A Yurt? What's a Yurt?

Swan Lake, Montana

Matt & Ted's Excellent Adventure continues, as they pedal south through the great state of Montana.  At the last phone check-in, Scarecrow said they were heading from Whitefish to Swan Lake, where they met some awesome trail angels named Jocelyn and philly Joe.  They put the guys up in a yurt to keep them out of the rain.  Scarecrow said it has rained constantly, which is kind of irregular for weather n Montana around this time.  Thankfully, for those who did not know what a "yurt" was, the guys sent pictures.  According to the dictionary, a yurt is a circular tent of felt or skins on a collapsible framework, used by nomads in Mongolia, Siberia, and Turkey.

Matt & Ted's Excellent Accommodations

It may not seem like a lot, but the guys were definitely happy to be out of the rain.  The inside was quaint, and looks like it gave them just what they needed for a good night's rest. Thank you to the kind people at Swan Lake Trading Post for your help and kindness!

inside of the yurt 

So, what exactly does the scenery look like for these cyclists? The riding in Swan Lake was beautiful, as you can see by the fields of flowers.  Scarecrow said there were miles of these fields.  

Scarecrow, are you in a field of poppies?

MattyRedrock texted they were on their way out of Swan Lake, heading toward Seeley Lake.  Their camping accommodations were going to be "at a no frills lot behind a good ol' boy place called the Basecamp.  Cheap, good food, and shelter."  Appetites are, of course, at a high, with MattyRedrock texting: "I ate an entire pizza myself, and Scarecrow and I split an order of wings to start."   With the guys cycling 50+ miles a day, they need to intake this much food to keep up with the energy being burned.  Way to go guys!

Keep the pictures coming, and we are all praying for clear weather, smooth trail, beautiful scenery and your safety.  Happy Trails! To see where the guys are now, you can CLICK HERE.  As always, thank you for your support and interest in Matt & Ted's Excellent Adventure!

Until Next Time,

Corinne & The Thruhiker's Wife

Let's Meet Some of the Trail Angels along the Divide...

A great check- in from Scarecrow with lots of thanks for the folks they have met thus far.

Scarecrow, Duncan, and MattyRedrock

 At the beginning of their journey, Scarecrow needed some last minute adjustments on his bike, so they found a place called Gear Hub, in Fernie, Canada.  Scarecrow wanted to give a shout out to Duncan, from Gear Hub, who worked on his bike and got him back up and running on the trail in the same day.  He said they were helpful friendly and efficient in getting him back up and running! So, if you are ever in need of some professional, friendly assistance for your trip on the Great Divide, visit DUNCAN at Gear Hub and he will take care of you. Thank you Duncan!

Felesha & Jeremiah

When the guys left Eureka, Montana, they stopped at the H.A. Brewing Co. and had their 48 oz Limit of the Pioneer Ale with their server Patricia and two locals that were very helpful with the upcoming town of Whitefish, Montana.  Thank you Patricia, for I am sure they savored every last drop of their refreshments before they left.  And, to Felesha and Jeremiah, thank you for any and all information you provided to our guys!

Patricia from H.A. Brewing Co.

If you are in the Eureka area, stop into H.A. Brewing Co. and ask for Patricia. You will get outstanding service and a delicious beer! 

The guys were on their way, but before they ventured on with their long trek, they decided to indulge in some goodies.  Scarecrow said, "We couldn't resist packing in a back country growler and a foot long subway each."  Enjoy!

goodies from town

So Matt & Ted's Excellent Adventure continued on, and the guys knew they had a long trek ahead of them.  They were headed for Whitefish, Montana, which was over 50 miles away.  Well, they arrived safely, performing what Scarecrow calls "the full pack explosion" to dry themselves out.  In a text, he wrote, "After 62 miles of 12 hours of rain with 2 crippled bikes, we had to do the full pack explosion to dry things out at the Stump Town Inn, in the town of Whitefish, Montana, while our bikes were being repaired."  Thank God for the sunny skies above to help with that mission.

the full pack explosion

After a long phone check in with Scarecrow, I am happy to report that things are looking up for both of them.  Their bikes are being repaired, they are taking a zero day to get chores done like laundry, hydration, and rest for their legs.  Enjoy your day off, guys!! You deserve it!  Upon your reentry to the trail tomorrow, may you have smooth cycling, a healthy bike, beautiful weather and strength to get you to your next stop.  Just keep pedaling! #mattandtedsexcellentadventure

Wishing you the best,

Corinne & The Thruhiker's Wife

Making New Friends...

We received awesome check-ins from Scarecrow and MattyRedrock yesterday.  Let's begin with this beautiful picture:

MattyRedrock texted: "stepped out of my tent this morning and we had a camp buddy.  Literally no fear. He knew we had food. It was the funniest thing.  He would come right up to us if he didn't get spooked." Thank you for these beautiful pictures Matt!

Corinne also received a VIDEO UPDATE from MattyRedrock about where they were, and where they were headed next. We are glad your spirits are high and you are meeting others along the trail.  The scenery is beautiful!  For their current location, CLICK HERE.

Scarecrow called me last night, needing a little positive energy sent his way.  Apparently, his back tire was not enjoying the ride, and one by one, a spoke would pop out of the tire.  Eventually, when all spokes had exited the tire, it wrecked the tire completely.  He was a bit discouraged as he rolled into the next town and called me.  All he needed was a little reminder that he was VERY LUCKY that this happened as he approached the town, and not 30 miles back while they were still in the back country.  He was able to get to a bike store and get the parts for his bike.  My advice was, "as frustrating as this may feel, roll with it, because it is all happening for a reason, and you are exactly where you are meant to be."  Easier said by the person who is NOT out in the woods with a broken tire!

I received this picture and message this morning from Scarecrow: "Thank you for your positive energy.  I was thinking of you when I took this picture."

Thank you guys for the updates! We, at home, are happy things are going well, and that you are having a great time on your adventure.  We look forward to your pictures, texts, and updates.  Just keep pedaling, keep your heads up, think positive, and enjoy the ride.

Full of pride,

Corinne & The Thruhiker's Wife

Future Adventurers Sighted!

MattyRedrock has inspired his niece and nephew to step up and track their uncle's adventure.  Meet Jimmy and Kiera Flynn.  They are the children of Corinne's brother Sean and his wife Kathleen.  From the time they heard about what their uncle Matt was doing, they were excited and interested in following his story.  Look at what a great job they are doing tracking his progress: 

Kiera and Jimmy Flynn

Their mom Kathleen sent a text: "Jimmy and Kiera working on their map. We printed articles on Elk's Pass and Elk ford tonight.  They are really intrigued!"  And Aunt Corinne was also told, "Kiera gets to draw the lines in MT, Jimmy did Canada.  He is fascinated by the elevations that we are reading about and keeps converting things from meters to feet."

I know your Uncle Matt is so proud of what you are doing, and cannot wait to come home and share stories with you about his adventures with Scarecrow on the Continental Divide.  Maybe someday, you will take an adventure like this and we will be able to track you!!!

Grateful for your support and excitement,

Aunt Corinne & The Thruhiker's Wife

Welcome to the United States!

While everyone was celebrating Independence Day, these guys crossed the border into the United States! MattyRedrock has done an excellent job in communicating pictures, happenings and location to Corinne, so here is the latest!


They made it through Big Sky Country, Montana, where MattyRedrock sent this picture.  I cannot even begin to imagine how it feels to take in this kind of beauty daily.  This picture was taken on the way to Fernie, while taking a water break from a natural spring coming right out of the mountain.

Matt's text continued to say: "Scarecrow had a few mechanical issues that needed to be tended to, so we lost the first half of the day while his bike was in the shop.  We are in Eureka, Montana right now in a Conocco station mini mart."  The guys' plan is to take the back country trail the next day, and finally be off of the highway.  I am sure they are done riding next to the semi trucks traveling 80 mph next to them.    They were looking to make Tuchuck campground for the night and then push forward to Whitefish, Montana after that.  MattyRedrock did text that they had more grizzly activity, so let's hope it is from afar, and they are not looking to get up close and personal!!

Thanks to MattyRedrock's awesome pictures, we are able to see the beauty they are surrounded by.  Just keep pedaling, guys! We, at home, are so very proud of both of you and all that you have taken on with this journey!  SAFE and HAPPY trails to you both!  For our readers, here is their latest CHECKPOINT.

Until next time,

Corinne & The Thruhiker's Wife

Check ins from the guys...

Corinne and I have received calls/texts from the guys ~ they are safe, moving along, and enjoying the beautiful scenery in Canada.  They sound a little tired, but happy to be on this journey.

Matt texted Corinne with: "Had my first shower night in 3 days, met other riders on the trail, him and Scarecrow got to Elkford and ate an entire pizza in like 5 minutes... they saw 2 bear along the way, equipment is good, but sleeping quarters are cramped, and they are battling mosquitos and cold temperatures at night."

Teddy called today, saying pretty much the same ~ beautiful scenery, needs to get his bike checked out because of some noises in a few gears, and feeling this is very different for him than the hike.  He has always been used to his whole life being in one backpack on his back, but this trip he has several bike bags, and needs to get into a routine about packing/unpacking for maximum efficiency.  He said it has rained every day, so I am hoping they are headed into nicer weather soon.

Overall, they are doing great, averaging 30 - 40 miles daily.  You can click HERE to see where they last checked in. Just so you understand, they began at the beginning of the red line, but our trackleader link did not kick in until the mark where the black line begins.  Each night, as Scarecrow pushes the button on his SPOT DEVICE, it will update their location with coordinates.

As we receive pictures, we will upload them to share to all who are following.  On behalf of Scarecrow, MattyRedrock, Corinne, and myself, thank you to everyone who is following, supporting, praying and cheering on our guys during their Ride on the Divide.

If anyone is interested to see the documentary that shows exactly what our guys are doing, check it out HERE.  Enjoy!

Until next time,

Corinne & The Thruhiker's Wife

Finally Trackable!!!

After a few days of technical difficulty, the guys are up and trackable on the trackleaders.com website.  You can CLICK HERE to see the latest location of their check in.  I will provide this each time I blog so you can have it accessible!! THANK YOU everyone for your patience and support!



Until the next check in,
Corrine & The Thruhiker's Wife

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