The cheerleaders were cheering and handing out cold water, the dj was spinning great music including John Denver's "Rocky Mtn High" and welcoming incoming cyclists. There were bags of goodies for the cyclists, homemade cookies, a free haircut (beautifully done by Karen), an ice cream social after dinner and access to Denver Christian High's computer lab where I am right now. I also received your welcomed mail, Mom and Gael. It is a beautiful school, as most of them have been, and we had a tremendous welcome from the local churches.
I decided this morning to take a SAG wagon to the top of the Berthoud Pass as I have just been feeling on the weak side and knew I couldn't make the whole ride in the alloted time. So I hopped in Julie's truck with Bill and Mary Dracht. Bill has been experiencing some altitude sickness. Unfortunately we came across a cyclist's accident. Tyler, who is one of the faster ones, had hit the ditch and broke his clavicle badly in two places. We stayed with him until Betsy, who is our lead SAG driver and head nurse arrived to take him into a clinic. He will be heading home tomorrow.
Our SAG drivers are amazing. We are constantly cheered on by the passing drivers and given endless encouragement at the rest stops. Cory drives the Port-a-Potty around. He and his little yellow house are always a welcome sight. There is a joke that one day the potty trailer came loose and ended up in the middle of the road (well, that part's true) but several of the guys were seen drafting behind it as they will draft behind anything. Bill, who rides a Harley Fat Boy, constantly patrols the trickier sections of road checking on each of us as he passes. Walter parks his RV at the halfway point and always has a smile and usually a little treat. Betsy takes care of everyone and usually shuttles bikes and people who just can't finish. Then, of course, we are passed by the cooks and other support staff in the gear truck, the kitchen truck, the pantry truck, Alida (the night nurse) in her RV, and Diane Slofstra hanging out of the jeep window cheering us on. It's great fun to see them approaching in the rearview mirror and appreciated greatly. We have also had a lot of oncoming truckers honk and wave, and we think these are guys who have seen us on the road since Washington as they drive their routes back and forth.
Today was a blast as the downhill from the summit went forever, mostly on good shoulders with not a lot of traffic. I had to stop a few times to give my hands a rest from braking. Braking is an art as constant pressure on the rim can heat it up too much and explode the tire - not something you want to do at speed. For the most part I let my bike go, but some curves were very tight and there was some sand on the road here and there. A bike becomes unstable at speeds greater than 68 kph, though holding the top tube between your knees can help. It's a position that I can't comfortably manage though. The scenery was spectacular and the little towns like Empire that we passed through, quaint and clean. There were a few more uphills, one of them a four-mile 10% (I'm guessing) grade monster that all said was worse than the pass, but mostly we followed a river along with some whitewater rafters. My legs were burning on all the climbs, so I know I made the right decision to do just part of the route.
I think I had better sign off tonight. Thanks for all the emails. I'm sorry I haven't had a lot of time to answer them, but maybe next week will be better. I would recommend our head chaplain Len Riersema's blog for photos - not too much writing, lots of pictures. He's a great person, cheerful, encouraging and humourous. One of the guys has a photo of him hanging onto a semi as we climbed a pass. Now that's drafting in style!!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Bonk or bike
The turkey vulture circling overhead spied his potential meal on wheels wobbling down the highway. The day had started well with an overcast sky, lovely roads and somewhat lower temperatures, but about 14 miles before Craig, I felt dizzy. I went through a mental checklist - I had had lots to drink and eat, a couple of nice shady breaks, but then the sun came out and it was suddenly hot again as we wound through a desert valley. Larry and I had been riding together for a little while since Betsy's SAG break, but I had to stop. I ate a little, drank some more, got back on my bike and felt faint. Slowly I inched forward stopping frequently until I decided that I had better walk as it's less painful to faint while walking, than fall off a bike with feet clipped into the pedals. Bonking is what cyclists call fainting while riding. It's usually a result of low blood sugar, but I think I was just over-exhausted from the long hard days. Two cyclists came up behind and asked if I needed help, but I sent them on their way with instructions to tell Julie at the next SAG stop that I would probably need a ride. Much to my surprise and pleasure, Justin, a very friendly young man, cycled back and walked beside me all the way to Julie's truck, which was fortunately 500 ft down the road. The vulture moved on.
So it was disappointing to know that i won't be riding every inch of the way, but i did have a great visit with Julie who had to wait for all the cyclists to come in that day. We were parked beside a beautiful herd of Pronghorn antelope, then later saw 2 tiny babies right beside the highway.
Sickness of every sort is hitting hard - even altitude sickness among those who have lived and worked at high altitudes. It's a fact of the exhaustion that even most of the young men are feeling.
I even discovered while riding in the desert, that it's possible to fall asleep on a bike. i had checked my rear tire while riding, became mesmerized by the pumping of my knees and nearly drifted off to sleep. Crazy what a person can do!
Yesterday was a hard climb into Kremmling, but it was so beautiful to be in the Rockies that everyone was excited. The alpine flowers were in full bloom and there were snow=capped peaks. Just outside Craig, a sandhill crane flew across my path and landed in a nearby swamp. There are lots of songbirds everywhere, ferns, white oak, and gurgling streams. One more hard day and we're in Denver. That is so hard to believe. I may have to take the SAG wagon part of the way as today i had zero energy and just made this short, but fun ride with Dora into Winter Park. We even had time for the pool at the YMCA camp where we're staying.
Time to eat again!
So it was disappointing to know that i won't be riding every inch of the way, but i did have a great visit with Julie who had to wait for all the cyclists to come in that day. We were parked beside a beautiful herd of Pronghorn antelope, then later saw 2 tiny babies right beside the highway.
Sickness of every sort is hitting hard - even altitude sickness among those who have lived and worked at high altitudes. It's a fact of the exhaustion that even most of the young men are feeling.
I even discovered while riding in the desert, that it's possible to fall asleep on a bike. i had checked my rear tire while riding, became mesmerized by the pumping of my knees and nearly drifted off to sleep. Crazy what a person can do!
Yesterday was a hard climb into Kremmling, but it was so beautiful to be in the Rockies that everyone was excited. The alpine flowers were in full bloom and there were snow=capped peaks. Just outside Craig, a sandhill crane flew across my path and landed in a nearby swamp. There are lots of songbirds everywhere, ferns, white oak, and gurgling streams. One more hard day and we're in Denver. That is so hard to believe. I may have to take the SAG wagon part of the way as today i had zero energy and just made this short, but fun ride with Dora into Winter Park. We even had time for the pool at the YMCA camp where we're staying.
Time to eat again!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
A cow carousel
Note to those who comment on the blog. i receive them as emails first so it takes a while to be added here.
We had a really pleasant ride a few days ago through southern Idaho which is dairy farm country. Lovely homes shaded by huge trees - we all really appreciate every shade tree we pass!! Ted Miller, a local farmer, invited us all to visit his small/medium dairy farm and drink milk en route. His herd of 3000 cattle, 1700 of which get milked 3 times each day, was remarkable. The farm was spotless, but what thrilled most of us was watching the herd filing into a barn onto a huge turning wheel which holds 50 cows. As the wheel turns, the cows are checked, cleaned, milked, and udders dipped before they are forced out to pasture again. It reminded me of La Ronde in Edm or the dining room in the Calgary Tower. I wondered if they used more Bag Balm than we cyclists. BB is veterinary antiseptic for udders that cyclists use to prevent chafing tender parts.
The CRC in Twin Falls provided a lovely picnic lunch on cool green grass after we had ridden over the spectacular gorge over the Shoshone River. Some more energetic cyclists rode offroute down a gorge to view Twin Falls. I bought the postcard.
We have had long hot days through a lot of sage and desert, desert, desert, but there is always something to see like turkey vultures circling overhead eyeing me I'm sure, pelicans fishing, carp half out of the water as they searched for food, flying cormorants and a great rocket display at ATK, a rocket building facility that goes on for miles. That was a good day overall. I had started early on my own, then joined up with Clare, Fred and Larry for the rest of the route which meant nature stops and talks along the way. It also meant ice cream treats in Brigham City at an old-fashioned diner.
Camping at Willard Bay a night ago was great. We were right on the beach and the water was warm. The Bay is part of the Great Salt Lake, separated from the salt water by miles of breakwater, so that the fresh water of Bear River feeds it. On the other side was the red rock ridge of the Sawatch Mtns. Leaving there by 6:30 am in order to ride in cool air was a challenge, but at the start of a 100 mile (155 km) day, a necessity. I didn't pack the praying mantis that took a look at my tent, then decided he probably would be an uninvited guest, a correct assumption on his part, but he was cute! We have all been packing earwigs since Washington, part of a musical exercise in which they are shaken off each tent and on to a neighbour's in the morning. Someone has described our living situation correctly as intensity (in tent city).
Yesterday was brutal! Although the first 60 miles passed easily with lots of homes and shops along the way, the miles from Salt Lake City to camp at Jordanelle State Park was one hard climb after another in 100 F weather. I began with the Meyer family and Roland, but wasn't feeling too well and couldn't keep up. I spent 13.5 hours, in the saddle most of the time, and arrived at camp after supper, just in time to set up my tent before dark. Rose, one of the cooks, arrived early at Jordanelle and thought correctly the situation here would be enough to break the camel's back. It was. I'm not the only cyclist who found a spot to have a good cry when we realized that our gear truck and kitchen would be on one hill, our tents a good 15 min walk away on another hill where there is a washroom, and the showers another good 15 min walk in another direction. The looks of disbelief as each cyclist was given the news were memorable. The beach is another 15 min away downhill in a different direction. That was my big trip for today.
We had a really pleasant ride a few days ago through southern Idaho which is dairy farm country. Lovely homes shaded by huge trees - we all really appreciate every shade tree we pass!! Ted Miller, a local farmer, invited us all to visit his small/medium dairy farm and drink milk en route. His herd of 3000 cattle, 1700 of which get milked 3 times each day, was remarkable. The farm was spotless, but what thrilled most of us was watching the herd filing into a barn onto a huge turning wheel which holds 50 cows. As the wheel turns, the cows are checked, cleaned, milked, and udders dipped before they are forced out to pasture again. It reminded me of La Ronde in Edm or the dining room in the Calgary Tower. I wondered if they used more Bag Balm than we cyclists. BB is veterinary antiseptic for udders that cyclists use to prevent chafing tender parts.
The CRC in Twin Falls provided a lovely picnic lunch on cool green grass after we had ridden over the spectacular gorge over the Shoshone River. Some more energetic cyclists rode offroute down a gorge to view Twin Falls. I bought the postcard.
We have had long hot days through a lot of sage and desert, desert, desert, but there is always something to see like turkey vultures circling overhead eyeing me I'm sure, pelicans fishing, carp half out of the water as they searched for food, flying cormorants and a great rocket display at ATK, a rocket building facility that goes on for miles. That was a good day overall. I had started early on my own, then joined up with Clare, Fred and Larry for the rest of the route which meant nature stops and talks along the way. It also meant ice cream treats in Brigham City at an old-fashioned diner.
Camping at Willard Bay a night ago was great. We were right on the beach and the water was warm. The Bay is part of the Great Salt Lake, separated from the salt water by miles of breakwater, so that the fresh water of Bear River feeds it. On the other side was the red rock ridge of the Sawatch Mtns. Leaving there by 6:30 am in order to ride in cool air was a challenge, but at the start of a 100 mile (155 km) day, a necessity. I didn't pack the praying mantis that took a look at my tent, then decided he probably would be an uninvited guest, a correct assumption on his part, but he was cute! We have all been packing earwigs since Washington, part of a musical exercise in which they are shaken off each tent and on to a neighbour's in the morning. Someone has described our living situation correctly as intensity (in tent city).
Yesterday was brutal! Although the first 60 miles passed easily with lots of homes and shops along the way, the miles from Salt Lake City to camp at Jordanelle State Park was one hard climb after another in 100 F weather. I began with the Meyer family and Roland, but wasn't feeling too well and couldn't keep up. I spent 13.5 hours, in the saddle most of the time, and arrived at camp after supper, just in time to set up my tent before dark. Rose, one of the cooks, arrived early at Jordanelle and thought correctly the situation here would be enough to break the camel's back. It was. I'm not the only cyclist who found a spot to have a good cry when we realized that our gear truck and kitchen would be on one hill, our tents a good 15 min walk away on another hill where there is a washroom, and the showers another good 15 min walk in another direction. The looks of disbelief as each cyclist was given the news were memorable. The beach is another 15 min away downhill in a different direction. That was my big trip for today.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
To sleep, perchance to dream
Sleeping in a tent each night may have seemed like a small challenge for nine weeks, but what I hadn't expected was the number of midnight interruptions. For the most part we camp in high school fields and use their almost always beautiful shower facilities. What seems to be forgotten at times is the automatic sprinkler systems which tend to be activated when most people are asleep. That's fine if your tent has been battened down, but on these warm nights, sometimes flies are not attached, or in Greg Dyk's case, the head pops up in the tent vestibule (the space between the fly and the actual tent) ready to soak the sleeper inside. We had such an incident at 1 a.m. last night when a strange sound awakened me. Fortunately my tent remained watertight, but others weren't so lucky. Quick action to cover the heads with garbage cans, water bottles weighed down by bricks and anything else available saved a few people a wet night.
In Huntington, the baking hot empty field became a howling maelstorm in a few minutes while we were eating supper. One young woman's tent went rolling across the field, pegs attached, up a hill, over a concrete barrier, caught momentarily against a tree, then disappeared from view. Three sprinters took after it and managed to retrieve the tent but their legs were covered with thorns and scratches. All night the wind howled and gusted to about 80 kph making sleep difficult. Some chose to abandon their tents and bed down in the much quieter gym, but most of us just checked our pegs and listened to the wind screaming and battering the tents all night
Although Tuesday was a low day for me partly due to a nagging cold that has sapped my energy, I did enjoy the much less strenuous riding the rest of the week and feel almost ready for tomorrow's. The temperature today fell a little (about 96F) which was a bit of a relief. And there have been several ice cream stops when the opportunity presents itself especially at day's end.
My favourite treat was a drive with Betsy to a stream outside Huntington where 9 of us avoided the huge (3 ft)poison ivy bushes, as marked by Clare the forester, and found our way down an embankment to the water. Brian, a character from PEI who played Garth Brooks on his bike radio for me as we rode together, says he would never travel without his personal botanist. That's a good idea in this country where washrooms can be far apart. A duck into the sparsely growing bushes means watching out for rattlesnakes, thorns of many descriptions, poison ivy and poison sumac. It was a quickly flowing creek which we walked upstream a few times, then floated back down. Lovely green willows overhung the embankments. The younger group, including Marty Minnesma, tried to dam the water with their backs while it was all I could do to stay on my feet and avoid the rocks. God's jacuzzi was SO relaxing after a hot day's ride.
And,yes, I have seen quite a few snakes,some of them rattlers, but they were a little flat when they couldn't outrun the cars. And I have pulled thorns out of my cycling shorts after a quick break in the sage brush. Most of last week's ride took us along rolling roads past farmhouses shaded by huge trees and fields of various descriptions - potatoes, Swiss chard, mint, dill, corn (my preferred washroom stop), and farms with horses, cows, goats, burros, mules and crowing roosters.
As one of the cyclists said, the people we talk with along the way were enthusiastic enough from Seattle onward, but now that we have cycled through Washington and Oregon and into Idaho, we are gaining great reactions and interest in the causes. Many motorists and farmers along the way have taken our cards and spontaneously offered to contribute to end the cycle of poverty for some. It is a great feeling to see the effect that we are having on complete strangers.
Another favourite day was July 4th. We were royally treated to a dinner that started with Mexican appetizers, the main course was polled pork and beef with all the trimmings, and strawberry shortcake for dessert presented by the churches in Sunnyside. Afterward we walked to a CRC church where we were offered root beer floats, then walked across the street to the local track for a real Fourth of July celebration of speeches, rousing music and fireworks. A long walk back to camp made me ready for bed, but all night fireworks were being shot off, cars were driving close by, dogs were barking, coyotes howling, then the morning birds started chirping. Still it was a fun experience.
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
The line above is where I drifted off to sleep with my fingers on the keyboard. Perhaps it's time to end for today.
Jane & George - I have carried your birthday card with me so far with good intentions of course. I hope you had a great party. I'll try to find your address now that I have stamps and a place to mail it.
Shauna - I will miss your birthday, too! All the best - a card is in the mail.
In Huntington, the baking hot empty field became a howling maelstorm in a few minutes while we were eating supper. One young woman's tent went rolling across the field, pegs attached, up a hill, over a concrete barrier, caught momentarily against a tree, then disappeared from view. Three sprinters took after it and managed to retrieve the tent but their legs were covered with thorns and scratches. All night the wind howled and gusted to about 80 kph making sleep difficult. Some chose to abandon their tents and bed down in the much quieter gym, but most of us just checked our pegs and listened to the wind screaming and battering the tents all night
Although Tuesday was a low day for me partly due to a nagging cold that has sapped my energy, I did enjoy the much less strenuous riding the rest of the week and feel almost ready for tomorrow's. The temperature today fell a little (about 96F) which was a bit of a relief. And there have been several ice cream stops when the opportunity presents itself especially at day's end.
My favourite treat was a drive with Betsy to a stream outside Huntington where 9 of us avoided the huge (3 ft)poison ivy bushes, as marked by Clare the forester, and found our way down an embankment to the water. Brian, a character from PEI who played Garth Brooks on his bike radio for me as we rode together, says he would never travel without his personal botanist. That's a good idea in this country where washrooms can be far apart. A duck into the sparsely growing bushes means watching out for rattlesnakes, thorns of many descriptions, poison ivy and poison sumac. It was a quickly flowing creek which we walked upstream a few times, then floated back down. Lovely green willows overhung the embankments. The younger group, including Marty Minnesma, tried to dam the water with their backs while it was all I could do to stay on my feet and avoid the rocks. God's jacuzzi was SO relaxing after a hot day's ride.
And,yes, I have seen quite a few snakes,some of them rattlers, but they were a little flat when they couldn't outrun the cars. And I have pulled thorns out of my cycling shorts after a quick break in the sage brush. Most of last week's ride took us along rolling roads past farmhouses shaded by huge trees and fields of various descriptions - potatoes, Swiss chard, mint, dill, corn (my preferred washroom stop), and farms with horses, cows, goats, burros, mules and crowing roosters.
As one of the cyclists said, the people we talk with along the way were enthusiastic enough from Seattle onward, but now that we have cycled through Washington and Oregon and into Idaho, we are gaining great reactions and interest in the causes. Many motorists and farmers along the way have taken our cards and spontaneously offered to contribute to end the cycle of poverty for some. It is a great feeling to see the effect that we are having on complete strangers.
Another favourite day was July 4th. We were royally treated to a dinner that started with Mexican appetizers, the main course was polled pork and beef with all the trimmings, and strawberry shortcake for dessert presented by the churches in Sunnyside. Afterward we walked to a CRC church where we were offered root beer floats, then walked across the street to the local track for a real Fourth of July celebration of speeches, rousing music and fireworks. A long walk back to camp made me ready for bed, but all night fireworks were being shot off, cars were driving close by, dogs were barking, coyotes howling, then the morning birds started chirping. Still it was a fun experience.
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
The line above is where I drifted off to sleep with my fingers on the keyboard. Perhaps it's time to end for today.
Jane & George - I have carried your birthday card with me so far with good intentions of course. I hope you had a great party. I'll try to find your address now that I have stamps and a place to mail it.
Shauna - I will miss your birthday, too! All the best - a card is in the mail.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Spills and thrills
I could begin by saying how hot it is but i think you have the idea by now. Today was an easy day, just 50 miles through gentle, rolling countryside with snow on the mountains to the east and west. The occasional huge willow provided a little relief from the sun as I pedalled as quickly as i could for 15 miles in a pace line with Dora and Alida, both from Ontario. On the first gentle rise, they left me in the dust. There were lots of gorgeous photo ops and lots of opportunity to stop for treats along the way, even a washroom or two.
For some great stories i would recommend Josh Krabbe's blog about his 280 km epic ride with 2 of the faster cyclists. Photos from digitally equipped cameras are on www.flicker.com see SeatoSea08. I haven't checked that myself, but they should be there. I have a fairly unique helmet, white with a flat back, and wear a black fanny pack. My handlebar bag is red and black and I wear either a pinki/orange/yellow flowered jersey or a turquoise one or the SeatoSea official one. On the steepest downhills I have managed to achieve my land speed record of 60+ kph. Really fun on a smooth empty highway which winds down for miles and miles to LaGrande.
All is well, (Mom, especially)! My only problems have been relatively minor - a fall in the shower of all things which left both wrists bruised but fine for riding - a bee sting on my leg - and a fall off my bike while stopped with 6 people to witness it. I had stopped, and just didn't swing my leg high enough to clear the bar. I'm not the only one to do that!!
The sights are magnificent and the park where we stayed last weekend in Kennewick was out of this world beautiful. Imagine Bowness 21 miles long beside the Columbia River which is about 1000 ft wide at that point and huge sycamores, willows and other shade trees. None of us wanted to leave.
I'm on duty now to help with supper and clear up after - part of the 24 hour sweep team's job.
For some great stories i would recommend Josh Krabbe's blog about his 280 km epic ride with 2 of the faster cyclists. Photos from digitally equipped cameras are on www.flicker.com see SeatoSea08. I haven't checked that myself, but they should be there. I have a fairly unique helmet, white with a flat back, and wear a black fanny pack. My handlebar bag is red and black and I wear either a pinki/orange/yellow flowered jersey or a turquoise one or the SeatoSea official one. On the steepest downhills I have managed to achieve my land speed record of 60+ kph. Really fun on a smooth empty highway which winds down for miles and miles to LaGrande.
All is well, (Mom, especially)! My only problems have been relatively minor - a fall in the shower of all things which left both wrists bruised but fine for riding - a bee sting on my leg - and a fall off my bike while stopped with 6 people to witness it. I had stopped, and just didn't swing my leg high enough to clear the bar. I'm not the only one to do that!!
The sights are magnificent and the park where we stayed last weekend in Kennewick was out of this world beautiful. Imagine Bowness 21 miles long beside the Columbia River which is about 1000 ft wide at that point and huge sycamores, willows and other shade trees. None of us wanted to leave.
I'm on duty now to help with supper and clear up after - part of the 24 hour sweep team's job.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Sage, mint, egrets & pelicans
108F on a cyclist's readout!! Our ride today took us through part of the Sonora Desert. We followed the Snake River for part of the day then climbed steadily but at a gentle slope for miles and miles until just outside Pendleton. Although the hills are dry and covered with sage and cactus, there is a lot of irrigation in the valley and wheat, alfalfa, barley, potatoes, mint and other crops are grown. most of the day was on good paved roads with not too much traffic which was a blessing as it takes the stress of constantly watching what is happening in front and behind. I am still cycling with the Meyers and enjoying
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Bow Vallley Parkway
I wrote this before we had satellite internet access, so it's out of order:
The Last Big Training Day – end of May
“Hey Ger,” I called over my shoulder, “ You want to lead?”
“No, Flash, you're doing just great!” Gerry's boisterous laugh echoed through the valley.
Until shortly before that time, Glenda 'the speed demon' Wong had been out front. On a long winding downhill, though, my lighter skinny-tired road bike eased away from their heavier mountain bikes. I was thoroughly enjoying the speed and momentary isolation in the deep woods along the Bow Valley Parkway, the narrow two-laned old highway between Banff and Lake Louise. We had cycled close to three herds of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, a huge male elk with an impressive set of antlers and a couple of white-tailed deer on the outbound trip. Now on the return trip, a friendly Newfie (Is there another kind?) had warned me of a bear ahead. I slowed a bit to tighten the formation with Glenda and Gerry. We rode along, cautiously watching the road and scanning the brush. Around a bend a few vehicles pulled to the side indicating an animal in sight. Sure enough, there he was, a significantly large black bear happily chowing down across a field and completely ignoring his admirers. Three sighs of relief could be heard as we put the vehicles between us and him.
Not too much further along, an approaching driver slowed and called out his window, “Watch out for the bears.” Glenda, in the lead once more, called back, 'Bears, plural?” “Yup,” was the answer. Keeping close together, we could see brake lights ahead, then the cutest, fuzziest cinnamon-coloured cub on the highway. Gulp! Where was Mom grizzly? Again we were relieved to discover a very small black bear with another cub a short distance away nonplussed as her babies caused a human commotion. Glenda and Gerry 'Boomer' Beitel decided the cubs must be a year old due to their size in relation to the size of the mother.
Our long-awaited training day had been a tremendous success with perfect weather and all three of us feeling great at the end of the 103 km.
Incidentally, I think the name 'Flash' refers more to the colour of my pink, orange & yellow cycling jersey than to the speed at which I ride. My longtime hiking gurus, G&G, had decided that every pro cyclist, or in this case, long-distance cyclist needs a handle for the road.
Been there,done that
Hi all
It's a hot one today - 102F and we had the blewett pass to do. But it's under my tires now and I feel like a real cyclist. i've been really busy just keeping up with all the various activities and crashing at night. We're in ellensberg tonight. Sorry about the caps, but this tiny keyboard will take some adjusting.
I'm definitely not one of the fast ones, or even the medium speed people, but I actually felt fine after yesterday's unrelenting climb to the Steven's Pass Summit. I just took my time, stopping under every bit of shade, and drinking a hundred gallons of water and anything else liquid.
The whole experience has been great so far. The food is fabulous and there is always someone around to help with every little, and big, problem. Bob from Wisconsin was the first person I met as he carried Josh's bike into the dorms at University of Washington. What a beautiful campus! Huge shade trees and wonderful architecture. The quad has magnificent rose gardens and a view of Mt. Baker. It was hot and steamy though, a record breaking heat wave in Seattle. I had to park a couple of blocks up the mountain from my dorm which meant carrying all my 60 lbs of gear and bike, plus Josh Krabbe's. Then the next day, brothers Alex and Erik from Michigan lugged my gear bag to the second dorm when I had to move. The next big haul was down another mountain to the Sea to Sea trucks parked below. I thought the biking would be easy after all that!
Well, it hasn't been easy in the least, but it has been fun. We first rode 20 miles to Golden Garden Beach along the beautiful Burke-Gilman bike path which follows the canal with many sailboats and yachts and a working drawbridge and lovely park areas. We stayed in our bike safety groups which were formed to teach us some of the rules of the road and cool cyclist-speak. The sessions were professionally presented by the 20,000 strong (not a typo) Cascade Bike Club. Then we had road trials, stopping, starting, avoiding rocks, etc. I can yell "Car Up", "Car back", 'Rock", and "Ew" and make the appropriate hand signals. The latter was coined by melinda when she saw her first snake.
It has been a very social event - meeting people from all over and discovering connections. Someone suggested a huge Bingo board where all the people we know in common could be listed. I played leap frog with Gerry Schenk from Edm yesterday up to the summit. Pat/Terry - he worked with Prince. At the summit, we celebrated victory with Clare from Vernon, Dora from Renfrew, Leanne from the DR, Agnes Wolstenholme's brother Fred from Red Deer. Sharon - today I rode a fair way with Tony Schweitzer. He pulled me in through the long hot road to here.
Sorry pelaton meeting = got to go.
It's a hot one today - 102F and we had the blewett pass to do. But it's under my tires now and I feel like a real cyclist. i've been really busy just keeping up with all the various activities and crashing at night. We're in ellensberg tonight. Sorry about the caps, but this tiny keyboard will take some adjusting.
I'm definitely not one of the fast ones, or even the medium speed people, but I actually felt fine after yesterday's unrelenting climb to the Steven's Pass Summit. I just took my time, stopping under every bit of shade, and drinking a hundred gallons of water and anything else liquid.
The whole experience has been great so far. The food is fabulous and there is always someone around to help with every little, and big, problem. Bob from Wisconsin was the first person I met as he carried Josh's bike into the dorms at University of Washington. What a beautiful campus! Huge shade trees and wonderful architecture. The quad has magnificent rose gardens and a view of Mt. Baker. It was hot and steamy though, a record breaking heat wave in Seattle. I had to park a couple of blocks up the mountain from my dorm which meant carrying all my 60 lbs of gear and bike, plus Josh Krabbe's. Then the next day, brothers Alex and Erik from Michigan lugged my gear bag to the second dorm when I had to move. The next big haul was down another mountain to the Sea to Sea trucks parked below. I thought the biking would be easy after all that!
Well, it hasn't been easy in the least, but it has been fun. We first rode 20 miles to Golden Garden Beach along the beautiful Burke-Gilman bike path which follows the canal with many sailboats and yachts and a working drawbridge and lovely park areas. We stayed in our bike safety groups which were formed to teach us some of the rules of the road and cool cyclist-speak. The sessions were professionally presented by the 20,000 strong (not a typo) Cascade Bike Club. Then we had road trials, stopping, starting, avoiding rocks, etc. I can yell "Car Up", "Car back", 'Rock", and "Ew" and make the appropriate hand signals. The latter was coined by melinda when she saw her first snake.
It has been a very social event - meeting people from all over and discovering connections. Someone suggested a huge Bingo board where all the people we know in common could be listed. I played leap frog with Gerry Schenk from Edm yesterday up to the summit. Pat/Terry - he worked with Prince. At the summit, we celebrated victory with Clare from Vernon, Dora from Renfrew, Leanne from the DR, Agnes Wolstenholme's brother Fred from Red Deer. Sharon - today I rode a fair way with Tony Schweitzer. He pulled me in through the long hot road to here.
Sorry pelaton meeting = got to go.
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