October 10, 2018

Crested Butte with Teton Gravity Research by Claire Buchar

Another amazing opportunity found it’s way into my life last month.

As I write, I am sitting at the Denver airport en route back to my beloved BC(and my beloved fur baby, Laska)but I just spent the last 3 weeks in beautiful Crested Butte Colorado and surrounds and I am trying to find the words to explain the experience.

So let’s try…

Breathless. Breathtaking. Tired. Alive. Savage. Rewarding.

Ok, there’s a few…

I was invited to film with Ryan Gibb and Teton Gravity Research for my own segment in a new MTB film they are putting together. It is a big production and it was pretty last minute so I had to arrange my life quickly and just jump in and commit.

And although all of my muscles ache from head to toe, I am so glad that I did.

Ryan, who created the 2010 MTB movie masterpiece, Life Cycles, is a creative genius. He has an ambitious vision and when he puts his hands in his pockets, falls silent and stares you can almost see the gears turning inside his head. His motivation and drive is inspiring. This is how great things become really really great. Talent, ambition, vision, hard work.

The TGR team he had around him: Ben Dann, Jon Riley and Nick Koldenhoven were equally as inspiring as talented film makers and operators of technology that is beyond me. And just as simply good humans.

I believe that I matched their efforts with my riding. I felt really good on my bike and was just loving the ride I was on, letting my natural ability take over. It’s when I feel the best on my bikes, like I’m expressing myself through my riding. Putting emotion into it.

We literally filmed for 3 weeks straight, dawn till dusk. Sunrise, bike park, sunset. Sunrise, alpine mission, sunset. Sunrise, bike park, backcountry adventure, sunset. In all the combinations possible. And, yes, it was exhausting. I’m going to need a week to recover! But with all those sunrises, sunsets and special places, it was obviously amazing.

I also have to mention that one of the funniest and unforgettable situations happened involving one of our Production Assistants while filming sunrise one morning in town. Like, one of those things that you cry laugh about and your stomach muscles are burning and then later on you burst out laughing in random places and people stare at you and then maybe you even wake up in the middle of the night and have a giggle about it before falling back asleep. Yep. Rare. But you really had to have been there so you’re just going to have to trust me on this one. I just love when these things happen in life! A highlight of the trip for sure.

And I don’t know about you and your journeys but in all my years of racing, traveling and adventuring, there is always the part where it comes to an end. It’s always a little bit sad to me. Of course you look forward to heading back home to loved ones and some routine but you also wish you could stay a little longer, see what happens next…

To me an adventure isn’t something easy. It’s something that likely involves blood, sweat, tears, the big love for what you are doing in the outdoors and the people you share this with and create friendships with along the way. These life experiences are why I am alive. And why I, although it can make me vulnerable, live with my heart wide open. Waiting for the next opportunity to find it’s way in <3

Follow Claire on Instagram for more MTB adventures: @claire_buchar