Hi there! Jake here, friend of the Flarespace crew.  

I’ve been fortunate enough to travel with these guys a few times now.  We’ve been to Baja together, and spent some time traveling to Oregon for the Adventure Van Expo at Mt Hood Fairgrounds.

I want to share what we got up to  this past weekend, because it was absolutely incredible.

First off, there’s something about the mountain west that gives me life.  Maybe it’s the hours spent driving somewhere so remote there’s an element of danger if something goes wrong?  But if I was to think about my experiences out here and why I cherish them so much, I’d say it’s getting to know the company I’m traveling with, witnessing the awe-inspiring landscapes, and making the memories that fill me up each and every time.

We setup camp in Leadville, Colorado, along with Cory from Rigwell and our friends from Storyteller Overland.  We chose Leadville because our friend Thor from Storyteller was competing in the Leadville 100 mile MTB Race.  That’s 100 miles on a bike! One. Hundred. Miles. 

That night we camped under the stars at the foothills of the mountains.  We explored the trails on our Super73 electric bikes, and pushed them to the limits.  

The next morning we fished and swam in the Sugar Loaf Dam with our buddy Josh, before trekking over to watched Cory and his friends rip some motocross jumps.  

Later that night we camped with Thor and Amy from Storyteller and had the best conversations under a heat lightening storm over the mountains.  

On the last day Trevor and I capped off the trip by reaching the summit of Cottonwood Pass, and took in the most spectacular views.

There was so much to take in all at once the whole trip felt like a blur.  Each place we went to was so spectacularly beautiful, that it hardly felt real. And it was one after another. 

But that’s why I love going on these adventures.  Exploring places that are hard to get to, but are worth the effort.  Catching up with old friends, and getting to know them even better.  Meeting new people in places I never would’ve otherwise crossed paths with.  And leaving with new perspectives and an expanded awareness of how truly magnificent the world we live in can be. 

While I was there it felt like time stopped and I was stuck in a lobby of indescribably beauty.  But now I can’t believe it’s already over.  I’ll never forget these trips. And I can’t wait for the next one.