So it Began (Part 1 of a Multipart Series)

There are a number of days on Bike and Build that have really stuck in my mind. There was the day off in Madison. The nights in Vancouver. The build day in Duluth. Our assault on Chicago. Of course, Indian Lake. And there are a lot more. For different reasons, these are the days that I know I'll always carry with me. Right now, one in particular is standing out to me. The day that Elana and I conquered Glacier. Twice. For reasons that were and remain entirely internal, that day became one of the most significant, if I may be so grandiose, of my life. At the time, I was fortunate enough to realize what that day had already become to me, and I spent, actually, a couple of days writing about it, ending up with 9 pages of August 5th in my journal, plus 2 pages for the day before it, which was in a way, a prelude.

I don't mean to sound self-important, and if you're not interested in any of this, by all means, don't read it. But not only is my blog in many senses an outlet for me (it's so much better to write to an audience, even if that audience is maybe only 5 people), but this journal entry, I think, is an excellent window into my experience on Bike and Build. So without further ado, here is the first part (I'm breaking it into sections) of my entry dealing with my experience in the Rocky Mountains of Glacier National Park. The following is copied exactly from my journal, except for additions which have been [bracketed], and omissions as indicated by ... .


8-4

About 2 days before the ride to Glacier (St. Mary), I heard talk of doing the pass (Going to the Sun Rd) twice that day in order to go up both sides which is, I think, more legitimate than crossing just one side (east to west, as we’d do on the St. Mary to Whitefish day [8-6]). I remembered Ben talking about that like 2 weeks into the trip and thinking he was crazy – or actually maybe it was more like feeling left out because there was no way I thought I’d be able to do that – but after thinking about it for probably no more than 20 seconds, I decided I wanted to do it. Those already in on the plan were Ben, Twyman, Aubrey, and maybe Marshall. I figured I couldn’t ride with them, so I asked Elana if she’d be interested. She rather excitedly said yes, so we figured we’d be the “slow group” to make the attempt.

If the night before Devils Lake [officially our longest day, at 117 miles] was like preparing for battle, the 24 hours before our crazy ride was like preparing for war. The ride to Cut Bank was 74 miles, but Brendan and Ry informed us that forecasts called for 30+ mph headwinds beginning sometime after lunch. Honestly, I was crushed. I figured if I had to spend an above average amount of energy the day before Glacier, there’d be no way I’d make it.

And so 8/4 because a race (of sorts) against the wind. I decided to ride solo; although a pace line usually gets you there faster, I figured riding the exact speed I felt like going all day, uphill and down and through energy swings would prove the most beneficial. And alone I was – somehow, through the 42 miles or so to lunch, I neither passed nor was I passed by anyone except Elana, who left before me but then had to stop for some reason. The morning was predominately windless, except for wash from myriad oversized vehicles which, for some reason, all were going east [toward us]. It was rather frustrating, but I think I averaged 17.9 into Shelby, where the van was parked. Coming into Shelby was cool: it seemed like a tiny town from a distance, but just before it, the road circles a hill and heads down into a small valley, and the town spreads out before you. Shelby is the crossroads of the northern plains, as I-15 and SR 2 intersect there.

I stayed at lunch maybe 15 minutes – long enough to eat part of a Subway Sub Andrea had gotten donated, a PB&J, a banana, some of Aviva’s brownie-cookies, and a refill of Gatorade. I was the first one out, but then Emily passed me when I pulled into a gas station to take a leak.

The rest of the ride was similar to the first, though faster, I believe. I caught up to Emily where these strange people – who turned out to be Twyman’s parents on a surprise visit – were taking pictures of us. She passed again when I stopped at a tiny post office to send Pete & Eva a postcard. I can’t say I thought about too much for those 3¾ hours of riding – I kind of just zoned and thought about being efficient. It was nice to clear my mind, and even better to not be staring at someone’s wheel or worrying about signaling and things like that. I gave some thought to chasing Emily since it would be nice to have a solo breakaway stage win, but since I wasn’t positive no one was in front of her and I was more worried about the next day, I took it easy. I did end up being the 2^nd person to the church (after her) but it was still the right decision. It’s worth mentioning how impressive Emily’s ride was, considering she was just 12 days removed from her accident [in which another rider collided with her, she was run over (not that person’s fault), and broke her scapula]. And I did beat the wind, which didn’t pick up until about 3:30 (I got in at 11:50), but was very strong, indeed.

The rest of the day was devoted to preparing for Saturday. I ate and drank constantly, and over the course of the evening packed down 4 bananas and 3 yogurts, in addition to dinner (delicious meatballs) and 2 desserts (including pumpkin pie!) Meanwhile, I finished reading Heart of Darkness, which is beautifully written and I’d like to read it again (or at least other Conrad works). I started 1984, and I think I’ll like that, too. Elana and I agreed to wake up at 5:15, and after packing my bag and putting new back brakes on (I cannot over emphasize how important that was), I went to bed.

to be continued