YOU COULD SAY this trip began 30 years ago, when I was a cycling mentor for a group of teens planning to take their first-ever multi-day bicycle journey.  It was part of a program called the Cycle Across Maryland (CAM) Teen Challenge; the organization that operated CAM had extended their portfolio of outreach to include a challenge to "at risk" high school students: do the weekly training rides, complete the ~300 mile week-long Cycle Across Maryland tour at the end of July, earn a new bicycle. 

The Teen Challenge program expanded to include select high schools in Montgomery County, MD, where I live, in 1994.  In about January of that year I saw an announcement in the local bike club monthly newsletter looking for adults willing to spend four month's worth of Saturdays  starting in April working as mentors with the students who had signed up, taking them on weekly training rides, getting them to and from the rides, etc.  The culmination would come at the end of July, when the mentors and kids would participate in the week-long Cycle Across Maryland tour.  It was an interesting and intriguing idea, and I immediately signed up.

At the start of the program adults were paired, more-or-less at random, with a few kids who became "theirs" for logistical purposes (pick up before the training rides, return home afterward) and though it didn't always follow that they would also ride together during that day it often turned out to be the case.

Two of "my" kids were a friendly, easy-going young man named Wil (although he went by "Noe" in those days and, since that's how I learned to think of him I'm as likely to call him Noe as Wil) and his younger sister Maria.  Maria achieved distinction early on: the very first day of the training program she revealed that she had never even been on a bike before that day!  

Although she completed the training program she wasn't quite ready to make that year's tour but she came back the following year, and for several more years, even going on to help establish the same program in other Maryland counties.  She's also completed a coast-to-coast tour several years ago, something I'm unlikely to ever accomplish, so the student has far surpassed the teacher.

We all had a great time that summer, and formed what has become enduring, lasting friendships.  In fact, in the three decades since then, their family have "adopted" my wife and me, honoring us by including us in various family gatherings and milestone events (graduations, weddings, baby showers, milestone birthdays, etc.).

Although I'd kept in loose contact with Maria, another sister, and their mother over the years, I'd lost largely touch with Wil until a couple years ago when we reconnected in October 2021.  As we've reestablished our friendship he's mentioned on several occasions what an impact the Teen Challenge had on him, which is gratifying to hear.  Both he and Maria have continued to make cycling a part of their lives and we've enjoyed riding together on occasion.

Wil and I have been talking for a while about doing some sort of prolonged tour together.  Last year we spent parts of three days together on the C&O Canal; a couple weeks ago he asked if I'd like to tackle the Katy Trail in Missouri in May.  "Sure!" I said, so that's what we're planning to do.

As of now the plan is that we'll drive to St. Louis, impose on some of my relatives there for a night, then take the train to Kansas City the next day.  We'll impose on another of my relatives at that end, then set off eastbound on the Katy for the next five days or so, finishing up back at my kinfolk's place in the St. Louis suburbs.  After another night spent darkening their sheets and towels we'll make the long drive back to Maryland.

Now all that has to happen is that I need to start getting out for appropriate training miles, ahead of the trip.