On the eve of my new journey along the Underground Railroad Bike Route, I’m reflecting on my ride along Section 10 of the Northern Tier Bike Route, which began with two steep climbs out of Ticonderoga and went through beautiful lakes and wilderness areas. Along the way, I reconnected with my good old friends from Teton Science School and met many people with incredibly big hearts. Some reminded me of Harriet Tubman, my role model, who risked her life to live free and liberate others. I’m grateful for those who showed me our world is full of humanity by inviting others into their life whether it’s just a few minutes or days. I witnessed a theme of “come on over.”

I left Ticonderoga in bright sunshine after the heavy rain overnight. I stopped and hiked a short trail to Blue Ridge Mountain Falls. When I started walking, it felt very awkward and off-balance. Even though it’s only been a few days since I switched to biking, I already feel out of hiking shape. I sit on the saddle all day, and the majority of my workout is concentrated on my quads. I took my time down to the falls and enjoyed a long break.

I had another wonderful break in the small town of Newcomb after riding through a strong headwind, with gusts up to 35 miles an hour. Even with such a strong wind, I was surrounded by the New England thick forest, and the trees buffered the wind, making it doable to keep going and put in a lot of miles. As I took my lunch break at the town’s community center, I learned that the town was celebrating the 125th anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt’s historic journey from the slopes of Mount Marcy to the White House. People at the community center asked me, “How long will you be here in town? We have a community dinner tonight. Would you like to come over and join us?” They knew I was a cyclist who was just passing through town. Still, they invited me to be part of the community to celebrate together by sharing a meal. I thanked them for inviting me and told them that I had to get going.

There are many private properties along the lakes on the East Coast, and I thought it would be difficult to find a random campsite, but I was able to find one along the trail that led to Slim Pond and settled into a quiet spot in the woods away from the road.

The next day, I left early, passing Raquette Lake in the dawn. I saw a lot of vehicles with boats passing me, and it all made sense once I arrived in Old Forgetown. The locals told me that the annual canoe race was happening and the town was vibrant with many boaters gathering from all over the country. I was happy to see people coming together through a common interest and love for the outdoors. Everyone looked having a great time.

I enjoyed riding gravel along the River Road and low-traffic Moose Creek Road. The forest was still very green, and I imagined it would change to red and orange in a few weeks. I have to come back for the New England fall colors!

I arrived at Rockland in the evening and went to the home of John and Anne, a host of Warmshowers, a global cycling community where people find a host and offer a place to stay. I have been a member for a long time but never used the site actively until this tour.

When I arrived, John was waiting for me at the front porch and welcomed me into their home. He took me to the tiny house in their backyard and said, “Come on over to our house whenever you’re ready.” They were the first host that I stayed with, and I had a wonderful time with them. Anne grows fruits and vegetables in her beautiful backyard. She cans and juices them, and makes jams, preparing for the winter. They have chickens that give them eggs. They seemed to live a life connected to the season and home-grown food. I admire their simple way of living and emphasis on eating food that they grow and harvest. As I left, I told them I wish I could stay longer, and I have to come back so I can help Anne and learn all she does to preserve fresh food someday.

My friend Chrissy in Rochester texted me that her schedule opened up for the day and said to come on over a day earlier if I could. It’s a long way from Richland, and I decided to get to her place that day. I rode with John to Salmon River and to the lighthouse. We saw a lot of people fishing from the bridge. I learned it was a renowned location for salmon fishing this time of year, when the fish swim up to the river from Lake Ontario.

As the day went on, I developed saddle sores and was feeling uncomfortable. With help from Doug, and later with Larry, Andrea, and their friends, I had a ride and made it to Chrissy’s home before dark. When Larry got out of the car, I didn’t see anyone else riding with him. When he opened his trunk, the car was full, and I thought it would not work. But they said, “We can make it work.” I never had a ride with people willing to sacrifice their comfort to pick me up with my bike! We stopped at Larry and Andrea’s home to drop off their friends. Andrea invited me into her home, gave me a snack, and let me use the bathroom. Again, the theme of “come on over” was clear even though they didn’t know me at all.

When I arrived, Chrissy and Denver, her husband, were out with their friends, and they assured me I would make myself at home, eat whatever I needed, take a shower, etc. That was perfect, and I had a restful night at their sweet home.

I met Chrissy and Denver 26 years ago at Teton Science School in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. We spent a year together and built a close friendship with our cohort of 18. Although I am not in touch with my friends from the school, I still feel close to many of them. It was another full-circle moment to reconnect and catch up with Chrissy and Denver. I could tell time has passed by looking at the pictures of their daughters. They were babies when I met them, and now they are young adults, and yet it was easy to reconnect with Chrissy and Denver as if time had not passed. They were very generous with their time and resources. They took me to their cottage on Canandaigua Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. We went on a boat ride and swam in the lake. Denver taught me stand-up paddleboarding. It was like walking on the water, and I felt very peaceful. They made a delicious dinner, and we stayed until sunset. It was incredible.

The next day, Denver drove me to the Erie Canal bike path, the part I missed riding the day before. I learned that the pathway comes all the way from Lake Champlain! I would love to come back and ride 527 miles of this beautiful path. It was a very nice gravel ride without worrying about cars. I heard the birds chirping along the riparian ecosystem, and I saw a few night herons, Great Blue Herons, and Kingfishers. It was a mostly flat and easy ride to Rochester. In the afternoon, Denver and I biked to his local gym, and I relaxed in the steam sauna, inhaling eucalyptus-scented steam for hours. In the evening, I took an Epsom salt bath before bed. I woke up the next morning feeling no soreness and ready to go. Chrissy suggested that I take another day off and go to the sauna. She was right! I’m glad Chrissy and Denver looked after me and encouraged me to take advantage of a spa day since it is not my nature to do a stay-still self-care. My sore body benefited so much from the fresh food and the rest. My spirit was uplifted, and my heart was filled with warm friendship.

Chrissy took me to the canal, and after saying goodbye, I started biking along the Canal to the West. It was an easy day since the trail was mostly flat. I settled in at Bond Lake Park, and the next day, I made it to Niagara Falls.

I crossed the US/Canadian border early in the morning and thought it would be an easy hitch up to Owen Sound in Ontario, where the northern terminus of the Underground Railroad Bike Route is located. I was wrong! I had many moments when I thought I might have to go back to the US, forget about the Canadian section, and begin my ride from Niagara Falls to Alabama.

It took me all day until dusk. I thought Canadians would pick up hitchhikers more than Americans. People who gave me a ride told me that Americans are nicer than Canadians. I was surprised. At least now I know that we are friendly and have made a good impression on some Canadians. I felt proud of knowing something positive about Americans.

My last ride was with Gus, who gave me a ride just 6 miles south of Owen Sound. When he picked me up, he said he had never passed a hitchhiker in his life. I asked him if he ever had trouble with anyone he picked up. He said one guy pulled a gun and another time two women pulled a knife and stole his wallet. He said he would rather die by helping people than pass up the opportunity to help others and regret it later. I thought he was beyond brave- like a god. He took a huge detour so that I could get closer to Owen Sound, and I was able to make a camp at Inglis Falls State Park, just a couple of miles south of the town.

I was thankful. What stuck with me was what Gus said: Rather die by helping people than pass up the opportunity to help others and regret it later. It reminded me of what Harriet Tubman said in the 2019 movie Harriet: Be free or die. Her last words were: I go to prepare a place for you. I found a common theme between Gus and Harriet: vast compassion, warmth, care, and bravery that put yourself at risk to help others. That’s something I would like to attain in this lifetime.

What an incredible reminder of our humanity on the eve of my new journey along the Underground Railroad Bike Route! I’m looking forward to learning all about the history but, more so, growing my capacity for compassion so that I can be like Gus, Harriet, and those who are out in this world, helping others, creating positive relationships with people whether you know them or not, working to alleviate injustice, and building peace.

It can start as simply as saying to someone, “Come on over,” inviting others into our life whether it’s just a few minutes or days.