Jesse Bright
Indianapolis, IN
DePauw University

Last 5 blog entries: Landscape Day Whatever Day 2 Open Road Putnam County Training Ride

Show latest update from from Jesse's blog Landscape Having missed so much in my blog of the play-by-play as I travel along (I simply can't make daily posts due to logistics), I want to give you at least a good idea of what I'm seeing out there. I think a description of the landscape I pass through, or at least the highlights, is in order. Virginia-- As I said in my first on-the-road post, urban and suburban opened up to fields of wheat interspersed with cyprus swamp. There was a lot more forest than I imagined in the state, as it was the first state to really be settled. I think the great-American forest has begun to retake what it has lost in the state of Virginia. After Waverly, there were also a lot of clear-cut sections of forest. It showed an interesting duality of the serenity of nature and the scars of man's manipulation of nature. I can't say I understand the situation of the area, not being a resident, but it is jarring none-the-less to see big swaths of tree stumps. I do know that in forests before Waverly, the areas were also logged (as described by one of their residents at dinner) but they were only thinned and retained what seemed to be a healthy air about them. The hills got bigger as we approached Charlottesville, and became mountains on our first day out after C-ville. We climbed Aftin Mt. (sp?) up to the Skyline Drive of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was an exhausting and hot day, but the vistas made it very worth it. Into Lexington was a rush-- Jen Hunt and I made it out of the mountains down some very fast swichbacks only to be chased by a very threatening thunderstorm into town. Nothing makes you pedal with some gusto like fear of mortal danger. The morning into West Virginia was also a memorable one. We followed a river down the valley and through mountain passes. This prepared us for the 3 big climbs into... West Virginia-- The scenery of the Monongahela Forest around Marlinton, WV is simply stunning. While the steep grades and frustration of the ever-rising road around every turn seems too much, the downhills and the vistas make it all worth it. I remember the wind on the top of that day's first mountain at our lunch stop clearly. I also will not forget the ride into Marlinton, following the river and the sun shining golden on the water and trees as I rode in. Even more vivid is my memory of WV-150 the next day. We rode up through the fog and finally onto the clear mountaintop that morning. The openings showed a landscape that looked like little islands popping through a sea of cloud. I also remember how the road rose in long straight swaths so that you could see everyone in front of you for miles. It was a scene that invokes a lot of pride as a cyclist. The downhills from there were amazing and again descended into gentle hills following a mountain stream and winding through forest. The rest of WV was unfortunately unmemorable-- a lot of really bad roads and occasional rude motorists. Ohio-- a lot like the latter days of WV. Hilly and forested. The roads were more treacherous since the Ohioan road designing committee is unaware of the concept of the switchback. While the climbs were not as high, they were much more steep-- as were the descents. Very scary at times. Indiana-- My home state put on a great showing. The towns of Columbus, Bloomington, and surprisingly Terre Haute were all very impressive in how much they had to offer in restaurants, coffee, architecture, etc. The scenery was lovely rolling Brown County and other such landscapes of Southern Indiana. Bravo, home state. Illinois-- I have very few nice things to say about central Illinois, so I will say very little. Crowded highways and lack of scenery do not make for fun times. Missouri-- We followed the Katy Trail for much of Missouri. It's a gravel trail that runs along the Missouri River from St.L to KC. The landscape was nice enough, though very swampy. We ran into a lot of flat tires (though not myself, thankfully) and realized that the place was swarming with mosquitoes. It was like something out of a bad horror movie, as people would get stopped and yell to their riding companions, "Keep going, save yourself!" Unfortunately my selfishness and survival instinct kicked in, and I was one of the ones that didn't stop. But I don't itch as much. The ride into KC was one of the trip highlights for me. It was an near-century (95 miles) and we had glorious weather for it. The highways were mostly deserted and we had long rolling stretches of farmland and clumps of trees. Again, we ran into the duality of the situation as we passed a few of the mega-farms that raised poultry. The area around them was rather pungent in a way that contrasted sharply with the wildflowers and fresh farm smell that we had gotten used to that morning. Kansas-- It was how I imagined it. A lot of farmland, rolling hills, brutal storms. We were caught in a wicked thunderstorm on our way to Lawrence. I had to take shelter in a ditch for a short time, while others rode out the lightning bolts under the porch of a farmhouse. Where I was luckily wasn't hit very hard-- I was just on the outskirts of it as it past, but I got pretty soaked. The next day was very similar-- we were threatened by two storm cells that luckily we threaded the needle between. Made for some good pictures, though. And that takes me to the present in Manhattan, KS. I'll be sure to fill in more as it comes, though I can't verify how often I will be able to post.

Jesse's photos  Photos of Jesse

Jesse's bio: Hey all, I'm Jesse Bright, a 24-year-old 2008 graduate of DePauw University, a small liberal arts college about 40 mi. west of my hometown Indianapolis, IN.  At DePauw I studied biochemistry, and I plan on starting graduate school at a biochem related program next fall.  I am also a recent graduate of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Pacific Region Class XV.  It’s a mouthful, I know.  NCCC is a ten month team-based national service program for 18-24 year olds that travels across the US and performs a variety of projects, as I have so frequently put in a nutshell this year.  My team (Blue 7) and I had five different projects around the West and South.  In Compton, CA we worked to create a disaster management and preparedness center. In Boise, ID we worked as staff members for the Special Olympics 2009 World Winter Games.  Sacramento, CA (our home base) had me tutoring 3rd, 5th and 6th grade students in math and reading.  The Lafayette, LA Habitat for Humanity affiliate saw our team constructing two houses from concrete slabs up to the stage of floating the interior drywall. Finally in New Orleans, LA we worked with an environmental nonprofit that helps homeowners save on their energy bills.  It was an amazing experience and was some of the best and most fulfilling 10 months of my life thus far.  My time in the program has given my wanderlust and love of service that have propelled me to Bike and Build. Particularly my time with Habitat in Lafayette has piqued my interest in continuing work for affordable housing.  My team and I lived and worked for 6 weeks in a Habitat neighborhood.  There we were able to talk daily with Habitat homeowners, aka our neighbors, and hear their stories.  Most were former residents of New Orleans who told us how they had escaped Katrina, found themselves separated from family and friends, and sought shelter in Lafayette’s Cajun Dome.  When the waters receded in NOLA, they discovered their homes destroyed and their old neighborhoods had become war zones. Through such trauma, Habitat was there to bring some level of stability back into their life.  It’s amazing what a roof overhead in a safe area can do for someone.  The great part of affordable housing programs like Habitat is that it creates communities and doesn’t just build homes.  Habitat has a Sweat Equity program that requires future homeowners to put in 250-500 hours of service into the building of theirs or their neighbor’s houses. Since all of the homeowners in the neighborhood had all helped build each other’s homes, they all knew and looked out for each other.  During evenings when we would sit or cook on our porch we would be greeted by all of our neighbors as they walked back and forth to each other’s houses.  As a result of this sense of community, the area was safer, quieter, and friendlier than the surrounding neighborhoods. As for why I chose B&B, biking across the nation has been a long-standing item on my bucket list, and it seems a good excuse to mix the idea with a bit of service.  I’m not incredibly experienced as a cyclist, so this will be a welcomed learning experience.  I’m always up for travel.  Experiencing new people, landscapes, and especially food are some of the great joys of life, in my opinion. I’m also looking forward to revisiting some of the parts of the US that I’ve seen and visiting some of the parts that I have wanted to explore for a while.  While serving in Boise last winter, all of the people told me that I needed to visit the state during the summer.  With as beautiful as it was covered in white, I can’t imagine how great it’s going to be covered in green. I’m also looking forward to seeing the Northwest and Northeast, regions that I’ve barely scratched the surface of.  Well besides my history and my biking experience, I feel the need to tell a bit more about myself.  I’m a very easy-going person and have an easy time getting along with about anyone.  I enjoy being outdoors—biking, hiking, boating, fishing, skiing, and the like.  This year I’ve discovered a love of cooking to complement a love of eating—good food and drink are another of the great joys of life, especially when mixed with the conversation of good friends. Music is a major player in my life, both listening to and making it.  I’m trying to reach myself guitar and failing miserably, but I always have my fall back of karaoke. I look forward to meeting my fellow cyclist and getting on the saddle.  See you all soon enough! Cheers!

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