Day 66: Gilchrist is haunted

Today the team rode 50 miles from Bend to Gilchrist, Oregon. The day started out interesting when the path we needed to take turned out to be completely gravely and sandy. We ended up getting shuttled because the gravel path extended for 7 miles. Road bikes and gravel don’t really go well together. Some of us enjoyed the challenge, and rode several miles before calling it quits. The rest of the day was relatively easy because the majority of the climbing was concentrated in the beginning and was skipped. We did run into a sea of smoke for the rest of the ride due to several forest fires happening in the area.

Thank you to our hosts at the Gilchrist mall. This is a more unique stayover as we are staying at an abandoned restaurant and lounge. It has been super cool to explore this place as it is like a time capsule. Today the ride was dedicated to Liz’s nana Nancy who had breast cancer twice.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: Sandman
Memorable moment: Finding the abandoned bowling alley attached to our stayover and manually bowling a few times

Day 65: Rest day, Hooray!

Today was our rest day in Bend, Oregon. One group spent a large portion of the day hiking. They got to see some amazing views ( check Instagram) and got to be at 9,000 feet elevation. Another group spent the morning getting breakfast and doing laundry and later went downtown to explore. Bend is a charming town with cool outdoorsy vibes. It has been on of my favorite places for sure. The deschutes river flows throughout the town where people kayak and tube down. It was nice to sit by the water with a book and relax, which is what many of us did. Later on some on the 21 year old checked out some breweries, which is something Bend is known for. Overall it was a lovely and restful day.

Special thanks to Maggie’s parents for donating dinner tonight. Chipotle never disappoints!

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: n/a
Song of the day: Stuck in the Middle with you -Stealers Wheel
Memorable moment: Eric changing his name to Martin at the restaurant and then claiming the order was not his when they called out for Martin.

Day 64: Just around the river Bend

Today the team rode 90 miles from Paulina to Bend, Oregon. It was a very long day with lots of climbing but the team did very well and all the groups were in before 5 pm. This might be a new team best for a 90 mile ride. The ride up through Bend was absolutely beautiful. We saw crazy rock formations, beautiful snow capped mountains and pines. Oregon is shaping up to be one of my favorite places. The day started out strong with a hype circle for the mosher activity. Ryan might have popped a few blood vessels in the process but he helped deliver the mosher activity with me and it couldn’t have gone better. Overall it was a great day!

I would like to thank The First United Methodist Church for hosting us for two nights. The ride dedicated for today is for Kathy’s aunt who had bladder cancer. We also got a great surprise of have Josh Weisberg and Arturo (2014 and 2017 alum) drive down to meet us and provide us with Wings. Thank you both so much!!

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count : 2
Song of the day: Final countdown
Memorable moment: Bouncing in unison on yoga balls during Phil’s pow wow while chanting his name

Day 64 and 65 – update

Hello world!

Yesterday we biked 90 miles into Bend, OR for our 10th rest day of the trip. It was fantastic because the ride didn’t even feel like 90 miles! We decided to form a riding group dedicated to Lady GaGa fans on the team. It was amazing because we got to listen to GaGa’s albums straight through and hear how she has evolved as a music artist… pretty neat in all honesty. Throughout the whole day I was thinking about my Uncle Brian who passed away a few years ago and was a huge Lady GaGa fan. He was the one that would tell my cousins and I to always be true to ourselves and don’t let anyone rain on our parade, so I try to live by that. I love and miss that dude every day!

Side note: If you have a favorite band/artist, I recommend doing that one day because you’ll get to see/hear how they grow during their time in the music industry.

Also… we finally had our first citing of civilization in Oregon after 3 ish days so that was refreshing! When we were about 30 miles from Bend, we spotted a few mountain peaks in the distance! These were so so so pretty and created a nice distraction for the rest of the ride.

A few I4K alums road tripped from Washington to camp in the Bend area and donated wings for dinner for the team! Twas delish and greatly appreciated :)

The night ended with a trip to THE LAST BLOCKBUSTER EVER IN THE WORLD. I obbbbvi got a membership because why the heck not!? Seriously though… walking into that store was like a time machine. The smell is still the same, they use computers from the 90s, they still have Supersize Me on the shelf… you get the gist.

Today a group of us drove to Mt. Bachelor for a nice hike and my oh my, Oregon. You leave me speechless.

This state is unbelievable and is my fav of the trip so far. We trekked up to 9000 feet of elevation and it was well worth it. At the top, we were able to see the Three Sister Mountains, Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson. It was gorgeousssss.

We treated ourselves to a pit stop at Sonic on our way back… I think the last time I was there was in 7th grade after a softball tournament in Moline, Iowa with my daddo hahaha. If you’re wondering, yes they still go around in those uncomfy looking rollerskates but yes I’m still jealous and kinda wish I worked there for that very reason.

Tonight’s dinner was donated by my OUTSTANDING parents so thank you thank you thank you mom and dad for feeding me and my team. Everyone was very grateful and some told me to tell y’all that they love you. So there ya go.

I’m sorry this blog is xxxxtra long today, I’m just really in love with this state and this day has been 10/10.

Tomorrow we only have 50 miles or so, so hopefully we’ll get in at a decent time!

Hot diggity dog.

Marge

Day 63

Hello world!

Unfortunately I saw today’s ride from the other side of things…I was an addition to the van clan for the day. Saddle sores man. They’re a scary thing. My booty put me out of commission as it was too painful to even think about sitting on a bike seat :(

That’s alright though, I felt like having my first day of being in the van for real (not dropped off at the stayover while everyone is still biking) made me realize how grateful I am to have biked as many days as I have. I’ve been able to play through the pain every day, and having to see all the pretty sights we saw today from the inside of the van instead of a bike made me sad.

But you know what they say… you have to experience the bad to know what the good is like (or something like that).

Mile 63 marked the 4000th mile of the trip!!!!! How exciting is that!? I don’t think it’s ever going to really hit me as to how far we will have biked by the end of the trip. I am so proud of each and every person on this team. We all have come a long way and have helped each other through some of the toughest of days. I know that without some of my teammates, I probably would not have been able to make it as far as I have, so that’s pretty cool.

Because of wildfires near Paulina, the fire rescue people were kind enough to let us borrow their portable showers. If you ever get a chance to shower in a pop up trailer thingy, I recommend you take it because they are very fancy…and they have warm water so that’s grand.

Tonight we got to change it up and play some v-ball woot woot! It was fun to run around and let out some energy.

Doesn’t that sound funny… energy after people biked 80 miles hah, no wonder people call us crazy.

Tomorrow we’ve got a hefty 90 miles into Bend, OR and then… REST DAYYYYYYYY. I’m super pumped for bend because I wanna go mountain biking and/or hiking. Probably gunna go with the hiking option because I live for cheap thrills.

Pray for me that the saddle sores will take a chill pill tomorrow so I can actually bike into Bend.

Sweetness.

Marge

Day 63: Not many people in Paulina

Today the team rode 80 miles from John day to Paulina, Oregon. Today was one of the hardest routes with almost 5,000 feet of climbing!! It was pretty beautiful in the beginning of the ride because we got to go through some more national forests. After the first 20 miles it went back to desert. A lot of people agreed that although it was a difficult day in terms of stats, everybody felt pretty strong and good which just goes to show how far we have come. Today we also reached the 4,000 mile mark. Although there wasn’t an amazing view or a marker, it was still an incredible feeling to know that we traveled 4,000 miles. There is only 700 to go in 12 days, which is crazy!

I would like to thank Paulina school for hosting our team tonight. Today we are sharing the space with evacuees from a nearby forest fire. Some of us spent our evening talking with the response team and learning about the fire. It is pretty remarkable the support that a tiny town is able to receive. The ride dedication for today was for our two hosts Terri and Sherri in Glens Ferry. Terri experienced cancer when both of her parents had it. Sherri’s husband also suffered from cancer.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: Hey mama
Memorable moment: playing volleyball at the end of the night in the school we are staying at.

Day 62: Oh hey, John Day!

My apologies for no blog post yesterday, we were camping with no access to WiFi. A little recap from yesterday’s ride. We rode 85 miles from Ontario to Unity, Oregon. All of us came to an agreement that yesterday was one of the most difficult rides of the whole summer. The climbing and headwinds were a real treat. We also had two very long and large climbs. Regardless of all the hills that kept appearing behind every canyon and corner the groups kept moral high and with Steven in mind “just kept chugging”.

Today the team rode 50 miles from Unity to John Day, Oregon. We got to see trees again and needless to say it was one exciting site to see. We passed through several national forests today as well which consisted of beautiful pines that spaned for miles. It was a little preview for the Redwood Forest. There was construction so the whole team got the supergroup and climb some of the hills together. What a cool feeling to climb as a whole team. There were a few big climbs today but there were no headwinds so the day was infinitely easier. The short miles always brings about a more energetic day. A few groups took breaks, one went to Dairy Queen to treat themselves after the climbs.

Today the ride was dedicated to a women we met at a convenience store the other day. She had battled ovarian cancer in the past year. A huge thank you to Caroline’s family ( Rita and Karen) for donating Subway for dinner.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of day: One Tree Hill -U2
Memorable moment: Seeing pine trees everywhere and getting a glimpse of the faint mountains in the distance after coming up a large hill.

Day 61

Hello world!

Sorry for the late post… we were camping in Unity, OR where there is no such thing as a sign of civilization, which meant no service.

Yesterday we were taking all passengers aboard the struggle bus. It was probably one of the top 5 ish toughest days for not only me personally, but as a team in general. The wind was going berserk and we had 2-3 tough, steady climbs. Wind and climbing is just a bad combo. Our climbing speed ranged from 4-9 mph and it was extremely draining, but the only thing we could do was tough it out and keep goin, which is exactly what we did.

I had about 3 or 4 laugh attacks on the bike today and I had no clue what I was even laughing at. Probably from my lack of sleep/me being slaphappy, but anyway, biking and laughing at the same time is no easy task… take it from a girl who knows. I could barely pedal and keep my bike moving forward. Some might call that a hot mess.

As I was saying earlier, our team has seen some better days. By the end of the 84 miles today, we had 10 riders still standing. These kids are dropping like flies out here!!

At the campsite we were finally able to have our first fire!!! Big steps peeps, big steps. We roasted dogs over the fire for din and watched the sun go down over the lake. A nice, relaxing night telling funny stories and crackin jokes.

Peace out.

Marge

Day 60

Hello world!

It was a Chill Bill day today. We only had 62 miles and pretty flat for the most part!

We got to the stayover around 1 and just hung around, caught up on sleep, watched some documentaries, etc etc.

Big things happened today though! We crossed the Oregon border, woooooooo party! This team has come a heck of a long way and we have one more state sign to go until the end. It honestly feels like just yesterday that we were dealing with the cold, pouring rain and massive hills of New York.

Madonna was wrong… time does not go by so slowly.

We’ve got 84 miles tomorrow, still biking through the uglier parts of Oregon. Views are right around the corner though so I can’t wait.

On that note, as my friend Nick would say, “Bye-daho!”

Marge

Day 60: Oregon we’ve been waiting for you!

Today the team rode 60 miles from Boise, Idaho to Ontario, Oregon. Today’s ride was super smooth and a ton of fun! With the easy miles comes a more relaxed vibe. My group started the day with a detour to a mural alley and ended it with a detour to get pizza. It can’t get much better than that. With a short day comes more time for stops at the nooks and crannies we are so lucky to find on I4K. From a cars view you just can’t see the things we see and have the ease to get out and explore them.

I would like to thank First Church of the Nazarene for having us. Also shoutout to Pizza Hut for donating pizza to us. The ride dedication for the day was for Mike’s aunts who both battled cancer.

The mosher for the day was to think of a motivational quote and try to slip it in to conversations as much as possible. So I’ll leave you with mine. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.” This one has stuck with me for a good part of the ride. Sometimes the challenges can seem too big but then I realize how many things I have been able to accomplish and how much all of this has changed my outlook on the limits I set for myself. All you need to do is pedal and you will get where you need to go!

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: Beautiful day – U2
Memorable moment: A great downhill between two hills that made the small climb up worth it! Not the craziest decent but one I will remember for sure.

Day 59

Hello world!

Rest day in Boise truly kept us on our toes, that’s for sure!

Me and my crazy self decided to wake up at 6:45 on our rest day and venture over to Boise high school’s track to run some laps, as if biking every day isn’t enough hahaha.

It was an experiment more than anything because I wanted to see how running would compare to biking. Turns out I am very out of shape!! After running a couple miles, my legs are feelin it and it took my body a while to get used to a different type of exercise other than biking. It makes me wonder if I’ll ever really run again!

Around 9:00 the team headed out in the van to our big event for the day… whitewater rafting!!! We took on class 4 rapids which got prettttty wild. Unfortunately we had a wee lil incident where one of the rafts got pinned to a rock for quite some time and their raft flipped. Thankfully everyone is A-OK, but to keep a long story short, we had a few swimmers that had to be brought to safety.

Thank goodness we’re a team because we all had to work together to help one another out on those rapids today. In the end, everyone had a good time though and I’d still recommend rafting to peeps because it’s very enjoyable :)

Tomorrow we will be crossing into Oregon, which is our second to last state!!! Can you believe it?? Time is flashing before our eyes.

Although everyone hates on eastern Oregon for being deserty, I don’t care because I’m excited to skedaddle out of Idaho. I didn’t really enjoy biking through here, but I’m seriously contemplating moving to northern Idaho in the future. I think I might like it up there. It’s much much much much much more scenic than southern Idaho… and it’s more uncharted.

And now… here’s to entering Oregon Duck territory. May it be all a girl could ever want in life. The end.

Marge

Day 59: Buoyancy in Boise

Today was our rest day in Boise, Idaho! We decided to do the most restful thing we could think of … so we went whitewater rafting. In all seriousness it was one of the coolest things we have done on the ride so far. We woke up at 7:30 so we could be out the door by 9. We drove 45 minutes to the Bear Valley River Company located on the Payette river. We then drove 7 miles down the river so we could get to the white rapids. It was several team member’s first time whitewater rafting. We got to ride class 2,3, and 4 rapids today and they got a little crazy toward the end. Some of us even rode the bull (sitting at the front of the raft while we went over rapids).

All of us were pretty exhausted and hungry after the excursion so the rest of the night was spent relaxing, running errands, and going out to eat at various places.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: N/A
Song of the day: How to save a life
Memorable moment: when our raft was purposefully and temporarily slid up a rock

Day 58: Oh Boise!

Today the team rode 82 miles from Glens Ferry to Boise, Idaho! It was a tough ride due to cumulative toll from days prior, overexposure to heat, and the dry desert climate. The route wasn’t the most exciting so today groups passed the time by singing and asking funny questions. Realizing we only have 18 days left makes the time that we do have to joke, laugh and get to know one another that much more important. Today we also got to ride on the interstate for several miles which was a thrill for many people. At the stayover we spent our time getting Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and learning the newest dance craze.

Special thanks to Elias’ parents for donating dinner for tonight. We got Chipotle burritos and it was fantastic! Also thank you to our hosts at Cathedral of the Rockies. Today’s ride dedication was for a lady Maggie met in Steamboat springs who was very thankful for what we are doing because he mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 3
Song of the day: Paradise – George Ezra
Memorable moment: Teaching Mike, Matt and Elias the shiggy dance

Rider Spotlight: Eric Ma (Lord MA)

What’s been the best part of I4k so far?
Having rest days because I feel tired often so I enjoy resting and sometimes the team will do something together which is fun.

Favorite rest stop snack?:
Lemon protein bar or beef stick

What’s your favorite type of music?/Favorite pump up song on the bike?
I like piano music.

What do you do when you are struggling on the bike?
I look down the road and just keep pedaling.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I would try to be more outspoken! I want to appear more positive.

What’s your dream place to live?
In big cities, somewhere dry.. still deciding the specifics. Maybe California

What place are you most looking forward to on the ride or liked the most?
I liked Colorado! It was very beautiful and I liked the mountains.

What has been your favorite day on I4K so far?
I enjoyed Berthouds pass. I went up the mountain very slow but we got there. The downhill was also very fun. I like to see my hard work paying off.

Team Knife or spoon?
Team knife for peanut butter and spoon for jelly.

If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Mind reading so I can know what to say to people!

What’s been the most challenging part of the ride?
The most challenging part of the ride is the rainy days. I get really cold and I don’t enjoy being wet.

New edition to a crayon box what would you be?
Bovine Brown: because I moo at cows!

Day 58

Hello world!

Oh Boise, we’ve finally made it! We straight up cruised through the 83 mile day today. Due to the heat and wind, we kept rest stops short and we’re movin and groovin on those bikes, averaging 15 ish mph. We meant business today.

Groups trickled in and then we took a trip to Boise State to use their red center to shower. U of I needs to step up their game because this place was niceeeeeee!

BIG shout out to Elias’s parents, for donating Chipotle dinner. It totally hit the spot after a big day. Thank you so so so so so much Mr. and Mrs. Martin!!

I’m gettin p u m p e d for whitewater rafting tomorrow. It should be
super fun and hopefully no one falls out of their raft.

Also side note: today I accomplished 2 of the goals I set for myself on this trip. First, I successfully did the Superman on a bike (riding with your body horizontal as if you’re laying on your bike) and finding a license plate on the side of the road!! It was a good day :-)

Tune in tomorrow for updates on the rafting sitch.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night.

Marge

Day 57

Hello world!

Today was a journey, one that had its ups, it’s downs, and tested mental toughness for sure.

The first 23 miles were pokey because we took a 30-40 minute stop at mile 5… but it was well worth it. We got to watch a handful of people jump off this awesome bridge!! The base jumpers had parachutes that they pulled when they jumped and floated down over the Snake River (I think), ending in the landing area to the right of the river. Some jumpers even had fans on their backs so they would jump and then fly around/do tricks (flips, etc) in the air.

It was a SIGHT to see :)

We also ran into at least 10-15 doggos that were out to get us. You wouldn’t think it, but being on a bike and getting chased by 4 yapping rat dogs is a scary time, especially when your only defense mechanism is to bike faster and squirt the darn thing with your water bottle.

We had 1 very close call around mile 28 when a feisty one almost bit Caroline’s leg off. No worries, she was able to shoo it away (by inches).

The day was mostly downhill with a couple Mt. Everest’s to climb (as Sam would say). We dealt with some tough temps and bad winds. It reached over 100 degrees today and that was no fun.

The Idaho desert seriously feels like you’re biking in a hair dryer on full blast, at the highest heat possible. It is brutal!

We had 6 miles to go when Caroline got a flat. She repaired it easy peasy and we were on our way after 10 minutes or so. Then… in less than a mile, the poor girl got another flat!! What kind of bad luck is that?? Crazy talk… she repaired that one too and we were on our way.

The last 6 miles were a grind and I thought I was sizzling in a frying pan but we finally got to the stayover.

I still kind of feel like death and am probably 10000 bottles dehydrated so we shall see what tomorrow brings us.

Boise and whitewater rafting is on the horizon!!

Stay golden, Ponyboy.

Marge

Day 57: Poppin tires all the way to Glens Ferry

Today the team road 70 miles from Twin Falls to Glens Ferry, Idaho. Today was long, hot and windy. It got up to 100 degrees mid afternoon with 12 mph headwinds the majority of the day. Needless to say we all feel very exhausted and drained from today’s ride. This morning we got to see base jumpers, which was super cool! Also while riding through the farm country we were attacked by Petsmart as Maggie would say. A herd of 5 dogs came out of the blue and started chasing us all on bike. We tried yelling and they weren’t even phased! Spraying water and ringing bells ended up doing the trick. We then had several other encounters with dogs for the next few miles which kept us on our guard.

I would like to thank our amazing hosts tonight at The United Methodist Church. They made the most incredible dinner, complete with homemade bread. I may have had a few too many pieces hehe.

~Hoping for Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 11… Idaho has bad roads
Song of the day: Pump up the jams
Memorable moment: Getting ice cream at the end of the hard day at a fudge shop across from the church

Rider Spotlight: Helen Mendez

What’s been the best part of I4k so far?
Seeing the different parts of the country and having my expectations be different than I thought it would be. Also meeting everyone on the team.

What is your signature dance move?
Swerve: shifting arms right and left while snapping. It works with any song!

Favorite rest stop snack?:
Chocolate anything. Hershey’s is a go to. Cheese it’s and chocolates satisfies my sweet and salty cravings.

What’s your favorite type of music?/Favorite pump up song on the bike?
Alternative. Feeling good remix

What do you do when you are struggling on the bike?
Try to not think about how hard it is. Try to think of my family and support system!

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
There is a lot of times I hold myself back. I would like to get out of my box more!

What’s your dream place to live?
In a place that’s urban and also close to nature. Seattle seems up my alley

What place are you most looking forward to on the ride or liked the most?
I’m looking forward to Oregon and Crater Lake.

What has been your favorite day on I4K so far?
It was a century ride where it was pouring rain and the whole time I felt worried but we sang Disney songs and sang “it’s gonna be a bright sunshiny day”. It was a bittersweet moment

Team Knife or spoon?
Team Knife because I only eat peanut butter

If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Flying would be cool!

What’s been the most challenging part of the ride?
The most challenging part of the ride has been trying to lift myself when I’m low so I don’t sink into a negative hole.

New edition to a crayon box what would you be?
Cloudy Blue: it’s a very light hearted color and I am very carefree and go with the flow.

Favorite pair of socks: My Brazil socks because of the World Cup! My Chicago socks to represent my roots

Day 56

Hello world!

Today was refreshing. A nice 43 miles essentially made for half a rest day… BOOYAH!

Festivities consisted of a trip to Jimmy Johns, paying a visit to Shoshone Falls (the Niagara of the west), a nap, a team pow wow, watching the show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (not sure why I continue to watch it because I really only like the intro theme song but oh well), playing hacky sack, juggling a soccer ball, and my favorite… eating an amazing dinner made by none other than our own Matthew Niewiara!!

Man… who taught that boy how to cook??? He made one of my favorite chicken dishes, which is putting tomato, basil, and mozzarella stuffed inside a chicken breast.

Game. Changer.

Also another fan favorite were his cheesey potatoes made from Idaho potatoes! It was… divine. Hats off to Matt for an awesome feast.

Tomorrow we have 70 ish miles to get us to Glens Ferry, ID. Should be a grand ol time.

Okay… goodnight moon.

Marge

Day 56: Twin Falls you are a beaut

Today the team rode 43 miles from Rupert to Twin Falls, Idaho. Today was the second easiest day of the ride and it could not have come at a better time. After a few long, hot days many people on the team were not feeling too good. The ride today was pretty easy with good conditions and nice weather. Most of the groups wanted to hustle so that we could enjoy the day and have time to rest. All the groups got to the stayover around noon. This gave us the whole day, so naturally we all piled in the van to run some errands. First stop Jimmy Johns for lunch and Chik-fil-A for a shake! Then the grocery store so chef Matt could prepare for the feast he wanted to make. After a few hours and waiting on Matt hehe we finally made it back to the stayover. The rest of the team was waiting so we could all go see the waterfalls. They were stunning! We spent 2.5 hours staring at the waterfalls from different directions and elevations. we then spent the rest of the afternoon doing laundry and chilling. It was a nice day! Matt prepared us a delicious meal complete with: Salad, Au gratin potatoes (when in Idaho), Chicken with lemon caper sauce, soup and brownies for dessert. It was restaurant quality and so nice of him to spend the day preparing all the dishes!

Thank you to our stayover River Christian Fellowship. The ride dedication today was for my aunt Marcy’s mother Evelyn who passed away from lung cancer a few days ago.

Rider Spotlight (bringing this back): Mike Rotter

What’s been the best part of I4k so far?
I would say doing the portraits. Especially the portrait we did in Madison.

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
People would be surprised to know I only left the country once and that was to Niagara Falls.

Favorite rest stop snack?:
Snagging a vintage root beer from a glass bottle

What’s your favorite type of music?/Favorite pump up song on the bike?
Oldies for sure. Jukebox hero

What do you do when you are struggling on the bike?
Start singing along to songs or ask random questions to my teammates

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I would change that people perceive me as mysterious

What’s your dream place to live?
In Liverpool, England

What place are you most looking forward to on the ride or liked the most?
The entire state of Utah because it was gorgeous and the mountains are beautiful and the people are nice.

What has been your favorite day on I4K so far?
Day 48: The day entering Utah because we passed Dinosaur national monument. We greeted into Utah by the blue mountains. I tried 3 types of root beer at the lunch stop. I found 4 license plates that day. I also had a great group.. best imaginable!

Team Knife or spoon?
Team spoon for peanut butter and team no utensil for jelly. If it doesn’t come out easy.. I guess you could use a spoon.

If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Speed and stamina to keep up with Hitarth on the bike

What’s been the most challenging part of the ride?
The most challenging part of the ride is eating PB and J because I don’t like peanut butter.

New edition to a crayon box what would you be?
Reliable Red: it’s a generic color so it won’t make your art pop but it will always be there for you

Favorite pair of socks: My New York Socks because I plan to pair them with my San Francisco pair.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: In the end -Lincoln Park
Memorable moment: seeing the waterfalls for sure!

Day 55

Hello world!

Boy oh boy. Wind in Idaho is bruuuuutal, what the heck! We were mentally prepared for the headwinds of Iowa and Nebraska, but people forgot to mention Idaho. Today easily had some of the toughest winds of the trip so far, combined with hill after hill after hill. Even though they were smaller, they get pretty difficult after a while (especially when your speed going downhill into the wind is a whopping 13 mph).

Anywho, tears were shed, screams were screamed, rocks were thrown… anything to let the frustration out ya know! Perks of being in boofoo Idaho I guess! You have no one to bother so you can scream as loud as you want and throw things to make yourself feel better. Whatever gets the job done, right?

At one point today we were cruisin along the interstate! That was pretty exciting and kinda funny. Cars were going 80 mph next to us and we were chuggin at a solid 11 mph. Only 69 mph under… not bad! We also were following the Oregon Trail for most of the day, so that was exciting!

Some of us also stopped at a potato farm/field and may or may not have harvested a few potatoes to put in our jersey pockets.

When in Idaho folks… when in Idaho.

Another funny thing we saw today was a dog standing on top of hay bails on the back of a truck. That pup was surfin safari and was barking away up there. I hope the driver knew his dog was actually up there…hmm I didn’t think about that until now.

God bless tomorrow because we only have 43 miles!! Partyyyyyyy! Then only a few more days until Boise, ID, can you believe it??

Time flies when you’re having fun my dudes.

Deuces.

Marge