Louis' Cycling Adventure

Saturday, Sept.7, 2008

2008-09-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it! I hardly can. I MADE IT ALL THE WAY FROM SEATTLE TO JERSEY CITY, ALL THE WAY FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN TO THE ATLANTIC! WOW! All 6,000 km. or 4,000 miles of it (my actual total was 6,674km. with all the little side trips we took along the way). I still have to pinch myself to make sure it is for real. The sense of accomplishment has not really sunk in yet. That will come, I'm sure but I do have a sense of elation and relief. I've actually done it! Unbelivable!

But before I "get into" how I feel now and some of what I take with me (my momories) after the fact, I want to put closure to the specifics of the trip itself, more particularly, from Wednesday (the last time I blogged) through to the end of our journey at Liberty State Park, on Saturday. I want to do that partly as a written account for myself to refer to at a later date to bring back to meomory some of the events that transpired along the way. My memory is good. It's just short and I am painfully aware how quickly specific events, like time, fade like the mist into the distance. Secondly, and as important (if not more important), I want to share with you the readers who have been faithfully reading this blog (I have been so pleasantly surprised how many of you there are) the specifics of the journey that you have gone on with me as seen through my eyes. I have a strong sense of duty to you as well and want to bring a sense of closure for you also.

Thurday, August 28, saw us heading from Binghamton to Dalton where we would be camping at the Lackawanna State Park a short journey of a "mere" 93km. or 58 miles.

I was rudely awakened at 4:45am by a very noisy garbage truck that decided that it just HAD TO pick up the huge construction bins filled with garbage. I'm sure the driver had no idea that over two hundred people were tenting in the field right beside the bins. Oh well! I had to go to the bathroom anyway. After all, what's fifteen minutes earlier than usual?

I reached for the zipper flap to get out and couldn't help but notice how wet everything was. My tent was soaked from the dew. That meant tha the grass would be soaking wet too and I HATE getting my feet all wet in the morning. Does that sound like I'm whining a bit? Maybe that garbage truck was having more of a negative impact on me than I would like to admit. Generally, I don't get crabby. I get quiet.

As I got out of my tent I couldn't help but notice in the light (from the pole nearby) that the top of my tent was not rounded as it should be but had a sharp peaked shape to it. Oh no! One of my tent poles had broken during the night too. Now I am getting cranky. (Take a deep breath Lou and tell yourself, "I'm not going to let this minor "blip" become a major issue that destroys my day for me." Maybe there's a lesson in that for all of us. How many times don't we allow the minor things (happenings) in our lives take on major porportions? No! This tent pole incident will NOTt "get to me." I've already thought my way through it. I'm sure John VanderSteen, the unofficial "camp fixer upper" won't mind lending a helping hand to a poor soul with a broken tent pole. See, no need to let this "minor" incident become a "major." (Actually, I did fix it myself when I got into camp that afternoon).

We left camp at about 6:40am as soon as it was light enough to see. Let it be known that I was actually the first one ready and waiting. That doesn't happen that terribly often, especially once we are on the road. I have been known to be engaged in conversation occassionaly with the locals when the rest of the group is ready to get going, necessitating their waiting for a "moment or two" for me. Hey! One shouldn't miss out on these opportunities of conversation, should they? To me, they are such an important part of the journey. (I still remember the hawk incident).

Binghamton is a fairly large centre of about 47,000. As we rode through it, I couldn't help but notice the many poor and run down areas in many of the suburbs. There were quite a few old and abandoned businesses. What made this place tick at one time? What had happened over the years? Was this an old steel town? Some of the questions I thought of as we traversed the streets.

Andy, Cynthia and I rode together for the first while (the rest rode ahead of us about 200 metres as Cynthia finds it too nerve wracking to have too large a group in close proximity to her - understandably so given what she has been through). About 30km. out of town we crossed the state line from New York to Pennsylvania. As usual, we stopped for some pictures.

Barb, John and I then rode together for a while. At New Milford we stopped to talk to a "local" for a few moments and he directed us to the best restaurant in town. Of course we HAD to stop there. After coffee, I "pulled" (took the lead/ broke the wind (not to be mistaken for "passing on the wind") for John and Barb) for ten or so km. at a pretty good pace until we came to a towering, arched railway bridge that extended right across the valley high above us. Of course we had to stop again for a picture.

After this, the rest of the trip into camp was along very isolated but hilly roads that involved many short but quite steep climbs. Again, words can't really adequately describe the beauty of the park like scenery along many of these roads. Our campsite at Lackawanna State Park could not have been more picturesque. It comprised of two small fields (where we tented), nestled deep within the mature forest. Imagine the contrast offered by the two huge kitchen and gear trucks parked in the middle of nowhere, alongside these towering trees as well as the two hundred or so tents set up in the small clearings. We were told not to leave any food outside of our tents as there were black bears in the area. Interestingly, no one wandered off too far by themselves as darkness began to descend. (The thought of dressing up in a bear costume did cross my mind (for a very brief moment - my sick sense of humour coming through) but I quickly dispelled of the idea. After all, we were in the U.S. and who knows who might be carrying a gun, right. The joke might be on me.

Before dark, I did meet with Tony and Shirley Maurer, a wonderful couple (on the other side of the camp) who were staying in a "yurt" rented from the park. I had never heard of, let alone seen one of these octagonally shaped, tent like structures made out of canvas. These structures are about 16 feet across, have a wooden floor, a seven foot high vertical wall with a cone shaped roof and a window on top. These insulated buildings sleep six people very comfortably and come furnished with a stove and fridge. They rent for $30.00 a day. Tony and Shirley had heard about us on the news and were more than eager to talk with me and give a tour of their home not to mention access to their platter of home made chocolate cookies. An hour went by so quickly.

That night, as daylight faded, we shared communion together for one last time. We all gathered in a circle around at the forest's edge and after a few words of introduction as to the meaning of the sacrament by our chaplain Len, we proceeded to pass the elements to each other in the name of Christ as Jenna and Annette played some of the well known hymns (Amazing Grace, etc.) Most of us knew the words and sang along. on the flute. We concluded by saying the Lord's Prayer together. It was a very fitting, meaningful and moving experience for me.

Friday saw us on the road from Dalton (the State Park) to Sussex and the Christian School there, a trek of some 132 km. (82 miles). It was also to be the day of the greatest amount of climbing in a single day with a total of 6,857 feet. Having crossed the seven major mountain passes out west, I was kind of excited about the prospect of tackling these hills. I know that many of the others, particularly those who had joined in Grand Rapids, were quite apprehensive.

The day could be summarized as, one hill after another, some rolling, some short and steep and others somewhat longer and quite steep. I was surprised at how well I was able to handle them. That is not to say that I was not tired after some of the climbs. No, not at all. But the biggest difference for me, when comparing them to the passes in the mountains, is that the climbs, though at times steeper, were much, much shorter than those out west. I think the longest hill here was approx. 2 to 2.5 miles with an eight to maybe ten percent grade in places (some of the shorter hills were steeper). Those out west were 7 to 10 miles of 8 percent grade. The length of the climb often makes it gruelling. I found that many of the shorter steeper climbs were preceeded by a fairly steep downhill, where one could gather significant speed and literally be half way up the next before shifting down into the lower gears. You just can't do that when you've got eight miles of climbing to do. The weather, for me, was another big, big difference. Almost the entire day was ridden in cool, cloudy, almost drizzly conditions, whereas every single mountain pass was ridden in extreme heat, adding to the strain and the toll on the body. Also, one cannot forget that, having put in almost 4000 miles already, our bodies and legs were well seasoned and in pretty good shape, not to mention the quickness of recovering once cresting a climb. And so while the day was challenging enough for me, it was by no means the most difficult one that I had encountered on the trip. I can think of several others that would fit that bill better.

In hindsight, I would have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the day. The beauty of the rolling hills carpeted with deciduous forests of beech, oak, maple, birch, etc., interspersed with coniferous (pine, spruce, fir, etc.) is, simply put, majestic. I long to be able to travel them in the autumn when the leaves are in full colour.

After crossing the Delaware River and entering the State of New Jersey we had our final "big climb" of the day, (approx. 2.5 miles long) some fifteen miles out of Sussex. The hill is known as High Point and at 1846 feet is literally the highest point in the State of New Jersey. We could see the monument from a distance, built to commemorate this distinction.

The sun was finally able to "win out" over the clouds, making this the hottest and most difficult climb of the day. Upon reaching the summit we were greeted by a grandmother, a dad and his three young children who cheerfully treated us to cold lemonade, trail mix and homemade chocolate chip cookies. How did they know they are my favourite? The family, as we found out, were Sandi Westra's mother, husband and children who couldn't wait to surprise their mom at the top of this last climb. How neat!

However, the High Point Monument, which is the true "highest point" (situated close to where New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York join together) was on a paved side road some three miles from the route we were on. Being brutes for punishment (not having had enough climbing for the day) Barb, Gerald and I decided to head for High Point. The last part of the road up to the monument was a fairly lengthy grade of 15 percent. I literally had to get down into my "granny gear" and stand up to pedal in order to make it. As if that weren't enough we decided to climb the 21 story monument (all 291 stairs) to the top to take in the view of the three states. Needless to say we were sweating like pigs. But the view was worth it.

In Sussex, I was greeted by my wife Penny and daughter Bethany who had travelled (in a separate vehicle) with Ralph, Cynthia's husband and some of their family. It was so good to see them again. Penny, in casually speaking with a gentleman at the school had asked where there might be hotel accomodations for the night. He began to explain a couple of possibilities but then stopped and matter of factly said, "You know what, we have a huge house and would love to have you and any others who may need a bed, to stay at our place." John VanderSteen would also stay with us. Isn't it marvelous how God works. As it turns out, this gentleman, whose name is Charlie Kuperus is the Minister of Agriculture of the State of New Jersey. His wife Marj owns a beautiful greenhouse and florist shop. They humbly and generously gave of themselves for us, making us feel very welcome and at home. Thank you so much!

Saturday, August 30: Sussex to Jersey City and Liberty State Park (98 km. or 61 miles). THE LAST DAY OF THE TOUR. I can hardly believe that this day has already arrived. Where has the time gone. It seems like only yesterday that we dipped our tires in the Pacific Ocean in Seattle. Now we are about to dip them into the Atlantic. I have to confess that my stomach is a little bit anxious. This is IT.

It has rained during the night and the wet roads always make travelling more dangerous not to mention the increased risk of getting a flat tire or having a fall on slippery pavement. That is the last thing I want to happen on this day. It would be horrible to have something happen that would incapacitate either myself of the bicycle. I DO NOT WANT TO BE SAGGED.

It is only a hundred km. or 61 miles but we need to be there by 12:30. We're off at 7:00 am which is a fairly decent time. We are by no means first out of the gate. I'm sure there are many others who are anxious to get going. Shortly into the trip we pass one, then two, then three, then four and then five people, all who are on the side of the road fixing flat tires. There seems to be broken glass everywhere. My prediction of lots of flat tires is coming true.

Then Gerald's chain suddenly breaks. Oh no! Not a good sign at all. I'm feeling a little more anxious. The rest of our group goes on ahead while Gerald, Andy and myself stay behind. Fortunately, Gerald has a spare part to loosely piece the chain together. We hope it holds the rest of the way or he will be SAGGING as he does not have any more spare parts.

At sixty km. we stop for a cup of coffee and a little bite to eat. It is hard to believe, this will be our last time together on the trip. Before leaving, I check my tires to make sure they are O.K. My heart skips a beat as I notice a piece of glass embedded into my tire. Oh NO! Do I dare pull it out. If I don't it will certainly embed itself further into the tire and then the tube. I slowly pull the shard out, fearing the worst, then put spit on the spot. There are no bubbles. WHEW! I breathe a sigh of relief. I DO NOT WANT A FLAT.

At 12:15 we arrive at the "collecting area" some ten miles from Liberty State Park. We will all leave together from here at 1:30 under police escort for the remainder of the trip through the city. So far so good. I check my tires over carefully again and notice that quite a few cyclists are doing the same.

At 1:15 we gather for a group picture and then proceed to line up for the police escort. At 1:30 sharp, the last cyclist, along with three of the sweep team arrive and fall in line as we head out. The police cruiser takes the lead while Billy D follows on his Harley, then all 192 of us with our Sea to Sea Jerseys on. We take up the entire road and stretch several hundred feet long.

This first portion will be escorted by the New Jersey State Police. When we reach the city limits, the Jersey City Police will take over and once we reach Liberty State Park they will be relieved by the Park Police. The police do a superb job of blocking each intersection as we pass through. People come out of their homes and stores to witness the impressive sight. Many motorists honk in appreciation.

We have been told by Ed, the tour organizer, that anyone who gets a flat along this section of the trip WILL HAVE TO BE SAGGED as there is no time to fix flat tires. The knot (is it the emotion of reaching the final destination taking hold or the tension that I can still get a flat) is still there in my stomach. I hope my wife and daughter have been able to find the park and the boat launch where we will be dipping our tires, O.K.

With each mile completed, I feel a bit more relieved and looking forward to the dipping ceremony. Oh, there is the Statute of Liberty. We've entered the park, a stream of cyclists over a quarter of a mile long. Everyone in the park is looking, wondering who we are and what is going on. I smile! I'm almost there! Only a mile or so of cobblestones along the walkway and our destination will have been reached.

KA BOOOOOM - the sound of a blown bicycle tire brings me back to reality. I quickly check my tires. Thankfully it's not mine! Unfortunately it's Kyles". He is just ahead of me. He continues on - his tire wobbling on the cobblestone. There is no way that he or anyone else is going to SAG, even if it means riding on your rim for the last mile.

There's a crowd waiting as we turn the last corner. We can hear them begin to cheer. We begin to cheer too. The wellspring of emotions begin to burst forth. Then I see them, my wife and daughter. They're here. I'm here. We're here. The exhilaration of the moment seizes me and I raise my fist in triumph and my two fingers make the victory sign. WE HAVE ARRIVED! THANK YOU GOD!

Len, our chaplain, says a few words of congratulations and thanksgiving to God and after reciting the Lord's Prayer together, we make a mass entrance into the ocean. WOW! 6,000 km. 4,000 miles. We made it! I made it! I can't help but kiss my wife Penny and Beth, our daughter. It is an exhilarating moment. I grab my bike and inter the water, holding it high above my head in victory. It's God's victory. He did it. It is a victory for all the people who will be helped with the 2.1 million in funds that has been raised to date. It is a victory for all my supporters back home and elsewhere who have been an integral part of this trip with me in their prayers and with their financial support

In the week that has gone by since the formal end to our cycling journey I have begun to process some of what was accomplished, some of the "incidents" along the way that will impact my memory for a long, long time as well as some of life's lessons perhaps learned or made aware of in journeying across the continent. That process is far from complete, indeed has barely begun. I will need a few more days, or weeks, perhaps even years to let what has been accomplished, really sink in. Right now I feel great relief and gratitude at having been given the privilege to attempt this epic journey of a lifetime and of having MADE IT. For now that's O.K. In time, I'm sure a fuller picture will find it's niche.

Below are a few brief, general thoughts about the journey. At a later date I hope to be able to post some final thoughts, memories and lessons learned. Keep "tuned."

The first thought that comes to mind is that I have actually crossed the continent, all 6,000 km. or almost 4,000 miles of it (my actual total was 6,674km. with all of the little side trips that we took going into town, sight seeing, etc.). I have actually travelled all the way from Seattle, Washington (on the Pacific Ocean) to Liberty State Park in Jersey City on the Atlantic Coast. In nine weeks, from Monday, June 30 to Saturday, August 30, I (I should say "we" because "we" were in this together- it wasn't a solo journey), we have pedalled our bicycles up steep mountain passes (seven of them in total), through dry, hot deserts of the interior, across the vast plains of the midwest, the rolling hills of Wisconsin and Michigan, the flatter terrain of southwestern Ontario not to mention the constant barrage of the short but often steep and at times challenging terrain of the Appalachians. We have traversed through lush, thick forests and barren wastelands, through alpine meadows and cornfields twelve feet high. We pedalled down busy highways (thank goodness not too many) and isolated backroads (they were my favourite). We travelled roads with wide, smooth shoulders (a cyclist's dream) but also roads with rumble strips and lots of cracks and potholes and rubble where a slight moment of inattention could cause an airborne trip over the handle bars or worse yet a spill onto a busy highway (a cyclist's nightmare) and signify the sudden end of the journey we had trained so hard for. We travelled down roads where drivers (by far the majority) were kind, slowed down or generously moved over and left us lots of room to continue safely. At other times, (fortunately the minority) we faced the irate motorist who felt we had no right whatsoever to be on the road, who honked loudly, refused to slow down or swing to the left even if there was ample room and who at times narrowly missed us. Those are tense filled moments, where knuckles turn white from gripping the handle bars and shoulders begin to ache as you try to stay on the "straight and narrow." It would be foolish to deliberately take up too much of the road in such instances in a show of defiance even if you have as much right to ride on the road as they do. They are, after all, bigger than we are and it's just best to let "might be right" even if it's not right.

Our pathway led us through tiny villages, the occassional one with only 21 people (no I stand to be corrected, it was 22 - the one had been scratched out and replaced with a two - a bably must have been born). There were the towns, many, many towns, too numerous to mention, a lot with populations in the five to ten thousand range. You know, it's these places that have found a prominent place in my memory. You see, we often stopped in them for a coffee or a danish or a hamburger, or sometimes just for an opportunity to talk with the local people. It's these people that I remember with such great fondness. Not so much their names (though I do remember some of them), but their kindness, their hospitality, their interest in our lives (and we in theirs), their excitement about what we were doing and their generosity towards us. They couldn't believe that we were actually cycling from Seattle to Jersey City. Outwardly they told us we were crazy but inwardly I know they respected us. I'm sure there was a part of them that wished they could join us. It showed in their generosity, the countless cups of coffee and cinnamon rolls "on them." It showed in the five, the ten, the twenty, the hundred dollar donations in cash we received for "World Poverty." They wanted to support the cause. It showed in their well wishes as we took leave of our time together and pedalled on down the road and out of their lives. Those are precious moments, precious people, every one of them. I know they contributed so much to my trip and greatly enriched my life and I won't soon forget them.

There were the cities too, as we traversed this vast and varied continent; Boise and Denver, Madison and London, to name a few. I'll never forget Chicago, the seemingly never ending clipping in and out of our pedals at all of the stop lights. Stopping! Starting! Stopping again! Starting again! Over and over again! It takes a lot of energy to do that time after time, not to mention the risk of falling when you do. (Did you know that most of the falls off a bicycle occur when you stop? It's true! There's probably not a cyclist who hasn't had it happen to them. What happens is that you unclip your shoe from one of your pedals as you slow down (the one you want to plant on the ground when you stop) but when you do stop, the bike (I think they have a mind of their own) decides to lean over to other side - the one where you are still clipped in to - and down you go. It's not a matter of IF this will ever happen to you but WHEN. Just ask any avid cyclist. Anyway, I'm sure we spent the bigger part of one day getting through the city and it's suburbs. It was a relief for me to get out into the country again and be able to pedal without interruption.

Who can forget the final 10 miles through Jersey City under police escort, the anxiousness, the sense of triumph, the joy of sharing this moment with some of my family, the feeling of standing knee deep in the Atlantic with my bike held high over my head. How often does one get the privilege of traversing an entire continent on the seat of a bicycle? Relatively few people have. I am one of those privileged people. I want to thank my wife and family for their support, especially as I journeyed across the land. They were there with me and for me. Thank you for my church community in Aylmer who not only gave me the time to "take on this challenge," but supported me so generously with their prayers and finances. That meant so much to me. Thankyou to the many community friends and family members who also supported me in this manner. Most of all thank you to our heavenly Father through whom all blessings do flow. May all of the honor and the glory surrounding this trip be His alone. He and He alone has made all things possible. Till next time (when I share some final thoughts), GOD BLESS!

Wednesday, August 27

2008-08-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday and we have arrived safely in Binghamton. Right now we are in the Broome College Library where the kind desk clerk gave perimission for us to us the computers. Again, unfortunately we do not have internet access back at camp and will not have it for the remainder of our journey. Just a little bit frustrating, to put it mildly.

Today's ride was awesome, if I might use that word. We entered the Appalachians and the panoramic scenery is absolutely stunning. I can't imagine what it would be like in the autumn as the leaves are turning colour. We faced a lot of hills, some of them significant, though I must admit, having gone over seven major mountain passes out west, these are bunny hills by comparison. However, the view once you get to the top is majestic and breathtaking. Many of the places along the route, the huge maple and oak trees created a canopy over the roadside with their spreading branches. There were a number of vineyards along the hillsides and several wineries. Our group actually took a few minutes to tour one and even tried the taste testing samples. We must be of Dutch extraction.

Today we had Corrie, one of our SAG driver's riding with us for the day. He's the one who carts the port a pottie behind the van everyday. He's also the one who "lost" the port a pottie from off his trailer and a couple of days before entering Canada actually got the van and port a pottie stuck in the ditch. Guess who had to turn around to push me out. We were more than happy to do so.

Corrie is such a neat guy. You couldn't find a nicer person and everyone on tour would give their shirt to help him out. Anyway he so desperately wanted to ride at least one day on the trip and today was the day. He also wanted to ride with us, a real treat for us I might add. He did a super job. Yes he was very tired at the end of the day but we let him find his own pace and encouraged him all the way. Actually we didn't do too bad time wise, arriving in Binghamton at about 1:45pm, which was certainly very respectable. Corrie had a huge smile on his face, arriving in the front twenty percent of the group. Way to go Corrie!

Yesterday's ride was an excellent one as well. We ended up at Sampson State Park, former Naval and Air Base situated on Seneca Lake, one of the two lakes that comprise the Finger Lakes. For the last thirty kilometres (20 miles) we rode along the shoreline. The houses were beautiful, reminding me of the ride we had along Lake Michigan. It was like riding through a park the entire way. The campsite itself is well treed and very pleasant to camp in. We were situated right along the lake. One of the pluses were the ample bathrooms and showers that were available for us. In some of our campsites, there have only been a couple of showers. When you consider that there are about 140 males to shower, you can imagine the lineup not only for the showers but the bathroom facilities. With approx. seventy females on the tour, the wait is not as severe. However, we do manage quite well. We really enjoyed our stay there.

Seneca Lake is a very deep lake, almost reaching a depth of 800 feet. While only a couple of miles wide, it is one of the deepest lakes in the U.S. This explains why it was used for submarine training during WWII. There is a museum there as well but unfortunately it would not be open until today (Wednesday). (I did try to twist some arms to get it open for us but no luck).

Before I go, (time is quite limited here as we have to get back to the school for supper as the church in Binghampton is putting on supper for us soon), I also want to include a tidbit about Monday's crossing over the Rainbow Bridge from Niagara Falls in New York State.

We all made the thirty km.(20 mile) trek from St. Catharines into Niagara Falls in good time. After taking the scenic Niagara bicycle path from the mouth of the river to the falls (our group arrived shortly after 8:00am) we spent a little bit of time checking out the sights such as the Floral Clock, Tim Horton's (of course- one of our U.S. friends who has cycled the entire distance with us wanted to have a coffee before he went back into the U.S.) as well as the Falls itself.

We all congregated in a parking lot near the Rainbow Bridge and were ready to cross at 10:00am sharp. We all had our passports on the ready. Billy D. (DenHarder) led the way as we started across the bridge. We took up the entire left lane of the bridge. As Billy reached the other side, I looked back and there were still cyclists coming onto the bridge at the other end. It was IMPRESSIVE to say the least. We all slowed down as we entered U.S. customs to speak to the border guards and show our passports BUT (get this) they waved every single one of us through, no questions asked or passports needed at all. Apparently the Chief of Border Crossing was present as we crossed the bridge and he was so impressed with the orderliness of our entire group that he simply asked Billy D. (on the Canadian side) if everyone was present (they had the master list of our names in their hands as well as photocopies of our passports). When Billy said yes he phoned across and told the guards to let us all through, no questions. Isn't that amazing! That is a God Moment for sure. I have never experienced that ever before. God was sure looking out for us.

Well, time is really ticking on and I need to go. The tour is quickly drawing to a close and I hope to share with you some of the emotions I am experiencing as we near the end (if I am able to get to a computer with internet access). Until then, take care!

Saturday, Aug. 23

2008-08-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

We have arrived safely at Beacon Chr. High in the Garden City (St. Catharines, Ont.). It was another beautiful ride, a big portion of it along the top of the spectacularly (is that actually a word?) scenic Niagara Escarpment. The escarpment is a hundred and something foot high limestone ridge that literally rises out of the earth and extends several hundred kilometres to the north east all the way from Niagara Falls to Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula. Niagara Falls on the Niagara River (probably the most well known falls on the planet) flows over this same escarpment from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. For the adventuresome back packer/hiker there is a trail (the Bruce Trail) that one can walk from one end (Niagara Falls) to Tobermory.

Anyway, a significant portion of our cycling route today from just outside of Hamilton, to Grimsby, was along the very edge of this escarpment. What a beautiful view of populated centres of Fruitland and Grimsby below, not to mention Lake Ontario. Several lake freighters were on their way, probably to Montreal or further up the Great Lakes. These freighters are all part of the fairly busy St. Lawrence Seaway, a waterway that extends all the way from the Gulf of St. Lawrence (which empties into the Atlantic Ocean) through the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, through the canal (lockes) to Lake Erie, on through the St. Clair River past Detroit, on into Lake Huron and then on through Sault Ste. Marie into Lake Superior, all the way to Duluth, Minnesota or Thunder Bay, Ontario where they pick up grain from the western prairies or iron ore form the Messabi Range of northern Minnesota. Ships can also go around the top end of Lake Huron and enter Lake Michigan, (the only Great Lake entirely in the U.S.) and go to centres such as Chicago to pick up or deliver goods. This seaway is open most of the year with the exception of the winter months, usually closing in late December due to ice build up on the Lake Erie, the most shallow of the five Great Lakes.

Unfortunately, as we cycled atop the escarpment today, it was a bit smoggy. On a clear day one can see right across Lake Ontario and view, quite clearly, the highrises of downtown Toronto, including the world famous CN Tower.

Nevertheless, the scenery along the escarpment, both on top and along the bottom, more than made up for it. As we entered the Niagara Region, vineyards became quite prominent. This region is home to many wineries, some of whom are quite famous for the high quality of wines they produce. A more recent development in the wine industry that has helped put this area "on the map" so to speak, is the production of ice wine. Grapes are actually left on the vines in into the winter and are not harvested until temperatures have dipped below a certain point for a particular period of time. The lower temperatures are critical to turning the starches into sugar in the grapes, creating the desired "sweetness." Pity the person who has to harvest these grapes under wintery conditions. The popularity of the ice wines, produced in this manner, have grown by leaps and bounds the past number of years.

Also noteworthy on our tour today was the number of stops that we made. There were at least five or six "pit stops" during our 75km. (46 mile) excursion, all churches that had taken the time and effort to set up refreshment stands and were so excited to have us come through. My own motto has always been, "if someone is willing to go out of their way for me (us) in this manner it is going to be important (actually imperative is a better word) for me to stop and acknowledge their hospitality. My sense is that most if not all of the cyclists on this tour have adopted a very similar mode of thinking. That's great. Of course having a number of the cookies and cakes, etc. etc. are also part and parcel of the "imperative" part of stopping.

One such "pit stop" included the Dutch Shop, a bakery in Grimsby where Eritia Smit (one of the cyclists on tour) works. She had told her boss that we were coming through and he in turn promised that he would supply the coffee and cake. What she didn't tell him is that there is this "early group" that gets up and leaves before everyone else. He was expecting the first ones to come through at about 9:30am (he opens at 9:00am). He was a little bit when we rolled in at 8:30am. However, the back door was open and he graciously let us in and spent time having coffee with us. Needless to say, the cake (the Dutch really do know how to bake cakes) was delicious.

Another "pit stop" was Shalom Manor, a huge home for seniors. The residents had been told that we would be coming through today and they were so excited to have us. We were the first ones there (again no surprise) and many of the residents were still busy with breakfast and such. However, we did get to speak with several of the residents. One of them that I "bumped" into was Rev. Jella Nutma. Of course he did not know me but I did know him. You see he was a pastor in Thunder Bay many, many years ago when I was a teen ager growing up in Emo and we would go to youth rallies there. I still remember him from then and told him so. He was so pleased by that. (Actually so was I. I may be getting a bit older but the mind is still ticking O.K.). I think we helped make their day. I know they helped make mine.

We did stop at the other places too but because of time constraints were not able to stay long. A small group of us had to be in St. Catharines by 10:45am as we had volunteered to help serve lunch to people off the street at a missions place downtown. This organization, known as "Start Me Up Niagara" is all part of a larger organization that seeks to reach out to people in need in the region. As a result, we actually had to "motor along" at a fairly fast clip the last 30km (20 miles) to make it in time and ended up being a few minutes late. (That was David Raakman's fault. Even though he drove, he was the last one to show up to drive us there).

We had a super time serving about 120 patrons, most of whom have struggled with various issues in their lives, be it mental illness or addictions, etc. I was quite surprised and a little saddened when I saw a boy who could not have been more than thirteen or fourteen walk through the line. That's younger than my youngest son. I could not imagine what it would be like for me as a father if that were my son standing in line. I sure have a lot to be grateful for.

I did talk a fair bit with the manager Tony who shared with me his passion for the people that he serves on a regular basis each weekend (Friday, Sat. Sun. and Mon.). I also had opportunity to talk with Rick, a volunteer whose past makes my head spin. He has been involved in just about everything, drugs, alcohol, gangs, etc., has seven children whom he has fairly regular contact with, has had three failed marriages, is a very gifted individual who I sense has had trouble holding down a steady job though he has worked for some significant businesses and is committed to "giving back" as much as he can with the years that may be alloted him. He knows just about everyone who comes in, and you can sense has a terrific rapport with most of them. It was a well spent two hours downtown. I'm happy I was able to be a part of it.

Tonight my wife and my two youngest children are coming down (YEAH!!!!) and I hope to touch base with my sister in law and her family, as well as possibly seeing a couple of my cousins. Actually, as I look at the clock, she is probably just arriving and so I had better hop on my bike and cycle over. Looking forward to seeing them again. Till next time, take care!

Friday, August 22

2008-08-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Another week has almost gone by already and I HAVE NOT been able to blog since Sunday. My apologies to all of you who have faithfully been reading this blog. In a nutshell, it has been a very busy and EXCITING week for me.

First of all, after a very enjoyable and relatively easy 121 km. (75 mile) trip from Chatham, I was able meet my family again yesterday afternoon in London at the high school (LDCSS) where we were camping for the evening. Maybe that's why the trip seemed so easy. I had "other" things on my mind. AND I was able to go home last night and and sleep in my own bed. What a treat that was. (I slept like a log - no snoring of course).

It has been almost eight weeks (tonight) since I was last home. That's a long, long time! Our puppy dog Cole thought so too. No sooner did I come through the door and he barked like I was a complete stranger. Good thing he doesn't bite! It took quite a bit of persuasion on my part before he allowed me to become his "friend" again. I am happy to report that all is now well in that department. I hope he remembers me again in a week and a half when our journey is over

The welcome at the high school was a very "moving" moment for me. First of all there were a LOT of people from all over the region there to greet us. More importantly, in my case, there were quite a few members of my church waiting to say hi to me. It was SO GOOD to see them. Thank you so much for coming. That really meant a lot to me. (One dear friend, Joanne and her husband Jerry, who were not able to make it in to see me, made sure that I received a whole box full of blueberry muffins. Did I say something about liking blueberries some time ago? Thanks a lot! I must also say that anytime there are people waiting to welcome us it is such a heart warming experience. I sometimes get the feeling that some of them are "living through us" as we travel across the continent and are so wrapped up in journey from reading all of the blogs of the various cyclists that they almost feel that they are the ones journeying right there with us on the bicycle. And in many ways they are. My own strong feeling in that regard (and I tell all of my supporters this) is that while I (we) may be the one(s) doing the cycling part, I consider them to be VERY MUCH an integral part of the TEAM. Without their daily prayers (which I know are being said on my and all of our behalf) as well as their financial support, none of this journey would have been possible. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER. I'm sure most of my fellow cyclists would concur with that sentiment. I want to thank all of you again so much for being such an important part of this "journey of a lifetime" as we travel across this beautiful country together.

From the moment we arrived at the high school, tables lavishly laden with baked goods of every kind (all donated), ice cream, all you could eat, donated by the local dairy board of the area and chocolate and white milk (as much as you could drink), donated by a dairy farmer from my home church, awaited us. And then there was supper! It was simply delicious. Fresh, locally grown, peaches and cream sweet corn donated by another very generous individual from my home church of Aylmer, hamburgers, sausages, bowls and bowls of all kinds of salads, and a host of other delectibles (is your mouth watering yet) made up the main menu. Again everything was donated by many willing hands from the London churches. And later in the evening, well the desserts were "out of this world." I'm sure that even the most diet conscious person there, could not resist a sampling of at least two or three of them. I'm not that diet conscious and I like pretending that since I am "working" really hard each day cycling that I must burn at least 8000 calories and can therefore "get away" with having more than my fair share of these sorts of things. I have also convinced myself that most desserts now a days do not have very many calories and I can therefore "pig out" even more. Sadly, that type of thinking will have to end soon as the tour draws near to a close or I will find myself quickly putting on thirty or forty pounds. That would not be good.

Wednesday saw us leave Richmond to make the 30 km. (20 mile) trek to Marine City where we would take the ferry across the St. Clair River and enter Canada. We all had to "congregate" by 10:00am as that was when we would begin crossing. What a sight to see 192 cyclists all with the same "Sea to Sea" jersey on and 35 support staff, all with their "Sea to Sea" T shirts on, gathering at the ferry.

The crossing went impeccably smoothly. It took about five or six ferry loads to get us all across (which includes all the gear and support vehicles as well). Canada Customs had a master copy of all of our names and as we entered through, all we had to do was show our passport and we were on our way. No questions asked what so ever. It was amazing! Even Corrie our SAG driver who tows the port a pottie with him got across without incident. He was a bit worried about it. You never know when it comes to these kind of things. I'm sure it's not every day, that "poopers" come across the border. The day before we had been warned by Ed, our tour organizer, that NO ONE was to use the port a pottie as we had to "declare all the contents" when we went across. In his dry humour, he had warned, "that they would be taking DNA samples of any contents found inside the port a pottie and would severely prosecute the perpetrator of such a grave offense when they found out. I have never laughed so hard in my life. Tears were streaming down my eyes. Any way Corrie and his "port a pottie" have arrived safely in Canada.

Speaking of arriving in Canada, there is something that happens to me every time I cross the border out of the U.S. into Canada. I can't really explain it but there is a feeling of tremendous relief and a strong sense that I am now safely on home turf and that everything will be O.K. from here on in. I get it every time. Maybe some of you have experienced that as well, perhaps some of our American friends who cross over from Canada back home to the U.S.

What a warm welcome we all received when we arrived on shore. I'm sure there were several hundred people there lining the "gang plank" and cheering us on as we came through one by one. A feast of goodies including hundreds of cupcakes with a little Canadian flag stuck in each. And of course what homecoming would there be without "good ole Tim Horton's coffee." It's been a long time since any of us Canadians have tasted one of our favourite brews. Thanks to the Sarnia and Wallaceburg churches who put it all together. Over the past three days I have continually heard comments from many of our fellow American cyclists who can't get over the tremendous "Canadian hospitality" they have recieved not only at the border but in Chatham, Mt. Brydges London, Ingersoll, Woodstock, Brantford, even Cambridge who came down to Brantford and hosted us refreshments today. Way to go Canada! It makes me proud to be Canadian and proud to host our great American friends and indeed all of us in this wonderful manner.

Cynthia Aukema (many of you know her from the blogs as the gal who went "down" in our cycling group just outside of Denver and broke her pelvis) met us on the Canadian side and cycled with us to Chatham, her home town. She is one "tough bird" as it has barely been three weeks since her injury. She wanted to have our "group" over for supper and also to sleep at her place that night. What a wonderful family her and husband Ralph have. Thank you so much for your tremendous hospitality. It was so good to have her back with us. She intends to cycle to Niagara and then make a decision as to whether she will try to make it to the east coast. Personally, I have no doubt that she will "go for it." Watching her cycle these past couple of days, I know she can do it.

Tuesday saw us cycling the 155km. (96 miles) from Laingsburg "Sleepy Hollow State Park" (which by the way was a great park to tent in). I was on "last sweep" for the day, along with two other (Pieter and Andy). What that meant, is that we had to be the very last cyclists in for the day, "sweeping" any stragglers in. It also, usually means that it will be an extremely long day. Normally, in the past, Andy and I have have been able to "wiggle" our way out of being the last sweep by promising to do extra work in setting up camp the previous afternoon as well as getting up at 5:45am the next morning when we actually are to sweep, to set up the breakfast "stuff." Of course this is never a problem for us as we are normally up at 5:00 am anyway and often help set up breakfast as it is. In return, the "young bucks" as we refer to the younger university guys in our sweep group, who love to sleep in until 7:25 (breakfast ends at 7:30am) promise to be the last sweep for the day. They're always the last to leave any way. Good deal isn't it. I think so. It's worked every time so far except this time because these four "young bucks" wanted to get into camp earlier so that they could go "bull riding." Yes, I wrote it correctly, they had a friend in Richmond who was setting them up to ride a number of bulls. Crazy isn't it. I thought so but they were serious and excited about the prospect and we were not going to stand in the way of them being bucked off and trampled on by a mean bull if that is what they wanted to do for excitment. Actually, I am quite envious of their tenacity to take on just about anything, being totally oblivious to the possiblility of injury in the process. Oh to be young again. I look back to my growing up years and I know for a fact that there are a LOT of things that I did then that I shudder about now. (Anyway, they did go bull riding and had a great time doing it. Alex is still limping from being bucked off and hitting the ground real hard (he could hardly ride bike the next day) but I know that he would do it again in a heart beat.

As I said, being last sweep usually means a long, long day on the road, especially when the trip is almost a hundred miles. Yes, it was long. We left camp at shortly after nine am and about twenty miles into the trip we came across a couple of the slower cyclists who had stopped for a rest. We encouraged them to "hit the road" again and then looked for the nearest restaurant for a coffee so that they could get a ways along. So the day went. I could probably tell you the names of every coffee shop between Sleepy Hollow Park and Richmond. We did get into camp though at 6:45pm, a bit later than the 1:30pm that we are normally used to. However, I am O.K. with it. You just have to get mentally prepared ahead of time that this is the way it will be for that day. The rest falls into place accordingly.

On Monday we rode from Grand Rapids to Sleepy Hollow State Park, a short trek of only 101km or 63 miles. It's amazing to hear myself say "short trek" of only 63 miles. A year ago, I considered 10 miles to be a HUGE journey. The trip was probably the easiest we have encountered on the whole journey. The terrain was relatively flat and the wind was behind our backs the whole way. As I recall it, this is only the second day that we have had a tail wind the entire day, the entire way so far. There have been times when we have had tail winds for a part of the day, but most often we have encountered either cross winds or worse yet a head wind. Maybe God was "looking out" for the sixty new riders who joined us in Grand Rapids and for whom this was their first day's ride.

Along the way, I met a wonderful couple at Walt's SAG stop. Walter finds some of the neatest spots to park his motor home. This time he saw this farm and pulled in and simply asked the owner if he could park his vehicle there for the next four or so hours. Of course he explains exactly why he wants to park there and all about the tour. This couple were quite excited to have him there and parked themselves on the front veranda of their house to watch as we began to cycle in. As a result, I got to meet Tony and Pat, the owners of the farm house. I really enjoy talking to the people I come across each day whether it be in the restaurant, on the street or where ever and so when I saw Tony and Pat on the veranda I made a point of going over to chat with them. As it turns out, Tony was born in that house (he is an elderly gentleman), a house that his great grandfather built in 1848 out of solid oak (there are majestic oaks everywhere in this area). He loves to collect old farm machinery and so, being a former farmer myself, I was quite interested in having a peek and taking some pictures. I also got a picture of Tony and Pat sitting on their veranda chair. They wanted a picture of me too. Funny how things go when you take the time and make the effort to stop to talk to strangers. You just never know, some of the interesting people that you might encounter. I heard that a little later as other cyclists came through (we were near the front again - got to live up to our London Express name right) that Tony and Pat picked up their chairs and sat with Walter at the SAG wagaon (his motor home) to talk to the other cyclists as they arrived. Isn't that neat.

Well that pretty much brings me (and you the reader) up to date with my experiences on this trip the past week. I had better being going as it is 6:45pm and I may have missed out on supper. I sure hope not, though I think I could survive with all the refreshement stops we have made today. Till next time, take care.

Sunday, August 17

2008-08-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy and exciting last few days for me. First and foremost, I was able to see my entire family from Aylmer. Seven weeks is a long, long time to be apart from your loved ones and so I couldn't wait to see them. My wife and four children (and our eldest daughter's boyfriend were all there along with George and Marj Steenbergen, great friends of ours from Aylmer who acted as chaperones. Thanks so much to them for helping make it all happen. Unfortunately, they got held up at the Sarnia Bridge which was shut down because of a gas leak and were unable to see all of us ride in together to Calvin College. However, they arrived shortly thereafter and we had a wonderful reunion. It was so good to see them. The whole weekend turned out to be a great time for all of us.
Several other "Aylmerites" were down too; John and Sandra D.H., Joanne D.H and a couple of daughters to see Bill, Gordon W., as well as Pete and Marian. It was so good to see so many familiar faces again. Thanks for making the trip.

Saturday was a great ride in from Grand Haven to G.R. Our group of six or seven (sometimes eight) was reduced to three as the others were either on "sweep duty" or were riding with family members who were riding for the day. We had a number of "pit stops" along the way for refreshments and just to say hi to people who were cheering along the road. The first such stop was a family who were gathering to greet one of the riders. We stopped to say hi and introduced ourselves. Most people don't know where Aylmer or St. Thomas is so we usually see we are from the London, Ont. area. When we said this to the group, one of them right away said, "Oh you're part of the "London Express." She had faithfully been reading a lot of the blogs and it seems that several of them had referred to our "early bird" group with that term. We had a good laugh at that. It's the first time I had ever heard of us being known by that name.

I have heard of others who have wondered, in jest, if we actually cycle the whole route each day or if we have a secret arrangement with one of the SAG drivers to drive us half the distance so that we are so far out front and then wait around, stopping at coffee shops to let some of the others catch up and make it look like we actually had biked the whole distance. Because we leave so early, (usually before 6:30am) there are many cyclists who actually never see us on the road, only in camp each night - hence the comment. But that is the first time that I have heard the term "London Express."

Another funny incident happened at our first refreshment stop at Lamont Chr. Sch. There was a significant group waiting as we arrived and no sooner had we stopped and gotten off our bikes than one of the ladies who was looking at the names written on our vests commented to me, "Louis Bosma, you did not blog last night." We then had a good laugh. Actually, last week I had blogged four times, which is a record for me, but she was right. I had not blogged the night before. Apparently, she was enjoying reading my blog. That was nice to hear. We have heard of people who actually spend 3 to 4 hours a day reading the cyclist's blogs and feeling very much a part of the trip through them. That's great!

After leaving the school, we next stopped at Woodlawn CRC for more refreshments and a light lunch with lots of baked goods. The sugar bread and big bowl of fresh blueberries was simply delicious.

Then it was off through the city of Grand Rapids. What is a day's ride without being off the course and so we found ourselves once again asking the locals for directions. Just as we hit the right path again we bumped into three young riders from G.R. who were cycling from Grand Haven with our group for the day. What a God send. They knew their way through the city and so we asked if we could "latch on." No need to get off track unnessecarily right. We could see they were pretty good cyclists. One of them made the comment that there were three "BIG" hills up ahead and so off we went. As I said they were pretty good cyclists and were intent on showing their prowess, at least by the way they were cycling. I kind of had to chuckle at them. We politely let them lead the way because they knew the way and when we reached the BIG hills (which were not really much of a hill to us, given the mountain passes we had climbed), they huffed and puffed their way up while we kind of casually cycled past them and then slowed down at the top to let them catch up. We made really good time through G.R., arriving at Calvin College before noon. Thanks for the ride guys. We were very grateful to have been led through. Who knows, we might still be out there if it hadn't been for them.

One other note of great interest, especially for our immediate group of cyclists and that is that Cynthia A. was back in the saddle on Saturday. Her doctor had given her the O.K. if she felt she was able and willing to try and so there she was on Friday night in Grand Haven geting ready to give it a try. (John and I had put her bike together the night before in South Haven). She was not quite ready to ride with us just yet. She wanted to ride at her own pace in her own space with her son Andrew. Understandably she was quite nervous about it all given what had happened less than three weeks earlier. She did great and was able to do the whole distance for the day averaging close to 24km. per hour. Fantastic! God really did answer a lot of prayers on her behalf. She plans to go back to Ont. and meet us at the border in three days and then cycle with us again, hopefully the rest of the way, the Lord willing. She'll take it day by day.

Thursday and Friday saw us heading up the eastern side of Lake Michigan, from Chesterton to South Haven and from South Haven to Grand Haven. We left the central time zone behind at the Indiana/Michigan border (we had to jump across a railroad and a freeway to get those pictures) and entered the eastern time zone.

The ride up the coast is simply beautiful. The houses are beautiful with lush flower gardens and huge trees. It reminded me very much of riding through a park. Part way up the coast on Thursday we stopped at a wonderful Swedish bakery nestled in a Swedish community. The patrons were, not surprisingly, mostly Swedish. They do know how to make really good coffee there.

A little further on, we had a refreshment stop at St. Joseph's. This community brought back several memories for me. My first one was ten years ago when a busload of 40 of our youth from Aylmer, St. Thomas and London area were on our way back from Minneapolis from a SERVE project. St. Joe's had graciously allowed us to stay in our church that evening. It had been a blistering hot day and we did not arrive in St. Joe's until 10:30 at night, exhausted and still sweaty, not to mention stinky.

We got the kids to get their bags unpacked into the church, quickly set up their sleeping mats and sleeping bags and grab their swim suits. At 11:00 pm we all headed down to the beach. I remember very distinctly the full moon that night and the calm, warm waters of Lake Michigan. What a treat for all of us, not to mention refreshing.

The other memory is that of having gone to St.Joe's/Benton Harbour on SERVE with our youth group about seven years ago. The city is very culturally divided with a river running right through the middle of the two cities. As I remember it, on one side of the river (St.Joes), almost
the entire population is Caucasion. On the other side, (Benton Harbour) almost the entire population is African American and over the years there has been a lot of racial tension between the two. We worked in Benton Harbour in some pretty rough areas that you would not want to be in at night. We stayed at a church on the other side of the river. It was one of my favourite sites of the twelve that I have gone to over the years.

Friday saw us head through the beautiful, tourist, harbour town of Saugatuk early on in the morning. If you ever have the chance, make sure to take your time to visit the down town area. We had a little time on our hands and so found a great coffee shop down a back alley where I met a young lady, Marg who was busy typing on her computer outside the shop. She is a writer and was very interested in what we were doing. I shared one of my Sea to Sea bracelets with her and she willingly put it on. She was also very interested in checking out some of the blogs.

Then it was on to Graafschap CRC the "mother church" of our denomination some 150, plus years ago. There is a lot of history of our denomination here. After being treated to a delicious lunch of sandwiches, baked goods, and lots of fresh blueberries for me (they're good for you) we checked out the basement of the this church that houses a museum of many artifacts of the early church of that time period. Several of the older members of the congregation were on hand to give guided tours and answer our many questions. I'm sure they were in their glory, well deserved because they did a great job. It was very interesting. Be sure to check it out if you are ever in the area.

I ended up talking to some of the church members (what's new there, right) and inadvertently was left behind by the group I generally cycle with. It turned out to be a great opportunity to cycle with others and take a couple of side trips. The first was to see a huge windmill in South Holland along with a replica Dutch village. Generally you have to pay to see this (seven dollars, I believe) but we were able to kind of sweet talk our way through for free. Thank you to the kind lady who let us in.

Then it was on to Russ's Cafe for a big piece of fresh blueberry pie. Do you get the sense I kind of like blueberries. I love them. We have passed by many a blueberry farm and the plants are simply loaded with ripe berries. My mouth is watering as I think about it. I must admit that there are times when I am very tempted to stop and help myself to a few. So far I have been able to resist the temptation but,.....

We then took another side trip to Dave's (a fellow cyclist from South Holland area) who invited us to see his boat at the lake. As it turned out, his boat is a 41 footer with two big diesel engines and a beautiful interior that can comfortably sleep six or eight people. We stayed for an hour and had a really neat talk about our families. Thanks for the hospitality Dave.

Then it was through the town of Sheldon. An interesting note about the name of Sheldon. In the 1800's when the town was being settled, the time of the horse and buggy and wooden bridges, there was a family that was crossing the bridge in their horse and carriage when the bridge suddenly capsized. Three of the children drowned as a result. The incident shook up the entire town and thereafter whenever anyone crossed the bridge they would comment, "Oh the poor children" in their thick Dutch accents. Over time the name kind of stuck but gradually changed to Sheldon.

That evening we stayed in the Christian Conference Center outside of Grand Haven, a beautiful, family campground situated right on the beach of Lake Michigan. There were a lot of campers there for the weekend. For supper we were treated by Home Missions to a delicious dinner of steak, vegetables and all the chocolate brownies you could eat. Of course, being on a strict diet, that was a no, no for me - NOT. That evening we also said goodbye to some 12 or so cyclists who will be leaving the tour in Grand Rapids. It is always kind of sad when it comes to saying goodbyes as we have over the past number of weeks become very much a close knit family. It was very fitting to end to evening by celebrating communion together.

Today we were privileged to be a part of the huge celebration service here in G.R. There was an estimated over 6,000 people present. Shane Clayborne (sp.?) the very gifted speaker, challenged us to be channels of justice and restoration in a very broken world. He spoke vividly of his experiences of working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta and how one could be Jesus to the people God has called us to reach out to. He certainly gave us a lot to think about as we reflect on our own lives and how we reflect Jesus each day. What do people see as they look at us?

Tommorow we begin week eight. Only two more weeks remain for those of us who have travelled from Seattle. For the fifty or so cyclists who have joined us for these last two weeks, their journey is just beginning. Isn't that a fitting picture of our lives as Christians. We are all on that journey of life. Some have come quite a ways and the trip is "winding down" so to speak while for others of us, it may be just beginning. Looking forward to meeting some of these "new" cyclists. I am also looking forward to soon crossing the border as it means that I am getting closer to home. Am also looking forward to extending some great Canadian hospitality to everyone, especially our American friends, some of whom have never visited our beautiful country. Till next time, take care!

Thursday, August 14

2008-08-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

It was pitch black outside when we got up this morning at 5:10am. Actually it was pitch black outside already at 8:30pm last night. The days are noticeabley getting shorter and the nights longer. A sure sign that summer is quickly passing by, as is this bike tour. I still have to pinch myself that we have travelled nearly 3,000 miles already as we near the seven week mark of our epic journey and that there are only two more weeks until we reach the Atlantic Ocean at Jersey City. How the time has flown by. A good sign, right, when you're having a great time.

One other thing that was noticeably absent this morning and that was the heavy dew we have epxperienced, especially the past number of days. As we have travelled further east, the moisture levels in the air have increased accordingly as well so that our tents are sopping wet on the outside when we pack them up into our duffle bags. One would think that it had rained all night. On days like that we pray for sunshine when we arrive into camp in the afternoon. The first thing that we do is to spread everything out on the grass and let the sun do its work before setting up again.

Another noticeable thing is that the temperatures have been much more bearable. Right from the time we left Seattle and crossed the mountains and the prairies, temperatures have soared into the mid ninties most of the way, seemingly sucking the life blood right out of our bodies. The past few days have been superb for cycling; not too hot and not to cold; just right. I know for me, I have seemed to have a lot more energy, especially toward the end of each days ride and feel like I could readily go for another 20 or 30 miles. Mind you, the shorter mileages the past couple of days have helped out in that regard too.

Yesterday we left Palos Heights (Trinity College) and continued on our way through the south side of Chicago and started up the east side of Lake Michigan to Chesterton. That meant a lot of stopping and starting at the traffic lights as well as paying great attention to staying on the "straight and narrow" along the edge of the road as a lot of the streets are very busy.

Half of the group, myself included, took a detour off the scheduled route so that we could "take in" Roseland Ministries" a ministry to one of the poorer (primarily African American) districts of south Chicago. This ministry spearheaded by pastor "Tony" and his team, reaches out to men, women and children. The second floor houses some 80 women and children who are generally referred to them through various government agencies. These women can stay there for a maximum of 120 days and during that time are involved in an "integrated program" that provides training and other means of help in an attempt to help them become self sufficient.

The bottom (main) floor, has people (primarily men) who come for meals during the day but who do not stay there at night. The mission serves over 300 meals a day. When we visited, it was a hub bub of activity.

In addition, the mission has been very involved in the community, fixing up old, abandoned homes so that they can be inhabited by some of the people that they minister to who have no homes. To date, close to sixty homes have been refurbished. That's quite amazing.

There is also Roseland Christian School that reaches out to many of the children who are ministered to through the mission. The community at large has been very instrumental in helping make it possible to pay for the education of these children. Enrollment has been up to 300 but the past year or so there has been a decline which is of concern to the principal.

Down the road from the mission is Roseland Christian Reformed Church which seeks to reach out to the community as well. Some thirty-forty years ago there were eight or more CRC's in the area but when there was a cultural shift and many African Americans began moving in, many of the church members began moving to the suburbs further south. Today, only Roseland and Pullman remain and are doing a fantastic job of reaching out the community; all evidence of a change in attitude over the years of the churche's mandate in a broken world. I was impressed with the vision and the work being done at Roseland. It shows a lot of promise and gives hope to a lot of broken people. That, to me, is central to the purpose of church ministry.

While stopping at one of the churches (Munster CRC) who hosted us to a wonderful lunch of subs, drinks, and baked good galore, I bumped into Greta Groen, an acquaintance who grew up in the little place of Emo, in northwestern Ont. (near the Manitoba border) which incidently is also where I grew up. I was only a young boy at the time but I remembered her well and what is even more impressive, she remembered me too. What a small world we live in.

Last night at Chesterton, I went down to the beach (we were camped at a state park right on Lake Michigan) and witnessed the most amazing sunset I have seen in quite some time. The oranges and reds against the dark clouds in the sky and the shimmering waters of Lake Michigan with Chicago across the lake as a backdrop was simply awesome. Fortunately I had my caera with me and was able to take a lot of pictures of the various stages.

Today's ride was extremely beautiful. Most of the day was spent going along the shores What beautiful homes there are. It was just like riding through a park most of the day.

John's foot was a bit sore today and so he wanted to take it a bit easier. That was fortunate. I would hate to see him on his really good days, because we still made very good time averaging nearly twenty miles an hour. We did get to see the beauty though. At one point we stopped at a Swedish Bakery. What a busy place. It truly was Swedish. Every single person we talked to was Swedish. I should qualify that. One woman was of Dutch descent but had married a Swede. Everyone was very friendly and excited for us and our journey. By the way, they know how to make a really good cup of coffee too.

South Haven is a very well to do town that is geared to tourists. The downtown area is lined with shops of every kind. It would be a place that I know my wife and daughters could spend hours browsing around in. Situated right along a huge beach on Lake Michigan, it is an ideal spot to spend holiday time with the family. Of course we had to try out the ice cream shop in town.

Once in camp, John and I were interviewed for the local newspaper. It's not quite as nerve wracking anymore as we have done it two or three times already. A lot of the other cyclists have been interviewed in the various places we have camped as well. It's neat when the media take an interest in what we are doing. It sure helps to get the word "out there."

Tomorrow we head to Grand Haven and then it's on to Grand Rapids. I can't wait because my wife and all four children are going to be there to meet me. I haven't seen them in seven weeks and look so forward to being with them again.

Well, Im missing another peleton meeting right now and so I had better go. But I did want to get this off to everyone while the internet is working (which it has the past four days) and while I have access to a computer. Until next time, take care.

Tuesday, August 12

2008-08-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 5:15 this morning and, with maps in hand, we were ready to "hit the road" at 6:20. Claire E. joined us today. She is also an early bird and likes to get in to the next camp early. With us she knows that that will likely happen as we are generally one of the first groups out. With one more person added to the group we numbered eight, making it a little bit too large, especially when significant traffic is present. That became evident quite quickly as there were no shoulders for the first ten miles. Our line of eight (single file) made it quite difficult for motorists to pass safely against the oncoming traffic. I get a little more tense, especially when a motorist, tired of waiting for a opportune time to navigate around us, decides they WILL pass even though someone is coming from the opposite direction.

Fortunately, ten miles into the trip we were able to take leave of the road and follow the Prairie Trail/Fox River Trail, a bicycle path for the next almost forty miles. What a relief! Much of the trail followed the river. Large trees, with their limbs forming an archway over us at many points along the way, made for a very enjoyable, not to mention scenic trip. Wild flowers of every type, most notably the Black Eyed Susan lined the pathway much of the way, adding to the beauty. At several points, we crossed the river on wooden bridges. The rickety sound of our bike tires pounding across the boards was a symphony of sound all its own.

The area that we traveled through was quite populated and so at several points the trail would literally open up to the downtown areas of several beautiful hamlets revealing a wide array of shops. Had there been time, I'm sure we would have had little trouble filling in an hour or two just browsing through the various shops, many of them geared for tourists.

At about mile thirty or so, the bike path took us literally through the back yard of an elderly gentleman who, as a hobby, collects railway signs and other such like memorabilia. He had a little railway station and a walkway lined with all sorts of various railway crossing signs, each one different from the other. He happened to be out working at it and so we stopped to talk for a while. It was interesting listening to how he had become involved in his hobby and where he had gotten some of his signs from.

It was while we were talking with this gentleman that two other young men came walking down the trail with their bikes. One of them had a flat and unfortunately were without a spare tube and so they were walking all the way back home a few miles away. Having spare tubes in hand ourselves, John (who is our official fixer upper guy- we will not let him join any other group for that reason) quickly had them "up and running" again. It always feels kind of nice inside when you can help someone out like that. They kind of returned us a bit of a favour a couple miles further when we crossed another span of the river over one of those wooden bridges and had them take pictures of all of us.

A half hour later saw us in the city of St. Charles. We were close to that magic 60 km. (40 mile) mark which unofficially signals the need for a coffee stop. Yes there was a Starbucks (the U.S. version of Tim Hortons back in Canada and so we HAD to stop. John prefers his MacDonalds coffee stop (coffee is cheaper there) but he graciously let us go to Starbucks (actually it was a unanimous decision). What was really gracious was that Gerald treated us to a coffee and donut. Way to go Jerry. You can also stay in our group for that.

We started talking to some of the patrons there (as we always do) sharing with them who we were and what we were doing and handing out cards, etc. It was then that I experienced what I like to call a real "GOD MOMENT." You'll know what I mean as I explain what happened.

A couple of tables away from us, were two ladies who were talking together. As we were talking to some of the patrons in the shop, I felt drawn to go over and begin a conversation with them (just kinda butt in, politely of course). The one lady was Karen and the other one Randi. Anyway, I gave them a card and began explaining about the tour to them and they were really excited for us and started asking all sorts of questions. They couldn't believe that we had actually traveled all the way from Seattle and were going all the way to Jersey City. (I like it when they think we're some kind of super hero - which we aren't at all).

They had picked up from my "accent" that I was Canadian (we had a good laugh about that) and so I introduced them to Barb a fellow American from Iowa who doesn't have an accent and we continued talking. Somehow the conversation swung around that all of us belonged to the Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Church of America and that I was a pastor. Quite out of the blue (no, I believe it was meant to be), Karen asked if we could pray for her and her family and more particularly their 14 year old son Russell who has reoccurring leukemia. It is a grave situation. Doctors have given them as a family four different treatment options but they just don't know which way to turn or go, they feel so overwhelmed by it all. As she is saying this tears are streaming down her face.

We assured her that of course we will pray for her and her family and son Russell. In fact, Barb added, "there will be 170 people all praying for you tonight at our peleton meeting. We will make sure that they know about your need." "Thank you so much" is all Karen could muster at this point.

Tears are streaming down Randi's cheeks also. "Could you please pray for me and our family too. Two months ago we lost our two year old son to leukemia and we're having such a hard, hard time trying to deal with it." By this time tears are in our eyes too. There was/is so much hurt and pain that these ladies are feeling and trying to deal with. I can't begin to imagine what they must be facing. They had been in the same hospital room with their sons and that is how they came to know each other and be a support for each other. That is why they were in the coffee shop at that moment.

We assured both of them that we would certainly be keeping both of them in our personal prayers in the coming days and that all of us on the tour would be doing the same. At that point I asked Karen and Randi if we could pray for and with them right then. They both noded "Yes" and so the four of us held hands together in the restaurant while I led in prayer. We gave both of them a big hug and told them how to find us on the (this) blog. They assured us they would look us up.

I still shake my head in amazement at what transpired there in that restaurant. I can only say that this GOD MOMENT was meant to be and I feel so privileged to have been a part of it. Now I ask any of you who may be reading this posting to please keep Karen and Randi and their families in your prayers also. May God give discernment to Karen and her family as they chose a course of treatment for Russell and also bring a sense of His peace to Randi and her family as they try to come to terms with their tremendous loss.

After leaving St. Charles we continued on the bicycle path and shortly the trail divided and guess what. We took the left while we should have taken the right. And it wasn't John's fault either. Usually a wrong turn means another 5 or 6 miles added to the length of our trip, as if it isn't already long enough. HOWEVER, this time is actually worked in our favour. Remember the two guys whose tire we had fixed earlier in the morning. Well, one of them had looked at our map and indicated that there was actually another route on this bike path that would allow us to miss the busy city of Aurora, and with a couple of turns here and there we could link up with the route that had been mapped out for us, only save a few miles in the process. Well we quickly realized that that must be the path we were on (or at least we hoped it was) and so we kept going. Sure enough, while the trail was not paved the whole way and we did have to ask the locals a few times if we were still headed the right way, we actually ended up saving a few miles and were pretty much at the front of the whole group when we rejoined the route again. God is good isn't he.

The last 30 or so miles of our journey to Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights was spent skirting our way around the west side of Chicago, meandering in and out of residential areas and also spending a significant amount of time on some very busy roads with lots of stop lights. It certainly impeded our progress, not to mention increased the danger level with all the traffic and clipping in and out of our pedals at all the stoplights. (It's amazing how many red lights you can hit in a row). I was feeling quite tired, more mentally from the traffic congestion, than physically. However, we arrived at Trinity at about 2:30 pm which isn't too bad, especially when you consider that several of the cyclists got lost on the same bicycle path we did but ended up doing well over 100 miles in total instead of the 83 we were supposed to be doing and didn't get in until 5:00ish or even later. A few didn't get in until 7:15 tonight. So I certainly have nothing to complain about. It was a very good day.

In closing, I would just like to add that Trinity is a beautiful college with about 1100 students. They put on a fantastic supper for us (pizza and salad along with make your own icecream sundaes always goes over well). I met a really nice family over supper, Joyce (who works at Trinity) her husband (I can't recall his name) and their two lovely children Paul and Kelsey who were waiting to pick up cyclist billets for the evening. About 70 spots were available for the cyclists. I chose not to be billeted so that I could spend my evening posting this blog so that you might have a little peek into my day. Hope you could have somewhat of a sense of what I'm experiencing. It's really so difficult to put into words. Until next time, take care!

Monday, Aug 11

2008-08-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

Wha)t a beautiful day today, in every way. I don't believe the temperature broke the eighty degree (27-28 degrees C). The winds were light, the roads were some of the best that we have had, the traffic was minimal, there were no significant climbs and the scenery was georgeous. What more could one ask for. God is good!

I actually slept in this morning until 5:30am. I think my body was trying to tell me it still needed a little bit of recuperating time from the past two weeks of putting in long mileage. It didn't matter too much. Everyone else slept in too and so what! We were only going 132 km. (82 miles today, no big deal right.

We were still able to get away by 6:40am which is only about ten minutes later than what we have been doing. Ed (Witvoet) the tour coordinator had marked out the first half of the trip for us with spray paint on the road to indicate all the turns that we had to make. That is such a life saver for us as our maps for the day coming out of Madison had us making about 20 turns onto different streets and country roads. I'm sure we would still be out there trying to find our way. Even with the markings our group gets "lost" one or two times a day thanks to our trustworthy navigator John. For example, today we went straight through an intersection instead of turning right and ended up on this country road that quickly became a bush road and suddenly came to a dead end at a lake. In John's defence I must say I don't mind it at all. It is an opportunity to stop and talk to the locals to get directions and then tell them about what we are doing. At this lake were two ladies fishing and so we stopped and talked to them for a bit, handed them Sea to Sea cards and then were on our way again. Never the less, Thanks Ed for the super job you and the rest of the SAG drivers do for us! We appreciate it very much.

Shortly into the trip, we spotted some sand hill cranes in the wheat stubble along the road. A few were flying. These are huge, majestic, light brown coloured birds that must have a wing span of over four or five feet. A few miles further there was a field where there were literally hundreds of them. Quite a sight to see. I spotted one in a tree along the road and quickly pulled over to the side of the road to take a picture while the rest of the group continued on their way. I didn't mind a bit. You see, I learned a little lesson last week about stopping (or not, as was the case). I had just crested the top of a hill and had started down the other side when there perched on a sign right along the road was the largest hawk I have ever seen. It wasn't more than ten feet away from me. What a majestic sight. It didn't budge a bit as I passed by five feet away. I'm sure I could have stopped and taken a picture, but I HAD TO build up speed and get down the hill. I'm still kicking myself about that one. Sometimes we are so busy in life trying to GET THERE where ever there is that we don't stop to take in and enjoy the journey of life. That's what I did with that hawk. I was in too big a hurry to take the time to enjoy the beauty of the moment.

About 25 miles into our journey this morning John spotted a MacDonald's along the road and that could mean only one thing. We had to stop for a "seniors" coffee. John can't pass one by without stopping. It's a bit like Tim Hortons are for some of us back in Canada. Anyway, we needed a break. Remember, we are here to enjoy the journey and stopping is part of that journey.

At the little town of Delavan, some 80 km. (50 miles) into our journey, we were treated to a lunch of beef on a bun, sloppy joes, salads, chips, etc. and brownies with ice cream at the local CRC. It was SUPER! It is so nice to be treated this way and have opportunity to talk to the people.

Shortly thereafter, we noticed some people sitting at the side of the road with a sign welcoming the Sea to Sea cyclists with a cooler of water there. We stopped and quickly realized that the individuals were handicapped who lived in a home called Inspiration Ministries. They had heard that we were coming through and wanted to do this for us, bless their hearts. Susan, Chuck, Sarah and Donna were so excited that we stopped. We talked with them for a bit and then all had our pictures taken with them. You should have seen the huge smiles on their faces. We made their day but you know what, they made ours too. I think we were more blessed by them than they by us. I know I was.

They wanted us to take a ride through their nature trail and we were more than happy to do so. What fun it was going down this narrow paved trail through the woods. At one point this big sunflower plant crossed the path. Barb went through it and let it whip back into my face, laughing all the way. We were both laughing so hard that I missed a turn and went right into the corn field. No damage done, just a lot of laughs. And so our day went. Just a beautiful day for a beautiful ride. God is certainly very good.

Well, I'm missing a peleton meeting and so until next time, take care.

Sunday, August 10

2008-08-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it! I (we) made it to Madison, Wisconsin. What a week it was, not only in terms of distance ( a total of 882 km or 548 miles) but also in terms of the longest distance travelled on three consecutive days on the tour. On Wednesday we travelled 184 km or 114 miles from Sioux Centre to Algona. This was followed up on Thursday with a 182 km. (113 miles) trip from Algona to New Hampton. If that were not enough, Friday was 162 km. (just over 100 miles) from New Hampton to Fennimore.

The days, for me, went better than I had expected. Maybe I'm a bit of worry wart, certainly not over confident, when treading into new territory when it comes to lengthy mileage. I had previously, in training, accomplished one 200 km. feat in one day but that had been in three separate "runs" during the day. On a trip such as this, it is consecutive mileage accomplished on consecutive days. It was the day after day part that concerned me somewhat. How would the body (not to mention the behind) hold out after sitting in the saddle for so long each day? I was pleasantly surprised and relieved that it was not as bad as I had anticipated. Yes, my butt was sore, but not excruciatingly so, no more so than any other day. Yes, I was tired but not to the point of mental and physical exhaustion. Perhaps, the long miles already traversed and the six days a week that we have encountered for the past six weeks have paid off dividends in a big way. I certainly can vouch for the fact that I feel much stronger than when I began (I believe we all have gotten stronger). One tell tale sign is when we have new riders join us, they tend to start off strongly but two thirds of the way through they are straining while I feel I can keep on going. Maybe it's the Duracel batteries in me that just keep on "going and going and going." Maybe, just maybe, I might be almost in as good a shape as my children. Wouldn't that be something, old dad being able to keep up with the kids.

After a wonderful, relaxing weekend at my niece's air conditioned home in Omaha (my body really needed the rest, especially since that last weekend, Sunday in particular, was extremely hot to the point of it being dangerous to be outside), I was ready to "hit the road" early Monday morning again. After a half hour ride from her place, my niece dropped me off at the camp at 6:10am. The others in our cycling group were already chomping at the bit to get going. A quick stop at the bathroom (when you "got to go you gotta go") and I was ready too for the 143 km. (89 mile) trip from Fremont to Sioux City, Iowa.

It was cloudy with rain threatening as we headed pretty well due north on the "back roads" of eastern Nebraska. The clouds were a very welcome relief from the intense heat we had been experiencing for almost too long to remember. The terrain was quite hilly but that was really nothing new for us. When we left Denver and the mountains behind, we had somehow (falsely) believed that for the rest of the way it would be flat, clear sailing across the "prairies. Well, I for one, had that bubble burst on me quite quickly. While there are definitely flat portions to the prairies, hills (some of them significant) seem to be much more the menu for most of the days that we have been crossing portions of Colorado and particularly Nebraska and Iowa. It seems that no sooner have you climbed one hill and the next one is there waiting (maybe they're laughing at us- cruel joke) to tackle. That can be particularly deflating as the day wears on and the body's energy levels wane portportionaly and simultaneously.

One thing I do have to say regarding the "hilly" prairies and that is this: they are absolutely and stunningly beautiful. To ride through endless corn and soybean fields (which I personally could bask in day after day) and then to come to the top of one of these hills and view the panorama of endless fields and farms dotting the landscape before you is a sight to soak in with deep appreciation. This is truly God's country. What a privilege to witness His beautiful creation in such a manner. I am left wondering if the "locals" realize the beauty of their countryside. Sometimes it takes an "outsider" to see how special it is and point it out to them.

About half way (75km.) into our trip the road took a sharp turn right in the little French village of Decatur and there before us was the mighty Missouri River that forms the boundary between Nebraska and Iowa at this point. We were waved through the toll booth (there are some privileges on this tour- actually many) and then it was onto the big steel grate structure itself. One piece of advice; don't look down through the grates or your eyes go "buggy" and secondly; hang on to your handle bars. It was a very rough ride across. Many chose to walk the km. across rather than endure the bumpy ride. Another state, Nebraska, had been conquered and now it was Iowa.

It was about at this time that we were informed (news amongst the cyclists who may be spread out over 40 or more miles as the day progresses, travels very quickly) that Eritia (Smit) had been hit by a car. This is a possibility that all of us are ever aware of. There are literally thousands of vehicles that pass by us each day and many of us have experienced close calls along the way.

Anyway, this vehicle had just passed by Eritia and the two others she was riding with and once getting past her, immediately made a sharp right hand turn into the gas station right in front of her. She had no choice but to literally run right into and went down with the bike, hurting her chest and wrist significantly as well as scrapping her arm and leg in the process. The driver, ( a young fellow with a couple of others with him) got out and immediately tried to say he was not to blame at all for what happened and then became very irrate when Eritia and the two males (fortunately she had the support with her) asked for his information. He then sped off after exchanging a few choice words. However, the cyclists were able to get a licence plate number and phoned the police. When they arrived and ran the plate they realized this was a guy that they had been looking for, for some time and already had a warrant out for his arrest. Needless to say, Eritia was very shook up but able to continue cycling. That evening she stayed at Barb's place in Sioux Centre for a much needed rest away from everyone else. I am happy to report that aside from significant stiffness and soreness for the first couple of days, she was able to continue cycling and can now just about outdo the rest of us. She pretty well back to her old self again. Praise the Lord. It goes to show how quickly things can happen on a tour such as this. I am always thabkful when I have arrived safely into camp each day.

The final ten or fifteen miles into Sgt. Bluff (our destination just outside Sioux City for Monday evening) were tough ones for me. I was feeling quite tired and the headwind was not making matters any easier. It is easy for the mental part to "get to you," at this part of the day. It is somethins just about everyone experiences at different points of each day or week. There are some days that you feel you can just about take on the world, you feel so good and strong and then there are other times when it is a chore just to make it the next mile. Most of those times happen for me in the latter part of the day. Perhaps it is the anticipation of almost being at your destination and then it taking longer than you had hoped that is so debilitating. I'm not sure, but the last 15 miles for me on Monday seemed to take forever even though I was able to stay with the rest of my cycling group. I was happy to see camp shortly thereafter when we arrived at 1:45pm which is really quite a good time. There are many others (most in fact) who roll in much later in the afternoon, some not until 7:00pm or so. I don't know how they are able to be out in the sun that long not to mention the saddle. I know I would be toast and would not be able to handle it.

No sooner did we arrive and one of the local T.V. stations from Sioux City were there and asked John VanderSteen of London (part of our cycling group) and myself if we would be willing to do an interview for the station. We both obliged. I must say, this is the first time that I can recall ever being interviewed live by a T.V. station. I didn't have time to get nervous and actually the interview went well for both of us. I did not get to see the news that night or the "clip" that we had done but over the next couple of days, every time we stopped in a restaurant, several of the locals recognized us as "the guys who were on TV." One of the fellow cyclists who did see the clip on the news said that we had done a very good job.

Tuesday, to Sioux Centre (Dordt College) was a relatively "easy" day of only 98 km. (61 miles). I find that even making that comment is quite something. For a guy who, less than a year ago, found ten miles to be a huge trip saying that 61 miles is a short trip is quite amazing. I guess it is all a matter of perspective. Compared to ten miles, 60 miles is huge but compared to the several 100 mile days that we have already accomplished and the three consecutive "century rides" that still awaited us, it is a relatively "short run."

The countryside again was rolling hills (even more hills than we had experienced the previous few days) with endless corn and soybean fields. I was able to get a snapshot of the "rolling" corn fields with a huge country church in the midst of it. Very picturesque indeed!

About 45 miles into the trip we were hosted by the CRC of Ireton who treated us to root beer floats and smoothies. Yummy! I only had three of them. Before you think that I am a pig (there are times when I question myself on this trip about that as I am constantly eating and wanting more to eat all the time) but before you think I am a big oinker let me qualify that statement. I did have three of each but that was over a three hour period while I was waiting for John VanderSteen and Barb (Mellema) catch up. They had gone to Barb's place for the evening but had slept in and gotten quite a late start to the day. They wanted us to wait for them so that we could go to the college (and Barb's place) together.

We had waited about an hour or so and heard that John had had an accident on his bike and so they were delayed further. In trying to "motor" along, which John can readily do uphill or downhill he sometimes has the tendency to put his head down to create less "drag" from wind resistance. Unfortunately he did not see a huge construction sign posted right in the middle of the shoulder where he traversing. You guessed it! He ran right into the sign. He was quite bruised from his "rude awakening" with a scrapped chin, quite a deep cut in his finger and bruised hand and leg. His helmet was also cracked and so he needed to quickly purchase another one before continuing. In looking back, it could certainly have been much worse with a broken neck or something else. John is a "very tough bird" who will say he is O.K. even when he is hurting. We know he was hurting quite badly the first couple of days and so were keeping a close eye on him to make sure he was O.K. The next couple of days he gladly let one of us take the lead rather than he himself. When that happens you know that John is not himself. We're just happy he was able to continue on the journey and now is doing much better. We can even kid with him a little about it now when we see a construction sign. We always call out obstructions such as signs as we near them to warn everyone of them. Now we will call out "Sign ahead on the right" and then jokingly add "John." He has a great sense of humour and can laugh with us. We certainly weren't laughing the first couple of days out of concern for his well being.

Dordt College treated us royally, to put it mildly. Most of us got to have a dorm all to ourselves, the first bed that many of us have slept in for a long, long time. Of course we "had" to check out the Dutch bakery in town for a donut (part of our daily sugar fix that we can get away on a trip such as this). Supper was pizza, chicken, tators, salads and lots and lots of pies of every kind. Another thing you learn on this trip: you have to be gracious guests when you have very gracious hosts. It was not difficult for me to oblige in that department when it came to the pies. First is was butter pecan pie, then blueberry and finally sour cream and raisin all served with ice cream. Did I previously say I have a tendency to eat a lot. Here is another "proof in the pudding or should I say pie."

After supper we met at the "Fine Arts Centre" or auditorium for a Celebration Service." A lot of people from the area were present, just about filling the entire place. Len our head chaplain for the tour did a super job of hosting the "peleton" part of the service where we go through the day's business (happenings) as well as go over the trip for the next day.

Afterwards it was back to the place where we had supper for further refreshments and ministry fair. I ended up having a great conversation with an 83 year old gentleman who was sitting alone, taking everything in. He shared with me his years as a truck driver, losing his wife and how that was for him and how he now currently lives in a nursing home and enjoys life thoroughly. I later found out that that "gentleman" was Barb's dad. Isn't it amazing how that works sometimes, the people that you "accidently bump into." Actually it's not an accident at all but all part of God's providential hand.

After helping pack everything up for the evening I hit the bed at approx. 10:10pm which is about an hour later than I normally go to bed on this tour. However, it had been a wonderful evening, one I won't soon forget.

I was sleeping soundly when Andy woke me up at 5:00am the next morning. That's the time we "early birds" (we have developed quite a reputation in that regard and are known as "the group that leaves before the sun gets up" - some even wonder if we actually go to bed), usually get up. We were about ready to go for breakfast in the cafeteria (again hosted by Dordt College) when it started to rain quite heavily. It is amazing when you come to think of it but this is the first rain we have encountered on the whole trip with the exception of a couple of hours of light rain that we had a few days into the tour.

I quickly went into the gear truck and was actually able to locate my rain jacket. It is one thing to know that you have it. It is quite another to be actually able to find it. This time I was able to find it with little trouble. Off we went, to breakfast (eggs, waffles, baggles, fruit, etc. etc. - really a feast) in pouring rain. It was still raining when we left and would actually continue most of the day for us as we seemed to be riding "with" the rain clouds. Maybe we were going too slow.

About 25 km. (16 miles) into our 114 mile trip from Sioux Centre to Algona we were graciously treated to donuts and refreshments by the Hospers CRC. At fifty km. (32 miles) we were again treated to donuts and refreshments, this time by the CRC from the Primghar area. Maybe I shouldn't be telling you this because up until now you were probably feeling a bit concerned and sorry for us that we had such "hard" days this past week. These churches probably felt the same way and so tried to make it as pleasant a trip as possible. Their hospitality was very much appreciated. It is so heart warming for all of us when people go out of their way to show that they care about us and want to show appreciation for what we are doing.

The trip itself, was much better than I had anticipated. The rain, which continued for about two thirds of the way, actually was a great way to keep from overheating. Much of the terrain we were travelling was relatively flat and in addition, there was a tail wind almost the entire day. What a blessing that was. Anyone who has cycled against any wind knows how it can impede ones progress, not to mention wear one out. With the wind at our backs we were able to attain average speeds of 30-35 kms per hours (20-23 miles per hour) and the actual average for the entire day was over 27 kms. per hour which is quite amazing. We were able to reach Algona shortly after 2:00pm.

In camp, I was introduced to Mary Anne, Pete's sister who had come down to see her brother. She reminds me of her sister Lia, our custodian and friend from back home in Aylmer.

Thursday was a bit more of a challenge for me and most of us. Again, we were faced with a 113 mile ride, this time to New Hampton. However, the wind was not nearly as favourable as the previous day. While not being a headwind, it was definitely a fairly strong cross wind with the ocassional tendency to be a bit of a head wind. Over a the long haul, that made a difference for me.

We tried to make up for it by having a few more stops along the way as well as taking in the rolling hills and beautiful farmland. In Rockford we passed two huge windfarms. There were a hundred of more windmills on each farm, each one being capable of generating (don't quote me on this as this is what I was told by a local) about 500 homes.

About 50 km. (32 miles) out of New Hampton, we stopped in Charles City. We went about a mile off our route to see an ancient wooden bridge (a pedestrian walkway) that had been built in the early 1900s across the Charles River which meanders through the city. Barb really wanted us to see it. As we came to the river's edge where the bridge "was" we realized it was gone. It had been completely washed away by the horrendous floods Iowa experienced over a month ago. Not only that but the major vehicle bridges in town had very nearly also been washed away. They had been closed for several days as water poured over them. We could see several areas along the river where significant erosion from the flood had taken place and in one place half of a concrete parking area was completely washed out. We found out from the locals that about 40 houses had been entirely destroyed (even floated away) by the floods and hundreds of others had had their basements filled with water. One of the well built (water proof) houses in the area actually had to open their windows to let the river flow through or their house would have capsized from all of the outside pressure from the water. While we had seen a few areas where crops had been flood damaged, this was the first real evidence for me of the devestation the flood had caused. Most of the flooding had occured further south.

Friday, was our third of three long days, this time from New Hampton to Fennimore at trip of exactly 100 miles. The countryside was much more hilly than the previous two days, but the beauty was absolutely stunning. I never tire of seeing farmland with great crops. Judging by the well kept farm buildings, I sensed a fair bit of wealth in the area.

The road for the first 20 miles was probably the worst we have encountered on the tour thus far. There were huge potholes everywhere and large cracks in the pavement. A bike tire in any one of them probably would have meant a nasty spill not to mention a bent rim or worse. It was like riding an obstacle course.

The roads after that improved significantly, but there was an area where they had just put fresh gravel on the edge of the road. Unfortunately, the gravel often ended up on the narrow strip of pavement next to the rumble strip leaving us little choice but to ride on the busy highway from time to time, unless a big truck was coming through. It was actually quite dangerous here.

Donald Brunsting, a gentleman in his late sixties and one of the first people I met in Seattle as we roomed together, who also is part of my small group for devotions at night, encountered this dilemma in a very real way. Faced with a truck bearing down from behind him and loose gravel up ahead he slowed down and chose the loose gravel on the edge of the road. Unfortunately he lost control of his bike and fell, breaking his collar bone in the process and now will not be able to cycle the rest of the way. He too was so looking forward to finishing the trip and doing the last two weeks with his daughter from Grand Rapids but now will not be able to do so. Please keep him in your prayers.

Around noon, we crossed the mighty Mississippi River leaving Iowa behind us and entered Wisconsin. Because of the traffic and narrow cycling area across I was unable to stop for a picture but did purchas some post cards on the other side in Prairie du Chien, a fairly large French settlement that dates back to the time of the early French fur traders who plied the Mississippi for pelts.

We arrived in Fennimore at 3:00pm and immediately stopped at an icecream shop to celebrate the three long days we had just come through. I sat down with Larry, a local, who is a truck driver and divorced father of one. He shared quite a bit of his life with me as well as asked me a lot of questions about our tour. During the hour that I spent with him, several of his friends joined us and we could share some more. I really appreciate those moments and see them as wonderful opportunities to meet the "locals" and get a flavour of some of the country that we travel through as well as the people who make up the community. I would have to say, these times are one of the many things that I will take away from this trip.

Yesterday (Sat.) was a short 72 mile trip to Madison. Andy and I were on sweep duty so that meant that we were one of the last to leave, around 7:45pm. We took our time and stopped at several coffee shops along way. I think that our bodies were telling us to take it easy after the three long days.

We arrived in Madison at 1:30 and had to wait in a park about a mile from Crossroads CRC where we were to stay. The media wanted a group shot of us all travelling the last mile, together down the street. I must say is was impressive as we all had our Sea to Sea jerseys on.

We arrived at the church to quite a big fanfare. A lot of people were waiting, lining the driveway of the church and clapping (a band also played)as we came in. After the welcome part, I had a fantastic surprise waiting, actually some friends from Aylmer who were on holidays and had made the trip to Madison to see us, Harry and Hilda Broer. It was so good to see them. Marj and Laurie Pasma had also arrived to see Jake, Kevin and Bill as had Grace Schipper and her twin sister from Woodstock to see Heidi and Denise Bentum.

Harry and Hilda took Bill, Bert and myself out to supper to a really nice steak house where you actually got to pick your steak from the refrigerator and then grill it yourself with all the seasonings etc. I had never done anything like this before. It was so neat with all of standing around this big grill in the restaurant, BBQing our steaks and conversing at the same time. My steak was superb even if I have to say so myself.

This morning we worshipped together here at Crossroads CRC. Crossroads is a church of about fifty families. They have gone through significant upheaval the past year or so. Several families, some long time members have left for other area churches, mainly large community, interdenominational churches. It seems that this trend is happening in many of our churches, not excluding my home church in Aylmer, Ont.

The service was packed and really well done. The Praise Band was a group of exceptional musicians who ministered with us with a number of contemporary as well as traditional songs but also ministered to with a couple of beautiful Christian jazz numbers. I must say this is the first time I have heard a jazz band play in church and I was very impressed with the gifts God had blessed them with and how they had shared them with us in this manner.

Right now the locally renowned Madison Unkualung Choir is giving a concert in the church for our and the community's benefit. They sound fantastic. I can see them through the glass window from where I am typing up this blog but feel the need to post this and see them in person.

I am doing well and am very grateful that I have been so privileged to be a part of this journey. I am equally grateful to have been spared any serious falls or injury so far and also for the opportunity to meet so many "neat" people along the way, not to mention the scenery. God is good. Thanks for all the support I feel each day. I certainly look forward to seeing many of you (D.V.) next weekend as we arrive in Grand Rapids. Until next time, God bless you and keep you all in the palm of his hand.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

2008-08-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that we have completed five weeks of the Sea to Sea journey across the continent. We have travelled over 2100 miles or 3200km (my actual mileage is closer to 3500km.). We have travelled through the states of Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and are now almost through Nebraska and will be entering Iowa early next week. That's a lot of country that we have traversed. I still have to give myself a pinch, it seems unreal that we are so far already. A year ago I would never have thought this would be possible. The body is an amazing machine, wonderfully created to handle the heat, the long days in the saddle, the climbs, the strain. There have been days when I have completed the day's ride feeling quite exhausted and very thankful that I have made it once again, but also wondering if I will be able to endure another hot, hilly, long day. And yet, I have been equally surprised each morning anew that I feel ready to tackle another day. God certainly, wonderfully provides what our bodies stand in need of.

This past week was the longest in terms of the total distance travelled. Each day was close to 150km or 92 miles for total of 553 miles or 890km. As mentioned above the actual mileage (including extra trips into town to the bike shop or other facilities) was close to 100 miles or 160km. total for each day. For example, on Thursday we travelled from McCook to Minden and my actual mileage was 101 miles, not including going into town. Those are significant distances when you think about it. I look back to last fall before I started training for this ride and I can remember thinking that going 10 miles was a HUGE trip.

Friday and Saturday saw us travelling some more through the Nebraska cornfields (more so than soybeans). Growing up on a dairy farm and being a country boy at heart, I just love looking at the crops. Field after field of bumper crop corn lines both sides of the roads. I'm sure it stands eight to ten feet tall. It is especially picturesque when you reach the top of a hill and have the opportunity to look out over the valley below. We have passed at least four or five ethanol plants (where they turn corn into fuel) and that may partly explain the huge acreage of corn we are seeing. Some locals near Omaha, were telling me that this area normally receives about an inch of rain June. This year they recieved nearly twelve inches. Everything around here is lush and green (a far cry from what we have been experiencing for nearly the past four weeks. With the intense heat wave the past week or so some of the lawns and grass along the road are showing signs of strss.

On Friday just as we were leaving Minden to York we experienced one of the most beautiful sunrises yet on this trip, a huge red fireball slowly rising over the treeptops. One of the riders (Hans) whom we had just passed was singing, "It's a Beautiful Day." Just after we passed him, he decided to take a picture of the sunrise while still riding his bike, of course without hands on his handlebars. As he was taking the picture his front tire hit a rut in the road and over the handlebars he went. His tune quickly to "What a Horrible Day" (just kidding) Fortunately he sustained only a scrapped elbow and leg and was able to continue cycling after getting bandaged up. I'm sure he won't be taking pictures without holding on to the handle bars any time soon.

I encountered my fifth flat of the trip some 90 kms. into the trip, a little staple that my tire had somehow picked up on the road. We have the tools with us as well as spare tubes and so a few minutes later we were on our way again. Five flats may sound like a lot (it's about four more than I would like), however one of the gals on the trip has had 21 flats already. Several others are in the mid teens with their flat numbers so I don't have too much to complain about. There are a small number (my guess would be about twenty cyclists, who have not had any flats to date. Most of them have hard case tires on their bikes which are more expensive but are good at keeping out things such as little staples or wires from shredded tractor trailer tires that lie on the shoulder of the highway or goat heads that have been the cause of so many of our flats. Incidently, Friday marked a milestone in terms of flat tires. We passed the 500 flat mark and are actually nearing the TOTAL number of flats experienced three years ago when cyclists did a similar tour across Canada.

Not only did I have my fifth flat but that evening in camp I had to replace the rear tire on my bicycle. It was completely worn through. Many of riders have had to replace theirs already. Some of the roads that we have been travelling on have been freshly tar and chipped, which is very hard on the tires and chews them up quite quickly. I may need to purchase at least another tire or two before the trip is over.

Shortly after that flat, we entered the small town of Sutton. A gentleman in white van (from town) had stopped us a few miles out of town, realizing that we were the "Sea to Sea" people (makes us sound like aliens or something). He was so excited that we were "coming to town" and wanted us to stop at several of the business establishments because they were waiting for us. Sure enough, as we entered town there was a sign that said "Welcome Sea to Sea Cyclists" and that was followed by listing several of cyclists names who were on the tour. Don't ask me how they got our names. Someone must have gotten hold of the website somehow (there had been a big story in Minden paper the day before) and pulled our names from the list. We stopped at the local bank and it was free popcorn and something to drink for all of us. Then it was on to the local hamburger joint for $1.25 hamburgers, fully loaded. The owner of this little establishment, no bigger than many of our kitchens, sells six to seven hundred hamburgers a day. That's amazing when you consider that the town has a population of 1,400.

Later that afternoon while arriving in York I personally encountered an irate driver (not the first that we have encountered on the trip, though most are quite considerate or at least tolerant). I was going through a green light and this driver coming toward me, decided he wanted to make a left turn in front of me. He got half way across the lane and suddenly saw me coming through and slammed on his brakes, causing other traffic going through the green light to slow down. I guess he felt that cyclists like myself had no right to be on the highway, let alone going through a green light. He honked his horn loudly at me and rolled down his window and said some, shall I say "not nice words" and made some finger gestures (I'll have to ask someone what they might mean ha! ha!). In the heat of the moment (and it was very hot outside) I must confess that I came very close to making the same finger gesture back and saying a few "choice" words of my own (I don't know that many but a few did pop to mind). However, with a tremendous amount of restraint I was able to control my tongue and my hand/finger movement. Maybe I should get some browny points for that.

Yesterday, (Sat.) from York to Fremont was another beautiful ride through the countryside but also a very hot day (mid ninties). This time however we faced a significant crosswind that was partially a headwind for much of the trip, making pedalling much more difficult. I was happy that we were on the road by 6:30am and had a big part of the trip behind us before it got really hot. I had contacted my niece in the Omaha area the evening before and was very much looking forward to seeing her and her family (she would meet me in Fremont), not to mention being in an air conditioned home with a nice soft bed and little noise (like trains that alway blare their horn seemingly right beside your tent as they pass through or sprinklers that suddenly turn on at 2:00am and soak your tent, or the millions of cicadas (these insects that are larger than grasshoppers) that have come out of their sixteen year dormancy to suddenly mate, making very shrill noices with their wings to attract mates ). I was contemplating all of this (incentive to keep on pedalling, right) and talking to Andy about it as I was climbing a hill. As usual, my mouth is partially open so that I can breath more easily during such climbs. Wouldn't you know it, one of the thousands of huge grasshoppers that are all over the place, came flying right at me and parked right inside of my mouth. Talk about a rude awakening. YUCK! Grasshopper pie anyone? NO THANKS! I still shudder when I think of it.

Our group arrived in Fremont at 1:45. I quickly showered and changed and less than an hour later my niece was waiting for me. I heard later that many of the cyclists had to SAGed in because of heat exhaustion and the headwinds later in the day. I was happy to have made it much earlier in the afternoon. Many of the cyclists did not sleep well last night because of the heat. (It stayed in the mid seventies last night). Many of them ended up sleeping in the local ice hockey arena. Many more are contemplating doing that tonight. Thank the Lord for air conditioned homes.

Seeing my niece and family has been a real treat. I have never been to their home before and we seldom see each other because of distance. We've had a lot of "catching up to do." It's wonderful!

This morning we went to Prairie Lane CRC in Omaha and were treated royally. The service was quite contemporary with a huge praise band leading the singing. We had a speaker from the local homeless shelter (I forget it's name). What I was surprised to hear was that the city of Omaha has over 2000 homeless people. I was also very surprised to hear that the average age of a homeless person in the U.S. is nine years old. Yes, that's right! Nine years old. That means that there are a lot of single moms with small children (perhaps partially due to domestic violence) that really have no place to call home. Please pray for the homeless, not only in places like Omaha, but in all of our cities and towns. Someone like myself has no idea what it must be like to be put into that position. We are such privileged people.

Also, as I close, please continue to pray for safety on the roads for all of us. This past week we had several spills that left individuals quite badly scrapped up. Also pray for us as we head into some very long, daily distances, two consecutive 182 km. rides, followed by a 161 km. ride. Until next time, take care and thank you all for your continued prayers and support. It means a lot to me and all of us.

August 1, 2008

2008-07-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

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.

July 27, 2008

2008-07-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

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

July 23 continued

2008-07-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2008-07-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-07-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

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!

July 14th

2008-07-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

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.

Sunday, July 13

2008-07-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

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.

july 2,08

2008-07-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

June 29,2008

2008-06-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

The day is finally here! We're heading out to Seattle to begin the Sea to Sea. After only an hour's rest my wife gets me up on Saturday, June 28 at 12:30 in the morning we got up to go to Peter VanNoord's in St.Thomas. Andy DeVries meets us there. Everyone is on time and so we head to London and arrive there by 1:30am. Another Robert Q picks us up at 2:00 am at the Ramada Inn and takes us to Detroit, stopping at Chatham to pick up three other "Sea to Sea"cyclists, Cynthia Aukema and Paul and Teresa Hoekstra. We cross the Windsor border at 4:00am with no trouble and arrive at the airport by 5:00am. It's a three hour wait for our 8:00 am flight to Chicago. We check in and go through security but for some reason I am turned back because my luggage bag is supposedly too big for the plane. I find this hard to understand because there are many bags larger than mine but I comply. My bag ends up in the plane's luggage. I do hope that there are no mess ups with my luggage as my cycling shoes are in the bag. We grab a bite to eat and wait patiently for the Chicago flight. A little while later Christeena Nienhuis from Sarnia ea to Sea trip.
The flight to Chicago is uneventful and we arrive at 9:30 but have another two hour wait for Seattle. While in Chicago we talk to some people about Sea to Sea and they are so excited that they give a donation.
The trip to Seattle is great. We all catch a little cat nap on the way but wake up part way through the prairies. The sky is clear and the scenery below beautiful. I am amazed at the amount of snow in the mountains and just a little bit intimidated by the heights that we will likely have to climb.
We arrive in Seattle right on time at 1:00pm (4:00pm our time). It is very hot and humid, which is very unusual weather for Seattle. Bert Steenbergen is waiting for us and takes us to the Univ. of Wash. for registration. The campus is beautiful and it will be great to have a good night's rest in the dorms. After checking in we head down to the parking lot to find and assemble out bikes. Mine is there (thankfully) and in one piece and with a little help the bike is soon assembled and in good running condition. Then it's back to the Univ. for supper and our evening meeting.
Afterwards we have an opportunity to mingle with everyone and have cake. I meet a really neat guy, Arnie, who is 70 years old and is more than just a little bit scared about the trip and excited all at the same time. I share I feel somewhat the same. In the course of our conversation he shares his life's story, about how he was not a Chr. until in his forties, led a rough lifestyle and has many family members who still live that way. The Lord grabbed hold of him and he is just so excited to be a Christian and so happy to be a part of a big church family on this trip. I will be sure to look out for him each day on the trip. I am ready to go to bed by nine (which is twelve o'clock back home).
On Sunday I am up by 6:00am. Breakfast is at 7 and worship and then orientation is at 8. Then it's off to lunch and then a bike safety training course on our bikes. I actually picked up a couple of tips and didn't even fall off the bike. Later in the afternoon we take a group picture of all of us in our cycling jerseys. I hope to maybe send a picture soon. Then it was off to church Veldhuisen from Emo days (where I grew up) and his family. They have two sons cycling as well. That was so neat to see them. While there I also met up with Josh (Dielstra?) who is dating a girl from Aylmer. They make a point of touching base with me. What a small world. And just as I was leaving the service I met Rev. Carl Geylense and his family from Chilliwack.
Tomorrow we head out to the beach to dip our tires in the ocean and start our trek across the country (an 80km trip, a big part on a bicycle path). I'm feeling pretty good about it. Right now it is dark and lightning a bit. Hopefully the weather will be good.
Well it's nine o'clock and I promised to help load all the gear on the truck. God is good.

June 27, 2008

2008-06-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

It's Friday morning, June 27. Tonight at 1:00am I leave for Seattle for the Sea to Sea adventure of a lifetime. I'll be joining up with two other cyclists from St. Thomas, Peter VanNoord and Andy deVries and together we'll be taking the Robert Q (airport bus) to Detroit, making a stop in Chatham to pick up three other cyclists (Cynthia Aukema and Paul and Teresa Hoekstra). We should be arriving in Detroit at 5:30am. The flight to Seattle leaves just after 8:00am so that should give us time to check in and have a bite to eat, not to mention a little snooze.
I am feeling excited. This will be a "journey of a lifetime." I have never done anything like this before. I'll be see a lot of God's creation as we journey across the continent and making a lot of new friends. In the process, I'll have had the privilege of participating in a cause that is dear to my heart, world poverty. Fund raising has gone so well for me. Individuals and businesses have responed so generously not only with words of encouragement but also with their pocketbooks, so much so that I have been able to raise almost three and a half times the $10,000 mark set by the organizating committee. God has been so good.
I am also a little bit anxious about the trip as I still have a number of small things to get together. I sure hope I don't forget anything, especially my passport. I am feeling a bit anxious about leaving my family behind for nine weeks. I am feeling a bit anxious just because of the upcoming trip. There will be so many firsts to experience. Will I be ready physically? What will we face: the traffic, the mountains, the storms, the heat. And yet, deep inside there is a certain calmness. God is with me. The words of Psalm 121 come to mind here. "I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
With a God like that by my side, I know it will be O.K. no matter what.