FIGHTING MS: Hail, dogs and pizza: Tales from a cross-country ride

Mike Maher of Cumberland, Maine; Ryan Murphy of Marshfield; Tom Sullivan of Quincy; and Kevin Welch of Sandwich pause at Snoqualmie Pass in western Washington. The four are riding cross-country to raise money for multiple sclerosis.

By ROBERT SEARS
The Patriot Ledger

Four young men from the South Shore, Cape Cod and Maine have been bicycling and blogging their way across the country to fight multiple clerosis.

Marble-size hail pelted them during a North Dakota thunderstorm, dogs chased them in Minnesota, and they have practically lived on pizza.

Ryan Murphy, 23, who grew up in Canton, Tom Sullivan, 22, of Quincy, Kevin Welch, 25, of Sandwich, and Mike Maher, 21, of Maine began their 3,300-mile bike trek from Seattle to Boston on June 6.

They hope to raise $40,000 for the Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis.

Maher is a senior at Babson College in Waltham. The three others, who played on the school hockey team, graduated in the spring. Murphy’s father, Peter Murphy, is a Canton police sergeant.

The four passed Fargo, N.D., the halfway point, a week ago. They expect to reach Boston by July 20 and have been blogging about their experiences on a laptop they are carrying.

They crossed from Minnesota into Wisconsin on Thursday. Murphy noted in the blog, ``Minnesota was not our favorite state.’’

They had been making good time using the interstates until Minnesota State Police kicked them off. Unsure where secondary roads led, they had to stop every 10 miles or so to check their atlas.

``Minnesota takes the cake for `dog chases’ thus far,’’ Murphy wrote. ``We were chased by dogs of all different shapes and sizes. ... These things come flying out of nowhere at full speed and if you are not ready ... they WILL get you.’’

Climbing the Rocky Mountains was not as difficult as they expected because of a good tailwind.

Their most difficult day came in the rolling hills between Jordan and Circle, N.D.

``One hill came after another, and there was a steady 30 mph headwind. It could actually stop you when you were rolling downhill,’’ Murphy said.

They have been able to go 85 or more miles a day but only made 60 that day.

They say their most harrowing day was when they tried to outrun a fierce North Dakota thunderstorm.

Towering black clouds approached from the north as the friends left a grill in Tower City, N.D.

``It built up so fast it was like nothing I’d ever seen back east,’’ Murphy said.

He said fear and the wind propelled them along Interstate 94 at 30 mph as marble-size hail began pummeling them.

``The rain drops had to be the diameter of a quarter, and they smacked you pretty good,’’ Murphy said.

The wind was strong enough to blow over road construction barriers, lightning was flashing everywhere, and they felt for sure a tornado was coming, he said.

Then Murphy’s tire went flat.

``My first flat of the whole trip and I had to have it in the middle of this storm,’’ he said.

Shouldering the bike, he ran a half mile and took refuge under an overpass.

So far they have only used two of the five rest days they planned for the trip, putting them ahead of schedule.

Problems with flat tires at the start of the trip seem to have been worked out, and the bikes have held up well. There have been some nagging problems with tendonitis in the legs but no one has been too ill to ride.

They are packing a couple of small tents and fleece blankets, but they try to stay in motels whenever they can. Murphy has found a number willing to put them up for the night for free when they find out about their ride.

Each day begins with a good breakfast, and they try to stop for lunch and eat fruit and protein bars when they cannot. Pizza has become a dinner staple.

They picked Ludington, Mich., to rest for the July 4 holiday.

``We’re not sure what’s there,’’ Murphy wrote. ``Basically we look at maps and judge the size of a town by the size of the print font. It’s not the most scientific way to do things, but it’s been working for us.’’

Robert Sears may be reached at bsears@ledger.com .

Copyright 2006 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Monday, July 03, 2006