Flat Day

Day 51 - July 25, 1 day late
80 miles. Naturita, CO to Moab, UT

What a day. First of all, seriously, what is it with every single building we sleep in needing obnoxious amounts of air conditioning 24/7. I understand its summer and all but can't it at least be a little lower, and its not always super hot. I feel if there weren't air conditioning i might just complain about the excessive heat instead but i still just find this air condititioning ridiculous sometimes, especially since i dislike sleeping in it so much and always choose heat over cold. I really thought the goal was to just temper the outside climate, not create a whole arctic ecosystem in your building.

Despite the lack of honey buns in my pack, the day started very well. We rolled along this crazy straight, rolling road that was mostly downhill for about 25 miles. It was in the middle of the red rock desert and huge cliffs surrounded us on either side. Gotta love canyons. Even better was the fact that we were riding through "Paradox Valley". Larry and I tried to think of some kind of tangible paradox pose for the picture with the sign but realized none really exist(Get it!).

Towards the end of our climb right before lunch i popped the first of what would be an epic day of flats. Jenny showed me how to use one of the superglue patch kits, which was great since its always cool to learn a new skill. Number 1. From there on it all went downhill (Downhill, Get it!, both literally and metaphorically!). Coming down the sweet descent Emily got her first flat of the trip(What?) which was quite removed from my most recent eighth. I chilled out while she changed it, and when we were ready to head out i got on my bike only to realize that the tire i just fixed had deflated. Was I mildly pissed at not having fixed it at the same time Emily was doing hers? YES. Number 2.

By the time we rolled into lunch i was too exhausted and demoralized to even bother making an effort to eat. It hasn't been the first time and i had to actually just force what little food we had down my throat for the sake of absorbing calories. OH and in case your wondering, yes it was once again peanut butter.

So then guess what happened when i got back on my bike ready to leave lunch. Number 3. And guess who had a tire they had just fixed pop and deflate as they held it in their hands ready to put it back on the bike. Number 4. By now i had realized that my back tire couldnt stay on a second longer so i replaced it with one lying in the van. The only problem was that the pile i was looking was full of discarded tires, meaning they had problems with them. Fortunately i managed to find one in decent shape and got myself going. By now though i had 6 broken tubes lying around me which I knotted onto my camelbak for maximum hobo effect apparently. This last ordeal all happened at the Utah border, so my picture there was not exactly my best.

All of this tire changing had eaten at least 2 hours and Sweep(the last 2 riders) had been chilling with me and Emily. It was decently late and we still had 40 miles to go and the sun was at skin melting status. All we could do was truck on through the remaining climbs, and slowly but surely we kept going. And going. And going. Once again, I emphasize the slowly part.

Staying positive was definitely a challenge, as once again cycling is an extremely mental sport. Towards the last 20 miles we finally hit the downhills we had been waiting for and they were some of the best yet. There was this one amazing one i can never forget where these massive red rocks just emerged from over the crest of the hill and were beyond glorious. Its also been a while since i hit 40+mph which was great. We ended up pulling in at 7pm which was late, but after a certain level of struggle, getting vanned is just mentally crushing and basically erases all of your effort for the day and we couldn't let that happen.

Moab is in a crazy canyon surrounded by these unbelievable crazy jutting red rocks everywhere. It basically makes me think of Mars is how i can best describe it. I can't even compare it to the Rockies because its a whole other type of beautiful.

Today our group contest was to find the most interesting thing on the side of the road. Hopefully nobody will miss their black latex glove they left on the side of the road... (though it ended up losing to a license plate Jenny and Larry found that was a US Govt plate)

On a more unfortunate note, today Miranda took a bigger spill on the road early in the day on a downhill. I remember seeing an ambulance blaze by us while we were riding on this desolate plain thinking "Oh man, whoever that is for isn't getting help for a while" Well imagine my horror when i found out that it had been heading back to get Miranda. She had gotten a concussion and broken her collarbone. It was pretty scary since she had initially had some trouble remembering some people's names which i think is really petrifying. She was taken to the hospital in Moab and is in very stable condition. She'll be just fine and will recover fully but her riding for this trip is definitely over.

Its really weird to write about this and acknowledge that something this bad could really happen. Of course it could be much worse but it isnt thankfully. Its just that Miranda has probably been the most improved cyclist out of all of us and for her amazing trip to get cut short like this just doesn't jive well with me. Its times like these that i really like to think that everything happens for an ultimately good reason. And i really hope that it can become clear to us, Miranda, and her family as soon as possible.

Our second day off is tomorrow, and it should definitely be a "rush" to get some time to ourselves...

Calories. Lots of Calories.

Day 50 - July 23, 9:21pm
86 miles. Montrose, CO to Naturita, CO

There are some days where you just reach your limit. Today as i stood in the kitchen i decided that i would rather go hungry than eat more peanut butter for breakfast. Not that there were even any bagels or bread left. 10 minutes later i was eating a paltry bowl of cereal. With peanut butter.

Lately, we haven't been having the most luck with breakfasts being donated unfortunately. Probably due to the early wakeups i would guess. That by itself would be bearable, but not when there are only 2 towns, if that, on 86 miles of desert highway. And even given the availability of places, its really expensive to support the crazy appetites we have out of our pockets on a consistent basis. I guess what im getting at is that I've gained a whole new level of appreciation for our hosts who provide us with meals, because without them, and without breakfast especially, the day really starts off to a bad tone. What a surprise, once again im talking about my problem with hunger...

Well today a good number of us needed a real breakfast no matter what so we stopped at this diner on the way out of Montrose, or should i say Cafe 110. We spent a good hour there(so much for 5am wakeup) eating these pretty good omelette burritos. Being my hungry self, i jokingly asked the waitress to stuff as many eggs in as she could. It was only after i had completely cleared my plate did i see a weird charge on my bill. I asked the waitress Michelle how explained that yes, "thats for the three extra eggs" Yes. Extra. Three EXTRA eggs. Without realizing it had just consumed a 5-6 egg burrito. Wow.

The riding was okay but my legs still felt like bricks. Its just such a miserable feeling to be pedaling as hard as you can and to barely be moving, and on top of that to have muscle soreness in those quads with each stroke. I really hope some good stretching and our days off will give the legs a chance to recover.

Just as we were approaching the bottom of our first climb, i got into a little spill when my wheel slid off the shoulder. It was just a minor elbow scrape but all of a sudden i became furious. I've been pretty cranky sometimes on this trip but never legitimately angry the way I was then. It just sucks because almost every single fall I've had has been because of that stupid transition between the raised asphalt and the ground. You would think I'd have learned by now to just go off the road instead of try and recover and end up falling. What made me angrier was that it happened because i could barely pedal and was really slow and wobbly as a result. I was just so sick at that moment of not having cycling work for me. I shouldn't have to kill myself to barely move 10 mph on flat ground. It just drove me mad. Also, I was just pissed at being "that dude" whose always falling.

Ironically enough, all of the adrenaline from the fall let me pedal really hard. I channeled that combined with my rage and totally flew up our first 5 mile climb. I can't even remember the last time i was that angry, but it definitely fueled me up that hill.

What also fueled me up the hill was a snack i bought at a gas station beforehand. It seemed like your typical Iced Honey Bun, but this was no normal snack. I would ask that you try and guess how many calories were in this one pastry. Really, just throw something out there. OK. Now multiply that by two and you'll still be short because this one honey bun packed 674 calories. WHAT! Is that even legal? Not 675, 674. Carlie and I cracked up laughing in the store when we read it. Oh and if you're curious, 354 of those calories were from fat. As expected, it gladly disappeared half way up the hill. Its tough because on the one hand you really do need some sugary fatty junk food to sustain such intense exercise. But on the other, 72 days of that diet really doesn't sit too well with my arteries.

After the summit we enjoyed a solid 20 miles of downhill. It wasn't awesome like the other ones since it was gentle enough that we still had to peddle, but still good. The canyon we were riding through was gorgeous with all of the exposed red mountainsides everywhere and the river alongside us. The desert is definitely becoming more of a reality.

We continued until 2 solid miles of an 8% grade climb(meaning up 8 feet for every 100 feet). 8% is steep. 10% is uncomfortable. 12% is really bad. Anything more is insanity. Along with Carlie calling me a mountain goat for climbing it so fast, i realized that i really enjoy climbing hills the most and am pretty good at it. I alluded to it a few posts ago but definitely confirmed it today. I guess i just really like the concept of having this crazy finite challenge staring you in the face versus indefinite normal pedaling. Knowing that you'll always have a downhill and an awesome view at the top are definitely driving factors as well.

Had really great riding for the next 30 miles on a gentle downhill through really amazing fields and prairies with lots of cattle and horses. Alas, my equine brethren do not yet heed my calls to solidarity. As a consolation though, we did get this lovely herd of goats running alongside us today which quite possibly made me the happiest person in the world for that moment.

Had an awesome strawberry-vanilla milkshake in town(all 3 blocks of it) and now need to clean my shorts since our group alone makes up 5% of Naturita's population. Moab is tomorrow which is great. What isn't so great is the 86 miles of uphill we need to travel to get to it. Either way, its just one more day and then a build day and a day off, meaning 2 whole days of no riding! Its really ironic how sometimes the only way I can motivate myself to cycle is by thinking of how much Im looking forward to not cycling. Its also funny how we're ending the cycling on friday and have the whole weekend off. In otherwords, cycling nonstop has literally become our job. Except that instead of 9-5 its really 5-11, a little more demanding.

Oh and forgot to mention that i found this awesome white vertebrae on the side of the road yesterday while waiting for the van. It's odd how i found just one, though I'd rather not uncover an entire carcass if i can help it. Anyway its making an awesome centerpiece for my handlebars right now, especially since the bull skull and elk antlers don't look like they're gonna come through. Now if only i could find some leather handlebar tassles...

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.