Along the Way (Video)

Words and photos by Dean Liebau, video by Brian Nevins

Frustrated by the sudden turn of events but holding on to our hope for a warm bed waiting for us in the next town, we started our seven-mile walk to Chester, Vermont. “I’ve run that far. How long could it really take to walk it?” I said to Ashley.

“And at least the rain is warm!” she added. This was a strategy that we’ve deployed before. Stay positive no matter what, and remember the mantra things could always be worse. There was a slim chance that we’d be getting a bed that late in the sleepy Vermont town, but neither of us would say that part aloud. We knew maintaining a positive mindset was essential if we expected to finish this route, even if it meant lugging our heavy bikes one step at a time.

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The southern lobe of the Vermont Super 8 was proving to be our most challenging ride yet. This notoriously difficult route covering 375 miles of Vermont’s toughest terrain—where things are bound to not go according to plan—was living up to its reputation. With the northern lobe and many multi-day rides throughout the state under our belts, the miles of loose, rocky ATV track, endlessly straight climbs, and mud holes aplenty were considered familiar terrain.

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We’ve grown accustomed to the challenges of doing a difficult ride as a couple, but there were still plenty of things to learn about ourselves, each other, and the bond that held us together. Each new obstacle we faced on our bikes was something we could bring home and apply to our problems, big or small, that occur in everyday life. Patience, determination, creative thinking, and other important skills are all things made stronger through intense experiences, and going through the experiences as a couple only made us more resilient.

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Those seven miles took us over two hours of hike-a-bike, long enough to make even our most optimistic selves shutter in hindsight. It was also long enough to make me forget which one of us had the flat tire to begin with. That detail didn’t matter. Her flat tire was to be my flat tire, and mine was hers. It’s the ride we signed up for, and we marched together in solidarity, as always.

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