Is your neighbor a badass? It’s amazing what we discover about each other when we become friends.
“It's unlikely that you've met me on-trail. I'm a fan of solitude and usually seek out solo adventures. I'm a 40-ish-year-old self-proclaimed semi-hermit, as well as an occupational therapist, researcher, yogini, and human rights advocate residing in the small, isolated, Southern CA mountain town. No, you haven't heard of me (or my town), and that is largely by design. I grew up in Williamsburg, VA with short stints in NC before landing in SoCal for graduate school in 1996. I was initially an ultralight backpacking enthusiast, so the jump to bikepacking was a natural progression (allowing me to travel further and faster away from civilization). I have dabbled in the roadie, commuter, and cross country bike scenes over the last 7-ish years and continue to make the occasional cameo appearance, however, bikepacking/long distance endurance MTB riding is my true love.
People frequently ask me why I ride the way I do. Real life is hard and scary. Social demands are arduous and professional expectations are taxing. My brain interprets these “real life” struggles and strains in true flight-or-fight fashion. I know in most real-world situations, my actions and efforts have very little impact on actual outcomes. Riding my bike in the wilderness is true freedom, hedonism, joy, responsibility, and fear. Sure, there are risks, but the opportunities to overcome these very real, often life-or-death, obstacles based on my own choices and actions is empowering and reaffirming. It’s therapy, really. I don’t like the hoopla of big, busy races; I prefer the competitive privacy of long, remote, daunting routes that challenge my sanity and safety. Welcome to my world. “