Traveler’s Journal
When: 7 p.m., Thursday, March 28
Where: Guy Cole Event Center, 202 N. Blake Ave.
Cost: Suggested $5 donation (adults); 18 and younger, free
Presenter: Garth Schmeck
Presentation: ‘Mountain Biking the Ho Chi Minh in Laos with Rebecca Rusch’
As a chosen team member, I will share through videos and photographs what the daily hardships or victories looked and felt like as the oldest member of this exclusive team of mountain bikers.
The purpose of MTBLAO 2 Expedition was a followup to the Emmy award-winning film “Blood Road” by Red Bull Media. Rebecca Rusch, a seven-time world champion, created a return expedition to Laos to seek adventure, explore places where no Westerner had ever ridden a mountain bike before, and to raise funds to remove unexploded ordnance that was left behind from the Secret War and Vietnam War.
Their mission and purpose with MTBLAO 2 Expedition was first, to raise money for the Mines Advisory Group and fund the ongoing removal of UXOs (unexploded ordnance) dropped during the Secret War and Vietnam War. Laos was heavily bombed 24 hours a day for nine years. Some estimates say that more than 20 percent of these bombs never exploded upon impact, leaving vast areas of Laos still littered with live ordnance.
The riders had to personally raise thousands of dollars to help fund the proper agencies, working daily to remove these dangerous remnants. On just one site, during their visit, the riders were privileged to witness the discovery and destruction of five cluster bombs in one day.
Secondly, the entire group of riders wanted to touch the lives of the hardy locals living in one of the most remote regions in the world. They would stay, eat and spend time with the villagers of Laos. Many of the team members carried toys and supplies to leave with the children in the remote villages they encountered.
The team’s third reason was to ride mountain bikes and explore the vast network of the famous Ho Chi Minh trail, the most bombed region on our planet. Using famed explorer and guide Don Duvall, the riders crisscrossed miles of jungle and rivers that had never been ridden on any bicycle before.
The fourth — and extremely important — reason was for Rebecca to heal through sharing about her father, who was shot down on the Ho Chi Minh during the Vietnam War. While riding with this team, she was able to share the incredible beauty and hardships of this remote country and her previous world record journey.
Lastly, this expedition created an opportunity for all 12 team members to face their internal fears and experience challenges and success as a team with Rebecca by their side.
Come see firsthand what this trip looked and felt like and find out how you can be a part of the amazing work that Rebecca continues today in this beautiful country.
About the presenter
Owner of Pedego Sequim bike shop, Garth Schmeck and his wife Kristi, a Sequim Middle School math teacher, moved to Redding, Calif., in 2001, but moved to the Olympic Peninsula in 2018 after massive fires damaged nearby national forestland and the tourist industry. For 30 years, Schmeck has been riding competitively and for fun.
About the presentations
Traveler’s Journal is a presentation of the Peninsula Trails Coalition with local adventurers sharing their stories and photos with you. All of the money raised is used to buy project supplies and food for the volunteers working on the Olympic Discovery Trail.
Admission is $5 adults, youths 18 and under free. Shows start at 7 p.m. at the Guy Cole Event Center at Carrie Blake Community Park, 202 N. Blake Ave.
Each year the dream of a continuous trail from Port Townsend to Forks gets a little closer. In 2017, about 200 volunteers put in more than 9,000 hours of labor on the trail.
One selected photo enlargement will be given each week as a door prize.
Call Arvo Johnson at 360-301-9359 for more information.
