Cloud Peak 500 - Soundtrack

A post on this blog doesn't often appear overnight. Typically some time passes while I process an experience to understand it well enough to be able to express it. Sometimes that doesn't ever happen. However, as thoughts, feelings, images and all sorts of things rattle around upstairs, often a song emerges to light a path to the story. When a song helps me understand and express an experience, I'll add at the top of the post a relevant quote from that song, and a complete video clip at the bottom. The song then becomes part of the story.

I have no original music to share, for I'm no songwriter. And, as my family repeatedly reminds me, much of my limited musical knowledge is from the 1970's or so. Yeah, well, I still ride a 1991 rigid single speed mountain bike on occasion and use an Oxford Comma to boot, so that's all just part of it.

Backroads in the Big Horns. (photo by Paul Brasby) 

In any event, with emotions so raw on the Cloud Peak 500, songs came to mind readily for the ride reports, even for one I didn't write. That is, at first glance of Paul's striking sunset pictures as he prepared to ride deep into the night on Day 6, I could hear Johnny Cash sing "Ghost Riders In The Sky." When Paul later submitted his ride report for Day 6, I unilaterally added that song, deciding to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. A country music guy, Paul later said he loved it. For what it's worth, I did use his selection of country music for his Day 7 and 8 posts.

Now that all the individual ride and logistics reports are posted, I've re-read them several times to see how they fit together. With 12 ride reports and 9 logistics reports published over the course of almost four months, there's a lot of material. But I finally put my thoughts together to write a Cloud Peak 500 Wrap Up post, with its own song.

So, I'm feeling good, but sometimes all the words get in the way. So, I decided to also wrap up our Cloud Peak 500 by the music alone. Below are the lyrics quote and video clip of the song from each ride report. Now, I can go to one place to listen to all the music telling the story of our Cloud Peak 500. I also included a link to each ride report, in case the music triggers a desire to read the narrative. Now, that's a wrap.

Cloud Peak 500 - A Bikepacking Journey

Got to pay your dues

If you want to sing the blues

And you know it don't come easy

It Don't Come Easy, Ringo Starr and George Harrison (1971)

   It Don't Come Easy, Ringo Starr (1971)

Cloud Peak 500 (Day 1) - Up High, Down Hard

Took my love, I took it down 
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
'Til the landslide brought me down 

Landslide, Stevie Nicks (1975)

Landslide, Fleetwood Mac (1975), performed by Stevie Nicks (2009)

Cloud Peak 500 (Day 2) - Riding The Storm Out

It's a hard life to live, but it gives back what you give
And I'm not missing a thing, watching the full moon crossing the range
Riding the storm out. Riding the storm out. Riding the storm out. Riding the storm out.
Riding The Storm Out, Gary Richrath, REO Speedwagon (1973)

Riding The Storm Out, REO SpeedWagon live (1983)

Cloud Peak 500 (Day 3) - Dude's Downhill

I've had an excellent time so far

There's only one thing that I fear

I've been up so long on this lucky star

It could be all downhill from here

It could be all downhill from here

All Downhill, Lyle Lovett (2007)

 All Downhill, Lyle Lovett & His Large Band (2007)

Cloud Peak 500 (Day 4) - Go Your Own Way

You can go your own way
Go your own way 

Go Your Own Way, Lindsey Buckingham (1977)

Go Your Own Way, Fleetwood Mac (1977)

Cloud Peak 500 (Day 5) - Back In The High Life

I'll be back in the high life again
All the doors I closed one time
Will be opened up again
Back In The High Life Again, Steve Winwood & Will Jennings (1986)

Back In The High Life, Steve Winwood (1986)

Cloud Peak 500 (Day 6) - Decision Day

Don't look back, a new day is breakin'
It's been too long since I felt this way
I don't mind where I get taken 
The road is callin', today is the day.
Don't Look Back, Tom Scholtz (1978)

Don't Look Back, Boston (1978)

Cloud Peak 500 (Day 7) - High On A Desert Plain

We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled in dust
I'll show you a place 
High on a desert plain
Where the streets have no name 
Where The Streets Have No Name, Bono and U2 (1987)

Where The Streets Have No Name, U2 live (2013)

Cloud Peak 500 (Paul Writes His Day 6) - Ghost Rider In The Sky

An old cowboy went riding out one dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw
A-plowing through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw
Yippie yi ooh, Yippie yi yay, ghost riders in the sky

Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, their shirts all soaked with sweat
He's riding hard to catch that herd, but he ain't caught 'em yet
'Cause they've got to ride forever on that range up in the sky
On horses snorting fire, as they ride on hear their cry

Yippie yi ooh, Yippie yi yay, ghost riders in the sky

Ghost Riders In The Sky, Stan Jones (1948)

Ghost Riders In The Sky, Johnny Cash (1979)

Cloud Peak 500 (Paul Writes His Day 7) - Wonder Where I'm Bound

It's a long and a dusty road
It's a hot and a heavy load
And I can't help but wonder where I'm bound.
I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound, Tom Paxton (1964)

I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound, Tom Paxton (1964)

Cloud Peak 500 (Paul Writes His Final Day) - The Road Less Traveled

And it all might come together
And it all might come unraveled
On the road less traveled. 
The Road Less Traveled, Buddy Brock & Dean Dillon (2001)

The Road Less Traveled, George Strait (2001)

Cloud Peak 500 Wrap - Feeling Good

Birds flying high, you know how I feel
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel
It's a new dawn, it's a new day
It's a new life, for me
And I'm feeling good
Feeling Good, Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newly (1964)

Feeling Good, Michael Buble (2005)