Wednesday, July 27, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
7
sisters man treks cross-country on bike
By Jodi Schneider mcNamee
Correspondent
When 64-year old Tom
Harris of Sisters approached
the Togwotee Pass located
on the Continental Divide in
the Absaroka Mountains rid-
ing his Felt Z6 carbon-fiber
road bike, a light mist began
to fall. As he climbed in ele-
vation and approached the
summit, the mist turned into
a snowstorm with whiteout
conditions.
On April 14, Harris left
Sisters to cycle cross-coun-
try to the Capitol building
in Washington, D.C. on his
road bike, pulling a 50-pound
Burley two-wheeled trailer
with the bare essentials —
sleeping bag, tent, food, water
and clothing.
Harris has never expressed
an interest to bike across the
United States and describes
the driving force behind his
Capital to Capital Ride as a
spiritual one.
“I started training for the
ride in the spring of 2015 with
the thought of just riding from
the Capitol building of Salem
to Sisters. I began to cycle 30
miles a day and by the end of
the summer up to 70 miles a
day,” Harris said.
On September 10, 2015 his
wife, Barb, dropped him off at
the capitol building in Salem.
That morning, before
leaving the capitol building,
Harris walked by and touched
the statue of Jason Lee, a
Methodist missionary instru-
mental in the American settle-
ment of Oregon, then began
his 110-mile ride to Sisters.
“I felt I carried the essence
of his spirit with me when I
left Salem,” Harris said.
As the year progressed,
Harris’s vision grew and he
resolved to ride across the
country to the nation’s capital
in Washington, D.C..
The following March
Harris trained again, this time
for the cross-country ride with
a 50-pound trailer behind him.
He downloaded his GPS
bike route on a small bike
computer, but he also took
a map for areas without
connectivity.
On April 14 Harris set off
from Sisters, since he already
rode the first leg of his ride
from the capitol building of
Salem the previous year.
“We decided that every
week until Tom got to the
Rockies in Jackson, Wyoming
that I would meet him for a
few days and we would go
sightseeing in the car,” Barb
told The Nugget.
For most of the ride
Harris pitched a tent at camp-
grounds, rest stops, city parks
and in one rural town, next to
a baseball field.
Harris peddled seven to
eight hours a day on average.
And for the first couple of
weeks he got a workout, since
there were several passes
between 4,000 and 5,000 feet
and he hadn’t even arrived at
the Rockies yet.
In mid-May Harris began
his ascent up the Teton pass in
Wyoming.
“The pass was very steep,
and as I climbed I would
stop and rest at the pullouts.
The spectacular 12,000-foot
mountain range rises up out
of the ground right in front of
you, it’s truly amazing,” he
said.
After cycling through
Jackson, Harris was on his
own and the Togwotee Pass
stood before him. He took the
time to mentally prepare him-
self before crossing over.
The Absaroka Mountain
Range, located on the
Continental Divide, stretches
about 150 miles across the
Montana-Wyoming border.
The Togwotee Pass crosses
the Continental Divide at
9,658 feet.
A light mist fell over
Harris as he made his way up
to the top of the pass. As he
neared the top the mist turned
into a snowstorm with strong
headwinds and poor visibility.
“I knew I was in trouble,
but I also knew I was just
about at the top, so I kept
going over the top and down
the other side. It was so steep
going down that I coasted in
the gusts of wind for about 25
minutes.”
After the tumultuous ride
over the pass Harris stayed at
a hotel in Dubois, a town 12
miles away.
“Once you leave the
Rockies everything is down-
hill to the Mississippi. There
is a grading and you can feel
it,” Harris said.
Sometimes Harris relied
on the kindness of strangers.
“When you’re cycling
in the middle of nowhere it
can be hard to find a place
to camp. People would let
me camp on their property,”
Harris said.
In Manning, West Virginia
he had intended to camp in
the city park, but while in the
park he met a woman who
was interested in his story.
She invited him home to din-
ner with the family.
Barb and Harris reunited in
the hills of West Virginia and
put the trailer in the car.
“I helped him for the last
five days,” Barb Harris said.
“We stayed in hotels from
then on.”
Harris rode his bike into
Washington, D.C. on the
fourth of July. The date was
unplanned.
“They were closing every-
thing out for the 4th of July
festivities, but we made it to
the Capitol building. Tom
biked to the steps and we
found someone to take our
pictures and we left,” Barb
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photo provided
tom and Barb Harris on the steps of the Capitol Building in d.C.
said.
Harris peddled 3,000 miles
and cycled for 87 days. Harris
believes there were three
purposes for his ride across
America.
“I felt as though I carried
the spiritual essence of Jason
Lee from Salem to our nation’s
capital. I also prayed for the
healing of the American land
and prayed to strengthen
the churches that I passed
along the way,” Harris said.
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
Why Cotsumer Spetditg Matters to the Ecotomy
There are a variety of factors that determine the strength of the U.S.
economy, including government spending levels, imports versus exports
and currency values. Yet, the biggest factor in determining the health of
the economy is based on consumer spending, which is the case in most
developed countries.
According to statistics from the Federal Reserve (the Fed), expenditures
from American consumers account for more than two-thirds of the nation’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the measure used to determine growth in
the economy. While the role of the consumer has not always played such a
dominant role in driving the economy, it has generally been responsible for
60 percent or more of economic activity dating back to the post-World War
II era.
It is notable that consumers have played a more prominent role in recent
decades. According to U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, a half-century
ago, in 1966, consumer spending accounted for 59 percent of total GDP. By
1991, the percentage had risen to 64 percent. Today, consumer spending
represents 68.1 percent of GDP, and has been in a similar range since 2008.
What is the role of cotsumers?
Economists and market analysts often keep a close eye on trends related to
consumer activity. If consumer spending is strong, it can be an indication
that most Americans have a high level of confi dence in the direction of the
economy. The total amount of consumer spending isn’t the only measure
people keep an eye on. The types of expenditures can help determine how
high consumer confi dence may be at any given time. For example, if sales
of luxury goods (expensive cars, jewelry) are lagging and people are putting
more money into necessities like food, shelter and clothing, it may not
refl ect a strong vote of confi dence about consumer expectations.
The data on spending plays an important role in how businesses and
government agencies plan for the future. If consumers show a high level of
confi dence, businesses are more likely to boost spending as well to try to
capitalize on the opportunity for increased sales. By contrast, if consumers
are cautious about spending, businesses may invest less and government
policymakers have, at times, chosen to provide stimulus through tax cuts or
increased spending to help give the economy a boost.
Consumer spending trends also have a big impact on monetary policy,
which is directed by the Fed. If consumer spending is lagging, the Fed
can decide to reduce interest rates and take other steps to help jump-start
household and business spending. If consumers are spending too much too
quickly, it might signal that infl ation could become a threat. The Fed may
take steps, such as raising interest rates, to try and control economic growth.
What cat we expect?
It’s diffi cult to predict what the future will hold for the markets and economy.
One thing is for sure – economists and fi nancial analysts will likely continue
watching trends in consumer spending to gauge where the economy is
headed.
Mark Greaney is a Financial Adpisor with
PacWest Wealth Partners, an adpisory practice
of Ameriprise Financial Serpices, Inc. in Bend,
Oregon. He specializes in fee-based fi nancial
planning and asset management strategies and
has been in practice for 17 years. Contact Mark
at www.PacWestWealthPartners.com, or call him
at 541-389-0889. Mark is located at 35 NW
Hawthorne Apenue, Bend, OR.
Ameriprise Financial and its affi liates do not offer tax or legal advice. Consumers should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding their
specifi c situation. Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2015 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. File #
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