As I sit here in the Library in Superior, I honestly can't remember much about the ride from Lincoln to Missoula. I Remember it was pretty long, seemed even longer, and with five mile to goI had to be motivated by Lisa saying "Jut five more miles until our day off!" That's all I remeber, but we made it none the less.
We got into Missoula, made ourselves a great pasta dinner and then hit the town for our first night out in over two weeks! Most of us ended up at the Iron Horse Bar & Grill where I'm pretty sure we overwhelmed them when we first walked in. The opened up a special room upstairs, the "501 Lounge" and we had a great night just hanging out and enjoying ourselves.
I woke up pretty early on our day off, I guess its just engrained in me these days. After breakfast at the church Lisa and I met up with Sophia at a coffee shop where I spent the rest of my morning reading. I haven't been to diligent in the reading department this summer, so it was good to give my brain a little workout.
We headed back "home" for lunch, and then a group of us headed out to go float the river all afternoon. Maybe the fact that there were 13 of us should have been some kind of ominous warning, but we didn't pay any attention to it. After a good ride up the river, our guide dropped us off for a 5 mile float trip. We grabbed our tubes, jumped in, and immediately realized just how cold it was. Honestly it wasn't too bad unless you were in the shade of the trees, but once the sun went behind the mountains, things turned colder. Most of the group got out and walked down the highway to our pick up point, but a few of us decided to tough it out (probably not my best decision on this trip). By the end I was balancing on top of my tube, shivering, hoping that no more rapids would cause me to get wet. It all ended up okay though. We all made it back safely (including Kate and Courtney who apparently hitch hiked back into town and left the rest of us a little worried), and it was a pretty fun way to end the afternoon. On our way back from the store where we rented rafts Lisa, Julie, and I stopped and got dinner at the Pita Pit (this WAS one of the better decisions of my trip).
Oh, side note. Julie is back as I just mentioned in the paragraph above. It was fun getting to hang out with here on the rafting trip and on our way back from dinner. She was definitely missed, and I'm glad she's back! Now all 31 riders are back.
The ride from Missoula to Superior was, well, superior! (yeah, lame joke, i know) No, but really, the 60 mile day just seemed to melt away as we travelled down the side roads next to the interstate and along a beautiful road following the river into town. In the morning, a big group of maybe 20 of us rode together most of the way before breaking up at a gas station. Mark, Shira, Lisa, Marita, and I kept going, and reached lunch pretty quickly. We had some great bakery donations (specialty breads!) and lunch was very good. We also had some not so good donations, like the angel food cake that seriously tasted like cotton candy,but I'm sure it was all eaten by the end of lunch anyways. After staying at lunch for quite a while, our same group minus Mark hit the road again. Following the river for most of the afternoon was great, and then we had mail drop once we got here! Mom sent me a new video camera/picture camera since mine died on me, so hopefully I can get back into the habit of posting pictures again. I guess I'll just have to steal everybody else's pictures off facebook so I have some from Nebraska and Wyoming.
Tonight we're going to the Mineral County Fair where our dinner is provided. Tomorrow we head to Idaho again!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
From Helena to Lincoln
Today we climbed from Helena to Lincoln. Well, not the whole way, but it sure seemed like it for a while.
St. Peter's fed us a great burrito dinner last night follwed by an amazing pancake, sausage, and hashbrown feast for breakfast. I was in bed before 8 and slept outside in the church courtyard (it was the perfect night to do so), so I was feeling great this morning. A big ggroup of us rolled out together and stayed together for the first 20 miles or so. The terrain started going up hill at this point, and we began to spread out with Jake Schorr, Jake Stangel, Sophia, Joe, and I taking the lead as we headed up Fletcher Pass. It wasn't too bad to begin with, but just as soon as Jake Stangel said, "This is probably the easiest pass I've ever climbed" the road decided to change that. The last 2 or 3 miles up the pass were pretty tough, but Joe and I kept pushing while we talked about the Tour de France (which apparently ended yesterday). We reached the top of the pass at about mile 36, and the van was waiting for us there. We took our time eating left over pancakes and sausage, and I stayed there for almost an hour. Lindsey, Lisa, Hannah, Marty, Marita, Jess, Barbara, and I all rode together for parts of the ride after lunch. The descent was quick and full of switchbacks, and then we fought the wind for the rest of the ride. Luckily it was a short day (57), and we all reached the school in Lincoln fairly early. The van got to the school right as I did, so after a quick unload and shower most of us decided to take a good long nap for a good portion of the afternoon.
St. Peter's fed us a great burrito dinner last night follwed by an amazing pancake, sausage, and hashbrown feast for breakfast. I was in bed before 8 and slept outside in the church courtyard (it was the perfect night to do so), so I was feeling great this morning. A big ggroup of us rolled out together and stayed together for the first 20 miles or so. The terrain started going up hill at this point, and we began to spread out with Jake Schorr, Jake Stangel, Sophia, Joe, and I taking the lead as we headed up Fletcher Pass. It wasn't too bad to begin with, but just as soon as Jake Stangel said, "This is probably the easiest pass I've ever climbed" the road decided to change that. The last 2 or 3 miles up the pass were pretty tough, but Joe and I kept pushing while we talked about the Tour de France (which apparently ended yesterday). We reached the top of the pass at about mile 36, and the van was waiting for us there. We took our time eating left over pancakes and sausage, and I stayed there for almost an hour. Lindsey, Lisa, Hannah, Marty, Marita, Jess, Barbara, and I all rode together for parts of the ride after lunch. The descent was quick and full of switchbacks, and then we fought the wind for the rest of the ride. Luckily it was a short day (57), and we all reached the school in Lincoln fairly early. The van got to the school right as I did, so after a quick unload and shower most of us decided to take a good long nap for a good portion of the afternoon.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Bozeman to Helena
Today was another good day on the bike. We woke up to a gerat breakfast provided by our hosts and prepared by Chad and the breakfast crew. It was a great mix of fruits, cereals, eggs, baked goods, and juices. We all ate so much we got a late start to our route meeting and then to our ride. The road from Bozeman to Helena is basically flat. For the first 45 miles until lunch I averaged 21 mph, and was feeling great. I stayed around first lunch for a long time (mainly because Marita and Jake bought frosted flakes so I was chowing down), and then decided to take it easy for a whlie. I rode alone for the next little stretch, and met up with a few other riders in a gas station at about mile 70. We rode together for the next 5 miles or so until second lunch where I refilled my water and hit the road again. I guess a big breakfast and then frosted flakes for first lunch were good enough. I moved pretty quickly the last 30 miles, making it into town pretty early. I wandered around for a little over an hour before heading to the church where they had muffins and juice waiting on us.
Its funny how two months ago a 100 mile ride was a big challenge our group had to mentally prepare for. Now it just seems like another day. We've all improved so much, and it is neat to see how things that used to be so hard are seeming easier for us all.
Its funny how two months ago a 100 mile ride was a big challenge our group had to mentally prepare for. Now it just seems like another day. We've all improved so much, and it is neat to see how things that used to be so hard are seeming easier for us all.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Jackson, WY to Bozeman, MT
Heading out of Jackson was probably the most anticipated day of the trip. After a quick 6 mile warm up we began our climb up Teton Pass. Teton Pass is a 10% grade for about 7 miles, and then a descent down into Idaho.
The whole way up I had chills as Chad and I pushed ourselves really hard. We took the bike path, and the views were absolutely breathtaking. Once we reached the top we turned around and cheered for the rest of the riders as they arrived. Soon the entire group was cheering on sweep as they made it up the pass. After lots of pictures, hugs, and all around good feelings we decided to keep going. We had only gone 13 miles, but it felt like we should have been done for the day. After a super fast, switchback filled descent, the next 60 miles were pretty hard for me. My camelbak (my backpack that holds water) had a leak, so I was only riding with one water bottle. This made the day longer because I was trying to conserve water, plus I had a slow leak in my back tire which frustrated me a little more. A little dehydrated, and just wanting the ride to be done with I had a pretty slow afternoon into Ashton, Idaho. That night I slept outside on the front porch of the church, and it was amazing.
From Ashton we had a special treat as we headed to West Yellowstone, MT. "Team Merica" (that's a patriotic combination of Marita and Eric) was riding sweep on a 57 mile day. The morning flew by with only a few stops as we helped Shira with her two flats. Team Merica somehow missed a few people who had stopped to go eat at a local restaurant, and we handed our duties over at lunch. I rode most of the afternoon alone, arriving to the host location fairly early. When we got to the host location, most everyone decided to pitch in $5 to cover gas and park fees, and we went into Yellowstone National Park. Joe, being the awesome leader he is, did a lot of driving to make the day great for all of us. First we went and swam in Firehole river, and then we went and walked around a boardwalk with several geysers on its path. Getting to see a glimpse of Yellowstone was definitely one of the highlights of a great week.
From W. Yellowstone we rode to Bozeman this morning. It was a 90 mile ride that just flew by. It was downhill almost all day, and it felt like we weren't doing any work at all. First lunch came quickly at mile 30, and then a group of us decided to stop at mile 45 in Big Sky for hot chocolate (it was about 35 degrees when we started our ride). I left the gas station alone, and missed second lunch because I never saw anyone. It was okay though because I just ate a Clif bar and made it in fine. When I got to town Ashley and I went to get ice cream (she missed lunch too), and waited for others to get to town. Soon Barbara, Mark, and Kourtney arrived and the four of us decided to go see the Dark Knight, the new Batman movie. It was great. Then we came back, ate dinner, had our town hall meeting, and now its time for bed.
Two weeks from tomorrow we reach Seattle!
The whole way up I had chills as Chad and I pushed ourselves really hard. We took the bike path, and the views were absolutely breathtaking. Once we reached the top we turned around and cheered for the rest of the riders as they arrived. Soon the entire group was cheering on sweep as they made it up the pass. After lots of pictures, hugs, and all around good feelings we decided to keep going. We had only gone 13 miles, but it felt like we should have been done for the day. After a super fast, switchback filled descent, the next 60 miles were pretty hard for me. My camelbak (my backpack that holds water) had a leak, so I was only riding with one water bottle. This made the day longer because I was trying to conserve water, plus I had a slow leak in my back tire which frustrated me a little more. A little dehydrated, and just wanting the ride to be done with I had a pretty slow afternoon into Ashton, Idaho. That night I slept outside on the front porch of the church, and it was amazing.
From Ashton we had a special treat as we headed to West Yellowstone, MT. "Team Merica" (that's a patriotic combination of Marita and Eric) was riding sweep on a 57 mile day. The morning flew by with only a few stops as we helped Shira with her two flats. Team Merica somehow missed a few people who had stopped to go eat at a local restaurant, and we handed our duties over at lunch. I rode most of the afternoon alone, arriving to the host location fairly early. When we got to the host location, most everyone decided to pitch in $5 to cover gas and park fees, and we went into Yellowstone National Park. Joe, being the awesome leader he is, did a lot of driving to make the day great for all of us. First we went and swam in Firehole river, and then we went and walked around a boardwalk with several geysers on its path. Getting to see a glimpse of Yellowstone was definitely one of the highlights of a great week.
From W. Yellowstone we rode to Bozeman this morning. It was a 90 mile ride that just flew by. It was downhill almost all day, and it felt like we weren't doing any work at all. First lunch came quickly at mile 30, and then a group of us decided to stop at mile 45 in Big Sky for hot chocolate (it was about 35 degrees when we started our ride). I left the gas station alone, and missed second lunch because I never saw anyone. It was okay though because I just ate a Clif bar and made it in fine. When I got to town Ashley and I went to get ice cream (she missed lunch too), and waited for others to get to town. Soon Barbara, Mark, and Kourtney arrived and the four of us decided to go see the Dark Knight, the new Batman movie. It was great. Then we came back, ate dinner, had our town hall meeting, and now its time for bed.
Two weeks from tomorrow we reach Seattle!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Dubois to Jackson
Let me just start out by saying this was my favorite ride of the trip thus far.
We left Dubois and began the long 85 mile day to Jackson. A big group of us was riding pretty fast for the first 10 miles or so before the day turned upwards. Chad and I began the long 20 mile climb at a steady pace only for me to have a flat before we even got to the real climb. I changed it quickly, and we began again. We pushed it pretty hard the whole way up, amazed as we climbed past snow patches and beautiful mountain lakes. We reached the top of the climb early enough to scout out a place for lunch, and after crossing the Continental Divide, we turned around and headed back to a little picnic area by a lake. This was what will probably be the highest point of our entire trip at 9,660 ft! After a quick mosquito filled lunch we headed down the other side of the mountain on a 17 mile downhill! It wasn't super steep, but I still managed to hit 45 mph coming down. About 3 or 4 miles into the descent we reached a spot where it leveled out just a little and to our left you could see the Teton mountains. They are huge, jagged, snow capped mountains that seem to go straight into the sky. At that point I, and most everyone else, had a smile that couldn't leave our faces for the next 50 miles. I another flat right at the bottom of the mountain, but the scenery was so great I didn't mind taking a break. After a few miles of gentle hills we reached the valley where we road on the amazingly flat road paralleling the Snake River.
We got into Jackson, a very touristy but still beautiful town, and spent the evening playing. We went through shops, roamed town, and ate at the Snake River Brewery and Restaurant. Then this morning we worked with the Teton Valley Habitat Chapter. The housing situation in Jackson is unique because of the wealthy people who flock here. The average cost of a house in the area is 1.2 million dollars! There is definitely a need for affordable housing in the area, and it was interesting to learn about the actions the local government is taking. We worked on 3 separate houses today. One was almost complete, while the other two hadn't had their foundations poured. I spent the morning grounding a house with Hana, raising the rebar for the concrete pours, a little bit of carpentry, and then learning how to survey. The afternoon was spent leveling all of the forms on one of the houses with Chad before the cement trucks arrived and we poured the molds we had worked on all day. All in all it was a great time. I learned new skills, worked hard, and just had fun.
Tomorrow we leave Wyoming headed for Idaho. I think everyone will be sad to see Wyoming go. It has been such an exciting, diverse state, and we've all had a blast. We climb Teton Pass early in the morning. Oh boy!
We left Dubois and began the long 85 mile day to Jackson. A big group of us was riding pretty fast for the first 10 miles or so before the day turned upwards. Chad and I began the long 20 mile climb at a steady pace only for me to have a flat before we even got to the real climb. I changed it quickly, and we began again. We pushed it pretty hard the whole way up, amazed as we climbed past snow patches and beautiful mountain lakes. We reached the top of the climb early enough to scout out a place for lunch, and after crossing the Continental Divide, we turned around and headed back to a little picnic area by a lake. This was what will probably be the highest point of our entire trip at 9,660 ft! After a quick mosquito filled lunch we headed down the other side of the mountain on a 17 mile downhill! It wasn't super steep, but I still managed to hit 45 mph coming down. About 3 or 4 miles into the descent we reached a spot where it leveled out just a little and to our left you could see the Teton mountains. They are huge, jagged, snow capped mountains that seem to go straight into the sky. At that point I, and most everyone else, had a smile that couldn't leave our faces for the next 50 miles. I another flat right at the bottom of the mountain, but the scenery was so great I didn't mind taking a break. After a few miles of gentle hills we reached the valley where we road on the amazingly flat road paralleling the Snake River.
We got into Jackson, a very touristy but still beautiful town, and spent the evening playing. We went through shops, roamed town, and ate at the Snake River Brewery and Restaurant. Then this morning we worked with the Teton Valley Habitat Chapter. The housing situation in Jackson is unique because of the wealthy people who flock here. The average cost of a house in the area is 1.2 million dollars! There is definitely a need for affordable housing in the area, and it was interesting to learn about the actions the local government is taking. We worked on 3 separate houses today. One was almost complete, while the other two hadn't had their foundations poured. I spent the morning grounding a house with Hana, raising the rebar for the concrete pours, a little bit of carpentry, and then learning how to survey. The afternoon was spent leveling all of the forms on one of the houses with Chad before the cement trucks arrived and we poured the molds we had worked on all day. All in all it was a great time. I learned new skills, worked hard, and just had fun.
Tomorrow we leave Wyoming headed for Idaho. I think everyone will be sad to see Wyoming go. It has been such an exciting, diverse state, and we've all had a blast. We climb Teton Pass early in the morning. Oh boy!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Casper to Dubois
Well we ended up NOT camping in Casper. We stayed at teh campgrounds, but in a great lodge full of stuffed elk, bison, and deer. Our build day was pretty good, too. Our group worked on framing a shed, putting up the siding on the house, and building a rail for the front porch. Galvanized nails made the framing a bit trickier than normal, but we ended up getting a lot done anyways.
We left Casper and headed to Shoshoni on what Wyoming residents call the "lonliest drive in the state." Contrary to its reputation and expectations, the day ended up being great for most of our group. It was a 100 mile day through the desert, but that didn't stop us from having fun. Lunch was at Hell's Half-Acre, a 320 acre canyon/badlands/amazing rock formations that left us breathless. After a longer than normal lunch enjoying the scenery we pushed on the rest of the way to the Yellowstone Drug Store in Shoshoni where we treated ourselves to "world-famous" shakes. My chocolate peanut butter one was great. Then we all headed to the fire station where we spent the night.
We slept late the next morning (6 am), before heading out to Lander. It was only a 47 mile day, and it flew by. As we left Riverton, a little over half way, we caught our first glimpse of the snow capped Wind River Mountains. I realized my speed dropped to almost a stand still as I took in the beauty of the scenery. After a great lunch thanks to Shira's mad shopping skills (even though she won't by frosted flakes), we made good time into Lander, most of us getting there before noon. We spent some time in a local coffee shop and then the park before a group of us decided to go hiking in Sink's Canyon. After a nice little drive into the mountains we took a mile and a half hike up to the waterfalls that were several hundred feet high. We spent a little while there before it started to rain and we quickly descended back to the car. We had dinner at a pavillion in Sink's Canyon that our host church put on, and then we split up and stayed with host families for the night. Nine of us guys stayed at Jamie and Leslie's house, and we had a great time. It was so great to be in a real house again, use a real shower, and just enjoy a glimpse of normal life for a few hours. Its strange to think that in 3 weeks I'll be back home living a normal life again... All in all Lander was a great outdoorsy town with lots of hikers, backpackers, climbers, etc. (Its also home to NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School).
Today we travelled from Lander to Dubois (pronounced Do-Boys). Its a cool little western town with wooden sidewalks, a pharmacy/ice cream shop, and the river runs right through downtown. The 75 miles to get here were long, hard, windy, and up hill, but the spectacular view made it all worthwhile. On more than one ocassion today I caught myself running off the road because I was paying more attention to the mountains in front of me than the hills that I was climbing. We gained about 2000 feet of elevation today, so we're at about 7000 now. Tomorrow we climb Togwotee (sp?) Pass where we'll reach 9000 feet before descending into Jackson. Here we go!
We left Casper and headed to Shoshoni on what Wyoming residents call the "lonliest drive in the state." Contrary to its reputation and expectations, the day ended up being great for most of our group. It was a 100 mile day through the desert, but that didn't stop us from having fun. Lunch was at Hell's Half-Acre, a 320 acre canyon/badlands/amazing rock formations that left us breathless. After a longer than normal lunch enjoying the scenery we pushed on the rest of the way to the Yellowstone Drug Store in Shoshoni where we treated ourselves to "world-famous" shakes. My chocolate peanut butter one was great. Then we all headed to the fire station where we spent the night.
We slept late the next morning (6 am), before heading out to Lander. It was only a 47 mile day, and it flew by. As we left Riverton, a little over half way, we caught our first glimpse of the snow capped Wind River Mountains. I realized my speed dropped to almost a stand still as I took in the beauty of the scenery. After a great lunch thanks to Shira's mad shopping skills (even though she won't by frosted flakes), we made good time into Lander, most of us getting there before noon. We spent some time in a local coffee shop and then the park before a group of us decided to go hiking in Sink's Canyon. After a nice little drive into the mountains we took a mile and a half hike up to the waterfalls that were several hundred feet high. We spent a little while there before it started to rain and we quickly descended back to the car. We had dinner at a pavillion in Sink's Canyon that our host church put on, and then we split up and stayed with host families for the night. Nine of us guys stayed at Jamie and Leslie's house, and we had a great time. It was so great to be in a real house again, use a real shower, and just enjoy a glimpse of normal life for a few hours. Its strange to think that in 3 weeks I'll be back home living a normal life again... All in all Lander was a great outdoorsy town with lots of hikers, backpackers, climbers, etc. (Its also home to NOLS, the National Outdoor Leadership School).
Today we travelled from Lander to Dubois (pronounced Do-Boys). Its a cool little western town with wooden sidewalks, a pharmacy/ice cream shop, and the river runs right through downtown. The 75 miles to get here were long, hard, windy, and up hill, but the spectacular view made it all worthwhile. On more than one ocassion today I caught myself running off the road because I was paying more attention to the mountains in front of me than the hills that I was climbing. We gained about 2000 feet of elevation today, so we're at about 7000 now. Tomorrow we climb Togwotee (sp?) Pass where we'll reach 9000 feet before descending into Jackson. Here we go!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
With Mountains in the Distance
The last two days have flown by. Short rides with some wind, but overall good days.
We left Lusk and headed to Douglas where we were in for a special treat. The pastor of our church host, Trinity Baptist, invited us all out to his ranch for a special treat. They had horses for us to ride, dogs to play with, goats to milk, and steer to look at. After we were cowboy-ed out we ate a great burrito dinner on the ranch. It was fun to take a closer look at a ranch. We've ridden by so many over the last few days, but you don't really get an understanding of what life is like for these people until you take some time and see.
This morning we headed west from Douglas to Casper. About 10 miles in we had the option of taking a detour to see a natural bridge. About 10 of us decided to go, and I'm glad we did. We rode up to the mountain to see the only natural bridge in North America that still has water running under it. After climbing it, taking a great photo op, and just relaxing for a little while we hit the road again. It was a good ride with some hills, but nothing too steep.
This stretch of road we've been on is the only part of the trip I've seen before. We met up with I-25 on our way into Douglas and followed it (sometimes on it) up to Casper. It's kind of strange seeing rest stops and Arby's that I've stopped at before. Next we head to Shoshoni, and it will be back to new adventures for the rest of the trip.
Tonight we're camping just north of Casper at the Fort Casper Campground. A few of us decided to stop at the Public Library in town, so we haven't made it out there yet. Maybe the trailer will already be unpacked for us :) This is the first time we've gotten to camp since we've hit the road. I love to camp, we'll just have to see what its like Bike & Build style.
We'll be in Casper two nights because we have a build day tomorrow. From here we turn into the mountains we've been riding beside the last two days. Up Up and Away!
We left Lusk and headed to Douglas where we were in for a special treat. The pastor of our church host, Trinity Baptist, invited us all out to his ranch for a special treat. They had horses for us to ride, dogs to play with, goats to milk, and steer to look at. After we were cowboy-ed out we ate a great burrito dinner on the ranch. It was fun to take a closer look at a ranch. We've ridden by so many over the last few days, but you don't really get an understanding of what life is like for these people until you take some time and see.
This morning we headed west from Douglas to Casper. About 10 miles in we had the option of taking a detour to see a natural bridge. About 10 of us decided to go, and I'm glad we did. We rode up to the mountain to see the only natural bridge in North America that still has water running under it. After climbing it, taking a great photo op, and just relaxing for a little while we hit the road again. It was a good ride with some hills, but nothing too steep.
This stretch of road we've been on is the only part of the trip I've seen before. We met up with I-25 on our way into Douglas and followed it (sometimes on it) up to Casper. It's kind of strange seeing rest stops and Arby's that I've stopped at before. Next we head to Shoshoni, and it will be back to new adventures for the rest of the trip.
Tonight we're camping just north of Casper at the Fort Casper Campground. A few of us decided to stop at the Public Library in town, so we haven't made it out there yet. Maybe the trailer will already be unpacked for us :) This is the first time we've gotten to camp since we've hit the road. I love to camp, we'll just have to see what its like Bike & Build style.
We'll be in Casper two nights because we have a build day tomorrow. From here we turn into the mountains we've been riding beside the last two days. Up Up and Away!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Into Wyoming
We left Chadron this morning with fresh legs and renewed spirits. Our day off was great, and everyone was excited to get going on our way to Wyoming. The first 25 miles flew by as Shira, Lisa, Chad, and I rode together. We reached Fort Robinson, an old army base from the late 1800's, fairly early in the morning, so Lisa, Jake Curtis (who caught up with us), and I decided to look around. We took a look around the museum that gave a pretty brief history of the struggles between the settlers and indians. Fort Robinson was used to fight the indians, train horses in World War I, and then train dogs in World War II. It was an interesting place, and I'm glad we stopped.
As we left Fort Robinson we began the big climb of the day. Joe had scared everyone about it this morning, but it ended up not being too bad. Lisa and I held a pretty good pace all the way to the senic look out where the van was waiting on us for lunch. After a quick snack we hit the road again with Marita, Lindsey, and Chad for the next 25 miles. I'm pretty sure it was all downhill (or at least it seemed like it) and it flew by.
Our second lunch was about 20 miles outside of Lusk in a town with a population of 18 just after we crossed into Wyoming. Most of us beat the van there, so Chad, Shira and I decided to just grab some fruit and head out. It was another fast stretch (only slowed down by my flat which I changed super fast). 82 miles in all, and a super great day.
So now we're in Wyoming. We travelled here from Rohde Island... by bike. We say that everytime we make it just a little farther, but each time it seems so much greater. Wyoming is "the West", No doubt about that. It's the first state of the trip that I've already been to, and I'm really excited about the next week here. We have two builds, one in Casper and one in Jackson, and about 6 days worth of riding. I also found out that we're going to get to climb Teton Pass as we're leaving Jackson. Get excited!
As we left Fort Robinson we began the big climb of the day. Joe had scared everyone about it this morning, but it ended up not being too bad. Lisa and I held a pretty good pace all the way to the senic look out where the van was waiting on us for lunch. After a quick snack we hit the road again with Marita, Lindsey, and Chad for the next 25 miles. I'm pretty sure it was all downhill (or at least it seemed like it) and it flew by.
Our second lunch was about 20 miles outside of Lusk in a town with a population of 18 just after we crossed into Wyoming. Most of us beat the van there, so Chad, Shira and I decided to just grab some fruit and head out. It was another fast stretch (only slowed down by my flat which I changed super fast). 82 miles in all, and a super great day.
So now we're in Wyoming. We travelled here from Rohde Island... by bike. We say that everytime we make it just a little farther, but each time it seems so much greater. Wyoming is "the West", No doubt about that. It's the first state of the trip that I've already been to, and I'm really excited about the next week here. We have two builds, one in Casper and one in Jackson, and about 6 days worth of riding. I also found out that we're going to get to climb Teton Pass as we're leaving Jackson. Get excited!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Carroll, IA all the way to Chadron, NE
Its been almost a week since I've been able to update. The hard drive on my computer crashed, and now I'm limited to short spurts of time on the local Library computer. Dell has been really helpful with everything, and hopefully my new hard drive will be in this afternoon.
I guess I have a lot of catching up to do. The last week has been the longest week of the trip in terms of mileage. That plus the wind has made it very draining, and everyone is really taking advantage of our day off in Chadron.
First, our build day in Carroll was great. The local Habitat chapter had plenty of work lined up for us, the weather held off, and we got a lot accomplished. We got to frame an entire house, definitely the glamorous part of building. In a few short hours we turned a concrete slab into the skeleton of a house. It was fun to see the change so quickly, and meeting thefamily who will be living there was very rewarding. Definitely a good day for all of us.
We left Carroll and headed to South Sioux City, NE on the longest day of the trip so far. The Cue Sheet said it was 103 miles, but I managed to turn it into a 111 mile day! I was up front for most of the day, and when we had to reroute due to gravel roads I missed one of the turns. Luckily everyone else made it, and the van tracked me down before too long. I had two choices on what to do. I could either turn around adding 20 miles to my day, or I could miss second lunch and try to reroute myself down some country roads. Armed with an Iowa bike map given to us by a bike shop in Ames I charted a new route. I hit some pretty big hills, but managed to only add 8 miles to the day. I made it back to the main road just as Hanna and Lisa were topping a hill, so we road the last few miles in together. Everyone was pumped after our first group 100 mile ride, and we stayed at an amazing YMCA that night.
From there we headed to Plainview, an 87 mile day into the winds. This is where I found out my computer had crashed, and I spent most of the afternoon on the phone with Dell. The next morning we got up and went to D-H lanes, a bar/bowling alley where we had breakfast. Bowling in spandex is quite amusing. Probably one of the most fun mornings of the trip. No one wanted to leave breakfast, but we all reluctantly headed on to Stuart.
Our ride to Stuart was just over 90, and not too bad.
Then came July 11th. My birthday! I woke up to many "Happy Birthdays!" and cards from both Bike and Builders and friends and family back home. Thanks so much for everything. I decided to wear my super sweet tuxedo bike jersey to celebrate my 21st, and perhaps the hardest day of the trip began. With head winds up to 35 miles an hour we trudged along all day, sometimes at 6 mph going downhill! Because the ride was 83 miles, we only had one lunch scheduled, but a diner in the middle of nowhere (literally, there were signs that said so) was a great spot to stop for ice cream and french fries. We reached the church very late, and the people who rode in the van tat day already had dinner prepared for us. After dinner the lights dimmed, a cake was brought out, and we had a short but fun birthday party. Thanks to mom, Ashley and everyone else who helped make that happen.
Valentine to Gordon was another long 90+ day with the winds in our faces. Chad, Peter, and I spent most of the day riding together through the open plains. We reached Gordon tired, and everyone passed out pretty much right after dinner.
Gordon to Chadron was one of my favorite rides of the trip. Only 47 miles, and with the wind at our backs we were able to fly. After such a long week I was very surprised at how well I felt yesterday. I managed to hold an average of 10 mph! There was a 4 or 5 mile stretch where I didn't go lower than 28 mph, even going over hills! I was in the first group to make it in, and that was about 10:20 in the morning. Defintely a nice change from the previous days. Michael, Frannie, and I went out to lunch at the Country Kitchen where I got a chicken fired steak. yum! Then I napped all afternoon before going out with the group on our night off! We had a lot of fun, slept late this morning and now we're just enjoying the day. For lunch I think we're going to go destroy the Pizza Hut buffet. Its amazing how much food our small army can eat.
Tomorrow we head to Lusk, WY, which means there are only 4 states left in our adventure! Its crazy to think we've made it this far, and we have less than a month left.
I guess I have a lot of catching up to do. The last week has been the longest week of the trip in terms of mileage. That plus the wind has made it very draining, and everyone is really taking advantage of our day off in Chadron.
First, our build day in Carroll was great. The local Habitat chapter had plenty of work lined up for us, the weather held off, and we got a lot accomplished. We got to frame an entire house, definitely the glamorous part of building. In a few short hours we turned a concrete slab into the skeleton of a house. It was fun to see the change so quickly, and meeting thefamily who will be living there was very rewarding. Definitely a good day for all of us.
We left Carroll and headed to South Sioux City, NE on the longest day of the trip so far. The Cue Sheet said it was 103 miles, but I managed to turn it into a 111 mile day! I was up front for most of the day, and when we had to reroute due to gravel roads I missed one of the turns. Luckily everyone else made it, and the van tracked me down before too long. I had two choices on what to do. I could either turn around adding 20 miles to my day, or I could miss second lunch and try to reroute myself down some country roads. Armed with an Iowa bike map given to us by a bike shop in Ames I charted a new route. I hit some pretty big hills, but managed to only add 8 miles to the day. I made it back to the main road just as Hanna and Lisa were topping a hill, so we road the last few miles in together. Everyone was pumped after our first group 100 mile ride, and we stayed at an amazing YMCA that night.
From there we headed to Plainview, an 87 mile day into the winds. This is where I found out my computer had crashed, and I spent most of the afternoon on the phone with Dell. The next morning we got up and went to D-H lanes, a bar/bowling alley where we had breakfast. Bowling in spandex is quite amusing. Probably one of the most fun mornings of the trip. No one wanted to leave breakfast, but we all reluctantly headed on to Stuart.
Our ride to Stuart was just over 90, and not too bad.
Then came July 11th. My birthday! I woke up to many "Happy Birthdays!" and cards from both Bike and Builders and friends and family back home. Thanks so much for everything. I decided to wear my super sweet tuxedo bike jersey to celebrate my 21st, and perhaps the hardest day of the trip began. With head winds up to 35 miles an hour we trudged along all day, sometimes at 6 mph going downhill! Because the ride was 83 miles, we only had one lunch scheduled, but a diner in the middle of nowhere (literally, there were signs that said so) was a great spot to stop for ice cream and french fries. We reached the church very late, and the people who rode in the van tat day already had dinner prepared for us. After dinner the lights dimmed, a cake was brought out, and we had a short but fun birthday party. Thanks to mom, Ashley and everyone else who helped make that happen.
Valentine to Gordon was another long 90+ day with the winds in our faces. Chad, Peter, and I spent most of the day riding together through the open plains. We reached Gordon tired, and everyone passed out pretty much right after dinner.
Gordon to Chadron was one of my favorite rides of the trip. Only 47 miles, and with the wind at our backs we were able to fly. After such a long week I was very surprised at how well I felt yesterday. I managed to hold an average of 10 mph! There was a 4 or 5 mile stretch where I didn't go lower than 28 mph, even going over hills! I was in the first group to make it in, and that was about 10:20 in the morning. Defintely a nice change from the previous days. Michael, Frannie, and I went out to lunch at the Country Kitchen where I got a chicken fired steak. yum! Then I napped all afternoon before going out with the group on our night off! We had a lot of fun, slept late this morning and now we're just enjoying the day. For lunch I think we're going to go destroy the Pizza Hut buffet. Its amazing how much food our small army can eat.
Tomorrow we head to Lusk, WY, which means there are only 4 states left in our adventure! Its crazy to think we've made it this far, and we have less than a month left.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Ames to Carroll, IA
First, a few randoms thoughts I forgot to include in my last post.
When we were in Clinton, right after crossing the Mississippi, a local teens club fed us dinner and then challenged us to a game of dodgeball. I could make excuses and say we lost because we'd already ridden 82 miles that day, or I could try and convince you that our arms are just out of practice because they don't get much use these days. I should probably just say that we got drilled in five games in a row. It was pathetic but oh so much fun.
On a note not quite as high, I'd like to talk about the flood damage here in Iowa. On our way from Mount Vernon to Marshalltown we rode through parts of Cedar Rapids that had been hit pretty hard. Seeing watermarks 15 feet high on houses that have had to be gutted is hard to handle. It was a quiet few miles as we all took in what was around us. I wish there had been some way for us to help the situation there, but due to the schedule of trip there wouldn't have been any way. Keep the people affected by the floods in your prayers. The waters may have receded, but their is still a lot of work to be done. Maybe our route will be able to help with the rebuilding next year.
Now on to today. It was 85.2 miles from Ames to Carroll. Shira, Chad and I rode at the front through the rolling hills until lunch. After a pretty fast morning, I decided to take a quick lunch and then take my time for the second half of the trip. I left lunch alone and first, and rode at a nice easy pace. It was really a cool experience because there were times I could see for miles in all directions, but no one was there. I enjoyed it. At about mile 60 the road turned to gravel, so I called Jake who was driving the van and we figured out a new route. I had to give up my solo riding because I forgot to pick up chalk this morning, and I had no way of informing the other riders about the detour. I waited for Chad, Peter, and Ashley to catch up, and together we rode the rest of the way in. It was a really hot, humid day, and I finished my Camelback, basically a backpack that holds 100 oz. of water, not once but twice. Even so, I think I was a little dehydrated, and the last 6 or 7 miles were pretty hard for me. We're staying at St. John's Lutheran Church tonight and tomorrow night, and we have a build day with the local Habitat Chapter tomorrow.
1760.6 miles into the trip so far.
5 days until my birthday.
35 days until Seattle.
When we were in Clinton, right after crossing the Mississippi, a local teens club fed us dinner and then challenged us to a game of dodgeball. I could make excuses and say we lost because we'd already ridden 82 miles that day, or I could try and convince you that our arms are just out of practice because they don't get much use these days. I should probably just say that we got drilled in five games in a row. It was pathetic but oh so much fun.
On a note not quite as high, I'd like to talk about the flood damage here in Iowa. On our way from Mount Vernon to Marshalltown we rode through parts of Cedar Rapids that had been hit pretty hard. Seeing watermarks 15 feet high on houses that have had to be gutted is hard to handle. It was a quiet few miles as we all took in what was around us. I wish there had been some way for us to help the situation there, but due to the schedule of trip there wouldn't have been any way. Keep the people affected by the floods in your prayers. The waters may have receded, but their is still a lot of work to be done. Maybe our route will be able to help with the rebuilding next year.
Now on to today. It was 85.2 miles from Ames to Carroll. Shira, Chad and I rode at the front through the rolling hills until lunch. After a pretty fast morning, I decided to take a quick lunch and then take my time for the second half of the trip. I left lunch alone and first, and rode at a nice easy pace. It was really a cool experience because there were times I could see for miles in all directions, but no one was there. I enjoyed it. At about mile 60 the road turned to gravel, so I called Jake who was driving the van and we figured out a new route. I had to give up my solo riding because I forgot to pick up chalk this morning, and I had no way of informing the other riders about the detour. I waited for Chad, Peter, and Ashley to catch up, and together we rode the rest of the way in. It was a really hot, humid day, and I finished my Camelback, basically a backpack that holds 100 oz. of water, not once but twice. Even so, I think I was a little dehydrated, and the last 6 or 7 miles were pretty hard for me. We're staying at St. John's Lutheran Church tonight and tomorrow night, and we have a build day with the local Habitat Chapter tomorrow.
1760.6 miles into the trip so far.
5 days until my birthday.
35 days until Seattle.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Eastern Iowa
Just as I was getting bored with the windy flats of Indiana and Illinois mother nature decided to mix things up a little bit. As soon as we crossed the Mississippi river in Clinton, we have been in some absolutely stunning country. While still surrounded by corn and soybeans, the flat lands have turned to hills. These hills are bigger than found in East Texas, but the momentum from one will often get you half way up the next. Its kind of like a roller coaster. Kind of.
We left Clinton a few days ago and headed to Mount Vernon, IA. We were supposed to be going to Cedar Rapids, but due to the flooding we stopped about 10 miles earlier. It was a great 82 mile ride. Being in the hills again is nice because even though you have to work a little harder to get up a hill, you get to coast (or push it and go really fast) back down.
From Mount Vernon we headed to Marshalltown yesterday, the 4th. All decked out with American flags and any other patriotic nonsense we could come up with, we went another 89 hilly miles. It was a long day, but absolutely beautiful. The weather was perfect, and we had a great day. The church we were staying at in Marshalltown didn't have a shower situation set up for us, so we all donned swimsuits and bathed with a water hose. After that we cooked burgers and had a great fourth of July picnic. Then we all went downtown for a great fireworks show that lasted pretty late. We sang patriotic and not so patriotic songs (Christmas carols) while we waited. It was definitely a fun night.
This morning we slept late (7 am) and then headed to Ames. It was only 43 miles, and Jeff and I were riding sweep today. Sweep is the last two riders who make sure everyone is okay on the ride. Jeff had a flat which put us well behind everyone, so we just enjoyed the short ride all morning. We stopped about 8 miles out and had lunch at a Dairy Queen, and then came into town. After a quick bike shop run we've just been hanging out and enjoying the afternoon.
We left Clinton a few days ago and headed to Mount Vernon, IA. We were supposed to be going to Cedar Rapids, but due to the flooding we stopped about 10 miles earlier. It was a great 82 mile ride. Being in the hills again is nice because even though you have to work a little harder to get up a hill, you get to coast (or push it and go really fast) back down.
From Mount Vernon we headed to Marshalltown yesterday, the 4th. All decked out with American flags and any other patriotic nonsense we could come up with, we went another 89 hilly miles. It was a long day, but absolutely beautiful. The weather was perfect, and we had a great day. The church we were staying at in Marshalltown didn't have a shower situation set up for us, so we all donned swimsuits and bathed with a water hose. After that we cooked burgers and had a great fourth of July picnic. Then we all went downtown for a great fireworks show that lasted pretty late. We sang patriotic and not so patriotic songs (Christmas carols) while we waited. It was definitely a fun night.
This morning we slept late (7 am) and then headed to Ames. It was only 43 miles, and Jeff and I were riding sweep today. Sweep is the last two riders who make sure everyone is okay on the ride. Jeff had a flat which put us well behind everyone, so we just enjoyed the short ride all morning. We stopped about 8 miles out and had lunch at a Dairy Queen, and then came into town. After a quick bike shop run we've just been hanging out and enjoying the afternoon.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Across the Mississippi
The last two days have been great!
We left Pontiac with fresh legs after a day off and headed to Peru, IL. A short 55 mile day without wind made for an awesome ride. Chad, Jake Stangel and I rode quickly for the first part of the day, and then met up Adam Bohr, a Central US alum from 2007. He pulled us in the last 15 miles or so, and then had an awesome set up for us that afternoon. We spent the afternoon hanging out at the pool while Adam and his girlfriend's family hosted us and cooked burgers. Days like yesterday are what Bike and Build are really about.
Today was a good day, just over 80 miles into Clinton, IA. At about mile 65 Lisa and I stopped at a Dairy Queen where we ran into a local ABC news affiliate. We started talking and then ended upon camera! They interviewed me, and I'll be sure to post the link when I find it. The highlight of the day however, came right at mile 80 when we crossed the Mississippi River. It feels like a big mile stone knowing we've made it this far. I guess it's kind of that "go west" mentality.
I'm at 1460 miles, and will roll over 1500 tomorrow! We've got good internet access, so hopefully I'll put up my pictures from the last two days later.
And then some random thoughts about the travel so far...
A big part of why I chose the Providence to Seattle route was seeing parts of the country that I've never seen before. The only two states we're going through that I had been to previously are Wyoming and Montana (and they're still to come). Everyone always talks about how the Midwest is so open, and it really is. There are have been times I've been able to see for miles and miles, and its all been corn, soybeans and wheat. What has really surprised me though is how cultivated everything is. When you drive through East Texas or North Louisiana there are stretches of land that are still pretty much untouched. Here, every acre is used for something; farming, homes, cows take up all of the landscape. It's really interesting to see, but at the same time it can seem kind of monotonous at times. I'm really excited to get out west where so much of the land is still wild. I guess I finally understand why its called the "wild west," and I'm not even there yet.
We left Pontiac with fresh legs after a day off and headed to Peru, IL. A short 55 mile day without wind made for an awesome ride. Chad, Jake Stangel and I rode quickly for the first part of the day, and then met up Adam Bohr, a Central US alum from 2007. He pulled us in the last 15 miles or so, and then had an awesome set up for us that afternoon. We spent the afternoon hanging out at the pool while Adam and his girlfriend's family hosted us and cooked burgers. Days like yesterday are what Bike and Build are really about.
Today was a good day, just over 80 miles into Clinton, IA. At about mile 65 Lisa and I stopped at a Dairy Queen where we ran into a local ABC news affiliate. We started talking and then ended upon camera! They interviewed me, and I'll be sure to post the link when I find it. The highlight of the day however, came right at mile 80 when we crossed the Mississippi River. It feels like a big mile stone knowing we've made it this far. I guess it's kind of that "go west" mentality.
I'm at 1460 miles, and will roll over 1500 tomorrow! We've got good internet access, so hopefully I'll put up my pictures from the last two days later.
And then some random thoughts about the travel so far...
A big part of why I chose the Providence to Seattle route was seeing parts of the country that I've never seen before. The only two states we're going through that I had been to previously are Wyoming and Montana (and they're still to come). Everyone always talks about how the Midwest is so open, and it really is. There are have been times I've been able to see for miles and miles, and its all been corn, soybeans and wheat. What has really surprised me though is how cultivated everything is. When you drive through East Texas or North Louisiana there are stretches of land that are still pretty much untouched. Here, every acre is used for something; farming, homes, cows take up all of the landscape. It's really interesting to see, but at the same time it can seem kind of monotonous at times. I'm really excited to get out west where so much of the land is still wild. I guess I finally understand why its called the "wild west," and I'm not even there yet.
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