Ron: 0:11

The gentleman from Chicago said to me Ron, I feel the presence of God here. And I replied yes, sir, I do too, but I'm jumping ahead. In addition to working full-time in corporate America, as I do today, I work part-time as a tour guide in Rocky Mountain National Park. I work for Green Jeep Tours in Estes Park, colorado, which is just west of our home here in Loveland. We who are guides get to take groups of 10 to 12 people into the national park for three-hour tours in these highly modified jeeps, each having seating in the back that's fully exposed. You can look in all directions. Having seating in the back that's fully exposed, you can look in all directions. We use headsets and speakers to describe everything that we're seeing. We guides love it, and most of the guides will tell you that the most fun thing that we get to do is to introduce some of our guests to the wilderness for the very first time. The biggest thrill I have is when guests are from large cities like New York or Miami or LA, those who have never experienced wilderness before. And, as I've mentioned, these are three-hour tours and I've led a little over 300 tours lost count actually, I think over 300, and I can guarantee you, no two have ever been alike. One such tour a family from Chicago who joined me for that three-hour journey. We reached a high meadow and took a slow, quiet walk together, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and other than the sound of the wind and the trees and the cold mountain stream just below us. It was completely silent, and it was there that the dad of the family stood next to me as we both gazed up at those peaks, and I'll never forget what he said. He said, ron, I feel the presence of God here. I remember replying yes, sir, I do too. And I went on to say maybe all of this was created just for you and me to experience how powerful and how beautiful God is. He didn't reply, but I did see him wipe away a tear and then he gave me a hug. That, my friends, is why I love being a tour guide, because I think he understood, I think he got it, and once again I was reminding myself yeah, I get it too.

Ron: 3:24

From Jeep tours to adventure motorcycling that's our topic today. There's something very special about riding a motorcycle into open spaces, free of buildings, free of cars, free of people sometimes. Sometimes that's a way to get away from things Out on a country road. A lot of times it's out on a dirt road, and I think that that's what draws so many people to adventure riding. It's becoming more and more popular all the time. Sometimes we just need to escape, both physically and mentally, to get out of town and, if we're lucky, we may even find a space where we too can feel the presence of God. And that's our topic today Adventure riding for the soul. Recorded in beautiful Loveland, colorado. Welcome to Peace, love Moto, the podcast for motorcyclists seeking that peaceful, easy feeling as we cruise through this life together. Are you ready? Let's go.

Ron: 4:55

What a day I had yesterday. What a day of contrast. I most certainly had some explaining to do when I rode home on my motorcycle in the dark. Well, after 10 last night there was no cell phone coverage. That's true, there wasn't. She knows that Karen was waiting for me patiently, after almost 40 years together. She's very forgiving when I find myself needing a long ride, and yesterday was one of those days. So yesterday I attended early morning video conferences here at home.

Ron: 5:31

Like I said, I work in corporate America full time and that's what we do we attend meetings. A lot of people that I work with are on the east coast of the United States or even on the other side of the planet, like in India. So my day starts early. After taking some meetings from home yesterday, then I caught the bus from here in Loveland, colorado, to downtown Denver, where one of our corporate offices is. It takes about an hour to get there by bus from Loveland to Union Station downtown. Then I either walk the mile to my office Yep, it's one mile or sometimes even lately I've been having fun with this I grab one of those rentable electric scooters to traverse through the tall buildings to my office. It's cool that downtown Denver has dedicated paths for scooters and a direction that you are supposed to be going down those paths. So it's relatively safe and it's very cool. So honestly I should be walking the whole way, but those little scooters are just so much fun.

Ron: 6:36

So yesterday when I finished my work in downtown Denver, I took the bus back to Loveland and, as quickly as I could, I got on my motorcycle and left town the direction Northwest Way out of town, up in the mountains, where the paved roads turn to dirt roads, where you see far more deer and elk and foxes than you do, people, herds of cows that walk around on the roads too. In some of these free-range pastures I came across a rattlesnake laying comfortably in the dirt out on one of those roads and taking in the heat of the day. Just left him alone, of course, but it's very neat to see Another one of nature's creatures just enjoying the day just like I was. I share this because in just one day I experienced the busyness of urban life in a large American city the traffic, the very tall buildings, the constant noise and crowds, then, within hours, the solitude and the quiet and, for me, the pure joy of riding into a space. I personally believe that God created, maybe a space just for me to see from a motorcycle, right then and there, just like that green G tour I spoke of with the man from Chicago.

Ron: 8:24

When you hear the term adventure writing, what comes to mind for you? Is it dusty roads, remote landscapes, maybe a few river crossings or even an epic journey across continents. While all of this is certainly part of it, I would suggest that the true adventure often lies not so much in where you go but in who you may become along the way you may become along the way. For many of us, motorcycling is a release. It's a form of therapy, and adventure riding, specifically, I think, has a unique way of peeling back the layers of everyday cares and stresses. Adventure riding, I think, challenges us and ultimately it reveals a deeper part of us as well, a deeper part of ourselves. I think adventure riding maybe, unlike the daily commute or just a ride around town, it's more about, yeah, embracing the unknown and maybe confronting our limitations.

Ron: 9:39

But I'll say, more importantly, for me and my experience, it's about finding that sense of peace of mind that we talk about on this podcast all the time. Just think about it when you're out on an adventure ride, out in the forest, out in the mountains, especially off the beaten path anyway, your senses are really heightened. Just like that ride I had last night, late yesterday and into the evening up in the mountains, I could smell the forest, the dust coming off the road, the shifts in the terrain underneath my tires. I was just fully immersed. Maybe that's how the time slipped away.

Ron: 10:27

Mindfulness, yeah, I'd say that's what it is. For me it's mindfulness. I can feel it taking over. Sometimes out there I felt it yesterday. My brain wasn't worrying about the email that I forgot to send or the emails and meetings that I was going to have to jump right on the next morning. No, it was focused on the here and now, focused on that present moment where I think true peace resides, and, as for me, when I'm at the right place at the right time, a lot of times out on my motorcycle. Yeah, that's where I me talking about my feelings, or spirituality for that matter, but it's about facts as well. Studies show that riding a motorcycle can significantly reduce stress hormones like cortisol I believe that's the way it's pronounced while it boosts endorphins, those natural feel-good chemicals. Nothing artificial going on there. And when you add the element of nature communing with Mother Nature that I like to talk about and the challenges of riding out on the road and the self-reliance that's required with adventure riding, well, I would assume that those benefits just go off the charts once combined.

Ron: 12:35

So how does this journey beyond the destination unfold? Well, first you have to accept the fact that adventure riding will present obstacles. It may be a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, a sudden downpour or even getting lost. I have gotten lost before, up in British Columbia at one time. It's in those moments where you can't rely on cell phone coverage or being able to contact roadside support for that matter, no cell phone service out in the mountains of Colorado for the most part, for example. You have to problem solve, you have to adapt, you have to in a sense trust your instincts and know what your capabilities and limitations are. And when you overcome these, overcome these challenges, there's this incredible surge of self-confidence and a deep understanding of your own resilience. Maybe that's the right word. You realize, if I can handle this, what else am I capable of? I guess that's what I think to myself sometimes when I get myself out of a bind. Adventure writing too.

Ron: 13:43

I think it helps to deepen connections with yourself and nature, because when you're out there, away from the constant noise and distractions of modern life, you have to just take into account that I don't really have to do anything right now. I have space to think, to reflect and I can hear myself, if that makes sense. You notice these subtle changes in landscape. Where I rode yesterday, for example, from the high mountains into the deep valleys next to a beautiful lake below snow-capped mountains. What a contrast. And it's when you stop the bike to observe and listen and hear the sound of the wind moving through the trees and the sounds of the streams.

Ron: 14:38

This direct engagement with nature isn't just beautiful, I'd say again. For me it's also grounding. It reminds me of my place in the world, that there is something much, much larger than me out there. I'm amongst it and rather than fear, I get a sense of peace. And rather than fear, I get a sense of peace. Maybe it's a sense of belonging with my mom and your mom, mother Nature.

Ron: 15:17

So, unlike a quick commute through town, adventure riding, I think, forces you to slow down, both in speed and in your thoughts. The pace isn't about speed at all, it's about navigating the terrain, reading the road and being fully present in every turn Careful braking, careful gear shifting Every moment. You've got to be careful out there and I think we gain patience. That extends again for me, beyond the ride, it helps me to navigate the complexities of life, of my day job in corporate America, maybe with a bit more calm and a little bit less sense of urgency.

Ron: 16:20

So if you're feeling the need to escape, the need for adventure, well, whether it's a weekend trip to a nearby national forest or just an open road, or a cross-country epic journey, remember to look beyond the map. Pack your gear, check your bike, prepare for the journey, of course, but also prepare your mind, prepare your spirit, be open, allow yourself to be fully present in every mile, every sight and every sound. My friends, that's mindfulness, because I think when you do all that, you'll discover that adventure riding isn't just about reaching a point on the map, it's about connecting with your deeper self, finding peace in the wild, maybe and coming home a little bit more resilient, a little bit more aware, more resilient, a little bit more aware and a whole lot more connected to the journey we call life. And, my friends, if you're really lucky, like that gentleman from Chicago, you too may feel the presence of God. So, until we visit again, ride mindfully, ride with purpose and ride for your soul. As always, on that journey, I wish you peace. I wish you peace, I wish you love.