A Dream Fulfilled for Multiple Sclerosis

To Donate: On- Line, Phone, or Mail

2006-11-21T15:04:00.000-05:00

By On-Line: www.nationalmssociety.org/pledge
By Phone: 1-800-493-9255
By Mail: National MS Society
101 First Ave., Suite 6
Waltham, MA 02451

Please include my name and state with all donations.
100% of all money raised goes directly to the National MS Society. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Michael Myers

The Start of "A Dream Fulfilled for Multiple Sclerosis"

2006-11-17T14:34:00.000-05:00

North Pole, Alaska

2006-11-17T14:21:00.000-05:00

Off-Road, British Columbia

2006-11-17T14:18:00.000-05:00

Muncho Lake Provincial Park, British Columbia

2006-11-17T14:12:00.000-05:00

Ken, Owner of Sourdough Campground (the best campground)

2006-11-17T14:08:00.000-05:00

Road Construction, The Alaska Highway

2006-11-17T14:04:00.000-05:00

Spinning Southward, Yukon's Border

2006-11-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

Liard Hotsprings, British Columbia

2006-11-17T13:58:00.000-05:00

Making Friends, Marlies and Arnoud from Holland

2006-11-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

Sunset on Squanga Lake, Yukon

2006-11-17T13:49:00.000-05:00

Camping in the Bush, Yukon - Cheers

2006-11-17T13:45:00.000-05:00

Kluane National Park, Yukon

2006-11-17T13:33:00.000-05:00

Mountain Goats in Jasper National Park

2006-11-17T13:24:00.000-05:00

Rest Stop Along The Alaska Highway

2006-11-17T13:15:00.000-05:00

Biking the Icefield Parkway in the Canadian Rockies

2006-11-17T13:09:00.000-05:00

Rosie Swale Pope and I, Rosie's Running Around the World

2006-11-17T13:06:00.000-05:00

Bonnie and I near Lake Louise

2006-11-17T13:02:00.000-05:00

Mule Deer in the Canadian Rockies

2006-11-17T12:50:00.000-05:00

Conclusion to: A Dream Fulfilled for Multiple Sclerosis

2006-11-17T12:35:00.000-05:00

Alaska to Mexico by bicycle, solo, and self-contained...
July, 25th to November 6th, 2006
4,582 miles
105 days
3 1/2 months
8 states
3 countries
1 continent
8 national parks

Conclusion:
"A Dream Fulfilled for Multiple Sclerosis" has been much more than an ordinary bicycle tour for me, as I have done in the past. The amount of time, work, planning, and fundraising that went into this endeavor even before taking my first pedal stroke out of Anchorage, Alaska has been an enormous pleasure for me. This journey wasn't about me, it wasn't about the bicycle, and it wasn't about the mileage. It was about a disease called Multiple Sclerosis and what I could do to help. Though I have completed many bicyle tours before this, "A Dream Fulfilled for Multiple Sclerosis" was my first for a charity, and won't be my last. It has been the greatest exprience of my life. I hope for this to be a stepping stone for trips in the future and my continued support to help end the devastating effects of Multiple Sclerosis. I would like to thank everyone who supported this "Cycling for a Cause", without you this would not be possible. I tried to personally thank each and everyone of you who pledged, but being on the road with very limited internet access made this extremely difficult. I thank you now, and your generosity didn't go unnoticed.

It was my Grandfather's book "A Dream Fulfilled" that gave me the idea of "A Dream Fulfilled for Multiple Sclerosis". I know he would be proud and honored for me to use his book's title in a journey such as this. As many of you know, my father has had Multiple Sclerosis for over 20 years. Riding the bicycle for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has been an uplifting experience. Doing this for my father, gave meaning to each day. A reason, a hope, and most of all, a love.

Sincerely,
Michael Myers

Part 9 Death Valley, California - Mexicali, Mexico - San Diego, California

2006-11-17T10:37:00.000-05:00

642 miles
4,582 miles total

Impressions:
- Very strong winds, 25-30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph, coming from a storm off Mexico...
- Walked through the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada...
- Welcome to Death Valley National Park...
- Summit of Daylight Pass at 4,317'...
- Amazing 13 miles of very steep downhill, from 4,317' to minus 282' at Badwater, Death Valley...
- 56.5 mph, the fastest I have ever been on a bicycle, very nervous with over 100 pounds of gear and going that fast, couldn't brake...
- Badwater, Death Valley - the lowest point in the western hemisphere at -282' below sea level...
- Salt flats and Golden Canyon in Death Valley National Park...
- Uphill for 15 miles from -282' to 3,315', very steep, very hot, and no services...
- Rest day in the small town of Shoshone, California, visitor center, museum, and the Shoshone Ruins, plus the relaxing hotpool...
- Sand dunes, ATV's, and dune buggies everywhere...
- Town of Baker, California - home of the world's largest thermometer, at over 100' tall...
- Daylight savings time, not good for me camping, gets dark to early now...
- Mojave National Preserve (Mojave Desert), very desolate, few cars, few people, no buildings, no services, no shade, lots of sun...
- One, if not the worst road I've biked on this entire trip in the Mojave Desert (tie with the Alaska Hwy.), large rocks, stones, and even boulders protruding the surface of the pavement for miles and miles...
- Kelso Depot Visitor Center, an old train depot that had been rebuilt in the middle of the Mojave, no food but they had water...
- Camping behind one of the only buildings in the ghost town of Amboy, California (the post office), hard to believe they need a post office in this one man, one dog town...
- No sleep, trains going by all night, very close, very loud, and almost constant horns blowing...
- Amboy crater and small volcano...
- Joshua Tree National Park, one of my favorite places on this trip, beautiful trees, large rock formations, and a high plateau desert landscape...
- Excellent bike riding in Joshua Tree National Park, no traffic, good roads, and magnificent sites...
- Hiked to Barker Dam and Hidden Valley, in Joshua Tree...
- Biked along the Salton Sea, a length of35 miles, this body of water hosts more birdlife than almost anywhere in the world, including thousands of pelicans...
- Mexicans and the spanish language take over the southern section of California...
- Mexicali, Mexico - "I did it" - after 4,440 miles and 102 days, I touched the Mexican Border...
- A feeling of relief as I biked into the Mexican Border - Anchorage, Alaska to Mexicali, Mexico - July 25th to November 3rd, 2006...
- Now what? Do I continue into Mexico or fly home?...
- I decided a rest is needed, my body, my mind, and most important I wanted to see my family, friends, and girlfriend, all of who I missed incredibly...
- I biked back into California and towards San Diego, along the border towns, 2 more deserts, and a mountain range that made me quit my first cross country bicycle trip nine years ago, after suffering heat exhaustion, I have some unfinished business to take care of this time...
- Stayed in Ocotillo, California, the same place, the same room, as I did nine years ago after an ambulance ride to the hospital and 3 bags of IV's to rehydrate me, as I collasped on an elder's front porch just outside Ocotillo, CA...
- Very motivated to make the summit of Mountain Spring Pass at 3,241', which got the better of me nine years ago, not this time though...
- The deep south of California is not an easy way to finish this trip, mountain range after mountain range standing in my way...
- I met Ralph and Michelle as I was biking in the small town of Boulevard, California, they drove by me and had turned around to ask if they could talk to me a minute, next thing I knew I was at their house eating lunch (made by Michelle) and talking bike touring and racing with the two of them. Michelle has bike toured in Alaska and the USA and even wrote a book (which she gave me a copy) about her adventures, while Ralph designs bicycles for a company called Zipp (a high-end triathletes bike). I stayed a couple of enjoyable hours before saying goodbye to my new friends...
- My last day of riding, Pine Valley to San Diego, a sad day and a happy day all at once. I have been on this bicycle for three and a half months, mostly alone and now for the trip to end makes me think about what I have done, what I have saw, all the people I have met, the kindness of strangers, and of course what this has meant to me riding to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis...
- On November 5th, 2006 I finally see the shinny blue water of the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, California, 4,582 miles, no party, no balloons, no parade, and no fireworks - Just one big smile :)

Part 8 Grangeville, Idaho - Winnemucca, Nevada, - Death Valley, California

2006-10-24T18:46:00.000-04:00

820 miles
3,940 miles

Impressions:
- Whitebird, the battlefield of the Nez Perce Indains...
- Whitebird Summit at 4,450' n elevation, 8 miles at a 7% grade...
- Hell's Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America, deeper than the Grand Canyon...
- Followed the beautiful Salmon River, and it's own deep gorges and canyons...
- Zim's Hotsprings and campground, I was the only one camping...
- Hot pool was at 104 degrees and the cool pool at 89 degrees, relaxing...
- Frost and ice covered the ground, my tent, my bike, and my body, freezing cold, 20 degrees...
- Woke up to gun shots, what seemed to be close by, hunters, target practice, me?...
- Met and biked with two middle aged woman, who were out for a day ride, nice compant and infomation on roads ahead...
- Pay more attention to where I set up my tent, 6 cows grazing beside my tent all night all, I couldn't sleep...
- Moon-like feel of South-East Oregon, nothing there, ghost towns...
- Pulled into Rome, Oregon, during a downpour, which happened to be a cafe, which happened to have cabins for rent, I stayed the night but pretty gross to be honest...
- Getting dark by 6:00pm, not good for camping solo, to early...
- Rome Hoodoos, pretty cool sand sculptures formed by wind and rain over many years...
- Blue Mountain Pass at 5,293', long climb but strong tailwinds, and a cold day, 55 degrees...
- Welcome to Nevada and the flashing neon lights, "Casino's" of course...
- Oversized trucks hauling houses, makes it very dangerous to be biking with a small shoulder...
- Met "Eldon" from Texas, who is biking from Washington State to L.A. , met him inside the visitor center in Winnemucca, Nevada...
- Became friends with Eldon, stayed in the same motel, ate dinner together, and shared stories most of the night...
- Had thoughts of going towards Reno, Nevada, but decided biking with Eldon would give me the much needed company I was looking for...
- Biked with Eldon for 4 days, thanks for the company Eldon, through the empty desert of Central Nevada...
- Golconda Summit at 5,154'...
- Battle Mountain, Nevada, holds the Human Speed Challenge every year, people try and break the world record held at 82 mph...
- Camped in the bush, with Eldon, sky full of stars and saw the space station fly across the sky at 17,000 mph...
- Biked along Highway 50, known as "America's Loneliness Road"...
- Austin Summit, the highest I have every been by bicycle at 7,484'...
- Coyote woke me at mid-night walking around my tent, I shined my headlight on it and it ran off...
- Historical mining town of Tonopah, Nevada...
- Solo again, Eldon stayed in Tonopah to do some work...
- 97 miles, my longest day this trip, nothing but desert...
- Rest day today in Beatty, Nevada, I need it...
- Less than 10 miles to Death Valley, California, which I start biking through tomorrow, Good Luck, I'll need it!...

Part 7 Lake Louise - USA Border - Grangeville, Idaho

2006-10-09T20:15:00.000-04:00

600 miles
3,120 miles total

Impressions:
- Back on the bike, after 2 weeks of hiking...
- Crossed the Continental Divide, and back into beautiful British Columbia...
- Biked over Vermilion Pass at 5,300'...
- Marble Canyon, closed due to wildfires...
- 10 bighorn sheep along the road, 2 sheep got into a fight and came towards me as I was taking photos...
- Radium Hotsprings, just wonderful, 3 hours of 104 degrees, a cyclist best friend...
- Campfire with father and son, Dave and Shane from Toronto invited me to join them...
- Very foggy, not safe to bike, waited it out in the Invermere Visitor Center...
- Met Bruce Stroud, he was also biking and met up with me along the road, he invited me to stay at his house for the night, I did...
- Bruce and his wife (Sandra) put on a triathlon every year called "The Heart of the Rockies" triathlon, plus they have a house in Baja, Mexico...
- Thank you to Bruce and Sandra, you housed me, feed me, and most of all, gave me company...
- Soaked in the Fairmount Hotsprings, short hike to one of the most amazing waterfalls I've ever seen...
- Hoodoos along the roadway...
- My niece's birthday (Andrea) on Sept.29th and my mom's birthday on Oct.1st, Happy Birthday to you both, and miss you...
- 4 black bears came into the campground I am staying in this morning (glad to be out of my tent this time), the owner of the campground came to get me, we watched them for a long time, they all stood on their hind legs, (a mother and 3 cubs) next they all climb up a huge tree to about 25' high and sat on branches for over a hour, very interesting and lots of photos...
- Headwinds again, over 25-30 mph, felt like hurricane force, not good...
- Cook stove broke, electrical tape fix...
- Camping for free in closed Prov. Parks, no one around, well some deer but no people...
- Back in the USA, Eastport, Idaho and going south on route 95...
- Bonner's Ferry fairgrounds, camping on a concrete floor and fenced in...
- Trains all night long, hard to sleep, you get what you pay for I guess, free...
- No shoulder to bike on, USA, very narrow road Rt. 95...
- Campground closed in Black Rock, Met Myrna, this nice woman invited me to stay at her and her husbands house just down the street, the kindness of strangers is incredible, I did...
- Myrna and Richard's home was right on the Coeur d' Alene Lake, awesome and a very big thank you to you both...
- Met Jerry, in the food market in Plumber, Idaho, Jerry works at the hardware store inside the market, had lunch together and after Jerry was done work he drove down to Hayburn State Park where I was camping for company, thank you Jerry, it was a pleasure meeting you...
- Marsh Hill Summit 3,620', not bad but lots of other long hills today...
- Moscow, Idaho, The University of Idaho, and homecoming weekend, parade, football game vs. New Mexico State, go Vandels...
- Camped at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints...
- Farm land everywhere, rolling hills, no trees, and high winds...
- Spiral Highway, the most amazing road, felt like the French Alps in the Tour de France...
- 4:00am rude awakening, the water sprinklers came on, blasted my tent and I couldn't sleep, I moved...
- Nez Perce National Historical Park, interesting Indian Tribe...
- Rain at night, ice in the morning, my bikes brakes and gears were frozen and would not work, getting very cold now...
- Go South Young Man, Go South...

Part 6 Lake Louise - North Cascades - Lake Louise

2006-09-30T23:50:00.000-04:00

25 miles
2,525 miles total

Impressions:
- 2 weeks off the bike, hiking with Bonnie in the Icefield Parkway and the North Cascades National Park, Washington...
- Lake Agnes hike to the beehive and to the plain of 6 glaciers, at Lake Louise...
- Saw an avalanche on one of the glaciers, not far from us at the end of the trail...
- Moraine Lake, the postcard lake of the Canadian Rockies...
- Hiked the Larch Valley trail, this hike required 6 people or more in a group to hike because of grizzly bears...
- Hiked the Moraine Lake trail, along the most beautiful Valley of Ten Peaks, very famous photo in the Canadian Rockies...
- Hiked to Helen Lake, 12 km and 1,800' of elevation gain, panoramic views and solitude...
- Fantastic views of Crowfoot Glacier from the Helen Lake trail...
- Bow Lake and Peyto Lake, 2 of my favorite spots on the Icefield Parkway, although lots of tourists...
- Woke to a few inches of heavy wet snow, in the Icefield Campground at over 6,000', very cold morning...
- Walked on the Columbia Icefield glacier, the largest glacier in the Canadian Rockies...
- Hiked to Mount Edith Cavell and the amazing Angel glacier with icebergs floating in the Cavell pond below it, where huge pieces if the glacier have broken off and fell into the pond...
- Herd of elk along the highway feeding...
- Miette Hotsprings - CLOSED - after a very dangerous drive through 6 inches of snow on this steep and windy single lane road unplowed, no electricity due to the storm, should have closed this road as well...
- Maligne Canyon, incredibly narrow and 50 meters deep, hiked bridges 1 thru 5 on a loop trail, and many waterfalls...
- Maligne Lake and Medicine Lake, the water flows underground to the Maligne Canyon...
- Saw my first male big horn sheep walking down the middle of the snowy road and ran up the hillside...
- Mount Robson at over 12,000', is the highest point in the Canadian Rockies...
- Hiked part of the world famous Berg Lake trail, 7 km of the 23 km trail one way...
- Clear views of Mt. Robson in the morning, very impressive...
- Bonnie and I drove to the North Cascades in Washington State, about 10 to 11 hours...
- Made it to Rosemary's (Bonnie sister's house) in a light rain, after a long drive...
- Hiked Pugh Mountain with Bonnie, Rosemary, Stef (Bonnie's father), and I, turned around at the Stu-Jack pass due to weather...
- Drove to Anacortes, took the ferry to the San Juan Islands, and biked from Friday Harbor to Lime-Kin State Park, with Bonnie, Rosemary, Michael, Stef, and I, Bonnie's mom did hikes on the mainland...
- Orca whales swimming just off shore at the Lime-Kin State Park, watching them from next to the lighthouse...
- All of us camped at Washington Park in Anacortes and went to dinner at "Adift"...
- Rest day, well rain day is more like it, went to the North Cascades visitor center and did the 2 mile river loop trail in the light rain...
- Hiked Driveway Butte, rain and snow made us turn around before the summit, Bonnie, Rosemary, Stef, and I, not having good luck with the weather here in Washington...
- Hiked Sourdough Mountain, very long, very steep, and very much worth it once you get to the top, incredible views on our first clear day in the Cascades, wonderful, boat ride across the Ross Lake to finish the hike and meet up with Linda (Bonnie's mother)...
- Went to the North Cascades wildnerness office where Rosemary and Michael work as Park Rangers...
- Just Bonnie and I hiked the Hidden Lakes trail, one of my favorite hikes of all time, just amazing at the summit, the hidden lake, the hut that sleeps two people on the very top with 360 degree views of pure jagged mountains, and we had a clear sunny day...
- Woke at 3:30am to drive Bonnie to the airport shuttle and for me to drive the car back to Lake Louise, a 10 hour ride...
- Drove the rental car back to where Bonnie got it from, the Calgary airport and took a bus back to my bike and gear where I stopped over 2 weeks ago at Lake Louise...
- Alone again, just my bike, my half eaten tent, and I...
- Biked out of Lake Louise campground and heading south, next stop - USA...

- I would like to thank Bonnie for her support and most of all her company over the last 2 weeks, it has been a highlight and something I have been looking forward to throughout my journey, and I appreciate your effort to make this happen. Thank you for showing me the incredible North Cascades, they are as impressive as you had said....
- I would also like to thank Rosemary (Bonnie's sister), Michael (Rosemary's boyfriend), and Stef and Linda (Bonnie's parents), I stayed at Rosemary and Michael's house in Marblemount for a week and was treated like a king, they gave me a roof over my head (something I am not used to), feed me some of the best meals that I can remember, and most of all made me feel at home. I thank all of you and will never forget it...

Part 5 Grande Prairie - Jasper - Lake Louise

2006-09-28T19:11:00.000-04:00

400 miles
2,500 miles total

Impressions:
- No services for 183 km., Grande Prairie to Grande Cache on highway 40...
- Extremely desolate highway 40, became very hot, out of water, dehydrated badly, drank water out a small creek...
- Long hill after long hill, one of my harder days cycle touring...
- Coal mining plant outside Grande Cache...
- No strength in my legs, burnt out, need a store quick...
- First time this tour, I had to walk my bike up the last 3 km to the mountain top town of Grande Cache, not happy about it but my legs and body said "No"...
- Grande Cache - store "ASAP"...
- Worst sleep of the trip, camping at the Grande Cache ballfields, just so happened that there was a softball tourament this weekend and the players camped there as well, party time - till 4:00am, loud music, fires, and drinking games...
- The "Death Race" 125 km of extreme mountain running, 3 mountain summits, over 17,000' of elevation change and river crossings in Grande Cache, Alberta - so much for the Boston Marathon...
- Saw a grey wolf along the wooded highway, I stopped, it looked at me, I looked at it, but not to close...
- Freezing cold mornings, very warm by mid-day, 30-40 degrees to 80-90 degrees all in just one day, amazing temperture changes...
- Kelly's Bathtub, a beautiful green lake, 3 different stories of Michael Kelly as to why it's called Kelly's Bathtub...
- Finally finished "No Service highway 40" 300 km plus and just one town, I really mean nothing here...
- Yellowhead highway 16, a day to remember, excellent sites, lakes, ponds, mountains, just awesome...
- Willmore Wilderness, wildlife refuge, William A. Switzer Prov. Park...
- Saw mountain goats up on a cliff, along highway 16...
- Downtown Jasper...
- Started down the "most beautiful road in the world" - The Icefield Parkway...
- Woke up to 4 elk right behind my tent, feeding...
- Athabasca falls, 2 people donated to MS...
- Met "Ino" from Germany, bike touring from NY to Vancouver...
- Big horn sheep along the road...
- Waterfalls, rivers, lakes, ponds, mountains, and glaciers along the Icefield Parkway...
- Sunwapta falls and sunwapta pass, very steep and over 6,200' or about that of Mt. Washington, NH...
- Columbia Icefield Glacier, largest glacier in the Canadian Rockies...
- Out of Jasper National Park and into Banff National Park...
- Biked up to Bow Summit at 6,400', done with the 2 summits on the Icefield Parkway...
- Peyto lake and Bow Lake, 2 incredible sites not to be missed...
- Welcome to Lake Louise, heavy downpour of rain...
- Lake louise campground, played cards with Ronald and Daniel from Germany, Tim from New Zealand, and Sarah from Australia, inside the cook shelter with the woodstove to warm us, cold mornings and nights...
- My girlfriend, (Bonnie) arrived at Lake Louise campground in the very early morning to meet with me for 2 weeks of hiking in Banff, Jasper, and the North Cascades of Washington State...
- 2 weeks off the bike, not that my legs will get much rest hiking mountain after mountain but it's different and really look forward to the company...