Yes, We are still going

So there comes a time in any grand adventure when you become so immersed in the experience that all remnants of the real world dissolve into a far dark corner of your mind. It is there that my blog has resided the last few weeks.

But yes, we are still riding and the trip has continued to be incredible. A shout out to the Prescott Area Habitat and Thrivent Build crew for reminding me of all of those who read my blog. And a special THANK YOU also for the delicious chocolates :). Part of the reason for my absence can may be attributed to the personal journal I have been keeping for every day of this trip. Additionally, I have been collecting "life stories" on our bike rides, which has somewhat replaced my bios that I had been writing. It has been great to hear in depth descriptions of people's lives up until this point. It is amazing how all the pieces of what you know about someone fall into place when you really understand where they are coming from and where they have been.

Anywho now I am back, and surprisingly, we are nearly to California!! Currently we are in Wickenburg, Arizona. You could say we are in the middle of the desert. I saw my first real giant cactus today, a moment I had been waiting for. But let me back up and sum up a bit of what has been happening in the last few states.

Oklahoma and Kansas- WHEAT. Lots and lots of golden wheat fields as far as the eye can see. Full vision consumed by wheat and sky. We had our first taste of the west when we stopped by a Rodeo on our way to Ponca City, OK where we met a women's ranch rodeo champion and talked with her about all of the challenging events she competed in. In Coldwater, KS, Sami and I enjoyed a drink with some locals and learned about tractor racing. We camped out there by a lake, which was fun but HOT. We rode into town and the bank sign read 104 degrees. Perhaps the only thing that was not fun about OK and KS was the wind. Headwinds are absolutely terrible. But the one day we had a tailwind into Dodge City was great!

Colorado- BEAUTIFUL. Colorado was amazing. We conquered the rockies and the western atmosphere seeped even more into our adventures. We stayed on a Ranch in Chico Basin, where we drove 10+ miles across gravel and sand (I learned quickly how to ride fishtails). Once there, we enjoyed a herd of horses that galloped past our tents just as a beautiful rainbow crossed the sky. A picture book. However, the ranch day also marked the beginning of THE SICKNESS, a nasty virus that ultimately claimed the health of about 12 of our riders. Luckily I escaped unscathed and everyone was better withing a few days. We had 2 build days in Colorado Springs, where we built a foundation of a home. Another group of Bike and Builders intended to come in and complete the home over several days, but sadly rumor has it that complications may have prevented that from happening. The next several days were a string of difficult rides, but gorgeous scenery. Buena Vista was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. One one decent, the scene was so huge and magnificent I could have sworn ancient Greek Gods were about to descend from the heavens. We had a day off in Gunnison after we climbed up Monarch Pass at 11,312 feet- our highest elevation!(see top photo) There, a group of us went rafting, which was a ton of fun. I had my first major "bonking" experience the next day into Ridgway. That was definitely my most difficult ride of the trip. I was ready to breakdown at the end, primarily due to a really long day and intense headwinds in the last 20 miles. Those really mess with your head. But then I had a pretty good ride into Durango on the fourth of july, and we all enjoyed an entertaining fireworks display and night out on the town. I took a much needed rest day in Durango after several days of climbing mountains.

Utah- We were rerouted from the original route to Bluff, UT and spent a day in the state. We camped again, and caught our first sights of the DESERT. Brian, Marcus and I did a little rock climbing/scrambling and reached the top of some giant rocks with a lookout over a watering hole that some of us went swimming in.

Arizona- We are in Arizona now. We started out in Kayenta, which was a gorgeous ride with beautiful red rocks and awesome descents that lasted for miles. There were several where I cruised along at 30+ mph for minutes at a time. The expansive stretches of sand, grass and rock contained the most unbelievable range of colors. The complimentary color pairs were what impressed me the most- purple next to yellow, green next to red, orange next to blue. I love it. Then we saw the Grand Canyon. And what can I say; it was grand and it was a freakin big canyon. The views from that day and the feeling of riding 25 miles along the rim are memories I will remember forever. After the canyon, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Arizona has beautiful wooded mountains! If you are at all like me, and have not traveled to Arizona before, you may have had the same mental image I had of lots of dust and sand. But we have also had the first rain we have had in a while here! go figure.

Anyway, that is what we have been up to in "brief"! I best be going now because Joe needs the computer. I'll try to update again soon with the happenings of our final week. Can't believe we have come so far.