Photos by Pamela Bennett

Exhibit at the Sonoma County Museum

First rest stop on the rise after 22 miles

So we did it.

It was supposed to be 65 miles, but we ended up doing 70.  Pam blew her tire open. Last ones to finish.  Had a blast though, couldn’t have asked for a better day, better ride, better scenery, or a better cause.  From all the donations we got we ended up raising $700, thanks everyone!

One of the best parts was riding on the pretty much car-free (notice how close to “care-free” that sounds) roads of the wine country.

After completing the first 50 miles of the course, you have the option to do the additional 15 by riding 7.5 miles up  beautiful road called “Pine Flat Road,”  then turning around and coming all the way back down again.  Turns out they had taken down the rest stop that is the turn around point, so me and Pamela went an extra 5 miles.  Oh well, good exercise.

Highest point on Pine Flat Road

All in all it was a challenging but wonderful day, and the best part is we got to help the wonderful folks who belong to BORP:

Special thanks to all the friends and family who donated:

• Margarita and Greg Larson
• Rudy and Carolyn  Rudolph
• Ben and Sandy Bennett
• Don Ajello
• Charlie and Maitha McMenomey
• Tom Keough
• Tim and Anna Parr
• Donna and Erik Arvidson
• Brenda Reed

For more info on the Bay Area Outreach Program, go to BORP.org.

Videos we’ve made for BORP’s Revolution with the help of Entropic Studio

Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that improves the health, independence and social integration of people with physical disabilities through sports, fitness and recreation programs. At BORP, they believe that sports provide a path to greater achievement to which all people should have access.  BORP is headquartered in Berkeley, California.

The Revolution is the annual bike ride fundraiser for BORP, and we’re going to try to raise at least $350 each for their organization. Its a non-profit that is really doing great work and is full of amazing people.

If you want to contribute and help us reach our goal, you can donate here (Please Specify either Nateon Ajello or Pamela Bennett):

http://www.regathon.com/cgi-bin/regathon.cgi?projectid=revolution&action=pp1sponsorbuild

Thanks for the support, we appreciate it, and so does BORP!

UPDATE:  The screening was a great success, thanks to everyone who showed up and shared in the film, as well as donated to the NBTS.  Was great to relive it yet again and hear all the great stories from other epic bike touring adventures.

What:
Spinning Southward Screening at the Capoeira Mandinga Academy

When:
Friday, February 25 · 7:00pm – 9:30pm

Where:
Capoeira Mandinga Academy
4137 Piedmont Ave.
Oakland, CA

“Spinning Southward is a documentary film following 3 bicyclists who traveled from the far northern shores of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska – through 13 countries – to Ushuaia, Argentina in support of the National Brain Tumor Society. The riders, brothers John and Mike Logdson and filmmaker, Nateon Ajello, were inspired by the memory of their mothers, Jean Logdson and Fran Ajello. By the end of their journey in September 2006, the cyclists raised more than $75,000 for the National Brain Tumor Society and had reached out to thousands of families both personally and through media along the way.”

Doors open at 7:00 and we’ll start the movie at 8:00

Tickets will be a $5-10 sliding scale, and all profits will benefit Capoeira Mandinga (www.mandinga.org) and The National Brain Tumor Society (www.braintumor.org).

For more info about the ride go to www.SpinningSouthward.com.

The event is a pot luck, so bring your favorite dish to share and come enjoy!

http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/goto/spinningsouthwarddoc

This site allows you to donate directly to the NBTS on behalf of the Documentary, as well as see the funds raised so far.

You can see the article on the National Brain Tumor Societies Site:

http://www.braintumor.org/news/latest-nbts-news/many-voices-united-purpose.html#LeadershipAwards

…It has been 3 years now since all parted ways in Ushuaia. John left and sped home to New York and a long neglected and amazingly patient girlfriend. He took up work where he is today, at Malaria No More.

Nate hitched a ride to Chile to make good on a promise he made with a beautiful girl he had met a month before. After enjoying the differences between a woman and his adopted brothers (John and myself) he eventually headed north and settled back in Santa Rosa, California.

I staid in Ushuaia for a week and wait for my girlfriend to met me. We spent 3 months civilizing me and getting reaquaited with one another. We backpacked 10,000 miles through every country in South America and finally caught a flight from Colombia to the US. We ended up in San Francisco in February of 2007.

A lot happened during that 13 months on the road and though I cannot fully explain what exactly that means, we were all changed by the experience.

What I can tell you is that the trip saved my relationship with my brother. Though 3000 miles now separates us, living on opposite coast, John and I are now closer than we have ever been at any point in our lives. Growing up I never believed my Mother when she said one day we would be the best of friends, not even in her final days of life. I am glad she was right and I was wrong.

As for Nate, he has earned what he deserved and hoped, he is a well respected and acclaimed film maker. His documentary is set for release in the coming months and the depth of his skills have attracted new project offers in such far flung places as Kenya, Rwanda and Iran. I see him now and again when he comes to San Francisco but will likely see him less and less having taken a new job in Chicago.

Though it shouldn’t be strange, the three of us haven’t rode a single mile together since that day the trip ended. We all talk about a life that now seems more and more distant. Thankfully we all continue to dream big. Perhaps if we can keep the complications of life in proper perspective someday we’ll find our way back on the road again.