PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Motorcycle fans of all ages spent the weekend showing off custom bikes, taking test rides, buying from special vendors at Portland’s Zidell Yards.
One of those attendees was Mike Hall of Tualatin, who’s taking a solo motorcycle trip across the United States through the TransAmerica Trail in order to raise money for the fight against Alzheimer’s.
His journey, which starts June 21, will run from cape to cape, beginning at Cape Hatteras, N.C., then ending in Cape Blanco, Ore.
The cause is personal for Hall, as his mother passed away from the disease.
“My mom Sandy died in 2019 from Alzheimer’s after a few years of being ill, and my sister Liz was her primary caregiver,” Hall told KOIN 6 News. “And so I got to see both sides of it, with mom being sick and sister being impacted, too. It’s really tough on the caregivers.”
As for the ride, Hall describes it as “80% dirt,” running through 5,000 miles of small towns, creek crossings, mountain passes and other landmarks. In the past, he’s also run into people who share their stories with him.
“I mean, I love being out in the woods and a lot of the trails go through beautiful places in the country,” Hall said. “But I’ll meet lots of people and hear lots of stories, some of them sad, but there’s hope with the Alzheimer’s folks.”
Click here for information Hall or to follow Hall’s progress on his ride across the country.