Day 18

On day 13, the team made it to the Colorado state line. Although Oklahoma was prettier than I expected, we were ready for a change of scenery. The winds in Oklahoma were frustrating and though the wheat fields were beautiful, it was sometimes discouraging to be able to see miles and miles of flat, never ending plains. We would ride 60 miles without even seeing a tree, much less a gas station where we could stop for restrooms and shade.


The hosts have all been wonderful so far, we have done very little cooking for ourselves. Our first night of camping will not be until Wyoming. That will be an interesting day! 


So far, we have ridden a total of 1,231 miles in 18 days! The team is getting incredibly close, and that has really helped us on our hardest rides. They are all such amazing people. We also continue to get stronger as riders and the team is climbing hills we wouldn't have been able to climb three weeks ago. 

I had a wonderful birthday in Oklahoma! The team surprised me with a mini party at one of the rest stops with brownies and a pinata! That night we also went out to a mexican restaurant (my favorite!) for chips and salsa and margaritas. Woodward, OK was a tiny town, but we managed to find a pretty fun hole in the wall. 

The day we crossed the border was my first day to "SAG" (support and gear) and drive the vans. I, along with 3 other teammates, was in charge of making sure the team had rest stops every 20 miles or so, as well as providing food for lunch and dinner. We were able to get some great donations (deep dish pizzas, pastas, breadsticks, and burgers) and we had a little "on the border" theme night with On the Border salsa, queso, etc. We have competitions each day to see who can come up with the best rest stop themes. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, being in the middle of nowhere is also an excuse for a dance party and ridiculous costumes. Here are a couple pictures of some of the ones we've had so far:

Hula Hoop contest

The van and trailer I drove for the day

The ride into Colorado Springs was by far the best and most beautiful ride we have done so far. It was just the day before, riding into Pueblo, CO, that we saw the Rocky Mountains for the first time. The ride into Colorado Springs was through the foothills and even though we climbed some steep grades, we also had some amazing downhills and it was thrilling to be so close to the Rockies. It was the biggest adrenaline rush we've had all summer and it got us all excited to be in the mountains, even if it is a little harder. 

The team coming up a big hill

The Rockies!

Yesterday we arrived in Denver. About 10 of the team members went to visit a recovery center called Brent's Place. It is a small apartment style housing facility for kids who have been released from the hospital, but because of recent transplants or weak immune systems, are not yet ready to resume their daily routines at home. The center has 21 apartments for the children and their families and everything is designed to be very clean and sterile, but without having the feel of a hospital that you might imagine. We got a tour of the facility and it was a very moving experience. I dedicated my ride today to a little boy named Matthew whose parents had donated a brick in the courtyard in his memory. It was engraved, "little trooper". 

www.brentsplace.org

Being in Denver made me so excited to be living there starting this fall. We drove by the University of Denver campus and this morning when we were leaving for Boulder, we took some of the amazing bike trails to leave the city. They took us right through downtown Denver, went under the main roads and along a little creek. There were so many people out cycling and jogging. I can't wait to explore more in the fall. Everyone was very excited for me to be living there so soon. There is also a huge T4K alumni base in Denver. Several of them came out to support us the past 3 days on our rides. 

Riding in Colorado has been so surreal. Every time I look up to see the mountains, it still surprises me. I keep thinking that in September I will have a mountain view from my living room window! I feel so lucky to be on this ride, the scenery is unbelievable and I know it will continue to amaze me as we get farther north. Just the other day I realized Colorado is the only state I have visited before this trip. Oklahoma, Wyoming, Montana, Canada, and Alaska are all new to me! 

Today we are in Boulder and we have a rest day tomorrow. We are going to go to a host's lake house for the afternoon! After 10 consecutive days of riding, we are all very excited for a day off. 

I apologize for not updating sooner, but we haven't had a lot of internet access lately. I will update again as soon as possible. Thanks for all your support!


P.S. Thank you for all of the mail drop goodies:) Jackson, the Rockies team really appreciates your packages! It cheers us up every time! Riding for you and Millie. 

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