Vela Baja - The winter trip to paradise!

The Vela Windsurf Resort in Los Barriles, Mexico on the East Cape of Baja is the place to go and relax (train) to get ready for a new year. SMT is heading back down to ride with Todd Simmler and hang out with the Vela Baja staff again.

SMT will be escaping the cold from Jan 30 to Feb 6 in the dreamy and rehabilitating dry Baja heat to tour with long time guide and friend Todd Simmler at the Vela Windsurf Baja camp. Todd started his illustrious guide career here on the east-coast back in the 1990's. Yes, that means he has SKILLS! They have created an amazing trail system on the East Cape. These mountain trails are sure to challenge and delight as you climb up into the 5,000 ft. mountain range right from the coast.

After a solid days ride up in the mountains you can enjoy some fish tacos. You will be tempted by thoughts of a siesta but it's impossible to miss out on the warm relaxing sunshine. With the full package deal you can use the windsurfing gear (if you do that sorta thing) or sea-kayaks, stand up paddle boards, snorkeling gear and bicycles to cruise the coastline.

Check out the pictures. If you are real curious about the good times check out the video's below of snorkeling and mountain biking too.

Here are a few picture's



Check out this video of the snorkeling - fast forward to :35 is you have a short attention span



This clip has some nice rocky trail that grooves back and forth



This video is of a thin hard trail that wasn't quite finished yet

Gotta drop in towards the daily dose of fresh taco's!

Last week of 2010 - Wonderful!

What a week!
Hiking in 3 feet snow drifts on Monday
In Hungry Mother State Park to Mollies Knob
Biking the Shenandoah Valley roads on Tuesday
Skiing super deep backcountry powder at Whitegrass on Wednesday
Rolled a quick road ride on Thursday just before dark
Friday's road ride was sooooo warm and refreshing
Happy New Year!

Amazing snow ride on Great North Mountain Trail in Virginia's George Washington National Forest

Good times in the GW on the old "Dante's Inferno" loop
Winter is here!
Judge Rye Road up onto Devils Hole Mountain
Drop in on Long Mountain Trail
into and back up and out of Trout Pond Campground
Super fun technical ridge on Great North Mountain Trail
to the tight and fun switchbacks on Stack Rock Trail
Laurel Run Road back down to the parking lot.
Good times!
The road bed that is listed as a trail needs a lot of drainage work on the slopes above Trout Pond Campground - a job for the Lee District Sweco!
Everything else is wonderful!!
Thanks PATC and the Equestrian's (Diane) from the Old Dominion 100 for keeping Great North Mountain Trail cut back, those briars can be brutal in the summer!!

Narrowback has amazing views out into the larger watersheds to the west!

Virginia's George Washington National Forest is amazing. Black powder season is a few days off.

Lynn Trail switchback is reconstructed in the George Washington National Forest

First assess the worksite and make it a safe area to work
Make a plan that can be completed successfully
Start digging the foundation for the rock crib wall
After cutting the backslope
Spread the soil on the trail tread
Tamp the ground to compact the soil
Take a moment to appreciate your hard work that will last forever

Lynn Trail is the 2nd climb in the Shenandoah Mountain 100 bicycle route. It is one heck of a challenging trail to climb. The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition just reconstructed the rocky steep and very difficult to ride switchback about half way up the trail. Thanks to Ed Sutton of Trail Dynamics for coming out and volunteering with our local bicycle club. Trail Dynamics just finish the work on lower Wolf Ridge Trail which is the descent that bicycles use after the climb on Lynn Trail in the Shenandoah Mountain 100. The Wolf Ridge trail project was funded by a Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant that the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition was awarded. The grant is administered through Virginia's Department of Conservation and Recreation and funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The funds are from the estimated tax from fuel that is not used on our highways.

Jeremiah leads Cory and Andy on day 3 - Shenandoah Mountain Trail a remote trail in the George Washington National Forest

Another beautiful day of backcountry bike packing along the Great Eastern Trail. Most of the proposed Great Eastern Trail is shared use and open to bicycles in the George Washington National Forest. Where the trail alignment goes towards single use trails like the AT in Southern Virginia and parts of West Virginia the bicycle route will takes its own direction towards Damascus, Virginia. This bicycle route will be taking the name Virginia Mountain Bike Trail to represent the route best for bicyclists.

Jeremiah Bishop on day 1 of his bike packing trip pioneering the Virginia Mountain Bike Trail

What a day it was! Andy Johnston and Cory Rimmer are having such a good time exploring the wilds of Virginia with Jeremiah in the George Washington National Forest.