One in the saddle, one on the ground
Before every big trip or event, I try to carve out some quiet space to tinker with something and visualize the path ahead. Usually this is done around packing, though last week I hauled out my saddle and futzed with my saddle bags after noticing how jangly they were at speed. I set the Wintec […]
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For years I’ve had to endure various endurance friend’s descriptions and stories of the mystical Bandit Springs ride, in the Ochoco Mountains outside Prineville. It’s never been in the cards for me, but I made it happen this year through a combination of friendship and sheer willful optimism. Last weekend a friend and I explored […]
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In the series of books I’m named for (The God Stalker Chronicles, by PC Hodgell), a major plot point is something called “the soulscape”. This is a weird dimension the reflects an individual’s soul, such as a garden, a walled keep, something that sits at the deepest level of the character’s psyche, and the race […]
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Not every ride will be scenic and beautiful and easy. Not every ride will have excitement or breakthroughs or wonderful rights. Some rides you just put in the work, the solid butt building miles, and call it a day. Today was that day. My only goal was at least 10 miles, done slowly as we […]
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I took a chance on the weather again and won, again. I’ve noticed that Tarma is much more agreeable if she’s had some turnout before I ride, which means I don’t have to be an early bird. This is fine by me, though something we’ll have to deal with for both the John Wayne ride […]
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When the sun shines, we ride…after working nine hour days so I could skip out early today. I loaded up kid, dog, and mare and headed to McIver. Kade walked Benny a bit while I tacked up, then hung in the trailer til I was done (have I mentioned I love my trailer?) I changed […]
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Why do the wildest things sometimes happen with no witnesses? And no video to prove it? Welp, today’s ride was a tad wilder than I hoped for, but both Tarma and I survived together, somehow. My main goal for the day was just miles, in whatever fashion Tarma was up for. She let me walk […]
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Welp, I have officially plopped money down for the John Wayne ride. We’ll be attempting half of it, which per the schedule will mean riding 73 miles in 5 days. It feels incredibly motivating to have a solid, tangible goal to be literally riding towards. I have a to do list a mile long and […]
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I tend to be either the type of person who is totally prepared, with checklists and training and thoughtfulness galore, or caught totally flat footed. There’s no in between for me really. Case in point: my ride a week or so ago, I hopped on with no saddlebags, only anticipating a quick spin through the […]
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The husband is home from his vacation now, so I seized the remaining day light, left him to watch the kid not watching the puppy, shoved Tarma’s boots on (Scoots on all four now) and squeezed in a short ride. We’re lucky to have private timberlands to ride on with volunteer maintained trails a short […]
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On the loose 