2,700-mile Bike Ride Honors Late Chamber Director

The 2,700-mile Tour Divide follows the Continental Divide through mountains, valleys, plains and deserts, beginning in Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, N.M., at the Mexican border. Just traveling that distance by bicycle alone is a daunting challenge.

“And it’s a hard 2,700 miles,” Chatham resident Marty Cavanaugh said of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

Cavanaugh was in Wyoming early this week, about halfway through the route, which mostly follows off-road trails. Despite the hardships — including saddle sores, bike breakdowns, horseflies and mosquitoes — he’s determined to complete the trek to honor his late wife, Maryrose G. Cavanaugh, and to raise money for the foundation established in her honor.

“Mary gave a lot of herself to others,” he said of the former Chatham Chamber of Commerce executive director, who passed away in September. “My daughters wanted to create a legacy of the same, to keep that alive in her name.” A scholarship was established in Mary’s name at Cape Cod Community College, and contributions to the Maryrose G. Cavanaugh Fund, established through the Cape Cod Foundation, have been earmarked for organizations such as WE CAN. “We want to be able to donate to people in need,” Marty remarked.

So far fundraising has been done through Instagram and emails, and contributions from folks from the Cape and other places the Cavanaughs have been received. “People from all around are contributing to it. We hope to reinvest it in the community,” he said.

Marty Cavanaugh’s journey, organized with help from daughters Molly and Emily, began June 14 in Banff and is expected to take about two months. He said he’s done some three- to four-day bicycle backpacking trips in the past, “but nothing like this.” The route crosses five states (and one Canadian province), passing through the Rocky Mountains, Grand Tetons and the Badlands of New Mexico.

“The distance is one thing,” Cavanaugh said by phone during a stop in Idaho. “But it’s the climbing that’s really difficult.” There’s a total elevation change of 156,617, the equivalent of nearly six Mount Everests, with as much as 3,000 to 6,000 feet of climbing a day.

“That’s what really gets you,” he said. “You’re never prepared for how hard it’s going to be.”

Bikers must also carry all their own gear; there’s no support vehicle waiting at the end of the day. Sometimes Cavanaugh camps, sometimes he stays in hotels in towns along the route, if they are available.

Most of the off-road route — only about 5 percent is on roads — is through the woods. “It’s very remote most of the time,” Cavanaugh said, “until you get to a town or city.” Along with the potential for breakdowns, there are other hazards along the way, including grizzlies, cougars and pesky insects. “There’s a lot of adversity,” he noted.

“But it’s absolutely stunningly beautiful,” he added. “As hard as it is, it’s also incredibly beautiful, emotional, spiritual.”

It’s not the first time Cavanaugh has taken on a challenge to honor a relative. After his father was diagnosed with cancer, he ran the Boston Marathon.

“I figured I needed to do something big for Mary, and this seemed appropriate,” he said of the Tour Divide.

Cavanaugh, who is “mostly retired,” hopes to complete the ride by mid August and be home in time for his birthday.

Follow Marty Cavanaugh’s ride on Instagram at mgc.foundation. To donate, visit capecodfoundation.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=3145. To learn more about the Maryrose G. Cavanaugh Fund, visit capecodfoundation.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=3904.