A “Young Gun” Reflection

Everyone has been asking me if I have felt a dramatic change in myself since the conclusion of the trip. And to them, I respond, “I’m not really sure. It hasn’t really sunk in yet.” And that’s the truth of it. I recognize the enormity of the accomplishment that we just completed. I haven’t, however, noticed a change in my outlook on life. For as long as I can remember, I’ve tried to live my life in accordance with the Oscar Wilde quote that I put on the back of the cards we printed for our trip:

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”

Over the years, I’ve developed an appetite for the unknown. When I was younger, I decided to attend Boston College without ever having seen the campus beforehand. I wanted something completely different than the homogenous “sunny and 75” days that LA brought 90% of the year. I was bored by the warm and clear Los Angeles sky, free of blemishes. I certainly didn’t feel that way all the time, and at times it felt like I was living in la-la land. I had this urge that I needed to get out and see some more of the world to figure out where I fit in.

Towards the end of my time at BC, I felt like I had become confined to the bubble of privilege and entitlement that existed on campus. It was suffocating at times, and towards the end of my graduation I had this feeling, much like before leaving high school, that I needed to get out in the world and learn how to live again.

I had a decent amount of money that I had saved up from a couple jobs that I had in college. I wanted to spend it all traveling before I moved to Paraguay to teach English. I backpacked Europe by myself for two months, meeting friends and seeing places that I had only read about along the way. I went to Paraguay, penniless, and eager to start the next chapter of my life.

In Tobati, I learned how to live again. It took some time, and certainly a lot of patience. I discovered, however, that I learned the most about myself when I was completely out of my element. It was sink or swim for me in Paraguay. I could either coast through the year, and not put myself out there or adapt to the ever so different Paraguayan culture. Or, I could challenge myself to improve my Spanish and get better on a daily basis. I think this mentality that I developed has inspired me to challenge myself in every aspect of my life and see truly just what is possible.

My work with Joel Unzain, ICRM alum and current UPENN freshman, further enforced our idea that truly “todo es possible,”—everything is possible.

It sounds like such a cliché at times, but Darren and I try and espouse this mindset and set an example for the kids at school. All of the students look up to Joel. They see what he has accomplished, and they set their focus on achieving exactly what he did. Joel is a kid who came from Punta del Este, a remote town in the jungle that loses electricity on a daily basis. The kid would study for the SAT by candlelight until 4am in the morning, only to switch to chemistry after that in order to prepare for an exam later that day.

Joel never complained about the conditions he endured. Not once. He recognized the elements around him that were unchangeable, and instead focused all of his efforts on things which he had control over. He couldn’t help where he was from, or if there was a rainstorm that knocked out electricity in his house. He DID have control over things like his own will and determination. He set his goal of getting into college, and he wasn’t going to stop until he got there.

I remember being on the phone with an admissions officer from one of the schools that Joel applied to. She told me that they had accepted Joel and he would be receiving a 100%+ academic scholarship. I was frozen. I didn’t know how to react. It was the most significant moment of my life, yet I had no outward reaction. I could envision Joel graduating from UPENN and holding an influential job down the line, forever changing the lives of his family members and those in the community. This is the type of change that Darren and I aim to create in Tobati.

As happy as I was for Joel, however, I couldn’t help but start thinking further down the line. What could I do to replicate this for other kids at the Institute? How can I help establish a system of giving back that will exist after I stop working at the school? I suppose that’s just the way that my mind works. I am always looking to the next step.

I remember being with Darren and Eric (previous director) when we initially had the idea to do the cross-country bike trip. The whole thing was actually Eric’s idea. The more we talked about it, we realized that it would be entirely doable during summer break (winter break for US). Unfortunately, Eric wouldn’t be able to join us because of his grad school commitments at Fordham.

Darren and I saw the idea as perfect for the Institute. Neither of us were cyclists. Darren’s cycling experience included riding his mountain bike to Little League practice when he was 12. Mine was riding my bike from my house to the ma and pop donut shop a mile from my house to get snacks before a full day of watching football on a couch. We wanted to show the kids that truly anything was possible if you set your mind to it. Just look at us—a couple rookies who bought some bikes and pedaled for 3,000 miles across the country.

When we were on the bikes, enduring tough gravel and increasingly irritating saddle sores, the only thing on our mind was the finish line. We encountered more obstacles than you could imagine. Fierce, protective and vicious pit bulls. Constant, frigid headwinds that sought to demoralize you to the point of quitting. Snow, rain, freezing rain, hail, tornadoes, sand storms. Flat tires and cold feet. Indigestion and insomnia. Abominable snowmen. You name it, and we had it.

You learn to focus on the good, on the things within your element of control. At one point, Darren and I would just start laughing after encountering a vicious and swirling 15mph wind. What’s the point in getting frustrated? You’re just diverting your attention away from your positive energy that has the power to convince yourself that you’re capable of achieving something as crazy as crossing the country on a bike.

I’d hear all the time while on the road how “young and stupid” I was. I guess that’s where the nickname, “The Young Gun” came from. I suppose I hadn’t thought everything out before the trip started. But how could I? We would never know where we were going to stay more than a day or two in advance. Each day we woke up with a goal to get to the next town, and we didn’t stop until we did. We networked like crazy on sites like warmshowers.org and couchsurfing to find hosts in the cities that we would pass along the way. But sometimes things happen like you getting stranded on the side of the road, and a psychic wearing a tie-die tee shirt and high top basketball sneakers invites you to crash at her place for the night (thanks Yvoty!).

The entire trip was a crash course on how to embrace the unknown. If you learn to trust yourself, you’ll be able to flourish in any situation that you find yourself in. For the past two months, Darren and I have been living in a constant state of uncertainty. Because of this, we were forced into tough situations where there often weren’t any rays of hope. It was sink or swim. We decided to swim.

Darren detailed my second to last day of riding well. It was a 45-mile ascent through a mountain range. A storm was lingering right above the mountains, waiting to wreak havoc on San Diego. All the buzz for the past few days was how big this storm was going to be, and how dangerous the conditions were. Each person we ran into had something to say about the storm. Everyone and their mothers love talking about the weather. I sware, I must have listened to over ten hours of conversation solely about the weather over the last couple days of the trip.

Now I, in my naïve (and according to others, stupid) outlook on intangibles like weather, saw this as just another obstacle. There wasn’t anything that was going to stop me from getting up that mountain. It was the homestretch of the trip, and I wasn’t about to sit this one out because of a couple rain clouds and wind gusts. I had my sights set on San Diego, and as far as I was concerned, there wasn’t anything that was going to stop me from getting there.

Even after Graeme’s multiple attempts to convince me otherwise, Darren looked at him and said, “Mate, I know this guy. There isn’t anything you can say to stop him from getting to the top of that mountain tomorrow.”

Everyone I talked to saw the storm as a blockade. I saw it as an obstacle, an impediment. I remember being at the RV park in Ocotillo (at the base of the mountain), and listening to Graeme and Jackson talk about just how threatening the weather was. I sat back listening, with a mischievous grin on my face. It was all this negative talk about the weather, and how it would be impossible to ride in those conditions. Impossible is nothing. Something is only impossible if you tell yourself it is. If you set goals for yourself, however, and don’t stop till you get there, then you’ll constantly be pushing the limit on your realm of what’s achievable or not.

The whole time I knew that I was going to climb that beast whether there was rain, snow, wind, or pit bulls in my path. It was a challenge I set for myself, and I wouldn’t be denied.

And I did it. And it was the most glorious day of riding. I was by myself, taking in the most astonishing sights of the trip. The storm had a way of creating these unbelievable colors in the sky when there was a clear moment. The air was crisp, and my mind was clear. There I was, atop this mountain that I had just scaled, with no one but myself. It was as if I was being rewarded for pushing the limits. My enduring the most brutal conditions of the trip led to the most rewarding feeling of the entire voyage.

Todo es Posible.

 

One of Tay’s favorite photos of the day.

I hope that our students will see what we did and realize that they too are capable of doing things that people have told them are unachievable. Darren and I are all about breaking the mold of complacency in Tobati. One must believe in himself and see beyond the walls that have been set in place by previous generations.

This trip, along with my travels and my experiences in Paraguay, has been an attempt to continue actively living. You’ll know when you are truly alive, like the moment where I was weightless on top of the mountain near San Diego with a rainbow above me and the clouds beside me.

Like Mr. Wilde said, “most people exist, that is all.” Find a way to live, and the rest will fall in place.

A note awaiting the guys at our school in Paraguay. The translation–“Teacher Darren & Taylor, thank you for the love and the great sense of belonging that you have shown to all of us who are members of this wonderful institution. Both of you are the best evidence we have to say that “Everything is possible”!

The Finish Line– Pine Valley, CA—San Diego, CA

After dinner in Pine Valley, we came home and packed our bags in preparation of what would be our last and final ride of the trip. I was preparing for some serious weather. Taylor and I laid out on the dining room or table our padded spandex shorts, shirts, socks, jacket and new rainproof suits.

One of the best purchases of the trip.

I kind of felt like a gladiator preparing for what could be his last battle ever. I slept pretty well for my final night. I woke up a few times and poked my head out the door to see how the winds and rain were performing. A fierce wind and heavy rain pummeled us between 11:00pm – 3:00pm. At around 4:00am the rained stopped. I woke up at 6:00am to a light rain but nothing that would force us off of the road. While we were getting dressed, Graeme found a breakfast cafe where “the mates” would enjoy their last breakfast together.

The dudes getting ready to leave Graeme and Pine Valley for their last day’s ride into San Diego. Forecast–RAIN. Solution–Dry suits.

What a mixture of emotions! We just spent some fantastic quality time with our new friend Graeme. We were about to finish what would probably be one of our most epic adventures ever yet. (Little do our parents know we have already sketched out a plan for our European tour and our tour along the Pacific coastway here in the U.S.) Graeme spotted a break in the rain as we were finishing up our breakfast and insisted that we get on the move before another belt of rain came through. We went back to our motel rooms, took a few pictures, hugged good ole Graeme goodbye and took off over and down the mountain.

Killing Mode.

The Dudes with Graeme.

About to take off on the last day’s ride.

Despite the on and off and sprinkles Taylor and I were all smiles. We were inching closer to San Diego with each pedal. What a strange feeling! Our 55-day adventure was about to come to an end. After Taylor’s epic day of climbing we didn’t have but another 700 feet to climb and then we would be descending close to 4,000 feet all the way to the coast. We took a pretty great ride down the I-8 and old highway 80. We had some fantastic scenery down from Pine Valley into Alpine. Once we were out of the mountains and into some flatter land we were mostly driving in city traffic. Taylor and I were moving pretty quickly towards the shores. Taylor must have known that his friends were waiting at the pier for us. He was pedaling hard and with a purpose!

(now Taylor takes over to finish the post) Riding into the populated city was not my favorite. We got the brunt of chilly, coastal headwinds. But did you really think that this was going to stop us? The ACA maps led us through a bike route in this national park which dumped us onto the bike route that was a straight shot to the ocean. I started getting giddy and throwing up fist pumps in the sky in sync with the Portugal the Man album I was listening to, “Evil Friends.” I even threw down some air guitar/drums at one point. I could smell the finish line, and I knew that all my buddies were waiting for us at the beach. When I knew there were three miles to go, I kicked up the gear into “killing mode.” I wanted to finish it like a race, as fast as I could. As I could see my group of friends in the distance, I peeped my periphery to see where Darren was. He was nowhere to be found. I stopped, knowing that I could not finish without him. I turned around, saw his bike in the distance, and feared the worst. I was thinking, “flat tire.” I rushed back to meet him and then saw him coming out of the public beach bathroom.

“Had to pee, bro!” He shouted at me. I’m thinking, “we’ve got thirty pedals to the finish line of a 3,100 mile trip and you’re stopping for potty breaks!?” Anyway, we got back on the bikes and raced to the end of the bike path. My buddies started cheering us on, and once we reached the sand we dropped our bikes and had a big embrace.

The finish line.

We had done it. Our friends pulled out multiple bottles of champagne and showered us with it. It was blissful. Best feeling in the world. I imagine it would be something like winning the Super Bowl. This was my super bowl. I couldn’t stop smiling, and I didn’t even mind all of the grief that I got from my friends about my out-of-control beard. We made our way to the ocean and I proceeded to bike into the Pacific. I stripped to my bike shorts and even jumped into the refreshing ocean. We’d been biking towards the darn thing for two months, I figured I would dive in and get a taste. We met a nice couple who took a picture of us with all of the guys. In the excitement, my iPod fell into the water. As if a miracle from above, the little guy still worked. It looks like he too had been hardened from the trip. My adrenaline was PUMPING!

Champagne shower at the finish line!

The guys took us to a great place to eat and get some celebratory drinks at Ocean Beach. We got amazing fish tacos, feasted on nachos, chips and guac, calimari, and some IPAs. Feeling sky high and being with my best friends in the world was how I felt at that restaurant. It felt like a dream, and it still didn’t register that I had just finished the trip. We all went back to Tyler’s house in Point Loma. The crew was Tyler and Kirk (native San Diegans), Brian, Kaz and Mike (LA natives). I lived with all of these guys while attending Boston College. Hadn’t seen most of them in a long time. Kirk for example, flew to South America in July 2012 to join me on a 5 day trek to Machu Picchu. I hadn’t seen him since then. But it was like we hadn’t missed a beat. When that happens with people, you know that you are going to have a good friend for the rest of your life.

FInish line

The Finish Line Crew

That night, we all hung out at Tyler’s in Point Loma and then went out to a bar in Pacific Beach. I didn’t shave. Kirk wore sandals. We all ate burritos after leaving. I slept on a cot/couch hybrid that Tyler had in the back patio of his house. I had a bed, but for some reason I was itching to wake up to the sunrise. Maybe after all that time on the road, I had developed a knack for the uncommon. We all woke up and went to get breakfast burritos at a place called “Hector’s.” Tyler was quite fond of this small shop, and had even made friends with Hector over the years. Sure enough, when we entered Hector greeted Tyler like a friend and I even noticed that he was wearing a Boston College shirt. Get some, Hector! I ordered two burritos, one for the morning and one for later. I suppose that I was still in “biking mode,” and thus always thinking about making sure that I will have food a couple hours down the line. After this I rode with Kirk and Kaz to pick up some coffee and donuts. My metabolism was still BUMPING. We went to Kirk’s place and caught up with his mom and stepdad, who were big donors for the cause. Darren and I wanted to thank them personally. The sun started to come out and we decided that it would be a good day to spend at the beach. We went to Del Mar and settled in nicely. We soaked in some rays, went swimming, and had some good conversation. A wonderful way to spend a Sunday. Kirk and I even wore bathrobes. By the end of the day we packed our stuff and headed back north to LA. Brian’s mom Carol had lent her SUV AND bike rack to Brian. This was a massive help, and allowed us to get back to my home in Westwood safe and sound. We got home, greeted the Ross family, had some dinner, and watched the Oscars. I was out EARLY.

Tay and Kirk. Bathrobes were a nice touch.

Nothing like good ol’ convo with the dudes!

(l-r–Mike, Brian, Kirk) The finish line friends. Taylor grew up a mile down the street with Brian since he was 12. The three all were great friends at Boston College together. This is taken with an epic ocean view in Del Mar, San Diego.

The hazy, rainy view from Point Loma, San Diego. Those are our bikes attached to the bike rack of the SUV in the bottom right. A special shout out to Carol Page (Brian’s mom and Team Tobati donor) who lent Brian the big car and bike rack to bring the dudes back to LA from San Diego!

Darren and the guys taking in the sights in Del Mar, San Diego. (l-r–Darren, Nick, Wilbur (Kirk’s brother), Tyler, Kirk(

Nearing the finish line, the Young Gun displays his knack for adventure and decides to ignore the weather channel. Ocotillo, CA to Pine Valley, CA

Leaving Brawley, there was an exceptionally strong side wind. There were gusts between 20-40mph but there was a constant wind of at least 15mph. It felt like 15mph headwinds with even stronger side gusts. It was a hard day. It was one of those days where you just put your head down and grind out the remaining miles. Today we would be meeting up with our Australian friend, Graeme, at an RV park at the base of the mountain in Ocotillo.

25 mph headwinds in El Centro? No, thank you.

We all arrived at the RV park at almost the exact same time. We were greeted by the owner, Jackson. He showed us around the park and we ended up in the rec room. He suggested that we camp out indoors tonight because the winds had been blowing hard the past couple of days/nights. Jackson was near certain that our tents would blow away if we camped outdoors, so we camped out inside the rec room. The RV park was practically empty so we essentially had the place to ourselves. After preparing the rec room we grabbed some burritos and a pizza at the local bar before going to bed. Upon arriving I received a few messages from my friends and even a phone call from my mother. Everyone had been warning me of the severe weather up in the San Diego area. This soon became the topic of our dinner conversation. Would we sit out tomorrow’s ride and listen to the National Weather advisory? Or would we ignore all issued warnings? Well let me tell you, I was extremely set on waiting the storm out in Ocotillo.

Hanging with Graeme at an RV park in Ocotillo, CA.

Taylor, however, well…he wasn’t going to be stopped. He was going up the mountain and nothing was going to stop him. Graeme looked at me and said, “If your mate really goes up tomorrow, you just come up the mountain with me in the truck and we can trail him and stay at all of the local cafes a long the way.” Sounded great to me!

A view of the windmills at 6:15 am. This was taken on highway 8 right before the massive ascent through the mountains.

The next morning I woke up early with Taylor and I checked the weather online. The warnings were still posted and Jackson even said it was a smart decision to wait this storm out. There were warnings for the Ocotillo, Jacumba, Pine Valley, Alpine and the entire San Diego area. We would be passing through each of these towns over the next 130 miles. The warning called for mudslides, hail, flash floods and strong wind gusts up to 70mph. There wasn’t a single chance I would be riding in these conditions.

Taylor about to leave Ocotillo at 6am.

Taylor said that nothing would stop him from finishing by Saturday, March 1st. I told Taylor that we could wait out the storm in Ocotillo and just hang out for a day to let the worst of the storm pass. He wasn’t having anything to do with my plan, got on his bike and road straight up the mountain in probably the worst storm of the entire trip.

Todo es Posible.

Ascending highway 8.

Graeme and I cleaned up the campsite and trailed Taylor almost the entire way up the mountain. We always made sure to be within 20 miles of Taylor. If Taylor were to need any assistance we wouldn’t be far behind or in front of him. And, if the conditions got really bad we would at least be close enough to make an emergency rescue. We only had to perform one emergency rescue and that was when the temperatures had dropped about 30 degrees from the base of the mountain. Taylor’s hands were numb from the cold rain but Graeme and I hurried down the mountain and got him a dry water resistant pair of gloves. Graeme and I continued up to the motel where we would be spending the evening. We originally were going to camp but the temperatures were freezing and it was raining. None of us intended to spend our last night camping in the freezing rain so Graeme picked up a pair of rooms at the Pine Valley motel. Thanks Graeme! It sure beat camping out in the elements. Graeme and I knew we had a couple of hours before Taylor would be arriving so we went to our respective rooms and we both took a little nap while Taylor was busy conquering the mountain. Shortly after waking up from my nap, I calculated that Taylor should be arriving within the next 10 minutes. I waited outside for a while and shot a video and sure enough just after I turn off the video I see Taylor coming into the motel.

Taylor on the most epic ride of the trip. He ascended 4,000 feet over 45 miles right into the eye of the storm that enveloped Southern California for the weekend. “Gotta meet the dudes at the finish line on Saturday,” the Young Gun proclaimed. “Ain’t no more time for rest days.” A positive of biking into the storm–you get some of the most beautiful formations in the sky (notice the rainbow in the background).

Taylor in the clouds near Pine Valley. The temperatures dropped significantly around 3,500 ft.

One of Tay’s favorite photos of the day.

Taylor was cold and wet! Fortunately we had a warm motel room with a good shower. I knew Taylor would be happy. We all napped for a while longer and woke up around 5:00pm. We were famished and found a nice little restaurant less than a 100 yards from our motel. It was still raining pretty hard on our way to the restaurant. After arriving at the restaurant we saw more weather warnings flashing on the TV screen and coming up on our telephones. I still wanted to wait out the storm but Taylor was pretty confident that the worst was over. He also pointed out that we only had 60 miles left and that all of his friends would be waiting for us at the finish line. We had to finish! There were no other options available. I agreed! We would leave first thing in the morning as soon as there was a break in the rain.

Tay meeting the guys for a snack in Jacumba after the initial 3,000 ft ascent

Getting readjusted before hoping on the road again.

Breakfast Burrito=energy.

homemade booties

The dudes

5:30 am in Ocotillo

Jackson’s RV Park, Ocotillo, CA

Crossing the California border– Blythe and Brawley

Tough decision–to Mom & Dad’s (LA) or Grandma’s (Prescott).

Early to bed and early to rise. We were out the door around 8:00am needed to make our way to Blythe, California. Today we would be crossing into California! YES!!!! The finish line was in sight and we had a newfound energy brewing between the two of us. Our ride to Blythe was nothing too special. Rough roads, tough winds–nothing new to us. You know, ever since we arrived in Arizona we have seen thousands of RV’s, ATV’s and dirtbikes! On our ride to Blythe we stopped in a town called Quartzisite. It was cool, there were hundreds of RV’s lined up and down the road and in various lots for the stretch of about four miles. In the center of it all was a massive flea market that had various shops and food cafes open to the public. Taylor spotted one and pointed to a sign that said, “Bad Boy Cafe.”

Jubilation. Last state line of the trip.

Thor, happy to be back in his home state.

We smiled and agreed that we would eat there. We’re bad boys, right? I mean, we ARE biking across the country for crying out loud. This cafe is perfect for us! The name sold us! We took our timing eating because we biked about 40 miles to get there and that only left us with about 20 miles to get to Blythe. It’s nice when you can actually sit down and eat a meal and not limiting yourself to 5-15 minutes for lunch. Most of our lunches consisted of PBJ sandwiches, trail mix, granola bars, and if we were fortunate enough, a piece of fruit. We usually eat these lunches while straddling our bikes or sitting on the side of the road. So it was nice to sit down and actually let the food digest before hopping right back on the bikes.

Our host for the evening was the owner of a bait & tackle shop. We were staying at her house which is where she also operated her business. We arrived and were escorted to the back yard where there was another cyclist named Adrian. Adrian had arrived two days earlier and he wasn’t alone. He brought his dog, Ferris, along for the cross-country venture. Adrian was doing our exact same route but he was going west to east…like most sane people do. Well, Adrian was waiting for his father to come with some essential spare parts so he could continue his journey eastward. The owners gave us a few cold drinks to cool off to and we got to talking with Adrian. He warned us of the brutal sand dunes that would be awaiting us tomorrow. We warned him of the shady towns and bad motels that we had run into along the way. He should have a pretty good ride– The winds will be at his back, and the weather will warm up back east. I think he left at a good time of the year, but who knows when it comes to the weather?

The Bait Shop/RV Park where the guys stayed at in Blythe, CA.

Residence in Blythe, CA.

We all got hungry around the same time and were preparing to order some delivery. We asked if we could use the phone and the owner told us that his wife had just put in an order for three pizzas.  Dinner was taken care of, what a nice surprise! These kind of things have happened very often on the trip. It’s just unbelievable how gracious all of our hosts have been to us. While we waited for the pizza to arrive, we set up our camping equipment for the night. We opened up shop right next to Adrian and his dog. By the time we had finished setting up our tent, the pizza had arrived. They ordered three pizzas for the three of us. We each had a full pizza for dinner. I also purchased some Reese’s Buttercups, Crunch bars, Kit-Kats and a few other snacks to cap off the night. Adrian’s dad arrived with the spare parts right before we were getting ready for bed. Adrian wasted no time and immediately went into mechanic mode. After about an hour of him mumbling under his breath and frequent return trips to his tent he finally got into bed. We were both up early. Taylor and I had a 95 mile day planned, so we intended on being out the door by 7:00am which meant no horseplay tonight. Early to bed we went.

Sunset at an RV park in Blythe, CA.

We indeed were out the door by 7:00am. We said all of our goodbyes and we were on our way. The previous night one of the guys at the bait & tackle shop gave Taylor and I some backward directions out of town to avoid the heavy traffic in Blythe. This particular gentleman had the physique of the boxer, Butterbean (http://www.pridefc.com/pride2005/images/fighter/354_l.jpg). He also was missing his middle right finger, and had a tattoo of a cobra lining his right arm. The tongue of the cobra hissed all the way down to the space where his finger was supposed to be. My bet is that homie ran into some back luck in a fight with a cobra. He also spent a good hour lecturing us on these back roads. “You don’t want to find yourself on that 78 too early in the mornin.’ OOOOOOhhhheeeeeee, you gon’ get some crayyyze traffic right about then.” He became overly insistent that we follow his EXACT directions. When another local came by and looked at our map and started talking to us about the route, he would intervene, “What’s going on here? Where’s he got ya’ll going?” I’m thinking, “pump the brakes, bud.” We appreciate the help, but let’s sit down for a minute in silence, enjoy this delicious pizza, and let the sunset soothe us to sleep.

He was completely incredulous that we were going to bike 80 miles in a day on the 78. “Pickup truck gonna come and ride ya’ll asses right off the road,” he told us. He worked for the fire station (allegedly) and told us of all the bikers he had seen get thrashed on the side of the highway. Dude didn’t even know what we had been through. Biking crowded interstates with ridiculous gusts, getting sucked by big rigs, getting shouted at by hicks in four-wheelers. Riding a skinny shoulder didn’t really phase us at this point.

Butterbean had us on a series of backroads that should have eventually lead us onto route 78. Well, his directions ended up leading us into a conservation site. We were lost and there wasn’t really anywhere to ask for directions. I suppose we could have gone back 15 miles in the reverse direction but we figured we could find out our way out faster on our own. I’m not sure if that was correct decision or not. After a while we did come across a Latino gentleman who worked on the conservation. He gave Taylor some very detailed directions and even drew us a small map to help us out of the conservation site. Side note – this whole conversation happened in Spanish. The gentleman said we had some pretty rough roads ahead of us but said it would be quicker than turning around and going back. We followed his directions which lead us on dirt roads and tough rock roads which actually forced us off of our bikes. We probably walked a full two miles on this rocky road which took us over 60 minutes to traverse. It was brutal! Eventually we did make it to route 78 but at that point it was almost 11:00am. We had been on the road four hours and we had only traveled about 25 miles. We still had close to 70 miles to get our destination. We still had hills in front of us and we had the sand dunes were not far ahead. There were no services from Blythe to Brawley but we had prepared quite well the night before with snacks and water.

We rode hard and passed one solo rider named, Nathan. He had just started his west – east cross country journey. He had actually stayed with our host in Brawley two days ago. He told us he didn’t think we would make it to Blythe because it was already a little late in the afternoon. We made it though, we biked really hard this day. There was no cover from the wind. We just put our heads down and grinded out 95 -100 grueling miles. With our detour to the conservation we aren’t exactly sure how many extra miles we logged but I wouldn’t be surprised if we rode over 100 miles. We rode so hard that we came to a border patrol stop and rested there for close to 20 minutes. We stayed there and refilled our water supply and took a nice snack break. The border patrol agents brought out a big five-gallon jug of water. I think Taylor and I consumed close to two gallons out the tank. We drank like fish and made sure all of our bottles were filled up because we knew this would be our last stop. We left and after an hour of riding we ran into a couple of girls who were also doing the Southern Tier. One of the girls had a dog with her. She built her dog a little trailer—it was cute. The pup had a ton of blankets to sit on, it looked pretty comfortable to me. One of the girls was actually from L.A. so she and Taylor hit it off. We chatted for 5-10 minutes and then we cut the conversation short. We had a long way left and we would be losing daylight shortly.

We passed sand dunes, mines, bombing sites for the Air Force, lettuce fields and cow farms.

Passing the sand dunes in Glamis, CA.

Hot hot heat in the sand dunes in Glamis, CA.

Finally around 6:30 pm we arrived to the center of Brawley. We went straight to McDonalds and spent $30.00 on our dinner. We ate as if we hadn’t eaten in weeks. Even the servers were impressed by the quantity of food ordered. They were even more impressed when we actually finished the entire meal. From McDonalds we only had two miles to ride. We had to stop at the gas station before leaving because both of our front lights were not working. We figured it must be the batteries even though we almost never used our lights. A few AAA batteries solved our problem and we began our first night time ride to our host’s house.

This happened. Post 100 mile day into Brawley, CA

Taylor, about to inhale a good 3,000 calories after a 100 mile day into Brawley, CA.

Our host for the evening called us to make sure we were alright. By the time we left McDonalds it was close to 7:15pm and it was extremely dark. Fear not, we both had red rear flashers and front lights. We were OK! I gave our host, Bill, a call to tell him that we would be arriving shortly. When we pulled up he and his dogs were in the garage waiting for us. His wife, a nurse, was still at the hospital but would be arriving shortly after us. They were both avid cyclists and were happy to take us in for the evening. Bill’s wife was actually from Brazil so our story hit close to home.

She was familiar with the brutal conditions of slums like the favelas in Brazil, so she understood what our mission was aimed at.

Bill and his wife have participated in numerous mission trips and service trips all over the world. Bill was also quite the photographer—he had a great collections of shots that he had taken throughout his lifetime.

We left Brawley around 9:30am or so. Bill had a racquetball match with his friends over at one of the local air force bases. Taylor and I only had to bike 40 miles so we weren’t too worried about our departure time. We snapped a few pictures with Bill and we were off to Ocotillo, California.

Tempe, AZ—Salome, AZ

The dudes at the AZ state border.

Taylor and I were feeling quite refreshed after our two day stay in Tempe, Arizona. Our first night in Tempe, Graeme took us out for Mexican food. The three of us actually ended up ordering the exact same carnitas dish. Shredded pork, rice, beans, flour tortilla, some salsa and guacamole… It was delicious! We came home at a very reasonable hour and shared war stories from the road with our mate Graeme. Graeme went to bed on the earlier side and Taylor and I stayed up a bit watching tv. I remember waking up and walking over to Taylor who was soundly sleeping on the couch. I rose with intentions on taking the day off and I was hoping that Taylor felt the same way. We had a long and hot ride from Superior, Arizona which was a bit taxing on us. More than anything I think it was the heat that wiped us out.  Well, I poked Taylor and asked how he was feeling and if he really wanted to ride. He didn’t have to say much, but the look on his face said it all. So, we would be taking an off day. To be honest, the night before I had envisioned that this would actually happen. Upon arriving at Graeme’s house, Taylor actually looked like he had a bit a heat stroke after we had finished. Graeme had prepared a simple, yet delicious breakfast consisting of two loaves of French bread, butter and strawberry jam. After inhaling breakfast numero uno I was quick to prepare a couple of bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches for Taylor and myself.  Graeme opted to skip our second course but did continue sipping on his morning coffee with us while I polished off the rest of mango juice that he prepared the day before.

The dudes with Graeme at his place in Tempe, AZ.

We didn’t leave the house until around 5:00pm. We went to the supermarket, grabbed a few supplies for our next couple of days and picked up something for dinner. Over dinner our new mate warned us of the dangers of city biking and asked if we could consider a ride out of the Phoenix area to avoid heavy traffic tomorrow morning. Personally, I enjoy riding in the city. Taylor doesn’t get any pleasure out of city riding and Graeme absolutely despises city riding (but not as much as he detests hills). We told Graeme we’d consider it and give him an answer in the morning. The remainder of our evening was spent relaxing outside and talking for hours on end. There was never a dull moment. Graeme was great fun! We had such an awesome time that Graeme had thrown out the idea of meeting up with us 4-5 days later in Ocotillo, California. He warned us that a very large mountain climb would be awaiting me and Taylor just after Ocotillo. He said, “Hey mate, I got an idea! How about I meet you two lads in Ocotillo, we camp out for a day, you two can ride up the mountain without your gear and save your knees and then, we can camp out in Pine Valley. Then, you two can ride down into San Diego with your gear and finish like champions! How does that sound?”

Thor trying on Graeme’s hat that he got in China.

Tay roughin’ it at Graeme’s place in Tempe, AZ.

AWESOME! Graeme wasn’t a 100% positive that he would be able to swing it because of some volunteer commitments he already had set up. I went to bed a happy camper with thoughts of hanging out with our new mate and riding up the mountain without any gear. Sweet dreams for me!

Taylor’s blood pressure in Phoenix. Normal, right?

We woke up early and Taylor and I both agreed that maybe getting out of the city wasn’t the worst idea. Besides, Graeme said it is especially hectic during the morning hours and insisted that he drive us just outside of the Phoenix city limits. “Don’t feel guilty,” Graeme said. We took him up on his offer, threw our bikes in the back of his truck and he took us to Surprise, Arizona. We still had a long trek ahead of us to Salome, Arizona but at least we would be free of stop signs and constant traffic lights. They really throw you out of your rhythm. Our goodbye with Graeme was very sad. We didn’t want to leave our new mate but our journey had to continue. We all were hoping that Graeme would be able to make it to Ocotillo and he told us to be expecting a call from him in the next day or two confirming whether or not he would be able to meet up with us or not.

The guys leaving Graeme in Tempe, AZ

Our ride to Salome was dry and hot. We were still very much in the desert area but fortunately there were towns every 25-30 miles so water was never an issue for us. We were able to refill at every stop. We made it to our motel in Salome around maybe 4:30pm or so.

We were greeted by the owner who was from Ecuador. She was a great! We spent close to 30 minutes inside speaking with her. She even showed Taylor her collection of different currencies from all over the world. Taylor noticed that she didn’t have any Paraguayan bills on the wall so he gave her one. She smiled, and gave Taylor a bill from Iraq which had the face of the ex dictator, Saddam Hussein.

Some old Iraqi money that an Equadorian motel owner showed us in Salome, AZ. Saddam!

Eventually we made our way to the motel room. Taylor took a little nap, I walked around, made a few phone calls and then picked up dinner at the local bar. We were off to bed early in order to get ready for our big ride to Blythe, California the next day.

Journey Complete

Hey guys, we finished in San Diego yesterday and were met by a group of friends at the finish line! Things have been pretty hectic since then, but we just wanted to let you know that we finished safe and sound! Our thanks lie with all of the supporters.

We will give a more in depth update in the next day or so.

Todo es posible!

T-minus Six Days and Counting

So the Bear did a pretty epic recap since Kerville. Props bud. I write to you from Tempe, AZ (Phoenix area) on the couch at our new mate Graeme’s house. That’s Graeme like Graham. And ya, I said mate. He’s Australian, and now we’re mates. We are taking a day off today to get ready for the final 420 mile homestretch into San Diego. We are going to finish (weather/intangibles permitting) in San Diego on Saturday, March 1.

Tay roughin’ it at Graeme’s place in Tempe, AZ.

Thor trying on Graeme’s hat that he got in China.

I’ve got some pictures and videos from the past couple weeks. Wanna see?

Good. I’ll give a quick little description for a few of them.

Here I am in El Paso at our Warm Shower’s host for the night. As you’ll be able to tell, I was very excited when I discovered that we reached our fundraising goal of $25k. I decided to celebrate by jumping as high as I could on a trampoline. Emma, the 11 year old daughter, not only decided to join me, but was happy to offer her launching assistance. Thanks, Em.

The guys with Mike (our host)in El Paso. He geared up and rode with us most of the way towards our next destination, Las Cruces. Apparently he didn’t get the black on black memo for the uniforms.

The wolf pack started with a tight-knit two. Then it grew to three with Mike. He called two of his homies, and soon enough we were five deep. Holler!

The ride to Las Cruces was great. There wasn’t any wind, and for the first time we could really tell just how strong endless pedaling into wind vortexes had made our legs. We busted out 40 miles in about two hours. We were giddy with joy.

Pecans make you STRONG!

Pecan trees in New Mexico

Earlier in Texas, we were stuck in Valentine and decided to check out a roping.

That afternoon we were kind of just sitting on the side of the road because we had run out of water and didn’t want to test the 45 mile stretch to Van Horn without agua. Enter Yvote–a short woman around 50 years old sporting a tie die tee, a headband and a pair of “Shaq” high-tops (Shaquille O’neal’s sneaker line). She talked Darren up and took a genuine interest in our fatigue. Next thing we know we are crashing at her house with Cosmo and Aki–her two cats. Taylor forgot to lock the door behind him the next morning when he ran out to the garage to grab some supplies. Cosmo and Aki both escaped. My heart stopped. “Have you seen the cats?” Yvote asked us. “I think I saw one of them step outside for a second,” Darren replied. I was too embarrassed to reply. I was like a dog with my tail between my legs sitting in front of his owner after pissing on the carpet that has been in the family for three generations. The cats were found, eventually.

The dudes with Yvoty (her spiritual name). This welcoming hippie took us in after we ran out of water in Valentine, TX (a town with a population of 217). A self-proclaimed psychic, Yvoty explained to us the up-and-down journey of her life, and how she came to find herself through the discovery of metaphysics. Taylor accidentally let her cat, Cosmo, out the front door which prompted Yvoty to frantically search and call for the feline for 45 minutes at 7am in the morning. Later, she gave Taylor a free psychic reading. Apparently, he is going to marry a foreigner that he is going to meet in South America. Stay tuned!

The day’s ride into Valentine the day before was gorgeous. We had just left the McDonald’s Observatory and taken the 55 mile scenic route to Valentine. The bear almost ran into some serious trouble on a steep descent.

Rocks leaving McDonald’s Observatory.

In New Mexico, we decided to stray off the ACA route a little. We had to shave some time off the trip, because we had fallen behind on account of the terrible weather. We made friends with the I-10 highway which was a three day straight shot across the state. Not a fun ride at all, but ran into some pretty hilarious situations, some of which include getting a free magic show at a rest stop for 30 minutes.

Leaving Las Cruces, NM. Because of our time constraints, we decided to avoid a mountainous route and a breathtaking view at Emory Pass and have off a couple days riding by riding the I-10. I do not advise anyone to ever do this. Sorry Mom!

Las Cruces sunset.

Ride to Safford, AZ.

Thor, happy to be in Las Cruces!

Soon enough we crossed into Arizona. Now THAT was some desert. Lots of cactus and plains, great rock formations. This next picture has an amazing story behind it. The cliff is called “Apache Leap.” A long time ago when the Americans were pushing out all of the natives during the Trail of Tears, a group of Apaches had evaded the American troops all the way to the edge of this cliff. Instead of surrendering, they rode their horses right off the edge and fell to their death.

Apache Leap in Superior, AZ.

View from Gonzalez Peak. Leaving Superior, AZ

Our host in Superior, AZ. He is wearing a “Settlers of Catan” themed t-shirt. The cat says, “I got yarn for tuna.” You kind of have to understand the board game to get it. But the three Americans in Paraguay play about three times a night.

We have had an unbelievable and memorable 50 days on the road. Somehow, the Bear and I aren’t sick of each other. #blessed #besties. If you haven’t found this post entertaining, I leave you with this video to trigger your chuckles.

In Phoenix area tomorrow. Estimated finish date- march 1, San Diego

Quick update here. We had a 85-90 mile ride today. Guys, there was no wind. Like none. Although there was a pretty ridiculous 75 degree sun which quickly reddened my pale, pasty complexion. Without the wind, we CRUISED. We put back 46 miles in about two hours in the morning. Personal record for us. Tomorrow we will be staying in Tempe, AZ.

Last night the bear spent two hours in a massage chair at out previous hosts’ home. Taylor fell asleep on the couch while watching women’s figure skating with Gene Robert and Joyce. He heard that the South Korean skater got jipped. Darn Russian judge!

Kerrville, Tx – Las, Cruces, NM

This post covers almost a solid 2 weeks or so of our latest cycling adventures. We have been falling behind on our written blog updates due to the lack of internet connection and the horrid riding conditions which generally leave us totally deflated at the end of the day. Until you ride straight into headwinds day after day for 8 hours a day, I’m not quite sure you will fully understand how physically and mentally taxing this journey has been. Just a day ago we were experiencing a full on 23 mph headwind. If i’m not mistaken, we were able to log about 4-5 miles in the span of 1 hour. We were working so hard yet going no where at all. We probably would have been better off just walking our bikes in those conditions. But hey, that’s just how the trip has been for us and I don’t anticipate the winds letting up. Okay, So I’m going to give you the update starting with our last day/evening in Kerrville, Texas.

We spent our last day in Kerrville mostly indoors, though Taylor did leave once or twice to take a walk outside and get some fresh air. Not once did I even entertain the idea of stepping outside into those sub 30 degree temperatures. Taylor said he was getting cabin fever or something like that. Cabin fever? We were living large! Flat screen tv, netflix, surround sound, snacks, comfy couches (drastic upgrade from our usual 4-inch bike saddle) and an endless supply of hot tea. What more could you ask for? I even baked us and the hosts some pumpkin/oatmeal cookies with pecans and raisins. It was a recipe that our host had left on the tabletop along with all of the ingredients. According to Fred (our host) they came out perfectly. Thanks Fred!

Before going to bed Taylor and I had agreed that we would be out the door by 8:30am the next morning. We woke up around 7:00. Meanwhile, Janice and Fred were already in the kitchen whipping up breakfast tacos. Bacon, egg, cheese, salsa and grated cheese…mmmmmmmmmmmmm…all wrapped in warm tortilla wraps. Unbelievably delicious! They even sliced up some fresh fruits for us served with a side of whip cream. Delicious!!! What I really wanted to do after breakfast was climb back into my sleeping bag, plop myself on the couch and throw on another documentary. Unfortunately, our unplanned vacation was over and it was back to our daily 9-5.

Killing the hills!

After three days off in Kerrville we absolutely dominated the hills that awaited us on our way to Leakey, Texas. It’s amazing what three days of rest will do for you. We encountered some monster hills but like I said, we cruised right over the mountains. We found a few nice areas where we were able to rest for a bit and take in the scenery. If you forget to take these short breaks it definitely takes away from the enjoyment of the trip. Just around 11:00am we stopped and grabbed a bite to eat in some tiny town which I’m not able to recall at the moment. Taylor ordered his usual chicken fingers and french fry combo. I took advantage of the all you could eat salad bar. In retrospect, a little protein would have been nice but I have a hard time turning down fresh greens. The neverending consumption of gas station food and fast food has taken a toll on my stomach. I’m not quite sure how Taylor does it. (Take a look at his typical lunch below)

We pedaled hard to Leakey, Tx which was about another 45 miles or so from wherever it was that we stopped for lunch. Temperatures got up to the high 70’s and possibly even reached into the 80’s for a moment. We pedaled harder than expected and with the warmer temperatures we ended up going through all of our water. We ran out of water a little ways before we arrived to our destination. We knew we were somewhere around an hour to get to our destination but we were thirsty and neither of us like being without water.

Darren: Thor!  I’m out of water man. Taylor: Oh no, me too dude. Darren: Well how far away from Leakey are we? Taylor: I don’t know, maybe 10 miles or so.

Darren: Ugh, I can make it but this isn’t good.

Taylor: Well, let’s ride for a bit and maybe we can ask someone for some water

Darren: Alright.

We pedal for about three minutes and come across a lady on a 4 wheeler who seemed to be part of the neighborhood watch crew. Taylor stops to flag her down and he turns on the charm.

Taylor: Well, good afternoon to ya ma’am! Hey, could you happen to tell me how far outside of Leaky we are? You see, we ran out of water and my buddy here is on the verge of severe dehydration.

Crimewatch lady: Well it’s only about 4 miles down the way. Ya’ll should be able to make it.

Darren: (mumbles to himself) Wrong response ma’a! How about you take us on that fancy little 4×4 and shuttle us to that lovely ranch of yours. Heck, I’ll take water out of the horse troff at this point. I’m desperate lady! Please! Besides, I noticed 4 water towers on your property, surely you have water to spare, no?”

Taylor: Oh ok, just 4 miles? Well I guess we can make it. Crimewatch lady: Ya, you’ll make it. Bye now!

I for one was hoping for a response more along the lines of, “oh no, you poor things you, why don’t you follow me to my house. It’s just right there a couple hundred feet down this rock road. I’ll fill those water bottles right up for ya. Ooooooh and I have some fresh cookies in the oven too. Do you guys like cookies? How about orange slices? I can cut up some cold oranges if you’d like.” Well, it didn’t quite go down like that but that’s fine. I’m just letting you know how I hoped things would pan out.

Anyways, I kid you not when I say this but once the lady left, I shook my head in disappointment and said, “God I need water, man am I thirsty, ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

We were only a few miles away so I knew we would be fine. At this point, I was a little ways ahead of Taylor so I turned around to head back towards him to make sure everything was  alright. I see Taylor rounding the bend so I stop and pull over. A truck passes by Taylor, shot him a look and then passes me. He shot me a funny look, so I kind of cocked my head to the side like dogs do when they hear an interesting sound. You know? When their ears kind of perk up and all that. So this guy passes us and all of a sudden a 100 yards down the road he pulls a u-turn. He heads towards us, pulls off the road (meanwhile, I’m reaching for my mace) and gets out of his car. Conversation goes as follows:

Man from truck: “Hey, ya’ll thirsty?”

Darren: Ummmmm excuse me? (I heard him perfectly the first time, I just couldn’t believe this was happening)

Man from truck: Are you thirsty? I don’t see any water in those water bottles. Darren: Ya I’m thirsty! I’m dying over here. But wait, why is this happening? I’m confused. How did you know we needed water? Man from truck: Oh, well… I know everything. Darren: Okay….well what’s your name sir? I seriously can’t thank you enough. It’s a miracle that you stopped. I’ve had cotton mouth for the last 35 minutes or so and I’ve been snacking on trail mix and oatmeal cookies. (Horrible combination if you have cotton mouth)

Man in truck: Well, my name is Jesus. Jesus Rubio. I knew you all were thirsty and that’s why I turned around. Darren & Taylor: How is that possible? Jesus: (smiles) I’ve been around for a LONG time. I know these things.

Darren & Taylor: Well alright. Thanks again Jesus! You really saved us. By the way, how far is Leakey from here? Jesus: Oh you just got about another 6 miles or so, you’ll be fine!

Taylor and I spoke a bit about our trip,Team Tobati and then we were all on our way. I was so taken aback by what had happened that the last 6 miles flew by. Before I knew it we were at our motel which by the way only charged us half price after Taylor sweet talked the owner. Job well done Tay! When we arrived the two owners were outside enjoying the beautiful weather and having a beer. We joined them for a drink and like the robot that I am, I went immediately into my post ride stretching routine. We hung out with the owners for a couple of hours before we went into our room. We cleaned ourselves up a bit, took a trip down the block to get some Mexican food and then watched the Olympics. Our night ended pretty much once the Olympics did.

We woke up to a beautiful sunny day. It was a gift from God! Or maybe Jesus Rubio! Who knows? We had to make it about 65 miles to Bracketville, Tx but with the sun shining I was pretty excited for the ride. We had some pretty intense hills awaiting us but we weren’t worried.

A ways up the hill I saw that Taylor had pulled over next to the worst road kill of the entire trip. I’ll let him comment on it if he wants to. He wanted me to stop along side of him not because of the road kill but because of the incredible echo that could be heard along side of the mountain. I would have stopped if Taylor had pulled over anywhere but, directly next to the roadkill. It was horrifying! Honestly, after seeing what I saw, it gave me a little pain in my stomach and once Taylor told me what it was, I had a full on stomach ache. It was absolutely grotesque! I ignored Taylor and the roadkill and advanced forward until we reached the top of the hill. We snapped some photos, ate a snack and then continued on. Our 2,500 foot ascent was over but there were still a few sizable hills left at this point. After a monster climb we cruised down into the middle of nowhere.

We passed some border patrol officers who starred at us like, “Seriously? This time of the year? You two goons are biking western Texas? With these temperatures? AND you’re pedaling East to West?????? No one ever does that!” Well that’s how I interpreted their look. Maybe they were debating whether or not to stop us. Who knows?

After a solid day of biking Taylor and I rolled into Brackettville around 5:00pm. Not too much going on there. There was a gas station which I was very thankful for and a subway too. With temperatures dipping below freezing, Taylor and I searched for the cheapest motel. There were only two options which made our decision rather easy. We got dinner at the gas station (pretty standard for us) and found ourselves at the motel shortly after. I made Taylor go into the motel office which was located in the restaurant/bar area where there were actually quite a few locals. II was reluctant to go into the bar/restaurant area because I took a bit of a beating at the local gas station. Everyone stared at me as if I were E.T or something. I think it’s the biker shorts that gets people all worked up. Anyways, I didn’t feel like enduring anymore verbal abuse or awkward stares so I told Taylor that he had to handle the check in process. I waited outside and hung out with some dog named, Bonnie. She was a sweetie! She wasn’t judgmental about my apparel so we were quick to become friends.

Bonnie & I hanging out while Taylor gets the key to our room.

Taylor returned with the key. We set up shop inside our room, ate dinner and bla bla bla. We had some pretty rowdy neighbors which made for a poor nights sleep. Taylor had fallen asleep without a problem. I’m a very light sleeper so I didn’t sleep well at all that night. We had a short ride to Del Rio the following day so I wasn’t really that worried about not having slept. Besides, if I had to guess I’d say I’ve been sleeping about 3-4 hours a night. Why am I not sleeping well? I’d like to know the same!

When Taylor isn’t pedaling he is sleeping. I’m so jealous. I never sleep! (It’s 12:30am I’m in Arizona right now updating the blog)
I can’t wait to stop biking so I can finally sleep!

Taylor and I had around 30 miles to our destination in Del Rio. My trip however would end up being more than 36 miles. We left around 11:00am. We had plans to meet with our host at 3:00pm at a small coffee shop. I overshot my turn to the coffee shop by about 3.5 miles and found myself in the industrial park of Del Rio. According to my host I was heading straight for the Mexican border. I called Taylor to let him know that I had gotten lost and  that I would be a little late for the meeting. No big deal! He was already at the cafe with our host enjoying his coffee and some small talk. Meanwhile, I was doing the Del Rio roundabout. I arrived about 15 minutes late. No big deal.

After meeting our host, Gina. We went back to her place and she got ready for work. She had to work the 3rd shift so we were left all alone in her house. What a great host for opening up her home to us even though she wasn’t home. I was in bed by 8:00pm. I was pretty exhausted since I didn’t sleep the previous night. I slept for close to 10 hours, it was glorious! I hadn’t slept like that since I had that horrible cold/flu back in Gainesville, Florida.

Our following two days consisted of absolutely nothing. We went from Del Rio, Tx – Langtry, Tx and Langtry, Tx- Sanderson. They were easily some of my least favorite rides. Taylor and I snapped some photos strictly for blog purposes but there was honestly nothing happening in either town and absolutely nothing worthwhile to mention. Most boring stretch of the trip without question. Langtry had a population of 15 and Sanderson had a population somewhere around 600. There was at least a gas station in Sanderson that made a pretty decent Cheeseburger. I guess that was the highlight of Sanderson. The motel we stayed in had a room full of different reptiles, I guess that was kind of cool too…not really though.

This was the highlight of Sanderson. Kind of cool, painted on a rail car.

We left Sanderson later than we wanted to but that has become quite the normality for Taylor and I. Directly across from our motel was a gas station where Taylor and I ordered some mediocre breakfast tacos and split a fruit cup. We met a few game wardens who were in the area for some “top secret” operation. They couldn’t share the specifics of their operation but I sure was curious to know what three game wardens from different parts of the U.S were doing in Sanderson, Tx. Well, they were some cool guys and they were very intrigued by our cross country journey and the fact that we didn’t take a gun on our trip. I showed them my mace…they chuckled and didn’t look too impressed.  We said our goodbyes and started our ride to Marathon, Tx. Two minutes up the road we hear, “Hey, ya’ll want a picture with the truck?” We both agreed but for different reasons. Taylor was excited primarily for blog purposes whereas I was excited because it meant another break. Breaks are my friends and they are always welcomed on this trip. I’d say we probably stop once every 1.5-2 hours. Our stops are generally under 5 minutes each but we usually take 10-20 minutes for lunch. It really depends on how much ground we have to cover and how hard the winds are blowing. Anyways, one of the wardens snapped our photo and we went our separate directions.

The Dudes in front of a Texas Game Warden’s truck. The two shared a nice convo with the three Game Wardens about our trip before leaving Sanderson, TX. They were completely incredulous about our voyage. They also were hesitant to be in the photo. They surely had to keep up their hard-ass, rugged, West Texas image.

After 55 miles of relentless headwinds we snailed our way into Marathon, Tx. It was a neat little town. They had a few hotels/motels/hostels and we we actually found our way to a free cyclists hostel after visiting the tourist center; a small shack with several flyers of things to do in the local area.. The hostel was simple but functional. The outside was perfect! Outdoor kitchen with a sitting area and a fire pit. Oh, and lets not forget about the outdoor upstairs lounge area located on the roof. Stumbling across this hostel was great! It was so different and so unexpected which made it all the better. We actually made a friend by the name of Blaine. Blaine was in town for a couple of months to work/intern with the local town photographer. We ate some delicious pasta which Blaine was kind enough to prepare. Taylor and I tended to the fire and took care of the music for the evening. We probably hung out for a solid 4 hours before we went to bed. Great night! I forgot how enjoyable it is to sit around a fire and hang out. Blaine, It was very nice meeting you. Hope you are well and have made some new friends in Marathon.

La Loma del Chivo Cyclist’s Hostel. Marathon, TX. First night’s stay free!

Taking in the sights after a 55 mile day full of headwinds on the 90 west.

Dinner & a fire at the hostel with our new friend Blaine. She moved to Marathon for a two month photography internship with a local legend.

At one point Darren wanted to see just how big he could get the fire going…not bad at all.

We left Marathon around 8:00am with intentions on traveling about 80 miles to the McDonald Observatory. Today we were yet again facing 25 mph headwinds. I knew from the very start that 80 miles was highly unlikely and that we would probably fall short of our destination. At one point Taylor and I looked at one another and just broke out in laughter for a solid 30 seconds. Rather than complain or acknowledge the utter absurdity of the wind conditions, we simply laughed. Looking back, I’m pretty sure we could have pushed the bikes faster than we were biking. For the first time this trip, a concerned citizen stopped and offered to take us 20 miles into the town of Alpine. She knew how brutal the wind conditions were because it was blowing her big SUV all over the roadways. Imagine us on bicycles! We felt a bit guilty at first about accepting the ride but when realized that we had only traveled about 8 miles in the span of two hours we didn’t really have much of an option if we were going to make it to the McDonald Observatory.  We still had another 50-60 miles to go once we got to Alpine. Had it not been for this lovely lady there is absolutely no possible way we would have made it to the observatory that evening.

With the help of Mindy we were back on track. We slowly made our way up several mountain passes. It was one after the other for the entire ride.I was actually forced off the bike and walked some of those hills. At this point we had a little over a 1000 miles until our end destination. Walking the bike was much easier on the knees/legs so I walked up the steeper grades and pedaled everything else. The observatory sits atop one of the highest mountain peaks in the Ft. Davis area, I’m pretty sure we were close to an elevation around 6,7000 feet. Our host found me about .5 miles from his house and gave me directions. We arrived to his house and were greeted by a family of deer. You’ll see the video of them. It was very cool! We met our hosts John, Cie and 1 of their 3 children. John is an astronomer/computer technician at the observatory. John was a fascinating individual and one of the brightest individuals I had ever met. He gave us in depth explanations of the geology of the surrounding area and also gave us a private tour of the telescopes. It was definitely one of my favorite stops on the trip. That evening Taylor and I both agreed that we would take the following day off. I was more tired than I had ever been and John suggested that it was probably the elevation change that had me warn out. I didn’t feel too good on our off day but the following morning I felt much better.

The Mcdonald Observatory. 1 of 3 telescopes

We left the Mcdonalds observatory close to 9:00am. From the very get go we started out our morning with a mixture of ascents and descents. A few miles into the ride I had a minor malfunction heading down one of the hills. One of my bungee cords snapped and got wrapped around my rear brake and caught up in my spokes. My rear brake immediately jammed up on me and my rear tire began to skid. I was fortunate to not lose control of the bike and quickly came to a stop on the side of the mountain. Taylor was actually able to record some of the aftermath of my mishap. Thankfully there wasn’t too much damage done, a bent spoke and some messed up brakes but that wasn’t going to stop me. I simply disconnected the rear brakes and we finished out our trip.

We had a great ride down and out of the Fort Davis mountains. We also had minimal winds which was a welcomed surprise and were able to put in some serious riding all the way to Valentine, Texas. We had thought there were some services in Valentine but it seems that we were misinformed. We ran out of water and with no services in sight we decided maybe we should knock on a few houses to see if we could refill our water bottles. Before we had a chance to do so, someone stopped behind us and started chatting with Taylor. They were a friendly local couple who were concerned and wanted to offer us a place to stay and some waters. I love that!

Shortly after the couple left, this other lady came by to see if we were alright. She asked if we were hungry…I smiled and the lady told me to “wait a minute.” She came back with two bean, rice and cheese burritos, a bag of tortilla chips, 2 baggies of red velvet cupcakes and a couple of cold sodas. So nice! Then, ANOTHER lady comes by shortly after and says, “Hey, are you alright? You weren’t gonna camp on the side of the road were ya?” I responded, “well actually we were considering that, we don’t have the energy to pedal to the next town and it’s already getting a late.  She replied, “absolutely not, you’re coming with me! I live two blocks down.” So, Taylor and I walked alongside of her to her house and that took care of our accommodations for the night. The ladies name was Jvoti, a very sweet hippy lady who had grown up in Western Texas but moved away to Hawaii for well over 10 years. She use to work at the Big Bend National Park and boy did she have some cool stories. She cooked us dinner, let us wash up and provided us with a bed for the evening. We talked all night about a thousand different things and finished our night watching the Olympics.

The following morning we were off early with a long solid ride to Ft. Hancock planned.  From Ft. Hancock we made our way to El Paso. El Paso was huge! We were in El Paso for quite some time and apparently had barely made it out of the East side. I called our host, Mike, to tell him that we wouldn’t be long. He asked me, “where are you guys”? I told him that we were at family dollar getting some snacks and hydrating. He asked for the address and then told me he was going to call me back. He called me back about 5 minutes later and told me to, “stay put.” He was already out running errands and told me he would pick us up. Apparently we had a lot of city driving to do and he was in his pick up truck so ya, he picked us up. Thanks Mike! He spared us an extra 15 miles or so and brought us to a beautiful lookout overlooking El Paso and the city of Juarez, Mexico. We made it to his house, met his wife, three kids and ate a fantastic dinner which was followed by a big bowl of ice cream.

Mike was a great guy. He took a look at my bike and noticed a few imperfections with my real wheel. He tried to work on it and fix it himself but told me that it was a little out of his league. He was nice enough to bring it to the bike shop the following morning for me while I was doing school work. Once his son brought the tire back from the bike shop he actually put it back on for me. I had no idea any of this was going on. I couldn’t believe it. I had planned on riding to the bike shop in the morning but I woke up to a much appreciated surprise. Thanks again Mike! Mike’s wife also whipped up some crepes, french toast and chocolate chip pancakes with all the fixing on the side. We only had 40 miles to do from El Paso – Las Cruces and Mike promised us that we wouldn’t have winds. He said we may even have a tailwind and he also promised us beautiful roads. He wasn’t lying. We had the best conditions of the trip so far. Mike actually rode out with us and we met a few of his of friends from church who rode out with us. They probably went about 15 miles out with us and then Taylor and I did the last 25 by ourselves. The conditions were so good that we did the 40 mile ride in under 2 hours. We were flying! We averaged well over 20 mph the entire trip. We left around 2:30pm from El Paso, Tx and made it to Las Cruces, NM. We had a host named John who was waiting for us there. Once we arrived he insisted that we shower up so that we could go get dinner. We wasted no time in getting ourselves ready and were on the way to the Golden Corral. It was a buffet style dinner which was perfect. Between the two of us we ate 6 full plates of food. We both left feeling horrible. I thought my stomach was going to rupture. I was uncomfortable for most of the night but after a few hours in the fetal position and a cup of hot tea my stomach finally settled. The following day we had our first day of interstate traveling as we would be making our way to Deming, New Mexico.

Thor, happy to be in Las Cruces!

2 miles of pecan orchards! So cool how they blanketed the street.

Mcdonald’s Observatory–elevation 6,700 ft.

After Marathon we made our way to the Mcdonald’s Observatory. We climbed close to 2,000 ft. Biggest hill ever. We stocked up on food because the observatory was extremely remote, so our bags were good and heavy for the epic uphill. We also bought a bottle of wine, brie cheese and crackers in Fort Davis (the town at the base of the mountain) for our hosts as a nice gesture. Our host John, is one of the main astronomers at the observatory. Once he let us into his home, he drove us straight up to the observatory and took us to the catwalk atop of the telescope so that we could see the sunset. There was a 360 degree view of the surrounding plains and mountains. Truly breathtaking. No one for miles! He gave us a run-down about the telescope as well. We spent the next day checking out the observatory and even got to see the sunset from the catwalk of the other massive telescope. There was a full moon too. Just no words. Stunning scenery, a definite high point of the trip. It made the two hours of ascension up the mountain all worth it!

View of the moon around 7pm from the top of the Observatory.

Sunset, night two.

Telescope at the Mcdonald’s Observatory.

We started our day’s ride from somewhere over yonder.

John giving me and Darren the rundown about how the telescope operates.

The view from 1/4 up the mountain to the Mcdonald’s Observatory.

See those two white dots on top of the mountain? That’s the Mcdonald’s Observatory, practically our place of residence for the night. John (our host) lives as close to the observatory as you can get. It looks close, but it was not. The climb was something the guys will never forget.

Walk down from the observatory with John. Full moon too!

A view from the climb up to the Observatory. Probably about 1/2 way up.

The dudes stop at a picnic area off the highway near Fort Davis, TX.

Climbing to the observatory.

Sunset atop the observatory, night two.

I shot this atop the catwalk near the telescope at the Observatory. One of the perks of staying with a host who happens to be one of the lead astronomers at the place…

Landscape surrounding Fort Davis, TX.