Now that the team has reached the west coast we are headed in a direction that we are not used to: south! From Florence, OR we hopped on highway 101 for most of the day enjoying some slight tailwinds from the north. Some detours along the route led groups to fields of elk, fresh donuts, or gift shops along our route. Riders are currently scrambling to find small trinkets and treasurers for our Christmas in July tomorrow, with some interesting results expected.
Hey Steve, I dare you to jump in that lake...Florence, OR7/24/2010
So I have not blogged about the last 22 or so days. This is mainly because of the lack of internet or the lack of time to access a computer in that timeframe. I hope to post information on the past three weeks later- perhaps after our arrival in San Francisco. But for now, I will finish out my blog on current events. No pictures today, for sure tomorrow.Today began nice and early at 5am because of a 5pm dinner and a 7pm portraits presentation at our stayover in Florence, 89 miles away. I was very proud of the cereal that I had purchased last night. Just gobs of cheap chocolate cereal. My father would have been proud.So began out venture to the coast and our final day heading west. It is amazing to ponder that there is only ten days left on the trip. After cleaning up the stayover and learning how to do the worm (or for me, the beached whale) we were off. I spread the rest stops out a bit so that one of our rest stops could be close to Triangle Lake at mile 46. On our accent to the top of one of our final hills of the ride, we found a memorial for a 17 year old girl. At a gas station a couple miles back, we had heard that there had been a recent accident that shook the town. She had been with a few friends driving fast up that same hill, took a curve too fast and fell out of the doorless jeep and off the side of the mountain. Scary. We took a few moments to say a few prayers good words. I imagined if my life had ended at 17 and at that same moment was thankful for how fruitful it has been.Our rest stop at the lake was well fought for with a more challenging route than hoped for. Midway through the rest stop, Greg DOUBLE dog dared me to jump in the lake. I had been planning on it anyway. First I jumped off a mini trampoline into the water followed by a creaky slide in. The water temperature perfectly complimented the hot weather outside and I was very happy I hopped in. Unfortunately, I put my shoes on in a rush when my feet were still a little wet. Needless to say, they smelled pretty bad after forty more miles and a pair of smelly bike shoes.We set off to mile 65 towards our next rest stop. On our way there, Shea was having problems with his crank being loose, so he often stopped to tighten it. During one of these stops, I checked my back tire which has been dangerously worn down and coming up on its last miles. There was a huge hole in it and my intertube was pertruding out of my tire. I couldn't ride my bike! Luckily, Lauren was nice enough to let me use her back wheel for the next ten while she rested her knee for that 20 mile segment.I changed my tires at the rest stop, ate some lunch, had a ginger beer and was off. Lauren back on the bike, Shea and I. We stopped at mile 80 for a quick bathroom break and water fill up. By quick I meant get ready to hop on the bikes and then spend thirty to forty more minutes talking to a crazy guy and a cyclist named Nathan. First the crazy man. HUGE hippy. I think he rolled his own ciggerette in front of us. He asked us what we were up to all dressed in bike gear and we tole him we were on a long journey raising money. He was very impressed. I asked what he was up to. He is walking from Eugene, OR to 1600 miles away to somewhere along the coast in California protesting the oil spill. This guy had been apart of the first Earth Day and dedicated his life to the environment. He is on food stamps, hasn't paid his taxes since 1975 and only has the cash and backpack that is on him. He plans to beg for work to provide him food and plans to donate any money he does earn. He is 57. I admired his dedication to his beliefs although he was a little self centered. We actually ran into him outside of a restaurant that offered him a job on their farm in return for food. His feet were bloody from his journey that he was only five days deep. I hope he reaches his destination safely.We met a cyclist named Nathan as well. His bike was sweet and I wish I took a picture of it. He has epilepsy. Because of this, he is on a couple of medications to alleviate the symptoms. One of his medications makes him extremely drowsy- so much that he is not allowed to drive. Thus, he bikes EVERYWHERE. He is not a crazy, fly up a mountain, winning ten tour de Frances in a row type of rider. He is however, one of the nicest cyclists I have met on the road and we were honored when he asked if he could join us on our road to Florence. We made it just in time for our meal at 5pm. Chicken, potato salad, beans, lasagna, watermelon, grapes and more. Afterwards, our portraits presentation. Following our powerpoint was a talk from a local man who started the organization Friends of Florence. This organization drives cancer patients to hospitals that are not close for their treatments. The man who talked to us (who's name was PJ?) founded the organization after experiencing how much money it costs to travel for chemo appointments first hand. It is a very cool organization and is very convienient for a town with a large elderly population to have a service like this. Finally, a sink shower. I SMELLED. But, now I don't. Time to buy some PPJ and breakfast for the team for tomorrow. I am excited to head south down the coast and to finally see the Pacific Ocean! I thought I was going to see it today but I did not have time. I think we are going to have some nice tailwind as well... AT LAST.
You like dogs? (Dog Eat Bike)
A very special day today, and a very special day deserves a 5 am wake up. Riders lazily woke up this morning, packed their gear, and attempted to do the worm dance move (Tracey's Mosher). We had a deadline today because we had to get to the church by 5 pm for a dinner they had set up for us. Also, the presentation of the Portraits project was scheduled for tonight at 7 pm. To top off everything our destination Florence is right next to the coast! The ride itself was a relatively painless 88 miles from Corvallis to Florence. However it seems that dogs in Oregon hate us. Big ones, small ones, fluffy ones, you name it. Unfortunately today a small black and white border collie-australian shepherd-blue heeler fluffy mix lost whatever thought process it had and bolted from the left side of the street, through a gate, in front of a truck and in front of Kyle Lindsay's front wheel. Kyle going 16 miles per hour versus 25 pound dog. Dog wins. Kyle gets hurt but not seriously injured thankfully. As fast as the accident happened the dog was gone. The owner of the dog helped us by providing a first aid kit.We got into Florence relatively early. Some of us chose to ride 4 miles to the coast just to see it an celebrate. The rest of us layed around and took some much needed naps before our delicious dinner at 5pm. We even got cupcakes for dessert that were made by the pre-schooler kids from the church! Very cute and yummy.At 7pm we did our first showing of the work we've been doing on our Portraits Project presentation. Some people from the town came to watch the powerpoint and share some stories of their own. We got to hear adiabout a group called the Friends of Florence and also the Van Fans. Apparently the hospital in Florence does not have the means to administer radiation or chemo therapy treatments and the people who live here have to travel to a hospital in Eugene to get their treatments done. For those without cars or the ability to drive this becomes a serious problem. So, the Friends of Florence come together to provide a van and a ride over to Eugene for those who need it. The van goes every single day and has for the last 25 years. They are fueled and supported by volunteer members of the community that help drive and do fundraisers. The whole organization is very inspiring.The Illini 4000 would like to reach out to the members of Bike and Build, a fellow cross country bike group that tragically lost a rider named Paige Hicks last week in an accident on the road. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the team in this difficult time.
9 Days. Or: Portland, The Fulcrum
With 9 days left, it's hard to believe we've made it to the western edge of the fourth largest nation in the world. The amount of miles for each ride seems trivial. No longer do we travel westward day-to-day moving toward the next rest day as a day off. On our next day off, we will have completed the journey that took us almost a year of preparation.Somewhere west of Chicago but east of Yellowstone, the novelty of the trip wore off. We weren't fueled by the adrenaline and excitement we left New York with. I found myself often wondering what happened to the novelty, the spark. It's easy to see now that the growth of our team occurred during the time when our novelty wore off. After reaching Portland, I understand that the novelty wore off to give us a chance to experience and learn. Suddenly our attentional resources weren't focused on the external aspects of the ride (excitement, riding our bikes). During this "down time" as I'll call it, many of us turned our attentional resources inward--to ourselves, our organization. As we left Portland and entered Corvallis, I realized that during the downtime, the novelty turned into wisdom, clarity, and confidence. Our souls of the trip aren't the springy, ecclectic, energetic youth we knew as we left Central Park nearly two months ago. We're older, taller, more mature in the context of the ride. We've learned so much and have truly, truly lived so fully these past sixty-three days.There's a chance I may not blog before the end, and if this is the case, I would like to extend my deepest grattitude to everyone involved in this trip. It could not have happened without your support.eamon
Yes! Yes! Yeeeees!
The morning was a scramble to pick up after ourselves because we just had a rest day and that's usually how things work out the next day. We managed to get out at a decent time, but before we left we played the Yes! game to get ourselves motivated since we were heading closer to the coast. The game is simply a big circle of people, while one person runs at another person across the circle saying Yes! enthusiastically and jumping up in the air to high five. Today's route seemed menacing at first glance because there were a ton of cues and it was 92 miles. The day however turned out much easier than expected. It was probably because of the tough week we had before with all the headwinds and so forth. So today was not too rough. It was flat, looked like Illinois, and there was some tailwind. To make a long story short, we reached Corvallis all safe and sound and are ready for tomorrow. To the Coasts!
FINALLY REACHED PORTLAND!
Yesterday morning we left from Cascade Locks School to head to the great city of Portland. The mosher before we left was quite hilarious and involved somersaults, being blindfolded, and sliding across the floor. After all that crazy fun we departed for our 40 mile ride into the city. Which turned out to be longer than expected, and colder. The first cloud in a week was seen, which grew into more clouds.Halfway through the ride we met up with Barbara Larrain, a fellow cyclist an alum of the University of Illinois. We were all impressed by her skills and the fact that she had just completed an Iron Man a few days ago and got 2nd place in her age group! She rode along with us and lead the group into Portland. It was a beautiful ride and some of the best scenery we have had in days.After we arrived, the alumni provided us Asian cuisine for dinner and gave us a 751 dollar donation plus a 500 dollar match. Later that night, some riders went to watch the movie Inception and the rest went to shower.9:25 am rest day: Went to the OSHU facilities which was on top of a giant hill. The team got to take a Tram from one building of the hospital to another, which was nothing short of a hanging space pod ski lift. Simply amazing. The view was great. We met with two representatives from the AYA (Adolescent and Youth Advisory Committee) which told us about their efforts to help people age 15-39 connect with other patients their age going through the same thing.We all had fun exploring the city for the rest of the afternoon. Some highlights of the day include hamburgers made on two grilled cheese sandwiches, a giant bookstore, a fantastic farmers market, and Voodoo donuts. This evening we met up with a team in training from the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society. We heard some moving stories and got to complete many portrait interviews, All in all, a very successful day.We all wish had a bit more time in Portland, but we're excited to head out and get to the coast in two days!
I've been through the mountains on a bike with no name, it felt good to be out of Champaign
We're almost in Portland! It's weird how it seems like we just started the ride, but NYC seems like years ago. I also haven't blogged in forever (my bad). So last time I wrote was in Wyoming. Well, since then, my derailleur decided to break itself on the ride from Cody, WY into Yellowstone. Which was super lame because it meant 4 days in the van. I picked up a job as chauffeur of the riders sick with the I4K-plague, and then got sick myself. I was so happy to have my bike fixed, though, that I disregarded illness and rode anyway. And then we had a rest day in Missoula, which was fabulous.Since Missoula, we have had some pretty intense rides, but I've actually been having a lot of fun. It feels so rewarding to make it through both the mental and physical stresses each day presents and to look back at the end of the day and say to myself "I did that." In good company, any ride can be fun. Yesterday we biked 100 miles uphill into one of the strongest headwinds we've faced, but it was a really enjoyable day. We went blackberry picking on the side of the road around mile 80, and I fell up to my thigh into a pit of thorns. I now look like I've been attacked by an angry cat, but it was totally worth it because those berries were awesome. And thanks to Max for helping me out of the thorns... and taking a picture of me stuck in them.Additional note: hot springs are AWESOME. I highly recommend going to them at any available opportunity.
Port Land and the adventures of the West
Don't say I didn't warn you about the lack of personal blogging. It's just something about this section of our route that makes blogging difficult. Much of it can be blamed on our consistent lack of internet access, or increased amount of camping out west, or pure exhaustion at the end of the day. I think part of it is the fact that it is so hard to put what we're experiencing into words. Anything I write seems empty compared to what I've seen and felt since my last post.I last wrote before riding up the Big Horn mountains, a particularly hard 18-mile climb way back in Wyoming. Once again the I4k came and conquered the mountains and pushed on through the Rockies as we passed through Montana and then Idaho. As much as I loved the scenery in the eastern half of our country, the west surely blows it out of the water as far as expansive beauty. We have seen so many amazing mountains, fields of grain, plains as far as the eye can see. And the people out here have been just as generous as what we experienced in the east. Countless individuals made our stay in the west a very pleasant experience, many thanks go out to you. It was such a joy for me to meet some of the people that helped us out last year again this year. I feel very fortunate to have made these connections with inspiring individuals across the country, and especially to have the opportunity to meet them again. The small towns we pass through will forever have a special place in my heart because of the hospitality we have been shown.The weather out west has been a variety of conditions. Everyday has been hot by at least midday. The mornings may start out cool, but by the time the sun is overhead I'm always down to my coolest riding clothes. We had a few days when we knew the weather was reaching into the mid 90's so I rode with teammates who were willing to ride hard to beat the heat on those days. Everyone seems to have different strategies for those days, some prefer to take it easier throughout the day to stay cool, but I felt it sure was nice to arrive before the hottest part of the day. The weather yesterday as I'm sure you will hear more about was very tough. I have more than 9000 miles under my belt riding for the I4k, but yesterday was one of the toughest days if not the toughest. One hundred miles of headwind is tough physically, mentally, and emotionally. It takes steadfast determination not to give up in those conditions and the team really pulled through. We could have found a way to “shuttle” in to the campground, but that is not what the Illini 4000 does.As I mentioned above, the team has been camping a lot more in recent days. Camping on this trip isn't like a camping trip that you may take for a weekend getaway, but more of a challenge. After riding 100 miles the last thing you want to do is set up tents and cook for 28 hungry riders over a small camping stove, but it really shows team work at it's best. Some of the riders really stepped up while camping to make up for the extra strain on the team. This morning was especially tough trying to eat our cold cereal before the morning headwinds blew it away, but morale held strong in the morning. For our morning ritual we circled up and each spoke about our connection to cancer which really kept us going in the challenging conditions.Tomorrow we head to Portland, Oregon, one of the bigger cities we pass through on the west coast, and the final destination for last year's trip. It feels very unusual to head to Portland this time around knowing that I will continue to ride hundreds of miles before finishing the trip. Last year I had no need for bike shops in Portland because the trip was over, but this time I will need to find parts to continue our journey with. After having retraced many steps from last year's ride, the coast will be entirely new to me. This is both exciting and scary as we head in to the unknown. I am especially grateful that the team has become much more self sufficient now and will need less guidance than in the first two thousand miles. It has been a privilege to see the individuals grow in to the riders they have become as we push to the final stretch of our journey.
Ain't no thing but a chicken wing
After yesterday, I4K was ready for anything this morning. A not-so-well-rested team got up this morning to super strong winds (which flapped the tents loudly all night). As our cereal was flying out of our bowls, we were a bit wary as to how the day would end up. Luckilly, upon crossing from Washington into Oregon, the wind suddenly died and we found ourselves in excellent biking conditions. Yay for Oregon! The team stopped at McDonalds where some enjoyed ridiculous amounts of calories. After a mere 53 miles, we arrived at Cascade Locks School. Like Eamon said this morning, ain't no thing but a chicken wing. It was nice to have a free afternoon to chill out and not be completely exhausted. We're all extremely excited to get to Portland tomorrow (only 40 miles!) and to be the first I4Kers to trek (pun points!) from Portland to San Francisco!
100 miles. Uphill. Into the wind.
Whenever a team member asks Conor how the next day's ride will be, he ALWAYS says "100 miles uphill into the wind" in order to prepare us mentally for the worst, so however it really is won't be so bad.Today we rode 100 miles uphill into the wind.We started off the morning early, meeting the intense winds around mile 10. With each other's support, we toughed it out, crawling along WA-14, occationally even hitting speeds in the double digits! Our team's trusty trio of speed rushed ahead to reserve a campsite, while everyone else took the day at a more human-like pace. Many riders stopped to pick blackberries and get attacked by thorns. Delicious blackberries! Sharp thorns! After a very long day, the team arrived at Columbia Hills State Park to delicious spaghetti. We were all very exhausted upon arrival, so we all went to sleep.
Columbia River Ride
Day 54:Waitsburg, WA -> Umatilla, OR~75 milesThe team woke up this morning at Waitsburg High School, with most of us having slept in the gym. After packing the van and eating breakfast, Steve utilized our former sleeping space for the most noble of pursuits: dodgeball!
The ride started with a Surprise Climb through rolling Washington wheat fields. Some of the team made a quick detour to the Walla Walla farmer's market for the best pastries/fruit/smoothies/Bob Dylan Cover Band we'd had in quite a while.
After Walla Walla, we followed US-12 west through moderate headwinds. We then hopped onto US-730, which runs parallel to the Columbia River. Great views all along US-730, with towering rock formations on the left and the watery expanse on the right. After pictures at the Welcome To Oregon sign and hot liquid PBJ for lunch, some of us took a moment to throw rocks or wade or swim in the river. Good to have a large body of water so close at hand on a hot day like today.
We arrived at McNary Heights Elementary School in Umatilla and had great hot-water hose showers and internet access--both of which we're savoring, as tomorrow we'll be camping and likely without either. After our burrito dinner, we're getting in our sleeping bags early--we'll need all the rest we can get for our hundred-miler tomorrow.
How the West was Won
We've finally made it into Oregon! At this point in time, we've only got California to go through (although we'll be hopping between Washington and Oregon for the next few days).Our time from South Dakota through Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho was incredible. Wyoming was absolutely beautiful, and our experience climbing the 20 miles up the Big Horns was excellent. Afterwards, we enjoyed a massive downhill and an easy day into Cody, WY. My 4th of July was cut a bit short by a sudden bout of sickness, and the team decided to make Cody, WY the rest day instead of Yellowstone, and I ended up staying in Cody the day afterwards because a few of us were still not feeling well. I rode through Yellowstone the second day, and it was beautiful, if very touristy.Montana was a pleasant experience as well. We had mountains everywhere and despite some difficult climbs, the mountains, lakes and forests we passed through were beautiful. Our rest day in Missoula was excellent, starting off with a group of us that left early and raced to Missoula to catch the final game at 12:30pm.After Missoula, we headed into Idaho, which was amazing as well. The climb up through Lolo Pass was a lot of fun (despite some headwinds), and the descent continued for nearly 2 days, through almost 100 miles of winding roads following a river and forest. We got a chance to bathe in some hot springs, relax in the very refreshing river, and enjoy camping and S'mores.The Pacific Northwest has definitely not been what I was expecting. Our first day into Washington was miserable, starting off with a long climb out of Lewiston, ID, and then running into the headwinds that seem to be so prevalent in Washington. Moods didn't improve until 10 miles out of Waitsburg when we hit Dayton, WA and got some snacks and ice cream. The terrain was also not what I was expecting for Washington, we rolled through fields of wheat, rolling hills, and almost desert-like conditions.Today's ride from Waitsburg, WA to Umatilla, OR was great. Scenery changed from wheat fields and hills to giant rocky hills and the Columbia River valley to almost desert-like prairies.I'm still astounded that we'll be in Portland in 3 days and then travelling down the coast into San Francisco. This trip has been so amazing and the team so enthusiastic, fun and dedicated that I'll definitely have I4k withdrawal once I'm back at home. At the same time, I am looking forward to seeing family and friends and resuming a more 'sane' lifestyle, as weird as it will be. But first, let's ride our bicycles!
Windy Washington
Thanks to the First United Methodist Church in Lewiston, the team filled up on a hearty breakfast of cereal and fruit before heading out for the 80 mile day. 3 miles in, we conquered another state, leaving Idaho and entering into the windy state of Washington. Hills, heat, and headwinds proved to be quite a dynamic trio, but they couldn't stop our riders from riding 80 miles through a desert.Matt Olszta, family friend of the O'Haras, graciously donated 14 pizzas for dinner, making up for our expended calories. Today also begins Stars Wars week for the team. Screening of the series starts tonight with Episode I. Good night, and may the force be with you.
A Downhill Day (... and then an uphill... or two)
Another lovely day for the I4K. After filling up with cereal and apple sauce in Kamiah, the team headed out for an 85 mile ride into Lewiston. Knowing a hot day was awaiting, different groups took different approaches towards the miles ahead. Some rode quickly to the stay over while others enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Idaho a bit more. The day was filled with ups and downs... starting with a quick descent, followed by a 10 mile uphill. The team later was brought to a twisting 7 mile downhill and shortly after, one of the steepest hills we've seen to date.Upon arrival, the First United Methodist Church provided the team with a delicious dinner of tacos, cornbread, watermelon, and tamales. We finally have phone service for the first time in a while, so after dinner many members caught up with friends and family, while others did a little bike maintenance before hitting the hay.Also, we met a dog named Renee Zelweiger at mile 24. She was scruffy and liked to eat chips.
Postcard from Missoula
Dear Everyone,Here are a few images from our rest day.Morning hike for the view from above the "M." Many thanks to Mr. Oberweiser for the recommendation.
We all freaked out a little when the alumni riders got us ice cream and wrote us incredibly nice, personalized letters. Special thanks to Tim for mine. And it's true: Missoulian drivers are crazy nice to pedestrians and cyclists.
The team visits the Adventure Cycling Association. They make lovely cycling maps that we use and have the coolest office ever.
Scenes from Lauren's Mosher. Try to guess the rules!
Not much else to say about Missoula other than we loved it and it was awesome.-Max
Montana Nostalgia
I da be in Idaho
Greetings from Idaho. As much as we loved Montana, we were not disappointed to enter this beautiful state. Yesterday we left Missoula and crossed the state line at mile 44, gained an hour, and enjoyed a comfortably warm hot-spring. After 96 miles, we stopped at the Wilderness Gateway Campgrounds. Fruitful teamwork and cooperation yielded a successful camping trip. Fortunately, the weather there was much nicer than that of Yellowstone, and we didn't wake up quite so cold.This morning, we set our for Kamiah after a late start, awesome oatmeal, and high spirits. We enjoyed a short riding day that was primarily downhill, and fought our way up the hill to the stayover. Even after we put in the work, we immediately appreciated it because of the amazing view offered by the front porch of Pine Ridge Baptist Church. Members of the church provided us with hot dogs and home-baked desserts, and after we ate, they invited us to join the pastor's Bible study.
And a normal post to balance spork insanity
(sidenote: if you're interested in seeing some pictures, I've uploaded an album to facebook. Friend me!)After leaving Rochester, we truly entered God's country. Never before have I seen so much land untouched by man. Most of the time I feel like I'm living in a surreal post card, something akin to the paintings and photographs in the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Other times, however, I don't get to enjoy the view as much as I would like because I am scouting out potholes, gravel, and trying to dodge family RVs.My days have since blurred together and I regret not keeping up a better record of everything that has happened. I have journaled about some of the days, but have really gotten behind on this blog. In lieu of a summary of every day, I will leave you with a series of images. Enjoy!Mitchell, SD has a corn palace. I suspect it is run by mosquitos.Through the doors of a school in Murdo, you can find a telephone booth still home to a payphone. Hurry, before it is ripped away like all others.The Badlands were dreamed up by the Grand Canyon, after it has tired of its sunken form and decided to raise itself to the sky.Wall Drug has benches lining its storefronts and coffee for 5cents - on the honor system.In Rapid City, we did our laundry in a cute cottage house across the street. There were fly cabinets and a blue room.Deer lurk outside church windows in Gillette.At the bottom of the Bighorn Mountains in the late evening, wind pulls in cool air after a 103 degree day.In Ennis, a Romanian man told me the stars are different out here. If you lay on a picnic table at 1am and look up, you feel as though you can reach them.Young people frolic alongside the highway in clear water and underwater caves. It smells like pine.In Missoula at the Adventure Cycling Association Headquarters, we looked at a picture of a "mystery girl" from circa 1976 during the "Bikecenntenial." The owner said one day someone will come in and say "that's my mother."I'm at the library in Missoula. I've used a computers named Mork, Mindy, Archie and Gilda.Tomorrow, we shall continue on through Lolo Pass!
R.I.P. KFC Spork
You may or may not have heard the story of my Colonel Sanders spork, but as he is now dead and cracked I only feel it is appropriate to say a few words, and tell you the story. I have had a Kentucky Fried Chicken spork on my handlebars for quite some time. It always points in the direction I am going and it has not failed to get me to a destination as of yet.I acquired my spork while in Zanesville, OH. The church provided us with a lovely lasagna dinner and afterward we were served cake and neopolitan ice cream. There was a big bin of plastic silverware from which we could choose a utensil, and the varieties were abundant. I think I took a regular old spoon, but then I looked over and saw Max eating his ice cream with a spork. Genius!So, I said to Max "When I was younger, my mom would take us to KFC and we would eat delicious mac and cheese and mashed potatoes with sporks just like that." Just then, Max exclaimed "Why look, it IS a KFC spork."Max graciously let me take the spork from his hands and upon closer examination I realized that it was indeed a vintage spork, for it was complete with the Colonel's head and it said "Kentucky Fried Chicken" on it. (If my understanding is correct, the corporation no longer goes by that name and simply uses the phrase "KFC"). I estimated the value of the spork to be around $5.But alas, the other morning in Drummond I discovered that the Colonel had been cracked during transportation into a church basement. I suspect the Colonel went on a rampage and gave Jaime and Shea flats during dinner time when we were eating fried chicken and creamed corn. Perhaps it was for the best.
New diet. Buffalo, WY 7/1/2010
I-90 is one of the best roads to travel on. The shoulder is wide and the grades are very forgiving. For a biker, all you ave to do is worry about what is ahead of you. Today was the first day that you could see the first range of the Rockies. They don't look very large from a distance...In order to break the I4k speed record and to stop the progress of losing weight, Jordan and I began a new diet. Fatty, fatty, fatty foods. Some say it the extra weight will help me go faster down a mountain, others say it will make me throw up. I'm fine with either. To feed this hungry man diet, in addition to purchasing team food for the upcoming week, Jordan and I ate some chunky peanut butter and whole milk as a midnight snack. Oh, and a subway sandwich that Mary didn't want to finish. Today's ride was filled with seventy miles of rolling hills with a great breakfast provided for in the morning. As we arrived into Buffalo, a McDonald's "M" graced the horizon. It was no surprise to see that every member of the team stopped by for some food before arriving at the stayover.Today, Pi and I checked the elevation charts of the Bighorn mountains and picked our spot for some speed. Guess we will find out if it was worth it.