The First Church St. Peter of Springerville, Az

Nelson Lake

Nelson Lake Looking back down the way

First Night on the road camping out

The first night on the road – this is view from my stealth camp site,

Just a green tarp pulled over  the bike and me wrapped in another tarp

What is this 12,000 mile bicycle ride all about. From Tucson, Az  a circle to the southern tip of Texas and up to to the Middle of Alaska.

I am 61yrs old  man, just healing up from a torn Achilles tendon. I am feeling older and out of shape and 70lbs overweight with high blood pressure. I am not a total wreck. I did finish a bike ride over 10 days last year from Tucson to Nutrioso, Az that topped out at over 9,000 ft elevation 3 times. This is not totaly nuts. The goal here of 12,000 miles is not without basis either, there are many riders, both older, and much younger doing very similar rides. I expect to cross paths with a number of them.  I am also going to visit my 3 children, 6 sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and others I can mooch off for a day or two from here to Alaska and back.

Sunrise AM at the mountain

My motivation is about the challenge, adventure, and being one of a small group. I have always ended up challenging myself either knowingly or unknowingly. Actually God lets me and then to His glory, provides the out by not letting me get in over my head or making sure some  guardian angel comes along. In any case my first challenging journey was in 1969 when to visit my high school sweet heart I rode freight trains across the USA for a number of weeks. Leaving Roseville, Ca with buddy Joe Virga (who fell off the first train)  and ending up on the foot step of Helena’s Grandmothers house in Linchburg,Virgina. There were many a campfire story out of that journey. If this bicycle journey has half a much noteworthy experiences it will be awesome. Here is a neat side note, I am leaving from Helena’s House in Tucson, Arizona and returning there to complete the circle. Looks like I am making another journey to see her again. (Note the planning for that trip was about 24hours over a few beers – this one really is planned.)

My other motivations are to be of service by some degree to others. My family, friends, acquaintances and folks I meet along the way. By service I can only hope for entertainment value of my daily blog and photos of out of the way places from a bicycle. Perhaps some example of what God gives us the gift to do, by our choices. He makes us stronger than we ever know. Some folks find out through adversity, wars, Catastrophes, mental and physical challenges seemingly placed upon them. Then we are given the free choice to overcome them or not. So what ever hardships I encounter are to be used by God for someone else. My experience has shown me that others overcome much more than I am ever challenged with. I hope to meet some of these everyday folks , learn from them and pass them on to all of you.

I plan to make it to church every day I can reasonably get to, and commit to once a week minimum. This may be more difficult in the wild north west and then probably not. This is where we can meet the folks who are being blessed by God and those who really need to be blessed by God. My little bit of experience tells me the devil is not recruiting in the bars, he does his best work in churches where there is more payoff. I can’t save anyone for the next life and will be very fortunate to make it myself. We can find the best folks in the places that deal with the toughest circumstances. My hope is for my travel to be more interesting or unique in this way for your enjoyment. Let me know if it gets too heavy.