Everyday » Outdoors

AZ January

Mary Lynn — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:31:45 +0000

Desert living is good. After much searching, Tim and I found the perfect trifecta – free peaceful, desert camping with killer sunsets, 5 bars of bandwidth, bike trails out the front door. Where does this seemingly impossible working mountain biker’s utopia exist? Just North of Tucson in an area called Old Pueblo there is a an annual 24 hour bike race. In these cactus covered foothills, bikers have developed over 25 miles of trails through AZ ranch pastures. Since it’s all public land, any one can camp for free with an Arizona State Lands permit. Here Tim and I settled in for 5 days of working and riding.

Brie and Auntie Me

Finally on Friday, we came out of the desert, cleaned off the sand, and went to town to see the Wilmore clan. We hooked up with Brett, Peg, Joe, Brittany, Timmy, SeungCheol (visiting foreign exchange student) and 2 of SeungCheol’s fellow students for a hike up to Bridal Veil Falls.

Douglas Springs

Hanging with Timmy in the desert

The day wrapped up with an insanely good meal at Takamatsu for Korean BBQ. SeungCheol and the boys did a lot of the ordering so we assured to have the best. Each table has a grill in the center where you grill your own meat and vegetables. At our table, Tim, Brittany and Bernie (Brie’s best buddy) got all-you-can-eat sushi, Joe and I grilled up ribeye, pork belly, and marinated pork with all the Korean fixin’s. We walked out stuffed. Once the kids settled in for the night, Brett, Peg, Tim and I decided the best way to top an night of BBQ was a visit to Dunkin’ Donuts for a donut and a coffee. All the calories burned during our week in the desert were replenished in one night. We topped the donuts with martinis at the Hideout. The bouncers were very pleased when we offered them donuts from our supply on our way out.

Next day we packed up to begin our drive North. Our ultimate destination is Park City for 429apalooza. We are taking the leisurely route, with a 4 day side trip to Scottsdale to see Ann and Scott. On our way, we stopped to take advantage of Scott’s Christmas present: one session for Tim and I in a Skydiving Simulation Chamber. Crazy. Thankfully we had an instructor in there with us or we’d have been blown through the roof!

Tim's heading up

and up...

My turn

We'll learn this trick on our next lesson

The next stop on the journey towards snow and ice was Friday night in Vegas. We had to stop in to place some Superbowl bets. We arrived to the Mandalay Bay parking lot at about 11 pm and walked into the casino. 5 hours later we returned to Frank only $30 dollars poorer (thanks to some offsetting wins at the black jack table), full of chicken and margs.

Vegas Stopover

Saturday morning, we hightailed it out of Vegas (1 night is enough!) and settled at our favorite camp spot outside of Hurricane. In 20 hours we managed to squeeze in 2 bike rides down the JEM trail before driving to SLC. We’ll spend the next 3 days with Jimmie and Keri Shell-Schwab before the 429ers arrive on Thursday. Thank you to the snow gods who are ensuring that it will once again be an epic weekend!

Posted from .

68 Miles of Sweet Singletrack: Black Canyon Trail, AZ

Tim — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:55:48 +0000

There’s a good argument to be made that you cannot find a longer or more continuous stretch of singletrack than the Black Canyon Trail in Arizona. Both Rob & I had ridden sections and after camping for the week at Table Mesa Trailhead, we decided to tackle the entire 68 miles on one of the shortest days of the year. We had to hustle, but we got it done!

Sunrise Start

The trail is was designed by IMBA and completed over the past 5 years. There are small sections that are not yet complete or involve jeep/ATV double-track, but these are less than 5% of the total mileage. 95% of the trail is singletrack, and it’s all good. Even in the descent from 4,000 foot elevation start near Prescott, AZ to 2,000 feet end on the Carefree Highway north of Phoenix, there is still 5,000 vertical feet of climbing.

Finding Singletrack

It’s difficult to choose a favorite, but I would choose the section between Black Canyon City and Table Mesa (despite the significant climbing, which hurt on this ride). The ‘Skyline’ section and descent to to the Aqua Fria river would be my recommendation.

Bumble Bee Trailhead - Mile 25

We completed the trip in 9 hours and 30 mins, with a little bit of daylight to spare. We started at 7:30 a.m. and finished around 5:00 p.m. Here are the statistics:

Total distance: 113.75 km (70.7 mi)
Total time: 9:31:05
Moving time: 8:20:36
Min elevation: 472 m (1549 ft)
Max elevation: 1276 m (4188 ft)
Recorded: 12/23/11 7:13 AM

68 Miles of Singletrack - Black Canyon Trail, AZ

Table Mesa Trailhead

Sunrise on the Black Canyon Trail

Posted from GRAND CANYON, Arizona, United States.

Wire Pass / Buckskin Gulch

Tim — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:54:05 +0000

The High Water Mark in Buckskin Gulch

Posted from Kanab, Utah, United States.

Little Creek Loops

Tim — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:25:08 +0000

We spent the weekend camped on Little Creek Mesa exploring the many miles of slickrock and rim riding.

Riding Little Creek

2 Loops - Main Loop and North Loops

Gooseberry Mesa

Posted from Hurricane, Utah, United States.

The Narrows – Zion National Park

Tim — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:53:37 +0000

With Bracken and Amy in the Zion Narrows

View on Flickr

Posted from Hurricane, Utah, United States.

“Montana. It’s everything Colorado thinks it is.”

Mary Lynn — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 03:04:03 +0000

And so we continue our Montana escapades. After the honeymoon, Tim and I settled down to clean the inboxes and catch up after 2 weeks of the best times 2 people could have with their most loved friends and family.

Monday we decided to see downtown Whitefish (Stumptown) MT, and discovered the superb Montana Coffee Traders. With good coffee in hand, we worked throughout the day and then drove into the Flathead National Forest, a few miles from Tally Lake. Our goal was good cell service and we actually found passable connections high in the hills. Here we stayed for 2 days, exploring the backroads and the shores of fiord-like Talley Lake, the deepest natural lake in Montana at 492 feet.

Deep Blue Talley Lake

By midweek, we returned to town for better cell reception for meetings. This time we settled down in Kalispell, Whitefish’s slightly more industrial neighbor. While here we made a regrettable mistake. We went to Verizon to upgrade our USB modem, the life blood of connectivity when we’re in the backcountry. We were talked into the new MiFi instead. My recommendation? Don’t do it. Run away. We are planning on returning ours as soon as we can.

With subsequently reduced bandwidth capabilities, we spent our next days in town and our nights in the mountains. Tim rode the rolling Ried Divide Trail and came out of the 22 mile ride grinning from ear to ear.

Beautiful Days in Whitefish

Friday, we called our new friends from Glacier, Leslie and Ryan, for a bike ride. They showed us the local Whitefish Trail which winds through the hills around Whitefish Lake. It was a great time capped off with IPA’s and burgers at Haskill Station. We are very much looking forward to their next visit to Jackson.

While we traded notes over dinner, they told us that we had to ride Big Mountain (Whitefish Mountain Resort) to get the best views of the valley. So Saturday morning, Tim and I got on our bikes and pedaled the 8 miles to the top.

Whitefish Panorama from the top of Whitefish Resort

Glad to be at the top

As we cruised back down the much enjoyed downhill, we had to stop for Big Mountain’s most unusual trail marker. It brought to mind a favorite Montana quote….

“In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing. We lived at the junction of great trout rivers in western Montana, and our father was a Presbyterian minister and a fly fisherman who tied his own flies and taught others. He told us about Christ’s disciples being fishermen, and we were to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman.”

Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

Apparently the confusion carries over to skiing as well. Jesus lives halfway up Big Mountain.

Knights of Columbus Shrine on Big Mountain

Tim tears down Whitefish Mountain Resort

That night we got back into Frank to find another area lake. We drove miles of gravel road to reach Ashley Lake and some exceptional free camping at the Ashley Lake Campground. Here we settled in for a relaxing Saturday night off the grid with pressure cooker BBQ to celebrate the last days of summer.

Ashley Lake views

Sun sets over Ashley Lake

On Sunday we finally bid goodbye to Northern Montana after 2 weeks of exploration and drove south to Flathead Lake. We’re now driving I90 on our way home towards Jackson – actually watching Monday Night Football live on our phone as we click off highway miles (ok I am watching, Tim has his eyes on the road). It’s a big leap from off the grid to total connectivity.

Posted from Butte, Montana, United States.

The Road Life – Why do we do it?

Tim — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:50:10 +0000

Met some new friends in El Paso yesterday and they shared this video project that is trying to capture why life on the road is so simple and valuable. Please support them if you agree!

Can’t wait to see the final product and hope to see ‘em on the road…

Posted from Tucson, Arizona, United States.

Afternoon Rides Continue – Ridge Trail

Tim — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:14:44 +0000

This ride is hands-down now the best single-track descent in the valley. With the addition of the final length of trail eliminating the old double-track, it’s every bit worth the climb up the new Arrow and Sno-Tel trails. Thank you, Trail-builders!

Posted from Jackson, Wyoming, United States.

Birthday Girl!

Tim — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:48:23 +0000

A wonderful day on a gorgeous coast with a beautiful birthday girl!

Happy 3rd of July!

Mary Lynn — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:14:51 +0000

This morning Tim and I left beautiful, sunny Jackson to drive to Grand Targhee for the annual Wydaho Bike race, a mellow event that usually attracts lots of local riders. It’s way cooler on the mountain but good riding weather.

Victor City Limits

At 1 pm sharp, the riders started up the trail. Tim was doing two laps around the 7 mile singletrack course while I did one. Though there are some long climbs, it’s very good fun and just long enough to make you feel you’ve earned your post race BBQ. I came in 4th in my category, but Tim did very well placing 5th in the extremely competitive Intermediate level and 2nd in his age division.

Wydaho Finish

We both have post race glow and are on our way to Alpine where we hope to meet Tom Bradshaw. Next up is boat time on Palisades Reservoir with DC Coates. Happy 3rd of July everyone!

Posted from Driggs, Idaho, United States.

Escape to Utah

Mary Lynn — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:03:47 +0000

After 3 days of biking and working at the Book Cliffs, Tim, Lisa and I packed up for a day in town. Jamis had come through and sent a new rear triangle and Tim’s bike was ready. It was time to end his week long pedaling hiatus.

Book Cliffs Sportsmobile Jamboree

We settled in for a work day at the Aspen Street Coffee Shop. While we waited for our first cups of caffeine, I picked up the free local paper. At the top of page 3 was an promo for the Palisades’ Classic Bike Festival on Saturday. I brought it over to Tim and Lisa. Bike races, BBQ, winery tours, scavenger hunts and bands popped off the page. The weather looked good and we decided we shouldn’t miss it. Registration started that afternoon so we did our errands and drove a half an hour east.

Scenic Escapes

Palisades is a small town 10 miles east of Grand Junction at the base of the western slope of the Rockies. Their motto is “Life Tastes Good Here” and as you drive down the highway you can see its many wineries and orchards. We hadn’t been there before and weren’t sure what to expect when we drove downtown. It was 7:oo pm and we arrived just as the opening Festival party was wrapping up at the Twisted Brick Gallery.

We walked in to register and 30 minutes later we felt like we amongst old friends. The guys of Rapid Creek Cycles showed us as much hospitality as we’d seen on our entire trip across the States. We chatted about trails and town over Jello shots and snacks. When they learned we had vans, they invited us to camp overnight in their parking lot so that we wouldn’t have to leave town that night. We took them up on their offer. Tim had registered to race in the 34 mile Grand Mesa Grinder at 7:30 am so we knew we’d need an early start. Lisa and my races started more leisurely at 10 am but breakfast needed to be cooked by 6:30 to get Tim on the trail.

Morning Joe

It was about 11 when the rain started. By 5 am the next morning, it was obvious there would be no race. The entire valley was socked in with clouds and cold drizzle. We went to our computers to reassess. We scanned weather websites looking for sunshine in the forecast and found it 100 miles away in Moab. So at 7 am Saturday morning, we packed up again and started driving. After errands in Grand Junction, we turned south into the sun. Gradually the clouds and rain broke up and by the time we reached Moab, we were back in the 70’s.

Gemini Bridges Blur

We camped at our favorite spot at Willow Springs and then got on our bikes for a 13 mile ride out to Gemini Bridges. The sun was hot and the ride was gorgeous, climbing back into the canyons towards Canyonlands. That night we soaked in the warm night under the stars. We knew we’d made the right call.

Photo Ops

Biking under Blue Skies

Moab Views

Sunday morning was even more perfect. We cooked up an enormous Cowboy Omelet and planned our day’s ride. We decided to go back to Porcupine Rim. Tim dropped Lisa and I at the trailhead and drove the 10 miles back to town to start his ride.

Lisa's Bike Shop

Porcupine Rim was an entirely different ride than my last try 3 weeks earlier. With Lisa leading the way, the rocks seemed smaller, the steeps seemed less steep and we had a blast. Though Tim was 10 miles behind us, he still caught us ¾ of the way through the downhill and we all rode out together. The day was hot and we celebrated with ice cream malts and burgers under the shady oak at Milt’s Diner in Moab.

Porcupine Rim - Starts with a Smile

Tired and well fed, we said good bye to Lisa and prepared to get back on the road. Lisa was heading east again to pick up BJ from the airport in Grand Junction, while Tim and I were heading west to meet Dan and Rebecca on Gooseberry Mesa.

6 hours later, very early Monday morning, we pulled into camp. We received a big Staebler greeting under the stars and settled in for a short sleep. Next morning we woke up to the familiar view of Zion’s towers in the distance. Life is Always good on the Mesa.

18 Hours of Fruita

Tim — Sat, 08 May 2010 03:45:13 +0000

Two hours until our midnight start and then 18 hours worth of laps. A pre-ride of the course yielded this map!

Highline Lake – 18 Hours Of Fruita (End)

Total Distance: 11.47 km (7.1 mi)
Total Time: 51:37
Moving Time: 44:50
Average Speed: 13.62 km/h (8.5 mi/h)
Average Moving Speed: 15.35 km/h (9.5 mi/h)
Max Speed: 37.41 km/h (23.2 mi/h)
Min Elevation: 1413 m (4635 ft)
Max Elevation: 1465 m (4808 ft)
Elevation Gain: 151 m (494 ft)
Max Grade: 3 %
Min Grade: -8 %
Recorded: Fri May 07 17:21:46 MDT 2010
Activity type: mountain biking

View Highline Lake – 18 Hours Of Fruita in a larger map

HOT…Finally!

Mary Lynn — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:24:45 +0000

Tim and I wanted HOT and after 3 months of travel through semitropical climes, we finally found it in Arizona. With temperatures in the low to mid 80′s every day, we are staying put for a while.

Sizing up the Cacti

First we dropped in on Tucson where we spent a day with my brother Brett and his wife Peg. We barbecued (delicious high point), watched the WVU Mountaineers suffer a crushing defeat in the hands of Duke in the Final Four (ugly, hair tearing out, gnashing of teeth low point), and then bounced back with a late night sharing baby pictures, new music and great stories (much redeeming high point). After an Easter Cowboy Omelet the next morning, Tim and I continued on to Scottsdale to see Ann and Scott.

Full Size

We always look forward to our visits with Ann and Scott and whenever we get together it’s like no time has passed. They have rented a beautiful house in Scottsdale and Tim and I easily settled into a routine of working, breakfast all together catching up, more work (preferably in the sunshine by the pool), a bike ride exploring the miles of desert trails just a mile out the door, and then a yummy family dinner. After so much travel, it is like coming home.

Endless Desert

After a week relaxing, we decided to explore the nearby McDowell Mountain Regional Park. Just on the other side of the mountains from Scottsdale, McDowell is a beautiful, even lush, desert environment. Twenty foot cactuses dot the hills and this spring, the flowers are in full bloom. We were unprepared for the exotic pollen that hung in the air and our allergies let us know. But regardless of our runny noses, we managed to enjoy every moment of the miles of single track bike trails that wind up and down over desert washes.

Watch for Snakes!

Known for it’s sweet singletrack biking and unusually large population of Diamond Back Rattlesnakes, McDowell is place to both enjoy and be very vigilant. So far we’ve seen 3 rattlesnakes of various shapes and sizes. When I asked the Park Ranger if there was any chance that the 3 foot long tan snake I’d seen sunning in front of the ladies restroom door wasn’t poisonous, she assured me that it probably was.

“great…” I said.

“It’s okay”, she said, “we have very low incidents of snake bites despite being one of the largest pockets of rattlesnakes in America. And the good news,” she added cheerfully, “is that we have very few scorpions!”

Thank goodness for small favors…

So we ride and work and ride and make sure the doors are shut at night. It’s good living here in gorgeous AZ.

View Rattlesnake Road in a larger map

Rattle Snake Road – 2 Snakes 1 Ride

Leigh Lake Canoe Trip

Tim — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:59:06 +0000

Some photos from the weekend!

Stanley’s Best

Mary Lynn — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:34:00 +0000

It was an awesome sunrise that woke Tim up this morning. After a long day in the sun yesterday, we relaxed and took it easy. After a leisurely Cowboy Omelet, we got ready for our respective rides. Sarah and I were going to ride an 11 mile loop called Elk Meadows. Tim and Geoff decided to do a longer ride up Potato Mountain. We each got our respective directions and started pedaling.

Sarah and I began with a two mile uphill. At the top of Elk Mountain, we turned on to a rocky single track. The ride was technical with infant head sized rock gardens (no joke, this is the guidebook’s way of quantifying rock size), but then smoothed out into spectacular pine needle padded single track. The ride took us in and out of trillium filled meadows and up shady hills. We took a wrong turn at the end which dumped us out on the highway 8 miles from camp. The detour cause us to be late getting back and the guys were getting worried.

Their ride was the opposite in style to ours. Compared to our leisurely chatty tour, they rode fast and hard on what Geoff calls one of the 3 best rides in Idaho. After a big uphill, the ride cruises next to a creek for 15 miles of curvy ups and downs. When they got to back to camp and we weren’t there, they started to wonder, but we pedaled up a ½ hour later none the worse for wear for our extra miles.

Once together again, we all stripped down to our swimsuits and dove into the lake to rinse off. For a mountain lake, Stanley isn’t too cold and we were able to cool off without actually freezing. By 3 o’clock, we packed up camp and parted ways. Geoff and Sarah had to head back to Boise, and Tim and I are on our way home to Jackson for the week. We stopped at our favorite spot in Arco (Idaho’s Atomic City, known for its proximity to the Idaho National Laboratory) for dinner. Pickles serves the delicious atomic burger with a side of fresh Idaho tater tots. It’s the best way to end the day!

The Grinder

Mary Lynn — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:30:29 +0000

After a good night’s sleep, we woke up to another gorgeous day. Our creekside camp was sunny and cool, perfect race weather for the Galena Grinder. Tim ate a big breakfast early and we then rode the ½ mile to the Galena Lodge to check in for the race. On the way, we met up with Geoff Baker and Sarah Pederson, our friends from Boise. Geoff went to college with Tim and after 15 years, they rediscovered each other on Facebook. Since graduating they had each become mountain bike aficianodos. Geoff is a terrific rider and he and Tim have a very good natured rivalry when they race.

Sarah and I settled in for a good view for the start and we cheered as the racers cruised by. We then caught up on the year’s happenings while the guys rode up and down the Sawtooth Mountains. 2 hours later, we waited at the finish. First we spotted Geoff rounding the corner. He was closely followed by 3 other riders and then Tim cranked into view. The 5 guys pedaled hard to the finish with Geoff coming in 3^rd for their race class. We came up to them for congratulations and Geoff immediately announced that Tim had beaten him. I thought he was kidding but it turns out that Tim had been leading by about 10 minutes. A mile from the finish, he got a flat tire and by the time he got it changed the pack had caught him. Even though he didn’t get the podium glory, we all celebrated Tim’s ride as a victory.

We hung around for post race festivities and then packed up and drove over the Sawtooth Mountains to Stanley Lake about 60 miles north of Ketchum. Geoff and Sarah had a beautiful campsite 100 feet from the lake shore, with Mount McGown towering above. We settled in for the night, turned on the music and drank a margarita toast to a very good day.

The Worst and the Best

Mary Lynn — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:29:52 +0000

We woke up this morning after getting to our roadside camp site at 1 am. I had to be “at work” at 8 so we drove down the hill to Ketchum to a very good coffee shop called Java on 4^th. Tim had taken the day off in order to relax and ride the race course so I went inside to the warm shop and pulled out the computer alone. I had some time before reporting to FIT so finished up some webwork. As I was making a backup of the site I was working on, things went bad. I ran the backup script and then went to the home page. It had reverted to a version that was 10 days old.

Usually that wouldn’t be a big deal but in this case I’d since added lots of material and the client had an important meeting where he was planning to reference that material. I broke the site 5 minutes before this meeting. It was very bad. I had no choice but to do everything in my power to get the materials that had taken 10 hours to perfect over the past 5 days up in an hour. The only upside was that my client’s client had downloaded most everything for the meeting the day before. Everything turned out to be fine, but that was just luck. Needless to say I won’t be using that site backup anymore.

While my adrenaline levels were skyrocketing, Tim was supportively helping with advice and a needed second pair of eyes. But as soon as things were repaired, he went to start his day off. My bad day was his great day. He drove the 30 miles north of Ketchum to the Galena Lodge and went riding. He quickly came to the determination that this would be his hardest race yet. 17 miles and 3945 feet of ups and downs on loose dirt. It is technical and steep at you can tell from Tim’s GPS logfile. But, he still loved every minute of it, and was glad to get to ride the course before race day. The weather was perfect and after the ride, he found the perfect camp site beside a bubbling brook.

He came back to town at 5 to pick me up and found me in the very same seat at the Ketchum coffee shop. After my website debacle, I worked a full day at FIT troubleshooting email and spyware. I was very glad when the day was done. We drove back to the campsite and I spent the time working on an attitude adjustment. Tim who had had a great day wasn’t prepared for my bad day vibe. So we came together and committed to a much better evening. To really shed the last of any negativity, I took a dip in the freezing cold creek in the last of the sunshine. Everything was better after that.

We had a great meal, Tim washed his bike, we listened to music and completely relaxed. The day definitely went from worst to best.

Is this kid for real!?

Mary Lynn — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 04:13:21 +0000

I just read something so cool I had to share it. Matt Moniz is 11 years old from Boulder Colorado. His best friend Sam is 9 and has Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Sam’s treatment costs $100,000 a year. To raise money for his friend’s therapy, Matt is climbing fourteen 14,000 foot plus Colorado peaks in 14 days. He began on July 10th and you can follow his success here. In two days they’ve already completed 5 successful ascents. That is one incredible friend/heart/kid/inspiration.

Tim and I did our own charitable deed today on a significantly less impressive scale. Garage Sale Day/Celebration required some recovery time, so after sleeping in, Tim rode out for a big bike tour up Game Creek. After his race-pace ride, we met up at our assigned spot on the Jackson Hole Bike Path where we spent two hours counting cyclists and walkers for a Friends of Pathways Survey. It wasn’t quite 14 peaks in 14 days, but we felt pretty good about our small donation of effort to a worthy cause.

After sitting in the sun all afternoon counting, Tim got ready to head into the Gros Ventres for 3 days. He’s been itching to do some fishing and the creeks are finally clear. He drove back 45 miles on dirt roads in Frank and settled in at an old favorite undisclosed fishing hole. Here he’ll work over the satellite and hopefully catch humongous trout through Wednesday. I have a full schedule at work this week, so am sitting this particular camp trip out, but I can’t wait to see the pictures!

Back on the Road

Mary Lynn — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 05:30:29 +0000

Tonight Tim and I are back on the road. It’s a short road (only about 10 miles from town) but it’s a road none the less. When we got finished with work today, the sun was finally shining on Jackson. We packed up Frank in record time. I even got a compliment from Tom regarding my efficiency in getting ready. Sunshine and now a compliment on my speed….wonders may never cease.

We decided to get ready to camp first and then decide where to go second. We’d drive until we found a place we liked. We hurried to the grocery store and prepared for a weekend outdoors. We both were excited to get back into Frank and even a continued rainy forecast wasn’t going to stop us.

Our plan was an easy night’s dinner tonight and cooking the other days of the weekend. After shopping, we pulled into downtown Jackson to pick up some world famous Billy’s Burgers. We got rock star parking and Tim picked up the food. We settled into Frank for a delicious meal. Our views of downtown were so good, we actually considered setting up our little camp right there on Town Square. But we came to our senses and instead drove out to Shadow Mountain, one of our favorite early season camp spots. We have great views of the Tetons and still get cell service from town. Admittedly it’s fairly lazy camping, but it’s good for the first time out in Jackson. Tomorrow holds a bike ride, a cowboy omelet, and more rain – traditional springtime camping in Jackson.

Bobsledding Gypsies

Mary Lynn — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:35:16 +0000

This morning we woke up to another sunny, hot day in St. George. We decided to say goodbye with another run of the Bearclaw/Poppy trail before things got too hot. We packed everything up at the van and then got on our bikes for the 11 mile loop. It was a great ride and better earlier in the day when it was cool. Once we got back, it was time for another “Huggie” wipe shower and then we began driving north.

On the trip home, we discussed our plans for the upcoming year. One thing we’ve discovered as we travel is that it’s actually cheaper to live on the road than at home. In tight economic times this is important. The other thing we’ve discovered is that we don’t really want to stop traveling. The third thing we’ve decided is that this has been a fairly expensive spring for us, and our savings for NYC hasn’t grown as fast as we’d like.

So we made a decision. We are officially going to delay our trip to NYC for one year. Instead beginning in September we are hitting the road full time. We’re planning the trip now and will post more on our travel page in a few days, but we’re going to take Frank and explore the US. We’ll drive the coasts from Acadia to the Florida Keys to the bayous and over to Baja and the Pacific Northwest. In between we’ll blog about the people, places and events we find. We’re keeping our eyes open for unique festivals and cool places so please send any suggestions you have!

While it’s hard to postpone NYC once more, the timing just doesn’t seem right quite yet. There is still too much to see before settling down in one place again. So NYC has turned into a Fall 2010 event. Meanwhile our great American journey continues.

We celebrated our decision with a stop in Salt Lake. Here we drove through the city and high into the hills. We then pedaled up to the top of the Bonneville Shoreline (the original lake shoreline of Salt Lake region, millions of years ago) and dropped back into the Valley via the Bobsled Run. This short 1.6 mile twisty track is a blast. Tim dubbed it one of the very best rides he’s done all trip. Options include jumping ancient abandoned cars in the middle of the track or just flying up the 20 foot banked turns. We both shot out the bottom and laughed our way to the car. Next we had the rare treat of a Cracker Barrel dinner and then off to Jackson where we’ll plan our next gypsy adventures.