Some of the last scenes of San Francisco as we rode south towards Santa Cruz.

I haven’t disregarded the beauty of San Francico, but I’ve truly become restless with this booming metropolis. I’ve heard the echos of police sirens day and night through the city, seen masses of people stroll the sidewalks and warily watched traffic as I rode the streets. It’s been a great week in San Francisco, but it’s time to say good bye.

Alex and Bates left a day before Dan, Will and me and rode to Half Moon Bay, 30 miles from The City. The duo met Chris Manchester of HMB Kayaks for breakfast. The meeting went very well and Alex and Bates were able to sign HMB Kayaks on the spot.

On Tuesday, Aug. 4, Will and Dan met the Oceanic Society, a non-profit devoted to conservation of endangered marine life, stationed in San Francisco. The Oceanic Society is an incredible non-profit that shares like values with SWAE: Conservation and a dedication to local outfitters was what drove the conversation.  The Oceanic Society also organizes expeditions all around the world, from Antarctica to Sri Lanka and Will and Dan got them excited enough to join up as an Adventure Vendor on the spot!

A view of the beaches along Highway 1 were a relief to us as we rode to Santa Cruz.

We rode through San Francisco that afternoon towards our next destination, Santa Cruz. We began by riding south on Highway 35, which would eventually link us up to Highway 1. Dan, Will and I arrived at a junction, but were put into a dilemma as a street sign warned us to stay off Highway 1. Another cyclist confirmed that we should continue on 35 and it would eventually meet back up with our desired highway.

Mile after mile passed with no sign of a junction. We rode so far that we hopped onto Interstate 280, where we stopped a highway patrolwoman to ask her where we were and where we should head next. We were lost. She said we had missed the turn to Highway 1, which meant we had to backtrack three to four miles to continue in the right direction. It was 4:00 p.m. by the time we actually got to Highway 1 and we still had 65 miles until we would reach Santa Cruz.

The sun paints the skies with an array of bright colors. We didn't reach Santa Cruz by sun down.

We ate dinner just outside of Half Moon Bay and continued to ride, the sun slowly setting into the Pacific Ocean, painting the sky in pastel pinks, purples and soft hues of blue. As we rode, the sun yielded itself to a full white moon, rising over the crest of a hill as the evening light turned to dusk.

Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to Santa Cruz Tuesday evening. However, Dan found an awesome place for us to camp, in a grove of trees right along the beachfront. We could hear the ocean waves crashing against the shores, the froth from each surge fizzing as it dissolved into the sand. The wind rustled through the trees around us and kicked up small amounts of sand as we set up camp.

Will woke up especially early the next morning and was on the road by 7:30. Dan and I took a little longer to get packed up, but we still arrived in Santa Cruz at a reasonable time. The weather is as you would expect it in a town built on the beach. Bright blue skies, warm sunlight and a cool sea breeze was in the forecast for the day.

SWAE will be in Santa Cruz for the next several days. More to come as we explore the boardwalk and the beach of the city’s surfer’s paradise.

We had not bathed since we left Seattle. The closest we got to showering was skinny dipping in creeks and rivers in the evening before we slept. That means over a week of biking, resting and meeting with people covered in our own sweat, dirt and grime. Surprisingly we didn’t smell TOO bad, but all of us were desperate to find a place to shower as we arrived in Bend, Ore. on Friday night.

Cathy Pettibone, Will, Dan and Big N.

On Saturday, we found a coffee house in Downtown Bend called Bellatazzo, where we spent the morning shooting out emails and making phone calls. As Will, Dan and I conversed in a corner of the store, a small woman with white-blond hair approached our table, an empathetic look in her blue eyes.

“I used to travel when I was younger,” the wavy-haired woman said. “Is there anything I can do for you boys while you’re in town?”

For a moment, we were stunned by the offer, unable to give a response immediately. Before either Dan or I could say anything, Will jumped on the opportunity.

“We’d love a shower. And somewhere flat to sleep,” he said as he stood up and introduced himself to our new savior, Cathy Pettibone.

A smile spread across Pettibone’s face, while her eyes illuminated the same happiness at our acceptance of her offer. Pettibone lived just outside downtown with her husband Nick Crawford. Their lawn was smooth, flat and spacious enough for all three of us to spread across.

We stayed at Cathy and Nick's, which made lodging one less thing to worry about in Bend.

When living in one place, you tend to take for granted the ability to step into your bathroom, turn a faucet and have warm water in an instant. I had not had this privilege for over a week.

I let out a huge sigh of relief in Pettibone’s bathroom, letting the warm water wash away the layer of dirt which had caked itself on me like barnacles on the underside of a boat. As I got out and dried myself off, I felt like a new man.

“Big N” and Pettibone treated us like princes during our stay and offered for us to make their home our base in Bend.

“You jokers want coffee?” Big N barked out to us on Sunday morning as we awoke to a clear blue sky. “I’m roasting pork butt and rooster balls; eggs and bacon if you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

The couple are fun-loving and adventurous and our conversations were riveting. Their hospitality and generosity were limitless. For the next two days, Will and Dan will continue their meetings in town without the worry of finding lodging. These two have only reaffirmed our love for the people we meet as we ride south.

This post is to thank our hosts and to prove again that there are great people, no matter where you travel. Thanks Pettibone and Big N, you two have been an added bonus to the beautiful town of Bend.

Our excitement was for the day’s 65-mile ride. Our destination:  A tiny river town by the name of Maupin, which is built around the Deschutes River. Will and Dan would be meeting with some great fly fishing, rafting and kayaking guides in the area.

Greenery is replaced by desert shrubs as I look out across a canyon near the Columbia River.

On July 8, we rode along a smooth highway. Approximately 10 miles out of Hood River, the scenery abruptly changed from lush green trees and cool winds, to dry, wheat-colored grasses and measly shrubs.  We first encountered the Deschutes River nine miles from Maupin. We were able to find a flat place to sleep along the river bed as the grey-blue twilight sky was replaced by flickering stars in the blackness of night.

Maupin is a quaint town with a population of approximately 400 people. After a hearty breakfast at a local eatery, Dan and Will set out for their meetings. Will signed Deschutes Angler and Deschutes Canyon Fly Shop, while he met with Sylvie’s Fly Fishing Guide Service, who he is continuing to work with on getting on board. Dan spoke with Sage Canyon Outfitter, who signed up immediately, and All Star Rafting, Kayaking, Fishing and Lodging, who’s excited at the prospect of partnering with SWAE.

A fly fisher flicks his wrist and lets loose his line, searching for Anglers in the Deschutes River

While Dan and Will spoke with outfitters, I got the chance to spend the day riding around town, taking photos and talking to the locals. In the evening, I rode a few miles out of Maupin to take photos of fly fishers along the Deschutes. I have never been much of a fisherman. In fact, I haven’t touched a fishing rod since I was 12 years old. But as I sat on the banks of the river, I found myself captivated by the peaceful concentration which these people had as they waded in the cool-running waters.

Every movement these fishers made had purpose. Every tug of their lines, every flick of their rods, was an attempt to mimic the movement of an angler’s evening meal: a midge, a mosquito, or some other tiny river bug. As they searched the rolling currents and still waters for their intended prey, these men and women seemed most at home when they fished. It was inspiring to see others who were so at home in the outdoors.

Eduardo Macias, a local of The Dalles, has been fly fishing for over eight years along the waters of the Deschutes.

Something which I have found commendable and reassuring about small towns like Maupin, is the symbiotic relationship they have with their environments. Not only are local adventure guides able to make a living out of playing outside, they promote the preservation of their natural surroundings. Whether it’s flyfishers preserving angler populations, or campers continuing the practice of “Leave No Trace.” It’s important not only to enjoy your surroundings, but also to help keep them naturally beautiful for the next generations to come.

The shores of the Columbia River along Hood River's waterfront

As we entered the town on a blustery Sunday evening, it was impossible not to recognize the fervor this town had for the outdoors. It seemed as if every other shop was devoted to one sport or another, from water sports like wind surfing and kite boarding, to rock climbing and mountain biking. The town is a harmonious balance of efficient and creative citizens and a plethora of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. The winds along the Columbia Gorge provide one of the premier venues for kiteboarding and wind surfing the world has to offer.

After nearly 300 miles of biking to get to Hood River, the past three days have proven to be a much-needed rest for Dan, Will and me. The adventure outfitters in the Columbia Gorge have been very excited by the prospect of teaming up with SWAE.

Will was able to sign rafting guides Wet Planet Whitewater and All Adventures Rafting, while Dan met with Kite the Gorge kiteboarding school, Columbia Gorge Kayaking School, and Brian’s Windsurfing.

Clear blue skies and gusts of wind attract hundreds of adventure junkies to the waters of the Columbia River

Our work in town is less strenuous on the body than our long-mileage bike rides to visit the next group of adventure outfitters. As I work on this post on Wednesday at 8 a.m., I am greeted by warm rays from the rising sun and sip freshly ground local coffee from a wide-rimmed mug. A cool breeze pushes through the main drag of Oak Street, as the town begins to shake the sleep from its eyes and people begin to start their daily routines. What a job, what a life.

I’m reassured and excited by the locals, as they have been as friendly and generous as those we had met in towns throughout Washington. We had spent the last two nights in an expansive yard of an older gentleman by the name of Ted Wells. The smell of pink, red and white roses and fresh basil in Wells’ garden were a treat to wake up to each morning under a bright blue sky.

Today, Dan and Will have an interview with Adam Lapierre from Hood River News, a weekly newspaper in town, in order to talk about their adventure and the concept of collaborating with the outdoor adventure industry in Hood River County. Aside from an article in The Northern Light, a weekly newspaper in Dan’s hometown of Blaine, Wash., this will be the first interview the guys have had with local press on this trip. The article will be published on Saturday, July 11.

My days in Hood River have been spent taking photos and figuring out how to fix my dented back wheel on my bike. No luck on the wheel, but an afternoon on the waterfront proved  a great opportunity to snap some shots of hundreds of surfers harnessing the winds on the waters of the Columbia.

Kite boarders getting ready to catch some thermals along Hood River's waterfront

This afternoon, we will ride 60 miles south, out of Hood River to the town of Maupin, where Will and Dan will spend the day meeting with a ridiculous number of rafting and flyfishing guides. After a day in Maupin, we will ride 90 miles to Bend, where a wide range of adventure outfitters are primed and ready to hear the story of SWAE Sports.

To all who are following this blog, a photo slideshow of my first week with the team is getting put together as we speak! As we say good bye to our first ciy in Oregon, we will wave a fond farewell and remember, “It’s all good in the Hood.”

During a conversation that I had the other with a potential outfitter, I was being watched by the godfather himself, Mr. Epstein. After the call, Epstein stated that although the info about SWAE that I was plugging to this guy was great, the tone in my voice as I spilled it all, well, it sucked. I was just spewing info, not sounding passionate, talking dryly. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I knew the man himself was listening, or because we are a start-up company, and this is my first week of attempting to get meetings with outfitters, and subsequently sign them (which by the way we have been doing… killin’ it).  We are excited, and passionate guys, especially about what we are doing with SWAE. So when we are talking with potential outfitters, and even emailing them, our language has to be just as excited as we are… Good advice, because my next calls went extremely well, and scheduled meetings with 3 more outfitters (see them on “people along the way”) and signed them all on the spot. 

We are coming into these companies who have been operating for 20 some-odd years and completly changing the way they do business in under an hour. So it should come as no surprise that when we do this they offer us rad things. For example,  yesterday when we signed Outdoor Odysseys sea kayaking (www.outdoorodysseys.com)  one of National Geo’s best adventure companies of 08′, the owner (Clark- awesome guy) let us use his newly built eco-office to take showers.  Will also went sea kayaking, and after Epstein signed a rad sailing company (www.sanjuanclassicdaysailing.com) they took us out on their boat, let us sleep in their beautiful house in the woods, and fed us breakfast… 

All of these amazing experiences, and we are only 9 days into the trip. It feels like all we have been doing is first, connecting with people, and then we innovate their business… Not the other way around. I am beginning to understand why business isn’t just business, business is people.