We're not in Kansas anymore, Dorthy!

Another day and Another state! We're in Nebraska folks! And not a moment sooner. Today was another 100 mile (160km) day and I was more than happy to come into camp.

We spent last night in a beautiful campground in Kansas called Prairie Dog State Park, obviously named for the countless prairie dogs which inhabit it's surroundings. Being from Saskatchewan they weren't that exciting, but the little critters are just so cute it's hard to not enjoy watching them scurry around. This campground was also amazing for a few other reasons which included Private showers (so rare on this trip), and a beautiful lake where you can watch the sun come up :) There really isn't a better way to start off the day than seeing this outside of your tent!

 

 

Since it was a 160km day, we knew we'd be in the saddle for a long time.. like, 7 hours long time. Also we had a lot of rolling hills to go over - climbing over 4000ft and dropping about 5000. So having a bunch of stops along the way is a huge deal. That is why our stop over at a church about 22 miles into the route was amazing. We got second breakfast and a chance to sit, talk, and enjoy the morning together! Also, it was really nice to feel so welcomed by a community :)

 

 

The food was delicious...fruit, blueberry muffins, cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, juice... you name it. When we first heard about the stop we were told it was donuts, so this was a VERY pleasant surprise! Everyone was pretty excited about it :)

 

Afterwards we continued down the road and came past an antique store with this bike outside. It was too good of an opportunity so we all climbed aboard and the owner took a photo. The process of getting on was a little tricky considering the bike actually moved and could be peddled, if you had 8ft long legs that is.

 



 

 

Stopping at these little areas is one of my favourite parts of the trip. Not only is it fun and helps pass the time, but it also allows us to interact with the people of the community and really spread awareness. We've been handing out sea to sea business cards like candy lately, and it feels great to be getting the message of our tour out there!

 

 

The next great stop that we were all looking forward to was in Smith Center, a small town which was home to Jiffy Burger. On this trip so many people have connections all across the country, and luckily one of our riders, Barb, had a cousin who lived in Smith Center. Even better was that this cousin owned Jiffy Burger and had offered to give us all free ice cream if we stopped on in. It goes without saying that EVERY single cyclist made it to this stop today.  

 

 

The ride continued and we got to the Geographic Center of the USA, which just happens to be right outside of Lebanon, KS. Again, another fun opportunity for a photo opp. It's not every day that you get to be in the center of the states after all!

 

 

More unexpected blessings were down the road as we passed through Lebanon. It was an extremely humid day and we were all soaked in sweat and pretty thirsty, so when we came upon this sign we stopped for a cool drink, provided by Sea to Sea Supporters in Lebanon, KS.

 

 

 We were also thankful for little Casey here, who was more than happy to help us cool down :)




The long, but beautiful day was capped off with an overcast sky (so great for cycling in), a light rain shower, and finally getting a picture of the Kansas sign.


Tonight we are in Red Cloud, NB! A small but really cute town with a free pool which we took fully advantage of, and may have been so eager we didn't change out of our cycling clothes. We are staying in their city park, and our great coordinator Al was able to get us into the air conditioned community center to sleep! It's dark, quiet, and dry (the rain storm dropped about 5 inches on the camping area, as well as many of the cyclists' bags...). Luckily my bag is waterproof (thanks mom!) and so my stuff is dry :D

Because of the rain and wet gear, our evening was spent, like many others, at the Laundromat. Several cyclists needed to dry off their sleeping bags, and I just needed clean clothes :) While we waited for the clothes we spend our time at the local watering hole where Mountain Dew was in abundance for the small price of a dollar :)

Tomorrow we bike for 77 miles to our next destination where I will be more than happy to take a day off. Cycling is great, but so is sleep :) Thanks for all of your prayers for safety! Until next time!

 

From Colorado to Kansas

Howdy from Kansas Folks. The past week has been full of fun, rain, family, and windy days, but we have made it to yet another state! Here is the news of the week from Norton, Kansas.

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.

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 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 :)

Beautiful Colorado!

The days spent in Colorado have been beautiful, and the rides mapped have brought us through some amazing areas. Yesterday we rode for 80 miles through Colorado and were able to enjoy some of the sights of the small towns along the way - in other words, we got to stop for coffee. Unfortunately all of the cyclists before us ate the pie, so we settled for the iced beverages :)





The ride was also wonderful because we had a great flat ride for over 50 miles, and then a huge descent into the town of Poncho Springs. The ride down was a 7% grade for 7 miles, and brought me to my highest speed yet - 75.6km/h. However, I was far from the fastest. Some cyclists hit 56 miles per hour - that's too fast for me.



At the base of the hill was a gas station with a bar attached. We were quickly flagged down by cyclists running out of the bar and yelling, "$2.00 beers!', so obviously we stopped. It seems that everyone did - it was a party!



That evening we stayed at the fair grounds of Chaffee and were treated to watching a Roller-Derby practice, as well as experience Peloton inside a horse barn.







The view waking up in the morning was amazing. This was the sight from where I slept - I woke up to this beautiful sight.



Today we had a short 60 mile ride from Poncho Springs into Canon City, and it was downhill almost the entire way! Here are some sights from the ride...









Tomorrow we will be heading into Colorado Springs where I will meet up with my family for the weekend! Which is great because my tent it broken, I want to get rid of my second bike, and I have way too many clothes to keep on this trip :) Also, it will be really nice to see them.

Until next time!

From New Mexico to Colorado

We have Wi-Fi! Hurray for blog posting. Last night we also had Wi-Fi, but it was so slow that this was not possible. So here is a re-cap of the past few days.

Where did we leave you? Right. Waiting for the information on the 160km ride :) Well, it was a long day. We had all anticipated that it would be very simple and fun because the elevation profile showed it all being downhill, but it was a lie. It felt more uphill than anything. Mostly because the descent was so gradual that it was essentially a flat ride, but also because of the large headwinds which made it feel like an uphill climb. However, it was a beautiful ride and it felt amazing to complete. My longest ride ever! We almost weren't able to ride due to a huge storm that hit the night before, which washed out the road. however, it was negotiated that we could walk our bikes across the road.











On Sunday we went to 4 Corners just to say that we stood in 4 states at once.



We spent the weekend at Shiprock and set out Monday for the Wines of San Juan, a winery where we stayed for the evening. It was beautiful and the wine tasted great :)






The hardest ride of the tour came on Tuesday when we rode 123km through the never-ending rolling hills. We climbed almost 6000ft that day, and felt every bit of it. The day took 6.5 hours and was painful for most of the way. We were all EXTREMELY glad it was over, but like each day it had it's good points, such as going over the continental divide :)




That day was very tough, and we relaxed with a trip to Walmart, courtesy of Mama Kooy. We came back armed with chocolate, lotion, deodorant, and Skittles. But despite the candy consumed, I found out just how tired I was after dinner, when I fell asleep for an hour and a half, missing my sweep duties, as well as Peloton, and my small group meeting. I woke up just in time to go back to sleep :)


The following day, Wednesday, was our Mountain pass. We were all feeling that this day would be extremely tough, but were pleasantly surprised to find that the climb was beautiful and anything but agonizing. I found out this day that I love climbing! Especially when the view is this great....








The photos don't do it justice. It's really something you have to see for yourself. However, the day also was amazing because we got to cross from New Mexico into Colorado!







We hit our highest elevation that day!



That's all for now folks. I know it was mostly pictures, but they were the best I could do at the moment. I'm feeling pretty tired, but I'll try to catch some Wi-Fi tomorrow so I can fill you in on Today (Thursday) and tomorrow!

Blessings!