Epic Bike Ride: Intro and Day 1 (7th Oct 2008)

WELL THIS IS STUPID

these were the first words that came out of my mouth while engaging in the first pedal stokes of my epic bike ride, the exact moment my wheels left coats' drive way (thanks for the 2 month couch surf fellas), the beginning of... still not sure what yet.  the new me?  too cliche.  needless to say this plan is an abrupt lifestyle change focused around adventure and sustainable living - not stupid really, just the way i approach it, with no time to spare (at all) and with a complete lack of preparation.  'just the way i like it stupid' - not 'stupid stupid.'  this photo is metzler putting the last parts of my bike together the day i departed:

FIRST THINGS FIRST

this was an idea i came up with sometime last march.  on my weekend trip to jackson to see head for the hills and ski j-hole, it turned out i was meant to stay for over a month of skiing, partying and working on the mountain.  my stuff was at one point loaded in mike's car, ready to go back to fort collins.  apparently the head for the hills van had a problem, and more importantly it was still snowing.  hmm, i pulled my stuff out of mike's car.  the next day it was final, i wasn't putting my gear into any car anytime soon heading back south.  jackson called me, i answered.  perks of being a bum, you can do whatever you want.  this is a candid photo that chris caught of me, completely perplexed as to how i was to get all of my skiing, climbing and camping gear to jackson:

MAKE HASTE YOUNG MAN

my first words of the trip made casey smith, my 5 year partner in crime (i'll have to do a jaurez-2004 post sometime), laugh for a few minutes.  casey did a great thing for me, helped me get out of town.  i believe the hardest step is often opening the front door and leaving.  this was definately like that.  my 'last night' was the night before, and i really had so much planning to do the next day i couldn't really clear my mind.  yes i procrastinated.  wonderfully as usual, thank you, but i do wish i had one more night with my friends in fort collins.  i'm addicted to my friends, it's true, which is why i had no problem beginning the first day, 7th october 2008, at 2:00 pm and travelling a whopping 27 miles to steven's gulch in the poudre canyon.  if i didn't leave right then, and i knew it, i probably not be able to make the trip.  a storm was coming in 4 days and i needed to be about 170 miles away from fort collins in saratoga in order to bunker down, enjoy hot springs, and await the next window.  i knew the name of the game was to be storm dodging.

THIS WAS NO MEXICO

but according to casey it was sure as hell a lot of fun to be biking up the poudre canyon for the first time.  he rode to the mishiwaka inn with me and wished be luck.  that was really cool.  on top of that was the beer he dropped in my bike for my first night.  great one casey, that rocked.