You Can Do It!

The most common thing that people say to me, aside from where I am going or where did I come from, is that they wish they could do what I am doing. I always say to them that they can, and I do believe that is true. For those of you who don't already know, I am currently riding my bike around the US and Canada, mostly camping, and trying to stay off the paved roads. 

I wanted to break down this comment a little; do these people really mean that they wish they could do it? Or is this just a figure of speech, an automatic response, a compliment to me, or a placation? 

I would like tomatoes as plentiful and as delicious as my brother's. However, the truth is, I don't want to spend the time prepping and planting and watering and I definitely don't want to spend my summers harvesting and canning and preserving. So I leave that to him and I go off and ride my bike and when I go home, I get to go to his house and eat delicious sauces. I think most people who make this comment just want to go home and eat delicious sauces, or in the case of a bike, have it ready to go for when you want to do a few mile, preferably driving to the best spot and enjoying the best part of the ride, with good weather and views around ever corner. 

To do new things, it takes work. You have to get out of your comfort zone and cede some control to other people, the unknown and life in general. I literally do not know what's around the next corner most of the time, and this is hard. I am a type A planner, but in this case, I am often going day by day, because (a) you will just disappoint yourself if you have too high of expectations or you try to control every moment and (b) it's actually part of the fun. I sat in Tim Hortons the other day talking to an old local man, but I really really needed to charge my phone and book that night's accomodation, which is why I went in there in the first place, and afterwards I needed to go grocery shopping, and it was supposed to start raining soon. However, we had a great chat and this will be a story that I tell later, and it did not really take away from my day, except that I got rained on a little and arrived at my accommodation later than I wanted to. But! It was still light and I had plenty of time to set up and eat and enjoy the sunset, so really it did not change my day for the worse at all. 

However, people, including me, have a hard time doing new things because we do lack that sense of control and we do have unknowns lurking, just waiting to hit us when we are down. However, I think the positive unknowns outweigh the negative ones by a long shot. 

So, people, I am here to say that you CAN do it! Two years ago, I had only mountain biked once in Bolivia, and they did not provide me with any instructions, so basically you could call that a non-event. I had never owned a mountain bike. I had never ridden any bike, mountain or non, more than 40 miles. I had never done any bike maintenance but change a tube. 

I get embarrassed easily; I am afraid of looking or feeling stupid. I know this has kept me from trying some new things. Puedo hablar español pero tengo vergüenza cuando hay la gente circa me! I listened to a podcast with a writer from Outside magazine, who is in his 50s, and he said he is going to try all kinds of new things, and be that 50 year old looking stupid, and also help those 50 year olds who want to try new things but have fears that it is too late or that they will look dumb or embarrass themselves. It is not too late, but it is not as easy now as it was when we were 20 and fearless. 

For this trip, I had to learn a lot of things, and I had to have some bad days, and I had to fail before I could succeed sometimes. I've definitely used a lot of swear words, many more than I did in years past where I was living a more comfortable known life. But I can do it, and am doing it, and you can too! 

Here's a photo of me fixing my eleventh flat tire on the side of the road in Wisconsin (I think. I may have lost count):

On the flip side, here are a few beautiful sunrises! 

And when I say that you can do it, I don't just mean riding a bike. I mean all of those things that you really do wish you could do. Starting a side hustle, growing beautiful tomatoes, raising kids, learning Spanish. You can do it if you put your mind to it (or your back into it, if you are Ice Cube) and embrace the unknown, and the fear, and the lack of control. and once you are done, you will look back and say, hey, that wasn't so hard after all (right?)

What thing have you always wished you could do but haven't tried yet? What new things have you tried lately? What's your trick for getting over the uncomfortable parts of a new venture?

Looking Back: Books + Life

I am a bit behind on updates, so I thought I would put it all out here in a kind of "Currently-esque" post with a touch of "Recently" sprinkled in. So without further ado, here is what's going on both with my adventures with #bobthebluebike, and with life in general. 

Currently I am reading the first book of The Expanse on ebook, and am listening to In The Woods by Tana French. I enjoyed the last book I read of hers but it was in print and for some reason this one is seeming more slow paced to me. Recently my favorite reads have been The Indifferent Stars Above (thanks for the rec Engie et al!), Ken Follett's Never and Maame by Jessica George. However, I DNFed about seven books over the last two months; the most recent few were Us Against You, Recursion and Sure I'll Join Your Cult (should have known just from the title). It's a shame because I really enjoyed Beartown, and Recursion had a 4.17 on GR. The last one was a read by the author audiobook by a comedian I have never heard of and I found her to be super annoying. 

Currently I am eating too much junk food! I am not a huge fan of sweets, but I've sure had a lot of candy (Haribo for the win!) and ice cream over the last few months. I fear that as soon as I stop riding the bike my stomach is going to swell like one of those little dinosaurs we used to put in a cup of water. I have no self control. Recently, I have tried several gluten free pizza places. My favorite is still Pizzeria Otto's in Portland, but the Rocket Pie GF pizza in Canmore was so good that my wheat eating friends ate my pizza and we had to order another GF pizza after that to share! 

Currently I am listening to the air conditioning unit in my room. After a super hot and humid ride through Southern Wisconsin, it cooled down a lot, and got less humid and last week the highs were even only in the 60s/70s. However, it's getting a tad warmer again! I actually don't mind it, but am not a fan of rain or high humidity. Dry is key! Nobody wants chafe in their nether region! Nobody! Recently I've been listening to the No Borders podcast with Brian and Carrie. They are a couple who have a YouTube channel about early retirement and travel that I've been following for a couple of years. They recently launched a podcast and I find it useful and of course it helps me dream! 

Currently, I'm spending a lot on accommodation. The option to wild camp is not as prevalent in the Midwest as it is in the West, and the established campgrounds are expensive. The last state park I went to in WI charged $35 for tent camping and some of them are closer to $50! (FYI usually Forest Service sites are ~ $15, and you can even get a site in Yosemite for ~ $27) The best thing I spent money on recently is a flight to Portland. Usually I go every fall to house and pet sit for a friend and although I considered skipping this year, I decided that I could work it in as a cycling break, which I think I will need by then! Plus it will give me a chance to send myself some things, since I will not be on the move for once! I've also enjoyed springing for a croissant or a coffee or lunch for those I've been meeting up with (and for those of you who wouldn't let me, thank you too!), since I feel so happy to have gotten to meet them and some of them have even fed and housed me! I definitely got the better end of the deal here! 

Currently I'm feeling a little under the weather. I caught a cold on the Amtrak and can't shake it. It's not horrible, but it just won't quit! Also camping with a stuffy nose is not super fun as I can't breathe and so I have to prop up my head with my backpack and then sleep on my side or back, which is not my preferred method. 

Currently I'm missing my weekly visits with the girls (A & L). I feel like I was really getting to know them more of a day to day basis, whereas only seeing them every few months is just not the same. 

Currently I'm looking forward to being back in Canada! I should be back there in the next few days, this time in a different province. Although, I've been to Ontario before, I haven't explored it much, so I am excited to see some new parts of the province. 

What are you reading? Eating? Looking forward to? 

Pack Your Fears

In the hiking world there is a saying, that we always pack our fears. This means that if you are afraid of being cold, you will overpack clothes; if you are afraid of running out of food, you will overpack food. My brother carries a lot of (too much?) water; my Dad carries a large first aid kit; my hiking buddy Bugsy carries a lot of bug repellent (hence the trail name). Here are a few things that I carry too much of and how these translate to my fears. 

Headphones. I am afraid of running out of entertainment, so I have four pairs of headphones. Yes, four. One pair is wireless, but these require being charged, and they need Bluetooth, which runs my phone battery down faster, so I rarely use them unless I am near a town and know I will be near another town soon. They are not critical when it comes to things I need to charge, so they often stay packed. I also have three pairs of wired headphones. Overkill as they may be, I do not really want to ride for several days without an audiobook, plus they are small, and I just cleaned out my entire house and I had three pairs that still work, so I brought all three of them. Side note and tip: when traveling internationally, it is still a good idea to have a wired pair for the flight so that you don't have to use the crappy ones that the airline gives you. Obviously I have thought about this a lot, eh? 

Food. I am afraid of being hungry. Actually, I am not afraid of being hungry, but am afraid of not having food when I am hungry. I am also a bit of a food hoarder, and will stock up if I am in a town or if something is on sale. Obviously this works a lot better when you are living in a house with a fridge and cupboards, but I still justify it and will carry a lot of bars "just in case." I am a lot better at this when backpacking, as I will pack exactly for the number of days that I will be hiking +1 for emergencies. When cycling you are going through towns every few days and it is a nice treat to go to the grocery store, and so I treat myself by overbuying food. 

Food haul!
The cookies on the bottom right are so, SO good.

Water. I am afraid that the next stream will be dry. I usually carry two liters at all times. However, I dislike filtering and I guess I would rather carry more weight than waste more time filtering over and over and over, so if I am in a town with potable water, I might "camel up" as they say (drink as much as possible then fill all of your bottles for the journey). However, I am sure someone has done a study about the efficiency of time comparing the extra time it takes when you are carrying more weight vs. the extra time it takes to filter. 

Filtering water (PC: Broksi)

Chapstick. I am addicted to Chapstick. I brought two on this trip: one main one and one spare, and then my friend K handed me one in Oregon and I decided to keep it, because you know, they might not have Chapstick in Canada, or Montana... not! I have heard stories about how the menthol is actually addicting; I don't know if that is true. I do know that I do not love most brands. I don't want spicy or fruity Chapstick. I want the Chapstick brand, the black one, or the blue in a pinch. You may think I am cheap and gift me with a nice tube of Burt's Bees. I don't want it. I am not cheap. I am particular about my Chapstick, so I carry extra. 

Sunglasses. I am blonde and blue eyed, and even on a cloudy day, I need to wear sunglasses. Luckily, my eye scan has been good over the years, probably because when I am outside, I am wearing sunglasses 98% of the time. For this reason I did bring an extra pair with me. However, the first pair was getting all scratched up and I finally ditched it, so now I only have one. Eeeek. What if I lose the second pair, now my only pair? It will be a rough day, but I will probably live. The next town is only a few days away, hopefully. Luckily I do not mind looking like a dork, and will wear whatever glasses are available (gas station, here I come!) 

Same shirt; different glasses. (+Emi the dog)

Navigation. I guess I am afraid of getting lost (although I don't THINK I am!) as I have maps on my phone, a Garmin navigator and a Garmin satellite messenger/tracker. It kind of makes me laugh how many electronics I have; however, Navigation is number one on the Ten Essentials list Ten Essentials list of things that you should always bring hiking with you (even on day hikes!), so I just consider this good practices. Actually food and water are also on that list, so maybe I am just following the rules! 

As a P.S. here are a few things I do NOT bring a lot of. Underwear (I am happy to bring two and wash the one I am not wearing each day, or go commando), socks (same story), bras (same story), multiples of clothes (currently one have one of each layer, and one dry emergency outfit), first aid (if it's not something that duct tape/Lukotape and a bit of gauze can fix, I am probably screwed anyway). 

What do you overpack when you travel? And does this translate to a fear that you have? 

Ride the Divide

Oh hello! Yes, I have been absent for a little while!! The reason for this is that I decided to do a mountain biking race and I did not have time to post and/or comment so I decided to just take a bit of a sabbatical. 

Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, BC

What is this race, you ask? Well, there is a cycling route that goes from Banff, Alberta to the border of Mexico at Antelope Wells, NM and is 70% on dirt. Of course, when I found this out a couple of years ago, I told myself that I was going to ride it one day. Then I found out that you can actually race it. Coming from an ultra racing background where you often suffer endlessly, I asked myself why not, and I signed up for this race. It started on June 14th. 

Grand Teton National Park, WY

The race, or the Tour Divide, as it is called, is a very non-organized affair. This is because if it were organized, then permits would have to be procured, insurance and other things would be an issue and someone would be liable. In this case, we are all just cyclists riding the same route, at basically the same time. However, let me give you some facts. 

Total mileage of ~2,700 depending on weather, reroutes etc. and ~ 150,000 feet of climbing. 

Fastest Known Time (FKT): males Laughlin Morton (2023) 12:12:24, supported (not official). Justinas Leveika (2024) 13:02:06 unsupported/official, female Lael Wilcox (2023) 16:20:17 official. Yes, this is over 200 miles per day in some cases!

The route goes through Alberta, BC, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. The full route map from 2024 with elevation details and points of interest can be found here. The race is fully self supported. This means you cannot book anything in advance and there are no aid stations. When you are hungry, you must find food; you must carry everything you need on the bike with you. You cannot ride in a group; you cannot have supporters along the route. If it is something that every rider has equal opportunity to use (i.e. motel, trail magic, gas station, restaurant) you can use it, but you are not supposed to have an advantage over any other racer. If you get a mechanical, you can get a ride to the nearest town but you must get back to the same place and start riding again. Only about 40% of the people who start normally finish. 

How did it go? Well, it was hard! I ended up averaging about 73 miles per day with my highest being over 100 miles. However, this was not the hardest part. The hardest part was that there were lots of hills, some of the dirt roads were in very poor condition, the weather did not always cooperate, and there were mechanical issues from time to time. Here are some stats. 

Boreas Pass, CO (11,500 ft)

Most beautiful province/state: British Columbia, due to endless views of glacial rivers and snowy peaks

Hardest province/state: New Mexico due to heat, thunderstorms, dust, fatigue, dogs off leash

Best roads: Colorado or Montana

Worst roads: New Mexico

Favorite province/state: Colorado due to good roads, gradual climbs, mostly good weather and nice people

Random act of kindness: In New Mexico a family let me camp in their yard and then they also let me use their shower and they fed me! 

A few highlights: 

• In Canada, I got snowed and/or rained on almost every day, and they had the worst mud and steepest and longest one climb of the entire race. I also had my first trip to the bike shop on day two in Fernie, BC. 
• In Montana, a snowstorm came in and luckily I am slower, as the elites got stuck in the storm at the passes. I started later and got minimally snowed on. Two days after that, it was about 100 degrees and I spent most of the day going from shade patch to shade patch trying to stay cool. 
• In Idaho, they had the best section on nice forested roads with rivers and creeks nearby, but it was the shortest at only around 60 miles total. 
• In Wyoming, I saw three badgers and wild horses as I crossed the basin, which is a 100 mile stretch in 90 degree heat with no trees or water and a horrible cross/headwind. I had my second trip to the bike shop and now my amount of money spent on repairs for this trip has exceeded the original cost of my bike. 
• In Colorado, I climbed to almost 12,000 feet, saw a bear and a rattlesnake, went through Steamboat Springs on the (4th of July) holiday weekend, went swimming and camped in the yard at a firehouse. 
• In New Mexico, I rode on the singletrack of the Continental Divide Trail three times, saw tarantulas, stayed at the Toaster House in Pie Town and stayed in the yard of a Navajo family (see above). 
• Overall, I ended up finishing in 37:06:xx, had six punctures, replaced my chain and cassette twice, and replaced my bottom bracket, crank, pedals, handlebar grips, derailer, shifter and shifter cables. 

Red Mountain, CO (San Juans)

The best part is that I got to see parts of the country that I had never seen before, met a ton of people racing who were so inspiring and was impressed with the kindness of the people I met along the road who offered me conversation, water, food and a place to lay my head. Would I do this again? Maybe, but I would probably want to do a different route next time, just because there are so many places to go and things to see. If you want to do it, or part of it, you don't have to race through it; you can definitely do it slower and spend more time eating ice cream! Here is the official route on the Adventure Cycling Association website. 

Finished! (Antelope Wells, NM)

Have you ever attempted to tackle something that was way out of your league? Have you ever heard of the Tour Divide? Catch me up: what have you been up to this summer!?