Three time NBG Mayors' Ride relay rider, Skot Paschal, 250 miles into
his ride, called me from a pay phone in Brigham City, Utah to get me up
to date on his travels. And his run from Boise to Salt Lake City has
been one fun adventure after another that, I will offer, he earned with
weeks of research before he even left. In fact, I can't wait until he
returns with pictures and the route so we can get a lot of people out on
this relay leg next year and the year after, etc. Thank U Skot.
He bubbled with excitement as he described how his days have been. In
bearable 90 degree heat, Skot told me there have been few cars and the
quiet has been deafening. Despite the fact that his route has placed him
in the middle of nowhere he still has been able to locate a store or
restaurant every 50 miles or so.
And through Skot's eyes, I was able to see a desert that would be true a
joy to behold. He says he regularly sees the biggest animal of the
desert, the graceful antelope. While the day before yesterday in the
City of Rocks, after being cooled off by a hailstorm that lasted 10
minutes, he laid his eyes on a double rainbow that filled the sky for
half an hour. It was so stunning, it moved him to tears.
And the people, just like Unicycle Patrick was telling me last nite from
the Nevada desert, have been a tremendous boost to his faith in the
genuine kindness of the human spirit. Even Stinky Hot Springs was made
fun by the people with whom he shared it. Announced by a sign at the
edge of the road, he and several other would be bathers laughed and
joked as they cleared away the debris covered pools just so they could
sit in its tepid waters. For Skot, the soak was a welcome treat!
And then there was the highlight of his tour to date. Late in the
afternoon, as he was pedaling out in the middle of desolate
nothingness, a chubby, cheerful man in his 60's called out to him from
the side of the road. Skot stopped and soon Malcolm the Monk was
inviting Skot to come and see his spread which he claimed also included
one of the largest, little known wonders of the Great West. Always up
for new adventure, Skot left the main road and following the mystery
man's directions ended up at a farm filled with livestock, including a
three legged cow, and row after row of newly planted fruit trees; a true
desert oasis.
Malcolm, a Viet Nam vet living on disability led Skot to the back of
the large compound to a massive structure, a good number of stories
tall. What lay behind the doors took Skots breath away. It was a massive
Buddha made of concrete so spectacular that monks from all over the
world come to Malcom's farm to bask in its splendor. Soon the blessings
continued as Skot was not only offered a night's stay but Malcom even
fed him a wonderful dinner.
When we spoke, Skot was located pretty close to the shores of the Great
Salt Lake and was headed next for a campsite at Willard Bay,. He can
feel civilization pressing in on him as he gets closer to Salt Lake
City. Not only have the cars returned but so have the stop lights and
he says that it looks like it is going to be one big strip mall all the
way into Salt Lake City. And yet his adventure is far from over. He
plans to camp on an island in the middle of the immense Salt Lake before
he rejoins humanity for the rest of his ride to Utah's biggest city.
I can't wait to hear what he discovers next. Or as Skot said, "it's
amazing what kind of adventure can be had when U just get off the couch!"
- Our 3-rd Annual Mayors' Ride can be found at
http://www.BikeRoute.com/NationalMayorsRide2004/
- Bios for Skot and all of our riders can be found at
http://www.nationalbicyclegreenway.com/Events/Mayors_Ride/bios
- You can follow our TransAm unicyclist or Don Loomis or our East Coast
riders and Rowbikers when they come on line at
http://NationalBicycleGreenway.com/Events/Mayors_Ride/reports.php