In the fall of 1962 Kalamazoo College Cross-Country Coach Warren “Swede” Thomas loaded his Hornet harriers in a van (a.k.a. the Blue Goose) and drove the team to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula. The team’s mission: run the 287 miles back to campus in 10 days. Well, not every mile (some portions were driven), but a good chunk was traversed by sneaker sole, including the five-mile span of the Mackinac Bridge (you could do that back then on days other than Labor Day).

The “Blue-Goosed Soo-to-Kazoo in ’62” training trip had a hometown trajectory because the team made stops in hometowns of as many team members as possible. Fifty years later, team member Don Schneider ’63 honored the early-September anniversary—albeit by van and tandem bicycle—with his wife, Jean Chin. The commemoration kept the hometown theme, and Don and Jean visited former teammates Dave Bellingham ’63 (Jan), Bill Atkinson ’63 (Linda), and Dennis Lamb ’63 (Pat) in Rapid City, Suttons Bay, and Frankfort, respectively. “Those were wonderful visits,” said Don. He and Jean also made sure their biking routes included Saugatuck (hometown of teammate Bob Brackenridge ’63), Plainwell (hometown of Dick Payne ’65), Whitehall (hometown of the late Tom Schaaf ’65), and Muskegon, where Don starred on the Muskegon High School cross country and track teams. In all, the couple biked a little more than 300 miles, including some rides of astounding scenic beauty near Charlevoix, Traverse Bay, Ludington, and Crystal Lake.

The bike trip was a nice way to honor the memory of “Swede” Thomas, who also taught physical education and directed the Career-Service Center at K. Said Schneider: “We also hope the anniversary ride stimulates attendance at the Class of 1963 reunion at next year’s Homecoming (October 18-20, 2013).”