# Four seasons of riding in Alaska (in pics)



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

I have lived in Kodiak, Alaska for about 20 years now. For those of you who have no idea where Kodiak Island is, here's a map:










Let's star with fall, since that is the season we are sliding into...

*Fall*























































Life hardly ever changes down in the forest. We just wear more clothes in the fall:













































































































Termination dust on the surrounding peaks foreshadows the inevitable.










Finally, some snow even appears on the lower trails...


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

*Winter*

Since we live along the coast, the winter can give us weather whiplash. We can can long cold spells with considerable snow, but then mid-winter thaws and mild spells will melt all the snow down at sea level and even a good distance up the mountains.










The days get shorter...










....and the lights come out:



















Sometimes we have mid-winter thaws and we can get back to the mountain tops:










And live in the forest still seems pretty much the same:










A dusting of snow can make it through the tree canopy:




























The low-angled northern sun is weak, but welcome, and adds an evening mood:



















We can have long, dry, cold spells and the rivers literally dry up:










The everything freezes rock hard, and you can ride pretty much anywhere:




























When the snow really falls, and the surface is firm enough, we convert the trusty Turners to Snauxbikes:


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

*Spring*

Spring is a tough time. The snow is going to mush, the trails to mush, and winter can be tough to shake. Just when you think it's down for the count, it takes another swing at you.










Even after a lot of the snow has melted, the trails can be covered in 6 inches of rock rubbery ice. Riding in shorts and studded tires on a warm spring day on an absolutely frictionless trail, freshly Zambonied:



















Spring is mud season and we have to be careful not to make a mess.










The ice on the beaver pond is still melting:














































Our town:



















Finally, the green starts to take hold:


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

*Summer*

I'm not going to lie to you, summer is pretty cool. 





































Life in the forest is still pretty much unchanged. Just warmer. 


















































































Our town again, in summer dress:








































































































































*Thanks for sitting through this, folks. Greetings from Alaska!*


----------



## Timon (May 11, 2008)

winter/spring/summer aren't showing up for me


----------



## 1x1 (Nov 6, 2005)

Nice pics, the terrain looks beautiful.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Be patient. I'm working on the other posts.


----------



## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

That is fantastic. I love the photos that have been posted at this point, though I wanted to see biking in a parka... don't let me down!


----------



## Tone No Balone (Dec 11, 2004)

Thanks for sharing your part of the world. You look like a very good rider and you sure show true passion for the sport of cycling and for life!

Don't ever stop riding! :thumbsup:

Tone.


----------



## ferday (Jan 15, 2004)

thanks! that was a great passion hit.


----------



## Sway? (Feb 22, 2006)

WOW! It's beautiful up there. Passion indeed... Thanks


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

*3 seasons in 6 seconds*

Okay, here is the short version. It's a gif that loops, consisting of 3 pics, winter, spring, and summer.

_*These pics were taken at the exact same spot in the trail.*_ You can see that the alder in the upper right never moves.


----------



## Dr Feelygood ! (Jun 16, 2006)

Man I really enjoyed that !

Been waiting for a Kodiak hit for a while now, but well worth it :thumbsup:

THANKS


----------



## Joel. (Aug 16, 2009)

What a beautiful area and town. Looks like some pretty steep climbs there. I bet the bridges get slippery.


----------



## mtbec (Aug 18, 2009)

gotta ask...bears?


----------



## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

Big time wow. Best passion post I've seen in a while. What an amazing looking place. I'm extremely impressed with the photos, the trails, the landscape, and the riding.

I beleive these photos have just caused a mental: push(@places_to_ride, "Kodiak Island");

So were you seeking the remote getaway, or did work bring you to this wonderful place?



mtbec said:


> gotta ask...bears?


Just did a quick Wikipedia before posting and Kodiak Island is the home of the - wait for it - Kodiak Bear.


----------



## mtbec (Aug 18, 2009)

that's why i wanna know


----------



## brado1 (Oct 5, 2004)

Good Stuff cheesy


----------



## redwarrior (Apr 12, 2007)

Beautious!


----------



## wyatt79m (Mar 3, 2007)

best post ever.


----------



## Bula (Sep 20, 2004)

Ah, Tcheezy posts, all's right with the world. Great stuff, as always. I highly recommend it with a cup of coffee.


----------



## the sloth (Aug 11, 2007)

Gorgeous. Bet you can see Russia from up there


----------



## AndyN (Jan 12, 2004)

Jeez, pace yourself. This could have been spread out into a dozen excellent passion hits.

Thx P.


----------



## fastale (Jul 2, 2007)

wyatt79m said:


> best post ever.


ditto, awesome


----------



## aL1 (May 6, 2009)

tscheezy;

Awesome pics...do you ever worry about running into a grizzly, or do I watch too much of the Discovery Channel...


----------



## AL29er (Jan 14, 2004)

Miles of smiles. Excellent passion posting :thumbsup:


----------



## Orkje (May 3, 2006)

Brilliant! Another place on the "must ride" list...


----------



## bonz23 (Jul 15, 2009)

Looks like great fun awesome scenery! Thanks for sharing


----------



## deftones156 (Sep 12, 2008)

looks gorgeous!


----------



## Cisco43 (Jan 3, 2006)

*thanks for sharing.*

well done.....outstanding....that was great!


----------



## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*Broken*



mtbec said:


> gotta ask...beers?


FTFY


----------



## Tackhammer (Dec 21, 2006)

wyatt79m said:


> best post ever.


About 1/2 way through I was thinking this is the best post I've seen. So +1 on what wyatt said!!!


----------



## hungryhead (Apr 9, 2007)

more reasons on why i need to visit alaska

thanks for sharing


----------



## cbchess (Dec 20, 2003)

double post!


----------



## cbchess (Dec 20, 2003)

*!!!*

wow!
outstanding post

Nominate this one for post of the year.

Your girl has some serious skills.


----------



## Cujo (Jun 10, 2004)

Wow!! Spectacular. Very beautiful...the scenery too. I could almost feel the cool breeze in my face looking at some of those photos. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## .:MTB:. (Oct 3, 2008)

awesome thread! THANKS for sharing!


----------



## Plummit (Jan 14, 2004)

Wow! Nice work. There are some GREAT photos in there. Riding and scenery look spectacular!

:thumbsup:


----------



## 006_007 (Jan 12, 2004)

Holy Passion post batman.

Excellent pics Tscheezy


----------



## JimmyC (Dec 19, 2005)

Awesome post!!! Nicely done!!


----------



## brianc (Jan 13, 2004)

Very Nice!!!


----------



## drjekyll (Feb 22, 2005)

You are lucky folks, beautiful scenery and your're hardcore enough to enjoy it regardless of the season.


----------



## problematiks (Oct 18, 2005)

Nice!The mossy forest shots are the best though.
And it's always cool to see girls with skills.Not nearly enough of them  
I guess I could add another mtb destination to my list, but I mostly have time to travel in autumn/winter, and despite all the nice pics I still think that might not be the best time to visit Alaska  

Marko


----------



## Redbeard77 (Sep 9, 2009)

What great pictures; I'm jealous! And all this time I thought I was lucky to ride year round because I live in the South...


----------



## Colonel Flagg (Jan 7, 2006)

How many bikes does Barney have?


----------



## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

great post.


----------



## ebxtreme (Jan 6, 2004)

Great post, Tscheezy. 

Many thanks,
EB


----------



## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

Great, now I've got to add Kodiak Island to the places-to-ride wish list??? Damn you Cheezy!

Awesome. Love the moss-carpeted pine forests. I've found some places like that here in VT recently, but...no, not nearly.....

And the high ocean views....spectacular.

JZ


----------



## in the trees (Mar 24, 2005)

AWESOME!!! Thanks!!!

toby


----------



## Cujo (Jun 10, 2004)

Important things to do in bear country:

*Avoid startling bears
*Wear jingle bells on your shoes so they hear you coming
*Carry pepper spray
*Know what types of bears are in the area by examining their poo
*Black Bear poo is filled with berries
*Grizzly Bear poo is filled with jingle bells and smells like pepper spray


----------



## pspwesty (Feb 27, 2006)

Great posts tscheezy. Thoroughly enjoyed this thread.


----------



## bwheelin (Apr 4, 2008)

beautiful pictures. thanks!
count me out on the winter season.


----------



## bwheelin (Apr 4, 2008)

did you encounter any wildlife?


----------



## esXso (Sep 23, 2008)

Fantastic thread, interesting and photogenic subjects. :thumbsup: 

How high are the mountains on Kodiak Island?


----------



## smilinsteve (Jul 21, 2009)

I'm coming to visit! Wash the sheets!


----------



## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

It's been said, but I'll say it again...............:thumbsup: FANTASTIC POST :thumbsup: thanks a load for that passion hit Tscheezy, you're a lucky guy


----------



## Rasper (Aug 23, 2009)

One question.. Do you have mosquito's?


----------



## gravitylover (Sep 1, 2009)

So you used all the good weather days for the last three years combined to get that many shots?

Nice place ya got there.


----------



## Circusjunk (Aug 20, 2004)

Awesome Pics ! 

Thanks for Sharing


----------



## TakoKichi (Jul 6, 2008)

Forget about the pics.
A woman like that is hard to find.
One question...are you married?


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

> I wanted to see biking in a parka... don't let me down!


I have failed. 



> gotta ask...bears?


Dunno, the grass tends to be awfully tall.



> So were you seeking the remote getaway, or did work bring you to this wonderful place?


I did graduate school up here and now work as a fishery research biologist for the Department of Fish and Game. My job pretty much rulz. 



> Bet you can see Russia from up there


We were a colony. This was all Russian not _that_ long ago.



> How many bikes does Barney have?


She's slumming it with only an RFX, 5-Spot, and Flux these days. Well, those are her full-boinger offroad bikes anyway...



> did you encounter any wildlife?


Yes.



> Do you have mosquito's?


Hardly any at all around town. Some parts of the island can be pretty bad though.



> So you used all the good weather days for the last three years combined to get that many shots?


As far as Alaska goes, Kodiak has pretty nice weather. 



> One question...are you married?


Yes, and before you ask, her twin sister *is* engaged. 

Thanks for all the kind words, mtbr peeps. :thumbsup:


----------



## ductapester (Jul 7, 2008)

Great pictures, looks like you guys had an epic year of riding


----------



## CanOnlyRide (Oct 27, 2005)

That was great! Thank you!


----------



## Gman086 (Jul 4, 2004)

Nice, always wondered if AK had good mtbing. Now just build some freeride stunts and I'm moving there!

Have FUN!

G MAN


----------



## Hoursofdarkness (Jul 22, 2006)

That is SWEEEET!!!


----------



## Frs1661 (Jun 9, 2008)

Nice shots! Thanks for sharing


----------



## aL1 (May 6, 2009)

Cujo said:


> Important things to do in bear country:
> 
> *Avoid startling bears
> *Wear jingle bells on your shoes so they hear you coming
> ...


That's hysterical!


----------



## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha Tcheez!!

Awesome as usual, am wanting to ride up there some day................


----------



## nitrousjunky (May 12, 2006)

*Sweeeetttt Post*

Man the riding pictures up there always look awesome. I hung out up there for a week at Thanksgiving. We rode snowmobiles around and on Lake Wasila (think that is spelled right). May have to go back with bikes at some point.

What months is the best riding weather there?


----------



## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

lake wasilla. 2 L's. you can find good riding pretty much all year up here if you're willing to drive for it. if you want to stay in whatever town you're in, just like anywhere else, there will be mud and unrideable trails for a month or two in spring. with the big mtns up here though, if it's muddy down low, theres a good chance it'll be frozen and packed up high. and if it's muddy up high, a good chance it'll be dry down low. 

tscheezy doesn't really have the luxury of driving out to different terrain on his little tropicarctic paradise there though....

great photos.


----------



## DirtDummy (Aug 22, 2005)

Superior. And no offense, but Mrs. tscheezy is hot.


----------



## eric1971 (Apr 29, 2004)

Awesome! Makes me want to visit Alaska just to ride.


----------



## cocavaak (Apr 24, 2006)

Do I see some devil's club in some of those photos? ouch.:skep: 

I visited Kodiak briefly a while back - worked in a cannery there. This was before mountain biking. 

And twins?? wow!


----------



## keylay (Nov 14, 2006)

Amazing!


----------



## chumbox (Jan 9, 2008)

Looks so amazing thanks for posting the pics... funnily enough I live in Australia and actually knew where Kodiak Island was... it's my Island-tution.


----------



## fudy (Aug 3, 2005)

Thank you for that!
I purchased my first mountain bike in Kodiak so many of these pic's bring back some great memories!


----------



## BrakeL8 (Nov 30, 2008)

tscheezy said:


> Okay, here is the short version. It's a gif that loops, consisting of 3 pics, winter, spring, and summer.
> 
> _*These pics were taken at the exact same spot in the trail.*_ You can see that the alder in the upper right never moves.


wow that's cool.

thanks so much for posting the pics, I live in relative paradise but my jaw hit the floor looking at these! :thumbsup: Enjoy the fall.


----------



## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

Awesome P--thanks for sharin'!


----------



## dimm0k (May 25, 2009)

sweet pics! just made my day!


----------



## FastZR1 (Aug 10, 2008)

Thanks for sharing. You guys sure make the most of the those seasons. Love it.


----------



## Pokey_Racer (May 24, 2009)

Awesome. Thanks for the post. Wow. Awesome. I've been to Alaska once before (long road trip from Florida), and I loved it there. Now if I could just convince my wife...


----------



## joshman108 (Jul 6, 2009)

hahaha snow tires still make me laugh, they look so funny!
those moss forests were pretty awsome. looks like a nice place to ride. 

very passionate post :thumbsup:


----------



## jaymo (Jun 12, 2007)

Wow unreal!!!!


----------



## RIDIN'MO (Oct 9, 2006)

The most jealous I've been in a very long time!! 
Great pics


----------



## Van-Go (Feb 26, 2009)

My new favorite picture thread on here. Awesome - thanks for taking the time to post all of these! :thumbsup:


----------



## J . (May 28, 2006)

Thanks for posting, great pics!


----------



## EDizzleVR6 (Oct 4, 2007)

where exactly is this in alaska?
Ive been there several times, my cousins live in archorage and used to live in homer


----------



## CraigCreekRider (Apr 12, 2007)

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.

Looks like you Alaska riders are pretty good at adapting to your surroundings. I would not have thought you could ride year around - but you do. Guessing theres just a few of you - and a lot of countryside to ride. Thanks for the post.!!!


----------



## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

EDizzleVR6 said:


> where exactly is this in alaska?
> Ive been there several times, my cousins live in archorage and used to live in homer


the very first image he posted, on the very first page of the thread is a big map..... :thumbsup:


----------



## Hud (Jun 22, 2004)

Awesome post, I thought it was all snow and ice up thataway.


----------



## cannesdo (Feb 3, 2007)

Yeah, Girl! Can't thank you enough for taking the time to post these. Two questions: 1) Does anyone in town have a full RV hookup (is there a ferry?) and 2) I don't supppose you folks any need of a massage therapist? 

I live full time in my rig (fifth-wheel) I spent last winter in Montana. Was testing it out for snow-worthiness and lived through a few pretty nasty (-23F) arctic fronts. For that reason I was checking North American temps pretty regularly throughout the winter and was amazed to see that coastal AK not only isn't nearly as brutal as I thought it was in the winter months -- it's downright balmy at times. Looks like a beautiful place.

Actually, after this, I'm kind of likin' the idea of spending the summer there. Highs in the 60's -- nice.

Here are some demographics for anyone interested: http://www.city-data.com/city/Kodiak-Alaska.html

20 cars stolen every year -- on an island. How does that work? ha...

Thanks again. I'm always looking for roads less traveled. Looks like this is one of them.

Jen


----------



## Turn (Sep 16, 2008)

Great documentation and its great to see a smile in every picture


----------



## shotgunlew (Sep 16, 2009)

Looks like Paradise!!!


----------



## Outsider (Jan 1, 2007)

shotgunlew said:


> Looks like Paradise!!!


I second that!


----------



## Bobby12many (Apr 28, 2004)

Absolutely awesome post!

The very reason I joined this forum, and one of the key reasons I keep visiting it, are pic and passion filled posts like this!


What a wonderful life you have up there!


----------



## bear (Feb 3, 2004)

very, very nice.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

> Does anyone in town have a full RV hookup (is there a ferry?)


I sorta doubt it. There are a couple of state parks that may have a hose at each site, but I think even the host lives a pretty Spartan existence. We do have ferry service, but it is such a long trip down from the mainland that we don't get much tourist traffic (thankfully).



> I don't supppose you folks any need of a massage therapist?


Hmmm... tempting. 



> 20 cars stolen every year -- on an island. How does that work?


Basically just joyriders.



> What months is the best riding weather there?


I like mid June and July. The vegetation generally hasn't gone totally insane yet and it is fairly dry with lots of daylight.
*
Thanks, folks!* :thumbsup:

One more from yesterday:


----------



## zul (Mar 19, 2004)

Greetings and Hello from the Desert Southwest! Enjoying your post in pics ...

So you've receintely made news with the lack of Salmon. What gives? Global Warming trickle down effect?? Or is it all still a blury mystery? 

Let me know if you and Barney are headed for a Winter escape. Lot's of sun to share.  

zul


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Dood, zul, yer in Sedona? Got a big couch? Trade you some canned smoked salmon for a furniture timeshare? 

BTW- when you say "salmon," that's pretty generic. There are 5 species, each managed separately, and literally thousands of different rivers they go up. Some are on their lips, others booming. They go up, they go down. There is hardly any rhyme or reason to it as most of the fluctuation seems to be determined by at-sea survival, which is a huge black box. Once they get into coastal areas, they are well managed imo.

Barny (the rider pictured) is a commercial fisherman fyi.










Edit: wait, zul, I think you were the one who led Barny and me around Sedona during AZSF 2007. We were the last two hangers-on at the end there, we were both on Turner 6-Packs. We'll be right down. :lol:


----------



## Rehuel (Aug 17, 2009)

Wonderful pics, thanks for sharing. I officially envy you.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

I have added autumn to this gif. Again, it is taken at the same spot in the trail in winter, spring, summer, and now fall as well.

Enjoy.


----------



## PaintPeelinPbody (Feb 3, 2004)

Will the Grizzlies maul you in any season? 

just kidding. Looks like it is a challenge in spring/early summer.


----------



## MCalderone (May 5, 2009)

Awesome shots. I've been to Kodiak once fishing. Very cool place!

I would kill to ride there.


----------



## Charlie Root (Mar 12, 2007)

Hi,

ammmazing pics and amazing place to live and to ride too!!! :thumbsup: 

Greetings from Spain. 

PS: what about the insects?


----------



## kboykin (Sep 28, 2009)

Incredible shots! The landscape is gorgeous. I really like seeing the rider(s) in the pictures because it makes the landscape look more real and all the better. It helps that the subject rider is very photogenic, great smile. I could almost feel the good times you were having.

Great looking people! Ya'll should be in magazines 

(need to stop replying to the last post, sorry..)


----------



## insanitylevel9 (Sep 23, 2009)

*wow*

i want to move to Alaska now


----------



## AWi (Feb 26, 2006)

Fantastic pictures - makes u realize there are so many great places to ride still waiting as a possibility ... please continue with reports like this.


----------



## cooldaddy (Jan 28, 2004)

great post!


----------



## Joeboater (Oct 17, 2003)

Add my vote for best passion post...


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

It's getting cooler now. A bit damp, and the leaves are dropping from the alders.

Felix gets his game face on:










Fall is really here and the ferns are starting to croak:





































The next day, riding down Dead Man's Curve trail.


----------



## Joeboater (Oct 17, 2003)

Would a rear fender make sense out there?


----------



## SlowerThenSnot (Jul 16, 2004)

Dang another place to visit when its 110 in Hurkin!


----------



## precar (Apr 27, 2004)

Simply breathtaking. Who builds and maintains those trails?


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

precar said:


> Simply breathtaking. Who builds and maintains those trails?


Me.

Oh, and Barny helps with some of the bridges.


----------



## The_Lecht_Rocks (Jan 2, 2007)

i'm amazed at how similar your trail / foliage and conditions are similar to ours, all the way over here in Northern Scotland !!!!!!!
great stoke tscheezy :thumbsup:


----------



## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm amazed that it actually doesn't seem more artic -like. Therefor dispelling stereotypes


----------



## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

:thumbsup: - That is all


----------



## 550GTS (Oct 1, 2009)

excellent post, great pics! thanks for posting!!


----------



## justanotherbikegeek (Jun 3, 2008)

Fantastic stuff here! Can't go wrong with beautiful trails and a cute gal riding them.

I was sort of expecting to see more shots of riders all bundled up while crossing the tundra, but didn't. That sort of stuff always inspires me to get out and ride in the Wisconsin winter. The scarf wrap looks like a great idea. I'll have to try that one.

Just curious, what's the coldest weather you've ridden in?


----------



## rollswithpogies (Dec 21, 2006)

Hey I've been riding there!!! Sweeeeeeeeeeeet.... Born and raised in Fairbanks here... you may be one of the few who knows what my username means


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

rollswithpogies said:


> ...you may be one of the few who knows what my username means


Um... I might.


----------



## rollswithpogies (Dec 21, 2006)

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.......


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

I was hoping to go back and edit the earlier posts to stash some more pics there, but the period for that has expired....

...so I will just add a new post.

These belong in the "winter" section (pics taken Dec 12). We did a long beach ride up the coast north of Narrow Cape at the end of the road on our fatbikes.


----------



## Mallanaga (Jun 30, 2007)

thanks for sharing... absolutely amazing pics. i love the winter spring summer gif. enjoy it! i almost miss winter... nah =P


----------



## ilikebike (Nov 1, 2009)

Awesome as usual! Thanks!


----------



## Vespasianus (Apr 9, 2008)

tscheezy said:


> I was hoping to go back and edit the earlier posts to stash some more pics there, but the period for that has expired....
> 
> ...so I will just add a new post.
> 
> These belong in the "winter" section (pics taken Dec 12). We did a long beach ride up the coast north of Narrow Cape at the end of the road on our fatbikes.


Man, I am envious! What a beautiful place to live and ride. And Barney ain't bad on the eyes either!


----------



## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

Such an amazing planet, isn't it?


----------



## Vlad (Feb 7, 2004)

Great stuff!!!


----------



## stingray4540 (Jun 25, 2009)

Wow, absolutely amazing! 

I can't decide what's more beautiful, the scenery or the lady on the bike... 

Thank you for sharing!


----------



## donkeyrider (Jun 9, 2009)

Amazing photos. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## lappen (Dec 14, 2009)

"Hear hear" to above posts! Amazing pictures, not only the landscape and riders, but also how you composed the pictures! Well done. 

My first visit to this forum (linked from a Swedish forum) and I end up at this thread. WOW ;-)


----------



## d365 (Jun 13, 2006)

I wanna know about the big bears. you ever have encounters? I thought that place was crawling with them.



thanks for the photo stoke. I enjoyed it.


----------



## Pittzer (Apr 30, 2009)

This is why I come to MTBR. Many thanks.


----------



## Secace (Sep 8, 2004)

One of the most impressive posts I've ever seen on here. :thumbsup:


----------



## Stupendous Man (Jan 12, 2004)

+1
great passion hit!


----------



## trailbrain (Feb 22, 2005)

Absolutely great pics! The riding and landscape look stunning :thumbsup:


----------



## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

Damn, I thought the first you'd posted looked good and now I see there's a whole set. Love them. :thumbsup:


----------



## lappen (Dec 14, 2009)

Have to come back to this thread every now and then and look at the pictures. Still amazed. :thumbsup:

Now I have a question, which winter/spike-tyres do you ride on? We have what it seems somewhat the same winterconditions (but we do not have the same scenery) here in Gothenburg (Sweden). A funny thing though is that Kodiak and Gothenburg are on almost the same longitude, 57°47′ N respectively 57°42′ N 

Martin



tscheezy said:


>


----------



## Dr.Preroll (Jun 2, 2009)

Dec 17th 2009. The day I actually WANTED to move from Vancouver Island to Alaska. Looks beauty and I'll assume the chantrelle mushrooms are perfect in those mossy woods...


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

We ride various flavors of Nokian studded tires. I have posted pretty complete thoughts on my studded tire preferences here.


----------



## slowlybutsurly (Nov 10, 2009)

awesome trails! nice pics! sweet bikes!

thanks for sharing!

gotta visit Alaska...


----------



## radair (Dec 19, 2002)

I'm glad this got bumped, for I missed it the first time around.

It is likely I will never make it to Kodiak, and I appreciate the time you took to post these photos. Riding is quite similar to the four seasons we have in the mountains of NH, but your scenery is much better.

Thanks


----------



## TheotherH (Jan 21, 2004)

Fantastic! So beautiful there and the riding looks great. Alaska is on our list of places to visit.


----------



## Straz85 (Mar 20, 2009)

This is beautiful. I've always wanted to live in AK for a year (there's a lot of places I want to live, actually).


----------



## lappen (Dec 14, 2009)

tscheezy said:


> We ride various flavors of Nokian studded tires. I have posted pretty complete thoughts on my studded tire preferences here.


Thanks, I will look into that :thumbsup:

Martin


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Here is a sampling of what some of the trails in the forest look like in motion. This would get filed under "winter."


----------



## cbchess (Dec 20, 2003)

wow!
great listtle spin through the woods!
what bike is the that - fatback?


----------



## ilikebike (Nov 1, 2009)

That is so cool! Nice vid. How many bikes do you own? I've lost count


----------



## PainkillerSPE (Feb 15, 2009)

Any openings for another Environmental Scientist up there?? Would love to live there.


----------



## lshin4482 (Mar 5, 2010)

Do you need and police officers up there?? Loving the pics. Great post.


----------



## ltjfan513 (Mar 18, 2010)

I'm trying to get orders up there.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

As long as we are digging this thread back up, I guess I'll add another movie from a week ago. It's fitting with the theme because this was shot on the first day of spring, 2010.


----------



## Glide the Clyde (Nov 12, 2009)

*Nice vid*

Love the Fatties.


----------



## CrashTheDOG (Jan 4, 2004)

Nicely done. Excellent sound track. Are you bringing the video camera south with you?


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Sure, I can drag it along. See you in a few weeks.


----------



## lappen (Dec 14, 2009)

Nice video! :thumbsup: What kind of vidcam are you using?


----------



## marsh rider (May 18, 2008)

I missed this thread the first time so I'm glad it was brought back up. Those are some beautiful pictures/riders and the camera work in the videos is phenomenal- particularly in the second one. I like the view from the fork looking up at the head tube... never seen it from that perspective before. Anyway, Kodiak looks like a wonderful place to ride!


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Thanks a lot guys. Glad you liked it. 

The cameras are a GoPro HD and my Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3.


----------



## 5.0Trunk (May 12, 2009)

WOW, Great pictures, looks like a great place.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Another sunny day in coastal Alaska accompanied by minus tides called for a beach ride. This is the same general ride I shot in the video a few posts up. Spring is still trying to assert itself, though temps remain l a bit cool.

We started from just north of a cape marking one of the eastern-most points on Kodiak Island and rode north on the wide sand beach. Other than critter tracks (Sitka black-tail deer, fox, buffalo, etc) and some kelp, the beach was totally unmarked.



















There are a few shallow creeks cutting the beach we need to cross.










The Emerald Isle won't green up for a few more weeks, but spring shoots were in evidence.



















A series of small capes break the beach into sections with easily negotiated boulder fields. Easy at low tide, that is. 




























We got to the Sacramento River and had lunch. This river cuts through the beach at the northern extent of the sandy coastline. North of this point are uninterrupted steep cliffs for miles.





































A small ranch borders the beach and livestock roam the hills freely. These horses seemed especially thankful for a warm spring day.










On our way back we decided to ride all the way around the cape we started at the northern end of. This required us to leave the beach and ride the meadows above the cliffs. There are plenty of buffalo trails to follow.














































We are in the middle of the California gray whale migration right now and all along the coast hundreds of spouts dotted the ocean. In the water below the bluffs, harbor seals played in the shallows.




























An eagle prepares to build its nest in the usual spot.










It was a good day.


----------



## rinseflow (Sep 18, 2007)

tscheezy said:


>


That's just unfair.. 

Well, whatever, never mind.. as I've never seen that kind of landscape in person it's probably photoshopped into existence and totally fake anyway..  :thumbsup:


----------



## Bula (Sep 20, 2004)

Gasp.


----------



## bsieb (Aug 23, 2003)

Nice scenery, the place you ride seems nice too!


----------



## pcar964 (Apr 7, 2009)

lucky bastard


----------



## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

Absolutely amazing place you live in Dude :thumbsup: how can one guy be so lucky to live someplace like that AND have a gal like Barney? :???: Great shots as usual, stole the last for my desktop


----------



## Quercus agrifolia (Jan 30, 2005)

Wow, great thread! :thumbsup: I gotta venture out of the Nor Cal forum more often to find passion like this.

My wife and I spent time on Kodiak in the summer of 2002. A very special time in my life, as we were expecting our first child. Just before life got more serious. I was blown away by how lush the island was. Just an amazing place.

My favorite Kodiak memory is fishing in the Buskin River one evening, and being approached by a juvenile brown bear. I was hip-deep, and he came out of the brush, stood up on two legs, had a look at us, and then just wandered off.

I'm sure it's a commonplace experience in AK, but I'll never forget it.

This may have been that day...


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Nice humpy.  I'm a sockeye and coho man, myself.

We dig the Buskin too, but we always put out a net. We end up feeding more seals, but it can make for some exciting fishing when they hit the web.


----------



## stuntz (Sep 16, 2008)

cheezy, your photos are bringing back memories i had long forgotten. i lived in anchorage about 10 years ago while stationed at elmendorf and often have i closed my eyes to try to remember the sights and smells that i was lucky enough to experience in person. i'm only 31 and hopefully have plenty of time to get back there again....thanks for bringing back good memories...


----------



## jincardona (Jan 11, 2010)

I don't know which is more beautiful, the girl, the land or the bike... Luuv the Turner, ride it down here in the TX Hill Country.. coin toss, it the girl.


----------



## drvn93 (Apr 29, 2010)

just found this thread. beautiful photos!!


----------



## bobvanjr (Jul 14, 2009)

I'm very jealous. I live in Midland, MI and we literally have no hills here, let alone mountains.


----------



## singlesprocket (Jun 9, 2004)

great pics! nice elevation there, real potential for some downhill trails?


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Yes, there are some places to play.  Here is yesterday's ride...

For the "HD" version, you will need to watch it on Vimeo ----->


----------



## Tor-y-Foel (Nov 10, 2006)

Nice vid tscheezy - your weather is way better than ours at the moment!


----------



## andremoon41 (May 8, 2010)

Oh beautiful pictures, you just capture beauty , i wish to be there, i haven never been in Alaska but its really beautiful, i love such places


----------



## steadite (Jan 13, 2007)

tremendous video!

some of the shots looked like the camera was on an RC helicopter or something!?!?!

I like the part in the middle where the camera lens gets obliterated by mud!

crazy to see those wind turbines in such an (apparently) remote spot.


----------



## lappen (Dec 14, 2009)

We (atleast I) want more pics!


----------



## Straz85 (Mar 20, 2009)

This thread makes me jealous every time I see it. I'd love to live in Alaska, or at least make an extended visit. My fiance and I have said we'd love to live there for a year.

Awesome pics, OP. Have anymore from this summer?


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Straz85 said:


> Have anymore from this summer?


Um, I might.


----------



## lappen (Dec 14, 2009)

Sweet! Might I ask what kind of tyres you are riding on in those conditions as in the film? 

BTW, that surrounding view at 2:24 inb the clip was nice, how did you manage that? Camera on a swivel on the helmet?!


----------



## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

Dude, that new helmet cam mount on a swivel is the sickest, that's the best, most interesting footage I've seen not using fancy dolly's on wires etc. Come on, post up a pic of the setup  again, Schweet :thumbsup:


----------



## JeffSkisMontana (Sep 7, 2003)

*WoW!*

Can't believe I haven't seen this thread before......incredible! Thankyou.


----------



## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Two Alaska threads in one day that I am speechless about. Very cool. I have added a new place to my "To Visit" list.


----------



## 4MooreFitness (Aug 10, 2010)

Awesome! I just looked up Anchorage to Kodiak and is only 11 hours. Will definitely head to Kodiak when we get to Alaska


----------



## dm1333 (Jun 27, 2010)

The sick thing about this thread is that they are evidently having much clearer days in Kodiak than here in northern California. August 22, the first sunny day right on the coast this month. The last day it dawned sunny and stayed that way the whole time? July 3rd! Great thread!


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Thanks for all the kind feedback. 

Tires: my all-time favorites for Kodiak dirt are Nokian Dual or Core 2.3's run front and back. They are no longer made so I have started running Maxxis ADvantage 2.4's front and back (probably one of the biggest volume, light, and versatile tires I have used- love them), and have recently used a Geax Datura 2.2 in back. Serious knobs on that latter sucker.

I have posted some details on the mounts and techniques I use in this thread. Scroll down to post #26. Hope that helps.


----------



## bike_hiker (Feb 15, 2004)

Everything that has been said before. Amazing scenery, creative filming techniques and some great riding. Thanks for this awesome passion hit.:thumbsup:


----------



## ProjectDan35 (Jul 19, 2010)

This is by far, the best Passion post ever, best pictures, video's. Amazing. I want to move to Kodiak!


----------



## pcar964 (Apr 7, 2009)

ProjectDan35 said:


> This is by far, the best Passion post ever, best pictures, video's. Amazing. I want to move to Kodiak!


Agreed! Now looking to relocate to Kodiak


----------



## justonegear (Feb 16, 2008)

Always wondered what riding in Heaven would be like..... I can see it clearly now... thanks for the insight. Happy Trails


----------



## jammo (Oct 20, 2009)

I love the photos and how dedicated you are to riding!


----------



## turnerth (Aug 4, 2010)

Congrats on a blessed life! Nice to see people living the dream.


----------



## Bambi19 (Jul 29, 2010)

Fantastically enjoyable thread!

Thank you for sharing your part of the beautiful world with us...it is very much appreciated!


----------



## SWriverstone (Sep 3, 2009)

tscheezy---awesome pics, thanks for posting!

So...just out of curiousity...how many days are sunny on Kodiak Island? One would get the impression from your pics that it's sunny and glorious a majority of the time! Or are your pics just taken on the 2 sunny days each month?  

I ask partly because we all know (and have experienced) the...umm...frequent lack of sunshine along the Pacific Northwest coast...so wondering if Kodiak is far enough north to be clear of all that?

Scott

PS - I'm also looking to debunk my girlfriend who says "UGH---the weather up there sucks and would drive me crazy---THERE'S NO SUNSHINE! LOL (No, she's never been there.)


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

SWriverstone said:


> I'm also looking to debunk my girlfriend who says "UGH---the weather up there sucks and would drive me crazy---THERE'S NO SUNSHINE!


She's not entirely right, but not far off. We don't get many truly clear days here, and it's even rarer to get a couple in a row. It happens, but it's more the exception than the rule. We get about 65 inches of rain a year around town, it's frequently windy, and the reputation for bad weather is generally accurate and deserved. When it's nice, it's really nice, but we can get days or even weeks on end of crappy weather. I certainly would not move here for the sunshine.


----------



## pljam67 (Jun 3, 2010)

Awesome pics.
I love the one showing the bear tracks right next to the bike tracks.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

'Nuther one. BTW- if you ever want to watch these in HD, you can just click the Vimeo name in the lower right hand corner of the viewer.


----------



## CWPspeed3 (Aug 13, 2010)

very nice scenery like always and some awesome camera angles, i like the swivel head mount.


----------



## Szymon (Mar 12, 2007)

This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing! Looks like a nice town too.


----------



## humanpackmule (Aug 3, 2010)

You are my hero.

Pure awesomesauce.


----------



## dm1333 (Jun 27, 2010)

SWriverstone,

What area of the PacNW do you live in? I had the pleasure of living in Forks, WA for 4 years and Tillamook, OR for another 4. It sounds like Kodiak gets better weather than either of those places, which surprised me just a bit.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

New video. It shows our forest riding nicely. Enjoy.


----------



## Bambi19 (Jul 29, 2010)

tscheezy -

Thank you for sharing another great, wonderful, and fantastic, video!

Also, your choice of accompanying music for your videos follows the action well and gets the blood flowing. 
Would you mind sharing with us, the names of the artist and songs you've featured in your five videos? 

Thanks again for sharing!


----------



## Plummit (Jan 14, 2004)

Ditto on the music. Any time I see one of your vids posted, I'm sure the scenery and riding in Alaska will be beautiful, and I know it's probably worth turning on the speakers. A lot of home brewed vids elicit the opposite response. Love the rotating helmet cam btw. Imagine you can only use that on certain trails, but it really creates a very cool effect. Nice zipline footage as well.

Cheers!


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Glad you like them. 



Bambi19 said:


> Would you mind sharing with us, the names of the artist and songs you've featured in your five videos?



In post #152, the song is _Apartment Story_ by The National
In post #173, the song is _1901_ by Phoenix
In post #179, the song is _Free Stress Test_ by Professor Murder
In post #198, the song is _Fool Around_ by American Analog Set
In post #203, the song is _Remember_ by Lali Puna

Note that I tend to chop the the songs to suit my video needs and the originals may be a bit different.


----------



## slim2none (Jun 3, 2009)

*how'd you do it?*

The shot sequences in this video seem a little more advanced than in your previous videos. What new technique did you use to get what appears to be heli-shots of Barny riding? These seem to be way far out away from the main trail to be a helmet cam/gimble set up.

By the way, these are incredible..:thumbsup:


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

I have a spool of dacron halibut fishing line I can put up between trees easily to make a basic zip line, and the camera is mounted on a little shuttle made out of a chunk of plastic with a couple of pulleys on either end. The contraption is basic, but finding the right slope on the line to match the shuttle's speed to that of the rider takes a few tries.


----------



## Bambi19 (Jul 29, 2010)

Plummit said:


> Ditto on the music. Any time I see one of your vids posted, I'm sure the scenery and riding in Alaska will be beautiful, and I know it's probably worth turning on the speakers. A lot of home brewed vids elicit the opposite response. Love the rotating helmet cam btw. Imagine you can only use that on certain trails, but it really creates a very cool effect. Nice zipline footage as well.
> 
> Cheers!


+19


----------



## Bambi19 (Jul 29, 2010)

tscheezy said:


> Glad you like them.
> 
> 
> In post #152, the song is _Apartment Story_ by The National
> ...


Thanks for sharing! It is very much appreciated!


----------



## cachopo man (Dec 12, 2008)

Incredible thread. I´ll keep it in my favourites.


----------



## Mauko24 (May 25, 2010)

1901 is a great song. 
i love the camera angles you guys got in the vids, some of them look like cable cams :O?!?!
thanks for sharing the vids.


----------



## catal77 (Jul 12, 2009)

Wow very epic. I wish we had all those views here in houston.


----------



## tupton (Sep 13, 2010)

Great pics and videos thanks for sharing. I sure miss Alaska.


----------



## phxKokopelli (Aug 17, 2010)

beautiful


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

slim2none said:


> What new technique did you use to get what appears to be heli-shots of Barny riding?


Ok, here it is. The shuttle is a length of plastic that I simply bolted a RAM ball mount to, and on either end is a small pulley. I dremeled a slot in one side of each pulley so I could slip the shuttle on and off the fishing line. The line itself is a spool of 300 yards of 100 pound test dacron halibut line. I put a dowel through the spool secured on either side so it would spin on the dowel, and I put a small bolt through one flange so I could crank the spool and take the line up again quickly when I am done.




























The line has an eye in its end that I have put a basic metal snap on. A couple of feet up the line is another eye. This is so I can loop the end of the line around a tree or branch and put the snap through the second eye and secure the end of the line without having to tie a knot. A couple of feet further down the line I have a short length of bungie attached that has a plastic washer on its end. The washer does not fit through the pulleys, so as the shuttle runs along the line and then along the line AND bungie, the bungie stretches and acts as a soft stop. You can see it better in the video below. I spool the line out to another tree and give the line about 10 wraps around a branch. That seems to offer enough friction to hold the whole mess. Otherwise I tie a trucker's hitch and a sheet bend.

BTW, Barny suggested the music. Is she trying to tell me something?


----------



## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

Ingenious. And great clips, and beautiful trails as usual. Your vids never cease to amaze me. Both for quality, and the smile on your partners face despite how often she must have to stop for your takes 

Since you're in a sharing mood, care to show the helmet mounted propellerhead-like contraption you use to do the 360deg fly-arounds? Or have you explained among the string line stuff and I missed it?

BTW ... embrace your white nerdiness.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

nuclear_powered said:


> ...care to show the helmet mounted propellerhead-like contraption you use to do the 360deg fly-arounds? Or have you explained among the string line stuff and I missed it?


I did earlier, but here it is again. ----> *Linky*


----------



## pgFA (Sep 2, 2010)

Wow... :thumbsup:


----------



## ptfmb71 (Mar 22, 2004)

so nice....what do you do about the bears?


----------



## Space Robot (Sep 13, 2008)

Awesome. Very inspirational video, love your ingenuity with the camera mounts...


----------



## fourflys (May 19, 2010)

bump for awesome pics and video!


----------



## GoGoGordo (Jul 16, 2006)

tscheezy said:


> Ok, here it is. The shuttle is a length of plastic that I simply bolted a RAM ball mount to, and on either end is a small pulley. I dremeled a slot in one side of each pulley so I could slip the shuttle on and off the fishing line. The line itself is a spool of 300 yards of 100 pound test dacron halibut line. I put a dowel through the spool secured on either side so it would spin on the dowel, and I put a small bolt through one flange so I could crank the spool and take the line up again quickly when I am done.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


AWESOME!!
Beautiful place, awesome vid, great work.
I know setting up those shots and getting them right takes a lot a time.
Thanks for sharing your insiders secret with us, I can't wait to try it myself.
Stay safe


----------



## Funrover (Oct 4, 2006)

That was beautiful, awesome, and overall fantastic, thanks!


----------



## 1+1 (Dec 20, 2006)

I know this is a mtb forum, but is that snow good for skiing?


----------



## Dr Feelygood ! (Jun 16, 2006)

The camera tricks are great :thumbsup:

The 'Matrix' meets MTB


----------



## ratch (Jan 11, 2009)

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

1+1 said:


> is that snow good for skiing?


In general, no. We have a coastal climate here, so when it snows it is typically windy too. We get a lot of wind-blown drifts and sastrugi, rime ice, and generally poopy conditions. Something generally tends to mess up the conditions: good snow but flat light/fog, or sunshine but high winds. We do get a pretty thick snowpack up high though ("high" being a relative term living at sea level- I'm talking over 1,500'), so in the spring when it warms up we can have a lot of nice days of corn snow. And sometimes things do come together nicely as you can see in the vid below.

Even when it's crap in the mountains we can xc and skate ski down low. If it rains and then freezes, or if the snowpack is REALLY firm, we can skate ski all over the place and we go up the river valleys for miles. That is a ton of fun. When it's soft we xc ski, which we love too. The real issue tends to be lack of snow down low.

Anyway, here is a taste of Kodiak backcountry when all the pieces fall into place:


----------



## JimmyC (Dec 19, 2005)

Sweet video---nicely done!!!!


----------



## Stupendous Man (Jan 12, 2004)

YOU sir, are AWESOME!!

Love the videos...please keep them coming :thumbsup:


----------



## nate. (Oct 10, 2010)

awesome.


----------



## michaelnewman (Oct 28, 2010)

nice photos


----------



## fourflys (May 19, 2010)

man, every time I look at the pics for see the video I want to move back to Kodiak... but then I remember what's it's really like in February and the fact that Wal-Mart and Safeway were the biggest things there when I left in '02...


----------



## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

Awesome. Just ... awesome.


----------



## scottybinwv (Jun 29, 2010)

I hearby nominate this thread for Sticky Status!


----------



## JJWALKER (Oct 26, 2010)

Cujo said:


> Important things to do in bear country:
> 
> *Avoid startling bears
> *Wear jingle bells on your shoes so they hear you coming
> ...


lol a mountain griz will have berries in their droppings as well..in the fall mountain griz gorge on blueberries. I did a looot of bear hunting i Alaska.

one thing I can say, Id rather have a scuffle with a giant griz than a black bear. The Grizzley will kill you, the black bear will eat you alive.:thumbsup: to this post. Gorgeous shots of Kodiak, I miss that place a lot


----------



## Toomanybikes (Oct 16, 2004)

I love those camera rig ups.

Original thinking. Thank you.


----------



## GirchyGirchy (Dec 31, 2003)

Hey, I remember that avatar.

1) Gorgeous scenery
2) Very nice pictures
3) Great cinematography

I haven't enjoyed watching a mt bike video that much in a long time. I used to watch Pete's a bit but they weren't nearly this pretty.


----------



## Witherspoon (Nov 16, 2010)

Wow, nice. And the photoes are very beatiful!


----------



## chiva (Oct 13, 2010)

Awesome!!!!

Bears????? You must be really brave!!

Ever see Yogi or one of his buddies close up while riding??

Chiva


----------



## Toomanybikes (Oct 16, 2004)

I haven't been to Kodiak in a long time and your videos make me want to go back again - in Summer.

I keep watching the videos - learning. Great stuff.

Do you use more than 1 Go Pro??






PS You're making me think I need to get a MTB again.


----------



## kfb66 (Oct 27, 2010)

WOW, what great scenery ... and good to see riders out there enjoying their bikes all four seasons, in spite of weather! Looks like your having a blast in every photo ...


----------



## spoonylove (Nov 24, 2009)

Great video thanks for sharing


----------



## tonyride1 (Oct 5, 2005)

Awesome. Just awesome. Thanks so much for sharing. That's an interesting fork on the Snauxbike.


----------



## C. Alshus (Jun 29, 2004)

Beautiful scenery, colours, girl, Turners and trails. Nature in Alaska looks just like here.


----------



## stcn (Nov 19, 2010)

omg!

Very beautiful scenery
riding there, should be a very wonderful thing


----------



## Neily03 (Feb 27, 2010)

Simply awesome!


----------



## tonyride1 (Oct 5, 2005)

I also love the camera work on the videos. Very clever.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Thanks for all the very kind words. 

I reworked some material and put a bit more effort into the production value. This is a little faster paced. We have a local film festival in the spring as a fundraiser for a Kodiak trail advocacy organization so this is an ongoing project to edit something worthy together.


----------



## rpinata (Jan 29, 2009)

Tscheezy- Dude, you make me want to throw my GoPro hd into the trash. Fantastic skills with the camera (not too shabby on a bike and board either). I can tell the zipline shots but the 360 has me stumped.


----------



## Roc (May 9, 2006)

Thats the best post I've ever seen on MTBR. Stunning. Alaska looks amazing.


----------



## lappen (Dec 14, 2009)

Great videos as usual, but I especially liked the last one...great music  If I am not mistaken it is by Teddybears (former Teddybears STHLM) a Swedish rockband. :thumbsup:


----------



## ajd245246 (Sep 1, 2008)

One thing that definitely sets your videos apart from others are the great songs you put in them. I just read through this whole thread and must say you've got some pretty nifty devices for filming, i also liked how you showed how to make them!


----------



## Jrkimbrough (Sep 27, 2008)

after using a friend's go pro to film some of them doing logride last weekend, I must ask, how do you get your target in the sights correctly everytime? I really miss being able to see what the camera is recording.


----------



## radair (Dec 19, 2002)

rpinata said:


> Tscheezy- Dude, you make me want to throw my GoPro hd into the trash. Fantastic skills with the camera (not too shabby on a bike and board either). I can tell the zipline shots but the 360 has me stumped.


Read the whole thread, there's a total how-to in there. Cool stuff


----------



## chadmart (Nov 30, 2010)

Spectacular thread! I visited Alaska on a cruise and enjoyed it immensely. This makes me want to move! My wife wouldn't go for it though... hates the cold.

Your videos and photos are amazing!


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Yeah, winters can be tough. We are pretty far south in AK so our shortest day (only 2 weeks away!!) is a solid 6 hours of daylight. That's plenty to have fun on a day off, but if you have a job it can be a bit of challenge to do outdoorsy stuff during the week. If I were dictator for a day I would abolish daylight savings time, personally. I'd much rather have that hour in the afternoon than in the morning.



Jrkimbrough said:


> after using a friend's go pro to film some of them doing logride last weekend, I must ask, how do you get your target in the sights correctly everytime? I really miss being able to see what the camera is recording.


It takes practice. When it really matters (like for the spinny head shots) I have a little plastic guide in the shape of a wedge I use to judge the field of view angle to the edge of the frame. I err a bit on the side of inclusion and then crop in my video editing program. The GoPro has such a wide angle it's actually harder to eliminate what you don't want than to include what you do want.

Random recent shots:























































And one more...


----------



## Jrkimbrough (Sep 27, 2008)

that last picture is amazing!


----------



## Andy aka Rut (Jan 12, 2004)

Looks like some great photos of Old Woman and Pillar Mountain! Yeah baby!!!!! Its been years since I've been there, but the images will last forever! 
Thanks for sharing TCheezy!!!!


----------



## karlmichael (Mar 26, 2008)

WOW, those pic are great


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

A little riding at the base of the Chugach recently:


----------



## Mr Pink (Jun 10, 2004)

Great vid,looks real good fun on the fat bikes:thumbsup:


----------



## mm9 (Apr 22, 2008)

Enjoying the thread. Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing. From the other side of the US - Atlanta.


----------



## Mai (Feb 4, 2006)

God I miss Alaska


----------



## rushman3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Great Vid., I want to move back to Alaska. Saw people riding snow bikes last spring while in Anchorage and can't stop thinking about getting one.


----------



## rushman3 (Jan 24, 2009)

PS, what helment cam were you using?


----------



## roc865 (Jun 29, 2009)

amazing pics thanks for sharing. :thumbsup: i wish i had some of those trails and scenery in my neck of the woods. some day i'd like to visit alaska but only during the summer.


----------



## p nut (Apr 19, 2007)

Sick vid!


----------



## larlev (Feb 22, 2009)

You prob have been asked but.....Is there any openings counting fish?


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

File this under 'winter' 






I use GoPro cameras usually in the R4 setting (1280 x 960).

There are often jobs available with Fish and Game, but the positions are only open to state residents. Becoming a resident is not hard though. You just have to live here.


----------



## ajd245246 (Sep 1, 2008)

tscheezy said:


> File this under 'winter'
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Awesome video, brings a smile to my face as usual

If you don't mind me asking, what is the name of the song that you used? it is perfect for onboard camera videos :thumbsup:


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

The song is [a rather edited version of] Free Stress Test by Professor Murder. I wanted to shorten the original song and so I cut all the lyric sections out and so made it an instrumental.


----------



## bridger (Dec 7, 2010)

I was stationed there in the coast guard in the 90's. Have you ever ridden out to the Monashka Bay Inn? or the trails near Chiniak?


----------



## Ouchy The Clown (Jan 29, 2011)

tscheezy said:


> File this under 'winter'


Nice work Phillip.

Are you using a ND filter? I couldn't help but notice that you don't have any purple lines of death when the sensor points directly into the sun.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

bridger said:


> I was stationed there in the coast guard in the 90's. Have you ever ridden out to the Monashka Bay Inn? or the trails near Chiniak?


Do you mean the Kalsin Bay Inn? There 's nothing out in Monashka: the only thing past the dump is the VFW. We do also have road bikes and have ridden pretty much everything on- and off-road. They paved the Chiniak Highway out to Kalsin Pond, and the road past Pasagshak all the way to Narrow Cape is also paved now. It's quite nice. I wrote a biking guide to Kodiak a few years back and I know pretty much every inch of trail along the road system. 

No filters were used. I have always found that lens flare and the image sensor striping common to some digital cameras is extremely well controlled in the GoPro. I often have the sun in my shots and have never really noticed any artifacts. The Contour cameras are pretty bad, as is my Panasonic Lumix when I shoot video with that and the sun gets in the scene. But the GoPro does an amazing job even with the sun shining right into the lens. :thumbsup:


----------



## Ouchy The Clown (Jan 29, 2011)

tscheezy said:


> No filters were used. I have always found that lens flare and the image sensor striping common to some digital cameras is extremely well controlled in the GoPro. I often have the sun in my shots and have never really noticed any artifacts. . But the GoPro does an amazing job even with the sun shining right into the lens.


Hmmm...not the answer I was expecting. Looks like it's time to fab a lens hood and/or get a ND filter.

GoPro, today, one frame of many.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Yeah, I sometimes get the subtle purple circles from lens flare, but neither of my two GoPros have ever shown the vertical purple stripes from the sensor freaking out. This is about as bad as it ever gets:


----------



## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

^ I think the lens flare in that example makes it look pretty cool (cool as in good). 

Man ... I'd love to explore that island. It looks awesome. You should work for their tourism industry, if they have one.

0:58 - wind turbines in the background?

1:10 & 1:24 - Epic string-line shots there dude. Took me a while to notice one of you wasn't holding the cam before I remembered your technique. Superb, and both perfectly edited in with the music.


----------



## bridger (Dec 7, 2010)

tscheezy said:


> Do you mean the Kalsin Bay Inn? There 's nothing out in Monashka: the only thing past the dump is the VFW. We do also have road bikes and have ridden pretty much everything on- and off-road. They paved the Chiniak Highway out to Kalsin Pond, and the road past Pasagshak all the way to Narrow Cape is also paved now. It's quite nice. I wrote a biking guide to Kodiak a few years back and I know pretty much every inch of trail along the road system.
> WOW! a lot has changed. The Monashka Bay Inn is a four mile hike or bike at the eastern tip of the island (past the dump) . The trail starts where the road ends. You can see Afognak island from the cliffs near the shore. The "Inn" is just an old fishing cabin long abandoned.
> 
> No filters were used. I have always found that lens flare and the image sensor striping common to some digital cameras is extremely well controlled in the GoPro. I often have the sun in my shots and have never really noticed any artifacts. The Contour cameras are pretty bad, as is my Panasonic Lumix when I shoot video with that and the sun gets in the scene. But the GoPro does an amazing job even with the sun shining right into the lens. :thumbsup:


WOW! a lot has changed. The Monashka Bay Inn is a four mile hike or bike at the eastern tip of the island (past the dump) . The trail starts where the road ends. You can see Afognak island from the cliffs near the shore. The "Inn" is just an old fishing cabin long abandoned.


----------



## Unwritten (Oct 6, 2006)

tscheezy said:


> File this under 'winter'
> 
> There are often jobs available with Fish and Game, but the positions are only open to state residents. Becoming a resident is not hard though. You just have to live here.


Wow, I really enjoyed this video. Stunning camerawork in a beautiful environment. What a fantastic place!

I already liked this topic because of the great pictures on the first page, but it even got better now. :thumbsup:

- Maarten


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

bridger said:


> The "Inn" is just an old fishing cabin long abandoned.


Oh, gotcha, that _'Monashka Bay Inn'_. The old cabin out on Termination Point. The roof caved in a while back. It's pretty much falling down now but it was still in good shape when I moved to Kodiak 20 years ago.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

We've been getting some weather whiplash lately, but that's nothing new. Yesterday it rained so the crust is gone, and today we got some pow. Tomorrow it is supposed to get sunny but blow 50. _*Sigh*_ It was fun while it lasted...


----------



## jewels (Mar 17, 2004)

tschsy-i know you've heard it a hundred times, but I love your photos that you share. hope to ride there one day.


----------



## Neily03 (Feb 27, 2010)

This thread makes me sad....... I live on the wrong side of the planet! 

Stunning pics as usual!


----------



## Jorge Nogueira (Nov 21, 2008)

I was thinking that in the winter , the alaska´s mountain bikers remain at home , close to the fire place, but not they are outdoor , enjoying . I really liked , especially the snow biking videos, photos are also very beautiful , Alaska is an amazing place ,. Congratulations this the best post that i have seen here . Greetings from Brazil. http://canelasdeaco.blogspot.com :thumbsup:


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Well, at the risk of getting a tiny bit off topic, here is a slideshow of a hike I did across Kodiak Island last summer. Barny runs a commercial salmon fishing setnet site on the west side of the island in the summers, and in July I went out to visit. I have sea kayaked to get there, taken a float plane, travelled in a small skiff, and gone by tender (big boat). But I had never walked there before, and for varieties' sake, I thought "why not?"

So this is my four day hike across the island to reach Uganik Bay where she fishes:


----------



## Jeff in Bend (Jun 5, 2010)

tscheezy said:


> Well, at the risk of getting a tiny bit off topic, here is a slideshow of a hike I did across Kodiak Island last summer. Barny runs a commercial salmon fishing setnet site on the west side of the island in the summers, and in July I went out to visit. I have sea kayaked to get there, taken a float plane, travelled in a small skiff, and gone by tender (big boat). But I had never walked there before, and for varieties' sake, I thought "why not?"
> 
> So this is my four day hike across the island to reach Uganik Bay where she fishes:


Tscheezy,
I'm sure you heard this a million times but you're an awesome photographer, videographer, and editor. If you don't mind me asking; what do you do for a living? Do you do any mtb tour guideing? Keep sharing the beautiful place you live.

Jeff in Bend, OR


----------



## rlb81 (Aug 18, 2008)

Once again, amazing photography. Your work alone makes me want to visit Kodiak! I have so many questions about the hike video.

Are you hiking existing trails, or just traversing the terrain?
Are the bear encounters ever scary? (Do the mother bears ever seem threatened by your presence leaving you wondering if she is going to charge?)
How do you store your food overnight to avoid being raided by bears?
Do you carry any sort of protection? I'm not going to use the word...but personally I would probably want one.
Does the island need a GIS specialist and a nurse?


----------



## surftime (Nov 15, 2010)

great post,enjoyed the photos


----------



## Outsider (Jan 1, 2007)

Kodiak Island seems to be one of the most beautiful places on this planet, and Tscheezy's photos and videos are absolutely fantastic.


----------



## Tor-y-Foel (Nov 10, 2006)

Nice trip - thanks for posting that. So many great shots but I love the closing photo of day 3 - breathtaking


----------



## cbchess (Dec 20, 2003)

Wow this has got to be the best pictures and videos thread I've ever seen. Great work on everything and thank you!

Do you have a Sat phone in case you get in trouble in the back country when you are three days away from anything? I'd like to know about the bears as well.


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Work? I'm a fisheries research biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. I have the coolest job in the world.  Mtn bike guiding? I don't do any guiding _per se_, but I do show some folks around when it seems appropriate.

The trip across the island: the first mile of the hike was up a 4-wheeler trail. The other 59 miles were just cross country. There are some vague game trails to follow through the brush, but unless you are up high in the alpine the hiking is generally an endless alder thrash. I don't own a sat phone, but I carry a marine VHF radio (ubiquitous here) and a marine EPIRB (a Coast Guard "mommy, help?" unit). I ran into between 20 and 30 bears in those four days. I stopped trying to keep track of 'how many' hundreds of bears ago. Kodiak (and I am only talking about Kodiak here) is a pretty safe place to be around bears since it's a huge bruin welfare state with all the food they want readily available. They are wild and are generally not interested in hanging around humans. I carry pepper spray and have hosed a couple of bears down with the stuff for various reasons. It seems to work well. I don't know a single person in Kodiak who carries a gun for bear protection other than people specifically working in bear-infested areas along salmon streams, and even then it's not that common. It's usually the out-of-towners toting guns, to be honest. I've been woofed at, I've been charged, and I have been chased (on my bike, no less), but I'm still here. It's exciting to know bears are basically everywhere on this island and they definitely ad a certain _je ne sais quo_i to the experience. They are, after all, the largest land carnivore on earth, but they _*probably*_ don't want to hurt you.  I keep my food with me (in a dry bag in the tent or kayak) and don't take any particular precautions other than keeping a nice clean camp and camping up high if possible. They eat grass and salmon in the summer, or berries in the fall. Unless they are dump bears near villages (or generally wrong in the head), they aren't habituated to humans or our food and are happy to avoid us given the chance. The main exception is "dinner-bell bears" that hear gun shots and go to investigate to see if there is any game down they can claim. In general, coastal brown bears make me plenty wary and sometimes nervous, but I have lived and worked around them many years. I have traveled thousands of backcountry miles in coastal Alaska. They are here, and I would not want it any other way.

An entirely bear-free backpacking trip this fall:






And since this is a biking website:


----------



## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

Great explanation about the bears. I was wondering myself whether they gave you any grief in your 4 day trek given the photos.

RE: the fat-biking vid - I once saw a photo of my brother in northern Europe standing on a frozen lake. "How did you know it was safe?" I asked. His response: "I didn't believe my friend when he assured me, but a few moments after that a tractor drove behind me all the way across, so I kinda knew from that point." 

So, assuming that lake is out in the middle of nowhere - how do you know it's safe to ride on? I've always wondered since we don't get frozen lakes where I'm from. I'm sure I saw Bear Grylls explain it once, but it escapes me at the moment...

(Great vid by the way - snow biking looks like so much fun)


----------



## tonyride1 (Oct 5, 2005)

Sounds like you have to great job in a awesome location. Keep the pictures and videos coming.


----------



## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

Dude, yeah, some fantastic vids as usual :thumbsup: I do believe you missed your calling _(may not be too late)_ as a cinamatographer, you have/use some very creative filming and the editing is very well done and keeps it interesting. Still shots are fantastic too, but I think that's alittle like when you photograph a beautiful woman - hard to take bad pics  I'd so love to come up there for a month or 2 to photograph. Are you still using the P&S Canon for the stills or did you get somethig else?


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Thanks again for all the kind feedback. 

We just spent a weekend in Anchorage and got some rather nice day and night fatbiking in. There was also some Fur Rondy dog mushing races going on in the same areas that we were riding.






The Iditarod Trail Invitational (formerly known as the Iditabike) is going on right now, with 44 racers (on bike, or ski, or on foot) racing from Wasilla to either McGrath (350 miles) or Nome (1,100 miles). You can see the website here: http://www.alaskaultrasport.com/latest_news.html


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Sweet. Thanks for that tscheezy. Creative camera angles, perspectives and editing. Good lighting. Perfect song match for the mood....... just another really enjoyable video to watch like we've come to expect from you.

I notice the dogs don't appear to be your typical (stereo-typical?) sled dogs. What is the hot set up for sled dogs these days?


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

The sled dogs of yore were big, strong, and had stamina, but weren't fast. For modern sled dog racing, the 'Alaskan' Husky (basically a mutt) now incorporates any number of breeds mixed to offer whatever combination of traits the musher desires. The Yukon Quest site has a nice description of modern dogs. Note that non-racing, village work dogs may still be Malamutes or Siberian Huskies which are what folks normally picture when someone says "sled dog". A 60 pound dog racing in a long event like the Iditarod can consume 10,000 calories a day. Pretty amazing. The weirdest thing about seeing a team going full-bore down the trail is that it makes almost no noise at all. No loud panting, jangling, creaking... nothing.


----------



## tonyride1 (Oct 5, 2005)

Awesome video. I love it.


----------



## nodaksvt (May 16, 2010)

I just went through this entire thread and I am completely blow away by the beauty and serenity of Alaska. Amazing photos and amazing videos! :thumbsup:


----------



## ivounnerry (Feb 28, 2011)

wow.. i love to do that but i'm kinda scared i might fall. but i love the places.. especially the ones with the lake, i dont know if its really a lake.. haha..


----------



## maddrjeffe (Jun 25, 2011)

So the book you wrote...is that the Kodiak Island Moutain Biking guide? I just got a copy from Tim at 58 degrees north....

I just got to Kodiak and Im In the process of getting myself a Mukluk for riding around. Figured I should get out and about.


----------



## dimm0k (May 25, 2009)

As always, wonderful videos including the snowboarding ones! I'm definitely living in the wrong place!


----------



## tonyride1 (Oct 5, 2005)

I can't wait to see your summer pictures and videos. I bet the scenery is just awesome.


----------



## stephanmoll (Jun 16, 2011)

wow nice pics!!!


----------



## uzisuicide (May 22, 2009)

If you are looking for motivation of a year long riding, here it is!


----------



## clayman29 (Apr 7, 2011)

turnerth said:


> Congrats on a blessed life! Nice to see people living the dream.


Exactly what I was thinking... Absolutely amazing!


----------



## fireman1291 (Mar 10, 2007)

kickass scenery!


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

I apologize for not posting more recently, but I have been up to other stuff. Yes, there is more to Alaska than biking. 

I recently solo sea kayaked around the island north of Kodiak called Afognak. Six days, 210 miles, really beautiful trip.


----------



## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

tscheezy said:


> I apologize for not posting more recently, but I have been up to other stuff. Yes, there is more to Alaska than biking.
> 
> I recently solo sea kayaked around the island north of Kodiak called Afognak. Six days, 210 miles, really beautiful trip.


You gotta love a tour where Xtra tuffs are de rigeur.

Too bad you couldn't find any critters to ogle. Looked like some crap campsites too...

Great stuff.

MC


----------



## clayman29 (Apr 7, 2011)

Another great video! Thanks for sharing! All I can say is you must have a really cool garage with all of the things you do! Nice! :thumbsup:


----------



## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

Thanks again for a fantsic vid :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Would lov to spend a summer just wondering around places like that, camera in hand, camping under the night sky and drinking in all that beauty.


----------



## tommy (Jan 2, 2005)

Wow, tscheezy, so cool - what an amazing place. Really makes me want to visit. Thanks for all the great photos and videos.


----------



## cartterb (Oct 12, 2010)

Get me out of the city!


----------



## casey (Jan 12, 2004)

tscheezy said:


> I apologize for not posting more recently, but I have been up to other stuff. Yes, there is more to Alaska than biking.
> 
> I recently solo sea kayaked around the island north of Kodiak called Afognak. Six days, 210 miles, really beautiful trip.
> 
> Apology accepted but don't let it happen again. I need my regular "chezzy" fix. Nice work, as usual.


----------



## JimmyC (Dec 19, 2005)

Wow! wow! wow! Awesome!!


----------



## sluggo69 (Sep 14, 2009)

*amazing pics and video*

keep them coming please.


----------



## Guest (Jul 15, 2011)

Beautiful, video! I need to dust off my kayak and get out of this office.


----------



## clay_smith (Oct 25, 2008)

Some really nice pics. Thanks.


----------



## sings33 (Jul 17, 2011)

Awesome!! On the list to do


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

We had some fun, coastal Alaskan epic crust to play on over the weekend:


----------



## mike007 (Apr 29, 2009)

Beautiful everything!  I love nature and animals.

Thanks for the videos, excellent work!


----------



## tonyride1 (Oct 5, 2005)

Just awesome.


----------



## cachopo man (Dec 12, 2008)

tscheezy, plain awesome again !

I am reading a travel novel about alaska and I came across a paragraph about Kodiak island where they said first "visitors" there were spanish. I suddenly became kind of proud, and next image that came to my mind where the pictures of your first page trails over the shore....

Thanks for keeping us daydreaming at the other side of the atlantic.




EDIT: just to clarify my words :madman: :madman: (not that I´m proud of what some conquistadores did some centuries ago in some places, only that they discovered those beautiful places...) 

Please keep this thread going !!!


----------



## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha Tscheez, still enjoying your posts. Was wondering where all the cool pics and videos were.


----------



## rlb81 (Aug 18, 2008)

Awesome once again, thanks!


----------



## Guitarzan415 (Jan 4, 2004)

Phillip,

Great stuff! Next time you fly Alaska Airlines I hope I'm your Captain...You will be taken care of :thumbsup:


----------



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

I'll PM you my itinerary.


----------



## CrashTheDOG (Jan 4, 2004)

What?!? You have a car now? What's next? A kid? Love the videos Hope all is well. Say hi to A for me.


----------



## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Good stuff tscheezy. You guys make winter look fun.:thumbsup:


----------



## xls (Oct 22, 2004)

Awesome! It's so fun to watch you videos! :thumbsup:


----------



## PAmtbiker (Feb 2, 2005)

Dude, I hope you never become jaded about where you live, and the trails you get to ride. A good friend of mine lives in Alaska (Cordova... currently burried under approx. 20 ft of snow I guess), and one of my biggest regrets in my life thus far is that I did not visit him there before he moved to the lower 48.


----------



## donkeyrider (Jun 9, 2009)

Great video - thanks for sharing.


----------



## cachopo man (Dec 12, 2008)

Just remembered this thread and wanted to bump it up... I keep watching these videos from time to time... still great !


----------



## MSU Alum (Aug 8, 2009)

cachopo man said:


> Just remembered this thread and wanted to bump it up... I keep watching these videos from time to time... still great !


Glad you did.


----------



## tonyride1 (Oct 5, 2005)

Please keep adding more videos. I love them.


----------



## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Yes, always liked this post. Where is Tcheesy these days? Haven't heard from him in a while. He's always had such great posts.


----------



## consolidated (Jan 29, 2004)

smashing thread, glad it caught it this time around


----------



## Pat. (Aug 10, 2013)

Thanks for the kick indeed. The pictures from the Fatbike ride on the beach are
really epic! The planet is so beautifull. I hope to see more pictures from Tcheesy these days.


----------



## lappen (Dec 14, 2009)

I am waiting too 

Skickat från min GT-I9305N via Tapatalk


----------



## David R (Dec 21, 2007)

Very nice pics, and video. I'll add Alaska to the list of 'must visit' places, in summer at least...


----------



## Maroof (May 26, 2014)

loved the pics!


----------



## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

I'm bumping this up to ask if this guy is still riding MTBs and posting elsewhere. Miss his great pics and vids.


----------



## tonyride1 (Oct 5, 2005)

LyNx said:


> I'm bumping this up to ask if this guy is still riding MTBs and posting elsewhere. Miss his great pics and vids.


Agreed. I love the videos and pictures.


----------



## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

tonyride1 said:


> Agreed. I love the videos and pictures.


Very certain P and A are still out there adventuring.

Almost positive P just got tired of the asshattery around here and punted.


----------



## rpinata (Jan 29, 2009)

Too bad, their stoke really fueled me back then. They had it going on.


----------



## bmf032 (Sep 8, 2010)

Same here. This is the kind of passion that got me hooked on mtbr. Now I'm like a junkie searching in vain for that first high.


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

It was still summer last weekend. Unfortunately it started raining yesterday afternoon.


----------



## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Getting to be that 3rd season here in Alaska (from last weekend)


----------



## AndSoItIs (Apr 22, 2016)

Thank you so much for sharing. What beautiful land!


----------



## taco (Dec 30, 2003)

Wow! Great post and pictures. All I can say is, wow!


----------



## murtaxa (Oct 30, 2016)

I wish I had views like that. Closest thing to me is smokey mountains about 10 hours away


----------



## Bhamss (Dec 23, 2014)

just stumbled upon this thread from way back in '09. What great pics. shame none of his vids loaded in my browser for some reason but thanks for the amazing doc on riding in Kodiak.


----------



## camp10 (Mar 2, 2015)

I'm new here and just found this awesome thread. I can't load any of the vids either. :sad:


----------

