Conclusions

As it is the last day of August and the day I wanted to end my trip by I thought it would be appropriate to do one last blog conclusive blog post to wrap up some of the details.

After La Jolla I have been spending my time around Southern California enjoying times with friends and family. I went back up to Newport Beach to see my God Family before they moved from out to Utah and kick it with some of the new friends that I had made there. Then I came back south to Poway to spend some time with my Aunt Punky, Uncle Thom & Cousin Garrett.

Last Friday on my way down there I ran into someone opening his car door in Oceanside California. It really banged up my shin (which is still sore) and somehow managed to knock off my back break. My bike is still functional but it was a disheartening incident, I'm just thankful it didn't happen on my actual journey. I was not discouraged and still met up with my cousin for a day filled with attempted spear fishing and body surfing. That night I participated in my first Critical Mass in San Diego. If you are unfamiliar with this it is a massive bike ride through cities all across the world to promote the benefits of cycling from reducing Green House Gasses to lessening congestion. More info can be found at this link. It was the final death rattle of my bike as far as I'm concerned with no back break. There was a good 400 or so of us that took off from Balboa Park and we ended up going over the Coronado Bridge. Seeing as this was illegal the police decided we were not allowed back over it to downtown. The only option was to ride down the strand to Imperial Beach. So I did actually reach Imperial Beach around midnight Friday and it was such an unexpected outcome of the night and my trip in general. My bike is in poor condition with the break and rack piratically falling off of it. We took the trolley back to downtown and I slept very satisfied that night. On saturday my cousin and I joined my aunt and uncle for some horse camping out past Julian, CA. It was very nice country and I enjoyed sleeping outside one more time, no JakPak though.

I have been relaxing here at my relatives house in Poway since then, filling out applications for a number of jobs online, eating lots of tasty veggies grown by my cousin and figuring out how I am going to get back home. I am doing something I said I didn't ever want to do in moving back to my parents in Spokane. Although I hope it is a temporary solution until something else pulls through. I will be taking the train there with in the next week.

Overall reflecting on this summer it has been the adventure of a lifetime and I have absolutely no regrets. I indubitably believe that it was the best way I could have spent my summer and hope to be adventure cycling for the rest of my life. So everybody keep an eye out for the next one, who known when though.

The fund raising effort did not raise as much as much original intent. It was an aspect of the trip that I did not really know how to manage that well but again I thank everyone who did contribute. This money will really help not only my alumni and former peers at Western but some of the endangered poor settlements of Guatemala City. The total raised was $ 1720, again thank you to all who supported and it really is never to late if you haven't. The Western Foundation is always accepting and the donations are totally tax deductible.

I again want to thank all the people who helped me out along the way. From the people who got the word out on the media, to the fellow cyclists who were great friends along the road. All my friends and family that I saw along the way. I could not have done this with out you behind me and for that I am eternally grateful.

I will keep this site active and hopefully be using it as a personal site that I will update with my future endeavors and adventures. Until then.

Sincerely
-TE

How it Ends

Day 55

Miles Ridden Since Last Blog: 50+

Miles Ridden Total: 2000 + I'm done counting...

So I knew this day would come and I have been somewhat avoiding it but now this is really the last time I will post to this blog for my 2009 Border to Border Summer Cycle Adventure. It was quite the last day getting down to the border and I will elaborate on that more.

After leaving San Elijo (funny pic above of surfing statue with a bikini on) I enjoyed some of my last hills of the ride before getting near U.C.S.B. and descending in La Jolla. It was a fairly pleasant ride for most of the morning and I was making great time. Then after getting past Pacific Beach I reached mission beach and the end of the boardwalk that I was riding. Looking out past a pier I saw what I thought to be more boardwalk but actually ended on some rocks. I dragged my bike & trailor down some stairs in vain attempt to avoid riding on the street. When I had pulled back to the street my back tire was almost completely flat, I think it was the stairs that did it. I attempted to repair it with the last patch in my kit with not long lasting result. I was able to ride to the marina and got quickly directed to Moment Bike Store on Rosecrans st. I waited an hour until the bike shop opened at 1 pm, purchased some new tubes and a patch kit. The tubes ended up not fitting my tires that well and even though I couldn't find a hole for the life of me would not stay inflated for long. Some how I got one situated so it stayed inflated for the better part of the afternoon. That's when I started getting lost.


I wanted to pass through Imperial Beach like my original intention but ended up getting stuck by the Naval Base and then riding inland only to get hopelessly turned around in the town of Bonita. I eventually got put in the right direction and finally reached San Ysidro, only to find my back tire going flat again. I was less than a mile from my final destination and I was feeling completely despondent. I even got turned around in the big mess of all the duty free shopping areas with all the Sunday traffic. I pretty much walked my bike up to the walk in entrance of the border and felt a lackluster sense of accomplishment. I didn't really know what to expect, mariachi bands playing & people cheering perhaps but I really was just exhausted from the days trials. I indubitably didn't feel the accomplishment of riding the entire way across the country. (hence the very forced smile in the picture below)


I took the Hawaiian Lei (picture above) my mom got me for graduation off of my handle bars as some sort of symbolic gesture of completion. I ended up hoping on the San Diego Trolley Train that runs all the way down there and rode it back to Old Town north of Down Town. On the ride I was able to patch up and old tube to get my bike functional again. It really sunk in on the train ride that I have absolutely nothing going for me after this ride. It was more of a scary feeling than any thing else. But I don't fear the future I only have to embrace to possibilities that lay before me.

I made it back up to La Jolla after the last train stop to a friends place and I have no plans for the day except to write this blog, reflect and relax.

I wanted to take the last part of this last post to really reflect on what I think I learned during this journey.

For me personally this was just something I deemed necessary as a right of passage between education and employment. I feel like I really have done what was necessary on this adventure to call it complete, even though my plans for the future are null and I am considering riding back up. Now that I have been bitten by the cycle adventure bug I want to do this for the rest of my life. I am convinced if there is somewhere worth going it is worth riding a bike to get there. Even though I can be a little mad at my bike (like yesterday) it is always more appealing than a car. I want everyone one in the entire world to have the same passion for the wonderful invention that is the bicycle and to realize its true potential. I really know realize the saying that getting there is half the fun, for me it was more like 110%.

The amazing scenery of the West Coast has always been something that amazes and entices me. The diverse geography, plants and wildlife astounded me. From the Rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula to Sun baked beach of the Balboa Peninsula this countries coast line is something to be treasured. I have seen so much beauty these past 55 plus days I cannot even find words to explain it all. The best thing I can recommend is to get out there and see it for yourself.

There are a lot of people out camping and promoting tourism all across the places I saw. I think there is some irresponsibility amongst the way some participate. Recreational Vehicles have overtaken campgrounds and pervade scenic by-ways. In my opinion Camping has nothing to do with shelling yourself in a Motor-Home. These vehicles encourage waste accumulation and the amount of gas they consume is horrendous. Try a cycle tour, minimizes waste and NO GAS!!!

The trash was an interesting aspect of the trip that I wish I could have done more. It was overwhelming at times seeing how much garbage was strewn amongst the roadside, especially in parks. Due to the sheer lack of time and conservation of momentum I could not stop for every single piece but I do feel like I made a difference. The typical refuse that lays on the side of the road again stereotypes the people who seem to forget what trash can is. Fast food containers, alcohol, soda and in particular energy drinks were common. Not to mention the countless cigarette butts. It seems like if these things associated with bad lifestyles were some how ailed then we would eliminate a lot of needless waste that accumulates off the side of the road.

Thinking about how the people perceives something like waste reduction as factor risk is something that has been a difficult aspect of the journey. I wanted to do this as fund raising effort for my alumni at Huxley College for the Environment at Western Washington University. The project in Guatemala City partnering the Resiliency Institure with Oxfam had just gotten its feet wet this past spring and was something deserving of support. I do not think I got close to the original goal but it was something to raise whatever I did even though the bar was set high. Again thank you to everyone who did donate and if you haven't yet please NOW IS THE TIME!!! I have finished, so if you were waiting to see if I could do it, now's your time. I will update with the total amount raised by the end of the month.

People's support has been a important and necessary part of the trip. From the random people I meet along the way to old friends and family it has always been nice to be taken in. From seeing my immediate family in Portland and staying with my Cousin Gretchen, to spending the better part of this last week with my God Family in Newport Beach. To every curious person who saw that sign on the back of my trailer with my blog link on it, thanks!!! To all the fellow bikers who I met along the way, thanks for the friendly times and memories. Also thanks to my former peers, faculty and professors at Western who will be utilizing the money of the fund raising to benefit the research in the Guatemala Landslide Risk Reduction Project.

It was also nice to get support from the media and a product. First of all big thank you to JakPak and Jeremy for letting me field test one of their units. It was necessary addition to my trip that made many nights sleeps much more comfortable and drier. I highly recommend picking one up for hiking/biking/backpacking needs or for emergency situations. Also to Marissa Willis at the Northern Light, Brianne McDonough at the Western Front, Mike Prager at the Spokesman Review (who's article can be found here) & Jackie Tushinsky at San Diego Loves Green (who's article can be found here).

I think that this experience has really been the culmination of my life thus far and I really want to emphasize the astounding feeling of gratitude I have to everyone who helped me out along the way and supported me. I feel so honored to be able to take this time in my life of freedom and turn it into something inspiring to other people and supporting a good cause. Please keep spreading those good vibes along.

I guess that this pretty much does it for now. It quite the whirlwind of a summer and its not even over yet. I am going to keep the site active. I hope to keep this updated with the further progress of the fund raiser and information on what I am now doing in my life. This really has been such a great time and I don't want to say its over but I guess its just back to transition.

"There's nothing so stable as Change" - Bob Dylan

-TE

Crystal Cove to San Elijo

(sunset over the Balboa pier)
Day 53

Miles Traveled Since Last Blog: 60

Miles Traveled Total: 2001

Wow I really didn't realize it until I just typed in right then that I have ridden over 2000 miles on my bicycle in the past two months. I never thought I could or would ride that much in a year this time last summer. However now it feels like riding my bike is all I really want to do.

Like I mentioned last post it was an amazing time in Newport Beach, kicking it with my God Family on the Balboa Peninsula. Indubitably one of the highlights of the trip and a well deserved time of rest and relaxation.

Yesterday afternoon I went from the Peninsula on the short ferry to Balboa Island and hit the road again just a brief ride south to Crystal Cove. (A nice State Park area that has some vintage beach houses pic above) Mara my God-Mother knew a friend who rented a nice little cottage there. It was a very peaceful afternoon and evening spent along the coast perched high on a cliff. I took a nice walk on the beach and got some good reading done in my book. I think I feel asleep before 10 which was a nice change from some of the crazy nights of the week before. Below is picture of the hazy sunset I saw there.


Today I took off from Crystal Cove and really set off to San Diego. I was taking a picture of some coastline pretty soon after I left and when I was walking back to my bike I saw a rattle snake about 4 or 5 feet away from me (picture above) The weather has taken a nasty turn with overcast skies and a fiercly strong headwind coming from the south. I got to ride on I-5 today after missing the turn off to go into Camp Pendelton, it really wasn't that bad and at some points traffic backed up and I was going faster than the cars. An unfortunate thing is I couldn't get a hold of my friend in San Diego so I am going to camp one last night at San Elijo by Encinitas, CA. I think that I could finish my trip tomorrow but I might make two days out of it as well. It has been so long since I started I really don't know what else to be doing besides biking, camping and visiting people.
(picture of entering I-5, something I never thought I do on a Bike)


I am going to try and take some time and reflect on what this trip means after I finish and have a more conclusive long blog then. I just had some time right now and wanted to do a quick update.

Ride on.

-TE

Relaxing in SoCal

(Huntington Beach Sunset)


Day 51

Miles Traveled Since Last Blog: 75

Miles Traveled Total: 1941

So I have been taking by far my longest and indubitably relaxing break on the Bolboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, CA with my God Family. It has been a lot of fun to just relax in this amazing place with some people that I love.

There really isn't that much to update on but I felt like I haven't blogged for a long time and I found some spare time to put up another post. My trip feels like its on hiatus even though I haven't finished. I am so close to finishing my journey but I guess I am somewhat delaying concluding what has been one of the best times of my life.

(on the way to Down Town L.A.)

(boardwalk along Hermosa Beach)

Riding out from Highland Park I went through Chinatown and Downtown L.A. Again I was surprised at the friendliness of the riding territory and clarity of the air for a place that has such a bad reputation. I went along Venice Blvd. back to ocean and followed that all the way to my current location. A mix up over my place to stay in Hunnington Beach lead me to come here a little earlier than expected but I am not concerned since my time here has been so nice.


I have been spending alot of time with my God Brother Chris Cole and we took out a little electric boat on Newport Harbor with some of his friends (we hit up a waterslide & saw a bunch of sea lions pictured above). I have also been skim boarding, went to the movies and just had a great time getting to know this unique little area of Orange County. It has been a well deserved amazing break.

Mara my God Mom has a little cottage on the beach south of here between Newport and Laguna and I think that we are going ride down to stay there tomorrow and I will start heading south from there on Saturday.

Thanks for all the continued support and hope everyone is enjoying the last bits of summer.

-TE

(pictured below is the ferris wheel on Balboa Peninsula)

L,A. Fadeaway

Day 46

Miles Traveled since Last Blog: 110

Miles Traveled Total: 1866

This sprawling city that has become the dream or ideal of so many Americans during our the past century's media boom has really invited me in with open arms.

This place gets a pretty bad rap for being crowded, loud, polluted and shallow. Maybe its my perception or I've just listened to "Why'd You Want to Live Here" by Death Cab for Cutie one to many times. However it is my second night here in LA and I've had a great time thus far. I just wanted to emphasize that preconceived notions about a place do not always affect judgment.

After Santa Barbara I camped that night at Carpenteria State Beach. It was a nice place and camped with the legendary "3 Amigos", who are a trifecta of friends who used to be fire fighters doing the same route every summer for 25 years. There was good crew of people at the site and it was a nice place besides being right next to the train tracks.

From there I made it all the way into LA and more specifically Santa Monica It was a long day but the terrain leveled out a lot and the traffic picked up especially from Malibu on. Right as I got in LA city limits I ran into the three guys from the UK (picture above). It had been since before San Francisco since I last saw them and it was great to catch up and I rode with them into Venice Beach for a while before I met up with Jimmy, my cousins friend from high school. We caught some free music down by the pier (pictured below) and had a nice night out on the town.

Couldn't really decide what I wanted to do today but when checking my email this morning I found one from someone who had caught wind of the blog through someone who met me earlier down the road at San Simeon after Big Sur. A nice woman Alicia offered a place to crash for the night in Highland Park and older neighborhood east of Hollywood. I couldn't turn down the offer of exploring the city and took her up on it. So I made my way through the city and saw UCLA and Hollywood before coming here. Alicia and her boyfriend Chris have been great hosts and it is nice to receive such hospitality from people who are essentially strangers. I am currently at their place getting ready for a comfy night on a couch ready to head south again to Orange County tomorrow. It is nice to know that in a place that is rumored to be vacant of heart there are nice people willing to share their home. Thanks a lot!!!

(UCLA)

(LA river)
It was really nice exploring the city today and I am excited to check out more of it tomorrow. The cars are nice for the most part and the weather flawless. I couldn't ask for more. This has been a pleasant suprise.

slow & steady wins the race

-TE

O O I want to know, where does the time go

(picture below is a tree on the Coast by Carmel)


Day 43

Miles Traveled Since Last Blog: 260

Miles Traveled Total: 1756

So it has been one of the longest breaks between blogs and I apologize to my followers if you were pining for another post or worried about me (although I doubt any of those is a reality). It really has just been alot of time on the road and enjoying the ride that has distracted me from getting on my computer and updating. But here I am in Santa Barbara just chilling out having some coffee and making a post.



It has been quite the adventure since my day off in Monterey and the central California Coast has been beautiful. I had a great day off visiting the Aquarium and even though it was rather crowded it was a worth while experience. I got some great pictures (See above) and relived some good memories of visiting there during my youth.

(A bridge at the beginning of the Big Sur Coast)
From Monterey, I went south (duh!!) to Big Sur which is some great tough terrain along Highway 1 the winds its way up and down the coast. I stayed the next night at Pfieffer State Park in an unexpected grove of Redwoods (I thought I had seen the last of them a while back). Then the next day made it to foggy Plaskett Creek. It was a great time and met some awesome locals and enjoyed the laid back feeling, remote feeling of the area.
(A cool photogenic vulture I saw perched above a big cliff)


From Big Sur I made it San Simeon. It was a good days ride full of interesting things to see along the coast including Elephant Seals and a crazy section where I rose above the fog (both pictured above). I went to sleep really early that night due to being exhausted from riding some really big hills that day and the weather being bad. The next day I had to pleasure of making it to Santa Maria/Orcutt & the house of some of my parents old friends Bob & Linda Burrow. They were very gracious hosts (along with their dogs Buda , Chico & their son Sean), it was nice to have a place to stay and catch up. Thanks for having me!!! Pictured below is me with Linda and Buda the bulldog.


Last night I made it down to Refugio Beach which had one of the nicest Hiker/Biker sites right on the beach and was a great place to spend some time just relaxing. (pictured below is the beach) Like I mentioned I am currently in Santa Barbara just updating my blog and trying to contact people to stay with in the LA area since there aren't many campgrounds around that Megalopolis.

The trip has really gone by all to fast, hence the title of this blog eluding to a Grateful Dead tune and I am going to be sad when its over. I still haven't really figured out what I am going to do afterward, just playing the cards as they are dealt. Not really worried about it though, things usually work out how they should.

here's some stuff I collected one day, not a ton but its something.

Keep on keeping on.

-TE

(saw this and couldn't help taking a pic and thought it deserved to be on the blog as well)

Taking the Day in Monterey

(the awesome sunset on Half Moon Bay that I was expecting last time I blogged)
Day 37

So my Dad has been keeping close track of my progress and updating my website (link on the left) with loads of good info. We chatted last night and according to his estimation my miles are a little bit off but I will try and remedy that now.

Miles Traveled Since Last Blog: 95

Miles Traveled Total: 1497 (revised from 1330 to 1452)

I don't even know where that extra hundred & twenty miles came from but I'll take it, I know its more accurate because he uses my Spot data (which is based on the GPS tracker I am using) and I've just been retracing my steps on Google Maps.

Well besides that there is also more to update on. I have found out how much has been fund raised thus far. I am not going to say that I am surprised or discouraged but it is only $ 275 (far from the $10k I am shooting for) as of August 3rd. Thank you to all the people who have contributed so far, it really does mean so much that you support me and my cause. However I realize that I need to get the ball rolling on getting the word out on this and soliciting some donations. Everyone PLEASE tell all your friends about this blog and the cause. I am trying to get an event together for the end of the trip in San Diego after I hit the border and hopefully this can be a fundraiser as well. Also I want to try and get a lot more publicity in general out there, so if any of my readers have media connections, I would be grateful if you could slip a good word in edgewise. I have mainly been focusing on just getting down the coast and putting some good miles behind me, I realize now that I really need to push the purpose for this trip too.


Now that I have covered that important update information, lets get back to the trip. After Half Moon Bay I biked an easy day 50 mile day along some great coast line filled with a big lighthouse and some great views (pictured above & below). I ended the day in Santa Cruz and for me it really felt like a transition into the California that I have experienced in the past or at least the image that is stereotyped in our culture. It was sunny and slightly windy, there was a boardwalk and wharf packed with tourists, surfers trying to catch some waves and the very essence of the afternoon screamed California to me.


I had a great accumulation in Santa Cruz being put up by my second cousin Chris Nicholson who is studying traditional Chinese Medicine there. It was great to catch up, eat some home cooked food and have a place to crash, thanks for having me. Between his studies and other things he has managed to create some amazing electronic music all of which is available on his website Dancing Moon Tree . Check it out, I got them all and listened them on the ride yesterday. (Pictured below is the Guardian of Chris's patio door, Yoda with a bike helmet, awesome)


Didn't get on the road until 11:30 or noonish yesterday but its alright, it was a short easy day to Monterrey. All the same a mean 15 mph headwind slowed me down significantly and I made it in kind of late. There was a nice bike path the last 10 miles or so that was a very welcome detour from the busy road(pictured above). I decided to stay the day here, take some time off from being in the saddle. I am camping here in Monterey at the Veterans City Park which quite nice, except for the lack of food lockers (I woke up last night to raccoons raiding my trailer, they only got some sweet potato chips and half a loaf of bread before I scared them off). All the same I am here in downtown having some coffee and ready to explore the area. I am going to be a little touristy and go to the aquarium since it is supposed to be the best on the West Coast and I have fond memories of it form my child hood. Tomorrow I will be off the Big Sur and an intense part of Highway 1 that should prove interesting. (Monterey Bay pictured below)

Another thing of note that I wanted to mention before I wrap up is an awesome book I finished recently. I have had a lot of spare time in the evening at campgrounds and other random times so I have been reading a lot. I picked up the Science of Fear by Daniel Gardner and it is an astounding book that totally changed many of the common perceptions about risk even though it is something I have been studying it for a while. I particularly enjoyed the sections on the Media Irrationality and the Terror of Terrorism. It really made me think about my personal perceptions about the trip and how at any moment along the road a car could swerve and endanger my life but instead of making me more fearful it has filled me with courage. A great read I highly suggest it. Here is a picture that fits in well with that theme.


Well that was a long one but very comprehensive and satisfying. It has been a little lonely since San Francisco and updating this blog is a very relieving process. Thanks for reading and remember GET THE WORD OUT for the cause.

Heres some trash that I dumped yesterday.


Peace Out

-TE

Goodbye Fog City, Hello Sunny Half Moon Bay

(picture above is a cool mural of San Francisco Music that was right by where I stayed and some of those typical row style houses)
Miles Traveled Since Last Blog: 35

Miles Traveled Total: 1330

So after a great weekend San Francisco style I am back on the road again, even though today was a relatively short one.

I stayed with an old friend from high school, Stefani Herr, and it was great to have a nice bed to sleep in and place to hang out at, thanks Stef so much for having me!

After getting into town on Friday, I went out on the town that night. I spent the remainder weekend riding my bike all around the city and checking out all the cool neighborhoods. Got some tasty donuts at Dynamo Donuts, with unique flavors like Spiced Chocalate and Maple Glazed Apple Bacon, in the Mission district on Saturday morning. Then rode through the hectic downtown and back along the waterfront. I found a cool wave organ that I had heard about, which is essentially a bunch of pipes in the water leading up to a a nice sitting area where you can listen to the music of the ocean. I made sure I was there at high tide when it was supposed to sound the best and while not quite as loud as I thought it would be it was a cool contraption. (pictured below)


On Sunday I found out that is was Jerry Day and a free tribute concert was being held at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater at McLaren Park (view of the city from the park pictured above) in the south part of town. Got a little lost finding it but when I did the music has just started and it was a great vibe. Enjoyed that for the better part of the afternoon then just rode around some more.

San Fran again is great city for cyclists (if you don't mind hills). There are tons of signs directing you along routes to different neighborhoods and great signs for cars like this one below.


Today I went south and on my way out of twon rode through Golden Gate Park which was nice (weird thing though is they have a Buffalo Paddock pictured above). Got back to the coast and the weather got nice. It is a beautiful evening here in Half Moon Bay (I currently at the library and rushing to finish this post so I can go spend more time outside). Looking forward to seeing more of this amazing area. (some nice coastline south of Daly City pictured below)

So that is it for my journey. So more updates on other things. Changed the look of my blog to something that I think fits the style more, hope you all like it. Also at the bottom of the page there are some thumbnails from a bunch of pictures I loaded to Picasa (a Google based web album) check em out for more pics from the trip. And last but certainly not least there is a new link on the left to the new Resiliency Institute through Huxley all about the project in Guatemala, so indubitably check that info out. Way to go to my former peer CJ for putting that together.

That is all for now. It really was a great weekend and I am really enjoying myself thoroughly. Hope all my readers are having a great summer as well.

sincerely,

-TE