Retirement Looks Different From This Side...

Reigniting this blog from the early years. 

The kids were younger and we started the blog to connect with grandparents in Ontario. Now we are all older and looking for some new adventures.

I retired this summer (as some of you know - I've never been shy about talking about this!). I did agree to finish off work with the VSB in early September and immediately fly to Ontario to attempt "The Cord". Being so rookie to dirt biking and racing, Peter (brother-in-law, and really, the main reason I got into this stupic high risk sport) and I opted to do what is called the "Trail Ride". It does the whole race, but after the racers. Although less race stress, it proved to be a mistake as 700 riders ripped apart the trails before us, leaving some 3' deep channels that would eat my bike.

Here's a Facebook post about that riding weekend.

To ship my dirtbike from Vancouver to Peterborough, I used a matchmaker service called "Shiply". Did you know there are people driving trucks/vans/trailers back and forth across the country? Huh? I connected with a guy who picked up my bike and gear bag then dropped it across the country a couple of weeks later. Costs about $1000 one way. Very happy with how that worked out.

So now what? I've got about 5 weeks to prepare my truck, prepare my bikes and prepare my body for the upcoming journey to Cabo. Winter in Mexico!

More to come....

Its Part of the Learning Curve - As Long As You Don't Lose Any Teeth!

It was a bright and sunny Sunday - the perfect day for a mountain bike ride. My dad went riding with his friends in the morning and I met him over on the North Shore. I got a ride from some friends : G, C and their dad Jeff.

After riding up the hill to Bobsled, we took off. It was a bit slower than normal (which may be a contributing factor?) but as I came around a corner a root grabbed my front wheel and I gave it a kiss. The front wheel, that is. I believe Uncle Pete would call it a "Kiss of Death".

No hospital trip required but it was a ride ender.

Live to ride another day...

Deck Refresh

Well, it is time for the kids to do some hard labour and earn a bit of cash. To "refresh" the deck, we are going to replace the rail with a different design, put a 2x6 cedar surface (darkly stained) and replace any of the 20 year old rotting joists.

Here are the before shots.

 

After a few hours of work, it looks like this...gotta get it ready for the new wood to be delivered in a couple of days:

Here is the real reason to "refresh". Better do something before it falls apart.

Gastown GrandPrix

We love bike racing!

Hold on to your HAT!

Swim camp - week 2 of the summer

Two weeks long. Every day at the pool. Crazy fun!

Where is my comb?

Mommy's away ... Let's renovate!

So Lara takes off for the weekend and the long-anticipated move of K to the basement is moving forward. The side effect of this? We have to move Lara's office upstairs.

Bike Camp-The Final Challenge-Day 4

We made it! No trips to repair bikes. No hospital visits!

Today is a much easier technical day but a long day in the saddle. We are riding from Mountain highway all the way up to the Grouse Cafeteria for some poutine. Mmmmm, yummy...

Passing the gate around first switchback and past Floppy-Bobsled: Dylan's comment was "this is not so far! How did I think it was so far on the first day?"

Up, up, up we went. Past Leopard. Now we were into unchartered territory. Explorers.



Pink Starfish, OilCan, Executioner, Finally round the 6th switchback and up past Pile of Rocks, Upper Oilcan, and Seventh Secret (dad's favorite trail).

Round the corner and onto the flat. Time to leave the mountain and go over to the next one : Grouse Mountain! We can see it. But Wowowwowowowow still more climbing.







Up up up and we must be close to the top of Everest.









We are out of water, out of gas and need to walk a bit. This is farther than anyone planned. Three hours and counting...

But we persevered on and after some emotional moments and self reflection. We arrived at the top of Grouse Mountain. 3:20 ride time.

Check out that pound of poutine. Well deserved! Great job guys.

Time down: 45 min.