A Necessary Escape

Sometimes I feel like a bird in a storm; completely out of control, moving whichever direction the wind takes me. I also feel like that’s ok. You’re never going to have complete control of your life and the key is to find a way to manage. For me, I like to shut my phone off and go on an adventure. Sometimes it’s on a big run, but other times, I’ll try something new.

A few years ago, after I worked on a film documenting the Trans American Bike Race, I purchased a touring bike with big plans to ride around the west, and while I haven’t found myself planning any huge rides, I have found time to do some smaller ones. One in particular was down in Death Valley with my older brother Mike. We didn’t cover a ton of ground, but I remember the silence and the feeling of freedom, being out in such a vast landscape. It was definitely a necessary escape, and one that I look forward to revisiting.

The Shapes of the Landscape

The beginning of the year, I went on a ride down in Death Valley with my brother Mike. It was supposed to be a warm respite from the the winter up in Utah, but we ended up with freezing cold temperatures in the morning and burning hot temperatures in the afternoon, which is exactly what we should have expected had we spent any time at all looking on the Internet.

Despite being underprepared, desert environments are some of my favorite. The smell of sage, open valleys, cool evenings. I’ve spent so much of my life laying out under the stars, that I’m surprised it caught me off guard. Seeing the shapes of the landscape in the moonlight while cruising along a perfectly paved road was definitely a highlight for the new year.

The Surrounding Mountains

A couple weeks ago, I went for a bike ride down in Death Valley National Park. My brother and I drove down with hopes of riding a couple hundred miles, but after riding the first day, and overestimating our fitness, we didn’t push the other to go on a big ride the following day. Instead, we did some casual riding while I shot some photos. We couldn't have asked for better weather. The clouds were really moody, and every so often the sun would blast through, illuminating the surrounding mountains. If you’ve never been riding down in Death Valley, I would strongly encourage it.

Aimlessly Wandering

Da Nang, Vietnam- Back in 2006, I was aimlessly wandering around South-East Asia, doing some soul searching, trying to figure out what i wanted to do with my life. One morning, while i was somewhere near Da Nang, Vietnam, i got up early, hopped on my bicycle, and headed out for a ride. Feeling the cool morning breeze on my face was a reprieve from the swamp air that haunted me during the day. Winding along the coast on a one lane empty road, my thoughts circled back in on themselves. After about 30 minutes, I arrived at a harbor, just as the sun was coming up. I stopped to take in the sights and instantly the smell of fish and gasoline burned my nose. I climbed off my bike and walked down to the shore. There was a faint bustle, with people first starting to wake. The sounds of the harbor were coming to life; the waves lapped against the shore, motors turned on, a general sense of business. Just then, two people pushed off from the coast and were headed out to their boat for the day. I sat there, watching as they toiled to get out from the shore. Suddenly, my life seemed very easy. As they disappeared among the large boats, I was happy that our paths crossed, even if they didn't know it.