adventure daily.
If you missed them, catch Part 1 here and Part 2 here! I forced myself out of my sleeping bag as morning's first light was creeping in the tiny window of the RV. A conversation ensued in my head: I am so tired... I should sleep a while longer... I need it... This is your …
Catch Part 1 here if you missed it! Sleep didn't come easily. After my first race lap, my adrenaline was skyrocketing, but I wanted to try to get some amount of rest before I'd have to head back out for lap two sometime between 3 and 5 am. There were still a few teammates who …
The sun was just setting as I began my first lap, casting shades of orange across the sky and bathing the desert in a beautiful warm light. I was excited to finally be on my bike after an afternoon of waiting for my teammates to complete their laps, and I was gunning to see just …
An interesting conversation ensued between a friend and I a couple weeks ago as we were in the car driving home from a ride. I mentioned how I was glad she was willing to ride with me again -- at times in the past she said that she felt too out of shape to do …
It was 60 degrees in February, a perfect opportunity to make the most of the waning light of the day by riding my bike home. I got to work early and managed to leave at 3:30, squeezing in some time pedaling in full sun before it got low on the horizon. The clothes I'd brought …
Continue reading "20 commutes in 2020 — #2: Unseasonable warmth."
I was sure glad I had studs because Kepler was a sheet of ice. Not a smooth sheet, but one that had been churned up by car tires and turned by the daily freeze-thaw cycle into a jumble of babyhead-sized lumps. It was like riding on slippery cobbles. I knew it would be a little …
This year, I'd like to bike to or from work at least 20 times. This sounds like a very "low hanging fruit" goal -- especially considering how much I ride -- except for the fact that last year I know that I did it less than 10. For those who don't know of my bike …
A couple weeks ago, Evan mentioned that he caught wind of a new snowmobile route from Prince Gallitzin State Park to Black Moshannon State Park, traversing the Allegheny Front through mostly Game Lands on a mix of dirt roads and doubletrack trails. We did some research and found a GPX file. Time to go explore. …
Continue reading "On the Allegheny Front: Sandy Ridge to Blandburg"
I love really cold runs. I'm not sure what it is about getting outside and exercising in the frigid air that is so exhilarating. Maybe it's the empowerment it brings to have beaten the temptation to stay hunkered down in a warm house. Maybe it's the fact that everything looks and feels so crisp. All …
The wind blew so hard that I was scared if I let go of the railing I might actually be swept off the small metal platform I was standing on. I'm not one for heights, and as I'd climbed towards the top of this fire tower, I felt my stomach turn a few times. Don't …
Continue reading "Fire towers and friends with a side of history."
helena kotala 