Longtime career-technical education advocate and TRADART Foundation Board member, Frank Schipper, hopped on his bicycle on May 17 in Williamsburg, Virginia to begin his cycling trip across America. He is scheduled to cycle through 10 states over a 12-week period to finish his tour on August 4 in Florence, Oregon. If you are taking a vacation this summer in the northern part of our nation and you see a wild and crazy bearded cyclist wearing a Rabobank cycling jersey, it will probably be Frank!
Frank turned 70 years of age in March 2009 and he is attempting to ride his bike across the USA to raise funds for TRADART Foundation. Although he will be paying 100% of all trip and promotional expenses, he needs your help through your 100% deductable contribution for programs operated by TRADART Foundation. Please consider donating to a very worthwhile cause. Donations can be mailed to TRADART Foundation, c/o John Ingram, 532 Calle Anzuelo, Santa Barbara, CA 93111 or call John at 805-964-2017 for further information.
WHERE IS FRANK NOW?
Frank has accomplished one of his lifetime dreams of riding his bicycle across the USA. He logged a total of 4,285 miles. He was chased by dogs, almost got bitten trying to rescue a turtle and saw a beautiful country pedal after pedal. Frank will have lots of stories to share with you when he returns. Thank you all for your very generous support.
CONGRATULTIONS FRANK!!
August 4 (Last Day!): Rode from Triangle Lake to Florence, OR. Wheel dipping took place at Beachside State Park - 52 miles
August 3: Eugene to Triangle Lake, OR - 40 miles
August 2: McKenzie Bridge to Eugene, OR - 60 miles
August 1: Redmond to McKenzie Bridge, OR - 44 miles
July 31: Mitchell to Redmond, OR - 85 miles
July 30: Prairie City to Mitchell, OR - 83 miles
July 29: Baker City to Prairie City, OR - 67 miles July 28: Layover Day in Baker City, OR
July 27: Riding from Halfway to Baker City, OR - 53 miles The ride today included three, 1000 foot climbs on the record and Frank completed a fourth off the record to see an incredible view. Frank is having a blast and says he will miss being "on the road" when he has completed the TransAm. I have a feeling all of us who rode with Frank every Sunday before he started the TransAm will have a real tough time keeping up with our "preacher" when he returns!
July 26: Cambridge, ID to Halfway, OR - 58 miles Entered Oregon, the final state on the TransAm. It looks like Frank is going to make it! Only 9 days left!
July 25: New Meadows to Cambridge, ID - 51 miles
July 24: Grangeville to New Meadows, ID (Zim's Hot Springs) - 81 miles
July 23: Syringe to Grangeville, ID - 48 miles
July 22: Riding from Powell CG to Syringe, ID - 72 miles
July 21: Missoula, MT to Powell Camp Ground, ID - 57 miles Rode into Idaho today. Only one more state to go!
July 20: Layover day in Missoula, MT
July 19: Darby to Missoula, MT - 69 miles
July 18: Jackson to Darby, MT - 75 miles
July 17: Dillon to Jackson, MT - 48 miles
July 16: Ennis to Dillon, MT - 72 miles
July 15: West Yellowstone to Ennis, MT - 72 miles
July 14: Layover day in West Yellowstone
July 13: Grant Village to West Yellowstone, MT - 50 cycling miles Entered Montana, the 8th state we visit on our trip. Crossed back and forth on the Continental Divide three times today. Yellowstone is fantastic!
July 12: Layover Day in Colter Bay, Grand Teton Nat'l Park and Jackson, WY
July 11: Dubois to Colter Bay Village, Grand Teton Nat'l Park - 66 miles
July 10: Lander to Dubois, WY - 75 miles
July 9: Jeffrey City to Lander, WY - 58 miles Started riding early to avoid the headwinds. Mostly downhill today. What scenic country!
July 7: Saratoga to Rawlins, WY - 42 miles (half-day layover)
July 6: Walden to Saratoga, WY - 67 miles Entered Wyoming, our 7th state on the trip. Beautiful country, nice weather, some hills but a 2,000 foot overall decline on today's ride.
July 5: Hot Sulphur Springs to Walden, CO - 64 miles
July 4: Breckenridge to Hot Sulphur Springs, CO - 80 miles
July 3: Layover day in Breckenridge, CO.
July 2: Fairplay to Breckenridge, CO - 31 miles (half-day layover) Left at 7 am and finished at 10:30 am. Rode over Hoosier Pass which is at 11,539 feet. This is the highest elevation we will see on our trip.
July 1: Royal Gorge to Fairplay, CO - 67 miles Tough day with a total ascent of 5688 feet to 9445 feet at the pass. Long steady climbs.
June 30: Pueblo Lake State Park to Royal Gorge, CO - 54 miles We rose to 6400 feet on the trip today with headwinds most of the way. Gorgeous views from here.
June 29: Ordway to Pueblo Lake State Park, CO - 52 miles Entered Pueblo, CO today. This is the largest city (100,000) on our trip. Good ride today - cooler with a tail wind. Lots of nice scenery and a good road with wide shoulders. This is about the halfway point in the TransAm. Frank says, "To those of you who made a ride pledge, get your checkbooks out 'cause I'm goin' all the way to Oregon!"
June 28: Eads to Ordway, CO - 61 miles
June 27: Leoti, KS to Eads, CO - 79 miles Entered Colorado, the 6th state on the trip.
June 26: Layover day in Leoti, KS
June 25: Ness City to Leoti, KS - 79 miles One of the longest rides so far. 106 degree air temperature and head winds most of the way. Frank is looking forward to tomorrow's layover in Leoti!
June 24: Larned to Ness City, KS - 65 miles
June 23: Sterling to Larned, KS - 55 miles
June 22: Newton to Sterling, KS - 56 miles
June 21: Eureka to Newton, KS - 76 miles Hot, near 100 degree riding with 10-15 mile per hour winds. Kansas isn't as flat as you think either!
June 20: Chanute to Eureka, KS - 64 miles
June 19: Pittsburg to Chanute, KS - 58 miles
June 18: Layover day in Pittsburg, KS
June 17: Ash Grove, MO to Pittsburg, KS - 69 miles Hot, hot, hot today - 101 degree air temp, much hotter coming off the asphalt. Entered Kansas, the fifth state on the trip.
June 16: Marshfield to Ash Grove, MO - 48 miles
June 15: Houston to Marshfield, MO - 64 miles
June 14: Eminence to Houston, MO - 42 miles There has been a lot of rain. Part of the ride had a very steep, multi-mile ascent in downpouring rain.
June 13: Lesterville to Eminence, MO - 51 miles
June 12: Farmington to Lesterville, MO (Parks Bluff Campground) - 49 miles
June 11: Chester, IL to Farmington, MO - 47 miles
June 10: Carbondale to Chester, IL - 49 miles
June 9: Well-deserved layover day in Carbondale, IL. Frank's wife, Leslie, met up with him this week and they both biked half-way back to Dixon Springs. Frank's bike, as well as most of his tour companion's bikes, received new tires, tubes, tune-ups and whatever else was needed to headout for the next stretch of this tough Trans-Am. We plan to have some new pictures on this website once Leslie returns this week - keep checking back!
June 8: Riding from Dixon Springs State Park to Carbondale, IL - 54 miles
June 7: Riding from Marion to Dixon Springs State Park, IL - 47 miles
June 6: Utica to Marion, KY - 69 miles The ride today was wet, windy and cold. It rained the whole way. Frank says the whole experience to date has been tough with lots of up and down riding and that he is "enjoying the hell out of it!" He said he gets to sleep early and sleeps 8-10 hours a night in order to maintain his energy.
June 5: White Mills to Utica, KY - 83 miles
June 4: Bardstown to White Mills, KY - 59 miles
June 3: Harrodsburg to Bardstown, KY - 50 miles Frank reports the ride was pretty much like yesterday's ride with added rain showers. A big thunderstorm is predicted for tonight.
June 2: Berea to Harrodsburg, KY - 47 miles Good ride today - less dogs, trucks and hills! Rode through rolling hills and farms. Hot day though - low 90's. Bike brakes replaced for the first time.
June 1: Layover day in Berea, KY
May 31: Rode from Boonville to Berea, KY - 58 miles Apparently there were lots of dogs just laying in wait for riders along this route, not to mention a lot of coal trucks. Over 4000 feet of vertical elevation on the route today. The route cost another biker in the group - he crashed on a long downhill and had several broken ribs and a punctured lung that required surgery. The group is down to 10 cyclists.
May 30: Hindman to Boonville, KY - 60 miles
May 29: Breaks Interstate Park, VA to Hindman, KY - 69 miles
May 28: Elk Garden Hostel to the Breaks Interstate Park, VA - 42 miles The biking Dutchman reports that the group is keeping a steady clip and have fearlessly tackled harrowing descents following steep vertical inclines! The first cyclist drops out of the group - he had been riding a recumbant bike and was having a tough time on the hills.
May 27: Damascus to the Elk Garden Hostel in VA - 32 miles The group encountered their steepest hill to date - 3.5 miles with a grade of 6-10 degrees.
May 26: Layover day in Damascus, VA
May 25: Wytheville to Damascus, VA - 57 miles
May 24: Christiansburg to Wytheville, VA - 64 miles
May 23: Camp Bethel to Christiansburg, VA - 55 miles
May 22: Blue Ridge Parkway to Camp Bethel, VA - 70 miles. Frank reports good weather, although hot (90+ degrees) and a lot of up and down vertical elevation riding (5000+ ft.). The riders need to use "feathered braking" techniques, which involves alternate use of their front and back brakes during steep decents in order to reduce wheel heat that could burst their tires.
May 21: Charlottesville to Blue Ridge Parkway in VA - 44 miles
May 20: Hale's Farm to Charlottesville, VA - 47 miles
May 19: Ashland to Hale's Farm, VA - 60 miles
May 18: Glendale to Ashland, VA (easy day) - 30 miles
May 17: Official day one ride from Yorktown to Glendale, VA - 60 miles in pouring rain all day long! (Now Frank knows what it felt like riding in the rain during the opening days of the Amgen Tour of California in February 2009!).
May 15-16: Shake-down rides around Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg, VA - 60 miles
PHOTOS CAN BE VIEWED HERE:
