The 24 hour of Old Pueblo

Borat style!

Kids hiked up on samples of energy bars and hydration drinks, enjoying the free race swag they got "in town".

Tire toss contest!

Lance Armstrong coming down the rock drop on his first lap.

More swag. Pickle juice for muscle cramps. Yes, it's a thing. Not the real stuff, but natural enough, and pretty tasty too.

Jump Pikachu!

Finish or die!

Antonio on the rock drop.

Single-speed rigid bike with a 12 pack of beer. To each their race.

Antonio leaving camp for his second of five 17-mile laps.

The 24 hour town at night.

The town becomes even more alive at night with colorful lights and bonfire everywhere. It was so cool to see the course illuminated by all these headlamps and bike lamps, like a thousand crazy fireflies in the dark night.

For 24 hours per year, a little corner of the desert turns into a small village. Willow Spring Ranch is a remote state trust land that barely sees a soul for the rest of the year, but during the 24 hour of Old Pueblo, one of the biggest 24 hour race in North America (and part of the Epic Rides serie), it is aptly named the 24 hour town and even has its own street signs. The jack rabbits and other critters probably wonder what they did to offend the gods for such mayhem to take over their otherwise quiet home.

There are about 500 riders on the 17-mile course at all times. Teammates have to exchange the baton in the in-and-out tent, register their lap with the officials and the next rider can go. The event gets fully booked a few hours after the registration opens, with riders coming as far as Europe to participate in the event.

The race begins at noon on Saturday with a LeMans-style start (or stampede) in which the racers have to run 1/2 mile to where their bikes are parked (in their bike shoes... ouch!). It makes for a fun spectacular start and it spaces out the the 500 + riders hitting the singletrack course. 

The 24 HOP is the Burning man of bike races and can be anything to anybody... pro racers, party riders, soloists, corporate riders, single speeders... but it sure feels like there are two different races going on: the Spandex vs the Monkey suits.

Estrella Hedgehog - Her first podium

Antonio and Jason's start (Men Single Speed Experts).

JF's start (Rock crushers), in blue in the middle.

The Estrella course is the gnarliest of the MBAA race series. It's chunky, loose and steep.

Jason crushing it.

Antonio not far behind.

JF at the end of his first loop... just before he got a flat tire.

Riding among cacti.

That Finish face says it all. Pffeeww!

And she's started smiling and fast. She even took the lead on the third lap, and never looked back.

Only one of her 5 laps left! Papa is offering her some water, but she is still going strong... and still smiling.

Proud sisters cheering!

Ben at the end of his course. Both Liske brothers crashed, but Ben was able to continue. Charlie had a harder one (and further out on the course), so he did not finish.

Waiting for the medal ceremony.

Cat on a leash with gold medal.

The face of pride! Her first time on a podium and she got the gold! The lesson in racing is the same as in life... sometimes you win...

... and sometimes you lose.

The Estrella Hedgehog is known to be the toughest course of the MBAA race series. It was quite different from McDowell's mostly groomed and bermed course. This one was loose rocks with lots of climbing. Mara knew that this was at her advantage since she is technically strong and climbs like a mountain goat. When she realized she was second after the second lap (she still had 3 laps to go), she got even more pumped and kept riding with her big signature smile and legendary stamina. She pushed and passed a bunch of kids (mostly on the uphills!). Passing is something you don't really learn other than in a race situation and can be stressful and intimidating... There were faster boys and younger kids on the course at the same time as her, so the challenge was real. For instance, when she called "On your left" (which in race lingo means I'm passing you on your left) to a younger kid in front of her, the child moved left instead of right, thinking it meant the opposite... 

JF got a flat tire just at the beginning of his second loop, so he ran back to the Westy with his bike, quickly changed his tube and got back on the trail. Diedra wasn't as lucky... she sliced her tire open further out on the course and had to scratch. 

I didn't grow up doing competitive sports and this is a new experience for me to be part of this world through Mara and JF... I still struggle when I see kids in tears on the course, but I'm also seeing how competition can exist in a very positive environment and how, when a child is old enough for that, it can be invaluable in teaching him many life skills, like perseverance, planning, stress management, focus... and how to lose with grace. Diedra and JF were great examples for our kids today, they took the challenges that were presented to them in stride and both had great attitudes about it. As was the guy who walked through the Finish line with his chain in his hand! 

 

McDowell Meltdown - Their first Mountain Bike race

Bike prep.

JF's start (in blue in the middle at the back) in the Rock Crushers category.

Antonio was racing in the Single Speed Expert category. Smile through pain!

Jason was also racing in the Single Speed Expert category. One more sports' loop to go!

JF with his it's-finally-over-face!

There was a little jump park and pump track where the kids played all weekend.

Antonio at the finish line. 

Diedra had a great race too!

Yeah, Diedra!

Getting ready for her race.

Game face on.

And it's a start!

The Liske boys' start.

Brothers side by side.

Someone was happy to finish right behind his big brother (and to get a third position!).

This girl was all smiles for the 3 loops of her course!

Keep smiling!

Race to the finish line with a boy in the same age category!

JF and Mara decided to register for the McDowell Meltdown a week before the race, just for the fun of it. They hadn't trained for a race, but had heard it was a fun course and wanted to give it a try. JF has done many trail running races, orienteering and adventure races, but never did an XC mountain bike race. 

When we saw all the teams set-up with matching race gear and the general seriousness of the event, we realized it was more than *just a friendly race*. There were over 850 participants and it ended up being the busiest event the Mountain Bike Association of Arizona (MBAA) had seen in a long time. 

Mara finished 5th in the 13-14 yo girls (over 14 girls), which was very good for a girl that was doing it just for fun! She actually was faster than almost half the boys in the same age category!

JF finished 10th in his category, which was also pretty remarkable given he didn't train for a race.

The MBAA organizes a series of 6 races every year and we might attend another one in a few weeks.

It was great to reconnect with friends we hadn't seen since last summer, share a few meals (and the race jitters!) and ride with them. The mountain bike trails at McDowell Mountain Regional Park are simply amazing and there are over 200 miles of trails that are accessible from there. Too bad the camping is so expensive ($30/night). There is no boondocking in the whole Phoenix area (except for Casino Parking Lots) that we know of (drop me a line in the comments if you do!), so it's a major bummer because we would have loved to spend more time there.

Our little Tucson routine

Our friends from Wisconsin came for a week during their Holidays! Of course, we went biking together!

Stout's first bike ride!

A very sweet gift from our little Ubach friends!

Mathilde New Year's cupcakes!

Eddy serenading us around the bonfire.

Life at the BLM.

Climbing on Mount Lemmon, Crags Against Humanity Sector.

Aïsha leading her first route.

Tucson is our winter trip half-way point and we tend to stop here longer and slow down. We just love how easy it is to be active here. Once again this year, we took a rock climbing gym membership at Rocks and Ropes (which includes the Bloc too, a bouldering gym), where we go about 3 times a week to climb and shower. We alternate a climbing day with a biking day since there are so many bike trails nearby. It's a pretty good routine. We try to go climb outside at Mount Lemmon on the weekends when possible (it's about an hour drive from the BLM where we camp). What's a BLM you might wonder? It's a public land where we can camp for free. In Tucson, the Snyder Hill BLM is located only 20 minutes from downtown Tucson (unlike most other BLMs in the US that are far from big cities and where the 14 day limit stay in enforced). The Snyder Hill BLM has a bit of a Slab City vibe. There are some semi-permanent residents, some big rigs that stay only a few days and pretty much everything in between. Let's just say it seems to attract what we call in the Yukon, the colorful 5 %...  You can often hear someone playing drum or strumming his guitar in the distance. If you're lucky like us, a circus couple sets up nearby with an aerial silk contraption and you can watch them practice this beautiful skill... Then, there's John, who's been our neighbor for a few weeks that pretend he worked on a set with Al Pacino and went to a party with Johnny Depp... There's Sid with his 16 years old dog who comes by when JF is working on a bike to chat... and chat some more (and his wife that keeps bringing us odd things for the girls). There's the man who sleeps in a tent and leaves every morning with a dress suit for work. And there was the crazy lady on the hill, who spent her days sitting cross-legged on top of Snyder Hill, watching over us and yelling ugly things to passerby's... until she lost it and started knocking on all the rigs' doors asking people to give her her dog back... too many Rainbows will do that to you...

Tucson feels like a second home (or maybe more like a fifth home...) and here are a few of our favorite digs and some practical info if you end up in this neck of the desert...

EAT : The best taco place in town is a little hole in the wall called Pico De Gallo; 3 incredible fish tacos (with homemade corn tortilla) for under $6. Yes, please. Only 8 minute from the rock gym!

Another place that should not be missed is Tucson Tamales (2 locations); 2 Santa Fe tamales (or Chipotle beef, our favorites!) with 2 sides of your choice (don't miss their mexican slaw) for under $8! You can also buy their tamales frozen to warm up at home!

For a unique experience (and a very cheap meal), go to Govinda Natural Food at the local Ashram. All you can eat vegetarian buffet (Tuesday is Indian Night, Wednesday and Thursday are vegan nights) with homemade papadum, delicious salad with sprouts and homecooked food ($11 for adults, $5 for kids (10-12 yo), $4 for 7-9 yo and $3 for 4-6 yo). And you can eat outside in their beautiful enclosed yard.

GROCERY : McGary's Discount Grocery (a few blocks from the Ashram) has awesome deals on expired/dented food items. Think 8 Luna Bars for $1, Kettle Chips bags for $1, Natural Krave Jerky bags for $1, cereal boxes at 3 for $5, Back to Nature nut mixes, cookies, crackers, etc for a fraction of the price, natural lotions and shampoos... even natural dog treats and recycled toilet paper at ridiculous prices. As long as you don't mind the loud Christian music blasting through the store and the near-paranoiac attitude of the store owner about having things stolen and children running down the aisles you'll love this place as much as we do.

Another great way to save money on food in Tucson is through The Club 3000 (Market on the Move). Every week you can get 60 lbs of fruits for $10 on Wednesday from 9 am to 1 pm (sometimes it's every day of the week). The content varies every week (citrus, peppers, tomatoes, squash, eggs, etc.). The best place to be kept informed is their Facebook page.

For a dirt cheap grocery store, we love Food City (a few locations in Tucson). Good ripe fruits for cheap directly from Mexico, dairies and eggs for very cheap, and great homemade nachos, taco shells and tortillas.

For good quality natural food at a decent price, we love Sprouts (a few locations in town). Great coffee and home brand products.

LAUNDRY : For the full hole-in-the-wall laudromat experience, go to Superior Cleaner (10 min from the BLM, just by Food City!). The cheapest in town (bonus soap operas in Spanish blasting on the TVs). They even provide free Wifi. 

If you rather pay more and have a clean brick-wall and lime green wall laudromat with the UofA hipsters, go to Wildcat Laudry

DUMP AND FILL : Free at the Giant gas station on the corner of Valencia and Kolb, but it's pretty far from the BLM. We go to Western Way RV Resort (10 min from BLM) for $10.

RECYCLING : There is a big recycling station at the entrance of John F. Kennedy Park, right behind the Mission Public Library (free wifi) at the corner of Ajo Way and Mission.
 


 

Rock climbing on Mt Lemmon, Tucson, AZ

Heading down to the crag from Windy Point.

These little Arizona boys haven't seen snow many times in their lives. It was a real treat to see their enthousiasm! 

Snow ball fights with the girls!

What an incredible view we had from our climbing spot!

Look at the scales on that rock! So fun to climb!

That view!!!

Antonio, Mara and JF cleaning the route from the top.

I love seeing my girls develop a relationship with these sweet boys!

Mount Lemmon towers over Tucson at an elevation of 9,150 feet. That means that when it rains in town, it snows on top of the mountain. That also means that many Mexicans pack their family in the car, cross the border and drive all the way up to Mount Lemmon to go play in snow. It is quite the sight to see all these cars driving down with snowmen built on their hoods (it seems like that's what you do...). Mount Lemmon is a prized destination for road bikers (think climbing all the way to the top and riding down!) and rock climbers alike (there are over a thousand routes on the mountain!). 

When we arrived at Windy Point (a little over 6,000 feet), the parking lot was packed with people, but Antonio knew of the perfect crag, just inches away from selfie sticks and the rowdy crowd. We spent a memorable afternoon there and left just in time to witness another amazing Tucson sunset on our drive down the mountain.

Another Christmas in Tucson

The boys made tourtières and meat pies for Christmas!

I made blueberry and cherry pies!

The girls offered us a gastronomic 3-course meal for Christmas. We were completely blown away!

Aïsha prepared us a mango-avocado-shrimp tartare that could not have been better at an high end restaurant.

Mara made a Garlic Basil Chicken with Tomato Butter Sauce. It was delicious.

Mathilde made us a Layered Chocolate Cookie Sundae. Yum! I think that a tradition is born!

Mathilde made us a Layered Chocolate Cookie Sundae. Yum! I think that a tradition is born!

And on Christmas day, we went for a geocache hike on Brown Mountain. 

We love spending Christmas with this sweet family year after year!

It's the fourth Christmas that we spend in Tucson and it has become a tradition that we all look forward to. Pascale and Antonio always welcome us with open arms. It is such a treat to see their boys grow every year and to be enjoying the outdoors with them a bit more every year. 

Rock climbing at Cochise Stronghold, AZ

Can you spot Mathilde on the image on the right? These routes are long (and so fun!).

Wild kids.

The girls made a swing.

Playing Lego at sunset.

Guitar and drums, great evenings by the fire.

JF, on top of Naiche's nest. Naiche was Cochise's son (an Apache Chef, see story below) and it is in this nook that Naiche played while his dad held councils.

The kids scrambled on rocks while we set the routes. We were pretty much alone the whole time!

We search out the most perfect pieces of rock. It’s so amazing that these formations are so perfect for climbing on. It’s almost as if they were created for climbing. You’re taking these random rock formations and you’re bringing to it this interaction. It transforms it from being this random rock into almost this piece of art. It’s almost like a sculpture or something. Just by finding the handholds, finding that line up the rock. Every climb is different, has its own unique set of movements and body positions. Climbing and my appreciation for nature are totally intertwined. -Chris Sharma

You might remember that we climbed here last February for Jen's birthday. It was an epic weekend and we wanted to explore the area a little more. Our friends Les 4 Farfelus joined us for a few days and we climbed together, played music by the fire and simply enjoyed this incredibly wild place. Cochise Stronghold is located at an elevation of 5000 feet. Needless to say, we had some very cold nights and mornings (below freezing!).

The Cochise Stronghold is part of the Coronado National Forest in the beautiful Dragoon Mountains and was once the refuge of the great Chiricahua Apache Chief, Cochise.  This rugged area was home for 250 warriors and up to a total of 1000 in the  tribe for up to 15 years. Upon his death, Cochise was secretly buried somewhere in or near his impregnable fortress.  The exact location has never been revealed or determined.

2 solar ovens and a great last weekend in Tucson

The kids made solar oven out of pizza boxes.

Very quickly. the soft tacos turned to taco shells and to tortilla chips! Success!

An old satellite dish and miror pieces for an even more powerful solar oven!

Feel the heat! 

Trying some Yeti bikes at Fantasy Island

Not much shade in the desert. The Westy shade will do!

I couldn'd help but smile everytime I looked at this, especially when climbing hills!

Fun on the slackline at Antonio and Pascale's.

We arrived at Fantasy Island trailhead a little before 8 am on Saturday morning to try some Yeti bikes for free. We rode for about an hour and when we came back to bring the bikes, we found out that another company (Niner) was there for a bike demo too. After riding the Santa Cruz bikes last week and the Yeti bikes this week, I felt that the problem with my lack of control on my bike was not a bike problem, but a rider problem.

As much as I liked these very expensive bike, they didn't make me feel like a more confident rider. I really liked the 27.5 wheels, the carbon frames, high-end double suspension and other components, but it was not that different from my bike. I am still pretty much a beginner rider. I really started mountain biking 3 years ago in Moab and haven't consistently mountain biked since. I have never felt fully in control on my bike, still struggle with sharp turns and fall a little too much... but even if JF kept telling me that my bike was probably too small for me (it's a 2012 XS Giant Trance XW) and that the geometry was probably not made for me, I kept thinking I was the problem (just like we tell people that want a "camera that makes good pictures" that it's not the camera, but the person behind it...).

So here I am, sweaty in my bike gear, standing by the Niner bikes' van with Mathilde. The 3 reps are busy talking with one guy. I look at them and wait. A good 5 minutes. They do not pay any attention to us. I give them the killer stare (the killer stare is a family specialty, my dad is the master; I am only the pupil...). To no avail. JF walks by and I ask him to come stand by us. 30 seconds later, a rep ask him if he wants to try a bike. You could see the steam coming out of my ears (and it was NOT from the heat). You see, as a small woman, I am used to being ignored, to not be seen, but it still triggers me incredibly. I remember having that epiphany, at 10, standing among a bunch of people in an ice cream parlor, holding my 2 dollar bill neatly folded in my hand. Waiting. But the two persons making the cones were never paying attention to me, they kept making eye contact with the other (taller) people around me. I turned around and left and went to get my dad who was waiting for me in the car. As soon as he walked in, we got served. So Saturday morning, I couldn't be that person for my 10 yo girl. Because I am short. And because I am a woman. Good thing I am not a young hot head anymore, because I would have turned around and left... and would never have ridden the bike that changed it all.

You see, Niner, as their name suggests only makes 29 inch wheel bikes. As you might or might not know, 29 inch wheels have been the thing for the last few years (instead of the standard 26 inch wheels) and now, many companies started making 27.5 inches. The thing is, most people told me that 29ers are not for small persons, so they were not on my radar, but Niner only makes a few models of 29 inch bikes. Or as the rep condescendly told me when I brought the bike back: contrary to the other brands, we make the wheels and adapt the frames to our wheels, that's why the XS and S bikes feel so right even with such big wheels.

I could not stop smiling the whole ride! I could ride everything and felt completely in control. I could climb hills like never before and had a BLAST. It was like nothing I had experienced before... And now, I want that bike. No, I *need* that bike to feel safe and in control. Mmmm... Now, I get why they do these demos. When you make something really well, you don't need to spend much in marketing: you just get people to try your product. They'll be convinced. Too bad I can't afford it... 

We are spending our last week in Tucson (after more than 2 months!) with the Liske family. Saturday night, Antonio invited us all at his place for a last dinner. He prepared a feast of delicious homemade tacos that we ate outside. As always, it's bittersweet to leave a place that has been home for a few months and especially people that you love. The good thing is that we will likely be back next year!

Rock climbing in Cochise Stronghold, AZ

When we first arrived at the foothill of the Stongholds, we felt like we just stepped in the African Serengeti. There were no more cacti, just tall dry grass, mesquite and sycamore trees and beautiful mountains. We expected to camp in a big open dusty parking lot with lots of other climbers, but instead, we stumbled upon a little camping spot, perfect for our two families, a mere 3 minute walk from the climbing walls. We popped the Westy's top, pitched the tents under the trees (we hadn't seen tall trees like that in months! We were exstatic!) and called it home for the weekend!

Java looked just like a dingo in this tall dry grass!

The beautiful 3 min approach walk to Sweet rock crag.

These 2 Mr. Muscles brought their girlfriends rock climbing for the first time on Valentine's Day. That cute Eastern European blond girl was pretty stressed out, but played along. The guys didn't even explained to her how to come down (that's the first thing you practice, especially outside) and the poor girl panicked 3/4 up the route (there routes are high!) and could not come down. Jen was climbing the route right beside her and walked her through it, in her usual comforting and compassionate way. When they say something make or break a relationship... well, this guy might not have had the Valentine's night he expected...!

Crag dogs are perfect for rests between climbs.

Climbing can be such a mental game. I'm so glad Jen can help Aïsha work through her fears when they come up. She truly is a second mom to my girls.

Hard-working hands.

This amazing woman turns 40 this week and this incredible weekend was how she wanted to celebrate. It could not have been more perfect. We had permasmiles in our faces at all times, constantly repeating to ourselves what a great life we have created for ourselves. 

There were lots of very dry cow dung around our camp and we used it as fire starter. The kids thought it was pretty funny, but they quickly understood why many people do this across the world. Cheap and efficient fuel!

Java thought that collecting cow dung was a pretty fun game.

Wipe shower! We gave the kids 2 wipes each and told them to bring them back only when they were black!

Mission accomplished!

I feel so fortunate to share this life on the road with this incredible woman (and her family that I love deeply). She is such an inspiration for all of us. It was her first time back on the rock since her fall in Joshua Tree, and she had to work hard to stay focused on her love for rock climbing. She is such an exemple of courage, strength and perseverance.

After one hard climb, she told Aïsha: When you do something that scares you, your're not afraid, you're brave. Who wouldn't want such an incredible woman in their life!

Happy 40th my dear, dear friend! I am a better person for growing at your side. To 40 more years of adventures, laughter and happiness!

Bacon-themed post on the joy of inertia

Hike up Cat Mountain. It felt like we hadn't hiked in ages... With all the biking and rock climbing, we had forgotten how much we liked hiking too! How much more contemplative it is than biking... especially in the desert with all the cacti (no contemplation allowed!).

We went to one of the many tents of the Rock and Gem Show, the biggest in North America. Here Aïsha spent a lot of time touching and admiring her favorite stone, Malachite. We ended up talking for quite a while with the owner of the booth, in French (he was from Congo) and the Malachite came straight from there!

This guy spent a good 10 minutes telling the girls about different fossils (here shark teeth) and showed them a black diamond ring selling for $16,500!

The man was grilling bacon-wrapped chicken... We might buy bacon only once every 2-3 years, but when we do, we eat it in style!

Yes, we are still in Tucson. We renewed our rock gym membership for February. The BLM where we *live* feels like home now. The hippies drumming and fire hoola-hooping in the distance, our closer neighbors made-up orchestra of guitar and violin playing at all time of day and night. Even the dogs know each other now! We've had many communal bonfire nights, lots of great conversations and good laughs.

We know most of the regulars at the gym now. It feels good to be able to work on the same routes over and over, to feel ourselves getting stronger and getting some technique in. We are pretty excited to go spend the weekend at a beautiful rock climbing spot in our tents and Westy (real camping!) to celebrate Jen's 40th birthday. 

I am not in this space that often lately, but you can find me almost daily on Instagram or on Facebook (and no, I don't post the same thing in both places).

The Estrella Hedgehog Hustle - A mountain bike race in Phoenix, AZ

An Airstream turned into a coffee shop was selling local coffee on site.

Antonio (blue and green) at the start of the race.

SS for single speed (one gear)... or die hard that likes to suffer!

Can you feel the pain?

And the relief!

This guy glued his gel cubes straight on his bike frame for easy access... Not sure I want to know how he got them to stick there or how cruncry they were after a few laps in the desert dust...

Jason at the Finish! 1st place in the Rock Crushers! 

Diedra was racing too! So inspiring to see her on the course!

Some of the Fat Bike guys were pretty fun to watch!

Many people walked their bike to the finish line - or abandoned - because of the numerous flats. This guy jogged to the finish line with his bike on his back since his chain got jammed and his derailler broke...

Diedra at the Finish! 8th position even if she lost 3 min putting her chain back on. You rock, girl!

Diedra and Jason's sons were also racing. Jason was their support for the race. Here he is offering water to Charlie.

Cna you see the pride in these two faces? Charlie had an awesome race and finished 2nd. It was his first podium!

Nothing compares to the energy of a race. The palpable excitement and nervousness before the start, the exhaustion, the pride, the frustration, the satisfaction post-race... Just being there and soaking it up feels great. And that's exactly what JF did. Our friend Antonio was racing, as well as the Liske family that we met a month ago in Tucson.

JF and Antonio tried the technical loop on Friday (the day before the race) and realized it would be no easy feat. In his category (Single Speed), Antonio had to do two long loops (9.5 mile per loop) and two technical loops (4.7 miles per loop). JF was Antonio's support for the race. 

The Hedgehog Hustle is the second race of the MBAA series. The ambiance was great and it was fun to see all the categories. We are even thinking of doing the race next year with the kids (I'd likely sell energy balls and other healthy goodies, take pictures and cheer them on the side, races are not my thing).

On the exchange rate and living frugally on the road

Living frugally also means learning to do your own bike (and bus!) mechanics!

JF was teaching us how to change a flat tire... because it happens a lot in the desert!

At the Discount Grocery, all the Annies's crackers and cookies, as well as the Back to Nature ones were 0.99 cent/box, the Stacey's pita chips bags were 0.59 cents, the kalamata olives (good till 2018!) were $2.39, the Bear Naked Granola were $1.49... Sweet, sweet deal to feed our growing girls healthy and filling food at a decent price!

These bars were all 0.25 cents each! The jerky packs were $1 each, the Justin Almond butter pouches were 0.39 cents and the Tom's of Maine toothpaste was $1.49!

The Canadian dollar is plummeting and the exchange rate is terrible (1.51 as I write)... That means that if my grocery bill is 100$, I actually pay $150... Ouch! We rarely pay for campgrounds (and usually prefer BLM lands), but now, we truly cannot afford them (a $30 night would cost us $45... No way!). 

Our biggest expense has always been our grocery bills. With active growing girls, we needed to find a way to cut down on these bills. We very rarely eat out, but we like good food. Isabelle started researching discount groceries and found some awesome places. Here in Tucson, we have found Market on the Move where you can get 60 lbs of fruits and veggies for $10! It changes every week, but it's all local fresh stuff. This week, we had 60 oranges, 2 grapefruits, 25 tomatillos and 6 poblano peppers in our box. No need to sign up in advance, just show up between 8 am and 1 pm on Wednesday. And the best part: it's a block away from the Rock Gym!

Combine that to a discount grocery where they sell expired dried goods (yes, this is legal and most items are only a few months past the expired date) and you cut your grocery bill in two! The trick is to Google "expired or dented groceries" and the town where you are to find these places. Mexican grocery stores also have great prices (and usually much less additives than American products). I don't need to buy expensive organic canned beans to avoid BHT or other nasties that give me a migraine: most Mexican canned beans are only beans, salt and water. Papayas are super cheap there too, as well as homemade tortillas.

We get a lot of our clothes from thrift stores and even found a store here that will give us some money back for the clothes we bring in (instead of having to wait for them to sell them, which doesn't work when you move every two weeks...) or a credit to use in the store: a great way to turn old clothes into new ones without any money exchange. What they do not take, we bring to a park near the rock gym where there is a lot of homeless people. We have left men tennis shoes, pants, fleece and other useful piece of clothings in the parking lot.

Jen also cut everybody's hair this weekend. She is very good and it is one less expense!
Before going to a museum or restaurant, we look for Groupons, but we mostly focus on free outdoor activities. The Rock Gym turned out to be such a great investment, especially since our water heating system is not working right now and we can all shower for free at the gym. You do the math: $115 for the month for the 5 of us, we are there 3-4 days/week and all shower 2-3 times a week there.

The positive side of the crazy exchange rate is that the gas prices are incredibly low. We usually use the Gas Buddy app to find the cheapest place to fill up, but the best way to save on gas is still to not drive much and stay in one place longer, exactly what we are doing now! And well, driving slow, which is a no brainer when you have two old buses... This way, you also save on speed tickets!

Laundry is about $30/month (so $45 for us right now...), so we go to the cheap (sometimes a little sketchy) laudromats. You know you've hit the jackpot when the change guy is behind a cell-like area and the only (old) TV showcases old murder stories for the mid 90's...

I'd love to hear about how you live frugally. Any tips or ideas are more than welcomed!
 

Saguaro National Park

I didn't take my camera out once this week. That's what happens when we stay in one place for a while: the inspiration goes away. There are just so many ways you can photograph a cactus, a desert sunset around camp... and a rock climbing gym. These are pictures taken by my friend Isabelle when she went to Saguaro National Park with Mathilde and Aïsha this weekend while I worked on my contracts. Meanwhile, Mara and JF went moutain biking and Mara fell into a cactus... Poor Mara! 

We spent a lot of time around the bonfire with old and new friends. We met an awesome young couple traveling in a waste veggie oil (WVO) truck and are pulling a really cool trailer they built and spend some good time chatting with them around camp. 

There was also a Coke and mentos volcano experiment, a massive bus clean-up, lots of laundry and a gorgeous full moon rise.

Tonight is our last dinner with Isabelle and Martin before they head to Texas for a month. We are looking forward to spend more time with them in Utah in the Spring. 

On truth and moving on (and geocaching in Catalina State Park, AZ)

Some days, the world you carefully crafted in your head collides with reality and the truth hits you in the face like a ton of bricks.

It’s usually on those days that you vaccum the USB key, that the dog eats a mouse trap (yes, he did), that you find out your awesome camera lens cannot be fixed for less than 600 US$ (which means almost 1,000 CAN$). Because, really, you wanted more bad news.

On those days when everything feels hard and heavy, you know you should be laughing, but right then, you simply can’t.

And you wonder why you do this to yourself.
Why you remain stuck.
Why you just can’t let go and move on.

My dad likes to say: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Isn’t that true?

And that’s what truth does to you. It guts you and puts you back together. Leaving you a bit shelled shock and sad, but also humbled to have found one more puzzle piece to fit into your own story. 

Starting the year right!

Raphael did his first two boulder problems!!

Little bro was quite happy to rock hop around the boulder

All the kids had a blast and were able to top it out.

I did it too... many times!

The plan was to go set up a few ropes at Hidden Jewel on Mount Lemmon, but after a pretty steep climb and lots and lots of scouting, Antonio deemed the place not safe enough to go with a bunch of kids, so we headed back down and decided to go back to the Hairpin boulders sector where we bouldered last time. It was the perfect place to cool down and enjoy the end of the day.

Bouldering in Tanque Verde, Mount Lemmon, Tucson, AZ

The girls couldn't wait to try their new crashpad!

Jump down, I got you!

Sisters helping sisters!

The girls paid attention to Pascale's every move...

She topped out on the first try!

Inspired, Mara got to work.

It is so fun to climb with experienced climbers. They are just beautiful to watch!

Lunch in our little paradise.

Pascale showing the girls another bouldering problem

This little guy has some great genetic!

I love this sweet family!

When we left our friends' home on Sunday morning, it was just above 0 degrees... We put on longjohns and layers of wool  and headed out to Mount Lemmon. By the time we reached Marble Cake Boulder, we had striped down to our t-shirts! The sun was glorious and the place where we set upvlooked like an oasis in the middle of a canyon.

We are new to bouldering and it is hard work! It is also quite different to not be ropped in and to feel *very* high (even if you're not that high). Most of us chickened out and did not top out any problem, but it is still fun to work on them. It was great to see how determined our kids were to figure them out, how they helped and spotted each other, how they moved the crashpads around depending on where the climber was, as they had seen many times in rock climbing movies... They worked hard!

Hiking up to Flatiron (Syphon Draw), Superstition Mountains, AZ

This is where we are going. Yep.

Looking down at the Syphon

Last push before the summit... An 10 feet high rock wall!

We could see the mini red bus down there...

It takes more concentration coming down...

The sun came out as we were finishing the hike!

From the trailhead, it is hard to believe that we were standing on the top of the Flatiron!

Beautiful cloudy night sky.

This is actually a hike in two acts. The first part is called Siphon Draw (the Basin), which is aptly named for its ability to "drain off" (i.e. siphon) water from a large area on Superstition Mountain. Just a light amount of precipitation will result in water being siphoned into the canyon draw and flow over the slick rock. The polished slick rock offers clues to the violent blasts of water rocketing through the chute. Clearly not the place to be in a storm... This hike is somewhat unique in that in less than 2 miles it traverses a State Park (Lost Dutchman), a National Forest (Tonto), and a Wilderness Area (Superstition) while urban views of the Greater Phoenix Area are always at hand. 


The hike to the Basin is a 2 miles hike (with a 1000 feet elevation gain), and most peole turn around at this point, but you can push on another mile (but a 2000 feet elevation gain!) up to the Flatiron (at 4860 feet). A total of 6 miles (10 km) of strenuous and very rewarding hiking/scrambling.

The Flatiron got its name because it ressembles the New York Flatiron building. Here’s a little video that’ll give you a feel of the hike and the 360 degree view on top (but I would not want to come down in the dark!).

Hiking the Treasure Loop Trail, Lost Dutchman State Park

Oh! The Sonoran Desert! There is nothing like it with its plants with exotic names: cholla, ocotillo, palo verde, saguaro, yucca, agave, creosote bush, velvet mesquite, and its animals: javelinas, packrats, ringtails, jack rabbits and yes, rattlesnakes, tarentulas, scorpions and gila monsters. I am woken up every night by singing coyote. Gamble quails run around our campsites with their funky hairdos, like old ladies running late for a wedding. Lizards run under rocks as soon as we approach... I'm so glad we'll spend the next month in this beautiful ecosystem!

Craggy Wash BLM, Lake Havasu, AZ

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We found another great spot for boondocking in a gorgeous location, 5 miles from Lake Havasu. It is on a BLM land (the exact spot is called Craggy Wash BLM, if you'd like to go). There were wonderful hiking trails and biking trails right at our door. Another great thing is that there was excellent Internet signal (4G 5 bars!), because you know, we need to work, even if you might have the feeling from my posts that we don't work much (which is not the case AT ALL!).

One of the things I love the most when we arrive late at night when it is dark is discovering the amazing spot we are parked in the next morning.


The full moon was so bright that we registered a small charge on the solar panels at night!
So cool! Charging our panels with the moonlight! 

Quartzite: Bluebird Wanderlodge meet or Burning old man

People get old couches at the Salvation Army at the beginning of the season and make pretty cozy set-up outsides. There is even a hot tub under that screen tent!

Quartzsite is one of the largest boondocking site in America. Boondocking, in nomad lingo, means a place where you can camp for free (usually without services). This place is huge and people can camp there from December to May in the BLM longer stay areas with dump station and water for $170 for the season (or for free without access). Needless to say, the place has a pretty interesting vibe! It kinds of feel like a huge Burning Man Festival.. but given the average age of the campers, it's more like Burning old man...

Many owners of Bluebird Wanderlodge motorhomes (like our bus) were gathering this week in the Nest, so we joined the crowd. It reminded me of our old VW bus meets pre-kids. People setting up in circles with bonfires in the middle, potlucks outside, incredibly dark starry skies... and the gentle hum of generators in the background. 

On Saturday, we decided to go to the Big Tent to explore the Gem Show, which turned out to be part flea market and part RV show too. The place was packed and dusty. We made our way between ethnic statuary and knick-knacks, fake fossils, Tigger shirts embedded with fake diamonds, RV brushes made from recycled tires, foot long hot dogs, teeth whitening and pain relief mud foot bath (I'm not making that up), pet rats and a bunch of other things that were just plain weird before finding the well hidden gem show. As the locals say, If you can't find it in Quartzite, it hasn't been thought of yet.