The big cross-country bike trip is off and running as of last Sunday. We left Florence, Oregon around noon after a big send-off by the Swinton and Meade families (Sandy Meade deserves special mention for her send-off cheer) and a friend of the Drummer boys. We camped the first night in a baseball field in Noti (pronounced "no-tie," although we preferred our own pronunciation of "naughty"), where Dan Meade and I tried to watch the Laker-Pistons game but were kicked out of the bar because the waitress doubted my ID (bear in mind I'm almost 24 and we weren't even ordering any beer). We made it through Eugene on Monday, staying overnight in Leaburg, then started Santiam Pass yesterday, camping near Fish Lake, and then finishing the pass this morning. We're currently having lunch in Sisters and should make it just past Redmond by tonight.
The weather has been perfect--blue skies throughout western Oregon all the way, which is no small miracle, and the pass was picture-perfect today. We encountered some tough winds near the top--it felt like Mother Nature's hand was trying to push you back down the hill--but we stuck to it, and, well, quite frankly stuck it to Mother Nature. Other than sore muscles, we've had no problems thus far.
It's funny the things you see when you're around the same guys for multiple days at a time. I've already learned, for instance, that Danny has a steady supply of weather/terrain knowledge, Dan Meade has a steady supply of quips, and Harly--well, Harly has had nothing but a boyish grin on his face the whole time, a small part of which I think is due to his amusement at watching me try to set up my tent but largely is because of his excitement at doing another great outdoor adventure.
One final note--we've raised almost $1,000 for Cancer Patient Care prior to our departure, so thanks to everyone for your support!
All the best,
-Nate
ps If you've somehow found yourself on this e-mail list and want to be taken off, just let me know