Gauley Fest (West Virginia)

Late each summer the Summersville Dam is released to provide a few days of increased flow on the Gauley River. It's become a regular event called Gauley Fest which includes concerts, vendors, boat raffles and gear swap.



We were lucky enough to have lodging, shuttle, and food waiting for us when we arrived, compliments of our friend's company, New River Outfitters. The place was great! Fully loaded with hot tub and kegerator!



Our group separated into two boats and soon we were headed down the river. Our boat had only one paddler with experience on a whitewater raft, but we all pulled our own weight and navigated the river with ease. I fell out of the boat at a crucial rapid, Pillow Rock Rapid, and our entire boat (minus the guide) was pitched later down the river at Box Canyon. The other boat was tangled in the hydraulics near the end of the trip, which sent a few of its members swimming for the shore. Somehow we all emerged from the carnage with smiles on our faces and tales to tell.

Timberline (West Virginia)

Somehow I forgot to upload this little gem.

Seven Springs (Pennsylvania)

Last year we visited Seven Springs for the second stop of the Gravity East Series. At that time, we were in a rush to practice and race which doesn't leave much time to explore the other trails in the resort. This weekend, however, allowed us time to ride every trail in the park.

Snowshoe (West Virginia)

Our first trip to 'the shoe' this season was marked by relatively good weather, fun in the mud, and a few injuries to body and bike. The weekend's weather was constantly changing, with dark rain clouds rolling in and out of the area all weekend long. You could see blue skies approaching even with torrential rains overhead. Each storm was brief but heavy, a reminder that we were lucky to have sunshine otherwise.



Three of us had GoPro cameras, so we were shooting video both days. Alex and Jake decided to compile the footage and as soon as they're done I'll have the finished product posted here.



Joe learned an important rule - protect your nose region! Luckily he'd just purchased some Oakley goggles with a noseguard, otherwise this little scrape would have been a broken nose.

North Anna River (Virginia)

Single-day trips are sometimes the best. This float on the North Anna River is one of my favorites.



Our group dwindled a bit from our original twenty or so to a group of twelve people (and two dogs), which worked out pretty well since we were only taking one vehicle in addition to the bus. The temperatures this previous week had been near 100, but the day of the float they hovered around 85-90 - still ideal for a lazy river adventure.



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Just Friends' Day / US Open (NY/NJ)

For this double-header weekend, we dropped off a busload of Richmond Cutthroats in Brooklyn, NY for our annual camping trip to Floyd Bennett Field, then headed to Diablo Freeride Park to ride and watch the US Open.



Joey and I rode nonstop on Friday and Saturday, taking a short lunch break on Saturday to watch the US Open qualifying runs. It was the first time this season that we've been on our DH bikes, and it was a great way to start the summer.



Friday night we caught The Hangover 2 at the Warwick Drive-In Theater near Vernon, NJ.



After two long days of riding, Joey and I decided to head back to Floyd Bennett Field a day early. It was a good call and it allowed us a day to relax before heading back to Richmond. On Sunday we headed to Rockaway Beach in Queens, NY. I was amazed that such a gorgeous beach lay just around the corner from the big city. After that we headed back to camp, relaxed and leisurely packed up, then headed back to Richmond.

Shoe Creek (Nelson County, VA)

This weekend we decided to go Jeeping on the Shoe Creek trails, near Crabtree Falls.



The trails were rocky, but not too technical. We were all able to find plenty of challenges climbing boulders and maxing out the Jeeps' articulation. I even brought my DH bike to ride on the rocky descents.



As one last sign of winter, we woke to 3-4 inches of snow on Sunday morning.