Life on a bike tour is a simple existence, and over 1,000 miles cycling in the last few weeks, our daily existence has hit a rhythm of sorts. This post describes the different aspects of the day-to-day logistics underpinning the soaring views, descents off mountain passes and hanging with wonderful people. After all, surviving a journey like […]
The last week of cycling was physically tough as we hit the mountain passes with sore butts and less-than-fresh legs. It was also tooootally worth it for the simply amazing countryside we had the pleasure of traversing thanks to Glacier and Waterton Parks in Montana and Alberta, Canada. Here are a few choice recent shots, plus one […]
Remember the summer when you were 14? Me neither! Thinking back, about all I recall is morning baseball practice and an overall sense of trying to fit in wearing my damn sweatpants. That and turning down a fun vacation to the national parks of Utah with my family to stay home for the above-mentioned baseball. Dumb! Well, […]
Looking for one of the best cycling roads in the world? Check out the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park . Gotta say, it was one of the most scenic rides that I’ve ever done. The picture above sums it up: rivers, peaks, valleys, glaciers and a curving road hugging a cliff edge. A-maz-ing. We rode this as part of our […]
Ten days of cycling now lay behind us, efforts etched into the muscles in our legs along with the sights and smells from the route we’ve traversed. I am stunned to discover a patient side within myself, and also an inner facet content to spin along at 12 miles per hour watching rivers flow by while stopping to […]
Some people just embody an activity. Ray, who we met on a remote highway in NW Montana, sums up the essence of bike touring. We crossed paths with him on the 4th of July as he biked west. Sporting a cotton shirt with “America: the best things in life are free” emblazoned across the chest with […]
I have a theory. Call it the Yellowstone Peace Protocol, or YPP for short. It’s simple: take people from all over the world who can’t agree on anything or are fighting over an age-old conflict. Place them together in a beautiful landscape populated with majestic animals in a sort of wildlife pilgrimage. Humans of all […]
We humans love to celebrate and formally close chapters of our lives. Loose threads, relationships ending and open books need to be tied up and closed with graduations, parties and awesome drunken nights jumping off bridges into rivers. (You know who you are!) New adventures invigorate us, yet tying up a thread of the […]
It’s easy to do something that turns you into the Cheshire Cat of Glee. Everyone has that activity that lights up their soul and makes them smile ear-to-ear. Recently, mountain biking the best trails in the west does that for me, rolling up to a trailhead in the van and careening off into the distance […]
The below one-page article appears in the June issue of Natural History Magazine. My first piece of writing published in hard copy! Extra points if you caught the oh-so-nerdy reference in the title. Gusts of wind were slapping our camper van when my eagle-eyed wife cried “Watch out!” and I swerved around the desert tortoise on a […]
Utah is a magical playground. There is a reason Edward Abbey loved to escape into its hallowed hills on a road trip. Between giant rock columns, sweeping vistas and solitude for miles around, it also carved out a spot as one of my new favorite states. Wandering through with my mouth ajar at each new […]
I think the conclusion of a life should be shouted from the rooftops, memories of the departed recounted around a roaring fire with sparks snapping into the night. A celebration of escapades lived true to Hunter S. Thompson’s words: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty […]
The colors strike you first. There is nothing like the red rock of the southwest contrasted against clear blue skies. Majestic, sweeping views of the Grand Canyon don’t just take your breath away, they cram air into your lungs like a turbo fan. There is a reason people from around the world flock to this […]
Do you have an unused possession you love that is tied to past memories and identity? An old cracked baseball glove. An instrument from high school band. Your old Magic: The Gathering playing cards (I know you still have them!). Don’t worry, I won’t bring up the threadbare-yet-awesome T-shirt from long ago…because those are […]
Right after my brother’s baby Sam was born in mid-April, Chelsea and I flew north to Moscow, Idaho to meet the new addition to the family and visit everyone. It was a couple weeks filled with dinners, walks, hikes and bike rides, and plenty of oohing at the newborn. The perfect family visit. I’m experimenting with […]
Utah is a land of big views and subtle sounds. Huge red rock bluffs, valleys spackled in green, blue skies soaring above. Wind whispering through pines or roaring over ridges. Mountain bike tires crunching over sand or scratching up slickrock. Rabbits hopping across the trail, lizards skittering up rocks, and birds whipping past. Flip flops […]
We spent almost four months touring the coast of California from late November through March this year. There are lots of travel guides out there for reference info about the state, but if you’re interested, below is a list in no particular order of some favorite trails (mountain biking and hiking/running) and places to eat in […]
My brother Finn and his lovely partner Daya recently brought Sam Xavier Gale into the world in April. Congratulations to the newly-minted parents! We wish them and their new baby the best the world has to offer. Also, a cheers to my parents for their first grandkid and great-grandkid for my grandma. Finn and Daya […]
Are you a life hacker? You know, a disciple of the 80/20 Pareto stuff Tim Ferriss digs into on how to achieve maximum results with minimal effort, a.k.a. minimum effective dose. I am a big believer in it and initially this post was going to discuss how I used those tools to sculpt my life into its current flexible form. […]
A two-faced aspect to travel is that while our souls are opened to new adventures and people, we miss out on the day-to-day moments of friendships back home. Some of those friendships hibernate, some continue on digitally, and others grow. It’s a huge trade-off, and one we speak frequently about with other travelers. We haven’t […]