Adam Schatz was high up in the Cascades in the shadow of Mt. Hood on a bicycle when a thought went through his mind: Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, riding a bike across the United States.
Schatz, 25, a part-time employee for Starbucks, was in the seventh day of his trip from the Pacific Northwest to New England when he found himself pedaling his way up the slopes of the Cascade Mountains. He made the decision to bicycle his way from coast to coast after discussing the idea with a friend.
"A friend of mine about a year ago mentioned it and said, 'Hey, this would be a pretty cool idea,'" Schatz said. Schatz, who traveled through Warren County on Wednesday, hopped off his bike long enough to sit for an interview. "I looked into it and thought maybe this is something I could pull off. I started telling all of these people I was going to do it - so then I had to do it."
Plotting out a rough route through various states, Schatz left Seattle on May 15. He decided to turn south and venture into Oregon and found himself high up in the Cascades on a particularly blustery day.
"I thought I'd go south of most of the major mountains, which might have been a mistake," Schatz said. I ended up going through the Cascades."
Which isn't what you'd call a tropical hot spot during springtime in Oregon.
"It was a really brutal pass," Schatz said. "It was cold, about 30 degrees, and raining and snowing the whole time. I don't think my feet thawed out for the next 30 miles."
Schatz brought his bike, his trailer and his 250 pounds of gear to Warren County on Wednesday on his way to New Hampshire, making a pit stop at the county's Visitors' Center. He spent the night before in Meadville. The next morning he traveled Rt. 77 to Corry, then took Rt. 6 to Warren.
"I flew in from Corry today," Schatz said. "The wind was at my back and it was a little downhill. I think it was the fastest 40 miles I've done on my entire trip."
It's been a long and winding road since Schatz left Washington in May. He traveled south through Oregon, where he froze his peddles off near Mt. Hood, slipped over to Boise, Idaho, then dipped south through Utah and Colorado. He crossed the Great Plains via northern Kansas, made several stops to meet family in Missouri, then headed north again through Ohio, eventually making his way into Pennsylvania.
He was nearly stalled in Missouri due to last month's heavy flooding by the Mississippi River.
"Lucky, I found one of two bridges in the state that weren't flooded out, which was nice," Schatz said. "Otherwise I would have had to go all the way to Iowa, above Cedar Rapids."
There isn't much to Schatz when you first meet him: 150 pounds, deep tan, no body fat. He eats over 6,000 calories each day to keep up his strength - and he's still lost weight.
"So that's the secret," Schatz says, laughing. "If you want to eat 6,000 calories, ride a bike for eight hours a day."
His diet since leaving Seattle has consisted mostly of bagels, peanut butter and foods with high sugar content. He's gone through 12 jars of peanut butter since May. "I eat a ton," he said. "If I'm not on a bike, I'm eating."
He's also drinking plenty of fluids.
"It depend on how hot it is," Schatz said. "I might drink eight water bottles a day. I might drink four. On really hot days, I might buy a cold Gatorade to kind of refresh myself."
Since the weather has changed into the hotter summer months, Schatz been waking up at 5:30 a.m. to pack and be on the road by 7:30. He bikes until 2:30 and then looks for a campground to spend the night.
"I've been staying in campgrounds for most of the trip," Schatz said. "I've really been trying to support the state park systems."
On Wednesday night, he had the unexpected pleasure of staying in a hotel room: the Warren County Vacation Bureau comped him a room at the Holiday Inn.
"It's really nice to look forward to a shower and a bed and to just not feel horrible and dirty all the time," Schatz said.
Schatz travels light in comparison to most people traveling across the United States. The yellow trailer he hauls behind his bike contains a tent and a sleeping bag, clothes for cold weather biking, a laptop to update his website, a few tools for repair, a couple of maps, several books, a camera, water and his work clothes.
Yes, work clothes.
Schatz explained that Starbucks has a policy that allows him to work from store to store across the country. He calls the store's manager ahead of time, tells them he's going to be in the area and asks if he can pick up some hours.
"As long as I clock in once every 25 days, I keep my job," Schatz said. "If I work 240 hours in a quarter, I keep my health benefits."
How have people reacted when Schatz explains to them he's traveling across the country on a bike?
"Most people are pretty excited by the idea," Schatz said. "I probably tell my story five times a day to people who ask. Occasionally, people give you a funny look. I've met some really great people, though. I've been really lucky lately. I ran into groups of people at campgrounds who wanted to feed me. It's always good to be fed, because I'm getting pretty tired of bagels and peanut butter."
Schatz left Warren Thursday morning, saying he planned to travel Rt. 6 for another day before turning north.
"I want to start heading north before I get to any major metro areas," he said. "I don't like riding in metro areas. It's slower and there's more of a risk of someone hitting me."
"Sometimes it gets a little lonely," Schatz said of his life on the road. "I haven't met a lot of other bikers because I've taken such an eclectic route. And for as many other people I've met, most of them aren't my age. Mostly it's been over 40, which is great - but it's also different."
Schatz said he plans to return to Washington after reaching his goal of New Hampshire, where he will return to school for a degree in sports medicine.
Visit Adam Schatz's website at www.myfitnessgoal.org for updates on his progress.
