every day's an adventure
I have a special place in my heart for this bike. I will never get rid of it. Evan built this bike for me shortly after I started mountain biking again in 2013, with a small frame that had been sitting around the shop where he worked at the time and a lot of random …
I've had my eye on the Allegheny Front Trail (AFT) lately. I'm not sure why it in particular has garnered my attention over all the other great central Pennsylvania hiking trails --- maybe it's the proximity to Evan's new workplace and our general newly found interest in the Black Moshannon area, maybe it's its attainable …
For the past couple of months, Evan and I have been sharing a vehicle because we both seem to have terrible car luck and his truck has a mystery issue that has us running around to different mechanics and spending too much money. Unfortunately, both our jobs are far enough away that commuting by bike …
Winter camping is not for the faint of heart. Especially not winter bike camping. You ride all day, get sweaty (read: cold when you stop), then need to try to stay warm all night using only what you can carry on your bike. Then wake up in the morning and ride some more. But there's …
Continue reading "Always forward: A weekend of biking and camping in the Pine Creek Gorge."
Conditions were absolutely perfect. The gravel roads had seen heavy snowmobile use since the snowstorm Saturday night, resulting in a packed highway for our fatbikes. It was cold -- in the low 20s -- but calm. I heated up quickly on the climb, opening up my vest and stuffing my heavy gloves in my stem …
As I emerge into openness, the wind whips across the grassy landscape and burns my cheeks. I've been climbing for a while and, as evidenced by the wall ahead, still have a while to go. But behind me, I'm beginning to see the valley far below, proof of my labors. I'd started from my office …
A couple weeks ago, I rode 212 miles from my house in central Pennsylvania to my in-law's house in the suburbs outside Philadelphia. If you missed the post about my experience, check that out here. I got a lot of questions about my bike setup, what gear I took, and how I fueled myself throughout …
I knew around mile 50 that, barring anything catastrophic happening, I would make it. The first quarter of the ride flew by. Evan and Shannon joined me for the initial 10 miles, then left me to fly solo as I headed due south down Rt. 522. The sun was dropping, the clouds turning pink and …
Continue reading "Unks to Tinker Hill: My first solo double century."
It's a little after 1 am and I just started my second leg of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail Relay. It's drizzling and temps are in the 40s. Leaves cover the trail and the smells of autumn, heightened by the dampness in the air, waft into my nostrils. My hamstrings are tight and my knee aches. …
Three years ago, Evan and I rode 200 miles from Huntingdon, PA to his parents house near Phoenixville, PA, just west of Philly. We did it on a tandem, in one shot, through the night. Ever since, I've wanted to do the ride again, but on my own. So when we decided to go to the …
