Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Ten years ago, in 1995, a bunch of geeks from the Computer Science department at the University of Washington (and their friends) decided to do the Seattle To Portland bike ride. After that ride, one guy, Keith, asked around to see if anyone else wanted to bike from the Canadian border to Mexico. Ruben and Marc said yes, and convinced Ruben's friend Jim to go along as well.
They all took the month of August off - for Marc and Keith it was pretty "easy" - they were in Grad School. Ruben, who had been working at Siemens Medical Ultrasound, told his boss that he was "Either taking the month of August as vacation, or taking the month of August off" (i.e. quitting). They let him have 4 weeks of vacation. I don't recall how Jim got the time off...
Instead of going border to border, they left Seattle with their bikes fully loaded with all of their camping gear, clothes and some food. They took a ferry across to the Olympic Peninsula and started their trek southward on 101, using the book Bicycling the Pacific Coast (second edition) as their guide. Sixteen days later they crossed the bridge into San Francisco. Marc and Jim knew their journey would end there. Ruben on the other hand... well as he puts it, he had just been on a bike for over two weeks. He knew he could go all the way to the border. He just wanted to go home.
Keith made it to the border, parked his bike and crossed into Mexico.
High on adrenaline, testosterone or whatever else, the guys made a promise they would do the ride again in 10 years. Which brings us to today.
This time the ride will be a little different. Instead of Canada to Mexico, "border to border" means Astoria (the northern most town on the Oregon Coast) to Brookings (the southernmost town on the Oregon Coast). Instead of four guys making the trip, it will be only 3 (Jim can't make it this time). And instead of having their bikes fully loaded with gear, two cars will be running as SAG wagons (support vehicles) with all of the gear, some of the wives and children.
I'm one of those wives. I'm the one treking the computer and all of the other (electronic and non) gear. I may let Ruben check is email, if he behaves ;)
They all took the month of August off - for Marc and Keith it was pretty "easy" - they were in Grad School. Ruben, who had been working at Siemens Medical Ultrasound, told his boss that he was "Either taking the month of August as vacation, or taking the month of August off" (i.e. quitting). They let him have 4 weeks of vacation. I don't recall how Jim got the time off...
Instead of going border to border, they left Seattle with their bikes fully loaded with all of their camping gear, clothes and some food. They took a ferry across to the Olympic Peninsula and started their trek southward on 101, using the book Bicycling the Pacific Coast (second edition) as their guide. Sixteen days later they crossed the bridge into San Francisco. Marc and Jim knew their journey would end there. Ruben on the other hand... well as he puts it, he had just been on a bike for over two weeks. He knew he could go all the way to the border. He just wanted to go home.
Keith made it to the border, parked his bike and crossed into Mexico.
High on adrenaline, testosterone or whatever else, the guys made a promise they would do the ride again in 10 years. Which brings us to today.
This time the ride will be a little different. Instead of Canada to Mexico, "border to border" means Astoria (the northern most town on the Oregon Coast) to Brookings (the southernmost town on the Oregon Coast). Instead of four guys making the trip, it will be only 3 (Jim can't make it this time). And instead of having their bikes fully loaded with gear, two cars will be running as SAG wagons (support vehicles) with all of the gear, some of the wives and children.
I'm one of those wives. I'm the one treking the computer and all of the other (electronic and non) gear. I may let Ruben check is email, if he behaves ;)
# posted by Lauren @ 12:09 AM 
