I'm not sure how to begin summing up the past 70 days. I still can't believe the summer actually came to an end. It doesn't feel like I have been on a bike for two and a half months, but when I think back to days like Slapout, Oklahoma population 7, I remember just how many miles we have come.
Since my last real post on Day 55 a lot has happened. We were held up an extra day in Dease Lake, but the following morning we were back on the bike riding to Jade City. It was a beautiful ride and everyone was excited to be riding again after several days off. After Jade City, with the threat of being held up again for another day, the team packed up and drove to the road barrier in hopes of being one of the lucky 100 cars that would make it through that morning at 8 a.m. Luckily, we made it through and we were able to see firsthand just how bad the smoke was. It would have been dangerous to try to ride, even if the park rangers would have allowed it. We then began our 80 mile ride once we were through the fire.
In the days leading up to our reunion with the Sierra route in Whitehorse, YT, the Rockies team held on as long as possible to our time together. During the day, instead of riding in groups of 3-5, the whole team rode together in a pace line of 27 people. At night, we stayed up around the campfire speculating what it would be like to see Sierra again. On our last night as Rockies, we went around the circle thanking each other for the memories and all the good times. I moved my sleeping pad and bag out by the fire and slept outside my tent that night- the sky was beautiful!
The ride into Whitehorse was a hard 115 miles, but at our 1-mile-out regroup, we regained energy in our excitement to finally be reunited with Sierra. In true Rockies spirit, we painted our faces with Badger (this ridiculous sunscreen that looks more like white paint than anything) and camouflage. When Sierra saw us for the first time in 60 days, we were dirty, covered in paint, and acting like wild animals. They thought we were crazy. After so many days away from civilization, we might have actually been a little crazy.
That night, we had one of the most fun nights either route had seen all summer. Sierra had made us dinner and we started catching up on each other's summers as soon as arrived. We played music and had a huge dance party with 52 people. In previous years, there had always been some tension between routes and for some teams, it had taken several days before the two routes shared tables, rest stops, or mingled much at all. This year we wasted no time in molding together as one big team. However, over the last 10 days it would sometimes happen that I would look around to see only 16 Rockies swimming together or riding together in a big group. Without trying to be exclusive, the two routes remained somewhat segregated for the remainder of the trip. Though I wish I could have gotten closer to many riders on the Sierra route, it's hard to form a bond in 10 days that is as strong as the bonds formed in 60.
On our first night of camping as a whole team, we cooked Alaskan salmon over our campfire. John had come across an overturned 18-wheeler that had been carrying Alaskan salmon, but was handing it out in boxes because it would have been impossible to keep fresh. We enjoyed it! That night, it poured. It was the first time we had woken up and cooked breakfast in the rain. Several riders woke up in puddles, but luckily my tent stayed dry. It was the first of many rainy mornings.
The last week of camping was one of the more difficult stretches. The mosquitos were horrible and we had no running water. The only notes in our travel binder were "vastly unpopulated area."
Day 65 was a strange one. We woke up thrilled to be crossing the Alaskan border. It was a day we had been waiting for for a long time and working towards for months. Our jerseys say "Texas to Alaska", so in some way we were accomplishing our goal. Only 5 days left to Anchorage. For the first time all summer, the Rockies girls agreed to participate in a border race. This is one of the boys favorite things to do, and even Sierra girls had participated in previous states. Because the Alaska border is the only border that the whole team crosses together, some rivalry had developed and Rockies and Sierra wanted to compete against routes. We had a boys race and a girls race, Rockies vs. Sierra. However, the day soon took a turn for the worse. Only 3 miles in, we hit a lot of loose gravel and the entire Sierra pace line went down going 25+ mph. It was one of the scariest sights I've ever seen. Thankfully, a paramedic happened to drive by and helped check each girl that fell before she was allowed to get up. Four of the girls went to the hospital, but luckily came away without any broken bones. Unfortunately, Erica had a bad concussion and was told by the doctor to sit out for the remainder of the ride. The Alaska sign just wasn't the same after that. The next 10 miles to the border were somber. The sign even seemed smaller than it looked in pictures from previous years. Because we were missing teammates, we refused to take the team picture without them. Day 65 did not meet any of my expectations for that day, but I guess that is what this ride is about. That's the way life goes.
Two days later, the team drove back to the border (a 3 hr drive each way) to take the picture as a team. That picture meant way too much to all of us to skip it. We didn't start our 70-mile ride that day until 5 p.m. (getting in around 11 p.m.) but everyone agreed it was worth it. Because we were riding so late into the evening I also got to see 3 moose that day! My favorite was a mom and baby crossing the road in front of us.
The last 5 days, everyone seemed ready to be in Anchorage. We all agreed it was sad that the trip was ending and that one day soon we knew we would miss it, but I was surprised by how excited the team was to be finishing. We were also so excited to see family and loved ones that we knew were boarding planes to meet us at the finish line. It was a cold rainy day, but we didn't really care. We were on bike trails for the last 20 miles and we were escorted to the finish line by the fire department.
I think I learned and grew a lot this summer, but I might not realize just how much until I am back in the real world for a while. But I do know for certain that I was meant to be here this summer.
"That which doesn't kill me only makes me stronger."- Dylan
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