Last week I completed a seven-day self-supported bikepacking trip from my current basecamp in Charlotte, NC to my childhood home in Montoursville, PA. In addition to some of the lesser traveled rural northbound roads, the 650+ mile route was set to cover 230+ miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, 100+ miles of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and 40+ miles on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. All, of which, are of the most beautiful and sought out cycling routes on the east coast. The bike was packed, the logistics were set, the mindset was dialed in. It was the perfect time for Hurricane Ian to come through and completely derail my plans.

We just wrapped the 2nd year of the Rocky River Shiver: A Hellacious Mtn Bike Event and I couldn’t be more stoked for where this event is heading! The hills, heat, and hecklers were out in full force, yet again, making for a day of exhaustion and carnage! Here is a little inside scoop on how the battle played out from the RD's (Race Director) perspective.

To be honest, I have zero self-control when someone asks, “do you want to go ride bikes and snag a beer?”. Maybe it’s the youth-like exuberance that continues to run rampant in me. Maybe it’s the desire to connect with people through sport and sweat. Maybe it’s the reward of exchanging stories and laughs over cold crafties.

​Whatever the reason, I’m increasingly inspired and stoked how the Human Powered Movement platform continues to bring people together over shared experiences. This past weekend was another perfect example. We rode bikes, we drank beer in the rain, we gave freebies away, we made new friends. It was glorious.

It didn't take long before we were hiding in the bushes. Heavy machinery and watchful eyes lumbered down the rocky road below us. I suppose that's what we deserve for attempting to ride a closed road. But to our credit, we were on bikes and obviously, traffic rules don't apply. My brother, laying horizontal behind a log on an exposed hillside, couldn’t stop smiling. He was able to briefly escape the turmoil of medical school at the University of Washington to join me in Idaho for an annual get-together. This year’s objective was to ski the Devil’s Bedstead, a prominent peak in the Pioneer mountains of Central Idaho.