Drag

7.12.11 - Casper, WY to Torrington, WY - 148mi




One hundred forty eight miles. 148 mi. A long, long day made longer by the incessant, rolling hills and the constant headwind. The hills were enough to drive anyone mad; you'd crest one, look around and think, "We are at the highest point right now. It's got to be all down hill from here." But no, at the bottom of the hill would be another hill looming over us, laughing at our naivete, questioning our determination and strength. Then there was the wind. Howling, pushing us back, telling us not to go on. Even the birds gave up and said, "nah, we'll just walk from here."




The only thing in our favor was the weather, which was overcast, giving us a much needed respite from the sun, but the sky threatened to let loose a thunderstorm at any moment. With the conditions as they were, we decided to eschew our usual strategy of avoiding interstates and ride I-25 in order to cut miles off our trip. For 100mi, we battled the wind and hills, heading southeast until we got to our exit. Once off the highway, our change in direction meant that instead of the wind directly in our face, is was now shifted slightly so that it hit us at a 45degree angle. That little change helped immensely and we saw a very small, but none-the-less significant increase in our speed.




Our original destination was Fort Laramie, WY but as we rode through the towns (or more appropriately, occasional clusters of buildings around a gas station), we learned that Fort Laramie had little to offer other than a gas station and historical marker. Faced with a tough decision - thunderstorms rolling in, rain beginning to sprinkle, tornados reported in the area and only our tents for shelter, we decided to push on an extra 32mi to make it to the city of Torrington where they had hotels and supermarkets and even stoplights.




We set out heading east to Torrington and no sooner had we left the sight of Fort Laramie than the heavens opened sand the rain came. For 26mi, we rode through the rain spurred on by the sight of distant lightning. We cranked and we pushed and we gave it all we had as the sun set and darkness fell. By 8:30, we arrived in Torrington, soaked to the bone, totally exhausted and began the nightly hunt for a room. At one of the hotels, we stood in line behind a woman and overheard her conversation with the night desk worker. "you look tired", he said. "I am" she replied. "I've been driving all day and I'm exhausted." Greg, James and I simply looked at each other.


Luckily, we managed to convince a very nice hotel employee to let us stay, but of course, all the restaraunts closed at 8 so we went across to the local market and picked up bits and pieces to cobble together a respectable dinner. We came away with sandwiches, frozen meals and chunky soup.




7.13.11 - Torrington, WY to Oshkosh, NE - 113 mi


No hills! What an amazing feeling to be able to see what's ahead and feel no dread as the road simply follows the curve of the earth. Of course our headwind was still hanging around, reminding us that this ride is never easy.




We were all pretty tired from yesterday's ride. Lethargy permeated our day and we lingered in gas stations and country stores long after our bodies had cooled and our bottles had been filled. As we enter America's heartland, we can feel the heat and humidity rise. Whereas our west, even in the hottest days, the sweat would evaporate before it could even bead up on your brow. Now, however, its pouring off of us like a leaky faucet and we find ourselves alternately drenched with sweat as we ride and crusted with salt when we cool down.





On our way, we passed through the town of Scottsbluff, a major stop on the old Oregon Trail. We popped into Walmart to get lunch supplies, our standard meat, cheese and bread, and while there, we began talking to a local reporter, Rick Willis of the Scottsbluff Star Herald. He was quite interested in our ride and was eager to hear about our journey. He wrote a great piece which can be found here.


http://www.starherald.com/articles/2011/07/14/news/local_news/doc4e1ef8c0545bb700522983.txt




For his part, Rick was a fountain of information and pointed us to a much more scenic route than the one we had chosen. It followed the Oregon Trail, passing by the famous Chimney Rock. Rick drove ahead of us as we rode and stopped to take a few pictures of us as we rode but at Chimney Rock, we separated. We really enjoyed his company though and his route was much more fun than the one we would have done, so we are pleased and grateful for his help.






Greg went hunting and bagged a buffalo and a bear. James died of dysentary.







This was as far as I think I ever made it on the Oregon Trail.



We arrive in Oshkosh and head straight to the only restaurant still open (there were only two in town). The wait staff was fantastic and repeatedly granted our request for more bread (quick, easy carbs) and at the end of the night, one of the other diners saw that we were fundraising for Leukemia and picked up our tab. We spoke with him and the group he was with when we found out and he said he appreciated what we were doing and that "you're in Nebraska now. This kind of thing will happen more often."






After dinner, we headed down the street to an RV park where we threw up our tents, rinsed what grime off we could and bedded down for the night. Sadly, sleep was hard to come by as the railroad ran by less than 100yards from us and we were woken during the night by the rumblings of the train on the tracks and the warning blasts from the air horns. It was a long night.











7.14.11 - Oshkosh, NE to North Platte, NE -100mi




Another hot, flat (save for a few hills at the beginning), corn-filled day. You can feel the humidity rise up from the corn fields and wrap around you like a blanket. You breathe it in. It stifles your breath. The only way to escape is to seek refuge in the gas stations and markets.






It was in one the these havens that we met another group of riders, crossing the country west to east. We sat and exchanged tales and tribulations, each giving the other tips on what to expect and things to be weary of. It was fun and interesting to sit down with them and share a common plight, compare strategies and discuss places on the road.




The headwinds still blow unabated. We thought we would have a tail wind if we rode east to west, but no. All day we have to push through the wind. Eastern Nebraska must gasping for air because it's all being used to try to push us back.


After leaving that group and wishing them well, we got back on the road and continued on. While we are happy to be riding flat ground, its tough to break the monotony of mile after mile of asphalt and corn. Our sleep deprived bodies fall into a rhythm that leaves the eyelids woefully under-supported and you have to struggle to keep your mind busy and your eyes off the odometer. Different strategies evolve; songs come into your head, daydreams drift about and stoic determination drives you on. The miles can melt away or they can slowly tick by, one by one, but eventually you see the "welcome to..." sign and rest, and more importantly, food are near.









Lately, we have been frequenting Applebees restaurants and found nothing but kindness and friendly service. In North Platte, the general manager Ryan Walker donated our meal and quizzed us on the particulars of our ride. He was great fun to talk to and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the evening.

Over the Mountains

7.6.11 - Alpine to Signal Mountain Campground (Grand Teton Nat'l Park) - 73mi

Fantastic ride. That's the first and really only thing you can say about it. We started the day by heading into Snake River Canyon where we followed the River upstream as it wound through Bridger Nat'l Forest. A spectacular ride filled with distant snow-capped peaks, lush valleys covered with wild flowers and wildlife. Although we were headed uphill for the length of the canyon, we never knew because the beauty of the canyon wiped all thoughts of struggle and fatigue from our mind.

We rolled into the town of Jackson around noon and began exploring the picturesque mountain town. While Jackson has grown into a major tourist destination, it still remains true to it's western routes manifest in the cowboy overtones and wooden sidewalks lining the stores of the historic downtown, which itself could have been pulled straight from a John Wayne classic.

Our purpose for stopping in Jackson was two-fold. First, we wanted to check out the town and do a little exploring but it also served as the perfect rendezvous point for us and Larry, one of the owners of RideOut Technologies. Larry and his partner Jerri founded the company after Jerri, a long time cyclist, felt unsatisfied with the bike saddles on the market and decided to make her own. Together, they developed a bike seat called Carbon Comfort that's more ergonomically designed for comfort. James contacted this company before we set off on our trip and they generously donated seats for each of us to use. James and I decided to use the seats while Greg felt more comfortable on his own seat. Both James and I loved the seats but while in Alpine, one of the supports on mine snapped, leaving me sitting lopsided as I roded and looking like I might at any minute topple over onto the shoulder of the road. We contacted Jerri and told her of the problem and after trying to figure out where she could send a replacement, Larry decided that it would be easier for him to just bring us one. In person. He rode his motorcycle over 350mi from Idaho to meet us in Jackson just so he could swap out my broken seat for a new one. The weather was beautiful and the ride couldn't have been any more scenic so I'm sure he wasn't too put out by having to come all the way to meet us, but all the same, I especially was incredibly grateful for the care he showed us. We had eaten an early dinner while we waited for him but Larry offered us dessert and we weren't about to pass that up so we hung out with him for an hour or so and talked with him. He was an incredibly nice and friendly guy and we could have spent the whole evening enjoying his company, but unfortunately, we had about 30 more miles to go before the sun set and the temperature dropped.

Our original plan was to bike to a nearby campground but when we called to check their vacancy, they had none so we scrambled for a back up plan and found a campsite that had spots. We parted ways with Larry, wishing him a good journey back home, and continued our ride north into the Grand Teton Nat'l Park.
Just after leaving Jackson, we climbed a small hill and came round a corner which brought us into view of the stunning Teton Range. The rocky peaks of the mountains look as if the crust of the earth, wanting to enjoy the beauty of the lakes and valleys of the area, burst through the thin skin of grass and stood towering over the land in silent observation.
The soft glow of the setting sun behind the peaks held us in silence as we rode.

We made it to Signal Mountain CG and the CG manager, John, showed us to an overflow spot where we could pitch our tents. In a dense cloud of mosquitoes, which could have easily brought down a moose, we threw up our dents and swatted at the flying pests as they came in for a bite. Looking like chicken pocks sufferers, we retreated to the safety of our meshed havens.

7.7.11 - Signal Moutain CG - Grant Village (Yellowstone Nat'l Park) - 50 mi
We woke early to catch the dawn sun casting its first rays onto the Teton Range across Jackson Lake. We sat by the water and watched as the orange glow slowly pushed back the vestige of darkness while the lake water gently lapped on the shore. It was a true moment of peace.


After, we brought our things down to the water's edge to escape the marauding mosquitoes and while we gearing up to leave, a camper from down the road alerted us to a small Grizzly strolling through the campsite. He wasn't interested in us so we watched as he moved through the wooded grounds, disappearing into the foliage. We weren't about to follow so we headed out north to the South Gate of Yellowstone.

We had another day of spectacular riding as the rode wound around Jackson and Lewis Lake and several miles south of our destination, we crossed the Continental Divide, the separation between waters draining into the Pacific to the west and the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean to the east. We were disappointed to see that we hadn't crested above 8000ft, so we thought we would improvise a bit.

Our wildlife spotting for the day included a field of elk with foxes darting through, to the annoyance of the elk. We were hoping for a bit of action between the two, but after no movement from either camp, we decided to move on.

At the Grant Village CG, a ranger named Susan was kind enough to donate a campsite to us out of her own pocket. We set up our camp and headed down to Yellowstone Lake to enjoy the a late afternoon lunch by the water. Back at camp, we were joined by two other long distance cyclists, Carlos and Harvey and we shared our campfire with them and talked through the sunset and into the evening. Early mornings awaited all so we retired to our tents, eager to explore the park the next day.

7.8.11 - Grant Village CG to Bridge Bay CG (Yellowstone) - 20mi
Our goal for the day was to head to the Upper Geyser Basin, which housed Old Faithful and numerous other geysers but to get there we would have to cross the Continental Divide twice and twice again on the way back (the Divide isn't just a straight line, it follows the peaks of the Rockies and thus twists and turns with the range so that the road to Old Faithful followed such a route that it passed across a tight bend in the Divide resulting in two very high, very steep, very long climbs). Realising that this would consume almost all of our day, we decided the best bet would be to lock our bikes up at the ranger station and hitchhike the 18mi out to the Upper Geyser Basin. With James' rugged good looks on offer (owing to the 3 week beard he's been working on), it was only a matter of minutes before a van pulled over and offered us a ride. Inside were Joe, Evan and Dana, employees of a local adventure company who had just dropped off a van-load of kids and were on their way to Old Faithful as well. They were great company for the ride and James, Greg and I left them feeling slightly envious of their summer occupations.

We entered the park and made our way to Old Faithful, which was scheduled to erupt soon. According to the rangers, Old Faithful erupts roughly every 60-90 min. If the previous eruption is greater than 3min30sec, the next will be about 90min later. If the previous eruption is less than 2min30sec, the next will be about 60 min later. We waited patiently, eyes glued to the spout looking for any spit or gurgle that may signal an eruption. Then the long awaited splutter and bubbling began and Old Faithful let loose a towering column of steam and water. The power and force of which was simply incredible. The eruption lasted long enough for our photographic demands and soon the steam retreated to its subterranean dwelling and we moved on to explore the outer regions of the Basin. There were dozens of other geysers, each with their own eruption schedule, though some were more frequent than others. The bubbling pools came in a rainbow of colors, each dependent on the type of bacteria growing in them and said bacteria depending on the temperature of the water. The hottest waters are home to cyanobacteria giving the water a clear or blue appearance while the cooler waters are home to protozoa which give it a more orange-brown appearance.

The three of us were struck by nature's power and the forces that we at play under our feet. Yellowstone itself sits atop a MASSIVE volcano (called a caldera) which is the source of the geothermal activity and its sheer power was not lost on us. Nor was the smell. Sulfurous fumes lingered in the air, lending the area a smell reminiscent of eggs long past their prime.

While we were there, we had to grab lunch and it was while we were ordering that a couple, Ryan and Rachel, overheard us talking about Lea's Foundation and the purpose for our ride. Without any hesitation, Ryan walked over to us and made a donation to the cause. We were taken aback by his generosity and thanked them heartily.

To get back to our bikes required another hitchhike and again it wasn't long before we were picked up, this time by a family on the move from Indiana to California. They decided to make a summer vacation of the move and were taking in Yellowstone and graciously offered the spare room in their van to us. We enjoyed the ride back and their kids entertained us with stories of their experiences and which animals they saw and liked. The youngest, a preschool aged girl, loved the horses and had so much to say about fish, animals and her shoes that lit up when she walked, however, most of it was lost on us and only her brothers and mom were able to decipher her language.

With the help of the traveling family, we made it back to our bikes and with afternoon storms rolling in (quite common for Yellowstone)we saddled up and began the short trip to the next campground. We had only ridden a mile or so before the heavens opened up and for the next 19mi (which took about an hour and a half) we were beset with waves of heavy rain and moments of pea sized hail. The temperature dropped into the 50s and we arrived at Bridge Bay CG soaked to the bone and shivering cold. We hurried to the campsite which was, of course, at the distant end of the grounds and up a short but very steep hill and, during a brief pause in the weather, set up our tents and took refuge inside as the rain fell for another couple of hours.
When the patter of raindrops on our tents finally ended, we poked our heads out and were surprised so see the clear blue skies of the late evening.

With a bit of the evening left, we cooked a bit of dinner (packaged camping meals and heated chunky soup) and wandered down to the amphitheater to enjoy the ranger presentation on coyotes. Honestly, we went more for the campfire that was set up there (where we dried our shoes - luckily downwind from the rest of the attendees), but we enjoyed hearing about the history of coyotes in Yellowstone.

7.9.11 - Bridge Bay CG to Cody, WY - 80mi
Today we left Yellowstone. A sad day. We had barely scratched the surface of what the park had to offer yet we were forced by time constraints to leave. We agreed that we had unfinished business with the park and that a future trip would be necessary. We exited through the East Gate and as we followed the north shore of Lake Yellowstone, we would occasionally catch drifts of the sulfurous fumes that served to remind us of the geothermal activity under our feet (or tires, as it were). We left the lake and began climbing up through the mountains following the twisting road as it wove across valley and hill, rising high above the lake until it pressed on through the range and the lake was lost behind a peaked wall of grass, pine, brush and rock.

We eventually crested Sylvan Pass at about 8500ft, the highest point of our entire trip and were greeted with a wonderful ribbon of tarmac that wriggled down the mountainside over 2000ft to the East Gate. Of course we raced down that again topping 50mph; the thrill of a winding road, the wheels spinning wildly under you and the wind tearing at you never wanes.

From east gate, we had another 50mi to get to Cody, but with a tail wind and nothing but a downward sloping road ahead of us, we cruised in no time to the city limits.
Along the way, we followed the Shoshone River as it traveled through the National Forest of the same name and marveled at the canyon walls of red rock and brown stone, at times towering over us and at others simply watching over us from a distance. Towers of rock formations rose in clusters like chimneys of underground dwellings. We lunched by the river and enjoyed a quick nap while the river calmly swept by.

The Shoshone emptied into the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, created by the Buffalo Bill Dam, which at the time of its erection was the tallest in the world. We stood on the walkway overlooking the 325ft drop, buffeted by the howling winds trying to force their way into the downstream canyon.

In Cody, the owners of Moose Creek Inn kindly donated a room and for the first night since Alpine, we enjoyed a nice hot shower and each had a bed to ourselves. For that, we are eternally grateful.

7.10.11 - Cody to Shoshoni, WY - 118mi
We had the three H's today: Heat, Hills and Headwind. The result: a long, tiresome day. We passed from the Rockies (sadly) into the foothills and plains of Wyoming. The highlight of the ride came when we entered Wind River Canyon between Thermopolis and Shoshoni. The towering walls seemed to arch over the road and their steep rise gave the illusion that the road was running downhill, when in fact it was a steady, slow climb along the entire length. The confusion was compounded by the fact that the river flowed in the opposite direction to our travel and while we thought we were riding downhill, that meant that the river was flowing uphill. It was one of the tripiest moments of our trip. The only thing I could do was assume I was suffering from a heat-induced hallucination and the only means of escape I had were the two wheels upon which I sat. We pedaled on, trying to ignore the magic river and focus on the beauty of the canyons. I'd like to take a moment here to thank the caretakers of the canyon because they have thoughtfully added signs along the way, next to specific rock formations, indicating the time period in which they were formed. The result is that as you move through the canyon, you move through time. It was such a fascinating experience. Very nicely done.

We arrived in Shoshoni weary, exhausted and drained. We were eager to eat but all that Shoshoni had to offer were two gas stations. One had a built in fast food store so we went in and a girl named Ashley was kind enough to give us a few burgers and burritos that had been sitting under the heat lamp for a while. We set upon those like starving men before limping down to the motel where we stayed for the night.

7.11.11 - Shoshoni to Casper, WY - 103mi
A surprisingly easy day. The road was mostly flat with a few hills thrown in for fun and the last forty or so miles were a net downhill. We passed through the grasslands of central Wyoming without much to note, except an amazing area called Hell's Half Acre, a small valley or basin that seems to have been formed by some unholy being. Jagged spires rise from a withered and torn floor, the rocks bleached by the sun. The name was quite fitting.

We managed to escape the hottest part of the day which saw temperatures in the high 90s. Our first stop was a UPS store where we picked up a very welcomed package. James had managed to secure a donation of sports drink powder from a company called Shaklee. They had given us a sizable amount to start the trip but our supplies had dwindled and were in need of refilling. Shaklee kindly sent us provisions which will keep us well fueled for the looooong days of riding we have ahead.


We were kindly given a hotel room at a nearby Holiday Inn (one of the nicest we've had to date) and at the recommendation of Ryan from Yellowstone, we headed to Applebees where the manager, Bos, and the General Manager John Allen, very, very kindly donated a meal. Having eaten camp food and gas station food for the better part of a week, we felt like kings as we filled ourselves with the great food.

Into Wyoming

7.1.11 - Delta, UT to Sandy, UT - 114mi
We packed up in the morning and headed east-ish with our traveling friend Terry. We were moving well in the morning but as the sun rose, so did the temperature and soon we were climbing a pass up to Eureka, UT with sweat rolling off us. We paused to gather ourselves at the top, refill our bottles at a local gas station and talk about our anticipated lunch on the other side of the pass we had just climbed. As we began rolling down the 8% grade, a local yelled out, 'have fun! It's 9mi to the bottom'. Awesome, we thought. 9 mi of coasting and saving our legs, cooled by the rushing winds as we descended. We weaved in and out of each other as we cruised to the bottom and as we entered the town of Elberta, we looked for a place to eat. We would be parting ways with Terry at this point (his route took him straight east to CO while ours took us north to ID and WY) so we wanted to grab a bite with him and say goodbye but as we rolled into the middle of town, we saw an abandoned gas station and a post office. That's it. We asked a couple of locals where we could find food and their only recommendation was to go back up the hill to Eureka and eat there. Not a chance. Dismayed, we had to settle for a quick goodbye with Terry and we then headed north around Utah Lake towards our destination of Sandy, just outside Salt Lake City. We skirted the edge of Utah Lake for about 30 mi before coming back into civilization, by which time we were very hot, very thirsty, and very hungry (our trail mix and cliff bars only served to dampen the hunger). We were irritable and tired and we were desperate to finish our ride but we were surprised to find ourselves in the middle of a 4th of July parade in the town of Riverton. Our route took us straight through the town and we arrived on main street minutes before the parade began, so we squeezed through the tightly packed crowd of onlookers and proceeded to ride the parade route like the final stretch of the Tour de France. The streets were packed with people waiting for the parade and we can only imagine what they must have thought when they saw three bedraggled bikers rolling along their streets.
We made it through, helped by the occasional cheer, and found a hotel in Sandy that: a) had an open room, b) offered us a discounted rate and most importantly c) had free breakfast in the morning. We ordered Chinese, satisfied our hunger and hit the sack.

7.2.11 - Sandy, UT to Logan, UT - 110 mi.
Our ride from Sandy to Logan took us straight through Salt Lake City, the capital of UT. However, luckily for us, we came through on a Saturday and there was little traffic in the morning to slow us down as we rode through the streets. We made quick time, with an early start allowing us to make the most of a cool morning. We made a quick stop at Bingham Cyclery in Ogden, just north of SLC, so that I could get a quick tune on my shifting cables and James could pick up some new gloves (his previous pair having been worn through as if they were made of lace). The guys there were super cool and really helpful and both James and I came away with exactly what we needed.
The biggest obstacle on our ride was the pass into Logan, a 8mi climb up over 1500ft in the heat of the day. Exhausting. But the ride down the other side was fun and we rode into Logan with the rest of 4th-of-Julyers. Finding a hotel room was difficult, but after a couple of hours of searching and with the help of a very, very friendly and kind hotel desk clerk, we managed to find a room at the Quality Inn. We had to pick up a few things from Walmart (namely snacks we had gone through on our previous ride to Sandy) and headed over to the Beehive, a local restaurant. They staff there were fantastic and gave us a generous discount which allowed us to refill our energy stores, since we'd averaged over 100mi/day for the last three days.

7.3.11 - Logan, UT to Bear Lake (Utah-Idaho border) - 50mi

Today was a short day but still a tough one. We headed up Logan Canyon after passing through the beautiful campus of Utah State and followed the swollen Logan River up towards its source. The canyon was amazingly beautiful and we had a hard time keeping our eyes on the road and not on the scenery. The final push to the top of the pass was arduous and the freshly laid blacktop compounded the heat, but once we were at the top, we were rewarded with a stunning panoramic view of Bear Lake. We stopped to rehydrate and take in the view while we planned our night. We needed a place to camp but we had no reservations and we knew all the campsites would be full for the 4th so we hoped we could find a place to camp for the night. We saddled up and dropped down to the lake, hitting speeds of over 50mph as we wound along the ribbon of road before coming to a halt in the town of Garden City on the water's edge. We headed to a store in town to ask if there was any place around that would let us put our tents up and we met Suzie, a wonderful woman, who said we could camp in her yard. She and her husband Warren owned a former bed and breakfast that sat up in the hills overlooking the lake and offered their frontyard to us. We took it immediately and when we arrived, we realized we couldn't have gotten any luckier. Their house was amazing and was only outdone by the view.


We unloaded our gear, showered and spent the night on their deck, watching the water and talking to Suzie, Warren and their guests Susan and Peggy. We retired to our tents under a blanket of stars comforted with the fact that we had a day off from riding tomorrow.

7.4.11 - Bear Lake to Montpelier, ID - 25mi

After taking in a spectacular sunrise followed by moose spotting in the adjacent field, we sat down to breakfast and enjoyed Warren's eggs, hashbrowns and bacon. We spent the morning chatting with everyone and doing a little, much needed bike maintenance while keeping a watchful eye on the weather. Clouds rolled in and the sky was overcast, putting a slight damper on our day off. We poured over maps, examining our route and decided that it would be best if we made a little progress today which would make the next couple of days easier and allow us to maximize our time in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park. After saying our goodbyes to everyone at the house, we followed the lake north until we reached Montpelier and we headed to the local grocery store for dinner and breakfast supplies. While there, we met a nice couple who were taking a road trip of the west and they asked us if they could take our picture for their scrapbook. Happily, we agreed and with that brief touch of fame, they wished us well and we moved on to the Montpelier KOA. We were told by some locals that this KOA was especially nice as they were right. We spoke with the owners, Stewart and his wife, and they were incredibly gracious in offering a tent site to us for the night. We set up our tents and James went to work creating a roaring fire on which we cooked hotdogs and smores and enjoyed the towns fireworks, albeit from quite a distance away. Either way, it was a great night.


7.5.11 - Montpelier, ID to Alpine, WY - 75mi
Our passage from ID to WY was a beautiful transition into the open mountain ranges of cowboy country. We biked along the serpentine Salt Creek as the grass covered hills rolled around us. As we crested one section of the road, we were brought to a stunning overlook that seemed to epitomize WY: grass valleys with pine and aspen woods and 10,000ft tall jagged, snow covered peaks in the distance.

We stopped in the town of Afton (home of the world's biggest antler arch)

and ate at a lovely seafood restaurant, Rocky Mountain Seafood.

The owner gave us a great discount on lunch and as we talked with her after, she said that her husband's sister and mother both battled leukemia and wished us well on our journey. We were struck again by how many people we meet have been touched by this disease. I don't think we have passed through a single town where we haven't met somebody with a connection to it.
With well wishes, we packed up and headed north. As we rode, storm clouds began popping up on the horizon and it was a race against time to see if we could out run the coming storms. We were briefly hit with small showers as we rode but we managed to elude the storms and pulled into Alpine, WY ready for a rest.

Crossing Nevada

6.25.11 - Truckee to Fallon - 112mi
Got an early start to the day. Lots of miles to be covered and we wanted to avoid the heat. Plus, we were heading to Lake Tahoe and we definitely weren't just going to buzz by that. The road down to Lake Tahoe was nice. We picked up a bike path near Squaw Valley (home of the 1960 Winter Olympics) and we were able to cruise that down the valley to the west shore of Lake Tahoe. We loved the beauty and tranquility of the Lake. We stopped at King's Beach and admired the views for a while before setting off round to the east shore where we'd pick up Route 50, into and across Nevada. On a side note, Rt 50 is known as the lonliest road in America. We soon learned why. But back to Lake Tahoe. We skirted the lake as the road rose and fell along the water's edge and marveled at how the big, smooth boulders seemed to be all that held the tall pines from marching into the clear, blue-green water. It was a perfect way to leave California and we held on to that image as we crossed the parched deserts of Nevada.
Out of Cali and into Nevada, we climbed up to over 7000ft before descending, over the course of about 9mi, to around 4500 ft in Carson City. It was a shocking change of scenery as we left the lush mountain environment of California and entered the hot, barren desert of Nevada. We pushed our way across the landscape and made good time to Fallon. The harshness of the land was offset, however, by the kindness of the people we met in Fallon. We stopped for dinner at Don Julio's and they were incredibly kind in donating our meals. We were famished and the food tasted fantastic. Then we went across the street and the Best Western also graciously donated a room for the night. We learned that they were also donating rooms to families of victims of a nearby trainwreck so we were very grateful of the generosity. While in the lobby, we met a man who overheard us talking about Lea's Foundation and right there on the spot donated $40 so we could buy lunch and dinner the next day. As we spoke with him, he told us that his father had passed away not long ago, after battling cancer and he thanked us for doing this ride.

6.26.11 - Fallon to Austin - 114mi
According to James, this ride shouldn't be too bad. We had a few modest climbs by which we would gain about 1500ft. By the end of the day, we had climbed no fewer than five 800ft climbs and netted over 4000ft of elevation. This was our hardest ride yet, and will no doubt be the toughest one of the entire trip. We baked in the barren desert for over 12 hours as we climbed relentless hills, sweat pouring off us with each spin of the crank with naught to look at but dried brush, parched earth and each others backsides. The monotony was broken only by a bar/restaurant, seemingly dropped into the middle of nowhere. It was called Middlegate and we could only assume that somewhere along the line, they had dropped "of hell" from the name because that's exactly where we felt we were.
But fortune threw us another line. As we sat eating, rehydrating and hiding from the scorching heat, we met another cross-country cyclist named Terry, a retired gentleman who has been biking and competing in Ironman Triathlons for 20+ years, heading in the same direction as us. He was faster and his bike was lighter so we agreed that instead of falling back to our pace, we would meet up later in Austin.
We slowly crept out of the rustic comfort of Middlegate and headed off to finish the remaining 64 miles. We hoped for an easier ride, but it was not meant to be. We struggled, swore, sweated and finally managed to drag ourselves into Austin. Off course, the town wasn't going to give itself up so easily to travelers. After 12+hours spinning our wheels, we had to climb up several hundred feet over the last 4miles, which in our debilitated state, took nearly an hour. We secured a room, and wandered across the street to the International, restaurant/bar with a strong western character and ordered pizzas. While the owner couldn't afford to donate dinner, the waitress helping us was sweet enough to pay for our sodas, which we guzzled, craving anything cold and sugary. We took the pizzas and cokes back to our room, devoured everything and collapsed into our beds.

6.27.11 - Austin to Eureka -71mi
We each woke and wondered who had come into our room last night and taken a baseball bat to our legs. They were sore and ached in places we didn't know existed. The town of Austin itself clung to the side of the mountain and to get out, the only way was up. A steep up. Not what we had in mind. On the way out, we stopped at a gas station for some road snacks and when we mentioned our purpose for the ride, the attendant said that her son-in-law had died at the age of 41 from Leukemia and said our snacks were on her. We continue to be amazed at how many people are touched by cancer and we're happy that we can at least do something and help by raising a little money.
We arrived in Austin in the late afternoon, battered by a billowing wind for the last few miles, unbeknownst to us foreshadowing what was to come. We were unable to find a room for the night but Austin had a surprisingly nice little public park and we joined our cycling friend Terry (already there and set up) in putting up tents in the lush, green grash. It was such a stark contrast to the burnt orange of the mountains we climbed that that park seemed like a tiny paradise and we settled down in comfort. Just as we were about to hunt down dinner, we got thrown a curve ball as the sprinklers in the park came on. Luckily enough for us, they came on in sections and began watering an area just out of reach of our tents. We were able to contact the sheriff's office and they very kindly got someone down there to turn the sprinklers off for the night allowing us to get a peaceful and dry nights sleep.
We found a local restaurant and had a great dinner and a couple of beers with Terry, sharing stories and having a good time with a fellow traveler before we all headed back to the park and our tents.

6.28.11 - Eureka to Ely (pronounce it E-lee or else risk getting yelled at by the ederly market sheckout lady) - 80mi

When Elements Attack - WIND!! That's all we remember about this day. We pushed and fought for every last inch of that road. I couldn't tell you a single thing about what we passed today. The only thing I stared at was the ground under my feet as I ducked my head and tried to minimize the drag my body created. Funnily enough, we checked the weather at the end of the day and found out there was a severe wind advisory for our area. Glad we didn't know that before we left.
Mother Nature waged war on us today. We can only assume that she felt we were mocking her by trying to cross rt 50 on mere bicycles and unleashed on us the fury of the wind, ravaging us with headwinds of 30-40mph. Regardless of which direction the road headed, the wind was never at our back. Never before have we had to climb DOWNHILL. We pedaled with all our might to get uphill only to be met with a wind so forceful, we thought it would push us right back up. When the wind wasn't driving headfirst into us, it was pushing us from the side in an attempt to put us into oncoming traffic. Then, as we were about 15miles out from Ely, Mother Nature, in Greg's words, assaulted us with water. Massive gumball sized drops of rain were whipped at us at speeds of 40-50mph and I thought the paint from my bike was at risk of being peeled away. Undeterred though, we rode on. When Mother Nature saw our determination, she changed tactics, sending the wind in waves. One moment we were fighting to stay upright, then the next we were puzzled as we rode in nothing but a gentle breeze. But then, without warning, we would be hammered with a gust of wind that would nearly stop us in our tracks. But we rode on. Try as she might, we weren't going to be stopped. We rode into the town of Ely in the early evening and fortune smiled on our efforts and rewarded us in the form of a kind hotel manager at Main Hotel who gave us a room for the night. We met up with Terry again and had another great, filling dinner before crashing into bed for a recovery.

6.29.11 - Ely to Border Inn on the Utah/Nevada Border - 65mi
The wind started early and for the first 20mi we battled another strong headwind. But today, we knew how to deal with it and as we headed into the mountains, we had the wind at our back and we were able to make good time. We stopped by the side of the road for lunch allowing Terry, who started after us, to catch up and join us. He rode with us for the second half of the ride, which spiced things up a bit and as we crested the last pass, we could look down on the open valley ahead of us and about 8mi in the distance, we spotted the lonely motel where we'd stay for the night. The sole purpose of this motel was to give the gamblers of UT a close destination in which to leave their money. Happy to have crossed Nevada in one piece, we relaxed in the room and took care of our beaten and damaged bodies. The local weather forecast storms for the following morning so we kept an eye on the tv and hoped our stay on the border would be as short as possible.

6.30.11 - The Border Inn to Delta, UT - 90mi
82miles of lonely highway before we would be able to find food or water. We hoped that the storms overnight had flushed out the winds and when we poked our heads outside in the morning, we were relieved to see no a single blade of dried grass moving.
Terry joined us for the ride and we were soon climbing the more vegetated slopes of the Utah mountains and thoroughly enjoyed dashing down an 8mi stretch of valley squezzed between two towering mountains. Once out though, we crossed some of the flattest, longest stretches of road we've ever seen. With only a few climbs of a couple of hundred feet and no wind, we were able to crank through the miles with a feeling of euphoria and elation. No longer did we have to fight to go 6 or 7 mph on the flats. We were able to push 19, 20 mph (considering the weight we carry, that's pretty good) and the miles just fell by. The landscape began to change as the mountains became greener, apart from the salt flats we passed, as the land felt the relief of water.
With no impediments to our journey save for the physical ones imposed on us by our tired bodies, we made it into Delta in time to enjoy a bit of the afternoon. The local Days Inn donated us a room and we piled in, showering and taking advantage of the refreshing pool, washing away the accumulations of the road.

Half Baked in the Sun

6.21.11 - Davis to Penn Valley - 75mi
We left the Wilke's rested and fully stocked with sandwiches, m&m's (which we fully knew wouldn't last through the heat but were too tasty to leave behind) and trail mix and headed north. With temps supposed to hit triple digits during the day, we were preparing ourselves for a tough day of riding and we were hoping to get to Grass Valley, about 85mi away. We would begin our ascent of the Sierra Nevadas today, which we were all excited about because it meant not only a reprieve from the blistering heat, but also a change of scenery to the snowcapped, pine covered mountains we love. The only catch was we were still basically at sea level and our hopefull destination for today was around 2500ft; tough climbing on the hottest day we'd seen.
Even with the high heat, we stayed relatively cool by keeping up our speed and letting the wind cool us down. We adopted drafting train to help keep us sheltered from the wind a bit and with all the bags loaded onto our bikes, it was the equivalent of drafting behind a semi. We each took a turn riding the lead for 2mi before rotating to the back of the line and by doing so were able to keep our average speed up quite high. Before I continue, I must say that with the Tour de France soon to start, we would have to decline any offer for work as a domestique this year as we feel that we need to concentrate on finishing this ride and getting back to the work of med school. Our deepest apologies to any riders who were hoping to secure our talents but we wish you the best of luck.
As we hit the foothills of the Sierras, our pace slowed and we were left to grind it out up the hills, under the baking sun, with narry the slightest breeze to cool us. We slogged for hours up the hills, climbing closer and closer to the sun and were struck with the cruel irony of knowing that today was the first day of summer and thus was the longest day of the year. With sweat dripping from our faces and jerseys soaked in sweat, we found a resturaunt at the top of one of our climbs and quickly retreated to the shade of the awening out front. Hoping to refill our dwindling water supplies, we reached for the door only to be greeted with the hours of operation indicating that today, tuesday, was the only day during the week the resturant was closed. Deflated, we resigned ourselves to sitting in the shade of the building, and waiting out the afternoon heat. We began again once the heat let up and quickly realized that the difference between 105 and 95 degrees is really negligible when the heat radiates off the asphalt under you and we made a joint decision to cut our day short and stop at Penn Valley where there was a gas station and a couple of resturants. Our only problem was that we now had no place to stay and looked for somewhere close to pitch our tent.
While we searched, James struck up a conversation with a local biker, Ramsay and his wife Mellony and before we knew it, they offered us a spot on their property to pitch our tents. They had a beautiful spread up in the hills and we spent the evening in conversation as Ramsay told us of his days as a sniper in the army and his time working as a mediator between the biker gangs of California back in the day - the Hell's Angels, the Mongols, etc. On the side now, Ramsay and his wife are part of the growing medicinal marijuana industry with a covered plot out back where they grew their crop. As Greg noted, this guy rivaled the Dos Equis Guy as the Most Interesting Man in the World. Between Ramsay's tales, Melony would impress upon us the benefits of medicinal marijuana and where she hoped it would go from here. We were utterly bushed after the day we had so we retreated to the comfort of our tents and under a dazzlingly clear night sky, we were out.

6.22.11 - Penn Valley to Cisco Grove Campground - 47mi
We left Ramsay and Melony early in the morning, hoping to knock out some miles before the heat set in and made it to Nevada City for supplies and a quick breakfast. We were now going to be hitting big, steep, long climbs and our goal was to sit out the heat of the afternoon again and right off the bat, heading out of Nevada City, we were in for a 5 mile, 1500ft climb. When we got to the top, we found ourselves in Tahoe National Forrest, surrounded by towering pines and that sweet mountain smell of pine cones, a little bit of dry dirt and a hint of brush. We all soaked up the scenery while we guzzled down water and after a quick rest, we set out again.

The tall pines cast equally tall shadows across the road and under their protection, we were able to cruise up and down the rolling roads through the forest. Around 2 in the afternoon, we made it to a scenic overlook that gave us a panoramic view of the snow capped Sierras and the valleys below so we stopped there for lunch and as the temperatures peaked, we each claimed a picnic bench in the shade and lay down for an afternoon kip. The afternoon shuteye was much needed but short lived for me as my bench was close to the parking area and the stream of vistors soon brought me back to the present. I struck up a conversation with a man and his wife on their way back home after a 10 day birdwatching tour and as the couple began to leave, the husband offered up two ice cold Negra Modelos that he insisted we take. Not wanting to offend, I accepted the beverages and took them back to the guys. We sat and enjoyed the beers as we stared out over the Sierras and enjoyed the moment.

Lunch, nap and beer finished, we continued our ride up and with the sun inching slowly towards the tops of the surrounding mountains, we reached the Cisco Grove Campground (after 4,500 feet of vertical climb for the day) where we were graciously given a camping spot and quickly settled in next to a quiet mountain stream and hit the sack.

6.23.11 - Cisco Grove Campground to Truckee - 25 miles
We woke up to the cool, fresh mountain air and the warm glow of the rising sun over the eastern moutain tops. Our day would be short today but short does not always equal easy. We still had to climb close to 2000ft to the top of Donner Pass and as we had already climbed to well over a mile high, our legs were beat and in the thinning air of the mountains our muscles would be desparate for every ounce of oxygen we could suck in. We achingly saddled up and silently begged our legs to start moving and stop hurting. They agreed to work, but steadfastly refused to stop aching. So we rode on. As we rode up the moutain roads, we followed the course of the snow-fed Yuba River, engorged and cascading down its course and as we looked around, we could see the last gasp of winter clinging on on some of the slopes and shaded areas.


Whether it was the distraction of the scenery or our growing fortitude, we soon ascended to the peak of Donner Pass where we could look down over the lower Donner Lake, sparkling blue, and in the distance, sitting at the foot of snowcapped peaks, the town of Truckee.

While we were stopped at the top of the pass, admiring the view and gathering photographic evidence of our accomplishments, we began talking to some women who had just biked the same route we had, up from Cisco Grove to the top of the pass (albeit in a much, much quicker time). They were surprised and interested to hear about our journey and as we described our current physical state, one of the women, Gale, mentioned that she owned a massage studio in Truckee, aptly named Truckee Massage, and one of the other women, Teresa offered to donate a leg massage to each of us. Needless to say, we were overcome by this offer and I dare say that I saw tears of joy welling up in James' eyes. We exchanged contact details and after a brief conversation and a quick hike to get better pictures of the stunning view, we headed down the twisting road as it plummeted toward the lake.
At the bottom, we stopped at the edge of the dazzling lake and simply enjoyed the view, which was too good for words.



Once in Truckee, we hit up Burger Me at the recommendation of Gale and enjoyed a juicy, delicious, protein delivering bison burger. We were due to stay at the home of Jim and Dotti White so we biked down to their house and when we found no one home, we began to explore their property. Their home sat just off the road, surrounded by pines and through the back ran a picturesque mountain stream. You couldn't dream of a more idyllic mountain home if you tried.

Feeling dirty, grimy and hot, we wandered down to the stream to wash off and cool down. We dipped our feet in and had to catch our breath as the ice cold mountain runoff took our breath away. We sucked it up though and hopped it, feeling the crisp, cutting water instantly refresh us. We sat in there a bit longer in a natural ice bath which worked wonders on our tired, aching legs. Not long after, Jim and Dotti showed up and we went inside their lovely home and began introducing ourselves. Jim and Dotti are lovely people and Jim's great sense of humor helped lighten our mood.
Coincidently, my girlfriend Hillary's mom, Deb, was in town and we arranged to meet up for dinner. Jim gave us a lift back into town, thus giving our legs a much needed respite from the pedals, and we headed over to Truckee Massage where Saskia and Nicole worked wonders on our legs. Their hands expertly worked over aching muscles and we were temporarily taken away from the heat, dirt, grime and sore muscles of our journey and allowed to relax and just float away as they worked. We left the studio amazingly refreshed and loose and met up with Deb and her friend Debbie, and wandered through the main strip of Truckee. Truckee is a town steeped in history with the well known Donner party making an unscheduled stop there as the early pioneers headed west and it's later importance as a railway stop and the town strives to keep itself grounded in a young, vibrant, unique community. We managed to hit it at the right time as Truckee Thursday was in full swing. Truckee Thursday happens every thursday in the summer and is part farmers market, part block party. The street is packed with locals and visitors, enjoying the long summer days and perusing the jewelry, clothes and produce for sale.

We found a local mexican resturant and Deb treated us to great dinner. We chatted as we ate and once dinner was over, we headed back out to the street to see more of Truckee Thursday. After walking around for a bit longer, enjoying the nightlife and the company, Deb and Debbie gave us a lift back to the White's house. We stayed up talking with Jim and Dotti as long as we could but the beds they offered us beckoned and we couldn't resist the pull of a soft bed and long nights sleep.

6.24.11 - Today we rest, resupply, and prepare for the long trek across Rt 50 in Nevada. As we leave our first state behind tomorrow morning, California's parting shot will be the beautiful north shore of Lake Tahoe...

An Afternoon Napa

6.19.11 - San Fran to Napa - 74miles - First official day of riding.
We left San Francisco with full stomachs after Annie served up a wicked breakfast of eggs, bacon and hash browns and headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge. We wound our way through the bike lanes along the bay and dipped our tires in the water near the base of the Bridge to make the Coast to Coast trip official and we continued off into the notorious bay fog which completely enshrouded the bridge. We caught the occasional glimpses of the top as we dodged tourists and every once in a while the fog would break and we would look out on the clear blue sky and and pristine looking bay of both San Fran and Sausalito(on the north side of the bay). After the bridge, we continued north through the hills and towns and ogled the beautiful landscapes and houses. We were also greeted by our first big (well, at the time we thought so) climb of the trip and we crept up the long windy hills and raced down the backside. While we rolled through the countryside on our way to Petaluma, we caught a whiff of California's most recent, and rapidly growing, pharmaceutical product. The aroma of the medicinal herb was particularly strong near a "spiritual center" near the intersection of Sir Francis Drake and Nacosio Valley Roads.

As the sun climbed high into the sky, nature seemed to hit the pause button on the sun's progression and we labored under the direct sun for hours, spinning up the long hills of Northern California. Combining the endless hours we spent in the Health Center studying for exams with the progression of spring storms the Northeast has seen lately, and the number of continuous hours of sun we've seen lately was dwarfed by our first morning of biking alone. We felt as parched and scorched as the cacti lining the roads.
The other thing we noted as we coasted downhill into Petaluma was how the concept of giving back played out on our trip. Each of us wanted to do this ride so that we could, in some small way, give back a little of our fortune to a worthwhile cause. That sense of giving continued today as we climbed and climbed and gained at times a thousand or so feet of elevation, we gave it all right back as we crossed the Petaluma city limits. We started out at sea level and by the time we stopped for lunch in downtown Petaluma, we had only kept 17 of those feet we climbed. As we approach the Sierras and Rockies, we hope to be a bit more selfish with the altitude we gain.

We made an extended stop to eat lunch, rehydrate and refill our water which also enabled us to sit out some of the hottest parts of the day. From Petaluma to Napa (our goal for the day) was only about 20 miles and thankfully much less hilly so we rolled through the wine country in the late afternoon, and admired the acres of perfectly lined grapevines, longing to sit in the shade of the trees with a bottle of wine. Once we got to downtown Napa, we found a local brew pub, Downtown Joe's Brewery and Restaurant, and were graciously offered a free dinner. We sat by the river and ate outside soaking up the evening atmosphere. As we were leaaving the restaurant, a lovely couple, Steve and Karen Sager, stopped us and asked us about Lea's Foundation and our ride. We stopped to talk with them and when they heard that we were planning on camping at the local fairground, they kindly offered up their guesthouse for us to stay in. Fittingly, the neighborhood road to their house was near vertical (seriously, the road looked ready to peel back off the earth) and their house was at the top of the hill. We dragged ourselves to the top and found ourselves looking out over Napa Valley with the last red embers of the sunset hanging over the hills. Everything we went through was suddenly worth it.
We unpacked our gear, showered, got a few things together for the morning and hit the sack as quickly as possible. And by sack, I mean king sized bed. And by we, I mean all three of us squeezed into the phenomenally comfortable bed.


Day 2 - Napa to Davis - 50 miles
With temperatures expected to reach the mid 90s, we wanted to ride as much as we could before the heat moved in so we got an early start to the day and we were geared up and ready to go by 6am. We met Steve outside, who himself was off for his morning ride (he could kick our asses up his neighborhood road despite being in his 70s) and chatted to him before we all headed off. We have been struck by how friendly and accommodating people have been even in just our first day of riding. Maybe it's the year-round nice weather that puts people in a good mood. Either way, Steve and Karen were incredibly kind and friendly and we were grateful for their kindness.
We carefully, carefully, made our way back down the hill (80+ lbs of weight on your bike will cause you to doubt even the sturdiest of brakes) and headed northeast to Davis. We knew today would be tough because of two very big climbs. Right off the bat we were faced with a 1000+ ft climb over about 2.5 miles and although we were totally gased at the top, we continued down the other side and our effort was repayed with an exciting, thrilling downhill course that wound its way along the hillsides. We were leaning into the turns and felt like proper cycists as we followed the spaghetti-like road.


We continued through the valleys and up the second major climb of the day and at the top of that climb, we met a very nice couple of riders, Chuck and Tor (short for Victoria), who were keen to hear about our ride and as they were from Davis (out on a nice morning ride), they wanted to know how we were planning on getting there. They offered to meet us 30 min down the road in a town called Winters (it was, in fact, the opposite) in a local coffee shop and give us advice on the best route into Davis to take. We took off downhill and were lucky to find that from that point out, it was either downhill or flat and we cruised into the town, taking shelter from the heat in Steady Eddy's coffee shop. We sat and ate with Chuck and Tor and I learned that Tor was from the same county in England as I am. Small world. We couldn't stay long though as we had plans to stay at the home of Dr. Wilkes, a UCONN SOM alum who kindly opens his home to the riders each year, and we needed to get a move on. While Tor had to head back to Davis, Chuck offered to guide us along the back roads to Davis. Chuck took us through the areas of the country where we would be sheltered from the particularly strong winds of the day and his navigational skills were matched equally well with his knowledge of area. He filled us in on local flora, what farm products were grown where and a little bit of history mixed in. Before we knew it, we were cruising through Davis and arrived just before 1pm at the Wilkes' home, sweaty, exhausted and ready for some rest. We were a bit early so we enjoyed a cool breeze as we sat under a tree in the front yard until Maggie Wilkes arrived and let us crash in the house. We spent the afternoon eating (such good food) swimming, and lounging, trying to soak up all the hospitality Maggie showered us with since we probably won't be seeing much for a while to come.

Arrival

After three flights, 11 hours of travel and one celebrity sighting (Sinbad), we arrived safely in San Francisco and hopped in an appropriately environmentally friendly cab and headed to Citizen Chain Cyclery where we had previously shipped our bikes and gear. We gave the cabbie the address but, the kind soul he is, understood how desperate we were to stretch our legs after our long journey and kindly dropped us a mile and a half south of the bike shop, allowing us to walk up one of the tallest of San Fran's iconic hills carrying 20 lbs of gear each. Beautiful day though.
The guys at Citizen Chain were fantastically helpful and we packed all our gear as quickly as we could so we could get on the road. As we packed, we chatted to the employees and lots of people stopped by to see what we were up to. Not surprisingly, most were stunned when we responded to their inquiries regarding our destination with "Connecticut". After departing the bike shop with the well wishes of all, we headed out to meet Annie Batista, friend of Greg's. We dropped our gear off at her apt and hit the streets near the bay to grab some dinner. A couple of glasses of wine, some great burgers, and lots of conversation later, we returned to annie's apt where she showered us with hospitality and we set about organizing our bags of gear.
Overall, a great start to the day with some incredible people helping us out. The weather greeted us kindly and we are pumped to head out over the Golden Gate Bridge tomorrow and begin our return journey.