October 31, 2008

It poignantly just so happened that the team would wind up in Vegas on the dawn of all Hallow's Eve. After a series of unexpected 9500 foot passes in western Utah (6 to be exact) the team reportedly shipped home every article of clothing except for what they wore as they frantically disposed of anything unnecessary. So Halloween in Vegas was the only acceptable day of the year in the City of Sin for four really sweaty bikers to wear really sweaty clothes for a night on the town. People didn't realize that the dawned apparel wasn't a costume, and by all the sweat marks and grease stains they must of thought the team was really into Halloween.

October 30, 2008

 One state from home! The team crossed into the Silver State this evening with a fantastic sunset to welcome them. Nevada is extremely distinguishable from any road that you may enter her in. For vast expanse of desolate desert becomes vast expanse of sweaty buffet advertisements and neon lights conning you into believing your Nevada's next big winner. Eric Broberg was spotted in the casino trying to bet his bicycle on red 23 at the Roulette Table. His adamants was ignored as security escorted him out. Later the team ensured that they had come out on top by paying $4.99 for an all you can eat buffet which they swear they ate over $200 dollars worth in endless enchiladas and pizza by the slice. Though no luck was found in the casino, with their new dietary capabilities they definitely came out as Nevada's next big winner.

October 30, 2008

 Another State to check off their state lists, the team road through the tip of Arizona today. The interstate just so happens to conveniently traverse a 29 mile section of the northwestern region of Arizona. Though it is completely unjust to the state to say that the team rode through Arizona, it still marked the 13th state of their transcontinental voyage.

Vegas off in the distance. 

October 30, 2008

 Today was 3 State Day for the team as they made haste towards the west coast. The team spent 7 hours going 83 miles in an attempt to break the 'most states in a day on bicycle record' set by a group of professional cyclists in the mid 1990's. They may have failed in their world record attempt but had Las Vegas and its glorious buffets awaiting them at the end of their ride.

 The Bike Route.

 The group rides over the foot bridge.

 Sunset at Zion Canyon.

 Chicago Salute for Zion.

 Peter rides through the tunnel at sun down.

October 27, 2008

 "I was dumbstruck by the towering power of it's Geology... multicolored features sculpted into the most magical rock kingdom I have ever seen... a place drawn by God's own hand." -Robert Redford.

To name a place Zion, would be to have some huge shoes to fill. For thousands of years the place of Zion in Palestine was meant to have both a geographic and spiritual significance so profound that peoples all throughout history in Christendom, Islam, Judaism and many more have made pilgrimage to such a holy place. In Hebrew it means highest place and refers to both a physical and spiritual sense. When European settlers came west and first laid eyes on the incredible structures and formations of southern Utah, it is no wonder such a place would come to be known as the Zion. To even attempt to express such a place with words or photographs would be impossible. It is not a place bound by  words nor a place to be captured by mere two dimensions. It is a structure so painstakingly intricate and so monumentally extraordinary that one can only contemplate it's massive age and creation with humbled thoughts. The team spent hours hiking along its ancient ridges and merely trying to admire its spectrum of color. In the end, it was Zion that most astounded the group and allowed them the time to rejuvenate. Camping underneath the towering canyons and awaiting dawn's first light in the deep valley floor made them all convinced it was the most incredible place they have ever seen.

Atomic Patterson make pilgrimage to the other Zion earlier this year. (Palestine)

 Bryce in the morning light.

 Our amazing friends.

Balancing Rock.

Arches National Park 

October 25, 2008

 The team met up today with their incredible friends who had awaiting them a glorious feast and a campsite in the Bryce Canyon. With their new guest rider Jane, they plan on rolling now with a party of five all the way to the West Coast. Morale was at an all time high as the group enjoyed the luxuries of cooked food and catching up with old friends.

 Eric rides through Capital Reef.

3000 miles down. 

October 24, 2008

Official 3000 Mile Recap:

-37 Flat Tires. (a headache)

-232,942.5 revolutions from a 26 inch tire (the size of Scott and Olin's tires)

-44 Days.

-39 Days of riding.

-2 night of hotel, 17nights of sleeping in homes, 6 nights of sleeping at University Accommodation's, the rest of the nights of urban and rural camping.

-10 broken spokes (the group)

-13,238 bugs swallowed while riding (that is not a joke)

-2,000 bugs into the eyeballs (happens at dusk or dawn when its too dark to where sun glasses)

-12 spills on the bicycle

-5 near death experience (you'll have to buy the book.)

-12 states traversed

-1 guest rider (Jane Hashimawari!!!)

-and 4 team members still going strong!

 No car for days.

Vast expanse of desert. 

 Escalante River

Lake Powell 

October 22, 2008

 South Eastern Utah is a desolate place. Desolate in a scary way. With October entering into its latter phase and the mountain passes becoming colder and closer together, the team was forced to ration their supplies with great thrift. One stretch of road went for 105 miles before the team was able to restock their supplies. Many of the stops on the map are all but deserted towns now, as water is sparse in the vast desert regions. For the team this meant working efficiently and responsibly as they tried their best to enjoy such places as 'Hell's Backbone,' 'Fry Canyon,' 'Death Box Primitive Gulch,' 'Dirty Devil River,' and 'Dark Canyon.' Such intimidating names only made for even more intimidating places as the team suffered thirst and dehydration. On the last evening as the sun was beginning to set and the temperature was starting to plummet the group came upon a place known as Salvation Pass, respectively named for allowing a group of settlers to find their bearings when starvation seemed inevitable. That same pass allowed the team the downhill speed they needed to get into a small town on time before the frost and thirst took their toll.

 Following the Colorado River.

Utah! 

October 21, 2008

 Utah was created in a time when the Earth was a volatile and tumultuous place and was solidified by millions of years of soft but relentless erosion. It exists in a timeless state. It is the only place in the country where rock structures, as old as time itself, exist along side of ancient Native American ruins, western settler's trails, and modern highway systems. All of it can be seen as if it happened yesterday and creates a powerfully organic feeling. The same pass that constant erosion paved through a towering granite rock a million years ago still exists to this day as the only passage. One can look ten feet off the highway and almost see the ancient foot paths, wagon trails and eventual car paths that that wind along the valley floor of steep and narrow canyons where cave dwellings, too, can be sporadically seen. The team could almost feel the same feelings of hope and despair as they came around sharp bends and  steep passes that their same ancestors had done just centuries before.

Scott (top of photo) greets passing vehicles on their way over the Rockies  Peter enjoys one of the coolest bike shop ever... Vecchio's in Boulder City of Boulder on the right, foothills to the Rockies on the left.

October 18, 2008

The team took a couple days off in Boulder to rest and prepare themselves for the last leg of the transcontinental voyage. With over 2300 miles under their belts, they spent the nights on the town and a full day in Vecchio's Bicycle Shoppe preparing their bikes for the last and most difficult part of the journey- the Rockies.

A refreshing visit to the Coors Brewery in Golden, Colorado.
 

October 19, 2008

A trip through Colorado would not be complete without a free tour of the world largest single site Brewery in Golden.

 Riding Bikes when the resorts are open.
One of the most difficult climbs of the trip... Scott on the left and Eric down on the right (next to the white car).

October 19, 2008

The final miles of the Loveland Pass riders dealt with high winds, low temperatures and a light snow between sunny skies. In four miles, the elevation jumps 2000 feet making it one of the steepest grades in the nation.

 Atomic.The backbone of the Continent, over 14000 feet. 

Atomic and Beatruz admire their hard work.

Tapping the Rockies on top of the Rockies (like we needed the extra weight) 

Top of the World.

October 20, 2008

In one day, the team climbed 5000 vertical feet in 68 miles over one of the highest paved roads in all of North America at 11,990 feet. The temperature hovered around 20 degrees farenheit and the elevation left the team feeling extremely fatigued and dizzy as they passed the continental divide today. Words nor pictures can explain the incredible beauty of such a place.

 Broberg, at a quarter century old.

October 18, 2008

A quater century old today, Eric Broberg celebrated his birthday with an exciting 100 mile ride up hill. He loved it and could not remember a birthday that was better than getting to sweat and peddle at 4 miles per hour for a duration of 12 hours. To make him feel better the team offered to buy him whatever gifts he would fancy... He left the Coor's Brewery with 3 authentic Steins, 2 foam Hulk Hands, a real Doc Holliday Cowboy hat, and 8 options distributing 12 ounce belt holder invented by a real American Genius. The gifts were dumped later that day in a desperate attempt to lose weight over the Rockies...

 A scary moment.

October 21, 2008

11,500 feet is no place to spend much time when you have only a bicycle and a few pairs of sweat pants. The team knew this as they spent the day working on getting over the Vail Pass. Just as it seemed things were going to be fine for the riders, the sky turned a very dreary gray. Within minutes snow was dumping on the team and temperatures dropping into the low 20's as they scrambled to find shelter in an abondoned cinder block outhouse at 11,000 feet. With only an hour or so left of sunlight, the group was forced to abandone their makeshift shelter for promises of lower land as they raced down the 13 mile descent into the resort town of Vail. By this point icicles had formed around the riders heads, ears, and beards as they desperately raced downwards. Upon arrival at Vail and in bad shape, they got a hotel room for the night and spent over three hours thawing out in the facilities sauna and hot tub. The next day they heard that the entire pass for cyclists had been closed for the season... they made it by mere minutes.

 Scott and our third guest rider Dan from Dillon, Colorado... he helps us find our way.Colorado has the most incredible trails in the country.


Broberg rides along the Glenwood canyon bicycle trail. The Colorado, when it is just a baby.

October 22, 2008

From Vail Pass at 11,000 feet to basically the border of Utah, the team spent almost 200 miles along bicycle paths following the Colorado River. For the first time in the entire trip of 2400 miles, the team finally had the privilege of going down river instead of up (thanks to the continental divide). They raced for days on end through incredible canyons such as glenwood and the palisades, from an elevation of over 11000 to under 4000 feet in just a day and a half.