“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, To put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die Discover that I had not lived.” Henry David Thoreau as quoted in the Movie Dead Poets Society

Hello Everyone,

Sorry for the mis-information, but the ride need in Herkimer NY instead of Little Falls. The destination was changed because the hotel in Herkimer was more up-to-date. The city of Herkimer was founded over 200 years ago but that hasn’t stopped me from using the ba=name in ways never intended.

Flash back to two years ago. If I had to say the low point of the tour, it would have been that day. Just in front of me at mile 23.3, John F and Mike F had locked they bikes and were trying to pull part. They had been trying to change the queue sheet and the mind had wandered momentarily. John went down like he was shot from a cannon and the force tore off Mike’s derailleur. John was writhing on the ground and in very obvious pain. We called 911 and very soon paramedics and Tracy were on hand. John was wished off in an ambulance. We rode the rest of the day like zombie’s but hoping that somehow John would return to us the next day.

Very soon at the hotel, we learned that John would not be returning to ride and soon after that learned that his hip was shattered and he also broke his arm in multiple places. John’s fiancé was supposed to meet him in Boston but instead she wound up going to Syracuse where John spent an extra month in the US (he is from the UK). To say that John’s injury dampened our spirits was an understatement. With only 3 plus days left to ride, our little group was torn apart. It just wasn’t the same. I remember an e-mail from John and one line “So near and yet so far” described it so well.

John though was a young 46 and an indomitable spirit, He returned the next year to ride the cross country trip from Springfield Illinois to Boston. I knew that if there was a way, he would do it.

Fast forward to 2014 and when I was in Erie Pa last week. We took my bike to the bike shop and somehow my orange “CHUCK” flag flew off. They didn’t have another flag that was new but had an orange one with the name JOHN on it. It was the flag they took off his bike in 2012. So I am now riding the final 3 plus days  as “John” and plan to send him the flag after I get back to St. Louis.

When I hit the spot of the accident in 2012, I took a few photos and sprinkled a little of my sand that we normally only sprinkle at state lines.  I certainly had flashbacks to 2012. It looks the same, but the little tree stump has grown sprouts . The intersection is exactly as I remembered it.

I had a good ride today, not a lot of climbing and the winds were ok. There was a lot of traffic in certain places but generally we had some good shoulders. I rode fairly fat and some of the cold issues have dissipated.

Only 3 days of real riding then the 17 mile joint to the beach. The riders are all realizing that this will soon be over and that realization is causing us to “suck out all the marrow”. The awe of accomplishment hasn’t set in but the realization that these sets of friends will soon be leaving to return to the real world.

Carpe Diem

Chuck