This, That, and More
Best Day Brewing Discount for Everyone
Twenty plus years ago, Patagonia had a line of mountain biking clothes. I bought it and still have it/wear it. Then they moved away from mountain biking. A few years back, mountain biking apparel was back at Patagonia. I bought some of it and have been quite pleased with how it “performs,” though, admittedly, some of the taped seams on 2 pairs of the shorts came undone and I was left thinking: wtf? I sent ‘em back and they repaired them and sent them back to me. All good.
What’s the point? Patagonia has a good amount of mountain biking writings/articles on their website. Two that I read recently are very well done. You might check them out:
The Pisgah Paradox — https://www.patagonia.com/stories/the-pisgah-paradox/story-115753.html
The Writing on the Wall — https://www.patagonia.com/stories/the-writing-on-the-wall-2/story-114744.html
While I’m at it, the NYTimes has a fun piece on 65 year old and legally blind, “Sister Shred” — https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/sports/colorado-ski-bike-kris-nordberg.html
I recently spent a few days on assignment out in that wondrous space between the pines and the palms, from Ribbonwood to Palm Desert. Sunshine, blue skies, cool to warm temps, distant snowy peaks, and my first sighting while on trail of desert big horn sheep was nothing but soulifying. The experience will be in print in a few months. Recommendation: Art Smith Trail for some true adventure riding.
Switching gears … I’m not an influencer. Social media is not something I do. Nevertheless, people find their way to my writer’s website and to this Substack newsletter. They send an email and I sometimes am curious, following up with an email response. I did that with Best Day Brewing, a new non-alcoholic beer company out of the Bay Area, in Northern California. Making no promises to founder/owner/also “regular” beer drinker, Tate Huffard, after a Zoom call, 2 six-packs were sitting on my front porch when I got home from teaching classes.
I don’t drink “near beer.” However, when I learned that Best Day is a member of 1% For the Planet, and because it showed up at my doorstep, I decided to give it a go. Why not taste it?
I cracked open the West Coast IPA. Honestly, I was taken aback. The hops that were squeezed into the can and the balanced flavors had my brain thinking I was drinking an alcoholic beer. To have a little fun with it, the big juicy citrus nose had me walking along memory lane to the Guelaguetza festival down Oaxaca way, all that fruit dancing around on my tongue in a joyous cacophony of sunshine and smiley-faced energy. Yes, indeed, I plan to have Best Day in my fridge and cooler.
When I get around to the Kolsch, I’ll give it another honest review. Good news for you — Tate and Best Day Brewing has offered free shipping to MTBeer subscribers. I’ll get the promo code sent out in an email to you for March discounts and promos. In the meantime, here’s their website link: https://bestdaybrewing.com/
Switching gears again … The new issue of Mountain Flyer Magazine will hit newsstands in the coming weeks. I have a feature article in it. From the email that went to their listserv:
Issue No. 72 … in which we look at how mountain biking has always been a bit of a counter-culture affair. We start by exploring two famous mountain bike destinations and their relationship to the ancient peoples who came before rubber was a thing. First, James Murren goes on a journey across Southwestern Utah’s Ancient Lands on a quest to discover hidden carvings in the stone. “From the Anasazi to the mountain bikers, this story never ends,” he says. Next, Ryan Salm travels to Guatemala, where a food poisoning episode shapes the trip of a lifetime. He toughs it out, exploring trails and spending nights in local cabanas and host homes in a region that’s still, to this day, defined by its richness of Mayan traditions.
Next month, we’ll have a Q&A with Mountain Flyer editor, Mike Cushionbury. Note: above photo courtesy of Mountain Flyer. Support independent publishing.
That’ll do it for this round of updates/musings …
Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend. Get out there and ride!
James