The day has come...

With the moustache party and ORAMM behind me it is now time for the main event. This one has been in the making since I received my email from the SSWC back in January. Actually, I have been thinking about this one well before I received the email, I visualized it all coming together and now here it is. I have mentioned the power of visualization before but once again it has proven it's worth in that I am heading West with a great friend by my side and four bikes on top of the car for a two month journey into the unknown. The past few days have brought numerous emotions and deep quandaries into the events of the last few years and my life thus far. I feel like I have let go of a lot this year and been stripped to my core once again and I intend on taking advantage of two months on the road to further explore what has, what is and what will be the next step in this thing we call life. In between the pondering I will be living in the moment as I understand the future is just a dream and the past is just that, the past. However, as I mentioned above the dreams keep you alive and make tomorrow what it will be and the past has brought you to where you are today so they are both important to consider. I know this is a stray from my usual blog entry but I feel like I am in a place where I am ready to experience the more meaningful things in life and bring it up a few levels. I haven't woken up this early and been so ready to go since my days of surfing. As I sit here typing these words I envision myself on a shore looking out at the waves rolling in waiting patiently for my time to enter the vast ocean and catch my first ride. We all walk in to the ocean every day in some way and it is the wave you choose to catch that will determine where you go. I wish you all some great waves and the ability to see them rise on the horizon so that you may catch them with ease and ride them to wherever your dreams may take you. I want to say I love you to all my friends and family and for you all to know that you will be with me on this trip. When you think of me visualize me cleaning technical lines on far away trails and catching air and my wheels connecting safely with the earth beneath me. Picture great new friends and new experiences that will enhance my perspective that people by their nature are caring and good and the universe ultimately wishes you well. I believe it, Yell fire!

Peace and love,

Jut

Taking it back to 1985...

I have been joking about feeling 15 years old all year. Bikes, girls, friends and parties make up my life. As I have said before one day I will start being responsible again but until then I am milkin' it for all it is worth. I did the professional thing for years and rocked it the same way I rocking the good times these days. One drawback from the professional word is that you can't always sport the look you want. I have been getting the same boring haircut for some time now so with two months on the road and a serious disregard for what other's might think of my appearance it was the perfect time to get a new haircut.

The stash just wasn't giving me the bang I was looking for so I had to bring the full fohalk with racing strips back from the eights to get the juice I was looking for. Speaking of the stash... the moustache contest is this weekend on Saturday night before ORAMM. I guess if your badass enough to have a moustache then you should be badass enough to race ORAMM on the day after barhopping with crew of moustached freaks. Since I am officially the most Badass Mountain biker in the World I am certainly not afraid of mixing good times with some suffering. Last year I partied till 3 am and raced ORAMM on a single speed cyclocross bike so there is no way I can top that level of pain and stupidity. But where there is a will there is a way and this year I intend to rock the moustache party and race ORAMM on a new bike that if I am lucky with get to ride twice before taking on the assault. Yea, Jut's taking the Mavric to Mt Mitchell so if you hear AC/DC while your coming down Heartbreak you best just get out of my way. Conversely, if you see me on the side of the trail in the woods feel free to stop and hang out a bit.

The past few days have incredible. Good riding and some rock n roll on Friday. Yesterday I kicked things off with some trail work on Star Gap. Slohio Rob and Beth picked me up and we meet up with Todd Branham and some others to tackle some of the down trees that were slowing folks down on Star Gap and Heartbreak. Remember the big old tree that required a dismount and hoisting your bike up and over as you went both up star and coming down heartbreak. Well, it's no longer there. In it's place is a nice big rock armoured ledge thanks to some dedicated trail workers yesterday. All was going well and we were happily rock hunting when Slohio gets a little to close to a nest of yellow jackets and was stung 6 times. He puffed up and turned a nasty shade of red as he lost feeling in his face. We gave him some benadryl and that helped and fortunately we didn't have to the the epi pin that Steve Stickel was nice enough to give us in case Rob had any major issues as we headed back to the car. We got back to Asheville and watched road racers go around in circles while sitting in the shade drinking pints of the new IPA from the Wedge Brewery. Bennet was the only guy I knew doing the race and we managed to get him DQ for handing him a water bottle (he asked for it). Post bike race the was a party at the Crows Nest with about 8 badass musicians and a car load of beautiful women. We danced till 3am and went through 3 cases of beer, two growlers and half the liquor in the bar. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.

Jut

New Babies, Bikes and other Very Important Announcements...

Exciting times as a few good people have been added to the mix. Last week my friends Thomas and Erin had a lovely baby girl. This week I became an uncle as my brother and his wife had there first child, a beautiful baby boy Noah. Very exciting indeed and I wish them all well. If I ever feel the need to procreate I think I will just get a puppy but I know some people have felt the call and I applaud them as we need good people to do the deed to ensure that we have more good people in the future. As for me I too have a new baby and her name is Derail. She is already potty trained and doesn't need much other than some occasional chain lube and good trails which I am happy to provide.

I mentioned that lately I've hiding out in the basement of the Crow's Nest eating well, drinking more water than beer and watching bike videos featuring the destinations I will be hitting over the next two months. One thing have have noticed is that you don't see many single speeds with 85 mils of travel featured in the BC and Moab seggies or any seggies for that matter. Since I have a few skills as the result of my bmx roots I hope to make the most of my travels and the trail that I will be riding. The Blur LT has been stripped of its parts and the frame will soon be up for grabs if someone wants a good bike that just wasn't the bike for me. Hoping to add a little bling to the Mavric eventually to finish it out.

Matt Johnson and I burned the midnight oil at Biowheels on Tuesday night and built her up and yesterday I took my new baby to North Mills. I figured that Laurel Mtn was an appropriate testing ground for the new ride so I parked by the campground and rode it to Good Enough Gap and then bombed the decent. I can already tell that this is going to be one sweet ride. I felt over confident each time I came to one of the more technical sections that would normally cause me to pick well crafted lines on the single speed. I rolled through several of harder sections without pause and just let the bike do the work. On the climb up I found that I can still practice the art of grinding bigger gears out of the saddle with no boing boing feeling that the blur had. Look out BC, Moab, Nor Cal and Colorado Justin is bringing the big bike...

Now on to very important news on the travel front...

It's two weeks till take off and I get more excited everyday. Bruce and I are working on plans for survival on the road. Two months away from a paycheck and/or the opportunity to make a future paycheck in my case will take its toll on our bank accounts and ability to wine and dine in our usual manner (High Life and BK). In lieu of real sponsors we have a plan... I will be making my recycled bike chain art while on the road & taking orders from bike shops all across the country and auctioning million dollar ideas on ebay. So, you say "I don't want an old bike chain gracing my Christmas tree and I have all the million dollar ideas I need". Well then you can still be apart of making this thing happen, we are raising money over at Pisagh Works. We have taken a few lessons from the Public TV playbook and are offering several wonderful Pisgah Works items for our donors. I will also throw in one of the Jut Rut special holiday ornaments for any donations over 30 bucks. You will also receive your name on a plaque and will be privy to all photos not released to the public and trail information as we embark on our journey. So make a donation to the cause today and know that your money will be well spent on quality good times that you helped make possible. I have borrowed a few lines from Barack Obama's campaign fundraising letter I received that seems strangely appropriate for my own cause,

"We have developed a strategy -- a very aggressive strategy -- that will only work if our millions of supporters continue to contribute their time and their money. That strategy will work, and it has to. The stakes are too high and the need for change too great. But victory is only possible with your continued help. We can't do this without you."

Jut Rut and Pisgah Bruce in 08, people rise up and join the revolution!

Your ambassador of fun,

Jut Rut

This party is only getting started...

Another fun filled week is now in the books. Monday and Tuesday were good days on the bike. On Wednesday Matt Johnson the Pisgah Princess and I hit Nashvegas for the Ween show. The Yazoo Crew met us at Red Door East for Happy Hour to set the night off right. The Ween show was great and they played several songs I had never heard. It was hard set and the temp inside city hall had to be 100 plus degrees to add to the intensity. After Ween we hit the Honky Tonks on Broadway for some country and rock classics before wrapping up at 3 crow. We got an early start on Thursday and made our way back home in time to hit a party in West Asheville then Bruce, P.P. and I caught Boom Box at the Grey Eagle. The show was awesome and the dancing went on till 1:30 or so. Post Boom Box and a beer at Pisgah Works Headquarters I rode home only to find a beautiful blond in my living room. A few of Ty's friends were on their way over and she turned out to be friends with the crew that were a few minutes behind me. After some conversation the living room turned into a dance floor and the blond and I danced till 4am as Ty tried to impress the Bluegrass Crowd with his ability to do the windmill to no avail. Friday came early and I made a trip to the office to make sure they hadn't moved my stuff to the street thinking I was dead or missing. I learned that my real estate license was expired which in turn meant that I could not work on Saturday and Sunday at Whisper Mountain as planned. Oh well, guess I can just ride my bike now... Ohio Rob came into town fresh off the BC Bike race and his Pisgah Princess and I went to the Mountains to find cooler temps, killer trail, and a beautiful waterfall / swimming hole. We hit one of the best swimming holes I have seen yet and it felt like I had been baptized in the cool rushing waters of Pisgah (I needed that). I kept it low key on Saturday night in anticipation of yet another Mt Mitchell training ride on Sunday however, as we drove into Black Mountain the streets turned to rivers as the skies dropped an inch or two of rain in minutes. We had coffee and waited to see if it would break and soon decided to bail and hit it somewhere else. A call from Rob waiting the Aville airport informed us that it was raining South of town so it was back to the Crow's Nest for a fix gear ride on the river. I put a 46x15 on the Surley and Beth and I cranked out the River Road ride with only a few good hills to make you work and plenty of nice views of the river to keep it enjoyable. A quiet night at home and some good food was how I have chosen to start the week of purge. With ORAMM and two months of insane riding and all around debauchery I am cleaning out the pipes. It is about time as the good times have not stopped for a while so I am hiding in the basement of the crows nest watching bike videos and eating good food for the next two weeks in hopes of having a good showing at ORAMM and so I feel like rockin' it when I hit the Rockies.



Speaking of the Rockies, OMG look the fuck out! Ty and his band High Windy are hitting the North Range a day or two before Bruce and I hit town. High Windy is playing 6 shows in Fort Collins, Denver and Colorado Springs at the same time we will be out there. I have tickets to a sold out Michael Franti & Spearhead show in Boulder at the Fox Theater two days after our arrival on the scene. Then it's on to Crested Butte, Durango and Fruta before going further west. It is my hope that between the million dollar ideas I come up on this trip and the connections I make will seal my future as a vagabond mountain biker who can travel the world in search of the holly trail. This is the trip that I have always wanted to take and it seems to be happening just as I envisioned it would. More to come on the plans for surviving on the road for 2 months and 8,000 miles. Check back for details on how you can live vicariously though two dudes for two months and know that your money is going to help a good cause.

Love is what I'm feeling. Jut

No Rest for the Weary...

Well it has only taken a week to start to get over the events last week. The Enduro De Ocho took ALOT out of me and I didn't really slow down till today. As MBAMBW Champion how could I slow down now that I have a title to live up to. I have been riding pumptracks, good trails and the wave of a good race while reflecting on what's next. Last Tuesday it hit me that I leave for two months on August 1st and I need to do some planning for the next adventure. If anyone out there is reading this on the left coast you have been warned that Jut Rut and Pisgah Bruce are heading your way equiped with porn star moustaches, bad 70's hair styles, low morals and a thirst for good times that can't seem to be quenched. The SSWC08 in Napa has been the race/event that my year as centered around. I have been putting in miles and throwing back pints in preperation for the event all year long and the day is almost here. The plan is to head west August 1st and will make it back to Asheville for the Black Keys show in early October. We'll be hitting the towns of Boulder, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Durango, Fruita, Moab, Lake Tahoe, Downieville, Santa Cruz, Napa then head up to Portland, Asheland, all over the fine state of Washington, Chillin in BC, Idaho, Montana, then back to CO. The loose intenerary will be coming soon so if anyone knows of a good couch in the above mentioned towns let me know and maybe you could put in a good word for us.

I still have some good times in A-ville on the plate before I take off. ORAMM is around the hiding around the corner and I am trying to both prepare and not look at the same time. I rode Star Gap > Curtis Creek > Heartbreak on the 4th and almost regret it due to it triggering memories of the inevitable suffering on Curtis Creek that will come but at least Star Gap was fun and I pulled off most of the climb and switchbacks with 32x19. The cramps got me on Curtis Creek however I know what I did wrong and next time I will drink more than a half a bottle of water during the first two and a half hours of riding in July and maybe even eat something. I hit the pumptrack with a newbie on Saturday and helped her get the hang of things (she rocked it) and while I was there I dialed in a few berms and what nots (already got that .2 seconds covered Dunn). That's enough for my first blog entry in a while the sun is out and so am I.

Jut