Turning Pages

A short break between storms....a sucker hole.

 Times are changing

The sun low on the horizon is definitely a sign of the seasons. There was a day, maybe when I was much younger, I loved this particular time of year. I loved to be out in the field hunting just about anything. Well before I was old enough to carry a gun myself, I would lay awake in bed in anticipation of waking up early and driving into the unknown darkness with my dad - to where adventure would await. I remember one morning I woke up sicker than a dog. No way I was going to tell my dad, as he wouldn't let me go with him. There was no way I would miss that opportunity - sick or not. Generally the conditions were miserable. Cold, windy, wet.....always out well before sun up. It didn't matter to me. I learned early on that I could suffer through anything if it was something I truly wanted - and suffer I did, but I loved every minute of it. As I got older, these trips were less to do with my dad, replaced by friends or co-workers, but it just wasn't the same. My dad was older than all of my friends parents by a long way. I mean, he seemed to be closer to the age of some grandparent than the parents of my friends and teammates. Still, he would hike up and down those fields pushing whatever we were after. Boy could he shoot! I can't tell you the kinds of shots that "old bird" made over the years. Those days slowly ended and my hunting was soon just me and my loyal yellow-lab. Why that dog was ever so loyal to me is still a mystery, as dogs generally have a pretty good judge of a mans character. Eventually that dog died and my hunting days kind of ended. All the places I used to go chase coyotes became inaccessible - more or less. The hours alone with my coyote gun on snowshoes was always time to reflect, but that ended eventually as well. Tomorrow marks two years since I told my former employer to "go & piss up a rope" - which probably requires considerable surface tension. It just seems the sun low on the horizon does me no good anymore.

The hardtail in 30° riding conditions

Pushing through

Back in my college days, it seemed there was always something that gave you hope. Looking past the week, staying up late to get something done, knowing it was only ten-weeks  (the quarter system). The time I squandered doing nothing but anything that didn't seem to matter. Then wondering why I was always finding myself against the wall when it came time for mid-terms or finals. Some how I managed to get through, but it wasn't pretty at times. I've learned a lot over the years, but still find myself getting burned out and not focusing on the important things. Now days it seems tasks are just lined up from one to the next, with no general purpose. It's in those moments you just have to keep chopping wood - head down and swinging until the task has been completed. Storms are lining-up in the Pacific again, indicating the likelihood of another hard winter. I have a lot of office work in the mill, but also have a ton of field work to make it all happen. Spring is not that far off, but until then I'll just keep chopping the wood. 

Darn cold in Woodruff at the moment, but....

What I wouldn't give....

How may times have you ever thought how you wished you could do what you otherwise couldn't do at that moment? You know, the greener grass? Riding Woodruff is a helluva ride - kind of a ride through hell to be honest. That said, I miss that particular kind of suffering, only to know that one day it will be behind me - never to be on my yearly training list again. The heat of climbing up that backside, headwind straight into the nose. The posture fatigue and cramps. Running out of water, looking for anything that resembles shade. What I wouldn't give to be in that place right now. Here's the thing, there is a price to pay before making that ride - like a ton of work and dedication. Early mornings doing indoor routines while not able to get outside. Managing the machine that has to carry me over the top of a lot of mountains - discipline, discipline, discipline. And then there is what I do, which doesn't look anything like discipline. Kind of make me wonder what I could really do if I did focus for a fraction of the time that I should. But that seems to be how life is; wishing for something that we end up squandering anyway - until we realize what we really have and then it's too late. 

Here's to growing up and still not getting it right most of the time....

Click here for some classic GLAM - the DOLLS "Stranded in the Jungle"

Still pulling for Reed! And he's doin' it!

Another Trip Around the Sun?

From the Vault - Autumn sunrise 2020

 Birthday wishes

Funny how we may become fixated on the laps of time and our ever increasing age. Truth is, we have gained a lot of experience in our time here on the "big blue marble". Sometimes the benefit of that experience gets lost in the desire to put pain and misery behind us, when we should hold every one of those as monuments to our character growth. It has made us who we are. So what is really in a happy birthday wish anyway? Sure, there is the wish for all things that are good, prosperity and health. But what makes us grow to become stronger is our capacity to overcome hardship - so why not which for those things that will makes us more than we already are. I wouldn't suggest dwelling on the negative, but certainly don't discard it either. All that said, here's to another year of good health, prosperity and all that comes with those things.

Things in common

A couple weeks ago, I was able to share an evening with a couple of my most favorite people in the world. An occasion to see that troupe "Leonid and Friends" - a genuine great time. And what makes it great is everything and everyone there. These guys  (L&F) are great and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys a great live act. These guys are perhaps the hardest working act on the road today. I mean....we're talking a Russian, Chicago cover band, but that really doesn't cover the depth of the experience. Find these guys on YouTube, or go to their website. Simply amazing! The second time we've seen them, as we caught them last year during their first visit to the Beehive. So what does this have to do with things in common? It made me realize how much so many of us cling to the same things from our youth. In one particular part, the sax-payer is doing a little "guess that song" and veers unexpectedly in to a chorus of "Sweet Caroline". The entirely packed crowd at Kingsbury Hall start singing along with him, as he plays impromptu and solo as though an anthem. But then that short chorus part- everyone singing in unison;

"Swett Caroline, 

                            bum,

                                    bum,

                                            bum,

                                                       Good times never seemed to be so good."

It was at that moment I understood we all had these similar experiences growing up - seared into our souls. And then the part when technology showed its head, where cell phone lights were all lit in place of what used to be the convenient BIC lighter. This woman in front of kicking it old school, pulls out the real things and strikes up the torch - CLASSIC & AWESOME! In those moments all differences are checked at the door and our common interests prevail. Embrace those things that we have in common and don't focus on our differences. It's amazing how much we do have in common with each other despite some differences. Maybe, just maybe we can learn to amplify our similarities and forget that we have any differences. That doesn't mean we give up on our personal convictions, only keep them in check and respect and appreciate those things we do share. After all, its a big sand box and we need to share with others.....

A little rag-horn.....

Still getting the miles on......

The colder weather has caused a delay on rides on days that I can actually ride, but I'm still getting out when I can - while I still can. I ran across this little bull elk up west of the Monastery the other day. All alone and only about 100-yards off the road. It was in no hurry to get up, but also didn't seem to be distressed. I couldn't get close enough to see if it had ben wounded, but I suspect it ran off from a hunting unit a few miles up the mountain. It's just one of those things you stumble across when you are stacking miles. Riding this late in the year is truly different, as the sun is so low on the horizon, that even it's direct effect is limited. Layered up, most days I get back with feet and hands cold, with my core pouring sweat. It makes you feel alive and invested.

Looking forward

Old reliable atop Copper Mountain - 12,313 feet

2021 was a year nearly as bad as this past year. If I learned anything that year, it was that I can ride at 12,000 feet without much difficulty - I just have to screw my head on straight. Next year we are going back with the hardtail to finally challenge Leadville. Sure, there is a lot that can and will likely happen before next year. But why should that matter. If you keep your head pointed toward something long enough, you'll eventually find yourself at that place. To do it on your terms you have to be persistent and undeterred. So here we all are looking out over that horizon at what we hope to be and do. But are we equipped and willing to take on the challenge that comes with the dream? Afterall, without a plan, action and effort - it will only be a dream. And with that in mind, when did you dream about where you are today? Time to get off the duff and make it happen on your own terms....

A birthday gift.....

Out on the back patio with Helen, singing along.....

Click here for "Sister Golden Hair" America - A Birthday Memory

Pulling for Reed! Ride HARD!

Sorting it out

 

The annual trek above the flag in Cold Water Canyon

Not the hardest ride....

I was trying to remember when it first started. One thing I do remember is why it started - the flag above North Ogden just before election day and through Veterans Day. I grew up in the home of a war veteran, surrounded by by war veterans. Most of my life my dad rarely spoke of his time in battle. I heard countless stories about his time in "the service" as he put it - enough to know it wasn't for me. It wasn't until he was much older in life and facing his own grim battle with the "big-C" that he really started to opened up and told of the horrors and intense moments he experienced in battle. A few years before that, I had an interaction with another vet from that war - a survivor of Iwo. How it all came about is another story for another day, but I can tell you he told me of the most personal fear and experiences of a Marine coming ashore during the dreaded second wave at Iwo Jima, February 1945. As he started into sharing his experience, he stopped briefly and said "I don't know why I'm telling you this. I've not even told my own family about this", but he continued. It was simply amazing - he was telling me as though it happened only the day before. In his own words, he was frightened from the day they shipped out of San Diego until they docked back in San Francisco maybe a year later. He described laying in the hot volcanic sand as a stitch of machine gun bullets rolled across the line of men he was with, hitting the guy on one side and jumping over him before going down the line further - killing his training partner laying right there. A day or so later the same thing happened again, killing the Marine on his other side. This man was humble and never took a moment in life for granted. I was never cut from that cloth and couldn't live up to that courage and valor. Heroes in the truest sense. So riding up this single track is nothing at all when you consider what others have done to make it possible for others to have the opportunity to live free. A few years ago, while still "gainfully employed, a group of us were discussing the event that led to this entire flag thing above North Ogden. This fellow that has never once experienced the crack and bang of high-volume, high-power rifle fire coming in while down range, had the audacity to make a derogatory comment about the soldier that was killed in this particular event. My natural instinct was to climb his tree, but the influence of those vets that taught me also reminded me to respect another man's opinion - regardless. As hard as it was, I walked away, as nobody needed to be defended.......chicken shit!

Watching for ice....

Knowing ones limits and when to walk away

As was the case in the previous story, I have learned when to walk away - something that has come with age and a few "falls" along the way.  As the season turns cold, patches of ice can easily catch one off guard - and that can be a disaster. Having a front wheel washout on ice can drive your handle bars into a thigh, or worse yet break a big bone. Either way it can result in something that can finish you  - like period. All this in the name of trying to get a good ride in - because I still can. Somehow I still haven't learned my lessons well enough. A couple years ago I busted an ankle in a spot I didn't even need to be in to begin with. The simplest of things and places can turn on you in a second - and then life sucks. It is said there are two types of cyclist; those that have crashed and those that will crash. Truth is, mountain biking is proving to be rather dangerous, as crashes can be very unforgiving. Virtually every person I have ridden with over the years have experienced this first hand. This past summer there were numerous rescues, including a couple fatalities just in this area. So yeah.....knowing ones limits and when to walk away is something we all need to learn - one way or the other.

Before it got colder....

Perspective

Three hour rides have a tendency to provide more time to sort out the things that clutter my mind. And then there are those moments that are just so quiet that I can hear that feedback from the 1983 Urea Heap / Def Leppard concert - and it was a lot more than what turned out to be the loudest concert I had ever heard. I mean my teeth hurt for a week. Still, perspective is a funny thing, as enough time seems to reduce the intensity and urgency of a previous crisis, or event. Kind of funny how we often act with an impulse that we would have never planned in a million years - but here we are. Somehow we still land on our feet - somehow. Other times we have the scars to remind us of our moments of stupidity - if we are even that lucky.  Call it maturity, or maybe just life - given enough time our perspective does change. As I look back at that particular period in my life. I had no idea what I was doing and am lucky I lived to tell the tale. Moreover, I'm lucky I didn't do more damage. I can't imagine everyone has a similar story that can be compared -but I sure the hell do. Ever wonder what you would do or say if you could go back to that time in your life and tell yourself at that time, what could make a difference? Truth is, I had plenty of people telling me what I would have told myself had I the opportunity to go back and relay that message from the future. Too many times we are just to full of ourselves to listen. I wonder when that changes.....

Darn cold, but beautiful.

Rearranged and Cool Changes

Sometimes things in life take a little time to truly appreciate. Other times a little practice, persistence and patience can yield yet a better version of ourselves. Went out for a ride today - maybe around mid day when the temps were in the upper 30's. At 08:00 this morning it was still only 18 degrees. Going back to the ice watch - days like this has ice in places all day. Cold enough that I was sweating through the layers, while freezing in the extremities. A totally beautiful day, coming home in the shade of the mountain, making the final two miles colder yet. It only gets better with age and practice.

Click here for the Rearranged "Cool Change" it feels so good.....

Take a pull for Reed. Ride hard while you still can......