Thursday

Bike Pilgrimage to Stupa: Photo Essay and Interview

In Rollinsville

What was your inspiration for the bike pilgrimage to the Great Stupa?

Josh: I was inspired primarily by the Sakyong’s example of fundraising marathons. I love mountain biking and the dharma, so this was an opportunity to support the dharma doing something that I love. I also love adventure, I think partly because it gets me out of my cocoon and feeling alive. It was the power of good intention that kept us going beyond just our passion for mountain biking. There was a point when I realized this is hard, and it is for something more than personal pleasure. At that point the difficulties became manageable and the trip more fulfilling.

Margie: Honestly my motivation to ride to the Great Stupa was to have an adventure with a very dear old friend. It needless to say became so much more.

Pedaling among Aspen

What was your route between Boulder and Shambhala Mountain Center?

Josh: We rode up Flagstaff mountain over backroads and trails to Shoshoni Yoga retreat. Then we rode over the Rollins Pass and down to Devil’s Thumb Ranch near Winter Park. Next day we rode over trails to Lake Granby and over Still Water Pass to Vagabond Ranch. After a day lost to route finding, we made our way along the west side of the Naver Summer Mountains to the Nokhu Hut. From there we rode over Cameron Pass down Highway 14 and up Pingree Hill to the Stupa.

Did you face any challenges in terms of weather and terrain?

Josh: One challenge was walking our bikes through 4 miles of snow and 50 MPH wind gusts on Rollins Pass. We then had a few more miles of riding through slush and mud that was tricky (but at least we were riding). That same day we had three flats and two bikes break out of commission. As fate would have it, we were able to borrow what we needed from local friends. We were lost for one day and hit by a rain storm the last day. The whole trip was a challenge and when I accepted that it became easier. Without the challenge it would not have been a pilgrimage.

Margie: By day four we looked back at four miles of 6 to 12 inches of snow with balmy nostalgia. It is amazing how what challenges us one day becomes a joyful memory, even though at the time the terrain and weather was very nearly life threatening.

Lake Granby

Are there moments that stand out as highlights for the trip?

Margie: The highlight of the trip was the camaraderie of my trip mates. Our unwavering support of one another and mutual strength and determination, day in and day out. Our goal bonded us, but we were each an integral part in finally realizing success.

Josh: There were moments of slowing down and being very present. I also remember riding through the freezing rain and feeling happy to be alive–open and heading towards the stupa.

In what sense was this a pilgrimage for you and your biking partners?

Margie: Firstly this was a pilgrimage to a spiritually significant place. As with all pilgrimages the process of the journey entails witnessing our greatest strengths and vulnerabilities. As our bodies began to give out, the pilgrimage turned inward in search of the strength necessary for each of us to get to where we were going.

Josh: It intensified and clarified my intention. Intention sometimes gets a bad rap with meditators, or so it would seem. But it is really helpful to have a clear idea where we want to go. I think that it was a pilgrimage because we were working to benefit others as well. We all want peace so deeply and this was an effort in that direction, another drop in the ocean.

Here’s a final message from Josh:

As most of you know we arrived at the Stupa at Shambhala Mountain Center last Wednesday completing our journey from Boulder. By my calculations, including the day we spent route-finding, we rode 185.91 miles and climbed 25,885 vertical feet. So far we’ve raised $3,956 dollars. Half will go to rebuilding the school at Surmang monastery, and half will support Shambhala Mountain Center here in North America. I stretched my physical abilities, strengthened my good intention, and had a wonderful adventure. I think the other riders (and many who followed it) found the pilgrimage equally inspiring in their own ways.

Next year we intend to expand the ride to include a road bike route and complete the circle back to Boulder. We are thinking of calling it the Boulder Peace Ride, because when mind and body are in synch there is peace, and the more we cultivate personal peace the more it can be reflected in the world.

Thanks again for ALL the support, Josh

In case you’d like to contribute, here’s how:

1. Credit Card: Go to https://secure.awe-hosting.com/konchok-secure/donate-form.php

Fill out the amount, billing info, and when you see the field “special instructions to merchant” enter bike pilgrimage and the rider’s name.

2. Check: Make check payable to Konchok foundation and write in the memo line “Bike Pilgrimage” send to: Ginny Lipson, Boulder Shambhala Center, 1435 Spruce st., Boulder, CO 80302.

Read more about the Bike Pilgrimage on www.vagabondranch.org.