Random ramblings

The last time I wrote a blog post was so long ago. The immediate feedback and instant gratification of Instagram has taken over my social media attention.

Then on the other hand, some days I really hate Instagram. I can’t get a full thought or story out about something.

Not that I have any organized thoughts to share today.

In any event, here are some random updates:

  1. We had snow in Vancouver! That was a few weeks weeks ago now, but for a few days, the streets were covered in snow. I commuted to work on the Troll, with tires at very low pressure of 10psi. When the snow was fresh, riding was not a problem. I did wipe out on ice one day after the snow has been cleared. That knee is still bothering me now two weeks later.
  2. Since November, I’ve been pretty diligent with the portion control of my eating and keeping up with exercising. Getting back to using MyFitnessPal to keep track of my food has been painful, but oh so beneficial. I did a round of 21 Day Fix Extreme, and am now doing Insanity Max 30. As of today, I’m 14 lbs down since the beginning of November.
  3. Both kids are taking turns getting sick in January. Each have missed a few days of school due to fever and all the other pleasant things that come with it. Then they gave me their stomach bug, which knocked me out pretty hard for a few days.
  4. This year is going to be low key in terms of traveling. I have to go to Austin TX for work in the fall, so I may haul everyone with me. Other than that, our plan is to do road trips close by this year.
  5. I have signed up for the Buckshot 2020 race in May. This time around, I’m planning to not make the same mistakes, and the goal is to actually finish the race. I’m sure I will be blogging about it later.
  6. Sourdough! Omg. I have made so many loaves. I’m addicted to baking. It’s just so much fun.
  7. Work is, you know, work. We have a small but efficient team of high performers. I’m happy with where we’re at. After doing this for 18 years, I am still constantly learning new things and facing new challenges. You can poop on public practice work all day long, but one thing is for sure–you will never be bored.

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How to not finish a bikepacking race

BuckshotI would like to share with you my wisdom on how to NOT finish a bikepacking race. Given that the 2019 Buckshot is the one and only such event I have attempted, I am a little surprised too that I’m already such an expert.

This is the inaugural Buckshot race. It is a loop that starts and ends in Kamloops. For more info, see this link.

Take my word for it. If you do exactly as I described, you won’t be able to finish either.

  1. Leave your food behind

On the way out of town, stop at your favorite bagel shop to pick up bagels for your ride. But when you arrive at the start line, leave the bagels in the car. The first resupply point is only 180 km away.

When you are as forgetful as me, you will be fine on Day 1. But you will run out of food on Day 2, with quite a bit more mileage to go until the resupply point. For 3 hours, you will ride on empty, and call it quits when you start to hallucinate.

2. Don’t test out your gear

There is a thing called shakedown rides. You train with all your gear and weight, refine what doesn’t work, and work out the details before a race. Don’t do that. Skip that important step.

I had a new handlebar bag I have never used. I borrowed some lights the night before leaving for the start line. I got my down quilt the day before the race. I had no place to mount the borrowed lights because I left my helmet mount at work. I never tried riding hills with camping gear and the 2L water bladder filled. My knee hits the feed bag when I climb standing.

If you follow all my steps, you’ll be stopping 10 km into the race, trying to re-pack your bags because the heavy weight in the front was causing all sorts of problems. Brilliant.

3. Don’t learn to navigate

You think your “off line map” with Ride With GPS will work perfectly. But because you skipped the shakedown rides, you never tried using that app. So for whatever reason, when the app stopped telling you you’re off course, you ride full steam ahead down the wrong road in complete darkness. Adding 17km to a punishing course will surely suck the life out of you, and make you feel like a complete idiot.

Be confused about GPX and FIT files. Don’t try to understand how they work with your Garmin.

4. Don’t figure out your strategy

Some people “tour” the route. Some people “race” the route. If you “tour” the route, then take your time, camp where you feel like, stop and chat with people, and pack a nice tent and camping stove. If you “race” the route, then you’re going to pack light and go fast.

If you have it figured out beforehand what you are doing, life is much easier. Don’t do that. Be undecided. Then kick yourself for packing too much shit to race, but packing too little to enjoy a scenic tour.

5. Don’t learn about your bike

Be spoiled like me, who has an awesome bike shop who will fix your bike when you break things. Don’t bother learning about your bike. When the shifter stops working, just ride your bike like a single speed bike and hope it will magically start working over the next hill.

 

Alright, obviously, you know by now I didn’t finish the Buckshot ride. All jokes and sarcasm aside, it was very hard for me to make the decision to bail. I bailed on day 2, about 27 hours after I started. At that point, I had run out of food 3 hours ago, and had another 35km of thick muddy hills to go before the resupply stop. At the rate I was going on a single speed bike, the store would be closed before I get there, and I would have to survive on no food for the next 12 hours. I had nothing left in me to continue.

I felt defeated, stupid, and weak. I was lucky that Cliff and the kids drove two hours from Kamloops to come find me and take me off the muddy road. When I saw the family, I sobbed uselessly. 

Did I have the most amazing time? Yes!

Did I have the worst time? Yes!

Adventures are like that. There are moments you think you’re in heaven, and there are moments you feel like you’re in hell. Yet that’s exactly why I want to try this again. There’s some sort of magnetic force that pulls me back into such self inflicted torture. Maybe next year I can write a post about how to actually finish this ride.

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Happy anniversary, Langma

Exactly a year ago today, the Langma followed me home. 5,000 kilometres later, it is going in for new components today.

A year ago, I took the Avail Advanced for a quick test ride. It was nice and comfortable. Then, for shits and giggles, I took the Langma for a quick test ride. Holy moly, I couldn’t believe what I was feeling–there was barely any weight to the bike, and each pedal stroke transferred to moving forward so efficiently that I could barely feel the small hill I was riding up. I was torn for about 3 seconds, and knew I would have way more fun on the Langma.

The bike inspires me to ride. It’s always telling me to climb higher, ride longer, try harder. There’s just something about it that just begs to be ridden.

 

Two years of bike commuting

Two years ago when the car insurance expired, we were in the middle of a tight patch financially. I didn’t want to fork out money for insurance, so I thought I’d try bike commuting. One thing lead to another, here I am, still bike commuting after 2 years.

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Early morning detour through Stanley Park on a stormy day

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The ridiculous amount of layers when it was -7c out.

My commute is easy in terms of:

  • Less than 5-km each way
  • Mostly on separate bike lanes (downtown Vancouver, Burrard bridge, Arbutus Greenway), parts on quieter shared roadways
  • Locker, hot shower, and towel service at work (a building managed by Oxford Properties)

Some days it feels like my commute is a bit too short, and I will purposely take the long way to make it a 10-km ride. And since I got tired of taking my pannier rack on and off the bike for commuting vs. gravel rides, I have ditched the panniers and rack in favor of a waterproof roll-top backpack. Adding a pair of winter riding shoes (warm and waterproof) this year has made me a much happier person.

I love riding my bike. I love the fresh air. I love sweating. I love the view over the Burrard Bridge. I love the view of False Creek when I take a detour. I love meeting a friend for dinner anywhere downtown and not worry about parking. I love the freedom. I love that I can hop off the bike and instantly become a pedestrian where the situation suits. I love that I can decompress before I go home.

I can go on and on and on.

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Of course, there is a little bit of this white stuff this winter.

It doesn’t take a lot to start commuting to work (assuming you are within a reasonable distance from work). I would say within 10-km one way is reasonable. I find any further than that, the level of commitment is higher. For longer commutes, you need better gear to make your life easier. My commute is so short that even if I had shitty gear, I’d be totally fine. That’s just my very personal opinion.

To get started, you need:

  • a bike
  • a helmet
  • a backpack
  • bike lights (front white light, back red blinky light)

When I first started, I had a $250 bike that was very old, a $50 helmet that made me sweat buckets, a general purpose backpack (to contain my lunch and change of clothes), and a $40 set of front and back lights.

Only when I decided that I love it enough to be in it for the long haul, I upgraded my gear.

If you are thinking of trying bike commuting, start small. Schedule in 2 days a week to commute on bike, and just see how it goes. You might just like it enough to ditch your car or your bus pass.

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Detour through False Creek

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Detour through Spanish Banks

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The usual view over Burrard bridge

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Great find on another detour.

Winter camping

Before the weekend, Josh and I discussed a few ideas of things we can do together–just the two of us. Somehow he had his mind set on camping. Don’t get me wrong, I love camping too. But in December, while it’s rainy and dark? Not on the top of my list of fun things to do.

I got home from work on Friday, fully expecting to discuss with him what else we can do this weekend, given the wind warning and rain. As soon as I opened the door, he came running with his sleeping bag in tow, excitedly asked, “Are we going camping now?”

“Uh, baby, it’s raining out and there’s a wind warning in effect. Do you want to do something else this weekend?”

“No, I want to go camping.”

Okay…then. Since I did ask that in the form of a question, leaving the choice to him, I can’t then turnaround to say no. I packed up a few things and got ready to go camping. I have had a long week and was feeling very tired. I really did not want to go camping.

While waiting for the elevator, Josh looked up at me with bright eyes, and said, “Mommy, I have been waiting so long to spend some time with you.  You were away in Vienna with Daddy and Phoenix with Savanna. I am so excited we’re going camping!”

Well, that put an end to my self-pity about how tired I was feeling. Who knows how many more years I have left with my son wanting to go camping with me?

We drove down to Birch Bay State Park. It was pitch black and raining hard when we got there. We had our choice of campsites, as there were only 3 other campers in an area with over 30 sites. We settled in for the night listening to the wind outside, while we were safety tucked inside the van with electricity and a propane-powered furnace. Josh taught me how to make origami squids, we read a couple of chapters of Captain Underpants,  ate some potato chips and drank hot tea. By 9 pm, my eyelids were getting heavy. Josh was still too wound up to sleep. I gave up and went to sleep, while he stayed up a little longer to make more origami.

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On Saturday, we woke up to a clear day with no rain. It was cold outside, but the furnace (and my many layers of clothing, and my sub-zero sleeping bag) had kept me pretty warm.

We ate breakfast, and went for a long walk. Josh loves looking for broken crab shells and interesting rocks at the beach, so we did just that. We got some coffee and hot chocolate at the coffee shop, and walked back to the campsite talking about random things. We talked about how much we love camping, and made plans to do this more often.

While waiting for our lunch to cook, I looked back and see Josh throwing sticks around, climbing onto the picnic table and jumping off. There was no one else around, so I let him be. Then he was fixated on stripping the bark off a broken tree branch. The air was cool and fresh. I was loving being outdoors, and being with Josh. There was no TV, no phone, no work, and no rush to go somewhere. It was so good for the soul.

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Fool’s Loop

Bikepacking is part backpacking, and part bike touring. You can do this fairly civilized on paved roads, or the other extreme of all off-road riding. It’s about stripping all the non-essentials of life, and carry only what you need to survive. I used every piece of gear I brought, except the spare tubes and sealant that are back-up plans. I could have carried less food supplies, but given what happened during the trip, I was happy to have extra.

My favorite part of the trip: sleeping under the stars!

For an abbreviated version of the trip report, please see my Instagram feed. What you get here is the very long version, with more pictures. This version is so long that I don’t know if I want to read it.

You’ve been warned.

The route is loosely based on this website.

Day 1: Phoenix to Anthem, 38km

Once upon a time, someone told me you can fly into a city with a bike, build the bike at the airport, break down the cardboard box, and ride away. I was amazed by the idea, and that’s exactly what I did for this trip. I spread out pieces of the bike, my bags, and tools in a corner of the airport. Nobody even batted an eyelash. Once I was done putting my bike together and add all the bags, I cut up the cardboard box and put everything in the recycling bin.

The Phoenix airport has a free train that connects to the city’s light rail metro system. I took the free train to the metro station, and paid $2 to get on the metro. The metro went all the way to the north end of the city. I got off at Dunlap, bypassing most of the traffic in the city, and started pedaling towards Anthem for a civilized night sleep in a bnb.

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Flying over the grand canyon

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Note to self: cardboard box gets no love from baggage handlers

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At least everything arrived in one piece

Assembled bike, at the train station

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Quick dinner stop at Subway

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Still riding after sunset to get to Anthem

 

Day 3: Anthem to just after Horseshoe Dam, 82 km

From Anthem, I had planned on riding on the Maricopa Trail across to Carefree before entering the Tonto National Forest. After a couple of “trail closed” detours that seems to go nowhere, I was getting a little annoyed, so I took the pavement instead.

The ride was a steady uphill climb the whole way from Anthem to Carefree. But the sun was shining, and I was not missing the rain in Vancouver at all.

Just before leaving Carefree, I stopped at Starbucks for a coffee. I sat in the sun and inhaled the dry desert air with greed. This is where the adventure would start! I’m about to leave civilization and enter a very remote region. I can’t wait!!

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Climbing to start the day

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Making time to take pictures to send home to Josh

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After the Tonto Forest info board, I was fully expecting the tarmac to turn into dirt. But no, the tarmac continued for quite a while. In fact, it went on for longer than I expected. 

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Just when I was wondering when the dirt would start, a blue sign informs me that the Maricopa County’s responsibility ends right here.

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One minute I was whining about too much tarmac. The next minute I was death-gripping my brakes on the downhill and fish-tailing through deep sand.

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I don’t know if I startled the cow more, or if she scared the shit out of me more.

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Horseshoe Dam

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Horseshoe Lake behind the dam

I had a goal to get to Horseshoe Lake this evening. Seeing that I have gotten there around 3 pm, I felt pretty good about myself. There is a bit more daylight left to keep pushing forward. So far most of the dirt road was rideable. There was some car traffic.

I had about 1L of water left. The next source of water is at Sheep Bridge, which is only 18 km away. I figured I can just push towards Sheep Bridge and get water there. I didn’t want to waste precious daylight trying to climb down to Horseshoe Lake to get water if the next source is so close.

I continued on.

I was already getting fairly tired after a full day’s riding, and thirsty, and hungry.

To get across the dam, the only passage is a very narrow pedestrian walkway. There is no way for cars to get to the other side of the dam. The dirt road on the other side of the dam mostly complete crap with big fist size rocks and deep grooves.

Before I knew it, I was hiking with my bike rather than riding it. I tried my best to ride, but it was beyond my limits. The “only 18 km” to Sheep Bridge started to seem unattainable as I hiked on, with the daylight starting to fade.

I tried riding down a rocky stretch, and fell over. I laid there on the dirt road, with the wind knocked out of me, feeling the sting of the cuts and scrapes I just acquired. I was starting to make mistakes, and it’s too remote here for anyone to help me if I got really hurt. I decided it’s time to call it a day.

It’s 4:30 pm. I’m somewhere between two water sources. Too far to go back to Horseshoe Lake, and too tired to push towards Sheep Bridge.

I pushed my bike off the dirt road, up a hill, carefully between cacti, and found a small tree to be home for the night. Camping under a tree, apparently, is wise. I read that on the internet, so it must be true. This is my first time using a bivy set up, so I will take all the protection I can get!

I laid out my sleeping and cooking gear. I was being very quiet, taking care not to make any noise. I would rather not be discovered in my little spot behind some vegetation. I have camped by myself many times in my life, but never in such a remote place. After Horseshoe dam, I have not seen a single car in 2 hours. Nothing good ever happens in CSI Las Vegas when a woman is out in a remote area by herself. I can hear rifle shots in a distance, which reminded me of a CSI episode where a guy was shot hundreds of times by accident at a rifle range at night. All of a sudden I was imaging myself being shot hundreds of times because someone is going to think I’m a deer and kill me by accident. 30 seconds later, I was imagining the guys driving by in a big jeep and loud music are going to assault me.

I ate my freeze dried food. Now I have less than 500ml of water left. If I drink it now, I will have nothing to make breakfast with. So I decided to go thirsty.

I made a small fire with the dead wood I gathered. The fire was not for warmth, but more for fun. I didn’t need it. I put on my headlamp and write a few words in my notepad. The sun set quickly, and the sky became pitch dark. But before long, all the bright stars appeared, and it took my breath away that I was right under the milky way!

I laid in my bivy, looking up at the dark sky and bright stars. For some reason, it calmed my over-active imagination. I drifted off to sleep.

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Ouch

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Took a little dirt nap. Luckily nothing was damaged other than my elbow and ego.

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The sun was starting to set. I decided I needed to break for the night.

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Boiling water with the Trangia alcohol stove I just bought. I was pretty excited to use it.

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My little camp fire, with my sleeping set-up in the background and sweaty laundry hanging on the tree branches to dry.

 

Day 3: Just after Horseshoe Dam to bottom of Bloody Basin, 33 km

I woke up without bullet holes or assault wounds on me. Wow, I made my first night of wild camping in one piece. I was so pleased with myself.

I boiled my remaining water to make breakfast. Then as soon as the sun is up high enough for some warmth, I packed up camp and started towards Sheep Bridge. My lips were stuck together because they were so dry.

There were a couple of signs to the effect of “this road is meant for 4×4 high clearance vehicles, not your little cross bike and skinny 40mm tires, dumbass!” And those signs were right. My hopes of getting to Sheep Bridge quickly to get water fizzled as I hiked.

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The desert is beautiful. I frigging love it!

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The hills ate me for breakfast

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This is pretty typical of the condition of the road. Someone else can probably ride this just fine, but I just don’t have the skills for it.

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I would ride 20 metres, and have to get off to hike 30 metres, get back on to ride 25 metres, and get off to hike 20 metres. I was getting on and off my bike so much, that my right inner thigh was getting chafed from brushing over my sleeping bag.

It took me 2 hours to finally get to Sheep Bridge. When I saw the bridge, I exclaimed out loud: Water!!!!

I have not had a drink of water for 18 hours, aside from the 1 L I used to cook my dinner and breakfast.

I ran towards Verde River, took out my water filter, and started filtering water into all my carrying vessels. And just to double the assurance, I also added Aquatabs to the filtered water. When I finally got to drink the water 30 minutes later, it was the most delicious chlorine I have ever tasted!!

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Verde River

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Sheep Bridge – a narrow foot bridge for ranchers to get their sheep over the river

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I filled both my bottles and a bladder with the water from Verde River, and added treatment tablets just to be sure.

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The punishing hike to get up to Sheep Bridge. I was a sweaty mess by the time I hoisted the loaded bike over these rocks.

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I did not stop for lunch, as I was trying to rush through as much of the mileage as possible. The plan was to get to Cordes Junction tonight. Technically it was only about 65-70km from where I started in the morning. Normally that kind of distance on the road would have never even fazed me. But the fact that it took me 4 hours to cover 20 km, I was starting to worry. Also, all the water I got from Verde River this morning was starting to run low.

It was Thanksgiving long weekend, so there were a number of families driving their dune buggies into the forest. They all had loud music playing, faces masked by bandanas, and large coolers strapped to the back of their off-road buggies. Every single driver would slow down and give me space on the road, and waved hello.

One particular driver came to a dead stop next to me, and asked if I wanted water. My eyes lit up. YES! Please!! He jumped out of his driver seat, went to the back, opened up his cooler, and handed me an icy cold bottle of water. I probably said thank-you 30 times. I was so grateful.

The day was hot, dry and windy. I felt like water was just evaporating out of my every pore. I took small sips of the water I was given, but even then, I finished it in half an hour.

An hour later, a BMW coming towards me was slowing down to give me space. I gathered up the guts and asked if he had any water to spare. He was a middle aged man, with his dad in the passenger seat. He did not hesitate handing me his water bottle, and asked if I wanted more. This was not the time to be shy, so I said yes. He got out of his car, opened his trunk, and brought out a big jug to fill my own bottles. He told me the road doesn’t get any better for quite a while. It took him 3 hours of driving from Cordes to where we were standing, which means I have no chance in hell to make it to Cordes tonight. His dad shook his head at me, totally not impressed that I was obviously unprepared for my journey. I was shaking my head at myself by this time. How the hell did I get to this point? What made me think I can do this on my own?

I thanked them for the water, and continued on. The landscape was so beautiful, but the hill was relentless.

The people of Arizona are some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered. I would stop on the side of the road to catch my breath, and at least two drivers stopped to ask if my needed help. It occurred to me that it could very well be the same people who were shooting rifles the night before who are now offering me water or assistance or a friendly wave. I may not agree with the gun laws in the US, but people are still people–I believe goodness is in everyone’s core.

Around 3 pm, I came across a small stream. I was so happy to be able to load up on water again. This time, there were cows grazing nearby. I filtered the water, added the treatment tabs, but decided I will also boil the water later before I consume it. I am not taking the chance with getting sick when this trip has been the most physically demanding things I have ever done.

By 4 pm, I have only made it to the bottom of Bloody Basin, just 33 km after my departure point this morning. That’s less than half the mileage I planned on, and there is no way for me to get out of the forest that night.

I decided to set up camp and get some rest, and maybe start early tomorrow. I found a spot at the top of a ravine. Even though it was 4:30 pm and there was still daylight, the temperature dropped very quickly. I shivered involuntarily. By 5 pm, I already knew my sleeping bag was not going to keep me warm through the night.

To save weight, I took Savanna’s hybrid sleeping bag on this trip. The bag was rated to 7c, but the temperature eventually dropped to -3c that night.  If I can’t get out of the forest, the only chance of making it through the night is keeping a fire going so I can stay warm.

I got to work gathering dead branches. I boiled water on the little stove, poured it into my stainless steel bottle, and held the bottle in my jacket for warmth. By 8 pm, my eyelids were getting heavy. I dozed off while sitting cross legged. 20 minutes later, I woke up freezing because the fire has gone out. I brought the fire back, and basically sat waiting for the wood to burn, just so I can add more to keep it going.

There wasn’t much else to think about at that moment. I missed my kids. And if I don’t make it out alive? I truly hope that they know I was having the most badass adventure of my life when shit hit the fan. I didn’t cry. I wasn’t emotional. I calmly kept the fire going, and thought about the kids.

The stars were bright. The moon was so bright it looked like someone turned the light on in a room.

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Beautiful landscape and relentless hills

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Day 4: Bottom of Bloody Basin to Cordes Junction, 43 km

When the sun started to rise, I have also just burned the last branch I gathered. I really wanted to sleep for a few hours.

I ate breakfast, and decided not to sleep. I have finite amount of daylight to get to Cordes Junction tonight, as I mentally cannot take another night in the forest, and who knows how long it will take me to get out! I packed up and started the climb out of Bloody Basin.

There was very little riding all morning. I hiked. And hiked. It was very warm, windy, and the climb out of the basin was steep. Every once in a while, I would stop and take some photos, or catch my breath. Since I left the campsite at 8 am, I have not seen a single vehicle. How long would it take me to get to Cordes Junction? What if I am stuck in the forest another night? What if I don’t come across any water source all day? Is this how people die of exposure? Why are there ravens circling above my head?

I started rehearsing a speech in my head, asking for help if I saw a vehicle. I no longer cared if I rode the entire route on my own. I wanted to get out of the forest, I wanted to get to town, and have some water. I hiked for the next 3 hours, pushing the loaded bike up steep and rocky hills.

Finally, I heard a vehicle in a distance. I couldn’t see it, but it was coming from somewhere behind me, headed in the same direction I was going. It rattled and there was a lot of metal-against-metal banging noises. There were just too many twists and turns in the road to see what the vehicle was. I continued hiking, and finally after 20 minutes, I can see the vehicle. It was a extended cab pick-up truck towing a trailer holding 6 cows. It was the pieces of the trailer that were making the banging noises. I waved the truck down as it came up next to me.

Me: “Hi there. Any chance I could catch a ride? I have bitten off more than I can chew on this road.”

Rancher: “I ‘er only going up to the top ‘er to drop off ’em cows, eh.”

He rolled away. Not another word was said.

I took a deep breath. There’s no one to blame but myself for being in this predicament. I thought I could ride this road. No one forced me to do this. I wanted it. There was nothing else to do except continue to hike up the hill. This was where the topo map showed the most dense lines out of the basin, and it took me another hour to crest the lip. I had been hiking for over 4 hours, sweating and swearing, and finished all but about a cup of water.

All of a sudden, the road condition improved. I got on my bike and actually rode it! It felt very foreign for a few minutes, since I have done nothing but hike for the last 4 hours. There were still no vehicles in sight, but I didn’t care. I was actually moving, and the kilometres finally started to tick at a speed I was accustomed to. I rode with renewed sense of energy on the type of dirt road I assumed would be typical of this trip, and I actually smiled because I was finally moving forward. 3 hours later, I finally finished the dirt road and reached where it connected to tarmac. The uphill on tarmac into Cordes Junction did not bother me at all–anything at this point is easier than the rocky hikes I have been doing.

Rather than finding a place to camp, I took a motel room in Cordes for a night. I needed to drink copious amounts of water, eat a mountain of food, take a shower, and get some sleep. I went to bed at 6 pm, and slept for 12 hours straight that night.

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The fire just before the sun came up

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Let’s do this!

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Bloody Basin got its name because of how red the dirt is

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See the bottom of the photo–notice the rusted car? It likely fell off the steep dirt road and was just left there. I had a moment of thinking of throwing my bike down there too.

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As soon as I got out of the basin, the road smoothed out. This was the smoothest dirt I have been on for days.

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My thoughts at the moment: I never want to see another gravel road again in my life. Ever.

 

Day 5: Cordes Junction to Phoenix, 88 km

The interstate ride out of Cordes Junction was fast, smooth, and all downhill, and I barely pedaled for 17km. The shoulder of an interstate is paved with broken glass and shredded tire, but I was smiling. I really needed to feel like I can get some speed on a bike.

I stopped in Black Canyon City for a coffee, and spent an hour chatting with everyone who walked by, wanting to know where I came from and where I was going with that very dusty bike. It reminded me of my solo motorcycle trip across the country back in 2006. I had no shortage of curious people who just couldn’t understand why I would be doing such a thing by myself.

Leaving Black Canyon City, for some reason Google map told me to take this obscure road with no name. I just assumed Google knows that the next section of I-17 is a no-bike zone, and I blindly followed. I had to get through a barbwire gate, according to Google. I can see a gravel path up ahead. But who am I to dispute with Google? I took a deep breath and started down the gravel path.

The condition of the path deteriorated very quickly. Within 15 minutes, I was back in the familiar position of pushing my bike over rocks, hiking rather than riding. Annoying.

I stopped and actually Googled whether I was allowed to ride on I-17 through that portion. It turns out that I was. And here I was, sweating and hiking on a rocky service road, while I can see I-17 a few hundred feet away with buttery smooth tarmac. I could spend an hour hiking back to that barbwire gate and start over on pavement, or I can continue hiking this crap road. I chose to continue, as I hoped it wouldn’t be much longer.

I was wrong. The crap road continued. Not a single vehicle went by.

After 3 hours of hiking on some of the worst surface of the entire trip, going through long dark tunnels under the highway, I finally found tarmac again. This time, I stayed on it. I rode a long stretch on I-17, until I got close to Anthem. There was just a bit too much traffic when it came to the off- and on-ramps, I decided it was safer for me to get off the interstate. I rode on city streets, spinning my sore legs as fast as I can, with the hope of getting back to Phoenix that night.

Even though I don’t fly out until 2 pm the next day, I wanted to get into the city. I wanted to be done with riding. It was like I gorged on a huge meal, and I felt sick from eating too much. I wanted to get off the bike, feel like a normal human again, and not rush to try to catch my flight.

The city riding back into Phoenix was nothing to write home about. I rode to Dunlap street and got on the train, and took the train into the city. I found a hotel close to the airport for the night. Even though I have already seen the movie Wolverine a few times, I watched it on TV until the wee hours of the night. Honestly, I just wanted something predictable.

 

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Sun Rise Point at a rest stop on I-17

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I never should have followed Google’s direction to get behind this gate

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The crap started shortly after I went through the barbwire gate

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I didn’t fall over. The bike slipped out on the sand as I was pushing it. I could have held onto it, but I let it tip over gently. I was just done. Done with the hiking and pushing. Done with crap roads. I threw a little temper tantrum.

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I likely couldn’t make it up this hill even if it was paved.

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Tunnel under the highway

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Finally got back to the city

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Back at Dunlap Street station, where it all started 5 days ago.

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Day 6: Short Spin, 13km

On the last day of the trip, I pedaled to a nearby park to ride the trails. It was nice to know I can actually handle the blue mountain bike trails, so it’s not like I am a totally sucky rider. I was scraping together the last little bit of my self confidence.

The morning air was very cool, and I sat in the park to soak up the sunshine. I had zero ambitious riding goals for the day. I wanted to spin out my sore legs, store the bike, and get on a flight home. I ate a huge breakfast, and gathered up my dusty bags to get on the plane. I couldn’t wait to get home and throw my arms around the kids!

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Papago Park

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Apparently that was a mountain bike trail that was rated blue.

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Enjoying the sunshine

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My very dusty bike, with squeaky mechs.

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The. End.

Needless to say, not a whole lot went according to plan on this trip. I had a route in mind, but missed half of it, and took twice as long to cover some of the distance planned. I did’t have “the right bike” for a trip like this. I was scared shitless on multiple occasions. More scared than I have ever felt in any other circumstances in my life.

But…

…I loved it.

I loved it that was the complete opposite of my normal life.

I loved sleeping under the stars, and feeling so small. I loved the physical challenge of pushing hard. I loved it that my legs were so sore. I loved it I had to be humble and ask for help. I loved it that I had to become flexible and change course when required. I loved it that I had to be ok with myself for not hitting the target.

A trip like this has a magical way of filtering out what is truly important in life.

I can’t wait to do it again!

Planning a bikepacking trip

My obsession with riding my bike may be slightly obvious. Aside from hanging out with the kids, there’s really not much else I want to do other than ride my bike.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting at my desk at work on a cold rainy day, wallowing in self-pity. I opened up Google map just to look at potential trips I can plan. This is one of those escape-reality things I do. I don’t like shopping or porn. I look at maps.

I decided on Phoenix. And riding a bike. And camping.

In a few days, I will fly down to Phoenix for a 5-day bikepacking trip. It will start right from the airport, up into the Tonto National Forest, up to Mayer, down Black Canyon Trail, and back to Phoenix. It will be a mix of pavement in the city, forest service roads, and some mountain bike trails.

I’m taking my cross bike. 40mm tires. A frame bag. A seat bag. Savanna’s sleeping bag (to save weight). And let’s see how this goes.

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Josh turns eight

Josh is turning eight tomorrow. It is bittersweet for me that he is growing so fast. I absolutely love it that we can go for a bike ride together, bomb down the ski hill together, and he teaches me how to reach the bottom of the dive tank. We can have a conversation about what is important versus what is urgent. We can have our coffee date and chat each other’s ears off, or say nothing at all.

This year, Josh has picked up a new obsession with books. We are constantly taking detours so he can go through the little free libraries in the neighbourhood. Even when we go camping, he is picking up books to read in the tent. He loves writing down notes about sharks, dinosaurs, and whatever animals he reads about.

This summer while we were in Penticton for me to ride the fondo, Josh signed up to ride in the kids picolofondo. We missed his age category’s time slot, but he decided he will ride with the bigger kids category. He peddled his little legs out in the back of the pack, still smiling lap after lap. He also decided he will try the kids races at the cyclocross events. He did all four races we went to. Our conversations were never about the winning or losing, but about the new things he has learned. He has already planned out what races he wants to do next year, and how we’re going to ride a big section of the Kettle Valley Rail trail together in the summer.

When we have our before-bed chat each night, he is always keen to tell me about his insights, and never fails to ask me for my thoughts as well. If he is already awake in the morning when I leave for work, he will drop whatever he is doing to hold the door open for me so I can wheel my bike out easily. He will run down the hall to get the elevator for me, and gives me a hug and kiss.

Josh lives at the speed of light, and I am constantly trying to catch up to him. He learns and grows so fast, and I always feel a little out of breath trying to figure out what is going on next. He is curious, and would ask me a million questions about everything. He loves nature. He has been talking for a year now about how he can’t wait to learn to scuba dive so he can see all the sea creatures up close.

Josh, happy birthday. I wish you all the joy and knowledge and love and adventures in the world.

 

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Savanna turns six

Every year, I am surprised by how fast time has gone, and how fast the the kids grow. I’m always caught off guard a little when it’s time for their birthday. You’d think I’ve gotten some practice and would know better by now. But no, I’m still in shock that Savanna is turning six.

This past year, Savanna made some really significant strides. For the last 2 years, she has repeated the exact same swimming class over and over and over and over and over. She refused to put her face in the water. I want her to do this at her own pace. A few months ago, one day she just did it. At her own will. Then all of a sudden her swimming progressed at the speed of light. The other day she offered to teach me how to swim. I think that day is coming very soon.

Also, since she has entered the elementary school system, she has been very shy and reserved in class. You can barely hear her. She never spoke up. But this year, she has just gotten out of her shell. She puts up her hand to ask questions and answer questions. She participates. She speaks up. She gives direction.

Even though she is small, she has great endurance. She can hike and walk far. She can ski all day without feeling tired. She ended last season without needing any assistance down very long green runs at Whistler, even some easy blue runs. I can’t wait to see how she will progress this season.

Our favorite thing to do together include playing Spot It, Zingo, or Uno, or go for a walk and get coffee. She is so good at finding something interesting to do or look at, anywhere we go. She never complains about being bored. She adapts to her environment quickly. When we went ice fishing last winter, she spent hours playing in the snow in freezing cold temperature. On a long drive, she’ll hum quietly the entire time.

When she decided she wanted to enter the iRide bike races at cyclocross events, she didn’t care that she is still riding with training wheels when all the other kids are riding 2-wheels. She pedaled her little heart out, picked up her bike after a fall, and continued. I don’t give a rats ass that she rides with training wheels. Her grit and her determination make me just burst with pride.

Happy birthday, Savanna. I wish you a year full of new adventures and discoveries.

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Update on Vienna

Sorry for the delay on posting an update. I excel at procrastinating.

I survived Vienna. There was no spontaneously self-combustion.

The time difference between Vienna and Vancouver made it very difficult to speak with the kids while we were away. While I missed them like crazy, I only spoke with them once.

I was busy with meetings, tours, and events. While I was in meetings, Cliff rolled out of bed late, eat a leisurely breakfast buffet, and walked the streets of Vienna searching for apple strudel. It was a whirlwind week of activities, and little sleep.

Cliff and I also rented road bikes and went riding outside the city a few times. I’m not a big fan of the busy city, but really enjoyed the mountain roads and countryside outside of Vienna.

When the gala at the AGM ended, we hopped on a flight a few hours later. The minute I got to hold both kids in my arms, I felt like life was complete again.

I certainly do not enjoy being away from the kids. They were totally fine. They missed us, and missed being driven around. But they were fine.Would I do this again? I wouldn’t mind going away with Cliff for a weekend, but certainly would not choose to be away for this length of time again in the next few years.