Rest Stop, CO

(Look closely. See two people with skis on their backs? Back country!) I grew up skiing a ton. A good winter had me on snow, 50-60 days per year, which is fairly impressive since the nearest ski hill was a solid 2 hour drive and I was steeped deep in hockey. I never raced, besides in the illustrious NASTAR program where I was ranked 2nd in the country as an 8 year old in some super ambiguous ranking system that holds zero clout. But skiing was my life.Backtrack to last week. From a timing standpoint, the week in Asheville was very relaxed. I ripped down from NH in two days and then had all the time in the world to host rides, hang out at the SRAM/Zipp tents, the Cannondale race tent, heckle a little bit, and basically just embrace the cyclocross culture. It was a super week of catching up with friends from the area and seeing lots of industry connections.Literally within 60 seconds of Jeremy taking the win in the elite men's race, I was in my car racing towards the Rocky Mountain high of Colorado. I once did a report on Colorado in 3rd grade because I loved Colorado and skiing and the altitude and the enormity of the Rockies. It fails to disappoint. Plus I learned that Colorado is the Centennial State -- not because it's the hundredth state but it was established on our fair nation's hundredth year of existence, 1876. Now you know.I drove the subsequent 27 hours with a few gas stops, 2 hours of sleep in the fifteen degree weather of Missouri, jogged a few times, and saw more of America from January 10-11 than most people see in a lifetime. Nor need to see; there's lots of flat nothingness west of Kansas City.And why did I do that? For this!I'm ten years removed from skiing. That almost hurts to say. So to rip some runs with my dear friend Timmy in literally in his back yard of Nederland was old-meets-new. I defined myself as a skier back in my pre-cycling days, my pre-knowing Timmy days, and now we're shredding gnar (wind blown 9,000 foot exposure) as if we've done it our whole lives together. It was heavenly.Plus I brought maple syrup to the party.What's the best way to blow off the rust from a decade avoiding snow? Rip three groomers... then venture into the back country.Nope Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.Best yet, now we can put these rides on social media. No Strava in my previous skiing lifetime.58'ish hours of Colorado are zipping by. But so good.Okay, last time I'll say it. Attention Boulder, CO. We're doing a super fun, as competitive or social as you want to make it ride tomorrow. (I'll be erring on social). Meet at Yellowbelly Chicken at 9:30am where there's coffee and be ready to roll at 10. We'll bang out a few hours and then return to YB for lunch. I promise, there will be UnTapped so clearly you don't want to miss it. Come for the ride, stay for the camaraderie. Or for the maple or the chicken or whatever it is you're really after, because I think you'll find it.