Here we have a book with an interesting premise: A 65 year old man, goes on a crazy journey from Pierre, US , to the freaking NORTH POLE! With a bike! No, no, not a motorcycle, a BICYCLE! And here’s the best part of it: this isn’t fiction. It’s a travelogue.
YES! That is right, this book is about the journey of Gary W. Wietgrefe written by he himself, as he bicycled his way from the USA to the North Pole, on a 10 year old bicycle, in 40 FREAKING DAYS! He wrote it all, he catalogued it all and now, in this book he lets us know the adventures, in humorous detail, that he had while pushing his way to one of the poles of the Earth, enduring the harshness of weather, without distractions, no music, no earphones, no laptop, just he himself, his supplies – with his lovely wife as back support team- and nature and it’s grace and dangers on the way, along some dangerous and speeding drivers. How AMAZING IS that?
This is something that 25 year-old daredevils would never think about doing, and if they did, it would be waaay too extreme for them, but here we have a 65 year old man, doing it like a boss, without safety nets, without guarantees, back-ups, guns or anything like it, facing a 5000 Kilometre journey, against the wilderness and risking his life at every spin of the wheel! Welcome to “ Destination: North Pole – 5000 Km by Bicycle ” by Gary W. Wietgrefe, this is its review.
From the introduction, we get a clear idea of the narrative of the author, finding it pleasing and enticing enough to make the readers wonder and imagine things for themselves, although there are pictures on the book, and give the reader the sense of adventure that one would get in a fantasy book, so, by the end of it, we are pretty relaxed and confident that this will be a good read and a valuable one indeed.
Another thing that enticed us from the first page, or the title page is the corniness of the bicycle graphic that is always present on the title pages. A stick figure on a stick bicycle that looks like it was drawn by a pre-schooler. This little detail is cool because we get, instantly that there will be humor to the book, playful humor, and that the book was made purposefully light and fun for the reader, which tells us that the writer clearly cares for his readers and their reading experience, which is always a good sign.
Right in the beginning, you get inspiration for your dreams and ideas. Not that this is an inspirational book, far from it, but the way Gary W. Wietgrefe speaks about the holding this goal in mind, year after year and making small steps towards it, even when he had a corporate job, is inspiring, and the fact that he decided to do it shortly after retirement, is even more inspiring. Gary W. Wietgrefe talks with a casual determination about cycling to Alaska, making plans along the years and preparing everything although it seems like a far-fetched possibility, yet, he kept on, even after all the risks and dangers considered. THAT’S what we need! Amazing, simply amazing.
In his trip, the author takes time to explain how little towns work, their costumes and how to better deal with local establishments and the reasons behind such claims, which makes lots of sense once you give it some thought, the history of the places he crossed like dams, rivers, forts, how they related to the history and development of the populations and the history of the US. Small and interesting bits of information taken from here and from there and laid across in a casual way that not only educates, but entertains us, and once again inspire us to explore the vastness of the countries and world that we have.
In his experiences, very well detailed and shown Gary W. Wietgrefe recalls how his family and friends supported him, the surprises on the road with some other cyclists and the problem of lots of roadkill, caused by drivers that don’t pay attention to the road, and don’t respect the limits and regulations of speed while not accounting for the wild environment they are in, which is sad once you think about it as there is a lack of training for people that actually are allowed to drive cars in the US.
There is a constant reminder to live in the present, in the moment, and many analogies are made, questions are asked, very good questions are asked to the reader about the future and its nature of ever possible unrealized potential, questions that grow with the contrast and explanations of how cycling allows one to actually see things, to have time to actually see things and not just zoom past things and not even notice, as it happens on a car trip. It’s a great way of thinking, it’s something that we need to do more, to live in the now, in the present, enjoy the moments of now and realized them everyday. To actually do things and not simply dream of them and keep dreaming as the future “becomes” present, and we don’t even realize it because we are always looking ahead instead of around. Nice.
“I rode without listening to radio or music. On our city’s bike trail it was not unusual to see bicyclists wearing headsets. Some music was so loud I could hear it. Those over-stimulated, some addicted to electronic impulses, cannot appreciate nature’s subtleties. It remains elusive. ”
Gary W. Wietgrefe.
And maybe this is a key factor of why the current population is destroying nature and wildlife, because we cannot take time to appreciate it. Something to think about indeed.
We have GOLD MINES of wisdom throughout the book such as:
“Growing up with electronic stimulation, rationalization seemed to divorce those born in the 21st century from reality. Instantaneous digital snippets are mind-boggling. Ever-present smartphone impulses beg attention. Young ears and eyes have become shock absorbers.
What is learned?
Sadly, yesterday’s reality, history, culture, tradition, and nature lays hidden—anticipating another incongruous snippet.
Gadgets occupy time. Being at work does not get work done, nor does access to knowledge make one wise. That is as foolish as saying the bicycle in the garage kept me in shape. “
The emphasis on the peculiarities of language, accent, culture of the small communities, their history, their food, and their people, many of them natives to the land, others coming from distant cultures, and the distinct focus on the German-Russian lineage dominated on the Dakota and Akaska regions are intriguing, inviting and show a respect for the communities, while the author shows the differences of the past and present generations and how this dynamics affect the sheer survival of the communities themselves.
The bakeries and how they are “the hearts” of these small towns, how we should give extra support for them when we are travelling around and appreciating their distinct generational secrets, is something enlightening and touches a chord on our hearts that we didn’t know we had. It brings compassion, passion and understanding, it fuels a need for us to contribute in every way we can to keep these little-big treasures alive. It’s SPLENDID.
This is WAAAAY more than a book about a senior man that bicycled his way to the ever-moving North-Pole, but it’s a book about culture, the re-alignment of modern society with nature, the appreciation of living in the present and actually enjoying the scarce, little moments in life, and above all, to go for our dreams, no matter what age. LOVED IT!
Those who love adventure, travel, adrenaline, culture, science, history and books based on real facts and accomplishments, look no further than this absolute gem that is totally underrated, because this book, along-side with the feat of the author are nothing short of Legendary! This is a heck of a read that will inspire you to live your life now. Epic!
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