A distorted, strange and fuzzy blob of wondrous and ever mutating existance

This has been a good ride so far. Not the rugged and brutal crash into off road amazingness that I'd like it to be, but a good fling down the shoulder of unknown roads non the less.
From Santa Cruz I mouw-ed southeast to Bakersfield and up and over the bottom of the Sierras. Splayed out and dug in, the Civia and I nuzzled the Valley of Death and streaked into Nevada. I took and early one and left on a late one after drinking a bit much with Archie and Sara in Vegas (thanx and good to see you guys again). Onward along lake Mead through the Valley of Fire and up into St. George UT. To the East, border jumping between Utah and The AZ I snacked on a constant headwind between meals. Through the Navajo Rez and a turn of all Four Corners soon we found the snowy slopes of the Rockies. I've been back in good ol Durango CO for a few days now.Its been great to chill with old friends, drink lots of coffee and wander the snowy streets. (Thanx to Joey D. for use of the shop. Barry and Shannon for taking me snowboarding and the ever-awesome Chris and Lily for being who they are).
Here we arrive at the fantastic new development:  Kelly and I meeting in Austin Texas next week and prolly pedaling to Mardi Gras together. Then we'll crunch a hasty pedal beaten path to Georgia before catching some transport or another to New York. Sounds like a plan!

A cold and windy night turned to a beautiful culvert morning

Down stream of the dam

Lake Powell

Bush camping on the Res

Lord loves a pedlin man, Don't trust drivers and find coffee and annihilate it. Got it

first rainy night in Hollister

Into the Sierras

The out skirts of Bakersfield

A great day where I got sun, rain and snow

Sunrise in Death Valley

Some times you need extra stakes on those particularly windy nights

Some thing every cyclist loves to see

Breakfast

I wonder if they got there one at a time or all at once in a big bra flock

 Its been 7 days of cycling I'm at about 850 miles. The weather has been all in all good so far.

The great U.S of K. United Pedals of America and in Bike we Trust. All Wheels Eastward.

Its time for another ride, another chunk , another dig. Its not our world tour, thats still in a headlock till a further time. This is a ride from West to East in the ol U.S. I'll be traveling fairly light, on pavement and tapping out some pretty big days. Like the first time I rode across country, I've not much time and a late start. I told the bike shop I'd be back to work on March 1. California to New York, the dead of winter, just over a month and some visiting friends along the way. Yes I will be dipping down through the south(sorry MHT not that far south). It should be a pretty interesting ride.
Kelly and I have been on the West coast for a couple weeks now. She is gonna continue farming out here while I plow East. Though she will fly over me at some point. So really I'm just riding from Kelly to Kelly and looking to have a fat winter ride!

The Hammock collection

Nicaragua and Isla de Ometepe

My hand drawn map of Nicarauga. It and lots of local directions got me through just fine

The border crossing, post commotion

Anodized parts are alive and well in Nicarauga!

Flag on the ferry over to the island

Volcano Concepcion

Volcano Concepcion is still active while Maderas is dormant.

The fantastic view from one of our lake side camp spots.

If you can get a photo to show some incline, you know that bit is steep.

A little rock garden action.

dug out canoe

For all the steep spots we has come through this day, This bit was really not as bad as this sign makes it out to be.

The key word in this photo is espresso!

The not so revolutionary Che Guevara car ferry.

This horse ran past me going the other way. Then came the boy chasing it on the BMX. This when they both passed me again.

Howler Monkeys

Around to the left, back from the right

The long over due- No more a deux

  A bumpy and twisted road it has been. In the shadow of all that Kelly and I, subsequently, have been through with the loss of her brother. As many of you already know... We have hung up the panniers for a while. We are treading this beast out together back in the States.

   We've got a great live/work gig going at a Organic farm in lower New York. We're a quick afternoons ride from Kelly's family just across the border in Jersey. A slightly longer afternoons ride to New York City and better still, the Catskills out the back door. I'm kept busy scratching around, tinkering with things on the farm and working part time at Peoples Bikes bike shop. Kelly is working at the farmers markets and is the farms power house weeder, baker, harvester and canner.

   There is some fantastic cycling to be had and I take every opportunity to poach club rides, explore new paths and hammer anything that looks like an incline. Among these busy, temporary, stationary lives we are forging, Kelly and I look to spend as much time together as day light and sleep will allow. There is nothing more important than sharing life with the person you love. She is teaching me this more and more with every passing day.

  That said. Old habits die hard. Some itches can never be scratched and my first love of meandering roads and trails and nights spent out of doors will always be the SPD compatible loafer on the other foot. Next month Barry the Whale, Ben and I are set to spend 2 weeks mawing down and shredding The Arizona Trail. Like a pack of wolves chasing the sent of singletrack, all day epics, dusty desert air and pine forests!  

Panama

I got in mind to get myself stashed into a little surf/ fishing village along the pacific coast. Staying put for a few days so as to get things caught up, hammered out and spackled. Till then I´ll let Dave do the singing.   

Costa Rica (with new pics)