Best New Year's Eve Wishes to You All,

I'm staying in Redway tonight.   This sweet man in the photo below, and the others at the local radio station, KMUD, helped me find a place to stay indoors,  which is essential, as tonight it's expected to be snowing!

Simon Frech of KMUD and Steve of P.E.D.A.L.

Snow covered peaks - Send chills down my spine, not in a groovy way

Where I camped last night - Real nice

More to come soon!   As soon as I figure out how to upload video....

Take Care,

Steve

The Enchanting Land of Fancyland

Hello Everybody.  Steve here.   I recently visited Fancyland, a burgeoning young intentional community in the hills east of Arcata, California.

The community, unlike other communities I have visited, offers retreats for artists and activists for no cost,  save the food you eat and lending a hand with general upkeep for the common space (i.e. tidying up after yourself, wood chopping for the wood stove).   The latest project involves completing the common house, which includes a studio.  

One of the window views from the new studio space.

Wonderful wall installation by a visiting artist in new building. Made from recycled off-cuts of wood.

Wall close-up

Wall closer-up

The buildings are without any electricity,  candlelit,  warmed by wood stove,  and user-friendly in being well-organized to quickly acquaint visitors with the logistics and philosophy of the space.  It was also refreshing to be in a place where the arts is a major focus.

  

Paper floor of cob house screen-printed by friend of Sacha, the main resident and initiator of Fancyland.

Floor detail.  Wow.

More floor detail.

Forest trails connecting the buildings

This is the floor from a building made entirely out of salvaged old-growth redwood.   Notice the width of the single plank my foot is on.   My foot length is about 11.5 inches to give you a sense of dimension.

'Edible and Medicinal Plants of Fancyland: A Collaboration', a book created by visitors' and residents' personal accounts of plants they have used, and where they found them on the 13 acre Fancyland property.  Peterson and other plant field guide books are available also for reference at Fancyland.

California Black Oak, like other oaks, yeilds a yummy acorn when  leached of it's bitter tannins. Here the leaching procedure involves setting the ground and muslin-sacked acorn flesh in a river for ten days.  Awesome.

Miner's Lettuce and Wild Ginger: What do they have in store for you?

Summer Lodgings

Great View

Garden still pumping out hardy greens like kale, and chickweed which we enjoyed eating

Sweet Jacqueline, who hosted me.  Notice the lamps (no electricity remember), and the to-be-painted stone block wall.  The stone blocks are aerated concrete, which helps keep the building warm in the winter time, and cool in the summer time.  

Thanks Jacqueline and Fancyland for welcoming me, and for the lamp lit yoga sessions!  From Arcata, where I now am, I'll be heading to a community called 'Magic' in Palo Alto,  where an old friend of mine resides.  Along the way, I'll be seeking warm and dry indoor places to sleep.  Please let me know if you know of any!

Keep on,

Steve

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year

On Behalf of the Entire PEDAL Team, thank you so much for your support over the last 6 months.
Have a great Holidays, and a happy New Year.
Keep reading and responding,
The PEDAL Team.

Resplendent Redwoods

Hey all!

Since our last post we have been cycling through rainy redwood country.

We stayed for two nights with a wonderful womyn named Connie, who we met at a coffee shop in Crescent City. She taught us tons about everything from the dangers of fluoride in the water system to 1960s musical history. And she sent us on our way with tons of nuts and other yummy snacks :) Her umbrella cockatoo `Buster` was a lot of fun too!

Steve and Connie dancing

Buster

On the way out of Crescent City, we stopped at the harbour and witnessed some sea lions hanging out on the wharf. It was our first seal encounter of the trip.

Sea lions at Crescent City harbour

Upon the advice of another cyclist, we took `the scenic route`, along the coastal trail, out of town. The supposedly bike friendly path turned out to be a rocky, wet, steep slope, followed by intermittent paved areas (an old highway from the 1950s). It was beautiful, but certainly not suitable for fully loaded touring bikes! We enjoyed the increasingly huge trees, some of which you could stand inside.

Kristi and Garrett on the Coastal Trail (not too good for bikes)

That`s all for now. Tomorrow we will be biking through the larger redwoods in the National Park, which we are all very excited about :)

The PEDAL Crew

Sunnier... and in California at last!

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to put up a quick post to let you know that the weather has perked up significantly since our last post. We've been having lots of clear, mostly sunny days and pretty reasonable temperatures. Look at that blue sky!

Kristi enjoys the great riding weather

Blue sky at the coast

On Tuesday we spent a lovely night camping on the beach at Gold Beach, among large rock formations. And it only rained and hailed a little :) We enjoyed falling asleep to ocean sounds.

Our beach campsite

The rock formations we camped between

Wednesday we spent with a great couchsurfing host in Brookings, and Thursday we stayed in town to do some errands.

Today we crossed into California and started seeing massive redwood stumps. Tomorrow we will ride right through the massive trees and we are super excited about it! We'll definitely post some pictures of that soon.

The PEDAL Crew

Garrett gets excited about California :)

Tales of My Departure

Hi everyone, Lucas here.
Hope all is well out there.  By now I think you have probably heard that I am no longer with the group.
I will give you a brief update about that and let you know some happenings.

Before we left Canada I was having some knee issues.  I have had a condition in my knees ever since childhood, but through most of the Canadian portion of the tour they were feeling great.  But by Victoria I was noticing a lot of pain, so I went to a sports physiotherapy clinic there, and changed my riding style in the hopes that it would help.  It did somewhat, and I continued down through Washington.  It seemed like a tried to take it easier and easier on the knees, but they were getting worse and worse even with the rest.

By the time we arrived in Aprovecho (near Cottage Grove Oregon) they were really bothering me, but i was hopeful that a weeks rest would help while we volunteered.  It seemed like they were getting worse and worse through the week but still manageable.  However one day Steve, and I, went for a walk through the forest with our friends Brad and Heather as well as Astrid.  We were coming home just as the sun was setting, and following a little path, when i stepped onto a fallen log across the path and slipped.  Everyone asked if I was okay and I gave the typical "yeah, doing okay, just hurt pride" but when I tried to get my knee was in no mood to cooperate.  I limped back to the house and got a physiotherapy appointment for the very next day, and the prognosis was: rest, ice, stretches and physio for a long time.

Unfortunately, the key element, rest, is not very achievable on a bike tour.  As a group we tried to figure out many options, from hitchhiking ahead each day to finding a place to stay in southern California until the group gets there.

The best option was to come home, and I must say, if I am going to be going home to rest, there is no better time than Christmas season!\

It turned out a friend named Rebecca was taking a natural building apprenticeship there and happened to be coming back to BC pretty quickly after I took the fall.  So i stayed at Aprovecho for an extra week as the cook.  I had a great time there and met some absolutely amazing and inspiring people.  Rebecca and I drove back to Canada and saw some gorgeous areas, from rainforest, to high alpine, to desert and back into snow country again.  It was great getting to know her better and have someone to ride home with.

I am pretty disappointed at this point; I feel like I was so close to the California coast, which I have dreamed to much about going to for a long time.  I am hoping my recovery will be quick and I can join up with the group in the new year.

I am so inspired and impressed by the PEDAL team right now.  They are in some less than ideal weather right now, and making the best of it, all the while staying busy with logistical related stuff.  Believe me when I say they have a lot on their plates.

I am hoping Justin and I can relieve a lot of that.  Being still involved with the tour but in a more technology based environment, we have the opportunity to get a lot of work done that can be hard or nearly impossible on the road.

I hope everyone out there has a great Christmas season, and keep following the journey of the team!
take care, and enjoy the ride, Lucas and the PEDAL Team.

Getting the most out of the Coast

The rainy, windy Oregon coast

Howdy everyone!

Garrett, Steve and Kristi have reached Port Orford, Oregon. Now we're taking a quick library and lunch break to dry off and warm up.

On the way into town, we noticed a sign that said:

"Caution: High winds for the next 20 miles,
when lights flash".

Garrett and Steve enjoying the weather

We noted that the lights were not flashing and wondered why. Its been quite the rainy, windy couple of days, but at least its been fairly warm out here and the scenery is beautiful.

Yesterday was characterized by stunning views of the Oregon coastline, including huge rocks, sand beaches and waves. It was clear and warm all morning.

The plastic trash bird

 Here is a picture of a bird statue we found at roadside, just outside an art gallery along the way. It was made entirely of sea garbage, mostly plastic. We think its a commentary on the effect of sea trash on the health of local birds... but we're not sure.



Last night we were invited in for a family dinner with a group of local folks. We later found out that they were Community Shared Agriculture Farmers, greens growers and sheep farmers. We had a great time chatting, eating, Garrett played the piano and we left with a gift of frozen blueberries :)

For those who have not yet heard, a few days back we made a last minute stop at a place called Mountain Homestead and stayed there for three days. We learned about a huge amount during our time there, including cob building, composting toilets, edible forest gardens, micro hydro projects and more.We've included some pictures of "Mountain Home" as part of this blog and can't wait to upload more to facebook and our website. You'll see a more detailed summary of what we learned at Mountain Homestead up on the website soon.

Hoping for sunnier skies,
The PEDAL Crew
 

Cob house at Cob Cottage Company - Mountain Homestead

Sign for ecoforestry business - Mountain Homestead

Steve doing some eco foresting

The garden - Mountain Homestead

Micro hydro turbine - Mountain Homestead

Our website has returned!

All is well with the website again. Thank you for being patient while we conquered this challenge.

If anyone ever has advice about the website or information they would like to see. please let us know.

E-mail is: info@pedalacrosstheamericas.com

Your friend,
Justin

Coos Bay all the way

Hello everyone,

The PEDALers are now at the Oregon coast, staying the night in Coos Bay. We're all very excited to be back at the coast and heading south towards the sunny warmth of California.

Unfortunately, our good friend Lucas has to take a break from the ride, due to worsening knee issues. He was left in good hands at Aprovecho, where he'll be continuing a work-trade until he goes home. We all wish him happy holidays with his family and a speedy recovery (and return to the tour!)

Viera has also had to step out for a number of reasons, including a bad case of bronchitis. We hope she gets better soon too!

Since leaving Aprovecho, Garrett, Kristi and Steve have had quite the ride. The day we left was sunny and cool - the perfect riding weather. When we arrived in Elkton to stay for the night, we were referred to a local bike enthusiast, who set us up with a great camping spot and proceeded to feed us dinner and offer us showers. Thanks so much to Jeff and Joan!

Yesterday we saw a herd of elk calmly grazing by the highway at the Dean Creek elk viewing area. The ride was beautiful, through rolling, forested hills and small, trickling waterfalls. Luckily we were following the Umpqua River, so the ride was relatively flat.

Today we saw the most spectacular sand dunes, spanning from the tops of large hills, all the way down to the water's edge. We also stopped at a local sourdough bakery - quite the treat - and also a sign of our increasing proximity to San Francisco!

Please check out Justin's blog from yesterday... it's great to hear how he's been doing since he went home. Also, a website update - we are working on getting it back up asap.

You'll be hearing more from us soon!

Kristi

Justin is home in Sutton! Now I get to try things out.

Hi everyone,

This is a long overdue posting that I meant to write ever since I decided to finish my part of the tour. Yet it allows for more of an update of what I am doing these days back in Sutton and ideas of how what I have learnt from the PEDAL project can be applied to my life back home.

For a while on the tour I had this reoccurring thought that I was thinking more about home and Elm Grove Farm (a farming project that Kristi, Garrett and I had worked on in summer 2009) then the tour itself. Not that I was not enjoying the tour and all the wonderful things we were learning, I just realized that going across Canada was enough for me and that I was super excited to try all the cool technologies and sustainable practices that we were learning about and documenting.

We had not even reached the States yet, and we had found so much already!

Here's a bit about what I did prior to taking the train back home:

In Vancouver I was starting to think I had traveled as far as I was interested in going, however it seemed too early to turn around, also it felt a bit anticlimactic since we just arrived in western Canada after all that distance! It made sense to check out the west coast at least until Portland, which is sort of a goal for me to see sometime, due to it being an "environmently friendly city" says wikipedia!

So I went with the group to Vancouver Island, where we went to stay with Garrett's relatives, who were swell. One of the best things we did, after it was all organized, was take a ferry to Salt Spring Island, where we were able to connect with some environmentally minded folks. One place we visited was someone who used to live in a Yurt, and is now building a "hemp-bale" (instead of strawbale because of the amount of rain they have, hemp is better for moisture) house, plastered with natural clay, sand, lime and/or flax "goop". For lunch we met with someone who is involved with the transition community on the island, which is transitioning the island from using petroleum based living (gas powered cars, gas heated homes, etc.) to alternatives, like cycling and solar energy. Then after lunch we got to see a straw clay (rammed into forms) and timberframe house!

Also around Vancouver Island was some great cycling paths from the ferry in Swartz Bay to the city of Victoria, as well as in the city of Victoria. There was even a bridge that recorded as much as 800 cyclists traveling over in one day.

I also went on a nature walk/service activity with some people from the Baha'i community. We learned about  Garry Oak ecosystems which are becoming quite rare due to increasing building development on the west coastal regions. The ecosystem supports the Alligator Lizard (http://www.bcreptiles.ca/lizards/alligator.htm) which I had never expected to live there. We also worked on pulling out invasive species that were choking out the natural vegetation.

Also, Viera and I managed to attend the screening of The Clean Bin Project documentary movie. (http://cleanbinproject.com/) It was great to see because we saw Grant Baldwin and Jen Rustemeyer in Northern Ontario. What a cool project!

Anyways, I heard about super seat sales on VIA Rail from a friend, and then after doing some comparisons of time, money and reasoning, I decided to take the ticket from Vancouver to Toronto instead of continuing to Portland, Oregon.

I sent everyone off on the ferry to Washington State, the next day I took the ferry back to Vancouver and stayed with our friends Marena and Zach at their apartment. It was pretty weird being apart from the group! It was sure comfortable staying with Marena and Zach at the apartment! They also had some couchsurfer's staying too. The next few days I spent getting ready for the train, getting food, books and a game. I also baked a "butt load" of bread for the train and experimented with flax crackers, which turned out amazing.

Flax Crackers:
Boil ground flax until it is "goopy" and egg like or slimmy, depending on how you would like to describe its unappetizing texture! Mix some salt in for seasoning, just a pinch, depending on how much you are making. Then pour it thinly over an oiled baking sheet. Bake it at low temperature like 150 deg to 250 deg. It may take an hour or 2; as it dries out it will let go of the baking sheet, otherwise if you try to take it off too early it will stick. Be patient! If you are really into it, build a solar oven as well, these would do great in one of those and use zero direct energy in the process!

So the train was fun. The first stretch was in the dark because I boarded 8:30 PM in Vancouver, therefore missing the beautiful mountains of the west coast (thats ok I saw them by bike, haha).

I woke up in Kamloops, and briefly chatted with the people around me the night before. I was tired and stiff from sleeping on seats. The dome car was nice and warm for sleeping!

Most of the day I spent in the dome car meeting people and reading and looking at the mountains. We past by Mount Robson. I met a man from Northern Ontario who builds houses in the summer and cedar strip canoes in the winter. I talked with him a lot about construction and about the PEDAL project. He also lives in an off-grid home that uses solar panels!

I also met a man who was bit by a squirrel in Stanley Park in Vancouver, now he has 5 stitches on his finger, the same finger that he cut the end off a year before! He was fun to talk with, his wife too.

I also met a guy from the Navy who has reduced prices for the train and he was enjoying the scenery.

There was a young guy and his aunt who were transporting a female dog and her 2 puppies to Ottawa. He was working in Keremeos (which we bicycled through in the Okanagon Valley)  picking organic fruit in the summer! I helped them take the dogs out for a pee because they only had a short time to get them out, while the train stopped for passengers and fill up on fuel.

One evening a musician on tour and partnered with VIA Rail was playing in the lounge below the dome. She is from Guelph and named Ambre Mclean! Super cool person who I have watched at the Hillside Festival and plays amazing music. http://www.myspace.com/ambremclean/music/playlists
She used to play at "Manhattan's" on Gordon Street, in Guelph
My favorite piece is Me, My Heart & The Moon

It was great to see Canada the other way and by train. I also took 10 years ago with my family. This time it was cold and snowy, especially across the prairies!

When I came into Toronto I was quite disorganized, not having any phone numbers, cell phone or set time to meet anyone. Plus the train was 2 hours late.

So I hopped on my bike all loaded up, said some goodbyes to people I met on the train and headed up north to Sutton, which is where I am from. Wow! It is good to be free!

I had previously organized to get a ride with my brother Vince who was working about an hour north of the station and about an hour south of Sutton, but did not have his number on hand. I decided to drop by Kristi's parents in North Toronto (closer to Vince) and give them a "cough" surprise "cough". They were happy to see me, and I was able to connect with Vince as well. I updated them with the project and how things were going out west. I also got a chance to phone Kristi and Garrett who were out in Eugene, Oregon.

Now I am home and busy as ever. I cleaned up all my gear and bags and settled in at home. I have a lot of reconnecting to do with friends and find time to do all the things I would like to do.

We are building and rebuilding structures on Elm Grove Farm now. I am preparing my thoughts for farming in the spring. It would be good to start marketing things, like new pamphlets and perhaps a website. I need to think about what sort of crops to grow. How many people should I grow for? Would it be a good idea to look for a partner or 2? Do we have a space for people to stay, could they stay in tents? I would like to build a solar outdoor shower. The buildings are under construction, where will I store things? Where am I going to wash produce? Where are people going to park? Where am I going to sleep/stay/prepare food?

Many, many, many questions and more.

I am also working on designs for a yurt. I would like to try building a small temporary structure to live in for the summer. There are some cedar trees growing that were planted about 20-25 years ago to be used as hedge trees, now they are close together and tall and straight; good for building.

I also managed to connect with a friend who is building a house (conventional construction) near Lake Simcoe. So I have a paying job for now too. Although it is getting cold and snowy. The roof is also unfinished. Soon it will be closed up, so we can do inside and warm work. He is a Baha'i and hopes that it will be a home that can host community activites, for youth programs and studying, which is why it is a big house. It is great to work on a building that is intended to be used for the betterment of the world.

Now that it is snowy and cold outside I have to find inside things to do. What sort of sustainable projects can be worked on inside during the winter?

Happy reading!
Justin

Viera leaving the tour :(

Due to a bad case of what seems to be bronchitis, among other reasons, Viera is leaving the tour, but wishes the team the best of luck in continuing on to their destination. She is volunteering, learning, and healing at the Lost Valley eco-village for now, in Oregon.

Viera

PEDAL website temporarily down

Hey folks,

In case any of you have been wondering, we recently discovered that our website is down. Actually, its still there, but has been redirected to a strange advertising website. We're working on getting it back up as soon as possible, so hold tight and keep reading the blog.

Also, I am currently uploading lots of pictures to our facebook group. Everything since Nelson BC will soon be up there! So feel free to take a look there.

The PEDAL Crew

environmentally friendly Eugene :)

So to backtrack a bit, I was keen to visit a long planned sustainability model, the Permaculture Institute on Orcas Island, Washington. Chris was also interested in coming and accompanied me. After some last minute money changing since the ferry only took American dollars, and Viera going twice through customs since after the first time she somehow exited the area while looking for a washroom, we were on our way. The ferry was beautiful - big open spaces and woodwork, and the scenery on the ride was also spectacular. The Permaculture Insitute was inspiring. It was described by many as a paradise. There are thousands of plant species there. The people working there don't just plant them, don't even just know the basic soil types, amount of water, etc. required, but actually have a relationship to the plants that goes beyond the basic knowledge above. A lot of the plants are just on the edge of being able to live in that climate, and the Bullocks Brothers keep pushing those edges and find ways to grow more and different species.

There were 3 interns currently there, definitely down from their summer numbers of 20 or more. We were able to help out planting some unusual trees and greatly enjoyed inoculating some shitake mushroom. I also gained an idea of what permaculture is, which I had only a vague notion of before. I learned that it is more than just an agricultural method, but an approach to community, culture, and a way of life itself. Some of its basic tenets include mimicking nature, with several things able to accomplish the same purpose, and one thing serving several purposes. So to heat up water for a shower you could use a rocket stove or the sauna stove. This creates resiliency, since if one thing breaks down there is always another that can take its place.

We returned to Victoria to meet with the group, but found only Justin there. Viera spent a day taking advantage of the last day of free health care by getting a medical check up, and saying goodbye to Justin. The next day she headed out to meet the group in Port Angeles, but they had already gone ahead to Quilcene. Pretty much ever since then, she has been riding a day behind the others. After a very cold night camping out in rain and snow, I headed to Olympia. I stayed there to replace my back wheel and do some other bike repairs. I was also able to visit Lincoln School, a very progressive place with a HUGE school garden with chickens, where schoolwork involves weighing vegetables, calculating yields, getting dirty, and having fun outdoors! There were even chickens there! Compost was derived from the school cafeteria. I visited some other sustainable initiatives around town, and stayed with warmshowers hosts who had bicycle toured the world for 3 years!! Very inspiring :)

After Olympia it was a few days to Eugene. Here I've been staying in an amazing collective and sustainable house, meeting other cyclists and bicycle advocates, visiting houses that have converted their front and back yards to permaculture, and learning about neighborhood programs and community initiatives.

This post is getting long but I hope to write again soon with all the things I am learning! The Pacific Northwest is a very progressive place when it comes to sustainability and there is a lot happening here.

Approvecho

The PEDALlers have reached Approvecho in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Its misty, rainy and mountainous around these parts - very beautiful!

We arrived in the darkness, and are looking forward to seeing this place in the light, along with all the amazing work they are doing here. Expect another blog soon!

Check out the most recent blogs for more details of what we've been up to in the past week or so:
Most recent blog

Kristi

South of the 49th

A Farewell to Justin and Cold Weather-Warm Hearts

Hi Everyone, Lucas here again, hoping all is well and fine out there.  I hope your staying warm, we are for the most part.  For our American readers its about 17F right now, and for our Canadian friends, it is -10.  However you want to put it, it is darn cold out there.

There are two recent blog posts that i do not want to bury with this post so please read Steve's Blog and Chris' Blog

I have a lot to catch you up on though so I won’t waste too much time.  My camera has broke, so unfortunately no pictures which is too bad cause I really would love to show you some of the things we have seen, it has been quite amazing.  Garrett has a camera as well so hopefully he will add some pictures soon.  When cameras are working we take a lot of pictures, and if you are interested in seeing all of them click on the slideshow on our homepage of www.pedalacrosstheamericas.com.

I also have an elaborate post from Chris who left the tour to go home yesterday, about Viera and his time out on Orcas Island.  I will post it with this.  Also please check out the last blog by PEDAL newcomer Steve, who has some interesting thoughts to share with us

The big news right now is that Justin has departed from us.  He left in Victoria, taking a train home from Vancouver to Toronto, and then to the family farm in Sutton Ontario.  He loved every minute of this trip, and wished he could see more, but ultimately, he is weary from travelling such a long time, and probably most importantly, wants to keep his amazing family farm going up in Sutton.  He will still be working on this project,  which wouldnt be where it is at without him.  We all wish Justin so much luck and are going to miss him so very much!

Another fairly important sidenote: we made it across the Straight relatively easy.  We left Victoria, BC, Canada, on a cold and rainy morning, taking the motliest ferry across the straight and arriving Port Angeles, WA, USA, in slightly warmer, dryer weather.

The old boat pitched and rolled like an old sea schooner, and when I reached  customs on the other side I was living green in more ways then one.

We got there early in the afternoon so we had a little time to explore the city and try a little compare and contrast of the United States and Canada.  As far as I could tell, very little had changed from where we stood and the similar sized communities just north of the 49th.

That night we enjoyed our host Lorie, and her nice house with a great fireplace.  We got dried out and other than a sick night for Steve, we had a great night, and were happy to wake up warm and with nicer weather coming in.

That day we rode to Sequim and Quilcene, the group splitting apart on  misunderstanding.  We had our first glimpse of the Olympic National Park, in all its snow-capped wonder.

Steve, Chris and I ended up waiting in Sequim to have lunch with Kristi and Garrett.  We had taken this beautiful back trail all along the straight and through amazing rainforest valleys.  Unfortunately we got a little mixed up and found out Kristi and Garrett had taken the famous 101 highway down to Quilcene and had passed us right by.

So the three of us bunked the night in Sequim, though it was quite the nightmare to find a place to stay.  While Viera stayed in Port Angeles and Kristi and Garrett ahead in Quilcene at a church.

The next day we rode to Quilcene and met back up with Kristi and Garrett.  It was our first day on the 101 and despite the lousy weather, we saw some amazing seaside scenery courtesy of the inlet we were following south.  The road followed so close to the ocean that you could spray it with your water bottle should you feel so inclined.  It was an interesting thought to have pacific ocean to the East of us, but if you regard a map you will notice the inlet makes its way south off of the Juan de Fuca Straight.

That night we stayed with a couple in Kristi, Garrett and I stayed with a couple in Quilcene named Todd and Vivvian, while the others stayed at Serendipity farms with Chris, who I am told made great Pesto sauce.  Kristi Garrett and I enjoyed amazing homemade bread, a large pot of soup, and a warm fire place that I nested up to and embraced overnight after the cold day.

The next day we rode through Olympic National Park and saw our first real taste of snow sticking to the sides of the road.  We nervously made our way up to the summit and then cautiously (but not too cautiously) made our way down the other side.  We still followed the coast and the majestic 101 through many seaside communities advertising clams, oysters and other local seafood.  I will have to make a point of trying some west coast seafood sometime soon, and Steve and I have been talking about figuring out how we can fish in a few places soon.

That night we stayed in Shelton with Allan and Donna, a warmshowers.org connection.  They made us a big dish of spaghetti and showed us their amazing house and pictures of their cross country adventure, where they rode with their son on a tandem bike.

The next day we were up early and on our way down to Longview for the night.  The morning started out beautiful for riding and lasted that way for all of 45 minuters before it started snowing on us.  It was the really light, calm, Hollywood Christmas like snow, the nice kind that puts a smile on your face and brings back memories of childhood.   Once again that lasted for about 45 minutes before the snow decided to really start falling on us.  Between the weather and the most complicated and frustrating detour routes for cyclists I have encountered yet, we all got separated and ended up in different places for the night. 

Chris and I ended up making it just north of Longview well after dark, to find Steve had got their ahead of us.  We stayed with a man named Charlie, who was possibly the kindest person I have ever met.  He did everything you could think of and more for us, and Steve and I ended up becoming quite good friends with us.

He owns an RV park called Toutle River RV, and if you are ever in the area, I recommend camping there because it would be one of the best times a family could share.

We ended up staying a few days with him, I came down with flu like symptoms for a few days and had some knee trouble.... plus it was nice to not ride in the 6 inches of snow on the roads.

  He took us down to Portland to share Thanksgiving with his family, and we had so much fun with him that we plan to meet up again after the trip.

Steve and I are a little behind the rest of the group, so we are taking the night train down to Eugene to meet up with the group as we speak.  I have some tough decisions to make about travelling regarding my knee, which is scaring me a little.

We will be getting into Aprovecho on Monday or Tuesday which is exciting for everyone.  We will most likely be staying for a week, and I am really excited to find out what they are doing and document it.

Thanks for reading and sorry again for the delay.  Please read the other two posts (one by Steve, the other by Chris).  And as a side note on Chris, he returned home to Vancouver after his two weeks with the group.

After all the sky flashes, the great sea yearns,

We ourselves  flash and yearn.

Lucas and the PEDAL team.

And one final note: because my camera broke, I am unable to post pictures of our trip at this time, however I really want to show you some cool pictures.... so the first five people to email info@pedalacrosstheamericas.com and tell me their address I will send a nice postcard to telling you of some of our awesome adventures.  Please respond, thanks, Lucas.

Chris' time with the Bullocks Brothers

Hi everyone, Lucas here.. the following is the accounts of Chris' adventure with the team:

A Hippy for Four Days!

Viera & I are arriving at The Bullocks’ Brothers Permaculture Farm & Nursery long after their peak season for the year.  During the Summer, there are about 20 interns and other assorted visitors from around the globe.  My own impressions were coming to rest on the inspired notion that this was a very special place, seemingly imbued with the best intentions of back-to-the-landers and hippies from thirt years ago all the way up to the present day.

B-Brothers Sam & Doug truly look the part, wearing their slightly weather-beaten faces partly or covered in whole by salt n’ pepper beards. Jeans, flannel, fleece, caps and toques account for the rest of their typical garb for a life out-of-doors since they began husbandry over this land some thirty years ago. I hadn’t camped in a while, and I was taken aback by an interns advice that we take a sought-after camping spot beneath a huge spruce. Apparently, everyone had only moved back inside the several cabins onsite a few weeks before. I later on gazed in wide-eyed summer-camp satisfaction at the frame of a large tepee permanently staked into the ground, which is used a group gathering space and fire pit during the peak season. Some other first-impression detailing made themselves known, such as the unique composting outhouses, whose painted demeanor speaks of the unique personalities of their creators. I later found out that each of the eight or so outhouses gets moved after each of their respective pits is filled with human fertilizer for the gardens, easier than it would seem, since each one is only made of wood and bamboo-mat screens.

There are a number of greenhouses, the hub of human activity for cooking, meeting, and hanging out within the largest one with the most permanent moorings, which also serves as a sauna. I sampled the Sauna a couple of nights, wandering outside naked in the middle of the night without so much as a single goosebump from storing up so much heat in meditation beneath the cozy wooden walls.

As an aside, since I was on this sub-adventure with Viera away from the rest of the seven riders, I began to imagine the group and its activities as a living creature. I would later be mistaken, but at the time I imagined the two of us at the head of the creature, leading its head around with an adventure-carrot on a string to new and bizarre happenings, while Lucas resided in the infirmary-gut mending his sore knee, with the remainder of Kristi, Justin, and Garret at the tail-end, processing the creature’s food into blog-entries. Oh, and I guess Steve would be inhabiting one of the limbs, as he had been away as well, visiting friends on the other side of Victoria. What this analogy was intended to symbolize was that it’s still one group on a common mission, despite the wayward directions of its parts and the physical distances which sometimes form temporarily between them.

Saturdays’ work involved preparing recently cleared pond-front land for the growth of several non-native species of schrubs and trees, including Sechuan Peppers. Holes were dug with much humour and carrying on, then tree-cages were gathered, some additional chicken-wiring to protect from voles, and posts stuck in the ground for the tree-cages to hang on.

The second work day was for a totally different type of planting, the creation of holes with power-drills up the trunks of chopped birch logs for the insertion of mushroom mycelium plugs for the future growth of hopefully many upon many Shittake mushrooms.

We ate like land-kings & queens the whole time, the most memorable lunch was this day, a magnificent vegetable squash soap with leftover dahl from Sid inserted into fresh grilled-cheddar and sourdough sandwiches courtesy of Tatton.

In force here is the garden-forest type of plural culture, for there are many different types of plants growing here. There are a few dogs roaming the pathways between things, and many chickens behind their free-range fence.

From the B-Brothers Library, altered excerpts from ‘The Road Back to Nature’: The Author, of Japanese Origin, describes how Man should learn from the most short-lived creatures (the mayfly, for example, who dies after only three long days!) how to live, a day at a time, to our fullest, instead of dreading death, one hour at a time.

Before Leaving Canada

Before breaking through customs into the US,  I was fortunate to connect with an old friend of mine Leah,  and stay with her and her great housemates, Nishira and Suzanne.   They live on the doorstep of the Pacific Ocean in Victoria, British Columbia.

One of The Oldest Sustainable Systems:  The Ocean

Crafty Plastic Bag-Drying Line

Plastic bags + Ocean = Check Out 'The Great Pacific Garbage Patch’

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/2528

The above two photos are of the Kimchi Leah and I prepared together. Good books for fermenting recipes are 'Wild Fermentation',  by Sandor Ellix Katz,  and 'Nourishing Traditions', by Sally Fallon.   

Closet Full of Food

Bulk foods and home-made preserves from fresh in-season local veggies and fruit make this home extra hype.

Leah has also been instrumental in a campaign to protect the wild forests of Cortez Island, British Columbia.

The Fundraiser CD is available through:
http://wildstands.bandcamp.com/album/wild-we-stand-

Major gratitude to Leah,  Nishira, and Suzanne for hosting me.   Major gratitude also to Jeremy and Steph in Vancouver, British Columbia, who kindly hosted me for a long time before Victoria.

Much love,  Steve

Vagabonds in Vancouver and Victoria

Hello Everyone, Lucas here, writing from atop the Pacific Ocean!

We have made it to the West Coast, currently on a Ferry between the BC mainland and Vancouver Island.

What a great week it has been, let me catch you up on all the happenings and what-have-you’s.

We left Delta on Thursday, biking into the city.  We crossed a giant bridge, loaded bumper to bumper with traffic (we walked the steeds across the bridge).  Then Justin and Viera split off on an adventure to find a good bike trail, while Kristi, Garrett and I loosely followed the google map instructions we had to make it down to near Granville Island.  We ended up taking a pretty busy road all the way through Vancouver, but it wasn’t as bad as we would have expected, and actually quite a bit of fun.  Riding through such a big city always tends to take a lot of time, but you never seem to notice.  We ended up meeting up with Steve (the newest member of the group) at his brother in law’s house near Granville.  It was great to finally meet him, but we had to depart quickly, going up to a friend of Justin’s, named Arno.  Kristi had to make a phone call so she went ahead, while Justin and Viera stayed to catch up with Steve.  Garrett and I made our way towards Arno’s, when we stumbled across one of the most amazing things we have discovered so far on the trip: bike lanes.  Vancouver has an amazing display of roads dedicated to cyclists all over the city.  We were on a street with probably a hundred cyclists and it was an amazing feeling of community and excitement that we shared.

We settled in with Arno, his wife Jean, daughter Laura and son Ian, who were all incredibly hospitable to us.  In the morning, Ian took Justin and I for an amazing adventure and tour of the downtown.

We started by going down to the Olympic Village (pretty dead and empty now).
We headed across a bridge and into downtown Vancouver.  Ian had an Ipod and a set of speakers so we were rocking a combination of funk music, classic rock, and latin jazz as we cruised the busy streets.  It all had a very urban feel to it, and we found ourselves full of energy as the rain held off for a little while.

We stopped at a music store downtown, and for the first time on the trip we were dwarfed by something other than mountains; skyscrapers of varying size and utility looming all around us.

Then we rode down through Hastings, which for anyone who knows the area  (one of Canada’s most poverty ridden areas) was a bit of a culture shock for Justin and I.  We walked our bikes up the street and talked about some of the challenges the area had, and mused about possible solutions.
Next we rode through Historic gas town, a ritzy area of town now (ironically only about a block from hastings.... what does that tell you?)

We took a right turn from there and suddenly were at the Olympic torch right by the waterfront.
From there we followed the beautiful Urban coastline down into Stanley park.  It started raining on us, but it was hardly a deterrent as we took the coastline trail, and took in the amazingly luscious sights.

When we finished the trail we went back into the downtown core to dry off and grab some sushi for lunch.  Then we headed over into Granville and back home.  It was so stress free and fun, riding in a big city.  I had such negative expectations on how riding in the city was, but with an amazing cyclist system it was the most fun riding I have had on the entire trip!

That evening Justin, Viera and I went to an event called Bike to Work Week.  It was the last day of the week so they had a wrap up celebration in a park.  It was interesting to see so many cyclists, some with disco lights, lasers and stereo systems all installed on their bikes.  I seriously considered putting a radio on my bike after all the fun that we had with those bikes.

Then we all went out for some Ethiopian food to celebrate our arrival on the West Coast.

The next day we went for yet another ride, this time to U.B.C. to check out the beaches.  We went with all of Arno’s family and it was yet another nice cycle (so much for taking a break from cycling, but it was just to nice).

We met many interesting people in Vancouver, and by the end of a couple days, it felt like a small community.  I was really surprised by how intimate it felt.  We ran into people we had just met in the city multiple times.

On Sunday Garrett and Kristi made their way out to the island to see Garrett’s family, while the rest of us waited two more days to get some stuff done in the city.  

Finally, on Tuesday, Justin, Viera and I made our way out to the island.  Steve was waiting one more day on some last minute supplies, but was going to ride out with Chris, a friend of Viera, who will be riding with us for a couple weeks.  

Arno led us out to the sky train in the morning, and bid us adeiu.  After that we rode the sky train over into Delta, then rode down some busy truck roads trying frantically to make the ferry in Tsawwassen in a torrential downpour.  We were cutting it close with the wind in our face, biking like crazy to catch the ferry.  I had a flat, so Justin and I sent Viera on ahead while we rapidly mended the flat, all while seconds ticked away in the back of our heads.  We ended up repairing it in under five minutes, an impressive feat.  We took no time to celebrate though, as we started tearing down the road for the ferry.  I remember seeing a sign on the side of the road saying 13kms to the ferry terminal, then looking at my watch and seeing we had about 17 minutes.  We would have to bike at about 50kms an hour, or have a small miracle to get on the ferry.
We put our heads down and raced into the wind like we had never raced before.  I remember looking at my watch every once and again, and thinking “damn, were going fast”.

We ended up turning a corner to the ferry after about 8kms of straight fighting the wind down the highway, and suddenly the wind was at our backs and strong.

With the hope remained and we searched deep into ourselves for any remaining energy we had... and found it.

I was still thinking it was just too short of time to make it when an overhead sign announced that the ferry would be possibly delayed.  This only added to our energy, and I was excited by the slight chance that we could make it within these near impossible time constraints.

We moved faster then I ever had before, and as we came around the corner we saw the last staight stretch to the ferry.

I would love to tell you that we made it onto that ferry.  That we made an impossible distance in less time than it could rightly be done in.  It would have made a great feel good story, and probably brightened some
hearts out there.  

But the truth is, we were late.  That ferry left without us.  It meant we would be biking in the dark on the other side, from Sidney down into Victoria.

We could have been mad or upset, yet when the lady at the ticket booth told us we had missed the ferry, I was happy.  We had tried our absolute best to get on that ferry.  How could we be disappointed with that?  We had pushed ourselves more than we ever had, and though we didn't achieve a goal that was most likely unreasonable, we pushed our boundaries more than we ever had, and in the process learned just how much we could really do... much more than we expected.

As good as that little revelation felt, it didn't change the fact that we were riding in the dark and rain on the other side.  

Fortunately Garrett’s Cousin in Law came to the rescue.  She drove up to Sidney and picked us and our gear up, while we left our bikes locked up in Sidney.

When we got to Taylor and Sue’s house, there was yet another amazing meal waiting for us.  We feasted with Garrett’s family (his Uncle and Aunt also being there).  It was really great to all meet up again, and share a warm house, warm laughter and warm food!

The next morning we all jumped into a couple of cars, and made our way over to Salt Spring Island,  via another ferry.

It was the first beautiful day we had seen in a week, so we were basking in the glorious sun that had hid on us for so long.  We stopped at a bakery off of the boat, and enjoyed the amazing culture that came with the island life.

After our breakfast we made our way into town for a full day of finding different individuals who were building different types of houses on the Island.  

First we met with Andrew, who had built his house out of Hemp bale, and was powered entirely by solar off of his property.  He also harnessed an amazing resource that we have been subjected to since we made it to the coast: rain!

He had enough storage to use only his water the entire year round.  His home was also heated by trees on his own property, and with the thick hemp made walls, was very efficient.  
Then we went to meet with a representative of Island pathways who explained to us the recent additions of pathways for cyclists around the Island.  

Finally our last stop of the day was at an institution called Eco-Nest, an architect-builder team who worked together to make incredibly efficient, yet comfortable homes.

The whole day felt like a glimpse into our future as we enjoyed the novelty of warm weather by the sea.  Who knows when we will get to that perpetual summer I have been dreaming about, but this was an incredible taste of what is to come!

We made our way back to the Ferry as the Sun started to go down.  By this point we still have not fully realized that we are travelling over pacific water, it still seems like we are going across large inland lakes.

The next day was Remembrance day, and I took the opportunity to bike down to the legislative buildings to watch the Remembrance Day ceremonies.  It was quite different from all the small town ceremonies I have been to in the past.  Instead of 100 people there was thousands and thousands of people crowded upon the streets to remember the sacrifice of those who have left us.  There were many soldiers and veterans, and it was quite the sight to see planes flying overhead and a naval ship firing the traditional twenty one gun salute.

The next day we packed up and left Sue and Taylor’s house.  They had been such amazing hosts to us, and we were so thankful to be able to stay with them and talk about so many different things, while enjoying such amazing food.

That day Viera and Chris made their way over to Orcas Island to check out a Permaculture Institute, while the rest of us moved to our couchsurfer friends Mike and Josee’s house to work on our website.



 As I write this we are all working towards getting our website content up and running.  It has been a hard couple of days work, but I am so impressed by every ones hard work and determination to get meaningful content from across Canada up on the web.

We haven’t had much time to enjoy this beautiful city, which is too bad, but unfortunately we just have too much work to do right now.

And now for the injury report:
Viera and I have both been having some big knee problems lately (why is it always the knees).  I went in to see a physiotherapist on Friday, which was helpful but a little disappointing as they mostly told me ways to treat the pain, not the actual issue itself.  We have a lot of big riding to do through the states now for a while, so we will see how the knees treat us.

Sorry to all for a lengthy wait on the update, I will keep them regular through the next little while. If you havent done so, please read the Blog Garrett wrote just a couple days ago, it has some really amazing things.

And now for the most exciting news of all:

The Garden content of our website is finally operational and has some articles posted through our mediawiki.  

The crew has been working hard trying to get this working with our website and I am super impressed at our ability to figure these difficult technological problems out.

Please check out our web site and see the new additions.

Thanks for reading again, Lucas and the PEDAL team!
and like usual a little teaser at the bottom:

You want us to feel better

On these darker trails

With the light revealing holy grails

To hike through dangerous weather

You need twilight eyes

Guided by Voices, "Twilight Campfighter"