We started on the Pacific coast a little over three weeks ago and it’s been an incredibly rewarding, challenging, and hilarious adventure since the very first pedal.

For those of you who don’t know, bike packing isn’t something we’ve ever done before or have much of a clue about. We’d never ridden 50 miles on two wheels before July 9th, but we’ve done it (or more!) every day since and have the newfound strength and soreness to prove it. We zoomed down the Oregon coast, crested the Cascades, wove through river valleys in Idaho, and crossed plains in Montana with antelopes running alongside! The riding itself, however, is almost the least important part of what we’re doing. The places we’ve seen, the people we’ve met, and the thousand laughs we share every night when we’re overtired are what make this experience so special. There are many ups and downs — literal and metaphorical — in a day and we’re incredibly grateful to have each other and the support of friends and family back home.

Of course, we spend a lot of time thinking about our mom and how she experienced this adventure. Just the other day, we crossed into Montana via Lolo Pass, a route that we know she and her riding partner took on their trip. Riding that road, or when something particularly surprising and lovely occurs, it’s easy to feel that she’s with us in spirit. We dig into her toughness when it’s cold at 5:30am, her fearlessness when climbing a steep pass, and her exuberance for life when we jump into a river at the end of a hot day.

We’re blown away by the support that you all have given us and the Center - thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We promise to pay it forward and keep on trucking! Maine here we come!