Video and Photo Epic: Trail Hunter - Alaska
When Matt Hunter met a stranger in the Mexican backcountry, there's no way that he could have guessed that the chance encounter would lead him to exploring the wilds of Alaska by bike years later. After all, the area is better known for its vast, picturesque landscapes and diverse wildlife, of which Matt and his friends saw plenty of, not its trails. But as Matt and his friends found out, Alaska doesn't do anything in moderation.
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Featuring:
Matt Hunter
Matt Miles
Music:
“Pay The Road,” by Shakey Graves
Production:
Directed by: Matt Hunter & Matt Miles
Filmed/edited: Matt Miles
 | Ron told me there was good riding in Seward. That was an understatement. - Matt Hunter |
| Climbing and hike-a-biking up an unknown corridor and being greeted by a pristine alpine lake surrounded by snow capped peaks...pretty hard to top that, especially when Hunter pulled out ice cold beer! - Harookz |
| We basically just chased a rumour all the way here and we lucked out big time. - Matt Hunter |
| All the locals had massive handguns, all we had was a rainbow tied to the downtube. - Matt Hunter |
| When you look back on an adventure it's always the things you could have never anticipated, whether good or bad, that really hold the memories. - Robert Butt |
| For me these trips aren't always about trying to get the best shots or filming in the best light. They are about riding as much as we can, seeing new places, riding with new people and bringing a camera along the way. There are not many words to explain the great experiences that we had. I am just glad to be able to press record once in a while and capture the moments. - Matt Miles |
| You definitely want to pack light, but not leave out key essentials. An abundance of energy sources like Clif bars, smoked oysters and nuts, along with freeze-dried dinners, kept our fuel tanks topped up. A bivvy took up very little real estate in my bag, yet provided a dry, bug-free sleeping quarter. The jet boil was our workhorse in our outdoor kitchen. Flask full of whiskey supercharged our spirits through the long grinds. - Harookz |
| Peck taught me to pan for gold and at the same time he managed to tell me about 10 epic stories. Badass dude. - Matt Hunter |
| I expected Alaska to be big and wild, but it delivered way more than its reputation promised. - Matt Hunter |
| 24-hours of daylight made it feel like we were there for double the duration of our trip. Sunset dinners past midnight allowed us to capture more in a day then we're typically used to. - Harookz |
| At one point I was hitchhiking and the first van that I saw picked me up. I didn't even have to wait. And the guy gave me a cold beer. What else can you ask for? That pretty much sums up Alaskan hospitality for me. - Matt Hunter |
MENTIONS: @Specialized / @munter / @harookz / @mattymiles
Author Info:
Member since Jul 12, 2011
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While pictures and videos are great, a trip report without any trail beta is LAME! Just pictures don't tell the whole story, what did you actually ride is what I want to know.
Im assuming one of the trails they did in Seward is the Lost Lake trail which is 14 miles out n back with 2000ft of elevation gain/loss, that could probably be done in a couple of hours.
Looks like they prob did a few rides in the Bear Creek area as well ...Devil's to Resurrection?
Just a thing, Did anyone ever try to enjoy a singletrack with 7-8 kg on the back?
Yeah you can make photos look like you are in the middle of Alaska and out in the middle of nowhere but were they really? Im sure these trails are some of the locals typical rides that could be done in a few hours. Not hating as the photos and trip look like an amazing time.
p.s.
here are the trails they rode:
www.mtbproject.com/trail/5522780/devils-to-resurrection
if you scroll down on the mtbproject page you can see the other three rides in the area ...most can be done in a few hours....hardly a multi day epic if you ask me
When I see these reports I do get excited and then want to check out the same place because it looks epic, but when i find out that in actuality these guys pedaled and camped overnight on a trail that could be done in a few hours and they try to sell it as a multi day trip I just have to call it out as hyped marketing BS.
If you guys want to eat it up then have at it.
A "multi day epic" is anything that you cause to be a multi-day ride / camp. I'd say that their trip probably fits that bill. If these trails / photos don't get you excited, then leave them for others that are. I certainly had a blast riding in Alaska, and got all of the adventure I was looking for.
I totally love the big multi-day stuff, and a little bit of info about the stats does help give some perspective to those adventures, but there's space in the world for different videos. This one sits somewhere in-between an average shred holiday and full on bike-packing adventure, and I'm OK with that. Everything has it's place.
These are photo shoots to make you dream, not a report of a trip.
That's what we try to said...
...Then I ask myself´´
I don´t know who the actual author is... but he was asian..
Awesome adventure. That goes to my "To do" list, hoping I will really live something like that once !
I got some friends who would love to do a trip like this.
Is there anyone here who can give us some tips on which dates will be best suited to do a trip like this. Is it late in the summer, or is it possible earlier in the summer as well?
next time post the trail beta and be upfront on what trails you rode and i won't bust yer balls
Actually like the pics and always enjoy seeing these epic stories, though I also think they lack some credibility this time.
Perhaps the fashion models should appear a bit more filthy and sweaty. Matt always does a great job, but the other two should improve their performance in front of the lens. Perhaps their bikes and gear should appear a bit more muddy. It's not necessary to hide the logo of the brand, just some dirt on those shiny tires, for example. In short, I miss..... creativity.