Welcome _______s- Back from the ____ Life!

 Happy Independence Day, America! This photo represents everything for which we stand. Soak it up.

Straight to the top!

Bikecamping Coedown in July? Sounds like a terrible idea. Count me in.


In this heat, it's nothing but swimming hole to swimming hole. Don't kid yourself. Team FRP, putting all you pretenders on notice: the gloves are off.


After work on Sunday, we gathered all of our piles of stuff into the one car and hied to the now-usual parking spot to get it together. I had been attempting a new set-up, getting the sleeping bag offa (out from under, where it interferes with me getting off the back for technical stuff) my saddle by throwing on a Salsa Minimalist rack, mounted in front. This did not work so well. I think the rack is versatile and well- thought-out, but the bag bound against my handlebar bag, and the front end was unmanageable with all that weight swaying around. I swapped the sleeping bag back onto (under) my saddle again, and it was better.

This was an experiment. I will mount the rack to my Fargo for some upcoming off-roaded touring. That should be a better match.

KB's super sano carbone hard-core off-road touring fork...

That's custom right there. See how the carbone is cradled with steel brackets from the local hardware store. Notice how the u-bolt is dremmeled for maximum (any) clearance with the rotor- which has also been customized, a.k.a. dremmeled.

I learned a lot about technology on this trip. Especially when my cones came loose, which explained the odd-feeling front end I had tried to blame on a loose headset and then tightened said headset which produced ominous creaky pops as the bolts were bone dry. Later, my stem would abruptly and terrifyingly shift 45* to the left, necessitating a bolt lube, using TriFlo cuz that's what we had, and a gentle and scared re-tightening. I was so frightened on the descent(s) from Kelly Lake...

Suicide shifting. Superleggara.

Day 1 was just getting to the park, loading our bikes, and getting to camp via the funnest and easiest route possible. Where there was a conflict between fun and easy, fun won every time.
P______ Camp is just so nice. It is undeniable.

Cold showers and warm beers.

Day 2 was unloading our bikes to the least we could get away with for some extended riding and swimming. We stowed our gear in camp, and rode out unencumbered (relatively) for a big exploratory loop.

Swimming gazebo destination resort, where the elite meet.

...for some YSL 1977 photo shoot action. It has been our experience that actual clothing is the better call in a wilderness type setting. As opposed to the lycra gear. And, plus, it lends some real credibility to otherwise questionable kooks. Kerchiefs for all my friends!

Poorly defined super bumpy singletrack through steep ups and downs combined with gastrointestinal troubles make for some giggling from 2 out of 3 all-terrain bicycle tourers. BURP! FART! Hee hee hee.

Backcountry swimming holes for me and mine. Maybe for you and yours, too. That is some Good Times.

Surprise! More climbing.

Coe is ridiculously steep. Punch after punch. No stopping.

Uh, except for a couple flats. But they are few and ringed with steeps.

There is now a bottle of rye whiskey stowed near camp...

Day 3 was repacking our reducedly loaded bikes, and heading back to the car via a ~4 hour swimming break which included nudity, dozing in the sun, multiple swim sessions, "cliff" jumping,  mild sunburn, hilarity, and farts.

Yay! Summer.

Riding=climbing through a beautiful series of ridges as far as the eye could see amidst a low angled golden light.

The Dummy of the Year title has now passed to you, because you missed this one.