Reflections

My apologies for not resuming the blog when Dee and Cal resumed their trip, but now that they are back home, I wanted to reflect a little on what I learned.

From the outset I was appalled at how little I knew about our neighbors north of the 49th parallel. That is why I initially created the Google map, not actually thinking I might continue to follow along with new points each day. That idea evolved later. At first I was just trying to figure out where Saskatoon was. Since then, I have learned so much about the western Canadian provinces, and even took this as a prompt to relearn the names and general outlines of all the provinces and territories. It was also cool that I was able to travel to Canada (Vancouver) myself during this time, and in this way meet people from all over Canada.

To be honest, my knowledge of the North Central States was not a whole lot better, thus I learned about this part of our country as well. Here is where I gained a new understanding of the role of the French in the early history of the region, as well the importance of rivers in exploration, not to mention the crucial role of railroads in westward expansion. Somehow the viewpoint of the trikes made all of this more apparent, like seeing things from a covered wagon perspective rather than from a speeding automobile. It is also fascinating to see how some of our major Interstate Highways still follow the old corridors.

Geography and history were not the only topics I explored. Ecology and biodiversity were interesting subjects, as well. Compare, for example, the Inland Temperate Rainforest of British Columbia with the Sand Hills prairie of Nebraska. What a fascinating contrast. A few simple observations about road kill led to reading about timber wolves, and a comment about bears and mothballs to finding out more about grizzlies (and from there about thinhorn sheep). I also gained a deeper awareness of the importance of preserving natural habitats.

Some trivia facts were merely that, trivia, such as where the towns of Hazard and Anselmo, NE got their names or where the "real" center of the U.S. is. Likewise for the pronunciation of "ch" in names depending on their origin. Other "surprising" facts are hardly trivial, such as the names of the longest river in the country and the third largest man-made lake, or that wolves are social and grizzlies solitary.

One of the most valuable lessons was a renewed appreciation for Native American (aboriginal, First Nation) peoples and their cultures, especially their religious observances (at Bear Butte and Lac Ste. Anne, for example). Reading about legendary Americans such as Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull was humbling and inspiring. Preserving their cultures and languages could be as important to the world as preserving biomes and biodiversity.

From Dee and Cal I learned the importance of consistency and flexibility. My new moto for the coming months is "Go with the flow, and keep on trikin'," to mix metaphors. I also learned from them that weather is a more formidable adversary than terrain. Some barriers, such as hills, have to be met head on. No way around it. In other situations, it is better to wait for the wind to change or the rain/snow to let up (and take full advantage of a tail wind if one comes up, of course). Finally, it is not the destination; it is the journey.

Oh, yes, one more thing: if you have had an ice cream today, life is good.

Alaska!!

After 75 days en route, Dee and Cal are in Alaska! Here is what they accomplished.

Days en route:	75
Days on road:	60
Rides 10-29 miles:	4
Rides 30-49 miles:	27
Rides 50-69 miles:	20
Rides 70-89 miles:	6
Rides 90-129 miles:	3
Miles total:	3207
Miles/day mean:	43
Miles/ride mean:	53
Miles/ride median:	49

Also, the Google map has been updated. :-)

Vancouver, BC

Why am I posting about British Columbia while Dee and Cal are still in Alberta? And why about the oppositie corner of the province from where they will riding when they do get to BC? The answer is that Vancouver is where I am this week for the annual MUSE International Conference. Actually I am here to present a paper tomorrow. Obviously I have Internet access, and I will try to keep the Google map as up to date as I can, but I may be a little lax on posts to the Vicarious Triker.

Ian Andrew

Nothing whatsoever to do with trike trips, but I thought I should share the fact that as of yesterday afternoon, I am now Grandpa. Ian Andrew Walter is a healthy 7 lb 6 oz boy. Couldn't let Dee and Cal have the grandparent limelight all to themselves.

It's the Journey

Out of town this weekend and away from my ordinary routine, I am prone to philosphical reflection (more than usual). It has occurred to me, therefore, to share a few things I am learning from Dee and Cal. The first is that life is a journey, not a destination. In a way, Alaska is a just metaphor for all that seems far off and unreachable. But arrival in Alaska is not the most important thing; what's important is the getting there, the adventure itself. The reason we follow Dee and Cal so closely is to see what each new day will bring. What will they see, who will they encounter, what hurdles will they overcome, how far will they get today, where will they stop for the night?

And the best thing is that there is something new to be learned each day, places and things we might not have thought about in a hundred years except for the fact that Dee and Cal came this way today. I write this blog day-by-day only because of their journey. I would not have researched any of this, let alone written about it, any other way. The experience is day-by-day, mile-by-mile.

Although the destination is not important, the vision is. What sustains Dee and Cal every day is their vision, their goal. Because of their dream, they are not put off by wind and rain, hills and bad roads, no-vacancy signs and sore muscles. Sure they get discouraged and they don't try to hide it, but they are not stopped by these things. They just keep on trikin' (pardon the pun). The vision they have is like the dreams sought by the native Americans at Bear Butte, like the one Crazy Horse had there, which sustained him his entire life.

I am also learning about flexibility, willingness to take things as they come and respond accordingly, to make new plans on the basis of new information or changing conditions. This happened a couple of times in Kansas early in the trip, but the first time it really struck me was the stop in Hazard, NE, a hole in the road (from whence its name) on none of our maps until that afternoon. Really cool. Since then, this kind of openness to what the day brings has been exhibited over and over.

So thanks, Dee and Cal, for inspiring us in so many ways.

Five Hundred Miles

The lyrics don't fit, of course, but I couldn't help but think of the Reba McEntire song 500 Miles Away from Home when I saw that Dee and Cal have ridden 496 miles since leaving home less than two weeks ago.

Why the Vicarious Triker?

Let me begin with a story. Sometime around the middle of March, I joined Facebook. One of the first people to write on my wall was Dee Simmons, a high school classmate whom I had not heard from for years, maybe not even since we graduated in 1966. In looking at her FB wall and profile, I noticed a few postings from friends and family about an upcoming "trike" trip. I was intrigued, but assumed they were talking about a group trip like Bike Across Kansas. I was astounded to learn that Cal and Dee were planning to ride from Wichita to Skagway, Alaska, and just the two of them. Amazing.

Then on April 9 they began their journey and started posting about it to their blog, trike trips. I was immediately mesmerized, and for a variety of reasons. First, I enjoy outdoor activities myself, and was not just a little envious of what they are doing. Second, I am quite familiar with (or used to be) most of the roads they took for the first few days. Third I like travel and maps, so it was natural to want to see where they were going. Fourth, the use of the Internet has long been a hobby of mine, and I love Google maps, Weather.com, and blogging tools. Needless to say, I became completely captivated by their trip and now look forward to following along with them every mile of the way.

You might wonder, then, why I don't just post my comments on their blog. Actually I do intend to write an occasional comment there when it seems appropriate, but this remarkable journey stands by itself. It obviously requires no remarks by me. If anything I would only like to call attention to what they are doing. In any case, Dee and Cal have graciously given me permission to start this blog as a creative outlet for my own observations and thoughts about their trip. This is merely my way of experiencing their trip vicariously. Thank you for sharing this adventure with us.