Touring with Other Hobbies.

When bicycle touring is not enough to fill the time what do you like to do? For the purist I suppose sleep would be the answer. Personally I don't like to let anything get in the way of a good sleep. However, I love a little music on a quiet evening when the owls are queuing you in. I find a tour to be good musical inspiration and music to be good for the soul. So then the question is how and what to bring. Several easy instrument to bring are the harmonica, recorder or even better a Native American flute (personal opinion). Of those three I would say the easiest to carry would be the harmonica. The best sound would be the Native American flute. I have never carried any of these however I have considered it many times.

Steve Harvell

 My favorite instrument is the guitar. I love to play outdoors on a quiet evening. So this is perfect for the tour however bulky it is. I have been considering sizing down to a ukulele which would be easier to carry but again I would be sacrificing the sound. 

This is a good blog showing how to build a rig to take a guitfiddle on tour..

how to carry a guitar on tour. <-------click

 

Fishing:

I love to fish, so I take a telescopic fishing pole with me when I tour. My tackle usually is a small power-bate jar full of artificial lures and that is all. I keep it simple. I have a few techniques that I have a lot of success with. It always works. I am always willing to teach another but most people I fish with don't like to be taught. They have there way and they believe it is the best. No worries for me, I love catching all the fish.

Art

I have given away many wood carvings from a night at a camp fire. Sometimes I will work on a piece for days and give it to the first person who shows an interest. I really just enjoy creating a little piece of art. And how hard is it to carry a good carving knife, after all it is the same knife that I open my tuna can with. You can see some of my older artwork on the web:

Mark's Web Gallery <-----click

I haven't figured out how to bring all my paints on tour. I don't even know if I would do such a thing but I wouldn't count it out. 

Happy trails everyone!

Out of Sorts and enjoying it.

I am feeling a little out of place. I am not on tour and I currently do not have a plan for one. Don't get me wrong I still have a bucket list and I hope to hit a few in the near future but I usually have a plan or I am planning for the next tour. I suppose that is the difference that it takes to really get out and do it. If I was to say "what is at the top of my bucket list" I would have to say that it is the Katy Trail with my bride of 25 years. There is no better company and we both have the itch to explore the Missouri river territory on bicycle. Today I will just be happy to go fishing with a friend. Oh, the fishing yesterday was fantastically peaceful.

Katy Trail <--------click

Fishing:

Bicycle Touring Gibberish

Bicycle Touring

Bicycle touring is a style of riding that allows you time to see your surroundings. It can be over short and local distances or a complete tour of the world. Your destination can be from Los Angeles to New York or London to South Africa. A long distance tour is essentially a series of short tours. I always try to have a goal in mind at the start of the day. It could be to use every portion of light that the day offers or ride for 3 hours that day and rest your bones at the river crossing. Your days ride could be to get to the outskirts of a city after getting supplies or to get to a harbor and start figuring out how to cross a body of water. Whatever the journey of the day is, it is an adventure with all it's challenges and adversity, it's triumphs and victories, the rewarding can of tuna fish and mango for dinner, and a feeling of fulfillment. At the end of the day no matter where you sleep, roof or canopy, clear or cloudy, there is a blanket of stars above you and worlds without end with endless possibilities before you. May your saddle be soft and your thirst be quenched. Happy riding!

or youtube

Repairs And The Off Tour

After my "Strawberry Loop" tour I have been doing repairs on my bike. I have found mud and grit everywhere even after a good wash in the creek and then a power wash when I got home. I thought that would do the trick, and yet I have replaced the front and back break pads. Also, I disassembled and cleaned front and back derailleurs. I just finished disassembling the rear hub and repacked the bearings (very gritty). I wasn't going to do the front hub but with all the grit I found in the back I think it would be wise to do it sometime this week in between my huge work schedule. Hey It's like getting a new bike. 

A lot of people would just have a bike shop do this but I have the tools (not to pricey on amazon) and I know it will be done right if  I do it myself. If you have never done something like this there are some videos on youtube that can be useful. Sometimes just getting a general idea is enough. 

Rear hub <click here

Front hub<click here

Crank removal<click here

I just got back from San Diego and it was amazing. I am one of those TSA hating Americans. Sometimes I look at those agents and think to myself "this idiot is going to make sure I am safe" as he violates my fourth amendment rights. Well I found that if you are going to be violated than San Diego is the place. It is like the agents there at least knew they were being offensive. These sure are strange times we live in.

The Fourth amendment of the constitution of the united States of America:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

San Diego:

Water fowl and Cheetah slow mo.

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.

T. S. Eliot

Strawberry Loop Video.

Part 1 and part 2 of the Strawberry Loop Video:

Part 1.....click

Part 2....click

Strawberry Loop

Map link to Day 1

Day one is mostly paved uphill riding with the exception of a nine mile stretch on dirt trail along side of the the reservoir.  There is a paved bike trail along side of the Provo river that has an amazing beauty with it's fall colors and the sound of the moving water of the river. The dirt trail starts near the Dam and follows the Heber Creeper on the north side of the reservoir. This trail prohibits all motorized vehicles and the closest road for automobiles is on the other side of the reservoir. This gives this trail an amazing natural silence resembling an earlier America before the invention of the automobile. Perfect for a mountain bike or any bike without a skinny tire. 

The most dangerous part of the trip is the section of hwy 40 heading up Daniel's Canyon. The cars travel that road at high speeds. There are many blind curves and no room for a bicycles in some sections. The sides of the highway are littered with bones and road kill. Apparently there is no room for wild animals either. Not biker friendly!

The rain began to pick up as I road further and further up to Daniel's summit. It was more than likely a hidden blessing because I was forced to put on my rain poncho which is bright yellow and hopefully easy for traffic to see even in the rain.

Joyfully reaching Daniel's summit after relentless rain and non ending uphill I stopped at the general store for a coke and a smile. The store manager was there and I asked him for a good map of the trails near Strawberry reservoir. He had the best map I had ever seen. Even better than the one I forgot in my rush to get out the door. I asked him if I could purchase his map and he just gave it to me. Yeehah! That map proved to be very valuable because nothing is marked very well in the Unitas. 

Passing the 8200 ft summit the rain and wind became too much to handle. My body shivering violently and uncontrollably I decided to pull over and set up a tent. I put an extra tarp over my tent to prevent any leaking problems then crawled into my sleeping bag and was toasty in no time at all. 

What a day! I slept well with the pitter patter of rain drops hitting my tent with an occasional wake up from the sound of distant thunder.

Day 2

Although lacking in distance the rain made this day one of the most difficult days of the trip. Much of the dirt trails in this section were made of clay. The clay was so saturated with rain that in many places is was like riding on a slip-n-slide. This made some of the hills near impossible to climb and nothing short of a prayer and some miracles got me through this section. This would have been much more fun if it was not saturated with moisture. Covered with mud and feeling weary from my beating my achy bones and I reached the final destination of the day as the sun dropped below the mountain. The smell of the sulfurous steam spewing from the stream I had been following was more a sense of relief than an unpleasant odor. What a beautiful sight to see as I entered the hot springs area from the east. The western approach is much more common for day hikers. With the overabundance of precipitation acting as a repellent to the fair weather outdoors-man the experience became a secluded paradise preserving the silence of nature. There wasn't a soul to be found, making the hot springs a delightful sanctuary of peacefulness.

Day 3

No rain that evening. Yeehah! I awoke early the next day and put everything out to dry wile I cleaned and repaired my bicycle and even had some time to soak my bones in the hot springs. Without a soul in site it was quite a relaxing event before heading down the rest of the mountain terrain into Spanish Fork. Just pass the wind farm there is a quaint little burger joint called "The Little Acorn" Where I enjoyed some deliciously warm food and a friendly smile before entering Spanish Fork.

Click here for part 1 of the video.

Part 2 Strawberry Loop....Click

Last chances to ride in my 40s

I wanted to be on bike a tour right now. I tried so hard to make it happen but it was just not meant to be. I was so frustrated when I couldn't make it happen. And then I found out why:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10204884143808945

Surprise!

It is good to be loved!

I did manage to get in a bike ride yesterday and will probably get another one in today. Not as good as a tour, however family first and my family is awesome!

pics from yesterdays ride:

Kitty cats beware. Coyotes are about. At first glance I thought this was a skunk and I felt a little bit of revenge from the skunk attack on my last tour. 

Sunflowers everywhere. 

Single track off the mountain and into the valley.

It does get wider where the ATVs roam.

Sun is on it's way down entering the paved bike trail. Just in time to miss the coyotes. There has been unusual report of them being aggressive with humans over the past few years. I haven't witnessed it myself and find it hard to believe. 

lights on....four more miles. easy peezy lemon squeezy.

Click for video

or 

Here

Clear blue sky with all the perks of a monsoonal nature show.

The thickness of the moisture in the air and spitting out the gnats that come out at dusk make for the air conditioning and popcorn during an incredible electrical light show put on by mother nature. I love the monsoon season. 

Perfect weather for biking as long as it is in the distance. 

Enjoy!

Guided Bicycle Tour

Even though I have now guided a bicycle tour I am still trying to wrap my mind around it. I try to put myself in the shoes of the guided. What could make this more adventurous for them? How can I provide a safe and yet Marco Polo like adventure in a guided tour?  I don't know all the answers but this is my experience. 

"Involvement"

Involvement is key. This may mean you have to carry a few extra items with you. For me that means I will be pulling the BOB trailer. I can usually tote a few more items in the BOB. In this case it was just some obsidian and some flint knapping tools in addition to some jewelry making items. With this were able to make some very nice obsidian arrowhead necklaces. This served as a perfect foreshadowing of what was to come in a few days when we would make atlatls and darts with what was provided by the mountain. 

"Exploring"

What is interesting and unique about the area you will be touring?

There is lots of speculation about this rock carving. Most people believe it is from the Escalante expedition when the Spanish first entered this area. Others believe it is a petroglyph from a local native american tribe and others believe it is much older. It is unique and therefore difficult to ascertain it's origin. 

Here I pored some water on it to make it pop out for the picture. In the spring this is in the middle of a waterfall.

Link to other interesting rock art near the area. Click

"Equipment"

To a committed bicycle tourist good equipment can make a more hassle free trip. As an inexpensive option that works really well is the rig above: $8.00 used kiddy trailer bought from a yard sale stripped down to a flatbed. On it is a strapped on $4.00 used back pack bought at a thrift store. I was surprised how well this rig preformed. Lighter than my BOB and it held up really well even on dirt roads.

One of my favorite pieces of equipment is this light weight tarp. It is made of a parachute material and so it folds up to nearly nothing. here we made it into a really nice canopy at a base camp that we stayed at for a few days. It is amazing what you can make with some sticks and a tarp. On long riding days I have used it to cover my bike and bags. At times I have used it for a shelter which works great in conjunction with my hammock.

The making of an atlatl dart.

Fishing was amazing and much instruction and technique was taught. 

Campfire art.

If video does not play...click here.

Bandits on the Bike Trail

"Do not approach wild animals they can be dangerous"

Ok I get this rule, however the animals are illiterate and must have different rules. Like the time I was ocean kayaking in Monterey and a sea otter comes out of the quiet ocean and lays on my kayak. $10,000 fine for approaching sea otters. "Go away little sea otter"! After he scared the jeebees out of me. Afterward I had to explain to a park ranger that the otter should be fined for approaching me. Luckily he saw it my way. I recently learned that approaching wild bison can be a frightening experience. You can read that in an earlier blog. Sometimes you happenstance a communion with nature. Like the time I was down-hilling over a ridge and came to a sliding stop in the middle of a large heard of deer. Funniest thing; they looked at me and must have realized I was no threat and so they went back to grazing like I was part of the natural terrain. Free climbing one time I was face to face with a coiled up rattle snake. our faces were about twelve inches apart but instead of biting me and sending me to a plummeting death he just slithered away. Yesterday I learned that raccoons do not see well in the day light. Spotting them 50 meters ahead on the bike trail I stopped to obey the non approach rule. OK not really I just didn't want to spook them so I can get a picture.  So, I held perfectly still and it was like I was invisible. They kept getting closer and closer and the next thing I know they are sniffing my leg. I laughed because it tickled and they then scurried off. I think it was a big surprise for them and didn't know what to do at first. Hilarious! 

Other wildlife sightings for this ride include: Swallows diving at me (I was a little to close to the nests), lots of magpies, snakes, and different varieties of ducks in the canal. Soon the sunflowers will be bursting with blooms.

The Thistle. Scotland's national flower. They always remind me of my days in the bonny land.