Take A Mindful Moment if you like.....

Well is certainly has beeen a minute or 2 since my last Blog. I doubt anyone even does this but I am gonna. I have not had a social media presence in some time, and it was intentional. I found myself envious of other's "digital life". This brought up reminating questions like: why can't I afford that, why can't I be that fit, man that person eats really interesting food. I decided to stop posting, but more importantly I stopped scrolling. I had enough going on thast I didn't need the addiction or mental health issues that do with apps that sare designed to hook you up to the dopamine drip. I recntly got back on SM in support of my dear friends at TransRockies Race Events. Together we have created the 24in24. I am racing all of their Multi Day events, yes even the running ones, in 2024. Cmes to 24 TR races starts. Of course I want people to know how great their events are, having participated in more than I can remember, seriously, since 2004. So SM is the marketing of the day and I posted some photos, and clips. I then found that I would waste, yes waste 10 to 15 min scrolling, and half seem to be advertisements not my peeps. I light of a recent tragic event, I have decided that I can no longer enable a vice that may potentially cause harm to someone. I have decided to go old school and actually write to you instead. I really do hope that you intentionally, ( yes, here come all the buzz words), take some time and sit still, mind and body, to read and enjoy. Be Well Jeff

More photos

Photo 1- the bikes on top are just a but too tall, this fellow has to left the lines to fit under, I tink they are just data lines, I hope
Photo 2- I we a little nervous about how small the plane was going to be but this will do fine
Photo 3- Mount Everest I think?

Group ride day with Gerry and Erik.

Along some really nice roads and at the end and I mean The End, everyone was spent.

Photos

Totapani dancers and Gerry fitting right in.

Day 8- all downhill from here

Okay so my Aunt Mel sent me a message " love the blog but it feels unfinished", she a teacher, best do my home work.

If we thought we took a while to get over the pass, our bags took longer. Carena had said this would happen and I had packed my down jacket and pants. No problem. Finally was able to eat, and rested well after losing so much elevation. We were back in the 9am start and the route was almost all downhill.

We had spoke of riding together at our weekend pace but once the whistle went the double track turned to single track and mayhem ensued. I had to push hard to get around people and get a clear path. By then Kate had out into turbo and Erik was chasing hard. So much for that.

However, after I got lost for a minute in a small town I crossed a bridge and Kate was down with a flat. I stopped to help and it was good as I turned off my brain and let Kate lead all the ups and downs. We passed several other racers with various problems, it was like the bikes finally gave up after kilometers of abuse.

With only 2km to go we passed Erik who had been sitting in second for most of the day and only realized it as he flatted. Too bad he was getting stronger as the race went on and the podium was in his grasp. Thru the small town of Tatopani and DONE!!!!

As it was a shorter stage a lot of the racers came in around the same time and there was lots of cheers and shouting.

Totapani has natural hot springs within 50m of the hotel and it didn't take too much convincing to grab a beer and soak the legs. It was the first hot shower in many days and first beer of the trip. I don't know which was better.

After dinner Snow Monkey arranged with some locals to put on a traditional dance for us. It was a lot of fun as they flipped back and forth between being serious and next dance everyone was up, including Kate and myself. No matter the age it was like a 10 year olds birthday party with people laughing and being silly.

Unfortunately, I am a bug collector and picked up the Mustang Valley strain. I have never been in that much GI pain and it did not pass until 4am, but it passed with a vengance. So just when I thought I was out of trouble I had to pack the TP again. It was an untimed group ride day and I was able to ride with Gerry and Erik, very casual execpt when Gerry wanted to show us how strong he was feeling on the ups.  Kate got hit hard too and was a mess on the 3hr bus ride to Pokhara.

All ailments, strife, and hardships seem to be forgotten as we rolled into the fine hotel with a Canadiana feel.

Kate had to miss the awards but it was fun to see everyone showered up and get their finishers medals and t-shirts.

One mire rest day in Pokhara and then back to KTM.

Photos day 5

Photo 1- prayer flag to start our day, tied to the bridge outside of Chame
Photo 2- our nice little house with drying line
Photo 3- not sure if we are going up to that mountain but we are told the valley opens up fir impressive views.

Day 7- Thorong La- pass day!

I feel I should have some awesome, foreboding, dark intro...oh well.

Lets see if the account of the day will do.

So picking up from day sick, I mean six. Went to bed around 8pm with 3 digestive cookies a half bowl of soup, and cup of rice in my belly. Up at 230am to get baggage out door and breakfast at 3am. I had another 1/2 bowl of porridge and hung around restaurant until we were marshalled at the start.
We could already see the snaking of lights going up the pass and would soon lose ourselves amongst them. The pace was rather brisk off the start and even though I had made sure to stay within myself I was moving quite well. I think that with no riding and the death march I had mastered on day 6 evened things out a bit.  Bibs were down and TP ready. My whole world became my circle of light and the heels of whoever was in front of me.

Heel-toe, heel- toe, heel-toe.........made the first hour with no GI stops! Had to re adjust bike, took a minute to look around at the stars and lights, the moon shadows of the mountains to the west and the faintest hint that the sun would actually shine from the east. Heel-toe, heel- toe, heel-toe.........they said you had to watch for the false summits but in the dark no such pretender exists just the 6ft circle of light. I was generally cold due to the -15C, illness, and the fact you just can't move that fast to generate your normal internal furnace.

I knew I was getting nearer the top as the terrain levelled out and even went down at times. I had caught up to some of the porters. Tough stock those porters, wearing jeans, leather jackets and most in running shoes. Makes you feel a little soft. I am sure they would love boots and down jackets but those all cost money and with the annual income rumored to be between $1,000-$4,000, you realise it is what it is. Hopefully they are paying these guys enough to afford at least one piece of warmer clothing next time over.

If you not there, you havnt gone far enough. Well, when I saw a porter run back down the trail to greet his friend I knew what far enough was. A hoot and holler from the porter in front of my brought my head up to see the infamous tea house. Sometimes being a little late has its own rewards, 20 minutes earlier the tea house was closed for Kate and Erik, but Jeffy was able to get in out of the wind out on his down jacket and have the fine gentlmen fill his water bottle with scalding black tea.

People said to stop and enjoy, people said to take some pictures, people said to soak it up. Well people.....I would have loved to! But but with only a total of 1 cup of soup, 1 bowl of porridge, 3 cookies, and a cup of rice over 60hrs one was not thinking about tourist luxuries, one was thinking about the uncontrollable shivering, the tightness in the bowels and the left hand that had been painfully cold for 3hrs. I did stop and look around, so I do have the memories but will have to pilfer pictures from others and you will just have to take my word that I was actually there :).

I went down hill like a man possessed, as I was a man possessed! 2 things drove me, warmth and a toilet. I tried to go down hill breathing as hard as I had uphill. Dave, I went fast, I took chances. I fell into the snow a lot but my whole world got better with each meter of elevation loss.

If not for the snow, we normally would have ridden from 4,300m down but we had to wait until 3,700m. It was warm the layers came off the, the sun was up and the goggles stayed on. After such a start, the finish is all down hill at stupid speeds on jeep roads. Fast is a realitive term and all I could think about is how I had come this far and was not going to bunge it up by wiping out, that and my Mom's voice" be safe" with her tag line " this is your mother speaking Jeffrey"

So the finish line found me happy, safe, warm, elated, shit free, hungry, and stupid looking with my ski goggles still firmly planted on my face!

I didn't get away unscathed though, once I took off my gloves my left thumb was purple, white and numb. I don't have good circulation to my hands and my biggest worry before and during the race were my hands. I had frozen the top 1/2" of my thumb and no amount of warming was bringing color back to it. I had to wait to see how it would progress but after 12hrs and no blisters, Thomas Tetz the mountain man from the Yukon assured me I would not loose my thumb but mayabe the skin and nail. I know he is correct as I am typing this on my phone with my thumbs 2 days later and it is much better all be it unsightly. 

Expedition done! One more downhill stage and the race is over!

Day 5 Yak Attack

Today the porters had to leave with our stuff at 6am. That meant getting up at 530am and changing into cycling gear and awaiting the 9am start.

So from Chame to Manang is 30km and 1200m climbing. The grade was steep to start and I had to conserve what little power the legs had left.

The scenery changed dramatically during the day. We left the town gained elevation and were in cedar forests. Pretty awesome to be rding over pine needles. That was not the only thing we rode over: snow, ice, mud, mule poop, donkey poop, goat poop.

But just when you think you are hard core caring your bike up a snow covered road in the trees with only a small trough to walk in...you have to get out if the way of 6 guys on small motorcycles/big scooters. They drive them anywhere and everywhere.

The mule trains were neat to see, walking single file but sometimes abreast, which makes passing difficult. Some do keys trains didn't even have a person around or none that I could see. They were just dutifully hiking up and down the road like they don every day. Alana told me to keep an eye out fir the ones with tassles and I was by disappointed.

Manang quite the town.  Nestled on an plateau above a river in a wide vally it gets quite a lotof sun. I actually remeber the view from the Eric top patio where we are staying from one of Alana's photos. I don't know if much has changed in 20 years. I tried to recreate her picture. I will have to see how well I did when I get back.

I went for a small hike on our rest day with the Nepalese organisor/logistics man named Snow Monkey. Hé ass bien in Manang and you can really sense his pride. He know all the peaks and their elevations, the local flora and fauna, and what has been happening. He has guided documentaries, and reasearch parties.

My stomach has been a bit off. Nothing crazy just goes sidesay and churns then settles down. I really felt the altitude yesterday and wonder how it will go for the next 2 days. I think the racing may be over and it is time for just trekking.

Day 6- pretty much the worse day ever

Bags got picked up at 6am. Went and had a cup of tea and was able to choke down 1/2 bowl of porridge. Then the stomach went sideways and not to be out done the bowels opened up. GREAT!

They say at altitude you don't make the smartest decisions. I can't say for sure its the altitude but my immodium was in my bag on the way, I didn't go see the docs, and I went to the start line. I did however buy a fresh roll of toilet paper!

I had not slept and had not consumed anything in 36hrs, so it was no surprise that I was DFL (Last) within 100m. This was fortuitous as the trail ,crossed a flat section and rose to a western part of town on some switch backs. I made it this far before I was panicking to get the zipper down and the bibs off for my first turd deposit in the Bank of Nepal. I am sure the residents of Manang, while having their morning tea, were all wondering why the moon was so low, full and white!

I would love to tell you about the scenery and such but I I don't really recall much except my feet and the trail underneath them. But I will give a brief account of my day travelling 16km from 3500m elevation to 4500m.

My stomach would begin to ache, then pain, then cramp, then I would throw up, I would feel better, my bowels would churn, then  pain, then release, i would feel better, repeat every 30min. I was the most uncomfortable day on a bike ever, oh wait, I wasn't on the bike as I was to weak to pedal so I pushed instead. With a single minded determination I just put one foot in front of the other and tried not to stop, except when nature called. They say the altitude makes you feel bad but I couldnt realy distinguish that from how shifty I felt from being sick.

Somewhere near Thorong Phedi, base camp for the 18,000ft pass I stopped my cycle of purging. I think I killed the little bugs by not feeding them anything and carrying on.  I did pass a Yak, I was only aware of this as he was snorting at me and coming towards me. Probably saying "hey smelly guy, get off my path".

I rolled into the tea house went straight to my room and lied down. Gerry came by and put covers on me, Erik checked on me, Kate got my bag, Garrit brought me some immodium and took the pathetic photo of what I had become. It was all I could do to lie there. I was shelled. Gutted. Done.

I started to drink water and nibble on Kate's chocolate coated digestive cookies. 48hrs no food, it amazing how you feel with 2 cookies and 500ml of water in you. I dragged myself to dinner and was given the obligatory nod for those who had been thru this and the sympathetic " are you okay" from those who hadn't. Its like a clique, that once you have been sick on a trip like this those who have gone before you don't offer sympathy, just ideas on how you might get over it.

I was able to get a samll amount of tomato soup and a cup of fired rice in me before I felt like I was greatly distended in the bowel region.

Back to the room where I begrudgingly got everything ready for the next day. I was not sure if I was gong to go but inaction in its self, is an action.

Will i go or will I  stay now....?

Day 5 revised.

So stomch not churning anymore. I threw up last night's dinner as well as all the food I ate today, serious volume.

That was early afternoon and I instantly felt like crap. I just lied down went for dinner had a half bowl of soup and had to go to the privacy of my toilet again. Stomach was so sore and didn't sleep at all, just thought about how I might do the next day and if I should turn back. Kate was wise and told me just see how it feels in the morning.

Well they came for bags at 6am and I thought" Gerry and Erik pushed on when sick I guess I will too". Stage 6 was 16km and 1000m of climbing.

To be continued....