Dirty Dirty Dirty!!!

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside thoroughly used-up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: WOW! WHAT A RIDE!!" ~ Unknown


I LOVE the above quote and every now and then I get the chance to do something that contributes to that goal. This weekend was no exception.

I spent the weekend, with my cousin Lisa, attending Dirt Series, a mountain bike clinic for women (they have co-ed clinics too). The goal: to have as much fun as possible while learning some new biking skills to get me down the North Shore mountains in one piece, bumps and bruises not withstanding!

Was the goal achieved? You betcha! I had a brilliant time! It was an amazing weekend filled with tons of learning (I can hop over things now!), pushing fear boundaries (I rode some wicked downhill with drops that had me shaking on my pedals!), and building new friendships. Not to mention the coaches were fantastic and it was so empowering to be with 59 other women as we took over the mountain trails.

On Fromme Mountain, this guy was riding up beside me and Megan and said 'I have never seen so many women riding!' He promptly then rode into the ditch. Guess we were a bit of a distraction?! I told him he might want to be careful on the trails because there were 60 of us out there on various trails! Too funny.

I have some wonderful bruises to show for my efforst this weekend, one about 2 inches in diameter on my upper thigh - the result of my first endo! The girls were mightly impressed when I leaped up after the fall, hands in the air like a champion, proclaiming 'Yeah! My first endo!!!' And of course a myriad of other bruises here and there. Oh, and there was my squished ankle...which happened when I put a little too much pressure on the very touchy disc breaks. Oops. This one definitely hurt, but it's starting to feel better. My theory - if you are going to participate in this sport, you are going to have some boo-boos. (Refer to quote at top of page...)

OH! And I almost forgot the cherry on the top of this whole weekend! I got to demo a Trek Remedy 9.8 carbon fibre dual suspension bike! It only retails for $4900!!! I have never in my life gotten to ride such a fine fine piece of machinery. It was heaven!

I am so stoked to be getting back into mountain biking. Espeically now that I have two new trails to practice my new skills on and new friends to go with! The North Shore mountains rock!

Below are some photos of the weekend...the trail ones do not do the drops justice!

Peace out my fellow adventurers!

Figure 1: Starting to gather for the skills session

Figure 2: Can you feel the excitement??

Figure 3: Lisa....can you feel the excitement??

Figure 4: Some of the skills equipment

Figure 5: The gals of Group C heading out for their first ride (Griffin Trail, Fromme Mtn)

Figure 6: Turn at the tree, mind the first drop!

Figure 7: Turn right 90 degrees, avoid the ditch, then ride down this rock ramp and drop off the rock at the end. Easy.

Figure 8: This drop looked much higher from the viewpoint of the bike!

Figure 9: Droool...Trek Remedy 9.8C

Figure 10: The Women of Dirt Series!

Figure 10: Day two skills - one of the ladies learning to do jumps at the bike park

Figure 11: Practicing front wheel lifts

Figure 12: Lisa practicing front wheel lifts!

Figure 13: Getting some instruction on the Bottle Top Trail, Seymour Mtn.

Figure 13: Bit of a left turn at the tree, 3 drops over roots and go across the bridge...this was late in the day and none of us mastered the drops. To be conquered next time!

Figure 14: Bit of downhill.

Moab: The Last Ride...

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. ~ Abraham Lincoln


Okay, it's been a while since I was in Moab or have written about it. Forgive me, I've been busy moving. Again. This was the second stage of my move. The first stage was moving from Alberta to British Columbia. That was easy in the sense I had to unpack my worldly possessions into storage and leave it there. Until stage two, moving into an acutal home.

That took more energy and planning. It was more emotional too...but that's a story for another day. Suffice it to say that this move back home is taking a bit more adjustment then orginally thought and even though I LOVE LOVE LOVE being here, I really miss my buds back in AB.

Okay, enough of that. On to the good stuff. My last ride!

I say it was in Moab, but I lie. I actually had an adventure within an adventure and me and Shauna took a trip over the Utah border into Colorado!! Where you ask? Why the mecca for mountain biking in Colorado - Frutia. Funny name, I know.

Once we finally found the area we were going to bike in - Shauna had a book outlining all of them, and let me tell you, there are a TON of places to ride - we gleefully got out our bikes and attempted to find the trail head out of the parking lot.

Who knew that would be tricky. In our defense, it was kind of blocked by some vehicles.

Oh, before I go on further, check out my new biking shirt. It has purple and wings!!! All that means is, yes, it makes me go faster.



Okay, so off we went on our adventure after taking photos of my wonderful shirt and after finding the trailhead.

The first bit of trail 'Zippity Do Da' was your average single track trail. Nothing major. We had to go around this way though in order to get to Frontline, which ran east-west. So we rode on and I tried to catch my breath on the short uphills and get my legs going.

For a good portion of this part of the ride we had to ride on a dirt road. It just so happened that there must have been a significant amount of rain at some point and the roads must have been mud swamps because there were two deep ruts where trucks drove through and tons of indents from cattle hooves. This made this section exceptionally bumpy and I was truly wishing I had a full suspension bike.

The biggest pain was in my seat bones. My butt was not used to this seat or sitting so upright so they'd been getting progressively worse all week. By the time we finished that section and got back onto the regular switchback, which was also a somewhat bumpy ride, I was gritting my teeth from the pain.



When I met up with Shauna (she is a great rider so would go ahead then stop and wait for me at the junctions) I told her 'we have a situation'. I so hated saying it, but I told her that I was in a lot of pain, and if the trail continued like this I was going to take the first trail that went south off of Frontline to the parking lot and bail. I'd wait there while she explored the other trails.

Man I hate being a wuss, but I seriously could not take it.

As it turns out the first trail that would go back to the car, the beginning of Zippity Do Da (we started our ride at the tail end of it, if that makes sense), would have been a suicide mission. At least according to the description in the book it would be. So I was going to carry on to Joe's Ridge.

Finally we got to Frontline the main trail that went east-west. As it turned out I didn't need to worry about sitting on my seat because there was a lot of single track, switch back up and down! There were squeals of glee that sputtered forth as I went along.

There was one downhill that made me stop and take a deep breath. Finally I went down and as I got there Shauna heard me say 'Hey, that wasn't so bad afterall!' It's a good thing when on the last day of riding you finally figure things out I guess.


Some of the sections had V like drops in them. They were short drops but the climb on the others side felt like it was at 45 degrees. This meant hitting it in the V and needing to know how to raise your front tire to get up the other side. All in limited space. I tried some of the more shallow ones, but some I had to walk. I just didn't have the skill to figure them out.

At one point the trail took us up and back out of the valley. It was insanely steep so both of us had to walk it. I was totally impressed with the dudes that passed us and rode up it. Note to self...practice riding when I get home!

We finally got to the Zippidity Do Da trail that went south. We decided to ride a bit of it to see how it was. We didn't get too far when we both stopped, laughed and turned around. Even the one section we were on was a bit spooky for me as it was near the edge. I just kept my mantra going of 'look to where you want to go'. Which meant do not go over the side as it's a loooooong way down!

We headed back to Frontline and zipped through the trees. This ride was glorious! I loved the speed we got as we wove in and out of the trees. Again we hit some up down switchbacks. I kept working at these ones trying to get better at them.

I had borowed my cousins bike and knew it made quite a bit of noise. At this point though I started to hear a squeaking. It sounded like the seat was making the noise. I figured I'd have to do something with it when I got back.

I then hit another of those V type drops. That's when Shauna heard a EEEEP! Then she heard 'My ......fell off!' She kindly doubled back to figure out what the ..... was and saw me standing there, with the bike, looking somewhat incredulous.

We pulled off to a section where there was some shade, as it was nicely hot that day, and took an assessment of the situation.

Oh, you may be wondering what happened. Well I'll give you a hint.


Yup. That's a bolt. That's a bolt that's suffered a fatigue fracture, as we call it in the materials science world. I used to study those in university...then as a failure analysis engineer. Of course all this information really didn't help me at this point.

Wondering where it came from? Here's a hint...what's missing in this photo? (Try not to get distracted by the streamers on the handle bars. And yes, they made me go faster.)


Just in case there is too much going on in the photo and you aren't sure. The bolt that fractured held my seat onto the seat post. No bolt = no seat.

Huh. Where the heck are we on this trail anyways and how far back is it to the car??

Of course by this point I'm laughing. And laughing hard. Oh the irony of the situation has not escaped me. I am complaining about how my arse hurts and I can't sit on my seat and BLAMMO, the Universe makes sure this is no longer a problem.

Shauna was mighty impressed with how I was handling the situation. Really though, what other way could I have handled it? I had no idea how far away we were from the car and I wasn't about to walk. So instead I chose to laugh, have a bit of lunch, put the seat and the bolts, along with the seat post, into my hydration pack and start riding standing up!


To be honest, it was easier riding without the seat. Well, at least on the downhills and the flats. The uphills not so much. At one point Shauna stopped and was telling me how Trina had explained that if you shift your butt to the front of the seat when climbing uphill, you have better control of the bike.

I stood there listening ever so intently with a small smile on my face. Then she looked from my face to just behind my butt...where my seat would have been. That's when she started laughing and said, 'Well, that's if you have a seat I guess!' I was laughing too and said I would mentally file that little tidbit away for when I had a seat!

We finally found Joe's Ridge, which was the trail I was going to take back to the car. Due to the time, Shauna decided she'd ride that trail too. Needless to say, Joe's Ridge was one heck of a ridge. It was this long downhill, literally on a ridge!! The first part was so steep and had so much loose rock we both decided to walk down that part to the next section of descent.

At this point I was so thankful I didn't have a seat as it allowed me to move my butt over my back tire so I could get down. I was shaking because of the height and the drop but we took it in sections and it turned out to be a blast!! There were these rock piles on the ridge too...we didn't realize these were the piles that we were warned about in the book. The ones that can flick you into an endo or cause you to break your handle bars.

Sometimes not knowing certain bits of information is a good thing.

As it turned out it really wasn't that bad. From there on it was the usual little bit of downhill and switchback. Having no seat, I was very grateful for the downhill.

Finally we could see the parking lot. By this point, seat or no seat, I was having so much fun I didn't want to go back. But go back we had to. It was our last night in Moab, we had a two hour drive back to the camp and we were all going out for a 'last supper'.

We hit the last bit of trail we needed to ride to get to the car. It was called Kelso's Run. We waited until some riders went through then we hit it.

HOLY HANNAH WHAT A RUSH!! This was the funnest section of trail I have ever ridden on! It was a super fast, slightly downhill, singletrack switchback that curved up into the hill so you were on your side like in a velodrom. Then it had the little V drops, which by this point I was hitting hard and leaping over the other side! I attacked this trail. It was SO skookum. The smile on my face wrapped from ear to ear.

When we finished that section both Shauna and I wanted to go back and do it again, but it was time to go. We had a short trip to the car then the car ride back. All in all I only had to ride about 5 miles with no seat. Not to shabby.

I had been wanting to go to Moab since the early 90's when I first heard about it. Finally, my dream came true. Not only did I get to go to Moab, but I got the bonus of going to Fruita as well. And the super bonus of all bonuses, I got to go with a most amazing group of people!!! This was a trip of a lifetime and I'm so thankful I got to do it. Thanks to all who made it possible!!

I can't wait to go again next year!!

Peace out my Zippity Do Da friends!!

Souvereign Moab...

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." -Lao Tzu


After a wonderful dinner with the gang, a good nights rest, and a skookum breakfast, our fearless heroine, the five-foot-two-of-fury-ninja-princess-she-ra-soon-to-be-mountain-biker, (that would be me) was ready to take on another of Moabs biking trails! I was not going to be put off by Slickrock!

On this, the second day of biking, my buddy Dave and I chose to ride 'Souvereign'. I was told it would be less challenging than Slickrock. Considering Slickrock is one of the most difficult rides, something 'less challenging' could have meant many things!

After almost getting lost trying to find the trailhead, not to mention Dave getting caught in a wee sandstorm in the desert while asking for directions from a family camped in a Winnebago we came across (while I stayed ensconced in my car), we finally found the spot we needed to be.

Let the adventures begin!


This trail was definitely more my speed...and at the same time it had it's challenges. I loved that it was so free flowing, with some sharper climbs and descents, as well as the rolly stuff. The first part of the trail was the slickrock and had little ups and downs to get over.

I was amazed that I actually could get up and over a lot of this stuff and the more we did the more I trusted my bike. Of course there were some bits were I still got off my bike and walked, but today I was a bit more brave because Dave was with me and I took more chances.


It paid off. I felt much stronger and my confidence started to build. At one point I was doing some more technical downhill and was being hesitant so told myself, "Just let go of the dang brakes already!! You'll be fine". I'm pretty sure I emitted a wee squeal as I did so, but I did survive and it was a blast!

The biggest problem I seemed to have, on all the days I rode, was my lungs. I'm not sure if it was because I hadn't done a lot of aerobic work in the last bit since the end of training, just normal asthma stuff, or because some of the climbs were short but steep; however I was majorily sucking wind and had to stop after some climbs. It was a bit of a bummer, but hey, it is what it is and I was happy I was riding...and posing for photos!


We only made it to Link 5 when I realized I was zonked and couldn't go further. We had stopped for lunch, but it didn't give me enough gusto to carry on. I didn't want to bonk somewhere in the middle of nowhere so asked Dave if it would be cool to turn back.

I had a feeling the food I ate might kick in on the way back, and it pretty much did. Ah well, lesson learned. The way back to the car was AWESOME! My confidence was definitley higher so I was riding a lot faster on the downhil. It was like being on an amusement park ride...only better! We were out there for about 3.5 hours, so it was a good day!

The second time out to Souvreign, and the fourth day of riding, was even better than the first. Good thing as it turned out to be a bit of an epic 'wherethefugawi' adventure! It all started out well and fine... Having a great ride, checking out the flora and fauna and the scenery. Kicking a little slickrock butt...


We rode back to the same spot we went to last time. It took less time this go around because we stopped for less photos, but also because we knew the terrain a bit better.

This made it all the more fun because we could go faster. Well, at least we could after my lungs warmed up. The first little bit of climbing we would stop so I could either get a hit of my inhaler, or just let the lungs relax on their own. The time we'd have to wait got shorter and shorter, much to both of our relief!

After a few hours of riding we stopped on a ridge and had a wee snack in the shade. It was much hotter out this time, about 30 C. Not much shade along the way either. Actually. No shade, except when we got off our bikes and tucked in near a big rock! Our bikes took a well deserved rest too.


Yep, that's my bike with the streamers hanging off. Well, my cousins bike on which I put the streamers. Figured it would make me look like a real mountain biker... What do you think?!

I was excited to press on and check out the area that we didn't ride in last time. We didn't have a map this time so were going on what we remembered. Not always the best plan, but very good if you are looking for adventure.

We had some good riding then saw this awesome, super long downhill section.


The first part was steep with a lot of rocks and beyond my ability, so I got off my bike and scooched down it quickly. As soon as it turned to dirt only, I got on my bike. I'm pretty sure riding down it I let out a Speedy Gonzales cry 'Andale Andale!' It was a blast!

When we got down to the bottom we followed the trail a little ways until Dave stopped and said, 'If I recall correctly, this just goes to the northwest and doesn't loop'. Hmmm. Okay then, let's go back to where the downhill ended and the other trails branched off.

So we did.

We met up with a couple of other cyclists, who, lucky for us, had no idea where they were either. We borrowed their map, which was in less detail than the map we had used before, and decided to follow the ATV trail a bit to see if we could meet up with the bike trail again.

Granted, we could have gone back up the hill, but that was a super long up!

Here's the thing about the ATV trail...98.7% of it is sand. Have you ever tried to ride a bike in sand? I was spinning like mad to get going only to hit a deep part and come to a complete stop. The funny thing is the bike wouldn't fall over or anythign, because the sand was that deep! I'd just come to a halt and be in suspended animation.

If that wasn't happening then I'd be working on my bike handling skills and turning into whichever direction my front wheel would twist to without my help. It was insane. We had brief moments where we'd hit some hard pack and make time, but mostly it was just sand. Lots and lots of sand.

Did I mention we were in a desert and it was hot out?

At one point we came across a dude sitting on a huge flat rock with his lawn chair, iPod, a book and some water. We decided to ask him if he had a map. While Dave and he were conferring, and I was trying not to wonder why someone would come to this spot to sit and read and whether or not he was someone that America's Most Wanted was interested in, I noticed some vehicles way off in the distance.

After squinting to see more clearly, I noticed it was the highway. Quite a distance away because the big rigs looked like Tonka trucks. It was at this point I heard Dave saying, 'I think those dotted lines are a road?' I tried to get both their attention to point out the highway, but to no avail. Something about men and maps I guess?

I finally told Dave when we bid the desert dude a fond farewell and headed back onto the sand path.

Now, it's times like these when one can either a) decide 'Hey we are on an adventure!' and go with it or b) get pissy that you can't do the downhill portion you wanted to and blow a little girl hissy fit.

I'm proud to report that both Dave and I chose option 'a'. Granted it'd be pretty funny to see all of Dave's 6 foot 2-ness blow a little girl hissy fit.

Instead we embraced our adventure, the sand and sang songs as well as tried to figure out if we were indeed going in the correct direction.

See anything Dave??


Just rock and sand!

One good thing was we could tell, once we got out of the valley, that we were headed in the right direction because we recognized the mountains so could determine our east and west. Phew! At every corner we figured we'd hit the bike trail and zip back to the car. But it didn't happen.

At one point Dave mentioned he'd run out of water. We'd both taken 3 L with us. I knew I still had some and told him I'd share...but if we ran out then he'd have to sacrifice himself so I could forgo being vegetarian to turn cannibal and survive. Nothing like a little motivation to survive eh?

After about 4 miles of riding in sand I spotted the Winnebago that Dave had asked directions from days ago. My excitement level was starting to rise. Could it be we are somewhere near the parking lot???

Sure enough we hit the dirt road, took a left and within no time were back at the car. It was at this point I thanked every God I could think of and jumped up and down for joy. Then we high fived and hugged. Not that I thought we were going to be in trouble, but dang, riding through sand is hard and I was getting pooped! Total ride distance for that day was about 14 miles of up/down/up/down/up/down/sand.

It was a fantastic time and I'm so glad Dave was there to share it with me! When I go back to Moab, Souvereign will absolutely be the first ride I do!

Peace out my lovely friends!

Humbling Hills...

"Every new day is another chance to change your life." ~ Unknown


Day two of my trip to Moab had finally arrived. I would get to do the one thing I've been dying to do for so long...mountain bike. And not just mountain bike, but mountain bike in MOAB.

After a hearty breakfast with the gang, we hopped onto our trusty metallic steeds and ventured off. I said to Shauna, as we rode away from the campground, "I'm giddy. I'm mountain biking in Moab." She laughed and said "Just wait till you are actually mountain biking in Moab and not just on the roads!" So true...

Our first ride was going to be on the Slickrock trail. It's likely a good thing that I didn't look up anything about this trail...

First off though, I had to ride up about 6 km of a steep climbing road...on a mountain bike. Dang! This was the ONLY time I wished I had my road bike. I slugged along sucking wind the entire way. Perhaps I should have kept going on the trainer even after I quit triathlon??

Finally we were in the parking lot. My excitement was hard to contain. At least it was until I read the sign. No, not the sign that said where we were...the other one, with a trail description.

Ya. This sign. Unfortunately I cut off what it said at the bottom. However, the first sentance pretty much captures the essence of this ride. "Physically demanding and TECHNICALLY DIFFICULT."

Oh ohhhhh. I think I'm in trouble. See the thing is, if you recall, I hadn't ridden a mountain bike in the last 14 years. Give or take. For those who are used to triathlon bikes and have never ridden a MTB, trust me on this one. Its very very different. Your body position is different and what you are riding over is most obviously different.

I was starting to get a wee bit nervous.

Then we took off. Our group was seven in number. All but two of us were pretty advanced when it came to riding skills. The only other person who hadn't been on a bike much was my buddy Dave. The big difference between Dave and I is he sees someone else doing something and he figures "I can do that". I see someone doing something and think "Holy crap, how'd they do that??"

Within the first 3 minutes of the ride I had gone off a drop higher than I'd ever gone before. My heart was racing! The short climb up to the part where the trail branches off from the practice loop left me sucking wind big time. I decided then and there that I was going to stick to the practice loop.

I didn't realize at that point that the practice loop was just as difficult as the trail route, only it was shorter. We made a plan for meeting up after our rides and I set off on my own. I wasn't worried about being on my own as there were many people out there. Plus, the gang knew where I was. It was likely it would take me just as long to do the practice loop as it was for them to do the regular route anyways!


The route itself was gorgeous. How could it not be? This is Moab! I was okay for about the first five minutes. Then I came up to the first techinical part. I was shaking trying to get down the first drop. I had been told that although it's called slickrock, your tires actually stick to it. I was still hesitant though.


The first big climb I came to I tried to ride up it, but my lungs were not cooperating. I thought asthma was supposed to be better in the desert?? Apparantly mine was not. I'd already taken a few hits off my inhaler, so couldn't do much more than try to recover as fast as I could. So I got off my bike and pushed it up the hill.

With each section of the trail I'd take a deep breath and attempt to conquer it. At least there were white paint marks to let me know where the trail went or I'd have gone off a cliff within the first little while. Oh did I mention my fear of heights and being on an exposed cliff?

Sure, I'd tamed that fear a smidge with my climbing, but out here, the fear seemed to come back. You'll note the photo below with the little white markings that seemingly lead you right off the edge of a cliff! Gulp!


It was on these sections that I'd get off my bike, put it down, and walk to see where the path went. Then I'd decide if I could ride it or not. At this point I felt like I was doing more walking than riding and I was getting a bit frustrated.

I'd managed to do ok on some parts of the trail, but others I let my fear get the best of me. I started to think that maybe it would have been a better idea to go with the gang. That way I might not be as afraid. Then again, I'd likely hold them up and that wouldn't be fair to them either.

After who knows how long of doing a bit of riding and a bit of walking and getting frustrated, I decided to find a little spot on this cliff, put my bike down and then I sat down. I sat there just focussing on my breathing for a while, kind of like what I do when I meditate. That's when the tears started to roll.

I'm not really sure why I was crying. I remember thinking that even, "What are you crying for?" I know I felt afraid, but I wasn't sure if it was the bike route, or the thought of not being able to fulfill my Moab dream, or if it was just being overwhelmed with all that's gone on the past couple of months. Whatever was bugging me though, I thought it best just to let the tears stream down and release all that I was feeling.

I didn't cry for long. Just enough to feel a bit better. Then I took a look around. Wow. It's so beautiful here. Well if there is ever going to be a place where I just sit, this is not a bad one!

I think I sat there for about a half an hour. It was then that I heard some voices. A guy and a girl. The girl was saying how stupid she was for falling off her bike and how she sucked at riding. I felt so bad for her and wanted to tell her that it was ok and hey, at least she was out there trying!

It didn't take me too long to recognize I had been saying the same thing to myself - about not being good enough to be out there etc and questioning how the heck I was ever going to be able to ride here. They stopped to say hello and I watched as she braced herself to do the next descent. I told her she could do it and not to worry. So did her friend. She took a deep breath and went down the hill and beyond. Then the guy went.

I watched them ride till the next section, then I dusted myself off and got back on my bike. I can totally do this! I may be scared, and I may not be able to do everything on this trail, but I can at least do this with a positive attitude.

For the rest of the ride I had fun. Sure, I had to walk up some bits, but I made it down almost all the descents. That was a big step for me.

I made it through most of the sand that was there and even stopped to take some fun photos. I was in Moab - YEAH!!




When I reached the main trail loop, I decided not to go back to the car, but to see if I could do a little bit of the main trail. I got to the first descent, which I must say was INSANE! I watched a bunch of people struggle just to ride up it. Most didn't make it. Then I walked down the first section to see if I felt I could ride down the rest.

I couldn't. I was ok with that though! I turned around and made my way back to the trailhead. Already I could tell I'd gained a wee bit of confidence in my riding. I knew I'd have to grab some more if I was going to do the type of riding I had come to do.


I decided I'd talked to a couple of the group that new the area and explain that I would need a bit easier ride for the next day. I was completely humbled by this adventure, but I was not about to turn tail and hide. Afterall, was I not a five-foot-two-of-fury-ninja-princess-she-ra-soon-to-be-mountain-biker??!!

Tomorrow would be a new day and would bring even more adventures...

Peace out my gorgeous friends!

Road Trippin...

"There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate." ~ Robert Brault

I can't seem to get Willie Nelson's song 'On the Road Again' out of my mind. Perhaps because that's all I've been doing!

I made the big move back to my home province, British Columbia, the first week of April. As much as I am glad to be home, it was harder than expected to leave my wee town. Or more to the point, leave the wonderful friends I have there.

Thankfully, I had two caring friends, Garney and Shelley, who helped me by driving a Uhaul packed with all of my possessions, while I drove my car out. How do you thank someone for doing that??? Not only did they help with the drive, but also with my emotional well being. I give many thanks!!

I was home barely a week when I was 'On the Road Again'. This time I was off on a wee adventure to Moab, Utah. I have wanted to go to Moab since about 1993-ish, when I first learned of it. It was then that I was quite into mountain biking (MTB) and got all the magazines. As soon as I saw Moab I fell in love and wanted to go. It only took me 17 years to finally get there.

My friend, Stephan, who I climbed with in Calgary told me that he and a group of friends go every year. Then he extended the invitation to join them. Hmmm....let's think about this...I am about to make a HUGE change in my life with my move, I'm emotionally a mess, I haven't had any contract work for a month...but it's Moab and a dream come true...COUNT ME IN!

So off I went on my wee journey. The rest of the group were either flying in from Montreal or driving from Calgary. This left me driving on my own from Vancouver. Good thing I'm an only kid who knows how to keep herself amused for a 20 hour drive!


I did the drive out in two days. It was uneventful, thankfully. Finally, on Saturday afternoon I arrived in Moab. One word: breathtaking.



Driving through town was like being in a small town in the Okanagan during a triathlon event. There were mountain bikes everywhere, as well as dirt bikes and 4x4's. I was in a mountain biking mecca!

As I was checking in I met the couple who would be my cabin mates for the first 5 nights - Noni and Reid. Then we found the others, two of whom were my friends from home, Stephan and Dave. Also with us would be Kim, Trina, Shauna, Mike and Richard. The rest of the group, Cedric, Karl-Eric and Stephan 2 were arriving the next day.

As soon as I met the gang I knew I was in the right place! Everyone was super friendly and enthusiastic about being there. Most had been there before, so they would be our guides for the week.

The first night was spent just getting to know one another as well as getting some groceries and setting up camp. "Camp" were some cabins, or chalets as we jokingly called them, located in a campsite off the main strip. It was surprisingly quiet even if it was off the main highway!


The night seemed to fly by and everyone was pretty pooped from our drives. So after a yummy meal of Mexican food we all bid each other adieu and headed off for a slumber before the next day.

Day two was to be a bit more of an adventure than I bargained for. A tale that I shall tell next time...

Peace out my lovely friends!

The River...

"peace. it does not mean to be in a pleace where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." ~ unknown

Last May I was out in BC visiting the parental unit. I was runing along a trail that I love when an inner voice said 'I want to come home'. I stopped dead in my tracks. Where did that come from? Did I really want to come home? It took about a second before I had the answer. Yes.

I'm not sure why all of a sudden I wanted to be there. Perhaps it was Mum's fall that February where she ended up with a broken wrist and trauma galore due to a poor setting, wacky meds etc. Or maybe it was losing both my good friend Terry aka Tigger to cancer, and my furry buddy Mr. Cringely to kidney disease, all within the span of three weeks. Perhaps I was intoxicated with the smell of the pine trees and salt water. Or maybe it was just time...

Because I had just started my own consulting company and I had two Ironman races to complete that year, I decided that perhaps moving right away would not be the best idea. Instead I'd give myself a year to see how things went with the company and finish the races.

The year is now up and I'm less than two days away from moving home. The funny thing is I didn't realize it would be this hard to leave the life I created here. The last few weeks have been tough. Although I'm ecstatic to be going home to my family on the wet coast - ALL of them live there - I'm sad to be leaving the family of friends I have created here.

Yesterday was the hardest yet. I moved out of my house. I'm so thankful my friends were there to help with the move because I was struggling to find peace amidst the chaos. As I shut the door to what was now just the shell of my home I thought to myself 'Why now the attachment to this place? It's just a structure.'

A realization came over me, it wasn't just the house I was leaving, it was my friends. The house was the starting point. When I moved here five and half years ago I was heartbroken and licking the wounds of a failed relationship. This house was the first home I had owned on my own. It was like a warm security blanket, wrapping itself around my shoulders and telling me everything would be ok.

In very short order, everything was ok. I made new friends who would become like family. We would share our triumphs and losses together. I 'grew up' here - emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I sought inner peace and I found it. Now I am leaving all that...or am I? If I could create that type of sanctuary here, could I not create it when I went home? Or maybe I will just bring it with me. At least I will be starting out with a good foundation - friends and family who have been waiting for me to return.

These were the thoughts that tumbled around in my head as I walked along the river today. I had decided to come down here after having lunch with some of those wonderful friends I mentioned. I needed some quiet time to let sink in all that was happening. Last Saturday I came down to the river with my friend Ted. Usually I walk along the path that hugs the river, but on Saturday we looked down the embankment and noticed a skinny rocky 'beach' we could walk along.

Todays walk would take me a little downstream of that section. As soon as I got to the rivers edge, with all the beautiful river stones, I knew I was in the right place. It was quiet except for the gentle gurgling of the water over the stones and the drip drip drip, of the water coming off the melting snowbank onto the rocks.





Way up above I could hear the ruckus of a group of ducks flying into the sunny blue sky. As I stared up at their beauty I thought to myself...keep your mouth closed. You never know when one of those cute ducky's is going to decide to drop a load. Even in the peace of the moment my mind can be a wee bit bent.


At one point I tried skipping some rocks. I love doing that, alas I am not an expert. When I was here on Saturday Ted was skipping, what I would consider boulders, four or five times, but for some reason I could barely get two skips with the lightest, most perfectly flat stone. Today I didn't even manage one skip. Just a massive kerplunk! in the calm waters.


I figured the next best thing to skipping rocks, would be to skip on the rocks. I prayed my trusty Converse sneakers would hold on some of the rocks so I wouldn't go for an unexpected swim.


I was hopping and skipping along my merry way when I spotted this little find...a heart stone. This was the second heart stone I'd found in this area. I found one on Saturday when I was out here as well. Perhaps my little town is sending me off with love?

I felt better after my walk, more at peace with everything. I am going to miss this town and all of my friends here. My heart swells when I think of all the wonderful memories I have from here and I know there will be many more to follow...just in a different way.

Thank you to everyone I've met here who has been with me along my journey. You will forever be in my heart.



Peace out my beautiful friends!