I got my summer schedule and I will be leading hiking/walking and biking trips here in Ireland through August. VERY exciting. There are only 3 of us in the house which has its pros and cons. It will be fun to have a close knit group, but it's a bit of a bummer that on weeks off you are the only person around. Then again, I could really enjoy the break from people to do whatever I want on my days off. I've also just met a few girls in town who are awesome. The one has been friends with Backroads leaders for years. She's a bit of a liason and fills us in on all the gossip with the locals. She also knows ALL the jargon and lingo for the job, including our neverending acronyms and abbreviations. It's pretty funny to hear someone out of the company give you advice about work. Good advice too!
SO on my schedule I have 3 "shadow" days scheduled (where I will essentially hide from the guests but try to watch as much as possible as the experienced leaders run a trip). The trip I am shadowing is one of the "premiere inn biking" trips. I am also scheduled 3 "fam" days so I can familiarize myself with the area and the routes. I start those on Tuesday or Wednesday and I will be fam-ing the "premiere inn hiking/walking" trip. Then next week I lead my first trip (hiking) with Scott!
I decided this is a good amount of training, but I also wanted to fam the biking trip. I will be leading both I wanted to fam both. Last week I was still technically off work, but hit to road so I could learn the rides in advance.
I knew I would enjoy some time on the bike no matter what, but I thought it would still feel like I was working. Not true. Biking, stopping to meet a cafe owner, biking some more then stopping for lunch in the next big town is far from work. I think it will be the guests that make it challenging!
This route is extraordinary. I thought it was beautiful from the very start, but the kind of beauty I am used to just out the backdoor in Portland. Then it started getting a little more out there...suddenly I was biking up a narrow road with rock gardens and green, green grass and sheep grazing all along the sides. I quickly realized I was no longer in Portland.
I love this picture because I had just finished a pretty decent climb and the clouds seemed to match the road. Pick your path...blue skies or thunderstorms. I thought I picked the blue skies, but by the time I reached the fishing town at the bottom of the hill (Castletownbere) it was pouring! I was drenched and the roads were washed out in sections (up to the drive train on my bike) but it was GORGEOUS!
It was still pretty warm and I knew I was headed home to warm shower so it just didn't seem too bad. Not to mention the greens just get more green when there is dark grey above. The heavy rains also made the waterfalls that much more evident. All the streams and run off from the hillside join up and cascade down the large granite boulders. Amazing.
Healy's Pass was the highlight of the trip. I wish I had more pictures, but I'll try to take more next time. It is a long gradual climb with big, horseshoe switchbacks with open range cattle and sheep everywhere. Sweeping up to the climax (marked by Jesus...of course) then the other side opens up to a stunning view of the bay and ocean with a green hill speckled by lavendar colored rhodedendrons.
The ride closes out with one more sweep along the coast just to remind you how beautiful the water can be close up. Stellar.
You can see more (iPhone-style) photos here.
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