Episodes
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As daylight hours wane, leaves fall from trees, dustings of snow grace the ridges and winter jackets emerge from closets, the boys catch up on the coming ski season while recapping what’s been a warm but dry fall for riding. Are Pit Vipers, Crocs and skiing in jeans with an Ikon Pass dope or derp, what (if any) magazines do you still subscribe to in print, are ebikes really more “green” than traditional bikes and are Amish people really starting to purchase ebikes? Trail Whisperer reminisces on the early days of mountain biking in Colorado, the Fat Tire Journal TV show and Big Head Todd while Pow Bot talks about his new Sprinter van acquisition and skiing the White Ribbon of Death at Mount Rose.
3:50 – Big Head Todd and the Monsters and their ties to mountain biking – Fat Tire Journal. Trail Whisperer saw Big Head Todd at Crystal Bay Club last week.
10:10 – PowBot was emcee at Truckee Dirt Union year-end party at Alibi Brewery then another movie night at Schussboom Brewery.
11:30 – PowBot purchased a Sprinter van. Traded in his Tacoma with a 4 Wheel Camper pop-up. Jamie Campbell of Catapult AV built the van.
18:30 – Trail Whisperer working on Verdi Ridge trail project with Johnson Trails. Shout out to Corey and Brian.
21:45 – Mind the Track approaching 50 episodes and 1,000 Instagram followers.
24:30 – DOPE OR DERP – Roadside attractions, Donner Ski Ranch, skiing in jeans, Pit Vipers, Crocs, “locals drive Teslas too”, hair clip tendrils while skiing, IKON Pass.
48:30 – What’s in your mailbox? What magazines/newspapers you still subscribe to in print?
57:30 – A fly fisherman crashed his helicopter into the East Carson River and two hikers on Mt. Whitney had to be rescued with 150 pounds of gear after only hiking 2.7 miles.
1:01:40 – Listener shout outs – 2NBENN – ebikes being more “green” than Amish bikes. Bruce in Stateline – Amish people are riding ebikes.
1:08:40 – Gordo calls into the COR LORD hotline – ebikes and NorCal people vs SoCal people.
1:14:00 – SnoopPowDogg does the weather on the Today show and an Atmospheric River is on the way to NorCal.
1:21:00 – PowBot snowboards Mount Rose early season and the White Ribbon of Death.
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To most of America, October 31 is synonymous with Halloween, but in Nevada, it signifies statehood and one of the greatest parades ever. Nevada became a state on October 31, 1864, at the height of the Civil War, hence its status as the “Battleborn State”. On this Nevada Day, we sit down with the authoritative expert on all things Nevada, @sydneymmartinez . For more than a decade, Sydney and her husband have explored every square mile of Nevada, using her writing and photography skills to document a vibrant and ecologically diverse state most mistake as nothing but desert. Her website, findingnevadawild.com, is loaded with history and interesting stories, all about Nevada. She’s also a rock hound, and has started her own jewelry business called Song Dog Silver. This episode covers a lot of topics including ghost towns, hot springs, geology, the Clampers, cowboy poetry, Mark Twain, UFOs and Bob Lazar.
2:00 – Happy Nevada Day! October 31.
4:15 – October, 31 1864 – Nevada became a state.
6:00 – Nevada Day Parade is the last Saturday of October.
11:15 – Sound bites from Carson City locals: “What does Nevada Day mean to you?”
18:40 – Introducing Sydney Martinez – A resident expert on Nevada.
22:15 – Who is Bob Lazar? Area 51 – Reverse Engineering alien spacecraft
25:00 – Timber Caldera – super volcano inside Area 51.
24:35 – Pow Bot’s UFO sighting in Nevada after seeing the Grateful Dead.
30:00 – Rock hounding turned into Song Dog Silver – Sydney’s jewelry brand. Coyotes and Nevada are universally misunderstood.
35:00 – Exploring interior Nevada in a pickup truck. Hotel accommodations in rural Nevada like Hotel Nevada, Mizpah Hotel.
38:30 – Goldfield, about 20 minutes south of Tonopah. It was one of the biggest gold booms in the west, and it was once Nevada’s biggest town. Vanishing Point the movie featured the Goldfield Hotel. Nevada is one of the biggest gold producers in the world.
47:00 – Highway 50 and Highway 93 are favorite roads with Great Basin National Park, Ward Charcoal Ovens, Pioche and more.
49:30 – Sydney worked for a decade at Travel Nevada, and became a location expert, helping film crews and photographers find cool parts of the state to film.
51:20 – What are the three most frequented places Sydney returns to? Central Nevada – Toiyabe Range, Toquima Range and Monitor Valley. Northwest Nevada – Denio – and Jarbidge.
57:15 – Sydney’s adventures exploring all the hot springs in Nevada and the steam geysers that remain.
1:02:20 – The etiquette of visiting and using hot springs and the brain eating amoeba.
1:07:30 – What kinds of things do you pack in your truck going out into the middle of nowhere?
1:10:45 – Lucky Boy Pass road from Hawthorne to Bridgeport, Walker River, Barron Hilton and Steve Fossett.
1:14:00 – Mark Twain, Roughing It and Virginia City.
1:19:30 – All about the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV.
1:28:30 – Nevada Day Parade –
1:31:30 – All about E Clampus Vitus – ECV.
1:37:00 – The feud over the state of Nevada, Nevada City and Nevada County, California.
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As fall colors hit their peak in the Sierra Nevada, the guys chat about a variety of topics, highlighted by sharing some new must-ride trail beta on Buzzards Roost Ridge and Mill Canyon/Lost Cannon loop, news of the Forest Service not hiring seasonal employees in 2025 and what it means for the public, the ups and downs of Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) with traffic, congestion and a lack of emergency evacuation planning in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the announcement of Homewood Resort not opening this winter after TRPA called out mega-billionaires trying to privatize the resort and a mountain bike pilot program on Mount Tam being squashed by eco zealots. Listeners also call into the 888 COR LORD hotline with some observational rants, the guys share their opinion of what a “core lord” actually is and the boys introduce a new segment on the show – Dope or Derp?
2:50 – Can you say “Indian Summer” to describe warm and calm fall conditions? Bumper crop of pine nuts in the Toiyabe this fall.
6:40 – Clearing Marysville Canyon trail, a feeder trail up to the Toiyabe Crest Trail.
10:00 – “Forest Bathing” – nothing beats being in an aspen grove in fall colors.
12:00 – Conway Summit on 395 is the Los Angeles/Bay Area tourist border line.
14:30 – Driving to Lundy Lake and hiking up to the May Lundy Mine.
15:45 – Driving over Lucky Boy Pass from Hawthorne, NV to Bridgeport, CA.
17:30 – Riding the resurrected Buzzards Roost Ridge trail near Quincy.
22:00 – Riding the 14-mile Lost Cannon-Mill Canyon trail loop near Walker, CA, part of the Orogenesis and Sierra Camino trail route.
25:30 – The summer of close call fires in Reno/Tahoe. Mill Fire, Bear Fire, Davis Fire, Quilici Fire.
30:50 – US Forest Service will not be hiring any season employees for 2025, except fire personnel. This will have huge impacts on campgrounds, trails and all avalanche centers.
35:00 – US public lands are an international draw for tourists around the world and our public lands are woefully underfunded.
37:00 – Playing some calls from the COR LORD hotline. Wing foiling, ebike rant, sharing more detail when describing locations of trails and backcountry skiing lines.
1:02:30 – Marin County debacle. Pilot mountain bike trail program on Mount Tam was about to go live when a group of eco zealots sued to suspend the program.
1:08:00 – Lake Tahoe is the third oldest freshwater lake in the world. 2.5 million years old. Hurricane Helene dropped an equivalent of all the water in Lake Tahoe on the Southeast.
1:12:00 – Tahoe Regional Planning Agency – TRPA – accused of perpetuating negative impacts from recreation when they are tasked with minimizing negative impacts. The construction of the East Shore trail and the impacts from increased tourism.
1:15:00 – East Shore trail from Incline Village to Sand Harbor has become overrun with tourists.
1:18:00 – There is no emergency evacuation plan from the Tahoe Basin in the event of a wildfire. How do you evacuate millions of tourists from the Tahoe Basin in an emergency?
1:23:30 – The other side of TRPA – Homewood Resort announced they are not operating winter of 2024-25 because of a conflict between public and private access to the resort.
1:32:00 – COR LORD CALL-IN questions: What is the definition of a Core Lord? If you had a suffer a natural disaster loss, would you rather lose everything in a fire or flood?
1:38:30 – A new segment for Mind the Track – Dope or Derp? Oakley goggle glasses. Skinning up a ski resort for exercise. A ski resort in Ruby Mountains near Elko.
1:52:00 – A closing comment about Artificial Intelligence – AI.
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Recorded at 7,250 feet elevation atop Mount Hough near Quincy, California, in Episode 46 the boys talk to Emily Kachorek about her first summer as a fire lookout for the Plumas National Forest. Sitting in the three-story tower for 10 hours a day, 10 days in a row, Emily talks about spending time alone and the inspiration for creativity that comes from solitude. She also talks about her background in biology and conservation and her new gig spotting fires. Prior to being a lookout, Emily raced bikes professionally, was a co-founder of Squid Bikes and her love of cycling, art and creativity blended with a punk rock vibe fostered the vibrant cyclocross scene in Sacramento, along with some of the raddest paint jobs ever rattle-canned onto a bicycle. The boys also do a few listener shout outs and answer questions related to encountering bears on the trail and whether or not you should listen to music while riding.
3:00 – Recording from Mountains to Meadows at Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds in Quincy.
6:10 – Recording up on Mount Hough with Emily Kachorek as a fire lookout.
7:10 – What are the biggest solo adventures Trail Whisperer and PowBot have ever done?
10:10 – The importance of solitude and being introverted.
11:10 – Listener shout outs. How do you handle a close bear encounter? Is it socially acceptable to listen to music with earbuds while riding?
26:00 – Fires going off all around Tahoe over the last few weeks – Davis Fire, Bear Fire, Verdi Fire.
28:30 – Emily Kachorek interview in the Mount Hough fire lookout at 7,250 feet elevation.
31:50 – How did Emily end up becoming a fire lookout?
37:30 – Mount Hough lookout – a three-story lookout with control room level, kitchen level, lookout level, complete with an Osborne Fire Finder
41:03 – Living in a metal box on top of a mountain during a lightning storm and standing on the lightning stool.
44:30 – Sunsets in the fire tower are much like sunsets on the ocean, you’re watching it set over the horizon. The pod was recorded on the cardinal sunset day, September 21.
48:00 – Emily’s youth growing up in San Diego and finding bikes in Davis during college.
53:10 – Emily’s daily routine as a fire lookout – 8 hour day, 10 days on, 4 days off.
1:00:30 – What do you do when you see smoke in the forest?
1:08:45 – The history of fire lookout towers in the United States, the Lost Sierra is known as “the land of the lookouts”.
1:12:15 – Emily’s introduction to cycling while attending UC Davis as an undergrad studying Environmental Biology and Management, then later a Graduate degree from Sacramento State in Conservation Biology, then spent a summer in Guyana in the Amazon studying conservation and native populations.
1:18:00 – Started racing road bikes right after grad school, then got a contract to race professionally, and was on the national team racing in Europe.
1:23:30 – Transitioning from road racing to racing cyclocross, and fostering a culture of bikes in Sacramento with GHETO and Squid Bikes.
1:29:50 – Tom sees a shooting star, and the angled glass panels of the Mount Hough tower.
1:33:00 – Emily’s creativity and artistry channeled through the birth of Squid Bikes.
1:41:00 – Trail Whisperer’s experience with spray painting his own Falconer bike using Spray.Bike paint.
1:46:30 – Painting bikes as a blank canvas and a creative outlet, and finding a new outlet after leaving Squid, working on print making and carving.
1:49:10 – The Southern Arizona landscape in Patagonia, Arizona and its inspiration for Emily’s art and the process for creativity through working at it every day.
1:58:00 – Hiking the Arizona Trail and stewarding for the Arizona Trail Association.
2:04:30 – Is Emily going to be a fire lookout again next year?
2:08:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
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Despite a hot, dry and smoky September, Trail Whisperer and Pow Bot reunite after a month off to compare living in Colorado against Lake Tahoe and how much better we have it in the Sierra Nevada than in the Rockies. Not only weather and snowpack-wise, but also fewer people, less busy trailheads, more affordable cost of living and a wider range of recreational options. The boys also talk about the new sport of wing foiling, running the Rim to Reno trail, e-biking the Rubicon Trail, remembering Mammoth weatherman Howard Sheckter, getting fired up for the inaugural Mountains to Meadows trail festival in Quincy, CA and experiencing a rare snowfall in August in the Sierra. On the topic of snowfall, what indicators are you seeing right now that tells you a big – or not so big – winter is coming to Tahoe? Call 888 COR LORD, leave us a voicemail and let us know!
3:30 – Rock Shox Flight Attendant – mountain bike suspension powered by AI
5:00 – All about wing foiling and foil boards.
12:20 - @misterbennetts – foiling in the Molokai Challenge in Hawaii.
19:30 – Trail Whisperer is a little down on mountain biking right now. Hot, dry and dusty.
21:45 – It snowed in Lake Tahoe in August.
25:45 – Trail Whisperer and Swan John went for a trail run on Rim to Reno trail in Mount Rose Wilderness.
30:20 – Remembering Howard Sheckter – The Dweeb Report – Mammoth Weather page – Mammoth’s legendary weatherman and ski addict.
34:35 – What is a haboob?
36:20 – Riding e-bikes on the Rubicon Trail for a Tahoe Quarterly story.
43:00 – The history of Rubicon Trail, Rubicon Springs and the trail’s status as a county road.
48:45 – Pow Bot’s Ice Creek Lodge barrel of sewage story.
53:30 – Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is having their inaugural Mountains to Meadows trail festival at Plumas County Fairgrounds – Sept 19-22. Buy a trail building pass for Friday or Saturday for $50 and get a full weekend festival pass. Quincymountainstomeadows.com for more info.
1:00:20 – September 28 – Buzzards Roost Ridge trail day – resurrecting a historic trail.
1:05:00 – Call 888 COR LORD and tell us what you’re seeing to indicate a big winter coming!
1:07:00 – Comparing living in Colorado to living in Lake Tahoe. Pros and cons of both.
1:27:45 – Breckenridge, Colorado is anti e-bike, the complete opposite of Lake Tahoe. The benefits of allowing pedal assist electric mountain bikes on trails.
1:36:45 – Tahoe season ski passes, Ikon Pass gains access for passholders to Sierra-at-Tahoe.
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In Episode 44, the second and final installment of coverage from the Breck Epic six-day mountain bike stage race in Breckenridge, Colorado, Trail Whisperer and Adam Mahomed document a week of suffering, random shenanigans and high elevation hypoxia. They also document the trajectory of their good friend James Adamson, who ended up finishing second overall in the Men’s 40+ category as well as second in the Enduro category. James’ big day was Stage 5 on Wheeler, the most feared day because of its grueling hike-a-bike up to 12,500 feet, then a technical and treacherous descent all the way back to Breckenridge. James was down 20 minutes on the leader, and in that one stage, he reeled back 17 minutes, going out of his own body, unleashing a performance that astonished everyone. Everyone seemingly, except himself. This episode is randomness mixed with purpose, insight and inspiration. And suffering. A lot of suffering.
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In Episode 43, Trail Whisperer is on assignment in Breckenridge, Colorado with a special edition of Mind the Track covering the Breck Epic, a six-day mountain bike stage race featuring some of the most amazing high alpine singletrack in North America. But unfortunately, for the first time, the pod is without Pow Bot this week. Avid listener and an old friend of Kurt’s who’s been coming to Breckenridge for 25 years, Adam Mahomed co-hosts this Breck Epic course preview episode where they chat about what to expect over the six days, suffering at high elevation, preparing for unpredictable weather, and getting some inside knowledge on the six stages from local resident James Adamson, who used to be a Tahoe core lord back in the day before moving to Breck in 2018.
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In the midst of record-breaking heat, out of control wildfires, brazen bears and dry, dusty blown-out trails, the boys catch up on a grab bag of topics including Pow Bot’s harrowing adventure sailboat racing on Lake Tahoe, Trail Whisperer’s week of trail work spent in the Toiyabe Range with no cell service, a recap of the Downieville Classic, whether you should buy an SL-style ebike or a “full power” ebike, Trail Whisperer’s new bike day and whether or not he likes “mullet” style mountain bikes, the modern world of social media and how to break away from the stranglehold of Meta, the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris with lame mountain bike courses and the greatest surfing wave ever, Pow Bot’s recent rediscovery of hiking and his relationship with the same mountain from summer to winter and Trail Whisperer’s struggle to stay amped on riding his mountain bike through the hottest and dustiest part of the summer. The boys also do some listener shout-outs and play the first 888 COR LORD call-in voicemails from listeners.
2:50 – Pow Bot enthralled with the Golden Hour and sunsets, enjoying the cooler weather after a record breaking heatwave.
4:45 – Trail Whisperer is not motivated to ride his mountain bike because of hot and dry and blown out the trails have been.
7:30 – Pow Bot thumbs a ride at Emerald Bay and got picked up by a county sheriff, and Trail Whisperer shares his story of being interrogated in the back of a police car.
10:30 – Bears in Lake Tahoe and Sierra County are out of control, breaking into homes, schools and peoples’ cars, leading Sierra County Sheriff’s Department to euthanize several bears.
13:40 – 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris kicks off – the mountain bike course is lame, Teahupo’o is the surf venue, one of the greatest and most dangerous places on the planet to surf.
18:45 – Fire season is in full swing in the Sierra Nevada – Gold Complex Fire in Portola and Park Fire in Chico are two big ones.
24:45 – Shout out to Zeke Lunder of The-Lookout.com – a great fire info resource.
28:15 – Climbers, mountaineers, skiers bodies are being found in melting glaciers after being missing for decades.
31:00 – Two horses die during the Tevis Cup event on Western States Trail.
34:20 – Ebike banter. Buying an SL eMTB versus full power eMTB. The long-term health of riding an ebike versus the peaks and valleys of spiking your heartrate on a mountain bike.
42:10 – Type 1-3 Fun comes from the Dirtbag Diaries.
44:45 – COR LORD Call-in Hotline – Superfan #1 - Scott Kessler and Gordo
48:15 – Trail Whisperer watching a documentary on the history of the Grateful Dead, and how they have always controlled their content and media.
51:00 – Modern social media, Meta controls everything. Trying to make a direct line of communication with your followers and cut out the third party like Meta.
55:00 – Chas Smith – Welcome to Paradise Now go to Hell – Cocaine and Surfing – getting shut down by Meta after a satirical story about a cocaine shark.
59:00 – Trail Whisperer was in the Toiyabe Range of central Nevada for an entire week with no cell service working on the Toiyabe Crest Trail.
1:08:00 – Pow Bot’s crazy sailing adventure on Lake Tahoe with John Morrison.
1:20:30 – NEW BIKE DAY for Trail Whisperer – Santa Cruz Bronson
1:27:00 – Pow Bot made a heartwarming Instagram reel tribute to Carson, his dog.
1:31:50 – Downieville Classic Recap and riding moto in Downieville. Lost Sierra Endurance Race – a running race in Downieville on a Saturday.
1:50:00 – Pow Bot has been getting into hiking, Hike Bot. Seeing terrain he skis in the winter in the summer and how different it looks.
1:59:00 – What’s coming up the next couple weeks? Trail Whisperer goes to Breck Epic and ebiking the Rubicon Trail.
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In a shift away from skis and bikes, Episode 41 profiles two Truckee trail running core lords, Jenelle Potvin and Steve Martelli and their passion for ultra distance running events like the Western States Endurance Run. Just like Western States itself, this episode covers a lot of ground from how the couple had their first date on a seven hour trail run, to the history of the Western States trail, to preparing for a 100 mile adventure on foot with the support of an incredible trail running community. Steve also shares his emotional story of spiral fracturing his femur at mile 70 in the 2023 event after a nine year journey to be accepted into Western States. The boys also chat about the historic July heatwave hitting Lake Tahoe, the Reno Rodeo, listener shout outs and a tribute to PowBot and his wife’s dog Carson who recently passed after nearly 15 years of putting his paws in the track.
2:30 – Historic July heat wave hits Lake Tahoe and Reno just after the summer solstice.
5:00 – Kurt went on a multi-day rafting trip to the Deschutes River in Oregon.
6:40 – The joys of trail running – simplicity, no gear required. Just go running.
9:50 – Truckee Dirt Union rallies a crew for the Truckee 4th of July parade.
11:30 – Building trails for everybody. Including all user groups into trails and not discriminating against trail users.
13:50 – Listener shout outs – JT Robinson, Alex Horgan, Rob McCormick, Nate Melen.
17:00 – Trail Whisperer and Burning Man
19:00 – Rainbow Gathering disaster in Plumas National Forest.
22:00 – The Sphere in Las Vegas.
23:00 – Trail Whisperer recommends Reno Rodeo – The Wildest and Richest Rodeo in the West.
25:10 – PowBot and his wife say goodbye to their dog Carson.
28:47 – Introducing Jenelle Potvin and Steve Martelli – hardcore trail runners.
41:00 – How do you go from a 10 mile run to doing a 50 mile trail run?
43:30 – When Steve and Jenelle met – on the trail running Western States trail.
48:00 – What does it take to be a pacer in a running event?
53:45 – How do you stay cool in 100+ degree temperatures during Western States Endurance Run?
57:45 – The history of the Western States trail and the Tevis Cup horse race.
1:06:00 – Western States race in big snow years when the course gets rerouted.
1:09:40 – How do you qualify and get accepted into the Western States Endurance Run?
1:13:40 – How do you run a 100 mile event when your longest run has only been 30 miles?
1:18:15 – There are six sections to the Western States trail – The Canyons break the most people.
1:20:50 – Steve’s story of running the 2023 Western States event and spiral fracturing his femur at mile 70.
2:00:40 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
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In the world of big wall climbing and wingsuit BASE jumping, @chris_mcnamara was a leader and innovator, claiming the first wingsuit BASE jump of the Grand Canyon (where he almost died twice in the same jump) and one of the youngest people to ever climb the West Face of El Capitan. As the founder of Supertopo, which evolved into GearLab, McNamara’s interests also evolved beyond climbing and the dangers of BASE jumping. It was when he moved to Lake Tahoe over a decade ago and discovered trails, mountain biking and specifically TAMBA, where he found his new passion. Always the dopamine-fueled thinker and dreamer obsessed with first ascents, “BushwhackNamara” immediately started asking “what if”? What if there was a mountain bike singletrack around Lake Tahoe? What if there was a trail from Susanville to Mammoth called Sierra Camino? What if there was a mountain bike trail from Canada to Cabo called Orogenesis? The dopamine was flooding his brain with possibilities, and a decade later, Chris and his wife Tor have been instrumental in funding the trails renaissance happening in Lake Tahoe.
2:00 – Recording in the Toyota Sunrader RV up on top of Monitor Pass off Highway 89.
3:30 – Introducing Chris McNamara, legendary big wall climber and early wing suit BASE jump pioneer and now a big trails advocate.
7:00 – Chris and his obsession with long distance trails, and the Orogenesis Trail, a trail from Canada to Cabo, as well as the Sierra Camino.
10:00 – The dopamine fix associated with thinking and ideas. A book – Molecule and More talks all about. Dopamine is about novelty and surprise.
13:00 – UNPACK THE BAG – The Downieville fatal bear attack story made international news.
18:00 – PowBot is no longer using Squaw anymore in reference to Palisades Tahoe.
23:00 – Truckee Dirt Union Loam Masters Party
24:50 – 1 (888) COR-LORD Listener Hotline – 267-5673 - Call in and leave us a message!
30:00 – Smashing rear wheels, trail tools and hip mounted hand saws
34:00 – SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE CLEARING TRAILS!
35:45 – Shout out to Eric Ramin at Brewer’s Cabinet for hosting Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and to Chris’ company GearLab.
36:30 – June is now officially Mountain Biking Month state of California thanks to the efforts of CAMTB. Similar to the Access Fund in the climbing world.
39:00 – Hero dirt in Verdi. Could it be Hunga Tonga?
41:45 – What is Petrichor? The earthy scent of dry soil after a wetting rain.
45:00 – The history of GearLab as a company, by way of Supertopo and rock climbing guide books.
56:30 – How did Chris find South Lake Tahoe?
1:01:50 – Parallels between the cultures of rock climbing and mountain biking. The Camp 4 Education. Learning about how little you can spend and still be happy.
1:16:00 – Chris believes singletrack trail is one of the greatest returns on investment ever.
1:18:00 – Finding trails after being a climber, wingsuit BASE jumper and paraglider.
1:23:00 – Dreaming up the Sierra Camino, the Orogenesis Trail and meeting Gabe Tiller, starting with riding mountain bike legal singletrack all the way around Lake Tahoe.
1:25:45 – Riding the Charity Valley Trail from Hope Valley to Markleeville. Working with Alpine Trails Association on dreaming up connections.
1:37:50 – The challenge of federally designated Wilderness and figuring out how to route trail around Wilderness areas for legal mountain bike use.
1:40:00 – Fundamentalist views that are driving Wilderness policies, banning mountain bikes and dividing recreationists who all want the same thing.
1:52:00 – Charity Valley trail is a recent mountain bike discovery that is destined to be legendary in another 10 years.
2:00:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
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In Episode 39, the boys sit down with @fresh_hamm , the founder of @truckeebikenight and Tahoe’s favorite underground mountain bike adventure rides, Giro di Stammina. Since he was tall enough to ride, Fred’s life has revolved around bicycles, taking his Dad’s fancy road bikes for long rides as a teenager with nothing more than some paper maps, a few quarters (for the pay phone) and a desire to get lost and find himself again. After being exposed to the devoted cycling community while attending Caly Poly in San Luis Obispo, Fred was inspired to bring similar community gatherings on bikes to Truckee, including Truckee Bike Night (first Thursday of each month) and Giro Di Stammina. The boys also discuss the confirmed first fatal bear attack on a human in California history, which happened in Downieville last fall, and a recap to the 2023-24 winter.
2:00 – The seasons have flipped, no more skiing, it’s all about bikes.
3:00 – Trail Whisperer has been hiking and flagging new proposed trails in the Peavine Maze area north of Verdi.
6:50 – Pow Bot turns 51 and Trail Whisperer turns 47.
8:30 – Introducing Fred Stamm – Founder of Truckee Bike Night.
11:30 – Has mountain biking gone too far? Red Bull Hard Line – a canyon gap too far.
14:10 – The first documented fatal attack by a black bear on a human in California history confirmed in Downieville. Shout out to the Mountain Messenger newspaper.
24:00 – Two brothers attacked by a mountain lion in Georgetown, California while hunting for antler sheds, one of the brothers died.
25:40 – Bears in Lake Tahoe are reportedly diabetic because of all the sugar they eat.
29:50 – Pow Bot shout out – been loving the listener reviews. Crash Davis and Rachel Davis – big fans of the pod. We need to turn our volume up.
32:50 – PUBLIC NOTICE: Jackass Ridge is closing for the entire summer on June 10. Please do not ride the trails on Jackass Ridge including Donkey Town.
36:10 – Ski season is officially over. Recapping the season. Pow Bot’s takeaway: He’s not going to buy an Epic or Ikon Pass next year. Would you get Mount Rose or Sugar Bowl?
41:30 – All about Fred Stamm and bicycles. The story of Fred and Kurt racing each other in the Santa Cruz Criterium in 2004, the first time they met each other.
48:00 – Fred is the unofficial mayor of Truckee when it comes to bikes and good times.
49:30 – As a kid, Fred started riding his Dad’s road bikes and riding long distances.
56:50 – Fred attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo for college, studying engineering.
58:00 – The inspiration for Truckee Bike Night came from Bike Night in SLO, every first Thursday of each month.
1:02:00 – Truckee Bike Night has as many as 300 people show up on bikes.
1:06:20 – All about the Giro di Stammina – also inspired by the Giro di SLO.
1:09:00 – The Giro di Stammina gravel ride out by the ghost town of Bodie, California.
1:17:00 – Where does the inspiration for putting on community bike rides come from?
1:22:00 – Stammina on Castle Peak, on the Toiyabe Crest Trail and in Pinecrest.
1:23:20 – Fred’s day job is working for Placer County as a civil engineer.
1:26:50 – Riding Pinecrest and the terrifying drive over Sonora Pass Highway 108.
1:32:00 – Riding dirt bikes in Kingston, Nevada in the Memorial Day ride with Battleborn Adventures.
1:37:00 – Truckee Bike Night starts and finishes at RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground) on Donner Pass Road.
1:43:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
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“Where have all the goofy people gone?” – asked @trail_whisperer to Episode 38 guest, Taylor Carlton. As a lifelong snowboarder who emigrated to Truckee from Michigan in 2005 after almost moving to Colorado, Carlton has witnessed the changes in Truckee firsthand working as a real estate agent through the wild times of COVID when “everyone bought everything”. Most of Truckee’s new residents bring a more serious and competitive personality, displacing many of the core lord, ski bum types who never took themselves too seriously, just like Carlton. Despite this changing of local culture, Carlton holds on to his goofy snowboarder roots, chief among them is being the co-founder and ringleader of the Rally for Rocker backcountry slalom competition-slash-party held every April on Donner Summit, a fundraiser for the future Rocker Memorial Skate Park; an event he was mistakenly arrested for by federal law enforcement in its second year, one of many funny stories Carlton shares with listeners.
2:00 – Introducing Taylor Carlton, organizer of Rally for Rocker.
6:00 – The story of skiing into Frog Lake Huts during the tail end of a big storm.
12:00 – How did Taylor end up in Tahoe coming from Michigan?
15:30 – Michigan has roots in snowboarding – the Snurfer, Jake Burton, Brett Kobernick
19:30 – The transition from park and slopestyle riding to backcountry snowboarding
21:00 – The insane progression of snowboarding and crazy tricks in events like XGames
22:00 – Athleticism, relatability and inspiration. Crazy tricks are not relatable to the average rider.
25:00 – Warp Wave film era – Aurora Boardealis and A Place Called Kookabunga – Gray Thompson and Eric Messier.
30:00 – Truckee since COVID – Taylor’s perspective as a real estate agent in Truckee and the seriousness of new residents.
36:00 – The insanity of the real estate market in Truckee during COVID – Everybody bought everything.
40:50 – Taylor’s roof on his house had an ice dam and it turned into a leak that destroyed part of his house with water damage.
47:00 – Jeff Brown of Tahoe Mountain Realty – did an analysis about value of Tahoe homes compared to other mountain towns across the list – maybe Truckee was extremely undervalued.
52:30 – May 5th Snowstorm – Craziness at Palisades Tahoe – mayhem in the parking lot.
57:30 – Witnessing backcountry skiers in steep terrain with no avalanche safety gear.
59:45 – All about Rally for Rocker, in memory of Steve “Rocker” Anderson.
1:05:00 – Taylor’s story about getting arrested by U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement.
1:12:00 – Story of Mike D, flying his airplane over the event and dropping money.
1:19:20 – Why does Truckee need another skate park? The one Truckee has is incredibly dangerous. Shout out to Colin Robinson for planning Rocker Memorial Skate Park.
1:23:00 – Donate to Rocker Memorial Skate Park – rockermemorialskatepark.org
1:26:15 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
1:30:00 – Find Taylor Carlton – tahoemountainrealty.com - @shadtothebone
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In Episode 37, the boys catch up after a very special Cinco de Mayo, blessed with a late season snowstorm that dumped some of the best winter pow of the year. Pow Bot shares his manifesto of the backcountry, The 10 Shredmandments – 10 rules of etiquette that every traveler in the backcountry should abide to minimize impact and be a responsible pow-shredding human. Banter and ASS (Angry Singlespeeder) rants are copious in this episode, covering a variety of topics like the love and hate for wind, the overwhelming hate of horse poop on trails, 10 things Europeans hate about American ski resorts, the dangers of traveling to Baja, the travails of the post office and listener shout outs (thanks @terrainadvco for the rad swag!). And thanks to everyone who’s been leaving positive rating and reviews. Please support the cause, press pause, and leave us a rating and review to help get Mind the Track in the ears of more core lords like yourself.
1:30 – Skiing Cinco de Mayo POW – Snowiest single day of the 2023/24 Winter season.
4:00 – Celebrating 4/20 and hopefully our listeners had a celebratory toke.
6:45 – Cam Zink Invitational – challenges due to wind.
9:00 – Do you like wind or do you hate wind? Pow Bot loves wind – surfing slopping Lake Michigan. Trail Whisperer hates wind having grown up as a cyclist. Wind creates huge wildfires, avalanches and falling trees in the forest.
12:30 – Pow Bot’s story of ecology, forest fires and falling trees due to wind.
17:15 – North American avalanche fatality report – total number of avalanche fatalities were way down – only 13.
20:10 – Transition back to mountain biking – Trail Whisperer has been hiking new moto trail alignments in the Peavine Maze area for the Nevada OHV planning project.
22:00 – Trail report: Armstrong connector, Corral Trail in South Lake are open. Jackass Ridge in Truckee is open.
23:00 – New issue of Tahoe Quarterly is out – two articles written by Kurt Gensheimer.
24:00 – Riding ebikes and rock crawling on the Rubicon Trail.
27:45 – Listener shout outs: Brad Hisgen – Explaining backcountry etiquette.
28:45 – Fostering etiquette and ethos in the backcountry - The 10 Shredmandments
31:20 – Rule #1 – Don’t park like a kook. Be considerate when parking your car at the trailhead.
32:50 – Rule #2 – Group size matters. At the most, 4 people. Big groups are for guided hut trips. And consider leaving your dog at home.
36:00 – Rule #3 – Shred within your ability and go with people who are all the same ability.
37:10 – Rule #4 – Mind the skin track. Stay on the established routes. Don’t set a wonky skin line if you don’t know how to do it properly.
39:10 – Rule #5 (or #6?) – Don’t be a bad bogey. Don’t follow up on another group ahead of you in a line. For example, if someone else is booting up Terminal Cancer, you’re too late. Go somewhere else.
41:50 – Rule #7 – Ski the fall line. Go straight down. No traversing across a slope. SFD = straight fucking down. Learn to landmark ski.
45:50 – Rule #8 – Be a good mentor. Set the example for others and help them do it right. Mentorship is contagious.
47:00 – Rule #9 – The social delay rule – Protect the spot when it’s firing. It’s not ok to ride a secret spot in prime conditions, then immediately post about it on social media. Wait until the cycle is over before posting about it.
50:45 – Rule #10 – Don’t be a dick and other shenanigans – backpack speakers, dog crap in the skin track, don’t litter. Buy the skin track setter a beer.
54:55 – Shout out to Christian from Terrain Adventure Co - @terrainadvco
55:50 – Shout out to Gordo Clute – he recommended that we get bestselling author Steven Kotler on the show to talk about flow state.
57:00 – People have been leaving great reviews, thank you!
58:20 – Shout out to Andrew Cobourn – Carson Valley Trails Alliance social post saying its ok for horses to poop on the trail. There was public backlash. Leaving horse poop on a trail violates The Golden Rule – don’t be a dick.
1:02:00 – 10 Things Europeans hate about American ski resorts
1:05:00 – US Postal Service planning to close Reno mail processing facility and moving all Reno mail to Sacramento for processing.
1:11:20 – Two Australian and one American surfers recently murdered near Ensenada, Baja California. Is it safe to go to Baja anymore?
1:21:00 – Future guests: Amie Engerbretson – Protect Our Winters. The POW film “The Hypocrite”. The impact of living and recreating on planet Earth.
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Boasting some of the biggest vertical relief in North America and some of the best skiing anywhere in the world, California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada hits its zenith in spring with warm weather for camping at the foot of massive snow-covered peaks. For the last 25 years, Nate Greenberg has been documenting all the best lines to ski, and his book, Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra (along with co-author Dan Mingori), is the “bible” of the region. In addition to co-authoring the book, Nate was also a GIS expert in his former life working for Mono for two decades, now the Chief Administrative Officer for Inyo County. He’s also the co-founder of the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center. We chat with Nate about a variety of topics related to the Eastern Sierra and what makes it so special, as well as the controversial launch of the OnX Backcountry app featuring ski lines from the book, which some fear will blow up all the secret spots. Nate also opens up about a harrowing avalanche incident in the Bardini Chutes that nearly took his life. Purchase the book at your local outdoor retailer or online at Wolverinepublishing.com and donate to ESAC at esavalanche.org.
1:00 – Pow Bot and Trail Whisperer recording from the Toyota Sunrader on the shores of Convict Lake in the Eastern Sierra Nevada after skiing Mount Morrison.
7:00 – Nate Greenberg – CIO for Inyo County, 20 year employee of Mono County, GIS expert, Co-Author of Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra.
11:00 – Talking about avalanches, the OnX Backcountry app and the concept of gatekeeping
18:40 – The story behind the convicts who Convict Lake was named after.
21:00 – The unique gift of skiing the Eastern Sierra Nevada.
22:25 – Nate grew up in Orange, California and skied and climbed in Mammoth as a kid.
27:00 – Nate’s background in GIS, and built Mono County’s GIS infrastructure.
30:30 – All about Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra by Nate Greenberg and Dan Mingori
40:00 – Has Nate’s perspective on skiing big lines changed in recent years with having a family and a real job?
43:00 – The challenges of finding a good skiing partner.
46:20 – Founding the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center (ESAC) with Walter Rosenthal, who passed in the fumarole accident at Mammoth Mountain in 2006.
57:00 – Nate’s story about getting caught in an avalanche in Bardini Chute and being seriously injured.
1:13:15 – Going from the book to an app on your phone – the launching of a partnership with OnX Backcountry featuring skiable lines in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, and the controversy of gatekeeping.
1:26:30 – How do you protect “secret spots” from the masses with an app like OnX, and how does it compare to the impacts of social media accounts and influencers?
1:39:00 – Incorporating an ethos of how to appropriately experience the outdoors, the importance of mentorship and education and having respect for the rules of backcountry skiing.
1:47:00 – Nate’s Mentors: Don Sharaf, Ian McCammon, Christian Pondella.
1:50:00 – What is it that Nate loves the most about skiing the Eastern Sierra Nevada?
1:54:14 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
1:56:45 – Support the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, make a donation.
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“Snow is blissful, it’s pure, it’s white, it’s serene, it’s a siren call. But it’s also very dark, it’s death. The darkest white is the perfect analogy for an avalanche,” said New York Times bestselling author Eric Blehm on Episode 35 about his latest book, The Darkest White, chronicling the life and untimely passing of legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly. Widely regarded as the Michael Jordan of snowboarding, Kelly was a pioneer in this uniquely American sport, and in his book, Blehm dives deep in to Kelly’s life and his pivotal role in the history of snowboarding and splitboarding. Blehm also goes into remarkable detail about the 2003 La Traviata avalanche in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, where Kelly and six other skiers lost their lives, including Truckee local Kathy Kessler. Our chat with Blehm covers a bit of the history here in Lake Tahoe, a bit about Kelly and an insightful discussion around the human factors involved in the tragic avalanche. Learn more about Blehm and purchase his award-winning non-fiction books at ericblehm.com.
2:30 – Recording from Jim and Bonnie Zellers garage in Tahoe Donner.
3:50 – Introducing Eric Blehm, author of Fearless, The Only Thing Worth Dying For, The Last Season and his new book, The Darkest White, about the history of snowboarding, Craig Kelly and the La Traviata avalanche.
7:20 – Kathy Kessler – a core lord in Truckee who lost her life in the La Traviata avalanche with Craig Kelly.
9:10 – The roots of snowboarding were on Donner Summit – Donner Ski Ranch, Soda Springs and Boreal.
10:10 – Mind the Track Superfan #1 – Scott Kessler. Thanks for the shout out buddy!
13:15 – Eric was a snowboard magazine editor at TransWorld when he met Jim and Bonnie Zellers, the original backcountry snowboarders for The North Face.
15:30 – Transitioning from being a short-form magazine editor to a long-form book author and investigative journalist.
22:06 – Learning about the formation of the Mount Baker Hard Core, the lawsuit between Burton and Sims over Craig Kelly.
23:00 – Tom Sims claimed to have invented the snowboard before Sherman Poppen, but it was never confirmed.
25:00 – Mount Baker, Donner Ski Ranch, Boreal and Soda Springs were one of the first places to allow snowboards on chairlifts.
30:00 – Parts of Craig’s story that were cut from the book – Greg Stump’s film Siberia with Kelly and Scott Schmidt.
34:30 -Craig Kelly’s unique riding style, his fall line style influenced a generation of riders and convinced Trail Whisperer that he should have been a snowboarder.
45:00 – Craig as a pioneer in being one of the first snowboard guides in Canada, pursuing the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides certification.
48:00 – Early splitboarding, Eric got a splitboard and infiltrated ski resorts that didn’t allow snowboarding, riding the lift in split, then assembling it and snowboarding down as ‘The Chameleon”.
1:01:10 – The Durrand Glacier avalanche on La Traviata, the human factor and group dynamics.
1:10:30 – Ruedi Beglinger as a lead guide at Selkirk Mountain Experience, a strong character and the changes in the guiding industry and backcountry culture after the avalanche.
1:16:30 – Hubris and its role in the avalanche incident.
1:23:00 – Craig Kelly wanted to educate the younger generation on snow safety and the dangers of the backcountry.
1:28:30 – If Eric could ask Craig one question, what would it be?
1:35:15 – The Darkest White – where did the name come from?
1:39:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
1:40:30 – Go to ericblehm.com or @ericblehmofficial on Instagram
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“Everybody in Tahoe is the kid who doesn’t want to come in from recess”, said PowBot in Episode 34 with our guest Kacy Roeder. The concept of play is not just for kids, playing is an essential part of being an adult. Nobody knows this better than Kacy, a licensed landscape architect who designs playgrounds and sends it on her mountain bike and her splitboard. We learn about Kacy’s unique career, growing up on the East Coast and finding her way to Lake Tahoe, her love of being outside adventuring and why she built her world around playing as much as possible. Kacy also talks about her involvement with the Rocker Memorial Skate Park and the Rally for Rocker fundraiser on April 27, and how splitboarding has rekindled her love of snowboarding.
1:45 – POWBOT is back! Rest and a knee brace are helping.
3:20 – Introducing Kacy Roeder and her hens – farm life
7:20 – You Are What You Eat Documentary – industrial food complex and diet
9:00 – Trail Whisperer scored pow in the Toiyabe Range of Nevada. Tonopah Low and the Inside Slider storm.
10:45 – Kacy scored pow on Mount Rose after hitting Frog Lake Huts and West Shore
14:00 – Listener shout outs – Sebastian Johnson - Diamond Peak closes uphill ski access due to people breaking rules and coming within striking distance of a loaded winch cable.
19:20 – Ski Magazine announces ski injuries due to GoPros and weed gummies. But what about alcohol consumption while skiing?
21:00 – PowBot shouts out all listeners who helped him with his knee issues.
23:00 – April Fools posts, Zak Mills – snowboarding downhill with ski poles in hand.
25:49 – Brian Sullivan – funny video about podcasters.
28:20 – All about Kacy Roeder – Landscape Architect – Designing Playgrounds
34:00 – Growing up on the East Coast and the path to finding “play” as a profession.
36:00 – Moving to Lake Tahoe after graduating from University of Vermont.
39:30 – Trail Whisperer’s first encounter with Kacy – Riding MTB in Reno.
43:30 – The concept of men teaching women to mountain bike.
50:20 – Parallels between work and play. Play as an essential element of being an adult.
55:00 – Building playgrounds for kids and adults alike.
57:00 – Adventure Journal – Steve Casimiro – observing animals playing. The importance of humans playing.
1:02:00 – Rally for Rocker – Saturday April 27. Donner Ski Ranch on Donner Summit. Fundraiser for Rocker Memorial Skate Park in Truckee.
1:14:30 – Kacy’s youth and growing up as an active outdoor family, going to school in Vermont, snowboarding at her home mountains, Okemo Mountain, Stowe and Jay Peak.
1:17:00 – Spending time in Florida, New York accents, the competitiveness of the East Coast
1:27:30 – Learning to balance play and education in college.
1:30:30 – Kacy’s transition from snowboarding to splitboarding and backcountry skiing, and the concept of “Nature Bathing”.
1:39:40 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
1:44:30 – Snoop Pow Dogg Snowsizzle My Dizzle Corn Dog and Powderrific Snow Report
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In the wake of The Crippler – one of the biggest snowstorms to hit Tahoe in the last 5 years – the boys sit down with Reno-native core lord @aurelbaker, a Pediatric ER nurse who crushes it skiing as an ambassador athlete for @atomicski @rab.equipment and @lebent_ . Always the adventurer, Aurel covers a variety of topics including her “puke and rally” sailboat to ski adventure in British Columbia, her path to becoming a nurse, enduring as a nurse through the pandemic, her five different knee and ankle surgeries over the years and the psychological struggles associated with being an injured athlete. We recap the 10 feet of snow that shut down Lake Tahoe for three days, talk about skiing pow in Reno, Snoop gives the Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report and shout outs to listeners.
1:30 – Introducing Aurel Baker – Pediatric ER Nurse, Skier, Mountain Biker, Fly Fishing, Climber.
6:30 – All about fly fishing.
10:00 – The challenges of surfing.
12:15 – Shout Outs – Michael George – Lebron James and JJ Reddick starting a new podcast called Mind the Game. Jed Ritchey – Washington Post story about record ocean temps and Hunga Tonga.
17:00 – Jonathan Irwin – wondering how to gain real backcountry experience not living full time in the mountains.
23:00 – Sendy Send of the Week - Zak Mills and Nick Russel ski Banner and Ritter Mountain in the same day.
24:10 – THE CRIPPLER – The aftermath of the March 1 snowstorm. Interstate 80 closed for three days. Hundreds of cars stranded on Donner Summit. A three day blizzard warning. Palisades Tahoe closed for three days.
31:30 – Backyard pow slashing in the wake of the storm. Skiing pow in Reno and Virginia City on Mount Davidson.
34:00 – Winter of 23-24 in a word: awkward. Seeming like a light winter, yet we are almost at season average for snowpack. Months of dangerous snowpack.
39:00 – Skiing Peavine Mountain in Reno.
40:25 – The Snoop Pow Dogg Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderrrific Snow Report
43:00 – Spring Equinox – Mind the Track has made it a full four seasons!
47:00 – Aurel traveling to Sitka, Alaska for a sail to ski trip. Looking back on last year’s sail to ski trip in British Columbia. Learning the concept of Puke and Rally.
55:00 – Aurel has had five orthopedic surgeries on her knees and ankles over the years. Struggling with injury and recovery. The bicycle is the best tool for physical therapy.
1:02:00 – Dealing with loss of identity when the thing you love most you can’t do because of being injured.
1:05:00 – PowBot is dealing with early osteoarthritis in his knee.
1:10:30 – Delux Landscape in Lake Tahoe – PowBot’s new job as a project manager.
1:15:10 – Aurel grew up in Reno, and learned to ski and snowboard at Mount Rose. Going to University of Nevada, Reno and becoming a nurse.
1:19:10 – Enduring through the COVID pandemic as a nurse in a hospital.
1:27:30 – Leaving Reno, but coming back to Reno because of how good the access is to so much adventure.
1:32:00 – What was the closest call Aurel has ever had with avalanches?
1:37:00 – PowBot almost drowns in a creek crossing on the Sierra Buttes.
1:38:45 – Random historical tidbit: Sierra City compared to Downieville.
1:40:45 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
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Recorded just as the biggest snowstorm of the winter wallops Lake Tahoe with up to 10 feet of snow, the boys chat with Nick Bliss of Bliss Wilderness and avalanche forecaster at the Bridgeport Avalanche Center. At just under 2 hours, this is the longest Mind the Track episode to date, but the discussion covers a lot of topics from snow safety, snowpack and avalanches to the dangers of following social media to find big ski lines, the responsibility professional winter sports athletes have when posting their adventures, apps like OnX Backcountry and Cody Townsend’s The Fifty episode about Split Couloir. The boys discuss the recent inbounds avalanche on KT-22 at Palisades Tahoe, the dangerous early season snowpack and what this big incoming storm will do to that snowpack. We also dive into Nick’s escape from living in Lake Tahoe, moving down near Sonora Junction and the challenges of off-grid living. Whether you swallow this episode whole or listen to it in a few different sittings, Nick shares a lot of knowledge about snow science and being smart about traveling safely in the backcountry. Consider donating at bridgeportavalanchecenter.org and follow BAC’s forecasts at @bridgeportavalanchecenter.
2:00 – Miracle March comes in like a lion. 10 feet of snow in 72 hours!
8:30 – Swan John and Trail Whisperer road trip to Idaho to ski Grand Targhee and Sun Valley.
12:15 – PowBot returns to Frog Lake Huts and rode with Jason Smith of Blackbird Guides.
17:00 – SnoopPowDogg Snow Sizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report
21:00 – Introducing Nick Bliss of Bliss Wilderness
23:00 – Nick’s work as avalanche forecaster for the Bridgeport Avalanche Center, teaching the Marine Corps Mountain Training Warfare Center in Pickel Meadows near Sonora Pass.
24:50 – Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area – 7,000 acres of snowmobile motorized access.
26:30 – Being more mindful of each other at trailheads, better snow etiquette.
28:00 – The concept of ethos, gatekeeping, maintaining the culture of a sport and putting in the time to be more experienced.
32:00 – Nick’s dog Owen and skiing in the backcountry with a dog.
34:30 – The problem of putting ski lines on social media with no context for danger.
36:00 – OnX Backcountry putting dangerous ski lines in the Eastern Sierra on their app.
38:00 – The difference between a guide book and an app on a phone.
40:45 – Cody Townsend, The Fifty project and the Split Couloir episode.
53:45 – Transitioning from living in Lake Tahoe to moving south to Sonora Junction and living off-grid.
1:05:30 – Hantavirus and the brain-eating amoeba in hot springs – dangers of frontier life.
1:10:45 – The Bridgeport Avalanche Center (bridgeportavalanchecenter.org) – one of the four avalanche centers in California.
1:18:00 – The process of writing an avalanche forecast.
1:23:45 – January 2024 – the persistent weak layer and dangerous snowpack in the Sierra Nevada.
1:25:30 – The importance of snow water equivalent (SWE) in the snowpack and lack of snow load.
1:27:40 – The Palisades Tahoe avalanche on KT-22, the details around it and riding inbounds with your shovel, probe and beacon.
1:37:50 – The unionization of Palisades Tahoe Ski Patrol, and the life of a ski patroller.
1:41:00 – The incoming storm and the dangers of 10 feet of new snow in 72 hours, cornice failure danger and PowBot’s story of falling off a cornice.
1:48:30 – The concept of storms coming in right side up versus upside down, atmospheric rivers and the pineapple express.
1:54:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?
1:56:45 - @bridgeportavalanchecenter @blisswilderness and blisswilderness.com – donate at bridgeportavalanchecenter.org
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After a three week adventure overseas, JaPowBot makes his return from Japan just as winter turns back on in Lake Tahoe. The boys discuss Tom’s trip as well as a potpourri of shenanigans that happened in Tahoe while he was gone, including shootings at Palisades Tahoe and Homewood, grant theft and assault at Boreal and a woman getting stranded overnight in the Heavenly gondola. Trail Whisperer rants about UnofficialNetworks and their false AI generated news headlines, PowBot calls out Palisades Tahoe for complaining about work on their blog, presidential candidates make campaign promises for the votes of Tahoe core lords, Snoop Pow Dogg gives his Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report and Arapahoe Basin loses its identity and goes corporate after being bought out by Alterra/IKON Pass.
1:45 – POWBOT Returns from Japan with the Hakuba Hack.
4:30 – Winter finally shows up in Tahoe.
6:45 – Riding Sonora Pass and Leavitt Lake in the Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area with Nick Bliss. @bridgeportavalanchecenter
9:20 – Backcountry skiing in Japan – filling out forms to get permits for the Japanese Alps.
11:45 – Shout Outs to listeners, Incline Spirits and Cigars, Bestfit Boots and Start Haus Truckee, Josh at Boot Solutions in Hakuba.
25:45 – Eating weird Asian foods.
29:00 – While Tom was gone….presidential campaigning in Reno/Tahoe region. Thanks Chad Peters - @takeoffyourpnts on Insta.
32:30 – Woman gets stranded overnight on Heavenly gondola, shooting at Squaw Village, shooting near Homewood at a restaurant, grand theft and assault at Boreal.
35:30 – Kurt’s ASS Rant for the Week – UnofficialNetworks using AI to write news headlines.
38:45 – Palisades Tahoe Blog and the complaining they love to do about their jobs.
40:20 – The Headwall chairlift debacle – Scott Gaffney writes an Ode to Headwall poem.
44:30 – Arapahoe Basin in Colorado gets purchased by Alterra/Ikon Pass.
51:30 – Snoop Pow Dogg’s Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiific Snow Report
54:00 – We are definitely in an El Nino winter – no snow in the Pacific NW and Montana
56:00 – Gettin’ older and feelin’ older. Coping with injury and getting older. Do more cross training. Throttle back. Stretch more.
1:02:15 – Recap of PowBot’s trip to Hakuba, Japan. Happo-One.
1:14:00 – Trail Whisperer and Swan John’s upcoming road trip to Idaho and Wyoming.
1:20:30 – Sharing information about avalanches and Avalanche Canada’s new avalanche reporting system built by the government for the public to use and share.
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Fresh off a return from a two-night ski adventure at the Frog Lake Huts, right before PowBot’s departure for Japan, the boys do a catch up, recapping the of the most dangerous periods of avalanche conditions ever in the Sierra Nevada. The boys discuss the unfortunate inbounds fatality on KT-22 opening day at Palisades Tahoe and PowBot recounts the only time he’s ever been fully buried in an avalanche – inbounds at Sugar Bowl – and a second recovery he was involved in immediately after being unburied by a partner. The boys also chat about the inherent dangers of skiing inbounds on a storm day, terrain management, proper recovery gear, the dangers of group think and the expert halo, the risks of traveling in the backcountry and methods employed to stay safe even on considerable and high avalanche danger days, and why PowBot thinks avalanche education and safety is better in Canada and Europe than the U.S. The last third of the show recaps the boys’ trip to the Frog Lake Huts (where Mind the Track was born a year ago) and successfully negotiating avalanche terrain in dangerous conditions en route. They also discuss why there are so many no-shows at Frog Lake despite sold-out reservation status.
2:00 – PowBot and Trail Whisperer fresh off a hut trip to Frog Lake. Lots going on with the snowpack in Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada.
5:15 – Trail Whisperer featured on PBS Reno Wild Nevada show, an episode about the Toiyabe Crest Trail project. For interested volunteers, reach out to us with a DM or message.
9:00 – Unstable snowpack and a dangerous avalanche cycle in the Sierra Nevada including a fatality inbounds at Palisades Tahoe on KT-22.
11:45 – What are snow facets and why do they make for dangerous avalanche conditions?
15:30 – PowBot’s full burial inbounds avalanche story from Sugar Bowl
26:00 – The safety culture of ski resorts with open boundaries featuring sidecountry and backcountry access.
28:00 – The difference between RECCO and an avalanche beacon.
31:00 – Being aware and cautious when skiing inbounds on a storm day and ski with a partner.
35:00 – Terrain management is the number one consideration when skiing in the backcountry.
38:00 – Where are things at currently with the snowpack? Has it stabilized?
39:45 – The Snoop Pow Dogg Snow Sizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report
41:15 – PowBot going to Hakuba, Japan to slash Japow for the first time ever.
42:20 – Conjecture around the inbounds fatality at Palisades Tahoe.
46:45 – The Loveland Pass avalanche and the topic of people not reporting avalanches.
48:45 – Information sharing system in Canada regarding snowpack and avalanche activity.
49:50 – New York Times feature by John Branch – “Snow Fail – The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”
50:30 – Jeremy Jones video about an avalanche burial on the north face of Castle Peak.
51:30 – It’s really hard to die in the backcountry mountain biking. It’s really easy to die in the backcountry skiing.
55:00 – Recap on the Frog Lake Huts trip and traveling in considerable avalanche conditions.
1:11:00 – The difference between riding a singletrack and a cutting in a skintrack.
1:14:00 – The high no-show rate at the Frog Lake Huts and PowBot’s rant about guides booking out the huts in advance, and Truckee Donner Land Trust opening reservations to more than two nights.
1:25:00 – Where do you carry your avalanche beacon, probe and shovel?
1:32:00 – The dangers of group think and the expert halo.
1:34:00 – PowBot getting fired up for his trip to Japan.
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