Familial Bonding on the Way to Ordway!

Miles Ridden Today -  60.66    Average Miles per Hour -  15.15

Today was an historic moment in the Connor's Army Ride Across America annuls - Sarah rode solo with me for the very first time!  However, before I get to that momentous occasion, I need to share with you a little of yesterday's foray into Pueblo.

We all survived the ordeal of the Night of the Black Scorpion and I'm hoping when we get the time to be able to post here the video of the kids screaming at decibels only discernable to our canine friends.  And of course, this night of scorpions should not be confused with those nights back in my youth when I used to just hang in my room and LISTEN to Scorpions;

 

Ahhh, good times!  But I digress.

 

We survived the night of sleeping with the scorpions and we headed out bright and early to explore the riverwalk area of Pueblo.  Unfortunately, we were a bit too early and not much was open but since it was going to be a scorcher of a day that suited us fine.  We walked along the river and then we came across dancing waters, which the kids just had to play in;

 

(Ahhhh, nothing like the feel of squishy underpants!!!!!)

pedalled the dragon boat;

 

(H.R. Puffenstuff, where to turn when things get rough.....)

Then we headed off to the sancity of the air-conditioned movie theatre (after first going to Walmart to get movie candy - its cheaper) to watch Brave.  I have to admit, getting out of the heat and watching some quality animation was great.  It also gave me a head start on research for the Scottish accent the kids will have to use for our fall show The 39 Steps.  Especially in scenes like this;

 

 

 I love the middle suitor - you can't understand a word he says.  But the family and I had a great time at the movies and of course Amy and I cried at the end.  This trip has really made us appreciate what wonderful children we have and while we are doing something wonderful for other people's children we are getting closer in so many ways to our own.

We also engaged in something that has become a summer ritual, one that we hope we can continue after we get home - we bough cupcakes and watched "Cupcake Wars".  The kids have really gotten into the food channel and between this show, "Chopped", "Restaurant Impossible", and "Next Food Star" we've been keeping them watching good wholesome television all summer.  Throw in the Summer Olympics which opens in eleven days and we've got a full plate of family entertainment.

Before we new it, it was time to go to sleep and dream of scorpion free environs.  However, since we were all in our own little bunk beds (Amy slept with Sarah in the double and the boys and I each got a single bunk) we managed to get SOME sleep.  Not as much for me but that was due to William moving around all night and shaking the bed. 

I awoke bleary-eyed and tired but I also knew I would be riding on a relatively flat and short course today - only 60ish miles.  I started out alone today because after Saturday's confusion in trying to navigate around Pueblo I didn't want to do that with Sarah in tow.  But the big plan for today was for Sarah to join me as soon as the shoulders got wide enough so that she would be safe.  I had made plans for Amy to join me about twenty miles outside of Ordway so Sarah and I could ride into town together.  Since I was leaving at 7:00 and figuring on 15 miles an hour I knew Sarah would join me by 10:00 which would get us in around lunch time.

So after fumbling around in the dark for a while trying to be as quiet as I could be and stumbling over to the restroom (it's a campground so there are not facilities in the cabin) I got myself ready to go and headed out in the dark with the sun just beginning to peak up over the horizon.  Part of why I waited until 7:00 was to make sure I could see what was going on around me.  I traveled on the highway to the point where signage told me to exit and made it to a local McDonald's for breakfast (I needed coffee!).  By the time I headed back out on the road it was after 8:00 but it was light, I was fed and the road would be flat. 

And then I lost my way.  I don't know how I missed the turn between my maps and GPS but I did so I went against the grain - I asked for directions.  I have figured out that even though as a man I am genetically predisposed to not ask for directions, when you're riding a bike instead of driving that extra time can mean lots of extra distance so asking is better than pedaling extra miles!  I asked a woman who was pulling into a convenience store (she probably thought I was going to mug her at 8:30 in the morning) and found I was only a few miles off course so I backtracked (I had missed the turn) and got back to the right place.  After some moderate climbing to get out of Pueblo I was on the open road!

And it wasn't too far before I finally saw some fellow cross country cyclists!  I've seen a lot of cyclists out commuting and training but very few that seemed as if they were loaded up and traveling.  I chatted with one briefly and found the road was flat ahead and that Ordway was going to be an easy ride.  At this point I was moving well and my average MPH was 18.65!  Remember that number - we'll come back to it later. 

I was having an euphoric experience enjoying the sights and sounds of the flora and fauna and even discovered wild melons!!!!  I saw these softball sized green globes growing from vines on the roads and couldn't figure out what they were so at a bathroom break I opened one up.  It wasn't ripe but I could tell it was a melon.  Oh if it were only a few weeks later!!!! 


(Yummmmmmm!)

 

A few miles further down I had the sight of a young coyote that was trailing me.  I'm not sure if he was just curious or if he was stalking me (you know, less clothing, less to get caught in his teeth when he ate me) but after a while of keeping up with me he turned off and headed into the brush.

And then I looked back and saw the familiar sight of a black van with a blue tarp - Amy and the kids in Vannikan!  It was time to do something that I have been looking forward to for a long time - ride with my daughter!  Although you can see the photo of the two of us together, the most magic moment was this exchange I managed to record;

 

 Before we knew it, we were in Ordway and pulling up to the Hotel Ordway, a lovely turn of the century hotel in the downtown area of Ordway, Colorado!

 

 

I won't say it was the speediest two and a half hours I had ever ridden but the rewards of rolling up to the van with my daughter leading the way was priceless.  Remember that 18.65?  Well, it was now down to 15.15!  But, as I said - priceless!

 

We were both starving so we went to lunch at a great little place that had once been a Dairy Queen but was now relabelled as the Dairy King.  It didn't matter, we chowed down on some great deep fried food and enjoyed every bit of it.  It wasn't as good as the Navajo Tacos we enjoyed throughout Arizona but still pretty good.  As we then checked into the hotel we went exploring and found a load of fun in the town park just across the street from the hotel - a mini water park with gushing fountains.  Although I didn't partake, the kids had a blast;

 

 

 All of this frolicking was followed by spinning around on the swingsets (instigated by yours truly) which unfortunately caused William to lose his lunch - literally!!!!  But being the mercurial one that he is he bounced back quickly and frolicked some more before lying back on the grass in total exuberant exhaustion;

 

 

All in all a good day and we still haven't crossed our third state!  Those American Express commercials can claim lots of things are priceless but the chance to play and really get to bond with my family - that is the most precious thing of all.

Well, time to hit the sack, Sarah and I have a lot of riding to do tomorrow!

And today's report;

FFL - 1 Deer, 4 Rabbits, 1 Skunk, 5 UFO’s
RRL - Toilet bowl, Complete Child’s Swingset

Stay well and I'll update more from the road!

For another perspective on our journey check out Amy's blog at http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com//
To help us get the kids to Sunrise go to https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/

 





 



Powering to Pueblo!

Miles Ridden Today - 57.43  Average Miles Per Hour - 17.16

Well, I actually didn't actually propel myself along today on a bike like the one you see pictured above.  But due to some great rest at Carolyn's place and somewhat flat terrain I managed to log my third fastest average MPH only bested by my rides to Fort Garland and Tuba City.  Although such a bike would have been helpful and can apparently be purchased online I stick to the tried and true Black Pearl that has gotten me so far already.

The day started bright and early with Carolyn driving me into Walsenburg, that lovely little town where we met Maria and Brendt Berger.  Along the way we saw some incredible rock formations which looked just like the spine of a dragon;

You can't really see it from this angle but when you pass it on the road it is so narrow that it truly looks like some sort of dorsal spike on a mythological creature!

Carolyn drove me in our van because it had the bike rack and since we needed gas we filled up.  She and I then managed to just have some great bonding time, one of those talks about family and life that we hadn't had since college.  Before I knew it, it was after 9:20 in the morning - about an hour and twenty minutes after I had planned to leave!  So it was time to book it like no one's business.  As I left Walsenburg I was struck by bittersweet feelings as I watched the Rocky Mountains paralell my path on my left.  As leery as I was to traverse them, they really helped me understand what this journey is about and if I will have the mettle to hold up.  Too often when I saw the road rising above me and I was suffering I had to remind myself, "They can't give up, so I won't give up".  Climbing the Rockies (even for the short time I was here) taught me that I CAN do this!  So it was with mixed feelings that I watched them slowly marching off to my left.

Yet a large source of trepidation for me was the fact I was traveling on I-25 for the entire 45 miles from Walsenburg to Pueblo.  Apparently there was another back route I could go but it would entail riding 75 miles instead and I just wasn't prepared for that today - I needed a break!  So I braved the highway with memories/flashbacks of that frightening trip up 89 out of Cameron, AZ towards Tuba City.  And then I came upon this sign and I new all was well - I had a RIGHT (or at least legal permission) to be there!

Before I knew it I was actually there!  It wasn't as big a deal since it was only about 40 miles from Walsenburg and I figured I would reach that in two and half hours.  But Madonna del Ghisallo was smiling on me today and I made it in slightly less than two hours.

Of course upon reaching Pueblo I then got hopelessly confused, especially since I was off the grid and just operating from the Colorado DOT bike map.  All thanks be to my sister Alina who purchased the Garmin Edge 605 for me because without it I surely would have gotten lost.  Especially since I was not permitted to ride on US 25 through the center of Pueblo.  I had to create a detour and it was only through the grace of Garmin that I managed to get to the right intersection.  Once back on the freeway I called Amy to get the address of the KOA where we were staying and she told me to look for the signs.  There were none!  Eventually I just told her I would wait for her on the side of the road as I was out of water and it was just after that she and the kids came to my rescue in good old Vannikan  Roadwalker!

We actually stayed at the Pueblo Kampgrounds of America site in one of their Kozy Kabins which had been donated to us.  We were incredibly grateful to have a free place to stay.  It wasn't as spacious and homey as staying with my friend Carolyn but it was cozy (hence the name) and small (hence the Kabin part).  The only downside of it all (other than the extreme heat) was the discovery of a little friend in the overhead light.  You see, it appears we had roomed with an Arizona Bark Scorpion which inhabit almost all of the Sonoran desert.  Our little friend looked like this;

 (No really, I'm DANGEROUS!)

And although we didn't get an actual photo of our little friend, we did manage to get a photo of the kids after they had stopped screaming (too much) and had taken refuge outside;

(YOU go check it out!  No, YOU go check it out! No, You go check it out....)

Since I am the official family entymologist and/or bug discarder, it was my job to unscrew the overhead light fixture and carry our little friend far past the tree you see in the distance.  The kids didn't leave the table until I showed them the empty fixture and had rinsed it off so no scorpion eggs could be hidden on it.  Now you have to understand, I have been fairly frightened of scorpions and tarantulas every since I saw that classic 1957 movie The Black Scorpion at a drive in movie when I was about six



But I'm the dad and it's my job.  It wasn't until tonight when I was researching the little critter when I realized exactly how dangerous our little friend is.  Turns out he is an Arizona Bark Scorpion and they inhabit most of the Sonoran desert.  Here are some of the things the website buzzle had to say in their article about our roommate;

• The Arizona scorpion, is one of the many venomous; Arizona animals found in the Sonoran Desert. It feeds on crickets and cockroaches.
• These scorpions do not make burrows, and instead hide inside preexisting holes or small openings. Which may explain, as to why these invertebrates find human and animal shelters an easy and comfortable haven for survival.
• They are attracted to humidity and prefer moisture. This is the reason why, these scorpions infest areas with vegetation and moisture, such as gardens, near house-ponds, kitchen cabinets and sink, the bathroom/toilet.
• A peculiar trait displayed by these scorpions, is that they can stick to the undersurface of objects. For instance, a seemingly normal rock in a garden, may have a scorpion under its surface, making anyone who comes near the rock; an easy target.
• These are the only scorpions in the world, which can climb up walls and hide on the ceiling, behind curtains and other vertical surfaces.

There's more but those were the hightlights.   After all was said and done we got over the fear of the scorpions we loaded everyone up and headed into town in search of food.  We found a great place called Soup 'r Salad where we could get all the veggies and soup we wanted for one low price.  It was heaven - nutritious and economical at the same time. 

 

It was then time to head back to our Kozy Kabin and try to get some sleep.  I'm not sure any of us will handle that too well without the covers over our heads. 

 

Tomorrow we head into town to explore Pueblo on a Sunday - wish us luck!

  

And the daily report;

FFL - 2 Rabbits, 6 Snakes, 2 UFO’s,
RRL - Nothing of note which was weird since I was on the highway.  What are the odds?

Stay well and I'll update more from the road!

For another perspective on our journey check out Amy's blog at http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com//
To help us get the kids to Sunrise go to https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/

Total Pain in the Posterior!

Miles Ridden Today - 88.91  Average Miles Per Hour - 16.18

So I wrote yesterday about how grueling the day was and how totally unprepared I was after sitting in the van for six days and then walking about various San Diego attractions for a few others.  After yesterday's grueling climb fest I thought nothing could be worse and that I would be able to start acclimating myself to the longer rides.

And then today happend.  And what I have learned from today is that every ride is going to be challenging in its own way and that I should never think there are ever going to be any "easy" legs of this journey.  Today was supposed to be a few ups and downs follwed by a ten mile descent and then relatively flat roads for 50 miles.  Easy, right?  And then reality kicked me in the rear - quite literally!  Let me 'splain!

I started out at about 6:45ish in the morning (a little later than I should have to beat the heat) and was immediately confronted by a 12% incline to get out of the town of Pine Valley (hey, I guess anything named "valley" I should be prepared to climb out of) that went on for about a mile and a half -- GOOD MORNING, CALIFORNIA!  But after yesterday's climbing even that wasn't too bad.  I thought to myself that maybe today wouldn't be too bad, just put in low and keep pedalling.  It was at this point that I had bizarre images running around in my head, like this;



So  I repeated Dory's mantra and changed it to "just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling, pedaling, pedaling...."  and strangely enough it helped the time to pass.  It was a series of ups and downs and then I hit the first (and as it turned out only, I was surprised) Border Patrol check.  I actually had a nice conversation with the guys there, told them what they were doing and they told me that they get a lot of people doing charity rides that come through their post, many of them with press crews following.  I had to admit that we didn't have a press crew following, that I was just an average, every day guy, not the guy from the Amazing Race with the network clout behind him.  However, he was very interested in what I was doing and asked for my website address.  I wish I would have had brochures with me in my handlebar bag (I have since loaded them) but I gave him the address.  (By the way sir, if you're reading this, thank you so much for your interest and join us on facebook too, you can keep up with the rest of the journey). 

From there I made my way to Jacumba where I was supposed to meet Amy and the kids about 9:00.  Up to that point I was right on time!  I was actually making great time and I was thinking the ride wouldn't be too bad.  The only sucky part was that I lost one of my water bottles on a descent that actually had me fearing for my life.  The shoulder was so incredibly bad it was like riding on cobblestones and since it was a really steep descent I was trying to control the bike at 25+ mph.  I then (finally) had the brilliant idea of just taking the lane and keeping an eye on traffic.  Suddenly I was no longer afraid for my life and to celebrate I reached down for one of my water bottles - AND DISCOVERED IT MISSING!!!  Somehow on that crazy, careening descent it had bounced out of my water bottle cage.  It was at that point I decided I wasn't going back for it.  Luckily, my one Random Refuse find of the day was a discarded water bottle so I have two again - and boy was I going to need them.

Just outside of Jacumba I got to the closest point I would get to Mexico in this journey.  Actually so close that I could have thrown a baseball and hit the fence (I do have a good arm) - of course, that would probably have gotten me arrested, which would really put a damper on our journey!  Here is how close I was;

I rolled into Jacumba and found a town that was mostly deserted.  I pulled up to the little shop that sold pretty much everything in town (including a huge selection of alchoholic beverages behind the counter), grabbed some coffee and sat down at the little table outside to wait on the family.  This was at 9:00.  I had no cell phone service at all so I just settled myself in to wait.  While waiting I became engaged in a conversation with an older gentleman who, as it turned out, had just retired from running the IT program at a local Community College.  We chatted for about half an hour about politics, the revitilazation of Jacumba, how it was famous for its mineral springs that had been dried up by a previous owner but how the new owner had opened it back up, how the resort down the street was being refurbished and would bring more life to the town, about my journey, about Sunrise Day Camp, how I was waiting on my family - and it was then he told me that they might have confused the place off the interstate (two miles away) with Jacumba since everyone always does.  He also said that I might have better cell reception there.  I thank him and headed off, thinking that my family must have been waiting for me all this time.  For the record, this is where Jacumba is;

View Larger Map

On the way there I actually got a phone call from my doctor's office (yes, I know riding and talking on the cell phone at the same time - its probably illegal in 37 states, including CA) telling me that my echo cardiogram and other heart tests from my recent physical came out okay.  Good thing, considering what I had just done the day before!  I told the nurse and we had a good laugh at that - I guess I'm physically okay!  I continued on to the main gas stations off of I-8 and didn't see my family.  Oooof, I thought, they're back on Hwy 80!  So I bought some water and headed back to the route and I wasn't there two minutes before I looked over my shoulder and saw Vannikan Roadwalker with the familiar blue tarp on top coming up the rise behind me - yayyyyyyy!  So Amy and the kids jump out on their mission of mercy to ice me up and refill me and then they headed off the road to prepare the way.  On the way they pulled alongside and took some video for the documentary.  At that point I was about two miles away from my last climb of the day and I was totally stoked!

You see, this was the part I had been forward to for two days - a 10.5 mile descent in which I would go from 3,000 feet to 800 feet!  NO PEDALING FOR TEN MILES!!!!!  There were a few hairy moments when I wondered if I would be able to slow down but then I was hit by the crosswinds that did a crazy job on slowing me down.  I was disappointed in that the top speed I hit was only 41.5 miles an hour mainly due to the fact that the biggest decline was only 6%.  I also had time to enjoy the ride and look about and saw some of the most amazing rock formations!  It was completely and utterly otherworldy, almost like the landscape you would expect to see on Mars;

And note the kind way they let you know you're in for a mild descent!

I finally got down to the Yuha desert floor and thats when my posterior purgatory began.  Apparently the Adventure Cycling Association's maps decided to take me on every single rough road between the Calexico exit and Brawley.  Every place I tried on the sholder was a bone and teeth rattling nightmare.  I then realized that there was virtually no other traffic on the Evan Hewes highway so I took the full lane and found myself flying with no discomfort to speak of.  I was flying along at 24 miles an hour effortlessly.  But it was short lived.

Outside of Plaster City (I kid you not, it was basically a big plant), the road just went all to hell and I couldn't find a sweet spot of comfort.  It was then that my Perineum (WARNING, LINK CONTAINS EXPLICIT - though not pornographic - ILLUSTRATIONS) really began to suffer!  The constant jolting began to take such a toll that it made it difficult to stay in the saddle - and I had a good 35 miles to go.  I stopped for water in Saleena and that revitalized me for a while but then after a few miles my personal hell started up again.

Was it hot?  Yes, it was well over 100 degrees but the heat was bearable.  I drank lots of water and stopped a few times to purchase some.  It was just the constant jolting that made this leg so unbearable.  I actually got of the bike and walked for about 50 yards just to get some flow back into the area.  I finally limped into Brawley and praised God for the smooth roads that I suddenly found myself riding. 

And next I thanked my sister Alina for gifting me with my Garmin Edge 605 Bike Computer with GPS.  For I knew the name of where we were staying (the Best Western) but I had no idea where it was!!!!  So I went to the "Go To" feature and there were the directions - SAVED!!!!  I pulled into the parking lot and found Vannikan waiting and it was all I could do to physically climb off the bike - for the second day in a row I was knackered! 

But there is an upside!  My legs themselves felt great!  It was just the heat and my nether regions that were cuasing me to be so wiped.  Nevertheless, I had one major thought as I stood in the baking parking lot collecting myself (and my breath), "this is nothing compared to the suffering those kids go through"  and I know that to be true.  My only hope is that by going through this I will be able to help some of those kids take a break from their fight and spend an amazing summer at Sunrise.

I then showered off and joined the family in the pool for a brief reprieve from the heat.  We then went to dinner at Brownie's Diner (and yes the kids had a brownie a la mode for dessert) before heading off to the biggest Walmart I have ever seen.  It was situated on the outskirts of town rising up like a Mecca to Consumerism.  We bought shoes for William, food for us, and an important piece of apparatus for tomorrow's leg - a fluid bladder! 

You see tomorrow I am riding in 100+ degree heat (it was 107 at 6 pm) and there is NOWHERE to stop for fluid refills for 63 MILES!  So I am going to leave at 5:30 in the morning with the idea of getting most of my riding done before the heat hits.  I got a bladder instead of a full Camelback backpack because I need the ventilation on my back - so for $9.97 at Walmart I got a bladder to fill with ice (which will melt) to go in my handlebar bag.  With any luck I'll be able to hold off until Amy and the kids replenish me somewhere along the route. 

So yes, tomorrow is going to be uber hot but with any luck it won't be bumpy.  If it is, here is the song that will be running through my head;

And now my friends, it is time to get some sleep as I'll be waking in 8 hours to start my next assault on the desert!  Please send cool thoughts my way!

Oh, and lest I forget, here are the reports for today;

FFR (Flattened Fauna Report) - 4 Rabbits, 1 Fox, 1 Falcon/Hawk (not sure which), 2 squirrels, 1 UFO
RRL (Random Refust Log) - 1 Water Bottle (appropriated and then used when I lost my own), 1 Child's Boot

Stay well everyone and I'll update you from the road!

For another perspective on our journey check out Amy's blog at http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com//
To help us get the kids to Sunrise go to https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/