Numbers & Pixels of 2011

I picked up a GPS unit, Garmin 705, back in October 2010 with the idea of loading tracks onto it when I was in unfamiliar territory. Little did I know that I'd get all geeked out on the stats & tracks of my recorded rides. It seemed to mean a bit more with the visualization of the aerial image of what was just ridden along with the elevation profile. So it began. I started tracking every ride I went on, didn't matter how long or short, new or old, easy or difficult, I'd track everyone and see what I could do over an entire year. I threw out what I thought were some modest goals for 2011, 1200 miles & 100,00 vertical feet. I was on pace through the first 3 months, perhaps a bit over, then April rolled around and I managed a 203 mile month. I began to think, you know, I can make 2000 miles & 200,000 feet this year!! Let's go for it! 2011 closed up shop yesterday and I brought down the house with a fantastic finish out at Picketpost, truly one of my favorite places to ride.

My final tally for 2011 was:
122 Rides
2,128.17 miles
235,440 ft
146,721 Calories burned
405:08:07 (hh:mm:ss) time riding

Hit mile 2000 at the popular DC water tank.

I'm really excited to have accomplished the mileage & climbing goals. Only 2 short years ago I could not have dreamed of doing even a quarter of that. I have my family & friends to thank for the motivation a company while out on the trail.

Here are some of my favorite images from this past year, not all of them are bike related!!

Re-discovered the trails out in Gold Canyon

Getting 'lost' under the 3-bridges during the Jamboree 

Suffering through my first Quadruple Bypass & breaking my finger (on video, 4:33 mark)

Re-discovering South Mountain

Zipping up to Deer Valley, UT for a day on the slopes

Riding through Antelope Canyon on the BCT for the first time.

Going back to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve for the first time in over 12 years

The Ripsey segment of the AZT, I couldn't settle on just one image, here's a few:

Seron on the Florence-Kelvin Hwy.

The Big Hill

Ripsey ridgeline.

Best ridgeline in AZ!!

Sequence shot fun, Seron on the roll.

Crasanda on the alt-line.

James doing the Man Drop!!

AES Prescott Monstercross, 13 1/2 hours, last 2 under the lights!!

Finding treats in the desert.

Riding solo to the end-of-trail at Picketpost in May.

Almost finding the end-of-the-line on the same ride!!

AES - Flagstaff to Sedona

Desert Tortoise spotted on Hawes

Grey Fox on the Lost Goldmine Trail

High above the Florence-Kelvin Hwy

Spotting the elusive Shaka cactus.

More exploring around Pima / Dynamite.

Summer night rides.

Getting away from the heat to Mt. Elden in Flagstaff

2011 - The summer of the Haboob in Phoenix

The final space shuttle mission, Atlantis.

Day trip to St. Augustine

Sitting in Charlotte's airport for 9 hours trying to get home

AZT - Blue Ridge Passage

AZT - Blue Ridge / Fred Haught Trail buried in ferns

First jaunt up to Tom's Thumb on a warm August morning.

Went to San Francisco for the annual street food festival...yum!

Riding alongside Whiskers the super trail dog!

There were many Hike-a-bikes (HAB) in 2011, this was one of my most painful.

Mountain bikers unite.

Rode the newly completed San Francisco Peaks passage of the AZT

Made a run south of the border to Puerto Vallarta.

Entered & finished my first sanctioned mtb race

Back home in PA for a friend's wedding, couldn't have asked for better weather.

While in PA I was able to borrow a carbon 29er, didn't want to give it back!

Enjoyed a day by the Lehigh River in Jim Thorpe, PA

This may look like PA, but it's Mt. Lemmon in Tucson, AZ

Still Mt. Lemmon, same ride...the Lemmon Drop!

Went back to Mt. Lemmon a week later for a hike through Marshall Gulch

Chris and I did some exploring on the AZT near Kelvin

My first taste of riding a singlespeed 29er, the AES BCT 50 miler

Happened to be near home when this rolled through Queen Creek, the last steam locomotive

Another AES event, Kentucky Camp 46

My solo Thanksgiving ride of the Flight of the Pigs route.

Picketpost Group ride

AES McDowell 46 brought out future Olympian Krista Park

It also brought a chollaball into my hand....

Attended the 1st annual Turkey Ranch ride

More fun on the not-so popular west end trails of South Mountain

Did some more hiking exploring around Kelvin

Our scouting / exploring led to this through ride from Picketpost to Kelvin

Seron and I enjoyed many long outings in 2011

Great bunch of guys to finish of 2011

Is there a better way to end the year? No.

Here's to a grand 2012.