Update from Kevin number 2
This update is from the other week, we wanted to wait for the corresponding pictures to be uploaded prior to posting... Ilan.
Greetings from Bayfield, CO (18 miles east of Durango)!
Before I get into the main part of the email, I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for making this ride a success. Last Fall when I decided to live out my childhood dream and bike cross-country, it was my goal and ride alone. Now, there are literally hundreds of people sponsoring, supporting, praying, and checking in on the website daily. I never thought that this ride would become this huge. I also am amazed at how generous you have been with your sponsorships. You may have noticed that the sponsorship goal has changed from $5000 to $10,000. I didn’t know if I would attain my original goal but wanted to have something that I had to reach for. Now that the goal has been accomplished, I think that you and I can reach for the second one. There are still 2000 miles of this journey to go and I know I will meet a lot more great people along the way. I know that you truly believe in the cause and all I am asking is for you to show one more co-worker, friend, or family member the website or talk about why you decided to support the cause. Together we (and this is a big “WE”) can reach this new goal. I thank you in advance for your efforts, and keep checking back to the website for updates!
And now, on with the update...
I am staying with the Bryson family (Joe, Tamis, Aubrey, Grace, Cole, and animals) and am enjoying the great food and fellowship. I met the family through Hal Brandt of the First Presbyterian Church in Brawley, CA. Hal is Tamis’ father and let her know I was coming her way. The family opened up their hearts and home to let me stay there. Did I mention they are great cooks?
As I am getting further into the mountains, I thought I would pass along a few of my observations. In Ohio there are hills, they can be steep, but they are a half mile or less. Out here, the mountains and uphill grades can go up for miles. Some are steady grades and others are much steeper. You just got to keep spinning and try to take your mind off the pain you are putting your body through. I just pretend I am Lance and just go with it!
Going downhill can be fun and very scary. I like to call these miles “Free Flyer Miles.” They are “free” because there is usually very little effort involved, and “flyer” because sometimes you can really be flying!!! I got up to 48 mph on a downhill in Utah! When you are going downhill you can “feather” your brakes back and forth, but you realize you can’t use them too often because if you do you can overheat the rims and cause a blowout. Out here, they call that a “yard sale.” I’ll let you figure out the visual.
Day 13 - Flagstaff (Rest Day)
This was the day to catch up on emails, bills, and other things that needed to get done. Karen gave me her car and I headed out to get my haircut. She told me about a great lunch place called Souper Salad. It was all you could eat for $6. My metabolism has kicked into high gear, so I ended up eating for an hour and left before I was truly full. I then walked around downtown and went into some of the shops. I got a great photo of the city from the Lowell Observatory and checked out Northern Arizona University.
Day 14 - Flagstaff (Rest Day)
Karen, Keegan, and I made the 1 ½ hour trip to see the Grand Canyon! It was amazing. Standing at the edge, it just feels surreal to see the immense scale of it. It looks just like the pictures, but you have to go to appreciate the scale. We hiked 3 miles of the Bright Angel Trail. The different views and rock formations were great to see up close.
Day 15 - Flagstaff to Cameron
Today’s ride took me past the snow-capped San Francisco Mountains. It was hard to believe there was snow up there when I had recently bike through 100 degree weather. I stopped off at Sunset Crater Volcano and then after that there was a long descent. From the top you could see for 60 - 70 miles, It was an amazing view. A 20 mph tailwind took over and I was flying on my way to Cameron. Cameron was on the Navajo Reservation and had a great trading post and elaborate garden in front of my room.
Day 16 - Cameron to Tuba City
Today I road through the Painted Desert. There weren’t that many colors and I wasn’t that impressed. The road to Tuba City was better with a reddish landscape along the way. I stopped off at a sign that said “Dinosaur Tracks.” There were tracks of Dilophasaurus and T Rex. It was interesting to see on site. As I was pulling into town, a man shouted from a car, “Didn’t I see you in Flagstaff?” “Yep” I said with a smile. It was nice to get recognized after all these miles.
Day 17 - Tuba City (Rest Day)
I got up and went to the First Presbyterian Church down the street. There were only 16 in attendance, but it was a very nice personal message. We sang “Jesus Loves Me” in Navajo. Afterward I met and greeted with everyone. They were very caring and compassionate. That afternoon I started to pump up my tires and the pump broke! After an initial panic, I took the pump apart and was able to jerry-rig the thing to work.
Day 18 - Tuba City to Kayenta
I had another strong tailwind on the ride today. Most of the ride was next to Black Mesa which supplies coal and electricity for Northern Arizona. The rock formations on the way into Kayenta were a prelude to what I would see tomorrow.
Day 19 - Kayenta to Bluff
I looked forward to this day for some time. I went around the bend heading out of Kayenta and went down into monument valley. The first monument was shiprock which I actually thought was the best one. The scale and size of the monuments were impressive. It was as if God had placed down chess pieces. I was excited to cross into Utah as I headed out of the valley. Little did I know that the road crews in Utah don’t know how to make roads. They are a rocky gravelly mess that are horrible to ride on. I was glad to finish my 70 miles in Utah. Did I mention that they were doing roadwork straight up a 300 foot mesa that I had to ride up (it was all gravel)? Fun stuff! I had to clean the gravel out of my bike tonight.
Day 20 - Bluff to Cortez
I picked up my fourth state today! I was looking forward to riding in Colorado. I always have wanted to test my legs out in the Colorado Rockies. I made a side trip to the 4 corners (10 extra miles). It was well worth it. I got a photo with me and the bike on the monument and met a few people that were interested in the ride. A couple from New Jersey took my picture and than the gentleman asked for a photo with me. After that, 5 college guys from Illinois asked for a picture as well. I was a celebrity for a day, as well as a 4 corners side show! The day was my longest yet at 91 miles. I really enjoyed staying in the comforts of Sarah LeBrec’s home that evening. Sarah is a friend of Stephen Miller’s with whom I used to work with. He told her about the ride and asked if I would be able to stay at her house. Even though she was going out of town, she let me, a perfect stranger stay at her house. I was amazed with her generosity!
Day 21 - Cortez (Rest Day)
I relaxed around the house all day today. After 91 miles I needed it. The views from the house were incredible in which you could see the snow-covered Rockies and mesas. There were Jack Rabbits that were the size of small dogs too!
Day 22 - Cortez to Bayfield
It was a cool morning starting out. I ended up having my leg warmers on till 12:30. On the climb up Mancos Hill, I met 3 bicyclists from New Mexico that were just finishing up a 450 mile camping trip. It was good to meet a few more people that were carrying gear up these hills. The last 11 miles to Durango were all downhill. Those had to be the fastest 11 miles I have ever ridden. I was glad to arrive at the Bryson’s for a weekend of rest and relaxation.
Kevin Singh on 06.07.04 @ 12:07 PM EST [link] [No Comments]
