crossing hte mighty Mississippi and then some...

Hi Everyone,

Internet has been intermittent so I am now typing this in full day by day or so, and will post these entries once I can get to a connection (so "today" is Sunday everywhere in this post).

A lot has happened in the last few days so I guess the best thing to do is try to catch you up with some of the details.

Pre-Memphis/post-Pulaski things were going well. We had been riding strong over lots of decreasingly rolling hills. I’ve been getting in to our host sites, camping or otherwise (we’ve been camping a bunch the past few days), in the early to mid afternoon. Even without all of the mountain training that everyone else had, I feel like I kept up well! I felt strong and FINALLY figured out an enjoyable game to play with my gears up and down the hills so time passes well. I’ve been riding alone a lot which isn’t too much fun, but it seems to be how I’ve been riding best. I’ve some in to our host sites in the first couple of people a couple of times which has felt awesome. Our daily rides are not a competition, but to come in to a site first after missing out on about 250 miles felt really good. There has been some need for uplifting moments like that now and again when your legs and shoulders ache constantly and you sleep on a hard floor.

The ride from Olive Hill was a challenge: my shoes refused to clip in my pedals which makes riding up and down hills much more difficult and off-balance, my chain liked to jump off my gears and jam, and the day was a long one. The best part was probably riding with Jen (together we were able to keep each other’s mind off our various ailments) and the Route 64 Diner on the way into Bolivar (I had one of the most delicious chocolate milkshakes of my life there). Once again the Tennessee National Guard Armory was wonderfully accommodating and the Phi Beta Sigma Alumni and Zeta Phi Beta Alumnae made us a yummy dinner!! (hooray for not having to cook!!)

Our day into Memphis starting appropriately with the van speakers sounding “Walking in Memphis” as we rode out. Spirits were high, our speeds were higher—we were so ready to get there and have our day off!

Unfortunately the day was a trying one for many. Andrew Martin, while riding with Ryan and Meredith, was struck from behind by a car on Highway 64. He was doing nothing wrong and was mid- laughter in fact, when it happened. He was taken by ambulance and then a helicopter to a Memphis Hospital where it was found that he had no broken bones (amazingly and thankfully!!) but just some pretty nasty road rash. After being hit by a car!! God was completely looking out for him on that day. In the meantime all of us, once we saw the truck (and some saw his bike—a demolished mess of metal as it was run over [again, thankfully, Andrew was not]) we all gathered to regroup and figure out what was happening. It was definitely the most surreal and scariest time we’ve had. Ryan led us all in an unbelievable prayer and shortly thereafter we got the news Andrew was not broken. He spent the night in the hospital, was cleared the next day, and it is now getting some much needed R & R at home in Greenville with his family.

The rest of the ride was taken in packs to ensure our visibility on the road, though that was not the end of the drama for the day, at least not for me. The earlier incident happened pretty early in the morning, 30 miles into the ride (of a 57 mile day), aroun 9:30 am. About 1pm or so, after a long period off or bikes, we were coming into the last 6 or 7 miles of our ride into Memphis. While riding in a line, I managed to get too close to Ivey’s wheel/derailleur in front of me, lose my balance, and fall AGAIN pretty hard onto very not-smooth concrete pavement. Ouch. I got some pretty serious road rash up my left side of my leg and on my left elbow, but the worst part is that in putting out my hands in front of me I hit my right hand/wrist pretty hard, to the point that I rode through the end of the ride on only one hand, my left hand. Some serious swelling in my palm and wrist and throbbing pain meant I needed to accompany Tony to the ER where Andrew was. I spent 4 and half hours at “The Med” to never see a doctor. Some very nice triage nurses informed of the procedures of the ER at The Med, where a chopper coming in means the wait time for everyone already admitted and waiting gets pushed back at least 2 hours. Every ambulance, and you’re looking at at least one. I was “next” to get into the Trauma Ward for an hour and a half and was dying a slow death along side Tony in the waiting room watching a terrible show, “Pirate Master”, when I could take it any more, went and asked how much longer, when I was informed three ambulances had just come in so there would be another many hours to wait. No, I said, not for me. We left and went and got ribs for dinner instead and found a classic car show en route home. My pain subsequently subsided. Well, not really, but I was able to focus elsewhere for obvious reasons. I had a wrist guard that my mom had sent me earlier in the trip so I wore that for the night and decided to perhaps try again on our day off to lay siege to the Med’s ER and find another way in.

Day off came and I had other things to do. I went and got a massage (heaven) and then, her mother’s and a leader’s request, forwent a jaunt down to Memphis and Beale Street to head to the Germantown Minor Medical Care facility (where there was no wait!! Hooray! Many thanks to my sister for discovering this and its very nearby location) to have my still swollen and nagging wrist x-rayed.

X-rays returned with no visible breaks, BUT, due to the location of the tenderness in my hand, the doctor thinks I still may have broken my ovicular (?) bone which control wrist and thumb function. Apparently it can’t be photographed in x-rays so it’s not definitive. Great. I’m hurt again. “Maybe” even broken, not just hurt. So, back in the van for me. Basically I have to wait it out, ride if it feels good, and get re-x-rayed in 2 weeks if it’s still not better.

Needless to say, typing is not easy, so appreciate the length of this post.

After my inconclusive doctor’s visit, I wandered over to the nearby bike shop, Peddlers Bikes, and met a wonderfully kindred spirit, John, the owner, and the two guys that worked there that were able to keep me entertained and occupied for three and a half hours. John himself drove me to get my bike from our host site, fixed up my bike, checked everything out, fitted me with a new front wheel (the trauma of my first accident still not overcome), and taught me a ton of stuff about my bike (and about fun European bike tours… hmm… maybe next year…). It was lots of fun!

The day off ended with a visit from Andrew (so good to see him) and his parents, a quick dinner, and bed.

Now broken hand or no, I was not going to miss another state line by riding in the van across it. I rode the 25 miles (I expected 8ish) through Memphis to the Arkansas line (across the Mighty Mississippi!! ew had to walk our bikes across a highway bridge)and then called it quits for the day—well, the next couple days really. Last night we stayed in a nice state park, but one with probably the largest, most numerous, and most aggressive mosquitos on the face of the earth. It was unfathomable. Mosquitos the size of small birds swarmed our group shortly after arrival and did not let up even when we awoke at 4:30 am!! needless to say we all itch without relenting and if you have any knowledge of a spectacular remedy we're all ears.

Molly, David, and I piloted the van today, though Molly quickly passed out and Dave and I spent most of the stormy drive fighting the droves of mosquitos that had seemingly managed to multiply like the heads of a hydra once we squashed them. It was an epic battle and I am proud to say that the van is now mosquito free.

Sadly though, what was expected to be a 102 mile day was only a 36 mile day for everyone. Storms closed in on us right after leaving our campsite and low visibility and temperatures forced a decision to shuttle everyone and the bikes to Mountain View, AR. Shuttle began about 10am and we would have all been here safely and quickly by about 2 pm had not the trailer suffered a left tire explosion(I’m not kidding, an explosion; think loud pop and swerve on a mountain road) and we were not left stranded literally, in the mille of nowhere on the side of a mountain, without a spare or a plan. I am proud to say that know what all of the layers of a tire looks like and there is wire mesh in there!!! You learn new things every day. Well, three and a half hours later, Charlie the tire man (God bless him! He rocks) came to our rescue and executed the tire change as quickly as we change one of our bike tires—unbelievable to watch. Another shuttle later to retrieve the other 14 people left behind at a gas station with all the bikes for 8 hours, we all made it into Mountain View and that where I write this now. We cooked again, we have now eaten, and bed time draws near. 4:30 or 5 am comes early so I must go.

Love to you all!

OH! A request: If you happen to know any relative simple, cheap to make, healthy dishes that can be easily cooked for 30 people please send the recipes my way!!! (comment or email me: caitlin.vonhedemann@gmail.com) We seem to struggle through planning and executing dinners when we have to cook… One can only eat so much spaghetti and marinara before you never want to see it again… But really, get creative here people and hook us up. We can generally get to a grocery store before we cook so some fresh ingredients can usually be had, but we have a seriously tight budget. THANK YOU!! I mean, one would have thought that B&B, after 4 full years of trips, would have some sort of recipe book for set of plans inventing meals, but alas, this may perhaps have to be my legacy…

Love,
CVH