From a Brother's Perspective

this post was sent to joe from ralph's brother, mark hall:


A GUEST RIDERS PERSPECTIVE:

I met the group in Farmington MO for a 3 day ride to Houston MO and this my take, experience, observations and explanation of what it means to ride across the country with this group. I'm Ralph's brother, Missouri is my home state and I wanted to ride with him while he was in Missouri. I also got to celebrate his 60th birthday with him and to experience a bit of the trip. I'm so glad I did.

My first sight of the group was tents on the lawn of a Fire Station in the middle of the city. Not a big city but big enough that the tents looked out of place. To the group, it was one more night in one more place - nothing out of the ordinary. It was well lit and we used the firehouse showers and bathrooms.

It took all 3 days to get to know everyone and by the time I left, I left with the feeling that if I ever do the Transamerica Ride, I hope it's with a group like this one. Let me correct that.. if I ever do the Transamerica Ride, it will have to be with a group like this - the ride is too hard, the group lives too close and the length of time is too long to have a bad group. This is a great group. They laugh, kid, respect each other, maintain appropriate independence & distance and work together toward a common goal.

The group is typically in bed by 8 pm (yes, it's still daylight out) and up around 5 am. Since I wasn't used to these hours or to sleeping on the ground, I didn't get a lot of sleep. I tried heavy beer drinking but that only made me wake up throughout the night to go to the bathroom - bad idea.

Everyone gets up in the morning at about the same time. I think the ears are tuned for the first noise, similar to an alarm clock. First thing you do in the morning is pack up everything, put it in your travel bag and put it next to the van. The cooks assistants set out the breakfast and lunch foods. They also make coffee. Everyone fixes and eats their own breakfast, makes a couple sandwiches for lunch and then hits the road.

The cooks assistants then put everything back in the van, clean up and they hit the road too.

There are two cooks and two assistants. Cooks are responsible for the dinner menu, buying the food and cooking. The next day the assistants become the cooks and there are two new assistants. This rotation happens every day.

The selection available for breakfast and lunch is similar to what you'd find in a typical large family pantry. Cereal, fruit, peanut butter and jelly, tomatoes, oatmeal, cheese, lunchmeat, different kinds of breads.. etc.. If you want something and it's available at the store and storable in the van, the cooks buy it when they go to the local grocery store (daily).

We had ice cream one night but it was pretty soft and we had to eat it right away. The reason for the ice cream was to celebrate my brother's 60th birthday, which was actually on the next day. I think we celebrated his birthday a day early because of the availability of a cake. BTW, Ralph doesn't look a day older than 60.

The group doesn't ride as a group. Some people team up and some people ride alone. At times you can see people ahead and people behind. Sometimes not. Each of the 3 days I rode, we stopped for breakfast at the first available town. This meal was on top of the breakfast at camp but it just never seemed to be too much. You burn a lot of calories riding the road. The table at the restaurant was a rotating collection of the group, some coming in while others are finishing and leaving. And, by the way, there are 9 riders plus two Adventure Cycling guys. The Adventure Cycling guys provide direction/help/support etc.. They switch off each day - one drives the van and the other rides 'sweep' on a bike. Sweep is the last biker on the road. He makes sure no one is left behind, broken down or lost.

The ride itself seemed like 'the job' and then afterwards was like 'after work'. We typically arrived at our next overnight camp by one to two pm.

First thing you do when you finish riding is to set up your tent. It has to dry out because it's usually wet from dew or rain from when you packed it in the morning. Then you take a shower & lounge around for a while. The new cooks make up the dinner menu, take food orders and head out to the grocery store in town. The two cooks fix dinner and around 5 or 6 pm we ate. There is usually plenty of food and it tasted great. Everything seems to taste great after 50 or more miles on a bike.

The evenings are interesting. This group is almost totally removed from society, news and most modern conveniences. They have to find ways to entertain and busy themselves without TV, XBox or even a light switch. Humor is always present. We had occasion to sit in the river to cool off a couple afternoons. One night David read from a book called Candy and Tom made the sound effects - it was hilarious. The bloggers (Cammie and Joe) drift away and type on computers for a while. Some fall asleep in lawn chairs, others read, some explore. If a laundry is available, they take advantage of it. Lots of conversation. One night I learned about a word that was removed from the dictionary back around 1908 that meant 'exit stage left in a crawl like manner' . I forget the word now and remember only the definition. Telephones are ever present and are the only link to the real world and family.

Each evening after dinner there is a map meeting. Everyone gets in a circle with their maps and the support leaders discuss the upcoming day's route, turns, conditions, things to look for etc.. People take notes & ask questions. This meeting always seemed pretty serious.

The weather rules. The group has no power over weather and have to take it as it comes. My second day with the group was heavy rain and thick fog for the first several hours. I stopped and wrung my socks out 3 times, then turned them inside out to get the dry side and put them back on. I knew they needed wringing when I could tilt my foot and feel the water run from the front to back of my shoe. That same day turned into a 90 degree heat wave after the rain stopped. Harsh weather might be the hardest part of the ride. Wind, rain, heat, humidity, fog, ....

The ride each day was completely new and different. The overnight facilities were each unique and the weather was always changing but I can see how they must begin to blend into a seemingly endless blur, into a place, a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity... It is an area which we call -------- the Transamerica ZONE.

While I only spent 3 days with the group, I miss them and think about them a lot. It's a small, compact world they live in. It's an extraordinary and unusual existence. It's monumental on so many levels.

I've got a feeling this group will be lifelong good friends and will stay in touch with each other for the rest of their lives.

Maybe after I retire.....

Mark

Sunday. We stayed in the hot sulphur springs resort and spa, a place probably built in the fifties and not updated. There was a mix up on the rooms so I ended up on the floor between Ralph and tom who both got in early enough to claim beds. We were literally right on a very active railroad line that had freight trains coming through every hour until about 1:00am with long loud whistle blasts just as they our window. Started riding this morning with an angry dark sky and only 44 degrees. I felt just plain weak. I stopped twice to check my bike. It felt like my brakes were dragging. I kept plugging away. The weather cleared after a couple of hours and the temp rose quickly making me feel much better. The first 29 miles took us gradually up 2000 feet to willow creek pass that topped out at 9600 feet crossing back over the continental divide to the atlantic side. Before we’re done we will have crossed the divide 5 times. The rest of the ride was a declining terrain into walden at 8100 feet and a total ride of 61 miles. Sleeping in a town park with showers in town at the Laundromat. Kill 2 birds with one stone.

Saturday. We started out of Breckenridge on a 75 mile ride at about 40 degrees. We took an off road bike trail that meandered through fields and forest from Breckenridge through frisco over the Dillon lake dam and ending in Silverthorne. Most of the ride was gently down hill following the blue river, then the Colorado river came into play and we ended in hot sulphur springs near the Colorado river head waters.

Breckenridge. To backtrack a bit I need to mention a strange phenomenon that occurred. I’ll call it biker syndrome. When driving the rental car that caryn arrived in I had a lot of trouble going more than 25 m.p.h. after spending 7 weeks at 10-14 m.p.h driving at 25 felt like I was breaking the sound barrier. I forced myself up to about 40 but it was very uncomfortable. I learned that josh is in very good physical condition. While riding up hoosier pass I was suffering from the altitude so josh rode ahead. What I didn’t realize is he rode all the way to the top turned around and came halfway down to meet me and escort me to the summit. Thursday night became a large dinner party. With all the visiting family in town we numbered aprox. 20. Friday morning was set aside for a few errands. Anida and Dick arrived at miday. The four of us had lunch catching up on family news and hung out at the brew pub most of the afternoon. I was introduced to all kinds of micro brews. They needed to be back in ft. Collins by early evening so couldn’t join josh, Tanya, and zoe for dinner. Zoe has grown a lot since we saw her last summer and she is certifiably adorable. Caryn’s visit was great but sadly had to end at 6:30am Saturday morning. She headed back to the airport and I got on my bike.

zoe tanya josh caryn joe in breckenridge

anida dick caryn joe in breckenrige

A Wife's Perspecitve

I've just arrived home to the sounds of fireworks cascading over the field behind our house. Bright. Sparkly. Exciting. Jubilant. And, I must say, that is much like I feel right now after having spent two-and-a-half days with my biker dude husband and his cycling buddies.

You who are caring enough to visit this blog are given the treat of Joe's view of the trip - both through his photographic skills and his witty and thoughtful words.

What I was privileged to see this week in Breckenridge, was a peek into the daily lives of these extraordinary folks - Joe, of course, included. I watched as they arrived at our hostel/inn in Breck after having climbed Hossier Pass. Tired, yet exhilarated.

Eleven people who had not known each other before May 15th, met for the first time on the 16th and then on the 17th became constant companions who would scale extraordinary heights, both physically, geographically and emotionally together.

Tom, Frank, Ralph, David, Andy, Scott, Alice, Cammie, Judy, Joe, John - all from diverse backgrounds and differening politcal perspectives - yet they share the same spirit of adventure. What a group they make. Do they always get along? Hmmm. I suspect there are some "spats" from time to time. Do they work together as a team? Yes, they do. My brother, Norm had joked with Joe before the trip that when they scale the various passes to take particular care as they cross the Donner Pass. They won't, of course, be there - but I am quite confident that if they were, they wouldn't eat each other.

I also met other family members who had come to spend time with their own biker dudes and chicks. It was wonderful to see the support our cyclists are receiving from their friends and family. I don't think our cyclists have realized just what a favor they are doing for all of us who are following this amazing adventure; they are letting us know just what is possible when we are ready and willing to test our personal limits.

It's not about the bike, you know; it's about the willingness to grow and expand; to test those limits; to not fall prey to ageism and stereotypes.

And now I'm home. And, I must confess, I miss my bikerdude husband. But I'll focus on those fireworks which are in celebration of our country's birthday. And I'll think about the beauty of this country as related by the cyclists - for they've seen it as few of us ever have - the small towns they've been in, and the people they've met.

It's an amazing adventure - but I'm sure glad there are only four weeks and three days left. The weeds are calling for Joe to come pluck them from the gardens.

Caryn

Wednesday and Thursday. Very hard 67 mile ride from royal gorge to fairplay, probably the toughest ride of the trip. Our total ascent was 5688 feet going over a pass at 9445 and ending up at just under 10,000. Very long steady climbs with great views and lots of wild life. 7 hours in the saddle was not kind to my butt. Got to fairplay just in time to get cleaned up and then picked up by caryn. We cruised over hoosier pass and got to our lodge in Breckenridge by 6:00pm. We walked around town and had a nice dinner at the local brew pub. Of course I had to get up by 5:00am so it was a very short night. Josh picked me up before 6:00am so we could drive back to fairplay to meet the gang and bike over hoosier pass together. Josh rode very strong, but I was seriously affected by the altitude. I just couldn’t catch my breath, of course we were above 11,000 feet for awhile. I struggled but slowly made it up and over hoosier and town into Breckenridge by 10:30am.hoosier pass is significant as it is the highest elevation we attain on the whole trip at 11,539. Don’t have to get back on the bike until Saturday morning so hopefully my legs and butt will have a chance to recover. With the long layover here there are several visiting family members so that our dinner party tonight will top out at 22. Tomorrow anida and dick are driving down to join caryn and I for lunch tomorrow. Josh, Tanya, and zoe working around josh’s work schedule will join us for dinner on Friday. July 4th will be no holiday for us. We start our last month on the road with an 80 mile ride heading toward Wyoming. Last post until Saturday or Sunday.

joe and caryn in breckenridge

joe and caryn with josh in breckenridge

biker chick in breckenridge

joe and josh at top of hoosier pass

joe and josh before ride

i'm good at the "feed" part but what's "tack"

Tuesday. Very interesting day today. Much harder than yesterday. 56 miles with one steep but relatively short hill and one less steep but about six miles long. Wind in our face most of the day. We rose to 6400. We’re camping near the royal gorge park, spectacular views. I almost forgot how to set up my tent as it’s been 17 days since I’ve needed it. I took a bunch of pictures today but cannot post them because there’s no cell service so I can’t get them from my phone to my computer. Exciting day tomorrow!!!!! Caryn will be meeting me at the end of the ride in fairplay.

Monday. Today was a gift from the cycling gods. Cool. Tail wind. Good road. Wide shoulder. Gently rising terrain. Pretty scenery. And only 52 miles ending in pueblo. This is a city of approximately 100,000 people. This is the largest city we will pass through on the whole trip. Riding through the city to the state fair grounds where we’re sleeping in the 4-H dorm was quite an adjustment. Multiple lanes of heavy traffic and lots of traffic lights. We all navigated safely and we’ll ride out of here heading west into the mountains early tomorrow. As we rode west toward pueblo the mountains seem to grow as we pedaled. I couldn’t help anticipating the battle we’ll have up and down the passes or the next several weeks. We’ll be climbing longer and higher than anything back east, but we’ve been promised the grades will be less severe. We’ll see. I’m not too worried as my legs feel strong and I’m carrying less weight(belly) than at the beginning of the trip. I almost fell off my bike this morning. I was riding along minding my own business when a prairie dog. jumped out of the grass beside the road and seemed to be chasing me. The totaling unexpected quick movement startle me and I’m told I yelped and jerked my bike in a instinctive move of avoidance. I did not crash and I recovered quickly and continued onward. 48 hours to the big reunion in Breckenridge. Yippee. Also, we just hit the halfway point of the trip even though as we looked on a national map we’re really about 2/3 of the way directly across the country. I think the extra miles through the rockies will be well worth it.

tonight's modest accomodations

pikes peak

first glimpse of the rocky mountains-look carefully

Sunday. 61 miles mostly into the wind to Ordway, Colorado. Not too hot. The terrain has turned to wide open rolling pasture land. For an 8-9 mile stretch we rode past an old railroad line that had nothing but parked auto carrier cars. There had to be several hundred rail cars. With no automobiles being purchased there’s less demand for transport so the rail cars are being mothballed here. It kind of reminded me of the airplane graveyard in Arizona.