Duluthm, MN
Ideal Build Day. We had a great time today, all 30 of us were able to build on one site and we got a ton done. I had a hand in putting the trusses on for the whole roof of the house. Most of us headed out that evening for the Duluth Huskies minor league baseball game--free tickets thanks to our gracious hosts at the temple who joined us as well. Another fun day on Bike and Build.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Duluth, MN
Quick. After the rough night, I got out first with Nate, Eileen, Alli, and Jason for a fast day. It was supposed to be a flat 57, majority on the bike path. The Willard Munger bike path was great and we rolled really quick. Only problem was after lunch the four of us--Nate, Eileen, Jason and I--continued on the same bike trail, as the cue sheet said. Turns out we were supposed to jump a different path. No matter, we hit a main road and headed for Duluth over 10 extra miles of relatively intense climbs. Great view over the St. Louis valley though. Even with our extra 10 miles, we still arrived with the first group at 2:30. Stayed at a Jewish Temple and enjoyed a kosher dinner. We were welcome to attend their service and they were very helpful in explaining for us who weren't familiar and making us feel comfortable. Great food and experience.
Quick. After the rough night, I got out first with Nate, Eileen, Alli, and Jason for a fast day. It was supposed to be a flat 57, majority on the bike path. The Willard Munger bike path was great and we rolled really quick. Only problem was after lunch the four of us--Nate, Eileen, Jason and I--continued on the same bike trail, as the cue sheet said. Turns out we were supposed to jump a different path. No matter, we hit a main road and headed for Duluth over 10 extra miles of relatively intense climbs. Great view over the St. Louis valley though. Even with our extra 10 miles, we still arrived with the first group at 2:30. Stayed at a Jewish Temple and enjoyed a kosher dinner. We were welcome to attend their service and they were very helpful in explaining for us who weren't familiar and making us feel comfortable. Great food and experience.
Sandstone, MN
Long and Hot. 110 miles, high of 90. Pretty flat though so no big deal. Riding next to Physnick, he hit a rock and took a graceful fall. Nasty calf puncture from his ring, but he toughed it out for the rest of the ride with some one legged pedaling in there. First 'camping' day on the land of the director of Habitat of the area. He grilled out for us and we enjoyed a bonfire as a big group. Sleeping was rough. I slept on the porch. Two options: cover up and sweat mad, get crazy bug bites. I did a combination with little sleeping. I did stay dry though. Lots stayed in tents and woke up swimming in the thunderstorm. Always good times.
Long and Hot. 110 miles, high of 90. Pretty flat though so no big deal. Riding next to Physnick, he hit a rock and took a graceful fall. Nasty calf puncture from his ring, but he toughed it out for the rest of the ride with some one legged pedaling in there. First 'camping' day on the land of the director of Habitat of the area. He grilled out for us and we enjoyed a bonfire as a big group. Sleeping was rough. I slept on the porch. Two options: cover up and sweat mad, get crazy bug bites. I did a combination with little sleeping. I did stay dry though. Lots stayed in tents and woke up swimming in the thunderstorm. Always good times.
Twin Cities, MN.
Day off. Angel, Jay, and I had a great stay with Nancy, Denny and their hospitable family. They graciously shuttled large group of us to and from a late night Harry Potter showing and directed us to a fun day. On the day off we payed off a little bit of sleep debt with a 10am wake up. We took the free bus to U of Minnesota where we bummed onto a tour then checked out "Dinkytown." One of the workers at the bike shop joined us for lunch at a local burrito place. We were then picked up from the church by the Hogans and taken to their house to enjoy great conversation and an amazing home cooked meal of salmon, green beans, and potatoes. Early sleep to get ready for another century.
Day off. Angel, Jay, and I had a great stay with Nancy, Denny and their hospitable family. They graciously shuttled large group of us to and from a late night Harry Potter showing and directed us to a fun day. On the day off we payed off a little bit of sleep debt with a 10am wake up. We took the free bus to U of Minnesota where we bummed onto a tour then checked out "Dinkytown." One of the workers at the bike shop joined us for lunch at a local burrito place. We were then picked up from the church by the Hogans and taken to their house to enjoy great conversation and an amazing home cooked meal of salmon, green beans, and potatoes. Early sleep to get ready for another century.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I've been away from computers for the past 11 days and so much has happened. On July 12th we had our first century with 112 miles into Chicago. It was a great ride with 2 amazing non-PB&J lunches that made it easy. Riding into the skyline on a crowded Sunday bike path was an awesome experience. We were even met by two NUS '08 riders with cupcakes waiting for us along the way. Wade and I had a great conversation and Chicago deep dish dinner that night Dan--a leader from last year's trip. An easy day the next day, we spent the morning seeing the bean and millennium park, wrigley field, and a swim and nap on the beach of Lake Michigan.
We rode to Greyslake, IL for a night and then headed to Janesville, WI. On the ride into Wisconsin we stopped at a cheese store where I enjoyed my first cheese curds, along with samples of all different types of cheeses. Delicious. Janesville was alot of fun because one of the girls on our trip--Alli--is from there and her parents and neighbor were nice enough to take us on the boat for water skiing and tubing. I got up on the skis and had a great time. We worked the next day in Janesville for Community Action on a forclosed house. The house needed some demolition work before it could be restored--turned out to be another fun day.
From there we headed another short day to Madison, WI. Madison was a fun biker friendly city. We had a fun evening in town and ate at a great Thai restaurante. We stayed for a successful day working for Habitat for Humanity. I helped a nice woman named Gwen install Subfacia (I don't know if that's spelled right, just learned what it was--part of the house framing just below the roof) for the morning and installed roofing boards in the afternoon.
More Wisconsin. The next day into Gays Mills was my hardest ride day of the trip and maybe hardest workout of my life. The route was scheduled for 101 miles of hilly terrain. Starting earyly with the 5am wake up, I got two flat tires before lunch around mile 35. At mile 50, Wade, Eileen, and I joined/followed Jason on what we called an architecure adventure. We headed for the Taliesin--Frank Lloyd Wright's main house and studio. Turned out the tours were full for the next two hours, and it would have cost us fifty bucks to get in anyway--so we looked from afar. We headed back to the route with an extra 25 miles of very hilly terrain under our belts, no big deal. Ready to get going again, a man flags us down at a gas station and we help him pump up his tire--road bike tires have different nozzels than car tires so the gas station pump wouldn't work. Turns out we were helping the Culver family--owners of Culver's restaurante, a big ice cream/fast food chain in the midwest. We followed him around the block and he gave us each 2 coupons for free ice cream sundays and one for a food basket. Good deal. We pushed the next 40 tough miles to second lunch waiting for us. It was about 4 and Nate--sweep that day--was waiting on us. We were told the van may have to come pick us up because we might not be able to make it before dinner and everyone else was already there or very close--disheartening. We pushed on with Nate, up and down what seemed like Wisconsin Mountains. With about 15 miles to go, the van pulls up. We're all ready to convince Rachel that we can make it and we don't have to ride the van, but it turns out only a few people were at the host, so we went for it. Harder than any football game, pushed the last 15 miles into Gays Mills. 125 miles! Quite an accomplishment. I ate like I never ate before--amazing pot luck with vegetarian chili and cheese potatoes I was just pouring down my throat. The rest of the night was a blur, but I woke up the next day ready to go.
It's crazy when 72 miles is a recovery day. Mississippi River! Road along the river most of the day. We crossed into Iowa, rode into Minnesota, then back to La Crosse, Wisconsin for the night. The next day we continued along the river to Peppin lake, and today we rode again rode the Mississippi to St. Paul and the twin cities. Excited for the first day off tomorrow! More later.
We rode to Greyslake, IL for a night and then headed to Janesville, WI. On the ride into Wisconsin we stopped at a cheese store where I enjoyed my first cheese curds, along with samples of all different types of cheeses. Delicious. Janesville was alot of fun because one of the girls on our trip--Alli--is from there and her parents and neighbor were nice enough to take us on the boat for water skiing and tubing. I got up on the skis and had a great time. We worked the next day in Janesville for Community Action on a forclosed house. The house needed some demolition work before it could be restored--turned out to be another fun day.
From there we headed another short day to Madison, WI. Madison was a fun biker friendly city. We had a fun evening in town and ate at a great Thai restaurante. We stayed for a successful day working for Habitat for Humanity. I helped a nice woman named Gwen install Subfacia (I don't know if that's spelled right, just learned what it was--part of the house framing just below the roof) for the morning and installed roofing boards in the afternoon.
More Wisconsin. The next day into Gays Mills was my hardest ride day of the trip and maybe hardest workout of my life. The route was scheduled for 101 miles of hilly terrain. Starting earyly with the 5am wake up, I got two flat tires before lunch around mile 35. At mile 50, Wade, Eileen, and I joined/followed Jason on what we called an architecure adventure. We headed for the Taliesin--Frank Lloyd Wright's main house and studio. Turned out the tours were full for the next two hours, and it would have cost us fifty bucks to get in anyway--so we looked from afar. We headed back to the route with an extra 25 miles of very hilly terrain under our belts, no big deal. Ready to get going again, a man flags us down at a gas station and we help him pump up his tire--road bike tires have different nozzels than car tires so the gas station pump wouldn't work. Turns out we were helping the Culver family--owners of Culver's restaurante, a big ice cream/fast food chain in the midwest. We followed him around the block and he gave us each 2 coupons for free ice cream sundays and one for a food basket. Good deal. We pushed the next 40 tough miles to second lunch waiting for us. It was about 4 and Nate--sweep that day--was waiting on us. We were told the van may have to come pick us up because we might not be able to make it before dinner and everyone else was already there or very close--disheartening. We pushed on with Nate, up and down what seemed like Wisconsin Mountains. With about 15 miles to go, the van pulls up. We're all ready to convince Rachel that we can make it and we don't have to ride the van, but it turns out only a few people were at the host, so we went for it. Harder than any football game, pushed the last 15 miles into Gays Mills. 125 miles! Quite an accomplishment. I ate like I never ate before--amazing pot luck with vegetarian chili and cheese potatoes I was just pouring down my throat. The rest of the night was a blur, but I woke up the next day ready to go.
It's crazy when 72 miles is a recovery day. Mississippi River! Road along the river most of the day. We crossed into Iowa, rode into Minnesota, then back to La Crosse, Wisconsin for the night. The next day we continued along the river to Peppin lake, and today we rode again rode the Mississippi to St. Paul and the twin cities. Excited for the first day off tomorrow! More later.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Edwardsburg, MI
77 miles turned 85. The pastor accompanied us for the first 12 miles--great to have his enthusiasm and knowledge of the area. In two miles we hit Indiana, where we rode most of the day before heading back into Michigan for the night. After lunch I had fun pushing hard with a quick pace line near the front of the group. Even got a draft off a dump truck--hit 35mph. We followed Kat and Laura's chalk, but when we caught up to them, we were a little lost. With lots of contemplation, and Ashley's iPhone, we rerouted ourselves through beautiful scenery and made it to the church--last group to arrive, everyone else took the perscribed path. Picture of Jason on State Line Road--half Indiana, half Michigan. Taco dinner!
Camden, MI
Tailwinds! Fun country roads good for double row riding, stories, singing, and games of contact. 5 miles into Michigan we stayed in a small town of people waiting for us. It was great--welcome sign and all, look closely. Talked with a reporter, went to a neighbor's house for a shower, had a great dinner of loaded baked potatos, and enjoyed a little talent show--Nick did the peanuts dance, the Pastor sang with his wife, then with Kat, Theo played Cannon on the piano, and Nate balanced Alter chairs and on his chin. The midwest is great!
Tailwinds! Fun country roads good for double row riding, stories, singing, and games of contact. 5 miles into Michigan we stayed in a small town of people waiting for us. It was great--welcome sign and all, look closely. Talked with a reporter, went to a neighbor's house for a shower, had a great dinner of loaded baked potatos, and enjoyed a little talent show--Nick did the peanuts dance, the Pastor sang with his wife, then with Kat, Theo played Cannon on the piano, and Nate balanced Alter chairs and on his chin. The midwest is great!
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