Positive Altitude

Beauty in Colorado

Mileage: 56 Miles

We woke up this morning, collected our belongings from around the Holland’s house and enjoyed our last meal with Tom.  It was around the time we left when Tom gave us some left over pasta, monster cookies (they won’t last very long with us…), and offered us anything else we wanted from their refrigerator.  I don’t think Tom and Brenda could have been any nicer…

We stopped by the store and around 2 o’clock we were back on our bicycles.  The weather was fairly warm and it took us about 10 or so miles to get back into the groove of things.  We reached the top of the first summit and as luck would have it that was around the time that Brittany drove by.  We stopped and ate as we enjoyed her company, we love spending time with her as she is a beacon of hope.  We left sooner than we would have liked as we wanted to make it to the campsite before the owls came out.  The downhill would have been better had it not been for the wind.  We exercised caution as we do not want to make a second trip to the hospital.  The second summit was more of a challenge and we eventually made it to the top, to yet again meet our girl!  We continued down the summit and made it to a beautiful view.  We all stopped for a bit to enjoy what Mother Nature had to offer and continued downward.

It was when we began to ride alongside Blue Mesa Lake that the weather began to take a turn for the worst.  It must have been about 10 miles away from our campsite when we notice that storm clouds were coming.  We were hoping to be done before it hit us but, unfortunately, we didn’t make it.  As soon as we crossed the lake the wind instantly picked up and the rain came down.  We quickly stopped our bikes and due to the wind, struggled to get on our wind breakers (which are still not water proof).  We were lucky for two reasons:  Brittany noticed that bad weather and offered to pick us up, and the storm only lasted about 5 minutes.  Since we were close to our campsite and the weather improved, we finished the ride at the campsite. 

While the rain had died down the wind was still present.  We made dinner and took refuge in our tent.  Unfortunately not all of our tents are as strong as they should be and Colin’s tent took a beating from the wind.  This windy weather did not last long for after an hour or so Mother Nature ran out of steam and the wind calmed down.

Mileage: 67 Miles

We wanted to try and be out and on our bicycles around 8 o’clock.  As our luck would have it when Colin was unlocking the bikes that he noticed Joe had a flat tire.  Apparently Trek does not make tires that come off easily.  After a while and with the help from some screw drivers we were able to pry off the tire, to change the tubes.  While Joe replaced his tire Alex was able to patch his old one, and Colin took care of the chain on his bike (it’s okay to be impressed ladies).  While we were unable to leave when we wanted to we understood that unexpected things do happen.  Also, we all knew that today was the day we were to climb Monarch Pass.  From looking at the maps the top was about 50 miles away from where we started, and all of it was uphill.  This mountain is 11,312 feet, to give you an idea of the size.  The first 40 miles or so were fairly gradual and it wasn’t until the last 10 miles that we climbed about 2,500 feet to reach the top.

We were all excited to have this mountain behind us as we knew it would not be an easy climb.  This mountain would be the highest elevation that we would reach in our journey across country.  Therefore, in order to make it a special trip Joe decided to make it Moustache Monarch.  While he is very rugged and can grow facial hair fairly easily, he decided to wear an artificial moustache.  He tried to persuade Colin and Alex to join him but as they are not quite as manly and opted not to.  (Foolish, right?)

About the ride:  We made it to the town, Sargents, at the foot of the mountain in fairly good time.  It was at this town that we took a break before beginning our last major climb.  We biked at a steady pace and took a few breaks before reaching the top.  We made sure to stop at a few of the beautiful views that this mountain had to offer.  Now, this wouldn’t be a bike ride in Colorado if it didn’t rain on us.  Of course, as we began to reach the top wet weather was upon us once again.  We did not let this discourage us from reaching our goal and within no time we made it to the top of Monarch Pass.  We then biked about 10 miles down the side of the mountain to a campsite where we spent the night.

In Health,

Joe, Brittany, Alex, and Colin

Rain over Blue Mesa Lake

After fixing their bikes they are ready to go!

The climb over Monarch Pass

Joe and Colin - Looking good!

Monarch Pass: Conquered!

Colorful Colorado

6/23/10
Mileage: 80.7
Average: 15.6

Since it was so hot on the 22nd we wanted to get going early.  We got up at 5:30 and were biking by 7; we’re very efficient in the morning.  Waking up to the fish jumping in the water and the sun reflecting off of the cliffs over the lake definitely helped motivate us to get out of our tents.  We started at the Colorado River and had a steep climb right away.  Even though it was so early it was already pretty warm.  The first 50 miles were comprised of rolling hills until we finally hit the summit.  When we got to the summit Colin called his mom and she offered to get a hotel for the night in honor of his birthday; which was a huge relief.  From the summit we had a nice downhill and a long uphill until we finally arrived in Blanding.

There we checked into our hotel at the Gateway inn.  We were really excited when we found out they had a pool.  Unfortunately it was when we were about to go in that we saw there was a sign posted saying the pool was closed.  Oh well, at least we still had a shower…  For the rest of the day we just relaxed since we were so tired from being in the heat for the passed couple of days.  We went grocery shopping, got dinner and watched a movie while typing posts.  We were excited that tomorrow we enter the next state, Colorado! 

6/24/10
Mileage: 79
Average 15.5

After a relaxing night at Blanding, Utah’s Gateway Inn courtesy of Mama Utz we continued to push our way through the remainder of Utah.  The day began with about a 10 mile long climb up to 7,000 feet of elevation before leveling out for the remainder of the ride.  It was nice to take the climb pretty slow to make sure we got warmed up and by the time we reached Monticello we were ready to finish the 17 remaining miles into Colorado.  After stopping to rest and take pictures at the border, we continued to ride on.

After a few more uneventful miles we reached our first little town in Colorado, Dove Creek, and decided to stop as Colin was beginning to feel a little flat and tired. While we rested, Brittany caught up with us and we were glad to be able to fill our water bottles and eat lunch in the van.  The food and rest obviously helped Colin get back to feeling like himself again and with the wind at our back, the rolling hills became a fun game almost like a roller coaster.  

Before we knew it we had reached the outskirts of Dolores and Cortez and it was time to head off the route to our campsite. Brittany had gone ahead to make sure we got a site at the McPhee Resevoir recreation area. It’s always nice to be able to ride to our destination at the end of the day and just relax – Thanks Brittany!! Another day down, another state down…

6/25/10
Mileage: 59.39
Average: 14.4

We were biking by 8am due to the 50 mile climb from Dolores to the top of Lizard Head Pass at 10,222 feet.  We left our campsite and biked about 10 miles to Dolores where we started the gradual climb up to the pass.  It was a great ride, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery that is Colorado from start to finish.  We biked in a valley the majority of the way along side the Dolores River.  It was so peaceful.  Now, we have been fairly lucky regarding the wet weather as we have not had to ride the rain so far.  Luckily for us Alex decided to put an end to this bit of luck when he told his mom that we hadn’t hit any rain yet.  If we didn’t believe in Luck, we do now.  Not just 5 miles up the road it started to rain.  There was thunder and lighting and it got extremely windy which made the climb even better.  It was a short lived storm which was a relief because we found out that none of our wind breakers were water proof and the worst of the climb hadn’t yet begun.  The last 5 miles of the climb was where it got increasingly steeper until reaching the summit.

Once we got to the top there was a spectacular view.  Colin, like always, got into a conversation with a very nice lady from Nebraska who was inquiring about our journey.  She was on her way to Dolores, CO which is were we had just came from.  We gave her our website and said she will definitely check it out.  She couldn’t believe that we had just climbed up to the pass and were not doubled over in pain.  Brittany was also at the top waiting for us to let us know that the campsite down the road was $20.  Luckily, Alex walked across the road and saw a sign that said “Camping limited to 30 days.”  We were excited that we had found a seemingly free campsite since it didn’t indicate otherwise.  Not to mention it was still at the summit of Lizard Head Pass.  We drove the car across the road and walked around until finding an ideal location to set up camp.  While looking for a good site we found leftover wood that a gracious camper had kindly left behind for others to enjoy.  Sweet!

Finally we found a good site and set up our tents.  Since it was only 3, we still had a lot of the day left to hang out.  Colin tried to make rice-a-roni on the stove but after about 30 minutes he gave up since it hadn’t even browned yet.  We aren’t too sure if the stove is broken, since it is about 30 years old, or if it is because of the propane.  Given that we are going to be at Alex’s Aunt and Uncles in a day we thought we would try and fix it then. 

After the excitement of the grill and eating room temperature soup, everyone except for Joe took a nap (we’re a rambunctious group).  It was a much needed rest for all of us.  Then once it started to get dark, while Brittany and Alex were still sleeping, Joe and Colin made a fire.  After getting the fire going Joe was ecstatic because it was the first fire he ever helped build.  For we usually have our Eagle Scout friend Andrew to help make fires!  It was so peaceful hanging out by the fire and talking after a great day.  To make things even more beautiful, the moon came up over the mountains which brightened up the landscape.  Nights like this make us appreciate how magnificent Mother Nature is.

6/26/10
Mileage: 77
Average Speed: 17.5

We woke up at the top of lizard head pass and made the decision to spend time in the town of Telluride.  It was on our way to the town that we came across a local biker.  He was a very nice guy who had been a competitive biker for 20 or so years.  He offered us his house if we wanted to stay in the area, which to be honest doesn’t sound like a bad idea.  We eventually made it to Telluride where we learned of the origins of the towns name.  Apparently you can break it down into To Hell You Ride, comforting thought right?  The town itself though was very nice.  We walked around for about two hours where we explored the shops and grabbed lunch.  While we would have liked to stay longer, we needed to get going if we wanted to reach Montrose in time.

We continued to ride our bikes downhill through the beautiful scenery that is Colorado.  It was when we stopped at a park to use the bathroom that we met a cyclist from Alabama.  He was an interesting character and told us of the times that he had biked through Colorado, giving us his two cents regarding the climbs.  After saying goodbye we rode to a town called Placerville, where we began to climb towards the Dallas Divide.  The incline was not too bad as the slope was not very drastic.  We were lucky to have Alex with us, as he is full of classic melodies and serenade us with the song “The Wheels on the Bus”.  It must have been a few miles from the top when we ran into four bikers from Baltimore.  One of them had a flat tire so while he worked on it we used the time to talk and exchange stories.  This group of guys are from Baltimore and have been biking to raise money for Livestrong.  We wished each other luck as we continued up the summit.   It was when we reached the top that we ate lunch and enjoyed the view as we biked down towards Ridgeway.

We were twenty or so miles away from our ending destination.  Lucky for us it was at that time that Colorado decided to throw some wind our way.  We didn’t let this discourage us as we fought back by biking closer together.  We were able to draft off each other to cruise at 25 mph towards our girl Brittany.  It’s easy to be motivated when we have Brittany waiting for us at the end of the day.  Love her.   

We piled into the van and headed towards Alex’s Aunt Brenda and Uncle Tom’s house.  Upon arrival we practically moved into this new house as we brought in our belongings.  We were fortunate enough to be fed a scrum-diddly-umtious meal followed by ice cream and brownies … why are we leaving this place?  To make things better Tom and Brenda had taped the USA vs. Ghana game that had played earlier that day.  We all watched the game together and showered, with the exception of the stinky little boy that is Fallen Turtle.  We were all excited to go to sleep especially since it has been a while since we have all slept in actual beds. 

6/27/10

We spent the day relaxing at Alex’s relative’s house.  We are very grateful for the very generous hospitality they have provided for us.  From all the meals they cooked to allowing us to take over their television to watch soccer, they have been very kind.  We couldn’t, however, help but feel bad as we punished their laundry machine the entire day (literally).  We were also lucky that Tom was able to fix our stove that had been previously broken.  While we don’t really want to leave we must keep heading east… 

In awe of the world we are living in and the generosity that exists within,

Four Burnt Hillians 

Leaving the quaint town of Rico

Our first taste of rain!

Brittany and the puppies on top of Lizard Head Pass at the campsite

The guys and Sadie above Trout Lake

Enjoying a downhill

Telluride!

All of us with Tom, Brenda, and Tiger-Puff!

The Hot Heat!

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Saturday 19
Mileage: 63.55
Average Speed: 13.5  

The climb today was one we had been dreading for almost a week now as our maps show the route beginning in the heart of Cedar City at 6,000 feet and gaining almost a mile in altitude up to 10,500 feet. After 23 slow and agonizing yet breathtaking (in more ways than one!) miles we reached the summit at Cedar Breaks National Monument. The view from here was an incredible mixture of reds, oranges, yellows, and whites spread out over a massive sandstone canyon complete with spires and mesas. Along the climb we met a few groups of nice people who couldn’t believe that we had biked all the way up from Cedar City. After enjoying some lunch at the summit we began what we thought would be a nice relaxing downhill into Panguitch where we would end the day. Little did we know we had a series of short, but steep up hills before we would eventually descend the 4,000 feet into town. The descent went fast (But not too fast!) and effortlessly as we coasted the remaining 40 miles to the finish. After checking a few different campgrounds we settled on Bryce Canyon Pines Campground and enjoyed nice warm showers and good nights sleep.

6/20/10
Mileage: 85.30
Average: 16.6

Today was a great ride and our longest so far.  It wasn’t like it was an easy ride either.  There were a total of three climbs where we went up about 1500 feet on each.  During this time we went through beautiful Red Canyon National Park and were able to enjoy the scenery for 10 miles.  Something different about this part of the ride is that it was on a relatively new bike path.  This was a nice change in that it allowed freedom from traffic and enabled us to talk the whole time.  After reaching all the summits we had a great descent into the canyon where Escalante River is.  We had mostly been in the desert with the beautiful red rock all around us.  The change in vegetation on our way down made the area surrounding the river look like an oasis with bright green trees and a shallow river.  We really wanted to stay there for the night however, the campground was full.  With no safe place to set up camp along side the road we had to return to Escalante State Park to camp for the night. 

Once we got there we took out all of our maps to see how many miles we are going to be logging for our journey.  We figured out that by the time we get to Boston in early August we are going to be logging 4,000 miles.  We were all surprised, however, after the initial shock it began to make sense.  The maps don’t take us on the most direct routs in avoidance of bigger mountains as well as unsafe roads for biking.  Although, there was no avoiding Monarch Pass in Colorado.  In about two weeks we will be doing our toughest climb where we will reach 12,000 feet!  Eek!    

Something else we have wanted to comment about on the blog for a few days now is something that Joe told us.  As many of you may know, a couple years ago we had Orange bracelets made with Eric’s initials on them.  We gave them out to as many of Eric’s friends and family as our supplies would allow for.  One day when we were all climbing, Joe was struggling.  Then he looked down at his bracelet and thought about Eric and others who have fought and lost their battle to cancer. When he brought it up after the climb, it became aware that we had all done this at various times while climbing.  Our motivation and drive for making it over the next summit and eventually to Boston remains strong. 

6/21/10
Mileage: 60.38
Average: 14.8

We ran through the typical morning routine and before we knew it we were continuing our journey through Utah.  We seem to enjoy climbing as we immediately begin biking up a very steep hill to begin this day’s ride.   We road over a few rolling hills before enjoying a few miles of relatively flat road.  It was during this time that Colin and Joe decided to express their emotions the only way they could, through song.  They alternated lines with Colin beginning and Joe responding.  While we know that they are good singers Alex may have thought otherwise.  The lyrics fit to the tune “On top of Spaghetti” and went something like this:

                                    My body’s not happy

                                    My body’s not glad

                                    I want this to over

                                    Before I get mad

                                    We went over a big hill

                                    In the blazing hot sun

                                    I want it to be over

                                    But man is this fun

Now we know you have two questions going through your head and yes they are writing more songs and are willing to sing at house parties…

Overall the ride was a good one, the weather was nice and we were able to enjoy a breeze that kept us cool as we ascended about 4,000 feet up the mountain.  When coming down the mountain we decided to stop part way down to eat lunch.  It was when we were finishing that our friend we had met in Eureka, Nevada arrived.  After talking to John we established that we were heading to the same campsite and agreed to share.  We rode with him for a while down the mountain but eventually split up as our rugged companion is fully loaded with at least 100 pounds worth of gear.  It was beautiful to be able to watch the trees of the mountain transform into the big red rocks that surrounded the little town of Torrey.

We arrived at the campsite to see a “Full Campgrounds” prominently hung before you enter.  Now, lucky for us we are fortunate enough to have Brittany.  For she was able to go ahead of us and secure a campsite before they filled up, making our night that much easier.  To make things even better she had popcorn and beer in celebration on Colin’s birthday (June 22).  We munched on the popcorn and before we knew it our friend John arrived.  We all ate dinner together and talked about the next days ride.  It was during this time that John shared his stories with us regarding the websites “couch surfer” and “warm showers”.  He mentioned how he had met some nice people and recommended we look into it, which we agreed to do. 

Overall it was a successful day.  We were able to reach 1,000 miles for the trip, camp out with a fellow traveler and celebrate old man Colin’s birthday.  We definitely look forward to what the rest of the surprises that this trip will bring us. 

6/22/10
Mileage: 88.93
Average: 16.4 

In honor of Colin’s Birthday, Brittany made eggs for breakfast.  Our friend John stuck around while we cooked due to the offer of a warm breakfast; a much needed change for all of us!  We were surprised since John usually leaves around 6 is in the morning to get going for the day.  Then after a great breakfast we got going around 10.  Many miles down the road we caught up with John again and biked with him to Hanksville.  There Alex and Colin ordered a pizza that Colin thinks might have saved his life because the rest of the day they didn’t each much due to the extreme heat.  After Hanksville there is absolutely nothing for 50 miles, nothing but a desert.  The only thing that saved us from over heating was the wind.  We would have to guess that the temperature was in the high 90’s which is quite brutal when biking close to 90 miles. 

At one point Colin was running very low on water and was starting to feel dehydrated.  He had learned, from the book Born to Run, if you take a sip of water and hold it in your mouth for a while your body begins to feel hydrated.  He did this for a few miles until we saw the white stallion van coming to save the day.  However, the van didn’t slow down and kept going around the bend.  We started to freak out that we may have just lost our only opportunity to fill up to carry on the rest of the ride.  Luckily, Brittany was just looking for a safe place to stop the car.  We rested in the shade of the car and rehydrated before carrying on.  With only one more climb to go and about 15 miles left for the day we were happy to get out of this blazing sun.  We crossed over the Colorado River and stopped for the day.  From there we drove 2 miles to a campground which is right on Lake Powell.  The lake was formed as a result of the Colorado River being damned.  First things first, cool off time!  All five travelers (including Bandit) went for a swim in the lake.  Bandit surprised Colin with the ultimate birthday present, his first actual swim; doggy paddle and all!  While cooking dinner we continually re-entered the cool water the lake had to offer.  Curiously enough, there were fewer bugs if we waded out into the water than there were on land.  Because of this, Colin and Joe decided to eat their soup while standing in the water.  Colin then decided to sit, float his bowl, and enjoy a dinner with the water as his table.  He exclaimed “This is the best dinner ever!  I can eat and pee at the same time!!!”  What a Birthday! 

With the sun quickly setting, we set up our tents only about 5 feet from the water.  We came to find, even with the sun on the other side of the world, we could see clearly because of the bright moon.  Although it was a warm day, it was a great ride and our longest yet! 

In sweat and sunscreen,
Cow Pie, The Lorax, Dirty Diaper and Fallen Turtle

PS: Throughout our journey thus far, our actions have resulted in witty nick names.  Can you put the name to the nick?

PPS: We ran out of time to type a post for the 23^rd.  For now, in a sentence, it was hot and their bodies were tired.  Today we will enter Colorado, our 4^th state!  Wahoo!

The ride down to Escalante River

All three biking!

Sharing a campsite with John!

The view next to our campsite in Capital Reef National Park

The Colorado River

The best dinner ever!

Utah!

Brittany and Bandit waiting at the summit for the bikers

Tuesday 15
Mileage:  61
Average Speed: 16.2

Since we were fortunate enough to have access to TV this morning we were able to watch some of the world cup!  We were able to see Portugal play against the Ivory Coast and some of the Brazil versus North Korea game while we loaded the van.  After getting ice for our cooler we were excited to continue biking towards Utah.  Not that we didn’t want to stay in the lovely, windy and dusty state that has been Nevada.  Fortunately though, the wind was not too bad and the sun was out in full force as it beamed down upon us.  Thus, we prepared appropriately by applying a coat of sunscreen and by 11:00 we began biking.

The first climb was not too difficult it was the ride down that provided a different challenge.  While we were able to use gravity to our advantage it was the wind that made the downhill difficult.  It seemed as if the wind could not decide what direction to blow in as it seemed to challenge us from all directions.  Thankfully we are strong burly men and we were able to handle the elements that were presented to us.  Once we reached the bottom we biked about 6 miles to the next summit, and thankfully this time we were able to use the wind to our advantage.  It was within no time that we were climbing again, lucky us.  This summit was one of the more difficult ones we have come across in Nevada as we ascended 1200 feet in 5 miles.  When we finally reached the top we took a break to catch our breath and have lunch.  Before continuing we remembered that we needed to apply more sunscreen.  Now as we all know, Colin and Joe are some of the manliest men that you may ever come across.  With that said, it was at the top of the summit where they rubbed sunscreen into each others backs as cars passed by, in a masculine manner of course.  The descent down this summit was more enjoyable than the previous and within no time we were crossing the border into Utah! 

We had only made it maybe 10 miles into Utah, and as night was approaching we could not find any camping.  Thus, we had to back track to Nevada where we camped at Great Basin National Park.  It was during dinner that we realized we have become more accustomed to outdoor living.  A perfect example of this was when Alex was eating his dinner and said “I can see there is a bug in my food, but I’m going to eat it anyway.” And with that he added a little more protein to his diet.  We finished dinner and went to bed…

Wednesday 16
Mileage:74.23
Average: 15.3

Knowing we were going to loose an hour due to the Mountain time zone change, we tried to get going early.  As soon as we got to the spot where we stopped yesterday we knew it was going to be a long day because it was so windy.  The first 24 miles up to the first summit took about 2 hours of biking while averaging only 12.3 mph.  It seemed like the longest 2 hours of our lives.  From the top of the summit we could tell that there was a sand storm in the valley below.  The descent from the summit was slow going as well because of the wind.  It was coming from the side and almost pushed us over so we had to hold on the breaks most of the way down.  Once we got to the sand storm we had visibility only about 5 feet in front of us.  However, it was a short distance through the sand storm.  On the top of the second summit Alex joined in for his first ride since his wipe out.  He felt pretty good but only wished he didn’t have to wear a long sleeve shirt to cover his wounds from the sun.  He did a total of 10 miles, feeling well enough that he decided he will try to do the whole ride the next day.  Then we stopped a couple miles outside of Milford to set up camp in a open pasture next to a hill that blocked some of the wind.   

Thursday 17
Mileage:  52
Average Speed: 17.3

We arose to a heard of cattle crossing near our campsite.  We are beginning to feel that there is no animal that we will not encounter as we travel across country.  After watching our new friends leave we cleaned up and started another day of biking.  We should note that today was the first day since Alex’s accident that all three of the boys were able to ride together.  While Brittany was sad to lose her companion, she may have been more relieved as he took a certain aroma with him to the road. 

Our goal for today had been to make it to Cedar City.  According to the map there was only one summit between us and our goal.  With everyone riding together we seemed to make it to the top in no time.  We took a break to eat lunch and we were soon biking down to Cedar City.  There was not much to the scenery minus a sheep farm.  Upon arrival we stopped by a local bike shop where Colin bought a new chain.  We then did some grocery shopping as we were all running low on food.

We had wanted to camp in Zion National Park since we wanted to spend the following day there.  However, we arrived half an hour too late and were unable to obtain a camping permit for the night.  Therefore, we returned to Cedar City where we found a KOA (we don’t know what it stands for either) and set up camp.  While we would have preferred to camp in Zion National Park we are happy to find we have access to showers here.  We all look forward to shedding our coat of sunscreen that we have developed over the past few days.  KOA has interesting sites as we had access to WiFi, electricity and our very own lamp.  After setting up our tents and eating dinner we then performed the weekly activity that we have all come to love, organizing the van!  After this fun filled event we returned to our campsite where we ate Cookie Cake!!  Brittany had bought it while at the store in celebration of Alex’s and Colin’s Birthdays on the 19^th and 22^nd. 

Friday 18

Since the guys have been working so hard, they decided to take a day off and enjoy the surrounding environment that they normally wiz by on the bike.  After taking some much needed showers and KOA, we packed up the van and headed to our next campsite. 

We found a beautiful spot right next to a creek at Cedar Canyon Campground and set up our tents.  From the campground it was only 5 miles to Ashdown Gorge.  We started at the bottom of the gorge and hiked up following Rattlesnake Creek.  On either side of us were beautiful red cliffs.  The website for the hike warned about getting wet due to crossing the creek.  We came prepared as we zig-zaged back and forth across the water attempting not to fall in or get swept away by the current; Bandit and Joe had the hardest time with this!  We were all distracted by the colors and shapes of the rocks along the hike.  Joe and Colin were trying to find rocks shaped like hearts while Brittany and Alex were amazed with the variety of colors and color combinations.  The views were breath-taking the whole way but it wasn’t until we were a few miles in that the cliffs seemed to close in on us the more we walked; the patterns of erosion were most beautiful here.  We only wished we had enough time to do the whole thing.  However, it was 10 miles one way and we would have had to hike up and then back down again and didn’t have enough time for that.  After returning to our campsite we made some dinner and played cards.  We hadn’t had a fire in over a week and decided it was a perfect night to do so since it was quite cold.  The night quickly came to an end as we grew tired sitting by the warm fire.  Tomorrow the boys will return to biking!

Saturday 19

Happy Birthday Alex!  No one set an alarm this morning which was a mistake as we woke up an hour later than we wanted to.  We ate a quick breakfast and packed up to return to Cedar City where the bikers ended two days ago; the carwash, Mr. Bubbles!  Before the biking began, Joe returned to the bike store to purchase new bike shorts and a much needed squishy seat!  Also, during this time Alex called his parents.  We were lucky enough to hear Mrs. James sing a beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday as she was unaware Alex had put her on speakerphone. 

Since Alex and the boys love climbing so much, it will be a great birthday for sure!  They are climbing 5,000 feet in 25 miles!  They knew what was ahead of them because our campsite was along the route they are following.  Because of the difficulty it will most likely be a low mileage day but a great accomplishment none the less. 

Stay happy and healthy,

Joe, Brittany, Alex, and Colin

Joe and Colin in their Burnt Hills wear! (Yes, Joe is wearing a girl's XC/track uniform)

Alex and Colin - Love while cooking some dinner!

The sand storm!

The happy bikers!

Birthday boys with their cookie cake!

All of us at Ashdown Gorge!

Hiking in the Gorge.

Owies Unveiled!

Yesterday, Alex gave us the OK to post pictures from his crash.  In the past two days his wounds seem to have improved immensely which has given him the hope of joining Colin and Joe within the next couple days.  Posted below are a series of pictures from the day of the crash to the progress made through the healing process.  For those who have weak stomachs, this gooey version of Alex may upset your tummy!  Proceed with caution!

"That was a good one!"

The side of Alex that hit pavement going 40+ mph

Alex in his brand new gown and trendy paper boxers

At least he still has his personality!

Cleaning the wounds

Day two

Right elbow

Scraped up leg - we didn't want to go any higher to show his hip!

His helmet did a good job protecting his head and now is in two pieces

Doctor Colin

ouch!

Swollen hand and wrist

Healing skin and antibiotic ointment - not as bad as it looks, really!

Kind of looks like Africa?

Looking more Alex-like

Scabs

 

Thanks to everyone who has been inquiring about Alex’s health.  It is greatly appreciated!

Continuing Through Nevada

Colin biking east from Austin

Friday 11

Mileage:  38 miles

Average Speed:  12.2 

Today was a tough day.  There were 25-30 mph winds that were going straight at us from start to finish.  It felt like we were crawling the whole time.  To make it more discouraging it was mostly flat with fairly small hills during the entire ride.  Due to the difficulty of the Nevada weather we weren’t able to do as much as we would have liked.  We get through days like this thinking about all of those who have had to prove their strength in battles much more difficult than what we are faced with; such as Leukemia.  This gives us the strength and motivation to get back on the bike each day!  Like Brittany said to us once we finished, “everyday isn’t going to be perfect.” 

We finished the day about 40 miles east of Austin, Nevada where we pulled off the road to camp for the night.  Upon arrival it became apparent that we had settled down in what felt like a dust bowl.  The harsh winds faced while biking were now trying to collapse our tents and enter any open crevasse including: veggie burgers, tents, suitcases, laptop/camera bags, and the car (sorry Mrs. Trowbridge).  Brittany and Colin’s tent had to be blocked from the wind with the car because we weren’t sure if it was going to make it through the night.

Saturday 12

Mileage: 62.58

Average Speed: 15.6 mph

After a good nights sleep we were ready to get going.  Nothing too exciting happened today.  There were two really nice climbs right after Austin where we hit 7,484 ft and 7,148 ft both resulting in some great views from the summits.  Before leaving the small town of Austin, Alex wanted to clean up his wounds.  He entered the local sheriff’s office where he met Officer Derrick.  Derrick was kind enough to let Alex, Brittany, and Joe spend about an hour cleaning the increasingly gooey wounds.  He also gave some helpful advice about the switchbacks on the nearby mountains as well as his medical opinion regarding the scraped up Alex.  He mentioned that every year when people are biking cross-country, East to West, they go too fast down the switchbacks and glide right off the cliff because they are going too fast.  After hearing these stories we were happy that we were going up the mountains instead of coming down them.  About 50 miles west of Eureka, Nevada we pulled off the paved road onto a dirt one and set up camp.  It has been convenient that our route through Nevada has been so barren in that we can camp pretty much anywhere. 

Sunday 13

Mileage: 66.46

Average Speed: 16.2

You never know what each day will bring you, especially when traveling across country on a bicycle.  Today Colin and Joe were able to meet a fellow traveler from San Francisco biking towards Washington DC.  While talking to him they discovered that he had always wanted to embark on such a journey and was recently given the freedom to do so.  We seem to be following the same path cross-country, so hopefully we will meet up with him again.  For today though, we biked with him until reaching Eureka where Joe and Colin stopped to meet up with Alex and Brittany.  While they were biking Alex and Brittany were doing some “household chores.”  For earlier that morning all of our water bottles, bladders, and 5 gallon cooler had run dry.  Therefore, the first thing on the list was to fill up every possible container not knowing when the next opportunity would arise to do so.  After a few stops they were pointed in the direction of a small park.  They took advantage of the free water, did some dishes, and then headed off to clean three loads worth of sweaty and stinky clothes.  We camped on a side road that led to the base of some rolling hills.  After finding a flat spot among all the cow pies we were ready to rest and recover. 

Monday 14

Mileage: 64.28

Average Speed 16.3

After a cold night in the desert and about 10 miles of biking we hit 600 miles!  It is hard to believe we have gone this far already.  We have met some great people, seen some amazing views, and have only been traveling for about 2 weeks now.  Of course there have been some bumps along the way, however, we are still in great spirits and are still receiving donations thanks to all of you!

Today there were two climbs and then a great descent into Ely, Nevada.  We got a hotel for the night where Colin and Joe enjoyed the pool after a tough day of biking.  Alex was craving Burgers due to the diet of rice, corn, and beans so we went to a nice Bar and grill in town.  We hope to get a good nights sleep even with Joe getting up around 7 to watch the world cup while we have TV access.

It is great to hear that so many people are following our journey!  We will keep posting whenever we have internet access so stay tuned!      

With love,

Joe, Brittany, Colin, and Alex      

Dinner time

A beautiful sunset

Painted skies and snow covered mountains

Sadie, Bandit, Brittany, and Joe about to leave the campsite

Welcome to Nevada

View from our campsite in Lahontan

Mileage – 67.56 miles

Average Speed – 21.9 mph

After a stressful day of unfortunate events we continued our journey at the scene of the crash.  After surveying the area for the pieces that Alex left behind, we continued to bike towards the city of Silver Springs.  Whether we had a map with us or not, we could definitely tell we left California as the woodsy mountains changed into the flat desert that is Nevada.  Even though we were riding on even terrain Mother Nature made sure the first 25 miles were windy enough to make up for the lack of change in elevation.  It was once we were outside Carson City that the wind diminished and allowed us to cruise through the rest of the ride.  At the end of the day we arrived at a campsite near the Lahontan Reservoir.  We were able to find a spot to set up camp on the beach!  While this location was incredibly windy the beautiful nighttime scenery made it worthwhile.

Mileage – 67.96 miles

Average Speed – 19.8 mph

It was during the night that we had been paid a visit by a pack of Coyotes.  Luckily the aroma that is Alex’s feet kept them at bay, keeping us safe through the night and into the morning.  It was during breakfast where we were able to make a new friend!  A lizard!!  Anyway, we drove back to the site where we had ended the previous days venture.  We kept biking towards Fallon where we learned that one should never ride on rumble strips as the vibrations are amplified on a tiny bike seat.  Upon arrival at Fallon we continued an additional 40 miles past to what seemed to be the middle of nowhere.  While it seemed to be mostly desert it was interesting to view the rocks that had been arranged on the side of the road to express the authors thoughts and feelings.  Such thoughts and feelings were “I love Jesus”, “S ❤ H” and “Maria”.  On top of this there was the occasional sand tornado that seemed to help decorate the scenery.  We ended the night by traveling back to the town of Fallon where we were fortunate enough to be invited to a dinner at a Methodist Church through the Lions Club.  The people there were extremely welcoming and we enjoyed a warm meal through the generosity of these people.  Afterwards we checked into our motel where we will spend the night, and in the morning watch the first game of the world cup!

There was trouble uploading the new album of pictures.  For now only 22 pictures would upload.  Enjoy what is there and check back for more!

Stay Posted!

Alex James

Joe Pericone

Brittany Trowbridge

Colin Utz-Meagher

Breakfast at the campsite

Joe, Colin, and Sadie about to leave for the days ride

Welcome to Nevada

Speed Bump

Mileage- 50.44

Average Speed – 15.4

 The climb over the Sierra Mountains is over.  We continued our venture on Tuesday when we drove back to Ham’s Station, to begin our climb at about 5,500 feet.  It was thirty miles into the ride when we finished the climb at Carson Pass at 8,574 feet.  We were grateful for the long downhill ahead of us.  According to the maps the next 10 miles of downhill would diminish into flat terrain upon entering Nevada.  Colin was really happy because from the climb his knee was hurting and he was excited to be able to coast for 10 miles or so.

 At one point only a couple of miles away from Nevada Alex and Colin reached a speed of 53mph and 48 mph, respectively, not even pedaling.  Then while approaching a stop sign and applying the brakes Alex’s bike began to fish tail as his rear tire began to swing out from behind him.  Soon after he lost control, fell and was dragged about 30 feet across the pavement.  Colin being a few feet away saw the whole thing and freaked out because he saw Alex’s head hit the cement.  Colin got off his bike and rushed over to Alex.  Alex being Alex sat up and said, “That was a good one.”  Alex was immediately brought to the Hospital in South Lake Tahoe with really bad road burn and some bruises.  

 It was when everything thought that the situation could not get any worse, when it did.  While Alex was being admitted everyone filed out of the van, closing the doors behind them.  It was once the doors were closed that we realized keys were left on the drivers seat, along with Bandit.  Of course, the spare key that we had brought along to avoid being locked out of the car was inside the vehicle as well.  Colin and Brittany then did what they could to get a hold of AAA while Joe stayed with his summer boyfriend Alex. 

 Over the time of about 2 hours the following took place:  Alex was cleaned up and received X-rays of his hip and elbow.  Fortunately, the X-rays came back negative and Alex was then bandaged up.  It was around this time that AAA finally arrived and the van was unlocked freeing Bandit from the hot van.  Not too long after this, a mummy form of Alex was released from the hospital in a fashionable gown and paper boxers.  With the exception of his bruises he seemed to be in good health, but would not be able to continue biking for a few days. 

 To end this exciting day we drove to a motel where we ordered pizza and relaxed for the rest of the night.   

Learning from our mistakes,

Alex, Brittany, Joe, and Colin

Carson Pass

Alex and Colin starting the climb - still healthy!

 To help spare worrying of loved ones, pictures of Alex’s boo boos are being delayed until the healing begins!

Weekend in Tahoe

On Friday June 4, was the first day we actually started climbing.  We left with Alex’s Uncle Dave from Folsom, California at about 10:00.  The First 30 miles were a lot of rolling hills while getting out to the country.  Then the climbing began, there were no serious climbs but a lot of switch back steady inclines.  The elevation at Folsom was around 500 feet and we ended at Ham’s Station at about 5,500 feet.  We did a total of 60 miles at an average of 14 mph.  The views along the way were absolutely beautiful and we took a lot of great pictures.  It was a great day of biking and tomorrow will be a much needed day of rest for all.  After we finished the ride we drove to Fallen Leaf Lake campsite which is about a mile away from Lake Tahoe where Dave’s family was.  Along the way to the campsite we stopped at a couple overlooks where we could view the distant mountains.  There was snow on the mountains which Bandit absolutely loved.  He slid down the hill as a penguin would and didn’t want to get back into the car.  We arrived at the campsite around 8:00 where Alex’s Aunt Suzette had a great dinner prepared.  We set up camp it was off to bed! 

The rest of the weekend was amazing.  The view around Lake Tahoe was phenomenal.  Saturday we walked around South Lake Tahoe and just enjoyed the scenery.  Sunday was “America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride” which was the 100 mile ride around Lake Tahoe.  Alex completed this ride with his dad and uncle.  They had a great time and didn’t feel that the ride was as hard as they anticipated.  Lake Tahoe’s elevation is at 6,200 feet and the highest point they climbed to was a little over 7,000 feet.  Alex found out that we raised the most money from the Albany Chapter, which is a great accomplishment!  So again, thank you to everyone for donating and your words of encouragement.  We couldn’t have done it without you!  While Alex was biking, Colin, Brittany, and Bandit went hiking up Mt. Tallac which is their new favorite hike.  It had a gorgeous view overlooking Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake.  This made it the perfect spot for Colin to propose to Brittany!  It couldn’t have been a better spot and they are both ecstatic that after over six years of dating they are now taking their relationship to the next step.  It was Bandit’s first hike with us and he couldn’t have done better.  Needless to say, it was a great day all around!

Today is our last day in Tahoe and we are going to be doing last minute things in town while enjoying all Mother Nature has to offer.  Tomorrow we are going to be finishing the climb over the Sierra Mountains.  Keep checking for more updates! 

In love,

Colin, Brittany, Joe, and Alex

The Climb to Tahoe

Alex and the cow for upstate New York Team In Training

Colin and Brittany at the top of Mt. Tallac - Engaged!

View on Lake Tahoe

And So it Begins!

The group at the beach in San Francisco

Day 1:

The first few days of riding have past and we’ve already seen our share of adventure. Day one got off to a late start (about 1 pm PST) due to traffic heading in to San Francisco and some time to take pictures at the beach. At the last minute we changed our plans for the start of the ride. Initially we had planned to start from a beach north of San Francisco, but decided it would be much more exciting to start in the city at the beach next to Golden Gate park and ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to begin our journey. Needless to say the experience of riding across the bridge was incredible. The views of the city and ocean from the bridge are amazing. After crossing the bridge we continued north into beautiful wine country to finish the day in Sonoma. The total mileage for the day was 55.71 miles with an average of 14.1 mph. We camped at a very nice campground, Sugarloaf State Park Camp Ground, up in the hills about 15 miles north of Sonoma.

Day 2:

Day two began bright and clear and after driving back down into Sonoma we rode out of the hills of wine country and across the agricultural plains to Davis. The excitement for the day didn’t come until late in the ride when we witnessed a car crash into a telephone pole and spin around into the ditch. After assuring that everyone was OK (they were, save for some possible whiplash) we waited for the police to arrive since we were the only ones to witness the accident. The reason for the accident is unclear, but likely the driver wasn’t paying attention to the road. After finishing the ride we hopped in the car to head over to Alex’s Uncle’s house in Folsom to spend the night. The total mileage for the day was 70.02 with an average of 17.5 mph (A hefty tailwind helps boost the average!).

Day 3:

Day three was just as nice (and hot – mid 80s and very sunny) as Day 2, but much less exciting. Alex’s Uncle Dave joined the group for the ride from Davis back to his house in Folsom. The majority of the ride took place on the beautiful Jedediah Smith memorial trail that runs along the American River. The total mileage for the day was 41.96 miles with an average of 14.7 mph. We are staying at Alex’ Uncle Dave’s house again tonight and tomorrow we will begin the ascent in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on our way to Lake Tahoe.

Beautiful California Coast

The riders on the Golden Gate Bridge

Vineyards outside Sonoma, CA

Car crash on the way to Davis, CA