iCloud photo stream link follows for seatoseastehouwers
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
June 26-29 Second Half of First Week
June 26 - Wednesday
The Stehouwer family was quite spread out for this ride. We climbed ~2000 feet over 24 miles and then had a slow downhill slope for most of the rest of the ride. We winded up a few canyons and it seems that most people were feeling a little slow or down today. We finished at a man-made oasis in an air conditioned hall with a pool (but no shower...who cares!?). I (Joel) discovered that the "Skratch Powder" drink is actually quite tasty and began to prefer it over normal water. Day began around 5:30 with breakfast and an early start to hopefully (and unsuccessfully) beat the heat. For supper we had tacos with a shell diameter easily 12-14 inches across!
12 flats and 2 falls
June 27 - Thursday - Last day of the week
Joel, John, Larry, and Sherry began the day biking together but soon John and Joel went ahead with two other riders due to expected excessive heat. We biked along I-10 East for most of the 76 mile ride. Definitely quite a new experience dodging shredded car tires, rumble strips, and bumpy cracks in the shoulder! My (Joel's) group had 3 flat tires, none of which were Joel's. So far I have had no flats or other problems with my bike! Most of the riders (that made it) stopped at a McDonald's for a few hours rather than sit outside in the heat without shade at a park, which ended up having an air conditioned building anyways... Something like 20 riders did not finish the day due to heat and the climb towards the end.
At Peloton we learned that the next 3 rides (Friday-Monday) would be cancelled due to the heat (record breaking) and we would be taken by bus to Payson, AZ. Many of us were disappointed but agreed that this would be the best decision considering the circumstances for the group as a whole.
29 flats and 3 falls
June 28 - Friday
Very laid back morning waiting for the bus that would bring us to Payson. Left Quartzsite around 12 (noon) and got to Payson around 4. Also a relaxing afternoon and evening with only volunteering at a Habitat for Humanity house Saturday morning. We drove the route we would have biked and some of us realized how hard Monday would have been (100 miles, heat, and mountainish areas).
June 29 - Saturday
Painting at the Habitat for Humanity house in the morning, lunch, and a great walk/swim down a nearby river with a few waterfalls. The river was by far the most enjoyable part of the day! At supper the Stehouwer family learned that Eric had volunteered the "Stehouwer Clan" to make "leftovers supper" the following day... Larry was (and maybe still is) thinking to do an ice cream sundae bar and popcorn and let anyone who wants different go get it themselves! Right now using a McDonalds for wifi due to the school hosting us being locked and closed... I'm really beginning to appreciate McDonalds now! Heading back to camp soon to go to bed so I can wake up to go to church (one will supply brats for lunch and the other hamburgers... which to choose?) and then be ready to prepare supper. We will very much try to help everyone be ready nutritiously for the upcoming week! I'll upload a few photos whenever I can after I copy them onto my laptop. So check up in a night or two for them!
The Stehouwer family was quite spread out for this ride. We climbed ~2000 feet over 24 miles and then had a slow downhill slope for most of the rest of the ride. We winded up a few canyons and it seems that most people were feeling a little slow or down today. We finished at a man-made oasis in an air conditioned hall with a pool (but no shower...who cares!?). I (Joel) discovered that the "Skratch Powder" drink is actually quite tasty and began to prefer it over normal water. Day began around 5:30 with breakfast and an early start to hopefully (and unsuccessfully) beat the heat. For supper we had tacos with a shell diameter easily 12-14 inches across!
12 flats and 2 falls
June 27 - Thursday - Last day of the week
Joel, John, Larry, and Sherry began the day biking together but soon John and Joel went ahead with two other riders due to expected excessive heat. We biked along I-10 East for most of the 76 mile ride. Definitely quite a new experience dodging shredded car tires, rumble strips, and bumpy cracks in the shoulder! My (Joel's) group had 3 flat tires, none of which were Joel's. So far I have had no flats or other problems with my bike! Most of the riders (that made it) stopped at a McDonald's for a few hours rather than sit outside in the heat without shade at a park, which ended up having an air conditioned building anyways... Something like 20 riders did not finish the day due to heat and the climb towards the end.
At Peloton we learned that the next 3 rides (Friday-Monday) would be cancelled due to the heat (record breaking) and we would be taken by bus to Payson, AZ. Many of us were disappointed but agreed that this would be the best decision considering the circumstances for the group as a whole.
29 flats and 3 falls
June 28 - Friday
Very laid back morning waiting for the bus that would bring us to Payson. Left Quartzsite around 12 (noon) and got to Payson around 4. Also a relaxing afternoon and evening with only volunteering at a Habitat for Humanity house Saturday morning. We drove the route we would have biked and some of us realized how hard Monday would have been (100 miles, heat, and mountainish areas).
June 29 - Saturday
Painting at the Habitat for Humanity house in the morning, lunch, and a great walk/swim down a nearby river with a few waterfalls. The river was by far the most enjoyable part of the day! At supper the Stehouwer family learned that Eric had volunteered the "Stehouwer Clan" to make "leftovers supper" the following day... Larry was (and maybe still is) thinking to do an ice cream sundae bar and popcorn and let anyone who wants different go get it themselves! Right now using a McDonalds for wifi due to the school hosting us being locked and closed... I'm really beginning to appreciate McDonalds now! Heading back to camp soon to go to bed so I can wake up to go to church (one will supply brats for lunch and the other hamburgers... which to choose?) and then be ready to prepare supper. We will very much try to help everyone be ready nutritiously for the upcoming week! I'll upload a few photos whenever I can after I copy them onto my laptop. So check up in a night or two for them!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
June 21 - 25
Sorry! We've been busy and have had a limited access to wifi the past few days... So here is a blog entry for June 21-25! Also, writing in 3rd person is a little disorienting...
June 21 - Friday
Joel, John, Eric, and Sherry volunteered to mark the route that we would be taking on Monday. Either they have really tricky roads and intersections in California or we are bad at following directions... Anyways, due to John cutting his ankle on the roof bicycle rack we just barely made it to supper at Vanguard University. Otherwise we spent a good deal of time sorting through our gear and lazing around.
June 22 - Saturday
We began to meet other cyclists during breakfast and lunch, after which Joel and John biked to the beach with 6 other cyclists. Larry spent most of his day shuttling people from the airport to Vanguard. Also, in the morning Joel helped stock the kitchen trailer's shelves with food while Eric flattened the boxes. Both of us were reading labels and getting quite excited! For supper we had "Asian Something on Rice"... For not really knowing what it was it was actually quite good!
June 23 - Sunday
Breakfast, Panic Stop Training, Cone Dodging, and lunch! A good use of a morning but then came the tire dipping! After a worship service we all (about 100 cyclists) biked down to the beach, dipped our tires (and our feet/legs in the waves), had a prayer and pictures, and then headed back to Vanguard. As an aside, we missed supper tonight... But then most people went to bed early in order to have a bright and rested bike ride the next day!
June 24 - Monday, the First Day!!
The Stehouwer family was spread out for this ride. All in all it was a very enjoyable day! Biking with people you just met a few days before is great because there is always more to learn about each and every person. For sure some people discovered their true capabilities and were brought to reality but all the same some did extremely well. We (the Stehouwers) all made it through the day and were definitely ready for supper!
9 flats and 2 falls total tour
June 25 - Tuesday - Reality...
Today we all learned the meaning of desert, sore muscles, and uphill... Along with a great stretch of downhill riding which I would prefer to dwell longer on. in the first 19 miles we climbed ~1500 ft which we then went joyfully back down until we finished 50 miles later. My (Joel's) group got into camp around 2:30 (CA time) after fighting extreme heat (114* F) for the last 2 hours. Sherry, Larry, and John came in an hour or so later with equal difficulty against the heat. The lasagna supper was most definitely enjoyed fully!
22 flats and 6 falls total tour. John had 3 flats and Eric had 1 flat
A new breed of trees. Cell Tower Pines! Fascinating
This is how Sherry, Larry, and John lived through the heat!
June 21 - Friday
Joel, John, Eric, and Sherry volunteered to mark the route that we would be taking on Monday. Either they have really tricky roads and intersections in California or we are bad at following directions... Anyways, due to John cutting his ankle on the roof bicycle rack we just barely made it to supper at Vanguard University. Otherwise we spent a good deal of time sorting through our gear and lazing around.
June 22 - Saturday
We began to meet other cyclists during breakfast and lunch, after which Joel and John biked to the beach with 6 other cyclists. Larry spent most of his day shuttling people from the airport to Vanguard. Also, in the morning Joel helped stock the kitchen trailer's shelves with food while Eric flattened the boxes. Both of us were reading labels and getting quite excited! For supper we had "Asian Something on Rice"... For not really knowing what it was it was actually quite good!
June 23 - Sunday
Breakfast, Panic Stop Training, Cone Dodging, and lunch! A good use of a morning but then came the tire dipping! After a worship service we all (about 100 cyclists) biked down to the beach, dipped our tires (and our feet/legs in the waves), had a prayer and pictures, and then headed back to Vanguard. As an aside, we missed supper tonight... But then most people went to bed early in order to have a bright and rested bike ride the next day!
June 24 - Monday, the First Day!!
The Stehouwer family was spread out for this ride. All in all it was a very enjoyable day! Biking with people you just met a few days before is great because there is always more to learn about each and every person. For sure some people discovered their true capabilities and were brought to reality but all the same some did extremely well. We (the Stehouwers) all made it through the day and were definitely ready for supper!
9 flats and 2 falls total tour
June 25 - Tuesday - Reality...
Today we all learned the meaning of desert, sore muscles, and uphill... Along with a great stretch of downhill riding which I would prefer to dwell longer on. in the first 19 miles we climbed ~1500 ft which we then went joyfully back down until we finished 50 miles later. My (Joel's) group got into camp around 2:30 (CA time) after fighting extreme heat (114* F) for the last 2 hours. Sherry, Larry, and John came in an hour or so later with equal difficulty against the heat. The lasagna supper was most definitely enjoyed fully!
22 flats and 6 falls total tour. John had 3 flats and Eric had 1 flat
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Shuttle driving to John Wayne Airport
Larry spent much of Friday June 21 and am Sat 22 picking up bikers flying into John Wayne Airport. The family went out Friday and marked the first day Monday route. We are well fed at Vanguard. Lots of excitement and getting all operations and gear ready to roll. Meeting many good people. Thank God and pray for safety and a smooth start. Orientation starts Saturday night and lots more and a celebration service Sunday, plus tire dipping!
Friday, June 21, 2013
June 19 and 20 - Driving and Arrival
June 19 – Wednesday
Explored Cedar
Breaks National Park and took a short hike and also drove to Kolob Canyon, the
Northern part of Zion National Park. All
in all, we accomplished a lot of driving today!
Arrived near LA and stayed at a hotel in Thousand Oaks.
June 20 – Thursday
Woke up, ate, and
took a leisurely drive on highway one by Malibu and enjoyed Zumma Beach for a
few hours and slugged through some heavy traffic through LA arriving at
Vanguard University right before supper with other SeatoSea folks. Thanks to God for a safe and enjoyable trip!
Tuesday, June 18 - On the Road
Drove through the night and around 3:00 am were hampered by a large
rainstorm. We made our way to Rocky
Mountain National Park and from there on to Dinosaur National Monument. In these parks we came upon elk, bighorn
sheep, prairie dogs, and fossils. We
fully came to realize that we will have to fight a lot of heat while crossing
the Southwestern area of the United States.
At the moment we are on our way towards Cedar Breaks National Park and
will likely sleep in a hotel tonight rather than drive through the night again.
Monday, June 17 - Departure from Kalamazoo
Left home at 2:15 from Kalamazoo, MI in a Sea to Sea support van headed
for Los Angeles, CA. The bike tour will
begin in one week from today on Monday, June 24 with a “dipping of the tires”
in the Pacific Ocean. While driving we
have clear skies with a few clouds and normal traffic. As of now we haven’t thought of anything that
we have forgotten… But it will only be a
matter of time! Total this will be a 33
hour drive and we plan on arriving at our destination Thursday afternoon.
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