Mind the Track

Ten years ago, Kurt the Trail Whisperer and four friends rode the 32-mile non-Wilderness portion of the Toiyabe Crest Trail, the longest trail in Nevada, about 30 miles south of Austin and Highway 50. The 13-hour adventure was ripe with bushwhacking and overgrown trail that hadn’t seen maintenance in 40 years. After the adventure, Kurt thought to himself if the TCT was maintained, it could be one of the greatest mountain bike epics in the country, so he bought himself a reciprocating saw and got to work in 2018. Eight years later, after thousands of hours of labor with friends cutting 32 miles of brush, the TCT is clear from Ophir Pass to Kingston Canyon. Last weekend, Kurt, Pow Bot and a cast of friends including Chad Kelly and Dean Kemp from @battlebornadventures shuttled to Ophir Pass to celebrate the achievement by riding the 32-mile maintained stretch of the TCT. It was a historic ride, reaping all the benefits after eight years of labor. Because of its high elevation, staying in the alpine between 7,500 and 10,500 feet, Pow Bot considers the TCT one of North America’s greatest mountain bike epics, calling it the closest thing to a long-distance, point-to-point ski traverse you can do on a bike. In Episode 91, the boys recap an unforgettable weekend spent in the remote wilds of Nevada, and dream about what’s next for this iconic landscape few humans ever set foot on.

2:35 – Introducing Guillermo – the new canine co-host of Mind the Track
9:45 – It’s July and it rained hard in Tahoe. Super El Nino is living up to the hype
13:50 – All three of the 10% off CORE LORD new bike discounts at Start Haus are claimed
17:00 – Greg from Start Haus drops knowledge on disc brake maintenance
19:15 – Mind the Track Deso Supply hats are in stock. Reach out to us if you want one or purchase one at Start Haus
21:30 – Trail Whisperer orders a new Aventon Current EXP
23:25 – Trail Whisperer buys Swan John an e-bike and it’s been an amazing investment
26:00 – 4th of July mob of TikTok teenagers take over King’s Beach
27:14 – Remembering the life of David Page – Executive Director of Winter Wildlands Alliance
28:55 – Colin – come participate in the Glizzy Gauntlet on August 16 – Sky Tavern
30:55 – Stu wants to shout out Land Trusts in the Tahoe region and how important they are
33:22 – Carlorado – imagine everyone getting along on trails, making room for each other
35:15 – Big Sallie – believes we need to use chainsaws in wilderness and some forestry wisdom
38:30 – Tell us your diarrhea story and what you did on your day off from work
39:15 – Ripley V5 wants to hear some exploits about the wilds of Nevada, the 10 Shredmandments for MTB and an angry trail builder who destroys bridges
43:25 – Riding the Toiyabe Crest Trail in central Nevada from Ophir Pass to Kingston
45:30 – What was it about the Toiyabe that drew Trail Whisperer to spend 8 years cutting brush
50:55 – How many volunteers have helped in resurrecting the Toiyabe Crest Trail?
54:00 – Recapping the weekend and the logistics of completing the Toiyabe Crest Trail ride
1:00:34 – Yuri Hauswald and Chris Brown recount their 2011 TCT ride
1:09:45 – TW recounts his ride of the TCT in 2016 with Yuri, Chris and Scott Markewitz
1:11:45 – Pow Bot’s experience riding the TCT – like a backcountry ski adventure on a bike
1:17:30 – The concept of “A Third Place” – coined by Ray Oldenberg
1:21:10 – Pow Bot’s story of losing his rear brake on the final descent and crashing
1:25:25 – What was the feeling of completing the ride after 10 years of trail work?
1:31:21 – Lightning round questions about the TCT
1:34:30 – The TCT project has been a spiritual experience that has real meaning and impact

His co-workers know him as Gordon, but when he’s not working – which is often – his secret alter ego is Gordo, and all Gordo wants to be is outside. Whether it’s sailing, surfing, foiling, skiing, running, biking, swimming 22 miles from Catalina to San Pedro or hiking 2600 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, Gordo Clute has never in his life worked more than he can play. Over a successful 30 year career in shipping sales, Gordo elaborately lived a lie, being perceived as a dedicated hardworking employee when he was instead outside playing, his real dedication focused on finding the flow state we all seek. Gordo’s dedication runs so deep that he secretly moved his entire family to Mammoth for three years when his boss thought he was living 10 miles across town from work headquarters in Orange County. In Episode 90, we chat with ultra-Core Lord and Mind the Track superfan Gordo Clute, and the many life hacks he’s developed in shirking work to prioritize play, time with family and putting his mind in the track.

3:00 – Summer shenanigans and tourist dodging in Tahoe
5:30 – Introducing Gordo Clute core lord superfan of MTT
10:20 – The benefits and drawbacks of riding dirt bikes
14:30 – Learning about Gordo’s background in sailing, ship captaining and becoming a ski bum
17:00 – Solo endurance swimming 22 miles from Catalina to San Pedro starting at midnight and swimming solo 12 miles across Lake Tahoe
23:30 – Who is Gordo Clute? There’s no information on the internet about him. Man of mystery.
26:30 – Secretly moving his family to Mammoth from Orange County without his boss knowing
29:00 – Gordo’s secrets to slacking success so he could be outside playing instead of working
33:30 – “Diarrhea” – the magic word to get you out of any work jam
37:00 – Coping with the redundancy of doing sales to make it work for an outdoor lifestyle
40:10 – Buying ski resort lift tickets with the work credit card and expensing season passes for clients that he could end up using
44:00 – Training clients, playing offense versus defense and using procrastination to your benefit
46:00 – The “Action Required – Not Really” flowchart – using procrastination to test importance
49:20 – Shirking work and getting paid to do as little as possible
52:10 – Time is the most valuable thing in existence. The only thing you can’t buy back.
53:50 – Getting into mountain biking in the 1970s in Marin County at the dawn of the sport
55:30 – The stress of crafting a life built around lies and being busted while caught in a lie
1:02:00 – Two years into “funemployment” without a full-time job
1:04:00 – Using Waymo as a wing foiling shuttle
1:11:00 – Uphill vs downhill trail traffic – who has the right of way?
1:21:10 – Lightning round questions with Gordo
1:23:30 – Gordo’s ice cream man story, except he’s the propane man in Mexico
1:25:55 – Burning Man – Gordo went from anti to pro Burning Man
1:29:00 – Attempting to through hike the Pacific Crest Trail 2600 miles
1:37:00 – Mountain biking the PCT with a permit after having to drop out with foot issues
1:47:30 – DOPE or DERP – fireworks on the Fourth of July
1:48:50 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

The pollen is thick, kids are out of school, the tourists have invaded Tahoe and temperatures are soaring, which means only one thing – summer is here. In Episode 89, Trail Whisperer recaps a mountain bike road trip out to the California coastal town of Eureka while Pow Bot fun hogs on Lake Tahoe with his wing foil. The boys stand corrected by listeners about their Strava rant, California considers instating an official Bruce Lee Day, people are dying from foraged mushroom poisoning, the Ice Cream Man is back again, and TW recommends seeing Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience. The boys also tackle the “Bieber-ification” of trails, aka, making them lame by dumbing them down, and how this act of Bieber-ing trails is a microcosm of society at large getting dumber, as evidenced by how easy Jeopardy questions have become. Also, TW ASS rants about preservationists protesting efforts to allow chainsaws in Wilderness areas so volunteers can clear a maintenance backlog many thousands of fallen trees deep. Plus – only two 10% off coupons for any new bike at Start Haus in Truckee remain! Just use the password CORE LORD and save.

2:20 – What are we going to do when we hit episode 100?
3:00 – For newer listeners of MTT, go back and listen from Episode 1.
5:00 – The pollen is thick. The tourists are here. It’s hot out. It’s SUMMER.
7:45 – Recapping the Lost and Found Gravel Bike Event in Portola.
8:55 – Drop into the Start Haus – 2 CORELORD 10% off a new bike discounts remaining!
12:00 – Recapping a road trip to Eureka, California and riding Hatchery Ridge trails.
22:15 – Foil Bot has been local fun hoggin’ and finally wing foiling properly.
28:00 –Marlette Flume trail and Chimney Beach is back open after 5PM on weekdays.
31:00 – Follow up on Strava – Pow Bot shares a Strava confessional.
34:30 – How you can shut off the heat map on Strava so it isn’t shown publicly.
38:00 – “Bumblies” is what they call clueless city people in the mountains in the UK.
39:30 – California State Assembly bill will potentially create an official Bruce Lee Day.
41:20 – Mind the Mycelium – 50 cases of mushroom poisoning including 4 deaths.
44:10 – 2N Benn calls in with a PSA – don’t make new trails going around snow and down trees.
46:50 – Don’t shortcut the trail or make it easier or more lame – aka – “Bieber-ing” the trail.
53:20 – American culture is getting dumber and Jeopardy questions are getting easier.
58:00 – Another ASS Rant about the Ice Cream Man.
59:30 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – Seeing Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience.
1:05:50 – The Grit podcast having their intro song being flagged for copyright infringement.
1:09:10 – Forest Service is considering allowing chainsaw use in federal Wilderness areas.
1:16:00 – Motorized users are most often hated because of the noise factor, not the act itself.
1:17:40 – Support your local non-corporate ski hill this winter and buy a non-Mega ski pass.
1:21:55 – Met a welder who builds cloud seeding machines to increase winter snowpack.

Amidst the best spring ever, in episode 88 the boys recap Memorial Day weekend filled with skiing Lassen and Shasta, riding moto out in the Toiyabe and Toquima ranges of central Nevada and digging dirt with the Truckee Dirt Union. Memorial Day was also highlighted by stupid people doing stupid things, including a grown man taking his 18-month old son on an ebike ride that ended at 10,000 feet in snow, darkness and a helicopter rescue. The boys also make a huge announcement – their first sponsorship with a local business, the Start Haus in Truckee! To celebrate, the first three people to who walk into Start Haus and drop the password CORE LORD will get 10% off any new bike of their choice. Speaking of Core Lord, in the spirit of Jeff Foxworthy, the boys run through a “You Might be a Core Lord if…” exercise. Got more? Call or email us! Plus Mark Weir rants about Strava, we DOPE or DERP Hypershell Exoskeleton legs and more Mind the Track hats made by Deso are coming, so get your pre-order in if you want one.

3:00 – Best spring ever? Blessed rain and cool temps
4:28 – Truckee Dirt Union Trail Day and Loam Masters Rally recap
9:00 – The legend of Pow Bot the bartender and the power of being a conversation starter
16:40 – Memorial Day weekend recap – TW rides moto in NV, PB skis Shasta/Lassen
28:00 – Memorial Day stupidity - Dad and his 18-month old son getting airlifted off Freel Pass
37:10 – Words of wisdom from Mark Weir about Strava and Strava users
40:38 – We misspoke about a trail system and mentioned trails we shouldn’t have
41:45 – Bike parks, Vail Resorts, Heavenly and Northstar
45:05 – Mind the Track announces a sponsorship with Start Haus!
48:48 – The first three listeners to drop CORELORD as the secret password – 10% off a new bike
51:08 – All about the new Aventon Current ebike – available at Start Haus
57:00 – More Mind the Track Deso hats coming! Reach out to us if you want to pre-order
59:30 – Carlorado - You might be a Core Lord if….
1:10:20 – Downhill Phil calls in and asks – do you watch motocross or supercross?
1:13:10 – Watching professional extreme sports and 100 Foot Wave documentary
1:16:45 – Gordo calls in but gets cut off twice
1:19:00 – DOPE or DERP – Hypershell Exoskeleton Legs. The ebike of backcountry skiing?
1:25:00 – Meeting a legend while riding mountain bikes on Prison Hill in Carson City

Since 2016, more than two million acres of Northern California have been torched by devastating wildfires, leaving vast tracts of previously forested land nothing but black matchsticks. As the landscape recovers, efforts are being made to ensure forests regenerate so massive brush fields don’t take the place of trees. As staff chief for CalFire’s Wildfire Resilience Program, Stew McMorrow has more than 30 years experience climbing trees, falling trees, planting trees, funding agencies in reforestation, as well as working as a Registered Professional Forester (RPF). McMorrow is also an avid outdoorsman and mountain biker, and understands the value of balancing recreation with forestry, serving on the executive board of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship. In Episode 87, we join McMorrow planting seedlings on Mount Hough near Quincy, California, heavily impacted by the Dixie Fire, then chat with him about forestry, pinecones, growing trees, reforestation and how recreation plays a role in all of it. We also talk with Michael Hall of Feather River Resource Conservation District and fellow RPF, Jason Moghaddas, about the recent controversial news around glyphosate – aka Round Up – being sprayed on public lands.

2:00 – Pow Bot forgets his mountain bike helmet on the Mt Hough shuttle.
5:00 – Introducing Stew McMorrow – forester for CalFire leading reforestation efforts.
8:15 – All the new amazing trails on Mount Hough including Upper Tollgate trail.
13:20 – Stew McMorrow and Michael Hall describing reforestation on top of Mount Hough.
21:50 – Stew McMorrow interview in the back of the Toyota Sunrader.
23:20 – Stew’s upbringing, going to school and working as a sawyer on a fire crew.
26:40 – Getting his Registered Professional Forester (RPF) license and working in Lake Tahoe.
32:05 – Running the CalFire Wildfire Resilience Program and Reforestation program.
37:35 – Climbing trees and collecting pine cones for tree seeds and replanting.
43:10 – Dropping his phone out of a tree and getting attacked by bees.
45:35 – What is the plight of the Pinecone Cowboy?
50:50 – What would the landscape look like if a forest isn’t replanted?
57:45 – Balancing the element of playing God with nature and letting nature do its thing.
1:01:00 – Home hardening and creating defensible space around communities.
1:04:30 – Millions of dollars in state money available for reforestation on federal land after fires.
1:10:23 – The spraying of herbicides like glyphosate on public lands to control brush regrowth.
1:18:39 – Michael Hall and Jason Moghaddas talk about glyphosate spraying on public lands.
1:28:50 – Being on the board of Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship – forestry and recreation.
1:42:20 – Talking about the rescinding of the Roadless Rule.
1:50:40 – Being in the zone, what Stu calls the Quiet Room.
1:53:00 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?