Travel
11
A Most Excellent Rocky Mountain Bicycle Adventure
Peter and I are known for our late departures. Specifically when it comes to departures of the adventure kind. There’s always that ‘one more thing’ to do before finally heading out the door. Last week’s bike tour takes the cake. Peter admitted the 545pm locking of the door, clicking cleats into pedals and riding away from home time of day was a record for even him. The … more
21
Returning to the Great Slave Lake: Part 2: Dancing under the northern lights
Just how I ended up in the two stepping shuffle of the drum dance line at 1:20am in Lutsel K’e, NWT, is a story that began over three years ago. What and where in the world is Lutsel K’e, you may wonder? It’s the only village in the East Arm of the Great Slave Lake. I arrived that afternoon for the Spring Carnival, aptly dubbed the ‘Slush Fest’. … more
13
Returning to the Great Slave Lake: Part One, Thaidene Nene, ‘Land of the Ancestors’
Just how did I end up in Lutsel K’e not once, but twice? Well it’s a long story that begins with the last time I skated on long blades. After the 2010 Olympics, my adventurer husband Peter and I decided to do something out of the ordinary. As a leg athlete, a trip on water seemed outrageous. We decided on a journey into a land we learned of … more
9
Northern Exposure in Nunavik Part 2: The Cup
It made it’s way to the northern village of Kangiqsualujjuaq with us on the plane. I’m talking about The Cup that had a whole lot of folks all across Nunavik crazy for hockey a few weeks before. Three years earlier, I brought a medal of my own to this same place. A bronze medal won less than a month before at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Much of the … more
3
Northern Exposure in Nunavik, Quebec
You can leave the North but the North never leaves you. It remains in the memory bank, dormant but ready for the prompts urging it to come front and center once more. The memories I have from all over Canada’s Northern lands come to life each time I see a photo, read a story or listen to news from way up there. Up there in a land that … more
12
The Baja Diaries: Day 3&4….in the cactus jungle again…
The winds calmed to a pleasant breeze, a welcome reprieve from the constant northern gale. A sliver of a moon hung above our camp. It was as if the man on the moon lounged on the crescent and smiled down our spot in the cactus jungle. Cinnamon stick tea simmered over the small fire while on the side a bunch of mesquite burned to make coals. Corn tortillas … more
28
Right To Play Liberia: Clara Town
I had no idea I had a namesake town in Liberia. Well, to be honest, Clara Town has nothing to do with me. Apparently it’s named after a woman named Mrs. Clara who was a good woman and did a lot for her community. That’s all I could get out of the locals we met yesterday afternoon. I’m working on living up to the ideals of Mrs. Clara. … more
27
Right To Play Liberia: The Sweet Joy of Play
It seemed almost an accident that I found myself high in the air en route to Liberia. It’s rare I dread getting on flights like yesterday. Only 36 hours before I had landed in Florida from California. Ended up in tourist hell after a week of bike touring heaven. After 3 hours to New York, seven hours to Paris, Seven plus hours to Guinea and then the last … more
16
The Baja Diaries: Basic Human Kindness in La Baja: Part 2
Day two of a tour is never as exciting as the first. This one was an exception. As good as it felt to sleep under the tarp shelter on the desert floor, man was it hard to get up. It was just before 8am when we finally got out of the sleeping bags. Good thing we had no schedule. With no fitness on the bike we had to … more
5
The Baja Diaries…Que la vaya bien en Baja California Sur, Mexico: Day 1, Cabo Del Este to the Arroyo Camp
There’s something about the bicycle. It’s like a magnet to humanity. Specifically, the touring bike. The bigger the load on the paniers the greater the curiosity invoked. At least that’s how it seemed each time we’ve set out on a tour. The first day of our Baja bike tour was no exception. Sitting in front of a burning lot of dried cholla cactus that made up our first … more
