Time: 5 days 12 hours 21 minutes Total miles ridden: 544.24 Elevation gain: 74,533 ft (22,717 meters) First woman to cross the finish Line! 10th(ish) overall (there were a couple of DQ’s in the men’s field, but I’m counting them as finishers) I went into the race with the hopeful goal of winning the women’s field. Being on the other end, having accomplished that goal, nevertheless feels a bit surreal. Reading about the race and the finishers has been a favorite hobby of mine since I learned of the event, and it seems odd to finally be writing about my READ MORE
Tag: bikepacking
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We’re sitting on the beach, only a day away from Columbia. Our bike is broken, essentially unrideable. And for the next three days or so we’ll be taking a series of lanchas (motorized boats) in order to circumnavigate the Darien gap. It’s not exactly peak experience for us; as a reminder for those who don’t know we’re not big fans of the ocean or beach. However, we are feeling super grateful for the kindness we’ve received and confident in our ability to find a solution for our bike in Columbia, and overall actually pretty at peace with where we’re at READ MORE
What do you say when someone is walking the United States?
After enjoying the cool air of the high elevation of central Mexico, we have made it to the southern end of the state of Oaxaca. Back at sea level, we are feeling the heat and humidity. We had an incredible stay at a small mezclaría, the brand of which we tried back in Todos Santos. We stayed with a variety of Warm Showers hosts who made us feel welcome in the bike touring community in Mexico. We met some other bike tourers heading to Argentina. We did some super fun mountain riding, winding up and down the volcanic terrain in READ MORE
On the Move and in the Mountains
I have been slow to update my blog the last couple weeks as Mark and I finished up Spanish courses and struggled to get back in the groove of bike touring. Here are links to our photo album and Marks Strava if you’d like to follow along in between posts! Mark’s Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/markandnic Google Photo Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/8sK1ryrupSjneZ9BA After finishing our last day of Spanish classes, Mark and I packed up and rode away from Mazatlan and the coast on Tuesday. We were happy to be back on the bike after basically two weeks off (except a few days of riding READ MORE
Hot, Hot, Hot, Hotel!
A quick note after a long day: See photos and videos from today here: Google Photos drive Mark and I have been riding through the heat the past couple days, but today we were especially exhausted in the 100 degree temperature (it’s also very humid). Today, our ride was mostly flat, which meant we were able to travel quite a ways—190 km—but the flat road, open desert and sprawling agriculture made the sweltering road feel endless. We didn’t talk much for the exhaustion of the heat, and without much to see, we only only stopped when we could get water READ MORE
Walk Ski Cycle: the Colorado Trail
This fall, I completed the highly un-coveted triple-crown of the Colorado trail. Upon completion of the mountain bike route, I have now skied, hiked, and biked the CT (a majority of the trail I have actually hiked twice where it follows the CDT)! While this achievement came more out of happenstance than predetermination, it has made for several incredible trips and inspired me to a lifetime of adventure. Living in Colorado, the access to the trail and the beauty that it boasts has kept it calling to me for the past couple years, and indeed, my time on trail has READ MORE
A Bike Ride Through New Mexico
The past couple years, as I have gotten into a routine of the seasonal work schedule, I find myself missing many of my close friends and family during the work season and doing my best to play catchup in the off season. This year is no different, and I am thankful to be able to devote some time to personal adventures and the people I love in this shoulder season. This fall, I have been spending lots of time in between with Mark and his family in Denver, along with the friends who have come to visit us there; I’ve READ MORE
Sewing Bicycle Bags
When Mark and I bought our tandem we briefly consider purchasing custom frame bags to use the bike’s double sized frame as storage. After a little thought and reflection on cost we realized that we would be better off sewing the bags ourselves. I had sewn my own tarp for backpacking and had a little bit of sewing experience. Mark had no sewing experience, but I was confident that he would be a quick learner. I was first inspired to sew my own gear when I read Ray Jardine’s Trail Life, an informational book about long distance hiking. Jenny and READ MORE