The Hidden Valley Experience

by | Mar 16, 2022 | Experiences

The Hidden Valley Experience 

Stilspoke is announcing a MTB / gravel event called the Hidden Valley Experience on May 21-22nd, which allows people to step into the story of their recent film, ‘The Long Traverse’ which grappled with the realities of forest fires, extraction, and sustainable development. The Hidden Valley Experience includes group rides with pros, wine tastings, locally crafted meals, special guest speakers, and more, to help guests root themselves in a sense of connection to the community and landscape. 

“Filming the Long Traverse really opened my eyes to the role bikes can play in connecting us to the places we ride. After the film was released, I realized I didn’t want that experience to just live in the digital world. So I’m really excited about the chance to introduce people to this region I’ve come to love and bring them along for the learning. I feel like so many cycling events are structured so that people can escape through the bike, but I really hope this can help people engage through the bike, build a connection to this area, and take some inspiration from that home.”  – Christopher Blevins 

The event takes place in the Cuyama Valley, coined “The Hidden Valley of Enchantment”, in a townsite called New Cuyama, with a population of under 600, located at the intersection of four counties, Santa Barabara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, and Kern. Bordering the plain to the northeast is the Temblor Range, on the other side of which is California’s Central Valley. Bordering the plain to the southwest is the Caliente Range. On one side of New Cuyama lies the Caliente Range, with Carrizo Plain National Monument’s entrance located just 20 minutes from the townsite, while the Sierra Madre Mountains, home to Los Padres National Forest, stretch to the southwest. While located about 2 hours from LA and Santa Barbara, and just over an hour from  San Luis Obispo, the valley is unlike anywhere else in California, and home to beautiful and rugged gravel roads and trails.

The Hidden Valley Experience is hosted alongside local community development partners Cuyama Buckhorn and Blue Sky Center. A ticket to the weekend includes a contribution to Sage Trail Alliance (the local trail organization), Protect Our Winters, and local Cuyama Valley initiatives. 

The Hidden Valley Experience includes:

  • 2 nights lodging at the Cuyama Buckhorn or camping at Blue Sky Center
  • MTB / Gravel ride with the pros. (Mechanical and ride support)
  • Special guest speakers and presentations 
  • 3 locally crafted meals
  • Wine tasting at Condor’s Hope 
  • Happy hour mead tasting at Cuyama Beverage Company
  • Ticket to ‘Long Traverse’ screening and special performance
  • Yearly membership to Sage Trail Alliance
  • Yearly membership to Protect Our Winters 
  • Swag / raffle / gear from partners

March 16th 2022

What Still Speaks?

by | Mar 3, 2022 | Uncategorized

What Still Speaks?  

In a world littered with noise, we listen for the stories that truly speak to us. 

When delivered through art and creativity, they find a way to carry on through what we do. Sometimes it’s not the biggest voice in the room we hear, but the one that speaks through stillness. Other times, a good story is blaring and bold as it shakes a part of us free. Through stories, we recognize someone else’s journey as a mirror of our own, and we stumble into wonder, change perspectives, and learn to relate. While the world brims with shouts that pull us apart, stories are like music pulling us towards common ground. A good story always happens to take us there, as we enter into the landscapes that cover ourselves and our world. They take us towards connection, towards conversation, and into a place where we haven’t been. It’s those places just beyond ourselves where we confront difficulty and grow from the experience. It’s there where stories are crafted, where their contents are welded with wisdom, and that wisdom starts to speak. So turn your ear towards what is real, because at the end of the day, we’ll forget the chatter, but we’ll remember the stories that still spoke. 

Today, we’re excited to begin unveiling more of Stilspoke. This project has morphed and evolved and will continue to do so as we let creativity stretch us. The journey to this point began with many, many ideas and conversations that eventually flooded towards where we are today. We’re a group of new and old friends building a creative platform to inspire the sense of community we’ve felt in our lives spent outdoors. We believe art is greater than content, that stories can enter into deeper experiences, and that change happens right where we are. Stilspoke is a vessel to bring these beliefs to light, and we can’t wait to do that alongside you all.

March 3rd 2022

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