R
Roger Buchanan
Guest
My Dad has always owned, until recently, a full sized van
that he converted to a camper. This is something that Linda
has really embraced as our next great camping gear. With a
bed across the back, a few cupboards and a propane stove one
can easily camp in comfort all summer. My Dad's van was what
Linda described as "utilitarian", whereas the one she'd
design would be "a little more upscale". (i.e. Porta Potty
vs Chamber Pot). None the less, both Linda and I see
ourselves as pretty much graduating from the lightening
conducting aluminium poled tent to something more sturdy,
like the lightening conducting space framed van sometime in
the next few years.
Throw in some bikes and gear and tools, etc, and we'd have
the ultimate mtb vacation sled. Travelling this great
continent we'd be able to stop in at all the great trails.
Using a laptop we'd keep in touch with some of the
amb'ers, so as to hook up for a ride or two (or at least
allow them to come up with an excuse for being "Out of
Town" at that time).
I wouldn't just be inflicting, err visiting, my fellow
Canadians, oh no! I'd also make a point of looking up my
long time U.S. contacts. After all, why limit my agonizingly
slow pace, and mediocre riding skills, to just my fellow
country folk? Bubba, Chico and Jeff&Sam were all great ride
hosts, a few years ago. It could be the same again. As
always, there would be the requisite beer in the cooler so
as to thank our hosts at the end of the ride. (Poor Bubba,
he got gypped outta that one...)
Even if the local trails in a certain area were beyond my
riding skills I could at least get a better look at some of
the trails that have been described right here on amb.
Undoubtedly there would be a little something that I'd be
able to ride at each spot though, and I'm not above doing a
"hike-a-bike" every now and then. With everything in the
camper van we'd be self-contained, and arriving at the trail-
head would be able to ride on just a few moments notice.
Ride, eat, sleep, ride, eat, sleep, ride, eat, sleep, ride,
eat, shower, sleep... each day it'd be a good time. I'd
never need to get outta my riding jersey and shorts!
We'd have hearty meals, ride new and exciting trails ("you
don't have to hike-a-bike the trailhead Rog!") and meet
interesting and entertaining folks. In the evening we'd be
able to enjoy the flavour of the local community ("does Rog
EVER stop eating...?") and work on an appropriate RR for the
day. It'd need the right blend of dramatic impact ("You
shoulda seen -THE SIZE- of that log I carried my bike
over!") as well as geographical accuracy ("17,000 ft of
climbing in the first two miles, all up a glacier") not to
mention a little embellishment here and there..."Rog single
handedly scared off two mountain lions and a pack of wolves
with nothing but his helmet and the hose from his camelbak!"
(i.e. Rog ran over a Dragonfly and sat on a Bee)
The hills would resound with the greeting call of "Seen any
WhipSnakes lately?", and mountain bikers would rejoice.
Unless you happened to be the poor sod that had previously
agreed to show us around your favourite local trails that
is. ("Geez, Linda is nice enough, but that Rog... how many
colours can one guy wear or have on his bike already???")
The thought of waking up, knowing that the trailhead is just
outside the campers' door, is a good thing to work towards.
--
- Rog
http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/index.html
NOTE: to Reply to this, remove the phrase "NOSPAM" from my
"Reply To:" address, or it will be returned.
that he converted to a camper. This is something that Linda
has really embraced as our next great camping gear. With a
bed across the back, a few cupboards and a propane stove one
can easily camp in comfort all summer. My Dad's van was what
Linda described as "utilitarian", whereas the one she'd
design would be "a little more upscale". (i.e. Porta Potty
vs Chamber Pot). None the less, both Linda and I see
ourselves as pretty much graduating from the lightening
conducting aluminium poled tent to something more sturdy,
like the lightening conducting space framed van sometime in
the next few years.
Throw in some bikes and gear and tools, etc, and we'd have
the ultimate mtb vacation sled. Travelling this great
continent we'd be able to stop in at all the great trails.
Using a laptop we'd keep in touch with some of the
amb'ers, so as to hook up for a ride or two (or at least
allow them to come up with an excuse for being "Out of
Town" at that time).
I wouldn't just be inflicting, err visiting, my fellow
Canadians, oh no! I'd also make a point of looking up my
long time U.S. contacts. After all, why limit my agonizingly
slow pace, and mediocre riding skills, to just my fellow
country folk? Bubba, Chico and Jeff&Sam were all great ride
hosts, a few years ago. It could be the same again. As
always, there would be the requisite beer in the cooler so
as to thank our hosts at the end of the ride. (Poor Bubba,
he got gypped outta that one...)
Even if the local trails in a certain area were beyond my
riding skills I could at least get a better look at some of
the trails that have been described right here on amb.
Undoubtedly there would be a little something that I'd be
able to ride at each spot though, and I'm not above doing a
"hike-a-bike" every now and then. With everything in the
camper van we'd be self-contained, and arriving at the trail-
head would be able to ride on just a few moments notice.
Ride, eat, sleep, ride, eat, sleep, ride, eat, sleep, ride,
eat, shower, sleep... each day it'd be a good time. I'd
never need to get outta my riding jersey and shorts!
We'd have hearty meals, ride new and exciting trails ("you
don't have to hike-a-bike the trailhead Rog!") and meet
interesting and entertaining folks. In the evening we'd be
able to enjoy the flavour of the local community ("does Rog
EVER stop eating...?") and work on an appropriate RR for the
day. It'd need the right blend of dramatic impact ("You
shoulda seen -THE SIZE- of that log I carried my bike
over!") as well as geographical accuracy ("17,000 ft of
climbing in the first two miles, all up a glacier") not to
mention a little embellishment here and there..."Rog single
handedly scared off two mountain lions and a pack of wolves
with nothing but his helmet and the hose from his camelbak!"
(i.e. Rog ran over a Dragonfly and sat on a Bee)
The hills would resound with the greeting call of "Seen any
WhipSnakes lately?", and mountain bikers would rejoice.
Unless you happened to be the poor sod that had previously
agreed to show us around your favourite local trails that
is. ("Geez, Linda is nice enough, but that Rog... how many
colours can one guy wear or have on his bike already???")
The thought of waking up, knowing that the trailhead is just
outside the campers' door, is a good thing to work towards.
--
- Rog
http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/index.html
NOTE: to Reply to this, remove the phrase "NOSPAM" from my
"Reply To:" address, or it will be returned.
