Is it really helpful to put your thoughts down on a keyboard and on the screen? Is it the same as writing them out by hand? I ask because I am forcing myself to come up with thoughts right now. I always thought I should spend a portion of the day being creative, and this is my outlet. I have also tried videos and photos. I enjoy photos the most, but words seem to flow easier. But is it helpful?
It is nice to look back on previous posts and reflect. I am not big on gratitude journal entries but this is my way of being thankful. I have some great memories on this day in previous years. Let’s see:
2005 I THOUGHT I enjoyed biking in snow and was having trouble with the lack of light this time of the year. 2004 was the first time I posted on this day in the past and was having relationship issues.
So I will say it. I am grateful to have these memories and also to have a log to remeber them with.
A mirage, a ghost. Whatever it is, it’s actually beautiful. But be careful, as confronting the ghoul will cause something sinister. Shackled to a life of hike-a-biking endless days to the top of a never ending climb. Lifting the bike over dead-fall. Pulling up sandstone cliffs.
Follow the ghoul
I know because I chased down the figure only to stare into her eyes and into the never ending adventure of pushing bikes and prodding along on an adventure without an end. For eternity, I will march to the beat of my heart. And I’ll climb.
The usual Suce Ride is to skip the grinder up and go right to the trailhead. Then you can walk your bike 1.3 miles and 1,000 vertical feet to the top and then bomb down the downhill run. It is fun, but it takes time. I always wondered why snowboarders do what they do in the back-country. I still can’t wrap my head around post holing for hours just for a 5 minute run. But there we were, doing just that … but with bikes.
Last night I put a twist on things. I had to do 3 sprints so decided why not do three impossible standing climbs up the Suce Trail. I did the three and after picking hunks of my lungs out of the rosebushes that lined the trail, kept going and see how much I could climb.
I climbed way past my previous record, an almost vertical head wall. But succumb to the easy head wall much later. I was aside myself. All that way to falter on the easiest, impossible climb. I did, though, ride the rest, so that is record 1 dab run.
As we left the woods riding back to the van, the sun hit my face, and a thought came to me. I always come out of the woods right as the sun sets. And it is always beautiful. We just stood there watching the giver of light disappear behind the Gallatin Range.
I can’t sleep. Tonight is not feeling right. Feeling abandon and thoughts not justified. Feeling like a pest to others. I have retreated into the van, alone. It’s just me … and my thoughts.
I get up and take 6 glycine and then within 20 minutes all goes blank.
I wake up early wondering if today I will feel better. While making coffee, the news is maddening, and I get angry. More negative words. Maybe I’ll go for a walk.
All my thoughts are negative at this point. Simply just going to walk. Just wish I could see the sun and the winter hasn’t even started. I have to think of a way to switch my thoughts positive. Any hints?
Running in the dark is quite special. Dodging cars. Remember Montana, if one was to hit an animal and call it into the coppers, you could take home the carcass. Some people drive through Gardner like a bat out of hell, hoping to get some meat for the fridge.
This morning, I was a target three times over. Then there’s that creepy diesel truck that turned on their lights and started following me when I ran by. Gardner is such a creepy place.
This week I have been testing my fun factor and manner of efficiency regarding riding gravel or cross-country mountain bike. Obviously, it is fun to always ride my enduro bike or as I call it, a real mountain bike. But with cush core and heavy casing tires that are necessary to do anything meaningful on a bike, it is really too heavy and the rides on normal gravel and dirt paths are too slow. Thus no fun. But then I ride my hardtail “adventure” bike, which is a glorified gravel bike you can put fat tires on … well … harsh and really eye jarring.
So I rode the same loop three days in a row with my three main configurations. Gravel/Cross Bike, Adventure/Fat Tire Bike, and Moki my Enduro Bike with a cross-country wheel combo (really really light with fast tires). Also, I took 10 psi out of Moki’s front fork. To bring the geometry around to be more of a cross-country, what I call fitness roadie bullshit, style. Oh, I am disgruntled, don’t get me started. I yearn to do a cross-country race now and then … with a REAL bike.
Let’s get this out in the clear. I don’t understand the people that do not have dropper posts on all their bikes. It is like … why would you go cross-country skiing with a barstool stuck to your ass? You have ruined the sport of cycling for way to long. Let it go and drop it.
Ok, so the verdict is that Orca my adventure hard-tail seems to be the most efficient but only with its Plus sized 27.5 wheels. With its gravel cross country wheels it is a nightmare. NOT efficient and eye jarring. I totally hate to ride that thing unless I am doing a paved road hill climb … which will be … NEVER.
But the most fun is Moki my 170mm enduro bike with the super light wheels. I know on an enduro run I would totally rip these skinny ass lightweights off the spokes … butt … wow, how fun in the gravel and cross-country. Except real mountain biking of course. For fitness style, Cape Epic, cross-coutry racing, Moki in cross-country mode is the most fun. And I know that my gravel grinder local time-trial that I set my fastest time in this mode during the spring and could never touch that time with my hardtail cross country gravel grinder.
I had so much fun last night that I rode extra, even did some veritable mountain biking on the Carcass Downhill. Instead of turning at “the creek” like the previous two rides I continued on to do Beatiee Gulch to the cabin. I had to be careful but it rips. I love you Moki.
There’s something to be said about walking in the dark—literally and metaphorically. On the bright side (pun intended), you can’t spot that bull elk lounging on the high school football field, so you’re saved from the stress of possibly being gored. Plus, it gives you a great excuse not to run (avoiding any embarrassing falls), and, let’s be real, you won’t see that snowstorm creeping in either. It’s like walking through life with blissful ignorance—you’re just not seeing the negatives.
But, here’s the flip side: you also run the risk of stepping right into that bull elk. And yeah, not seeing where you’re going means tripping over that not-so-invisible medium-sized rock on the trail. Plus, while not seeing the snowstorm sounds like a win, well… it’s still coming, and not knowing doesn’t make it any warmer.
One thing’s for sure, though—life has a funny way of balancing itself out. Like that “Even Steven” bit from Seinfeld—for every missed goring, there’s probably a stubbed toe waiting just around the corner.
So yea, writing a blog post by hand. Or are they calling it a personal journal? Or a gratitude journal. Or a balanced post of a little good and a little bad. You know words … hmm, don’t know.
If I remember correctly, my old process was to jot down the moments that came to mind of a recent outing. Add a little drama somewhere. Overcome it all. And then brief words of wisdom at the end. I think … hmm, don’t really remember how those words went.
So I have tried a post without photos or videos. Because that is hard and words used to rumble from my fingertip on the keyboard of a computer. I want to see if that still is the case. But where is that word?
So I went on a morning walk. It was before sunrise … which is easy to do recently. I guess the word is cold? Dark? Hm, don’t know.
Yeah, it was cold. But not really. Actually, quite mild for this time of year. What is the word? Pleasant? Don’t know.
Did I say it was dark out? Oh yeah, I did. Shit, dunno, can’t focus on words right now.
So it was dark and there I was running. Running in the dark. Suddenly, a dark group of shadows rushed in front of me. The last one stopped. I stopped. It did not move. So I said, “hey Google, turn on my flashlight”. In front of me was a young bull elk, still not moving. So I just shuffled by and said, “Excuse me”. I guess the word at this point is smell. I could smell the elk now. Why didn’t I smell it before. And why can’t I come up with a better word, then smell?
I don’t know. Can I still come up with words? Can I put them together into something that makes sense? Can I? Dunno.
Captured a stunning moment at Yellowstone National Park’s waterfalls. This footage from my archives showcases the raw beauty and power of one of my favorite natural wonders. Take a moment to experience the breathtaking view.
Found old Yellowstone footage, some of my favorite.
Boneshakerbike 