Skip to content
Outside
  • Watch
  • Learn
  • Podcasts
  • Maps
  • Events
  • Shop
  • New NFTs
  • Outside+

Become a Member

Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more.

Join Outside+ Create Free Account
Already have an account? Sign In
Outside Watch
Premium Films and Live TV
Campfire
Outside Learn
Expand your Skills with Online Courses
Podcasts
The Outside Podcast
Maps
Get the Free Gaia GPS App
Get the Free Trailforks App
Events
Find Your Event
New NFTs
Discover NFT Market
Outside+
See Membership Programs
Shop
Discover Outdoor Products
Advocacy
Find Your Good

Become a Member

Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more.

Join Outside+ Create Free Account
Already have an account? Sign In

Brands

Outdoor
  • Backpacker
  • Climbing
  • Fly Fishing Film Tour
  • Gaia GPS
  • National Park Trips
  • Outside
  • Outside Watch
  • Ski
  • Warren Miller Entertainment
Healthy Living
  • Clean Eating
  • Oxygen
  • Vegetarian Times
  • Yoga Journal
Endurance
  • Beta
  • Peloton Magazine
  • Roll Massif
  • Trail Runner
  • Triathlete
  • VeloNews
  • Women's Running
Industry
  • athleteReg
  • Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
  • FinisherPix
  • Idea
  • NASTAR
  • Outside Business Journal
  • Outside Shop
  • VeloPress
  • VeloSwap
Outdoor
  • Backpacker
  • Climbing
  • Fly Fishing Film Tour
  • Gaia GPS
  • National Park Trips
  • Outside
  • Outside Watch
  • Ski
  • Warren Miller Entertainment
Healthy Living
  • Clean Eating
  • Oxygen
  • Vegetarian Times
  • Yoga Journal
Endurance
  • Beta
  • Peloton Magazine
  • Roll Massif
  • Trail Runner
  • Triathlete
  • VeloNews
  • Women's Running
Industry
  • athleteReg
  • Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
  • FinisherPix
  • Idea
  • NASTAR
  • Outside Business Journal
  • Outside Shop
  • VeloPress
  • VeloSwap

Peace Out, Paywall

Unlock world-class adventure journalism.

Subscribe Now

Outside Online
  • Search
  • Gear
  • Adventure
  • Health
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Long Reads
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletters
  • Trips
  • Gear
  • Adventure
  • Health
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Long Reads
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletters
  • Trips
Outside Online
  • Gear
    • Gear News
    • Cars & Trucks
    • Apparel
    • Biking
    • Camping
    • Climbing
    • Hiking
    • Running
    • Snow Sports
    • Water Sports
    • Tools & Tech
    • Gear Picks
  • Adventure
    • Exploration & Survival
    • Environment
    • Everest
    • Biking
    • Climbing
    • Hiking
    • Snow Sports
    • Water Sports
  • Health
    • Nutrition
    • Training & Performance
    • Wellness
    • Running
  • Travel
    • Destinations
    • Travel Advice
    • Essays
    • News and Analysis
    • National Parks
  • Culture
    • Active Families
    • Books & Media
    • Food
    • Essays
    • Love & Humor
    • Opinion
  • Long Reads
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletters
  • Trips
  • Outside Feed
  • Home
  • Member Exclusives
Adventure Water Sports

Rebecca Rusch’s 1,200-Mile Journey to Find Her Father’s Crash Site

Text by
The Editors
Twitter Icon
In 1972, the father of four-time world champion mountain biker Rebecca Rusch died when his plane was shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War. She was three years old at the time. More than 40 years later, Rusch decided to set out on the 1,200-mile Ho Chi Minh Trail in search of her father’s crash site. Accompanied by Vietnamese cycling champion Huyen Nguyen, a small support team, and a film crew from Red Bull Media House (they’ll release a film this summer), Rusch and Nguyen traveled through villages, jungle, and rugged terrain for just under a month in the spring of 2015. 
 We caught up with Rusch, who lives in Idaho, to give us a preview of the upcoming film, Blood Road. 

New trailer out now! 
 Photo: Rebecca Rusch and Huyen Nguyen pedal the Ho Chi Minh Trail through the rice fields of Vietnam. During the war, the trail acted as a pathway of support, materials, and military personnel, stretching from the northern part of the country through Laos, Cambodia, and into southern Vietnam. Rusch and Nguyen began their ride in Hanoi.
(Josh Letchworth/Red Bull)

In 1972, the father of four-time world champion mountain biker Rebecca Rusch died when his plane was shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War. She was three years old at the time. More than 40 years later, Rusch decided to set out on the 1,200-mile Ho Chi Minh Trail in search of her father’s crash site. Accompanied by Vietnamese cycling champion Huyen Nguyen, a small support team, and a film crew from Red Bull Media House (they’ll release a film this summer), Rusch and Nguyen traveled through villages, jungle, and rugged terrain for just under a month in the spring of 2015.

We caught up with Rusch, who lives in Idaho, to give us a preview of the upcoming film, Blood Road.

New trailer out now!

Photo: Rebecca Rusch and Huyen Nguyen pedal the Ho Chi Minh Trail through the rice fields of Vietnam. During the war, the trail acted as a pathway of support, materials, and military personnel, stretching from the northern part of the country through Laos, Cambodia, and into southern Vietnam. Rusch and Nguyen began their ride in Hanoi.

“One of the hardest parts of our whole trip was piecing together the most historically accurate route,” says Rusch. She gives a lot of the history and navigation credit to an expat she befriended named Don Duvall, who has dedicated years to mapping and studying the trail. He helped the team navigate through complex and unmarked regions.
(Josh Letchworth/Red Bull )

“One of the hardest parts of our whole trip was piecing together the most historically accurate route,” says Rusch. She gives a lot of the history and navigation credit to an expat she befriended named Don Duvall, who has dedicated years to mapping and studying the trail. He helped the team navigate through complex and unmarked regions.

The entire expedition was timed in hopes of arriving at the crash site of Rusch’s father on March 7, the day he went down in 1972. Rusch can’t tell us exactly what happened on her journey until the film comes out, but she did admit she “found a lot more than I was looking for.”
(Josh Letchworth/Red Bull )

The entire expedition was timed in hopes of arriving at the crash site of Rusch’s father on March 7, the day he went down in 1972. Rusch can’t tell us exactly what happened on her journey until the film comes out, but she did admit she “found a lot more than I was looking for.”

During the ride, they camped and stayed in hotels and locals’ homes.
(Josh Letchworth/Red Bull)

During the ride, they camped and stayed in hotels and locals’ homes.

Rusch’s husband and a bike mechanic joined the support team and followed in cars where they could. For many sections, Rusch and Nguyen rode solo through jungle terrain, and the support team would meet them at the end of each day.
(Josh Letchworth/Red Bull )

Rusch’s husband and a bike mechanic joined the support team and followed in cars where they could. For many sections, Rusch and Nguyen rode solo through jungle terrain, and the support team would meet them at the end of each day.

Rusch chose a full-suspension Niner Jet RDO as her ride, while Nguyen chose a Niner Air RDO hardtail. “She was bummed,” says Rusch. Due to the length and varied terrain, a full-suspension setup turned out to be the better choice.
(Josh Letchworth/Red Bull )

Rusch chose a full-suspension Niner Jet RDO as her ride, while Nguyen chose a Niner Air RDO hardtail. “She was bummed,” says Rusch. Due to the length and varied terrain, a full-suspension setup turned out to be the better choice.

Rusch used a combination of old paper maps, GPS, and her friend Duvall’s trail knowledge to plan and navigate the team’s route. The Rusch family also had access to crash coordinates and other reports from the military. But navigation still wasn’t easy. “Bridges got washed out, and the rainy season can change the trail every day,” says Rusch. “There were plenty of sections that were just hike-a-bike.”
(Josh Letchworth/Red Bull)

Rusch used a combination of old paper maps, GPS, and her friend Duvall’s trail knowledge to plan and navigate the team’s route. The Rusch family also had access to crash coordinates and other reports from the military. But navigation still wasn’t easy. “Bridges got washed out, and the rainy season can change the trail every day,” says Rusch. “There were plenty of sections that were just hike-a-bike.”

Red Bull Media House’s small production crew also had to endure the elements and changing landscape. For much of the time, they road enduro motorbikes with cameras and gear strapped on.
(Josh Letchworth/Red Bull )

Red Bull Media House’s small production crew also had to endure the elements and changing landscape. For much of the time, they road enduro motorbikes with cameras and gear strapped on.

Blood Road is expected to come out this summer and has already premiered at the Sun Valley Film Festival, where it won the Audience Choice award.
(Josh Letchworth/Red Bull)

Blood Road is expected to come out this summer and has already premiered at the Sun Valley Film Festival, where it won the Audience Choice award.

Filed to:
  • Mountain Biking
  • Photography
  • Vietnam

Read this next

Should Lael Wilcox’s Arizona Trail FKT Come with an Asterisk?

By: Abigail Barronian

Our Editors Have Made Plenty of Newbie Blunders in the Outdoors

By: The Editors

Outside+

Outside Magazine Summer 2022 Gear Guide cover

Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more.

Learn More
Facebook Icon Twitter Icon Instagram Icon
Outside
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Terms of Use
  • Licensing & Accolades
Healthy Living
  • Clean Eating
  • Oxygen
  • Vegetarian Times
  • Yoga Journal
Outdoor
  • Backpacker
  • Climbing
  • Fly Fishing Film Tour
  • Gaia GPS
  • National Park Trips
  • Outside
  • Outside TV
  • SKI
  • Warren Miller
Endurance
  • Beta MTB
  • CyclingTips
  • Fastest Known Time
  • Peloton
  • Pinkbike
  • Trailforks
  • Trail Runner
  • Triathlete
  • VeloNews
  • Women's Running
Industry
  • athleteReg
  • Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
  • FinisherPix
  • Inkwell
  • Nastar
  • Roam Media
  • Outside Books
  • Outside Events Cycling Series
  • Outside Shop
  • VeloSwap

© 2022 Outside Interactive, Inc