I4K Update

I just wanted to say thank you to all my supporters, the donations are extremely appreciated and will be put to a good cause as you already know. I am just under 40% of my goal and still counting. The training has intesified and the team will start practicing outside as soon as the weather permits it. We're hoping for some sun!Thank you, again!

The 2015 Portraits Project Spring Gallery Opens Friday, February 12th

The Portraits Project and the Illini 4000 are pleased to announce their Spring gallery event, taking place at [co][lab] in downtown Urbana! A collection of documentary style portraits from those who have experienced cancer will be on display in addition to community artwork.The gallery will open with a reception on Friday, February 12th at 5 pm. Several speakers will share their experiences with the Portraits Project starting at 5:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. The Illini 4000 hopes you will stop by to see and listen to their inspiring stories!

Back to the Basics

I’m excited to be a part of the Illini 4000 team. I really am. I love cycling and can’t wait for the chance to ride in places that aren’t the flat cornfields of the wonderful state of Illinois. Being a guy who loves gear, I’m watching as my teammates are getting their first bikes and ooh-and-aah’ing with them over the attractive paint jobs and beautiful curves of their bicycles. It’s not uncommon for me to daydream about the trip. The beautiful mountains. The salt-crusted jerseys. The unsightly tan lines. The rippling leg muscles.But wait. With all of this, I’ll admit that I’ve been a little distracted from what Illini 4000 is really trying to accomplish…to fight back against cancer. Sure, this trip will be fun! I’ll be able to ride in new places and do something that I’ll probably never have the time to do once I graduate. But as the spring semester is starting, it’s a perfect time to refocus on what’s important.Our Director of Fundraising, Kevin, brought this up during our first meeting after winter break. It’s something that has been stirring in my mind for a little while. This realization began over winter break through two things: fundraising and The Portraits Project. Winter break was when I really made a push to fundraise since my previous semester was incredibly busy. I reached out to family members and my parents’ friends and co-workers. While I wasn’t able to interact with many of these people in person, it was through the conversations that I had face-to-face that made an impact. With everybody, there was the initial jaw drop in awe upon hearing about my plan to cycle across the country. But what came after was interesting. Stories of loved ones came up and many displays of appreciation and thankfulness for what the team and I are trying to do. Seeing the reactions of those that have been affected by cancer showed me the significance of what Illini 4000 and other organizations like us are trying to accomplish.Helping out with the Portraits Project was another eye-opener for me. Before break, I was assigned an interview to watch and had to find helpful messages from the shared stories. As I clicked “play” on the video, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But as I started to listen, I was drawn into the stories of hardship and celebration. I’m fortunate to not have had cancer and I don’t think my imagination can come close to trying to understand what a person with cancer is fighting through. But hearing the story, I was able to get a glimpse of what it’s like. When I’m sweating and groaning and my legs are burning from fatigue during the ride, I’ll remember stories that I had the opportunity to hear. Whatever exhaustion I might be feeling as I ride does not compare to what a person affected by cancer has to go through mentally and physically. I’m thankful for The Portraits Project. Being able to interact with the stories and share them… it hit me in a hard way. But in an unexpectedly good way. The fact that I’ve been moved this much by the fundraising and watching the interview makes me anxious for what is to come in May.As I spend more time around my teammates (through some really tough workouts), I’m really starting to enjoy their presence more and more. They’ve become new friends to me. Along with these new friends, I also think about my family, other friends, and the wonderful community around me and how I enjoy spending time with all of them. I also think about the unfairness of cancer. It takes us by surprise and is relentless. It has affected my family and my close friends. It’s not something that I would want any of the people I love to have to go through.For me, it is time to go back to the basics. Why am I a part of the Illini 4000 team? I’m doing this for my family. For my friends. For those I don’t even know. Because cancer exists and it’s time to fight back. 

First of Many Rides

I recently got my bike (thanks Marissa!) and couldn't wait to go riding. I just saw my bike sitting in my room and that just made me more anxious to take her out on the road. Whenever I could, I would put on my shoes and practice clipping in and out against my bed so I could feel more confident the first time on the road. Knowing that Illinois weather can change dramatically in a day, the first day it was mostly above freezing, I decided why wait another day. I layered up from head to toe and was ready to get on my way. My biggest fear was falling in front of people because I'd forget I was clipped in. Luckily I managed to remember, unclipping well in advance of stop lights/signs. I went out to Meadowbrook Park in Urbana so I could get used to riding my bike and not put myself in busy traffic. Riding a road bike is definitely a different experience than a cheap mountain bike but I already like road bikes better. After an hour or so of riding I made it back to my room in one piece and didn't fall at all that day. You could say it was a successful first day on my bike.Here is a revised version of a poem I enjoyed.Hi my name is MarenI have this team called i4kWe will bike through cornfieldsAnd give mountains a fair whackSome say that we are crazy(in fact, everyone we know)But to prove that we're not lazyWe're giving this a go.Please sponsor us to cycle up mountains and groanAll to help cancer patients know they aren't aloneOriginal Poem: http://cyclethesummits.weebly.com/the-fundraising-poems.html 

Fundraising Fun!

I had such a fun time selling cookies outside of Canopy Club during the Young the Giant concert last week for Illini 4000! I am incredibly grateful to the wonderful staff at Canopy Club that helped us so much, especially Mo who directed people our way as they were leaving the concert and gave us a multitude of helpful hints! Thank you so much to Sarah for letting us see some of the concert on Wednesday and giving us tickets for Thursday, it was such an incredible experience! I am so grateful that we had a successful fundraiser and I got to know a few of my team members better. I was absolutely gushing with happiness when I saw some of the other Illini 4000 riders and Board of Directors after the concert as well as some of my fellow ASB boardies. It was one of the best feelings in the world. Thank you so so much to everyone who donated to us, it meant so much to us all. :) 

It's a Brand New Ride Year

Hello all. The 2015 Illini 4000 ride went spectacularly with a fundraising total of $112,269! But, it's now time to look ahead to the next Bike America Team and the adventures they will have. If you're interested in the fight against cancer and can think of no better way to join the fight than to bike across the country, then here's some news you probably don't want to miss. The 2016 Application is live! And, there are info sessions where potential riders or those generally interested in the organization can come to learn more about the Illini 4000 and all the things we have planned for the next year.  All Informational meetings will take place at 608 S Wright St, Urbana, IL 61801 (The English Building EB).Thurs, 9/3 at 8pm-259 EBFri, 9/11 at 6pm-259 EBTues, 9/15 at 7pm-259 EBWe hope to see you there! But, if you'd like to see local Illini 4000 members a little earlier, we'll be handing out cookies at Anniversary Plaza, Monday, August 31st to celebrate Illini 4000's 10th Birthday from 11am to 1pm. Join us.

Day 72: Fin

What a summer with Illini 4000! It was an amazing experience that we are so glad happened. I wanted to just write a quick note to let folks know that we made it over 4600 miles from New York City and arrived this past Sunday. From there, many of us have split paths, some of us heading home to see much missed family to moving to new jobs and others heading back to Champaign to get ready for a new school year. Before you know it, the next year's bike team will be chosen and starting their preparation for the ride.We want to thank everyone so much for their support during our preparation time for the trip and throughout the ride. It has truly been an honor for us to be the 2015 Trek Bike America Team for Illini 4000. And thank you so much for following the blogs from this summer! It has been an honor for me to share with you some of the awesome experiences we have had during this summer.Signing off for now...Lauraleigh

Day 71: Last Full Riding Day

Start/End: Kelseyville/Petaluma, CAMileage: 70.8+Weather: Beautiful. Highs in the mid 70s, sunny.Ok. So I have to admit that I spoke too soon when I titled yesterday's blog, because today we had over 5,000 feet of climbing today. But don't worry, it was, well, it was. We are so thankful for the Grace Community Church in Kelseyville for hosting us. We were so thankful for the wonderful breakfast they provided for us this morning. They brought in grape and orange juice, strawberries, watermelon, donuts, muffins and other pastries. This was a great start to the day.We started off our day in Kelseyville very thankful that the wind had cleared any smoke from the nearby wildfire out of the area we were in. Today our ride was dedicated to a rider's friend's father, Bill Dove. During the earlier part of the ride, we learned that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer and was given a very small outlook. So today, we are riding for Bill and his fight.Our ride started with a lot of uphill, which is an interesting way to warm up our muscles, especially after all of the climbing yesterday. Before too long, though, we entered this beautiful, green forest which had trees that draped over roadway. This is not something that we have experienced much during this trip at all, surprisingly. It was just so pretty! And it was great to climb hills when you aren't sweating.It took a while of going uphill, but we finally got some decent downhill to relax and take a break from pedaling. We had some great downhills that were steep and slightly windy, which was a lot of fun. We were all able to go at our own paces. Before lunch, we had a beautiful downhill that took us down into Napa Valley. We saw some beautiful vineyards and even went past the Old Faithful Geyser of California. Apparently there are 3 Old Faithful Geysers in the world, so it was pretty cool to see another.After lunch we had another hill that just seemed to last forever. It overlooked the valley and was pretty to look at, though the hill was just not very fun. After our final rest stop, though, it was mostly downhill from there. We went through Santa Rosa on our way the Petaluma. We are so thankful to be back in the area of bike lanes and beautiful roads. It sure is nice! As we got near to the stayover, as usual, we had one last hill (well a few, but one that had a 21% grade,mor something truly ridiculous). Some battled their way up the hill, which is super impressive.After arriving, we were so thankful that our wonderful hosts provided a great dinner of sandwiches and chicken, with sunny D to drink. It was amazing. Additionally we got to meet an amazing Illinois student, Lindsey Coleman who lives in the area. She will be a senior next year at U of I and has made some connections with I4K. She very generously brought us some water buffalo gelato! It was amazing and was such a great treat and we are thankful that she came out and hung out with us!Well, it is our last night together so we are busy getting all loose ends tied up, from packing our bag to signing each other's journals and reminiscing on memories from the trip...Well. That is all from me now. Will try to write a blog for tomorrow, but it may be a little delayed,mom watch out on our social media for news of our arrival! Thanks for following this summer- I am so glad that we were able to share our amazing experience with everyone!-LAH

Day 70: Over the Last Big Hills

Start/End: Orland/Kelseyville, CAMileage: 99.9+Weather: Hot and sunny, with a little bit of a breezeWell, it was another amazing morning in I4K with a sharp 4:40 AM wake up, which seems a little crazy, but the team all agreed that they would rather leave early and avoid the heat. Fortunately, our amazing hosts who had offered to provide breakfast, we also ok with this early morning wake up and arrived and set up an amazing spread including bagels, eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy and lots of fruit. It was deli scouts and we did not seem to make a very big dent in the food...strange. We are so thankful for the crazy amount of generosity we received from the First Lutheran Chruch of Orland that truly went above and beyond with hosting us.Today our ride was dedicated to a rider's aunt who passed away two years ago today to her fight with breast cancer. This trip has been a huge reminder of the progress that has been made with certain types of cancers, but also a reminder that not all types of cancers are the same, nor are the diagnosis. We are very honored to ride for her today and our thoughts are definitely with her family today.The ride started off not too hot at all, fortunately. It was mostly flat for the first part of the ride and not too exciting. One thing that was noticed was the large amount of fire trucks that passed us. They were coming from all over, with more than 12 departments were counted by riders. For lunch, we stopped at a really awesome fruit stand. They had fresh raspberries, blackberries and just lots of other great stuff, including flavored pistachios and almonds. It was really nice to be in the shade and enjoy such fresh fruit.Around mile 65 where we had a rest stop, wee started to notice smoke rising up into the sky in very large amounts from a nearby wildfire. At this point, though, we could not smell the fire, nor were we impacted by the smoke. As we continued along the ride,mew had some beautiful spots of downhill that curved around the hills. These were well deserved, but we could see that we were getting much closer to the Rocky Fire. Around mile 80, we started to be impacted a little by the smoke and for safety's sake, many groups pulled off at that point at a gas station where they could hang out inside outside of the smoky air. Based on the wind, even though we were going away from the fire, we made the decision to shuttle riders the remainder of the route. It was not a fun choice to make, but most of the riders, even though we wanted to get more miles in, agreed that was the right decision to be made.Our awesome ride leader did some exploring after we all arrived at the stayover and found us a route that will keep us out of the way of the wildfire to,or row, so we are all very excited about that. We had our traditional dinner of pasta and lentils tonight as we sat around in a circle as we had done on our 90 mile training ride day. We told jokes and told stories about the ride and it was just a lot of fun. I think we are all going to miss this group and the lifestyle (though showers and a bed sound super appealing for us right now).Today was our last long day and we are pretty excited that tomorrow we will have normal wake up at 6 AM! Some of us have already laid down though... It has been a long couple of days in the heat, so here is to hoping for some cooler weather and a safe journey tomorrow!-LAH

Day 69: Christmas in July!

Start/End: Redding/Orland, CAMileage: 68+Weather: Hot, sunnyWe are so thankful for the amazing hosts we had at the First United Methodist Church in Redding. Because of the anticipated heat for the day, the team elected for an early wake up and we are very grateful that our hosts, who generously provided an awesome breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage links, and bagels, even at the early hour. We also had some great juice selections and coffee which was another amazing addition to our breakfast routine.Getting ready to go outside, we already felt the warmth in the valley even though the sun had hardly risen at that point. Alas we got ready to go, dedicating the ride to a few people for today. The first dedication was for a rider's grandfather who had passed away from cancer. Additionally, we dedicated the ride to another rider's uncle who passed away from cancer a few years ago. Finally, we dedicated the ride to one of our amazing hosts who lost her husband to cancer several years ago.Today was a very special day for many reasons, with excellent hosts and three people who we were riding for, but to add to that, it was I4Christmas! Some of the team members had organized the event, even having folks draw names from a cup to determine who they would have for the secret Santa event. Our secret Santa was a little unique, though, because all of the gifts had to be found along the road. More on that later! But nonetheless, some folks were getting really into the holiday spirit searching for gifts and singing Christmas carols. Along the route, one group even picked up some ugly Christmas sweaters at a garage sale and some ornaments to decorate.Our ride was not too bad as it was very flat today through the valley, not long after we had left our stayover, we did come upon some very light smoke which was from a small nearby forest fire. Our support vehicle and front group checked it out and felt comfortable riding through it and the entire group was fine. After leaving the Redding area, the smokey haze was no longer an issue and we were in a more rural, desert area. I think it has been very surprising how much of this country is desert! But there were cacti and very dry dirt everywhere. It was surprising because we did pass quite a few farms which grew various types of produce, including olives! That was kind of something new and different.Most groups worked pretty hard to take the earlier hours a little bit faster to minimize their heat and sun exposure. It was kind of cool coming into Orland because we passed under an archway commemorating not the towns centennial celebration. Once we arrived at our stayover, we were greeted by some amazing people from the community. There were cool refreshments and snacks available for us upon arrival and somehow, food kept appearing throughout the afternoon! From fresh peaches to homemade cinnamon rolls, it was amazing.We had an amazing dinner prepared for us by the folks in Orland. We had lots of different foods, including lasagna, garlic bread, many different types of cobbler, ice cream and it was all just amazing. It really was like Christmas!After dinner, we had some fun Christmas celebrations with our gift exchange. There was an artificial tree in the space we occupied and the pastor even suggested we decorate it with the ornaments we had gotten. It was the perfect celebration. We exchanged gifts and told stories of where along the road the gifts had been acquired, from licenses plates, to hub caps to giant pine cones and well, just about everything in between. It was a fun exchange. We thought about watching a movie, but with the early wake up, we knew we probably should head to bed.We were very fortunate in that many members of the congregation brought in blow up mattresses and pillows for us to use! It was a very kind gesture that was definitely appreciated.Long day tomorrow, so off to bed we go!-LAH

Day 68: Valley Heat

Start/End: Mt. Shasta/Redding, CAMileage: 64+Weather: Very chilly in the morning and very hot as the sun climbed above the mountainsThis morning we are just so thankful for the Hope Community Church in Mt. Shasta to allow us to sleep in the gym of their facility. It was a very large space that accommodated our group very well.When we got rolling this morning, earlier than usual in hopes to avoid the heat, we found ourselves very chilly. The sun had not yet risen over the mountains and the trees so for the first 15-20 miles, we were in the shade, primarily going down hills feeling the brisk air. That brisk air would completely vanish before long, though. We followed along side roads of I-5 as long as we could before those roads became very non-existent and we jumped onto I-5 heading south. It was actually labeled as a bike route, which was very encouraging from a safety standpoint. Along the interstate, there were signs reminding drivers to be aware of cyclists and to share the road, as well as a generous shoulder with rumble strips separating us from trafficThe day was truly a beautiful ride as we were passing through smaller mountains/hills that were beautifully and thickly forested. This part of California was definitely not the heavily populated Cali that we all thought of, but instead had signs warning of wildlife crossings (including for bears!). Fortunately, the only wildlife we saw on the interstate were these gecko/lizard guys that were enjoying the sun-heated pavement.The day was mostly downhill and quick, but we did have some decent climbing in the region. During some of these climbs we observed the most of what was around us, including Lake Shasta, whose water levels are noticeably very low. Hearing about the drought and actually seeing the honest impact can be very different.As we neared Redding, we could tell we were approaching a more populated region and the interstate was no longer an option for bicycles, which was fine because there were many bike route designated roads and bike trails. As we neared he stayover, many groups decided to first check out an In-And-Out burger place, which can be found only in California. Afterwards, they rolled to our stayover, which had amazing fixings for sandwhiches, chips, cookies, fruit and carrots prepared for us. It was such a wonderful surprise and we are so thankful for their willingness to make sure we were not up hungry.Once the groups arrived, we began shuttling the team to the nearby YMCA, who had arranged for us to use their pool and showers if desired. For a few of us, it had been a few days since a shower, so this was a very appreciated gesture. We all began to realize how dirty we all were.... Alas, we were clean and we are so thankful for their generosity.For dinner, our stayover arranged an amazing carry-in where many members of their congregation brought different types of dishes for us to eat, including pastas, breads, salad, fruit and a wonderful spread of desserts. We were so thankful for the time we got to spend interacting with members of this community who had a strong interest and passion for our organization. We got to hear about their lives, and for some, their connection to cancer, and in return, we answered their questions about the organization. We had a great time sharing some of our personal reasons for doing the ride and how for many of us, these reasons have evolved to include a much larger group of people. Oh. And I can't forget to mention that we had white paper placemats with crayons, which brought out the artistic side of all of us.It was an amazing time with this community and are so excited that this is our second year visiting the First United Methodist Church here. We are so thankful for their support and generosity of our group and the organization as a whole.Tomorrow again we are hoping to leave early in order to get some miles under our belt before it heats up to the triple digits, but we will take it easy, stay hydrated and for now, head to bed so that we can be rested and ready!It has started to hit many of us how little time we have left together....-LAH

Day 67: California!

Start/End: Klamath Falls, OR/Mt. Shasta, CAMileage: 82+Weather: Pleasant morning with a warmer afternoon (no jackets today!)Hey everyone! Today we had an amazing, but long day. We crossed out final state line, met amazing people along the route and finally had a day when we were not freezing. I am excited to tell you about the day but we are actually going to be doing an early wake-up to avoid the heat tomorrow, so I am going to head to bed soon with the rest of the team, but tomorrow this post will be updated :) Happy trails and thanks for all of your support!-------------------------Updated:PS: I forgot to put this with yesterday's blog, but riding into Klamath Falls, we saw our first sign for San Francisco! Ah! This is exciting, sad and a little scary for us.Thank you for being patient in waiting to hear about the ride today! We awoke at the Yeti's Lair, or The Ledge, which not only agreed to host us for the evening, but also provided an amazing lunch cookout and a delightful pasta dinner with garlic bread and salad. It was amazing and we were fed very well by our wonderful hosts. Thank you so much for being friends of this organization.After getting ready for the day, we travelled over to the Gathering Grounds Coffeeshop/Cafe in Klamath. The owner of the shop generously volunteers to host us for breakfast, providing blueberry pancakes and some delicious coffee in a great atmosphere. We are so glad that the large influx of our team in orange did not scare away any other customers, as we had the opportunity to share about Illini 4000, even getting the opportunity to get a few portraits, including one of the shop's owner, Brandon, a cancer survivor.It was such a meaningful morning and we are so happy that it started this way. We could not have asked for a more welcoming community. Thank you so much for everyone in Klamath Falls for making our short stay such a wonderful stay.Our day just kept being great as we got on the road. Before we even reached our first rest stop at mile 25, we crossed our final state line into California. This was very exciting for groups and a little emotional for some. We had an impromptu dance party at the state line, likely causing confusion from vehicles passing, but we were excited. Not long after the sign, we would see another sign saying that San Francisco 357 miles away...so perhaps we are not as close as we thought.That is ok, though, because we were traveling to Mt. Shasta, a huge (~14,600 ft peak) snow covered mountain that we had been seeing yesterday afternoon. We passed through a very flat area in the morning that had signs warning about blowing dust, and even saw some pretty cool dust devils far off in the distance. We wouldn't realize how dusty we got until later when we cleaned, but it was kind of remarkable that anyone let us in :)Then we transitioned into some decent climbing as we began to conquer the foothills around Mt. Shasta. It was a steady climb and the day was already a little warm, but like some of many other climbs, it seemed to last quite a while, remarkably, though, the entire team conquered the hills with an admirable effort and attitude, really honing in on their hill-climbing confidence. We ate lunch near the summit, which unfortunately had been impacted by wildfires and was being cleared. Before long, though, we were on the road again. Shortly we reached a summit and began to descend before another good climb to the second summit of the day. After that, we had a beautiful descent into the valley around the mountain, which just seemed so close, so big. The descent for the day was very enjoyable, especially since the shoulder of the road was in such good condition. The wind in our faces definitely help relieve us of the summer heat we had felt during the climbing.As we descended, we entered the town of Weed, CA which is home to the Hi-Lo Cafe which had been recommended to us for their milkshakes and malts. Nearly the entire team took a break out of the sun and got an afternoon treat. It was a huge shake, but somehow we ate them and then biked for 11 more miles to our stay over for the evening. It was a nice forested road we travelled on and was shaded in most areas, which was great. It unfortunately was not downhill the entire way and did involve a few hills, but we got through it and arrived at our stayover.It had been a very long day, especially with our later departure, state sign stop and milkshakes, so it was incredible when we arrived, our gracious hosts had left a pasta dinner in a crock pot with accompanying salad and bread for us to eat. Nobody went hungry and we were all quite tired. Tomorrow we will be waking up early to hopefully avoid the heat...not quite looking forward to that, but always looking forward to new adventures and new people to meet!-LAH

Day 66: Friendly Faces in New Places

Start/End: Crater Lake/Klamath Falls, ORMileage: 54+Weather: Cold morning with warm sunshine :)Today we said goodbye to our camping experiences in Illini 4000 for this summer and for many of us, that is a welcomed notion. We woke up to a chilly 40 degrees in the Mazama Campground at Crater Lake. Most of us put all of our layers on for the morning to keep from shivering, but some required some group hugs. We packed up everything and ate some large bowls of cereal and were off.Today's ride was dedicated to my great grandma who passed away a few days ago. It was such a blessing to grow up knowing her for so much of my life and at 97 years old she lived a pretty exciting life. Unfortunately at one point in her life, that meant facing breast cancer. I am proud to call my great grandma a cancer survivor and wanted the team to ride for the hope of more survivors living rich, long lives in honor of her.So into the cold wilderness we went! The first 15 miles consisted of pretty gradual downhills from the crater into a beautiful valley full of ranching and some other agricultural production. It had been very cold when we departed the campsite, but once we were out of the forested area and had sunlight, it felt a lot warmer and we shed a few layers. Our first 24 miles seemed to fly by as we made our first and only rest stop for the day.So we continued along and passed a protected wetland region which was in fact a huge lake which we would follow for the rest of the trip today. There were so many waterfowl everywhere and lily pads along the shores. Also along the shores were some beautiful houses with even more magnificent views of the lake of course with scenic backdrops of mountains.As we got closer, we rode along U.S.-97 as it was squeezed between mountains the lake and a train track. But it still managed to have a beautiful shoulder with plenty of space for us to bike safely and comfortably.When we rolled in after our shorter day, we were met with a barbecue feast for lunch consisting of cheeseburgers and hamburgers and great conversations. We were also very thankful for Rodeo Pizza that dropped by with more food, including pizzas and salad. We had some awesome members of the community stop by and talk to us about our organization and their experiences with cancer. We are also very thankful for those who allowed us to take their portrait for the portrait project! We collected 3 or 4 today at least! We also were interviewed by a local radio station and the local NBC news affiliate. Oh! And the mayor of Klammath Falls stopped by to say hello and welcome us to town. Could our day get more exciting?Well, our stayover is actually a rock climbing gym so many of the riders are trying their hand at some rock climbing in a safe environment with padded floors that we are pretty excited to sleep on tonight. Additionally, a local masseuse stopped by and offered her services to relieve some of the tension that has been built up throughout the trip.We were so excited to get to Crater Lake, and did not expect anything like the outpouring of support that we have received in Klammath Falls. It has just been wonderful. Though it was a short day, I am sure we will sleep well tonight as we have done so much more than ride today and it has just been a very meaningful day. I think we will all miss Oregon a lot, but we are looking forward to our next and final border crossing day tomorrow!-LAH

Day 65: Climbing Up to the Crater

Start/End: La Pine/Crater Lake, ORMileage: 84+Weather: Another cool morning that stayed cool throughout the day with some windAnother great start to the morning at the High Lakes Christian Church in La Pine, OR! We are so thankful for their generosity in hosting us for the night and not only providing an awesome dinner last night, but also a delicious breakfast in the morning, adding yoghurt and bagels with cream church to our morning oatmeal! Can you tell that we really love to eat? Today was an especially good day to eat a lot, because we had a long day with quite a bit of climbing ahead of us.Today's ride was dedicated to 2 family members of one of our riders, which really motivated her to support this cause. Her Grandpa Bohdan who passed away from leukemia not long after she was born, which meant she did not have the opportunity to meet him. Additionally, she wanted the team to ride for her Aunt Olga who was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy and has been cancer free for a few years.In the light chill of the morning, we were off again, returning to US-97 heading south for about 50 miles. The wind was just right that we were able to really be cruising all morning at a decent pace and all of the groups stayed relatively close to each other. It was really nice. We passed through a few smaller towns along the route, but we did not stop since we were all pretty excited to get to Crater Lake. As we made our turn off of the highway towards the national park, we saw a hill that was stretched out before us to climb...after lunch.We ate our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and mentally pumped ourselves up for what was about to happen. As we got on the road, we realized that we had turned into a slightly less favorable wind, but we fought on as we began our ascent up to the rim of the crater. This would last about 25 miles. It was not too steep, but it did just continue on. We actually ran into a group of riders with Trek Travel adventures whom we had met earlier in the day at a gas station! They were doing the same climb for the day once we got into the national park. The views were amazing. I can't imagine going through this climb without the views of the cascade mountains in the distance and e forests. At one point, we crossed over the Pacific Crest Trail! As we neared the rim of the crater, the roads seemingly got much steeper, but we pushed on.Then we saw the lake. It was beautiful, an icy blue color with dark blue and Aqua coloring around Wizard Island and the shoreline. Many groups stopped to take pictures, but got going again really quickly as the wind was so cold and the sun stayed behind clouds. We had about 4 miles until the summit and the. The rest would be downhill to our campsite. We took our final rest stop at Rim Village where some folks got some hot cocoa while others looked for mementoes to remind them of the occasion. After that, 8 miles of downhill! For some,this was fun, while others were a little more apprehensive of the sharper turns. We all made it down to our campsite safely and we're glad for this long day to have come to an end...except that we were cold and the sun was still up.We set up our tents and layered up for the long haul. We had a campfire at one of our sites, providing an excellent place to make s'mores and share stories. And after that, we were off to our tents, nestled in our sleeping bags....hoping the bear boxes at the campsite would keeps bears away from our tents during the night (spoiler alert! We didn't see or hear any bears, thankfully). Tomorrow will be a shorter day...and maybe warmer?-LAH

Day 64: Museums, Lava Caves and a Bike Ride

Start/End: Bend/La Pine, ORMileage: 30.7Weather: Cool and slightly windyToday we had a very short ride ahead of us, but we we excited about the route we had ahead of us, knowing some cool landmarks we would pass. So we slept in until 7 and then started our day. We are so thankful to the First United Methodist Church in Bend, OR for generously opening their doors to our team for the past few days to let us stay there and use their facilities. It was nice to not be camping!Today as we prepared to leave, we dedicated today's ride to the dad of one of our rider's friends, Liz. Liz's dad passed away on this day from stage 4 esophageal cancer. He is dearly missed and so on this day, we are riding for Brian Masterson. Dedications like this are always tough, knowing that this parent was taken too soon from their family.As we left Bend, we said goodbye to a town we came to embrace, as well as beautiful roads with bike lanes as we got on Us-97 heading south. It appears to be the only major road that takes this route which we will be taking. We are thankful, because even though it is busy, there is a very generous shoulder in which we can ride. For a short ride, it sure did come with some hills that reminded us that we have been cycling for quite a while now. Before long, we passed the High Desert Museum, which some groups stopped and checked out, while others continued on to the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. Some rider's climbed the Lava Butte and saw a great view of the area. Others explored the rocks that came from the most recent eruption from 1,3000 years ago! We learned that this is actually still considered an active volcano which is monitored for seismic activity. After seeing that part of the park, most of the team went down to the Lava River Cave, which had been formed by lava tubes. It was very dark and a nice, cold 42 degrees. So with jackets and bike lights, we explored the cave, walking 1.5 miles to the back of the cave. We did not see any of the bats that apparently live in the cave, but I don't think many people minded.After that, we had about 18 miles left for the day so groups got rolling as they were ready. It was primarily downhill at that point, but did have some inclines. We continued through the Deschutes National Forest which was lined with huge pine trees. There are still some very large mountains that we can see from the Cascade Range, but we did not have any significant climbing today.We are so thankful for our wonderful hosts who donated a delis ours pasta dinner with garlic bread and Kool-Aid to drink! It tasted amazing. Some of the riders headed back to Bend tonight to watch some of the time trial bike races this evening, while the rest of us are hanging out here, relaxing, getting caught up with things. Tomorrow we get to go to Crater Lake, which we are definitely excited about, but it may be a long day. Oh. And I think it may be the last day of camping on our journey. Here's to not wanting to accept that we are getting close to our destination.... Also, in case you missed it, be sure to check out a blog post a few days back about details for our arrival and lunch. If you are planning to meet us and would like to order a boxed lunch, the information is available!-LAH

Day 63: Our Final Event Day

Well, this is it! Our last event day on this trip! It is a very bittersweet time for many of the riders as we have realize how little time we have left I. Our journey. Looking at a map, I can hardly believe that we have come so far.We did not have a planned event for the day to report on, but we did have a pretty fun day from what was shared. Many folks got up and sought out some good breakfast venues, while others slept in a little later and then went tubing along a river. We are so thankful for the discount our rider's received on rental equipment! Laundry was done, and that is definitely always nice. People went shopping and exploring and it just seemed like a typically summer day that you might think of for a weekend. It was fun and I am pretty sure many of us are just in love with this town, for no particular reason. It just had a great feel.This evening, some rider's went to a park to watch a hot air balloon festival where all of the balloons lit up and floated throughout the sky. I heard it was very spectacular. Then we enjoyed another night of being inside and not being cold overnight :)-LAH

Day 62: A Quick Journey to An Exciting Town

Start/End: Ochoco Divide/Bend, ORMileage: 65+Weather: Another cold morning with warming throughout the daySometimes it can be really tough when you make it to the top of a mountain and do not get to go downhill but that is ok. This morning we woke up...nearly frozen. So that may be an exaggeration, but it was very cold and at least in the 40s when we woke up. As yesterday, a little tough to crawl out of our warm tents and sleeping bags, but especially when the sun began to leak through the trees, we felt its warmth, as well as a slight sense of urgency to get going.Today our ride was dedicated to Andrew Park, a classmate of one of our rider's from high school. During his senior year, Andrew went from being a perfectly healthy young man to being diagnosed with a brain tumor. He fought throughout the entire academic year, and had a few moments where there was so much hope. By the end of the year, though, Andrew lost his battle with cancer. This was a very real example of how devastating cancer can be in such a short time. So today is in Andrew's honor.As we got rolling for the day, we headed down Ochoco Pass which we had climbed the day before. Compared to some of the other downhills that we have down, this one was definitely not very exciting, but it did allow us some time to look around us and enjoy the thick, green forests which surrounded us. As we went through the day, traffic overall got a lot more busy, especially as we were within 30 miles of Bend. We were passing through this beautiful valley filled with corn and wheat fields and lined with large foothills that led to several snow covered mountains in the distance. They were so beautiful to look at throughout the ride.As we got closer to Bend, we were so amazed to see a huge cycling community. We had team vehicles with sponsorships carrying bicycles that cost a lot and were decked out with top components. As many of us are newer to cycling, seeing these bikes was really interesting. One group even saw a professional cycling team with at least 15 cyclists riding in close formation with a chase vehicle. We would later learn that this week is the Cascade Classic, which is apparently a series of races for professionals and amateurs through Bend, OR.After so many days of being in very unpopulated areas, seeing this much traffic was quite a transition and a reminder that other people do exist! We were delighted that there were so many bike lanes in Bend, in addition to vehicles that were friendly to cyclists.We rolled through Wall Street through Bend on our way to our stayover for the next few days where many of us scoped out some coffee shops, places to eat and just a cool community to explore. Very excited because today we get showers!We want to thank the community of Bend as many local shops agreed to donate some awesome pizza for our team to eat for dinner. We especially would like to thank Abby's Pizza, Versante, and Round Table Pizza. We are very well tonight :)-LAH

2024 Team Fundraising Total: $60,000

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