[nfbmi-talk] Biking the United States

Terry Eagle terrydeagle at yahoo.com
Sun Aug 19 22:46:41 UTC 2012


Sunday, August 19, 2012 Subject: Article from Lansing State Journal
Columnists 

Blindness won't stop cross-county biking goal   


While legally blind, Mark Rothenhauser is always looking ahead. Toward the
next challenge. In younger days, he ran marathons. He slowed down by hiking
the Appalachian Trail - more than once. As he approached his mid-50s, he was
looking for a less strenuous pursuit. So he's bicycling across the country
solo. Rothenhauser is tackling his goal in manageable chunks when he can get
away from his responsibilities operating the snack bar at the state Capitol.
He's logged just more than 2,000 miles since 2009 and is scheduled to leave
on his latest leg - from La Junta, Colo., to Cedar City, Utah - on
Wednesday. You tell people that you are legally blind, and right away, many
of them think 'totally black' and the things you can't do," Rothenhauser,
55, said in an email. Legally and totally blind folks do awesome things and
can be useful members of society. Experienced bicyclistRothenhauser lost
much of his sight to Stargardt's disease, which deteriorates retina cells at
an early age and affects vision in the eye's center. He can read pages held
directly in front of his eyes and objects get especially blurry more than 6
feet away. Believed to be genetic, the disease also affects his sister,
Marlene, who relieves him at the snack bar during his biking trips. Unable
to drive, he's become a bicyclist out of necessity, thinking nothing of
trips to Detroit, Ionia and Frankenmuth. His orange two-wheeler has a
trailer - which he calls his caboose - for his food and gear. He's guided by
cycling maps that include locations of bike shops, sources for food and
water, and listings of campsites and motels. Rothenhauser started his
cross-country trek in the spring of 2009 in Yorktown, Va., and traveled 680
miles to Berea, Ky. That fall, he biked 417 miles from Berea to Murphysboro,
Ill. The next spring, it was Murphysboro to Girard, Kan. (408 miles), and
then - in reverse - from LaJunta, Colo., to Girard, Kan. (568 miles) in the
spring of 2011. Shorter trips are two weeks, but he's been away as long as
five weeks. Not Lance Armstrong'He bikes by a few tenets: Safety first (he
pulls off if the road gets too busy); keep it slow (he looks to bike about
only 50 miles in a day); and don't push it. I'm not out to kill myself," he
said. If I need a rest, I take a rest. He can't ride in the dark because of
his vision. With the Rocky Mountains ahead, he expects to do a lot of
walking this time around. I'm not Lance Armstrong in the Pyrenees," he said.
Rothenhauser said his friends and relatives are used to his adventurous ways
and already consider him crazy. He keeps in touch with Marlene by phone if
he can, but she often waits on postcards. Cellphone reception is spotty.
He's always been the kind of guy who can camp anywhere and go out and be by
himself," Marlene Rothenhauser said. It's amazing to me. I'm very proud of
him. 

Call Mark Mayes at 377-1175 or email mmayes at lsj.com~

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