On, February 10, 2008, around 11:00 pm, the three members of team A2A arrived in Ushuaia, finishing their 15,120 mile journey with an amazing 137 mile day to the bottom of the world on the island of Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, Argentina...Thank you all for helping to make the dream possible...
Hello everyone, I hope this finds you all healthy and happy. Here`s a little story about my Super Bowl weekend. Wow!!! What a game. A couple things made it even sweeter for me. Over the course of the playoffs we had been in more and more remote areas through Argentina, so it got harder and harder to see the games. The first one I had no chance to see. The second one we busted our asses for, but when we got to the town we wanted we could not find a TV with it on. So we we hammered all week and got into a town just before the Green Bay game and had it on in our hotel room. It was great, we had pizza and beer, the whole 9 yards. And that was a great game. So the Giants are in the Super Bowl and we had 2 weeks to get to a town big enough that might have the game. It´s not easy to find "Football Americano" down here in Patagonia, they don´t give a shit about it. So anyway, we had been killing miles at this point already, We just rode 720 miles in 6 days to see the Green Bay game. Then we looked at the map and the only town that looked good for the Super Bowl was way down the map. The boys, Jake and Duncan, are both from NY, but don´t care as much as I do about the Giants. They were a little doubtful about our goal. But I just kept saying "we got it". So we are doing pretty well, 2 days out with 215 miles left, the other guys are looking a little tired. So I told them they did not have stay with me, but they kept saying, "no, no, we´ll try". That night I stayed in a hotel and they camped out, they are saving money. I asked them to meet me early so we can get a good jump on the 215 we needed, but they were a little late. So I left them a note and left without them. That first day I had great traveling conditions. No real wind, The wind can be really bad down here. And riding by yourself is so much easier and faster. So that day I ended up with 171.74 miles, beating my old best day by 40 miles. The other guys ended up with 142, which was 10 better than the previous best. But the next day the wind picked up big time, the worst we´ve seen on this whole trip. A cross wind of 50 to 70 mph. It was crazy! But I only had 55 miles to go and I knew the road went with the wind for the last 20. So I battled through the wind and got to the point were I had the tail wind and did not pedal again all the way into Rio Gallegos, "Super Bowl town" as we called it for those 2 weeks. The tail wind was amazing. It pushed me up to 40 mph across the flats and even got me up the few small hills I had, I was passing cars in town, all without pedaling. I got into town with 4 hours to spare. But Jake and Duncan didn´t make it. They got beat down by the wind and said screw it and hid from the wind the best they could behind their bikes and trailers in a ditch, until the next morning. I found a cheap hotel and a nice cafe with a sweet big screen plasma TV. No one else was there. So I was jumping around and yelling at the TV all by myself. The girls who worked there were laughing at me. And my boys won! That made it all well worth it. Now we just have 5 days left to Ushuaia to win our own Super Bowl. I´ll be home around the 15th of Feb. I hope to see everyone sometime soon after that. Montgomery (my home town) is putting on it`s 35th annual People´s Prom (big dance party) sat. May 31st. This year it looks like Jake´s (my teammate) family's band (The Christine Spero Group) will be playing. I would love for all of you to attend and meet the A2A team. We may even do a slide show the night before. Keep in touch.
I have been away from Tahoe for almost eight months now and this is what I miss. I miss the Tahoe snow. The deep snow. The Sierra cement that sticks hard to the steeps. Avalanche Control mornings at Alpine Meadows. Driving to the mountain when its still dark out, only to deal with a shit ton of snow. Those are good times. The California Sun...Not the Patagonia Wind. Chicken wings. Jamie style, hot, with blue cheese and a pile of paper towels to wipe my grill. Lots of beers at the Chamois in the late afternoon. Saki too, and Bridgetender burgers with waffle fries. American style. I miss epic single track. Missing Link and Dirty, Dirty Harry. I miss mornings that start out at the Dam Cafe. The smell of bacon and breakfast burritos. I miss Dexter(don´t run away again). Sierra Nevada brews. All of the crazy odd jobs we take, trying to stay afloat in Tahoe. Skiing and swimming in the lake in the same damn day. I don´t miss the CHP. Emerald Bay and Donner Lake are missed too. The TRT and PCT. 7-11 snack stops like every single day. Rubicon Deli sammys, and Front Street Pizza all the time. I miss floatin the Truckee slammin buds in the sun. Full moon mtn bike rides or tours on snow. I miss the friends that push it all seasons and get me fired up to charge. I miss Stanford Rock kicking my ass into shape year after year. And I know I´ll miss this adventure and these places and these times because they´ll never happen again. Ever. So, I´ll ride hard and when its time to chill, I´ll make sure that I do that right too. And, of course, I miss Lua and ride for her every day. See you all soon. I hope it keeps snowing on you all. Duncan
For anyone who may have been confused by the journal entries in this blog over the last several months, here is a clarification...Sam Skrocke, one of the four original team members, separated from the team in Guatemala in late September 2007, continuing on solo to pursue the goal of Ushuaia, Argentina. Sam recently finished the journey. The other three team members---Jake Spero, Duncan Sisson, and John Witherspoon---are currently in northern Patagonia, Argentina, working their way south to Tierra del Fuego, where they hope to finish by February 12, at their eight month mark. We apologize for any confusion and hope you all have enjoyed the stories from us all. Thank you...Biking for a Better World and the A2A team.
January 11th was a very difficult day it was very hard to stay on my bike. I kept stopping, most of the time to take pictures but also to just sit down on the side of the road. I had less than thirty more miles to Ushuaia, the place I have been working so hard to find. Only now I didn't want to go there anymore. I thought about turning around but I didn't know where I would go. I wasn't ready to be finished. I had to talk myself through the motions of standing up walking to my bike and picking it up off the ground. While throwing a leg over the frame I would tell myself that I will do this because I have been cursed with the will to do so. Three more hours would pass by while my moods and the anfractuous path I was on would sweep upward into the clouds only to plummet back down again. Then there is was, just a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean but I instantly knew that my road was about to end. I am still trying to disentangle the thoughts going through my mind right now while I revel in the shadow cast by the enormity of the task I have just completed. Above all I am very happy to be here and not to have to ride my bike tomorrow. I will have some time to mule it over while I take a week off before a bus will transport me north to Mendoza. Once there I will immediately start getting my paper work and permits taken care of before piecing together the logistics for my upcoming climb. I hope to be climbing by the 21st. and be back in home by the 2nd. of Feb. The journey is not over yet but completing such a giant portion has given me reason to reflect and think about all the people that have supported me in my endeavor. I want to thank you all again for your help and for your thoughts. Sam- The good, the bad, and the insane The best: Contry: Columbia, The food was great. The people were friendly respectful and had pride in their contry. The roads were fun and chalanging. The mountains were huge and the landscape gorgous. The citys were clean and historic and a blast. It's true eveyone rides a bike in Columbia
Region: The Yukon, it was some big country, wild and untouched. The lakes and rivers were beautiful. The people were interesting and say things like "givin yer!"
City: Iquique, You have to see it to truely understand its beauty, absolutly amazing setting for a city. I was blown away.
Town: Bariloche, Nestled in the Andes it overlooks the Largo Nahuel Huampi and is a hub for travelers from all over the world.
Village: San Ignasia a true oasis in the center of the Baja Peninsula
Establishment: The Breakfast Club in Whitehorse, Canada.
Campsite: Swinging from a hammock three feet away from a 400ft. cliff with the waves of the Pacific ocean crashing below, El Salvador.
Month: June, finally getting started, the Dalton Hyw. and Alaska, The learning period.
Week: Oct. 3 thru Oct. 9, Five contries in seven days was absoulutly unreal.
Day: 8.10.07, The City Ride, Riding into San Francisco with the crew from Tahoe.
Night: Watching the rain and lightning storm in Playa Azul.
Part of my Day: The first 60 miles.
Moment: crashing into Jake on the Elliot Hwy, after celebrating completing the Dalton
Dinner: Moose and Carabou ribs at George Myers home in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Lunch: The meal prepared by Evelyn in Pangor, It just dosen't get any better, Really!
Breakfast: Matt's parents house in Lofal, Washington. Eat Fish, Wear Grundens!!
The Worst: Contry: Peru, I'm convinced that evey one in the desert is grumpy. Everyone tries to take advantage of the tourist, it smells and the drivers were the worst.
Region: Can't think of one, any one of the regions in peru but the were all the same.
City: Retalhuleu, Guatemala, Oscar, the manager of the hotel would insist that he escorted us outside of the hotel. There were armed guards at the entryways of the resturants and you had to buy supplies through locked caged doors.
Town: Can't think of one.
Village: Nadame, Nicuragua, Nothing was really bad about this place it was just tough to see the poverty.
Establishment: Can't think of one.
Campsite: Some sand dunes I picked out north of Lima, I slept right on the top of one and woke up crippled from the uneven ground I had chosen.
Month: Nov. 14th. thru Dec. 14th, The endless desert, with its relentless winds and heat.
Week: 8.29.07 thru 9.04.07, Being sick in the desert with the heat and the agruments.
Day: 9.27.07. The day the team broke up, and the dream died.
Night: Can't think of one.
Part of my day: Doing dishes.
Moment: When I realized that I had left my bank card in the ATM machine a few days earlier.
Most generous host: George Myers, hands down, without a dout he is the man.
Most memorible expireance: Lying on the bow of the Roxy under a full moon, stairing up at the sails glowing in the moonlight as the waves rocked the mast back an forth across the stary sky while sailing to Columbia.
Most insane day: riding over the Astral pass in winds that would knock me over or worse blow me clear across the rode into the shoulder on the other side. This would happen without any notice and I can only thank my guardian angels that I never got hit by a car.
Favorite meal: Ceviche
Most interesting meal: Gunnie pig
Most memorible person: Joseph Willits, the only man that can stop a speeding Sammy.
Most insane Person: The guy whos name was stolen by the U.S. goverment so I don't know it either. He wrote the song "hound dog" for Elvis Presly when he was six years old along with a whole lot more impressive feats.
Favorite people I rode with: Jenavi and Joanna, you two will make a great couple.
Favorite people ever: Mom, Dad, thanks for the love. Mike Tebbutt, thanks for helping me through the hard times, Paula Fernholtz, thanks for the support. Lindsay Simon, my number one fan. George and Sharkra Myers, thanks for the help. Tim, thanks for keeping us on the grid. Jill Sherman, thanks for the inspiration. Pete Woodring thanks for the backing. Paul and Carmen Day, thanks for the basecamp. Alastair Dick, thanks for being strong. Mellisa Kruger, thanks for keeping me conected. Russ Roper, thanks for helping us out of a jam. Rough start kennels, thanks for the adjustment. Kieth Larsen, thanks for the lift. The Breakfast Club, thanks for the memories. To the guy who hooked it up in Haines Jct, thank you. George and George, thanks for the laughs. Kim and the girls in Jade City, thanks for the warmth. Mamma Z and the Dease lake girls thanks for celebrating our independance day even though you are Canadian. Trevor, thanks for the condo in Whistler. Jim, thanks for the trailers. Thanks to all the city riders, Rachael, Chris, Tim, Pete, and the others I can't remember. Jamie thanks for the organization. Ryan Salm thanks for the exposure, Dillie thanks for the wisedom, Chris thanks for the motavation, Joseph thanks for making life a little more tolorable, Pete thanks for the San Fran tour. Joe thanks for the San Diego tour. Shannon thanks for the surfboards, Troy thanks for the running around. Ruben thanks for the belay. The Willits family thanks for the day. Captain Ulf and Christina, thanks for the voyage. Coco and the boys at the firehouse, thanks for the safe place. Mike Tyson, thanks for the beers. Ivan, thanks for the sweetness, Beatlegues and the gang in Pisco thanks for the lesson, Marrion, thanks for the kindness, Roberto, thanks for spending the time, Evelyn, thanks for everything. Ohmarr, thanks for the perch. Trey and the Tucan, thanks for being the light in the darkness. Maria, Rose and Dianna, thanks for the shelter. Thank you to everyone who opened threir homes to me. Talkeetna Air, Thanks for the discount. Forty Below, thanks for the warm feet. Cliff bar, thanks for the fuel. Smith optics, thanks for the shades.
