Bloomington, Indiana Three Flights The alarm woke me at 3:30 a.m. at the Juneau hotel. When I was based in Nairobi managing a project in Somalia, I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. every few months to catch a UN flight to Mogadishu. I dreaded those early mornings. I’m not sure why—I liked Mogadishu.… Read more

Juneau, Alaska (Mendenhall Valley) Reset and Recharge The first task today was to engage Olive. Until now, my R4P schedule had been largely mapped out. I had 30 days to complete the route, with a rough daily agenda and waypoints determining where I should be at different stages. I stuck with it. Apart from a… Read more

Juneau, Alaska (Mendenhall Valley) Distance: 21 miles (total 500 miles) Climb: 250 feet Re-creation of Magic As children or youth, we all experience magical moments. And then we spend our lives—either consciously or subconsciously—trying to recreate the feelings anchored to those special episodes. When I was about 11, my grandmother and I shared a can… Read more

Juneau, Alaska “The most important decision you will ever make is to be in a good mood.” — Voltaire Long before Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) existed, French writer and philosopher François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire, wrote these words. I’d like to say I recall this quote from one of his manuscripts… Read more

Juneau, Alaska Distance: 13 miles (Total: 479 miles) Climb: 50 What a Wonderful Day to Be Alive! Juneau’s population is about 31,500—pretty tiny for a state capital. The 85-year-old man I met a few days ago called it “landlocked.” Not sure if that’s technically correct, but what he meant was: you can’t reach Juneau by… Read more

Juneau, Alaska Distance: 6 miles (total 466 miles) Climb: 250 feet Alaska Marine Highway Ferry to Juneau! A few days ago, KTOO and I agreed to a radio interview on their afternoon show at their downtown Juneau studio on Monday, 21 July 2025. Today, I am scheduled to take the Alaska Marine Highway ferry, and… Read more

Skagway, Alaska Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) Toward the end of a month-long endurance ride—especially when I’ve completed most or all of my physical and emotional goals—I usually experience what’s known as a Post-Ride Letdown. This year, it feels more profound than ever. After nearly two months of moving from Honduras to Florida, driving to Indiana, riding… Read more

Stage 1: Boreale Ranch to Carcross Distance: 15 miles (total 438 miles) Climb: 233 feet Stage 2: Train from Carcross to Fraser Distance: 44 miles Climb: 2,044 feet Stage 3: Fraser to Skagway Distance: 22 miles (total 460 miles) Climb: 673 feet Journey to Alaska! This was a big day for me! I felt as… Read more

Carcross, Yukon Distance: 31 miles (total 423 miles) Climb: 1086 feet Today was a fun day! I rode down the Alaska Highway, climbing here and there. A man about my age zoomed past me on his bicycle with no saddlebags while I was stopped checking my GPS. He said, “Great job!” Within 20 minutes, he… Read more

Whitehorse, Yukon Distance: 17 miles (total 392 miles) Climb: 650 feet Brushing Off the Rust! Today is the first clear day I’ve seen since arriving in the Yukon. Lucy needed a little exercise, so around 9:30 a.m., we rode north on Mountain View Drive for a few miles in the 53-degree weather before crossing over… Read more