Watch: Dreamy 16mm Backcountry Mountain Bike Adventure with Tanner Stephens and Drew Boxold

Trips like this spark a little envy in all of us.

In Canyon Ridge, Drew Boxold and Tanner Stephens offer up the verdant taste of fresh mountain air, abundant singletrack, and golden light. Just what the doctor ordered.

The pair cobbled together a few days' supplies, their sleds, and a 1971 Bolex camera before heading deep into some undisclosed Washington backcountry. The result is a refreshing homage to mountain biking, the great outdoors, and slow living.

"We hope that this inspires people to get out and find that adventure that lets you take a break from your day. Remember it doesn’t have to be epic to be awesome, put that phone on airplane mode and go for a shred!"

The decision to shoot a multi-day backcountry mountain bike film on an old Bolex camera is commendable. It makes the story more interesting, and the shots are gorgeous.

Of course, shooting this way came with its share of challenges:

"Shooting on film forces you to lock in and do your job. It’s a lot of pressure, but it makes you be fully present and in the moment.... It’s a completely different mindset."

"I would have Tanner do a run, record it on the Bolex, then have him do it exactly the same for a second time and record it with a microphone. Before Tanner would drop for a second run, I would whisper into the mic describing the film shot angle, section of trail, etc, so I would be able to sync it up in the edit later. A bit convoluted, but when every 10-second take costs around $5, we couldn’t afford to use a clapper board to properly sync audio."

"If there is something that someone takes away from this film, I hope that it provokes thought. I hope it’s a film that people will go back and rewatch and be able to reflect on their own experiences. Maybe it shifts someone’s perspective on the world, but maybe it’s just another bike film, and someone just enjoys the riding."

Canyon Ridge is a counter to the type of hyper-produced content we're used to scrolling past. It's deliberate, slow, and grainy-- flavors that give the film its potency. They reflect the nature of adventures themselves. They're imperfect, they're dirty, and they're raw. Thank god.

(The quotes and images for this story were originally reported on Pinkbike).