Tour de SSWC09

I'm still recovering. The full report is here though. I was gone all last week on the Tour de SSWC09. What an awesome week it was...in so many varied ways.

I left on the Greyhound bus for Grand Junction at noon on Saturday the 12th. I stayed in GJ Saturday night and left early Sunday morning on the Hunter, as a singlespeed and with full mountain touring gear, for Durango. I had no idea how many miles it was, or how long it would take me, but I knew the general route (and I mean general). I'd never ridden any sections of the Tabeguache Trail, or the San Juan Hut system route on the Uncompaghre Plateau, so I had a bit of trepidation going into this tour all alone. I had my Spot Tracker, my mojo pony Snappy, and 5 days worth of food and supplies to survive in any weather condition I may encounter, but I still had no idea what was before me. Yeah, sounds cool, but it was also a little bit scary.

It went much better than I had expected, even with a bit of unsettled weather especially at night. All said and done, it took me 4 rather FULL days to get to Durango - approximately 250 miles total. I rode 80 miles the 1st day, around 50 the second, and 60 on the last two days.

Looking back, it'd be great to have a riding partner or two, but going solo gave me a chance to really face any issues I may have with myself and to just BE in my head and go my own pace. I didn't talk to anyone, or hear anyone talk for 3 full days. I just heard the sounds of my surroundings and my thoughts. There's something about that that clears the head. Resets the mind to zero (compress to state zero for you GIS folk.) It makes returning to sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day more tolerable and challenging at the same time. It really made me appreciate what I have at home. I'm very lucky to be able to do this kind of adventure. Helped by the huge support from the family and also that I can take the time off and ride my bike to see these things without turning any car keys is truly incredible.

As for the tour, I'd have liked to ride the first part of Tabeguache and camped in Dominguez Canyon somewhere. I'd have liked to do more local knowledge research so I could've ridden some of the local singletrack on the Uncompaghre Plateau (assuming it hasn't been double-wided by ATVs). Divide Road was nice, but I'm sure there's a singletrack way to get to the same endpoint. But for a first trip in the area, it was near perfect. Hunters, cows, and some intense weather aside, it was an amazing experience that I'll never be able to repeat. This was my longest tour so far, and I have only thoughts of "what next?"

Riding alone, and being alone for that long I did learn a bit about myself. I learned that I have trouble stopping. Stopping riding or being active that is. I just want to keep moving once I get going. I'd always look for a better campsite, or think I could find the next water source just a little bit down the trail. So I'd keep riding and end up getting stressed that it was getting dark and starting to rain while I was trying to find and set up camp. I did better as the tour went on though. Once I stop, I'm happy as can be. But getting me to stop and just sit there is a task sometimes. I love kicking by the campfire reading a book with a pint of suds or cup o tea. But my brain needs to learn to say "when" better.

Like I've always known, but not lived up to, is that my dogs can teach me how to live - in the moment.
I want to learn to wake up like Jessica Guppie, who is as happy and ready for the day, EVERYday, as she was the last.
I want be more like Basie, the Woodle, who flops down on his walks to soak it all in whenever he feels like it. I want to stop, look, and listen, just because I can, more.

The Monkey. I cried as I rode several times as I envisioned The Monkey trotting alongside me on my ride. I have put her death out of my head since it happened back in June. There's always something else to keep the mind occupied if you push those thoughts aside. But everything about her life and death came rushing back in when I had time to myself with no distractions. I'm not sure what it all means, but I know I miss her more than I've ever missed anything in my life. I hope she really is running alongside me on my explorations into the woods. I know that's what she'd call Heaven, and I'd have to agree.

Singlespeed World Championships. Wow. What a freaking blast. I may be a hermit, but that was the funnest weekend of parties and events that I've ever been to (except perhaps the old Intergalactic SS Championships and Tour de Deweys!). The crew down in Durango put on an amazing event and it's given me new found hope into this clique of cycling. There were no powertaps, no heart rate monitors that I could see. Just a bunch of (almost one thousand) crazy singlespeeders dressed in all kinds of costumes and on all kinds of bikes with one gear having a good time while a few of us tried to win a tattoo. I want to go next year and do a repeat of this year's style journey - tour New Zealand and then race.

Anyways, here's a picture show of all I could take of the Tour and SSWC. I didn't get as many pictures of the SSWC as I didn't have my camera handy at all times, and part of the time it was dark, but for more go see Frank's slideshow at Singletrack.com or Greg's journal at Velonews.
And be sure to check out this interview! We're proud of our young Pilots!