Mind the Track

For the third August in a row, heavy rain has blessed the northern Sierra Nevada. Amidst the best brown pow cycle of the summer, on episode 69, Pow Bot and Trail Whisperer froth over the fresh rainfall while burners out on the playa get mud plugged and hit with haboobs. TW also froths over his new Ibis Ripley and PB over his recent progress on the wing foil. Other topics include Old Farmer’s Almanac predictions on winter, differing opinions on vacationing in Santa Cruz, the expense of bike racks, and on a musical note, The Scientist’s dub reggae, St. Vincent and seeing Collie Buddz live at The Hangar in South Lake Tahoe. The boys also Dope or Derp Mariachi bands, wearing a shammy and tailgate pads while DOUBLE DOPEing ski straps and plastic grocery baskets as gear carriers. 3:00 – Best riding conditions of the summer in Lake Tahoe are happening right now in late August. Third year in a row of rain in August. BROWN POW!4:00 – Burning Man woes – windstorms, epic mud, 10-hour wait line on the playa to get in.8:20 – Dirk Hobskin calls in with Channel 69 news special brown pow report.11:25 – Trail Whisperer celebrates New Bike Day – Ibis Ripley.16:40 – What do you think about Santa Cruz?23:30 – Pow Bot has been frothing on wing foiling on Washoe Lake.31:00 – Ice Cream Man is still harassing Trail Whisperer.32:45 – Old Farmer’s Almanac makes its predictions for Winter 2025-26. Do you think Farmer’s Almanac is an accurate tool for seasonal forecasting?37:15 – Update on the rope swing at DL Bliss State Park getting cut down.40:25 – We sold out! Thanks to all our listeners for buying a Mind the Track hat.41:40 – On a Musical Note – The Scientist (Hopeton Overton Brown), Trail Whisperer saw Collie Buddz at The Hangar in South Lake Tahoe, St. Vincent (Annie Clark).53:00 – Pow Bot recommends watching Florida Man before going on vacation to Florida.55:40 – DOPE or DERP – Mariachi bands.57:20 – DOPE or DERP – Wearing a shammy.1:03:25 – DOPE or DERP – Tailgate Pads.1:14:25 – DOUBLE DOPE – Singing the praises of the Voile ski strap.1:16:55 – DOUBLE DOPE x2 – using a plastic grocery basket as a gear carrier.1:21:40 – Part II of the Cosbey Chronicles will be on episode 70.1:24:00 – Trail Whisperer going on a cross-country adventure driving a car from Boston to Reno.1:28:50 – Pow Bot’s story of sleeping on the side of the highway and being woken at 4:30AM.1:33:30 – The dilemma of inheriting family furniture and the cost of shipping it cross country.1:38:45 – The Mountains to Meadows Enduro Festival at Plumas County Fairgrounds on September 12-14. The return of Grinduro!

On Episode 68 we introduce the first installment of the Cosbey Chronicles. Marc Cosbey, aka Uncle Coz, Cozmo, Sharkey, is the kindred spirit of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, and one of its co-founders. Born in the early 1950’s, Coz left home at 17 years old and never looked back, living a free-spirited life of adventure from exploring the American West to sailing around the world on everything from old pirate ships to the most advanced Americas Cup racing boats. In this first episode of a multi-part series with Coz, we chat about his youth in Southern California during the birth of surfing, working in the Utah oil fields as a roughneck, a three-week backpacking trip through the Shoshone Wilderness of Wyoming where he accidently set his face on fire, hitchhiking and getting picked up by gun-toting thieves, building and racing Americas Cup sail boats and surviving a five-day winter storm in the Pacific Ocean on a 1910 Baltic Trader, an adventure that he thought would be his last. 3:00 – Recording from the Downieville Classic.5:30 – Introducing Marc “Coz” Cosbey aka Uncle Cozmo.10:30 – DOPE or DERP – Hot Tubs.14:10 – Part One of Cosbey Chronicles – Growing up in 1960s California, Traveling the West, Backpacking, Hitchhiking, Boat Building and Sailing.17:30 – Growing up in Newport Beach, California in the 1950s and 1960s, early days of surfing.20:10 – Leaving home at 17 years old and started surveying for oil.24:10 – What was Moab, Utah like in the early 1970s?27:10 – Cody, Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park in the early 1970s.28:00 – Backpacking from Cody to Jackson, Wyoming through the Shoshone Wilderness, accidentally burning down their tent and burning up his face and hands.38:00 – Hitchhiking and getting picked up by guys who just robbed a convenience store.42:58 – Do you ever pick up hitchhikers or Pacific Crest Trail hikers?47:30 – Spending a winter skiing in Mammoth Lakes in the mid 1970s.50:30 – Moving to Oahu, Hawaii to live on Waikiki and Ala Wai work on boats, surf and wind surf in the 1970s.54:00 – Spending months sailing across the Pacific Ocean on the Lord Jim sailing ship.59:30 – Finding the section of an old NASA rocket floating in the open ocean, then a killer whale follows next to them riding down a giant swell.1:02:30 – Refinishing a 12 meter sailing race boat for an America’s Cup team in 1986 for Tom Blackaller and competing in 1987 America’s Cup in Australia.1:15:35 – Sailing a real pirate boat built in 1910 from Alaska to San Francisco and the closest Coz ever came to perishing at sea in a 5-day storm.1:26:10 – Delivering a super high end sail boat across the Atlantic and receiving a mayday call about a captain who was lost at sea with clients stuck on the boat.

Scot Nicol, the legendary founder of Ibis Cycles, and Gregg Stone, co-owner of Start Haus in Truckee, dive into the fun world of biking and skiing. Scot shares his wisdom on staying youthful and active while reminiscing about mountain biking's evolution. The duo discusses the impact of social media on local spots and the demise of a beloved rope swing. They emphasize the importance of enjoying life over optimization, celebrating community and the thrill of outdoor adventures.

The hosts share chaotic fireworks tales from their 4th of July celebrations, reminiscing about past mischief. They highlight the recent fire at the North Rim lodge and discuss the implications of land closures for outdoor activities. A spirited debate unfolds over the impact of youth riding electric motorcycles in neighborhoods and how communities can balance safety. An exploration of what makes a person 'cool' introduces fun anecdotes about celebrities. Plus, practical camping hacks and insights into mobile DJing in nature add to the outdoor vibe!

Recorded deep in the Toiyabe Range of central Nevada far from civilization, the guys talk about the Toiyabe Crest Trail project and the tumultuous arrival of summer in Lake Tahoe, where 11 people perished in a couple days due to a boating accident and hikers drowning in a swimming hole. The boys discuss complacency in the mountains and how it can be deadly, Trail Whisperer recaps his Wilderness First Aid training experience with Bliss Wilderness, Spooner Lake State Park puts out a survey for a new master plan, core lords call in to ask how you recover from a mountain bike accident, a rebuttal to DERPing UGG boots, saving wildlife you find in the backyard and if the ice cream man and his truck are DOPE or DERP. Also, Mind the Track announces its first piece of branded apparel for listeners to purchase! 2:30 – Recording on location in the Toiyabe Range of central Nevada, working on the Toiyabe Crest Trail. 5:35 – Jim Zellers and the early days of mountain biking in 1970s Cupertino, California.8:55 – Trail Whisperer’s first time riding the Toiyabe Crest Trail in 2016.18:15 – Mind the Track swag is finally here! Our first piece of apparel – the Mind the Track Do All Adventure hat made by Deso Supply Co (desosupply.com)25:30 – Summer is here. The solstice has arrived. Post work steamy singletrack sundown rides and the deadliest day in Tahoe boating history?29:22 – Three hikers drowned at Rattlesnake Falls on the N. Fork American River. Juan Heredia – a free diver hero who retrieved the bodies.32:20 – Complacency is dangerous. Always be on guard in the mountains because Mother Nature rules.37:45 – Mono County Search and Rescue extracted a splitboarder who fell 1,000 feet off Mount Dana. 39:00 – Ebikes, bad ideas and what’s healthier – no drinking and riding ebikes or drinking and riding mountain bikes?44:05 – Recap of Bliss Wilderness and his teaching of Wilderness First Aid and being a First Responder. 51:14 – Nevada State Parks survey for Spooner Lake State Park. Share your thoughts and ideas!Surveymonkey.com/r/spoonerlakebackcountry or email planning@parks.nv.gov . Survey closes July 20. 53:50 – Core Lord Call-Ins – Sean - @familysize – how do you go about rebounding from a crash on the mountain bike?1:00:48 – Nate – Another name for Tourists – COD – Careless, Odd and Dangerous. He vehemently disagrees with DERPing UGGs.1:05:45 – DOPE or DERP – Kellen on Insta – handguards on mountain bikes. 1:14:20 – DOPE or DERP – The Ice Cream Man and his ice cream truck. 1:17:40 – DOPE or DERP – Saving wildlife you find in your backyard. 1:24:05 – The ice cream power move at camp. What are your favorite camping power moves?1:26:30 – Shout out to Myles at Incline Spirits and Cigars in Incline Village. 

In a whirlwind of laughter and stories, the crew tackles everything from the misadventures of skiing—complete with gastrointestinal mishaps—to the challenges of biking during pollen season. They debate the practicality of UGG boots for outdoor activities and why e-bikes might attract lightning. There's a fun comparison between all-you-can-eat sushi and ski passes, along with reflections on trail safety regarding off-leash dogs. Dive into preferences for flat versus clipless pedals and enjoy some witty commentary about local tourists!

Matt 'Gilligan' Koles, a dedicated fly fishing guide with over 20 years on the Truckee River, discusses critical access issues affecting public enjoyment of this vital waterway. He reveals ongoing conflicts with private landowners who have illegitimately blocked access, using intimidation tactics. The conversation dives into the historical significance of the Truckee River and its ecological challenges, while Koles emphasizes the community's fight for public rights through the nonprofit Truckee River Public Waters. It's an inspiring call to action for preserving nature's treasures.

In an age where local journalism is struggling to survive, Lake Tahoe is fortunate to have Julie Brown Davis, a West Shore native and staff writer for SFGATE who exclusively covers Lake Tahoe. As the daughter of ski bums who moved to Tahoe in the 1970s, Julie grew up skiing Homewood and Alpine Meadows, worked her first journalism gig at the Sierra Sun and eventually became managing editor of Powder Magazine. After a handful of years as a freelancer, Julie has returned to her journalism roots as a staff reporter, and she isn’t afraid to take on the big, controversial stories. On Episode 62 the boys chat with Julie about stories including infamous bears, the crush of tourists amidst the changing face of Tahoe, the role of TRPA, the negative effects of the season ski pass from mega resorts, recent federal staffing cuts and the potential impacts it will have on Tahoe tourism, the effect AI has on journalism and why corn is the new pow. 2:15 – Happy Mother’s Day!8:00 – Introducing Julie Brown Davis – professional journalist who works as the SFGATE Tahoe editor.13:00 – Trail Whisperer and his former life as a freelance writer for Chevron.14:20 – What kind of gasoline should you put in your vehicle?19:00 - The problem with bears in Lake Tahoe and all the bear stories Julie has reported on.29:20 – Julie’s youth growing up on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe in Tahoma.35:42 – Julie’s path to getting into writing as a profession and her first job at the Sierra Sun and Tahoe World, later writing for Moonshine Ink and going to UC Berkeley for graduate school.41:45 – Going from an unpaid intern to managing editor at Powder Magazine and Transworld.46:46 – What print magazines and newspapers do you subscribe to?52:14 – Being a full-time employee for SFGATE as the Lake Tahoe region beat reporter.57:28 – Is there a sustainable future for recreation, traffic control and parking in Lake Tahoe?1:00:20 – Is the cheap season pass from IKON and Vail Resorts good for mountain communities?1:06:55 – What is a better model for digital media – paywall or free content that’s ad driven?1:11:15 – Julie’s story about the history of Graeagle, California and the West family who owned Vikingsholm in Emerald Bay.1:15:30 – Doing a story about the wolf pack situation in Plumas and Sierra County.1:19:31 – Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make reporting quicker and easier, but it isn’t developed enough to replace good journalists.1:22:20 – Reporting on federal staffing cuts to the U.S. Forest Service and the negative impact it will have on the summer tourism season in Lake Tahoe.1:28:05 – Road construction, new bridges, new bike paths, tons of traffic and the TRPA transportation plan.1:31:00 – Lightning round questions for Julie.1:16:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

The 888 COR LORD phone line has lit up the last couple of weeks, and the boys address numerous calls from listeners with questions about backcountry skiing, DOPE or DERPs including wearing full Lycra while mountain biking in the backcountry, riding a splitboard inbounds at a ski resort, blasting music on a Bluetooth speaker while riding and tracking vert skied at a resort and posting to Strava. The boys also talk about the recent closure of all trails in and around Marlette Lake and Spooner Lake State Park for the next two summers and beating the tariff price increases coming with outdoor gear. Trail Whisperer gets chainsaw certified, ASS rants about people saying “could care less” instead of “couldn’t care less” and gets his first snowboard lesson from Pow Bot at Donner Ski Ranch.   3:20 – Pow Bot gives Trail Whisperer snowboard lessons at Donner Ski Ranch. 11:30 – You have to ride the chairlift to become a better skier before backcountry skiing. And if you want to be a better mountain biker, don’t ride the chairlift.18:20 – Trail Whisperer gets chainsaw certified by the U.S. Forest Service.21:50 – Pow Bot starts riding his mountain bike after spring skiing burnout and Trail Whisperer almost gets attacked by a swarm of bees. 25:50 – Listener feedback and 888 COR LORD call-ins – Fritz from Calpine – Kirkwood closing day, pond skimming. 31:10 – Shred the Gnerd – wants to get into backcountry splitboarding and is seeking advice about what to do in the off-season to prepare. 37:26 – Mystery Non-NARP – DOPE or DERP – Full Lycra kit in the backcountry?46:10 – Gordo – about to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail over the next 5 months and a bit about the book “Born to Run” and the 5 finger shoes.52:20 – Steve emailed us about the 10 Shredmandments and people doing dumb things.56:30 – Nevada State Parks shuts down all trails around Marlette Lake for two years.1:03:10 – Washoe County Releases Mount Rose recreational trails survey – https://engage.zencity.io/washoe-county-nv/en/engagements/580ebe44-fd70-4b4d-a9e2-bc0c593d55f6?utm_medium=referral1:04:50 – How are you going to beat the increase in outdoor gear costs due to tariffs?1:09:00 – DOPE or DERP – Riding a splitboard at a ski resort.1:12:55 – DOPE or DERP – Tracking vert skied at a resort and posting to Strava.1:16:25 – DOPE or DERP – Bluetooth speakers while riding.1:21:30 – ASS RANT – could care less vs couldn’t care less. 1:23:55 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – Ethiopian Jazz – Mulatu Estatke. Shout out to Myles at Incline Spirits.

Few families in the Lake Tahoe region have had more of a positive impact on recreation than the Fish family. Ben and Amy revived the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) in 2010, and started both the 60-mile Rose to Toads epic and Corral Night Ride. Their son Max, about the same age as TAMBA, grew up alongside the organization, and as soon as he could walk, he was on two wheels in dirt, two sticks on snow and a trail tool in hand working last year as a paid employee at Bijou Bike Park, a park designed by Ben. Since November 2016, Ben and Max have skied and snowboarded every month through pow, ice, corn, sun cups, rocks, man-made snow and even the Caldor Fire, reaching 100 consecutive months in February. On Episode 60, the Fish family talks all about TAMBA, the process of their 100-month snow adventure, the importance of bike parks and adventuring together as a family.   2:00 – It’s Corntastic! Trail Whisperer makes his first turns as a snowboarder.4:30 – Recording at Kirkwood at the Reid household with Ben, Amy and Max Fish.9:00 – Ben and Amy started Rose to Toad’s and Corral Night Ride.11:45 – The history of Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA).15:53 – Max recalls his earliest memories with TAMBA and Bijou Bike Park.17:30 – The concept of “radical families” – not letting children slow parents down from having adventures.  20:30 – Max talks about The Smaine Fund - created in memory of Kyle Smaine - and becoming a ski racer.22:45 – Recounting 100 consecutive months of skiing and snowboarding, starting in November 2016. Only 6 months were not in the Sierra Nevada.26:26 – Dave Webster - “The Daily Wavester” – surfed every day for 40 years, catching at least 3 waves each day, totaling 43,923 waves.29:30 – What patches of snow in the Sierra Nevada hold the longest into the summer?  31:25 – Skiing during the Caldor Fire.33:30 – Using ebikes to access ski areas like Heavenly, Tioga Pass and Mount Lola.35:25 – Some of Ben’s favorite memories from 100 months of skiing.38:30 – What have they seen over the last 8 years with snowpack and climate change?46:30 – Max’s love of the Gunbarrel 25 event at Heavenly and Kurt’s experience at the Gunbarrel.53:00 – Max’s transition from freeriding to competitive ski racing.54:30 – Odd mountain biking footwear – Tevas, cowboy boots, Vans and five finger shoes.57:10 – Max working last summer as a paid employee at the Bijou Bike Park and Ben’s work as a landscape architect in designing the bike park.1:00:00 – The importance of bike parks to a community and to developing skills.1:03:35 – Do you feel more comfortable jumping through the air on skis or on bikes?1:07:50 – Amy wants to learn to play drums and her long, stupid ride exploits.1:10:45 – ON A MUSICAL NOTE – What are you listening to right now and when Ben and Amy met at a punk ska show in high school.1:14:45 – The concept of learning a new sport and getting better and Trail Whisperer’s experience making his first turns as a snowboarder.1:19:55 – What new sport or hobby would you like to learn? Most want to learn wing foiling, e-foiling and wake foiling.1:23:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?1:26:30 – New trails TAMBA is working on to get excited about – Lost Lake, Meeks Ridge, General Creek are highlights.