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  1. #176
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    In a parallel universe
    Posts
    4,755
    Quote Originally Posted by The Gnarwhale View Post
    It's official: I can bike better than I can walk

    A year ago I wasn't sure I'd ever have the strength or agility to pedal this ride again and I catalogued it as a rehab "stretch goal." Maybe I could handle it by 2020, I imagined. Or maybe it's a piece of the planet I'd never see up close again. Turns out a lot of rehab exercise and a high-tech superbike got me there just under 2.5 years after I was a paralyzed
    Hell yeah man, awesome Friday afternoon read.
    Keep on keeping on with the updates!


  2. #177
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Last Best City in the Last Best Place
    Posts
    7,269
    Wow. Fricking amazing. Way to go man, that is some serious riding. Great video!

  3. #178
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Missoula, MT
    Posts
    22,462
    Way to be! Thanks for the update.
    No longer stuck.

    Quote Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn View Post
    Just an uneducated guess.

  4. #179
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    8,318
    Thanks for all the updates, this thread is awesome in so many ways! Congrats on the progress so far.

  5. #180
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Wasatch Back: 7000'
    Posts
    12,966
    This has to be the most inspirational thing I have seen this year. Well done! I am very happy for you!
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

  6. #181
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    The Wilds of Maine
    Posts
    2,851
    So awesome to get to ride in park city with gnarwhale last week. He's got some room to grow on the walking side of things but looks damn comfortable shredding a bike! Felt just like me after my injury... fuck this slow ass walking shit, get me a Yeti!
    "We're in the eye of a shiticane here Julian, and Ricky's a low shit system!" - Jim Lahey, RIP

    Former Managing Editor @ TGR, forever mag.

  7. #182
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    Posts
    11,698
    Yeah buddy! That's fucking awesome!

  8. #183
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    where the rough and fluff live
    Posts
    4,147
    Quote Originally Posted by The Gnarwhale View Post


    Grant is like a one-man cheer squad! The guy is pretty freaking pumped on life in general and on pedaling bikes together in particular.

    This weekend I was riding in Moab with Grant Helgeson, who's been a close friend for 15 years and with whom I've shared hundreds of days on bikes, skis, and foot. Last time we hung out was over a year ago and I was just relearning to walk with a walker. So, it was really special to be out on the move with him again and I surprised even myself by cleaning nearly all of Navajo Rocks trail.
    TJ, I've been telling everyone that if any human will overcome an injury like you suffered -- it's YOU.

    Always knew you'd get to this point.

    Even better that R. Grant was with you. Tell him I said hey.

  9. #184
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Geopolis
    Posts
    16,084
    bump to the top for a self kick in the ass because none of us ever had any excuses.
    j'ai des grands instants de lucididididididididi

  10. #185
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    crown of the continent
    Posts
    13,947
    Six days ago he rode the 101mi White Rim trail in 14 hours, three years from being medevaced. Rad!!!
    Something about the wrinkle in your forehead tells me there's a fit about to get thrown
    And I never hear a single word you say when you tell me not to have my fun
    It's the same old shit that I ain't gonna take off anyone.
    and I never had a shortage of people tryin' to warn me about the dangers I pose to myself.

    Patterson Hood of the DBT's

  11. #186
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    Posts
    11,698
    Yeah. So fucking rad.

  12. #187
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    50 miles E of Paradise
    Posts
    15,566
    This is so cool. Very stoked for J
    Can we get some pics commemorating this accomplishment?

  13. #188
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Two Thousand Leagues
    Posts
    1,014
    Quote Originally Posted by Tye 1on View Post
    Six days ago he rode the 101mi White Rim trail in 14 hours, three years from being medevaced. Rad!!!
    Haha, thanks Tye, Elf and TBS. I was feeling pretty good about that. I'm flattered my recovery is still of interest

    For years I was on this site a lot, like nearly every day. Just today I realized it'd been months since I've logged on and there's something pretty melancholy about it. If it was Dec 20, 2013 instead of 2017 I would be tweaking about the current lack of snow in the West. Instead I'm like "Meh, at least the local bike trails are still rideable for quick afternoon laps."

    For a handful of years skiing was my source of income, my social scene, exercise, a way to feel euphoric presence in the moment, a way to process life's shit in my head, validation from peers, a way to just have fun and feel like a kid, my creative outlet, a way to scare myself silly, a way to measure personal growth... it checked a lot of boxes for me and this forum was a primary enabler of how it transformed my identity.

    As huuuuge as my recovery has been, I dont think I'll ever have the athleticism or mobility I enjoyed before and it seems unlikely that skiing will ever hold the same importance im my life. That's okay, but I do hope that I can continue to find ways to fill the vacuum that skiing and this community occupied; 3 years post-accident and it still feels like there's some big pieces I'd like to sort out.

    If nothing else, bikes are still really fun. And maybe it will get around to snowing, sooner or later, this year


    Whoop! Yesterday I pedaled the 101mi White Rim 4x4 trail in just over 14hrs. 3 years ago yesterday I was a week out from being paralyzed and on an excruciating 20hr flight back to the States. This commute was about a million times more fun.

    I suppose committing to this ride was an act of gratitude + defiance + finding my edges. Gratitude for my recovery, defiance of the odds against ever being able to do something like this after spine injury, and the giddy/anxious feeling of taking on a mission that you don't know if you can finish.

    I pedaled solo, carrying all my water, food, and emergency gear. I'm glad I wasn't counting on mooching a water refill from a jeep because not a single truck or other cyclist was on the route. It felt so alive to have that wide, wild landscape to myself!

    I started riding counter clockwise from the bottom of Schaffer to get the longest climb out of the way first. After dropping down Mineral Bottom to the Green River about 30 miles in, the road turned to deep moon dust the consistency of talcum powder. It mostly disappeared after Hardscrabble Hill but it's been such a dry fall that jeeps have churned up the road into loose drifts anyplace it gets really steep. Id planned to ride the loop the other direction and was thankful for @drewtookapicture 's advice to not save those difficult dust pits for the very end. I would've ended up face down in them if I had

    I was crawling into the pain cave the last 15 miles. Everything ached, my legs were noodles, and I started having trouble keeping my right foot on the pedal. When I'd try to stand my legs would give out. But my head was in a good spot, motivated and clear. This ride is so much more sustained effort than anything I've done since my accident that I wasn't totally sure how my body would hold up. I carried a bivy and warm clothes just in case, but they never got unpacked. When people talk about doing something "off the couch" I think this is what they mean.

    Now, time for birthday cake

  14. #189
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    cordova,AK
    Posts
    3,686
    I guess your home, the sticky is gone. congratulations
    off your knees Louie

  15. #190
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Central OR
    Posts
    5,963
    Keep on inspiring!!!

  16. #191
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Two Thousand Leagues
    Posts
    1,014
    Quote Originally Posted by BFD View Post
    I guess your home, the sticky is gone. congratulations
    Haha, i feel like Dunfee did that sticky then quit TGR and nobody bothered to change it

  17. #192
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    7,448
    Quote Originally Posted by Tye 1on View Post
    Six days ago he rode the 101mi White Rim trail in 14 hours, three years from being medevaced. Rad!!!
    fuck yes. fuck. yes.

  18. #193
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    The Trees
    Posts
    808

    Let's Bring the Gnarwhale Home fundraiser-

    FKNA - Inspiration. Way to go!
    That Don't Make No Sense

  19. #194
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    in the trench
    Posts
    15,691
    Good stuff! Shredding! Between following you and PaulB it’s both inspired and put my daily maintenance in perspective. I figure it could be worse and it can improve and it’ll be fun along the way. Amazing accomplishment man. Happy trails

  20. #195
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Two Thousand Leagues
    Posts
    1,014
    Made a little video to try and articulate self-talk psychology and TGR posted it on their blog. Cant figure out the bb code to embed from TGR or FB, so here's links to TGR's post and to FB with my perspective

  21. #196
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Wasatch Back: 7000'
    Posts
    12,966
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

  22. #197
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Geopolis
    Posts
    16,084
    What an update! DOOOOOOOOD
    j'ai des grands instants de lucididididididididi

  23. #198
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Not in the PRB
    Posts
    32,780
    Holy shit
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  24. #199
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    base of the Bush
    Posts
    14,871
    "With a cabinet full of mushrooms"

    Certainly interesting
    www.apriliaforum.com

    "If the road You followed brought you to this,of what use was the road"?

    "I have no idea what I am talking about but would be happy to share my biased opinions as fact on the matter. "
    Ottime

  25. #200
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Maine Coast
    Posts
    4,681
    FKNA

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