Denver to Washington, D.C. 2026 - CANCELED June 10, 2026

CANCELED

I had planned to begin Denver to Washington, D.C. 2026 by flying to Denver exactly two weeks from today, but this morning I decided to cancel the trip. I've canceled my flight to Denver, my hostel reservation in Denver, and the send-off party in New York which was to be held June 21st.

Denver to Washington, D.C. 2026

For at least the previous two months I have been waking every morning feeling tired, and throughout the days have lacked energy. I wrote about the ambivalence I've been feeling about the upcoming trip in Planning Denver to Washington, D.C. 2026 - Update May 10, 2026, and the ambivalence had become stronger since I wrote that post a month ago.

A few days ago, Saturday, June 6th, I rode from Garrison, New York, to High Falls, New York. For the return ride to Garrison on Sunday the 7th I had planned to ride over the ridge rather than around it as I had done the day before, but when I got to the start of the climb it seemed that I would have to walk most of the two miles to the top. I therefore turned back and again rode around the ridge. Although I had planned to ride to Garrison, about 48 miles, I thought that I might ride only to Poughkeepsie, about 20 miles. Throughout the early part of the ride I felt no pleasure in riding and wondered whether I had sucked all the marrow out of that bone.

During the last few weeks I was able to learn to let my pelvis move more freely so that I would not have a habitual pain in the right side of my lower back. I was happy to have solved that problem, but my experience riding over the weekend still felt more like a chore than a pleasure.

As I was on the train from Garrison to Manhattan, I told myself that I thought I could still enjoy biking, especially when traveling through new territory, and that I wanted to enjoy biking. I decided that I would continue to make preparations for the upcoming trip, not knowing whether I would take the trip or cancel it.

On Monday I picked up a box from Bicycle Habitat in which to pack my bike for the flight and did a partial rehearsal of the packing. The box is significantly larger than the box I used two years ago and it seemed that I would be able to include in it my handlebar bag and trunk bag which I had to carry two years ago.

On Tuesday I did a little more rehearsing of the packing. But today, Wednesday, I woke up feeling tired, with no interest to get on my bike and work hard. The bike trip I had planned would require me to ride an average of about 50 miles day after day.

I still want to take the trip from Denver to Washington, D.C., but only when I'm feeling strong, which means I have to be sleeping well. I will consult with a sleep specialist and also investigate cardiac and hormonal issues. I look forward to making significant improvements in my health, and maybe next year I will take the trip I've planned. I've stored the bike box in our basement in anticipation of its use in the future.

Jan Albert, whose gift in 2016 of Juliana Buhring's book This Road I Ride got me to resume multi-day trips after a hiatus of 40 years, wrote me today that "life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans". That reminded me of what is written on every page of my blog:

How much of an adventure can it be if everything goes according to plan?

I need to adopt that attitude as I deal with my cancelation of the trip.

* * *

I wonder whether I've written too much in the post above, perhaps including all sorts of unnecessary details. I've written as much as I have because I hope to convey the difficult process through which I've gone in order to come to my decision.

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