Pedal For Positivity | Harrison Biehl | E20

In 2020, Harrison Biehl bought his first mountain bike and immediately put his mind in the track, progressively doing bigger and bigger rides. In summer 2022, he successfully completed his first “Everesting” mission - repeating the same climb until reaching 29,032 feet of elevation gain. As a fundraiser for TAMBA, Harrison tackled Stanford Rock trail on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe and completed the mission in under 24 hours. In the afterglow, tragedy struck when his close friend Joe Fazzio took his own life a week before Christmas. To honor Joe’s life and bring awareness to mental health, Harrison partnered with High Fives Foundation and launched the Pedal for Positivity, a fundraiser for mental health. His new mission; “Trench to Everest” - climbing 65,099 feet, the elevation difference between the lowest point on earth, the Mariana Trench, to the highest, Mount Everest. Harrison did the ride on Old Highway 40 from Donner Lake to Historic Donner Summit on September 8-9 with a group of friends who rode by his side, completing nearly 60 laps in 29 hours. Recorded on Donner Summit at the site of the event, this is a heavy story of friendship, community, commitment, struggle and loss.

Notes:

3:30 – During the latest brown pow cycle, Tom crashes his mountain bike hard.

6:40 – Steven Kotler – Gnar Country – learning to become a park skier at age 53.

9:40 – Introducing Harrison Biehl – Everesting Stanford Rock, trenching Old Highway 40.

13:30 – Another sign of a big winter coming – crazy squirrels. Another Hunga Tonga correlation.

16:22 – Harrison Biehl interview recording on old Highway 40 on Donner Summit.

20:00 – Riding from the lowest point on the planet, Mariana Trench to the highest point on the planet, Mount Everest. 381 miles and 65,249 ft of climbing in 29 hours 42 minutes.

24:20 – Completing massive rides with only three years of experience cycling.

26:30 – Everesting Stanford Rock trail on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, a fundraiser for Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association.

29:00 – Learning fitness, strength and training from Derek Teel of Dialed Health, who Everested Braille Trail in Soquel Demo Forest near Santa Cruz.

30:30 – Using the ride to raise funds for new mountain bike trails in Lake Tahoe, including the new Meeks Ridge trail.

37:00 – What did Harrison learn from the first big Everest challenge on Stanford Rock?

39:45 – The backstory of the Old Highway 40 ride – in memory of Joe Fazzio.

41:00 – Living with loss and suicide, trying to make sense of those who take their own lives.

46:00 – The bicycle as a vehicle for blowing off steam, helping deal with the stress and loss.

48:00 – Finding Joe on Donner Lake.

54:00 – Angry riding in the wake of Joe’s passing, starting Pedal for Positivity with High Fives Foundation.

1:04:00 – Riding Old Highway 40 from Donner Lake to Historic Donner Summit.

1:11:00 – Pro grade support from the folks at Paco’s bike shop in Truckee.

1:13:00 – Contribute to the Pedal for Positivity – highfivesfoundation.org/pedal-for-positivity/

1:14:00 – Tom’s grandfather, Raymond Beckering and Robert Schuller, of Garden Grove Ministries, built the Tower of Hope in the early 1970’s; the first suicide helpline in North America – New Hope.

1:18:00 – What was harder, Stanford Rock or Old Highway 40?

1:25:30 – Did Harrison ever think he couldn’t complete the ride?

1:28:30 – What does Mind the Track mean to you?

1:30:00 – Follow Harrison – @harrison_biehl and @pedal_for_positivity