I can say that Missoula is one of the coolest city we have been in so far! We felt like the city was very welcoming us. Today was our third to last event day. It felt so weird that we have more days that we spent together than the days we will be together. We visited Adventure Cycling Association today. As soon as we got there, we had a barbecue with them and had a great chance to talk to them. After having lunch, we looked around the place, which was gorgeous! People were so welcoming to us and all of us became members of the ACA! On the wall, there were pictures of people who had done cross country biking in 1970s. In black and white pictures, their adventures looked awesome and reminded us how lucky we are to be one of the people! At ACA, we met people who we have seen along our trip in the past few days. We were so glad many bikers are out there adventuring the world and could get together again in Missoula! I hope our trip will be remembered by other bikers and our supporters as good memories! Thanks for all the support,The Illini 4000
Read About My Great Days Here!
Welcome back to civilization. Being without wi-fi and signal is a little cleansing and all went away when we rolled into Yellowstone and the days that follow, which were collectively my favorite days. On the way into the park we rolled through a number of national forests and state parks. I have never been in a place like this before and am throughly enjoying the colored rocks, pine trees, and mountains that surround us at all times. Luckily many of the roads weave in between many of the inclines and I thank whoever did that. Another new experience I had was seeing wildlife up close. As I entered Yellowstone, I felt like I was in a zoo where there were no cages. It was fantastic. On the bike ride in we saw a bison and a herd of elk. Luckily on the next day we had an event day, allowing us to explore. And lucky for me...I got a ride around the park. The event day in Yellowstone will forever be in my memory as being one of the most carefree, fun, hilarious days of my life and it was made possible by some fellow cross country cyclists. **Please check out their website, Greaterthangraves.com.** It all started as I was on my way to my tent to take a nap... I know I'm lame... when the Keating, Dave, David, and Elias rolled up in their van and asked if a few of us wanted to tour the northern loop of the park. From that point on, we all had a blast. We traveled a total of 112 miles and saw sights that were not possible by bike. We got stuck in grizzly jams and many bison jams and sat in a magical hot spring where time became irrelevant. Jokes were exchanged and by the end of the day we had made great friends. We were sad to say goodbye, but luckily we ran into them at the Prismic Pools where we were promised we'd meet again in San Francisco... and I hope it happens. But then, it doesn't end there, my family from Colorado decided to meet me at Old Faithful which was the best surprise a girl could ask for. Seeing them made me very happy and realize how important my supporters are. So with that, I had the best days of my life. Sadly the high didn't stay because I hit a small wall of hard luck.Throughout the entire state of Montana I have had the meanest case of strep throat I have ever had. Sadly it kicked my butt right into the van for a few days, but don't fret, my recovery is coming along swimmingly and I will hopefully be back on the bike tomorrow...Missoula is where we are residing right now and it is a hoot. I have never been in a more bike friendly community. I have now put this place on the list of places I would love to live in. "It's like Urbana, but more open" (-Sarah Hidder) is a good way to put it, plus, everyone has amazing gardens! What could be better?Oh-and yesterday we jumped into a clear spring next to the road. It was complete with a waterfall and underwater cave. It was very beautiful.In closing, thanks for all the reads and Ellen P. for her letters and generousity.A special shout out to my family who has supported me in ways I cannot explain.
Missoula, Montana
I haven't been able to post too much lately due to lack of effort, beauty of nature and greatness of friendship. I cannot recall what happened exactly for past 30 days, but all I need to know is I am in Montana, and it is a beautiful country out here.One of the greatest blessings from this trip is friendship. Many of us are already planning on next adventures we are going to pursue, and God only knows if it will really happen, but we still get super excited while planning for it. In the sense, today's visit to Adventure Cycling Association was very fascinating. We've met many fellow cyclists, and one of the founders was there to talk to us. At the end of our conversation on many of the traveling plans we have, he said something that would leave a great impact on my mind.He said, "Make sure you do it."Make sure you do it, Young.
Keep Missoula Beard
Hello friends!Today, we rode mostly downhill to the unique town of Missoula, MT. Some groups stopped in Drummond or Philipsburg for some extra calories, but the whole team had lunch by a local natural spring and swimming hole near I-90. Jumping in from the rocky shore, swimming underwater to a hidden cave, and general merriment was had by all. Upon arrival to Missoula, home of University of Montana, the team was greeted by the wonderful people of St. Anthony's Church who quickly showed us to all of the packages and letters we received. Mail drop day is a lot like Christmas -- packages being torn open, candy and baked goods being consumed, and some were even playing with brand new toys (thanks Mrs. Young!) After that, the team was treated to some food donations from Bridge Pizza and Taco Treat Mexican Restaurant. Thank you so much! Although not everyone had the energy to explore the town after dinner, the bumper sticker "Keep Missoula Beard" was spotted on a local vehicle. The team looks forward to understanding what that's all about tomorrow.Love, hugs, and tailwinds!The Illini 4000
Monnnntana where the winds come rolling down the mountains
Philipsburg, Montana! Do you know what that means? We will arrive in Missoula, Montana tomorrow! Today we started easy biking on our old friend I-90. A couple of flats this morning did not stop us from riding to our destination. The wind changed direction later in the day, and it turned into an uphill battle for the team. Not surprisingly, our traditional peanut butter and jelly lunch was on top of a hill. Similar to yesterday, our arrival was marked by a sensational downhill and a sweet tailwind. We want to thank Philipsburg Community Church for hosting us tonight.Portrait #55 was done today! Clayton, the new minister at the Philipsburg Community Church shared with us his story about his wife's battle with breast cancer. Thanks, Clayton, for sharing your story of faith with us.Much love,The Illini 4000
Montana is Latin for Mountains. Who knew?
Starting from the end, we arrived in the beautiful city of Butte, Montana right in time to catch dinner provided by our generous hosts, the good people of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church! A big thank you to them! In addition to dinner, Butte is also home to the Folk Music Festival, which many members of the team attended. The ride into Butte was marked by a sensational downhill, complete with sharp curves and a magnificent view of the Montana landscape. Such a downhill was not a free ride though; it was literally an uphill battle for some six miles before that. Long before this undertaking, the team visited a sweets shop by the name of Papa’s Candy Factory, one of the best chocolate stores we’ve encountered on the trip. Last but not least, the team completed a Portrait, marking number fifty four of the trip. As of today, we are two ride days away from Missoula, Montana, with the town of Philipsburg awaiting our arrival. Montana, you are one beautiful state!Much love,The Illini 4000
Onward to Ennis!
Leaving West Yellowstone today, we were all drawn a bit closer to the cause when one of the members dedicated the ride to her close high-school English teacher and student council advisor, Doreene Boland, who thankfully survived her battle with cancer. Every morning is a reminder to all the riders that this organization is about more than bike riding; it is about those affected by such a widespread disease and about those who already lost their battle.Setting off, we were lucky to encounter rather strong tailwinds that propelled us to our lunch stop, marking the halfway point of today's ride. On top of these tailwinds was the fact that today was in large part downhill and, even better, gorgeous with mountains to the right and a clear blue river to the left for much of the day. However, we were beset by headwinds after our traditional peanut butter and jelly meal, but successfully pushed until our stayover in Ennis, Montana. Also, throughout the day, we saw loads of other touring cyclists, which is always exciting!We want to thank Madison Valley Baptist Church for hosting us and providing us with fantastic showers and a delicious dinner! Also, we want to thank the numerous members of the church for coming out to speak with us. We always love meeting and interacting with the people in the communities!Much love,The Illini 4000
Moustache Montana!
Waking up in a small puddle of water wasn't the most pleasant feeling, but we're not here for it to be easy! During the night, there was a rain storm matched with freezing temperatures, causing much of our camping gear to freeze. However, being cold could not stop us from enjoying marvelous views that Mother Earth has provided. After climbing the slow hills, we were delighted by the vistas and ever-changing landscape. The miles flew by, and we got to see Old Faithful at our lunch stop. Old Faithful lived up to its expectation! The rest of the day was like we were in a movie with the trees and nature that surrounded us! There were some incredible downhills, and almost everyone on the team got to see elk on the side of the road! Overall, the team found the day very memorable and its sure to be one of the favorites of the trips.Thanks to the kind people of West Yellowstone who donated great food to us! Thanks also to Kenny's mom for paying for dinner and to Amanda's dad for bringing us ice cream!Love always,The Illini 4000
Yolostone!
We woke up in the morning inhaling fresh air! On this event day, people used it for a number of things, ranging from biking to hiking to exploring the great outdoors of Yellowstone! Some of us were fortunate enough to get a ride around the northern loop of the park from some other charity riders that were near our campsite (for more on them, visit greaterthangraves.com). As the day continued, memories were made, but the skies turned gray and the rain came down! This caused a lot of wetness in our tents, but the storm blew away and the skies were beautiful! Its very hard to predict weather in Yellowstone, but we felt like being surprised by weather is part of the experience!Mother Nature does not enjoy being told what to do. Do not mess with her.Love,The Illini 4000
It's a Beautiful Day
We started our day on uphills from Cody to the Yellowstone National Park. It was tough, but very rewarding with fresh air and wonderful views that nature has presented us! Some of the parks we went through include the Shoshone State Park and Buffalo Bill State Park. We also went through our first tunnel, and it was great!As we proceeded into Yellowstone, many teams stopped at a number of waterfalls to refill our water bottles with the cold, fresh mountain water. We also met some awesome touring cyclists, Team Bagadonuts from Iowa! Its always great to spend time talking to other touring cyclists. When we finally reached our camp site, we set up our tents and finally got to relax.Luckily, we have so many people to thank today! First, thanks to the Wapiti Valley Church for providing us with lemonade and cookies along the way! Secondly, thanks to all the people along the way who donated to us! Special thanks to Sandra Epstein who donated $500! Thanks to all the people in Yellowstone who helped us out in multiple ways- we really appreciated everything!Thanks for everything!The Illini 4000
Meeteetse and More!
Our day started with a wonderful portrait of Rebecca Samples of Thermopolis, WY, and we want to thank her for her encouraging and wonderful words! We can't wait to get all of the portraits up on portraitsproject.org! Today was easy, yet hectic. Today was an easy route with some short climbs, but with over 8 flats in total the day went by much slower. It was also enjoyable, as we stopped at the museum at Meeteetse and got to interact with the community members. We arrived at the Christ Episcopal Church, and would like to thank the church members for cooking us a wonderful meal with a delicious desert! Post dinner, most of the team went to the grocery store to get snacks for the day we camp in yellow stone national park (the 11th). Now that we've had our the bear safety talk, the team looks forward to yellow stone! Love, hugs, and tailwinds,The Illini 4000
Event Day in Thermopolis!
Today we had a fabulous day touring the lovely city of Thermopolis, home of the world's largest mineral hot spring. Our team got to enjoy soaking at the Wyoming state bath house and took in the aroma of sulfuric water. A few of us went to a church service at the Community Federated Church, and we were greeted instantly by the pastor with open arms. The church community was so generous and interested in our endeavor. It was so great to experience the kindness of the community.A special thank you to the generous people who donated to the cause as well as picked up our bill and tip at brunch afterwards. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Thermopolis, WY and we are excited for future teams to experience the kindness that we were greeted with today! With love,The Illini 4000
Thermopolis: A Beautiful Place With Beautiful People
Sunday: What a peculiar day this has turned out to be. I have been waiting for a Sunday event day this whole trip. Ironically though, after an unfortunate mishap with my bike yesterday, no bike shops are open which has rendered my bike unrideable until West Yellowstone, MT. Oddly enough, this fact isn't really bothering me; I figure, it’s just a possession, things happen, and I will drive that support van to the best of my abilities until my bike is fixed.That being said, I have been stoked for a Sunday event day because that meant I could easily attend a church service. I have honestly missed going while I’ve been on the trip so a few two teammates and I decided to attend a service at Community Federated Church. As soon as we walked in the pastor greeted us and just before the actual "meet and greet" portion of the service, introduced us to the congregation. Everybody was so welcoming and supportive; we had many people promise prayers, offer hugs, and even donate to us. After the service and picking up our laundry, we went out to lunch at a cafe near the church where coincidentally, many of the church members were eating. After we had ordered and began to eat when the waitress informed us that both our bill and tip had been covered. While in Thermopolis, we have all been blown away by the kindness and generosity of the people here. I would like to especially thank the pastor and people of Community Federated Church. You showed us extreme kindness and you have no idea how much it means to us. God Bless.
Proud To Be An American
Today absolutely blew me away. A few of us decided since our event day fell on a Sunday that we would go to church. We made a day out of it and dropped of laundry first then headed over to Community Federated Church. The Pastor immediately made us feel welcome and announced our presence to the congregation. The community was so friendly toward us and very interested. During the service Jerry Balius, a member of the community, sang two songs about being proud of the country we live in. His second song, Proud to be an American, choked me up really bad. On top of feeling a renewed sense of patriotism since this ride and falling in love with our beautiful country, I have a lot of friends who serve our country. They are the some of the best people I know and the song's lyrics just overwhelmed me in that moment. On top of that, during the song a couple in front of us turned around and donated money to our trip. I sort of just lost it and tears streamed down my face. In a sort of hysterical hilarious way we somehow managed to choke out the chorus to the song. A kind lady who saw us crying even gave us some tissues.After church we went to the Thermopolis Cafe and saw a few people from church there as well. To our surprise the couple from church took care of our bill. Again, my eyes welled up. The community of Thermopolis is so generous and welcoming it makes me want to move to a small town. Days like these during our trip make me want to give back so much more, like biking across the country isn't quite enough. I will definitely be paying it forward for years to come after this trip. I can honestly say the hospitality and kindness I have experienced in the past two months have changed me for the better. I am proud to say I live in a country with such great people. Thank you Thermopolis for being so awesome!
Hot Springs Here We Come!
Today we woke up snuggly in our tents to the crisp morning air, and it felt amazing to be out in nature! We started our ride by finishing the downhill of the Big Horns through the town of Tensleep. The day went by faster than we anticipated as most of it was flat lands. We biked through several construction zones first and then were shuttled by the construction crew a few miles, which made the first 40 miles go by really fast!
The team took a stop at Larsons bike shop in Worland, WY, and also one group stopped at a farmer's market in town, where they were lucky enough to receive food donations from some of the amazing vendors! Also, two portraits were conducted in Worland! We can't thank everyone enough for everything they've done for us along the ride, from the donations to the portraits to the general kindness!
We finally reached Thermopolis early evening and are staying right across the street from the sign for "the worlds largest mineral hot spting!" With a rodeo a block from the stay over and A&W bowling lanes in the town, most of us are sure to be busy this evening!
We want to thank A&W Lanes for their generous food donations! We also want to thank Thermopolis's Hot Spring County Recreation District for giving us a great place to sleep, with an incredible view!
The team's looking forward to our day off tomorrow!
Love, hugs, and tailwinds,
The Illini 4000
Big Horns!!
Today we left from Buffalo, WY on our way to conquer the Big Horn Mountains! We started out our day with a 35 mile climb uphill riding toward the snow-capped mountains, ending with a beautiful view at the top of the mountain, 9,664 feet above sea level. We climbed a vertical mile! This was all rewarded with an 18 mile downhill that curved through a breathtaking view of the canyon.
Everyday the team does a ride dedication. Last year our president of the Illini 4000, Greg Colton, abolutely loved this ride.
We thought it would be the perfect day to dedicate to Greg and his father who passed away after battling brain cancer. Greg has dedicated so much work to this organization, and we cannot thank him enough for that!
We were lucky enough to stay in a beautiful campsite right in the middle of a canyon in the Big Horn Mountains. There was a rushing stream right near our campsite that we were all able to cool off in. It was our first night of camping as a team and it is safe to say we are all excited for more camping nights to come. However, we were not able to build a campfire due to the fire danger, so instead we had a second PB&J meal for dinner!
Due to the terrain we had a lack of cell service, but don't worry parents -- we are all safe and sound!
Much Love,
I4K
Buffalo Soldiers
Greetings from Wyoming! After a delicious Fourth of July, I4K traveled from Gilette to Buffalo. The team followed I 90 the whole way, which proved to provide an easy day. As we approached Buffalo we were able to see the Bighorn Mountains which we will have to tackle tomorrow morning. After an easy few days the team is up for the challenge in the morning and ready for some steep climbs.Big thanks to everyone at Christ the King Lutheran Church for providing us a delicious meal and shelter for the night!! Stay cool in Illinois!-Illini 4000
South Dakota
Right now I'm writing this from Rapid City, South Dakota! We can officially say we've entered the west and today is the exact halfway point for our trip. Thinking about those things alone fill me with to a of mixed emotions...I'm excited we've come so far, sad it's halfway over, and curious to see what else is in store for us. Yesterday we did 100 miles in about 100 degrees through the badlands. It was a long hot day but definitively one of the best days of the trip so far. The hills were gorgeous and although some of the climbs were unexpected, reaching the top was incredible and the views on every downhill more than made up for all of the sweat we put into the day. The people we run into on the trip have been so inspiring. I think my favorite part about being a young adult is getting the chance to learn about life through older adults and listening to their struggles, mistakes, advice or even just a story or two. While cycling in Minnesota a group of us ran into motorcyclists who were raising money for breast cancer research. After just a few minutes of taking with them we met Penny, who brought out cancer awareness bandanas, bracelets, patches, and key chains that said strength (which she said were to help us on our journey) to give to each of us. As we went to leave, all of the other motorcyclists came up to us and opened their wallets emptying their pockets and giving us donations for the cause. It was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip for me thus far. Cancer brings us together because we're all determined to fight it. It's that determination that enables us to persevere through even the hottest and hardest of days and the people we interview for our portraits project are the best kind of motivation. I still wear my breast cancer ribbon on my jersey every day and carry with me the rest of the things Penny gave us...just a small reminder of what I'm fighting for and a small token of the generosity we constantly run into on the road. Ps- motorcyclists often get a bad reputation so i promised to help clear the air for them and i want to let you all know they're actually teddy bears who would give you their leather jackets if you needed one.
Forever West
Hello Everyone! It was another eventful day for all the riders of I4K as we started the day in Rapid City. After a restful off day, riders were able to tackle the Black Hills that awaited them. The climbs were definitely long and hard, but the views of the mountains, Mt. Rushmore, and Crazy Horse were well worth it. We met many people along the way, especially at Mt. Rushmore, and were able to spread the word of our mission to them. Some of the groups even saw people they met in the badlands! Today was one of the longest days of the trip for many groups due to the heat and hills, but by the end everyone was able to feel accomplished for what they completed.Tonight we are lucky enough to be staying at Christ the King Church in Newcastle, WY! We are officially in the west and hitting what is new land for many of the riders since we entered another new state today! Tomorrow should be a fun day for the team since we will be celebrating the Fourth of July! We will also be avoiding forest fires, don't worry parents. Happy almost Fourth of July!Much love,The Illini 4000
Two thousand, two hundred, and ninety miles.
We’ve biked 2,290 miles. As I stare at that number, it seems less probable and more impossible. How could each pedal stroke add up to that incredulous number? It blows my mind to be honest. I know I had a whole lot more to say about South Dakota and things in general but I really think I want to keep it simple; well done team.