DAYVILLE TO FOSSIL


This ride was gorgeous! We rode through Canyons with hills that looked painted into the sky with natural terraces. I rode with Emily all day and we talked and admired the scenery, and lunch was at a river so we went swimming and of course stayed at lunch for 2 hours.


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Spray, Oregon

After lunch got really hot, and there was a 10 mile climb so that was tough, but Jake got a flat so we pulled over about a mile before the summit and ended up sitting and talking on the side of the road for about an hour until sweep got there. Almost everyone stopped to join the lazy party, and finally we climbed the last mile before descending into Fossil. 


We did home stays with local families which was so weird- I was in a group with Raven, Zoe and Sam and we stayed at a woman named Mary's house which was at the top of the hill with a beautiful view. It was strange sleeping in a bed, mostly because waking up in the morning was so hard. Now I know why we don't sleep in beds.


FOSSIL TO MAUPIN


It was happy reunion in the morning as we saw our teammates after spending a night apart. The day started out with a 5 mile climb, whose descent led straight into a 10 mile climb. I had Jake as a great climbing buddy, and an awesome descent into lunch. 


After lunch I rode with Fran and Jack, and we climbed to a ghost town called Shaniko, which was the most western looking place we'd been so far. I mean, they had a blacksmith.

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Jake takes a lunch nap
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Shaniko

We made a turn onto Bakeoven Road, and that's when things really started to heat up. There was no shade for miles, and of course this is where Fran gets a flat. As we go to change her flat, we hear the horrible sound of a deflating tire, as Jack gets a flat too! We of course only had one tube, and in the process of changing both tires we broke 3 pumps. Thankfully Jake came to the rescue with a tube that had a slow leak that we put in Fran's tire, and proceeded on our route.


By then it was like 4 pm, and the headwinds had sped up to what felt like 20 mph along with the blazing heat of Bakeoven road. Luckily we had a sweet descent into the valley that Maupin sits in. 

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Flatpocalypse

The church in Maupin was awesome- they had a town party in the park where we got free ice cream sundaes and spoke a bit about Bike & Build before listening to some local music and participating in children's games of sack racing and water balloon toss.


MAUPIN TO PORTLAND


This ride was tough. 85 miles (Andrea and I managed to make it 90), climbing the base of Mount Hood. We had seen Mount Hood in the distance for a few days, and it was quite a site since it kind of pops out of nowhere. It's desert for miles in Eastern Oregon until the mountain just out and stands taller than anything for hundreds of miles. 

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"Das Hood"

The morning consisted of awful headwinds and led straight into Mount Hood National Forest, where we climbed all the way to lunch. The change in scenery was so drastic from the desert into the forest, it was a definite line which was really interesting to see the difference from where the mountains block the rain.


After all that climbing, a lunch nap was very necessary. The rest of the day wasn't too bad, besides getting lost twice and two flat tires. We got into Gresham, a suburb of Portland where we were staying, and had dinner before heading to the city. 


A bunch of us went to Powell's City of Books, a book store the size of a city block, and three stories high. We then did the two things Bike & Builders do best: beer and ice cream. 


BUILD DAY IN PORTLAND


This build was so much fun. We rode our bikes to the build site, and our crew leader James showed us how to frame walls and level them and raise them. Zack, Ben and I took a trip to another build site to retrieve some materials, and they let me drive the truck! James actually handed me the keys and sent us off, driving felt so strange, I kept thinking I should be wearing a helmet.


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Framing
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Leveling

We were pretty productive considering the number of times Zack and I had to redo things and the number of dance breaks Jake took. That night we watched The Goonies in preparation for our arrival in Cannon Beach!

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Dancing

PORTLAND TO VERNONIA


All of us wanted to see more of Portland, so we rode through the city on our way out and stopped at bike shops and cafes and hung out for a few hours before biking out. Riding through Portland is amazing- their bike infrastructure is phenomenal and cars are really friendly to cyclists. We have all decided to move here.


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The wonderful bike paths

The ride was pretty now that we're back in the forests- it actually reminded us of Virginia since it was more humid and lush, and we rode by a beautiful river and through the mountains. In Vernonia, we cooked dinner then went to a local bar where we overtook the jukebox and played all our favorite songs (much to the disappointment of the locals who quickly exited the bar).

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Fran in the forest

CANNON BEACH!!!


This day was one I'll never forget. Our morning pump up was the most hype it's ever been, and we all rolled out together in a 29 man paceline- even though the day was full of climbing. The ride was gorgeous, through the coastal mountain range, even though the road was pretty busy. Most of us were distracted by the event that lay ahead: the end. The beach.


We all met up about 3 miles out from the beach so we could ride in together, and the leaders gave speeches which were cute and sentimental. We rode out and down into the town, and slowly (due to traffic) made it to the beach entrance where parents lined the street and cheered for us as we biked up. We set down our bikes, huddled together, and then sprinted to the ocean. 


I can't describe the feeling of accomplishment. The second I saw Haystack Rock- the iconic view of Cannon Beach- the goal we'd been working towards for 3 months- I lost it. I ran crying tears both happy and sad, and hugged all of my teammates in the freezing water as we celebrated the biggest accomplishment of most of our lives.


After the hugging, crying, screaming, and freezing, we huddled together once more for a final cheer. What did we do today? Biked across the country. We grabbed our bikes and dipped the front wheel in the ocean, opposite what we'd done to start the trip.

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Success!

My teammates parents brought wonderful food and champagne, and we had a picnic on the beach with families and friends. I can honestly say this was the happiest I've ever been, even though I was so sad it was over.

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Ladiezzzz
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Cigars & champagne
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Why he let this happen I'll never know

The team gathered again that night around a fire on the beach, and we sang "If it's the Beaches" by the Avett Brothers (this song became the theme song of our trip, as it talks about endings and beaches and mountains, and made us cry every time we thought about the end of the trip) and talked about favorite moments, hardest rides, best food, and amazing memories. The perfect way to end a summer full of companionship, teamwork, love, determination, and accomplishment. A summer I'll never forget, and friends I'll cherish forever. 


Bike & Build, CUS 2013, we did it!!!


The Final Tally: 


Miles: over 4,000

States: 13

Ride days: 74

Build days: 10

Days off: 4

Saddle sores: probably 15

Centuries: 3

Dance parties: uncountable

Bonfires: 8

Bikes stolen: 0!

Bikes broken: quite a few.

Flat tires: over 200

Hose showers: >20

Public fountain showers: 1

Highest elevation climbed: 12,000 ft

Longest climb: ~15 miles

Bonus miles: ~150 

Cuddle Puddles: 50+

Lunches forgotten: 1 (good job Kyle)

Serious injuries: only 2!

Tornadoes encountered: 1

Spaghetti sandwiches eaten: a surprising number. Something like 45.

Slip n slides made with the laundry tarp: 3

Cue sheets that led us onto gravel roads: like 15

Comments on our tanlines: also uncountable. Like every time we go out.

Random lakes/rivers/ponds swam in: 30+

Roadside naps: 8

Synchronized swimming competitions: 1

Plane rides: 1

Mountains hiked: 4

Hot springs: 3

Oceans: 2


Amazing friends made: 28

 

ONTARIO TO UNITY


This was my longest day yet on the bike, and probably in my top 5 favorite rides. 78 miles with 2 climbs through the desert, it could have been miserable, but I rode with Kyle, Zack, Conor, Arden, and Lindsay, and we played games to pass the time. We stopped a ton, like to climb on hay stacks and hang out outside a little country store.  When we got to lunch (at like 1pm...we were going like 13mph all the way to lunch) there were KITTENS! Like 12 adorable little guys.


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Playin in the hay
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Hay!
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Kitten love

Lunch took 2 hours due to kittens. We didn't get in until 5, but we changed time zones so really it was like 6 to us, which means we were on the bike for 10 hours. I don't regret taking my time though, our group had an awesome ride and we ate dinner at a place called the Water Hole once we got to Unity.

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Desert climbs

By the time we were ready to shower, it had started to rain, and of course it was a hose shower. Conor and I took the coldest hose shower of my life- I'm talking bone chilling cold water pouring on you in the rain when it's dark out and there is no hope left in the world. Hot chocolate and a good cuddle puddle was of course the cure for my distress, and soon we were laughing about our ridiculously long day and awful shower experience.


UNITY TO JOHN DAY


So glad to be back to trees, we had a beautiful ride through the Blue Mountains, where there was a good amount if climbing but we talked through it. We stopped at a little cafe where people got huckleberry ice cream and we met some fellow cyclists traveling the opposite direction. 


Lunch was of course at the top of a climb (we hated Kyle for this), but then we got to descend after lunch and get some beautiful mountain views. We relaxed a bunch after the ride, then had Chinese for dinner before watching the sunset down by the river. 

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Awesome descents with a beautiful sky

Almost the whole crew rolled to karaoke night at "It's A Dirty Shame" saloon, where you better believe we made complete fools of ourselves. 


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Karaoke

JOHN DAY TO DAYVILLE


One of our shortest rides today- only 32 miles- so we ate a huge breakfast of pancakes and eggs and a bagels and fruit, and chilled pretty hard on our way to Dayville. Took a quick nap at lunch, and continued on to this adorable town with like 1 cafe where we got snacks and read/napped in the park (we had to wait for the church service to end).

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Gorgeous, short day!

One of the men at the church piled us in his pickup and drove us to the river where we expected a nice swim and to relax. This was exactly not what the river was like: picture a snake infested dirty river FULL of leeches. We spent about 5 minutes sitting in the water enjoying ourselves before discovering the leeches, and then about 20 trying to remove them from our bodies. 


Tonight consisted of affordable housing presentations and face masks and musical chairs. Just don't ask.


Tally:


Hose showers in the rain: 1

Songs butchered at karaoke: 6

Naps taken today: 4

Leeches on my body: too many. More than zero is too many.

 

IDAHO CITY TO BOISE


39 miles? This was a joke. We woke up at 8 and made pancakes and really took our time in the morning before setting off on one of our shortest rides yet. We stopped about halfway at a lake that was gorgeous, and spent hours swimming and laying out and enjoying the random break on our ride.

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Lucky Peak Lake

Of course right after the lake there was a mile long climb but Jake and Zack's freestyle rapping got me through it, on to the awesome descent into Boise. We met a fellow cyclist named Anthony who showed us the bike path into the city, and directed my teammates to Taco Bell (I chose Whole Foods because hello, salad bar).

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Bike selfies with Jake

After arriving at the host a few of us went exploring downtown Boise, our usual stops included book stores and coffee shops, with a nap in the park as well. We got Mexican food and then went out to hear some local music, a band that did covers from Fun to Jack White. They were really good, but then we found out the bar had a basement, and went to explore down there only to discover Mr. P Chill, the worst rapper of all time.


We danced to his incredibly offensive raps for some time, and then decided this was just too ridiculous and headed back to the host. 

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Mike naps at the host in Boise

DAY OFF IN BOISE


This day off started out with a 3 mile run and workout at the YMCA, but after that it was truly a day off. I journaled in the coffee shop, went to see a movie, and listened to live music outdoors. A very relaxing day, but not totally unproductive, since I cleaned my bike for the first time since Indiana. 


BOISE TO ONTARIO, OREGON!!


Today we crossed into our last state. I can't believe there's just over a week left! The ride was only 60 miles so for the first 15 we pretty much all rode together, then I took a really long lunch so I rode out with a big group that stopped a lot and was in no rush. We met up with some teammates at the state sign before going to McDonalds and back to the host.

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Here I yam

I got an incredible package from my second family- the Gallaghers- with some amazing haikus by the one and only Nan Gallagher (here's your shout out-you win!!).

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Nan's kindergarten sticker collection on my package

Tally:

States: 13!

Miles: 3,289 

Beautiful lake beaches: 1

Number of riders that passed Mike on the descent: 4 (he was so pissed)

Horrible rappers encouraged by our dancing/laughing: 2

Donations received purely based on our tan lines: 2

Number of people that said I have an "east coast vibe": 1 (what does this mean?)

 

IDAHO FALLS TO ARCO


Easy day, flat, no headwinds, 70 miles, pretty much desert terrain. Arco is a tiny town, so this was the perfect spot to work on our prom outfits. Emily found Joseph and I some potato sacks (who knew how hard it was to find potato sacks in Idaho) and I bought some sheets from the dollar store, and we fashioned ourselves some adorable costumes. 

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Celise Ghost Face Killa

ARCO TO CHALLIS


Tough day of 84 miles with 2 climbs and rolling hills, but our excitement for prom made it so much fun. We got rained on but it felt nice since it was a hot day, and we got to ride through these incredible canyons and got our first views of the Sawtooth mountains.

We stayed in a retreat center which was incredible: we all had beds. This was my first time sleeping in a bed all summer, and the retreat house had a downstairs area called the Eagles Nest where we held prom. We took prom photos obvi:


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How cute can you look in a potato sack?
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Wizards and I don't even know

The dancing was amazing and it felt like a normal party with normal friends, since we were out of our costumes after 5 songs (burlap is not conducive to dancing). Everyone looked awesome though and we jammed to 90s hip hop and summer hits, the prom that we all wished we had in high school.


CHALLIS TO STANLEY


Wakeup was at 8- the latest wakeup time we've had so far this trip- since all of us needed a bit of post-prom recovery. We didn't even leave the host until 10, and I was sweep with Celise again so we made a few stops with riders who wanted coffee before leaving Challis. Abram decided to join us for a 3 man sweep, and the ride was tough with some headwinds and climbing, but nothing too extreme.

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Post prom night coffee stop

We stopped on the Salmon river and dipped our feet in for a bit, and then came across natural hot springs which were incredible and rejuvenating. We stayed in the springs for almost an hour, and it was 5:30 by the time we left! We didn't get to the campsite until 7pm, the latest I've ever arrived to a host.

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Salmon river
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Natural Hot springs!

STANLEY TO IDAHO CITY


I'll try to paint you a picture of the monstrosity that was this morning: 5 am wakeup, dark, tired, and freezing. The temperature was actually below 32 degrees, and everything outside was frozen and covered in frost. We laid in our tent for half an hour after wakeup plotting a revolt- we even communicated with other tents, convinced that if none of us got out of our sleeping bags, we could sleep for another hour. 


This of course didn't work, so we had to put on all of our clothes (I'm not exaggerating, my bin was like empty because I was wearing all of my clothing) and pack up in the freezing cold. We collectively decided that we. couldn't ride when we couldn't feel our fingers to use our brakes, so we went to get hot breakfast at the diner down the street. We didn't even get on the road until 8:45, and after about 5 minutes of riding in 6 layers of clothing, we were so hot we stripped down to our kits and rode the rest of the way sans layers.


Our ride through Challis National Forest was gorgeous- evergreens for miles with rivers and ski trails, just pure nature. There was a bit of fire damage and some concerning signs about fire danger (a bunch of fire trucks kept passing us which is never a good sign), but no encounters with actual fire. 

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Sawtooths (not Sawteeth, I learned)

We had a 10 mile climb on gravel which was really tough, and I decided to book it up this mountain which I regretted after second lunch when my legs decided not to work anymore. 


Tally:

Minutes before we took off our prom outfits: 10

Watermelons mysteriously smashed on prom night: 1

Hot springs: 2

Camping nights with below freezing temperatures: 1

Riders ready to revolt against 5am wakeup: 25

Layers of clothes unnecessarily donned only to be stripped off after minutes of climbing: 6

Mountains beasted: 3

 

ROCK SPRINGS TO PINEDALE

Our last century ride, we really start to see the desert of Wyoming this day with absolutely no shade. I started to forget what trees looked like, and went semi delusional from being on the bike for almost 9 hours. 


At the host, a cowboy invited us to come have dinner at his house, and he gave us an awesome denim jacket and told us what it's like to be a cowboy. 


PINEDALE TO JACKSON


We listened to Johnny Cash's "Jackson" as we ate delicious pancakes in preparation for our ride to Jackson Hole. Nothing prepared us for the ride ahead; it was gorgeous! We rode through Teton National Forest along a river with mountains and some awesome descents.

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Glimpsing the Tetons!
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Picturesque scenery of Teton National Forest. And Mike's butt

We stayed with Meagan, a B&B alum in Jackson, and planned to camp in her yard. She made us an awesome dinner and invited other alums and some of her friends to hang out and picnic in the park. Jackson is pretty cool- very tourist-y but right next to the Teton Mountains and tons of outdoor activities. 


Megan lives right at the foot of the steepest ski slope in America, which makes for great hiking! After our picnic, a few of us decided to hike to the top of the mountain and camp under the stars. After a 45 minute hike up an incredibly steep mountain, we explored the top of the slope and the ski lift and illegally camped on the observation deck. We awoke at 5:39 to watch the sunrise over the Tetons- and it was just incredible. I don't even have words to describe how awesome it was that we chose to hike up a mountain after biking all day and wake up to watch the sunrise together.

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Sunrise on top of the mountain

BUILD DAY IN JACKSON


After hiking 45 minutes back down the mountain (I use the term hiking loosely...there was a lot of falling and butt sliding involved), I met with my friend Zoe's mom, Sally, at the local coffee shop. She bought me breakfast and we had an awesome time- so psyched I got to see a fellow Richmonder in Wyoming!


Apparently Jackson's Habitat chapter finished their big build two weeks early, so they had no work for us on our build day. The executive director came to talk to us about affordable housing in Jackson, which was really interesting and enlightening. This day turned out to be a sort of day off after our AH discussion, so we took the van up to Lake Jenny in Teton National Park, which was gorgeous and so relaxing. 


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Lake Jenny in Teton National Park

That night we camped in Meagan's yard instead of on the mountain, since we had a 4 am wakeup the next day.


JACKSON TO IDAHO FALLS


We hastily packed our bins in the darkness before the sunrise, and prepared ourselves for the climbs ahead. This ride was through Teton pass, which involved climbs over 10% grade for over 4 miles. Luckily the climbs were all before lunch, so I took a much needed nap at lunch before finishing the ride with Zack, Lauren, and Conor.

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At the summit!
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This is my "no u da ho" face

First Presbyterian Church in Idaho Falls made us a delicious dinner of Idaho potatoes, and we snuggled and watched Django before passing out early.


BUILD DAY IN IDAHO FALLS


This may have been my favorite build day- we got to do DEMO WORK! I'm talking smashing in walls with sledge hammers and ripping up trim and flooring. We had an awesome time on this rehab job, and definitely made a big impact on the progress of the build.

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I'm goin HAM on this wall
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Demo time!

TALLY:


Miles ridden with Jake in 1 day: 104

Fruit snacks eaten in 1 day: 10 packs

Sunrises over the Teton Mountains: 2

Illegal camping adventures: 1

Pairs of flip flops ruined: 2

Number of Bike & Builders it took to change Conor's flat: 4

Feet climbed on Teton Pass: 8,600

Lunch naps taken: 2

Walls destroyed: 8

Build site injuries: 2

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Four people. One flat tire
 

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS TO MAYBELL


Only a 75 mile day, we flew in to Maybell around noon since it was mostly flat and almost no wind. Maybell is a tiny town on the edge of Colorado with one "general store" and a city park that we camped in. We made two big pots of chili on our camping stove and played soccer and looked at stars. 

MAYBELL TO VERNAL, UTAH


The first 28 miles were all rolling hills on this 90 mile day, so it took us a while to get to first lunch. After first lunch, we encountered Dinosaur Colorado, where streets have names like "Tyrannosaurus Boulevard" and "Velociraptor  Lane." We learned from Mike at the visitor's center how to get to a canyon with fossilized dinosaur bones, and of course took pictures at the Utah sign.

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Some sexy Dinos
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Put up your U's for Utah

We decided to go ahead and add 14 extra miles to our 90 mile day to go see the dinosaur bones- making this my second century day and longest ride yet! Totally worth it- the ride was awesome through canyons and we got to see a giant slab of rock with cool bones in it.

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Touchin the bones

I got awesome mail in the mail drop today- shout out to Nate for my favorite package yet! 


VERNAL TO FLAMING GORGE


This ride was only 42 miles but the first 20 were all climbing and we of course added miles to go look at the Red Canyon. The ride was totally beautiful- Utah is exceeding my expectations just like Kansas. With the climbs came great descents, and the Red Canyon was breathtaking. Probably the closest I'll ever get to seeing the Grand Canyon. 

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Red Canyon!
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So much love

We're camping at an awesome campsite by a dam where we are real camping with a hike to a bathroom and no showers- feels pretty legit! Hammocks and tents set up, we done on delicious chili and spoons of Nutella.


We had another accident today- Jess fell on a cattleguard grate and hit her head. She's fine though, 9 stitches in her head, a black eye, and a swollen wrist, she'll be back on the road in 2 days. 


I was sent on an awesome scavenger hunt with rhyming clues to find my prom date- Joseph! The last clue led me to my tent where he was laying in my sleeping bag with a ring in his hand. So cute. My favorite clue was: "plop, plop, plop, plop, if this overflows you'll need a mop" (this led me to the bathroom).


FLAMING GORGE TO ROCK SPRINGS


The day began with a beautiful descent down to a dam- and from then on out it was climbing. We crossed into Wyoming and the views were nuts- mountains that looked fake like Bob Ross just painted them. There were some awesome geological landforms and just miles and miles of undeveloped land. 


Of course my phone was dead all day so I couldn't take any pictures, so you'll just have to believe me that Wyoming has beautiful canyon views but really awful roads (and drivers). Also very windy. My feelings on Wyoming are mixed.


Tally:

Centuries: 2

Bonus miles this week: 36

States: 11!

Dinosaur bones: ~100

Real dinosaurs: 0 (disappointing)

Amazingly hot prom dates: 1

Camping nights: 3

Scavenger hunts: 1

Campfire to forest fire ratio: 2:1

Snakes encountered: 1 (absolutely terrifying. I had a minor panic attack)

 

BOULDER TO ESTES PARK


This day was almost Doomsday part 2. Lots of climbing with a side of terrential rain, with 2 flats to top it all off. It was our first real day in the Rockies, so the scenery was incredible with the mountains and the nature- and the descent would have been amazing had it not been pouring rain. 


We got to fill up our camelbacks in a natural Colorado spring which tasted like the best Rocky Mountain water I've ever had.  

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Just sittin on a couch

ESTES PARK TO GRANBY


70 miles on Trail Ridge- the highest paved road in America- in Rocky Mountain National Park. By far our most beautiful day yet. We climbed up to 12,000 feet in elevation, and I was sweep so I had to bring up the back- forcing me to stop about every mile which meant I took tons of pictures. They pretty much all look like this:

When we finally reached the summit, the views were unlike anything I've ever seen- I felt like a tiny ant with these giant mountains with snow on top and very little oxygen. And then the best part: flying down the mountain. We crossed the Great Divide where water drains into the Pacific instead of the Atlantic which was pretty significant I guess.

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Sweep with Celise!

GRANBY TO KREMMLING


A 27 mile ride to us at this point is like skipping to the corner store to get a candy bar. We woke up super late and all went to the coffee shop in Granby and had breakfast before riding out to Kremmling. It took a little over an hour, and this ride was beautiful because we were riding through canyons and awesome rock formations, and it was mostly downhill so we could race through.


Our first camp day! We got in and set up our tents at the RV park that so graciously let us occupy their patch of grass. We got some beers and headed to the Colorado river- where we swam and laid in the sun and goofed off until we got hit with a thunderstorm. 

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Beautiful campsite

Joseph's mom brought us delicious dinner and we played music and watched the sunset, then built a fire and made s'mores. When it got really dark, we made a big cuddle puddle and looked at the stars, had deep conversations and listened to great music. We're basically stars of an 80s flick.

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S'mores in the Rockies

KREMMLING TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS


What a ride. I keep saying that each ride in the Rockies is more beautiful than the last, but seriously. The Rockies are amazing- so much bigger and better than the Appalachians, and just so much nature for miles. This ride was tough with some climbs, but it all lead up to an INCREDIBLE 7 mile descent that just blew everyone's mind. It's the closest thing to flying I've ever gotten- 42 miles per hour overlooking a beautiful valley after climbing all morning.


Steamboat is pretty tourist-y but for good reason. It has hot springs, waterfalls, and tons of skiing. We got to explore the town a bit and eat dinner out, then saw a blues band that night at a local bar.

DAY OFF IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS


A few of us woke up early to get coffee and then hitched a ride with Raven's boyfriend to Strawberry Hot Springs! This place was amazing and there were a bunch of pools at different temperatures and a bunch of places to lay out and relax. It was the perfect day off activity because it was relaxing but also beautiful and cool that we were swimming in natural hot springs in the Rocky Mountains.


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Strawberry Hot Springs, Steamboat Springs CO

After the hot springs we biked to the Fish Creek waterfall and did some hiking and rock climbing- we got pretty far up! It was absolutely beautiful and we had such a great time swimming in the water and climbing and enjoying the views. Hot springs and a waterfall in one day off: best day ever!

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Fish Creek Falls
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Zack, Conor and me
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Hike & Build

Tally:

Climbing days in the pouring rain: 2

Highest climb: 12,000 feet!

Camping nights: 1

S'mores consumed: 4 (I'm not proud)

Tents destroyed: 1

Constellations found: 6 (maybe)

Mosquito bites: 1 BILLION

Longest descent: 7 miles

Rides with no cue sheets: 1

Hot springs: 3

Hikes to beautiful waterfalls: 1

 

ST FRANCIS TO NOWHERE


Our first century ride was 102 miles to the middle of nowhere, Colorado. The school we stayed at was called the school without a town, and the only thing for miles was fields of grass and corn. 


We met up at mile 15 of the ride to take pictures at the state line! It was awesome crossing into Colorado- what we've all been waiting for- although we'll definitely miss Kansas. We got to watch the sunrise since we had a 4 am wake up, and travelled back in time another hour. 

NOWHERE TO DENVER


The first half of this ride was hills and headwinds which were tough but I made it through with my awesome riding buddy Abram. As we were riding, what I assume was an antelope appeared and ran next to us for about a mile- it was the coolest thing to watch it jump along and almost race us.


I got to ride with Celise after lunch which was awesome because we talked about architecture and planning and she kicked ass on the hills. We got our first glimpses of the Rocky Mountains which was surreal- they're enormous and so long and beautiful. Denver is awesome and riding in was so exciting- we went to get Thai food almost immediately and got to shop around at thrift shops and book stores. 

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This is nowhere

Since the next day was a build day, we went out to two different rooftop bars, one of which was hosting a fundraiser for the children's hospital. 


BUILD DAY IN DENVER


Our site supervisor at the habitat build in Denver is a Bike & Build alum- he did 3 different trips! Talking with him was cool and he showed us how to level some beams that floorboards would eventually go on. We worked on a huge site that was building two triplexes, a duplex and a fiveplex. I mostly worked on joists and got to look at more floor plans which is my favorite.


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I <3 water

We've planned Bike & Build prom for a night in Idaho, and everyone chose whether or not they wanted to ask someone or be asked, and then the askers were randomly assigned askees and are now charged with asking their date in a cute way. I got 4 notes from my prom date on the build site, mostly written on duck tape and tied to my camelback (one was written on toilet paper...).


A really cool opportunity we had in Denver was this photographer took pictures of us in our kits with our bikes and doing fun stuff like at a photoshoot- hopefully we'll get those soon and I'll post them because they're bound to be hilarious.


That night, a bunch of alums threw a potluck dinner party at their house for us which was awesome because they invited all the Bike & Build alums that live in Denver which is so many! The party was amazing and everyone was so nice- I think at least half of our team has decided to move to Denver once the trip is over.


DENVER TO BOULDER


A surprise awaited us on this 34 mile ride into Boulder- a VIP tour of MillerCoors brewing company in Golden, Colorado. They made a whole salad bar for us and gave us a tour of their giant facilities- it was awesome! No tasting since it was 9 am and we still had 20 miles left, but we did get to check out the gift shop.

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Lookin at the Rockies
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Just look at those mountains!

We arrived in Louisville (about 10 miles east of Boulder where we're staying) and were greeted by some lovely children and excited church members who made us signs and snacks- so cute! A few of us took a bus into Boulder and got to explore Pearl street where there's a pedestrian mall and some cool shopping. 


I met up with my friend Amelia and we made plans to go out that night. Dinner was made for us by the adorable children at the church- they made kabobs! We got to hear an 80s band on Pearl ave and then went to a few bars and danced and the night was full of our usual tomfoolery.


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Beautiful Boulder
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At the Bier Garten- photo cred Amelia

BUILD DAY IN BOULDER


The Boulder chapter of Habitat is really cool- our site supervisor Phil gave us a presentation on their affiliate at lunch and it was awesome to learn about their green initiatives and the housing crisis in Boulder. I mostly painted this build day but others were doing landscaping and other finishing touches on a few houses.


Earth Balance paid for us to eat out at a restaurant on Pearl ave called The Lazy Dog, which ruled and we all ate delicious food and got to talk to Joseph's mom and the CEO's son Henry who's a Bike & Build alum. On the way back we watched thunderstorms and some awesome lightning.


Tally:


Centuries: 1

Prom notes: 4

Friends met in cool cities: 3

Number of times we sang our Bike & Build 'drinking chant': at least 12. In one night.


 

BELOIT TO PHILLIPSBURG


It's the Fourth of July! We donned our America temporary tattoos and red white & blue face paint before setting out on this 77 miler to the smallest town we've encountered. We sang songs of America (featuring: America the Beautiful, This Land is Your Land, Wagon Wheel, etc). We rode to the World's largest ball of twine and climbed on top of it:


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Big ball of twine

The wind was crazy this day but we hit a tailwind for like 10 miles where we were cruising at 30mph on flat land. We stayed in a fitness center with an awesome pool which was exactly what we needed after 77 miles in 98 degree weather. 


We acquired beverages to celebrate America's birthday and played games and sat outside talking about how much we love each other. Ben set off the fireworks show (and yelled "fire in the whole!" every time) and we laid in a cuddle puddle watching them until the sheriff showed up and shut it down. 

PHILLIPSBURG TO OBERLIN


Waking up before the sun after a night of celebration was definitely tough. Once we got on the road and biked off our hangovers, it turned out to be another wonderful day. We got to lunch at 9:30 am- which was crazy to think about most people eating breakfast while we ate our second meal of the day. 


I got to ride with Conor and we had awesome bike conversations- one of my favorite parts of Bike & Build. We talked about how much we love our team and this summer and the time just flew by- we got to the host before noon!


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Beautiful Kansas

Mail drop was today and I got awesome gifts from my wonderful friends and family including cookies, homemade fiber/energy bars, and lots of cute letters. 


OBERLIN TO ST FRANCIS


Today we hit 1,897 miles, which is exactly halfway across the country! We chalked it on the road and were taking pictures when a man wearing jorts (this is jean shorts for those of you unfamiliar with abbreviated language), a neon shirt, and a neon vest rolls up on his vintage Bianchi. He didn't introduce himself immediately, so we were a little confused as to why this strangely dressed man was hanging around us. When he finally did introduce himself, it turns out he was the pastor of the church we're staying at, and he rode with us for the rest of the day!


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Ohhhh we're halfway there!
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Abram loves America

Pastor Warren Cico (pronounced psycho) is an awesome dude, and Cam and I got to talk to him for over 30 miles. He mentioned that a church member owned a few planes, and offered us a ride in them once we got to St Francis. We were amazed! Only four of us got to go, but it was absolutely incredible.


He took us to Rick's hangar, which was filled with every little boy's dream: a vintage truck, an SUV, 3 planes, and a 6 seater golf cart. He pulled out the 3 seater plane and took us for a ride- I can't even describe how awesome it was. I realized how I would never get to experience things like random free plane rides without Bike & Build, and how lucky I am to be a part of this team.

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This is the plane we went in.
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This is how excited we are to be in the plane
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A view of Phillipsburg from the sky!

We saw Nebraska and Colorado from the plane- which was awesome and a bit of a geography lesson. I just can't believe I flew in a tiny plane today!


Tally:

Fires caused by fireworks: 2

Police encounters: 1

America songs sang: all of them.

Kansas water parks: 3! Go Kansas!

Rides with pastors: 1

Awesome plane rides: 1

States seen from the sky: 3

Half gallons of ice cream eaten by Liz: 1 (this was a bet, and Liz won so now Sam has to wear a helmet the next time we go out to a bar).

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Cam, Jess, Conor and I showing off our calves in front of Rick's plane
 

DAY OFF IN MANHATTAN

We slept in until 10 AM today- incredible. A bunch of us got coffee at Radina's in town, and then we got free lunch at a barbecue place down the street. Everyone ran errands and relaxed, all things necessary on one of our four precious days off. 

That evening we went to the water park in town, and got to go down slides and swim in the lazy river- it made us feel like kids again. 

Later that night when we were mostly all in bed, the leaders show up from their mysterious 10pm "grocery run" with CELISE!! She made a remarkable recovery and tricked us by saying she'd meet us in Denver when really she returned a week early. We're all ecstatic she's back and we got a later wake up (7 am!) so we could hang out and help her put her bike together. 


MANHATTAN TO CLAY CENTER

This was such a short ride day that we did another mystery ride. A mystery ride is when we draw names out of a hat for ride groups so you ride with different people and it kind of forces some of the faster people to slow down and the slower people to speed up. 

My group was Jack, Conor, Liz, and Will, and a bunch of ride groups stopped at Radina's again for coffee. Outside, we met a man named Mac who was so inspired by what we do that he paid for $40 worth of coffee for us. Random acts of kindness from strangers are always a great way to start a day.

We all got in before 1 to Clay Center, and they gave us free barbecue and we got to swim at the pool for free! We had a synchronized swimming competition (guys vs girls, with Mike on the girls team). 

That night we got invited by a stranger to a block party, which was hands down the best block party I've ever been to. First off, it was all old white people, and they've been throwing this 4th of July party for 13 years. The city band was playing in the gazebo, and the hosts stopped the music and introduced us to the party on the microphone. They fed us free food and beer and we had an awesome time talking with the old people.

They then told us about the traditional march that they do, which involves waving flags, making human bridges, and some light dancing. It was hilarious and awesome and we stayed until 10 pm when the party had already ended. YOU WIN, CLAY CENTER KANSAS.

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Best Fourth of July party ever!

CLAY CENTER TO BELOIT, KS


Today I was sweep with Kevin, so I got to carry a spare tire and med kit and ride at the back of the group with him. Sweep is always fun because you get to talk to the person you're sweeping with all day, and Kevin and I of course had great conversations. 

Pretty short day of only 55 miles, so we got in at 1 for hose showers and naps outside. There's not much to do in Beloit Kansas, so most of us have been laying in hammocks and going out to buy fireworks- we have quite the collection for tomorrow night!

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Getting pumped in the morning

The tally:

Water parks overtaken: 1

Teammates rejoined after shattering their collarbone: 1 (YAY CELISE!!)

Old people parties crashed: 1

Synchronized swimming competitions won: 0 (the boys won)

Gallons of spoiled milk consumed: 2 (this realization was not fun).

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    The chronicles of my cross-country bike adventure. 

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