Goshen Pass (Virginia)

After nearly a year of climbing indoors at Peak, I finally had a chance to climb outdoors this weekend.

Joey, Tobje, and I headed to Goshen early Saturday morning, unloaded our gear from Joey's Jeep at the swinging bridge, and hiked in to begin our day of climbing. Once at the rock face, we set two top ropes and began taking turns tackling the ascents. The rain was nearly constant throughout the day, but the overhanging rock kept us dry. It was actually a very nice touch, keeping the temperature low and offering a soothing sound to the background.



At midday, we moved one rope to another location and attempted a more difficult route. It was unique from the other two due to its overhanging anchor point, which meant that a fall resulted in a lengthy swing away from the face.



That night we camped near Crabtree Meadows and the next morning we decided to drive Shoe Creek. Joey's Jeep handled the rocky trail in excellent form.



Near the completion of the 4x4 trail, we spotted a decent water hole and chose to brave the cold water before heading to pavement and back to Richmond.

Bryce (Virginia)

Joey and I left Richmond on Saturday night for Harrisonburg. We studied the NatGeo maps during the highway sections of our drive and scouted for a camp spot until we found a decent clearing.



The next morning we headed to Bryce to find a very impressive new bike park in its inaugural season. The trails were groomed similarly to Diablo with jumps, berms, and tabletops on nearly every track.



We shredded all day and kept bumping into familiar faces from Richmond. It seems that Bryce may become the “nearest favorite” after noticing just how many Richmond riders there were.

Shenandoah River (Staunton, VA)

After a day at Smith Mountain Lake, trolling around on a pontoon boat, Crystal, Katie and I joined Katie’s in-laws for a trip down the Shenandoah River.



The river had a relaxed pace with a few sections of rapids to keep the float interesting. We had paddles, but put them to very little use the entire time.

Snowshoe (West Virginia)

Ian, Joey and I set out for West Virginia on Friday afternoon with pleasant weather in the forecast. Ian, a seasoned XC rider, was trying downhill for the first time during this trip.



Snowshoe is offering a great deal on its season pass this year, so Joey and I ponied up the cash and purchased one each. The season pass includes a "friend pass" so Joey and I gave both days to Ian in exchange for covering the trip's fuel.

After our first day of riding we explored the fire roads around our campsite and stumbled upon a couple of stunning ponds.



The trail crew at Snowshoe was hard at work this spring. They’ve manicured their existing trails and added some trail features as well. In short, we plan on several return visits this season.

Slaughterama 10

After successfully removing Slaughterama's mass appeal during 2011's Knot-a-rama and 2012's Sort-a-rama, we decided that the tenth year of our event was a good time to bring it back full-force. Christian found a great new spot and Zach created a new event - Hungry Hungry Hippos.



The club didn't hype the event much, just sending out a last-minute blast to the teams about when/where to meet. Friday's scavenger hunt went well, with about 8 teams representing. The course covered the entire city and ended at Skateland, where we tallied the winners and skated until gnarly blisters formed.



Saturday kicked off with a ride from Shiplock Park to the official Slaughterama location (not that I'll disclose it). The crowd was smaller than in past years, but perfectly comprised of teams and kids on bikes - no more overflow from VCU and most importantly - no drum circles!

Slaughterama Teaser (footdown, the first event)

Mill Mountain (Roanoke, VA)

Tessa and I loaded up the Jeep and headed to Roanoke on Friday night. A late arrival meant a late morning the following day, but once we mobilized, we headed to Mill Mountain to ride to the Roanoke Star.



The trail was short, steep, and rocky. In little time we were on top of the mountain, looking out over the Roanoke Valley.