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!? 

By The Numbers: May

And just like that, May is gone. It treated me well, as in I probably got rained on a little at least 20 of the 31 days, but none of the rain was super heavy so I never had one of those cold and drenched miserable days, which is great! Also, I went swimming for the first time this year. Yay! Which is funny, as I have literally been waking up to temps around freezing most mornings recently. Here is a quick recap of the last month of travel, as well as the journey so far. All stats are up to and including May 31, 2024. *If you don't give a hoot about cycling, I have included some non-cycling stats at the bottom; feel free to go directly there! 

Kananaskis Trail/Hwy 40 is closed to cars until June! 

Mileage Stats (overall):

Total Days on Road: 69 *PS last month I miscounted. Oops. 

Total Days Ridden: 55

Total Miles: 2,690

Average Miles Per Day Ridden: 48.91 (vs 49.6 as of May 1; pretty steady!)

Total Hours (moving only): 329

Average (moving) Hours Per Day: 5:35 (vs. prior of 5:40) 

*like last time, I would say there are about two additional hours of drinking, eating, bathroom stops, sheltering from the rain, looking at maps, warming up by stopping for coffee and/or looking at mountains.

I am so happy to be on a dirt road!

Accommodation stats for May: 

Established Camp: 7 (↑ 75% from last month)

Friend: 2 (↓ 85% from last month)

Motel: 11 (↓ 15% from last month)

Warm Showers: 0 (↓ 100% from last month)

Wild Camp: 9 (↑ 13% from last month)

Verdict: Apparently, I know more people in CA, OR, WA and the west coast of Canada than I do in the interior! Also, I was on a lot of dirt and in more parks, so my camping as a whole increased over town stays. However, as you will see below, the lack of staying with friends/warm showers caused my costs to be higher this month. 

I had to stay an extra day in Fernie to get my bike fixed.

Budget stats for May: 

Accommodation: $1,093 (↑ from last month)

Dining Out: $246  (↑ from last month)

Groceries: $271  (↑ from last month)

Health: $234 (same - insurance premium)

Transportation: $0 (↓ from last month)

Phone: $81 (same - cell phone)

Entertainment: $274 (↑ from last month - bike repairs/camping supplies/bear spray/satellite messenger)

Misc.: $78  (↑ from last month - VPN, credit card fees, gifts)

Shopping: $120 (unfortunately, a new category, 100% increase from last month)

Total Spent: $2,405 ( (↑ 35% from last month, which was $1,767)

Verdict: Uh oh. Although this is still not super high and is still less than half of what I was spending at home, as I mentioned last month, my thought was that I would shoot for about $2,000 per month. However, I did know that I might have to tweak it a little as I got more knowledge about what I was actually spending. 

The main culprit is the cost of accommodation, which was about 35% higher than last month. I would say that I maybe stayed in more motels, but as we see from the accommodation stats, that was not true; they just cost more. I crossed the border into Canada at the end of April, so once again, I am going to blame Canada (so sorry)! Also dining out and groceries are both about 25% higher. I also had to buy a few things along the road:  a new pillow, some new dry bags, camping fuel, memory cards and a new charger. This inflated my entertainment cost quite a bit and added a whole new category of Shopping. Some of these costs, although not necessarily recurring, will probably be replaced by something else, so maybe $2,500 is a more realistic goal. We will see. 

Also, in the question form (P.S. You can still ask questions here), Nicole asked, "How long will you be biking for? How many kilometres do you bike a day on these adventures?" Well, as I mentioned above, my average is currently about 49 miles / 78 km, but my longest day so far for this trip was about 70 miles / 112 km. My shortest day was a day with my Dad, where we biked around Vancouver, and that was 20 miles / 32 km. I think for him it was his longest day ever, and he was very glad to get his butt off the bike, literally. 

As for how long I will be biking for, I hope to get to the East Coast before the snow starts to fly. If I am tired by then, I will fly or take the train home; if not, who knows, maybe I will bike home. That is way too far in the future to decide at this point. So, to answer your question, somewhere between October and December most likely. After that, I think I will do some international (non-North American) travel, probably without the bike, but who knows. My friend Dr. G asked if I planned on doing any international cycling and I my answer to this question is yes, but I do not know if it will be right after this trip or if I will need a break from Bob for a while. Europe has a whole network of cycling routes called the EuroVelo and I would love to spend some time exploring that at some point, plus there are many, many other routes on all of the continents that have piqued my interest. 

Speaking of international trips, one of my inspirations for this trip was from a woman named Lael Wilcox, who got the women's record for the Tour Divide race (Canada to Mexico) and won the TransAm (west coast to east coast of the US) race overall. She is currently (right now!) trying to set a world record for fastest round the world bike tour (18,000 miles). She is very inspiring and is so cheerful and she will even respond to your comments on Instagram. If you are interested, here is her Ted talk about the TransAm race and how she got her start, and here is her Instagram, where you can follow her RTW FKT attempt. 

And now, some non-cycling related stats! 

This month, instead of ice cream by the numbers, I am just going to show you my new favorite ice cream: Two Scoop Steve's in Yahk, BC. Since it was in the name, I got two scoops! Mint chip and butter pecan. It was delicious, and was even worth sitting in the spitting rain to order it and eat it. 

Favorite new town: Fernie, BC. Although it rained the entire time I was there, this little town is nestled in the mountains, has a cute little downtown and has any action sport you may like, like skiing, hiking, mountain biking etc. Plus they have everything you need, including three bike shops, within about a five block radius! *Runner up: Nelson, BC, which sits on a lake and really kind of reminded me of Tahoe a little bit. 

Favorite new lake: There have been so many, but I would probably have to say Kootenay Lake. Not only is it next to my runner up, Nelson, but it is huge, very beautiful, surrounded by mountains, and not even that cold! Also nearby there are hot springs, skiing, hiking, and beautiful vistas! PLUS, there is a free ferry, the longest free ferry in the world apparently! *Runner up: Okanagan, which has great vistas but not as many nice green trees. 

Kootenay Lake at Nelson

Favorite hamburger: Little did you know this would end up being a category, but if it's not an ice cream, it's a hamburger (or surprisingly, a GF pizza!). I think it is a toss up: the birthday wiener burger at Clyde's in Grand Forks was good, but the GF bun was a little odd and the fries were not super crisp. The Royale with Cheese at the Royal in Nelson was great, the GF bun was better and their poutine was also GF, but they really skimped on the fixings (the burger looked so sad, just meat and bun). 

The Royale, a sad little burger

Favorite book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Facing The Mountain by Daniel James Brown. This one is near and dear to my heart, as it talks about the Nisei solders, the second generation Japanese Americans, who went to fight in WWII, even as their parents, the first generation, were imprisoned in internment camps in America. The reason it is so dear is that my good friend K's grandfather was one of them and I remember sitting with her grandma talking about being in the internment camps. Many of the Nisei died, as they were sent on suicide missions, but they were the unsung heroes (along with many others) of the war. However, we don't know much about them, and this book really can open people's eyes about some of the things they went through. 

Okay it's your turn!! What unexpected thing did you have to spend money on last month? Who is your real life hero or inspiration? What was your favorite book last month and why? 

Contemplations Regarding Canada

Holy moly, it is June!! Can you believe it? I thought I would do a quick recap of some of the things I have noticed and/or thought about regarding Canada, as I ride along, thinking deep thoughts. 

Disclaimer: I want to apologize in advance if I offend any of my Canadian readers, friends of Canadian readers, or people in general. All opinions are my own and none of them have been fact checked. If there is an error in any of the data, blame Canada. And if you can name where that phrase came from, I will give you a prize of my choosing. 

(1) Things are not as cheap as you may think. For those of you who have been to Europe, you may have noticed that fruit and vegetables seem a lot cheaper there. Perhaps one thing that makes them seem that way is that they are priced by the kilo. So when you see apples for $1.99/kilo and you are used to working with pounds, you have to do a double take to realize that they are basically half off! However, as I strolled the produce aisle upon my first Canadian grocery store foray, imagine my surprise when I realized that they are denoted by the pound! This did not make sense to me, as I always thought Canada was on the metric system. Then I started digging and realized it is all befuddled! Gas is by the liter, ice cream is by the liter, cereal is by the gram, chocolate is by the gram. Why is fruit by the pound???? 

Yes, that is $3.69 per pound! Yikes. 

(2) Things are not as far away as you may think. The mystery continues. As I rode along a rail trail, I noted that the distance was denoted in miles. All of the trestles have mile names: 66 mile trestle, 12 mile trestle etc. However, the road signs are in kilometers. But wait, it gets even more fun. People usually tell you their height in feet, a friend I stayed with told me his well was dug to 300 feet, and when I told someone the other day that I had ridden 70 miles, their eyes did not even glaze over. Most people say the elevation is meters, but some signs are in feet. Which one is it and why are they seemingly random and different? 

This was a fun singletrack

(3) Some things do not make cents. I brought some spare change with me that I had from the last time I came to Canada in 2018, and some of it was pennies. When the guy at Timmy's rang me up a coffee for $2.02 and I gave him $2.02, he just arched his eyebrow and smiled and gave me my coffee. When the lady on the ferry rang up my coffee for $2.87 and I tried to give her $2.87 she poo-pooed me and made me give her $2.90 (of course they round up!) I remember this happening in Australia when I was there; they were phasing them out or had just phased them out and I thought the same thing then as I do now: why are the prices still in cents when there are no cents? The price should just be $2.90. Side note: either way, the coffee is very cheap and I am very happy about that! 

Timmy's: warmth, plugs, internet. 
What more can you ask for really.

(4) Alberta reminds me of Texas with mountains. I have been to Alberta before and have mostly stayed in the mountain regions, which are stunning, and are not like Texas in the least. However, I spent a LONG time riding along the Cowboy Trail, which is flat and mostly made up of ranch land, agricultural land or oil derricks. Additionally, there were a lot of trucks, which of course go hand in hand with ranches, farms and the oil industry. However, I have stayed in Calgary and more recently in Cochrane and both of them slightly remind me of Houston, where things are flattish, spread out, and full of chain and big box stores. Don't get me wrong, the items at the Super Walmart were a lot cheaper than the ones I have been getting in small town grocery stores. However, I feel a bit of deja vu...am I in Texas, Toto? 

I was the only person walking (on foot) here.

If you are Canadian, can you please solve these mysteries? If you are not Canadian, how much is a cup of coffee at your local coffee shop? Have you been to Alberta and/or Texas, and if so, what did you think? 

A Day In The Life

Happy Monday and Happy Memorial Day! I hope that if you have the day off you are having a great time and the sun is shining and the birds are singing and you are happy. If you are working today, I'm so sorry, but may your next day off be wonderful. This weekend brings me a little feeling of nostalgia, at is is usually my first backpacking weekend in the Sierra, and normally I would be in Yosemite or some other high rocky place, enjoying the views and loving it. However, this year brings a different sort of adventure, but it is interesting how we pine for the past even so! 

Yosemite: Memorial Day Weekend 2023

I thought I would do another day in the life, and may do this each month, as even though sometimes the days seem the same every day, they are actually often quite different. Last time, if you recall, it was in the 20s in the mornings and this time, I went through a few days in the 80s, only one month later! 

Monday, May 13, 2024

Hydraulic Lake, British Columbia

4:00 am: I wake to the sound of honking geese. This has been my alarm for the past few days, as I have been camping near bodies of water and they are very active in the morning. The other day, I could even hear them walking around near my tent, but when I poked my head out they skedaddled. They are noisy though! Luckily I fall back asleep. 

5:00 am: It is light! I wake up to the sound of the dawn chorus. Now this I can get on board with! I notice that they have the cheeseburger bird in Canada too! For those of you who are not familiar, this is a bird that I grew up hearing and the sound it makes kind of sounds like it is whistling "cheese-bur-ger!" When I was a kid, I thought it was just us locals that called it that, but apparently other people do too (this is what is sounds like). The actual bird is a chickadee. However, in BC, this bird sometimes has an extra syllable in its call, so it sounds like it is saying, "three-cheese-bur-ger!" 

5:45 am: I think about getting up. It is actually not too cold this morning, which is usually my excuse for lingering, and bonus, my tent is dry, as the site near the lake was windy and not too humid. I rejoice silently, as a wet tent is the bane of my existence. 

Hydraulic Lake

6:00 am: I do my normal morning tent routine of dressing and putting things away, with one critical addition. Before putting on any clothes, I put on sunscreen. I have learned the hard way that this is best done before everything else, while you are focusing and not in a hurry on the side of the road. Also, this way I can get that little strip near my watch, the backs of my hands, and the weird armpit-side-area that I sometimes miss when I am in a hurry. Also it's better to not be wearing my helmet and glasses and sleeves and cuffs etc. Preferably when I am at the beach, I would do this naked, as I always miss a spot when I do it after I am dressed, even in a swimsuit. Life lesson learned. However, I am not in the mood to get naked in the tent so I make do. 

6:20 am: I exit the tent. The lake is calm and the view is great. I heat up water for oatmeal and coffee. This consists of instant coffee and although I often drink it black at home, while traveling I like a bit of a treat, so I pilfer sugar and cream packets from any motel or gas station when I get coffee and I use a couple of those when I am camping. Normally I would scoff at any fake creamers, but currently I am happy to have anything! For the oatmeal, I put a couple of sugar packets and if I have peanut butter, which I do today, I put a scoop of that in there too. If I have extra creamer packets, I may even throw one of those in (decadent!!), but usually I do not have extras and today is no exception. 

While the water is heating, I break down the tent and load the bags onto Bob. After doing that, I eat breakfast while staring at the lake and watching the fish jump; dare I call this "meditating?" 

7:00 am: I get going. Today I would like to try to get 50 miles at least, but preferably 60 miles, as I have a town day planned for tomorrow and the more miles I do today, the less I have to do tomorrow. I like to have as much time as possible in towns, as I often have errands to do, administrative things to take care of and also would like to relax a little bit sometimes. Ideally, I would get to town right at or just before check in (around 2 pm usually) so I would have a few hours for errands, and a few hours for admin/relaxing. 

7:06 am: Since I was wild camping, I did not have a toilet, but I knew there was one a few minutes down the road. I never pass up an opportunity to use a real toilet, if you can call a pit toilet "real." It is much more real than digging a hole in the ground though, so I use it while I can! 

Do you see the sign on the wall? Dog poop bags?  Who does that?

8:00 am - 11:59 am: Yesterday I spent the entire day climbing up about 3,500 feet and today, I spend most of the day going downhill (aka losing what I gained, but such is life). However, I am on a rail trail and so it is a gradual 1%-2% downhill, and although you may think that this is awesome, it is not! The surface is gravelly and rocky and sandy and I actually have to pedal downhill most of the time in order to keep the flow going. Also, this kind of riding hurts the butt! If you are a runner, you will know what I mean. When the spectator says, "it is all downhill from here!" and you are like, "my quads are dead, downhill is NOT my friend at this point!" My butt is dead. Bring on the 5% incline (just kidding!) 

However, I do have the trail all to myself and it a nice ride through the pine trees. And it is not raining, which is another bane of my existence, so I am as happy as a clam! I am listening to Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena, which is entertaining. This downhill is perfect for audio, as steeper ones with more wind noise make it so I cannot hear well enough. 

Kettle Valley Railway

12:00 pm: I veer off track for a bit at Beaverdell, where there is one restaurant open that has pizza and ice cream. I eat half of a pizza and a scoop of ice cream, and wrap up the other half of the pizza for dinner later and put it in my bike bag. While eating, I charge my phone and sit for a bit watching the cars go by until I finally have to get back up and get going. At this point, I have done 35 miles so far. I am still aiming for 60, which would put me right near the Kettle River at a campsite there. 

Yes please.

Pizza in Beaverdell

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: I ride near the Kettle river for a long time. There are a lot of gates, as much of this part of the trail goes through private land. I get tired of getting off the bike, opening the gate, closing the gate, getting back on the bike. I am ready to be done. 

5:00 pm: I get to the Kettle river campsite. It is $30 for a tent site. After having a lot of free sites lately, this seems like a lot (however, it is almost summer, so this will likely be the norm more often). Plus they only take cash and I only have $20. Poop. The camp host is very nice and she tells me all about the other campsites further along, as well as the possibility of ATMs. I ride to town, which is about 5 clicks away, the lady says. (side note: clicks are kilometers; however, the town was more like 7 clicks away, and those extra 2 clicks were felt). 

Spring runoff in the Kettle river

TCT

5:27 pm: I get to the second campsite possibility. The office is open from 9:30 am - 5:30 pm. I go to the office and it is closed. I peer in and it is dark. Poop. There is a phone number to call after hours. I call it, but nobody answers. Poop! Luckily there is another campground across the river. I know I should get cash before going to the third option, so I go into town and ask at the local pub, which I was told had an ATM. It is closed, but the man working outside directs me to the Petro Canada (gas station). 

5:45 pm: I ride to the PetroCan, but their ATM does not take my card. It keeps saying chip read error. I ride to the next possible ATM, which the gas station attendant told me was 2 minutes away. It takes me 6 minutes. I get cash! Yay. 

6:00 pm: I ride to the campsite. The building which has the name of the site on the roof has a "private" sign on the front door. I knock anyways. Nobody answers. The next building over looks like someone took a sledgehammer to it, or maybe it was a fire? There is a building that looks like an apartment building nearby as well, but nothing else. There is only one other person in an RV site, and I pass by him to see if he is a host, but there is no sign and I do not want to bug him. I decide to go and pick a spot and maybe someone will come to me for the fee. 

6:15 pm: I pick a nice spot right near the river. I eat my pizza, plus four coconut macaroons, while staring at the river in a comatose manner. I am tired. My final mileage is 70.73 miles, which beats my prior one day high for this trip so far of 70.28. 

Home sweet home

6:30 pm: I put up my tent, use the bathroom (NOT maintained, maybe this campground is closed?), and take off my bike shorts to air out for the night. There is not enough time to rinse them and let them dry, so I just flip them inside out so the crotch section gets some air. It is slightly gross, but such is life these days. I unpack my bags, spread out my sleep gear and put on my sleep shorts. I start my charging regime. My battery pack has two USB ports, and I have one mini USB with two, so I can charge two items on that one, and one item on the other. I then closely monitor them to see when they are full so I can swap them out with the next thing. Despite having so many electronics, generally I only need to charge my phone and maybe two other items each night. 

7:00 pm: I sit with the flap of the tent open and watch a bald eagle land in a tree across the river and try to get a video of him leaving the tree, but he just sits there for a long time. I wonder what he is waiting for. The river near me (still the Kettle) is very high and is moving very fast, so I doubt I will hear or see any fish here! 

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm: I read. I am reading Outlander, which I avoided reading for a long time, as it seemed like a bit of a fad. However, I am enjoying it, even though it is mostly just a romance novel. But who doesn't love a nice strong Norse man in a kilt though, you know what I am saying? Aye!!! 

9:00 pm: It is not quite dark yet, but I call it a night and am asleep in mere seconds. In hiker terms, this is called "hiker midnight." I guess it is the same in the bike world, at least for me! As soon as it is dark, it's lights out! 

P.S. Nobody ever came to get my fee, and when I left the next morning the office was still empty, so I ended up getting a free spot after all! 

Have you ever heard (or heard of) the cheeseburger bird? What is your favorite bird sound? What book are you currently reading? 

TGIM

I thought I would jump on the TGIF wagon, except that now that I don't have a normal work week, I actually dislike the weekends. Funny, eh? However, they are busier and it takes longer to go grocery shopping and there are more people on the roads and the trails! So now, Monday is my new Friday. However, today is Victoria Day in Canada, so it may still be a bit busier than normal. However, I thought I would do a quick TGIM post anyway. Happy Victoria Day everyone! 

The high of the last week was: My birthday was a great day. I am not really one to celebrate, and I hate being the center of attention (please do not sing to me). However, this day was perfect. I got up naturally, had a nice coffee and breakfast, tackled a nice easy 2% grade uphill, had good weather, then a very smooth downhill with excellent views. It was not too hot, I got into town early and treated myself to lunch, I got like 6 errands done in only a few hours and I had a chance to relax! It was excellent. The only thing I did not get was my free Starbucks drink, as the town I was in was tiny and did not have one. However, my anonymous friend, who reads this blog, and is a very nice dude, gifted me a SBUX gift card so that I could get my "free" coffee whenever I wanted it!! Isn't that just the cherry on top!? Thanks B-man! 

Coming down the hill into Grand Forks, BC

The low of the last week was: I had one day where I had a section of single-track which was sandy and rocky, and was skinny and was right next to the Columbia River, with a wall on one side and a drop off on the other. It.Was.Hairy! Plus there were a lot of steep ups and downs and I ended up pushing Bob a lot. Plus I fell a couple of times, luckily not serious, but it was a frustrating day for sure. To top it off, I was going to camp, but it was an extra six miles past town so I decided to just get a room, but I was hot and frustrated and I accidentally booked one at the top of a hill, so when I got into town I had to go a mile uphill to get to my hotel and it was not even close to a grocery store! I caved and walked to a pub across the street and drowned my sorrows in baby back ribs. 

Bob fell and got a booboo

Something I marked off my to-do list was: Gah! The health insurance has become a fiasco. I got global health insurance right after I quit my job with the understanding that I was going to be traveling to several different countries, but my first two would be the US and Canada. First they tried to get me to give them a domicile in Canada, but I reiterated that I would be constantly traveling. They said that was fine, insurance was approved and I thought I was good. Then a month later, they asked me to give them a domicile in the US. I reiterated that I am traveling and they did not reply. Then a week later I got a notice "confirming my cancelation" of my insurance and thanking me for being a loyal customer. After a big back and forth with the company, who is based in the UK, I finally got it reinstated. Phew! 

The book I am reading is: I am still reading the Outlander on eBook, which is taking me a while because I mostly listen to audio and really only read for about an hour at night in my tent, and this book is also long. However, I do not mind, and I am enjoying it. On audio, it changes every day, but I am reading one called Open Season by CJ Box, which reads like a book written by a man who maybe used to be in law enforcement or the military. It is so-so. 

The best thing I spent money on was: FOOD! I love food! I actually went whole hog for my birthday week last week and I ate out three times! Normally on any given week, I may eat out once, but more likely I would just get groceries (ahem, ice cream) from the store and eat them instead. My favorite thing was a double bacon cheeseburger with a wiener on it! I had to take the wiener off and eat is separately and then split the sandwich in two and eat two open face sandwiches in order to get it into my mouth, as it was so big (insert wiener joke here?)! 

Weiner burger + poutine fries!
(GF bun in case you are wondering why it looks so funny)

Good stuff!

My plans this week include: Pedaling, looking at stuff, taking photos of stuff, eating. 

My favorite photo from the last week is: This one! I have been riding a lot of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail (KVR) and I completed the entire thing (some parts are washed out but I did all that was possible) and got to mile zero! After that, I went on the Columbia and Western Rail Trail (C&W) and I also completed the entire length of that one too! It feels so satisfying, even though I have many miles left. 

Butt and Gut Update: I have been lucky that since I started, I have not had any saddle sore issues. I was quite worried about that, as there have been long days in the saddle. However, KNOCK ON WOOD, I have only had a little bit of chafe from time to time, but nothing serious at all. For the gut, I have basically had no bloating, except for one time that I had a banana and beans in the same day. However, I have even tried eating a couple of slices of sourdough with no issues and I did have a few beers too. I am still staying basically gluten free and am not really eating beans, garlic, onions or high sugar/fiber fruit. It seems to be working! 

What are you reading? What was the high/low of your week last week? What have you crossed off of your to-do list lately? 

You Ask, I Answer

Happy belated Mother's Day to all of you Moms out there! I hope that you were showered with love and food yesterday! For those of you in places who celebrate on a different day (I am looking at you, UK), I am talking to you too!

I have had several days of no service, so have not really been online or in touch at all much, so I thought I would just do a quick Q&A, update and coffee date all rolled into one! For coffee, since I am "on (perma) holiday," and it is almost my birthday, I will treat myself to a large non-fat peppermint mocha WITH whipped cream, thank you very much. That reminds me, can I still get my birthday drink at Starbucks if I am in Canada? I am not sure if I will have the chance to find out... Maybe I will just buy myself a milkshake later to make up for it. 

If we were having coffee, I would give you a quick update that I am having a blast, BUT the weather is weird!! It was 27 F the other morning and then in the 70s that day, and then two days later, it was in the 90s F during the day and I went swimming! Sorry, Canada, but can you please make up your mind, eh? Actually I am not complaining, but I am a bit burnt. Tan line photos to be revealed later! 

Okanogan Lake Beach

And now, onto a few of your questions! As a side note, I have had a lot of questions about planning, gear and logistics, so that will be a post (or maybe a few posts) of its own! Coming soon... 

Jenny asked: are your parents worried about you doing this, or are they used to things like this? They could pipe up in the comments, but they probably won't, so I will answer for them. YES times two. They are worried, and my Mom tracks me like a very loving stalker, but they are also used to this and know that I am loving it. I don't think they worry about my abilities, but probably about other people who are not looking where they are driving, or are maybe creepy, or not nice people. As a side note, my Dad met me a couple of weeks ago and we ate too much, went hiking and rode bikes (!) together, so he is happy to have an excuse to travel too! Mom/Dad; want to add anything here? 

Anonymous asked: Now that you're up in the "wilds of Canada," have you encountered any wildlife? If you are asking about bears, Anon, not yet! However I have seen moose, beaver, elk, marmots, a bald eagle, geese and lots of the usual deer, birds and squirrels (plus some dead things on the side of the road). My favorite is the heard but not seen: the dawn chorus of birds in the morning. I have also heard coyotes at night and loons and geese in the mornings! 

I did find this Sasquatch. 

San asked: Were you sad to sell your home? I am glad you asked! I actually closed on the house last Friday and I could not be happier. This will likely be a post of its own at some point, but it had some hiccups but nothing big, and I am now officially homeless. I love it! So....NO, not sad in the least. 

Stephany asked: What's one of your unpopular opinions? I would say the fact that I don't love dogs. I know, Stephany, you are probably now blacklisting me, and I do think Dutch was the cutest thing! However, I don't like the hair, or the licking, or the jumping. I don't like people who say, "but he is friendly" as their dog jumps and licks. If the dog is well behaved and leaves me alone when I want to be left alone and doesn't smell or shed, I can get on board. Otherwise, I would prefer to be alone. Sorry dog lovers. 

This is Jelly. I like her a lot when she is sleeping. 

Lisa asked: How do you charge your phone? As I am often camping for several days at a time where they is no electricity, I have an Ankor 20,000 mAh portable battery charger (like this). You are probably saying, but what does all of that mean? My phone is about 3,100 mAh (milliamp hour), so I could technially charge it about six times. However, I have several (11!!) other electronics, so normally I can go about 4-6 days without power before my battery bank dies too. It is a little bigger than a deck of cards but it totally worth the weight. If you are ever thinking about buying one, I suggest Ankor as I do not think this is one of those things you should cheap out on. 

Ankor battery pack

Coco asked: Do you get scared? Hell yeah, but probably not of what you may be thinking. For instance, I am not really scared of bears per se. Sure, if one is near me, I am, but I don't dwell on it, if that makes sense. What I am scared of is riding on the side of the highway and some numbnut hitting me from behind, or maybe a ladder or a bolt or a piece of wood falling off someone's car and nailing me. Or me hitting a patch of gravel or getting a flat tire and falling right in front of a car. Then of course there are little daily worries, like where my next water source is going to be and whether or not I will be able to find a spot to sleep that is not obvious to the not-nice people that my parents are worried about. But those are mostly manageable. 

Riding on the side of the Coquihalla highway. Not fun.

My Mom asked: where do I park my bike when I go to use the restroom or go into the store, etc.? When I go to the bathroom, I just lean it up against the portapotty or bathroom, which is 90% of where I use the restroom when I am in civilized areas. If I am in the woods, well you know the drill there. In that case, I lean it up against a tree. If I have to go inside somewhere, I try to lean it against a window where I can sit, or if there is outside seating, I try to keep it within eye's length. When I go into the grocery store, I have a small lock that I use, but I don't take all of my stuff (bags) off of it; I just get my electronics, put them in my pocket, and go in and hope for the best. 

Parked at the grocery store

Parked at the bathroom

Okay, that's enough out of me! Now it's time for you to answer questions! 

If you are a parent, would you worry about me? What is the strangest or biggest animal you have seen in the wild? What is one of your unpopular opinions? Do you get scared when you travel?