August 2024 (miles 1379-1607)
Ok, Senior year hit harder and earlier than anticipated. First football games, Highschool and Middle School as both girls are now in Cheer. Kylie toured CU Boulder and has her wish list complete. Senior photos are incoming as the photoshoot was at the end of the month. Back to school nights, new schedules, and activities… I stepped into a time warp.
The good news is, I’m still taking time for me. Working out, lifting heavy in Body Pump. Then riding a lot, and back to my full send self. If I wasn’t so busy, and overspent from Europe… I would have returned to racing bikes as planned earlier this year… but you know life. Which is sad cause I crossed 10k miles this month from when I started in 2020, and I’m feeling fast. Oh well, I’ll get back to it eventually.
If I give one piece of advice to anyone reading this who bikes… 9pm dirt jump sessions in August at sundown are just magical. Do it at least once at the end of summer.
July 2024 (miles 1113-1378)
We stared the month in East Germany. Do yourself a favor… Go. Caught a break from the rain in Dresden, which was absolutely stunning. Honestly only drove to Dresden after a cold, very wet night in Bamberg, and needed a tour indoors to lift spirits. From the hotel room we found that VW has a factory you can tour in Dresden and watch cars get built on the line. It rained while we were in the Glass Factory, but was dry as we cut through the city center to leave.
Kylie saw the Prussian royal grounds as we crossed the bridge out of town, and we made a day out of it. Dresden was worth being late to Berlin. Walked the Royal Gardens, crashed a violin concert within, and even witnessed an anti-AfD protest.
Berlin was way, way more than could be done in a day. Easy to navigate with Berlin Welcome Card that lets you ride any mass transit all day. We saw the museum district, choosing to go in the DDR museum which was a window into life in East Germany. Saw what remains of the wall, the fernsehenzentrum, tiergarten, and had the best shnitzel in Berlin. All this before saying goodbye to Mezzo Mix, schokolade croissants, and no speed limits on well maintained roads before coming home.
June 2024 (miles 862-1112)
EUROTRIP!!! I finally set out on an adventure that I have promised my oldest her whole life. What better time than going in to her senior year of high school? To be completely honest I turned the send-o-meter on my riding from 11 to 9ish. I really didn’t want to get injured before going across the Atlantic.
The rules for the trip were simple. Aircrew style. I wanted them to experience it how I experienced Europe on my days off from flying on NATO orders. We got in the car, drove somewhere without any itinerary, and let the world take us where it may.
We had a blast. Ice cream in every city center, crashing Euro24 soccer parties, eating and drinking with friends, and so, so many cars. We hopped across Germany, into Luxembourg, then France, and even Austria. Different languages, cultures, foods, experiences. I gave my girls access to a world view that should set the foundation for a life of success and perspective.
Bank accounts be damned. This was one of the best months of my life, and I even got to catch up with friends living abroad. Life is good.
May 2024 (miles 655-861)
Here’s to another 200+ mile month. Mixing it all up too, drift cars, mosh pits, long hikes, walks with the kids, just living the good life. I am also managing to keep up with my gym workouts, adding plates to all my sets.
On the bike, things have been flowing well. I am dirt juming, throwing tricks on urban features, freeriding trail, and setting PRs wherever I go. If the money/time lines up, I’d love to return to racing in July. I’m feeling faster and more competent than ever on 2 wheels.
April 2024 (miles 445-654)
I got the first 200+ mile month of 2024. The weather, bikes, equipment, after school activities all aligned to let me get some quality miles and me time. Speaking of me time, I finished the month with some of the best people on this Earth, the 731st AS. I received an invite to hike The Incline with some familiar faces from squadron. It was so good to catch up with some of my favorite people and take in the views. Plus The Incline isn’t too busy yet, so the wildlife was out, saw a fox, and this cute chipmunk who actually posed for this shot.
Stay tuned here, I may have spent more money than I have to book some truly amazing adventures in 2024. Kylie is going into her senior year, so I want her to see the world, experience some things, and have some core memories of having fun with her family. God only knows what lays ahead of her. I’m sure its amazing, but I gotta make the most of what little time I have before she is an independent adult in this world.
March 2024 (miles 273-444)
There is a mentality of if I have more than one bike, at least one will actually be working. Oh how wrong that is. Almost as wrong as thinking having multiple bikes helps spread the load making maintenance easier to keep up with. No, it’s like having multiple kids, it just multiplies the workload. The theme of this month was to get out when I could, and spend the rest of the time wrenching. Which paid off, cause the pig is back. I love this little pink bike, it is so freaking fast. I may have limped into March with my bikes, but I’m coming out of it full strength with all four rigs working.
February 2024 (miles 124-272)
The conditions, as well as basketball season, cheer, and the gym are killing the time I can get on trail. Danielle is tearing the courts up in Basketball. Kylie is doing well at Cheer, volunteering to do literally every home game. February was also Stout Month. Got to go to Red Leg and drink dark, desert beers with friends between all the snowstorms. I think balancing a social life is important, the miles will come.
On two wheels, I’m down to 2 bikes, as the Pigasus XC and DH Sylvie bikes are in the middle of maintenance awaiting new parts. Just the hardtail and the race bike. I’m still out there pushing, in the wind, cold, and the ice. It all isn’t too bad, when it gets nasty, I get the place to myself. Which in the world we live in, is worth something.
January 2024 (miles 0-123)
Another year and we are back to zero. I promised changes, and a return to my roots, here is the proof. With work, cheer, school, basketball, and how damn expensive/crowded resorts in Colorado have become… We haven’t gone in a long time.
Cuchara Mtn is operating as a non-profit. They are trying to raise enough funds to get their lifts certified to reopen as an independent resort. Which is what Colorado needs. We drove out there and got a few runs at their base. They shuttle you up in a sled-trailer thingy towed behind a snowcat. It was a blast. We shook the rust off and had a great time.
On the bike, the snow and ice hasn’t stopped me… but the mud… killing me smalls.