We rode the Katy trail for the rest of Missouri, up until the entrance to St. Louis.  We stopped in the two small, cute towns of Columbia and Marthasville.  Missouri was hilly, and very green.  In Columbia, we stayed on a small farm outside of the city.  A man named Mike and his son Gabe took care of the farm, where chickens and one particularly angry rooster scrambled about he yard.  This rooster would not back down like most animals of his size.  When one stepped towards him, he would do the same, and unfortunately, he took that to the next level with Kat.  Kat, who has been around many roosters in her day, figured the rooster would just move away if she walked through the pack to get to the van, however, she was wrong.  The rooster took an aggressive peck at the tendon on the back of Kat’s knee, puncturing a good size hole back there.  Kat is fine now, it did however, take her out of one day of riding!

The next day we were in Marthasville, a small town the Katy trail passed through.  We stayed at a community sports complex.  Our hosts were great, Don and Velva took great care of us. We continued on to St. Louis the next day, a place I have been looking forward to.  We rode in about four days after the huge storm had hit, so there was a good deal of debris on the streets, and many stop lights were out.  Most of the city wad been cleaned up, but there were areas that had not been helped yet, and were covered with fallen branches and trees.  We arrived at the Boys and Girls club to find hundreds of wild children running around.  The head of the club explained to us that many of them had not had power for almost a week, so they were extra antsy.  They were great kids; they instantly latched on to us, and in about two minutes of being there, I had a whole salon styling team on my hair!  We played four square and dodge ball, and worked on theater performances with them.  We definitely enjoyed it.  In St. Louis, we also did some tourist activities, like visit the arch and the Mississippi. 

We crossed the Mississippi river into Illinois on our longest day yet.  We rode over 125 miles into Effingham IL, to stay at a city park, right next to a little league game.  So, we got some snickers bars and snow cones and watched Little league when we got there!  Since we rolled into town at about 5:30, the stay was brief in Effingham, which I didn’t mind.  In the morning we left early and set out to Terre Haute IN.  To greet us into town was the Federal execution site for death row.  Terre Haute was not the most welcoming town; however, we stayed in a beautiful park east of the town, where there were no barbed wire fences.  Elijah had heard some noises coming from his front derailer all day, so when he arrived at the park, he went to check things out to find that his bike frame had snapped.  For those of you who don’t know, I had this same experience last December with the same bike manufacturer, KHS.  The down tube just snapped poor Elijah had to have this happen while we are biking across the country where it is much more difficult to fix.  We spent the next 3 days looking for a new frame to rebuild his bike, but nothing was coming through. Eventually, he bought a new bike for a great deal, and is now riding better than ever.  Unfortunately, it was a frustrating experience to work with KHS due tot heir poor customer service skills and the lack of backing of their product.  Clearly, this was a product malfunction, and they were complete jerks about the way they handled it with him, as well as with me.  (I am sorry, as you can tell, I am very perturbed by KHS and the way they have handled this situation).

 

Although Kansas City is part in Kansas, many in this area claim everything good is in Missouri.  The state line was anticlimactic; there wasn’t a welcome to Missouri sign, just a lonely “Stateline St” on the corner.  We hosted by the Unitarian Church.  They put us up the in Art institute of Kansas City’s dorms were we all got our own rooms and beds! This is the first time we have had our own space over the duration of this trip.  It was strange, and I felt a little lonely, but I have to say it was nice. 

While in Kansas City, we set up some great projects.  A woman named Jolie Justus is the first openly out lesbian running for Senate in the state of Missouri.  She is running on a platform of social justice (her name is very fitting), education, and health care reform.  We found out about here through the local LGTBQ community center.  Attending a campaign event at a local bar, we met with Jolie and decided to help with her campaign.  We also helped the LGTBQ youth center clean their space.  We met with the youth that go to the center, talking to them about our ride and issues that affect them.  It was great to engage is discussions with the people that will be the future for this movement. 

Since Kansas City, we have been to Knob Knoster State Park, were a group from Central Missouri Student University met up with us.  They were part of the Queer group on campus, and had come out to inquire about our ride.  Some of us went out to get drinks with them that night, and got to know the town of Warrensburg well. 

Yesterday, we rode into Boonville and were greeted by our hosts with the Avalon Church of Nature; a Pagan church in the middle of the forest.  It was a breathtaking place.  The 150 acres of beautiful land hosted two gardens, outdoor showers, a swimming pool, all sorts of animals and beautiful old buildings.  The people were great and very hospitable.  Our rides have now switched from roads to Rails to Trails, bike paths on old railroads.  It has been a refreshing break to get away from traffic for a few days!

The last few days in Kansas were incredible! I felt like were we really connecting with the communities we were going through.  In Manhattan KS, we were hosted by MAPJ (Manhattan Alliance for Peace and Justice). They set up a pot luck and educational exchange for us with the community.  There was a large turnout for the event, considering we are in a fairly conservative area of the country.  We discussed everything about our ride from the logistics of a ride like, to the in depth politics of our theme.  We stayed in home stays, a few riders with each different member of MAPJ.  Elija and I stayed with Ana, a yoga teacher in Manhattan.  She was great; not only did we get to discuss our ride and MAPJ with her, but I was able to discuss the Yoga with her (which I haven’t been able to do for a while now!).  Our next and last town in Kansas was Lawrence, a typical college town.  Although we were not able to connect with any of the groups at the university like we were hoping, we were able to work for the Jubilee Cafe.  The Jubilee Cafe is a cafe that is set up in the basement of a church in downtown to feed the hungry.  However, it isn't your typical food kitchen; it is set up to serve the customers in the same manner a normal cafe would.  The server caters to the customer.  So we cooked the food, took orders from the customers, and brought out their food.  Once everyone was served, we were able to sit down and talk to everyone.  One customer, Larry, really made an impression on me.  He was an exceedingly kind man; he told me stories of his daily life on the street as well as the lives of his children.  I enjoyed talking with him, and experiencing his optimism and light.

 

 

Welcome to the heartland!  Let me start off by saying, Kansa is incredible!  Everyone told me I would hate Kansas, but it has been one of the best states so far. 

The day we left Colorado, we rode out of Joes for about 30 miles to the Kansas border.  It was a cloudy day with strong head winds.  Literally, the moment we reached the Kansas border, the skies cleared and wind settled a bit.  People began waving at us, rather than blaring their horns; drivers waited for an opportune time to pass, rather than speeding past with little room to spare!  Kansas welcomed us nicely.

We rode in to St Francis that night, and stayed at a United Methodist Church.  Ruth, Jo, and a few others cooked an amazing meal with fresh picked veggies and home made breads for us.  They showed us the garden where the vegetables were picked, and lead us to the city swimming pool.  A moment that really sums up Kansas was when we were walking home from the garden.  Steph, Maddy, Monkey, and I were strolling up the middle of the street, and an older woman on her porch yelled out, “how was the spaghetti?” Most of St. Francis knew we were coming and what we had planned for our stay their.  They are some of the sweetest people I have encountered.

The rest of Kansas has been similar.  The drivers have been so friendly, and allowed us optimum room on the roads.  However, many people did lead me to believe we would have favorably winds in Kansas, but this is not the case.  We have had a head wind almost the whole way across!  Other than the winds, the weather has been pretty nice, up until our ride into Beloit.  This was the first day we had to ride in weather of 103 degrees and higher.  It was absolutely brutal!  I have never felt like that before, and I hope I never have to again!

We are now in Salina, doing a project with the Land Institute (and organization doing research on  perennial farming and its effects on soil degredation and erosion).  Salina has surprised us; there is a natural food store and the first bicyclists we have seen since Colorado.  All in all, Kansas has treated us so well.  It has changed my stereotype of the Midwest, and made me realize how many wonderful people there are in this country.  Surprisingly, we have also discussed our theme with many of the people we have encountered, and they have listened and not tuned us out! 

 

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!! 

Many of you believed, as well as myself, that I was leaving San Francisco today (the 13th).  We actually left on the 10th, and are currently in Davis, CA!  I came to the library at the University to hopefully post some pictures, however, the computers wont allow me to do so since I can't sign in.  I will try to do that as soon as possible, I appologize.

We started our trip off with a beautiful ride from San Francisco to Sabastopol CA.  The chemisrty between our group was amazing; I have never felt so in tune with 8 other individuals as I have on this trip. When we arrived in Sabastopol, we stayed at Laguna Farms.  This is an organic/living food and CSA  farm, along with an alternative energy co-op.There were so many progressive actions being taken there.  We sat under a huge oak tree with Scott, the owner of the farm, to discuss the importance of alternative evergy and how we can utilize the most sustainable form.  We then made a fabulous dinner with fresh veggies from the farm; we even got to take a shower in the outdoor facilities!  The next day we had a very leasurly ride to Sanoma.  Around 2, we stopped for some wine tasting with our lunch. (We are in wine country, we had to take advantage!)  When we arrived in Sanoma, we went to a community garden party were, again, we indulged in some delicious wine made by our host.  While eating dinner with the  members of the community garden we were able to discuss a lot of the issues we are riding for.  Our group inpired discussions spanning empowering queer commuinities to the use sustainable farming practices. 

The next day was the longest ride yet, riding a grueling 80 miles with about 4000 ft. of cumulative climing.  Our group did fantastic!  Everyone pulled through with smiling faces and hungry stomachs.

When we arrived in Davis, there was a change in plans.  Unfortunatley the organization we were going to do a project with here suffered a loss of a very special student in a car accident right before we arrived.  So, we are staying at a student community living co-operative called "the Domes."    A community garden flourishes on the west side of the 10 domes, with a bike church holding down the center of the grounds.These domes are on campus living, devoted to non-violent principles and promoting community living. Because today was a project day, we helped them clean up the bike church and clear and area near the garden. 

I appologize for the brief update, I plan to post pictures and spend more time writting soon. I hope all is well with everyone.  Take care

Emma

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