# Thank you, Utah!



## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

We rode for 10 day in Utah recently, and since Jaybo has been registered here since forever but still doesn't know how to take or post a decent pic, I thought I'd fill in. 

We stopped off in St George recently and did a lap on the Barrels with Bob the Wheelbuilder. We also did a Hurricane Rim, Gould's Rim, JEM loop that I uncharacteristically didn't take any pics of.




























Then we did some other stuff like hiking in Grand Gulch, and then worked our way up to Moab. We started on Amasa Back:



















After the Potash Overlook, we headed out to Rockstacker:










...and down Rockstacker we went:










I hate Jackson's Singletrack, personally, so we popped back up onto the main trail after Rockstacker and swung over to Minesweeper. The view just before dropping into the box canyon wash:










The wash bottom is sandy but rideable:










The portage is ahead now:










Up and out of the canyon we scramble. It will be nearly continuous climbing now the entire time until we start the mining road descent to Kane Creek:










You gain a rock shelf, pedal for a hundred yards...










...then up another rock shelf...










...pedal some more...



















...and then climb some more, over and over.



















Nearly into the hanging valley now:





































You break out into a sage flat that looks like the bottom of Jackson's Hole, but it's way above Hurrah Pass. Pretty weird.










Still going uphill:










Finally on top and looking down on Hurrah Pass:










Starting the old mining road descent to Kane Creek:



















You can just smell the uranium:










Almost down to Kane Creek now:










Just a road spin back to the Amasa Back parking lot now:










The next day we did Tusher:

(It looks better if you watch it in 480p)


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Then we zipped up to Fruita and did a few rides. We met up with Mikesee and he showed us around his backyard:






















































































































Photo by Mike C.:










Photo by Mike C.:










Photo by Mike C.:










Photo by Mike C.:










Photos by Mike C., gif compiled by me:










Next we drove west and spent the night in Tropic. It snowed a dusting overnight and so we decided to ride Thunder Mountain to see what that looked like with a layer of white. The main loop from Coyote Hollow was still too snowy from the winter pack, so we just rode up the trail "backwards" from the bottom of Red Canyon. This worked fine until we hit sticky mud up near the top. We left the bikes and walked the last little bit to White Point. Enjoy.

Again, 480p is a bit nicer, though HD on my 17" MacBook Pro is better yet. 






And some pics:























































We then headed west towards St George again and toodled through Zion. Here are some sheep in Zion NP:



















We met up with Bob again and did a day on Gooseberry:


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

And finally we wrapped it up with a very pleasant lap around Rockville Bench (aka Slickrock Swamp). Truly a classic ride at the gates of Zion. Enjoy. :thumbsup:



















Again, 480p is your friend. (Edit: I think I fixed the audio artifacts)


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## crisillo (Jul 3, 2004)

wow..... thanks for the pics and sweet videos, tscheezy!

awesome stuff!


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## ThreeD (Feb 7, 2008)

Great, Thank You.


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## Mtnz2Sea (Dec 13, 2004)

*A beautiful morning*

It's been raining and cold here in Jersey,...but Man,...did you make it a Beautiful Morning. I really appreciate your pictures and the effort you took to post them. I miss Utah,..easy to remember way,..thanks again.


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## TX_Shifter (Aug 14, 2007)

*Amazing pictures & Utah is sweet!! Thanks 4 sharing. *


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## Stupendous Man (Jan 12, 2004)

Out-friggin-standing!!!

Utah is definitely at the top of the bucket list.
Thank you, Utah, and thank you tscheezy!


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## Bula (Sep 20, 2004)

Stunning. I'm in awe of the scenery and the riding.


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## beagledadi (Jul 18, 2004)

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: 

Matt


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## jollybeggar (Feb 2, 2004)

Best MTB photo thread ever!


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## olijay (Feb 19, 2009)

tscheezy said:


>


That is pretty amazing technical skill right there, that blew me away more than the landscapes to be honest!


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## zazen (Sep 15, 2005)

jollybeggar said:


> Best MTB photo thread ever!


+1. Amazing photos, landscape and rides. What camera setup do you have? I am looking in the near future to pluck down some dough. Those are some of the most crisp colorful shots I have seen to date.


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## El Salt (Oct 18, 2004)

Great images! Love that Thunder Mtn. stuff with the snow! Gotta get back out that way again soon. THANK YOU BIG TIME for the stoke.


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## bquinn (Mar 12, 2007)

great use of alternate video angles :thumbsup:


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## bingemtbr (Apr 1, 2004)

2 thumbs UP!


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

Another great tscheezy thread:thumbsup: Looks like you guys had a good trip to the desert. Thanks for the outstanding pics and vids


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Thanks for the kind words, folks. 

Edit:



zazen said:


> What camera setup do you have?


All the stills are done with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 except the Mike C credited ones, which he shot with a D-SLR. The vids with a GoPro HD.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

THANKS! Awesome ride pics and video, now I've got one more place on my list to visit.


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## Znarf (Nov 12, 2005)

Fantastic pics and videos!

Where those Fruita pics also taken with the ZS3? That pocket cam seems to have great resolution and colors. (although it seems to be used by a really competent photographer, great composition!)

Greetings Znarf


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## Pittzer (Apr 30, 2009)

olijay said:


> That is pretty amazing technical skill right there, that blew me away more than the landscapes to be honest!


+1!

Did you make it up? :thumbsup:


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## IndecentExposure (Sep 25, 2006)

That was fun


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## Lawson Raider (Jul 24, 2006)

tscheezy, those pics are very beautiful!! And I must give you a huge thumbsies up for the riding skills you got! Amazing!!


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## MrMountainHop (Oct 20, 2005)

Wow, awesome. That Amasa to Mining Road expedition was epic!


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## Monte (Dec 20, 2003)

nice, thanks for the pics.


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## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

Awesome pics and vids tscheezy. These and your Kodiac Island offerings really make it difficult to decide the places to go when I eventually road trip my way through your fine states.

I am baffled, however, by some of your vid camera angles and techniques. Have you got some kinda extension pole sitting above your helmet to get those 3rd person shoot-em-up types angles? And if so, is it just a fluke that you get the riders in the centre of the panning shots, or have you got some kinda weird periscope vision going on? Same for the panning shots down low near the front axle, where you then ride on and follow after the pan? Or is that just you turning your fork/wheel to follow as they pass? Either way, I'm impressed - period.


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

For the "helicopter," or skimming-the-ground shots, I mount the camera on an extension. It's either a stick a pick up along the trail, or if I have planned ahead I use a telescoping ski pole. Obviously this requires riding one-handed, so you only get the weird angles when the trail is pretty smooth or on climbs. Aiming the camera is a bit general, but with a 170 degree field of view, it's hard to miss. The panning-then-following behind shots are done using the technique mentioned above while stationary, and then following the riders either on foot for a short distance, or on my bike. You need a cooperative riding partner since all this requires regular stops and moving the camera around on the bike, but my wife tends to humor me.


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## yoda2 (Nov 3, 2006)

great pics thanks


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## sxotty (Nov 4, 2005)

That is some awesome video work. It really stuck out as being better than normal.


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## Prexus2005 (Mar 18, 2005)

Seriously amazing photos and the videos are VERY well done! wow!

Thanks for sharing! :thumbsup:


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## Dawgprimo (Mar 7, 2004)

Awesome pictures/video/write-up as usual TS.

Looks like you got lucky with the weather as it seemed sort of dry (except for the mud) for the rides with all the clouds around.


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## Colonel Flagg (Jan 7, 2006)

You sir, are an arteeest!


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## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

tscheezy said:


> You need a cooperative riding partner since all this requires regular stops and moving the camera around on the bike, but my wife tends to humor me.


I thought there might be a fair bit of stopping & starting  I guess multiple takes are a regular part of the movie making process.

Thanks for sharing your filming tips, and for sharing your trip in general.


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## Frozenspokes (May 26, 2004)

I need to get to Utah! Thanks for the passion hit.


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## gomer hardtale (Jul 2, 2008)

wow! great pics and videos!


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## brianc (Jan 13, 2004)

Beautiful! thanks for sharing.


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## Duey (May 13, 2009)

Thanks


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Sweet!


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## Wishful Tomcat (Mar 6, 2009)

Thanks, Thanks, Thanks!!!


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## Dragos (Apr 13, 2009)

Awesome pics! Thanks


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## cobi (Apr 29, 2008)

Excellent work! The multiple camera angles and editing really make the videos fun to watch. Just makes me realize how bad mine suck!


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## JRUSHE (Oct 25, 2004)

Encore! :thumbsup:


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## JEM2 (Feb 25, 2010)

I think you wife has better skills then most of the people I ride with (including me)here on the east coast!! 

My wife just said to me:
wife: "what are you watching?" 
me:"a video of MTBing in Utah" 
her: "thats nice, we can go there and visit my sister (St. George)then you can go ride those trails....."
me: "thump..(fell off the couch)"
wife: "are you ok? whats wrong? you dont want to go?"
me: "I love you honey..."

So I will be in STG in July!!
JEM


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

St G in July? Oh, dude, that's gonna be HOT! :eekster: Literally. If there is any way to postpone your trip until very late September or early October, you will be a lot happier. July and August would be just brutal across southern Utah.


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## JEM2 (Feb 25, 2010)

tscheezy said:


> St G in July? Oh, dude, that's gonna be HOT! :eekster: Literally. If there is any way to postpone your trip until very late September or early October, you will be a lot happier. July and August would be just brutal across southern Utah.


Yeah I know!! but my wifes nephew is getting married in San Diego on the 7th (which I will be hitting some trials their too:thumbsup: )and then we are heading to STG on the 11th... Ill have to ride really early to beat at least some of the heat!! I did live in Scottsdale for 9 years so I know all about the heat and going from A/C to A/C... 
gotta take what the boss gives  
JEM


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## pspwesty (Feb 27, 2006)

A classic passion post. Thank you


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## mealsonwheels (Mar 6, 2004)

Wow, you just raised the bar for trip reports!


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## Jaybo (Mar 5, 2008)

*Hmm*

You missed Zen? Say it ain't so! No pics needed to put everyone to sleep


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

Bravo!!


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## Lawson Raider (Jul 24, 2006)

nuclear_powered said:


> I thought there might be a fair bit of stopping & starting  I guess multiple takes are a regular part of the movie making process.
> 
> Thanks for sharing your filming tips, and for sharing your trip in general.


Making MTB videos does take alot of time especially if you do alot of external shots because you have to setup, get the shot, then tear down. repeat for each shot.

Not only that, you have to develop a sense for what makes a great shot and that takes time and practice.

Making the videos is addictive... Crap, I seem to cannot go riding without taking my cameras along.


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## Orkje (May 3, 2006)

Utterly amazing scenery, photos, videos and riding. I love it!


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

It must be amazing having such grand places in your proverbial backyards.

You are very fortunate ... and we are fortunate that you are such fine image makers.

Warren.


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## Frozenspokes (May 26, 2004)

The video links are broken for me. Sounds like I'm missing out.


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## cort (Mar 29, 2004)

Well done sir!


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Frozenspokes said:


> The video links are broken for me. Sounds like I'm missing out.


I have no idea what your issue could stem from since the vids are embedded in this post, but here is a direct link to the Slickrock Swamp vid. See if that helps.


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## Ebo (Dec 30, 2003)

Great "passion" thread. Many thanks...


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## Silver_Slug (May 10, 2005)

Nice job on the video. Along with what others have said, I enjoyed the way you transitioned footage with specific spots in the music....very difficult to do with the editor I use...

Great passion hit. Thunder Mountain looks to be an entirely different trail with snow on it...although I really enjoy riding it when it's dry and fast...

-SS


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## davemk (Jan 20, 2009)

Amazing.....the scenery.......the pic quality......the video production.......and the tech riding skills from both you and your wife. I am in awe!

Thanks!


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## toadwaker (May 17, 2009)

Wow, this makes me happy and jealous. Great pics and videos.


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## insanitylevel9 (Sep 23, 2009)

cool pics


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## stover (Jul 30, 2007)

Nice video and photos tscheesy. I really need to take another trip out to Moab and Fruita.


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## theGreenEGg (Mar 1, 2010)

I have been waiting for two days to look at this post....flikr and youtube are blocked at my work and I have been expecting something great from all these replies and when I could finally look at this from home I was not disappointed...great pictures and awesome videos...I love Thunder Mountain and can't wait to go back now...Thanks for sharing those!


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## Frozenspokes (May 26, 2004)

tscheezy said:


> I have no idea what your issue could stem from since the vids are embedded in this post, but here is a direct link to the Slickrock Swamp vid. See if that helps.


Thanks:thumbsup:


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## GreenBonty (Feb 11, 2004)

wow, thanks for the great shots and vids.
10 day of Utah rinding, realy inspiring!


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## Kram Rebbibnav (Apr 2, 2010)

Stunning!!!! Absolutely! Thanks for the share. MY GF and I are just getting into MTB and pics like this are very inspiring to get out and train. 
Regards!!


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## superotto80 (Jun 3, 2008)

Amazing, thank you very much for sharing!!


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Some folks have asked for an HD version, so I put Slickrock Swamp on Vimeo to see if it looked better than Youtube. I do think it looks better on Vimeo, but it's still not as smooth and crisp as the original on my computer. Not surprising, I guess.

Follow the link, make sure the HD is enabled, and watch it full screen.

Link----> Slickrock Swamp on Vimeo


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

tscheezy said:


> ... it's still not as smooth and crisp as the original...


If any of you guys have FireFox and want do D/L a streaming video (youtube, vimeo etc.) to play from your HD instead of the internet connection - (HQ streaming vids sometimes get choppy), 
Get the add-on: DownloadHelper. It works seamlessly.


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## cruso414 (Aug 19, 2004)

simply incredible pics and video. I think this is the hottest mountain biking photo I have ever seen.


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## DavidR1 (Jul 7, 2008)

Awesome pics!! Really makes one want to get out there.


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## cruso414 (Aug 19, 2004)

what song is that in the thunder mountain video? thanks


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

The song is "Monaco" by Jamie Long.


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## Pittzer (Apr 30, 2009)

Hit the weights much over the winter?
:thumbsup:


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## Dose (Apr 19, 2009)

I just have to throw this out there...............F#@(ing fantastic videos.


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## Jaybo (Mar 5, 2008)

*Oh, man...*

I am getting so excited watching that video I want to quit my job and just move to Utah. It has rained here so much lately I want to scream! I need some heat, rock, sagebrush, cactus, Mormons, and slick rock.


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## AllenW (Apr 24, 2010)

Any chance you would make a thread on creating videos? They are amazing! Maybe some tips on what equipment you use and getting good shots? I think your videos deserve a thread of their own.


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## xlr8rbmx (Feb 14, 2006)

Wicked awesome pics


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## mikerod87 (Apr 22, 2009)

Great Stuff......

Thanks for sharing!!!!! AWESOME.


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## bajamtnbkr (Mar 23, 2005)

Thank you for "taking us along" on your rides, that was amazing!!


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

AllenW said:


> Any chance you would make a thread on creating videos? Maybe some tips on what equipment you use and getting good shots?


This is what I posted on the video forum:

It's all done with one GoPro HD, and I stop periodically to move it around. I have a GoPro seatpost/handlebar mount for some of the seatpost shots. I have a GoPro Chesty that I added a fiberglass rod to so that the mount would not bounce so much. The rod is zip-tied to the plastic plate in front and then it goes up the left shoulder strap and is attached there too. The dumb design aspect to the Chesty is that it does little to stop the plastic plate from tilting up and down on your chest when going over bumps. The rod stops a lot of this movement. For the odd angles on the bike I use a RAM clamp mount. You can get some ideas in this thread. I use a GoPro tripod adapter, and put it on a RAM camera head.

For the "helicopter" or skimming-the-ground shots I mount the camera on an extension. It's either a stick a pick up along the trail, or if I have planned ahead I use a telescoping ski pole. Obviously this requires you to hand-hold the camera and ride one-handed, so you only get the weird angles when the trail is pretty smooth or on climbs. Aiming the camera is a bit general, but with a 170 degree field of view, it's hard to miss. The panning-then-following behind shots are done using the technique mentioned above while stationary, and then following the riders either on foot for a short distance, or on my bike. You need a cooperative riding partner since all this requires regular stops and moving the camera around on the bike. Some of the stability is inherent in using a sort of boom with an inertial mass on the end, and the rest of the smooth movement comes from Apple's iMovie '09 built in stabilization feature. It tends to soften the focus a bit, but the stabilizing results can be impressive.

The main thing is to keep any clip to between 4 and 6 seconds. Even if you only flip between 2 or 3 views, alternate between them with short clips. Make SHORT videos too. Practice. Play around. Take pity on your audience. Put scene and clip transitions at beats or beat changes in the music.

I don't know what else to say. I don't have any training or real experience at this. I have only made about a dozen short videos so far.


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## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

Hey Philip, absolutely frikin fantastic stuff, thanks so much for posting and making everyone jealous   Really nicely edited and super creative on the camera work :thumbsup:
Any way to download tha video to add to the HDD collection for appropriate ride inspiration?


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## bgraves28 (Feb 1, 2008)

jollybeggar said:


> Best MTB photo thread ever!


AGREED! That pic of the field of purple flowers took my breath away!


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## buddhak (Jan 26, 2006)

This post goes to 11


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## Jaybo (Mar 5, 2008)

*Did you ride Grafton Mesa*

This trail is absolutely gnarly! The last mile or so is exposed with gnarly baby head sized rocks littering the trail. It is kind of hard to follow up top without a guide but a fun trail.


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

LyNx said:


> Any way to download tha video to add to the HDD collection for appropriate ride inspiration?


When I look at the Vimeo page I recently posted the vid to, on the lower right hand side of the page under "About this video" it says "Download this video." Try that. You may need to set up a Vimeo account, though I'm not sure who is allowed to download.


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## bogey (Dec 5, 2004)

Great stuff, thanks for sharing.


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## hotfeat1227 (May 15, 2007)

Awesome vids! do you think you could upload em to vimeo or something so we can drink the HD koolaid?


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## rlb81 (Aug 18, 2008)

Awesome pictures, awesome video and Kings kick ass


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

rlb81 said:


> Kings kick ass


:yesnod:


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## mtb 4ever (Jun 14, 2008)

I have just spent about a half hour showing my wife and kids this thread. We are very impressed with the photos and video. Thanks very much for the time and effort you and your friends put in.

I am very sad about the July temps. in Utah. We have three weeks in Colorado and were planning on Fruita and Moab for one of those weeks. Is this 98 degree average very humid or is it dry heat. Should we just stay away from Moab? PS we would be camping and have kids who mtb.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

Hey tscheezy
how'd ya meet barny?
did she ride before you met?
You are a lucky man :thumbsup: I am jealous


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

hotfeat1227 said:


> Awesome vids! do you think you could upload em to vimeo or something so we can drink the HD koolaid?


Ok.

Tusher Canyon ---> 



Thunder Mountain ---> 



Slickrock Swamp ---> 






mtb 4ever said:


> I am very sad about the July temps. in Utah. We have three weeks in Colorado and were planning on Fruita and Moab for one of those weeks. Is this 98 degree average very humid or is it dry heat. Should we just stay away from Moab? PS we would be camping and have kids who mtb.


You could ride early in the morning, but you probably want to be off the trail by 11 am. Carry lots of water and sunscreen, know the route, and be willing to cut the ride short if necessary. It is a very dry heat and if you are acclimated you may do fine, though a family lost their daughter to heatstroke at the bottom of Porcupine rim while mountain biking a few years ago. It was an accident and they did most things right, but bad stuff can happen to good and even prepared people.



highdelll said:


> how'd ya meet barny?
> did she ride before you met?


Kodiak is a small town and we bumped into each other while out running a few times. We started doing outdoorsy stuff together, and it went from there. She never really rode before. She loves it though, and has acquired some impressive skills.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Apr 21, 2010)

If this were posted on forums.roadbikereview.com, there’d be at least twenty (20!!!) posts along the lines of, “OMFG dude your lady is freakin’ hot!!! Is she single?!?!?!”

No, seriously, it is pretty freakin’ rad-do that your ladyfriend is hardcore into mountain biking. My wife is really in the wrong industry (biotech) for outdoorsy sorts of sports enthusiasm. I’ve been to Saint George once (back in 1995 for a job interview) and wow it seriously looks more developed than when I was there. I went to Bryce Canyon in 2000 and that Red Canyon you speak of looks strikingly similar.

No, but seriously, be glad you have a dedicated ladyfriend who is enthusiastic about riding bikes. My wife will go like four miles and claim she’s out of steam, even though we do about 12 (twelve) miniscule miles together each week on flat level ground at almost a snail’s pace.   :madmax: :eekster:


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

she's hardcore for sure


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## Jaybo (Mar 5, 2008)

*A couple shots*

I was riding solo most of the time except for pooch on a few of the trails. First pic is Zen Trail (my favorite St. George ride) and the other one is the Goose--at the point. It was 80 or above for most of the week  Awesome trip. We are considering a condo purchase in the area.


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## BlackCanoeDog (Jul 26, 2003)

Great post! I especially enjoyed the Thunder Mountain Snow video. Of all the places that we see represented here on mtbreview, Thunder Mountain more than any other is the one that always grabs me. I hope I am fortunate enough to visit and ride there some day :thumbsup:


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## Trail Cruzer (Nov 11, 2008)

Nice, thanks for the pics and vids.


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## kosayno (Sep 7, 2006)

Love how you kept changing the camera angles in the videos. Keep watching em over and over agan.:thumbsup:


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## machx (Apr 30, 2010)

BEAUTIFUL pics. I'm new to mountain biking, but some of those technical shots are extremely impressive in addition to the impressive vistas.


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## bradmtb (Mar 16, 2006)

Incredible post! Great video and photos. My wife and I returned last night from 6 days in Moab and Fruita, and we shot some great photos and tons of video with the GoPro HD.
Your post has inspired me. I'll have to get to work in order to post anything close in quality. It's also going to be tough heading out to Briones this week for a ride after Utah and Colorado.


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## hotfeat1227 (May 15, 2007)

Hey Thanks!


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## Scotty JP (Apr 24, 2010)

I live in Utah and this thread is getting me super stoked. Great vids and pics.


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## bradmtb (Mar 16, 2006)

tscheezy, you set the bar pretty high with your incredible post. My wife and I returned from 6 days in Moab & Fruita on Monday. I took a ton of HD video and pics, but I've spent hours just learning how to edit the video. All your cool use of editing, changing mounts and use of sticks?, etc. have given me some great ideas for future mtb videos...


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

This one needed a bump.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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## jay_paradox (Oct 21, 2020)

Some pics from my ride today at the Canyons in Park City.

















































Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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