Date: 6/29/06
Mileage: 75
Funds Raised:
$8,953.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,905 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Karaoke Stats:
States visited: 5, States Karaoked: 5
Last night we went out in town to a local saloon where we found "Red Dog's Karaoke". We completed another state of KARAOKE!!! We are now 5 for 5!! By far this was our best performance yet! Not only have we had 4 other previous states to practice through but we also had some help since Adam's parents, brother Alex, and our friend Lauren are traveling with us this week in an RV. The owner of the saloon was appropriately names Red Dog. He had a long, flowing, white beard and when I asked him how long he had been growing it he told me "65 years" when I asked him hold old he was he told me "60 years and 9 months". Needless to say he was the coolest man I have ever met.
In the morning we got up bright and early! Mr. D decided that he wanted to bike with us for the first 1/2 of the day!!! I was soooo happy! He was incredible. He never really bikes at all but he was able to keep a hot pace for a total of 40 miles. There were some very challenging hills along the way but he never let up.
When we started the day we were only about 20miles down the mountain from where we found snow the day before. When we finished biking we were in the town of Lander and it was 99 degrees. Luckily 99 degrees in Lander is nothing like 99 degrees in Maryland. It is soooo dry here that it doesn't feel hot at all :)
After we biked we went out to dinner and enjoyed the beautiful night. Adam called his girlfriend from home and we found out that she had to go to the hospital for a viral infection. She was released very late at night from the hospital but please keep her in your prayers just in case :)
Tomorrow we have 130 or more miles of biking to get to Rawlins, Wyoming! It is going to be a gooood day :)
-Pattt
Friday, June 30, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Dubois, Wyoming
Date: 6/28/06
Mileage: 95
Funds Raised:
$8,953.87 for Kupenda (+100.00 thanks to Sadj the president of our Triathlon Club!)$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,905 for ADA (+50.00 thanks to Tom Keller!)
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
In the morning before we left out campsite in Jackson Hole my boss from work, Mike LaRoi, visited us! He was on vacation in the area and wanted to stop by and say hi. It is great to have such awesome support from back home. He also bought some food for us for breakfast :)
After breakfast we started our ride from Jackson Hole to Dubois we started the ride by passing the Grand Tetons again. It was a perfect day outside so PhillyK and AndyK were able to get some ridiculously artsy pics of us biking.
Today would be out longest and highest mountain yet. We climbed up to 9658ft at a 6% grade for 17 miles. I am pretty sure there is nothing in the world that I would rather do :) I loved every second of it.
(Even after climbing 2,000+ ft for 17 miles at a 6% grade...
up the highest peak we have been to so far we still didn't feel very fit...
so we broke out and started some strength training...
hahaha)
-Pattt
Mileage: 95
Funds Raised:
$8,953.87 for Kupenda (+100.00 thanks to Sadj the president of our Triathlon Club!)$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,905 for ADA (+50.00 thanks to Tom Keller!)
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
In the morning before we left out campsite in Jackson Hole my boss from work, Mike LaRoi, visited us! He was on vacation in the area and wanted to stop by and say hi. It is great to have such awesome support from back home. He also bought some food for us for breakfast :)
After breakfast we started our ride from Jackson Hole to Dubois we started the ride by passing the Grand Tetons again. It was a perfect day outside so PhillyK and AndyK were able to get some ridiculously artsy pics of us biking.
Today would be out longest and highest mountain yet. We climbed up to 9658ft at a 6% grade for 17 miles. I am pretty sure there is nothing in the world that I would rather do :) I loved every second of it.
(Even after climbing 2,000+ ft for 17 miles at a 6% grade...
up the highest peak we have been to so far we still didn't feel very fit...
so we broke out and started some strength training...
hahaha)
-Pattt
Hanging Out In Jackson Hole, Wyoming!
Date: 6/27/06
Mileage: 0
Funds Raised:
$8,863.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,855 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Since Adam's parents, Alex, and Lauren were in town we decided to take a vacation day having fun in Jackson Hole. The RV sure makes our lives a lot easier. We have a refrigerator to keep Adam's insulin cold, a nice place to sit at a table to eat lunch (other than the hood of AFCMobile), and other people to hang out with!
We took full advantage of our rest day by sleeping in late. At noon we went white water rafting! Most of us had never been before and we all had a great time. We went down class 1, 2, and 3 rappids.
After white water rafting Adam, PhillyK, and AndyK went running while Jesse did some catching up on his book writing, and I took a nap. AndyK, PhillyK, and Jesse are all training for the Baltimore Marathon where they are going to qualify for Boston! I will be running Boston also, it is going to be great since we all will be going. I am pretty sure that Adam will be either running Boston or doing some other even more amazing feet of endurance racing when we get back.
At night we went out to eat at a place called Bubba's Resturant and then we went "shopping". Although I pretty much hate shopping more than anything in the entire world :) I guess that going once every 3 months or so isnt too bad!
Mileage: 0
Funds Raised:
$8,863.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,855 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Since Adam's parents, Alex, and Lauren were in town we decided to take a vacation day having fun in Jackson Hole. The RV sure makes our lives a lot easier. We have a refrigerator to keep Adam's insulin cold, a nice place to sit at a table to eat lunch (other than the hood of AFCMobile), and other people to hang out with!
We took full advantage of our rest day by sleeping in late. At noon we went white water rafting! Most of us had never been before and we all had a great time. We went down class 1, 2, and 3 rappids.
After white water rafting Adam, PhillyK, and AndyK went running while Jesse did some catching up on his book writing, and I took a nap. AndyK, PhillyK, and Jesse are all training for the Baltimore Marathon where they are going to qualify for Boston! I will be running Boston also, it is going to be great since we all will be going. I am pretty sure that Adam will be either running Boston or doing some other even more amazing feet of endurance racing when we get back.
At night we went out to eat at a place called Bubba's Resturant and then we went "shopping". Although I pretty much hate shopping more than anything in the entire world :) I guess that going once every 3 months or so isnt too bad!
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Camping in Yellowstone State Park
Date: 6/25/06 and 6/26/06
Mileage: 80
Funds Raised:
$8,863.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,855 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Our campsite was right in the middle of Yellowstone. We even saw some Elk passing by like 100 meters from our tent! After getting a good nights sleep (I got to sleep in the RV with Adam's parents, Alex, and Lauren) we woke up, ate breakfast, and exlpored some of Yellowstone!
On the 25th We went to the sulfur springs and they were soooo amazing.
(PhillyK at sulfur springs)
We biked from Yellowstone to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. On the way we saw the Grand Tetons. These mountains might be the most beautiful thing we have seen so far!
Since we crossed the boarder of another state we tried with all of our might to find karaoke in Jackson Hole (again we have to do karaoke in every state we visit). We were unable to find any karaoke in Jackson Hole :( But it is okay because we have a lot of nights in Wyoming.
-Pattt
Mileage: 80
Funds Raised:
$8,863.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,855 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Our campsite was right in the middle of Yellowstone. We even saw some Elk passing by like 100 meters from our tent! After getting a good nights sleep (I got to sleep in the RV with Adam's parents, Alex, and Lauren) we woke up, ate breakfast, and exlpored some of Yellowstone!
On the 25th We went to the sulfur springs and they were soooo amazing.
(PhillyK at sulfur springs)
On the 26th before we started biking we woke up extra early to leave the campsite and look for some wildlife. We found a coyote!! We also got some good pictures of the sun rising!
We biked from Yellowstone to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. On the way we saw the Grand Tetons. These mountains might be the most beautiful thing we have seen so far!
(Most beautiful day yet?)
(Riding with Alex with Grand Tetons in background)
Since we crossed the boarder of another state we tried with all of our might to find karaoke in Jackson Hole (again we have to do karaoke in every state we visit). We were unable to find any karaoke in Jackson Hole :( But it is okay because we have a lot of nights in Wyoming.
-Pattt
Monday, June 26, 2006
Fun Times in West Yellowstone
Date: 6/24/06
Mileage: 60
Funds Raised:
$8,863.87 for Kupenda
+$100 thanks to Paul, Katy, Nathan, and Claudia,
+$50.00 from Jen Canatella,
+$15.00 from Joy,
+$15.00 from Hillary,
+$15.00 from Piper,
+$5.00 from DeeDee,
+$20.00 from a randomly nice guy we met in Grangeville,
+$20.00 from the Jim and Mary Cramer!!$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,855 for ADA
+$50.00 from Jen Canatella,
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
When we arrived in West Yellowstone last night we heard that there was a street dance, whatever that means, in the middle of town hosted by a couple of the local bars. Although we had a semi-hard day of biking the next day we just had to go and find out what a street dance was!!
Jesse, Adam, PhillyK, and AndyK went out to dinner while I stayed at the campsite to finish the blog and do some laundry. At dinner their waitress who had three younger siblings with Type I Diabetes just like Adam. She also has a 90% chance of getting Type II within her life time. She was all about what we were doing and PhillyK interviewed her for his Documentary.
(Cool waitress!)
I met the rest of AFC after dinner and we went searching for the 'street dance'. It was great!! There was a live band playing that sounded very much like Linkin Park. There were not many people dancing but PhillyK and AndyK were eager to join in the fun since they are KING DANCERS.
After the concert ended at 10:00pm we left the street to go to the bar that was hosting the event. There we met a ton of new friends. It was a blast!! So many people were excited about what we are doing after we told them how we are trying to make a difference. I was one of our most fun nights out since we started the trip.
This morning we got a late start since we were up later than usual making new friends! We biked from West Yellowstone to Grant Village, a campsite in Yellowstone State Park. On the way we met up with Paul and Katy and their son Nathan and daugher Claudia, again, from the day before. We were happy about that because we wanted to give them an AFC T-Shirt. Before we said a final good bye they said a prayer for us, that we would be successful and safe in our journies. It was the nicest thing EVER!
There was only one mountain pass. By far the best part of this day was that we met up with Adam's parents, his brother Alex, and our best friend Lauren! We biked into Yellowstone and met them at Old Faithful. They are going to be with us for the next week.
They rented and RV so we will be living like kings for the next few days. We are so happy to have friends join us in our adventure. The best part is that Alex rented a road bike and he will be biking with us!
-Pattt
Mileage: 60
Funds Raised:
$8,863.87 for Kupenda
+$100 thanks to Paul, Katy, Nathan, and Claudia,
+$50.00 from Jen Canatella,
+$15.00 from Joy,
+$15.00 from Hillary,
+$15.00 from Piper,
+$5.00 from DeeDee,
+$20.00 from a randomly nice guy we met in Grangeville,
+$20.00 from the Jim and Mary Cramer!!$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,855 for ADA
+$50.00 from Jen Canatella,
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
When we arrived in West Yellowstone last night we heard that there was a street dance, whatever that means, in the middle of town hosted by a couple of the local bars. Although we had a semi-hard day of biking the next day we just had to go and find out what a street dance was!!
Jesse, Adam, PhillyK, and AndyK went out to dinner while I stayed at the campsite to finish the blog and do some laundry. At dinner their waitress who had three younger siblings with Type I Diabetes just like Adam. She also has a 90% chance of getting Type II within her life time. She was all about what we were doing and PhillyK interviewed her for his Documentary.
(Cool waitress!)
While I was doing the blog and laundry I met Paul, Katy, their son Nathan and daughter Claudia. They were curious about our bikes and asked lots of questions about our trip. They were so excited about what we are doing that they donated $100.00 to Kupenda!! They are on vacation and were planning on driving to Yellowstone State Park tomorrow.
I met the rest of AFC after dinner and we went searching for the 'street dance'. It was great!! There was a live band playing that sounded very much like Linkin Park. There were not many people dancing but PhillyK and AndyK were eager to join in the fun since they are KING DANCERS.
After the concert ended at 10:00pm we left the street to go to the bar that was hosting the event. There we met a ton of new friends. It was a blast!! So many people were excited about what we are doing after we told them how we are trying to make a difference. I was one of our most fun nights out since we started the trip.
This morning we got a late start since we were up later than usual making new friends! We biked from West Yellowstone to Grant Village, a campsite in Yellowstone State Park. On the way we met up with Paul and Katy and their son Nathan and daugher Claudia, again, from the day before. We were happy about that because we wanted to give them an AFC T-Shirt. Before we said a final good bye they said a prayer for us, that we would be successful and safe in our journies. It was the nicest thing EVER!
There was only one mountain pass. By far the best part of this day was that we met up with Adam's parents, his brother Alex, and our best friend Lauren! We biked into Yellowstone and met them at Old Faithful. They are going to be with us for the next week.
They rented and RV so we will be living like kings for the next few days. We are so happy to have friends join us in our adventure. The best part is that Alex rented a road bike and he will be biking with us!
-Pattt
Friday, June 23, 2006
West Yellowstone
Date: 6/23/06
Mileage: 75
Funds Raised:
$8,628.87 for Kupenda (+ $100.00 thanks to my Uncle Bernie!!)
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,805 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Last night at our campsite in Ennis, Montana PhillyK, AndyK, and Adam took some really good pictures at the sunset. Check these out!
After packing up and leaving the campsite we headed to West Yellowstone, Montana! It was another beautiful day with perfectly sunny skies and around 75 degrees. We met some other bikers when we were at lunch. They had strong British accents and they were extremely nice. They were going across country and heading West. They were almost done their journey. We also saw a pair of tandem recumbent bikers just before we entered the town of West Yellowstone.
When we got to West Yellowstone we found a fun sign to take a picture with. I wanted Adam and Jesse in the picture and I had a good idea for a funny pose. I started to climb the sign to show them what I wanted them to do and I ended up getting 3 huge splinters in my thigh :(. It took Jesse and Adam at least 45 minutes to dig them out. I have a slight limp now so tomorrow I might be biking a bit slower than usual. I really really appreciate those guys doing surgery on me... They can do anything!!
(Splinters everywhere when I tried to climb the West Yellowstone sign...
splinters are the opposite of fun)
Tonight we are going to a bar in the city where we have heard there is a dance party going on in the streets!! Ohhh yea!! I love to dance... Too bad I have a limp now. I still try my best to get my dance on. I am sure that PhillyK and AndyK will rock the house with their dance moves. I will try to get a video of them dancing for this blog. They are the best!
Mileage: 75
Funds Raised:
$8,628.87 for Kupenda (+ $100.00 thanks to my Uncle Bernie!!)
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,805 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Last night at our campsite in Ennis, Montana PhillyK, AndyK, and Adam took some really good pictures at the sunset. Check these out!
When we got to West Yellowstone we found a fun sign to take a picture with. I wanted Adam and Jesse in the picture and I had a good idea for a funny pose. I started to climb the sign to show them what I wanted them to do and I ended up getting 3 huge splinters in my thigh :(. It took Jesse and Adam at least 45 minutes to dig them out. I have a slight limp now so tomorrow I might be biking a bit slower than usual. I really really appreciate those guys doing surgery on me... They can do anything!!
(Splinters everywhere when I tried to climb the West Yellowstone sign...
splinters are the opposite of fun)
Tonight we are going to a bar in the city where we have heard there is a dance party going on in the streets!! Ohhh yea!! I love to dance... Too bad I have a limp now. I still try my best to get my dance on. I am sure that PhillyK and AndyK will rock the house with their dance moves. I will try to get a video of them dancing for this blog. They are the best!
Tomorrow we are meeting up with Adam's parents, his brother Alex (aka Baby Suga), and our good friend Lauren. They will be hanging out with us for a week and driving an RV!! It will be soooo fun.
-Pattt
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Ennis, Montana
Date: 6/22/06
Mileage: 75
Funds Raised:
$8,528.87 for Kupenda (+ $10.00 thanks to DeeDee and +60.00 thanks to David Crisp!!)
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,805 for ADA (+ $25.00 thanks to Jean Lobaugh)
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Today we had a rather short day especially compared to yesterday. To be done after 70 miles is a great feeling when the day before at 70 miles you still had 50 left :) The weather has be absolutely PERFECT for the past 2 weeks!! It is always chilly in the mornings at about 50 degrees and warms up to 75 or so in the afternoons with no rain! I am sure when we get out of the rockies it will be getting much much hotter but we will enjoy this weather while it lasts.
I never knew that America was so beautiful. Everything from Washington to Montana has been breath taking. If you have not visited Washington and Oregon's west coast, the Cascade, or the Rockie Mountains then I must advise you to do so. Take a road/camping trip and enjoy some nature!
We went through some old gold mining towns today and we only had one mountain pass that was only 3.5 miles long. Tomorrow we will be biking to West Yellow Stone!! I can't wait!!!
Mileage: 75
Funds Raised:
$8,528.87 for Kupenda (+ $10.00 thanks to DeeDee and +60.00 thanks to David Crisp!!)
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,805 for ADA (+ $25.00 thanks to Jean Lobaugh)
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Today we had a rather short day especially compared to yesterday. To be done after 70 miles is a great feeling when the day before at 70 miles you still had 50 left :) The weather has be absolutely PERFECT for the past 2 weeks!! It is always chilly in the mornings at about 50 degrees and warms up to 75 or so in the afternoons with no rain! I am sure when we get out of the rockies it will be getting much much hotter but we will enjoy this weather while it lasts.
I never knew that America was so beautiful. Everything from Washington to Montana has been breath taking. If you have not visited Washington and Oregon's west coast, the Cascade, or the Rockie Mountains then I must advise you to do so. Take a road/camping trip and enjoy some nature!
We went through some old gold mining towns today and we only had one mountain pass that was only 3.5 miles long. Tomorrow we will be biking to West Yellow Stone!! I can't wait!!!
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Dillon, Montana
Date: 6/21/06
Mileage: 118
Average Pace: 17.9 mph
Funds Raised:
$8,460.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,785 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Camping is great unless you are ill prepared. I guess that sitting at home in Maryland at near sea level I just could not comprehend that come late June, no matter what elevation, it would be hot at night!! So who needs a sleeping bag... I was wrong! It gets up to 75 or 80 degrees during the day, but when you are sleeping at 3,000 feet plus elevations in the mountains of Montana it gets down to 40 or below at night. Without a sleeping bag that makes for a bad night of sleep. Since Adam and I both don't have sleeping bags neither of us got much sleep last night. Luckily we both woke up feeling well rested for the big day ahead of us!
We left the camp site early in the morning so that we could squeeze in all of our 115 miles and 4 mountain passes (the most mountain passes in one day to date) and still have some time at night to blog, write the book, pitch our tent, plan our next day, and get ready for bed.
(A mountain goat we saw on the way up the mountain...
These things can climb straight up a cliff!! Crazy!)
The first mountain hit us right off the bat. We started climbing immediately and we were up to 6995 ft in no time! It was the highest mountain pass yet! Shortly after that we were up to 7241 ft crossing the "Continental Divide!!" That sounds pretty cool :)
(1st mountain pass...
It was requested by Jesse's cousin DeeDee that he smile in the pictures so...
Notice that I am straight faced and Jesse is smiling)
We stopped in Wisdom, Montana for lunch! I have never seen so many mosquitoes in my entire life! Mosquitoes run that town! When we were biking into town we saw a man and his dog by the side of the road. There were swarms of what we thought were nats all around both of them when we got to town and we stopped biking we were immediately attacked by millions of mosquitoes! It was then we realized that the man and his dog were being swarmed by mosquitoes... Funny that they didn't seem to mind... We were freaking out. The mosquitoes can't get you while you are biking fast but once we stopped they were everywhere with in 2 minutes.
After we left the mosquitoes of Wisdom, Montana we finished our last 2 mountain passes and finished the day in Dillon, Montana. We are camping again tonight, but I was smart enough to go and buy a sleeping bag for the cold weather that I know will come once the sun sets. Luckily the sun doesn't set until 10:00 or later here!
-Pattt
Mileage: 118
Average Pace: 17.9 mph
Funds Raised:
$8,460.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,785 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Camping is great unless you are ill prepared. I guess that sitting at home in Maryland at near sea level I just could not comprehend that come late June, no matter what elevation, it would be hot at night!! So who needs a sleeping bag... I was wrong! It gets up to 75 or 80 degrees during the day, but when you are sleeping at 3,000 feet plus elevations in the mountains of Montana it gets down to 40 or below at night. Without a sleeping bag that makes for a bad night of sleep. Since Adam and I both don't have sleeping bags neither of us got much sleep last night. Luckily we both woke up feeling well rested for the big day ahead of us!
We left the camp site early in the morning so that we could squeeze in all of our 115 miles and 4 mountain passes (the most mountain passes in one day to date) and still have some time at night to blog, write the book, pitch our tent, plan our next day, and get ready for bed.
(A mountain goat we saw on the way up the mountain...
These things can climb straight up a cliff!! Crazy!)
The first mountain hit us right off the bat. We started climbing immediately and we were up to 6995 ft in no time! It was the highest mountain pass yet! Shortly after that we were up to 7241 ft crossing the "Continental Divide!!" That sounds pretty cool :)
(1st mountain pass...
It was requested by Jesse's cousin DeeDee that he smile in the pictures so...
Notice that I am straight faced and Jesse is smiling)
We stopped in Wisdom, Montana for lunch! I have never seen so many mosquitoes in my entire life! Mosquitoes run that town! When we were biking into town we saw a man and his dog by the side of the road. There were swarms of what we thought were nats all around both of them when we got to town and we stopped biking we were immediately attacked by millions of mosquitoes! It was then we realized that the man and his dog were being swarmed by mosquitoes... Funny that they didn't seem to mind... We were freaking out. The mosquitoes can't get you while you are biking fast but once we stopped they were everywhere with in 2 minutes.
After we left the mosquitoes of Wisdom, Montana we finished our last 2 mountain passes and finished the day in Dillon, Montana. We are camping again tonight, but I was smart enough to go and buy a sleeping bag for the cold weather that I know will come once the sun sets. Luckily the sun doesn't set until 10:00 or later here!
-Pattt
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Bye Bye Missoula
Date: 6/20/06
Mileage: 75
Funds Raised:
$8,460.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,785 for ADA (+$50.00 Thank you, Learic Cramer for your donation)
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
This morning we slept in 1 hour later than usual. We had a later than usual night last night with the karaoke and all, but karaoke must be done! We said good bye to Ellen and her son Aiden. We had sooo much fun hanging out with them it was sad to see them leave. We the day before we hung out with Aiden playing xbox. His skills at video games are uncanny! Ellen came out with us for karaoke, unfortunately we could not convince her to sing a song... Maybe next time ;)
We biked a flat 50 miles from Missoula to Hamilton where we had lunch in a park where we found a summer festival going on! There was live music and people dancing!! It was a great time and a beautiful day. The local newspaper reporter met us there and interviewed us about our trip. That is the third newspaper we have been interviewed by since we started our trip. MiniMed, a diabetic pharmaceutical company, has some of their PR people helping us to get our word out by contacting newspapers for us! We have not raised any donations that way but hopefully the articles are inspiring others and raising awareness for diabetes!
After lunch we biked another easy 25 miles to just a little past Darby. We are not at an awesome campsite right next to a river. It is so fun to just hang out, jump in a freezing cold river, write the blog, make a fire, and sleep outside! Life doesn't get any better.
Tomorrow we have about 120 miles and a hugeeee mountain pass to go up! Should be fun :)
-Pattt
Mileage: 75
Funds Raised:
$8,460.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,785 for ADA (+$50.00 Thank you, Learic Cramer for your donation)
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
This morning we slept in 1 hour later than usual. We had a later than usual night last night with the karaoke and all, but karaoke must be done! We said good bye to Ellen and her son Aiden. We had sooo much fun hanging out with them it was sad to see them leave. We the day before we hung out with Aiden playing xbox. His skills at video games are uncanny! Ellen came out with us for karaoke, unfortunately we could not convince her to sing a song... Maybe next time ;)
We biked a flat 50 miles from Missoula to Hamilton where we had lunch in a park where we found a summer festival going on! There was live music and people dancing!! It was a great time and a beautiful day. The local newspaper reporter met us there and interviewed us about our trip. That is the third newspaper we have been interviewed by since we started our trip. MiniMed, a diabetic pharmaceutical company, has some of their PR people helping us to get our word out by contacting newspapers for us! We have not raised any donations that way but hopefully the articles are inspiring others and raising awareness for diabetes!
After lunch we biked another easy 25 miles to just a little past Darby. We are not at an awesome campsite right next to a river. It is so fun to just hang out, jump in a freezing cold river, write the blog, make a fire, and sleep outside! Life doesn't get any better.
Tomorrow we have about 120 miles and a hugeeee mountain pass to go up! Should be fun :)
-Pattt
Monday, June 19, 2006
Taking It Easy In Missoula, Montana
Date: 6/19/06
Mileage: zippo, nada, zilch
Funds Raised:
$8,460.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,735 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Today we enjoyed exploring the cool town of Missoula! I went running up a hugeee mountain and I took some cool pictures when I got to the top! PhillyK and AndyK did their normal run. They usually run 3 - 5 miles everyday. They are on a strict training schedule for getting back into racing shape by the end of the summer.
Jesse spent a lot of time writing his book. I haven't read it yet so I don't know exactly what it will be like, but I think it focuses on our mission, the people we meet, and our friendships. We have met so many different types of people and had so many strange things happen to us!! I can't wait to read the book when he is done at the end of the summer.
Adam and I also found a really cool shop in Missoula called FreeCycle. It is a place where you can walk in to door and find tons of old bike parts for fixing your current bike or even building a bike from scratch. It is a non-profit shop but they take donations. If I spent more time in this town I would definitely go in there and build a bike! They even have at least one volunteer on staff to help you if you dont know what your doing.
Tonight we got our karaoke for the state of Montana done!! Let me tell you... Karaoke is always a good time... ALWAYS. So if you are ever sitting around and thinking to yourself "man.. I want to have a good time!" then go to karaoke and there you will find what you are looking for :)
Updated Karaoke stats: 4 states visited, 4 states karaoked!!
We are heading into some bigger mountains in the next few days so I want to apologize in advance if I don't have access to the internet to update the blog :)
-Pattt
Mileage: zippo, nada, zilch
Funds Raised:
$8,460.87 for Kupenda
$20,000 is the goal for Kupenda. That is the amount needed to build a boarding facility so that 30+ children, who have disabilities, will get to go to school!!! It is a chance to really make a difference in a lot of people's lives!!!
$7,735 for ADA
Battling diabetes is something that is close to our hearts since Adam has Type I Diabetes. AFC's mission at it's core is to raise awareness, show other diabetics that anything is possible, and to do anything to combat diabetes!
Today we enjoyed exploring the cool town of Missoula! I went running up a hugeee mountain and I took some cool pictures when I got to the top! PhillyK and AndyK did their normal run. They usually run 3 - 5 miles everyday. They are on a strict training schedule for getting back into racing shape by the end of the summer.
Jesse spent a lot of time writing his book. I haven't read it yet so I don't know exactly what it will be like, but I think it focuses on our mission, the people we meet, and our friendships. We have met so many different types of people and had so many strange things happen to us!! I can't wait to read the book when he is done at the end of the summer.
Adam and I also found a really cool shop in Missoula called FreeCycle. It is a place where you can walk in to door and find tons of old bike parts for fixing your current bike or even building a bike from scratch. It is a non-profit shop but they take donations. If I spent more time in this town I would definitely go in there and build a bike! They even have at least one volunteer on staff to help you if you dont know what your doing.
Tonight we got our karaoke for the state of Montana done!! Let me tell you... Karaoke is always a good time... ALWAYS. So if you are ever sitting around and thinking to yourself "man.. I want to have a good time!" then go to karaoke and there you will find what you are looking for :)
Updated Karaoke stats: 4 states visited, 4 states karaoked!!
We are heading into some bigger mountains in the next few days so I want to apologize in advance if I don't have access to the internet to update the blog :)
-Pattt
Missoula, Montana!
Date: 6/18/06
Mileage: 60
(AndyK, Jesse, Pattt, Adam, PhillyK)
Team AFC...
with the addition of AndyK team AFC is now 5 hearts not 4...
too bad we already made all those T-Shirts..
haha
After leaving Powell's camping grounds we went straight up the Lolo Pass. It was not very hard at all. The grade never went about 6% and it only lasted maybe 5 or so miles. We took it nice and easy up the mountain. The rest of the day was almost all down hill all the way to Missoula.
While we were climbing up the pass AFCMobile (PhillyK and AndyK) went out ahead of us. They had their own adventure! When we met them for lunch they told us that a deer ran out of the woods and crashed head first into the driver's side while they were driving down the highway. AndyK, who was driving, looked pretty shook up. The deer left some hair and blood marks on the car. Luckily they saw the deer run away so hopefully it was not too badly hurt.
After lunch Jesse got his tools out and fixed up the car. The driver's side door was all busted up and the mirror was bent out of shape. Since Jesse can do anything he had it all fixed up in no time! Looks almost like brand new ... ... ...
We met Ellen Brown in Missoula and she had a cookout for us! After that we headed out to downtown to see what the city was like. Like all the other cities we have visited so far there were bikes and bikers everywhere! Seems like all these small town cities in the West really cater to bikers. I love it!
-Pattt
Mileage: 60
(AndyK, Jesse, Pattt, Adam, PhillyK)
Team AFC...
with the addition of AndyK team AFC is now 5 hearts not 4...
too bad we already made all those T-Shirts..
haha
After leaving Powell's camping grounds we went straight up the Lolo Pass. It was not very hard at all. The grade never went about 6% and it only lasted maybe 5 or so miles. We took it nice and easy up the mountain. The rest of the day was almost all down hill all the way to Missoula.
While we were climbing up the pass AFCMobile (PhillyK and AndyK) went out ahead of us. They had their own adventure! When we met them for lunch they told us that a deer ran out of the woods and crashed head first into the driver's side while they were driving down the highway. AndyK, who was driving, looked pretty shook up. The deer left some hair and blood marks on the car. Luckily they saw the deer run away so hopefully it was not too badly hurt.
After lunch Jesse got his tools out and fixed up the car. The driver's side door was all busted up and the mirror was bent out of shape. Since Jesse can do anything he had it all fixed up in no time! Looks almost like brand new ... ... ...
We met Ellen Brown in Missoula and she had a cookout for us! After that we headed out to downtown to see what the city was like. Like all the other cities we have visited so far there were bikes and bikers everywhere! Seems like all these small town cities in the West really cater to bikers. I love it!
-Pattt
Last Day in Idaho!
Date: 6/17/06
Mileage: 115
Today was all about biking. We didn't really meet many people and we didn't really talk much. All we did was bike and we biked fast! We climbed a total of about 2,200 feet and we averaged 19.2 mph. We kept a steady pace line. A pace line is where we stay in a straight line and we switch who is in the front every 3 - 5 miles. The person in the front veers off to the left slows down a bit and gets in the back. The other two people keep the pace. It was a beautiful day outside and we got some amazing pictures, but really pictures can't hold a candle to really being there.
We found a great camp site in a place called Powell which was right at the foot of the Lolo pass. We figured that saving the steep climb for the next day was a good idea. During the day it was almost 80 degrees but at night it dropped to 40! I was sooo cold I could barely sleep. When we get to the higher elevations I am going to have to buy some warmer sleeping gear! The campsite was awesome and we met tons of motorcyclists and kayakers. Camping out, making a fire, and eating smores is always good times.
-Pattt
Mileage: 115
Today was all about biking. We didn't really meet many people and we didn't really talk much. All we did was bike and we biked fast! We climbed a total of about 2,200 feet and we averaged 19.2 mph. We kept a steady pace line. A pace line is where we stay in a straight line and we switch who is in the front every 3 - 5 miles. The person in the front veers off to the left slows down a bit and gets in the back. The other two people keep the pace. It was a beautiful day outside and we got some amazing pictures, but really pictures can't hold a candle to really being there.
We found a great camp site in a place called Powell which was right at the foot of the Lolo pass. We figured that saving the steep climb for the next day was a good idea. During the day it was almost 80 degrees but at night it dropped to 40! I was sooo cold I could barely sleep. When we get to the higher elevations I am going to have to buy some warmer sleeping gear! The campsite was awesome and we met tons of motorcyclists and kayakers. Camping out, making a fire, and eating smores is always good times.
-Pattt
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