Sorry for long delay in posts. also i lost my cell phone so i don't have anyone numbers so please call me.
9-3
Rode to just about the border of Utah. Almost ran out of water, thought the town of Bedrock would have had more. I think it had a population of -2. So I happened to see a woman outside a house away from the road doing yard work. So I went to her and asked for some water. She gladly refilled my bottles and told me of a bike hostel a few miles away. She wasn't exactly sure where it was so she made a phone call and found out the exact directions. I made it there just before dark but it was filled with some mountain bikers so I slept on the back porch.
9-4
Entered Utah and had to climb a pretty steep mountain right off the bat.
9-5
Stayed the night in Morticello Utah.
9-6
I was on a long stretch of road with absolutely nothing and a woman pulled over and refilled my water. Her friend biked this route and told her if she ever saw anyone refill the water since the maps showing water sources are not very accurate. Spent the night at some Indian ruins.
9-7
Waking up in the morning I met Larry and Lisa who stopped by to see the ruins. They gave me plenty of food and gatoraide. Passed a biker, Tommy from Argentina who was biking from Alaska to Florida. He thought there was a town just ahead which was an abandoned hotel and thats it, no houses or anything. So I gave him some water. At the little "town" of Hite I met Kurk. He was on vacation with his camper and was going the same way as me so he offered to give me a ride to the next real town of Hanksville. We both stayed at the same campsite and had dinner together.
9-8
Rode through Capital Reef National park and stayed the night in park.
9-9
Leaving the park I stopped to get breakfast. When I was almost finished I looked out the window and saw Kurk, my angel in Hite, pull up in his camper. He came in and we had breakfast together. I was supposed to have a huge climb today but changed my route. Upon leaving a van pulled up to me and asked if I was OK, it was the 3 waitresses from the restaurant (Sandra the grandmother, Tonya the daughter, and Jayce the granddaughter) they asked if I wanted a ride (and I'm sure you already know I gladly accepted. I finished the last 25 miles a day with a storm chasing me the whole way. Everytime I looked back it was a 1/2 mile behind me. It finally hit me as I got to the campground.
9-10
Made choice to take a "shortcut" today. It was going to cut a few days off my route, It was a steep dirt road up a mountain. As I approached there were warning signs of steep inclines, that when wet parts were impassable, your an idiot; you know the usual. And oh yeah of course it was raining. Some parts were so steep and muddy I had to detach my bike, walk it up a few inclines, walk back down and than walk my cart up. I had also took the heaviest items out and put them in my backpack so my wheels wouldn't sink in the mud. On my last time of doing this I came down to see my backpack gone, it had fallen down the side of the mountain. So I had to scamper down the side of a wet mountain to retrieve it. At one point a local passed me in a pickup. He said "Someone more ambitious than me." I told him, "No, you have just met someone dumber than you." Upon finally reaching the summit the other side was pavement, unfortuanltely it was all 10% declines and I had lost my helmet. So I had to ride my brakes the whole way, if i let off for one second I took off like a rocket.
9-11
took a rest day in Beaver Utah.
9-12
Stayed behind the only house in the valley with a fellow cyclist I met on the road half a mile from the house. His name was Peter and is from the Netherlands. He started up in Calgary and was ending in Colorodo. The woman who owned the house brought us out sloppy joes, and of course Peter's first response was, "what;s a sloppy joe".
9-13
Made it to Blanding just outside Nevada.
9-14
Entered Nevada today. Entered Nevada today. Nevada has the most mountain ranges out of any state. You go up a summit and down into big long valleys. These valleys mess with your head, they look like their two miles but are actually about 10. You see a car coming at you, and you know their going about 80 mph and it takes them 5 minutes to get to you.
9-15
Climbed 3 summits today, slept on top of 3rd one.
9-16
"Lonliest road in America" is a gimmick. I was constantly passed all day. And some of the rudest drivers I've encountered across all America were on the stretch between Eureka and Austin.
9-17
Slept ontop of mountain before getting into Austin Nevada. Eating lunch at a restaurant I met a couple and talked to them for a bit. Leaving town I realized I hadn't got any souvenirs for my nephews or niece so I stopped by a gift shop. I saw the couple from lunch in there again. I talked to some people in town for a bit and stopped a tthe gas station at edge of town and saw the couple again. This time they asked if I wanted a ride which I quickly said yes. I am so tired. I had been hoping for a ride the past few days. I refused to pray for it, "Thy will be done". But I hoped and hoped. There names were Bob and Judy and were so wonderful. They drove me to Bob's house just on the border of California where I was able to buy my plane ticket home. I stayed the night at Bob's and I really enjoyed my time with them and getting to know them.
9-18
Started 30 miles uphill to Carson Pass. Made it over the pass and slept on side of the road just after the pass.
9-19
Rode last 100+ miles into Sacramento. I had finally made it.
9-20 - 23
Donated my bike and trailer to St. Vincent De Paul. As I was walking back to my hotel I had to cross a drawbridge. The past few days I was pretty down on myself, I hadn't made my pilgrimage as spiritual as I could have. I could have, and should have done so much there. But as I crossed the drawbridge there was a single red rose in the middle of the sidewalk for me. And I knew that heaven was very pleased with my pilgrimage.
9-24
I would like to thank everyone who has helped me in anyway. Whether it was financially, physically, or more importantly prayerfully; thank you all. I honestly could not have done it without all of you. I'm not sure if I wrote this or not previously but it still holds true. Many people have told me how much courage I must have to undergo this and I bet many of you who don't know me may think I have some street smarts to make this easier. But to be honest I am not courageous, and I am a bone head. The only thing I brought were my two legs and a desire to fall more in love with GOD, it was all of you and of course my beautiful queen benefactor Mary who guided me along. So thank you and all of you will forever be in my prayers.
One of the many beautiful sites in Utah.
Some Native American carvings in Utah
Double rainbow in Utah
All antlers.....kind of morbid to me
My rose on the draw bridge.
9-3
Rode to just about the border of Utah. Almost ran out of water, thought the town of Bedrock would have had more. I think it had a population of -2. So I happened to see a woman outside a house away from the road doing yard work. So I went to her and asked for some water. She gladly refilled my bottles and told me of a bike hostel a few miles away. She wasn't exactly sure where it was so she made a phone call and found out the exact directions. I made it there just before dark but it was filled with some mountain bikers so I slept on the back porch.
9-4
Entered Utah and had to climb a pretty steep mountain right off the bat.
9-5
Stayed the night in Morticello Utah.
9-6
I was on a long stretch of road with absolutely nothing and a woman pulled over and refilled my water. Her friend biked this route and told her if she ever saw anyone refill the water since the maps showing water sources are not very accurate. Spent the night at some Indian ruins.
9-7
Waking up in the morning I met Larry and Lisa who stopped by to see the ruins. They gave me plenty of food and gatoraide. Passed a biker, Tommy from Argentina who was biking from Alaska to Florida. He thought there was a town just ahead which was an abandoned hotel and thats it, no houses or anything. So I gave him some water. At the little "town" of Hite I met Kurk. He was on vacation with his camper and was going the same way as me so he offered to give me a ride to the next real town of Hanksville. We both stayed at the same campsite and had dinner together.
9-8
Rode through Capital Reef National park and stayed the night in park.
9-9
Leaving the park I stopped to get breakfast. When I was almost finished I looked out the window and saw Kurk, my angel in Hite, pull up in his camper. He came in and we had breakfast together. I was supposed to have a huge climb today but changed my route. Upon leaving a van pulled up to me and asked if I was OK, it was the 3 waitresses from the restaurant (Sandra the grandmother, Tonya the daughter, and Jayce the granddaughter) they asked if I wanted a ride (and I'm sure you already know I gladly accepted. I finished the last 25 miles a day with a storm chasing me the whole way. Everytime I looked back it was a 1/2 mile behind me. It finally hit me as I got to the campground.
9-10
Made choice to take a "shortcut" today. It was going to cut a few days off my route, It was a steep dirt road up a mountain. As I approached there were warning signs of steep inclines, that when wet parts were impassable, your an idiot; you know the usual. And oh yeah of course it was raining. Some parts were so steep and muddy I had to detach my bike, walk it up a few inclines, walk back down and than walk my cart up. I had also took the heaviest items out and put them in my backpack so my wheels wouldn't sink in the mud. On my last time of doing this I came down to see my backpack gone, it had fallen down the side of the mountain. So I had to scamper down the side of a wet mountain to retrieve it. At one point a local passed me in a pickup. He said "Someone more ambitious than me." I told him, "No, you have just met someone dumber than you." Upon finally reaching the summit the other side was pavement, unfortuanltely it was all 10% declines and I had lost my helmet. So I had to ride my brakes the whole way, if i let off for one second I took off like a rocket.
9-11
took a rest day in Beaver Utah.
9-12
Stayed behind the only house in the valley with a fellow cyclist I met on the road half a mile from the house. His name was Peter and is from the Netherlands. He started up in Calgary and was ending in Colorodo. The woman who owned the house brought us out sloppy joes, and of course Peter's first response was, "what;s a sloppy joe".
9-13
Made it to Blanding just outside Nevada.
9-14
Entered Nevada today. Entered Nevada today. Nevada has the most mountain ranges out of any state. You go up a summit and down into big long valleys. These valleys mess with your head, they look like their two miles but are actually about 10. You see a car coming at you, and you know their going about 80 mph and it takes them 5 minutes to get to you.
9-15
Climbed 3 summits today, slept on top of 3rd one.
9-16
"Lonliest road in America" is a gimmick. I was constantly passed all day. And some of the rudest drivers I've encountered across all America were on the stretch between Eureka and Austin.
9-17
Slept ontop of mountain before getting into Austin Nevada. Eating lunch at a restaurant I met a couple and talked to them for a bit. Leaving town I realized I hadn't got any souvenirs for my nephews or niece so I stopped by a gift shop. I saw the couple from lunch in there again. I talked to some people in town for a bit and stopped a tthe gas station at edge of town and saw the couple again. This time they asked if I wanted a ride which I quickly said yes. I am so tired. I had been hoping for a ride the past few days. I refused to pray for it, "Thy will be done". But I hoped and hoped. There names were Bob and Judy and were so wonderful. They drove me to Bob's house just on the border of California where I was able to buy my plane ticket home. I stayed the night at Bob's and I really enjoyed my time with them and getting to know them.
9-18
Started 30 miles uphill to Carson Pass. Made it over the pass and slept on side of the road just after the pass.
9-19
Rode last 100+ miles into Sacramento. I had finally made it.
9-20 - 23
Donated my bike and trailer to St. Vincent De Paul. As I was walking back to my hotel I had to cross a drawbridge. The past few days I was pretty down on myself, I hadn't made my pilgrimage as spiritual as I could have. I could have, and should have done so much there. But as I crossed the drawbridge there was a single red rose in the middle of the sidewalk for me. And I knew that heaven was very pleased with my pilgrimage.
9-24
I would like to thank everyone who has helped me in anyway. Whether it was financially, physically, or more importantly prayerfully; thank you all. I honestly could not have done it without all of you. I'm not sure if I wrote this or not previously but it still holds true. Many people have told me how much courage I must have to undergo this and I bet many of you who don't know me may think I have some street smarts to make this easier. But to be honest I am not courageous, and I am a bone head. The only thing I brought were my two legs and a desire to fall more in love with GOD, it was all of you and of course my beautiful queen benefactor Mary who guided me along. So thank you and all of you will forever be in my prayers.
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