Bear Grass and Breathing
Not Punctured Spirit
Haven’t blogged in a while. Recovery’s had me in a weird spot, getting flashbacks about the accident, which was violent enough on its own, but the part that really stuck with me was not being able to breathe. For a good stretch there, I genuinely thought I’d punctured a lung and that I was done for, without even getting to see Snuggles again. That thought alone was worse than the crash itself. Anyway, I’m still healing, but today felt like a decent day to sit down and write something.
So where were we. What was I even doing before all this. My usual move is to dig through photos I haven’t sorted yet, because apparently getting older comes with this compulsive need to organize everything into tidy little albums. I pulled up the 2026 folder and, sure enough, I’m behind. Can’t remember the exact dates, but Mo and I went camping down the Bitterroot, east side I think, somewhere in there where the creeks were running high and the bear grass was going off everywhere you looked.
This weekend, Mo and I are probably skipping the bike park, skipping the World Cup downhill circuit, and just heading back out for more of this instead. Good timing too, because scrolling through these shots reminded me exactly what I love. Adventure, obviously. But adventure with Mo specifically. That’s the real hook.
Looking back at that trip, the new trails, the creek crossings, all those white bear grass blooms lighting up the understory... it’s a good reminder that the best recovery isn’t just physical. Sometimes it’s remembering what you’re recovering to get back to.
July 16th, On Repeat
A look back at every July 16th on record, from a hopeful new Connecticut transplant to decades of mountain bike races, rained-out plans, and trail adventures with Mo. The dates change but the theme stays the same: get outside, deal with whatever happens, and call it a good day anyway. Links to all the original posts are included.
Read more: https://8i11.vercel.app/story/5wnsqfya