I just spoke to Hank Meshorer for the first time in my life. Or was it the tenth? It’s hard to tell. When someone engages you so quickly, speaks so sincerely, and answers your questions with such overt enthusiasm, it’s hard not to feel like you’ve met them before, and that this is an exciting catch-up after months apart.
Sure, there are some aspects of Hank’s life to which an average person can relate. He’s happily married, is a retired special prosecutor for the U.S. Justice Department, served in the Marines during Vietnam, and is an avid cyclist and long-time Bike Virginia participant.
The similarities begin to taper there, however. At the age of 70, Hank is in the midst of preparations for a trip this February that will take him through Uganda, Rwanda, and the Congolese Republic. On this trip to Africa, Hank will travel alone for the majority of his voyage, employing a guide only to facilitate his entry into the large gorilla reserve areas. Once there, Hank plans to allow the animals to acclimate to his presence, granting him the opportunity to photograph and study them at close proximity.
Bike Virginia Rider enjoying some quiet open road.
It’s not the first time Hank has taken on such grandiose—and solitary—voyages. He was fortunate enough to leave Vietnam largely unscathed, “Except for a nipple,” he will cheekily add, “which they sewed back on.” But rather than return home, Hank headed to the African continent to explore alone.
Since then, Hank’s travels have included the South Pole, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Amazon, and even Mt. Everest. He reached the 25,500 ft. mark before having to turn back following the tragic death of some accompanying Sherpas.
But his motivations for these adventures are not nearly as outlandish as some may think his journeys. In fact, Hank recognizes the same appeal in cycling that pushes him to travel the way he does. “The preparation appeals to me,” he says. “Knowing that I can prepare with the right equipment, and be expectant of what I’ll face, is part of the satisfaction. At the same time, he enjoys the “purity and simplicity” of riding.
It’s also, he says, the self-dependence of cycling. “If I want to get up that hill, it’s up to me and no one else. There’s a fine line between quitting and going on, and I love to test that edge. There’s autonomy of difficulty.”
Hank confesses to finding himself on both sides of that line, however. He’s SAGged before, and isn’t ashamed to admit it. But it’s undoubtedly quite rare. Hank’s been on the BikeVA tour at least 20 times now, and is a regular century rider. In fact, the BikeVA tour is often the only tour Hank does. He says he loves the way it’s organized, the camaraderie of the riders there, and the scenic areas the tour explores.
Finally, it bears sharing that Hank is not a selfish, introverted traveler. Though seemingly too humble to publish his own explorations, he emphatically encourages others to take up a voyage of their own. And it doesn’t need to be extreme, he emphasizes. “It’s never too late! Just go!” serves as his mantra for the would-be traveler. “Get creative with your trip. Decide what you want to do, and don’t be afraid to employ the help you’ll need to do it that way you’d like. Deciding to travel is like making it up that hill on a bike. Can you do it? Yes. If you want it badly enough.”
Hank seems to have bested that hill time and again, and he’s waiting at the top with an encouraging smile, cheering for you to do the same.
Come meet Hank Meshorer, along with many other fantastic participants, at Bike Virginia 2013!
By Tory Hendelman, Bike Virginia Blogger and Rider Services Coordinator