Today we finally rode into our final, and 16th state of the ride, California! While many of us are excited to see the coast soon, it also marks the beginning of the end of our journey as we make our way down the golden state. Throughout the day we had an amazing view of Mt. Shasta, as it slowly became more and more detailed as we got closer. We entered an interesting city (name), and also got the opportunity to meet with Lauraleigh, a 2015 rider!
quote of the day
“What’s the watt to aura conversion?”
ride overview
Mileage: 81.9 Miles
Elevation: 3,329 ft.
Points of Interest: California, Second Tallest Flagpole in US (in Dorris, CA), First and Last Coffee Lounge, Hebron Summit, Living Memorial Sculpture, Mt. Shasta
Ride Dedication: Mike Angeli
tales of the trail
We were all excited to cross into our final state of the ride, California! Soon enough, we would be riding down the coast of the golden state. As we crossed into California, the team had to take our mandatory pictures at the Oregon-California border, with the California sign being marked with its state flower, the California Poppy, with its vibrant orange and yellow colors. After entering California, we soon after had our rest stop in Dorris. Here, the team got to see the second tallest flagpole in the U.S! Standing at 200 ft. the team got to gaze at the high flying flag while enjoying some nice coffee from the First and Last Coffee Lounge nearby.
Throughout the day we saw Mt. Shasta became larger as we got closer to our final destination. We stopped at a scenic lookout to take in the mountain's beauty off the bike, then continued to the Living Memorial Sculpture, where we were able to meet up with Lauraleigh! Lauraleigh is an I4k alumni from the 2015 team, and she generously brought a ton of sandwich supplies for our team to have lunch! It was absolutely delicious and a much needed different type of sandwich compared to our standard PB&Js, so thank you!
After lunch, the team rolled into an interesting city called Weed, CA. Contrary to what most people would initially believe, the City of Weed gets its name from the founder of the local lumber mill and pioneer Abner Weed, which the team learned during our visit. After exploring the City of Weed, we made it to our stayover for the night where we were provided with pizza and salad for dinner, and showers at the local wellness center nearby, donated by Ann! It was a pleasure meeting the community members at the St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. Thank you for providing us with a meal, showers, and place to sleep!
Cyclist’s corner
Today’s Riders: Andres Villarreal and Jessica Fornek
ANDRES VILLARREAL:
How are you feeling today?
I'm feeling pretty good. It wasn't a very strenuous day, kind of chill. Wasn't too hard. Long, but it was good.
Which chore have you been doing for the team in the past week? Can you share your process doing this chore?
I do the route master chore. So every afternoon, after we finish riding, I look at tomorrow's route, make any changes if needed. look at the construction, check the weather, make sure everything's good with the stay over, and then I kind of have to say a few words at morning circle.
What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?
All of the food has been great. Any donation is greatly appreciated. I think the food yesterday, like the lasagna and the salad and the ice cream, chips and cookies that they gave, that was a great meal. But, yeah, a lot of meals have been great, but that is the one that comes to mind.
Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform?
I mean, I don't have accessories, but I wear my buff every single day, and I wear it to cover my neck and, I wear it over my head and it covers my ears and part of my chin. So, yeah, I guess my buff.
Any favorite team memories so far?
I really liked Crater Lake, and suttling in the back of the van to Crater Lake. So we got to the campsite, and that was great, and that was probably the best sunset that we've seen on the whole trip. It was just really good. And then we got back, and still did a campfire and s'mores. It was great.
Anything else you want to talk about?
I'm looking forward to the final stretch of this trip, It’s been great!
JESSICA FORNEK:
How are you feeling today?
I'm feeling good. I sprained my ankle a few days ago, which is so typical for me, I've had a long history of ankle injuries, but it's actually healing faster than I expected. Yesterday I was not feeling good, and today I'm feeling a lot better, and I might be able to ride tomorrow. So I'm happy that it's healing quickly, and I've just been able to nap all day in the van, which has been really refreshing. I haven't sagged a full day at all this ride. So just having a day was like, super nice.
What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?
The best food was either in Bend at Jackson Corner. I had tomato soup, some eggs, salad, and potatoes, and it was all so good together. Or the Thai place we just went to in Klamath Falls, that was also really, really good. I got the Pad Thai. It was great.
Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform?
Either a bandana or I've been wearing my buff recently. I like that. I just need something to cover my scalp, so whatever that may be, and it also keeps my hair cleaner.
Any favorite team memories so far?
One of my favorites was Fourth of July, lighting all the sparklers and fireworks, and just playing some vibey music outside. Meeting Mike yesterday was really, really cool. I feel like just those moments where you run into people who have known us for years and they didn't even expect to see us. That's always really cool, and he was an awesome person, and had a great story to tell. So that was one of my favorite portraits and moments.
Anything else you want to talk about?
I’m just excited to finish strong and do California again. I'm excited to see the coast and get past the hot weather and into the cool.