The Perfect Gig

I was on a conference call yesterday and one of my colleagues from Bainbridge Rowing asked me about my new job as a bike guide for Trek Travel. I immediately told them that I loved it – “it really fits” I said. I surprised myself by how natural and enthusiastic my response was. It really does fit and I am excited to get back to it next week. I usually end these adventures feeling pretty low. As soon as the goal is accomplished, I would typically fall into a slump. Sad that the time outdoors on my bike is over. This time feels so different. When I leave here, I get to go directly to lead three weeks of gravel bike tours in South Dakota. Someone’s got to do it.

Being a cycling guide isn’t easy. You have to be equal parts mechanic, schlepper, roadside chef, driver, emergency medical tech and psychologist. You are “on” in front of clients for about 10 hours a day. No request is too far fetched. The upside is that you get to spend all of your time outside, it’s fun wrenching bikes and I love meeting new people. The hospitality bit comes natural to me. I was worried that I wouldn’t get hired because of my age but that wasn’t an issue at Trek Travel and the physical demands of the job have come easy to me. I’m proud of my career as a lawyer but this type of job is perfect for me. I am happiest when I am moving my body outside. Most content when I have a physical challenge in front of me.

I thought a lot about my new job today. I decided last night that I would craft my own route to our next town called Þingeyri (pronounced “Thing-a-ree.”). I found a cool mountain pass on the map that I wanted to try so I designed my own route from our guest house. I’m a professional bike guide after all – I’ve got this. It turned out to be one of my favorite days of this trip. I started out with a really beautiful flat section along the coast road to warm up my legs. I was greeted by a baby arctic fox first thing and then stopped for breakfast at the same restaurant we ate at last night. The climb out of breakfast was long and steady. About 8 miles of solid work to get up to the top of the highlands area dotted with clear mountain lakes and sweeping views of the fjords below. The sun was intense today but it felt so good to feel warm again.

I descended down the other side through a bit of construction along the gravel roads. My destination was the beginning of a steep mountain pass that would take me through a very remote section and directly into my overnight town. There was a beautiful coffee shop and museum at the start of the climb so I stopped and had a coffee and some date cake. As I was sitting there, I was treated to the sight of five humpback whales cruising around the fjord. The climb was awesome. Exactly five miles to the top and a steady grind on fun well-maintained gravel roads. I didn’t take a break until the summit where I tried to capture a few shots of the route below. Pictures never do it justice!

The backside of the mountain was a blast. Not a car in sight and just miles of twisting gravel roads that led directly into town. I met John at our hotel and we explored the town a bit. We are really starting to notice the crowds building now for the eclipse. Our hotel is sold out and the campground is packed. There is an in depth article about the eclipse mania in the NYT and they hit it right on the head. These small towns are so isolated and the services are very limited. They are keeping up but you can feel the stress of all of these umbraphiles (eclipse chasers – thank you NYT!) trying to position themselves for the maximum eclipse experience.

We are trying to steer clear of the crowds but a little worried about on how crazy it will be when we get back to Isafjordur tomorrow. I’ve quickly gotten used to the quiet of Iceland and appreciate how nice it is to be away from people for a little while. I’ve never been in a place so quiet. The mornings are especially still – no cars, planes or other background noise. Just pure silence. I’ll miss this for sure. I’ll leave with a brief video of this that I experienced today. Enjoy.