Life is a journey, not always happy or sad but always interesting. Join me as we travel the winding road via this blog, on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/mabryatpinnacol), and on Instagram (@davidmabry).
With apologies to Bill Bryson's beloved book "A Walk in the Woods" I humbly submit that right up there with a glorious stroll through Mother Nature is the chance to see her creations from the saddle of a mountain bike. I'm fortunate to spend a fair amount of time in the little town of Leadville, Colorado which offers extraordinary scenery as well as an abundance of ways to enjoy it on two wheels.
My wife is not a particular fan of mountain biking finding it sometimes physically and technically overwhelming to ride trails that routinely top elevations over 12,000 feet, grades of 15+ percent and sketchy descents that make you wish you'd brought a parachute.
Leadville hosts numerous challenging events through the summer, including the LT 100 MTB race that sees thousands of riders come to test their mettle riding hither and yon over some spectacular Rocky (emphasis on the rocky) Mountain terrain. This time of year the Leadville trails are still fairly quiet, especially mid-week and I truly love being able to enjoy them while not in a testosterone-induced frenzy. I've often wondered why there are not more organized mountain bike rides rather than races. I enjoy the chance to pit myself against my fellow competitors as much as the next guy (or gal) but slowing down to truly look around and smell the wild roses along the trail remain among my most cherished rides.
Last night I took a sunset ride along parts of the LT100 mountain bike and LT100 running routes but at a far more leisurely pace. For 24 miles I had the trail completely to myself. No cars, no people, just glorious trail leading me - no, pulling me, over the next rise in anticipation of what was around the next bend.
Mind you, to my wife's point, this wasn't the easiest of rides and I had to push, rather than ride, my two wheeled companion up some steep terrain but unlike in a race I made sure to stop and enjoy the views from the overlooks, to take in the contrast of the
green forest canopy against the blue Colorado sky, and take pictures to enjoy when the snows of winter come as I think back on this ride.
For those of you familiar with the Colorado high country you know that late June into July is the height of wildflower season and on last night's ride the sides of the trail were awash in the reds, whites, yellows, blues, and purples of thousands of flowers as far as the eye could see.
The LT100 mountain bike race doesn't happen until early August and sadly by the time those riders roll these same trails the flowers will be long gone. Perhaps that is just as well as who would even notice amidst the constant clamor of "On your left!". Dare to stop for 30 seconds to take a picture and a hundred riders would pass you by. But the images from this and other rides, taken at a far slower pace, are among those I'll cherish for a lifetime.
When the temp hits 95 and the humidity feels like a Colorado thunderstorm and the asphalt stretches interminably into the hazy distance the perspiration flows more quickly than the passing miles beneath our wheels. Inevitably during any long tour there comes a challenging point where you question why you are out there, pounding the pedals, while the locals are all comfortably ensconced in the air-conditioned comfort of their homes and automobiles. Perhaps that's why fools like me, along with the several hundred other cyclists out here keeping me company, ride in the first place. To overcome those challenging moments. And for riders this week when the going gets tough they just have to look around for Sharon.
Sharon Roggenbuck is a lot of inspiration when the perspiration really starts to flow. 78 years young Sharon is a World Class triathlete who started swimming, biking, and running when she was 40. Since then she's amassed more than her share of podium finishes and is looking forward to the upcoming world's in Australia. When she first started tri'ing she did the swim segment sidestroke and borrowed one of her kid's bikes for the cycle portion.
My wife Sophie Chats with Sharon
Sharon is ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) certified as well as a spinning ang group exercise instructor. Still going strong on her titanium steed you'd best not dawdle lest you want to get left in Sharon's dust. And should (when...) that happen its the perfect chance to mix a little inspiration with that ever-present perspiration.
Jimmy Buffet knows his way around a song and his Changes in Latitude is no exception. Last year at this time we were on our way to Alaska having just made it to Dawson Creek which is the start of the Alaska Highway. Dawson Creek sits at 55 degrees North Latitude while Springfield, MO, where we spent the night two nights back, is at an almost tropical (just kidding) 37 degrees North. Since, for the math inclined out there, each degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles, that's a difference of some 1,240 miles. The difference in attitude, as Mr. Buffet points out, is considerably greater.
A year ago I had just retired from my employer, Pinnacol Assurance, and was anxious to hit the road after being a desk jockey for too many years.
In Dawson Creek this morning it's 50 degrees but 'down' here in Missouri it's a balmy 70 with temps heading towards the low 90's. As we had headed north through Wyoming and Montana last year we had seen a fair number of Trump/Pence signs and in a month we'd be taking a picture for a couple of avid Trump supporters at the Artic Circle. Who knew then that in less than a year Mr. Trump would actually eke out a win and take office as President.
We had visited in Montana a World War II Japanese internment camp and I had contrasted that against Mr. Trump's demand to build a wall. While the physical wall on our southern border may never materialize, there are plenty of walls that have been erected between Americans. Used to be when a political party lost an election they'd huff and puff but then quiet down safe in the belief that in another election cycle their candidate would prevail as the American political pendulum inevitably swung back and forth. This time the wounds and divisions seem longer lasting and only time will tell if we can ever regain our balance as the UNITED States of America.
What's any of this have to do with heading South for a bike ride? Probably not much but as we've been riding now for two days, and I'm admittedly a little tired and cranky, we've seen a lot of Trump posters still up down here so it drives home how much Mr. Trump, love him or hate him, has already changed the world. I hope he can help the country come back together. As Mr. Trump's predecessor, Abraham Lincoln, once said, a house divided cannot stand.
Our route is taking us through countryside adjacent to the New Madrid earthquake fault and last night we had a speaker tell us more about the massive quakes from 1811-12. His real message though was how unprepared the area is should a similar quake hit today. There are more than 50 million folks in harm's way. As much as Mr. Trump's victory jolted the political landscape even his historic win pales compared to what Mother Nature can do. And as the speaker pointed out, the New Madrid fault shifts in about 140 year cycles so the area we are riding through is overdue for the next big shake.
All this is too much to ponder for this tired cyclist. Today's 72 long, hot and windy miles ending in Paragould, Arkansas has plum tuckered me out. Now if I could only find that lost shaker of salt. Whoops, sorry Mr. Buffet, wrong song.
Having been home from my Arizona and San Diego trip for a month or so my feet started itching for the road that beckons so it's off again. This time my wife Sophie and I are headed east, bike (tandem) in tow, to do the Ride the Fault Line bicycle tour. Over a week's worth of riding we'll pedal almost 400 miles in four states (Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky) along a route highlighting the New Madrid earthquake fault. I don't think California has a "Ride the San Andreas Fault" probably because they are still waiting on the 'big one' to hit. The New Madrid Fault is way ahead of the anxious dudes and dudettes out west as the midwest's 'big one' (actually a series of three quakes - December 16, 1811, January 23, 1812, and January 23, 1812) happened more than a hundred years ago with magnitudes of 7.5 to 7.9 and they remain the most powerful quakes to hit the contiguous United States east of the Rocky Mountains in recorded history. They were named after the town of New Madrid which was close to the epicenter. New Madrid at the time was part of the Louisiana Purchase but now is in the great 'Show Me' state of Missouri. The quakes were felt over approximately 50,000 sq. miles while by comparison the 1906 San Francisco quake rumbled over about 6,200 sq. miles. Fortunately, since the Louisiana Purchase was still sparsely populated so few people were impacted. If the quakes had happened more recently, given the area's current population one can only imagine the damage they would do. Hopefully the folks at in Cali have to wait a long, long time for anything like them.
The Salina, KS KOA has aWizard of Oz theme
Of course to bike 400 miles over the course of 7 days we'll end up spending 6 days (3 coming, 3 going home) and driving almost 2,000 miles but for those of you who are cycling fanatics you'd agree that was a fair exchange. We've been staying at KOA campgrounds, last night in Salina, KS and tonight in Springfield, MO. Both KOA's have been delightful but the Springfield campground is really, really nice and also far removed from the closest highway. As I'm writing this I'm sitting on a nice umbrella-covered patio by our cabin listening to birds chirp and flags flap. I'll take that any day compared to the roar of trucks rumbling down the road at 75 mph.
It doesn't get much more comfortable than this.... Wait, where's
The pool?
Tomorrow we'll be in Sikeston, MO where the ride begins and I'm looking forward to trading a car seat for a bike one. It's finally June which means 100 degree temps and almost equal humidity so this Colorado boy is going to be sweating like a pig. Several years ago we biked the Katy Trail which goes from Clinton, MO to St. Charles and I've never been so hot in all my days. Hopefully the Ride the Fault won't' outdo that but we'll soon find out!
Leaving Arizona I was excited to trade the desertscapes for some seascapes in San Diego, California. As a child I grew up for a very short time in Northern California in Marin County and have been to San Diego as an adult before but visiting there is still a treat. San Diego, and Southern California in general, is a wonderful place although I find it hard to wrap my arms completely around its unique lifestyle. For people-watching though it's hard to beat. Having worked in Human Resources for a time I found myself constantly fascinated by the mix and blend of behaviors along the coast this Spring.
My wife Sophie and I stayed at a place called "Campland on the Bay" and it is indeed located on beautiful Marina Bay which is minutes away from the coastal beaches as well as a short drive (or bike ride!) from downtown San Diego. Sophie was in town for this year's American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) conference and I had used that, and the fact that San Diego is only a five hour drive from Phoenix, as an excuse to tag along.
Campland on the Bay is an all-inclusive RV campground and if you were so inclined you'd never have to leave. They have their own beach, swimming pools, game rooms, restaurant, store, boat rentals, etc. And every night at 11:30 they come over the speakers reminding folks that it's now quiet hours, a very pleasant change from the sometimes rowdy late night behavior I had experienced at Lake Pleasant in Arizona. But as nice as COTB is, the real attractions lie outside its gates on the public beaches, boardwalks, and other destinations this part of the country offer.
"Good Rhino..."
One of our first jaunts was to Safari Park, an offshoot of the world famous San Diego Zoo. Located in Escondido the Safari Park is a wild animal preserve primarily featuring African big game traipsing around in somewhat similar habitat to their original homes. Sophie, as a child, had visited the Park after it had just opened many years (45) ago when visitors would drive their own vehicles through the preserve but with today's crowds they now shuttle you on open-top buses where you can get up close and personal with the resident fauna. I've actually been to Africa but I had never had the chance to feed a Rhinoceros or Giraffe by hand, both things you can do at the Safari Park. We saw a lot of baby animals including Sharifa, a baby Giraffe born the day before we visited, who was already walking around exploring her new home. Now, I'm a little suspect of any place that names (personifies) animals who I respect enough in their own right that I don't think they need human monikers attached, but the Safari Park turned out to be a fun day worth the visit and the very hefty (this is Southern California folks) admission price.
Of course no one heads to San Diego without wanting to go to the ocean and with our trusty bike steeds beneath us we explored beaches, boardwalks, and attractions from Coronado Island to La Jolla. There are beaches galore - Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Imperial Beach - and all the ones we visited were extremely clean and seemed family friendly. And for those with furry companions, there are even dog beaches. The beaches all seemed to have well-equipped lifeguards driving some very nice rescue vehicles. Just offshore there were the requisite surfers, windsurfers, kite surfers, and body boarders while on the warm sands were the ubiquitous beach volleyball players and sunbathers. I'm happy to report that this year's swimwear for the ladies is scantier than ever ("David!!! Keep your eyes on the bike path!") and the Southern California women seem to have worked out hard over the winter months to be in good shape to model the latest fashion trends. Thank you ladies, your efforts were very much appreciated!
Aah! Love, beachfront weddings
and no limit on your Mastercard...
Priceless!
Now I have to admit that my pocketbook doesn't allow me to partake in all the things Southern California has to offer including the Hotel Del Coronado which appropriately enough is on the beach on Coronado Island. Still the epitome of luxury, when it opened in 1888 it was the largest resort hotel in the world. I've hinted that Southern California may perhaps be prone to excess but even the sand castles take it to the extreme on this island's beach. On our next visit we'd like to stay at this beautiful resort. With rates "from" $289/night this is a bucket list item that we'll be saving our pennies (and nickels, dimes, and quarters) for. Coronado Island also hosts some great recreational cycling as well as restaurants and shopping and is a short ferry ride (or car drive across the Coronado Bridge) from downtown San Diego.
San Diego is also home to more museums than I can count but with every visit I try to check out at least one. This year, while Sophie was slaving away at her conference I took in the San Diego Maritime Museum adjacent to the Broadway Pier. This particular museum has an eclectic assortment of vintage sailing ships along with two submarines. I love working with wood and put me on a sailing ship where you can smell the varnish and be blinded by the sunlight shining off the brightwork and I'm in hog heaven. The Maritime Museum is also one of the less expensive museums and for an additional small fee you can also take a 45 minute ride on a pilot boat around the San Diego Harbor where you'll see lots of naval ships, yachts and sailing ships, and even see Navy Seals conducting their small-boat training.
Biking in San Diego is at times fun and at times challenging. The city has its share of bike paths as well as bike routes along some pretty high traffic roads. Even Google Maps got lost a couple of times while we were out riding but sometimes that's when you discover the most interesting things. And riding on the boardwalks (yes, the boardwalks are open to not just pedestrians but cyclists, roller bladers, skateboarders, runners, and any other form of non-motorized conveyance you can think of) is truly an experience and a test of one's bike handling skills. Crowds are a part of the San Diego experience whether you are on foot, on bike, or in a car. I think some of the surfers patiently floating offshore are actually out there more for the relative solitude than waiting for the perfect wave.
Yup... Just happy to be here!
A trip to this part of the country is a journey into sensory overload and it will take some time to fully digest this year's San Diego/SoCal visit. As much traveling as I have done the more I realize how lucky I am to live in Colorado and as much as I'll miss the sights and sounds of my California Dreaming it will be nice to finally get home.
Now where'd I leave that winter parka?
Fresh sea air, great museums, and beautiful weather...
Tough to go wrong in San Diego!
Spring Training is over for 2017 and the baseball teams are making their way back to their home stadiums across the country full of eager hopes and dreams for the soon to start regular season. Having worked the final game yesterday between the KC Royals and the Texas Rangers, which perhaps fittingly ended in a 0-0 tie, I turned in my shirts, punched out and am heading toward my next destination of San Diego. My wife Sophie has an ASCM (American College of Sports Medicine) annual conference she'll be attending but we'll also get to spend some time together sightseeing and relaxing.
A special thank you to Chris, Danny, Bob, Larry, Griselda, Sue, Nadine, Shoey, and all the rest of the Aramark 2017 Spring Training crew. It was quite an experience! Though the names will slowly blur with time the friendliness of this great group of folks will not soon be forgotten.
At the end of yesterday's game there was a celebration for the "Sundancers", the volunteer group that act as ushers, parking attendants, and general help around the stadium during games. Founded in 2002 the group boasts more than 750 members and raises charitable donations supporting area youth-related programs and projects. In 2016 the Surprise Sundancers gave out more than $200,000 in college scholarships. I don't know if I'll ever reside in the area but if I did this is a group I'd love to be a part of. When
Sundancers pose for their 2017 end of
Season picture at Surprise Stadium
my wife was down visiting me a week or so ago she was 'adopted' by one of the Sundancer volunteers by the name of Melvin during one of the games. He couldn't have been nicer to her and for that and all the larger group does, many thanks.
They say it's a small world and yesterday I had Sara B., another Pinnacol retiree, swing by and say hi during the game. She and her family were down enjoying a couple of games and the excuse to escape the cold wet weather at home in Denver. She had retired after 30 years with Pinnacol and was looking fresh and rejuvenated as it seems a lot of Pinnacol retirees appear. Sarah had been a Sr. Underwriter at Pinnacol, something I would have loved to be if I hadn't gotten called to the 'dark side' 😉 of Human Resources way back when.
A word to the wise for future fans planning on coming to Spring Training. If you want Spring Training gear - hats, shirts, pins, etc. - try to attend games early in the season. The merchandise ordered for Spring Training's run of six weeks is gone when gone. Yesterday's final game saw all merchandise discounted 40% but fans were selecting from what little merchandise remained. Some seemed surprised at how little was left, especially of Royals gear, but a 2017 Spring Training shirt isn't worth much at the start of the 2018 season so Aramark, the retail vendor at Surprise Stadium, had been careful not to over-order.
So that's it from Surprise Spring Training 2017. Thanks for bearing with me through this chronicle and I hope to see you on down the road!
Today's game at Surprise Stadium featured the Colorado Rockies taking on, and unfortunately losing to, the Texas Rangers.
Driving back to Lake Pleasant afterwards the weather in the distance looked a little foreboding and soon enough the first scattered drops began to fall. Reaching the campground the skies let loose with what was my first Thunderstorm of the year complete with thunder, lightning, and even a little bit of hail. The desert never ceases to surprise. So for those where the precipitation is still white and cold this video is for you. Stay warm and dry wherever you may be!
