Almost to the coast

We are in Mapleton, OR, which is less than 20 miles away from our end destination - Florence, OR! 

The time had come...

Back in Baker City, OR (about a week ago)...

Kev and I had to leave the group (Annie, Liz, Pedro, Sara, Maarten, Garry). It was terribly sad, but we had to do bigger mileage days in order to be back on the East coast for work. Plus, we bought or tickets at Irene and Carl's place back in New Meadows, Idaho, which meant we started calculating mileage everyday to ensure we'd make it to the West coast in time for our flight. Thankfully, we had one last great day with the group in Baker City, and we were hosted by a group of lovely ladies who hosted an annual tent city night on just the day we arrived into town. After we left the group, Kev and I rode off in silence for the next 40 miles. It was bittersweet; we were sad to leave all of our old/new friends, but we were excited to continue the trip as a duo.

Now, our posts may be divided. You'll have updates from me and Kevin, and then you'll have updates from Annie abd her continued adventures with the rest of the group.

Oh yeah, due to time constraints, we've rerouted to Florence, OR via Eugene. The rest of the group will head up to Astoria, OR.

It's possible

Bodies are incredible!

New Meadows: Irene and Carl

Pedro and Sara, our Portuguese comrades, met Irene when they were on the east coast. Irene is from New Meadows, Idaho. She looked at their maps and saw that they were passing through her town. She ended up hosting all of us and let us sleep in their garden! They live off the beaten path in a beautiful forested area of New Meadows. We met their three goats that they backpack with. They're hilarious!! It started to rain while we were there and the goats took shelter under the patio of their house.

Carl and Irene met while smoke jumping and fighting forest fires years ago. We learned lots about the fires in Idaho and the difficulties of managing fires. They made us dinner, gave us wine and limoncello, and made us breakfast the next day (with Pedro of course!) and let us charge our electronics and do laundry. We had such a relaxing stay with them in their cozy one-room house. Thanks, Irene and Carl.

our garden camground

Photo recap

Thanks for the lift, Liam!

Jackson Hot Springs

"I'm Evan and I'm from Georgia. I'm
singin' up here in my bike shorts and I don't care!"

Horseshoes at Kathy's (Tod's cousin's house)

Bocce ball

Kathy and Berry's

On the way to Glacier National Park

The last pic of the crew at it's peak.

Bro love on the road (Pedro and Maarten)

last outing with the whole group

Bye, Tod!

Adventure Cycling Association

We've been using Adventure Cycling Association's maps for the majority of our trip. They're based in Missoula, MT. At their headquarters we were welcomed with free ice cream!! We looked at our potential route options and decided to finish the Trans America trail. We met a solo cyclist from Korea and some of the ACA staff. They took our pictures and put them on the wall. Here we are!!

We spotted a few familiar faces from the road. Here they are!

Spotted a few familiar Virginians!! (Harrisonburg & Staunton)

Evan Dando made it too!

Thanks, ACA!

The Crew at its Peak...

Left to Right:
Sara, Pedro, Maarten, Garry, Mitch (Eric), Annie, Liz, Evan, Tod, Kevin, Jeanné

Once we reached Lander, WY, our crew grew from our original five members (Mitch, Kevin, Jeanné, Annie, and Liz) to include another group of five: Sara and Pedro, Maarten, Garry, and Evan.

Sara and Pedro

Evan Dando

Sara and Pedro - two Portuguese lovebirds on their two-year honeymoon. They're not only doing the Trans Am, no no no! They'll be cruisin' down the Pacific Coast into Central America, and then into South America where they will end in Patagonia. Is there a record for the longest honeymoon?? Pedro can most likely be found bobbing his head to his music or cooking up a feast in his portable kitchen. You'll find Sara holding on to Evan Dando, their new traveling mascot...or smiling while almost being swept away in the river's current. If you look up the phrase 'carpe diem,' you'll see her picture there. Follow them here (it's written in Portuguese and English) http://nosdebina.com/.

Evan

Evan- from Macon, Georgia. Efficiency is his middle name. Not one to waste time lollygagging, his tent will always be set up before the sun goes down. You may know of him for his one-hit-wonder Cheeseburgers and Naps, a 2013 summer smasher. Most likely to impress people with his epic fro and karaoke skills.

Maarten

Maarten- a Belgian on his 6th or 7th cycling tour. Most likely to get pumped on electro house music and zoom by yelling YEEEE-HAWWW! An undercover comedian and collector of sunglasses. Lover of clotheslines and hand-washing clothes. "We have a big climb tomorrow". Most likely to jump off a bridge and do a face-flop. Follow him at http://maartencyclesthetransamericatrail.wordpress.com

Garry

Garry- Nonstop comedy show from Ireland. Looking for a wife (and/or a greencard) who loves Cinnamint toothpaste. Are you a pretty landscape? If so, you will be photographed by Garry. Most likely to cry at the sight of a rapid, only to find out it's not actually a rapid at all. Follow him at http://gilhaney.blogspot.com

Once we arrived in Yellowstone, our crew grew to 11. This included Tod (Mitch's dad) and his ever famous white truck!!

Tod

Tod - You think you know Mitch? Then you know Tod. Tod is a total goofball, hero, and awesome dude! He's the life of the party, social butterfly, and if you aren't around, you'll find him chatting up a wall. The trip to visit with his son and his family in Montana ended up being a great success. He ended up being our support and party vehicle for weeks.

At this point, however, our group is down to eight:

~Mitch left before Missoula, Montana to go to a wedding in Boston. He'll also attend a Peace Corps Job Fair...he said he'll have to shave his beard before though :)
~Tod left after Missoula, Montana to continue his journey to hang out with his family in Montana.
~Evan left after Missoula, Montana to continue on his route to the Northern Tier, which includes biking up to Glacier National Park, Washington, and Canada.
WE MISS THEM!