Janie

Janie cast a spell on me. The entire company was fun and sharp and comfortable and familiar, I don't mean to slight anyone. Janie had the type of charisma and energy that could make anything fun. I bet she could make it seem exciting and enjoyable to drink castor oil, while digging a ditch, in a corset, during a blizzard, surrounded by badgers. She would just smile and say, "Hey everyone, let's drink castor oil, while digging a ditch, in a corset, during a blizzard, surrounded by badgers," and everyone else would say, "Yea, alright, I can't think of anything that sounds better right now."

Her four children are raised and independent, and she is finishing her degree, planning to work as a play therapist. I'm not sure I knew much about play therapy. She described it as helping children work through issues or trauma through play. If the field hadn't existed, she might have invented it.

As we spent the evening together, politics came up. It was quickly clear that we distinctly disagreed on some often divisive matters. I feared this difference might douse the afternoon's magic. She stated her opinions, and I didn't really say anything either way. She got up to do something, obviously caught up in thought. She came back later, a question burning in her pocket, and we had a respectful and interested discussion. Earnest thought, common ground, honored differences, magic restored.

Her charisma is perhaps a combination of such youthful exuberance and adult depth and thoughtfulness. As well a mixture of unself-consciousness and an enthusiasm for the task or moment at hand. Janie laughs at herself easily and experiments without fear of failure. She puts others at ease, teases playfully and is curious and engaged.

Homey

Generally, my route follows secondary highways and back roads. Passing through small and smaller towns, I don't expect gourmet food experiences. I'm not looking for anything fancy. My dream, on these back routes, is to find some hidden bakery or diner that serves simple, quality and maybe original fare. They are rare. Or if they exist, nobody knows about them or they're not telling. I ask and ask. I wander up side streets. Time after time, I cast my lot with another false hope. I pine for a homemade muffin or a fresh-baked sandwich. My cries echo back. Don't locals want something tasty? Best case scenario, they are cooking up delicious vittles in their homes. Worst case, they subsist on spam and crisco.

In Harrison, Arkansas, my dreams were fulfilled to overflowing. My road-weary hallucinations materialized. Homey Hearth, an Amish bakery, was closed Saturday and Sunday. I waited. Thick sliced roast beef on freshly baked bread. Peaches and cream pie. Then a slice of raspberry creme. All baked that morning. All served by motherly women in bonnets. Without tons of extra ingredients. Simple, direct and pure. And then a slice of black forest pie. Smooth layers of chocolate and cherries and cream on a crumbly crust. Original, powerful and tear-jerking. I let that digest. Then had a bowl of chili and bought some ginger cookies and a blueberry turnover for the road. Homey, I'm down.

Andrew

Andrew is trustworthy, generous and concerned. He seems to recognize that mutual service, freely given, binds people. Therefore, he fosters reciprocation. He is well-read, but conversable. He is an enthusiast of subtler points. He communicates, meaning he brings people together by equilibrating negative differences and appreciating positive ones. On such steadiness, you can build. He respects and upholds my sister.

Michele

Michele is my older sister. She's known me all my life. She's seen me make a lot of mistakes, to say the least. She hasn't judged, nor excused. She doesn't preach or condescend, yet she never ceases to guide. During my successes, Michele has always encouraged, but not flattered. She sustains, but doesn't inflate. She buoys.

To do this, perhaps she recognizes the "beginning" from the "end," and the undefined nature of the "middle." Understands that multiple courses may unite in the same path. Perhaps, as a buoy, she is undeterred, and you may fasten to her.

Ranui

Ranui Gardens centered my food universe for the past several years. The Salt Lake farmer's market orbits around them. If you don't know the "sweet nectar" of red mustard, swiss chard, arugula, red kale and all of the phenomenal greens, vegetables and garlic that John and friends grow, you should frequent Ranui. If you are not used to such light, your senses may require time to adjust, but once they do, you'll never want to be in the darkness again. If all farms and farmers were like Ranui, the hollow supermarkets of the world would disintegrate into nothing and we would all live in nourished bliss.

...

well, to articulate... Heber is his own in an unassuming yet unapologetic way. He appreciates the deeper meaning of things, often finding significance in inexpected venues. He is also lighthearted, and usually offers his insight in an unobtrusive and casual way, where you listen, reflect and continue. Such is the art of thoughtful independence.

Heber

Heber is. Enough said...

Erin

Erin isn't afraid to be embarrassed. This is a remarkable and remarkably wonderful quality. When she does something that she finds embarrassing, she is usually the first one to point it out and laugh. As people are generally armed with insecurity and pretense, Erin completely disarms them. She can transform a room in seconds. Around Erin, you let your guard down and feel free to be yourself and enjoy your company unselfconsciously. In me, this often creates an overwhelming feeling of wanting to hug her. (I don't know why. It can be awkward when poorly timed. Sorry, Erin, for any awkward hugging.) She's just that magnetic. On a separate note, Erin exemplifies being transformed through service. I've rarely seen someone become so dedicated to others, and do so in all the right ways and for all the right reasons. She doesn't impose, but she is there. She doesn't overwhelm, but she gives.

Elaine

Elaine is my Grandpa Bardo's youngest child. They dote on each other much like my father and younger sister do. Elaine will always have the most up-to-date information on my grandfather (who is getting on in age, with the expected effects). She and Arne have parented some fourteen exchange students, mostly Finnish and Swedish, and a succession of gold tabby felines. I would have loved to have been at their wedding, a mixture of New England Lutheran and Russian Jewish tradition. I feel the same ease and fluidity with Elaine that I talk about with Arne. We3 seem to have something of a kindred outlook. She thrives on diversity of thought and experiencing other cultures. She engages. She realizes that perception is an art requiring practice. As we share a parent, we talk easily of family and mortality and life's experiences and pursuits. Twice her house has been a wayside in my travels. Both times it has felt like home.

Arne

Arne and I have probably had prolonged conversations a half dozen times, at most. I mean, that's all we've had the chance for. I see Elaine rarely and Arne less. Yet there's an ease there that's difficult to pinpoint. Maybe we can talk freely because our lives aren't so wrapped up in each other's that we become sensitive. Maybe there's an innate fluidity to the uncle-nephew relationship. With the parent-child relationship, there can be a lot of weight, especially in adolescence. The uncle-nephew (or aunt-nephew) dynamic* is much less encumbered. You can seek each other's thoughts and agree or disagree without restraint. More particularly, Arne is candid and entertainingly sarcastic. (My dad once joked to Arne, who drove a Saab, that Saab drivers were too impatient, and Arne abrubtly ended the conversation and drove away.) He manages to balance a sense of left-leaning idealism with a kind of east coast corporate savvy. He doesn't assume, but rather inquires, and seems to seek out other points of view.

*This generally holds true with my uncles and aunts, so there is probably something to the nature of this relationship. (What a perfect complement to the parent-child relationship!)

Greg

Greg is a reader and a writer and a thinker. And an insightful one. Amid his thinking, though, he recognizes the importance of feeling - of practicing and knowing how to feel. Feeling as opposed to rationalizing everything, or only trusting in our often-errant logic. Feeling in the sense of recognizing a higher power and giving credence to our enlightened instinct. And Greg will make you laugh. He doesn't take himself too seriously or let you heavy up in an unwieldy way. Such is a valuable combination.

Val

Val and I only recently got to know each other a little better. I wish I had started sooner. She is witty, with an impeccable sense of appropriateness and timing. She deftly blends skepticism with hopefulness, keeping her down-to-earth, diligent and hard-working. And she'll keep you down-to-earth and make you earn your keep in a conversation. People like Val are essential in making the world a sharper, more independent and more honest place.

Julie

Julie works hard, and efficiently. She doesn't put up with wasted time or misdirected efforts. You have the sense that she knows the best way to do things, and is waiting for you to come around to figuring it out. She holds strong opinions, but depending on the situation, she knows when to gently persuade, when to stand firm and when to yield. And when she doesn't know the best thing, she is humble and active about learning. She is driven, but instead of letting that drive seal herself off, she is concerned for others, and earnest and forthright in her thoughts and actions.

Shalece

Shalece and I first met in Havasupai. She'd do gymnastic flips and dives from the rope swings and cliffs. After three days of playing in the heat, we we're all exhausted and sun-sapped, excepting Shalece and crew, who hiked out speedy and strong, and laughing the whole time. Perhaps the laughter is key. She embodies the principle of mental strength governing physical ability. She knows she can, and she will, even when taxed or in an unfamiliar situation. And that mental fortitude guides her professionally and personally, even if, or especially when the course is unclear. Such strength does not ignore personal weaknesses or uncertainties. I think she recognizes these difficulties, and works through them... flexible, resilient and tenacious.

Songs

-Birds and Ships - Woody Guthrie via Billy Bragg, Wilco and Natalie Merchant
-I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany
-Love Rescue Me - Bob Dylan via U2
-Oleo de una mujer con sombrero -Silvio Rodriguez

more coming

Packing

Bike
-1 Surly Long Haul Trucker
-1 Old Man Mountain front rack
-1 back rack
-2 front panniers
-2 rear panniers
-2 fenders

Clothing
-2 long sleeved wool jerseys (Earth, Wind and Rider, they are fantastic)
-2 short sleeved wool t-shirts
-1 fleece hoodie
-4 pair smart wool ankle socks
-3 pair smart wool longer socks
-1 pair of crocs
-1 pair of Salomon trail running shoes (I only mention the brands when I think they're fantastic)
-1 nice button down shirt
-1 pair wool dress pants (hey, they're light and warm)
-3 pair riding shorts
-1 small towel
-4 sets corban garments
-1 pair fingerless riding gloves, (lost and replaced, plus a pair with fingers bought along the way)
-1 pair ski gloves
-1 wind/rain breaker

Toiletry
-1 tube sunscreen (lost and replaced)
-1 toothbrush
-1 tube toothpaste
-1 travel bottle face soap
-1 travel bottle shampoo
-1 bar soap
-1 bottle eye drops
-1 tube Blistex

Tools, Shelter, etc.
-1 Zefal bike pump
-2 bungee cords
-1 spoke wrench
-1 bike multi-tool
-1 leatherman multi-tool
-3 spare cables
-1 set of spare nuts, bolts, etc.
-1 pedal wrench (only because I may have to put my bike on a train)
-1 tarp
-3 lengths of parachute cord
-6 stakes
-4 2' segments of tent pole
-1 sleeping bag (allegedly 0 degrees)
-1 pillow and stuff sack
-1 thermarest
-3 spare tubes (plus one bought and two thrown away for broken valve stems)
-3 tire levers
-1 set of patches, sandpaper, glue tubes
-2 camel bak bladders, 100 oz each
-1 camel bak bite clip
-1 cable lock
-1 camera, batteries and accessories
-1 head lamp and spare batteries
-2 red rear lights and spare batteries
-1 compass
-1 journal, pens and pencils
-1 Katadyn Hiker water filter
-1 jump drive
-1 Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
-1 The Road by Cormac McCarthy
-1 Book of Mormon

Food
coming later

Roadfinds

-Can of Bud Light and Clamato (one can - apparently these two, rather three beverages were once combined into one)
-Ladle
-Los Tigres del Norte compact disc
-Red Fox

Itinerary

Salt Lake City, Utah
Heber, Utah; 42.4
Duchesne, Utah - Starvation Reservoir; 71.8; 114.2
Vernal, Utah; 59.8; 174

Vernal, Utah; 3; 177
Massadona, Colorado; 49.1; 226.1
Craig, Colorado; 71.6; 297.7
Steamboat Springs, Colorado; 41.8; 339.5

Steamboat Springs, Colorado; 17; 356.5
Kremmling, Colorado - Wolford Reservoir; 46; 402.5
Frisco, Colorado; 49.4; 451.9
Blue River, Colorado; 17.5; 469.4
Florence, Colorado; 100.6; 570
La Junta, Colorado; 104; 674
Leawood, Kansas; 8.8; 682.8

Overland Park, Kansas; 8; 690.8

Independence via Liberty, Missouri; 34.8; 725.6

Warrensburg, Missouri; 59.4; 785

Warrensburg, Missouri; 7.3; 792.3

Warsaw, Missouri; 56.9; 849.2

Nemo, Missouri; 33.7; 882.9

Lebanon, Missouri; 45.1; 928

Mount Zion, Missouri; 63.7; 991.7

White River, Arkansas; 63.1; 1054.8

Harrison, Arkansas; 29.8; 1084.6

Harrison, Arkansas; 3; 1087.6

Jasper, Arkansas; 21.3; 1108.9

Dardanelle, Arkansas; 73.4; 1182.3
Hot Springs, Arkansas; 75.9; 1258.2
Mineral Springs, Arkansas; 78.4; 1336.6
Daingerfield, Texas; 104; 1440.6
Henderson, Texas; 60.4; 1501
Henderson, Texas; 7; 1508
Weeping Mary, Texas; 56.3; 1564.3
College Station, Texas; 112; 1676.3
Buescher State Park, Texas; 87.3; 1763.6
Austin, Texas; 43.4; 1807

That is all.

Travel Day Average - 63

Total Average - 50.2