Hello world!Today was a good day.We had a short day and we’re headed to Humboldt Redwoods State Park, so we had a very chill day on the bike. We stopped a lot and took some awesome pics with the Redwoods. It blows my mind how big they are and I’m never gunna get used to it... they belong in another world!I got to chat/FaceTime with my mother and bfffffff Bu Jackson as they helped me pack over the phone for my family vacay post ride! Oh how I miss those goons!!After dinner, a few of us went on an adventure down a path I spotted earlier in the day. The path ended up taking us down to a river where we hung out and skipped rocks for a while. It was refreshing :)BTW Hitarth and Aaron take the cake for best rock skipping of the night. Hitarth had the winner though when he was able to skip it across the river multiple times... this judge was v impressed.Later, I thought it’d be fun to bike through the same paths for night trailbiking. Most thought we were nuts, but Aaron was totally down for it. And boy oh boy did the team miss out!! It was crazy fun biking through all the trees and going through the actual forest, not just on a boring car road but on the path truly next to all the trees.It was a time and a half!!! And folks, it’s the little things that I’m gunna miss from the trip. The river walk, night riding, exploring bowling alleys, taking polaroids of graffiti, climbing trees larger than life, etc etc... this is what I’m going to look back on and remember and I am extremely grateful to have such vivid memories as these.Sorry to get all sappy but you know... life realizations and all.Tomorrow’s supposed to be a rough day with 75 miles and 6000 feet of climbing. We’ll see if the extra biking tonight was a good idea after all.Gnarly bro.Marge
Day 72: Into the Redwoods!
Today the team rode 47 miles from Eureka to Humboldt Redwoods state park located in California. We have ridden through several Redwood state parks while in California and I believe this is our third. Each one is unique and absolutely beautiful to ride through. The air is so crisp and fresh with the trees creating the perfect shade canopy to ride through. It has been a real treat and a great change of scenery! The day started out very cool and eventually warmed up as we moved further from the coast. The difference in climate in one days time has surprised the team, California is a much more diverse state then others we have seen. We continued to ride on highway 101 for a little while and we have been pleasantly surprised at the drivers not being as aggressive. Also, today in the forest my group stopped at a fruit stand where a very kind women gave us free blackberry popsicles, they were delicious and refreshing. Several other groups also stopped at a few gift shops along the way. We really enjoyed the short distance and wonderful scenery that accompanied this route!Today the ride was dedicated to Lauren’s uncle, Gary who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma 2 years ago.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of the day: BudapestMemorable moment: roasting s’mores by the campfire and witnessing Eric try his first s’more.Rider Spotlight: Ryan WatkinsWhat's been the best part of I4k so far?The best part has been seeing the mountains in Colorado. Biking the mountains was also very cool.What do you think of when you pull through headwinds at 18 mph?I like to think of a song, generally the last one I heard. When I have a beat I can crack out any speed I need to.Where do you get your sense of humor from?I would say it’s mostly self generated. I listen to a lot of stand up comedy.Favorite rest stop snack?:Berry protein barsWhat is your go to pick up line seeing as though you are the ladies man?I don’t have any but I really like the Tennessee one. The one about the 10 I seeWhat's your dream place to live?Somewhere that is medium density population and it’s got a nice wholesome atmosphere and I’m friends with all my neighbors. Washington or Oregon could be goodWhat place are you most looking forward to on the ride or liked the most?I liked Utah the most, in particular the day going into Provo.What has been your favorite day on I4K so far?Day 15: Going into Richmond on the first century day. It was a good group and we got through the day fast. It melted away like butter.Team Knife or spoon?Team knife for peanut butter and spoon for jellyIf you could have any superpower what would it be?Regeneration or healing. I like Wolverine and he’s got that so it’s pretty cool. Healing seems pretty usefully. I also just like claws...What's been the most challenging part of the ride?The most challenging part of the ride was riding Berthoud pass while also having a sprained back.New edition to a crayon box what would you be?Strong and Shallow purple: I don’t think that this shade of purple has gotten enough attention. In the rainbow the v in Roygbv doesn’t get enough love. Let’s put the v back in RoygbvWhat will you miss most about I4K?I will miss most being able to wake up each morning knowing I’m doing something with a purpose. I think it will be tough to find that when I go home.Rider Spotlight: Lauren SargentWhat's been the best part of I4k so far?Going to the Waffle House two days in a rowWhy do you prefer headwinds over climbing?I don’t think it’s fun to climb, I would much rather have headwinds.You’ve already been a world traveler, how does this trip compare?I’ve been to many places we have bikes through but we are going slower and taking our time to see some small placesWhat’s one thing that’s happened on the ride that you think has changed you?I enjoyed the portrait on day 5, we met a man in the park that was so full of life and optimism. It was a good reminder of why we ride.Favorite rest stop snack?:Welch’s fruit snacksWhat do you do when you are struggling on the bike?I don’t think about anythingWhat's your dream place to live?I want to live on a farm that isn’t in the middle of nowhere that is also in close access to an international airportWhat place are you most looking forward to on the ride or liked the most?I liked Steamboat Springs the most. I’ve been there on family vacations and I watched ski jumping for four hoursWhat has been your favorite day on I4K so far?I liked day 9 because we slowed down and didn’t care about getting anywhere. We got lost but we ended up getting apple cider slushies. We ended up getting cheeseburgers and root beer floats.Team Knife or spoon?Team knife for peanut butter and spoon for jellyIf you could have any superpower what would it be?Teleportation or time travelWhat's been the most challenging part of the ride?The most challenging part of the ride is riding every single dayWhen you think of the Waffle House what is one word that comes to mind?WafflesNew edition to a crayon box what would you be?Powerful black: because Lauren is not creative and powerful is the adjective for Lauren on the team.What will you miss most about I4K?Having the freedom because we can be anywhere and do anything
Day 71
Hello world!Not much happened today. I was like a bear in hybernation and slept until 11 AM... crazy talk.Some of us had a day at the movies seeing the Purge and Mamma Mia 2. I was team Mamma Mia 2. Not sure if other people liked it as much as I did, but I loved ittttt. It made me laugh, made me wanna get up and dance, and made me even choke up (I’m a softy what can I say).I’m a sucker for ABBA songs because it’s some of the music I grew up on. It kept reminding me of singing and dancing in the kitchen with my mom while we cleaned the house hahaha good times :)The rest of the day was dedicated to rest, chit chattin, and catching up on journaling.Tomorrow we head into Humboldt Redwood Forest so it should be v pretty again!! Also only 47 miles so hopefully it goes quickly!Right on.Marge
Day 71: Eureka is an interesting place!
Today was a rest day in Eureka. It was our last day off before we arrive in San Francisco! Some of us started the day going to the laundromat and then to a bagel shop. We then went to the movies where some of us saw Mama Mia and others of us saw The Purge. Clearly we are very divided on movie tastes on this team. We then came back and just relaxed for a few hours before dinner time. For dinner we had pizza from our hosts, thank you to First United Methodist.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: N/ASong of the day: Young, Wild and FreeMemorable moment: Getting a note on the van from the sandwich place from yesterday that forgot two sandwiches in our order. The note said for us to redeem our two sandwiches haha
Day 70
Hello world!Day 70 definitely had its peaks and it’s valleys.We had an 85 mile day with what looked like not too much climbing on the elevation map, but that thing was WRONG.There was steep hill after steep hill, and I was physically exhausted by mile 20 :( It’s like I got bit by the tsetse fly or somethin. We were able to push through though and finish out the day.Thank god I did because I would’ve missed out on a lot!! The downhills were a lot of fun and in some parts, we were keeping up with the flow of traffic! We also got to bike right along the coastline which was incredible. We biked through the Redwoods again today and man, that will never get old. Right as we left the forest, there was an open field to our right and in it we saw 2 elk!! I had never seen elk before so that was really neat. Their antlers are massive!At lunch we met this odd duck of a guy named Mark who was soooo into what we were doing that when we left to finish the last 25 miles, he took out his drone and got footage of us biking for a little bit hahaha so be on the lookout for that... who knows if we’ll ever see the videoInstead of getting back onto the 101 for the last 25, my group opted in taking the scenic route with terrible roads but better views. We stopped a lot to take it all in because why not!? At one of our stops we even got to see a... WHALE (spotted first by Kathy). I thought it was funny because I told my group that today I was on the hunt to see dolphin or whale... my wish was granted!When we got closer to Eureka, we passed bison too! Today was jam packed full of seeing wild creatures. A very nice change of pace from your typical day of only seeing cow after cow (still saw those too though).Thanks to King Phil’s awesome parents, we had hot sandwiches for dinner!! They were tasty and it was nice to have a good meal after a long day on the bike.The night ended pretty early as there’s not much to do here in Eureka, CA. If you haven’t heard, the city doesn’t have the best rep, so we’re being a liiiittle cautious around here.I still wanna go to the beach though and check out the scene!Surfs up.Marge
Day 70: Brown Bear Brown Bear what do you see?
Today the team rode 84 miles from Crescent City to Eureka, California. Today was one of the most beautiful rides we have had thus far. We went on and off highway 101 where we got beautiful views of the ocean. Highway 101 also isn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be! We also got to ride through more Redwood forests. This morning started out extremely eerie and spooky. The fog was so thick that we could not see anything within a ½ mile ahead of us as we rode through the forest. It is an unexplainable feeling to be flying downhill and feel like you are going through nothingness! Some groups even stopped at the mystery trees and looked in the Paul Bunyan gift shop where they got a greeting from Paul and his oxe. Overall it was an amazing day and although the hills in Cali are killer, knowing that we only have a few days left makes us push to the finish line! Also a group got within a car distance to a mama bear and her cubs, how scary cool is that?!I would like to thank Eureka First United Methodist for hosting us tonight. The ride dedication was for Matt’s grandma who had breast cancer.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 1Song of the day: California girlsMemorable moment: Riding along the coast for the first time
Day 69: Golden state of mind
Today the team rode 85 miles from Grants Pass, Oregon to Crescent City, California! We made it to California… it still feels surreal to say it. We got from New York to California via bike, how crazy! Crossing into the state line was the highlight of the day for me, riding up to see the state sign was one of the most exciting sights I have seen along ride. It all seems like a pipe dream until it comes true, we are officially cross country cyclists. Although, it was an exciting day the victory needed to be earned with 4,000 feet of climbing and some very scary California roads and drivers.I would like to thank United Methodist Church for hosting us and providing us dinner. The ride dedication was from Lauren’s family friend Lisa who just finished her chemo treatment for breast cancer.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 2Song of the day: CaliforniacationMemorable moment of the day: Seeing the beach for the first time and knowing that had made it from coast to coast.
Day 69
Hello world!Today was something special.Crossing into California. Enough said.Biking through Redwoods. Enough said.Biking on the 101. Enough said.SEEING THE OCEAN. Enough said.Running into the ocean. Enough said.Painfully biking to the stayover barefoot and soaking wet after running into the ocean. Enough said.We faced some tough hills and tight, winding roads with heavy traffic, but we were cautious and took care of business. It went swimmingly.Seeing the ocean finally put into perspective what we’ve accomplished. We have officially biked from coast to coast.Holy. Cow.Nothing but smiles around here.Today we’ll bike into our rest day in Eureka, CA. Hopefully we can have a party by the beach. That’s what this girl wants to do.As 2Pac would say... “Caaalifornia Love”Marge
Day 68 - update
Hello world!Today was a fantaaaastic day! We went into the day knowing that almost the whole day was downhill. There was one baby climb in the beginning and after that, it was full speed ahead.The downhill out of our camping site in Crater Lake was awesome. I was with a core group of peeps that all had the same mentality... to fly. It was a super long downhill and was SO pretty. Words don’t do it justice.We averaged 19 mph the whole day and about 27 mph on the downhills. With that, we finished 90 miles in 5 hours (not including rest stops)... pretty crazy if ya ask me!My favorite part of the day was coming back from the showers and seeing my family in the church parking lot!!!! Y’all heard it right, cousins Katha, Gabs, and Grace and the cute kiddos, Leo and Oliver were there to see me!Katha was so so so sweet and treated us to an awesome dinner. If you’re ever in the Medford area and are craving a good burger, go to Common Block Brewery. It won’t disappoint!We headed back to the crib which was so fun to see! I even got to sleep in a bed and that almost bright a tear to my eye. I slept like a baby... silky sheets go a long way folks.When the babies headed to bed, Gabbi took Grace and I to her neck of the woods in Ashland, OR, about 15-20 min from Medford. The town is super cute and I can see why Gabs loves living there. It totally fits her vibe and she is straight up thriving out there.Grace, Katha, Oscar and I all stayed up late chattin about the trip, our fam, and everything under the sun. It was much needed fam time. The perfect refreshment to keep me goin for the last 7 days.Speaking of family, I decided to dedicate the ride to my cousin Karen Conway who overcame Ovarian Cancer. Her positive outlook on life got her through the tough stuff and she is such an inspiring woman. Power to ya Karen. You are one amazing person and I hope to be as strong as you one day!Stay tuned for day 70. Sorry I’m still playing catch up.Marge
Day 67 - update
Hello world!The no service days are so bittersweet! You love to be disconnected from the world and just enjoy everything around you at all times, but at the same time you wanna let everyone know you’re stil alive hahahDay 67 was a day that nearly everyone on our team had looked forward to all trip... The great and mighty Crater Lake! Getting there was a little hairy on the bike with the climbing, heavy traffic, and wildfires.Holy smokes Batman... literally. Smoke was everywhereeee! It was especially bad biking miles 20-40 as we made it to the entrance of the park. Thankfully it cleared up though as we had the second big climb of the day ahead of us. It was nice to know what breathing fresh air felt like again :)In my opinion, the climb up to the top of the lake was the hardest climb for me the entire trip. My muscles sadly were still fatigued from the hike and the climb was just difficult in general. No lie, no lie, no lie, I cried when I got to the top. It felt so good to be done and see such a rewarding view at the top... and knowing that the rest of the day was all downhill from there!Speaking of the downhill... it was one of my favorites all trip. It was a fairly long downhill with many sharp turns and a couple steep parts too. I felt like a pro cyclist whipping around bend after bend and hugging the white line on the road. It was rad and we were keeping up with the speed of traffic so that was sick.When we got to the camp site, we roasted dogs for din, and hung out around the camp fire. A few of us brave souls stayed up to see the stars come out and play, but it ended up being too cloudy :( I think we’ll have better luck when we camp in Redwoods so I look forward to that.Day 68 update comin at ya in just a few!Marge
Day 66/67: Darth Vader took over Crater Lake
The blogs have been suffering recently due to all the camping we have been doing with no service. Because of this I am doing a combined blog for yesterday and today. Yesterday the team rode 65 miles from Gilchrist to Crater lake,Oregon. Due to forest fires in the area we rode through some pretty smoky areas until we reached the entrance of the park. We then climbed several miles through the beautiful pines that surround Crater Lake. There was smoke all around which created a eerie feeling (hence the blog title). Once we reached the top we saw the beautiful lake and all its glory. It was so much larger than I ever would have pictured it and even though it was not in its clearest state it was still a sight to be seen. After several stops at gift shops later we arrived at the campsite and hung out for the remainder of the evening.Now on to today, we rode 90 miles from Crater Lake to Grants Pass, Oregon. The first 30 miles were a breeze of straight downhill. The rest of the day was some up and down hill that were pretty easy however, the day seemed long and we ran into smoke again which leaves you winded even when it is not a difficult ride. We all made it and got to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church where our friendly hosts greeted us and provided us with showers and food. It was above and beyond what we could have hoped for. We really appreciate all that they did to help prepare such a nice stay for us!The ride was dedicated to Maggie’s cousin who survived stage 4 breast cancer.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of the day: Smoke on the waterMemorable moment: Today we celebrated an old I4K tradition, Christmas in July. This is when every rider gets a secret Santa and they gift them with a $ 5.00 gift and a gag gift found on the side of the road. We exchanged them today and it was great to see all the gifts people received!
Day 66
Hello world!Day 66... today was nottttt an ideal day to be on a bike. Regardless, we still had fun with it.First off, it was hard to say goodbye to Bend. I don’t think many of us wanted to leave because the city was such good vibes.I still stand by my decision of going on that hike up Mt. Bachelor yesterday, but holy cow it made today very difficult! We biked about 7 miles on a full on gravel road, but I was all about it. We were skidding and drifting through the gravel on downhills (all in safe ways don’t worry) and it made for a good time. Our hardest climb for the day was on the gravel road so it made those with road tires struggle hardcore.Perks of having a cylcocross bike with fatttttt tires!!! I may have to put in more work for most rides, but I don’t have to change flat tires and I have an advantage on the gravely roads... heheheWe are staying at an abandoned strip mall tonight. This place is soooo rad! After a long nap, we went exploring and had a photoshoot. There is a cool bar called the “Pine Room” that reminds me of a speakeasy back in the day with nifty Oregon pint glasses. There is also a 2 lane bowling alley so it was fun to mess around there too! Shoutout to Eric for finding the switch to the black lights!! Made for some fun cosmic bowling.A few of us ventured out to another building and tried to get in but it was no luck Chuck. Hitarth blazed the trail though and we were able to get onto the roof overhang thing of the building which was neat. The adventurous bunch we are!Exploring is fun :)Tomorrow we are headed to Crater Lake!! Hollaaaaa, I can’t wait! One of the places I was most excited about going into the trip, so I hope it lives up to expectation.Word on the street is that the climb into the park is a challenge, so we’re gunna take it slow and steady Freddy.Night kids.Marge
Day 66: Gilchrist is haunted
Today the team rode 50 miles from Bend to Gilchrist, Oregon. The day started out interesting when the path we needed to take turned out to be completely gravely and sandy. We ended up getting shuttled because the gravel path extended for 7 miles. Road bikes and gravel don’t really go well together. Some of us enjoyed the challenge, and rode several miles before calling it quits. The rest of the day was relatively easy because the majority of the climbing was concentrated in the beginning and was skipped. We did run into a sea of smoke for the rest of the ride due to several forest fires happening in the area.Thank you to our hosts at the Gilchrist mall. This is a more unique stayover as we are staying at an abandoned restaurant and lounge. It has been super cool to explore this place as it is like a time capsule. Today the ride was dedicated to Liz’s nana Nancy who had breast cancer twice.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 1Song of the day: SandmanMemorable moment: Finding the abandoned bowling alley attached to our stayover and manually bowling a few times
Day 65: Rest day, Hooray!
Today was our rest day in Bend, Oregon. One group spent a large portion of the day hiking. They got to see some amazing views ( check Instagram) and got to be at 9,000 feet elevation. Another group spent the morning getting breakfast and doing laundry and later went downtown to explore. Bend is a charming town with cool outdoorsy vibes. It has been on of my favorite places for sure. The deschutes river flows throughout the town where people kayak and tube down. It was nice to sit by the water with a book and relax, which is what many of us did. Later on some on the 21 year old checked out some breweries, which is something Bend is known for. Overall it was a lovely and restful day.Special thanks to Maggie’s parents for donating dinner tonight. Chipotle never disappoints!~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: n/aSong of the day: Stuck in the Middle with you -Stealers WheelMemorable moment: Eric changing his name to Martin at the restaurant and then claiming the order was not his when they called out for Martin.
Day 64: Just around the river Bend
Today the team rode 90 miles from Paulina to Bend, Oregon. It was a very long day with lots of climbing but the team did very well and all the groups were in before 5 pm. This might be a new team best for a 90 mile ride. The ride up through Bend was absolutely beautiful. We saw crazy rock formations, beautiful snow capped mountains and pines. Oregon is shaping up to be one of my favorite places. The day started out strong with a hype circle for the mosher activity. Ryan might have popped a few blood vessels in the process but he helped deliver the mosher activity with me and it couldn’t have gone better. Overall it was a great day!I would like to thank The First United Methodist Church for hosting us for two nights. The ride dedicated for today is for Kathy’s aunt who had bladder cancer. We also got a great surprise of have Josh Weisberg and Arturo (2014 and 2017 alum) drive down to meet us and provide us with Wings. Thank you both so much!!~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count : 2Song of the day: Final countdownMemorable moment: Bouncing in unison on yoga balls during Phil’s pow wow while chanting his name
Day 64 and 65 - update
Hello world!Yesterday we biked 90 miles into Bend, OR for our 10th rest day of the trip. It was fantastic because the ride didn’t even feel like 90 miles! We decided to form a riding group dedicated to Lady GaGa fans on the team. It was amazing because we got to listen to GaGa’s albums straight through and hear how she has evolved as a music artist... pretty neat in all honesty. Throughout the whole day I was thinking about my Uncle Brian who passed away a few years ago and was a huge Lady GaGa fan. He was the one that would tell my cousins and I to always be true to ourselves and don’t let anyone rain on our parade, so I try to live by that. I love and miss that dude every day!Side note: If you have a favorite band/artist, I recommend doing that one day because you’ll get to see/hear how they grow during their time in the music industry.Also... we finally had our first citing of civilization in Oregon after 3 ish days so that was refreshing! When we were about 30 miles from Bend, we spotted a few mountain peaks in the distance! These were so so so pretty and created a nice distraction for the rest of the ride.A few I4K alums road tripped from Washington to camp in the Bend area and donated wings for dinner for the team! Twas delish and greatly appreciated :)The night ended with a trip to THE LAST BLOCKBUSTER EVER IN THE WORLD. I obbbbvi got a membership because why the heck not!? Seriously though... walking into that store was like a time machine. The smell is still the same, they use computers from the 90s, they still have Supersize Me on the shelf... you get the gist.Today a group of us drove to Mt. Bachelor for a nice hike and my oh my, Oregon. You leave me speechless.This state is unbelievable and is my fav of the trip so far. We trekked up to 9000 feet of elevation and it was well worth it. At the top, we were able to see the Three Sister Mountains, Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson. It was gorgeousssss.We treated ourselves to a pit stop at Sonic on our way back... I think the last time I was there was in 7th grade after a softball tournament in Moline, Iowa with my daddo hahaha. If you’re wondering, yes they still go around in those uncomfy looking rollerskates but yes I’m still jealous and kinda wish I worked there for that very reason.Tonight’s dinner was donated by my OUTSTANDING parents so thank you thank you thank you mom and dad for feeding me and my team. Everyone was very grateful and some told me to tell y’all that they love you. So there ya go.I’m sorry this blog is xxxxtra long today, I’m just really in love with this state and this day has been 10/10.Tomorrow we only have 50 miles or so, so hopefully we’ll get in at a decent time!Hot diggity dog.Marge
Day 63
Hello world!Unfortunately I saw today’s ride from the other side of things...I was an addition to the van clan for the day. Saddle sores man. They’re a scary thing. My booty put me out of commission as it was too painful to even think about sitting on a bike seat :(That’s alright though, I felt like having my first day of being in the van for real (not dropped off at the stayover while everyone is still biking) made me realize how grateful I am to have biked as many days as I have. I’ve been able to play through the pain every day, and having to see all the pretty sights we saw today from the inside of the van instead of a bike made me sad.But you know what they say... you have to experience the bad to know what the good is like (or something like that).Mile 63 marked the 4000th mile of the trip!!!!! How exciting is that!? I don’t think it’s ever going to really hit me as to how far we will have biked by the end of the trip. I am so proud of each and every person on this team. We all have come a long way and have helped each other through some of the toughest of days. I know that without some of my teammates, I probably would not have been able to make it as far as I have, so that’s pretty cool.Because of wildfires near Paulina, the fire rescue people were kind enough to let us borrow their portable showers. If you ever get a chance to shower in a pop up trailer thingy, I recommend you take it because they are very fancy...and they have warm water so that’s grand.Tonight we got to change it up and play some v-ball woot woot! It was fun to run around and let out some energy.Doesn’t that sound funny... energy after people biked 80 miles hah, no wonder people call us crazy.Tomorrow we’ve got a hefty 90 miles into Bend, OR and then... REST DAYYYYYYYY. I’m super pumped for bend because I wanna go mountain biking and/or hiking. Probably gunna go with the hiking option because I live for cheap thrills.Pray for me that the saddle sores will take a chill pill tomorrow so I can actually bike into Bend.Sweetness.Marge
Day 63: Not many people in Paulina
Today the team rode 80 miles from John day to Paulina, Oregon. Today was one of the hardest routes with almost 5,000 feet of climbing!! It was pretty beautiful in the beginning of the ride because we got to go through some more national forests. After the first 20 miles it went back to desert. A lot of people agreed that although it was a difficult day in terms of stats, everybody felt pretty strong and good which just goes to show how far we have come. Today we also reached the 4,000 mile mark. Although there wasn’t an amazing view or a marker, it was still an incredible feeling to know that we traveled 4,000 miles. There is only 700 to go in 12 days, which is crazy!I would like to thank Paulina school for hosting our team tonight. Today we are sharing the space with evacuees from a nearby forest fire. Some of us spent our evening talking with the response team and learning about the fire. It is pretty remarkable the support that a tiny town is able to receive. The ride dedication for today was for our two hosts Terri and Sherri in Glens Ferry. Terri experienced cancer when both of her parents had it. Sherri’s husband also suffered from cancer.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 1Song of the day: Hey mamaMemorable moment: playing volleyball at the end of the night in the school we are staying at.
Day 62: Oh hey, John Day!
My apologies for no blog post yesterday, we were camping with no access to WiFi. A little recap from yesterday’s ride. We rode 85 miles from Ontario to Unity, Oregon. All of us came to an agreement that yesterday was one of the most difficult rides of the whole summer. The climbing and headwinds were a real treat. We also had two very long and large climbs. Regardless of all the hills that kept appearing behind every canyon and corner the groups kept moral high and with Steven in mind “just kept chugging”.Today the team rode 50 miles from Unity to John Day, Oregon. We got to see trees again and needless to say it was one exciting site to see. We passed through several national forests today as well which consisted of beautiful pines that spaned for miles. It was a little preview for the Redwood Forest. There was construction so the whole team got the supergroup and climb some of the hills together. What a cool feeling to climb as a whole team. There were a few big climbs today but there were no headwinds so the day was infinitely easier. The short miles always brings about a more energetic day. A few groups took breaks, one went to Dairy Queen to treat themselves after the climbs.Today the ride was dedicated to a women we met at a convenience store the other day. She had battled ovarian cancer in the past year. A huge thank you to Caroline’s family ( Rita and Karen) for donating Subway for dinner.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of day: One Tree Hill -U2Memorable moment: Seeing pine trees everywhere and getting a glimpse of the faint mountains in the distance after coming up a large hill.
Day 62
Hello world!Day 62 was mighty fine. We had a 50 mile route with about 3000 feet of climbing. It was suuuuper pretty too. It’s funny to think how quickly the landscape can change. We went from sleeping in the desert in Unity last night to biking in a booty-ful national forest filled of pine trees and amazing mountains. The climbs were steady but definitely enjoyable. A piece of cake compared to yesterday!Due to construction, we had to supergroup the first big climb of the day. The Oregon Department of Transportation escorted us up the hill, so we had the entire road basically to ourselves. It was really nice to be able to conquer a mountain as an entire team! We’re so used to biking in small groups of 3-5 that it was nice to be together like one big happy family :)My favorite thing today was seeing all of us bike in the big pelaton group and when we called “cars back”, we seamlessly fell into a pace line. It was such a pretty sight to see. We looked legit on the roads today. If ya ask me, we’re ready for the Tour de France.Because we got back so early, we were able to pay a visit to a local brewery in town. Pretty neat place!We’re camping again tonight in John Day. Pretty quiet on the campsite but there were showers so that’s always an automatic A+.Gotta give a B I G shoutout to Caroline’s mom Rita and Aunt Karen for being so so so generous and treating the team to Subway for dinner! When I heard we didn’t have to eat hot dogs for dinner, I was grinning from cheek to cheek.We got 80 miles and some seeeerious climbing tomoz. Hopefully pretty views though.Keep it 100 peeps.Marge