Thursday, August 27, 2009
I've made it!
So I'm sorry if it still seems like I'm stuck in Utah, but I did make it across the country! I've been trying to find time to write a few entries but post 4k summer has quickly passed by. I'm already on my way back to school!! Hopefully I'll find some time this weekend and update you on everything since Utah.. including a ride with limited clothing! Take care! and check back soon.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
First Half of Utah
Our time in Utah has certainly not been as interesting as Colorado, but it has still been fun! There has been a lot of hot weather, many people getting sick, camping, fly infested buildings, gravel road for miles, and lots of ups and downs. I can't say for sure, but I think the route we've taken through Utah is perhaps my least favorite of the trip!
-Paonia to Grand Junction, Co
Today was my turn to drive again. It was a very short day and the tailwind helped people move along very quickly. We had quite a few flat tires a lot the way, but we all got in around 1pm. We stayed at Mesa State University and had very nice beds to sleep in. A good number of us went out and say the Bruno movie, it was pretty funny. The 4am wake-up the next morning was a bit rough though!
-Grand Jct, to Moab, UT
Welcome to the day from hell. The distance was crazy long, over 100 miles, and it was going to be HOT! Some of the day was actually spent on I-70, but the first 15 miles in Utah were old paved road covered in loose gravel. Not fun to bike on. So after our bikes were given a violent massage, we finally made it back onto paved roads. After lunch was about 50 miles through the desert with nothing around. It was pretty and very desert-like, but it was over 100 degrees. We had some flat tire problems and the last 20 miles crept by. Eventually we made our way to Moab. Our host couldn't let us in until 8pm so we had a little time to kill. Lets just say we found a local brewery and had just a little taste of the local brew. The names were cool because they were named after bike parts and such. Got a good night sleep and slept in a little on our day off the next day!
-Day off Moab
Welcome to the most fun on the 4k yet! Conor, Richard and I rented four wheelers for the afternoon! A little over 4 hours of riding around in the desert, seeing awesome views, dinosaur bones, and no one else was great. The pictures Conor took speak for themselves. We were really out there and it was like nothing else. Plus it was nice to be able to go more than 20 mph and have an engine helping ya along! After we got back all 27 of us went to Arches National Park and celebrated our last day of the second leg! 2/3 of the way done! Crazy!
-Moab to Green River
Not to bad of day. Not a really long distance and rolling hills on alright roads. We got in early and had some time to relax. It was interesting because we stayed at a community center that was also the local food bank. We got put in charge of sorting the food that just came in. 9 pallets of food! After tossing cans and boxes around, and managing to hit a few people in the head it was all sorted. We had dinner and went back to killing the million house flies bugging us during our sleep... They were nice enough to offer us anything we wanted to take with us.
This is where all the fun begins. Never did we really stop to think about where food banks get their food. Lets just say we learned the hard way to look at expiration dates before eating food. The ham they gave us for lunch the next day expired in April of 09. So about half the team has been having problems for the last few days, myself included, and all things point back to the food bank... Dealing with the heat and having mild cases of food poisoning suck.
There is one girl on the team who has not been very lucky. She has fallen a few times, had bathroom problems many times, and wasn't spared by this bug this time. To top that off she also has a bad rash, maybe poison oak? Ha, she is falling apart! But still trucking.
-Green River to Capital Reef National Park
So after people had been up all night due to the food problems, we already had full vans and people dropping like hats. I started the day with 5 people in my group and finished (well was picked up) with only me and Shareef. Caitlin dropped after 4.6 miles and Maddie was done after 30. Mary Lacey made it to lunch but got in the van shortly after that. Shareef and I biked together for a bit and found another group at a coffee shop in the middle of no where. I ate some bread and that's where we formed team 'Shuttle'. Our goal for the day was to get shuttled to the camp site. :)
So the mileage was wrong and actually about 20 miles further than thought. With a pretty good hill at the end of the day there was no way we could make it. About 15 miles from the end the van came and got us! One girl had a badly pulled muscle and the 3 others were just not feeling good at all!
After many discussions with the park rangers about the size of our group we finally pitched out tents. We showered in the river at Capital Reef and went out to some restaurant for Pizza. People were still feeling pretty bad and almost half of our team had had some symptoms. We all just went to bed and hoped tomorrow would be better.
-Capital Reef to Escalante
Welcome to the second day from hell! Last minute last night they decided to change the route for today because of some problems last years group had with the park rangers and the size of the group. Lets just say they thought we were a 'parade' and should pay outrageous fines.
-Paonia to Grand Junction, Co
Today was my turn to drive again. It was a very short day and the tailwind helped people move along very quickly. We had quite a few flat tires a lot the way, but we all got in around 1pm. We stayed at Mesa State University and had very nice beds to sleep in. A good number of us went out and say the Bruno movie, it was pretty funny. The 4am wake-up the next morning was a bit rough though!
-Grand Jct, to Moab, UT
Welcome to the day from hell. The distance was crazy long, over 100 miles, and it was going to be HOT! Some of the day was actually spent on I-70, but the first 15 miles in Utah were old paved road covered in loose gravel. Not fun to bike on. So after our bikes were given a violent massage, we finally made it back onto paved roads. After lunch was about 50 miles through the desert with nothing around. It was pretty and very desert-like, but it was over 100 degrees. We had some flat tire problems and the last 20 miles crept by. Eventually we made our way to Moab. Our host couldn't let us in until 8pm so we had a little time to kill. Lets just say we found a local brewery and had just a little taste of the local brew. The names were cool because they were named after bike parts and such. Got a good night sleep and slept in a little on our day off the next day!
-Day off Moab
Welcome to the most fun on the 4k yet! Conor, Richard and I rented four wheelers for the afternoon! A little over 4 hours of riding around in the desert, seeing awesome views, dinosaur bones, and no one else was great. The pictures Conor took speak for themselves. We were really out there and it was like nothing else. Plus it was nice to be able to go more than 20 mph and have an engine helping ya along! After we got back all 27 of us went to Arches National Park and celebrated our last day of the second leg! 2/3 of the way done! Crazy!
-Moab to Green River
Not to bad of day. Not a really long distance and rolling hills on alright roads. We got in early and had some time to relax. It was interesting because we stayed at a community center that was also the local food bank. We got put in charge of sorting the food that just came in. 9 pallets of food! After tossing cans and boxes around, and managing to hit a few people in the head it was all sorted. We had dinner and went back to killing the million house flies bugging us during our sleep... They were nice enough to offer us anything we wanted to take with us.
This is where all the fun begins. Never did we really stop to think about where food banks get their food. Lets just say we learned the hard way to look at expiration dates before eating food. The ham they gave us for lunch the next day expired in April of 09. So about half the team has been having problems for the last few days, myself included, and all things point back to the food bank... Dealing with the heat and having mild cases of food poisoning suck.
There is one girl on the team who has not been very lucky. She has fallen a few times, had bathroom problems many times, and wasn't spared by this bug this time. To top that off she also has a bad rash, maybe poison oak? Ha, she is falling apart! But still trucking.
-Green River to Capital Reef National Park
So after people had been up all night due to the food problems, we already had full vans and people dropping like hats. I started the day with 5 people in my group and finished (well was picked up) with only me and Shareef. Caitlin dropped after 4.6 miles and Maddie was done after 30. Mary Lacey made it to lunch but got in the van shortly after that. Shareef and I biked together for a bit and found another group at a coffee shop in the middle of no where. I ate some bread and that's where we formed team 'Shuttle'. Our goal for the day was to get shuttled to the camp site. :)
So the mileage was wrong and actually about 20 miles further than thought. With a pretty good hill at the end of the day there was no way we could make it. About 15 miles from the end the van came and got us! One girl had a badly pulled muscle and the 3 others were just not feeling good at all!
After many discussions with the park rangers about the size of our group we finally pitched out tents. We showered in the river at Capital Reef and went out to some restaurant for Pizza. People were still feeling pretty bad and almost half of our team had had some symptoms. We all just went to bed and hoped tomorrow would be better.
-Capital Reef to Escalante
Welcome to the second day from hell! Last minute last night they decided to change the route for today because of some problems last years group had with the park rangers and the size of the group. Lets just say they thought we were a 'parade' and should pay outrageous fines.
So instead we ended up on a dirt road in the middle of some other forest. The groups were pretty spread out and mine still wasn't feeling too good. After a few big climbs up loose gravel roads, we rested under a tree. There must have been someone watching from above because this awesome sheep farmer named Andy stopped to check and see if we were alright. We said yes and asked about the road. He said it was about 40 more miles of gravel and wasn't going to be fun on a road bike. As he headed away, someone jokingly put out their finger to hitch hike... Not really expecting him to back up and offer us a ride! So the 8 of us put our bikes in the back of his truck and were taken about 9 more miles up the road to where all the rest of our groups were. Originally we thought that the hitch hiking would be looked down upon but in the end everyone was going to get shuttled because of the road conditions. So from there we emptied the vans and shuttled people the rest of the 30 miles on the gravel road. People and still really feeling sick and pretty tired, and I'm no exception, but tomorrow shouldn't be too bad and hopefully everyone will feel better.
Escalante looks like a fun town for outdoors people and the campsite we are staying at is also an outdoors outfitter, so lots of fun things I could spends lots of money on! Luckily we have to pack pretty light and I am broke so I won't buy anything!
A few more days then a day off in Cedar City. I can't believe the trip is almost over, but I'm pretty excited to cross over that bridge and enter real life again! 2 months on the road can really take a told on your mental processing and social function! I miss everyone and can't wait to see you Chels at the bay in a few weeks!
Back to my amazing tent for the night! Talk to you later down the road! Peace, Love, Spandex!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Colorado is a Huge State!
So I haven't written in a while, but don't worry I haven't even crossed into another state! But whoa Colorado is a crazy state.
-Yuma to Wiggins, CO
Pretty flat day today. Lots of corn fields and no sign of the rocky mountains yet! We made it in without much challenge and arrived in the tiny town of Wiggins. The clouds didn't look too inviting and a rain storm was soon to follow. After the rain let up a gorgeous double rainbow appeared. It was so bright I think we could have actually found the beginning of it! We gave a presentation to only about 6 people and quickly went to bed.
-Wiggins to Boulder
Within the first few miles we could already see the rocky mountains in the distance. Just little snow covered peaks to begin with but as the day continued they got much bigger! The ride wasn't to bad into boulder, no crazy climbs but we knew what was coming!
We had the day off the next day in boulder and it was an awesome town. Just a few crazy people and some people with a little fixation on drugs, but all and all pretty outdoorsy people. I certainly fit in with the outdoors attitude. We walked around pearl street and explored the local bike shop. A few of us went to a Denver Rockies baseball game that night. Caitlin managed to get some free tickets and after some confusion about what day the tickets were for, we managed to get in. Seats were awesome and the fireworks after the game were even cooler! We got home late and went to bed! The next day we start conquering the mountains.
-Boulder to Estes Park
I love to climb! I was very sick of the flat roads and same exact scenery every day. We started the day off with a 17 mile climb up Ward. I was extremely happy to be climbing and even managed to pass some of the locals doing it. Not saying I was a crazy fast climber, but once I got my iPod going and found my rhythm I was set. We made it to the top and had some snacks. Got a free Gatorade at the general store there. Kept going until lunch and had some ups and downs. Would get pretty warm on the climbs and freeze on the descents. Couldn't figure out the right amount of layers. After lunch the weather turned for the worse. Our awesome descent into Estes Park was quickly made horrible by some freezing cold rain and even some hail. I was riding with Jackie and we managed to make it to the bottom before the big hail started but then took cover in a garage. We then warmed up at a resort and even had some hot chocolate with a little Irish flavoring, if you know what I mean... That certainly warmed us up!
Finally made it to the YMCA of the Rockies and it was even nicer than the resort we stopped at! A 4000 person campus... WHOA! It was really nice to have beds and we needed the rest before the climb the next day. It was also 4th of July, but considering I saw fireworks at the ballgame last night, I didn't go out, instead I slept!
-Estes to Grand Lake
Today we climbed the highest paved road in America. Over 12,000 feet high! That was about 5500 feet of climbing. Lets just say it was gorgeous. Talk about amazing views. There were some scary parts where the cars zooming past and the cliffs on the other side made things uncomfortable, but we all made it. Besides the few than zoomed past the lunch stop, we all warmed up at the top and enjoyed the views. After getting a group picture we started the descent. ONLY to find horrible road construction and MORE HAIL! I was not a happy camper, or biker. We had about 15 miles of dirt road to the destination, but that wouldn't have been bad if I wasn't chilled to the bone and tired. We stated at a school in Grand Lake and managed to get a $400 food donation that made us all happy. A warm shower was greatly welcomed and we even got to sleep in the next day!
-Grand Lake to Kremmling
Because the distance was pretty short, only about 47 miles and mostly down hill, we decided to sleep in. Got up at 9am, thats unheard of! But because we got a late start that allowed the afternoon storms to build up. And about 2 miles outside the town we got hit by another huge hail storm. Needless to say we weren't to excited this time. We all to refuge in an empty garage that was also occupied by about 38 billion mosquitoes. I got a ton of bites and they still itch to this day.
-Kremmling to Glenwood Springs
This was a tough day. Originally we were going to have to climb two more 12000 foot mountains but luckily there was an easier route. Although about 25 miles at the beginning were spent on dirt and another 20 miles later, it was still nicer than climbing. The views were amazing. We followed the Colorado river for much of the day and had many high cliff views. I took a ton of photos this day and am still amazed by the beauty of the mountains. The last 15 miles were on a bike path underneith highway 70 down through Glenwood Canyon next to the Colorado river. This was the perfect ending to a tough day spent on dirt. It was also nice to know that tomorrow was a day off!
On the day off I was awoken early because everyone went to bed really early and felt it would be fun to turn the lights on when the woke up!!! But whatever, I needed to get up and do some stuff. The bus ride into Glenwood was free so that was nice. I went into town with a few people and we saw the second Transformers movie, it was good and nice to sit down for a while. We then went to a few bike shops in town and just enjoyed walking around. We had a community dinner and game night later that night.
-Glenwood to Paonia
The day began with a talk about this HUGE hill coming up called McClare pass. The first 30 miles of the day were spent slowly climbing and once we got to about mile 34 we say the road switchback and go up very quickly. They even had a sign that told us it was 3 miles to the summit. We rose about 1800 feet in 3 miles. Crazy steep but an awesome challenge. I did it in 28 mins and the record was 18, but still it was a quick climb. We had lunch at the top. We then enjoyed the rolling hills all the way down to Paonia. Regardless of being in the hills, the headwinds were killing me. We strolled into Paonia and I took a nice hour long nap on the sidewalk :)
Another day off! We shortened the trip by a day this year so we happened to get a day off right after a day off. I slept in a bit this morning and got a great breakfast provided at the church. Last night we were talked to by a 70 year alum from Hopkins, Felix Belmont. He has been involved with the local radio station here for 30 years. Turning 91 last week, Felix is in incredible shape for his age. Once of the nicest persons I've met on this trip by far. He recalling of Hopkins from 1936-40 blew my mind. Oh how the times have changed. His rent was $4 a week, and food was $5 a week. He also worked for the school and made $10 a month!
Felix invited us down to the radio station the next day and Caitlin, Jackie, Mary-Lacey, Dan and I got interviewed about our ride. It was awesome. It wasn't live, but once it gets aired, it should be on their website. kvnf.org. Their new building was a very sustainably built green radio station. Awesome by my standards.
And this is where I stand, or sit... In the new public library. I wish I could write more about each day, but since internet is so few and far between, its hard to remember everything that happens. Luckily I have been taking lots of pictures and each one sparks another memory. I can't believe that this trip is 2/3 of the way done!
I can't wait to pull into San Fran and realize that I've biked across the country. I also miss Chelsie like never before, but know we'll see each other in just a few weeks.
I want to thank everyone again for their continued support. I should be able to update in a few days, but once we get out into Utah, even civilization will be hard to come by!
This trip continues to amaze me every day. Everywhere we go is a new adventure; the people we meet, the stories we are told, everything just adds to the overall awe of this amazing journey across the country. I don't think I'll ever be able to tell someone exactly how this trip feels but I hope that this blog and the photos I'll eventually get posted help. If you haven't done something crazy like this in your life, do it. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.
Thanks! Talk to you again soon.
-Yuma to Wiggins, CO
Pretty flat day today. Lots of corn fields and no sign of the rocky mountains yet! We made it in without much challenge and arrived in the tiny town of Wiggins. The clouds didn't look too inviting and a rain storm was soon to follow. After the rain let up a gorgeous double rainbow appeared. It was so bright I think we could have actually found the beginning of it! We gave a presentation to only about 6 people and quickly went to bed.
-Wiggins to Boulder
Within the first few miles we could already see the rocky mountains in the distance. Just little snow covered peaks to begin with but as the day continued they got much bigger! The ride wasn't to bad into boulder, no crazy climbs but we knew what was coming!
We had the day off the next day in boulder and it was an awesome town. Just a few crazy people and some people with a little fixation on drugs, but all and all pretty outdoorsy people. I certainly fit in with the outdoors attitude. We walked around pearl street and explored the local bike shop. A few of us went to a Denver Rockies baseball game that night. Caitlin managed to get some free tickets and after some confusion about what day the tickets were for, we managed to get in. Seats were awesome and the fireworks after the game were even cooler! We got home late and went to bed! The next day we start conquering the mountains.
-Boulder to Estes Park
I love to climb! I was very sick of the flat roads and same exact scenery every day. We started the day off with a 17 mile climb up Ward. I was extremely happy to be climbing and even managed to pass some of the locals doing it. Not saying I was a crazy fast climber, but once I got my iPod going and found my rhythm I was set. We made it to the top and had some snacks. Got a free Gatorade at the general store there. Kept going until lunch and had some ups and downs. Would get pretty warm on the climbs and freeze on the descents. Couldn't figure out the right amount of layers. After lunch the weather turned for the worse. Our awesome descent into Estes Park was quickly made horrible by some freezing cold rain and even some hail. I was riding with Jackie and we managed to make it to the bottom before the big hail started but then took cover in a garage. We then warmed up at a resort and even had some hot chocolate with a little Irish flavoring, if you know what I mean... That certainly warmed us up!
Finally made it to the YMCA of the Rockies and it was even nicer than the resort we stopped at! A 4000 person campus... WHOA! It was really nice to have beds and we needed the rest before the climb the next day. It was also 4th of July, but considering I saw fireworks at the ballgame last night, I didn't go out, instead I slept!
-Estes to Grand Lake
Today we climbed the highest paved road in America. Over 12,000 feet high! That was about 5500 feet of climbing. Lets just say it was gorgeous. Talk about amazing views. There were some scary parts where the cars zooming past and the cliffs on the other side made things uncomfortable, but we all made it. Besides the few than zoomed past the lunch stop, we all warmed up at the top and enjoyed the views. After getting a group picture we started the descent. ONLY to find horrible road construction and MORE HAIL! I was not a happy camper, or biker. We had about 15 miles of dirt road to the destination, but that wouldn't have been bad if I wasn't chilled to the bone and tired. We stated at a school in Grand Lake and managed to get a $400 food donation that made us all happy. A warm shower was greatly welcomed and we even got to sleep in the next day!
-Grand Lake to Kremmling
Because the distance was pretty short, only about 47 miles and mostly down hill, we decided to sleep in. Got up at 9am, thats unheard of! But because we got a late start that allowed the afternoon storms to build up. And about 2 miles outside the town we got hit by another huge hail storm. Needless to say we weren't to excited this time. We all to refuge in an empty garage that was also occupied by about 38 billion mosquitoes. I got a ton of bites and they still itch to this day.
-Kremmling to Glenwood Springs
This was a tough day. Originally we were going to have to climb two more 12000 foot mountains but luckily there was an easier route. Although about 25 miles at the beginning were spent on dirt and another 20 miles later, it was still nicer than climbing. The views were amazing. We followed the Colorado river for much of the day and had many high cliff views. I took a ton of photos this day and am still amazed by the beauty of the mountains. The last 15 miles were on a bike path underneith highway 70 down through Glenwood Canyon next to the Colorado river. This was the perfect ending to a tough day spent on dirt. It was also nice to know that tomorrow was a day off!
On the day off I was awoken early because everyone went to bed really early and felt it would be fun to turn the lights on when the woke up!!! But whatever, I needed to get up and do some stuff. The bus ride into Glenwood was free so that was nice. I went into town with a few people and we saw the second Transformers movie, it was good and nice to sit down for a while. We then went to a few bike shops in town and just enjoyed walking around. We had a community dinner and game night later that night.
-Glenwood to Paonia
The day began with a talk about this HUGE hill coming up called McClare pass. The first 30 miles of the day were spent slowly climbing and once we got to about mile 34 we say the road switchback and go up very quickly. They even had a sign that told us it was 3 miles to the summit. We rose about 1800 feet in 3 miles. Crazy steep but an awesome challenge. I did it in 28 mins and the record was 18, but still it was a quick climb. We had lunch at the top. We then enjoyed the rolling hills all the way down to Paonia. Regardless of being in the hills, the headwinds were killing me. We strolled into Paonia and I took a nice hour long nap on the sidewalk :)
Another day off! We shortened the trip by a day this year so we happened to get a day off right after a day off. I slept in a bit this morning and got a great breakfast provided at the church. Last night we were talked to by a 70 year alum from Hopkins, Felix Belmont. He has been involved with the local radio station here for 30 years. Turning 91 last week, Felix is in incredible shape for his age. Once of the nicest persons I've met on this trip by far. He recalling of Hopkins from 1936-40 blew my mind. Oh how the times have changed. His rent was $4 a week, and food was $5 a week. He also worked for the school and made $10 a month!
Felix invited us down to the radio station the next day and Caitlin, Jackie, Mary-Lacey, Dan and I got interviewed about our ride. It was awesome. It wasn't live, but once it gets aired, it should be on their website. kvnf.org. Their new building was a very sustainably built green radio station. Awesome by my standards.
And this is where I stand, or sit... In the new public library. I wish I could write more about each day, but since internet is so few and far between, its hard to remember everything that happens. Luckily I have been taking lots of pictures and each one sparks another memory. I can't believe that this trip is 2/3 of the way done!
I can't wait to pull into San Fran and realize that I've biked across the country. I also miss Chelsie like never before, but know we'll see each other in just a few weeks.
I want to thank everyone again for their continued support. I should be able to update in a few days, but once we get out into Utah, even civilization will be hard to come by!
This trip continues to amaze me every day. Everywhere we go is a new adventure; the people we meet, the stories we are told, everything just adds to the overall awe of this amazing journey across the country. I don't think I'll ever be able to tell someone exactly how this trip feels but I hope that this blog and the photos I'll eventually get posted help. If you haven't done something crazy like this in your life, do it. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.
Thanks! Talk to you again soon.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
It's been a month!
So we've been riding for over a month now! How crazy is that. Trust me when you do the same thing every day you tend to loose track of time... lets just say depending on how I'm feeling it may feel like we left 4 days ago or 4 months ago!
The weather has started to cool down for us, nothing much over 85 and cool in the mornings. We had an awesome time in Benkelman, NE and also got a day off there.
-Arapahoe to Benkelman
A pretty long day so we had to get up from our homestays around 4:30, but most of us pushed that to about 5... We got on the road and headed out past the miles of corn fields. The directions were pretty long and consisted of one road for 92 miles. The last 20 miles were brutal. Fierce headwinds are not a tall guys friend. My knees were killing me and I was almost in tears because of the pain and how slow we were moving. But we all finally made it and the town greeted up with open arms! Chris and Carolyn opened their house and business to us all and we were quick to make smoothies! They are one of the only people to have been invovled with the 4k since it started. The first group happened to walk into their diner right before a big storm and were housed for the night... the rest is history!
The next day was our day off and we got to take over the pool and just relax in small town america. With only 1009 people in the whole town, everyone knew who we were! Chris and Carolyn threw a big BBQ outside their coffee shop 'Jitter Connection' and invited the whole town. We closed down a portion of main street and met the locals. A bunch of kids came out and lots of the townsfolk. It was cool to talk about what we were doing and just have a good relaxing time. Of course being that fireworks are legal during the week before July 4th in Nebraska I was quick to purchase a few. After we headed home, fun occured in the streets of benkelman!
Instead of being crammed into a basement with 26 of my new closest friends, I opted to sleep outside in a tent. It was nice. But once that sun came up in the morning it was HOT and time to get moving.
Chris and Carolyn are trying to move back to California where their family is, but I'm sure Benkelman will stay on the 4k list. The people are great and the pace of life is even better.
-Benkelman to Yuma, CO
Another state down! We've made it to Colorado. Today was a very wonderful day. There were great surprises around every corner.
The first of the day happened at our 2nd water stop. It was inside a old school building that is now a community center in Laird, Co. Little did the water van driver know, but just last night there was a school reunion! With much of the classes graduating in the mid 50's the ladies that met us were great! We had a full array of leftovers and it was a great surprise! The joy went both ways and we sure made each others days. To continue to amazingness these two ladies came over to Yuma during dinner and delivered us all reunion hats! It was another great surprise.
Also during the ride today, right before lunch, we all waved to a biker heading the other direction. After three groups passed him he decided he better turn around and see what we were all about. Turns out he was the state senator for the town we were biking through. We all got talking about politics, our ride, and colorado. I happened to mention that I was having alot of problems with my left shoe. For those who don't know, bike shoes clip into the pedal so you can both push down and pull up. Well I lost one of the bolts that clip the cleat on and my shoe was pretty much useless. Greg Brophy offered to dig through his bike parts at home and drive out to Yuma to help me out. Now thats awesome. Not only was it cool to meet a state senator while out biking, but to have him and his family show up at dinner in Yuma, 30 mins away, and bring me a new cleat for my show... Thats wonderful.
It really blows my mind how much you can touch others lives with simple gestures! It goes both ways. Greg was excited to have met us out there, and he really helped me out too! The little old ladies we met today offered to cook us steak dinners and house us next year! Their surprise visit to dinner with presents meant the world to us. This ride is really starting to open my eyes to how generous people can be and how keeping a smile on your face and doing the right thing can get you a long ways in this world.
We are at homestays again tonight and all I can see from my house in every direction is wheat! It is so flat and so gorgeous that I'm at a loss for words. The dinner was great tonight and we actually get to sleep in till 7 tomorrow! Not too long of day tomorrow to Wiggins, about 75 miles. Then Boulder after that!
I'm having an awesome time and can't believe we are half way done! The rockies and dessart in front of us will be a challenge but so senic and breathtaking that I can't wait.
Thanks for check out the blog and I'll keep ya updated!
Peace, Love, & Spandex!
-Travis
The weather has started to cool down for us, nothing much over 85 and cool in the mornings. We had an awesome time in Benkelman, NE and also got a day off there.
-Arapahoe to Benkelman
A pretty long day so we had to get up from our homestays around 4:30, but most of us pushed that to about 5... We got on the road and headed out past the miles of corn fields. The directions were pretty long and consisted of one road for 92 miles. The last 20 miles were brutal. Fierce headwinds are not a tall guys friend. My knees were killing me and I was almost in tears because of the pain and how slow we were moving. But we all finally made it and the town greeted up with open arms! Chris and Carolyn opened their house and business to us all and we were quick to make smoothies! They are one of the only people to have been invovled with the 4k since it started. The first group happened to walk into their diner right before a big storm and were housed for the night... the rest is history!
The next day was our day off and we got to take over the pool and just relax in small town america. With only 1009 people in the whole town, everyone knew who we were! Chris and Carolyn threw a big BBQ outside their coffee shop 'Jitter Connection' and invited the whole town. We closed down a portion of main street and met the locals. A bunch of kids came out and lots of the townsfolk. It was cool to talk about what we were doing and just have a good relaxing time. Of course being that fireworks are legal during the week before July 4th in Nebraska I was quick to purchase a few. After we headed home, fun occured in the streets of benkelman!
Instead of being crammed into a basement with 26 of my new closest friends, I opted to sleep outside in a tent. It was nice. But once that sun came up in the morning it was HOT and time to get moving.
Chris and Carolyn are trying to move back to California where their family is, but I'm sure Benkelman will stay on the 4k list. The people are great and the pace of life is even better.
-Benkelman to Yuma, CO
Another state down! We've made it to Colorado. Today was a very wonderful day. There were great surprises around every corner.
The first of the day happened at our 2nd water stop. It was inside a old school building that is now a community center in Laird, Co. Little did the water van driver know, but just last night there was a school reunion! With much of the classes graduating in the mid 50's the ladies that met us were great! We had a full array of leftovers and it was a great surprise! The joy went both ways and we sure made each others days. To continue to amazingness these two ladies came over to Yuma during dinner and delivered us all reunion hats! It was another great surprise.
Also during the ride today, right before lunch, we all waved to a biker heading the other direction. After three groups passed him he decided he better turn around and see what we were all about. Turns out he was the state senator for the town we were biking through. We all got talking about politics, our ride, and colorado. I happened to mention that I was having alot of problems with my left shoe. For those who don't know, bike shoes clip into the pedal so you can both push down and pull up. Well I lost one of the bolts that clip the cleat on and my shoe was pretty much useless. Greg Brophy offered to dig through his bike parts at home and drive out to Yuma to help me out. Now thats awesome. Not only was it cool to meet a state senator while out biking, but to have him and his family show up at dinner in Yuma, 30 mins away, and bring me a new cleat for my show... Thats wonderful.
It really blows my mind how much you can touch others lives with simple gestures! It goes both ways. Greg was excited to have met us out there, and he really helped me out too! The little old ladies we met today offered to cook us steak dinners and house us next year! Their surprise visit to dinner with presents meant the world to us. This ride is really starting to open my eyes to how generous people can be and how keeping a smile on your face and doing the right thing can get you a long ways in this world.
We are at homestays again tonight and all I can see from my house in every direction is wheat! It is so flat and so gorgeous that I'm at a loss for words. The dinner was great tonight and we actually get to sleep in till 7 tomorrow! Not too long of day tomorrow to Wiggins, about 75 miles. Then Boulder after that!
I'm having an awesome time and can't believe we are half way done! The rockies and dessart in front of us will be a challenge but so senic and breathtaking that I can't wait.
Thanks for check out the blog and I'll keep ya updated!
Peace, Love, & Spandex!
-Travis
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Short day but full of fun!
-Franklin to Arapahoe
Today's a short day! only 57 miles. So we decided to have a little fun. This morning we were given a list of 20 or so items, pictures, things to do along the route. Crazy stuff! Lets see... Before even leaving Arapahoe I was wearing a sports bra and sitting on a tractor... Then I ate a live grasshopper. Then 3 of us ate live minos, and I got stuck eating two! I ate a whole apple, core and all... I peed off the top of the van and off the top of a very tall hay pile about 25 feet up! I mooned a few groups, shot of fireworks, even bought a condom out of a bathroom vending machine! Other things on the list were to put peanut butter on the face of a leg leader, get naked in the bathroom of a opposite sex, get a picture with cows, a picture in the corn fields, a picture with some locals, picture with a motorcyclist, and lots more!!
Lets just say it was a fun day. Unfortunately before it was done Kristine and Connor managed to hit the pavement pretty hard in an unsuccessful 'pirating' (spraying water on a group while passing them) attempt. She has fractured her tailbone and got a concussion... But we'll see how long she is off the bike. We all hope for a fast recovery! She's a trooper.
Tonight is a home stay. We actually get to sleep in a house! with beds, and tv and internet, and LAUNDRY! and private bathrooms and other people. Its awesome. I'm with 3 other riders about 5 mins away from town. Great modern farm house and love the family. Dinner was great tonight and gotta get some sleep tonight!
Alright, off to Benkelman tomorrow and a day off after that!
Take care!
Today's a short day! only 57 miles. So we decided to have a little fun. This morning we were given a list of 20 or so items, pictures, things to do along the route. Crazy stuff! Lets see... Before even leaving Arapahoe I was wearing a sports bra and sitting on a tractor... Then I ate a live grasshopper. Then 3 of us ate live minos, and I got stuck eating two! I ate a whole apple, core and all... I peed off the top of the van and off the top of a very tall hay pile about 25 feet up! I mooned a few groups, shot of fireworks, even bought a condom out of a bathroom vending machine! Other things on the list were to put peanut butter on the face of a leg leader, get naked in the bathroom of a opposite sex, get a picture with cows, a picture in the corn fields, a picture with some locals, picture with a motorcyclist, and lots more!!
Lets just say it was a fun day. Unfortunately before it was done Kristine and Connor managed to hit the pavement pretty hard in an unsuccessful 'pirating' (spraying water on a group while passing them) attempt. She has fractured her tailbone and got a concussion... But we'll see how long she is off the bike. We all hope for a fast recovery! She's a trooper.
Tonight is a home stay. We actually get to sleep in a house! with beds, and tv and internet, and LAUNDRY! and private bathrooms and other people. Its awesome. I'm with 3 other riders about 5 mins away from town. Great modern farm house and love the family. Dinner was great tonight and gotta get some sleep tonight!
Alright, off to Benkelman tomorrow and a day off after that!
Take care!
Welcome to the west!
Lets just start off by saying how HOT it has been the past week. With temps pushing 100 degrees it certainly makes biking interesting!
-Paola to Lawrence
Got an early start today to beat the heat. I was with the quick group and we were pushing 20mph for the first bit. The day started to drag towards the end but we had an awesome surprise waiting for us. We all got a late lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse! Luckily it was only 3 miles away from the church we were staying at. I managed to get some sunscreen in my eye that afternoon and it bothered me all night. So I didn't have the best night, but did meet someone at Ben and Jerries that was from vermont!
-Lawrence to Frankfort
Long day! But luckily the first 70 miles were pretty flat! Once the rolling hills started we all started to slow down. But with every up hill comes a nice down hill. As we got closer to the town it looked like we were headed right into a thunderstorm. With lightining on the horizon and rain drops falling, we zoomed the last 7 miles into town and managed to get a shower in before the skies opened up!
-Frankfort to Fairbury
My turn to drive! Pretty easy 70 mile day and not to many turns. Had a hard time finding food out in the middle of no where, but we managed. Lunch was served at an old grain elevator where I had to climb the 100 feet up and check out the view! Luckily the heat wasn't to bad and the A/C was even better. Fairbury was a great little town with brick roads and a pretty small population. Dinner was great and managed to get online a little. Micheal Jackson died! Its amazing what news does make it to us...
-Fairbury to Franklin
The skies looked pretty dark this morning, but it was nice to have overcast for a bit. No really rain but it kept the temps down. Today was over 100 miles, but didn't get too too hot. We finally made it in and even had a little time to relax. Lets just say I was happy to pass out pretty early and because the short day ahead we actually got to sleep in a little!
-Paola to Lawrence
Got an early start today to beat the heat. I was with the quick group and we were pushing 20mph for the first bit. The day started to drag towards the end but we had an awesome surprise waiting for us. We all got a late lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse! Luckily it was only 3 miles away from the church we were staying at. I managed to get some sunscreen in my eye that afternoon and it bothered me all night. So I didn't have the best night, but did meet someone at Ben and Jerries that was from vermont!
-Lawrence to Frankfort
Long day! But luckily the first 70 miles were pretty flat! Once the rolling hills started we all started to slow down. But with every up hill comes a nice down hill. As we got closer to the town it looked like we were headed right into a thunderstorm. With lightining on the horizon and rain drops falling, we zoomed the last 7 miles into town and managed to get a shower in before the skies opened up!
-Frankfort to Fairbury
My turn to drive! Pretty easy 70 mile day and not to many turns. Had a hard time finding food out in the middle of no where, but we managed. Lunch was served at an old grain elevator where I had to climb the 100 feet up and check out the view! Luckily the heat wasn't to bad and the A/C was even better. Fairbury was a great little town with brick roads and a pretty small population. Dinner was great and managed to get online a little. Micheal Jackson died! Its amazing what news does make it to us...
-Fairbury to Franklin
The skies looked pretty dark this morning, but it was nice to have overcast for a bit. No really rain but it kept the temps down. Today was over 100 miles, but didn't get too too hot. We finally made it in and even had a little time to relax. Lets just say I was happy to pass out pretty early and because the short day ahead we actually got to sleep in a little!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
long day!
-Sweet Springs to Paola Kansas.
With highs up near 100 degrees and over 112 miles to bike, we all knew it was going to be a long day! Amazingly enough the first 50 miles just flew by. Unfortunately my group took a wrong turn and tried to set up lunch about 10 miles the wrong direction from the real lunch stop! But we made it back. I felt pretty bad after lunch and actually jumped in the van for a few miles, kinda dehydrated and just over heated. But made the the last 30 miles and had a nice big dinner.
Gotta run to breakfast and get on the road. Today is only 50 miles and should fly by!
Enjoy!
Peace, Love, & Spandex
With highs up near 100 degrees and over 112 miles to bike, we all knew it was going to be a long day! Amazingly enough the first 50 miles just flew by. Unfortunately my group took a wrong turn and tried to set up lunch about 10 miles the wrong direction from the real lunch stop! But we made it back. I felt pretty bad after lunch and actually jumped in the van for a few miles, kinda dehydrated and just over heated. But made the the last 30 miles and had a nice big dinner.
Gotta run to breakfast and get on the road. Today is only 50 miles and should fly by!
Enjoy!
Peace, Love, & Spandex
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