Roll With Me: Chronicles of a Mountain Biking Trip

"Get a bicycle. You won't regret it if you live." -Mark Twain

My first experience mountain biking was quite a trip. See, I'm not a mountain biker. The thought scared me to death! But hey, "do one thing every day that scares you", right?

 So my boyfriend, Anthony, and I headed over to the closest state park, which happened to have some fantastic mountain biking trails. We started out on an easy one, a trail called "homestead" and someone how got just a little lost and ended up doing a loop that wasn't prepared for. It may have been called Granny's Garden, but apparently Granny was a bad*** with no sense of self-preservation. We ended up following routes with names like "no fear chute" and "deliverance" instead of the original route on trails with names like "1st and 2nd stream". 

Even so, we each only fell a few times (but I may or may not have walked some of the more challenging obstacles- but come on, I'm a newbie.)

As for a little glimpse into what we each brought along. 

Anthony's Pack: Osprey Raptor- 14 liter

Bike lock, shoes, earbuds, helmet, multitool, bike tool, head lamp, gloves, ipod, bandana, skoal, lighter (No pictured: hydration bladder, which was in the pack)

Katie's Pack: Osprey Manta- 20 liter

Helmet, Keys, Carabiner, Ipod, Sunglasses, Trash bag, Hydration Bladder, Bathing suit, Deodorant, knife, bug balm, hair balm, sunscreen, tissues, allergy medication, Aspirin, banana, tampon, camera/case, shoes.

As you can see, I've got a little more than him, but we were debating jumping in the lake after our ride, hence the extras. 

Also, we each through in a sandwich from a local food co-op that we stopped at on our way to the park. 

The photos don't do these trails justice at all. They look so much more frightening in person!

After getting of track for quite awhile we stopped by the lake for lunch. 

Check out the second to last ingredient. Yeah. It says "love". 
Aw :)

If injuries bother you, skip this next photo.

I chickened out coming up to a obstacle, and decided a dead stop was better. Anthony ran into me, and his bike ran into him. Hopefully that will teach him to not follow so close!

We even joked about co-writing a "how our relationship survived mountain biking" post!

I'm a firm believer that being active together will either strengthen or end your relationship. I mean, they call tandem kayaks "couples councillors" at the boat shop near our house. Each adventure teaches us something new about ourselves, each other, and our relationship. We barely survived this trip, and loved every minute of it. Now I'm off to work on my skills and try it again!

What's the most frightening thing you've done this week?

Bring on the Backpacks

He's come around here before, and you've loved him. 

Meet Dozer

If you've been following along for awhile, you've seen him around. He's a Doberdore (Doberman/labrador hybrid) that loves long walks on the trails, midnight trips to the beach, farmers market cookies, and his mommy (aw!).

  Today he's here to help introduce a mini series of Hiking nonsense.

You may have noticed the blog name, and wondered when it would come into play. 
This series will showcase a couple packs (One of which being Dozer's very own!) You'll also get a peek into our suitcases, packs, cars, and see what we bring on every kind of adventure. 
-Backpacking, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Camping, Kayaking, to the Beach, etc-  

As a special treat, Backpacks and Belly Button Rings will have a few appearances from these guys. 

Hope your as excited as we are for our little adventure! 


What would you like to see in this series?

Friday Favorites Link Up

Hey there, Gorgeous! 

Today's post was a fun little treat for me, as I'm doing my first link up post ! 

Here's some of my favorites this week for my your enjoyment 

:)

Favorite Moment(s)

Who doesn't love hugs? This was the one my puppy gave me this morning... that's right, he hugs people. 

Favorite Accessories

We've been loving the friendship bracelets around here lately! They're so easy to make, and a new favorite road trip time waster.

Favorite Accent

Here's a little candle from Target, but it looks just like the old Anthropologie ones! This one is called Island Moonlight and lists the notes as "ruby cassis, valencia orange, and sandalwood" That's not what I would have guessed, it's pretty floral, which I generally wouldn't go for, but it smells so lovely and is adorable. 

Favorite Activity

The farmers market this week was so much fun! We bought nearly two POUNDS of basil for two dollars. Who buys pounds of basil? I do apparently. 

I put some in vases in the kitchen and dining room, and it looks like it just belongs, and leaves the room smelling so fresh. 

Favorite Drink

We always have wine on our girls nights. This one is beach friendly and so summery! Its a chardonnay by Bandit, and even lists the reasons you should love it on the back, which include:

#3. Perfect for camping

#4. 1 truckload of bandit cartons= 26 truckloads of empty glass (wow!)

#6. It floats!

#10. 33% more wine 

But mostly, its not glass, so you can take it camping, to the beach, concerts, and other places glass isn't allowed! 

Thanks to Lindsey of the Bargain Blonde for creating this link up, go check her out!

What's topping your favorites list this week?