Huck N’Roll Hits Brian Head, UT
A couple weeks ago I went down to Brian Head to do a few days of shuttle laps with the Huck n’ roll team of photographers. The trip was incredible! We had an all time caste including Jenn Berg, Re Wikstrom, Tommy Chandler, Grant Gunderson. We arrived around 2pm and quickly set up camp just out side of the Cedar Breaks National Monument. Within the hour we were all loaded with our bikes into our two vehicles ready to set up the first shuttle of the trip, to hit Dark Hollow.
We hit the trail and immediately I knew this was going to be an epic few days!! The trail was flowy and fast with some techy parts mixed in as well. After shooting tons of photographs and hiking bikes back up sections multiple times, before we knew it we had been out there for about 4 and a half hours just on the one trail and our hopes of squeezing a second lap in was a bit ambitious so we did what any good freeride team does, we started drinking beers as we headed back up to camp to make a fire and prep for a tasty dinner of shrimp fajitas. Yummy!!!
That night we kicked it around the campfire discussing the game plan for the next day. We would hit Bunker Creek and then hit up BlowHard. With great anticipation I crawled into my tent. Around 6:30am my eyes popped open as the realization of where I was cut through my dreamy mind. I jumped out of my tent and was welcomed into the day by watching the peach sky gently waking up The Cedar Break formation as well as the rays of the sun silhouetting the Peak at Brian Head. It was an invigorating way to start the day.
As the rest of the crew rolled out of their tents the scent of backcountry coffee and breakfast simmered out of camp. With full tummies and amped bodies we hit Bunker Creek. It was a fun trail with a few pedally sections, but we got some great shots. As we reached the shuttle truck the clouds started moving in and with further discussion we decided that Blow hard was a ride best left for tomorrow and that Pizzono’s, the local pizzeria, was our most intended destination. We ate more pizza then our exhausted bodies could or should probably be tolerant and then it was off to bed.
The next morning we woke, had some oatmeal, and then it was off to Blowhard. It’s a magnificent trail with the first few miles riding along the Breaks. Stunning views and a few exposed areas to really let you know you were riding in southern Utah. Again, hiking back up and taking multiple shots made for an extra long decent and by the tme we reached the shuttle Jen and Tommy had to start their journey back to Sal Lake City. Re, Grant and myself were more opened and decided to hit Dark Hollow again, without cameras. Despite an interesting flat tire, we made it down in relatively good time.
My goal for hitting Dark Hollow again was to hit this area of red rock spires and shale that I had scoped on our first day. I had decided on the trip that i wanted to start getting into Big Mountain Freeriding and this spot looked like the perfect way to kick it off. It was a little under 500ft. of vertical. So I rode ahead and started the long hike-a bike ascent. If you have never hiked a big DH bike up a lose scree field, I strongly suggest it. Nothing is more character building then trying to keep your footing while maneuvering a 45+ pound bike up a sharp rocky field. At any rate it took about an hour and a half and a few sketch falls to make it to the top. As I put on my knee-shin guards, my elbow pads and my full face my heart rate began to spike. “What was I doing up on this scree field?” With no trails and just a crazy lose descent in front of me. “What was I thinking?” Then I began to look at it through my skier eyes, suddenly it did not look so steep and my line became clear. I yelled down to Re, who was shooting from the bottom “Dropping” Next thing I knew I was surfing the shale, feeling confident, while at the same time realizing that my previous concern of cutting myself up on the shale if I skidded out was the least of my worries. Now my focus turned to the fact that I was mocking down this slope and if anything went wrong I would be tomahawking at skier speed down a rock field. Yeah… a spine and neck guard will be my next Huck ‘n Roll purchase! At any rate, miraculously, I made it down. With more adrenaline then I have ever felt before in my life, I threw down my bike and started jumping around in complete elated disbelief. I did it! My first Freeride line. Success!!!
With that accomplishment under my belt we cruised down to the truck, had celebratory beers and made the journey home.
I can not thank the crew at Huck n’ roll enough for inviting me on this adventure!!
