Cliffs, Canyons, Buildings, and Mountains

Day 49 - July 22, 10:08pm
66 miles. Gunnison, CO to Montrose, CO

Probably one of the most amazing days of my life. ( i love how i keep saying that like every other day) But really. First of all, we started off the day at a solid 20mph pace for a while. At this point i would've been happy with anything faster than 11 so that was amazing. It felt like actual biking again. Also, i finally got hold of a damn post office for once and was able to mail some gifts home to the parents. Keep an eye out Mom and Dad.

I keep talking about how much i love scenery transitions and how much im looking forward to the desert. Well i was riding today and suddenly realized "hey, we're here!" It kinda slowly crept up on us but the ground is definitely getting sandier and redder and shrubbier. And hotter, much hotter. There are less mountains and more mesas and buttes also. Its pretty cool terrain for now, or at least until our skin begins to melt.

At mile fifteen we came across this fantastic reservoir/marina where Jenny used to hang out last year. We all parked and hiked about a mile inland to the most intense cliffs ever. Pretty much the whole group was there, and pretty much the whole group ended up naked. All we could do was appease those cliffs that were begging us to jump. There were several levels with the highest one being between 50-60. Looking over the edge was basically like having your legs turn to jello. Of course i had to do it. I've only done 30 feet at most before and this was a big way up. Standing there and knowing i was about to jump was just wild. I mean seriously what in the world can make some consciously just launch off that. As you stand your body fills with adrenaline and the fear fills your veins. Its hard to describe but that kind of absolute terror combined with calm stillness is just such a centering, focusing, force that i love. You'll never feel more alive.



You just gotta do it so i did it, and easy had 4 seconds of air time. Unfortunately daily life doesn't afford me the most experience with freefalling so my back and butt may have hit the water more head on than i would have like them to. (the video is of a more graceful rider than me) The cringes from the other riders upon seeing my red behind let me know what had happened. But what a rush! It was just unreal and fortunately the pain quickly left. (though the redness is still very much there)

I did a second lower jump with much better form and it rocked. What less than rocked was the dude who was driving slowly by in his boat with his binoculars out. Really?

Well basically as soon as i came out of the water the second time i started to feel a slight back pain that i immediately identified as that of having a collapsed lung. I knew exactly what it felt like from my first collapse two years ago and all i could think was "Really Lungs? Do you have to do this now?" I was doing just fine except for the slight pain and could still breathe well which was great but I had to go treat it. The van picked me up and we drove into the hospital in town to get it checked out. Along the way there were two climbs and two amazing descents straight into town filled with typical Colorado gorgeousness. Ugh, wanted to be coasting down them so bad.

At the hospital the wonderful nurse Christine checked me in and the awesome Dr. Talbertt checked me out. I found out he had spent time in the South, which helped explained why he had the most jarringly calm manner to him that i've ever seen in someone. It was really cool to see my fast talking juxtaposed against his paced speech. NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS: He showed me the x ray and explained that my lung was perfectly fine and that my jump had just inflamed some of the muscles there. He totally cleared me for riding and I really do feel great now. Some Aleve and taking it easy will definitely take care of it. My goodness, i cannot tell you what a relief this is. Nobody in the world should ever have to experience what a collapsed lung feels like or the lifestyle limitations it entails.

An interesting thing happened on the way out. I exited the hospital and realized that i hadn't given any information besides my name. They had forgotten to get my billing info. This was quite the ethical dilemma. On the one hand I could avoid paying fees which i hadn't necessarily sneakily avoided and which wouldn't make or break the hospital. I mean other countries have free healthcare provided so why not me. On the other, I had just received very quality healthcare and could support the system which had taken care of me. Well i decided to opt for the karma route and went back and told them. It's still kind of annoying to know i could've just walked away scott free without anyone knowing or caring. But i think that i'm glad i did what i did and supported the place that had helped me. I was happy that greed hadn't gotten the best of me in that situation and prevented me from literally paying my dues. However I'm sure that had i not been insured(as far too many people are) my decision definitely would not have been the same. The whole situation really got me thinking a lot about the morality of societal freeloading in general and the philosophical implications of karma in our decisions. I know, a whole lot to ponder for one decision...

Dinner was provided at the church by the local habitat chapter. I got to meet one of the board members Connie who had this awesome orange socks, yellow pants, orange-yellow striped shirt combo going on that i absolutely loved and most definitely called her out on.

Afterwards 15 of us filled the van to head back up the route to Black Canyon. Only 4 riders had decided to brave the 6 mile 2,000 foot climb to the top during the day. We were deciding to take the easier route and see what this canyon deal was about. All i can say is that i literally began to tear up as i approached the sunset lit edge of the cliffs and saw what marvelous beauty there was. Even thinking about it just gets me really emotional. Standing up there with my fellow riders and seeing how far we've come to get to this much raw beauty utterly overwhelmed me. We spent the entire sunset hanging out and checking out different angles. The 5 minutes of silence we took while gazing out just put me in another world mentally. I get tingles whenever i reimagine it. I hope the pictures can do it justice. I mean, i keep saying it, but the beauty was just crushing. Never even imagined that a landscape so intense could exist. I heard that its pretty much on par with the Grand Canyon depth-wise and getting to learn about the formation process of the pegmatite dikes was historical fun!

The drive down in pitch dark was wild on its own as the town lights shimmered from afar. We listened to some of my favorite songs that i have associated with this trip("buildings and mountains" by the Republic Tigers, check them out!)and the calmness that i was feeling for that whole ride and still am now was so intense. But there was also a mountain lion! like a legit beast that we passed on the side of the road. I didn't actually see it, but the sudden freaking out and swearing of everyone else definitely confirmed that it was a Mountain Lion. Would've been so cool but oh well.

As if i couldn't be better, Miranda and Clarissa just presented me with a box of gourmet chocolates since i had visited the hospital. I love them. The girls i mean. But i've basically been in the corner of a gym for the past 10 minutes closing my eyes and tilting my head back as i chew chocolaty goodness with caramel dripping wildly from my mouth.

I'll admit it, standing at that canyon, i couldn't help but think of how uncontrollably I'm going to cry when i leave this unbelievable journey and these amazing people. I guess I've just never really felt so connected. To nature, to this trip, to my teammates, and to myself. I think that more than any other day so far, I really feel ready to totally make the most of every single day and really appreciate where and with whom I am. This was definitely the fresh breath i needed to give me a perspective on where i am and where i want to be. I'm looking forward to where this new insight will take me.

Descending Monarch Pass: The Movie

Day 48 - July 21, 11:02pm
66 miles. Salida, CO to Gunnison, CO

So i guess that when you have two "one of those days" you start to wonder whether "those days" are really so isolated after all. Again, the first 10 miles today were just not working with me. I really think its the lack of daily sleep thats not letting my muscles fully recover each day from such an extreme workout on top of the building sleep debt. Am easily the last person to bed almost every night. LIterally all i think about during the day sometimes is whether i can just get into the host and get 10 hours of sleep and freshen up. As you can tell from the timestamp thats not really the case tonight.

Interesting Day though. Started out with my same back tire getting another flat. In the process of changing also realized that my tires were gashed up left and right. I guess i should consider changing them but then again, if they got me this far...

Anyway, today we climbed Monarch Pass which is no small feat. By climbing Monarch Pass i mean ascending 3,700 feet to around 11,700 Trail Ridge wasn't much more than that and this went for six miles between mile 17 and 23. The climb went steady enough but i definitely did take stops this time. Mountain climbing is really interesting. You know you're just in for an hour of straight grueling muscle soreness and lack of breath. It really cultivates an amazing sense of focus, pacing, and self awareness in a unique way. And I guess i could make some kind of cliche analogy here of how climbing hills is like getting through struggles in life.

The gift store at the top was packed with Monarch Pass stuff advertising the elevation. Lets be real though, after summiting Trail Ridge at 12,000 how could i really lower my standards by buying a monarch pass sticker.

I rocked the downhill with Rob and it was one of the trip's best yet. 10 miles of pure, fairly easy descent. There's nothing like whizzing by at 30 mph and seeing a sign that says "6% grade, next 7 miles" It was so awesome in fact that halfway down, Rob and I couldn't help but film it to share it with everyone. What you see is taken from my camera strapped to my handlebars with two bandanas(LOVE BANDANAS!) as we descend about 5 miles at 30 mph. What a great rush. (be sure to watch to the end) Parents, please at least try to not poop in your pants as you watch.



Unfortunately the rest of the day didn't quite match yesterday's descent. While the next 40 miles were a gentle downhill, that was negated by the ferocious headwind blasting us the whole way. It was pretty miserable and just plain frustrating. To sum it up, at one point I was pedaling in first gear on a downhill struggling to go 10 mph. Yea, it was that bad.

Oh but wait, the morning music. I had an hour of handpicked songs qued up and my excitement to play it got me right out of my sleeping bag(which is definitely not the norm). In short, everyone loved it and gave tons of compliments. I really appreciated this. It was so awesome that i could listen to my own happy music but even moreso that other people enjoyed it. It set a really great tone for our whole morning music rotation which the riders are now taking over from the leaders and showed that it'll be really fun. Its sweet because everyone is pumped not only to play their music, but also to hear what surprises others have in store for the morning. Already some people were busy today planning next week's music assignment. Oh man, the only thing more awesome than music is music sharing. I'm so glad the trip is taking on this dimension.

Also, Carlie and I have decided to become hardcore pushup buddies. We've been doing it for just about a week now so i feel comfortable speaking of it as a routine. No matter what as soon as we get into the host we jump straight into them. My personal goal is to do 100 pushups in as few sets as possible by the end of the trip. Ideally 1, but most likely 2. Its great since if one of us is feeling a little lazy the other has no problem yelling at them. It totally makes me feel 100x better to be exercising my full body. Its really annoying to be doing such a crazy daily biking workout only to watch your upper body strength whither. Plus, swimming trunks end up covering the legs anyway...

35 mph

Day 47 - July 20, 11:55pm
87 miles. Frisco, CO to Salida, CO

Today was just one of those days. You can feel it within the first few pedal strokes of your bike. You're pedaling but just not moving. That was the story for the first ten miles and it just sucks and is so demoralizing. Especially on such a long day. Fortunately other people expressed the same frustration, which was a big comfort for my sanity.

Picked up a brake cable from a bike shop which is good since my back one is really short. Going downhill for dozens of miles with a short brake cable hasn't been the most comforting thought.

We did have one decent 4 mile climb that started around mile 16. I started going at a solid 6 or 7 mph and just kept going and kept passing people. My breathing was good and i felt awesome for being able to push it like that. I decided that i was going "No Stop to the Top" and made it! Accomplishment is a big theme of this trip and that was the first time i had done a climb without a break. And yes, it is hard not to think you're the man after doing that.

After a lunch break there I experienced the best cycling of my life.(i know i say that a lot) We were on a continuous downhill for 26 straight miles which we covered in only ONE HOUR. I was going along at twenty something in the back of the group taking in the beautiful fields and mountains when something in me snapped and gave me this uncontrollable urge to just pump it so hard. I pulled left and tore through the rode at 35 mph for a solid five minutes. I was talking the other day of how the reason i like cycling so much is because it kinda makes me feel like some sort of superhero, with all of that speed, agility, and of course spandex. Going so fast and pumping like that all by myself through amazing terrain was just euphoric.

Unfortunately when we stopped a little while later i realized how much i had burnt myself out and how tired i really was. I got really sleepy and drained for the rest of the ride. I had a pretty bad headache by second lunch and tried desperately to find a shady spot to nap. I still hate how little I sleep on this trip because of how much stuff there is to do all time when we get into hosts, when it really should just be me time after such a long day. But i guess balancing my own priorities with the group logistics is something to work towards and should be something i view as a way to grow rather than just a hassle.

After lunch was another super long downhill that all of a sudden unveiled these humongous mountains abruptly jutting out of nowhere. I mean it was plains, plains, plains, whoa huge mountains! They were so incredible I could barely keep my eyes on the road

Was smooth riding until my sixth flat of the trip. Though it was my first time that a nail had actually gone completely through, both in and out of my tire. Later thought about what crazy chain of events must have led to my 2 inch tire running over that single nail on a 10 foot shoulder. Coincidence? I mean what does "random" really mean anyway.

Got a big climb tomorrow, and apparently very little sleep coming tonight. But i am in charge of tomorrow's morning playlist, the first rider to do so, and i think it'll be good. I have very strong feelings on the line between sharing and imposing music and really hope my taste jives with everyone else. I could talk for hours about music selection and philosophy but probably not now. I still need to actually wake up and play it...

Camping Time!

Day 46 - July 19, 1 day late
80 miles. Granby, CO to Frisco, CO

After a day like yesterday its hard to have a great follow up. Fortunately for us, today was our first ever Camping Day!

The ride itself didn't particularly excite me today. The scenery was still pretty but all the riding on the same highway did start to get monotonous. It didn't help that it was super trafficky and without much of a shoulder - such a major cause of stress and unhappiness while riding.

These days have really been a crash course in layering. The weather is so fickle and its so hard to predict how you'll feel when riding. The result is lots of stops to change usually followed by immediate regret followed by confidence in your original decision. Unfortunately the only constant has been the freezing mornings. I've stuffed my camelbak with so many layers that I ripped off two zipper strings. I've carried several pieces of warm clothing in my bag all trip just for these cold mountains.

One cool thing today was meeting this solo cross country cyclist at lunch who ate with us. He was going from Virginia to Oregon kinda just because. I laugh when people call us crazy but for real, this guy had to be crazy. His bike carried all his stuff and was 80 pounds. He was basically summitting the rockies in a tank. Its funny how we were asking him questions about his trip which he's clearly answered a million times. The same thing happens to us and its hard not to lose excitement after answering them the first 257 times. Thats why it was interesting to have the tables turned on us like that.While i may have considered a solo trip like that previously, there's no way i would even consider it after what i've learned about cross country travel. I mean seriously, not having friends to take silly pictures with along the way?

Was riding with a fun group and we took a break to brainstorm a new pitch for the group and the organization. I must say that the girls were critical in "etching out" our idea. Body language was definitely a big focus for this one...

A little bit later we saw a real cowboy! He was actually riding a horse in full gear in a field and, no joke, was taking a bite out of a stick of jerky. It is unconfirmed whether he was smoking a Marlboro cigarette. Oh Colorado....

After stopping at a Good Times for some food and filling myself up with way too much chocolate shake, we headed on a bike path for the campground. Unfortunately for my stomach we immediately hit these crazy switchbacks to climb this massive hill. We all gave a Tour de France simulation as we shouted in fake French and sprinted up, but lets just say that all that food didn't quite help me win the polka dot jersey...

By now clouds were moving in and the weather was getting threatening. At the top of the hill the path continued along a dam and reservoir that was crazy windy and then led into some great forest twists and turns. The slight drizzle along with the awesome path along with the dozen or so of us winding up and down made for really exhilirating riding.

It soon became clear that we didn't actually know how to get to the campsite and lots of wrong turns and confusion ensued. The ominous weather only made things more intense. This is what i like to call Bike and Build crisis mode. There were some differing opinions and growing frustration over how to get to camp. I really love just chilling out in situations like this and seeing how the dynamics play out, who tries to take control, who just chills out, etc.

Its amazing how much you learn about people when seeing them under pressure. I didn't really care since we were so close anyway and was just loving the riding. Trying to assert your opinion in such a large, stressed group just isnt really worth it most of the time. In general, knowing when to chill out and when to step in has been a very interesting learning experience with such a large, varied group.

When we finally got into camp, Meryl, Dan M, and I immediately ran to the lakefront. There i saw the most intense sky ever. It was dark and rainy, the lake was tossing, but the sun was glowing brilliantly through the clouds in the distance with the most magnificent mountains rising below it. Surreal is the only way to describe it. Even moreso when we turned around and found two rainbows in the sky!

Of course I got my trunks on and jumped right into the lake with some others. And of course, my jumping in was followed by wild shrieking and shivering. It was most definitely "refreshing." Even better was the fire that we had started! Standing next to it after running freezing from the lake was unbelievable. Like a tall glass of milk after syrupy pancakes. The smores we made over it while drying only made things more ridiculously happy.

It was so awesome to be actually camping. It really got me so nostalgic and pumped up for FOP, the outdoor orientation trips that i lead. I was kinda upset at how softcore the campsite was actually. I mean the outhouse had actual plumbing and a urinal. I didn't even get to poop in the woods! In general i had a hard time wrapping my head around how people just roll up in their cars, pitch a tent in one spot, and then leave a few days later. For me at least, the wilderness is all about isolation, and this just seemed very odd i guess. But backpacking isn't exactly the easiest thing to set up i suppose. Either way, it was definitely a fun break though a definite logistical nightmare. I can't wait for our next time.

Trail Ridge.

Day 45 - July 18, 10:00pm
71 miles. Estes Park, CO to Granby, CO

Crazy day. No. EPIC DAY! Most likely because we spent 20 miles climbing non stop uphill along the highest paved road in America to 12,183 feet. Again, like yesterday it really wasn't super horrible. While the roads were never ending, they weren't that steep. The biggest issue was the thinner air. Have never had to pant that hard for anything. Even when running towards food.

The day started out kind of frantic as the new brakes i put on the night before were rubbing my tire, but i worked it out and then did an awesome shakedown warm up with the group that i headed out with. Changing 2,000 mile old brakes the day before an 11 mile descent = best idea ever!

Of course the scenery today was out of control. Just so much wild beauty and soaring mountains. Seeing the snow peaks took it to a whole other level. Even got to see these great Elk just chilling on the side of the road. Of course there was a massive slowdown of cars as literally everyone and their mother stopped to take a picture, or mostly fumble with their camera trying to do so.


We stopped only about a million times at each lookout point. They only kept getting better. At one i got to drape myself in a fox pelt and mount antlers on my handlebars!(i've been joking about doing the latter for like a week now and it actually happened!) Why that was so much fun i haven't really figured out yet. I vowed to never go hungry today and was eating at just about every stop. The climb was really pumping my metabolism. You know how food normally does that thing where it stays in your stomach for a while and fills you up? Well to understand how long it lasted in my stomach today imagine throwing paper into a fire. Yea, thats what was going on.

The many other cyclists climbing was encouraging. What wasn't so encouraging was the fact that they were all mostly twice our age which we noticed as each one of them passed us at twice our speed. In response to how often one 50ish cyclist did the Trail Ridge route, he responded, "Oh every morning"

Finding a patch of snow was awesome, especially as i sped up ahead to try and pelt those behind me. Unfortunately my accuracy failed and i had to suffer the consequences of a well aimed retalliation.

We got to the highest point in the road(12,183 feet) and interrupted traffic for a good 15 minutes as we took pics nonstop. Oh man, raising my bike over my head and screaming at the snow capped mountains in the distance was like injecting myself with pure adrenaline. The surge of life and accomplishment at that moment is one of those things you never ever forget.

We checked out the visitors center a little ways down and i picked up my first pin of the trip saying Trail Ridge. I really plan on wearing my Camelbak everywhere after this so it'll be cool to have it there. It kind of made me wish i had been more actively collecting more pins along the way thus far, but on the other hand if i hadn't felt compelled at that time, then it probably wasn't that that special. Trail Ridge is definitely a story that deserves to be told. Will definitely keep my eye out for more cool pins now that ive gotten started.

But even cooler was the local Harley Davidson club we came across posing for a group picture. After taking a picture for them, they invited us to pose with them! I was so stoked. All i"ve wanted to do this entire trip is hang out with other "bikers" for the sole purpose of how happy the really corny play on words would make me. They chatted us up afterwards and we're super nice and friendly. It just amazed me how loyal they all were to this company, or lifestyle really. So much fabulous leather... I actually couldn't stop staring at the awesome patches and pins some guys had on their jackets. It pretty much inspired my own acquisition of the trail ridge pin. While I've always thought motorcycles were cool, but ruled them out for being way too dangerous, I've gotta admit that the thought of roaring on a highway in a chopper does make me smile a little.

We super bundled up for the 11 mile descent which was great. Right before going down all the adrenaline of the climb had left me from chilling out so long and i was probably the most exhausted i've ever been while still being awake. But the 5,000 feet down definitely woke me up. At the bottom it was so hot and we immediately delayered. The temperature change was just so wild. Also got to see the Continental Divide marker which was pretty cool as well as a Mama and baby moose on the way back. The Audi party of 10 cars rolling in a row was pretty amusing also.

Getting to the host can always be tough since we're so ready to be done but there's usually a little climb which is annoying. Well I would've rather gone back up the Rockies than climb this ridiculous hill leading to our host today. It just kept going and going and was way steeper than anything we had done. Having just gone over 12,000 feet and complaining about a hill was a little funny but not in the moment. We're staying in a sweet cottage courtesy of Noah's friend Mika. And his parents brought Indian food which was delicious. Tomorrow we're camping! Apparently we're in three 8 person tents, which means fun!

All in all today was an amazing day of accomplishment and bonding for us. No road we will ever travel on in the US will ever be as high as what we did today. Seriously, after summitting 12,000 feet and crossing the country what is there left for us to do? Everyone's really proud of each other and of themselves and you can feel the confidence oozing out of our pores(along with massive amounts of dirt and grime and sunscreen). I would've never have done anything this crazy of my own will and now I have. I'm just really thankful for this huge opportunity of the trip in general to have pushed myself far beyond anywhere i would have normally gone.

O Two, Where art thou?

Day 44 - July 17, 7:58pm
40 miles. Fort Collins, CO to Estes Park, CO

If youve never been up close in the rockies, then you're missing out on a whole other world of beauty. Riding through today through the lakes and vallies and cliffs and rivers and peaks was totally mindblowing. Dan M and I could barely ride straight because we were too busy looking up at all of the soaring mountains. I've been around the appalachians plenty but this was seriously something else.

There were tons of cyclists out which was really awesome to see. You could tell that the cars were all really used to and considerate of cyclists as well. In a way though I'll admit that i may feel a tad bit less special in these parts(but not really) since we're so used to being the only cyclists in our previous towns and now there are a ton of them.

I found out today the gasping way that contrary to my dismissal of it, a lack of oxygen in the atmosphere really does affect your ability to exercise. Who woulda thought. Yea, lets just say that people were panting a bit harder than normal today but nothing too crazy. Just in case biking 4,000 miles won't put us in enough shape, some high altitude training can't hurt I guess. Can't wait to see what the next 5,000 feet up feels like.

The day really wasn't all that bad. There were definitely some struggles with the oxygen factor at points but with only 40 miles and no crazy climbs we all pulled through pretty well and mostly got in early. Totally not what i was expecting. We did get to see snow caps in the distance and got to an elevation of 7,500, meaning we climbed about 2,500. Dan and i found a sweet river to wade into in which we decided to one up the nearby fisherman by posing for our one handed fish grabbing pictures. Would've stayed in longer if the ice river hadn't made my feet go numb.

Unfortunately i did get super hungry when we pulled into the host. We got a burger in town but even then, with the tiredness and oxygen depravation kicking in, I was just totally out of it. I realized that once i get past a certain point of hunger, not even eating will get me out of the miserable rut that i get in. I really felt like crap and just wanted to curl up in a ball in a corner somewhere. We've all had our moments of crashing and its just part of a crazy adventure like this. I hate knowing that no matter what i can't be my cheery self because my body is just so imbalanced. I feel way better now though and really just need to get some solid sleep in. Hopefully i can really minimize those future occurrences though.

A definite highlight was coming across this huge ark called Estes Ark. This structure was literally a biblical ark that contained every species of stuffed animal ever. It was crazy! Flamingoes, penguins, llamas, you name it they had it. The lady in charge had been doing it with her husband for 25 years total, with this store being only 15 years old and she was really cheery. To think that a career could be spent selling stuffed animals. She at least was clearly loving it. It was one of stores that you know you'll never forget even if you tried.

The actual town of Estes Park was pretty large since it seems to be the central point for heading to all of the surrounding peak. We rolled through the main street which was hugely bustling. the sidewalks were bursting with tourists. Unfortunately it all just seemed so crass to me. There was no real town, just fast food chains and 7,000 different t shirt shops selling silly unfashionable memorabilia. Disgusting was actually the first word that came to mind but maybe thats a little strong. I dono, after all of the quiet communities and fun, flavorful cities we've been passing through this blatant commercial tourist trap just totally turned me off.

We're staying at this awesome alternative high school called Eagle Rock. Its literally in total isolation on a mountain which my quads didn't' quite appreciate. But its basically a boarding school for inner city youth totally funded by the Honda Corporation so tuition is free. Whoa! Its so cool and i totally dig it. Their focus is on really developing these kids as humans and individuals which is something that our black and white education system does not necessarily excel at. We got to eat dinner with the kids and they were really cool. Actually the first time i think we've hung out with so many people near our age. Had this awesome conversation with Melissa about "Threadless" t shirts which we are both obsessed with. You must remember, only second to food, purchasing t shirts is undeniably my major downfall. It was funny since we both saw that we were wearing one and immediately screamed in delight. We were literally trading names of our favorite shirt titles. It was pretty nerdy but totally cool to meet another hardcore fan like that.

Tomorrow we're climbing about 5,000 to Trail Ridge, the highest altitude road in America. It will no doubt be intense. So weird how we'll go from sweating in the morning to being totally layered up in the afternoon. Myself and a few others have probably been waiting for this one day the entire trip thus far. Its just one of those things that you know will be unbelievable but still somehow blows your mind. Yea, can't wait for the magic.

Bluegrass and Banjos!

Day 43 - July 16, 11:35pm
Build Day. Fort Collins, CO

Today we got to sleep in. 6:30 vs 6. We'll take it. Larry and I took the liberty of setting up a sweet flying V table formation in the dining area. Not the most apparent to all but appreciated by those cognizant few.

Headed to the build site which was in a pretty nice community. The house was basically up and actually set to unveil in 2 weeks so we were just finishing up. Not the most work for 32 people, but a healthy amount of roofing, landscaping, painting, and electrical work kept us moving. As for Steven and I, our task lay beyond the reach of mere volunteers. As we descended the ladder into the dark cramped abyss of the "crawl space" our initial enthusiasm became harder to muster. A crawl space is basically a basement but with only 4 or so feet of clearance and not meant to be lived in. For some reason, Steven and I, two of the tallest on the trip, thought it would be fun to hang out here all day. I mean i think the Czar's prisoms might have been less small.

We replaced the old wooden central support with a metal one and then sweeped the entire area clean. By replacing the support, we really mean we let Larry the guy in charge handle it, which given that it held up the house basically probably made sense. What didn't make so much sense was me immediately grabbing the drill bit of our impact drill to compare it to another just as it had finished cutting through concrete at like 7,000 rpm. Live and learn i guess, or more appropriately live and burn. It was nothing serious fortunately, but definitely not the funnest to touch scalding metal. Its definitely not as fun when we don't get to see the visible progress that comes with doing exterior framing, but satisfying nonetheless.

Back at St. Pauls, preparations were underway for our spectacular benefit concert. There were a decent number of people, a great stage and lawn, and proceeds all going to the local Habitat and us. There were a whole slew of bluegrass performers that Noah had all coordinated which was great. Just chilling on the grass with everyone and hearing that sweet soulful music was so centering. Things got a little wild(read: dancing time) when this amazing family bluegrass band called The Hartmans started playing some amazing stuff. The oldest of the five was just entering college!

Also gave our last presentation to the crowd with the Snuggle chore group. Definitely squeezed out some good laughs with a joke i had been saving up for a while. Even got to meet Julie's dad who is just super endearing. Love Love Love it when i get to meet people's parents.

Also, MAIL DROP TODAY! Love You Ava!!! Love You Mom, Dad, Theia Gina!

The 3 hour concert was so great and way better than anyone expected. Super props to Noah, whose whole family was out to celebrate which was sweet. it was really a great way to just mentally and physically unwind for the challenge ahead of us, that is, the climbing 3,000 feet in 49 miles challenge.

I know tomorrow is going to be horrible physically but im so pumped. So long as i wake up actually ready and knowing im going to have the hell beaten out of me by that ascent its all good. Again, the physical aspect of cycling is intense. It's wierd, I mean im really looking forward to being so miserable at times omorrow because i know its going to be just so utterly surreal and ridiculous how much we have to climb that it'll probably be hilarious. Not to mention salivating at the sense of accomplishment waiting for us at the top. Man, those mountains are going down.

See you at 8,000!