We arrived in Camden, ME on the Atlantic Coast after riding 6 hours 40 minutes, covering 96 miles and averaging 14 mph. We had 5800 feet of ascent which surprised all of us. That is a lot of climbing with no mountains to show for it. Zack popped another spoke today, which makes seven, I believe. He has gotten quite good at replacing them and straightening up the rim.
We stayed dry all day but it started to rain after we had been in Camden for a couple hours. We are very much hoping to stay dry tomorrow for our last day riding together. We are in the process of sorting out the SAG van and the trailer after 9 weeks of stuffing things in places as we hustle our way across the country.
We are looking forward to the finish line tomorrow up the coast in Bar Harbor. We will be celebrating with our team as well as Ronda, Rob, Danae, Caleb & Aiden Reynolds. It has been a long, wonderful, tiring road and we are ready to hang up the bikes for a while stay up in the one place for a bit. Just 90 miles left to be conquered!
You will enjoy the recap post forthcoming in the next week to ten days.
From Camden, Maine,
Dan
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
August 13 Crossing the 4000 Mile Mark
We rode 81 miles today in 6 hours averaging 13.5 mph. We crossed the milestone of 4000 miles in Norway, Maine in front of The Ripley Medical Center. I was riding with Zack and he took my picture. I just found out as I am writing this that we were across the street from the flooring shop owned by our hosts for tonight, Thom & Rhonda Maher. Go figure.
When I crossed the 3000 mile line it was early in the morning 3 miles north of Grover Hill, Ohio.
When I reached 2000 miles I was riding on the best bike path I have ever experienced near the shore of Lake Carlos with Stuart just west of Alexandria, Minnesota.
I attained my first 1000 mile mark in Montana. We were riding down a hill into Shelby on US-2.
The highlight of the day today was a 21% grade after lunch. It was part of a 3/4 mile hill but the steep part was only 200 yards long. It is the consensus that this is the steepest hill yet to be encountered. Though brief it was incredibly challenging. Two of our riders were forced to walk up part of it. Zack enjoyed climbing it so much that he rode down it so he could ride up it again (a picture is forthcoming). Actually, he rode down because he thought he could hit 55mph but he topped out at 51 and change. His top speed for the trip is 53.3 and is the best for our team. It will likely not be eclipsed during the remaining 2 days of our trip.
Yes, you read me correctly; we have only two days remaining in this ridiculous adventure and then we will be coming home. Amen.
Dan
When I crossed the 3000 mile line it was early in the morning 3 miles north of Grover Hill, Ohio.
When I reached 2000 miles I was riding on the best bike path I have ever experienced near the shore of Lake Carlos with Stuart just west of Alexandria, Minnesota.
I attained my first 1000 mile mark in Montana. We were riding down a hill into Shelby on US-2.
The highlight of the day today was a 21% grade after lunch. It was part of a 3/4 mile hill but the steep part was only 200 yards long. It is the consensus that this is the steepest hill yet to be encountered. Though brief it was incredibly challenging. Two of our riders were forced to walk up part of it. Zack enjoyed climbing it so much that he rode down it so he could ride up it again (a picture is forthcoming). Actually, he rode down because he thought he could hit 55mph but he topped out at 51 and change. His top speed for the trip is 53.3 and is the best for our team. It will likely not be eclipsed during the remaining 2 days of our trip.
Yes, you read me correctly; we have only two days remaining in this ridiculous adventure and then we will be coming home. Amen.
Dan
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
August 12 and Catching Up
Today we rode 96 miles in 7 hours 14 minutes averaging 12.4 mph. We had 5400 feet of ascent today and we crossed the state line from Vermont into New Hampshire. To date, we have completed our riding in:
Washington
Idaho
Montana
North Dakota
Minnesota
Iowa
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio
New York
Vermont
We will complete New Hampshire tomorrow (Lord willing) as we enter Maine, headed for The Atlantic Ocean.
It rained just less than half the day today and even though it looked like it might clear off several times it saved the heaviest downpour for the end of the day when I was still on the mountain about 10 miles from our destination of St Joseph's Catholic Church in Lincoln, NH.
Several small climbs today but only one big one. Ever since Stuart hitched a ride last week near Palmyra, NY I find myself look back there to see if he is trying it again. Unfortunately, every time it turns out that it's the climb instead. So I just have to turn around and ride it. That was definitely the case today on our climb toward the day's end. It was long and tiring but not quite as steep as the hill yesterday.
I am a guest in the home of Rob & Monica along with Tom and John. They have a daughter, Brita, who will be entering her senior year this fall at Lincoln High School. Talking with Brita, reminded me of how much Amanda is looking forward to her senior year and HOW MUCH I MISS HER. I will be seeing Amanda for the first time in 9 weeks on Saturday night at GR Ford Airport. Rob & Monica are taking great care of us and we are enjoying getting to know them.
Life on the road has become weary and both Zack and I are ready to come home. The willpower to finish is what is needed now. We are looking forward to worshipping with our KCC family this coming Sunday.
I have tride to catch up on blog postings tonight so look back for postings that should fill in some of the blanks over the past 2 weeks. Sorry it has taken so long to catch this up.
Dan
Washington
Idaho
Montana
North Dakota
Minnesota
Iowa
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio
New York
Vermont
We will complete New Hampshire tomorrow (Lord willing) as we enter Maine, headed for The Atlantic Ocean.
It rained just less than half the day today and even though it looked like it might clear off several times it saved the heaviest downpour for the end of the day when I was still on the mountain about 10 miles from our destination of St Joseph's Catholic Church in Lincoln, NH.
Several small climbs today but only one big one. Ever since Stuart hitched a ride last week near Palmyra, NY I find myself look back there to see if he is trying it again. Unfortunately, every time it turns out that it's the climb instead. So I just have to turn around and ride it. That was definitely the case today on our climb toward the day's end. It was long and tiring but not quite as steep as the hill yesterday.
I am a guest in the home of Rob & Monica along with Tom and John. They have a daughter, Brita, who will be entering her senior year this fall at Lincoln High School. Talking with Brita, reminded me of how much Amanda is looking forward to her senior year and HOW MUCH I MISS HER. I will be seeing Amanda for the first time in 9 weeks on Saturday night at GR Ford Airport. Rob & Monica are taking great care of us and we are enjoying getting to know them.
Life on the road has become weary and both Zack and I are ready to come home. The willpower to finish is what is needed now. We are looking forward to worshipping with our KCC family this coming Sunday.
I have tride to catch up on blog postings tonight so look back for postings that should fill in some of the blanks over the past 2 weeks. Sorry it has taken so long to catch this up.
Dan
Sunday, August 10, 2008
August 9 & 10
We rode 122 miles in 8 hours 15 minutes on the bike, averaging 14.7 mph. We had 6400 feet of ascent and burned almost 8000 calories today. Yes, the climbing is definitely back as we are now in the Adirondack Mountains. We will be experiencing lots of uphills, and steep ones from here to the Atlantic Ocean. We will ride out of the Adirondacks tomorrow and out of New York.
The last section of our map, Section Eleven begins tomorrow as well. We have 450 miles left to ride and five days to get it done. This adventure is in it’s final week and is winding down. Suffice it to say we are experiencing a mixture of sad and glad feelings over this. More reflections on that at a later date.
We experienced 4 miles of the worst road so far on the trip in the morning (in my opinion). Imagine gluing one million quarter inch ball bearings onto the surface of a road. Riding over the surface provided us with thousands of jarring vibrations causing numbness to hands, feet & seat. We couldn’t get any speed up on that road (because of the rough surface) to get through it quicker and it was quite rough on the tires as well. It caused at least one puncture on that section of road.
We did see several beautiful lakes during our ride today and we are staying in Newcomb, NY right across the road from a small lake here. This is a place of cool summer evenings because of the mountain location, of course. It is easy to see why a person would be drawn to this place. The beauty and peaceful setting is wonderful. It is rather sparsely populated offering long drives to things like malls, hospitals, movie theaters, etc.
We found out earlier this week that my sister from Pennsylvania, Irene Wise, her husband Bob and their oldest daughter Jen were coming to visit us at this stop. They were here when I got in at 7:15pm. (my latest arrival on the trip yet) and we had some time with them in the evening and then again on Sunday morning for worship at Newcome United Methodist church, before they headed home. It was wonderful to see familiar faces and to catch up on what’s happening with them. We are very grateful for all the trouble they went to make this stop. What a special blessing!
Today was a great day of rest, sleeping in until 7:15am and taking a nap in the afternoon as well. Time for a final weekend bike cleaning and it’s off the bed.
Dan
The last section of our map, Section Eleven begins tomorrow as well. We have 450 miles left to ride and five days to get it done. This adventure is in it’s final week and is winding down. Suffice it to say we are experiencing a mixture of sad and glad feelings over this. More reflections on that at a later date.
We experienced 4 miles of the worst road so far on the trip in the morning (in my opinion). Imagine gluing one million quarter inch ball bearings onto the surface of a road. Riding over the surface provided us with thousands of jarring vibrations causing numbness to hands, feet & seat. We couldn’t get any speed up on that road (because of the rough surface) to get through it quicker and it was quite rough on the tires as well. It caused at least one puncture on that section of road.
We did see several beautiful lakes during our ride today and we are staying in Newcomb, NY right across the road from a small lake here. This is a place of cool summer evenings because of the mountain location, of course. It is easy to see why a person would be drawn to this place. The beauty and peaceful setting is wonderful. It is rather sparsely populated offering long drives to things like malls, hospitals, movie theaters, etc.
We found out earlier this week that my sister from Pennsylvania, Irene Wise, her husband Bob and their oldest daughter Jen were coming to visit us at this stop. They were here when I got in at 7:15pm. (my latest arrival on the trip yet) and we had some time with them in the evening and then again on Sunday morning for worship at Newcome United Methodist church, before they headed home. It was wonderful to see familiar faces and to catch up on what’s happening with them. We are very grateful for all the trouble they went to make this stop. What a special blessing!
Today was a great day of rest, sleeping in until 7:15am and taking a nap in the afternoon as well. Time for a final weekend bike cleaning and it’s off the bed.
Dan
Thursday, August 7, 2008
August 7, 2008
Rode 87 miles in 6 hours averaging 14.6 mph
Today was our chance to ride along the world famous Erie Canal. It is difficult to make good time on a trail like that because it passes through a large city like Erie and has to avoid a lot of streets. It was cool, however, to see so much of the canal as we rode. Zack & I rode together with a few others most of the day. No I wasn’t sick again. I am feeling better now and it was fun to ride with him.
When we arrived in East Williamson at the Free Methodist Church, having climbed at least a dozen moderately challenging hills to get there, someone told us we could have ridden all the way from Medina on Ridge Road, the road the church was on. Now this may not seem like an important detail to you but Ridge Road bears this name because it runs along a ridge. Translated, “there are few if any serious inclines on Ridge Road.” Oh well, riding along the canal was worth a few hills.
Zack, Stuart & I were heading toward our last break of the day, climbing up a hill into Palmyra and I happened to be out front. It seemed to me that the hill was getting steeper so I shifted down and pulled up more as I pedaled to generate more power. Stuart actually did it twice before I realized what was happening. Zack was right there and got a picture. I expect you will see it on the blog soon.
I am so glad I could help Stuart up the hills, as he is our oldest rider at 62 years of age, and needs a little extra assistance from time to time. My problem now is that whenever I feel any slowdown or unexplained resistance I look back to see if Stuart or someone else has snuck up on me and is hanging onto the rack on the back of my bike.
I was the guest this night in the home of Gary & Deb Rood, along with their children, Marissa, Tallon and Jeremy. We had a great time just hanging out, getting acquainted while we ate dinner (delicious venison was served), watched some Olympic competition, etc. I discovered Deb does hair in her home so I got a free haircut during my visit to their home.
Thanks Deb! I really needed it.
Dan
Today was our chance to ride along the world famous Erie Canal. It is difficult to make good time on a trail like that because it passes through a large city like Erie and has to avoid a lot of streets. It was cool, however, to see so much of the canal as we rode. Zack & I rode together with a few others most of the day. No I wasn’t sick again. I am feeling better now and it was fun to ride with him.
When we arrived in East Williamson at the Free Methodist Church, having climbed at least a dozen moderately challenging hills to get there, someone told us we could have ridden all the way from Medina on Ridge Road, the road the church was on. Now this may not seem like an important detail to you but Ridge Road bears this name because it runs along a ridge. Translated, “there are few if any serious inclines on Ridge Road.” Oh well, riding along the canal was worth a few hills.
Zack, Stuart & I were heading toward our last break of the day, climbing up a hill into Palmyra and I happened to be out front. It seemed to me that the hill was getting steeper so I shifted down and pulled up more as I pedaled to generate more power. Stuart actually did it twice before I realized what was happening. Zack was right there and got a picture. I expect you will see it on the blog soon.
I am so glad I could help Stuart up the hills, as he is our oldest rider at 62 years of age, and needs a little extra assistance from time to time. My problem now is that whenever I feel any slowdown or unexplained resistance I look back to see if Stuart or someone else has snuck up on me and is hanging onto the rack on the back of my bike.
I was the guest this night in the home of Gary & Deb Rood, along with their children, Marissa, Tallon and Jeremy. We had a great time just hanging out, getting acquainted while we ate dinner (delicious venison was served), watched some Olympic competition, etc. I discovered Deb does hair in her home so I got a free haircut during my visit to their home.
Thanks Deb! I really needed it.
Dan
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
August 6, 2008, Medina, NY
We rode 95 miles today into Medina, NY today in 6 hours 40 minutes averaging 14 mph. I was a guest in the home of Jim & Barb along with Tom, the oldest of the fast boys.
We got a quick tour of the town which included a look at the church in the middle of the street. The street had to be split and built around the church building. We also saw the only tunnel under the Erie Canal anywhere along it’s 400 plus mile length. The town of Medina grew up to service the canal but was also a great supplier of sandstone to the U.S. and many parts of the world.
Dan
We got a quick tour of the town which included a look at the church in the middle of the street. The street had to be split and built around the church building. We also saw the only tunnel under the Erie Canal anywhere along it’s 400 plus mile length. The town of Medina grew up to service the canal but was also a great supplier of sandstone to the U.S. and many parts of the world.
Dan
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
August 5, Angola, NY Pioneer Camp
Rode 93 in 6 hours averaging 15.1
I did a little better today and felt a little better. Stuart promised to stay with me today so Zack went back to riding with the fast boys. The terrain was still pretty easy but there were a few small hills almost as soon as we came into New York State. We have been riding along the shore of Lake Erie and it really has been beautiful. I had no idea that it was so gorgeous down here. The heavy fog over the lake in the morning was just incredible!
We ate at The Mustard Seed Restaurant for dinner and breakfast and had a great time getting to know the Christian lady who had opened it just a few months previous. We stayed in modern cabins at Pioneer Camp in Angola, New York which was very nice.
I boiled in onion soup mix tonight and enjoyed eating them on the road the next couple days. They tasted very good, traveled well and did not upset my sensitive tummy. I am getting a little better every day, but still have to be pretty careful what I eat. No “issues” since Saturday night, if you know what I mean.
Dan
I did a little better today and felt a little better. Stuart promised to stay with me today so Zack went back to riding with the fast boys. The terrain was still pretty easy but there were a few small hills almost as soon as we came into New York State. We have been riding along the shore of Lake Erie and it really has been beautiful. I had no idea that it was so gorgeous down here. The heavy fog over the lake in the morning was just incredible!
We ate at The Mustard Seed Restaurant for dinner and breakfast and had a great time getting to know the Christian lady who had opened it just a few months previous. We stayed in modern cabins at Pioneer Camp in Angola, New York which was very nice.
I boiled in onion soup mix tonight and enjoyed eating them on the road the next couple days. They tasted very good, traveled well and did not upset my sensitive tummy. I am getting a little better every day, but still have to be pretty careful what I eat. No “issues” since Saturday night, if you know what I mean.
Dan
Monday, August 4, 2008
August 4, East Springfield, PA
Rode 98.5 miles in 6 hours averaging 14.7 mph.
Zack and I rode together today. It just sort of happened, I thought, as the riding groups formed up 5 miles from the start. It was very apparent that he was riding with me because we were riding way below his usual pace and a bit below mine as well.
I hadn’t eaten much over the weekend for obvious reasons so my energy was way down. Fortunately, the terrain, like much of Illinois, Indiana & Ohio, was very flat. Not sure I could have stayed out of the van if there had been any hills.
It wasn’t until we were 20 miles from our destination in East Springfield, Pennsylvania that I realized that he was riding with me to make sure I made it through the day OK after having been sick over the weekend. When I asked him about it he just smiled and kept riding. I have been looking out for him most of my adult life. It’s a bit odd and humbling to be on the receiving end of him looking out for me.
What a good son! A grateful dad, and proud.
I was tired but we had a good day together.
My friend Peter, who is the Executive Director for YFC Erie, helped us connect with our host church on this stop. He was there when I got in and we were able to share a bit of ministry update since I had seen him in February. Things continue to grow under his leadership and God is helping them overcome the challenges they face. It was so good to see him. A wonderful surprise.
Connie & Marcie Hopkins are my hosts tonight and I am rooming with Mike. We had a good time fellowshipping with them in their home and enjoying their hospitality.
Dan
Zack and I rode together today. It just sort of happened, I thought, as the riding groups formed up 5 miles from the start. It was very apparent that he was riding with me because we were riding way below his usual pace and a bit below mine as well.
I hadn’t eaten much over the weekend for obvious reasons so my energy was way down. Fortunately, the terrain, like much of Illinois, Indiana & Ohio, was very flat. Not sure I could have stayed out of the van if there had been any hills.
It wasn’t until we were 20 miles from our destination in East Springfield, Pennsylvania that I realized that he was riding with me to make sure I made it through the day OK after having been sick over the weekend. When I asked him about it he just smiled and kept riding. I have been looking out for him most of my adult life. It’s a bit odd and humbling to be on the receiving end of him looking out for me.
What a good son! A grateful dad, and proud.
I was tired but we had a good day together.
My friend Peter, who is the Executive Director for YFC Erie, helped us connect with our host church on this stop. He was there when I got in and we were able to share a bit of ministry update since I had seen him in February. Things continue to grow under his leadership and God is helping them overcome the challenges they face. It was so good to see him. A wonderful surprise.
Connie & Marcie Hopkins are my hosts tonight and I am rooming with Mike. We had a good time fellowshipping with them in their home and enjoying their hospitality.
Dan
Sunday, August 3, 2008
August 2 New Experiences
Today we rode over 100 miles. Seven hours on the bike averaging 14.7 mph. Staying in Cleveland, Ohio at The Nehemiah Mission
Long day!
Yesterday was a first for me because I can't recall being that sick. From 7pm to 9pm last night, it was difficult to know which end to put in the toilet...so i found a paint bucket. Fortunately it was short, thank God!
I am feeling better now and beginning eating and drinking s l o w l y. I am expecting to ride the whole day tomorrow but we shall see.
We heard recently about another group os 7 guys riding 3500 miles coast to coast just a few days ahead of us. All of them have crashed at some point except one. We have had no serious collisions or injuries of any kind and we are very grateful.
With 2 weeks to go, having ridden 3200 miles, we are all feeling a bit run down, physically, emotionally. We will be averaging 95 miles a day from this point on.
We will try and do a better job this last 2 weeks to keep the blog up to date. We really do enjoy sharing this experience with you as we travel from town to town.
Thank you so much to so many for your support through giving and prayer.
Dan
Long day!
Yesterday was a first for me because I can't recall being that sick. From 7pm to 9pm last night, it was difficult to know which end to put in the toilet...so i found a paint bucket. Fortunately it was short, thank God!
I am feeling better now and beginning eating and drinking s l o w l y. I am expecting to ride the whole day tomorrow but we shall see.
We heard recently about another group os 7 guys riding 3500 miles coast to coast just a few days ahead of us. All of them have crashed at some point except one. We have had no serious collisions or injuries of any kind and we are very grateful.
With 2 weeks to go, having ridden 3200 miles, we are all feeling a bit run down, physically, emotionally. We will be averaging 95 miles a day from this point on.
We will try and do a better job this last 2 weeks to keep the blog up to date. We really do enjoy sharing this experience with you as we travel from town to town.
Thank you so much to so many for your support through giving and prayer.
Dan
Friday, August 1, 2008
August 1 Gibsonburg, OH
Today we rode 96 miles in 6 hours 15 minutes averaging 15 mph. Long ride, flat road.
While we were riding today, it looked like a small wind up toy fell out of Mike’s bag onto the road. I cut back to check it out and it was a dragonfly-type bug stuck on it’s head in the road. It was rather strange but it just stayed there beating it’s wings against the road.
On our route we saw probably 6 or 8 wind turbines and they were very close to the road we were riding on. It gave us the chance to realize how very large they actually are. The gear box at the center of the fan is the size of a motorcoach, but it doesn’t look near that large until you are right next to it.
We have seen dozens of these wind turbines across the country and expect that windustry is going to play a larger and larger part in our country's energy situation.
I was a guest in the home of Larry & Kim Bowers along with Paul Luedtke and Stuart. They are in the process of remodeling a large, old farmhouse. It reminded me some of home in Millington with the high ceilings and original fixtures.
Talk to you later.
Dan
While we were riding today, it looked like a small wind up toy fell out of Mike’s bag onto the road. I cut back to check it out and it was a dragonfly-type bug stuck on it’s head in the road. It was rather strange but it just stayed there beating it’s wings against the road.
On our route we saw probably 6 or 8 wind turbines and they were very close to the road we were riding on. It gave us the chance to realize how very large they actually are. The gear box at the center of the fan is the size of a motorcoach, but it doesn’t look near that large until you are right next to it.
We have seen dozens of these wind turbines across the country and expect that windustry is going to play a larger and larger part in our country's energy situation.
I was a guest in the home of Larry & Kim Bowers along with Paul Luedtke and Stuart. They are in the process of remodeling a large, old farmhouse. It reminded me some of home in Millington with the high ceilings and original fixtures.
Talk to you later.
Dan
Friday, July 25, 2008
Riding Past Caledonia...Minnesota Delayed Posting
As we rode south of Brownsville, Minnesota on Wednesday we passed a sign that told us Caledonia was 20 miles away. Made me feel like I was a lot closer to home than I was, but it was a good feeling.
As I was climbing up the hills in northern Iowa the thought occurred to me that Iowa is supposedly flat. Let me assure you that there are large parts of Iowa that are not. We climbed more than one 12% grade today but when we also rode along the top of several ridges today.
The shapes of the land, the colors and different textures in this very rich agricultural area was a beautiful scene. It reminded me of the hymn "This is My Father's World" so I sang a couple verses when I could get the breath to do it.
Sorry no mileage info, etc. Can't find it right now.
Dan
As I was climbing up the hills in northern Iowa the thought occurred to me that Iowa is supposedly flat. Let me assure you that there are large parts of Iowa that are not. We climbed more than one 12% grade today but when we also rode along the top of several ridges today.
The shapes of the land, the colors and different textures in this very rich agricultural area was a beautiful scene. It reminded me of the hymn "This is My Father's World" so I sang a couple verses when I could get the breath to do it.
Sorry no mileage info, etc. Can't find it right now.
Dan
July 25
Today I rode 93 miles, averaged 14.7 mph with 6.5 hours riding time.
Our route ran along the RAGBRAI route today. This is a ride across Iowa that has been going on for years, having grown to thousands of riders. People come from all over the world to participate in this event. We had some fun conversations with many of the 20,000 riders as they were riding their sixth day of seven. Stuart and I talked with Retha, who was riding bandit (unofficial rider) from a local community. She and her husband rode across the country East to West a few years ago unsupported together. It was great to talk with her about all the unique challenges and blessings of a ride like that.
We also talked with a couple at one of the larger rest stops in Mechanicsville. Both were very interested in the purpose for our riding sea to see and we received a $20 donation on the spot.
At the end of the day today we encountered a real detour and had another detour on that route. It turns out that everyone else rode through the first detour as it was passable with a bike and had only 75 total miles. As you read at the beginning of our blog, we rode 93 miles. That proved to be a costly decision for us.
We are hosted tonight by two churches in Muscatine, Iowa.
One more day of riding this week and we will be enjoying a weekend visit from Ronda and a few of Zack's friends.
Talk to you later.
Dan
Our route ran along the RAGBRAI route today. This is a ride across Iowa that has been going on for years, having grown to thousands of riders. People come from all over the world to participate in this event. We had some fun conversations with many of the 20,000 riders as they were riding their sixth day of seven. Stuart and I talked with Retha, who was riding bandit (unofficial rider) from a local community. She and her husband rode across the country East to West a few years ago unsupported together. It was great to talk with her about all the unique challenges and blessings of a ride like that.
We also talked with a couple at one of the larger rest stops in Mechanicsville. Both were very interested in the purpose for our riding sea to see and we received a $20 donation on the spot.
At the end of the day today we encountered a real detour and had another detour on that route. It turns out that everyone else rode through the first detour as it was passable with a bike and had only 75 total miles. As you read at the beginning of our blog, we rode 93 miles. That proved to be a costly decision for us.
We are hosted tonight by two churches in Muscatine, Iowa.
One more day of riding this week and we will be enjoying a weekend visit from Ronda and a few of Zack's friends.
Talk to you later.
Dan
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Things That Are True
Ronda loves me.
She misses me.
She is coming to see me.
It is a wonderful and powerful thing to be loved deeply and completely by another person. The three statements above still amaze me sometimes (I am not always easy to love) but they are true nonetheless, I have no doubt.
That there was a point in my life where I found myself looking into the eyes of a beautiful woman, with love, and realized that she was looking back at me...well it's a gift from God.
I will be riding to meet her in a couple days as she drives to Kewanee, Illinois to meet me.
Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder.
I am a blessed man.
Dan
She misses me.
She is coming to see me.
It is a wonderful and powerful thing to be loved deeply and completely by another person. The three statements above still amaze me sometimes (I am not always easy to love) but they are true nonetheless, I have no doubt.
That there was a point in my life where I found myself looking into the eyes of a beautiful woman, with love, and realized that she was looking back at me...well it's a gift from God.
I will be riding to meet her in a couple days as she drives to Kewanee, Illinois to meet me.
Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder.
I am a blessed man.
Dan
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday, July 19
As we rode out on Saturday morning, we were accompanied by Pastor Brad and Hank Larsen, the host that Paul Bayfield, Mike Scott & I stayed with. Hank was 68 years old on Saturday and rode at the front for 10 miles before he and Brad turned back. Hank is celebrating by competing in a triathalon today (Sunday). He has a very cool racing bike and recently averaged 21 mph over a 25 mile race route. Way to go Hank! An update later on how he did in the triahalon.
It was wet in the morning and rained lightly on and off. Things cleared off in late morning and we had hot weather as the afternoon went on. I rode strong in the morning and then seemed to run out of energy after lunch. I rode with Mike the last two-thirds of the day, which is kind of like having GPS on-board except that Mike can actually carry on a conversation. We always have a good time when we ride together. During lunch this day, Ralph King, a local farmer stopped by to chat with us. Ralph is 85 and was out for his daily 2-mile walk when he saw our vehicles. He was pleased to hear that we are riding to help tell more kids about Jesus' love. He encouraged us on our way and committed to pray for success and safety.
Mike's navigational skills notwithstanding, we could not find the bike path where it should have been, 3 miles from our destination in Northfield. We ended up coming in on County Route 246, or something, and before we knew it we had joined the route of a local 300-mile fundraising ride. The picture top right is me with the three ladies that encouraged us as we arrived in Northfield and finished off our 77 mile day, averaging 14.3 mph with 5.5 hours of riding time.
An entertaining, unique end to the day.
Dan
It was wet in the morning and rained lightly on and off. Things cleared off in late morning and we had hot weather as the afternoon went on. I rode strong in the morning and then seemed to run out of energy after lunch. I rode with Mike the last two-thirds of the day, which is kind of like having GPS on-board except that Mike can actually carry on a conversation. We always have a good time when we ride together. During lunch this day, Ralph King, a local farmer stopped by to chat with us. Ralph is 85 and was out for his daily 2-mile walk when he saw our vehicles. He was pleased to hear that we are riding to help tell more kids about Jesus' love. He encouraged us on our way and committed to pray for success and safety.
Mike's navigational skills notwithstanding, we could not find the bike path where it should have been, 3 miles from our destination in Northfield. We ended up coming in on County Route 246, or something, and before we knew it we had joined the route of a local 300-mile fundraising ride. The picture top right is me with the three ladies that encouraged us as we arrived in Northfield and finished off our 77 mile day, averaging 14.3 mph with 5.5 hours of riding time.
An entertaining, unique end to the day.
Dan
Friday, July 18, 2008
July 18 Ice in my shoes
Today we rode 80 miles, averaging 16.5 mph. We had a 4mph tailwind for much of the ride and made the most of it. We arrived in Glencoe, MN riding faster than our average. It was a good day.
Tonight we are staying at the home of Hank & Judy Larsen. Hank is a former teacher/track coach. He suggested I ice my feet to relieve the swelling I am having from all the peddling. I am not sure which hurts worse, the "hot feet" sensation I get toward the end of the day or the ten minutes of icing to ease the swelling in my feet. He is confident that this will help my situation and he certainly seemed to get a kick out the look on my face as I dipped my feet in the ice.
We crossed the 2000 mile threshold today with a total of 2031 miles so far. It has been the incredible challenge and opportunity we had hoped for and we are so grateful to be able to experience this together.
Good night.
Dan
Tonight we are staying at the home of Hank & Judy Larsen. Hank is a former teacher/track coach. He suggested I ice my feet to relieve the swelling I am having from all the peddling. I am not sure which hurts worse, the "hot feet" sensation I get toward the end of the day or the ten minutes of icing to ease the swelling in my feet. He is confident that this will help my situation and he certainly seemed to get a kick out the look on my face as I dipped my feet in the ice.
We crossed the 2000 mile threshold today with a total of 2031 miles so far. It has been the incredible challenge and opportunity we had hoped for and we are so grateful to be able to experience this together.
Good night.
Dan
Thursday, July 17, 2008
July 16 & 17 Hanging Out in New London, Minnesota
We rode 58 miles on the 16.
Averaged 13.7 mph with a few miles of tailwind that helped us to 25mph for a little while. Obviously a short while with an average speed of half that amount.
We enjoyed an extra day of rest this week on the 17th to participate in The Sonshine Festival near New London (in Wilmar). We shared with several hundred people that stopped by our booth to learn about our ride and the minsitry of YFC. There are 20,000 in attendance and it looks like they will have beautiful weather for the event. It was blazing hot today.
Stuart & I enjoyed the hospitality of Graden & Becky West, members of Peace Lutheran Church. Their home is built on a 24 acre piece of property that used to be a cornfield (in 1979). If you visited here today you would not ever suspect it. Since they purchased it, they have planted approximately 7,000 different trees and had several "volunteers" show up on there own. They moved around a lot (16 times) and chose to return to New London upon retirement. We took a driving tour last night around half a dozen of the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota and learned a lot about the history and connectedness of many of the lakes here.
Graden is an avid outdoorsman and I learned a lot about fly-fishing. Makes sense with 10,000 lakes around you. He is also a bow hunter and makes his own bows and arrows in his basement. It was fascinating to learn all the detail and the steps involved in making a wood bow.
Becky is a wonderful cook and we enjoyed two delicious dinners with them. Wednesday night we had pan-fryed Bluegill & Crappie. I had the leftovers for breakfast today. Tasted great both times.
A frivolous comment:
Becky had a grandfather who always went by the name "Captain Dan". Stuart has a fascination with nicknames for me, can't tell you why. I am certain that I have not heard the last of this one. :)
Thanks for your prayers and for all your support.
Dan
Averaged 13.7 mph with a few miles of tailwind that helped us to 25mph for a little while. Obviously a short while with an average speed of half that amount.
We enjoyed an extra day of rest this week on the 17th to participate in The Sonshine Festival near New London (in Wilmar). We shared with several hundred people that stopped by our booth to learn about our ride and the minsitry of YFC. There are 20,000 in attendance and it looks like they will have beautiful weather for the event. It was blazing hot today.
Stuart & I enjoyed the hospitality of Graden & Becky West, members of Peace Lutheran Church. Their home is built on a 24 acre piece of property that used to be a cornfield (in 1979). If you visited here today you would not ever suspect it. Since they purchased it, they have planted approximately 7,000 different trees and had several "volunteers" show up on there own. They moved around a lot (16 times) and chose to return to New London upon retirement. We took a driving tour last night around half a dozen of the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota and learned a lot about the history and connectedness of many of the lakes here.
Graden is an avid outdoorsman and I learned a lot about fly-fishing. Makes sense with 10,000 lakes around you. He is also a bow hunter and makes his own bows and arrows in his basement. It was fascinating to learn all the detail and the steps involved in making a wood bow.
Becky is a wonderful cook and we enjoyed two delicious dinners with them. Wednesday night we had pan-fryed Bluegill & Crappie. I had the leftovers for breakfast today. Tasted great both times.
A frivolous comment:
Becky had a grandfather who always went by the name "Captain Dan". Stuart has a fascination with nicknames for me, can't tell you why. I am certain that I have not heard the last of this one. :)
Thanks for your prayers and for all your support.
Dan
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
July 15 The Best Bike Path
Today we rode 78 miles but I don't have a figure for average speed or ride time. What I can tell you is that we rode 37 miles on the best bike path I have encountered in recent memory. From Dalton to Alexandria we had a paved path, 12 feet wide. It was mostly flat but had only long gradual up & down grades. The best part about this path was the lack of intersections with automobile-driven roads. It was mostly driveways and tractor paths that we crossed and the visibility was so good at the crossroads that we rarely had to stop or even slow down. It was relaxing to have the whole "road" to ourselves and not have to stop every mile or two as is often the case on bike paths.
The roads today were definitely better than yesterday as well. Once in Alexandria, we visited the local bike shop, watched some coverage of The Tour de France and enjoyed two large party subs provided by George, the shop owner, who also owned the local Subway shop. It was very cool to hang there with George! He was very knowledgeable and got us on the right track with the foot problems Zack and I have been having.
We spent the night at Hampton Inn & Suites, through the generosity of a local supporter of YFC. I spent two hours in the evening with maintenance & repair issues. With Paul Luedtke, our riding mechanic, I repaired my second broken spoke in a week ( he commented that this was likely due to the amazing strength in my legs as I pedal? or maybe that was me suggesting that). Anyway, we also got the rear derailer shifting properly and have not had to mess with either of those issues since.
OH HAPPY DAY!!
As it turns out this has given me time to deal with foot pain issues for both Zack & me. His seem to be solv-able, but expensive. More on this later I am sure.
See Ya!
Dan
The roads today were definitely better than yesterday as well. Once in Alexandria, we visited the local bike shop, watched some coverage of The Tour de France and enjoyed two large party subs provided by George, the shop owner, who also owned the local Subway shop. It was very cool to hang there with George! He was very knowledgeable and got us on the right track with the foot problems Zack and I have been having.
We spent the night at Hampton Inn & Suites, through the generosity of a local supporter of YFC. I spent two hours in the evening with maintenance & repair issues. With Paul Luedtke, our riding mechanic, I repaired my second broken spoke in a week ( he commented that this was likely due to the amazing strength in my legs as I pedal? or maybe that was me suggesting that). Anyway, we also got the rear derailer shifting properly and have not had to mess with either of those issues since.
OH HAPPY DAY!!
As it turns out this has given me time to deal with foot pain issues for both Zack & me. His seem to be solv-able, but expensive. More on this later I am sure.
See Ya!
Dan
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
July 14 The Number is 5,989!
We rode 52 miles today.
I averaged 13 mph riding for 4 hours.
We encountered five thousand, nine hundred and eighty-nine bone-jarring cracks in the road over a 35 mile stretch of road.
Welcome to Minnesota! Actually, many of the roads we have ridden on in this state have been quited smooth and wide but it was not the best introduction to this beautiful state.
I can clearly see how it came by the name, "Land of 10,000 Lakes" because they are everywhere and they are beautiful. Parts of this state look a lot like Michigan and I see more and more of the similarities as we continue east.
Despite the bumps, we got into town by a little after noon, which is early for us. Zack and several others took advantage of the community pool next door to our host church while others slept in a quiet corner or under the shade. I took a relaxing walk into the town of Pelican Falls, learned a bit of local history and enjoyed a free full-size frozen yogurt cone at the new McDonald's Restaurant.
Our host was Art Larfeld who has made that area home his whole life. Zack, Stuart, Mike & me spent the night at Art's house on the shore of a beautiful lake out in the woods. It was quiet, cool and we all slept pretty well. Art gave us a good tour visually and verbally through the area and fed us very well. Breakfast began with at least half an inch of chopped onion in olive oil frying in a ten inch pan, then potatoes, garlic, seasonings; it was delicious!
Once again, we were blessed and grateful for the generous hospitality we received from Art and all our hosts.
Dan
I averaged 13 mph riding for 4 hours.
We encountered five thousand, nine hundred and eighty-nine bone-jarring cracks in the road over a 35 mile stretch of road.
Welcome to Minnesota! Actually, many of the roads we have ridden on in this state have been quited smooth and wide but it was not the best introduction to this beautiful state.
I can clearly see how it came by the name, "Land of 10,000 Lakes" because they are everywhere and they are beautiful. Parts of this state look a lot like Michigan and I see more and more of the similarities as we continue east.
Despite the bumps, we got into town by a little after noon, which is early for us. Zack and several others took advantage of the community pool next door to our host church while others slept in a quiet corner or under the shade. I took a relaxing walk into the town of Pelican Falls, learned a bit of local history and enjoyed a free full-size frozen yogurt cone at the new McDonald's Restaurant.
Our host was Art Larfeld who has made that area home his whole life. Zack, Stuart, Mike & me spent the night at Art's house on the shore of a beautiful lake out in the woods. It was quiet, cool and we all slept pretty well. Art gave us a good tour visually and verbally through the area and fed us very well. Breakfast began with at least half an inch of chopped onion in olive oil frying in a ten inch pan, then potatoes, garlic, seasonings; it was delicious!
Once again, we were blessed and grateful for the generous hospitality we received from Art and all our hosts.
Dan
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Lilacs
One day last week, not sure which, I became aware of the distinct smell of lilacs as I was riding. It was only there for about 5 minutes but what a sweet fragrance. Just one of the many blessings of experiencing things from the seat of a bicycle.
Sweet memories of summer days.
Dan
Sweet memories of summer days.
Dan
July 12 Fargo, North Dakota in the Summertime
Saturday, July 12 we rode 53 miles to Fargo and averaged 18 mph.
Our first task in this, the largest city we have ridden through to date, was to locate a bike shop and replace my five-year-old rear derailer ( and the freewheel I purchased in May, as it turned out). The guys at Paramount Sports were very helpful and after a quick phone consult with Tom the Mechanic at Kentwood Cycling back in Grand Rapids, my drivetrain was shifting smoothly and ready to ride.
Updates on this may come later this week if we have not cleared up the problem (that being very rough shifting of my rear derailer). An inventory of the bike would show that since I purchased it from Dirk Ailts sometime early in the Clinton Administration, I have replaced every part of the bike at least once. The exceptions are:
The frame
The handlebars
The brake calipers & pads
The front forks (I don't know why they are the 'front' forks, there are no 'back' forks)
The old bike does continue to perform admirably, as does the old body.
While in Fargo, we have been hosted by YFC Fargo, directed by Dennis Jensen. Dennis started with YFC in the Thumb of Michigan, the same place I did. He ministered there under the leadership of Ray Clendenan, my first Executive Director, for 4 years, a few years ahead of me. He moved back to his home area of North Dakota and had been serving the Lord through YFC here since then. He treated our team and several community guests to a chicken barbecue (he raised himself) and home made ice cream with Colorado peaches. It was great! It was fun to see him again and chat about places and people we have in common. Thanks Dennis & Staff for taking such great care of us.
On Monday morning we will ride in Minnesota for the first time, adding to the 1765 miles already completed. We have ridden through 4 states & moved on to Section 5 of the Adventure Cycling Maps provided for us.
Our first task in this, the largest city we have ridden through to date, was to locate a bike shop and replace my five-year-old rear derailer ( and the freewheel I purchased in May, as it turned out). The guys at Paramount Sports were very helpful and after a quick phone consult with Tom the Mechanic at Kentwood Cycling back in Grand Rapids, my drivetrain was shifting smoothly and ready to ride.
Updates on this may come later this week if we have not cleared up the problem (that being very rough shifting of my rear derailer). An inventory of the bike would show that since I purchased it from Dirk Ailts sometime early in the Clinton Administration, I have replaced every part of the bike at least once. The exceptions are:
The frame
The handlebars
The brake calipers & pads
The front forks (I don't know why they are the 'front' forks, there are no 'back' forks)
The old bike does continue to perform admirably, as does the old body.
While in Fargo, we have been hosted by YFC Fargo, directed by Dennis Jensen. Dennis started with YFC in the Thumb of Michigan, the same place I did. He ministered there under the leadership of Ray Clendenan, my first Executive Director, for 4 years, a few years ahead of me. He moved back to his home area of North Dakota and had been serving the Lord through YFC here since then. He treated our team and several community guests to a chicken barbecue (he raised himself) and home made ice cream with Colorado peaches. It was great! It was fun to see him again and chat about places and people we have in common. Thanks Dennis & Staff for taking such great care of us.
On Monday morning we will ride in Minnesota for the first time, adding to the 1765 miles already completed. We have ridden through 4 states & moved on to Section 5 of the Adventure Cycling Maps provided for us.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
July 11 The Shortest Day
Hey Everybody,
Today was 40 miles from Cooperstown to Page in North Dakota. It was into the wind for about half the way but I managed an average speed of 14.6 over 2 hours 45 minutes of riding time.
I rode alone today, and was refreshed by the solitude and relaxed pace of the day. A good time to pray, sing & think as I covered the miles of beautiful country scenery.
Our church host was Page United Methodist, assisted by Page Lutheran Church and I stayed in the home of Kim & Julie, along with Johnnie & Fiona Young, a lone riding couple from England (he's from Ireland, living in England).
Bob Wise, you would be interested to know that Kim (now retired) worked for BNSF Railroad for 25 years in track maintenance. Many of the towns we ride through were established by and for railroad companies. We have ridden by hundreds of miles of tracks and seen dozens of freight trains along our path thus far.
Page, ND is a town of less than 200 people. It has two churches, shares a school system with nearby Hope and also boasts a movie theater. The movie schedule is 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday nights.
We enjoyed sharing with Kim & Julie and all the people who joined us for a delicious meal that Friday night.
Bye,
Dan
Today was 40 miles from Cooperstown to Page in North Dakota. It was into the wind for about half the way but I managed an average speed of 14.6 over 2 hours 45 minutes of riding time.
I rode alone today, and was refreshed by the solitude and relaxed pace of the day. A good time to pray, sing & think as I covered the miles of beautiful country scenery.
Our church host was Page United Methodist, assisted by Page Lutheran Church and I stayed in the home of Kim & Julie, along with Johnnie & Fiona Young, a lone riding couple from England (he's from Ireland, living in England).
Bob Wise, you would be interested to know that Kim (now retired) worked for BNSF Railroad for 25 years in track maintenance. Many of the towns we ride through were established by and for railroad companies. We have ridden by hundreds of miles of tracks and seen dozens of freight trains along our path thus far.
Page, ND is a town of less than 200 people. It has two churches, shares a school system with nearby Hope and also boasts a movie theater. The movie schedule is 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday nights.
We enjoyed sharing with Kim & Julie and all the people who joined us for a delicious meal that Friday night.
Bye,
Dan
Thursday, July 10, 2008
July 10 Into the Wind...again!
Tonight Zion Lutheran Church is our host church and we are the guests of Clarence & Juli Sandvik in Cooperstown, ND. We just had dinner with 300 people on The Griggs County Fairgrounds to kick off the county fair that starts tomorrow. We rode home with Clarence & Juli in their fully restored Ford Model A. On the way home we toured this wonderful town of 1100 and got acquainted with the Sandviks who have raised their family here.
We rode 68 hard miles today against the wind all the way. Paul Bayfield reminded me that we did have a tailwind for approximately one mile. I guess being pummelled by the wind all day erased this from my memory.
Today was a light traffic day and we enjoyed this.
A typical day for us is:
6:00am Rise & Shine
7:00am Breakfast at host church or with families
7:30am Riding
11:30am Lunch
Noon Riding Again
2:00 - 4:00pm Arrive at host church
Connect with host families
Minor bicycle maintenance
Showers
6:00pm Dinner with host church
7:00pm Sharing about YFCI with host church
9:00pm Return to host homes
10:00pm Sleeping
We have gotten used to unpacking/packing up on a daily basis. The first week we were leaving a trail of personal items all along our path but have gotten better at keeping track as we move in and out quickly.
I hope you all are having a great summer.
Dan
We rode 68 hard miles today against the wind all the way. Paul Bayfield reminded me that we did have a tailwind for approximately one mile. I guess being pummelled by the wind all day erased this from my memory.
Today was a light traffic day and we enjoyed this.
A typical day for us is:
6:00am Rise & Shine
7:00am Breakfast at host church or with families
7:30am Riding
11:30am Lunch
Noon Riding Again
2:00 - 4:00pm Arrive at host church
Connect with host families
Minor bicycle maintenance
Showers
6:00pm Dinner with host church
7:00pm Sharing about YFCI with host church
9:00pm Return to host homes
10:00pm Sleeping
We have gotten used to unpacking/packing up on a daily basis. The first week we were leaving a trail of personal items all along our path but have gotten better at keeping track as we move in and out quickly.
I hope you all are having a great summer.
Dan
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
July 9 Greetings from Tokio...
Tokio, North Dakota that is.
Tonight we are the guests of Mike & Libby at their retreat center near Tokio. They are missionaries to the Sioux Indians. It was great to sit relax together after dinner and hear the story of how God directed them to this ministry and all the cool things he is doing through their efforts.
Today we rode 98 miles with a headwind part of the way. Fortunately it was not terribly strong. I averaged 15 mph. We got rained on today and had a bit of thunder and lightning. That sent us scurrying for cover in the Fort Totten Recreation Center approximately 25 miles from our destination. It blew over quickly after only 30 minutes and we were back on our way.
I have learned a lot about water in the past couple weeks. In the parts of eastern Montana and western North Dakota we have traveled through water is in much demand and must be carefully managed for agricultural irrigation. Where we are now there is an abundance of water. Several of the lakes are higher by 10 and 20 feet than they have been in decades. We rode by an island this afternoon that had two buildings on it but the water was so high there was no ground to walk on. We learned from our hosts Mike & Libby that it did not used to be an island at all. There is a road under water there and the people who lived in that area had to move or abandon their homes a few years ago.
We currently half way through our 4th week and less than 200 miles from the North Dakota/Minnesota border. Hadly seems possible.
Thank you for sharing this adventure with us.
Dan
Tonight we are the guests of Mike & Libby at their retreat center near Tokio. They are missionaries to the Sioux Indians. It was great to sit relax together after dinner and hear the story of how God directed them to this ministry and all the cool things he is doing through their efforts.
Today we rode 98 miles with a headwind part of the way. Fortunately it was not terribly strong. I averaged 15 mph. We got rained on today and had a bit of thunder and lightning. That sent us scurrying for cover in the Fort Totten Recreation Center approximately 25 miles from our destination. It blew over quickly after only 30 minutes and we were back on our way.
I have learned a lot about water in the past couple weeks. In the parts of eastern Montana and western North Dakota we have traveled through water is in much demand and must be carefully managed for agricultural irrigation. Where we are now there is an abundance of water. Several of the lakes are higher by 10 and 20 feet than they have been in decades. We rode by an island this afternoon that had two buildings on it but the water was so high there was no ground to walk on. We learned from our hosts Mike & Libby that it did not used to be an island at all. There is a road under water there and the people who lived in that area had to move or abandon their homes a few years ago.
We currently half way through our 4th week and less than 200 miles from the North Dakota/Minnesota border. Hadly seems possible.
Thank you for sharing this adventure with us.
Dan
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
July 8 Riding 120 miles in one day
Today we rode from Stanley to Rugby and covered 120 miles (a new personal longest day for Zack, me and almost all our team). I averaged 17 mph, Zack averaged 19.5, on the bike. I averaged 14 mph from the time we left Stanley until I arrived in Rugby.
As I write this to you I am watching Stage 4 Time Trial of the Tour de France. They are averaging around 30 mph but these slackers only ride about 18.5 miles while we rode 120 today. Can you believe that?
We had a great time with the folks in Stanley, ND last night and this morning at Our Savior Free Lutheran Church.
We ate at Cornerstone Cafe tonight located at the very center of The North American Contintent. Steak, baked potato, soup & salad bar. Delicious. There is an obelisk out in front of the restaurant to prove it.
We appreciate your notes of encouragement and your prayers.
Thanks Mike & Sue for all the notes you have sent, cheering us on.
Tired. Going to bed.
Dan
As I write this to you I am watching Stage 4 Time Trial of the Tour de France. They are averaging around 30 mph but these slackers only ride about 18.5 miles while we rode 120 today. Can you believe that?
We had a great time with the folks in Stanley, ND last night and this morning at Our Savior Free Lutheran Church.
We ate at Cornerstone Cafe tonight located at the very center of The North American Contintent. Steak, baked potato, soup & salad bar. Delicious. There is an obelisk out in front of the restaurant to prove it.
We appreciate your notes of encouragement and your prayers.
Thanks Mike & Sue for all the notes you have sent, cheering us on.
Tired. Going to bed.
Dan
Monday, July 7, 2008
July 6 & 7 Resting & Riding in Williston, North Dakota
On July 6 we rested. We were hosted by The First Lutheran Church in Williston and I stayed Saturday & Sunday nights at the home of Bob & Eleanor Olson with Brian Blomker and Emma Jean Duncan.
Bob is a retired radiologist who is a devoted Minnesota Twins fan who also enjoys doing woodworking. Eleanor is a major quilter who just happens to be a devoted cook in her home. We enjoyed several meals in their home over the weekend including one with the whole team on Sunday night.
I also discovered that Bob loves popcorn. We enjoyed some together.
Today we rode 71 miles, averaging 18.7 mph with 3 hours and 40 minutes of ride time. Zack averaged 21 mph today. The wind was out of the northwest and therefore at our backs most of the way, except for 13 miles riding north out of Williston. We stayed on US-2 all the way today and had wonderful easy ride. Lots of gradual hills up and down.
We are being hosted by Our Savior's Free Lutheran Church in Stanley. They have provided us all with air mattresses and we are staying at the church tonight. Looking forward to dinner and fellowship at 6pm tonight.
Bob is a retired radiologist who is a devoted Minnesota Twins fan who also enjoys doing woodworking. Eleanor is a major quilter who just happens to be a devoted cook in her home. We enjoyed several meals in their home over the weekend including one with the whole team on Sunday night.
I also discovered that Bob loves popcorn. We enjoyed some together.
Today we rode 71 miles, averaging 18.7 mph with 3 hours and 40 minutes of ride time. Zack averaged 21 mph today. The wind was out of the northwest and therefore at our backs most of the way, except for 13 miles riding north out of Williston. We stayed on US-2 all the way today and had wonderful easy ride. Lots of gradual hills up and down.
We are being hosted by Our Savior's Free Lutheran Church in Stanley. They have provided us all with air mattresses and we are staying at the church tonight. Looking forward to dinner and fellowship at 6pm tonight.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
July 5 The Wind & the Pow Wow
Today we rode 80 miles. I averaged 18.2 mph and was “in the saddle” 4 hours and 23 minutes. We have ridden 1330 miles total since we left Anacortes, WA on June 17, having ridden 17 out of 19 days.
We rode from Poplar, Montana to Williston, North Dakota. Yes, we said goodbye to another state today, after riding 773 miles in Montana. We did, however, go out riding strong. Since Cut Bank, Montana near The Rockies, we have battled a headwind all the way. I will not suffer myself (or you) to calculate the miles for you, and I do mean suffer! It has been challenging in every sense of the word.
As I said, the wind has been our constant companion for most of this week. Today our companion became our friend. We had a tailwind out of the northwest ALL DAY today.
It was glorious!
We talked and rode side by side on a lightly traveled road during the morning. Then a few of us formed a paceline after a break and booked it into lunch for about 12 miles at 23 mph. During the afternoon everybody kind of did their own thing. A few put the pedal to the metal and got into Williston in record time. Some of us laid back and just lazily pedaled through the ups and downs mile after mile. Others went for several miles at a time without pedaling at all! It was really like beginning our day of rest a bit early. I think I could have ridden like that for at least a couple hours more today. The scenery was, of course, unique and beautiful; very relaxing.
I mentioned yesterday we were headed for a tribal Pow Wow in a nearby town last night and we made it there. The costumes were incredible as the Native Americans danced around in an oval dirt floor area under a pavilion. Paul Bayfield & I stayed late that night and I had the chance to talk for an hour or so with Robert Stone.
Robert works freelance for the local paper, covering these Pow Wow events and taking pictures for the dancers. We had a great conversation about Native American religion and how he has found a home and peace there as a white man. I learned a lot from him about how Christian missionaries are perceived on the reservation. One big misconception that he cleared up for me was that all Native American religion is the same. I discovered that, with few exceptions, those who worship by going "down into the sweats" do not worship by the use of Payote and vice versa. I did not know that Native American Religion had denominations too!
Thanks for sharing your story with me Robert, I hope we can keep in touch.
Dan
We rode from Poplar, Montana to Williston, North Dakota. Yes, we said goodbye to another state today, after riding 773 miles in Montana. We did, however, go out riding strong. Since Cut Bank, Montana near The Rockies, we have battled a headwind all the way. I will not suffer myself (or you) to calculate the miles for you, and I do mean suffer! It has been challenging in every sense of the word.
As I said, the wind has been our constant companion for most of this week. Today our companion became our friend. We had a tailwind out of the northwest ALL DAY today.
It was glorious!
We talked and rode side by side on a lightly traveled road during the morning. Then a few of us formed a paceline after a break and booked it into lunch for about 12 miles at 23 mph. During the afternoon everybody kind of did their own thing. A few put the pedal to the metal and got into Williston in record time. Some of us laid back and just lazily pedaled through the ups and downs mile after mile. Others went for several miles at a time without pedaling at all! It was really like beginning our day of rest a bit early. I think I could have ridden like that for at least a couple hours more today. The scenery was, of course, unique and beautiful; very relaxing.
I mentioned yesterday we were headed for a tribal Pow Wow in a nearby town last night and we made it there. The costumes were incredible as the Native Americans danced around in an oval dirt floor area under a pavilion. Paul Bayfield & I stayed late that night and I had the chance to talk for an hour or so with Robert Stone.
Robert works freelance for the local paper, covering these Pow Wow events and taking pictures for the dancers. We had a great conversation about Native American religion and how he has found a home and peace there as a white man. I learned a lot from him about how Christian missionaries are perceived on the reservation. One big misconception that he cleared up for me was that all Native American religion is the same. I discovered that, with few exceptions, those who worship by going "down into the sweats" do not worship by the use of Payote and vice versa. I did not know that Native American Religion had denominations too!
Thanks for sharing your story with me Robert, I hope we can keep in touch.
Dan
Friday, July 4, 2008
July 4 Celebrating in Poplar, Montana
Last night I (Dan) was a guest in the home of Mike & Loraine Hughes in Glascow. It turns out Loraine is the niece of Ned Mangis, my host from the previous night in Malta. That was pretty fun. Mike and Loraine were great hosts and I scored a large bowl of freshly popped popcorn and 2 bags for the road.
Apparently these towns were named for familiar cities in parts of Europe by some random process. Before this was done they were simply referred to as "Siding 214" or whatever, because they had been created to serve the railroad that had recently been built to span the North American contitent.
I rode 71 miles from Glascow to Poplar today in 5.5 hours of riding time, averaging 13 miles an hour. I really thought I would have my seat by now, for sure, but it's still pretty sore. My feet are pretty tender as well. On the way into town at the end of the day today I saw a boat loading area for The Poplar River and decided I could get some much needed relief there. The water was cool and my feet are doing much better.
We are being hosted by Our Lady of Lourds Catholic Church in Poplar. It looks like we are going to a Pow Wow tonight. It sounds like a big celebration with historic & competitive Native American dancing. I am sure there will be much to tell on the other side of this one!
Dan
Apparently these towns were named for familiar cities in parts of Europe by some random process. Before this was done they were simply referred to as "Siding 214" or whatever, because they had been created to serve the railroad that had recently been built to span the North American contitent.
I rode 71 miles from Glascow to Poplar today in 5.5 hours of riding time, averaging 13 miles an hour. I really thought I would have my seat by now, for sure, but it's still pretty sore. My feet are pretty tender as well. On the way into town at the end of the day today I saw a boat loading area for The Poplar River and decided I could get some much needed relief there. The water was cool and my feet are doing much better.
We are being hosted by Our Lady of Lourds Catholic Church in Poplar. It looks like we are going to a Pow Wow tonight. It sounds like a big celebration with historic & competitive Native American dancing. I am sure there will be much to tell on the other side of this one!
Dan
Thursday, July 3, 2008
July 3 Milk River Rodeo
July 3, 2008
Today we rode 73 miles in 5.5 hours of riding time, averaging 13.2 mph.
Riding into the wind all day today was quite exhausting and frustrating. We are not sure what happened to the prevailing wind out of the west. We are still looking for it.
On our route, in addition to the wind, we passed through Saco, the mosquito capitol of the West. The mosquitos did not find us until the next town, which was Hinsdale. Stuart and I grabbed our lunches and kept on riding. A couple miles further east we came across The Milk River Rodeo. We stopped and ate our lunch as we watched about a dozen local cowboys in Jackpot Team Roping before the rodeo tonight.
Last night we had dinner at Ilam Lutheran Church in Malta, Montana with the youth group and several of their leaders. It was a great time of getting acquainted, telling stories and sharing about how God has impacted different people's lives.
Stuart & I stayed in the home of Ned Mangis. He is 85 years old and very much enjoys reading Christian authors. Stuart and I had a great conversation with him last night when we arrived at his home. Ned came to the church with us this morning and had breakfast with us before we rode out.
WE were hosted by The Evangelical Church this night in Glasgow. They fed us very well for dinner and breakfast at the church and we had a great time talking with our hosts in their home before and after dinner.
Dan
Today we rode 73 miles in 5.5 hours of riding time, averaging 13.2 mph.
Riding into the wind all day today was quite exhausting and frustrating. We are not sure what happened to the prevailing wind out of the west. We are still looking for it.
On our route, in addition to the wind, we passed through Saco, the mosquito capitol of the West. The mosquitos did not find us until the next town, which was Hinsdale. Stuart and I grabbed our lunches and kept on riding. A couple miles further east we came across The Milk River Rodeo. We stopped and ate our lunch as we watched about a dozen local cowboys in Jackpot Team Roping before the rodeo tonight.
Last night we had dinner at Ilam Lutheran Church in Malta, Montana with the youth group and several of their leaders. It was a great time of getting acquainted, telling stories and sharing about how God has impacted different people's lives.
Stuart & I stayed in the home of Ned Mangis. He is 85 years old and very much enjoys reading Christian authors. Stuart and I had a great conversation with him last night when we arrived at his home. Ned came to the church with us this morning and had breakfast with us before we rode out.
WE were hosted by The Evangelical Church this night in Glasgow. They fed us very well for dinner and breakfast at the church and we had a great time talking with our hosts in their home before and after dinner.
Dan
Monday, June 30, 2008
June 30 America the Beautiful
Today we rode 107 miles in 7 hours, averaged 15 mph. We started off the morning averaging 19 mph for the first 20 miles or so. After that the side wind picked up and we slowed done quite a bit.
After we had passed through Browning, Montana, the landscape really opened up and we began to see large fields. I still had some energy at that point so as I became inspired by the view and burst into song with what I am sure was a fairly unique version of “America the Beautiful”. We have definitely seen spacious skies, waves of grain (not sure if they were amber or not, looked green to me) and mountains, but they weren’t purple for sure.
Anyway, I am singing this song with passion and zeal for my homeland and it suddenly occurs to me that I am riding with Paul, a Brit and Arek, an Armenian from Lebanon. They didn’t share my sentiment but seemed to be entertained by my spontaneity and interpretation of a time-honored classic. I am thinking Ray Charles/David Crowder-ish?
Tonight at Cut Bank Community Church we shared our program with a lady named Carol who is walking around, not across, the U.S. She praying as she goes for the nation to turn back to God. The thing that is particularly notable about this journey is that she is accomplishing this task with one prosthetic leg. She walks 15 to 20 miles a day, planting a wooden cross every mile. She plans to complete her journey over a period of several years. It was quite challenging and a blessing to meet her and talk with her about her passion for God and for our country.
We also met some kids from Chewelah, WA who were there to offer VBS to the elementary children of the community on behalf of the church. We had a great time getting to know them, encouraging and being encouraged by their commitment and availability.
Thanks for your prayers. We have been protected and safe over the many miles.
Dan
After we had passed through Browning, Montana, the landscape really opened up and we began to see large fields. I still had some energy at that point so as I became inspired by the view and burst into song with what I am sure was a fairly unique version of “America the Beautiful”. We have definitely seen spacious skies, waves of grain (not sure if they were amber or not, looked green to me) and mountains, but they weren’t purple for sure.
Anyway, I am singing this song with passion and zeal for my homeland and it suddenly occurs to me that I am riding with Paul, a Brit and Arek, an Armenian from Lebanon. They didn’t share my sentiment but seemed to be entertained by my spontaneity and interpretation of a time-honored classic. I am thinking Ray Charles/David Crowder-ish?
Tonight at Cut Bank Community Church we shared our program with a lady named Carol who is walking around, not across, the U.S. She praying as she goes for the nation to turn back to God. The thing that is particularly notable about this journey is that she is accomplishing this task with one prosthetic leg. She walks 15 to 20 miles a day, planting a wooden cross every mile. She plans to complete her journey over a period of several years. It was quite challenging and a blessing to meet her and talk with her about her passion for God and for our country.
We also met some kids from Chewelah, WA who were there to offer VBS to the elementary children of the community on behalf of the church. We had a great time getting to know them, encouraging and being encouraged by their commitment and availability.
Thanks for your prayers. We have been protected and safe over the many miles.
Dan
Sunday, June 29, 2008
June 29 A Day of Rest
We spent Saturday and Sunday nights at Bison Creek Ranch near East Glacier. Sunday was a wonderful day of rest. The ranch is run by Keith & Karen Shaw and their daughter Molly. They fed us very well. We had great time enjoying the quiet setting at the ranch.
After breakfast we had a time of worship in music, Stuart shared some thoughts from scripture and we prayed in small groups together. Most of our group went sight-seeing for the afternoon into Glacier National Park. This park actually straddles the US/Canada border and is officially an international park. It has been cool learning about this area as we are taken in by it's beauty.
Dan
After breakfast we had a time of worship in music, Stuart shared some thoughts from scripture and we prayed in small groups together. Most of our group went sight-seeing for the afternoon into Glacier National Park. This park actually straddles the US/Canada border and is officially an international park. It has been cool learning about this area as we are taken in by it's beauty.
Dan
Saturday, June 28, 2008
June 28 Crossing The Continental Divide
Today we rode 80 miles and averaged 12.5 mph. We rode 4000 feet of ascent to gain 2000 feet in elevation. We crossed at Marias Pass because Logan Pass was still under 75 feet of snow! This is unusual for June but not unheard of. They had to bring surveyors to locate the pavement as part of the snow removal process. After the bulldozers are done the plows can do their thing.
Water flows west from this point to The Pacific and east from this point to The Mississippi River.
Today was harder than anticipated because we had done a lot of climbing already, not expecting all the downhills before the summit. Also, upon reflection, I realized that this was our first time to ride six days in a row.
A unique addition to our day has been a flower called Beargrass. It looks kind of like a snow cone on a stick. The cool thing about this flower is that it only grows at or around 3000 feet above sea level. We saw thousands of them! This is borrowed computer. I will get a shot on the blog soon.
Water flows west from this point to The Pacific and east from this point to The Mississippi River.
Today was harder than anticipated because we had done a lot of climbing already, not expecting all the downhills before the summit. Also, upon reflection, I realized that this was our first time to ride six days in a row.
A unique addition to our day has been a flower called Beargrass. It looks kind of like a snow cone on a stick. The cool thing about this flower is that it only grows at or around 3000 feet above sea level. We saw thousands of them! This is borrowed computer. I will get a shot on the blog soon.
Friday, June 27, 2008
June 27 - You Know You're Getting Old(er)
We rode 67 miles today.
I averaged 15 mph and spent 4.5 hours on the bike.
The financial update on the trip is that we have raised $22,378 on the way to our $43,000 goal. We are sponsored all the way to Stillwater, Minnesota with a few sponsored miles spread across the miles from there to Bar Harbor. Thank you for your generosity!
If you have not sponsored any mileage on the trip it's not too late. We will be accepting your tax-free donations for the Sea to See Ride until August 31.
I have decided to add a new feature to this blog that will appear as I receive a new insights. It's called,
"You Know You're Getting Old(er) When...
I averaged 15 mph and spent 4.5 hours on the bike.
The financial update on the trip is that we have raised $22,378 on the way to our $43,000 goal. We are sponsored all the way to Stillwater, Minnesota with a few sponsored miles spread across the miles from there to Bar Harbor. Thank you for your generosity!
If you have not sponsored any mileage on the trip it's not too late. We will be accepting your tax-free donations for the Sea to See Ride until August 31.
I have decided to add a new feature to this blog that will appear as I receive a new insights. It's called,
"You Know You're Getting Old(er) When...
- You look forward to the long steep down hills, not to set a new personal maximum speed, but to rest.
- The first thing you check out when you are done riding is not a basketball and the nearest court, but the kitchen looking for ice to ease the inflamation in your joints after a long day's ride.
Tonight, we stopped at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Columbia Falls. Tom Phillips, a teacher from Northern California (originally from Lapeer, MI), Stuart Rowell from Ireland and I are staying in the home of Al & Carey Chery. We have the added blessing of meeting their grandchildren Samantha & Dalton who are staying with them this week.
We love to receive your comments in response to our blog postings.
Mike Rinehart, thanks a ton for the encouragement. :-) I did arrive ahead of Zack today, but I am pretty sure he smoked me on average speed.
Tomorrow we will be climbing approximately 2000 feet to East Glacier where we will take our rest day on Sunday. This week has gone very quickly.
One Mile at a Time,
Dan
June 26 Riding Up & Riding Down
We rode 72 miles today.
Five and a half hours on the bike.I averaged 13 mph.
Among the highlights of today's ride:
- Five flat tires for Zack (he walked the last 1.5 miles to the church).
- We rode up many hills and down many hills. On the altitude diagram it looked like an EKG readout from somebody's heart.
- Riding into Eureka I was in a hurry to get to the church, but as I came up over a hill 3 miles out the lanscape opened up and I slowed right down to take it all in. The mountains were 3 different shade and they had to be 50 miles long. Right next to the road a farmer was cutting hay and the smell was so familiar and fresh. Welcome to Eureka.
- A medium twist ice cream cone at one of the local establishments in town. I was having trouble locating the church (fortunately) and had to stop and ask for assistance. The lady did not have the information I needed, but the ice cream was the best soft serve I have had in several years.
We thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of The First Baptist in Eureka. We had a good time getting to know several people over the delicious dinner & breakfast they served us.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
June 25 No More Idaho
I rode 74 miles today in 5 hours on the bike, averaging 15.4 mph. Zack averaged 18.2 mph(getting strong now). I rode with his group for 7 miles after lunch but had to drop off the back of the paceline. While we were riding we saw a Bald Eagle fly right over us about 20 feet in the air. That was a first for me.
We cruised into Montana and completed our 66 miles in Idaho. State number two is a wrap, with 12 to go. We visited Kootenai River Falls after lunch about 20 miles west of Libby. It seemed small at first but as we got closer you could feel and hear the power. It was pretty cool. Zack stood right at the edge of the water at the top of the falls for a photo op.
We will be riding in Montana for 773 miles and will arrive in North Dakota on July 5.
Don Busfield, thanks for turning me on to aerobars. They are the best! I am probably in them half the time.
Timmy O'Hare. Your idea for using the no-skid material to secure those bars is working great. Thanks!
We appreciate all of you praying and giving to help make this possible. It's making a difference in us and for the kids.
One Mile at a Time,
Dan
We cruised into Montana and completed our 66 miles in Idaho. State number two is a wrap, with 12 to go. We visited Kootenai River Falls after lunch about 20 miles west of Libby. It seemed small at first but as we got closer you could feel and hear the power. It was pretty cool. Zack stood right at the edge of the water at the top of the falls for a photo op.
We will be riding in Montana for 773 miles and will arrive in North Dakota on July 5.
Don Busfield, thanks for turning me on to aerobars. They are the best! I am probably in them half the time.
Timmy O'Hare. Your idea for using the no-skid material to secure those bars is working great. Thanks!
We appreciate all of you praying and giving to help make this possible. It's making a difference in us and for the kids.
One Mile at a Time,
Dan
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Staying on Course
I hope you all enjoyed Zack's blog entry yesterday.
Last night we were guests in home of Pam Lacey and her family in Newport, Washington. They were great hosts, as was the First Baptist Church. We had venison chili and bear sausage for dinner, among other dishes. It was all so good.
Today, we rode 62 miles, averaged 14.2 mph and did not miss a turn. I am sure I have told dozens of people that I thought it would take Zack a week or two to adjust to biking every day and then he would pass me in his riding strength. Well...on day two he passed me climbing up Rainy Pass and I hardly saw him the rest of the day. I rode with him and 3 other riders for 20 minutes this morning and I could not keep up. He is riding strong and I hope to be able to ride with those guys for a day or two next week.
Yesterday when we arrived in Newport, Bruce the bike mechanic was waiting at the church to help us with any repairs or adjustments we needed. We visited him in his shop, Sports Plus in Sandpoint today. He was so helpful with my rear derailer as well as bike and riding knowledge and I got a great deal on a pair of riding tights (don't worry Ronda, their black).
The last couple days I have been riding with Stuart, who is from Northern Ireland. He is 62 and we ride at about the same pace. Time for great talks and lots of laughs. Stuart is a pastor to missionaries all over Europe and has a wealth of experience to share.
While I was riding to the park for lunch today, I saw the accounting office of Frank Chapin. I stopped in and introduced myself, met his wife Sydney and their grandson Riley. We had a brief chat and determined that we are both decended from Deacon Samual Chapin. I grabbed a business card and met the team at the park.
We stopped at Starbucks after lunch (you would have loved it Mary, we sat on the deck overlooking Lake Pend Oreille) so Stuart could enjoy an Iced Coffee Something-or-other. I had an iced tea. We had a great conversation there with Colleen, who, with her husband, is preparing to work with Campus Crusade at The University of Montana in Missoula.
We ended our day at the Filling Station, which is a drop-in center in Clark Fork, Idaho. Bill Smith, one of our support team and I are guests in the home of Gary & Carol Deaner. I just had a wonderful piece of Rhubarb pie that Carol made.
Tomorrow we ride to Libby, Montana, which will take us into our 3rd of 14 states.
I will do some catch up of weekend exploits in the next couple days.
Dan
Last night we were guests in home of Pam Lacey and her family in Newport, Washington. They were great hosts, as was the First Baptist Church. We had venison chili and bear sausage for dinner, among other dishes. It was all so good.
Today, we rode 62 miles, averaged 14.2 mph and did not miss a turn. I am sure I have told dozens of people that I thought it would take Zack a week or two to adjust to biking every day and then he would pass me in his riding strength. Well...on day two he passed me climbing up Rainy Pass and I hardly saw him the rest of the day. I rode with him and 3 other riders for 20 minutes this morning and I could not keep up. He is riding strong and I hope to be able to ride with those guys for a day or two next week.
Yesterday when we arrived in Newport, Bruce the bike mechanic was waiting at the church to help us with any repairs or adjustments we needed. We visited him in his shop, Sports Plus in Sandpoint today. He was so helpful with my rear derailer as well as bike and riding knowledge and I got a great deal on a pair of riding tights (don't worry Ronda, their black).
The last couple days I have been riding with Stuart, who is from Northern Ireland. He is 62 and we ride at about the same pace. Time for great talks and lots of laughs. Stuart is a pastor to missionaries all over Europe and has a wealth of experience to share.
While I was riding to the park for lunch today, I saw the accounting office of Frank Chapin. I stopped in and introduced myself, met his wife Sydney and their grandson Riley. We had a brief chat and determined that we are both decended from Deacon Samual Chapin. I grabbed a business card and met the team at the park.
We stopped at Starbucks after lunch (you would have loved it Mary, we sat on the deck overlooking Lake Pend Oreille) so Stuart could enjoy an Iced Coffee Something-or-other. I had an iced tea. We had a great conversation there with Colleen, who, with her husband, is preparing to work with Campus Crusade at The University of Montana in Missoula.
We ended our day at the Filling Station, which is a drop-in center in Clark Fork, Idaho. Bill Smith, one of our support team and I are guests in the home of Gary & Carol Deaner. I just had a wonderful piece of Rhubarb pie that Carol made.
Tomorrow we ride to Libby, Montana, which will take us into our 3rd of 14 states.
I will do some catch up of weekend exploits in the next couple days.
Dan
Monday, June 23, 2008
Great Day...Long Ride
Today was an awesome day from start to finish. The ride felt very smooth even though it was really long. But there were a few interesting points today still. Dad got a flat tire before we even left town this morning which put him and Stuart a ways behind everyone else right off the bat. Then they managed to get lost a couple of times throughout the day so the 95 mile day turned into 107 or so for them. I was under the impression we were going to eat in Ione which was a mile off our route and since I was in front i went on ahead to find the park in town. I waited about 25 mins and no one showed up so i went back and rode around a while but didn't find anyone. I met up with the group eventually got lunch and then a small group of us hammered ou the rest of they day. When I pulled into town and checked my odometer i realized i was less than a mile from hitting 100 so i rode around a couple blocks of the church, and now I can say I have ridden my first century. The welcoming in Newport was amazing. We actually had a sign 45 miles back welcoming us into the county. Then there were people waiting at the entrance to the town outside their cars, and many people were already gathered at the church. The meal was awesome, especially the stew that had bear meat in it.
Zack
Zack
Sunday, June 22, 2008
June 21 & 22 Riding into Colville, Washington
Today we rolled down from Sherman Pass, our highest elevation for the entire trip. It was an 18-mile downhill to a park on Roosevelt Lake near Kettle Falls. This town is unique due to the fact that the whole town was moved in the 1930's when the Grand Cooley Dam was built. The river was going to expand it's banks and become a lake so they either abandoned or moved all the buildings and re-established Kettle Falls just a few miles away.
We spent Saturday and Sunday nights in the home of Steve, Wendy, Jake & Asher Kenney. They told us how every Spring the water level of Lake Roosevelt is allowed to get very low in order to make room for the water that comes off the mountains in the Spring Thaw. When they do this, there is a brief period of time when people can visit the site of the old Kettle Falls and see where the streets, building foundations, etc. were. Very unusual!
We had a great time with the Kenneys. Very soon after we arrived in their home we feasted on a dinner which included freshly smoked chicken. The meal was delicious and we had a great time Saturday and Sunday just getting to know our new friends. Steve operates a 73,000 ton machine that harvests trees to be used for lumber. Wendy is a teacher in Kettle Falls. It was very cool learning about the lumbering industry from a very hands on perspective. We also enjoyed hearing about what it's like to be a public school teacher in the Northwest.
We enjoyed the worship service at The Colville United Church of Christ with the Kenneys on Sunday morning and had lunch at the church with our team. Tim O'Hare and John Duncan left the trip at this point. John will be riding with us the last two weeks to the ocean but it looks like Tim may not be able to re-join us.
Sunday night we sat around the kitchen eating pizza & ice cream and telling stories. Jake and Asher were a lot of fun as well. Zack showed them how to take fun pictures with his phone and we had a lot of laughs as they took pictures of their dad, each other and us.
Thanks Steve, Wendy, Jake & Asher for taking such good care of us while we were in Colville.
Dan
We spent Saturday and Sunday nights in the home of Steve, Wendy, Jake & Asher Kenney. They told us how every Spring the water level of Lake Roosevelt is allowed to get very low in order to make room for the water that comes off the mountains in the Spring Thaw. When they do this, there is a brief period of time when people can visit the site of the old Kettle Falls and see where the streets, building foundations, etc. were. Very unusual!
We had a great time with the Kenneys. Very soon after we arrived in their home we feasted on a dinner which included freshly smoked chicken. The meal was delicious and we had a great time Saturday and Sunday just getting to know our new friends. Steve operates a 73,000 ton machine that harvests trees to be used for lumber. Wendy is a teacher in Kettle Falls. It was very cool learning about the lumbering industry from a very hands on perspective. We also enjoyed hearing about what it's like to be a public school teacher in the Northwest.
We enjoyed the worship service at The Colville United Church of Christ with the Kenneys on Sunday morning and had lunch at the church with our team. Tim O'Hare and John Duncan left the trip at this point. John will be riding with us the last two weeks to the ocean but it looks like Tim may not be able to re-join us.
Sunday night we sat around the kitchen eating pizza & ice cream and telling stories. Jake and Asher were a lot of fun as well. Zack showed them how to take fun pictures with his phone and we had a lot of laughs as they took pictures of their dad, each other and us.
Thanks Steve, Wendy, Jake & Asher for taking such good care of us while we were in Colville.
Dan
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Bike Shop, June 19 & 20
On Thursday, June 19 we rode from Twisp to Riverside. As we rode through Okanagon, we stopped at a bike shop named The Bike Shop and picked up a few things. After lunch, we rode to 20 plus miles to our host church in Riverside. The last five miles, I only had one gear because my rear shift lever decided to stop working. (The damage was done the day before when I bounced off a guardrail while riding through a dark tunnel)
After a quick trip back to, you guessed it, The Bike Shop, the bike part was on its way. That night, I stayed with four other bikers at Lynn's house 25 minutes outside of Riverside. She has an incredible backyard. Quiet, no artificial light outside, it was a wonderful log cabin built by her husband over 8 years. Zack stayed at Rick & Marilyn's house, the host pastor at Riverside. They stayed up late just telling stories and laughing.
The next day, June 20, Zack & I, along with Paul, a fellow rider from England, hung out in town waiting for the part to arrive at The Bike Shop by UPS. We visited The Famous Omak Suicide Stampede (scary incredible what they do in that race), checked out the local Walmart and spent time with Bill and Julie King, and their three daughters. They pastor the First Baptist Church of Okanagon (we met Julie in The Bike Shop and some of our team had talked with Bill the day before in front of The Bike Shop). I had a good time talking about ministry with him while I held his adorable 8-month-old daughter, Lily, on my lap. The guys were playing ping pong and foos upstairs so when I went to The Bike Shop to pick up my bike, Zack played a couple games of ping pong with the Bill. It was fun to get to know Bill, Julie and their girls.
Zack, Paul and I started riding from Riverside at 1:30 and arrived in Republic after climbing 3300 feet to Waucanda Pass. We found the time to stop for a milk shake, made with real milk and ice cream in Waucanda before attaining the summit. It was delicious!
The shifter is working great and I even got some cammo handlebar tape in the deal.
We will catch up the blog a couple days at a time. Thanks for your patience.
Dan
After a quick trip back to, you guessed it, The Bike Shop, the bike part was on its way. That night, I stayed with four other bikers at Lynn's house 25 minutes outside of Riverside. She has an incredible backyard. Quiet, no artificial light outside, it was a wonderful log cabin built by her husband over 8 years. Zack stayed at Rick & Marilyn's house, the host pastor at Riverside. They stayed up late just telling stories and laughing.
The next day, June 20, Zack & I, along with Paul, a fellow rider from England, hung out in town waiting for the part to arrive at The Bike Shop by UPS. We visited The Famous Omak Suicide Stampede (scary incredible what they do in that race), checked out the local Walmart and spent time with Bill and Julie King, and their three daughters. They pastor the First Baptist Church of Okanagon (we met Julie in The Bike Shop and some of our team had talked with Bill the day before in front of The Bike Shop). I had a good time talking about ministry with him while I held his adorable 8-month-old daughter, Lily, on my lap. The guys were playing ping pong and foos upstairs so when I went to The Bike Shop to pick up my bike, Zack played a couple games of ping pong with the Bill. It was fun to get to know Bill, Julie and their girls.
Zack, Paul and I started riding from Riverside at 1:30 and arrived in Republic after climbing 3300 feet to Waucanda Pass. We found the time to stop for a milk shake, made with real milk and ice cream in Waucanda before attaining the summit. It was delicious!
The shifter is working great and I even got some cammo handlebar tape in the deal.
We will catch up the blog a couple days at a time. Thanks for your patience.
Dan
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Longest Climb (so far)
Today we rode 96 miles and Dan averaged 12.7 mph, Zack did much better than this today. Started riding at 7:30am and the last rider (Dan) arrived at the church at 7pm, due to minor bike repairs. I don' know exactly how many feet we climbed but I do know that we road to the top of Rainy Pass, elevation 4855 feet above sea level Five miles later we reached the summit of Washington Pass, elevation 5,477 feet above sea level. The climb to Rainy Pass was not real steep most of the time, but
After Washington Pass we enjoyed a 7 mile downhill! Zack hit 50 mph in that stretch.
Dan Johnson, thank you for urging us to look for a triple chainring for Zack's bike. That decision made a big difference for him today. Rode very well and finished strong.
The team is getting more and more comfortable with each other and gelling as we ride. Very cool to see.
I (Dan) met George on the climb to Washington Pass today. He was pulling a small trailer and taking his time getting to the top. He had ridden coast to coast 3 times on 3 different routes! I figure if he can do it 3 times, I can do it once.
I enjoyed about 10 miles of alone time on the climb to Rainy Pass today. The stunning beauty of the Cascade Mountains made it easy to be drawn into worship...and I was.
We will try to get some photos from mountains on the posting tomorrow.
Goodnight.
it was 31 miles long!
After Washington Pass we enjoyed a 7 mile downhill! Zack hit 50 mph in that stretch.
Dan Johnson, thank you for urging us to look for a triple chainring for Zack's bike. That decision made a big difference for him today. Rode very well and finished strong.
The team is getting more and more comfortable with each other and gelling as we ride. Very cool to see.
I (Dan) met George on the climb to Washington Pass today. He was pulling a small trailer and taking his time getting to the top. He had ridden coast to coast 3 times on 3 different routes! I figure if he can do it 3 times, I can do it once.
I enjoyed about 10 miles of alone time on the climb to Rainy Pass today. The stunning beauty of the Cascade Mountains made it easy to be drawn into worship...and I was.
We will try to get some photos from mountains on the posting tomorrow.
Goodnight.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Just the facts
Zack says I only get one corny, reflective email a week, since his name is on the sign off too.
I used it last night so it's just the facts tonight.
Today was our first day of riding and we logged 85.2 miles.
Averaged 13.7.
We climbed a total of 1500 feet today & got to fly down the other side of many of those "hills."
Tomorrow, we climb to the top of Rainy Pass, elevation 5,400 plus.
We wish you could have seen the beautiful mountain scenery we saw as we road through the valleys of the Cascade Mountains (pictures later). You can be glad you don't feel the way we are feeling right now.
Tired.
Sore.
Going to bed
One peddle stroke at a time,
Dan & Zack
Monday, June 16, 2008
Seattle/Anacortes
Our flight was on time.
Luggage and bikes came through.
Our Lebanese team member spent over an hour in customs.
His luggage and bike arrived 36 hours after he did.
We arrived at our host home at midnight (Pacific Time).
Eight hours of sleep.
Monday was getting acquainted, assembling bikes, logistics, meetings.
Today has been exciting, frustrating, humbling, anxious, boring, interesting, lonely, hilarious.
It's been that "driving from Kingston to Grand Rapids to meet you after not having seen you for 4 weeks while we were dating, not knowing what is going to happen with this relationship" kind of feeling. Remember Ronda?
Our Team.
Eighteen people.
Thirteen riders.
Five support.
From four different countries.
College students.
High School teachers.
YFC staff.
Homemakers
Retired businesspeople.
Engineers.
Husbands & wives.
Father & daughter.
Father & son.
On this trek together to experience our friendship with God and with each other.
To help reach kids across the world.
With the life-changing message of Jesus' amazing love.
Thank you Jesus.
And thank you, our family and friends for joining us on this adventure.
Tomorrow we dip our tires in the Pacific Ocean.
Tomorrow we ride.
Dan & Zack
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Indoor Training - A necessary evil.
I am riding in my basement on a Cycleops wind trainer and a set of rollers 5 days a week for a couple hours per. One movie a ride. Last night was Miracle. Definitely pumps me up and helps to pass the time. I am ready for warmer weathere and riding outside.
The rollers are pretty challenging. They are a new thing for me and I am getting the hang of it but bouncing off the doorframe a lot. I am talking with lots of people about the trip right now and every time I do I get more anxious to be out there. Lots of work left to do between here and June 17.
Dan
The rollers are pretty challenging. They are a new thing for me and I am getting the hang of it but bouncing off the doorframe a lot. I am talking with lots of people about the trip right now and every time I do I get more anxious to be out there. Lots of work left to do between here and June 17.
Dan
Sunday, March 9, 2008
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