Life is too short to drink cheap beer.
Life is too short to put off mountain biking the lower 48 states before my body limits my riding.
This is my story of my adventures while living on the road and mostly mountain biking.
I retired at the end of June 2008, signed over my house July 9, distilled my life to what I needed and could fit into my 2006 Dodge Sprinter converted to mobile home my design that I paid others to make into reality , stored some items with friends in case I decide to like ski again or hang my “Restore Wolves to Yellowstone” poster, and cast off from Spokane on July 18.
My email address is craig@runutsadventures.com
My cell is 509 680 3724
Living in my van and dispersed camping presents challenges that you who live in a house take for granted. Getting a shower after a ride is a big deal and finding it is a story sometimes in of itself. Washing off the sweat and mud is such a high point kind of right up there w/ cleaning that technical move. Other persons road tripping may find shower info useful. Food procurement is no different. Preparing it is limited to a 2 burner propane stove top, I lack a micro for quick dinners or leftovers. My hot water is from heating it on the stove. Toilets are either the bushes or McDs and the like.
I created these stickies that captures my life. Top was ’09 on Gooseberry in lycra, lower 2013 in more appropriate riding attire and effort riding Camp Sekani in Spokane.
On June 23, 2009 I completed riding in each of lower 48 states, my goal. At that point I was goalless and was just kind of drifting & riding along. I have since created another goal of Thousand Day mountain bike road trip odyssey which will finish around tax day 2011. I finished the 1,000 day ride goal
My life continues to be enriched by people I meet. I have made some great friends unfortunately I leave them when I move on.
While I was working and listening to my thoughts about quitting work and heading out for a life on the road I made lifestyle changes: I quit spending $, worked lots of OT, and put $ into savings. I am drawing Boeing pension that provided retiree medical until I turned 65. I sold my house myself then gave that $ to a financial investment house, I take an “allowance” from the interest. At 62 I started social security. At 65 medicare and a medigap policy cover my medical. I don’t have a mortgage. I live frugally while still enjoying great beer.
this business idea hasn’t paid for a beer yet.
Previously made bad line choices have resulted in a destroyed right shoulder leaving the supra and infra tendons no longer attached to the humerus: the rotator cuff won’t lift a full pint to my lips. The ultimate repair is a reverse shoulder procedure that swaps the head and the socket locations, a fix I am putting off. A future fall might force my hand. Surgery was performed in September of 2013 and again in April of 2015. Neither fix stayed attached. Presently I am living w/ pain.
My dream is to buy a piece of land and design and build a small house, have my own dog and cat, and grow a square foot garden. I spent the summer of ’15 in Bend, Oregon recuperating from last surgery, I used some of that time to find and buy an acre of land between Sunriver and La Pine, OR. I do pay property taxes now. I contracted w/ a house designer and structural engineering to translate my idea into a building permit. I will find a builder to go from paper to what I will live in. No build date imagined. I plan on living this lifestyle until either my body won’t keep the promises the brain makes or my brain quits making those promises.
To me the hardest thing is to say “hello” because it will be followed later w/ “goodbye”
On July 18, 2018 I celebrated my 10th anniversary of this lifestyle having ridden 2011 rides totaling 29,239 miles.
On July 18,2020 I celebrated my 12th anniversary of this lifestyle. New total is 2,427 rides riding 35,248 miles. Still on Turner RFX.
I record ride data in Garmin, my user name is: craigbierly.
March 1, 2023. The above is historical and not modified to reflect current conditions. To date I learned I have a gluten intolerance that remedy necessitated giving up beer and baked treats. Maybe 4 years ago I learned the benefit of leaving body oils on the skin, I eliminated showers. Both these changes freed up time to just pass time. I have ridden 2978 times pedaling 42,991 miles.