In July of 2022, just a few months
after we first met, Victoria and I made our way
to the very top of Alaska and started cycling south with no idea the adventure we were in for. Hey! I think we should stop as soon as we see a good house though I’m stuck Vamos! Man, you look like a vagabond The route we had planned on going is a lot more dangerous than we thought it would be. The ultimate dream was to cycle from Alaska to Argentina, the entire length of the Americas. Well, at least that was my dream. Victoria hadn't owned a bike
since she was 11 years old, so she didn't yet know
if she'd like it or not. And since she was fairly out of practice,
we spent a couple of weeks in town slowly building up strength I cannot feel my legs and after a lot of blood, sweat and tears,
she was feeling confident, so we hitchhiked up to Deadhorse, the end of the road and set off South. Our first section would be two weeks
along the Dalton Highway, 512 miles from the Arctic Ocean, snaking it’s way through some of the most remote and challenging wilderness on Earth. An ambitious choice for Victoria's
first attempt bikepacking, but she was handling it like a pro. How is the English? Caterpillar Caterpillow? Caterpillar Catahpillah? Caterpillar Caterpillow. I'm so glad we’re doing this. We were carrying enough food
to take it slow and easy, and after seven days
we made it to Coldfoot Camp, which is basically just a small restaurant
and truck stop. But it was a great
place to escape the rain. In week two, we were starting to get into the swing of things, and as we crossed the Arctic Circle, our legs were strengthening up for these huge, huge climbs ♫ Happy birthday... ♫ is that... is that half of a muffin? Don't worry about that part. Did you eat this muffin? ♫ Happy birthday... ♫ Alaska is grizzly bear territory, so we hung our food every night to try and keep the bears away from our tent. So far we hadn't seen any for ourselves, but that wouldn't be the case for long. You're looking at two new official Dalton Highway survivors. Completing the Dalton Highway was a huge confidence boost. We might actually be able
to do this thing. We took our newfound confidence south because we knew we couldn't leave Alaska without checking out Denali National Park. We ended up pushing our bikes five miles up a braided riverbed to get around
a landslide on the Park Road. But then we had the entire other
half of the park to ourselves. What we found was truly wild landscapes and it felt a bit like exploring a national park
after the apocalypse. Whoa. Victoria's just spotted what we think could be an incredible home for the night. Yes! We got super lucky finding
this unlocked shelter, and we were glad we had it because the next morning
we had a pretty nosey visitor. Hey! Get back go on Yeah, go on. Satisfied with our Alaska experience, and with winter on the way, we set our sights east towards Canada along the stunning Denali Highway. We'd been on the road for nearly a month, and Victoria was now a seasoned
bikepacking veteran. Traveling like this means
being comfortable with being uncomfortable most of the time. And I was so impressed with how
well she was handling it. Being together made those difficult moments
so much more fun and I didn't want to jinx it, but I was really hoping
she'd want to stick around. Good morning, sunshine! So we've had nothing but rain for the last week
on that side of the Alaska range. But this side... absolutely gorgeous. We enjoyed some glorious sunshine
for our last few days in Alaska, but it was time to get a move on into Canada as winter wouldn't be waiting up for us. Canadian border is in about a mile. We rode the Alaska Highway into the Yukon
territory of Canada just as the autumn colors were starting to come through, and it was pretty stunning. So cool! It was now September and things were starting
to get a little chilly. But fortunately we met Wally,
who insisted on giving us some warm gloves for the road ahead. Thank you so much, thats so kind Well here, I’ll just go like that, if it helps They're really, really into comic con. -A steamer, right? $3.50 You are not holding that right. How is it? Very good! In Whitehorse, we picked up some warmer clothes
and boots for the cold weather to come and our timing was pretty spot on. Everything is frozen this is definitely the coldest it's been Show me your gloves Oh, thanks to Wally. Yes It was time to make some miles south so we crossed into the province of British Columbia and headed down the remote Cassiar Highway. This is now officially the Cassiar Highway. You need to be very, very safe, but you can be safe and fashion at the same time. That is a porcupine. It's raining again. Oh my gosh! It's coming So beautiful man! So beautiful. Go! Go on, go! That's right, go on That's the first time I’ve ever had to take
the safety of the bear spray. Quite cool man so good It was starting to become clear that we weren't going to be able to outrun winter, so we decided to make the most
of the nice weather while we had it and make a short detour to the coast
to see some big glaciers. But when we woke up the next morning, instead of the stunning view we were hoping for, we were met with a downpour. We made our way back up to the Cassiar and continued on South when Victoria had a decision to make. What have you decided? We said that I couldn't decide if I want to go
all the way to Argentina until 3 months of riding. I needed to see for myself if I like it or not and I love it. So I decided today three months I'm going to Argentina. Are you crying? And that was that, we were now in this together
for the long haul. But little did we know, we were about to face our most challenging test yet. With the first snow of the season, Winter had finally caught up with us and almost immediately,
temperatures plummeted. So last night was -5c (23f) I believe felt like it could have been lower. I was fine, but Victoria didn't sleep all night
because she was just so cold and she was bundled up in all her layers, sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner. And it's only going to get colder
from here. We found ourselves
completely out of our depth, but after three months of cycling,
neither of us wanted to give up here. But that's when something magic happened. Wet and shivering in Fraser Lake, we were invited into Autumn Services office who let us stay the night. And then they found Katryna, Chris
and Jayden to host us in the next town. And then they were able to find Katie
to host us in the next one. Thank you so much! Thank you guys,
thank you for everything We got a real taste of the world
famous Canadian hospitality, and after receiving all of this incredible support, we knew we couldn't give up. But with temperatures
set to drop even lower, it was time to put our resilience
to the test. In around eight days, it drops to -19 Celsius (-2.2f) Which is temperatures we're not prepared for. Basically, we need to get to a place called Hope. Which is around 650 kilometers from here.
(404 Miles) So the next week or so,
we're going to be gunning it for Hope which is a very appropriately named town. If we could just make it to Hope, things would get a lot less cold from there on out. We kept pushing on, but that's when things got serious. I think we should stop as soon as we see a good though. I think we should stop. Because it's starting to get dangerous. Yes, I cannot see anything. But our streak of luck
would not be ending here. In the middle of the snowstorm, we knocked on the door of the first house we saw and met Gary and Linda. You guys are staying here in here tonight. No way! Thank you so much, Gary. We continued on, and then Dave and Barb saw us on the road, pulled over and invited us
to stay in their spare room. This little restaurant, the Sugar Shack, let us sleep in their heated basement for the night. And in Spences Bridge, Phil pulled up, rolled down his window and started chatting to us
and then offered us his trailer for the night. You can sleep in as long as you want Thank you All day if you want Yeah Victoria loves to sleep in. Each morning we’d pedal off into the cold with no idea where we were going to stay that night, but every single time someone came through and took care of us. We made it! From here, the warmer coastal temperatures
would see us all the way south to warmer weather. And after that physically
and mentally exhausting stretch, Linda and Gary, let us stay in their holiday home in Cultus Lake for a week, which was an incredible treat
and a much needed rest. Thats it guys, thats it! We made our way into Vancouver for a couple of days of eating and then got the ferry over to Vancouver Island, which we'd heard was supposed to be
snow-free year round. But when we got there, we found that
that wasn't exactly the case. So instead of the adventurous route
we’d planned, we decided to beeline it south to Victoria and hop on a ferry to the USA
for a fresh start. This is Victoria, the place we've been riding in the rain and the dark
for the last couple of hours, but we made it. We traded Canada's snow and ice for the Pacific Northwests majestic rainforest. The temperatures here were noticeably warmer and we were so relieved to be able
to comfortably wild camp again. We hopped on the iconic Pacific
Coast Highway for some easy miles south, but it wasn't long before we'd learn to avoid busy roads like this for good. So a car just went off the road and it went off the shoulder between where we were. (everyone in the car was ok) And if I was 10 seconds slower, I would be dead basically. Victoria was behind me, but luckily she was like a minute behind so yeah, we just got very lucky. We were pretty shaken up after this and made the decision to get off the coastal highway as soon as possible. But it was still the middle of winter and with snow everywhere except the coast, that would be no easy task. So we continued on and waited
for the right opportunity. Oh my God! Sea Lions Today we have another day of all day rain but the forecast says that this is supposed to be the last day of rain for the next two weeks. So hopefully that's true! With a clear weather window ahead of us, it was go time. Using a snow map, we drew up a route to escape inland to the high desert of northern Nevada. We weren't sure if it would actually be possible, but we decided to give it our best shot. This is probably the last time we’ll see the Pacific until somewhere in Central America. That's the last little bit we ever cycle on the 101. Lets go to Nevada! The route we’d drawn up to avoid the snow led us to some pretty overgrown roads. But it was just the adventure we needed after so long confined to the highway shoulder. Three X’s, don’t go that way. God its coming to me please It’s because you left your door open What do you mean? You left it open! when you went to pee Now I’m going to have nightmares Safely on the other side of the mountains, we cruised into Ashland, Oregon where Oak Street Cottages very kindly lend us a place
to stay for a couple of weeks. We need to celebrate that we crossed the mountains. We've crossed the mountains, we're halfway to Nevada. stop it We spent a couple of weeks eating well
and catching up on editing, and then it was time
to hit the road. From here, although it doesn't look like it, we were just a handful of days
from reaching the desert. We just had to tough it out through
a few long days and freezing nights and a touch of snow and we'd be in the clear. This is where we camped last night, little campsite in the town of Cedarville. And over there is the desert. We're finally here. We were finally off into the desert wilderness we've been dreaming of for months. Our bikes were heavy as we were carrying over 20 liters of water. But being out in the wild,
riding through these huge desert valleys and camping wherever we pleased
felt like true freedom. And it was only just the beginning. Come on dude! quickly! So that right there is Winnemucca. In Winnemucca, Daniel, the owner of Tumbleweed,
the company that made our bikes, drove all the way down from their home base in Idaho to camp out with us for the night. Daniel from Tumbleweed has visited us and brought us many gifts. The biggest one being Victoria's
brand new bicycle. That is a beautiful bike. Something a little burlier for the ambitious routes we planned ahead. But she wasn't the only one being spoiled. Look how shiny new cog, new chain, new chainring, new cranks. It's like Christmas. The next morning. ♫ Happy Birthday to you ♫ Half a muffin, of course Yeah! Oh thank you very much. Cool, well safe travels! Yeah drive safe man let me know if theres anything else you guys need will do. We set off into the desert for the world's
greatest test ride and set our sights on Death Valley
National Park. It's so smooth, so nice I can change from 1 to 14 with no problem Thanks Daniel thank you so much. We spent the next few weeks cruising south through these incredible desert valleys, most days hardly seeing another soul, and we were really enjoying the solitude. But along with the good days came some incredibly tough ones, too. What is this? Like being stuck in the mud way out in the middle of nowhere What has happened here? I’m stuck I’m so stuck man. and the occasional reminder that we were
still in the middle of winter. It’s not too bad. Run for your life! Run! We have to outrun this storm. How cold is it going to get tonight? -8c (18f) It's our very last cold day. So we're going to use all the hand warmers
we got because we're not going to have
a use for them after this. We're going to put them in our socks. Hello I got to say that today is a very hard day. I'm in the worst day of my period and the wind, we have a headwind and we're going to have a headwind tomorrow too. And nothing I just wanted to tell you. I already cried like three times Sometimes that's just how it is and you just need to keep pedaling I'm afraid. I think this is officially the most intense headwind I've ever experienced in my life. We’ve got another 15 miles to Tonopah and we’re moving at like, walking speed. After a crazy day we’ve arrived to Tonopah, Nevada. 3 rest days later We’re just packing up seven days of food thats a lot of Kit Kats to get us to Death Valley (spanish saying) What does that mean? It means that everything fits
if you know how to put it well. Wow. Lets go Today is Sunday, the 2nd of April and today marks the day that it's officially hot enough to wear shorts and t-shirts. Lets go. In other news, we are carrying around 30 liters of water right now because we've got a three and a bit day stretch
to get to Death Valley. Welcome to Death Valley! Arriving into the baking heat
of Death Valley meant that our long winter
was officially over. Just a few days ago, we were cycling in
wind chills of -5c (23f) and to suddenly be in 35c (95f) is a very big difference. We took things slow, spent the afternoon
in the shade and eventually made it out of the valley and continued on towards Las Vegas. Man, you look like a vagabond That's exactly where I am. So beautiful. After a couple months of desert roaming,
we've made it to Las Vegas, which was by far the biggest city we'd
been in on the whole trip. And we were lucky to stay with a
lovely family who hosted us for the week. Bye guys! Thank you! We were now getting so close to
Victoria’s home in Mexico, but we knew we couldn't
leave before seeing the Grand Canyon. So before heading south, we set our sights
east to see it for ourselves. A roadrunner! Our first rattlesnake of the trip! Victoria’s first rattlesnake And this is Route 66. Sometimes on long pavement stretches
we like to sneak up on each other So funny man. We came here to eat famous hotdogs in Seligman and I asked for a small Dr. Pepper and they gave me this what is that? No no, but then they gave me the real one. Woah It’s breathtaking if I'm honest. Yeah it's quite big That's crazy! It was now approaching summer. Things were starting to heat up and Victoria had a newborn nephew
to meet down in Mexico. We made a plan to take a nice long break in her hometown of Chihuahua over the summer, so it was time to wiggle our way south to the border and make it there before
things got too hot. We're just checking the stamps in our passports which we should have done a long time ago. And we don't have much time left. We have exactly two weeks. Exactly two weeks. I did not know that! Lets go! We're getting very close to Mexico, we’re probably like four days out now. It was coming up on 11 months
since we first set off from Alaska, and we knew that with crossing into Mexico, everything was about to change. Mexico is 37 miles away. This is officially our last campsite in the USA. And to be honest, after almost a year
in the relative security of Canada and the USA, we were a little nervous about how we'd handle it. But we were also incredibly excited about what the next chapter would bring. This was Victoria’s home turf and she hadn't been home in a very long time. That's the wall. ♫ Mexico, Mexico ♫ After 11 months of cycling, we have made it to Mexico. Lets go! Victoria is very happy to be home. From here, she was just a few weeks of riding away
from reuniting from reuniting with her family and friends
at home in Chihuahua. But getting there wouldn't be easy and traveling through Mexico has its risks. So we were hoping to connect with locals
and seek advice along the way, so that we could make informed decisions
and be as safe as possible. So we just got into this town, and we met this guy called Mario, who has now offered to let us sleep in his other home. Here you can relax Yes Here no one will bother you We’re going up there somewhere. Hello! After a week of riding,
we made it to Bacadehuachi. We have reached our hottest temperature yet on the trip, my thermometer is reading 41c (106f) and it feels a bit like cycling in an oven. I believe there is a hotel here in town
that we're going to try and find and get ourselves a nice cold shower. We’ve come from Alaska Really? Yeah Seriously? Yeah! We got talking with the hotel owners
about our trip and asked Oscar his thoughts
on our planned route to cross into the state of Chihuahua, as we did with most people
we met along the way. And he was definitely pretty concerned
about it he basically explained that
our planned route would put us through some particularly dangerous towns that we'd be wise to avoid. He said, it’s just,
honestly it’s just not worth it. So we've got a change of plans, due to just a lot of people telling us
that the route we had planned on going is a lot more dangerous
than we thought it would be. So we're going to backtrack to a place
called La Mora, which is where we camped on the river, and there's a road that crosses
into Chihuahua there that apparently is the safest way across. We'd heard from a few people
that the state border between Sonora and Chihuahua was particularly dangerous, so we weren't going to take any chances and went with what we were told
was the safest road across. When we got into Pancho Villa, our first town in the state of Chihuahua, we were immediately
taken in by this incredible family who gave us a much needed shower
and a comfortable bed for the night. I’m off on my travels There you go! Watch out for the cars! Are you going to take a photo? Come, come for the photo. They sent us off with our hearts full and a packed lunch. It was just the boost we needed and now that we were safely across the state line
and into Chihuahua, it would be pretty smooth sailing. It was time to get to the city and reunite Victoria with her family and friends. Goodbye! Chihuahua is extremely beautiful. Cheers! Cheers Although we were still a few days
from the city, for the first time in nearly a year, Victoria was approaching familiar territory. Welcome to my town. Namiquipa! This is the town that she spent
a lot of her childhood growing up and she was very excited
to show me around. This is new, all this is new. Man, it’s even pavement like all this used to dirt. It was dirt? Yeah. After spending a nice day
reminiscing and exploring, It was time for the home stretch. Tomorrow we arrive in Chihuahua. I’m so excited to see my family, my friends. Lets go! As we approached the city, Victoria couldn't wipe the huge grin off her face. She was about to cycle home from Alaska, and the local cycling community had something pretty special planned
to welcome her home. We have got the welcoming committee escorting us into town. Victoria’s Dad Good to meet you! As we rode closer to the city, more and more cyclists
joined to welcome her home. and I couldn't help but think back
to all the amazing people we'd met along the way that made it possible for us to get this far. Have you ever seen steamers? One way or another,
we will find a warm, dry place for you. You guys are staying in here tonight. No way! You can sleep in as long as you want. Thank you. Someone just pulled over
and offered us a warm, dry spot to stay tonight. Cool, well safe travels Yeah drive safe man. Where have you come from? Well, we started in Alaska a year ago. A year? Yeah Welcome to Chihuahua my friend. Thank you very much! Thank you. This is crazy. Victoria’s sister and brothers and her fresh new Nephew! Who is this lady?
So cute Oh he's got your hat! Do you want to wear it? You like it huh? You like the hat? It’s so nice. It’s cool huh? This is our little apartment here
in Chihuahua, this is where I've been sat editing
for the last few months while we wait for the heat to die down, and it finally has, so so in the next couple of days,
we're actually hitting the road again south, and the plan is still to continue
all the way to Argentina. So if you are new here and you'd like
to follow along, hit that Subscribe button below and we will see you in the next one!
