# Bound South: Alaska to Argentina



## DM.Aelis

Hey there RBR,

My two brothers and myself are in between Anchorage, Alaska and Ushuaia, Argentina for the next ten months on a self-supported bike expedition. We hope to hit Ushuaia in May of 2012.

You can check us out along the way at 
Bound South

I'm a very experienced cyclist/roadie/racer, with one cross country tour under my belt before this one. My two brothers were more outdoorsy/trekking types before this trip began but caught the cycling bug in preparation for this journey of a lifetime to benefit our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. 

There are a million ways in which any one of us could have been better prepared for something like this, but we were ready and we had to go for it while we could. I sold my car in Anchorage and we've been biking since.

We're on Surly Trolls with Rohloffs. Not what I originally planned, due to a connection with a custom builder. It was ultimately the right choice without a doubt. Whileoutriding.com was good inspiration along the way as well as suggestions from the always helpful RBR community. Thank you guys for all you do.

I think this thread could be a useful resource for anyone who wants to

1) learn about big self-supported touring from three regular guys who took the leap
2) geek out on some of our photos and places we journey through
3) talk gear/bags/tires/whatever
4) talk specifically about Pan-American bike touring

With that said, here are a few pictures. I'll try to update this thread continuously as our journey progresses to answer questions and add more photos and stories. We're on our way to the Yukon Territories out of a rainy and cold Alaska.


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## sometimerider

Wow - pretty ambitious plan.

Did you ever weigh your loaded rigs? Looks pretty imposing.

Are you from Santa Cruz, Calif.? That's my area. (I saw Bicycle Trip jerseys in some of the photos.)

Good luck (and feel free to ask for overnight accomodations from us here - I'm sure you're going to be passing near many RBR folks).


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## MB1

Puppy!


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## theBreeze

MB1 said:


> Puppy!


What a cutie! Are you sure he's not hiding in one of those panniers?

Very ambitious, very awesome. Best of luck and we will be looking forward to your posts. Don't know if your route takes you through New Mexico, but if it you are planning to pass near Santa Fe or Albuquerque the are RBR folks in both places.


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## DM.Aelis

These bikes are the tractors of cycling. No joke. There is a weight penalty for the utter versatility, strength, and dependability. Trolls are portly on their own, but add the Rohloff wheels laced to 26" Velocity Cliffhangers and Surly F&R racks you've got a bombproof but heavy unit. They weigh over 100 lbs fully loaded, though I haven't gotten a final scale number. Will do that when I fine one along the way.

The dog is an ace sled dog from a couple of Iditarod/Alaskan winter mushers we stayed with in Alaska. Beautiful and intelligent dog. Apparently sled dogs have some uncanny abilities to find old sled dog trails and paths to maintain accurate directions even in zero visibility and harsh winter conditions. Our hosts relayed a story where their dogs piloted them 24 miles across indistinguishable untracked tundra in zero-visibility conditions to exactly the place they had gone a year earlier.

Route plans thus far include the Cassiar Highway through BC, Jasper and Banff, and then as much of the Continental Divide as we can see before winter hits the high mountains. Then we'll move south and west of Missoula targeting the Columbia River Gorge and onward to Bend, OR. We'll hit the coast somewhere around northern California and probably ride Highway 1 for a majority of the southward leg to Mexico. We've never been to California, we're all born and raised in North Dakota. The Bicycle Trip wind vest was a cheap eBay acquisition for a very useful and versatile piece of riding gear.


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## merckxman

Good luck! Looking forward to the reports.


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## orange_julius

Awesomeness! Thanks for sharing the stories and photos with us, and best of luck to the three of you! Sounds like the trip of a lifetime, I wish you all many happy turns of the pedals!


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## voodooguy

Good Luck and be safe!


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## nate

Could you post some closer pictures of the bikes and setup, loaded or not? Or did you do that in a previous thread?


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## DM.Aelis

Here is our bike setup, fully loaded. The bike build can be found at Gear | Bound South

A few things I've learned since we left Alaska:

The nature of heavily loaded touring is to dampen the more subtle qualities of bike riding. I'm more of a connoisseur when it comes to my racing bikes (road and CX); the tires, tire pressure, frame geometry, and everything else is intimately connected to the feel of the bike on the road. You can forget those details with a touring bike. It's like going from a sports car to a tractor. My touring bike philosophy has been reduced to: 

Does it carry everything I need and keep it dry, safe, and accessible?
Does it have a stable ride at speed when carrying a lot of weight?
Is it bombproof? Can I count on tough tires, strong racks, tough bags, and plenty of mounting options?

The Troll has been all of this for us. I am sure we sacrifice some speed when compared to a lighter, 700c, skinny tire touring setup. But these bikes just work. No matter the conditions, no matter how much we pack, no matter how rough the roads, we've been able to adapt them. With the Rohloff and disc brakes and fenders, the bikes stay remarkably clean and nearly maintenance-free.


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## DM.Aelis

*We reached Whitehorse!*

We've reached Whitehorse and are about to press on towards the Cassiar Highway. Jasper and Banff are in our sights! 

The riding up here is incredible. It's been challenging, especially with strong headwinds since we left Alaska. But this really is some blessed country up here. You can go for miles and miles on your bike without seeing another soul (especially since we're riding after the peak summer season when the Alaska Highway is inundated with RVs and big rigs). 

Some stats for us thus far:

75 miles of riding takes ~9 hours when you factor in stops for photos, food, wildlife, and other necessities. We're hoping to escape winter in the northern hemisphere and then "slow down" the pace a little bit so we have more time to relax and explore the places we are traveling through.

We try to sleep at least nine hours a night. We're often so tired that I'm sure we could take ten hours of sleep without hesitation. We're trying to get more efficient with our errands, packing, and camping such that we can make more time for rest and recovery.

We are eating approximately 4,000 calories a day and losing weight since Alaska. At some point we're going to have to buy/consume a little more food, especially "on the bike" in order to keep ourselves fueled. 

With miraculous acts of generosity included (for example: a home stay and dinner/breakfast with a family we meet on the road) we are spending $10/person/day for the tour thus far. Tent camping (free most nights), simple bike food (peanut butter, honey, and bagels are our staples), and simple off-the-bike food (oatmeal for breakfast, rice&beans or pasta&chicken for dinner) makes this possible. At night, most of our dreams seem to revolve around food: real, home-cooked, delicious, flavorful food that we miss dearly. That said, even our plain camp-stove creations become marvelous when you are hungry and tired. 

If you have to stick to a budget like we do, you have to stick to a budget. Our food choices have reflected that. But if you can afford it, a more expensive food regimen can bring some serious mental health benefits. Every week we "splurge" and break the budget on a burger & fries or something similar. Food has never tasted so good.


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## nonsleepingjon

Good luck and best wishes! Sounds like an awesome adventure.


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## commutenow

I look forward to reading about your fabulous tour. Good luck and happy trails.


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## MarkS

DM.Aelis said:


> We've reached Whitehorse and are about to press on towards the Cassiar Highway. Jasper and Banff are in our sights!
> 
> * * *
> 
> We are eating approximately 4,000 calories a day and losing weight since Alaska. At some point we're going to have to buy/consume a little more food, especially "on the bike" in order to keep ourselves fueled.
> 
> With miraculous acts of generosity included (for example: a home stay and dinner/breakfast with a family we meet on the road) we are spending $10/person/day for the tour thus far. Tent camping (free most nights), simple bike food (peanut butter, honey, and bagels are our staples), and simple off-the-bike food (oatmeal for breakfast, rice&beans or pasta&chicken for dinner) makes this possible. *At night, most of our dreams seem to revolve around food: real, home-cooked, delicious, flavorful food that we miss dearly.* That said, even our plain camp-stove creations become marvelous when you are hungry and tired.
> 
> If you have to stick to a budget like we do, you have to stick to a budget. Our food choices have reflected that. But if you can afford it, a more expensive food regimen can bring some serious mental health benefits. Every week we "splurge" and break the budget on a burger & fries or something similar. Food has never tasted so good.


Thanks for the update. If you were riding down the East Coast of the US rather than the West Coast, I would invite you for a home-cooked meal. If our West Coast RBRers are reading this, perhaps they will issue a few invites.


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## voodooguy

I'm really enjoying following your journey. I wish you guys all the best. 

Hey, moderator... is it possible to make this thread a sticky so it stays near the top of the threads?


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## Gcrosshairs

Expansive. I look forward to enjoying the journey vicariously.


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## DM.Aelis

*On the Cassiar*

We got a rest day here on the Cassiar Highway in British Columbia. We were told that the Cassiar was flatter than the Alaska Highway, but thus far that has not been the case. We've seen the steepest grades we've seen yet on this stretch but who knows what we'll find ahead of us. We haven't seen any bears yet, though a car did hit a bear (and allegedly got totaled by it) just a few miles behind us. We heard about it from a local family who took us in, the father is a part of the state roads maintenance crew and cleared it off of the road shortly after it happened.

We have had our first days of endless wind and rain and cold. We have finished our 120k days wet and cold and have had to seek places to get warm and dried out before pressing on the next day. People's generosity usually rises to match our sorry states!

Just out of curiosity...what can one do to keep feet and hands dry in downpours? I was thinking of buying some rubber dishwashing gloves when i got the chance...but do they make any kind of "gaiter" for shoes that we can buy? 

In my former life as a roadie, either my feet just got wet, or I got by with Pearl Izumi winter thermal booties (neoprene with some water protection). Since we are on platform pedals in hiking boots, I don't know what the best solution is...but we'd sure love to find one. Being wet and cold and setting up your tent is not fun at all!

Despite the challenges of life on the road our spirits are high and we are relishing the kilometers as they pass by. Perhaps the most splendid part is the people you meet from all places and walks of life. You'd never make their acquaintance behind the glass-and-metal cages of RVs and automobiles. Good company can make the cold and rain more than bearable. We're exposed to all of these elements on our bikes, both natural and human; they are what makes each day so memorable.


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## theBreeze

There are neoprene socks that might fit inside your hiking boots. The other option is plain old wool socks from any army/navy type store. A for hands I carry nitrile or latex gloves (medical kind) for emergencies. They are thin enough to slip under cycling gloves and really help. I also have a thin wool skull cap (made by Smart Wool I think) that does wonders for keeping in heat.

The trick to wet riding is not so much trying to keep dry, 'cause you won't) but keeping your core and head warm. Ditch the cycling jerseys for wool, or at least wear a lightweight wool base layer (again Smart Wool is good source for these). Wool can be pricey, but it is worth it.

Best of luck and watch out for the bears!


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## DM.Aelis

Thanks, theBreeze. I had a neoprene pair of socks that didn't fit in my boots so I didn't think they'd be the way to go. We're already wearing smartwool socks (and base layers under our jerseys) but at least for our feet, good wool socks still leave our feet cold when it is cold and wet outside. We aren't having troubles keeping our core/head warm; we've got good wool hats and base layers for that. Just our feet and hands.

The nitrile gloves should be perfect; I think we'll go that route! Great suggestion. I'm scoping out the interwebs for a pair of hiking gaiters as they might be the trick to keeping water off of our boots (where it then soaks in and leaves our feet cold).


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## JohnnyTooBad

This is a great read. Thanks for posting it here.

I'm surprised you aren't using MTB shoes with something like EB Candies. I would think that the gained efficiency with clipless on a ride that that would be worth it.(?)

A guy that I know that does a LOT of running in all weather conditions, puts vasaline on his feet and can run a marathon in the rain and not get blisters (maybe reapplies it once during a marathon). Might be worth a try. Make sure to get it all around your toes. Doesn't need to be too thick.

And if your boots are leather, waterproof them with beeswax. A very thin rain pant with a lot of ventilation in the back might help keep water from running down your legs into your boots. But unless it gets pretty cold, rain pants can be way too hot.


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## RJohn

You guys are amazing. I'm envious. If you get to Portland, breakfast is on me.


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## theBreeze

Cold feet suck. It's what used to keep me off my bike the most in the winter. I too like the neoprene booties and it's too bad you can't use them.

My favorite light winter boots for non-cycling use are a pair of Adidas Gore-tex running shoes. They are a full gore-tex sock and just above ankle height. I use them mostly for snowshoeing and have never had problems with cold feet, but don't know how they would do in a wet rain. I would think they would resist water getting in through the material, but it's water running down inside that might be a problem. Long water proof pants is the best solution there, but they are sweaty to ride in.


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## Kevy Metal

What an adventure! I've done a three month stint of touring. One of the greatest experiences in my life. The single regret I have from my trip was not taking more pictures. You guys seem to have all of your bases covered and are well prepared. Of course there's always something though, isn't there? If you were passing through Seattle you'd have a place to crash at my house, with meals too. I'll be following your travels. Bon voyage!


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## OldEndicottHiway

Kevy Metal said:


> ? If you were passing through Seattle you'd have a place to crash at my house, with meals too. I'll be following your travels. Bon voyage!



If they were passing through a leeeetle more east through Eastern Wa I'd bake up a platter-full of my (some say famous) chicken enchilada suizas. 


I have to say guys...I'm more than a little green with envy (OK I could maybe do without the 100lb load...seriously???? ).

I hope you write much on the people you meet along the way, and their stories. 

Cheers and will check out your blog for updates.


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## bigbill

If you're going to cross over to the Kitsap Peninsula to pick up Hwy 101, let me know and I'll pull you all along for a while.


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## Art853

Bon Courage!

Cool route. I've wanted to ride the Cassiar Highway and through Jasper and Banff for a while. 

I gave up on keeping dry, just warm and wet. I used the PI stuff you mentioned with Sidi mtb shoes and it worked okay. I didn't have too many days near freezing though. There should be overboots available for winter mountaineering. Perhaps gators, vapor barrier socks, or just bread bags (your feet will get wet from sweat but maybe stay warmer). I had mittens for the cold days.


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## DM.Aelis

JohnnyTooBad, we thought long and hard about the shoe situation. Ultimately, the efficiency of clipless vs. platforms didn't really weigh on us and we opted for versatility. No regrets thus far; we can hike and go on/off bike with our hiking boots and they are decently warm and weather proof. And it means one less pair of shoes to pack and/or look weird in (we somehow manage to make the boots look presentable with our off-bike pants).

Definitely will try vaseline for insulation; only ever used it for blister prevention myself!


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## DM.Aelis

Kevin thank you for your kind offer; we're thinking we're hitting the coast in Oregon so I don't think we'll be in Seattle sadly!


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## DM.Aelis

Be careful where you throw around words like "chicken enchilada suizas"; some hungry touring cyclists might hear you! We are passing through south eastern WA (exact route still TBD) but we are targeting a route taking us from Banff, through the panhandle of Idaho, south eastern WA, to Portland, OR then Bend, OR where we'll move for Highway 101 and the coast. If you have any route recommendations, do let me know! And if you're in that neck of the woods, send me a PM and we'll see if we can connect!

EDIT: I had switched Bend/Portland around. We won't be backtracking far north, so the hope is to hit eastern WA, the Columbia River Gorge, Portland, Bend, Crater Lake, and the California coast.


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## DM.Aelis

*The Cassiar is finished!*

What a ride it has been. You can see our recent blog post here:

Mudslides & Mama Z | Bound South

In any case, we are getting the hang of things. Staying warmer when wet, camping more efficiently, and enjoying the riding that much more. A quick plug for Brooks saddles: they get better each and every day. Our B17s are going strong and breaking in a little more every ride.

Our sights are set on Jasper and Banff, we should be entering the panhandle of Idaho before Oct. 1 and hopefully get through the high passes before any significant snow flies!

I will add one final note: Campbell's Prime Rib soup with pasta is absolutely superb and easy to make on a camp stove. After a long day on the road, this meal (as well as our special rice-chili-turkey recipe) has proven to be a godsend. We're getting more creative with our food as we go which has made the riding that much better. Still eating half our weight in oatmeal and peanut butter each day, but we don't mind one bit.


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## DM.Aelis

*Routing advice through ID/WA/OR?*

Right now, we're pretty confident that we'll be coming down out of Jasper/Banff Alberta into the Idaho panhandle on Highway 95. From there, we don't really know; perhaps Highway 12 west through Washington, and then connect somehow south into eastern Oregon and get west to Portland and (hopefully) Bend (our ultimate destinations before 101 on the Oregon coast)? Or maybe we take Highway 95 down the length of Idaho, and then go west on Highway 20 in Oregon?

If any RBR folks have any specific recommendations, let me know! We'd like to see Portland, and had heard that the PNW precipitation might be diminished by getting southeast to Bend afterwards. Crater Lake is also on our minds. 

We'd appreciate the insight. We can pack two days of water and six days of food at a time, reliably getting 60 miles in per day no matter the terrain.

EDIT: We're hitting Portland first, then hoping to hit Bend and further highways south of there. Sorry for the confusion!


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## tarwheel2

Nice photos. You've got a good eye.


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## unclefuzzy_ss

If this isn't a stickie already, it should be. 

Fantastic trip! I just had a guy come through my shop that is on another very similar journey, Alaska to Argentina. Took a break in CO where he now lives and came home to the WI/IA border for a visit. He's off again though. He told some stories that you guys would just nod your heads to and say "uh huh". Good travels! I'll keep reading.


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## RJohn

DM.Aelis said:


> Right now, we're pretty confident that we'll be coming down out of Jasper/Banff Alberta into the Idaho panhandle on Highway 95. From there, we don't really know; perhaps Highway 12 west through Washington, and then connect somehow south into eastern Oregon and get west to Bend and Portland (our ultimate destinations before 101 on the Oregon coast)? Or maybe we take Highway 95 down the length of Idaho, and then go west on Highway 20 in Oregon?
> 
> If any RBR folks have any specific recommendations, let me know! As long as we hit Bend and Portland on our way to 101, the rest is negotiable! We'd appreciate the insight. We can pack two days of water and six days of food at a time, reliably getting 60 miles in per day no matter the terrain.


I highly recommend seeing the Columbia Gorge. The Oregon side has a freeway but it's not much fun except for the view. The scenic highway starts around Multnomah Falls and follows the Columbia into Portland. It's a great ride that I have done many times.


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## Spudzie

Wow That looks like a fun adventure.
I love the pics..


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## Firefly911

Wow...what a wonderful adventure! I am loving your pictures!! 

Looking forward to more!


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## OldEndicottHiway

DM.Aelis said:


> Right now, we're pretty confident that we'll be coming down out of Jasper/Banff Alberta into the Idaho panhandle on Highway 95. From there, we don't really know; perhaps Highway 12 west through Washington, and then connect somehow south into eastern Oregon and get west to Bend and Portland (our ultimate destinations before 101 on the Oregon coast)? Or maybe we take Highway 95 down the length of Idaho, and then go west on Highway 20 in Oregon?
> 
> If any RBR folks have any specific recommendations, let me know! As long as we hit Bend and Portland on our way to 101, the rest is negotiable! We'd appreciate the insight. We can pack two days of water and six days of food at a time, reliably getting 60 miles in per day no matter the terrain.



95 into Sandpoint (wonderful place!!!) should be OK this time of year in terms of traffic. Fun, sports-minded town, the lake is beautiful too. 

I would suggest you look for a more direct route to Bend. Going south into Moscow will land you in really, really hilly country: the Palouse hills to be exact. Beautiful place though. Might want to think about picking up 26 into Walla Walla. Still, keep in mind that there is little flat country between Sandpoint, ID and Bend, Or. 

My worry is that you guys are thinking of hitting Portland as well as Bend? You do realize you're backtracking _bigtime_ to hit Portland??? If you try and hit both cities, I would say time-wise you may be setting yourselves up to enjoy some nasty weather. 

In the higher, mountainous country here in Eastern Wa and Oregon, we can see snow as early as October. 

Please PM Gnarly928, he lives in north central Oregon and is very familiar with the riding and roads all over that Wa/Oregon region. He's very helpful, too, and should be able to give you the best routes. You guys could really run into trouble if you head onto remote roads through the mountains and bad weather hits. 

I don't know what the 97 and 58 route from Bend to Eugene is like...ask Gnarly, he could tell you if it's safe passing. So could PomPilot. 

Please stay safe, guys.


Edit to add: 

As neat, more remote, and scenic as taking 95 all the way down Idaho to 20 and over to Bend would be...that's a pretty long way.

If I was going the Bend route, myself I _might_ choose this: 

95 south to Palouse. 
Pick up 26 to Walla Walla, Wa. from there I think you can cross south on 11/395 to Pendleton, Oregon.
Then southeast on 206/218/97 to Bend
East on 242/126 to Eugene.


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## DM.Aelis

*clarification! and some more routing thoughts.*



OldEndicottHiway said:


> 95 into Sandpoint (wonderful place!!!) should be OK this time of year in terms of traffic. Fun, sports-minded town, the lake is beautiful too.
> 
> I would suggest you look for a more direct route to Bend. Going south into Moscow will land you in really, really hilly country: the Palouse hills to be exact. Beautiful place though. Might want to think about picking up 26 into Walla Walla. Still, keep in mind that there is little flat country between Sandpoint, ID and Bend, Or.
> 
> My worry is that you guys are thinking of hitting Portland as well as Bend? You do realize you're backtracking _bigtime_ to hit Portland??? If you try and hit both cities, I would say time-wise you may be setting yourselves up to enjoy some nasty weather.
> 
> In the higher, mountainous country here in Eastern Wa and Oregon, we can see snow as early as October.


Thank you for your help! I mis-wrote my original description/geography/routing: we were hoping to hit Portland first and then go to Bend. Sorry for the confusion!

The original rationale was that Portland was simply a city we'd like to see and visit on our way south, and that moving a little southeast towards Bend would let us explore some more scenic mountain country, perhaps dodge some of the Pacific Northwest precipitation (it is drier to the east isn't it?), and still keep moving south (probably on highway 97, targeting Crater Lake/California coast/San Francisco.

We'll be in the states around October 1st, averaging 60 miles a day which has worked well for us in the mountains here in Canada. I've ridden through the Sandpoint, ID area once before (it's beautiful and I'm excited to see it again!). Ultimately, I hope that we can move at a good pace through the high country. We might get unlucky with an early October snow, but we'll just have to figure it out on the fly. We've got cold-weather gear and if we have to hitch hike over a mountain pass or wait for snow to clear, that's just what we'll have to do.

I think based on your advice, we'll be targeting Sandpoint-Spokane-Walla Walla before connecting west on the Columbia River Highway (14) to Portland. Beyond Portland, Hwy 26 and 97 south seem promising. Does this sound better in your opinion?


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## OldEndicottHiway

DM.Aelis said:


> Thank you for your help! I mis-wrote my original description/geography/routing: we were hoping to hit Portland first and then go to Bend. Sorry for the confusion!
> 
> The original rationale was that Portland was simply a city we'd like to see and visit on our way south, and that moving a little southeast towards Bend would let us explore some more scenic mountain country, perhaps dodge some of the Pacific Northwest precipitation (it is drier to the east isn't it?), and still keep moving south (probably on highway 97, targeting Crater Lake/California coast/San Francisco.
> 
> We'll be in the states around October 1st, averaging 60 miles a day which has worked well for us in the mountains here in Canada. I've ridden through the Sandpoint, ID area once before (it's beautiful and I'm excited to see it again!). Ultimately, I hope that we can move at a good pace through the high country. We might get unlucky with an early October snow, but we'll just have to figure it out on the fly. We've got cold-weather gear and if we have to hitch hike over a mountain pass or wait for snow to clear, that's just what we'll have to do.
> 
> I think based on your advice, we'll be targeting Sandpoint-Spokane-Walla Walla before connecting west on the Columbia River Highway (14) to Portland. Beyond Portland, Hwy 26 and 97 south seem promising. Does this sound better in your opinion?



Yup Sandpoint is near and dear to my heart... it's where my late, best bike racing friend was from. Her mom and dad are still there. Wave "hi" to the La Grace's on your way through! 


South on 26/97 in October? _Should_ be ok. Yes the east side of the Cascades is typically drier, but you need to be prepared for some potentially dangerous rapid changes in weather and temperature. Following the Pacific Coast on 101 out of Portland would also be scenic and the weather more temperate... albeit perhaps a bit "wetter."


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## Doctor Falsetti

Such a great thread!

Thanks for sharing.


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## Christine

Just found this thread. Love it!!!  Wishing you a successful journey.

Next tour: Just go coast-to-coast from one RBR member's place to the next. Free meals the entire way!!


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## Third Son

I hope they make this thread a sticky....what an awesome journey.


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## DM.Aelis

Just so everyone knows, forum moderator MB1 has communicated the forum policy that threads get a "one-time-sticky" in order to be fair to everyone who posts and shares their reports. I'll keep updating this thread when we have internet so it stays visible and near the top for people to see. Thanks! Off to Prince George.


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## gaspi101

Have to say, the photography is breathtaking. Great camera, no doubt, but good photographer too. What an amazing trip!! I am deeeeeeply envious!


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## weltyed

well, looking at a map its all downhill!

them clouds look ominous.

also looks like a fun but rough journey. reminds me of the pedal to alaska guys.


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## evs

*Good stuff indeed*

I have been reading your blog the past couple of days and enjoyed it immensely. Good luck in your journey and I wish you the best of luck. I bookmarked your blog and look forward to some good reading during the winter. Are you going to Buenos Aires? The place Lemond won the worlds.  oh yeah, great pics. keep em coming.


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## Trower

Really love your blog! Can't wait to read more of your awesome journey


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## DM.Aelis

*update!*

We're getting into Prince George, BC and the weather has been spectacular for us. We might get our humility back with some coming rain and cold. Check our newest post at Bound South and feel free to shoot me any questions about bike touring or our journey on this thread.


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## 2cflyr

mods: could we please get this stickied?


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## DM.Aelis

EVS: No, sadly, no Buenos Aires for us. We'll probably be hugging the west side of South America all the way down to Ushuaia. If we're lucky, we might have an extra week to get up to Buenos Aires and see it before returning home at the end of May. Have you been there yourself? We're still a little bit anxious for the experience of bike touring through big cities in Latin America. Having traveled a bit in Peru, I would not want to be mixing in with the city drivers I saw on a regular basis from behind the glass of a taxi or microbus. If we can stick to the rural farmland and mountainous areas as much as possible, that's likely what we'll do.


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## KyleH

Will you guys be coming through the boise area at all?


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## DM.Aelis

KyleH said:


> Will you guys be coming through the boise area at all?


Afraid not; we'll have cut west to WA/OR before we get that far south!


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## bradXism

Thanks for the pics and blog and I will def be keeping up.


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## al.

Thanks for sharing your trip and awesome pictures.


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## DM.Aelis

*Rest in Jasper, Alberta*

Well, the mountains of Alberta are sure spectacular when you can see them. We've been a bit unlucky with some cold rain in the mountains. You find ways to keep telling yourself, "It could always be worse" and indeed, it could have been worse. In fact, some locals have been talking about this "Pineapple Express" of unseasonably warm rain that we've had lately. If we're going to get rained on, it might as well be on the warm side! Which it was.

Our waterproofing methods have improved. Some creativity with shopping bags have created cheap, disposable, heavy-rain-proof shoe covers that have kept our feet mostly dry. Some XL dishwashing gloves make for a versatile wind/rain proof glove that can be layered in colder weather. It certainly doesn't look "pro" (kind of hilarious to see all of our bright orange rubber gloves on, with shopping bags on our feet) but man, it works better than getting cold and wet!

We've met some fantastic people along the way. A Texan couple in an RV had us over for breakfast by one of our river camping spots, an elderly couple with a small apple orchard put us to work in Prince George, and we got to spend half a day in the small town of McBride, BC for their annual Fall Fair. A costumed kids bike parade, Mennonite-baked-doughnuts, and an Elks Lodge BBQ made for some great memories before we headed off that afternoon for a brisk 80k on the way to Jasper.

As far as geography goes, my favorite part of the trip has to be the Robson Valley west of Jasper. Beautiful ranch and pasture land, flanked by mountain peaks all around. As a farmkid, it would be a dream to have a farm or ranch up in a place like this. 

Just a few photos here from the Yellowhead Highway between Kitwanga, Prince George, and Jasper; enjoy!


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## OldEndicottHiway

Absolutely loving this thread. These latest pics and trip report are wonderful.

Although, I might have paid good money to see a photo of you all trucking down the highway in your rubber gloves and shopping bag-clad feet...

Totally jealous of your adventure.

Stay safe out there.

p.s. in this latest round of pics, I'm especially fond of the first one (shop owner?), the colorful watering cans, and that pic of the little girl in pink staring at the boy in his fiesta get-up is...priceless.


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## commutenow

I really love your beautiful pictures and can't wait to see more reports.


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## Trower

I love this picture, helping the kid while he stands amazed by your bike


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## dustyrider

It is almost as if they knew you were coming!


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## Kevy Metal

*A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words...*

...is it ever! 










This photo is brilliant! :thumbsup:


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## DirtySanchez

Good luck on your trip!! Make sure you always carry plenty of butt cream!


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## DM.Aelis

*We went hiking...*

We took a rest day in Jasper, and I guess we were feeling like having an "ambitious" rest day. So we hiked some 3000+ feet of vertical on a local mountain. Spectacular views, but our legs were absolutely wrecked afterwards. The impact makes for a totally different experience than riding a bike all day! So we're still walking around like old men, sore from that hike, but it was worth it anyway. Hoping to do more hiking between here and Argentina...our next hiking destination might be Crater Lake in Oregon.

We're now on our way to Kimberley, BC, and as soon as I get the chance I'll post some updates from our time on the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park. Easily some of the most spectacular riding that I've seen in my lifetime. Put it on your list for a bicycle-camping summer vacation; frequent camp sites, tons of hiking and spectacular views to enjoy.


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## OldEndicottHiway

Keep it up. 

I (and I suspect a host of others) check back with some regularity for updates. It sure beats the TV morning news to read over with a cup of coffee.

Best C&T forum thread, ever.


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## Henry Porter

OldEndicottHiway said:


> Keep it up.
> 
> I (and I suspect a host of others)* check back with some regularity for updates*. It sure beats the TV morning news to read over with a cup of coffee.
> 
> Best C&T forum thread, ever.


Yep, whenever there is a new post, this is the first thread I open. I'm very jealous.


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## IcemanYVR

DM.Aelis said:


> We're now on our way to Kimberley, BC, and as soon as I get the chance I'll post some updates from our time on the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park. Easily some of the most spectacular riding that I've seen in my lifetime. Put it on your list for a bicycle-camping summer vacation; frequent camp sites, tons of hiking and spectacular views to enjoy.


Icefield's Parkway from Jasper to Banff is an amazing ride... I remember the climb up to the Icefield was really steep but the decent down the other side was awesome... hit 94km/h before I got some major frame wobble, really freaked me out. 

And the climb up to Bow Pass, 7200ft? Loved it... thanks for sharing and bringing back some memories :thumbsup:


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## Alfa6

OldEndicottHiway said:


> Best C&T forum thread, ever.


Absolutely! It's certainly inspired me to begin thinking about doing some touring. Although not quite to the scale here.


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## RJohn

I follow your posting religiously. Keep up the good work guys. You had better change your plans to see Crater Lake, which is beautiful, because it will be closed by the time you get there. Too much snow.


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## DM.Aelis

RJohn: Is the entire Crater Lake National Park closed down? Or just portions? I don't think we would necessarily be looking to camp in the park, just seeing it for a day would be enough I think!


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## RJohn

I haven't been up there after around August so I have no personal experience with the road conditions. It is going to get into the low 30's and high 20's at night and it's raining this week. Brrrr. I don't know when you plan on being in the area but I'm guessing that by the time you get to Crater Lake you are going to be dealing with a lot of snow but you guys are tougher than I am. Brrrrrr. I'm not trying to talk you out of seeing Crater Lake because it is beautiful, everyone should see it at least once, but be aware that your sight seeing excursion could turn into something very very ugly. google Crater Lake and decide for yourself. 

Here is some info from their site. 

When is Crater Lake National Park Open?

Year-around, 24 hours a day. Some roads, trails, and facilities are closed seasonally due to snow. Much of the year, the park's North Entrance Road and Rim Drive are closed. They close with the first significant snowfall, typically late October or early November.

The North Entrance Road and West Rim Drive tend to open early June. The East Rim Drive typically opens in early July. Highway 62 is open year-round. The road to Rim Village is also open year-round, except after heavy snowstorms. See our Crater Lake National Park maps.

Winter

From October through June, weather conditions dictate preparing for extreme winter conditions. Blizzards, high winds, extreme cold, and low visibility dominate the weather patterns, Visitors should come with cold weather gear.

webcam link

Crater Lake National Park - Webcams (U.S. National Park Service)


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## yuris

Looks really great! I am jealous in a good way


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## DM.Aelis

*Almost to the good old US of A*

We're a ride away from the USA which is absolutely surreal. There is much to recount, but I'd just direct you to our website to get the goods on our ride through the Canadian Rockies. We're headed for the panhandle. I thought I would do well to post a few pictures from the Canadian Rockies/Jasper/Icefields Parkway.

Do yourself a favor and ride this area by bicycle in the summer months when it isn't quite so cold. It will take your breath away.

And if anyone has any contacts in or around Walla Walla and the Columbia River Gorge headed to Portland, we are always thankful for a safe and dry place to pitch our tent!


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## MarkS

DM.Aelis said:


> And if anyone has any contacts in or around Walla Walla and the Columbia River Gorge headed to Portland, we are always thankful for a safe and dry place to pitch our tent!


I don't have any contacts there. But, I will bump this up in the hope that someone with contacts will see your post.

Many years ago, I took a train through the Columbia River Gorge in late September. It was absolutely beautiful and I envy your riding through it on a bike.


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## RJohn

MarkS said:


> I don't have any contacts there. But, I will bump this up in the hope that someone with contacts will see your post.
> 
> Many years ago, I took a train through the Columbia River Gorge in late September. It was absolutely beautiful and I envy your riding through it on a bike.


Sorry guys. I can't help you much either. Let me know when you will be in Portland. I can help then. Breakfast is on me.


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## pdh777

Been following this thread since the start.

I think most all of us wish we could do this on some level.

Great touring thread - keep up the good work.


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## DM.Aelis

*Walla Walla!*

What a ride it has been to Walla Walla. OldEndicottHighway, you weren't kidding, there is not a single flat road between Idaho and southeastern Washington. We've had an absolute blast navigating through Whitman county and the farm country south of Spokane. The Surly Trolls were right at home with fat tires and two-track farm roads and empty gravel.

But the terrain totally caught me off guard. Steep 12%+ grades pop up every half mile or so, often not very long, but it's a tremendous amount of steep rolling hills that really breaks up your rhythm on a heavy touring bike and adds up over a long day!

Today was a hard day. We took a slower pace through some of the farm country and today decided to "catch up" and take a 95 mile day down from around Rosalia, WA to Walla Walla. We had the grandmother of a high school friend to take us in and feed us a legendary roast with potatoes and veggies (and ice cream!) that made up for the long day.

More than a few times today I wanted to pull a Millar (David Millar biffing his bike - YouTube) after climbing for miles and miles out of the Snake River valley. There were a lot of climbs today that are still a little painful to remember. Worse than the Rockies in many regards, which was unexpected to say the least. The landscape is quite eerie with endless acres of harvested wheat fields and hills that seem to go on forever like hardened sand dunes.

We had a local kid on his bicycle outside of Thornton who raced with all his might to catch up to us and ride with us along the highway. Kind of cute when he stopped us, panting, and gestured ahead of us saying, "That hill basically goes on forever. You'll have to turn around." A few times today I thought he was right, but somehow we made it to Walla Walla.

Photos are being worked on as I write so we'll get those up asap. We're on our way to Portland and should arrive this Friday! With the way my legs feel tonight I'm going to look forward to a shorter day tomorrow and hopefully some gentler grades along the Columbia River Gorge.

Our agenda thus far: get there in one piece on Friday, rest, volunteer on a build site with Portland's Habitat for Humanity affiliate on Saturday, and figure out what to do Sunday. I posted in the PNW forum (http://forums.roadbikereview.com/pa...ortland-oct-15th-16th-263479-post3596484.html) looking for ideas and we're thinking about Cross Crusade. We've heard it is a pretty legendary spectacle and event...anyone have any suggestions? Could we have a good time racing this thing on our stripped down touring bikes? Any local racing clubs that could "adopt" us for the day? Anything we should definitely see or do while we are in Portland?


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## OldEndicottHiway

DM.Aelis said:


> *What a ride it has been to Walla Walla. OldEndicottHighway, you weren't kidding, there is not a single flat road between Idaho and southeastern Washington. !*?



Yay! You made it. Looks like you stayed on the Wa side, instead of taking 95 down into Moscow. You missed some neat country but probably took the better route choice. 

The thought of riding those roads with 70+lbs of bike and gear...made me wince. No wonder the little kid said, "turn around!" 

Looking forward to the pics very much. And, you've got some beautiful riding ahead through the gorge. Plan to stop in Hood River if works for your schedule. Great, cycling friendly town.


*Edit to add:* I also wanted to add how much I enjoy your blog writing. Just good stuff between the photos, the writing style, insights and anecdotes. I also especially enjoy your tales of the people you encounter along the way. The story of riding through the mountains in the dark, however, gave me the willies.


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## DM.Aelis

*Bound South Flickr*

Due to some technical issues, we won't be able to post recent photo updates for at least another day or so. So whet your appetite by seeing our newly launched Flickr photostream!

Flickr: Bound South's Photostream

And give us a holler if you want to meet us in Portland. Thus far, it is looking like we will arrive on Friday evening (Oct. 14), build with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate on Saturday, and potentially even race Cross Crusade on Sunday the 16th!


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## Dajianshan

This trip looks absolutely amazing!!! Great pictures and journaling. Orz


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## jevagirl

Brilliant thread!!


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## DM.Aelis

*Roads between Coeur d'Alene, ID and Portland, OR*

Well, we finally have WiFi so I can throw a few more photos here. We are a day from Portland, so we'll likely have more updates coming this weekend as well as we explore all the city has to offer and take some much needed rest. We've been setting a hard pace through Washington from Idaho in order to get to Portland in good time so the prospect of a few days of off-the-bike time is a welcome thought.

Without a doubt, the Rocky Mountains are a spectacular place to ride your bike. We were trapped on Highway 95 for much of our journey through Idaho, partially out of necessity...but it made for somewhat unspectacular riding and lots of nervousness with high speed traffic and a sometimes limited shoulder. After we hit Coeur d'Alene we found some backroads with mountain climbs and switchback'd descents aplenty. Yee-haw! Makes me miss my racing bike, but hey, when you work so hard to get bikes+bags+body uphill, you enjoy the descent no matter what.

After meeting family in Spokane for lunch, it was like we were on a whole different planet. Within 20 miles the mountains disappeared and we were surrounded by harvested wheat fields that covered impossibly steep hills. As a farm kid from North Dakota, I was dumbfounded that farm equipment could even operate on some of these hills in eastern Washington. 

In any case, the ride since Idaho has been mostly farm country and back roads, which suits our Surly Trolls very well (they were made for dirt roads) and made for much less stressful riding, even if we had to work a little more with lose dirt and really steep grades on some prairie roads. The interactions you have with people "off the beaten path" are always worth it; farmers and their children would stop to talk to us on the road, kids would ride their bicycles out with us as long as they could, that kind of thing.

Since leaving farm country, we've basically been following the Columbia River and camping out and enjoying this new part of the country. After being surrounded by mountains for almost our entire ride from Alaska, it is a welcome change of pace, terrain, and scenery. We're a little tired from battling winds in the Columbia River Gorge, so I'll close for now and just post a few photos!


IMG_2903 by Bound South, on Flickr


IMG_3082 by Bound South, on Flickr


IMG_3102 by Bound South, on Flickr


IMG_3042 by Bound South, on Flickr


IMG_3027 by Bound South, on Flickr


IMG_2969 by Bound South, on Flickr


IMG_3138 by Bound South, on Flickr


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## OldEndicottHiway

DM.Aelis said:


> After meeting family in Spokane for lunch, it was like we were on a whole different planet. Within 20 miles the mountains disappeared and we were surrounded by harvested wheat fields that covered impossibly steep hills. As a farm kid from North Dakota, I was dumbfounded that farm equipment could even operate on some of these hills in eastern Washington.
> 
> would ride their bicycles out with us as long as they could, that kind of thing.
> 
> Since leaving farm country, we've basically been following the Columbia River and camping out and enjoying this new part of the country. After being surrounded by mountains for almost our entire ride from Alaska, it is a welcome change of pace, terrain, and scenery. *We're a little tired from battling winds in the Columbia River Gorge, so I'll close for now and just post a few photos!*


Oh yes! Forgot to tell you that certain parts of the gorge are sought after worldwide by sailboarders, for its "favorable" winds... ooops. 

But this I know: it's not the most beautiful and easy stretches in life's journey that make the best memories.

As an oldster, I'll hazard a guess and say that in retrospect, the best part(s) of this adventure as you look back...will be the "worst" parts of it.

Thanks for the photos. Wheat fields up here in N Central Wa are all bare now, too. Familiar sight.


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## evs

*Red Robin, Yeah*

_my friend has never been to a Red Robin. We have plans to go there tomorow night. Great big burgers with many calories. lol There is only one is my area, Yum  Hope you got to eat there. Keep up the great job. Your pics are outstanding. How do you plan your routes? Is it daily? Finding and riding on those back roads is so cool. :thumbsup:Have you been snowed on yet?
_


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## DM.Aelis

evs said:


> _my friend has never been to a Red Robin. We have plans to go there tomorow night. Great big burgers with many calories. lol There is only one is my area, Yum  Hope you got to eat there. Keep up the great job. Your pics are outstanding. How do you plan your routes? Is it daily? Finding and riding on those back roads is so cool. :thumbsup:Have you been snowed on yet?
> _


We did get to eat at Red Robin! One of our dad's cousins treated us to some big burgers which was a really special treat for us. With our camp stove on the road, we don't often get to "eat out" so every good burger is a memorable one!

We figure out each day's route as we go. Generally we have a city or destination in mind for every seven days or so....but the "in between" is totally up to us at any given time. With a smartphone, we can usually string together backroads on the fly to get us where we need to go. Every day is its own adventure, and the lack of planning makes it more fun (most of the time)!

We've gotten some snow up in Paxson, AK, on the Cassiar Hwy while riding late one night, and somewhat on the Icefields near Jasper. Always just simple flurries at night, so aside from being somewhat chilly in our tents, it didn't bother us one bit and was gone by the next day. We really pushed the envelope of autumn and winter with this journey, I wouldn't have wanted to leave Alaska and the northern latitudes one week later than we did. But in the end, our timing has felt like it has been "perfect" to avoid peak season for mosquitoes and tourists with big RVs.


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## rubinstein

great pictures! thanks for sharing


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## DM.Aelis

*Bend and a break*

What a whirlwind it has been since hitting Oregon. If you've been following this thread (or our blog) we have rested in Portland and since moved onto Bend, OR. I have to say, Portland had a great vibe and we really enjoyed a family stay and the prolific amount of delicious food that it entailed. The constant fog and threat of rain definitely could wear on you over time though; it certainly provided the contrast we needed to appreciate the eastern side of the mountains and the sunshine of Bend's high desert geography. 

All in all, we lucked out with beautiful weather in Portland so we can't complain; after we had lunch the the sun came out and we enjoyed the dry and warm October days to see the city and race at Portland International Raceway for Cross Crusade. We continued our fine tradition of taking "rest days" by doing decidedly non-restful things. It was my two brothers' first bike race so that was a lot of fun. If you don't know, Cross Crusade is huge and definitely worth a visit if you're ever in Portland. We all started in the very back of the entry men's category of 136 racers (almost missing the start of the race due to a late arrival) and finished mid-group. The first bike race ever for my two brothers, it was a total blast. I have to say that the Surly Trolls have proven their versatility beyond the shadow of a doubt. We threw on our Kendas on the front and kept our absurd Schwalbe rear slick touring tires on the rear...we prayed for dry weather (and got it!) so our bikes were capable on the dry course. But there was still ZERO traction on the rear when it came to any off camber grass or slick, steep climbs. Our Schwalbe Marathons are definitely better suited to touring than racing, but often the unorthodox route is the most fun with bikes.

Now we are in Bend, we volunteered on a construction site with Habitat for Humanity of Bend today which was really amazing and tonight we have a presentation of our photography and journey at a local shop called Bend Velo. Really exciting, people in Bend have been wonderful and very interested in our trip. Taking some time here has been especially rewarding because of the difficult road here; Tuesday was a 107 mile day from Mt. Hood to Bend with a lot of climbing and some tough winds. It gets dark so early this time of year that we had to do the last stretch with our headlamps. Our bikes, stove, clothing, and lives off the bike all need some rest and maintenance so we're relishing the chance to do that in a city as great as Bend.

We'll be posting more updates to our blog soon <www.boundsouth.org> but for now enjoy some pictures from Portland!


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## Rum Runner

Great trip! Thanks for keeping us posted. I would be spending more time taking photos then riding at some points. If you were passing by my house I would invite you guys in. Feed you a home cooked meal, place to put your feet and rest. Had I a bike shop you were passing, I would to a check over for your bikes. 

Have fun, be safe and keep posting about your trip (w/ photos)!


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## DM.Aelis

*Bend, OR*

Without a doubt, Bend has been my favorite city since leaving Anchorage. We have met wonderful people the world over, but the combination of good people with abundant sunshine, warmth and wide open vistas of the high desert make this place seem unreal. I think there is a good chance I'll come back here someday and maybe never leave. Portland was great but I have to give the nod to its neighbor in the high desert. 

Here are some pictures from our build with Bend Habitat and the 107 mile ride we covered from our Mt. Hood campsite to here on Tuesday! We took some much needed rest days for our bodies and gear maintenance. Building with the Habitat affiliate here was a real privilege, as well as doing a presentation at one of the coolest bike shops in town, Bend Velo. The owner, Eric, really "gets it" when it comes to the soul of bicycling; pay the shop a visit whenever you get to Bend especially if you're looking for a commuting bicycle that compromises neither form nor function. His shop was an amazing space to host over 50 people who attended our presentation. We talked about our cause to fundraise a Habitat home and showed our photography and shared stories from the road.

One fun thing we did yesterday was a "minimalism" session. Basically accumulated all of the things that were of questionable value to us on the trip...when we were done, we had a substantial pile of bandanas, extra knives, pitch pipes, down feet warmers, ball caps, and other strange goods we've accumulated since leaving Alaska. We're shipping them home, and with some dutiful re-packing, we have now successfully condensed everything to three bags each. We are ditching the front panniers completely and trying out the "minimalist" and lightweight approach for the rest of the States and possibly the rest of the Americas if it works out. Our lives fit into two rear panniers and an Ortlieb rack pack. It's rather liberating, actually; I anticipate that I'll have frequent purges of "accumulated stuff" for the rest of my life as a fun stress reliever. With three of us to share gear and space, we can pack even lighter for our adventures ahead.


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## HOOKEM

Now you've done it. You had to go and throw minimalism into the mix of this thread documenting your EPIC journey didn't you? That's the straw that broke the camels back for me--I am now officially inspired. Thank you so much for sharing your efforts, your cause and this trip with us! Absolutely Incredible.


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## bahueh

good stuff. see you went over HWY 26 into Bend. 
I knew a guy out of Healy, AK. that did the same trip about 15 years ago, although he started in Barrow, AK. good luck guys!


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## OldEndicottHiway

bahueh said:


> good stuff. see you went over HWY 26 into Bend.
> I knew a guy out of Healy, AK. that did the same trip about 15 years ago, although he started in Barrow, AK. good luck guys!



Bend is (was) great.

Did my first race there (Cascade Classic ) back in the late 80's when it was just a little one-stoplight town. Had a great vibe then. And, I met my best friend/race/training buddy during that race. Locals were great and hospitable.

DM.Aelis and Co., I'm glad to see you not only made it to Bend after all, but had a memorable experience there as well.


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## Dajianshan

This is becoming one of the coolest posts EVAR!


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## pdh777

> This is becoming one of the coolest posts EVAR!


Agreed - and they are just getting started.


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## Mapei

The picture of the clouds on the lake from the first few posts is one of the most beautiful shots I've seen.


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## DM.Aelis

*End of Oregon*

We're about ready to say good-bye to Oregon as our sights are now set on the California coast. What a ride it has been since Bend. We saw sun in the forecast and decided that we were going to go for it. By "go for it" we meant choosing the most scenic, less-traveled, and challenging route between Bend and Crater Lake.

Our first day's ambitious plans for the Cascade Lakes Hwy was somewhat derailed by the monstrous 5000 ft ascent up to the Mt. Bachelor ski area. When you're lugging a heavy bike these things take a lot of time, so we settled for a short 50 mile day and continued to the end of the highway. Then it was decision time: do we get back on boring, flat, fast Hwy 97 or perhaps explore some National Forest roads? When in doubt, choose adventure. That's our new maxim and we went for it on Nat Dev Rd 6020. This was a sandy and nearly impassable dirt road that took us up a steep 10 mile climb to Windigo Pass at 6000 ft. Our tires sunk down into the sand so badly that one of us (unnamed for shame) even had to walk uphill for 1/8 of a mile. Washboard gravel made it a hair-raising descent down the other side, but we were rewarded with spectacular views through the lodgepole pine from our single-lane dirt road. We made it to Diamond Lake that night, tired from another full day with lots of climbing.

For the second night in the row, we had a chilly campsite at high altitude by a Cascade lake, and we pressed on the following morning through the cold to reach Crater Lake. More climbing. We thought it would never end. But we got there and the sun was shining and we were glad we did. There's something utterly spectacular about seeing a natural wonder of the world under your own power. You really feel like you "earned it" even though we really have the Oregon DOT for providing us the roads to get there. Maybe someday I'll hike the Pacific Crest Trail and "really" earn it. :idea: 

We met some wonderful people while we had our daily peanut butter & honey & granola sandwiches. We then moved quick to descend to the west as we knew we had cold temperatures coming our way and we wanted to camp down as low as possible the next night. We flew down some really spectacular descents, tons of wide open 180 degree turns and spectacular vistas all around. We earned every vertical foot of that ride which made the downhill all the more enjoyable. Camping the next night past Prospect we still froze in our tent overnight but we had no regrets. We shook the frost off our rain fly, made oatmeal in a warm(er) shelter, and kept moving.

We are now a day from California and the coast. Hard to believe how far we've come. Right now we're preoccupied with hitting the Redwoods and the coast and getting further south to get warm! Also finding the time to send letters home and afar to prospective donors for our fundraising of a Habitat home. We've received a lot of encouraging messages on the road regarding our cause, and it helps us keep perspective for when we finally reach Argentina. We'll still have a Habitat house to help build at home in North Dakota which will be an adventure in and of itself.

It might be cold in the mornings here in Central Oregon but we can't help smiling. When the sun shines it feels like summertime to a few North Dakota boys. We all cannot wait to see California for the first time. Our plan is to rest in the Bay Area over November 5th and 6th.


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## pdh777

Excellent pics.

Thanks for letting us in on your adventure - I am sure a lot of us are living vicariously through your exploits - I know I am.


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## Reynolds531

*Unsolicited advise--STOP AT U.S. BOARDER*

How carefully have you researched or experienced the risk from riding alone with those 3 bikes, your gear, credit cards and cash, and your ransom value south of the boarder? I've worked in Mexico and South America, traveling there for weeks at a time for the past 14 years. For your safety, you should carefully consider stopping at the US boarder. You are taking a significant risk of having more trouble than you are pepared to handle. Mostly. the people will be friendly and kind. But there is an uncontrolled criminal element and petty thieves of varying ruthlessness in many locations, You will be easy pickings, and the value of your stuff might be equal to a year's salary.


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## Reynolds531

How carefully have you researched or experienced the risk from riding alone with those 3 bikes, your gear, credit cards and cash, and your ransom value south of the boarder? I've worked in Mexico and South America, traveling there for weeks at a time for the past 14 years. For your safety, you should carefully consider stopping at the US boarder. You are taking a significant risk of having more trouble than you are pepared to handle. Mostly. the people will be friendly and kind. But there is an uncontrolled criminal element and petty thieves of varying ruthlessness in many locations, You will be easy pickings, and the value of your stuff might be equal to a year's salary.


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## DM.Aelis

Reynolds531; safety has been a big concern of ours and comes first with our decision making on this journey whenever possible. 

Luckily, we have a lot of resources at our collective finger tips to improve our knowledge and safety going south. We have a sizeable network of Central and South American friends and family who are providing an "on-the-ground" perspective for our routing decisions. Furthermore, a Pan-Am Riders Google Group is a veritable treasure trove of bicycle touring information. There are many resources available and we continue to do our homework. If we have significant doubts about a place, we won't go. 

Ultimately, there is always risk involved. We could be mugged in Los Angeles or La Paz for all we know. The riskiest part of our trip, I suspect, was probably getting buzzed by semis and RVs on the Alaska Highway in the Yukon. The safest option would of course be to stay home but we're managing our risks as best as we can. We'll smile frequently, speak the language, meet locals, and always keep alert and display common sense. I'd like to think there are "softer" bicycle touring targets out there than three fit, tough, angry, pepper-spray-carrying men in their 20s (but I know that wouldn't stop anyone with a gun or violent determination). If some ladrone takes out a gun and wants my bicycle, well, of course I'd be heartbroken but I give it up and life goes on. Some things are out of your hands. 

We'll be avoiding the very worst of the narco violence by routing through the Baja. Beyond, we'll avoid the worst places like Guatemala City, Caribbean coast, Paijan, Mendoza, San Salvador, etc. Generally speaking, we'll avoid poor barrios full of people looking for "opportunities" like us whenever possible.

If anyone would like to be a knowledge resource for our journey and help us make our way to Argentina safer, please do not hesitate to contact me. More local knowledge of the countries and roads we travel is always appreciated. Ditto for you, Reynolds, your travels have probably given you an extensive view of some good and not-so-good places to travel by bicycle. Feel free to PM me with any helpful information that can make our trip safer and more enjoyable.


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## KyleH

I see the dartmouth kits, do you guys attend school there? I read recently the cycling celebrated it's 100 year anniv...?


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## andleo

KyleH said:


> I see the dartmouth kits, do you guys attend school there? I read recently the cycling celebrated it's 100 year anniv...?


I saw a beckmans/bicycle trip jersey are any of you from santa cruz?


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## DM.Aelis

@Andleo: The Santa Cruz Bicycle Trip jersey was a cheap eBay acquisition, we are all born and raised North Dakota boys.

@KyleH: I (Isaiah) graduated from Dartmouth this past June, and got involved with cycling and their cycling team when I started my freshman year in 2007. I was President in my senior year and we got to celebrate our 50th Anniversary this past year. We had a Reunion Ride to celebrate that you can read about here and I was told that Bicycling Magazine was doing a story on us but I never saw it one way or the other since we left Alaska.


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## 55x11

Amazing photos!!!


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## evs

*I was listening to this song.....*

while trying to select some music for a homemade bike training video and it reminded me of you guys. Ride like the wind....down to the border of Mexico......

Christopher Cross - Ride like the wind - YouTube


Hope you guys are doing well and staying warm...


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## hellcat405

HAHA!!! This is trainer music? What ever happened to Eye Of The Tiger? I was humming it all day on my ride today... It made me faster


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## evs

LOL I didn't say I used it. How about this one for when your sweating your eyeballs out on those steep hills... Drowning Pool FT Rob Zombie-Man Without Fear (Song Only) - YouTube


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## DM.Aelis

*South of San Francisco*

We haven't updated in a while, and are rather tight on time, but I'll just add a few observations about California, and direct you to see our latest updates at Bound South.

Here is my list:

1) California is laid back. Except when driving on the freeway.

2) California is weird. We just missed the "Love Goddess Festival of Mendocino County."

3) California is warm and sunny. In November! North Dakota should take notes.

4) Highway 1 is a ride unlike anything I've ever done in my life, it is much recommended.

We'll have more updates to come later as we ride further down the California coast. If any RBR members are interested in meeting up with us or riding with us for half a day or something, shoot me a PM or something!


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## Pablo

This might be both the best thread ever (because it's amazing) and the worst thread ever (because I'm not on the trip).


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## OldEndicottHiway

Dang. The great pics and reports keep coming. Still jealous...especially since I am currently headed out to do some fence fixing in the cold ( being from "Nor D'kohtah" I am certain you can relate). 

You should (have) posted this thread in the Lounge forum. The Cal contingent there are a nifty group, and I'm pretty sure would (have) rolled out the red carpet for you all. 

You might still want to consider cross posting this thread there, alerting Cal folks you're passing through their sacred grounds.


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## OldEndicottHiway

Pablo said:


> This might be both the best thread ever (because it's amazing) and the worst thread ever (because I'm not on the trip).



How many ways are there to say, "I agree with the above post"...?


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## Pablo

OldEndicottHiway said:


> How many ways are there to say, "I agree with the above post"...?


The best way is with a cashier's check made out to Pablo.


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## OldEndicottHiway

Pablo said:


> The best way is with a cashier's check made out to Pablo.




You have a kid now. Your days of carefree frivolity are over.

If you avoid a mortgage, you might still however, salvage your youth before it dies on the vine. 

Have a GREAT day.


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## HOOKEM

DM.Aelis said:


> We haven't updated in a while, and are rather tight on time, but I'll just add a few observations about California, and direct you to see our latest updates at Bound South.
> 
> Here is my list:
> 
> 1) California is laid back. Except when driving on the freeway.
> 
> 2) California is weird. We just missed the "Love Goddess Festival of Mendocino County."
> 
> 3) California is warm and sunny. In November! North Dakota should take notes.
> 
> 4) Highway 1 is a ride unlike anything I've ever done in my life, it is much recommended.
> 
> We'll have more updates to come later as we ride further down the California coast. If any RBR members are interested in meeting up with us or riding with us for half a day or something, shoot me a PM or something!


Very Nice. To date, these two shots are my favorites from your trip. Thank you so much for sharing this adventure with all of us.


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## Pablo

OldEndicottHiway said:


> You have a kid now ... Have a GREAT day.


We will.


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## OldEndicottHiway

pablo said:


> we will.


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## IcemanYVR

DM.Aelis said:


> We haven't updated in a while, and are rather tight on time, but I'll just add a few observations about California, and direct you to see our latest updates at Bound South.


the rays of sunshine... KILLER photograph :thumbsup:


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## muskat

OldEndicottHiway said:


> Dang. The great pics and reports keep coming. Still jealous...especially since I am currently headed out to do some fence fixing in the cold ( being from "Nor D'kohtah" I am certain you can relate).
> 
> You should (have) posted this thread in the Lounge forum. The Cal contingent there are a nifty group, and I'm pretty sure would (have) rolled out the red carpet for you all.
> 
> You might still want to consider cross posting this thread there, alerting Cal folks you're passing through their sacred grounds.


Uh, the true nifty californians are found all over this website, no need to go to the silly lounge.

You guys are past my neck of the marshlands if you are south of SF. Stay on hwy 1, youll be taking lots of good pix and maybe even meeting some good folks too.


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## KyleH

nice awesome. I did read that article hence the curiousity. Cool stuff.


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## Gcrosshairs

The photo with the sun rays would make a good screen saver.


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## DM.Aelis

*End of California*

We have been unable to get wireless access to do any substantial photo work or website updates, but that time is fast approaching as we'll be in San Diego for a couple days before pressing into Mexico.

Today we rode 140k through the mean streets of LA and made it out alive. Almost like biking through adjacent, alternate universes between the millionaire beachfront homes and Long Beach and plenty of odd places in between. I can't say I will miss the traffic much, though the people we have met have all been exceptionally kind as always. Good people can be found everywhere, it turns out, even in Southern California (zing!). 

We've been flying through this stretch of California, tomorrow will be our fourth consecutive 80 mile day to San Diego. We've still made time to take pictures and spend time with family and locals, but admittedly the fast pace wears on your mind and body and often it's hard to muster the strength to write a short email or call family at home when you're so exhausted as it is. We'll slow down a bit south of the border, methinks, hovering around 55 miles a day for the most part I think.

Just to give everyone a heads up: this Friday night at 7PM we're doing an event at Velocult on Fern Street in San Diego, a presentation of our journey and photography and more. If you could make it, it will be a really spectacular event.

More updates and photography to come in time. Many thanks to the RBR members who have helped us with routing and more on our way south.


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## DM.Aelis

*Mexico!*

Well, we're here and moving fast down the Baja. The people we have met have been kind and helpful without exception. And make no mistake, the riding is spectacular; we've been blessed with quiet rides on the _carreterra libre_ and hopefully that will continue for us all the way to La Paz.

Riding through Tijuana was very memorable. The city really moves in a different rhythm than any American city I have ever been to, though Miami does match the feel in some ways. Riding through was stressful at times but a ton of fun, to be honest. There is an informality and layer of interpretation to traffic rules here in Mexico that makes riding a more mentally engaged and unpredictable experience...yet also strangely safer. This might sound strange until you've experienced it, but I felt far more unsafe riding on generic roads in many US cities compared to Tijuana and Ensenada.

We celebrated a bit here in northern Mexico and now will set our steady pace down the Baja. Good _mariscos_ and _playas_ await. We'll try to get some more of our photos and thoughts uploaded to the web when we get the chance; you can see our photos on Flickr here at <https://www.flickr.com/photos/boundsouth/>


IMG_4242.jpg by Bound South, on Flickr


IMG_4251.jpg by Bound South, on Flickr


IMG_4261.jpg by Bound South, on Flickr


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## red5

i'm enjoying following your progress and am rather envious of the experience and adventure. reminds me of my fellow scotsman mark beaumont's trip a couple of years ago when he cycled from anchorage to ushuaia and also climbed mount mckinley and aconcagua, then wrote a book about it. good luck with the rest of your journey


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## gaspi101

red5 said:


> i'm enjoying following your progress and am rather envious of the experience and adventure. reminds me of my fellow scotsman mark beaumont's trip a couple of years ago when he cycled from anchorage to ushuaia and also climbed mount mckinley and aconcagua, then wrote a book about it. good luck with the rest of your journey


Saw that on the BBC. Great trip, that. I though the same thing when reading this thread. Amazing adventure.


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## knightev

incredible.

i bought my bike in july because next summer, after i am done with my masters in paris, my friend and i (maybe several friends and i) will be touring through europe. i hope we can have at least 4 weeks, but it depends how long it takes me to finish my thesis. needless to say, i am working hard so we can just go!

this is truly an inspiration. thank you.


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## SwiftSolo

I've been following your journey with great admiration. I know you really don't need any advice but it'd add to your already great ride to do the Carreterra Austral through Chile. We did that ride this Spring (started at Beriloche and ending in El Calafate. If you do decide to do it, you'll want to make it to Villa O'higgins before the End of March when the ferry across the river ceases to run (it's a pretty long backtrack and you'll want to avoid the ride down the Argentine side of the Andes to Fitzroy (El Chalten) since the wind regularly blows 50 miles an hour and part of the area is as close to hell as anywhere I've ever been (flat with nothing growing higher than you ankle) and no sign of civilization to get in out of the relentless wind. If there is anything good about that side of the mountains in that area it is that the wind is at your back but I really can't imagine doing it with as much wind resistance as you guys are carrying. The Chilean side is much less windy.

Good to have you guys to follow on this great adventure. Thanks for sharing it with us. 


DM.Aelis said:


> Well, we're here and moving fast down the Baja. The people we have met have been kind and helpful without exception. And make no mistake, the riding is spectacular; we've been blessed with quiet rides on the _carreterra libre_ and hopefully that will continue for us all the way to La Paz.
> 
> Riding through Tijuana was very memorable. The city really moves in a different rhythm than any American city I have ever been to, though Miami does match the feel in some ways. Riding through was stressful at times but a ton of fun, to be honest. There is an informality and layer of interpretation to traffic rules here in Mexico that makes riding a more mentally engaged and unpredictable experience...yet also strangely safer. This might sound strange until you've experienced it, but I felt far more unsafe riding on generic roads in many US cities compared to Tijuana and Ensenada.
> 
> We celebrated a bit here in northern Mexico and now will set our steady pace down the Baja. Good _mariscos_ and _playas_ await. We'll try to get some more of our photos and thoughts uploaded to the web when we get the chance; you can see our photos on Flickr here at <http://www.flickr.com/photos/boundsouth/>


----------



## DM.Aelis

*Knocking on the door of La Paz*

Internet has come much less frequently to us since leaving the States. Partly this is a factor of geography; the Mexican Baja is mostly a giant, empty, austere desert full of mean and pointy things. Yet even the settled town areas are hit-or-miss. A coffee shop in the USA is usually a clear indicator of WiFi. Some chains carry it in every one of their locations (a la Starbucks). Yet some "Internet Cafe" locations in the Baja don't actually have internet, or a cafe, and some restaurants surprisingly have it (you just have to ask nicely). So here we are at a restaurant in Santa Rosalia, the Sea of Cortez to our east (the only time we'll have an "ocean" beside us to the east for a very long time). One mesero told my brothers that they had no internet. I walked in a different entrance, worked my Spanish magic with the other mesero, and we got our seats on a patio for a day taking in this small city off of the beaten tourist path. We've gotten to catch up on life, e-mails, and more which is always a special treat. 

I heavily recommend taking some time away from the constant deluge of tweets/pictures/emails/social media...you appreciate it more and you don't waste time on the marginal stuff when you return to the wonders of modern technology.

If anyone ever tells you that the Baja is flat, they are mostly right, but when they are wrong they are VERY wrong. Flat, boring desert highways (boring in a good, "no craters in the pavement" kind of way) give way occasionally to terrifyingly steep descents with accompanying semi-trucks and sharp bends. Pretty wild roads in some of these mountainous desert and coastal gorges that pop up every few hundred clicks.

A fun memory from the past week:

Food has been so cheap down here at roadside stands, we often eschew our tortilla/peanut butter/granola/honey mixture for lunch and do tacos or burritos at roadside stands. Local women usually staff these with their children, and you can get a pretty large serving of something delicious and fresh for a US dollar. Mexican Coca-Cola hits the spot, none of that HFCS to ruin the taste. So we do this kind of thing as a treat. Combined with tent camping at night, you can realistically eat out at a restaurant twice a day and spend <$10 a day if you want to.

We were at a roadside taqueria north of Guerrero ***** and began talking with the owner and her daughter (18 years old). I speak Spanish, my brothers not so much. Daughter is obviously somewhat shy speaking to a trio of American brothers, fit and fresh off of their bicycles. As we're eating and talking with the owner/mother she is paging through channels on the TV and glancing at us occasionally as we eat our food. The owner remarks as her daughter pauses on a cartoon channel, "Look at my daughter, 18 years old, and she can't stop watching cartoons. That's not on the only thing. She can't keep her eyes off of you three either." Instant hilarity. It was really a private joke between the mother and her daughter and myself, my two brothers had to have it explained later. Needless to say the daughter was mortified. We met eyes briefly as the comment was made and that was it. It was a priceless display of what might be called traditional parenting at work. 

There are fond and not-so-fond memories every day of this journey. It's all necessary and sufficient to the goodness of it all for us. It reminds me of why we decided to go for it in the first place and sell everything and go to Alaska in August. Scary, and exciting, how we are almost 4/10 of the way done.


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## bike-md

AMAZING Trip...Just Amazing.

I can't wait for the photos from South America...I am sure these will be spectacular.

Good Luck guys.


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## gaspi101

Hey--by the way, your amazing photography makes for wonderful iPhone desktop images. Oh, the irony. Here in our cement boxes we're dreaming of having your kind of freedom...


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## Cyclist69

These photos are fantastic and what adventure. Congrats!!


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## DM.Aelis

*Surviving the Desert and the Sea*

Writing you all here from our humble abode in Mazatlan where a family has taken us in for the night. It's amazing how the Baja flew by us. We'll be chronicling more of that ride with our Highway One Diaries on our blog, so make sure you check that out. In any case, we covered the Baja's 1600k in 18 days. A lot of it was lonely, but when we had people to meet they were exceptionally kind and brave people from all walks of life. All of it was very beautiful but harsh, and being a desert for the most part, a rather difficult place to survive. I have a newfound respect for anyone who lives year round in climates like these, especially without modern technology and conveniences.

Our minimalism has reached new heights. We sent home another front rack as well as a mass of clothing, charging cables, trinkets, and Spanish book translations of Pilgrim's Progress I'll never get to (though I'd love to claim otherwise).

Food in Mexico is superb. _Tacos de pescado_ on the Baja have opened new windows into my heart and filled them with cholesterol and joy.

We have had time not only to ride but also to volunteer, in our case at a children's shelter in La Paz that also serves breakfast daily in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods. A nutritious meal of quesadillas, pasta, and juice for these kids is a big deal when their families struggle to make ends meet. Local families and businesses donate to make the ingredients. We donated our time to serving the children at their tables, cleaning, and relieving kids of all their excess energy by playing merciless games of tag, hide-and-go-seek, and dodge-the-giant-empty-water-bottle.

We grow closer to each other every day, learning one another's strengths and idiosyncrasies and trying to support one another. We haven't even reached the halfway point yet. There is still much more to learn and to see, and for now, with rest and time to see loved ones we're energized to tackle a long road ahead of us. We camped on the side of the deck of a cargo ferry (the crew thought we were nuts) to get from La Paz to Mazatlan. We won't need a boat again until Panama City, and this excites me a good deal.

Stay tuned folks, and thank you for your messages and well wishes. The RBR community is a diverse one, and it has been such a pleasure sharing the journey with you all. Don't hesitate to ask any questions about our journey here, we'll get to them when we can.


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## Henry Porter

Mexican coke!


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## pdh777

Looking forward to your next post - keep us informed.

Thanks


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## DM.Aelis

Henry Porter said:


> Mexican coke!


Mexican coke is the nectar of the gods. I won't touch Coca-Cola in the States. I can't live without Mexican coca-cola down here especially on a long, hard, and hot day. Caffeine and sugar in a cold drink is a real boost.


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## muskat

Man this is what living is all about, you guys will never be the same, and thats a respectful compliment.


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## morryjg

Thanks for taking the time to post here as well as your blog! I follow both and can't wait for the next time I get to read an update. 

Merry Christmas to you and your brothers where ever you may celebrate!


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## jdp211

I'm really glad I stumbled on this thread. I'm a close friend of a Sig Ep brother of yours (I believe they call him Enzyte in your neck of the woods) who told me about the trip and am extremely jealous that you're getting to take part in a life goal of mine.


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## dfltroll

Just came across this thread, amazing! Thanks for taking the time to post to it. Very inspiring. My touring buddy and me are hoping to do the Dempster Hwy in 2013. I sure hope it happens.


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## DM.Aelis

*fixed*

Just an out of order post I had to fix. Mods feel free to delete!


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## L_Johnny

Outstanding pics. Good luck and keep safe. Happy New Year!


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## DM.Aelis

*Happy New Year!*

Since reaching the mainland of Mexico it seems like we've hit a whole new world. We'll never forget the first guy we met in Mazatlan, after a night spent rocking around on a cargo ferry, whom we asked for directions to the Malecon (waterfront main street in most Mexican port cities). He gave us some directions and then said, "Be careful my friends, people here are crazy. We live in a satanic jungle here in Mazatlan!" Needless to say he left an impression on us. 

Since then, we've found that while a few things change, a lot of the good things stay the same. In Mazatlan and the mainland, we saw our first restaurant that got shot up by the local mob because they didn't pay enough protection money. We've seen our first truly rude/inconsiderate/dangerous drivers on the highways. We've also encountered our first bout with illness which is unfortunately still ongoing and frustrating.

But the good stuff remains. Vegetation has changed dramatically, going from dry coastline to desert sierra to tropic lush vegetation and changing once more to higher alpine conifers, pine trees, and other kinds of deciduous trees you'd expect to see in a place like New Hampshire or Pennsylvania. Weird at times how fast that changes on you. 

We're setting a strong daily pace, marred somewhat by illness and the incredible climbs of the western highlands here in Mexico. It's not uncommon to climb for 20k at a time, and especially on Mexico's backroads that Bound South frequents, it is not uncommon to do 1500ft of vertical at a time on absurdly rough cobblestones. They sure don't carry tents, stoves, 20L of water and a change of clothes at Paris-Roubaix. Maybe we'll get a trophy for this someday. I digress. 

The people are still spectacular. Perhaps a little less gregarious than on the Baja. Very kind but more reserved and traditional in some ways. I would describe Mexico as having a cultural bifurcation between the mainland and the Baja (or frankly, between Mexico City and everything *not* Mexico City) similar to the USA's stereotypical categories of Yankees and Southerners. Chilangos (people from Mexico City) are at once cosmopolitan, cultured, intellectual, wealthy, professional, rude, impatient, pushy, and unfriendly. Outsiders from other areas or the Baja are warm, traditional, religious, hospitable, generous, ignorant, uncultured, narrow-minded, and less intelligent. Obviously these are just stereotypes that are mainly just jokes within Mexican parlance (for example, a female friend of mine from Mexico City, living in Guadalajara, had a funny T-shirt she liked to wear with "CHILANGA" on it). But they are subtle distinctions that you pick up on as you travel through a place.

I'm reminded of Hemingway's writing, incorporated in the title of his autobiography, that "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." I feel that way about this bicycle expedition, it is our moveable feast. Every day stays with us even after we press on, and the richness of our journey is its own kind of sustenance when times are tough. Here's to hoping that you all have a moveable feast of your own in 2012.


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## muskat

Beautiful colors, mexico is best captured in its color.


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## hozzerr1

WOW: just found my new screen saver (pix of tree)

Thanks guys.


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## DM.Aelis

*on illness*

We've been fairly fortunate with our health since leaving Alaska, I suppose. That all changed this week. I started experiencing a slight cold outside of Mazatlan and with a hard riding schedule and limited rest it devolved into a serious cold and ear infection. Antibiotics and rest in Patzcuaro cleared up the issue which I was very thankful for.

Since then we've pressed on, but as soon as we hit Valle de Bravo it was like we couldn't keep healthy. Both of my brothers are dealing with or recovering from a strange bout of serious food poisoning or flu-like symptoms. David got hit first, the day we arrived in this beautiful city in southern Mexico. We all had tacos from the same vendor for lunch that day, for some reason it appeared that David got a bad one and he had a miserable night spent in a bathroom for the most part.

As soon as David recovered two days later, Nathan got hit by the same kind of bug out of nowhere it seemed. The only possible culprit was a hotdog out of a new package of hotdogs from a local grocery. No clue if it's food related or a virus transmitted from David, but he's still incapacitated by chills, achiness, nausea, etc. and we're in a holding pattern until he recovers. We've probably lost about two weeks to illness now in Mexico in December and January, which is a lot for our expedition that is on a short timetable.

I'll admit that any kind of physical illness or malady is terrifying on a journey like this. When your body is your engine and your sole form of transportation for a year, the thought of something going wrong is rather terrifying especially when the problem and fix is unclear. We battled some serious tendonitis in Alaska and Canada and for a time it was uncertain whether Nathan would be able to continue past Whitehorse in the Yukon. Well, here we are in Mexico and again that uncertainty of the "What if?" creeps up on you. What if we are battling some crazy kinds of viruses and food bugs that delay us a week or a month or more? We're staring at Argentine winter and the uncertainty about our health can be daunting at times to be honest.

If any other bike tourists have tips to share on their experiences with health and wellness in Central and South America we'd love to learn more. I think we're doing everything "right" with purified water and avoiding raw vegetables and other questionable foods. Aside from giving up on street vendor food, what more can we do? (admittedly I don't want to give up on street food as it is a really spectacular part of our travels)

At the end of the day, we do what we can do. We ask for the classic "courage to change what we can, serenity to accept what we cannot, and wisdom to know the difference." Even when illness strikes and you feel terrifically alone and disheartened, far from home on a bicycle, we are struck by the beauty of the worlds we pass through or inhabit in sickness and health. Despite illness we've made memories with butterflies in mountain meadows, tremendous children who defy language barriers, and even the occasional family pig resting in a pool to escape the afternoon heat.

Wish us some health and a good road ahead. We hope to reach Panama City in three weeks! Enjoy the photos, and thank you all again for your comments and emails and donations of support in the weeks past.


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## knightev

dang... no idea about central america/mexico bugs/illnesses, etc... i wish i could help, but all i can do is say hang in there. i'm sending good vibes from my end, i hope they help.

you're brave fellows. you can make it.

beautiful pictures, as always.


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## new2rd

Keep your head up, you are inspiring a lot of us. I could only try to imagine what you are going through. The pictures are amazing. I hope you are planning on writing a book about this journey when you are done. I will be the first in line. Good luck and get healthy!


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## OldEndicottHiway

Tres Hermanos,

A couple of your latest photos are breathtaking...Girl in the Purple Hat and even more so the B/W photo of the girl in your latest post. 

Saw your FB post regarding illness. Sometimes the most perfect experiences in life and plan, are the most imperfect and unplanned. Roll with it.


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## pdh777

HAve spent considerable time in Mexico (my wife is from there) - she has always advised me to stay away from street vendors. 
Generally restaurants have a higher level of sanitation - try this approach going forward, as you know you do not want a repeat of Montezuma's revenge, had it,ended up in the hospital, it is no fun.

Keep us posted - I know a lot of us are enjoying your escapades.


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## TimV

First of all, great thread. What an awesome journey you guys are having!

Regarding the illness you and your brothers have, it sounds to me like a simple case of Montezuma's Revenge. I was recently in Mexico and was really good about drinking bottled water, etc. and was doing fine. Then one day we all decided to get ceviche from a street vendor. Big mistake. It took me over two weeks to fully recover.


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## pigpen

TimV said:


> First of all, great thread. What an awesome journey you guys are having!
> 
> Regarding the illness you and your brothers have, it sounds to me like a simple case of Montezuma's Revenge. I was recently in Mexico and was really good about drinking bottled water, etc. and was doing fine. Then one day we all decided to get ceviche from a street vendor. Big mistake. It took me over two weeks to fully recover.


Ceviche from a steet vender? What were you thinking?
Beautiful trip. I am sure most of us wish we could be there.


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## humble

Guys, sorry I am late to this thread - and - perhaps this has been mentioned - very important in Mexico - I have been there countless times - squeeze lime on all food. Avoid uncooked fruits and vegis - but if you must - only with fresh lime on top. Then - daily - drink tequila - only a bit - but take some. This will minimize the chance of Montezuma's Revenge and other complications. /h

edit: lime/lemon on food - and water - all through the America's - and continue the intake of small amounts of tequila as long as you can. This is esential travel advise for the region. Keep your hands clean - keep a small stock of anti-bacterial soap and a bit of bleach if you don't have them - you can refresh as you go - they are esential in any city environment for personal hygene. Remember also - south of the border - the pharmacy can give most anything without the scrip from the doctor - and they are trained to do so also. Finding a good local farmacia is frequenly more useful than the local clinic.

/h


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## DM.Aelis

*exit, stage izquierda*

We are riding south of Oaxaca now. Sometimes I feel like I should pinch myself writing things like that. Almost done with Mexico. Mexico! After starting in Alaska. We surprise ourselves sometimes, and making it this far in good time and health and spirits has been a very pleasant surprise. The miles behind us build up a very special kind of inertia. It makes each consecutive day easier, the product of both experience and irrational confidence in our ability to push on a fast pace southwards. 

I underestimated how hard it is to average high mileage in the mountains, loaded, especially off-road. We've spent a lot of time on dirt-and-rock strewn paths in the mountains and it makes for a jarring departure (literally) from the smooth sailing of a paved road. I don't think we regret our off-road sojourns, but it took a toll on us just to keep our 100k/day average past Valle de Bravo. We have felt strong, fully recovered from illness, yet still the riding has been very challenging. Fully loaded bikes are heavy uphill, especially when the climbs can be over 10k long. 

Huge, huge, huge thanks for the tips offered here about eating. We'd already hewn to a lot of these recommendations, but have recently begun adding lime to everything (best part is, lime transport trucks give us limes for free). It is amazing what health does for the spirits and the riding day. Hoping for more of that on the road south.

We should be in Panama City by the middle of February, at which point we're going to take a plane over the Darien Gap...all of the other options are prohibitively expensive and time consuming. We're hoping to make our sister's high school graduation at the end of May so that is certainly in the back of our minds. A plane to Bogota is likely the plan, at which point we'll embark on a long and mountainous route down South America.

We've had some pretty crazy experiences. Wild camping, showering in the central plaza water sprinklers of mountain villages (a spectacle like you would never believe), camping in the half-constructed garage of some jewelers in Taxco, and playing soccer for hours in the evening on a dirt field in the middle of a Morelos desert town. It's hard sometimes to sit down at the computer and process all of it. We often remark to one another about minor, special memories from months ago in Canada and Alaska that we never truly appreciated until now. 

Keep following our blog as we move south, and feel free to shoot us any questions you have about bicycle touring or our gear or anything else. Thanks folks.


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## ScotSHO

Awesome thread. Good luck as you leave Mexico.


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## DM.Aelis

*leap to Colombia*

It's been a while since we've updated, mainly because we've been in a whirlwind of travel, hard riding, and spectacular experiences. In chronological order:

The tropics of Central America/Guatemala, mainly the coastal areas, are oppressively hot and humid. 

Yet once you climb up into the mountains, it gets cooler and the scenery gets more spectacular. The highlands of Guatemala will be forever imprinted on our minds, especially because we rode to Lago Atitlan despite the warnings of many people that there were ruthless thieves on the roads around the area. In the end we were treated to some of the hardest riding of the trip (steep canyons with broken roads, multiple steep climbs and descents in the course of any given mile, river crossings, etc.) and some of the most fulfilling vistas and experiences.

Reaching Guatemala City we reached a turning point. We flew to Colombia where we are riding now. The reason to skip the 1,000 miles from Guatemala to Panama? Time. We miss home dearly and hope to make our sister's graduation in May, which required a little skip. To miss the danger and oppressive heat and humidity of Central America made the most sense and the flight was a last minute deal at an unbelievable price which helped considerably. Though I do believe we will miss the opportunity to shower in a few rare sprinkler systems...always a fun way to make a spectacle and some friends in the small towns that dot the Americas.

Unfortunately we had some bike damage since the flight, with a bent Rohloff brake rotor. I was able to do a decent repair with some pliers, for now I am hoping we can find a high-end MTB shop in Quito to get some new parts. 

We are now in Colombia riding through the rainforest mountains, which is the only way I can describe this fantastic area of the world. Hard on the legs, easy on the eyes. In a few days we ride through the "trampolin de los muertos" or trampoline of death, an area with steep dirt/cobblestone/pavement climbs that are pretty awe (or fear) inspiring. Our highest mountain passes of the trip are ahead of us this week, up to 4000 meters in altitude. 

I cannot express how motivated and assured we are of our present course. It was hard to skip even a part of Central America, but being in the Andes has inspired us and given us a whole new set of legs. We're healthy, on schedule, and having the adventure of a lifetime. I encourage everyone to keep checking our blog for updates as well at <www.boundsouth.org>

All the best to you all, especially those who actually have to ride through a "real" winter this year. Being from North Dakota we are well aware of all the fun we are missing. 

For reference, the Colombian highlands might have the most spectacular weather, scenery, and roads for year-round cycling that I've ever seen. Bike culture is wild here as well...tons of roadies and MTB'ers out for group rides on the main highways with nice kit and strong legs. It's warm here and we still see guys out in winter tights and long sleeves despite the relatively high temperatures...maybe it's just our North Dakota warm-bloodedness showing.

That's all for now, thanks for reading and following our journey to Argentina.


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## 10ae1203

It is a real joy to visit this thread and hear your tales and look at your pictures.


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## L_Johnny

Good call. Right now there is a road block on the Panamerican road in Panama because of protests, You would have probably been in jeopardy time wise just with this.


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## DM.Aelis

*Colombian Epic*

Six months in, sometimes you think to yourself that you've seen it all. Bicycling this far, I am telling you, there is still a lot to see and Colombia seems to have gone out of its way to surprise us. We're near the border with Ecuador so the next time you hear from us we'll probably be eating guinea pig in Tumbaco. Wifi has been a very rare thing here in South America, more than any other place on our journey thus far. I hope that can change in Ecuador and beyond, keeping our website updated and sharing our photos and stories has been something the three of us have treasured since the start of this journey.

As soon as we touched down in Bogotá we got to the work of re-constructing bicycles which is no easy feat. We had to pay way too much for a hotel and spent a night getting everything together. South American Trolls we have now; more rugged and minimalist, and a little more versatile. We ditched our fenders for added mud clearance and less weight/hassle. We picked up some fat/knobby Kenda tires for muddy and stony South American mountain roads, and have a second pair of Schwalbe Marathon slicks that are super fast on pavement. We managed to ditch a few more non-essentials so we're as light as we've ever been and ever will be between here and Argentina.

Colombia has been spectacular. The lowlands aren't super pleasant mainly due to the tremendous humidity and heat here by the equator. People are very kind, drivers respectful...this is a cycling country after all, with wide shoulders and well-maintained highways that would make Oregon jealous. Tons of roadies out on group rides, passing us uphill or passing the other way, waving and giving the thumbs up from their carbon and aluminum racing steeds. Makes me miss my roadie a little bit.

We've always had fairly good luck camping out every night through Mexico/Guatemala, and Colombia has been no different. One night we camped just past a waterfall with a farm family, and after setting up camp we started cooking and making small talk with the family. We then met their spectacularly attractive 18-year old daughter. Mom/Dad/siblings/daughter all spoke to us at our table, with the conversation soon turning to whether we were single and how old we were and such. The daughter pointedly asked us all if we were looking for a wife in South America or just an adventure...*gulp* I responded that my brothers had to learn Spanish first, women could come second. A lot of fun memories with families and people we meet have defined this trip for all of us. Part of me wishes we had a photo of the daughter and her family to bring the anecdote alive; yet part of me also feels that some of these moments and stories are better held back. We can't take every story back with us to share, and that's perfectly fine.

The Colombian Andes are definitely where the fun is at for bicycle touring. The weather is much more cool and pleasant and the scenery more spectacular. But it's not easy at all. We took a crazy road from Mocoa to Pasto, a 135 kilometer stretch of stone-littered dirt and mud and stream crossings that tested us and our Trolls to their limits. It's the only "highway" connecting the two states of Colombia east to west, and it's a single lane dirt path more suitable for goats than vehicles. It takes over four hours to pass by car, if you're fast and lucky enough to dodge the frequent land slides and closures. It was an epic, epic, epic ride. My body hurts now as I write in Pasto from all of the tremendous mountain climbs that took us up to 12,000 ft, the brutally bumpy rocks (imagine littering a muddy road with sharp paving stones and letting it dry for bicycling enjoyment), and the long hours in the rain and heat and cold. There were so many times where I wanted to take Angus (the name of my Troll) and throw him off of a cliff out of frustration. Yet already I'm feeling the soreness pass away and thinking how I wouldn't mind going back again to explore it once more.


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## gaspi101

These are just astonishing guys...biking through the mist of the mountains--it's almost like a different planet.


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## SOME_1_ELSE_1999

they havent updated this page in a while but the blog is still going strong its a good read with some AWESOME PICTURES. check it out if you got the time the like to it is in the first post


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## DM.Aelis

*Ecuador*

Truth be told, I don't know what any of us expected from Ecuador. Colombia was the sexy neighbor to the east; it had the rough history with cocaine and FARC, the beautiful women, the fanatic cycling culture, the epic mountain roads, and more. Ecuador? Truth be told we just didn't know much about it and didn't know what to expect.

Needless to say we were surprised, in a mostly pleasant way. There was one "incident" that I'll get out of the way; it has proven to be the only truly bad experience we have had since leaving Alaska. A few days outside of Quito, in a small city in the mountains called Otavalo, we were sitting down having some Cokes and bread with PB&honey to fuel up and continue riding. It was a simple gas station convenience store, with stools and a counter to sit at outside the door. A large, bald, fair-skinned man (I estimate 6'2, 200+ lbs) approached and became upset, and soon enraged. He was obviously mentally unstable, but with our backs turned we didn't really have a full grasp of the situation at the time. In any case, he became enraged and violent at seeing us for no apparent reason. There was a woman trying to calm him down to no avail. As we we were sitting and eating, he ran up to David from behind and clubbed him in the side of the face with his forearm while attempting to grab his head and put him in some kind of hold. The place went nuts; you can imagine the spectacle of three gringoes being attacked by a big crazy dude in a fairly busy convenience store area. My other brother and myself jumped up on to this guy and got him off David. In the ensuing minutes, he tried to fight us repeatedly and finally the situation resolved with the gas station owner's even LARGER employee putting the guy in a headlock and stuffing him in a police-escorted taxi cab. The crazy guy kept resisting, even from within the taxi, and kept staring at us and dragging his finger across his throat like he wanted to kill us. Many days later we're laughing about this incident, but at the time, it was one of the most unsettling experiences I have ever encountered. What if this crazy guy had a knife? Or what if he could drive and followed us out of town or encountered us on the road? It certainly brings you face to face with mortality and vulnerability, and I guess that's true in Ecuador and around the world (including the United States). It's easy to take common safety for granted.

Besides the attack and a bout of food poisoning that I'm recovering from in Cuenca, Ecuador has been spectacular. If I could highlight three things it would be the following:

1) El Chaquinan. We rode an epic trail from a pueblo called El Quinche into a suburb of Quito called Tumbaco. A decommissioned railroad, the tracks have mostly filled in with dirt and the result is a spectacular single-trail dirt track that winds through Andean canyons, dark tunnels, bridges, and muddy and rocky rural areas. It was like nothing I've ever done before; and to slide around in muddy singletrack on a touring bike is tremendously satisfying. Except when we came upon one super-steep slope that was hard to walk up, much less push our loaded bicycles up! We ended up having to teamwork the bikes uphill (sliding in the mud as we went), and then I hung on the rear rack as a dragging human brake to aid the safe descent. Pretty wild. Unforgettable.

2) Tumbaco. We stayed with a family of teachers at a local British School. Spectacular people, wonderful children. We were able to not only explore the city of Quito, but also able to present our journey to the Kindergarten-6th Grade of the British School. A fantastic and unique opportunity, especially when answering and asking questions of children who are dumbfounded by riding a bicycle more than a few blocks. "We live out of these three bags; how many bags do you kids need to live?" Little first grade girl, worriedly, "At least a hundred..." I've said it before, I'll say it again: this journey is all about the people you meet.

3) The Andes. Ecuador is famous not only for its high volcanoes like Cotopaxi, reaching up near 20,000 feet (we only climbed to 13,000 feet on its shoulder) but its southern mountains make for spectacular and hard riding. It's either up or down, steep and fast descents meeting their inevitable reply with long, grinding climbs. And almost all of it is in the clouds and mist, year-round. It's nice to keep cool, and worth the price of admission (constant and unpredictable rain storms). One of the most awesome feelings is to fly down a mountain descent up around 12000 feet, hitting an exposed cliff face with just a guard rail separating you from what is below, and seeing....nothing. Just the blank expanse of clouds, shrinking your visibility to 40 feet. The canyon to your right that you _know_ exists could be 500 or 5000 feet deep. You can't know, all you can do is keep swooping through the mist alone on your bicycle. It's exhilarating. It's a hell of a lot of fun. Heavily recommended if you ever get the chance. :thumbsup:

We should hit Peru in a few days, leaving the cool pine forested mountains of Ecuador for the headwinds and hot deserts of the coast and the drier Andes. We will see some lush vegetation again in Huaraz, but aside from that, it's pretty much barren desert until we hit the Mediterranean climate of central Chile and finally the wet, cold, windy winter of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.


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## pdh777

Great stories - great pics. Keep em coming.

Would be interested to know at the end of your journey what your bicycle equipment usage was - how many chains, tires, cassettes and other items you each used? Also how many miles?


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## DM.Aelis

pdh777 said:


> Would be interested to know at the end of your journey what your bicycle equipment usage was - how many chains, tires, cassettes and other items you each used? Also how many miles?


A rough guess, based on the road ahead of us and the routing we've been able to do (keep in mind we don't run bike computers)...16,000 miles.

Each person will have gone through

4 wipperman chains
2 Rohloff cogs (they are double sided)
6 Schwalbe tires (our new supremes are pretty killer, we switch for Kenda Small Blocks when we go off road)

Other than that, everything's wearing out on us. Socks, shorts, underwear, tarp, tent, sleeping pad have holes and are showing signs of serious wear. We've basically got two pairs of riding shorts, one riding shirt, and one "non-riding-outfit" each. For ten months on the road. Lot of time between washing in a South American sink means clothes are getting their use.


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## IcemanYVR

Epic... just love keeping up with your trip. As a photographer, your images are tantamount to your writing, if not better


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## DM.Aelis

*Peru*

Apologies for our long hiatus from the pages of RBR. We've been rolling fast through Peru, doing our best to make fast progress southwards while simultaneously seeing the best of this spectacular country. 

With just a few months left in this journey, we're all starting to feel a little homesick in some ways. Peru has contributed to this feeling somewhat, as outside of Lima it is not renowned for its gastronomy. Some days it seems like we have two choices for every meal: _arroz con pollo,_ or _pollo con arroz._ It will be a very happy day when we can come home to real salads, fresh sandwiches, great bread, and Mom's home cooking. Not surprisingly on a bicycle tour, food consumes a good deal of our thoughts.

Peru is huge. For reference, it is approximately the same size as Alaska. It's natural geography is just as diverse. We descended out of the Ecuadorean Andes and flew through the desert lowlands; our first full day back on flat ground we cruised 180k into Chiclayo. It's not as interesting or as breathtaking as the mountains, but the desert coast sometimes has its own unique appeal. After a stopover at the Casa de Ciclistas in Trujillo (a truly spectacular place that you can read about on our blog) we continued southwards and searched for a famous road through Duck Canyon (Cañon del Pato). We were rewarded with one of the most incredible riding experiences since leaving Alaska. Imagine following a raging river, gradually climbing from sea level up to 10,000 feet over the course of 200 kilometers. 3000 foot cliffs surrounding you on either side. Huge stones littering the single-lane "road", jarring your body and hands and butt for hours. Tunnels cut into the stone walls. Absolutely fantastic.

Due to a personal packing failure, the MSR Fuel Bottle for our camp stove came open inside my rack pack on the ascent up through Duck Canyon. All of our Zip-Loc bags full of oatmeal and food and such were ruined and the gas smell was pretty strong to say the least. A kind woman with a restaurant in her home let us stay for the night and provided us breakfast in the morning to get us on the road again. It left us kind of nervous to be in the "middle of nowhere" in the Peruvian mountains with small towns and clusters of buildings only to be found every 40k...no grocery stores or food supplies to be found in these parts. It's really amazing how easy it is to get lost in the world on a bicycle. Kind of cool. There are always more empty spaces in the world to explore than you can possibly imagine, even in your own back yard.

Huaraz is the jewel of the Peruvian Andes, nestled in between the Cordillera Blanca and Negra. Spectacular. Words and photos can't possibly do it all justice. We're now on the way to Lima and Arequipa, and we're already excited to reach Chile and the Carreterra Austral in the coming months. We'll be skipping Bolivia, so once we leave Peru we'll have just two countries left before our long journey is done and we return home.


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## muskat

Wow. What a life experience, you'll never top it, dont even try. The many miles of travel show up well in the face of one of you in the wheel truing picture, know that many back home are rooting you on to the end, so keep on pedaling.


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## Third Son

Fantastic guys...living the dream!


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## JohnnyTooBad

I love following this thread. Thanks for keeping us up to date. That's the real definition of the often overused "Epic". Glad you are having such a good time. Happy trails.


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## morryjg

muskat said:


> Wow. What a life experience, you'll never top it, dont even try.


I would say - Keep trying to top it because if you do what an experience that would be!!


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## Ridin'Sorra

Awesome.... Keep it up, guys.

As a Mexican who has bounced here and there outside Mexico, reading from my country seen from another perspective has been eye opening. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Vamos, muchachos!! :thumbsup:


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## SOME_1_ELSE_1999

I am starting to worry for you guys, but not about the difficulties of your travel, lack of water, or good quality food. I worry that you still have what looks like the distance from Alaska to the US/Mexico border still ahead of you and not much time left to do it. When i look at google maps all i see is mountians ahead of you. I fear that you will at some point have to go so fast to make up time you wont have time to enjoy the small things like the really nice view or things of that nature. I am rooting hard for you to make it you have all gone so far and on my daily rides i tend to remember you guys carrying all your gear up them steep roads and think to myself "I bet the would kill to have a road this good." Wonderful pictures please keep them coming, Keep on going you all are so close!! YOU CAN DO IT!


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## DM.Aelis

*a long overdue update...from northern Patagonia*

Hey there RBR,

Sorry for the long hiatus. In our defense we have been riding really hard. We've seen some remarkable roads, a lot of our content gets put up more regularly on our blog of course. Now we're in Bariloche, Argentina, right in the northern regions of Patagonia. It's cold here. And sunset falls out of the north, sooner every day we're on the road.

We rode some epic roads in southern Peru. We took a gander at Google Maps in Arequipa and saw this really cool high altitude lake called "Lago Salinas" and a cursory Google search made it appear like a miniature version of the Bolivian salt flats. Needless to say, we did not encounter a shimmering desert but instead a mini-Peruvian winter storm at 4200m. We barely slept due to the altitude sickness after riding up from Arequipa's 2500m. We'd been to this altitude on other roads in Colombia and Ecuador but this was our first time ascending so quickly, and camping out. There are no towns in this part of Ecuador, despite what Google may tell you. We found an outcropping of buildings just off the mountain lake called Moche. The town is powered by generators, the subsidized diesel fuel provided by the government. Very poor. The lady who owns the one tienda in town cooked us some rice and eggs while we shivered and dried out because we had forgot our own supplies. Her best friend in town owned a telephone business; she had the town's one telephone, and people paid her $.30 a minute to make calls. Out of their kindness, we slept in her home's spare room. We woke up to snow and sleet, and later that day pushed our bikes through sand and snow at up to 4500m before descending a rocky little trail to the next sign of civilization, 70k away. Hard riding.

It seemed like it took us forever to get back to the coast. Winding mountain passes would take us up to 4000m, and down to 2000m, and back to 4000m, again and again in the empty, barren and dry mountains characteristic of southern-coastal-Peruvian-Andes. We couldn't carry enough water to make the long stretches between water sources. We'd see two or three vehicles in a day, and if one of them was a _colectivo_, they'd offer their half-consumed 2L bottles of Inka Kola and loafs of bread for us. It's not too much of a stretch to say that they saved our lives.

After what seemed like an eternity battling some hard roads in Peru, we made it to Chile, crossing at the wide open coastal desert near Tacna and Arica. It was one of the most dramatic border crossings of the trip without a doubt. The second we hit Chile, the roads got nicer, the cities were cleaner and brighter lit, and the vehicles were bigger and newer. It's unbelievably striking how the level of economic development in the Chilean countryside differs from Peru (outside of Lima). We observed similar phenomena at the US-Mexico border from San Diego to Tijuana, and the Chiapas, Mexico -Guatemala border crossing as well. Unfortunately for us, our time of cheap restaurant meals and hostels came to an end...Chilean restaurants and hotels easily match American prices, and so we've gone back to exclusive tent-camping and MSR stove meals. And lots of peanut butter, thanks to a friend *smuggling* a Costco Bulk Peanut Butter container from the USA on a flight to us in Lima. Some things are priceless and not to be found down in these parts.

We looked at the road ahead and knew we couldn't make it to Ushuaia by mid-May with the miles ahead of us and a realistic pace. Since our return home for our sister's graduation isn't negotiable, we had to pick something to cut out; and we didn't want to miss Patagonia or the ride into Ushuaia. So we decided to skip the Atacama desert. A long bus ride took us across the desert to central Chile, and from there we've been able to ride like the wind through Chile's pastoral, coastal plain and now into the mountains of Argentina and soon the Carreterra Austral.

It's cold and dark and hardly the best time to be plunging into the Austral regions but we're prepared and motivated and more than anything, really excited to finish this thing right. We've got a month to go, basically, and we're pretty sure it will be a memorable one. Thanks for following folks.


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## commutenow

Just beautiful pictures and such an amazing story!!! Good luck!


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## il sogno

Best thread ever! :thumbsup:


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## khiloa

I don't have anything useful to add to this other than what everyone else has been saying: This story is great and every single one of those pictures are amazing!!


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## Procedure.1

Goodluck on your journey gentlemen. Godspeed


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## Ridgetop

You guys amaze me more with every post. So awesome and thanks so much for sharing this report.


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## Pablo

Just wonderful. Thanks for the pictures, words, and reminding me of my trips sown south.


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## orange_julius

I can sense the pace is picking up from reading your posts, and I wish all three of you all the best. What an amazing trip, and thank you very much for sharing it with the rest of us. Good luck, be safe, godspeed, and I can't imagine what amazing feeling you will have when you attend your sister's graduation after such an EPIC trip.


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## DM.Aelis

*Patagonia continues*

Life isn't easy down here, but it is perhaps more enjoyable than any other phase of our journey. We're freezing at night, riding all day, and making time to finish in Ushuaia in two weeks. Pretty awesome to be this close, and for now we're just trying to savor the last days of our journey through this spectacular, spectacular region of the world.

Since we've got some riding to do, I'll just share some photos to tell the story.


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## pdh777

Great job guys - so close you can taste it - your sister's wedding cake that is.


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## Dajianshan

I love that shot of the road.


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## JohnnyTooBad

Stunning scenery! Soak it all in. It's almost done. And done well.

Looking forward to more.


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## IcemanYVR

Press onward... your images are amazing, I can only imagine your memories. thanks for all the updates.


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## il sogno

Repped!


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## DM.Aelis

*The End of the World*

What a ride it has been. 9 months on the dot, from August 11th to May 11th, Anchorage to Ushuaia. Now we're done. Bicycles are no longer sitting outside our tent, expectantly, waiting to be ridden to some new unexplored place over unfamiliar roads. Now they're in pieces and packed in bicycle boxes. We're going home.

The day we finished was just like any other day really. No fireworks or fanfare as we rolled into Ushuaia. Just a lot of the same cold and gray of Patagonian winter, lots of grunting up hills, and if anything was out of the ordinary, it was the serious tinge of sadness that the road ended here. We have been looking forward to this moment for a long time, but with it comes the realization that we'll never share this same kind of thing as brothers ever again. 

Bike tours kind of suck sometimes. It's been an inside joke of ours since last fall, after an email from a follower of our journey in Canada saying, "Keep pedaling, thousands of people are envious of you guys right now." Since then, whenever we've encountered hardship of the bicycle-touring variety, we jokingly shout out, "Remember thousands of people are envious of us right now!" Because the truth is, most of that stuff doesn't make it into the pretty pictures and the rose-tinted recollections of American landscapes and families. Almost getting killed by an RV in the Yukon, losing our tent in a desert windstorm in the Baja of Mexico, getting assaulted by an unstable man in Ecuador, and doing some minor nerve damage to our feet and hands from cold camping and riding down here in Patagonia...this stuff isn't all that fun or easy. But if bicycle touring across the Americas were all easy and fun, everyone would do it right? And we know, more than anyone, how important the hard times have been to welding us together even tighter as brothers.

We've changed drastically, but incrementally; we've lost a collective 40 pounds for example. We're pretty pro at this bicycle adventure thing, and it's funny because of how utterly incompetent we were when we started. I can't help but laugh thinking about how we rolled out of Anchorage with four panniers and a rack pack each, packed to the limit, and how we made ourselves a few dinners of nothing but noodles and canned chicken in the Alaskan wilderness. Now we've got half the gear and we eat twice as well on the road. We will never view material possessions and comforts in the same way. Daily showers? _You've got to be kidding me._ With not warm, but *hot* water? AND sufficient pressure! What a concept! Jeans and T-shirts are going to fantastic, as I have worn nothing but bike shorts, one shirt or two, and a pair of hiking pants for the past year. When you've learned to live with so little, you realize what you really need to make you happy. If I can manage to acquire a kitchen sink with drinkable water, a stove, jeans, t-shirts, and a warm place to put my sleeping bag every night, I think I'll be set for life. 

There's no question that we'll miss what we're leaving behind. What things will I miss the most? I think the biggest privilege of a bicycle expedition is the new roads and new places, every day of your life. Each day has no guarantees beyond the integrity of your maps and navigational skills. By bicycle we see so much, not only the "big things" between Alaska and Argentina that tourists drive and fly for, but the little things that only bicyclists can see. Crater Lake in Oregon. The Torres del Paine of Patagonia. The line of worker-ants more than 100 feet long along a cliff in Colombia. The countless men and women sweating at manual farm labor throughout Latin America, every day of the week. The unrehearsed new friendship of people from all walks of life. Alaskan mountaineers, Canadian-Hutterite carpenters, Colombian firemen, Argentine business magnates, you name it. The people and places you see are so ingrained in your mind because of how slowly you pass by them and how hard you work to see them. I'll never forget riding through the mist in the high mountains of Peru, and watching a traditionally dressed elderly woman herding animals while laughing and chatting away on a prepaid cell phone. Welcome to modernity.

So much of what we experience is random and unremarkable to everyone except us. Like the time we asked for directions in a small village in southern Peru, and the woman giving us directions calmly waited with a guinea pig in her hand for the local public transit bus to arrive. Guinea pig, or _cui_ is a delicacy in this part of the world. As the bus rolled up, she drowned it in the sink in front of us and then wrapped the body in a paper towel and began hawking it to the passengers who were headed to the larger city down the road. For reference, _cui_ is fantastic, especially when your first acquaintance is with it nicely cooked on your plate.

I'll never stop missing the unvarnished, unpredictable, random goodness of strangers who have saved and enriched our lives countless times since leaving Alaska. With careers and family I don't believe anything like Bound South will ever be possible again, but I have a lifetime of smaller bicycle adventures ahead of me. Hopefully I can share a lot of them with my brothers. Right now, my not-so-short-list in the USA is to do the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, Wisconsin, Maine, and countless places in Washington, Oregon, and California. Internationally, I want to go back to Colombia again. There was a, ahem, smoking hot Colombian farm girl that made a marriage offer to us after we camped at her family's farm (we worked up the courage to decline), and it would be fun to find her again to at least say hi. There is so much to be explored in Mexico, and with real Mexican food you can turn the pedals happily all day long. Three very important words: Baja fish tacos.

What's next? I'm off to Marine Corps Officer Candidate School in October. David's going off to college. Nathan's looking for work as a music teacher, and also might do a stint in the oil fields in western North Dakota. We're all working on our family farm for the summer, and will be working at a coffee table book and a number of presentations of our journey. We've raised over $15,000 for our local Habitat for Humanity, and with a "Tour of North Dakota" in the works we hope to raise $45,000 more to build a home for a family in North Dakota with Habitat for Humanity.

So that's all I've got for now. We're homeward bound, just in time for our sister's graduation this weekend. I can already taste my mom's cooking. Thank you to RBR for reading and being a part of this thread ever since Alaska. I'll repeat a sentiment and literary reference from earlier in this journey.

Hemingway once recounted in a conversation with a friend, A.E. Hotchner, that “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” If there ever was a moveable feast, it has been this bicycle expedition. The sights and smells and sensations will linger and move with me forever. I hope that you all find richness and love and a moveable feast of your own in the years to come.


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## evs

THANK YOU so much...its been a joy every time I opened up your link to a new adventure and awesome pics. THANKS for letting my aspirations to travel be lived through you to see all these fantastic places that you went through. Great stuff and all the best of luck with your futures. Post up back here every once in awhile when you recharge your batteries and get back on the bike (haha after nine' months Id probably take some time off, but don't lose all that saddle time fitness)  and let us know how you all are doing. THANKS again.....


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## surly boy

WOW!! What a story. I too have a bittersweet feeling about the end of your journey. I'm 63 and planning my first tour next year. I wish I had done what you fellows had the courage to do when I was your age. Better late than never, though. Congratulations!


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## OldEndicottHiway

I've beyond enjoyed following along on FB, and your website. The writing and photos have been equally impressive. 

I'll admit to feeling a bit nostalgic here at journey's end. Thanks for taking us along.

My best to you and your brothers on all of life's future roads.


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## Reynolds531

Wow! I'm glad that you were foolish enough to try this and strong-willed enough to finish it. You are a true inspiration.


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## JohnnyTooBad

I can't say anything that hasn't already been said by the throngs of followers of your adventure, other than...
Congratulations! We'll done. And a tip of the hat to the three of you.:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## jjbird

WOW Thank you for sharing your travels with us.


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## johnny dollar

Thank you guys. It was quite a pleasure to follow your trip.

Cheers!


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## Ridgetop

Again, thanks for the updates and your blog. It has been great fun watching you guys make your way south and to also see that you were doing fine, even in mud, snow, and food poisoning! You guys are an inspiration and have done something that, sadly, I'll probably never be able to accomplish.


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## pdh777

Best Thread Ever!

Thanks Guys


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## Topher

Thank you for sharing your adventures... it has been wonderful to follow along.


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## Jeff in Texas

Like the others, I've truly enjoyed your trials and tribulations along the way.Through pictures and words the three of you have put together an impressive story. You will reflect on this adventure for the rest of your lives. Sadly all good things must end. 

Enjoy the comforts of home and family. You three have traveled far and seen much, I would propose that there are other adventures on your horizons. Good luck, God speed and take care.


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## JohnnyTooBad

I loved following this. It would be fun if you posted up some statistics from your adventure.


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## IcemanYVR

Thanks for sharing your life and your trip. You're memories will last a lifetime. I think everything that I would want to say has already been said...

... but thanks for allowing us to follow your truly EPIC journey :thumbsup:


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## acg

Thanks for the wonderful pics and stories of your travel. I am a father to three young boys (8, 6 and 4). I hope they grow up in the same spirit of sharing and bonding which you shown with your brothers in your adventure.


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## bike-md

I believe everyone on this forum will agree with me: 

We collectively lived your journey through your beautiful pictures. It made my day every time I opened my email to see an update to this thread, and the pictures you posted never disappointed. 

I do think that the "not so awesome experiences" that you and your brothers went through is what will truly remind you of what a great journey you all had.

Good job boys!!!!!!

AND keep us updated with your new and exciting news.


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## cmeride

WOW...Truly epic !


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## commutenow

Congratulations to the three of you. You are an inspiration to all of us. Your photography is outstanding. Thanks


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## DM.Aelis

*some nice newspaper coverage from home*

I hate to toot our own horn here, but one of North Dakota's biggest newspapers did a very nice story on the three of us now that we're home again on our family farm. And it's got some of our video footage from the journey, which you all might appreciate. It'll become "gated" after a while to non-subscribers so I figured I would post the link here for those that are interested. The writing is good and the video is great for anyone that wants another look at the things we've seen since Alaska.

VIDEO: Traveling like nomads, Starkweather, N.D, brothers raise funds to house those in need | Grand Forks Herald | Grand Forks, North Dakota

In other news, the Berg family farm has rarely disappointed with producing abundant grain, cattle, and most importantly, kittens. These little rascals are way too cute for their own good, and for some reason have decided to sleep 10 hours of each day in the dogdish. Much to the chagrin of our dog, Blackie.

If you went to the trouble of opening this thread up again, I figured I had to include a cute kitten pic.


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## MarkS

DM.Aelis said:


> I hate to toot our own horn here . . ..


Toot away. I have been following your trip and my hat goes off to you and your brothers. You really must have a great feeling of accomplishment, both for your own selves and for your charitable goals. 

I enjoyed the article and the video clips. One question: who took the videos when the three of you are in a clip?


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## Henry Porter

DM.Aelis said:


> I hate to toot our own horn here, but one of North Dakota's biggest newspapers did a very nice story on the three of us now that we're home again on our family farm. And it's got some of our video footage from the journey, which you all might appreciate. It'll become "gated" after a while to non-subscribers so I figured I would post the link here for those that are interested. The writing is good and the video is great for anyone that wants another look at the things we've seen since Alaska.
> 
> VIDEO: Traveling like nomads, Starkweather, N.D, brothers raise funds to house those in need | Grand Forks Herald | Grand Forks, North Dakota
> 
> In other news, the Berg family farm has rarely disappointed with producing abundant grain, cattle, and most importantly, kittens. These little rascals are way too cute for their own good, and for some reason have decided to sleep 10 hours of each day in the dogdish. Much to the chagrin of our dog, Blackie.
> 
> If you went to the trouble of opening this thread up again, I figured I had to include a cute kitten pic.












Okay, hold on. I honestly think this is my favorite thread on the site but you've buried the lead. Where is the pic of the Columbian young woman? And why didn't one of you marry her?


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## DM.Aelis

MarkS said:


> I enjoyed the article and the video clips. One question: who took the videos when the three of you are in a clip?


Either

1) we found a rock to put the camera on, like when we were riding between Mocoa-Pasto in Colombia and crossed a river multiple times on the waterfall-switchbacks

or

2) we had a friend fly out to Patagonia with his bicycle to join us for the last leg and he got some footage for us


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## DM.Aelis

Henry Porter said:


> Okay, hold on. I honestly think this is my favorite thread on the site but you've buried the lead. Where is the pic of the Columbian young woman? And why didn't one of you marry her?


This is one of those stories that the three of us never stop talking about.

Tragically, we have no pictures of her. She made Sofia Vergara from Modern Family look pedestrian.

It helps to explain the circumstances we were in. We were in the "backwoods" of Colombia, in a very impoverished rural area. Farm families. "University" doesn't exist as an option for children there. They had never traveled more than 60 miles from their home. We showed them photos on a camera whose value might have equaled half of their family's annual income. Her mother and father gave us coffee, sweet bread, fruit, and a number of other gifts. We sang for them and shared stories of riding our bicycles since Alaska. For the most part, I think they thought that _we_ were the ones living an impoverished life by bicycling and tenting. And the truth of it was that they seemed to be a fantastically tight-knit, loving family who lived richly despite their circumstances.

They also were really rooting for their daughter to marry one of us. They covered all the bases in conversation. Are you Christian? From a farm family in the United States? University educated? Sufficiently handsome? Grandma thought we were marriage material. And so in the midst of our conversation (with me being the only one talking/interpreting with the family directly) their daughter just asked us point-blank. "Do you just want adventure in South America, or a wife as well?" I joked that David and Nathan needed to learn Spanish first, but it was a serious question on their part that we declined. I think it would have been hard to explain a South American elopement to our parents back home. She kissed us all on the cheek as we left the next morning and we just mustered enough balance to ride our bicycles away.

There are some moments on a trip like this that you can't capture with a camera. We all still reminisce and laugh about that night and how we should fly to Bogotá and hop on some motorcycles and find that farm family and that woman again in a couple years. It'd be another adventure.


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## Henry Porter

DM.Aelis said:


> This is one of those stories that the three of us never stop talking about.
> 
> Tragically, we have no pictures of her. She made Sofia Vergara from Modern Family look pedestrian.
> 
> It helps to explain the circumstances we were in. We were in the "backwoods" of Colombia, in a very impoverished rural area. Farm families. "University" doesn't exist as an option for children there. They had never traveled more than 60 miles from their home. We showed them photos on a camera whose value might have equaled half of their family's annual income. Her mother and father gave us coffee, sweet bread, fruit, and a number of other gifts. We sang for them and shared stories of riding our bicycles since Alaska. For the most part, I think they thought that _we_ were the ones living an impoverished life by bicycling and tenting. And the truth of it was that they seemed to be a fantastically tight-knit, loving family who lived richly despite their circumstances.
> 
> They also were really rooting for their daughter to marry one of us. They covered all the bases in conversation. Are you Christian? From a farm family in the United States? University educated? Sufficiently handsome? Grandma thought we were marriage material. And so in the midst of our conversation (with me being the only one talking/interpreting with the family directly) their daughter just asked us point-blank. "Do you just want adventure in South America, or a wife as well?" I joked that David and Nathan needed to learn Spanish first, but it was a serious question on their part that we declined. I think it would have been hard to explain a South American elopement to our parents back home. She kissed us all on the cheek as we left the next morning and we just mustered enough balance to ride our bicycles away.
> 
> There are some moments on a trip like this that you can't capture with a camera. We all still reminisce and laugh about that night and how we should fly to Bogotá and hop on some motorcycles and find that farm family and that woman again in a couple years. It'd be another adventure.


I was just joshin' ya. I have my own women from my past that I think of. You, me and your brothers will be Bernstein down the road...


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## bigrider

Thank you for allowing us to share in your adventure.


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## OldEndicottHiway

DM.Aelis said:


> *This is one of those stories that the three of us never stop talking about.*Tragically, we have no pictures of her. She made Sofia Vergara from Modern Family look pedestrian.
> 
> It helps to explain the circumstances we were in. We were in the "backwoods" of Colombia, in a very impoverished rural area. Farm families. "University" doesn't exist as an option for children there. They had never traveled more than 60 miles from their home. We showed them photos on a camera whose value might have equaled half of their family's annual income. Her mother and father gave us coffee, sweet bread, fruit, and a number of other gifts. We sang for them and shared stories of riding our bicycles since Alaska. For the most part, I think they thought that _we_ were the ones living an impoverished life by bicycling and tenting. And the truth of it was that they seemed to be a fantastically tight-knit, loving family who lived richly despite their circumstances.
> 
> They also were really rooting for their daughter to marry one of us. They covered all the bases in conversation. Are you Christian? From a farm family in the United States? University educated? Sufficiently handsome? Grandma thought we were marriage material. And so in the midst of our conversation (with me being the only one talking/interpreting with the family directly) their daughter just asked us point-blank. "Do you just want adventure in South America, or a wife as well?" I joked that David and Nathan needed to learn Spanish first, but it was a serious question on their part that we declined. I think it would have been hard to explain a South American elopement to our parents back home. She kissed us all on the cheek as we left the next morning and we just mustered enough balance to ride our bicycles away.
> 
> There are some moments on a trip like this that you can't capture with a camera. We all still reminisce and laugh about that night and how we should fly to Bogotá and hop on some motorcycles and find that farm family and that woman again in a couple years. It'd be another adventure.



Such a sweet side-story to the whole adventure. :thumbsup:

Again, thanks for taking us along, on the journey. Your writings, ponderings, muses, and photos were something I looked forward to all along the way. 

Good stuff, boys!


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