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.
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.
