On Saturday we made the ride into Colorado Springs where my family had been waiting for me to arrive. We were scheduled to stay at the Colorado Springs Christian School which was situated on the slope of a mountain and gave an amazing view of Pike's Peak.
Although it was a beautiful view, the mile walk from our camping area to the washrooms became a bit tiresome. Especially since the walk back was all uphill. Several cyclists later complained of shin splints and sore calves. Apparently we are only accustomed to biking and walking is more difficult than we remember.
We stayed the weekend at CSCS but were rained on for a good portion of the weekend. Luckily we were able to sleep inside, which was a blessing considering the fly flew off my tent and soaked everything inside. The kids had fun running around the playground and quickly made friends with the other cyclists :)
Saturday night was pretty lazy and I just spent time with the family. Since it was raining and late the family migrated inside so the kids could watch a movie before heading to bed.
Sunday morning we all got dressed up in our Sea to Sea gear and head off to church where we were served a little message and a little lunch. Afterwards my family packed up our things from the campground (another large rainstorm was coming and my parents weren't keen on sleeping in a wet tent again or trying to cram the family into the already busy hallways of the school to sleep). We Planned to stay in a hotel that night, which didn't bother me one little bit.
With the afternoon to spend together, we decided to head up to Pike's Peak via the Cog Train and get a view from the top. Since our family was so large they couldn't fit us on the first train, so we spent time in the town while we waited for the next train to arrive.
We wandered over to a Castle Museum in hopes of spending some time there, but a tour would take too long, so we settled for a cool photo opp.
As we made our way up to 14,115 ft, taking 25% grades up part of the way, we got some amazing views that a picture just can't do justice.
We made our way up into the clouds where the temperature was just over 40F, so our sweaters came in quite handy. The family posed for their "Pike's Peak" moment.
And although I didn't bike up there, like a few of the hardcore cyclists did on the Saturday, I got Jamiel to take my photo as well :)
After an amazing weekend with the family, a great Hotel stay with pizza, pools and a large bed to myself, it was time to hit the road again. It was sad to see the family go, but the visit was great to have :)
Heading out of Colorado Springs we were given a great gift of a massive rain storm complete with blinding fog as we head Limon, CO. I can't remember being colder in my life. We were all soaked through our rain gear and a large headwind made the day feel pretty miserable after a few hours of the relentless weather.
However, many of us found refuge at a small diner in a town where we ate second breakfast and hot chocolate and tried our best to warm up. It didn't work well, but after sitting for over an hour we decided it was time to head back out. Thankfully the fog had lifted and the rain subsided, and the wind which had previously frozen us now dried us off. The remainder of the ride, although hilly, was extremely pleasant.
We got into camp at a school where we were treated to not just 1, but 2 porta-potties. Hers and His :)
The next day we head out on I-70 to our next destination. Since in the USA you can't ride your bike on the Interstate without permission, we had to pay a fee and were escorted by the state troopers. Also, since my riding group is usually the last to leave, we were followed the entire way by our friend from the State Police!
Wednesday was less eventful when it comes to Police Escorts, but we moved into Kansas that day! To keep entertained our group usually sings, but as we passed the endless fields of corn, we chose a special song.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152993491845332&l=5151766550787543624
We did see some cool sites such as the largest painting/easel as we moved to Colby, KS!
And of course we stopped at McDonalds...
But we didn't really go through the Drive-Thru. We like to think we're funny though :)
At a SAG stop we also got to see some Horses and a Donkey. Not very exciting for all of you, but pretty exciting for us. Especially when all you see the entire day is corn. And more corn. And More Corn.
Matt made friends with some Horses.
We also got to move through a large section of construction and got to bike on the Left side of the road through very soft asphalt. Always an adventure on Sea to Sea.
Since the wind was pretty powerful, Matt and Zach took advantage of a tractor passing by and drafted the last 7 miles into camp, coasting at 40 km/h behind . We tried to catch them but they were too far ahead.
Now to Today. Thursday - we are in Norton, KS! Tomorrow we will cross over into NB! Another state down! The last few days have been hard cross-winds/head-winds, but today was a beautiful cross-tail wind which carried us into camp at a leisurely pace as we enjoyed the sights and sounds of Kansas. Unfortunately, the smells were less than pleasant the entire way in. As a group we have dubbed Kansas to be the smelliest state we have passed through yet. But like I said, the sights are beautiful and remind me of home.
Tomorrow is yet another 100mile day and will be over 4000ft of climbing. Pray for us as we move into NB and battle the winds, hills, and heat (and hopefully not rain). I've been enjoying the trip so much! Not just cycling, but being able to stop at small cafes in little towns and bring business their way while promoting our cause. Thank you so much to everyone who supported me financially, provided encouragement and who keep up with me via this blog and facebook! Stay tuned for the next blog post and keep praying for cyclists and volunteers throughout the week!
Until next time :)
Have been following your blogs and enjoy them very much. Great pictures and love how you describe things. Keep up your good work and your dedication to the cause of poverty. Safe travelling. Corrie van der Kuur
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