Molly’s Summer Vacation Adventure

Think back to when you were eleven years old. What were you into? What did you dream of accomplishing? Did your parents encourage you to dream big? Would it even have crossed your mind to ride your bike, in bikepacking fashion, from Canada to the Mexican border on your summer vacation? For most, this would be hard to grasp as an adult, let alone a pre-teen. But Molly Ehlers, who turned twelve on this journey, is not your average young woman!

Molly, with her parents, Mary and Aaron, in St. Paul, grew up around bikes, along with her brother, Joey (13). Molly sweetly laments that she got her first pedal bike at age four or five and has been riding ever since. And although I was raised by a father who raced, and was around cycling my entire life, I cannot imagine having this young woman’s strength—mentally, emotionally or physically, at her age, nor in my teens.

I wanted to explore what drives Molly to keep pedaling and how her parents have created an environment that allows her and her brother to flourish. I first met Molly at the finish line of the Filthy 50 several years ago. This gravel race, in southern Minnesota, put on by Trenton Raygor, pulls kids in to participate. For a few years in a row, I helped Raygor at the event and watched him welcome kids at the finish line, arms wide open for a hug. Raygor, around 6’5, would kneel and get on their level, look them in the eyes, and have a conversation with them. Only after would he chat with their parents. Molly telling me that his twenty-five-mile version, the Pretty Filthy, is one of her favorite events makes me think it’s not just all that glorious climbing she loves so much, but that welcome hug from Raygor as well.

From Gravel to Great Divide

Doing long gravel rides and bike tours as a family sparked Molly’s interest to go further and follow in her parents’ footsteps. Both Mary and Aaron completed this route several times (Aaron did the Tour Divide in 2019 and 2022, and Mary did the Great Divide classic route in 2021). “The people and the riding are like no other. It’s been talked a lot about in our house, and Molly’s picked up on that”, said Aaron. “When Molly showed interest in riding it a few years ago, obviously, we resisted it. But as Molly continued to show us her preparation, drive, and maturity, we finally felt that now was the appropriate time to take it on.”

Inspired by a Supportive Family

Mary explained the family’s interest in cyling. “Aaron had always been the cyclist in our family. When the kids were little, he discovered the TransAM and rode across the country from West to East. We were at the finish line, and it was a fun experience for them to celebrate all the riders and meet people from around the world. While watching short films, we stumbled across the “Ride the Divide” film, and as soon as the show ended, we both knew that was next for him. With our cycling moving away from roads, for safety and the ability to slow down a bit and enjoy the outdoors in new places, he set out for the Tour Divide race in 2019. The kids and I packed up the car and drove to Antelope Wells to cheer him into the finish,” she said.

“It was incredible watching him complete such a grand adventure, something so different from TransAM—a finish with no people in the middle of nowhere. I stood there in awe of what he just did and kept thinking, I wish I could do something like that, but there was no way. He lost so much weight, and he was so hungry, dirty, and tired. But he couldn’t wait to go back, and we loved supporting his dreams.”

Aaron planned to return in 2021 and convinced Mary to join him for a two-week ride from Banff, and to ride as far as she was comfortable. Then, Mary would fly home, pick up the kids, and meet him. “I started looking at dates and time off and proposed to him that maybe I should do the entire thing instead of going home. I couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth,” said Mary.

Aaron happily agreed and supported Mary and said he would stay home with the kids. “This moment has come up so many times over the years. In my opinion, it’s why Molly knew she could do this. Aaron supports us through big dreams and small dreams and is always there to encourage us along the way—giving up his races to support the kids and me,” said Mary.

She continues, “Molly is my mini me, and she wanted to ride The Divide just like her mom, but with her dad. This is something they will share for a lifetime, and it’s because of the small things over the years that she even felt she could do this. it would be so easy to say, ‘it’s too far, it’s too hard, you’re too young’, but Aaron has always been our biggest cheerleader.”

On The Route with Molly

When I interviewed Molly and Aaron, they were still on route, but near the finish. Stepping into a twelve-year-old’s brain on such an adventure was a treat. Molly shared that one of her favorite highlights was getting to celebrate turning twelve three times enroute, where other riders sang her happy birthday in Basin, Montana, and Wise River, Montana, as well as celebrating in Squirrel Creek Ranch in Idaho. She mentioned how much this meant to her since she couldn’t be with her mom and brother back in St. Paul, MN (which was the only challenge she shared with me!).

Despite not sharing any specific low points, Molly said that she would often get out of a bad mood or feel like giving up by reaching out to her best friend or family members, or by listening to upbeat music. And spoken like a true bike packer, cotton candy and Lucky Charms were the foods she craved most and tried to search out in towns! But she did mention wanting to share a Jack’s pizza with her brother when she got home.

As Molly got close to the end, she said, “I was just so excited to see my mom and Joey. When our friends drove by, I got excited ‘cause I knew I was getting close. As we got a couple of miles away, Papa was brushing his teeth, and it was making me laugh. I was just so happy! Then, my brother was there and started racing me on foot to the Antelope Wells sign,” said Molly. In the end, it took Molly and Aaron 45 days to travel roughly 2,488 miles with 145,396 feet of climbing to travel border to border.

Parenting An Adventurer

When you’re an adventurer and your kids decide to follow in your footsteps, how do you find a balance and keep them safe? Aaron said that he had grown up in an impoverished family and never really had exposure to the outdoors at a young age. He remembers, however, that his best friend was forced to go on many family outdoor trips and never really enjoyed it. Learning from that, he said, he and Mary decided they didn’t want to force their passions on their children and resent it later. They both make an active practice to listen to their children and help them foster their healthy passions and interests, as well as teaching/practicing moderation to seek long-term enjoyment without the pressure to perform. Mary said they also make sure they mix in other activities like ice skating, running, swimming and paddle boarding during the year and let their kids tell them what they want and while they encourage cycling, they let the kids pick (their son, Joey, prefers shorter days like commuting). By giving the family free time and flexibility on bike tours, it allows the kids to ride the miles they want—they love the freedom to choose the distance and how late they ride into the night!

When asked how they respond to those who feel larger trips are too dangerous, Aaron said,” First of all, you know your child better than anyone. Many aren’t ready for something of this magnitude, and it should never be forced. We consulted two pediatricians prior to get their input and what to look out for, and I highly recommend this before setting off with your child.” Mary said, “I think while it might seem or feel dangerous, we would never do anything that we thought was unsafe. There is always a risk with cycling on roads, but that can happen anywhere. Since we have both done the route, we were able to plan adequately for her abilities. It could seem isolating, but Molly has met so many amazing people along the way. Molly and Aaron would make up games to play—one being that they couldn’t talk for an entire day and had to make up hand signals the day before to communicate.”

Encouraging Adventure

Although I’m not a parent, I was, for a long time, a youth at-risk leader. Through interviewing many parents of adventurers, and by witnessing kids sharing these experiences with their parents, I can honestly say most have been very positive (especially when not forced on the kids). But don’t take my word for it. I encourage you to discuss with your kids’ what passions they might have and to reach out to other parents and their kids who take on these adventures for advice on how to implement outings together. Who knows, you might be the next family I get to interview!