Ear to the ground:

“This is more annoying than mountain biking with our dogs.”
– One mountain-biker dude to another as they wait halfway up Telegraph for their wives/girlfriends.

Climbing high

The Telegraph’s own Luke Mehall has been busy outside his monthly column. Aside from publishing The Climbing Zine – virtually and literally – he also recently released his second book, The Great American Dirtbags. A follow-up to his debut, Climbing Out of Bed, his latest release is a collection of 20 short stories focused on mountain town culture and the dirtbag climbing existence.

A self-described “born-again dirtbag,” Mehall said the new book portrays his journeys from a lost teen-ager, immersed in drugs, to recent adventures on the trails, walls and roads of the American West. As usual, his love for freedom, women and climbing are weaved in along the way. The dirtbag counterculture follows in the footholds of the beatniks, carrying the torch for a simple, natural, rewarding life, he says.

Editor of the Mountain Gazette, John Fayhee, called the book, “a reminder of blissful times past and a bellowing yell to the denizens of the beast we call civilization – ‘Get out! Get out of your rut! Get out into the outback while you still can!’”

Mehall will hit the road for a book tour across the U.S. and Canada. The tour kicks off at 6:30 p.m., Tues., April 29, at Maria’s. The event will be followed by  “Climber’s Beer Night” at Carver’s. For more info., email luke@climbingzine.com.

Oops, we did it again

Durango has climbed to the top of yet another list. Last week, our two wheel-crazed burg was named among the top 10 “Best U.S. Cycling Towns” in USA Today in conjunction with its travel website, “10Best.”

Durango came in at eighth, earning itself “serious bragging rights” as the smallest town on the list, according to the USA Today judges. The rankings were determined by a panel of “experts” and readers.

“With Durango as a base, a cyclist has access to thousands of miles of world-class singletrack downhills, switchbacks and trails,” wrote cycling great George Hincapie, a member of the judging peloton. “For road warriors looking to explore town on two wheels, there’s the 7-mile Animas River Trail, a shared-use bike and pedestrian path that runs nearly the entire length of Durango.” While there’s no mention of carbo-loading at Bread after a spin up valley (maybe he’s gone paleo) he does call Durango an “outdoorsy, bike-friendly community.’”

The winners were announced Fri., April 18 in print and online editions and include:  Davis, Calif.; Fort Collins; Minneapolis; Madison; Greenville, S.C. (Hincapie’s home); Chatanooga, Tenn.; Tucson; Durango; Sacramento; and Bend., Ore.,

The see the list go to www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-u-s-cycling-town.