Swimming and Singletrack – Bikepacking the Three Sisters, Three Rivers Route
Bikepacking 300 miles through the Cascade Mountains on the Three Sisters, Three Rivers route.
Entries by Dakota
Bikepacking Hijinks on the Oregon Outback
The buzzing on Jono’s bike started shortly after we rolled onto a tooth-rattling section of the OC&E rail trail. The culprit: his Crocs were dragging on the rear tire. “PHEW, glad I didn’t lose those,” he said. “Hey, wait. Where’s my sleeping pad?” Losing a sleeping pad a mere 13 miles into one’s first bikepacking […]
Upgrading My Camper Van Electrical System to Lithium Batteries
I can’t believe I waited so long to replace my camper van’s busted-ass AGM batteries with shiny, powerful lithium ones. That single upgrade greatly improved our van travel experience. Prior to the upgrade, our old batteries from the initial build in 2013 wheezed like a smoker’s lungs. They tried hard, but couldn’t get the job […]
Creating a Solid Piano Practice Routine
In June 2020, Chelsea surprised me with a thoughtful birthday gift: a digital keyboard. Starting from scratch, I’ve managed to progress from “where the hell is middle C?” to “hey, this is going somewhere!” When a reader (hi Kim) recently asked about my piano practice routine, I adapted my notes into this blog post. If […]
Ditching a Self-Bullying Mindset
I’m one of those Type-A people who enjoys filling a 30-day calendar challenge with X’s. Solidly motivating for me, or at least a simple reminder to practice my Italian! Recently I saw a challenge with a different take: a repeating loop of “do activity, get less awful.” (Paraphrased.) I found it funny…until Chelsea pointed out […]
Begone, 2020! Looking Back at an Intense Year
Good grief, how do I write about 2020 without sounding like a jackass? It served up so much: social unrest, wildfires, the election battle. Did I forget anything? Oh yeah, THE F’N PANDEMIC. Talking about what I experienced and learned this year feels self-indulgent when people are hurting and the damndemic rages on. Still, 2020 […]
Circling Back to the Oregon Coast and California Redwoods
Between the pandemic and smoke, we spent a biiit more time at home this year. (Anyone else?) Luckily, early December presented a (rare) clear weather window in the Pacific Northwest, so we packed the van and headed west to the ocean. This wasn’t an adventure trip with Type 2 fun. Nope, this was a vacation, […]
The Best Books I Read In 2020
Amid all the upheaval of 2020, at least I found time to read amazing books. Some were heavy, while others transported me to other worlds. (Like I did sitting in the van with the view above, immersed in the world of Dune.) Turning off the news and disappearing into a book served as an important […]
Posturing Ain’t Pretty (and Other Desert Teachings)
The area around Hurricane, Utah is a tumultuous riot of steep, rolling rock, an outdoor playground. The expansive views and fine winter weather create a dream destination for desert lovers, including mountain bikers sick of snowy home trails. In January 2020 P.C. (pre-COVID), I’d journeyed to the desert with my friends Paul and Eric in […]
Solitude in the Elkhorn and Wallowa Mountains
Coming off two weeks working on my parents‘ property right before the 2020 election drama, I craved time alone in nature. En route to home, I swung through the Wallowa and Elkhorn Mountain ranges for some true solitude. Below is a photo essay from my time there. The summary: No phone signal for days. Two […]
Sewer Trenches Versus Carpal Tunnel
Most weeks of my life yield few concrete results. Phone calls and piano practice, emails and payroll approval, bike rides and socializing leave a scant real-world trace. When the results of our work hours are digital detritus, carpal tunnel and bad posture, tackling physical projects is even more valuable! Two weeks in October delivered on […]
My Case For Why Ebikes Rule
EBIKES. Some people love them, while others beseech the pope to label them the 8th deadly sin. I’m a cycling enthusiast (some might slight addict) and don’t personally ride an ebike. However, many people around me do, and I think ebike maligners are missing the potential of electric bicycles. There’s a place for them, as […]
Setting Up a Garage Gym for Home Workouts
GarageFit started as a joke in 2017, a goofy name for garage strength workout with a friend. It soon blossomed into a 2x/week community workout for a group of guys. (Well, until the damndemic hit…) With covid blaring away, cold weather upon us, and outside options diminishing, a garage gym is ever more important. Per […]
The Wonderful, Trying Adventure of Bike Touring
What does adventure, a much-belabored word, even mean these days? Fools far crazier than Chelsea and I rode bikes across the country…in 1880. On wagon trails. Not breaking new ground here, Magellan! Adventure is so relative. For some, it’s a visit to their ancestor’s land; others, a trip to Cabo; for new parents, the first […]
Say What, I’m (Almost) An Italian Citizen?!
I never met him, but I suspect my great-grandfather Annibale Marchitelli was a wily dude. Thanks to that wiliness, I am en route to having my Italian citizenship recognized. Allow me to explain. According to a ship manifest on the internets, in 1903 Annibale left the classic hill town of Sant’Agata di Puglia with $11 […]
Dealing With Emotional Lightning Strikes
When I get hit in the head, I morph from Calm Dakota into Dak the Destroyer, Wannabe Viking Marauder. Take the time a college roommate (Chelsea’s brother) tagged me in the head with a rubber ball as I studied for an engineering test. RWWWARG. Dak the Destroyer grabbed my chunky TI-89 calculator and angrily launched […]
Racing the High Cascades 100, Round Two
The ride summary of a fellow racer in the High Cascades 100 mtb race were two sentences not often found together: “Fun day. GI issues for 20 miles, plus 2 code browns.” Riiiight. Fighting a lurching stomach while pooping yourself twice is everyone’s idea of a fun day! Perhaps only for types with screws loose […]
Creating A Productive and Balanced Life During This F’n Pandemic
Hello from our Bend Compound! Wherever you’re reading this – an apartment in Spain or NYC, a van in the woods, a house with bored kids tearing your walls down – I hope you’re thriving as much as possible given a worldwide pandemic. A meme that struck home for me: “Introverts, put your book down […]
Let’s Talk About Money: How To Build A Strong Financial Foundation
“What should I do with my money?” is a common question people ask me. They’ve snagged their first solid job or want to wipe out debt from student loans or credit cards. They’re excited to take the next step, and also overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options. Building a financial foundation sounds intimidating. I […]
A Rugged Adventure Bikepacking in the Chilcotin Mountains
Call it mountain bike amnesia, but I’m already forgetting the hard work necessary to bikepack in the Chilcotin Mountains. Sweaty hike-a-bikes up mountain passes drift away, replaced by stunning vistas and brake-melting descents, a goofy grin plastered across my face. Our simple trip goals: pedal bikes laden with six days of food into the backcountry […]