Day 55: Desert Rats | Sugar City, ID to Arco, ID

Today started out great, as we got some tailwinds and flat roads, which gave us an early morning boost, but the ride got more difficult as we dealt with draining headwinds and a final uphill stretch. The team had a longer lunch stop today, and we enjoyed getting food from Desert Stop to fuel us for a long day. We were treated to a nice meal at Mountain View RV Park, and most importantly, we celebrated Sofia’s 22nd birthday! 

Quote of the Day

““Why are other groups dead and ours is still alive?” ”

— Yuncong (referring to everyone napping at a rest stop)

RIDE OVERVIEW

Mileage: 91.6 Miles

Elevation: 1,770 ft. 

Points of Interest: Desert Stop (food truck), lots of desert (there wasn’t much out here)

Ride Dedication: Emi Travis 

Tales of the Trail 

The morning started at Sugar-Salem High School with some breakfast in the home economics room, where everyone had some time to reminisce on their high school days. It was a speedy start to the morning, with no wind and descents, and our first rest stop was at a truck stop, where we met some really cute dogs! We had another easy stretch through the desert landscape with another side-of-the-road rest stop. Not much happened, and the landscape was very barren, but we were intrigued by the many surrounding Butte hills! The next stretch would prove to be much harder, with extreme head/crosswinds that slowed us down heavily and put a mental and physical toll on everyone. After taking our time with the heavy winds, we made it to Howe, where we were delighted to get food from Desert Stop, a food truck serving great ice cream, slushies, and their popular desert rat burger, which got a high rating from everyone who tried it! After enjoying lunch, everyone felt exhausted, and most of us decided to take a nap on the grass before finishing out the ride. 

After taking some rest, we hit the road and had a difficult uphill stretch with headwinds, and we had another quick side of the road rest stop. After a mentally tough day, we finally made it to Mountain View RV Park, where we set up our tents. The owners were incredibly kind, and they gave us a food donation, raised some money for us, and even gave us quarters to use their showers and laundry machines. We were also excited to celebrate Sofia’s 22nd birthday, and the hosts brought out cheesecake and sparklers as we all sang Happy Birthday to end the night. 

Thank you, Mountain View RV Park, for giving us a place to set up tents, letting us use your showers, and giving us quarters for your laundry machines. You all were incredibly nice and we had a great time at your RV park!

Cyclist’s Corner 

Today’s Rider: Nicole Tchorz

How are you feeling today?

I’m feeling good, quite tired from all the headwinds today, but we had a nice nap at one of the last rest stops, which revived me. 

Which chore have you been doing for the team in the past week? Can you share your process doing this chore?

I’ve been writing the journals this summer with Dev, basically we switch off every day with who writes the tales of the trails for the day and who does the interview, so that way we both work on each day's journal together. It’s definitely rough at times to keep up with journals on days we get in really late, or when we have tough stretches with no wifi, but I enjoy writing the journals a lot because I get to reflect on the day and remember all the fun small things that happened! 

What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?

I really liked the burger I had at Yankee Doodles Cafe, I also really liked the garlic cheeseburger from Cottonbottom Inn a while ago. A good burger goes a long way for me. 

Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform?

I don’t have funny socks like other people on the team do, but one of my favorite accessories is the necklace I wear every day. It was a gift from my grandma for my 18th birthday, and I like carrying it around. I also love the neck gaiter that we got from Damon Runyon at the beginning of the trip, I wear it every day, either to protect my scalp from the sun, cover my neck, head, and ears when it’s cold, or soak it in cold water and have it around my neck on hot days. It’s very helpful to use on the trip. 

Any favorite team memories so far?

I really liked hiking up the Flatirons in Colorado with the team because I enjoy hiking, and being able to do that with them and explore the mountains was a fun time. Today was also a funny experience for me, where at one of the last rest stops of the day, everyone just mutually agreed it would be acceptable to take a bit longer and take naps in the grass. We were all knocked out at one point, which was funny. 

Anything else you want to talk about?

I really like everyone's music taste on the team. We all have good music taste, and it really does help me get through some of the tougher days. Whenever Yuncong plays her songs, it's like we are in a video game beating some impossible level; the vibes are awesome.

Day 54: A Sliver of Montana, Return to Idaho, & I4Kristmas! | Yellowstone, WY to Sugar City, ID

Our first taste of national parks came to an end today with leaving Yellowstone National Park. It was a chilly day that progressively got hotter and hotter. We were able to meet with a 2014 I4K alumni in the short time that we were in Montana today! Afterwards, the day was filled with groups trying to find things on the side of the road to later gift as a present to someone else on the team to celebrate I4Kristmas!

quote of the day

“Blow meeeeeee!!!!”

— Harbin

ride overview

Mileage: 90.7 Miles

Elevation: 1,584 ft. 

Points of Interest: Espresso West, Montana, Frost Stop 

Ride Dedication: Douglas Porter

Tales of the trail

It was a typical chilly morning waking up in our tents today to get going for the day. As the teams were leaving Yellowstone, we passed by some wild Bison close to the side of the road!The opposing lane in the road had a long line of traffic due to cars stopping to watch the bison, meanwhile we got to ride on past and admire the beautiful beasts. A fun fact that many of us learned on this trip is that the scientific name of the bison is actually Bison bison bison! Upon leaving Yellowstone, we crossed into Montana! No sightseeing here, it was just the state we went through for a couple of miles to get back into Idaho. While we were in Montana, we met with a 2014 alumni rider, Ellen! We met at Espresso West, a coffee shop (of course), to chat with her and update her about the ride and I4K. She, along with the 2014 team put in efforts to restock our team with snacks the day prior, so thank you so much for providing us with some much needed snacks! 

Along our ride we ended up encountering some backed up traffic along the road, it was quite comical as we passed the cars along the shoulder while they were backed up, only for them to move ahead of us, get backed up again, and us passing. This happened for about 2-3 cycles until we got to the end of the traffic, it made for some great encounters and motivation from strangers in their cars. One of the final rest stops of the day was at Frost Stop, which is a classic Drive-In diner, similar to Sonic. Many of us ended up getting a root beer, shake, or some food. The sunscreen we were wearing also ended up mixing with the paint on the tables, staining us! Nothing a little soap and water couldn’t fix though. Today was also July 25th, meaning it was Christmas, but for I4K! Everyone was tasked with finding items on the side of the road to wrap and give to a person they were assigned at random earlier in the ride. It made for some funny bits with items ranging from something small like a patch to something massive, like a traffic cone, that others gifted to each other at the end of the day, surrounded by our homemade I4Kristmas tree. 

Thank you to the principal and vice principal of Sugar-Salem Highschool, who let us stay at the high school for a night to have a place to shower, eat and sleep! We greatly appreciated the meal donation with Little Caesars Pizza and for all the refreshments that were provided in the fridge. It was lovely meeting you guys!

cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Alex Ziminski

How are you feeling today?

I'm really tired today, but I'm glad today's over.

Which chore have you been doing for the team in the past week? Can you share your process doing this chore?

I've been helping Matt with the water jugs and policing, and basically all we do is we just fill up ethe three water jugs very morning so the  team can fill up their bottles at every rest stop. And also, we make sure that our stay over is all cleaned up, all the lights are turned off, all garbage is taken out and just kind of leaving it as we found it.

What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?

I feel like nothing has like stuck out that much. But I'd say, when we were in Rockville, and we were at Randy's, they made such a good meal for us, both dinner and breakfast, that was probably the most memorable of the trip.

Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform?

Of course, I have my Rolex that I got in, got in New York City, and it goes everywhere with me. Never ride a day without it, and if I ride a day without it, then I usually bonk.

Any favorite team memories so far?

Even though it's recent, I really, really enjoyed eating the habanero pepper with everyone. It was just so crazy, and it was so funny seeing everyone's reaction to it. I also did like crossing into the national parks with everyone, stopping to sightsee, and taking pictures.

Day 53: America’s Finest Geysers and Springs | Grand Tetons, WY to Yellowstone, WY

Today, many of us got to check off a major bucketlist destination – visiting Yellowstone, North America’s first National Park. The day started spicy with some pepper eating, and we said our goodbyes to the Tetons as we rode into Yellowstone, excited to experience what the park had in store for us. We got to see some amazing spots, including Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Spring, which made our bike through Yellowstone worth it. The day ended in Madison Campground, and we set up our tents for our last camping night in the Greater Yellowstone Area!

“Hey Alex, how you make leg move fast?!?!?!?!”

— Sofia

RIDE OVERVIEW

Mileage: 69 Miles

Elevation: 3,998 ft. 

Points of Interest: Yellowstone Entrance Sign, Lewis Lake, West Thumb Geyser Basin, Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Springs, Madison Campground 

Ride Dedication: Wendy Fornek

Tales of the Trail 

The day started out with a campsite wake-up, and we took a bit longer to get ready in the morning — we’re still working on it. During morning circle, Veronica revealed her punishment for those who didn’t complete her challenge to “do something new,” and she pulled out habanero peppers from her bag. Most of the guys on the team had to eat the peppers, and we were in for a spicy time. The spice was intense, and milk was reached for immediately, but we powered through, and the spice eventually mellowed out after some time. With the pepper eating finished, we hit the road for an amazing day in Yellowstone, and the weather was great. We soon found ourselves at the famous Yellowstone entrance sign, where we took lots of photos and waited to be shuttled into the park. Once we got into the park, we took in the views of the wilderness surrounding us, and we were slightly challenged by a climb. A group of us stopped by Lewis Lake for bathrooms, and we took a power nap on a dock stretching out into the lake. As we made our way through the park, we arrived at our first rest stop of the day, West Thumb Geyser Basin, where we got to see some springs and had a great view of Yellowstone Lake! 

The day continued on with even more climbing and a fun descent as we travelled through the park, and we eventually made it to Old Faithful, one of Yellowstone’s most popular attractions, due to its regular and predictable eruptions that bring in a big crowd!  We made our way into the general store, where a lot of us got ice cream and food, and we walked over to the Old Faithful Visitors Center, where had had the chance to get national park stamps. Since Old Faithful was soon expected to erupt, we made our way to the viewing area, and we waited as small bursts made their way through the Geyser. We were soon surprised to see Old Faithful in full action as water spouted over 100 feet into the air, and everyone was enthralled by this beautiful spectacle of nature that can only be found in Yellowstone! After experiencing Old Faithful, we rerouted onto a bike path and rode past some more geysers before making our way onto a short gravel path. Eventually, we got back on the road and had a quick ride over to the Grand Prismatic Spring, known as the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world! The spring was truly beautiful up close, and the team got some great views and pictures before walking back to the parking lot and preparing for the last stretch of the day. We finished up the ride by riding into Madison Campground, and a local ranger gave us a safety talk and warned us about bears in the area – one was apparently found in the campground earlier that day. We wrapped up the night with hot dogs by the campfire, and a group went scouting for Matt’s phone (he found it the next day).

Day 51+52: Grand Views, Grand Legs, Grand Tetons | Jackson, WY to Grand Tetons, WY

The big day has finally arrived with our team entering our first national park of the ride, the Grand Tetons! Many of us had this place listed as the location we were looking forward to seeing the most on this ride, and it did not disappoint! The mountains, lakes, and wildlife gave us many choices on how we wanted to spend our time in the Tetons, whether that was through a hike or some leisurely time at the beach. We also got to have more camping time! Which meant more hotdogs, smores, campfire talks, and stargazing.

quote of the day

“I don’t know why mosquitoes leave my arms and legs alone and prefer my face. Maybe I talk too much so I have lots of face muscles that make it taste good”

— Hanxi

ride overview

Mileage: 48.2 Miles

Elevation: 1,858 ft. 

Points of Interest Grand Tetons Visitors Center, Jenny Lake, Jackson Lake, Lizard Creek Campground, Cascade Canyon Trail, Paintbrush Canyon, Leigh Lake, String Lake 

Ride Dedication: Ivan Pidzamki

tales of the trail

Day 51

We started the morning with a brief visit to the downtown area of Jackson, where we got coffee at Snake River and walked through shops and galleries. It was only a couple of miles before the beautiful views of the Grand Tetons opened up to us, and we took some pictures at the entrance sign before heading into the park — the Tetons were absolutely stunning! We stopped at the visitors center to get stamps, buy some gifts, and learn about the history of the Tetons before venturing into the park. Each group waited to be shuttled into the park, and we soon found ourselves on a bike path riding past the Tetons as we took in the grandiose mountains. Our third stop of the day was at Jenny Lake, where we took in more amazing views and took a dip in the water. Jenny Lake is one of the most visited places in the Grand Tetons and is a centerpiece of the park, and the scenery was simply stunning. At Jenny Lake, we got to take a look at the gift shop, the visitors center, and we even talked to a park ranger and learned some facts about the park! 

As we continued on our ride through the Tetons, we got further and further from the main mountains, but we still had great views! Our next rest stop was near the trailhead of Signal Mountain, where we got some lunch, ice cream, and relaxed as we enjoyed the scenery of Jackson Lake. At the rest stop, we even got to briefly see a majestic Elk before it made its way back into the woods! Soon, we got back on the road to make our way to the campsite, and we briefly stopped again to take in views of Jackson Lake and the mountains in the distance. After a quick stretch, we finally made it to Lizard Creek Campground, where we set up our tents and prepared some hot dogs for dinner. Shout-out to Sofia and Stephanie for their campfire hotdog cooking skills! After dinner, we stopped by the lake again to take in views of the sunset, and we shuttled over to the showers. Unfortunately, we found out the showers were closed upon our arrival, and we had to shuttle back to the campground showerless. The night ended with some s’mores and campfire fun before everyone went back to their tents to get some rest.

Day 52

The team had many plans today for the Grand Tetons. Some took a more relaxing approach, while others decided to explore what the Grand Tetons had to offer. We had a group who decided to get up around five in the morning to hike 18 miles through the Cascade Canyon Trail and go down Paintbrush Canyon, a trek that took the whole day! A commonality among I4k rest days is that our rest days don't typically result in rest, but for exploring off our bikes! Many of us also joined this group at five in the morning to drop them off at the trailhead and watch the sunrise. Once the group was dropped off, those who watched the sunrise decided to head back to the campgrounds and continue their cycle of sleep.

When the time became reasonable (9ish am), everyone who decided to not trek 18 miles got ready to explore the Tetons in a more leisurely manner. We went to the visitor center to learn more about the park and get some much needed souvenirs, followed by heading to String Lake for a lake day! The van spent around 20+ minutes trying to find a parking spot near the lake before we managed to find a place to park down the road somewhere and walk down to String Lake. Many people took this time to catch up on writing postcards, dip in the lake, and nap. Another group decided to do some trekking of their own (with less mileage), hiking down the String Lake Loop, part of Paintbrush Canyon, and Leigh Lake. 

As we were wrapping up our leisurely day by the lake, we ended up going to showers and getting some much-needed laundry done. This is when the 18-mile hiking group joined us again after their adventurous day, and surprise, surprise, turns out they did 21 miles because they started off further from the trailhead! It made an unforgettable journey for them. Reunited at the campgrounds, we had some good old hot dogs and s’mores to end the night. Those who were tired hit the hay early, while some others stayed up a little longer to watch a meteor shower! We saw many shooting stars, and the sky itself was riddled with tiny speckled dots that we all admired. A sight only to be seen out in the wild, away from light pollution. It was breathtaking!

Day 50: Sweeping Views, Coffee, and a Shootout | Soda Springs, ID to Jackson, WY

We entered our 13th state today, Wyoming! Excited for the mountainous scenery and animal encounters waiting for us in the days ahead, we set out from Soda Springs to make it to Jackson, WY. One group booked it for most of the day, wanting to see a theatrical show of a shootout near our stayover location for the night. The scenery blew us away today, making for a beautiful ride.

quote of the day

“I can’t open my eyes. Are they red? I have spicy eyes sis. They burn.”

— Hanxi

ride overview

Mileage: 107.1 Miles

Elevation: 4,308 ft.

Points of Interest: Marin RV, Yankee Doodles Cafe, State Line Road, Bridger-Teton National Forest

Ride Dedication: Marian Lendas

tales of the trail

The team ate well this morning with breakfast provided from our stayover at the ​​First Presbyterian Church of Soda Springs. We had bagels, fruit, croissants, and more! After grabbing a bite (and a long line to the bathroom), we headed out for the day to get to one of our most scenic states of the ride, Wyoming! One of our first stops was at Marin RV parking, where we had a lakeview to enjoy along with our snacks. The team expected to encounter some cows along the road today as we rode through an open range, but we got unlucky and didn’t encounter any cows on our path. We did, however, get to see plenty from a distance, just none a couple of feet in front of us. 

We once again had a climb followed by a long, scenic descent with mountains as we crossed into Wyoming. This glimpse of the mountains got all of us excited for the days ahead when we would be heading into the national parks. The route we took resulted in us not seeing a welcome sign to Wyoming, but instead had us ride along a state line road! Idaho on one side and Wyoming on the other! Once we got into Wyoming, we had a rest stop at Yankee Doodles Cafe. For some, it was the best coffee they had all trip, and all of us decided to get some grub before heading further into the ride for the day. 

We knew we were getting closer to the Grand Tetons when we entered the Bridger-Teton National Forest. There, we had another rest stop at Elbow Boat Ramp, where we got to dip in the river to cool off before riding through the heat to Jackson, WY. One group got to Jackson early to watch a theatrical shootout in town, and they had a great time viewing the spectacle. Once the rest of the teams got to the stayover, some of us searched for a hose to do a hose-down shower, that's when we met some of the church's neighbors, Chris and Bri! They were really kind, and Chris even let the team use his shower! As we filed in to get our turn, we all got time to chat with Chris and learn more about him and the town. Thank you for letting the team use your shower after a long day of riding! 

Thank you to First Baptist Jackson in Wyoming for providing us with a place to stay for the night!

Day 49: Napoleon Dynamite and Ice Caves | Logan, UT to Soda Springs, ID

Today, we had some great coffee in the morning and rode into our 12th state of the trip. We got to pass by the Napoleon Dynamite House and see the Knoll Ice Cave during our ride. The day ended in Soda Springs with the church community letting us use their showers and providing us a great dinner!

quote of the day

“
Gurllll these roads are not paved in gold, they are paved in NAILS

”

— Veronica

RIDE OVERVIEW

Mileage: 79.7 Miles 

Elevation: 4,065 ft. 

Points of Interest: Westside Coffee, Napoleon Dynamite House, Ice Cave Knoll

Ride Dedication: Jan

Tales of the Trail 

We had a normal wake-up today, but it took a bit longer for us to get rolling out. Before leaving Logan, we stopped at Westside Coffee, which was recommended to us by Adam, a local who donated us pizza the night previous. We started biking north through arid landscapes and finally crossed into Idaho, our 12th state of the trip! We biked through Preston, known as a filming location for Napoleon Dynamite, and we got to see the house where some scenes in the movie were filmed. There were some short ascents and descents in the next stretch, and we had a couple of side of the ride rest stops, which we tried to make quick. The van group was also able to do a portrait at an LDS church, which was great! The team had their final rest stop at Knoll Ice Cave, which was a cool ice cave formation for the team to explore. We finished our ride into Soda Springs, where we unfortunately found out their infamous geyser was closed. We arrived at our stayover, and the church members were very welcoming, as some of them even offered their homes for us to shower in. We ended the night with a dinner donation and prepared for the long day ahead!

Thank you to the First Presbyterian Church of Soda Springs for giving us a place to sleep, shuttling us to showers, and providing us a dinner for the night! 

Cyclist’s Corner  

Today's Rider: Stephanie Yang 

How are you feeling today?

I'm feeling really exhausted, but I'm pretty excited for my ride group tomorrow.

Which chore have you been doing for the team in the past week? Can you share your process doing this chore?

Sure, partners have been a little bit mixed up because we had a team member rejoin us. So I was doing lunch boxes and water coolers, but then I switched halfway through and did wake up and van packing. So I like, wake up, honestly, I just wake up earlier than the team, and then I get to use the bathroom alone, which is kind of nice. Then I take my stuff out to the van and put everyone else's stuff in. So not too bad.

What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?

On our rest day in Boulder, I got Thai food with some of my friends who live there, and I got, I think, Pad Thai, and it was really good. 

Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform?

I have a rainbow tie dye buff that I wear to protect my scalp from burning, and that's my favorite.

Any favorite team memories so far?

This wasn't the whole team, but one time after dinner, me and a few other teammates wore our Nebraska shirts around downtown Boulder, and people were like coming up and saying stuff to us about being from Nebraska, but we're not from Nebraska, so it was just really funny.

Anything else you want to talk about?

We've been extremely lucky. I keep thinking about yesterday, when we didn't have a stayover, and then we just went to a bike shop, and they, like, called people for us and found us a church to sleep in, so we wouldn't have to just be on a lawn outside somewhere. So that was really nice and I'm really grateful for them. Shout out to Jeff and Paul.

Day 48: Stayover-less | Salt Lake City, UT to Logan, UT

Met with some sudden news in the morning, the team was planning on being homeless for the night. Luckily, throughout the day we met some amazing people who helped us, whom we are very grateful for. It was a long, hot day, meeting many amazing people and riding through the landscapes of Utah.

quote of the day

“ChatGPT is telling me to call a homeless shelter”

— Alex

ride overview

Mileage: 87.6 Miles 

Elevation: 3,044 ft. 

Points of Interest: Kneaders Bakery, Sunrise Cyclery, Apizza 

Ride Dedication: Sandy

tales of the trail

We got an unexpected surprise this morning when the team was informed that our stayover for the night could no longer host us. After receiving confirmation that they were able to accommodate us for the night, a week and a day before our stay, we were canceled on the day of, resulting in us calling multiple places throughout the day at rest stops to find a place to stay. Worst case scenario, we would camp! But even that was hard to find. Despite this bump in the road, we went on with our day, riding past where the 2002 Winter Olympics were held, and on a busy bike trail, ending up at Kneaders Bakery for our first rest stop of the day to get some quick breakfast, along with some coffee. At a later rest stop in the day, Eli’s family kindly treated the team to some Subway! Thank you for providing the team with some lunch and some additional sun sleeves! 

We had a gradual climb towards the end of the day with some classic Utah heat! The descent was beautiful with mountainous views, which the team did not expect. At the last rest stop of the day, we ended up at a gas station, with still no place to sleep, and with all campgrounds being reserved, we were running out of options. The first group rolled out anyways to Logan, UT, to Sunrise Cyclery, as Sofia, one of our riders, desperately needed new parts for her bike. In the meantime, the second group chose to have a long stop at the gas station, lying on the grass, when they met Jeff! We told him about our organization, and he proceeded to call Mark, who then called Bart, who arranged for us to camp at the local fairgrounds! It was so kind of Jeff to contact Mark and Bart to help us find a place to rest for the night. But as we were in the process of confirming our camping spot for the night at the fairgrounds, we got an announcement from the first group who headed into Logan, UT, early. They also met (a different) Jeff! Jeff worked at Sunrise Cyclery, where Jeff and Paul connected us with Derick, the pastor at First Presbyterian Church, and he let us stay in the church for the night! The team was thrilled to have indoor space to sleep for the night and so grateful for the people we met today who helped us out. While all of this was happening, the last group was struggling with some flats on the road today; in total, the team as a whole had 6 flat tires! Record-breaking! Eli, Jessica, and Stephanie all had two flat tires today! Thankfully, we are all faster at fixing flats by now. 

The day got even better when Micah made some calls to some local restaurants to try and get dinner for the team. We got some free pizza from Apizza! Thank you for donating some food for the team! The day got even better when a guy named Adam commented on one of our previous journals, mentioning seeing us ride into Logan earlier in the day, and gave us some contact information if we needed a place to sleep, food, etc! Apparently he had a friend's daughter ride in the past, and he was willing to help if needed! After securing the night at the First Presbyterian Church, we contacted Adam to see if he would be able to help with food, because despite the free pizza from Apizza, it was not enough to fuel up the entire team after the long day. He managed to bring us some more pizza along with some soda, which allowed our team to have full bellies for the night, so thank you, Adam! It was bewildering to us to get help from someone who commented on a journal! 

The tough circumstances today regarding our stayover led us to meet some amazing, generous people. Along this trip, we get to meet many faces and personalities, always learning something new from someone's experience or more about the local area, and today reminded the team of the kindness and generosity of others around us. We would like to thank Eli's parents, Jeff (from the gas station), Mark, Bart, Jeff (from Sunrise Cyclery), Paul, Derick, Apizza, and Adam for all the help you gave our group today. We were shocked and excited at each offer we received today, whether that was food or a place to stay. We appreciated every single bit of help we could get throughout such a crazy day. Hopefully, our future routes include Logan, UT, because our team had a great experience meeting all the kind-hearted people in the area.

cyclist’s corner

Today’s Rider: Sofia Sivilotti

How are you feeling today?

I'm feeling great,  it was a bit of a long day, but it was a lot of fun. There were a lot of interesting people that we met today, and a lot of kind, generous souls.

Which chore have you been doing for the team in the past week? Can you share your process doing this chore?

I've been doing wake up and van packing, as well as being treasurer for the team?  As treasurer, I collect receipts from everyone that has bought things for the team, as well as donations that we get, and make sure that it's all organized in one place. And then, doing wake up and Van packing, I wake up 15 minutes before everyone else and kind of pack up all my things, all my sleeping stuff, change into my jersey and bibs, and then wake up the team with a different wake up song every day, normally based on something we've talked about the day before, or a song someone likes or wants to listen to, or something I think will get everyone motivated for the rest of the day. And then I head to the van with my chore partner, or partners, I was working with Katie and Yuncong, and then I just switched to working with Stephanie now, and we take everyone's bags and boxes and stuff and put them in the van. 

What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?

Going way back on day nine, we went to a coffee shop. It was our first century day, and about halfway through, we went to a coffee shop to wait for the rest of the team, and they had an amazing mango smoothie that I still think about, and I think that might be one of the top foods of the ride.

Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform?

I always wear my blue bandana to keep my ears from being sunburnt and sun sleeves as well as fun socks

Any favorite team memories so far?

Honestly, today is definitely a memory that I'm going to hold on to forever. Yesterday on my bike, I found out that my rear jockey wheel was a little bit worn down, and so I needed to get a new one, as well as a new front chain ring. And so I started looking at bike shops along our way, and then earlier today, we found that we actually didn't have a place to sleep tonight. And so the combination of those two meant that we were in a bike shop at the end of the ride. We were in a bike shop at the end of the ride, which had stayed open for us, Sunrise Cyclery. I gave them a call, and they said that they would kind of keep their door open waiting for us. So we pulled up an hour after they closed, and they had the things that I needed, not the chain ring, but a jockey wheel. And then we told them I didn't have a place to stay, and they were kind of looking at their own contacts and camping places, and found a church for us to stay in, which was very kind, and they talked to us for a while, and it was an amazing bike shop with awesome people and a very cute dog named Gucci. And so that was definitely one of my favorite memories.

Day 46+47: A Daunting Climb and Sightseeing in SLC | Heber City, UT to Salt Lake City, UT

After a nice stay in an Airbnb, the team was ready to tackle the climb of the day at Guardsman Pass. We had beautiful scenery of the mountains and canyon as we rode throughout the day, and had a delicious lunch stop on our way to Salt Lake City! During our rest day, we enjoyed walking around Temple Square, watching an organ performance at the LDS conference center, seeing the state capitol, having a spontaneous interaction at East High, and welcoming Hanxi back to the team!

Quote of the Day

Stephanie: “Where is the president (Dev)?”

Andres: “Probably addressing the nation or something.” 

RIDE OVERVIEW

Mileage: 42.6 Miles

Elevation: 4,648 ft. 

Points of Interest: Guardsman Pass, Wasatch Mountains, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Cotton Bottom Inn, Salt Lake Utah Temple, LDS Conference Center, Temple Square, Utah State Capitol, East High School (HSM!)

Ride Dedication: Pat Guibord and Ron Guibord 

Tales of the Trail 

Day 46

After some well-needed rest, the team said bye to Doyle (our Airbnb host) and set out for the day, mentally prepared for the climb ahead. One group had the typical coffee stop at OG Cafe before heading out to the climb to join the other groups. We headed up Guardsman Pass in the Wasatch Mountains, where the first group ended up joining some locals for the journey up, and boy, were they speedy! The climb ended up being less challenging than we expected, difficult nonetheless, but climbing in Pennsylvania and Colorado earlier in the ride prepared us well for this mini challenge. Once we reached the top, the team enjoyed a 20-mile descent down the pass, going through Big Cottonwood Canyon and enjoying the stunning views that the surrounding mountains had in store for us - a great reward after a climb. At the bottom of the descent, we stopped for some grub at Cotton Bottom Inn, where most of the team got garlic cheeseburgers to fill up our bellies.

All fed, we went on to complete the last 8 miles of the road, where Dev managed to get a flat! His group was able to fix the flat in a timely manner, and they were on their way! The last 2 miles were difficult to navigate for the team as there were constant holes, cracks, and bumps in the road. Every couple of seconds, there would be a callout that echoed throughout the group, “Hole left! Bump middle! Car back! Slowing! Watch right!” It was a choir. Once we arrived at the stayover, our hosts at Zion Lutheran Church ELCA provided us with dinner and dessert! We got to chat with them over the meal and learn more about their members and the local area, many of whom were alumni from UIUC. Later in the night, Andres and Matt buzzed their heads! They will definitely be more aerodynamic on the bikes now. Jessica, Veronica, and Micah also got hair trims, feeling fresh with their new looks before heading to bed for the night, ready to explore Salt Lake City in the day ahead. 

Day 47

We had a great start to the morning, and everyone got to finally sleep in before enjoying the day in Salt Lake City.  It was a very chill morning, with a breakfast donation of cereal, bagels, and fruit. After freshening up in the morning, we shuttled to Temple Square, where we got to check out the LDS church and conference center, which both had beautiful organs! We stepped out of the conference center to get some coffee and returned soon after to watch an amazing organ performance. Yucong had a solo sidequest, as she participated in a free boxing class! After spending some time in Temple Square and shopping around, we shuttled over to the Utah State Capitol, where we learned about the history of Utah, looked at some of the art in the building, and took a brief nap on the grass outside. We also found out that East High, the school in High School Musical, was a 10-minute drive from the state capitol, which prompted us to drive over and check it out.

We arrived at East High, which was a primary filming location for the movie, and we walked around to check out the building. We ended up meeting a really nice auto shop worker, who agreed to do a portrait, and he even gave us a lesson on the street system in Salt Lake City. We talked with him for a while, and it was an amazing and spontaneous interaction that we’ll remember for a long time! Afterwards, we made our way back to the church, where people made sandwiches donated by the stayover, and we did some well-needed van cleaning before starting dinner. For dinner, we had pulled pork sandwiches and egg salad provided by the stayover, and we spent the rest of the night doing bike maintenance and prep for the next day. For some exciting news, Hanxi made her return to the team later in the night, as she flew into Salt Lake City to continue the ride!

Thank you to Zion Lutheran Church, ELCA, for letting us sleep in your church for two nights, giving us showers and laundry, and planning some amazing meals for us with some local Illini!

Sorry for the hiatus in journal posts, we’ve had a long stretch without service/wifi, and a couple of tough days.

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Dev Dassani

How are you feeling today?

I'm feeling pretty good. It was a hard day at first, with a very steep and long climb, but I definitely enjoyed the physical challenge, and it was amazing to get to the top of Guardsman Pass and just see the views of Utah and the descent, super fun just going down through the mountains into the valley and the canyon. And it was great to finally arrive in Salt Lake City, although I did get a flat with about eight miles to go, which was a little hard to deal with.

Which chore have you been doing for the team in the past week? Can you share your process doing this chore?

I am the journal chore. I think everyone reading this has a good idea of what I do, because you are all reading the journals, and I'm very grateful to everyone reading them.  

What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?

I don't know if this is the best food, but the most memorable experience for me was in Idaho Springs at Beau Jo’s Pizza. We got mountain pies, which was the first time I've heard of that type of pizza, and the pizza was great. And I really loved eating the crust with honey. It was pretty big and fluffy, which was awesome. 

Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform?

Yeah, I have a tie-dye bandana that I really like wearing. I just think it's fun to wear a bandana, and it just makes the ride a little better for me, and I also just put a Sonic on my bike, so that's pretty cool.

Any favorite team memories so far?

Yeah, one of my favorite team memories was definitely biking up to Loveland Pass, which was already super challenging, but fun. And after that,  I really enjoyed hiking up Mount Snicktau. We met some great people up there. It was just a really fun hike in general; it was my first time hiking that high, and everything about it was just super awesome. I enjoyed the challenge. 

Day 45: Exhasuting Climbs and Reservoirs | Starvation, UT to Heber City, UT

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! 

Day 44: The Desert | Vernal, UT to Starvation, UT

Our day started with a surprise that woke everyone up in the morning and gave us a good chuckle. We continued riding in the dry desert today, and every group that rolled out today listened to a different type of music group/genre. Some examples include the Pink Floyd Cowboys, and a group that listened to a variety of non-English songs. It was a shorter day, and the team was excited to get to our campsite for the night as none of us have ever heard of Starvation, UT! Don’t worry, all of us were fed to the fullest, and we were not starving in Starvation, UT.

quote of the day

“Can Harbin be in? I already reserved him”

— Stephanie

ride overview

Mileage: 66.7 Miles

Elevation: 2,788 ft.

Points of Interest: Kahpeeh Kah-Ahn Ute Coffee House, Lake Boreham, Black Sheep Coffee, Starvation (UT) 

Ride Dedication: Lillian Fornek

Tales of the trail

The day started off with a surprise when we laid our bikes on the grass at the stayover in the morning, and the sprinklers went off! Some of us got soaked, and others rushed over to save their bikes from the water. It was a funny start to our morning and woke all of us up! Our first rest stop of the day was at Kahpeeh Kah-Ahn Ute Coffee House, where most people got their morning coffees for the day. Afterwards, the team encountered some road construction, which caused us to ride on some more gravelly shoulders for a while, but it wasn’t anything we hadn’t seen before! As we rode more into Utah, the roads became more barren with the desert terrain, which most of the riders did not enjoy because of the heat and dryness (and we love our trees), but it was still a good ride day (many more license plates were found)!

Our second rest stop of the day was at Lake Boreham, where the colors of the lake spanned different shades of blue, making it a beautiful view to watch during a rest stop. Later down the road, it started to thunder! Luckily, one of our groups made it to the last rest stop of the day at Black Sheep Coffee before the rain got bad, another group pushed through the rain and got soaked, while the last group managed to camp out in some kind of gentleman's garage for a bit while waiting out the rain. Once everyone regrouped at the shop, most people got a second round of coffee or something to eat, like a breakfast sandwich or burrito, fueling us up for the last stretch of the day. 

Our stayover tonight was at the Rabbit Gulch Campground in Starvation, UT. The desert terrain meant we didn’t have to deal with mosquitoes or bear threats, yay! We set up our tents for the night and many of us went for a swim in the starvation reservoir, which also served as our showers for the night. We then had boiled hotdogs over our heated stoves, and leftover sloppy joe meat for dinner before settling in for the night. Many people hit the hay once nightfall came, while others took some time outside to admire the stars and relax a bit more before the next day.

cyclist’s corner

Today’s Rider: Matthew Guibord

How are you feeling today?

I'm feeling good. I van drove yesterday, so I started today off with a fresh pair of legs, which was nice. Went pretty fast today, which was fun. Nice to stretch out the legs a little bit. And yeah, it was chill day. It was shorter than yesterday, which was nice.

Which chore have you been doing for the team in the past week? Can you share your process doing this chore?

So the chores just changed over the weekend. But for the majority of last week, I was on dinner chore. Essentially  Alex and I cooked the pasta, where we boil a bunch of water and then put some pasta in it, and then we boil some lentils as well, and we portion out all the food, and then we feed everyone, and then we clean up after everyone cleans their own bowls, and if there's a kind dinner donation, then we help clean up as well as portion out the food in which they they give us.

Has anyone you've met along the way made a lasting impression on you? Can you share a story from someone we've met that stayed with you in a powerful way?

One person that really made a lasting impression was actually at a kind of spontaneous rest stop yesterday, it was at a fire station, and the man was retired and volunteers at the firehouse, and he kept on emphasizing how it was meant so much to him to make a positive impact in the world, because  he wants to make a good change. So he helps. He loves helping people, things like that. And that really stuck with me.

What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?

We went out to dinner in Boulder with Veronica, Sophia, Stephanie, and then Harbin from afar. And it was a pho place, but they had really good Pad Thai.

Day 43: An Eventful and Arid Century | Meeker, CO to Vernal, UT

Today was our second-to-last century, and it was surely a challenging one! The day started out quickly, with a scenic and gradual descent that carried us through the first 55 miles of the ride, and we had a great tour of Rangely Airport. The rest of the day proved to be more challenging, with ascents, high temperatures, and the desert landscape. Despite the rough day we had, we still met some amazing people who made the ride worthwhile, and we crossed into our 11th state!

Quote of the Day
Harbin: “After Vernal, we’re going to Starvation, UT”

Lady From the Church: “Uh oh” 

RIDE OVERVIEW

Mileage: 110 miles

Elevation: 3,770 ft

Points of Interest: Rangely Airport, Bedrock Depot, Dinosaur, Blue Mountain 

Ride Dedication: David Cole

Tales of the Trail 

We started the morning with an early morning wake-up ahead of a long day and our second-to-last century. The first stretch of the ride was exceptionally fast, with a slight decline, tailwinds, cool weather, minimal cars, with great scenery of the rocky and arid landscape of Western Colorado. The first rest stop was on the side of a small lake, and we all made the stop quick to get back on the road. The second rest stop was on the side of the road, which was also a quick one, so we could make it to our next destination. After a couple of miles, we made it to Rangely Airport, where a kind man whom we had done a portrait of the night previous set up a tour for us. We got some cool views of the planes from the runway, and we had a look inside their hangar and classrooms, which had a high-end flight simulator. As we continued on, the rest of the ride would prove to be far more challenging, with tough ascents and dry heat in the semi-desert grasslands of Colorado. There were some great views, but conditions during the day put a mental toll on everyone and made for a very challenging stretch. Fortunately, we soon reached our lunch stop for the day at mile 76 in Dinosaur (yes, this is a town), which was a side of the road restaurant named Bedrock Depot. Our team enjoyed a very long rest stop at this restaurant, which offered sandwiches, floats, ice cream, and shakes, which satisfied our needs on such a long day. It was great to meet some of the locals who ran the shop and restaurant, and we learned a lot about the history of Dinosaur, with its proximity to Dinosaur National Monument – there were actual dinosaur bones found here! 

After our lunch stop, we continued on the ride, and we soon found ourselves at the Utah state sign, where we pulled off to take some pictures. As we entered Utah, the landscape turned into a full-on desert, which was a stark contrast to the forests we had ridden through in Colorado. We passed by Blue Mountain, which was certainly beautiful, but everyone was facing some mental and physical challenges as we braved the Utah desert. Soon, we found ourselves in a town where a nice man volunteering for the Fire Department let us inside and offered us some snacks and cold beverages – we also got to take pictures with the fire trucks! We had a great time talking to him in the fire station, learning about his life, and taking some time to rest before heading back on the road. These small acts of kindness by strangers make these rides worth it, and we’re so incredibly grateful when people take us in with open arms! We finished out our ride as we rolled into Vernal and took a picture by their famous dinosaur statue – this town loves dinosaurs! We rolled into our stayover fairly late, which means we unfortunately couldn’t enjoy the rec center, but we were donated Wendy’s for dinner, which was amazing after such a long day! 

Special thanks to the Uintah Community and Recreation Center for giving us a place to sleep for the night, showers, laundry, and a well-needed meal at the end of the night!

Cyclist’s Corner 

Today’s Rider: Harbin Li 

How are you feeling today?

Today was quite tiring for me, like the morning was really relaxing, but then, as the day got hotter and drier, my eyes, my breathing, my mouth, was just not having it. So it was not the most comfortable, the afternoon to evening ride, but we made it before sunset or at sunset.

Do you have any go-to gas station/rest stop snacks?

Yuncong was asking me if I had any snacks that I liked, just because she wanted to get some, so I was saying I wanted to get some… I like gummy worms. When we had that pack of gummy worms, I ate a lot, so I asked her to get some gummy worms. She got two packs, and then I decided to put them into the snack box, but by the time I could go to eat them, they were gone. So, gummy worms. 

What is your rest stop routine?

First, I take any pictures of scenery that is good, and then I get my snacks. I eat my snacks, depending if it's just like a normal side of the road rest stop or a cafe or a gas station. Usually I don't get anything with a gas station, but if it's a cafe, I'll usually get an iced drink, like a frappe or whatever, but I leave the sunscreen till the end. Water. I usually chug a bottle during the rest stop to keep hydrated, and then take some candids. I always take candids because, like, you can't really take too many good shots on the bike. I always get people's backs on the bike, and like, it's all right, but if every shot is like that, what's the point? Yeah, so off the bike, that’s the best time. 

How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?

Mostly like teammates, I guess, like I can rely on most people to get through the day, since we are all riding together, and there are tough days we're all experiencing, tough situations, so you're not the only one going through it all. Also, just giving yourself plenty of mental breaks, checking in with yourself.

For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?

So we're like on day 43, so there’s a good portion left, but also a good portion done. Of course, there's like the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. I've been there before, but it was when I was really small, so biking through it will definitely be a different experience, and seeing the geysers and whatever will be pretty cool. I don't think I've ever, like, been to Oregon or have taken note of what Oregon looks like. So maybe people have said Oregon looks really nice, so I'm looking forward to having Oregon surprise me.

Anything else you want to talk about?

Well, Harbito (the team’s third adopted inchworm of the trip) died yesterday. I think I'm disappointed that I wasn’t, I guess, notified of his death sooner, but it's okay. He lived a good life. I don't think we should have more pets named after me, because they don't have a long lifespan. Generally. But Harbina was still the longest living of the three.

Day 42: Colorado Views | Glenwood Springs, CO to Meeker, CO

Not much happened today, riding through the glorious mountains of Colorado. We had another day to enjoy the views and even managed to find many Colorado plates! Most of the rest stops were located alongside the road as cities and towns became more spaced out as we made our way west.

quote of the day

“What’s your ideal shower tiling?”

— Micah

ride overview

Mileage: 68 Miles

Elevation: 3,527 ft. 

Points of Interest: Wild Coffee Roasters, Rifle

Ride Dedication: Hemali Dassani

Tales of the Trail

Today’s first couple of miles were on a short stretch on I-70 (woah). Luckily, it wasn’t too long and we had a big shoulder to ride along. Although the shoulder was large, there was a lot of trash along the highway that all of our teams successfully managed to dodge while on the route. Our first stretch of the day was a speedy 20 miles, where we ended at Wild Coffee Roasters for the first break. Riding through Colorado, we got another day of admiring the mountains and calling out infinite “my immortal cow” from the street signs. Today was a good day for finding license plates! Our team found at least five Colorado plates by the end of the day, which raises questions about how these plates end up on the side of the road. Nonetheless, they are fun to find and carry along the way as memorabilia.

Arriving at the stayover, the team was greeted with a warm welcome by the members of the St. James Episcopal Church! They provided us with dinner, and we got to talk to a community member, David, about their experience with cancer and what it was like. The team also spent the remainder of the day at the local recreation center, where we got to hop in the pool and jump off the diving boards, play pool basketball knockout, enjoy the hot tub, and take some much-needed showers. Thank you to the members of the St. James Episcopal Church who made our stay so welcoming with a welcome sign upon our arrival, smiling faces, and for providing us with dinner!

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Jessica Fornek

How are you feeling today?

I am happy we had a rest day yesterday. I'm definitely feeling more rested. I was van driving today, so that was like an extra little rest. I feel like it was a pretty uneventful van driving day. No one was in the van with me, and no one needed the van. So, just a pretty basic day. Other than that, it's been a good day. Our stayover has been awesome. They provided a really amazing dinner, and also bought us day passes to go swimming at the Rec Center. So I was able to go diving, which was really fun for me, and then came back to the stayover and worked on a puzzle. And people who know me know I love puzzles, so it was a good day.

Do you have any go-to gas station/rest stop snacks?

I usually just go for a coffee or an energy drink or something, and I'll get snacks from the food snack box. But yeah, I feel like most of the time I just want something refreshing, so maybe ce cream or a slushy type fruity drink or something, but it's usually coffee if I'm gonna buy something at a rest stop.

What is your rest stop routine?

I usually go straight for the snack box because I'm hungry, and then after I've eaten my snacks, I'll work on filling my water and putting my sunscreen on, and go to the bathroom somewhere in there. I really don't have much structure to my rest stop routine. It's kind of just like what comes next in that moment, I don't know.

How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?

I definitely think about the cause a lot, and just the fact that I'm able bodied and I'm able to do this, and even though I might not want to in that moment, those are the days where it matters even more to push yourself to do it, because that's why people are donating, because it's such an amazing thing that you're pushing yourself to do. And yeah, I definitely just think about my family who's been affected by cancer, and I also think about the fact that I've done it before, like there's nothing I can't do if I've already done this. A lot of the time, hard days on the bike are just a lack of motivation for me. So thinking of those things is really important.

For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?

I think I'm most excited to go back to the Grand Tetons, because I feel like we hardly scratched the surface when my team went through the first time around. And I just want to see it again, like it was so beautiful. I'm excited to have a rest day there and explore a little bit more, and then probably also Mount Shasta and some of those places I've never seen before, like Bend, Oregon. Yeah, there's gonna be a lot of new places, from here on out, for me.

Day 40+41: Ain’t No Mountain Higghhhh Enough | Twin Lakes, CO to Glenwood Springs, CO

The team got up and ready on a cold morning in our tents. We were ready to take on the day with a 20-mile climb to our highest point of elevation for the ride at Independence Pass! After reaching our maximum elevation for the ride, we had 60ish miles of descents for the day, stopping by Aspen and riding along one of the most scenic trails of our ride to reach Glenwood Springs and have a rest day! During our rest day, we had a great time white water rafting down the Shoshone, getting lunch as a team, doing some chores, and resting up before continuing our ride!

quote of the day

“I’m waiting for our other friend to come back to take orders. She’s got something in her eye, like scratchhiinggg on her cornea”

— Waitress (talking about Veronica)

RIDE OVERVIEW

Mileage: 79.2 Miles + 9 Miles (rafting)

Elevation: 3,612 ft.

Points of Interest: Mt. Elbert, Independence Pass, Aspen, 7-Eleven, Shoshone (Colorado River), 9th Street Diner

Ride Dedication: Bev Downs

DAY 40

We woke up on this glorious camping morning to a temperature of 44 degrees Fahrenheit! Despite the temperature, it was no excuse to lie down and nap until it got warmer. We got out of our tents, packed everything up, and enjoyed a breakfast consisting of cereal and yogurt, something other than oatmeal! We had our layers on for the morning, and after a hearty meal and getting everything packed, we were ready to hit the road (after a quick coffee stop in Twin Lakes), with the first 20ish miles being uphill once again.

We were on State Highway 82 for the start of the ride and passed by Mount Elbert- a fourteener (a mountain peak with an elevation of at least 14,000 feet above sea level; there are 58 fourteeners in Colorado)! At the top of our climb today, we reached Independence Pass! The Independence Pass is a high mountain pass in central Colorado on the Continental Divide. It’s midway between Aspen and the Twin Lakes! Standing at an elevation of 12,095 ft. This is the highest elevation that our team has biked up to during our ride, whoop whoop! The team spent a while at this rest stop at the top to take multiple pictures, find stickers along the signs posted there, and admire the mountain views and the roads we took to get up there. It was a surreal moment for the team, with many of us acknowledging, dang, we somehow managed to get our bikes all the way up here.

Following Independence Pass, the 50 miles left of the ride were all downhill! The teams were zooming down (cautiously), taking in every descent - a much-needed reward after the climbs. Along the route, the team stopped in Aspen, CO! Known as a ski destination, it was fascinating walking around the city in the summer when snow was nowhere to be seen. The teams ate at local restaurants, getting burritos and burgers to fuel up for the rest of the ride, and some visited a local art gallery. Getting out of Aspen, the team had bike trails for the rest of the day, making it even better! It was one of the best trails the team has been on: majority downhill, no cars, not bumpy or gravelly, and stunning mountain views all around.

Since today was July 11th (7/11), some teams stopped at a 7-Eleven to get free Slurpees! A great way to cool off and get an energy boost for the rest of the ride. Along the trail, some teams decided to create their own mini rest stop around mile 69, where we just lay in the grass. It was an opportunity we couldn’t resist with the grass being so green, trimmed neatly, and under some shade. Naps and a chance to get a good horizontal lay down are never missed among the team. The trail also proved to be quite lively, with many animals often crossing our paths along the route. One team even almost t-boned a deer! It came out of nowhere from the trees and crossed the bike trail just feet in front of some of our riders! High-pitched screams were involved, followed by the deer just staring at us once it got to the other side as we continued to bike along the path. We almost hit Bambi! Thankfully not.

Once we got to our stayover at First United Methodist Church, we were provided with dinner from our hosts, and Lori even generously offered us to shower in her home (which was much needed after a camping day)! Thank you to Lori for allowing us into your home to get some much-needed showers and to the Church for providing us with dinner!

DAY 41

The morning started out a bit later than usual, but everyone was still awake around 7 am to get ready for white water rafting. We enjoyed some amazing donuts, bagels, and fruit provided by the stay-over, which filled us up for some river fun. After breakfast, we all shuttled over to the Whitewater Rafting Experience in Glenwood Canyon, where we were fitted up with gear and briefly shown the basics of white water rafting. After meeting our guides, we were taken upstream, where we unloaded rafts and paddles and prepared to raft down the Shoshone section of the Colorado River! The groups were split up between two rafts, with one raft holding everyone that had recently graduated. We started our rafting experience with class III rapids, with prominent sections including The Wall, Tombstone, Maneater, Pinball, and many more. The intense rapids were for sure a surprise, but we braved them as a team as we paddled through Shoshone! After some fierce rapids, the river mellowed out, and we had more opportunities to swim, learn about the history of Glenwood Canyon and the Colorado River, dip into natural hot springs, and we even had a view of Lori’s house (our shower accommodation from the previous day). We finally ended our trip down the Shoshone River, where we got off our rafts and said goodbye to our guides who helped us navigate through the rapids!

Swimming in the Colorado River!

After our white water rafting expedition, we all shuttled over to 19th St Diner to get some well-needed lunch, and many of us enjoyed some malts and shakes. The food was delicious and the service was great! After lunch, we went back to the stayover, where everyone split up to do their own things. Some of us walked to the Laundromat to get some laundry done, while others stayed at the stayover to rest up or get their own chores done. After doing laundry, we went to Kaleidoscoops and enjoyed some great ice cream before heading back to the stayover. At the stayover, we had a good amount of time to relax and eat dinner before our final event of the night, which was premiering the movies we had made a couple of days previous. Both groups who made movies got to show their movies to the team, and everyone had a good laugh before heading to bed.

Thank you, First United Methodist Church, for giving us a place to sleep, a great meal, and special thanks to Lori for letting us use her home for showers!

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Jason Wang 

How are you feeling today?

Today's our rest day, so it's a good day.

Do you have any go-to gas station/rest stop snacks?

Normally, if there's anything that has protein, like if there's hot dogs or burgers, or fried chicken. On the rare occasion, those are definitely my go-to to especially if it's one of the first or second rest stops right after breakfast, because the oatmeal is not very filling.

What is your rest stop routine?

Usually, I just try to get inside as soon as possible, because it's hot outside. I'll take a look around, see if there's an ice machine. I'll grab some food. And if there is an ice machine, I'll grab my bottles, fill my bottle with ice, use the bathroom, and then that's usually pretty much it, and then get ready to roll out again.

How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?

I think, for the recent days, being in the Rocky Mountains, it's just so incredibly beautiful that I just look around and it feels like I can just keep biking all day, when you have such beautiful scenery all around you. So that's been really motivating.

For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?

Well, Colorado was way up there on my list. But since I guess we're almost done with Colorado, afterwards, I am looking forward to Utah. I've heard a lot of good things about Salt Lake City, and I'm also really looking forward to the Tetons.

Day 39: Highest City in the US! | Frisco, CO to Twin Lakes, CO

Today, we got to enjoy the amazing scenery of Colorado as we rode through mountains and made our way into Leadville, the highest city in the United States. The team had more time to explore the town and take in the beautiful views of the Rockies! We also had our first camping night in Twin Lakes, where we took a dip in the lake and cooked hot dogs and beans before resting up in our tents. 

RIDE OVERVIEW

Mileage: 51.6 Miles

Elevation: 3,437 ft. 

Points of Interest: Rocky Mountain Coffee Roasters, Zero Day Coffee, Ice Palace Park, Fremont Pass, Mount Elbert, Mount Massive

Ride Dedication: Katy Dea

Tales of the Trail 

This morning, we had a normal wake-up with some eggs, sausages, and biscuits for breakfast, which fueled us for the day ahead. The teams were also tasked with making a movie throughout the day, which was a fun challenge that added some entertainment to our ride. Some of the groups made an early morning coffee stop at Rocky Mountain Coffee Roasters. The first portion of the ride was on the Ten Mile Recreational Path Trail, which made for a relaxed ride with great scenery of the mountains. Soon, we started ascending the highway, for what would be the only challenging part of the ride. We chugged along and made it to the first rest stop of the day, which was at a scenic rest stop in a parking lot by a reservoir. After some more climbing, we had an enjoyable and scenic descent through the mountains, and we enjoyed going a bit faster while taking in the views around us. We rode through the Fremont Pass, an 11,318-foot mountain pass between Lake County and Summit County. We soon found ourselves in Leadville, which is known as the highest incorporated city in the United States. Leadville was an incredibly beautiful and historic town, known for its role in the silver boom! The team had a great time spending some time in the city, and the groups all split up to find different shops, cafes, and restaurants in the town. My group had a great time getting coffee at Zero Day Coffee and making our movie! The van was stationed at Ice Palace Park, which had amazing views of the mountains in the area and was built in honor of a giant ice palace built in the town during the 1800s. We spent some time relaxing at the park before getting back on the road to finish up the ride. 

The next portion of the ride was very easy, with a descent into some flat roads with tailwinds. The change in scenery was very noticeable, with the landscape seeming drier and arid. Soon, we found ourselves riding into Twin Lakes, our first camping destination. Our group got a little lost finding our way to the campsite, but once we arrived, we took some time to set up tents to prepare for the night. Once we were settled, a group of us shuttled down to the lake to take a cold dip in the water. Warm water is great, but there’s nothing like a cold dip in the lake to get your blood flowing, and the scenic views of the mountains surrounding the Twin Lakes were beautiful. Once we finished washing up in the lake, we headed back to the campsite to prepare hot dogs and beans for dinner. We started a fire to cook the hot dogs, and we cooked some beans on our camping stove. After dinner, we walked up to a scenic spot to take in the views of Mount Elbert and Mount Massive, both 14ers known as some of Colorado’s highest peaks. We ended the night by washing up our bowls and sitting around the campfire for a bit before everyone dispersed to their tents. 

Day 38: From Spokes to Summit | Idaho Springs, CO to Frisco, CO

Today, the team had a plan for off the bikes. After climbing 30 miles (on the bike), up a mountain to Loveland Pass, we were planning on hiking to the top of Mt. Sniktau - a 13,240-foot thirteener in the Arapaho National Forest! Not only did we spend the day biking upwards, but hiking as well! We decided to take on the challenge knowing that after the hike, we had 18ish miles of descents until we reached our stayover for the night, making the trek to the summit of the mountain after a long bike climb seem feasible.

quote of the day

“I don’t know you, but I’m proud of you!”

— Random lady on a hike

ride overview

Mileage: 48.4 Miles

Elevation: 5,395 ft. 

Points of Interest: Frothy Cup Coffee, Loveland Pass, Mt. Sniktau 

Ride Dedication: Stanisław Tchorz

Tales of the trail

Who knows what this group of cyclists would be without their morning coffee. To start the day, the team biked opposite of the route to head back into the town of Idaho Springs for a slight detour to get their much needed coffee to tackle the physically demanding day ahead, and to lift spirits. Once everyone was energized from their caffeine, we hit the pedals to start climbing for the day at a slow, very slow, 5mph average pace. The first couple miles of climbing were along a scenic bike path which made climbing the hills much easier. With a bike path, teams were able to talk and not worry about traffic, as well as enjoy the mountainous scenery around us, take in the fresh air of the trees on both sides of the path, and take it all in. Looking at the scenery, talking, and appreciating where we were definitely helped take our minds off the fact that we were all struggling to catch our breath up the hills at higher elevation, but we made it!

After the scenic bike trails, we climbed along Route 6 and were met with the tougher and longer climbs up the mountains! The amount of times people said, “this is so pretty” on today’s ride was record breaking, as every couple of minutes, although we would see similar mountains, the perspective would shift, giving us a new angle of mountains, trees, and sky to gaze at. Along the route today, we also learned that Colorado drivers are some of the nicest drivers we have encountered throughout the ride. Multiple teams got thumbs up from divers, “good job”, “keep going”, etc. This was a shock to us as we know not all drivers can be the kindest to cyclists, but Colorado drivers definitely have a nod of approval and appreciation from us!

When the groups got to Loveland Pass (a mountain at 11,990 ft above sea level in the Rocky Mountains), many of us quickly changed to sneakers, packed snacks and water, and hit the trails to summit Mt. Sniktau or get to a “no name” mountain along the trail to Mt. Sniktau for additional beautiful views of the surrounding mountains (Grizzly Peak, Cupid Peak). Upon hiking the trail, the team just had to stop when we saw snow! Snow only means one thing - snowball fight! We started forming snowballs and throwing them at each other, with Veronica (unfortunately) being the main target. It was a great way to get some more fun in and cool down! Our hands were freezing by the end of it! After the snowball fight, we continued to trek onward to the scenic lookout, and others went further ahead to summit Mt. Sniktau. When groups got to their final destinations, either at the summit or scenic lookout, we all decided to take a seat on the nice rocks/ground and admire the views (and catch our breath). Standing above the tree line, all of us took a look around to admire the mountains, take in the fresh air, and trace the paths we took to get here - a rewarding moment for the team.

After spending a while at the top of the mountains, the team hiked back down to finish the rest of the ride. We (mostly) had descents for the rest of the ride until we hit our stayover. Everyone was careful while descending down the ginormous mountains, and it was a fun experience to be able to zoom down the mountains and enjoy the views without having to put as much power into the pedals. All hands on the breaks for these descents, no pedaling required. Getting closer to the stayover, teams had to bike along a one-laned dirt path due to construction, and received encouragement from the road workers to keep going! The ride ended along a bike path once again, and we were all ready to hit the hay once we got to the stayover after such a long day, despite it only being 48 miles.

At the stayover, we were provided with resources to make our own spaghetti dinner, but this time with better pasta sauce and meat! We also received fresh bread and were able to end the night with some good-ol ice cream. After such a physically demanding, yet exciting and fun day, the team knocked out when the lights turned off, getting our rest for the ahead. Thank you to the Summit County Church of Christ for providing us with dinner resources and a place to sleep. Having this location be along a bike path also made it much more convenient for us to get to and from on our route! Thank you!

From the Saddle: A Question for You

Today’s Question to You: Would you rather bike uphill for hours or hike steep switchbacks-why?

Day 37: Gateway to the Rockies | Boulder, CO to Idaho Springs, CO

Today, the team took on our first big ascent of the Rockies, and everyone enjoyed the sights of the mountains around us. We ran into some unexpected delays due to rock blasting and were shuttled for a small portion of the ride, and we got some great mountain pies at Beau Jo’s. After a great dinner, we ended the day with some pool and hot tub time at the rec center.

Quote of the Day

(Talking about Alpine Coaster) 

Veronica: “They have brakes?”

Nicole: “They need brakes! Otherwise… bro. Gravity.” 

RIDE OVERVIEW

Mileage: 47.9 miles

Elevation: 5,030 ft

Points of Interest: Trident Booksellers and Cafe, Big Daddy Bagels, Beau Jo’s

Ride Dedication: Bohdan Huchko

Tales of the Trail 

The day started great in Boulder with an early morning coffee stop. We decided to stop at Trident Booksellers and Cafe, and the team enjoyed some coffee while savoring our last moments in Boulder. We spent the first portion travelling south on some trails and roads, and we had some intermediate ascents to tackle while leaving the Boulder area. Eventually, we started moving west into the Rocky Mountains, and the mountains towered over us, setting the stage for the coming days. Our second stop of the day was at Big Daddy Bagel’s, where the team fueled up and prepared for what would be our longest climb of the ride so far. Once we hit the road, we were only going up, and our first big ascent was 12 miles long. We slowly pedaled our way up the mountains of Colorado while taking in the beautiful scenery around us. After a couple of breaks, we reached the top and took in some views of the mountains in the distance. It felt unreal to be so close to those towering mountains, knowing we're braving the Rockies on our bikes!

A long ascent usually comes with a fun descent, and it was a fun descent indeed! We rolled down the mountain and had a great time, taking all safety precautions, of course! Unfortunately, our day came to an abrupt stop when we found out that the bike trails going into Idaho Springs were closed due to rock blasting in the area. It was great to find out that the state of Colorado is well equipped to manage transportation for cyclists, and a very nice state worker shuttled each group to the safest spot past the rock blasting. Once we were back on the trail, it was a scenic and easy ride into Idaho Springs, and we arrived at our stayover safely, ready to eat. After settling in, the team took a walk across town to Beau Jo’s, a restaurant with extra delicious Colorado-style pizza. We ordered mountain pies, which were massive slices of pizza loaded with cheese, toppings, and sauce, with the crust offering a built-in dessert meant to be dipped into honey. Some parents on the team were also gracious enough to pay for our meal, which is always appreciated! After indulging in some exceptional mountain pies, the team enjoyed some leisure at the rec center pool and hot tub, which was a fun way to end the day. We wound down, anticipating a fun but challenging day ahead!

Thank you to the Clear Creek Recreation Center for giving us a place to sleep and letting us enjoy your facilities!

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Stephanie Yang 

How are you feeling today?

I'm feeling great, good.

Do you have any go-to gas station/rest stop snacks?

Well, my favorite gas station is Wawas, but we don't have any around here, so my favorite rest stop snack right now… I'm really into beef jerky. There's a teriyaki one that we had that was really good, and then also Rice Krispie treats, any type: regular, rainbow, or chocolate stripes.

What is your rest stop routine?

I like to eat first, and then I go to the bathroom. Once I have clean hands, I put on my chamois butter, and then I put on sunscreen.

How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?

Usually it helps to be listening to a story or to be telling a story with my group, and recently, we got music privileges. So listening to music or having a song in my head keeps me motivated. But I also love talking about the book that I'm reading, I feel like that helps a lot on tough days

For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?

I'm really looking forward to all of Oregon. I've never been to that state before, and I think it's going to be really pretty and also have good coffee. So exciting.

Anything else you want to talk about?

This is a hot take, but I love the early morning wake up. Instead of waking up at 5:45, I full heartedly think we should be waking up at 4:45. You get to ride in cooler weather, I have more energy, we get to the stay over sooner, and it's just all around better. I know people don't like it because they don't want to go to bed early, but it's so nice.

Day 35+36: 14er Territory | Fort Morgan, CO to Boulder, CO

Today started out on rough roads and side of the road rest stops, but the mountains in the distance motivated us to push further. As we rolled into Boulder, we got closer and closer to the Rocky Mountains, and everyone was excited to be out of the open fields. We had a relaxing night in Boulder and explored some of the city before getting rest and tackling the next day!

Quote of the Day

Veronica: “They’re (guys on I4K) going to get buzz cuts did you hear?”

Jessica: “I know, we’re gonna have eggs”

RIDE OVERVIEW

Mileage: 94.9 miles

Elevation: 3,016 ft

Points of Interest: Pearl Street, Zoe Ma Ma, OZO Coffee, REI, Rapha, Yellow Deli, Tibet Kitchen, Pho Kitchen Bar and Grill, Flatirons 

Ride Dedication: Elizabeth Sharpe

Tales of the Trail 

DAY 35

We started the morning with an early wake-up ahead of a long day into Boulder. Not too much happened in the morning, and the first 57 miles of the ride were mostly barren. Since we passed by no towns, the first two rest stops were on the side of the road. On the bright side, we were soon able to see the Rockies in the distance, but we still had a long way to go before arriving in the mountains! Our third rest stop was at a Subway and a Carl’s in a gas station, and my parents (Dev) provided us lunch! As we approached Boulder, we started to get on some busy roads, and the mountains came more into view. We made some easy ascents and found ourselves in a more urban area. Everyone was excited to be in an urban environment after biking through the countryside for weeks, and the anticipation of breathtaking scenery motivated us to keep going further. Eventually, we reached Boulder, and we got to ride through the University of Colorado Boulder campus, where the sandstone buildings were beautiful!

Once we arrived at the stayover, everyone took some time to rest, and those visiting families and friends dispersed. The team got some well-needed floor time before getting cleaned up. Most of us used a hose to wash up before getting ready for dinner. Those of us who were still at the stayover got ready and walked down Peart Street, which was a really nice part of Boulder that had unique stores, restaurants, and cafes. Since everyone was really hungry, we decided to get dinner at Zoe Ma Ma, a Chinese restaurant that had delicious food. Some of the workers were even kind enough to give us leftovers for the night. We ended the night with ice cream, and even ran into a magician who put on a show for us! Since everyone was tired, we decided to return to the stayover to get some rest for the upcoming rest day.

DAY 36

Everyone was excited and ready to explore Boulder today for their rest day. Some had an earlier start than others by going to REI and bicycle shops to get the gear they needed for the rest of the trip, followed by brunch. Some people started off their day by heading to Lucile's Creole Cafe for breakfast, followed by a stroll down the renowned Pearl St in Boulder, peeking into different shops, buying souvenirs, and trying different cafes and restaurants. Everyone's mornings were different, and we got to share our stories at the end of the day.

Matt and Harbin decided to go mountain biking, and they had a blast on the trail. They got used to the suspension on the bikes, which is unfortunate as they wont be able to bounce up and down on the bike again when we hit the road tomorrow with our road bikes. One group decided to go hiking and tackle a Flatiron! The group coincidentally met Jason (our mechanic), who was with his friends, Yoanna and Jesse, in the parking lot that led to the trailhead. We combined groups, and Yoanna and Jesse ultimately became our guides up the mountain. Without them, we probably wouldn’t have found the top of the mountain when the trails became more confusing with directions towards the top. The group had a blast hiking up the mountain, and we were glad to be able to move our legs differently, off the bike. This hike also allowed us to acclimate better for the days ahead when we begin to hike through the mountains.

After the hike, the group was starving and headed to the Tibet Kitchen for some much-needed grub. A lot of us got dumplings and soup, and it filled us up. The other half of the team in the meanwhile were eating dinner at Pho Kitchen Bar and Grill while wearing Nebraska shirts that we got from a previous stayover for the giggles. That group got many discerning faces while repping Nebraska merch in Colorado, but it made for funny interactions. Afterwards, Jesse and Yoanna (Jason’s friends) managed to get the team access to showers! Thank you to Yoanna and Jesse for being the team’s tour guides up the Flatiron and for providing the team with showers and additional snacks the following day. It was great to meet you guys, and we had fun being able to get to know you better!

Thank you to the First United Methodist Church for giving us a place to sleep for two nights, and for allowing us to use the hose the first night to get ourselves clean. We appreciate your hospitality and those who stayed the night to make sure everything ran well.

Cyclist’s Corner 

Today’s Rider: Yuncong Geng  

How are you feeling today?

I'm feeling awesome because today is the longest I've biked. I finished 95 miles, yeah, I think it's amazing. I didn't believe I could do that.

Do you have any go-to gas station/rest stop snacks?

Well, if there is a gas stop, I would definitely buy something with meat,  like a fried chicken or something like that. But if it's just a roadside rest stop, I will try to get two or three protein bars. I think I feel hungry very easily.

What is your rest stop routine?

Well, I think in general, I don't make good use of time. First, I will try to find something good in the snack box, but it is not very common, and then probably go to the restroom and then sunscreen, and then drink water. Usually when I finish everything, the time is up. I don't understand how people can take a nap during a rest stop, they take a nap and then they go late. 

How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?

Today is actually like one of the few days that I made it through the hard ride. So I would say the music helps a lot. Yeah, today we played some of my favorite music and also played games called contact, and that killed time. I think the support from teammates is definitely very important. And also,  another thing, during the first stretch, I felt  terrible, like all the joints started to get painful, and I thought of giving up, but, actually, I didn't. I kind of persuaded myself to keep going, and actually things got better in the rest of the stretches. So I feel like a mindset of keep going is also important. 

For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?

I feel like Oregon.

Anything else you want to talk about?

I want to shout out to my teammates today. We formed the team because other people have already formed their team. I think our team worked out very well, we had very good music and fun games, and just a good day. Yeah, it's a very good day.

Day 34: My Cow | Yuma, CO to Fort Morgan, CO

Today the team tackled a windy day on Highway 34 from Yuma to Fort Morgan. The day wasn’t super eventful, but the team got to see many cows and enter deeper into Colorado, slowly and surely getting closer and closer to the Rocky Mountains.

quote of the day

“There’s just something about being horizontal that just feels so good”

— Jessica

ride overview

Mileage: 59.8 Miles

Elevation: 1,045 ft. 

Points of Interest: Latte Da 

Ride Dedication: David Martelle & Charlotte Fardoe

tales of the trail

Today was not a super long day, but it wasn’t short either. Not much happened along the ride as we were mostly on Highway 34 for our journey from Yuma to Fort Morgan with some windy conditions. One team stopped at a Sinclairs gas station and decided to vibe with the dino on site, which ultimately turned them green! Not to worry though, with some good soap and water, we were able to get off whatever green substance got on us. The team later decided to get some coffee at Latte Da, where some locals warned us about a stretch that would smell awful. Upon riding that stretch, we can confirm, that yes, it did smell awful for that short while, so the heads up was nice. Riding along the highway, the team saw many cows and continued to play the game “My Cow”, where we claim cows along the ride (the person who see’s it first and vocalizes it claims it) and the person who has the most by the end wins. The day was mostly uneventful until the last five miles of the ride when one of our riders, Dev, got TWO flat tires. With two flats and not enough tubes on hand with the group, Gloria (our van), had to be called for additional resources and Dev was able to fix the flats back at the stayover. At the stayover, our chefs, Stephanie and Harbin, surprised us at dinner by including chicken in our classic spaghetti and lentils dinner! It tasted amazing and was a nice touch to our usual dinner as a team before heading to bed.

Thank you to the Fort Morgan United Methodist Church for hosting our team this year and to Gary for providing us with some much needed showers for the team, it was great staying there and we appreciated the hospitality!

cyclist’s corner

Today’s Rider: Andres Villarreal

How are you feeling today?

I'm feeling good. My knees are working today, so no issues there. I don't really feel that tired. It was just a pretty good day.

Do you have any go-to gas station/rest stop snacks?

Every time we're at a gas station, I always try to find an Arizona but usually I'm unsuccessful.

But snacks wise, usually  an orange from the snack box or  a granola bar, that's usually my go to.

What is your rest stop routine?

Okay, well, if the rest stop is at a coffee shop, then I'll get coffee, maybe some food. I'll probably use the bathroom, and then, like, sunscreen, water, and then anything else I need to do, I'll do, but usually I feel like I'm slower than everybody else, so maybe I have to change those.

How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?

I guess just not  pushing myself too hard. Like, if I know it's a long day, then I will  try to take it easy and just not overdo it. And then usually, like a song in my head keeps me going, or just  talking with everybody in the group, that usually makes time pass faster. And then, if we have good views, that makes it really motivating

For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?

Well, I'm excited for Boulder tomorrow. I've been there once before, and it was really nice. And then I'm excited to go just anywhere West, anywhere that will have mountains. I feel like I really want to see those.

Day 33: A Hasty Ride, and a Fun-Filled 4h of July | Wray, CO to Yuma, CO

Today, we had a very quick ride, which meant that we had more time to enjoy the 4th of July! We started the day with an early coffee stop, and finished the ride around noon – just in time for lunch! We filled the day with fun activities, such as ice cream, movie watching, fireworks, and a pie-eating contest. It almost felt like we had a full rest day!

Quote of the Day

“The bitter and the sweet are like Jack and Jill, like two peas in a pod” - Matt 

RIDE OVERVIEW

Mileage: 28 Miles

Elevation: 866 ft. 

Points of Interest: LaLa’s Espresso Bar and Bakery, Farmhouse Market

Ride Dedication: Kay Voss

Tales of the Trail 

The morning started at our usual time, with the prospect of a quick ride to enjoy the 4th of July! This morning, the team collectively decided to get coffee and food at LaLa’s Espresso Bar and Bakery approximately 0.2 miles into the ride. We had a great time enjoying our coffee and food in the morning, and everyone was exalted after our ride leaders announced that we could listen to music on the ride. The ride itself was very short, and there were no planned rest stops along the way. Throughout the ride, we took in the eastern Colorado landscape, with a gradual incline and some rolling hills. We also experienced a small amount of drizzle, which didn’t faze us! Some of us were already expecting mountains, but it felt like we were still in the heartland. 

Once we arrived at the stayover, we were treated to Subway for lunch, and everyone was excited to enjoy the day after such a quick ride. After lunch, we did two amazing portraits with community members of the church, and we heard some very captivating stories. After the portraits, everyone got to showering and taking some well-needed rest. A group of us decided to drive around Yuma, and we ended up stopping at Farmhouse Market for ice cream — they had great flavors like “Sleepless in Seattle” (coffee ice cream). When we arrived back at the stayover, we were provided an amazing dinner of homemade burritos and tamales with some extra hot sauce. Some of us challenged eachother to eat spoonfuls of hotsauce, which made for a spice-fueled dinner! We were treated to a double rainbow after dinner, and it was great to take in the beautiful skies of Colorado, which we’ll expect more of throughout the ride.

The group finally finished Interstellar, and the movie put everyone in a trance for hours as the sun set. After the movie, the sky was dark, and we pulled out our fireworks which made for some great 4th of July celebration! The group went through plenty of sparklers, and we even got to use the long-exposure feature on Harbin’s phone camera to take a photo spelling out “Illini 400” with the sparklers. We didn’t have much, but setting off the fireworks we did have was a good time, and we still had some semblance of a classic Independence Day celebration! To end the night, we held our annual pie-eating contest, and everyone was assigned to a random team to finish a pie. Some of us were faster eaters than others, but we all got some pie down, and Micah and Sofia came out on top after quickly finishing their pies. After finishing the pies and cleaning up, everyone went to bed after a fun day!

Thank you, Yuma First Church of the Nazarene, for giving us a place to sleep and so graciously providing us with three meals during our stay – It was great to meet you! 

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Veronica Kozak 

How are you feeling today?

I’m feeling good. I’m feeling really good today. It’s a good day. Feeling good. I want them to know I’m feeling good. Actually, I’m feeling spectacular, euphoric.. Well… that’s a stretch, I’ll settle with, good. (Veronica, later that day after watching Interstellar for the first time: “It was a spectacular day”). 

Do you have any go-to gas station/rest-stop snacks?

It usually changes every day, but if I were to do a go to I usually like to reach for something more salty, like a good bag of chips, preferably like either barbecue or the sour cream and onion. Those are good, some salty, good flavored chips. Usually my go to, salty chips, yeah. 

What is your rest stop routine?

Typically, I would fill up water first, because I usually tend to run out of water right away, and I get really thirsty by the time I roll up to a rest stop. But lately, I've been noticing that as soon as I get there, I tend to fall asleep and take a nap, and after my nap, usually there is no time to do anything, so I have to scurry to fill up my water bottles and put on my sunscreen so that I could roll out with my teammates quickly. I usually cut it close, but naps have made it into my routine, and I like that. 

How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?

Sometimes I play a song in my head. I get a song stuck in my head, and that's good motivation, even if the scenery isn't too spectacular, I usually try to talk to my teammates and build conversation, and that gets us through longer and tougher stretches. So I enjoy having a conversation. It makes the time go by.

For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?

Probably Boulder, Colorado, which is coming up soon. I'm excited about Colorado in general. I've never biked through here. I've been here once before, but haven't seen much of it, and I'm really excited to bike through that part. I know it's going to be mountainous, but I know it's going to be beautiful, and I'm really excited to see it, and we have a lovely rest day coming up there, and I can only imagine everything we're gonna do. Is

Anything else you want to talk about?

I bought some cheese today, and I was really craving cheese, and I bought a block of Havarti cheese today. It was some of the best cheese I've had in a really long time, and I'm really excited to have that for breakfast tomorrow.

Day 32: Mountain Time Zone! | McCook, NE to Wray, CO

The team woke up bright and early to tackle a longer day ahead. Today marks the last couple of miles we ride in Nebraska, leaving the gradual hills, wide shoulders, beautiful views, and at times, some stinky fields behind. We are ready to say hello to our 10th state of the ride, Colorado! A state that many people on our team are excited to bike through as we head more into the West and start approaching the mountains.

quote of the day

“I wonder if Kohls has the tires I need”

— Harbin

ride overview

Mileage: 93.2 Miles

Elevation: 2,996 ft. 

Points of Interest: Stratton Country Market, Lamp Post 613, Colorado Welcome Sign, Kansas Welcome Sign, Benkelman (NE) 

Ride Dedication: Lucie Gleason

tales of the trail

An early wake-up called our name this morning once again, with a 90-miler day ahead. Today, the team was tasked with “collecting the rainbow” along the ride, with each group having to find different rainbow-colored items from the side of the road, each worth a certain number of points. Some groups found orange hats, purples towels, and other items that were found were not as fancy, such as a coca-cola box for the color red, and a chunk of pavement with rocks and gravel stuck inside. Our team also crossed into a new time zone once again! We have officially entered the Mountain Time Zone, and got an extra hour for the day, whoop whoop!

One of our rest stops of the day was at Stratton Country Market, where we met Kay! She fooled us at first, thinking that we needed to pay $5 to use the restroom, but it was just an ol’ joke. That turned into a running joke for the rest of the day, where everyone would say $5 for this, $5 for that. We were able to talk to her about her experience with a tumor and were so grateful to get the chance to meet her and hear her story (watch out for future portraits)! Afterward, the team stopped at a - you guessed it, coffee shop! We stopped at Lamp Post 613 to get some coffee and snacks to fuel up before the border crossing into Colorado!

Some teams went off route (only slightly), near Haigler, NE, to head into the state of Kansas! We got to see the Kansas welcome sign, admire the stark difference between Nebraska and Kansas at their border (not much of a difference), and headed back on route to cross into Colorado! Colorado gave us a welcome sign that was on brand with today’s challenge, stating “Welcome to Colorful Colorado!” We took this time to take some team photos and say our final farewells to Nebraska. Once we entered Colorado, the shoulders immediately became narrower on the roads, and groups were not able to be in “yap formation” anymore, but instead fallen in (in a straight line) for the rest of the ride. Immediately, we felt a slight change of scenery with more mountainous formations to the left and right of us, thought not massive, it gave us a glimpse into the days ahead.

Once we got to our stayover, the team hit the jacuzzi, sauna, and steam room, paired with cold showers as a way to rejuvenate our bodies after a long day of riding. Our hosts amiably served us lasagne for dinner (which was delicious), and helped us out with laundry! Thank you to the WRAC of Wray (Rec Center) for hosting our team, the staff was very welcoming and the dinner was delicious!

cyclist’s corner

Today’s Rider: Sofia Sivilotti 

How are you feeling today?

I'm feeling great. We did a portrait during the rest stop about one of the women that was working at the little market that we stopped in, and she told us her story about having a brain tumor, which was very moving, to finally, kind of do a portrait while we were on the ride, and actually a mid ride portrait, which was a lot of fun. And we crossed into Colorado for the first time. It's my first time being in Colorado. And also we biked a little extra to see the Kansas border, which was an absolute blast. There were some crosswinds kind of the whole day, but we had a good stretch at the end, a nice pull at the end, And it was kind of fun.

Do you have any go-to gas station/rest stop snacks?

I have been loving the coffee shop stops that we've been making for rest stops. My go to is an iced latte because it's been so cold, and a scone, if their scones look good.

What is your rest stop routine?

 If it's a fast rest stop, rolling up, getting some snacks, getting some fueling, going to the bathroom and then sunscreen, shammy buttering , filling my bottles, getting back on the bike and rolling out, sometimes putting half a packet of LMNT in my bottle. 

How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?

We've been going through a lot of very pretty and scenic areas, so I've just been looking at the scenery and kind of just talking to people that I'm riding with. I love to chat on the bike, and that makes the days fly by. A few days ago, Stephanie was giving us a recap of her book, and it made an hour feel like it was only five minutes, and I wanted to hear more.

For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?

 I can't wait to see the national parks. I think they're going to be beautiful, and I'm excited to get some more elevation.

Anything else you want to talk about?

I just want to say how kind of pleasantly surprised I've been by everyone's generosity. Everywhere that we've gone, it's been at rest stops, at churches that we stop, and even at random towns, everyone's been very kind and it's been very heartwarming.