The Wedge and Good Water Rim trail

The Wedge, also called The Little Grand Canyon, is located in Eastern Utah and despite its amazing beauty is relatively unknown. It is on BLM land, 20 miles east of Castle Dale and about three hours from Salt Lake City. 

It’s so special to camp (for free!) right on the rim of this spectacular canyon. We were afraid it was going to be crowded but there was almost no one there. The area is so large that we could not see any other campers from our spot. 

The Good Water Rim bike trail starts and ends here.
It’s a 21,5 mile loop.

This unique trail is a singletrack that parallels the contours of ‘The Wedge’ in the San Rafael Swell. If you do only choose to do a portion of the Good Water Rim Trail, I recommend to ride the west side where the views are more impressive.

The trail hugs the rim most of the way. The views are simply incredible.

Note that the wedge campgrounds are divided into two separate areas. Sites 1-7 fork left as you drive in (we picked site 7B which was huge). These sites generally do not have access to the stunning rim views that most people are after. 
Even though you are not really on the "Little Grand Canyon", Site 1 is gorgeous and remote. It's at the end of the road and has a nice view since it is "perched" on a little outcropping.

View from the East trailhead Overlook. We were completely alone for miles.

I’m sure it gets busier during the shoulder season when the weather is perfect, but I wouldn’t want to be here in the summer as there is no shade. It was pretty cold at night in November, but the days were perfect (for us northerners, at least) to hike and bike. Hey, there’s a reason it’s called the off-season and we had the place to ourselves!

Little Grand Canyon Overlook with the San Rafael River a the bottom.

What we discovered is that the most amazing sites right on the rim are directly AFTER site 9. These are not official BLM spots, but as long as you stay in the boundaries and camp on a designated site that has a fire ring, it is OK.

People with small children or pets might not want to camp on the ledge as there is obviously no fencing whatsoever.

One of the many amazing campsites along the canyon. If you sleepwalk, don’t camp here!

Many spots have been closed off and there is lots of cryptobiotic soil, so stay off and watch your step.

There is no water and no garbage cans, but there are very clean pit toilets at the trailheads and overlooks.

The dirt road is well graded all the way to the campsites. You won’t need a high clearance vehicle to get to them.

It’s pretty high (6,200 feet), so the nights are cold.

The Canadian Rockies

Wilcox Pass

View of the Athabaska Glacier from Wilcox Pass.

Wilcox Pass

View of the Athabaska Glacier from Wilcox Pass.

Looking at the Columbia Icefield

Beautiful boondocking spot along Abraham Lake

Bow Lake

Mistaya Canyon

Moraine Lake

Lake Louise

Jura Canyon

Johnston Canyon

Johnston Canyon Lower Falls

Tent Ridge

Snow on Tent ridge

Snow on Tent ridge

On the Moonraker Trails in Golden, BC

Cedar Lake Rec site, Golden, BC

Radium Hot Springs

Full disclaimer: I was never wowed by the Rockies. We had camped in Banff and Jasper 18 years ago on our way to the Yukon with our old Westfalia and driven through the park a few times since then, but it was always so busy that I never could truly get a feel this beautiful place. This time, I really did. And I understand why people come from all over the world to see this place.

With the fall colors in full force and very few tourists because of the pandemic, it was the chance of a lifetime. So we drove from Squamish and back for a short 3 week road trip before settling down for the winter. And we’re so glad we did!

There are so many hikes to do in the area that I won’t even try to give you an exhaustive list, but I will gladly share our favorite. Some are short, some are long and involved, I’ll let you do your research depending on what you want. Interestingly enough, most hikes allow dogs on leash!

In the Spray Lake area, our favorite was Tent Ridge (a horseshoe loop on a stunning ridge, be warned that this is not a beginner hike, there is some exposure and some mandatory scrambling). A good shorter one south of Canmore is Little Lougheed (steep but offering rewarding view).

There are lots of hikes around Canmore; Ha-ling Peak is a popular one. We did West Wind last year and found it very rewarding.

In the Park, between Banff and Lake Louise, Stanley Glacier and Arnica Lake are both beautiful hikes, especially in the fall. While you are in the area, go check out Marble Canyon (a short 1,4 km hike).

Near Lake Louise, Paget Peak is beautiful and Iceline Trail looks like a fun challenge. Cirque Peak Trail is also on our list for next time.

By the way, if you have to beat the crowds to see either Lake Louise or Moraine Lake, pick Moraine! It is bluer and more beautiful. Go during the week (pick a day when the shuttles don’t run if that’s an option) and go after 4 pm. Or go super early. And since you got up that early, you might as well hike the Larch Valley Trail, especially in the fall when the larches are yellow!

On your way up toward Jasper, you can stop to stretch your leg and see beautiful Mistaya Canyon (1 km). Keep going North onto the Icefields Parkway and stop to hike Parker Ridge and Wilcox Ridge (so gorgeous in the fall!).

Also know that it is usually possible to camp in the Columbia Icefields parking lot for $15 AND to have cell service (a really good deal in that area). However, it was closed this year because of COVID. I won’t publicly share our all our camping spots, but will gladly share them with you if you write to me personally and are planning to go. If you are willing to drive a bit, there are tons of beautiful camping spots along Abraham Lake (but there is only cell signal at this spot toward the end of the lake, at the trailhead for Allstones Lake Trail, toward the town of Nordegg).

On our way back, we spent two nights in Golden at the beautiful Cedar Lake Rec site right on the Moonraker mountain bike trails. I highly recommend it!

From there, if you are heading toward Revelstoke to mountain bike, you can stop and hike the Hermit Trail.

On our way down toward Rossland, we stopped in Radium for a quick evening soak in the Hot Springs and spent the night at Redstreak campground, 6 km away.

P.S. You will notice that I didn’t mention Johnston Canyon in my post. (but posted pictures of it). It is one of the most popular hikes in Banff and we were lucky that the road that leads to the trailhead was closed this time around because of COVID to limit the amount of people, so we biked 6 km in to get to the trailhead. Even with that caveat, we found the hike to be quite busy, so I cannot imagine how crazy it must be when the road is open!

The 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, 2020 solo edition

The morning of the race. You can pretty much feel the heart of the 24 hour town beating in anticipation.

Antonio on his first lap, being offered some liquid ‘‘courage’’ at the Whiskey Tree.

A rider stops for a shot at the Whiskey Tree, mayhem ensued!

Whiskey Tree shenanigans!

Jason hitting the rock drop on his first lap.

Antonio coming into Solo Alley on his second lap.

Stopping at our support tent for snacks, bottle refills and cheers!

Pascale preparing some warm food for the racers. After more than 6 hours of racing, they need something more than gels and energy balls to keep going.

Rafael waiting for his daddy to come back from his 4th lap.

Antonio’s golden hour lap.

Antonio trying to change his shoes without sitting down. His original plan was to not sit down at all during the race (for fear of not getting up).

The plan changed and he sat down at every lap (which ended up working really well). Here, Rafael offers him some food.

It was so awesome to have the boys there to cheer and help!

Unexpected things you might do as a support team: taking off your racer’s contact lenses for him since his hands are dirty.

I don’t have night photos and that is the part that has to be experienced to fully feel such an event, but there were lots of warm soup, coffee and quesadillas, and an impromptu dance party to keep the spirits up and the bodies warm. That was right after sunrise.

Jason coming back from his sunrise lap.

Pascale’s love, presence and management skills were instrumental to Antonio’s success.

Most of the crew at the tent on Solo Alley.

Regrouping, eating and drinking before leaving for a 13th lap.

Hop on!

Go, go, go!!

Jason back from his 15th lap and removing some layers as the sun warms up.

Still smiling!

Tire repair with the Liske boys, Formula 1 pit stop style!

Done and dusted!! 14 laps!! That’s 230 miles (370 km) in 24 hours. A well-deserved 3rd place (over 25 solo men single speeders!).

The smile that says it all!

Jason completing his final and 17th lap (that’s 280 miles or 450 km) for a 1st place!!!

He barely had time to hop off (or more like crawl off) his bike and jump on the podium!

You can see it all in that smile: pride, fatigue and relief!

Jason was even barefoot on the podium!

Antonio congratulating his friend Kelly (who took 5th place).

That’s Jason’s where-are-my-dry-clothes-and-my-bed’s face. Pure exhaustion.

Hanging out at camp after the podiums. So happy to celebrate that incredible achievement with our friends!

The girls spent a lot of time playing with the boys and going from the Whiskey Tree to the Rock Drop to keep our racers’ spirits up!

The 24 Hour Town is almost empty by sunset on Sunday night.

Rafael embodying here what this event is truly about: a strong mind in a strong body, a zen attitude and a desire to always push yourself to go higher!

Even if 24 hour mountain bike race events have been losing in popularity in the last 10 years, The 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo’s registrations filled up in 55 minutes this year. It might be because this event carries a sense community and inclusivity for riders of all levels that you don’t always find at bike races that it is still so popular after 20 years of existence.

I’ve written about this cool race before here and here, but this year was different: both our dear friends Antonio and Jason were racing it solo on single speed bikes (they had raced it in 4-men teams before - many times for Antonio and twice for Jason). This year, we were their support team for the event. Solo riders are allowed to have a tent on the very last section of the course, aptly named Solo Alley, so this is where we set up camp. It is a great vantage point to see and hear what happens at the Rock Drop, where many people gather to heckle and cheer.

Doing (and supporting) a solo rider for 24 hours was a first experience for all of us, so a lot of it was learn-as-we-go. We were definitely not the well-oiled machine of pro solo rider Taylor Lideen set up nearby, but between all of us, we did a pretty good job!

As I sat down by the fire on Sunday night, still buzzing with the adrenaline of the last 24 hours, I heard campers making up lyrics for a song: My palms are sweaty, my arms are spaghetti… Tighten your headset, loosen your mindset for the 24 Hours of old Pueblo!

To get more of a feel of the place and the event, watch this few minutes video by Lance Armstrong that he did in 2018 when he raced it.

The roadtrip from hell

First beautiful sunny morning of the trip. We had no idea what this roadtrip had in store for us.

Our beautiful campsite at Clear Springs Park (an Army Corps park), near Texarkana.

The following night we arrived in this campsite after dark and realized the next morning that the night ended up costing us 53 US$… We had forgotten that Texas State Parks charge a daily fee per person, even for kids in the same family… And we had came here especially to ride at Réveille Ranch… which we found out just after waking up that it was closed for the week because of hunting…

Riding the Northshore Trail system, near Dallas.

Really cool techy red slickrock sections (Northshore Trail number 6, Murrel Park, TX).

Beautiful campsite with water and electricity right by great bike trails for 20$ in Pace Bend State Park, near Austin, TX.

Proudly cooking on our 20+ year old Primus stove.

It was literally raining acorns when we were there. Good thing they are cute, because they hurt when they hit your head.

We didn’t get to explore the trails much because Mara fell and got a light concussion, but the Rock Garden of Greatness was a fun challenge!

The one thing that struck me the most was how much more time we spent outside when traveling in the Westy.

And how much we were pretty much the only ones outside in the campgrounds most nights… Granted, it was cold, but it made for some magical starry sky nights.

Then, the Westy started losing power and lots of oil in the middle of nowhere. After spending the night behind a gas station, we got towed to Alpine, TX, to a small country garage where the mechanics had never worked on a VW Vanagon.

Obviously, they couldn’t solve our problem, so the day after, we got towed from Alpine to Van Horn, TX. To make things even better, the tow truck broke down on its way to us. The driver - who conveniently is also a mechanic and was towing us to his garage - fixed his truck and showed up to pick us up 6 hours after the call was placed.

He towed us to his Oasis (his RV Park -by his garage and the highway and train tracks). Quite the Oasis indeed.

It is quite the funky junk yard.

There is also a motel, a taxi company and a church on the premises where he is the preacher and offers poolside church service on Saturday nights.

That’s the inside of the church/laudromat/gym/used clothing store. We tried to work in there, but the Jesus music was too loud and there was a sign that read: “Anyone caught touching the sound system will get a broken arm.”

So we didn't dare trigger the wrath of God...

Total East Jesus meet Bombay Beach feel. There are even a few abandoned half finished cabins on the property…

But hey, Lyle found a simple temporary solution that allowed us to drive the Westy to Tucson and didn’t charge us a dime (the tow ride was paid by our roadside assistance company).

Beautiful night at Rockhound State Park, near Deming, in New Mexico. We were exhilarated to be able to drive and leave the Oasis!

It felt so amazing to be back in the wild (and to get to a spot at Indian Bread Rocks where we cannot go with the bus) after many days of parking lots night.

You know, even in the thick of it, not once did I think: if only we had a house and live a more normal life… Nope. I guess this is the ultimate nomad test. We might have found ourselves wishing we had more mechanical skills though…

On our way to Tucson, we rode a beautiful section of the Arizona Trail.

Stout is the only cactus casualty so far.

I’m usually pretty good at staying positive in the face of (road) adversity. That with choosing this lifestyle in the first place and being lucky to travel and all that… But the other day when someone reminded me to look for the silver lining - because there is always one - I thought: Is there? I mean, we were finally crawling back out of debts and now this? Back-to-back-to-back unplanned expenses. And everybody falling apart because it’s simply ridiculous to live in a Westfalia with a large dog, 2 full-time working adults and 3 teenagers doing online school many hours a day. 

As I tried to fall asleep to the live country music of the saloon next door where we were stranded, I scratched my head to find that silver lining. How much can you stretch yourself before it comes flying back in your face? 

That's when I thought about the people. The volunteer at a campground who wished us Merry Christmas and waved the camping fee for us when we came to pay the next morning after a late night arrival, the garage owner’s dad that looked to be at least 80 yo and told us stories of his childhood while we waited in the crummy break room, of how he used to ride his horse buggy for 3 days with his dad to get supplies in town and meet indians in skin loins. And there was Allan, our first tow truck driver, who told us amazing stories of the 10 years he worked on fishing boats in Alaska. With stars in his eyes, he told us of the seal that helped him harvest sea cucumbers and of the 94 lbs King salmon he caught, of his dream to save enough money working his towing to buy a dive boat and a piece of land near Homer. He hasn’t been back there in over 20 years, but his heart is still there. 

Of course, it’s all about the people. Even if sometimes the last thing I feel like is to strike a conversation in the stuffy overheated back seat of a tow truck. Even if at 7 am, I rush into a gas station for a morning pee hoping to be incognito, and a cowboy - a real one - throws himself in front of me to gallantly open the door, removes his hat, bows his head and calls me Ma’am with a beautiful smile and a thick Texas accent.

These last few weeks reminded me that by stretching ourselves, we are learning to feel comfortable being uncomfortable. And that's an important life lesson for us and for our girls. And a pretty good silver lining.

And well, this week provided us with quite a collection of good stories to tell by the bonfire.

Güdrun Mountain Biking Festival, Hot Springs, Arkansas

Bonfire at sunset on Saturday night after the Slow roll, Mini enduro and Jump Jam.

The Festival was held at Cedar Glades Park, a venue with a 360 view that is part of the Hot Springs National Park.

I never had my 3 girls stand on the same podium before! Hey, there's a first for everything! Also: first time I saw an Elvis cat with a viking crown.

The local microbrewery, Superior Bathhouse brewery (that uses hot springs water to make its beers ), even created a special beer for the event. It was a delicious Norwegian Farmhouse Kornol (never heard of that type of beer before? Me neither!) brewed with voss yeast and local red cedar. You could really taste the cedar and we really enjoyed it.

Vikings racing!

Mathilde at the start.

Mathilde pushed hard.

… and finished first in her category!

She was so proud!

Stout rolling in the grass and soaking up the sun during the festival.

Aïsha leading the Cat 1 ladies at the start!

Mara showing great form on a flat turn.

Aïsha coming down fast!

That last hill (that they had to do twice!) was a dozer after 25 km of racing.

The girls got to race with a pro from Colorado who was incredibly nice and kept encouraging them. I just love the mountain biking community!

My adorable little vikings shared the podium (they were the only ones in the Cat 1 15-29 category).

The Güdrun Northwoods Mountain Bike Festival celebrated the one-year anniversary of the opening of Hot Springs’ new Northwoods Trail System and combined a mountain bike expo, a group ride through downtown Hot Springs, a mini enduro, a Jump Jam and the annual Attila the Hun Mountain Bike Race.

Güdrun is a Germanic heroic legend. A woman warrior Viking! She was the wife to Attila the Hun and later defeater of the Huns. We were sold!

As you might know from our social media, we barely made it to Hot Springs National Park** in a cloud of white smoke before the bus engine died on us. Replacing it is an expensive and long process, so we are figuring out the best options. The Festival was a great diversion and allowed us to focus on something else for a bit and let solutions emerge (isn’t it often the best way to go at it?).

We thought we would at least enjoy the hot springs while we are stuck here, but soaking in the springs is only allowed in the bathhouses in town (the cheapest one is 20$ per person, so 100$ for a soak for our family… yeah, no).

Whereas most national parks cover thousands of acres, are far from city streets, and keep natural resources away from commercial users, it is not the case with Hot Springs National Park. This smallest of national parks borders a city that has made an industry out of tapping and dispensing the park's major resource: mineral-rich waters of hot springs.

A National Park inside a city? Well, almost. The city of Hot Springs, Arkansas was founded right up against Hot Springs National Park (which happens to be the smallest National Park in America) to capitalize on the tourists coming to the area for a dip in the healing hot spring waters.The city’s main street (called Bathhouse row) is actually part of the National Park.

Here’s a little back story that won’t surprise anyone:

Following 8,000 years of use by indigenous peoples, European Americans discovered and appropriated the springs. Then, the government decided that bathing in spring water would only be available in approved facilities at a cost (and they diverted the spring water from the mountains to the bathhouses only). The entire Bathhouse Row area is designated as a National Historic Landmark District and contains the grandest collection of bathhouses of its kind in North America. Comprised of eight bathhouses, these stately structures owned by the National Park Service were constructed between the years of 1892 and 1923. The historic Fordyce Bathhouse, located on famous Bathhouse Row, serves as the park's visitor center.

So, there you have it. It’s one interesting way for a National Park to say that they are “protecting the ressources”... 

It’s no biggie. The people we have met here are really nice, the town is just quirky enough for our liking and the trails are pretty sweet! We’ll be OK for a bit.

** Hot Springs National Park is a first-come, first-served campground with full hook-up for 30$ per night, only 10 minutes from the Northwoods mountain biking trails and 5 minutes from Bathhouse Row (downtown Hot Springs).

Mountain biking in Northern Georgia

Super fun trails at Blankets Creek. Fun fact: trail direction changes daily in Georgia!

That red clay is gorgeous and fun to ride… when dry!

So many giant berms here!

Beautiful campground on Lake Allatoona (McKinney Campground).

With our own private beach!

Paynes Creek trails (during the Payne Cave 6 hour race).

Our beautiful campsite at Paynes Creek Campground (and our 3 medalists).

Even if Georgia is not yet a mountain biking destination, we were quite surprised to find some really fun rides only a few hours from Atlanta.

Our favorite were the trails at Blankets Creek in Holly Creek - some of the top-rated in the Atlanta area. At most networks we visited, the direction of travel on the trail loops changes daily (kudos to the trail builders for making trails that are fun to ride in both directions). Hikers and trail runners have to travel in the opposite direction to bikes and foot traffic is meant to yield to bikes here. The trails were very well-marked with lots of emergency exits. The rating is easy, so a black here is much tamer than elsewhere. If you ride here, make sure to ride the Van Michael trail (huge berms and lots of flow) and don’t miss Quehl Holler, a short purpose-built gravity trail full of berms, wooden features and rollers! The Dwelling Loop is a good fast warm up, but is more a green than a blue trail.

The other sector not to miss are the Bull/Jake Mountain trails, near Dalhonega. With over 30+ miles of trails in this network, you can rack up more than 2000 feet of climbing through lush Georgia forests, an unforgettable experience that will take you hours. The Walmart in Dalhonega is a good base camp.

Allatoona Creek – Nearly 20 miles of trail, ranging from beginner to expert. Unfortunately, a big portion of the trails were closed for hunting season and we ended up having to ride the TurtleBack Loop (a very mellow green) for 5 km before being able to hit an interesting trail and it was getting late, so we didn’t get to ride the more interesting Mason’s Bridge and Bluff, Hocus Pocus and Voodoo.

The Pinhoti Trail is an epic mountain bike route that goes from Alabama west to the start of the Appalachian trail. All but one section is open to bikes, though currently about 40 miles of the 140 mile route are on paved roads.

Some sections can be ridden and some of those require a shuttle. Look up P1, P2 and P3.

The girls did a 6 hour race (3 hour for Mathilde who was doing it solo) at Paynes Creek Campground. The trails were fun (think fast, twisty flowy green), but not a destination IMO.

Also check out: 

Chicopee Woods Intermediate Loop (don’t miss the Flying Squirrel and Copperhead gap trails for a fun challenge)

Know of any other fun trail in Georgia that I miss? Leave it in the comments!

Mountain biking, eating and tasting beer in Asheville, NC

It’s the perfect time of year to ride in the Pisgah National Forest!

Working and doing online classes at Odd’s Café in West Asheville. Good coffee at a very decent price and great atmosphere. Dogs everywhere! We loved it.

FOOD!! Hole donuts (made fresh in front on you!), Asheville sandwich company’s shoestring fries and Chai Pani (Indian street food).

West Asheville art and delicious ice cream at The Hop.

The Oysterhouse (West Asheville): dusted and fried oyster with blue cheese and lemon zest; Fish and chips.

Wicked Weed Brewery and beer tasting at the Funkatorium.

Avery Trail in Pisgah.

Just like Bend, OR, and Boulder, CO, Asheville, NC, is among the top cities where everybody wants to move. And for good reasons. It is surrounded by world-class hiking and mountain biking trails, and has a definite liberal vibe with a big LGBTQ+ community, a strong local movement, a big artistic and musical scene, over 30 microbreweries (in a town of a little over 90,000 people! That’s a lot of beer drinkers per capita!) and amazing restaurants with tons of vegan/food intolerance options. Oh, and it’s super dog-friendly (coffee shops, restaurants, trails, etc.).

Needless to say, the city is bursting at the seams. Obviously, we were here during one of the busiest times of the year (fall colors), but I heard locals say that the traffic has gotten simply insane in the last few years. 

Even if the cost of living is not cheap and there is definitely a housing crunch in Asheville, it is still about half of the cost of places like New York City and the Bay Area. However, the economy is mostly service-based and poverty and homelessness are rampant. We saw lots of people sleeping in their cars in parking lots at night and lots of squatting spots around town.

It’s easy to forget that we are in the South, but stepping out of town reminds you quickly that you are indeed not in California. 

Downtown Asheville is very cute, but parking is no fun. Get there early or be ready to be patient! West Asheville is really a fun laid back neighborhood that can be a good option on busy nights to avoid downtown.

FOOD AND BEERS

Here are a few of the places we loved:

The Oysterhouse - Good beer and delicious and affordable food in West Asheville. The girls ordered fish and chips and they had 3 pieces + fries for $12!!

Hole Doughnuts - Simply the best donuts ever. Made fresh right in front of you. They have 4 flavors per day and drip coffee. That’s it. When you do something well, there’s no need to expand your offering. It’s a very cute little spot, but you might leave smelling of donut grease!

The Funkatorium - It’s an off shoot of Wicked Weed Brewery, where they serve their sour and funky beers, along with some tasty food. Try their fried sweet potato burger and their arancini as an appetizer.

The Hop - Great ice cream, not too sweet, lots of vegan and sugar-free options. There are 3-4 locations across town. If they have their Bees Knees flavor, try it!

Odd’s Café - in West Asheville, very good coffee at a reasonable price, beautiful place where to work. The Asheville Sandwich Company is just next door for a quick meal (they are known for their Banh Mi and shoestring fries)

 Goodwill outlet in West Asheville 

For next time (or for you if you go!):

-The Wedge Brewery

-Thirsty Monk Brewery

-Chai Pani - Indian Street Food (they don’t take reservation and there’s often a long wait, so plan accordingly). Things to order there: Sev Potato Dahi Puri, Pani puri, Bhel puri, Butter Chicken Thali and their Mango lassi.

-White Duck Taco (River Arts District Location)

-French Broad Chocolate Lounge - They offer 30 min tours for $6 per person (including a chocolate tasting). We wanted to try their liquid truffles as per our friend recommendation.

And more breweries recommended by our friends from Live Small Ride Free:

Highland Brewery, Green Man Brewery, Hi-Wire, Burial, One World, Asheville Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada (in Mills River), and Oskar Blues (in Brevard).

MOUNTAIN BIKING

 There is so much riding in the Pisgah National Forest! There are tons of ways to connect trails and it is possible to do very long rides. One thing that might surprise some is that a lot of the up tracks are gravel roads. All the good riding is South of town.

Bent Creek area

The biggest issue with Asheville is that there is no cell signal at the trailheads. We are used to park the bus at a trailhead and take turns riding while part of our group works or do school. Being on the East Coast is much trickier schedule-wise for us. The closest trail network from town is Bent Creek and is therefore always busy. We were quite surprised to find the parking lot full on a Wednesday morning. It really reminded me of Boulder, where it seems like nobody works and just hang and have fun.

A few of the trails/rides not to miss at Bent Creek:

Green’s Lick (fast flowy downhill)

Ingles Field Gap Loop (in MTB project)

For an easy exploration ride, check out Pisgah Area SORBA Beginner’s Loop (in MTB project)

For a longer ride, check out Bent Creek Epicito route (in MTB project)

Where to sleep in Bent Creek/West Asheville :

Lake Powhatan Recreation Area is right in the middle of the trails, but the signal is spotty. We were able to work from the Big John Loop (1 to 2 bars 4 G LTE).

Another (free) option is the Cracker Barrel in West Asheville on Crowell Road. The nights were pretty quiet even if the lot is not exactly leveled. 

Brevard/Pisgah area

We found one great spot right by the Brevard trails and the Hub bike shop where we could park the bus and ride right from our door. It is a huge parking lot (look up Walmart Brevard on Google Maps), but it is forbidden to spend the night there.

From there, it’s easy to ride the Black Mountain Trail and the Thrift Cove/Sycamore Cove Trails.

For longer, more challenging rides, this is the place. Here are a few trails that shouldn’t be missed:

Squirrel Gap Trail

Laurel Mountain/Pilot Rock trail

Avery Creek Trail

Trace Ridge Trail 

Where to sleep in Brevard/Pisgah:

Davidson River campground (in the Pisgah National Forest): signal is spotty, but we found out that sites 1 to 11 had good enough signal for work.

Dispersed camping in the Pisgah National Forest: free, no signal, right down the road from the Davidson River Campgrounds (check iOverlander for exact coordinates). First come, first serve basis, 14 nights maximum. Right off the road, but have a fire pit and some with picnic tables. The road is pretty quiet at night. There are some beautiful spots by the creek for smaller rigs and you can ride right from your site.

Walmart Hendersonville: that a good 20 minute’s drive away and is pretty noisy (a street runs through the parking lot and people love to drive fast there!), but it’s free and there is good signal.

Dupont State Forest

Then, there is Dupont State Forest, where the trails are more beginner-intermediate friendly. We loved Ridgeline and Hickory Mountain Loop, but there are many more to ride in that area. We wanted to ride Cedar Rock (the only slickrock in the area) and Reasonover Creek Trail.

This is by no mean an exhaustive list of all the trail areas in Asheville, just some of them that we rode in the most visited areas.

The other sector we didn't get to ride is Mill Creek. It is located between Bent Creek and Brevard. Our friend recommended riding the Fletcher/Spencer Trails there, but we didn’t have time.

 A lot of this great information comes from our friends at Live Small Ride Free. We are always incredibly thankful to get recommendations from local, but Ching’s super exhaustive list made our time in Asheville really incredible.

Ontario

Cooking dinner in a rest stop is a great way to save money on campings on long drives. We stop in a (free) beautiful spot to stretch our legs and cook dinner and keep driving. After that, it doesn’t matter much where we spend the night.

Beautiful stop along Lake Superior.

Exploring a beautiful free campsite just outside of Lake Superior Provincial Park

Look at that water!

Very cool Cheetos powder lichen.

Eating dinner by Lake Superior

Mathilde at the Horseshoe Canada Cup

The start of the Cadet expert girls at Horseshoe. Mara got stuck at the very back…

Aïsha at the Horseshoe Canada Cup

Mara at the Horseshoe Canada Cup

So, how do we deal with the heat when relying mostly on solar? Even with 750 Watts of panels, we can’t run the AC in the bus. We could pay for a 55$+ campsite, but we try to find public beaches where we can spend the day and sleep in free spots. We haven’t paid for a campsite since we left the Yukon. Actually, we very rarely pay for campsites anymore since it is so easy to find free camping spots, and since at this time of year you need to make reservations in advance to have a good campsite (and in our book, if you pay for a campsite, it better be a good one). 

When we cover a lot of ground like we are doing this summer, our go-to strategy is to stop during the day (and often for dinner) at beautiful spots along the way, stretch our legs, bike, swim, and keep driving afterwards. By then, it’s dark and it doesn’t matter much where we spend the night as long as it’s not too noisy. It allows us to save money (since we are spending a lot on gas during this time) and not worry about making reservations in advance.

In Canada, iOverlander is the best app to use to find free camping spots. Be aware that most users are in vans or 4 x 4 vehicles, so scout out the recommended spots in advance if there is no information about vehicle length in the comments to avoid bad surprises.

The XCO Mountain Biking National Championship was a bit of a bust. Aïsha crashed during her first preride and got a concussion, so there was no racing for her. She is still healing and focusing on the Western Summer Canada Games at the beginning of August. Mara felt strong and ready, but the crazy hot weather at 42 C with humidex was really rough for a Yukon kid. She battled hard, but crashed near the finish and lost 3 positions, finishing 14th over 21 strong girls. It was not the results she was hoping for and she was quite disappointed.

Mathilde is still too young to compete at National level, but took part in the Ontario Cup the next day. The weather was a bit cooler, but there was A LOT of traffic on the course. She’s still quite happy with her race.

The girls are now on Instagram and they will share their own race reviews (and lots more) there. Give them a follow if you want:
@aisha.roldan
@mathilde.roldan
@mara.roldan.mtb

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, AB and SK

Sunrise over the Conglomerate Cliffs. The positive side of getting here in the dark was to wake up to this amazing view.

FREEdom!

Mathilde is working on a jewelry order (you can visit her Etsy shop here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RideItUpJewelry

Riding Last Grizzly, a fun dowhill trail in the Albertan side of the park, near Elkwater Lake.

Riding by Elkwater Lake.

Following Julien’s suggestions (in the book Vie de Van, of course!), we headed to the Conglomerate Cliffs for a sweet boondocking site. However, since we were already in the Albertan side of the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park for biking, we decided to cross through dirt roads. We didn’t expect them to be that steep and were too low in diesel for that inclination (and the pump could not pick up the fuel…) Sooo… We got stuck on a hill and had a bit of a moment trying to back up with the Westy attached (we have to be careful backing up with a tow bar and couldn’t unhook the Westy), but made it with the help of a local. JF drove 45 min to the nearest gas station and came back in the dark. As we stayed behind in the middle of nowhere, many herds of cows came to sniff and check the bus. One young bull stuck around for a while and Mathilde turned a stressful situation into a good laugh, saying: Mom! He must be one of Roaditup’s followers! He wants a selfie with the bus! 

We were only 10 minutes from the boondocking site, but driving in the dark on those roads proved dangerous since cows charged the Westy (that I was driving). There are LOTS of free ranging cows here, so driving during the day is strongly advised. The roads also become a mud fest when it rains, so stay away if it is in the forecast of if there had been rain in the last few days.

Hike to West Wind Pass and the Canmore Canada Cup

Grassi Lake, Canmore

Spray Lake

The view after 5 minutes on the West Wind Trail!

Getting to the Pass.

Wow!

A well deserved break to enjoy the view.

2,5 km to that awesome view? Hell, yeah!

We get spoiled so much in BC and in the Yukon! On this hike, there are a few trails options and not must signage so it can get confusing. Stick to the trails on the right and you’ll get there. Consider taking poles if you struggle with steep descent. It’s a pretty tame hike by Rockies standard (it’s considered moderate), but the climbing is pretty steep and constant, so just plan accordingly if you need breaks. We got to the pass in one hour and back in 30 minutes. After taking a break at the pass and admiring the view, you can keep hiking all the way up to the Wind Tower. 

Mathilde at the start of her race.

Mathilde finishing.

Mara at the start line

Mara at the start

Aïsha getting down the aptly named Organ Donor trail.

Aïsha getting some air!

Well, Canmore was not what I was hoping for. This was for sure not my weekend. I crashed on Thursday during my preride and then crashed again on race morning, bending my front wheel and derailleur 2 hours before my start. We pretty much took a bunch of different parts from other bikes and put them on my bike. When I was finally able to do my race, I didn’t even get 10 minutes into the race and got a flat on my rear wheel. There was lots of experience and learning throughout these few days spent in Canmore, but I’m wishing to get all problems fixed in time for the Horseshoe Canada Cup. What happened to me today was simply bad luck, crashing and flatting are things that are part of cycling and it is for sure not the last time that this will happen to me. Awesome job to everyone who raced today and thank you very much to all the people for helping and supporting me throughout this rough couple of days. What a fun event though, I wish to come back next year and have an even better time riding these amazing trails!

Even after 5 years on the road, we sometimes forget how fragile the balance of our daily life is. Of course, sometimes we just need to get somewhere and drive a lot, but that also means making sure to get outside and be active for an hour or so a day at least. We are pretty good about keeping our regular (healthy) meals schedules and to keeping a work and school morning routine. However, since we left the Yukon, we haven’t slept in a campsite once and parking lot life does take its toll on all of us. Yes, our bus is big, but throw 5 adult-size person + a giant size dog and it feels very small. Especially after 2 weeks. 

Since there isn’t much external framework when you live on the road, you have to constantly check in with yourself to figure out why you feel the way you feel. It’s one of the reasons people say traveling is a fast track to self-improvement. And a fast track to divorce!!

So, yes, even after all this time, we’re still learning how much of a balancing act this is. After two days in nature, I feel like myself again, ready to cross the Prairies and hit the hot humid and buggy weather of Ontario. Just kidding, I’m so not ready for that. But hey, soon we’ll be in Quebec and spending time with our loved ones and I sure am ready for that!!

Finding free QUIET camping spots in Whistler and Canmore is not an easy task (and paid campgrounds are often full or very expensive). Even the usual trail head spots often have NO Overnight camping signs. We lucked out that our friends found a new trailhead that didn’t have a sign up yet, so we could spend two quiet nights here after the chaos of the Visitor Center (there are huge signs saying NO overnight camping there, but they tolerate it if you leave by 8 am).

Down the Cassiar, Westy troubles and Whistler Canada Cup

Boya Lake Provincial Park.

Boya Lake Provincial Park, Northern BC.

Full moon rising over the Stewart-Cassiar Highway.

Aïsha keeping us entertained on long drives with her ukulele songs.

Leaving Burns Lake pulling our broken Westy on a U-Haul platform, still unsure where we will be able to get it fixed and even less when…

Mathilde showing great form on a steep line during the Whistler Canada Cup.

Mathilde, proud to finish that tough race!

Aïsha at the beginning of the race.

Mara feeling tired.

Mara on the left and Aïsha on the right.

Mara

Mara dug deep to finish that race.

Teammate Zachary Brunelle taking one of the technical A line on the course.

Mathilde in 3rd place!

The Whistler Canada Cup course was the most technical race the girls had ever done. On top of that, there was 240 m of climbing PER lap. Some sections of the course were only a few days old and very loose. The whole course was incredibly dusty. Aïsha crashed during the preride; she was in pain during the race and had lost her confidence, so she decided to opt out after one lap to avoid another crash and save herself for next weekend Canada Cup in Canmore. Mathilde coughed all night (and kept everybody awake) and was feeling miserable on the morning of the race (we all brought back a nasty virus from Whitehorse). She freaked out a bit after the first big climb when she stopped and felt like she was choking, but thankfully, coach Dan Sams @terraridersyukon was right there and talked her through it and she kept on going. She finished her race and grabbed the 3rd place. She was super proud to have finished such a tough course in her physical condition. After a sleepless night, too much preriding the day before and still healing from her nasty crash at Baie St-Paul, Mara was able to hang on to 4th place. Quite a feat in her condition! The field of Expert Women U17 was very strong with a few BC riders who are super strong technically. It was a good experience and the girls know what they need to work on for next year!

We were super proud of the girls’ Yukon teammates from U Kon Echelon who came all the way down here to race, not expecting such a tough course, but did it nonetheless! Way to go, friends!

And the girls now have Instagram accounts: @aisha.roldan, @mara.roldan.mtb @mathilde.roldan
Go give them a follow if you want!

Baie St-Paul and Sherbrooke Canada Cups... and an hospital visit

When the big sisters are gone… the little one gets her parents all to herself. And sushi.

Getting the bikes up on Mamie’s car to get to the race in Baie-St-Paul.
Photo by Paul Brouillard.

Ready to race the Baie St-Paul Canada Cup!
Photo by Paul Brouillard.

Warming up.
Photo by Paul Brouillard.

Mara crashed hard on the first lap of the Baie St-Paul mountain biking Canada Cup when her handlebar hit a trail marking pole. They carried her down - partly in a coach’s arms and partly in a 4 X 4 (can someone tell me why they didn’t have a proper ambulance with a stretcher at such a big event?!).
Photo by Paul Brouillard.

She was sent to the hospital for some x-rays. It was nerve wracking to follow that from afar, but my mom was with her and the medics and a Dalbix coach took great care of her.
Photo by Paul Brouillard.

There is no spinal injury, no fracture and no concussion. Pffeew!! They did an ultrasound to rule out internal bleeding since she crashed on her belly (and the tip of her handlebar poked her in lower abdomen...). There might be some torn ligaments, but all she needs to do is rest + ice and take anti inflammatory meds. She even had the OK to race the Sherbrooke Canada Cup the following weekend! That’s all she wanted to hear! She’s such a tough cookie!

The XCT on Sunday in Baie St-Paul was pretty muddy. Aïsha slid under the tape, but got back on the bike and finished strong. Mara was there to cheer for her team!

Catryana, Mara and Aïsha.

In the tulips with Mamie.
Photo by Paul Brouillard.

Bringing Mémé out in the sun and eating some fast food (her favorite - Louis Luncheonnette!)

Aïsha racing the Sherbrooke Canada Cup course under the eyes of her grandparents (up on the hill).

Mara on the Sherbrooke Canada Cup course.

Aïsha

Sisters talking about the race just after crossing the finish line.

Debriefing with coach Dan.

Grand-papa and Grand-maman came from Terrebonne to watch the race and cheer for their grand-daughters.

The whole Dalbix-Siboire Expert Cadet and Junior Crew!

Sweet Charles - aka Cha-cha - who was quite confused to hear people cheer for Aïsha using his own nickname (Sha-sha). He kept repeating: but I AM Cha-cha!

Family who cheer for your daughters when you’re not there: Priceless! It made our hearts so full to see them there.

Mara during the XCC on Sunday.

Aïsha during the XCC

Aïsha during the XCC

Sprint finish for 2nd place for Mara at the XCC (she is the first one here).

Breathing a sigh of relief after securing the 2nd place in a sprint finish!

That’s what you call leaving it all on the course!

Aïsha’s back was killing her during the XCC and she was in a lot of pain. She still finished the race and was proud of herself for not quitting.

Mara on the podium of the XCC.

It was the first time the girls were away for 2 weeks and that we could not be at their races. Needless to say, it was nerve-wracking! But they were very well-surrounded!

The girls had a great flight experience and I feel like since we often hear bad things about Air Canada, I feel it is important to talk about the good things they do too. The girls were upgraded to a direct flight from Montreal to Vancouver (instead of a transfer in Winnipeg) and got upgraded to First Class for that flight AND given 20$ each in per diem to spend at the Vancouver airport! Way to go, Air Canada!

And a little something I posted on Instagram that you might not have read:

And they’re off again, this time it’s only the twins, but for a trip to Quebec. It's funny how when your kids are young and you choose to keep them close people are feeling like you are over protecting then… I've always been a believer in the idea that kids who feel secure when young become confident adults, that you cannot force independence, that it actually come from a place of secure attachment. I had cautious little girls who took their time and we gave them that time. And here they are, at 15 yo, leaving on a trip across Canada alone with 3 flights, solid, independent, resourceful and self-reliant. It's a real treat to watch. Maybe it's time for a little pat on the back.

Driving up the Alaska Highway, 2019 Edition

After a few days in Langley (a suburb East of Vancouver) where we went to a garage we really like to get the bus ready for the long drive, we stopped in Hope and slept at the Othello Tunnel trailhead for the night (the exact location is in iOverlander). It’s a section of the Kettle Valley Trail that leads you along this beautiful baby blue river through many tunnels. Unfortunately the tunnels were closed for the winter season.

It was still a short pretty bike ride. And there was a bear on the trail!!

When then started our way North and were rewarded with incredible views. And snow, which felt pretty exotic to me.

And lots of wildlife too.

Stone sheep on the side of the road (and on the road licking minerals) in the Stone Mountain Park.

Such a spectacular drive! It’s the first time we drive up that early and it truly is the best time of year to do it!

Muncho Lake, usually turquoise, was still frozen.

The Liard Bison herd. There were lots of brand new calves too!

Liard Hot Springs!

Paradise!

10 o’clock sky after leaving Liard toward Watson Lake.

We saw lots of cariboos since it was still so early in the season.

We slept at the Watson Lake territorial campground boat launch parking lot since the campsites were still covered in snow! You know what struck me the most this time driving up North: the complete utter silence. It's probably because most of the lakes are still frozen here, but it's as near as the Yukon winter silence as I've been in many many years.

And we made it to our friends’ place in Whitehorse! This is their backyard on Kookatsoon Lake, our view from the bus for the next few weeks!

Camping in BC can be pretty expensive, but it is also fairly easy to find free camping spots as long as you are not on the islands or the coast. We used a combination of iOverlander, Park4night and Campendium (where I posted many reviews years ago about many spots in Northern BC) and were able to not pay for a site once after leaving the island. Granted, there were quite a few parking lot and industrial area nights, but as soon as you get North of Prince George, there are many rest areas and pull outs on the side of the roads where you can sleep for free, all the way to the Yukon!

Two more Island Cups and turning 15

Celebrating their 15th birthday racing in the rain in Campbell River!

Mara took the first place in the women expert field! A great birthday gift to herself.

Mathilde got first in the women beginners and Aïsha got second in the intermediate women! A memorable race!

Simple and beautiful birthday for our sweet girls.

A bald eagle feasting on a dead seal during our morning walk…!

The view near our campsite in Comox. So pretty!

The Cumberland Island Cup was a very muddy one on a beautiful but tough course. Mara lost her chain twice on her last lap, but managed to finish third in the women expert. Mathilde pushed too hard on the climb and got sick, while Aïsha had to stop since the pain in her neck and back was too intense (again - my poor girl).

So muddy! One turn in the washer wasn’t enough to remove all of it…

We only spent 10 days in the Comox-Cumberland-Courtenay area, but really loved it. We were camped at Cape Lazo RV Park since we needed water and sewer hook-up with all that mud! It is a great little RV Park right by the ocean, but it is crazy windy. We nonetheless recommend it and would go back there!

The biking community here is very active and the trail system is very well developed. Parts of the village of Cumberland reminds us of the old downtown Whitehorse, before all the big box stores moved in. Actually, all these stores are not far, in Courtenay, 15 minutes away, so it allows Cumberland to keep it’s charm and local shops and restaurants.

The Bear Mountain Canada Cup

The whole Dalbix-Siboire Team for the Bear Mountain Project with the coaches.

Mathilde taking part in the race even with her 12 stitches.

Aïsha going strong even with very intense back pain.

Mara finished 3rd on the cross-country course! A pretty impressive feat for a first year cadet!

Mara giving everything she had on the short track. She kept her second place for most of the race and slipped in a corner on her very last lap… She still finished 3rd and was very happy!

Left: Mara sharing the short-track podium with one of her teammate from Dalbix.
Right: Mara and Aïsha with their wonderful coach who has been training them from afar since December.

Proud team. Such amazing young people!

The Bear Mountain Canada Cup was the first national race to which the girls ever participated. They are finally old enough for it and did great for first year cadets (U17)! If, like me, you are a neophytes to race lingo, you might not know the difference between a Canada Cup and the national Championship. The Canada Cups are a series of 8 races to which anybody can participate (so there were US racers who came to race it in the Junior category - U19) whereas the national Championship is a once a year event to which only the best Canadians can participate. Bear Mountain was the first Canada Cup of the 2019 season and Mara and Aïsha were racing in the cadet field (15-16 - the age at the end of the year) as first year cadet. The big race (the XC race) was on Saturday and there was a short-track race on Sunday. There was also a big Enduro race happening on Sunday, as well as a Bike Festival, so it was quite the event!

Mathilde is still too young to be part of the Canada Cup, but she could take part in the Bear Mountain Challenge XC on Saturday morning. However, she crashed on the Enduro course while pre-riding with the local team (Dirt Squad) group 4 days prior and ended up in the ER and needing 12 stitches on her knee… She was very bummed to not be able to race, and at the last minute decided she still wanted to give it a go and said she would stop if it was too painful. She did one lap and decided to stop (her race was 2 laps), and was very proud she gave it a try.

It was a wonderful team experience for the girls and they were so happy to be part of such a big event. It was great to be finally reunited with the team and their amazing coach. I’m already looking forward to the next Canada Cup… and coming from me, this means a lot!!

The Hammerfest race and a visit from Grand-Père

The Hammerfest race was a really fun event. The course was long for the expert, but Mara had a great race, finishing 2nd in the U19 field. Aïsha is still struggling with some back issues and a vertebrae pinched during her warm up, forcing her to stop the race after one lap since she has lost sensations in both her legs.

Mathilde had a great race and placed first in her field!

My dad took the train across Canada and came to spend a week in Victoria.

He taught me to shuck oysters.

My dad and I took a road trip to Port Renfrew. We stopped at French Beach Provincial Park along the way.

There is so much to explore on the Island and we will not see it all in the month or so we are here. I’m glad I got to see a part of it with my dad while he was here with us!

First week in Victoria, BC, and the Hartland Island Cup

Pre-riding the Hartland Island Cup course. Quite a change from the AZ courses!

Checking out the lines.

Practice, practice, practice!

There is still snow on the ground. It’s very unusual in Victoria!

The view from our beautiful campground - Pedder Bay RV Resort and Marina.

Look at that water!

The girls were pretty excited and nervous to race the first Island Cup of the season (it’s their first time here). Mara had a great start and was keeping up with the strong girls until she got a flat, Aisha’s and Mathilde’s timing chips got mixed up, so they didn’t have their results, which wasn’t acknowledge before podiums (Aïsha was waiting for her turn on the podium and someone else got called because of the mixed results, even if she really was third…). They all acted with such maturity and positive attitudes, it was very heartwarming to see. Mathilde said she had her worst race ever (they rode a lot this week and their legs were shut), but that she had fun and was proud of herself. All in all, a success! And this community is simply amazing.

Mathilde and I when on a paddling date. It was so beautiful, seals were playing hide and seek around our kayak, a trumpeter swan landed beside us and a bald eagle took flight nearby. We could even see the snowy peaks of Olympic National Park in the US in front of us.

JF and are celebrating our 20th anniversary (well, as you know, we’re not married, but that’s 20 years from our official dating date) and it is my birthday in a few weeks as well, so he treated us to a guided tasting flight in the cellar of Bear Mountain Resort. Every Friday, there is a different theme and this week was Italy. How perfect! The sommelier led our group down to this incredible room with a huge table covered with canapés prepared with local cheeses and charcuteries, and guided us through a tasting of 8 different wines. When they brought out the lobster cakes, I looked at JF with big round eyes and asked: How much was this thing? He said: well it said from 40$ per person… So we laughed imagining cameras looking down on us to see how much food we ate from the decadent spread and charging accordingly! It turned out to be just a little over that and I kept bugging him that it was because he went for the prosciutto 3 times!
It was so fun to be with him in such a different setting. It really felt like we had traded life with another couple for an evening, in a weird but cool way.

Sedona

Gorgeous stormy sky from camp on our first night in Sedona.

Chuckwagon Trail.

Aerie Trail.

Mezcal Trail.

Deadman Trail.

Oh Sedona… you are so… ethereal.

People go around town in old Volvos or Subarus with licence plates like

WLDSPRIT or SNCTUARY (I can't make this sh*t up), long time no see acquaintances get into awkwardly long full body hug at Whole Food, people in the fruit aisle look at you in the eyes and smile this compassion smile, and you know they are totally looking at your aura and judging you.

OK, I give the crystal/vortex crowd a hard time, but if I’m being honest, I totally feel the Sedonal vibe and it affects me (and I did feel the vortex when we went to check out the Kachina woman last spring… I wanted to laugh it off, but I felt incredibly jittery… I do feel that stuff, maybe I should just accept my hypersensitive side).

I feel a similar vulnerability here as the one I feel in the Yukon. A rawness. I feel stripped to my essence. I can't sleep. I want to run away as much as I want to stay and dig deeper. Every single time.

Sedona and Whitehorse are healing lands. I've heard it many times. Both places chew me and spit me out a shaken but more aware being.

Maybe at some point I’ll need to admit that I am one of them, but simply hiding in dirty bike clothes while shopping for sprouts and tahini instead of wearing hemp pants and a shaman pouch around my neck.

See my previous posts (and here) on Sedona for more biking info.

Crested Butte, Fruita and Moab

We were very excited to check out Crested Butte, but we knew it was rather late in the season… I had taken notes from Pedaladventure’s great post on that fun adventure town, but we ended up just exploring it on foot and Westfalia instead of riding the trails (already covered in snow).

We boondocked here a few nights, near Almont.

And woke up to this!

It was beautiful… but a bit cold for camping.

Desperate for some good riding, we headed to Fruita where we had been in the Spring, but had only explored one sector (18 Road). This time, we checked them all and loved them (here’s another post by Pedaladventure on Fruita if you want more info).

In Fruita, we rode some great trails in the Kokopelli trail system.

Then, we went to explore the Rabbit Valley area, still technically in Fruita, but closer to the Utah border.

And rode this amazing trail all around the rim you see down there (called Western Rim).

It’s now in my top 3 trails.

You can see the Colorado River down there.

We also rode a few trails on 18 road (still Fruita) for Mathilde’s birthday (we love PBR, Joe’s Ridge and Mojo).

That’s Joe’s Ridge. Simply amazing.

And of course, we went to Moab (I wrote so much about Moab, just do a search in the location bar and you’ll find plenty). We had a chance to connect with friends there since it is that time of year where many of us converge to this area.
Photo by Ching from Live Small Ride Free

JF and Mathilde on Ramblin
Photo by Ching from Live Small Ride Free

Me on Chisholm
Photo by Ching from Live Small Ride Free

Mara on Big Mesa
Photo by Ching from Live Small Ride Free

Our group on Big Mesa.
Photo by Ching from Live Small Ride Free

As I’ve shared here before, one of our girls wants to go to school, have external academic and biking motivation, deadlines, a schedule, to be graded… She is an organizer that thrives on structure. She makes lists, plans and wants to know what’s coming. Her Christmas gifts are ready weeks in advance.... You get the idea...

I was hoping that providing as much structure as possible with a Google calendar and online classes with clear external deadlines, timed tests and grades would satisfy her… But she says she’s done with life on the road. She wants stability. A totally normal desire. We knew it would very likely come, but still hoped it might not. Of course, it is out of the question to leave her with friends or family and keep travelling. It's not an option for us. We travel to have more time together.

A few people have asked us why we would settle down if one child wants to settle down and another one wants to keep traveling. Why would we put more importance on the desire to settle down than on the one to keep on traveling? Is is because it is what is expected or more *normal*? Teenagers need a group of peers, need space from their parents, etc. Of course, their life on the road provides plenty of that with bike teams and races, tons of friends of all ages we meet along the road, lots of time alone either in the bus while the others are gone riding or time alone on rides, daily texting with friends, etc… but it’s not the same as being in one fixed location.

So, this is our work right now: finding out what is fear of not offering a normal teenagehood to our girls and what is sticking to our family values and the needs of the other members of the family?

Some might philosophically say that kids will be angry at their parents nonetheless, that they will turn out fine anyways, that we adapt to anything… and there is truth to that of course, but these are key years in one’s life and I don’t want to rob them of these important years. We have a huge decision on our hands...

Another very important aspect of this decision is my mental health. I’ve talked about it here before. I take meds all year round and use my light therapy glasses everyday of the fall and winter EVEN on the road during Arizona winters. I need to be active outside in the sun almost everyday to keep anxiety and depression at bay. The first winter I spent in the south in my entire life was a game changer: I realized I could feel good all year, have energy and drive to do things and not wake up with an elephant on my solar plexus and struggle to get out of bed. I was 35. And I never looked back. Since then, I spent one winter in Quebec and it was really hard. You’ll tell me winter is hard on you too, but when you suffer from SAD, it’s a different level of hard. I don’t ever want to go through this again. Especially not when my girls are going through a major transition like entering high school.

So yes, this is a big factor and a top priority. It might sound egocentric, but if I’m sick, nothing is going to work. So yes, we could veto another 3 years on the road and tell our daughter that we will make sure she has high quality online classes and that she can settle down in 3 years when she goes to University. But that doesn’t feel right to force her into that life against her will… but then, settling down means forcing her sister into a life she doesn’t want either… And that’s where we will have to make a hard decision.

It’s no secret that we are not excited about settling down (we don't even know WHERE we would settle down at this point, but it would very likely be in Canada). Settling down means finding a home base and furnishing it (we have a big dog and finding a furnished rental is very unlikely). We don’t own anything anymore. Settling down IS a big deal. This bus is the home in which I lived the longest in all my life. I don't want to sell it. Same for the Westy. But in the North, these are not winter vehicles and need to be put in storage when not in use… And problems show up… Which also means that we'll need a car (or two) and another job to pay for it all…

So, it’s not a matter of simply *trying it for a year*. If we settle down, it will likely be at least for the next 4 years (or until our youngest is done with high school)... because we won’t turn things around again. Especially since the daughter who wants to settle down wants to do it because she is done leaving friends behind.

A part of me wants to believe that we can turn this into an adventure… If we find an interesting school in a new location where we can live in the bus for part of the year (and maybe an AirBnB for the few colder winter months…), that maybe could work. But the other part of me is like: are you crazy? No friends or family around in such a tough transition. No way!

And I dream of Europe...

I’m sure many of you wonder why I share all this personal stuff here. There are a few reasons. First, this is how I think. By sharing ideas and listening to feedback. It helps me frame my ideas and make sense of it all. Also, and above all, I feel like there are not many families on the road with teenagers and I know I wanted to hear their stories when my girls were smaller, so that’s mainly why I share mine here. It’s the same reason why I started blogging 10 years ago: to connect with likeminded people who questioned the mainstream path. There is less and less of us on that path when the children turn into teenagers and I feel like we need to hear the voices of these parents, their worries, their reflexions and yes, their fears… Because as much as we exude confidence, when you make a choice that is outside the norm, the fears are always there in the back of your mind, nagging. But you turn away from them and look at your teenagers and see that so far, you have done a decent job and that maybe you know the path… against all odds.

I have so much to say about this different life we live together that I am writing a book right now. If you feel encline, let me know in the comments what you would like to find in that book.

Quebec Cups in Tremblant, Sherbrooke and St-Félicien

The Quebec Cup in Tremblant was pretty rough. Just like in Baie St-Paul, it rained the night before the race and the course was wet in the morning.

The Tremblant village is so cute!

Aisha and Mara crashed into each other during the warm-up and Aisha opted out of the race since she was in pain. Mara had a great start, but crashed on the course and collapsed after crossing the finish line, saying she wasn’t seeing straight. She was seen and patched up by First Aid and was OK once the shock subsided.

Mara just before the finish line. You can see her bloody knee and her unwell expression.

Watching the daddies' race!

Martin (JF's cousin) asking us jokingly if he is first or second (knowing very well he is last!).

Alex encouraging his dad Martin going uphill.

The next day was much better as it began with a soak at the Hotel pool and spa where Isa and Martin were staying, then JF and I went for a ride in the beautiful trails and we came back to the village to watch the Downhill Canada Cup. 

The Quebec Cup in Sherbrooke was exactly a month later and had 2 events. There was a crazy heat wave hitting the south-East of the province and the girls raced in very high and humid temperatures. With a very good prep that included a strict hydration + electrolyte schedule more than 24 hours before the race, they all did great and did not suffer too much from the heat.

Aïsha on the first lap of the Mont Bellevue XCO Quebec Cup in Sherbrooke.

Mara in 3rd place on the first lap.

3rd place finish!!! That's a victory smile!

Chatting with teammates as they cross the finish line.

My mom, her partner and Christophe (my step-sister's son). Christophe is explaining to Aïsha how her clip pedals are just like his ski bindings.

Christiane (my step sister), François and the boys, came to the race! It was such a treat to have them there!

JF was racing on a fat bike since he is waiting on Niner to replace his cracked frame. He still managed to finish in 10th place!

Aisha and Mara at the beginning of the race (turquoise and blue helmet near the front).

Aïsha had a great race on the Sunday XCC event of the Quebec Cup in Sherbrooke, even with the crazy heat.

Mara got bronze on the two events at the Sherbrooke Quebec Cup.

The only picture I have of the St-Félicien Québec Cup (taken by Mathilde) since I had to stay back to work. Mara got 5th place on the XCO and crashed hard on the XCT the next day, but still managed to finish. Aisha had a great race both days and Mathilde did the XCT on Sunday and had a good time too!

Our summer is beating to the drum of mountain bike races. The girls could talk about mountain biking for hours, throwin in names of techniques and teammates I know nothing about, and rolling their eyes when I ask for explanations. Remember when your toddler was into dinosaurs or planes and was driving you bonkers chatting your ear off about everything he knew about it? Well, picture that, times 3, and throw in a good dose of teenager sassiness. I’m kind of glad I have taken a job at the state liquor store (SAQ) and can talk to other people about wines and spirits. It keeps me sane and pays for some of the unending list of mechanical problems that keep coming up...

Our summer is a whirlwind, probably like it should be. The bus is a mess, there are more showers in a day than there used to be in a week not so long ago and the girls are constantly hungry and complain that there is *nothing* to eat when there is literally no more room to stuff food in the bus… They are fire and water, expletives and superlatives from morning to night.

But they still ask me to clean their road rashes and give them a massage before bed. They still come and snuggle with me in the morning sometimes and tuck me into bed at night with the best hugs and I love yous.

I’m not gonna lie, these teenage years are quite the emotional ride. I’m not sure I’ve ever questioned myself as a mom as much as I do now. My years of know-it-all are far gone… I know full well that I’ll mess up and that good enough is the new perfect.

I’m not nostalgic of those little ducklings following me around like the center of their universe... Of course, I sometimes miss those chubby little hands reaching for mine to cross the street or those sparkles in their eyes when I told them a story with puppets...

From the moment you birth your kids, you are not the center of your own universe anymore. That was a pretty rough introduction to adulting for the 25 yo only child that I was. Fast forward 15 years and I think I managed OK, although not always as gracefully as I could have, like most. But when I look at those beautiful strong daughters of ours now, I’m so very proud of them, sassiness and eye rolling included!