Day Forty-Five: Coasting to Cody

Yesterday's climb through the Big Horns wore us out, but there's no rest for the weary on the 4K. We started another day with the sunrise:

The sunrise over the Wyoming plains. Another day begins!

Luckily, today was a much easier day than yesterday, but just as beautiful:

Views from the route. Wyoming is fantastic. Take a good look at the white, puffy clouds that hang over the mountains in the distance.

Tired, but determined, we made it to Cody, practically coasting compared to yesterday's climbing. We new we had to check out the rodeo that night, it was one of our last opportunities to catch a rodeo. The sun was setting as I arrived, and it was a beautiful sunset behind a mountain:

The sun sets over Cody, Wyoming.

My first time at a rodeo!

Tomorrow we head into Yellowstone. We're all really excited for it; it's supposed to be a beautiful ride. I'm excited to have more camping experience and opportunities for hiking. Who knows what new sights are to be found?

Yearning for Yellowstone,

James

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Today's ride was dedicated to Maureen Moran, a beloved grandmother, mother, and wife who bravely battled with cancer. I never had the fortune of meeting her, but I have learned so much about her through her family. I can see the her light and love continuously weave itself into their lives. 

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!

Day Forty-Three: Back to Buffalo?

It's strange to me to be entering Buffalo again. The first time was Buffalo, NY; now it's Buffalo, WY. Both are very different cities.

For instance, the weather heading into Buffalo, WY was much more preferable than the mess we had entering Buffalo, NY:

Wide open skies and roads all the way to Buffalo, WY.

The day was relatively easy, though the Big Horn Mountains--tomorrow's great challenge--loomed ominously in the distance.

We couldn't help but gaze at the Big Horns during a water stop.

We ended up descending into Buffalo surrounded by mountains:

Buffalo, WY is BEAUTIFUL!

While making some last-minute host changes (no worries, we had everything under control) we cooled off in Clear Creek. You can see why it's called Clear Creek for yourself:

The water was so refreshing and made laying in the sun all the more enjoyable.

Tonight we are checking over our bikes and performing some basic maintenance to prepare for the Big Horns tomorrow. Tomorrow we are climbing over 5,000 ft to a total elevation of 9,666 ft. In total, it's a 90 mile day, the first third of which are climbing through mountains. We're all really anxious.

Here's to Making it Through Tomorrow,

James

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Today was dedicated to Linda and her husband for generously opening their home to us last night, and for Linda's two sisters. We hope they stay strong and wish them the best in health and life.

Day Forty-Two: Going to Gillette

Today we left with the sun rising in Sundance for Gillette, WY.

The sun rises over Sundance, WY.

We passed by cloud-covered peaks on our way out of Sundance.

The route itself was nothing special--just beautiful Wyoming as seen from I-90:

We spent most of the day riding on the interstate to avoid dirt roads (it's legal in WY!)

It was a pleasure to ride along this all day.

We reached Gillette early, and decided to stop in a local coffee shop (City Brew). It was there that we met Linda, a wonderful woman who revealed to us that her two sisters are both battling cancer, and graciously invited us over to her ranch 17 mi outside of town for elk burgers and star gazing.

How could we resist?

So, after settling in at our host--a recreation center that included rock climbing, water slides, a pool, and a hot tub (which we all took advantage of)--and enjoying a fabulous dinner complete with ice cream and brownies from a local Masonic Lodge, we piled into the vans and headed out Linda's ranch.

A view of the landscape from the ranch.

Sunset over the ranch.

The cherries Linda served us were fresh and delicious, but the elk burgers were even better. It was my first time trying elk (which Linda's husband had killed the year prior). It had a distinct taste that made the burger more enjoyable; of course, that could also have been caused by the method of grilling (which I'm not exactly knowledgeable of). Elk meat has a different texture, a little more dry and less compact than that of steak or regular chopped meat burgers. I enjoyed it so much though I went back for seconds.

The real treat was watching the stars slowly appear in the sky, one by one. My teammates shared their knowledge of constellations; I don't think I would be able to recognize anything but the big dipper without their guidance. For the first time I got to watch a satellite orbit the earth and observe the white stream of the Milky Way. You just don't see that much of the universe in the NYC or DC skylines.

It was a great day, except for the fact that I couldn't call home because of the lack of cell reception. This is becoming more and more of an issue as we move further west.

Now it is later than I want to be, but I must try and salvage as much time for sleep as possible.

Dreaming of the Stars Above,

James

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Today was dedicated to my mother, for all her love and support.

Day Forty-One: Fighting through the Black Hills

We began this morning with a special dedication to Hilary, a restaurant manager who donated food to us. She is currently undergoing cancer treatment, working far too many hours a week.

We dedicate today to Hilary. Stay strong and hopeful!

We left Rapid City hopeful, determined to overcome whatever came our way today. Fortunately, the Black Hills were not as bad as we thought they would be--and they were definitely beautiful!

The ascent into the Black Hills was scenic from the moment it started.

The climb was not a straight ascent, but mixed between ascents and descents as we climbed over individual peaks. One of my favorite parts of today's ride--and the Team Seattle 2012 route as a whole--was the back country roads through the Black Hills National Forest.
 

Gravel paths dotted with cattle and dogwood trees were the most enjoyable to ride along. Whenever I imagined leaving home as a kid and traveling far way, I imagined walking along a path just like this one. This route will always hold a special sense of beauty and nostalgia.

Before long, the ascents had ceased and we descended out the Black Hills, out of South Dakota, and into Wyoming!

Cloudy mountain peaks greeted us as we descended into Wyoming. The view was stunning.

I've learned one thing about Wyoming already: it's mountainous and will not be an easy state to cross!

Weary from the Black Hills, we're all settling into bed early here in Sundance, WY. Only time will tell what this state will bring us.

Wandering through Wyoming,

James

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Today was dedicated to Hilary, as indicated earlier.

Day Forty: A Rest Day in Rapid

To beat the 4th of July crowd, we decided to check out Mount Rushmore on our rest day on July 5th.
Here are my pictures from the team trip:

Flags from every state line the path to the main attraction.

In the nearby museum I discovered the original plan for Mount Rushmore. The lower portions of the sculpture were never carved due to the composition of the mountain side.

A closer view, from under the President's noses.

We were also productive today, organizing our food supplies, creating a thank you video for our donors, and taking the vans to get vacuumed. Overall, it was an enjoyable day off the bike, one for both preparation and exploration.

Tomorrow we head into the Black Hills, which has the majority of the team anxious. Driving through them today illustrated their steepness and length. I would be lying if I claimed that I wasn't nervous, but I am considerably more excited than nervous--excited for the challenge, excited for the scenery, excited to see how far I've come.

I guess I better get some sleep then.

Resting in Rapid,

James

Day Thirty-Nine: Racing to Rapid City

I slept relatively sound in the tent, cushioned by my sleeping pad and sleeping bag. Luckily there was no rain and the temperature cooled during the night. We awoke to the sunrise, since not much can be done before sunrise while camping.

The sunrise over the badlands was incredible--a wonderful way to wake up.

It was not long before we realized that we would essentially have to climb out of the Badlands in order to continue our journey. The climb was steep, but the 30 mph headwinds were torture!

The climbing begins as the sun rises higher; we're greeted by strong headwinds.

I soon discovered that the trip out of the Badlands (about 22 miles worth) was just as senic as the route into the Badlands. It was worth it to stop for one last picture:

A last look at the Badlands before departing for Rapid City.

We trudged forward through the coursing headwinds, stopping at the famous Wall Drug in Wall, SD. The establishment was touristy, but offered 5 cent coffee, which we each had 5 cups of. It was a nice unofficial break to give our legs a rest and our system a jolt of caffeinated energy. It came in handy.

Luckily, the winds eventually died down as we moved closer to Rapid City, which rests at the foot of the Black Hills.

Approaching Rapid City, with the Black Hills lurking in the distance.

After concuring one last (and long) climb, we reached our host--Calvary Lutheran Church. The place is enormous and perfect for our two-day stay.

Being that tomorrow is a rest day, we headed downtown to check out the scene. We stumbled upon a reggae band at the Firehouse Brewing Company:

We all began to fall asleep after dancing to a local reggae band's performance at the Firehouse Brewing Company in Rapid City, SD.

We were exhausted from the day's challenging headwinds, and soon found ourselves falling asleep at the table! With that it was time to go back to the host and off to bed. This was the first Fourth of July in a while that I didn't see fireworks (the typical firework shows for the Rapid City area were canceled due to forest fires). It was a good day nonetheless.

Happy Fourth of July!

James

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Today was dedicated to my grandfather, Donald Schwabacher, on his birthday. He proved to be a strong rock for my grandmother during her lifetime, and has proven to be an even stronger man after her passing. Today was for him and his silent strength.