Sophomore finds adventure in the Covid-19 quarantine
Ben Anderson commits to an idea that pops into his head and bikes 125 miles seeking to enjoy the journey and find adventure.
By Peter Collova | Reporter
Ben Anderson looked at the weather forecast for the weekend to decide if he could make his trip. Some unfavorable rainy weather pushed his trek off until the next weekend but it didn’t look much better. On Tuesday he made the call to leave Thursday afternoon and take advantage of the nice conditions.
Since the idea popped into his head on June 10th, Anderson and his friend C.J. Dock had been training to bike from Minneapolis to Duluth. All it took was a text from Anderson and an affirmative response and they were committed to the journey.
After two months of working their way up to the mileage, they started the two-day adventure on Aug. 6 biking 50 miles on the shoulder of the highway before stopping at the state trailhead. Without any authorization, the young men set up their hammocks to rest for the night. For food, they used chemical heaters to warm meal, ready-to-eat field rations which they got from Anderson’s dad.
“If someone has an idea, it’s just like my personality to go after it.” — Ben Anderson, sophomore
They started traversing by 6:30 the next morning to make the last 75 miles to Duluth through the bluffs, rivers, and trees as their legs cooked well past al dente. After arriving at 1:00, Dock’s mother drove out to bring them back home.
“If someone has an idea, it’s just like my personality to go after it,” Anderson said. He acts spontaneously on the ideas that he has and enjoys being adventurous by taking them on.
Anderson had nothing going on because of the Covid-19 quarantine which gave him room for this long bike trip.
“It was probably the most gratifying thing I did over the summer,” Anderson said. “I gained confidence in myself to achieve even larger dream goals. I’d love to take this trip to the next level and bike further.”
