This is a love letter to challenging yourself and sharing extraordinary moments.
Our last elk hunt of the season may have been, unexpectedly, the most memorable. The sudden onset of winter and upended logistics scuttled our original plans and we adapted new strategies for the moment.
However, it was when all the ingredients combined for an opportunity one can only dream of…then slowly come to realize that too had dashed…that you learn to love and revel in the process as much as the reward.
@johnprolly made his elk hunting debut in the most challenging of conditions and only an ever slight error prevented his harvest. What was gained, however, is hard-earned experience and an understanding of a place much deeper than before. This was one for the books, buddy.
To many more,
KK
Kim and I just returned from a 2,500-mile road trip along the spine of the Rockies, from Santa Fe to Missoula, winding through sage flats, alpine bowls, and the long shadows of the West. We passed through some of the most iconic landscapes in the world. Our objective was to gather in Missoula for the BHA Rendezvous to celebrate our public lands and to meet fellow advocates. And while we certainly did that, the current state of affairs was center stage.
These public lands are not just scenic backdrops. They are working for us every hour of every day. They filter our water, store our snowpack, and provide the resources to fuel our industries. Beyond that, they give elk a place to calve, cutthroat a place to spawn, and the rest of us a place to breathe and renew.
They also shape who we are. They stitch together our national character. They ground us in humility and remind us that freedom is not found in a slogan. It is found in ideals that stretch beyond utilitarian needs. It’s a promise for the future and insurance against the unknowns.
And now, some would pave it over in the name of “affordable housing.” What a crock of shit. This is not about helping people. I know a thing or two about housing and this is so far from a solution it is insulting to your intelligence. This is about helping developers and padding pockets and stripping you and I and every other American of our shared promise. It is about carving up the last quiet places for short-term gain and calling it debt servicing. Laughable.
We cannot let that happen. We can’t let the bastards win.
So speak up, organize, and recruit. Call your senators and house representatives, particularly in states where these ideas have sympathetic opportunists. Join BHA, Outdoor Alliance, Trout Unlimited, NM Wild.
Then bring someone with you. Your hunting partner. Your hiking buddy. Your neighbor.
The land is already working for all of us.
Now it is time we worked for it.
Unbelievable.
On the last morning of our hunt, Kim did not hesitate and took a shot through dark timber as multiple elk were bugling and crashing through the woods. After 6 hours of arduous tracking, we found her bull. Her first archery elk on only her second hunt. Our truck is weighed down with 300lbs of meat, ready for processing.
For those of you who know Kimmy and I well, you know how hard we’ve been working for this goal. It was emotional and incredible. Our bodies are wrecked, but all that effort, preparation, and exhausting days paid off.
Bard and I were able to call this bull of his herd to within 30 yards of Kim. After a long search, fellow hunters of whom we only met the day before joined in the search and the eventual pack out. We are forever grateful for their generosity and help. Hunter, you’re a stud!
We’re heading home now and back to the grind.
TANGLED COUNTRY.
Here are a few behind the scenes photos from the past five days of filming our documentary following the migratory paths of pronghorn, elk, and mule deer from the Rio Grande del Norte to the Cruces Basin in the Tusas Mountains, and the obstacles they face along the way.
Throughout the shoot, we met with ranchers, members of local pueblos, Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte, New Mexico Game & Fish wildlife biologists, a wildlife tracker, and our crew of BHA stewardship coordinators who have been putting in the hard work to remove barriers and ensure wildlife can continue accessing their ancestral migration routes.
Huge thanks to the crews from Hour Theory and Las Casitas Films, y’all are absolute troopers who just wouldn’t quit, no matter the weather, miles, or long days in the field.
I look forward to seeing this film come to light later this year
N+238
When I got my first ‘real’ bike back in college, a custom from Gary Klein, he said ‘this is the closest thing to flying’. He was right.
This new venture is one of love for me.; my friendship with Mike Chapman over the past 11 years, the friends working at the shop, friends from the club, friends from around the cycling world that have made my life more colorful, fun, and freeing. My wife, Kimmy, who believes in me and the joys that cycling brings into our lives. Let’s get on this ride together. Here’s to The Broken Spoke 2.0
I look forward to seeing y’all around the shop and while I may be real busy the next few weeks, reach out, it’s good to hear from you.
I’m still involved at Barker Realty, which has been my home and focus for a decade now. That chapter isn’t done and I appreciate the support of the staff and brokers letting me take this on and pursue something that has been nagging at me ever since Mike put the shop up for sale.
Lots of work to do, stay tuned!
@hinterlanded offers a prosaic recalling of the 2026 Singlespeed Arizona event, which took place at the start of the year in Tumacacori, AZ.
Under the watchful eye of a weather balloon, the chaotic SSAZ26 unfolds peacefully and shows a glimpse of a joyful alternate universe that refuses to be tracked, monetized, or derailleured.
Turn on, tune in, and drop out today on TheRadavist.com
A bunch of you have asked over the years about the fishing trips I do up in Alaska and where it actually is, what’s the arragements, etc etc. Fair question. There’s a website now (maybe with some familiar faces) that helps paint the picture for you and answer some questions.
LakeCreekAK.com
I’ll be up at @lakecreeklodge.ak again in late July. No pressure but if you’ve ever had a hankering to hook up on salmon, trout, or pike or laugh a lot, and maybe lose track of what day it is, you’re welcome to come fish with me. I think @klainsteve and I will be helping folks get their rods bent for a couple of weeks this summer. Hit me up with any questions or share,if you’d like, with your angler-minded friends.
Would love to show you around.
