AVOID THE BUMMER LIFE

Outliving the bastards one hard-earned beer at time.

Author: K2VFZ

  • Obliteride 2020

    Obliteride 2020

    The Fred Hutch Foundation (based in Seattle) hosts a fundraising event every year called the Obliteride, with the intent on raising money to obliterate cancer through research. Because COVID, this year’s event is virtual so I planned my own century route.

    Last week I headed out for a lunch ride where, long story short, I blew up the carbon frame on my road bike. I’m okay, but my beloved Orbea is most certainly not. Scrambling, I found a robin’s egg blue gravel bike, a Salsa Warbird, in a local shop that just happens to be my size. That’ll do pig, that’ll do.

    Big shift in the plan and now my century road ride has turned into a century farm-road ride. Considerably tougher on an unfamiliar route with a brand-new bike. What could go wrong?

  • Sonoran Revisit

    Visited the hometown of Ahwatukee, Arizona. I grew up mountain biking South Mountain park, but this trip I brought my road bike and clocked about 58 miles around, and up to the top, of the mountain. Shot on ILFORD HP5.

  • Shots in Salt Lake City

    Shots in Salt Lake City

    Meet up with the college buddies for a good ‘ol fashioned football tailgate. The weather was miserable as was the outcome of the game, but Utah fans were the absolute best. Shot with a Kodak disposable.

  • Tents in Roslyn

    Tents in Roslyn

    Followed the brother-in-law out into the wilds of roslyn, washington for a few days of traversing barely-navigable trails and encountering incredible views.

  • Somewhere in Central Wash

    Somewhere in Central Wash

    Met April in the middle of the middle. It was her location and her plan, I was just along of the hike. The intention was to overnight at some designated campsite but we very quickly (not quickly enough) realized that we were completely off route. Decision-making wasn’t our best set of skills this trip and we ended up following active train rail back to the trailhead.

  • Boland’s Cabin

    A weekend at my friend’s family retreat way up in Northern Idaho.

  • Dry Fly

    Tagged along with my buddy Tonda and did some fly fishing in the backwoods of northern Idaho.

  • Grand Canyon 2006

    Was invited to hike the Canyon by a random group. Unfortunately, I didn’t document much at the time, but I did manage to save these photos. I do remember that the night before the hike we stayed at a hotel in Flagstaff. Waking up early to get on the road we walked to the parking lot to see our vehicle with all doors wide open; someone didn’t lock the car and it was cleaned out. Luckily most of our gear had been brought with us into the hotel room, but a few things were lost including a digital camera, some trekking poles, and my boots.

    But hell, we were on a tight schedule and the Grand Canyon has no compassion for man’s folly. I ended up doing the trip in Chacos and regret nothing more than not taking a single picture of my feet.