A lot has happened in the few months of 2018 and it’s been a heck of a year so far! I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on our big winter season in Tucson and Solvang. I’ve also included a few memorable staff moments that I thought you might enjoy.
Tucson Season Update
Like all of our trips, teamwork is critical for our staff and in Tucson it’s amplified on a daily level by delicious food prep, dishes, keeping the house in working order, challenging rides, and everything in between. This makes the work fun and challenging and since you’ve been on a trip before, you know how important our staff is to the trip experience. We started strong in Tucson with the MTB camp in January and never looked back until things wrapped up with our women’s camp in April.
After 13 years of running camps in Tucson, I still can’t get over how awesome the desert is. Each day is built around a highlight bike ride in the area but there’s so much that happens off the bike too. One of my favorite things at camp in Tucson is watching the sunset with the guides and guests.
We’re so grateful for the riders and groups that joined us at camp in Tucson in 2018! We made many beautiful and challenging ascents up Mount Lemmon (Kujo leading the crew in this pic) and I think most of our guests left Tucson with some nice tan lines as well :)
On a few of our camps, poker became an evening event and a fun way for riders and staff to have some fun as the day was winding down. Camp Director Sam’s hand was usually aces and eights.
Another evening event that was embraced from time to time was a fun group game called around-the-world on the ping pong table.
We saw more javelina this season than ever before. They’ll feast on anything! It’s hard to see here but there is a little baby one nestled up in the hay sleeping as his family plows through some cattle food with reckless abandon.
We had a stellar MTB camp with Todd Wells and guided by Sam, Mazza, James, and Steven.
Trip leader, Jim Bruskewitz has a captivated audience for his climbing pointers on the night before riding Mount Lemmon.
Drew was a hybrid guide in January. With all the nursing school focus, he almost forgot what it felt like to climb Mount Lemmon. This look says it all.
Steven found his kitchen flow early in Tucson and never lost it. His passion for riding, cooking, and sharing his knowledge with others permeated the kitchen and dinner table.
James sharing his knowledge of bike maintenance in one of his favorite settings…the Tucson garage. This was his bike maintenance 101 class.
Bennett guided in Tucson a bunch this winter and had a very memorable ride up Mount Lemmon with his Dad.
Sam sharing his passion for MTB and leading the way through the 2018 Tucson Season.
Guides Ali, Mazza, and Bennett making their way up Reddington Pass, just a few miles into a very big day. Those staff who were still in Tucson finished off the winter season with a ride around the backside of Mount Lemmon (it’s a big ride!)
Solvang Update
A bunch of great things happened in Solvang this year! 2018 was by far our most popular year at this location and we not only had record participation but also feel like the experience and logistics were top notch. The first two camps had some inclement weather but the team and guests rallied and didn’t miss a beat. For the last Solvang camp the sunshine came out and the grass and flowers popped beyond belief. Our rider feedback was extremely high and riders are already starting to block off a week in Solvang for 2019.
Riding to the Ocean. The Jalama Beach ride is one of the crown jewel rides at our Solvang camp.
Veteran guides Kipp and Stella have become an annual highlight on this trip with their smiles, enthusiasm and contagious zest for life.
Bri and Brendan Halpin, guiding in Solvang and just a few months away from getting hitched! Solvang is becoming Bri’s go-to location after guiding and working this area for multiple years. Brendan over the years has made this trip what it is today…an amazing place for us to run high quality trips that leave an impact on guests after they leave.
Shaun Radley’s 6 Year Anniversary at TCH
May 1st was Shaun Radley’s 6th year anniversary at TCH. He’s smart, motivated and loves bikes. Equally important, he truly cares and is passionate about the work we do. I love working with this guy!
RATPOD – Raising Money For Kids Effected By Cancer
Cycling House staff and friends have already raised over $10,000 on our Camp Mak-a-Dream fundraising team! If you can join on the ride, register here and join us!
Montana Gravel Challenge
Here’s a few of us after stage 2 of the event. The Montana Gravel Challenge was a big hit this year. The Cycling House / Hell Ride teamed up with Competitive Timing to create one big fun weekend of gravel riding. We ran this event to raise money for MTB Missoula and Zootown Derailleurs which is a kids after school bike program.
Moots Road Bike Upgrade
I upgraded my bike in a big way this year and built up a Moots Road Bike. I get a lot of really good questions about Moots bikes. I decided to write about my experience getting this new bike on our Blog. Check it out if you’ve ever considered a new titanium bike.
All in all it was an incredible winter and spring season for us at TCH. Thank you for being part of The Cycling House family and I hope our paths cross soon (preferably by bike). Now we’re off to Mallorca and Tuscany! You can follow our adventures here.
Cheers,
Owen Gue, President
Contact Us: 406-219-1318 ride@thecyclinghouse.com