Pisgah Mountain Bike Trip NC

Well, I took a trip to Pisgah with some friends, It was an incredible trip full of adventure and fun but overshadowed by an unfortunate disaster that left one of my friends in the hospital. Reconstructive surgery and pins were necessary to try and fix his shattered wrist. The doctor believes he will gain full use of his hand in about a year or so.

The trip started early morning, loading the five bikes, we had to bolt bike racks to the floor with make shift pins and plumbing straps to hold the bikes upright for the day long trip. I rented a Ford Expedition SUV and a small covered trailer. I was originally going to rent a big RV and tow it, but after calculating RV rental and fuel cost against the cost of staying in a hotel for four nights, it would have cost double to take the RV. The bikes were stored in the same trailer they were being transported in so it was convenient and worked out really well. the small trailer wasn't even noticeable behind the huge SUV. We took turns driving so the trip was very pleasant and fun, it felt like we were hanging out rater than driving across the states from, Kentucky to North Carolina.

We got there at 1am, but we were up and riding by 9am. Pisga is incredible, the riding, as challenging or tame as you want it to be. The landscape is spectacularly beautiful, doted by pristine waterfalls and mist covered mountains perfectly framed  by a lush forest canopy. The occasional surprise wooden bridge or creek crossings kept you on your toes so to speak. It was a common thing to see deer sprint out in front as you as you claim one more foot of glorious trail. At one point we did a climb that took us the better part of three hours. but the down hill we got in return was sublime. I cant wait to go back in May. I will be dreaming of the flowing fun singletrack paradise that is Pisgah

One of my new DH trails

Well, here I am again, the doughnut race was a blast, lots or riders and lots of sponsors. more on that later. I have been talking to some local guys and we are planing a trip to a local DH park, there is this event called the fall gathering, from what I understand its a bunch of  down hiller's showing up at the same time and riding the day before Halloween. Sounds good to me, I'm already planning the trip, I'm thinking of renting a small camper trailer, I will show up Friday afternoon and ride all day Saturday, pack up and head home just in time for Halloween. you might be wondering how come I wont be driving the T3 Vanagon....I will tell you why, because the trans gave up the ghost. it wont go into 3rd or 4th....so now I have to order a new trans, engine will be next.... anyways back on topic, here is a short video on the trail, it will give you an idea of the trail, bear in mind the camera makes everything look smaller than it really is. Sexy....I know

Dirt, Guts and Donuts II

The Best Race Ever!!!

Here it is, Ive been here for less than a month and the first bike race in October is coming up in less than two weeks, My bikes will be here in three days so I'm going to go for it. My goal is simple, dont be last. This simple goal might be harder than it sounds, being as I haven't even seen my bikes for over three months and haven't been able to ride one in almost four. The good thing is that the looming race will give me the motivation I need to get on the bike and train hard for the next two weeks. I have to loose at least 10lbs, that will be the easy part. I have to get acclimated and learn the terrain. I dont even know where the place is that the race is being held. No worries, I have a plan. If I'm not doing to good by the time I reach the second doughnut shop, I will stop and eat my way to victory. One thing I got on bike racer types is I can eat some Krispy Kremes like no ones business. While their super tuned digestive system revolts from all the grease and sugar, my goat-like stomach will be chugging away efficiently, digesting the tasty fatpills, fueling me like spinach fuels Popeye. I'm even taking a water bottle full of milk, I will use it to intimidate the competition into submission. That or I will cramp up into a ball and puke my guts out before the first stop....

WE MADE IT HOME

Well, the Vanagon T3 performed perfectly the whole way. Matter-o-fact it was an incredibly smooth drive, We were cruising at 65 to 70mph the whole way. Fuel consumption was great, no leaks no smells, absolutely flawless. I think part of the reason was because when I picked her up, I had to go get fuel, I had a plastic root-beer bottle and I filled it whit gasoline. I put in the glove box and I had a heart to heart with her. I told her that if she stranded me, I was going to pour the gas all over her and set her on fire.....it worked.

About the Greyhound bus.... I have to let it sink a little more before I comment, at this very moment I'm not sure I was amused or disgusted. Kind of like when you get on a really wild ride, it takes a bit before you know if you liked it or not...I will say, when I got home I showered for almost 2 hours.

Time to pick up the Vanagon T3

Well, I got the call, The Van is here, or there, depending on how you look at it. I'm in the border between Tennessee and Kentucky, the van....well the van was shipped to St Louis Missouri. Now I have to find a way to get from a small town in the middle of two states to a major city in the middle of two completely different states. I have to make my way 260miles thats 418.4 for the metric guys, then drive the unproven almost 30 year old Vanagon T3 with over 2k miles on the odo, all the way back, no tools, no spare parts, no nothing. I only have till Friday before storage fees start, today is Thursday, I feel like I'm in some contest.

I thought about hitchhiking my way there, this has tremendous promise of being a lot of fun, the down side of it is, I cant control when I get there, I need to arrive Friday morning, so I didn't consider this option for long.

Option two is, fly there, I can catch a cab to the shuttle terminal, from the shuttle terminal I can ride a van to the Nashville Air port, an hour and a half away, fly into ST Luis and catch another cab the 21 miles to the Overseas Vehicle Processing Station. and then drive back.

Or three, catch a Greyhound bus, I can take a cab to the bus station in town, ride the bus to ST Louis then take a cab to the VPC.

Based on my past experiences.....I'm taking the bus, I'm considering it a cross between hitchhiking and flying. If this bus is anything like the last bus I got on, this should be a heck of a lot of fun. I think its the closest I can get to hitchhiking and still control when I get there. I expect to meet and see some interesting individuals in a six hour bus ride. The great unknown still remains how will the Vanagon T3 behave, she does have a peculiar sense of humor, I just hope this time, the joke, is not on me.

Got The New House Today

Well, went and signed my life away and got the keys to my new home, the house was finished 2 weeks ago. I'm exited, but I think I overdid it, well, at least I wont be short on space for all my gear, bikes and Kayaks. The sucky thing is I have to buy lots of furniture because the house is more than twice the size of my condo in Hawaii, as a mater of fact the kitchen dining room and second living room are bigger then my condo was, not to mention the extra bedrooms and the main living room.

I have been taking cabs since I arrived two days ago, you can see one in my driveway, and let me tell you, it has gotten expensive really fast. I cant wait to pick up the T3 Vanagon in a few days, and thats a huge worry for me all on its own. I have to take a greyhound bus all the way to Saint Luis Missouri, about 5 hours away one way. Then I have to drive back with the Van, unproven over such a long distance and I have no tools or spare parts. I guess we will find out if I'm as good a mechanic as I hope I am.

Truck is on its way

Shipped the Truck yesterday, It was painless compared to shipping the Van, It took about an hour or so. I washed it and drove it right to the port. I had to take an extra long detour because I had put a needles width to much of fuel in the tank, and from my experience with the T3 Vanagon, I was not going to chance it. I arrived with the needle right at the 1/4 (.25 of my fuel tank capacity for you metric guys) mark, so no arguments from the draconian port officials. Getting back home was another issue all to together, those of you that know me really well know I'm not known for my thorough well tough-out plans or for my spelling abilities while were at it. 

I eventually gave up on trying to hitch a ride or find a bus stop near the terminal and ended up calling a cab. while riding on the cab I decided that a stop at the Aloha tower and Gordon Biersch was in order, after an incredible Oktoberfest themed lunch, I took a short walk to a near bus stop. After waiting for almost an hour in the blazing sun, my bus finally arrived. I boarded and soon noticed the smell of alcohol and tobacco, interesting I thought, I soon realized that I had been missing out all these years, it turns out the public bus was more entertainment than HBO on a Friday night. I dont know what was more fun to watch the drunk guy trowing up in the back of the bus, the lady screaming at the bus driver or the crazy homeless guy urinating down the rear exit steps. that was on a 20 minute ride, can you imagine all the fun I have been missing out on all these years. we will never know..... 

Got a Nook

Got me ones of those Nook electronic book things, so far so good. My intent was to have something to read while on airplanes or down time during my trips, I like to read but hate carrying books. I have been taking the thing with me everywhere I go. the battery last for ever and I find it easier to read than an actual book. Its light, I dont have to hold the thing open and I can take hundreds of books in the little pad.  the coolest part I think is the fact that as long as I have a wi-fi connection or 3G network within range I can buy books right from the nook. I have found this to be a really cool feature. I can also download books from public and online library's. I have declared my little nook (I call it nookie) an essential part of my adventure kit, right next to my GPS and my anti chafe cream. If you get a chance to check one out do it, you will fall in love with it. I think the nook and other similar devises like the Kindle are going to do to books what the Ipod did to CDs. well see....

Just a little longer

Well, I just reached my 10 day milestone, in ten more days I will be on an airplane headed to my next big adventure, I'm excited and a little apprehensive, I have set some very high expectations of Tennessee and Kentucky. I have some big plans involving road trips across state lines in my T3 Vanagon, Lots of mountain biking, Kayaking outings and some intense long distance multiday hikes. I have imagined this perfect place, a playground to let go and enjoy life to the fullest. I will be happy if at least 70% of my expectations are there. but you know what? The uncertainty and the unknown are what make it exciting and fun, so I will do what I always do when I don’t know what's waiting on the other side...I will take a deep breath, think of those I love, smile and charge.

Trans North Georgia Mountain Bike Adventure live tracker by trackleaders.com

Mountain Bike Adventure at its best, I cant wait to try one of these, I figure if I train really hard for a year, I might be able to finish the ride, this link shows the plot trace of individual racers trough the use of a GPS tracking system. I would love it if they had one of these races where you had to ride your bike towing a kayak, then paddle your kayak and then finish with an epic hike, now that would be something. The rules for the 9 day event are scary, and make you think about what you are about to do.

North Westy VW Services

A friend sent me a link to North Westy  , they do T3 Vanagon pop-top conversions starting $3500. Thats some seriously exciting stuff right there. Some time in the near future I can plan on driving my T3 Vanagon to WA. I can go mountain bike riding after I drop of the T3 for the conversion, after I'm done I can then fly back, when the Vanagon is done I can fly in, pick it up and road trip back home. The conversion is only $3500 so its a heck of a bargain for the work and benefits I will get in return. I now have to make a decision between the engine conversion or a camper top....I'm going to have to do some serious thinking, and to make things worse, the guys at Noth Westy also do the 4 wheel drive syncro conversion. Can you imagine it, a mini RV camper with 4 wheel drive that still gets 28 plus MPG....I can dream cant I.


On a side note, I went to the Aloha Stadium today and bought a bunch of T-shirts and other Hawaiian stuff. It was fun feeling like a tourist for a day. I bought some really cool large wood carved Tiki's and some signs. I plan on building a Tiki bar in my garage when I get back to the mainland. thats right, I'm going to have a bar in my garage, the plan is, after a long day of riding or paddling the guys can come hang out have a beer and relax. Well thats the plan, don't know it will get much use, I'm trying out the "build it and they will come" business model. LOL

The VW is gone

I was finally able to ship the Vangon today. wow what an ordeal. I have come to realize I hate the DMV and car shipping company's. I cant stand places where they tell you what you need one step at a time, you waste a day looking for a piece of paper you could have brought with you if they would have just told you it was necessary the first time you went to the counter. Its crazy, But my roving base camp, is on its way. I still have a few things that need to be packed, the second set of movers will be here on the 10th, after that all I will have is the Truck and a suit case of clothes. I plan on shipping the truck on the 14th, it will take 30 days to get there, then I have to somehow get to Saint Luis Missouri to pick up both vehicles. I have no clue how thats going to work and might be a little adventure in itself.

Goemans updated Magicshine 900

Magicshine 900 

Well, what do you know, one of my favorite lights just got better, A few weeks ago I gave my Magicshine to a very special person in my life. It was 6 months old and still working flawlessly after heavy use on the trail and as my commuting and loanout light. I started missing it immediately so decided to replace it with another one, so I ordered it. Imagine my surprise when one of the things I hated about my old light was corrected. The battery pack is now actually functional and looks and feels like a quality component. The battery bag was also improved and is a league above the old crappy one. The light itself is the same, and that is a good thing.

I also own a NR 1200 which has been nothing but problems, the first one was DOA and the second one is very finicky. impossibly bright when its working, infuriating when its not. I consider it unreliable and wasted money

My old NR Moab is a different story, as long as you dont yank on the cables when you disconect them its reliable, goes for ever, and is very bright, I consider this the best light I own.

Tennessee Department of Transportation

Tennessee Bicycle & Pedestrian Program

I was looking at a bike survey today, it was from the state of Tennessee,  I was like woah!, They actually want to know how to make the bike infrastructure better. I found this to be a very good sign. Hawaii is not exactly bike friendly, mater o fact its darn near bike aggressive, commuting is an extreme sport here. If you ride a MTN bike its even worse. The roadies and tri-guys have a strong voice but MTN bikers errrr, not so much. Imagine my surprise when I opened the link and saw questions that actually made sense and had relevance. Is this a case of the grass is greener on the other side....will see....

Tinker's Cycling and News

Tinker is turning 50

Wow, one of my heroes is turning the big 50, and he is still smoking fast. it gives me hope, since some days I feel like my best times are behind me. you go Tinker

Land Between The Lakes

Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area  My new play ground, makes me more exited than Richard Simmons at a fireman's convention.....

Adventure destinations

Well today is an off day, I decided to do absolutely nothing but look up possible destinations on line, not  ideal but its all I have right now. so far it looks like I will be riding my bike in an area called the Land Between The Lakes . From what I can tell, I will be doing lots of Trail riding in this place, looks like I will be Kayaking and camping here as well. I have high hopes for this place, on paper its perfect, its close its big and its got it all...heres a quote from the Nation Park Service


" With more than 170,000 acres and 300 miles of undeveloped shoreline, you'll discover a wide range of opportunities in LBL to create memories that will last a lifetime." 


Second place I was looking at is Rotary Park, looks like this is going to be the place to ride DH and FR locally, cant find much on the internet about Rotary Park, just a post here and there. Thats OK though, from what I have read its going to be fun. About 1.5 to 2 hours away I found Hamilton Creek. seems well organized and maintained, should be fun. I have no shortage of places to go kayaking, the plan is if its to wet to go mountain biking, I will go kayaking. I think this will work out well.

On a side note, my Tacoma developed a leak in the rear axle seal, I cant ship it like this, so now, I have to add that to the list of things to do before I leave. AWESOME!!!! it never ends.

Glenn, one of my friends and the guy mostly responsible for me riding DH called me a few minutes ago, he wanted to know if I wanted to go hit the DH...I turned him down reluctantly. this sucks. Paz

The VW is working great

Well, the WV Vanagon is behaving well, this makes me really nervous. I have gotten used to it breaking about every week now. I think the reason it hasn't broken down in over 3 weeks is because just about every component and sensor has been looked at. I even redid the wiring harness, everything but the engine and transmission has been replaced or repaired. So I essentially have a 200K miles 30 year old  new car. In hindsight I think I should have gotten a newer vehicle, but it has been a fun and challenging process in getting the van from the obscene state of disrepair I bought it in, into its now near restored condition. I keep telling myself that the long arduous process of getting the van ready for its intended purpose of base camp adventure vehicle has given me an advantage in self sufficiency. I can diagnose or repair any malfunction confidently. And I have all the special tools and spare parts I would need to do the repairs to the components that are most likely to fail. At least thats what I keep telling myself.

First Post

Well, here we are, this is my first post in my first ever blog, kinda scary.
Right now everything in my life is crazy. Getting ready to move from Hawaii to Tennessee / Kentucky and start all over again. I'm exited and scared, I have made so many friends here, traveled Asia and the Pacific, seen and experienced things and people I will never forget. I hope that my next home can be everything I hope it will be. I joined a forum to see if I can start getting a feel for the local riding community. Historically, the largest group of friends I have had, ride bikes. So far they seem like a bunch of nice folks, good manners and polite. Well, will see how that goes.