I was invited to write about my experience on the Wild West Route in summer of 2018. This route was developed by a wonderful nonprofit, Bikepacking Roots. Bikepacking Roots not only develop great bikepacking routes, but also work hard to educate people about the value of our public lands and advocate for these lands to…
Generosity and Inspiration
Cycletouring opens the heart and the mind; both of the person doing the touring and of those with whom the cycletourist interacts. The kindness of locals and others tourists directed toward me never ceases to amaze me. As a direct result of this generosity, I am always inspired to try and be a more kind…
On Coming Home
When is it time to go home? What does home mean when I have sold all my belongings and own almost nothing but my bicycle and the clothes on my back? These are questions I grappled with back in January, and then much more acutely last week. Before I could fly to Australia in mid-…
Tasmanian Whirlwind
Time here has flown by faster than a Tasmanian Devil! Yes, these are Tasmanian Devils. I haven’t shared this image elsewhere because I have mixed feelings about the conditions under which it was taken. In Huonville I stayed at the only campground in town, it so happened that they also promised Tasmanian Devils, along with…
Show Me the Road Less Traveled.
I knew that the more populated North Island of New Zealand would challenge me in some ways, but I hoped that I would see enough beauty and explore enough wild places that it would be worth it. I can now say that I have experienced it for myself; I’ll save my recommendations for the end,…
Tongariro Crossing
After arriving in National Park via the Mountains to Sea route I rallied to hike the Tongariro Crossing the next day before the good weather window ended. This hike is billed as one of the best day hikes in New Zealand and was the reason I routed myself through National Park. It is a 20km…
Sea to Mountains
One of the “Great Rides” on the North Island of NZ is the Mountains to Sea trail and only a small portion of the “trail” is really single track, with most being quiet country roads. Riding a track with net downhill would be lovely; however, since I am trying to get north for my flight…
Getting Back on the Horse
Ooph! Once a let some time lag it seems overwhelming to start logging again. So much has happened! Do I just skip it all and start with recent events? Or do I try and post a summary? I think I’m going to attempt a summary, let’s see what happens… Technology fail is what happened! I’ve…
Making the Most of Sunny Days
Following days of heavy rain in Greymouth sun was finally forecast. Time to ride! I rose a relatively quiet paved road through farmlands for an afternoon to reach the Waiuta Lodge ($15 advanced registration required) at the well maintained Waiuta gold mine ghost town. The lodge was really a mountain hut, but with electricity and…
Being Still
It’s raining. It’s been raining for about seven days now. Rivers are flooding, bridges all over the island are out. I’m practicing being still. I’m actually quite good at doing nothing, as long as I don’t start concerning myself with the opinions of others and what I “should” be doing. Theoretically the rain and wind…