Some do the polar plunge. Others make resolutions or big goals. Still others watch football most of the day. While those are all wonderful ways to start a new year, this year I decided to do something a little different and made a fire out of last year’s (2022) Christmas tree and then burned the many meeting notes, old papers, and journals that I had accumulated from a past life. It was something I’d been thinking about for some time but hadn’t found the right moment. There’s nothing quite like a new year, a hot beverage, and an absolutely clear sky to make that moment reality.
I’m sure there is some ancient tradition surrounding this kind of ritual. Whether there is or not, it was a good reminder that … “It all goes away. Eventually, everything goes away.” - Elizabeth Gilbert
They say, “steel is real,” and they are right. To be sure, steel isn’t the lightest material in the world, but I’m just fine with that.
Long story short … Back in August I discovered that my drive side chain stay had a big ol’ crack right through.
I was understandably heartbroken since this bike had been my go to for nearly every kind of adventure-by-bike that you can imagine since 2018. In total, we had logged nearly 30K miles together!
Now, if this bike were some mass production plastic frame from one of the big brands that would’ve been the end of the story. Maybe, maybe, a discount coupon for buying a new bike. But unlikely. What’s sure, is that it would’ve ended up in a landfill and I would’ve been ordering a new bike to the tune of many thousands of dollars.
However, this bike, being steel, was also handmade by some of the most skilled frame builders in the world. Which also means, it can and would be repaired. And more than merely repaired, made better.
The bike I’m holding today has wider chain stays that accommodate wider tires. The entire frame was retrofitted with internal routing for electronic shifting. It’s got a fancy new dirt drop bar with some gnarly flare for off road rips. And it’s sporting a fresh coat of paint, just waiting for me to get it dirty again!
So, long story longer, I wouldn’t be holding this frame today if it weren’t for the amazing folks at @breadwinnercycles in PDX. Thanks specifically to @pereiracycles for your willingness to take on this project in the midst of a very busy and challenging season! Special thanks to @iraryancycles for your design on this bike when it was originally made (even though it now has a bunch of modern bits, it still has all of the classic elements that first drew me to Breadwinner!)
If someone asks me what kind of bike they should get … 100% of the time … every time … my answer will be … “Find a frame builder that you like, get to know them really well, and have them design a bike that fits you for the kind of riding you like to do.”
As the great Grant Petersen of @rivbike once said, “think of bikes as rideable art that can just about save the world.”
Throwback Thursday to August ’23.
Broke my @breadwinnercycles B-Road on a bikepacking trip across Oregon in July and was forced to (mostly) stay off the bike for the month of August. That meant a bit of a pivot from previous plans … and when that happens, welp, as the song says “Smile & Go!”
So alongside my beloved little tribe … we spent the month backpacking up the Shipwreck Coast & in the Goat Rocks; swimming in the Puget Sound; picking blackberries and blueberries and tomatoes and cucumbers (wow did we ever get a lot of cucumbers this year!) We ate lots and lots of ice cream. We hiked. We read books. We went on long walks. But most of all, we were just together. And that was very good.
So to the imp or fluke or twist of fate that made my bike to break. Thank you! I wouldn’t change a thing.
The Oregon Cascade Volcanic Arc (OCVA) is a 400 mile longform mixed-terrain adventure cycling route spanning the vertical length of Oregon from Klamath Falls to Portland along the western flank of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. First pioneered by an intrepid group of cyclists connected through Our Mother The Mountain (OMTM) this route has become a staple in the adventure bikepacking summer calendar here in the PNW. This was my 2nd go at the OCVA, this time with a group of 6 friends who chose the “fast & light” approach to this route. Over 3 100mile days of mixed terrain riding, we zigzagged our way from town to town, staying at super friendly roadside hotels, meeting equally friendly travelers, and eating lovely meals together at the beginning, middle, and end of each day. This trip is a must for anyone looking for a cycling adventure with a diversity of terrain, epic scenery, and ample opportunities to go until you’re lost.
#ThrowbackThursday to Yesterday … On which I became a member of the 50 Year Old “Club!”
As per my birthday tradition, the plan was to get out with a few friends for an all-day bike ride. These particular friends had a few tricks up their cycling sleeves and surprised me with a few more friends in tow (11 in all came out for the day)!
And we rode … 100+ miles (who says ferry miles don’t count?!?), 2 Islands, 4 Ferries, 4 Bridges, and something like 31 very very punchy climbs.
To say it was a gift would be the most incredible understatement.
In a year of big and often confusing transition in my life, these friends (and many others who couldn’t make it out yesterday) have been steadfast and faithful. Always available for long or short bike rides, ready for a little banter to help lighten the mood, and absolutely warmhearted and caring as I navigate this season in life.
So this day after my birthday, just wanted to say “Go raibh míle maith agat!” or literally, “May there be a thousand goodnesses by you.”
“Spontaneity, the hallmark of childhood, is well worth cultivating to counteract the rigidity that may otherwise set in as we grow older.” - Gail Sheehy
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This week was definitely one for cultivating spontaneity.
Looked at the weather forecast early in the week and saw nothing but ☀️☀️☀️ “Larch Madness” is in full effect up in the PNW ⛰⛰⛰And I’m taking some time off of work so am atypically free, free, free.
And so … I planned a solo-overnighter to the North Cascades on Thursday-Friday to take advantage of this confluence of events, out to Snowy Lakes via. Cutthroat Pass along the PCT.
Thursday morning, 6am arrived. I was all packed and ready to go. But I had a sixth-sense in my gut, a deep whisper of sorts, that I was supposed to invite my 12 year old son on this adventure with me.
Being the rule-follower that I am, it felt self-serving to even consider pulling Eliot out of school for two days, and so I asked my wife, the school-teacher and wise-one in our home, for her honest input. She simply said, emphatically, “YES! YES! YES!”
7am came along, I woke him up at his usual time, invited him along, and he was ALL IN, WITH JOY!
We packed his gear, threw some extra food in my backpack, and we were off. Big E, Suki, and me for what would become his longest and most challenging hike to date. And he completely rocked it!
I’m pretty proud, proud, proud at the moment, and grateful for the gift of spontaneity.
Hood River Weekend '22!
Missing some old friends but welcoming new ones on this annual end-of-summer gravel bash along and around Hood River/The Dalles/Lyle/Klickitat.
This year didn't disappoint with 150 miles of gravel and 14.4K feet climbing over three incredible days.
Already daydreaming about next year!
So much fun celebrating E’s & M’s 11th & 16th trips around the sun with a little Mt Rainier snow adventure.
I’m so incredibly honored to be their dad, profoundly grateful for these moments that we get to share, and in awe of who they are becoming.
To all you parents of littles out there, may this post be a source of hope. Embrace the journey!
And for those out there with bigs, feeling grief these days as you look back. Pick up that phone! It’s always a good time to love.
Today is Native American Heritage Day. Established in 2009, the day is not without controversy.
As Brian Perry, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, writes:
"The day after Thanksgiving? ... The day after Thanksgiving is one of the most irrelevant days of the year. Most people are off work, families travel, and there is very little in the news cycle. What is the day after Thanksgiving known as in America? Black Friday—not Native American Heritage Day. It is a day when the American consumer plots out the best bargains at the best retailers at the best times to contribute to the American GDP. Not a word or mention in the mainstream media about Native American Heritage Day, just videos of adults fist fighting at 4:00 in the morning in stores over the last trendy toy in stock for this year's Season of Giving.”
Even so, today I rode my bike as a rolling meditation of sorts on the complexity of this day.
As a son of European immigrants I acknowledge that I rode today on the traditional and ancestral land of the Samish and Coast Salish people and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations, including the Coast Salish, Samish, Stillaguamish, Skagit, and other indigenous nations.
I acknowledge that both the State of Washington and the United States Government carried out genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced removal to acquire this land.
Yet, despite centuries of theft and violence, this is still and always will be the land of The Samish People. Indigenous people are still here, demonstrating innumerable talents and gifts in the midst of continued oppression and colonialism. Indigenous people must be celebrated and uplifted.
#nativeramericanheritageday
#raphablackfridayride
#befriendthewind
#optoutside
Photo 3 is of The Salish story pole named "Ko-kwahl-alwoot" - the Maiden of Deception Pass. The Samish believe that as the currents flow back and forth through Deception Pass, Ko-Kwal-alwoot and other maidens are present in the waters, drifting gently with the tide, looking out for the welfare of their people.
“There are some wild places across our nation's public lands that physically move you, creating a tightening in the chest, a loss of breath, or a tingling along the spine.”
~ Mark Kenyon ~
The Land. Occupied. It’s Native Inhabitants forcibly removed. Now fiercely contested.
It was indeed a complex experience traveling this land I’ve called home for most of my life. I am now more grateful for it and for the people who for millennia have stewarded it despite our best efforts to exploit it.
#railtrailsofamerica
#nativepeoplenativelands
“There are so many difficult things we're living through in the world today, so many horrible events, but we cannot let them stop us. No matter what happens, I feel you must move forward with optimism and not get totally sideswiped.”
~ Gloria Estefan ~
Well, I did a hard thing in the midst of a very hard season with a small group of incredibly resilient men! Honored to call them friends and to accomplish something wonderful together. 💪🏼🤙🏼✌🏼
#rccseaaf
#gofargotogether
#gravelgrindingissohotrightnow
