The Mongolia Chronicles

The other great way to start the day

 

People always hassle me because I go to bed at 8. When The Dude gets up at 4:50 - it's a long day. A great day - but long. So - after we sent Mom off for her long morning ride and to pick Rhubarb for home-made pies, Dude and I took to the soil. We expanded the garden by 2 rows and got our tomato starts and broccoli (gift - thank you) starts into the ground. It was gorgeous, and even chilly (as it nears 100 here in Boulder as I write). It was such a great morning of relaxing, and having time and just taking care of the plants, and flowers and getting some mellow time with the dude. Tuesday...a day to get off the bike, get quality time, and get mom out for a long, lovely morning ride. Tomorrow - it sounds like a long one with friends in the northern side of the universe. Onward - and downward!!

Here's a few shots from the 'other' mornings. The grueling, disruptive commute.

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Holy Frickin' Swaco. Batman.

We'll start with Ride # 1. This a.m. With The Man of Joe. Killer, cool and 65 degrees ride. A few turns. Some humor. Some NEW SHIT and oh - we saw noone. This still stoked me in a huge way. Saturday. Mid - summer. We saw NOONE on e a 3.5 hour ride on sick singletrack. That, my friends - is money.

Then...a nap. Some coffeee. And back out there. I DO have a problem. Unless I am riding 5+ hours everyday into a state of semi-consciusoness (who needs drugs) I am un-sated. So - back out. Did some cleaning on some stuff..rode some more...took a GIANT dump and bombarded the rabbit by the view before we found the 'KNOLL'.

Then, we did some work and then - on a whim - I said - hey - let's check out this idea I had last year (or was it the year before) en route to garb a cold one. Holy fricking trail assault batman?!?!?!?!?!?!?

So, I maybe had an idea like this and SHARED IT WITH ONE GUY. Now, someone has what I would estimate as 30+ hours of PRISON FUCKING LABOR into this thing - that I have to say - I feel compelled to finish. It's damn good work. Damn - good. So - if you are someone I do not know - please e me at: Dkingsbury@cpbgroup.com. I'd like to coordinate the effort.

So, i's summer. A veritable fugue of riding and woods and trails and beer and sun and pollen and BEING OUTSIDE ALL DAY - other than the nap. This is the greatest thing ever. Tomorrow - we squiggle the lower tommyknocker...so it can do justice to the upper and this is a noble thing. Perhaps the most.

Tarts and Ales

Being that I am solo for a few days...something a 'working father' doesn't get very often...I find myself IN THE WOODS all the time. I am trying to do other things. Work. Skate. Do chores. But I am drawn to the woods.

The trolls on West Mag are busy - and I mean like up all night busy. I do not know who you are - but I really appreciate what you are doing. It's a vision for a long term - SUSTAINABLE - trail network in our hood.

God Bless.

Quote of the millenium

I have to hand it to the searcher. I wanted him on this for a few reasons. Simply because I love his company. Second, because The Canute was indeed his idea. Thirdly and lastly - I knew he would say SOMETHING that would just bring the whole thing home. And he - did.
"Suddenly, going to work sounds like a really poor idea"
I love you - you big hairy Canuter.

Check out Team Brokeback on the Wet and Wild Commute story:

http://www.kdvr.com/news/video/

Canuting. In the open. Sorta.

 

It was with great pelasure that I rolled up to THE SEARCHER on the fabled east side of the water connector route on BIKE TO WORK DAY and saw the same news cam's that were in our kitchen at 5:50am, filming Quinn waking up, our breakfast and the prep for The Canute - the first of 2009. It seems a local television personality (see bike caddy shot there second from the left on top) reads Bicycling Magazine and he had this idea to follow me on a 'commute' in the news helicopter. Being that this particular approach might be a little too - shall we say - 'revealing' we opted for a very cool way to capture the essence of the morning love that is canuting. They came to the house early, we shared coffee, watched the boy wake up and then got all this stuff together for the paddle and I rolled up into the woods with the tiny flip camera - so that there wouldn't be any - how shall we say - directional footage of the commute. I then met them at the east side where THE SEARCHER was and in his politically correct and often hysterical state (IT'S LIKE BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN COMMUTING). I thought the camera shooter guy was going to drop his camera. It kinda went downhill from there. It was a gorgeous, quiet, lovely, still, amazing morning. It was so temperate down there on the water and the water was just glass calm and lovely. Can't wait to get back to it tonight! Another bike to work day (everyday is bike to work day). Shenna and the dude of dudes are in Minnesota at a freinds' lake house for the next 5 days. That means woods time - dawn to dusk. All day, everyday - as QUinn would say.

Orgy In The Woods

 

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jun/21/boulder-extreme-bicycle-commuters-bike-to-work-day/

Yep. This sure is extreme, and torturous and I am so bummed I have to do this EVERY DAY!!!!!!!!!

Fajah's Day:2009

 

The most important stuff today happened with The Dude - as it is Father's Day. A huge hike culminating in falling asleep together in the sky chair. That - is a gift! We found the first columbines of the year and they are insane. Huge, meaty things...unreal. We have had like 30 days of storms in a row....what a great Spring.

 

The Bear is ON THE MOVE I say. He is foretelling the future of the Ned trail system - I swear. Moer turns and junctions and confusion than a fricking - Fun House. Damn. Doubled on the board with a great mid-day ned - sheash and a great evening shesh at home. Ned is terror and awakening and the MWB is strange tricks and confidence building. Great combo. The Spot belt of love bike (Sally) is riding like the wind. THE WIND - I say.

Pce.

A Mongolian Euro Moment; Energy returns to the MWB

There we were. Sipping espresso (and hemp milk) and chilling on the side of a steep mountain road. It was downright Tour DE France like. Here came The Horgan. People of all shapes and sizes in all different degrees of pain. Rad, Dad. Had planned a possible recon today - but also after yesterday's 5+ hour 'jaunt' - I thought it might be nice to stay off the bike so I could feel good, and decimate myself with altitude and trail work as is the fashion on most Dad's days. Yes, amidst a;; this revelry and fun - there is the ultimate - most high paying job in the world: that of teaching another human how to move through the world. You parents know what I speak of. The most challenging, lowest paying, only 'job' on the planet that matters. Integrating the reality of the responsibilities of parenthood into the rest of the world are a life's work.

So, one thing ALL the books and shrinks and sages say is: Do as you would like your kid to do. So, I have been SO hyper-focused on riding it's not even funny. So, one more reason to stay off the bike today is to throw some gas on the ramp. And it went well:

 

So, really have no idea what to call this (RIC) but - I think it is a switch BS Smith nose pivout out? Here I am - the geezer Colin Mckay - hitting a low lip and making up strange tricks that few will ever see and none will ever care about. But - as with parenting - here lie-eth the lesson: I slammed so hard I had to check if I forgot elbow pads. Never - give up. Crashes and mistakes are simply opportunities for learning - they are NOT failure - they are only failure if you quit. If you never quit - you can never fail. One very important thing I want to pass on to my son. Ayuh. Father's Day tomorrow. Mondo Ned session and Mondo ride. As it should be.

Dry Hump Gulch

Three counties. 5 hours. Whole lotta learnin'........what a great day. Happy 40th, Shenna.

Living (riding) vicariously through others

 

Banned from the bike today. After 5+ hours on the belt yesterday, I am tired and a bit sore. And tomorrow is Wundergirl's B'day. So, we will do what we do every year for the past 14 on her B'Day. We will celebrate as our family does - by riding all day. Q-bomb kicked it off early this am with a rippin' display of mad moto skills. It was nice to see. The interior of my car was foreign, strange, odd even. Must be summah.