Day Forty-Four: Fighting through Big Horn's Powder River Pass

Before I left home for send-off , my father wrote to me in a card. Among his many inspirational and encouraging words, one line--the last line, stuck with me: "Don't stop James, don't ever stop." Today I drew upon his words for inspiration and motivation, motivation to keep pedaling, motivation to keep climbing, and motivation to reach higher and further.


So upon waking up this morning, full of anxious tension for the notorious climbs of the day, I took a sharpie to my upper thighs and inscribed my father's words on my legs. Now every time I looked down there were his words rising up back at me:

My reminder to keep climbing Big Horn!

The morning dedication was sincere and heavy. We were all reminded of why we ride; every teammate spoke. It was the perfect dedication for the ominous day ahead. We left early and on time, unsure of what we were getting ourselves into.

We approach the climb within 5 miles of leaving the host.

The views from along the route were consistently beautiful, leading me to expect the beauty to grow as the climb began.

Views from the road just before the climbing begins.

I began the climb with my climbing buddy, Jose, who turned out to be the perfect match for me. We cheered each other on as we climbed higher and higher, staying side by side the entire time. In a little over four hours we reached the top--the third team to reach the peak--water stops included.

We did it--WE REACHED THE PEAK--9,666 ft above sea level!

The view from the top of Powder River Pass.

We climbed over 5,000 ft in about four hours to a total height of 9,666 ft.

The actual summit, a little higher than the road, which we could not reach.

As newton claimed, what goes up must come down, and that holds true for cycling. The team and I geared up for an 18 mile descent (a well earned descent).

The view of the Big Horns before the descent.

We began the descent, which was slightly disappointing, but stopped 7 miles in for a lakeside lunch. The lake was gorgeous:

Lunch by a lake is always welcomed!

After lunch we continued the descent for a few more miles, only to be stopped by road construction. The workers at the construction site decided that it was not safe to pass on bicycle, so we got a free shuttle ride through a few miles of roadwork:

Riders climb into a pickup, bikes in hand, ready to be shuttled through construction.

I was pleasantly surprised after exiting the pickup truck--that's when the real descent began. It was unsafe to take pictures during the steep, switchback filled descent. I did snag a pic just before descending:



But our day wasn't done, after descending we still had miles to go. It was a 90 mile day. Jose and I continued to speed ahead, riding through the tiny town of Tensleep at the base of the Big Horns.

Riding through Tensleep.

After getting free shaved ices in Tensleep, we trudged onward, passing through the "badlands of Wyoming."

The Badlands of Wyoming, on the way to Worland, WY.

The long day got longer and hotter. We soon found ourselves wearily tackling rolling hills in the desert.

Rolling hills through the desert of Wyoming.

Despite it all, we survived. And, truth be told, it wasn't as bad as we had expected. The Big Horn Mountains that we had built up in our heads were far worse than the reality. We were stronger than we thought, faster than we thought, and more prepared than we had realized. We were a team, and a strong one at that.

I'm ready for the mountains of the west. If I can climb Big Horn, I can climb anything.

Keep It Low, Keep It Slow,
James

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Today's dedication was a very special one. First and foremost, today was dedicated to my father for all his support, strength, and inspiration. But today was not just for him, today was for everyone (in no particular order) : my mother; my brother; my grandparents; my step-mom and her father; Jacqlene Moran for all her love and support; the Moran family and specifically Maureen Moran (a loving wife, mother and grandmother whose love I feel through her family); Beth Sherring; the Mejia family; my friends (those both new and old); all of my generous donors; Team Seattle; those we have met along the way, those we will meet, and those we never will meet who have been affected by cancer. Today was for you, for all you, for everything you've been through, for everything you will conquer, and for all positive impacts you will have. Thank you, bless you, and may you always have a tail wind!