Day 16 - Green River, UT to Grand Junction, CO

Welcome to Colorful Colorado! Our ride today was long, hot, and colorful. We left Green River under blue skies and temps that were cool, but I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. Our route was along I-70 for nearly all the way. As the day progressed, the temps climbed. By day's end when we reached Grand Junction, it would be 95 degrees.




Our scenery changed throughout the day, but we primarily saw Book Cliffs to the north and mesas or prairies to the south. The lighting was really great for dramatic photos on the road, so I took a lot of shots of my cycling friends. A couple of shots from the back with the sunlight silhouetting the riders in front of me turned out well.

The wildlife we saw that was not dead on the road (skunk, porcupine, snake) included lizards, antelope, prairie dogs, and birds. You had to look hard to spot them, but they were there if you glanced in the right direction at the right time.

We had two SAG stops today. The first was early in the ride around mile 25. But later in the day at mile 66, in the heat just before crossing the Colorado border, I was feeling the need for shade. I was grateful when I pulled up to the ABB trailer underneath a overpass with cool concrete to sit on and shade over us. We lingered there for far too long. But, it was good to catch a second wind.


After the SAG, we crossed the state line and entered Colorado. A bunch of us gathered at the large Colorado sign for photos. At one point, Gerard our ride leader, had a dozen cameras dangling from his wrists as he sought to get everyone's photo on their own camera. After the photo opp, we had a nice descent that was pleasantly interrupted by the "Colorado Welcoming Committee."

Sue, a local resident who has done a number of Cross Country Challenges and other ABB rides, greeted us from her parked car under an overpass where she was handing out Mr. Freeze / Igloo Pops for each of us. "Welcome to Colorado!" she cheerily said as we stopped under the overpass. It was a refreshing was to be welcomed to the state, and our first welcoming committee at that.

With just five miles to go to reach the hotel, Chuck, Leigh, and I decided to stop at a Wendy's for some refreshment. The rest was worthwhile. But as we were leaving, I noticed my rear tire was low. Yep. It's a flat. It's a "Wendy's flat." So we stopped at a nearby shaded park and changed the tube. That's number four for the ride. Not too bad considering a couple of riders today got three flats! Three just today! I-70 is a rough road to ride.


Tomorrow, we'll reach Montrose about 65 miles away. We'll see the Colorado National Monument--a large mesa range to the south--as well as the Grand Mesa, an immense tabletop mountain to the southeast. We'll be following the Gunnison River as it departs from the confluence of the Colorado River, which we followed for several miles as we entered Grand Junction. The other point of interest is we'll join paths with riders on the Tour of Colorado. There are several thousand cyclists in town on a 6-day tour of Colorado. So, we'll try our best to stand out in our America By Bicycle jerseys and make fun of them for only riding six measly days... we're doing 52!

For more photos from today, please visit http://gallery.me.com/eternaldesign2#100182

If you've been enjoying these blog postings, please consider supporting the Ride for Impact by visiting http://www.rideforimpact.org

Dist: 98.5
Time: 5:54:11
Avg: 16.6
Max: 40.0
Cumulative Miles: 1189
Cumulative Flats: 4 (pray for no more!)
Elev Gain: 3237 ft
Max Elev: 5089 ft
Avg Climb: 1%
Max Climb: 6%

Day 15 - Price, UT to Green River, UT

If Father's Day means doing what you love to do most, I think I did that. It's Father's Day today. I miss my kids. I miss my wife. But, I had an awesome day despite not getting hugs and kisses from my family. I got to ride my bike! Today's route took us from Price to Green River primarily along Hwy. 6. The scenery was spectacular, but altogether different from anything else we've seen. In a word, southeastern Utah is "expansive."


We left Price under dark skies. The road was wet from early morning rain. We rode through Price and got on Highway 6. The scenery began with green, wide pastures. In the far distance we could see the Book Cliffs, a range of steep cliffs with sediment striations that looked like layered cakes stacked high. At the top of one rise, we could see sunlight breaking through the cloud cover and streaming beams of light onto the valley below. The weather improved quickly and most of the day we were riding under blue skies and scattered puffy clouds.


Early in the ride, I saw a single llama standing on a ridge as we passed. He was silhouetted against the sky as if he was surveying the road below and watching us make our way to Green River. As we rode along, I saw on the right about a hundred yards from the road, a lone antelope. I called to Chuck who was in front of me and told him to stop and look to the right. The antelope skittered away, but we could still see him on a low ridge in the distance.


Before a long descent, we had an amazing view of the valley below. Book Cliffs on the left, and a vast desert to the right. It was really breathtaking. I pulled over halfway through the descent just to take some photos and capture how incredibly vast it all was. When you live in a city or suburbs, you really don't have a concept for how much "spare room" our nation has. Riders in our group who haven't traveled through the west, are really amazed at the wide open space we are riding through.

At the SAG stop, we pulled into a turnout area with nothing but space and desert for miles in either direction. Cliffs and table rocks dotted the horizon. We loaded up on food, cleaned mud out of our cleats, and grouped up for a paceline to take us the rest of the way. Leigh, Chris, Chuck and I took turns taking long pulls with a major headwind for the last quarter of the ride. Eventually, we joined Hwy. 70E and had just a short few miles to ride into Green River.


After our ride, we had the option to drive by van to Arches National Park about an hour away. Eighteen of us were chosen to take the trip. We loaded into the two ABB vans and headed south. The red rock and steep cliffs were stunning as we neared the entrance. Our visit to Arches was altogether too short. We stopped in at the Visitor Center briefly then drove out to Delicate Arch. We hiked to a viewpoint, but the Arch was far in the distance. If time allowed, I would have hiked the 1.5 miles to see it up close.

We next went to Windows Arches and had the opportunity to hike right up underneath it. It's breathtaking to see these arches formed from erosion and weather over years and years. We stopped at Balancing Rock and then visited Park Avenue. I easily could have stayed several days in Arches. Next time, I'll make it a roadtrip with Susie, Kyle, and Bethany and we'll camp in the park and hike to each and every arch. But, for the short time we had, it was entirely worth going.

This was a great Father's Day. I'm so thankful for my kids and the wonderful young man and woman they are becoming. I'm proud of not just what they have done, but more so who they are. I miss the opportunity to experience this incredible country through their eyes and would love to show them all the sights I'm seeing. I look forward to seeing them at the ride's end, but I so appreciate their sacrifice to let me ride this adventure of a lifetime. Thank you Kyle and Bethany for making me a dad and making it so fun to be your dad! I love you both very much!

Tomorrow, we cross our fourth state line and enter Colorado. The hotel desk clerk says to expect a ride through "a whole lot of nuthin." Somehow, I think I'll probably find something there I like.

To see more photos from today including all the shots I took at Arches National Park, visit http://gallery.me.com/eternaldesign2#100174

For more about the Ride for Impact and to support global relief and missions, please visit http://www.rideforimpact.org

Dist: 67.2
Time: 3:51:00
Avg: 17.3
Cumulative Miles: 1091
Cumulative Flats: 3 and holding
Elev Gain: 1164 ft.
Max Elev: 5766 ft.
Avg Climb: 1%
Max Climb: 5%

Day 14 - Provo, UT to Price, UT

"It might be raining, but at least we have a headwind!" Today, I re-learned the importance of making the most of every opportunity. So many times, the quality of life is really dependent upon your outlook. When I set out to take on this Cross Country Challenge, I was determined to have a positive attitude and enjoy every moment. Today, that outlook paid off. As I reflected upon the day, I realized prior to this ride I was complaining and negative about some particular aspects of my life--not all of it, but a portion. But for the last two weeks, I've realized that by not complaining and keeping a positive attitude has made this ride exceptionally fun, even on the most difficult days. Today could have been a dreadful day, and unfortunately for some riders, it was. But, I had a blast!


Our day began riding south out of Provo under threatening skies. We had a very early start: breakfast at 5:00 a.m. and load at 5:45 a.m. This was to get us out and on the road before weekend drivers began challenging us on roads that would have minimal shoulder and a lot of construction. Our route out of town was pleasant enough riding past some rural homes, train yards, and businesses. But as we got onto Hwy 6/89, we noticed the terrible headwind. Just south of Mapleton, UT is a wind farm with about a dozen towering wind turbines. Our headwind must have been 40 or 50 miles per hour. I've never cycled in that kind of wind before. You had to put your head down, get your hands in the drops, and just power through it. It appeared as if the wind turbines were giant fans blasting us with air. Eventually we passed them and begin a steady, but easy climb up Hwy. 6.


If the headwind wasn't enough to deal with, construction was the biggest issue. Hwy. 6 is under a significant roadwork project adding two lanes to make it wider. In a variety of places, we were lifting our bikes over K-rails and jersey barriers or riding behind orange construction barrels. In many places, the road shoulder was minimal and most of it had rumble strips. (Cycling over rumble strips is at best painful, at worst disastrous.) But this is where the attitude adjustment comes into play.


We were riding through the most scenic parts of Utah I had seen since we entered the state a few days ago. Our course took us through the "Red Narrows", a section of Hwy. 6 that has steep red canyon walls and sweeping vistas. The climbing was fairly easy at 3 to 5 percent, but lengthy.



At a pullout, we saw one of the support vans and decided to stop. Michelle and Judy offered us some food and water. We lingered for awhile chatting. A few of us used the nearby non-existent restroom facilities (just behind a jersey barrier and out of sight.) Leigh came back to the van and commented that a mummified sheep was just beyond the barrier on the hillside. Well, gotta check that out! As you can see from the photo, this was the king of all roadkill. I thought back to being 12 years old and wanting a bison skull with horns to hang on my wall. If I had seen this pile of bones, I'd probably have taken the skull home. Gross, but hey, I was 12.

We left the mini-SAG stop and continued climbing. The sun was warming us up as we climbed through green rolling mountain sides and red or gray cliffs. A Union Pacific train came by pulling at least 200 empty cars. Later, I saw a second train going down the way we came loaded with coal. These were coal trains and we were entering coal country.

We had another section of construction where we had to bike along a dirt section of uncompleted roadway expansion. Our ride leaders suggested we would have to walk our bikes, but riding along the dirt was really no trouble. It was a cyclocross moment.


The official SAG stop was soon in sight and we pulled in. We were at the front of the group. More water, food, a chance to visit and make new friends. In fact, I made friends with a ground squirrel that was scurrying around. I suppose I could have shared some of my biker food, but really... how many miles did the squirrel do today? I deserved it more.

We left the squirrels, SAG stop, and finished our climb up to Soldier Summit. Elevation: 7,447 ft. The climbing was never too intense and the weather at the top was cooler, but not cold.
We stopped for a few photos and to talk with ride leader Gerard who was parked there. Gerard pointed out the dark clouds moving in from the south, so we moved on. We weren't more than a half mile on our descent when the deluge began. I put on my rain gear, but had nothing for my legs or feet and promptly got a good soaking.

The rains poured down on us while we tried to safely descend amidst the traffic, rumble strips, and splashing water. The rain started to sting. I decided to embrace it. This was fun! I wasn't going to melt, so just ride through it and enjoy the scenery. The rain eventually passed and we worked through another construction section.


At 52 miles into the ride, there was a store on the left that Gerard suggested we stop in and check out. The proprietor was a an old-timer who would share stories with us. I decided it was worth a stop. I'm beginning to get the gist of this ride... look for opportunities to experience America, not just ride through it. This was such an opportunity. Inside the old storefront was Dennis Finch, 78. Lived here in Colton, UT all his life. There used to be 200 families living here. Now it's just him and his wife. He's just running the store to stay active (he told me so about three times in our conversation.) His granddad (or was it great-granddad?) knew Butch Cassidy. Showed me the photo of the two of them. This storefront used to be over there by the tracks. They moved it in 1934. Here's the photos of the old town. Those buildings are all gone now. This is the only one. He's just running the store to stay active. I sipped black coffee while he regaled me with photos and stories, pointed out the elk and deer heads mounted to the wall. He shot one with a bow and arrow. One was shot back in the 1890s. He gets paid $0.50 a cubic yard for the road crew to dump the rocks they're clearing out to expand the roadway. He met a lady from Australia last year who stopped into his store. He's just running the store to stay active. If you drive over Hwy. 6 in Utah, stop in and say hi to Dennis. It's entirely worth the visit.

I left Hilltop Country Store and continued descending down Hwy. 6. I was now in Price Canyon and the scenery was outstanding. The high cliff walls, the railroad tracks, the Price River flowing by... I felt as if I was biking through a model railroad set. It was fantastic. I slowed down and soaked it all in. I stopped over the river and took more photos. I took my time riding through it looking left, looking right, and enjoying every moment. A few other riders went by and I felt like I had found something no one else was seeing. Maybe it took two weeks to really catch this, but the bike is the vehicle for the experience, not the experience itself. Gotta take your time and see what you're riding through!

I passed a coal processing plant, descended further down the canyon, and entered the little town of Helper, UT. Helper is named for the "helper" engines added to the trains to make the steep (2.4% grade) 15 mile climb up Price Canyon to the town of Soldier Summit. I stopped and rode through the historical Main Street. Brick storefronts, hotels, and restaurants appeared like time had stopped. It could be 1952 or 1897. I dropped in the The Western Mining and Railroad Museum and chatted with an old timer there. He's lived in Helper for 35 years. He knows Dennis Finch, too. He invited me to look around as long as I like and I would have, but I sensed rain was on my tail.

I left Helper and got back on Hwy. 6. The rains caught me and the deluge dumped once again. It was a fast ride into Price. I think I hit 30 mph as I raced the rains downhill into town. I saw the hotel, but also sensed my hunger. I turned left and rode into the Burger King first then went to the hotel. I heard lots of mumbling and grumbling when I arrived. But, I had just had an amazing day. So what if there's construction, a headwind, and rain? I'm riding my bike across America. This is a blast!

Tomorrow, we have a short ride of 67 miles to Green River. What I'm really looking forward to is an afternoon visit to Arches National Park near Moab, UT. It's too far to ride, so we'll take our two vans and shuttle riders there after we pull in to the hotel. I've never been to Arches and had hoped we'd have a chance to see it. Looks like it will be another great day! It's Father Day tomorrow. I'll miss my family, but I'll be thinking about them when I ride!

For more photos of today's ride including an afternoon visit to the Prehistoric Museum in Price (dinosaurs and mammoths!), visit http://gallery.me.com/eternaldesign2#100170

For more about the Ride for Impact and a chance to sponsor me, visit http://www.rideforimpact.org

Dist: 77.64
Time: 5:33:37
Avg: 13.9
Max: 32.5
Cumulative Miles: 1024
Cumulative Flat Tires: 3
Elev Gain: 3546 ft.
Max Elev: 7527 ft.
Avg Climb: 2%
Max Climb: 8%

My appearance on the Fairly Spiritual Show!

Last Saturday, when I was in Winnemucca, NV, I called in to my friend, Doug Bursch's, Seattle talk radio show on KGNW 820AM called "The Fairly Spiritual Show." You can listen to my conversation with Doug about the Ride for Impact and my travels thus far on the podcast of Saturday's show at http://www.fairlyspiritual.org/Fairly_Spiritual/Podcast/Entries/2009/6/15_The_Fairly_Spiritual_Show_32.html I'm on about 25 minutes into the program.

Doug asked me to call in again this Saturday, so tune in at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time at http://www.kgnw.com/ to hear me live or look for the podcast the following week.

Day 13 - Salt Lake City, UT to Provo, UT

Well, after a leisurely rest day, it was great to be back on the bike! I'll briefly recap yesterday's rest day in Salt Lake City. After sleeping in until 8 and then enjoying breakfast, I took the hotel shuttle to the airport to catch a bus to downtown. I spent the day finding a bike shop, wandering around Gateway Center mall, taking a tour of Temple Square, getting a haircut, riding the TRAX light rail, finding a Foursquare Church, and then returning to the hotel to wash the bike, catch up email, talk to family, and relax some more. I'll post photos of the rest day at the end of this blog entry. Now for the details of today's ride!


We had 12 new riders join us today. They'll only be riding with us to Pueblo, CO. Three guys are from Cleveland, OH and they all know each other. The other nine are from a variety of places but are all friends and have bike toured with each other before. We'll get to know them some more tonight. We left the hotel under sunny skies but a strong wind from the south that would blow against us most of the morning. It would be a day of detours. Our first sign of such was a few miles out of Salt Lake when a police car blocked the road. A car accident further down caused us to detour through a light industrial area. Then we were back on course.


Our route took us through West Valley City, West Jordan, and into Riverton. The route was largely through light industrial areas, neighborhood arterials, and a few corporate centers. The view of the Wasatch Range to our east was beautiful. The snow-capped peaks overlooked the Utah Valley below. To our west is the Oquirrh Mountains. As we rode further south, the communities became a bit more rural. But the route all day was mostly through the suburbs of Salt Lake City which was a refreshing change from several days on I-80 in Nevada and eastern Utah.


As most would know, Salt Lake City and the Utah Valley is predominately "Mormon" or Latter-Day Saints. What was striking was how many LDS Wards (churches) we passed. There are many things, theologically, that I disagree with in the LDS faith, but there are a few things that are worth commending. The distribution of churches and the way the local church is organized by geographical borders is really quite interesting. A problem within many Christian circles is "church hopping"--Christians going to a church that's doing the latest, greatest thing. Within LDS, you go to the Ward that's closest to your home. What we saw today was something akin to Starbucks stores in Seattle... there's one on every corner. An LDS church would be in one corner and a block away on the other side of the street would be another. They're ubiquitous. But I suppose the analogy to Starbucks stores is a bit out of place since most Mormons aren't coffee drinkers!


In fact, I only spotted three non-Mormon churches along our route. It's an entirely different culture here in the Utah Valley. I noticed that in many ways. One interesting observation was a billboard along I-15 for "Shelf Reliance. The food storage I love." Mormon families have an emergency food storage facility in their home for surviving a major disaster or emergency. I think it's a great idea and actually have something similar in my home. But, to see it advertised on a billboard showed me I was in a different culture entirely.


At our SAG stop in Riverton, we grouped up at an LDS church (big surprise) while Gerard and Michelle and the staff re-strategized how to get us around some significant road construction. Detour number 2. After some plotting and planning, we divided into two large groups led by Gerard and Judy. I was in Gerard's group at the front. We navigated along a frontage road paralleling I-15 and worked our way south for several miles until we were back on track. Our paceline was pretty long at times, to the consternation of drivers and truckers trying to pass us, I'm sure.

We arrived in Lehi and Gerard cut us loose, saying we were at 43.3 miles on our cue sheet and could follow it from then on. We rode a short stretch, turned a corner, and found another problem. The overpass we were to cross was closed with a tall fence. We had to go around another way. Detour number 3. I broke out my iPhone and used Google Maps to get us to the intersection we needed. We continued on through American Fork and Pleasant Grove until we hit more road construction. Detour number 4. The detour was clearly marked, so we followed the signs. Half the group missed the turn back onto the road we needed. I stopped, checked the cue sheet and my Google maps, and suggested we turn left. I had Bruce, Leigh, Hans, and Dan with me. They were convinced that me and my iPhone was going to save the day. (I'm like MacGyver, but I don't need a piece of chewing gum, a battery, and a sock. Just the iPhone.)


We were now in Orem and in need of restrooms and refreshment so we pulled over at a Texaco and rested. Some other riders passed us, so it was good to see at least a handful of others had found the correct route. We were closing in on Provo and the Brigham Young University campus. The Wasatch Range was close enough to touch. It would be amazing to have the view of the mountains that these homes had.


Our group passed the "Welcome to Provo" sign and just like that we were in the Happy Valley. We turned onto a tree-lined bike path that took us right into the BYU campus. But before we could go very far, we hit a road closure. Detour number 4. We bypassed it through a parking lot and were once again, back on track through the Brigham Young Univ. campus. I decided in honor of the Happy Valley, I'd play a tune on my iPhone. "Shiny Happy People" by R.E.M. was just the right one. The campus of BYU is quite attractive with lush green lawns, tree-lined streets, and, as the song by R.E.M. would suggest, "shiny happy people holding hands." I laughed out loud when I passed a couple walking through campus holding hands about the same time the song lyric played from my iPhone speakers.

We left the BYU campus and continued south skirting downtown Provo and riding into more industrial areas. That's unfortunate, because having been to Provo once before, it has a really interesting downtown area. I might walk down there tonight if it's not too far. Our hotel is right off the I-15 and across from Provo Towne Centre mall. So, if the walk to downtown is too far, maybe I'll hit the mall. I suppose I could get back on the bike and ride... but, really, maybe I'll wait to do that tomorrow!

And for tomorrow, it looks like we'll ride through the Uinta National Forest and over Soldier Summit to Price, UT. At route rap tonight, we were informed of some re-routes and construction. We were also informed from Ed from Seattle, who is originally from Utah, that Utah drivers are the worst in the world. So pray for safety for us! At least the weather still looks good, although we might get late afternoon rain. I'm enjoying the sun, but I'm getting some really bizarre tan lines. Susie will be stunned when she sees me on our rest day in Pueblo!

For more photos from my rest day in Salt Lake City including shots of Temple Square and downtown, visit http://gallery.me.com/eternaldesign2#100153

For more photos from today's ride, visit http://gallery.me.com/eternaldesign2#100160

If you would like to know more about the Ride for Impact and how you can support IMPACT Ministries and help me reach my goal of $20,000 for global relief and world missions, visit http://www.rideforimpact.org. If these stories have been interesting and fun for you to read, please share it with others and consider helping me by supporting the Ride for Impact!

Dist: 68.54
Time: 5:04:56
Avg: 13.5
Cumulative Miles: 946
Cumulative Flat Tires: 3 (yay! no flats today!)
Elev Gain: 1949 ft.
Max Elev: 4913 ft.
Avg Climb: 2%
Max Climb: 13%

Day 11 - Wendover, NV to Salt Lake City, UT

Outpacing the Storms Today was going to be a long, challenging day. We awoke at 4:45 a.m. and went down to the cafe in the casino. Only one thing was more frightening than the 25 of us parading through the casino in cycling gear... the dozen or so people at the poker table at 5 in the morning. After a hearty breakfast, we loaded our luggage and hit the road. It was cool and in the low 60s with scattered clouds overhead and darker clouds to the south. We prayed the rain would stay at bay.


A block from our hotel, we crossed our second state line and entered Utah. The Promised Land. We once again got on I-80E and immediately employed our double paceline strategy from yesterday. We were on the straightest highway I've ever seen. Look at a map of Western Utah. I-80 is arrow straight. And it's flat. But the headwind from the southeast was blowing hard in our faces. Those of us on the south side of our double paceline were working hard. The relief was found on the north side. About every half mile, Chuck, a phys. ed. teacher from Miami and former Athletic Director, would call out "Rotate!" The only thing missing was his coach's whistle.


When we reached the Bonneville Salt Flats, we pulled out at a rest stop where a viewing platform gave us an incredible view of the vast expanse of white sandy flats. The mountains in the distance were aglow from the rising sun. It was altogether beautiful and eerie. We hit the road again and pressed on. The wind wasn't the only thing offering resistance. I had a flat. The front tire was greeted by a tiny wire and deflated quickly. Sean, our mechanic, was quick to replace the tube and we were off again.

We reached our first SAG stop at mile 42.5. All of us were glad to make it here. Rains had already come through so a makeshift tarp was set up next to the van. Fortunately, we were all still dry. We took our time here and enjoyed PBJ sandwiches and all the other stuff we needed. We packed our jersey pockets full of food and started pacing again. Our speeds were between 16 and 21 mph depending on the wind. Basically, we were going full force all the time. By the end of the day, it wouldn't be the distance that wore me out, it would be speed and focus for more than 7 hours.


Several times during the day, we would be outpacing a severe thunderstorm. Once, we all stopped, put on our raingear, and just barely skirted the advancing storm. There but by the grace of God... The scenery was changing from salt flats to brown and green hills to water to rocks and mountains. At mile 91, we reached our second SAG stop. I was nearing exhaustion, but still had a little more juice in me. I refueled and noticed another advancing storm coming toward us. We divided into two groups of single file pacelines to avoid the increasing debris on the Interstate shoulder. I switched to the slower of the two groups and enjoyed the slight relief. I also had a second flat in the latter part of the day. Rear tire this time.

Soon, we were coming closer to Salt Lake City. Gerard, Leigh, and I were now pedaling alone. We decided to stop for a caffeine fix about 15 miles from the city. Ahh... just what I needed. I opted for a Starbucks bottled Frappucino and could have drank four of them. Now, I was catching my second wind. Or perhaps this was my third or fourth wind.

We neared the city, passing the Great Salt Lake. We stopped for two other riders so Gerard could help replace a flat. While waiting, we spotted a fox walking through the brush in the wetland bordering the Salt Lake. We were now on a frontage street and appreciating the break from so much Interstate traffic. Just ten more miles... we entered the airport hotel strip and a few blocks more, a couple of right turns, and the hotel was in sight.

I was whipped. I've cycled far greater distances and certainly had more climbing than today. But, the constant paceline chasing and constant focus on the riders in front and behind as well as keeping a constant eye out for debris, just wore me down. I'm so grateful for the rest day tomorrow. Our evening included a hotel hosted happy hour where we burned off any remaining energy, then our route rap for Friday's 65 mile ride to Provo. We also said farewell to five riders who leave us today.

Sleep should come easily tonight! No blog entry tomorrow. I'm taking the day off! See you in Provo, UT on Friday.

For more photos from today's epic blast across northern Utah, visit http://gallery.me.com/eternaldesign2/100145

For more about the Ride for Impact, visit http://www.rideforimpact.org. Again, if you've enjoyed reading about my first 11 days of this incredible journey, would you please visit this site and learn why I'm doing this and how you can be a supporter? I'd appreciate your contribution.

Dist: 120.29
Time: 7:13:42
Avg: 16.6
Max: 28.0
Cumulative Miles: 878.0
Elev Gain: 1077 ft.
Max Elev: 4656 ft.
Avg Climb: 1%
Max Climb: 4%

Day 10: Elko, NV to Wendover, NV

Time for a Century! Today, we loaded the luggage at 5:45 a.m. then biked across the street to the Red Lion Hotel function room for a savory breakfast. Everyone brought their bikes into the function room, which we don't normally do. So, it was funny to see 28 bikes stacked across the walls of the room while we inhaled our breakfast.

Following breakfast, a handful of us decided to form a paceline for the day. We knew that covering 108 miles would necessitate cooperation and pacelining. For those just joining this blog, a paceline is a single file line of cyclists that take turns "pulling" or leading the line.

The riders in the back benefit from the reduced wind resistance riding behind the lead rider. Our first 7.1 miles on Business Loop 80-E gave us some time getting comfortable pacelining. A couple of riders were having trouble with our pace on the hills, so inevitably, this shook down the group. We had a solid six of us that stayed together for most of the ride.


We got on I-80 once again and rode for 33 miles to reach our first SAG ("Support and Gear") stop. The day was sunny and bright with high clouds and winds mostly coming from the ESE. That meant we occasionally had a head wind, which made the paceline all the more essential. Soon we were riding past snow-capped mountains far to the south and green sagebrush prairies immediately to our north and south. The northeastern Nevada scenery was more lush than the northwestern scenery we had been riding through for the past four days.


Our paceline was working well. We were all benefitting from the increased efficiency. We would each take a turn at the front and usually lead for a mile or two. Star Wars quotes came to mind when we passed "Deeth Starr Valley" at exit 333. Our SAG stop was just 10 miles ahead. The air was cool in the morning but got increasingly warmer. Despite being in a fast paceline, we were still able to absorb the beauty around us. I have perfected the art of photo taking on the bike while pedalling. The other riders initially were quite impressed. Now many of them have adopted the same skill. We don't miss a pedal stroke. See something you want to photo? Pull out the camera, point, shoot, tuck it away, keep pedaling. Many of you have asked if I'm texting while riding. Nope. Tried it once. Don't want to die, so I'll only text while stopped. I have read emails on the bike, however. Don't tell my mom.


We reached our SAG stop and there were only three riders ahead of us. We were making great time. We fueled up, watered some sagebrushes (we call that "hunting for rattlesnakes"), and then got back onboard. The miles were clicking by. "Wendover 66, Salt Lake 189" Hmmm. I've biked 206 miles in one day (three times) when I've done the Seattle to Portland ride. I could probably make it to Salt Lake today if I had to. But I did not. We'll keep this to 108 miles, thank you very much!

At Exit 348, I was surprised to see a sign for "Beverly Hills". I double checked the route sheet. No, we're still in Nevada. We haven't gotten off track. This Beverly Hills was decidedly lower class than the one in Los Angeles.


At 60 miles, we made a group mini-stop just to stretch the legs and get off the bike for a few minutes. We had done the same mini-stop earlier in the day at 30 miles and that seemed to be a wise call. I saw a flowering cactus at the edge of the road. No rattlesnakes despite several of us hunting for them.

Now we had a nice long climb to reach the second SAG stop. At mile 65 or so, we began climbing. The grade wasn't more than 6% but the day had warmed up into the mid 80s and the climb was a good 1500 ft. over five miles. Jack, Brad and I hung together on the climb. I paced them up the hill with the help of Bono and U2. Yep, pulled out the iPhone, turned on the tunes, and played 'em as loud as I could to help Jack and Brad follow me up. The big rigs passed us and we kept climbing. Throughout the day, many trucks and motorists had passed us and gave us a repeated happy honk as if to say, "Hey you cyclists! I see you there! Keep going! Well done!" A few of them waved at us, we waved back. I like those waves far better than the single finger wave we rarely get. The scenery was changing to more rock and high desert trees. It was still quite beautiful.

At the top of the summit, we spotted the vans and trailer and pulled out to enjoy the spread of goodies. We were still at the front of the pack and that felt great. We could now enjoy a decent downhill to recover and then some long flat stretches before the final descent into Wendover.


We charged down the descent, enjoyed some long pulls in the paceline through flat sections with one or two mild climbs. Chris had joined our group and suggested as we neared the final miles that we try a double paceline. We broke into two columns of three riders each and rotated clockwise. Immediately we noticed how much fun this was. It was more social since we could talk to the rider next to us, and you experienced even more efficiency in the middle and back. We sailed over the next 12 miles until the Utah Salt Flats unfolded before us.

We stopped at the top of our final descent overlooking the Salt Flats below. It seemed you could see for hundreds of miles. We gathered on some rocks for a group shot and exchanged victory fist bumps. Now for the final descent.


Our descent into Wendover was fast with a great view of tomorrow's ride. We reached the bottom, turned right, and rode into West Wendover. Mountain Time Zone. Last opportunity to gamble before entering Utah. We found our hotel, the Rainbow Hotel and Casino. Upon checking in, we discovered why it was so named. Everything is neon and irridescent. Like a rainbow colored unicorn barfed and this hotel was the result. Unsavory description, but accurate.

The hot tub and air conditioning were a just reward for the day's efforts. Tomorrow, we ride 117 miles across the Salt Flats and into Utah. We'll roll into Salt Lake City just in time for a day of rest. Five of our riders will leave us, for which we'll be sad, but 12 new ones will join us for the eight days across the Rockies.

For more photos from today's ride, visit http://gallery.me.com/eternaldesign2#100138

For more about the Ride for Impact, please visit
www.rideforimpact.org.

Dist: 108.16
Time: 6:25:34
Avg: 16.8
Max: 42.5
Cumulative Miles: 757
Elev Gain: 3798 ft
Max Elev: 6846 ft
Avg Climb: 2%
Max Climb: 6%