The Mongolia Chronicles

Pretty Fly

Nothing 6 and a half hours alone in the woods can't cure

The most excellent Mss C asks if I ever get burnt on riding. My simple answer: Not Yet. Being that this season started way early (mid-march instead of say late May last year) I am feeling the pain. The fatigue. But - it only lasts for like the first 2-3 hours of every outing. Then I feel great. Hah! Found some amazing stuff today. Some old property lines I had never seen that have to go back 100+ years; some random collection of metal milk jugs that have to be from the early 1900's, and while stumbling around on a connector that I have found annoying in the past I had a vision in dirt - and that annoying connector is now officially dubbed: 69. # 69. As in - it's fun both ways. I may resort to the DMB version of tunes: # 36; # 41, etc as there are just so many trails. Today was massive and epic and I mis-timed the escape by about 15 minutes and turned back west just as the hail started. Not too bad - I had everything with me as it was 34 when I left the house. Simply out it all back on. Hah! We are off to The Butte of Crested for 4 days of LONG and HIGH rides. Start putting the icing on this season of rolling. Check out the image of the divide there.....snow to about 11,000 I would say. The mountains are dropping her collective skirts, where upon we will need to switch modes of play. All the same and all good.

Thank you Dave (Scott, that is)

There is always a reason why I rode. On any day. Never really know what it's going to be. And on some days - after the vertical and beating of yesterday - when I may not feel like riding - I ride anyway - and the reason surfaces at some prescribed point in the ride. Today - the message came in the form of a crazy view of James Peak coming up The Z. A little later there was a group of coyotes out on a rock outcrop trading some banter across a meadow. THat was pretty cool. Then, finally, as I was coming down the boulder creek path at the tail end of the ride, completely spacing out I see a couple of folks running and the dude is exhibiting the very specific and very unique running form that propelled Dace Scott to I think 6 Ironman titles. Back in the day - I was into the Ironman thing. That last one I did was in 1989 - so 23 years ago when Dave was killing people left and right with this gangly lope and his psychotic commitment to training. The dude running on front of me was hauling ass and I was like - how old is Dave Scott now? This guy looks way too fit to be him. But sure enough, as I rolled by - it was 'The Man' as he used to be called. Dave is 58 years old - if my math is correct - and he literally looks - from a fitness perspective - like he's a bout 25. I thought - damn. Whether I am exhausted or sore or cold or hungover or cooked on the bike - at least I am out here. At least WE are out here. At least we GET to be out here. That's the lottery win. So, Thanks Dave. For the inspiration 25 years ago, and for the inspiration this morning. Some people say we are nuts the way we build our lives around being outside and how militant we are about staying healthy and fit. I think we are actually on to something. Something called Life. Get out there and in it. It's waiting just for you.

The Annual Pilgrimage

Yes. Despite the need to hide, doge and otherwise evade the evil forces of the dark empire - we made the pilgrimage to the top of the rock - and then some today. Interesting when the first 2 hours of the ride are a 3,500 foot climb. Much of it on loose shite, vertical, over 10,000 feet. A great basting to wash off the city and embrace a Monday with nowhere to be and nothing to do but ride, ride, ride. We looped some stuff and at great food from The Tin Shed and generally reminisced about all the folks we have done this ride with over the last 15+ years. Different sections of trail evoke different memories. Sitting somewhere while a hail storm blew through; riding with folks who have been off their bikes and out of the hood for a decade and a half. It's all out there. Written into the trail - that triggers the memories in our brains and hearts and the entire route is enhanced with these memories. I'd love to be able to move here right now, and have zero trail knowledge and not know all that I do. But I think this other experience, this laying tracks and trails and tires over a coupla decades.....might be more rich. To quote the John of G: "If you choose to settle in one place, it may be harder over on the ones you love; like a tree without a growing space; you will be taking from below and from above". It's like layers on top of the dirt and rocks and we get to go partake and recall and plan for the furure. How many summers until Q can make that climb up Corona and over the back of Eldo? Less than 4 I would say. I will keep training for that day, and the days beyond when maybe I can't get up there. I hope that's a while off. But, at least - I got up there today and felt really, really strong. Today - the path that we are on - that's all that matters.

There's no place like home. There's no place lie home.

Baltimore is great. % days there for the 2nd largest event our company owns. All good. Great, and inspirational people (I got to hug and introduce Alice Waters - that may be the top end for me). But here - is here. Rode, checked on leaves and hiked with the kids and generally wallowed in the woods and leaves and air and open spaces and quiet and woods. Quinn made the day on the way back from the point. "Dad, no trails - I wanna bushwhack...!". May it ever be thus and may we ever be this lucky. Have the entire day blocked for riding tomorrow. We will see where the leaf hunt takes us.

You are the light of the world

Kind of perfect out there. Tacky. Cool (36 when we left) and some near 5,000 feet of climbing is a great way to prep for a 3 hour flight and 4 nights in Baltimore in the heart of the natural products industry. I am blessed to be part of that industry and scene and large cadre of folks who give a shit about personal and planetary health. The ride today was like going to church. Just silent rolling, looking up, looking around and taking in the crest of green and yellow and black and blue and all that glory around us.

Just a few

Stocking up the images and the experiences. I think I took about 500 photos this weekend. SO exhausted I can barely move, which is a great thing since I am headed to Baltimore tomorrow nite for the remainder of the week. It felt addictive yesterday going out for the THIRD time. Rode in the am with Sheena of the jungle, and we even got RIDE WITH FITNESS which was pretty cool. Good to see you out in the woods - DUDE. Hiked mid-day and then went back out for an evening ride. Phew. One more day....was our chant on the Colorado Trail. Now, one more day - tomorrow - for a very long and high ride before getting onto the plane and passing out. ZZZZZZzzzz. Maybe then I can go through all the images. Or I could just sleep.

The Dream is always the same

Something happens (I think it's technically endorphins) on long rides. Especially long rides with great frineds who have been riding together for a decade and a half. Rolled out at 7:30am, 34 degrees crisp as crisp gets. Leaves are varied. Super intense in some palces, still waiting to blow in others. Trails are tacky and moist. Got to Boulder by 12:45 - wow. I forget how long some of these rides take. A solid 47 mile trail commute. A gift. A lottery win. The stats are great on the last 18 hours. Almost 8 hours in the saddle out of the last 20. Some 6k of climbing and almsot 10k in descent. I feel full and alive and not sure how I will get onto the bike tomorrow. But I will prevail. Someone's got to.

Swill of god Rocks Puppy of death

Epic weekday fer shnizzle. 2,200 feet of climbing. 9 miles of descent. Leaves on fire. Beer cold at The Shed of Tin at the end of the rainbow. I think I died in the accident.....'cuz this must be heaven. I gotta testify. Stand up in the spotlight extra fly. 'Til the day I die...I'm gonna touch the sky.

Touch of Moisture. Ton of Fun.

Glorious rain. Colder temps. Feels like Fall. Had to get out this am. It was slow and soggy and solo and wonderful and it is priming us for a huge weekend of leaves and dirt and sun and fun. I feel like I could sleep for a year.....but...it's too 'perfect' out.