Mountain Biking on Gooseberry Mesa in Utah

With the winter season coming to a close in Lake Tahoe some friends and I decided it was high time to get the mountain bikes out.  With snow still in the forecast in May, the biking in Lake Tahoe wouldn't be ready until sometime in June.  That meant only one thing - it was time to load up the cars and head for Utah!

After hearing a lot of great things about the mountain biking on Gooseberry Mesa, we decided that would be our destination.   With the car already packed, my friend Sean got off work at 11pm and we started the overnight drive through the Nevada desert.  After multiple cups of coffee, several delirious 4am conversations and 11 hours later we pulled into camp.  Sean and I set up camp and slept for the better part of the day - not too late though, since we had to fit in an afternoon ride.

"Wesley King takes a break at sunset on Gooseberry Mesa"

"Dan Keenan rides on Gooseberry Mesa with Zion National Park in the background"

Once we awoke we got the bikes unloaded and headed out to see what all the hype was about.  Within 10 minutes I could see exactly why we had heard so many good things about the biking on the mesa  - IT WAS EPIC!  Extremely technical slickrock combined with a mix of singletrack provided some of the most fun I've had on a bike in awhile.  The unobstructed view of Zion National Park in the background wasn't too shabby either.

Over the next couple days we really gave the place a going over.  It took a little bit to settle into the kind of technical riding style that Gooseberry demands. It is completely different from any type of riding that I have ever done.  In Lake Tahoe you become accustomed to long climbs with fast moderately technical descents.  Because of it's extreme technical nature, Gooseberry riding is much slower and precise.  Fast short sprints up very steep sections of slick rock, mixed with tight corners and sharp turns keep you on your game 100% of the time.

"Sean Cronin mountain bikes on the very skinny terminus of the North Rim Trail.  There is a 300ft drop on either side of him"

One of my favorite parts about riding on Gooseberry Mesa has to be the camping.  Because the mesa is on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land the camping restrictions are very loose.  You can pretty much camp wherever you want and it is all free of charge.  It is important though that you bring enough supplies with you.  There is no running water or much else in the way of home comforts on the mesa.  The only facility in the immediate area is a lone toilet that is, sometimes, stocked with toilet paper.

The biggest benefit to camping on the mesa is that all of the rides are accessible from camp.  You can simply crawl out of your tent, make breakfast and get on your bike and ride.  There is no need to drive anywhere. Within minutes of riding on one of the several double track roads you can be at the entrance to all of the trails.

"The view of Zion National Park from camp"

"Corey and Sean relax by the fire"

"The night sky from camp, note the shooting star"

After about four days we had ridden every trail on the mesa, in both directions.  We decided to go check out some of the other trails in the area.  We did a 15 mile loop on Little Creek Mesa (about a 20 minute drive from Gooseberry), and car shuttled the Jem trail (also about a 20 minute drive).

"Dan gets some air on the downhill section of the Jem trail" 

"Heading back after the ride on Little Creek Mesa"

Even though there was a lot of good riding off the mesa, the accessibility of the trails from camp won us over for the rest of the trip.  We continued to link up different sections of trails and come up with creative and cool lines all over the mesa.  Trails like God's Skateboard Park provided entire afternoons of entertainment. 

The possibilities on the mesa are endless and the trails are still definitely in the baby stages of development.  The appeal for a strong intermediate rider will be the ability to ride a lot of the terrain and simply have to walk sections one is not comfortable with.  On the other end of the spectrum Gooseberry has terrain for the most advanced rider with stunt possibilities that range all the way up to the extreme.  It all depends on how creative you want to get.  Our favorite trails included: God's Skateboard Park, South Rim Trail and Hidden Canyon.

"Corey finishing a climb on the South Rim Trail"

"Corey sprinting up one of the many short technical climbs on the South Rim Trail"

"Dan riding on a small ledge in God's Skateboard Park"

"Corey on the South Rim Trail"

"The merry go round section of the Hidden Canyon Trail"

"Sean climbing some slick rock in God's Skateboard Park"

The likely choice for many people heading to Utah for a mountain bike trip would be Moab.  Even though the riding at Gooseberry isn't as extensive as Moab, the mesa offers up some of the best slickrock and singletrack riding in the lower 48, with virtually no crowds.  So my advice to you would be to load up the bikes and get out there before everyone else figures out what they've been missing.

  

"Sunset on Gooseberry Mesa"

Kirkwood Mountain Resort - THE Best Day of the Season - Light Dry Blower Snow and Photographing with the RSN Film Crew

Yesterday, March 31st, was probably the best day of the season at Kirkwood Mountain Resort. Mother Nature graced us with almost 3 feet of light, dry snow that we don't typically get here in the Sierra Nevada. I woke up at 5am to make sure I had enough time to get my gear ready and dig the car out. It wasn't hard to motivate since I was headed out to Kirkwood for what I already knew was going to be an epic day. Even further motivation was provided by the fact that I was going to be able to head up with the RSN (Resort Sports Network) film crew an hour before the lifts were open to the public and photograph all of the RSN athletes!

Many people would claim that this kind of light dry snow only falls in Utah or Colorado - Craig Garbiel takes a face shot for the critics!

When I moved out from the east coast 8 years ago I was only planning on staying in Lake Tahoe for a winter. It was Kirkwood, specifically, that changed all that. Days like yesterday are the reason I will continue to make my home here, most likely, for the rest of my life. The photo above says it all.

It looks like we're not done yet either. We've got storms lined up for next week, and after that I'll be headed down to Tioga Pass with a group of great friends to photograph some classic Eastern Sierra big mountain lines. Stay tuned!

Photographing the Kirkwood Powder Cat for Kirkwood Mountain Resort and Expedition Kirkwood

Last week I was contacted by Kirkwood Mountain Resort for what turned out to be my best assignment all winter - photographing the Kirkwood Powder Cat and the terrain it accesses. With perfect snow and blue skies I couldn't have asked for a better day. I'd like to give a big thanks to Jon Copeland and his staff for organizing the shoot! As we loaded into the snowcat for the first run everyone was completely stoked! The scenery around Kirkwood is second to none. The snowcat took us all the way up to Martin Point for our first run. The views of the Kirkwood Valley and the Sierra Nevada were absolutely breathtaking. Below, Jon Copeland unloads the gear. As I dropped in to set up the first shot I was greeted with over 2 feet of fresh powder. Here is my friend Alex ripping a turn in my first action shot of the day. It only got better from there. Skiing for the camera isn't easy but a seasoned veteran like Jon Copeland makes it look effortless. It took me a few minutes to set up this shot. I explained to Jon exactly where I needed him to make a turn and throw up some spray. He followed through, no problem. It turned out to be my favorite shot of the day. Photographing skiing and snowboarding is tough. It takes a combination of great skiers and snowboarders, great weather, good equipment and of course, a capable photographer. It's all about waiting for that perfect day with perfect light. They don't come around often so you have to watch the weather and have a crew ready to go at a moments notice. I love every minute of it. When you come back with great shots it's always worth the effort. Thanks again to Jon Copeland, his awesome staff, and Kirkwood Mountain Resort for making this shoot possible.