Like many Whistlerites, Kate Leach, Hannah Ashworth, and Jaimee Yates share a passion for biking and a longing for adventure.
Now, they’re turning those pursuits into meaningful action.
On May 11, the trio left Whistler and headed down the Pacific Coast, beginning a nearly 3,000-kilometre journey to Tijuana, Mexico.
Along the way, the women—who refer to themselves as The Dirty Blondes on their shared Instagram account created for the trip—aim to support and bring attention to the non-profit charity Cool Earth, which supports Indigenous peoples and local communities to protect the rainforest and tackle deforestation.
“We wanted to create some good while we were doing it,” Yates said. “So we thought it'd be awesome to try to raise some money for [Cool Earth] and just get people to know them a bit more.”
The three women have spent the last month biking south, regularly pedalling more than 90 km a day, and spending their nights in tents at state parks, random motels or with strangers through the couch-surfing community Warm Showers, which supports touring cyclists.
So far on the adventure, they have crossed through the states of Washington and Oregon, and just recently passed through Santa Barbara in Southern California, with the rest of the trip expected to take about a week to complete. To date the trio has raised $638 toward their $2,500 goal.
According to Yates, the most challenging part of the journey is biking on the narrow shoulders found on the U.S. Interstate Highway System, especially in some regions of Washington state and California, which led to numerous punctured tires. (By last count, the group was up to 17 flats.)
“Freeways … they're dangerous. They're loud. There's usually a narrow bridge, and there's always a lot of stuff on the side of the road,” Yates said. “So that's where you tend to get the most flat tires.”
One unforgettable moment from the adventure came when they crossed the 6.4-km-long Astoria-Megler Bridge on the Washington-Oregon Border, as high winds and cars speeding by unsettled them.
“There was no hard shoulder on it at all. So we were basically riding next to all of the traffic, and it's very intense,” Leach said. “We were very happy to get to get to the other side.”
Aside from that, the journey has been one of endurance, as the women strive to keep up with the caloric demands of biking nearly 100 miles a day while also staying on top of mechanical issues.
But those hurdles were always going to be part of the journey.
“It's been a good challenge, and that was another reason that brought us on this trip: We wanted a good challenge and something that was a little bit different," Yates said.
"I think, coming from Whistler, everyone's always doing cool, out-of-the-box stuff, and we're like, you know what? I think we can do that too.”
Overall, the trip has been a positive experience so far, and has brought the three friends closer together as they helped each other through the rough days.
“If you eat together, sleep together, ride together every day, you're gonna get to know each other really well in the best possible way,” Leach said. “It's a very, very special relationship.”
Once the trio reaches the Mexican-American border after 40-plus days of biking with only one rest day, they plan to take a train back to Vancouver—where they can indulge in a well-earned nap while reflecting on the trip.
“It's like 36 hours to Seattle, but it will be really nice to sit down and be able to look at the scenery rather than have to pedal through it,” Leach said. “We can look at our photos and go over everything that happened and then maybe have a nap,” she laughed.
You can follow the journey or donate to the cause on Instagram at the_dirtyblondes.
