It's Thursday afternoon already and we are in Minden, Nebraska. Today's "century" (100 mile) ride was relatively easy. It sure helped to finally have a fairly strong tail wind. If it had been a cross wind or head wind, the trip would have been really difficult as we are in the midst of a massive heat wave out here. The temperature today was to be over 100 degrees (F) and I don't doubt it for a moment. It is blistering hot out there. I am sitting in the confines of an airconditioned restaurant that has wireless, enjoying a cool drink with Pete, Paul and Teresa. The internet at the school where we are staying is not up (again). Surprise! Surprise! It's kind of frustrating to say the least. Pete has been so kind as to lend me his laptop for a bit to catch up on our trip so far.
The week started off from Denver. What a wonderful weekend we had there, being treated royally by the people there. Monday saw us heading east to Fort Morgan, first of all along a thirty mile bicycle path. These paths are always very scenic but also very winding and so one has to be very careful not to go too fast and constantly be on the lookout for oncoming cyclists and pedestrians, not to mention potholes and posts put right in the middle of the pathway. The last thing I need is to hit one of those.
After briefly getting lost (again- a daily occurence it seems when John is navigating). I'm beginning to think he does it on purpose so that we can talk to some of the local people and ask directions and then share with them what we are all about. Actually, John does a super job. We would probably take more "detours" more often if he weren't in the lead.
Soon we were out into the countryside. It was such a surprise to actually be heading out into the prairies, so flat with the occassional rolling hill. We could see the mountains rising tall into the skyline behind us. It was hard to believe that we had actually crossed them only days earlier. Part of me was feeling kind of sad to see them behind us. Another, bigger part of me was feeling relieved. After four weeks in the mountains and crossing seven major passes, four within the last week, I had had enough of climbing, thankyou very much.
Monday was going super well and we were making very good time together, that is until near tragedy struck. We were some twenty miles out of Ft. Morgan travelling along the interstate (which was for the most part much cleaner than most interstates). Most of the major highways are littered with broken truck tire rubble that can cause a flat in seconds, as well as sand and grit that seems to make it's way over to the edge of the road. We had just crested a hill and were starting to go down the other side when there was a major piece of rubble (actually a heavy, plastic lid that had fallen off of some truck) right in our path. Following each other closely, it is difficult for the riders farther down the line to see what is ahead. With heavy traffic creating a lot of noise and a headwind to boot, made it very difficult to quickly send the message down the line, that could be heard by everyone. Unfortunately Cynthia did not see the lid in time and caught the edge, throwing her off the bike onto the side of the road.
We all quickly stopped and ran back to where she was lying. Right away we sensed it was far more serious than the visible signs (scrapped chin knee, etc. Right away she started to complain about her sore inner thigh. She was conscious and quite alert initially though a few minutes later she was quite "groggy" and having difficulty answering questions. A car pulled over immediately (they had witnessed the accident) and Sarah who providentially was an emergency worker was able to tend to Cynthia. An ambulance was immediately called and within ten minutes police, fire and ambulance were at the scene. A lane of traffic was blocked while they administered care and put her on a stretcher, then took her to the hospital at Ft. Morgan. (Having a great sense of humour, Cynthia was able to joke later in the hospital that she was the first one in that day as we were camped right across the road from the hospital where they took her).
X Rays determined that she had fractured her pelvis as well as had a concusion. Her trip across the continent was suddenly over.
Needless to say, we all felt horribly sad for her. She was such an integral part of our cycling group, so fun to be with and such a great cyclist. She had prepared so hard for this tour and was looking so forward to "doing it." The physical pain and length of time to heal will be difficult but the dealing with the mental part will be equally hard. Please pray for Cynthia as she deals with both. One thing she has going for her is that she is in very good shape and should heal more quickly.
Our group was able to visit with her immediately as soon as we cycled into camp as well as later that evening before we went to sleep. Family had been contacted (her husband Ralph had just departed from Denver after having flown out to see Cynthia for the weekend). Travel arrangements were also made as doctors indicated that she would be able to leave the next day.
Early the next morning we were able to see her again and say our goodbyes. That was really hard for us and for Cynthia. My prayer is that she will be able to see that though the cycling part is over the story is much bigger than the pedalling. Many, many people will be helped with the money she was able to raise and I know that she will touch many others even with her injury. She has certainly made a deep impact on myself and the rest of our cycling group. Our prayers are with you Cynthia. We think of you every day.
On Tuesday, we left Ft. Morgan and headed for Wray, some 145 km. away. As we progressed the land began to change from dry, desolate, sagebrush that has been such a constant theme for much of our trip through the interior, into cropland, particularly corn and cattle. In fact, as we neared Wray there were several huge feedlot operations, one of the largest in all of Colorado being just outside of the town. It smelled like it too, especially in the heat. It seemed that every second truck was a cattle truck. One of them was passing a car heading our way (we were on the shoulder), and just as it met us one of the cows inside had to go pee and guess what; we got an unexpected shower of you know what. As if we didn't have enough salt on our faces from the sweat.
Fortunately that evening we stayed in a well treed park to help us escape a bit from the sun. The pool downtown and showers were also a great treat.
Wednesday promised to be equally hot. It was also "sweep" day for Andy (deVries) and I. That meant that we would have to help serve breakfast, clean up camp and load up the truck before heading out. It also meant that we would have to stay behind everyone (hence the term sweep) and make sure everyone got in safely. I must admit that it is not one of my favourite jobs especially when the temperature is hovering near 100 degrees as the afternoon progresses. I do not handle heat very well. Andy and I were able to make a bit of a deal with some of the younger guys in our sweep team who hate getting up early in the morning. We would set up for breakfast at 6:00am and serve everyone while they would stay to load up the truck and be the last of the sweep team for the day. We jumped at the opportunity and so were able to hit the road by 8:oo am (instead of our 6:30 usual start). However, we were not complaining.
We made great time together, crossing into Nebraska an hour later. The farther we travelled west the more we ran into corn land. There are field of it everywhere it seems (very little soybeans). We passed a couple of ethanol plants along the way too, which might explain the amount of corn land.
We ate lunch at a little cafe called Grandma's Kitchen in a place called Stratton. That place is significant to me because most of my growing up years in Northwestern Ont. was in a little community called Stratton. I made sure I got a picture of that.
We arrived at McCook, a town of about 8000, at three which was pretty good given that it was almost a 150 km trip. By this time the heat was almost unbearable and the last twenty miles I was "dogging" it. My tongue felt like it was hanging on the ground. I don't know how those who come in later can handle it. One plus is that whoever is on sweep in our little cycling group, the rest of the group sets up our tents and so that was certainly a welcome treat.
After showers we headed uptown for a cold drink with a group of us. We walked into the place with our bikes in tow. Talk about turning a few heads. That kind of thing doesn't happen to often I'm sure. The place was packed. They had heard all about us (we had our sea to sea t shirts on). Right away they wanted to ask us about our trip and we started handing out cards, left right and center. Before we knew it the owner came over and the drinks were on him and a couple of other very generous patrons. The owner then came over and gave each of us a free T shirt and handed us a hundred dollar donation for Sea to Sea. A couple of other patrons also gave a donation and many more came over to talk to us. We couldn't believe the generous hospitality.
This morning, as mentioned earlier we had a hundred mile ride to do and the weatherman warned of intense heat (104 degrees) and so we hit the road early. But not before we stopped at a bakery called the Dutch Oven. The owner had heard about us coming into town and invited our group (the six or seven of us) to his shop for free donuts and coffee. What generosity again. It sure tasted good! He also made a point of bringing donuts up to the camp for everyone else too. So we had our sugar fix even before we started the journey. It was great!
In closing for now, I look back and can not believe how far we have travelled already. Yesterday marked the halfway point (counting the days that we have been on the road - four and a half weeks of the nine weeks we will be on the road). Tomorrow about 18 miles in our trip to York we will be hitting the half way point, mileage wise. The intense heat wave is supposed to be with us for a few more days. Pray that we will be able to bear it especially as the distances each day are significant. Amazingly, we have had only a half a day of light rain the entire trip so far and that was near the beginning of the journey. We have had well over 400 flats so far (I don't have the exact count though there is someone keeping track). Please pray for Cynthia, Tyler and Arnie as they recouperate from their injuries. I am doing well and continue to enjoy the trip immensely. Till next time.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
July 27, 2008
It's Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting here in the air conditioned computer room at Denver Christian High. The temperature outside is sizzling in the mid ninties (F degrees). Some of the local people are telling me that Denver has experienced 15 days of over 90 degree weather in the past month, which is normally unheard of here. I think I'll just lay low and keep out of the sun for most of the day as I try to recuperate from the past week and rejuvenate my somewhat tired body for the next leg of the journey east which begins tomorrow morning.
This past week, for me, has been the most difficult to date, not only in terms of distance (almost eight hundred km.) but also for the amount of climbing we did. Four of the days were over 140 km. rides and since last Saturday we climbed four major mountain passes. The last one, Berthoud Pass, which we ascended yesterday was over 11,300 feet. Fortunately it was early in the morning and the skies were overcast. Also, fortunately, the grade was an average of 5 to 6 percent which is less than the other three passes that we climbed in the past week.
I was a little bit concerned about possible breathing difficulties while cycling near the top, because of the high altitude but had no problem whatsoever. Actually, this climb was relatively easy for me compared to the others which were at a steeper grade, closer to eight percent grade.
I was able to be the third person of the whole group that arrived at the top and was able to take a few pictures while doing it. It sure was a great view over the valley as we climbed. The road was filled with hairpin turns and so you could look and see the road below. Looking down, it always amazes me just how far up we have climbed already.
Unfortunately, cycling with such a large number of bikers always has it dangers and accidents particularly if you are travelling together. A group of the younger riders were in a paceline before ascending the pass, probably doing 30 km. or more when one of them (Tyler) touched the back wheel of the rider in front of him as the group ahead of him unexpectedly slowed down. He went down (crashed) hard and ended up breaking his clavicle (collar bone) in two spots and so his bike trip is over. He will be flying back to Grand Rapids soon and will likely have to be operated on. We all felt really bad for him as he had so looked forward to crossing the continent. He is a teacher back home and often filled the whole group in on some of the geological formations we were encountering each day. We will miss him.
Riding down the other side of the pass toward Denver was an exhilarating experience I'll not soon forget. The worst of the climbing was now behind us and we all felt pretty pumped about it. While descending into the beautiful valley below (I'm sure the grade was seven or eight percent) in a long line of cyclists (there must have been 25 or more of us as we had waited at the top for other cyclists to make it up) was a sight to behold. The odometer on my bicycle was reading about 65 km. per hour and I was braking somewhat to keep it under seventy km. The last time I had reached seventy km. on a descent (the second day into the tour down Steven's Pass) my bike tires had started wobbling and I was just a little bit queasy and somewhat uneasy. However, some of the younger biker went whistling past me probably doing 80km. or more (Reuben, who races bikes for the university team where he attends actually reached 91km. per hour). Part of me, for just a moment, forgot I was beyond my "invincible" kid years and so allowed my bike to follow their lead a bit. Before I knew it I was going 78 km. per hour and then suddenly the adult in me began to take over again and I started slowing down.
At the bottom of the pass we all stopped in Empire a small town, nestled beautifully in the canyon. Thirty of us pulled into the "Hard Rock Cafe" together and feasted on coffee and danish's. They had been warned the day before that about 150 of us would likely be stopping in and so they were ready for us. From what I can gather, most did stop in. If you're ever in that area be sure to stop by there.
The rest of the ride into Denver was mostly downhill with the exception of Floyd Hill, a very steep two mile long climb that came upon us somewhat unexpectedly and just about did me in. Add to the steepness, a 15 mile per hour headwind blowing at us and it was all I could do to make it up without stopping while in my granny gear. I wonder if God was kind of chuckling at us for thinking we had "made it" when we conquered Berthoud earlier in the day, as we laboured up that hill just to show us who really is in charge. If so, his humour, at that point anyway, was not very funny. We all stopped at the top, huffing and puffing our lungs out, trying to get our breath back again.
To make up for that "nasty joke" the rest of the trip was absolutely stunning, in terms of scenery and ease. For probably 30 or more km (20 miles) we maintained speeds of around 45 to 50 km per hour as the highway followed the river through the canyon. At times it felt like we were NASCAR drivers as we leaned into the corners and went around them in single file. We could see people rafting down the river as we went. The trees and the canyon walls were simply delightful to soak in.
Six miles from our destination at the highschool in Denver, we were treated by the Reformed Church of America with drinks and chips. That sure felt good as the temperature we hovering around ninty degrees.
Upon arriving at Denver Christian High there was a large group of local church people there waiting at the road and entrance way to cheer us in. That was kind of neat, even if I say so myself. They also had treat bags waiting for us, more cold drinks and lots and lots of baked goods. Yummy those chocolate chip cookies sure tasted great. Free hair cuts were also offered but I passed the offer this time. Then it was off to set up my tent and have a shower. That too felt great, partly at being clean but another part for having "survived" four weeks already and having made it to Denver, almost 1600 miles of the almost 4000 miles already behind us.
As mentioned earlier, this week has been quite tiring for me and my sense is for everyone because of distance, heat and also road conditions. A big part of the week saw us on highway 40, which as it turned out is not the greatest for cycling on. Not only is highway 40 quite a busy highway but for large sections of it there is very little room (maybe eight inches) between the white line and a rumble strip. There was quite a stretch where there were no shoulders at all and a good four inch drop off at the edge of the pavement. Needless to say, it gets very tiring, mentally and physically, to always be clinging to your handlebars to ensure that you stay on the "straight and narrow." There is very little room for error. Adding to the tension, we found that many of the drivers (trucks in particular) were not very cyclist friendly. Some refused to move over to the other lane even when there was no one coming the other way. Others laid on their horn the whole time while passing by. Several of the group spoke of close calls during the day. Our cycling group (six or seven of us) seemed to experience quite a bit of traffic inconvenience. In the driver's defence, I would also have to say that, no doubt, since our group is near the front of the rest of the cyclist each day, by the time they get to us they have already encountered over 130 other cyclists and their patience is probably wearing somewhat thin. I know I would be kind of impatient by that time if I were driving a big truck. Thankfully, most of the traffic is very considerate of our presence. Recieving a very warm reception while talking to the locals, whenever we stop, more than makes up for some irrate drivers. They are always excited to meet us and want to know more about what we are doing as we cross the continent.
This morning, (Sunday) we all put on our Sea to Sea cycling jerseys and journeyed the two miles to a local stadium for worship. There was quite a large contingent of people from the surrounding CRC's there. As part of the celebration service we all cycled slowly around the track together. I must say, it was quite an impressive sight and brought a few goose bumps on my skin. Rev. Jerry Dykstra of Grand Rapids gave the message (based on the story of Job) challenging us to think beyond ourselves and about our neighbour. But first and foremost, this tour and indeed, anything we do, must have God as it's motivator. Toward the end of the service we celebrated communion together. What a fitting ending to the service.
This is actually the second time we have celebrated communion this week. On Friday evening we celebrated at Snow Mountain Ranch, a Christian Camp situated some twelve miles from the base of Berthoud Pass. This was our stop over for the night. At that time we formally said goodbye to the fifteen cyclists who will be leaving the tour and going home to their families and lives. Each of the cyclists who were leaving had an opportunity to say a few words of what this tour meant to them and fifteen other individuals from the group spoke about one of the fifteen who were leaving and what that person had meant to them. It was a beautiful and fitting farewell. It's amazing how tightly knit the group has become over the past four weeks. We truly are getting to be one huge family. To end the evening we celebrated communion together. What a meaningful celebration as we could share our unity in Christ, even though fifteen of the group would be leaving.
Just before I close for this time, I would like to share one example of how this tour impacts people in unexpected ways. Earlier this week, some of the cyclists were at the library in one of the places we stayed overnight, trying to get internet connections there. They came across a young lady Audrey (19 years old), who had just cycled into town as well and started talking to her and then invited her back to camp with them. She accepted the offer and has been with us all week.
During that time I have had the privilege of speaking with Audrey a number of times. She is only 19 years old and has been riding solo in the mountains for the past ten weeks with everything on her bike (tent, food, etc. etc.) with no particular destination in mind, just biking and seeing the mountains. She hails from Quebec (has a great French accent) but speaks English very well. She comes from a broken family and intends to attend college/university in the fall in Quebec City, some distance from where she lives. Being a father myself, I asked her what her parents thought of her travelling alone. Her dad cried a lot when she left. (I would too, if that were my daughter taking on a journey such as this on her own). I asked her what it was that would make her want to take on something like this alone. She was a bit evasive and spoke of the adventure, being independent, capable (she certainly is mature beyond her years) but I also sensed she is trying to "find herself" as an individual given where she is at in her personal life and perhaps what has happened in the past in her family. She is from Catholic background but has not attended in years. However, here she is with us and, I sense, liking what she sees in the group (family? friendship? perhaps). Last night I asked her if she was planning to come to church with us and without hesitation she said "yes." After the service, I asked her how it had been for her. Her reply; "that it was good, a place where she could belong."
This afternoon, Audrey is visiting with a cousin who lives about an hour north of Denver. She plans to be back with us tonight. She had planned on staying in the Rockies for another four weeks but now she is struggling with concept. A part of her, I sense, is ready to go home again. She has spoken to her dad by phone and he would like to have her to hop on a bus and come home again. At this point she does not want to cross the "boring" prairies just for the sake of being on the road for four more weeks and travelling another "X" number of thousand miles just so she can say she's done it. Another part of her, I sense, wonders what it would be like to travel with this neat group of cyclists who have taken her in and made her feel welcome. Please pray for Audrey as she thinks about this. We will be leaving Denver tomorrow morning and heading east toward the prairies.
Til next time! Again thanks for all your thoughts and prayers for myself and the rest of the group. It helps sustain me each day.
P.S. I hope to post a few more pictures soon
This past week, for me, has been the most difficult to date, not only in terms of distance (almost eight hundred km.) but also for the amount of climbing we did. Four of the days were over 140 km. rides and since last Saturday we climbed four major mountain passes. The last one, Berthoud Pass, which we ascended yesterday was over 11,300 feet. Fortunately it was early in the morning and the skies were overcast. Also, fortunately, the grade was an average of 5 to 6 percent which is less than the other three passes that we climbed in the past week.
I was a little bit concerned about possible breathing difficulties while cycling near the top, because of the high altitude but had no problem whatsoever. Actually, this climb was relatively easy for me compared to the others which were at a steeper grade, closer to eight percent grade.
I was able to be the third person of the whole group that arrived at the top and was able to take a few pictures while doing it. It sure was a great view over the valley as we climbed. The road was filled with hairpin turns and so you could look and see the road below. Looking down, it always amazes me just how far up we have climbed already.
Unfortunately, cycling with such a large number of bikers always has it dangers and accidents particularly if you are travelling together. A group of the younger riders were in a paceline before ascending the pass, probably doing 30 km. or more when one of them (Tyler) touched the back wheel of the rider in front of him as the group ahead of him unexpectedly slowed down. He went down (crashed) hard and ended up breaking his clavicle (collar bone) in two spots and so his bike trip is over. He will be flying back to Grand Rapids soon and will likely have to be operated on. We all felt really bad for him as he had so looked forward to crossing the continent. He is a teacher back home and often filled the whole group in on some of the geological formations we were encountering each day. We will miss him.
Riding down the other side of the pass toward Denver was an exhilarating experience I'll not soon forget. The worst of the climbing was now behind us and we all felt pretty pumped about it. While descending into the beautiful valley below (I'm sure the grade was seven or eight percent) in a long line of cyclists (there must have been 25 or more of us as we had waited at the top for other cyclists to make it up) was a sight to behold. The odometer on my bicycle was reading about 65 km. per hour and I was braking somewhat to keep it under seventy km. The last time I had reached seventy km. on a descent (the second day into the tour down Steven's Pass) my bike tires had started wobbling and I was just a little bit queasy and somewhat uneasy. However, some of the younger biker went whistling past me probably doing 80km. or more (Reuben, who races bikes for the university team where he attends actually reached 91km. per hour). Part of me, for just a moment, forgot I was beyond my "invincible" kid years and so allowed my bike to follow their lead a bit. Before I knew it I was going 78 km. per hour and then suddenly the adult in me began to take over again and I started slowing down.
At the bottom of the pass we all stopped in Empire a small town, nestled beautifully in the canyon. Thirty of us pulled into the "Hard Rock Cafe" together and feasted on coffee and danish's. They had been warned the day before that about 150 of us would likely be stopping in and so they were ready for us. From what I can gather, most did stop in. If you're ever in that area be sure to stop by there.
The rest of the ride into Denver was mostly downhill with the exception of Floyd Hill, a very steep two mile long climb that came upon us somewhat unexpectedly and just about did me in. Add to the steepness, a 15 mile per hour headwind blowing at us and it was all I could do to make it up without stopping while in my granny gear. I wonder if God was kind of chuckling at us for thinking we had "made it" when we conquered Berthoud earlier in the day, as we laboured up that hill just to show us who really is in charge. If so, his humour, at that point anyway, was not very funny. We all stopped at the top, huffing and puffing our lungs out, trying to get our breath back again.
To make up for that "nasty joke" the rest of the trip was absolutely stunning, in terms of scenery and ease. For probably 30 or more km (20 miles) we maintained speeds of around 45 to 50 km per hour as the highway followed the river through the canyon. At times it felt like we were NASCAR drivers as we leaned into the corners and went around them in single file. We could see people rafting down the river as we went. The trees and the canyon walls were simply delightful to soak in.
Six miles from our destination at the highschool in Denver, we were treated by the Reformed Church of America with drinks and chips. That sure felt good as the temperature we hovering around ninty degrees.
Upon arriving at Denver Christian High there was a large group of local church people there waiting at the road and entrance way to cheer us in. That was kind of neat, even if I say so myself. They also had treat bags waiting for us, more cold drinks and lots and lots of baked goods. Yummy those chocolate chip cookies sure tasted great. Free hair cuts were also offered but I passed the offer this time. Then it was off to set up my tent and have a shower. That too felt great, partly at being clean but another part for having "survived" four weeks already and having made it to Denver, almost 1600 miles of the almost 4000 miles already behind us.
As mentioned earlier, this week has been quite tiring for me and my sense is for everyone because of distance, heat and also road conditions. A big part of the week saw us on highway 40, which as it turned out is not the greatest for cycling on. Not only is highway 40 quite a busy highway but for large sections of it there is very little room (maybe eight inches) between the white line and a rumble strip. There was quite a stretch where there were no shoulders at all and a good four inch drop off at the edge of the pavement. Needless to say, it gets very tiring, mentally and physically, to always be clinging to your handlebars to ensure that you stay on the "straight and narrow." There is very little room for error. Adding to the tension, we found that many of the drivers (trucks in particular) were not very cyclist friendly. Some refused to move over to the other lane even when there was no one coming the other way. Others laid on their horn the whole time while passing by. Several of the group spoke of close calls during the day. Our cycling group (six or seven of us) seemed to experience quite a bit of traffic inconvenience. In the driver's defence, I would also have to say that, no doubt, since our group is near the front of the rest of the cyclist each day, by the time they get to us they have already encountered over 130 other cyclists and their patience is probably wearing somewhat thin. I know I would be kind of impatient by that time if I were driving a big truck. Thankfully, most of the traffic is very considerate of our presence. Recieving a very warm reception while talking to the locals, whenever we stop, more than makes up for some irrate drivers. They are always excited to meet us and want to know more about what we are doing as we cross the continent.
This morning, (Sunday) we all put on our Sea to Sea cycling jerseys and journeyed the two miles to a local stadium for worship. There was quite a large contingent of people from the surrounding CRC's there. As part of the celebration service we all cycled slowly around the track together. I must say, it was quite an impressive sight and brought a few goose bumps on my skin. Rev. Jerry Dykstra of Grand Rapids gave the message (based on the story of Job) challenging us to think beyond ourselves and about our neighbour. But first and foremost, this tour and indeed, anything we do, must have God as it's motivator. Toward the end of the service we celebrated communion together. What a fitting ending to the service.
This is actually the second time we have celebrated communion this week. On Friday evening we celebrated at Snow Mountain Ranch, a Christian Camp situated some twelve miles from the base of Berthoud Pass. This was our stop over for the night. At that time we formally said goodbye to the fifteen cyclists who will be leaving the tour and going home to their families and lives. Each of the cyclists who were leaving had an opportunity to say a few words of what this tour meant to them and fifteen other individuals from the group spoke about one of the fifteen who were leaving and what that person had meant to them. It was a beautiful and fitting farewell. It's amazing how tightly knit the group has become over the past four weeks. We truly are getting to be one huge family. To end the evening we celebrated communion together. What a meaningful celebration as we could share our unity in Christ, even though fifteen of the group would be leaving.
Just before I close for this time, I would like to share one example of how this tour impacts people in unexpected ways. Earlier this week, some of the cyclists were at the library in one of the places we stayed overnight, trying to get internet connections there. They came across a young lady Audrey (19 years old), who had just cycled into town as well and started talking to her and then invited her back to camp with them. She accepted the offer and has been with us all week.
During that time I have had the privilege of speaking with Audrey a number of times. She is only 19 years old and has been riding solo in the mountains for the past ten weeks with everything on her bike (tent, food, etc. etc.) with no particular destination in mind, just biking and seeing the mountains. She hails from Quebec (has a great French accent) but speaks English very well. She comes from a broken family and intends to attend college/university in the fall in Quebec City, some distance from where she lives. Being a father myself, I asked her what her parents thought of her travelling alone. Her dad cried a lot when she left. (I would too, if that were my daughter taking on a journey such as this on her own). I asked her what it was that would make her want to take on something like this alone. She was a bit evasive and spoke of the adventure, being independent, capable (she certainly is mature beyond her years) but I also sensed she is trying to "find herself" as an individual given where she is at in her personal life and perhaps what has happened in the past in her family. She is from Catholic background but has not attended in years. However, here she is with us and, I sense, liking what she sees in the group (family? friendship? perhaps). Last night I asked her if she was planning to come to church with us and without hesitation she said "yes." After the service, I asked her how it had been for her. Her reply; "that it was good, a place where she could belong."
This afternoon, Audrey is visiting with a cousin who lives about an hour north of Denver. She plans to be back with us tonight. She had planned on staying in the Rockies for another four weeks but now she is struggling with concept. A part of her, I sense, is ready to go home again. She has spoken to her dad by phone and he would like to have her to hop on a bus and come home again. At this point she does not want to cross the "boring" prairies just for the sake of being on the road for four more weeks and travelling another "X" number of thousand miles just so she can say she's done it. Another part of her, I sense, wonders what it would be like to travel with this neat group of cyclists who have taken her in and made her feel welcome. Please pray for Audrey as she thinks about this. We will be leaving Denver tomorrow morning and heading east toward the prairies.
Til next time! Again thanks for all your thoughts and prayers for myself and the rest of the group. It helps sustain me each day.
P.S. I hope to post a few more pictures soon
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
July 23 continued
Sorry about that: I accidently pressed the wrong button and published the blog before I had barely started. Anyway, the climb over the pass was fortunately divided into two major climbs with a little bit of downhill inbetween. The first part (and larger of the two climbs) went well for me mostly because there were so many curves in the road and I could concentrate on getting to the next corner. It was beautiful from the top. When we arrived at the top I was sweating buckets as the temperature had climbed into the high eighties already. What a relief to see a youth group from the CRC on top serving power bars and gaterade. What a God send.
Then it was down a steep grade for a bit where we had to begin the second climb, this time on the interstate, again at a 7 percent grade for eight miles. Though shorter than the first climb, this one proved more difficult for me, partially because of the heat and mostly because my energy tank was starting to get low. However, I must say, I was able to go as fast as some of the tractor trailers that were trying to climb as well, even if it was only at 11 km per hour. Trucks were pulled over (overheated) all the way up.
We arrived at the park at 3:30pm (not bad). I was about a mile short of getting in a 100 mile ride and so turned around and rode a bit more just so I could say I did it. (nuts heh).
I ended up being billeted for the weekend at John Vandersteen's (he's from London) sister (Rita) and husband (Tom) along with John, Barb and Cynthia (all part of our riding group). They were waiting for us when we got into camp and immediately after getting our stuff together we departed. Even before going to their home they treated us for supper at a huge buffet. We sure did pig out. That was so nice of them. (over dinner talk we realized that Rita had stayed at Tony and Corrie Dykxhoorn's (Cynthia's parents) home in the Aylmer area when she was in her teens and working in tobacco. What a small world that we live in.
On Sunday we went to church with them at the Lutheran Church and were warmly welcomed there. The service is quite similar to ours back in Aylmer. We were invited to participate in communion with them. That part reminds me a bit of the Anglican/Catholic tradition. We all came to the front and knelt on the bench. One of the servers handed out a waffer to each of us and a second server came with the cup. We took the waffer and dipped it in the cup as the words, "for the complete remission of all of your sins" were spoken. Then we could sit down while others took our place.
At the very end of the service the pastor asked the four of us (Sea to Sea cyclists) to come to the front, introduce ourselves and share what we doing. What a wonderful privilege and opportunity to do so, all the more unique and special because we were in a non CRC church. Afterwards we had a lot of people come and talk to us and give encouragement. It was so neat to see the tremendous excitement, my sense (sad to say) far more than many CRCs.
Monday, saw us hit the road again in what would be the beginning of our most difficult week (by far) so far with and average of 145km and significant climbs each day as we head toward Denver.
Then it was down a steep grade for a bit where we had to begin the second climb, this time on the interstate, again at a 7 percent grade for eight miles. Though shorter than the first climb, this one proved more difficult for me, partially because of the heat and mostly because my energy tank was starting to get low. However, I must say, I was able to go as fast as some of the tractor trailers that were trying to climb as well, even if it was only at 11 km per hour. Trucks were pulled over (overheated) all the way up.
We arrived at the park at 3:30pm (not bad). I was about a mile short of getting in a 100 mile ride and so turned around and rode a bit more just so I could say I did it. (nuts heh).
I ended up being billeted for the weekend at John Vandersteen's (he's from London) sister (Rita) and husband (Tom) along with John, Barb and Cynthia (all part of our riding group). They were waiting for us when we got into camp and immediately after getting our stuff together we departed. Even before going to their home they treated us for supper at a huge buffet. We sure did pig out. That was so nice of them. (over dinner talk we realized that Rita had stayed at Tony and Corrie Dykxhoorn's (Cynthia's parents) home in the Aylmer area when she was in her teens and working in tobacco. What a small world that we live in.
On Sunday we went to church with them at the Lutheran Church and were warmly welcomed there. The service is quite similar to ours back in Aylmer. We were invited to participate in communion with them. That part reminds me a bit of the Anglican/Catholic tradition. We all came to the front and knelt on the bench. One of the servers handed out a waffer to each of us and a second server came with the cup. We took the waffer and dipped it in the cup as the words, "for the complete remission of all of your sins" were spoken. Then we could sit down while others took our place.
At the very end of the service the pastor asked the four of us (Sea to Sea cyclists) to come to the front, introduce ourselves and share what we doing. What a wonderful privilege and opportunity to do so, all the more unique and special because we were in a non CRC church. Afterwards we had a lot of people come and talk to us and give encouragement. It was so neat to see the tremendous excitement, my sense (sad to say) far more than many CRCs.
Monday, saw us hit the road again in what would be the beginning of our most difficult week (by far) so far with and average of 145km and significant climbs each day as we head toward Denver.
On Monday we had to climb over Wolf Creek Pass, the summit of which was just shy of 9500 feet. To reach the summit we had to climb over 3000 feet, the last eight miles at an 8 percent grade. Needless to say I was in my granny gear for that part but was able to make it without stopping even though my speed a couple of times dipped to nine km. per hour. I should qualify that statement. I did stop once, to take a picture of a moose. It was amazing. The moose was coming out of the forest above us just as we were passing by. When it saw us it didn't know what to do and actually stood on the road not 150 feet from us and then continued down the slope. I managed to get a beautiful snapshot. When we got to the top there was snow at a peak just above us. Some of the cyclists went up to it and threw a few snowballs at each other. Then it was down the other side. What a joy as we could reach speeds of close to seventy km per hour (and that's with the brakes partially applied) and view the panorama of the canyon as we descended. I was able to take some beautiful pictures along both the way up and the way down. A real blessing for all of us was that it was cloudy the entire day. I rolled into camp at Duschene at 3:30, tired but happy. It had been a great day.
Yesterday, saw us make the 145km. trip from Duschene to Dinosaur. Someone quipped the other day that the land in so dry, harsh and difficult that even the dinosaurs couldn't survive. As the name implies, we were just south of Dinosaur National Park where the bones of prehistoric animals are visible for public viewing.
Dinosaur itself, is a barren little town (village or hamlet is a better term) with a population of maybe three hundred. It is situated just inside the Colorado State border and so we can now say we made it through the state of Utah. Progress is being made, though when you are cycling the road seems endless.
Yesterday was an exhausting day for me personally but also for most of us. The last twelve miles seemed to take forever. It didnt help that it was mid afternoon, the sun was hot and there was a climb right at the end. We had also been on a very busy highway all day with very little room between the white strip and the rumble strip. Far too many of the vehicles had no respect at all for us as cyclists and so we had to grip the the handle bars tightly to make sure we stayed on the straight and narrow. That is physically and mentally exhausting. Add to that the big climbs and long distances of the previous days and the body begins to say "enough."
Today's 141km. trip from Dinosaur to Craig went much better for me. Even though there was over 4,000 feet of climbing, my body seemed to be able to handle it better. It sure helped that there was a wider strip for the cyclists and it was cloudy most of the way. I ended up riding on my own for the last 60km. because I wanted to get into camp earlier to be able to do this. That meant stopping very little along the way. Right now I am typing underneath the shade of tree and looking out over the valley and town below. There is a nice breeze making it very comfortable here.
Tomorrow we begin our last thrust across the Rockies. It promises to be quite a gruelling feat as we begin the ascent up to Denver. At the summit we will be over 11,000 feet and so breathing (while cycling)might be a concern. At Wolf Creek Pass (at 9500 feet) one of the cyclists developed breathing difficulties and had to take a couple of days off. She was able to ride again today but will probably have to forego the pass. Hopefully, breathing will not be a concern for me.
In closing, please keep us all in your prayers as we make the climb and as the trip takes it toll on our bodies. Having said that, let me also say that it has been one beautiful trip so far. Words and pictures can't adequately describe it for you. Wish you could be here to experience some of what I am. Till next time, may God be with you all.
July 23
It's 2:00pm on a Wednesday afternoon (half the week is gone already). I pushed it a little bit harder today to complete the 141km trek in good time so that I would have a chance to get on the computer and get an update out on the blog.
I'll start with last Saturday which ended up being our first 100 mile day by the time we were done. We left Willard at 6:00am to get a good start on the day and arrived at First CRC in Salt Lake City, a 100km into the trip, by 11:00am. After being served refreshments there we started up the mountain pass, a climb of about 3000 plus feet at 6-7 percent grade.
No sooner had we left the church for the climb and we had a small, steep hill that just about took any steam we might have had, out of our sails. It was a hill at 18 percent grade. Somehow I managed to get up it without having to walk. I am sure thankful for the "granny" gear on my bike.
I'll start with last Saturday which ended up being our first 100 mile day by the time we were done. We left Willard at 6:00am to get a good start on the day and arrived at First CRC in Salt Lake City, a 100km into the trip, by 11:00am. After being served refreshments there we started up the mountain pass, a climb of about 3000 plus feet at 6-7 percent grade.
No sooner had we left the church for the climb and we had a small, steep hill that just about took any steam we might have had, out of our sails. It was a hill at 18 percent grade. Somehow I managed to get up it without having to walk. I am sure thankful for the "granny" gear on my bike.
Friday, July 18, 2008
It's 4:00pm on a Friday afternoon and I'm sitting under a shelter at the conservation area at Willard, (just outside beautiful Brigham City), Utah to try to stay out of the sun. It must be crowding the upper 90's farenheit. To my left is the bay to Salt Lake. To my right are towering mountains; quite spectacular to say the least. A bit intimidating also, as tomorrow we have to start crossing them to reach the other side of Salt Lake City, a 153 km ride with a very steep climb right at the end of the day. However, will t0 worry too much about that right now. As it says in the "Good Book," "sufficient for today are the worries thereof (paraphrase)."
This past week has certainly been a little more challenging to say the least. The distances have been quite a bit longer, there have been some significant climbs and the heat has started to take it's toll on just about everyone, myself included.
Yesterday, was probably one of my toughest days to date. We travelled from Burly to Snowville (143km). To start the day we had several dogs chase us. Somehow we all (six of us cyclists)managed to avoid them. Shortly after that, Andy (deVries) touched the wheel of Cynthia (Aukema) who was in front of him in the pace line and crashed while doing about 25km.per hour. Fortunately, he went into the ditch where he fell rather than on the road where his injuries could have been very severe. A couple of bandages for the cuts on his knee, finger and thumb and he was good to go. He is quite a tough guy and was able to continue cycling. God was definitely watching over him and us there. It goes to show how quickly something can happen and how attentive you have to be while cycling. While in a paceline you are literally 12 to 18 inches away from the bike ahead of you. When you are travelling 30 plus km (20 miles) per hour, there is not much room for error.
Shortly after that we had two major climbs in succession. It was good that they came early in the day when the temperature is cooler. After that was endless miles of what I would term desolate countryside with nothing but sage brush and sand. By the time our third lengthy climb came it was already hot and my energy levels were feeling somewhat depleted. By the time we rolled into Snowville at 1:15pm (what a misnomer for a little town in the middle of a hot desert) I was quite tired to say the least. An air conditioned restaurant with ice cold water really helped revive my spirits and energy levels. It was probably my toughest day on the tour so far. Several riders had to be given rides as it was too much for them. One of them, Arnie, an older gentleman whom I've mentioned in an earlier posting, tore his achilles tendon while climbing one of the steep inclines and will not be able to cycle any more. He is in good spirits but terribly disappointed that he cannot continue. He will likely fly out of Salt Lake City on Sunday for home in Michigan. Please keep him in your prayers as he may need surgery.
Corrie, one of our SAG drivers (support crew that wait along the road with water for us) had an unfortunate (although quite funny) incident happen to him. He also has a portapottie hooked onto a trailer behind him for any cyclist that needs to "go." Well, he "booting" it down the road and his portapottie came off its moorings and went crashing onto the highway. You can imagine the mess, not to mention the embarassment.
In another incident (a lot happened yesterday), the trailer which houses the entire kitchen came unhitched (the pin somehow came out) while travelling down the highway. Fortunately, the chains held and they were able to stop without anything serious happening and get it hooked up again. Again, God's providential hand was watching over us.
Wednesday, in contrast to yesterday, was a fantastic day as far as scenery is concerned, while travelling from Gooding to Burly. At nine in the morning we stopped by a moderately large dairy farm with 1700 milking cows. (There are several in the area that are over 4000 cow operations. The farmer let us tour the barns. We watched as they were busy milking on the 50 cow, rotating parlour. It's a continuous cycle, one cow out and another one comes in as the parlour continues to rotate. They milk three times a day and grow as much of their own feed as possible on their 1600 acre operation. Impressive to say the least.
A half hour later we came upon the massive Snake River Canyon (the one that Evil Knevel tried to jump many years ago on his motorcycle. There is a falls farther up the river that we went to check out, known as the Niagara Falls of the West. While pretty and impressive, my vote still goes for the Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada.
On our way through Twin Falls, we were treated royally for lunch by the Reformed Church there. Subs, chips, icecream bars and refreshments sure did hit the spot. The church there has 1300 members altogether. They have a huge church. On the way out of Twin Falls we passed field after field of potatoes, hence the term Idaho potatoes.
Tuesday, saw us travelling from Mountain Home to Gooding, again much of it very dry and desolate. While uptown in Gooding late in the afternoon, a fire (word has it that it was started by one of the locals burning garbage) started on the edge of town, fortunately downwind from where we were camped. Within half an hour the strong winds had whipped the fire into a racing, out of control inferno that had spread two and a half miles downwind and a half mile wide. Several water bombers from Boise and Twin Falls were called out to try to bring it under control. We were able to get quite close to it and talk to the police, ambulance attendants as well as a couple of the firefighters. We were able to get in a plug for "Sea to Sea" too and handed out several cards. They were very interested in what we were doing.
Overall, I am continuing to do well, getting sufficient sleep at night and staying hydrated during the day. My appetite is voracious. I don't dare step on a scale as I'm beginning to wonder if I might actually be gaining a pound or two. The scenery is spectacular, with something different every single day. This morning, for example, we were biking alongside a deer with a little fawn. How often does one get to experience that. I continue to feel everyone's prayers and support and feel very privileged to be a part of this amazing journey of a lifetime. I hope to continue to be able to keep you updated as possible, depending on availability of internet access and computors. I hope also to put a few pictures on the blog as well, as time allows. Until next time!
This past week has certainly been a little more challenging to say the least. The distances have been quite a bit longer, there have been some significant climbs and the heat has started to take it's toll on just about everyone, myself included.
Yesterday, was probably one of my toughest days to date. We travelled from Burly to Snowville (143km). To start the day we had several dogs chase us. Somehow we all (six of us cyclists)managed to avoid them. Shortly after that, Andy (deVries) touched the wheel of Cynthia (Aukema) who was in front of him in the pace line and crashed while doing about 25km.per hour. Fortunately, he went into the ditch where he fell rather than on the road where his injuries could have been very severe. A couple of bandages for the cuts on his knee, finger and thumb and he was good to go. He is quite a tough guy and was able to continue cycling. God was definitely watching over him and us there. It goes to show how quickly something can happen and how attentive you have to be while cycling. While in a paceline you are literally 12 to 18 inches away from the bike ahead of you. When you are travelling 30 plus km (20 miles) per hour, there is not much room for error.
Shortly after that we had two major climbs in succession. It was good that they came early in the day when the temperature is cooler. After that was endless miles of what I would term desolate countryside with nothing but sage brush and sand. By the time our third lengthy climb came it was already hot and my energy levels were feeling somewhat depleted. By the time we rolled into Snowville at 1:15pm (what a misnomer for a little town in the middle of a hot desert) I was quite tired to say the least. An air conditioned restaurant with ice cold water really helped revive my spirits and energy levels. It was probably my toughest day on the tour so far. Several riders had to be given rides as it was too much for them. One of them, Arnie, an older gentleman whom I've mentioned in an earlier posting, tore his achilles tendon while climbing one of the steep inclines and will not be able to cycle any more. He is in good spirits but terribly disappointed that he cannot continue. He will likely fly out of Salt Lake City on Sunday for home in Michigan. Please keep him in your prayers as he may need surgery.
Corrie, one of our SAG drivers (support crew that wait along the road with water for us) had an unfortunate (although quite funny) incident happen to him. He also has a portapottie hooked onto a trailer behind him for any cyclist that needs to "go." Well, he "booting" it down the road and his portapottie came off its moorings and went crashing onto the highway. You can imagine the mess, not to mention the embarassment.
In another incident (a lot happened yesterday), the trailer which houses the entire kitchen came unhitched (the pin somehow came out) while travelling down the highway. Fortunately, the chains held and they were able to stop without anything serious happening and get it hooked up again. Again, God's providential hand was watching over us.
Wednesday, in contrast to yesterday, was a fantastic day as far as scenery is concerned, while travelling from Gooding to Burly. At nine in the morning we stopped by a moderately large dairy farm with 1700 milking cows. (There are several in the area that are over 4000 cow operations. The farmer let us tour the barns. We watched as they were busy milking on the 50 cow, rotating parlour. It's a continuous cycle, one cow out and another one comes in as the parlour continues to rotate. They milk three times a day and grow as much of their own feed as possible on their 1600 acre operation. Impressive to say the least.
A half hour later we came upon the massive Snake River Canyon (the one that Evil Knevel tried to jump many years ago on his motorcycle. There is a falls farther up the river that we went to check out, known as the Niagara Falls of the West. While pretty and impressive, my vote still goes for the Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada.
On our way through Twin Falls, we were treated royally for lunch by the Reformed Church there. Subs, chips, icecream bars and refreshments sure did hit the spot. The church there has 1300 members altogether. They have a huge church. On the way out of Twin Falls we passed field after field of potatoes, hence the term Idaho potatoes.
Tuesday, saw us travelling from Mountain Home to Gooding, again much of it very dry and desolate. While uptown in Gooding late in the afternoon, a fire (word has it that it was started by one of the locals burning garbage) started on the edge of town, fortunately downwind from where we were camped. Within half an hour the strong winds had whipped the fire into a racing, out of control inferno that had spread two and a half miles downwind and a half mile wide. Several water bombers from Boise and Twin Falls were called out to try to bring it under control. We were able to get quite close to it and talk to the police, ambulance attendants as well as a couple of the firefighters. We were able to get in a plug for "Sea to Sea" too and handed out several cards. They were very interested in what we were doing.
Overall, I am continuing to do well, getting sufficient sleep at night and staying hydrated during the day. My appetite is voracious. I don't dare step on a scale as I'm beginning to wonder if I might actually be gaining a pound or two. The scenery is spectacular, with something different every single day. This morning, for example, we were biking alongside a deer with a little fawn. How often does one get to experience that. I continue to feel everyone's prayers and support and feel very privileged to be a part of this amazing journey of a lifetime. I hope to continue to be able to keep you updated as possible, depending on availability of internet access and computors. I hope also to put a few pictures on the blog as well, as time allows. Until next time!
Monday, July 14, 2008
July 14th
Monday, July 14; Mountain Home, Idaho
Today our trip was 90km in total and it was a very enjoyable trek. Got up this morning at five and packed up the tent and went through the usual routine. We were able to leave Boise shortly before seven. Good thing to because the temperature was in the mid nineties (F degrees) by noon. We made really good time today. There was a slight crosswind and so we tried drafting with each other in a diagonal (like half of a geese formation). I was given the privilege of being the lead to cut the air for the others. Once we got going there were times that we were able to travel at 45km. per hour which is amazing.
The scenery was typical desert the whole way with low lying sage brush everywhere. There was not any irrigation or cropland anywhere during today’s trek and very few houses to speak of. That would be a little bit too isolated an area to live in, even for me. We did manage to see a coyote run across the road ahead of us as well as a badger that was in the ditch right beside us. The poor thing was startled by our presence and did not know where to go. There were also a number of snakes on the road and at least two of them were alive. I didn’t stop to check if they were rattlesnakes or not. Rattlesnakes have been quite prevalent ever since we crossed the first mountain range early on in the trip. The local people tell us never to wander too far off the beaten path especially with sandals or low shoes for fear of the rattlers. Fortunately no one has had any encounters with any yet thought a few days ago a number of the younger, more energetic cyclists of our group decided that they had not expended enough energy during the cycling for the day and decided to climb one of the mountains nearby. The local people shook their heads when told they had gone in their running shoes. At least the rattlers do give a little bit of warning before they strike. But personally, I think I will stay close to the beaten path. There’s enough excitement each day without having a rattlesnake chase after me, thank you very much.
Below I have posted quite a few of the pictures that I have taken since July 4 when we left Yakima City. They begin with us entering Yakima Canyon which was simply amazingly beautiful. Many of the pictures are of our cycling group as well as some of the scenery that we have encountered. I love looking at the variation of the scenery as we travelled through God’s beautiful creation and try to give you a small sense of some of what we are seeing, from the lush forests and mountain streams to the dry, desolate desert. One of my favourite pictures is the one with the old trucks and abandoned farm building, taken between Baker City and Huntington. Being a county boy and a farmer at heart I also thoroughly enjoy paying attention to the variety of croplands along the way, from vineyards near Sunnyside, to waving wheat fields near Pendleton, to irrigated vegetable and alfalfa (which incidently sells for 250 dollars a ton) crops west of Boise, as well as some of the cattle operations along the way. Unfortunately we are unable to put them on the blog right now. We will send them as soon as possible.
Today our trip was 90km in total and it was a very enjoyable trek. Got up this morning at five and packed up the tent and went through the usual routine. We were able to leave Boise shortly before seven. Good thing to because the temperature was in the mid nineties (F degrees) by noon. We made really good time today. There was a slight crosswind and so we tried drafting with each other in a diagonal (like half of a geese formation). I was given the privilege of being the lead to cut the air for the others. Once we got going there were times that we were able to travel at 45km. per hour which is amazing.
The scenery was typical desert the whole way with low lying sage brush everywhere. There was not any irrigation or cropland anywhere during today’s trek and very few houses to speak of. That would be a little bit too isolated an area to live in, even for me. We did manage to see a coyote run across the road ahead of us as well as a badger that was in the ditch right beside us. The poor thing was startled by our presence and did not know where to go. There were also a number of snakes on the road and at least two of them were alive. I didn’t stop to check if they were rattlesnakes or not. Rattlesnakes have been quite prevalent ever since we crossed the first mountain range early on in the trip. The local people tell us never to wander too far off the beaten path especially with sandals or low shoes for fear of the rattlers. Fortunately no one has had any encounters with any yet thought a few days ago a number of the younger, more energetic cyclists of our group decided that they had not expended enough energy during the cycling for the day and decided to climb one of the mountains nearby. The local people shook their heads when told they had gone in their running shoes. At least the rattlers do give a little bit of warning before they strike. But personally, I think I will stay close to the beaten path. There’s enough excitement each day without having a rattlesnake chase after me, thank you very much.
Below I have posted quite a few of the pictures that I have taken since July 4 when we left Yakima City. They begin with us entering Yakima Canyon which was simply amazingly beautiful. Many of the pictures are of our cycling group as well as some of the scenery that we have encountered. I love looking at the variation of the scenery as we travelled through God’s beautiful creation and try to give you a small sense of some of what we are seeing, from the lush forests and mountain streams to the dry, desolate desert. One of my favourite pictures is the one with the old trucks and abandoned farm building, taken between Baker City and Huntington. Being a county boy and a farmer at heart I also thoroughly enjoy paying attention to the variety of croplands along the way, from vineyards near Sunnyside, to waving wheat fields near Pendleton, to irrigated vegetable and alfalfa (which incidently sells for 250 dollars a ton) crops west of Boise, as well as some of the cattle operations along the way. Unfortunately we are unable to put them on the blog right now. We will send them as soon as possible.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sunday, July 13
It's Sunday evening and I've just finished another scrumptuous meal of salads, potatoes, vegetables, dessert and refreshments. The meals are out of this world. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm gaining rather than losing weight. The cooking staff does such a wonderful job each day making sure that not only are we well fed but that the menu is varied for each meal. Hats off to the cooking staff.
It is hard to believe that two weeks have already gone by on the tour. How time flies by. We have already crossed two state lines (Washington into Orgegon and now we are in Idaho. We have also crossed one time zone and are now on mountain time which means that we are two hours behind my home town of Aylmer, Ont.
One little tidbit as I reflect on crossing the state line from Washington into Oregon. We had all stopped (that is our group of six or seven that I generally ride bike with (Pete VanNoord, Andy deVries, Cynthia Aukegeraldma, Barb Mellema from Dordt, John VanderSteen from London and Gerald Kobis from Washington state). Anyways, a policeman pulled up behind us just as we were about to take a picture of us crossing the line and he wasnted to know what was going on. He was very friendly and so we all started to take pictures of ourselves beside him and his car. Then Claire (Elgersma) had the bright idea that "wouldn't it be nice to have a picture of the policeman arresting the pastor (myself) and stuffing me in the car. The policeman gladly obliged and so there is a picture or (Check out Claire Elgersma's blog). It might be there.
Speaking of blog's I want to apologize t0 the wonderful people of Aylmer CRC who have supported me so wonderfully financially and otherwise. It has been very difficult for me to put "stuff" on my blog for all of you to follow. First of all we have not been able to get internet at least half of the time at the sites we are at at each days end. Secondly, when there is internet those that have computers want to catch up on all of their bloging and emails, etc. and often stay on for several hours at a time making it very difficult to access a computer or a power source. However, I will try to do my best to keep you a bit updated from time to time. Please do check out some of the other blogs of various cyclists. For example, Cynthia Aukema (who rides with us every day and is the daughter of Tony and Corrie Dykxhoorn) tries to keep her blog as updated as possible on her laptop. Bill Wybenga from Brampton is another one as is Gayle Harrison from London. There are a lot of pictures out there on their and other's blogs as well.
A typical day for me begins at 5:00am when our group generally gets up. It is usually quite cool and the sun is just beginning to rise. I slip into my cycling clothes, head for the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash up a bit as well as do any other business there that needs to be done (too much sharing?). Then it's back to take down my tent, put it in my duffle bag, fold up my clothes and put it all by the gear truck. By this time it is about 6:00am. I quickly get in line for breakfast (0ur group is generally one of the first ones to go through the line. Breakfast usually consists of hot porridge or any other cereal that we might want, lots of bread with peanut butter and nutella as well as jam, yogurt, milk and other refreshments. I generally have a cup of coffee too. At the same time we make our lunch to take along with us on the bikes; lots of bars, a sandwich or two and some yogurt and fruit. We don't get fed again until sixpm, so we make sure we have enough to last the day. We quickly wash our dishes and hit the bathroom one more time and are ready to hit the road by 6:45am to 7:00am.
That may seen early, but we have found that the earlier we are able to hit the road the better it is. The weather for the entire two weeks so far has been extremely hot. By 12:00 noon the temperature has been hovering around 85 to 90 degrees farenheit. By 2:00 to 3:00 pm the temp. has been in the mid to high 90's. This past Thursday for example, the temperature was 104 by 2:30 in the afternoon. And so it pays to get on the road as early as possible. Most days we have been able to arrive at our destination between twelve and one o'clock in the afternoon.
Another advantage of leaving early is that we don't have to push it. While we don't waste a lot of time dilly dallying around and keep up a pretty good pace, generally in the upper twenty km per hour, we take the time to stop and take pictures of interesting sights, crops, etc. as well as stop for coffee along the way. Yesterday, on our way to Boise for example, we stopped at a coffee shop in the middle of nowhere. It was a local hangout for the area farmers and so it was really neat to talk to them about what we were up to as well as what they were up to. You should see their eyes when we tell them we are heading across the continent in support of world poverty causes. They look at us in disbelief but then are also very interested in the cause. All of us have "Sea to Sea" business cards that have the website on it and a lot of folks not only promise to look us up on the website but donate to the cause. Each day I have set a personal goal of trying to talk to at least ten different people about the cause and hand out cards. It's a great way to get the message out there as well as meet a lot of really neat people.boise
Today, for example, we worshipped in Harris Park in downtown Boise. I met a lot of interesting people and was able to share about the cause and hand out twelve to fifteen cards. I also met Simon, a man with a backpack slung over his shoulders. His eyes were bloodshot and I could tell he was either on drugs or had been drinking. He is a Navajo Indian from Arizona but left the reserve many years ago. He has virtually no contact with his family and from his perspective wants to keep it that way. My sense was that because of his drinking (he acknowledged he had a problem) they had given up on him and vice versa. For the past many years he has been wandering around the countryside with only a sleeping bag and a few personal belongings. He has been apprehended by the authorities time and again and spent many times in jail. According to Simon he went through college but has not held a steady job for a long time and continues to drift. He was presently back on his way to Portland Oregon. What a sad story. He has so much to offer but alcohol has been tearing his life apart. We invited him to stay for the service and for lunch afterward. He did, though he did not want to sit with us during the service, my sense his shame getting the best of him. I did see him at lunch time though. During the service a young man stood up and gave his testimony about being a crack and cocaine addict for much of his life and how Jesus has gotten hold of him and put him on the right track again through some of the organizations that were available. This man is now a happy, healthy man and a contributing member of society. My prayer is that Simon may have heard that testimony and that God might use today as a means to bring hope to a life filled with loneliness and despair. That is one of the people that I have been privileged to meet. He will certainly be in my thoughts and prayers.
As mentioned on an earlier blog the weather has been hot but great. The air is much drier than back home and so is more bearable. The scenery continues to absolutely amazing. I wish all of you could experience some of the sights and sounds. Earlier in the week, near Pendleton, we went through rolling countryside filled with wheat field after wheat field. It reminded me of southern Saskatchewan. It was all winter wheat, and because of significant spring rains (unusual for this area) the crops are bumper. From Pendleton to LaGrande we had one very steep climb with hairpin turns all the way up. I had to do it in my middle gear because my front shifter broke the day before. I sure could have used my granny gear on that one. However, I was able to get up with not too much problem. What a view when we got up on top. Suddenly the vegetation had changed from dry, irrigation type land to large ponderosa pines and douglas fir. We took a stop at one of the scenic lookouts on top,(we had to walk on a gravel road about a quarter of a mile). The view was astounding. A huge valley of trees and flowers had opened up before us. A few miles down the road two little fawns, stuck on the road side of the page wire fence were running right along side of us. Unfortunately, when you're travelling at 30km per hour there is no time to stop and take a picture.
At La Grande that afternoon, I was able to take my bike into the bike shop and have the front shifter looked at. It definitely needs a new shifter and will cost $200 plus dollars to buy a new one. Being a"Trek" dealer that we had stopped at (my bike is a trek) he suggested I try to get it under warranty back home as it would take a week to have the replacement part shipped in under warranty. In the meantime, he put a makeshift shifter on my lower handbar and so I can continue with no problem. It only cost me $15.00. I firmly believed God had put this person in my path to help out.
The next three days saw us going through some really poor land, around Huntington, Oregon where there are a lot of empty farms and some pretty neat old abandoned farm trucks that many in southern Ontario would love to get their hands on. Being so dry, there is virtually no rust on these 50's models. There is also many rattlesnakes and so one does not want to wander too far off the beaten path and certainly not in sandals.
Huntingon is a very small town of 500 people, 75 percent of them being either retired or on gov't assistance of some sort. The people there were so happy to see 144 cyclists and 28 support crew drop into town. I'm sure we tripled their economy for the day. They were so friendly. I sat across from and chatted wsth an elderly lady who had been a judge in that area for twenty two years. She now lives in Tacoma Washington but was visiting and certainly knew the history of the area. She spoke a lot a about her early ancestors who had come on the Oregon Trail in the mid eighteen hundreds in covered wagons and the difficulties they had endured.
Friday saw us leaving Huntington and heading for Ontario, Idaho. While Huntington was a dying town of 500 people (83 students who attended the K-12 school that we stayed at), Ontario is a thriviang city of lush parks and rich, irrigated farmlands along the Snake River. All along the route we saw field upon field of onions, swiss chard, alfalfa and other crops. Most of the irrigation is done by gravity, requiring the fields to be perfectly graded so that the water can freely run between each row.
Interestingly, Ontario is named after our own province of Ontario, Canada. Apparantly, three prominent businessmen were given the task of naming the village many many years ago. One of them was from Ontario, Canada, who had settled in the area. He won the coin toss and so named the town Ontario. Interesting.
I have already shared my experiences of today in Boise. In closing I would like to say hi to all of you back home in Aylmer. I am doing well. My butt is not too sore and I have had only three flats so far. (Some have had eight or nine, while many others have had none.) One piece of advice: Do not park your bicycle against mailboxes at the side of the road in this country. There are all sorts of "goats heads," thorns that will stick to your tires and pierce them like nails. Hoping all is going well with you all. Thinking of you and keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Well I'd better get going. The evening meeting has already started but I wanted to give you a "brief" update before I go and while I can. Take care!
It is hard to believe that two weeks have already gone by on the tour. How time flies by. We have already crossed two state lines (Washington into Orgegon and now we are in Idaho. We have also crossed one time zone and are now on mountain time which means that we are two hours behind my home town of Aylmer, Ont.
One little tidbit as I reflect on crossing the state line from Washington into Oregon. We had all stopped (that is our group of six or seven that I generally ride bike with (Pete VanNoord, Andy deVries, Cynthia Aukegeraldma, Barb Mellema from Dordt, John VanderSteen from London and Gerald Kobis from Washington state). Anyways, a policeman pulled up behind us just as we were about to take a picture of us crossing the line and he wasnted to know what was going on. He was very friendly and so we all started to take pictures of ourselves beside him and his car. Then Claire (Elgersma) had the bright idea that "wouldn't it be nice to have a picture of the policeman arresting the pastor (myself) and stuffing me in the car. The policeman gladly obliged and so there is a picture or (Check out Claire Elgersma's blog). It might be there.
Speaking of blog's I want to apologize t0 the wonderful people of Aylmer CRC who have supported me so wonderfully financially and otherwise. It has been very difficult for me to put "stuff" on my blog for all of you to follow. First of all we have not been able to get internet at least half of the time at the sites we are at at each days end. Secondly, when there is internet those that have computers want to catch up on all of their bloging and emails, etc. and often stay on for several hours at a time making it very difficult to access a computer or a power source. However, I will try to do my best to keep you a bit updated from time to time. Please do check out some of the other blogs of various cyclists. For example, Cynthia Aukema (who rides with us every day and is the daughter of Tony and Corrie Dykxhoorn) tries to keep her blog as updated as possible on her laptop. Bill Wybenga from Brampton is another one as is Gayle Harrison from London. There are a lot of pictures out there on their and other's blogs as well.
A typical day for me begins at 5:00am when our group generally gets up. It is usually quite cool and the sun is just beginning to rise. I slip into my cycling clothes, head for the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash up a bit as well as do any other business there that needs to be done (too much sharing?). Then it's back to take down my tent, put it in my duffle bag, fold up my clothes and put it all by the gear truck. By this time it is about 6:00am. I quickly get in line for breakfast (0ur group is generally one of the first ones to go through the line. Breakfast usually consists of hot porridge or any other cereal that we might want, lots of bread with peanut butter and nutella as well as jam, yogurt, milk and other refreshments. I generally have a cup of coffee too. At the same time we make our lunch to take along with us on the bikes; lots of bars, a sandwich or two and some yogurt and fruit. We don't get fed again until sixpm, so we make sure we have enough to last the day. We quickly wash our dishes and hit the bathroom one more time and are ready to hit the road by 6:45am to 7:00am.
That may seen early, but we have found that the earlier we are able to hit the road the better it is. The weather for the entire two weeks so far has been extremely hot. By 12:00 noon the temperature has been hovering around 85 to 90 degrees farenheit. By 2:00 to 3:00 pm the temp. has been in the mid to high 90's. This past Thursday for example, the temperature was 104 by 2:30 in the afternoon. And so it pays to get on the road as early as possible. Most days we have been able to arrive at our destination between twelve and one o'clock in the afternoon.
Another advantage of leaving early is that we don't have to push it. While we don't waste a lot of time dilly dallying around and keep up a pretty good pace, generally in the upper twenty km per hour, we take the time to stop and take pictures of interesting sights, crops, etc. as well as stop for coffee along the way. Yesterday, on our way to Boise for example, we stopped at a coffee shop in the middle of nowhere. It was a local hangout for the area farmers and so it was really neat to talk to them about what we were up to as well as what they were up to. You should see their eyes when we tell them we are heading across the continent in support of world poverty causes. They look at us in disbelief but then are also very interested in the cause. All of us have "Sea to Sea" business cards that have the website on it and a lot of folks not only promise to look us up on the website but donate to the cause. Each day I have set a personal goal of trying to talk to at least ten different people about the cause and hand out cards. It's a great way to get the message out there as well as meet a lot of really neat people.boise
Today, for example, we worshipped in Harris Park in downtown Boise. I met a lot of interesting people and was able to share about the cause and hand out twelve to fifteen cards. I also met Simon, a man with a backpack slung over his shoulders. His eyes were bloodshot and I could tell he was either on drugs or had been drinking. He is a Navajo Indian from Arizona but left the reserve many years ago. He has virtually no contact with his family and from his perspective wants to keep it that way. My sense was that because of his drinking (he acknowledged he had a problem) they had given up on him and vice versa. For the past many years he has been wandering around the countryside with only a sleeping bag and a few personal belongings. He has been apprehended by the authorities time and again and spent many times in jail. According to Simon he went through college but has not held a steady job for a long time and continues to drift. He was presently back on his way to Portland Oregon. What a sad story. He has so much to offer but alcohol has been tearing his life apart. We invited him to stay for the service and for lunch afterward. He did, though he did not want to sit with us during the service, my sense his shame getting the best of him. I did see him at lunch time though. During the service a young man stood up and gave his testimony about being a crack and cocaine addict for much of his life and how Jesus has gotten hold of him and put him on the right track again through some of the organizations that were available. This man is now a happy, healthy man and a contributing member of society. My prayer is that Simon may have heard that testimony and that God might use today as a means to bring hope to a life filled with loneliness and despair. That is one of the people that I have been privileged to meet. He will certainly be in my thoughts and prayers.
As mentioned on an earlier blog the weather has been hot but great. The air is much drier than back home and so is more bearable. The scenery continues to absolutely amazing. I wish all of you could experience some of the sights and sounds. Earlier in the week, near Pendleton, we went through rolling countryside filled with wheat field after wheat field. It reminded me of southern Saskatchewan. It was all winter wheat, and because of significant spring rains (unusual for this area) the crops are bumper. From Pendleton to LaGrande we had one very steep climb with hairpin turns all the way up. I had to do it in my middle gear because my front shifter broke the day before. I sure could have used my granny gear on that one. However, I was able to get up with not too much problem. What a view when we got up on top. Suddenly the vegetation had changed from dry, irrigation type land to large ponderosa pines and douglas fir. We took a stop at one of the scenic lookouts on top,(we had to walk on a gravel road about a quarter of a mile). The view was astounding. A huge valley of trees and flowers had opened up before us. A few miles down the road two little fawns, stuck on the road side of the page wire fence were running right along side of us. Unfortunately, when you're travelling at 30km per hour there is no time to stop and take a picture.
At La Grande that afternoon, I was able to take my bike into the bike shop and have the front shifter looked at. It definitely needs a new shifter and will cost $200 plus dollars to buy a new one. Being a"Trek" dealer that we had stopped at (my bike is a trek) he suggested I try to get it under warranty back home as it would take a week to have the replacement part shipped in under warranty. In the meantime, he put a makeshift shifter on my lower handbar and so I can continue with no problem. It only cost me $15.00. I firmly believed God had put this person in my path to help out.
The next three days saw us going through some really poor land, around Huntington, Oregon where there are a lot of empty farms and some pretty neat old abandoned farm trucks that many in southern Ontario would love to get their hands on. Being so dry, there is virtually no rust on these 50's models. There is also many rattlesnakes and so one does not want to wander too far off the beaten path and certainly not in sandals.
Huntingon is a very small town of 500 people, 75 percent of them being either retired or on gov't assistance of some sort. The people there were so happy to see 144 cyclists and 28 support crew drop into town. I'm sure we tripled their economy for the day. They were so friendly. I sat across from and chatted wsth an elderly lady who had been a judge in that area for twenty two years. She now lives in Tacoma Washington but was visiting and certainly knew the history of the area. She spoke a lot a about her early ancestors who had come on the Oregon Trail in the mid eighteen hundreds in covered wagons and the difficulties they had endured.
Friday saw us leaving Huntington and heading for Ontario, Idaho. While Huntington was a dying town of 500 people (83 students who attended the K-12 school that we stayed at), Ontario is a thriviang city of lush parks and rich, irrigated farmlands along the Snake River. All along the route we saw field upon field of onions, swiss chard, alfalfa and other crops. Most of the irrigation is done by gravity, requiring the fields to be perfectly graded so that the water can freely run between each row.
Interestingly, Ontario is named after our own province of Ontario, Canada. Apparantly, three prominent businessmen were given the task of naming the village many many years ago. One of them was from Ontario, Canada, who had settled in the area. He won the coin toss and so named the town Ontario. Interesting.
I have already shared my experiences of today in Boise. In closing I would like to say hi to all of you back home in Aylmer. I am doing well. My butt is not too sore and I have had only three flats so far. (Some have had eight or nine, while many others have had none.) One piece of advice: Do not park your bicycle against mailboxes at the side of the road in this country. There are all sorts of "goats heads," thorns that will stick to your tires and pierce them like nails. Hoping all is going well with you all. Thinking of you and keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Well I'd better get going. The evening meeting has already started but I wanted to give you a "brief" update before I go and while I can. Take care!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
It's Wednesday already and hard to believe that a week and a half has gone by on our Sea to Sea biking adventure. It has simply been amazing. From the time we left Seattle on Monday, June 30 the beauty of God's creation has been as stunning as varied. Dipping our bicycle tires in the Pacific Ocean and then leaving in groups to the cheers of quite a huge crowd sent chills up my spine. Here I was starting out on the journey of a lifetime and feeling a bit anxious about it, also eager to get going.
The first day was an easy trip to Sultan, no big climbs with the exception of a 500 foot hill. I had actually conquered my first challenge and survived. A big part of the trip was along a bicycle path along the ocean. What a view. In Sultan I had no trouble setting up my tent either. Surprise! Surprise! Looking to the east would be our next big challenge, Stevens Pass, a 4000 foot climb. I would definitely have to eat my wheaties in the morning.
Tuesday was definitely the challenge it promised to be. I was up at 5:30 and had my tent packed and lunch packed as well as ate breakfast by 7:00am. This would be a key to every day as the days have been so hot. To leave much later than 7:00 is asking too much from these old bones of mine. I hate the heat and would not survive riding late into the afternoon.
Climbing Stevens Pass is something I will never forget. The vegetation was lush douglas fir, and moss covered cedar, almost rain forest. As we climbed the Pass we pretty much got beyond the tree line and actually saw snow along the roadway. At a 6 percent grade, I ended up stopping every two km. to take a rest. Riding with Peter, Andy and Cynthia was very enjoyable. We have similar riding skills and stamina.
We arrived at the summit by noon and relaxed by the SAG wagon, a support vehicle that provides water for us. Going down the other side was a real treat. One thing I realized very quickly was not to see how fast you can go. Travelling around 70km and hour and have your wheel start to wobble is not the most exhilarating feeling. \i quickly learned to slow down a bit.
Following the river was a real treat. To hear the rushing water is something you can never experience in a vehicle. Some of us stopping to dip our feet in the ice cold water. In 97 degree weather it wasn't such a bad idea.
The next few days was absolutely fantastic. Leaving the lush forests behing, we encountered the dry interior to the lee of the mountains. The vegetation is primarily low bushes and sage brush and grasses. This whole area around Yakima is all part of a huge desert that receives less than 10 inches of rain a year. Going through Yakima Canyon was a real treat. There is hardly any vegetation at all, only mountain walls on both side and a river below. \It makes one feel quite small as I cycle through with the group. The verse from Psalm 8 comes to mind, OO Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
The first day was an easy trip to Sultan, no big climbs with the exception of a 500 foot hill. I had actually conquered my first challenge and survived. A big part of the trip was along a bicycle path along the ocean. What a view. In Sultan I had no trouble setting up my tent either. Surprise! Surprise! Looking to the east would be our next big challenge, Stevens Pass, a 4000 foot climb. I would definitely have to eat my wheaties in the morning.
Tuesday was definitely the challenge it promised to be. I was up at 5:30 and had my tent packed and lunch packed as well as ate breakfast by 7:00am. This would be a key to every day as the days have been so hot. To leave much later than 7:00 is asking too much from these old bones of mine. I hate the heat and would not survive riding late into the afternoon.
Climbing Stevens Pass is something I will never forget. The vegetation was lush douglas fir, and moss covered cedar, almost rain forest. As we climbed the Pass we pretty much got beyond the tree line and actually saw snow along the roadway. At a 6 percent grade, I ended up stopping every two km. to take a rest. Riding with Peter, Andy and Cynthia was very enjoyable. We have similar riding skills and stamina.
We arrived at the summit by noon and relaxed by the SAG wagon, a support vehicle that provides water for us. Going down the other side was a real treat. One thing I realized very quickly was not to see how fast you can go. Travelling around 70km and hour and have your wheel start to wobble is not the most exhilarating feeling. \i quickly learned to slow down a bit.
Following the river was a real treat. To hear the rushing water is something you can never experience in a vehicle. Some of us stopping to dip our feet in the ice cold water. In 97 degree weather it wasn't such a bad idea.
The next few days was absolutely fantastic. Leaving the lush forests behing, we encountered the dry interior to the lee of the mountains. The vegetation is primarily low bushes and sage brush and grasses. This whole area around Yakima is all part of a huge desert that receives less than 10 inches of rain a year. Going through Yakima Canyon was a real treat. There is hardly any vegetation at all, only mountain walls on both side and a river below. \It makes one feel quite small as I cycle through with the group. The verse from Psalm 8 comes to mind, OO Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
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