To this point in my life, I’ve resisted the temptation to buy a GoPro.  Several reasons.  

First, it seems to me that any video worth watching is worth watching not so much because of the shooting but because of the editing.  Quick cuts, timed to bangin’ tunes, that’s what holds eyeballs.  Editing, good editing, seems like tedious, time-consuming work, and is something I haven’t been interested in taking on.  I’d much rather be outside doing anything rather than sitting in front of a computer slicing and dicing video footage.

Second, the most entertaining action videos are of pro athletes doing pro athlete things.  Things that you and I, no matter how long we practice will never, ever be able to do.  Seeing Candide Thovex ski a 50-degree slope and pull a backflip off a huge cliff or Danny MacAskill dropping off a roof to a fence and riding across it on his bike are amazing and inspiring but come on, they’re beyond the realm of normal human activity.  Mortals can’t compete with that.  I’ve always kind of feared that strapping a camera on my body is going to lure me into trying something stupid for the sake of that type of footage and it’s going to end badly.

And finally, the primary focus of this blog as I envisioned it, is to share with you, dear reader, the beauty of Colorado’s scenery.  

I feel that photography, even amateur iPhone photography like mine, is the best medium for capturing and sharing the beauty of my state.  So, I’ve mostly focused on that.

But I started thinking that maybe some readers would like to see something besides scenery.  Something more illustrative of the activities I’m doing.  What better way to capture those activities than on video?  And guess what, I got a GoPro for my birthday.  This blog needs content, dammit, let’s shoot some video!

So here it is, my first GoPro video.  It’s from a recent ride on the Methodist Mountain trail system.  It’s cross-country riding.  As in, we’re in a country, let’s ride ‘cross it.  If you’re looking for big air and back flips, you’re going to be disappointed.  My tires never go over my head, not even once.  

Think of it as a guided tour of Salida’s trails without having to pedal.  A chance to see the terrain and get a feel for what it’s like to ride it.  This video is of additional interest, I think, because I rode it when there was still a fair amount of the snow on the trails.  You get a little bit of dirt, a little bit of snow and even some commentary, all for the same low price.  And it’s only 23 minutes of your life.  Check it out.

 I guess I’m now officially a GoPro Bro.  I’ll try not to send it off a cliff.