Fairbanks, AK ---- Klamath Falls, OR (Summer 2014)
6/2/2014:Memorial day weekend found me avoiding the Mule Days crowds, riding out around the White Mountains and up 120 to Mono Lake.
This was a 3 day (240 mile) tour to help me prepare for my Fairbanks to Mammoth summer mission.
After not really doing any riding for 10 years, it's taken some adjusting, but the fitness (not that there was much to begin with..) is coming back quickly. My Alaska mission will call for a 2 days on, 1 day off schedule with 100 mile days. I think this will be preferable to 60-70 mile days with no rest days whatsoever. We'll see!
My new favorite quote is from Mike Tyson: "Everybody has a plan, until they get hit in the face..." I hope to struggle and have wild adventure I will remember forever, without being permanently traumatized or injured - watch out for those Grizzlies!
6/3/14:
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6/15/14:
I start riding south to Pops house tomorrow early.
And this was posted from my phone, so I think the whole blog thing is going to work.
6/16/14:
Stopping to refill my water supply. I'm travelling with a water filter - most of the route up north parallels rivers and lakes. It will be a welcomed change from paying 2 bucks a bottle for water in little stores. You can also see my "sun" outfit - a hooded long sleeve shirt and hat under my helmet. I can get away with only using sunblock on my nose, lips and hands.
Made it to the Alabama Hills. Mile 65. And found a nice cave to nap in out of the sun.
6/18/14:
Day 2 was 105 miles of riding in heinous gusty winds.... The suffer vacation has begun! A man in Johannesburg told me "we don't call it windy till its 65". i managed to stay on the road, and pedalling furiously down a steep hill at six miles an hour wasn't THAT bad. Onward!
Will reach Bent Nail Ranch tonight in Llano, CA for few days of R and R with whole Tourville clan, then fly to AK on Monday the 23.
Day 3: After riding about 60 miles today I have made of to Pops. Let the Tourville reunion shenanigans begin!
Feeling better after a shower. Note Pops wicked dune buggy behind us.
The desert, predictably, felt too hot and way too sunny. The forecast is rain in Fairbanks.....I'm sure in a week I'll be complaining about the cold and damp. Hah!
Don't we have a laughable inclination toward discontent?
6/22/14:
6/24/14:
A sprint through a terminal in Seattle and hours of fidgeting later, I found myself assembling my bike in an empty (2:30 am) Fairbanks airport.
No lost luggage or missed flights! And although I nearly forgot my tent at Pops place (yeah laugh it up, Brookie), I seem to be on my way without incident. Currently I'm waiting for the bathroom in a Wendy's, in the town of North Pole..... Eagerly anticipating a liberal Chamois Butter application.
Delta Junction tonight and Tok tomorrow.....
6/26/14:
I ended up making it to Delta last night and was tired from lack of sleep. The highlight of the day was seeing big Moose right next to the road. Wow! To be honest, I was on my guard all day, half expecting a Grizzly to jump out of the trees and have me for lunch. I squeeled mightily when startled by the moose (no pics, was not gonna stop!).
Yesterdau the rain was light and sporadic - no problemo. I fell asleep and awoke to rain, however, and rode most of the day in it today.
6/27/14:
Had an awesome rest day yesterday in Tok, AK. Stayed at a private campground with laundry and shower to dry my clothes.
Another clear day today (day 4) heading Canada border and on to Beaver Creek hopefully. My knees feel like old guy knees after those back to back 110 milers, but that's what I'm here for, right?
5am sun soak and refuel. Gas station food, again.....
Not sure what the Yukon will have for connectivity, but you'll hear from me one of these days!
6/29/14:
Rest today with 2 absolutely gorgeous days of riding behind me! Postcard views left and right for hundreds of miles. Deep quiet - that feeling of nothing to hear beyond what you cannot hear. If that makes any sense.
Will have real internet (and real food!) In Whitehorse 3 days from now. Can't post pics (or find salad) for a big stretch here.
A view looking out from my happy bubble.
Oh hey looks like that worked. Wrangell and st Elias ranges off to the right.... Whoa!
Saw my first Grizzly yesterday. Miss Grizz was nibbling roots by the side of the highway and didn't even bat an eye at me. Do I stink that badly? Definitely no pics.
The road is perfect for riding - smooth and a big shoulder an minimal traffic. I'd done research on the highway and it looked like "its all paved", which is true, except where they're "doing construction". The frost heaves mean the road is in a continuous state of repair.
Goodbye smooth pavement, hello heinous gravel.....no biggie, its only for like 20 miles.
Tomorrow to Haines junction and Whitehorse the next day, where I can do a "big city" resupply and decide if I'll continue along the Alaska highway or take the more remote Cassiar..... Wahoo!
7/3/14:
It has, however, been raining - a lot. I had a multi day stretch of headwind, rain, and torn up road - the trifecta of Yukon bike suffering. One of the major highways was closed due to a mudslide.... I can now wake up in a cold and damp tent, put on my wet riding clothes, cook breakfast and pack up in the rain, all without pouting (well, not too much). That said, I am actually hotelling it tonight (thus the internet) because the RV park in town doesn't allow "tenting", and the nearest campground is 8 miles back from where I came, in the rain. A hot bath and salad feel like lottery-magnitude luxuries!
My plan for 500 mile weeks is working. So far... I've got that blissful hazy full system exhaustion. The caloric reserve is disappearing. Pure, simple, arduous hard work. Life is good.
Im having a rest day in a campground on the outskirts of Prince George. The heavy traffic and lowered vehicles with tinted windows indicate I should stay away from the city center, and pass through early tomorrow while everyone is asleep.
The Throne and I just scored two days of consistent tail winds. Sweet baby Jesus that was awesome! 240 miles flew by whimper free (OK maybe a slight exaggeration there).
Rest day in a town called "70 mile house". A roadhouse name from before canadas conversion to the metric system...
Two more days of pedalling and I'll cross the border into Sumas, WA, and begin the stunning Sierra Cascades route. Stoked!
Traffic, logging trucks, rain, and lots of miles the last couple days. Not very pleasant, honestly, but the shoulder is good so its at least safe. Probably won't have many pix until I'm up in Cascades in a few days.
Onward!
7/22/14:
Back in USA! A major milestone - I feel I have "made it"..... But there's still 1600 miles to go!
The last four days of pedalling have not been the greatest - simply due to traffic. The route through Fraser Canyon was gorgeous (yes, pun there) but tunnels and logging trucks and cyclists don't mix.
Hells gate tunnel - looks scary, huh?. In reality there was a sidewalk on one side and a button to push for cyclists to warn motorists a cyclists was inside. Big lights flashed. Not exactly the level of danger a true adventure man is used to.... So naturally I stripped to the full Monty, hefted my 100pound bike overhead. And ran through the middle of the tunnel reciting Nietzsche's critique of pure reason. Holding my breath. Backwards.
On a more serious note, my quality of life has greatly improved with the recent purchase of a backpackers French press. An entire summer of instant? What was I thinking?
And now - to the "sierra cascades" route, compiled by the adventure cycling association. I'll have have detailed maps indicating the location of food, camping, bike shops and probably most importantly an elevation profile of the days ride. Its been kind of fun having close to no idea what to expect ahead, but carrying less food and camping in the amazing spots will be a welcomed change. And eating less gas station food (hopefully!). This trip has converted me from "health food freak" to "junk food inhaler". Steph Mumma will be pleased to know that once again, I have a new diet.
And lastly, day 28 ended at 2026 miles - I met my 500 mile week goal! It was more difficult than expected..... I think I'd be getting much more fit if I had much more rest - but without a doubt I am devoping those "persist and endure in the face of difficulty" skills that are often helpful in climbing, cycling and life in general.
Onward!
7/22/14:
Simply awesome pedaling through the North Cascades. A quiet rest day in an empty campground - just me and the trees and a pesky squirrel. Finished Stephen King's Joyland and Mr Mercedes... He is quite a storyteller!
Had two days of dumper rain. And got lost and rode almost up to mt Baker. Good times in the rainforest! Moss on everything, including my tent. Funky!
So while riding through the heat and burn from a few days ago, guess who I ran (rode?) Into? Bishop's own SheBomb - I knew she was somewhere around, but crossing paths on bikes? Pretty cool.
And one last thing. in the post from day 24 there was some info about fines for littering.... Well, upon entering Washington I saw a sign that said "please don't litter".
No fine, no "or else".
The teacher in me rejoiced at my chosen style of discipline (but honestly the road was pretty trashy (but there far more traffic, so its hard to compare)). Check out this Washington don't litter sign:
7/28/14:
Awesome day of pedaling the bike! I feel I've (finally) made a breakthrough - physically and mentally to enjoy instead of simply endure the day.
Made it over something or other pass, about 4000 ft of up and down in scorching heat.... The paper said 102 today, but my thermometer and I were in the sun - it said 112 at one point, so I stopped looking.
80 miles and 2 gallons of water later the throne and I were coasting down into ellensburg, where we will happily chill for a day of rest in the river.
Last time we spoke, I was headed into Oregon, crossing the Columbia River. It has been a wild ride with little opportunity or motivation for photos (sorry!). Climbing up out of the gorge (Columbia river) with triple digit temps in the noonday sun, into the high plains of eastern oregon was the scariest part of the trip so far.... Will I pass out from heat stroke? Will I run out of water? Will I really be able to pedal to the next town? I made it 65 miles that day to the town of Dufur and lay awake in my open tent sweating profusely, trying to remember the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion.... Good times!
A rest day of melting in the shade gave me enough mojo to beeline it down Oregon, three days of heavily trafficked highway. After passing through Klamath Falls I learned my road to Shasta was closed due to forest fires. My heart sank - what kind of detour? I found a California map, survey my options, and just couldn't bring myself to accept more highway with an endless line of big trucks rolling by. I've rented a car, and will be safely home today.
I'm sure I will eventually feel some remorse at having quit my mission before it was over, but right now I'm like "I'm safe", "three thousand miles in six weeks, I can't believe I actually did that!" And "never again!"
Climbing onto the bike for another hundred mile day when all I want to do is sleep, alternately soaking up endless days of rain and heat, patiently pushing into headwinds, and daring the wild life in an uncontrolled situation have all been deeply rewarding experiences. "Toughing it out" on a highly trafficked road has never felt rewarding - in fact it has never felt anything but stupid.
The farther south I traveled, the worse the traffic became.
Many people have asked "will I ever do this again?" A trip just like this? Go from point A to point B and deal with whatever is in between via bicycle? No Way.
But bike touring in a remote location? Alaska and the Yukon? Already planning on it!. The Australian Outback? Sounds Great! Dirt and gravel roads? Perfect......
I went into this trip looking for a couple things: to see Alaska, to check out long distance bike touring, and most importantly, the chance to "turn myself inside out" or "peel the onion". Be careful what you ask for, right? This trip was perfect - exactly what I wanted.
I've spent some time trying to remember (or create) a good closing quote (though I plan to continue posting pictures of further adventures). Jim Bridwell is credited with "my best vacation is your worst nightmare", but that's too elitest and egotistical (as we climbers can be). I can't remember where I read it, but I really like "life is more than love and pleasure, I came seeking buried treasure". But I think I'll leave you with one of my favorites, by the lead singer of Black Flag:
Day 3: After riding about 60 miles today I have made of to Pops. Let the Tourville reunion shenanigans begin!
The desert, predictably, felt too hot and way too sunny. The forecast is rain in Fairbanks.....I'm sure in a week I'll be complaining about the cold and damp. Hah!
6/22/14:
Bike box.
Tetris.
Stoke!
6/24/14:
A sprint through a terminal in Seattle and hours of fidgeting later, I found myself assembling my bike in an empty (2:30 am) Fairbanks airport.
6/26/14:
I ended up making it to Delta last night and was tired from lack of sleep. The highlight of the day was seeing big Moose right next to the road. Wow! To be honest, I was on my guard all day, half expecting a Grizzly to jump out of the trees and have me for lunch. I squeeled mightily when startled by the moose (no pics, was not gonna stop!).
Yesterdau the rain was light and sporadic - no problemo. I fell asleep and awoke to rain, however, and rode most of the day in it today.
Starting the day, still full of good cheer.
Later that day....Best thing about being totally soaked?... You're not worried about getting wet.
Lunch break - are we there yet?
Some of the road is monotonous, as I'd heard and expected it to be. 30 miles out from Tok the rain stopped and the scenery opened up - it was gorgeous! A fine end to an otherwise character building day.
I want one.
6/27/14:
Had an awesome rest day yesterday in Tok, AK. Stayed at a private campground with laundry and shower to dry my clothes.
Not sure what the Yukon will have for connectivity, but you'll hear from me one of these days!
6/29/14:
Rest today with 2 absolutely gorgeous days of riding behind me! Postcard views left and right for hundreds of miles. Deep quiet - that feeling of nothing to hear beyond what you cannot hear. If that makes any sense.
Will have real internet (and real food!) In Whitehorse 3 days from now. Can't post pics (or find salad) for a big stretch here.
Oh hey looks like that worked. Wrangell and st Elias ranges off to the right.... Whoa!
Saw my first Grizzly yesterday. Miss Grizz was nibbling roots by the side of the highway and didn't even bat an eye at me. Do I stink that badly? Definitely no pics.
Drool.
The mosquitoes have been.... What mosquitoes? But I did see a huge Eagle, the kind with the white head (laugh at my ornithological ignorance) .
The road is perfect for riding - smooth and a big shoulder an minimal traffic. I'd done research on the highway and it looked like "its all paved", which is true, except where they're "doing construction". The frost heaves mean the road is in a continuous state of repair.
Onward.
7/3/14:
Whitehorse - Capital of the Yukon
Two days of clear riding from cottonwood RV park, south of Destruction Bay, landed me in Whitehorse. Besides the headwind, the riding was, again, gorgeous.
Riding Bikes!
After 6 day of riding, totalling about 620 miles, my old guy body is holding up remarkably well. I do have a specific and sharp pain in one of my patellar tendons.... But its been there since day 2 and seems to be getting better. Otherwise I actually feel great! The long (endless really) days mean cranking out marathon days is possible. Around evening time, it will have that "dusk" feeling, and I'll think "gotta hustle"! Because I'm used to trying to find a bivi spot before it gets dark. I can now simply relax into it and keep turning the pedals. Slow and Steady. Tortoise.
Lunch stop junk show.
I've taken to stopping and cooking a "real food" lunch. All-day athletes of all sorts struggle with what to eat throughout the day to avoid bonking - a big, cooked meal and cup of hot coffee at mile 50 is my new secret recipe.
I've finally met other cyclists. Some heading north, most south. Swapping stories involves "how many bears have you seen?" And discussions of campgrounds and road surface. The availability of food in little towns is an issue. Even a kid would get sick of eating snickers bars for a week. Actually grocery stores are like gold mines and were learning to pack appropriately.
Eat. Pedal. Sleep. Repeat.
The wireless is dial up speed... Dedicated blogger that I am, photos may be scarce in the week or so to come. Iv decided to take the Stewart-Cassiar after talking to other cyclists. Better views and far less traffic, just stock up on food! It may be another 2 weeks until I for and internet again, in Prince George. We'll see!
7/8/14:
I'm in Dease Lake, a town with a grocery store (!) half way down the Cassiar Hwy (37). The last two days of riding have been a bike travellers dream - a smooth road twisting through and around vistas and lakes with pleanty of wildlife and very little traffic. The Cassiar has been the highlight of the trip. Bear count is now up to 14, but I'm close to out of grizzly territory, so no worries!It has, however, been raining - a lot. I had a multi day stretch of headwind, rain, and torn up road - the trifecta of Yukon bike suffering. One of the major highways was closed due to a mudslide.... I can now wake up in a cold and damp tent, put on my wet riding clothes, cook breakfast and pack up in the rain, all without pouting (well, not too much). That said, I am actually hotelling it tonight (thus the internet) because the RV park in town doesn't allow "tenting", and the nearest campground is 8 miles back from where I came, in the rain. A hot bath and salad feel like lottery-magnitude luxuries!
My plan for 500 mile weeks is working. So far... I've got that blissful hazy full system exhaustion. The caloric reserve is disappearing. Pure, simple, arduous hard work. Life is good.
Let's check the weather forecast for today.... Oh goody - more rain.
The highly effective socks in trash bags trick. Note how the cool shoes I picked up in Whitehorse match my jacket... totally planned that.
Rolling in to Dease Lake this afternoon. I saw a huge Moose (maybe they're all huge?) A few moments after this, standing in the middle of a parking lot, no less.
An hour into the Cassiar and I was gawking at this.
"Relaxing" at Rabid Grizzly rest stop.
I had a rest day by the beautiful Boya Lake.
One day I had 4 flats in a row.... In the rain and mud I didn't find the small hole in my tire - the tubes kept eventually pushing through and puncturing. Good times!
Who's Tess? Rawr. No, no new girlfriend. Simply an example of the "graffiti" present on the Alaska highway. Nothing to spray paint? Let's arrange rocks instead..... I've seen hundreds of these and can't decide if its cool, or graffiti.
A common phenomenon.... I'm riding along in the rain, at mile 20 I see a sign advertising a bakery 56 miles ahead. I drool for 56 miles, visions of cinnamon rolls dancing in my head. I finally arrive to find the establishment boarded up and am ready to go postal on the only guy in town! Note wetsuit gloves.
My plan as of now is:
Kinaskan lake, rest, meziadin lake, kitwanga, rest, then on to the Yellow head highway, where it sounds like internet and salad will be more plentiful. See you in 6 days or so (maybe)!
7/14/14:
Deep into BC now. The remote and gorgeous Cassiar Highway was over too quickly. I'm now riding through farmlands, and am leaving the impressive peaks behind. Don't get me wrong, the availability of food is heaven sent - I'm currently sipping espresso, nibbling a "chocolate paradise" brownie..... Life is good! Its funny how easy it is to miss that which we just had (and probably took for granted). I think the rest of this tour will feel civilized compared to the Alaska Yukon section.....
Typical foodstuffs.
Zoom in on those peaks in the background..... Feel the palms sweat!
I've been staying in the provincial park system. Campgrounds by lakes and rivers, with friendly hosts. A welcome change from "doing time" in Yosemite.
Yet another self portrait - Kinaskan Lake.
I met up and rode with another cyclist (well, I tried unsuccessfully to keep up) for a long day between Kinaskan and Meziadin. Scott has boldly embraced the "quit job, sell everything, take off on bike" lifestyle. Alaska to Argentina, south Africa to Norway to the South Pacific.... Respect!
The relationship between my bike and myself is evolving.... I now think of it as the "two wheeled torture throne". I am highly motivated to increase my speed, as it would decrease the time spent sitting on the throne. The last twenty miles of each long day I start to consider the fate of my bike once we return to mammoth. My thoughts usually center around a can of gasoline and a match. Once we're home though, and I can spend all day lounging on the sofa, eating ice cream, looking back on all these miles, the throne's future may improve from "bonfire" to "storage unit", or maybe even "trusted companion" or "prized commuter vehicle". Only time will tell....
All 100 pounds of the two wheeled torture throne. Good times!
I met two groups of bike travelers heading North, and had lunch with one of them. Somebody asked me "so, are you glad you're doing this trip?" It's a question I suppose we all ask ourselves - there's certainly enough time out there on the bike to think about it. The obvious answer was "Heck Yeah!" But instead I paused before answering, because there was much more to it. This is Boot Camp dressed up in a Club Med costume.
Onward!
"Rarely is it a matter of can or can't. Our final obstacle usually comes down to will or won't."
7/17/14:
Im having a rest day in a campground on the outskirts of Prince George. The heavy traffic and lowered vehicles with tinted windows indicate I should stay away from the city center, and pass through early tomorrow while everyone is asleep.
The Throne and I just scored two days of consistent tail winds. Sweet baby Jesus that was awesome! 240 miles flew by whimper free (OK maybe a slight exaggeration there).
Farmland.
Salami, cheese, apple. Tried and true staples.
Alaska = 1000$
Yukon = 750$
BC = 2000$
This place is clean!
Similar to couchsurfing.org, there is a site warmshowers.org specifically for bike tourists. I've met a couple cyclists that have enjoyed meeting new hosts and staying with them while in the cities. I saw this dome in someone's yard (no its not a bike shop) and thought "eccentric!" - and later discovered this is the house of one of the warm showers hosts in Whitehorse, Pierre (i think) described as being "eccentric".
True that!
7/20/14:
Two more days of pedalling and I'll cross the border into Sumas, WA, and begin the stunning Sierra Cascades route. Stoked!
Traffic, logging trucks, rain, and lots of miles the last couple days. Not very pleasant, honestly, but the shoulder is good so its at least safe. Probably won't have many pix until I'm up in Cascades in a few days.
Onward!
7/22/14:
Back in USA! A major milestone - I feel I have "made it"..... But there's still 1600 miles to go!
This lowlander is about to need some hemoglobin.
On a more serious note, my quality of life has greatly improved with the recent purchase of a backpackers French press. An entire summer of instant? What was I thinking?
Jump Start!
And lastly, day 28 ended at 2026 miles - I met my 500 mile week goal! It was more difficult than expected..... I think I'd be getting much more fit if I had much more rest - but without a doubt I am devoping those "persist and endure in the face of difficulty" skills that are often helpful in climbing, cycling and life in general.
Onward!
7/22/14:
Simply awesome pedaling through the North Cascades. A quiet rest day in an empty campground - just me and the trees and a pesky squirrel. Finished Stephen King's Joyland and Mr Mercedes... He is quite a storyteller!
Gawking up at the Liberty Bell. Who wants to go bigwallin?
Had two days of dumper rain. And got lost and rode almost up to mt Baker. Good times in the rainforest! Moss on everything, including my tent. Funky!
Staring at all this green is probably messing up my rods and cones n stuff.
Even the water is green.
Moss carpet on concrete.
Flashbacks from my Santa Cruz days. This little cutie was trying to slime its way into the tent.
This area has just recently suffered devastating fires. It sounds like over 100 homes have burned.
So while riding through the heat and burn from a few days ago, guess who I ran (rode?) Into? Bishop's own SheBomb - I knew she was somewhere around, but crossing paths on bikes? Pretty cool.
Can we trade bikes?
No fine, no "or else".
The teacher in me rejoiced at my chosen style of discipline (but honestly the road was pretty trashy (but there far more traffic, so its hard to compare)). Check out this Washington don't litter sign:
So we went from please to threats of physical abuse? Sounds familiar...J/K!
7/28/14:
Awesome day of pedaling the bike! I feel I've (finally) made a breakthrough - physically and mentally to enjoy instead of simply endure the day.
Made it over something or other pass, about 4000 ft of up and down in scorching heat.... The paper said 102 today, but my thermometer and I were in the sun - it said 112 at one point, so I stopped looking.
80 miles and 2 gallons of water later the throne and I were coasting down into ellensburg, where we will happily chill for a day of rest in the river.
I literally rode along easy street for 4 miles today. Couldn't pass up the easy american fruit intersection without a snapshot.
Feeling good enough today to say "bring it!"
8/1/14:
Turns out I will be continuing on into Oregon today instead of resting here in Carson, WA on the Colombia river. Had an amazing day of riding forest service roads between Randle and Carson - minimal traffic, amazing views, smooth pavement etc. Even lots of big trees to provide shade. Even saw a pack of roadies, who slowed to chat, as they whizzed on by.
Rainier's bulk looms in the early morning light.
Rolling hills remind me of SLO area.
The local wildlife.
As Mr. Leonard says: "4 wheels moves the body, 2 wheels moves the soul."
8/6/14:
A rest day of melting in the shade gave me enough mojo to beeline it down Oregon, three days of heavily trafficked highway. After passing through Klamath Falls I learned my road to Shasta was closed due to forest fires. My heart sank - what kind of detour? I found a California map, survey my options, and just couldn't bring myself to accept more highway with an endless line of big trucks rolling by. I've rented a car, and will be safely home today.
I'm sure I will eventually feel some remorse at having quit my mission before it was over, but right now I'm like "I'm safe", "three thousand miles in six weeks, I can't believe I actually did that!" And "never again!"
Climbing onto the bike for another hundred mile day when all I want to do is sleep, alternately soaking up endless days of rain and heat, patiently pushing into headwinds, and daring the wild life in an uncontrolled situation have all been deeply rewarding experiences. "Toughing it out" on a highly trafficked road has never felt rewarding - in fact it has never felt anything but stupid.
The farther south I traveled, the worse the traffic became.
Many people have asked "will I ever do this again?" A trip just like this? Go from point A to point B and deal with whatever is in between via bicycle? No Way.
But bike touring in a remote location? Alaska and the Yukon? Already planning on it!. The Australian Outback? Sounds Great! Dirt and gravel roads? Perfect......
I went into this trip looking for a couple things: to see Alaska, to check out long distance bike touring, and most importantly, the chance to "turn myself inside out" or "peel the onion". Be careful what you ask for, right? This trip was perfect - exactly what I wanted.
I've spent some time trying to remember (or create) a good closing quote (though I plan to continue posting pictures of further adventures). Jim Bridwell is credited with "my best vacation is your worst nightmare", but that's too elitest and egotistical (as we climbers can be). I can't remember where I read it, but I really like "life is more than love and pleasure, I came seeking buried treasure". But I think I'll leave you with one of my favorites, by the lead singer of Black Flag:
"Exhaustion is my Victory."
-Henry Rollins
October, 2020 Edit: This trip is what inspired me to move to Alaska. I am still riding bikes, for travel, adventure, racing, camping, and sanity. The fatbiking here is just ridiculous, and has added a whole new dimension to camping and adventuring by bike. I have found home.
