It’s warm and muggy in Clinton, BC and we’re trying to call home to Whitehorse. Our bikes are across the street, propped up against the wall of “Budget” Foods. The italics are mine. An old man scrutinizes our bikes. He squeezes my seat as if it’s an avocado and he’s not sure if it’s ripe. He gazes intently at my “Bob” trailer as if he can’t believe anyone could be stupid enough to drag that much gear. Then he grabs Malkolm’s bike, lifts it up and winces.
“I’m going to see what he wants,” says Wendy and crosses the street.
He has lots to say. He’s 72 and is two months into a cycle tour of his own. The only flat tire he’s had was in Chicken, Alaska. It was raining so he switched to a new tube and repaired the hole later. He didn’t mean to brag, but his average daily distance was about 30% more than ours. He has a sore butt today, so he’s resting. Malkolm’s bike is too heavy, and why does a kid have such a load? How old is Malkolm anyway?
It won’t wash to tell someone nearly a generation older than Wendy and I that Malkolm’s legs are younger than ours and why shouldn’t we load him down? I don’t think fast enough to tell him that this trip is Malkolm’s idea.
For you statistics junkies, Malkolm has identified 140 bird species and we’ve cycled 1724 kilometers. That’s one new species every 12.3 km or 5.18 per day. I don’t think he’ll keep up those amazing averages.
“I’m going to see what he wants,” says Wendy and crosses the street.
He has lots to say. He’s 72 and is two months into a cycle tour of his own. The only flat tire he’s had was in Chicken, Alaska. It was raining so he switched to a new tube and repaired the hole later. He didn’t mean to brag, but his average daily distance was about 30% more than ours. He has a sore butt today, so he’s resting. Malkolm’s bike is too heavy, and why does a kid have such a load? How old is Malkolm anyway?
It won’t wash to tell someone nearly a generation older than Wendy and I that Malkolm’s legs are younger than ours and why shouldn’t we load him down? I don’t think fast enough to tell him that this trip is Malkolm’s idea.
For you statistics junkies, Malkolm has identified 140 bird species and we’ve cycled 1724 kilometers. That’s one new species every 12.3 km or 5.18 per day. I don’t think he’ll keep up those amazing averages.
1 comment:
Really enjoying your journey notes, Malkcolm, Wendy and Ken! What an impressive total of birds you've sighted thus far and what an incredible distance you've managed to travel. I hope the road continues to be kind to you and the traffic doesn't become too onerous as you start to get nearer and nearer more populous centres. Happy birding to you all. And now: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WENDY, YOU YOUNG THING!! Some people tackle a marathon, you decide to cycle diagonally across a freakin' continent - you rock! Big hug, Lynn
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