certainly inc...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 13, 2011, 12:31 pm
September is gone. October is here. And with it, fall colors, cyclocross, and snow. But September was a good month. I put together my best Point2Point. After which, I enjoyed some downtime in the mountains. I’ve started a new photo project, all about aspen trees. The 12 Hours of Sundance happ...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 11, 2011, 10:00 am
Cyclocross is ridiculously painful. Not simply uncomfortable, but tongue-wagging, leg-busting, lung-scorchingly dreadful. But that’s why we love racing ‘cross. See, the deep dark secret is that, despite the gasping and the cringing and the dry-heaving, we are all having the time of our lives wh...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 10, 2011, 10:00 am
An early winter storm filled the mountains with the first significant snow of the season. Fall, however, was not yet finished. Related posts:Wintery Autumn. Fall. (Photos) Winter Fade Winter Horizon Winter? It’s Coming.
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 7, 2011, 10:00 am
Related posts:Photo of the Week (Week 7) Photo of the Week (Week 19) Photo of the Week (Week 27) Photo of the Week (Week 34) Photo of the Week (Week 37)
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 6, 2011, 3:25 pm
Steve Jobs is dead. Long live Steve Jobs. Illustration by Charis Tsevis I was 8 years old when my dad brought home a Macintosh computer. We unboxed it and set it up on our dining room table. My mom was understandably unexcited about sacrificing the dining space to this new electronic god of pro...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 5, 2011, 11:55 am
The cyclocross season is well underway. UTCX opened up with a double cross weekend at the Utah State Fairpark, a dusty, lonely, aged space. A time machine. And it makes for an excellent ‘cross venue. See for yourself: Related posts:Cross Logic (UTCX 4) SnowCross (UTCX 9) Hurt So Good: UTCX 1 I Wo...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 4, 2011, 2:01 pm
The mountains are restless. The aspen trees are swaying nervously in the wind. Their leaves, gold and brittle with age, are falling to the ground. A hopeless act. Suicide. The elk are ornery. Agitated. The mature bulls, who don’t feed during the rut, are lean and aggressive. Hungry. Their symp...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Oct 3, 2011, 10:00 am
Autumn. Fall. The leaves are starting to change, to die. The sun sinks lower into the horizon sooner and sooner, and slowly the northern world prepares itself for the long and dormant winter. But in the meantime there are those brisk days of muted sunshine and dry, tall, mountain grass. Autumn in th...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 28, 2011, 10:00 am
I was feeling grumpy. And then I went for a ride. Afterward, I couldn’t remember why I was grumpy. Related posts:Fall on the Ridge Late Fall The Manifest Joy of Singletrack Hyperbole and Singletrack Falling for Singletrack
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 26, 2011, 3:03 pm
Ah, cyclocross. A brutal, unforgiving, intemperate companion. It offers no sanctuary, and no comfort. Only cold, indifferent reality. And yet… And yet, I love it. Indeed, I love it because of its stone-cold phlegmatic apathy. 20 minutes into the 2011 season and I was already bleeding from my ...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 23, 2011, 10:00 am
Related posts:Photo of The Week (Week 8) Photo of the Week (Week 11) Photo of the Week (Week 13) Photo of the Week (Week 34) Photo of the Week (Week 37)
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 21, 2011, 12:17 pm
Cyclocross has officially arrived. Unofficially, it never left. It occupied certain recesses of my brain all throughout the wet and rainy spring and into the hot, dry days of summer. And now, here it is. And just in time. The air is cool. The days are noticeably shorter, and the leaves, even in ...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 19, 2011, 10:00 am
I’ve been shooting photos recently with a borrowed Canon 5d Mark II. It’s an amazing camera. Simply stunning. One of the most talked about functions of the camera is its stellar video capabilities. To see those capabilities for myself, I spent a little (not nearly enough) time Saturday lurking i...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 16, 2011, 10:00 am
Related posts:Photo of the Week (Week 34) Photo of The Week (Week 8) Photo of the Week (Week 11) Photo of The Week (Week 16) Photo of the Week (Week 27)
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 14, 2011, 11:33 am
August was a slow blogging month. I was too busy out on the bike. I pre-rode stage 5 of the Tour of Utah. And then I snapped photographs at stage 4, in downtown Salt Lake City. I wrote a follow-up to the river incident. I also raced at the USCS finale, a 36-mile super-xc race at corner Canyon. I...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 13, 2011, 10:00 am
As you can see, I’m working on the theme for the blog. I’ll be adding features and customization over the next few days. I’ve been working on a new photo project recently: Project Aspen. I know… that name sounds like something from a Colorado fashion show. But nevertheless, it’s what I’...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 8, 2011, 10:00 am
I spent the 2 days after the Point 2 Point at the family cabin. It was quality rest and relaxation. Related posts:Thursday Recovery Ride Pioneer Yurt (More Photos) Slideshow (Photos) Random Photos Black and White (Photos)
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 7, 2011, 1:20 pm
The Park City Point 2 Point is one of the most anticipated events on the race calendar. Registering in February for an event in September will do that. Everything thereafter orbits around the race. Eating a pizza in April? “How will this effect my Point 2 Point training?” Racing a cross-count...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Sep 6, 2011, 11:18 am
I found my sweet spot. But who knew sweet could hurt so much? Afterward I was all smiles. Sort of: More to follow. But first, everyone affiliated with the Point 2 Point needs to be thanked. Over and over. The race was—once again—remarkable. Fantastic volunteers, easy to follow course markings,...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 31, 2011, 1:50 pm
Endurance racing is all about finding that place where you can ride at a quick pace, without blowing yourself into oblivion. Not to slow, and not to fast. A sweet spot. Of course, that spot is different for everyone. Riders at the front of the race can go much faster while using less energy than tho...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 26, 2011, 11:40 am
Related posts:Photo of the Week (Week 18) Photo of the Week (Week 24) Photo of the Week (Week 25) Photo of the Week (Week 30) Photo of the Week (Week 37)
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 25, 2011, 1:22 pm
The home stretch. At last. The only thing between feed station 2 and eternal glory is 22 miles and 3,600 vertical. Oh. Snap. Segment 6: 22 miles. 3,600 vertical. Garmin connect page. Segment video.   After the grueling (and awesome) riding above Park City Mountain Resort, the feed station at the...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 24, 2011, 2:59 pm
Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. Segment 4: 11 miles. 1,900 vertical. Garmin Connect page. Segment video. Welcome to The Crux. From Feed 1 at Silver Lake Lodge, to Feed 2 at Park City Mountain Resort is the heart and soul of the Park City Point 2 Point. These miles are rugged, re...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 23, 2011, 10:00 am
This is Part 2 of my Point 2 Point preview. Part 1 is here. This section covers the race course from the start, to feed zone 1, approximately 28 miles. Segment 1: 12 miles, 1,200 vertical.  Garmin Connect page. Segment video. The first 12 miles of the Park City Point 2 Point are in Round Valle...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 22, 2011, 10:00 am
The Park City Point 2 Point is less than 2 weeks away. It’s a big race. 80 miles. 14,000 vertical. And some of the most amazing and hardest singletrack you’ll ever ride. It will be one of the most demanding—and best—days you’ve ever had on your bike. This week I will be posting my thoughts...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 19, 2011, 11:16 am
Related posts:Photo of the Week (Week 18) Photo of the Week (Week 20) Photo of the Week (Week 23) Photo of the Week (Week 24) Photo of the Week (Week 30)
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 17, 2011, 1:33 pm
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my river encounter. I really don’t have any deep thoughts or enlightening insights. It was stupid. I was stupid. There’s really not anything more to it. I made a terrible choice, and nearly paid terrible consequences. However, I’ve learned from that m...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 15, 2011, 10:00 am
Stage 4 of the Tour of Utah was a circuit race in downtown Salt Lake City. It was a hurt-fest. I watched in the shade, about 3/4 of the way up the nasty grunt climb, about 500 meters from the finish line. The riders had to climb that hill 11 times. The stage winner was Javier Acevedo from team Gu...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 8, 2011, 11:38 am
The Tour of Utah starts this week. The 2011 version promises to be the best yet. Slated to start the race are some of cycling’s big (and future) stars: George Hincapie, Dave Zabriskie, Levi Leipheimer, Tom Danielson, and Christian Van de Velde, to name just a few. The stages should provide good...
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Adam L. posted an article on Epic Riding. Epic Writing. - Aug 5, 2011, 10:00 am
Related posts:Photo of the Week (Week 9) Photo of the Week (Week 18) Photo of the Week (Week 20) Photo of the Week (Week 23) Photo of the Week (Week 24)
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