It took over 4,000 miles, but my brother’s helmet saved me. On the outskirts of Astoria, there was a sign saying “Bikes Share Roadway”. Unfortunately, that neither slowed drivers nor encouraged their willingness to “share”. By the time I reached downtown Astoria, a real thoroughfare for traffic, I was done “sharing” my thoughts with drivers as they brushed by me. I found the Astoria Riverwalk, a paved walking/bike path to take me to the aptly named Journey’s End Espresso, the meeting location with Kendall and Erica. The plan was to push from there to the beach where Margot and Ben were waiting. The bike path also then turned into a route for the tourist trolley. Bad concept. Meshing this all together with a trolley requires railroad ties and tracks. As I cut over the track to avoid this maze of wood, metal and pavement, the tire got caught inside the rail. My momentum dislodged the bike, sending me sliding on the slick surface to the ground. Still clipped in, I broke my fall with my hip, my arm, my hand…and my head. I’ve crashed on a bike once before when I hit a large rock sitting in the road. It had fallen off one of the picturesque stone walls in Pound Ridge, NY as I rounded a corner. These events occur like a slow-motion movie. In each case, I fully recall my head hitting the ground with no impact because these modern bike helmets are so good. Chris’ red Bontrager was going to safely be retired after this trip, so it’s only fitting it got banged up finishing the job today. With the entire bike shockingly intact, I rode to Journey’s End, collected myself for a final doppio, even extending my (bloody) pinky finger while holding my cup to find some humor in what just unfolded. The heck if I’m going to let this ruin a good finish and cuppa! When the SAG vehicle with Kendall and Erica rolled up, thankfully their dog Boko was there too to help me “lick my wounds”. We threw my bike into the back of the truck and got delivered across the ridiculously busy drawbridge over the Columbia to the coastal road connecting beach areas. This was not how I imagined it, but then so much in life often is. The last few riding days of trucks and tricky roads had taken its toll. I was mentally gassed and, once that happens, the body follows. The cold plunge into the salty Pacific was just the therapy I needed along with being reunited with my family.
This entire trip, including origin, planning and ride, has been full of surprises with moments of total conviction and clarity around how it all came to be. One of my first “projects” after joining the CRI board was to assist the team in exploring the acquisition of a Bridgeport building to serve as a halfway house for women returning from incarceration. The innovative concept was to reunite them with their children during their stay, while they develop job skills and training. One of our beloved and long time Board Members Lucy Baney, was a key proponent of this project. It was late 2020 and we were mired in the pandemic, wondering how the funding would all come together. Lucy had a way of just saying "we need to do this, so just get it done." I loved her conviction, so that’s what we did. It opened in 2021 named “The Lucy Baney Reunification Center” in her honor. She passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2023 and Lucy was an inspiration to me around committing to the cause. Her husband Jack is now an active board member and brings the same can-do attitude. Like Jack, I’m married to a woman who is all about getting it done. Margot is an incredible multi-tasker who tries to do everything with humor and joy. She does not overthink anything, which I do all the time, because she she knows it would just slow her down. Another thing I love about her is that, if she wants my opinion, she’ll gives it to me! She has been incredibly supportive of the Thor Tour. Her only knee-jerk reaction when I told her about what I wanted to do was “But, you might get jumped?!” We laugh about that all the time. There are some sketchy farm animals in the millions of acres I just rode through.
I was intent on not just talking about this as possible endeavor to do “some day.” My friend and spiritual mentor The Reverend Peter Walsh, who serves as our Rector at St. Mark’s Episcopal in New Canaan, reaffirmed this for me. We hiked 75 miles of the Camino de Santiago last fall over four days during his sabbatical. He’s a patient listener thankfully. I poured my heart out around my brother, told him about the bike trip concept and CRI fundraiser. Peter read my conviction. His subsequent advice was “Mark, there is never a good time. You are going to do this. You need to do this.” After our trip, Peter was headed to India to visit his own mentor (named Chris) and for an audience with the Dalai Llama (no kidding) so the dude has some street cred. Peter and I also share a love for Springsteen. I will leave you with the song line that has helped drive me at times. It’s from “Brilliant Disguise”, which has one of the single best lines IMO of any song. It has many interpretations but, in Margot’s words, "don’t overthink it." I just apply it to my life in my own ways. It helps fuel my commitment to my passions, people and projects. It reaffirms that I believe that my brother is still always around and there for me, including today when I crashed. The line is “God have mercy on the man, Who doubts what he’s sure of”.
Final note:
We did it! A very special thank you to Winchelle Jean-Pierre, CRI’s marketing director, who kept me focused, organized and laughing out loud like a crazy guy sitting in a coffee shop reading her texts. We raised over $100k for CRI and still going! I feel blessed to be given your financial and moral support. The tour started June 25, covered nearly 4,100 miles with 125,000 feet of elevation, and ended August 24. Thank you for all the thoughtful emails, texts and calls throughout the last two months. I hope you continue to support CRI and it’s great work. If you are interested in learning more about CRI, please reach out to us. The Bridge On Main center in Bridgeport will open in late 2025, so join me at Justice Coffee cafe for a doppio.
Peace and love,
Mark aka Thor
