Up Over: Turn The Page

Was it all a dream?

Three weeks have passed and the reality of our trek to the Far North and back is already fading. Did we really travel almost 14,000 miles on two wheels, climbing mountains, skirting glaciers, flirting with buffalo, bears and moose?

The last two days we raced the weather home as severe storms and tornadoes followed in our wake. Flying east on route 90 and 80, we cut through the Ohio blandscape in a blur. Pennsylvania greeted us with mountains and a traffic jam. Finally free to fly, we covered the rolling hills of Route 80, stopping in Danville for the night.

Weary of highways, we picked up our beloved Delaware River Road at the Water Gap and meandered toward the end of an unforgettable run. One last picnic at Tinicum saw Jules firing up a grand finale. As we savored the sweet smell of wood smoke and the delicious lunch it created, thoughts of so many other random lunch stops, shrouded in fog, haunted by bears, or soothed by mountain streams swirled around us. Was it the smoke or the bittersweet end of this chapter? We both knew the answer when we saw the tears in each other's eyes.

The joy of reunion, the everyday routine and life beyond Rascal keeps us occupied. At night, we still wake up wondering where we are and what tomorrow's ride will bring. Like seafarers unused to land after a long voyage, we carefully navigate each day, relearning how to ride in cages and acclimating to reality.

We have ridden further than we ever imagined, experiencing what we never believed we could. We conquered the "Last Frontier" but I doubt that it's ours. As the import of this trip fades into a collage of random photos, new frontiers tease us and call with their siren song. I can barely wait!