Day 29 ~ July 31st Denver to Fort Morgan to Chatham, Ontario

First off I should say that I’m humbled by your prayers and concerns for me. They have reduced me to tears. The reality of my situation has hit home, the drugs are wearing off and I’m finding it hard to accept that the biking part of the tour may be over for me. So were to go from here? I think I’ll take you back to Day 29.

Day 29 Denver to Fort Morgan 143km Uphill 2113 ft Downhill 3135 ft

No tent to pack up this morning, instead Ralph drove Pete & Lynda, Bert Steenbergen and I to the Denver Christian HS. While I packed my lunch, ‘we’ pumped up my bike tires and made sure everything was set to go. I admit to having a few tears in my eyes when I said goodbye to Ralph and Lynda. It’s been such a relaxing weekend and knowing the way the last 4 weeks have flown by, the 3 weeks to Grand Rapids will go by quickly.

Barb was distracted this morning. It took her around 5 minutes to find her bike helmet (located it on the hood of a pick up truck); she is also saying good bye to Brian but will see him in around 2 weeks.

Today Joel Schreus, one of the pastors of Denver CRC is riding tandem with Barb. He knows his way around the bike paths that we are taking so John has the day off from map reading (maybe we’ll get in the exact mileage today!) It’s going to be a sweet week…downhill all the way. Walter’s SAG was the first for the day. We filled up our water bottles, chatted and we’re on our way. Around 60km we stopped for our second breakfast and coffee. I was recalling the weekend and mentioned that this was the first Sunday that I struggled to listen to the sermon. Barb is across the table from me, doing something funny with her eyes, when it clicks it…..Joel is a pastor, Joel is a pastor from one of the Denver CRC, Joel probably had something to do with the planning of this service, Cynthia needs to do some major back peddling! I quickly blamed it on the heat of the day and again reinstated that the Denver community had done a bang up job from the stamped postcards, to the baked cookies, to the free haircuts etc. Pastor Joel graciously smiled at me, but I think inside his heart he was saying a prayer of help for me.

Back to the road. We were clicking along at a good speed (around 27-28kms or hour) today. When we got back onto the interstate we encountered a head wind so I tucked in behind Gerry’s back wheel (on the right side) to find a reprieve from the wind. I don’t recall anyone calling out ‘debris’ and this is probably because the wind sucked the words away. I know that when I saw the large black rectangle object in front of my tire I had no choice but to ride over it. I hoped in my heart of hearts that it was a ‘take out’ food container that would crush when I rode over top of it, but such was not the case. I remember trying to control the swaying of my bike and then the thought that I would be taking it to the ditch. After that I remember telling Barb she did not need to call 911. I can still see the face of Sara, the first ‘angel’ on the scene. The accident itself is a blur. You can catch the details on Barb Mellema’s blog dated July 28th and 29th.

The staff at the hospital said the waiting room looked like part of the ‘Tour de France’ Alida, one of the on staff nurses for Sea to Sea stayed with me initially but then she was called away because another cyclists had fallen and broken a rib. Barb came into the emergency room and was there when the doctor confirmed that I had indeed broken my pelvis bone. It seemed surreal because I wasn’t in a lot of physical pain. I’m not sure who took the news harder, my fellow ‘pace line’ cyclists or me. On a lighter note, when the ‘guys’ did make it into the room (one at a time because those are the emergency room rules) I was able to inform them that the brain scan showed ‘normal’ activity, contrary to their opinion. If you do (or have) read Barb’s blog I will say in my defense that morphine is a powerful drug and applying humor in this situation was the only way for me to face the brutal reality that the cycling part of the tour was over for me. I will remember always the struggle of emotions for Pete, Louie, Barb, John, Andy and Gerry as they came into the emergency room and expressed in spoken and unspoken word their concern and as they shared my grief and disappointment with me. The prayers shared were a testimony of the close friendship that has bonded us together in these last 4 weeks.

When I was finally moved into a private room (I needed to stay overnight because of the concussion) Len Riemersma, our Head Chaplin paid me a visit and was present when Paul & Teresa came in. Because of the morphine and my emotional state we decided it was in my best interest to limit visitors. When the orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Keller came in he gave me the good news that the break was clean, not dislocated and that it would take 3 to 4 weeks to heal. He mentioned that since I did not require surgery he would discharge me as soon as I felt strong enough to fly home. Erinn Swett, our GR go between and organizer of all the little details was flying back to GR on a direct flight Tuesday evening. It was decided that if I could cycle up 6 passes I could muster up enough strength (or drugs) to make it on a 2 ½ hr flight. Barb was able to secure a ticket and the hospital was generous enough to allow me to stay in the room till Erinn picked me up. There are too many ‘God moments’ to share with you. Barb has mentioned several on her blog. The staff at Fort Morgan was so accommodating; allowing Barb in past regular visiting hours and taking such good care of me. At 6:30 a.m. Tuesday morning I heard the familiar tapping of bike shoes on a hard surface. First Paul & Teresa and shortly afterwards the guys and Barb came to say good bye before they headed off for their 138km day. John is on sweep (I was supposed to be with him) so both John and Andy Heimstra stopped in before they left. Bert, with his famous Colorado t-shirt (I wonder what t-shirt he will buy in Nebraska?) also stopped in as well as Ed and Jen. I’ve probably missed a few people (that’s where the drug line comes in handy).

Erinn drove the hour to Denver to switch her rental Mustang for a mini van for my convenience and comfort level. The Denver airport was very accommodating. My wheel chair driver was very much into speed. Poor Erinn was going at a race walk pace trying to keep up in her heeled strappy sandals. Several times we suggested that he slow down, but he assured us that he had been doing this job for 9 years and all was well. I should mention that he was slightly mentally challenged. He was very proud to be escorting me throughout this large airport. On a side note, Al Vander Hart, Development Manager for Sea to Sea had made arrangements for both Ralph & I to stay at his place overnight since our flight landed at 11:30pm. His wonderful wife, Jen drove us to their home, while Al drove Erinn to her destination. I’m pretty certain my head hit the pillow within 10 minutes of being in their home. The next morning Jen had left for work and Al had a breakfast meeting that would occupy him till 9 a.m. so after my shower we had breakfast and then we got up to leave. Ralph almost collided with Al as he came into the kitchen and this is one of those ‘God moments’. We had been prepared to leave but when Al came in along with his guest, Bill Wigboldy (Midwest Regional Director of Children’s Hunger Fund) we shared another cup of coffee and had a wonderful 1 ½ hours of laughter and encouragement. After a shared prayer, Ralph and I left with a renewed, enlighten spirit. Throughout this difficult transition I have been provided with the right people at the right time. God is good.

My family poured out of the house when we arrived home, quick to help. A meal had been lovely prepared by a friend and others have volunteered to also help in this regard.

To my fellow cyclists: I will continue to pray and follow your process thru the blogs. I regret not saying good bye but my prayer is that I will heal quickly and be able to rejoin the tour. The friendships and acts of kindness that I’ve seen demonstrated in the tour both encourage me and humble me. I feel privileged to have belonged to such a group and regret the time that I will not be able to share with you.

To the faithful readers of my blog: My blog has been an extention of who I am. Grammer, sentence structure, spelling are not my forte. In real life, I usually leap before I measure the distance. I try out new recipes for company. I believe it’s easier to seek forgiveness, then it is to get permission. But slowly I’m trying to be more aware of my surroundings. Life does not need to revolve around me, instead I look to the youth, my adult children, my husband, and my extended church family as mentors and I strive to be a better person; a more compassionate individual. I’m humbled by your emails and undeserving of your patronage. Below is a photo my husband took of me on Wednesday evening, just to let you know that I’m really not in that bad of shape. P.S. I had an appointment with my family doctor today and received some good news. My road rash is 90% healed and when I asked about my limits, he replied, that I could basically do whatever my body allows me to. I do have some water on the knee (still waiting for confirmation from the x-rays that this is indeed what it is), but by all accounts, if I can handle the bike saddle I could be back on the tour within 3 or 4 weeks. I ask for your prayers for the cyclists, the support and SAG drivers. Also pray that if possible I will be allowed to rejoin the tour so that I can continue the task set before me.

Sincerely, Cynthia

Sunday, July 27th

Happy birthday, Janessa! Today, our oldest daughter celebrates her 26th birthday. We were able to connect on Skype early this morning and wish her all the best. I do wonder how I can have a daughter this old when I’m like only ____.

Worship Celebration

Today’s service was formed around the biblical theme Creation –Fall-Redemption-Renewal. It was the goal of the organizers of this service that the Spirit of God stir in us all a renewed hope and action in the name of the Jesus.

All the cyclists started out at Denver Christian high and biked the 2 miles to the outdoor stadium where we were joined by members of the Reformed and Christian Reformed Churches of Colorado. At the beginning of the service we got on our bikes and circled the track to our theme song, Do Something Beautiful. We received a really, really warm welcome, literally (94F!). The metal bleachers did nothing to cool off our bottoms, and the caps on our head weren’t helping, so Ralph and I sought shelter under one of the Ministry Fair tents. We could still hear the message that was delivered by Rev. Jerry Dykstra, Executive Director of the Christian Reformed Church of North America. Communion was served by 10 ministers representing the CRC, RCA, including our very own Sea to Sea Chaplin, Rev. Len Riemersma. After the service we were treated to Sloppy Joes, assorted chips, watermelon and water to filled our empty stomachs before we departed. These churches are also providing supper at the camp this evening. Thank you Denver for your warm welcome and for looking after all of our needs. It was very much appreciated.

Ralph and I enjoyed a leisurely afternoon. There was even a laundry facility on our floor, so everything is clean and I’m ready for the week ahead.

This evening Pete & Lynda, Bert & Ann joined us for a supper. We had a good time sharing our experiences of the trip. It’s been another great weekend. It will be sad to bid Ralph good bye, but hopefully the next 3 weeks will fly by as fast as the last 4 have. I wish I had a funny story to tell, but tis late and nothing comes to mind. Oh, during dinner they figured out that I probably had to start my sweep duties tonight, I hope not because then I would have skipped out (again…not good). It also means that tomorrow I need to be at camp by 5:30 a.m. to set up and serve breakfast and then sweep during the day. It could be a long 140km tomorrow .

P.S. When we were shaking hand during the opening of the worship service I mentioned that I was from Chatham, On and this guy overhead me so he came to see who was talking. Ralph knew him. So, Bill and Ann VandenBoogaart your son, Roger say, Hi!

Till later, Cynthia

Day 25 Winter Park to Denver 140km Uphill 4527 ft Downhill 7811 ft

First off I would like to back track and write about last evening. Remember Barb talked me into attending the Peloton last evening…while it was kinda like going to church when you don’t want to. Maybe you go out of tradition or maybe you go because you’re afraid you’re parents will find out you skipped out…so you go. And then a marvelous thing happens. You’re blessed. Though unworthy of this blessing because of the attitude you went with, you’re still blessed. God is gracious and good.

I’m so glad I went last evening. The YMCA Ranch that we are staying at was a physical and spiritual interlude. We could sit in the lounge on their leather couches and blog or email to our hearts content. It was a much needed rest in a busy week, but back to the Peloton. The YMCA Chaplin delivered an encouraging message. He talked about his years in the mission field and then expressed admiration for what we are doing. Then the 15 cyclists that are leaving us in Denver came to the front and another person stood beside each of these cyclists (so a total of 30 people were speaking). Each departing cyclists said a few words and then the other person also said something. It was emotional and it provided me with insight into some of the cyclists that I had not biked with. We had communion and closed the evening in prayer. This entire service has strengthen and made our group closer. We are a community. It will be sad to see the 15 cyclists leave but we welcome the 15 (or more) that are joining us.

Now for today’s events. The morning started off cool…52F. I declined the leg warmers figuring that we would be climbing shortly. Wrong! We did not stay in Winter Park yesterday, in fact we were at least 10km short of Winter Park, so the climb didn’t start till almost a good hour after we had started peddling. John’s nephew, James is cycling with us today. He lives in Denver and knows the route. Someone commented that we should name this tour…’The John Vandersteen’s relatives tour, because we keep bumping into John’s extended family!’) Back to the route….It was decided early on that we would each ride alone and meet at the summit. I caught up with everyone in Winter Park, another tourists town. We left this town together, but quickly got separated on the first incline. Last evening the talk at supper was about how tough this climb was going to be….switchbacks and all. Several cyclists were so freaked out that they took a SAG ride to the summit. Seriously folks, it wasn’t that bad. I rather enjoyed the climb. At one point up to the summit I thought to myself, ‘boy this relatively easy, either a lot of people are praying for me today, or I’ve just gotten stronger as a cyclist.’ On the altitude chart the summit is around 15 miles of climbing, I think it was less. Several younger lads passed me on the way up. As they would pass me they would say and encouraging word. When I reached the summit I was high fived and congratulated. Elevation at Barthoud Pass is roughly around 11,200 ft. They are doing some construction at the summit, so they had taken down the elevation sign. We opted for a photo with the mountains in the background.

Andy, Louie, myself, Gerry, John and Barb (James was the photographer

and Pete stppped to take photos, so he is still climbing)

Just a quick note. I'm thankful that the elevation has not affected me. We do have several people that are walking a tad unstable this morning. Teresa Hoekstra has not been able to ride the last two days, in fact she is just a struggling to breathe. I know she'll breath a hugh sigh of relief when she can talk and carry on with her regular activities as we start to descend to a lower alititude.

It was a fast 13 miles to the bottom. I hit my top speed of the trip….73.1km. Very, very sweet. We had decided that we would meet in the little town of Empire (the bottom of the climb) for coffee. How exhilarating to see all the cyclists pour into this coffee shop. Everyone was pumped from the descent.

Pay close attention to the posted sign, 'No Bicycles or Skateboards on Sidewalk'

James led the rest of the way into Denver. Andy asked me how I enjoyed the climb to Barthoud Pass. I told him that since this would be our last pass of the entire tour I wanted it to be tough. I wanted to cry with frustration; instead it was slow going, but extremely doable. So later in the ride when we came upon a 8% climb for 2 miles, Andy said to me when we were panting at the top, ‘are you happy now?’ Be careful what you wish for! The rest of the day was fast paced and mainly downhill. We cycled thru a winding Bear Creek canyon.

John wanted us to stop for an ice-cream 20 km from the end, but Barb, and I wanted to get in early because our husbands have come for the weekend. So we comprised and decided to meet at the RCA church in Denver that was serving us refreshments…only 6 miles from the end of our day. Pete caught up with us at this stop. We didn’t stay long, but a sincere thank you for the warm welcome and refreshments that the RCA church put out for us.

A warm welcome from the RCA church members

Denver Christian School here we come. Although James said we had no more climbing (he lied) we still made it to the school in record time. 143.6km later, average speed of 23.1 and total bike time of 6:11:50.

Music was playing as we biked in the parking lot. Cheerleader from the school quickly handed out cold bottles of water. Home made cookies, goodie bags, free hair cuts, Colorado postcards with postage attached ready for us to use were just a few of the perks this community had ready for us. And best of all, Ralph was waiting for me. Ralph and I

I’m not sure who suggestion it but our regular pace line plus our spouses choose a quiet corner and we held hand and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for the many gifts that God has provided us with during the 1st leg of this journey. We also remembered Tyler Buitenwerf who broke this collarbone in two places earlier today and he will need to go home and have surgery within 3 days. It is the end of the journey for Tyler. We also remembered Elizabeth W who was paralyzed one year ago today in a training ride for the 2005 tour. We are all at the mercy of the drivers on the road, and both of these people remind us how fragile and how quickly life can change.

Next step was gathering what I needed to take with me to the hotel, no camping for me tonight, instead I’m slummin’ it at an Embassy Suites. Ralph flew in with Lynda Vannoord (Pete’s wife) and Ann S (Bert’s wife). What a luxury. We’ve shared a leisurely meal with Pete & Lynda and now it’s time to settle in my King size bed (a far cry from my little tent with my luxury edition 3inch sleeping pad!). Tomorrow we need to be the school by 9 a.m. for a 2 mile bike ride to the celebration service. I’m looking forward to this service. Now what to do with the 4 pillows that are stretched out on this massive bed!

Good night all, Cynthia

Day 26 Kremmling to Winter Park 54.7km Uphill 2540 ft Downhill 1085 ft

Yes! During Peloton last evening Ed announced that since it was going to be short day we would start breakfast ½ an hour later, so that translates to sleeping in ½ an hour longer than usual. I loved it!

Today’s ride was very easy. We were traveling uphill, but I hardly noticed. We are cycling very slowly today, an average speed of 20.2km. We traveled 57.7km Actual time on the bike 2:51:07

It’s been an uneventful day. The ride was beautiful. It almost took my breath away when we rode thru Byer’s Canyon. Huge rock formation on either side. I was a tad worried when I read the sign, ‘Careful falling rock the next 2 miles’. A photographer from the local paper took a photo of our pace line as we rode by. He also mentioned a great coffee shop to stop in at Granby.

Walter was waiting for us at a water reservoir. He had picked a beautiful spot; washrooms, picnic tables and the view…….way to go Walter!
Next stop was Granby. We passed out some cards to the other people at this java place and even received a cash donation. From this point we had around 15km to go. I’m doing most of my climbing in my granny gear. My knees are feeling the effect of all the climbing (but I’m not complaining), instead I just took it easy today because tomorrow we have a long climb and I want to be in the best shape to handle the long climb. You know you've bike to much when you turn into this!

When we pulled into the Snow Mountain Ranch it became apparent that the area we were to camp was very rocky. No level ground. Barb and I looked at each other and quickly booked the last room in the lodge that is close to our campsite. I’ve spent some time cleaning my bike so it will be in tip top shape for the entry into Denver. As I type this up it is raining. I’m fearful of going down to the camp to eat my supper because I’m in luxury tonight and the rest of the campers will be damp and cold tonight. We’d take someone else in our room, but the rooms are not big enough to accommodate more than two. Anyways, I’d best get some food in me, I’ll need it tomorrow. So it’s time to face the music.

Suppers over, no ill vibes from anyone, could be because it’s stopped raining! I mentioned to Barb that I was thinking of skipping Peloton tonight because it will be lengthy. Around 15 cyclists are leaving in Denver and tonight they’ve asked 15 people to say a kind word about each of these cyclist and then each of the departing cyclists get to say something and then we still have communion. I just want to get into my warm bed and sleep. Barb told me that she is serving communion and if I don’t go then tomorrow justice will be served….like John could be at the top of the summit and I could be at the bottom with a flat (and I don’t know how to change one). It looks like I’m going to Peloton.

Till tomorrow, Cynthia.

Day 25 Craig to Kremmling 153.7km Uphill 4993ft Downhill 3804ft

I am so exhausted that I fear if I close my eyes I would sleep. Sippin’ on a glass of ice-coffee seemed like a great idea at 5 pm last evening while I waited for the laundry to run thru all the cycles but at midnight I was still tossing and turning. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson from the ice tea a couple of nights ago! Oh and to top it off when we got to the high school last evening the area we could pitch our tents in was on a definite slope. I placed my tiny tent as close to school as possible to avoid the slope. Much to my dismay I got a drip, drip, drip all evening coming off of the overhang. I tried counting drips instead of sheep but this didn’t work so I went to the next best thing…meds. I think I started the day on 4 ½ hrs of sleep.

We are traveling on Hwy 40 again. The road was a bit busier then yesterday. Lots of campers, mini vans and trucks. The first 50 miles was a gradual incline. We grabbed a coffee in Hayden (although I could only drink ½ of my coffee before the guys were ready to go.

The next cyclists that came thru the door inherited my other ½. If I ever travel back to Colorado I would definitely investigate the next town we stopped in. Steamboat Springs. This is a quaint little town, very much a tourist destination. We stopped in at a small diner and she kindly refilled our water bottles before we started the climb.

The main street of Steamboat Springs

It was 7 miles of solid climbing before we got to the false summit. The view is like eye-candy. We rode up the west side. It was a welcomed relief from the brown sage grass plains. As we rode up we saw Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine. I also noticed significant patches of dead pine killed by mountain pine beetle. Everything is green. Looking back I could see large plots of farmland. Personally, Colorado has a lot more colour going for it than Utah (sorry, Utah). As we climbed the forest changed to lodge pole. These trees where used for making teepees. Colorado Blue spruce was up here, growing in the wild. (This useful information is being provided by Clare Kooistra.) Thank you Clare.

One view while I was climbing

One of our cyclists; Aaron Carpenter’s parents and grandparents were handing out freezers at the false summit. It's very deceiving. You get to the top and then they tell you you're really not there........there's more. I think God has a sense of humor! We had another 6 miles of rollers before we got to the actual summit, Rabbit Ears Pass. A beautiful area of open alpine meadows.

Rabbit Ears pass is named after the two rocks on the top of the mountain. Where's the carrot?

I sailed down from the summit hitting a top speed of 62.5km. We are now on the east side of the mountain, so that means we are back to the sage brush and brown mountains mainly because this area is in the rain shadow of the peaks. Ahead of us I can see the snow on the Rockies. The rest of the day was mainly ups and downs. Louie and Andy and I biked in together.

It’s been a long day. Average speed of 21.8km Total trip 154.6km Actual bike time 7:04:15

Tomorrow we have a short day but we’ll pay for it on Saturday. Oh, big news…..my husband is flying into Denver on Saturday. I won’t have to set up my tent for 2 whole days. I really wish Saturday was the short day!

Good night, Cynthia

Day 24 Dinosaur to Craig 141.1km Uphill 4299ft Downhill 3873ft

Sleep, sleep, wonderful sleep. I woke up refreshed and ready to tackle the day. I had quickly wiped down my bike chain and oiled it last evening so I was ready to go. I should mention that some cyclists are struggling with colds, stomach aches and then there’s the problems of putting two squirts of disinfectant in the final rinse water instead of only one. One squirts does the job, two squirts guarantees that you’ll probably be running to the nearest facility to do the ‘job’. Yes, some cyclists are dealing with this problem. I’m happy to report that all systems are fine (as if you really wanted to know!).

On to the ride….John said, ‘okay we’re going to go slow today’, because he is feeling abit off. So much for slow….he did take it slow for the 1st km and then slowly he cranked it up. I will admit the pace was a tad slower than usual. Now I don’t care what anyone else writes in their blogs but today the ride was hard for me. I’ve talked to a number of cyclists as they've come in and some really enjoyed all the up and downs. I found them hard. You’d barely get to the top, and then I’d see the next roller in front of me. It was relentless. We started the day climbing. At miles 15 it was downhill for a short time and then we settled into the climb. Thank goodness for cloud cover. At one point we looked behind us and there was a partial rainbow and in front of us the sun was sending light rays thru the clouds. I felt a little like the Israelites did when a cloud led them by day and a pillar of fire at night. For me it was just a reassurance that God is always with us. I don’t think you can see the rainbow in my photo…just trust me on this one.

Looking behind

Looking to the right

After I took the photo Barb noticed she had a bulge in her back tire. John had just reassured her that she would make it to the next SAG when Betsy drove by. She seen us all gathered around a tire and suspected the worst so she stopped. Hooray for Betsy! She had another tube, both John and Gerry went about fixing it. Since you don’t need 6 people to do this job, several of us started up the climb. A pace line doesn’t work well on the climbs, because Barb and I are slower than the guys. I will give credit to the guys, they either wait at the top for us or they will ride beside us to help us up the climb. Andy stayed with me throughout the reminder of the day. We arrived in Maybell (it’s a very, very small town…a park, and variety store) shortly after 11 a.m. By this point we have covered roughly 94km and have another 50 to go. I purchased a coke for the sugar and then to make sure all my bases are covered, I added a choc bar to the order. Sugar high….give me energy please! What can I say about the rest of the day, it was tough but the company made it fly by.

Today we saw Round Top Mountain, Blue Mountain and in the back ground we could see Douglas Mountain. The Yampa River flows between the Blue Mountain and the Douglas Mountain. (Gerry has nicely gotten his map out to provide me with this info and now he is struggling to fold the map up again.). We traveled on hwy 40 for the entire day but the traffic was noticeably lighter. Nice wide shoulders as well.

Made it into camp around 2 pm. The highschool is located at the top of a hill (go figure). Set up my tent, showered and then Cory (bless his heart) drove several of us to the laundromat. We have peloton at 8pm and then we end the day with a mid week worship service.

Tomorrow we have Rabbit (Ear?) Pass to contend with. I think we’ll tackle the day much like the drive into Salt Lake City. Start off easy and reserve some fuel in the tank for the 12 mile climb.

Till tomorrow, take care, Cynthia
P.S. Teresa rode today and finished. I’m so happy for her.
P.S.S. Max speed 66.3km Average 23.5 Total trip 142km Actual Bike time 6:02:22

Day 23 Duchesne to Dinosar 145.3km Uphill 3625ft Downhill 3290ft

I’m starting to get weary of these 5 a.m. mornings. I choked down my oatmeal this morning because all the guys had their helmets, vests and gloves on by 6:15 a.m. I’m wondering how I can get a hold of their alarms and set them back an hour without them knowing it.

Started out with arm warmers but discarded them within an hour. We are traveling on a very busy highway today. The police pulled over Cory and asked him to tell all the cyclists to stay single file and not to go over the white line. This is somewhat difficult with all the debris on the hwy. Oh and one mustn’t forget the rumble strips, so between the white line and the rumble strip you don’t have a lot of room to cycle.

The first 20 miles were downhill. Today we have the usual gang plus Dale M from GR. Three miles after we waved to Jake Kuipers at a gas station, he took a bad fall. He was on the hwy and his seat post broke so he hit the pavement. He landed on the road but thankfully no traffic was passing him at the time. A SAG picked him up and brought him to a bike store where they fixed up his bike and he was on his way again. (he only missed 20km of the ride). He does have some road rash on his chin but apparently his thigh and leg took the brunt of the fall. This is his second fall, they say ‘the third’s a charm’…maybe I’ll stay far behind him when he’s in our pace line.

The hwy is brutal on our tires. Debris from the trucker’s tires gets caught in our wheels and causes flats. Both Barb and Andy had flats today. Also the local traffic is not particularly happy to share the road with us. We’ve had a number of pick up trucks rev up and emit black smoke when they pass us. Really good for our lungs already taxed by the high altitude. The two major climbs today weren’t that bad, just long. After the first climb we hit a McDonalds (10:30) for coffee in the town of Vernal. At this point we are at the 95 km mark, only 50km to go! I will admit that I missed my home made pie, so tomorrow I will veto the McDonald and insist on the local Ma and Pa’s café. We had barely gotten on our bikes when someone spotted a bike shop. We had to make a quick stop to see if we need to purchase anything (don’t worry Ralph, no money exchanged hands!). Next stop the Pink Dinosaur. After all we are staying in Dinosaur tonight! This sculpture was outside of the bike shop....what not to do on a bike! Walter’s SAG was set up just before the second climb. He was treating everyone to Waltermelon (yes, I know its spelled wrong, I’m trying my hand at a pun). Our pace line broke up on the way up this last climb, Barb was behind John and then we had a space. Louie was behind me and when I told him to pass me, he generously slowed down and pulled me ½ way were we stopped at the lookout point. Pete Vannoord and I at the lookout point

The entire group stayed together for the rest of the climb. Andy got his flat 3 miles from our destination. John and Louie stayed back to help him and we continued on to the first ice-cream shop. $5.00 is highway robbery for a chocolate milk shake but the sugar and dairy product provided a great recovery drink. All in all it was a good day, long because of the heat (104F on my bike), but the altitude hasn’t bothered me yet and we all made it in without any major accidents. P.S. We crossed into the State of Colorado just after Andy got his flat. We are staying in the only park in Dinosaur. All the streets are named after various dinosaurs, ie. the street the park is on is called Stegosaurus, just off of Plateosaurus…you get the idea. The supper horn has sounded off, so time to eat. Tomorrow promises to be another long day in terms of km, but I don’t think we have any major climbs.

P.S. I just talked to Teresa. Since she was not allowed on her bike today she rode with Alida (our camp nurse) in her camper. Apparently they were traveling on the hwy in the 3rd lane when all of a sudden Alida lost all her power. They clipped off several transport trucks and ended up coming to a abrupt stop. The camper tipped to it’s side and the only thing that saved if from flipping was the sand hill that they were imbedded in. And Teresa thought that biking was the only thing that could cause her harm. I guess Gayle witnessed the entire event and ran up the hill faster than she usually bikes because she thought Alida had a heart attack. Alida is still not in camp. Apparently the reason she lost power was because she ran out of gas. At this point she needs to be towed out of the sand. It’s been a long day for Alida.

Till then, take care, Cynthia
Average speed of the day 24.7 Total km 149.3 Time on the bike 6:01:59

Day 22 Salt Lake City to Duchesne 144.5km Uphill 5,000 Downhill no elevaton info

Up ‘n at em by 5 a.m. The park has nicely left a truck at the top of the hill so we can throw our gear bags in here and walk down and then up to the gear truck. Barb is on sweep today, so she is not riding with us. The group started out with Gerry, Pete, Bert S, Andy, Louie, Jake, John, Carl and myself. We have no elevation chart today, either it was just too scary for us to look at or the story that Ed is sticking to is that when he drove thru this area last winter the road was closed so he could not GPS it. Either way, the cyclists are a tad worried this morning.

The climb started 10km into the ride, and we continued up for around 15km. The last 7 km where at a 8% grade. The group that we left with this morning quickly split up. John and Carl where way ahead of us and the rest of us just took the hill at whatever we were comfortable with. I was in my granny gear for the entire hike up. Pete and Jake would pass me everyone once in a while and then I’d pass them. It was a slow climb. At times I was only going 6km especially when I was climbing the 8% grade. A number of cyclists are experiencing difficulty with the high altitude and cannot breathe. Teresa is one of these cyclists. She has strict orders from both the nurses here in camp not to ride for the remainder of the week, or she may end up in the hospital. This is a hard pill for Teresa to swallow because she so badly wants to bike it all (as do we all). Remember her in your prayers as she faces this difficulty.

Everyone had their photo taken the summit; Wolf Creek Pass. 9,485 ft AWESOME!!!!

The ride down was 20km long. I was in the highest gear and when I couldn’t peddle any more I got down into a crouch position and coasted. Top speed 68.7km. We coasted right into a small village called Hannah and ordered coffee with pie. Mmm good. I understand that they were run off their feet later in the day. One of our cyclists even stood in as a waitress; poured coffee, served pie, and cleared off the tables. I imagine they did a pretty good business today. Rita and Bill Wybenga

We are now ½ done our ride for the day. We went thru one more climb and again the group was separated. John was riding with Bert when they heard a loud BANG! Bert had blown out his tire. They managed to fix it with a rubber patch but it only lasted 3 more km. Thankfully someone biked by that had a spare tube on them and they could repair it properly. Most of us met up again at Cory’s SAG…UT-40. Cory was handing out cookies. One way to win the most popular SAG driver!

When we left Cory’s we had approx 30km to go. I left with Andy and Dave Geerlings (he just started today). Shortly into this portion of the ride I took the lead only to get a gust of head wind, so I called for a ‘mule’ and Dave just happened to be right behind me. He took the lead and we sailed at around 44km for most of the way in. It was very, very sweet.

Tonight we are staying at the Park/Fairgrounds. Today it was cloudy for most of the day and the sun was at it’s strongest at around 5:30pm. We have another long day tomorrow, so I’d best get off to my tent and organize my stuff for tomorrow.

P.S. Louie saw a moose today, I only saw a deer. He wins, his animal was bigger!

Later, Cynthia
Average speed today 22.6km Total km biked 146.5 Actual time on the bike 6:28:06

Sunday, July 20th

How pleasant it is to wake up in a bed. I slept well and feel very refreshed. We’ve decided to attend the Lutheran Church that both Tom & Rita attend. The service starts at 9:30 so everyone piled in the car (it’s a compact car and Barb sat in the truck…it’s true, we have photos!). The things we do to conserve fuel.

How wonderful to worship this morning. We were greeting warmly, had communion and at the end of the service the 4 of us (Barb Melema, Louie Bosma, John Vandersteen and yours truly) were asked to come to the front of the church. Rita introduced her brother, John and we each told why we signed up and we also mentioned what the purpose of the tour is. At the end of this the minister asked if we would gather in a circle and the congregation would lay their hands on us and pray for us. This was so meaningful, we truly feel blessed to have worshipped here this morning.

Next was lunch, and then we met Rita’s daughter Dot and her husband Carl and their two young sons. Rita has been extremely busy making salads for the supper tonight at the campground. Dot & Carl are also bringing up their camper so that they can transport some of the food. Carl will stay overnight because he will be cycling with us to the summit tomorrow morning.

We arrived at the campground around 3pm. This allowed us time to set up our tents, put laundry away, prepare water bottles and clothing for tomorrows ride. Supper was at 5:30pm and what a spread they have put out for us. We even got to view a rainbow during the supper hour…just a reminder that yes, God is good. The evening service was held at the picnic pavilion. We had quite a few guests from the community churches. Singing praise to Our Maker with a rainbow in the sky and mountains towering over us was incredible. The guest speaker did a fantastic job. I wish I could remember his name. He encouraged us, shared his testimony and then went on to explain how the organization that he is affiliated with helps ‘at risk teens’. By the time the service was ended, small groups were held and then it was after 9pm. I hiked up the hill and settled down for the evening. P.S. Note to self…..never again drink 2 water bottles full of ice tea before bed….first off it makes for a rather uncomfortable evening when the way to the washroom is dark and who knows what lurks in the bushes and secondly, ice tea contains caffeine….so much for my sleep!

Till Monday, Cynthia

Day 20 Willard to Salt Lake City 153km (actually 161.6km) Uphuill 5723ft Downhill 3201ft

It’s 9:30 Saturday evening as I start to work on this entry. John Vandersteen has invited us to join him at his sister’s place; Tom and Rita Cunningham. Now my parents would find this interesting. As we were playing the ‘dutch bingo’ game Rita found out that my maiden name was Dykxhoorn. When I mentioned that my parents were Tony & Corrie, Rita exclaimed that she knew them. Rita had spent 2 summers at my parent’s house when she was 16 & 17. She was doing field work to earn money so that she could finish her high school education. My parents were newlyweds at the time, and she remembers how sick my Mom was because she was expecting at the time. What a small world. Tom Cunningham, John Vandersteen and his sister, Rita Cunningham

Tom and Rita have generously opened their home to us. We’ve had wonderful showers (I’m even wearing one of Rita’s nighties because my pj’s are in the laundry) and they treated us to a ‘all you can eat buffet’ at a local restaurant. Boy, did we eat! Tomorrow we will attend their church in the morning and then head back to the park later in the afternoon so that we can set up our tents and attend the evening celebration service.

Now onto the day…

At peloton last evening it was announced that breakfast would be served from 6-7 a.m. so that everyone could get an early start to what promised to be a very long day. We have two climbs…the first one at mile 60 is just over 2000ft and the second one (which started as soon as we had the descent from the first climb) was around 1500 ft. The grades for these climbs ranged from 3-6%. Some cyclists have opted to only cycle to the church where Claire and Hildred provided a light lunch for us before we start the climb. This will give them a 100km day.

John and I were on sweep and that means we are to be the last ones out of the camp. If the climb was not done by 7pm, SAG was going to pick us up, so John was itching to go. I found him on his bike, helmet fastened, safety vest on circling the parking lot at 7 a.m. So I asked him what he was doing. John replied that our Sweep team leader had given him permission to leave early as long as he took a slow rider with him. So I joined him. Let’s not define the word ‘slow’ too much…does slow refer to bike speed or mental ability?!?. In my defense I will say that John and I unloaded the gear truck with some other cyclists on Friday afternoon and set up a lot of stuff before our actual sweep team came in and we also helped till late in the evening, when some others had retired for the night. We also reported for duty at 15 minutes earlier this morning then necessary. I’m still feeling a tad guilty but what’s done is done.

Today the map is rather challenging and John has promised that he won’t leave me. So off we went. Initially we had Dirk V, Pete W and Roger on our line. We set the pace easy (around 23km) in order to save our legs for the climb. After a McDonalds stop (to use the facilities) we left a few cyclists behind that had ordered coffee and continued on with Dirk. The 100km to the church seemed to fly by. We made it to the church within 4 hour and only had to turn around once because of a wrong turn. Pete, Louie, Barb and Gerry were still at the church when we arrived. They made a few more wrong turns then we did. We chatted with fellow cyclists and after a good ½ hour rest we headed out to tackle THE CLIMBS.

My goodness, as soon as we were out of the parking lot we had a short, very steep climb. Andy told me that at the top of this short and very, very difficult hill there was a sign pointing the direction to the airport. He contemplated throwing his bike in the ditch and buying a ticket home, but then remembered he didn’t have his passport on him, so he continued onward. Now remember John’s promise not to leave me….well, I lost him within 5 minutes of leaving the church! To his credit he was waiting for me at the top of the first climb and then he stuck with me for the reminder of the day.

I’m struggling to give you a description as to how hard today was and the only thing I can compare it to is childbirth. The pain starts off slowly but manageable (similarly to the first 100km of the day). Then the intense pain starts and it is relentless. Well that’s what the climbs were like. The climbs were doable but it was just such a long climb. The first one was around 12 miles or so. I just kept peddling, didn’t stop, just kept going and going till I reached the summit. Mountain Springs Community church had a booth up at the summit and were handing out gadorade and power bars. What a treat, I even scored a dark chocolate power bar. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loooooooove dark chocolate!

The ride down from the first climb was fast and all to short. We began to climb almost immediately. The second climb was a tad shorter (8 miles) but again it seemed to never end. Temperature on my bike read just over 100F. Our final destination is Jordanelle State Park. all
We stopped at Walter’s SAG and were told that we had approx 10km to go…wrong, it was more like 10 miles! You can also imagine my cry of dismay when we turned onto Hwy 40 only to see another hill. I thought to myself, ‘you’ve got to be kidding’. I just didn’t think I had enough fuel in the legs to do it, but that good ‘ld stubborn streak of mine kicked in and I made it into camp shortly after 4 pm. Once I stopped peddling my body rebelled a tad. I realized that I had been drinking enough water but I hadn’t really eaten anything substantial since breakfast so the world was turning. I quickly sat down with my head between my knees, ate some cookies for instant sugar, had several pieces of watermelon and John refilled my water bottle with cranberry juice. Felt better within 5 minutes.

I’m so grateful that I didn’t have to set up my tent last evening. We will go back to the park on Sunday afternoon to do this job. We were all exhausted, glad to be in and very glad to be billeted (okay, ‘hosted’ for you Americans). The state park that we are staying at is rather spread out. It is a hike to the tents, a 10 minute hike to the showers and the gear truck and kitchen trucks are down a trail. So nothing is in close proximately except for our tents!

It was great to do our laundry, wonderful to converse and laugh with both Tom and Rita and John, Barb, and Louie this weekend.
P.S. Just a funny aside….apparently on Friday evening there was a mouse scurrying under Bob & his daughter Lisa Brouwer’s tent, then it went under Louie’s tent. He could feel it under his floor mat and was afraid it would chew thru his tent. I told him it was a free massage. Thank goodness the mouse didn’t make his way to mine, the whole camp would have heard me screaming.

And that’s a wrap. Till next time, Cynthia
P.S. Total bike time 7:15 Average speed 22km

Day 19 Snowville to Willard 104km (actually 108.7) Uphill 1940 ft Downhill 2205 ft

Again everyone is up again bright and early. Last evening we were camped in very close quarters. It was such a long day and no one wanted to carry their gear too far so we were almost on top of one another. I didn’t even need to set my alarm because I could hear all the alarms of my neighbours! We were out of the camp by 6:40 a.m. Today Pete is not biking with us because he is on sweep.

Today’s ride was nice and short. I fear the heat is getting to me when I think a 108km day is short! We merged onto I-84 (Interstate Hwy). It is being repaved and we were very fortunate to be riding on a newly paved lane and wide shoulder. With that said, I should also point out the problem of biking on a Hwy that is under construction. The Hwy crew sets out great big orange barrels to keep the traffic away from the workers but when a large truck or two comes close to these or hits them…they tend to fly. One flew up in the air in front of John, missed both John and Barb but Jake Kuipers was not so lucky. One barrel hit his front wheel, he was able to hold on tight and didn’t go down. Aside from this it was a one of the smoothest roads we have traveled on so far. When we exited the Interstate, there was Walter’s SAG. Across the road from the SAG we noticed several deer and a fawn frolicking thru the long grass. We watched them for around 15 minutes before carrying on.

We are surrounded by mountains on both sides. It’s an incredible feeling. I thought I would feel claustrophobic instead it feels like God is wrapping His arms around me. I feel safe and secure.

From I-84 we traveled onto UT-83 South. We biked for miles around the ATK Rocket Test Facility. At one point we stopped to take a photo and wondered how many cameras were pointed at us. Several security cars have passed us...have we set off the orange alert?

Right after the Test Facility we were into the North End of the Great Salt Flats. At one point it smelled like rotten egg (hydrogen sulfide…this information is being provided by Gerry Kobes. He is sitting across from me and he has decided that I my blog should be filled with some intellectual facts). Julie SAG was situated in the small village of Corrine. We said ‘Hi’, filled up our water bottles and then headed to the Golden Spike Café across the street. It was 10 a.m….coffee time. The interior of the café was interesting. The women’s restroom blew me away. One room, two toilets...I’ve heard about sharing a shower, but never a bathroom! We cleaned the café out of their carrot cake and upside down pineapple cake. One of the privileges of being the first group in these villages is that you usually get your choice of baked goods (although this back fired yesterday with the cinnamon buns). Coffee was great. Now we only have 22 km before we hit Willard.
On the way to Willard we passed thru the city of Brigham. John and Louie insisted on having their photo taken in the middle of a 4 lane hwy right under the city sign. Later on when we were talking to some of the locals they said that every year approx. 3 people die in this intersection. Ignorance is bliss.

The sun is hot so we decided to carry on to the Willard Bay State Park. We missed the road but got turned around in the correct direction shortly. We are staying in a group camping area; Pelican Beach. Thank goodness for the picnic shelter. I have my tent parked facing the lake (waterfront property), right beside the washroom. Life is good. The Wasatch Mountains are across the road. This is a 160 mile mountain range that starts at the Utah/Idaho border. Sometimes they are called the Eastern Boundary of the Great Basin or The Western Edge of the Greater Rocky Mountains. The mountains looms 9,700ft, just waiting for us to cross it. (Again credit goes to Gerry for providing this insightful tidbit of information).

I start sweep tonight, so that means setting up and serving dinner. We lucked out and our using the picnic shelter so we don’t have to set up tables or the dining tents. Tomorrow will be a long day on sweep. We will be the last to leave camp (probably around 8:45 a.m. or later). The climbs are at the end of our 150km day. Paul, Teresa and I and the others on my sweep team will be tackling the climbs in the heat of the day, probably around 4 p.m. or later. Pray for perseverance and strength to make it. Till tomorrow, Cynthia P.S. This was the view out of my tent just before I called it day.
P.S.S. Temp on my bike hit 99F Average speed of the day 26.1km Bike time 4:09:22

Day 18 Burley to Snowville 138.1 km Uphill 3272 ft Downhill 2933 ft

Yes, 5 a.m. and I’m awake. How wonderful not to rush in the morning. We were on our bikes ready to roll by 6:30 a.m. The morning started off cool but the day promises to be a hot and long.

Yesterday Julie was there when we needed her and today Cory, the driver of our porta potty on wheels witnessed ‘the accident’ at km 15. We were all in a pace line clicking along at a good speed when all of a sudden Andy’s front tire hit my back tire. Thankfully, I didn’t go down but such was not the fate for Andy or Gerry K. Andy hit the pavement and Gerry who was behind him ran over Andy’s back rim and went for the ditch. Andy sustained some road rash on his right leg, Gerry looks fine. And the all important question, how is Andy’s bike? His computer cracked off so he will need to repair that once we are in a bigger city, but other than that everything is working well. Andy was able to bike the reminder of the day and really aside from a nasty looking knee, he looks as good as ever. After the first climb we tackled the highest climb of the day. Thank goodness for a granny gear. We had a short break ½ way up the climb and then once we hit the top we sailed down for the next 4 km. I didn’t even hit my brakes. Top speed of just under 70km. Besty, the day nurse was in her SAG vehicle at the bottom of the hill. We refilled our water bottles and continued on.

We pulled into a small town called Malta. If only we were 20 minutes later. They had just finished making homemade cinnamon buns but still had to pop them in the oven. Lucky for the riders after us. Coffee was only .50 and it hit the spot.

We had a miscommunication with our pace line when we left Malta. Barb, Gerry and I left ahead of the other guys because Julie was just 1km up the road and we needed to top up our water bottles. We stopped and then watched as John, Pete, Andy and Louie sailed by the SAG. That left Gerry and Barb to pull. Because of my slight frame no one benefits from me being at the front of the pace line…..not enough ‘drag’ off of me. I usually end up # 3 or 4 in a pace line. It was a slow ride up the final climb of the day (20 miles uphill). Walter’s SAG was at the top of the hill. How nice to sit in a chair (as opposed to the skinny, hard saddle I’m on for most of the day). Photo op…..we are entering Utah. Some cyclists are thinking of stopping in the town of Bountiful. I don’t think Mormons and spandex mix so I’ll just continue with the planned route.It was suppose to be a sweet 20 miles down to end the day. Instead we battled a head wind for the entire way down. It was tough. The wind kept switching. Both Gerry and Barb took turns with the lead and I just kept peddling. At the 80 mile marker we had to climb uphill to the small town of Snowville. Snowville has two diners, a Flying J, a variety store, and a campground. We are staying at the park. No showers and one washroom for the guys, one for the girls. Could be a long line tomorrow morning! They’ve set up a large blue tarp with a water hose and this is where you can ‘shower’. Girls first, then the guys. No warm water, only cold. I’ve decided to pay the $8.50 for a shower at the Flying J. Best $8.50 I’ve ever spent.

We’ve just come back from the peloton meeting. Several things happened today:
1) Three cyclists on the sweep team, Brad G, Theo and Nick E came into the town of Malta and seen the Pizza challenge. If you can eat a 15 inch pizza and a large coke within an hour it’s free. They went for it. It was a long hour. Two completed the challenge, the third had to pay. So if you’re ever in the town of Malta, look for their photos on the wall of fame.
2) Arnie Issette from Michigan tore his Achilles today and after a consultation with a doctor he will have to quit the tour and return home. He may have to have surgery. How disappointing for Arnie. We all feel badly for him.
3) Driving into Snowville the Pantry trailer became loose, and some groceries fell out. No serious damage…the people of Snowville probably think we have a strange way of donating food to the community.
4) And finally, poor Cory. He also experienced problems today. On his way to his second SAG of the day the porta potty let loose from the truck. It ended up in the middle of the road, upright. Len R witnessed the whole affair and then to his surprise as the porta potty was cruising down the hwy he witnessed, John, Johnny and Mark drafting behind the run away porta potty. (not very safe, but very fast.)

Now, it’s past my bedtime and I still have to go online and post.

Average speed 24.1km Total km 140 Bike time 5:47

Till tomorrow, Cynthia

Day 17 Gooding to Burley 141 km Uphill 2984 FT Downhill 2378 ft

I woke up with a start at 5:30 a.m. The camp is alive, everyone is thinking about the 130km day and if we want to see Shoshone Falls it will add 10 more kms. Anyways, so much for my good intentions of an early morning start. It’s an awful feeling when you’re behind the 8 ball. You rush, rush, rush, gobble down breakfast, brush those pearly whites, pack a lunch, hurry and spray the legs and arms with sunscreen, grab the helmet, sunglasses, put on the bike shoes, grab the bike and finally BREATHE. It’s 6:30 a.m. and we’re on the road.

It was a bit nippy once we got away from the school, I’m glad I have my arm warmers. At 17km we had a quick stop at Cory’s spott-a-pot. Then just 2 km down the road, Barb had a flat. How providential that Julie (one of our wonderful SAG drivers) would pick that exact moment to drive past us. We flagged her down for another tube, borrowed the bike pump and were quickly on our way.

We’ve been invited to view Ted Miller’s dairy farm. It is on our route and I was interested in seeing this huge operation since I grew up on a dairy farm in Southern Ontario. Upon arriving we were treated to cold chocolate milk (great recovery drink). His son-in-law, Glen and grandson gave us a tour of the operation. They milk 1700 cows (only Holsteins…black and white cows). The cows are milked three times daily. The milking parlor is circular and milks up to 50 cows at a time. It takes 10 mintues to run the cows thru the parlor. It was difficult taking a photo of the parlor, so I went with a photo of the cows instead. I did take note of the manure pits, but didn’t notice any of that ‘fresh’ country air.

Next stop….Snake Canyon. We climbed over some rocks to get a better view. Wow, now that’s a sheer drop down. I feel so insignificant amongst such grandeur. A few photos later and we were on our way again.

The town of Twin Falls provided us with another view of Snake Canyon. From here we headed to the Twin Falls RCA church for a wonderful lunch (it’s only 10 a.m. but anytime is good for food). Subs, chips, choc, strawberry or white milk, watermelon and to top it off, ice cream bars. What a treat. The church provided with us with detailed maps how to get to Shoshone Falls, it’s a bit of a detour but we’ve heard it will be well worth it. A big thank you to all those involved in providing us with this wonderful stop. Shoshone Falls, now that was a sweet ride down, going back up was another story….granny gear the entire way. The locals compare this site to our Niagara Falls.

Barb started out ahead of us to take the climb up the Falls and then set out on her own for the remainder of the day. We waited at the top of the hill for Louie (once a preacher, always a preacher). From here we settled down to complete the final 70 km. The temperature is climbing (high 90’s) and I just want to get into camp. We arrived in camp at around 2:15. Total time on the bike 5:20 Average speed 26km

After a quick break we unload the gear truck. Just when we had all the bags out the sprinkler system went off. Now we’ve got this down pat….some people stand on the sprinkler heads (carefully) and the others move away the bags. Thank goodness the janitor was near by and he reset the system so that it shouldn’t happen again. I must admit that the spray off the sprinklers was rather refreshing. I quickly set up my tent, attempted to take a shower…..no water pressure in the girls showers so we take over one of the guys locker rooms, although this leaves us with only one toilet and two urinals…that should be interesting.

I found a cool, quiet spot on the upper level of the gym. Barb and I settled down to type up our blogs. After an hour or so, it’s time to wrap it up and call it a day. Supper will be serving in less than ½ an hour.

Till tomorrow, Cynthia