Today was a hard day, with some long ascents that were physically and mentally exhausting. Despite the long ascents, we had some pretty views of Strawberry Reservoir and ended the day with a descent into Heber City, where a kind family let us stay in their Airbnb for free!
Quote of the Day
“I feel safe among the corn” - Veronica
RIDE OVERVIEW
Mileage: 64.6 Miles
Elevation: 3,936 ft.
Points of Interest: The Big G on 40, Strawberry Reservoir, Dragon Star
Ride Dedication: Paul Dobson
Tales of the Trail
We had a great wake-up on the Starvation campsite, with beautiful views of a sunrise over the reservoir. After taking down our tents and packing up, we had cereal, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast. We started with a long ascent, which would be a precursor for a large chunk of our day, and we had a shorter descent going into our first rest stop. Our first rest stop of the day was at The Big G on 40 gas station, where we had a chance to fuel up on coffee and delicious breakfast burritos/sandwiches to get us energized for what would be a tough stretch. We got back on the road and started a very long ascent with strong headwinds and unideal road conditions. Everyone has a tough time on this stretch, but we persevered and put the pedal to the metal as we faced the most challenging part of the day. Eventually, we made it to the peak of the climb, and had some rolling hills as we made our way to Strawberry Reservoir, where we would have our 2nd rest stop. The reservoir was beautiful, and we would later find out that it was a filming location for National Treasure. Everyone took their time using the bathrooms and eating before getting back on the road.
We had our final rest stop just before a long descent, where we quickly got water and prepared for the end of the ride. The last stretch was a long descent into Heber City, which we enjoyed greatly after our previous hard stretch, and despite the headwinds, descending the mountains was still very fun. We finally made our way into Heber City, where we rode to an Airbnb that a family let us stay in for free. At the Airbnb, beds were set up in the backyard, and there were multiple rooms in the basement where people could sleep. We also got to do laundry, which is always a privilege. The team had a very relaxed end of the night, with some of us heading over to Dragon Star to pick up Chinese food while some people had pasta back at the stayover, and everyone got some well-needed rest on mattresses, couches, and beds!
Thank you, Doyle, for so graciously letting us sleep in your Airbnb for the night and even setting up beds for us — it was great to meet you!
Cyclist’s Corner
Today's Rider: Eli Kujawa
How are you feeling today?
I'm all right. I wound up sagging for a lot of the day because I was having really bad knee pain. But I'm kind of glad I rested, because I feel pretty refreshed now!
Which chore have you been doing for the team in the past week? Can you share your process doing this chore?
I have been on dinner chore, so sometimes that is really nice and easy, because I just have to decide the portions for the food that's provided as a donation by the stayover. Sometimes it's a bit more involved. I've had to do it normally, where we cook pasta and lentils, and I've had to do it for camping, but this time was special, because we didn't. We weren't allowed to light fires because of the wildfire warning, so we had to boil them, which wasn't too much work, but portioning was interesting. Normally, though, for pasta and lentils, we'll just start boiling the water asap. Figure out how many people are having pasta and lentils, and then that's something that I'm happy to divide and conquer on, because I like cooking, so I'm happy to just take over the cooking portion if my chore partner wants to do the dishes.
What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?
Everything tastes really good when you're on your bike. I remember early on in the ride, there was one stayover (in Ebensburg, PA) that provided us, like, pizza and fried chicken, and that's exactly what I wanted that day. So that was really awesome.
Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform?
I like wearing my bandana. At first, it was to prevent scalp sunburns because I shaved my head before the ride. Now it's just for fashion and comfort. I think it looks cool with and without the helmet. It makes me happy to like, add a little more personality.
Any favorite team memories so far?
I really loved going through the Rocky Mountains. It was recent, but it was a couple of days that were just so fun because we got to go through a ton of really cool mountain towns. Some highlights of that were exploring Leadville with my ride group. We stayed there a long time, as you know, and had a lot of fun. Also, the morning after that, in Twin Lakes, there was a coffee truck that had really good coffee, and it was exactly what we needed on that cold morning right before a big climb, so that was really nice too.
Anything else you want to talk about?
I'll just say that this ride started out kind of rough, and I was having a hard time adjusting, but now I'm kind of loving every day, and I'm so glad I stuck with it. I think it's a really great experience, and it's not easy, but it's so worth it!