On Blixen! Sounds like Santa rallying his reindeer, but for Jen Cusick of East Boothbay, Blixen is a carrier of a different sort – a gravel bicycle chosen for supporting better posture while rugged enough to take a pounding on long rides on unpaved surfaces.

Just what’s needed for a 66-day, 2,700-plus mile adventure from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. A bucket list item, the trip of a lifetime to most. “Each day is a new adventure,” Cusick said, grinning.

Why did she set out on the endurance trip? “I was born to move.” 

Since early childhood, she has known she was. Running is her primary sport, and cycling came easily. She is currently improving her skills as a swimmer with an eye on a few triathlons in the future.

What would be a bucket list item or trip of a lifetime for some was, for Cusick, one more chance in a growing list to get outdoors and move. She considered her first three days of the trip her training. The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route crisscrosses the Continental Divide over 30 times in route from Canada to the U.S./Mexico border in New Mexico and is globally recognized as a premier off-pavement cycling route. The GDMBR hosts countless cyclists, races, and in this case, hosted Cusick and two friends.

The three travailed varying terrains and landscapes with steep climbs, downhill dashes, pounded out flats and washboard ripples. Wildfires, dust, hail, unrelenting heat, and something called peanut butter mud were met with a take each day as it comes mentality..

And Cusick hiked the French Alps a couple of months prior to this ride.

Sleeping in tents, shelters, and people’s houses, planning every meal, and always keeping an eye on water supply were par for the course on the GDMBR. Cusick called the feat an “extended camping trip,” with creature comforts as rewards for a hard day’s labor.

The smell of sagebrush permeated the high plateau. And as for wildlife, the GDMBR had tarantulas, rattlesnakes, grizzlies and suspected skunk-smelling javelinas were afoot. But the best part of the trip for her were the personal bonds. “It really is about the people you meet along the way,” she said. “People are so kind and generous,” offering food, supplies, a place to stay, and encouragement, she recalled. Townspeople who live along the trail were very welcoming.

Cusick recounted the trip’s positive, uplifting moments. Besides the personal connections made, a love of the outdoors was front and center.

Cusick shared stories of fellow cyclists who rode a day or two on the path with her. Her entire trip is documented on her website, www.runboothbaymaine.com. The blog includes her best and worst days, small town sheriffs, a terrifying crash, gender-fluid bikes, a life-saving corn dog, and much more.