Waking up in Newark, Delaware at 6am to see mountains and rain as we were preparing for our 80 mile ride was frightening to say the least. The breakfast at Salem United Methodist Church got spirits up as we enjoyed their morning company and loaded up on their generous amounts of food. The team then attacked the day head on as we embarked towards our stay over in Baltimore, Maryland.Being our first day of serious hill climbs at an overall elevation of 2000 feet, it was as if the terrain were preparing us for the impending Appalachian Mountains in the near future. Not only did the day test our climbing skills, but it also tested our logistical skills as well. Around 60 miles into the ride, there was a train crash that caused a large explosion that blocked off several roads going into the city. The I4K groups of riders were forced to get into the city using detoured routes. All riders arrived safely and not far behind schedule, but our thoughts continue to go out to any that were involved in the crash.Our stay over in Baltimore was beautiful. The church was welcoming and had some much appreciated ice water waiting for us. We were even able to do some laundry. Instead of our usual spaghetti and lentils we had some wonderful left overs from the several generous host in previous stay overs.