Author: Bill

I just beat her up the hill and I lay down to rest. The sun is shinning through the trees, stunning. My eyelids grow heavy …

Plattsburgh is a cold place. It is also foreign to me. I am from Montana. And now my cheap Schwinn bike is so inadequate.  Why am I on a bike. I wouldn’t normally be on a bike. I mean one day back in Roundup a classmate dared to ride his bike through town.  My young community influenced prejudice, now corrected, thought maybe he was gay. I mean skin tight clothes. Who is Shakespeare anyway? Well, this is all I have to get to work because I lost my drivers license. Maybe this weekend I will re paint my Schwinn. I hate this color.

The Grand Fondo Castle Di Monte was awesome and I couldn’t wait for this year’s installment. Then my partner in crime suggest we do a mountain bike through the Castle Mountains. Or was it my idea?  Don’t know. In any case we started not so early Saturday morning … or was it afternoon.

It all started out like last year. Fall colors, prairies, and lush fields dotted with antelope. And we were warned that it was antelope season as well. We tried every route idea we had but could find no access to the Castles.

We just kept going down the road. The original route. The views were great but we really wanted to get off the road. I just needed to have faith. Faith that we could find dirt.

It was driving us crazy.  every route that we could see on the GOPS didn’t exist in the real world.  In the world of land owners shutting off access to national lands. But I will not go into that topic now. Relief was found when we rolled into Lennep Montana. We found National Forest Service Road 585.

From there we climbed and climbed. We were both in heaven.  Not saying that I condone heaven or even believe in such a place.  And living in Montana is certainly like heaven. But my faith proved to be right and we were finally on dirt.

And it got better from there.  Even a lake, Bonanza Reservoir, which was almost dried up. We went over two passes which netted us some great views.  Encountered snow.  And real cold weather. It was all good.

The route turned out pretty cool. As with most things in life. I guess that is my faith.

Well if I am not finished with the RMVQ this post will fire off with a spify photo of a cross race in San Fran.

Mo and I are riding the RMVQ. I set this blog post to fire off to show a photo of a San fran race were a group of racers are rumbling over a crest. I hope a group of my friends are rolling over University beacon with us right now.

Over the top is probably where Mo and i are right now.  Over the top of some mountain in the RMVQ. I set this post to fire off to show a photo of a cross race in San Fran … of a racer going over the top. Fitting.

In San Francisco a “cross” race is a little diffrent then in Montana. I prefer the Caifornia version.

Some people walk through lfe. Some are unsure. And some of us prefer to ride. And sometimes we wait.  For the walkers and the unsure.

Hey, everyone! Here’s another exciting update, complete with all the links you need to dive into the details.

The 2012 edition of the RMVQ is just around the corner, with the new Bikepacking edition set to start on the 12th of October. If you’re up for an adventure, join us as we head out at 10 in the morning tomorrow (Friday) to conquer the Grave Range Growler. On Saturday, we’re aiming for Snow Bowl and then the annual JulieQue (BBQ party) in the Rattlesnake. The fun doesn’t stop there – maybe Sheep Sunday and a grand finish on Monday. For detailed plans, you can check out Mo and I’s detailed plans.

If you’re feeling competitive, anyone can contest the original feat. Just GPS it and upload it to the Strava RMVQ Page, or send the file or account of it to be added to the History GC Page.

For more details, stats, and maps, head over to the 2012 RMVQ page.

And if you want to keep up with all the buzz around RMVQ, check out the latest tweets here.

So, gear up and get ready for an unforgettable adventure! See you out there.

Happy exploring!

Citations:
[1] https://twitter.com/search?q=%23RMVQ
[2] https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=218095446067961655230.0004cbba23b46d7316522
[3] https://williammartin.com/rmvq

I found a new way to get in.  I use the soap dishes around the parameter of the tub to suspend myself above the water.  Then I just lower myself quickly into the icy water.  I hate cold and stepping into a ice bath is just to uncomfortable for me.  Lowering my torso into it feels good. So I am happy. The 5 minute beeper sounds off and I take my core temperature … 96.9 degrees, a full .4 degrees below my waking temperature.  Which means my core is cooling and soon it will kick in and heat up.  Then I come up with a new idea. Something to do while waiting to freeze.  So I schootch forward and submerse my head under and hold my breath for one minute.  No problem. My 5 minute timer goes off … 97.2, the effects of starting to shiver. This is what I have been training to do. Raise my core temperature. This time after submersion I tuck my legs and arms into the icy bath so that my entire body is under the ice water.  Kind of refreshing. The 5 minute timer … 96.7, obviously the effect of head submersion. It takes me two attempts to hold my breath the next time. I am shaking violently now as the timer goes off. 95.8, time to get out.

My full suspension sits in the corner, a lost case. It’s too dirty. Might as well accept it.  My hardtail on the stand awaits the de-bagging and general cleanup.  And in the wings my fatty is awaiting it’s trip to the stand to be geared up for this weekend’s RMVQ. So much work tonight. I think I will sit down and relax … and contemplate a strategy.

The sky is blue, sitting high above me. I look to it’s richness and depth. It’s just too expansive. Might as well accept I am meaningless. The traditional structure reaches to the sky in a way that seems psychotic in a ordered perfect way. And the modern, almost alien, structure stands against it reflecting all elements. Too much to take in and I sit down on the park bench … to contemplate my path home.

 

The weekly Monday depression has hit me.  More exhaustion from staying awake, traveling, and your basic squeezing as much as possible into a couple days. And now my brain has exited stage left and all ambition is out of town. Time for rest. Maybe go to that place. My eyes are the last stand. The eyelids cant be held back any longer. Over and out.

The soak was a long time coming.  The pools were new and I tried each one. I settled into the older hot one.  But before long it was too much heat and I decided to soak in the 33 degree shade.  While everyone looked on with wonderment I dozed off. I mean why would someone pay to get into a hot springs and then baulk at the warm confines to freeze in the brisk winter like breeze. I would come to once in a while to stare at the murals surrounding the pools. They depicted a time when buffalo roamed free and the land “really” wasn’t owned like it is today. A time when I would have had to pay to soak. A time when a personal journey … a vision quest as you will, would be totally accepted.  Even admired. I think back ground is important to realize how cluttered our lives, ah desktops, have become. Right now I was living in the background.

Recursion is funny, and weird.  You know what that is? For instance when you have mirrors in front and behind you. You can see your back through the other mirror. But if you continue to look you can also see the mirror that you are looking into now … from another source. And the virtual mirror reflects the very thing that is reflecting the original.  And this continues to infinity.  As I have often stared into the abyss my very soul gets the creeps.  I mean am I creating a black hole.  In san Fran there are parks that instead of nature has buildings. But even though you have buildings in parks in collections of buildings.  You then see that those very buildings are special indeed. And as I walk past the monolith, whatever that thing is called, I get the creeps.

I am excited to go home today. Not because it is Friday. Not that we are going to do a cool adventure in White Sulfur Springs. My bike ride home is brisk and without pause. I cant wait to open the door and be home. A new angle I did not expect. Lots of new things in a life of ancient habits.  I really need to get back to habits but for now, a new angle.

I felt out of place. I was in Golden Gate State Park and stumbled upon the Conservatory of Flowers.  Yep totally out of place. #1 around tourists. Yes I was a tourist but the disgruntle human hater kind. #2 a flower joint.  Sure I like to take photos of pretty things but this place made me sick.  We need to conserve flowers?  News to me.  They grow wild here in Montana. Which ties this photo into what I am doing this weekend. Storming the Castles. Every time I say this I think of that white building in San Fran and I imagine flower liberating troops storming it.  Freeing the flowers. Taking them back to Montana to live a life of freedom.

It has snowed all day long. Funny thing though, even though it snowed all day, the sidewalks were dry and the only snow collecting was in the mountains. Or at least that is what I was guessing. I couldn’t see the mountains.

As I walk to my car after work I realize I am cold. Brrrr … it is cold too. Could this be winter? I am driving home.  Yes driving.  And to top it off I only have plans to watch TV and sleep.

I am like the seasons right now.  This summer I was on my game and brimming with adventure.  But now my leaves are yellow and weary from traveling back and forth to Missoula.  I am getting cold as I slip into my ice bath.  And before long I will be covered in deep powder. Change is hard … I must struggle to break free and get back on my bike.  But for now … going home.