Sunday. Another day of rest. It's a warm one here in Payson, and we saw a thunderstorm roll through this afternoon that almost took some tents off the field in the process.
We've been waking up early, despite the relaxed schedule. We're all finding that it's too hot to stay in our tents past 6:30am. So we're up and about, waiting for breakfast, which is served at 8am. I spent some time reading and stretching before that time came.
This morning we were given the option of attending one of two local churches that welcomed us. I chose to attend Shepherd of the Pines Lutheran Church, which was a mere block away from our 'campsite'. The host congregation was most welcoming, and I think we nearly doubled their typical attendance. After the service we had a potluck lunch, and loaded up on brat's and a plethora of salads.
We've been hiding out at Dimi's coffee shop for the afternoon, escaping the heat and the storm. This afternoon we may return to the movie theatre to see "Man of Steel." Yesterday we saw the matinee of "Monster's University" to get us out of the sun for a few hours. Ice cream followed, and we took over the coffee table in the shop to play Bananagrams (I owned three of five rounds).
Karel just rolled in and told me my tent blew away in the wind, so I'll be rolling out real quick to check on the damage... Apparently it didn't rain much, so stuff should be dry.
No pictures to post today as we're doing more the same - relaxing and bonding. The people I meet keep surprising me with their awesomeness and depth of caring.
A few of us are planning a ride tomorrow - potentially up hwy 87 to Strawberry and back - something like 50 miles with a bunch of climbing. We'll be up early to beat the heat and the traffic, but we figure because it's a Monday morning the road won't be too crazy.
The wrist is really sore today, so I would definitely appreciate continued prayer for flexibility and healing.
That's all for now folks...
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Day 6 - Chillin' in Payson
Today we sit in coffee shops and do laundry.
No other plans for the day except stay cool and eat some food. Tomorrow we may ride and find a church. Monday we may hike...
That's it, that's all for today!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Day 5 - Disappointment
This post will be out of order, but I'll post yesterday's when I get my tablet to a place with Internet.
I'm posting from my phone in a coffee shop in Payson, AZ. Yes, we're at Monday's destination already. The ride has been suspended after our arrival in Quartzsite, AZ due to crazy high temperatures. There is an extreme temperature warning in effect for the Phoenix area all weekend. Highs are expected (and are) in the upper 40's. With these extreme temperatures the tour organizers have deccided that it's not safe to be out on the roads, and we were shuttled to Payson this morning. We're killing time now, waiting for the gear truck to arrive so we can set up camp.
The organizers rented a tractor trailer to carry all the bikes to Payson, and our two tractors will make a double run today to bring the gear and kitchen trailers as well. And we have three days to kill in this small town. A 50-passenger coach was also chartered to bring all the riders into town, too.
The mood in camp is somewhat disappointed, but somewhat relieved. The heat really is ridiculous. And Monday's ride into Payson was supposed to be some 140 kilometers with 10,000ft of climbing. And driving that road today, it maybe was a good idea to cancel that stage. Some of the stronger riders could have made it with SAG support, but it would have been tough.
I am personally quite disappointed as now we won't be able to claim we've ridden all the way across the country. A few of the other riders are talking about making up the missing distances in the next three days, but it's not quite the same. But so be it. There is still the general consensus in camp that this was the right decision.
The drive out of Phoenix was gorgeous. I can't post pictures from here, but hope to soon. The change in vegetation from Phoenix climbing into Payson was extreme: desert down below, and desert but plenty of greenery up where we sit. And the temp is a pleasant 103F.
Sitting in this coffee shop, we just played a game of Dutch Bingo (my first real attempt this trip) and I won! Turns out another rider from Hamilton, Alexa Lemstra, is the grand-daughter of my maternal grandma's brother (John?). Carry Kooy was on hand to catch the moment of second-cousin revelation...
I'll try and blog again in the next day or two, but priority one will be laundry and priority two is riding! We're in the mountains and want to make the most of it.
Thanks for all your prayers and words of encouragement so far... Keep praying as we forge ahead.
I'm posting from my phone in a coffee shop in Payson, AZ. Yes, we're at Monday's destination already. The ride has been suspended after our arrival in Quartzsite, AZ due to crazy high temperatures. There is an extreme temperature warning in effect for the Phoenix area all weekend. Highs are expected (and are) in the upper 40's. With these extreme temperatures the tour organizers have deccided that it's not safe to be out on the roads, and we were shuttled to Payson this morning. We're killing time now, waiting for the gear truck to arrive so we can set up camp.
The organizers rented a tractor trailer to carry all the bikes to Payson, and our two tractors will make a double run today to bring the gear and kitchen trailers as well. And we have three days to kill in this small town. A 50-passenger coach was also chartered to bring all the riders into town, too.
The mood in camp is somewhat disappointed, but somewhat relieved. The heat really is ridiculous. And Monday's ride into Payson was supposed to be some 140 kilometers with 10,000ft of climbing. And driving that road today, it maybe was a good idea to cancel that stage. Some of the stronger riders could have made it with SAG support, but it would have been tough.
I am personally quite disappointed as now we won't be able to claim we've ridden all the way across the country. A few of the other riders are talking about making up the missing distances in the next three days, but it's not quite the same. But so be it. There is still the general consensus in camp that this was the right decision.
The drive out of Phoenix was gorgeous. I can't post pictures from here, but hope to soon. The change in vegetation from Phoenix climbing into Payson was extreme: desert down below, and desert but plenty of greenery up where we sit. And the temp is a pleasant 103F.
Sitting in this coffee shop, we just played a game of Dutch Bingo (my first real attempt this trip) and I won! Turns out another rider from Hamilton, Alexa Lemstra, is the grand-daughter of my maternal grandma's brother (John?). Carry Kooy was on hand to catch the moment of second-cousin revelation...
I'll try and blog again in the next day or two, but priority one will be laundry and priority two is riding! We're in the mountains and want to make the most of it.
Thanks for all your prayers and words of encouragement so far... Keep praying as we forge ahead.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Day 4 - Desert Center, CA to Quartzsite, AZ
Daily Stats:
Time: 4h41m49sDistance: 120.59km
Avg Spd: 25.7km/hr
Climbing: 482m
Wow. That's all I can say. Once again, today was hot. 95F at 10am, 105F at the heat of the day. It's nuts to think about what we did today. Our role as sweep team was altered today as they did not want people out on the roads for any longer than necessary. Rather than having to follow the slowest rider back to camp today, we were allowed to ride at our own pace and a volunteer in a truck followed the last rider. I don't think it is a luxury that will be maintained, but today it was necessary. After cleaning up the breakfast food, we threw all the bags on the gear truck and were out of camp at 6:10am - nearly an hour after the first cyclists had left.
The ride was actually gorgeous. The desert is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's so dead, yet there is life in it. And the mountains that border it give it an even more desolate feel, as though they are the walls that keep the tumbleweed from venturing too far from home.
Yet in the middle of the desert - actually right on the border of California & Arizona - there were fields of green that added a distinctly pleasant aroma to change up the smell of dust we've been bombarded with since leaving the beach.
Crossing the Colorado River I got my first flat of the tour. Front wheel. No clue what I hit. We took a picture at the sign for the river (on someone else's camera), and I patched up the tube on the side of the road. Ten minutes later we were underway again.
The last hill of the day was almost 10km long, and I was dreading it as we approached. But as we went up, the expected resistance never came in the intensity I expected. Looking down at my Garmin (GPS), I noted the hill was only 0 or 1%, but I swear it looked like it should be 4-5%.
SAG today was unbelievable... the volunteers were on their A-game with tons of water, sports-drinks, ice and damp towels. From the second we rolled into a stop (nearly six over the course of the route) they were all over the riders looking for signs of dehydration and fatigue. It would have been exceptionally difficult to do this ride (if not impossible) without their help.
At the pelaton meeting last night we were warned that our campsite for today was nothing but a green field with no shade. They had lined up a senior's center that had air conditioning for us to hang out at, but encouraged everyone to book a hotel room at the Super 8. We would have to spend our afternoon relying on the A/C of others - McDonalds, Subway, etc... Imagine our surprise when we rolled up today and saw a beautiful hall right next to our sports field, and it had been opened up to us to sleep in! This, indeed, is a gift from God. There is no pool and no showers at the facility, but we made good use of the hose outside to clean up. Laundry and pay showers are available a short car-ride away, so I'd like to wash some clothes if I can.
Haven't had our pelaton meeting yet today, so no clue what accommodations are like tomorrow, but I'm praying for real showers. With a little luck we'll have a quick day and can escape the heat again.
Alrighty... that's it for today. I really love seeing the comments below, and really, really love hearing from any and all of you readers.
Stay cool, my friends.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Day 3 - Coachella, CA to Desert Center, CA
Daily Stats:
Time: 3h31m35s
Distance: 99.99km
Avg spd: 28.4km/hr
Climbing: 663m
What a crazy little town... a golf course, community center, population of 125, and a combination Firehall-Library and a (man-made) lake in the middle of the desert. But desert Center, CA, despite it's size, is our oasis from the heat. We are blessed again with a lake to swim in, pool to swim in, and an air-conditioned community center (with Wi-Fi!) to sleep and relax in.
Believe it or not, this is the road 1km from camp::
The ride went according to plant today - we were on the road by 5:45am, and rolled into 'camp' around 10:20am. The heat wasn't outrageous by that point, but it was certainly heading that direction. Riders who just arrived claimed temperatures of 117F (47C) radiating off the pavement.
My wrist was really tight and sore leaving camp this morning, and it was super tough to roll my sleeping bag and tenting gear. But two Advil and time on the bike helped loosen it up. We prayed for it before we left camp this morning, and will continue to do so going forward. I highly doubt it will be significant enough to sideline me for any amount of time, and that is a huge relief. I'd very much still appreciate all your prayers going forward.
Leaving Coachella as the sun came up was absolutely beautiful. We rode past more vineyards, with the locals up at the crack of dawn to pick in the cool of the early day.
We then climbed a beautiful, steady 3% grade Box Canyon and to the I-10. I've never seen geography like what we're seeing, and it's all blowing me away.
Internet access has proven to be difficult to come by, mostly because we end up in places pretty far from (out of walking distance) coffee shops or McDonalds. My apologies for the not keeping up, but it will likely be this way for a little while.
Tomorrow we hit Arizona. It's gonna be hot, so we'll start early again. I'm on the sweep team, which means I'm on the team that helps put out dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow, and cleans up camp after everyone leaves. Being the last to leave also means I'll likely be one of the last guys to arrive, as we'll need to collect the slower riders, and people who have had mechanical problems. With any luck, we'll all be back in camp by 1pm...
Sleep has been tough to get. I'm certainly not getting enough hours of sleep, and it likely won't change. I'd also appreciate all sorts of prayer for finding respite whenever possible.
Alright... time to see what help is needed in the kitchen.
Distance: 99.99km
Avg spd: 28.4km/hr
Climbing: 663m
What a crazy little town... a golf course, community center, population of 125, and a combination Firehall-Library and a (man-made) lake in the middle of the desert. But desert Center, CA, despite it's size, is our oasis from the heat. We are blessed again with a lake to swim in, pool to swim in, and an air-conditioned community center (with Wi-Fi!) to sleep and relax in.
Believe it or not, this is the road 1km from camp::
And this is our point of refuge:
The ride went according to plant today - we were on the road by 5:45am, and rolled into 'camp' around 10:20am. The heat wasn't outrageous by that point, but it was certainly heading that direction. Riders who just arrived claimed temperatures of 117F (47C) radiating off the pavement.
Leaving Coachella as the sun came up was absolutely beautiful. We rode past more vineyards, with the locals up at the crack of dawn to pick in the cool of the early day.
We then climbed a beautiful, steady 3% grade Box Canyon and to the I-10. I've never seen geography like what we're seeing, and it's all blowing me away.
Internet access has proven to be difficult to come by, mostly because we end up in places pretty far from (out of walking distance) coffee shops or McDonalds. My apologies for the not keeping up, but it will likely be this way for a little while.
Tomorrow we hit Arizona. It's gonna be hot, so we'll start early again. I'm on the sweep team, which means I'm on the team that helps put out dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow, and cleans up camp after everyone leaves. Being the last to leave also means I'll likely be one of the last guys to arrive, as we'll need to collect the slower riders, and people who have had mechanical problems. With any luck, we'll all be back in camp by 1pm...
Sleep has been tough to get. I'm certainly not getting enough hours of sleep, and it likely won't change. I'd also appreciate all sorts of prayer for finding respite whenever possible.
Alright... time to see what help is needed in the kitchen.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Day 2 - Redlands, CA to Coachella
Daily Stats:
Time: 4h17m57s
Distance: 125.83km
Avg Spd: 29.3km/hr
Climbing: 768m
Welcome to the desert! Holy, moly did we get cooked today. After the heat today, everyone is freaking out about the next four days as we face hotter, less windy days as we enter the deeper desert. Temperatures were around 95 F by 10am. While we were on Highway 111, the wind kept us cool. But when we entered Palm Springs, it felt like the temperature sky-rocketed. Stopping at stoplights was the worst, as the heat would radiate from the pavement.
Hydration was crucial. I probably consumed 5L of water in a 4-hour period of riding, alternating bottles of water with bottles of electrolyte supplements. Don't think I got too sunburn - maybe a little on the nose.
Aside from the heat, today's ride was gorgeous - a climb out of Redlands, followed by a lengthy downhill run into camp.
Tonight we stay at Jordon's Outreach Center - a beautiful facility (with a pool!) The staff there offered to open up their gymnasium to us to help escape the heat, and in the afternoon it was a welcome promise of cooler temperatures by evening. But by the time the sun went down, the gym was hotter than it was outside. We all quickly set up our tents without the flies, and are camping out on the baseball diamond behind the main building. The breeze is brisk, and provides a marginal cooling effect. I got cooked last night, and we got hit with heavy dew, and woke up with a soaking wet tent. Tonight the fly is off, and I'm trying to balance the delicate line between comfort and modesty with the mesh windows to my tent.
I'm kicking myself and nursing a sore wrist tonight as I took a slight tumble in Palm Springs when we pulled over to get some stuff from Target. I entered a parking lot via a sloped concrete ramp and ironically slipped on the only water in all of Palm Springs that had collected at the base of the ramp. The water on the polished concrete was like ice, and my front wheel shot out from under me. I wasn't going very fast, so the damage wasn't too bad. I've got a bit of a shiner on my hip (can I call it a shiner if it's not on my eye?), and my wrist is quite sore. I had our 'in house' doctor, Ava, take a quick look at it and it does not appear to be broken. I've been taking ibuprofin and icing it, so I'm hoping it will be well enough to ride on tomorrow. I was able to make it the 20km to camp without too much discomfort, so it is looking good. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it, and would really appreciate your prayers for quick recovery.
Riding buddies were Brandon and Karel again. Dave joined for a bit, but had some knee trouble, so peeled off to ride with a slower rider needing a buddy.
Flat count at peloton meeting tonight was 21! Brandon flatted at 2.85km in - we had barely gotten rolling and he picked up some glass rolling out of Redlands. We got directed onto a terrible "bike path" that ran parallel to the I-10 for maybe a kilometer. But it was a downhill stretch, and the road was in terrible condition, with giant cracks spanning the width of the road every 20m. Karel hit one hard at 30km/h and pinch flatted bad. Likely half of the flats today occurred on this short stretch of road. I'd call it the "Road from hell", but it took us away from Redlands which was actually a gorgeous valley full of fruit orchards (oranges and grapes). I'd call this road the "Road to hell", but this stretch led us to a great segment of brand new pavement, where we were able to cruise at 50km/h with barely any effort.
We went through Palm Springs, which is ridiculously hot, with minimal respite. We stopped at the visitor center, and were overwhelmed by the heat after the fast cruising.
Tomorrow we're expecting more heat as we venture further into the desert, so we're getting up early. The alarm clock is set for 4:30am, and we hope to be riding by 5:30, and in camp by noon to beat the heat of the day. We're staying at a golf course with a community center (pool) nearby, so I am already looking forward to the next chance to swim.
So, at 9:09pm of day 2, it's time to say 'goodnight.'
Time: 4h17m57s
Distance: 125.83km
Avg Spd: 29.3km/hr
Climbing: 768m
Welcome to the desert! Holy, moly did we get cooked today. After the heat today, everyone is freaking out about the next four days as we face hotter, less windy days as we enter the deeper desert. Temperatures were around 95 F by 10am. While we were on Highway 111, the wind kept us cool. But when we entered Palm Springs, it felt like the temperature sky-rocketed. Stopping at stoplights was the worst, as the heat would radiate from the pavement.
Hydration was crucial. I probably consumed 5L of water in a 4-hour period of riding, alternating bottles of water with bottles of electrolyte supplements. Don't think I got too sunburn - maybe a little on the nose.
Aside from the heat, today's ride was gorgeous - a climb out of Redlands, followed by a lengthy downhill run into camp.
Tonight we stay at Jordon's Outreach Center - a beautiful facility (with a pool!) The staff there offered to open up their gymnasium to us to help escape the heat, and in the afternoon it was a welcome promise of cooler temperatures by evening. But by the time the sun went down, the gym was hotter than it was outside. We all quickly set up our tents without the flies, and are camping out on the baseball diamond behind the main building. The breeze is brisk, and provides a marginal cooling effect. I got cooked last night, and we got hit with heavy dew, and woke up with a soaking wet tent. Tonight the fly is off, and I'm trying to balance the delicate line between comfort and modesty with the mesh windows to my tent.
I'm kicking myself and nursing a sore wrist tonight as I took a slight tumble in Palm Springs when we pulled over to get some stuff from Target. I entered a parking lot via a sloped concrete ramp and ironically slipped on the only water in all of Palm Springs that had collected at the base of the ramp. The water on the polished concrete was like ice, and my front wheel shot out from under me. I wasn't going very fast, so the damage wasn't too bad. I've got a bit of a shiner on my hip (can I call it a shiner if it's not on my eye?), and my wrist is quite sore. I had our 'in house' doctor, Ava, take a quick look at it and it does not appear to be broken. I've been taking ibuprofin and icing it, so I'm hoping it will be well enough to ride on tomorrow. I was able to make it the 20km to camp without too much discomfort, so it is looking good. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it, and would really appreciate your prayers for quick recovery.
Riding buddies were Brandon and Karel again. Dave joined for a bit, but had some knee trouble, so peeled off to ride with a slower rider needing a buddy.
Flat count at peloton meeting tonight was 21! Brandon flatted at 2.85km in - we had barely gotten rolling and he picked up some glass rolling out of Redlands. We got directed onto a terrible "bike path" that ran parallel to the I-10 for maybe a kilometer. But it was a downhill stretch, and the road was in terrible condition, with giant cracks spanning the width of the road every 20m. Karel hit one hard at 30km/h and pinch flatted bad. Likely half of the flats today occurred on this short stretch of road. I'd call it the "Road from hell", but it took us away from Redlands which was actually a gorgeous valley full of fruit orchards (oranges and grapes). I'd call this road the "Road to hell", but this stretch led us to a great segment of brand new pavement, where we were able to cruise at 50km/h with barely any effort.
We went through Palm Springs, which is ridiculously hot, with minimal respite. We stopped at the visitor center, and were overwhelmed by the heat after the fast cruising.
Tomorrow we're expecting more heat as we venture further into the desert, so we're getting up early. The alarm clock is set for 4:30am, and we hope to be riding by 5:30, and in camp by noon to beat the heat of the day. We're staying at a golf course with a community center (pool) nearby, so I am already looking forward to the next chance to swim.
So, at 9:09pm of day 2, it's time to say 'goodnight.'
Monday, June 24, 2013
Day 1 - Costa Mesa, CA to Redlands, CA
Daily Stats:
Time: 4h14m47s
Distance: 111.76km
Avg Spd: 26.3km/hr
Climbing: 783m
Rode today with Karel van Klaveren (Sarnia, ON) and Brandon Haan (Lansing, IL).
We started the day in rain/mist, which lasted for a good 1.5hrs. By the first SAG (Support And Gear) stop the water had given way to overcast cover. We followed the gorgeous, but somewhat dead Santa Ana River Trail for virtually all of the day, with a small detour to see some wonderful folks at Hope CRC. This trail is a beautifully smooth, paved bike path that runs alongside the spillway. Perhaps it is sometimes a river, but it wasn't very full of water today.
Karel flatted with a bent valve stem at km 3.5 - barely out of Vanguard University. It took a good 10 minutes to get back on the road again.
Tonight we stay at Redlands Christian School. A big open baseball field is our homebase. Dinner of chicken, scalloped potatoes, and a great broccoli salad rounded things out. Today was also Al DeKock's birthday (our tour manager), so ice cream was served.
A quick game of cards after ice cream, and all of a sudden it's 9:30pm and time for bed. Tomorrow we'll grab breakfast at 6:30am and hit the road by 7:30am.
Met Fred & Linda Nordam today, too - a elementary school friend of my dad's, and close friends of the Zwaagstras. Spent a good 20-minutes catching Fred up with all the family stories while I cleaned the wet road grime from the bike and lubed the chain
Alrighty. 10pm. I'm tired, but the legs feel good. We'll see how things go tomorrow!
Time: 4h14m47s
Distance: 111.76km
Avg Spd: 26.3km/hr
Climbing: 783m
Rode today with Karel van Klaveren (Sarnia, ON) and Brandon Haan (Lansing, IL).
We started the day in rain/mist, which lasted for a good 1.5hrs. By the first SAG (Support And Gear) stop the water had given way to overcast cover. We followed the gorgeous, but somewhat dead Santa Ana River Trail for virtually all of the day, with a small detour to see some wonderful folks at Hope CRC. This trail is a beautifully smooth, paved bike path that runs alongside the spillway. Perhaps it is sometimes a river, but it wasn't very full of water today.
Karel flatted with a bent valve stem at km 3.5 - barely out of Vanguard University. It took a good 10 minutes to get back on the road again.
Tonight we stay at Redlands Christian School. A big open baseball field is our homebase. Dinner of chicken, scalloped potatoes, and a great broccoli salad rounded things out. Today was also Al DeKock's birthday (our tour manager), so ice cream was served.
A quick game of cards after ice cream, and all of a sudden it's 9:30pm and time for bed. Tomorrow we'll grab breakfast at 6:30am and hit the road by 7:30am.
Met Fred & Linda Nordam today, too - a elementary school friend of my dad's, and close friends of the Zwaagstras. Spent a good 20-minutes catching Fred up with all the family stories while I cleaned the wet road grime from the bike and lubed the chain
Alrighty. 10pm. I'm tired, but the legs feel good. We'll see how things go tomorrow!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Day 0 - Tire Dipping!
Sunday in California. Day two on Vanguard University campus. This place is beautiful. And the people I'm meeting on the tour are loads of fun.
I didn't post yesterday, but it was a pretty chill day. Brendan and I rode up to visit Jesse at Adrenaline Bikes - the guy I bought my bike from back in April. He had a few spare tires for me, as well as a new saddle, and I wanted to meet the man behind the emails and phone calls that led to the new bike. What was supposed to be an easy ride turned into a 3-hour, 70km trek with stops at two other bikes shops and dinner at In-N-Out Burger. Not a bad way to explore Orange County and Costa Mesa.
Saturday after dinner we had our first peleton meeting, learning some basic rules of the road and expected etiquette as we ride and represent the Sea to Sea organization.
Today, we started with a leisurely breakfast, followed by a short safety briefing, then we had time to tweak our bikes, mingle and participate in a quick safe bike-handling test. I took this time to snap a few pictures of camp life... although this really is luxury camping.
This is home base in parking lot: the camping trailer on the left will follow us and serve as the home base for tour organizers. The center trailer is loaded with a big water tank for essential hydration in the dessert and will haul misc gear. The gear trailer on the right is where all our clothes and camping gear get stored and transported from our morning site to our evening destinations.
My life for the next nine weeks is stuffed into two laundry baskets. Cycling clothes on the left, casual clothes on the right. All other accessories stuffed somewhere in between.
After lunch today, we had a worship service led by a local church's praise band, then rode en-masse down to Newport Beach to have our "Tire Dipping" ceremony at the ocean. Here's me getting my feet wet.
And a shot of the Canadian crew - representing the Great White North. (From left to right: Sara, Stephen, Karel, Ava, Karyn, Matt, Zach)
Tomorrow we get this show on the road. After six months of talking and countless conversations about what to pack, how hot it will be, and how the steep hills will be impassible... it's finally time to ride.
The plan is to get up for breakfast at 7am, organize gear, and hit the road by 8am. Our route for tomorrow (and the rest of the tour) can be found at ridewithgps.com/groups/Sea-to-Sea-1. This late start time is a luxury, however, as we will be leaving camp by 7am on Tuesday, and by 6am on Wednesday to allow us to beat the heat through the scorching dessert days ahead.
Please continue to pray for us riders and volunteers as we begin riding... things get real tomorrow as dangers and trials will bombard us from all sides.
And just a reminder - this tour is about raising awareness and raising money for poverty relief. If you would like to know more about the tour, check out the Sea to Sea webpage. To donate, please visit my personal donation page.
I would also encourage and welcome your prayers for my friends and neighbors in Bowness and other areas of Calgary where I understand they are seeing river levels recede and are beginning the difficult task of clean-up, drying-out and repair. There are plenty of opportunities for the folks around there to be the hands and feet of God in the upcoming days.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
California!
Tonight I sit safe and dry in a dorm room at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California enjoying the cool evening breeze through the window of my fifth floor suite. Now I am relaxed. But it's been an absolutely crazy 36 hours.
It started yesterday... Thursday, I suppose. My first day of holidays. I intended to spend the day packing, and getting ready for my 9am flight on Friday morning. And I did spend the majority of the day doing just that. But around 5pm, things got interesting.
My bike had been carefully bubble wrapped and stuffed in a box. My camping gear was packed, and half my clothes were laid on the bed, ready to pack while the other half hung in the basement to dry after being laundered. And it's a good thing things were so organized.
Around 5:30pm we heard on the news, and were alerted by circling Police helicopters and a barrage of sirens that part of my neighborhood of Bowness was under an immediate evacuation order with the risk of flooding. The heavy rain over the past day had caused the level of the Bow River to raise past its banks, and the waters were starting to take over the streets. Our house is maybe 6-blocks off the river, and was not in immediate danger, but the water was rising and police officers were going door-to-door to make sure people were getting out. This video gives a little glimpse of the extent the river swelled.
I didn't sense there was an immediate danger of our house going under water, so I took ten minutes to madly pack all my clothing (wet and dry) into my suitcase, loaded my boxed bike into the car along with both duffel bags, then got out of the area.
Through the afternoon I was trying to coordinate getting a bike box to Ava so she could pack her bike, but she was experiencing all sorts of travel delays coming into Calgary from southern Alberta because of flooding in other areas. She finally made it to Calgary right around the time the evacuation order came down, and couldn't get into Bowness to retrieve the box. Without the box, there would be no getting her bike on a plane to get down to California to start the tour.
So... I somehow crammed a second bike box into the back of my little Subaru, and made my way over to her cousin's house where she was staying the night. She boxed her bike while I caught up with a few friends' whereabouts and well-being. I ended up crashing on her cousin's floor, and leaving my car on the street until it's safe to return to my house in Bowness.
Needless to say, all this hoop-la really threw my organized self for a loop. While I would normally have triple-checked my packing list, I barely glanced at it as I was stuffing clothes into my bag. (Having unpacked already, though, it looks as though I have too much stuff and nothing serious is missing).
With the flooding, plans to get to the airport Friday morning went out the window. Instead of catching a ride, we hired a cab to get us to the airport. It was about 25 minutes late picking us up, but we made it to the airport and checked our bags and bikes with time to spare. Definitely a stressful morning.
By 9am we were leaving the flooded city behind us, and on our way to Vancouver. Before long we were in blue skies.
Grey skies in Calgary
Blue skies above Vancouver
I haven't taken any pictures in California yet, but I love it here! The temperature is perfect and the greenery is gorgeous. Tomorrow we hope to go to the beach. And get to the bike shop to pick up spare tires and a new seat... maybe.
The bike survived the journey, and was assembled with minimal difficulty. I've met a ton of folks who are also riding, but none of whom have had a harrier time getting here than me!
After dinner, a few of us went to Patrick's Pub for a little "Canadian Bible Study", as one American friend called it.
We were back at VU by 10pm, where Sara B had just arrived. We all sat outside for another hour waiting for Ava's parents to show from LAX. It's a beautiful thing to be able to sit outside on a nice evening 'til the later hours of the night without being eaten alive by mosquitoes or freezing to death!
Anyway, now it's late into the evening and I need sleep. After crashing on the floor last night, I'm short on Zzzz's and need to catch up.
Tomorrow will be a lazy day, but it'll take much energy to meet all kinds of new faces.
One logistical note - my cell phone is with me, but will not be turned on to send or receive texts. If you would like to get in touch with me - send me an email: stephen.byl@gmail.com.
It started yesterday... Thursday, I suppose. My first day of holidays. I intended to spend the day packing, and getting ready for my 9am flight on Friday morning. And I did spend the majority of the day doing just that. But around 5pm, things got interesting.
My bike had been carefully bubble wrapped and stuffed in a box. My camping gear was packed, and half my clothes were laid on the bed, ready to pack while the other half hung in the basement to dry after being laundered. And it's a good thing things were so organized.
Around 5:30pm we heard on the news, and were alerted by circling Police helicopters and a barrage of sirens that part of my neighborhood of Bowness was under an immediate evacuation order with the risk of flooding. The heavy rain over the past day had caused the level of the Bow River to raise past its banks, and the waters were starting to take over the streets. Our house is maybe 6-blocks off the river, and was not in immediate danger, but the water was rising and police officers were going door-to-door to make sure people were getting out. This video gives a little glimpse of the extent the river swelled.
I didn't sense there was an immediate danger of our house going under water, so I took ten minutes to madly pack all my clothing (wet and dry) into my suitcase, loaded my boxed bike into the car along with both duffel bags, then got out of the area.
Through the afternoon I was trying to coordinate getting a bike box to Ava so she could pack her bike, but she was experiencing all sorts of travel delays coming into Calgary from southern Alberta because of flooding in other areas. She finally made it to Calgary right around the time the evacuation order came down, and couldn't get into Bowness to retrieve the box. Without the box, there would be no getting her bike on a plane to get down to California to start the tour.
So... I somehow crammed a second bike box into the back of my little Subaru, and made my way over to her cousin's house where she was staying the night. She boxed her bike while I caught up with a few friends' whereabouts and well-being. I ended up crashing on her cousin's floor, and leaving my car on the street until it's safe to return to my house in Bowness.
Needless to say, all this hoop-la really threw my organized self for a loop. While I would normally have triple-checked my packing list, I barely glanced at it as I was stuffing clothes into my bag. (Having unpacked already, though, it looks as though I have too much stuff and nothing serious is missing).
With the flooding, plans to get to the airport Friday morning went out the window. Instead of catching a ride, we hired a cab to get us to the airport. It was about 25 minutes late picking us up, but we made it to the airport and checked our bags and bikes with time to spare. Definitely a stressful morning.
By 9am we were leaving the flooded city behind us, and on our way to Vancouver. Before long we were in blue skies.
The bike survived the journey, and was assembled with minimal difficulty. I've met a ton of folks who are also riding, but none of whom have had a harrier time getting here than me!
After dinner, a few of us went to Patrick's Pub for a little "Canadian Bible Study", as one American friend called it.
We were back at VU by 10pm, where Sara B had just arrived. We all sat outside for another hour waiting for Ava's parents to show from LAX. It's a beautiful thing to be able to sit outside on a nice evening 'til the later hours of the night without being eaten alive by mosquitoes or freezing to death!
Anyway, now it's late into the evening and I need sleep. After crashing on the floor last night, I'm short on Zzzz's and need to catch up.
Tomorrow will be a lazy day, but it'll take much energy to meet all kinds of new faces.
One logistical note - my cell phone is with me, but will not be turned on to send or receive texts. If you would like to get in touch with me - send me an email: stephen.byl@gmail.com.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Five Sleeps 'til Departure!
Wow... once again I find myself amazed at how time flies as I can now count on one hand the number of days left until my flight to Orange County.
Despite the chaos, I'm finding myself closer to being ready for departure. I think the physical act of packing is further ahead than my mental preparations. I was thrown a curve-ball this week at work, as a job that was supposed to have me out of the office for one day kept me away for three and I now find myself with two less days to tie up loose ends and get things organized for my co-workers when I leave. Throw in a few late evenings and all of a sudden I haven't ridden my bike since Tuesday! I'll call it "tapering" the week before the big event, but know I'm not even fooling myself.
Last weekend was a quick trip to Kelowna to see some friends and family. I love the drive, and it was actually quite relaxing. The beauty of traveling in mid-June is that there's no one else on the roads and things are so green! I listened to two Oscar Wilde plays and realized he is not a feminist. At all. But he is funny.
The weekend in Kelowna was rushed, but well spent. I went for a long ride on Saturday, followed by an evening with Grandpa, Dave and Sherry, Amanda, Natalie and her new son Noah. Sunday morning Laurel and Nikki came by before church, then a whole slew of people were at the Kelowna CRC to talk to. It was a quick bit of lunch after church and a photo-op in the green backyard with Mom & Dad, then back on the road to Calgary. 54-hours after I left on Friday, I was crawling back into my bed to rest up for my last full week of work.
Last night my good friend Rich helped organize a BBQ to raise a little more cash for the Sea to Sea, and send me off in style. We dished out about 50 hamburgers and even more kabobs, and put our big back yard to good use. Despite the rain that started our evening, the turnout was great! And the donations were plentiful - $909.55!
I'd like say a big Thank-You! to everyone who came out, and also to those who came early to prep and stayed late to clean. It wouldn't have been such a great evening without everyone's help.
Looking forward, this week holds three more days of work, one day of packing, then a 9am flight to Vancouver, then on to Orange County.
Stay tuned to this site for more updates, and stories along the way. To make sure you don't miss an update, enter your email address in the box on the right to get new posts sent straight to your inbox.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Trial Run
Time is flying, folks - only 18 days until I fly to California, and 21 days until we ride!
This weekend I had my first taste of a multi-day bike trip as I participated in Ride For A Reason - a ride to raise money for Southern Alberta Bible Camp. I joined my friend Trina and fellow Sea-to-Sea buddy Ava for two of the three days of riding. While the whole crew rode from Banff to Cochrane on Friday, I put in a (half) day of work and rode to meet them in Cochrane in the afternoon. We spent the night in a church there, then hit the road for High River the next morning. Saturday was a 6.5-hr, 140km hilly day in the saddle (including some loop-back time to meet slower riders before lunch). Coffee, then pasta dinner in High River was perhaps the most delightful thing ever after a long day of riding on some beautiful secondary Alberta highways. Sunday we rode from High River to SABC (located just East of Champion). 109km of riding in 4h49m with some nasty wind from the north. We fought a cross-wind for 3/4 of the distance, but sailed at over 50km/hr for a good 40km stretch of road heading south.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience. It's too bad I couldn't join for the first day - although the rain they encountered did not sound enjoyable. I only got wet on Friday afternoon - the last 15 minutes of riding into Cochrane I was caught in a crazy downpour, and I swear there was some hail mixed in. It was quite the experience trying to dry out all the wet gear that evening.
A few things I learned, and good things to remember when packing time comes:
As you can see by all the red dots on the map below, all 62 days of riding have been sponsored! Some technical difficulties prevented me from being notified when donations were received, so I was a little behind in assigning days to donors.
If you've donated, but haven't received an email from me about which day is 'yours', click here to open the map in another window, and scroll down the list of places on the left to find your name.
View Sea to Sea 2013 in a larger map
One more piece of exciting news is the fundraising BBQ I mentioned in my last post... things have changed a little bit, but the below is the current information:
This weekend I had my first taste of a multi-day bike trip as I participated in Ride For A Reason - a ride to raise money for Southern Alberta Bible Camp. I joined my friend Trina and fellow Sea-to-Sea buddy Ava for two of the three days of riding. While the whole crew rode from Banff to Cochrane on Friday, I put in a (half) day of work and rode to meet them in Cochrane in the afternoon. We spent the night in a church there, then hit the road for High River the next morning. Saturday was a 6.5-hr, 140km hilly day in the saddle (including some loop-back time to meet slower riders before lunch). Coffee, then pasta dinner in High River was perhaps the most delightful thing ever after a long day of riding on some beautiful secondary Alberta highways. Sunday we rode from High River to SABC (located just East of Champion). 109km of riding in 4h49m with some nasty wind from the north. We fought a cross-wind for 3/4 of the distance, but sailed at over 50km/hr for a good 40km stretch of road heading south.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience. It's too bad I couldn't join for the first day - although the rain they encountered did not sound enjoyable. I only got wet on Friday afternoon - the last 15 minutes of riding into Cochrane I was caught in a crazy downpour, and I swear there was some hail mixed in. It was quite the experience trying to dry out all the wet gear that evening.
A few things I learned, and good things to remember when packing time comes:
- Earplugs are essential
- Shoes take a long time to dry. Stuffing them with newspaper or papertowel overnight helps a little bit.
- Racing is fun, but riding slower allows for time to connect with others
- Fixing/cleaning your bike in the evening is way less stressful than doing it in the morning
- Never let a rider face the wind alone
- Stretching is good, and I can't do it too much
- Tandems are fast
- Drink more water than you think is necessary (but not in the hour before bed)
- My bed at home is 1000x more comfortable than any air mattress. Bedtimes should be planned accordingly.
- Ears need sunscreen too
- Jackalopes are real
- Alberta has some beautiful landscape - especially along Hwy 762
- Volunteers often have a thankless job, but they make the ride so much better. Seeing people cheering riders along the way is a huge mental boost, especially on the flat, windy days.
As you can see by all the red dots on the map below, all 62 days of riding have been sponsored! Some technical difficulties prevented me from being notified when donations were received, so I was a little behind in assigning days to donors.
If you've donated, but haven't received an email from me about which day is 'yours', click here to open the map in another window, and scroll down the list of places on the left to find your name.
View Sea to Sea 2013 in a larger map
One more piece of exciting news is the fundraising BBQ I mentioned in my last post... things have changed a little bit, but the below is the current information:
What: Sea to Sea Fundraising BBQ & Send-off Party
When: Saturday June 15, 2013 -- 5:30pm
Where: Stephen & Clement's House - 6343 34 Ave NW, Calgary AB
Who: Everyone!
Details:
* $5 Burgers
* $4 Hotdogs
* $4 veggie-kabobs
* Bring your own drinks and snacks
* Food has been donated, so all proceeds go straight to the Sea to Sea
* Any donations over $40 will get a tax receipt (be sure to fill out a form with your mailing address)
The organizers for Sea to Sea have also come up with some SWAG (Stuff We All Get, for you "Office" fans) available for purchase online at Faith Alive Resources. I will have some of the "Reflectors" daily devotional booklets for sale at the BBQ (limited quantities), as well as a few of the Sea to Sea rubber reminder bracelets - again with all proceeds going to Sea to Sea. Be sure to show up early if you really want one...
Posts might be a little briefer after today, as I am beginning to feel the stress of preparing. Hopefully I'll be able to post more frequently, and include some more pictures as things get more interesting than new duffle bags and bike shorts.
Thanks a ton for all your support and prayers so far. Things are about to get real, so don't forget about all us riders and volunteers in the days and weeks to come!
Oh! I'll also be heading to Kelowna this weekend to see the family before I leave, and maybe give a quick update at the CRC there. Drop me a line, or swing by the church for their 10:30am Sunday service to say hello.
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