Let's Bring the Gnarwhale Home fundraiser-

[The Gnarwhale]

A year ago this weekend I got hefted into a wheelchair and, after five weeks confined to bed indoors, on my back, and staring up at popcorn ceiling tiles, my Mom pushed me around outside the hospital. Wet January soil smelled wild after so much time breathing filtered, antiseptic air. It's a privilege to be able skin up Sunlight Mountain Resort this weekend. I'm grateful that my biggest concern this time was forgetting sunscreen.

[Tye 1on]

yeah!!!!! Way to keep getting after it!!

[DasBlunt]

Awesome story and Alta sounds like great people besides their hate of snowboarders!!!

[The Gnarwhale]

Grant is like a one-man cheer squad! The guy is pretty freaking pumped on life in general and on pedaling bikes together in particular.

This weekend I was riding in Moab with Grant Helgeson, who's been a close friend for 15 years and with whom I've shared hundreds of days on bikes, skis, and foot. Last time we hung out was over a year ago and I was just relearning to walk with a walker. So, it was really special to be out on the move with him again and I surprised even myself by cleaning nearly all of Navajo Rocks trail.

And here's where the crazy serendipitous part of the weekend happened: We had stopped at an intersection to check the map when Leah, the physical therapist who worked with me during my time at Criag Hospital rolled up! So, for half of the 17 mile loop, I pedaled not only with one of my best adventure pals but also one of the people responsible for getting me back on my feet!

With hundreds of miles of trail in the region, what are the chances? If we'd been just a minute slower, we never would have known we were following Leah's tire tracks.

Yea bikes!

[flatNshallow]

Randomly decided to check this thread. What a positive way to start my Sunday.

[TBS]

Very cool Jim. Stoked for you.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Cool!

[The Gnarwhale]

We rode Whole Enchilada yesterday. When I was in the hospital a friend mailed me a rock from Porcupine Ridge and it's been a daily reminder of one of mountain biking's testpieces. There were a lot of spots that I used to clean that look a lot trickier now. Still, I'm impressed with how much more confident I feel riding rocky trails and how much more ledgy stuff I can pedal get up and down than even a month or two ago.

If was my first time riding in Moab in July. It was in the low 50s at the trailhead but 104f when we got to the river 27mi and 7000ft lower. It was hot enough that a rock chip from January decided yesterday was the day to spiderweb out across the windshield. That's real hot. Might keep future Moab riding plans confinded to Spring and Fall,



[

[babybear]

ahh bet that felt good
excellent victory pose too you deserve it

[grskier]

Nice work!

Love the bike in the air claim.

[The Gnarwhale]

Haha, thanks! I'd never stopped at that rock overlook since there's typically a dozen bikers taking turn getting that exact shot. Holding your bike on that Upper Porcupine overlook is kind of a cliche. We had the place to ourselves and it seemed like a good time to be trite

[skifishbum]

okesta orfa ouya obra
as my latin swine bros would say

[splat]

Ain't it great to be back?

[TahoeJ]

Nice! Gotta do the obligatory shot at some point...

[ex-powderbroker]

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/...=2&i=372932750

Good work, Jim!

[baron]

This is more inspiring than "the Halls of Montazuma" ie. Karl Malden's letter ,they read in the end referencing the hopeless lieutenant .

Surely, hope is what led your recovery;..... tis truly the 'mother of all men'.

GG!

[The Gnarwhale]

Earlier this summer High Fives Foundation invited me on an adaptive surf trip. I'd never been on a surfboard before and learning a new thing with a talented group of paralyzed athletes was every bit as incredible as it looks in this short film. Watch it!

[byates1]

all you had to do was stay down.

https://youtu.be/BRcdYscaj0o

nice work mister. much respect.

someone embed this shit, we got a fighter here.

[baron]

all you had to do was stay down.

https://youtu.be/BRcdYscaj0o

nice work mister. much respect.

someone embed this shit, we got a fighter here.

Oh lord...Take it on the Forehead next time! like gladiator! ...the white boy in da ghetto 1

[The Gnarwhale]

Won't be long before the trails are done for the season. I've always been overstoked for winter to arrive, but now that I can pedal better than I can walk (and way better than I can ski), I'm not so excited for the planetary tilt.

[m8a738]

Great Job Jim ! Well Done

[byates1]

i'm near the mouth of big this winter.

tight crew, good people,

looking forward

will make dinner.

[The Gnarwhale]

It's official: I can bike better than I can walk

Yesterday we pedaled Moab's Magnificent 7: Getaway, Bull Run, Arth's Corner, Little Canyon, Blue Dot, Gold Bar Rim, and Portal. The ride is 23ish miles of ledgy desert riding with spectacular views and wild exposure. Following the barely-marked, unsanctioned route was the hardest part when I first rode it in 2010. Mag 7 was instantly at the top of my list of coolest rides, but I was sworn to secrecy: no publishing photos and no social media posts because most of it was illegal.
All but Blue Dot had become legal singletrack when I last rode it three years ago. And since my spine injury, Blue Dot has been vetted and renamed Gold Bar Rim. The new yellow paint dashes are a lot easier to follow than the low-profile slate blue ones and some of the hardest moves have ride-around options.

A year ago I wasn't sure I'd ever have the strength or agility to pedal this ride again and I catalogued it as a rehab "stretch goal." Maybe I could handle it by 2020, I imagined. Or maybe it's a piece of the planet I'd never see up close again. Turns out a lot of rehab exercise and a high-tech superbike got me there just under 2.5 years after I was a paralyzed

[Norseman]

Awesome work, man. Inspirational.

[garyfromterrace]

Shit dude! That's great news, keep up the amazing work man!