Day off in Yosemite

Most people in our group decided to hike Half Dome, however, a 19 mile, 12 hr hike was not exactly something I was in the mood for. So, Jack, Ben, Susan, Justine and I went on a hike called Cloud's Rest which climbed up to almost 10,000 ft and overlooked Half Dome. Jack informed us it would be about a 7 mile roundtrip hike. However, once we got onto the trail we found out is was about 7.5 miles each way, or 15 miles total.

It was exhausting, but the view was beautiful. The van was acting funny on our way back and we stopped repeatedly to try to figure out what was wrong.

We got back to the host late because our hike was so long and immediately grabbed the laundry tarp to take and wash. We only got about 500 ft with it in the van before it seized and stopped completely. It wouldn't move so we called AAA and began trying to figure out how to do laundry for 27.

After lots of talking and arguing we finally got ahold of housekeeping who agreed to stay open a half hour late for us, but we still had no ride. I approached the neighbors who were outside enjoying some wine. After explaining our situation they said we could take their Rav-4. So, I ran back to tell the good news. We shoved garbage bags of our filthy, smelly clothes into the trunk and flew to housekeeping. The guy there was not the woman who had agreed to stay open late, so we DM'd an extra hour or two of laundry time and got to work. We were also able to convince him to let us shower for free after the showers closed. Meanwhile we made a mad dash to get pizza before everything in the park closed at 10. The evening was a mad dash and could not possibly have been more Bike and Build. Everything is more complicated with 27 ppl involved. But clean clothes were had for everyone!!!

Lee Vining to Yosemite

Stressful does not even begin to describe today's ride. The first 12 miles were the most rewarding and were spent conquering something known as Tioga Pass. We climbed 3200 ft in 12 miles at an average 8% grade. I made several stops along the way but made it up pretty quickly all things considered. As soon as we passed the ranger station at the top we had first lunch and a 3 hr dance party/celebration.

The day was 75 miles so we still had a lot to go. The roads were narrow and windy and though Emily, Bri and I were often going or exceeding the speed limit cars did not seem to pay attention to that and passed us carelessly around blind curves and with opposing traffic. We had several harrowing experiences and spent the rest of our miles on edge, never knowing which cars would wait for us to find a pull-off and which would be too impatient. People seemed to be rushing to see nature when nature was all around. I saw some really angry looking kids, upset their parents has dragged them there for the weekend. But, crowded roads and bad drivers aside, Yosemite was gorgeous and such an amazing opportunity to be able to bike through.

Second lunch was sad as we ran out of bread and instead had lettuce turkey wraps. A lo-carb option for those of us watching our weight. Haha.

We stopped at a gas station and for a break from the stress of the roads. I had an amazing ice cream sandwich called an it's-it. Mint flavor...pro. We were joined by many other B&B'ers there and witnessed a woman making a mixed drink in the trunk of her car while her husband drank some beer and pumped gas. They then tried to drive off but didn't remember to close the side door of their car. We spoke with a park ranger and alerted him of the situation, but this put us even more on edge for our last 15 miles as they were not the only ones we saw drinking there.

We finally made it to the school in which we were staying. Dinner crew made a late evening but delicious dinner and we all took a freezing cold hose shower. I was in bed shortly after 9 to prepare for our day off which would include lots of hiking. But more on that later.

Bishop to Lee Vining

Today was the day before the fabled Tioga Pass. I rode with Holly, Nate, Kristina, Marcus and Arden. We split around mile 11 when half of us stopped for an impromptu dance party just before a 10 mile climb. The hill was so large it had a sign advising cars to turn off their AC to avoid overheating. We took a nice long break at the summit and regrouped.

We had not been told that the day would be full of climbing and so we were not predicting to climb to well over 8000 ft. We had a nice decent into town, but unfortunately I had a slow leak in my back tire so my speed did not exceed 46.

We stopped at a Mobile gas station with a famous deli inside where we all had a much needed sandwich. It was delicious.

We got to participate in a fashion show to raise money for the city's outdoor education program. We wore some pretty crazy stuff and had a good time Bike and Build style. Some pretty nutty pictures got posted on FB and I got to work on my model walk. Good times.

Lone Pine to Bishop

Rolled 6 deep today with Arden, Kristin, Susan, Steph and Emily. We kept good conversation and good pace with much needed stop in Independence on the way to lunch. Today was straight out of Oregon trail. Had an awesome snack at the gas station while Susan fixed a flat and made it to lunch, which was entirely unsatisfying food wise, but did include an hour plus long dance party.

We had a nice t-dubs (a favorable wind...whose full name shall not be mentioned so as not to jinx it) and were cruising at around 26 mph for a solid bit. We had seen a billboard for Subway and had our stomachs prepared for a real lunch of foot long proportions. When we got into town we learned it was another 2 miles down the road...nbd except it means it's also 2 miles back. Susan and I, as well as our stomachs were pretty committed so we forged on while the others opted for something closer.

Some B&B chili for dinner rounded out the evening before some AH presentations and town hall. Today was Jay's birthday and in honor of the small roses he gives out to help us all remember to stop and smell the roses each member of our team was given a rose to then give Jay at some point today. Given Jay and I are forever going in search of wifi together I thought it only fitting to post a picture of me with the rose to FB.

I also visited an awesome antique store called Cobwebs and made a few super cool vintage postcard purchases and also got a pretty cool present for someone back home. Though rearranging my bin to fit it in was a serious endeavor.

Ridgecrest to Lone Pine

I am sore. So so so so sore. I guess I should have anticipated this since I don't swing sledgehammers all that often...and when I do it's not for 8 hrs at a time...but I wasn't expecting it to be this bad.

I rode with Justine, Steph, Ben and Jay, and we started the morning off right with a coffee stop at McD's. Then we set off on our ride. Besides Ben getting a flat and then later needing to take the Captain's wheel we had a very uneventful morning. The conversation was good and flowing and we stopped once more before lunch to get ice. There was a moderate amount of climbing but nothing big enough for me to use bad words. We made a few more stops but managed to make it to the host before 2. Tonight we're "camping" at an RV park, so we have showers, wifi and a pool. Dinner an breakfast are both provided so essentially the only reason we're calling it camping is because we'll be using tents.

We only have 7 ride days left this summer, it hasn't hit me yet how quickly this is all ending and I don't want it to either.

Yermo to Ridgecrest & an un-build day

Today's ride was our last day in a stretch of 6. We knew it was going to be about 90 miles, but we didn't know that meant 97 miles which with 2 small detours quickly turned into over 100. I was apprehensive and my legs were angry from the start. I rode with Marcus and Tova. Around mile 21 we saw a road closed sign. We learned it was because a flood had wiped the bridge out. However, the only other entrance point to the toad we needed prohibited bicycles. So what did we do? We walked down to the river bed and then through it across the broken bridge. No big deal.

Luckily there was well placed civilization today so we were able to take breaks at gas stations in the shade and fill our packs with ice which was an awesome treat.

We knew as we got closer to the host there would be a big downhill followed by a big uphill. Well, no truer words have ever been spoken. I got up to almost 45 mph on the downhill and then struggled my way up 4ish miles of uphill. Once we crested the top we had awesome tail wind and the last miles were a breeze. The last 5 were especially awesome. I didn't pedal at all and cruised in the 30's the whole time. Definitely a much easier 100 miles than I expected when I saw the cue sheet in the am and heard we were fording a river before 830 am. But seriously, I felt like I was on Oregon Trail Bike&Build style.

After getting to the host and getting showered a group of us headed to Subway because we were too hungry to wait til dinner. It was delicious and really hit the spot. A dash of civilization was definitely something I needed.

Today we worked on the same house here as SUS '11. They had saved the rest of the demolition work a whole year so we could get a chance to do some demo, since they saw how much last years group enjoyed it. As did we. Sledgehammers and jackhammers helped us get the job done with a little bit of brute force as well. No pictures, because I left almost all of my stuff at the host by accident. A brief dip in the local pool followed the "build". We were all covered in concrete dust. But it was a blast. Who knew un-building could be so fun?!

Baker to Yermo

The ride was only around 60 miles but it started with breakfast and a mental breakdown. After only getting about 5 hrs of sleep the fact that I woke up with my sleeping bag so caddywhompus that the foot portion had my head in it and my feet were cold because they were at the head of my sleeping bag seemed like a condition I was unable to handle without shedding tears. So I had a good cry and headed out to attempt to face the day.

Around mile 11 David, Arden, and I stopped at a gas station. I bought a blue gatorade (referred to on our trip simply as blue) and a bag of beef jerky and unbeknownst to me it was exactly what I needed. Instant morale boost.

We made it to lunch and from there continued on the last 25 miles. We rode all but a few miles on the highway, which is legal in CA if it is the only road between two towns. We passed lots of cars ad they waited in line for an agricultural inspection which was a pretty cool feeling. The last few miles after we were forced by signage to exit the highway were on a poorly paved road as we headed to our host which was the bunkhouse of a ghost town.

We each had a bed and I took the opportunity to nard (nap hard) before dinner at the restaurant in the ghost town. Afterwards, Janet, our contact at the host took us to her house where many of us swam in the lake, some showered, and many played with the unexpected surprise...PUPPIES!!! There were 6 4 week old poodle puppies. They were absolutely precious and after a log few days of riding were exactly what we all needed.

Pahrump, NV and baking in Death Valley to Baker, CA

The ride today was arguably one of the hardest things I've done in my life. The ride was 84 miles long, but, we decided as a team to cross the CA state line together. So our photo shoot slowed us down immensely. Arden,David, Kristin and I made it to mile 35 before the van so we stopped in the only shade we could find to wait for lunch. Soon more riders had shown up but there was still no sign of Timmy or Ms. Susie. There was no cell phone service either. We finally, after more riders came and we had waited for more than an hour hailed down a passing car and found out that Ms. Susie, our trailer, had a flat and was as a result currently out of commission. We knew we were wasting precious cool morning hours, so, we assessed our water situation, filled up water bottles with green tea given to us from a passing car, and headed on towards Baker. About 5 miles after leaving "lunch" we started tying to hail down passing cars to replenish our water before we got into a desperate situation. We hailed down an RV and got a gallon of water and carried on. Around mile 50 Timmy and Ben came over the crest of the hill (just like out of a movie) with water, ice and supplies for PB sandwiches. We sat and soaked up all the shade we could. We carried on and soon we began to very seriously feel the effects of the 118 degree day. There was no shade and as a result nowhere good to stop for a break. Kristin said it best when she said she felt like an ant in a hair dryer.

With some serious headwinds coming at us we were only averaging around 8 mph. We were quickly running out of water. We flagged down a truck with NM plates who was very generous and was able to give us enough water to completely fill our camelbaks. We took frequent breaks to snack and assess our water situation. During one break we hailed down a pickup with 2 guys who handed us the vitamin water and dasani that they were in the process of drinking, but they were cold and we didn't care. During that same break a nice French family stopped for us as well and even had ice to spare.

At this point we were within 11 miles of town. We made a goal to make it 5 more miles before out next break. We were close, however, rounding a bend a minivan passed us and pulled over to the shoulder. Out hopped a woman who offered us cold soft drinks. I have honestly never stopped and hopped off my bike so quickly. She offered to let us sit in the van and cool off and we immediately accepted. Once inside we learned their names were Randy and Shelly and they had been traveling and seen our bikers in our group. They immediately stopped to offer what beverages they had. When they learned what had happened to the trailer they began driving up and down the road to find other B&B'ers to offer them cold beverages and a chance to cool off. Shelly even had windex to clean our sunglasses with, and offered us gum and chapstick. We tried to convey what a blessing and how grateful we were for this couple who had just spent their afternoon searching us out to provide such an oasis. But I don't think any amount of words can express that. Honestly, to everyone that helped us words cannot come close and typing this is bringing me close to tears. Thank you.

We made it into Baker at 530 and soaked up all the air conditioning we could. Dinner was not provided so we were cooking, however, the trailer and dinner ingredients were an unknown number of hours away so we went to DM. We had some Arby's followed by some tacos, followed another 4 hrs later with some pasta and veggies.

Other riders trickled in and everyone looked rough. Because the closest towns with water were 56 miles apart the van was having to double back to fill up. Many riders ran out of water, but many were not as proactive about flagging down cars.

One rider was in a particularly rough state. After doing what we could we determined her pulse was too high to be safe and called EMS. They came in site and assessed the situation. Later she had an IV, but never had to go to the hospital.

We really lucked out, and very much survived by the generosity of others. The 4 of us stayed upbeat and positive and I would not have made it without that. We joked about it being like the amazing race...but seriously.

Boulder City and over the hump to Pahrump

We were told there was a famous saying "Over the hump to Pahrump". So we were nervous about today. Arden, David and I rode together and took it pretty easy. The first 20 miles were full of lots of turns and a few stops to run errands. There was a huge "hump" we knew was coming after lunch...so it seemed logical to fill up on cinnamon buns, doritos, and garlic bread. Uhhh what was I thinking!? The hump was more than 9 miles long, and at one point I almost fell over because the wind was so strong and I was going so slow. We made it over and things got easier. After a dinner of awesome sandwiches and salad an homemade chips we split up into different home stays. Marta, David, Arden and I are at a hotel nearby because there weren't enough beds at homes for us. But no worries. We'll soon all be headed to bed!

Overton to Boulder City

I'll keep this short and sweet so I can get to bed. Yesterday Alicia and I were sweep. It was only a 70ish mile day but despite us leaving at 615 am we didn't get in until after 3. It was blazing hot. And I think my insides got a little fried. We did lots of climbing which neither my head nor legs were prepared for...but we biked along Lake Mead almost all day. The last 3 miles took us over an hour to bike and there were points where I wasn't sure we would make it. But we did. An it was worth it. Grace Community Church provided us with so much fresh fruit and an amazing dinner, and so far the beat breakfast we have had this trip. Sooooo good. And we made a short trip to see the Hoover Dam as well.

St. George, UT to Overton, NV

Today was hot. Like 110 degrees plus hot. And with nary a bit of shade to be found. David, Marcus, Trent and I set out together and cruised until Marcus got a flat at mile 13. It was there that David noticed a huge gaping hole in his tire and so we were forced to wait for sweep to bring the spare tire. We were there for over an hour and lost lots of cool weather riding time. We had to stop again at mile 20, after quite a few miles of uphill, because Marcus' tire had a gash. Since the sweep tire was already in use we had to patch his with Cliff bar wrappers. We used our last tube and headed off towards lunch, which was fortunately downhill the last 15 miles or so.

We were at lunch for upwards of 2 hrs as we waited for Marcus to change his tire. I was less than patient regarding this endeavor.

We stopped at the state line, but because we were on back roads the only sign was on the highway. So...what's a group of B&B'ers to do besides clamber through a barbed wire fence and run across 6 lanes of traffic to get a state line sign picture. Totally worth it. :)

We stopped at a gas station to get some ice for our packs and then headed on to second lunch. There was a long series of rolling hills that you could see stretching out before you. And finally making it to lunch under the shade of a highway overpass was a huge relief. However, as soon as we were ready to leave...sans Trent who hopped in the van...Marcus noticed he had a flat. He changed it, only to instantly get another. So he took Tova's wheel and we headed off.

The last 25 miles or so went pretty quickly as we made it a point to keep conversation flowing. We stopped 3 times to pump and pray that Marcus' tire would hold. It did, sort of.

I'm not sure I've ever felt such effects of heat on my body before yesterday. It was a rude awakening after numerous short days in a row. It was also our first ride day in a row of 6.

But, when it's all said and done, a shower and dinner never fail to put things in perspective. Yesterday was just harder than others.

Zion National Park to St. George and a build day

Since our ride into St. George was only 40 miles we were given the okay to go on a morning hike. All but a few took advantage of that opportunity. Kristina, Emily and I weren't quite up for the strenuous 5 hr hike that most of the group was planning so we set out for a moderate 3 mile hike. We finished in just about an hour, 2 hrs less than the hike was predicted to take. We grabbed our stuff from the van and I ate a peanut butter and s'more sandwich. We headed out of the park and grabbed coffee and some second breakfast before killing it into St. George.

A group of us then headed to an awesome ice cream place called Sub Zero. They literally make the ice cream in front of you from real cream. You can make any flavor you want! I had a peanut butter chocolate mint milkshake with Heath bits. Nom.

Afterwards Emily and I headed to a nearby thrift store to get some items for our prom costume. I'll keep it a secret for now, but it's less than a week away and I am pretty excited!

I made a long trip to Barnes and Noble to use their wifi and then had a great dinner provided by our host. Last night a bunch of us went to see the movie Brave. I really enjoyed it and was extra impressed that I could even stay awake for the whole thing.

We worked with the local Habitat chapter today. Melissa was our contact and her bubbly personality was contagious. Jack, Nate, Kristina and I worked ripping up carpet for a woman named Betty. The intention was for it to be replaced along with some rotting deck boards underneath. Unfortunately we didn't have the right materials and couldn't finish the job. But Betty was so appreciative it made us feel so accomplished. Sadly, during the afternoon the glass window on a pickup truck cab bonked me hard in the head. I shed a few tears, took a few pills and all is well minus the large lump on my head.

An amazing potluck dinner wad had. We feasted. St. George has treated us well. And after a stretch of short riding days I am so not ready for the 92ish miles awaiting us in the morning.

Fredonia, AZ to Zion National Park, UT

The ride to Zion was relatively short, but because AZ does not participate in DST we lost an hour crossing the line into UT. David, Arden, Hannah and I crossed the state line together and continued at a steady pace because we wanted to get to Zion early enough to hike. We made lunch a quick stop and immediately after made turn that took us uphill towards the park. Stephanie and Alex were supposedly ahead of us and had money to pay for all of our entrance to the park. Hannah hopped on the struggle bus soon after lunch so we headed on as 3 without her.

We got a text from Jack in the van saying there was a small problem but no one had service to call him, so we headed on to the park entrance. At the gate we explained Bike and Build and that two riders should have been in to pay for us already. The woman let us in with no problem. Which we later learned was funny because Alex and Steph had failed to make a turn on the cue sheet and ended up in Bryce Canyon National Park and had to turn around. Meaning...no bikers had been through to pay for us. Haha, oh well! The ride after entering the park was beautiful. The road wound through and down into the Canyon and barely required any pedaling, which is always a favorite of mine. Getting to our campsite required going through 2 tunnels. One was short and accessible by bicycle but the other was very long and was illegal for passage by bike. However, hitchhiking was not only allowed, but encouraged. So we asked a friendly couple with a pickup if they would mind taking us through the tunnel. They didn't mind so the 3 of us hopped in. The tunnel felt like a ride and had small windows that peeked out into the Canyon.

We were the first group into the park and as soon as we dropped our bikes off at the campsite we headed out for a hike on a trail that ended up being perfect for the 3 of us and had awesome views.

Dinner was a hot mess as no on started cooking til around 7. And once it did get started only one person from dinner crew was there. We left our big pot somewhere so we had to borrow one, the rice burned, but we first spent twenty minutes trying to get the stove set up. When dinner crew finally did return tensions were running high and hungry.

A few of us headed out to the town later that night but it was an early evening as we had biking to do in the morning.

Summary: Zion's views kick Grand Canyon out of the water. We could look up at everything from our campsite!

North Rim to Fredonia

Because there is only one road in and out of the North Rim the first 43 miles of todays ride involved reversing our route from Jacob Lake to the rim. The good news is that is was mostly uphill to the rim, so it was mostly downhill on our way out. However, there was one "small" difference between our ride in and our ride out. This morning it was pouring.

It was already cold to begin with so I had all my warm layers on...but, during breakfast it started to rain. The temperature dropped even more, but we had no choice except to ride. Within the first 5 miles my body was confused as I started to sweat but was still cold. At this point the rain turned to a torrential downpour and the winds picked up. Miserable does not even begin to describe us. And describing my fingers as being numb would also be an understatement.

At mile 18 the Lube Monsters (Arden, David, Maggie, Steph and I) pulled into the gas station. Ben told us the lodge across the street served breakfast til 9 so we immediately headed over. I ordered an omelet and took off what I could of my warm clothes. I drank some hot chocolate, and after witnessing a few minor explosions ha a fire place to stand in front of to warm up. When we finished warming and decided to brave the cold it had been close to 2 hrs. We decided to pain train it to Jacob Lake for cookies. We left as only 4 because Arden had dipped; and crushed it the rest of the way to the lodge. Lunch was supposed to be at mile 30, but, because a few riders had so many flat tires Chika had to go back to give them tubes. Lunch got moved to the lodge at mile 43, but I opted for cookies and milk instead. An awesome choice.

The last 30 miles were pretty much entirely downhill. At the top of a 3 mile long hill I heard a loud pop and knew it was the patch on my tire exploding. We stopped so I could change it. And I am thankful it happened at the top of the hill, rather than halfway down.

Maggie also got a flat, but nothing major. And with the exception of a storm we spent the last 9 miles or so of our day outriding all was smooth sailing. A SUS '11 alum, Summer, brought us amazing burrito/taco salad dinner tonight as well as delicious cupcakes.

I am thankful for lots of things tonight. They include but are not limited to: we're not camping so we had a roof and electricity, we got to finally do laundry today, and we didn't have to make our own dinner.

Also. Forgot to mention. B&B does a prom near the end of every summer. Just a fun excuse to dress up and dance. Due to our awkward guy to girl ratio each guy is taking 2 girls and the theme is famous threesomes. Alex had apparently been trying for a few days to get a suntan that would spell out Prom Jessie? But since it had been overcast his plan had been foiled. Instead, he taped it in duct tape to his chest and at dinner last night jumped up on his chair, ripped open his shirt and asked me to prom. Of course I said yes. Now, all we have to do is pick our threesome. Some ideas others people have toyed with include Bill Clinton, Hillary and Monica L., JFK, Marilynn and Jackie O. We'll see where
It goes.

To tie up the evening there was an amazingly clear double rainbow and an amazing sunset as well. The morning started out rougher than rough. But, after a cookie and some dry clothes morale was high. :)

Jacob Lake to North Rim and a day off

The ride today was only 43 miles but it was one of the rougher rides I've had considering the distance. A group of us went to the lodge for coffee before the ride and afterwards we climbed almost immediately from 7900 ft to almost 8900 ft. I was out of breath most of the ride.

I rode with the coffee gang, or the caffeinated crew, Nate, Jack, Kristina, Emily, Bri and myself. We saw Busan and Marcus around mile 20 and joined them for a nap and a snack. I had a teensy problem when I woke up which was that I was seeing double. That continued for the rest of the ride which was a bit disconcerting. However, when we hit the park with 12 miles to ride the excitement took over and our speed increased.

We pulled into our campsite and headed to take the trail to the lodge. I enjoyed some elk chili and a hardcore nap. Since we were dinner crew we made pad thai a la Bike and Build, which actually turned out really well despite our lack of resources. Dark came around 830 or so and Arden, David and I were in our tent and
almost passed out by then. We crashed hard because we knew we were waking up super early to see the sunrise.

A bunch of us woke up around 500 to walk to a lookout point to see the sunrise. It was pretty spectacular. Then I immediately went back to bed and slept for a few more hours. David, Arden and I woke up, had some oatmeal and headed with Jay, Marta and Allison for a hike. We did a 3+ mile hike and the views were spectacular, though some parts of the trail were rough. We got back just before it stormed and I headed to the lodge with Jay to grab some lunch. While we were there it started hailing which was pretty nuts considering it's July.

After the crazy weather had stopped I headed back to the campsite and had a shower. Which after all the hiking I needed. Jay DM'd us dinner at the employee cafeteria which was an awesome break from cooking, and the food was tasty and plentiful. We went to bed early again and the weather was generally crummy and rainy.

Overall: Grand Canyon was pretty amazing. As expected. :)

Page to Jacob Lake

Today was sort of nuts. It was an 80 mile ride, but we had to ascend from 4200 ft to 8000 ft. During the first twenty miles we ascended to 6000 ft. Then we enjoyed a nice 6% downgrade for the next few miles ad continued downhill for almost 15 miles. We arrived at lunch before the van so we picked out a prime location. By a few miles after lunch we were at 3500 ft of elevation. We stopped to see the Colorado River and then started our ascent. We gradually climbed to 5000 ft and then, just after second lunch,we began writing songs about the amazing cookies the lodge here was fabled to have, and then began our 12 mile climb at 6% grade.

I was huffing and puffing by the time we cleared the first switchback and Arden and David took a break so I could catch up. We took quite a few breaks, and pumped my back tire since the pressure was low. By our 3rd break I felt really lightheaded, dizzy, a lot like I might puke and my vision was sort of doubled. Davey was sitting on the ground and all of a sudden started to sing "Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low". It was pretty much exactly what I needed. We continued singing and I was ready to carry on. We stopped a lot more so I could catch my breath...and I appreciate more than they know that they stopped
to wait for me as many groups split up on the big hill.

We finally made it to the top. And the cookies were awesome. David and I shared a few and enjoyed some chocolate milk.

We're camping tonight and our chore group made a pretty good dinner of chicken Parma a la Bike and Build. Tomorrow we go to the North Rim. I'm pretty damn excited.

Tough day, but rewarding day.

Kaibeto to Page

Today was the shortest of rides. Only 36 miles & we lost 1700 ft of elevation. It's safe to say I barely pedaled. Our day was so short that lunch was had at the host rather than on the road. The scenery was awesome. Originally I had planned to ride with David, Marcus and Nate. However, after Marcus took forever to change a flat he knew he had last night he almost intently got another. So David and I ditched and headed out on our own.

Gravity is always on my side going downhill and is unfortunately never on David's. So I spent a lot of the day standing up on my bike trying to be less aerodynamic to let David catch up. It only sort of worked.

We made quick time to Page and decided to take showers and head to a placed called Slackers that the priest in Kaibeto had recommended. It did not disappoint. I had a pastrami cheeseburger and we were able to watch the Tour de France on one of their big screens.

Tomorrow we head to Jacob Lake and then Thursday we will be in the Grad Canyon for 2 days. It'll be awesome. But we'll also be pretty isolated and I would guess we won't hit too many wifi hot spots. So...until next time...keep it real. :)

Kayenta to Kaibeto

Today was a pretty short day, only 65 miles. I passed out hard last night and woke up late and rushed to get my bin out close to on time. We had breakfast and then most us headed to the McDonalds at the bottom of the hill to get coffee. Though the coffee helped I was still struggling, as was most of our crew this morning. We left McD rolling 6 deep with me, Jack, Hannah, Arden, David and Kristina. We happened upon the van around mile 6 and picked up Trisha. We split into 2 groups and David, Arden and I stuck together. We were getting our slow roll on up a hill and stopped for a photo op at the top. It was beautiful. The leaders have told us that the scenery is only going to et better. I'm not sure I believe it can, but I continue to be amazed. Trisha left us to join Meghan and Julie as they passed and we went back to being 6. Around mile 18, my tire, which had exploded yesterday, so I am currently running on a Gatorskin with a hole patched with athletic tape, rapist got a flat. The tape had gotten a hole. So, we patched it with some duct tape and a Cliff Gu wrapper that David had. We lost a few riders heading up a hill and once again got split into 2 groups. David, Arden and I stayed together and flew the last 8 or so miles to lunch. We stuck around for a while since we weren't in any sort of rush. We took a very short break with about 15 miles to go. I was dying, for whatever reason and would have loved to stop and have a snack but there was thunder an lightening behind us and storm clouds rolling in, so we kept it short and sweet and pressed on. It was here I noticed my tire was oozing. It occurred to me a bit later that the chocolate cherry Gu wrapper must still have some Gu in it.We took one more "break" for a photo op. We rode up a huge hill before we made our turn into the host. Whose address is on a street called "Paved Road". We were here by 2 and soon after were able to take showers and then a few of us headed over to the grocery store/post office/gas station. I was able to get some second lunch including a Coke, corn dog and a quarter pound of potato wedges. Nom.

Dinner was amazing. We had Navajo Tacos. You don't roll them or fold them but rather cut with a knife and fork as everything lays flat. Delicious!!! And very different from anything we have had so far. And, as dinner crew I was very thankful to have a break from cooking considering after tomorrow we camp for the next 3 days. So we will be doing lots of cooking.

Our ride tomorrow is only 37 miles, and all the locals have agreed it is mostly downhill. Which makes sense, we have about 1700 ft in elevation to lose. After that, however, our next 2 days of riding will bring us back to around 8,000 ft, so we have to enjoy it while it lasts. But...since our ride is so short we get to sleep in until 7 am! I have every intention of getting 8 consecutive hours of sleep tonight!

Teec Nos Pos to Kayenta

Today's ride was only 72 miles, and we had reason to hustle because after the ride we were going to shuttle to Monument Valley.

I set out with Kristin, Susan and Jay. We took a break at a gas station around mile 16, where I took a brief nap and pet a dog that came wandering by. I had another good nap at lunch after some leftover burnt mac and cheese. We headed back out and the views were gorgeous. Arizona is certainly living up to expectations and the red sand/soil is a great contrast to the sky. At mile 50 we took a break and took some pictures and enjoyed the scenery. We made it about 2 miles and heard what sounded like a gun shot. I freaked out a little bit and then looked down and noticed my tire had exploded. Luckily the van was passing by and I was able to get a tire good enough to get me to the host. We took a break at the top of a big hill and determined we might as well be biking across the country for narcolepsy because we can sleep anytime and anywhere. I almost fell asleep on the bike today. Rumble strips aren't just for cars we have discovered. The last 7 or so miles were a real struggle for Kristin and I, but for no real discernible reason. We stopped at McDonalds just before the host and had a "snack". I rushed to take a shower and then I jumped in the van to head to Monument Valley. The views were spectacular and we got to take a dirt road tour around part of the park.

As soon as we returned dinner crew had to start making dinner. We didn't eat til around 9:30. I am exhausted and plan to head to bed.

Fact: The state of Arizona does not participate in Daylight Savings, but the Navajo Nation does. We're currently in the Navajo nation, but also Arizona. None of us are really quite clear on what time it technically is.

Farmington, NM to Teec Nos Pos, AZ

Today we woke up and had a typical morning, ate breakfast and prepared for our state line crossing into Arizona. We knew there was the potential for a detour to the 4 corners monument. David and I took off first, but soon had been passed by a few other groups as we were in ultimate chill mode, and by mile 9 had already taken a break. We passed a group of riders who had taken a rough fall in some deep gravel. The van was there and they were being bandaged up. So we rode on. We beat the van to lunch and, seeing a Sonic decided to head over with Hannah to DM some 9:30 am lunch. Success was had and we all enjoyed milkshakes, cheeseburgers and fries. David was kind enough to trade his banana shake when they gave me strawberry instead of chocolate. The two of us headed out straight from Sonic and we soon found ourselves at the state line, after a few rough climbs. I busted out a can of peaches and had a snack before taking pictures and celebrating our passage.

The turn into 4 corners came soon after the state line. The ride there presented us with a strong headwind. We all chained our bikes up and proceeded to take pictures. While I think many people found our antics obnoxious about just as many wanted to know what we were doing and what brought a bunch of crazy bikers to 4 corners. We met a guy and his family named Gene who is cycling 3600 miles to raise money for cancer awareness and research. It was pretty special to talk with someone else pedaling for a cause.The ride back presented us with more headwinds somehow. But, after a stretch of uphill to the host we arrived.

The scenery today was once again awesome and inspiring, and pictures really can't do it any justice. And, as it tends to hit me every time we cross a state line...we biked here. And the 27 of us really are doing this.

Ahh yes, and the mustaches. My mom brought them to us in New Orleans and they got stored in a bin of food we were saving for New Mexico. So, we busted them out for our last day in NM and wore them at 4 corners and got some awesome looks.

Build day in Farmington

Today we worked with a local organization called Echo. They are an affordable housing organization that also runs a food bank and a preschool for low income families. Our task today was to assemble a new playground for the preschool. We got almost all the way finished before a storm forced us to end a bit early. We made huge progress considering the huge lead time of mixing and pouring concrete as well as trying to understand the instructions.

Overall a good day and a chance to partner with another affordable housing organization and learn a bit more about how they're able to help the local community. We learned that in San Juan County, where we currently are is the largest county in the US. With an area of 5500 sq miles. However, only 7% of this land is privately owned. Partially due to the large number of Indian reservation area. As a result land is shockingly expensive here. Making homes expensive as well.

Tomorrow we head to Arizona, with an optional detour to the 4 corners monument, which I will definitely be taking! :)

Not Cuba to Farmington

Our day was supposed to be a century, however, it involved starting out with 30 miles of shuttling over dirt and gravel road. Holly and I were sweep so we had to take the second shuttle. The first shuttle took almost 3 hrs, because, as we later learned, the trailer fell off and had to be reattached. I got an awesome nap in. But, we didn't get started biking until 11:30. And by 12 we were only at mile 5. We had had the forethought to pack ourselves sandwiches in case the van didn't make it in time for lunch. We picked up David a few miles in and stopped to eat our lunch at mile 18.

We had been told our ride today would be mostly if not all downhill. However, this was definitely not the case. We had an awesome descent as we got closer to the city, after second lunch once the van caught up. We knew that the showers close at 7 pm. At 4 pm we had 25 miles still to ride and we didn't make it in until 6:30. The last 15 miles involved stopping as a few riders got flat tires. And also slow progress as the winds and traffic picked up as the road conditions deteriorated. We made it in and took a super quick shower, enjoyed a nice potluck dinner, and a few of us are now watching a movie. We'll enjoy a build day, building a playground tomorrow, as well as a much needed day off the bike.

Abiquiu Lake to Not Cuba

Today's ride was absurd. 106 miles uphill. By the days end we had climbed 6200 vertical feet. We left Abiquiu early, around 6 and Hannah and I enjoyed the scenery at a very low speed due to headwinds. I left first lunch with Jack and Nate. We made it to the city of Cuba around 2 pm and still had around 40 miles to bike. We had heard that the van was stuck at mile 51 with some riders caught in the storm. So, after filling up our water the "gravy train" decided to head across the street for some real food. I ordered a Mexican bacon avocado cheeseburger. It was served on a tortilla. Delicious. And a real morale booster. After we finished inhaling some real food we cranked out the miles to lunch around 25 mph. We breezed through second lunch and continued to dominate until we passed a group of riders with a flat. Jack doubled back to give them an extra tube and Nate and I lost him. We saw a few fellow riders enjoying some July 4th fare and headed to check it out. We heard a man recite the Declaration of Independence and forged on to the host. It was more miles and more hills than I expected. I ended up ahead of my group and due to the impending storm decided to continue on my own. It started pouring and the rain hurt. It got to where I couldn't see. I turned in to the road leading to the church, but it was dirt and the rain had turned it to mud. I instantly sunk in and my wheels became too caked with mud to spin.

I carried my bike up to the church only to discover our shower was a freezing cold hose. All my warm clothes were in my camelbak and became soaked. I took a "shower" which involved covering myself in hand sanitizer and splashing myself with water afterwards. A few people, including sweep had to be vanned because it got dark and they were still 40 miles out.

Dinner was good. And we slept very close together in the tiny church. The bathrooms were outdoor outhouses which with the rain and cool temperatures were less than desirable. It was a long bike day but the views were definitely worth it. But we did all smell pretty funky since no one really took a shower.

Santa Fe to Abiquiu Lake

Today was a very short 39 mile ride. We were warned it may be uphill but we were pleasantly surprised to find it was mostly downhill. Since the ride was so short we had plenty of time to take a 2 hr lunch, which Hannah and I "pre-gamed" with a milkshake from Sonic. The ride was very scenic and our host tonight, Danny and his wife Gabriella, have a house up on a Mesa. You can see for 110 miles into the distance and it truly is amazing. We can actually see where we'll be tomorrow night.

Tonight is our first night camping but Danny has treated us so well that camping hardly seems like the right term. They whipped up a delicious pasta dish as a pre dinner snack, provided beer and wine to those of age, and had a bomb cookout with some great fresh side dishes. The colors were all so vibrant and everything tasted so fresh. We were able to meet many neighbors and give a B&B presentation. Now, as I sit here I am listening to some great live entertainment, enjoying the breeze and the spectacular mountain view.

All is more than good here. And tonight with Danny and company couldn't possibly be a better first camping experience. Also, Danny runs a website, feel free to check it out! Newmexicooutdoor.com

"Build day" in Santa Fe

So today was a bit different from a normal build day. We helped a local homeless shelter clean up a section of river where many homeless in Santa Fe sleep and spend time. It was different, but several people walking by stopped to thank us for what we were doing, which is always nice to hear.

Since we didn't start cleanup til noon I took the opportunity to "sleep in". I made it until 6:30, and decided to roll around for a bit and managed to fall back asleep until 7:45. Win!!! A few of us walked to a local coffee shop to get coffee and wifi and then I headed to the bike shop. I told them the story of my 38 flats and alerted them to all the problems I had been having. The owner Dave asked me to leave the bike and assured me when I came back it would be running much better.

So, we cleaned the river, took a tour of the local shelter, and then were free to do whatever. I headed out to explore some of Santa Fe. The architecture is beautiful and the people friendly. I had a great fruit smoothie, picked up some postcards, looked around and headed back to the bike shop.

I was elated when I made it to the shop. My bike had been cleaned from top to bottom, my tire replaced, rim tape replaced, everything I had explained and more. Dave even adjusted my handlebars and even in the short ride back to the church I can tell the improvement is good. I was also able to get new tubes at cost and the offer was extended to the rest of the group as well. So no longer will I be running on patched tubes!!! Seriously, for the first time in a few weeks I am not afraid at all to hop on my bike in the morning. I've felt like I couldn't trust my bike. Not anymore! Tomorrow, my trusty steed and I head to Abiqui Lake, where I've heard our host is going to make it a night to remember, and we will do our first night of camping!

Las Vegas to Santa Fe

The mileage today was only 66 but we were warned it would be hilly. We had 700 ft of elevation to gain. And we later learned that the "hills" we biked through were the southernmost portion of the Rockies. However, simply biking the miles and enjoying the scenery would be too easy. Instead, I got 4 flats...stripped the screw on my derailleur hanger, and other assorted and sundry problems. One of my flats was while I wad flying downhill at 45+ mph. It was pretty petrifying because i started to swerve and lose control of my bike as I tried to brake. We were riding on the shoulder of the interstate, which is actually legal and confirmed by signs. However, I was afraid my swerving might put me in a lane of traffic, but fortunately it did not. I was pretty frustrated coming into the city and it didn't help that the cue sheet directions included a few extra turns leaving us confused.

I was in a pretty foul mood til after I had been fed real food. There is a bike shop nearby and I am hopeful that they'll be able to help me. Our build tomorrow involves cleaning a river since the Habitat chapter here is closed Mondays and refused to make an exception. However, it does give us the morning free since were not starting til 12.