Introductions

My name is Shannon Harness, and I love riding my bicycle.

I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri (no it's not all flat) where I spent a lot of time outdoors and a lot of time riding bikes. At 19 I left K.C. to serve four years in the United States Marine Corps. Afterward, I found myself stocking shelves at Home Depot, then a home remodeler, a concrete truck driver, a plant operator, a heavy equipment operator, a pizza delivery driver, a student, a computer tech, and finally, at 32 years old, a student once again. Finally following my heart and pursuing what I love, I decided to give college another shot. I currently reside in Leadville, Colorado where I am earning a degree in Outdoor Recreation Leadership through Colorado Mountain College.

For years I've thought of committing some serious time into writing on a regular basis. Until this past year, I've never really thought I had much to write about. But recently I've been hearing the same thing over and over when it comes to writing. "Just start writing and it'll come to you."

So after many leaps of faith in the past year, I've come to a point where I'm just going to give this writing thing a shot. I have nothing to lose and quite frankly, I just like to write. I'll write about many adventures, past, present, and future, but given that this is a mountain biking forum, I'll try to keep the material relevant.

In two days I'll be heading to Peru for a three month adventure as a mountain biking and trekking guide. I know that many people share this dream with me, so I hope to open a small window into the world of an international mountain biking guide. I am looking forward to immersing myself in the local Peruvian and Incan cultures, trying new food and beer, attending local festivals, improving my Spanish, learning some Quechua, spending some time volunteering, and making new friends.