Explore every episode of the podcast Mind the Track

Recorded at 7,250 feet elevation atop Mount Hough near Quincy, California, in Episode 46 the boys talk to Emily Kachorek about her first summer as a fire lookout for the Plumas National Forest. Sitting in the three-story tower for 10 hours a day, 10 days in a row, Emily talks about spending time alone and the inspiration for creativity that comes from solitude. She also talks about her background in biology and conservation and her new gig spotting fires. Prior to being a lookout, Emily raced bikes professionally, was a co-founder of Squid Bikes and her love of cycling, art and creativity blended with a punk rock vibe fostered the vibrant cyclocross scene in Sacramento, along with some of the raddest paint jobs ever rattle-canned onto a bicycle. The boys also do a few listener shout outs and answer questions related to encountering bears on the trail and whether or not you should listen to music while riding.

3:00 – Recording from Mountains to Meadows at Plumas Sierra County Fairgrounds in Quincy.

6:10 – Recording up on Mount Hough with Emily Kachorek as a fire lookout.

7:10 – What are the biggest solo adventures Trail Whisperer and PowBot have ever done?

10:10 – The importance of solitude and being introverted.

11:10 – Listener shout outs. How do you handle a close bear encounter? Is it socially acceptable to listen to music with earbuds while riding?

26:00 – Fires going off all around Tahoe over the last few weeks – Davis Fire, Bear Fire, Verdi Fire.

28:30 – Emily Kachorek interview in the Mount Hough fire lookout at 7,250 feet elevation.

31:50 – How did Emily end up becoming a fire lookout?

37:30 – Mount Hough lookout – a three-story lookout with control room level, kitchen level, lookout level, complete with an Osborne Fire Finder

41:03 – Living in a metal box on top of a mountain during a lightning storm and standing on the lightning stool.

44:30 – Sunsets in the fire tower are much like sunsets on the ocean, you’re watching it set over the horizon. The pod was recorded on the cardinal sunset day, September 21.

48:00 – Emily’s youth growing up in San Diego and finding bikes in Davis during college.

53:10 – Emily’s daily routine as a fire lookout – 8 hour day, 10 days on, 4 days off.

1:00:30 – What do you do when you see smoke in the forest?

1:08:45 – The history of fire lookout towers in the United States, the Lost Sierra is known as “the land of the lookouts”.

1:12:15 – Emily’s introduction to cycling while attending UC Davis as an undergrad studying Environmental Biology and Management, then later a Graduate degree from Sacramento State in Conservation Biology, then spent a summer in Guyana in the Amazon studying conservation and native populations.

1:18:00 – Started racing road bikes right after grad school, then got a contract to race professionally, and was on the national team racing in Europe.

1:23:30 – Transitioning from road racing to racing cyclocross, and fostering a culture of bikes in Sacramento with GHETO and Squid Bikes.

1:29:50 – Tom sees a shooting star, and the angled glass panels of the Mount Hough tower.

1:33:00 – Emily’s creativity and artistry channeled through the birth of Squid Bikes.

1:41:00 – Trail Whisperer’s experience with spray painting his own Falconer bike using Spray.Bike paint.

1:46:30 – Painting bikes as a blank canvas and a creative outlet, and finding a new outlet after leaving Squid, working on print making and carving.

1:49:10 – The Southern Arizona landscape in Patagonia, Arizona and its inspiration for Emily’s art and the process for creativity through working at it every day.

1:58:00 – Hiking the Arizona Trail and stewarding for the Arizona Trail Association.

2:04:30 – Is Emily going to be a fire lookout again next year?

2:08:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

Despite a hot, dry and smoky September, Trail Whisperer and Pow Bot reunite after a month off to compare living in Colorado against Lake Tahoe and how much better we have it in the Sierra Nevada than in the Rockies. Not only weather and snowpack-wise, but also fewer people, less busy trailheads, more affordable cost of living and a wider range of recreational options. The boys also talk about the new sport of wing foiling, running the Rim to Reno trail, e-biking the Rubicon Trail, remembering Mammoth weatherman Howard Sheckter, getting fired up for the inaugural Mountains to Meadows trail festival in Quincy, CA and experiencing a rare snowfall in August in the Sierra. On the topic of snowfall, what indicators are you seeing right now that tells you a big – or not so big – winter is coming to Tahoe? Call 888 COR LORD, leave us a voicemail and let us know!

3:30 – Rock Shox Flight Attendant – mountain bike suspension powered by AI

5:00 – All about wing foiling and foil boards.

12:20 - @misterbennetts – foiling in the Molokai Challenge in Hawaii.

19:30 – Trail Whisperer is a little down on mountain biking right now. Hot, dry and dusty.

21:45 – It snowed in Lake Tahoe in August.

25:45 – Trail Whisperer and Swan John went for a trail run on Rim to Reno trail in Mount Rose Wilderness.

30:20 – Remembering Howard Sheckter – The Dweeb Report – Mammoth Weather page – Mammoth’s legendary weatherman and ski addict.

34:35 – What is a haboob?

36:20 – Riding e-bikes on the Rubicon Trail for a Tahoe Quarterly story.

43:00 – The history of Rubicon Trail, Rubicon Springs and the trail’s status as a county road.

48:45 – Pow Bot’s Ice Creek Lodge barrel of sewage story.

53:30 – Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is having their inaugural Mountains to Meadows trail festival at Plumas County Fairgrounds – Sept 19-22. Buy a trail building pass for Friday or Saturday for $50 and get a full weekend festival pass. Quincymountainstomeadows.com for more info.

1:00:20 – September 28 – Buzzards Roost Ridge trail day – resurrecting a historic trail.

1:05:00 – Call 888 COR LORD and tell us what you’re seeing to indicate a big winter coming!

1:07:00 – Comparing living in Colorado to living in Lake Tahoe. Pros and cons of both.

1:27:45 – Breckenridge, Colorado is anti e-bike, the complete opposite of Lake Tahoe. The benefits of allowing pedal assist electric mountain bikes on trails.

1:36:45 – Tahoe season ski passes, Ikon Pass gains access for passholders to Sierra-at-Tahoe.

Boasting some of the biggest vertical relief in North America and some of the best skiing anywhere in the world, California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada hits its zenith in spring with warm weather for camping at the foot of massive snow-covered peaks. For the last 25 years, Nate Greenberg has been documenting all the best lines to ski, and his book, Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra (along with co-author Dan Mingori), is the “bible” of the region. In addition to co-authoring the book, Nate was also a GIS expert in his former life working for Mono for two decades, now the Chief Administrative Officer for Inyo County. He’s also the co-founder of the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center. We chat with Nate about a variety of topics related to the Eastern Sierra and what makes it so special, as well as the controversial launch of the OnX Backcountry app featuring ski lines from the book, which some fear will blow up all the secret spots. Nate also opens up about a harrowing avalanche incident in the Bardini Chutes that nearly took his life. Purchase the book at your local outdoor retailer or online at Wolverinepublishing.com and donate to ESAC at esavalanche.org.

1:00 – Pow Bot and Trail Whisperer recording from the Toyota Sunrader on the shores of Convict Lake in the Eastern Sierra Nevada after skiing Mount Morrison.

7:00 – Nate Greenberg – CIO for Inyo County, 20 year employee of Mono County, GIS expert,  Co-Author of Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra.

11:00 – Talking about avalanches, the OnX Backcountry app and the concept of gatekeeping

18:40 – The story behind the convicts who Convict Lake was named after.

21:00 – The unique gift of skiing the Eastern Sierra Nevada.  

22:25 – Nate grew up in Orange, California and skied and climbed in Mammoth as a kid.

27:00 – Nate’s background in GIS, and built Mono County’s GIS infrastructure.

30:30 – All about Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra by Nate Greenberg and Dan Mingori

40:00 – Has Nate’s perspective on skiing big lines changed in recent years with having a family and a real job?

43:00 – The challenges of finding a good skiing partner.

46:20 – Founding the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center (ESAC) with Walter Rosenthal, who passed in the fumarole accident at Mammoth Mountain in 2006.

57:00 – Nate’s story about getting caught in an avalanche in Bardini Chute and being seriously injured.

1:13:15 – Going from the book to an app on your phone – the launching of a partnership with OnX Backcountry featuring skiable lines in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, and the controversy of gatekeeping.

1:26:30 – How do you protect “secret spots” from the masses with an app like OnX, and how does it compare to the impacts of social media accounts and influencers?

1:39:00 – Incorporating an ethos of how to appropriately experience the outdoors, the importance of mentorship and education and having respect for the rules of backcountry skiing.

1:47:00 – Nate’s Mentors: Don Sharaf, Ian McCammon, Christian Pondella.

1:50:00 – What is it that Nate loves the most about skiing the Eastern Sierra Nevada?

1:54:14 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

1:56:45 – Support the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, make a donation.

“Snow is blissful, it’s pure, it’s white, it’s serene, it’s a siren call. But it’s also very dark, it’s death. The darkest white is the perfect analogy for an avalanche,” said New York Times bestselling author Eric Blehm on Episode 35 about his latest book, The Darkest White, chronicling the life and untimely passing of legendary snowboarder Craig Kelly. Widely regarded as the Michael Jordan of snowboarding, Kelly was a pioneer in this uniquely American sport, and in his book, Blehm dives deep in to Kelly’s life and his pivotal role in the history of snowboarding and splitboarding. Blehm also goes into remarkable detail about the 2003 La Traviata avalanche in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, where Kelly and six other skiers lost their lives, including Truckee local Kathy Kessler. Our chat with Blehm covers a bit of the history here in Lake Tahoe, a bit about Kelly and an insightful discussion around the human factors involved in the tragic avalanche. Learn more about Blehm and purchase his award-winning non-fiction books at ericblehm.com.

2:30 – Recording from Jim and Bonnie Zellers garage in Tahoe Donner.

3:50 – Introducing Eric Blehm, author of Fearless, The Only Thing Worth Dying For, The Last Season and his new book, The Darkest White, about the history of snowboarding, Craig Kelly and the La Traviata avalanche.

7:20 – Kathy Kessler – a core lord in Truckee who lost her life in the La Traviata avalanche with Craig Kelly.

9:10 – The roots of snowboarding were on Donner Summit – Donner Ski Ranch, Soda Springs and Boreal.

10:10 – Mind the Track Superfan #1 – Scott Kessler. Thanks for the shout out buddy!

13:15 – Eric was a snowboard magazine editor at TransWorld when he met Jim and Bonnie Zellers, the original backcountry snowboarders for The North Face.

15:30 – Transitioning from being a short-form magazine editor to a long-form book author and investigative journalist.

22:06 – Learning about the formation of the Mount Baker Hard Core, the lawsuit between Burton and Sims over Craig Kelly.

23:00 – Tom Sims claimed to have invented the snowboard before Sherman Poppen, but it was never confirmed.

25:00 – Mount Baker, Donner Ski Ranch, Boreal and Soda Springs were one of the first places to allow snowboards on chairlifts.

30:00 – Parts of Craig’s story that were cut from the book – Greg Stump’s film Siberia with Kelly and Scott Schmidt.

34:30 -Craig Kelly’s unique riding style, his fall line style influenced a generation of riders and convinced Trail Whisperer that he should have been a snowboarder.

45:00 – Craig as a pioneer in being one of the first snowboard guides in Canada, pursuing the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides certification.

48:00 – Early splitboarding, Eric got a splitboard and infiltrated ski resorts that didn’t allow snowboarding, riding the lift in split, then assembling it and snowboarding down as ‘The Chameleon”.

1:01:10 – The Durrand Glacier avalanche on La Traviata, the human factor and group dynamics.

1:10:30 – Ruedi Beglinger as a lead guide at Selkirk Mountain Experience, a strong character and the changes in the guiding industry and backcountry culture after the avalanche.

1:16:30 – Hubris and its role in the avalanche incident.

1:23:00 – Craig Kelly wanted to educate the younger generation on snow safety and the dangers of the backcountry.

1:28:30 – If Eric could ask Craig one question, what would it be?

1:35:15 – The Darkest White – where did the name come from?

1:39:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

1:40:30 – Go to ericblehm.com or @ericblehmofficial on Instagram

“Everybody in Tahoe is the kid who doesn’t want to come in from recess”, said PowBot in Episode 34 with our guest Kacy Roeder. The concept of play is not just for kids, playing is an essential part of being an adult. Nobody knows this better than Kacy, a licensed landscape architect who designs playgrounds and sends it on her mountain bike and her splitboard. We learn about Kacy’s unique career, growing up on the East Coast and finding her way to Lake Tahoe, her love of being outside adventuring and why she built her world around playing as much as possible. Kacy also talks about her involvement with the Rocker Memorial Skate Park and the Rally for Rocker fundraiser on April 27, and how splitboarding has rekindled her love of snowboarding.

1:45 – POWBOT is back! Rest and a knee brace are helping.

3:20 – Introducing Kacy Roeder and her hens – farm life

7:20 – You Are What You Eat Documentary – industrial food complex and diet

9:00 – Trail Whisperer scored pow in the Toiyabe Range of Nevada. Tonopah Low and the Inside Slider storm.

10:45 – Kacy scored pow on Mount Rose after hitting Frog Lake Huts and West Shore

14:00 – Listener shout outs – Sebastian Johnson - Diamond Peak closes uphill ski access due to people breaking rules and coming within striking distance of a loaded winch cable.

19:20 – Ski Magazine announces ski injuries due to GoPros and weed gummies. But what about alcohol consumption while skiing?

21:00 – PowBot shouts out all listeners who helped him with his knee issues.

23:00 – April Fools posts, Zak Mills – snowboarding downhill with ski poles in hand.

25:49 – Brian Sullivan – funny video about podcasters.

28:20 – All about Kacy Roeder – Landscape Architect – Designing Playgrounds

34:00 – Growing up on the East Coast and the path to finding “play” as a profession.

36:00 – Moving to Lake Tahoe after graduating from University of Vermont.

39:30 – Trail Whisperer’s first encounter with Kacy – Riding MTB in Reno.

43:30 – The concept of men teaching women to mountain bike.

50:20 – Parallels between work and play. Play as an essential element of being an adult.

55:00 – Building playgrounds for kids and adults alike.

57:00 – Adventure Journal – Steve Casimiro – observing animals playing. The importance of humans playing.

1:02:00 – Rally for Rocker – Saturday April 27. Donner Ski Ranch on Donner Summit. Fundraiser for Rocker Memorial Skate Park in Truckee.

1:14:30 – Kacy’s youth and growing up as an active outdoor family, going to school in Vermont, snowboarding at her home mountains, Okemo Mountain, Stowe and Jay Peak.

1:17:00 – Spending time in Florida, New York accents, the competitiveness of the East Coast

1:27:30 – Learning to balance play and education in college.

1:30:30 – Kacy’s transition from snowboarding to splitboarding and backcountry skiing, and the concept of “Nature Bathing”.

1:39:40 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

1:44:30 – Snoop Pow Dogg Snowsizzle My Dizzle Corn Dog and Powderrific Snow Report

In the wake of The Crippler – one of the biggest snowstorms to hit Tahoe in the last 5 years – the boys sit down with Reno-native core lord @aurelbaker, a Pediatric ER nurse who crushes it skiing as an ambassador athlete for @atomicski @rab.equipment and @lebent_ . Always the adventurer, Aurel covers a variety of topics including her “puke and rally” sailboat to ski adventure in British Columbia, her path to becoming a nurse, enduring as a nurse through the pandemic, her five different knee and ankle surgeries over the years and the psychological struggles associated with being an injured athlete. We recap the 10 feet of snow that shut down Lake Tahoe for three days, talk about skiing pow in Reno, Snoop gives the Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderiffic Snow Report and shout outs to listeners.

1:30 – Introducing Aurel Baker – Pediatric ER Nurse, Skier, Mountain Biker, Fly Fishing, Climber.

6:30 – All about fly fishing.

10:00 – The challenges of surfing.

12:15 – Shout Outs – Michael George – Lebron James and JJ Reddick starting a new podcast called Mind the Game. Jed Ritchey – Washington Post story about record ocean temps and Hunga Tonga.

17:00 – Jonathan Irwin – wondering how to gain real backcountry experience not living full time in the mountains.

23:00 – Sendy Send of the Week - Zak Mills and Nick Russel ski Banner and Ritter Mountain in the same day.

24:10 – THE CRIPPLER – The aftermath of the March 1 snowstorm. Interstate 80 closed for three days. Hundreds of cars stranded on Donner Summit. A three day blizzard warning. Palisades Tahoe closed for three days.

31:30 – Backyard pow slashing in the wake of the storm. Skiing pow in Reno and Virginia City on Mount Davidson.

34:00 – Winter of 23-24 in a word: awkward. Seeming like a light winter, yet we are almost at season average for snowpack. Months of dangerous snowpack.

39:00 – Skiing Peavine Mountain in Reno.

40:25 – The Snoop Pow Dogg Snowsizzle My Dizzle Powderrrific Snow Report

43:00 – Spring Equinox – Mind the Track has made it a full four seasons!

47:00 – Aurel traveling to Sitka, Alaska for a sail to ski trip. Looking back on last year’s sail to ski trip in British Columbia. Learning the concept of Puke and Rally.

55:00 – Aurel has had five orthopedic surgeries on her knees and ankles over the years. Struggling with injury and recovery. The bicycle is the best tool for physical therapy.

1:02:00 – Dealing with loss of identity when the thing you love most you can’t do because of being injured.

1:05:00 – PowBot is dealing with early osteoarthritis in his knee.

1:10:30 – Delux Landscape in Lake Tahoe – PowBot’s new job as a project manager.

1:15:10 – Aurel grew up in Reno, and learned to ski and snowboard at Mount Rose. Going to University of Nevada, Reno and becoming a nurse.

1:19:10 – Enduring through the COVID pandemic as a nurse in a hospital.

1:27:30 – Leaving Reno, but coming back to Reno because of how good the access is to so much adventure.

1:32:00 – What was the closest call Aurel has ever had with avalanches?

1:37:00 – PowBot almost drowns in a creek crossing on the Sierra Buttes.

1:38:45 – Random historical tidbit: Sierra City compared to Downieville.

1:40:45 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

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 Report

21:00 – Introducing Nick Bliss of Bliss Wilderness

23:00 – 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. @bridgeportavalanchecenter

9:20 – 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 Report

54:00 – We are definitely in an El Nino winter – no snow in the Pacific NW and Montana

56:00 – 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 Report

41:15 – 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 Report

33:30 – 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 2023

29:45 – 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

In Episode 44, the second and final installment of coverage from the Breck Epic six-day mountain bike stage race in Breckenridge, Colorado, Trail Whisperer and Adam Mahomed document a week of suffering, random shenanigans and high elevation hypoxia. They also document the trajectory of their good friend James Adamson, who ended up finishing second overall in the Men’s 40+ category as well as second in the Enduro category. James’ big day was Stage 5 on Wheeler, the most feared day because of its grueling hike-a-bike up to 12,500 feet, then a technical and treacherous descent all the way back to Breckenridge. James was down 20 minutes on the leader, and in that one stage, he reeled back 17 minutes, going out of his own body, unleashing a performance that astonished everyone. Everyone seemingly, except himself. This episode is randomness mixed with purpose, insight and inspiration. And suffering. A lot of suffering.

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 2.0

10:00 – 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.com

1:43:00 – 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?

If you’ve ever piloted your mountain bike on the trails of Jackass Ridge (now called Donkey Town) and Yogi Bear, and finished with an ear to ear grin, you can thank the @truckeedirtunion . Formed in April of 2020, the TDU is the only trail organization in Truckee specifically focused on enhancing and expanding rad trail experiences for mountain bikers. In its short 3 years of existence, TDU has already amassed a volunteer trail force 550 people strong, supporting a crew of #corelord community builders who’ve been digging in the forest for 30 years, putting Truckee on the map as one of the best towns in the American west for mountain biking. In episode 22, we sit down with TDU founders Matt Chappell (@chappawitz), Skye Allsop (@tahoemtbiker) and Greg Forsythe (@cyclepathsmtb) and talk all about the past, present and future of mountain biking and trails in Truckee, where TDU fits into this quickly changing town and how you can help get involved with the #singletrackradness movement. Get on the dumb end of that shovel, kick some rocks and put some love, sweat and tears back into the trails you enjoy every day by joining TDU on their next volunteer trail day.

Show Notes:

2:30 – Introducing Matt Chappell, Skye Allsop and Greg Forsythe of Truckee Dirt Union.

7:00 – The history of Jackass Ridge and Hobo Hill.

13:20 – The history of hidden and illegal trails in Truckee and adopting formerly social trails.

16:50 – How has TDU grown from nothing to 550 supporters in only three years?

18:40 – Jackass Ridge and Donkey Town trail – a network that accommodates everyone from beginners and families to experts.

21:30 – Who are the main builders for Truckee Dirt Union?

22:30 – The history of mountain biking in Truckee.

25:00 – The history of JP Trail – the first mountain bike trail in Truckee.

28:20 – Why was TDU created?

33:30 – Taking community builders creating social trails and bringing them into the fold so they can get paid for their craft.

42:30 – What is TDU working on currently and into the future? Enhancing the Jackass trail network, creating more trails after logging operations are complete.

45:45 – What can Truckee learn from what’s going on trails-wise in Bellingham, Washington?

53:00 – The evolution of mountain biking and its impact on Truckee and Greg’s business, Cyclepaths.

55:55 – Parallels between the founding of TAMBA and the founding of TDU.

57:45 – What is going to happen with Martis Peak area trails?

1:03:40 – How can people step up, support TDU and support mountain biking in Truckee?

1:10:00 – Jonnie Benda – the shaper, the visionary for TDU trails.

1:19:00 – A couple more volunteer days before end of season on Jackass and JP Trail - @truckeedirtunion on Instagram and truckeedirtunion.org

1:20:25 – What does Singletrack Radness mean?

1:22:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

In line with Episode 21 and its Fall theme, @pow_bot and @trail_whisperer chat (rant?) about a cornucopia of topics ranging from the possible arrival of a Super El Nino in Tahoe, looking back on summer’s favorite rides and new trails, the etiquette of riding illegal trails, Strava and social media, the season pass conundrum, Palisades Tahoe announcing parking pass reservations and overcrowding due to Ikon and Epic Pass sales, a 15 mph speed limit on trails in Truckee, a gang of Truckee kids on ebikes throwing apples at people and evading the law, Reno’s ranking by Outside as “happiest place to live in America”, remembering the legend of Robb Gaffney and more. Like most one-on-one episodes with the boys, this one gets a little ranty, channeling a bit of the Angry Singlespeeder (aka The ASS) in Kurt. The boys also ask listeners – what do you prefer to wear when riding, a hip pack or a backpack? Let us know your preference!

2:00 – Trail Running.

4:00 – It’s Fall and it’s Snowing! Getting ready for winter. Trail Whisperer loves pumpkin pie.

8:20 – Ski Films – Do you watch ski films to get fired up for ski season?

12:30 – Summer Recap – Lots of rain, never got too hot, no smoke.

14:05 – Super El Nino is coming! Fall Tahoe weather is setting in. Early Winter?

17:30 – What was your favorite mountain bike ride this summer?

19:45 – What’s the etiquette of riding unsanctioned trails?

22:00 – Strava and social media rant.

30:00 – PowBot and 2NBen’s bear and bee encounter on JP Trail.

32:20 – Favorite new trail? Shark Bait at Sky Tavern and flow trail at Sugar Bowl.

35:40 – PowBot is almost 2 months into not drinking alcohol and he’s loving it.

39:30 – Season Pass sales – PowBot buys Mount Rose, Epic Pass and Ikon Pass.

41:50 – Palisades Tahoe announces parking reservations and pay for parking details.

48:30 – Fighting for preserving the culture of Squaw Valley.

49:20 – In memoriam – Robb Gaffney.

51:40 – Outside ranks Reno as the happiest place to live in America.

58:50 – City of Truckee passes 15 mph speed limit on multi-use trails in town in response to an ebike gang of high school kids roaming Truckee throwing eggs and apples at people.

1:05:00 – Focus on education, not enforcement.

1:08:00 – Sky Tavern fundraiser – Party in the Sky – October 14 at 10AM. Be there!

1:08:40 – Sendy Send of the Week - @cascadeconnections – skiing POW in September. @amymo_11 winning the Enduro in Killington and @marcoOsborne92 taking 2nd in Enduro and 14th in the US Cup Downhill.

1:13:00 – Hip packs vs backpacks. What do you wear mountain biking?

In 2020, Harrison Biehl bought his first mountain bike and immediately put his mind in the track, progressively doing bigger and bigger rides. In summer 2022, he successfully completed his first “Everesting” mission - repeating the same climb until reaching 29,032 feet of elevation gain. As a fundraiser for TAMBA, Harrison tackled Stanford Rock trail on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe and completed the mission in under 24 hours. In the afterglow, tragedy struck when his close friend Joe Fazzio took his own life a week before Christmas. To honor Joe’s life and bring awareness to mental health, Harrison partnered with High Fives Foundation and launched the Pedal for Positivity. His new mission; “Trench to Everest” - climbing 65,099 feet - the elevation difference between the lowest point on earth, the Marianas Trench, to the highest, Mount Everest. Harrison did the ride on Old Highway 40 from Donner Lake to Historic Donner Summit on September 8-9 with a group of friends who rode by his side, completing nearly 60 laps in 29 hours. Recorded on Donner Summit at the site of the event, this is a heavy story of friendship, community, commitment, struggle and loss.

3:30 – During the latest brown pow cycle, Tom crashes his mountain bike hard.

6:40 – Steven Kotler – Gnar Country – learning to become a park skier at age 53.

9:40 – Introducing Harrison Biehl – Everesting Stanford Rock, trenching Old Highway 40.

13:30 – Another sign of a big winter coming – crazy squirrels. Another Hunga Tonga correlation.

16:22 – Harrison Biehl interview recording on old Highway 40 on Donner Summit.

20:00 – Riding from the lowest point on the planet, Mariana Trench to the highest point on the planet, Mount Everest. 381 miles and 65,249 ft of climbing in 29 hours 42 minutes.

24:20 – Completing massive rides with only three years of experience cycling.

26:30 – Everesting Stanford Rock trail on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, a fundraiser for Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association.

29:00 – Learning fitness, strength and training from Derek Teel of Dialed Health, who Everested Braille Trail in Soquel Demo Forest near Santa Cruz.

30:30 – Using the ride to raise funds for new mountain bike trails in Lake Tahoe, including the new Meeks Ridge trail.

37:00 – What did Harrison learn from the first big Everest challenge on Stanford Rock?

39:45 – The backstory of the Old Highway 40 ride – in memory of Joe Fazzio.

41:00 – Living with loss and suicide, trying to make sense of those who take their own lives.

46:00 – The bicycle as a vehicle for blowing off steam, helping deal with the stress and loss.

48:00 – Finding Joe on Donner Lake.

54:00 – Angry riding in the wake of Joe’s passing, starting Pedal for Positivity with High Fives Foundation.

1:04:00 – Riding Old Highway 40 from Donner Lake to Historic Donner Summit.

1:11:00 – Pro grade support from the folks at Paco’s bike shop in Truckee.

1:13:00 – Contribute to the Pedal for Positivity – highfivesfoundation.org/pedal-for-positivity/

1:14:00 – Tom’s grandfather, Raymond Beckering and Robert Schuller, of Garden Grove Ministries, built the Tower of Hope in the early 1970’s; the first suicide helpline in North America – New Hope.

1:18:00 – What was harder, Stanford Rock or Old Highway 40?

1:25:30 – Did Harrison ever think he couldn’t complete the ride?

1:28:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

1:30:00 – Follow Harrison – @harrison_biehl and @pedal_for_positivity

In Summer 1983, Max Jones jumped on a strange new contraption called a #mountainbike and went looking for trails to ride around #laketahoe. There wasn’t really any singletrack until he discovered an abandoned flume line running high above the east shore of the lake. After a few failed attempts, Max finally uncovered the overgrown track, taking five hours to “ride” only four miles, fighting through brush and hundreds of downed trees. For the rest that summer, Max cleared the trail with nothing more than hand tools and dogged determination. 40 years later, thanks to Max’s efforts, the Marlette Flume Trail has become the most scenic trail in the world and a gem of recreation in Lake Tahoe. Max and his wife Patti have built a life and career around the Flume Trail, promoting the Great Flume Race for more than a decade, starting Flume Trail Bikes to shuttle visitors and opening Tunnel Creek Café to feed them at the end of the adventure. This is the story of Max Jones, a Mountain Bike Hall of Fame inductee, the resurrector of the Flume Trail and an early pioneer of ecotourism in Lake Tahoe.

1:40 – PowBot gets a new vanity license plate – MRDRPOW – on his murdered out Crosstrek.

3:45 – Experiencing technical difficulties with our podcast player while interviewing Max Jones.

5:20 – Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Max Jones reopening the Marlette Flume Trail.

10:00 – The first “winter storm” on September 1; a Pacific Low coming off the ocean!

11:30 – Rose to Toads TAMBA ride is going to get snow Labor Day weekend.

13:20 – SENDY Send of the Week – 11 year anniversary of Joyce Beckering’s passing – Tom’s mom. Incline Burger taking donations for victims of the Maui fire in Lahaina.

17:00 – Max Jones interview at Tunnel Creek Café.

20:00 – The history of Max Jones’ family, a fourth generation Nevadan. His family was into ranching. The Settlemeyer family came from Minden, Germany to what became Minden, Nevada.

23:00 – Max’s history as a rock climber and ski racer and the first generation of his family to be a recreationist.

26:30 – The Germans came into the Carson Valley after the Mormons left. The Germans weren’t miners, they were ranchers, so they raised cattle and fed the miners.

29:30 – Max transitions from rock climbing to mountain biking, and picks up Ritchey as a sponsor and started racing.

35:00 – How Max originally discovered the Flume Trail.

41:00 – Helicoptering all the old aluminum flume pipe off the trail.

45:30 – The Great Flume Race put the Flume Trail on the map for visitors.

47:25 – The spiritual power of Herlan Peak – a leyline from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake.

50:30 – Working with the Nevada State Park Ranger Mark Kimbrough in reopening the trail.

53:30 – The original purpose of the Flume Trail – created for water in Virginia City during the Comstock Lode silver rush.

58:30 – Max’s first summer working on the trail, carrying a chainsaw and falling off the trail.

1:03:00 – Max joins the Tahoe Rim Trail Association board representing mountain bikers.

1:08:50 – Max started shuttling people in 1999 with Flume Trail Bikes.

1:10:30 – Flume Trail Bikes moves to the old Ponderosa Ranch site at Tunnel Creek and opened the cafe.

1:12:40 – Max innovated a form of ecotourism that’s been sustainable for Lake Tahoe, shuttling 5,000 to 6,000 people per year, keeping extra cars off local roads.

1:15:00 – Flume Trail Bikes might start running a shuttle for Cap to Tahoe trail, and building a new singletrack to Tunnel Creek from Flume Trail.

1:19:00 – Building a life and a career around the Flume Trail.

1:21:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

After the best winter and spring ever, the best summer in Tahoe ever continues its run with a return of rain and mind-blowing hero dirt. @pow_bot and @trail_whisperer go mano a mano and catch up on a variety of topics including crazy weather and its relation to the Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption, nature’s signs of a big upcoming winter and the chances of an El Niño season, the “Amish bike” versus the Rumspringa (e-bike), an epidemic of bears getting hit by cars in Lake Tahoe, the migration of a wolfpack into the southern Sierra Nevada, preparing for 150 miles of new singletrack north of Truckee and an audience poll: do you wash your bike after every ride or do you just ride it dirty?

1:30 – Hero dirt in Tahoe in August! The encyclopedia of brown pow.

3:45 – Pow Bot gives Trail Whisperer a D.I.A t-shirt. Director of the Dirt Intelligence Agency.

5:00 – Trail Whisperer flagging new trail out by Boca, finding an old crosscut saw.

7:00 – Working for Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and the Connected Communities project.

10:00 – Ground truthing new trail using a clinometer.

11:30 – The Verdi deer herd and their migratory paths.

13:00 – Brief uninformed history of Truckee – Gray’s Crossing and Coburn Station.

14:00 – Hurricane Hilary drenches southern California and Nevada.

15:00 – Donate to Maui Strong to help people who lost everything in the wildfire.

18:30 – The Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption and its effect on weather in North America.

23:30 – Are Lake Tahoe and Reno going to have an El Nino winter?

24:40 – Nature’s signs of a big winter coming

29:00 – Lake Tahoe and an epidemic of bears getting hit by cars.

31:30 – The brain check – like a chain check, but for tourist brains.

34:00 – Pro Tips – Do you ride your bike dirty or do you wash your mountain bike regularly?

40:00 – The Amish bike aka muscle bike aka push bike vs the ebike aka the Rumspringa

46:00 – Riding Martis in mid-August after 3 inches of rain. ALL TIME CONDITIONS.

48:00 – Pow Bot takes a break from drinking alcohol.

51:45 – The deeply ingrained culture of mountain biking and alcohol consumption.

53:00 – Tyrolian Downhill – originally called the Chinese Downhill.

58:00 – The migration of a gray wolf pack into the southern Sierra Nevada.

1:05:00 – Sendy send of the week goes to Nate Arnold and Keegan Swenson at Leadville.

1:11:00 – Pow Bot skis pow on Mount Elbert on May 5, Mount Hope couloir, A-Basin and Loveland Pass.

1:14:30 – Shout out to Matt Garrett – heal fast!

In Episode 43, Trail Whisperer is on assignment in Breckenridge, Colorado with a special edition of Mind the Track covering the Breck Epic, a six-day mountain bike stage race featuring some of the most amazing high alpine singletrack in North America. But unfortunately, for the first time, the pod is without Pow Bot this week. Avid listener and an old friend of Kurt’s who’s been coming to Breckenridge for 25 years, Adam Mahomed co-hosts this Breck Epic course preview episode where they chat about what to expect over the six days, suffering at high elevation, preparing for unpredictable weather, and getting some inside knowledge on the six stages from local resident James Adamson, who used to be a Tahoe core lord back in the day before moving to Breck in 2018.

After a wild couple of weeks in Lake Tahoe, @pow_bot and @trail_whisperer catch up on their adventures of riding the new Capital to Tahoe trail linking Tahoe Rim Trail to Carson City, a recap of all the festivities and shenanigans of the @downievilleclassic and celebrating the Fourth of July weekend in Lake Tahoe, which also included some unfortunate national media attention around the public trashing of beaches at Zephyr Cove. Trail Whisperer continues to search for a volcanologist to explain the Hunga Tonga eruption and its link to weather, Pow Bot dives deeper into the issues with Palisades Tahoe charging for parking, the lack of public transportation in #laketahoe and #truckee and the need for a shitshow traffic forecaster much like a snow forecaster so people know when the mobs of skiers will be coming to Lake Tahoe. Rate, review and subscribe to #mindthetrackpodcast on Apple and Spotify. Supported by @sendy_app.

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.

Recorded once again in the back of the Toyota SendRadder mobile recording studio on the shores of Donner Lake, @pow_bot and @trail_whisperer shoot the bull with @notjakemann (it’s him he promises) and his upcoming 5 week, 1,300 mile bikepacking mountain bike adventure from Truckee to Port Townsend, Washington. Jake is the founding member of the @truckeebikepackingcollective but he only got into bikepacking three years ago during the height of the COVID pandemic, riding the entire Continental Divide trail from Canada to Mexico after not riding a bike for 10 years. After that trip, Jake was hooked and hasn’t stopped riding. He even quit his job @newmoonnaturalfoods to ride the Divide, only to return with a pay raise and a better title! The boys also talk about PowBot turning 50 years young and getting an ebike, not providing too much information regarding trails and ski zones, whitewater rafting the Truckee River, PowBot’s eastern Sierra ski mission and a lot more! Help support Jake and his effort to raise money for @worldbicyclerelief – donate through the link in his Instagram profile and follow along with him as he makes his way north! Rate, review and subscribe on Apple and Spotify. Supported by @sendy_app - #mindthetrack #mindthetrackpodcast #bikepacking #continentaldivide #bikeadventures

Recorded in the SendRadder, the Toyota Sunrader 4x4 mobile recording studio, @pow_bot and @trail_whisperer were invited to the @camzinkinvitational north of Reno to experience the athlete-only event and interview some core lords involved with it. Our first guest was Ian DeQueiroz (@manawolf), co-founder and CEO of @sendy_app, charter partner of Mind the Track and primary supporter of the Invitational. He tells us the fascinating story of SENDY’s Ukranian software development team building the app in the midst of war with Russia. Ian also traveled solo to Kiev in the middle of war to visit his heroic team and launch the app on time! Then at minute 52 of the episode, we sat down with @hank.wilkins and @iwanaga_damon – the lead builders of all the massive jumps at the Invitational. We learn about their backgrounds as riders and trail builders for @sensusradtrails and the @truckeebikepark , how you build massive jumps for the most talented athletes in the world while also building approachable jumps for the general public and youth. Thanks again to @camzink for letting us be the random gawkers at his property, and thanks to SENDY for supporting the show! Rate, review and subscribe on Apple and Spotify and help spread the word. #mindthetrack #mindthetrackpodcast

Episode 9 is all about #vanlife and being on the road living out of a vehicle. Recorded in the back of Trail Whisperer’s 1990 Toyota Sunrader 4x4 RV, the boys chat with guest Christina Thayer about her 20 years living in a 1976 Volkswagen Westfalia Bus called Buttermilk, her nomadic lifestyle and the endless adventures and occupations she’s had over the years. The best way to describe Christina is “Renaissance Woman”, as her exploits include rock climbing, mountain biking, dirt biking, whitewater rafting, skiing, surfing, logging and working as a trail builder, house builder, van builder, hairstylist, interior designer and chef. A self-professed woman with career ADD, Christina seems to have found her calling as the current Trails Program Coordinator for Washoe County. This episode is a smorgasboard of topics, driven by the fact that Christina has always been nomadic, enabling her to live a fascinating life doing lots of different cool adventures.  

Recorded at the iconic Tunnel Creek Cafe, home of Flume Trail Bikes in Incline Village, Nevada at the site of the Ponderosa Ranch and the old TV Western, Bonanza, Pow Bot and Trail Whisperer celebrate the transition from winter to spring, the arrival of "dual sport" season and awesome bike to ski missions, finding early season hero dirt and late season corn snow wearing flip flops and ski boots. The boys chat about why out-and-back rides are better than loop rides this time of year, recent mountain bike missions to Sea Otter, Pollock Pines and Quincy, California, a "First Descent" on Emerald Chutes after Pow Bot forgot his split board bindings and Trail Whisperer's former life as a Silicon Valley corporate employee and the satirical book he wrote about the experience, "The 5 Habits of Highly Successful Slackers - Because 7 is too Many." The boys also spend a few minutes chatting with one of the new owners of Tunnel Creek Cafe, Evan Roa, and the inevitable crazy stories of tourists frequenting the restaurant. This episode is a cornucopia of random topics!

Turning professional after only her first Enduro race, Amy Morrison is one of America’s top mountain bike talents,  winning the U.S. Elite Enduro National Championship three times. Although she didn’t discover the mountain bike until adulthood, Amy grew up waterski racing and jumping internationally (and barefoot!), as well as competing at the national level in swimming and diving, and holding a state track and field record as a pole vaulter before competing at the varsity level at Clemson University. Her combination of athleticism, determination and not being afraid to crash is what helped her climb the ranks so fast in mountain biking. That and knowing how to balance the seriousness of training with the joy of simply having fun on bikes. Fresh off a 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place at the Sea Otter Classic in the Pro Enduro, Downhill and Dual Slalom (and days after speaking with us she won the TDS Enduro), Amy sat down with us in her Carson City home to talk trails, mountain bikes, skiing, mentorship and balancing her racing career with being a teacher at Dayton High School while starting the mountain bike club to get more kids on bikes.

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.

2:50 – Pow Bot enthralled with the Golden Hour and sunsets, enjoying the cooler weather after a record breaking heatwave.

4:45 – Trail Whisperer is not motivated to ride his mountain bike because of hot and dry and blown out the trails have been.

7:30 – Pow Bot thumbs a ride at Emerald Bay and got picked up by a county sheriff, and Trail Whisperer shares his story of being interrogated in the back of a police car.

10:30 – Bears in Lake Tahoe and Sierra County are out of control, breaking into homes, schools and peoples’ cars, leading Sierra County Sheriff’s Department to euthanize several bears.

13:40 – 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris kicks off – the mountain bike course is lame, Teahupo’o is the surf venue, one of the greatest and most dangerous places on the planet to surf.

18:45 – Fire season is in full swing in the Sierra Nevada – Gold Complex Fire in Portola and Park Fire in Chico are two big ones.

24:45 – Shout out to Zeke Lunder of The-Lookout.com – a great fire info resource.

28:15 – Climbers, mountaineers, skiers bodies are being found in melting glaciers after being missing for decades.

31:00 – Two horses die during the Tevis Cup event on Western States Trail.

34:20 – Ebike banter. Buying an SL eMTB versus full power eMTB. The long-term health of riding an ebike versus the peaks and valleys of spiking your heartrate on a mountain bike.

42:10 – Type 1-3 Fun comes from the Dirtbag Diaries.

44:45 – COR LORD Call-in Hotline – Superfan #1 - Scott Kessler and Gordo

48:15 – Trail Whisperer watching a documentary on the history of the Grateful Dead, and how they have always controlled their content and media.

51:00 – Modern social media, Meta controls everything. Trying to make a direct line of communication with your followers and cut out the third party like Meta.

55:00 – Chas Smith – Welcome to Paradise Now go to Hell – Cocaine and Surfing – getting shut down by Meta after a satirical story about a cocaine shark.

59:00 – Trail Whisperer was in the Toiyabe Range of central Nevada for an entire week with no cell service working on the Toiyabe Crest Trail.

1:08:00 – Pow Bot’s crazy sailing adventure on Lake Tahoe with John Morrison.

1:20:30 – NEW BIKE DAY for Trail Whisperer – Santa Cruz Bronson

1:27:00 – Pow Bot made a heartwarming Instagram reel tribute to Carson, his dog.

1:31:50 – Downieville Classic Recap and riding moto in Downieville. Lost Sierra Endurance Race – a running race in Downieville on a Saturday.

1:50:00 – Pow Bot has been getting into hiking, Hike Bot. Seeing terrain he skis in the winter in the summer and how different it looks.

1:59:00 – What’s coming up the next couple weeks? Trail Whisperer goes to Breck Epic and ebiking the Rubicon Trail.

Recorded in the beautiful wine cellar of Dawn and Bryan Bertsch in Tahoe Vista, Episode #6 profiles legendary winemaker and core lord shredder of pow and loam, Duncan Arnot Meyers (@duncanarnot). That’s right, a ripping skier, snowboarder and mountain biker who makes and drinks fine wine! Duncan’s wine brand Arnot-Roberts (arnotroberts.com), is world renown, and his story of growing up as kid in Napa Valley exploring the region on bicycles and its connection to winemaking is fascinating. Duncan also dives into the recent privatization of Homewood Resort and its concerning future as the Yellowstone Club of Lake Tahoe, he documents the hilarious origin story of Tom’s nickname PowBot, their adventures at Ice Creek Lodge in British Columbia, his sister Vanessa Hauswald and her efforts running the NorCal MTB League getting thousands of kids on bikes, shifting priorities as an athlete turning 50 years old and what “Mind the Track” means to Duncan. PowBot and Trail Whisperer also talk about their recent trip to the Toiyabe Range of central Nevada and the great snowmelt of 2023.

As the most decorated American male ski racer in history, Red Bull athlete and local legend Daron Rahlves know how to send two sticks downhill. But as Daron approaches 50 years old, he is finding more enjoyment in putting his mind in the track, going deep in the backcountry, skiing with his son Drey in Alaska and his dog Zoe in the backyard, appreciating the beauty and incredible terrain of the Lake Tahoe region. Daron also recalls two of his top ten days ever skiing in the backcountry were with PowBot, one big day in Desolation Wilderness, and the other unknowingly racing PowBot to the bottom of Bear Scratch. It was a tie.

Trail Whisperer’s next door neighbor in Verdi, Sam Hamilton, is a man of many interests from skiing and skateboarding to surfing, whitewater kayaking, rafting and mountain biking. Sam is a full-time ski guide for High Sierra Snowcat and Palisades Tahoe in the winter and is a professional photographer (samhamiltonphoto.com). Sam joins us to talk about ski guiding, being the parent his teenage ski racing daughter, skate parks in southern California, the upcoming kayak season, massive avalanches and what minding the track means to him.

The last couple weeks in the Lake Tahoe region have been historic, adding to an already crazy winter, this episode is all about SNOWMAGEDDON and the mayhem of relentless storms. Scott Kessler, owner of Truckee Overhead Door, has lived in Tahoe since 1976 and has seen a lot of big winters here. Scott declares 2023 to be a “1 in 50 winter”, so we sat down in his Hirschdale workshop and talked about the shovel quiver, snowmobiles, Telemark skiing, the early days of Squaw Valley, the Alpine Meadows avalanche of 1982, snow loaded roofs, minimizing property damage, snow removal and playing in the best quality snow we’ve ever seen in Tahoe. 

The very first guest on Mind the Track is none other than Truckee core lord Matt Chappell, co-founder of orbitaldesignlab.com and truckeedirtunion.org. Recorded at the historic Gray’s Cabin in downtown Truckee, Matt shares some town history while we discuss a potpourri of topics from the Ag Check station to corn snow on Eureka Peak to longboard racing in Johnsville, to skier hitchhiking to ghosts in the attic.

Adventure begins where certainty ends. In this inaugural episode of Mind the Track recorded at PowBot’s family “cabin” in Tahoe Donner (pardon the mic bumps!), PowBot and Trail Whisperer dive into the meaning behind the show’s title, why they decided to start a podcast and where they plan to go with the show.

In a shift away from skis and bikes, Episode 41 profiles two Truckee trail running core lords, Jenelle Potvin and Steve Martelli and their passion for ultra distance running events like the Western States Endurance Run. Just like Western States itself, this episode covers a lot of ground from how the couple had their first date on a seven hour trail run, to the history of the Western States trail, to preparing for a 100 mile adventure on foot with the support of an incredible trail running community. Steve also shares his emotional story of spiral fracturing his femur at mile 70 in the 2023 event after a nine year journey to be accepted into Western States. The boys also chat about the historic July heatwave hitting Lake Tahoe, the Reno Rodeo, listener shout outs and a tribute to PowBot and his wife’s dog Carson who recently passed after nearly 15 years of putting his paws in the track.

2:30 – Historic July heat wave hits Lake Tahoe and Reno just after the summer solstice.

5:00 – Kurt went on a multi-day rafting trip to the Deschutes River in Oregon.

6:40 – The joys of trail running – simplicity, no gear required. Just go running.

9:50 – Truckee Dirt Union rallies a crew for the Truckee 4th of July parade.

11:30 – Building trails for everybody. Including all user groups into trails and not discriminating against trail users.

13:50 – Listener shout outs – JT Robinson, Alex Horgan, Rob McCormick, Nate Melen.

17:00 – Trail Whisperer and Burning Man

19:00 – Rainbow Gathering disaster in Plumas National Forest.

22:00 – The Sphere in Las Vegas.

23:00 – Trail Whisperer recommends Reno Rodeo – The Wildest and Richest Rodeo in the West.

25:10 – PowBot and his wife say goodbye to their dog Carson.

28:47 – Introducing Jenelle Potvin and Steve Martelli – hardcore trail runners.

41:00 – How do you go from a 10 mile run to doing a 50 mile trail run?

43:30 – When Steve and Jenelle met – on the trail running Western States trail.

48:00 – What does it take to be a pacer in a running event?

53:45 – How do you stay cool in 100+ degree temperatures during Western States Endurance Run?

57:45 – The history of the Western States trail and the Tevis Cup horse race.

1:06:00 – Western States race in big snow years when the course gets rerouted.

1:09:40 – How do you qualify and get accepted into the Western States Endurance Run?

1:13:40 – How do you run a 100 mile event when your longest run has only been 30 miles?

1:18:15 – There are six sections to the Western States trail – The Canyons break the most people.

1:20:50 – Steve’s story of running the 2023 Western States event and spiral fracturing his femur at mile 70.

2:00:40 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

In the world of big wall climbing and wingsuit BASE jumping, @chris_mcnamara was a leader and innovator, claiming the first wingsuit BASE jump of the Grand Canyon (where he almost died twice in the same jump) and one of the youngest people to ever climb the West Face of El Capitan. As the founder of Supertopo, which evolved into GearLab, McNamara’s interests also evolved beyond climbing and the dangers of BASE jumping. It was when he moved to Lake Tahoe over a decade ago and discovered trails, mountain biking and specifically TAMBA, where he found his new passion. Always the dopamine-fueled thinker and dreamer obsessed with first ascents, “BushwhackNamara” immediately started asking “what if”? What if there was a mountain bike singletrack around Lake Tahoe? What if there was a trail from Susanville to Mammoth called Sierra Camino? What if there was a mountain bike trail from Canada to Cabo called Orogenesis? The dopamine was flooding his brain with possibilities, and a decade later, Chris and his wife Tor have been instrumental in funding the trails renaissance happening in Lake Tahoe.

2:00 – Recording in the Toyota Sunrader RV up on top of Monitor Pass off Highway 89.

3:30 – Introducing Chris McNamara, legendary big wall climber and early wing suit BASE jump pioneer and now a big trails advocate.

7:00 – Chris and his obsession with long distance trails, and the Orogenesis Trail, a trail from Canada to Cabo, as well as the Sierra Camino.

10:00 – The dopamine fix associated with thinking and ideas. A book – Molecule and More talks all about. Dopamine is about novelty and surprise.

13:00 – UNPACK THE BAG – The Downieville fatal bear attack story made international news.

18:00 – PowBot is no longer using Squaw anymore in reference to Palisades Tahoe.

23:00 – Truckee Dirt Union Loam Masters Party

24:50 – 1 (888) COR-LORD Listener Hotline – 267-5673 - Call in and leave us a message!

30:00 – Smashing rear wheels, trail tools and hip mounted hand saws

34:00 – SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE CLEARING TRAILS!

35:45 – Shout out to Eric Ramin at Brewer’s Cabinet for hosting Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and to Chris’ company GearLab.

36:30 – June is now officially Mountain Biking Month state of California thanks to the efforts of CAMTB. Similar to the Access Fund in the climbing world.

39:00 – Hero dirt in Verdi. Could it be Hunga Tonga?

41:45 – What is Petrichor? The earthy scent of dry soil after a wetting rain.

45:00 – The history of GearLab as a company, by way of Supertopo and rock climbing guide books.

56:30 – How did Chris find South Lake Tahoe?

1:01:50 – Parallels between the cultures of rock climbing and mountain biking. The Camp 4 Education. Learning about how little you can spend and still be happy.

1:16:00 – Chris believes singletrack trail is one of the greatest returns on investment ever.

1:18:00 – Finding trails after being a climber, wingsuit BASE jumper and paraglider.

1:23:00 – Dreaming up the Sierra Camino, the Orogenesis Trail and meeting Gabe Tiller, starting with riding mountain bike legal singletrack all the way around Lake Tahoe.

1:25:45 – Riding the Charity Valley Trail from Hope Valley to Markleeville. Working with Alpine Trails Association on dreaming up connections.

1:37:50 – The challenge of federally designated Wilderness and figuring out how to route trail around Wilderness areas for legal mountain bike use.

1:40:00 – Fundamentalist views that are driving Wilderness policies, banning mountain bikes and dividing recreationists who all want the same thing.

1:52:00 – Charity Valley trail is a recent mountain bike discovery that is destined to be legendary in another 10 years.

2:00:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

In Episode 39, the boys sit down with @fresh_hamm , the founder of @truckeebikenight and Tahoe’s favorite underground mountain bike adventure rides, Giro di Stammina. Since he was tall enough to ride, Fred’s life has revolved around bicycles, taking his Dad’s fancy road bikes for long rides as a teenager with nothing more than some paper maps, a few quarters (for the pay phone) and a desire to get lost and find himself again. After being exposed to the devoted cycling community while attending Caly Poly in San Luis Obispo, Fred was inspired to bring similar community gatherings on bikes to Truckee, including Truckee Bike Night (first Thursday of each month) and Giro Di Stammina. The boys also discuss the confirmed first fatal bear attack on a human in California history, which happened in Downieville last fall, and a recap to the 2023-24 winter.

2:00 – The seasons have flipped, no more skiing, it’s all about bikes.

3:00 – Trail Whisperer has been hiking and flagging new proposed trails in the Peavine Maze area north of Verdi.

6:50 – Pow Bot turns 51 and Trail Whisperer turns 47.

8:30 – Introducing Fred Stamm – Founder of Truckee Bike Night.

11:30 – Has mountain biking gone too far? Red Bull Hard Line – a canyon gap too far.

14:10 – The first documented fatal attack by a black bear on a human in California history confirmed in Downieville. Shout out to the Mountain Messenger newspaper.

24:00 – Two brothers attacked by a mountain lion in Georgetown, California while hunting for antler sheds, one of the brothers died.

25:40 – Bears in Lake Tahoe are reportedly diabetic because of all the sugar they eat.

29:50 – Pow Bot shout out – been loving the listener reviews. Crash Davis and Rachel Davis – big fans of the pod. We need to turn our volume up.

32:50 – PUBLIC NOTICE: Jackass Ridge is closing for the entire summer on June 10. Please do not ride the trails on Jackass Ridge including Donkey Town.

36:10 – Ski season is officially over. Recapping the season. Pow Bot’s takeaway: He’s not going to buy an Epic or Ikon Pass next year. Would you get Mount Rose or Sugar Bowl?

41:30 – All about Fred Stamm and bicycles. The story of Fred and Kurt racing each other in the Santa Cruz Criterium in 2004, the first time they met each other.

48:00 – Fred is the unofficial mayor of Truckee when it comes to bikes and good times.

49:30 – As a kid, Fred started riding his Dad’s road bikes and riding long distances.

56:50 – Fred attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo for college, studying engineering.

58:00 – The inspiration for Truckee Bike Night came from Bike Night in SLO, every first Thursday of each month.

1:02:00 – Truckee Bike Night has as many as 300 people show up on bikes.

1:06:20 – All about the Giro di Stammina – also inspired by the Giro di SLO.

1:09:00 – The Giro di Stammina gravel ride out by the ghost town of Bodie, California.

1:17:00 – Where does the inspiration for putting on community bike rides come from?

1:22:00 – Stammina on Castle Peak, on the Toiyabe Crest Trail and in Pinecrest.

1:23:20 – Fred’s day job is working for Placer County as a civil engineer.

1:26:50 – Riding Pinecrest and the terrifying drive over Sonora Pass Highway 108.

1:32:00 – Riding dirt bikes in Kingston, Nevada in the Memorial Day ride with Battleborn Adventures.

1:37:00 – Truckee Bike Night starts and finishes at RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground) on Donner Pass Road.

1:43:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

“Where have all the goofy people gone?” – asked @trail_whisperer to Episode 38 guest, Taylor Carlton. As a lifelong snowboarder who emigrated to Truckee from Michigan in 2005 after almost moving to Colorado, Carlton has witnessed the changes in Truckee firsthand working as a real estate agent through the wild times of COVID when “everyone bought everything”. Most of Truckee’s new residents bring a more serious and competitive personality, displacing many of the core lord, ski bum types who never took themselves too seriously, just like Carlton. Despite this changing of local culture, Carlton holds on to his goofy snowboarder roots, chief among them is being the co-founder and ringleader of the Rally for Rocker backcountry slalom competition-slash-party held every April on Donner Summit, a fundraiser for the future Rocker Memorial Skate Park; an event he was mistakenly arrested for by federal law enforcement in its second year, one of many funny stories Carlton shares with listeners.

2:00 – Introducing Taylor Carlton, organizer of Rally for Rocker.

6:00 – The story of skiing into Frog Lake Huts during the tail end of a big storm.

12:00 – How did Taylor end up in Tahoe coming from Michigan?

15:30 – Michigan has roots in snowboarding – the Snurfer, Jake Burton, Brett Kobernick

19:30 – The transition from park and slopestyle riding to backcountry snowboarding

21:00 – The insane progression of snowboarding and crazy tricks in events like XGames

22:00 – Athleticism, relatability and inspiration. Crazy tricks are not relatable to the average rider.

25:00 – Warp Wave film era – Aurora Boardealis and A Place Called Kookabunga – Gray Thompson and Eric Messier.

30:00 – Truckee since COVID – Taylor’s perspective as a real estate agent in Truckee and the seriousness of new residents.

36:00 – The insanity of the real estate market in Truckee during COVID – Everybody bought everything.

40:50 – Taylor’s roof on his house had an ice dam and it turned into a leak that destroyed part of his house with water damage.

47:00 – Jeff Brown of Tahoe Mountain Realty – did an analysis about value of Tahoe homes compared to other mountain towns across the list – maybe Truckee was extremely undervalued.

52:30 – May 5th Snowstorm – Craziness at Palisades Tahoe – mayhem in the parking lot.

57:30 – Witnessing backcountry skiers in steep terrain with no avalanche safety gear.

59:45 – All about Rally for Rocker, in memory of Steve “Rocker” Anderson.

1:05:00 – Taylor’s story about getting arrested by U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement.

1:12:00 – Story of Mike D, flying his airplane over the event and dropping money.

1:19:20 – Why does Truckee need another skate park? The one Truckee has is incredibly dangerous. Shout out to Colin Robinson for planning Rocker Memorial Skate Park.

1:23:00 – Donate to Rocker Memorial Skate Park – rockermemorialskatepark.org

1:26:15 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

1:30:00 – Find Taylor Carlton – tahoemountainrealty.com - @shadtothebone

In Episode 37, the boys catch up after a very special Cinco de Mayo, blessed with a late season snowstorm that dumped some of the best winter pow of the year. Pow Bot shares his manifesto of the backcountry, The 10 Shredmandments – 10 rules of etiquette that every traveler in the backcountry should abide to minimize impact and be a responsible pow-shredding human. Banter and ASS (Angry Singlespeeder) rants are copious in this episode, covering a variety of topics like the love and hate for wind, the overwhelming hate of horse poop on trails, 10 things Europeans hate about American ski resorts, the dangers of traveling to Baja, the travails of the post office and listener shout outs (thanks @terrainadvco for the rad swag!). And thanks to everyone who’s been leaving positive rating and reviews. Please support the cause, press pause, and leave us a rating and review to help get Mind the Track in the ears of more core lords like yourself.

1:30 – Skiing Cinco de Mayo POW – Snowiest single day of the 2023/24 Winter season.

4:00 – Celebrating 4/20 and hopefully our listeners had a celebratory toke.

6:45 – Cam Zink Invitational – challenges due to wind.

9:00 – Do you like wind or do you hate wind? Pow Bot loves wind – surfing slopping Lake Michigan. Trail Whisperer hates wind having grown up as a cyclist. Wind creates huge wildfires, avalanches and falling trees in the forest.

12:30 – Pow Bot’s story of ecology, forest fires and falling trees due to wind.

17:15 – North American avalanche fatality report – total number of avalanche fatalities were way down – only 13.

20:10 – Transition back to mountain biking – Trail Whisperer has been hiking new moto trail alignments in the Peavine Maze area for the Nevada OHV planning project.

22:00 – Trail report: Armstrong connector, Corral Trail in South Lake are open. Jackass Ridge in Truckee is open.

23:00 – New issue of Tahoe Quarterly is out – two articles written by Kurt Gensheimer.

24:00 – Riding ebikes and rock crawling on the Rubicon Trail.

27:45 – Listener shout outs: Brad Hisgen – Explaining backcountry etiquette.

28:45 – Fostering etiquette and ethos in the backcountry - The 10 Shredmandments

31:20 – Rule #1 – Don’t park like a kook. Be considerate when parking your car at the trailhead.

32:50 – Rule #2 – Group size matters. At the most, 4 people. Big groups are for guided hut trips. And consider leaving your dog at home.

36:00 – Rule #3 – Shred within your ability and go with people who are all the same ability.  

37:10 – Rule #4 – Mind the skin track. Stay on the established routes. Don’t set a wonky skin line if you don’t know how to do it properly.

39:10 – Rule #5 (or #6?) – Don’t be a bad bogey. Don’t follow up on another group ahead of you in a line. For example, if someone else is booting up Terminal Cancer, you’re too late. Go somewhere else.

41:50 – Rule #7 – Ski the fall line. Go straight down. No traversing across a slope. SFD = straight fucking down. Learn to landmark ski.

45:50 – Rule #8 – Be a good mentor. Set the example for others and help them do it right. Mentorship is contagious.

47:00 – Rule #9 – The social delay rule – Protect the spot when it’s firing. It’s not ok to ride a secret spot in prime conditions, then immediately post about it on social media. Wait until the cycle is over before posting about it.

50:45 – Rule #10 – Don’t be a dick and other shenanigans – backpack speakers, dog crap in the skin track, don’t litter. Buy the skin track setter a beer.

54:55 – Shout out to Christian from Terrain Adventure Co - @terrainadvco

55:50 – Shout out to Gordo Clute – he recommended that we get bestselling author Steven Kotler on the show to talk about flow state.

57:00 – People have been leaving great reviews, thank you!

58:20 – Shout out to Andrew Cobourn – Carson Valley Trails Alliance social post saying its ok for horses to poop on the trail. There was public backlash. Leaving horse poop on a trail violates The Golden Rule – don’t be a dick.

1:02:00 – 10 Things Europeans hate about American ski resorts

1:05:00 – US Postal Service planning to close Reno mail processing facility and moving all Reno mail to Sacramento for processing.

1:11:20 – Two Australian and one American surfers recently murdered near Ensenada, Baja California. Is it safe to go to Baja anymore?

1:21:00 – Future guests: Amie Engerbretson – Protect Our Winters. The POW film “The Hypocrite”. The impact of living and recreating on planet Earth.

Two weeks into his Powder Highway road trip, PowBot calls in from Revelstoke, British Columbia to chat about life on the road in the new van, the differences between the U.S. and Canada when it comes to snow and ski culture, hiring a ski guide in Whistler to go big in the Blackcomb backcountry and interviewing “Trailhead Tim” Gibson, who PowBot met at the trailhead and suddenly became his backcountry partner in bagging the Aussie Couloir in Joffre Lakes Provincial Park. Also, the boys Dope or Derp snow stake cams, backcountry skiing solo, the magnetic Snow Strip product and reggae music.

3:00 – Catching up with PowBot on his road trip to the Powder Highway of Canada, calling from the Revelstoke Rec Center parking lot.

8:30 – Trail Whisperer in Downieville.

10:00 – Avalanche Canada is saying “it’s time to consider getting into bigger terrain” – it’s GO TIME in the alpine! Favorable clear high pressure weather all week.

13:00 – Pow Bot’s road trip so far – Mount Bachelor, Stevens Pass, Whistler, Duffey Lakes.

18:45 – Vail Resorts is having a PR nightmare. Youtube Peak Rankings financial breakdown of Vail Resorts. Park City Mountain Resort Ski Patrol is on strike and Vail wouldn’t give them a $2/hr pay raise.

21:40 – PowBot arrives in Whistler/Blackcomb and stays at Riverside RV park. PowBot hires a ski guide from Altus Mountain Guides, Tim Ross, to take him touring off the Blackcomb glaciers.

25:00 – How does Canada differ from United States when it comes to skiing culture?

28:35 – What is Pow Bot’s boondock overnight parking plan?

29:30 – Parking and skiing at Joffre Lakes area, a Canadian Provincial Park. PowBot helped unstuck the local plow truck driver, Danny, a backcountry skier who plows the lots for skiers.

33:00 – PowBot meets Trailhead Tim and skis the Aussie Couloir with him.

37:55 – How do you know when you meet a stranger that they will be a good ski partner?

39:35 – Dope or Derp? Skiing solo. PowBot skied the Seven Steps to Paradise on Rogers Pass by himself and it was the dopest tour of his life.

49:24 – In order to ski parts of Rogers Pass you have to take a backcountry travel test.

52:45 – New iPhones have a text to satellite feature, eliminating the need to have something like a Spot or Garmin InReach.

54:45 – Dope or Derp? The Snowstrip - A magnetic rack that goes on the side of your vehicle so your skis/board doesn’t fall and hit the ground.

57:55 – Dope or Derp? Reggae Music – Tom’s been listening to a bunch of reggae. Stick Figure, Arise Roots, John Brown’s Body and 10 Foot Ganja Plant. David Lee Scales and Chaz Smith of The Grit podcast think reggae is derp. Bob Marley is The Legend for a reason.

1:04:55 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – Ross – listener recommending Tycho and Khruangbin.

1:09:20 – Dope or Derp? – a listener Derek wants to know what’s up with snow stake cams.

1:16:25 – Last Saturday, tail end of the holiday, one of the busiest days of skiing in Tahoe ever due to the snow stake cam.

1:20:25 – The sleeper pow days are the best days – the snow stake cam isn’t always accurate.

1:21:40 – PowBot recorded a conversation with Trailhead Tim after their adventure on Aussie Couloir and the concept of “risk shaming”.

1:30:50 – A conversation with Tim Gibson at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park – living van life and skiing in Canada.

1:36:20 – Quitting the corporate life, retiring and living the ski bum van life full time.

1:40:45 – Partnering up with Tim to ski Joffre Peak and Aussie Couloir.

1:48:24 – Moved to Chile in 2004 and got into backcountry skiing, fully self-taught through trial and error. Close calls with cornices, glaciers and crevasses.

1:54:00 – The American ski culture of not reporting avalanche accidents, opposite from Canada. The concept of “risk shaming” and how risky behavior is frowned upon in skiing in the US.

1:59:00 – Living in Seattle and skiing in Washington state – Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Snoqualmie Pass.

2:07:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

In the final episode of 2024, the boys catch up on a variety of topics just before PowBot hits the road for a month-long ski adventure on the Powder Highway of Canada, including Trail Whisperer’s story of driving the Powder Highway right as COVID hit in early 2020. The new snow reporter, Al Powcino, makes his debut with a wet and soggy forecast, Trail Whisperer presents the most compelling evidence yet that the Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption is linked to the last two years of record-breaking global warming, the boys discuss the 2024 word of the year, “Brain Rot”, and Trail Whisperer recounts his recent visit to San Diego chasing the massive surf swell. Pepper in a few Dope or Derps and 2024 is complete. Thanks to all our listeners for an awesome second season of Mind the Track!

3:00 – Artificial Intelligence and snow forecasting.

5:50 – Christmas Day – Pow Day at Sugar Bowl, death cookies at Mount Rose and holiday traffic.

8:20 – PowBot gets Trail Whisperer a Christmas gift – a bicycling book from Japan.

11:00 – Dope or Derp? eSkimo – the ebike of backcountry skiing.

15:50 – Dope or Derp? Christmas gifts and Christmas trees.

21:10 – Sam and Trail Whisperer went to San Diego before Christmas to surf the big swell.

27:30 – PowBot is about to embark on a road trip to the Powder Highway of Canada and going to the Meadow Hut with Golden Alpine Holidays.

29:25 – Driving the Powder Highway, Trans-Canada Highway, Revelstoke, Kelowna, Golden.

32:45 – Revelstoke and Kicking Horse – awesome mountains but no chairlift infrastructure.

35:10 – Crystal Mountain in Washington.

36:00 – Chairlift evacuation malfunctions at Heavenly, Telluride, Winter Park and France. What’s the longest you’ve ever spent on a broken chairlift?

41:00 – Golden Alpine Holidays and Meadow Hut in the Esplanade Range north of Golden.

42:00 – Banff National Park – Amazing winter campground with 110V power and heated showers.

44:10 – Dope or Derp? Driving and passing someone on a double yellow.

48:20 – Oxford University Press Word of the Year – “Brain Rot”.

50:15 – The Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption and it’s effect on recent climate change. Scientists are beginning to acknowledge its effects on the suddenly warming climate.

52:10 – Dr. Javier Vinos – author of Climate of the Past, Present and Future, a Scientific Debate, summarizes Hunga Tonga’s effect on the rapid warming of the climate.

58:10 – Mind the Track introduces the new Powderiffic Snow Report correspondent – Al Powcino!

1:02:30 – Low tide snow conditions in Tahoe and Shasta Avalanche Center employees rescue a lost and frozen duck at 10,000 feet elevation and released it at a creek in town.

1:05:00 – News – EXPLORE Act passed by Congress – legislation focused on improving outdoor recreation access, including BOLT Act - Bicycling on Long Distance Trails.

1:08:50 – Outdoor recreation is a $1.2 trillion industry supporting 5 million jobs in the U.S.

1:10:30 – Toyota takes every spot in vehicles most likely to last 250,000 miles or more, including the Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner and Highlander Hybrid.

1:13:35 – New study shows staggering number of spinal cord injuries with mountain bikers.

1:15:20 – Hoot Trail in Nevada City – continued drama about its future.

1:23:25 – Trail Whisperer’s story about driving the Powder Highway at the beginning of COVID.

1:29:40 – On a musical note - @facemelts – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, The Osees, Queens of the Stone Age, Screaming Trees, Mark Lanegan.

1:35:45 – Do you listen to music when you ski or ride your bike?

1:39:30 – Thanks to all our listeners for an awesome 2024. Growing fast!

In the last couple years of record-breaking snowfalls, budget shortfalls, staffing shortages and lack of affordable housing for CalTrans road crew workers, plowed parking areas for backcountry access are no longer a given. The Tahoe Backcountry Alliance is working with community leaders to help address these issues, focused on expanding winter access for all non-motorized users. Since 2015, TBA has expanded access for motorized and non-motorized use in Johnson Canyon, created a plowed parking lot on the west end of Donner Lake, is about to open a new lot for Tallac access and created a free SnoPark pass system for local residents. We sit down with TBA Executive Director Anthony Cupaiuolo to chat about the importance of access for winter recreation in and around Lake Tahoe, the ongoing parking issues on the West Shore, its impacts on the local recreation economy and what the protocol is for backcountry users when parking areas haven’t been plowed.

3:00 – PowBot rides a legit snowmobile for the first time and actually liked it.

5:00 – Bumping into the Tahoe backcountry legend Otto on the skintrack in Ward Canyon.

7:00 – Palisades Tahoe can’t manage to get their mountain open…again.

7:45 – On a Musical Note: Trail Whisperer is loving listening to The Black Keys and The White Stripes and Pow Bot is watching No Good Deed.

10:15 – Listener shout outs and Dope or Derp? Subaru Crosstrek

17:00 – Introducing Anthony Cupaiuolo of Tahoe Backcountry Alliance and First Tracks Productions.

22:00 – Backcountry “carpooling” with three people using one snowmobile and PowBot’s skijouring harness.

24:50 – Blowing up the secret spots. Cody Townsend’s new The 50+ episode about the West Shore of Lake Tahoe.

26:50 – Anthony got invited by Sierra Academy to the Hutchinson Lodge at Donner Summit for a photo and video presentation to kids about skiing.

28:30 – Mount Rose aka Mount Surprise and skiing the Bronco Chutes near Relay Peak.

33:20 – Anthony featured in a short film about Mount Rose called “A Rose for All”, and the importance of public access to the outdoors in Mount Rose Meadows.

40:00 – Collaborating with Lake Tahoe Snowmobilers on safety and awareness and gaining access in Johnson Canyon thanks to help from Truckee Donner Land Trust.

43:20 – Brief history of the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance – came to be when parking was going to be eliminated for the Jake’s Peak area on the West Shore in 2015.

48:30 – Issues on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe – lack of plowing and challenges with CalTrans plow crews can have a negative impact on the local tourism economy when plowing isn’t done.

57:00 – The etiquette of parking in a snow storm before an area has been plowed and cleared.

1:04:50 – When did Anthony get involved with Tahoe Backcountry Alliance?

1:06:50 – The Lake Run parking lot success story at the west side of Donner Lake.

1:11:30 – TBA founded a recreation-specific, grant-funded micro transit program to help alleviate trailhead traffic and raise awareness around the need for Lake Tahoe public transit.

1:17:40 – The California State Parks SnoPark system – is it working? Meiss Meadows parking to access into Kirkwood when Highway 88 closes.

1:24:40 – The headwaters of the Truckee River is Meiss Meadows, and the Meiss hut was the cabin Snowshoe Thompson used in the 1860s. Floating the Upper Truckee River in South Lake.

1:27:50 – All about the challenges of Mount Tallac parking in Spring Creek and the new parking lot for Tallac access.

1:38:15 – How do people get involved and support Tahoe Backcountry Alliance? Donate at tahoebackcountryalliance.org.

1:44:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

1:52:45 – Pow Bot Scraper – the first Mind the Track swag coming soon!

Pull up any social media feed on big line skiing and there’s a good chance you’ll see Molly Armanino stomping a serious cliff drop. There’s also a good chance you’ll see her tomahawking. In her rookie year on the 2023 Freeride World Tour, Molly’s checkers or wreckers approach – skiing lines no other woman dare ski – landed her a 2nd place finish. Perfecting her art of the send at Kirkwood amidst its treacherous volcanic “death rocks”, Molly’s fearless approach has inspired all skiers, regardless of gender. Equally inspiring is Molly’s perseverance in the face of unimaginable loss, opening up about the accident that took her brother Sam’s life just as she was finding closure after losing her best friend in a car accident. Molly talks about the therapeutic healing the outdoors brings her and also shares the story of losing her big toe to frostbite while skiing in Montana. Lots of laughs mixed with heavy emotion in this episode. See an advance screening of her first feature film, “Slopes of Change”, at 8PM on December 19 at Alibi Ale Works in Truckee!

2:30 – Recording this week at Gear Lab in South Lake Tahoe amidst dry weather and no snow.

5:30 – Riding brown pow on Harmony Ridge and Hoot Trail in Nevada City. Shared use trails versus segregated use trails.

8:00 – Dope or Derp? Collectibles like baseball cards, Garbage Pail Kids and wine.

20:45 – Print magazines to subscribe to – Nicholas on Insta – Mountain Gazette.

21:50 – Dope or Derp? Giving up on skiing in the winter when weather isn’t delivering.

25:10 – Introducing Molly Armanino – South Lake Tahoe core lord skier and her film Slopes of Change.

31:15 – Molly Armanino talks about her new hat, turkey feathers found on the family property and feeding wild animals.

35:15 – Molly’s upbringing in Sutter Creek and Placerville and hated skiing as a kid.

38:00 – Skiing at Kirkwood, its “death rocks” and the core underground vibe it’s kept despite being a Vail-owned resort. Home of Squid and Friends, Sam Armanino’s creation.

47:30 – Being good at tomahawking and training to tomahawk down the mountain.

48:40 – Getting into backcountry skiing after always being a resort skier.

50:30 – Missing the shot on the big line when being filmed.

54:05 – What’s more pressure – skiing for a film shoot or Freeride World Tour?

56:30 – Molly’s backcountry mentor McKenna Peterson and developing a close relationship.

1:03:45 – Pushing yourself and pushing the sport even if you risk serious injury and getting hurt.

1:11:30 – Getting into the Freeride World Tour.

1:14:00 – Molly losing her big toe to frostbite during an excursion in Cooke City, Montana and then getting 2ndin her rookie year on the Freeride World Tour.

1:22:50 – She seems to have Raynaud’s Syndrome now after getting frostbite, using boot warmers and glove warmers and dressing the core warmer to prevent Raynaud’s.

1:30:00 – Exploring and skiing the Eastern Sierra Nevada.

1:36:10 – PowBot and Molly going on a big backcountry mission in Desolation Wilderness during the early days of COVID after the loss of PowBot’s dad and how big missions help with coping.

1:42:30 – Being distracted by being hyper focused on a mission as a tool for coping with loss.

1:45:30 – Molly opening up about the loss of her brother Sam and a tragic car accident she was involved in with one of her best friends who didn’t survive.

1:53:10 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

1:55:00 – December 19 in Truckee at Alibi Aleworks – Go see Slopes of Change!