On Tuesday, Aug. 16, Nord will head out on his KTM 890 Adventure R, an on and off-road motorcycle, for a trek across the country – down to Tennessee and North Carolina, then west to Oregon and back.
He will follow the TransAmerica Trail, described as "the cross-country adventure ride of a lifetime with mostly off-pavement travel." Reaching Oregon will take about four weeks. Coming home, he'll travel by highways in a week. "I figure I have maybe 10 good years of riding left and now is go time," Nord said. "I want to get out and try some new things while I still can, and adventure riding is one of them."
He said he has watched others retire and then have health problems cut short their dreams. When he returns, he plans to teach fire instruction and health and safety training courses in the region and the state.