Hidden Valley Canoeing

A week ago the temperature was 20 degrees cooler, the skies were full of rain clouds, and the wind was howling. The first trip of the summer had been planned for weeks and we were going to carry it out no matter what the circumstances. To our delight, the weather broke and the sun came out in full force for our inaugural weekend of fun in the bus. The temperatures were in the 80's and everything around us was full of life - perfect timing to say the least!



Our group for this trip consisted of 11 paddlers - Jeremy, Tristan, Michael, Peter, Barbara, Brooks, Will, Graham, Harrison, Julian, and myself. Oh yeah, Dignon came along too.



Four of us (Jeremy, Tristan, Michael, and myself) headed out on Friday afternoon and met up with Peter and Barbara near Staunton, VA. The initial paddle was short, which came in handy since it was nearly dark when we hit the water. When we reached the rest of our party at the campsite we promptly pulled out the coolers and began to celebrate the beginning of a fine trip. We all hung out by the fire until late that night, each retiring at different times as the night rolled on.



The next morning we woke up, threw together some breakfast, and then headed down the river. Our trip that day was relatively short and we reached the next campsite before noon.





We spent the remainder of the day exploring the area, fishing, and generally enjoying the abundant nature around us.



That night Jeremy grilled us a fine delicacy - cow heart! You'll have to check his facebook profile for photos of that one.



Our last day was a longer paddle, filled with some fun rapids and walk-around sections. We reached the take-out in the late afternoon and were packed up and ready to roll a couple hours later.





The drive back was as fun as the drive there, through meandering country roads and fun, twisty turns.

Viral Classic

My friend Lori 40 was in the right place at the right time during Slaughterama and caught my tallbike joust on video. It was the only event that I took part in, so I went all out.

Slaughterama 6

Words just can't describe it. Why try?



It's always been the craziest weekend of the year and that simply will never change.



Four days of parties, bikes, and friends.



If you've never been, you should correct that immediately.

BMX Training

Yesterday Sean and I decided to take the big bikes down to the Gilles Creek BMX track. We figured that pushing our mountain bikes around the course would be a challenge in both skill and endurance, and it's definitely more fun than a road ride.



A few of our buds that ride BMX were down there when we arrived. They were surprised to see us with our bikes and immediately wanted to give the track a spin on our heavier, longer, and springier bikes. The result was the same for everyone - one lap around and the rider would return to the start line gasping for air and laughing at the inefficiency of our bikes on that course.

We stuck around for a couple of hours and shot through the track as many times as possible. As the sun began to lower over the horizon we headed back to our homes. The last challenge being the climb from downtown to the Fan District. I was completely drained by the time I reached Belvidere on my 43-pound Glory and have a feeling that the month of April will be a very productive time, assuming that I follow through with this ritual at least two or three times a week.

Home Sweet Home

Now that we've arrived back in Richmond, it's time to get back on the grind. The bus needs some repair and modification, I need to find a workshop and apartment, and my bank account needs a serious infusion of funds.

The trip was great though - an adventure I'll remember for the rest of my life. We racked up 9,788 miles in all, and I've driven the bus 18,144 miles since purchasing it last February. There will be some great trips this summer too, just as long as I can make the most of April in order to prepare the bus for another great season!

Keep an eye on the calendar [below] and send me an email if you'd like to come along on any of our trips. I also hope to have t-shirts for sale soon, so watch for that too.

Asheville (North Carolina)

On Saturday Matt took me on a cross-country ride with a few of his friends. I always count on being exhausted after one of Matt's rides, since he excels in long climbs. I knew this would be an especially tough ride when I noticed that my bike was the heaviest of the group - probably by more than ten pounds.



The ride was great though! The climb was long, but not brutally technical or steep. I had to hike some of the sections, but the company was good and the sights made it all worth it.



The descent was stellar and my bike made up for its weight as it blasted through the rough, rocky trail.



There were a bunch of stream crossings, which supplied a quick challenge to cross.



At one point we crossed paths with a herd of horses. It was strange to see them there, saddled and clearly tamed, without a rider in sight.

Brevard, NC

After a ruckus night in Knoxville, the four of us rolled to our feet and into Sam's Diner for breakfast. With full stomaches and a mere 130 miles ahead of us, the drive to Asheville seemed almost effortless

We pulled into Park's driveway in Brevard, NC in the late afternoon, but with just enough time to squeeze in a ride with Park and Chris. An out-and-back just under a mile from Park's house in the woods. It seems every time I visit Park he's somehow managed to find the most amazing house to live in. The first time it was a small log cabin in the woods. Last summer it was a farmhouse; and this time he's got a small house on more than an acre of land. I'm not sure how he finds these places, but it's always nice getting to visit them.



Last night Park took me to the Brevard Rock Gym. I haven't seriously climbed since I was in the Boy Scouts, but all the kids in the gym pointed me in the right direction. One of the employees, Liz, helped point out some fun routes and good techniques, which I was in dire need of. The gym is mainly all set up for bouldering, so you don't have to wait around to be belayed which is a nice change. It didn't take long for my forearms to completely cramp, but I think that proves that it's time I start climbing regularly. It's tons of fun and one hell of a cross-training technique.

After the gym we walked over to The Square Root where James and Adam were killing the trivia competition. With a team of two, they were in second place. Quite a feat considering that the first place team had about ten team members. When we arrived, we did our best to help, but the questions were getting increasingly difficult. Our score dropped to fourth place, but we rallied at the last second when we wagered it all on the final question, bouncing back into second place overall - a $25 gift card helped pay for our drinks and made second place even sweeter.

The next day Park took me to a secret trail that he was working on and showed me the ropes. The trail was almost invisible and sometimes following the correct path was a challenge.



It was the closest thing to the trails I'd ridden out west. The trail basically consisted of a few jumps and hips following the steep side of a ridge.



Park ruled it and I tried to match him, but my pedals were fighting me due to a broken bar on my Mallets.