New Photos from Ouray to Deckers

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Estes Park, Colorado

The guys are back on the road after a wonderful break in Denver with our friends, the Conrads. Peter Conrad and I were college roommates at ASU and took our first long distance bicycle tour together.

After a delicious breakfast and long goodbyes, the guys headed towards Boulder. While in Boulder, they met about 30 people riding cross country and building homes with an organization called Bike and Build - see their website: http://bikeandbuild.org/cms/ I'm not sure which group they met up with. The guys continued North on Rte 36 / 66 to Lyons, CO, and back into the mountains. They finally found their way to Estes Park, CO, and our staying at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church. The pastor there welcomed them in for the night and gave them money for dinner. Almost 7 hours riding and 77 miles - a big day back on the bikes.

Tomorrow, they enter Rocky Mountain National Park and will be on Trail Ridge Road. This road is the highest continuous motorway in the United States, with more than eight miles lying above 11,000' and a maximum elevation of 12,183' - wow, these guys sure took a tough route !!!

Departure from Denver

We've had quite the vacation at the Conrad home in the Denver area, but alas, it is time to get back on the road, because we have a destination and a deadline. Throughout the first three weeks of the tour, the Lord has been so gracious in the ways he has blessed us. Everywhere we go, there are people ready and willing to help us. If we need a place to stay, we find a Roger and Carol Fornoff in Pine, or a Lynn and Martha in Red Mesa, or a Kevin and Linda Ketterer in Cortez, or a gracious camp site manager near Durango. We've also found Bob and Joellen Winter near Montrose, and a newfound friend Trevor, who let us stay at the ranch where he works in Deckers, and finally, this kind family we are with now, Peter and Amy Conrad, who have given us warm beds, great meals, and a fun time in Denver. If we can't find a place to stay, the Lord gives us a perfect spot to camp, and sometimes even friendly campers to give us some food and good company. But the blessings don't stop there: we also want to thank God for you, our friends and family, who are praying for us every day, because we know that without your prayers, this could not happen. A big thank you to Christina, for the delicious chocolate that was waiting for us here in Denver, and a huge thank you to Focus Cyclery in Phoenix, who sent us a big care package to get us through the next leg of the trip. Anyone else who has helped us in any way, thank you, and we thank God for you.

With a plethora of spare tubes and a bag full of Bonk Breaker bars (compliments of Focus Cyclery), we are about to head out from Denver, going towards Yellowstone National Park. In the next couple of days we will go over Trail Ridge pass, which goes over 12,000 feet in elevation. As you can imagine, we still need your prayers, more than ever, to get us through the challenges ahead of us. We are looking forward to seeing what is in store for us, and we thank God every day for giving us the opportunity to serve Him. Thank you once again for your prayers and support, and God bless you.

-One of us

The mile high city!

This is definitely a big milestone! We pulled into Denver just three miles short of 1,000 for the trip total.

We have continued to have a lot of incredible experiences. Since we spent the night under the highway we rode into Deckers, where we were greeted by our friend Trevor. Trevor worked on a ranch in Deckers and took the day off to hang out with us and show us the ranchin life for a day. We had only met Trevor once before, but it somehow felt like we had been friends forever and we had an awesome time with him. On our day off we did a ton awesome things such as: rounding up and feeding buffalo, shooting guns, cutting down huge dead pines, mountain biking, exploring the forest on an atv, swimming in a lake, fishing in a pond with a beaver, eating steak, playing ultimate frisbee, and hot tubbing under the stars. It could not have been a better day.

The ride from Deckers to the 285 is gorgeous, but is about 20 miles of climbing, some of it over an 8% grade! Once we got into Conifer, it rained on us the whole way down the hill into Denver, it felt like rain was coming in every direction! When we got to the Conrads we had a big steak dinner waiting for us, man was it good to be there! Today was our first day off and we got to spend it at Waterworld. We are taking a couple more days off and can't wait to see what Denver has in store for us! A big thank you to the Conrad family for all their love and hospitality.

-Daniel

Over the Continental Divide

The guys have passed over the Continental Divide and are closing in on Denver. Yesterday, they rode from Gunnison to Salida for a total of 73 miles and one big mountain. They spent most of the day climbing over Monarch Pass which was a long gradual ascent to 11,300 ft and then on to the other side for a 20 mile downhill coast into Salida. Daniel said that David topped 50 mph and Daniel only got to 49.7 mph - glad he was being so cautious. Unfortunately, by the time they made it to Salida, the church was closed and no one was around. The guys heard about a free campground a couple of miles down the road so the moved on and found it to very nice with a mountain stream along side.

Today, they rode from Salida to about 20 miles East of Hartsel - a total of 66 miles. Daniel said that they got a late start on the day and rode up to dusk tonight. As it started to get darker, they began to pray that God would show them a spot to camp. Shortly thereafter, Daniel felt they should stop to look for a place off the road. They had just passed over a bridge and found a great spot right under it !!! He said there wasn't much traffic on this road so he thought it would work out Ok - I guess they are getting to try all sorts of sleeping accommodations.

Tomorrow, they plan to ride to Deckers, CO, to spend a day with their friend Trevor. At this point, they will be about 40 miles outside from Denver.

Ride On

The guys journey North continues. After a wonderful stay in Ouray and many blessings including a local escort around Ouray and jeep tour to the summit of nearby mountain at 12,800 ft., the guys have mounted their bikes and are pressing deeper into the Rockies. While soaking in the hot springs on their last night in Ouray, David and Daniel met a couple from Montrose who invited them to stay at their house. Montrose is only about 35 miles North of Ouray and right along the guys route. Bob and Joelynn welcomed them in, treated them to a nice BBQ, and made the guys feel like family.

The guys arose this morning to a big breakfast before heading out for a big day. As they left their host family's house, a few neighbors stopped bye to pray with the guys and gave them a donation. Just out of Montrose, the guys hit a steep 15 mile climb, then another steeper 10 mile climb, and the into the Blue Mesa Reservoir and Curecanti National Recreation Area, a gorgeous stretch in the heart of the Rockies. Athough it was a beautiful area, Daniel said they battled a stiff head wind and it rained on them. They each took turns "drafting" each other as they pressed on through multiple small climbs on their way to Gunnison. Daniel said they rode 78 miles today and thinks it may have been their hardest day so far. They wanted to make Gunnison for the Saturday night vigil mass at St. Peter's which they thought started at 5:30p. They made it to the church at 5:20p, but mass didn't start until 6:30p so they had plenty of time to spare. The priest at St. Peter's welcomed them to spend the night. Tomorrow, they go over the Continental Divide at Monarch Pass, 11,300ft.

New Photos of their Ride from Flagstaff to Ouray

Try this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/raisingdoughforspo/FlagstaffAZOurayCO?authkey=Gv1sRgCN-Ti-Dl_qiplgE&feat=directlink

Hurray for Ouray ! 625 miles so far !

Spoke to the guys tonight and they will be spending the night in the social hall at St. Daniel the Prophet Catholic Church in Ouray, CO. Thank you Fr. Nathaniel for offering them a place to stay and recover.

The guys woke up this morning to find that bears had eaten most of their food during the night. They had left their panniers (i.e. saddle bags for bikes) out on the table the night before. And fortunately, they also left the zippers open so it wasn't difficult to get the food otherwise the bears would have shredded their bags. Daniel almost got his wish - to see a bear. Maybe he was setting a trap subconsciously?

After they cleaned up the mess, they headed out for their toughest day of the trip so far. They crossed over three mountain peaks and spent most of the day in their highest gear (easiest) climbing steep inclines. They said they rode for 6.5 hours, covered 60 miles, climbed over 7,000 ft., and averaged just over 9 mph. They made it to Ouray at about 6:30pm tonight and plan to take a day off tomorrow. Good thinking :)

Up Up Up

The guys are getting a taste of the Rockies. They rode 66 miles today (Tuesday, 6/16) from Cortez to 12 miles North of Durango with lots of climbing. They are camping for only the 2nd time in 10 days. Daniel explained to the campground host that they were raising money for a not-for-profit Christian organization and were on a tight budget; any money they saved would go back to the charity so the host let them stay free of charge. See how God continues to bless them.

Durango is listed at about 6,500 ft elevation and they will be climbing to over 11,000 ft tomorrow as they go over Red Mountain Pass from Silverton to Ouray - their planned destination. This would mean about 60 miles in the high mountains and probably climbing at least 7,000 - 8,000 ft in elevation gain. Tomorrow will be a huge day and no doubt their toughest day on the bikes.

Please pray for their strength and safety as they catch the downhills on the other side of the climb - what goes up, must come down.

Made it to Colorado!!

We want to start off by thanking everyone for all of their help and support so far through this mission. We have been blown away by all of the hospitality, prayers, and overall support we have received from all of those we have encountered.
Our trip so far has been full of adventure, beauty, tests, and blessings. Riding through Navajo Nation and across the painted desert was breathtaking. We anticipated this stretch to be our toughest with the heat and scarcity of water. We had cloud coverage and a breeze most of the way which was good because it would be sometimes 50 miles in between places to fill up water. Our experience on the reservation was a good one and we encountered a lot of loving people.
Arizona got its revenge on us before we left as I got a flat tire about two miles from Red Mesa, just as a storm was picking up and then the following morning got 2 more within 5 miles of each other on our way towards Cortez. And then, as if the flats weren't enough, David's back pannier broke and we needed to stop at a gas station to drill a new whole for screws. After a long and eventful day of riding we arrived at St. Margret Mary's Catholic Church about 10 minutes before mass started. We talked to a couple of parishioners walking in and got offered a place to stay and were invited to a dinner after mass.
Thank you Kevin and Linda for your hospitality and for the Jeep as we got to explore Mesa Verde and the Cortez area on our day off!
D & D

Route Less Travelled

The guys are making their way through the Hopi and Navajo Reservations and will probably be out of cell contact for a few days. They were planning to ride to Kayenta today (about 75 miles), then to Red Mesa on Saturday (55 miles), and then through Four Corners on Sunday to Cortez, CO.

Here's a neat story of how God is blessing them. When I last spoke to Daniel Thursday night, I asked him where they planned to stay after Kayenta because Cortez is a two day ride. He said he did not know. I told him I worked with a fellow who's brother works somewhere on the Navajo Indian Reservation and he might have a suggestion so I called my friend at home. My friend said his brother worked in Red Mesa which is almost exactly half way to Cortez along their route. Long story short, Daniel called this individual and he said the guys could stay at their house even though they would not be there! They said they would leave a house key hidden out front for them! That is just one story of how God is providing for Daniel and David.

Please continue to pray for them.

Recovered and Riding Again

Flagstaff offered a great resting area to recover from the first three hard days in the AZ mountains. The guys were well taken care of by Mercy at the "White House" retreat center in Flagstaff and tended to some bicycle needs as well. On the road again, they heading NE towards Four Corners going directly through the Hopi and Navajo Indian Reservations. They reached their destination tonight which was St. Jude's parish in Tuba City. They enjoyed a nice home cooked meal with a Sister at the parish and will be sleeping on the couches in the rectory - it's better than in the bush. Today, they rode 89 miles with a slight detour to see some Indian ruins at Wupatki National Monument; they said it was well worth the extra 10 miles !

BIG Day: Pine to Flagstaff (82 miles)

Wow, the guys are doing great! After a good night rest and lots of good food, they left the comforts of the Fornoff's and headed up the Mongollian Rim; about 2,500 ft. of elevation gain. God provided cool, overcast skies, with light rain to keep them fresh most of the day. After about 50 miles and lots of climbing, they reached Mormon Lake and it was only 1:00pm so they decided to keep going. They made Flagstaff by 4:00pm and covered 82 miles = that's a big day given the elevation gain. Daniel said they are beat and look forward to a day off in Flagstaff. They are staying at a Catholic Retreat center there - have the whole place to themselves and will be spending somtime with Andrew Belus and his roommate Moses. Way to go guys - keep up the good work.

Day 2: Sunflower AZ to Pine AZ

The guys arose early and attacked their first full day in the mountains. They left Sunflower around 7:00am and started their hill work to Payson. David had the first flat tire about 3 miles up a 7 mile climb but they had a couple of spare tubes for moments like these. They reached Payson about 11:30am and called on the local Catholic church. Fr. Bill was able to provide them with lunch but did not have a place for them to stay so they pushed on to Pine, AZ, where they are spending the night with Roger and Carol Fornoff at their home. The Fornoff's are parishioners of St. Tim's and have hosted many retreats at their home. The Fornoff's opened their home to Daniel and David with about a 2 hour advance notice. The guys are feeling the effects of two days of touring, but the spirits are strong. They have covered about 110 miles so far.

The Wheels are Rolling

Daniel and David have begun their epic bicycle journey. About 50 people showed up at Our Lady of Mount Carmel to wish them well and send them on their way. About 20 brave people brought out their bikes and escorted them out of town; some even stayed with them all the way to just past Fountain Hills - yes, right before the 'real' hills begin and into the mountains.

Last report, they are staying somewhere near Sunflower tonight. Got some fresh water from a local resident out of a garden hose and cleaned up in a creek nearby. Tomorrow, they will be in the mountains all day and plan to make Payson by sunset.

Here is a link to pictures from the send off:http://picasaweb.google.com/raisingdoughforspo/SendOff?authkey=Gv1sRgCMiR-OKU0fCBlQE&feat=directlink

Final Pre-Trip Update

Friends,

We leave this Sunday, at 6:00 in the morning. We would love it if you would come see us off. We'll be gathering at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tempe right at 6, for a prayer, blessing, and send-off. If you would like to ride out with us, then bring your bike, and you can ride out as far as you like. Just make sure you bring a helmet! We want to thank you all for all the support you have given us, and ask for your continued prayers as we are traveling the 3,000 miles to St. Paul. God has done so much for us. I feel like He has just been guiding us on a string, and everything always works out. It is just incredible how much He blesses you when you go out on a limb and put your trust in Him! He never has, and I know that He never will let us down, and I can already see the way He has worked through this trip to touch lives and bring souls closer to Him. Please continue to check the blog regularly, as we will be updating it whenever we have the opportunity. I hope we see many of you on Sunday. God bless you all, and remain faithful at all times!