Videos

4/26/11: Sproul Road Ascent, Broomall PA
While practicing for my cross country ride, I thought it’d be interesting…kind of…to see the face of the struggling rider. Hopefully by the time I’m done this hill will be a piece of cake. It’s kind of a long video but if you enjoy watching me suffer, you’ll like it.

4/26/11: Sproul Road Descent, Broomall PA
Descending the big hill on Rte. 320 in Broomall, PA in preparation for my ride across the country. 45.8mph!

5/03/11: Pie Shop Diaries
Hannah’s sister is marrying one of my best friends from high school. She’s funny and animated regardless of what she’s talking about. Here she rants about pie shop employees and what it’s like to manage a pie shop in Batlimore, MD.

5/04/11: Paved trail between Baltimore and Washington DC Part 1
Some footage of an awesome trail that Google Maps took us on between Baltimore and DC. Super smooth with a pit stop at a pond. Kind of in the middle of nowhere but well worth the slight detour.

5/04/11: Paved trail between Baltimore and Washington DC Part 2

5/04/11: Paved trail between Baltimore and Washington DC Part 3

5/04/11: Baltimore to DC: Trail construction Pt. 1

5/04/11: Baltimore to DC: Trail construction Pt. 2

5/05/11: Dan Schabb demonstrates how to eat a Maryland Blue Crab
My good friend from Baltimore, Dan Schabb, invited us over to his house for a feast of blue crabs but before we could chow down we needed to learn the proper technique for getting past their shells. Though the video isn’t complete, it gives a good start to being able to massacre your own bag of crabs and don’t forget to invite me when you do!

5/06/11: Daily Mile: Episode 1: Charlottesville, VA
This is the first of a couple video updates where I discuss pretty much the same as what I talk about in my written updates. Yeah, it’s just me blabbering into the camera and you don’t see anything other than my fat face but if nothing else you’ll get to see the progression of my beard!

5/09/11: Shenandoah Ascent: Jarman Road Update
A little insight into the crazy road that took us from 550ft to 2500ft in 3 miles…of gravel!

5/09/11: Rough Road into Shenandoah
Shown here is a perfect example of the types of “roads” that Google deems navigable by bike. I didn’t know their routing feature catered to mountain bikes!
Jokes aside, this was actually quite a fun section of riding and were I not hauling 55 pounds of gear, it would have been a blast. This is also the section right after the 3 mile loose gravel ascent where we had to push our bikes most of the way. There was no way the sign at the end of this video was going to make us turn around.

5/09/11: Shenandoah Descent Pt. 1
Here’s some footage from the bar cam in Shenandoah. It’s not the fastest section but beautiful nonetheless with a spectacular view at the end.

5/09/11: Shenandoah Descent Pt. 2
This one is definitely more fast paced. Top speeds on these descents weren’t high (35mph max) but the duration and scenery make it amazing.

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5/09/11: Recap on the Ride into Shenandoah
Hannah and I recap our grueling day of some serious climbing and a beautiful ending. Yay for Canadian John!

5/10/11: Shenandoah Descent: Swift Run
This section of the descent takes you from Swift Run Overlook to Rt. 33, the Swift Run Gap entrance. It’s about a mile or two long.

5/10/11: Shenandoah Descent: Leaving the Park
Definitely the coolest of all the descent videos. I think next time instead of braking I’ll pass the cars!

5/14/11: Lewisburg Couchsurfing Update
Jess and Mark were amazing hosts in an amazing town. Amazing!

5/13/11: Uphill in West Virginia
Hannah consistently climbed hills faster than I. Here she decided video my struggles to keep up with her. Notice the rain covers? That’s a good indication that we’re in West Virginia.

5/16/11: Crossing The New River Gorge Bridge
So actually I felt perfectly safe riding with the camera in my hand but sometimes I say things I don’t mean…surprised?

5/25/11: Thunderstorm in Indianapolis
After my longest day of biking to date, I arrived about an hour before the first sounding of the severe weather sirens. They would sound four more times that night.

5/29/11: Indiana Update
Talking a little bit about Indiana and the joyous weather that greeted me there…

6/12/11: Omaha Trail Tunnel, Wisconsin
There’s 101 miles of bike path from Reedsburg, WI to Marshland, WI. There are 3 tunnels on this trail unless you take a wrong turn and accidentally find the fourth, filmed here. Don’t worry, I figured out I was going the wrong way…five miles down the path.

6/26/11: Tyndall Update
Quick update since my written updates are lacking.

6/27/11: Windiest Day Ever
My worst day in South Dakota was due to the winds. For some reason I decided to specify that it wasn’t the windiest day in the history of South Dakota.

6/30/11: Camping on Cross Butte in Norris, SD
After the hottest, most difficult day in South Dakota, Brian and I stumbled upon a dirt path up to the top of a butte. Here is a clip of our surroundings. Perhaps the most beautiful night of camping I’ve had so far.

7/01/11: Climbing in the Badlands Pt. 1
Our arrival at the base of a badland. Our climb is documented in several intervals.

7/01/11: Climbing in the Badlands Pt. 2
First attempt through a narrow pass didn’t work out but made for some excellent footage.

7/01/11: Climbing in the Badlands Pt. 3
Not quite at the top. Did you know that a Badland is the actual name for a rocky layered material eroded over time.

7/01/11: Climbing in the Badlands Pt. 4
Getting much closer to the top.

7/01/11: Climbing in the Badlands Pt. 5
Pretty high but not high enough. Going to have to go around to the other side and look for another way up.

7/01/11: Climbing in the Badlands Pt. 6
Reaching the top!

7/02/11: Badlands: Riding Through
Route 44 is a beautiful ride out of the Badlands National Park.

7/4/11: Black Hills Descent
There were many large hills but somehow I only managed to get footage of the smallest one.

7/22/11: Highway 50 along the Arkansas River
Riding along Highway 50 wasn’t the best but it could’ve been worse. Riding with some new friends for a few days.

7/23/11: Monarch Pass Descent
Kevin and I went as fast as we could but got stuck (and drafted) behind a semi!

8/18/11: Payette River, Idado
Hanging out in the shade by the powerful Payette River.

8/25/11: Update from the Columbia River in Vantage WA
After being sick for all of Washington, I ended up staying in Ellensburg an extra day to recuperate.

9/04/11: Hoh Rain Forest
A group of traveling and non-traveling Couchsurfers in the Seattle area organized a one day visit to the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park. To correct a comment in my video, some trees grow to be 300 feet tall and 23 feet wide.

9/16/11: Seven Devils Descent
Just south of Coos Bay is the Seven Devils hills. What goes up must come down. Here is the down.

9/17/11: Stealth Camp in Southern Oregon
Instead of paying to stay at a crowded state park with no view, I opted to travel a few more miles down the road and camp along a secluded overlook.

9/21/11: Avenue of the Giants, Norcal
Stephanie and I traveled through the Avenue of the Giants in northern California. This alternate route is a much better option to Hwy 101 because there’s much less traffic and much larger trees!

9/23/11: Highway 1 Descent in Norcal
This descent was captured along Hwy 1 while traveling from Hwy 101 over the coastal mountain range. It was an intense ascent but the road winds back and forth for an exciting four miles all the way to the coast.

9/26/11: Golden Gate Bridge Crossing
Instead of paying to stay at a crowded state park with no view, I opted to travel a few more miles down the road and camp along a secluded overlook.