Amgen Bike Race goes big in Sacramento

The biggest-ever public event in Sacramento's History is predicted to be the Amgen California Bicycle Race. The City of Sacramento is gearing up...really. Lance Armstrong will be in town and everyone that has ever pulled on lycra will be there. Leacve the car at home and hop on Light Rail or a bus ...and bring your bike! It's going to rain...but remember that means Whitewater!

American Rver Trip in February

Bird, Alex H., & Chad on floating the Middle Fork American River on a 2 day wilderness trip the first week of Febraury! GoodOn'Em! I'll post up their progress and photos as they come! California is amazing! The whitewater season is rolling! The guides are off the coach and looking forward to Spring Guide Training!

Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride to Tamalpais!

GCDSR (Gold Country Dual Sport Riders) is planning a trip (by back roads to Mt. Tamalpais next Sunday) Her's the plan:

"SUMMIT" Ride
SUMMIT RIDEHear Yee, Hear YeeAny and All Riders interested in Riding to the Summit of Mt TamFebruary 15th. Will go for sure with a minimum of two riders, 100%paved ride All are welcome.Leave from Target parking lot (Broadway & Riverside)9AM,Minimum for sure stops at:Berryessa Dam, pullout top of the GradeTrunoff Hwy128 to Hwy121Entering City of NapaEntering City of PetalumaTomales or thereaboutsStinson Beach parking lotMt TamalpaisAnyone planning on going for sure (unless rain) please post.Sometime between now or by thursday of next week. So we know itshappening.If your a maybe just show up if you can.Thanks All

Kirkwood is steep and deep

The origin of the South Fork American is the backside of Kirkwood Resort. We'll have some solid run-off and a nice season with news that there is a fresh 3 feet of snow! Rafting trips will be awesome. California River Trips are on for 2009.

Buff Castle 2nd. Saturday!

Last Saturday night in Sacramento, our local Hip-Shack: Buff Castle threw it down with two live bands, racks of vintage clothing, vinyl records, vintage electronics, and bric-a-brac! White Fang drove down from Portland/Hood River Oregon to make the show. They "filled the space" with cowbell, small drum kit, lead guitar, and lead vocals....super fun and high energy combined with soem genuine talent...you can't hide solid musicianship. White Fang finished their set in front of a wall-to-wall crowd inside Buff Castle with owners Lizz (in her vintage W.E.T. River Trips T! and Dan-Dan (as well as their capable assistant Christian) held it all together with PBR, Humus, fruit, juice, pretzels, cheese, crackers, and a pile of Oreos (Oreos are VEGAN...'ya know!). Out back in the Buff Castle courtyard the Religious Girls from Oakland set-up and played for a packed crowd that spilled over into the alley attracting a major crowd (luckily the local Po Po got busy with a robbery suspect at the corner liquor store and a smaller crowd had also gathered at 21st and L for another show).....No issues. No Foul. The Religious Girls tore it up with incredible percussion (their drummer is better than killer!) mixed with crafted electro keyboards, gizmos, and augmented vocals. The show ended with drum heads covered with paint and spraying the crowd though some psycho beats....Big fun @ the Buff Castle!

New York has the Ball....Sacramento now has The Cube!

On a foggy New Year's eve Sacramento entered the Big Time and the ranks of "World Class" cities (at-least by the estimation of our new mayor, Kevin Johnson. With two fireworks displays (one early at 9pm and the other at midnight) over Old Sacramento, the river, and the Tower Bridge (so prized that the city painted it gold!)...the foggy night was lit-up like a gauze curtain over a Christmas tree!...it was actually surreal and oddly cool. A crowd of over 15k people looked on while I was on hand for the early show.

I then hopped on the KLR and split the traffic for a close look at the "Cube" that would descend from a rooftop at 12th and K Streets dolled-up with colorful lights and an outdoor stage and sound-system for performances by the Broadway cast of "Stomp" and a U2 cover band (yes, it is Sacramento.) The Cube was a high-tech collection of LED's capable of being programmed with over seven million color and pattern combinations while it descended from the dizzying height of 40 feet...

The organizers had planned for a crowd of three thousand; however, twelve thousand actually showed up! All in all... a nice first attempt and definitely a new tradition for Sacramento. Long-live the Cube!...just take it to a "higher level"!

Here's a link to my photos...without a fast lens, I turned to "art" for my image preservation!
http://picasaweb.google.com/liles.stephen/SacramentoBlackAndWhite02#

Happy New Year!

New Year...It better be!

Gong Xi Fa Cai! and Let Change Begin!!!!

The Western World will celebrate the New Year (yes, 2009) in a few short days and we will all have a chance to celebrate the end of one of the most problematic 12 months in recent history. Additionally, we will soon have the opportunity to celebrate the end of a horrific 8 year reign of foolishness presided over by W.

A New Year is what we get....a new president and new National Leadership Team is what we need...

So let the celebration begin 12/31....fire it up for 1/20....and top it off with a celebration a huge population of the World enjoys on 1/27: the Lunar (or "Chinese" New Year (4707) which fires up right after Barack Obama takes office....January 20th!!!!!!... (host your own Inauguration Party!)... Join the world and welcome the New Year with the classic wish of Gong Xi Fa Cai! and accept the wish for Health, Happiness, and PROSPERITY!!!!...and the celebration can last 7 days or more!

So if you need to take some time for early Kayaking, group whitewater rafting trips or some snowboarding in late January...you have a real-deal reason: New Years!!!!! (yes, celebrate it all).

The new year will be 2009/4707 and after January 20th...it will be a new day!

International Motorcycle Show comes to Nor Cal

The International Motorcycle Show comes to San Mateo in Northern California on December 19th-21st. The latest and greatest machines from the international motorcycle community will be represented. Visitors will have the opportunity to take test rides, smudge chrome, and kick tires. There will also be stunt shows by Jason Britton and the No-limits crew as well as the opportunity to meet and greet pro racers, and custom builders. With Motorcycles becoming more "Green " than ever with an industry wide MPG average of over 50 mpg, motorcycles are the last bastion of guiltless performance and cutting edge technologies (diesel, Bio-Diesel, and electricity now power experimental and production bikes). So save some money and use the extra cash for the ultimate "Green" thrill of group rafting on California's whitewater rivers and ride your motorcycle (By the way, W.E.T. River Trips has been using a KLR 650 to shuttle vans and trucks on the Middle Fork American and North Fork of the American Rivers for three years and hopes to expand the practice in coming seasons. So ride your motorcycle to the river this spring and summer!

Thanksgiving

Family Schmamaly

Wah…we lost the concept of family…snivel…the American family has been shattered….and with pious indignation…we’ve lost “our” traditions!

What idiocy….

The American family has never been stronger, more diverse, and more inclusive with expansive values, new traditions, and generosity, giving, and love.

By mingling cultures and beliefs from our new World, the very core values of holidays such as Thanksgiving (the over-arching theme of simply Giving Thanks) are solidified, edified, and celebrated. We are thankful…we’re here and we those that we share the day with. We are no longer restricted to our nuclear families of in-laws, long-forgotten aunts and uncles, and dysfunctional siblings. We’re free to celebrate with friends, those in need, and people we just want to hang out with. We are also free to shake up the menu with Tamales, Seafood, Tofu, Pasta, Bok Choy, Pot Stickers, Chard, Green Papaya Salad, and whatever you choose that (can or cannot) include those classics of turkey (fired! too), ham, yams, and mashed potatoes….and Beer is ok too!

Give thanks the way that works for you and celebrate your global family!

Some people even go rafting or kayaking on Thanksgiving…and the snow resort liftlines are always thin on Thanksgiving.

Enjoy and thank those that you love….and care for.

BigPoppa is going to do a Run-to-Feed-The Hungry (hopefully), cook turkey, a Vegan loaf, Vegan Garlic Potatoes and take it to the Fun Castle to chow down and enjoy the day with 15-20 hipsters, artists, musicians, moms, dads, wives, husbands, daughters, sons, cousins, in-laws, and a batch of new friends….Change happens…just save me a drumstick (that’s my tradition!).

Happy thanksgiving and Holidays to all

Burning Man Movie/slide show