Northwest Cycle Report

The final installment of Michael Pierce’s journey of healing.

I’m not five miles outside of Quincy when I see a flash out of the corner of my eye. Instinct takes over and I swerve away from the source of the flash. There’s a sharp thwack and the bike bobbles. “Cheese!” I’m still upright but my direction of travel is now directly into oncoming traffic. “Son of a B….!” escapes my lips…

Let the gremlins free! I feel the sputter rather than hear it. It goes away in an instant. Wait! What was that? Another sputter, this time it’s not only felt but it’s heard and it doesn’t go away. I’m an hour east of Chico in the Feather River Canyon. That makes me roughly halfway to my friend’s house outside Quincy. The bike is running on three cylinders with stretches where it’s popping and banging along on two. This for a motorcycle traveler is bad news.

I’m in a special place now. My mind is clearing, the pain and sorrow falling away. The natural healing is tangible and I feel rewarded. I ride with a new found joy in my heart and soul.

It had been a tough winter and a tougher spring. My marriage officially ended in April. The reality is; my marriage had been over long before. Divorce is such an ugly thing. Divorce is even uglier when someone you loved turns on you with a vindictive rage.
I needed to get my head together. I needed [...]