Memoir Overview & Chapters

Overview

In this abridged literary memoir—brief, focused, and rich in detail—I chronicle the highlights of Climate Zero: 54°N to 54°S by Bicycle, a 304-day, 17,500-mile solo ride from the North Atlantic to the edge of the Antarctic. More than a test of endurance, the journey was also an environmental commitment: along the way, I planted 5,000 native trees—enough to zero (offset) my lifetime carbon footprint.

The journey began in Scarborough, Maine, on 22 August 2023. From there, I headed north, riding 1,400 miles into the remote interior of eastern Canada to reach the isolated fishing village of Cartwright, Labrador—the official starting line for Climate Zero. There, at 54°N, the road-connected world comes to an end. A 100-kilometer gravel road reaches its terminus at Cartwright; beyond that, the map dissolves into remote terrain. What lies beyond is a vast and rugged wilderness, home only to scattered, mostly sea-bound outposts and the enduring presence of Indigenous communities.

Cartwright became my starting point not through chance, but through quiet design. Just weeks before departure, I discovered that Ushuaia—the planned endpoint of my journey—sat at 54°S. That revelation pulled me north. I began tracing parallels, literally, and landed on Cartwright, a town I’d long been curious about from my days working on remote seabird nesting islands off the coast of Maine. There was something irresistible about the balance: 54 to 54, a latitude-to-latitude crossing of the planet. Like a mathematician drawn to symmetry, I couldn’t ignore the elegance in that arc.

From that remote threshold, I began the long descent toward Ushuaia, Argentina—commonly called “the end of the world.” It was a journey of solitude and human connection, of endurance and recalibration.

Below is a chapter-by-chapter outline of the memoir. Each entry includes a brief summary to help you navigate the story. Click any chapter title to read the full narrative and explore the ride through words and images.

Chapter 1: The Prelude

Scarborough, Maine to Cartwright, Labrador — riding through Maine, the Maritimes, remote Quebec and Labrador, and the ferry to Cartwright. A journey north to begin the descent south.

Chapter 2: Labrador, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia

Cartwright to Bar Harbor via wilderness and ferry routes — rugged solitude, kindness, tropical storms, and decommissioned rail beds.

Chapter 3: Through New England and the Mid-Atlantic

From Bar Harbor, Maine to the Potomac River — autumn in New England, foliage, history, and urban edges.

Chapter 4: The Appalachians

The Potomac to Canton, Georgia — mountain passes, early winter, and exploring the heart of the ancient Appalachians.

Chapter 5: Southern Hospitality

The American South — deeper fall, unanticipated cold temperatures, kindness of strangers, roadside Americana, and cultural contrast.

Chapter 6: Texas and the Borderlands

Crossing the Sabine and entering a new frontier — Texas, the Southern Tier, and the people who carry you forward.

Chapter 7: Mexico — Thresholds of Fear and Grace

Crossing Bridge 1 and descending into a land feared by many, but misunderstood by more.

Chapter 8: Highlands, Heat, and the Heart of Central America

Compressed borders, mountain climbs, crushing heat, and human connection.

Chapter 9: 5000 Trees

From pineapple fields to the rain-soaked forests of Costa Rica, this was the turning point: a dream rooted, a mission fulfilled, and the ride renewed.

Chapter 10: Over the Canal and Into the Unknown

Cycling out of Costa Rica and across Panama, I faced searing heat, crumbling gear, and the most dangerous roads of the journey so far. This chapter ends not with a border crossing, but with the uncertain promise of a boat—a path forward into Colombia, if fate allowed.