Well, obviously the trip is long over, but I think of it many, many times a day. I've returned to Ames, IA to be closer to family, regroup and plan my next steps. Thank you so much to all of you who made this summer possible. I'm working on a video/slideshow of the summer, but I've pasted a couple links below to videos made by my fellow NUS 09-ers.
Much love to you all.
Awesome video by Theo Cho - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8KRb17rL1Y
Video minus the music by Cidny - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQSRkHGe8AA&feature=related
Friday, November 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
greetings from inside a cloud.
we climbed the road to the sun today in glacier national park. at logan pass (around 6600 ft) we were about to begin the 12 mile descent but couldn't see 5 ft in front of us because of the rain clouds blowing through. we were soaked and freezing.
spent the next three hours trying to figure out how to get off the mountain with our bikes without actually biking down... about half the group went ahead, but (arguably the sensible ones) caught shuttles to the bottom. my brakes wouldn't have made it, nor would i given how scared i was. julia=big-ol-chicken. but we're all alive and well. a lovely couple packed 6 of our bikes into their van and met us at the bottom as we shuttled down (over an hour in a little bus!). don't know how we'd have made it without them. thanks jon peterson! :)
will write more later, but just wanted to say i was alive and well.
much love,
julia.
spent the next three hours trying to figure out how to get off the mountain with our bikes without actually biking down... about half the group went ahead, but (arguably the sensible ones) caught shuttles to the bottom. my brakes wouldn't have made it, nor would i given how scared i was. julia=big-ol-chicken. but we're all alive and well. a lovely couple packed 6 of our bikes into their van and met us at the bottom as we shuttled down (over an hour in a little bus!). don't know how we'd have made it without them. thanks jon peterson! :)
will write more later, but just wanted to say i was alive and well.
much love,
julia.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Chester, MT
So I rode a horse yesterday in Montana without a saddle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And today we biked 82 miles into the wind and I don't think I'd ever felt so delirious in my entire life. Rachel is the only reason I survived as she wouldn't let me get off my bike and wander into the wheat fields...I'd run out of water and finished my gatorade with 10 miles to go... we started quoting this stupid video about the unicorns trying to get this one unicorn named "Charlie" to go to "Candy Mountain" where they trick him and steal his kidney, and at one point I actually believed for about 2 minutes that Bike & Build was leading us to the Rockies to take our kidneys. Yay for dehydration.
Soon to arrive in Glacier. Cannot wait.
And today we biked 82 miles into the wind and I don't think I'd ever felt so delirious in my entire life. Rachel is the only reason I survived as she wouldn't let me get off my bike and wander into the wheat fields...I'd run out of water and finished my gatorade with 10 miles to go... we started quoting this stupid video about the unicorns trying to get this one unicorn named "Charlie" to go to "Candy Mountain" where they trick him and steal his kidney, and at one point I actually believed for about 2 minutes that Bike & Build was leading us to the Rockies to take our kidneys. Yay for dehydration.
Soon to arrive in Glacier. Cannot wait.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
MONTANA
The past few days have been amazing. The rest of N.Dakota just became more and more overwhelming. At the beginning of this trip Iowa and Vermont were tied for my favorite states, Maine being a close second...our ride through Wisconsin made it a three-way tie, but North Dakota is in its own category entirely. It was so intensely peaceful and varied...the flat wetlands in the east, the rolling hills, and then two days ago we were climbing a hill, reached the top and looked out over the Badlands at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We'd just finished a 15 mile whirlwind of a ride with the most incredible tailwind of the trip thus far - hitting 20 going uphill, 30s on the descents knocking off mile after mile without hardly any effort at all. As we caught our breath at the top there was a short cloudburst and we started the short downhill into the park.
I spent the afternoon wandering on trails and gazing at these massive buttes (I think that's what they're called?)... We camped out that evening all puppy-piled into tents and got an early 5am wake up to prep for our 90something mile day. I was one of the first to get out (rare) in the morning and less than a couple miles from the campsite we came around a bend in the road only to find a herd of bison standing there enjoying their morning breakfast walk. Having heard that they were in rut, not fond of cyclists, unpredictable and able to run 35 mph (much faster than i can bike on a gravel road, no matter what's behind me), we decided to wait... Several minutes later a construction worker came by in his pick up and had us follow the bed of his truck closely on our bikes as he made his way through the herd... We got a little ways further but ran into a second group - this one much larger, with the bull in site and a few calves on each side of the road. It's a long story, but basically I got separated from the first group and spent a solid 15 minutes waiting for the rest of the team to reach where I was at the road, in the meantime just staying calm on my bike as I was alone between two groups of bison... Eek. But the rest of the group came and we slowly made our way through, led by a couple riders who apparently were not intimidated by the huffing of the bison around us. There went my 7th life. ...
Today's ride was also one of my favorites of the trip so far because we had a tailwind the entire way, it was relatively flat, with some hills that I swear were made with cyclists in mind. When there are hills they usually follow a descent, they're not too steep, and often look crazy tall in the distance but as you approach it reveals a plateau halfway up, so it's kind of like a stairstep - you go up one hill, go flat for a ways and then continue going up, and then you get a sweet descent on the other side. I hit 37.7mph today going down a hill, trying to stay in my 2ft of shoulder space as trucks and cars sped past at 60. Quite a rush. The miles flew by. So satisfying.
I now understand what they mean by "Big Sky Country". WOW.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Minot, ND
As I write this I’m sitting in a room of a church in Minot, ND. Theo is playing a beautiful piano piece for us as we write, fold laundry and pack, and wind down from our second day off of the summer. The perfect setting to reflect on the amazing day we had yesterday. For some reason, when I sit down to write I don't really have much to say… I’m afraid I have the opposite problem today, so I will do my best to keep things brief. These past few weeks since that first entry have affected me rather deeply. I feel so blessed to be here with these people on this massive endeavor.
North Dakota is the first state on this trip that I hadn’t been to yet. On our first day after crossing the border we were biking along and I kept imagining this place in the wintertime… We went for miles without any towns of any kind. A small grain elevator or silo would appear on the horizon and we’d spend the next hour staring at it, a few homes would reveal themselves as we approached and we’d be past it in a matter of seconds and would be looking out again at miles and miles of grasslands. Imagining all that space covered under a thick blanket of snow… I don’t know. The thought of it overwhelmed me with a strange peacefulness that I haven’t felt in a long time. I want to experience it firsthand some day. I was expecting a flat, dry empty place. Instead it has been full of wetlands, wide open skies with some of the most amazing clouds I’ve ever seen, countless wildlife refuges with all sorts of birds and uniquely friendly people… North Dakota has enchanted me.
Yesterday was probably my favorite of the trip so far. We got off to a slow start. A big group of us stopped at a coffee shop right next to the geographical center of North America. (Okay, so apparently the technical center is 7 miles away, but I’m okay with Rugby claiming it.) Instead of hitting the road, a handful of us crossed the highway to a souvenir shop and bought a ridiculous amount of postcards and magnets. From there we headed down Route 2. We saw a tractor on the side of the road, and though I’m not sure the farmer would have appreciated it, we stopped and took some pictures by it, fulfilling one of Kelsey’s life-long wishes to sit on a tractor. About ten miles down the road some massive clouds started rolling in and we spent the rest of the ride trying to see through the drops and rooster tails of the riders in front of us. By the time we arrived at lunch (completely drenched) most of the other riders were already approaching Minot. Because of the chilly, wet weather Heather had prepared pbj sandwiches for us and had them waiting in the back of the trailer. She also offered us all her warm, dry clothes, literally the shirt off her back—one of those moments when you love people so much that your heart just might burst.
A few miles after lunch we pulled off Route 2 onto a small road into Granville. We took a left onto the main strip which included a bank, hair salon, a couple small businesses and a Veteran Memorial café. After stepping in to use the restroom we broke down and got a pot of coffee and wrung out our socks and hung our jackets to dry in the sun. It started raining again with high winds so we got a whole rhubarb pie and some chips, had another round of coffee. Just sitting around the table talking with these amazing people, chatting with the women running the café, enjoying some hot coffee and dessert…it was the happiest I’d felt in a long time. We didn’t feel rushed because there was no one behind us, no one waiting on us… And even if we had been we couldn’t leave because it was thundering and the clouds were dark and moving fast. So we savored it.
We picked up the pace the second half of the day and did a lot more singing…Generally our songs consisted of the first line of the first verse, some humming and then the chorus on repeat until someone transitioned it into some other tune. Sidny started making up her own song about gaps in pace lines (basically when you’re riding in a tight line drafting off the person in front of you and someone drops back - you’re supposed to shout gap so that the folks up front can slow enough while you catch up to keep the line intact)… Here are the lyrics – imagine this with some energetic clapping.
Gap gap (ooh) there’s a gap gap / G (clap) – A (clap) – P (clap)
You’re too far in front of me! A Gap! / Ooh Ooh a Gap!
G – A – P I would like to draft off thee / Gap gap (ooh) there’s a gap gap
G – A – P Your bike is moving too quickly/ Gap gap (ooh) there’s a gap gap
A gap oh CLOSE that gap
You’re biking fast I’m biking slow / Let’s close the gap and off we’ll go
Gap gap (ooh) there’s a gap gap
We got in around six o’clock just in time for dinner, kind of ridiculous for a 65 mile day. And now we’re sitting around wondering aloud about how in the world that wasn’t the most awful day. It was cold, rainy, then hot and windy. The wind was seriously close to blowing us into the road, semis were passing within a foot of us, the shoulder was randomly disappearing and covered with gravel and chunks of tire, it was taking hours longer than it would had it been a normal day, and I even cut my leg on my chain ring... I don’t even know. But that pretty much sums up how incredible this whole experience has been. We’re sore, achy, tired, hungry, cranky and totally furious with the wind, but then look up and see this beautiful country alongside these salt-of-the-earth people and it’s hard to feel anything but gratitude.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible.
North Dakota is the first state on this trip that I hadn’t been to yet. On our first day after crossing the border we were biking along and I kept imagining this place in the wintertime… We went for miles without any towns of any kind. A small grain elevator or silo would appear on the horizon and we’d spend the next hour staring at it, a few homes would reveal themselves as we approached and we’d be past it in a matter of seconds and would be looking out again at miles and miles of grasslands. Imagining all that space covered under a thick blanket of snow… I don’t know. The thought of it overwhelmed me with a strange peacefulness that I haven’t felt in a long time. I want to experience it firsthand some day. I was expecting a flat, dry empty place. Instead it has been full of wetlands, wide open skies with some of the most amazing clouds I’ve ever seen, countless wildlife refuges with all sorts of birds and uniquely friendly people… North Dakota has enchanted me.
Yesterday was probably my favorite of the trip so far. We got off to a slow start. A big group of us stopped at a coffee shop right next to the geographical center of North America. (Okay, so apparently the technical center is 7 miles away, but I’m okay with Rugby claiming it.) Instead of hitting the road, a handful of us crossed the highway to a souvenir shop and bought a ridiculous amount of postcards and magnets. From there we headed down Route 2. We saw a tractor on the side of the road, and though I’m not sure the farmer would have appreciated it, we stopped and took some pictures by it, fulfilling one of Kelsey’s life-long wishes to sit on a tractor. About ten miles down the road some massive clouds started rolling in and we spent the rest of the ride trying to see through the drops and rooster tails of the riders in front of us. By the time we arrived at lunch (completely drenched) most of the other riders were already approaching Minot. Because of the chilly, wet weather Heather had prepared pbj sandwiches for us and had them waiting in the back of the trailer. She also offered us all her warm, dry clothes, literally the shirt off her back—one of those moments when you love people so much that your heart just might burst.
A few miles after lunch we pulled off Route 2 onto a small road into Granville. We took a left onto the main strip which included a bank, hair salon, a couple small businesses and a Veteran Memorial café. After stepping in to use the restroom we broke down and got a pot of coffee and wrung out our socks and hung our jackets to dry in the sun. It started raining again with high winds so we got a whole rhubarb pie and some chips, had another round of coffee. Just sitting around the table talking with these amazing people, chatting with the women running the café, enjoying some hot coffee and dessert…it was the happiest I’d felt in a long time. We didn’t feel rushed because there was no one behind us, no one waiting on us… And even if we had been we couldn’t leave because it was thundering and the clouds were dark and moving fast. So we savored it.
We picked up the pace the second half of the day and did a lot more singing…Generally our songs consisted of the first line of the first verse, some humming and then the chorus on repeat until someone transitioned it into some other tune. Sidny started making up her own song about gaps in pace lines (basically when you’re riding in a tight line drafting off the person in front of you and someone drops back - you’re supposed to shout gap so that the folks up front can slow enough while you catch up to keep the line intact)… Here are the lyrics – imagine this with some energetic clapping.
Gap gap (ooh) there’s a gap gap / G (clap) – A (clap) – P (clap)
You’re too far in front of me! A Gap! / Ooh Ooh a Gap!
G – A – P I would like to draft off thee / Gap gap (ooh) there’s a gap gap
G – A – P Your bike is moving too quickly/ Gap gap (ooh) there’s a gap gap
A gap oh CLOSE that gap
You’re biking fast I’m biking slow / Let’s close the gap and off we’ll go
Gap gap (ooh) there’s a gap gap
We got in around six o’clock just in time for dinner, kind of ridiculous for a 65 mile day. And now we’re sitting around wondering aloud about how in the world that wasn’t the most awful day. It was cold, rainy, then hot and windy. The wind was seriously close to blowing us into the road, semis were passing within a foot of us, the shoulder was randomly disappearing and covered with gravel and chunks of tire, it was taking hours longer than it would had it been a normal day, and I even cut my leg on my chain ring... I don’t even know. But that pretty much sums up how incredible this whole experience has been. We’re sore, achy, tired, hungry, cranky and totally furious with the wind, but then look up and see this beautiful country alongside these salt-of-the-earth people and it’s hard to feel anything but gratitude.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible.
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