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Spring is finally here

2011-05-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

And I'm learning what all the hype surrounding Flagstaff is about. For the last month or so, as soon as the temperatures were high enough to not need a jacket, the wind picked up. No one told me about the wind in Flagstaff, but it's serious. Springtime wind is on average above 20 mph, with gusts around 40 mph. Then, yesterday it just stopped. Now that the weather is warming up, the trails are drying and it's time to ride bikes. I'm about a ten minute bike ride (on bike paths) to some amazing trails and I am feigning hard. Not being in school has freed up a lot more time for riding. Despite the fact that I'm working full time, I'm still riding more than ever. The sun comes up around 5:30 am these days and I'm starting to ride in the morning before work, and squeezin in about three rides on my days off. Yay. Here's a couple photos of those aforementioned rides.

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Thomas, a super nice dude on a summer bike tour stayed with us and we rode with him out of town

dirt road southeast of town

rad canyon wall along the Arizona Trail

AZT just south of town

the road bike rejuvenated

Superstition Wilderness Backpacking trip

2011-03-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Lisa and I checked out the Superstition Wilderness which is about 45 miles east of Phoenix. It was already getting hot, but there was still a good amount of water. This place couldn't be any more different than the Humboldt Redwoods, where everything is soft and wet. Everything here wants to cut, scrape or poke you and with the exception of a few seasonal creeks is extremely hot and dry and we were very happy to be done hiking after three days. Nonetheless it was incredibly pretty and provided some amazing views. Here is a link to more photos.

2011-03-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

Catching up.....

The last month and a half I was working for a small (one person) company that makes white water river gear. I was sewing bags of varying sizes and shapes which although wasn't extremely enjoyable, was a good learning experience. I have been wanting to improve my sewing skills and have been contemplating going into production making bicycle touring bags. I impulsively bought an industrial sewing machine and just finished my first project on it. I made a one person, light weight (15 oz.) tent, something I've been wanting to make for quite a while. It's not the prettiest thing but it should serve me well.

Winter is still going strong here, I'm used to the mild and short, almost non-existent California winters where you can still ride your bike on trails, or at least dirt roads. I tried going on a ride today, but came across more snow and mud than is allotted for an enjoyable ride. So it looks like we'll have to continue heading south for fun.

In other news, next week I start my new job at Absolute Bikes. Pretty excited to be working in town (last job was 7.5 miles away), and to be working on bikes with cool folks. I took this week off, to go riding or backpacking, not sure which, but I will be sure to post some photos of whatever I do.

photos of the recent past

2011-03-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

most of these photos are various excursions

made to Sedona to escape the cold and snow

view from Cathedral Rock

riding some dirt

Jakob and Lily made a visit

hard to tell from the photo but this was some massive gnarly canyon wall we hiked up

Not Sedona - Old Munds HWY passing under HWY-17

Kachina trail

2011-02-12T22:02:00.000-08:00

home for the holidays

2011-01-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

SF action

Tide pools in Pescadero

Jack, Tim and Lisa searching for sea critters

buddies

this guys was rad, I'm not sure what the heck it is though

Greg and I on our way to Fairfax/Tam from Santa Rosa

East Peak

one of many impressive views from Mt. Tam

Sedona Cirlce Tour

2010-12-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

Just got back from my first bike tour since moving to Arizona. Burly would be the best word to describe it, as well as a lost of fun. The landscape (obviously much different than what I'm used to having grown up in coastal northern California) on this tour was very new to me. Even after four days of riding I am still excited to see cactus and yucca. The Sedona area itself has an amazing and interesting geology. On day four we started in white chalky limestone and within 30 miles ended up in iron rich red rock. The climate is insanely dry (although we had a little rain our last day) and warm which allowed me to ride in a t-shirt for most of the trip. The whole time I had to keep telling myself that it was the middle of December and not July. Our focus on this trip was to explore the area but to try to avoid riding on paved roads, or busy roads at least. About one half of the miles were on dirt roads of varying conditions. The second day we rode Perkinsville Rd. which I would definitely rank as one of the top 3 roads I've ever pedaled. For having gone into it completely naive and for the most part relying on google maps (not recommended) we did pretty well. There were some hike-a-bike sections for sure, but only one instance when we abandoned our planned route for an alternative which was recommended to us by a USFS employee. Having only brought one forest service map (non-topo) I realize the usefullness of good maps and GPS units. But nevertheless we had no issues and had a blast. Here is a link to the route and below are some photos.

One of several rad canyons to rode through on Perkinsville Road

This rock formation reminds me of Turkey Tail mushrooms

one of the hike-a-bike sections

Perkinsville Road carved out of the hillside

more photos

2010-12-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

Put some fat tires on the bike and went for a ride today. Instead of being a hassle, the snow and mud were fun to ride through. Checked out a little park just a few blocks from the house that has exercise stations, yeah that's right I was that weird guy doing sit ups in public.

Greetings from Arizona

2010-12-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

Elk season is in full swing

Well it's been a week since I arrived in Arizona. The first couple of days I was here the temperature dropped down to single digits and snow fell rather relentlessly from the sky. A good break in time in my adjusting to another climate and landscape. It wasn't too bad, and I've heard that it shouldn't get too much colder than that. Either way I'm happy to have picked up a balaclava before heading out here, cold mountain air stings the face when you're riding your bike. Speaking of which I've been able to do a little of. Although there is still too much snow for any kind of dirt riding in Flagstaff, as I learned the hard way. On Friday I headed north to do some dirt road riding when I stumbled upon a section of the Arizona Trail, eager to ride some of it, I decided to ride it back into town. Well a few miles later and I was hiking more than biking so I headed back. Saturday Lisa and I headed down to a county park just south of town where we found more snow.

Flagstaff urban trail system

Lisa and her new Rawland

So today we drove 30 miles south to Sedona where you could ride in a t-shirt (as I did) in December. We rode the Bell Rock Pathway, a nice easy trail that wraps around some incredible red rock mountains. The terrain is so different than the Pacific Northwest, and the mountain biking is insane. Riding atop massive red rocks, blazing by huge cactus, you can't help but be in awe of the incredible surroundings. Whatever may be said about the spiritual energy of the place, there is something definitely special about Sedona. Here are some photos (hopefully enticing enough to make you come visit!).

Slideshow

2010-11-28T15:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a slideshow of my favorite photos from the trip. Half way through the tour this summer,this song started playing in my head as we were riding and I decided then that I would use it for the slideshow. The program I used (which was a free download online) only allows for low image quality, so sorry for that. If it didn't take so much time to make it, I would have found another program and redone it. Until then I hope you enjoy it! (The song is by Sigur Ros).

Back in California

2010-10-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

The Atlantic.
Click here to see the rest of the tour photos.

Well it has been a while since my last post. Since swimming in the Atlantic I have ventured back to the great West via train. Riding the train was a good experience, one I would recommend trying. My only advice would be to not to do the entire trip in one leg, but break it up by getting off and exploring. It was strange to cover the same ground by train in four days that it took three months to do by bicycle. Especially considering that by modern standards four days is a long time. I enjoyed being able to sit back and watch the landscape go by me, almost in a weird reverse flashback. Riding through the plains, which felt like eternity, quickly blew by and before I knew it I was peering out into the Colorado Rockies and the incredibly vibrant red rock mountains in Utah. On the last day I woke up just outside Reno, and was drinking coffee as the train pulled itself up through the Sierras when I was overcome with the feeling that I was back home. Prior to this moment I hadn't felt a sense of place, that I belonged somewhere or was even more comfortable in one place than another. But something about the thick pine forests and exposed granite faces put a smile on my face and made me very glad to be back in the West.

Five months after departing on what would be a deeply rewarding and challenging trip, I am still living a similar lifestyle, only now I'm sleeping on friend's floors, and riding my bike in familiar places. Being back has been great. Not that I don't appreciate spending time with friends and family on a regular basis, but having returned from a summer on the road I feel like I have accomplished something. More so than having graduated college even. It's been great sharing stories and catching up with people. I've been making use of my time back in Humboldt by doing things that working and going to school normally would have prevented me from doing. One being riding Forest Service Route One, an incredible bike ride along California's longest continuous ridge. Also this weekend we did my favorite bike tour, The Forks Of Salmon. Unfortunately the weather turned for the worst and we decided to turn back around after waking up to 5 inches of snow. Nonetheless, any amount of time in such a beautiful place is worthwhile, and seeing it dusted in snow was an altogether different experience.

Renata, my photo prof. from the SRJC with Jakob and Sam. All of us former students.

My great friends from Santa Rosa (Ben, Chris, Matt, Melissa, Lucy and Abbey)

Jen, Sonja, and Jakob at Russian River Brewery

Ted and Tessa at 3rd St. Brewery

Chris and JB and I catching sunset at Mad River Beach

JB riding Tish Tang

Me riding Tish Tang

Route One

The view as you drop down to Mad River on Route One

I'm trying to make the most of my time in the Pacific Northwest, since I will be moving mid November to Flagstaff, AZ to live with my girlfriend Lisa (who you may recognize from some of the bike tour photos). Lisa started a Grad program at NAU in August in sustainable communities, specifically looking at local food politics and making community food systems more socially equitable. Coincidentally what I had focused my studies on towards the end of my stint at HSU. It feels like a spontaneous decision, but at the same time it feels like the best decision. Before leaving on the tour I told myself that I would live somewhere outside California when I returned, exactly where I wasn't sure. Having never been to Flagstaff, or the Southwest for that matter leaves a lot to the imagination, but I am very excited for a change of pace and place. From what I hear it is a great spot, similar to Arcata and apparently a mountain biking hotspot which makes me very excited.

One of the many gnarly bends on the Salmon River Tour

Steelhead salmon spawning

So, on to the next chapter of my life, Post college. Being gone this summer taught me a lot, mostly made me appreciate the amazing people I have in my life, both family and friends. Being back in their company is almost overwhelming at times as I consider how lucky I am to know so many rad people. Having stepped outside of the "normal life" this summer I was able to see how little time most of us have to spend with the ones we love, which is a shame. Being back and having an open schedule has allowed me to maximize my time with friends and I am thankful for that, especially considering I will be moving very soon. I also gained a newfound appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us. While I was able to ride my bike through some breathtaking landscapes, I learned that living here in the Pacific Northwest, we are all very spoiled by the vast amount of beautiful places to explore. And while I won't try and convince anyone to quit their job, move out of their house and jump on a bike and ride across the country, I will be a strong advocate of appreciating what we have. What I'm talking about can't be measured in physical space, not material possessions or wealth, but rather exists within the relationships we have with the people we love and admire. As well as the relationship we have to the natural world, as vague and distant it quickly becomes when our lives become focused on making a living and raising families. Don't forget the therapeutic value that can come from a walk in the woods. These possessions, for me are what counts and are what make me happy to be on this crazy floating piece of rock. They are strong, and can survive through rough economic times, stress, and hardship so long as we appreciate them and continue to build on them.

Without sounding too heady or mushy (hopefully) I will end this blog with a thank you to all of you who read it. It means a lot to hear that people actually do, and I enjoy the comments you leave. And although I'm not doing totally rad things like riding my bike across the country anymore, I will continue to use it as a venue to keep people updated on my life. So thank you for reading and I hope this finds you well.

We made it!

2010-09-07T21:15:00.001-07:00

We watched the sunrise from the top of Cadilac Mountain today after swimming in the Atlantic and riding around Acadia National Park, which is a truely breathtaking place. It was the best way to wrap up the ride. Tomorrow I board a train for California, to cover in what took three months on a bike in four days. I'm excited to see my family and friends, catch up and share stories, and I am eager to post more photos and to write more about my experiences this summer. Until then...

greetings from the hat

2010-08-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

This post finds me in Toronto, a super rad city which has officially won me over. Bikes almost out number cars (they certainly run the show) good coffee shops and neat bars everywhere. Not to mention incredibly great people. We arrived here Friday afternoon and were planning on leaving today, but we're having too much fun. Our host Jon (who stayed with us in Arcata when he was touring the west coast) has been more than great to us. The day we arrived his kitchen was filled with fresh peaches which he was caning for winter. It is nice to be eating good, fresh, local, and organic food, not from a gas station. Toronto is massive, in our four days here we've hardly scratched the surface of what there is to explore. It is the most diverse city I've been to, second to London. Walking down the street you're bound to hear several different languages, and there are endless options for eating out. As we predicted, Toronto has more than made up for the rest of Ontario, which for the most part has been rather disappointing from a cycle tourists perspective. The roads have been some of the worst, most without shoulders and a lot of construction. Worst of all, you can only get beer from government run shops which have incredibly high prices (6 packs of PBR are about $12) and lame hours. However, who are we to complain, life is great and in the city there are endless drinking holes each with their own personality.
We are about 700 miles away from Maine, with a stop off in Montreal it looks like we'll be riding for another two weeks. It is a little crazy to think that we're this close, but at the same time being (somewhat) stationary is starting to appeal to me. As is seeing friends and family back home and riding my bike in the woods and back country roads of Humboldt County. Needless to say I am excited to know I'll be swimming in the Atlantic very soon and then heading back West.

Toronto skyline from the spit ride

I forgot how much fun it is to ride in the city

where else can you find a coffee shop/art gallery with bike art?

Ted during a hot and sweaty dinner

some quality micro brew during yet another hobo dinner

really nice rail to trail we stumbled upon in the Bruce Peninsula

we camped in Owen Sound during the start of a long running folk festival.
we met some really cool people who have been going for over ten years,
they treated us to some stories and great music at their fire.

you wouldn't know form looking at him, but this guy is CRAZY. he sat down with us as we were cooking dinner in the parking lot of a grocery store. we became more and more uncomfortable as he drank more, and talked about how violent he gets when he drinks. it was sad because he is a good person, just troubled. possibly one of the most memorable dinners we've had.

this guys was just hands down spectacular

The Beer Store..... I can only guess this is what is is like to buy beer in North Korea

Ted drinking a birthday beer in Lion's Head, ON

this guy was from Arizona and was stoked to see some fellow Americans. he had been drinking all day and for Ted's birthday treated us to a round to "passed out cowgirls." he was hilarious.

Lake Huron from the ferry

did someone say Rapha?

this is an Ontario bike lane, thanks Ontario!

as Ted says, summer vacation is about getting away from it all.

Lisa and I on Lake Superior, which is like the ocean, its crazy.

crossing over into Canada on the Sault St. Marie bridge

we were treated to some nice riding in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

the beauty of being on bikes, when you see a sign saying "Road closed, Bridge out" you can just go ahead and disregard it.

I don't know what to say to this one.

a typical breakfast, oatmeal coffee and a baked good from a gas station.

while we did ride through the Porcupine Mountains, the only porcupines we saw were on the side of the road, dead.

Marquette, MI was definitely a highlight of the trip. We stayed with tome incredible people, and relaxed for four days in a town very similar to Arcata.

catching a pint at the local brew pub with our hosts, friends of our good buddy JB who went to school in Marquette.

Ted and I eating pasties, a local favorite which miners used to eat. kind of like a calzone, or (don't tell this to a Yooper) a nicer version of a hot pocket.

and.......single track, miles of glorious single track.

me just getting done shredding the gnar.

the ecology is different than that of the west coast, but beautiful nonetheless. also much less climbing so you can ride for hours.

just another healthy breakfast

apparently this was a job created out of the New Deal to provide folks income and improve the neighborhoods..?...

Marquette has a really good coffee shop, which we went to every day we were there.

Canada's Budweiser, but much better.

endless sunset at Lake Superior in Ontonagon, MI. Felt like being out at the ocean.

whats left of a train trestle which was used to load giant ships up with iron ore. the ships cross the lake and bring the ore down to cities like Pittsburgh and Milwaukee where its made into steel.

a cool rail to trail which quickly became an uncool ATV trail.

the bridge form Duluth to Superior, MI which had a separate and protected bike lane.

it's been some time...

2010-08-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

This was a place for cyclists to crash along Highway 2 in Montana

kids selling junk

now thats what I call a tractor

one good thing about North Dakota, pretty

sunsets and thunderstorms

just one of many dead animals we see on a daily basis

Bonnie and Luke

Cars-R-Coffins velo cafe

cool artwork along the greenway

Bonnie and 9 month old June

at the velodrome

tall ships in Duluth

best micro brew I've had this summer

since the last time I updated. We pushed through North Dakota with a fury. Everyday in North Dakota felt like the day before, wheat, soy, corn, grain mill, oil field repeat. In addition it proved itself to be the hardest state to buy beer. As soon as we crossed into Minnesota, we felt a change in scenery and were releived to see other cyclists. There are also a lot of bike paths and trails in Minnesota which we have been taking advantage of. Getting off the highways is refreshing. On rail to trails you can see areas not accessible to cars, and you can't help but imagine what it would be like if you could travel freely this way without having to be on the roads.In Fergus Falls Chris bought a little am/fm alarm clock radio which pumps out the jams like you wouldn't believe. I never thought that riding my bike across America listening to Journey and Rod Stewartwould make me feel so patriotic. We spent a few days in Minneapolis, which rivals Portland for most bikeable city. There were bike paths everywhere, in fact we we able to enter the city on the greenway, a path that cuts through the city keeping us away from the interstate. We stayed with my friends Bonnie and Luke, who own a rad old vicotrian house which they are fixing up in all the spare time that they have since having their first kid, June (adorable). It was fun to spend some quality time with them. Minneapolis left agood impression on me, I don't know if I can handle the winter, but with all the bike shop/coffee houses and good food, it definitely made me want to check it out again. After Minneapolis we heded up to Duluth, after stoping at the velodrome outside the city where we wathed some racing and caught some beers with some of the local racers. Duluth has been great too, with lake (Superior) just down the street and Fitger's brewery close at handwe've been enjoying ourselves emmensley. Not to mention the fact that Peter, a friend from Arcata who recently moved back here has been giving us the royal treatment. Duluth is a point of depatrure for the group. Ted and Tessa are headed out to do some backpacking in the Apostle Islands, Chris is pushing ahead, and Lisa and I are mosie-ing our way along the Upper Peninsula towards Toronto where we most likely will rendezvous again. At this point, life on the road is feeling less like a vacation and more of a lifestyle. And yet I just want to continue. I hope you are all enjoying the summer and doing fun and exciting things.

Internet has been infrequent and slow, so to make a long story short...

2010-07-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

We just reached Malta, MT which is a big benchmark for us because it means we're out of the mountains and we should have a tail wind, should being emphasized. Getting up here from Bozeman proved to be some of the most challenging riding with a 25mph + side wind, hot weather, no water sources and the worst mosquitoes I've ever encountered by far. We took some time in Bozeman which was a really cool town and we stayed with some amainzgly awesome people (longtime friend of Tessa's padre). Yellowstone was amazing and at the same time really lame. Too many people/cars/rv's and seeing wildlife kind of felt like being at a zoo. Once we got off the beaten path (ie the path which you can't drive your car on) we saw few people, hung out with bison and soaked in some hot springs. I'll let the photo's do the rest of the talking.

welcome to northern Montana

open roads

we slept at this church, here's what it looked like in 1914 when it was built

more wheat

you know the wind is strong when you see these things

Chris sett off a grease fire as atoken of our

appreciation to our hosts Cindy and Tom

heres where I slept my first night in Bozeman,

I will live in on of these some day.

Danger! hot springs will scald your children

Ringling, MT

no wonder they took there show on the road

playing Bocce with Tom, our newly adopted unlce

first mechanical.....

Chris broke his fram climbing a hill in Yellowstone

the next day he was on a Surly LHT. "No Problem."

really cool rock formations in north Yellowstone

fun descent

riding along the Tetons, leaving Jackson, WY.

river + hot springs = awesome

crossing the divide, most of the big mountains are behind us

Rest Day Ride

2010-07-03T18:36:00.001-07:00

Chris, Brendon, and I didn't get enough of the gnarly descent so we road up the old highway (which had much more spectacular views) and then back down highway 22. As we climbed up we past several single track trail heads, very tempting. Living here, it would be hard to exhaust the riding options. I beat yesterdays record by one mile an hour (52.1 MPH).

Right now we are in Wilson, WY staying with Walt, a guy we hardly met yesterday who is on Warm Showers. Although we met him through the friendly folks at Wilson Backcountry Sports, a shop that our new friend Brian (from Ketchum) told us to check out. We've been experiencing 6 degrees of separation, maybe even less. The mountain biking community has been kind to us and the flow continues to be strong. Walt leads trail building in the area, acting as the liaison between the US Forest Service and local trail advocacy organizations. When we met him yesterday he was having lunch with a crew of prison inmates who had been working for 3 weeks on a new trail. They completed in 3 weeks what a normal volunteer crew can complete in a season. Walt, used to having bike touring folks at his house, took off for the weekend and left us his house. The kindness and trust we've been experiencing ceases to amaze me, but reassures me that there are more good people than bad out there.

Have a great 4th!!!

We ride at night

2010-07-03T13:17:00.001-07:00

Hot weather has led us to alter our riding schedules the last several days. After sunset the air is the perfect temperature for riding, you can push hard without breaking a sweat. Cruising along old country highways watching shooting stars pass overhead, and gazing at the silhouettes of mountains is a refreshing experience. Riding your bike without having to worry about cars or RV's barelling by is an altogether different feel. We've been logging miles in the morning, taking a long rest during high heat, riding some more, eating dinner and then riding 'til we tire out and sleeping. Idaho, like much of the West is crazy about its irrigation. To the point where it is hard not to consider the lurking crisis we're heading towards at rapid speed. It is easy enough to joke about, as we're woken up in the middle of the night soaked by poorly installed sprinklers in a public park. But as we ride, day after day, passing by yet another alfalfa farm in the desert, tended to by massive tractors, dependent on large quantities of pesticides and herbicides, and irrigation pivots, the reality of our broken food system is unavoidable. For practical purposes, as well as a change of pace, I have thrown my food ethic out the window. Riding everyday means eating a lot, and in the interest of making our money last we're on the quest for cheap energy. Needless to say I have eaten my share of Snickers bars (roughly 2-3 a day). Rolling up to a grocery store after 60 + miles feels like a speed addict pulling into Fresno (sorry Fresno). We search for the sale tags, 2 for 1 specials and day olds. It has become a skill, a science. We know when Albertsons discounts their doughnuts. We know Safeway is offering buy 2 get two free on candy bars. There is a pleasure in indulging this way, but we understand that it is because we are riding the shit out of our bikes that we can eat crappy food and not suffer the consequences. And at the same time we are supporting the bad guys, contributing to the large decentralized food system we despise. If nothing else this makes more apparent the changes we need to make. In Victor, ID on our way up to Teton Pass we rolled by The Grand Teton Brewery who was having a benefit for a local food collective that has a youth farm program for elementary kids. They gave us a big bag of fresh organic greens (which have been hard to come by in these parts). This proved to be a shinning beacon amidst the factory farms and CAFOS. It is these instances that provide a positive light to a somewhat distressing situation. Short story long, this makes me appreciate the work that has is being done to improve the way we eat such as CSA's, local food circles, farm to school programs and food pantries. Enough downer Derek..... here's some photo's. Also I've linked Brendon and Ted's blogs so you can see and read about the trip from their perspectives.

fastest I've ever been on a bike, coming down Teton Pass

healthy living

meet Bob Frank (note: his license plate frame reads "Bad boys have bad toys")

public parks are good places to camp, watch out for sprinklers though

living the dream

beautiful pastel colored mountains near Craters of the Moon

after drinking PBR and Coors for days, a couple micro brews set you right!

man climb mountain, man feel strong

Ride Log:

Day 27 - Hailey to Carey, ID (28 miles)

Day 28 - Carey to Howe, ID (70 miles)

Day 29 - Howe to Heise, ID (90 miles)

Day 30 - Heise to Victor, ID (54.5 Miles) ONE MONTH ON THE ROAD!!!

Day 31 - Victor, ID to Wilson, WY (40 miles)

Mountains are our friends

2010-06-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

We're in Hailey, Idaho surrounded by the Sawtooth mountains. Everywhere you look it's hard not to be in awe of the geological wonderfullness. We rolled in on Saturday, passing over the Galena summit, our biggest yet at 8,900 ft. We heard that this area has great single track, and was a cycling hub. This soon became apparent as we started seeing large groups of road cyclists and signs on the road warning motorists about the "Sawtooth Century." As we pushed our bikes and gear up the mountain we were being passed by roadies who were on their way back Ketchum to complete their 100 miles. After making our way down the 6% descent we cruised into town at our best paceline yet, for an hour or so pushing 20-30 mph with little effort. Once in town we received the celebrity treatment. In a bike crazy town, with bike paths everywhere, and a pump track, our loaded bikes were a sight and seemed to be a magnet for attention. Everyone wanted to know where we were riding from and tell us which way to leave from here. People were super nice and friendly, but I was left with mixed feelings. Ketchum/Sun Valley is like Disneyland for grown ups. And it is disgustingly wealthy and white. Talking to folks you get the impression that this is just a bubble, insulated from the rest of the world. A place where the rich and famous (the Governator to name one) have summer homes. That being said, everyone we met was great. Especially Brian from Backwoods Mountain Sports, an avid mountain biker whose domesticity has been dependent on single track. Brian is what our buddy JB calls a "trail angel." He hooked us up with some mountain bikes and sent us off with a map, a loop and a place to shower after, as well as a cool dirt route to get to Craters of the Moon, our next destination.

Some other notes:
We are getting good at using space. Yesterday we dried out laundry in the park. Today we woke up on the side of a dirt road after sleeping under the stars and (almost) full moon and cooked a fat boy breakfast for $10 in the park. Libraries, supermarkets, gas stations, random places with shelter become your home, where you feel comfortable. And quickly, the odd looks people give you become just another reason to laugh. This hobo life is growing more and more attractive. Everyday is a new day, a new place with new people and a lot of unknowns. How lucky I am!

catching up.....

Day 22 - Boise to Ten Mile Campground, Idaho City (55 miles)

Day 23 - Idaho City to Bonneville Hotsprings/Campground (46 miles)

Day 24 - Bonneville to Alturas Lake (66 miles)

Day 25 - Alturas to Ketchum (52 miles)

Day 26 - Bummin' around Ketchum, riding single track

Day 26 - Hailey rest day

Amerikuh!

Ted cooking a bacon breakfast at Alturas Lake

one of a few passes leaving Boise

rocking my Luce Goods hat, thanks Lucie!!!

huge frisbee in Stanley, ID

first glimpse of the Sawtooths

drinking a schooner of tasty IPA at Lefty's in Ketchum

riding to our campground

Sun Valley single track

doin' laundry in the park

riding our touring rigs in the pump track

Dispatches from the land of irrigation

2010-06-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Idaho,
we have been enjoying some rest and relaxation in Boise. We're staying with our good friend Jocelyn's family who have been extremely gracious hosts. Home cooked meals, board games and great conversation has made me forget about riding my bike everyday. This is what the trip is about. Catching up...

Day 14 - Burns, OR to John Day, OR (75 miles)
We decided that we would much rather climb more and be in national forest than to continue riding in the high desert, so we rode north to John Day. It also just happens that Lisa has been working in John Day, bonus! This was one of the best days on the bike thus far, riding through small mountain towns like Prairie City and Seneca, checking out some old growth Jefferey and Ponderossa Pines and mashing down an epic decent into John Day was reinvigorating.

Canyon City, Or

Brendon going wild in Seneca, OR

Seneca, OR

Day 15 - Rest Day in John Day, OR
Lisa took the day off work and we cooked an F Street breakfast and mosied out to the John Day Fossil Beds which were incredible.

Day 16 - John Day, OR to Unity, OR (40 miles)
We got an early start, leaving John Day around 2 pm and rode almost to Unity. The mountain passes aren't so bad once you're already above 4,000 ft. Ted and I rode into Unity looking for a swim spot, after failing we decided to look for beer. We ended up at the "R Watering Hole" in Unity where we drank Coors light on tap in frosty mugs and ate french fries while Brendon and Chris set up camp and cooked dinner. Lisa met us here and drove us back to camp where we enjoyed a roaring fire.

Ted in search of the reservoir

Day 17 - Unity, OR to Vale, OR
Third and last (for now) goodbye to Lisa and we rode in to Unity for breakfast at the watering hole. The ride into Vale was challenging, a nasty headwind persisted all day and the last 10 miles were on chip seal, so every time a truck drove by you'd pelted with rocks. By the time we reached town we were haggard. Fortunately we fell into the flow. Chris chatted up a lady at the local pool who let us in for $1 each. We showered, swam, and showered before grabbing some Mexican food downtown which was the best we've had so far on the trip. The owner of the joint was super nice, as was everyone we chatted up in town. We camped out in the park, and checked out some cattle roping qualifications for the huge July 4 rodeo. We're starting to become knowledgeable in the world or ranch sports, although this doesn't make us stand out any less amongst the cowboy hats and hefty belt buckles. The roping went on well into the middle of the night, but you can't complain much when you're sleeping in the public park. Another cool thing about Vale is that there are murals (30 or so) scattered throughout the town, mostly depicting the Oregon Trail.

Unity, OR

scrappy chickens in Brogan

Taqueria in Vale, OR

cattle ropin' in Vale

Brendon contemplating manifest destiny

Day 18 - Vale, OR to Boise, ID (76 miles)
Woke up early in the park, grabbed some breakfast from the greasy spoon and hit the rode. Mostly down hill with a tail wind leading us to a bike path into Boise. Interesting transition in culture from rural farmland to wealthy private condos and houses along the river with private lakes where the friendlier folks are those who come for the fishing, and not those living there. Swimming in the Boise river was a nice way to cool down. We rolled into town and found ourselves in some sweet digs a la casa de Tessie and Scott. We cruised downtown Boise, which on a Saturday night resembles an episode of MTV spring break, where the girls look like scandally clad oompa loompas and the guys make me feel embarrassed about being a male. Definitely some culture shock, but entertaining nonetheless. After finding a taco truck we headed to bed.

ye old Oregon Trail

Day 19-21 Rest Days......
We headed into town to check out the local bike shop (Boise Mountain Touring) who happened to be having an IBIS demo day. After chatting with the IBIS dudes (who turned out to Scott Nicol, the OG of IBIS) we decided to ride some single track. Quickly Boise became the first place we've been to so far where I could see myself living. there is great single track in town and a strong cycling community. I met Jeff from the Southwest Idaho Mountain Bike Association who was tabling for their License Plate fundraiser. Jeff was super nice and told us all we need to know about the riding in Sun Valley, ID which is where we are headed next. Everyone was super friendly and helpful. After a great diner with out newly adopted family, we went out to a cool bar for some beer with Jocelyn and her friend Meighn, where I ran into Doug Martsch from Built to Spill. This further cemented my approval of Boise.

Mr. Ibis

Our generous hots Scott and Tessie

Pool at the Nerolux

Doug Martsch!

Meighn and Jocelyn

Brendon's first Winco experience

Winco at ~3 am

Solstice sunset hike

Mountains, desert and mosquitoes.

2010-06-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

After seeing family in the Ashland area Chris and I picked up Brendon, our fourth rider.

He is a pal from Santa Rosa and is becoming quite the skilled frame builder (he built my bike and the one he is riding). While Ted caught up with his folks Brendon, Chris, and I rode to Lake of the Woods, OR where we met up with Lisa and Rose. We decided to take a rest day at my aunt and uncle's cabin, on the Lake. It was beautiful and relaxing.

Day 8 - Wednesday we left Lake of the Woods and rode through Klamath Falls to Sprague River, OR. Riding along highway 66 was amazing, pine covered forest quickly changed to rolling hills and sage brush desert. We did get a chance to ride along the OC&E Rail to Trail

which runs from Klamath Falls to Bly. While we were excited to ride this trail that goes for 150 miles, we soon found out that only a few of those miles were paved, and the rest varied from hard pack dirt to seizure inducing cattle pasture.

Day 9 - Thursday we finally rode a mile.... high to Lakeview Oregon.

It was a cold nasty day filled with rain, hail and wind. Hearing that it was going to freeze that night we decided to get a hotel room, which all six of us shared, and destroyed.

It is amazing what a shower, a hot meal (bacon burger, fries, and a coke) and clean clothes can do after a hard days ride.

Day 10 - Lakeview to a rest area 53 miles north of Lakeview.
Leaving Lakeview the landscape changes dramatically, and we soon found ourselves in the high desert. Big open skies, miles and miles of sagebrush, and the occasional 5,000 + ft. pass is what we saw for the next few days. The views were incredible but the riding was challenging, due to an incessant headwind.

Day 11 - Rest Area to Rest Area (15 miles outside Burns, OR).
Another day of hobo camping in the luxurious highway rest stops, where warm showers are had in the bathroom sink and we ate dinner under cedar trees along the highway. This was another hard day, and Rose hitched to Burns with an injured knee. Feeling bad for us she met us with an awesome dinner and cold beer. Along the way though, we fell back in time 100 years as we happened upon a cattle branding. This was an awesome experience to witness, and although I may be questioning my consumption of meat again it was really cool to see traditional methods of ranching being used and even more rad to see these traditions being passed on to younger generations. Once they determined we weren't from PETA, everyone was very nice and equally curious about our journey as we were of their livelihood.

Day 12 - We rode into Burns and parted with Rose and then rode out to the Malhuer National Wildlife Refuge which is home to 300 plus species of birds, and about 600,000,000,000 plus recently hatched mosquitoes. After sleeping in a mined out field next to abandoned farming equipment and creeper vans, where curious horses peered down over the hills at us, we determined that we were miles and miles away from the flow.

Day 13 - Rest Day (sort of) in Burns. Lisa goes back to the real world and its back to the four of us, headed towards Boise, ID.

The Route

2010-06-07T09:16:00.001-07:00

Here is a rough illustration of the planned route. Things will change but for now this is where we plan to go. If you know anyone along our route or have some recommendations of places to visit please let me know.

The Flow

2010-06-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

The flow can't be adequately described but I'll try. The flow is what we (Ted, Chris, and I) call the eternal and unexpected hospitality we have already experienced on the road. Within our first two days we had moments where we looked at each other as if to assure ourselves we were living in reality and not just dreaming. The first of these moments was on the day one, after 38 miles in a miserable hard rain. I was soaked head to toe, and had lakes in my shoes. We stopped in Orick, not wanting to start the nasty climb up Bald Hills. I made a lifeline call early on in the game for some waterproof pants. What we thought was going to be a generous pants delivery turned into being three guys stumbling upon their own version of the secret garden, in Orick, CA of all places. After eating chimichangas (oh yes let the junk food eating begin) and a beer at Hawg Wild, we headed up to Dan's house, who not only was going to drive me up some pants from Adventure's Edge but also put us up. Soon after we were greeted by his neighbor's Neil and Carla, and Jim who we met at the bar (and turned out to be the uncle of a friend of mine from Santa Rosa) we were in the hot tub, and then drinking beers and playing ping pong, foos ball and air hockey and eating fresh fish (welcome to our secret garden). Dan proved to be an amazing host, for instance he busted out a boot drier so we wouldn't have to start our next days ride in wet bike shoes. We were well fed and felt like we could have spent a couple days there, who knew only 40 miles from our home in Arcata we woulbd be content on calling it good!

Day 2 - A wet and rather burly climb up Bald Hills road, which is supposedly beautiful, we couldn't tell because of the rain and fog. Nonetheless it was a screaming descent to the Klamath River which we rode along for the next few days. That night we were looking at a Church awning for shelter when Mark, a guy I met working at the shop almost a year ago pulls up to offer us a place to crash on his Farm in Orleans. Long story we short, we knew the flow was strong in these parts and met some cool interns at the farm and dried out sleeping inside next to the fire.

Day 3 - found us in Happy Camp where we got to see where Tessa will be for the summer. We met some interesting locals and went to a cool art opening where we started to experience the enthusiasm our trip can invoke from strangers. After catching a pint at Saloon (just called Saloon because there's only one in Happy Camp) we headed back for some blueberry pie Tessa made.

Day 4 - With Tessa accompanying us, we followed the Klamath on Highway 96 and met up with a group of cyclists from Southern Oregon who were doing a bi-annual 90 + mile group ride. We camped with them and they fed us well and gave us a million connections which made us realized we could do this for a long long time and still not exhaust the social patchwork we are stitching together.

Day 5 Despite the fact that every night we say "lets get an early start tomorrow" today we got our earliest start, 10 am. I think this goes to show that we've been having loads of fun and have been in good company. Wanting to see our family in Ashland/Medford we pushed hard up the Siskyou summit and took I-5 all the way into Ashland and then pedaled to my aunt (Mary Anne) and uncle (Tom) 's house. Tessa who has a job, ha to leave (she will be missed) and we proceeded to have a great time with my family and Ted's parents. Soo good to see everyone and share our excitement but hard to wake up and leave the next day. speaking of I am due for some sleep. I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking. To all reading this, thank you and I love you. Hopefully it will inspire you to do something you've always wanted to do. Until the next time,
dbo

The Big Plan

2010-04-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

In less than one month (May 15) I will be turning the page to a new chapter in the book of life. Having taken what I like to call the scenic route to getting my undergraduate degree, and having been in school for the better part of my life, I am no doubt excited to be done, and ready for the next step. When asked that dreaded question college students have come to despise, "So, what's next?" rather than viewing that person with contempt, or trying to come up with some marginally acceptable excuse, I say (with a shit eating grin on my face) "riding my bike across the country."
For many of those who know me, this has been in the plans for quite a while now. Yet, it has been a distant, intangible idea, one that many (including myself) at times have doubted would come to fruition. But here we are, in mid April and it is time to assemble our rides, mark our route, and prepare the ass for the pain that is breaking in a new leather saddle.
June 3rd is our estimated (fairly concrete) departure date. Our ride will take us from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, Arcata to New York (ish), along the northern United States. Roughly three months of traveling, because this trip for me is more about traveling and exploring the vast space I call home yet no little of, than it is a physical feat. Traveling by bicycle is different (way cooler) than other forms of travel, and I believe that it allows for a different experience altogether. On a bike you are feeling, smelling, and hearing the natural environment in which you are passing through. And based upon my limited experiences with this mode of travel, there is more room for interactions with other people. Because of the (somewhat) perceived vulnerability that this form of travel creates, I have experienced more engagement and generosity with people we call strangers. In addition, another goal for this trip is to make the world smaller. From my little bit of traveling experience, I have learned there is really only a few degrees of separation between us, and it will make our trip all the more meaningful to further ground that theory. Thus, we are very excited to make friends with your friends and family members scattered across the US, so if you have people who might be living along our route please put us in contact with them, I love connecting the dots! For these reasons alone I can say that I am nothing but ecstatic about this trip and I plan on keeping people posted through this blog.

new slideshow

2010-03-06T00:10:00.000-08:00

After having talked about since I began attending HSU, this semester I'm taking a black and white photo class. I decided to take intermediate, it had been four plus years since I was in the darkroom, and I wasn't sure if I'd even know what I was doing. Surprisingly I was able to pick up where I left off. Although I'm experiencing the lack luster/apathy that is accustom to an undergraduate's last semester, I'm pretty stoked about this photo class. I was especially excited about this last assignment, a slideshow narrative to music. I've realized how photography and music can take me places, either illiciting memories, or allowing me to escape elsewhere. Pairing them I feel I'm able to create an altogether new place, one I haven't been to, yet feels familiar. Thats what I feel this assignment allowed me to do. While it was a stressful two weeks, having thrown my storyboards out the window deciding to just ride my bike with my camera around my neck and take pictures of whatever caught my eye, and see what I could make out of them the night before the show, I'm actually happy with the result. There is something about old technology, in this case slide projectors, and analog diffusors that adds a unique element (one that is lost when digitizing it) and special mood, not to mention the anxiety of trying to time the music with the slides (thanks Iphoto). Having said that, I can say watching this video clip is not the same, but it is something closer than just seeing the images alone. I hope you might enjoy.

Grants Pass - Arcata bike tour

2009-08-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

This past week Ted, Jason Barnes and I did a bike tour from Southern Oregon back to Arcata. We took Bear Camp Rd. which starts and ends along the Rogue River and puts you out at Gold Beach. From there we rode the 101 back to foggy Humboldt. Ted turned 25 on the trip and managed to eat a lot of baked goods. JB realized that while it is cool to go "ultra-lite" sleeping bags are essential. And I learned that I suck at hulla-hooping. Here are JB's photos. I shot film and need to do some scanning.

Forks of Salmon

2009-07-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

just got back from an epic bike tour along the salmon river. three days of beautiful riding in 90 degree heat and lots of cooling off in the water. this area is incredibly scenic and every person we met was super nice. i definitely recommend visiting this beautiful, under explored region.

views from Etna Summit (~7500 ft.)

Kevin and Scott near Etna

Carter Meadows summit 6200 ft.

South Fork of Salmon River

catch'n up

2009-06-17T13:35:00.001-07:00

my summer got off to a good start with a trip to the Trinities, epic marble mountains only a few hours from the coast. One of many amazing areas to check out up here, i feel like i'm falling behind on my summer aspirations as june flies by. Here are some pictures from that trip and a couple of the newest residents of the F street house, 3 chickens left. One moved to a friends house and one was a raccoon's dinner, sadly.

between the chickens, gardening, working, volunteering at an awesome farm (Redwood Roots) and my welding class, i'm pretty busy this summer, but not too busy for ya'll to visit!

until then enjoy these photos and i'll try to update this thing after the 4th of july bike tour.
peace.

there's a new chick in my life...

2009-04-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

actually there are five

happy april 20th

2009-04-20T23:49:00.001-07:00

today was too nice. too nice for schoolwork, for sure. however not too nice for a bike ride to trinidad and a swim in the ocean.

2009-03-30T20:48:00.001-07:00

this spring break Ted and I found ourselves on the road for a 3 day local bike tour. the weather was perfect and the climbs were long, and plenty. the first two days were mellow, but the last ended up being the burliest ride I've done. roughly 120 miles in all, and lots of climbing long back country dirt roads, my bicycle wonderland. this trip will hopefully be the first of many this year, who's coming with me?

Kneeland road

70's Ted in Bridgeville

uncharacteristically Eureka (marshlands)

2009-01-26T15:31:00.001-08:00

last week (MLK day) found me on a new adventure. a car free boat trip. with a bicycle trailer, my buddy matt and i ventured out to Blue Lake and took his 14' canoe down the Mad River, after stopping off at the brewery for some barley wine. we're scheming on a multi-day bike/canoe trip. heres a couple pictures.

a well needed break

2008-12-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving break didn't come fast enough, and it afforded me a much needed vacation from schoolbooks. i made sure i was as far away from studying as possible by choosing to ride my bike down to sonoma county. this time i made the trek with 13 others, through Greenwheels, the alternative transportation organization i sometimes volunteer with. riding with that many people was a new experience for me but overall was an awesome one, with many goodtimes. i didn't take many photos because everyone else had there cameras out the whole time, but heres a few.

lunchtime in Benbow

a pleasant suprise left by Victor

the view awarded by climbing the Fort Ross hill

tumbleweed connection

2008-09-18T00:35:00.000-07:00

this week Ted, Chris and I were lucky enough to open our home to a rad bunch of people. their band is called blindpilot and as i said, they're rad. i got word from bill in eugene that there was a band touring from portland to san diego by bicycle, so he put them in contact with me and we put them up. living in arcata, being on the pacific coast bike route, i've come into contact with many folks bicycle touring, but this was a different gig altogether and i must say they lacked the self-righteousness that some folks carry along with them, amidst sweaty socks and bags of pasta. it was inspiring to see people doing what they love, while being genuine and gracious. and once i got to hear them play i was even more stoked, for they rocked a tuesday night house show with all equipment carried on their trailers. if you find yourself in their path i highly reccomend checking them out, they have a few gigs lined up in the bay area next week, including a show at the boogie barn in santa rosa on the 23rd. anyways enough ranting i hope all is well in your respective worlds.
here's their info:
http://blindpilotmusic.wordpress.com/

its been a good summer

2008-08-23T21:11:00.001-07:00

danny digges, SF

HWY 1 On the way to Santa Rosa, four days in the saddle beats 4 hours in the car.

Mackerricher Trail in Ft. Bragg.

Tracey (my cousin) tending to her amazing cooperative farm in Ashland.

swings. rock.
my brief career as a fashion photographer

bill going deep for the frisbee, portland

we're all tourists at some point in our lives

crater lake

j-bizzle on the way to patricks point

luffenholtz beach, south of trinidad

my folks in trinidad

sunset at trinidad state beach

kevin enjoying the f street porch

the new digs

prairie creek state park

the last seven months of my life in a nutshell

2008-08-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

well first i get a cell phone and now i have a blog, either i'm succumbing to the ways of our technologically driven society or just accepting that this is a neat way to keep people posted on my life. anyways i find myself in arcata ca, a new town, a new school, and new people. i'll let the photo's fill in the gaps.