Ep.076 - Yeti Gathering 2026 Pt.6 - RECAP from the Salt Flats

yeticycles.com countdowntopodcast.com zirkeloptics.com mtnops.com pendulumthreads.com - COUNTDOWNTO for 15% off trailsalliance.org/donate-join/ - Donate to Mt. Konocti MTB Trails Yeti Gathering 2026 Recap — The Countdown Was Worth It After a year of counting down, training, planning, setbacks, and anticipation, we finally made it to the **2026 Yeti Cycles Gathering at Arapahoe Basin, Colorado. In this episode, Drew and Leighton sit down on the long drive home to recap one of the biggest Countdown To adventures yet—from visiting Yeti headquarters in Golden and riding their backyard trails to camping at 10,000 feet, battling the Colorado altitude, ripping bike-park laps at Keystone, and spending three unforgettable days surrounded by the Yeti community. But this countdown became about much more than mountain biking. Both brothers entered the trip differently than they had imagined. Drew spent much of the year dealing with a back injury that forced him to change the way he trained and learn when to push and when to back off. Leighton watched work, the podcast, family, and planning take priority over training and arrived knowing his fitness wasn't where he originally wanted it to be. Instead of allowing those setbacks to ruin the experience, they leaned into something they've learned throughout this journey: **control what you can control, accept where you are, and keep moving forward. The Gathering also gave them an entirely new appreciation for Yeti. After months of interviewing Yeti employees, ambassadors, legends, and leadership, they finally experienced the culture firsthand. From employees helping repair Drew's bike minutes before a ride to the owners and president taking time away from running the event to sit down for interviews, the weekend showed them that the people behind the bikes are what make the company special. Along the way there were technical climbs, screaming descents, freezing rain, camping under the stars, sushi from Sushi Danny, new friends, podcast listeners recognizing the guys on the trail, Tyler getting on a mountain bike, and plenty of brotherly arguments and laughs. And that last part mattered too. Being together for an extended trip created some friction between Drew and Leighton, but instead of shutting down or avoiding it, they talked through it. That became another unexpected example of the growth this podcast is built around: learning how to communicate, work through conflict, and remember that even when you disagree, you ultimately want the best for each other. Most importantly, the trip brought everything back to **why Countdown To exists in the first place**. Years ago, depression and difficult seasons made life feel very different. Today, these brothers are traveling, riding bikes, building relationships, challenging themselves, and creating homes and lives they're genuinely excited to return to. The goal was never simply to become better mountain bikers or get in better shape. It was to become healthier people—**body, spirit, and mind**—and help other people discover that same possibility. Find something that excites you. Find something that scares you a little. Put it on the calendar, reverse-engineer what it will take to get there, and start your own countdown. Because the destination is incredible—but *the real transformation happens in the journey.* The Yeti Gathering countdown is officially complete. *Now it's time for the next one.*