Jack Boyle’s return to Charlottesville after a Montreal conference took longer than expected. That’s because he decided to bike nearly half the distance.
For eight days, the second-year environmental sciences doctoral student at the University of Virginia pedaled from Montreal to New York City, where he is from, before returning to Charlottesville by car.
Accompanied by his close friend and professional shepherd, Joe Ferris, they journeyed more than 500 miles, relying on an app that connects touring cyclists with people willing to offer a place to stay.
"Each day presented fantastic, new characters,” he said. “We met so many incredible people who happened to be wonderful environmental advocates and educators.”
Their first night, Boyle said, they stayed in Montreal with a fellow bike-enthusiast from the app, who builds environmentally focused museum exhibits across Canada and the U.S. They then set out for their longest ride, cycling 101 miles to Burlington, Vermont.