The Bakersfield Voice

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Just ride it
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Posted by LisaW Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:05:01 PST
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0 responses 0 comments Most people dream of that once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
    
And some will shy away from it after weighing in family obligations, mortgage payments and all the other typical tie-downs of a responsible adult life.

Not so for three adventurers, one with Northwest Bakersfield roots.

“Get on your bike and ride” is the message they are hoping to send by “riding the spine” as they follow the Continental Divide from the Brooks Range, to the Rockies, to the Sierra Madre via the volcanic maze of Central America and finally through South America via the Andes.

Yes, a year and a half and 10,563 miles worth so far — all on a Xtracycle Sport Utility Bike and diet of starches, beans, cheese, vegetables, oatmeal, chocolate, honey and fruit.

Sometimes, if they are lucky, people invite them in for meals.

“A few day bike tour from Santa Cruz to Bakersfield was the closest thing to this bike tour that I’ve experienced. A two-and-a-half month solo trip riding freight trains across the United States was similar in the outdoor lifestyle, but hardly comparable,” said Jacob Thompson, the 25-year-old graduate of Centennial High School in Northwest Bakersfield.

Thompson went on to University of California at Santa Cruz where he met his fellow riders, Sean Monterastelli and the other who prefers to go by “Goat” although other news media agencies have identified him as David Yost, son of Sobek co-founder John Yost.

Just call them ‘woodzies’
While attending UC Santa Cruz, the three were treehouse dwellers, also known as “woodzies” among locals. In addition to their interesting home life, they followed a “bicycle lifestyle,” using their bikes as their only source of transportation.

“I have never had a driver’s license, nor a car and as such have always existed in a bike-centric reality,” Goat said. “I purchased my first Xtracycle — long wheel base Sport Utility Bike — when I moved to Santa Cruz and since then have done everything by bike including carrying lumber and construction equipment, friends, hitchhikers, etc.”

Thompson also commuted 30 miles to work in Los Gatos from Santa Cruz, he said.

The trio are currently in Guatemala, near the border of Honduras.

“The trip was inspired by my best friends in high school... We dreamed of riding the Continental Divide Trail — a 2,500 mile mountain bike route from Canada to Mexico through the Rocky Mountains, but when we graduated from high school, it didn’t happen,” Goat said. “In the intervening years, I shared the idea with Jacob and over time, it grew and grew. Sean thought the idea was sweet and jumped on more or less at the last minute.”

Although Thompson was inspired by family vacations to Yosemite growing up, he did not really embrace a love for outdoor adventure until college — something his mom, Northwest resident Kim Thompson, finds ironic.

“Out of all my boys, he was the least outdoorsy of them all,” she said. “He was on the debate team and did Bicentennial in high school, so he was pretty preppy. It does surprise me a little.”

That outdoor life includes essentially camping every day for the last year and a half. The group admits that finding a spot to set up camp can sometimes be tricky or funny. For example, they once slept on the sidewalk in front of a small town police station. When their route takes them through a city they try to find someone to stay with — friends, contacts, asking those they meet along the way or people they find through the Web site: www.couchsurfing.org. The riders have only paid to sleep a handful of times during their journey.

Still, funding the trip has become a slight issue in recent months. This is because they originally thought the trip would take two years and $5,000 per rider. With the ride only half over and a year and half passed, money is running low.

To support their efforts and make it through the second phase of the trip, the group has scheduled a fundraiser ride in Costa Rica where enthusiasts can join the them in riding along a chain of volcanoes.

Staying connected with family
Being gone for a year and a half has had a share of hardships for the family, but they remain supportive of Jacob’s thirst for adventure.

“I think it’s cool, to each their own,” said Northwest resident Barbie Thompson, Jacob’s sister-in-law. “It’s exciting how he gets to meet all these different people and experience cultures. I know Aubrey will, for years, appreciate the stories her uncle Jacob has about this trip, but personally I just can’t imagine doing something like this.”

One of those hardships is that 1-year-old Aubrey has yet to meet her uncle Jacob. It is also likely he will be missing his younger brother’s wedding in March.

Most family communication is through the group’s blog, www.ridingthespine.com, e-mail and occasionally a phone call.

“He’s good about checking in and knows I have a rule of a 10-day limit,” said Kim, Jacob’s mom. “If I don’t hear from him within that time then my concern goes up.”

Fortunately, Jacob doesn’t have kids or a mortgage to think about just yet.

“It’s neat that he can follow his dreams,” Kim said. “He seems to be thrilled with the world and what better age for it than before you are totally committed.”

The world is not that bad
There have been dangers along the way, however. Scary moments have included an ambush by the Mexican military — machine guns cocked and ready — during a ride through the Mexican highlands, lynch squads in the Guatemalan countryside, being pursued by a wolf on the Long Haul Road near the Arctic Circle and more.

Still, the guys contend that the world is not that bad.

“Get out and travel, it’s worth it,” Goat said. “The world is not a dangerous place. People are good, kind and interesting all over.”

And it has all been worth it in order to see some of the world’s most amazing vistas. Some of their favorites have included the Canadian Rockies, Yellowstone in the snow, canyon country of the Southwest, the Grand Canyon, Lago Atitlan, Tajumulco and other volcanoes, 24 hours of sunshine in Alaska, the Northern lights and Copper Canyon.

“Since our route takes us along the dirt roads of the longest continuous mountain range in the world, there isn’t a day that goes by where we aren’t ‘sightseeing,’” Jacob said. “We make an effort to connect our route along the most scenic places, like Tajumulco Volcano, where we made sure to climb to the top for the view and bring our bikes for the ride down.”

The guys also try to take their time and enjoy the beauty along the way. Even taking breaks for days or weeks at a time.

“We try not to rush to keep us sane  — we’ve got a long ways to go,” Thompson said. “We make sure to take breaks for lunch and in worthwhile places. Some places have a certain gravity to them, it’s difficult to escape the pull.”

“We take breaks, our longest have been in the month range, but usually they are a couple days to a week in duration,” Goat added. “Even on days when we ride all day — about five hours of riding — we stop to check out small towns or beautiful sights, not to mention breaks for lunch, etc.”

When he is finished with this adventure, Jacob thinks he will probably spend some time back in Bakersfield and teach for a year to save up money for the next adventure. However, the bicycle lifestyle will be a part of the rest of his life.

“The bicycle lifestyle is amazing. It doesn’t require you to sell everything you own and chase the tail of the continent,” he said. “Just riding to a friend’s house, to the grocery store or school with your kids will make a positive difference and save you gas money.”

— To keep up with the adventures of Jacob, Goat and Sean visit www.ridingthespine.com

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