Yes, we have now arrived into California!! I've never been here before so it's been a pretty exciting day.
This will be brief, but I wanted to let all now that I am still alive and well. I've had a great couple of rides the past two days--really beautiful and fairly enjoyable all things (well, jus tthe heat) considered.
I;m getting really excited about getting into San Diego!! Spectacular as it will be, it's already starting to feel bittersweet. I'm really going to miss these people!
wel, it's time for bed now since we're waking up at 3 in the morning tomorrow. We have a couple long days ahead of us and then SD!
g'night,
CVH
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
best day ever.
Well, maybe not ever, but today was probably one of the best of the trip.
First the past couple of days:
July 20- into Prescott (pronounced "pres-kit", no lie. crazy.)
not a bad day. i held it down in the van with Molly and Lindsay. no big news there. My wonderful friend, Wallace, sent me a wonderful new CD to listen to--new tunes are always welcome in the van. That and the fairly easy ride (just a little long) made for a decent day. Prescott is a super cute town. We stayed at the Mile High Middle School, right next to the midle of town (for once) so we were able to venture in and play for the afternoon. Molly P. , Dave, and I went to a delicious bistro on Courthouse Square for lunch and got the low-down for good shops and evening hot-spots for our wonderful waiter. After a bit of wandering I went back to the school took a shower and a nap, had dinner, then went out with the group for Tony's birthday celebration. Talk about a great ime-- this group of people is lots of fun on hte road, but even more fun I think once you get us in real clothing doing things that normal people do.
July 21--a build day!
Fun times with the Prescott Habitat!! We were working on three houses simultaneously, the biggest build project that this affiliate had ever undertaken! I picked up glass and rusty cans for most of the morning and did a little trim painting with Emily Hodge and Kimmers. I think chapter did one of hte best jobs of informing us of the type of things that they're doing in their community. Susan, one of the construction coordinators, during lunch explained to us all their efforts in the area and allowed us hte opportunity to ask questions. Later, at dinner, which was prepared for us by the three future homeowners whose homes we worked on (umm, can you say fresh, homemade enchiladas and all the fixin's???), they also had a video that their chapter had made of the projects they've done and the impact these homes are making in families' lives. It was really cool to see how impactful just one house can be. Lee Anne and I, on the road today, were discussing it and noting how the money that we've raised that is going to the Orange County Habitat in Chapel Hill will be enough to fund one house--a whole house--and how much of a difference our ride this summer is making in the lives of one family. It will be changed forever. How cool is that to know that you, in one summer, with a few letters, some sweat, and a few tears a young person can do all that.
Today, July 22--into Wickenburg
So, decending mountains (yes, mountains in Arizona...who knew that there were so many and they went so far south) is lots of fun. Today's ride was beautiful and Lee Anne and I rocked the climbs that we did have. The downhills were fantastic, really windy and not too steep, so they were nice and long :) Once we made it down the second major downhill I got a flat tire (bummer, but easy to change now!) and then we made it onto this awesome stretch of road parallelling the mountains we just came down. We stopped and took photos with cacti (believe it or not, the first we'd seen in Arizona) and then pictures riding with no hands. We're old pros now. All in all it was a great ride, enjoyable, tough at times but in a good way. It was just a great day!!!
so that's all for today, sorry it's been a while but there's so muh going on!!
And i apologize to those who I should have been sending postcards too!! I'm terrible about I know. You all may just be getting postcards from all over the country all sent from San Diego... and they may or may not be blank.... :)
love you all,
CVH
First the past couple of days:
July 20- into Prescott (pronounced "pres-kit", no lie. crazy.)
not a bad day. i held it down in the van with Molly and Lindsay. no big news there. My wonderful friend, Wallace, sent me a wonderful new CD to listen to--new tunes are always welcome in the van. That and the fairly easy ride (just a little long) made for a decent day. Prescott is a super cute town. We stayed at the Mile High Middle School, right next to the midle of town (for once) so we were able to venture in and play for the afternoon. Molly P. , Dave, and I went to a delicious bistro on Courthouse Square for lunch and got the low-down for good shops and evening hot-spots for our wonderful waiter. After a bit of wandering I went back to the school took a shower and a nap, had dinner, then went out with the group for Tony's birthday celebration. Talk about a great ime-- this group of people is lots of fun on hte road, but even more fun I think once you get us in real clothing doing things that normal people do.
July 21--a build day!
Fun times with the Prescott Habitat!! We were working on three houses simultaneously, the biggest build project that this affiliate had ever undertaken! I picked up glass and rusty cans for most of the morning and did a little trim painting with Emily Hodge and Kimmers. I think chapter did one of hte best jobs of informing us of the type of things that they're doing in their community. Susan, one of the construction coordinators, during lunch explained to us all their efforts in the area and allowed us hte opportunity to ask questions. Later, at dinner, which was prepared for us by the three future homeowners whose homes we worked on (umm, can you say fresh, homemade enchiladas and all the fixin's???), they also had a video that their chapter had made of the projects they've done and the impact these homes are making in families' lives. It was really cool to see how impactful just one house can be. Lee Anne and I, on the road today, were discussing it and noting how the money that we've raised that is going to the Orange County Habitat in Chapel Hill will be enough to fund one house--a whole house--and how much of a difference our ride this summer is making in the lives of one family. It will be changed forever. How cool is that to know that you, in one summer, with a few letters, some sweat, and a few tears a young person can do all that.
Today, July 22--into Wickenburg
So, decending mountains (yes, mountains in Arizona...who knew that there were so many and they went so far south) is lots of fun. Today's ride was beautiful and Lee Anne and I rocked the climbs that we did have. The downhills were fantastic, really windy and not too steep, so they were nice and long :) Once we made it down the second major downhill I got a flat tire (bummer, but easy to change now!) and then we made it onto this awesome stretch of road parallelling the mountains we just came down. We stopped and took photos with cacti (believe it or not, the first we'd seen in Arizona) and then pictures riding with no hands. We're old pros now. All in all it was a great ride, enjoyable, tough at times but in a good way. It was just a great day!!!
so that's all for today, sorry it's been a while but there's so muh going on!!
And i apologize to those who I should have been sending postcards too!! I'm terrible about I know. You all may just be getting postcards from all over the country all sent from San Diego... and they may or may not be blank.... :)
love you all,
CVH
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Grand Canyon, et al.
so, you know, it's just been same old same old.... ride my bike a bit, let my mind wander, stumble onto the Grand Canyon.... you know, the usual.
Arizona is beautiful. B-e-a-utiful. but a bit warm. Though all the mesas, distant ridgelines, and dry creek beds get a little monotonous, this really is a beautful state.
We're off the Navajo reservation and through Grand Canyon National Park, resting our weary legs now in Williams. I'm actually sitting here at this fabulous little coffee shop staring at a National Geographic Map pf the U.S. right in front of me and I gotta say, it's pretty unbelievable to see hat we've done and how little we stil have to go. Everyone is gettng a bit restless now and antsy to get to San Diego. Riding in to Williams this morning we passed under I-40, complete with a sign indication that Los Angeles was just a right turn away. We saw a sign for L.A. ahhh!!! we're sooooo close!!!! It won't be long now and as it is for myself and others, it seems it won't be too soon.
Riding your bike can be fun and the places where we're riding is amazing and all that, but the days are just exhausting, even when we're not riding. After 8 weeks of this now, everyone seems to be getting ready to have some time off their bikes--and I would wholeheartedly agree.
So more on the Grand Canyon now, as I am sure you are all interested in every moment of my mobile existence.... I didn't ride yesterday into park because of my wrist, yet again. The roads of the Navajo nation were less than accomodating and all the jolts, bumps, and vibrations have about done me in, both for my wrist and my shoulders!
We passed the Little Colorado Gorge en route and the team climbed about 2500 feet of elevatoin over 25 miles to reach the South Rim. And boy does that rim really sneak up on you!!! We had some issues entering the park and in the end, the group had to bike an unexpected extra 25 miles to reach our campsite in Grand Canyon Village, but what a ride: rolling hills (the best kind) between overlooks of the Grand Canyon. I'd never been before so it was a really cool thing to see.
Once we arrived and set up we all virtually assaulted the village General Store, bought lots of fun treats and snacks and Anita, Meredith, Lee Anne, Mary Olive, Liz, Ray (I'll explain about him in a minute if you haven't already read about him elsewhere) and myself sat on a cliff on the lip of the Canyon and watched the sunset. It was absolutely fantastic and just what I needed after a bit of a frustrating day in the van.
So my ride today was good: about 60 miles over more rolling and then climbing terrain into Williams. What was good about was that I felt great. My body was ready to ride (my wriat, per usual did some protesting, but my legs and shoulders felt great which is becoming more and more rare...) I rode strong, I rode fast (fast mostly because I got lost at the outset--or rather, thought I was lost and then moved fast to try to pick up the time) and I made here in one piece!! I am now showered and content with smoothie in hand.
Life is good.
miss you all and can't wait to see everyone once I get back. SD is only one week away!!!!
CVH
Arizona is beautiful. B-e-a-utiful. but a bit warm. Though all the mesas, distant ridgelines, and dry creek beds get a little monotonous, this really is a beautful state.
We're off the Navajo reservation and through Grand Canyon National Park, resting our weary legs now in Williams. I'm actually sitting here at this fabulous little coffee shop staring at a National Geographic Map pf the U.S. right in front of me and I gotta say, it's pretty unbelievable to see hat we've done and how little we stil have to go. Everyone is gettng a bit restless now and antsy to get to San Diego. Riding in to Williams this morning we passed under I-40, complete with a sign indication that Los Angeles was just a right turn away. We saw a sign for L.A. ahhh!!! we're sooooo close!!!! It won't be long now and as it is for myself and others, it seems it won't be too soon.
Riding your bike can be fun and the places where we're riding is amazing and all that, but the days are just exhausting, even when we're not riding. After 8 weeks of this now, everyone seems to be getting ready to have some time off their bikes--and I would wholeheartedly agree.
So more on the Grand Canyon now, as I am sure you are all interested in every moment of my mobile existence.... I didn't ride yesterday into park because of my wrist, yet again. The roads of the Navajo nation were less than accomodating and all the jolts, bumps, and vibrations have about done me in, both for my wrist and my shoulders!
We passed the Little Colorado Gorge en route and the team climbed about 2500 feet of elevatoin over 25 miles to reach the South Rim. And boy does that rim really sneak up on you!!! We had some issues entering the park and in the end, the group had to bike an unexpected extra 25 miles to reach our campsite in Grand Canyon Village, but what a ride: rolling hills (the best kind) between overlooks of the Grand Canyon. I'd never been before so it was a really cool thing to see.
Once we arrived and set up we all virtually assaulted the village General Store, bought lots of fun treats and snacks and Anita, Meredith, Lee Anne, Mary Olive, Liz, Ray (I'll explain about him in a minute if you haven't already read about him elsewhere) and myself sat on a cliff on the lip of the Canyon and watched the sunset. It was absolutely fantastic and just what I needed after a bit of a frustrating day in the van.
So my ride today was good: about 60 miles over more rolling and then climbing terrain into Williams. What was good about was that I felt great. My body was ready to ride (my wriat, per usual did some protesting, but my legs and shoulders felt great which is becoming more and more rare...) I rode strong, I rode fast (fast mostly because I got lost at the outset--or rather, thought I was lost and then moved fast to try to pick up the time) and I made here in one piece!! I am now showered and content with smoothie in hand.
Life is good.
miss you all and can't wait to see everyone once I get back. SD is only one week away!!!!
CVH
Monday, July 16, 2007
Kayenta, AZ
So.... Arizona.... I can't say this is my favorite state at the moment...
Crossing into AZ was fun. We passed in at the Four Corners, so you could say we crossed 4 state lines in one day!--nay, in about 15 seconds. It was the spot I was most excited for coming in to the trip and while a bit anticlimatic for my tastes, was definitely pretty cool. Hopefully one of hte group photos we took made it up on somebody's blog... check Meredith's. The ride before that was great, lots of descending; after that was not so hot, or rather, plenty hot and therefore was an unbearable 6 miles into Teec Nos Pos.
Along the way we ran into Ray who just graduated from Northeastern and is riding cross-country alone!! He is fairly unbelievable. He's already made it here from Boston with his bike loaded down with bags of stuff and he carries a pack on his back as he rides. Talk about hardcore. It's fairly incredible to see him. He's going to ride with us for a couple of days--to the Grand Canyon--and then head further south into Phoenix. At this point I can't imagine heading any further south and having the weather get much hotter... We're getting up at 4 am now and leaving at sunrise to try to beat the heat. So far it seems to be working, sort of, as we seem to be rolling into our host sites around noon, but still that's 6 hours of exercise before lunch! Still can't believe I sit on a bike seat that long...
We're riding through an absolutely beautiful part of the country i've never really experienced before, even if it is practically barren. We're riding through the Navajo Reservation now. Where we're staying tonight is at the entrance into Monument Valley (though we're not riding through it)....interestingly enough there are lots of German tourists around and I heard some women speaking Italian too.... crazy that people actually travel abroad to these random, middle-of-practically-nowhere places just to come see it. There are some lengthy rolling (sort of, not really) hills all around us and you jsut see all these mesas of sandstone on one side of hte road and steeper, more jagged rocks on the other. The extreme change of the terrain from CO to here is pretty unbelievable since it happened so fast.
So that's all for now. More job hunting to do... anyone want to employ me?
CVH
Crossing into AZ was fun. We passed in at the Four Corners, so you could say we crossed 4 state lines in one day!--nay, in about 15 seconds. It was the spot I was most excited for coming in to the trip and while a bit anticlimatic for my tastes, was definitely pretty cool. Hopefully one of hte group photos we took made it up on somebody's blog... check Meredith's. The ride before that was great, lots of descending; after that was not so hot, or rather, plenty hot and therefore was an unbearable 6 miles into Teec Nos Pos.
Along the way we ran into Ray who just graduated from Northeastern and is riding cross-country alone!! He is fairly unbelievable. He's already made it here from Boston with his bike loaded down with bags of stuff and he carries a pack on his back as he rides. Talk about hardcore. It's fairly incredible to see him. He's going to ride with us for a couple of days--to the Grand Canyon--and then head further south into Phoenix. At this point I can't imagine heading any further south and having the weather get much hotter... We're getting up at 4 am now and leaving at sunrise to try to beat the heat. So far it seems to be working, sort of, as we seem to be rolling into our host sites around noon, but still that's 6 hours of exercise before lunch! Still can't believe I sit on a bike seat that long...
We're riding through an absolutely beautiful part of the country i've never really experienced before, even if it is practically barren. We're riding through the Navajo Reservation now. Where we're staying tonight is at the entrance into Monument Valley (though we're not riding through it)....interestingly enough there are lots of German tourists around and I heard some women speaking Italian too.... crazy that people actually travel abroad to these random, middle-of-practically-nowhere places just to come see it. There are some lengthy rolling (sort of, not really) hills all around us and you jsut see all these mesas of sandstone on one side of hte road and steeper, more jagged rocks on the other. The extreme change of the terrain from CO to here is pretty unbelievable since it happened so fast.
So that's all for now. More job hunting to do... anyone want to employ me?
CVH
Cortez, CO
from July 14, 2007...
51 miles away from Durango (one of my new favorite towns) and we find ourselves in Cortez. En route we dropped some good elevation (hooray!!) and climbed some “bumps” (not bumps, they were small scale mountains. We were told they were bumps) and all in all had a good ride. Passed the exit to Mesa Verde and saw the bluffs associated with the cliff dwellings (unfortunately 40 miles roundtrip was a detour that was a bit too long for me today). You can definitely tell we are coming out of the Rockies now. Everything looks more dried out, more desert like for sure. It’s amazing how much the topography and vegetation has changed as we’ve crossed the country.
Nothing major to report overall. I changed my chain yesterday which was exciting. Chris Jochem, a wonderful soul taught me how. We were also able to sleep in a bit this morning (6am is sleeping in!).
So that’s all. Goodnight!
CVH
51 miles away from Durango (one of my new favorite towns) and we find ourselves in Cortez. En route we dropped some good elevation (hooray!!) and climbed some “bumps” (not bumps, they were small scale mountains. We were told they were bumps) and all in all had a good ride. Passed the exit to Mesa Verde and saw the bluffs associated with the cliff dwellings (unfortunately 40 miles roundtrip was a detour that was a bit too long for me today). You can definitely tell we are coming out of the Rockies now. Everything looks more dried out, more desert like for sure. It’s amazing how much the topography and vegetation has changed as we’ve crossed the country.
Nothing major to report overall. I changed my chain yesterday which was exciting. Chris Jochem, a wonderful soul taught me how. We were also able to sleep in a bit this morning (6am is sleeping in!).
So that’s all. Goodnight!
CVH
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Durango, CO
We've just concluded our build day/half day off in Durango, CO and are off this morning for Cortez!! Durango is fabulous and definitely a town I could be for a while!!
The ride in from Ouray was quite a trip--and I am a bit grateful to not have to ride it. It was about 70 miles with 3 mountain passes...all over 10, 000 feet. But really, a gorgeous ride, if you didn't consider to sheer precipices that began a foot a way from the road's edge. My wrist is still bothering me in a big way, espeecially after the climbing and mileage of the days before, so I didn't ride it. It was foggy and a little rainy from the outset so that didn't help things either. I'm sure a more complete account of the ride is available on Meredith's blog so check that out if you need more. Time's a bit short for me (per usual... sorry)-- her blog is http://meredithbikes.blogspot.com/
Instead of riding in the van however, I rdoe with Molly Pederson's mom and Jen into Durango!! Imagine-- a car! a dog!! a house with a Jacuzzi tub!! We bathed, we napped, we watched tv, we helped cook/prepare deliciousness for dinner. It was a great, necessary, relaxing day. Their home is fabulous, the site tremendous. The views were awesome. And dinner that night was too.
We built yesterday, well, landscaped actually, then helped move the Durango Restore. The afternoon was spent around the town of Durango and with "Serious Texas Barbeque" for dinner before a rodeo!!! Not as exciting as it sounds, but still fun.
Gotta get ready to ride now, more later this afternoon. Maybe I'll even get ambitious and post pictures....
CVH
The ride in from Ouray was quite a trip--and I am a bit grateful to not have to ride it. It was about 70 miles with 3 mountain passes...all over 10, 000 feet. But really, a gorgeous ride, if you didn't consider to sheer precipices that began a foot a way from the road's edge. My wrist is still bothering me in a big way, espeecially after the climbing and mileage of the days before, so I didn't ride it. It was foggy and a little rainy from the outset so that didn't help things either. I'm sure a more complete account of the ride is available on Meredith's blog so check that out if you need more. Time's a bit short for me (per usual... sorry)-- her blog is http://meredithbikes.blogspot.com/
Instead of riding in the van however, I rdoe with Molly Pederson's mom and Jen into Durango!! Imagine-- a car! a dog!! a house with a Jacuzzi tub!! We bathed, we napped, we watched tv, we helped cook/prepare deliciousness for dinner. It was a great, necessary, relaxing day. Their home is fabulous, the site tremendous. The views were awesome. And dinner that night was too.
We built yesterday, well, landscaped actually, then helped move the Durango Restore. The afternoon was spent around the town of Durango and with "Serious Texas Barbeque" for dinner before a rodeo!!! Not as exciting as it sounds, but still fun.
Gotta get ready to ride now, more later this afternoon. Maybe I'll even get ambitious and post pictures....
CVH
Sunday, July 8, 2007
I know, I know....
Yes, it's been a while siince i have posted and I'm sorry it's been so long!! The last few days have been long and wearying and getting to internet has been tough. I know Meredith has been keeping much better update than I have (she is ALWAYS looking for internet wherever we are) so if you're just interested in what we've been doing she'd be good to keep up with or just our group journal too.
So with disclaimer over with, now I can catch you up on the past few days.
July 4th: An awesome, short (thank God) 58-mile ride into Garden City. We cruised on this ride, everyone did really, pacelining it all the way and averaging over 20 mph in windy conditions. I rolled with a great line and it felt so good t really move with a group and stay altogether. That hasn't been the case much for my rides lately so it was nice to have that for the Fourth! We woke up late, arrived before noon, stayed in a beautiful, brand new facility at the Garden Valley Church and had so much free time to get things done! It was great. I cleaned my bike and chain and changed my tires (the most frustrating part of the day for sure--it took three hours, two pinched tubes, and the efforts of many to get my new Armadillo tires on my wheel rims). I did get to see some fireworks, though they were in the distance and I only got the tail-end of the show.
July 5th: Our first century!!!! HOO-RAY!!! We hit 101+ miles on the ride over the Colorado border into Lamar, CO. I couldn't believe that we made it! I rode with Anita for a lot of the way--she totally pushed me and we kept each other entertained. A hundred miles!! How awesome!! We did it fast (in only 8 hours) including all of our stops and a 45 minute sojourn at the border. (Colorado, by the way, has the best state sign yet, though the road into Lamar was AWFUL. Exceptionally bumpy and uneven. ick.) Speaking of awful and pain, i guess, here's an update for my wrist: it still kind of hurts :( I've been riding on it without my brace just for functionality of my fingers and getting to my brakes and gears.
July 6: 55-miles, so relatively short, but this day was probably the worst ride that I've had of the entire trip from North Carolina. Seriosuly. Awful. It was breezy, I couldn't keep up with anyone. I was just exhausted from the day before and couldn't go anywhere. I had two flat tires on my new tires (which was beyond frustrating, especially when they're not supposed to go flat at all.) I was out of tubes and my patches were leaking...Chris Clark came to my rescue and gave me one of his tubes, but my pump was malfunctioning too, I was horribly uncomfortable on my seat and it was hot as blazes outside. Awful, awful, awful. The only thing that made me finally feel better once I made it to the City Park in La Junta was a chocolate milkshake from Sonic with Jen. A quick side note on Sonic: they are more prevalent in this country, in all of these small towns we've been riding through, than McDonald's. Seriously, i am not kidding. More Sonic's than McDonald's. Crazy. The evening got much better for sure-- i was able to rewrap my handlebars which made me happy. Anita arrived in Nags Head with her handlebar tape braided wiith two colors. I've been horribly jealous since day one and finally had the time and energy to sit down and figure out how to do it. And I did!! My handlebars look amazing now-- breaided with white and neon yellow. They're hot. Riding yesterday I would just look down at my handlebars and grin. So fun.
July 7th: 7-7-07!! It was a REALLY big day. We had two birthdays today: Lee Anne and Vandy! and the highest mileage day of the trip (probably). One hundred and eighteen miles. 1-1-8. 118. Seriously. That's about the distance from Atlanta to Chattanooga, TN (maybe a little bit farther). 118 miles. I still can't get my head around it. Unbelievable ride though. So many highs and lows through the whole thing. We started the day in an awesome paceline and hung together through the 70 mile mark feeling great. After that though, we hit this AWFUL road, a sand/packed gravel road that lasted for 15+ miles. Ick. It was a nightmare. SO slow going, scary, painful and bumpy. It was absolutely terrible. You would hit patches of sand that looked packed and then slide all over the place. People fell. The horseflies were on a rampage. Terrible. Once we reached the ends, I noticed my front wheel looked a bit untrue.. turns out, one of spokes had come loose (I could hear it rattling on downhills) and then popped completely when I was checking it a little later, all from that horrible road!! Fun things though: in Fountain, a Colorado Springs suburb, there was a hot rod and classic car rally throguh the middle of town. I was in hog heaven :) So at mile 96, Lindsay, Ivey, and i waited for the van so i could get a new front wheel so I could finish the ride and get others to the shuttle from there. We could have stopped at 96 (an admirable ride for sure) or continued through Colorado Springs from the south side of hte city to the far north side to the church where we are staying. It was those last 22 miles that about did me in. After sitting for almost an hour waiting for a wheel then taking off in the hotter sun around 2ish was not good. Lindsay and I rolled out on htat way feeling good, but I must say for me, that was entirely too short-lived. I saw my life flash before my eyes a number of times over all the potholes, cracks in the road, cars whizzing by, and all the stop-and-go at lights over uphills. Nightmare. I was dead. Lindsay completely saved me and was so encouraging through the whole thing. iw as so ready to quit but I kept thinking about how great it would be to finish 118 miles-- probably more than I would ever ride again (maybe). unreal. I couldn't move once we made it to the church. To be so completely exhausted and having given it your all; I guess that's really what this trip is all about. Pushing yourself to your limits and surprising yourself every time.
We went out to dinner last night for the birthday duo-- everyone was exhausted still so it was fairly low key for most. Sleep came easily, thank goodness.
So that's where I am now. In Colorado Springs at this unbelievable church on the North side of town. Off for the day now.
ciao ciao,
CVH
So with disclaimer over with, now I can catch you up on the past few days.
July 4th: An awesome, short (thank God) 58-mile ride into Garden City. We cruised on this ride, everyone did really, pacelining it all the way and averaging over 20 mph in windy conditions. I rolled with a great line and it felt so good t really move with a group and stay altogether. That hasn't been the case much for my rides lately so it was nice to have that for the Fourth! We woke up late, arrived before noon, stayed in a beautiful, brand new facility at the Garden Valley Church and had so much free time to get things done! It was great. I cleaned my bike and chain and changed my tires (the most frustrating part of the day for sure--it took three hours, two pinched tubes, and the efforts of many to get my new Armadillo tires on my wheel rims). I did get to see some fireworks, though they were in the distance and I only got the tail-end of the show.
July 5th: Our first century!!!! HOO-RAY!!! We hit 101+ miles on the ride over the Colorado border into Lamar, CO. I couldn't believe that we made it! I rode with Anita for a lot of the way--she totally pushed me and we kept each other entertained. A hundred miles!! How awesome!! We did it fast (in only 8 hours) including all of our stops and a 45 minute sojourn at the border. (Colorado, by the way, has the best state sign yet, though the road into Lamar was AWFUL. Exceptionally bumpy and uneven. ick.) Speaking of awful and pain, i guess, here's an update for my wrist: it still kind of hurts :( I've been riding on it without my brace just for functionality of my fingers and getting to my brakes and gears.
July 6: 55-miles, so relatively short, but this day was probably the worst ride that I've had of the entire trip from North Carolina. Seriosuly. Awful. It was breezy, I couldn't keep up with anyone. I was just exhausted from the day before and couldn't go anywhere. I had two flat tires on my new tires (which was beyond frustrating, especially when they're not supposed to go flat at all.) I was out of tubes and my patches were leaking...Chris Clark came to my rescue and gave me one of his tubes, but my pump was malfunctioning too, I was horribly uncomfortable on my seat and it was hot as blazes outside. Awful, awful, awful. The only thing that made me finally feel better once I made it to the City Park in La Junta was a chocolate milkshake from Sonic with Jen. A quick side note on Sonic: they are more prevalent in this country, in all of these small towns we've been riding through, than McDonald's. Seriously, i am not kidding. More Sonic's than McDonald's. Crazy. The evening got much better for sure-- i was able to rewrap my handlebars which made me happy. Anita arrived in Nags Head with her handlebar tape braided wiith two colors. I've been horribly jealous since day one and finally had the time and energy to sit down and figure out how to do it. And I did!! My handlebars look amazing now-- breaided with white and neon yellow. They're hot. Riding yesterday I would just look down at my handlebars and grin. So fun.
July 7th: 7-7-07!! It was a REALLY big day. We had two birthdays today: Lee Anne and Vandy! and the highest mileage day of the trip (probably). One hundred and eighteen miles. 1-1-8. 118. Seriously. That's about the distance from Atlanta to Chattanooga, TN (maybe a little bit farther). 118 miles. I still can't get my head around it. Unbelievable ride though. So many highs and lows through the whole thing. We started the day in an awesome paceline and hung together through the 70 mile mark feeling great. After that though, we hit this AWFUL road, a sand/packed gravel road that lasted for 15+ miles. Ick. It was a nightmare. SO slow going, scary, painful and bumpy. It was absolutely terrible. You would hit patches of sand that looked packed and then slide all over the place. People fell. The horseflies were on a rampage. Terrible. Once we reached the ends, I noticed my front wheel looked a bit untrue.. turns out, one of spokes had come loose (I could hear it rattling on downhills) and then popped completely when I was checking it a little later, all from that horrible road!! Fun things though: in Fountain, a Colorado Springs suburb, there was a hot rod and classic car rally throguh the middle of town. I was in hog heaven :) So at mile 96, Lindsay, Ivey, and i waited for the van so i could get a new front wheel so I could finish the ride and get others to the shuttle from there. We could have stopped at 96 (an admirable ride for sure) or continued through Colorado Springs from the south side of hte city to the far north side to the church where we are staying. It was those last 22 miles that about did me in. After sitting for almost an hour waiting for a wheel then taking off in the hotter sun around 2ish was not good. Lindsay and I rolled out on htat way feeling good, but I must say for me, that was entirely too short-lived. I saw my life flash before my eyes a number of times over all the potholes, cracks in the road, cars whizzing by, and all the stop-and-go at lights over uphills. Nightmare. I was dead. Lindsay completely saved me and was so encouraging through the whole thing. iw as so ready to quit but I kept thinking about how great it would be to finish 118 miles-- probably more than I would ever ride again (maybe). unreal. I couldn't move once we made it to the church. To be so completely exhausted and having given it your all; I guess that's really what this trip is all about. Pushing yourself to your limits and surprising yourself every time.
We went out to dinner last night for the birthday duo-- everyone was exhausted still so it was fairly low key for most. Sleep came easily, thank goodness.
So that's where I am now. In Colorado Springs at this unbelievable church on the North side of town. Off for the day now.
ciao ciao,
CVH
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
from today, into Dodge City
Well, I've made it into what must be the gateway to the Wild West. Every other shop has the name"Wyatt Earp" in its title.
The ride today from Coldwater started in a solid fog... a little scary on a two lane highway, but visibility wasn't so bad that we needed to stop riding. Anita, Meredith and I rode together for the morning and made a 1 mile detour into Greenburg, the town I mentioned before that a tornado destroyed back in May.
Unbeliveable is all I can really say. Seeing a tornado damaged town first hand is unreal and the only comparison we could make was to Hurricane Katrina-like damage everywhere. Most of the city was entirely wiped out. Trees had been stripped of their branches but were starting to grow bush-like clumps of leaves. Whole houses and debris piles had been cleared to show only holes where basement foundations had been. Some houses were still standing, though in sad stages of falling down. There were gutters still wrapped in the tops of trees. All of the street signs had blown away with spray-painted replacements instead. There was still a fair amount of debris in the roads and some yards (though no flat tires for any of us there!! I will contend that I may have the best set of factory tires on my bike...they've treated me so well!! Only 2 flats so far [versus 10+ for many others, and on better tires too!]).
We stopped an talked ot a couple of FEMA officers who filled us in on the story of the destruction. The tornado hit on May 4th and was scaled as an E-F5--a level higher than F5, like an 5.1 appparently. The length of the town is 1.1 miles; the diameter of the twister was 1.7 miles across. It ran over the town once, turned around, went back for more, and then hovered over the town for 2 whole minutes. Most residents were still in their homes when it hit. They were saying it was the worst tornados in Kansas in memory. Again, unbelievable.
We also stopped and met a woman named Ella Mae Mars who lost two homes in the tornado, an old one she was living in and another she and her husband had just finished remodeling. She showed us pictures, pointed out the various states of her neighbors' homes; she was so sweet. She was not in Greenburg when the tornado hit, thankfully.
The rest of the ride past with the Kansas countryside--fairly flat and broad. Lots of farms, really pretty though!
gotta go! affordable housing curriculum to research.
cvh
The ride today from Coldwater started in a solid fog... a little scary on a two lane highway, but visibility wasn't so bad that we needed to stop riding. Anita, Meredith and I rode together for the morning and made a 1 mile detour into Greenburg, the town I mentioned before that a tornado destroyed back in May.
Unbeliveable is all I can really say. Seeing a tornado damaged town first hand is unreal and the only comparison we could make was to Hurricane Katrina-like damage everywhere. Most of the city was entirely wiped out. Trees had been stripped of their branches but were starting to grow bush-like clumps of leaves. Whole houses and debris piles had been cleared to show only holes where basement foundations had been. Some houses were still standing, though in sad stages of falling down. There were gutters still wrapped in the tops of trees. All of the street signs had blown away with spray-painted replacements instead. There was still a fair amount of debris in the roads and some yards (though no flat tires for any of us there!! I will contend that I may have the best set of factory tires on my bike...they've treated me so well!! Only 2 flats so far [versus 10+ for many others, and on better tires too!]).
We stopped an talked ot a couple of FEMA officers who filled us in on the story of the destruction. The tornado hit on May 4th and was scaled as an E-F5--a level higher than F5, like an 5.1 appparently. The length of the town is 1.1 miles; the diameter of the twister was 1.7 miles across. It ran over the town once, turned around, went back for more, and then hovered over the town for 2 whole minutes. Most residents were still in their homes when it hit. They were saying it was the worst tornados in Kansas in memory. Again, unbelievable.
We also stopped and met a woman named Ella Mae Mars who lost two homes in the tornado, an old one she was living in and another she and her husband had just finished remodeling. She showed us pictures, pointed out the various states of her neighbors' homes; she was so sweet. She was not in Greenburg when the tornado hit, thankfully.
The rest of the ride past with the Kansas countryside--fairly flat and broad. Lots of farms, really pretty though!
gotta go! affordable housing curriculum to research.
cvh
from 2 days ago, the ride into Cherokee
Hey y’all,
Here’s the update for today: little rain (more of a light drizzle), lots of flooded territory and finally, flat terrain. That’s about it. I rode again, the miles slowly (I repeat, slowly) ticked away and we made in to Cherokee, OK to the First United Methodist Church. Nothing too major to report on that front. I rode with Lindsay and Mike, and Lindsay, Miss “Flat”ulence herself, had two flats along the way. They are quite frustrating; I really hate stopping on the road because my legs tighten up and I basically have to start the day over again!! And all that I ask that if ever you are driving on the road, please, for the love of all things good, do NOT throw a glass bottle onto the road. Thanks.
The most noteworthy part of the ride today was not the level terrain, or the many rounds of 20 Questions we played to pass the time, but of all the rainwater that we’re seeing everywhere. Creeks which are probably about 5 feet across are now 35 feet across. Water is flooding fields along the way and side roads off the main highway we’re riding on. You can see infrastructure improvements like ditches/canals along the roadway with tunnels under branch roads, but even so, the height of the water levels is unbelievable. One house we rode by was surrounded up to about a foot from its foundations entirely by water with its barn and yard already flooded. Quite a sight and one I can’t say I had prepared myself for before this trip started.
As the days go by in Oklahoma and we get into Kansas, we find ourselves in the middle of Tornado Alley, essentially the counties with the most severe weather in the world. We have certainly seen the rain/storm end of that already. Some of us are itching to see a tornado but from a very far distance (I know many of you are hoping that day will not come…) but to prepare you (and give forewarning that we may not have internet in a few of the days ahead because we will be camping), we’re going to be riding through the town in Kansas (Greenberg? Greenbriar?? I can’t quite remember) that was leveled in last month’s tornadoes. It will surely be a sight to see. More updates after that.
Time for bed, sorry this is short but I’m sleepy.
Love, CVH
Here’s the update for today: little rain (more of a light drizzle), lots of flooded territory and finally, flat terrain. That’s about it. I rode again, the miles slowly (I repeat, slowly) ticked away and we made in to Cherokee, OK to the First United Methodist Church. Nothing too major to report on that front. I rode with Lindsay and Mike, and Lindsay, Miss “Flat”ulence herself, had two flats along the way. They are quite frustrating; I really hate stopping on the road because my legs tighten up and I basically have to start the day over again!! And all that I ask that if ever you are driving on the road, please, for the love of all things good, do NOT throw a glass bottle onto the road. Thanks.
The most noteworthy part of the ride today was not the level terrain, or the many rounds of 20 Questions we played to pass the time, but of all the rainwater that we’re seeing everywhere. Creeks which are probably about 5 feet across are now 35 feet across. Water is flooding fields along the way and side roads off the main highway we’re riding on. You can see infrastructure improvements like ditches/canals along the roadway with tunnels under branch roads, but even so, the height of the water levels is unbelievable. One house we rode by was surrounded up to about a foot from its foundations entirely by water with its barn and yard already flooded. Quite a sight and one I can’t say I had prepared myself for before this trip started.
As the days go by in Oklahoma and we get into Kansas, we find ourselves in the middle of Tornado Alley, essentially the counties with the most severe weather in the world. We have certainly seen the rain/storm end of that already. Some of us are itching to see a tornado but from a very far distance (I know many of you are hoping that day will not come…) but to prepare you (and give forewarning that we may not have internet in a few of the days ahead because we will be camping), we’re going to be riding through the town in Kansas (Greenberg? Greenbriar?? I can’t quite remember) that was leveled in last month’s tornadoes. It will surely be a sight to see. More updates after that.
Time for bed, sorry this is short but I’m sleepy.
Love, CVH
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