The Doldrums of Summer in Lake Tahoe | E42
In the midst of record-breaking heat, out of control wildfires, brazen bears and dry, dusty blown-out trails, the boys catch up on a grab bag of topics including Pow Bot’s harrowing adventure sailboat racing on Lake Tahoe, Trail Whisperer’s week of trail work spent in the Toiyabe Range with no cell service, a recap of the Downieville Classic, whether you should buy an SL-style ebike or a “full power” ebike, Trail Whisperer’s new bike day and whether or not he likes “mullet” style mountain bikes, the modern world of social media and how to break away from the stranglehold of Meta, the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris with lame mountain bike courses and the greatest surfing wave ever, Pow Bot’s recent rediscovery of hiking and his relationship with the same mountain from summer to winter and Trail Whisperer’s struggle to stay amped on riding his mountain bike through the hottest and dustiest part of the summer. The boys also do some listener shout-outs and play the first 888 COR LORD call-in voicemails from listeners.
Avalanches and the Frog Lake Huts | E30
Fresh off a return from a two-night ski adventure at the Frog Lake Huts, right before PowBot’s departure for Japan, the boys do a catch up, recapping the of the most dangerous periods of avalanche conditions ever in the Sierra Nevada. The boys discuss the unfortunate inbounds fatality on KT-22 opening day at Palisades Tahoe and PowBot recounts the only time he’s ever been fully buried in an avalanche – inbounds at Sugar Bowl – and a second recovery he was involved in immediately after being unburied by a partner. The boys also chat about the inherent dangers of skiing inbounds on a storm day, terrain management, proper recovery gear, the dangers of group think and the expert halo, the risks of traveling in the backcountry and methods employed to stay safe even on considerable and high avalanche danger days, and why PowBot thinks avalanche education and safety is better in Canada and Europe than the U.S. The last third of the show recaps the boys’ trip to the Frog Lake Huts (where Mind the Track was born a year ago) and successfully negotiating avalanche terrain in dangerous conditions en route. They also discuss why there are so many no-shows at Frog Lake despite sold-out reservation status.
On Mentorship, Hunting and Exploring the Toiyabe | Marco Osborne | E16
As one of America’s top-ranking Enduro World Cup racers, @marcoOsborne92 has always put his focus on adventure and having a good time, as evidenced by his #senditrandy moniker. But when Marco was sidelined off the bike for 18 months with nerve issues after a serious bike wreck, his desire to be in the woods led him to discover the challenge and thrill of archery and rifle hunting. In Episode 16 @pow_bot and @trail_whisperer dive into Marco’s youth, how the mentorship of @mark_weir_mtb got Marco into bike racing and how hunting helped Marco stay active with a positive mindset despite not being able to ride his bike, let alone race. We open the first 30 minutes of the 90-minute chat with Marco about our recent adventure riding the Toiyabe Crest Trail in central Nevada.
Summer Arrives in Lake Tahoe | E13
Recorded right after the Summer solstice, @pow_bot and @trail_whisperer catch up mano y mano for the first time since episode 1. Tom and Kurt cover a cornucopia of topics including a recap the best Spring ever in Lake Tahoe, riding electric dirt bikes in South Lake Tahoe, volcanic eruptions and their effect on weather, Kurt’s new job with the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, the Toiyabe Crest Trail in central Nevada, Palisades Tahoe charging for parking, worker shortages and their effect on business in Truckee, ebike to ski missions in the eastern Sierra, getting caught out in severe thunderstorms, quickly melting out snow levels in Tahoe and the return of the Downieville Classic.