After the ride

At this point it's hard to say if we'll plan another transcontinental ride - but who knows? The webisodes continue to raise money from the ads, so check them out - and expect a BIG donation from vidshadow soon. Also, check out the Partners MS Center home page!

It really IS all about me

So at long last, the dreaded time has come. The members of Bike the Us for MS, each with his own dreams, each with his own path in life, each with his goal in mind... have realized that Don still has the map and we're actually quite lost. Because of that I'm actually sitting with Don right now in Blacksburg Virginia(Go Hokies! a-gobble-gobble-gobble! a-gobble-gobble-gobble! Woo! Yeah!) preparing to, of all things, go on a bike ride. Idiots, all of us.
Hello Devin and Mase. Welcome home too, sort of.
Don and I drove down from Boston Yesterday. Nice trip save for missing the exit that we had very carefully been reminding ourselves not to miss. Tuning the radio. After an extra stint through rural Connecticut we got back on the 81 and cruised. The trusty Suburban, with Don at the helm, safely and efficiently conveyed us to our final destination. Now for those of you who have never been to Blacksburg (Go Hokies! a-gobble-gobble-gobble!... a-gobble-gobble-gobble! Woo! Yeah!), you don't understand the meaning of glory. Driving into VT is like returning to Rome at its apex...while everybody was asleep. Colonnades of Limestone glisten along wide sweeping boulevards. The edifice of Academia stand tall, their graceful bulk supplying a certain sense of mass to an otherwise airy view. Gleaming lights cast authoritative shadows across vast expanses of lush grass. And in the distance, above the gentle breeze that's whispering through gilded columns, you can faintly make out a most enchanting cry...Go Hokies! a-gobble-gobble-gobble! a-gobble-gobble-gobble! Woo! Yeah!
Just got done with a little mountain biking. Mucho fun. 1st time and it was awesome. We're over to Don's house soon to hang with his mom in a bit see a little bit of the 'burg. While I'm speaking of Don's family I'd like to thank his dad Jim for coming up to Maine. First it was cool to hang out. Second, the Suburban was huge.
I'm gonna hang out here for a couple of days then back to Seattle fro this guy. I've got a new nephew, Levi Cutler Steel, that needs some poking. Congrats to Lindsy and Joe the happy mom and pop. Updates will be forthcoming. Until then, signing off.
Karlito Mang

Partners MS Center

Our trip came to a triumphant finale yesterday as we had the pleasure of meeting the kind folks at Partners MS Center in Boston. They had lunch waiting for us and gave us a tour of the Multiple Sclerosis research labs. To actually see the research projects and meet the researchers made it very clear to us that we biked for a noble cause and that our efforts will make a real difference. We also had the opportunity to meet the doctors and nurses at the MS clinic and see the treatment and patient-care aspect of the center, and it certainly seems as if the patients are in good hands. It was humbling to be in the company of people who make a tangible difference in people's lives everyday, especially since they were thanking us- we felt as if it should be the other way around. It was a special day for all of us and one we will not soon forget, and we feel like we made the right decision in choosing Partners MS Center to receive our contributions. Thanks to Bill Florentino for being our point man in Boston, and to Dr. Weiner and all the people at the center for taking the time out of their busy schedules to meet us.

Boston is nuts. None of us have ever experienced such extreme chaos. I think it must have started in colonial times before the modern practice of street grids. The sidewalks are packed with ambitious people and the roads are literally lawless. Honking is something I forgot about until I came to Boston. We've enjoyed our stay but are reminded of the tranquility in small towns all across the country.

Our 4,300 mile journey is over but we still have a lot of work to do and will continue to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis research at Partners MS Center. Thanks for following our trip and stay tuned for more pictures and webisodes.

Trivia Question:

Who is Karl's future wife?

Taste of Maine

We just returned home from our celebratory dinner in Bar Harbor. The "Taste of Maine" special - chowdah, salad, lobstah, potato, blueberry pie & ice cream - was ridiculous. Tomorrow we pack up our bikes and head to Boston, the last step of the journey. Photos and video from the rest of the trip will be posted soon. But for now, just more celebrating.

Trivia: The geographical term "Down East" refers to the coastal region of Maine from Penobscot Bay to the Canadian border. Why is this area referred to as "Down East"?

Today's destination: BAR HARBOR

Believe it or not, today is the day our tires take a drink in the salty waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The last leg of the journey should take us about 40 miles from Bucksport to Bar Harbor, where Don's dad will be waiting with a camera and other implements of celebration. This morning is incredibly surreal, as it doesn't occur to you as you leave Seattle on a bike that you will actually make it to the Atlantic. What next? We have all become so accustomed to our lifestyle on the road that returning to our normal lives will take some adjustment. Regardless, we are excited to be here and proud of what we've accomplished. Coastal Maine is every bit as beautiful and interesting as you would think, and although it's cold, it doesn't seem like we will see any snow. After we load the bikes on the rack and polish off the champagne and lobster, we plan on taking a drive through Acadia National Park to check out the scenery. Then Beantown awaits...

New England General Synopsis

As we inch closer to our terminal destination, we find it increasingly necessary to squeeze every last drop of experience out of each precious day. So while this medium of expression is still at my discretion, I will take the opportunity to publish as much useless information about these experiences as possible.

New England is one of the most stereotypically accurate places I've ever been that is somehow different what I expected. Quaint historical buildings dot the countryside, cow fields alternate with pumpkin patches, and people speak with a thick accents, however the feel here is friendlier and less pretentious than I imagined. It seems more isolated and unchanged than most of the places we've passed through and the blend of hamlets and authentic wilderness is refreshing. We haven't been talking much while we ride due to sheer awe of our surroundings.

We've heard a lot of hype about the wet weather and steep climbs of New England, so the guys made a great decision our first night in Vermont to make camp under a covered pavilion to stay dry and rest comfortably. Unfortunately for me, I'm an idiot and decided to set up my tent in the grass. The 4 am monsoon flooded me out and I was forced to abandon ship- stuffing my pockets with valuables and making a break for cover with only my sleeping bag. The guys woke up to a good laugh and I set out towards a laundromat to dry out as much as I could, only to get more soaked by monsoon # 2. Laundromats should really provide a rental gown of sorts for the guy who literally needs everything washed and dried, but I digress. Our prospects for dry shelter had never seemed so bleak the following evening when we arrived in Sharon, VT- especially after a lone-toothed drunkard told us his place was our best bet- until we learned of a local couple who run a B&B. A few miles up a dark dirt road later we were on the doorstep of Ken and Nancy, who had four twin beds and a shower, and oh yeah by the way: "we lead cross-country bicycle tours... we've done what you guys are doing six times." Jackpot. I took over the garage to dry out my things and we all got a great night's sleep, especially Karl, who was finally able to rest in peace knowing that an unnamed, but particularly hairy member of our clan would not be attempting an "accidental" midnight spooning maneuver.

More on New Hampshire later. These tired legs need some rest to tackle the fierce undulations of central Maine in the morning.

Maine!

It's hard to believe we're actually in Maine. Vermont and New Hampshire were short and sweet. Pretty much exactly what you would expect - nice people and green hills. What you may not expect are some of the steepest climbs of the entire route. Today we conquered Kancamagus Pass in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It was cold, foggy and rainy but we pedaled hard, determined to reach Maine.

We're about 195 miles from our final destination, Bar Harbor. At 65 miles per day we should arrive Saturday night. We'll update again soon, but now it's time to replenish our bodies.

Trivia: What is the location of the fastest wind ever recorded? (Not including tornadoes)

Middlebury, VT - and tshirt winner

Yesterday we rode the ferry across Lake Champlain - leaving the Adirondacks and heading towards the Green Mountains of Vermont. We slept under a pavilion in Middlebury, a college town nestled into the mountains. It has a European feel with great shops and restaurants. We are all very excited to be in Vermont, a first for all of us. If everything goes according to plan we should arrive in Bar Harbor, ME the evening of October 13th. Only 6 more days of riding. We've pedaled almost 4,000 miles and have raised only 15% percent of our fundraising goal. Thanks to everyone who has shown support - please pass our info along because time is running out! We'll never know which dollar actually finds a cure for MS so give the 400,000 people out there reason to hope - donate now!

The tshirt winner from this week is Paul Anthon, our friend from the Erie County Home in Buffalo, NY. Your answer is correct, the Adirondacks recieve more snow than anywhere east of the Rockies.

Trivia: Which state's constitution was the first to abolish slavery and eliminate property ownership as a requirement to vote?

The Adirondacks; just like the picture on a bottle of maple syrup.

Ahhhh. Upstate New York. We've been pedaling through the most amazing fall colors I've ever seen lately and I'm really finally getting the feeling of season change. With this beauty does come a small change in weather. It's starting to cool down and yesterday we rode in an incredible rain storm. We weathered well and once I got over my wet shoes this morning everything is looking cheerful again. We camped behind the bar in Newcomb in the covered shed area. It was a handy little spot a mere stumble from the stool. Despite the luxury accommodations, we were rushed out in the morning due to lack of food and more dramatically the lack of a head. Don reported back after his regular early-morning recon that there was nothing in Newcomb that would satisfy any of our needs. But, as fate would have it, by the time we got rolling the little cafe up the street had opened and we were satiated fully. It's a little difficult to fathom having to get off my but right now because it sure is warm in here but one can only watch morning television talk for so long. Lacking a rope to hang myself with I guess our only option will be to get back on the road.
We're headed toward Ticonderoga today. I hear there are forests of #2 pencils up there and that the yellow is just spectacular. I'm expect some serious sketching and cursive practice or at least a few "rubbings" here and there.
Mason is going into Apple Butter withdrawals right now. We've been feeding him a constant supply of apple Jelly but as any addict will tell you, jelly is no substitute for butter. We have coincidentally been either a day late or a day early for every all-you-can-eat-apple-butter-fest in the Northeast. Poor Mason looks like a junkie that realized he forgot his spoon at home. To the east we'll go and hopefully get him sorted out before he goes crazy(more crazy).
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my Aunt and Uncle Leta and Robert Dentan again. We arrived at their house in Buffalo on about 2 and a half hours notice and without even breaking stride they brought us in and made us very comfortable. Robert, I hope that your arm heals well. That said, you can always chalk up any residual scaring as the result of a hockey fight. I know you've got no reason to pick up chicks(namely being married to my lovely Aunt) but when I fell off my bike and scraped my face off they loved the hockey story. Also, the neighbors across the street, Don, Cindy, Will, Tony and Lee and Farley were most gracious hosts and I would like to thank them as well. I think we're still full. Thank you all again. It's your fault that I'm coming back to Buffalo. And I'm addicted to Beef on Weck. If you don't know what that is GO TO BUFFALO! Also, Diedra at the Buffalo News gets a thank you for coming out and meeting with us to get us in the paper. She was not only a sight for sore eyes but a helpful ally in our quest.
All-in all New York has been most welcoming. The view of New Yorkers as rude and loud is not true. They are loud but they're loudly nice. The scenery out here is like none other. If you ever get a chance, more to the point make a chance, go see New York. And eat a sub. They're delicious. Oh yeah, if they ask if you want the mustard on your sandwich fried, they actually think you asked for mushrooms.
-K

Old Forge, NY

According to Snapple Iced Tea Company, New York County (Manhattan) is the smallest county (area) in the United States.

Trivia:

What mountain range recieves more snowfall than anywhere east of the Rockies?

Adirondacks

Just a quick update from perhaps the most beautiful place in the world at this exact moment. The color of the leaves is peaking this weekend in the Adirondacks according to the paper and it's absolutely gorgeous. We will update with pictures soon.

To those who said we were leaving too late in the summer, I think we may have timed it perfectly. More luck than brains, as my dad would say.

Trivia Question: What is the smallest county (area) in the continental United States?

New York

New York state has proven to be beautiful and friendly so far. The hills are scattered with farmland and deciduous trees that are about to shed their leaves. This afternoon we will leave the shores of Lake Ontario and head towards the Adirondack mountains.

The other night we had a record eight flat tires between the four of us. Then the bridge over the bay was closed so we were on the road late through Rochester, NY. Luckily, we stumbled across the 'Boulevard Grille' at around midnight and the owner Robbie made us feel at home. This was an Italian neighborhood and it was instantly apparent we had reached the east. Thanks for the wings and the hospitality -

Trivia Question:

Partners MS Center is currently working on the CLIMB study. What does C.L.I.M.B. stand for?

Buffalo, cont.

This morning we parted ways with Buffalo after an action packed weekend in New York's western metropolis. Karl's aunt and uncle provided us a very comfortable headquarters from which to launch our all-out assault against MS and get cleaned up a bit. Thanks to the neighbors across the street for feeding us twice, and for exposing us to the lesser-known associate of the Buffalo wing, the beef-on-weck sandwich. Nice try beef-on-weck, but you are no Buffalo wing. Like many other cities in the rust belt, Buffalo has experienced an exodus of jobs and population (about 500,000 to 280,000), but has retained many beautiful neighborhoods loaded with historic architecture. People in Buffalo love it here, and its contagious. Fortunately for us it hasn't started snowing yet, although last year the first major blizzard hit on Oct. 13th! We better get moving since we don't have snow chains.

Today Bike the US for MS experienced its first split as Karl and Devin ventured across the border to check out Niagara Falls, while Don and I headed back to the Erie County Home to visit with MS patients. It was a great compromise for all parties, and although I can't wait to visit this area again and see the falls, it was incredibly fulfilling to talk with people about their life with MS. They have genuine hope that a cure will be discovered one day, and the look in their eyes is the only thanks we need. If we hadn't done another single thing to benefit MS, our experience at the home would completely justify a bike ride from Seattle to Buffalo. Thanks to the administration and staff of the home for their hospitality, and especially to Paul Anthon for being the Man.

Tonight we camp in Gasport, NY, where we pick up a bike trail and head east for a few hundred miles into the Adirondacks and then into New England. We are excited to see the fall foliage and we hope to generate tons of organizational momentum for our collision with the mighty Atlantic. Anybody have a great idea as to how we could get our bikes from Bar Harbor to Boston without riding them?


Trivia du jour: What navigable waterway connects the Hudson River to the Great Lakes? And, given that the the Great Lakes are over 500 ft. above sea level, how do boats achieve this elevation gain?

Buffalo, NY - and tshirt winner!

Buffalo has been great. Nice people, delicious food, good weather (at least for now). We are staying with Karl's aunt and uncle, Robert and Leta. They have been great hosts and we're having a fun time. We stopped by the restaurant that invented buffalo wings, but here they are simply called chicken wings. It seems that most residents of Buffalo love their city and think it's the greatest place on earth. It's refreshing to visit places like this.

We had a great visit with Paul Anthon at the Erie County Home. His determination to stay productive while battling MS is truly inspirational. He has worked hard to bring computers and high-speed internet to the 580 residents of Erie County Home and is currently planning the installation of wireless internet. He teaches people to use voice recognition software and other tools that help handicapped folks access the internet. Many people appreciate his efforts and his determination was incredible. Paul is a great guy and we thank him for letting us visit.

We did a raffle drawing tonight and the winner is.....Michelle Bollinger! She answered twice so that doubled her chances. Thanks for the great answers Michelle, we're learning from the trivia as well. Let me know what size you guys need - for Rob also.

Hope everyone is doing well -

Donald

Trivia Question #4

What parts of the world have the highest incidence of Multiple Sclerosis? Feel free to include any additional information about MS distribution and demography.

Anyone who has answered correctly this week has a chance to win a free tshirt. Tonight we will pick names from a hat and announce the winner!

The Empire State

New York!! Buffalo New York to be exact is today's locale. Its the home of the Bills, the deliciously spicy wings, and Karl's aunt and uncle Lita and Robert. Interestingly, Buffalo is also one of very few cities in the U.S with a radial street pattern (think bicycle spokes!).

The last few days have been spent skirting Lake Erie through Ohio, Pennsylvania and since last evening, New York. The views have been gorgeous along the lake and the fall foliage is just beginning to come into being. Leaves are still predominately green now, but swaths of yellow and orange and a bit of red are becoming apparent. One of the cooler things we've experienced the last few days are the fields of concord grapes. Riding along we'll suddenly be overtaken by their smell so sweet and strong that it almost seems artificial, like grape Kool-Aid!

Tonight we are staying with Lita and Robert Dentan, aunt and uncle to Karl. Today Lita took us to a nice lunch here in Buffalo and was then nice enough to buy us a sampling of the area's micro brews:). The Dentans are also letting us use their showers and laundry facilities, which judging from the state of our hygiene these days might be a questionable move on their part. Nonetheless, once again the kindness and hospitality of our families and friends is something to marvel at.

We're very much looking forward to seeing Niagara Falls tomorrow and are planning on traveling through a portion of Canada to get there. The remaining mileage of our trip is quickly dwindling which leaves us all with mixed emotions. The nomadic lifestyle we've all adopted won't be easy to leave behind, but the notion of being able to sleep in a real bed is starting to seem more and more appealing.

I hope that everyone is having a great weekend, and enjoying the new trivia component to the blog. Be sure to check out question #3 below. Take care and enjoy yourselves!



-Devin

Trivia Question #3

Trivia Question #3

According to the National MS Society, how many Americans have MS? AND, approximately how many new cases are diagnosed each week?

Don't forget to check tomorrow night to see if you won a free tshirt!

Trivia Question #2

We finally made it to Pennsylvania, and we'll be in New York this afternoon. It's been raining the last three days, but thats ok...better than snow! Only about 900 miles left.

Trivia Question #2:

What town is considered the geographic center of North America?

Thanks for all the responses yesterday - don't forget to check over the weekend...even though the work week is over, the trivia will continue!

Trivia Question #1

Starting today, we will pose daily trivia questions to be answered in the comment section of the blog. Daily winners will be entered into a weekly raffle drawing for a free tshirt, and national fame of course. The weekly drawing will occur every Sunday night, to provide extra incentive to wake up and face the work week. Questions will range from MS related info to geographic trivia.

Trivia Question #1:

Multiple Sclerosis is a neurodegenerative autoimmune disease.

What part of the nueron is destroyed in Multiple Sclerosis?

Please answer in the comment section to score a free tshirt!

Vermilion, OH and Lake Erie

Last night we arrived in Vermilion, OH on the shores of Lake Erie. We are very excited because it's not just a nice lake...it's a great lake!

We had food and drinks at Rudy's, which may be the friendliest bar on this side of the Mississippi, and maybe the other side too. Everyone was very curious and excited about our trip, and people kept buying us beers. Rudy himself even gave us tshirts. We had a blast.

It rained all day today as we traveled through Cleveland. Navigating through unfamiliar cities on a bicycle is not my favorite, but we followed the lake and it wasn't too bad.

Since the trip is nearly complete we are going to make an extra effort to blog every day. And also starting tomorrow we will pose daily trivia questions and the first person to answer correctly will recieve a free tshirt...so get ready for some trivia!

Have a good evening -

Donald

Ohio, finally

A few tantalizing miles up State Line Rd. on the Indiana side of the border, then an eastward plunge straight into the heart of Ohio. Its every bike tourist's fantasy and it's what we did with our Sunday morning. Other than that, few things have seemed exceptional since our encounter with Dr. Neal Haskell the forensic entomologist; until today that is, when we had the good fortune of stumbling into Stimmel's Market in Bowling Green, OH, where Michelle and Matthew Stimmel treated us to some incredibly delicious salads and sandwiches. We didn't exactly stumble in by chance- they are actually good college friends of my girlfriend Leanna, and they are very cool and generous individuals. If you ever come to Bowling Green, you'd be a fool not to stop by their deli for lunch and browse their impressive selection of wines and craft beers. It was an oasis for us city slickers in territory relatively hostile to wholesome food and drink. They're also hosting us at their farmhouse for the evening and made us a genuine 5 star dinner, not to mention selflessly contaminating their washing machine with our 4-day chamois. They have a wolf named Kerouac, and he has inspired me to change my power animal from the Blue Jay to the domesticated wolf, despite Don's objection to self-power animal assignment. Thanks to Matt and Michelle, and we hope to cross paths with this super friendly couple in the future.

Other trip notes: Ohio is loaded with bad dudes. I mean the Kid Rock, early 90's Mustang, greasy mullet, spin your tires and smoke out the cyclists cause they're losers kind of bad dudes. These guys are bad to the bone and they're out to prove it. They see us just in time to crank the volume, depress the gas pedal an extra inch, holler somethin' nasty at us, then drive away real fast. I assure you we are impressed and scared all at once.

Special thanks to the moms who continue to supply our bellies with tasty treats and to the lovely Leanna for handling and shipping the t-shirt orders. Don't forget- tshirts@biketheusforms.org- your last chance to make people think you're a good person in '07.

Tomorrow we set sail in a rare tailwind towards Lake Erie and on to Cleveland, where Karl will challenge LeBron James to a game of horse. Seriously, does anybody know how to make this happen?

Indiana feels like home

We are currently camped out in Denver, Indiana at the public park. As usual, someone has left their wireless network open for us to use.

The last couple days have been incredibly interesting. We had a nice lunch yesterday with Mary Beth and Darlene in Rensselaer, IN. We contacted them through an MS chat forum and they drove down to meet us...and buy us lunch - that's not how this is supposed to work! But thank you very much Mary Beth and Darlene, we had a great time. Keep an eye out for the tshirts!



After lunch we began the daily discussion regarding where to camp for the night. We were sitting on the sidewalk outside the restaurant when a friendly, burly man walks up and starts talking to us. His name is Dr. Neal Haskel, a professor at St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer. He invited us to his 800 acre farm down the road to camp for the night. We had no idea what was ahead of us.



It turns out Dr. Haskel is the foremost expert on Forensic Entomology in North America. Have you even wondered how people determine time of death in murder cases? Well me neither really...but it's based on the growth and development of maggots inhabiting the rotting corpse. As a human body decomposes, different species of flies inhabit the body in stages. These stages allow Dr. Haskel to determine how long a person has been dead. He showed us around his lab, farm and let Karl take a ride in the giant combine as it chopped down corn. If you're into CSI, try googling "Neal Haskel". We can't thank Neal enough - we had a great time.

"Maggot Power"

There is much more to tell about this adventure, but it's getting late and we're hoping for an 80 miler tomorrow. Be sure to check out Devin's blog below about our nice visit in Odell, Illinios. Thanks for checking in - have a great weekend!

Don

A Visit With Family

If Bike the US for MS were to have cheerleaders, Elaine Petry, my grandfather's wife would certainly be the head. Along with my grandpa Russ Petry, I'm pretty sure Elaine tells literally every person she meets (or knows) about our efforts. Through letters to her many friends, bulletins in her church newsletter, and conversations with someone as unlikely as a passing fellow patron in a restaurant, Elaine tells EVERYONE about what we are up to and is sure to pass out the pertinent literature she carries in her purse.

Russ and Elaine both being octogenarians, it is difficult for them to hop on the internet and check our status. So they regularly go to a nearby office supply store and employ the help of a nice young lady who leads them through our website and prints out updates. Their letters to us and their words of support throughout the planning stages of this trip and on have truly been inspiring to all of us.

Wednesday found Karl, Mason, Don and I in Odell, Illinois a very small farming town about ninety miles south of Chicago. We were there to meet Grandpa and Elaine who had been given a surprise trip to meet us by the mayor of their Chicago suburb River Grove. Mayor Marilynn May and her incredibly kind administrative assistant Jeanne Walsh were so appreciative of Russ and Elaine's positive involvement in their town that when Elaine brought our trip to their attention they felt compelled to charter a luxury sedan for them both to ride down and meet us as we passed near Chicago. Not only that, but River Grove's kind leader also found an anonymous donor to buy all of us lunch.

Our visit was excellent; the love, support and excitement that exuded from these two wonderful people was so apparent to all of us. For me personally, being able to spend time on this journey with two of the most important people in my life was something so positive that it's tough to put to words. My Grandpa's eyes told me instantly that he felt the same way. The unending support and love he's always shown me was thick in the air around us there in Odell, and I nor the other guys could have asked for better company.

Thanks so much to you Grandpa and Elaine for the kind cards, the tasty snacks, the fun conversation, but foremost for being such kind, caring and interested grandparents. You both are so appreciated and loved.






-Devin

The "I" State Invasion

We are now in the midst of our highly anticipated tour through the states that begin with the letter I, although the anticipation was apparently ours alone because not many people here seem to know we were coming. We assumed that dense civilization would abound here on the eastern banks of the Mississippi, but Illinois is about as rural as America gets. We've made camp for the night on the outskirts of a town called Streator, in a Super 8, next to a particularly delicious Pizza Hut. Now before you jump to conclusions and accuse us of going soft, put yourself in the shoes of poor Don, who managed to develop a rather uncomfortable reaction to poison ivy in a few rather uncomfortable locations, and needed a shower and a comfortable venue to stage his counter attack. No complaints from the rest of us, who needed showers only slightly less than Don and clean laundry just as much. I'm sure Devin's grandpa Russ and his wife Elaine will appreciate the reduction of physical offensiveness we've achieved here at the Super 8 when we meet them for lunch tomorrow.


The weather lately has been a wily beast, freezing at night then pushing triple digits the next afternoon. Head winds have been the norm but the forecast predicts a welcome change for tomorrow. Yesterday we discovered a bike trail along a canal that spanned nearly 50 miles of the route, giving us a fantastic opportunity to zone out without concern for vehicle traffic. We accepted the trail as another offering from the divine lord of cyclists, who, when one considers the unexpected discovery of a bikes-only campground last week at a crucial moment, apparently likes our blog. We arrived in town with empty bellies and wound up at the only bar in town, nodding enthusiastically to the bartender's constant inquiry of "nuther beer?" and approving the level of crispiness of each of the 3 frozen pizzas he proudly presented to us. A half gallon of cookies n' cream later, we set out to find another rogue camp site to end another day in the good life.

Also, if you want to look cool this fall, don't forget to order your official Bike the US for MS t-shirt by emailing us at tshirt@biketheusforms.org.

And yes, chocolate milk really is better in Wisconsin. I hope to have a similar renaissance with apple butter when I get to New England.

-Mason

Tri-State region

We're stopped over in Dubuque, Iowa after a couple chilly days of riding along the Mississippi. A cold front blew in and caught us off guard a bit - the temperature fell to around freezing the past two nights. God must like us though - right after the cold front blew in a Cabela's store appeared on the horizon. It was the same effect as when you grocery shop while hungry (S.W.H.) - we purchased hats and socks and gloves. It was amazing.


On Thursday we met Tom Larson of La Crosse, WI. We enjoyed a few PBRs (Tom's favorite beer) and watched the wind change from north to south on his porch, bringing with it the cold weather. Tom has had MS since 1989 but doesn't let it get him down. It wasn't too hard to find him, he was out and about on his hover-round cruising around the neighborhood. He loves that thing - he praises it and swears, "i'm not getting paid a thing to say this but...." Tom was hilarious and we had a great time.


I thought Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois were as flat as pancakes but this is not so. This portion of the tri-state area (Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois) is actually quite hilly. It is because we're in a "driftless area", an area untouched by the glaciers that formed the plains. We have been traveling along the river for a few days in the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge. It has been beautiful - the bluffs along the Mississippi are steep and covered with deciduous trees. Soon we will begin to head east towards Chicago to meet Devin's grandparents in Odell, Illinois.

Thanks to all those who have contacted us about coming through your area. We'll make as many stops as we can afford - just as long as we make it to Maine before the snow does.

Donald

Highway 61 visited...for the very first time.

We've made it out of Minnitropolis unscathed. Mason successfully navigated the restrooms at the airport not once, but twice, without being arrested for lewd acts and Devin and Donald both survived...errr...enjoyed visits from their lovely girlfriends Michelle and Kristen. Our first night out of the city was spent at Afton State Park just up the hill from the Mighty Mississippi. Got in late and three of the four of us ended up sleeping on top of picnic tables. It must have looked like some feast gone horribly wrong. I know it smelled like that at least.
Yesterday we made good time and about 60 miles and camped on the shores of Lake Pepin. Had a camp fire and a nice rest, save for the speeding midnight trains. I cooked breakfast over the fire this morning and felt a little bit like Grizzly Adams. Except I don't think he ate corn beef hash burritos.
Hit the road and have been winding our way through beautiful rural Minnesota. We've been shadowing the river and hope to camp next to it again tonight. I discussed the intricacies of catfishing with a gentleman today and hope to pull a little dinner out of the the Muddy Miss here pretty soon. It sounds as if they are a hard catch as they only eat "...pretty much anything." I hope they like zucchini. We'll check in in a bit with more details. Just didn't want anybody to think we were dead. Word-K

Leaving Minneapolis

We're getting ready to leave Minneapolis after a long and enjoyable stay. Mason had to fly to his sister's wedding in Maine, so we've been hanging out since last Wednesday. Congrats to Leslie and Jason Beck!

The Radisson on the U. of Minnesota campus has been great, although we're going to have to live like homeless bums to make it to Maine with any money whatsoever. I definitely have regrets about eating at Applebees 6 times because it was 200 ft from the room....ahhhhh... We have to get out of here and get back to eating healthy food.

Thanks to Christine Ratcliffe from the MS foundation for spreading info on our ride and hooking us up with people to meet/help along the way. Her efforts are greatly appreciated - we have a hard enough time sorting out our bikes, food, where we're going, where we're camping - it's nice to have a little help.

And also thanks to Amber at vidshadow for hooking us up with a camera and providing an entertaining way to raise money.

We're out of here. We added more photos on our page so check them out!

Donald

Minneapolis

Today we broke our commitment of staying in tents the whole time. We reached our peak of nastiness and broke down. So we're here at the Ramada in Minneapolis. It's great - AC, showers, beds, tv, free coffee, electricity. One more day of riding without doing laundry and I think we would have needed our chamois' surgically removed.

Riding through Minnesota has been nice. Tons of lakes and turkey farms. I think i'm going to purchase free range turkeys from now on. Those walmart sized enclosures smell ridiculous and I would never want to eat anything from inside.

Yesterday a dog ran out in the road so I stopped oncoming traffic. Then it ran up and bit my foot, the ungrateful bastard. So like an idiot, I chased it and yelled at it...So there! Very funny for those watching. New policy for dogs - unclip the feet and be ready for battle. I wanted to pick fights with little dogs just to redeem myself.

We are staying in Minneapolis until Monday morning and look forward to checking out the city and volunteering if possible. If anyone has any tips or info about Minneapolis please fill us in!

Donald

Pelican Rapids Minnesota

A quick update this morning from Pelican Rapids Minnesota. After the scolding I received from my mom the other day for not updating the blog, I felt I better hop to it.

We woke up this morning to an incredible view on the edge of Mill Pond in the Pelican Rapids City Park. Great facilities, huge old oak trees, an unlocked wi-fi signal, an all around beautiful spot and also home to the world's largest Pelican.



Yesterday we grudgingly left Fargo, ND / Moorhead, MN and forged for about six hours into the wind. Days like that always seem painful at first, but it doesn't take long to get lost in your mind and you soon seem to forget about the headwind. Before you know it ten, then twenty, then many more miles have melted away, along with most of the day.

Fargo/Moorhead really is a cool metro area, we all enjoyed our layover there, and were all happy to break the diet of chicken strips, greasy burgers and french fries we've been forced to eat the last couple weeks. The food options a larger city offers is something we've all missed very much. Culturally, Fargo seemed to have much more to offer than just a cute local accent (as demonstrated in the Coen Brothers movie). There are at least 3 or 4 colleges in the vicinity and thus plenty of hip young folk are interspersed with the stereotypical "ya shur you betcha" Scandinavian mid-westerners. Its really a nice mix.

Minnesota has already brought us back into the trees, though now the deciduous variety. They help by cutting the wind a bit and also providing some shade to nap under. The plains were enjoyable and beautiful in their own right, but it sure is nice to be back with our friends the trees.

We seem to have a more favorable wind this morning so I suppose we should go pedal with it. Please keep the emails and comments coming in, we really enjoy getting them. I hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day Weekend, have fun and be safe.

-Devin

Fargo, North Dakota

I think we've decided to hang out here in Fargo, North Dakota for another night. The plan was to leave today after taking care of a few things, but Fargo is actually much nicer than expected. We had a few things to take care - bike shop, post office, shave beards into mustaches (karl only).

The bike shop in Fargo, Island Park Cyclery, is nice and incredibly helpful. Tom helped us tighten Devin's bottom bracket and gave us a good route out of town. This was the first decent bike shop since Whitefish, MT.

We're about to go use the $100 Scheels gift card given to us by a farmer named Kevin in Arthur, ND (Scheels is the REI of North Dakota). I met Kevin and some other nice guys at the gas station getting their morning coffee before heading out to work. We talked for a while about farming, biking, missile silos and other things. They are growing soybeans, corn, wheat and sugar beets. The farming communities here in eastern North Dakota seem to be doing very well.

We have traveled far enough now that people don't believe us when we tell them we biked from Seattle. They have a lot of questions, mainly - why did you ride your bike here from Seattle?

A few more errands to run - we'll update again soon!

Donald

No matter how far ya' go, ya' won't find no place like Fargo!

A Poem


All of our children
will grow to hate us some day.
Not because we've ignored them, or been abusive or neglectful.
Not because we gave them bowl haircuts
the night before the first day of seventh grade,
or because we never knocked when we came into their rooms to tell them to get jobs, or stop dating that twit
or shave that...that... whatever-the-hell-it-is off their upper lips(wink).

They won't hate us because we forgot their birthdays or their names
or their release dates.
They won't hate us because we squandered the fortunes they made
as child-prodigies or sitcom actors,
on women who weren't their mothers
and sleeveless concert t-shirts that weren't their school shoes.

No, our children will hate us
for enriching their lives.
They'll hate us for making one safe, sane decision
out of the multitude of reckless, selfish ones.
They'll hate us
for placing importance on their development
into well-rounded, fruitful individuals.

Our children will not hate us because
we were bad to them.
They will hate us
because we were good to them.
They will hate us for a simple reason.
They will hate us
because they were lucky enough
to have spent every summer,
of their developing lives

In North Dakota.



N.D. re-cap is forthcoming! I promise,but I've got the Rushi in me and I think the California roll is coming back up to say "far out brah!" I'm having a little trouble sorting out the last couple days' events but we'll be there soon. Let's just say, Talapia is much better when you cut out the middle-man and about two thousand miles, Fargo is great and not at all "funny lookin'," and Minnesota, as far as I could tell from my spandex-clad crawl up the muddy bank of the (wink again) mighty Red River, is as sweet as a folded up Land-o-Lakes box.

North Dakota has been very good to us and we love her.

Thank you all and good night from Fargo...Fargo North Dakota.
-Karl

RUGBY, NORTH DAKOTA

This morning's blog entry has special significance- it shall be transmitted to the world wide web from the geographical center of the North American continent. I don't know if that means it will reach our readers in the Yucatan and on the north slope of Alaska at the same time, but it's cool nonetheless.

Apparently, Rugby is also the galactical epicenter of extraordinary hospitality, courtesy of Rob and Michelle Bollinger and their 5 children. They invited us to crash in their basement for the night and make us dinner, in addition to contacting local news stations for us. I think Michelle is upstairs right now making us pancakes and eggs, and her pot roast should probably win her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. How they manage to take care of us while parenting 5 (very well behaved) kids and remodeling their awesome 1907 home is beyond me, but they've certainly earned a place in the Bike the US for MS Hall of Fame. Thanks Bollingers!



If most of you are like me, you probably haven't given much thought to the state of North Dakota, so I'll provide a brief synopsis. Some time during the last ice age, a giant glacial ice sheet carved a landscape with gently rolling hills and rich layers of topsoil ideal for grasses and agriculture. There isn't much here other than hay -fields and missile silos, but it doesn't feel barren or particularly isolated, and the riding conditions are great. The towns are full of friendly people and old deciduous trees, and the entire state gives off a generally wholesome vibe.

I'd also like to thank Kim and Jill at the Minot Daily News for doing a really good story on us, and especially for publishing that the highlight of Karl's trip was going to the mall. He bought some really cute hair clips and a Justin Timberlake poster, ate a giant pretzel, and spent his whole allowance, but he's been a new man ever since. We woke up on Sunday morning eager to read our article only to find that the printing press had broken- I have trouble thinking this was a coincidence, but my theories are a little far fetched.

Today we battle a head wind towards a place called Devil's Lake. Should be to Fargo and then into Minnesota by the end of the week. Stay tuned...

-Mason

Minot, ND

We are currently camped out in Minot, ND behind the Holiday Inn at Riverside RV Park. We were slightly disappointed to find there's no river anywhere to be seen, but at least there is this nice Holiday Inn - where Karl has somehow convinced the front desk attendant into letting us enjoy the pool and hot tub. He achieved this last night after the rest of us went to sleep. I'm not sure when Karl sleeps but it must not be necessary - he was also awake when I got up and had a bunch of stories from the hotel bar last night.

We didn't know what to expect from North Dakota - none of us have ever been here before. The landscape consists of rolling grasslands and never-ending wheat fields. I never would have guessed how big the oil industry is here. Oil rigs are scattered throughout the hillsides and Halliburton trucks outnumber normal vehicles, at least from Williston to New Town.

Yesterday I'm pretty sure we stumbled across some underground missile silos in the middle of a sunflower field. It was a small fenced area that was mostly concrete except for the 10 x 10 foot green door on the ground. We had been resting on the side of the road in the sunflower patch for maybe 5 minutes when 2 young guys pull up wearing full battle gear, including AK-47's and helmets. They kindly asked us to keep moving. Perhaps a sign saying "no trespassing" would be a good first defense. I guess I'm glad those two teenagers are driving around the highway with AK-47's defending our homeland from dangerous bike tourists. Maybe our newly grown beards sent them into Red terror alert mode.

We were in the Minot Daily Newspaper yesterday offering our volunteer services to people in the area and so far we haven't gotten any takers. Anyone have any ideas? It seems people don't like to ask for help so we may have to change our strategy. We are going to stay here in Minot and do laundry, hit the bike shop, and do an interview with the news station. Tomorrow we head to Rugby, ND to meet Rob and Michelle who have offered to let us stay with them, cook us a meal, and sleep in their basement - as well as hooking us up with the local television news station. We've never met these folks and they are offering their home to us! It's amazing - thank you so much Rob and Michelle.

Time for breakfast - have a good weekend!

Donald

MT to ND

Wednesday saw us pedal further across the plains and make our way into our fourth state of the trip, North Dakota. Waking up in the morning we still had the winds to our backs, and knew we had to take further advantage of them. Tuesday's distance was a bit more modest than the prior day's as we came in around 50 miles total, but we got some much needed rest in Wolf Point that night which left us rearing to go Wednesday morning.

Pedaled for a couple hours and found ourselves in Culbertson MT, where we all had the great pleasure of being treated to lunch by Julie Maier her daughters Meghan and Rachel, and her Mom Jean Johnston. Julie is a close family friend of mine from Kingman AZ and she and her daughters have been huge supporters (and blog readers) of ours. The three lovely Maier ladies have been getting back to their roots here in Montana and along with Julie's mom Jean were able to drive down to Culbertson to meet us for lunch and a great visit. It was really nice to see familiar faces, and these four happen to be particularly nice. Karl Miller's List of Potential Wives just gained a couple more entries. All four of us really enjoyed ourselves and our afternoon was much more pleasant as a result. Sincere thanks from all of us to you lovely ladies.

Also while in Culbertson, we stopped by the Post Office to pick up another huge batch of the most amazing homemade jerky ever, shipped to us by one of the loveliest of lovely ladies, my mom Sherrine. Thanks Mom, from us and the beef industry.

After a second lunch of snack food from the Maier's snacks and my Mom's jerky, we pedaled through the afternoon and eventually made it here to Willingston in time to set up camp in another city park and feast on chicken burritos.

It was another sunny day in Paradise, in total covering 102 miles with almost 6 hours in the saddle. Already we've noticed nicer road conditions here in North Dakota and look forward to more of the smooth ND road to come.

Tomorrow, we're going to pick up some supplies in town, hopefully get my bottom bracket checked out, then hit the road towards Minot.

All for now, take care, thanks to everyone for all the support!

-Devin

ps. Karl mentioned the group of cyclists we saw in Chinook. They are a group of three guys who are doing the same trip as us but in the reverse direction. During our planning stages I started reading their blog to get an idea of what we might expect during out travels. I expected we'd encounter them sooner or later and it was really nice finally meeting them. We all wished we could have spent more time with them. They've got a very well written blog which you can see here.

Home and Away in Chinook Montana

So, the plan to make it to Malta in one day sorta fell through when I found that I'd broken a spacer on my steer tube. This meant that on a Sunday morning, in quiet, most-things-closed-on-Sundays-namely-the-bike-shop-which-is-owned-by-a-jerk-so-I-wouldn't -go-there-anyway Havre, I had to go in search of a solution. This solution ultimately came in the form of a very nice gentleman named Mark that I met while trying to saw off steer tube with a dull hacksaw as it was propped on the curb in the parking lot of the Checkers auto part store. He made the mistake of letting me borrow a sharp hacksaw and when all was said and done, he'd lent me his hacksaw, pipe-vice, mini sledge, brass punch and a file. He also gave me some zip ties to replace the ones I'd cut off of my computer. Apparently a bicyclist's best friend is not a dog with roller skates instead of legs after all but, rather a man who works with natural gas pipelines and carries all of his tools with him in a large truck...with a pipe-vice on the bumper. Thanks Mark!
We didn't leave Havre until whenever, I don't have a clock. I think it was 11:30 or so. Not a good start to a 80+ mile day. Rode through construction and dirt and strong headwinds until we got to Chinook. At which point we made it official that we were going to bag it after only 20 miles. While we licked our wounds, we ate cheeseburgers and 15 pound ice creams things. Our wounds were sticky and cheesy to say the least. Upon the recommendation of a local, we set up camp on the grounds of the Chinook Water works, a nice little place with big cottonwoods, right next to the Milk River. We spent the afternoon napping and drinking water as the winds gradually increased. In the evening all hell broke loose. King Lear type stuff. Really strong winds and rain drove us into our tents for a while. Don and I went exploring a little later and found the bicycles of a three-man group headed west that Devin had been in contact with. We didn't interrupt them at dinner, but let Devin know that they were in town. He went and found them later and they camped at the same park. I think that there is a link from our site to theirs. If not, I'll have Devin do that, they're cool guys.


So blah, blah, blah. Camp, shmamp. You guys want the good stuff don't ya? You're like little fiends; just can't get enough. Well I've got something for you. Can you handle it? Ok...ready...here goes. Today we rode one hundred and forty miles. That's right. We got up, got off our cans, feasted on gas station breakfast burritos, caught a tailwind and proceeded to haul ass from Chinook to Glasgow in 7 hours of riding. It was sweet. We rode the first sixty to Malta before lunch. Had a nice lunch on the lawn of the library, and did some stretches and headstands.


Oh yeah, I did my push-ups. Well, I'd already done some but, really, I just don't feel like I ever actually get tired doing them, so I did some more. It was sweet too. Then we blasted on to Glasgow. The first half of the day was faster as the winds were much stronger and more directly at our backs. The entire way was pretty, again the qualifier you hear a lot comes up, "if you like the prairie." Sunny the whole way but not blazing hot. As we approached Glasgow, the presence of water could be seen in the green grass and tress as well as THE INCREDIBLE SWARMS OF MOSQUITOES. Holy smokes! I take A-positive in case they suck me dry. You could kill six with a single swat on your calf and by the time you'd wiped them off your hand, their buddies had come to take their places. I'm wearing my bike shorts inside-out tomorrow. Giving 'em the old "nose in the chamois" trick. We'll see if any of the little buggers wanna bite me then.



Tonight we are camped at the RV park of a hotel. The internet, showers and chance at a cold beer being very weighty in the decision making process. And, no mom, I'm not drinking too much. We each had one and then had to leave because we were all about to fall asleep. This is what it's come to. Four, twenty-something, broke, bike ridin' punks that can't even stay awake to party, crashing in the dirt of a barren RV park next to the train tracks. Maybe everybody will have it this good some day.

Havre, MT

We are enjoying round 3 at the Best Western "great northern inn" continental breakfast here in Havre, MT. Our stay at the RV park has been very convenient and comfortable - this is probably the best place to stay in town. $30 buys you access to jacuzzi, pool, wireless internet, showers and a somewhat secluded campsite, at least for Havre. Not too many trees in these parts.

Today we will try to ride 88 miles to Malta. The wind is supposed at our backs but it's been from the east the last two days. One of Karl's headset spacers cracked so he is currently looking around town to find something to act as a spacer. Shouldn't take long and we'll be on the road soon. People advise against stopping in the reservation towns so we have to really push to make Malta. Mason just advised me there is an easterly wind so it may not happen.

Thanks to everyone who has contacted us about places to stay - we usually have no idea where we're staying when we leave in the morning. Tonight we'll probably end up staying on the side of the highway, but thats not so bad way out here in the middle of nowhere. Lot's of stars and plenty of flat places to put your tent.

Donald

Glacier National Park to Cut Bank, MT

Today we find ourselves on the east side of the Rocky Mountains and looking down the long straight double yellow lines of the prairie. Things are not only different here geographically, but socially as well. We got our first real exposure to a reservation, which left us all feeling a little disappointed in the problems our society is capable of neglecting. People are incredibly friendly regardless, and we accepted an invitation from our waitress at the C & L Cafe to camp in her backyard. We sat around on the deck for most of the evening with Meghan and her mom Ann, learning more than we ever expected to know about northern Montana.
Ever heard of Hutterites? Neither had we, but apparently they are amazing farmers, cooks, speakers of German, and quilt makers, and they live around here. Karl should probably marry one.

We are now into the second phase of our trip, hoping to make good progress across the mostly flat areas of Montana and North Dakota. It's hot during the day, but apparently Cut Bank is annually the coldest place in the continental US. Biting ants swarm with particular aggression- serving as pockets of bio-schrapnel while riding and completely suffocating us if we stop. We are happy to be here though and we are actively looking to help people with MS in the towns we ride through.

-Mason

Eureka to Whitefish

After waking up in the Riverside Park in Eureka MT, yesterday started with a delicious breakfast at Cafe Jax in Eureka, home of the world's best bacon. Arriving at Jax we were met by our new touring friends Keith and Donna. We thought we were way ahead of them at that point, but as Keith so nonchalantly told Don, "oh yeah, we had an 88 mile day yesterday." They are hardcore! It was going to be the last day of their trip as Whitefish was their destination. We'll miss seeing them on the road, they are very nice folks, so nice in fact that they sneakily bought our breakfast for us. So kind. Thank you Keith and Donna!!

We eventually made our way out of Eureka and punctuated the day's ride with another delicious food stop in Fortine at Meadow Creek Homemade Pies and Espresso. Renee's huckleberry milkshakes were amazing.

The afternoon brought us a much needed swim in Stillwater Lake and a nice siesta afterward. That evening we rolled into Whitefish MT under smoky skies and near perfect temps. It had been a particularly hot day, but the evening portion of the day's ride was beautiful.

We quickly got to the important tasks of refueling and imbibing at the Great Northern Bar and Restaurant. We listened to a pretty good Irish Punk band and met some really nice locals. Our conversations eventually led us to the comfortable front yard of Lynnwood, a very kind Whitefish resident whose band will be playing their first gig tonight (Good Luck!). The sleeping situation in the yard was adequately comfortable, and all of us enjoyed it. Don, however did seem to take issue with the topography of the yard at about 3 am. It was a fun night. :)

Today, to Glacier National Park! Keep the emails and comments coming, we love them!

-Devin

Eureka

We are sitting here at the Riverview Park campground in Eureka, Montana. Today our ride took us along the Kootenai River and along Lake Koocanusa. We just had pizza and beers after a good 74 mile day. Throughout the day we passed maybe 1 car per hour and had the wind to our backs.

We are about to unleash our secret fundraising weapon - something so amazing it may ultimately cure MS. If you donate $1 you will get a kiss from Karl Miller himself. That's right! Extra value menu or a kiss from a stud - it's up to you..

Its getting late and the mosquitoes just came out. We should be in Whitefish tomorrow and Glacier on Tuesday - should be awesome.

DF

Good Morning Sandpoint Idaho

Hello all.

We survived another night on the road, although the trains passing 30 feet from our tents provided a good scare at 4 am- my tent was rumbling so furiously I thought the guys may have dragged me right onto the tracks. The morale among team BTUSFMS is soaring with our arrival in a new state, and we are conflicted as to whether we should continue making progress into Montana or stay here in Sandpoint for the rest of our lives. This place is awesome- beautiful lake, exciting atmosphere- I think Don and Devin are reliving the magic of Dirty Dancing all over again. The "rift" between them as leaked by Karl has healed, and they are even "cycling" together again. As for Karl, the man has to be the most talented random song generator I've ever known, spontaneously spouting off 3 or 4 lines of songs most likely to get stuck in my head and moving on to the next without remorse. His theory about the bull urinating on his food bag is questionable to me, as this injustice has Don written all over it. New evidence in the case of an ill-fated laptop and a swift blow from Judge Judy?

We have a nice balance of personalities in our group for a trip of this nature, some not so serious and some more motivated at times, but we all seem to agree on important decisions and the best interest of the group is usually put first. We all dealt with our first dose of adversity like champions. We have had great reception to our cause thus far on the road, with most people enthusiastic about our ride and its good natured intent. We are still trying to get our footing a bit on how to explain to people what we are doing, as we don't want to seem obnoxious or pushy for donations, but I think we will soon become competent agents of charitable procurement. Suggestions are certainly accepted.

Thanks again to all the folks who helped us get off the ground and who continue to pedal our cause, and I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say hi to my friends and family.

Also of interest, Karl just ordered "raisin bran and bacon, and uh, thats it" for breakfast. Impressive indeed.

Hello from Sandpoint!

We made it to Idaho - now only 14 states, 2 mountain ranges and 3,850 miles to go. I must say that Sandpoint is beautiful and everyone has been incredibly welcoming so far. As we crossed the bridge into town a woman looked at our bikes and said, "looks like someone should welcome you to Northern Idaho!" We are happy to be here even though it's a short visit - if everything goes well we should be in Montana in a few days.

Not quite sure what Karl meant about Devin and I bickering. I think Karl was trying to "spice-up" our blog. It worked because a few people have asked if we are getting along. Sometimes its hard to get along with anyone when you're very tired or hungry as we tend to be, but we all get along quite well and honestly I wouldn't want to ride 4,295 miles with any other guys.

A very cool older couple, Keith and Donna, are riding along our same route from Everett, WA to Whitefish, MT...and they are serious bikers! Just when we think we've passed them for good they come riding by. They are both 60ish and Keith has MS! Admirable to say the least....slow down dammit!

Tomorrow we will send out some info and work out volunteer opportunities but now it's time to enjoy Sandpoint, Idaho and this Best Western RV Park. Thanks for the emails!

Donald

Aw Yeah!

It's official. Karl has set Colville as the bar in recreation. Water falls to swim in, delicious, fresh local beer to drink, free camping in a clean site hosted by a really nice guy AND, the prospective future wives of Karl Miller club has acquired a new member. Actually thus far she's stepped directly up to the chairwoman's podium. I won't divulge too much because I 'm a gentleman but oh man! This place is cool.
Don and Devin are at it again, the constant bickering is starting to drive me crazy. I feel as though they can only relate to each other through abuse. I guess as long as they leave me alone I'll be alright, but I'm about to get together with Mason and figure out a way to "calm things down" There's a lot of empty space out here. I hope they remember that.
Anyway, yeah, things are great! My legs hurt a bit today. I think that because of my superior physical state I take a little while longer to warm up than the other guys, whatever their names are. I feel as if a small fire smolders inside of me and it takes gentle stoking and care to work it up into a raging inferno that can't even be stopped by the Devil himself. Like I say, I think the other guys aren't really putting their whole hearts into it all of the time. I guess if I make it it's still a success.
So last night, when I was trying to put up my bear bag, I got the thing about ten feet up when the whole branch broke off and came crashing down. Now, this is unfortunate to say the least but, considering my experience with bear bags thus far, namely mice eating my sugar and the good stuff out of my trail mix and the bull in Wauconda pissing on my bag during the night(it obviously wasn't in a tree), I was ready to spit. It took two more attempts, the last one with a rock the size of a small melon, to get my stuff hung up.
The Raccoons ate the grape juice and dead yellowjackets out of a plastic bottle trap right outside Mason's tent. I think that it was a sign of trust and love on their part towards Mason. I don't know why they'd want to do that but there animals so you never really know. Wild, wild animals.
I'm about done with my coffee and going to go eat my leg, because I'm starving again! I don't really know how I'm going to deal with this in places were they don't have food, like North Dakota. I guess I have to load up in Sand Point. I've got to get rid of my long johns if I want to do that. And the slingshot.
-K

Colville

We've finally made it through the North Cascade Mountain passes. It took a few days, a lot of trail mix, a lot of water and a few safety meetings. But, now we're in Colville. We've really put in some miles the last few days considering the elevation gains. Washington, Rainy, Loup Loup, Wauconda and Sherman Passes were all beastly, but we put in the granny gear and just pedaled up 'em all.


It finally feels like we are in a new landscape, desert. No more lush Western Washington forests, now we have the rolling hills and Ponderosa forests of Eastern Washington. It feels just like I'm back home in Northern Arizona, very reminiscent of the Kaibab Plateau. The vistas are huge and gold, and they just don't end.

With great results, we've done some guerrilla camping the last couple nights. Sunday we rode until about 10 pm and just collapsed in a nice and comfortable field in the country. Woke up in a bull pen, literally. All of us really got some good sleep that night though. Last night was probably the best spot yet. After a huge dinner at the Hudson Bay Steak and Seafood Restaurant (the only food stop for miles) we found a great spot outside Kettle Falls right on the edge of the Columbia River/ FDR Lake. Perfectly terraced for the tents, protected from traffic, great spot to bathe and do laundry and the best sunrise so far. It was a wonderful sleep.

Today, we are just going to hang out in Colville for a while and then head out to the hills nearby and find a nice spot to camp near a river. It should be a very relaxing day. Right now we're all in a little espresso shop, I'm on their public computer while Mason Don and Karl are on Don's laptop being preached to by an Evangelical Baptist with a sweet trucker hat on. It's awesome. Friendly folks here for sure.

Enough for now, time to go use the wheel truing facilities at the local Sports Shop and get Mason's wheel back in shape. Keep the emails coming.

-Devin

Okanogan to Republic, WA

The past 24 hours have been interesting to say the least. We woke up in Okanogan - a small town on the east side of Loup Loup Pass. After a delicious breakfast with Bill and Suzanne at "On The Ave." we head out for another great day of riding. The headwind was strong and it was HOT making the ride pretty tough. After an hour or two of battling headwinds Mason lost his front tire into the soft shoulder and took a spill. We were all tightly packed because of the wind and Karl went over with Mason. The spill resulted in a bent fork on Karl's bike and a wobbly tire for Mase. Devin did a nice job of truing Mason's wheel and we were off shortly after the incident. I think we were feeling a little over-confident so this was a good reminder how quickly things can change if we don't pay close attention. Pedaling our bikes down these highways really is dangerous so feeling totally comfortable is something we should avoid. Overall I'm proud of our attitude and ability to fix the problem and continue on our path. The fall took a little wind out of our sails but not enough to keep us from conquering Wauconda Pass and camping in a pasture under the stars later that evening.

We are now in Republic, WA grabbing some food and preparing for the highest mountain pass in Washington State - Sherman Pass. We are becoming more aware of what our bodies need to continue on these hot afternoons. One of the most important things I've learned to keep going is to drink before you're thirsty and eat before you're hungry. Otherwise you'll wake up in a random yard with someone asking if you're ok - but we learned that lesson on Day 1. We have been going through nuun like crazy - it really is a life saver on these hot days.

Well the battery is running out and we have a mountain to climb - update again maybe in Kettle Falls? Hope everyone is having a good Monday!

Donald

Okanogan dreamin and Tonasket on the rise

We stayed last night in Okanogan, after climbing Loup Loup Pass. It's short but steep. Ate two consecutive times at On The Avenue, the restaurant in Okanogan. Our hosts Bill and Suzanne were very nice and Morgen, our ever-patient waitress may very well have been the most beautiful this side of the Mountains. Thanks guys!
Coming out of Okanogan, Mason and I decided that we hadn't been rolling in the dirt enough so I promptly ran him over after he fell down. No injuries, just a bent wheel on his bike and a fork on mine. It's good excuse to go slow which is handy because it just got really, really hot!
Donald and I are sitting in the Junction in Tonasket which is awesome. They have DVDs, gas, fried chicken, copy machine, car wash, laundromat, and stuff I can't even seem to find. This may be my paradise! They also have wireless internet access. As you probably guessed we're not here for fried chicken or a car wash.
Anyway, we're chillin' in Tonasket, Mason and Devin are trying to find a place to swim and we're going to go enjoy some Okanogan breezes. Back with you soon.

Karl

Washington Pass

We finally conquered what we had been looking forward to/dreading for months leading up to the ride: Washington Pass. The whole climb was about 25 miles to an elevation of ~5,400 ft. What a beautiful area - gorgeous scenery the whole way up. Luckily we had a great tailwind to give us an extra boost, much needed for our first real test of endurance. The logging trucks and RVs also provide a nice push. It is strange how quickly I've become comfortable with huge trucks whizzing by. Most drivers are courteous and leave lots of space but there is always the occasional bicycle-hater who must speed up as they pass - or in Devin's case a few months ago slow down to tell him to "get a life, get a car!"

Coming down the pass was AWESOME and perhaps the most invigorating thing any of us have ever done. It was basically a 20 mile drop to Mazama where we stayed the night on the Methow River. It is fascinating to see the climate difference on either side of the pass - the desert-like conditions are beautiful and we finally feel like we have traveled some distance. All of us have been to gorgeous places like this but there is a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing we pedaled here.

We are currently relaxing in Winthrop, WA, a small town just east of North Cascades National Park. After yesterday our legs need a short break. Can't stop too long though, still another 4,072 miles to go! We will update again soon, maybe in Okanagan? Until then have a great weekend -

Donald

Day One- Seattle to Arlington

Thanks for the great send-off yesterday! We left Golden Gardens with a nice crowd of frends and KOMO 4 News there to send us off. It was great riding out of town on the Burke-Gillman Trail with beautifully sunny skies and not much of a headwind.
Already, the calorie consumption has begun. Crackers, vacuum packed tuna steaks, much much more. And of course Nuun!!
I only expected us to get around 40 or 50 miles under our belt on the first day, but as it turned out we rode about 75.
We bedded down next to the beautiful Stillaguamish river right near a really cool abandoned railroad trestle. Karl and Don and I fished for a bit with Don's collapsable pole and I caught a nice sized little trout on my third cast! A great end to a long-awaited day.
Thanks to everybody who has been donating the last couple days!! The generosity we're seeing is awesome! We love getting the emails from everybody, keep 'em coming! All for now...

-Devin

Moving out

The wave of enthusiasm we rode into this morning from our party success last night is quickly subsiding and giving way to the reality of vacating our home, which some of you may know- and the rest probably assume- will require
serious attention to make it look as if nobody has lived here for 18 months. Long story short, if you live in the Seattle area and would like to support Bike the US for MS in a different capacity, please feel free to come "hang out" at our headquarters.

In all seriousness though, we are stoked beyond words about the help, support, and interest we have received from friends and strangers alike. Anticipation about the trip is entirely positive and the general sentiment is that we expect an adventure loaded with fulfilling encounters and experiences. As much as we are trying to prepare appropriately for this trip, we are also prepared to be unprepared at times and seem to be at ease with the probabilty of the occasional ordeal.

Additional incentive to come by: leftover beverages from the party last night available on our porch. Thanks.

-Mason