Many of you have probably wondered why I haven't written anything for almost a month.... I will try not to make too many excuses; however, I have had countless unexpected problems with the internet as well as with this site! Basically, my frustration has overridden my will to keep everyone updated. So, here is my attempt to fill in the last month in the next few hours.
Tahoe to Hwy 50:
We had a rest day in Tahoe, probably our only one on the whole trip! My mom came up from Reno, barring fresh fruit and nuts from the farmers market (which were VERY much appreciated! Thanks Mom!). My mom and I went out to lunch and bought a new bike seat for me. In the afternoon, we took a chilly dip in the lake. This was Elijah’s first time ever swimming in a lake; he displayed a hilarious scene while entering the frigid water. The next morning, before setting off to Fallon NV, we woke up to watch the sun rise over Tahoe. It was beautiful; the snow on the peaks were glowing pink and the water sparkled with hues of orange and yellows; it was a great way to start a 115 mile day in to the desert!
Taking off from Tahoe, we got a 180 degree view of the lake. Many of the riders had not seen Lake Tahoe before, so they had a chance to see more than just Tahoe City. We climbed out of the Tahoe Basin, and got on to Hwy 50. After a very short climb up 50, we flew down the other side towards Carson City at speeds of about 40-50 mph (sorry Mom). As we dropped in elevation, the temperature rose; by the time we reached the bottom, it must have been at least 95 degrees, and it was still early in the day! This was the beginning of my favorite leg of the journey thus far. I have lived in Nevada for my whole life, so I have a deep respect for the desert and its beauty; however, riding for days on hwy 50 deepened my appreciation incredibly. Mountains seem to fall through the flatness of the valley’s floor, towering over us as a reminder of how small we really are. We would ride for over 100 miles with out seeing anyone or anything, except this beautiful landscape. While riding through Nevada, we stayed with a number of indigenous people, helping them prepare for either Powwow or just cleaning up their land. The Piute-Shoshone tribe in Fallon, NV told us stories of the land nearby; this was land I have known for years, but now have a deeper understanding of. While we were in Ely, NV we met Misha, another cross country cyclist heading to Main. He traveled the same path for the next two weeks.
Our last stop on Hwy 50 was Baker. A small town, as Margret, a store owner explained, of about a hundred if everyone stands still and you count the dogs and the cats, which sits at the base of Great Basin National Park. In Baker, we talked to about half of the town about our ride, and why were doing it. We also enjoyed some amazing pies and cold beers.
Utah
We left Baker at around 6:15 am to beat the heat crossing in to Utah, it wasn’t early enough! The first two days through Utah were brutally hot, but beautiful. Salt flats and rolling hills carried us to the abrupt line between desert and farm land in Hinkley.
Sara and Jeremy, Kats friends from Montana joined us for the short ride from Provo to Salt Lake City. It wasn’t the best day to join in on a scenic ride, but it was great that they were there and excited, despite the constant construction and development we passed through. While in Salt Lake, we stayed with people from “The Center,” a LGBTQ (lesbian, gay bi, Trans, and questioning) center and safe place. Three different hosts took us in; Brain, Kat, Maddy and I stayed with Lynda. She was great, we sat around discussing the issues that are relevant to our ride and ate German chocolate cake. Working with the Center opened my eyes to a very positive community in Salt Lake City; a community that is very open and accepting of everyone and is really making a huge difference in their city.
Since we decided to ride north to Salt Lake, rather than east out of Provo, we got to climb the Wasatch Range. We climbed up through Big Cotton Wood canyon along a river that cut through jagged cliffs and green forests. The climb was about 30 miles, gaining over 4000 ft in elevation! Once we reached the summit, at about 9500 ft, we decided that wasn’t high enough! Brian, Kat, Elijah, Cole, and I went for a little hike to the peak above the pass. We felt like we were on top of the world.
We then headed east in to Heber City and then to Ft Duchene, were we helped clean up at the Ute Tribe’s annual Powwow. The heart beat rhythm filled the air, while the feet of elders and children stomped with the drumming. The voices of the elders hummed through the camp grounds with power. The women dance their style: fancy dancer’s arms dancing fabric with the rhythm, traditional dancer’s feet stepping with each beat, and jingles creating a new element of rhythm to the music. The Ute people were very welcoming and kind to us, and we enjoyed our stay their immensely.
Ft. Duchene to the Colorado Border
The ride to Vernal from Ft Duchene was only 30 miles, so we decided to leave extra early that day. Our goal was to make it into town at a reasonable time to enjoy a nice greasy breakfast a local Diner; we found the perfect one. Betty’s Diner suited our needs perfectly; my cup of coffee was never near empty, nor were any of our plates! After breakfast, we spent the day searching for Utah stickers for our bikes. Finally, after 3 hours of searching, we were successful. The next day we passed the border in to Colorado….
Colorado!
Rolling mountains lead the way into Colorado, eventually dropping off into Maybell. Maybell is a quaint town with one store functioning as the bar, grocery store, local hang out spot, coffee shop, and ice cream shop. The town was mostly the city park, with a dozen or so houses surrounding it, and one eccentric hotel on the west side of town. We reunited with Misha here; we shared a meal together and got to know each other finally!
After Steamboat Springs, the Rocky Mountains began. Unfortunately, they did not end up being as hard as we had anticipated. However, they were just as picturesque! Rabbit ears pass was our first accent, fallowed by the continental dived. We rode through valleys at 8000 ft, eventually reaching Walden, were we worked on Adams Ranch for Don and Judy. They were amazing! Judy must have cooked 5 or 6 incredible meals for us, making sure we were stuffed before leaving! We painted their front porch for them, in preparation for their daughters wedding. With nine sets of hands, mammoth jobs seem minuscule. Once the deck was a shiny new red, we stepped inside for yet another meal, and some soccer! Don and Judy allowed us to use their television to watch the semi-finals of the world cup. They were some of the sweetest people we have encountered on our journey.
The dissent out of the Rockies…
We heard this will be the downhill of our life. 60 miles of non-stop down hill, taking us almost right in to Fort Collins. The decent was extraordinary; the canyons, mountain peaks, rivers, lakes, everything! All of it was so incredibly beautiful, it was hard to believe. Near the bottom of the down-hill, we went through an area known by the locals as the “narrows.” Unfortunately, this area changed the day completely. Maddy took a turn a little too quickly, hit some gravel and went down. She suffered a concussion and minor road rash. While riding, we make sure to have regular stops with our SAG vehicle, this is exactly why. Maddy is doing great now, riding like a champ!
In Fort Collins we stayed with the Greyrocks Community. Community dinners occur regularly their, where most of the community meets in the common house to share a meal. This gave us the opportunity to educate people about our ride, and why we were there. A woman from the local P-Flag chapter also came out to visit with us. We have been so lucky to come across such remarkable people on this ride; the generosity has really amazed me.
Boulder:
Coincidentally, my Uncle Bob was in Boulder the day we arrived! I got to see him briefly, which was nice. Later that day, we were invited to an art showing for the OASIS youth group. Photos hung from the wall of this small coffee shop, the youth artists were there proudly displaying them to those who cam through. We talked to a few of the artists about the organization, and where the money was going; Oasis is a LGBTQ youth safe place and support group, and the artists where all youth who were involved in the organization. The money went to the artist’s themselves, as well as the organization. We were able to have an educational exchange with the youth about issues affecting their community as well as issues we have encountered on this ride.
It had been a while since we had entered a larger town, so we headed out on the town for the evening. Kat and Cole’s friends both met us at the Mountain Sun for local food (THANKS Uncle Bob!!!!). We had a great time! Betty’s, our host from RMPJ, husband was playing folk music at a local coffee shop later that night, so we walked over there to experience some “music of the movement.”
Riding to Strasburg, two previous Bike Aid riders joined us. James, from last year, and Justine from 2004, were our unexpected saviors for the day. They brought their friend Matt with some treats for the road. Right as they pulled up to us, so did a man in a red truck. The man informed us that one of our riders was down, and he was there to let our SAG vehicle know. Just a reminder, this is only two days after Maddy’s fall! Stephanie fell and also got a concussion, and a few scrapes. Everyone is in good health now, and we are feeling great!!
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