{"id":17111,"date":"2014-09-29T13:30:16","date_gmt":"2014-09-29T17:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/?p=17111"},"modified":"2014-09-29T13:30:16","modified_gmt":"2014-09-29T17:30:16","slug":"cross-country-chronicles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/2014\/09\/29\/cross-country-chronicles\/","title":{"rendered":"Cross-Country Chronicles"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"P1030379\"<\/a>
Senior Adam Hunter rode his Raleigh Sojourn classic touring bike from California to Virginia in three months.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stickers plastered to the frame of Adam Hunter\u2019s bike tell the tales of his freewheeling cross-country adventures.<\/p>\n

Ask Hunter about the white Montana decal that declares “I am an Adventure Cyclist,” and he’ll tell you about being mesmerized by the expansive blue sky while biking across the nation’s fourth largest state.<\/p>\n

The green heart surrounded by an Oregon-shaped border reminds him of stopping to look back at Washington as he crossed the state line after a two-week visit, and the tan bison-pictured Yellowstone National Park sticker reminds him of the steepest part of his journey in Wyoming where he pedaled from an elevation of 3,500 to 9,000 feet.<\/p>\n

After flying from Virginia to California, the University of Mary Washington senior began his journey with UMW alum Chris Marino \u201911 in Santa Cruz by dipping the two tires of his Raleigh Sojourn classic touring bike into the Pacific. He then traveled 4,200 miles east to Virginia Beach where he culminated his adventure by ceremoniously dunking his bike tires into the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching the landscapes change over the course of three months and seeing the way the country changes, that was the reason to go on this trip,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cAnd that was accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p>

<\/div>\n

During the trip, Hunter kept in touch through his blog, Dear Gwen<\/a> \u2013 a series of letters the English major<\/a> mainly wrote to his girlfriend Gwendolyn.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am\u00a0enamored with the epistolary form and\u00a0I find that the creative process is easier, for me,\u00a0when I\u00a0write\u00a0to one person,\u201d said Hunter, whose blog also includes photos, videos and \u201ccelebrity guest letters\u201d to friends and family.<\/p>\n

Through his blog, you can read about the days he spent traveling through the Rocky Mountains and the nights he spent camping along the way. Hunter and Marino lived off of chicken noodle soup, Ramen noodles and broccoli cooked over a campfire started with their paper grocery bags in order to have the carbs needed to make it through the next day of riding.<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t camp for the entire trip. When available, Hunter found hosts through Warm Showers<\/a>, a community of touring cyclists who offer their homes to fellow cyclists. He spent many nights talking with his hosts and comparing stories.<\/p>\n

He also experienced the kindness of people when he crashed his bike in southern Wyoming. A woman, who drove by and saw him struggling, offered him a ride, a meal, a shower and a place to stay before her husband found him a ride to Steamboat Springs for bike parts.<\/p>\n

Though the trip was formidable and at times tedious \u2013 he spent many hours thinking and calculating the mileage of his trip to pass the time \u2013 Hunter\u2019s love of biking is unwavering. It\u2019s a passion that began when he was in middle school.<\/p>\n

He would ride his mountain bike to the pool in the summer and to 7-11 to get snacks. It was his first taste of freedom, and he couldn\u2019t get enough.<\/p>\n

To prepare for his trans-American bike tour, Hunter spent the last two years making biking his way of life. He started working at Bike Works<\/a> in downtown Fredericksburg so that he could learn the basic principles of bicycle mechanics and how to fix a bike if it broke. He began riding his bike everywhere, to the grocery store, to school and to work, until he was riding five to 10 miles daily.<\/p>\n

\"10499343_10152308511041964_2264894238841301840_o<\/a>
Hunter’s trip concluded on Aug. 9 when he dipped the tires of his bike in the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia Beach.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He stocked up on supplies, including a hammock, sleeping bag, bike tools and medical equipment. And his trip wouldn\u2019t be complete without an iPod loaded with an eclectic mix of music.<\/p>\n

Hunter\u2019s summer trip also cemented his future. He plans to join the Adventure Cycling Association<\/a> where he will complete leadership training and eventually lead tours just like the one he completed and help to create bike route maps.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just fun,\u201d said Hunter. \u201cThere\u2019s a sense of freedom associated with the lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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