Traveling in a cycle of thought

At 18, Silas Sherbourne wasn't sure what to do with the rest of his life, so he left home the day he graduated from high school and hit the road - on one wheel.

Sherbourne is unicycling 4,000 miles across the country to Savannah, Georgia, for a cause and for some clarity.

"I concluded that the best action for me was to spend some time after graduation meditating on what really matters to me, in order to figure out what I should do," Sherbourne wrote on his gofundme page, hoping to raise $2,000 for the journey, half of it for a charity. "My clearest thoughts always come from a day riding the unicycle, so to me it only makes sense to ride across the country."

Sherbourne passed through Grand Coulee June 29 after starting out by dipping his tire in the waters of the Pacific side of the country in Anacortes, Washington.

Traveling only about 35 miles a day to leave plenty of time to discover communities along the way, Sherbourne, crossed the North Cascades, picked up tips from a woman in Twisp who cycled cross-country 30 years ago and caught occasional rides from friendly strangers.

"I've seen so much good in so many people," the teenager said in front of the Grand Coulee Safeway store, 12 days into his journey.

Headed to Missoula, Montana as his next goal, he made it to Spokane July 1.

Missoula is home to the Adventure Cycling Association, a non-profit organization mapping out a 50,000-mile network of cycling-safe routes across the country.

Sherbourne is following their TransAmerica Bicycle Trail and hopes to raise $1,000 for them and increase awareness of the ACA's efforts. He hands out business cards and has an elevator speech memorized like the best fundraisers do.

He thinks the ride will likely take four months. By the time he gets to the Atlantic, though, it may be more like an eternity away from his hometown of Steilacoom, Washington.