Erik's Next Adventure

Sunny Utah...

2009-01-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

After the backcountry trip, I spent the night at Matt's place in Boise, then took a day off and drove to Salt Lake City. Utah had been getting a lot of snow to this point and covereage was excellent. I spent the next week skiing at Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, Sundance, and Powder Mountain. All were sunny days with great snow but by the end of the week it was getting quite warm and anything ungroomed was getting pretty crusty. I spent about half of my time on Alpine and half on Tele. Soon, Matt and Anton are coming to Utah to play. And hopefully it will snow...

Wallowas Backcountry Trip...

2009-01-13T18:22:00.001-08:00

For the second year, I went on a backcountry hut trip in the Wallowas...located in NE Oregon. This year there were 8 of us...5 from Seattle and 3 who flew up from Texas. We all met up in Ballard and drove down to Joseph, Oregon. The trip started with a 4 mile skin into the huts. It was somewhat brutal as we had to lug 3 sleds (weighing over 100 pounds) of gear and provisions (food and booze) in with us. After 3 brutal hours, we made it to the huts...

The next 3 days were spent skinning and skiing around the huts, eating massive meals, drinking beer, and even spending some time in the wood burning sauna.

After 3 days, my legs were somewhat fried...a 4.5 mile skin out took us back to the cars. The rest of the crew headed north and I left for Boise...

Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/wallowas/

Ski Time....

2009-01-13T06:27:00.000-08:00

I've decided to take a little ski vacation this year. Seven weeks off and a truck packed full of gear. More to come...

Casablanca...

2008-10-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

Got to Casablanca...saw the Hassan II mosque (third largest mosque in the world)...wandered around town.

Friday night, went out in Casa. Saturday- pints in London, Sunday- out in Chicago...3 contintents in one weekend...sweet!

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/casablanca/

The High Atlas...

2008-10-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

After my time on the beach, I decided to head back to the mountains. Jebel Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa would be my next stop. I took a taxi from Marrakech to Imil, about 60 km south. This small town is the start of the trek to the mountain, but isn't very exciting in itself.

I spent a night in Imlil and started hiking at about 8:30 am. Imlil is at 1740 meters (5709 feet). Reached the refuge in about 3.5 hours which is at 3207 meters (10522 feet). I spent the rest of the day hanging out at the refuge, which housed about 40 people from Spain, France, Switzerland, Czech Republic, etc. The next day we would hike to the summit (4167 meters, 13671 feet), starting around sunrise at 6:30 am. Over dinner people were talking about a couple of Italians who did the round trip from the refuge to the summit in four hours, which everyone thought was "amazing" and "impossible".

I woke up around 5:30, had a quick breakfast, and hit the trail a little after 6:30...somewhere in the middle of the pack. I guess I can thank certain Seattle climbers (Aaron, etc.) for some great summer training. I passed everyone and hit the summit in 97 minutes, jogging the last ten minutes or so. Then spent about 20 minutes on the summit, waiting for the next party to come up so they could take some photos for me. I got back down to the refuge 3:22 after leaving, spent about an hour relaxing in the sun, and headed back to Imlil.

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/sets/72157607864880163/

Next stop...Casablanca...

And don't forget TCPW is coming!!!

Marrakech...

2008-10-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

After my time at the beach, I took the bus to Marrakech. Dennis and Stephane, 2 friends of the family happened to be there at the same time as part of a tour. They offered to let me stay in their luxury hotel with them for two nights and of course I accepted.

Dinner on the second night was a four course feast with hours of live Moroccan music, full of crazy costumes, plenty of drums, occasional screaming and of course snakes and scorpions.

One afternoon, I decided to hit up a hammam. Most people don't have hot water at home so many use these to bathe. They are like a cross between a spa and a bath house. After changing into a robe, I was led to a small steam room where one of the hammam women lathered me up with black soap (local soap made of olive oil) and then scrubbed off the dead skin with what felt like coarse sandpaper. Next, the clay skin treatmet and finally a half hour argan oil massage. Not a bad way to spend an hour or two.

One of the main attractions in Marrakech is Djemaa el-Fna...a huge square in the center of the medina. Some of the attractions include: snake charmers, musicians, crazy magis/snake oil salesman, henna artists, countless orange juice and dried fruit stands, acrobats, actors, etc... By day it is full of tourists from the many tour buses that park nearby.

At night, however, Djemaa el-Fna, truly comes alive. As you approach you see thousands of bright lights, smoke pouring into the sky from countless grills and food stands, and crowds like the return line at Best Buy the day after Christmas. As you get closer, you hear a background base beat created by hundreds of drums in drum circles all over the square. I sat down for dinner at one of the grill stands, pointed to a number of items and ended up with way too many plates of food in front of me. Somehow, I finished it all...followed by a couple fresh squeezed juices. After dinner, I spent some more time wandering around the square checking out the drum circles, games (including put-put), and a crazed, fat, longhaired, shirtless storyteller. Finally, I capped off the evening with a mint tea in the square and a cipro when I got back to my room (antibiotic...otherwise all that street food would surely come back to haunt me).

Next...to the mountains

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/marrakech/

Essaouira...sand, wind, and water...

2008-10-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

I left Fez at 2 am, hopped a night train to Marrakech, and then a bus for the coast. Essaouira is a popular coastal town and great place to relax for a few days. I met a couple Brits on the bus from Marrakech and we ended up getting rooms at the same hotel. They lived in Tarifa, on the coast in Spain directly across from Tangier. That night, we all went out to dinner with a friend of theirs, Magid, a Moroccan who teaches kite surfing in both Tarifa and Essaouira. I decided to take some classes.

The course consisted of three 2-3 hour days. Day one: controlling small kites on the beach. Day two: larger kites (6 meter) in the water bodysurfing (without the board). Day three: with the board. It would seem that it takes more than six hours to master the controls on a 6 meter kite on a windy, gusty beach. Quite fun but I spent a lot of time dragged throught the water and sand and managed one 10-15 foot stretch of actually standing on the board.

Next...to Marrakech...

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/essaouira/

Fez...not just a silly hat for monkeys...

2008-09-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

We took the bus from Chefchaouen to Fez, which thankfully is much easier to spell. By now there is a we: myself, 2 pommies, and 3 dutch. As we were pulling into Fez the bus was routinely stopped by the police. One of the dutch guys took a picture of one of the policeman through the bus window- apparently not a good idea. The officer charged onto the bus to confiscate the camera. After a few minutes of yelling, the picture was erased but the camera not confiscated.

Also, as we pulled into town, a torrential downpour started. Eventually, wet and tired, we made it to the hostel.

The main attraction in Fez is the medina. The medina is the old part of town, surrounded by walls with a few entry gates; full of shopping; some hotels, cafes, etc. They are full of twisty, narrow roads, chaotic, and it is nearly impossible not to get lost. But usually, you can find your way out after a bit of wandering... The medina in Fez, Fes el-Bali, is in a league of its own. Home to 400,000 people, it has 260 mosques and thousands upon thousands of streets, alleys and deadends. All this surrounded by walls with only ten or so entry/exit gates. They sell just about anything you can imagine: clothes, fruits and vegetables, camel meat, entire shark carcasses, spices, medicinal herbs, etc. We chose to hire a guide for the first few hours and then explored on our own for a bit. Surprisingly, we all managed to escape without being pickpocketed or buying anything.

Next, an overnight train leaves at 2 am for myself and Luke, one of the English guys. Then I'll catch a quick bus to the beach...maybe some kite surfing in the Atlantic...

Also keep alert for news of the TCPW...you won't want to miss it!!!!

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/fez/

Chefchaouen...can you pronounce it?

2008-09-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

From Tangier, I took a bus into the mountains to Chefchaouen...a city of 60,000 or so. Surrounded by mountains, cool blue medina, laid back... We had dinner in the main square and then met Mr. Tambourine Man over some mint tea.

The next day, we hiked to the top of Jebel el Kelaa, a small peak (1616 m) above the city...about 6 hrs RT. The following day a hike to an old, crumbling mosque and through some farms and villages was followed by an exploration of the bright blue medina.

Next, to Fez...will I try on the famous hat...only time will tell...

Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/chefchaouen/

Morocco...Tangier

2008-09-24T02:41:00.000-07:00

After 4 flights and a 24 hours stop in Miami, I made it to Tangier around noon and quickly found a hotel. Having not slept for 30-something hours I took a quick nap before heading out. In exploring the city I noticed that at least half of all the businesses were closed due to Ramadan. I spent a couple uneventful hours exploring, was surprised that I was only hassaled a bit, grabbed a bite to eat and crashed for the night.

The next day I took a day trip to Cap Spartel...the location of a large lighthouse at the point where the Atlantic and Med meet. Next to the Grotte de Hercule...the cave in which Hercules rested after he pushed the continents apart. Apparently, over the years these cave have been used for everything from prostitution to fancy high end parties. After my little tour, I spent a few more hours touring the medina (old part of town...busy, bustling market).

Next...to the mountains...

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/tangier/

Mount Olympus

2008-08-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

So...Mount Olympus. With a shrinking weather windo (ie, sucker hole) we decided to go for it...Aaron, Ty and myself...

We left Seattle around 6pm on Thursday, caught the ferry from Edmonds to the Peninsula and drove to the Hoh Rainforest...also the trailhead to Olympus. After a late arrival at the trailhead, we crashed for a few hours, then woke around 5:30 am to get started. Soon we discovered that we could not register for a campsite until the visitors center opened at 9am...so we took a nap and waited. Finally, at 9:30 am we hit the trail.

Day one consisted of a long hike...15.1 miles...to Elk Lake (2600 ft elevation). It took us about 6.5 hours at a nice easy pace. We set up camp, ate, and crashed around 8pm to get ready for an alpine start...

The alarm clock woke us at 2:10 am...which sucks. We warmed up, ate, did some last minute packing and hit the trail at 3:15 am. The first 2.3 miles gained 1600 ft and took us to Glacier Meadows (4200 ft.) where we registered to climb. Then another mile took us to the Blue Glacier at 5000 ft. Here we geared up (crampons, ropes, helmets, ice axes, etc.). We started up the Blue Glacier around 6 am...just as the sun was rising. From the Blue Glacier we proceeded to climb to the top of Snow Dome at 6600 ft. As we were cresting snow dome we saw a bear running off in the distance on the snow and came across its tracks a bit later. From Snow Dome we proceeded through Crystal Pass (7200 ft.) to the upper Blue Glacier and to the summit block. Being late season, the summit was surrounded by a scary, deep moat and the snow bridges to the rock were sketchy at best. When we finally made it to the rock, 3 pitches of chossy 4th class brought us to the summit (7969 ft.)around 11 am...about 8 hours after leaving camp.

We hung out on the summit for a few minutes, then 3 rappels took us back to the snow. Then we reversed the route back to Elk Lake and our camp...which we reached around 6pm. We decided to hike part of the way out and made it 6 miles to the Olympic Guard Station around 9pm. Totals for the day: 20 miles, 5300 ft ascent, 7000 ft descent.

We knew there was a good chance that we'd get rain on Sunday and mother nature did not let us down. The last 9 miles out were as much swimming as hiking. Finally, at 11am we were back to the car. 45 miles in 49.5 hours and we were beat...

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/sets/72157606949414977/

Rainier- DC Route

2008-08-11T23:05:00.001-07:00

Aaron, Nate and I decided that the DC route on Rainier was perfect for a quick climb. Left Paradise at 4:20 PM after a quick gear and safety check. Up to Muir, rested a few hours and melted some snow. Left a little after midnight for the summit. Hit the summit at around 7am, took a little nap in the crater and then the long slog back down. Round trip car to car, 22 hours and change.

Photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/rainierclimb/

The Enchantments

2008-08-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

Drove out to Leavenworth, met up with Katrina, and did a little hike. Started at Lake Colchuck Trailhead, hiked up to Colchuck Lake. Then hiked up Aasgard Pass, played around at the top and tried (unsuccessfully) to scramble up Dragontail. We decided to hike down the other way...through the Enchantment Lakes and to the Snow Creek Trailhead. Total 17-20 miles, 14+ hours.

Photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/enchantments/

Skiing Mount Adams...

2008-07-10T00:51:00.000-07:00

Skiing in July? Sure, why not...

3 of us (Aaron, Scott and myself) drove down to Mount Adams on Tuesday afternoon. We crashed for a few hours at the trailhead, woke up at 4 am, and started at 5 am. We climbed the South Spur route. The first hour was hiking followed by about 7 hours of skinning and boot packing. After reaching the summit we strapped on the skiis (or board in Scott's case) and took off. We skiied the SW Chute...got about 6000 vertical feet of skiing in. 12 hours, 15 minutes round trip...

Here are some pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/mountadams/

Skiing Mount Rainier...

2008-05-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day in Seattle...86 F today in the city in early May! So we went skiing...

Anton and I left Seattle at 5:45 am and drove to Mount Rainier. We parked at Paradise (5400 ft) and skinned up to Camp Muir (10188 ft). About 4 hours on the way up at a nice leisurely pace...then about an hour on sloppy, slushy, snow to get down...

Blue skies, hot sun, great day...

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/rainier/

Saigon...

2008-04-08T20:28:00.001-07:00

P4050467
Originally uploaded by Erik's Next Adventure

After arriving in H0 Chi Minh City (Saigon) we grabbed some food and few drinks. We had 4 nights in the city so there would be plenty of time to explore.

Some highlights:

War Museum. Tons of pictures and displays regarding the Vietnam War. Many quite disturbing. The story was very one-sided...evil Americans coming and killing, torturing, raping, etc. Which we did of course, but they did too.

Cu Chi Tunnels. Tunnels that were used by the Vietnamese during the war. There were 240km of tunnels built up to three stories underground. We were able to crawl through a few sections of tunnel. Quite a funny documentary film extolling the virtues of the brave fighters of Cu Chi and how many of them were "American Killer Heroes". The tourguide also explained that the Americans could not fit into the tunnels because they smoked too much weed, ate too many hot dogs and were "fat like water buffalo". I'm lucky I don't smoke weed or eat hot dogs...I was able to fit.

Today we fly back to Phuket, Thailand. My plans for the next week include some beach time, climbing and diving on Ko Phi Phi and Phuket islands.

Vietnam...

2008-04-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

Our boat dropped us off in Chau Doc in the early evening. We hopped on the bikes, rode around the town and found a cheap hotel. Chau Doc is quite a lively place at night, bustling with people, motorbikes, vendors, etc.

Day 11: We left Chau Doc and headed southeast. Our destination for the day was Cantho. We decided to take a less direct route from Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh, cutting a little further south, in order to ride through the Mekong Delta for a bit and avoid the superhighway that runs directly to HCM. The ride was fairly flat, full off little towns and bridges over small rivers. Those parts were pleasant...the wind and traffic was not. We had a killer headwind fighting us all day. And even though this was not the superhighway, it was by no means devoid of traffic. After 5 hours of exhaust fumes, deafening honking (it seems that every horn on every vehicle in Vietnam is stuck in the on position), and near death experiences we rolled into Cantho...72 miles for the day. Cantho, a city of about 300,000 had a nice riverfront full of markets and restaurants.

Day 12: Todays ride was from Cantho to My Tho...essentially heading east all day. The ride was very similar to the day before...including the brutal headwind and traffic. It seems that the prevailing wind direction in SE Asia this time of year is southwest...and we are traveling northeast...so we've seen a lot of headwinds...but Vietnam was by far the worst. Panniers tend to act as sails pulling you backwards...fun! After 65 miles, we arrived in My Tho. Only one more day until Ho Chi Minh.

Day 13: Another day of traffic and headwinds. The traffic much worse since we were getting close to HCM. The last 5 miles or so was probably the scariest traffic I have ever ridden a bike it...I'm quite amazed that I made it without a crash. There are millions of motorbikes in the city. Lane markers don't mean anything. Bikes are traveling in both directions on both sides of the street. And of course everyone is honking the whole time. After 45 miles, we had reached our destination, got a hotel, and retired the bikes...

Days: 13
Miles: 715
Broken Chains: 1
Flat tires: 2
Number of times someone has tried to get Josh to marry a daughter/friend: 3.

Tired and dirty...

2008-04-02T07:23:00.001-07:00

P3290307
Originally uploaded by Erik's Next Adventure

2008-04-02T06:32:00.000-07:00

Day 10: After the usual early start we wound our way through the dusty streets of Sisophon towards the main highway (I guess you can call it that). The road was much as it was the day before...ranging from smooth packed dirt to hellish craters. Another day of dust clouds, mud pits, cows, etc. Stopped for a quick lunch at around 40 miles (a bowl of ramen noodles for me and a very small catfish for Josh). Continuing on... collapsed onto the road at around 55 miles (se photos) when a bunch of clouds passed over and gave us some welcome shade. Finally, at 65 miles we reached Siem Reap. We quickly found a bar, sat for a couple hours nursing beer and water...got a room right above the bar...and washed the multiple coats of sweat, sunblock and dirt off.

Siem Reap is essentially a larger version Khao San road...restaurants, bars, pizza places, internet and tour shops. It was a welcome change for a day or two.

We spent the next day touring Angkor Wat...a huge and quite famous complex of temples near the town.

We decided to take a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh...saved us a few days and let us actually check out Phnom Penh instead of just passing through. Here we spent a day touring S21 (a rather brutal prison under the Khmer Rouge) and the Killing Fields. Rather disturbing to see all of the mass graves still with bits of bone and clothing sticking out of the dirt.

We left Phnom Penh by boat down the Mekon River to Chao Doc in Vietnam. Tomorrow...after too many days off...we get back on the bikes and ride towards Ho Chi Minh City.

So far...
Days: 10
Miles: 586
Broken Chains: 1
Flat tires: 1
Number of times someone has tried to get Josh to marry a daughter/friend: 3.

More to come soon...

2008-04-01T02:04:00.000-07:00

In Phnom Penh, Cambodia now...leaving in the morning...starting the final leg of the ride to Ho Chi Minh...should take us 3 days.

Will write more soon...

Cambodia...

2008-03-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

We've made it to Cambodia...in Siem Reap today.

The roads in Cambodia...not quite like Thailand...

Day 9: We left at the usual 7:30 or so and traveled east towards the border...about 6 km away. The border crossing was suprisingly easy. A couple short line, a couple stamps, pay $25 for a $20 visa...not a bad markup all things considered. The first thing we came across was a cluster of huge casinos...seems that gambling is illegal in Thailand...so of course the borders are full of casinos. About a half mile later....the pavement stopped. Ahead was a thick brown fog of dirt and a road that looked like it had been smooth and flat when Christ was around (maybe). This would be our friend for the next few days.

There are many different road conditions in Cambodia from what we saw:
Hard pack smooth dirt (the nicest)
Hard pack bumpy dirt
Hard pack really bumpy dirt
Rutted in the direction of travel
Rutted perpendicular the the direction of travel
Dinosaur tractor tracks
Mud
Sand
Gravel
And then there is the "what the hell...I didn't hear the bombing runs last night!" road.

Of course you get to share the road with buses, trucks, motorcycles, cars, kids on bikes, people wandering aimlessly, cows, parked vehicles, construction crews, and countless other obstacles. The bigger they are, the bigger cloud of dust they are capable of kicking up. We chew on sand all day, it fills the spouts on our water bottles, our eyes and nose, and every nook and cranny on the bikes.

Thankfully, this was a pretty short day. 33 miles after we started we ended up in Sisophon. A hot, jumbled mess of buildings that lives in a permanent dust cloud. We are brown from head to toe...

Sisophon is a tweener. A note about tweeners: Tweeners, as we are discovering, are those little towns that appear between the main tourist stops. It's the town that your bus might refuel in on the way from point A to B. Not anywhere you would usually stop. There really isn't much to do or see and english is rarely spoken. But, they are an interesting place to be if you work at it a bit. You get used to being stared at like a freak...after all it's been weeks or months since the last whiteys rolled through town. You'll be followed down the street by children and EVERY child you pass will yell "HELLLOOO!" no less than ten times. Dinner can be a challenge....you may walk by a place a few times before you realize it is a restaurant. If you are very lucky, someone will speak enough english to figure out what you want. Tweeners are also cheap. SE Asia is cheap, so this means really cheap. Dinner, a few beers, bottles of water, etc. Hand over 3 dollars and get some change... Starting to like the tweeners....

So after some dinner and drinks...we retire for the night. We know tomorrow will be rough...105 km of the same road...on to Siem Reap...

Leaving Siam...

2008-03-27T00:46:00.000-07:00

We took the train to Hua Hin as planned and spent a day relaxing on the beach...which was fairly empty. The next morning we hopped another train north to Ayuthaya (a city north of Bangkok that was once the capital of Thailand). The bikes cost more than we did on every train leg...

We spent the afternoon riding around Ayuthaya (it was awesome to ride without 30 pounds of luggage) which is full of old temples (Wat). This night I started feeling some stomach cramps and had to sprint to the bathroom...I guess eating at all the outdoor markets and little food stands had finally got me.

Day 6: The next morning we left for Nakorn Nayak. My stomach was still unhappy and I could not really eat or drink much. The riding consisted of 58 miles along the busy highway. Overall not our best day. Nakorn Nayak was not very exciting...from what Josh says. I spent about 15 hours in bed with fevers, chills and stomach cramps. Started some antibiotics...

Day 7: Left Nakorn Nayak for Sra Kaeo. Still not feeling much better. Rode 71 miles on a few pieces of bread and about 4 bites of noodles. First half of the day was more highway riding but did become a bit more scenic after that.

Day 8: Felt better this morning! Still having some cramps but was able to eat some breakfast. Todays ride was short...33 miles to Aranya Prathet...which is located about 6 km from the Cambodia border.

Tomorrow we cross into Cambodia and have 100+ miles of dirt road to Siam Reap...will probably do it in 2 days. Also coming up...Angkor Wat!

So far...
Days: 8
Miles: 433
Broken Chains: 1
Flat tires: 1
Number of times someone has tried to get Josh to marry a daughter/friend: 3.

Survived the first leg...

2008-03-22T00:27:00.000-07:00

5 days of cycling down...and holding strong.

No sunburn yet. Some great sock tan lines, though.

Day 3: Left Khuraburi around 7:30 am and rode on. Then Josh snapped his chain. After about a 20 minute break th chain was back together and we were covered in grease and sweat. Unfortunately his rear derailer also bent...giving him access to only some of his gears. Continued riding until Kapoe (at 38 miles) and had another great leisurely lunch. We continued on planning to stay in Nam Sai for the night...but somehow missed it...or it was so small we didn't realize we were riding through it. We continued to Ranong at 73 miles...a long day in this heat! Ranong...quite a busy town. Very few foreignors...mostly Thais. Had some dinner, a few beers, caught a Thai version of Puff the Magic Dragon by two guys with guitars. Then bedtime...

Day 4: Quite an exciting day. Started off at the bikeshop in Ranong to get Josh's bike fixed. After about an hour of hammers, hacksaws, etc. the bike was good as new. While waiting we we spend the time talking with a bunch of the local cyclists who were proud to show off racing trophies and pictures. Cool bike shop...some strange bikes. After the repairs were done, the shop would not take any money for them! They insisted on photos in front of the shop and send us on our way with a bag of peanuts "for protein!!". We left Ranong around 10 am or so. Much later than our usual start time and it was already hot. Turns out this was to be a day full of non stop hills. We thought the hilly day was going the be the next day...we were wrong. After about 20 miles we found a packed little restaurant for lunch. We parked our bikes and took the only available table. The place was full of Thai police...at least 10-12 of them in uniform. After ordering some food one of the officers let's us know that we have crashed a private party...someone has just been promoted to captain and they are celebrating. They welcome us to join the party, pour us some drinks, pay for our meals and we are on our way. Finally, at 38 miles, we reach Kra Buri...short day but lots of hills! We find a couple of bungalows to stay in and go on a tour on a motorbike taxi. First to the waterfall...which is really just a trickle of water down some rocks. I hope it is more impressive in the rainy season. Then to the pier so we can watch the sunset over Myanmar (Burma)...which is about 100 yards away across the river. We have a beer and watch some blackmarket goods trade hands...

Day 5: We thought today would be the hilly day...but instead it is the easiest one yet. Leaving Kra Buri at 8am...we ride 40 miles to Chumpon on the east coast of Thailand.

The gameplan has changed a bit. In order to have more time in Cambodia and Vietnam, we are catching the train north from Chumpon to Hua Hin and taking a rest day on the beach. Then we take the train again to north of Bangkok and ride to Ho Chi Minh from there through Cambodia. Apparently the road from Chumpon north to Bangkok is a busy highway that is not fun on a bike and Josh has driven this stretch numerous times...so we can buy ourselves a few extra days in Cambodia and Vietnam by using the train.

So far...
Days: 5
Miles: 270
Broken Chains: 1
Flat tires: 0
Number of times someone has tried to get Josh to marry a daughter/friend: 2.
(I guess being a successful white man who speaks Thai has its advantages)

Just a farang on a bike...

2008-03-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

We are 2 cycling days in to the journey...not sunburned yet...in and out of dehydration...

Photos will hopefully come soon when the internet connection is quicker.

Day 1: We left Phuket at around 7:30 am and headed north. Most of the first leg was traffic filled roads, big trucks, sucking exhaust fumes. The scenery got much nicer once we crossed the bridge from Phuket to the mainland. At around 43 miles, we stopped at Muang Thai, and had a leisurely lunch at a restaurant on the beach with a view of the ocean, sand, palm trees and a 40 foot turtle. Lunch lasted from about 11:30-3:00. We have quickly realized that it is suicide to try to ride around midday. Temps in the 95F range, blazing sun, humid...hellish. Going up hills in this heat...I think I know what a car feels like when it overheats. We are trying to drink at least one bottle of water an hour and still it is not enough. So the plan from here on out will be to start early, ride until around 11am, siesta and lunch until around 3, then ride again. After lunch, we rode for another few hours and reached Khao Lak at 65 miles...where we stayed for the night. Khao Lak, not much more than a one mile stretch of road full of restaurants and tourist shops, served its purpose...though hopefully not the norm. Of note, this town had the largest number of deaths in the Tsunami in Thailand. Dinner was pizza and beer...perfect.

Day 2: Free toast and water at the hotel (fancy breakfast) and hit the road at 7:30. Rode for a few hours and stopped at a 7-11 for a water refill and breakfast #2. Thailand probably has about as many 7-11's as the US has Starbucks....really! But they are a great place to get supplies and cool off. The A/C is so cold in the Thai 7-11's...probably colder than the fridges in the place. Beer would stay colder if they just kept it on the floor. We continued on to Bang Wan at the 40 miles...stopped for another 3 hour lunch in a little outdoor restaurant. Noodles, veggies, curry sauce...yum. Five bottles of water later, we were back on our bikes. Another hour and we came to Khuraburi at 54 miles. I think we were probably the only 2 white people that had been through town in weeks...lots of waving and stares. Dinner was chicken on a stick, sticky rice and phad siewe.

Journey's Eve...

2008-03-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

So....I have spent the last 3 days acclimating to the weather, drinking Singha and Mojitos (I know...not a Thai drink but I had a craving so I did a little shopping), bothering Josh (who's vacation doesn't really start until tomorrow).

The plan is to leave tomorrow early and head north from Phuket...more info and maps to follow...

Finally made it...

2008-03-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

After 20 something hours in the air, 3 separate flights, and countless horrible airline meals, I made it to Phuket with just the clothes on my back...literally. It seems I have been separated from my bike and luggage on the way. They assure me it is on the way to Korea right now, where it will end up on a flight to Phuket...I'll just keep my fingers crossed.

Regardless, I made it safe. Met Josh at the airport at around 1 am and grabbed a few beers at the 7-11 on the way to his place. Around 4 am, hit the sack...only to wake at 7 am. It'll take the internal clock a few days to figure this one out.

Phuket, much as I remembered, is a Thai version of Cancun. The beach a jungle of chairs and umbrellas...high rises a few blocks away. But still...it's nice to be back. This is only the beginning...

Phuket Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/phuket/

One week to go!

2008-03-06T18:55:00.001-08:00

One week to go...

2008-03-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

In a week I leave for Thailand!

First, some background: I have been to Thailand 3 times in the past for climbing and diving trips. On my first trip, I met Pum and Josh. Pum owned a restaurant on Koh Phi Phi and I took a cooking course from her. Josh, from London, had been working in the restaurant for a few months. On subsequent trips to Thailand I always visited with Pum and Josh and spent time at the restaurant...waiting tables, making curry paste, etc. And I got to sleep on a mattress in the storeroom...what a bargain!

About six months ago, Josh proposed a month long cycling trip through SE Asia...and of course I jumped at the chance. So that's how it all began...

I'm leaving the states on March 13, 2008 and flying to Phuket. From there we will ride through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam...ending the journey in Ho Chi Minh City.

Heliskiing Slide Show...

2008-02-29T17:55:00.001-08:00

2008-02-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23971347@N05/tags/utah/

Click this link for photos from Utah...

Skiing in Utah!!

2008-02-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

I flew from Seattle to Utah for skiing...days 31-33 of the year on skis...

Monday- 2/25/2008
We skiied at Brighton...it had been snowing all weekend and we had more than a foot of fresh pow! Snowed all day but visibility was still OK. Big day...27,000 + vertical feet.

Tuesday- 2/26/2008
Alta...tons of fresh snow, blue skies, sunny...great day!

Wednesday- 2/27/2008
Heliskiing!! We booked last minute with Wasatch Powderbird Guides. The day was amazing! Sunny, no wind, great snow. We did seven runs with the bird and got fresh lines every time...

Welcome...

2008-02-21T03:56:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone...erik