Sky Islands Odyssey a Spring Reset
For those of you who don’t know, 1T isn’t my only gig. I’m also a technician and service writer for a bike shop here in the Denver area. I’d love to say it’s a local shop, but alas, as with so much in todays world we were sold to a giant corporation a few years back. With that came the inevitable cuts and penny pinching that have left us going into yet another summer season overworked and understaffed. With the weather turning nicer things were getting pretty stressful, and a break from the chaos was in order. The desert was calling.
The original plan was New Mexico and the Monumental Loop. Ramiro and I were all set to drive down to Las Cruces and spend several days pedaling around the Chihuahuan Desert unwinding and eating burritos to our hearts content. It wasn’t to be, in a sick twist of fate Ramiro contracted Covid three days before we were to leave. (pun intended) Time to pivot, not ideal, but hell, I did the loop by myself in 2020, I’d do it alone once again. Then while I was packing up I decided to give my old friend Sam a shout; I knew he was in the area somewhere, I’d see if he wanted to join me. Screw it, pivot again. I headed down to Patagonia to meet up. Monday morning I arrived in Patagonia to ride Sky Islands for a second time. It’s a better route anyway in my opinion. Sam and I loaded up and rode out mid afternoon. A few leisurely hours of pedaling, catching up, and snacking later we set up camp. It was a great evening. The morning held much of the same with the addition of coffees. Then it was time to head out. Sam couldn’t ride the whole loop with me as he needed to head up to Moab, so I was off on my own into the Sonoran Desert.
Bikepacking alone, for me, is somewhat of a transcendent experience. The steady exertion of a climb, navigating rocky sections, the rhythmic pedaling of a smooth pavement section, a fast descent ; all require a different sort of attention. It’s a quiet attention and it allows other thoughts to bubble through. At first there’s a lot, the stresses of life inevitably come to the top at first. And then there is a moment when the last of those stresses bubbles off. Much like a soda that’s been lightly shaken the roiling liquid settles and becomes still, and there’s a bit less too. It’s an identifiable moment for me. It’s a deep breath, a recognition of the beauty around me, and the relief of all the bullshit sloughing away like a rattlers old skin. Then there’s the desert. It’s beautiful and brutal which gives off a sort of a joyful melancholy that draws me. At times it can seem almost too vast and empty, but then you pause a beat and see a jackrabbit eyeing you from under a scraggly tree. You spot a group of Javelinas running off down a wash, then a small bird flits from tree to tree as if it’s curious to why your trapsing across their home. The plants too have this joyful melancholy. Armed with their sharp spines and thorns to defend, they then offer up beautiful blooms, and some like the barrel cactus even offer up a tasty treat with their yellow fruits that are a bit tart and just a bit sweet.
I was out ont the trail for about five days and returned home with a the calmness that I was seeking. Like the soda, the stresses and worries had bubbled off leaving a bit more clarity. I came to the conclusion that while the shop wasn’t what I wanted it to be, it wasn’t mine. I am not the one making the decisions, I’m simply paid to do the work they ask of me. Why take ownership, why stress over decisions that aren’t mine. I should be concerned about the things that I can control, as well as the things that really are important. Like my family, and my mental health. So instead I‘ve decided to focus my energies on positive things such as making 1T designs better, who knows maybe I can get to the point where it is my main gig, I’m pretty sure I can. This has already made a difference in my mental wellbeing. So I you find yourself bubbling over with stress I urge you to stop and take some time to let the waters still. It doesn’t have to be some grand adventure, maybe just a day hike once a week, or a ride down a dusty dirt road. The point is to slow down and detach from the chaos just enough, find that calm space and then look at what really matters.
