b'Pat and Jeff knew that weather and terrain on the mostly off-road ride would determine the speed and distance they reached everyday. Improvisation was necessary, so they discussed lodging for the evening during lunch, each day. They often ate at the closest restaurant to their hotel, frequently finding Mexican restaurants and a few great diners, steakhouses and country classics. One evening, they arrived at their lodging after all the restaurants had closed, so they prepared dinner with their camping equipment in the hotel room. In one-block-long Prairie City, ID, they found the only hotel,Riding through the red rocks a four-room gem next to the Oxbow Restaurant. There, theyof Moab in Utah.learned the fascinating story of a mahogany and rosewood carving of Two Virgins anchoring the bar. The well-traveled carving embodied the adventurous spirit of the two bikers.with the man for a bit and paused to reflect on what they had Jeff Sachs said, Its amazing the places you see when you justjust achieved and what they might be capable of, later in life.ride and stop when the road ends.The inspiration fueled a new outlook, which stuck with them They descended through the passes of Colorado, admiring thefor the rest of their journey. Along the way, they met kayakers, glistening snow banks and vivid green passes. Experiencing thisfellow adventure riders and vacationing families, discovering a majestic scenery was the pinnacle of the adventure for Pat.sense of alliance and camaraderie among travelers. Colorado had everything they set out looking for: difficult rides, geographical complexity, and sublime beauty. The crisp, coolAlong this high-altitude section, some of Pats tools and air made the setting and the moment absolute.gear fell out of the tail bag without his knowledge. Still, he Note They traveled through afternoon storms and areasmanaged to return home with nearly all of his things. How? Here Pat experienced awith mud so thick that they had to stop every fewFellow bikerstotal strangerstraveling behind had collected get off, which is when the bike goes down infeet to clear it from their bikes, even unloadinghis fallen gear and returned it. They had each others backs, the sand while riding. their luggage to lighten the bikes. In Utah, theyeven if they had never met before. marvelled at the red rocks of Moab and hit high speeds on the famed Bonneville Salt Flats, a place known forTHE NEXT LEGland-speed records. Jeff and Pat are already on to planning their next trip. Thirty days and three flat tires after they set out on the TAT,Over 70 days, they will travel from Cartagena, Columbia, to Pat and Jeff had reached the West Coast. Entering the shorelinethe southern tip of South America, in Ushuaia, Argentina, on his beloved GS, and actually being able to touch sand was awith another group of riders. Along the way, they will explore beautiful experience. My tires had to touch Pacific water.Macchu Picchu, the Atacama Desert, Patagonia and some ofI rode down the sand, along the beach spraying salt water up,the notorious Bolivian Death Road. Pat remembered. As always, Pat recognizes that his hard work and success in his THE COMMUNITY OF THE ROAD life, career and adventures carry with them a measure of good fortune in the people who have helped along the way. Im very In Marshall Pass in Colorado, they tackled one of the steepestpriviledged, very blessed, he says.stretches of the trip. When they reached the top, at 10,000 feet, they had two realizations. First, they had taken the shorter, tougher route instead of an easier way around. The second was prompted by a chance meeting with a man in his seventies, who had ridden all the way on his mountain bike. They spokeVolume One Summer 2022 13'