Back in the USA!
This is a newsletter from Family on Bikes. The family of four is currently cycling the Pan American Highway from Alaska to Argentina as the 11-year-old twin boys attempt to break the world record as the youngest cyclists to bike the entire Pan Am. See a slide show of cycling Alberta and Montana here.
September 10, 2008
I think back to the past month we’ve spent on the road and am simply stunned at how far we’ve come – in so many ways. The last time I wrote to you, we were just about to finish the Alaska Highway. Now, that part of the journey seems like a very distant memory.
On August 12 we pedaled the last mile of the historic Alaska Highway and rolled up to Mile 0. All four of us were ecstatic at the thought that we had pedaled all 1422 miles of the road, and we celebrated our achievements with jubilation. The town of Dawson Creek, the official start of the Alaska Highway, welcomed us warmly and let the kids know they were proud of their achievement. As far as we know, Davy and Davy are the youngest people ever to cycle the entire length of the Alaska Highway, so we’re doubly proud of them!
Our next major destination was Jasper and Banff National Parks in the Canadian Rockies. For years I’ve heard about the incredible beauty in that area, so I was chomping at the bit waiting to get there. But when we awoke our first morning in the park to pouring rain, my heart sank. We had lucked out so far in our journey, but it looked like our good fortune was about to end.
For the next week we pedaled through massive peaks extending to the sky – while we gazed upon their bases only. Cloud cover varied little as we cycled the Icefield Parkway, and we rarely saw much more than a small patch of blue sky here and there. Some days we pedaled through pouring, freezing cold rain while other days we dealt with a slight drizzle. But the constant of that week was heartbreak – of wanting to see the magnificence, but not being able to.
As we rolled away from Banff after a week in the mountains, the skies cleared and we had glorious, panoramic views of the Canadian Rockies – in our rearview mirrors. Fortunately, we paralleled the Rockies as we made our way south to the USA so we got to see them, albeit from a far-away distance.
On September 8, exactly two months from the date we entered Canada, we left her. We crossed the border back “home” at Chief Mountain, Montana after one of our toughest climbs of the entire journey. Davy, in particular, was thrilled to see that flag – “I made it, Mom!!” he exclaimed. “I made it!!”
If we thought the climb to Chief Mountain was tough, we had only to wait one more day until we pedaled the Road-to-the-Sun through Glacier National Park. We climbed for seventeen kilometers until we reached the summit at 6642 feet, then plunged back down. Due to a couple of blunders, we ended up reaching the campground in darkness and exhausted, but duly satisfied with a spectacular day.
We are now in Kalispell, Montana, with plans to take an extended break in Missoula about one hundred miles away. As much as we are looking forward to taking some time off the bikes, we’re nervous about losing that time on the road.
Winter is fast approaching, and we’re feeling the pressure to get as far south as possible as quickly as possible. We are still planning to follow our initial route straight south from here. From Missoula we’ll go to Yellowstone, then head south through western Wyoming. From there, we’ll head into Utah and make our way down to Moab and Arches National Park before heading into New Mexico to visit friends.
All four of us are doing well, and are loving the adventure of life on the road. We have our days (rain, anyone??) when we’re about ready to bag it all, but other days remind us of the joy we’ve found out here. Being outside in Mother Nature’s handiwork each day truly is a magical experience, and it’s one I wouldn’t trade for the world.
Thank you all for your support – we appreciate all your words of encouragement!!
Nancy, John, Davy, Daryl
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Read our other newsletters here:
Ready for takeoff: June 6, 2008
Dalton Highway in Alaska: June 28, 2008
Alaska Highway: August 3, 2008
Crossing into mainland USA: September 10, 2008
In Montana, Wyoming, and Utah: October 17, 2008
Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico: November 19, 2008
Northern Mexico: January 25, 2009
Yucatan Peninsula: March 14, 2009
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