Introducing their first Trail Angels...

Matt and Ted landed safely in Calgary, Canada around 7:30 pm (our time).  They were met by my cousins Gary and Mary Leskowitz, who were gracious enough to not only pick them up from the airport, but give them a place to eat, sleep and pack their bikes for the upcoming trip.  From the moment that they heard about what Teddy was doing, they were excited and ready to assist with whatever was needed to assure a smooth arrival into Canada.

Mary was so kind to take pictures of the guys getting ready.  They had to transport their bikes disassembled in boxes, so their first task was to put their bikes back together.  Looks like that chore was a success!

photo by Mary Leskowitz

photo by Mary Leskowitz

 The guys also needed to unpack and rearrange their belongings to fit in the bike bags ~ this was no easy task! You can just ask Corinne and myself about what packing day was like before they left.

photo by Mary Leskowitz

 Thank you to the Leskowitz family for the accommodating space and willingness to open your home to our husbands.  It is EXACTLY what they needed to be able to begin their journey on a positive note.

Looks like MattyRedrock is all packed up and ready to go! From the background, it looks like Scarecrow is NOT so ready ~ I hope you can get all of your stuff together Teddy!

photo by Mary Leskowitz

 After packing, the guys were invited to a BBQ, which I am sure they appreciated very much.  Home cooked food will be scarce for the next month, so I hope you were able to bulk up on some good eats before you left.

My cousins live in Calgary, about 10-15 minutes from the airport where the guys flew in.  The beginning of their ride begins in Banff National Park, about an hour and 25  minutes away from their home.  Thank God for the internet, because now everyone can see the route from Calgary to Banff by clicking HERE.  Scarecrow and I actually watched this a few weeks ago to get an idea of what he would be seeing.  Cool, right?

So, today, after what Scarecrow described as an awesome breakfast, Gary packed up their bikes onto his car, they said their goodbyes to our awesome family of trail angels, and were on their way to Banff.

photo by Mary Leskowitz

photo by Mary Leskowitz

You both look great! Smiling, thumbs up, and ready to go!  We all hope and pray you remain this happy, healthy and positive for the duration of your ride on the divide.  As the guys get on the trail, and begin their ride, you can  CLICK HERE TO TRACK THEM.  I will provide this link in every blog post, so don't worry about having to find it.  

Once again, a huge THANK YOU to Gary, Mary, Nathaniel and Noel Leskowitz for your generous hospitality and kindness.  Your family has helped these two begin their journey ~ all of you are amazing trail angels, and we appreciate all that you have done for Matt and Ted's Excellent Adventure!

With love, appreciation and gratitude,

Corinne & The Thruhiker's Wife

A Successful Sendoff

Scarecrow and MattyRedrock

The day has finally arrived ~ the beginning of an amazing journey for Scarecrow and MattyRedrock.  It began for us all at 5:00 am on Tuesday, when the Bernath family and the Warren family packed up the cars and headed to LaGuardia airport for their flight to Canada.  Although it was early, we were all very excited to see these two off on what will be an awesome journey for both of them.

rise and shine Warren family!

We left much earlier than necessary, to make sure we were not stuck in typical New York rush hour traffic ~ our decision was a wide one, as we made it to the airport in great time and were all able to sit, enjoy breakfast and take our last minute departure shots with the travelers.

our gourmet breakfast

 The staff of Air Canada was wonderful and extremely helpful in assisting Scarecrow and MattyRedrock with the bike check ins and flight information.  We got to sit and chat, go over itineraries, checklists, and their upcoming plans, before our final goodbyes.

MattyRedrock's support system

I have to say, although this is not Scarecrow's first time away, and certainly not his longest time away, we were just as excited and proud for him this morning sending him off.  The Bernath clan handled the whole departure like champs.  You would have never known this was the first sendoff ~ Corinne had all of the perfect camera angles and pics set up and ready to shoot before I could even think!  It was a great morning, full of positive energy, proud family, and excited cyclists ready to conquer the Great Divide.

proud family moment

Adios, amigos!

We shall wait to see and hear about their day in Calgary, and look forward to day 1 and beyond of their Ride the Divide adventure!
Safe travels and happy trails to you both!

Until next time,

Corinne & The Thruhiker's Wife

Final days Until Departure!!

The final hours are here ~ 1 day and 12 hours from now, these two will be on a plane to Calgary, Canada to begin their "Excellent Adventure" on the Continental Divide.  Over the next few days, I will post more and more information about what these guys are taking on... to start, it is a bike trail that spans 2,768.4 miles, traveling from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico.  They are just about packed, with tents, sleeping bags, cook pots, bicycle equipment, water bladders, and a huge bundle of excitement and nerves.  

photo by Corinne Bernath

On behalf of Corinne and myself, I want to welcome all of their followers to what will definitely be an adventure of a lifetime.  To Scarecrow and Matty Redrock, we wish you the best - great weather, smooth trail, generous trail angels, beautiful scenery and a million wonderful memories that will last you both a lifetime!

Filled with excitement, 

The Thruhiker's Wife