I find snow to be very comforting. Somehow, when the desolate winter world is suddenly encased in white, it seems a lot less barren and lonely. The night looks a little brighter. Everything feels softer. The sensation of delicate snowflakes hitting my face. The satisfaction of creating the first tracks in fresh powder, whether is …
Despite a dry summer, Pennsylvania has really been delivering on the fall foliage this year. Maybe it's just me, and I'm just outside and noticing it more, but it actually seems like this has been one of the best years for autumn colors in a while. Earlier this week, in Coopers Gap, I was simply in …
I stood, slightly chilly, under the big top tent as the rain poured down outside. My heart was pounding already. My stomach was in a knot. The other ladies all stood in a group, all friends from previous races and events. Most of them raced for the same team. They were all kitted-out, matching bibs …
After a full day of riding at Big Bear, our plan was to hit up Coopers Rocks on Sunday. But discussions with Jeff and Annie left us intrigued about the Davis, WV area. Over post-ride beers at our cabin, we all grew increasingly curious about Moon Rocks, a giant, cratered expanse of rock atop a …
At the grocery store in McHenry, we divided and conquered, spreading to all ends of the store to grab provisions for the weekend. It was then about a half hour drive to Big Bear Lake, where we stopped at the guard shack to grab our key. The other ladies hung out while I dealt with the …
Last year, my friends Tammy, Allison, Carissa, and I started a tradition of a yearly long-weekend mountain bike trip, ladies only. All of us ride with the guys all the time, which is awesome (I'm usually not really one for girls-only stuff anyway), but we thought it would be fun to do our own trip …
Summer evenings are my favorite. The heat fades, the sun becomes less intense, and, my favorite piece of all, it's light until 9pm (or later, around the solstice). I love daylight. When I was in Alaska in the summer and it was light almost all the time, it was heaven. I know they make lights …
Evan and I have three days off together, in a row. This is a rare occasion. We had originally planned to go on a touring trip on our tandem, but the week snuck up on us and we failed to make some important arrangements, like finding someone who would take care of our very needy dog …
Last weekend, I was in Georgia, where I spent 4 days riding mountain bikes and hanging out with a lot of cool people who also work in the industry. The significance of this trip was not only that it was a lot of fun. It was also one of my first expenses-paid "work" trips as a writer. This …
Continue reading "Georgia has hills, and other things I learned at the #MaxxisSummit"
This past weekend, our friend Jeff hosted his annual winter party. I had planned to ride my bike there, as it's a really nice ride that usually takes about an hour or so. Perfect. Then early last week I looked at the weather forecast. The high on Saturday was supposed to be 10 degrees. By …
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