Thursday, October 31, 2019
Disappear
Disappear. As soon as my gaze caught a glimpse of the fluffy clouds being reflected on the water, I understood that I needed to stop to take it all in before the moment vanished. The wind was very weak. My connection to nature around me very strong. I imagined what my surroundings would be like if I wasn’t there to notice. The clouds would continue to slowly drift. The tall golden grass would continue to gently sway in the light breeze. And the water would continue to accentuate the beauty of the skies above. The only difference would be my absence. Like a single grain of sand on a vast beach, my presence seemed so insignificant in the midst of the beauty around me. Strangely, for some reason, looking at the world as if I wasn’t in it made it even more beautiful. Pretending that I didn’t exist made it easier for me to recognize it’s splendor, instead of how I usually look at it, through the distorted lens of my conditioned ego. We’re all going die. And when we do, all of our fears and worries will be gone in an instant. That, I know for sure. Die before you die to deepen your appreciation of the amazingly beautiful world around you. Disappear.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Listen
Listen. Rides are spontaneous things that materialize from inside of me. Part of it is me trying to run away. The other part is an invitation to listen to what is asking to be heard in the moment. That is my motivation. That is what pushes me to get out. After a few weeks of patiently waiting for a saddle sore to heal, I craved the simple feeling of pedaling into the void. Like the trees that have now shed most of their summer clothing, I also wanted to free myself from the heavy noise inside my head. Sunday morning, I rode the trail out to the pavilion. Alone, I sat. I wasn’t there to think. I wasn’t there to solve any problems using my mind. I was there to simply listen. I was there to listen without using my ears. I was there to listen to the messages that are not communicated by sounds or words. I was there to listen to the silence. Have you been listening? Listen.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Rise
Rise. My emotions have been very close to the surface lately for some reason. I could really feel them come up during my last ride. The feeling would have made me feel quite nervous and uncomfortable not too long ago. I would have certainly tried to numb the sensation and stuff everything back in. But now, I try to just let it all rise and gently move through me in a continuous flow. I have come to recognize the feeling as a powerful reminder of being alive. In fact, it’s when I feel most alive. It’s when I feel most human. It’s when I feel most grateful. It’s when I feel most creative. It’s when I feel most connected. Everything else is really just a cheap substitute. Our entire life is in our emotions. All of it. It isn’t in what we do or in what we think. It’s in how deeply we are able to feel. Our minds are necessary for our survival, but we’re not meant to live there. We’re meant to live in our emotions. Feeling good is about becoming good at feeling. What do you do with your emotions when they try to surface? Do you stuff them back in? Or do you lean in and just let them… Rise.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Body
Body. Our temporary place of dwelling while here on this earth. The flesh and bones framework that carries us throughout life. It isn’t who we really are. But without it, life as we know it ceases to exist. It doesn’t come with a warranty. We only get one. How do you treat yours? What do you feed it? How hard do you push it? Do you give it the time that it needs to rest? Do you cultivate its healing? Do you listen to it? Do you thank it for carrying you this far? We spend a whole lot of time and energy building a financial nest egg planning for the long run. But are we also treating our body in a way that cultivates such longevity? The body knows. It’s intuition and wisdom are infinite. Befriend it. Inhabit it. Sit with it. Listen to it. It’s called body awareness and it must continuously be cultivated. Your body is your vehicle. There is no future without it. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Don’t wait until your body becomes your corpse. Body.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Fall
Fall. For some reason, I have been much more aware of the seasonal change this autumn. It’s kind of like I’ve been sitting back, literally watching Mother Nature slowly redecorate. Noticing may be motivating me to ride more? Or riding may be motivating me to notice more? Either way I win, and feel more connected to nature and it’s rhythm. Riding through this section of the trail, I noticed the floating leaves as they fell off branches, graciously dancing as they were gently drawn to the earth, seemingly happy to join the rest of their siblings laying on the ground. The trees had worked so very hard all summer to grow all of these leaves. And then, just like that, they let them all go in a breathtaking, colorful masterpiece, not minding that they will have to grow them all back next Spring. Maybe my solo autumn rides aren’t as much about what they give me? Maybe my solo autumn rides are more about what they encourage me to let go? Fall.
Monday, October 7, 2019
Gravel Inspiration
“He looked around at the empty plaza again,
feeling less desperate than before. This wasn’t a strange place; it was a new
one…he had already traveled farther than any shepherd he knew. Oh, if they only
knew how different things are just two hours by ship from where they are, he
thought….As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose
between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer
in quest of his treasure. “I’m an adventurer, looking for treasure,” he said to
himself.”
-Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
Inspiration. It can’t be forced. One can only let it surface. As soon as I heard about the Rum Rummers trail in Nova Scotia
last autumn, I was inspired. Inspired by
its reach. Inspired by its adventure
potential. Inspired by the fact that it
intersects the doorstep to Oak Island.
Inspired by its story. I mean,
bootlegging and secret buried treasures.
What else could one ask for in a gravel route? I instantly knew that I absolutely needed to
ride it. The 119km shared use trail is
built on a former rail bed. The tale
behind its name is that the railway was once used to transport barrels of
liquor to be shipped from Canada to the “Rum Row” off the United States eastern
seaboard on boats during the Prohibition-era from 1920 to 1933. Local fishermen became international
smugglers after they realized that they could make more money delivering a
single load of booze compared to a full year of fishing. The story fascinated me. The gravel lining of
my soul had succumbed to the Rum Runners trail’s mythical lure.
My inspiration
gave birth to a list of rides that I wanted to do in 2019. Writing them down on paper minimized the
chance that they ended up on the “someday” list that lives inside my head. Too many great rides have gone there to
die. It was time to stop murdering ride
ideas that way. The Rum Runners trail
was the first one on my new list. A solo
day trip was how I wanted the adventure
to unfold, a sacred communion between me, my bike and the gravel. The older I get, the more that I crave and
enjoy the cleansing effect of companionless pedalling. My riding is becoming my meditation, my
experience best absorbed moving at my own pace, not distracted by small
talk. Isn’t it strange how age maturity
brings us back to basics, back to simply doing what makes our soul sing.
On August 7th,
my wife and I drove to Lunenburg which is about 3 to 3.5 hours from where we
live in New Brunswick. We spent the rest
of the day walking around, playing tourists.
The next morning, after leaving later than planned, my wife dropped me
and my bike off in Mahone Bay. I would
miss the “Bay to Bay” section of the trail from Lunenburg, but would be less
rushed to meet her in Halifax in time for supper. She wished me luck before continuing her
drive to Halifax and I started my ride.
My stoke level was that of a 10 year old on Christmas morning. I had packed water, food, 3 tubes, 4 CO2
cartridges and tools to fix most everything that didn’t require a visit to a
bike shop. Once my wife left, I knew,
and liked the idea really, that I was on my own. I felt confident that I had everything that I
needed. Worse case, I had my credit
card.
It was cloudy
and a tad cool, but I quickly warmed up.
The dry and dusty sandstone gravel was whiter than I had imagined which
made it almost feel like I was riding on Caribbean sand. The “Dynamite” section out of Mahone Bay was
absolutely gorgeous with its so very green, lily pad filled ponds and thick
wooded sections. I kept stopping to take
it all in and snap photos, trying to find the right balance between experiencing
and documenting my journey. Some spots
were so peaceful that I just wanted to sit there and nature bathe forever. The serenity and peace of mind knowing that
you’re not riding amongst car traffic really make up for the gentle trail
grades and generally easy ride. Rolling
in and out of the many wooded sections, I was always excited to ride through
the coastal communities that the trail crosses.
I stopped to
chat with an older couple walking on the trail near Martins Point. They seemed quite surprised, concerned even
when I told them that I was riding to Halifax.
They looked at me like I was insane and asked me if I had brought
water. I assured them that I had all
that I needed and that I was good. I
asked them how far we were from Oak Island.
They told me that it was just ahead, a few kilometers off the
trail. I don’t really watch “The Curse
of Oak Island” on the History channel, but I still felt intrigued by the legend
of its lost treasures. I had to stop to
have a peek, even for just a few minutes.
I missed the road that leads to it, so I had to backtrack a bit, but I
eventually found it. The first
impression that I got was how small the island actually is. There isn’t even a bridge to get to it. They just built a dirt road that connects it
to the mainland. The second impression
is that it is very guarded. The general
public is not allowed anywhere other than around the interpretive centre unless
on a paid guided tour. There was a sign
warning me that I may be filmed if I decided to enter the area. I never saw any cameras. I never saw any treasures either. I ate a snack, took a few pictures and bathed
in the island’s energy before heading back to the trail.
Back on the
“Chester Connection” section of the trail, I pictured myself a passenger on one
of the many trains that had travelled the same journey way back when. I imagined how it must have felt for them to
be in the exact same location but sitting in a train cart taking in the scenery
rather than outside on a bike. I
wondered what they were thinking at the time.
I wondered what they talked about.
I wondered how they felt as I approached one of the old train
stations. It has been transformed into a
very quaint visitor information centre and craft shop. I imagined passengers hoping on and off the
train at this station back in the day.
The rich history of the area made my imagination wander, keeping me
entertained during the entire ride.
Cruising on
the “St. Margaret’s Bay” section of the trail, I felt so very tall looking down
at the roofs of the houses below as my tubeless 40mm tires floated over the
gravel surface carved into the rocky hills along the shore. This made me think about the amount of work
that went into building the initial railway.
The task is so very impressive, especially back when modern machinery
wasn’t as available as it is today. I
felt that those who built it would have been very happy to know that all of
their work did not go to waste. They
would certainly be proud that their railway has been born again as an amazing
trail system and that it is still used today.
Even the bridges are built on some of the original metal and preserved
wood structure. This re-purposing made me crack a deep smile.
Still on the
“St. Margaret’s Bay” section and starting to feel the bonk, I wondered how far
I was from the coffee shop. My gaze,
brushing the brim of my cycling cap, caught a glimpse of a barn red structure
ahead. It was another old train station,
which is now the Bike and Bean Café and Bike Shop in Upper Tantallon. The place has so much charm. The main building is attached to an old
railroad car that they use for bike storage.
And that soup, salad, dessert and latte sure tasted like a million bucks
after 4 hours of spinning the pedals stirring white gravel gold dust. I met a few other cyclists and chatted with
the owner before heading back out for the final stretch of my voyage. I started feeling rain drops just as I rolled
into Halifax. Perfect timing. No flats or mechanicals. An amazing ride that I will certainly not
soon forget. The day was capped off with
supper with my wife and her nephews at The Wooden Monkey restaurant in Halifax
as I basked in the after-ride stoke.
Oh, and
what about the other items on my 2019 ride list? There certainly were some other outstanding
gravel adventures in there as well. Like
the day that I got lost on purpose exploring the open spaces between New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It was one of
those perfect July mornings where the green is so very green and you can taste
the thickness of the warm air. I wasn’t
going fast, but the riding felt effortless.
It was like there was no wind even if I felt refreshed by a gentle cool
breeze. And there was also the day that
I finally did the Dorchester Cape loop.
I had stopped in Johnson’s Mills for a quick snack just as I noticed the
Sand Pipers dancing along the shore. The
beauty of how they were moving literally gave me goosebumps. Yeah, those were amazingly great ride days as
well.
We are sold
the idea that the most beautiful places on this earth worth seeing are far away
and expensive to visit. But this way of
thinking only makes us miss what’s right under our noses. It makes us miss the treasures in our own
neck of the woods. Who knew that all
this amazing gravel existed so close to home, just waiting to be ridden? As much as the big bucket list ride
destinations seem exciting and worth doing, I believe that we should all start
with exploring where we already are, in our own backyards.
I got
through most of my 2019 ride list. And
those that I haven’t had the chance to ride yet, they may happen this
fall? If not, they’ll just be at the top
of my 2020 list. Maybe 2020 will the
year of my first multi-day solo backpacking trip? Maybe?
Inspiration. It can’t be forced. One can only let it surface.
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