A different kind of ‘graduation’ trip: Jim Stefanoff, Kevin Swaim ready for another cross-country bike journey across the U.S.

Go West, Jim Stefanoff.

As a reward from “graduating work,” Stefanoff, 60, will cycle across the United States starting Monday, recreating a grueling ride he took more than 40 years ago.

Only this time, the Spokane resident will reverse course, starting this journey on the East Coast.

Stefanoff’s journey is a sequel to a cycling trip he took in 1981 after he graduated from Lewis and Clark High School. Stefanoff, 18 at the time, and a soccer teammate took on the challenge.

“I always thought, ‘Maybe someday I’ll do it again,’ ” Stefanoff said. “It’s a challenge. I’m 60 years old and I’m 42 years older than when I did it (the first time). And so how will the body respond? How will it go? I look at it through a different lens than I did when I was 18 years old. Because when I was 18 I was like, ‘All right, I’m going to college next year. The future is wide open.’

“So now it’s like my career is largely behind me, which means that there’s a new opportunity. And so that’s why I said early on, I kind of see this – I did it when I graduated from high school. And I see myself doing it again when I graduated from work.”

After he told his wife he was contemplating doing the trip again, she wondered if he would start from Spokane.

“Most people (on) these long-distance cross-country bike trips go from West Coast to East Coast because that’s the way the wind normally blows,” Stefanoff said. “It’s a lot better to have the wind at your back than in your face.”

Long-distance cycling rose to popularity in the United States during the 1970s. Stefanoff became interested in the sport when his math teacher, Tom Cline, talked about the tours he completed.

During his first tour, he primarily navigated using paper maps found at gas stations. Forty-two years later, maps from the Adventure Cycling Association will make the navigation easier.

“They’ve done a lot more of the homework for us,” Stefanoff said.

Headquartered in Missoula, the association creates bike-friendly routes through the U.S. that cover over 52,000 miles. The maps they publish are specifically designed for cyclists and include information on bike-friendly campgrounds.

LC Spanish teacher and cross country coach Kevin Swaim, 59, will accompany Stefanoff on this tour.

Previously, Swaim and his son joined Stefanoff and his daughter on a five-day tour through Oregon. Now, the two take on a more grueling challenge: bike from Long Island, New York, to the Oregon Coast.

“In most of my adult life, I have always sort of envisioned riding my bike across the country,” Swaim said. “When Jim presented the idea to me about six months ago, he was pretty bent on going and he invited me to come along, so I said, ‘I think the time has come. I need to do this.’ ”

A tradition among cross-country cyclists, Stefanoff and Swaim will dip their front bicycle wheels in the Atlantic Ocean off the Long Island shore in New York before starting their journey.

The goal is to finish on Aug. 17, but the end date is held loosely.

“You really can’t plan day-to-day where you’re going to be,” Stefanoff said. “I expect as we get into it, we’re going to have a good idea of where we’re going to be over the next three to four days unless something weird happens.”

The two plan to average 65–75 miles per day, although that could look different based on weather, breakdowns or the need for a rest day.

“Just 10 or 15 more miles a day makes a big difference after a while,” Stefanoff said.

Around Aug. 5, the cyclists plan to stop in Boise to meet up with Swaim’s brother. From there, Stefanoff will fly back to Spokane for a few days to celebrate his mother’s 100th birthday on Aug. 10.

“Obviously, that’s a don’t-miss (birthday),” Stefanoff said.

After Stefanoff returns to Boise to meet up with Swaim, the two will continue their journey. The last scheduled stop is the Oregon coast, where their wives will drive down and spend a few days with them before they load up the gear to drive home.

“Anytime you travel, there are surprises and that’s what to me has always made travel exciting is the unknown, and I am sure there will be plenty unknowns.” Swaim said. “That’s one of the things about going new places is that you’re seeing beautiful scenery that you didn’t expect .”