This entry comes from the town of Del Norte Colorado beside the famous Rio Grande river. I can say I am only writing this because of Trystan as I will explain. You see we have been forced to take a rest day because Trystan has over exerted himself trying to keep up with our new friends Loni and Annie. Machismo at it's purest, not to be out done by a girl even if they both are stronger and more competent at riding(sorry buddy). It all goes back to the bar last week in Salida when Simon gets talking to two strangers. Amazed that two attractive girls would even talk to him clad in spandex, he must of been even more amazed that they invited him back to there place to hang out. I assure you as amazed as he was by this gesture I was ten times more amazed that he mentioned this new plan to us, his friends as I surely would of said Peace to my amigos and gone off into the sunset with my new more attractive friends. As it were we all went over and had a fun filled night of ridiculous story telling and laughing. After going out with them for breakfast the next morning, we made our rendezvous with Tim and Wendy and our magical week in Moab(Mountain and Outdoor Adventure Base). One magical week later we were back in Salida, hoping to hang out a little longer. Thunder showers that never materialized were good enough of an excuse not to push on up to Marshall pass, giving us one more night. Tequilla, Whiskey and PBR's(america's finest beer) sent us into a ridiculous night of costumes, fires's and endless smores. Basically keeping the neighbors up into the wee early morn. Next day a little fuzzy eyed we had Marshall in our sights. Giving us a proper farewell from this fun little town the girls rode up with us which would take us a solid 3 hours to do. Little did we know it this would do more harm than good. Which brings me back to Trystan. For you see Trystan thought he could keep up with this new pace set by these incredible girls on there steel, stiffy single speed steeds. Being group photographer and also being the heaviest in gear also contributed in taking it's toll on the poor lad and by mid day he was complaining of soreness in the knees. Saying goodbye to our girls at the pass we cruised on out of a country I could easily call home. One day later and we are forced to rest as Trystan has used his red card issued to every team member in-case of the need to take a break from the game. I personally don't mind as the people here are friendly and the summit just behind the town allowed a successful ascent giving views of the mighty rockies that protrude right out of the plains. Tomorrow comes Indianna pass the largest of the entire route so wish us luck, hopefully we don't meet any cute girls on bikes in this town
Power to the Pedal
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Moab, UT - A vacation within a vactaion
Hi i'm Simon
...So some of you probably think we're having fun...
That we're just downright loving criss-crossing the backbone of North America on pedal bikes!
up and down allll day long.
Yesterday, a local ignoramus even had the nerve to suggest that this may be "the trip of a lifetime."
Sort yourself out bro!
We're going on vacation.
So we hit Salida with a half-inch of callus on the backsides and as the diehard groupies will have noticed (those of you clicking 'refresh' on our spot tracker with greater frequency than 5clicks/hour) we headed west, sans bicyclettes, for greener (or rather redder) pastures. Moab, Utah. "The mountain biking capital of the solar system and you left your bikes behind?" you ask. I don't really have a good response for that other than that my ass is actually developing a semi-permanent bike saddle tattoo which is way not cool.
We have had the great fortune of spending almost a week in the small oasis of south central Utah, nestled among the La Sal mountains, that is Pack Creek Ranch (or Dude Ranch as is was to be affectionately renamed upon our testosterone-soaked arrival.) For six days we truly vacationed from a vacation, which despite my earlier complaints, is saying quite a lot. Thank you so much Mom, Dad, Tim, Wendy, Wings, Roots.
The photos below are by no means representative of our stay. You'll just have to use your imaginations to fill in the blanks.
Arches are the geological wonders that characterize the south west of Utah - they are the products of wind and time. They are made of sandstone. They are inanimate. This one attacked Bougie (Yes, a piece fell on his head - real-time geology folks.) Great trigger finger Trystan.
Dirty cyclists stoked on tan lines and the commencement of the vacation within the vacation (that ones gettin' old hey?)
...So some of you probably think we're having fun...
That we're just downright loving criss-crossing the backbone of North America on pedal bikes!
up and down allll day long.
Yesterday, a local ignoramus even had the nerve to suggest that this may be "the trip of a lifetime."
Sort yourself out bro!
We're going on vacation.
So we hit Salida with a half-inch of callus on the backsides and as the diehard groupies will have noticed (those of you clicking 'refresh' on our spot tracker with greater frequency than 5clicks/hour) we headed west, sans bicyclettes, for greener (or rather redder) pastures. Moab, Utah. "The mountain biking capital of the solar system and you left your bikes behind?" you ask. I don't really have a good response for that other than that my ass is actually developing a semi-permanent bike saddle tattoo which is way not cool.
We have had the great fortune of spending almost a week in the small oasis of south central Utah, nestled among the La Sal mountains, that is Pack Creek Ranch (or Dude Ranch as is was to be affectionately renamed upon our testosterone-soaked arrival.) For six days we truly vacationed from a vacation, which despite my earlier complaints, is saying quite a lot. Thank you so much Mom, Dad, Tim, Wendy, Wings, Roots.
The photos below are by no means representative of our stay. You'll just have to use your imaginations to fill in the blanks.
Arches are the geological wonders that characterize the south west of Utah - they are the products of wind and time. They are made of sandstone. They are inanimate. This one attacked Bougie (Yes, a piece fell on his head - real-time geology folks.) Great trigger finger Trystan.
Dirty cyclists stoked on tan lines and the commencement of the vacation within the vacation (that ones gettin' old hey?)
more moab
We rented some inflatable kayaks and hit some serious H-Core class 1/2 rapids. We ran some rapids standing up backwards, on one leg, pretending we were legendary Colorado River explorer and Civil War vet Maj. Powell. We were then faced with the question of whether we were able to do this because we were as H-Core as him or whether Cataract canyon was a significantly more technical stretch of river.
The party (40% geologists) mills about on La Sal peak, Tuk, spouting off unnecessary geo-jargon.
"Dude, this is a laccolith"
"NO DUDE, this is not a volcanic intrusion."
"UHH YEA, check the Sio2 volcanic magmatic rhyolitic stalactite super-fequency index."
......
this is why we are rarely approached by members of the opposite sex - this and lycra.
again, more moab
This is the latest addition to our group. His name is Ryan Bougie. He is attempting to ride Jack the goat. Well done Ryan.
* * *
And a quick note for the mysterious "Mom" of Trystan's who seems to be quite concerned with our riding mileage count. We promise we have nothing to hide.
A confession. Salida's streets are arranged in a grid like manner, with those running north-south labelled A-Z. Due to a rendez-vous and pick up at B street and a drop-off 6 days later at H street, we have clipped exactly 7 rural Colorado city blocks from the America Cycling Association's Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. We acknowledge this and with the Togwotee disaster fresh in our minds, we propose a second Cycle Master event on the front lawn at Marine Drive when schedules permit. The preservation of family honor is the highest of our priorities.
Salida, CO - Photos 8
Ok, so these two pics go with my story "the people you meet". That's the Como watering hole, and that shed...yes, the four of us spent two very sick nights in that shed behind the school house...but how could you take a tent over that mansion?
Salida, CO - Photos 7
And here's our newest addition to the team...on a glorified roadbike, the nerve.
Salida, CO - Photos 5
Look at the size of that rattlesnake! If we see a live one, Ben said he's packing it in right away...
Salida, CO - Photos 1
These are photos of Benbo, one with our inch of cream cheese and nutella, and the other blasting through a stream...
Salida, CO - The people you meet
Como. Population 24. This is the sort of town that you would completely miss in a 4-wheeled steel cage flying by at 100 kph. But when 5 dudes roll into a town like this on bikes, the experience is utterly different, in the best sort of way.
After quickly being let in on the town gossip, politics, and town history, we were received warmly and invited the next morning for pancakes and coffee. But at 10,000 ft the beer was calling (as a wager had been won), and the tired old tuna pasta could certainly wait. So after setting up camp in an old school yard, we headed down to the town watering hole to tuck into a round of pints, but quickly discovered that we didn’t have a reservation, and had to join the cue….to even be inside. What the fudge? OK, OK, so we settled to enjoy our first round on the lawn in the rain, semi shivering away. But the night was only to get better.
Inside, the live family band (literally a mom and pop and kids operation) was jamming to the dozen or so patrons. So once the establishment was ready for us, we headed in to be greeted warmly by the band. Sing-a longs ensued, hugs got passed around, and then the daughter of the lead singer belted out a good solo. The mom yelled out us five smelly boys at the bar: “this is my daughter, and I’ve gots a shotgun and know how ta use it!”. Ok mom, loud and clear.
But I want to talk about the legend that is Jason. Now, I met this character as he was enjoying a catch up on a bench with his sister. Right off the bat it became immediately apparent that this was one impressive guy: his 26 year old CV included 1800 nights camping for the boy scouts, his 4th generation status in Como, how he used to fly for the Air Force…and maybe even something about an Aeronautical Engineering degree. But what was most impressive, was that he had done a 300 km hike in three days! Now if you’ve done some serious hiking/tramping, you’ll know that a 30 km day is a big day, let alone 100. So, as we wandered away from the bar into the night towards the school, I was telling this to Bougie (our newest addition to the team). And being the most outdoorsy guy I know, he said, “that’s impossible!”. But, just as Bougie belted that out, Jason appears from the darkness and says, ‘it’s true, and it happened’. Startled we jumped back and started laughing. He told us he’d bring us a ‘night cap’ after our dinner which Grant had diligently left the bar early to prepare.
So, as promised, Jason rolled up to the schoolhouse at dark with a kettle of ‘family-secret’ hot chocolate for us. And as the hot chocolate flowed, we just started to learn more and more about this remarkable little town. Once the hot chocolate ran dry, most of the team opted for bed, but Bougie and I took his invite to see the old historic house and to have some more hot chocolate. And this house was something unbelievable, moreover, the arsenal of weapons that started to get passed around the table.
‘Have you ever seen a John Wayne movie?’…and after that question, the gun used in the movie came out followed by a flood of guns including mussel loaders, elephant guns, handguns…the works. Bougie and I were amazed at the presentation. After the hot chocolate was consumed, Jason showed us his shop containing a plethora of impressive projects that he was working on. Awestruck by his accomplishments to date, I asked him: “Jason, do you ever sleep?”….and he answered quite seriously: “I try not to”.
When Bougie and I came back to the school yard humming on belly’s full of hot chocolate, Ben was sick to his stomach and was doing his best to fertilize the lawn. At about 4 am, I was taken down by the same stomach bug and it became apparent by daybreak that with completely empty stomachs and with nauseous heads that the team wasn’t going to be moving that day. Grant decided to push on to Salida, and we agreed to meet the following night. But as fate would have it, he ended up getting the same bug the following day.
After quickly being let in on the town gossip, politics, and town history, we were received warmly and invited the next morning for pancakes and coffee. But at 10,000 ft the beer was calling (as a wager had been won), and the tired old tuna pasta could certainly wait. So after setting up camp in an old school yard, we headed down to the town watering hole to tuck into a round of pints, but quickly discovered that we didn’t have a reservation, and had to join the cue….to even be inside. What the fudge? OK, OK, so we settled to enjoy our first round on the lawn in the rain, semi shivering away. But the night was only to get better.
Inside, the live family band (literally a mom and pop and kids operation) was jamming to the dozen or so patrons. So once the establishment was ready for us, we headed in to be greeted warmly by the band. Sing-a longs ensued, hugs got passed around, and then the daughter of the lead singer belted out a good solo. The mom yelled out us five smelly boys at the bar: “this is my daughter, and I’ve gots a shotgun and know how ta use it!”. Ok mom, loud and clear.
But I want to talk about the legend that is Jason. Now, I met this character as he was enjoying a catch up on a bench with his sister. Right off the bat it became immediately apparent that this was one impressive guy: his 26 year old CV included 1800 nights camping for the boy scouts, his 4th generation status in Como, how he used to fly for the Air Force…and maybe even something about an Aeronautical Engineering degree. But what was most impressive, was that he had done a 300 km hike in three days! Now if you’ve done some serious hiking/tramping, you’ll know that a 30 km day is a big day, let alone 100. So, as we wandered away from the bar into the night towards the school, I was telling this to Bougie (our newest addition to the team). And being the most outdoorsy guy I know, he said, “that’s impossible!”. But, just as Bougie belted that out, Jason appears from the darkness and says, ‘it’s true, and it happened’. Startled we jumped back and started laughing. He told us he’d bring us a ‘night cap’ after our dinner which Grant had diligently left the bar early to prepare.
So, as promised, Jason rolled up to the schoolhouse at dark with a kettle of ‘family-secret’ hot chocolate for us. And as the hot chocolate flowed, we just started to learn more and more about this remarkable little town. Once the hot chocolate ran dry, most of the team opted for bed, but Bougie and I took his invite to see the old historic house and to have some more hot chocolate. And this house was something unbelievable, moreover, the arsenal of weapons that started to get passed around the table.
‘Have you ever seen a John Wayne movie?’…and after that question, the gun used in the movie came out followed by a flood of guns including mussel loaders, elephant guns, handguns…the works. Bougie and I were amazed at the presentation. After the hot chocolate was consumed, Jason showed us his shop containing a plethora of impressive projects that he was working on. Awestruck by his accomplishments to date, I asked him: “Jason, do you ever sleep?”….and he answered quite seriously: “I try not to”.
When Bougie and I came back to the school yard humming on belly’s full of hot chocolate, Ben was sick to his stomach and was doing his best to fertilize the lawn. At about 4 am, I was taken down by the same stomach bug and it became apparent by daybreak that with completely empty stomachs and with nauseous heads that the team wasn’t going to be moving that day. Grant decided to push on to Salida, and we agreed to meet the following night. But as fate would have it, he ended up getting the same bug the following day.
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