You could die in the desert...

I'm sure you've all been waiting to hear about the last few days! Well, even if you aren't, I'm going too tell you anyways.

On the first day of Sea to Sea, we were told that "you could die in the desert. You could die in the desert". Although it has been a running joke of the trip, we are finding just how true it is. The past few days have been ridiculously hot. Over 120 degrees F, and at points reaching over 130. That is more than 50C for us Canadians. Biking in this heat is so tough not only because you get so thirsty, but the heat just drains your energy so quickly. Luckily for us, we have an amazing SAG team who worked tirelessly to ensure that we had a SAG stop (a rest stop with water, shade, etc) almost every ten miles. Without them, the water they provided, snacks, and electrolytes, we wouldn't have survived the last few days. They are truly the reason we are able to make it into camp each night.

Well, I told you all about day 3 already, so lets hear about day 4. It started off heading out from the overnight stop at 5:30am (up at 4am). We got to see a beautiful sunrise and bike in the cool of the morning before the heat became too extreme.

 

The day was to be spent on I-10, the interstate that would take us from California to Arizona. Although a beautiful day, things were a bit off. Maybe I was tired, but who knows. First off, I left a water bottle at the first SAG stop, which isn't a huge deal, except when you run out of water. Then, between SAG 1 and SAG 2, Laura and I were having a wonderful conversation about laundry detergent, and how many Tide pods we brought. It was during this time that our drafting became problematic. With Laura on my left, Zach and George in front, and Amanda, Sara and Kim in back, an issue occurred. An unanticipated slow ahead of me and my lack of quick response resulted in my front tire rubbing Zach's back tire. With Laura on my left and traffic to hers, I couldn't correct and move over, and hence had to go right, resulting in my falling.

 

Traveling at about 25km/h it was a hard one. My right side of my body took the brunt of the impact, and luckily my helmet saved my head, minus a small tender spot I have on my forehead. As I fell, the cyclists behind me had no room to move and so one ran over my ankles while another ran over my bike. Luckily no one else fell, but it was a bit of a painful experience. I got road rash on my leg, cut both ankles, cut my knee, scrapped my thigh, bruised a rib, and took some skin off the shoulder. My ankles are a bit swollen from having someone ride over them, but thankfully nothing was broken! With the help of my amazing riding group I was quickly cleaned up and ready to go again :)

 

After arriving at SAG 2 I got a lot of "WHAT HAPPENED? ARE YOU OKAY?'s" and got cleaned up by the nurses. So many people were getting flat tires from all of the wires in the tire rubber along I-10, and so we checked them over to be certain. Some people found a few, but mine looked clean. After that delay of falling I wanted to get going so we could avoid the afternoon heat. However, going downhill I hit a bump and my tire made the awful "whissshhhh" sound of a flat. In the middle of the desert, over 110F heat, this was not ideal. BUT we still had a good time :) Can't be too upset. Flats are simply inevitable on trips like this. Besides, my riding group keeps things fun :)

 

Anyways, we made it up the hills, got to our last SAG, and eventually had a beautiful downhill descent to McDonalds, where we sat for 2 hours eating ice cream and cooling off from the heat of the day. It was SCORCHING outside, and by the time we made it to camp we were pleasantly surprised to find that the community centre was letting us sleep indoors. In the AC. SUCH A GODSEND! Storing our bikes outside, we had to deflate the tires. The heat adds up to 15 lbs of pressure and had been blowing people's tires the last few days. But, after my fall, my bike needed a bit of love. I had bent the de-railer when I fell, although I felt that I had sufficiently sacrificed my body, it wasn't doing so well. I wasnt' able to shift into my small ring because the back de-railer was hitting my spokes. hence, following my fall, I had to climb all of the hills in my big ring, which was tough but good. it forced me to go faster up the hills which I think saved me a lot of pain in the long run.

 

We found out that night that the tour was being suspended due to the unbearable heat. The next few days were supposed to be over 120 without the reflective road temperature, and we couldn't afford to risk having anyone bonk on the rides. That day, Day 4, over 15 people had to get SAG rides into camp.

So, from Quartzite Arizona we took a coach bus through Phoenix and into Payson, Arizona where we will be hanging out until Tuesday, when we can resume riding. To keep the bus ride entertaining, one of our riders, Karel, kept us entertained with some beat-boxing and Golum impressions.

 

 

 

 To keep busy we spent time on Saturday helping out with Habitat for Humanity painting and cleaning the yard of a home. It was incredible heat, but at least we were still able to be useful where we were.

 

 

Since we didn't have access to showers where we were, the school donated some of theirs for us to use. Papa Kooy (Len) liked theirs so much that he made one for us to keep on tour.

 

 

 

It's a bummer that the trip has been suspended, and a few people were pretty upset. However, we still raised the money and are still biking the distance. The cause is still being promoted and our goals can be accomplished. This trip isn't just about riding across the country so we can say we did it, it's about raising money and awareness for poverty so we can help those in need. Besides... I'm pretty happy to take a few days off and let my wounds heal :)

 

 

 

Saturday night was filled with fun as the cyclists head down to a concert in Payson Valley. By the looks of things, the entire town was out for the evening. With all of their dogs. But for real. SO many dogs around here. The band, Junction 87, was a great time and many cyclists got up to join the locals in some Country Dancin'.

 

 

Sorry about the delays in blog posts. The unpredictability of the Wifi around here makes things difficult, but luckily there are McDonald's for us to invade every once in a while. I'll try to keep you all posted a little better, so stay tuned for the next update! And keep praying for the safety and healing of all the riders and volunteers as we continue on this trip :)

 

 



Hills, climbs, fractured ankle, and bum knee

Don't worry folks!! The fractured ankle isn't mine! Unfortunately, day one did result in a serious injury to one of our cyclists, who had a tib/fib break right above the ankle. He underwent surgery yesterday and will be stuck in California for 2 weeks with his wife, and they won't continue on the tour. However, over the past 2 days we have had no more serious injuries, and a lot of flats. 22 yesterday to be exact. Thankfully, none of them were mine! (knock on wood), but our riding member Laura got one, which was quickly remedied.

Laura and George, ("hor-hay"), fixing Laura's flat

Well, lets start at the beginning. Day one heading for the Redlands was a beautiful day heading down the bike path out of Orange County. With a bit of rain to start the day off, we ended in great sunshine (maybe a bit much for my un-sunscreened skin). But we all felt very accomplished. I had a great riding group of 4 girls and 1 guy from the tour, and we have promptly been named "Zack's Angels" following the "Charlie's angels" pose at our tire dipping ceremony.

Day two proved to be very interesting. We started at 7am with a 700m ascent in what seemed to be a very short time. Those hills felt MASSIVE and there were moments when I felt a little worn down. However, the rest of the day was an amazing downhill ride. Reaching speeds of 60km/h without pedaling, we coasted for almost 20km. The day felt pretty amazing. Until about 11:30am hit and the heat became unbearable. In the middle of the California desert, the heat we encountered spiked above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Riding in the heat of the day, which is worst between 2 and 3 pm we arrived at camp just before 3. To be honest, I thought I might pass out. The heat was wayyyy more than I anticipated, and everyone was feeling it that day. However, the scenery was beautiful and God blessed us with a beautiful desert stop for the night, fully equipped with a pool. It was so hot, we just went in with our biking gear on. Anything to cool down! Luckily we were also allowed to sleep in the gym. However, it NEVER got cold. In fact, by bedtime (8:30pm) it was hotter in there than outside, so some of us adventurous types slept under the stars. So wonderful.

Unfortunately my left knee started acting up yesterday and was bugging me on and off all day. I got the physiotherapist on the trip to check it out, and he thinks it might be tendonitis, so I am on a remedy of ice and anti-inflammatory since rest isn't going to happen for the next 58 days. Having said that, prayers for my knees would be greatly appreciated! Hopefully they don't get worse, and maybe even the problem goes away.

This morning, day 3 in the desert, we began riding at 6am, leaving earlier to beat the heat. Although my knees were bugging me I was able to make it through the day. We had a good climb today on a 2% grade for about 30 miles.

Again, such beautiful scenery accented by old mattresses dumped in the desert. A hotter day than yesterday, (and not the worst of it to come), we made excellent time, had some ice cream on the way which was delicious and well worth the climb.

We got into camp by 12:22 pm - a beautiful country club in the desert!. Again, we had a pool, as well as a lake! Soooo amazing. I think we're getting spoiled and every stop after this is going to seem terrible...

But tonight we actually get to sleep in a center with AC, so we're all packed in here like sardines. :) It will be an interesting night sharing a room with 40 other people, but the cold air is worth it.

3 days in the desert and we have made it. Keep us in your prayers as we continue on this week, hit more hills, and encounter more climbs.  Oh. And here is a picture of the new bike :)

The missing Bicycle

Well, as I told you last night, my bike went missing, courtesy of United Airlines. After a night of calling their baggage claim services, little to no sleep, and much frustration, they still had not found it by Saturday morning. It didn't help that every time I called, I spoke with someone new, who all thought my bike was still in Canada, and refused to listen to the fact that it was a box, not a bag, and yes. It did contain important items. Such as a bike which I was going to use for a BIKE tour.

Well, my persistence didn't pay off. Eventually they asked that I stop calling and "give them more time to find it". O_O   Unfortunately for both of us, I didn't have time. So, graciously Kellan took me to a local bike shop in Orange County called Santiago Cycling (found by Todd) and we got a new bike. Although pricey, it was beautiful, and actually a better fit for me than my first bike! Everyone at Santiago cycling was amazing. Not only did they help me get the right bike, a good fit, and all of the necessary equipment that I lost, but they also gave me some discounts, a free Santiago Cycling t-shirt, and stayed an hour after closing so that the bike was ready to go that evening.

Sunday was a great day. We had a worship  service in the afternoon and then head down to Newport beach for a tire dipping ceremony, which would start off the trip. Since there was still a chance that they would find me bike, I didn't ride Saturday, hoping that I could return the bike. However, after taking a ride down to the beach on Sunday for our tire dipping ceremony, I was pretty happy with my purchase :D The bike is AMAZING! And the tire dipping ceremony was fantastic! here are some photos :)



Worship Service on Sunday

Sea of Sea to Sea-ers

 

Well, after the ceremony and some local pizza for dinner, we head back to our evening meeting, where I was informed by Dan Ohlson, our P.R. man, that United had found my bike, and it would be in at 9:30pm that day (Sunday). It had only taken a lot of work on his part to get them to find it, including demands and maybe a P.R. threat or two, but he worked his magic and got it back. So last night we went and picked it up. Seems my bike was having adventures without me. It had gone to Tokyo!! And luckily back.

 

Well, now I had two bikes and I could no longer return the new one for the full refund since I had put miles on it. However, Dan in his magic, had got United to agree to pay for the new bike. So, I have two! Anyone wanna go for a ride??

More than eventful travels to L.A.

Folks! You would not believe the last three days. It has been a whirlwind of phone calls, late nights, and frantic shopping. The reason? UNITED AIRLINES.  Warning, this is a long blog. Be prepared.

Not to hate on them or anything - I'm sure they didn't meant to cause me so much grief. But, for real. SO MUCH GRIEF.

To start, I arrived at the airport in Regina to catch my flight to Denver, which connected to John Wayne airport in orange County, CA. However, upon arriving (within the allotted time for an international flight), I was informed that the flight was overbooked by 1 person and unless someone cancelled or didn't show up for the flight, I was to be the one who was put on a different plane. First off, lets be clear that I was not the last to check in, but I was the last to check in without a pre-assigned seat. Silly, I know.

After a lot of aggravation and continual reminders that I HAD to be there on Friday evening, not Saturday they told me to go through security anyways and check my bags and all that jazz. (Bags were free because of the inconvenience, which is nice because they should have cost me about 100$ to ship based on their size and weight) Finally, after waiting for an hour they started boarding the plane, gave me a seat number, and let me on. Now, this wasn't really a big deal, but it was just stressful. Not only because I was expected to be there for Sea to Sea and I didn't want to mess with my travel plans, miss orientation, or anything like that, but also because my American, Kellan, had flown home to L.A. for the weekend to see me. Given that we hadn't seen each other in 2 years, this was a big deal and I wasn't going to disappoint.

Well, after arriving in Denver I went through customs, got my bike and oversized hockey bag and made my way to recheck the luggage. No one was at the oversized bagging area, so some nice gentleman who worked there checked my hockey bag as a regular one (NO CHARGE. AWESOME). however, no one was taking care of my bike box. Finally, someone came over, checked over the bag, and said it was fine and I could go through security. This seemed fishy to me since they hadn't sent the bag through, so I doubled checked that I could leave, and given both his adamant answer that unless the box contained a gun, as well as the MASSIVE line through security, I reluctantly went.

On the flight from Denver to L.A. I was pleasantly upgraded to a better seat - maybe because of the problem in Regina with overbooking? Who knows. But it was glorious.

View from the Plane taking off from Denver


Arriving in L.A. I quickly spotted one of my fellow Sea to Sea-ers, Sara Bakelaar from Ontario. Although we had never met before, Sara was genius and added some people on facebook prior to the trip. It was so nice ot see a friendly face with a huge bike box. however, it was less nice when my own bike box didn't show up! After waiting for about 30 minutes with kellan for the box to arrive, we decided to talk to the United Bagging Claim. I was shocked to find that they thought it was still in Regina, Canada! having physically hauled that thing through the Denver airport, I knew better. BUT apparently no one scanned it when it reached Denver and hence, it was lost. And so began the terror of my lost bike.

Since this is such a long story, I'm going to break it up and leave you all on a cliffhanger here. You'll have to wait and see what happens. In other words, wait until I have time to blog again :) (Probably tomorrow).

Holy Lack-of-blogging, Batman!

Folks, I have to start off with an apology for dropping the blogging-ball. Life has been a whirl-wind for the past 2 months and blogging took a backseat. Let me fill you in.

In April I began taking a spring course in preparation for my Education After-degree I'll be beginning in the fall. Although life was pretty busy already with working at IMCF (Indian Metis Christian Fellowship) full-time and training for the tour, I - in all of my wisdom - decided one more thing couldn't be that difficult. Well, shows how smart I am. This class has been really interesting and has taught me a lot, but it has required a lot of my attention. As a result, biking and blogging took a bit of a backseat to work and school. To free up my time to finish this class and get ready for the trip, I took this last week off of work. Although I'll be sad to leave everyone, the extra time is very necessary and welcomed. However, my thoughtful co-workers and friends at IMCF threw me a "see you later", or as some put it "get outa-here already" party complete with pizza, cheese cake, and a gift. It was wonderful!

My wonderful, hand-crafted "see you later" gift from my
co-workers at IMCF. 

Another wonderful thing is fundraising! Our steak Night dinner at Bushwakker Brewpub on the 4th of June was a huge success, raising over $2000.00! A huge thanks to everyone who came out to support the event, helped sell tickets, or donated silent auction items. We also held a few more bottle drives to help bring in some extra money for the purchase of snazzy-looking gear.

All in the Family: Helping to sort bottles collected
from the various bottle drives we held around our
 town over the last 2 months. 

 

Not only have we been able to reach the goal of $10,000.00, but we have exceeded it! Also, individual donations directly to me have helped to pay for my flights, some gear, and a bit of spare change for when I'm on the road. I can't believe how quickly the money came in, but I'm so thankful that it did. To everyone who donated, HUGE thanks! Especially for that last $20.00 to bring the online goal to exactly $10,000 :)

BUT the time has come. 1 week from today I will be dipping my tires into the Pacific Ocean! The time passed by so quickly and I can't believe that in 5 days I'll be on a flight to L.A.! This last week of getting ready will be busy - finishing up my class, packing, buying, and training will be hectic, so hopefully I don't forget to pack something important, or leave my passport at home. Prayers as this week continues on are welcomed and appreciated. As for now, i should get back to my homework :) I'll do my best to blog each week with the promise of some fun details, photos and maybe a video or two! Stay tuned!!