Week Five: Denver Colorado to Fremont Nebraska

Monday July 28: 148 km. 100 F sunny. Denver Colorado to Fort Morgan Colorado

Today we said goodbye to the Rockies with mixed feelings. We learned about two of the three "H's" of the Great Plains, hot and headwinds. Humidity will come later. It was a grueling day, especially for the newcomers on the tour. Talk about a "baptism under fire"! One hundred degree temperatures and moderate headwinds, along with a high mileage day. We have 17 cyclists starting in Denver, with the same number finishing the western four weeks at the same time. I hope we all do what we can to make them feel welcome and encourage them as they cycle along with us. We cycled out of Denver for about 30 km. on the Platte River Trail, one of the many bike paths that connect all parts of this city. It was here on these trails that my love of cycling began. I have biked literally thousands of kilometers on Denver's trails during my layovers here, in my life as a long haul trucker. Lots of good memories this morning as we rode out of town.

Leaving Denver on the Platte River Trail.

Last view of the Rockies.

Tuesday July 29: 142 km. 90 F sunny. Fort Morgan Colorado to Wray Colorado.

We left the Platte River Valley today and turned east thru sagebrush country again. A few farms and ranches, but mostly pretty desolate country that had seen a better day. The temperature was a bit cooler today, but we encountered a pretty stiff headwind in the afternoon, making us work for every mile.

Anyone interested in seeing some videos taken by one of the cyclists, Josh Krabbe, from his bike while traveling down the road, log onto youtube.com and hit jdkrabbe in the search function.

Glory days long gone.

I can't help but wonder how many dreams lie shattered along the fields and highways of rural America.

Wednesday July 30: 155 km. 97 F sunny. Wray Colorado to McCook Nebraska.

Another blazing hot day with not a cloud in sight. We traveled into Nebraska today and marked the halfway point of our trip as far as time is concerned. Halfway in distance will occur on Friday. The new cyclists that started in Denver are still having some difficulties with the heat and long miles. I wish that we could do something for them, as we have been conditioned by our previous four weeks. At times we make not think that we are stronger now than when we started, but it is pretty obvious that we are much in much better physical shape than four weeks ago. I'm sure that as time goes on they too will become much stronger cyclists. The terrain is about the same as we travel along, not as much variety and far fewer photo opportunities. For the third day in a row the prevailing westerly winds failed to show. We had a pretty steady crosswind all day, making for a longer and tougher day. But not a mountain in sight to slow us down!

Nebraska, here we come on our aluminum and carbon fibre steeds! Not quite as dramatic as Buffalo Bill, is it?

Typical western Nebraska landscape. No agriculture would be possible in the western half of the state without irrigation.

Thursday July 31: 156 km. 100 F sunny. McCook Nebraska to Minden Nebraska.

In spite of the heat and the distance cycled, this was one of the best cycling days of the tour. Rolling hills to start, then flat prairie with a moderate tailwind all day. Everyone made excellent time all day, making for great day cycling. I was doing 33 kph, quite a bit higher than my normal speed, cruising right along, when I heard some commotion. It was John Pierce from Michigan leading a six man paceline which smoked by me at 48 kph. Cycling at it's best!

Typical central Nebraska scene. Cornfields and grain elevators shimmering in the summer heat.

This is what happens when you bike almost one hundred miles in 100 degree heat. Nick Ellens of Hamilton Ontario getting a drink.

Friday August 1: 152 km. 90 F partly cloudy. Minden Nebraska to York Nebraska

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday it was clear sailing with a tailwind, and today the wind was our enemy. It blew out of east all day at about 20 kph, making for tough slugging. But it was a bit cooler, and the occasional cloud floated by overhead. But all in all it was not a bad day. We still got to where we needed to be, and camp just looked that much more inviting when we finally got there. Another day thru endless corn and soybean fields, with all the modern technologies of farming on a massive scale on display. We are so fortunate to live here in this land of plenty. It takes some soul searching to see all this abundance of food, while we are on a very small scale, trying to do something about poverty. Add to that, a great deal of this food is being used to make fuel, not feed people.

Beautiful courthouse square in Minden NE. So typical of American small towns.

Halfway point of the tour, 3123 km. somewhere between Minden NE and Hastings NE. No champagne or caviar, no marching bands, only a little sign to hold up in front of our portable toilet along the way.

A welcome sign along the way in rural Nebraska for a few of our cyclists.

Saturday August 2: 154 km. 95 F sunny. York Nebraska to Fremont Nebraska.

Another hot, sunny day where the prevailing westerly winds failed to appear. We had instead a 30 km. wind out of the southeast, which was a headwind most of the day, and a tailwind for the times when we turned north for time. The wind was in a sense a blessing as it keeps us cool in the heat and humidity. This weather is always better than rain, which we have yet to see. According to USA Today, the low temperature for the continental US was 37 F in Kremmling CO, where we stayed last Thursday night. I don't think anyone of us would trade that for today's weather in Nebraska. We cycled thru more corn and soybean fields all day, and more of the same for a few weeks to come.

Cooling off after a long day cycling.

What do a bunch of Canadians do in the middle of Nebraska in August in 95F temperatures? Why, they play hockey of course, what else!

We stayed in a municipal park next to a brand new YMCA arena, where you could rent ice skates and hockey sticks, so it was a no brainer for most of the younger Canadians. Even Pastor Markus Lies, a recently retired CRC pastor, from Newcastle ON, got in on the act.

How's this for a macho hockey outfit?

Sunday August 3: Fremont Nebraska

Today was spent trying to escape the 100 F heat with a heat index of 110 F. Cyclists were bused to CRC churches in either Lincoln NE of Omaha NE for worship services with lunch afterwards The rest of the day was spent sitting in the shade and maintaining or repairing our bicycles, doing laundry and otherwise preparing for the upcoming week. A few cyclists stayed back in camp and attended services afterward at a Lutheran church across the road. The parishoners there were so impressed with our tour and mission, they invited us to return at 1 PM for lunch they generously prepared at the last minute. They had a brand new gymnasium, very nicely air conditioned and asked us to stay inside for the day and camp out for the night indoors to escape the oppressive heat. Again, we are all so humbled by everything that people are doing for us along the way.

Getting ready for the coming week.

Temperature sign at the funeral home next to the church in Fremont NE. Getting people ready for their future perhaps?

Week Four: Salt Lake City to Denver Colorado

Monday July 21: 148 km. 77 F cloudy. Salt Lake City Utah to Duchesne Utah

This week brings on crunch time. Much longer mileages and higher elevations are the rule now. Today was absolute perfect weather for cycling, cloudy and cool. These are the first real clouds we have seen in almost two weeks. Another tough day of climbing, a 3700 ft. climb almost immediately, at 8% grade for the last three miles to an elevation of 9,485 ft., the highest of the tour so far. Some cyclists had difficulty with the thinner air, but most adapted well. I fared very well, I have even started to enjoy the climbing aspect of the ride. I may not be the fastest, but my endurance is coming along nicely. I did the last seven miles of today's climb without once getting off my bike. I am using a Camelback hydration pack which works very well on long rides. No stopping for water or reaching for water bottles. The view was spectacular, more like Colorado, than what one typically thinks of Utah. Lots of green mountains with an abundance of wildlife. Deer, badgers, bighorn sheep, and elk, to name a few were all spotted today by cyclists.

Long climb coming out of camp 10 miles south east of Park City UT first thing this morning.

Highest elevation of tour to date.

All kinds of wildlife on today's ride.

Here is a link to Tyler Buitenwerf's blog on which he has a video of his descent on a three mile 8% grade. http://tylerbuitenwerf.blogspot.com/

Tuesday July 22: 156 km. 92 F partly cloudy. Duchesne Utah to Dinosaur Colorado

A relatively difficult day, flat mostly, but two long climbs, one ten kilometres and one of about thirty kilometres. Cool in the morning, but the temps quickly rose to the 90's by early afternoon. The terrain was again bleak and desolate, oil and gas country. We cycled thru Vernal UT, gateway to Dinosaur National Park, where Elaine and I spent a weekend last summer. I had mixed feelings as I passed the hotel where we stayed, the restaurants where we ate, and the streets where I went jogging as Elaine paced me on her bicycle. Many fond memories to be sure, but much more so, the realization of how much I miss her. It has been almost four weeks since I last saw her.

From here on in I am in familiar territory the rest of the tour. I have either driven most of these same routes or even cycled many of the roads we are now riding on.

Cycling down into Roosevelt UT. Notice the snow on the mountains in the background.

Barney, eat your heart out!

One more state to cycle thru. Eight more after this, plus Ontario.

Wednesday July 23: 142 km. 87 F partly cloudy. Dinosaur Colorado to Craig Colorado

Another long day in the saddle, with some moderate climbs. The first 80 km. was thru the middle of nowhere, literally. Some mining and utilities, but other than that, nothing but sagebrush. I'm always amazed that in country like the U.S. with it's population and land area there can still be empty places, hundreds and even thousands of square miles in size. There was even a few sprinkles off and on this morning, the first hint of rain in weeks. We have had our first casualty of the tour. Arnie Issette flew home to Michigan from Salt Lake City after tearing his Achilles tendon and will be operated on this Friday. He will be sorely missed. Arnie, 70 years old, was planning to do the whole route and always had a smile and a pat on the back for everyone.

Sea to Sea train chugging uphill near Dinosaur CO.

Our complete mobile kitchen and generator at a rest stop along the way.

Even bicycles get to rest at night.

Thursday July 25: 155 km. 87 F partly cloudy. Craig Colorado to Kremmling Colorado

Another long tough day. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous as we traveled thru Steamboat Springs CO, over Rabbit Ears Pass, and then back into arid, desert like conditions to Kremmling CO. We had a climb of 3,700 ft. up a 7 % grade on top of the long mileage, making for another exhausting day. The mood in camp is very subdued, the questions being heard are, how long is tomorrow's ride, how high do we have to climb, and how steep is the grade? In spite of all the spectacular vistas throughout the Rockies, most of us "flatlanders" are looking forward to next week when we will be into the Great Plains. We are only kidding ourselves if we think that the plains won't bring their own set of unique problems, but it will be fun with new challenges.

Climbing Rabbit Ears Pass.

Continental Divide. The Atlantic Ocean sure seems like a long way from here.

View descending to Kremmling CO.

Friday July 25: 55 km. 87 F partly cloudy. Kremmling Colorado to Winter Park Colorado.

A nice easy day after four very tough days. We are staying at Snow Mountain Ranch which is operated by the YMCA, just outside Granby CO, a beautiful convention center and family vacation center. All of us sure appreciated the light day thru some magnificent scenery.

Cycling alongside the Colorado River just east of Hot Sulfur Springs CO.

Fly fishing in the Colorado River.

Audrey from Quebec City, cycling solo throughout the west for two months joined us for a few days. She is one of a number of people cycling by themselves who hooked up with us for a short while. The amount of trees being devastated by the mountain pine beetle is astounding. It's not only British Cloumbia and Alberta being affected.

Saturday July 26: 155 km. 87 F partly cloudy. Winter Park Colorado to Denver Colorado.

Well Sea to Sea Riders, we did it! Behold the Granite Behemoth! We came, we saw, we cycled right over it! Final day in the Rockies. Today we climbed to our highest point of the trip, Berthoud Pass at 11,340 ft. It was first thing in the morning with fresh legs and cool morning temperatures of 50 F. Every one's mood was very positive and even some cyclists who had not been able to make other mountain passes on our trip managed to make it to the top of this one. A long descent of 6,000 ft. into Denver followed, except for one nasty little climb up Floyd Hill, a 800 ft. climb at about a 10% grade. Next week begins our highest mileage week across the Great Plains, with 17 new cyclists joining us as we work our way east. It is hard to believe that we have completed four weeks already! Time flies when you're having fun. (I am having a blast, by the way)

What do you mean, we have cycle over that mountain?

View from the top of Berthoud Pass.

Yours truly, having mastered the mountain, a feat that a few short years ago, I would have considered an utter impossibility. I have to thank all those that made this possible. Friends and family who encouraged me and donated so generously, thank you all ever so much. This photo was taken on top of Berthoud Pass at 11,340 ft., the highest point of our tour.

A stop along the descent into Denver in Empire CO. Everyone was in a great mood as the Rockies were now behind us.

Sunday July 26: Sunday off in Denver Colorado

A nice relaxing day in the Denver sunshine. The CRC churches in Denver treated us like royalty, Preparing meals, billeting numerous cyclists, cutting hair, taking us to laundry facilities, and whatever other errands we needed to run. A beautiful celebration service was held at a local high school sports stadium, where we entered en mass on our bicycles and circled the track to applause from the crowd. It is almost embarrassing, the attention we are getting along the way, but the recognition is nice.

Cycling to church Sunday morning.

Week Three: Boise Idaho to Salt Lake City Utah

Monday July 14: 92 km. 96 F sunny. Boise Idaho to Mountain Home Idaho.

Another hot dry day cycling thru scrub desert in southern Idaho. A relatively easy day. We are going to pay for these low mileage days down the road, to keep our daily average. Later this week and next week, our long days combined with much higher elevations will begin in earnest. I am looking forward to the challenge.

We found a sofa someone dumped along the side of the road and it became a Sea to Sea rest stop.

Coming into Mountain Home ID, we stopped at this funky bike shop, where everyone took turns riding this "high wheeler".

Tuesday July 15: 103 km. 97 F partly cloudy. Mountain Home Idaho to Gooding Idaho.

We actually saw clouds in the sky today for the first time in almost two weeks! It was also somewhat humid today, so it was a little more like home for many of us. More travelling thru scrub desert in southern Idaho, interspersed with some agriculture. At one point along the route the temperature hit 103 F, but that was a few hours after I went thru there, so I was spared the worst of it. A little tougher going today, but still a relative easy day for most of us.

When there are no Tim Hortons............. The Pacific North West is full of these little coffee stops. Shades of Starbucks I guess, which is based in Seattle.

Nothing grows here without irrigation

Sea to Sea riders making the grade near Gooding ID

Wednesday July 16: 132 km. 94 F sunny. Gooding Idaho to Burley Idaho

Today was the longest mileage day of the tour so far. Another hot dry day, but with a nice tail wind most of the day. This was a good test for our longer days to come. I did alright, tired by the time we were done. Made it back to camp at 3:30 PM after a 7:30 AM start. Lots of stops along the way, beginning with a stop at Ted Miller's dairy farm. Refreshments (milk of course!) were served as well as a tour of his milking operations. He milks 1,700 cows and his operation is mid size for Idaho. All cows are milked three times a day and this takes 20 hours in two ten hour shifts. The Twin Falls Reformed Church served us a wonderful lunch along the way. We always appreciate these meals, far better than warm peanut butter sandwiches that we pack ourselves. Most of the cyclists made a short detour to visit Shoshone Falls, Twin Fall ID, the highest waterfalls west of the Mississippi River.

Shoshone Falls, Twin Falls ID.

Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls ID.

Zonked out after a hard day's cycling.

Thursday July 17: 142 km. 101 F sunny. Burley Idaho to Snowville Utah.

Our longest ride to date. We began with a pretty long climb and later in the day temps in excess of 100 F. The last 80 km. was literally thru the middle of nowhere with a good stiff headwind blowing. Thank goodness for SAG wagons with lots of water. A number of people couldn't make the whole day. I did very well in the heat, glad that I ride regularly in these kind of temperatures. We are staying at the city park in the very small town of Snowville UT, with no showers available, so a makeshift shower was constructed out of a garden hose and tarps around the baseball backstop. Quite a bonding experience for all the naked guys swarming around one garden hose hanging from the backstop!

The road goes on forever................

One more state down.

Friday July 18: 110 km. 97 F sunny. Snowville Utah to Willard Utah

Another in a seemingly endless string of hot, dry and sunny days. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. When it is cold and raining all day, chilled to the bone, days like this will be fondly remembered. It was another day of travel thru the middle of nowhere for the first 80 km. We skirted the northern edge of the Great Basin which contains Great Salt Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats. In all my travels I have never seen any landscape so perfectly flat, stetching to the horizon. However, we came upon a rather unusual sight about halfway into the ride. A huge industrial facility out in the Utah desert, miles from anywhere. It was ATK, formerly Morton Thiokol, the maker of the external rocket boosters for the space shuttle, as well as all kinds of rocket motors for the US military. They had a display of all their products for public viewing. Soon there were scores of cyclists swarming all over them. We are staying this evening at Willard State Park, just south of Brigham City UT, which has a swimming lake, a pleasant reprieve from the heat. Everyone is trying to ready themselves for tomorrow's ride, 153 km. with a 2700 ft climb to 7000 ft. in the last 50 km. All this in near 100 F heat. We shall prevail!

All kinds of rockets! The upright one on the right is an ICBM for a US submarine. Gives one an idea of the size of these submarines.

Which way to New Jersey?

Sea to Sea camp in the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains south of Brigham City UT.

Saturday July 20: 162 km. 99 F sunny. Willard Utah to Salt Lake City.

Success! This was without a doubt my toughest day cycling ever. Not just on the tour, but in all my years of cycling. Longest ride of the tour, and 5700 ft. total climbing with a net elevation gain of 2700 ft. and all the climbing in the last 30 miles of a 100 mile ride. Started cycling at 7 AM and finished at 5:40 PM, making for a long day, but it sure felt good to finish the whole route. A number of cyclists were not able to finish and had to catch a ride to camp. First CRC Church in Salt Lake City served refreshments at their church, which was only one block off our route, and again on top of the first grade coming out of Salt lake city after an 1800 ft climb in temperatures nearing 100 F. A woman totally unconnected to the Sea to Sea tour or the CRC was handing out freezie pops halfway up to all the cyclists. Maybe that was typical Utah hospitality. I drank about 15 litres of water thru out the day.

Refreshments served by First CRC of Salt Lake City on top our our first climb of the day.

Reservoir dependant on snow melt supplying Salt Lake City with drinking water.

Ski jumps used for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Park City UT.

Sunday July 20: Jordanelle State Park, Park City Utah

We spend Sunday camped at a beautiful state park on a reservoir near the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. There was an evening celebration service held in the park with the Salt Lake City CRC churches preceded by an abundant potluck supper supplied by the good folks from these congregations.

Jordanelle State Park, Park City UT.

Potluck supper at Sea to Sea camp with local CRC churches.