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Cycling Trips
Haleakala National Park summit view, Maui, Hawaii
From Hawaii to Scotland
I am fortunate enough to travel just enough to sample some of the finest cycling around the world. Most of my cycling in far away places is of the off-road nature. Mountain biking is my first passion. Road hillclimbs (on big mountains) rank right up there too. Most cycling on travel occurs on business trips. Quite often, I am able to stay through the weekend or even more to get a little riding in if it’s a really cool place. Some examples of business/cycling trips are southern California (three times), Arizona (three times), Montana, Colorado, Scotland, and many others. I have also gone on cycling-centric vacations with my wife and others. On these trips I hit places like Utah, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii.
From this page, you can scan brief summaries of trip reports that are currently on the website. As I visit places throughout the year, reports may be added or deleted. Each report contains numerous annotated photos and narration. Broadband access is pretty much required to view these reports, as they range in size from a few megabytes to over 20 megabytes.
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The Trips
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Ozarks, December 2008 (added February 23, 2009) 11MB
Short solo trip to Arkansas and Oklahoma. Hit two IMBA designated epics, the Womble Trail and the Syllamo Trails. Also rode two sections of the Ouachita Trail, one in Oklahoma and one in Arkansas. Three of the rides were big loops utilizing forest service roads. Met up with Chris from Dallas for the OK ride. Hit the high point of Arkansas, Mt Magazine, a paved hillclimb with views you wouldn't expect from that part of the country. |
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Colorado, July 2008 28MB
Cycling trip with Dave Penney. Hit the Monarch Crest Trail near Salida, the South Boundary Trail near Taos, NM, many great rides in the Durango area, and a double ride in Fruita. Highlight of the trip was perhaps the Lime Creek/Engineer Mountain loop in Durango. Views and singletrack descent were to die for. The descent from Douglas Pass in Fruita on the ride called Flight of Icarus was in stark contrast - semi-arid and fear of death the whole way. Definitely worth experiencing one time. Finished trip with classic climb up Flagstaff Dr in Boulder. |
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Arizona, April 2008 16MB
Family trip with Cathy and Mom. Spent a couple days in Tucson, then four days in the scenic red rock country of Sedona. Finally completed a Squeeze the Lemmon ride up and over Mt Lemmon in Tucson. Revisited Mt Hopkins near Mexican border. Hit many of the epic trails in Sedona. Hike one day in the Grand Canyon, a first visit for all three of us. Also bike up and over Mingus Mtn in Cottonwood near Sedona. Perfect weather, accomplished everything we set out to do. |
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Nevada/California, September 2007 8MB
Went out with five others for the Everest Challenge road race. DNF’d the race, but the mountain biking around Lake Tahoe and NorCal was spectacular. Hit famed rides like the Tahoe Rim Trail and the Flume Trail by Lake Tahoe, and the Downieville “Downhill” and South Yuba rides in California. The weather was temperamental for the race with overnight snow forcing course changes, but spectacular for the following for days of mountain biking utopia. |
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Rain, snow, and sun characterized this trip. It hadn’t rained in two months prior to our extended weekend in Arizona. It hit record highs in 90’s the week before. Yet we get 60’s and snow on Mt Lemmon. The weather eventfully straightened out, and we had wonderful rides in Tucson and Sedona. |
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Colorado was so fantastically fun the year before, I just had to go back. Traveled with a friend from New Hampshire this time, repeated a couple favorite rides, and hit lots of new stuff. Rode Hartman Rocks in Gunnison, a Jeep trail loop through Ouray and Telluride, and the Monarch Crest Trail from Poncha Springs. |
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Alaska, June 2006 10MB
Family tip to Alaska. Visited Anchorage, Seward, and Denali National Park. Rode epic singletrack loops on the Kenai Peninsula and long out and back into Denali. Capstone ride of trip was 50 mile Resurrection Pass/Devils Pass loop. Took boat tour of Kenai Fjords National Park. 100 photos and commentary. |
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Solo cycling trip to Colorado. Cathy went away with her mom a few days, so I was free to get away for some serious off-road riding. Biked up Mt Evans, hit trails in the Bookcliffs and Kokopelli areas of Fruita, rode the 403/401 and Reno/Flag/Bear/Deadman loops in Crested Butte, and more. |
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Hawaii, April 2005 23MB
Family trip to Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii. 1600 foot hillclimb loop from Honolulu, 10,000 foot road climb up Haleakala on Maui, 7,000 foot trail descent from summit of Haleakala, and 13,800 foot climb up Mauna Kea on Hawaii. Report covers much more, including Pearl Harbor, waterfall tours, lava flow, and tandem ride around west Maui.
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Arizona/New Mexico and Scotland, UK, October/November 2004 10MB
Back to back business trips. Hit the National Trail south of Phoenix, Monster 7,000 foot road/fire road climb to 10,000 foot summit of Mt Graham near Safford, AZ. Rode a section of the Contenental Divide Trail in New Mexico, and other great trail rides in the Tucson, AZ area.
In Scotland, was able to mountain bike day and a half at a couple of the best places in all of the UK. One place was Gentress Forest near Peebles, the other was Traquair Forest near Innerleithen, both near the historic town of Edinburgh, Scotland. Glentress had long, sustained climbs, vast views (the kind of stuff you see in glossy calendars), and technical descents. Innerleithen has one big climb with very technical descent for XC riders plus a whole hardcore DH area where big trucks shuttle riders up to top. Part of the 7-stanes project, both places were built up for biking with government funding!
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Oregon/Washington, September 2004 11MB
Vacation with Cathy to Portland and Eugene areas of Oregon. Mountain biked Mt Saint Helens, Mt Hood area, Lewis River, Alpine Trail near Eugene. Tandem ride through Columbia River Gorge. Solo road ride on MTB around Crater Lake. 4000 foot paved climb up Larch Mt from Portland.
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Southern California/Arizona, February 2004 6MB
Business trip to San Diego. 4700 foot dirt road climb up Mt Wilson with foot of snow up top, descent on singletrack. 3000 muddy foot climb up Black Mountain near Ramona, CA. 3600 foot paved climb up Kit Peak, Pan Tak, AZ. So windy I had to grab my bike to keep it from blowing across the parking lot up top. 5500 foot dirt road climb up Mt Hopkins, near Amado, AZ. Many other great trail rides in the Tucson, Arizona area.
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Montana/Idaho/Washington, August 2003 11MB
Extended business trip to Whitefish, Montana. Much of area was under forest fire siege, but still hit Big Mountain Ski Area three times (2500 foot singletrack climb) and Reid Divide trail, both near Whitefish. Hit Alpine Trail in the Flathead National Forest with about a 4500 foot climb. On my way through Idaho, I stopped at Silver Mountain Ski Area for a 12.5 mile, 4000 foot climb on fire road. One of the best rides of the trip was a 4000 foot fireroad climb up Mt Marston near Eureka, MT, then descending on singletrack with incredible views.
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North Dakota/South Dakota/Wyoming, May/June 2003 4MB
Group cycling trip, the Maah Daah Hey trail in the Badlands of North Dakota being the highlight of the trip. Also hit trails in the Black Hills of South Dakota and the Bearlodge Mountains of Wyoming. Lots of wide open scenic singletrack riding. |
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Southern California, March 2003 2MB
Extended business trip. Night rides on “The Strand,” a couple monster fireroad climbs with singletrack descents, including Mt Wilson/Gabrielino and Camuesa/Santa Cruz, and other big singletrack climb/descent rides such as San Juan and the Pratt/Gridley loop.
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Friends wedding, visit dad’s winter place on the Texas gulf coast, and ride. Around Austin, hit the Barton Green Belt, Muleshoe Bend, and Walnut Creek. Great singletrack in and around town. Also hit Hill Country State Natural Area near San Antonio, a 5000+ acre park with tons of singletrack.
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Southern California, October 2002 2MB
Extended business trip. Group night ride led by Performance Cyclery at Rocky Peak, couple of rides in the Santa Monica mountains on the coast, Pratt/Gridley loop in Ojai, Romero Canyon in Santa Barbara, Mt Pinos road climb with incredible singletrack bombing descent, and Towsley Canyon.
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