Category: Postcards

Letters from abroad, from home, from within.

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Human, Power.

Humans are not machines, we are not dull, boring, or thoughtless. We are just the opposite, full of questions, creativity, and insight. And most importantly, humans are fallible; we make mistakes, we fail, we hit walls, and are forced to overcome challenges, both physical and emotional.

Human power, and its place in travel and adventure is analogous to the human condition, which is our need to learn, explore, and discover. We seek to understand our limits, and we grow when we must overcome them.

Continue reading “Human, Power.”

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Winter’s Shadows.

Traces, shadows, ripples, remains…  Each moment has it’s immediate impact as well as another that can be felt long after.  Some things we work hard to forget, while other times it seems no matter how hard we try we can never remember something exactly as it was, or how we wished it might have been.  Moments compound, time shrinks and memories expand to encompass a miriad of emotions, thoughts, and experiences.

When the winter comes a better part of me becomes lost to the world.  My job, my location, my state of mind, all become focused on my immediate surroundings and the tasks at hand.  Try as I might to catalogue, to remember, to share, so much is wrapped together and buried under layers of snow.  This season’s memories might not be buried quite as deep under that immaculate blanket of white, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t just as many.  Time has a way of getting away from you, and while sometimes you’re the one out ahead, more often we’re playing catch-up while continuing to push forward.  It’s been a little while but I’m very pleased to have a moment to look back with you on a season some have been calling the worst.  Personally I’ll need more evidence than a few numbers and some dirt patches, because when I look back on these pictures, they tell a different story, I think you’ll agree.

Continue reading “Winter’s Shadows.”

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Departures

Sometimes you have weeks to plan, others you’ve just got minutes to pack.  No matter what, when the time comes, the hammer falls, and you’re out the door.  As ready as I thought I was leaving Leavenworth was still a shock.  Amos made the journey down by plane and showed up with his bike, the lease was up, and a hard frost stifled any attempts at gleaning a last few days with the families that made Washington feel like home.  The road sucked us in and knocked me off my feet before I knew what hit me.

As much as we all want to leave a room in tears of laughter, departures are a hard art to master.  In my short life I’ve had a lot of practice leaving, but it still feels fresh and awkward every time.  We’re here in Boise, resting with friends and preparing to set off on the next leg.  I’d like to think I’ve got a few words of introspection to share with you after the experience of leaving Washington and our week of travel but if you’re short on time I’ll cut to the chase – it might just boil down to this: Welp – Big Gulps huh?  See ya later! Continue reading “Departures”

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Hazed and Confused

If you haven’t heard, wildfires have been taking over eastern Washington, with some half dozen different fires including the incredibly massive Carlton Complex which has torched over 215,000 acres to date.  Coupled with a couple weeks of 100+ degree heat, and as my friend Scott put it best, it’s felt like a smoky oven.  Needless to say, we’ve been laying low and doing our best to adapt to the situation at hand, things seem to be improving but I’m still skeptical for the future.  For now, we’re enjoying a reprieve and I’m reflecting as well as looking forward to how and best balance this reality as it unfolds.  Below you’ll find a few pictures from our weekend of clarity, and a few words regarding what it’s like living in a pressure cooker.  If you’re into pictures or like your dose of crazy diluted as possible, remember to check us out on the Facebook and Instagram, where angry rhetoric is in short supply.

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Moving Pictures

If you read our last post, or are friends with us on the Facebook – Instagram, you already know I managed to put together a short video for submission into the Adventure CyclingAssociation’s Bicycle Touring Video contest.  If not, then, well, I did.  While I have a pretty extensive history with some aspects of photography and relatively none with videography, this was my first real attempt at putting together a project that, while I might not consider it professional, it was intended for public consumption, and while the equipment I used was largely amateur, it is hands down the most advanced and highest quality I’ve used to date, and I’d like to think the film’s content and quality reflects that, at least a little.  If you haven’t yet seen the video, or would like to hear a little more about my experience in putting it all together, then read on.

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Behind The Scenes

A lot of times I find myself unmotivated to share or write about our lives when I don’t feel like we’re doing anything noteworthy or significant.  This happens to me often in the winter, when work dominates my day to day and I’m lucky to find time to get out on small ski tours and climbs.  I think it’s basically a function of how much I feel like I’m challenging myself.  When I’m out working towards larger goals or attempting them, I’m psyched to share my progress and experiences, but when my life takes a mellower routine, I’m content to go to the crag without a camera, and spend some time in the mountains without writing about it here.  We all need our version of silent reflection, whether it be from our jobs, our partners, ourselves or the whole scene, this time can give us the perspective and inspiration to return invigorated and focused. 
In light of all this, I wanted to share a little bit about our lives for the last few weeks, because while I might not feel like I’ve been challenging myself enough, our days have been full and there’s been a lot going on, in fact, we’ve got pretty big news, but you’ll have to read to the end for that.  After all, if my goal is to advocate for a simpler, quieter lifestyle, one that might not always be as glamorous but continues to deliver satisfaction and adventure, well then what better place to start than here.  With that in mind, here’s a brief look into the last month of our lives through some words and pictures.

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