Rotorua to Gisborne

February 27, 2019 ~ Montana ~ 4 Comments

It's raining in Rotorua. Which is just fine, because we're happy and dry in a house. “You guys could probably jump on a trip today,” says our friend Dicky. The raft trips are quick, only 30 minutes or something down the Kaituna River. We went a couple years ago, and the river is gorgeous- blue … Continue reading Rotorua to Gisborne

Colville to Rotorua

February 25, 2019February 25, 2019 ~ Montana ~ 3 Comments

I'm way behind on this as usual, but we're taking a few days off before our last couple weeks of riding, so I'm going to try to get caught up. Back in December: From Colville at the top of the Coromandal, we ride south to Whitianga. A vacation community with some houses attached to a … Continue reading Colville to Rotorua

Auckland to Coromandal

January 16, 2019January 16, 2019 ~ Montana ~ 4 Comments

The road is one of those impossibly steep ones, the kind where you'd shift a car into first gear to try to creep down, but it's still too steep so the by the time you're at the bottom the brake warbles and smells like shoes that were supposed to be drying by the campfire, but … Continue reading Auckland to Coromandal

The Big Boy

January 9, 2019January 10, 2019 ~ Montana ~ 10 Comments

This is the Big Boy. I like her very much. So first, why- in the last year I've been real taken with skateboarding. I couldn't imagine taking a winter off the board, but I still wanted to go bike touring. So I just needed to figure out a way to carry my skateboard on the … Continue reading The Big Boy

Florida and Mississippi

February 19, 2018February 19, 2018 ~ Montana ~ 5 Comments

We've just crossed the Alabama Florida line, and the 15th and 16th dogs that day run out of their yard to chase me, and I snap. "Arff arff arff arff arff!" they yell. “Fuck you fuck you fuck you!” I yell, and boot the closest dog in the head. Four really good, solid kicks, excellent … Continue reading Florida and Mississippi

Alabama

January 9, 2018January 9, 2018 ~ Montana ~ 4 Comments

We're in a Mexican restaurant that's playing twangy country music. New Year's Eve. It was a long day, not much above freezing and heavy rain and we had no choice but to ride 60 miles to get here, Ozark, Alabama, because it was the closest place with a motel. I look over the available beers- … Continue reading Alabama

Mystery Pee (and we’re riding cross country)

December 8, 2017December 8, 2017 ~ Montana ~ 8 Comments

“I think I left your water bottle in the mini van, let me grab it,” Colleen says. It looks like someone filled the bottle with beer. She unscrews the top. Scrunches up her nose. “This is full.” She pauses and makes another face. Kinda the face you'd make if you'd just sniffed 24 ounces of … Continue reading Mystery Pee (and we’re riding cross country)