A former Milwaukee resident living with a heart rhythm disorder recently completed a 2,400-mile cross-country bike trip with two friends that started in Anacortes, Washington, and ended in Milwaukee.
Scott Selby, along with friends Dale Swindler and Kay Spangler, arrived in Milwaukee on Saturday, Sept. 26, after departing Anacortes, Washington, on Aug. 1. The trio, all over the age of 60, battled cold and hot weather, heavy rain, and wildfire smoke throughout the journey.
Swindler said the wildfire smoke proved to be a particularly difficult challenge early on.
“It got pretty bad, and it affected all of us health-wise and probably me the worst … I was actually thinking at one point I had to go home,” Swindler said. “They kind of made it an easy day for me right after a rest day. And then, so after about a couple of days, I was ready to go again. But the smoke was probably a bigger issue than the rain, in my opinion.”
The trip was two years in the making, and the group, which met through their shared love of cycling, mostly followed the Northern Tier route, which is established by the Adventure Cycling Association. It begins in Anacortes, Washington, and ends in Bar Harbor, Maine. The group decided to adjust the route, finishing in Milwaukee, a choice that was no coincidence for Selby.
“Two of my children still live in the Milwaukee area, so having a destination here made sense for me because I had family here and because I had spent 15 years working in the Milwaukee area,” Selby said. “I had a lot of close friends and other cycling friends here in the Milwaukee area.”…