Sugarloaf - North Couloir Video

Sugarloaf - N. Couloir from Joshua Phillips on Vimeo.

Here's another video.  This one is of a more recent adventure in the Bitterroot Mountains south of Missoula, Montana.  It was an intermittently stormy day, but great conditions were found in the couloir.  I think this couloir maintains very soft snow due to it's tall vertical walls that protect it from the wind.  The snow below the couloir was boiler plate.  The other times I've skied this line the snow was softer than the surrounding snow as well.  James Pyke and Ted Morrison teamed up with me for this adventure.
-Joshua

Europe By Bike - Video

Europe by bike - Joshua Phillips from Joshua Phillips on Vimeo.
I put together a presentation of my bike tour and gave it at the February meeting of Missoulians On Bicycles (MOBI).  I ended the presentation with a video that I edited together from photos and GoPro video.  Enjoy!

A great big "Thank You!" goes out to all the folks that helped me along the way! You know who you are!

Stateside: Stalemate or Strategy?

Halfway through packing

[At the end of a journey like this, when you've been working toward a set goal for so long, when life has been so simple (wake up, eat, pedal, eat, pedal, eat, pedal, eat, sleep, repeat), transitioning back into "real life", especially when you don't have what most would consider to be a "real life" (no job, no routine, and no home to return to), can be difficult.  Needless to say, updating your blog is not on the top of your list.]

Boarding the plane in Gothenburg went as smoothly as it could have.  They charged me $60 for having two boxes to check, but didn't penalize me for the gigantic bike box or the bike.  (Thank you, Sweden!)  It was difficult to say goodbye to Mattias at the airport; my visit was too short, but I'm not sure if a month would have been enough time.  

Greenland

After a short flight to London, I boarded a 747 bound for Seattle.  At one point during the long flight, I looked out the window and observed the dramatic landscape of Greenland.  Vizzini's voice (from the movie The Princess Bride) popped into my head, "Do you want me to send you back to where you were?  Unemployed, in Greenland!?"  I'm hoping to find the employment opportunities more favorable in the U.S. than down there on the ice.  I guess time will tell.

The view from Mt. Si

Spending several days in Seattle catching up with friends, going on hikes, and searching for jobs, was like trying on a new outfit to see how it looked on me.  I wanted to keep and open mind to what possibilities might arise and even considered relocating to a place that seemed to be bubbling with opportunity.  It only took 5 days for the siren call of the Missoula Valley to break through all the distractions that western Washington has to offer and completely convince me to load my car and head east.  

Em and Betsy

The 8 hour drive went by so quickly, perhaps because I'm so accustomed to averaging 17 mph on my bike.  Crossing the Montana boarder and arriving in the place that I call home never felt so right.  It's time for another adventure and I'm excited to find out what it will be and who all it will involve, but I know that for now, I'm home.

Hiking outside of Leavenworth

Eastern Washington

This is starting to look more like home.

Never so glad to see this sign

The Swedish Chef?

The bookends of this European vacation has turned out to be my stays with two beautiful families: one in Paris, France and one in Goteborg, Sweden.  The time I've spent here with Mattias, Lena, Valle, and Arvid has only one drawback, it ends tomorrow when I arrive at the airport.  Thank you all for the generosity and hospitality you've shown me (that goes for you too, Lucile, Manu, Philou, and Amande!).  I hope one day to return the favor!  Maybe we can all go rock climbing together one day.  (For those of you that don't know, I met Mattias and Lena 6 years ago while on a rock climbing trip at Red Rocks, Nevada.)

caviar on bread...for breakfast?

Over the past several days we had some really fun times, hiking in the woods, seeing a Peregrine Falcon nesting area, visiting a country cabin open house, sharing a pickled herring picnic in a park, visiting castle ruins, and walking around the "fishing church" in downtown Goteborg.  I've been exposed to some new foods as well.  It seems that throughout this trip, breakfast has been the meal that has differed the most from country to country.  Yesterday morning I had caviar that squirts out of a metal tube on a buttered crispy bread cracker.  This was complimented by liver pâté with sweet pickles on bread.  I kind of thought it was a joke at first, but was assured that it was quite normal...and delicious. Hmmmm.  I also had fil (a yogurt like substance) on muesli.

Tonight's dinner topped it all though.  I had Surströmming.  This fermented fish is so pungent in its odor, that you have to open the can (which is bulging from the building pressure inside) outdoors in a plastic bag!  I watched some Youtube videos previously today and was expecting the worst.  However, the smell was not even close to how putrid it had been portrayed.  Although there were people (who will remain nameless) gagging when the breeze blew the odor towards them, I didn't find it to be unappetizing.  Mattias thinks maybe it's genetic.  The fish is very pungent in its flavor though, and I could only eat a small portion (1 fillet) which I enjoyed on a piece of bread cracker with potatoes, onions, and sour cream.  Thanks for exposing me to some real traditional Swedish food!  I'm going to miss you guys!

looking for Peregrine Falcons

In Goteborg

Valle does not approve of the smell
of Surstromming

My first bite of Surstromming...
it's odd, but what's all the fuss about?

the bulging can

Valle checks out his paper plane

Arvid, happy on his mother's shoulders

this guy is seriously tough to take pictures of
I got really lucky here.

some Swedish castle ruins

pickled herring picnic

liver and sweet pickles?...who knew?

Mattias and Valle

Soaked in Varberg - Arrival in Göteborg

An interesting building - (not a light house)

I rode north through Falkenberg.  It was graduation and there were students everywhere celebrating.  I continued north past some picturesque lighthouses and into the town of Varberg.  I stopped for a cup of coffee and the skies opened up and it poured down rain.  I decided to try to wait it out, but after a couple of hours I grew impatient.  I headed out when the rain let up a bit, but it was a trick.  Once on my bike, it rained even harder and I ducked for cover in a covered bicycle parking area.  I waited and ate a snack.  Still, it didn't let up.  So, after inspecting my map, I found that there was a youth hostel in Varberg and decided to try to find it.  I got directions at a convenient store and made it to the front door of the youth hostel....only, the door was locked.  I stood in the downpour unsure of what to do next.  I must have looked pretty pathetic.  Some people got into a taxi nearby, but the taxi didn't go anywhere.  After a few moments, a guy got out and ran back inside through the back door.  Soon, the door opened and an older man with spectacles (imagine a math professor) asked if I wanted a room.  I assured him that was why I was there and thanked him profusely for letting me in.  "I was just headed out, but saw you standing there in the rain." he said.

at the youth hostel in Varberg

I got a room and began hanging things up and drying things out.  In the kitchen I was offered some delicious salmon and pasta by a guy named Jan.  He was staying there on business, setting up the lighting for an exhibit at the castle museum in Varberg.  We ended up staying up late visiting.  He told me about other, more remote parts of Sweden that he'd worked and places in Norway where his girlfriend had backcountry skied.  The next morning we met up again in the kitchen and he gave me some food for breakfast and sent me on my way.  My last day of pedaling.

After getting turned around a bit heading out of Varberg, I finally got on course with a terrific tailwind.  I was able to sustain a speed of 40 km/hour (25 mph) without even working too hard.  The kilometers flew by and soon I was in the suburbs of Goteborg.

Getting close to my destination

Very helpful friends along the way

A couple of cyclists came by and I couldn't restrain myself from taking advantage of a draft.  I followed them for a while, turning when they turned, slowing and speeding up when they did.  (My map ended just before I met up with them, so I was hoping they were headed back into Goteborg.  The bookstores were all sold out of the cycling map of the Goteborg area.)  We stopped at an intersection and began talking.  There were 4 of them and they were out training for the huge ride around Lake Vättern.  They asked where I was headed and it turns out that one of the guys (Erik) lives about 500 meters from my friends Mattias and Lena!  I had a personal escort through town, right to the street my friends live on!

Erik and I stopped out in the street, unsure of which building Mattias and Lena lived in.  Erik looked up Mattias in the directory with his smart phone, dialed his number and handed the phone to me.

Some weird tone...."Is that the sound of a ring in Sweden?", I thought.
A voice came through, "Mattias."
"Mattias, I'm out in the street and I don't know which building you live in."
"YOU'RE HERE?!" he shouted.  "Yes. I can see you out the window! Lena's outside, I'll head down!"

Mattias and I

I was greeting with a huge hug.  We thanked Erik for all the help and he headed home.

Lena came up the sidewalk with their youngest son, Arvid and gave me a big hug.

I told them how glad and relieved I was to finally be with them.

"You can relax now, Joshua.  You're home now." Mattias said.

In front of Mattias and Lena's building

One Month of Pedaling

June 7

One month ago today, I got off the train in Lorient, Brittany, France, pedaled down the street and walked into a small cafe.  I was given a ferry ticket by a guy that said his name was Jacky and instructions on how to get to the ferry depot.  That's how this journey began.  I don't know how many miles or kilometers itís been since then, but it's certainly been a wonderful adventure.  I was hoping for a great day of warm weather today to help me celebrate.  No such luck, though.  I rode most of the day in my arm and leg warmers and long fingered gloves, with no idea where the sun was behind the thick cloud cover.  At about 6:30pm the sun finally decided to come out from behind the clouds.  I stopped at a grocery store to buy some pasta, but it was closed.

Next door was a restaurant, so I walked over to see what they had for dinner.  I found a group of people sitting outside and asked if any of them could translate the menu for me.  Turns out there was a British couple in the group and Sam, having lived in the area for the last 5 years, recommended a dish and helped me order.  I was invited to sit with the group and we visited and laughed while I enjoyed my meal.  A bit later, the restaurant owner brought out a huge batch of boiled crayfish for the group and insisted that I partake.  THIS was the kind of celebration I was looking for, and I just happened upon it!  They schooled me on local Swedish history, the significance of the region, and I even got to hear some Swedish singing!  We visited for quite a while and as it was getting dark, I said my goodbyes and pedaled away to find a place to camp for the night.

I rode through seemingly endless farm fields until it was dark.  As I pedaled through a residential area in Haverdal, I found two people cleaning up outside their house and asked if I could pitch my tent in their yard.  It was a mother and son (Karin and Kristofer) that received me so well.  Kristofer shared a bit about a trip he'd taken to the States back in 2007 with two friends, having visited California and Nevada.  I pitched my tent out by the clothes line, thankful that I had a soft, flat place to sleep, my belly full of calzone and more than a few delicious crawfish.  It turned out to be an even better anniversary day than I'd hoped for.

Now I'm following the Ginstleden Cykelspåret

Caviar in a toothpaste tube!

My 4th and final country - Sweden!

"MerMAN! MerMAN!"

I took the ferry yesterday at about 6pm from Helsingor, Denmark (where there's a chrome merman statue) to Helsingborg, Sweden.  I rode around Helsingborg for a bit and then headed up the coast wanting to make it out the Kulla Peninsula for my first night. Since the sun doesn't set until about 9:45pm, I was able to ride all the way out to the point.  The sun set just before I set my tent up.  I camped at the back of a golf course parking lot, in a small freshly mowed patch of grass.  The tip of the peninsula is formed by a huge gneiss outcrop with cliffs plunging into the ocean.  I could hear the ocean below me as I cooked my pasta and went to sleep.  This morning, I cooked my eggs, packed up, and rode up to the lighthouse to enjoy the view.  The wind was only a breeze.  I could tell from many of the trees growing sideways that the wind can REALLY blow here.  The sun came out and shone on the rocks and the view was incredible.  I rode back east on the north side of the peninsula and am now in the town of Angelholm.  I'll head out the next peninsula to the town of Torekov this afternoon.  Enjoy the photos!

Bording the ferry in Helsingor with all the cars
20 minute ride to Sweden

Kronborg Castle seen from the ferry

Helsingborg, Sweden

riding up the coast of Sweden

Johan (a retired merchant marine) poses with
his garden tools.  He gave me some water and
we talked for a bit.  He's been everywhere, man.

My bivy near the golf course

sunshine!

the brightest lighthouse in Sweden