C
Cycle America
Guest
Here as we wind down to a close for our Grand Finale in San Francisco on
July 31, two men have emerged from the desert with a story to tell. And
theirs, as you will see, was a truly fun adventure made possible by Skot
Paschal, a man now fighting for his life against a cancer for which
there is no known treatment. All of those who know Skot love this man as
you will also see in the words below.
Besides the friends who have committed to riding for Skot when he bikes
the Monterey to Santa Cruz relay in an attempt to shine some light on
his rare disease, he is especially loved by kids. So much so that in the
Santa Cruz area, he is an extremely popular middle school teacher. And
if school were in you have to know that the roads and paths along the
ocean would be full of his bike riding students.
If you want to get a closer look at a man who has given NBG readers many
hours of joy and expanded the possibility consciousness for innumerable
others, see:
http://NationalBicycleGreenway.com/Events/Mayors_Ride/bios/Skot_Paschal.p
hp
If you want to ride for Skot, visit our 4th Annual Mayors' Ride site:
http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMayorsRide2005 to learn how you can
sign up to ride on July 27!
====== Boise to Eugene - FOR SKOT ============
We have arrived in Eugene today, a little early. The trip has been great
and the weather has been cooperative. The route we took resulted in a
650 mile trip.
Highway 20 out of Boise to Buchanan (really just a store on the corner)
then south to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. That was beautiful, they
received more rain than they had in 12 years and the wetlands were full
of water and life. the wild flowers were plentiful and the birds
serenaded us constantly. In Frenchglen we had a short burst up a 14%
grade on highway 205 to the 50 mile dirt/gravel Rock Creek Road.
We constructed some shade with a tarp and on came the knobbies. After a
short distance, we saw a car that stopped and asked us if we knew where
we were going. We humorously told them, "We barely know where we are."
Then we admitted heading to Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge. We rode all
day across the Catlow Plain and saw 3 cars, one of which stopped and
topped off our water (we were each carrying over 2 gallons.) We spent
that night on one of the few side roads that we saw that day and it was
spectacular. The stars filled the sky with a ferocity that touched me to
the bottom of my being. There was not a single man made light to be seen
in any direction.
We pulled into the refuge headquarters the next day and had a great
conversation with Rochelle, the refuge biologist. (I had spoken with her
before we left for Boise to get some sense of the condition of the dirt
road. She had nothing but encouragement and spoke of the beauty of the
ride.) When we arrived and discovered that there were no services, she
offered us some coffee and homemade banana bread. She even went into
town after her shift and brought some provisions to us at the campsite
by the hot springs. This was a "down" day for us and we relaxed after
our first week on the road.
Next day, back in the saddle and over the edge down a 12% grade in the
dirt. TONS OF FUN! Then 20 miles uphill into the wind. We spent that
night near the Warner Pass in the National Forest on highway 140. Then
downhill almost all the way to breakfast in Paisley. A night at the
Summer Lake Hot Springs, some light rain then up and over Picture Rock
Pass (petroglyphs just off the road at the top.) We spent that night at
an campground halfway between Silver Lake and Lapine. Steve, the host,
was extremely kind and accommodating. He also had the most eclectic
store we had seen so far out in the middle of nowhere.
The next night we spent on the river at the crescent creek cottages
campground. It was a superlative site right on the creek with our very
own bench carved from a huge log. We sat on the bench, watched the
sunset and drank to the health of our friend, SKOT PASCHAL. The owners
took our picture in front of the store with their bear. They said they
would post it on their website: http://crescentcreekcottages.com
Our last night out we were in a National Forest Service campground. On
our way in along the Willamette River we saw a magnificent Bald Eagle
flying along the river. Today we pedaled into Eugene along their
fantastic and extensive bike greenway. We are early, but Eugene is a
city we can easily amuse ourselves in. In fact, Eugene is the first town
of any substance that we have been in since we left Boise almost two
weeks ago.
Marty and I have had some great times. We met many wonderful helpful
people along the way. We saw beauty, both verdant and austere. The route
we took, conceived by Skot Paschal, was definitely not the "beaten path"
and our trip was all the better because of that.
This was Marty's first tour and he has been won over to the manifold
experience that bicycle touring offers. Skot and I have had many great
tours together and I really missed him this time. Skot it wasn't the
same without you, buddy and I look forward to going trans Am in 07.
Thanks for the bittersweet ride. I love you.
Ed Migliore
http://NationalBicycleGreenway.com/Events/Mayors_Ride/bios/ed_migliore.ph
p
With Marty Linkiewicz
http://NationalBicycleGreenway.com/Events/Mayors_Ride/bios/Marty_Linkiewi
cz.php
--
54% of New York City households do not own cars
M A R T I N K R I E G : "Awake Again" Author
http://www.bikeroute.com/AwakeAgain
Bent Since '83, Car Free Since '89, '79 & '86 TransAms
Coma, Paralysis, Clinical Death Survivor
Can You Change it with Love?
N A T I O N A L B I C Y C L E G R E E N W A Y
July 31, two men have emerged from the desert with a story to tell. And
theirs, as you will see, was a truly fun adventure made possible by Skot
Paschal, a man now fighting for his life against a cancer for which
there is no known treatment. All of those who know Skot love this man as
you will also see in the words below.
Besides the friends who have committed to riding for Skot when he bikes
the Monterey to Santa Cruz relay in an attempt to shine some light on
his rare disease, he is especially loved by kids. So much so that in the
Santa Cruz area, he is an extremely popular middle school teacher. And
if school were in you have to know that the roads and paths along the
ocean would be full of his bike riding students.
If you want to get a closer look at a man who has given NBG readers many
hours of joy and expanded the possibility consciousness for innumerable
others, see:
http://NationalBicycleGreenway.com/Events/Mayors_Ride/bios/Skot_Paschal.p
hp
If you want to ride for Skot, visit our 4th Annual Mayors' Ride site:
http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMayorsRide2005 to learn how you can
sign up to ride on July 27!
====== Boise to Eugene - FOR SKOT ============
We have arrived in Eugene today, a little early. The trip has been great
and the weather has been cooperative. The route we took resulted in a
650 mile trip.
Highway 20 out of Boise to Buchanan (really just a store on the corner)
then south to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. That was beautiful, they
received more rain than they had in 12 years and the wetlands were full
of water and life. the wild flowers were plentiful and the birds
serenaded us constantly. In Frenchglen we had a short burst up a 14%
grade on highway 205 to the 50 mile dirt/gravel Rock Creek Road.
We constructed some shade with a tarp and on came the knobbies. After a
short distance, we saw a car that stopped and asked us if we knew where
we were going. We humorously told them, "We barely know where we are."
Then we admitted heading to Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge. We rode all
day across the Catlow Plain and saw 3 cars, one of which stopped and
topped off our water (we were each carrying over 2 gallons.) We spent
that night on one of the few side roads that we saw that day and it was
spectacular. The stars filled the sky with a ferocity that touched me to
the bottom of my being. There was not a single man made light to be seen
in any direction.
We pulled into the refuge headquarters the next day and had a great
conversation with Rochelle, the refuge biologist. (I had spoken with her
before we left for Boise to get some sense of the condition of the dirt
road. She had nothing but encouragement and spoke of the beauty of the
ride.) When we arrived and discovered that there were no services, she
offered us some coffee and homemade banana bread. She even went into
town after her shift and brought some provisions to us at the campsite
by the hot springs. This was a "down" day for us and we relaxed after
our first week on the road.
Next day, back in the saddle and over the edge down a 12% grade in the
dirt. TONS OF FUN! Then 20 miles uphill into the wind. We spent that
night near the Warner Pass in the National Forest on highway 140. Then
downhill almost all the way to breakfast in Paisley. A night at the
Summer Lake Hot Springs, some light rain then up and over Picture Rock
Pass (petroglyphs just off the road at the top.) We spent that night at
an campground halfway between Silver Lake and Lapine. Steve, the host,
was extremely kind and accommodating. He also had the most eclectic
store we had seen so far out in the middle of nowhere.
The next night we spent on the river at the crescent creek cottages
campground. It was a superlative site right on the creek with our very
own bench carved from a huge log. We sat on the bench, watched the
sunset and drank to the health of our friend, SKOT PASCHAL. The owners
took our picture in front of the store with their bear. They said they
would post it on their website: http://crescentcreekcottages.com
Our last night out we were in a National Forest Service campground. On
our way in along the Willamette River we saw a magnificent Bald Eagle
flying along the river. Today we pedaled into Eugene along their
fantastic and extensive bike greenway. We are early, but Eugene is a
city we can easily amuse ourselves in. In fact, Eugene is the first town
of any substance that we have been in since we left Boise almost two
weeks ago.
Marty and I have had some great times. We met many wonderful helpful
people along the way. We saw beauty, both verdant and austere. The route
we took, conceived by Skot Paschal, was definitely not the "beaten path"
and our trip was all the better because of that.
This was Marty's first tour and he has been won over to the manifold
experience that bicycle touring offers. Skot and I have had many great
tours together and I really missed him this time. Skot it wasn't the
same without you, buddy and I look forward to going trans Am in 07.
Thanks for the bittersweet ride. I love you.
Ed Migliore
http://NationalBicycleGreenway.com/Events/Mayors_Ride/bios/ed_migliore.ph
p
With Marty Linkiewicz
http://NationalBicycleGreenway.com/Events/Mayors_Ride/bios/Marty_Linkiewi
cz.php
--
54% of New York City households do not own cars
M A R T I N K R I E G : "Awake Again" Author
http://www.bikeroute.com/AwakeAgain
Bent Since '83, Car Free Since '89, '79 & '86 TransAms
Coma, Paralysis, Clinical Death Survivor
Can You Change it with Love?
N A T I O N A L B I C Y C L E G R E E N W A Y
