Rest in Helena

We had sort of an "unexpected" rest day today in Helena, Montana. We got to sleep in, and then made a nice breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. At noon we were scheduled to do a short presentation at the Rotary Club lunch on the 6th floor of the "Montana Club," one of the older buildings in downtown Helena. Josias was able to give a brief description of the tour and our purpose. There was other business to attend to, however, so we didn't realy have much time. This lunch was the result of a "chance" meeting a few days ago in a laundramat in Missoula. One of the interesting things about the dinner for us was the fact that we ate off of Syracuse china, and the main speaker, for Americorps, was from Auburn high school! For the afternoon, we had some time to run errands and get some needed supplies for the days ahead. This evening, we have been enjoying some restful time in downtown Helena as the church we are staying at has several Wednesday activities. I am currently in the Helena library as I type this blog. Tomorrow we are back on the road, headed to White Sulphur Springs. As we approach Billings over the next few days, we expect the terrain to begin to level out. While that is nice on the legs, it also means that the tremendous Rocky Mountain beauty is going to turn into some rather "boring" plains and prairies. We hope to spend the 4th of July in Billings, and then it will be a few more days before we finally got out of this HUGE state of Montana. Thanks to all of our followers for your thoughts and prayers. Comments are welcome, although we may be outside of range for the next few days. Blessings to all.
Tim

Over the Continental Divide

For the past two days we have cycled from Missoula, Montana, into the capital city of Helena. Yesterday, June 28th, we headed out of Missoula on Montana State route 200, and went up-river most of the day. The sun was shining brightly, the scenery was mostly awesome, and the grade was not too steep. It was for the most part a good day of cycling. 72 miles later, in the mid-afternoon, we arrived in the little town of Helmville, to the ranch of Randy & Mo Mannix. They had just finished constructing a "boarding house," so we were the first group to use it. It was a bit "cozy" for fourteen of us, but cooler than the surroundings, had running water, and provided refuge from the mosquitoes! Randy spoke to us about ranching life in this part of Montana...trying to manage hundreds of animals over thousands of acres. We learned some interesting things about genetics, grass-fed cattle, dealing with wolves and grizzly bears, and raising a family in the wide-open spaces. It almost felt like a National Geographic article about this way of life. It also was our 24th wedding anniversary. Perhaps it was one of the least romantic for Sandy and I, but we are not complaining, as we chose this for our summer. Got to text her a few times during the day, but not in Helmville...no service!

Today, June 29th, we cycled from Helmville down to Avon, turned east on US route 12, and made the climb to MacDonald Pass. Zach had a couple more flat tires along the way. Most of the team agreed that while the elevation at the Pass- 6,325 feet above sea level- was the highest we had seen thus far, this pass was a bit easier to cycle. This was probably due to the fact that the team is stronger at this point, and the actual net elevation change here was less than the cascade Mountains in Washington. Also, this pass was part of the Continental Divide, so from this point forward the waters drain toward the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Halfway home? Not by a longshot, but it was a significant landmark. Coming down the eastern side was a rush! One of our team members registered 55 miles per hour on his bicycle computer! (I topped out at 41 mph) We were very quickly down in Helena, where the First Assembly of God church has opened their doors to us. We were happy to get here relatively early in the afternoon, as storms were predicted, possibly with some hail. We just finished some worship and prayer time as a team. Tomorrow is sort of an "unscheduled" day off for us. We are doing a presentation about the Just & Hope Campaign at noon at the Rotary Club. We want to time things so that we are in a larger town (Billings) by Sunday. There aren't many larger towns around. So, tomorrow will be a good day for people to rest and heal up...a number of team members have various injuries. Zach and I have been mostly healthy, although I banged my arm again today and started bleeding again.

There is, of course, much more we could write about...every day has so many adventures, disappointments, and laughs. For those hoping to see pictures, Zach has posted bunches of them on his Facebook. Thanks for following!

Tim

On the seventh day they shall rest.

We are currently in Missoula, Montana, enjoying our first rest day of the Just & Hope Tour. We are staying in Atonement Lutheran Church in Missoula. After attending the service this morning, many of us went to Kmart to restock on diminishing supplies. Now, some of the team has gone off to see Toy Story 3, while one of the leaders has gone to the airport to pick up the 14th member of our team. James' sister was married yesterday, so he was not able to join us until now.

How can I summarize the first week of the Tour? It has certainly been exciting and tiring at the same time. Much of the scenery has been awe-inspiring. Even outside the window right now I can see snow-capped mountains as the temperatures here get into the 80's. Some of the downhill rides have been exhilarating. The uphills have been long and "never-ending." There have been crashes, but nothing serious. We have eaten more food in a week than some people would eat in a month! We have had the opportunity to share the message of hope for the enslaved four times formally in churches, and numerous other times individually along the roads or at rest stops. We have had a lot of fun together as a team, too.

Sometimes the stretches of road get fairly tedious, and there always seems to be something that is hurting or aching...the legs are a "given," but sometimes we get pains in the neck, shoulders, rear end, etc. Finding a bathroom is always a challenge when the need arises. "Looking for birds" has become the team code phrase for going off to the side of the road. Yesterday, in the little town of Dixon, Montana, a couple of us went into a bar (don't tell anyone) to use the facilities. The men's and women's rooms were labeled "guns" and "holsters." We had to think about it a minute, too. Sorry if I am providing too much information, but sometimes people ask about these things.

We have really met a lot of wonderful people along the way! Most of the time we have been hosted by churches, including ones in Spokane, Washington, Harrison, Idaho, and Thompson Falls, Montana over the last few days. Today after the church service one family has offered to take us all out to dinner tonight! One rule of bicycling: NEVER turn down free food!

Thanks to those who are "following" us and/or praying. We do appreciate it very much. God bless!

Tim

Four full days!

It has been some four days since we were able to get to a computer to blog about the tour. They were certainly very full days. We had some strong headwinds Wednesday across central Washington State. A way to combat that is by "drafting," or having one rider block most of the wind for everyone else. As we were doing just that, the lead rider dropped a water bottle, causing a chain reaction swerving maneuver. I (Tim) was in the back and caught the back tire of the rider in front of me (Zach) and went down pretty hard on my right forearm. It looked pretty bad at the time, but I didn't miss any riding and my arm looks much better now.
Yesterday (Thursday) we crossed into the Idaho panhandle, and today (Friday) we crossed over a 4,800-foot mountain pass into the state of Montana. We shall be in Montana for a good 9 or 10 days, I believe. Today's ride was 94 miles, not quite our longest so far, but close. The first 30 miles or so were quite level on the Coeur D'Alene Lakes trail in Idaho. It was nice to not have the automobile traffic, but also to see the beauty and the wildlife. At one point I got off my bike to go back and see a moose that was in the trees. That moose eventually wandered on to the trail between me and my bike! It was not very aggressive, however, and soon I was back on the trail. The calf was hiding in the swampy water across the trail. I got to thinking about how free these moose were, and how protected the babies were by the mom. We are riding for some people who lack both the freedom and the love that this "little" moose had.
We have done church presentations the last two nights. In Harrison, Idaho, the team outnumbered the audience, but they had good questions and left knowing more about the issue. Tonight's crowd in Thompson Falls, Montana, was larger.
Tonight we are staying in host homes, and actually get to sleep in a real bed!
From here we ride to Missoula tomorrow...another 90+ miles. Then, we will get to have a day off from riding on Sunday. That will be good, as many of the team members are getting injuries or just plain tuckered out. This first week of the tour will probably be the toughest physically, but also perhaps the most beautiful in terms of the geography. Also in Missoula the 14th member of the team will join us, as he has been dalayed due to a family wedding in Texas.
All in all, we are well...eating TONS and getting to know our teammates very well. Thanks for following, and feel free to comment or ask us questions...justy realize that we may not get the opportunity to answer very quickly.
Tim ans Zach

Crossing the Cascades!

June 21, 2010
Today was the summer solstice..."longest day of the year." For many on the tour, it may have seemed like the longest day of their lives! From the high school in Sultan, we hit the road around 7 AM, in the rain, of course. It rained for the first 20 miles or so. Once we started the long climb up toward Stevens Pass, the rain subsided. We climbed, climbed, and climbed some more. Zach, Karl, and I led the way up to the Pass- 4,061 feet above sea level. The three of us took a number of rest breaks, but still got to the pass around 12:24, nearly an hour before any of the others on the team. It was quite cold up there! Snow was not falling, but there was still plenty of snow around from the past winter. The three of us ate a hearty lunch, as the support van was there for us. Then, we gathered up some snow to build a snowman for the rest of the team as they arrived at the pass.
The descent from the pass was a different story! At speeds up to 40 mph, we descended quickly. Then, and only then, did the skies begin to clear up, and we saw significant sun for the first time since arriving in the state of Washington. This time, Mike D. joined Karl, Zach, and I as we headed toward Leavenworth. It was not all downhill, but most of it was. This time, we stopped primarily for the scenery or to remove layers of clothing. It was almost like we went from winter to summer in just about an hour!
We got Leavenworth about 4 PM. The town made itself into a Bavarian Village some 40 years ago, and it is indeed quite quaint. John Romine has graciously taken us into his home for showers and lots of food! Then, tonight we went back to the Firehouse in town for a presentation about Venture Expeditions and the human trafficking issue.
A long day, with a lot of sore bodies. Zach and I also each had a flat tire today, just to make it a bit more interesting. Thanks again to all of you for your interest and prayers!

The ride begins! (June 20, 2010)

This morning we attended two church services at Sammamish Presbyterian Church, our host for the last several days. We were introduced as a team, and there were some sighs of disbelief when it was announced that we intend to bicycle to New York City. We spoke with several of the church members in between, including one man who had lived in Cazenovia!
Around 12:30, we were ready to go. It was raining (of course), but that would not stop us. Something else did. Just as we were rolling out of the parking lot, we got called back...one of the team members had a flat tire! When that was fixed, we were off. Four of the men from the church, all older than I, led us through some of the quieter roads for the first 20 miles or so. It was raining pretty much the whole time, but nobody melted. We encountered some mild hills, but the last 12 miles were quite pretty, passing farms and horses on a quiet road along a river.
We got to Sultan, Washington, around 4 PM. The entire ride was only about 34.5 miles. I (Tim) actually went for a little jog around the town of Sultan before taking a shower in the high school locker room. We ate dinner in the Home Ec. room, and slept in the gymnasium, excited but nervous about the big day tomorrow.

June 19, 2010

Today was our final training day for the big Tour. Yesterday's training was mostly about the cause: modern slavery and human trafficking. This "Just & Hope" tour is helping to raise awareness for the issue in general, but specifically five projects- one in India, one in China, one in Indonesia, and two in Thailand. Specifically, we learned about the community center that is being built in a village in northern Thailand. We actually got a "Scype" from the missionary there, and spoke "face to face" for about 45 minutes.
Today we went for our training ride together. It was only about 23.5 miles, but it helped us to bond together as a team. By the way, our team consists of 14 cyclists- 10 male and 4 female. While I (Tim) am by far the oldest, I am not the only one who is married. There are two other young men who are married. We all have unique personalities, and we ought to compliment one another well on the tour.
In the evening, we had our team photo taken in front of the Space Needle, and then went for some New York pizza! New York, of course, is our ultimate goal! Tomorrow, the Tour begins!

Seattle at last!

June 17, 2010

We finally made it to Seattle after some 8-9 months of planning! It took a little bit longer than we expected, too, as we spent some extra unexpected time in Washington...the city, not the state. After the craziness of finishing up school, getting the bicycles boxed up, getting to the airport in a driving rainstorm, and saying good-byes, the first leg of the journey was very un-Murphy-like. In other words, things went smoothly! The flight to Washington DC was on-time and event-free. Once we arrived, we learned that the ongoing flight to Seattle was cancelled. It was the ONLY flight out of Dulles that was cancelled. We got re-scheduled for a flight at 6 AM, so we settled in for a long-winter's nap in Dulles airport.

Eventually, morning came, and we got on the flight for Seattle, arriving about 8:41 local time (11:41 Eastern time). We then had a WONDERFUL visit with Cathia, Lila, Iraj & Manijeh! It was Lila's last day in 1st grade..she was excited for the start of summer. We had a nice "Persian lunch," and then came here to the Sammamish Presbyterian Church to meet the rest of the team. We put the bicycles back together and "chilled" while waiting for the last member of the team to arrive from the airport.

Soon we will have our first meal together as a team, and spend some time getting to know one another, and rest up for our first official day of training together tomorrow morning.

The weather is cool and cloudy...temp in the 50's.

If I can figure out how to put pictures on this thing (in other words, ask Zach), perhaps we can do that soon.

Thanks, Svoboda family, for being our first official followers! Many have mentioned your prayers on Facebook, and we do thank you for that, as well!

Tim

June 15, 2010

In 24 hours, we shall be on a plane headed for Seattle! Still much to do...packing, cleaning the classroom, grading one last set of final exams, saying good-byes. How am I going to survive nearly eight weeks without seeing my girls...my wife and daughter? That is going to be one of the worst parts of this journey. I suppose one consolation is some fairly intense time with my son! Thanks again to all who have supported us through prayer and/or finances. I don't really know what to expect on this journey, except perhaps to "expect the unexpected." One fun thing that happened today is that several of my students signed my helmut with different color Sharpie pens. Now, Zach and I will not confuse our helmuts, since we had the same kind. Also, we had a nice photo-shoot this evening with the family...by the lake, and Zach and I with the bicycles. Thanks, Jessica!

An intersection- June 12, 2010

Today felt like a bit of an "intersection" for me. The day was a crossroads between the academic world that I work in and the bicycling trip to begin later this week. I was up early and out on the roads by 6:30 AM for some training miles on the bicycle. By 7:00 AM, however, the thunder and lightning sotrm had arrived, and I got back home before getting too wet (or electrocuted), having gotten only 7.5 miles completed. Then, my attention was directed to graduation day at Faith Heritage. They are always special, but particularly this year as Hilary was one of the honored graduates. So many mixed emotions for me as our youngest gave her speech and walked across the stage to receive her diploma. I am very proud, but also going to miss her this summer and next school year. We stopped briefly at one grad party, and then I stopped home for a "break." I decided to take advantage of the "nicer" weather, and got 25.2 more miles in on the bicycle...all the while my brain was thinking back to the morning's festivities and the 18 years of having Hilary under our roof...what a blessing she has been! Also, I couldn't help but think ahead to the opportunity I have with my son Zach this summer, to bicycle across the USA. While today's 32.7 miles is far less than we shall do on a dialy basis on the tour, I am sure that we won't have graduations and grad parties to attend, either. After a shower, it was back to another graduation party. While the seniors are done with school, I still have final exams to administer and grade, along with packing and good-byes. And, of course, one more family graduation party!

June 9, 2010

Tomorrow is June 9, 2010. It is Hilary's 18th birthday, so I probably will not have the time, or want to take the time, to write a blog. Twenty-six years ago, on June 9, 1984, I began my solo cross-country bicycle tour in Newport, Oregon. What an adventure! 3,600 miles and 48 days later, I made it to Plymouth, Massachusetts. One month later I would be back in New England for my first teaching job in Barrington, Rhode Island. There, I would soon meet Sandy! Within two years we were married. Then, 18 years ago, on June 9, 1992, our wonderful daughter Hilary was born in Kijabe, Kenya. Now, she is getting ready to graduate from high school this weekend....time flies. A few days later, Zach and I will be (Lord willing) heading to Seattle to meet the rest of our Venture Expeditions teammates and prepare to cross the country together on our bicycles. We will carry a message of despair and a message of hope, for the millions in this world who do NOT have the freedom to ride a bicycle wherever they want. If you gave financially for this "adventure," we thank you. Thanks for reading along as we ride along. God bless you.
Tim