June 10, 2017

We left this morning with the temperature at 37 degrees.  I have never ridden in that cold of temperature.  There were times today where I froze.  Typically, I do not handle the cold very well.  Today was no different.  Titus on the other hand, did not seem to mind the cold.  Toward the end of the day he looked like he was ready for the beach, and I looked like an Eskimo, with my leg warmers and long sleeves.  Early on, I was wearing a coat that helped to keep me warm.

We had several climbs today that got the heart pounding.  One was well over a mile long with a pretty steep grade.  The highest point we saw today was right around 6000 feet above sea level.  We are staying in the town of Arco, Idaho where the elevation is a little over 5300. 

When we started out today we had a little bit of wind.  There were times when you could not tell which way the wind was blowing.  As the day moved forward, the wind was defiantly at our back.  At about the 35-mile mark we stopped at a great gas station and convenient store.  We both were able to get a warm meal and warm up.  When you stop for a break in the cold, the hardest thing is trying to get going again.  My legs didn't want to respond till several miles down the road.
 

Today we rode through the “Craters of the Moon, National Monument and Preserve.”  For miles we rode alongside lava beds.  They believe the lava literally poured out of the earth, creating the massive lava beds. 

Around the seventy mile marker for the day, we stopped at the welcome and information center for the preserve.  When we got on our bikes to continue the ride, a wind of 20 miles an hour pounded our backs.  The last 18 miles passed at a pretty good clip.  Most of the time we were riding at 25 miles an hour. 


That will not be the case tomorrow.  We will have a head wind tomorrow of 10 to 12 miles an hour.  With nearly 70 miles to cover tomorrow, we are in for a long day.  Today we covered 89 miles. 
I have been riding for 15 days now.  I would be lying if is said there haven't been times where I wonder what I am doing.  I miss my family, I miss sleeping in my own bed, I miss friends.  Every day though, I encounter people and things that remind me of the dream that I had.  I have encountered creation in a way that I have never done before. 


I do have something to look forward to.  In ten days I will meet up with Sheryl and my mom in Boulder, Colorado.  I can't wait!!  I will also see my brother Herm and maybe even my brother Joe at Herm’s house.  Everyday I remind myself of what I get to look of forward to.  Having said that, I am going to live today to the fullest!

Good to be alive!






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