Vanlife with Solar Panels and a 12000lb winch

2017 was another busy and fun-filled year!

#Vanlife
While still based out of Durango I lived out of the van while on the road. Vanlife is a blast and adding gear to the van is part of the fun. This year I installed solar panels with a 40amp MPPT controller and monocrystalline panels (one rigid and one flex). Lots to learn here: RENOGY.

I also added a Smittybuilt 12,000 lb waterproof winch with synthetic line and wireless remote control.

There is no receiver made for the front of my van but I wanted to be able to move the winch from front to back depending on how I got myself stuck. I found a hitch receiver that was close enough and ordered it to Crested Butte.

While camping alone, outside of cell (youtube) range, in the woods of Crested Butte I drilled holes into the van frame, fished nuts via welded wires, used bottle jacks to support the receiver and mounted the receiver, winch cradle and winch while being eaten alive by biting flies and mosquitoes. It looks amazing but I haven't got myself stuck since. With the wireless remote, I will be able to steer the van while controlling the winch.

Comfy home during crazy weather. DH race in Los Alamos, NM at Pajarito ski hill

Arizona Clinics! Oct 14 & 15

Oct 14th 6am Phoenix Clinic -- FULL

Oct 14th 9am Phoenix Clinic -- FULL

Oct 14th afternoon -- FULL

Sunday Oct 15th afternoon: Sedona group clinic. ***Postponed till December, please contact for details k_rust@yahoo.com ***.

Clinic Options

One-on-one clinic per hour $55.00 USD Tucson Millie Rocks 4 hour group min 6 people $100.00 USD Tucson Prison Camp 4 hour group min 6 people $100.00 USD Phoenix Group 4 hour min 6 people $100.00 USD Sedona Group 4 hour min 6 people $100.00 USD

City

Tucson Phoenix Sedona

Name(Attendee)/Date/Time/Trail

Able to wheelie-drop off curb?

Recent Feedback

Phil Panipinto: Great mtb clinic with today! I'm a better rider then I was this morning, thanks Krista! 

....follow-up text: "Strava says you made me faster.  PRs on descents today which is remarkable since prev PRs were in hero dirt. 😎"     

Jeff Fox: You will love it! I got to do an afternoon clinic with Krista in Tucson a few weeks ago and she helped me tremendously with advanced technical skills. By the end of the day I was riding really hard stuff that I didn't think i ever would.

Thanks Krista Rust for the awesome skills clinic! Pretty amazing to go from walking down lower Milagrosa to comfortably riding the whole thing after just a couple of hours of fundamentals. Just goes to show that even us "old dogs" can pick up a trick or two from someone that really knows what they are doing.

Bettina Mills: Skills Clinic with Krista Rust at Milagrosa in Tucson--spent the afternoon learning to ride my bike more effectively, not only for enduro-style riding, but also to improve my XC skills. It was awesome! Can't wait to learn more from Krista. Hoping to get more QOMs this way.

Re: Sedona Festival: Fantastic clinic!!!! So much good info and guidance with attention to my individual level ! Imparted with a cheerful and encouraging manner. DO THIS!!!!!

Two Wheel Jones

Travis Jones

March 12 · 

Riding stuff that I usually walk. Thanks to Krista Rust for a great MTB clinic.

Other offerings:

- Visiting Durango, CO. 
An example: Three international travelers (two men and a woman of various skill levels) wanted to hit the ground running when they flew into town. They requested a basic trail overview and route recommendations in addition to a 3-hour a day skills session on various trails.  Skill work in the morning and more riding on their own in the afternoon, they were in town for four days and made the most of it.

- Intro to drops. This is something we can keep urban and quick, or include a ride. One client was headed back to Moab where her goal was to ride the Whole Enchilada without walking anything, we achieved that goal. 

Small drops are important even if you never want to "go off drops", it is all about weighting and driving the bike while keeping the front wheel light, a skill used in many situations. 

-Cornering. A XC client was gaining time in races on climbs but losing time in flat corners. Turns out his bike set up was not inspiring confidence and was making cornering more difficult. We also worked on weighting the bars to corner, weighting the tires enough for traction and looking through the turn, common things we all need to practice.  As soon as all this was put together correctly it made a huge difference, he was smooth, flowy, and able to save energy to pedal elsewhere, instead of out of each corner.

- Uphill Steep or Rocky Pitches. Many strong riders still have trouble getting up steep pitches that required proper body english (hips to bars), looking up, shifting weight, etc.

- Rocks. In Durango I like the Ridge, even just Blackdirt down has rocks to play on. Tucson and Sedona are great for rock work as well.

Ideally, we will have a specific focus for a private lesson. From the above examples I'd say drops and cornering first, uphill techy climbing next, then apply all that in rocky terrain.  But we should focus on what is the most appealing to you