A 3,600-mile charity bike ride will wrap up Saturday in Portland.
The Northern Tier Bike Trek from Anacortes, Washington to Portland Headlight is being staged by Army veteran and Waterboro native Curtis Johnson.
The bike ride, which crosses 15 states, follows the Southern Tier Tour from California to Florida, which Johnson organized last year.
The current ride started in Washington at the Puget Sound, which is body of ocean water separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Olympic Peninsula west of Seattle.
The ride climbs through both the Cascade and Rocky Mountain ranges in 120,000 ft of elevation gain. The ride lasts 40 days
The charity event raises $16,000 for Biking 4 Better, which provides bikes and books to veterans and families in need this holiday season.
Johnson says his mission stems from his time serving alongside fellow soldiers in Afghanistan, where he began writing his first book, The Success Vault. “That work planted the seeds for his ongoing mission: promoting mental and physical health through daily discipline, project management, and community impact,” said a release from Biking 4 Better, which was founded by Johnson.
