The Final Push!

Yesterday, just 4 days before we hit the west coast and wheel dip in the Pacific Ocean, out team completed out longest ride of the entire trip.  We rode 116.1 miles from Yosemite National Park to the bread basket of this region, Modesto CA.  The team did well over 6,500 feet of climbing and just over 10,000 feet of descent.  Talk about a crazy ride! 

The 116 miles helped everyone work the soreness out of their muscles and get the mobility back into their calves.  Additionally, we were extra-recharged for such a long ride because we had had two days away from our bicycles.  By the time that riders began arriving in Modesto and the temperature had spiked to 108, everyone was ready for a little refreshment.  What better answer than some smoothies? 

Flashing back to our time in Yosemite, remember the fire that was ravaging the NW part of the park?  Well the van saw the plume of smoke on its roundabout ride into the park and even caught some glimpses of the emergency helicopters gathering water to drop on the blaze.  

Of course, our crew had a wonderful solution to the predicament.  

Once we hit the trails, the team had an awesome time and got to see a lot of amazing Yosemite treasures despite the fog-like smoke that was clogging up the valley and limiting the visibility in the area.  Still, seeing Half-Dome from a distance is a spectacular experience.  

Fortunately, the windy night cleared up the air a little for the excursions our crew took on their day off.  Elle and Laura captured a better view of the dome during their hike.  

On the hike down to the valley, SUS14 passes by Yosemite Falls and on an exhausting day such as it was, the obvious reaction to such a beautiful pool of water surrounded by majestic views was to jump in.  

Alternatively, I decided to enjoy the pools by napping on the railing of the bridge that passed over the water and Maddie captured my slumber on film.  

It goes without saying that SUS14's Yosemite experience was fun-filled, muscle intensive and incredibly memorable.  

We miss it already but are looking forward to the next three ride days taking us to lovely Monterey and a different kind of cool dip into the salty waters of the Pacific Ocean.  

A Montage Of Magical Modesto

Each day at our route meeting in the morning before all the riders hit the road, one assigned rider talks about the city we are about to visit.  Today we are riding to Modesto CA where we will also have a build day tomorrow and guess who has city facts for today's route meeting? 

Modesto, a city of 201,165 residents, covers just over 37 square miles of land and is located at 89 feet above sea level. The city relies heavily on agriculture as it's main form of industry with walnuts, almonds, milk, chicken, and corn silage being the central crops.  For reference, the community grossed $3.1 billion in revenue in 2011.  

Unfortunately, that sizable income does not benefit all residents of Modesto.  As of January 2013, 14.9% of families and 18.5% of population were living below the poverty line and 13% of the population was unemployed. 

Demographics-wise, the breakdown is as follows: 

     • 65% white (~16% Hispanic whites) 

     • 4.2% African American 

     • 1.2% Native American 

     • 6.7% Asian 

     • 1% Pacific Islander

     • 21.9% other 

As far as affordable housing goes, the average household size is 2.67 people with 57% of homes being owner occupied and 43% being renter occupied, a comparably large proportion of renters in my experience.   The median household income is $49,852 and the median family income is $56,629.  While Forbes noted in a ranking of 100 cities that Modesto was 8th best in terms of housing affordability, it was also ranked #99 in foreclosures and #86 for job forecast growth so there is obviously a dichotomy between the price of homes and the ability of homeowners to responsibly make payments on their mortgages or seek out employment opportunities to finance their home-buying desires.  

Finally, for all you popular culture fans out there, you might recognize Modesto as the filming location of "American Graffiti", the television show "Happy Days" and home to the world's largest winery named E&J Gallo Winery.  

So now you have gotten a glimpse into what a route meeting might feel like (just imagine me reading these tidbits of information rather than writing it).  Hopefully the team has a worthwhile build day in Modesto.  But first, we have to bike 116 miles to get there! 

Knees, Butts and Calves, Oh My!

Our team of 32 has nearly made the 4,220 mile journey from Jacksonville FL to Monterey CA.  As of now, we are scheduled to complete the most total milage of any of Bike & Build's 8 routes as well as the highest daily average milage.  We are strong, we are tough and we are persistent.  

That being said, today we are soar.  For the past 74 days we have been training our bodies to ride a bike an upwards of 75 miles a day on flat ground, up inclines, in headwinds, etc.  Then yesterday, we throw our muscles and joints a curve ball by asking them to do something equally strenuous but completely different from that for which we have prepared. 

Yesterday's hike rounded out around 12 miles with just over 500 feet of ascending and then roughly 3,600 feet of descending steep switchbacks into Yosemite Valley.  For those of you that are familiar with the park, we took Porcupine Creek Trail past the upper waterfalls and down to campsite 4 before walking the rest of the way to the only school located in a national park, Yosemite National Park Valley School.  

Those involved in the hiking world know that more often than not, hiking down can be just as strenuous as hiking up a mountain.  

This morning, as my teammates roused themselves from their slumber and climbed up off their thermorests, joint cracking and moans from stretching served as my alarm clock.  Calf, quad and glute muscles took a toll.  Ankle and knee joints experienced much more impact than what they do on a normal ride day.  

The lactic acid buildup is unreal and I think the best solution is to go enjoy this absolutely majestic granite National Park by taking a leisurely hike to stretch out the muscles, get the blood flowing and take in this breathtaking scenery.  

(That's the famous Half-Dome off in the distance) 

Stretch For The Peaks

Bike & Build calls for flexibility.  While we are a supported ride and our leaders put in a lot of work to ensure that things run smoothly, sometimes we run into little hitches.  Maybe there is roadwork and we have to exit a roadway a little early or go on a slight detour.  Maybe 2/3 of the team gets a stomach bug and the leaders have to shuttle bikes, riders and luggage in multiple trips to Dallas.  

The reason I bring up the concept of flexibility is because the next couple of days have necessitated a change of plans.  There is a forest fire in Yosemite National Park and as a result, Highway 120, our main means of transport through the park, is being overcome by smoke and getting closed down.  

As a result, we are unable to bike our planned route into the park.  No Tioga Pass for SUS14.  Rather, we are taking two National Park buses into the park and then shuttling to Porcipine trailhead where we will then hike 10 miles to our host, a school located within the park.  

Yes, there is a fire but our new plan takes us far away from the area that is in danger.  Yosemite is over 1,200 square miles and the area where fire fighters are working to control the small fire is over 50 miles away from our host as the crow flights.  

Our leaders have worked hard to come up with an alternative plan and a lot of my teammates are excited about the prospect of Hike & Build.  One of our leaders is driving the van an upwards of 300 miles today, traveling all the way around the park so that she can enter from the other side and get all our bikes, bags and food items to our host.  Take a look at the mad packing job in the van: all the bags, 4 bikes and 5 riders! 

In the mean time, enjoy these gorgeous pictures because Yosemite is absolutely breathtaking regardless of whether you bike, hike or drive.  

A Prepared Cyclist Is A Happy Cyclist

Biking is all about preparation.  Before embarking on this journey, all the riders trained by committing to ride at least 500 miles.  Before taking off for the day, riders check their air, breaks and chains.  Before going to sleep for the evening, my teammates prepare by packing their bags so that the morning fiasco of getting ready is simplified.  

Relevant to today's ride, before packing up all our cycling gear we take a look at the weather outlook.  Is there a chance of rain?  Is the temperature cold?  Is the temperature where we are going significantly lower than at our current location?   Is it going to be windy?  

Depending on the response to these daily questions, we might grab extra cycling gear.  

Obviously if there is a high chance of rain then we grab the rain jacket. 

If it is cold or going to get cold, riders might grab arm warmers, leg warmers or both.  

If a rider is like me and their feet get chilly when riding, a cyclist might see cold temperatures, rain or lots of wind and go for the foot sleeves. 

In terms of head gear, there are a variety of preferences.  A lot of my teammates love to wear cycling caps for both style and more aerodynamic performance.  

Several members of the team where cycling dew rags to keep their hair out of their eyes.  

A handful of us like to wear bandanas rather than head caps to contain the hair and a handful more tie the bandanas to their camelback straps or to their necks so that they can wipe sweat.  

All in all, cycling gear differs from day to day and person to person.  Just as a glimpse into how I like to outfit myself, I wear a bandana on my head, normal chamois, my jersey and my cycling shoes.  Today I grabbed my leg warmers and a rain jacket because there is a 20% chance of rain in out destination and a high of 83 in Lee Vining because we are climbing to an elevation of 6,700 feet.  

Hills Or Headwinds? Give Me The Sierra Nevada

I'll be the first to admit that I am not a climber.  In the Tour de France they have a jersey for the King of the Mountains and needless to say, if there were a red polka dot jersey for the Tour de Bike & Build, I would not be wearing it.  I'll take a headwind any day but I'm not nearly as strong up the inclines.  

That being said, yesterday's ride day into the Sierra Nevada mountains makes a non-mountain person like myself appreciate climbing and the beauty of a steep cliff face.  

As we embarked on our ride day, we were surrounded by the sandy foothills of the Sierras which were gorgeous in their own right.  

As the day progressed, the mountains transformed from light brown sandy materials to darker, more rugged looking rock.  

Finally, here in Lone Pine CA we are within view of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contigeous United States standing at 14,508 feet tall.  That peak and many of the surrounding mountains are white stone much like the terrain that we are approaching in Yosemite.  

It was a gorgeous ride and I am ready for more, even if it does mean more climbing.  

SUV, SUV, Convertible, Prius

It's interesting how you can tell a lot about a state by the roads that we ride and the cars that pass.

Louisiana didn't seem to have the best state-funded infrastructure because their roads, even those near more affluent cities, were in need of much repair.  This could have also been a result of annual hurricane and tropical storm problems.  

Alternatively and not entirely logically, the roads that we took in Oklahoma looked practically new.  Maybe tornadoes have destroyed roadways and necessitated their replacement?  Or maybe Oklahoma is just better organized to handle road maintenance issues.  

Though they were few and far between, the drivers in New Mexico were fantastic. They gave bicyclists an excess of 3 feet when passing, they waved at the members of our group and they were mindful of our safety.  

Here in California, the roadways are much larger with generally well-maintained shoulders.  This is likely because there are fewer roadways bridging the gaps between two cities but these less-frequent roadways get used more often.  

Additionally, these roadways are not only more heavily travelled, but the sheer number of semi-trucks that pass our SUS14 team each day here in Cali likely requires that the highways and roads be more durable and well-maintained.  Regarding these semi-trucks, the presence of transport vehicles is a sign of this state's massive industry.  

In Texas you could smell the livestock vehicles before we even saw them, a pattern that shouldn't come as a shock considering Texas's affinity for cattle and meat production.  

My teammate who has lived in California, Katie, assures me that as we make our way closer and closer to the west coast, we will likely see an increasing number of "green" vehicles because of the tax incentives and the overall social atmosphere surrounding environmental conscientiousness.   

All in all, Bike & Build teaches participants a lot but it's nuances of the program like these that riders don't anticipate learning.