Cycling New Zealand

Below are listed most of the various trips we have put on through the years. There are even more than those listed, but that was prior to our creating this website and I am simply too lazy to go back and convert all those paper descriptions into web pages. The trips are listed in chronological order starting with our earliest trips.

Channel Islands Exploration (Sea Kayak) Oct. 22-31-, 1998

Adventure paddling down in the Golden State. The channel Islands are part of the Channel Islands National park located in S. California off the coast of Oxnard. The islands offer probably the best playground for kayakers along the entire West Coast of the US. These rugged islands abound in marine birds, mammals, coves, and countless caves for exploration under the right conditions. After meeting in the park headquarters at Pt. Hueneme, we will then catch a commercial boat to hall us out to the start of our trip at San Miguel Island. Then, onto the others islands of Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa, camping at national park sites on each island. The open ocean conditions of this trip along with large crossings and unlimited cave exploration will make this a trip to remember.

San Juan Islands Kayak Trip. Sept. 20 - 26, 1999

This is a trip that we have found to be very popular in the past with the folks that have gone with us, and a trip that we continue to enjoy. Consequently, it will probably continue to be an annual affair. You have picked a good time to participate in a paddle through these wonderful islands. The hell of trying to find a camp site during the normal summer months is eliminated, leaving us a leisurely approach to each and every island knowing that plenty of space "likely" awaits us. The weather too, this time of year, can be quite stable and pleasant. We did this trip 2 years ago with near perfect weather every day; so good in fact that we started to miss the challenge of a good blow. Hopefully we can replicate those ideal conditions on this trip. Well now ... to the quick!

Sea Kayaking Baja and Sea of Cortez: Jan. 20 - Mar. 28, 2000

Got the Winter blues? Come on down south and paddle with us along this sunny Mexican coast line. The first grueling section, for experienced paddlers, takes us from San Felipe to Loreto. The second section, which is more convenient for people to fly into, is from Loreto to Cabo San Lucas. Both sections should present a warm hospitable coastline with prevailing strong to very strong tailwinds.

Colorado River Sea Kayak: March 2 - 17, 2002

Just south of Hoover Dam, a scant few miles from Las Vegas, the Colorado River runs through a series of canyons and lakes for a distance of 275+ miles to the Arizona town of Yuma. In this white water free route, the river visits both wild isolated canyons, large open lakes, as well as down right civilized spots, giving us some options to either camp or seek commercial lodging. We expect to be on the water for just under 2 weeks and will paddle through Black Canyon, Lake Mohave, Bullhead City, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Havasu, Blythe, to finally end up in Yuma, AZ. A low skill trip that does, however, demand a fair amount of endurance..

Hut to Hut Hiking in Austria and Italy - Aug. 15 - Sept. 3, 1999

Back in 1992 Sue and I made our one and only trip to Europe and hiked around the alpine regions of Austria, Italy, France, & Switzerland. That trip long ago simply whetted our appetites, and now at last we have the chance to go back and perhaps share a little of what we have experienced. Hut hiking is in complete contrast to the wilderness type of hiking that we experience here in North America. First off, there are a whole lot more people of all ages, including old folks, hiking over there. Little is done to control the numbers of people hiking in the mountains and from the European point of view, there is not much reason to ….. the mountain are there to be enjoyed and for the most part high usage of the mountains is encouraged. Consequently, a system of alpine huts are found throughout the Alps to help accommodate the large population found hiking the paths and alpine routes. The huts range from fairly basic to quite luxurious accommodations. All huts have beds with mattresses as well as toilet facilities. Some huts even have private rooms and It is very common to find huts with complete hot meal service. All of this means that a hiker with proper monetary backup can expect to ramble through the Alps with a small pack dispensing with things like tents, stoves, sleeping bags, food, heavy boots, and large backpacks.

Walking England's Coast to Coast Trail: Oct. 5 - 23, 2002

Northern England's most famous long distance walk is named after Alfred Wainwright the man who conceived and originally described the hike. The route takes the walker from the Cumbrian coast in the west across to the North Yorkshire coast in the east. It passes through contrasting areas of outstanding natural beauty, starting on the cliffs of St. Bees Head, crossing the Lake District and the Pennines into Swaledale, and ending with a traverse of the Cleveland Hills and North York Moors to reach the cliffs of Robin Hood's Bay. For 2/3s of its 190 miles, the walk is through the national parks of the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and North York. Because we are hiking the route late in the season we will opt for lodging in B & B's, hotels, and hostels rather than camping.

Tour of Death Valley (Bicycle) March 23-31, 2002

How about a trip to the lowest part of the planet? This will be a supported camping trip where we carry your gear and introduce you to some of the wildest and most isolated country you have ever seen. We'll start in the little burg of Bishop, head south down the Owens Valley, and then enter Death Valley via the Panamint Valley. After our exploration of the valley, we'll head north with a quick stop at Scotty's Castle before passing by the ancient Bristlecone Pines and ending with a dynamic descent back to the Owens Valley and Bishop. In addition to the attractions of Death Valley, we'll visit little known mining towns such as Darwin, Gold Point, Lida, and Palmetta. Consider this the perfect first tour of your cycling year.

Cascade/Whidbey Island Loop Bicycle Tour June 9 - 16, 2002

Join Sue and myself as we ride the famous Cascade/Whidbey Island Loop. This semi-luxury tour brings the best of the west and east side of the Cascades together with a stint in Puget Sound as well. Our trip begins in our home of Chelan and travels in a counter clockwise direction to the interesting destinations of Winthrop, Marblemount, LaConner, Langley, Skykomish, Leavenworth, and finally back to Chelan. You'll be treated to the vast apple orchards of Chelan, the snow covered peaks of the Cascades, the beauty of the seashore on Whidbey Island, and lots more. This is our first ever luxury tour where we'll camp on the sunny eastern side of the cascades and stay in hotels/motels on the potentially wetter western side of the mountains.

Bicycle Tour of the Okanogan: June 1 - 8, 2002

A tour of the rivers, lakes, mountains, and apple orchards of Eastern Washington begins and ends in the resort town of Chelan about 40 miles north of Wenatchee. We are proud of the blue skies, clear waters, and uncrowded roads of our part of the state and are pleased to share this magnificent terrain with you. We will do a large circle, starting in Chelan, heading for Grand Coulee Dam, the mountain region around Republic, and then a small excursion next to the Canadian border into Oroville and the Okanogan Valley. From Oroville we take some very lonely roads to the small towns of Conconolly and Twisp, climbing over Loop Loop pass and end our trip by following the river rafters down the wild Methow River before pulling back home to Chelan. Get away from that rain ..and join us on the sunny side.