So I've been able to continue the tour from the Arctic to Missoula, Montana, thanks to the quick thinking of one and the willingness and availability of the other.  When Rick felt he would need to leave the tour, he had already befriended a cyclist who had flown in from the Netherlands. 

Menno Dekhuyzen, is a husband and father from Ede, The Netherlands.  He is in my opinion a semi-professional long-distance cyclist, who, six years earlier, flew to the US to pedal from coast to coast on a route called "The TransAm."  

Menno proclaims a strong positive, can-do attitude.  Not a bad attitude to have when most of your tour will be climbing up and down mountains.  But no matter how high the mountain that overshadows us, my colleague is quick to say, "But we can climb it,"  or, "we've climbed higher mountains."  And when the rain dumps on us non-stop, Menno shrugs his shoulder and sighs, "Oh well, it will cool us off."  

By stock and trade, Menno is a physician's assistant and works in what he calls "the surgery theatre."  He has a deep passion for human life, and offering people care--especially when they are facing death.  He's green and when we're taking a break along the way, he'll pick up any debris and stick it on his bike for the trash can when we again come into civilization.

So I want to welcome Menno to the team.  It is an honor and pleasure to try and keep pace with such a cyclist.  If you want to follow Menno's blog, please check it out:

www.mennodekhuyzen.reislogger.nl
EMAIL: mennosolarquest@gmail.com