as told by Daniel Staples
Special to The Star-Herald
Daniel Staples, a resident of Emmett, Idaho with ties to Aroostook County, fulfilled a long-time dream to ride his bicycle across America.
Staples’ father, Edwin (Skip) Staples, was born and raised in West Chapman and has always spoken fondly of Maine and the beautiful place where he once lived. Daniel too, has always had fond memories of Maine because of his father’s ties to this part of the United States.
When he recently found himself in-between jobs, he decided to take the opportunity to ride a bicycle across America with plans to “ride home to my roots.”
Staples, a father of five, had very little experience with any type of long-distance bicycling. Prior to this trip, he had only ridden a bicycle a total of 50 miles in one day one time in his life when he rode with his son, Logan, to earn a cycling merit badge for Boy Scouts.
With time running out and his departure date approaching, the 53-year-old Staples purchased a Specialized Tri-Cross bicycle from a shop near his hometown in Idaho, late in July. Staples purchased maps online and sent them ahead to Forks, Wash. to pick up prior to starting his ride. He rode his new bicycle for a few days to test the new shoes and mechanical features of the bike, and then had his wife, Lori, take him to Rialto Beach near Forks, Wash. to start his ride. Once his ride began on July 27, he planned his days along the way.
He struggled with very little experience riding a bike, 100 degree heat in Washington, sore legs, a sore back-side, rain, cold and several wrecks in the first few weeks. Staples was still able to work his way across the mountains of Washington, Idaho, Glacier Park in Montana, the high plains of Montana and North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan; Ontario, Canada and New York. He tackled more big mountains in Vermont and New Hampshire, tough, steep hills in Maine and New Brunswick, Canada (riding as far east as Campbellton), and finally back to Maine.
He ended his trip at Squapan Lake after riding to Madawaska, the most northeastern part of the United States. Edwin Staples was born and raised in West Chapman, so the Buck Farm on the West Chapman Road marked his final stop on the long journey from Washington.
Staples rode an average of eighty to 100 miles per day, with his longest day logging 134 miles. He admits that he would have preferred to ride fewer miles each day but he had few options. He had to ride at least 80 miles each day in order to finish the trip in time to return to serve his National Guard duty in October. He packed approximately 80 lbs. of gear on his bike, including a computer to stay in touch with his wife and family. He also provided information to his oldest daughter, Kalia, who kept a blog of his trip for friends and family to follow.
Wishing he could have trained more, he was unable since he was in Honduras for most of the month of July serving as a Spanish Interpreter for the Army. After that, he found himself unemployed and decided to make the trip.
In the end, the trip was physically beneficial for Staples. Like many middle-aged men, he viewed himself as a “little overweight and out of shape” when he started the trip but he feels he is in a little better shape now. He admits that “riding a bike across the country may not be the best way to get in shape for most people.” The first three to four weeks were a “tad” difficult. His friends named him “Creeping Tadpole” when he started his trip because his physique resembled a tadpole on stilts, creeping across America on a bicycle. By the end of his journey, he recorded that he lost about 15 pounds and his legs were stronger after riding 4,400 miles across America, up and down hills and mountains.
He ended his trip on Oct. 3 in West Chapman at the old barn his grandfather, George Washington Staples, built in 1928. That barn, farm and home are now owned by Brent and Felicia Buck who, according to Staples, have “taken good care of the place and it looks beautiful.”
Felicia Buck was kind enough to show Staples around the old barn, home and farm. He felt this was a nice way to end his long journey. After his visit at the farm, Staples spent some time with Jimmy and Annis Roope of Castle Hill, childhood friends of the Staples family. He then finished his trip at his cousins, Dwight and Ida Burtt’s lovely home on Squapan Lake. Staples remarked that seeing a moose feeding on the edge of Squapan Lake was one of the highlights of his trip.
When asked about his journey across America, Staples stated “the trip was a blessing and has renewed my faith in humanity.” On this trip, he met “kind, wonderful, people everywhere.” Several times he was invited to stay at homes and was provided with a nice bed to sleep on, a place to shower, served dinner, and used laundry facilities. He was continuously surprised by the kindness and generosity that was shown to him by complete strangers as he worked his way across the United States on a bicycle.
He was also thankful for his wife, who was very supportive and assisted him with logistical issues along the way.
Staples had some very unique and wonderful experiences while on this trip, seeing things that people never see while traveling 70 miles per hour in a car. In the end he says “the trip was pretty difficult at times and my back-side got pretty sore, but it was a wonderful experience that I would do again if I ever had the opportunity.”
To see photos and a complete journal of Staples’ “Trip Across America Back to his Roots” go to: www.bikingthedistance.blogspot.com.
Contributed photo
END OF A JOURNEY – David Staples of Idaho recently rode 4,400 miles from Washington State to West Chapman on a bicycle. He stopped by Brent and Felicia Buck’s residence, on the West Chapman Road, to see the barn that his grandfather, Skip Staples, built in 1928.
