Mt. Biking the Land of the Rising Sun

by Erik Olsen on

Who knew that fat tire fanatics could find bliss in th eland of sushi and sake? Hey, when I think of Japan, I am rather more apt to picture huge LCD signs rising over Tokyo like a scene from Blade Runner, not lovely single-tracks that wind through river and stream. OK, there’s always Mt. Fuji, but did you know that the mountain biking was actually quite spectacular? This article over at Mountainzone makes the case convincingly that outdoor sports like mountain biking and kite surfing are becoming all the rage in Japan.

We meet the members of one of the country’s hot new biking teams and get a solid feel for the terrain and riding opps around Mt. Fuli, where for a brief period in and around mid-September (i.e. right now), the mountain offers itself up to mountain biking. Heading out with team Lightening & Thunder, we get to navigate the twisting trails, gnarly switchbacks, and the piles of loose scree during a pleasantly unusual biking experience.

Add this one to your list of mountain biking must-dos.

Motoring Through Indochina

by Iva Skoch on

A friend recommended an adventure that I’m dying to do: a week motorcycling throughout Vietnam. He’s done it two years in a row, and recommends an outfit called Explore Indochina. The outfit is apparently run an Aussie and a Brit that act as tour guides and speak fluent Vietnamese.

They host a couple of rides each month, and cover different areas of the country (as well as Laos and Cambodia). They put together only small groups (5 or less).

Picture this: 6+ days straddling a 125cc two-stroke Belorussian motorbike, rolling through the beautiful scenery of Vietnam. It’s muddy, it’s wet, it’s real. That’s my idea of cruising!

Makes me want to dust off that copy of Jupiter’s Travels.

Vanity Fair on the National Parks

by Erik Olsen on

It has taken me FOREVER to get to this post. I read the article a while back and have been meaning to write about it ever since. First a personal blurb: my first real job in the big, bad, plastic world (after working as a ski photographer in Tahoe and a junior rafting guide in Colorado) was with the Department of the Interior in Washington DC. Don’t ask me how I ended up there. It a rather long, convoluted tale filled with romantic notions of helping the world and crushed ideals about how one can do this inside a government agency. No matter. The point of al this is that within the Interior Department lies what is probably the best agency in the federal government: The National Park Service. The NPS takes care of all of our nations great parks, from Yosemite to the Smokies, as well as gobfulls of various monuments, recreation areas, etc. In general, they do a fine job. If you’ve ever spent time in a National Park, you know that the rangers are a dedicated bunch and the care given to interpretation and preservation is, in general, worthy of high praise. But there are problems, and the park service has typically had some difficulties with funding and upkeep, especially <slight reveal of political slant> during Republican administrations </slight reveal of political slant>.

One of the big debates this time around is whether to allow certain motorized vehicles like ATVs and snowmobiles into the parks. traditionally, most parks have been off-limits to these folks. For good reason, IMHO. They are noisy, pollution causing and, if I may throw in yet another potentially incendiary over-generalization, demographically unpleasing. I’ll not expand on that remark, but suffice it to say the parks are probably better off without motorized vehicles roaming around them.

According to this nicely done article from Vanity Fair a while back, it seems lots of people agree with me. Sadly, among them is NOT the head of the Park Service, Paul Hoffman. The article pays out the issues involved and some of the passionate characters who are fighting behind he scenes to keep the parks motor-free. Check it out and weigh in, should you feel compelled.

Bordeaux Chateaux

by Iva Skoch on

When you’re planning your trip to visit the incredibly lovely Bordeaux region of France, you’ll simply have to cast off your urge to bring along your backpack and camp. Bordeaux must be done haut-style.

Whether you arrive in Bordeaux via the TGV from Paris or by plane into the Bordeaux airport (Merignac), head north out of the city, and you’re right in the Medoc region. I can give a strong recommendation to Chateau Le Lout, a wonderful nineteenth-century, Venetian-style chateau in Le Taillan-Medoc, that serves as a B&B.

We relied heavily upon the proprietor, Olivier Salmon, for our evening entertainment recommendations, and weren’t disappointed. The rooms were sizable (by European standards) and the bathrooms were well-appointed and large. You can take your Continental breakfast on the back terrace, in the morning sun. Don’t forget to bring your Speedo, to enjoy the pool.

Within minutes from the chateau, a magical road that twists past wineries took us to fine dining at Lion D’Or, in Arcins, to sample the wine and a local specialty: milk-fed veal. They open for dinner at 8, and be sure to call ahead for a reservation, as the place is small and the friendly and jovial patron, Monsieur Barbier, packs everyone in, to create a festive mood.

For fantastic outdoor dining, you can’t beat the cozy atmosphere of Restaurant Le St. Julien, further up the road in St. Julien-Beychevelle, which had a huge rotisserie-barbecue area in the middle of the terrace. This time, we sampled the fantastic local roast lamb. The tables were covered by tent-like canvas awnings, and the lighting was soft and romantic. Definitely a place to take in the night air and enjoy dinner for two. Or three, if you are really feeling French.

Mountain Biking Site

by Erik Olsen on

Are you a mountain biker who’s sick of his local terrain? Looking for some fat tire fun in some place other than your neighborhood? Then go check out this list of mountain biking trails from all over the US of A.

The interactive here is rather simple and you can find places to ride pretty much anywhere. In any state. The trail finder over at GORP is put together by outdoors folks who know where the best places are and they provide needful information like mileage, location and useful detail on the rides. I admit that I checked out New York and California and was pleasantly surprised by the comprehensiveness of the list.

Made me want to suit up and head out.