Mind the Track

Recorded just as the biggest snowstorm of the winter wallops Lake Tahoe with up to 10 feet of snow, the boys chat with Nick Bliss of Bliss Wilderness and avalanche forecaster at the Bridgeport Avalanche Center. At just under 2 hours, this is the longest Mind the Track episode to date, but the discussion covers a lot of topics from snow safety, snowpack and avalanches to the dangers of following social media to find big ski lines, the responsibility professional winter sports athletes have when posting their adventures, apps like OnX Backcountry and Cody Townsend’s The Fifty episode about Split Couloir.  The boys discuss the recent inbounds avalanche on KT-22 at Palisades Tahoe, the dangerous early season snowpack and what this big incoming storm will do to that snowpack. We also dive into Nick’s escape from living in Lake Tahoe, moving down near Sonora Junction and the challenges of off-grid living. Whether you swallow this episode whole or listen to it in a few different sittings, Nick shares a lot of knowledge about snow science and being smart about traveling safely in the backcountry.  Consider donating at bridgeportavalanchecenter.org and follow BAC’s forecasts at @bridgeportavalanchecenter.  2:00 – Miracle March comes in like a lion. 10 feet of snow in 72 hours!8:30 – Swan John and Trail Whisperer road trip to Idaho to ski Grand Targhee and Sun Valley.12:15 – PowBot returns to Frog Lake Huts and rode with Jason Smith of Blackbird Guides.17:00 – SnoopPowDogg Snow Sizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report21:00 – Introducing Nick Bliss of Bliss Wilderness23:00 – Nick’s work as avalanche forecaster for the Bridgeport Avalanche Center, teaching the Marine Corps Mountain Training Warfare Center in Pickel Meadows near Sonora Pass.24:50 – Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area – 7,000 acres of snowmobile motorized access.26:30 – Being more mindful of each other at trailheads, better snow etiquette. 28:00 – The concept of ethos, gatekeeping, maintaining the culture of a sport and putting in the time to be more experienced. 32:00 – Nick’s dog Owen and skiing in the backcountry with a dog. 34:30 – The problem of putting ski lines on social media with no context for danger.36:00 – OnX Backcountry putting dangerous ski lines in the Eastern Sierra on their app.38:00 – The difference between a guide book and an app on a phone.40:45 – Cody Townsend, The Fifty project and the Split Couloir episode.53:45 – Transitioning from living in Lake Tahoe to moving south to Sonora Junction and living off-grid.1:05:30 – Hantavirus and the brain-eating amoeba in hot springs – dangers of frontier life. 1:10:45 – The Bridgeport Avalanche Center (bridgeportavalanchecenter.org) – one of the four avalanche centers in California.1:18:00 – The process of writing an avalanche forecast.1:23:45 – January 2024 – the persistent weak layer and dangerous snowpack in the Sierra Nevada.1:25:30 – The importance of snow water equivalent (SWE) in the snowpack and lack of snow load.1:27:40 – The Palisades Tahoe avalanche on KT-22, the details around it and riding inbounds with your shovel, probe and beacon.1:37:50 – The unionization of Palisades Tahoe Ski Patrol, and the life of a ski patroller.1:41:00 – The incoming storm and the dangers of 10 feet of new snow in 72 hours, cornice failure danger and PowBot’s story of falling off a cornice.1:48:30 – The concept of storms coming in right side up versus upside down, atmospheric rivers and the pineapple express.1:54:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?1:56:45 - @bridgeportavalanchecenter @blisswilderness and blisswilderness.com – donate at bridgeportavalanchecenter.org

After a three week adventure overseas, JaPowBot makes his return from Japan just as winter turns back on in Lake Tahoe. The boys discuss Tom’s trip as well as a potpourri of shenanigans that happened in Tahoe while he was gone, including shootings at Palisades Tahoe and Homewood, grant theft and assault at Boreal and a woman getting stranded overnight in the Heavenly gondola. Trail Whisperer rants about UnofficialNetworks and their false AI generated news headlines, PowBot calls out Palisades Tahoe for complaining about work on their blog, presidential candidates make campaign promises for the votes of Tahoe core lords, Snoop Pow Dogg gives his Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report and Arapahoe Basin loses its identity and goes corporate after being bought out by Alterra/IKON Pass.  1:45 – POWBOT Returns from Japan with the Hakuba Hack.4:30 – Winter finally shows up in Tahoe. 6:45 – Riding Sonora Pass and Leavitt Lake in the Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area with Nick Bliss. @bridgeportavalanchecenter9:20 – Backcountry skiing in Japan – filling out forms to get permits for the Japanese Alps.11:45 – Shout Outs to listeners, Incline Spirits and Cigars, Bestfit Boots and Start Haus Truckee, Josh at Boot Solutions in Hakuba.25:45 – Eating weird Asian foods.29:00 – While Tom was gone….presidential campaigning in Reno/Tahoe region. Thanks Chad Peters - @takeoffyourpnts on Insta. 32:30 – Woman gets stranded overnight on Heavenly gondola, shooting at Squaw Village, shooting near Homewood at a restaurant, grand theft and assault at Boreal. 35:30 – Kurt’s ASS Rant for the Week – UnofficialNetworks using AI to write news headlines.38:45 – Palisades Tahoe Blog and the complaining they love to do about their jobs. 40:20 – The Headwall chairlift debacle – Scott Gaffney writes an Ode to Headwall poem.44:30 – Arapahoe Basin in Colorado gets purchased by Alterra/Ikon Pass.51:30 – Snoop Pow Dogg’s Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiific Snow Report54:00 – We are definitely in an El Nino winter – no snow in the Pacific NW and Montana56:00 – Gettin’ older and feelin’ older. Coping with injury and getting older. Do more cross training. Throttle back. Stretch more. 1:02:15 – Recap of PowBot’s trip to Hakuba, Japan. Happo-One.1:14:00 – Trail Whisperer and Swan John’s upcoming road trip to Idaho and Wyoming.1:20:30 – Sharing information about avalanches and Avalanche Canada’s new avalanche reporting system built by the government for the public to use and share.

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. 2:00 – PowBot and Trail Whisperer fresh off a hut trip to Frog Lake. Lots going on with the snowpack in Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada.5:15 – Trail Whisperer featured on PBS Reno Wild Nevada show, an episode about the Toiyabe Crest Trail project. For interested volunteers, reach out to us with a DM or message.9:00 – Unstable snowpack and a dangerous avalanche cycle in the Sierra Nevada including a fatality inbounds at Palisades Tahoe on KT-22. 11:45 – What are snow facets and why do they make for dangerous avalanche conditions?15:30 – PowBot’s full burial inbounds avalanche story from Sugar Bowl 26:00 – The safety culture of ski resorts with open boundaries featuring sidecountry and backcountry access. 28:00 – The difference between RECCO and an avalanche beacon. 31:00 – Being aware and cautious when skiing inbounds on a storm day and ski with a partner.35:00 – Terrain management is the number one consideration when skiing in the backcountry. 38:00 – Where are things at currently with the snowpack? Has it stabilized?39:45 – The Snoop Pow Dogg Snow Sizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report41:15 – PowBot going to Hakuba, Japan to slash Japow for the first time ever.42:20 – Conjecture around the inbounds fatality at Palisades Tahoe. 46:45 – The Loveland Pass avalanche and the topic of people not reporting avalanches.48:45 – Information sharing system in Canada regarding snowpack and avalanche activity.49:50 – New York Times feature by John Branch – “Snow Fail – The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”50:30 – Jeremy Jones video about an avalanche burial on the north face of Castle Peak.51:30 – It’s really hard to die in the backcountry mountain biking. It’s really easy to die in the backcountry skiing. 55:00 – Recap on the Frog Lake Huts trip and traveling in considerable avalanche conditions.1:11:00 – The difference between riding a singletrack and a cutting in a skintrack. 1:14:00 – The high no-show rate at the Frog Lake Huts and PowBot’s rant about guides booking out the huts in advance, and Truckee Donner Land Trust opening reservations to more than two nights.1:25:00 – Where do you carry your avalanche beacon, probe and shovel?1:32:00 – The dangers of group think and the expert halo.1:34:00 – PowBot getting fired up for his trip to Japan.

Welcoming in 2024 with a bang, as soon as the New Year hit, winter finally arrived in Lake Tahoe with multiple cold storms dropping a couple feet of blower pow. PowBot and Trail Whisperer go into Season 2 of Mind the Track talking on a variety of topics including riding the South Yuba River Trail, the history of Malakoff Diggins and what tree blazes are, skiing pow on Mount Shasta for New Years, attempting to Nordic ski at Mount Rose on Christmas, the importance of keeping all your printed maps, CDs and DVDs in an increasingly unstable digital world, the sketchy state of the snowpack in North America and Snoop Pow Dogg’s Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report. Trail Whisperer goes off on two ASS (Angry Singlespeeder) rants about ebike haters and the looming chaos that Artificial Intelligence will bring to our lives, and he also shares an embarrassing and hilarious story of the time he pooped his pants while skiing at Heavenly. A question for listeners: what’s your preferred episode length – An hour or less or 90 minutes plus? Let us know! 3:00 – PowBot goes to Shasta for a mission. Trail Whisperer and Swan John go Nordic skiing on Old Mount Rose Highway.6:00 – Super busy winter holiday in Lake Tahoe and Truckee. Gong show at Sugar Bowl and Palisades Tahoe. 11:15 – Riding the South Yuba River Trail, Missouri Bar and Malakoff Diggins. 13:30 – The history of Malakoff Diggins hydraulic mining and the Sawyer act, the first environmental legislation ever passed in America in 1884.19:00 – Angry Singlespeeder Rant #1 – Snide remarks about ebikes on the South Yuba River Trail. 25:00 – Tree blazes and the history of trail blazing and trail markings. 28:00 – John and Jim Morrison’s slide show presentation at Alpenglow Winter Series. 31:30 – Snoop Pow Dogg Mind Z Track Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report33:30 – The difficulty in forecasting the weather during an El Nino season and massive coastal surf in California. 39:00 – Old James Niehues ski resort maps and the importance of a physical product, not a digital product. Keeping your CDs, DVDs and hand drawn maps when technology melts down.44:00 – Angry Singlespeeder Rant #2 – Technology has dominated and taken over our lives and the scary proliferation of AI and ChatGPT. 57:00 – PowBot’s Mount Shasta backcountry skiing mission recap.1:05:00 – Does PowBot wear a butt pad at the ski resort? 1:07:00 – Have you ever peed or crapped your pants while skiing?1:16:30 – The sketchy state of the snowpack in North America in early 2024.1:21:00 – Brett “Kowboy” Kobernick – giving his opinion of how dangerous the snowpack is.1:25:00 – Let us know how long of an episode you like. 60 minutes or less or 1.5 hours?1:26:00 – Listener shout outs - Katie Pesce.

We first interviewed @notjakemann in Episode 11 right before he embarked on a two-month bikepacking journey from Truckee to Bellingham, Washington. In Episode 28, the boys catch up with Jake and hear all the good times, scary times, wet times and confusing times he had, including harrowing encounters with skunks and toothless rednecks, abundant cats, and friendly folks happy to accommodate a stinky mountain biker who raised nearly $8,000 for World Bicycle Relief, funding nearly 50 bikes for people in third world countries. The boys also give some listener shout outs, reflect on the first season of Mind the Track, chat about more bear encounters in Sierra County, Reno’s shrinking homeless population, Truckee’s increasing cost of living woes, more Hunga Tonga theories and Snoop Dogg’s Snow Sizzle My Dizzle Powderrific Snow Report. 3:00 – Introducing the return of Jake Mann after his summer-long bike adventure.6:30 – Listener shout outs.11:00 – News – Bear attacks man in Calpine, California and bears at Heavenly.13:00 – Snoop Dog Snow Sizzle My Dizzle Powderrific Snow Report.16:55 – Thousands of dead fish off the shore of Japan – Hunga Tonga?20:30 – Reno, Nevada has among the lowest homeless rate in America.23:20 – Avant Werks, Audi repair in Truckee shut down because they can’t find employees.26:00 – Winter Solstice – Vivaldi Winter Movement – Looking back on 202329:45 – The bicycle adventures of Jake Mann riding from Truckee to Port Townsend, WA, he raised almost $8,000 for nearly 50 bikes for people in third world countries.33:00 – Riding the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest and the Cascades National Forest.38:00 – Riding through tons of snow in Lassen National Park.41:00 – Riding the Bizz Johnson trail in Susanville, CA.43:20 – Riding through Klamath Falls, Oregon. Allegedly really good mountain biking.45:30 – Jake Mann gets attacked by skunks.47:45 – Jake’s favorite food for a long bike ride – cheese.51:00 – Jake Mann considered moving to Bellingham, but ended up staying in Truckee because of a promotion at his employer, New Moon Natural Foods.58:15 – Warm Showers – a host program for bike touring. 1:00:30 – Pro Tip: Wearing a head net to keep the face flies at bay.1:03:00 – Jake Mann is handed a joint in Randle, Washington after riding Dark Meadow Trail.1:07:30 – Rode into Leavenworth, Washington, stayed in Wenatchee.1:10:00 – Riding the Olympic Peninsula.1:14:00 – Jake Mann almost freezes to death in a rain snow storm near Bend on the Oregon Timber Trail. 1:18:30 – The Whispering Pines story. 1:24:00 – Olympic Peninsula – Jake’s favorite place on the trip. 1:25:00 – What’s next for Jake Mann? Great Britain Divide and the Trans Am Tour.1:28:00 – Wrapping up 2023 and taking Mind the Track into 2024 with thoughts of POW.

After a radical Thanksgiving on two wheels, the boys escape to Downieville to sample some late fall hero dirt on the ebikes and catch up on a variety of topics including the struggles of trying to survive in rural California amidst draconian laws and policies designed for big cities, the outlawing of gas-powered everything in California and the problems with electric battery powered replacements, living with constant power outages, the unregulated bear population that’s been wreaking havoc in peoples’ homes and in their cars, abandoned vehicles deep in the forest, the meaning of “Make Downieville Gold Again” and the much anticipated reopening of The Lure Resort, now known as The Yubaverse. Snoop Dogg weighs in with his Snow Sizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report, shout outs to listeners and a PowBot photo makes Jerry of the Day. Also, go see PowBot present about Canadian Hut Life at Donner Creek Brewing in Truckee on Wednesday December 6. 2:00 – Riding ebikes aka the Rumspringa in Downieville. 4:00 – Make Downieville Gold Again – the meaning behind the hat.7:00 – Recorded on site at The Yubaverse, formerly the The Lure Resort where Kurt used to part own and work at. 13:00 – Shout outs – Adam Mahomed, Forest, Todd Birtch and Andreas. Thanks for listening!16:30 – Snoop Dogg’s Snow Sizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report 19:30 – We might not be getting snow, but it’s the best Fall ever for mountain biking. 20:30 – PowBot presents at Donner Creek Brewing – Canadian Hut Life Photo Essay 22:00 – Fall mountain biking in Downieville on Second Divide, Third Divide, Halls Ranch, Fiddle Creek and Brown Bear Mine trail. 24:01 – PowBot rides Annadel Park with Duncan Meyers and Scot Nicol after going surfing with Storm Glover.28:30 – Undersea water temperatures are super warm. Hunga Tonga 29:30 – California banning the sale of all gas powered lawn and garden equipment, and no more two stroke dirt bikes.32:00 – Trying to survive living in rural California with draconian restrictions and laws.39:00 – Woman died in her house in Downieville, and a bear smelled the body and ate her.40:00 – All about bears breaking into cars and houses and their overpopulation in Lake Tahoe area and Sierra County. 50:00 – A Ford F250 gets stuck in the bottom of Rattlesnake Canyon above Downieville and bears eat the interior out of the truck. 53:30 – PowBot’s photo of a tipped over 4runner at Mount Rose makes Jerry of the Day. 59:30 – Thanksgiving talk

If you’ve ever watched Josh Daiek’s POV ski footage, you’ve probably been more gripped staring at your phone than he is straight-lining a couloir at Mach Chicken. So when Josh and his filmmaking adventure partner Hazen Woolson set out to make a new ski film for their sponsor Salomon, they wanted to do something different and unexpected to blow peoples’ minds. Mountain State and Mountain State 2.0 were the result; two films exploring the rugged and seldom skied wilds of Nevada and the Great Basin, the latter of which recently took home “Best Backcountry Segment” from the IF3 Film Festival. In Episode 26, the boys sit down with Josh and Hazen at Gear Lab in South Lake Tahoe to chat all about the making of the films, from the highs of scoring in last year’s record-breaking winter to the lows of getting skunked the two previous winters and Josh’s terrifying skirt with certain peril skiing the East Humboldt Range. Also, Pow Bot introduces Mind the Track’s newest correspondent, the one and only Snoop Dogg with his Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report. 2:00 – PowBot finds the fresh pow on Mount Rose backcountry, first turns of the season.5:00 – Snoop Dogg Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report.7:45 – Introducing Josh Daiek and Hazen Woolson – Mountain State and Mountain State 2.010:00 – Mountain State 2.0 wins IF3 Film Festival for “Best Backcountry Segment” 15:00 – The genesis of creating the Mountain State film and skiing in Nevada.17:00 – Remote triggering avalanches in Arc Dome Wilderness of the Toiyabe range. 18:00 – Not going to the Ruby Mountains because everybody knows the Rubys.20:00 – How Hazen and Josh met up with each other. 25:00 – Losing a GoPro on a ski line and trying to find it in the summer. A week of lost footage!27:00 – The importance of snow machines and snowmobiles.32:40 – Crashing and getting hurt far from any help way out in the Great Basin. 41:30 – Josh growing up in Rochester Hills, Michigan and skiing Boyne Highlands as a kid.45:00 – Moving to Lake Tahoe, skiing at Kirkwood and meeting Craig Garbiel. 50:00 – PowBot is an ordained minister, the Pastor of Pow, is officiating weddings now. 52:00 – Mountain State 2.0 – Redemption and great conditions all winter. 55:00 – Dealing with federal agencies and getting permits to film. 1:02:30 – Hazen’s upbringing, growing up in New Hampshire, skiing and filming.1:05:00 – Skiing the Sand Mountain sand dune out east of Fallon, Nevada. 1:08:45 – Middlegate Bar – a must stop. 1:12:45 – Going to Belmont, Nevada after skiing the Toquima Range and Mount Jefferson.1:15:00 – Great Basin National Park stood out as the most impressive zone for skiing.1:18:00 – Riding sleds and skiing in Jarbidge, Nevada. It’s Jar BIDGE not Jar BRIDGE.1:26:00 – Hazen crashes into Josh at 30 mph on snowmobiles.1:29:30 – Google Earth is the most valuable resource for figuring out new ski zones.1:36:00 – Not following a guide book and making your own adventure. 1:38:00 – What’s on tap for winter 2023/24?1:41:45 – What does Mind the Track mean to you? 1:43:00 – Follow @joshdaiek @hazenfilms and @trevski123 on Instagram

When it comes to skiing, there may be no other person in the Lake Tahoe region with more influence than Bryan Allegretto, known to many powder hounds as “BA”. With one word – Snowpocalypse – BA can send the entire region into a frenzy. As the lead Tahoe region snow forecaster and co-founder of OpenSnow.com, BA consistently outperforms the most advanced and complex snowfall computer weather modeling data through 20+ years of observational forecasting, studying other forecasters and the experience that comes from seeing thousands and thousands of model runs day after day in the Sierra Nevada. In Episode 25, the boys let their meteorologist alter egos fly free, nerding out on all things weather, including the origins of OpenSnow, the challenges of accurately predicting exactly how much it will snow and where, El Nino vs La Nina, Atmospheric Rivers, and if BA thinks volcanoes like Hunga Tonga have an effect on weather. BA also answers the burning question every powder hound is asking – will Tahoe have another big winter? 2:00 – Pow Bot skis the white ribbon of death at Mount Rose and the boys ride Badenaugh Canyon Trail.4:30 – Introducing Bryan Allegretto – BA – Snow Forecaster for OpenSnow Tahoe.7:30 – Pow Bot’s life history with weather.14:30 – Interview with Bryan Allegretto from OpenSnow Tahoe.16:30 – Growing up in Pennsylvania, skiing the Poconos and Camelback Mountain. 18:30 – Figuring out how to blend a business degree with meteorology. Moves to Truckee to work for Booth Creek right out of college. 20:30 – Starting a weather blog in 2006 connected to a weather page at Northstar and Sierra-at-Tahoe. Reading Howard Sheckter’s weather blog for Mammoth.28:00 – Starting OpenSnow in the 2011/12 season when a five year drought started.31:45 – The “Beard Shaver” storm idea during drought – 2 feet in 24 hours. 34:00 – Creating a community around weather – the comment section of the Tahoe Weather Blog. OpenSnow forum in testing phase. 41:20 – OpenSnow launching their first ski film (more of a snowboard film) about one of their forecasters chasing powder across the country. 44:05 – Trail Whisperer’s obsession with weather and finding the OpenSnow snow forecast.46:05 – How does BA regularly outperform National Weather Service with snow forecasting? 47:20 – Dealing with criticism, angry emails, trollers and mean comments on social media.55:20 – Weather forecast computer modeling like GFS, Euro, Canadian, NAMM versus observational weather forecasting from people with experience. 1:00:05 – Trying to be perfect in the world of imperfect weather forecasting.1:04:20 – The challenges of trying to accurately predict seasonal forecasting, and the warm ocean temperatures of 2023 and the potential El Nino winter.1:09:20 – Learning from past winters to help more accurately predict future winters with climate change – the variable that pushes seasons over the top: ocean temperatures.1:15:20 – Has Lake Tahoe been getting more Atmospheric River storms over the last 20 years?1:17:50 – Is Trail Whisperer’s theory of volcanoes warming ocean temperatures and Hunga Tonga affecting weather patterns accurate or inaccurate? 1:25:00 – El Nino versus La Nina seasons – when does the most snow fall in Lake Tahoe region?1:28:30 – The importance of human observational forecasting in a world of mathematics and computer modeling in meteorology and the AI bots that are coming. 1:35:00 – What webcams does BA use to give him a gauge of snowfall? Sugar Bowl, Palisades, Alpine Meadows and Mt. Rose.1:36:45 – Where does it snow the most in the Lake Tahoe region? 1:38:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you? 1:40:00 – How can people get in touch with BA? Tahoe Daily Snow at Opensnow.com – hello@opensnow.com1:43:00 – What is BA’s season prediction for this winter? We will be have snow level issues and a late start to the winter.

On the heels of Halloween, the boys catch up on a cornucopia of topics including the Hunter’s Moon, a recap of Trail Whisperer and Swan John’s annular eclipse wedding in the Ruby Mountains that Pow Bot officiated, taking the “Florida Man Challenge”, feeling out of place when traveling to a flat part of the country, Pow Bot’s sailboat racing adventure with John Morrison, Trail Whisperer’s weekend of granite slab riding in the annual Giro di StaMMina and a SENDY Send of the Week (Year?) shout out to Cam Zink for winning the 2023 Red Bull Rampage, along with his winning build crew and Mind the Track guests Henry Wilkins and Damon Iwanaga (Episode 10). The boys also debate whether or not you should kick over rock cairns, whether or not you are an early season skier on the “white ribbon of death” and whether or not getting rid of Daylight Savings Time will have an effect on ski resort operations. What say you, do you kick over cairns or let them be? Let us know in the comments, drop us a DM or email us. 2:00 – Snooze Bot – Tom is stress free and is getting good sleep!5:00 – Fall is fully setting in, time change, Harvest Moon and Hunter’s Moon. 7:00 – Trail Whisperer’s wedding in the Ruby Mountains of Nevada during the annular eclipse. 16:10 – Feeling out of place in a flat part of the country with no mountains. 18:20 – Florida Man Challenge. 22:00 – Hurricane Otis - Rapid Intensification, warm ocean water and Hunga Tonga.25:30 – Prime season for kayaking on Lake Tahoe, no motor boats in the lake. 27:00 – Halloween – celebrating your alter ego. 29:15 – PowBot goes sailing on a Santa Cruz Express with John Morrison at Richmond Yacht Club.35:15 – Trail Whisperer rides with Fred Stamm in his annual Giro di StaMMina in Pinecrest.42:30 – All about rock cairns. The importance of them, and when they are worth kicking over.52:30 – West View Park, Kennywood and amusement parks in Pittsburgh, PA. 55:20 – Early season skiing – the white strip of death - do you get after it or do you wait until the snow is deep enough? 1:03:30 – Daylight Savings Time – are you in support or against it? It’s effect on ski resort operations.1:13:30 – SENDY Send of the week goes to Cam Zink, Henry Wilkins and Damon Iwanaga for winning the Red Bull Rampage.

At age 54, Alenka Vrecek decided it was never too late for an adventure by bike, rolling out her front door in Tahoe City, aiming 2,500 miles south to her other door at the tip of Baja Mexico. For nearly two months Alenka rode alone, giving her ample time to think about life, struggle, love, loss, family and the meaning of home through the eyes of a Slovenian immigrant. A cancer survivor dealing with her husband’s recent diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, Alenka made the tough decision to temporarily leave her family behind, achieving a lifelong desire to adventure before she couldn’t any more. Alenka’s book, She Rides – Chasing Dreams Across California and Mexico is an exceptionally well-written account of the adventure, channeling the great alpinist authors Reinhold Messner and Nejc Zaplotnik, her literary heroes. Our discussion with Alenka is more than just about the bike or the book; it’s about self-discovery, finding strength within yourself and mustering the courage to persevere against all odds.  2:00 – Trail Whisperer gets married, Pow Bot served as officiant.9:00 – Introducing Alenka Vrecek, moving from Slovenia to Lake Tahoe.13:30 – Was it challenging to get on her feet once she first arrived in Alpine Meadows?15:45 – Ski racing, ski instruction and being a certified ski instructor, working at River Ranch.18:00 – Skiing at Squaw Valley in the 1980s with Mike Slattery, Tommy Day and Scot Schmidt. 22:30 – Getting into alpinism and looking up to Nejc Zaplotnik, who was a writer and climber.23:30 – Capturing the essence of Reinhold Messner, a huge inspiration in in writing She Rides.26:00 – The importance of mountains, being outside and exercising regularly. 29:00 – Living with tragedy and personal struggle, and rebuilding your life and identity through being outside and completing a personal journey. 30:00 – What made Alenka want to ride her mountain bike 2,500 miles from Lake Tahoe to Baja? 35:30 – The love of being alone, the power of spending time in the outdoors by yourself. 39:00 – Riding alone in Mexico, feeling less safe around people than around animals.42:00 – Appreciating simple luxuries of life like hot showers and good food. 44:15 – The difference between riding in California and Mexico through the Sierra Nevada. 47:30 – What is the meaning of home? Being content at home, finding adventure in the backyard and learning a life lesson from Alejandro. 53:30 – Pow Bot quotes “Truckin” from the Grateful Dead and its metaphor for life.56:00 – The concept of living to work vs working to live and city culture vs mountain culture.59:00 – Would you do the trip again alone or with someone?1:02:20 – The process of writing the book, “She Rides”. 1:12:00 – Promoting and marketing the book. 1:15:00 – Pow Bot opens up about his wife and her journey with breast cancer.1:17:00 – Did the bicycle heal Alenka mentally and physically?1:20:30 – The flow state and being in the zone and its importance to life, moving meditation. 1:25:25 – Wing foiling, e-foiling and being on the water. 1:27:50 – Alenka rode an Ibis Mojo 3 mountain bike, aka The Beast, from Tahoe to Baja with help from Big Tall Wayne and Karl Rogne at Olympic Bike Shop. 1:31:00 – What “oh shit” moments did Alenka have on the ride? 1:37:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?