Skye and Meg are gurus of all things movement, embracing an active lifestyle and sharing their bountiful energy with those they teach, work with, and play with. Together they set-out on a Western adventure early this spring, leaving a still defrosting East Coast for the lush rain forests and dusty trails of the Pacific Northwest. Thanks Skye & Meg for sharing your adventure with us, lets ride soon!
All words and photos credit: Skye Nacel and Meg Walsh
The last two months have been filled with riding adventures from harrowing exposed ridge rides higher than Mt. Washington to loamy fern blasting to high alpine loose high speed rips and everything in between. Riding and or trail-building has become a nearly daily endeavor for the first time in way too long. Riding and more so, volunteering time to build and help the locals with their trails; has opened the doors to new friendships out here in the Pacific Northwest and we have been adopted into new communities. This trip has really made me fall in love again with bikes and bike culture.
One new experience for me out here has been riding into trails with a minimalist tool setup to do trail work. A folding trail saw, hand pruners and a tiny 2 foot shovel have been my main tools. Out here in Oregon you are really out there at times too so you have to pack light if you want to get into a far away zone. It’s really amazing how much work you can do with this setup and as a bonus you can ride in and ride out, and more importantly ride sections as you do them to make sure they flow or work right. Granted, for real serious work this isn’t the way but for up to moderate improvements, it’s the call. So many times in VT, folks (me too) would be way out on a trail and bitch and moan about needing to improve a section that was out there a bit. Trails don’t “just happen” and you gotta pay to play bitches!
When we return to VT, I will continue to make riding and building and spreading the word of it a bigger priority. And my trail pack will be used often, full of my tools and ready to ride in, buff a trail and ride out (Just don’t tell Hank). My new re-found passion for bikes too will be reflected in the programs that we offer at Mocean365 and maybe even a new event series (hint hint). We are very lucky in VT to have such a thriving community with new stuff happening on the regular and I look forward to returning and being a part of it.
Cheers from the mountains of Oregon.
Mocean365
www.TheMoceanProject.com
Guys this is really great.
Absolutely epic! Thanx forever!
We love you, and have missed your beautiful selves. We welcome you back to VT when you arrive! Glad that you could meld with the Oregon woods and homies–they have been lucky to have you in their midst. Thanks for all the great work you’ve done, taking care of the land and folks out that way trail building, getting up firewood, sharing joviality and so on. We look forward to your psyched-ness on the Mountain Bike tip! You’re gonna make us happier–I know it!
I speak for myself, and The Rogue Valley, when say that our lives are richer and are trails are happier because of Skye and Meg. Thank You so much for coming to southern Oregon and doing what you do.
Respectfully, Brian