Saturday, March 29, 2014

Orcas mnt biking

This was the 2nd Annual Orcas Island Spring Break Mountain Bike Hang. Here's last year's roll up. We lost Rory this year to illness. But we gained Pat and Betsy.

These trips are never what you picture them to be. Planning and fussing for weeks ahead of time, you get this idea in your head of how it will be. In my experience, if you're with cool people,  it's always a great time -- even if it's not what you think it was gonna be. The rain got us. And Betsy had a bad fall that resulted in a trip to the minor emergency center. Neither of these events took us out, but they changed the experience in a fortunate way: we bailed from our camping site (with dignity) a day early to spend the final night at the Rosario Resort, where the beer did flow and the oystered did be shucked... or whatever. It was good.

We found an insanely wonderful way down Mt. Constitution. The trail is switch back nirvana with deep green forest. All down with lots of interesting little technical features: rocks, roots, slick, roll outs, etc... So much fun. This was also the trail where Betsy shanked her ankle -- she ended up spraining it really bad. I should've taken a shot: pretty gruesome. She was able to ride down on it, but as soon as she sat down and rested, her foot exploded into a puffed up painful thing. But the trail was rad. And for sure something to plan the next trip around... by shuttling to the top, a gang of four could get in three rides each in a half a day.



Betsy.
This picture doesn't capture the greatness of this section of trail. This was along the SW corner of Cascade Lake. The trail was super fun and tricky -- it reminded me of the Mega Church section of the River Trail, but way longer. Great stuff.
Pat. Ripping it down the switch backs.
Eberly.
Betsy.
Note the tarp solution. This is all Alex. This was the second, improved deployment of the tarp: optimized for precision location draining and  guyed out to avoid tripping and clotheslining the campers. Sailing has added to Alex's already vast practical skills by piling on a bunch of knots and various styles and lengths of rope.

A dam. My bike.
Pat? Alex?
Alex planned on stealing oil from his Rohloff to lube the quick release cam on Betsy's borrowed bike, but it turned out the hub was dry. He ended up finding a wad of grease on his seat post.
Homebound. It's a long haul from Spokane to Orcas Island, around 10 hours. Ideally: we'd spend three solid days riding for this kind of transport stage, but you take what you can get and when the company is good, it's for sure worth it.

5 comments:

Steve Finnell said...

ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES?

Are there doctrines that have to be believed in order to be saved? If men believe all the New Covenant doctrines, but one, will they still have their sins forgiven?

If men believe all of God's doctrines except that Jesus is the Christ will their sins be forgiven?

John 8:24 That is why I said that you will die in your sins. If you do not believe that I am the Christ, you will die in your sins." (TLV New Life Version)

Will men enter into the kingdom of heaven even if they believe that there are many gods and that they themselves can become a god?

Mark 12:29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. (NKJV)

If men deny that God raised Jesus from the dead will they still be saved? Is is possible to not confess Jesus and receive salvation?

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.(NKJV)

Can Christians express the view that there are multiple paths to heaven and remain saved?

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth , and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (NKJV)

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the highest, what are the odds that men can reject water baptism or teach that water baptism is not essential for the forgiveness of sins and still have their sins forgiven?

Acts 2:38 The Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)

How many of God's teaching can men reject and still be saved?

WILL GOD JUDGE MEN ON THE DOCTRINES TAUGHT BY CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS AND OTHER RELIGIONS OR WILL HE JUDGE MEN ACCORDING THE DOCTRINES FOUND IN THE BIBLE?



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Anonymous said...

"On a scale of 1 to 10, 3.7 being the highest, Orcas cycling kicks ass!" --John 6:50b

Unknown said...

Though shall not covet your brother's riding skills.
- Betsy in a letter to the Drunken Heathens.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cozette Livingston said...

Please invite me next year!! I would love to go!! -Cousin Cozette