Riding Through the Gap

On March 3, NOLS grad Kate Spelman and her dad, James, dipped their rear tires into the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, pointed their fully-loaded bikes east, and started to ride.

Kate is on the third leg of her “Gap Year” between high school and college; she worked as an au pair last fall in Paris, then explored a bit of Mexico on her Baja Coastal Sailing course this past January. In the fall, she will start as a freshman at Wellesley College. This trip across the country will bring her and her dad home to Massachusettes as she practices her LNT camping and cooking skills along the way!

So far they’ve cruised through deserts, crossed over the Continental Divide, and as of a week ago were clocking their miles across Texas. Keep tabs on this duo with their blog, which they created to keep up with their family and friends. They also hope to raise at least $100,000 for the Jimmy Fund,
a Boston-based organization that helps aid cancer research at the
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. You can support their ride by clicking here.

Way to go, Kate — all of us at NOLS are rooting for you!

Julie Hwang, publications