Change and growth takes place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life. - Herbert Otto
Great...You've found the site! Now "Bookmark" it as a favorite and tell all your friends :)
The Cliff-noted version of why am I doing this:
In August of this year I decided that after 6 truly phenomenal years at Camp Woodstock working with some of the best folks imaginable it was time to take a leap of faith and move away from 42 Camp Road. The time just seemed right try a new environment and begin growing in different ways. That said, every new journey should always start with a great adventure! Upon hearing of my big moving plan (and then taking 2 months to actually believe me), my friend Dot proposed a cross-country bike trip....which I somewhat hesitantly agreed to do....and then later realized that she wasn't joking. So here we go!
Our general preparedness:
Dot's cycling experience - Long bike trips in Alaska, New England and Canada pulling camping gear and a dog for weeks. Hannah's cycling experience - Has not biked over 30 miles in a single day in her life, but CAN ride with no hands (a proud self-taught skill)! I didn't get on a road bike until this year and most of my biking experience has been on a mountain bike.
Luckily we both have camping skills, okay gear, good humor, and a relative amount of athleticism (though I think we've both traded physical training for basic carbo loading as of recently).
How this will work:
On January 17th we will fly to San Diego, CA and meet our pre-shipped bikes there. After a day or two of getting our act together (and the ceremonial back tire dip in the Pacific) we will hit the road (i.e. 5,000ft mountain climb) on/around January 20th. We will be carrying camping gear since there are long, desolate stretches and great parks, but also plan to utilize warmshowers.org, which is a "couchsurfing"-like organization for cyclists. If all goes well, we will be dipping our front tires in the Atlantic off St. Augustine, FL in late March. We plan to bike an average of 60 miles per day. Here is the map of our generalized route (ours is the orange line): Southern Tier Biking Route
Three ways you can get involved!
- Reach out to your cool friends in southern states and ask them if they have a room for two sweaty girls for a night....we are pretty great company.
- Write us nice, uplifting notes!
- Help send a kid to camp! Because I so value camp, camping, and everything that has to do with very uncomfortable communal living and friendship-building, I am connecting this trip to the Camp Woodstock annual campaign so that together though sponsorships and colossal cycling millage, we'll be able to send a child to camp for 2 weeks....giving that child the opportunity to have their own adventure. Information about how to do this will soon follow.
In the spirit of all good adventures,
Hannah
Bookmarked!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to enjoy: http://www.last.fm/music/Michelle+Shocked/_/Memories+of+East+Texas
Also, have friends in Niceville and SEacrest FL if you need me to give them headsd up.
And finally, I'm in Phoenix 2/4 for my grandmother's 95th birthday. Only there for one day but if it's the same day you're there, we'll have to find each other!
Bookmarked and Favorited and anything else I can do!
ReplyDeleteI am *beyond* excited for you guys, and even *more* anxious to read about your ongoing adventure these next three months.
I'll await, with bated breath, my daily dose of you two Southern Route Wayfarers.
(Also - if I double-posted, apologies: my first try disappeared into the ether of my browser...never to be seen [by *me*!] again.) ;)
Looking forward to following your adventures. Keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down!
ReplyDeleteBill Riggs, cyclist from San Diego. Good luck and have fun. It will be interesting to see just what route you choose to start your adventure. FYI, there is a bike accessible park at the US/Mexico border at the ocean for the tire dip if you need the extreme point of the US for the start.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt was a pleasure to ride with you both this afternoon. I am very impressed and quite inspired by the challenge that you have taken. I have bookmarked your blog and I will follow you from afar. I hope to try a few similar challenges myself. As a riding enthusiast that logs 10,000 miles every year - I will caution and remind you to assume that no driver sees you and to be careful out there. Enjoy every day! Good luck girls!
ReplyDeleteGreetings to the couragous riders, from Kirsten's dad.
ReplyDeleteI hope she has gotten you my contact information in Tucson, but wanted to repeat it here, since I'd be delighted to host you in the warm-showers spirit.
Regular phone is 520-575-8239, and cell as 2nd choice is 520-301-8232. Email is valleymind at earthlink dot com, tho spam-blocker will make you grovel for acceptance!
Also, the southern tier map you published shows you going north of Tucson, east from PHX on what's probably route 60, so I'm wondering if you're really coming thru this way? There's higher country on Route 60, but I-10 east of here doesn't have an easy alternative. Also wanted to mention that my 18-yr-old is planning to be in 2 days of bike racing near here on the weekend after next, Jan 31st and 1st of Feb in case your visit coincided. One's a circuit race, 2 or 3 20-mile laps with 1500 ft. elev change between high and low, and the other is a short-lap criterium off public roads, where spectators can see the whole course. Just a serendipitous thought! Hope to see you, and ride smart and safe!