Day 55: Rescuing in Rupert

Today the team rode 75 miles from Pocatello to Rupert, Idaho! It was a very windy ride, with headwinds coming straight at us for all 75 miles. After the first rest stop some groups stopped at The Ranch Bakery in American Falls! It proved to be a hidden gem, with the nicest people working there who gave the team ice. At The Ranch, a few of us met a women named Diane who shared/filmed a portrait about her scary and sad experience with cancer after taking care of her brother in his final months. The Ranch was nice enough to provide the portrait group with homemade cinnamon rolls. They were delicious! We then continued riding through some hilly parts. The first group noticed a patch of dust up ahead. When they got closer they realized that there was a car on the side of the road with a man inside asleep. Because we were in the middle of nowhere with close to no cars they found it suspicious. When they tried to see if the man was ok he was unresponsive. They were quick to call the police and check his pulse! The man eventually woke up and appeared very out of it. The group left the rest to the police. Shoutout to that group ( Mike, Sofie, Eric, Rachel) for being hero’s today.

Thank you to First Christian praise chapel for hosting us tonight and providing us dinner!

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count:2
Song of the day: Bad day -Daniel Powter ( not necessarily because today was bad)
Memorable moment: Getting squirt by water guns from the van clan upon arriving in Rupert

Day 54

Hello world!

Today was a sad day… I made it 53 days, but then down went Frazier (kinda).

My group started the day cruisin along just doin our thing and at mile 9-10, my back wheel did something funky. Pop goes the weasel and ya girl got her first official flat of the ride. My tubeless tires failed me for the first time.

Normally when I get a flat, I spin my tire and the sealant inside the tire will self repair the flat. This time that didn’t happen and turns out it was because I had no sealant left in the tire!

I sagged for the first time today (honestly surprised it’s taken me this long), but was able to make it to a bike shop and they fixed my tire in minutes!

We’re all good to go now… I think.

The rest of the team faced a tough headwinds and a long 97 mile day, so I feel badly that I wasn’t fighting it with them. But hey, sometimes ya just need to be a cheerleader on the sidelines and motivate everyone, so that’s what I tried to do.

We’ve got 76 miles today and will be passing a lot of Idaho potato farms! Good stuff.

Happy trails.

Marge

Day 54: Pokey to Pocatello

Today the team rode 96.7 miles from Logan, Utah to Pocatello, Idaho. We crossed another state line today and now only have two states remaining!! We started the day a little pokey because Mike was never woken up. This wasn’t realized until our “circle up” morning meeting where it was noticed that no one had seen him. Minutes before we were going to roll out Mike was woken up! We all were pretty exhausted after yesterday and took our time this morning so we didn’t leave until 8 am. Once on the road we knew it was going to be a long, hot day. We tried to look for a 7-11 to stop at for free slurpee day but unfortunately there was next to nothing along our route the whole time. However. we met some very supportive people at the gas stations that we were lucky enough to find along the way. Overall, I think it was a pretty difficult day for most of the team. There were a lot of people who ended up not feeling well. I think that we are also at the point in the ride where our bodies are breaking down from all the riding. The heat also takes a massive toll. The wind and heat were very unfriendly to us today. The remainder of the team had our last rest stop at a park where some people napped under trees and others had a water gun fight. It’s safe to say we are all very tired but we are excited to continue the adventure through Idaho!

Thank you to the hosts at Evangelical Lutheran Church Of Good Shepherd for preparing Avery healthy meal for the team. The ride dedication was for a family friend of Helen’s who is battling prostate cancer, while also training for triathlons. She described him as her hero!

~Tailwinds pretty please~
Mandy

Flat count: 5? Too many to count
Song of the day: Greatest Showman soundtrack
Memorable moment: Completing yet another hard day with one another’s support and realizing that as a team we only have 22 more days left on the ride!

Day 53: Burning up in Logan

Today the team rode 89 miles from Salt Lake City to Logan, Utah. The day started out nice because we were on trails for a good 40 miles! We made our first pit stop at a gas station where Helen met a man who was a cancer survivor and got to conduct a portrait with him. We also made another stop at a fruit stand. We have all been craving healthy and natural food as our diet consists mostly of gas station food. It was so nice to snack on watermelon and berries on such a hot day. The temps got upward of 98 degrees with a substantial climb around mile 70 of about 6 miles. It was brutal! Once we made it to the top there was a sweet downhill waiting for us with incredible views of the valley and mountains. I’ll miss the Mountain View’s in Utah. Tomorrow we will be heading to Idaho.

I would like to thank Alpine Church for hosting us tonight and providing us with a spaghetti dinner. Today’s ride was dedicated to Kathy’s uncle, John Geary who passed away 7 years ago from esophageal cancer.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 4
Song of the day: September -Earth,Wind &Fire
Memorable moment: The team piling into the van to make 3 stops at Chick-Fil-a, Krispy Kreme and an ice cream shop so we could all get our desired rewards after a long day!

Day 53

Hello world!

Today was a long but good day. We rode 89 miles from Salt Lake City to Logan, UT. We got a late start to the day so we ended up finishing around 6:15 instead of earlier. We also had a 1,500 foot climb toward the end of the ride/the hottest part of the day but you know, ya win some ya lose some.

The climb was about 8 miles long, so it was a grind but the downhill was well worth it. The views were awesomeeeeee! As we were flying down, I spotted a golf course right up against the mountains. I’d love to come back to Utah and play that course because it looked so pretty :)

I tied my record speed going downhill today at 42 mph. Getting closer and closer to 59 hehehe

Also today we were spoiled with a bike path and if it’s a bike path day, you know you’re gunna have a good day.

Oh and my best friend is back and better than ever…. heat rash!!!! Missed my ol pal, he just couldn’t stay away. Hopefully it’ll be gone by tomorrow morn, but one can only wish ya know.

Okay gtg I’m hungry and need food!

Marge

Day 51 and 52

Hello world!

The 53 miles into Salt Lake on Sunday took a little longer than normal. There were a couple big climbs that were a struggle but we got through them.

The first big climb was a disappointment because we didn’t even get to do thendownhill :( there was construction on the downhill and they strictly said “no bikes”, so we had to shuttle down which took a v long time.

Anyway… when we got to the stayover, we all showered and ate dinner but didn’t do much else. I passed out at 8:30 because I was so exhausted and didn’t even realize.

Yesterday marked rest day number 8 and it was very chill. Salt Lake is a cool place and all but we didn’t really do anything too extravagent. We were treated to a team lunch at an Asian restaurant, thanks to Hitarth’s extremely generous parents!! It was divine.

We paid a visit to downtown Salt Lake, seeing the Capitol and doing some shopping downtown. Salt Lake was more of a rest day for the body rather than anything else.

I look forward to rest days in Boise, ID and Bend, OR for some white water rafting and a biiiiig home.

Utah has been rad so far but we’re almost outta here.

Word.

Marge

Day 50

Hello world!

Shuttlefest 2K18 was a success! We packed all 20 of us into the Silver Bullet and made the drive to Provo, UT. We looked like a circus act clown car with so many people in a van but we made it work and we’re all alive and breathin so that’s somethin to celebrate!

Once we got to Provo, there was a group run to Chic Fil A… a much needed reunion with that establishment! I’ve beem craving fries and a milkshake for FOR-EH-VER now so I finally got my fix :)

A few of us decided that our unanticipated rest day was overrated, so we decided to drive up to the prettiest part of the bike ride that we would’ve ridden today. We ended up doing 22 ish miles to bring us back into Provo.

Although there were a couple tough hills and the wind was a tricky one, it was well worth it. After biking through the mountains and along the lake, I’ve gotta say… today was the prettiest ride out of all 50 days so far. We made a pit stop at the lake to take a dip and test the waters. It was lovely, especially because it was a balmy 95 degrees.

Utah is a beautiful state and I can’t wait for our rest day coming up in Salt Lake!! Tomorrow we’ve got 53 ish miles lined up that will bring us into Salt Lake City, UT. I hope to catch a nice hike out there but we’ll see how the cookie crumbles!

Speaking of cookies… if you ever find yourself in Provo, UT, hit up Chip. It’s a cookie joint that is off the chaaaaain! Crazy good chocolate chip cookie. I don’t think your classic chocolate chip cookie will ever beat that and that’s facts. 10/10 recommend.

That’s all I’ve got for tonight.

Ciao

Marge

Day 52: Salt Lake is Rad!

Today the team had a rest day in Salt Lake City!! People did several different things. Some spent the day actually resting up while others explored the sites. These included: Coffee shops,the Olympic Park, and the capital. A special thanks to Hitarth and his family for generously donating amazing meals to the team.

Today is a short blog as many of us caught up on rest! Our last day in Utah is tomorrow and I am sad to be leaving as it has been one my favorite places so far!

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Day 51: Short day to Salt Lake City

Today the team rode 53.5 miles from Provo to Salt Lake City, Utah. Although it was a shorter day in comparison the climbs were long and difficult with a 16% grade. Unfortunately there wasn’t the silver lining of a downhill to follow to climbing. The downhill was under construction and no bikes were allowed so the team had to be shuttled down. For lunch the team stopped at a fancy grocery store that also had Taco Bell across the street. It was split about 50/50 with who went to what place. Then the teams spent some time napping under the trees.

I would like to thank All Saints Episcopal Church for hosting the team. Today the ride was dedicated to Amy Roland’s grandma who passed away from cancer. We stayed with Amy during our time in Omaha.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: Lazy Song – Bruno Mars
Memorable moment: One group spent two and a half hours at the lunch stop. Sofie and Matt had very different opinions on when they should leave.. eventually they did end up leaving haha

Day 50: No go to Provo

Today the team rode 0 miles from Duchesne to Provo, Colorado. It just so happens that a forest fire broke out on the route that was planned today. Smoke still covered much of the area and it was discouraged to not stop at all on the road so it was decided that we would shuttle the entire 98 mile ride for safety. This morning we piled in the van and drove two hours to the stay over. All 20 of us were able to situate ourselves in a somewhat organized fashion in the van haha. The views were unreal on the ride. Seeing the mountains filled with smoke and debris was unreal. The fire had burned down so much of the greenery. The canyons and mountains going into Provo were also incredible. Utah is shaping up to be my favorite state because it has so much diversity in terms of terrain. One minute you’re in an Arizona desert and the next you are in lush green mountains full of pine trees. The views were so great that a few team members decided to go back and ride the last few miles that were safe to ride through. Others of us spent our day doing laundry, resting, and checking out Provo. One group even got gigantic cookies!

Thank you to Cross Point Church for hosting our team this evening. Thank you also to Cougar Pizza and Nicolitalia for donating pizza to the team! It was much appreciated.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: N/A
Song of the day: Wildfire -John Mayer
Memorable Moment: Shuttle Fest 2018 ( a meme started by the team) actually happened. Shuttling 98 miles will go down as memorable

Day 49: Lake day in Duchesne

Today the team rode 60 miles from Vernal to Duchesne, Colorado. It was a fairly easy 60 miles but man oh man is Utah HOT! The entirety of the ride was dry, as Utah is apparently a desert. For one of our rest stops we stopped in gas station where we got free popcorn and watched the World Cup game. Belgium vs. Brazil and Belgium won (sorry Helen!) Some groups made a pit stop later at a snow cone shop which was the perfect treat to beat the heat. We then arrived at our campsite at Starvation State Park. Although we were camping in 100 degree weather there was the most beautiful lake that we all swam in to cool off. It was so nice and relaxing. We spent the evening, hanging out, swimming, skipping rocks, reading and overall just having a great time! We also got to witness one of the coolest sunsets that lasted what felt like 2 hours. The mix of colors over the mountains with the lake was one of my favorite sites of the trip so far.

Unfortunately we were informed that the route to Provo would be closed off due to forest fires. There is a lot of smoke in the air so it was decided that we would shuttle to Provo. We had to pack up our bikes and stuff and Caroline and Sam the amazing driving duo took the stuff to our stayover in Provo! Teamwork makes the dream work!

Today the ride was dedicated to Deb Herman (Maggie’s Dad’s coworker) who has breast cancer.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 3
Song of the day: Toes -Zac Brown Band
Memorable moment: I think everyone can agree that sitting by the lake at sunset was the highlight of the day!

Day 49

Hello world!

Today has been an adventure! It was a struggle to get going today. I think the 3000 ish miles we’ve biked so far are starting to catch up to me. It’s cool though we keep chuggin along.

At mile 14 we saw a group pulled off on the side of the road climbing on the gorgeous rock figures of Utah, so my group decided to stop too! The first group went up to the first ridge, but I said to heck with it and I wanted to go up to the top just to see what was up there.

After a steep climb up to the top of the mountain, the views were a w e s o m e. Everyone decided to join so eventually majority of both groups made it up to the top and we all felt like a million bucks togetha.

We forged on and finished the 60 miles (at lunch we were able to catch some of the Belgium vs Brazil FIFA game) and would up at our campsite in Duchesne, UT.

It’s a pretty cool place! Camping on the sand with a lake right in front of us… divine. Unfortunately, there is a 49,000 acre wildfire that’s around us. The smoke is setting in and visibility has slowly declined :(

Due to the fire, Route 40 is closed which means shuttlefest 2K18 tomorrow!!!! We are supposed to ride 98 miles into Provo, UT and the reroute is 130 miles, so lord knows I ain’t doin that.

Cheers to the unexpected rest day tomorrow.

Stay frosty fellas.

Marge

P.S. I dedicated the ride to one of my dad’s work friends, Deb Herman, who is currently battling breast cancer. We’re rooting and praying for you Deb!!

Day 48: 90 in 90 degrees to Vernal

Today the team rode 90 miles from Maybell, Colorado to Vernal, Utah!! We crossed the beautiful state line over into Utah toward the end of our route. It was the best one yet with the blue mountains in the background and the dinosaur on the sign. Utah is very proud of the dinosaurs that used to roam what is now a desert with mountains. We even crossed through a town called Dinosaur for lunch! We made a quick pit stop at dinosaur national park to find out why the people of Utah are so hyped about their dinosaurs! We also found a cute cafe to eat at for those of us who can no longer stand to look at a Pb&J haha. The ride was tough today with 90 degree weather, a decent headwind and a good amount of hills. It paid off as being one of the best ride for views and picture opportunities!!

I would like to thank St.Paul’s Church for being our hosts and to Dominos pizza for providing delicious pizza after a long day. The ride dedication today was for Jim’s wife who passed away from cancer. Jim is a man a group met a few days ago and conducted a portrait with.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 9 ( our new record)
Song of the day: Staying alive
Memorable moment: Hanging out with the whole team in Dinosaur for lunch, which went on for way too long haha… but we had a great time!

Day 47 and 48

Hello world!

Sorry there wasn’t a post yesterday. We were camping in Maybell, CO and had approximately no service so I wasn’t in contact with anyone.

We were gifted with a nice, easy ride into Maybell that was essentially all down hill. Unfortunately camping wasn’t the greatest last night. We had a depressing 4th of July because Colorado is very dry and we weren’t allowed any fireworks, sparklers, bonfires, etc.

The most exciting thing about our 4th of July was running through the sprinklers and walking to watch the sunset.

Today was a doozie of a ride. We biked through the desert the entire day and didn’t really have any way to escape the heat. It took a long long time to finish 90 miles today, but nonetheless we did it. My group changed a lot throughout the day because we lost a couple soldiers along the way due to the heat/breathing/etc.

No worries we’re all fine everything’s fine and we’re thriving !!!

We crossed into Utah today and I dig it so far!! It reminds me a lot of Sedona, Arizona and it makes me happy :)

We have camping on the sched for tomorrow night, round 3!

Kewl

Marge

Day 47: Holiday Hiatus in Maybell

My apologies for the lack of blogs the last few days we have been camping the last few nights with very little access to WiFi. The team spent yesterday exploring downtown steamboat and hiking. Some of us even checked out the hot springs to make our rest day restful! Currently, we are staying in the smallest town any of us have been to. Ironically they have a small sliver of WiFi!! Today the team rode 75 miles from Steamboat Springs to Maybell, Colorado. It was a pretty easy day, mostly downhill (thank goodness). We are staying in Maybell tonight at a campsite. We have become regulars of the one general store in the town. On the bright side we get amazing views of the mountains!

Today the ride dedication was for Ryan’s uncle, Van who is fighting bladder cancer.

Tomorrow we cross over into Utah for more mountains and more fun!
P.S. Happy Fourth of July

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: Born in the U.S.A
Memorable moment: In an attempt to get to McDonald’s the team biked through/crashed a 4th of July parade. We got many waves and cheers!

Day 45 and 46

Hello world!

Sorry I’m a bit behind schedule with the blogging sitch… yesterday we arrived in Stramboat Springs for our 6th rest day! The ride here was a wee bit tretcherous with the amount of cars passing on such a skinny road, but we persevered and made it the 92 miles!

Also going through Rabbit Ears Pass was stunning. The ride up it was a toughy and we were pretty beat from dealing with grody headwinds earlier in the day. But the downhill… 100000% worth it. I’d say it was even prettier than Berthoud Pass! My max speed going down was 42… it was somethin else!

For my first time camping, I was a little nervous and didn’t really know what to expect but I think it’s pretty fun!! Waking up to birds chirping and the sun in your eyes forces you to start your day somewhat early, which is probably a good thing.

Many people went off to do different things today, but a few of us went for a 5 mile hike and had a ton of fun with it! We hiked up to a waterfall and went in the water (which was ICE COLD). Once your body goes numb though, it felt refreshing!

After dinner, some of us took a trip up to Strawberry Park where the hot springs are! That was so lovely and very hot water. I felt very spoiled because I got 2 baths today… one ice cold and one hot. In all seriousness, it was probably just what the doctor ordered for my muscles :)

Big shoutout to Alex’s friends’s family for donating A TON of food to us and making us such amazing dinner meals! They really gave us the luxurious camping lifestyle and I’m forever grateful.

Tomorrow we’re headed to Maybell, CO which is about 75 miles (and apparently all down hill). I look forward to celebrating the 4th of July, but sad I can’t be there with the fam.

Ttyl I’m goin to stargaze now :)

Marge

Day 44

Hello world!

Wow… Granby, CO… Day 4 4… A day will forever be remembered in I4K history. I have a biased opinion but I’m brutally honest that this is my favorite stayover of the entire trip.

We climbed 5000+ feet of elevation today and reaching a max height of just over 11,000 feet. Can you even believe that??? Reaching the top of Berthoud Pass is the decent following it is probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in life.

Side note: we are the first I4K team to reach 11,000+ feet of elevation. Cool huh

My cousin Jimmy seemed v nervous about us having to bike an extra 10 miles further just to get to them. I called him crazy because 10 miles is like nothin to us now (especially downhill).

Their house in the woods looks like something from a magazine…. it is DIVINE! The exterior, the interior, the views. The perfect place to come back to after the best bike ride/route of your lifetime.

Jenny is the queen of the kitchen. It was a summer night’s feast and had enough to food for leftovers (holler for good, extra eat during camping)!! On the real though… best Mac n Cheese in town. And no greater gift than having greens, hummus, pulled pork, cornbread (this list goes on for so long) at dinner.

Cousin Kiernan (Jimmy’s sister) flew out to Denver and made a special appearance for the weekend and was part of the welcome crew into Granby!!! So unexpected and so appreciated! Catching up with cousins and just foolin around chit chattin about this that and the other thing is much needed. 10/10 recommend.

BTW, we had some fantastic views. The house has glass windows and a nice porch looking out onto their land and out at Lake Granby. Me being the night owl that I am, I stayed up to look at the stars and o m g… speechless. You could even see the Milky Way. Something about looking st the sky and stars. It just makes me happy :)

I feel bad bragging about this day, but it was something else and one that truly brought me to tears of joy.

Also, i thought that because we were riding into our stayover with the Chrystal family, it was only fitting to dedicate the ride to my Aunt Patti who is a battler and survivor of breast cancer. Aunt Pat, you have the best attitude around. So funny and always crackin jokes, but on the other hand, always there to chat if ya need someone to listen.

On the real… I couldn’t ask for a better family. Jimmy, Jenny, and Kiernan – thank you from the bottom of my heart.

It’s been fun folks but it’s time to say g night.

Marge

Day 44: Maxing out on elevation to Granby

Today the team rode 65 miles from Idaho Springs to Granby, Colorado!! We climbed for 22 miles today which is our largest consecutive climb so far. We climbed 5,000 feet and reached our max elevation for the whole ride. It’s safe to say it was a pretty eventful day for I4K. Many of us also broke records for max speed downhills as we had also 20 miles of downhill (which should more appropriately be named downmoutain) it was wild, scary and exhilarating!

Special thanks to Maggie’s cousin for hosting us at his amazing house tonight. We have fantastic views of the mountains! Today’s ride dedication was for Maggie’s aunt who is battling breast cancer.

Tomorrow we will climb some more and then we will be in steamboat where we will be camping. If the blogs are not posted it is because I do not have WiFi access.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: Come on get higher
Memorable moment: making it to the top of Berthoud pass and looking down to see all that we had climbed. One of the most satisfying feelings on the ride so far!

Day 43: Climbing into Idaho Springs

Today the team rode 44 miles from Denver to Idaho Springs, Colorado! We finally are in the mountains, after climbing almost all day. No matter how difficult it was to bike…or crawl up the mountain the views made it absolutely incredible. It is great to be out of the plains and onto new and more exciting scenery. We climbed for 8 miles straight today, which may not seem like much but the winding roads were a challenge that the rolling hills of the Midwest could not prepare us for! Although we only biked 44 miles the ride was action packed with thrilling downhills, and views of whitewater rafters! We even helped out a cyclist who was competing in a race. We were his pit crew and helped pump up his tire! Once in Idaho sprig we enjoyed checking out the cute shops the town has to offer

I would like to thank our host tonight, United Church of Idaho Springs. They provided us with a delicious taco bar and we are extremely grateful! The ride dedication today was for Sofie’s friend Ariel’s dad who is currently battling brain cancer.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: The Climb -Miley Cyrus
Memorable moment: Finally reaching the highest point in the day and realizing how high up we climbed.. and also that the rest was downhill hehe

Day 43

Hello world!

Today was outstanding. The things we saw today… my oh my. Colorado is a great place to be and I’ve missed it dearly. I love being able to glance up and look at nothing but mountains and see so much greenery.

You know what the best part is though?

The best part is knowing that from here on out, that’s what our views are going to be. The party is just gettin started folks!

Today we had our first mountain pass and that was awesome. It felt like a great accomplishment to climb and climb and climb and then finally have a decent. It’s such a rewarding feeling.

While biking on a trail near the river, we were able to see tons of white water rafters. I can’t wait for that to be us in Idaho! It was fun to bike past and cheer them on.
After handling some pretty messy roads, we made it safely to the stayover where my man Bill hooked us up with showers at the red center and a free taco bar in Idaho Springs!! Thanks so much Bill :)

What lies ahead tomorrow I s probably going to be one of the toughest days of our ride. 22 miles of climbing right from the start. What more could ya ask for! Whatevs, climbing is kinda fun and the downhill could get rowdy tomorrow (in a safe way don’t worry). And thennnnnn I finally get to see fam!!

My cousin Jimmy and his amazin wife Jenny (and special surprise guest Kiernan) will be hosting the team at their house in the moutains in Granby, CO. It’s crazy to think that this idea came to me in December of last year, and now the plan is finally being put into action.

Don’t you just love when things work out? Me too.

See ya at the top.

Marge