About Me

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
    – Henry Miller

Hi there! My name is Scott, and I am an archetype of the Pacific Northwest. Over the course of my 29 years on this planet, I’ve shared 21 different addresses, 19 of which have been in Oregon or Washington. For those that came before me, I have five generations of family buried here. As long as it rains eight months out of the year and I can see mountains from wherever I stand, I know I’m home. On weekends you’ll find me stooping through soggy woods, hunting for mushrooms; I’m pretty sure I have moss in my veins. I am a native in both in mind and spirit.

I am currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington in the Quantitative Ecology and Resource Management program. (How's that for a mouthful?) I am studying how climate change affects species distributions. I get to do lots of math and make pretty maps and learn about the natural world. It's awesome stuff and I really like what I do. In my spare time, I also play trombone in the coolest band on the face of the planet. (I promise I'm not biased.)

This blog is a place where I share my experiences and enthusiasm for traveling by bicycle. For me, bicycling is more a way of life than it is a means of transportation. Outside of regular city commuting, I have logged several thousand miles worth of bicycle travel around the Northwest and across the country. I find it to be the most intimate method of exploration, forcing the traveler out of their sphere of comfort and into the world, and the pace provides enough time to digest one’s surroundings. Cyclists often seem to present themselves in a friendly and approachable manner, almost as though one pedals down the road with an arm extended, offering a handshake to the world; stopping for a conversation is no more an inconvenience than offering someone a smile. Every minute I’ve spent in my saddle has helped me to be present in body and mind, and given me the opportunity to engage other people, learn from their experiences, and share in kind.

When I'm out on a long bike trip, I often meet people that tell me they wish they had done something like me when they were younger. Most of the time, it seems like the only thing that has stopped them (and is still stopping them) is their own reluctance or personal doubt. Truth is, I'm really not doing anything that fancy or unique. Any time I climb on my bike I end up having some pretty memorable adventures, but that's a function of who I am and what I want to get out of the experience, not the kind of bike I ride or the kind of gear I carry. I once met a guy who rode from Alaska to Patagonia on a bike that he found in a dumpster. I once met a woman who raised her six children while traveling around the country in a covered wagon. It doesn't matter what you want to do or how you want to do it, just go do it. You have the strength in you. Convincing yourself is usually the hardest part.

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