My Week with the BTUSFMS Northern Tier Team Begins!

Saturday, July 1. Harrisburg, PA to Minneapolis, MN.

After my uncle's funeral, I headed from Harrisburg to BWI to catch my 7pm flight to Minneapolis.  I really felt sad leaving my dad, sister, and all of my extended family.  The drive to BWI was solemn and I felt so emotionally drained. Saying goodbye to my Uncle Mike has been really hard.

Once at BWI, my flight was delayed 30 min, which was good because hauling my big bike box and rolling duffel from the economy lot onto the shuttle bus to check-in was quite the effort. I had to repack my bags a bit to avoid an extra $100 surcharge, but it all worked out. The flight was mildly rough from storms in DC, but I safely arrived in Minneapolis around 9pm local time.  One of the route leaders and team mechanic (and friend of mine!), Jeremy, graciously picked me up and even brought Taco Bell!  We enjoyed pre-July 4th fireworks displays along the way up to Dalbo where the group was staying in a cool bike hostel, called the Adventure Bicycle Bunkhouse.  We arrived shortly before midnight and I quickly and quietly found the nearest cot to go to sleep on.

Thanks for following along!

If you'd like to make a donation to Bike the US for the MS, you can do so here:

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Day 66: Winthrop to Diablo Lake, WA

The first night back in my tent was really warm going to sleep, but I ended up really chilly overnight.  My nose got really stuffy from the dry air and the nearby smoke from the forest fires nearby or in Canada as the smoke is blowing into Washington.  It certainly adds some haze to the scenery.  I hardly slept, not out of anxiety, but because there were lots of sounds to listen to; babies, sirens, chirping, someone throwing up.
 
Since the weather forecast was for hot weather again (near 100°F), everyone woke up early and I was up at 5:30am.  I packed up, made oatmeal and hot cocoa for breakfast and left camp by 7am.  Most cyclists rode into Winthrop, which felt like an old Western or mining town, to have breakfast at a local bakery.  We started peddling by 8am and I had a nice ride with Chelsea, a cyclist who had joined the trip part-way through.  She was really smiley and pleasant to talk to.  The mountain views were really beautiful and we were blessed with the sun being behind the mountain ridge as we had a long day ahead with a big mountain climb.  We took a rolling backroad off the main Rt 20 to get to our first rest stop in Mazama at the Country Store.  We also got 2nd breakfast and snacks.  I also had my first donut peach and wowee, what a delicious fruit that is!!!  We hung out for about an hour at the country store, talking to locals about the trip and gave out stickers.

Both excitedly and reluctantly, we headed up the mountain, but it was starting to get hot out. It was 23 miles to the summit of Washington Pass and Rainy Pass, 5,477 ft at the pass.  We played leap frog, it seemed, with a number of riders with the 4K for Cancer cycling group, but otherwise I kept to the shoulder on this 2-lane pass over the Cascades.  I got a flat tire on the middle of the long climb, with about 10 miles to go to the top still, and there was no shade to change it. Luckily, Reed saved the day with his good tire pump. Mine isn't as good as I'd hoped it'd be, unfortunately.  The water in my bottles was hot and I was already feeling scorched, not even halfway through the day. Luckily for me, but unfortunately for the route leaders, the van was over heating on the long climb and I was able to refill my water bottles with cool water, which only stayed cool for 10 minutes, but it was still a God-send.

Upon finally reaching the top, the views from the two summits of the passes were beautiful.  It was spectacular looking back at the road we had climbed and being to see mountain and after mountain.  At Rainy Pass, we stopped and walked into a park where there was a lake with a waterfall.  The water was frigid and the rocks were slippery, so I just ventured to the waterline, knowing I’m not the most graceful person and this was still the first day of the trip. After an hour at this lake, we headed down the road as it was still another 30 miles to camp at Diablo Lake. While mostly downhill, strong headwinds prevailed and we all felt gipped on the awesome descent.  I rode mostly by myself, as I took an extended bathroom break leaving the lake.  So, I played catch-up to the group while enjoying the descents.  I finally caught a few folks, but by then I felt as though either heat exhaustion or altitude sickness was starting to set in.  Even the headwind was giving me a headache.  I just wanted to close my eyes and take a nap. I also felt lightheaded and a bit nauseas. I met up with Emily, Brian and Yong at an overpass and let them know how I was feeling.  We rode to another overpass, looking way down on Diablo Lake and we knew we were minutes from the finish.  We rode down a very steep and fun descent together into camp.  I think I hit 44mph that day!!

Once at camp, instead of eating dinner right away, I decided I needed to cool off and jumped into the glacial lake with 2 other riders.  I actually struggled to get out because I was numbing up so fast, and perhaps the shock also caused such a dramatic reaction.  However, the water was a beautiful teal and did refresh me!

For dinner, I boiled mac ‘n cheese and stirred in canned tuna.  Our campsites are way up a hill that the van and trailer couldn't make it to, so we unpacked our tents and sleeping bags and hauled them up the steep hill.  It was like being in Fern Gully; so heavily wooded and green, very lush.

Though I felt exhausted from the heat today and had my moments of struggle, it's been really nice reconnecting with the riders and hearing all their great stories. They're ready to go home, but I'm still excited to just be getting started again.  It was a really tough first day back, but so rewarding!

Downtown Winthrop

The mountain we climbed.

Taking over the Mazama Store before our hill climb.

I did it!

Emily, Yong and Brian looking down over Diablo Lake.

Camp was at the far side of the picture at Diablo Lake.

Day 65: Tonasket to Winthrop, WA

Though my day actually started in Omak, the rest of the cyclists started their day in Tonasket, about 25 miles north of me. I went to grab dental floss at 7am from the gas station down the street when I noticed riders starting to pass me while I was walking. Apparently, many of the cyclists wanted to beat the predicted 105°F heat and left camp at 4am!

As the riders passed through Omak, it was really funny reuniting with them. I got big, excited hugs from everyone and even a look of surprise, though they knew I was coming back. It was usually a look of "Who's this person?" and then with the realization that it was me a big smile would come over their face, followed up by a big hug. It was a lot of fun. I think it also helped to take away briefly from their 9 weeks of exhaustion.

I felt a lot of joy and excitement to be in van again, cheering everyone on their hill climb, even though I really wish I could have been riding with them. It was easier and possibly safer for me to ship my bike to Winthrop because of logistics, so I didn't get to ride today. The group summitted Loup Loup Pass and, since I was in the support van, we ended up hanging out at the pass for 4 hours while cyclists came through for water and lunch. I can't complain about hanging out on a mountain top all day.

We ended the day in Winthrop, which feels like an old mining or western town. It's really cute and I think it's a fairly major vacation destination with winter time skiing. Once we got to the KOA Winthrop campground, I claimed my bike from the front office and started to assemble it. I was missing my rear skewer, but luckily Svetlana actually had a spare wheel set that she let me have her rear skewer from. I did as much reassembly of the bike as I could on my own, then set up camp, and headed to the local pizza place (about 3/4 mile walk) for dinner with the rest of the group. The pizza and mud pie were delicious! When I got back to camp, Lucas (the route leader bike mechanic on the trip) had finished setting up my bike and she was riding better than ever!

That evening, we all hung out at camp and I got to hear many of the fun stories I had seen on Facebook while I was away. I'm really bummed I missed all the fun and bonding of the last 8 weeks, but it's nice to feel welcomed back in, even if it's just for the last 5 days. In anticipation for the next day's heat and final major mountain climb, we were all in bed more of less by dark after celebrating Alex's 22nd birthday.

Excited in Omak

I've been on the road for the last 2 weeks, seeing San Diego for a conference, then Vancouver for a weekend, working remotely from a friend's house in Seattle, and now I'll spend the next 5 days reuniting with my fellow Northern Tier cyclists.

Today, I left Seattle via Lyft taxi to the Greyhound bus station downtown. It was my first Greyhound ride and it was definitely what I expected. There was WiFi and power outlets. The seats weren't bad and the people were extremely unique. I was able to work a little bit on the bus, with the exception of a dropped call while passing through Snoqualmie Pass.

Once we reached Ellensburg, I change buses to a small van, similar to airport shuttles. No big deal, until I stepped onboard and found there was no WiFi, no outlets.. and no A/C... in 105°F heat!  I was in jeans, too. This was a 5 hour bus ride. I was 1 of 3 passengers on the bus. I finally changed into shorts in the back of the bus about 60 seconds before we reached Wenatchee, where everyone else offloaded and we picked up a nice Colville Tribesman named Steven from Omak who earns his living fishing in Alaska. He even had a big box of frozen and dehydrated fish onboard that was quickly thawing out.

Steven and I endured the heat and he gave me lots of great information about Omak, the landscrape and the apple orchards we were seeing, fishing in Alaska, living on a reservation, casinos, his family background, the controversial Suicide Race and so much more!  It was fascinating and enlightening conversation. We both happened to be staying at the same motel in Omak, so the driver kindly took us straight there. As we were parting ways, Steven offered me a gift of dehydrated salmon from Alaska, which I took with excitement.

After checking in, I walked down Main Street to find dinner, which was at an Italian restaurant. Omak is a very small town with most of the population inhabiting the Colville Reservation on the other side of the Onakagon River. I started to cross the bridge to look at the Reservation, but I wasn't sure what the sign that said Tribal Laws Apply meant and didn't want to intrude.

Despite the heat on the bus and long ride, I had a very enjoyable journey to Omak thanks to the good company and beautiful landscape along the way. I am so very excited to see my fellow cyclists tomorrow morning right here in Omak, WA!

Snoqualmie Pass 

Colombia River

Dehydrated salmon

Downtown Omak 

Omak mural with reference to the Suicide Race

Omak Sunset, perhaps a fire is nearby?

Preparing for the Home Stretch

I've been watching from my Facebook page for the last 9 weeks as my co-cyclists have worked their way across the northern US, mostly struggling through rain and flooded areas, going miles out of their way to detour the floods.  I've enjoyed seeing every one of their photos and wishing I could be experiencing it all with them.  In 2 days, that wish will come true.  I will be reunited with my fellow cyclists for the last 5 days of the 2015 Bike the US for MS Northern Tier ride.

July 4th Ride

After finishing up in June, I left you - my donors and blog readers - without an update for far too long.  I had a nice ride home with my family, but a physically painful ride.  My left IT band, hamstring, pyriformis muscle and siatic nerve were all inflamed and very angry with me.  I could barely walk on my left leg for a few days and when the pain wasn't so excruciating, I was finally able to see a physical therapist.  Unfortunately, that time was cut short because my company changed insurance carriers.  So, I worked hard with The Physical Therapy Zone up until my last day on the insurance they accepted.  I worked out, stretched and did more strength-training for my hips, hamstrings, glutes, ab- and adductors than I probably ever have.  I also experienced the wonderful healing heat of ultrasound to break-up adhesions and scar tissue, and e-stimulation (mild form of electrocution) while icing down to reduce inflammation.  It was an intense couple of weeks, but I've been pain-free since the end of June.  I was nervous the following weekend to go on a long ride, but I knew I needed to know if I was going to hurt while bike riding.  I didn't have any pain, which made me very happy and restored some of my confidence!  I was, however, exhausted. 

 

I was also able to get in a short, but steep ride out in San Diego, but that's still 10 days before riding with the group.  I hope my legs can keep up, so I'm now more worried than ever about not being able to keep up with the group, who have been riding 70+ miles/day everyday for 9 weeks.  They're going to smoke me up the Cascades Mountains!  Regardless, I'm excited to see everyone and it's surely going to be an emotional experience for everyone as their journey together comes to a close.  

 

San Diego Ride

I head out by Greyhound to what seems like the middle of nowhere to join the group on Thursday. It's going to be a beautiful ride, but we're starting out with 105°F heat and it'll drop to about 50°F at night in the mountains. Hopefully I'll have some cell service to blog, but if not, then I'll update afterwards. 







Day 6: Bread Loaf Mountain climb into Middlebury, VT

We awoke in the community center nearly 30 minutes later than usual - all of 6am instead of 530am! There were almost no early birds on the TransAm ride last year, so this has been quite the change. As mellow as this group is, they really love to just get up and tackle the miles. Hard core!  Someone from the local community in East Thetford had made us something like 4 or 5 dozen donuts and sent along maple cream (similar to icing) to top them with! So delicious! We delayed heading out so that we could present Meg with the Bike the US for MS Silver Award for her repeatedly amazing hospitality when the Northern Tier riders come through town each year on June 1st. It was a very special moment. Check out the video here.

Since I had taken the previous day off to rest my sciatic nerve, my bike needed a fresh chain lube from all the rain it had been put through on top of the van. As usual, I was one of the last ones to depart from camp, but oddly, never later than the time we are supposed to depart by. I'm just not an early bird. :)  Stefanie and I had a nice ride out of East Thetford, VT with some lovely scenery to the first rest stop in South Royalton, VT. It was chilly and misty, so I was bundled in multiple layers and my rain jacket. Our stop was in a cute little town where I got homemade chicken soup and a banana at a local market. It warmed me right up!

After leaving this rest stop, I wasn't more than 5 minutes of out town when I heard a strange squeaking sound and it was to the tune of a flat front tire. So, I pulled over and two of the other riders, Al and Gayle, kindly pulled over to offer assistance, as well. It was a pretty easy and quick tube change, and I was happy i had changed a tire the previous day and was fresh on my skills. Seeing as this tube had already been patched 2 or 3 times, I wasn't surprised it had a flat. I used my Air Kiss CO2 cartridge to fill the tire, but later discovered I only let it fill the tire half full. It seemed ok while riding another 15 miles on it, with a significant hill climb included. I was lucky to not get another pinch flat riding on it that way.

Our 2nd rest stop of the day was in another cute, little town called Rochester. By this time, my sciatic nerve was feeling more pinched and my knee was really starting to ache. I decided to see if I was ambidextrous and unclip with the other foot than I usually do. It turns out I'm not podiatrically ambidextrous when it comes to actually stopping and being able to put my free foot on the ground. Unclipping was not the problem, but correct balance was. So, I went injured-sciatic nerve-first into the pavement right next to a bunch of riders. So graceful. It felt kind of nice, in a sick way perhaps, to have such direct pressure on the pain point. I'm alright, just have a fresh bruise to match the other "cheek" from a few weeks ago.

Once dusting myself off and straightening out of my crooked seat, I ate delicious French toast (with pure VT maple syrup of course!) and drank a bottle of milk at a local bakery. When the massive plate of food came out, I wasn't sure if this was the correct choice before climbing Bread Loaf Mountain, which was a 2-3 mile climb at 12% grade. Oh well, I certainly wasn't going to NOT eat it.

Once again, last out of the rest stop, I stripped out of my rain jacket, gloves, sunglasses and hat (all items that could cause me to pour sweat on such a mountain climb) and off I went. I wasn't exactly sure when the climb officially began, but I felt strong, like I had adrenaline and maple syrup fueling my veins. I surprised myself and caught up to a number of riders, reaching the summit with others I don't normally get to ride with. We took photos of our achievement and then were immediately passed by the men's Olympic biathlon team who were training on the same mountain and looked way more badass. So, to keep my adrenaline going, I got on my bike and hit 40 mph riding down the other side of the mountain at a 15% grade. I pedaled so hard, but forgot it was actually a 15 mile ride to camp. I felt great and crushed that day of biking, but I think part of my success was due to knowing it was my last day, as well as 6 pills of ibuprofen to get me through the day.

We stayed at a local sports facility in a building called The Warming Hut in Middlebury, VT. It was smaller than the previous night's community center and then we found out there was no hot water for showers, so 27 stinky people were packed in a small room. It smelled anything but lovely.

My parents arrived just in time to see me come into the parking lot on my bike, but yet they didn't even recognize me in my cycling gear. They let me use the shower in their hotel room, thankfully. After my first hot shower in about 3 days, it sure did make me sleepy. And then the ibuprofen began to wear off.

We met most of the group at the popular,  local Two Brothers Tavern and the night evolved into karaoke and fun times together. The next day was a rest day, so nobody was anxious to get to bed, despite the exhaustion. I lost my ID somewhere in the mountains, probably stolen by a moose, so I didn't get to go to the bar. Ibstead, I met others back at camp and Mr. Sandman and full leg pain hit me pretty hard. I barely slept for the 6 hours I layed on my sleeping pad on the floor and winced with pain any time I turned over. As sad as I am to leave tomorrow, my body is ok with taking time to heal and I can't wait to come back healed and stronger when I meet the group in 8 weeks in Washington state for more mountains!

Anytime I've had this pinched nerve pain while riding, I always think back to the rider pledge we signed where one of the lines says, "Before I complain about feeling tired, hurt, or dirty, I will think of the millions of people living with MS and the struggle they go through each day." And then I do my best to press on through the ride in honor of all of those I've spent this week riding for.

Vermont scenery 

Delicious cafe in Rochester, VT

Milk gets me up mountains 

At the top of Bread Loaf Mountain; conquered!

Hanging with some of the gang at Two Brothers Tavern in Middlebury

Day 5: Summit of Mt. Kancamagus and down into VT

We are only spending 1 night in NH, and it will probably be the coldest, wettest night of the entire trip. We stayed at Jigger Johnson Campground last night about 10 miles up Mt. Kancamagus. Half of the group woke up to sleeping in puddles or flooded tents. My hip and knee ached all night long and I could barely sleep. Despite wearing nearly everything I brought, I shivered all night and was thankful to have a mummy style sleeping bag. It's rated to 45F, but it didn't quite get the job done because it was probably 40F with the wind chill. Pretty quickly I knew that I wouldn't be able to climb the 2 mountains today, riding 80 miles total, in the cold and pouring rain while being in pain. Part of the problem is that I can't wear my cycling shoes to clip in and out because it shoots severe pain from my foot all the way up to my hip. It really seems like my psciatic nerve is being pinched. Oddly, it is directly opposite where I fell on my right hip just over a month ago. So, instead of it being truly knee pain, I'm wondering if my fall misaligned my hips and is pinching my psiatic nerve when I ride. It had been feeling better after being off my bike, but today it's just constantly hurting and ibuprofen has stopped working. As heart broken as I am about not riding with the group today, I am more concerned about not making it worse and also risking falling if I can't unclog (or slipping off my pedals on the ascents or descents while only wearing sneakers). Emily is a massage therapist and is kindly going to work on my pyriformis tonight to try to loosen the pressure on my psiatic nerve. 

The group is doing amazingly today. They all have such fantastic attutudes, despite all the frigidity and wetness they are experiencing. Though most didn't have smiles on their faces, 2 guys (Will and Zach) actually gave us in the van a smile as we passed them. After a 12 mile steep descent into Lincoln (slippery and in the cold and rain), everyone stripped down and went into a local laundromat to dry their gear (sleeping bags and some tents, too!) before having lunch and hitting the road again. 

The rain let up a little bit as the group headed across state lines into Vermont. A few folks had falls coming down the mountain and someone who broke both of his rims, so we are up to 4 riders total in the van who had to give their bodies a break.

The rest of the day included a few more stops in the rain and our final destination in Thetford Center, Vermont, which is where we had a great host named Meg who has MS. She rallied the community to bring all kinds of wonderful food for dinner, tents, showers in their homes, and let us stay inside in their Community Center. This is one of the nicest towns I've ever been in. This is also one of our riders' (Ryan) hometowns, so we said our goodbyes to him tonight, as well. Most people were able to get showers, and we are all set up in the same room, so we will quickly find out who snores tonight! 

I'm so bummed tomorrow is my last day of riding (until late July when I rejoin the group for the last 5 day!) and I'm going to try to bike, despite my knee. We are in a warm room tonight and I'm really hoping that helps my knee feel more loose by morning.

Flooding tents

The van and trailer 

Drying ourselves