Brothers have raised $12K
SANTA MONICA PIER — Brothers committed to honoring their late mother’s memory braked in Santa Monica on Thursday during a Pan- American bicycle trek geared towards raising money and awareness for brain tumor research.
John and Mike Logsdon are attempting to earn $50,000 for the non-profit National Brain Tumor Foundation by pedaling 15,000 miles — from Alaska to Argentina — in honor of their mother, Jean Logsdon, who died of brain cancer in 1996.
John Logsdon, 26, and Mike Logsdon, 24, from San Francisco, began their journey on July 26 when a cargo plane dropped them off in Prudhoe Bay, located on the northern coast of Alaska. From there, they biked 4,300 miles south along the Pan-American Highway. They have raised $12,000 to date for brain tumor research.
Traveling at their current pace of 100 to 150 miles per day, the Logsdons expect to reach their destination — the southern tip of Argentina — sometime between April and June.
The Logsdons began their journey in 20-degree weather with winds reaching 45 miles per hour.
“There was definitely a moment when I thought, ‘What have we gotten ourselves into?’” John Logsdon said.
From Prudhoe Bay, the brothers biked along a dirt road which serves the Alaskan oil pipeline. They did-n’t come across a convenience store or gas station for the first 500 miles of their trek, but did come across some 40 bears, including a grizzly, which chased them down within the first days of the trip.
“I caught something in the corner of my eye, some movement in the Tundra,” John Logsdon said. “I could see it, but I couldn’t believe it.”
The Logsdon brothers said they pedaled away as fast as they could, but the Grizzly gained on them quickly. Luckily, within 100 feet of them, the Grizzly stood on its hind legs, sniffed the air and stopped its pursuit.
“It must have realized we were people, not caribou,” John Logsdon said.
The brothers have been lugging 100 pounds of food and equipment — including a tent, sleeping bags, stove, biking and street clothes — all of which was donated to them.
“You find out what your essentials are quickly,” Mike Logsdon said.
Another notable encounter happened in British Columbia, when the brothers came across a Native Canadian tribe.
Mike Logsdon — who has lost 30 pounds during the ride — said he had been stung by a wasp and was in need of medical attention. His neck was swelling up. The wife of the tribe’s chief provided him with an herbal medicine that cured him.
“We’ve seen a lot of wilderness and a lot of people, and it has all been wonderful,” Mike Logsdon said.
The brothers have camped throughout much of their journey, except when they had friends and family to stay with. Both are hearty travelers, a characteristic encouraged by their mother, they said.
“My mother used to say, ‘There’s only so much you can learn in the classroom,’” John Logsdon said. “She said she’d never buy us a car, but if we wanted to travel, she’d help in any way she can.”
Conceived on the island of Java, born in Australia, and raised in Morocco and New York City, Jean Logsdon’s travels began at an early age, according to her sons. When she was 8 years old, she crossed the Sahara Desert by Jeep with her mother. As a young woman, her wandering ways brought her across Europe and Asia, before she settled in San Francisco.
In 1995 while riding her bicycle, the Logsdon brothers said her mother returned home from a bike ride and said her arm felt weak. She had glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor.
Following their mother’s death in 1996, the brothers went their separate ways for several years. Mike Logsdon went south to Mexico, where he built homes for needy families. John Logsdon criss-crossed Europe and the United States during his summer breaks at Yale.
Eventually, both brothers embarked on long cycling journeys. John Logsdon once led a bike trip across the U.S. with Habitat for Humanity, and Mike Logsdon rode solo across Ireland.
The National Brain Tumor Research Foundation raises funds for research and provides support and information to patients and families. Each year, approximately 190,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a brain tumor, according to the foundation. Only 31 percent of patients survive five years.
John Logsdon believes it’s important passionate people try to raise funds for medical research to fight cancer and other diseases. He said people like his mother who have suffered from brain tumors often don’t know where to turn after they are diagnosed.
“This is a great way to remember our mother, while letting people know about the need for more research and the incredible resource the foundation is for people with brain tumors,” John Logsdon said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 11, 2005. Read the original PDF.