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