Day 10 – Sept. 16th

ENTER MISSOURI

We start in Fort Scott,MO and 6 miles later enter Missouri. Prior to that we got a ticket for 35 in a 20 mile school zone. We did not see any warning lights and the cop said they were on. We drove back to check and the lights in both directions WERE NOT ON!!!!! Ticket anyway.
Rest of the day HOT HOT HOT AND ROLLING HILLS. Made it tough to keep a good mph speed. Seemed there was more up then down. Plus the rumble strips ran down the middle of the shoulder, when there was one. If you were on the inside you had to worry about glass and debris and going into the ditch and if out side you had to worry about the trucks and other fast movers. Jay and I did 40 miles for our half and Frank and Kyle also did 40. We had to hustle to get to our motel and head for Kansas City for Bucknell alum get together. Despite it all we averaged 15 mph and had only one truck full of road rage redneck give us the sign. Fortunately they could not get close as they han passed the line up behind us. Hate to think what might had happened if they got close!!!!!!!

OFF TO DINNER IN KANSAS CITY 2 HOURS AWAY!!!!!

DAY 9 – Sept. 16th

STILL IN KANSAS

We left Dodge City and drove to Ford with Bruce and Mike to start, our 1st day biking with the “old guys” and our 1st with the PENN GROUP. It was flat all day through Kansas’s farmland. We biked through Clarksburg the town that was wiped out by a tornado last year. When you looked at all the endless flat land around the town you have to ask why here and not 5 miles out of town. The day was the windiest that we have encountered and according to the weather reports wind gusts were up to 35 mph early and went to 45 mph in the afternoon. The winds were from the south so we were hit broadsiding all day. It’s amazing no one was blown over. We had one 5 mile stretch due North and got a tailwind which allowed us to hit plus 30 mph until we headed East for the final 30 miles. Temperatures were in the 80s but hardly noticeable with the wind.

For the day I logged 65 miles and despite the wind was able to average 14.9 mph.

Dinner was in Eureka and a Kansas small town’s rendition of a Sports bar, good food and a good waitress, but probably wouldn’t do in New York.

Tomorrow we enter our 6th state Missouri.

DAY 8 – Sept. 15th

COLORADO TO KANSAS

Today we descended over 3000 feet to 2700 through level to downhill hill terrain.
The temp also hit 103 degrees and we faced pretty constant and heavy cross winds.
Bucknell did the Springfield, CO to Ulysses, KS stretch and continued another 50 miles towards Copeland. We forgot the hour time change and we lost another hour waiting for a slow breakfast at the hotel in Trinidad. We arrived late to our hotel in Dodge City.
The day was interesting as we entered the Eastern part of Colorado and of course Kansas. We could see forever down the road and the land on both sides was flat and endless. Occasionally there were several rolling aspects to the road. We passed many grain elevators, cattle feeding pens with thousands of cows, oil derricks, and fields of wind- driven power generators. The last area located in one of the United States windiest area for wind-powered electricity. Kansas rates number three and as stated the cross winds in this area hampered our biking. Kyle and I drafted each other and switched off every mile .No one was blown over but we came close at times!!!!!!!
For the day I had 52.5 miles at 17.9 mph.
More flat terrain tomorrow.
Overnight in Dodge City.

DAY 7 – Sept 14th

ALAMOSA TO TRINIDAD, CO

2 MORE HIGH ONES

I started the day out of Alamosa on the 66-mile leg to LaVerta. Frank pat and I relayed. Out of town we passed a Colorado 14 Blanca Peak rising to 14345. More vistas through green farmland, irrigated fields, newly mowed and stacked hay and lots of cows and horses. The cloud formations were beautiful with hugh cumulus formations and on the distance over the mountains configurations of sirus which eventually disappeared. We traded climbs to the LaVerta summit at 9413 to begin a harrowing 6 degree 11 mile decent with gust of winds that practically blew us over. It was scary!!!!! I hit 55.8 miles an hour, the fastest I had ever done on a bicycle. We had lunch in a neat café in La Verta and our cashier was a very cute 10-year-old Cindy.
After lunch I did the 1st leg of the next climb another 6 degree 3000 foot climb to Cuchara Pass at 9941 feet elevation. Frank powered his way up the last 4 miles and then let Pat O’Malley and I do the descent. In fact the total descent was 46 miles to Trinidad. The first 8 miles again at 6 degrees and the rest much less steep with a few up hill bumps finally hitting a series of hills 3 miles in length before the final fast downhill into Trinidad. Before the last hills we were treated to beautiful views along a stream, around North Lake, along Monument Lake and several miles of a fertile valley. We had descended 400 feet from our last summit.
I must admit I ended my day logging 86.5 miles at 18.6 miles per hour. I think I will sleep well!!!!!
Tomorrow should be a piece of cake as we approach Kansas with 190 miles of downhill or at least small hills from Trinidad, Co at 6000 feet to Ulysses, KS at 3000 feet.

DAY 6 Sept 13th

COW COUNTRY AND THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE

THE BIG CLIMB

We are in cow and horse country, got an early start through flat and then rolling Colorado farmlands with the Rockies looming ahead. Beautiful green fields with rolls of hay and watering machinery, lakes and ponds, occasional deep gorges and rocky hills. On my start we were held up for 20 minutes or so by road construction and they would not let me as a biker go through although in New York they would have. Shortly after we started our 8 mile 3000 foot 7 degree climb to the 10670 summit taking 15 minute relays and I had 2 segments. Lack of oxygen and the grade made it tough but the Bucknell team did the job and celebrated with a hilarious photo shoot straddling the continental divide. The Penn team for a group photo also joined us.

What followed was a 60 mile downhill into Alamosa, the first 8 miles a hair-raising 6 degree curving ride with Frank, Pat, Jay and I hitting a max speed of 50 mph. The canyon was narrow in spots and bordered a stream. The rest of the mileage was gradual to flat with 2 minor upgrades with wide expanses of cow and horse land so we were able to maintain a sped of excess 20 mph into Alamosa to check in the beautiful resort Inn on the Rio Grande resort right on one of the five longest rivers in America.

For the day I logged 64 miles but the champion was Pat O’Malley with 85 miles. Youth will do it every time.
We had a great dinner at Trujillo’s restaurant in town and crashed for the night in preparation for our segment tomorrow on the way to Trinidad over two more 10000 footers.

Another day realizing and appreciating the great beauty of our land.

DAY 5 Sept. 13th

KAYENTA TO DURANGO VIA MEXICAN HAT –MONTEZUMA CREEK AND COERTEZ.

After a team meeting to clarify some issues we all left to visit Monument Valley and take part in an awesome photo shoot in the early morning light with the all the towers of the 7^th wonder surrounding us. Truly one of the world’s most beautiful places. After cruising along through ever changing expanses of rock formations I was selected or perhaps volunteered to do the 6-8and 10 degree curvy downhill into Mexican Hat. Afterwards Frank and the Bucknell youth took over to cover our 25 miles uphill to Cortez crossing into Colorado along the way. Four states down ten to go.

The 44 mile leg from there to Durango was split with Penn doing the 1^st 20 and us doing 24.Frank and I climbed for 13 miles with beautiful Colorado mountains all around us to the summit 8200 feet and then a thrilling 11 mile 6 degree fly downhill to Durango reaching a maximum speed of 47 MPH.

Another day spent in wonder of the beauty, diversity and expansiveness of our great country. We are truly blessed.

Day 4 9-12 Flagstaff to Kayenta ,AZ

I started Bucknell’s day with a 12 mile downhill starting at 7276 feet altitude another beautiful clear day with temps reaching 90 degrees. On the leg from Tuba to Kayenta we hit a 30-mile gradual climb. We met the Penn group under an overhead coal conveyor and biked together 20 miles downhill to the final stop. Before dinner we went out to Monument valley for some late photos, crossing into Utah and getting a preview of the beauty awaiting us the next day.

Sept 11th Day 3

GOD BLESS THE USA. NEVER FORGET 9-11 BE WITH THOSE WHO LOST LOVED ONES ON THAT DAY AND PRAY FOR PEACE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Starting out on 911 was a bit sobering but made one appreciate our great country and the beauty around us. Bucknell riders started the day in Prescott and I led off for the first 15 miles with endless stretches of flat desert with mountains in the distance. I started off opposite some beautiful rock formations in a narrow slot beyond Prescott and it just got better. 15 miles out Kyle and Frank did the hard work of climbing a steep narrow road to the summit of Prescott National Forest. I was not supposed to ride the leg with Frank but when I saw the sign for 12 miles downhill I had to do it with him. WOW!!!!! Winding curves with speeds up to 38 mph.Talk about a thrill and the scenery of colorful mountains across the valley. We went through the picturesque town of JEROME down to Clarksdale where Kyle took the next 25 miles. Jay, Frank and I got so engrossed with photos on more colorful peaks we thought we had lost Kyle. We eventually found him and continued to Sedona.

There is no way for me to adequately describe the beauty of Sedona surrounded by different brightly covered various shades of red peaks. I hope we can get one or two on here for you to see. We had to stop shooting photos for fear of exhausting our digital chips.

After Sedona we drove though a remarkable winding picturesque canyon to Flagstaff.
We had to get there in time to drive 2 hours to our Alumni get-together in Phoenix.

TO MAKE OUR DAY EVEN MORE MEMORABLE WE LEARNED THAT BUCKNELL ALUMS are doing well on donations. Keep up the good work. Class of 53 get on board. It all counts for our 55th. We want to set the standard like we did for our 50th.

We are 3 days out 16 to go.

GO BISON! LET’S GO ‘53

SEPT 10TH DAY TWO – Indio to Yarnell, AZ

Did someone mention hell? I started us off from the Chiriaco Summit with a nice long gradual downhill averaging 20 mph for the first hour. Temperature at the start was close to 90 but before the day’s end we were biking in 109 degrees and at times encountering fairly strong headwinds. Parts of the shoulder got really rough and I rode on the highway far right and it was scary as trucks and cars roared by. As we got further into the desert the scenery got more spectacular with rocky hills, various cactus, and beautiful scattered clouds. As it got hotter we switched riders more often and made sure we stayed hydrated.

One hill we climbed led us past beyond hope. Was someone trying to tell us something? On another hill I had my first flat tire. We also passed a state prison out in the middle of nowhere with lots of funny looking guys hitch hiking. Up a grade and a long straight 9 miles to Quartzite followed by another grade after which there was a 20 mile straight run.
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The last part of the day was up a 9mile steep winding road to Yarnell at 5000 feet elevation with spectacular views back over the desert, Seeing this great country from a bicycle gives one an even greater appreciation of it’s beauty and diversification.

I thought I might not do so well in the heat but ended the day not feeling too bad and managed to get in 54 miles.

SEPT 9th THE START

We were to start from near Santa Monica beach at 5am but I guess we had too much party at the kickoff the night before. Thanks to Susan Zolla . We did get going about 0530 up a short somewhat steep hill and the adventure was underway. If I hadn’t met Frank at last year’s Homecoming I wouldn’t be here. So another check off on my list of must do.

After a photos stop at the Santa Monica pier we were off through Los Angeles to Indio 180 miles away. . The route was flat and we were able to make good time. My antics at traffic lights turn right on red and then swing around and go right on green got me in trouble. I actually got ahead of the group and the Bucknell group thought I was lost. They finally found me and we made good time.

The temperature got in the 90s and the 800 energy producing windmills before Palm Springs somehow did not cool us down.. At the end of the day I had covered 58 miles and didn’t feel too. Bad

At dinner I was surprised by a visit from Carl Garzinski and his lady friend, Jackie, and we reminisced about our days on Everest in 92.

My new carbon Trek Pilot performed perfectly. 18 days to Atlantic City and hopefully lots of support for the Bucknell scholarship fund. What an experience to have Pat, Kyle and Jay to be with us.