Spokin' Sportsmans

Tour de Tulips

Em — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:31:00 +0000

From a lovely weekend in April…

It is good having friends. Friends met while riding bikes. Friends willing to ride back to back centuries to accommodate the reality of the Sportsman baby relay. The goal for the weekend was the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and Beryl’s introduction to camping and bike riding.

Scott got home from work early enough on Friday for me to hop on the road bike and meet Dylan and Sarah as they pedaled from the ferry terminal to our house. Once home we reviewed the logistics of the weekend. Who was cycling Saturday, who was cycling Sunday, where we would meet, when we would meet, what I’d pick up from trader joes for dinner. In the morning Scott, Sarah and Dylan rode from North Van to Bay View State Park in WA, getting use out of the cue sheets from our ride to Seattle a couple of years ago.

We had a fortuitous meeting at the Peace Arch border crossing as I drove South with camping gear, 2 bikes (one for chariot pulling and one for road miles) and the baby.

We regrouped at the Tulip festival, harnessed up the Vassago and loaded Beryl into the Chariot. Baby’s first bike ride!! Sarah and Dylan graciously acted as a safety escort for Beryl; taking the lane when needed and even corking an intersection or two. We chose a short (maybe 10 km?) route with good shoulders and lots of blooms.

Wanting to taste the tulips

Daffodils too

photo bomb!

Back at the campsite we all enjoyed the luxury of car camping; something Dylan will be foregoing this summer as he heads back to Banff looking for his second completion of the Tour Divide this summer. I was nervous camping with the baby. You just never know when she might have a bad night! She was 2 hours past her normal bedtime before finally falling asleep, but she was quiet all night. Of course, I nursed her about half a dozen times rather than risk her getting worked up and crying. I never once ever considered that at any point in my life I would be used as a human chew toy. Beryl was a super camper and we enjoyed the vast space in our new family sized tent.

First camping trip. Bay View State Park

Plenty of headroom in our new MSR tent

Sunday was my turn to ride while Scott had daddy time with Beryl for the trip home. I am slowly getting back in shape after having the baby, so it was great having friends to draft all they way to home, with a stop at Rocket Donuts in Bellingham.

Waiting for us to get to the Chucknut Rd.

mmmmmmm donuts

Coming back into Canada was amusing. There is a special bike lane through Customs and all three of us ‘Muricans rolled up together. The border guard asked all the normal questions. Where do you live? How long were you gone? What did you do? Then he asked, ‘How do you know each other?’. Dylan and I exchanged glances, each pondering how to answer. The long answer– well, there is this mountain bike race in CO and my husband came across Dylan trying to nap alongside the trail in the rain…. We quickly blurted out that we simply met while bicycling.

I am lucky to have a husband so happy and competent with our daughter and willing to spend the entire day taking care of her so that I can get in a nice long ride!! <3 <3 <3. So lucky to have a husband who supports me doing what I need to do to be happy.

After a quick dinner at our house, Dylan and Sarah kept with their car-free ethos and pedaled to the ferry terminal enroute to Nanaimo.

BIG THANK YOU to Sarah and Dylan for putting up with complicated logistics, enabling us to both get in long rides, and sharing Beryl’s first camping trip and bike ride! Let’s do it again soon– like at the 12 hours of Cumberland?

Heads or tails

Sportsman — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:14:32 +0000

The North Shore Triple Crown is a mountain bike ride on each of the three main North Shore mountains, Mt. Seymour, Fromme, and Cypress. Most people (using the word most lightly,since most people that ride on the North Shore would never consider the Triple Crown) that try it consider it an epic(tm), indeed most people consider some of the longer loops on each mountain to be epic(tm). Most people have better sense than I do. My goal for the weekend was the North Shore Triple Crown PLUS, multiple loops on Seymour, multiple loops on Fromme, and then the only epic ™ loop that I know on Cypress. I estimate 80 km and 4500 m of mostly steep climbing (followed by 4500 m of mostly steep, non-recovery descending).

Despite this foolhardy ambition, Sarah and Dylan ferried from the Island to join me for a day of North Shore tastiness, followed by a day of Sunshine Coast buff-by-comparison single track. Long days in the saddle were the request for Dylan’s ongoing preparation for the Tour Divide. I was confident that we’d have some good days of riding.

I just had to decide which bike to ride; walt or niner. single speed or gears. I love my ss. I have enjoyed all the rides over the years, but I don’t have the miles kilometers in my legs this year. We were going to do a lot of climbing. Steep climbing. I wasn’t confident that I could keep the ss rolling. Both bikes were ready to go, I just had to decide.

Heads or Tails. Saturday morning I was still indecisive. Heads – Walt. Tails – Niner.

Heads! No looking back. No regrets. No excuses. No resorting to best two out of three games.

it took a coin toss to convince me to ride my Walt

By the end of the day, the North Shore Triple Mountain Challenge Plus was too much for us. A long lap on Seymour, two laps on Fromme (plus a Bobsled lap), but there wasn’t enough daylight for a serious attempt at Cypress. Even shortened, it was a good day’s ride, 55km with 2170m of climbing. A few hard whammies by Sarah, a route miscommunication on Fromme (damned guide just up and left. my bad, Sorry S & D), but we all finished with smiles.

Sarah worked through some earlier crashes to regain her mental edge to ride the wet woodwork

Crashing is not an option when training for the Great Divide Race

Splashing the photographer would be bad form

A blurry good time on Ladies Only

Sunday was a multi-modal transport day, taking the ferry to introduce S&D to some Sunshine Coast single track. We were astonished at the number of bikes that showed up for the ferry, until I realized that it was the weekend before the Suncoaster MTB Race. Early queuing was rewarded with primo bike ferry space.

Sloppy on the lower 103 convinced us that it wold be a bad idea to try upper 103 (sadness),but we pieced together a wonderful ride. Ecstacy, Sidewinder, 102, Red Baron, Pumpkin Patch, Charlie Brown, Lost and Found (twice), and back. We missed the ferry by 2 two (!!) minutes, but we finished with a big smile. Would’ve made the ferry if I hadn’t missed a turnoff (hence the Lost n Found repeat..) Fun recovery day ride (30 km, 1400 m)

All smiles on Sidewinder singletrack

Bridges with extra grip

Misnomer of Sunshine Coast view, the Coast Range is behind the low clouds. No one hit the kicker to the platform..

Sarah and Dylan, thanks for the rides and the company! The effort for you to join us in North Van the past few weekends is truly appreciated!! Good luck in Congo, and on the Great Divide (respectively)!

stopped by flowers

Sportsman — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:09:46 +0000

During a recent trip to the grocery store with Beryl, I stopped first in our backyard..

then I stopped again

Beryl struck a pensive pose, and grabbed her elephant; realizing it would be a long excursion

there were colorful blooms in the alley

along with the reminder to attach the Chariot’s leash to myself

Through the magic spell of the chariot, Beryl was oblivious to the blue skies, the flowers, the steepness, the many stops.

until it became bumpier, despite the chariot’s suspension. although she still maintained her grip on her elephant

a brief pause before the blossoms had begun their annual fall to the ground

warm enough for an open top chariot, and her hat migrated from her head to her lap.

You’re sitting in my spot

Em — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:47:07 +0000

That’s my spot!

Dunkin’ Baby

Em — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:02:34 +0000

Beryl enjoys the bath so we scaled up and went to the kiddie pool at the Penticton Community Center.

We floated.

We chilled.

She sampled the pool toys.

And of course, we dunked the baby.

Topsy Turvy

Em — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:11:08 +0000

All switched up and opposite day for April 1.

Scott got the morning ride on Fromme.

But look close. There’s dangly bits on that bike. Scott’s bike.

(A new to him Niner with gears to meet the dual purposes of Chariot pulling and hardtail xc riding.)

I got the afternoon shift and hit the same trails. That’s kind of like riding together, right?

photo credit to Morgan

And what’s this? One gear on the Siren?

Looks like having Beryl did turn our lives upside down.

A few images from my Friday morning commute

Sportsman — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:29:51 +0000

It wasn’t raining very hard and I wasn’t concerned about getting to work early (or, as it turned out, on time) so I took the long way to the office. I considered grabbing the Roubaix, with gears, but decided to stay with the full fenders of my Cross Check. My decision was heavily influenced by the effort required to transfer the lights from commuter to roadie, and the probable need to pump up the tires on the Roubaix.

I am THAT lazy.

At my previous job, this was my daily route filled with views from the Lionsgate Bridge, English Bay, Burrard Bridge, the neighborhoods along the Cypress bike route

Checking out the sun breaking through the clouds onto Burrard inlet.. daily commuting in Vangroovey is hard on bikes..

I bailed from the main path and detoured through Stanley park

English bay with the next bridge to be crossed.

finally into the neighborhoods, where the cherry blossoms are starting to explode

added an extra 20km to the morning ride, but the rain stopped and it felt good….

Snowshoeing above Squish

Sportsman — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:07:33 +0000

So much to do before Beryl gets old enough to have an opinion.

So much to do before Beryl learns to say “NO!”

So much to do before Beryl learns to say “I’m cold!”

So much to do before Beryl learns to say “Put me down!”

Although, she’s already learned to say “I’m hungry!”

Never get tired of this view.

Start ‘em young. Keep ‘em happy. Keep ‘em outside. Hope it sticks.

Vernal Equinox – Celebration by crocus

Sportsman — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:46:52 +0000

Last day of winter

First day of spring

Last day of winter

first day of spring

last day of winter

FIRST DAY OF SPRING!!

Early morning ride on Mt. Seymour

Sportsman — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:57:15 +0000

I was late to Andrew’s ride

I thought I’d catch them on Old Buck

It soon became clear that I had the trails to myself…

It was good…crisp..the only sounds were my breathing, brake squeal