Day 47

We are in Burns Lake, BC tonight and staying with host families. This may be one of the last blogs I will be able to write for a while. After tomorrow night, we will begin a long stretch of camping with only a few more hosts between now and Anchorage! 

So far, Canada has been so much better than we expected. We have had beautiful weather and some really warm days. One of the things we were warned would happen in Canada was running out of food. We did have a stretch where there were no gas stations or grocery stores for about 3 days or so and we started getting really creative with our PowerBars. This one has animal crackers and chocolate PowerGel drizzled on top. Not as tasty as it looks. The most creative so far was chocolate PowerBars melted in a skillet with some grape jelly and almonds and then poured on a piece of bread. I have a feeling it will only continue to get worse...

A few more pictures from Alberta

A picture from the day we entered into British Columbia:

As we were riding, I was dying to see a moose along the road or in the trees. I was looking really carefully all along the road but I didn't have to look too hard because we soon came across one standing in the road right in front of us! We got a little nervous when we actually saw how big it was, but luckily the truck coming from the opposite direction scared him off the highway. After seeing both a moose and a bear I am satisfied.

Today was my day to drive the van. Unfortunately, the day got a really rough start when one of our riders got in an accident with a car and had to be taken to the hospital. The car had taken a left turn without seeing her and she crashed into the side of the car. She will be off her bike for about a week with a dislocated clavical, but we are so thankful she wasn't hurt any worse. She got to keep me company in the van today and her biggest concern was for the lady driving the car who was also very shaken up and upset by the accident. She's a really strong teammate, I'm glad she'll be back on her bike soon!

The rest of the day went fairly smoothly. We got a lot of food donations from local grocery stores and restaurants (meaning no more melted PowerBars for a while) and tonight we are being very well taken care of by hosts in Burns Lake. Thank you for the letters in the mail, they always make my day! My thoughts are with everyone back home, I love you all!

Please visit http://www.texas4000.org/give/give to find out how you can help.

Day 41

I am writing this blog from a laudromat in Jasper, AB. We have been camping for the past three days in Banff and now almost the entire team is camped out doing laundry. The past week has been beautiful. Banff has been my favorite place so far. We spent three days riding through the national park. The first day we rode on gorgeous bike trails--it was the closest I have felt to the mountains on the whole trip. The next day should have been Lake Louise, but because of lots of wind and cold rain we got in really late and had to set up camp before dark. We decided to go to Lake Louise the next morning for ride dedication and after all the rain the day before, we were lucky to have such perfect weather the next morning. The dedication circle was especially emotional that morning--I think it had a lot to do with the breathtaking view surrounding us.

Postcard worthy photo of Lake Louise

Rockies girls!

Yesterday was a perfect example of how even though each day's route is planned months in advance, there are always new surprises. We got a later start that morning because our travel notes indicated a 40-mile day to the ice fields. However, we soon learned that it was actually 80 miles, not 40. We had beautiful scenery and great weather, so no one really seemed to mind. Around mile 40, we also learned that there was a steep mountain pass ahead--the last 15 miles of the day--that was a consistent 8% grade. At this point we were fighting daylight, which is saying a lot considering the sun sets around 10 p.m. here. At around 7:30 we made it to our last rest stop and were given the option of driving the last 15 miles up the pass or biking it. I was so proud that our whole team decided they wanted to climb! Jack and Mahek were driving the van that day and would meet up with us every 2 miles or so playing fun music and cheering us on. We finally made it to the campsite last night around 9:30! We still had enough daylight to set up our tents and cook spaghetti. It felt really good to have finished the climb and as a reward, our campgrounds overlooked the Colombia ice fields. It was a chilly night and morning, but so beautiful. Our ride dedication this morning was at the Ice Fields--I dedicated it to everyone back home because I've noticed our team has been a little more homesick lately without cell reception and internet. Since entering Canada it has been hard for most of us to stay connected to home. 

We have seen a lot of elk and yesterday I saw my first black bear! I was riding with Kelsey and it just walked casually across the road right in front of us. I was pretty nervous, but we decided to cross the road to ride in the opposite shoulder and sing loudly as we rode by so that we didn't sneak up on it. It didn't seem to care that we were there. Among the 27 riders, 4 different bears were spotted yesterday!

The black bear. I didn't get my camera out in time to get him crossing the road.

We are in a cute town (Jasper, AB) tonight and cross into British Columbia tomorrow morning. We will be in BC for a while after that. Our next rest day is on Monday in Prince George, BC!

Please visit http://www.texas4000.org/give/give to find out how you can help.

Day 32

It has been a while since I last blogged because internet has been hard to come by these past 10 days or so and will continue to be less and less available as we get into Canada. We had our first experience camping and have crossed 2 more states! We are now 3 days away from crossing the Canadian border and being halfway to Anchorage! I can't believe the summer is going by so quickly. 

On our rest day in Boulder, CO we went to a host family's lake house and were able to relax and canoe for the whole day. The view was incredible and it was exactly the rest we needed.  

In Boulder, we also toured the Fat Tire Brewery. One of the managers was very interested in our ride and gave a toast to our team. He also made my day by giving me a free Fat Tire cycling jersey for being the 2010 team's top fundraiser!

Riding into the mountains in northern Colorado...

Crossing the Wyoming border!

Laramie, WY was one of my favorite towns. We had amazing hosts and this was the view from her front porch. I fell in love with the Wyoming sky. The sunsets were incredible.

The Grand Teton mountain range. The scenery on this ride was unreal...

We spent our first two nights of camping in Grand Teton National Park. There are definitely more responsibilities that go along with camping than our nights with host families, but the team had a lot of fun spending time together around the campfire and cooking breakfast and dinner. On the morning of our rest day we went into Jackson. We all really liked the feel of the town. We went back to the park in the afternoon and found this lake to swim in. The water was freezing!

The morning we rode into Yellowstone was our first really cold morning. It was also our 3rd day in a row to camp and we were pretty ready for showers and a roof over our heads at that point. Thankfully we had great hosts the next night in Bozeman, MT. Bozeman was another one of my favorite towns we have passed through. This has been the most incredible way to experience our country.

Leaving Yellowstone we crossed the Continental Divide twice in an hour. It was one of the most rewarding climbing days--and the downhills were really fun!

Old Faithful

As many of you already know, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time the week that I left for Alaska. Now more than ever I realize why I felt the desire to be a part of this ride. My mom is recovering from surgery and excited to meet me in Anchorage! I'm thankful everyday that I am able to do something to contribute to fighting cancer. Thank you for all the cards, cookies, and support! I think about you all constantly.

Please visit http://www.texas4000.org/give/give to find out how you can help.

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. 

Please visit http://www.texas4000.org/give/give to find out how you can help.

Day 9

Today we had a 70-mile ride from Oklahoma City, OK to Watonga, OK. The first 40 miles flew by, but throughout the last 30 miles we encountered 17-20 MPH headwind. It was tough, but the team has really shown significant improvement as riders. Lately, anything below 80 miles seems like a short day. We also have so many new stories each day of people for whom we ride. This morning, Austin and I met a man who was very interested in our organization. He asked us questions about our average mileage per day, where we sleep, how long it will take us to reach Anchorage, etc. At the end of our conversation, he teared up as he told us that he had lost his wife to cancer a few years ago. We promised we would dedicate our ride to him today. 

A little boy named Jackson is another person that gives our team a lot of motivation. When we were in Dallas, he brought the team a picture he had drawn of his grandmother, who he lost to cancer, and God watching over us as we traveled across the country. He had traced every state perfectly and we keep it with us every day. He and his mom also helped out tremendously by rounding up several waffle irons for Dawn and my Dad to help cook breakfast for 13 hungry, carb-loading boys.

And today and everyday I ride for my mom. 

Tonight we are staying at Watonga Christian Church. They have been so accommodating. Our meal tonight was a big burger, fries, and beans and the entire church congregation was invited. We talked with a lot of different people and it was fun to be around kids and a youth group. We are relaxing and catching up on our blogs and laundry tonight. 

Here are a few pictures from the ride today:

Tomorrow we are expecting rain and more wind. We have been lucky with the weather so far, I guess we knew it wouldn't last forever! Good news is we are sleeping in until 6 a.m. tomorrow! 

Please visit http://www.texas4000.org/give/give to find out how you can help.

Day 8

On Day 6 we crossed the Oklahoma state line! The girls went ahead to set up a border race for the guys. Even though we are only one state away (and definitely not even in our favorite state), it was really exciting to leave Texas. Now, when we run into people who ask what we are doing, we can proudly tell them we are from Texas and on our way to Anchorage!

As I am uploading some of these pictures I cannot believe that they are mine. I spent a year looking at pictures of previous teams-- especially the state line pictures--and now they have become a reality for our team. I cannot believe one week has already gone by. Only 9 more to go...

I have really enjoyed Oklahoma so far. Our second morning in OK was the most scenic day we have had so far. We started at 6 am and I loved riding during sunrise! I have already adjusted to the early mornings and I would actually be willing to wake up at 4 a.m. every day if it meant seeing the sun rise each morning. It is so beautiful! 

We had a beautiful rest stop the morning of our 115 mile ride. We actually rode through some hills (the Davis Mountains) in Oklahoma, which was not expected. Luckily, a lot of it was long descents and we had a strong tailwind! Last years team had 20 mph headwind instead. It was one of their hardest days of the summer.

Last night several of us went downtown because we could sleep-in this morning on our rest day! Even though we woke up at 4 a.m., we were excited to get to spend some free time together off of our bikes. This is Kelsey, Kate, and Lauren in downtown Oklahoma City!

Please visit http://www.texas4000.org/give/give to find out how you can help.