Archive for August, 2011
After a break of several days in Southend, Saskatchewan we began paddling the Reindeer River. Our time in Southend was spent as it is in most towns, catching up on computer work and eating foods that we crave while in the woods. We stayed in a little cabin at Nordic… Read the rest
Perhaps it’s because I know we won’t be riding any more after today. Perhaps it’s because it’s about 60 degrees and drizzling, but our ride is easy, quiet, calming and disaster-free. We don’t even see any road kill. We’re both feeling strong and despite the fog, which makes me nervous,… Read the rest
About half a mile out we encounter a 45-degree hill that stretches up for another half mile. I huff, puff and blow up the hill at a slow clip in an effort to motivate myself and shake the nerves. Uncharacteristically, my dad decides to walk it. We make our way… Read the rest
When I was about four, my dad and I started biking together. Once, he took me to the Alpenrose velodrome to watch the grown-ups race. In the subsequent kids’ event, I rode and placed third behind two grade-schoolers who cycled sans training wheels; I had pedaled my Corvette-red tricycle to… Read the rest
I’m not the only ridgerunner in my section…
Tristan Sprenkle (a.k.a. T. Sprinkle) hails from the small town of Kramer, Pennsylvania. “We have a gas station and a pizza place,” he says. “If you want anything that’s not there you have to drive to the next town. But the pizza… Read the rest
As ridgerunners, one of our jobs is to pick up any trash we find along the trail. And we’ve found some interesting things, including….
1. A plastic Buddha figurine.
2. A baby blue 3-speed bicycle.
3. Half a deer (no sign of the other half).
4. A winter sled.
5.… Read the rest
After rising to our great challenge, the sea rewarded us with smooth sailing through the afternoon until the wind dropped off entirely and we motored on into the calmest, starriest night I could ever remember in this wind-worn belt of the Pacific.
Rotating on 3-hour watches, I relieved Crystal just… Read the rest
Many people dream of the day when they will complete a successful thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, when they will look out from the summit of Mt. Katahdin and know they have traversed essentially the entire length of the East Coast on foot.
Unfortunately, as a broke college student I… Read the rest
We’d both hardly taken a breath upon setting the sails, when… POP!!!! The headsail let go at the mast head and tumbled down into the sea?!!
What!?
I scrambled to the bow, followed by Crystal, and we heaved the wet mess aboard. Swell proceeded to drift quietly in the light… Read the rest
With a brief window of calm winds, Crystal and I readied Swell to move east among the atolls. With the news of Barry’s passing, I wanted to check out what was rumored to be a new boatyard on an obscure strip of coral a few atolls east, plus with a… Read the rest
