FREEDOM – BIKING ON THE ICE

When I returned to Barrow, it was very good to reconnect with my friend, Valerie.  She emailed with an invitation to lunch or dinner and mentioned that she was selling her mountain bike, asking if I was interested in buying it from her.  Coincidentally, I had spent a good amount of time while in Washington thinking about how I could bring a bike back with me.  Could I somehow box it and check it on the plane along with my clothes dryer, guitar and large suitcase?  It didn’t sound reasonable and would be expensive, exceeding the allowable measurements and pieces of baggage.  So not this time…the dryer, I felt, was a necessity and it didn’t seem right to leave the guitar in the back of my stored vehicle when we could be at least attempting to make music together here in Barrow. 

I love biking…it’s always been very close to the top of the list of things that bring me deeply felt joy.  I love the freedom of moving forward, pedaling, gliding, turning, leaning into corners, feeling the wind rush past, being one with the bike.  I was able to take several short rides in Washington, but otherwise, it had been five long months without one.

When I arrived at Valerie’s, she suggested that I take her bike out for a spin while she finished wrapping up a project.  She showed me the studded tires that she’d purchased and had mounted when the snow began and said that she’d bought the bike from someone leaving Barrow.  The tires were not hard, so would need a little air, but were full enough for my test ride.  It was wonderful to be pedaling down snowy roads in half the speed it takes me to jog or walk…the sun seemed even brighter, if possible, and my mind quickly filled with thoughts of new adventures made possible by having a bike here in Barrow.  The studded tires worked perfectly on both the snow and ice. 

Valerie and I enjoyed a hearty lunch, a deep and meaningful conversation, a fun origami project and tea before my new bike and I bounced down the staircase onto the road and across the lagoon towards home.  I think my excitement alone could have propelled me.

The next morning, I remembered everything except stopping by the gas station to fill the sagging tires.  I was too far along on what was a very strenuous ride to turn back, not wanting to be late for work.  My test ride hadn’t been long and now I found myself wondering if I’d made an expensive mistake.  Was biking in Barrow really going to be fun after all?  I was completely out of breath and my hands were freezing by the time I arrived at the clinic.  I’d had difficulty drawing full breaths because of my many layers which didn’t allow for the extra chest expansion I’d need to navigate the deeper snow and ruts on the lagoon.  I was also wearing knee-high thick rubber boots, and a relatively heavy back pack filled with lunch and books that needed to be returned to work.  This was a bit different than walking or jogging…very labor intensive.  Although my hands were very cold, the rest of me was dripping with sweat and my blouse wet and badly wrinkled…not the way I normally show up for work!    

I asked one of the clinic staff where a good place would be to keep my bike and was led to an exit door where it could be locked outside on a platform that wasn’t currently used.  When leaving work, the gears seemed stiff and the seat was frozen, conducting its iciness through my outer and inner pants, confirming my feelings that I had made a mistake. 

Fortunately, the air pump at the gas station across town was functioning, so after a cold and laborious ride there, the tires received what they needed to transform the bike into the exceptional mode of transportation it had the potential to be.  The next morning found me with one less jacket, a lighter backpack and much optimism.  It wasn’t to be disappointed as it was easy to breath, easy to pedal and with a little exploring, I was able to find a less arduous, but still beautiful and quiet, route.  I asked two other staff at work where they thought I might be able to store my bike, explaining the complication of housing it outside.  Safety is a major issue in any of the North Slope Borough facilities, so leaving it where it might block a hallway or doorway, even if not in use, wasn’t, of course, acceptable.  I couldn’t think of anywhere else that might work, except for the restroom in Bertrand’s and my office, but quickly determined that this wasn’t the perfect place either and felt sure that he would share my thoughts.  Both people I asked suggested leaning it against a wall in the conference room…that it would be no problem to have it there.  You might imagine my sign of relief with all problems solved and only thoughts now of good bike riding filling my mind.    

Before and after work now, I can be found on the lagoon, spinning happily along the ice cleared for Piuraagiaqta, riding in the sun, laughing with gratitude at my good fortune of being in Barrow, having good friends, a bike and a rewarding and interesting job to pedal it to.  I’ve been riding the bike everywhere…what a great invention and a welcome new experience here in the land of the midnight sun.