The annual Trek Across Maine raises funds for the American Lung Association and draws nearly 2,000 participants from across the country to its three-day ride. Photo by Karsten Moran.
Participants in the annual Trek Across Maine bicycle tour get more than an adventure
by Clayton Schroeder[Feature article from the Summer/Fall 2012 issue of Green & Healthy Maine]
For many of us, there comes a time in life to look for events that will stretch us—push the corners and edges of our personal “envelope” while contributing to something meaningful and bigger than we are. I stumbled upon mine 30 years ago in the hills of Maine.
Like many kids, I grew up riding a beat-up, hand-me-down bicycle to get from point A to various other points in the alphabet. I never imagined, however, that bicycling would become such a major part of a healthy modus vivendi in my later years … all because of a singular ride!
Miller Library at Colby College. Photo by Karsten Moran.
Along with about 100 ragtag bicyclists, I stood shivering in a high school hallway in Bethel, Maine, in 1985, staring at a mid-June monsoon beyond the rattling doors. It was the beginning of the first annual (not bloody likely with a start like THIS) Trek Across Maine, a three-day ramble “from the mountains to the sea.” It was a humble effort by the American Lung Association of Maine, to raise funds for lung disease research, advocacy and educational programs on a regional and national level. Since family members and I have known the visceral fear of an asthma attack—try breathing through a straw while walking up a long flight of stairs—this event seemed right down my bike lane. And I never looked back, having ridden every Trek since that first memorable year.
These days, a multitude of organizations around the country offer events that not only raise funds for a worthy cause, but also encourage us to renew or maintain an active lifestyle while discovering some incredibly beautiful, out-of-the-way places. Some people refer to it as “charity tourism” since, as a fundraising participant, I may find myself swimming the frigid waters of Casco Bay in a triathlon, cleaning up hiking trails in the backcountry, or running a road race in Maine’s crisp, early-morning, October air.
A crew of more than 700 volunteers provide enthusiastic support including rest stops every 10-15 miles along the ride. Participants spend the night in Farmington on day one and at Colby College in Waterville on day two. Photo by Karsten Moran.
The Trek Across Maine was the first of its kind, nationwide, when it began, long before the term “charity tourism” made the scene. Today, it’s a premier, tobacco-free, fully-supported cycling adventure, attracting more than 1,800 participants from all over the country. It rolls 180 miles up and down some of the state’s most serene and challenging roadways. The collected donations are for charity, but they can also be considered money well spent on a dream “vacation on wheels”—an authentic, Maine experience.
What motivates people to participate in the Trek Across Maine? The reasons are as varied as the bikes and outfits you’ll see on the ride.
Craig Surette works for athenahealth, in Watertown, Massachusetts. He’s one of two team captains, and has watched the group grow from 17 in the first year of participation to over 70 cyclists now. Craig appreciates the time to hang out with his teammates beyond the office walls. He speaks particularly of day two that finishes at Colby College in Waterville. A vast majority of the cyclists end up at the student union to enjoy a beer, listen to a kickin’ band, and swap stories about the day’s adventure. Riding in his third Trek this year, Craig originally participated because he was “in a get healthier mode,” and the three-day trip helped him gear up for that goal.
Community members in towns along the way cheer riders. The camaraderie, both from fellow riders and community members, fuels participants to complete the 180-mile ride. Photo by Karsten Moran.
Last year marked the beginning of a tradition for “Team athenahealth.” The welcoming, seacoast town of Belfast plays host to all the bicyclists at the end of the three-day trip. Every team is encouraged to regroup at the “last mile” stop and ride, as individual teams, to the finish line. Craig suggested to the Trek staff that the rest stop be located at the parking lot of athenahealth’s Belfast office; it was, and is now the designated location for that final stop. Craig recalls “the power of riding to the finish together—giving us all a real sense of accomplishment and camaraderie.”
Tiana Veldwisch is one of Craig’s teammates. Living in Boston (but her in-laws live in Maine), she finds bicycling in Maine a welcome change with “wide-open roads, a lot less traffic, and plenty of space to move around.” She has a growing interest in endurance events—half marathons, 5 to 10 mile, and mud obstacle courses. As she puts it, “The Trek Across Maine seemed to be a decent challenge to take on.” Fundraising for the ride is purposeful for her because of the loss of a relative to lung disease.
This is Tiana’s second Trek, and she, too, appreciates the time to relax with the group at the end of each day. A special memory for her is from last year’s ride. She had strayed from the athenahealth team and found herself alone on a long slog up a tough hill. She thought she heard an approaching cyclist shout “On your left!”—a customary warning that a rider is about to pass—when she realized the cyclist had said “Look to your left!” She did, and was treated to an unexpected, photo-op view—a visual banquet of greening farmland in the foreground and variegated tops and ridges of the surrounding mountains of Somerset County in the distance—a view she’d likely have missed in a car. Maine offers surprises like this to people who are in a position to appreciate them—in this case, on the seat of a bicycle!
Participants can choose to camp, stay in dormitories or secure nearby accommodations in a selection of hotels, inns and B&Bs. Here, a tent city set up in the fields at Colby College. Photo by Karsten Moran.
I chose bicycling for reasons that make sense to me, and may work for you, too: low-impact—my knees started rebelling against running 27 years ago; portable—I can start from home or put my bike on the car (or train or bus) and start from somewhere else; user-friendly—once I had mastered the basics, I never “unlearned” how to bicycle; people-powered—I get a good workout on the way to my destination, ride past gas stations, and feel as though nature smiles at me; affordable—after the initial investment in equipment, I didn’t have to buy lift tickets, a country club membership, a boat mooring (you get my drift); social—I’ve met the finest kind of folks on a bicycle and have developed some lifetime friendships.
Riders participate in the event rain or shine, as shown here after a brief shower in Waterville. Photo by Karsten Moran.
Not much comes close to exploring Maine by bike, whether riding alone or with a group. Maine is ranked among the top 10 bicycle-friendly states in the country, and it shows! Through the ongoing efforts of organizations like the Bicycle Coalition of Maine—a statewide, nationally-recognized, bicycling advocacy organization since the early ’90s—a growing number of cities and towns have created designated bike lanes, wide breakdown lanes on major and secondary roadways, and well-maintained, off-road trails and paths. The Coalition urges us cyclists to think of “driving” our bicycles rather than merely “riding” them, since we are subject to the same traffic laws as motor vehicle operators. And since we are less visible to motorists, and less understood by them, it’s in our best interest to ride mindfully and as ambassadors of the sport. There are enough uninformed bicyclists careening around the countryside, giving cycling a bad name. If we don’t follow the “rules of the road,” we might find ourselves on a one-way street to the emergency room!
And, “Oh! The places you can go in Maine, deeyuh!” You and your wheels can participate in one (or more) of the fundraising, cycling events around the state. With some planning, take on the challenge of the East Coast Greenway from Calais to Kittery—a multi-day ride of over 625 miles. Experience some of the most breathtaking (in a good way) vistas of shoreline and forest along Acadia National Park’s carriage path system or the Park Loop Road. Or board a Casco Bay Ferry and cruise to one of the nearby islands for a day ride and picnic. Maine offers up a veritable smorgasbord to the willing bicyclist!
Because the route winds through working farms as well as towns, grazing cows and other livestock are a common sight. Photo by Karsten Moran.
Gandhi said, “There is more to life than increasing its speed,” and I’ve been influenced by this thought for most of my adult life. Ecofriendly, people-powered events like the Trek Across Maine, encourage this thinking: I can move at my own pace and pull over whenever I wish—to take in a view, have a munch, or chat with the locals.
To me, the Trek represents one of a number of life’s ageless cycles (forgive the pun): set goal; overcome obstacles; reach goal; celebrate; grow! I’ve done a lot of “growing” of this kind during my years here in Maine. In addition to the memories I’ve created on the road with my two-wheeled companion, I’ve been emotionally overcome by the sweep of the land from the top of Mt. Katahdin, have collapsed with satisfied exhaustion after a day of skiing at the “Loaf,” and have felt goofy with joy while rafting the West Branch of the Penobscot River with my daughters. There is much we can do here, you and I!
The Trek Across Maine takes riders from the mountains of Bethel to the seaside community of Belfast. Here, two participants celebrate after crossing the finish line. A celebratory BBQ awaits them. Photo by Karsten Moran.
