June 29 2009 - Salt Lake City - Park City

Into the mountains we go! While today was a relatively short ride (27 miles), it still proved to be quite difficult. The most challenging part was a 6 mile climb while cycling on I-80. The hill was relatively steep and there was a lot of traffic zooming by us. Once we reached Park City, Utah we noticed that we were going to be staying in AMAZING lodging for the evening. We had the pleasure of marble countertops and Jacuzzi tubs in our condominiums! I have added some pictures of the inside of the rooms.

As ironic as it may seem, we actually returned back to the Salt Lake City area for our evening friendship visit. We spent our evening at Camp Kostopulos which is a facility for people with disabilities. We got to meet the participants of the camp and practice for their weekly skit. This week their skit would be a mix between dragons, mimes, and horses. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to stay long enough to see how the whole plan would work out, but I am confident that it would have been extremely entertaining.

After dinner we returned back to lodging for some much needed rest! Tomorrow we have 90 miles through the Wasatch Mountain Range!

June 28 2009 - Salt Lake City

This morning got off to a great start with a late sleep in. For the first time on the entire trip I was able to sleep in until 9:30 am. After waking up, we made some quick runs to the bike shop and grocery store for necessities. We made sure to arrive back before 11:30 am so that we could make our way to Park City, Utah for a friendship visit.

We arrived at the National Abilities Center in Park City, Utah where we were warmly welcomed by the staff and participants. The center was by far the nicest of any of the places we have been. The athletes who spend time there in the summer have access to rock climbing walls, high ropes courses, horseback riding, and cycling.

While we were there, we had the opportunity to spend time with a group of individuals who were visually impaired. I spent most of my time hanging out with my new friend Paul who was a young boy. One particular moment that sticks out from my time with him occurred after I got him a CapriSun drink. At first, I wanted to put the straw in the pouch for him, but I wanted to recognize his abilities so I did not do anything. It was astounding because he got his straw into the drink faster than I could. I’m really enjoying the opportunity to spend time interacting with people with disabilities because I am learning so many new things every day.

Tomorrow we leave Salt Lake City, Utah and head for Park City, Utah (27 miles – Uphill)!

June 27 2009 - Payson - Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City! Today was another fun arrival into a big city. We hit some bad construction so everyone was only able to ride 25 miles before being racked into the city. Once we were there, we had lunch and prepared for our staged arrival into the Saturn Dealership in downtown Salt Lake City. A staged arrival is when we ride in a double pace line (or 2 people wide) into a city. An arrival is a lot of fun because there are usually people and press waiting for you. In this case we had the friendly staff of the Saturn Dealership provide food and beverages while some local media took video for the news.

Once we were completed at the Saturn Dealership, we went to Raging Waters Amusement Park for a friendship visit. It was a blast because we were able to ride the water slides with our new friends.

The rest of the evening was low key as me and 5 other riders did some much needed laundry. Tomorrow we have another great friendship visit planned for our free day. See you then!

June 26 2009 Delta - Payson

Today was a rough day on the bike! My upper knee began to flare up again and so I was only able to ride 10 miles before racking myself. While I was disappointed that I couldn’t finish the day, I was excited that I could spend some time with the crew and take some great pictures. We arrived into Payson, Utah to find that it was by far the largest town that we have been in since Sacramento, California. As such, we were able to do bike shop runs, and some trips to the local Wal-Mart for necessity items.

We didn’t have any programming or sponsored meals this evening so the brothers and I went to the local Mexican Restaurant for one of the cyclist’s 21st birthday. We had a decent meal and then split up into 2 different groups. One group stayed out at the karaoke bar and the other (including me) went out to the movie theater to see the opening of Transformers 2. When we reached the theater we realized that everyone in Payson had the same idea so we weren’t able to gain entrance to the theater. Since we were all so excited about the movie we decided to look up the next closest theater. We hoped back in the cars and drove 15 miles towards Salt Lake City to the next there in Provo, Utah. When we arrived, we found that everyone in Provo also wanted to see Transformers 2 and so it was also sold out. Tired and defeated, we settled for ice cream cones on the return trip to lodging.

I won’t be riding tomorrow because I will be resting my knee for another 2 days. Look for some great pictures of Salt Lake City, Utah though!

June 25 2009 Baker - Delta

Utah…….”it looks kind of like…..Nevada?”

As we made our way into a new state, many of us took the opportunity to look around and make the observation that western Utah looks the same as eastern Nevada. None the less, today was an extremely interesting day. As we made our way to mile 30, we dropped into an extreme desert where there was absolutely no vegetation and the temperature sky rocketed. The wind started to pick up and the conditions started to deteriorate. We reached mile marker 50 and realized that a large storm was brewing in the distance. As we stopped for a break, we took notice that the storm was actually a dust storm coming straight for us. We were worried that visibility would be lowered, but as we got back on the bike a 40 mph tailwind kicked up and began to propel us at 35 mph down the road. We had 35 miles to go when the storm lowered visibility to the point where it became unsafe for the riders. As such, the crew chief racked all of the riders and we rode the rest of the way in the crew vans. While we were bummed that we didn’t finish the ride, we knew that the crew chief had made the right decision.

The rest of the evening was relatively low key and we spent the rest of our free time resting up for the big day tomorrow!

June 24 2009 Ely - Baker

The best day (and last day) in the state of Nevada! We made an 80 mile ride today through the mountains to Baker, Nevada. We scaled 2 mountain passes over 1000 vertical feet on our way into Baker. The challenge of the day was the fluctuating temperature. The morning started out around 40 degrees and slowly warmed to a scorching 100 degrees by the end of the ride. While it didn’t seem to be an issue at first, as the temperature slowly rose and the amount of water and clothing needed to be constantly adjusted to fit the weather.

As we crested over the 2nd pass, we had an absolutely breathtaking view of the Great Basin National Forest. While our 2nd peak was around 7200 feet, there were snow-capped mountains which exceeded 13,000 feet very nearby.

Once we arrived in the town of Baker, we set up our lodging for the evening and got ready for a world class tour of the Lehman Caves. While I have had the opportunity to visit Mammoth Caves before, Lehman Caves were absolutely breathtaking. There were numerous types of rock formations and caverns within the underground area.

After we returned from the Caves, we were hosted by the local community for dinner. It was amazing to talk to two locals and find out that they are from Put-in-Bay, Ohio and Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania. It was ironic because Mount Lebanon is 5 minutes from my home and Put-in-Bay is where I spent many summers on Lake Erie.
The last hours of the evening were then spent catching up with my blog and pictures so that everyone could enjoy my Journey! Tomorrow will be our first day into the state of Utah!

June 23 2009 - Eureka - Ely

Another day in the great state of Nevada! Today the cycling team traveled 80 miles from Eureka to the city of Ely (pronounced El-ee). Unfortunately, I was only able to complete 30 miles of the 80 mile trip due to slight knee pain. I think that the knee pain stemmed from 3 long days of riding after being sick and taking some time off from riding. My muscles have been extremely fatigued the last few days and so I thought it would be wise not to push my knee too hard this early into the trip. After riding the rest of the route in the van, our team was hosted by the Ely County High School Student Council for a fantastic dinner of hamburgers, salad, and watermelon.

While it was tough to take myself off of the bike today, I am confident that it was the right decision for me in the long term. I am hoping to ride tomorrow morning as we depart from Ely and go to the small town of Baker, Nevada (population 65). The ride will be about 65 miles spanning over 2 mountain passes.

June 22 2009 - Austin - Eureka

The word of the day is: WINDY!

Today we cycled from the town of Austin to Eureka covering 70 miles of terrain in some of the worst wind of the trip. For a 20 mile stretch the wind was howling at ~25 mph in our face, making the ride incredibly difficult! None the less, our whole team made it every mile with the exception of one of the cyclists, Jim, who has stitches in his knee. The terrain has remained fairly constant with large mountain passes followed by long open valleys.

We did not have any friendship visits today, but we had a fantastic lunch hosted by DJ’s Diner and another great pasta dinner hosted by the Lions Club of Eureka. It’s going to be an early night tonight because I am exhausted!

Tomorrow we have an 80 mile ride spanning 4 large mountain passes. See you then!

June 21 2009 - Fallon - Austin

Tough day today! We had to make the trip from Fallon to Austin, Nevada in around 7 hours. The total mileage was 115 miles but I was only able to make it to mile 80. Since it was only my 2nd day on the bike, I was fighting some muscle fatigue from the before. I’m really excited for tomorrow however because we have a 75 mile ride which I plan on finishing. We didn’t have any friendship visits tonight, but we did receive a fantastic sponsored dinner from some very nice people of Austin.

June 20 2009 - Carson City - Fallon

My first day on the bike today! We left from Carson City, Nevada at 8 am and departed for Fallon, Nevada. We rode 65 miles through the desert and arrived at Numa Elementary School for lodging.

After a quick break, we left for Fallon Industries for an incredible friendship visit.
The visit was by far the most exciting of the trip. We were warmly welcomed and while there, we had karaoke and dancing for several hours. I sat and talked with Barbara and Vicky (mother and daughter) for a long time. It was really great to interact with them and hear what life is like here in Fallon. Like many others in the town, they aren’t originally from the area, but rather moved from a larger city, Los Angeles. They said that they like the slower pace and friendly people of the area. Even though there isn’t a lot here, I’m looking forward to meeting the people from the smaller towns.
Tomorrow we will be riding 110 miles to Austin, Nevada – I can’t wait for another great day on the bike!
**. A fun fact about Fallon, Nevada is that is the home of Top Gun Pilot Training

June 19, 2009 - Carson City

A free day in Carson City! Well….not really. Today was still a busy day with a lot to do. The morning consisted of lunch at the Golden Nugget Casino and a friendship visit to the Children’s Museum. While at the Musuem we had the opportunity to interact with local children and put on another Kids on the Block (KOB) presentation. The excitement for the rest of the day consisted of catching up with blog and doing some much needed laundry!
Tomorrow is my first day on the bike and we will be doing a 65 mile ride to Fallon, NV. I’m so excited for my first ride! I will keep you guys updated as soon as we have internet access again.

June 18, 2009 - Markleeville to Carson City

The riders did an easy 40 mile cruise into Carson City, Nevada today. After a long and difficult day yesterday the relatively easy ride was welcoming to the weary riders. When we arrived in Carson City, the riders were escorted through the city by the city policeman.
Once we had arrived in Carson City, we had a friendship visit with the local Boys and Girls Club. While there, we had the chance to play with the kids as well as put on a puppet show known as “Kids on the Block” (KOB). The KOB puppet show is put on by the cyclists and goes through several roles where puppets with disabilities interact with other puppets. The purpose of the KOB puppet show, is to teach young kids that people with disabilities can do almost everything that a normal kid can do. The kids were really receptive and asked a lot of great questions.
After our friendship visit was over, many of the cyclists ran errands and enjoyed some much needed free time. Tomorrow will be free day in Carson City!

June 17 2009 - Jackson to Markleeville

Today was an absolutely fantastic day! We started off the morning with a full breakfast provided by a Mel and Faye’s diner, who have been supporting the Journey of Hope for 22 years. We departed from Jackson, California around 7 am and spent the entire day ascending into the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The riders traveled over 85 miles and climbed over 7000 vertical feet on their journey to Markleeville, California. Almost all of the riders were able to make it the whole way, but a few did succumb to health issues throughout the day. I have taken a lot of great pictures of the rivers and mountains which I will be posted on website to be named soon.
Unfortunately, I was unable to ride today but I am expecting to make my first start in a few days on our way out of Carson City, Nevada!

June 12-16 2009 - "The sick days"

The last few days have been hectic! I haven’t been able to bike or put together any blog entries because I have been extremely ill. I originally came down with the flu and was forced into the emergency room on Saturday night with dehydration and pains. After being given some fluids and antibiotics, I rested for 2 more days only to find that I had contracted a middle ear infection. As such, I had to pay another visit to the Emergency Room to receive IV antibiotics and more pain medication. Today is the first day that I have been well enough to get an entry in.
I haven’t been biking at all, but the riders have traveled from San Francisco – Napa – Sacramento – Jackson, California. We have been making friendship visits along the way in each city. The friendship visits have been unbelievable because we have had the opportunity to interact with people with various disabilities and see the amazing talents that they possess. We are currently in Jackson, California and getting ready to set out on an 80 mile mountainous bike ride to Kirkwood tomorrow! You can look forward to more detailed entries from here on out!

June 10th 2009

Let the shaving BEGIN!

Today was our first real day of the Journey of Hope training! Joe Borghoff and I made our way from the hotel back to the airport in order to be picked up by the Journey of Hope (JOH) crew team. We arrived at the University of San Francisco dorms around 10:30 am and immediately began the check in process. We received our RoadTrip IDs which are similar to military dog tags. The metal tags contain valuable information to identify and track us. In addition we received our Journey of Hope Emergency Information card to be carried on us at all times. Once we had picked up both of these important items we next picked up our Journey of Hope shorts and cycling jerseys! After, we made our way up to our dorm rooms where we would be staying until Sunday. Our rooms had a spectacular view of the USF Baseball field and city. After setting up our rooms we unpackaged our bikes and put them back together. The process took about 30 minutes and with the help of some other more experienced riders I was able to successfully complete the setup process.

At this point in the day everyone was getting pretty hungry so some of the JOH riders and I wandered the area to grab some lunch. We ended up grabbing pizza on Haight street. For those of you who have never been to San Fran, Haight and Ashbury street are the center of the hippie movement. As such, we had the opportunity to meet a plethora of diverse people on our trip to lunch. On the way back we stopped at the Academy of Science Building and another museum (forgot the name) with an amazing observation deck. Afterwards, we returned back to our rooms to relax. During this time Joe Borhoff, Ray Feuga (Cornell), and I began the wonderful task of shaving our legs (Pictured Below - For your enjoyment!). I have to say that it was slightly challenging and utterly hilarious.

At 5:00 pm we had our first meeting with Josh Sheffler to discuss the logistics of the Journey of Hope. We went over some rules and regulations as well as a brief overview of Push America. We concluded the meeting with some pizza and a presentation of a $750 grant to a local non-profit organization which helps people with disabilities. We wrapped up the evening by having our first North Route Team group ritual which left me humbled and excited for the upcoming Journey.

Tomorrow........Training Routines!

June 9th 2009 - San Francisco Arrival

I arrived in San Francisco today around 9:00 pm pacific time. I was so exhausted from the 6 hour flight that I was ready to get back to the room and go immediately to bed. However, after arriving at the Sheraton Gateway I was greeted by Joe Borghoff and Jimmy Vaeth (two fellow Virginia Tech Journey of Hope riders). We were all so excited to for the ride and to catch up that we ended up staying up for a bit. Once we were all settled in, we went to bed excited for the big day tomorrow.