We Made It!

On June 1st 2010 23 strangers arrived on the beaches of Yorktown Virginia with a faint dream of California in their eyes.  Some had met prior to this day, but for all intents and purposes, these were strangers with one common goal.  They had no idea what was in store for them, hell some of them hardly knew how to ride their bikes.  But somehow they expected to pedal themselves all the way to California.  First impressions were made when they met, some of them looked forward to getting to know these people and some thought "there is no way I can make it through this trip without killing some of these people."  They had no idea what to expect from the trip, their companions, and most of all themselves. Despite this looming uncertainty in each one of them, they rode off on June 1st amongst friends and family who had gathered, having no idea what to expect and being simply content with this fact.
Most of these people were kids.  Most had no idea what they were doing with their lives. Some had careers, some were fathers, some husbands.  They came from across America; Florida, Texas, California, all on faith that this is what they needed to be doing.  Somehow they knew, that this motley crew of strangers was the group that they belonged with.
These people knew nothing about MS, at least in relation to what they would learn.  The cause was new to them, it was a disease like any other, one which was undoubtedly worth fighting against, but one which was not yet a part of who they were.  A disease most of them would never expect to become such a significant part of their lives, their existence.
Before they knew it they had made it through the first day; as they sat around the circle, still nervous and not to mention hungrier than they had ever been in their previous years on the earth, they had only made it sixty miles.

Then another day goes by, and another. Then they met their first MS patients, as a group, at the James Q. Miller Clinic in Charlottesville.  They met Angela, an MS patient who told them that each and every one of them was an inspiration to her.  And she, was an inspiration to them.

They rode on, and personalities began to come out, they began to form friendships and feel comfortable in the circle.  Bridget Mccartney went from being a shy girl from Texas, to the girl that always made the circle die laughing.  And it was only the beginning.

They rode over mountains they thought could not be ridden, they outran dogs they thought could not be outrun.  And most impressive of all, they made it through Kentucky.  They rode their bicycles to California growing closer to each other every mile along the way.

Then the team of strangers who had become a team of lifelong friends came to the end of the road; last stop, San Francisco.  Before they knew it, they had made it. The country in a sweaty blur in their memories was behind them and each and every single one had accomplished what they set out to do.

This was my team, and this team changed my life.  My team made it, we made it 4,000 miles from one coast to the other.  We raised over $100,000 for MS, for the MS patients we met along the way and the MS patients who we will meet in the future, they are a part of us now.  My team is part of me now, I love them and would do anything for any of them.  To them I say thank you, for making this summer the most life changing time in my life.  You are all truly amazing and inspirational people and I will never forget any of you. And to those who may be considering going on the trip in the future, I have only one thing to say; there may be a million reasons out there to say "I'll pass," there may be things you think are better or smarter to do, but sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and thank yourself for it later.

We made it! We biked across the country, we raised $100,000 and we touched the lives of countless people along the way.  I could not be more proud of myself and my team, and I could not be more thankful that I got the chance to do this.  Thank you to all of my friends, family, and everyone reading for your support it means the world to me.  Thank you to everyone to contributed to my fundraising, without you I simply would not have been able to go.  And last but not least thank you to my team you all changed my life and I will never forget it.  Bike the US for MS 2010 is officially complete.

Bike the US for MS 2010: The Final Episode

Surprise! The Blog Lives On

I would first like to say, Surprise!! I bet you didn't think you would continue to be graced with my wonderful blogging even after the trip is over!  This is for all you loyal parents, friends and family who followed us every mile of the way without fail and would like to stay in the habit for a bit longer even after we have completed our journey.  As you can tell my posts stopped with the end of Utah, and I will just have no closure until the remainder of the trip is recorded and the trip will for once and for all be complete (this may, and in fact probably is, only a sad attempt to keep the trip going on if only in my head for as long as possible).  So as I lie in my new dorm room in my comfy, yet modestly sized, comfy bed in frigged air conditioning unable to sleep due to my room-mate's dale like snoring I, if only in my mind, return to our first nights in the deserts of Nevada, and recollect.

Nevada, to put it simply, was given a bad wrap by all who spoke of it.  Riders we met going east explained the splendor of Utah and the disappointment that was Nevada.  It was said to be a baron wasteland, with mountains to climb every day and relentless heat.  So as I have many times along the way, I made Nevada out in my head, for lack of any better comparison, hell.  And in retrospect, well it honestly was a bit of a disappointment especially following what turned out to be the most beautiful and enjoyable experience in Utah. However, Nevada was not hell, therefor I was at least in some capacity pleasantly surprised with my experience there. I will only write one entry regarding Nevada because every day we rode through Nevada was essentially the same.  Nevada is said to be the most mountainous state in America, and having bicycled across the face of it, I can say that statement does not surprise me.  Every single day in Nevada went something like this. Baron shrub and dust landscape with no plants above waste level with the exception of the once a day tree sighting; mountains with a single and straight road to the ascent which you can see from at least an hour of riding time away; climbs that were not impossible but not negligible by any means followed by long descents into the biggest valleys you have ever seen, possibly because you can litterally see the entire valley from one summit to the other and in miles in either direction; repeat this at least 3 or 4 times a day and that was our day.  The climbs were tough, the winds were tougher, but all together manageable especially with the sight of California on the horizon I think anything was possible with that kind of motivation.

Some cities in Nevada were the smallest we had encountered, Middlegate Nevada (city/ gas station/ hotel/ restaurant/ bar, all in one building), population 18 17; and some cities were pleasantly surprising such as Eureka Nevada home to the Karaoke bar that the team took over, or Fallon and their excellent Chinese food and our midnight road takeover on our way home, or Carson City where I helped demolish a 16" ice cream cake with only 4 other calorie warriors.  Nevada was Nevada, definitely not the best state but definitely not the worst (Misery, I-I mean Missouri).  Nevada was means to an end, and it was the end that made the means meaningful and significant because every ounce of pain and discomfort in Nevada made California that much sweeter. And sweet it would be.

Best Town Award Goes to... Milford

A little later into Utah, past the 110 degree days in the desert we were blessed by our schedule with a 50 mile day.  Fifty miles, what would have once been daunting to me and the group as a whole, had become a cake walk, a rolling rest day if you will, but that was only the first great thing about this day.  According to the ever so often referenced elevation profile on our maps that help us plan for climbs and descents, we would have only one  climb in this 50 mile day. As we left the KOA in a group consisting of at least 2/3's of the group, we crushed across the plains with a 20+ mph average and before we knew it, literally, we were at our first stop of the day, the summit of our "Climb;" we had been going so fast and been so focused that we had completed the climb without even knowing we were doing it.  From here, according to the elevation profile, it was all down hill; except this time when I say all down hill, it was actually all down hill! So for the remaining 25 miles the cruised to our destination, Milford, Utah.

When we arrived in Milford we consulted our director Don, the knower of all things, for advice as to where to eat lunch, he replied with swift assertion Penny's Diner.  So without hesitation taking heed to our rumbling stomachs we headed to Penny's Diner. From the outside Penny's was your ordinary diner like many we had visited along the route thus far, but our experience there would prove to be very out of the ordinary.  I ordered the "Monster Burger" which was the largest most caloric thing they had on the menu, which was very ordinary for me and very delicious.  After we ate we sat there talking to Don and discussing the very nice hotel that was right next door to Penny's.  We were discussing how much we would love to stay in this hotel for the night and get a break from the heat, but we could only afford to do so if it only cost us $40 a night.  There was no way that this particular hotel would cost $40 a night but that was our price, we could do no higher, but our hopes were needless to say quite low, and we were fully prepared to pitch our tents at the town park.  We had continued to talk about our air-conditioned hotel room fantasy when a lady came over to our table and interupted us. "I am the hotel manager for the hotel next door" she said, "And I just wanted to let you know that I am offering you all rooms tonight for $40 a night."  Our table erupted in laughter as the woman looked at us bewildered and kindof insulted when Mark Letenzi explained to her, "I'm sorry miss, we were JUST talking about how we could only afford to stay there if it was $40 a night," to this she grinned and said "Well we would love to host you because we love what you are doing." She wasn't done yet though, "Also we own Penny's Diner and we are offering your whole team free breakfast tomorrow morning."  We were bewildered and gleeful beyond belief as we were set up in our hotel rooms.
Before the night was over we were offered even more hospitality, we rode our bikes to the town park to recieve a full pizza dinner provided by the local Lyon's Club. After which we followed with a giant sundae from Penny's to complete our massive caloric intake for the day.

Our stay in Milford Utah was unmatched by any other, remarkable and something I will never forget. Again and again ever since Virginia and Kentucky I am reminded that even in the strangest and most desolate places there are people in America that will open the hearts and doors to you and welcome you with open arms knowing next to nothing about you.  There are people that are passionate about giving to others and welcoming strangers.  This is the kind of way I hope to live my life.

Hello Utah!

We rode through the remaining miles of Colorado with the Rocky Mountains shadowing our backs and came unexpectedly on the state line of Utah. Utah is perhaps the only state along the route for which I had literally no preconceived expectations of; this is not to say that Utah is the only state that I have never been to, but rather it was the only state for which I had no idea what to expect, no stereo-types or Hollywood induced images. I entered Utah not knowing what to expect and I had an experience that I was not expecting.

According to the time-line I am obviously back tracking and due to the tendency for experiences along the ride to blend together it is hard to recall certain parts of Utah, however there is one day I remember distinctly.

It is strange how with state lines come unusually fast changes in scenery, as if the geography of the land is somehow linked to the unique culture of the specific state lines.  As we left Colorado we left greenery and plush mountain land-scapes in exchange for epic canyon scenery. Along with the new state scenery we we also greeted with our first long long stretches without services (gas stations, bathrooms, food ect...). This Particular day we had our longest stretch thus far without services, 78 miles.  Along the way there was the Natural Bridges National Monument of Utah which is a natural phenomenon which, like most natural phenomenons, has been exploited for tourist pleasure, where a river that was once there and is no longer, has carved out the rocks to form natural bridges over the river bed below. The team thought it would be a good idea to turn a long hot day into an even longer hot day by taking a detour and seeing a piece of Utah history.  However, once we took the four mile detour, down hill to the visitors center we realized that in order to actually see the bridges you would have to travel a total of 18 miles off of route; this, on a bicycle, was not an option. So with an 8 mile detour with my riding partner Ben Dymond, we returned to the route having seen no bridges, or anything interesting for that matter, to continue on our way into the middle of nowhere. We continued on and continued on through some of the most amazing and truely awe-inspiring scenery and some of the hardest riding conditions of the trip, did I mention the high that day was 109?  Riding a bicycle through 109 degree heat, is a daunting and rightfully so task, especially through a desert where there is no water for miles.  When riding down hill, instead of a refreshing breeze in your face you get blasted with wind that is so hot it can only be compared to pointing a blow-dryer into your face and turning it to the infamous "80's Hair" extra-high setting. After what turned into close to 90 miles, with our added detours, and a flat tire from burning rubber, we finally arrived at lake Powell to the first gas station for miles and miles, where we drank massive amounts of chocolate milk, and we able to take a dip in the lake.  As it turns out, even the deserts of America have something to offer to the wandering traveler.  The desert, even the most desolate places in the world, have a beauty of their own that is unmatched, and even in the desert there are always little heavens that make it all worth while.

So begins the stretch without rest

After our amazing, and yet very unrestful, rest day of mountain biking in Telluride we embarked on our final leg from Colorado to San Francisco, without rest. The leg that was originally supposed to have one rest day that we had accumulated by doing extra miles in Kansas turned into a stretch without rest when we pushed up our finish date from the 1st of August to the 31st of July.  So we left not knowing that to expect from the rest of Colorado and the remainder of the Western Express trail to San Fran, but turns out we got a break! Remember the Gondola I referred to in the previous post? We got to throw our road bikes on the back of that and fly over the mountain that we would have otherwise had to climb on the morning after a rest day, the hardest time to climb when your legs are not in the habit of destroying themselves. This was nice, however, there was no Gondola to fly us over Lizard Head pass, our last pass in the rockies at over 9,000 feet.

Before we knew it we had met the rockies, we crushed through the rockies and we were descending 30 plus miles to western Colorado.  The rockies we truly epic and awe-inspiring.  I saw some of if not the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life (it seems like I am changing the "Most beautiful things I've seen" every day) and the sense of accomplishment that comes with climbing over the Rocky Mountains is really like no other feeling in the world, doesnt it have such a nice ring to it, "I rode my bicycle over the Rocky Mountains?"  Stars from 10,000 feet, beautiful passes, cool weather at high elevation and sights I will never forget along with the great feeling of accomplishment are all things I will honestly miss about the Rocky Mountains, climbing and feeling like air doesn't work in my lungs, not so much.

Telluride Colorado... and everything in between

First and foremost I would like to apologize for much a long gap between posts, it is hard to even fathom how much has happened between posts but I am sure that attempting to recall these events will bring me back as if it happened today.  I believe I left the blog soon before our rest day in Telluride Colorado which we had planned from the beginning of the trip as our unplanned rest day that we could pull out and use when we were fortunate enough to be in a town that we first of all wanted to stay in, and also when we desperately needed one, Telluride came and fulfilled both of these qualifications.  The ride into Telluride reminded us of how badly we needed a rest day.  We climbed and we climbed through the rockies to the top of Dallas pass, our 3rd of four passes through the rockies mountains, at 9,000 feet we looked ahead to what was to come and we saw what was a beautiful landscape shaded by ominous storm clouds and as we descended the mountain the rain descended on us. This thick fat rain literally felt with no exageration like needles on your skin with every impact, my bare arms legs and face were ripped to shreds as I tried to endure the pain, and cold, at 30-35 mph. I finally made it to the bottom after what was by far the worst descent I had ever endured considering descents are usually the highlight of a long day of climbing in the Rockies. And after a long and cold climb up to the valley, we had arrived in Telluride.

Telluride is a famous and very popular ski resort town in Colorado. It is so famous in fact that celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Salvester Stallone have or have had a vacation home in Telluride, this is also a great indication of the immense expense that is spending any amount of time in Telluride. When Telluride is not over run by wealthy ski-bums in the Winter, it is a popular outdoors and quite low-key town that has a great mountain biking scene. When Telluride mountain is not being used for skiing, its ski passes are converted into some of the best mountain biking trails in America. This is how we decided to spend one of few of our precous rest days.
From the bottom of the mountain to the summit there was a free Gondola, in fact it was the only free Gondola in North America which is ironic considering the cost of everything else in Telluride, anything free was pretty remarkable.  At the summit I prepared to embark on my first mountain biking experience on a $2,000 rented mountain bike down a massive mountain and some trails that would challenge seasoned riders.  The ride was absolutely exhilerating and absolutely terrifying! It was a great day of riding, especially for a rest day. It was a great day and one I will not soon forget, however leaving that morning was unlike any other morning knowing that from now on there is no more rest, until San Francisco.

Rocky Mountain High

Although it was sad to leave the great plains of Kansas, we arrived in Colorado looking for a change in pace (literally) in the famous, or infamous, Rocky Mountains.  As we entered Colorado, the first few days seemed well honestly exactly like Kansas, very flat, very dry and very desolate. In fact, for the second half of Kansas and the first half of Colorado, we followed the same... one... road. Highway 96 was decent in the way of pavement, however horrible in the way of drivers.  This is the a picture of the last turn we made in Kansas, funny thing is, we had over 200 miles of Kansas to go.

With the passing of wheat harvest season only days before, route 96 was riddled with wheat combines and otherwise utterly gigantic vehicles. Semi-trucks carrying wheat combines behind them passing you at 70 mph while fighting a 20 mph cross-wind is not a fun experience.

As we continued through Colorado, through the desolate plains that had since turned from fields of plentiful crops to endless bounds of what looked like a hot tundra, I saw something amazing. riding slowly and painfully over a hill against the wind I reached the top and peered into the distance to find what I had been looking for on the horizon for days.  In the far distance along the horizon I saw a faint jagged line seperating two every so slightly different shades of blue open sky.  What I was looking at in the distance, were the Rocky Mountains. I kept riding through the desert to the sight of the monstrous mountain growing ever so slightly larger as the distance between us dwindled. Before I knew it I was in Pueblo Colorado, at the feet of the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains. The date was July 4th.

We had ridden 110 miles that day to make it Pueblo on the fourth and gain ourselves a rest day. That night we meandered our way through town looking for fireworks to find a bridge slightly elevated over the city to find the most amazing fire-works show I have ever seen. This was not one amazing show, but rather a 360 degree view of a rocky mountain horizon littered with flashing lights and colorful explosions a show like no other and one I will not forget.

Our rest day was spent sleeping, watching bad hotel television and preparing for the final chapter of our adventure, the west.  I visited the local sports authority to buy sunglasses and a new sleeping bag which were desperately needed in the coming high elevation nights of blinding sun and freezing nights. 

As we left Pueblo two things happened. First, we left the trans-america trail which we have been following since day one, thus putting us on the western express trail for a straight shot through the deserts of North America to San Francisco. Also, we completed our first pass through the rocky mountains. For those who might not know, a pass is summiting a mountain, we have 4 major passes in the rocky mountains. Climbing in the rockies is different from climbing the mountains of the East because first of all the climbs are much longer, up to 40 miles and they are also breath-takingly beautiful.  One thing I have noticed traveling almost 3,000 miles across America is that almost every place in America is beautiful, but every place in America is beautiful in its own very unique way. So to say that the rocky mountains are different in that they are beautiful is not to say the Appalachians are not beautiful but they are beautiful in a whole new way to me.  Although I have driven and hiked in and around the rockies before, there is somehing totally different about biking across thirty miles of valley and reaching the continental divide at 11,300 feet on your own will power. The rocky mountain range is truly awe-inspiring and breath taking. I am loving Colorado and I feel like it is only a matter of time  before I live here. More to come!

Pictures and Kansas in Review

We Made it to Pueblo! Pueblo Colorado, roughly 200 miles from the border of Kansas is the point at which Bike the US for MS strays from the Trans-America route and catches the Western Express for the straight shot to San Francisco.  At this point a couple of things happen, first and foremost we will lose a great companion, Pepper. Pepper has been with us since the first day in Yorktown, although he was not on our team he soon found a place in our community.  Since then he has become an official member of our team and a sponsor for next year with his outdoors shop in Damascus Virginia.  But because he is following the TransAm to Astoria Oregon, we part ways today. Also from here on out we are officially in territory unknown to Bike the US for MS.  Since it's inception, Bike the US for MS has riden the Northern Tier route and the Trans-America route, but never the Western Express. So from here on out we do not have the connections made in the past that we have had thus far, we do not know where the secret clean campsites are or diners that have $3 breakfasts, this is a new experience for everyone, even our director.

A few days ago we successfully biked 500 miles across the state of Kansas.  Kansas was my favorite state bar none thus far on this trip.  The scenery, although desolate in essence, is in my opinion one of THE most beautiful sceneries I have ever seen. Endless wheat fields blowing like waves with the wind under what looks to be a truly endless dome of blue sky over head.  Beautiful in a very unique way, this scenery to me, is breathtaking. Which is why I took about twice as many pictures in Kansas as I have in any other state. Kansas was home to the kindest, most interested, unsuspecting, and supportive people we have encountered so far across the United States. I honestly loved it more than i ever thought possible. Here are some pictures! Sorry for the shorter entry but i have to get all packed up and ready to climb 4,500 feet of the rockies today! Also, a quick congratulations to my cousin Stuart who just got engaged to his lovely fiance Ali!

What would Possess a Person Part 2: For Robin

Just before the hilarious situation with Rose and her purple “Anti-septic” cattle dye, right before we left the convience store Ben, the store clerk, asked us, “So what would possess a person to ride their bike across the country?” This, at first seemingly humorous and rather obvious question, got me thinking about what really does possess people to do this every single summer whether it be in a supported group, like Bike the US for MS or Bike and Build, or a self-supported ride. As I rode down the last miles of Missouri headed for Kansas I considered the reasons.  I thought of the selfish personal reasons for doing a trip like this which include testing yourself mentally and physically pushing your body to the limits and then crashing right through them.  There is the fact that going on a trip like this reveals more about yourself than you ever knew previously and how liberating it feels to be completely free of commitments schedules restrictions limitations and supervision. I continued to list the reasons in my head of things that I could have told Ben in an effort to explain to someone who was baffled by the thought of someone chosing to do this, and rightly so.

                Then we continued riding and we crossed the state line into Kansas, which for some reason felt more significant than any other state, maybe it is the idea of the prairie and the plains that have in one way or other occupied my thoughts regarding this trip.  We rode only a few miles from the state line of Kansas where we stopped in Pittsburg Kansas for the night.  We demonstrated our priorities once again and wasted no time before riding directly to a restaurant where there would  be a free pizza buffet provided to us by several MS patients from in or around Pittsburg.  When we walked in the door, hot and sweaty, the first person to greet us was a lady sitting in a motorized wheel chair who told us to come to her. When we approached her she reached into a bag and pulled out a red white and blue stitched angel.  She told us that she hand stitched these angels and that they have over 17,000 stitches and took about an hour per angel. When she handed us each an angel she said this “I stitched this angel for you, it is red white and blue because you are biking across the United States and you should be proud of that. They are angels because you are an angel in my life and I want you always to remember that. I will tell you my whole story later tonight.” We were touched by her gesture and excited to meet more MS patients who were at the restaurant, so we stuffed our faces with free pizza and watched the United States play Ghana in the World Cup, unsuccessfully.

                After leaving the pizza place we were treated to free ice cream at an ice cream place and then we headed to our home for the night at Pittsburg Community Middle School.  We headed inside the fridgedly cold air-conditioned building where the whole team scattered to find a dark quiet corner to sleep.  Some went to a local aquatics center, where again we were treated for free, while others relaxed in the cool and rested.  Later that night we were treated, yet again, to a buffet dinner in the middle school’s cafeteria by some local residents who in one way or another had a tie to MS or were at least willing to give their time to our cause and feed 25 hungry cyclists.  After we ate, Robin, the woman from the pizza restaurant who made us stitched angels, was set to say a few words to us as a team. Robin glowed with happiness as she began to talk to us she had a energy about her that was truly contagious. She started off by telling us her experience with MS, “I have had MS for 35 years now.  My experience started when I first became legally blind. Then I lost 95% of my hearing, I am numb from head to toe, I can’t smell and I can’t taste. They say when you lose one sense, your other senses grow stronger, MS took all of my senses.” She continued, and I paraphrase, “I lost my ability to speak, but the doctors were able to give me new vocal chords.”  She told us that she had had MS basically sense they knew what MS was and she had been through every treatment option they’ve come up with.  She has literally been there to try everything.  When she was diagnosed the doctors said she would not live to see her children grow up, now she is watching her seven grandchildren grow-up every single day.  She continues be treated for MS and her outbreaks or “Exacerbations” have gone from occurring every 2 months to every 2 years.  Then she brought up the angels, she said, “If you hear nothing of what I have to say hear this, I believe that everyone has their angels and follow them in life and help them through their living, and I want you to know that each of you are angels in my life helping me get through the days. You are personally helping each and every person in the world that has MS so that one day no one will ever again have to hear the words ‘You have MS.’” The room was silent and shell-shocked as if a bomb had been dropped on all of us.  Every person in the room was in tears and it wasn’t until that point that we knew what would possess a person to ride their bike across the country.

                There are almost countless selfish reasons for a person to do this trip and the personal gains, at least in my short experience have been bountiful but this is not why I am doing this.  It might have started as my “Grand Adventure” and it continues to be to some extent, but when you are told that you personally are an angel in another person’s life you realize what it means to be passionate about something and believe in a cause.  I started this trip for myself and I will finish it a new man, but the remainder of this trip and every day I live for the rest of my life will be for Robin knowing that I touched someone’s life, and that feeling is more life-changing than the grandest of all adventures.

What Would Possess a Person? Part 1 Hilarious Story

I will start off this some-what serious post with a story of the funniest and most un-serious thing to happen to me thus far on this trip.  On this trip I have found my “cycling soul-mate,” her name is Roseanne she is one of the happiest most cheerful joyful people I have ever met and we spend probably about 90% of our time on the bike together.  It is key to find a person like this on this trip because first and foremost it is much better to ride with others than it is to ride alone. But what makes a rider your soul-mate? First it is key that a person be at the same or a similar level of riding as you.  This is of the utmost importance because there is nothing more frusterating than going either faster or slower than you would like to be going.  It is also important that this person is someone you want to spend several hours of suffering with every single day; riding with someone who you like talking to is much more pleasant than well, someone you don’t like talking to, obviously… Anyway Roseanne is my personal biker soul-mate because she is someone who challenges me on the bike when she crushes up hills like a little rabbit, but is also a complete hoot and an absolute pleasure to be around.

So one day in Missouri Rose, Caleb, and I are riding together as usual, rapidly approaching the deep state of depression that arises from hill after hill after wall-like hill, we stop at a “Convenience Feed” store in Ben Davis Missouri.  We go in to refill our empty bottles and we meet the clerk in the store and start talking to him about various things like Missouri and the cyclists he has had in his store.  When we asked him about our destination town for that night, Hartville, we inquired about possibly grocery options; to this inquiry Ben, the clerk, tells us in a deep southern drawl , “There was a grocery store down there but it burned down.” “Oh no!” says rose “What happened?!” To this Ben simply says, “Well it caught on fire.” I tell you this only to further your mental picture of what this clerk was like and what our experience with him was like, which will indefinitely enhance the remainder of this story. So we ask him where the nearest water is, because he had none he could spare, and we head out the door to complete the remaining 20 miles of the day. But before we could leave the parking lot, Rose puts one foot into her pedal clipping it in, so that it will not come out unless twisted, with the intention of resting on her leg that was not clipped in.  This plan however went horribly wrong when her momentum carried her in the opposite direction causing her, in the most epic fashion possible, to tumble down on the the hard gravel drive-way.  Rose being the person she is immediately begins laughing hysterically as she exclaimes “That really hurt!!!” We helped her get up and brush herself off only to find her elbow was pretty badly cut up.  We told her to go inside and get washed up before we left.  As Caleb and I wait in the drive way for several minutes we suddenly she Rose run out of the “Convenience Feed” screaming bloody murder (while laughing obviously) with her arm in the air. Caleb and I look at each other in horror wondering what we have just let happen. As we go over to investigate we see Ben holding an unmarked white spray bottle that he had obviously just sprayed on her cut.  As we looked at the bottle we realized that first of all this bottle had been just taken off of the shelves of his store and used, not as intended, as an anti-septic.  This solution of Bright Purple and meant to be used on cattle as a way to mark their hide for whatever reason needed. So once again I found myself in a situation I can honestly say I never expected to be in, watching a friend shreak in pain after having been sprayed with an animal product, in the middle of Missouri. “Don’t worry” said Ben “I know the bottle might say not to use on people but we do it all the time,” we could now rest assured. 

In the Past Twenty Days…

Before we knew it, we were leaving Chester Illinois, after sleeping behind the FOE, Fraternal Order of the Eagle, which was basically a fraternity for middle to upper-aged men, and even more basically, a bar. After a not so good night trying to fall asleep amongst what was literally a beach party on a beach volleyball court until 1 AM, we left Chester, the home of Popeye the Sailer man, we crossed the Mississippi river into Missouri.

Before we knew it, it had been 20 days of riding and we had ridden our bikes through Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois, we had traveled over 1,000 miles, and we were 1/3 of way done with our trip. In that twenty days a lot had happened; we had most importantly grown closer as a team and came together as a group of individuals who not only have the same goal but have become what is like family.  The idea of a foxhole buddy in a war applies to what we do every day, as if we were fighting a war alongside one another each of the riders grows closer to the others through every mile of crushing heat and pain. These people have already become life-long friends whom I will only grow closer to every day. 

In the past twenty days we have pushed our bodies and our minds to the limit. We had reached our limit of what we thought was possible, and we crashed right through them. In the past twenty days we understand more than ever what it means to have a cause you would do anything for. We have learned the joy that comes from helping others, and we have seen the appreciation and gratefulness in people who understand the challenge that faces you.  We have met people and we have heard their stories, we have spread the word, and raised nearly $90,000 for MS, and we have been an inspiration to people. A lot has happened in the past twenty days, and we are only one third of the way there. 

Illinois!

We left Kentucky in a whirlwind of emotions; a lot of happiness, a lot of tiredness, and anxiousness to see what is to come.  Regardless of our emotion, we were all ready to see the Ohio, and thus our gateway to Illinois. As we piled all 25 of us onto the ferry to take the boat over the river to what in our heads would be a whole new world, we had the feeling that our “Right of Passage” was complete.  According to most who have done the trip, the battleground that is Kentucky is a right of passage for those heading west, we all had it in our heads that the worst was over and that it could only get better from here.

Illinois was awesome, greeted on the Illinois side of the Ohio by several of the rider’s parents who gave us cold Gatorade and watermelon, things were looking up; not to mention we had our second rest day of the trip to look forward to after just one short, or not so short, 85 mile day of riding.

We awoke in cave in rock at 4 AM to get an early head-start on a long day, and try to give ourselves the most time in Carbondale where we would be taking our rest day. Before we knew it we arrived in Carbondale to one of the riders, Seth’s, parents house. At this house we find a cooler full of Fat Tire right next to a clear blue swimming pool. This was the most amazing way to end a hard day and officially start resting.

Our rest day in Carbondale was the last of only two scheduled rest-days along the trip. Best 6 or 7 of the riders live in Carbondale we had plenty of air-conditioned places to sleep and plenty of things to do.  We started by going to the “Famous” Thai Taste restaurant where we had delicious Thai food immediately followed by a Bike the US for MS party at a local Mexican Restaurant Tres Hombres, where our team was provided a keg of bud-light and their bar for the night. It was a much needed place to relax and feel for a night like we were back in the “real-world.” This, is a funny concept, and a common theme, among riders on this trip, the “real-world.”

I am currently riding my bicycle across the country one day at a time and this is literally all I am doing.  I wake up in the morning, pack up my temporary home, start eating, start biking, do more eating, more biking, (repeat as needed) then I arrive at my home for the night, I rebuild my home and repeat this process every night.  Each night we are in a new place going to new diners meeting new people but our team remains constant.  All of us co-exist through the chaos and do EXACTLY that, we exist.  Being on this trip all the way from one coast to another is not about a schedule or a timeline or work or stress or worry, it is simply about being; existing without having to know (or having any idea) what day of the week it is, without having to know when you need to wake up or go to sleep but rather just follow the cues from the sun. This is the beauty of this trip and what draws many people to doing such a thing. The liberating feeling that where we are, what time it is, how we smell or how completely ridiculous we look is simply not as important as just living and enjoying the ride. 

Out of Kentucky

After Bardstown, the team had a few more days of heat in Kentucky before crossing the Ohio River on a ferry into Illinois. Bardstown, in my opinion was the highlight of Kentucky by far, granted it was the only night in Kentucky I was able to sleep in an air-conditioned room on a bed, but still the city was actually pleasant, not just "pleasant" for lack of any other adjective to adequately describe the true feeling you get from an Appalachian town of 100 or fewer. After Bardstown we made our way, to Hodgensville where we were lucky enough to be given one small room of air-conditioning we could fit as many people into as we could.  I was fortunate enough to be one of these people, this plus a great dinner and milkshake from lincoln's freeze, a local hole in the wall diner made for a good night, not to mention a short day of riding and the first tail-wind of the trip put us into our destination before noon.
After Hodgensville we made our way to Rough River Dam, which as with most places on this trip is remembered almost exclusively by it's food. A $12 dinner buffet including but not limited too, ribs, fried chicken, cod, meat-loaf, and "country" vegetables (the tastiest and most fattening calorie filled "Vegetables" in the world) we literally ate until we could not possibly eat more. Then for breakfast the next morning, another buffet! Eggs biscuits and gravy cereal and coffee fueled us wonderfully for the day ahead, especially good fuel when you take a few biscuits in your handle-bar bag to eat later!
Then from there we traveled to Sebree Kentucky which would be our last night in Kentucky, keeping with the theme, most notable for. Milkshakes. As we arrived in sebree we came upon a dairy bar with all of the riders bikes outside, we go in and head straight for the milkshakes. A large Chocolate malt for me, what's this you don't take plastic, do you have change for a $100? Luckily they did but I have to be honest, I think at that point I might have paid $100 for a 44 ounce tub of amazingness. Best milkshake i have ever consumed, and at a truely unbelievable rate of about 20 ounces per minute. I crushed it with a vengeance. After the dairy bar we headed to our hostel for the night which was a baptist church in Sebree run by a pastor, Bob, and his wife, Violet, where they have been hosting cyclists into their home for 9 years. Not only will they bring strange, and rather smelly, people into their home, but they will cook a full meal for them and welcome them to sit at their kitchen table. Because we could not all fit around the kitchen table we used the church and were welcomed with a abundant spread of casseroles. These were some of the most welcoming people we've met along the way.  Because of these wonderful people, we left Kentucky with a good taste in our mouths, literally and figuratively.

The Longest Day, The Hardest Day, The Most Memorable Day, My Birthday.

On June 14^th I turned 19.  My first thought on my 19^th birthday was, “oh my god, I’m going to die.”  Let me back track a little.

                On June 13^th we rolled into Berea after a very short day for a wonderful time at a great restaurant sitting in the AC having just come out of the Appalachians once and for good, watching the world cup.  We get to our camping location which is a field behind a fire station outside the town of Barea Kentucky.  The firemen were great, they let us use their shower, their AC and anything else we wanted.  Then when it came time to go to bed we painfully wandered to our tents in the not-so-sweltering 100% humidity cloud seemed to follow us through the first weeks of our ride.  As we get in our tents and brush our teeth we look up to notice a terrifying ominous cloud approaching our location.  I take two Advil PM to ensure a smooth night and prepare for whatever is to come.  Litteraly as soon as we all set settled we hear the first drops. Those drops multiply and soon we are in what sounds like a downpour inside of our tents.  I somehow fell asleep for maybe thirty minutes only to wake up completely convinced that I was in the middle of a full-blown tornado.  Two of the stakes staking down my tent got pulled up in the wind.  I haven’t been so terrified in my recent past, and this is when I thought “Oh god I’m going to die in a tent in the middle of a field in Kentucky” (I never thought that thought would ever cross my mind).  When the rain stopped my tent was flooded all of my stuff was soaked and there really was no way I was going to be able to fall asleep. So in my sleepy stupor I ditched my water-filled abode and headed for the trailer. The trailer, where all of the riders stuff is kept on a daily basis, has a wood floor and no ventilation, it was also the most best feeling ever to be in a solid walled dwelling. I finished the night sleeping, using my plastic bag full of dirty clothes as my pillow I got a total of maybe 3 hours of sleep.

                Waking up in the morning to someone coming into my temporary home to get their belongings at 5:15 in the morning to get an early start on a long long day.  We were in for a 100 mile day, in the blistering heat and headwinds of middle Kentucky. By noon we were about half way through running on fuel from a McDonalds breakfast, the second half would not be so smooth.  Caleb and I were riding together for the last 50 miles and we were quickly headed for delirium when we came to the last stop. The heat was sweltering, the wind felt like putting your face under a hand dryer, and you could literally feel the sun burning your skin. We somehow made it through together, and if it weren’t for caleb I literally do not think I would have survived the day.

                I have never been so happy to see a McDonalds with my wonderful grandparents inside!  That night was truly one of the most restful nights I have ever had, with a shower, washing our clothes in the bathtub and sleeping in a warm bed with NO humidity. Thank you so much to my grandparents for giving me honestly the most needed birthday present I could have asked for and that was a sense of comfort and relief.  It was the longest day of the whole trip, it was the hottest and hardest day of the whole trip and it was a birthday I will not soon forget. 

Eastern Kentucky is a Battlefield

So I first apologize for being out of touch for a few days, after we left Virginia we kind of fell off the map, and with the map went any hope of finding internet. Many things have happened since I last posted! First of all, we made it through all of Virginia!

In Breaks Interstate Park, the site of my last post we received a pin that signified our completion of bicycling across the state of Virginia, with a depiction of the state and our route from Yorktown to Breaks.  However apparently this is the last and only pin we receive throughout the trip for completing anything because other states just don't care.

Anyways, also since then we have made it through Eastern Kentucky, and let me tell you it was a battle.  Everything I've ever heard about Eastern Kentucky (with regards to this trip) has been bad. In fact, the only bad things I have ever heard about this trip have been about Eastern Kentucky.  So after summiting some of the hardest mountains of the trip in Virginia, the overwhelming feeling throughout the group was hope that the hard part was over, but first we had the battle through Eastern Kentucky... for 3 long days.
The first day, after crossing the border into the "Unbridled Spirit" state, the most overwhelming characteristic of Kentucky was poverty.  Appalachian communities are known for being extremely poor and very very sheltered, and thusly, very opposed to people who are different from them.  Ninety percent of the houses you see are trailer homes, some better than others, and some whose ability to provide shelter is questionable.  There are overwhelming amounts of trash along the sides of the roads and also in people's yards.  The communities, from what I could tell are very tightly knit, as evidenced by 10 mailboxes in a row all showing the same last name. Also, aside, Eastern Kentucky is very very mountainous... :(
The second day was full of climbing and vigorously threw me over the edge of tolerating any more mountains, it was so bad I was day dreaming about Kansas... Day two was truly a battle in every since of the word. We rode through pouring rain, extreme heat and extreme wind all while climbing nearly 5,000 feet of elevation. One particular incident seems to sum up the day accurately. While climbing a mountain, as usual, we come upon a trailer on the side of the road, as usual, with a four-wheeler on the deck, I don't know how it got there but not surprising, so as we grind away we get closer to the house and look into the window to find a Nazi flag hanging in the window behind a sign that says KEEP OUT, as Caleb and I look at each other in horror it is needless to say we climbed the rest of that mountain much faster.  On the way down from that same mountain we are chased by a very mean and very vicious pit bull, if that dog had been on the other side of that mountain where we were traveling 5 MPH it would have been game over. But day two ended and not soon enough.
Day three was a short 50 mile day that packed a punch.  The usual climbing, the usual running from dogs, ect... but today we FINALLY LEFT THE APPALACHIANS and it could not have come soon enough.  At the bottom of a giant mountain you could look ahead of you and see a flat horizon of blue skies and behind you the mountainous skyline I became accustomed too. This was a wonderful feeling.

It was great to get through what most said was the hardest most unpleasant part of the trip and get through it alive. Hopefully it will all get better from here. It was hard but the hardest tests are the ones that are the most gratifying to Ace. The right of passage should be over, now I can relax and enjoy the ride. Starting with a 100 mile ride tomorrow, on my birthday.

Today was “The Test”

                Today we traveled from Rural Retreat to Rosedale VA, an 80 mile ride through beautiful Mount Rogers National Park down into Damascus VA with more than its fair share of “ups and downs.” In Damascus a great friend of ours we met on the first day, Pepper, hooked the whole team up with 30% off everything in his outdoors store and also became an official team member when he agreed to sponsor next year’s team. After a huge (possibly too huge) pizza dinner in Damascus we set off to finish the last 30 miles of the day, only, in order to finish the day we had to cross Hayter’s Gap.

                Hayter’s Gap is one of the first things I heard about in respect to the trans-america tour, and what I heard about it was that it was THE hardest part of the entire trip.  Although we will climb the Rockies in a matter of weeks and cross Monarch Pass at over 10,000 ft above sea level, Hayter’s Gap is a brutal 6 mile climb with an average of around an 11% grade. This test that I have been talking so much about, was Hayter’s Gap.

                Taking a gel before the climb, and trying to tell my stomach to digest the massive amount of pizza it was filled with faster, I began the ascent in the 80 degree 100% humidity cloud that we were in.  All day, and in fact for several days prior, I had been psyching myself out in my head for this particular climb making it sound to myself like it would be the worst experience in my life so that, inevitably, when it was finished I would be pleasantly surprised.  My plan succeeded, however only by a little.  The climb started and it never stopped, switchback after switchback of constant relentless uphill seemed to never stop, but when I saw the van parked at the summit I cranked it into a high gear and grinded up to the finish.  We all waited and cheered on our fellow riders as they finished the last 300 yards or so of their ascent, then for a fantastic descent into Rosedale for a night in a church.

                According to most, that day is the hardest of the whole trip, so last night I fell asleep (very quickly) thinking that the hardest is over.  There is an amazing sense of accomplishment looking down a mountain and thinking “I rode my bike from all the way down there,” this is what makes the pain worth it.  However hard it may have been along the way, I never once thought of stopping and taking a break, I never once thought of quitting and calling for the van, and I never once thought I couldn’t do it. This was by far the hardest of maybe two challenges of the trip thus far, and knowing that I climbed 4,000 feet of elevation in 6 miles without stopping gives me the feeling I can do anything.  However, I’m sure Kentucky will test that feeling.

                Taking a rest at Break Interstate Park, eating ridiculous amounts of country fried steak and cornbread, overlooking an amazing view. Today marks our last day in Virginia, one state down.

Blacksburg to Rural Retreat: 85 miles

It was very emotional for everyone leaving this morning from Blacksburg, at least for those who have some sort of tie to the town. If nothing else, it is hard knowing there are no more “Comfortable situations” left for me. I have been through my home town shortly followed by my home away from home, but from now on I am on to uncharted territory, unmarked land that is new to me, also absent will be the feeling of comfort that comes from being in a familiar territory that in reality just makes it harder to wake up the next morning and move on. So from now on the grace period is over and I’m on my own.

                Lying in my tent at night after a long 85 mile day I reflect on the trip thus far. Though this experience, however fresh and new it may be, only 7 days deep, I am beginning to learn so much about what is important to me and what I like and want in my life. From simple things like the joy that comes from cooking a full meal on a stove that could fit in your pocket (which makes everything taste so much better) to big things like the kind of person I hope to be one day, and what is truly important to me as a person. Testing yourself in the wild is not only about proving to yourself your capability and the possibilities in your life, but also, to remove the luxuries from your life is to strip your life of things that make you the same as everyone else, leaving you only with what makes you unique. Experiencing this shows you more about yourself than you ever thought possible. The things that you love will reveal themselves to you and the materialistic things that you perhaps thought defined your life before will fall by the wayside. I do not expect to return home a changed person, if fact just the contrary. I expect to return home with a new understanding of myself and how I want to live my life, this is what testing yourself is all about and what I am currently experiencing on my grand adventure. 

To My Home Away From Home

Waking up early in Troutville VA from a wonderful night of sleep prompted by a horrible day of riding we were off to finish the first leg of our journey as we rode into Blacksburg Virginia, my home away from home. Twenty miles into the ride we stopped in Catawba, home of the Homeplace for all you hokies out there, where we met up with 20 or so more riders who were going to accompany us for our ride into Blacksburg. Another 20 down and we came upon Harding avenue. For those who don’t know, Blacksburg is on the top of a mountain, therefore in order to enter Blacksburg, you must first climb a mountain. Harding Avenue is one of the most notorious of these routes into Blacksburg known for its relentless 4 mile ascent. But with the motivation of knowing that a rest day awaits at the top, and not to mention an Espresso flavored energy gel, I did surprisingly well.  At the top we re-grouped and rode as a group together into downtown Blacksburg where a party of cheering friends awaited us. We ate and hung out at Champs Bar for a while before we went our separate ways to find housing for the night and our rest day.

                My group was sent to Mason and Leanna’s house where we were treated like royalty. Mason and Leanna, a couple who have been a part of Bike the US for MS since it’s birth have both completed the trip at least once and continue to be a huge part in the program. They have a wonderful, comfortable, home and they are two of the most kind and generous people I have met in the recent past. I look forward to getting to know both of them much better if they are so kind to have me back into their home during the school year.  They both show me a little bit what I hope to be like in my future. Thanks again to Mason and Leanna.

                We went as a big group to my favorite restaurant in town, Cabo Fish Taco for some fish tacos and “Epic Tuna Burritos” and back home for about 20 minutes of a movie before passing out asleep.

                Our rest day was exactly that, a rest day with very little to worry about. Waking up to a breakfast at Gillie’s is in my opinion the best way to start a day in Blacksburg, then to the Bike Barn where Yusef and Scott hooked up the whole team with free service to their bikes and for that I am extremely grateful! Back to Mason’s after that for a siesta then a team cookout where I ate the following: 2 cheeseburgers, a hot dog, roasted potatoes, pork loin, salad, and avocado. The rest day went by fast with the glooming notion that in only a matter of hours we would be back on the bike on to uncharted territory, at least for me.

We Were Wrong

                Today was a 66 mile ride from Vesuvius to Troutville, VA. We were for some reason under the false sense that the day after the hard day would be easy, as it turns out, the hard day will make the next day hard no matter what. We expended so much energy yesterday on long climbs that today we ran out of gas. It was a relatively smooth and easy ride it was just simply hard to maintain power after being drained the previous day. I rode with my wonderful riding partner Rose for the Last 20 miles of a slow 8 MPH average into Troutville. Beautiful scenery in the foothills of the Blueridge along a river bed made the ride bearable. After a huge pasta and chili dinner cooked on the camp stove and a quart (an entire quart) of orange sherbet, hopefully I can regain my strength and finish up the first leg of the trip into Blacksburg tomorrow, for our first rest day of the trip. Sorry to make it such a short post but here are several pictures I have taken along the way… Enjoy!

Dipping the Rear wheel in the Atlantic symbolically starting my journey to the Pacific, in two months I will dip the front wheel in the Pacific.

Dad and his boys.  Sending us off in style!

Overlooking the Chikahominy River on Day 2

Overlooking the railroad tracks in Afton... Used to be the most used travel hub in all of the North Carolina and Virginia.

 These Bike Route 76 signs have lead us through Virginia... The 76 route is the Trans-America Route that will lead us to California.