Sea to Sea with the Slofstras

Abbotsford, British Columbia

2008-09-01T05:55:00.000-07:00

We are home again! We flew home without incident and arrived early in Vancouver. Janine was there to pick us up, and it was a joy to see her really pregnant, 7 months along. The house felt very unlived in, but our own bed felt great, and to have a bathroom 3 steps away from where you sleep was a luxury.

This morning early we are leaving for a week's rest and transition period at Whistler, and are looking forward to seeing old Ontario friends Andrew and Hilda Talsma who will join us there for a couple of days, as well as Diane's sister Chris and her husband Jeff who will meet us there - it's their Whistler home - later this week. Tomorrow Diane and I will celebrate the 36th anniversary of a wedding - our own - which no one there will ever forget, but that's another story. Suffice it to say that 36 years later we love each other more than ever.

It's really convenient, by the way, to have a home computer again. I wrote the last posted blog after walking more than 10 blocks from the school where we were staying through the surrounding neighbourhood, with my lap top open, checking to see where there might be an unsecured wireless system available for me to use. I finally found one, sat down on the curb in front of the house - the Apple family - and finished my blog. Now there will be no more desperate search for an internet connection.

We do feel a little strange, of course. The summer already begins to feel like a dream. Can it really be all over, everything we prepared for and anticipated so long? I'm sure we'll be rereading the blogs and viewing pictures throughout this week - not only our own but also that of others, for which we really had no time during the tour itself.

Thanks again to all of you who joined us via our blog on the Sea to Sea journey. We appreciated the fact that we, together with everyone else, were in your prayers and had your support. God answered your prayers for the safety of support crew and cyclists in often wonderful ways, and we both trust and hope that the sense of God's reality and presence in your life was and always will be as strong as it was in our lives during this whole experience. Let's also continue to pray and work together for the day when everything will be made new, and the cycle of poverty will come to an end at last.

The Lord bless you and keep you, daily make his face shine upon you, and give you peace, now and always....

Sunday's stats (approx):

Distance: 6246 kms.
Average speed: unknown, but in excess of 25 kph
Maximum speed: unknown, but in excess of 75 kph
Time in saddle: 6.30.00

Atlantic Ocean, Jersey City, New Jersey

2008-08-31T04:19:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Pictures missing from last blog have now been posted. I am sitting on a curb in a fancy neighbourhood in some Jersey City suburb borrowing a wireless connection!

After 9 weeks, or the months of July and August, or the whole summer, we have arrived at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, off of Jersey City. It’s over, we are done, and we made it! At this point it has not yet sunk in, but I remember the wonderful feeling that completing my first marathon, and every marathon after that in a different way, gave me. This was like that and more. The idea that I cycled across North America, up all those mountain passes and through deserts and over hills and dales, and that Diane cooked her way (for an average of 200 people a day) across North America, boggles the mind, and it will take some time to sort through the feelings of accomplishment and the life lessons learned. An obvious lesson that could not be missed was the presence and faithfulness of God. Just the fact that I had all that bike trouble yesterday instead of today, when I might have missed that final ride in through the city under police escort…..

All in all, it was a wonderful day, and a great way to finish what we started in Seattle 9 weeks ago. After an early breakfast, we cycled for almost 85 kms over several more hills to the staging area – the place where we gathered en masse for a group picture and to prepare for our last 10 mile ride in - just outside of Jersey City. Just before arriving at that area, while waiting in a parking lot at an intersection with many other cyclists, who jumps out of a car to greet me? See below…

Yup, that’s brother Peter and Marja. They had hoped to surprise me, but the cat had been let out of the bag a couple of weeks before the tour began through no fault of theirs. A local Jersey pastor had let me know he had reserved 4 tickets for me for the final celebration dinner and I had done no such thing. I let him know, and he replied that he had confused me for the Slofstra from Ontario. So there went the secret, in spite of my mother’s brave attempts to say it wasn’t so. My mom, unfortunately – or perhaps fortunately – is a very poor liar!

At the staging area we lined up for the final 10 miles, all of which took place under police escort. Several cars were involved, and they blocked every intersection and the roads behind us so that we owned the road we rode on. It was awesome, and everywhere people cheered or honked their horns at the sight of over 200cyclists in their Sea to Sea shirts. What a joyful ride it was!

The pictures below probably don’t need any description, so I won’t bother. I hope you enjoy them.

We were shuttled to our camp for the night, Eastern Middle School, then got cleaned up for dinner and the celebration service hosted by the local NJ CRCs. The food was delicious and plentiful, and the service was lively and loud. Above all, we thanked God for the opportunity we had to complete this ride, for the safety with which we were blessed, and for the small way we were able to help in ending the cycle of poverty.

Now we are in a gym with just under 100 other cyclists, trying to get some sleep. We are not allowed to sleep outside here, some city ordinance, so we are sharing a bedroom with many others. Diane is already asleep while I finish this blog. I will soon join her.

Thank you to the Lord for this great experience, thank you to all our family and church family and many others for your support and prayers. We are looking forward to going home.

Today’s stats (not including final 10 escorted miles):

Distance: 85.45 kms
Average speed: 22.9 kph
Maximum speed: 61.5 kph
Time in saddle: 3.43.21
# of flat tires on tour: 13

Dalton, Pennsylvania - Sussex, New Jersey

2008-08-30T03:05:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Being in a state park, there was no wireless available, so again you're getting a 2 day report.
NOTE 2; I managed to use a school computer in Sussex, but could not upload pictures. I'll try to do that tonight. Sorry about that....

Thursday: We are in Pennsylvania for at least one day, as we travel south from New York to New Jersey and the Atlantic Coast. Because there was no entry sign on the back roads we used to cross into New York, I thought I'd take a shot of the sign looking back so you know I really was there (with Bob, Bryan, and Matt), and a shot of entering Pennsylvania.

It was cool again today, and we have yet to see the sun. Happily there is no rain, although the forecast tonight at least calls for the possibility. The ride in today was once again beautiful. Because our sweep team was on duty today we left late, at 9 a.m., after breakfast was cleaned up and the gear truck loaded. I rode with Pete Van Noord all day and we decided to ride fairly hard but also take time to stop for coffee, etc. We stopped at a diner in Conklin, NY, for coffee, and then for lunch in Nicholson.

The pictures below show you the kind of terrain we rode through all day. Forests everywhere with rolling hills - breathtaking! One of the fascinating sights of the day was the railroad bridge pictured below, the shots taken at 2 different locations, with a sign explaining its history. This bridge is now owned and operated by Canadian Pacific. It's a massive structure especially seen close up, and one can only imagine how many tons of concrete went into building it.

Speaking of fascinating sights...we rode through the village of Hop Bottom, where Walter Vink had his SAG stop today. Sitting down by his RV, I noticed a sign which read "Hop Bottom CDs Here - Thanks." That immediately gave me an idea: what if I changed a few letters around and dropped a few others? Well, you see the "end" result below. From left to right are Pete Van Noord, Dirk Van Wyngaarden, and yours truly! Bottoms up!

I arrived in Lackawwana State Park just after 2 p.m. The tent was already up and, most important, the queen size air mattress had been inflated. Diane and I had to walk a few minutes to get a warm shower, and it's too cool to swim - the lake here is not very appealing anyway. We're on a group camp site, so not in the nicest area of the park. The day ended nicely, however, with a communion service celebrating the community we've experienced together throughout this amazing summer.

Now we're all wondering what tomorrow will be like, as we face the most climbing in total of any day of this whole tour. We won't be dealing with any 20 km long mountain passes but with a whole lot of shorter climbs. At this point, however, most of us feel there isn't much we can't handle anymore. We'll see...

Today's stats:

Distance: 89.62 kms.
Average speed: 25 kph
Maximum speed: 60.9 kph
Time in saddle: 3.35.13
# of flat tires on tour: 9

Friday: Up, down, up, up, up, down...and so it went all day. It was a good day, though, in spite of all the climbing and a not so pleasant day bike wise. We started off with a good breakfast of pancakes and bacon, and below you can see two of the cooks with their cakes on the griddle.

The biggest adventure of the day for me was that I had 4 flat tires (one staple, one defective inner tube, one piece of glass, and the last one caused by a tear in the outer tire which also had to be replaced), and when I got to camp I discovered that my rear tire rim (the metal wheel) was cracked badly near one of the spokes, so it was off to a bike shop first thing and the whole wheel was replaced.

The ride itself was very picturesque, with all the hills and twists and turns in the road, and the pictures below give you some idea of that, I hope.

When we got to Sussex, it was off by shuttle to a local high school for showers, where Diane and I learned how independent of me she has become. When Diane was done, she left in shuttle without waiting for me and telling me she was leaving. When I got out of the showers I waited for her as several shuttles came and went, and there was no Diane. Finally I figured out that she had already gone. Diane didn't realize she had forgotten about me, but knew she had forgotten something. Was it her purse, what? Not till she got back to the school that was hosting us did she realize it was her husband that was missing. I think we need a week vacation together...

For dinner tonight we were hosted to a royal buffet by the Sussex, NJ, and Goshen, NY, CRCs. You can see the kind of spread they laid out for us below.

We are now in a host family home for the night, and there is no internet. I'll try to post tomorrow morning but may have to wait. Tomorrow will be an exciting day, our last on this tour. The last 10 miles of the day we will be under police escort through the city until we arrive at Liberty Island park for the tire dipping in the Atlantic. Then a big celebration dinner at night. Everyone is very excited, and it should be a great way to end this grand adventure.

Today's stats:

Distance; 126.01 kms
Average speed: 20.3 kph
Maximum speed: 68.3 kph
Time in saddle: 6.10.40
# of flat tires on tour: 13

Romulus, New York - Binghampton, New York

2008-08-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

NOTE:

1. Below I’m covering 2 days of travel since yesterday we were in a state park with no internet access. They don’t even try using the satellite dish we’ve dragged across the country anymore as it’s pretty much a useless thing. So we really depend on wireless in towns or cities we stay in, and a state park doesn’t fit that bill.
2. I post 2 pictures of Jonas Lise which I received today, just so you don't miss our latest cute grandchild!

Tuesday: It was very cold when we woke up, and the dew meant that tents were packed away very wet. Yuck! Fortunately, they dry quickly when you set them up again. The Tuesday trip went well except for one thing: I missed a turn and ended up adding 35 kms to my itinerary, which included a sightseeing tour of the towns of Waterloo and Seneca Falls, both of them way off the planned radar. Sigh…

The roads were good but hilly, and the countryside of New York State so far pretty much resembles southwestern Ontario. I couldn’t see any reason to take a photo along the way. We had a great lunch stop today, though, on a farm about 80 kms in. The East Palmyra CRC – East Palmyra is where Joseph Smith claims some angel named Moroni revealed buried golden plates to him which contained the Book of Mormon – hosted lunch on that farm. Everything was good, but the best part of all was the cherry cheesecake. I could not resist it!

Again, just so you know I don’t totally ignore wildlife, here’s a shot of a turkey vulture whom I interrupted while it was eating whatever on the side of the road. You can tell he doesn’t trust me, as he first walks, then flies away – as though I’d steal his lunch anyway!

I also stopped to smell the roses, or whatever these flowers are again.

The state park we are staying in was a naval station at one time, and it’s located on Geneva Lake, one of the so called “Finger Lakes” in this part of New York state. A bunch of us went swimming, even though we were not really supposed to because there was no lifeguard present. But we were in a group of about 10 of us and watched out for each other as we jumped off the end of a long pier time and again. It was very refreshing after a long day of cycling.

We’ve just finished supper and Diane, as usual, is busy cleaning up. She is usually done around 7:30 and pretty tired by then. Tomorrow we are being fed by a CRC in Binghamton, so that gives her a break as well as me, since my sweep team is on duty tomorrow and would have been responsible for serving dinner. Hurray!!

Tonight is supposed to be very cold again, and already we’re wearing long pants (only the second time all summer for me) and light jackets. It’s fairly comfortable in our tent, however, as we have each other and 3 blankets. But our own bed at home is looking better all the time.

One sad note: another rider who has gone the whole distance, Sarah Terpstra, has had to leave the tour. She picked up a kidney infection, and the last we heard she was in hospital needing surgery. We remember her in prayer, and ask that the Lord will heal her body and her disappointment at having to leave the tour. She was one of the top female riders.

Today’s stats:

Distance: 157.79 kms
Average speed: 23.5 kph
Maximum speed: 54.0 kph
Time in saddle: 6.42.05
# of flat tires on tour: 9

Wednesday: Today was a great day. It started out cold again, so on go the leg warmers, gloves, and jacket. But no sooner had we left camp and we were climbing, and sweating. The shot below is of Geneva Lake looking back. That’s Bill & Mary Dracht of Grand Rapids getting rid of some of their cold weather gear.

The ride was beautiful: lots of hills, some very steep and requiring granny gear, and trees everywhere. A steep side trip led to the falls pictured below which have such a long and difficult name that I can’t remember it. There wasn’t much water, and the climb to see this was hardly worth it. Yet the canyon itself is still a thing of beauty.

Halfway through the day we rode into the city of Ithaca, home of Cornell University, one of the Ivy League schools (think expensive and exclusive). Going out of the city we also encountered one of the day’s steepest hills. At the very top there was a winery, Silver Creek, so as a reward for a good climb we paid $2 and were able to sample 6 different wines. Being a generous sort of guy, I shared the 6 samples with Jake Pasma and Louis Bosma pictured here below. After all, biking with 6 samples might have made me a dangerous driver.

I got into Chenango Falls, just outside of Binghampton, shortly after 2, to find the tent already set up. The school we are in is just across from Valley CRC, and that church is feeding us dinner. They also made wireless available to us, and in a moment I’ll find out if it actually works. It’s time for a shower. The week is half over. Three days left, and it’s time to go home.

And before I forget, our newest grandson and families...

Today’s stats:

Distance: 124.19 kms
Average speed: 22.4 kph
Maximum speed: 66.3 kph
Time in saddle: 5.31.33

Byron, New York

2008-08-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

We are back in the "land of the free and the home of the brave," though truthfully - and speaking as a Canadian (I confess my bias) - it feels more like we left the land of the free and the home of the brave.

My last blog was very brief and didn't even include a photograph. I took only one on Saturday morning, from the top of the escarpment overlooking Hamilton and Lake Ontario, and include it here below.

We had a great time with Joel & Marsha and Alicia & Arie and 7 grandchildren in Kitchener, and include a few pictures of that. There's grandpa who decided to jump in the pool in his underwear, to the great delight of the kids. Next is Madeline, our youngest granddaughter, and a real live wire. Then the two birthday boys, Colin (left) son of Joel & Marsha, and Zander, son of Alicia & Arie, enjoying a cupcake.

The other event we celebrated on Saturday night was that Joel and Marsha's offer on a new home in Peterborough was accepted. It's a large home with a large fenced yard only half a kilometre from the school where Joel is now the principal, so very exciting for them.

On Sunday morning I preached in Kitchener and had the great privilege of baptizing our latest grandchild, Jonas Arthur Lise. I cannot include his picture because I don't have one. Unbelievable, I know, but Alicia has all the pics on her camera and will send them to me. I will include a couple of these when I get them. In any case, it was a real celebration of God's faithfulness from generation to generation. Many members of some of our first two congregations were present as well, and that made it even more special. Mom & Dad: Koos was there, but Theresa sent regrets.

Following the service we had a quick lunch at Alicia's place and then left for the celebration service in Niagara Falls. Because of bad traffic due to construction on QEW, we arrived just as the service began, and missed the rainfall they had for almost an hour. The picture below gives you a sense of the crowd there, but we suspect many people stayed home because of the weather.

Present at the service also, besides numerous St. Catharines and Georgetown and Willowdale people we knew, were Diane's brother Peter and wife Joan (pictured below), along with their daughter Michelle and her 2 children. Sadly, my brother Peter and wife Marja could not be present because of the sudden death of a young teen in their congregation.

On Sunday evening, Diane's brother Andrew and wife Ena picked us up. They live in Burlington, a 45 minute drive away, but invited us out for a delicious steak dinner at a place on the beach near their house, and we slept over at their renovated home. This morning, after picking up Tim Horton coffees, they drove us back to St. Catharines, and our last week of the tour began.

Arrivng in St. Catharines, we learned that we got mail again. Another letter from mom and dad (sorry about the rooster!), a card from Chris and Jeff, and a card for each of us, with a Starbucks card for each of us, from brother John and sister-inlaw Fran. Thanks, everyone!!

We left St. Catharines in good time, and the ride into Niagara Falls was mostly on a bike path. Along that path I took a few pictures of of the Niagara gorge.

In order to enter the US again, we met in a parking lot close to the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, a 31 km ride from St. Catharines, and crossed en masse in a separate lane reserved for us. US customs didn't even stop us, they simply waved us through. Unknowingly, I managed to smuggle in an orange, right under their noses! Oh, that orange tasted good later in the day. I didn't even feel guilty.

The weather today was uncharacteristic for this time of year. Although the sun is shining again. temperatures were cool all day, no higher than 70 degrees F, and tonight will be cold again, which means there will be little separating Diane and I in our cozy tent. We are staying in an RV park outside of Byron, and a big bonfire is planned for tonight. Everyone who has been on this tour since day 1 is talking about this being our last week and how quickly the time has gone. We intend to enjoy every last moment of this wonderful journey as much as we can.

Today's stats:

Distance: 126.60
Average speed: 23.7 kph
Maximum speed: 46.6 kph
Time in saddle: 5.19.27
# of flat tires on tour: 9

Today's ride was done mostly in large groups, just because we were all together to cross the border. Only near the end of the ride was I able to ride alone for a while and be a bit more relaxed.

St. Catharines, Ontario

2008-08-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'm actually in Kitchener, in the home of Arie and Alicia Lise and 4 of our grandchildren, awaiting the arrival of Joel and Marsha and 3 more of our grandchildren. Pizza for supper - hurray!

As if I needed it. Today's ride to St. Catharines included refreshment stops (ice cream fruit, cake, etc. etc) from Fruitland CRC, Shalom Manor (visited Gert De Jong), Grimsby CRC (great to see Peter & Ann de Bruyne!), Beamsville CRC, Jubilee Fellowship, and 3 other smaller groups I couldn't identify with specific churches. But thanks to all for your support and hospitality.

Arrival in St. Catharines was not without stress. The outfit I had reserved a car from had no cars available, so I insisted they had to help me find one. We did, from another agency, who had to bring in a car from Niagara Falls. Phew - so I made it to Kitchener by 3 p.m., as I had hoped.

Anyway, I'm keeping this short because I need to spend time with family. Be assured that it was a good ride today, and we're glad for the rest. We especially look forward to the baptism of Jonas Arthur Lise tomorrow, and I hope I haven't forgotten how to preach a sermon.

I'll blog again on Monday.

Today's stats:

Distance: 78.62 kms
Average speed: 25.2 kph
Maximum speed: 64.1 kph
Time in saddle: 3.06.32
# of flat tires on tour: 9

Ancaster, Ontario

2008-08-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in the air conditioned comfort of the library at Redeemer University and it's wonderful. Today was the first day since Fremont, Nebraska, that we've had to deal with humidity. But hey, it's still better than rain!

It was a good day today, starting off in London, with refreshment stops in Ingersoll, Woodstock, Brantford, Jerseyville, and finally at Redeemer. Then there were the smaller stops along the way at people's homes. It's ironic of course that we are riding to raise awareness of poverty and hunger and meanwhile we are trying not to eat too much, because there is so much. But if hospitality is a gift of the Spirit, and it is, then we are meeting many gifted and Spirit filled people along our way in Canada, and we are grateful.

I didn't take many pictures today, but a few I couldn't miss. The first is looking off a bridge just outside of London early this morning. It looks darker than it actually was.

The second picture is of a road just prior to entering Woodstock. We did not realize there were so many hills in Woodstock!

Two highlights of the day were, first, meeting my former principal from TDCH, Aukje Masselink, in Jerseyville. I did not recognize her immediately but it was great to see her. Big hugs all around! I also saw one of my former teachers, Bill Barneveld, in Woodstock. Just a handshake there!! Then upon arriving at Redeemer there was Betty Beukema from Abbotsford (our church treasurer and a friend), fresh off her red eye flight, to greet me as she had promised way back in June. At least I had the sense to take her picture, because I forgot about my former teachers. Here we are at the finish at Redeemer.

The final and best highlight is that my son Joel is coming to pick me up to stay at their place in Cayuga (though they are moving, he is now principal at Christian school in Peterborough) so I get to see him and wife Marsha and 3 more of our grandchildren.

Thanks to everyone in all the churches listed above for your awesome hospitality today! Tomorrow we will have a minimum of 5 refreshment stops over a distance of 74 kms. Can't wait...

Today's stats:

Distance: 126.67 kms
Average speed: 24.0
Maximum speed: 59.5 kph
Time in saddle: 5.13.20
# of flat tires on tour: 9

London, Ontario

2008-08-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

So I’m on my own for a few days as Diane was picked up by Alicia and 4 grandchildren this afternoon. It was a good day, with lots of headwind but not too long a distance and plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the low 20’s C.

Diane’s brother Art brought us back to Chatham by 6 this morning so that Diane could do her work in the kitchen, and since I didn’t have to take down a tent I was able to leave as soon as it was light enough, which was around 6:45. Art had said he might be at a spot 25 kms along the route to cheer me on, but when I got to that spot he was nowhere to be found. About 8 kms down the road, however, just past Thamesville, a car pulled over about 500 metres ahead of me and 4 people got out of the car: Art & Sue, our niece Suzanne and her friend Hannah. I got my picture taken 3 times, and just remembered in time to take a picture of them.

From there it was on to Hope CRC in Mount Brydges for a delicious lunch of roast beef sandwiches and all sorts of fruit and salads. Their hospitality was great and much appreciated. Then it was on to London and the bike path through Springbank Park and past a place familiar to me from my childhood in Clinton: Storybook Gardens.

I don’t remember much about the place itself, but I always connect it to a time in the early 1960's, while we lived in Clinton, ON, when mom and dad took us 5 kids to a restaurant called “The Three Little Pigs” for milkshakes. This was a big deal, but whenever we went to Storybook Gardens again we wanted to go back to this restaurant, and mom would always say “No, we are going to the 5 little pigs restaurant at home.” That may have been funny to her and dad, but I can tell you that the 5 little pigs she was referring to did not find it amusing at all! We have never gotten over the trauma of this negative experience. OK, actually we did – but I have not forgotten this disappointment of my childhood! Love you anyway, mom and dad!!

We arrived in London to various different welcoming committees. They included our niece Adrienne – oldest daughter of Art & Sue referred to above – who is about 2 weeks away from delivering her first child. Can you tell from the pictures below?

We were also thrilled to see Alicia and crew, and this was my first chance to see the little fellow whom I will have the privilege of baptizing this coming Sunday, our newest grandson, Jonas Arthur Lise. So of course I include their picture below.

Finally I include a picture of the youngest member of the kitchen crew, Renata, who is leaving the tour on Saturday in order to return to school at UNB in Fredericton. She is our adopted 5th daughter whom we hope to see again some day soon.

We are being fed tonight by the CRC churches of London, but we have been fed all afternoon already: ice cream, milk, pop, baked goods, fruit, etc. I have been my usual restrained self however, especially as the weigh scale at Art & Sue’s place informed me yesterday that I have lost 22 pounds so far on the tour. My doctor will be pleased with me! And Diane likes it too…

So now we’re being called to supper and I must go to at least eat the number of calories I burned up today. Thanks to all of you for reading my blog; I am flattered that you find it interesting enough to read. And thanks again for your comments.

Today’s stats:

Distance: 124.16 kms
Average speed: 23.8 kph
Maximum speed: 51.7 kph
Time in saddle: 5.12.01
# of flat tires on tour: 9

Chatham, Ontario

2008-08-20T17:04:00.001-07:00

We are not really in Chatham, although that was today's destination and that's where tonight's camp is. At 3 p.m. this afternoon Sue Schaafsma, wife of Diane's younger brother Art, picked us up, and we have just enjoyed a delicious meal of pork tenderloin, corn on the cob, cauliflower, applesauce, baked potato, pie - do I sound like I enjoyed dinner? - at their home in Ridgetown. We are also sleeping here tonight, and Art will bring us back to Chatham tomorrow at 6 a.m., which is when Diane needs to be back in the kitchen.

It is good to be on Canadian soil again! We all left Richmond early this morning and met in Marine City, Michigan by the lighthouse by 10 a.m. so that we could cross the border en masse. We had sent our passport information etc in advance so all we really had to do was show our passports. The pictures below show, first, how eager Diane is to get back to Canada; she is prepared to swim across but Erna Maarhuis is restraining her. Then there's a picture of us lining up to begin the crossing, and getting off at the other end, in Sombra, Ontario.

One interesting side note: the ship in the St. Clair river below was flying a Dutch flag (hard to see in picture) and carrying the stems of the contemporary windmills you now see in so many places and all over the Netherlands.

On the other side of the river, there was a wonderful and enthusiastic reception waiting for us from the Sarnia and Chatham CRC churches. Lots of people, and lots of food, and lots of fun, as you can see below.

From Sombra it was another 60 kms or so to Chatham. I drafted the whole way behind Reuben Vyn, with his kind permission. Reuben cycles for Portland State University in Portland, OR, and can easily clean my clock on a bike any day. Because of the strong headwind, this made the trip in much easier for me. In Chatham there was another warm reception waiting for us at the Memorial Arena. Quite a few people who remembered mom and dad made sure to greet me, though I can't remember their names, except that of Annie Bishop. All in all, the Sarnia and Chatham churches went all out to make everyone feel welcome in Canada and well supported. We know that this kind of welcome will continue in days to come, as we hit London, Hamilton, and St. Catharines as well. As Canadians, this is probably the most fun part of our trip. In any case, we really feel that we are home.

We also talked to daughter Janine by phone today, and it was great to hear her voice and about her pregnancy. She is due in November with her first baby and our 10th grandchild (yes, we are rich people!) and we are missing much of her pregnancy experience while on tour. We're sure we'll catch up real quick once we're home again.

Tonight we sleep in a real bed again, and a warm home. Last night it was very cold and the tent was very wet, from dew, when we woke up. We dried the tent when we arrived in Chatham, and tomorrow we don't have to worry about it. We are eager to see Alicia and 4 of our grandchildren tomorrow (husband Arie will be at work, of course) somewhere along the route, and Diane will be leaving for her home for a few days. That's it for now. I'm on niece Suzanne's laptop

and hopefully there will be internet somewhere tomorrow. Talk to you all then....

Today's stats:

Distance: 90.55 kms
Average speed: 24.7 kph
Maximum speed: 35.6 kph
Time in saddle: 3.39.01
# of flat tires on tour: 9

Laingsburg, Michigan - Richmond, Michigan

2008-08-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Below are some notes re both Monday and Tuesday. There was no wireless available in Sleepy Hollow State Park.

It's Monday morning and we're on the road again after a very relaxing weekend. Two nights at the Prince Conference Center in a king size bed and with our own shower and a hot breakfast provided, man, that's luxury! Everything we see and experience makes us realize over and over how well off we are, and how much reason we have to be grateful to God for all his good gifts. And everything we see and experience on this journey makes us realize that if we have much, there's a reason for that: that we give much.

Yesterday's celebration service in Grand Rapids was held in Fifth Third Baseball Park, home of the Single A Grand Rapids Whitecaps baseball team. The pictures below were taken about an hour before the service began. The speaker at the service, whom you can barely see below, was Shane Claibourne, author of the books The Irresistible Revolution and Jesus for President. He was very dynamic and challenging, with a definite Southern Tennessee accent.

At the service we ran into a number people we knew but did not expect to be there: Leanne Doornbos (formerly of Abbotsford, then Lacombe, now teaching at Calvin), Albert & Freda Snippe (Georgetown, our former congregation a lifetime ago), the Wisselinks from Abbotsford (here to visit their Kevin and family). In the evening we spent time with brother Peter & Marja and their daughter Christy and family.

Today 60 new people joined us, including another old family friend: Herb Goodhoofd (and thanks for your card and note, Pete & Joan). All in all, the day went pretty well. A large group of us did miss one turn, so we had to take a long block around to get back on track. For the most part the roads were straight and flat, and my average speed today reflects that. It sounds terrible to say that there was nothing worth taking a picture of along the way, but there was certainly nothing that stood out. You can only take so many pictures of cornfields and trees.

There was one refreshment stop in Lowell, courtesy of the Calvary CRC in that town, and as usual there were loads of baked goods. Your intrepid and dieting (but not seriously) reporter was able to stick to fruit only. There were also a few individuals and small groups cheering us on along the roads, including Beverly Weeks, former fellow Board of Trustee member, sitting by herself with a sign assuring us of her family’s prayers for us (and was I smart enough to take her picture – noooo!).

The early group, including myself, arrived at Sleepy Hollow State Park by 12:30 already, and our large group is now scattered all over the campsite. Diane is swimming in the shallow and murky water – my description gives you the reason I’m not swimming but showered instead – with other members of the kitchen crew.

On a not so happy note, two more people have had to leave the tour because of injuries: Lynn, who fell off her bike onto her kneecap last week and tried to return but couldn’t because of water under her knee, and Jim, who was staying in a hotel this past weekend and cracked a couple of ribs when he slipped in the shower there.

Tomorrow is our last full day in the U.S. before we enter our home and native land. We will be crossing the border on a ferry, which is something we've never experienced before, and we're looking forward to seeing old friends along the way.

Today’s stats:

Distance: 113.32 kms
Average speed: 27.5 kph
Maximum speed: 54.3 ph
Time in saddle: 4.06.23
# of flat tires on tour: 9

It's Tuesday afternoon and a hard day is behind us, unlike the wind, which was blowing hard in our faces for 153 kms. There's not much to say except that you put your head down and pedalled. I pulled Claire Elgersma pretty much the whole day, and it was the two of us for most of that time, although we joined and were joined by others off and on. I did not get lost and I had no flat tires. The weather was sunny but cool, and the temperature tonight is supposed to go down to 8 degrees C.

Diane spent the day with Erinn Swett and they goofed around in Lansing, meaning I had to set up the tent and blow up the air mattress. I think she planned that on purpose! We are looking forward to crossing the border tomorrow and using the Timmy card that Joel and Marsha sent us, and also visiting with Diane's brother Art and sister-in-law Sue (Ridgetown) who are picking us up for dinner and sleeping at their place.

Sorry about no pictures again. I'll do better tomorrow. Today no one took any pictures, we just put our heads down and pedalled.

Today's stats:

Distance: 153.72
Average speed: 24.2 kph
Maximum speed: 50.9 kph
Time in saddle: 6.19.57

Grand Rapids, Michigan

2008-08-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in Jerusalem! And what a glorious day it's been. Sunny, not too hot, and no head winds.

The day began very cold, and as good as breakfasts are everyday, Ed Gringhuis (from Hamilton) and I decided it was time for a bacon and egg hot breakfast. So we skipped out early, rode 8 kms out of our way into Grand Haven, and had us a sit down hot breakfast - delicious! Sitting in the same restaurant was a fellow who immediately identified us as being part of Sea to Sea, and who showed us the way to get back on the tour track by an alternate and shorter route. Not only did he show us the way verbally, he drove his pickup truck and led us for 25 kms. We rejoined the tour in Eastmanville, just in time to reach Lamont and our first refreshment stop. Shortly after that first stop, I passed an older gentleman selling small baskets of peaches, and knowing how much Diane loves fresh peaches, I bought a number and carefully packed them in my bike bag.

A second refreshment stop was hosted by Westview CRC once we reached Grand Rapids, a third was hosted by one of the individuals who was forced to leave the tour due to injury, and a fourth was hosted by some folks along Fulton Ave. At the end of the trip we arrived in a school parking lot just 1 km from Calvin and waited until all the riders were in,

then we rode en masse in a media event onto Calvin's campus. It was a lot of fun, with people lining the roadways on the campus and cheering us on. Among those gathered there was brother Peter and Marja, as you can see below.

Diane and I are booked into the Prince Conference Center for the weekend, and we are grateful for a king size bed and our own personal shower and not having to put up a tent and blow up our air mattress, etc. Does it sound like we're getting ready to go back home? We do look forward to this weekend, however, as we have a relaxed evening watching the Olympics in our room tonight, and we hope to see more of Peter and Marja tomorrow, along with all the other events, especially the mass celebration service. And we especially look forward to seeing daughter Alicia & Arie and our 4 lovely Lise grandchildren this week. But right now, we will simply enjoy a weekend of rest.

Today's stats:

Distance: 82.80 kms
Average speed: 22.7 kph
Maximum speed: 49.6 kph
Time in saddle: 3.38.39
# of flat tires on tour: 9

Grand Haven, Michigan

2008-08-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

It was cold last night - brrrrr! Another good reason to take your spouse along. You know what it says in Ecclesiastes 4: "Two are better than one...if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?" It's quite a change for us after so many hot days. The high temperature today is around 75 F, but it is still sunny and clear, and windy.

Today's trip again took us mostly along the lake, along beautiful roads such as the one below.

The highlight of today was a visit to Graafschap CRC in Holland, Michigan. It's the oldest CRC in North America and a massive building with a whole museum in its basement describing the history of the CRC in that area from its beginnings in 1857 on. Very impressive, and the food was great. Some of us (like me) didn't eat much, however, because word was that another church was hosting a barbeque just 10 kms away. A simple turkey sandwich and we were on to a much better table, right? Wrong: we learned that you shouldn't trust rumour, since there was no barbeque in sight.

We met a couple there by the name of Gerrit & Janet Scheeres who told me that dad (Lammert Slofstra) officiated at their wedding in Clinton. So this is for you, mom and dad - they wanted me to pass on greetings to you, and to let you know that their marriage has been strong all these years!

Right across the road from the present Graafschap CRC is a replica of the original building. Here it is, pictured below, from the outside, with Diane and Bob Winkel from Waupun, WI, standing by the door.

As you can see from the following picture, this oldest church now has its first female pastor. She has been hired for her friendliness, evident in the photo below...

because the people were tired of the stern male pictured below who was always pointing the finger at them...miserable fellow!!

From Holland on, it was an easy ride in to Grand Haven and the CRC Conference Center, which is right on Lake Michigan. It's full of blond, blue-eyed CRC people! A great place for families, though. Diane and I went for a swim in the 62 degrees F water; it was refreshing. Then a warm shower in personal shower stalls where you didn't have to look at 10 other naked people (phew!) and now Diane is reading while I'm blogging in the cafeteria with about 20 others. Unknown to her, I've also ordered a nice big piece of lemon meringue pie (not as good as the one Alice Groothof makes by a long shot) and a delicious cup of cappucino. Tonight we're getting a steak dinner courtesy of CR Home Missions - it's a tough life.

Tomorrow will be a bit of a scary day, and an exciting day. We will enter the "holy" city, Grand Rapids with lots of media attention, and that's exciting. The scary part is that 130 additional cyclists will be joining us for the day. That's quite a crowd, and we're hoping they know the rules of the road and how to ride in groups. We'll see.

One other interesting note (assuming you found anything else interesting above, of course): Cynthia Aukema (from Aylmer) who broke her pelvic bone the first day out of Denver, has returned and plans to cycle tomorrow to see if she can complete the tour from here. She's one determined lady, and we're all hoping for her success.

Today's stats:

Distance: 77.55 kms
Average speed: 22.5 kph
Maximum speed: 39.1 kph
Time in saddle: 3.26.43
# of flat tires on tour: 9

South Haven, Michigan

2008-08-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

We underwent 2 major changes today: state and time zone. At about 9 this morning we entered the state of Michigan, home of the majority of the American riders, and with that came also a change in time zone, from Central to Eastern Standard Time. We were in the state we left behind, Indiana, for less than a day. That’s just how it works geographically.

About half of our travel today was close to or alongside Lake Michigan, and I offer the following shots taken at a variety of different places, but all of them with a Lake Michigan theme…

Because we traveled alongside the lake, we also had an opportunity to see how the wealthy lived. Yesterday we spent time in the rundown neighbourhoods of Chicago South; today we viewed the exclusive homes of the rich. It was quite a contrast. While there were some “ordinary” lakeside homes lining the route, some were obscenely large and obviously expensive – mansions! There were also signs alongside the route suggesting that these roads were private and that unless you lived there you should turn around. We ignored these, of course, and cycled on through.

When we weren’t beside the lake – there weren’t always roads – we traveled on tree lined country roads, with the trees forming a tunnel. The picture below gives you the idea, and you imagine what it might look like when fall colours kick in – beautiful!

My ride was mostly without incident - mostly. I got stung by what I thought was a hornet, right on the right arm below my armpit. I stopped the bike immediately, and pulled out my epipen (I’m allergic to hornets/bees), ready to stick myself. Oddly, however, there was no reaction except that I could feel the stinger, and still can 3 hours later. But there is no swelling and all the usual reactions, so we’re wondering if it really was a hornet that stung me. Sure looked like one. Another rider, John Vandersteen, got the same sort of sting, but just above his eye.

The weather lately has been cooling off, by the way. It was sunny all day, but very breezy. Some of that is due to the lake effect, and the last 30 kms or so we had to fight a very strong headwind. Finally we arrived in South Haven, and below is a shot of the inner harbour. Looks a little like some of the ports you see in the Netherlands.

Tonight we are not in a park by the lake, however, but at a middle school. Diane is napping, our clothes are drying on the line, and I am hungry, a pretty constant thing. Tomorrow and Saturday will be short days – less than 80 kms – with a lot of hoopla, I’m sure.

Today’s stats:

Distance: 130.16 kms
Average speed: 23.0 kph
Maximum speed: 45.0 ph
Time in saddle: 5.39.25

Indiana Dunes State Park, Chesterton, Indiana

2008-08-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

First the good news: I did not get lost today, and I had no flat tires!

It was a relaxed, no hurry, kind of day in which we were only supposed to ride 82 kms. We had the option, however, of going in groups of 10 to visit 2 of our denomination’s inner city (Chicago South) ministries: Roseland, and Pullman. Because I chose that option the trip was a little longer. It was worth it. Our visit at Pullman was very brief, but at Roseland we met the pastors working there and a lot of the folks who make use of their ministry: homeless shelter for men downstairs, shelter for women and children upstairs, kitchen where they feed people everyday, worship center, etc. In the picture below, retired pastor Tony Van Zanten explains the history of Roseland. Sadly, Tony suffered a stroke while undergoing an angiogram a few years ago and is no longer able to work. I knew him from a couple of synod meetings.

We had to travel there in groups because there was some fear that these were not safe neighbourhoods for us to travel in alone. That may be so, but the neighbourhoods we cycled through this morning were no different from the neighbourhoods we lived in in Grand Rapids while we studied at Calvin. And we lived there with 3 children.

From there it was on to Indiana, where we were soon greeted wildly by the members of Second CRC in Highland. They had lunch ready for us, as you can see from the pictures below. There is a great danger here, of course, and that is that all the weight I have lost will be regained by the food/snacks we’ll be offered during the next couple of weeks as we tour through areas thick with Christian Reformed churches. It will require all of my willpower to stick to the healthy stuff! I don't want to suffer from "Dutch bum disease."

After that it was a very relaxed trip to the state park. I traveled all day in groups, just so I wouldn't get lost again. The pace was slow and relaxed. At the park several of us decided we could not see Lake Michigan and not swim, and the water was actually pretty nice. The dunes here are pretty awesome, as you can see below, though they're a lot of work to climb.

All in all, it was a slow day, just what we needed after the craziness of yesterday, and with a beautiful sunset to end the day...

Today’s stats:

Distance: 92.51 kms
Average speed: 21.1 kph
Maximum speed: 41.6 ph
Time in saddle: 4.22.10

Palos Heights, Illinois

2008-08-13T03:38:00.001-07:00

Well, today started off with a real bang, literally. Of all things, my rear tire was flat when I woke up. When I replaced the tube and pumped it up, at 120 lbs of pressure (it takes 125 lbs) the tube simply exploded with a bang that sounded like a rifle shot. It woke a lot of people up! So that was the start of the day - 2 flats. It didn’t get much better after that.

But I need to digress briefly. I forgot to mention that we were fed a most marvelous hot lunch yesterday by Delavan CRC, and cold water by Inspiration Disabilities Center a few kms further down the road. We appreciated both refreshments!

Half of today’s trip was spent on a bike trail. The pictures below give you some idea of what that was like, including some of the beautiful flowers along the way. Who says I don't stop to smell the roses?

On the way we all stopped at a small coffee shop and overwhelmed the gracious and friendly hosts who managed to feed us all our caffeine fix. Most of the cyclists had left so what you see is one of the last groups.

What we were not told about the trail is that it diverged at a number of places and that it was important to stay on the Fox River Trail. About a dozen of us, myself included, took a wrong turn somewhere. I personally ended up all by myself in Wheaton, Illinois, totally lost. Fortunately I am not your typical male: too proud to ask for directions. By the time I got back to where I needed to be I had traveled 38 extra kms. We call them bonus miles…

I was also witness to a minor accident involving two of our girls. A car hit their bike and took off. Both girls were OK, and the only damage was one bent rear tire. We got the license plate of the car and the police came to take a report. What happens after that we have no idea. One of the other girls with these two had a flat at the same time, so I fixed that for her. It was a long and busy day!

The roads we were on today were also very rough. I did take the time to notice a few fellows doing a job you could not pay me enough money to do.

Finally I arrived at Trinity Christian College, with a worried Diane waiting at the entrance, at 5:15 p.m. A quick shower, pack some stuff, a photo of a deer on campus,

and eventually we were picked up by Bob Love, our son-in-law’s father, and we had a wonderful dinner and evening with Bob & Phoebe at their home. After supper we watched the Olympics for a while, and we are sleeping in a comfortable and dry bed (rain is expected tonight) in their home. They will bring us back tomorrow morning. We are very grateful to them.

I mentioned last e-mail about my somewhat unhappy experience at Trinity. It wasn’t the school’s fault. The problem was that I was madly in love with a girl who lived in Ottawa, so every 3 weeks I left school and hitchhiked the 1600 mile round trip to visit her, which meant my grades really suffered. It’s a good thing I married her, I could not have survived that constant hitchhiking. After I married Diane and went back to school, my grades also shot up from D’s to A’s.

But now I’m off to bed. Diane is already sleeping. Good night.

Today’s stats:

Distance: 168.37 kms
Average speed: 22.0 kph
Maximum speed: 47.5 ph
Time in saddle: 7.40.15

Woodstock, Illinois

2008-08-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

This morning we said goodbye to Ada & Andrew after a very relaxing weekend at his parents’ place in the country. It was great not to sleep in a tent for 2 nights and to be away from the whole tour and all the hoopla that goes with it. As fun as it is, it’s also very “druk” – as they say in Dutch, one of those words you can’t really translate. The weather was ideal this morning, not too warm or cool, with clear skies, and the dew rising in a mist from the fields surrounding Madison. The picture below shows the view from the house where we slept last night.

Ada & Andrew brought us back to Crossroads Church by 6 a.m. and after breakfast we were off again, with 130 kms to go and another state line to be crossed. Today’s trip took us through all sorts of twists and turns down one country road after another, anything to avoid interstates and busy highways. The risk of all that, of course, is getting lost by making a wrong turn. I know all about that by experience, because I traveled an extra 12 kms today by making a right turn one road too early. It was a matter of poor communication, both by the person who told me I’d gone too far and needed to turn right a ways back, and by myself for not asking for a clearer explanation and assuming I’d gotten the information right. Apparently all sorts of people were hollering at me as they watched me speed away, but I was so fast – ha! - I was almost immediately out of earshot. Oh well, live and learn. It took me 6 kms to realize my mistake.

There wasn’t much in the way of photo ops today, just this one farm that had its property surrounded by signs protesting the use of corn for ethanol rather than food. That would be pretty consistent with the point of our tour, of course, which is to help end the cycle of poverty and raise awareness of poverty/hunger in North America and the world. I didn’t picture all the signs on this particular property, but the photo below sums up his/her message pretty well.

We crossed the state line from Wisconsin to Illinois with no fanfare whatsoever. There was no sign marking the crossing, as we were on backroads all day. It was only looking back and seeing a small sign that said “state line” that told you we were now in Illinois. We are at a highschool again, and this school has showers rather than pressure washers. Because Diane was late in today – she and the kitchen crew took a detour and visited Lake Geneva, eating ice cream while dangling their feet in its waters – I set up the tent again. Diane is busy getting dinner ready at the moment – bratwurst, a real Wisconsin treat. Tomorrow we head for Chicago, and Trinity Christian College, where I spent my first year of college – not the best year for sure, but more on that tomorrow. Day 1 of week 7 is over, and we are more than 2/3 done. Unbelievable…

Today’s stats:

Distance: 142.79 kms
Average speed: 23.3 kph
Maximum speed: 55.3 kph
Time in saddle: 6.07.00
# of flat tires on tour: 7

Madison, Wisconsin

2008-08-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

Here we are, Diane and I, together with our children Ada & husband Andrew, sitting in an air-conditioned coffee shop, sipping lattes and blogging to our heart's content. It's hard to believe that we now have 6 weeks behind us. As I said to Ada, how many kids living in Madison can say that their dad cycled all the way from Seattle to visit them?

Diane went home with A & A already last night, so she missed a rare event this morning: pouring rain. I awoke at 4:30 to a light pitter-patter which soon became a steady downpour. It lasted until 5:40 precisely, exactly the time most of us get up, so how's that for divine timing, eh? That meant we could pack up and eat breakfast, etc, without getting wet - although I had to dry out the tent when we arrived in Madison.

Today's ride was beautiful, but then Wisconsin is a beautiful state. The road conditions were great, and our ride included a 15 km stretch on Military Ridge bike path, a hard packed dirt track that separated us from a major highway, lined with trees, as you can see below. Pictured are Roughrider Melinda (she's from Saskatchewan) and Jason Veldhuizen. Also pictured is a view from between the trees where I stopped to, uh, well, water the grass.......

We were warned in advance that the ride would be hilly too, and so it was. But we were usually able to slingshot from the downhill portion to near the top of the next rise. The only place we couldn't do that was one especially steep hill where the road was under construction. The road was so narrow that cars could not pass you, so I was chugging along furiously in my lowest gear with a long line of cars behind me urging me on. Man, talk about pressure! And what a view they had... And what views we had everywhere along the road, such as the one below.

I left Fennimore late this morning, at 7:30, and arrived at Crossroads CRC in Madison at 12:10. Ada arrived to pick me up about an hour later, and now we are about to go out for a steak dinner with the 4 of us. We will likely not be involved in the celebration service tomorrow, as we're in the mood just to be away from it all for a couple of nights and relax with children we don't see as often as we'd like.

By the way, thanks for all your letters and e-mails. We got snail mail today too, with thanks to Peter & Marja, mom & dad, Rich & Marian (love the pillow cases - thank you!!), Chris & Jeff, Joel & Marsha (really loved the Timmy card - it's already all spoken for by several members of the large Canadian contingent and will be gone at the first Tim Horton's across the border), Aubrey & Heather, Jack & Anne Oudman (say hi to Sid & Karen Doornbos for us). It's amazing how nice it is to get stuff in the mail, and a good reminder to us to do the same for others.

Alright, that's it for now. Sorry about the last couple of blogs. Apparently the satellite dish is now repaired or reset or whatever, but truth is we're rather cynical about the whole thing. I do not plan to blog tomorrow, as you don't need to hear details about our time with Ada & Andrew. I'll just leave you with a few pictures of them and the place they're living at the moment, part of a property and buildings owned by Andrew's parents. Have a blessed Sunday. God is good, and we experience his faithfulness everyday in umpteen ways.

Today's stats:

Distance: 117.49 kms
Average speed: 24.7 kph
Maximum speed: 56.4 kph
Time in saddle: 4.45.02
# of flat tires on tour: 7 (the number of completeness, I hope!)

Fennimore, Wisconsin

2008-08-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Again there was no satellite available; it is hopefully being fixed right now as I write by a techie who arrived early this evening. It is very frustrating! So this blog was written on Friday, August 8, but is being posted today. Because we’re quite far out of town and the library closed early, there’s no other wireless available anywhere in the area.

We were warned last night that the road out of New Hampton was pretty bad for the first 30 kms., and was it ever: pot holes and long ruts everywhere. It was a bone jarring ride that required you to be totally focused on the road so that you wouldn’t wreck your tires or take a fall. Once we got past that, however, the roads improved and so did the scenery. We went up and down some pretty steep rolling hills and passed through several sleepy villages. I took the picture below leaving a village whose name I forget, but I do remember the name of the church whose steeple you see: Lady of Seven Dolors Church. No, that is not a spelling mistake, although unless you knew better you might conclude that the lady who owns the church only has 7 dollars to her name! Actually, this was a Catholic church, and a very pretty one, and "dolors" is Latin for "sorrow."

The exciting part of this day was crossing the Mississippi River which divides the state of Iowa from the state of Wisconsin. It was a very steep ride down to the bridge, and a scary one crossing the bridge because it was under repair and there was only one lane, with only a cement wall at the level of my riding saddle separating you from the water below. As pretty as the river was, it’s a very commercialized area, with several casinos along the shore. I could only manage one picture because of the construction and traffic, and there’s a shot of the welcome to Wisconsin sign in the town of Prairie du Chien.

I finally had another flat tire today too. I was about 20 kms from camp when I heard a loud hiss and the bike started going wonky. No big deal, however, and I was back on the road again in about 10 minutes. A bigger deal is that another one of our riders, an older gentleman named Don, hit gravel on the shoulder, fell, and broke his collarbone. That means the end of the road for him, which is especially sad because his daughter was going to be joining him for the last 2 weeks of the tour. There have now been a total of 4 riders who have to leave the tour because of injuries.

Near the end of today’s trek I took a couple of shots of the Wisconsin countryside. It’s beautiful here, and there’s not as many cornfields lining the road anymore. You can see for miles, and it’s very obvious we’re in dairy country.

Diane had a very busy day, shopping in Waterloo, Iowa, and spending another $2000 on groceries to feed this hungry crew. She’s still busy in the kitchen at the moment, and we are eagerly awaiting Ada & Andrew’s arrival. Diane is going home with Ada tonight so that they can go to the farmer’s market in Madison tomorrow morning, so I’ll be on my own in our tent for the first time tonight. Not that I’m looking for pity! I am so blessed to have Diane with me for the whole summer, while most of the older folks here left spouses behind. Because tomorrow is not a long day – “only” 116 kms – I expect that I’ll be in Madison by shortly after noon.

I should add that there is a real sense of relief in camp tonight. We have cycled over 100 miles per day 3 days in a row – a total of 525 kms. This was the one week many of us were a little anxious about before the tour, wondering what they were thinking when they planned so many long days in a row. But it wasn’t nearly as bad as we feared, which just goes to show that we’re all getting stronger as we go along, I guess!

Today’s stats:

Distance: 162.04 kms
Average speed: 22.6 kph
Maximum speed: 57.1 kph
Time in saddle: 7.08.22
# of flat tires on tour: 7

New Hampton, Iowa

2008-08-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

NOTE: There was no satellite available; it is supposed to be fixed by a techie specifically coming out for that purpose. So this blog was written on Thursday, August 7, but is being posted today. There’s no wireless available anywhere in the area where we are – sorry about that!

It was another long, long day, and although tomorrow is another 100 mile day, the 2 days in a row of 182 kms+ that have long been in the back of our minds are now over, and we have survived. Not everyone was able to complete both days, but certainly the large majority did.

Today seemed longer than yesterday because I was on sweep. That means our sweep team had to help serve breakfast, clean up, then load the gear truck before we could leave. So we left close to 9 in the morning, which makes it feel like you are way behind right from the start. We rode with a group of 6 of us for the first 50 kms, but at that point we came across an older rider, Roland, with major tire trouble. So the group split up: the girls left, and the guys helped Roland out. Two of the girls that left are Heidi & Denise Bentum, who are pictured below in a photo that captures the kind of sights we saw all day long: lots of rolling hills and windmills everywhere.

When Roland’s problem was solved, we rode with 3 of us, but after a lunch stop (pizza and grapefruit juice) it was down to 2 of us, and about 30 kms later I was on my own, leap frogging other cyclists and being leapfrogged all along the way. I finally pulled in at 5:10 p.m., just in time to shower before supper. Supper was great as usual: potatoes, meatballs, carrots (with lots of butter and brown sugar - yum!), salad, butterscotch pudding shortcake (don’t ask, but it was good), along with ice cold milk and coffee to follow. We eat well here, so you don’t need to worry about that!

People in Iowa are probably the friendliest people we have met along the way. I was stopped several times by people alongside the road, asking what we were up to and genuinely interested in what we were doing. One lady who had no connection to Sea to Sea simply saw a bunch of cyclists who were working hard and decided to hand out big freezies at the side of the road to all who stopped (I did, as did most).

Right now we’re in the middle of a peloton meeting, and I am subtly using the time to write this blog. We are at a high school again, which means lots of showers (the narrow kind that threaten to strip your skin right off) and lots of camping space. Tomorrow is an exciting day because we’ll be meeting daughter Ada and son-in-law Andrew in the evening. Diane will go home with them tomorrow night already, and they’ll pick me up after the ride on Saturday. Tomorrow is also a memorable day for Diane and myself because it marks the anniversary of our first date, which happened on August 8 at the Abbotsford Airshow 38 years ago.

Today’s stats:

Distance: 182.46 kms
Average speed: 24.6 kph
Maximum speed: 49.3 kph
Time in saddle: 7.24.29
# of flat tires on tour: 6

Algona, Iowa

2008-08-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

We have left Sioux Center and Dordt College after a wonderful reception there and royal treatment. We actually got to sleep in real beds last night in the newest dorm, and the celebration service was a great success. Below is a picture of the crowd that was there.

Best thing of all was supper. Just prior to the meal, a lady who measures BMI had a ministry fair table set up and I got to weigh myself. I have lost 15 lbs so far on tour, and we were about to have all the pizza and fried chicken we could eat. Was I happy or what? I enjoyed every lip smacking piece and homemade banana cream pie for dessert. Man it was good.

So now I had gained 2 lbs back but I lost that again today, on the longest ride we've had yet - 185 kms. The biggest surprise happened first thing this morning: rain. And lots of it. It didn't stop raining until about 2/3 of the way through the ride. But I don't think anyone minded it for 2 reasons: it was cool, and we had a tailwind.

Two churches served us refreshments on the way: Hospers CRC and Sanborn CRC. Both served coffee, Gatorade, and donuts. Of course I didn't touch the donuts - I ate them without using my hands! Just kidding, but I only had one donut at each stop.

I rode the first 50 kms on my own, when I got passed by what I have come to call the Vandersteen Express, a group of 7 cyclists who always hang and ride together. I simply slipped in behind and rode with them until about 10 kms before our destination. So for the second day in a row - I know, this is not a race - I was the first to sign in, as the group of 7 had stopped at a cafe in town. Now I'm showered and shaved, and have just finished sharing 2 chocolate bars with Diane. courtesy of a care package from Gayla Postma (thanks, Gayla!) Because I'm on sweep duty tonight and tomorrow, I've got to go help serve dinner. Tomorrow is another 182km day, so ít'll be an early night. I should say that the riding is going really well. The bike is working out just great (thanks, Jeff!), and I have no aches or pains or saddle sores (Chamois Butt'r is the cat's meow).

Diane is doing well too. It's a busy life for her, and at times has seemed endless, but we have something to look forward to for the next few weekends. This weekend will be spent with Ada & Andrew, the following weekend we'll be at the Prince Conference Center, the next weekend in Kitchener where I'll preach and baptize our newest grandchild, and the Sunday after that of course we'll be on our way home. It is hard to believe that we are into our 6th week already. Where does the time go so fast?

Today's stats:

Distance: 185.10 kms
Average speed: 26.4 kph
Maximum speed: 59.3 kph
Time in saddle: 7.05.08
# of flat tires on tour: 6

Sioux Center, Iowa (Dordt College)

2008-08-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

We are at Dordt College, and in a nice air conditioned room in the newest dorm, Covenant Hall. Our laundry is in the dryer and we are about to go to the All Seasons Center where there's a pool and waterslides and hot tubs. This will be the third night in a row that we won't be setting up a tent. Last night we slept in a gym, and this is what our bedroom and the gym looked like.

We were up early this morning, probably because of all the other early risers and just because of the strange sleeping arrangements, and I was on the road already by 6:15. The winds were not too bad today, even though they were against us. The ride was beautiful, and very hilly. Anyone who thought Iowa was flat would have been in for a rude awakening, as it was one hill after another. Everywhere you looked, of course, there was corn. And how many pictures can you take of corn? Well, at least two!

About 2/3 of the way there, in the village of Ireton, the CRC hosted us for refreshments - root beer floats and strawberry smoothies. I had one of each to test which one was better, but could not make up my mind. So I had one more of each - no I didn't, just kidding (but I wanted to).

I didn't stay too long with all that good stuff around, raced off again, and was the very first to arrive at Dordt. They are hosting us for dinner tonight, a celebration worship service this evening, and breakfast tomorrow morning. That means Diane and the kitchen crew have a day off today; these women work very hard, and are grateful for any break they can get.

All in all, it feels like a day off today. Just what we need, too, in preparation for our 2 longest rides tomorrow and the next day - 182 kms each day.

Today's stats:

Distance: 99.17 kms
Average speed: 21.8 kph (all those hills!)
Maximum speed: 45.7 kph
Time in saddle: 4.32.28
# of flats on tour: 6 ga.js

Sioux City, Iowa

2008-08-04T14:51:00.001-07:00

We have left Nebraska behind, and are now in the cornbelt of America, the state of Iowa. After a brutally hot weekend, we were thankful for a slightly cooler day. I mentioned in our last blog that the Lutheran Church across from the YMCA property where we were camped was gracious enough to feed us refreshments all afternoon and evening and allowed us to sleep in their air conditioned facility. I apologize for the poor picture - I didn't take it - but at least you get an idea of our sleeping arrangement. Diane nicely set the tables on end so that we'd have our own space.
Also included is a picture of Denise Bentum, Heidi Bentum, Kaitlyn Kuipers, and Theo Bandstra watching a movie together on a laptop in the same room. There were many others in the same room and scattered throughout their facility. All in all it was a cozy arrangement.

When we left this morning it was already almost 80 F, and although we had been told the wind would be from the south/southeast - a great thing since we traveled north today - the wind decided not to cooperate; it came from the north/northeast instead. So goodbye tailwind, and welcome back headwind! It wasn't terrible, except for the last 40 kms or so, and mostly because you're getting more tired then too, but it was a slower ride than we figured on. It didn't help that I missed a turn, along with many others, and ended up cycling 5 kms longer than necessary.

The first half of the ride - leaving Nebraska - was the most beautiful part of the trip. The rolling hills and trees and lush corn everywhere were gorgeous. I could have taken lots of pictures but I suppose in the end they would all have looked the same. So here's just one sample of the countryside in northwest Nebraska; that's Jason & Gresham Veldhuizen along with Melinda Boot from Saskatchewan ripping down the hill in the distance.

Aoout 85 kms in - in the village of Decatur - we crossed a steel deck toll bridge (no charge for cyclists) into Iowa. A few people walked the bridge because the open steel deck did weird things to their tires and scared them off. A fall on this bridge would have been very painful. The river we crossed was the Missouri, and I took the picture below from mid deck just as Joan Doorenspleet slowly passed by.

No sooner did we enter Iowa than a unique thing happened; it rained, for about 10 minutes. It was refreshing and no one complained. After the rain, however, the north wind really began to kick in and cut in to the average speed for the day.

We had one potentially serious incident today, and again I won't identify the rider yet. One of the young women was hit by a car turning in front of her and thrown from her bike. She appears to be OK, although her front wheel was bent by the collision. When it was suggested that she should get in a SAG wagon for the rest of the ride, she insisted that was not going to happen. She was determined to ride, so they put on a spare wheel one of the SAG vehicles was carrying, and off she went. Again we thank God that something that could have been much more serious turned out so well. As you know, three people have had to leave the tour because of injuries.

We are staying just south of Sioux City tonight, in a place called Bluffs Area Family Centre. There's a beautiful swimming pool again, with water slides, and a church located beside the facility has opened their doors to us. So Diane and I, along with half the gang, are sleeping in the church's gym. The possibility of more rain tonight, and the continued heat, decided the issue for us fairly quickly!

A few quick side notes...Gayla Postma asked about Jake Kuipers, who has had 2 significant falls earlier; but he's been fine ever since and happily chugs along every day. Fred, you're right about the grain elevators - but what can you expect a mere pastor to know about stuff like that? And finally a note to Jesse Vanderveen (I keep forgetting this) about the 10,000 cows or 1700. Ted Miller was currently milking 1700 cows on the particular farm we visited; he had other cattle on this property and other properties with more cattle. Hope that clears up the confusion, and good on you for noticing the apparent discrepancy!

That's it for today. The Friendship Church we're staying at has wireless - hooray. Tomorrow will be a shorter day, as we are scheduled to stay at Dordt College. That means free internet, laundry facilities, and real beds - and lots of corn for supper!

Today's stats:

Distance: 148.46 kms (5.56 more than necessary)
Average speed: 21.9 kph
Maximum speed: 46.6 kph
Time in saddle: 6.46.22
# of flat tires on tour: 6 (and still holding)

Fremont, Nebraska

2008-08-03T12:51:00.001-07:00

NOTE: The blog below, up to today's stats, would have been posted yesterday except that our satellite system was down again, so my Sunday post continues following yesterday's stats.....

So we decided that Diane should have the camera today to take a few pictures around camp and feature some prominent support crew members. I am writing this from the air conditioned lobby of the YMCA center in Fremont, Nebraska, from where I can see the Olympic size ice rink in the building. There is a free skate tonight and skates are available, all this while it’s almost 100 degrees F outside!

The pictures Diane took…first there’s Erna Maarhuis from Chilliwack in the mobile kitchen:

Next is Betty Terpstra from Chilliwack peeling onions and trying to hold back her tears. All those onions, along with the variety of beans we are served almost every meal, ensure that there is a nightly opera once everyone is in their tents, and beware of the person riding in front of you if you see him or her lift their butt slightly!

This picture features Lavonne, who is the head of the kitchen support crew, and the only American on this team of 7. Standing with her are Matt Rekman (left, a student) and Johnny Pierce (right, a corrections officer).

This next picture simply shows the water barrels where we fill up every morning prior to the day’s ride. All the SAG wagons have water barrels throughout the day as well, and of course most of us buy ice cold Gatorade and other drinks along the way.

Next is a picture of Jonathan, our media guy who takes pictures and video and runs the satellite system, getting our usual Saturday morning breakfast of pancakes (only 2 each) and bacon (2 strips and no more, Bert!). That’s followed by Corinne and Bryan making sandwiches for lunch at the lunch table.

Below is a picture of Betsy Fox, one of our 2 nurses (she’s responsible for looking after any injuries on the road during the day), together with a sleepy headed Kyle Meyerink who obviously should have stayed in bed a little longer. They are doing their breakfast dishes, which consists of cleaning the dishes in not one but three separate tubs. The first is a rinse, the second is scrub and clean, and the third is a sterilized rinse again.

If you wonder where we store all the food we need, the kitchen truck has a huge fridge/freezer, and then there’s the pantry trailer below where all the dry goods and anything that doesn’t need to be refrigerated goes.

Finally, there’s a picture of the gear truck just prior to being loaded. Once you pack up your stuff, you just dump it by the rear or side doors of the gear truck, and the sweep team for the day is responsible for loading it up.

Diane’s last picture of the day is of her beloved hubby taking a break from the brutal headwind on highway 92 heading east.

Out of the 155 kms we traveled today, 101 kms were into a southeast wind that had 2 effects: slowing you down and threatening to push you into the middle of the road. Yesterday I got very angry at the wind, but I’ve come to realize that the wind pays no attention to my moods so I should probably change my mood, which is what I did today. I actually had a really good ride today in spite of it all, but boy was I glad to arrive in Fremont. This has been our longest week so far; we traveled (officially) 890 kms in 6 days. Next week will be almost equally long, and then the days get shorter again for the last 3 weeks.

I took a couple of pictures today as well. The first one below is of kitchen crew members Geri, Renata, Diane, and Rose with a young fellow who celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday. To help him celebrate, they bought 200 ears of corn from his roadside stand (located in the town of Wahoo) for supper tonight.

Speaking of strange town names, this last picture is another sample of that. I would not want to live in a village with this name (in fact, only 128 people do), and I can only imagine what people who live here might be called. OK, I’m being bad – enough of that! Time to quit while I’m ahead.

All in all, in spite of the wind and long mileage, it was a good day. The best part was the Windmill Lounge as you entered Fremont, and the ice cold beer shared with fellow cyclists at the end of a tough ride….

Today’s stats:

Distance: 155.05 kms
Average speed: 22.7 kph
Maximum speed: 46.4 kph
Time in saddle: 6.49.42
# of flat tires on tour: 6

Sunday morning in Fremont, Nebraska

I am currently sitting in a Staples store while Diane is busy at a laundromat next door. It is unbelievably hot here, but in the midst of the heat we had hockey night in Fremont last night. Because we're camped by a YMCA arena, sticks and skates were complimentary for us, and below is a shot of what all red blooded Canadian boys (and 1 girl) love to do most on a Saturday night!

Did I mention it was very hot here? So hot we could hardly sleep last night in our tent. It was 2 a.m. before I fell asleep, and the sheets were soaked with sweat in the morning. Gross, eh? That's why they're being washed right now. The problem is solved for tonight, however, as a Lutheran church next door is offering us refreshments this afternoon and allowing us to put our mattresses in their lovely new airconditioned facility so we can actually get some sleep.

This morning Diane and I hopped on a bus and took a 1 hour ride to Lincoln, Nebraska, to attend Northern Lighthouse Church, a CRC church plant, while others attended a CRC church in Omaha, and yet others attended a local Lutheran church next door. The church in Lincoln (pastored by a former classmate of mine, Sam Keizer) has a special ministry to prisoners in a local correctional facility; in fact, the worship band consisted almost primarily of ex-cons. They were awesome. It was a very moving service as 2 young men were baptized, by immersion. Below is a picture of their "baptistry" and any self-respecting farmer will recognize what you're looking at. That's how easy it would be to have baptisms by immersions (with adults, of course) in our own church. Something to think about...

I also participated in a shirt exchange. One of the church's members, George (I believe) so badly wanted one of our yellow shirts that I offered to trade shirts with him following the service. So here we are, each with a new shirt (though his was in considerably worse shape than mine!)

All in all, it's been a good day of rest. But the heat! In Lincoln at noon it was 106 F and in Fremont, where we are right now, it's 100 F. Not a rain drop in sight. But at least a cool place to spend the coming night before the beginning of another long week mileage wise, mostly through Iowa - more corn to see.

Hope you all are are well. Thanks for reading, and for your comments. We love hearing from you!

York, Nebraska

2008-08-01T14:31:00.002-07:00

It's hard to believe that today is the first day of August. A whole month has gone by on the road. Today we passed the halfway point mileage wise and have now traveled a total of 2019 miles. The day started off well, and again there was a beautiful sunrise, as you can see below.

The roads today, however, were very rough and in places you simply could not ride on the shoulder. It's happened almost every day that some drivers complain to the state police and we are asked to make sure that we don't ride two or more abreast and that we stay on the shoulder. By and large the complainers are truckers, we are guessing, some of whom seem to think that bicycles have no place anywhere on the road at all. The fact is that there are many shoulders that are in such poor condition that you cannot ride on them safely. The other difficulty today was a strong headwind. In particular the 48 km stretch between the towns of Hastings and Sutton was almost impossible. The wind was not our friend today. At least when we got to Sutton we were warmly welcomed. The townsfolk had seen the news the night before - which featured an interview with yours truly, though yours truly did not get to see it - and knew we were coming. They welcomed us with the sign below.

Diane had an easier day than I did but just as busy as this was a shopping day for her and the kitchen crew. She again set up our tent, and takes it down in the morning, which gives me a real break. I don't ask her, by the way, she does it willingly. How's that for a good wife, eh? Which reminds me...August 1 is also an important day in the life of our family in that Joel (our oldest child) and Marsha (our daughter-in-law) celebrate their 10th anniversary today. Ten years and 3 lovely grandchildren later, we thank God for his faithfulness to the next generation!

At the moment I am sitting in an airconditioned student lounge at York College, a small Christian liberal arts college. The temperatures continue to be hot, but the wind cools things down. At least while we are at rest we do appreciate the strong breeze. Tomorrow is the last cycling day of the week, and the end of the longest week mileage wise on tour. We will be ready for a break, although where we stay this weekend - Fremont - there are no area CRC churches. We'll be attending 2 separate churches in Lincoln and Omaha respectively. But I'll tell you more about that on Sunday. Till later...

Today's stats:

Distance: 153.86 kms
Average speed: 22.0 kph
Maximum speed: 45.5 kph
Time in saddle: 6.38.37
# of flat tires on tour: 6

Minden, Nebraska

2008-07-31T15:32:00.000-07:00

This morning we left McCook, and now we are cooking in Minden. It is hot – in the high 90’s. For those 15 folks who joined the tour in Denver it’s been quite a week. Today was the 4th day in a row of 145+ kms, plus high heat. At least there was no headwind today. I’m currently sitting in a coffee house in Minden, sipping a Pepsi, because there’s free wireless available here. The place is full of other cyclists as well. Although we have a satellite system with us on tour, it only works off and on and is very frustrating, so we usually check in every town to see if there’s wireless available somewhere. A couple of nights ago Len Riemersma and I simply toured the town with computers on until we got a signal somewhere. We ended up sitting on a curb on Wray’s main street in order to get our blogs done.

As for the ride today, I left by 6:30 this morning in order to beat the worst of the heat and I was in by 1:15. The route was fairly level except for a stretch of 48 kms that was just a series of one hill after another. But that added some variety to an otherwise dull landscape. Below is one of the few pictures I took today, the sun rising over highway 34 just out of McCook.

One of the nice things about the route today was the number of small towns along the way. That made the whole trip a little shorter, and also provided plenty of places to get cold drinks along the way. Each of these towns could be seen from far away, because they all had huge grain elevators, such as the one in Minden pictured below.

Diane is at the swimming pool at the moment; and she also visited a local art gallery that had lots of three dimensional art and weaving, right up her alley. The air conditioning made it very attractive too. I decided just to shower. Afterwards I was interviewed on camera by a local TV station, and then I hopped on Bill Den Harders’s Harley and we met quite a few others at a local lounge to enjoy a couple of cold beers. Pictured below is an obviously very tired and hot Dick Kastelein about to enjoy a Coors Light. Take one look at him and you get an idea of the temperatures we’re dealing with!

Yesterday we arrived at the midpoint of the Sea to Sea tour time wise. We have cycled for 27 days, and we have 27 days left (26 after today). Mileage wise we will reach the halfway point early tomorrow morning. It’s hard to believe. What a strange way to spend the summer. Over a burger and Coke in Holdrege today we were speculating about how we’d get back home in September and wonder where the summer had gone. It will feel like we missed summer in the usual sense, and just skipped from spring to fall.

Apart from a few minor falls, we are grateful that the last couple of days have not seen any more major injuries. It’s hard to see people have to leave the tour, and safety has become a priority more than ever. The #1 issue we continue to deal with is the heat. We drink like fish (water and Gatorade mostly), and use lots of sun screen. So far there has been no heat stroke, and no sickness. We thank God for that!

Today’s stats:

Distance: 157.38 kms
Average speed: 26.1 kph
Maximum speed: 50.0 kph
Time in saddle: 6.00.42
# of flat tires on tour: 6

McCook, Nebraska

2008-07-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

Nebraska is the 6th state we have entered. It was only 15 kms from our starting point in Wray, CO, but I did not take a picture of the sign since it was so badly shot up. That seems to be a national sport around here, shooting at all the traffic signs with a rifle or shotgun. At a certain point along today’s route we were within 1 mile of the state of Kansas and some cyclists went out of their way just so they could say they were in Kansas. Diane and a couple of the support crew drove there as well, with Diane and friend Renata singing the songs from the Wizard of Oz as they did so. You will remember that this old movie was located in that state.

It was very hot and windy again today; it is getting to the point that people are hoping for rain. A man in a gas station in Stratton, NE, said that it was good we were riding today because it was going to get hotter the rest of the week. Too bad, because each of the next 3 days is approx. 140-150 kms in length. In fact, someone said that this is the longest week distance wise.

The geography was a bit more interesting today, more trees for one thing. And a stretch of 20 kms or so that had fairly steep ups and downs. After climbing 7 mountain passes, of course, none of these hills are any big deal anymore, though they still require some hard pedaling. The heat is very tiring, and between km. 60 – 90 I was almost ready to say enough. Then we got to Stratton and found Grandma’s Bar and Grill and I was revived! I think I was just hungry, so I had a BLT for $3.00 – you can’t get that anywhere in Canada or anywhere else in the US – and a Coke and that gave me the energy I needed for the rest of the ride. It’s amazing, by the way, how much you drink during the day. Three bottles of water today, 2 bottles of juice, a 22 ounce Pepsi, a Pepsi float at Arby’s (for only 95 cents – Nebraska is a cheap state!), a bottle of ice tea, and lots of cold milk at supper.

I wanted to introduce you all to Cory today, something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. Cory works for CRWRC and was gracious enough to volunteer for probably the worst job on the tour: drive around the port-a-pottie. Happily, there has been no repeat of the earlier misadventure. Cory is the fellow in the orange shirt, and he is usually the first SAG stop. He is always cheerful, though the smell of the port-a-pottie begins to get to him by day 4 of each week. He is only allowed to clean it up (I think the company from which we lease it does this) once a week, on Saturday. Anyway, we all appreciate Cory for ministering to our calls of nature beyond the call of duty!

The picture below is also a common one. The Zantinghs from Alberta will recognize their son Matt as he’s attempting to fix a derailleur problem at a gas station. All sorts of small and big bike problems have to be solved along the way, and we have a few people who seem to be able to fix everything. Good thing, too, since my personal bicycle repair knowledge might fit on the side of a napkin. If you look closely at the picture, you can see Matt forming the words “Hi Mom.”

The other matter of interest was this huge pillar which marked the end of the Indian Wars in 1876. It has the faces of the two main Indian chiefs carved into it, and is located in what is called Massacre Canyon, which pretty much tells you what happened when the Pawnee and Sioux nations met there in the battle that this monument commemmorates. Do a little digging there and who knows what you might find.

We are currently camped at McCook High School, and generally speaking high schools are our favourite places to be because of the abundance of showers. It’s also fun to enter a town when people already know about you. Our arrival was reported on the local radio channel during the day, and people you meet anywhere are interested to hear about the trip. That’s pretty much true no matter where you go throughout the day; people are curious and wondering if this is some sort of race or what. That gives us the chance to talk to them about the purpose of our trip, and we have business cards which explain the whole trip and its purpose which we hand out as often as we can. So far the trip has raised over 2 million dollars.

Well, you know what time it is: supper! There are quite a few people still on the road,and I feel sorry for them. I’ll do my best to leave them something to eat…

Today’s stats:

Distance: 149.89 kms
Average speed: 23.6 kph
Maximum speed: 46.6
Time in saddle: 6.20.05
# of flat tires on tour: 6 (and holding, for a long time I hope!)

Wray, Colorado

2008-07-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

We are in Wray, CO, and who would have thought they’d have an awesome outdoor pool with 2 waterslides in such a small town in the middle of nowhere? But sure enough, we’re camped in a very pretty park with pretty sad toilet facilities and no showers, but just a few blocks away from the nicest pool we’ve come across yet. Diane went on the water slides and you could hear her screaming the whole way down! It was awesome on another hot, sunny day with temperatures in the low 90’s F. They are opening the pool tonight again from 7-9 just for our group.

The ride today was pretty straightforward, a lot of gradual ups and downs with a very strong headwind the last third of the ride. One of our SAG drivers, Walter Vink, the one with the big RV, decided he had had enough of being a SAG volunteer; he was going to cycle with us for a day. So he put on his old farmer pants – he doesn’t wear spandex – and hopped on an old bike he had taken along. As it turns out, this was not a good decision. The first town we came to, old Walter was on a downhill, pushing almost 30 kph, when there was a sharp turn. He was not prepared, missed the turn entirely and, well, you can see below what happened to poor Walter. Suffice it to say that he quickly decided that being on SAG was not such a bad thing!!

On the more serious side, there wasn’t a lot to see, so you really have to look for photo ops. Below is a picture of something you see more often on these barren plains, an abandoned farm house with lots of old equipment and even a couple of old cars just sitting there. You wonder who used to live here, and why they left, and where they went.

We stopped in the town of Otis with a group of us at a café. I thought the bench in front of its window was cute. The homemade cinnamon bun and ice cold lemonade certainly lived up to the reputation the bench proclaims!

In that same town, I spoke with an old farmer outside the café who mournfully told me how just a month ago a huge hailstorm had destroyed 950 acres of his wheat crop. You can see the devastation in the picture below. We rode through miles and miles of fields that looked like this. The corn, however, was healthy and tall.

Finally, I came across this old cemetery alongside the highway. At first I thought it was a war cemetery of sorts, because of the flags. It turns out it was just a small and old cemetery that’s obviously not in use anymore. Every grave I checked was from the 1800’s, and no doubt every one of them contains its own unique and interesting story.

Currently I’m sitting in a covered picnic area watching the cooks prepare supper. As usual, it smells great and we’re all hungry. I can’t wait to eat!

Today’s stats:

Distance: 141.0 kms
Average speed: 25.0 kph
Maximum speed: 45.3 kph
Time in saddle: 5.37.19
# of flat tires on tour: 6

Fort Morgan, Colorado

2008-07-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

It was a wonderful, restful weekend in Denver. Diane and I didn't do any sightseeing, just a lot of sitting back, reading, chatting, relaxing. The Denver folks were very hospitable. A lot of the married folks on tour who are not fortunate enough to have their spouses with them were met by the same this weekend. Randy De Wolde and Fred Meyerink from Chilliwack had their wives Shelly and Elly surpise them, so we did not see much of them this weekend. We were very happy for both of them. The pics below are of breakfast on the high school campus, the bike parking lot we made out of the gym, as well as the most popular place in the school, the computer room.

Today I was on the sweep team, and Bryan Flikkema and myself volunteered to be the last in. We went out last, close to 9 a.m., and came in last, just after 6:30 p.m. It was a hot, windy, and long day. It was also a slow day, as we caught up with the slowest rider about 45 minutes in. The initial part of the trip, close to 30 km, was on a bike path that took us around the city of Denver. That means no traffic, only a path following the Platte River. It was very pleasant. Once we hit the road, there wasn't much traffic on the frontage or service roads along Interstate 76but traffic was always close by. We also traveled on the interstate for approximately 30 km and of course that means lots of trucks and such. All in all it was a long day, which meant a late supper, and - I may as well be honest - at peloton meeting I fell asleep on a bleacher and missed most of what was said. I never sleep in church, though!!!!!

Now that we are out of the mountains and on the plains, the geography gets a little less interesting and photogenic. I did take a few pics, however, and hope they give you some idea of the road much travelled today: an old farm house, a wheat field and big sky, a lonely tree ("I think that I shall never see a thing as lovely as a tree" - who wrote that?), a flower, a cactus (lots of them off the shoulder of the interstate, you don't want to sit down and do you know what there!!)

One interesting incident: Bryan and I - and the rider we were sweeping, Gayle Harrison - came across a couple from California stranded on the shoulder of the interstate. Their trailer tire had blown, and their spare had no air in it, so we pumped it up with a small bike pump until it had enough air that he could slowly roll a few miles to the next exit without wrecking anything. So we fixed one tire today, it just wasn't a bike tire!

There were also 2 accidents today, one minor and one major. Dick Kastelein was on his first day riding and fell and cracked a rib. But he's OK and will continue tomorrow. One of our female riders, whom I don't want to identify at this point in case her family has not yet been informed, had a bad fall while in a pace line, and ended up with a broken pelvis and a concussion. Her tour is over, and that's a major disappointment for her and all of us who feel for her. That is 2 people in the last 2 days who had falls that ended their bike tour. So tonight's peloton, I was told, was very heavy on the safety issue, especially the risks of pace lines. Personally, I don't like them. I am far too independent, I suppose, to suffer a pace line very long. They also make me feel out of control. I prefer single file, with plenty of space between me and the next rider, or simply being on my own.

Alright, I'm pooped, and going to bed. I'm "stealing" a signal from a wireless not connected to our tour, so I'm happy to be blogging at all. Good night.

Today's stats:

Distance: 143.86 km
Average speed: 19.8 kph
Maximum speed: 53.6 kph
Time in saddle: 7.05.56
# of flat tires on tour: 6

Denver day of rest

2008-07-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

This will be a brief blog because, frankly, we didn't do much today. This morning we had an outdoor worship service at a local football field; it was a nice service, with communion, and very warm and humid. Lunch followed, served by the area churches, who are also serving us supper at our camp, Denver Christiah High, this evening. The kitchen crew is loving it.

This afternoon Diane and I did our laundry, which happened to be right beside a Starbucks. Not our usual place to hang out, but it was airconditioned and pleasant and we relaxed in easy chairs sipping ice coffees while machines washed and dried our clothes.

Other than that, we're just hanging out and resting after a long and tiring week. I actually have to do a bit of work tonight, as our head chaplain has asked me to lead the peloton meeting tonight in his absence - the first time anyone but him has led this meeting. Should be interesting.

A couple of sad notes. Two more riders can no longer ride. Tyler Buitenwerf was at the end of a pace line yesterday and either wasn't warned that the line was stopping or ignored the warning, I'm not sure. In any case, he hit the cyclist in front of him, fell off, and broke his collarbone in 2 places. So he's leaving for home tomorrow. Another rider, Art Smith, has ligament damage in one of his knees and has not been riding for the past week, and likely won't be for some time as it is not healing. He is staying with the tour, however, as an additional support person, which was badly needed.

I apologize for taking no pictures today. I know they liven up any blog. Beginning this evening I'll be on sweep team, which means we leave last tomorrow and have to make sure all the riders get in. That will leave time for pictures again. The good news is that we are still a mile high, and over the next number of days there will be more downhill than uphill. A welcome relief for all. Till tomorrow...

Denver, Colorado

2008-07-26T17:40:00.001-07:00

We are in Denver! The first stage of our cross country trek is over, and we are over the mountains. But first things first.

Last night we had an emotional communion service in which we said farewell to 15 cyclists who are leaving the tour. All of them spoke and had someone speak on their behalf, and the common thread was definitely the sense of community we are experiencing as a group. We also reflected on the fact that it was 3 years ago from this date that Elizabeth Woudsma had her accident during training for the 2005 Sea to Sea tour; that accident left her a paraplegic, and we remembered her in prayer.

Because of altitude sickness, Diane did not attend the service but rested inour cozy room. We both had a good sleep, and were glad to be inside, since the overnight temperature was only 8 degrees Celsius. Today she is still somewhat tired, but there is improvement.

Now to today's ride: it was spectacular! This was our last pass to cross - we crossed a total of 7 - and Berthoud Pass was a 30 kms ascent. Surprisingly,it was not as difficult as Rabbit Ears Pass of 2 days ago, as the grade was not quite as steep. We climbed from an altitude of 8700 ft to 11,300 ft - unbelievable. The pictures below tell some of the story....a waterfall on the way up, a view looking back while resting, purple flowers (can you see the bumblebee?), kitchen crew vehicles (Diane was not in them today as you'll see later), myself near the top, a SAG stop at the top, myself at the summit and thrilled to be there. All of it will give you some idea of the beauty we saw today, I hope.

Then came the ride down - a 30 km downhill ride with plenty of switchbacks so that you had to use your brakes. I reached 75 kph but didn't dare go any faster. At the first town, Empire, we piled into a cafe - see the group shot below, many others had already left again - for coffee and danishes. Diane was able to join the fun because she rode in the gear truck today, and driver Steve Dykstra from Abbotsford was able to find a spot to park the truck nearby. So enjoy the pictures of Diane and grandma (to the grandchildren).

After this brief oasis, we continued on our way, largely downhill for the next 30 kms or so. Then came another long climb, not as long as the pass, only a few kms but steeper. Following that came a wonderful, gently downhill ride through Bear Creek canyon that was almost like a roller coaster ride. I was in a pace line of 5 people and for about 45 minutes we average 35 kph. A brief stop on the way was made when 2 girls from Edmonton, daughters of rider Gerry Schenk, greeted us with popsicles and dropjes - delicious! And just so you know I don't ignore wildlife, note the elk grazing alongside the road without a care in the world.
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Now we are in Denver at the Christian High School, and we were greeted with a party atmosphere: balloons, music, food, drink, even cheerleaders from the school. We also met Joe & Margaret De Weerd, folks we know from Waterdown, ON. Margaret is joining the tour along with a friend from here on in. So everything is good: the ride, the camp, and now Diane is calling me to supper. Yes, I'm hungry!

We also got mail: from mom & dad Slofstra, Chris & Jeff Wubss, and the Zantings from Ponoka (for Diane and kitchen crew). Thank you! Alright, it's time to eat. And did I mention there will be an ice cream social at 7 tonight after supper? We'll sleep well tonight...

Today's stats:

Distance: 143.53 kms
Average speed: 22.5 kph
Maximum speed: 75 kph
Time in saddle: 6.22.45
# of flat tires on tour: 6

Granby, Colorado

2008-07-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Oh, what a relief it is! Today’s ride was short, relaxed, and beautiful. Everyone slept in and breakfast wasn’t served until 7 a.m. I finally left camp at 8. For a change we had wide shoulders, and didn’t have to suffer some of the rudeness of drivers and truckers who just don’t like cyclists. The ride took us through a stunning canyon that the pictures below don’t really do justice to.

When we got to Hot Sulphur Springs, a large group of us squeezed into a small café called “The Glory Hole.” The coffee and cinnamon bun (with icing) was certainly glorious! When we got to Granby, I was so surprised to see the sign below that I had to take the picture. For those of you not living in BC (who all have my sympathy), Abbotsford is located in what is known as the Fraser Valley. Hence my surprise at seeing the sign below in Colorado.

After a brief climb, we arrived before noon at Snow Mountain Ranch, just east of Granby, CO, which is a YMCA run Christian camp. The campground where they put us is extremely rough and bumpy, and because Diane has been feeling tired due to altitude –along with a number of others, including riders who travel in SAG vehicles until we get to Denver - I decided to rent a room for one night. So we’re feeling like we’re living in luxury, even though it’s a simple room with a double bed, a table and 2 chairs, and a very large bathroom because it’s a room meant for handicapped persons. Diane is currently sorting out postcards to send to grandchildren, and you know what I’m doing- keeping you up to date. So even though today is not a rest day, it feels like it.

This evening we are having a communion/farewell service. The farewell is for the 15 cyclists who are coming to the end of their part of the tour and leaving us in Denver. They will be replaced by 15 new folks.

Anyway, today was a break everyone really, really needed after 4 long days and in preparation for one more climb tomorrow before we arrive in Denver. By the way, we appreciate the comments you send our way in response to the blogs. For those of you who would like to comment but you're not sure how, I think you only have to click on "Comment" at the bottom of a blog and then just start typing. But hey, I'm no computer expert, so I could be wrong.

Today’s stats:

Distance: 57.74 kms
Average speed: 20.9
Maximum speed: 49.8
Time in saddle: 2.45.04
# of flat tires on trip 6

Kremmling, Colorado

2008-07-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

P.S. I wrote the notes below yesterday, but no internet was available in Kremmling.

I am physically and emotionally drained. Not only did we go a long way, that’s no big deal, but again we did a lot of climbing – just shy of 5000 ft in total - with one especially significant climb. But first things first. Last night we were in Craig, and I thought I’d show you the lay of the land from our campsite at Moffat County High School. The second picture is of our camp site, which was an odd place because we were restricted to piece of land that was sloped. That made sleeping somewhat awkward.

Diane slept in this morning and took down our tent, which made for an easy morning for me. But that’s where easy stopped. The first part of today’s trip was to Steamboat Springs, a ski resort town. There wasn’t much climbing but there was a lot of traffic and a strong headwind, which made those first 80 kms or so feel like a lot more. The biggest problem for me was that I was tired to begin with. This was the fourth day in a row of significant distances that included a fair bit of climbing, plus we are at high altitudes. A number of people, especially those with lung related problems such as asthma, simply cannot handle the altitude and have to take a couple of days off or be sagged up the big climbs. I’m not sure if it was the altitude or just plain tiredness, but it was a hard day.

Today’s significant climb is known as Rabbit’s Ears pass. In the first 12 kms of that pass we climbed over 3200 feet; that was the toughest part and it took me just under 2 hours to complete it. That included quite a few breaks to drink water and rest. Once we got to the first summit, it was an up and down trip over 6 kms, and while the true summit – the Continental Divide – was over 9400 ft., the highest point we reached was almost 9600 ft acc. to the GPS system we use. One of the girls on the tour, whose name I won’t mention, took 4 hours to complete the climb, imagine that, but she was that determined to do it.

After that it was a fabulous ride down, reaching speeds consistently over 70 kph without trying, until we were about 30 miles from our destination. From that point on there was a lot of up and down, though mostly down, but every hill seemed like another mountain. What a relief to finally arrive. I only took 3 pictures of the trip, missing all the wild flowers up on top because I was too exhausted to look. Diane assured me there were plenty of them there, however, and she and the kitchen crew enjoyed a picnic in the midst of it all. The first picture is a shot about 1/3 of the way up looking back, the second is self explanatory, and third is a shot about 2/3 of the way down looking ahead.

For the first time in a couple of weeks we also had some rain in camp. A brief thundershower passed over us, sending everyone running for cover, but it didn’t last more than 10 minutes or so and now everything is calm again. Supper is done for most of us, but there are still a few people on the road. I can only imagine how tired they are going to be. Oh well, tomorrow is a short day – 55 kms – although that will again involve some significant climbing. Saturday will also include a mountain pass which will bring us to an altitude of over 11,000 ft, but that climb comes early and then it’s a long coast in to Denver. But now I’m looking ahead, and our regular reminder to each other is “one day at a time.”

Today’s stats:

Distance: 154.11 kms
Average speed: 20.4
Maximum speed: 72.6
Time in saddle: 7.33.02
# of flat tires on trip 6

Craig, Colorado

2008-07-23T16:01:00.001-07:00

As I woke up and got my stuff out of the gear truck this morning, I realized that many of you might not have an idea of what the inside of this truck looks like. It looks like a lab where they keep rats, doesn’t it? Anyway, here’s an early morning shot with Denise Bentum trying to look like she’s eager to begin a new day of riding.

Today was another long day, but much better than yesterday. We were on the same highway – US 40 – but the road was in better shape and there wasn’t nearly as much traffic. There was lots of climbing again, one very long climb and lots of shorter ups and downs. No sooner were you up then you saw the next hill ahead already. The shot below gives you some day of the country we saw for most of the day today.

One minor adventure: I barely missed riding over a fat old rattlesnake on the shoulder when I thought I should turn back and capture the poor critter on camera, with the caption “Snakes the way Diane likes them – dead.” So I turned back, zoomed in on the little fellow and lo and behold it moved! It had not resurrectered, but was alive all along, as the second picture clearly proves. I only wish Diane had been there as she always has a pretty dramatic reaction to seeing a snake, dead or alive, but especially alive. Her snake dance and song is something to behold!

We rode over 140 kms again today, and between Dinosaur and Craig there was only one small village, consisting of a few houses and a general store and gas station, and about 2/3 of the way to our destination. So it was a lonely ride most of the day, very quiet and beautiful. I was among the first to arrive in Craig, and the first thing our group did was get a milkshake or ice cream at the local soda shop. Diane had set up the tent already – bless her heart! – and we are in a highschool again, for which we are all grateful. Showers and bathrooms the past couple of nights have been less than plentiful and hard to get to.

Tomorrow will be our fourth 140 kms+ day, and apparently includes another pass approximately 20 kms in length. Can’t wait….ha!

Today’s stats:

Distance: 146.14
Average speed: 21.2
Maximum speed: 65.6
Time in saddle: 6.51.57 (includes sightseeing in Craig)
# of flat tires: 6

Dinosaur, Colorado

2008-07-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

It was a long and somewhat unpleasant ride today. With a group of others, we made the first 45 km stretch in an hour and a quarter, my fastest average yet. After that, it was one long gradual hill after another, on a very busy highway, with some very rude drivers. Some cut in really close, others would step on the gas right beside you and let loose a huge dark cloud of diesel exhaust. I wanted to wring some necks today!

The country we went through was not as beautiful as yesterday, and you’ll get the idea from the pictures below.

One very scary incident today: Jake Kuipers was biking along when his seat post simply sheared off. Jake was thrown onto the highway where, fortunately, there was no traffic at that moment. He has quite a few scrapes on his legs, hips, and face, but all in all he’s OK. I and two others - Randy De Wolde and Fred Meyerink - came upon him just shortly after it happened (he was on his own), and while Randy and Fred went ahead to look for a SAG wagon, I stayed to make sure he was OK and wasn’t in shock or anything. Our nurse, Betsy, picked him up and checked him out, then brought him to the next town (Vernal) to a bike shop where he got a new seat post and he was on his way again. This could have been something very serious, even life threatening, and we thank God for protecting Jake from anything worse.

I expect that a lot of people will be “sagged” in today, that is, will be picked up by support vehicles. It is hot, windy, and hilly. The last 32 kms today is basically one very long and very gradual uphill with the wind in your face. Not fun.

So now we are in Dinosaur, Colorada. Yes, we crossed another border today (see below) and the first thing we saw was a liquor store, because Utah is a “dry” state –meaning you can’t buy liquor in stores but can only get it in bars, etc. We are also 2 miles away from Dinosaur National Park, but too tired to go there. Hope you enjoy the pictures below, especially my personal favorite of the day, my yellow taxi against the backdrop of the Utah hills. That’s it for today. I am done in….

Today’s stats:

Distance: 148.75 kms
Average speed: 22.5 kph
Maximum speed: 56.0 kph
Time in saddle: 6.36.15
# of flat tires: 6 (I had another while parked last night!)

Duchesne, Utah

2008-07-21T16:36:00.001-07:00

We now understand why we had to do so much climbing during the latter part of Saturday: because we could not have done those climbs and the ones we had to do today. The route began with an awesome downhill glide, but you know the rule with biking: what goes down must come up. And sure enough, 8 kms in, we had our first major climb. The picture below was taken at the summit looking back at the place our camp was this past weekend.

That was followed by a meandering road along a river and lined with trees, with the occasional fly fisherman plying his craft in the river. It also featured some interesting rock formations; the one below looks like a human skull, don’t you think?

Then came the climb we did not know about, and for which we had not gotten an elevation chart. It started very slowly, and then….it was 13 kms at an 8% grade through Uinta National Forest. I had to stop at least a couple of times, but mostly to take some pictures (yeah, right!). In any case, both are looking back, one without flowers, and the other because of the flowers.

Finally, the summit was reached. Here’s proof that I made it.

The descent was awesome, over 20 kms of pure adrenaline rush. Speed had to be controlled somewhat, because of the curves, so I didn’t quite hit 70 kph. I also stopped about a third of the way down to snap a shot of these sheep.

Once we hit bottom we reached the village of Hana, where a large group of us stopped for coffee and pie (cherry, no ice cream – I’m on a diet, you know!). I also snapped a couple more pictures to give you the lay of the land, and the cute little house in the middle of nowhere in front of bright red rock was irresistible.

Up to this point, it was smooth sailing all the way, and I was destined for an early day in spite of the long distance. Then the trouble started. Going up another hill, I heard what I thought was a rifle shot – CRACK!! It was my rear tire, however, that was shot. The sidewall of the tire (a $60 tire – ouch) blew out completely and with it, of course, the inner tube. Two fellow riders – John Vandersteen and George Vanderkuur – came up with a temporary solution for the blown tire, but that solution lasted no longer than about 3 kms. which meant another blown inner tube. Finally a rider who was carrying a fold up tire came along, hurray, and when we had the tire together I pumped it up and promptly snapped the stem right off: alas, another inner tube gone. But that one was soon replaced, and I was on my way again. The whole drama, however, cost me close to an hour.

At just over 4 p.m. I finally arrived at the public park in Duchesne, and a welcome sight greeted me: Diane sitting in front of our tent already all set up, and a bottle of grapefruit juice waiting for me. I feel spoiled rotten. All in all, I also feel very good about the day. I’m getting stronger as I go along, and a day of over 145 kms doesn’t feel that long anymore. I would not go so far as to say that I love climbing long hills, however…

Today’s stats:

Distance: 146.07 kms
Average speed: 21.7
Maximum speed: 68.9
Time in saddle: 6.44.43
# of flat tires: 5

Salt Lake City, Utah

2008-07-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

It's late afternoon and we're about to leave for the state park where there will be a potluck dinner and celebration service. It was so good to sleep in a normal bed last night, even though we do enjoy our tent. This morning we attended Mountain Springs Community Church, then had lunch at Pat's home. In the afternoon Diane stayed "home" and slept while Pat took Tyler Buitenwerff, Len Riemersma and myself downtown to check out the temple square, center of the Mormom religion. Pictures below are of the auditorium where the tabernacle choir has its concerts, and of the outside of the temple. I could have taken more photos but to tell you the truth, the whole place creeped me out. Everywhere in the square were smiling Mormons talking about their faith and sounding like orthodox Christians, even as they spoke about the "restored gospel of Jesus Christ" and spirit sons and daughters and how we all had divine natures, etc. Point is, they are doing all they can to convince people that they are Christians in the traditional sense of the word, while the truth is that they are not. Instead of the Bible being their only infallible rule of faith and life, the Book of Mormon has priority and they accept the Bible "only insofar as it is translated correctly" - meaning that Mormon Joseph Smith edited various parts of the Bible to suit his personal beliefs. That is not to judge the Mormons we met as persons - that's not my right or job - but to say that there is something very deceptive about the way they present themselves to outsiders; I admit that the biblical image of wolves in sheep's clothing comes to mind. It was all very interesting but very disturbing and sad at the same time. Yet God loves Mormons too, of course, and so we should pray for them that they might come to see that the one and only gospel of Jesus Christ is contained in the Bible, and had no need of being restored by Joseph Smith.

On a lighter note, for those of you who are American Idol fans, you will be interested to know that the place where we are staying is in a suburb called Murray City, and this is the home of....well, you can figure it out from the picture below.

So now we're back from the celebration service (I wrote the above early afternoon), because Pat has graciously invited us to stay an extra night and bring us back to camp by 6 tomorrow morning (a 40 minute drive for her) so that we don't have to set up the tent at all this weekend. We had an awesome pot luck dinner, a wonderful outdoor celebration service. We also had our first taste of rain during the day, just a very brief rain shower that was followed by a beautiful rainbow, reminding us that God was watching over us also on this journey. The pics below are of the cyclists eating, the rainbow over the park where they (not we) are staying. and just a picture of the surrounding area.

Before this day ends, of course, we want to thank Pat for her hospitality. She is a Dykshoorn, and we know from many years of experience that Dykshoorns (at least the Abbotsford crew) are gracious and hospitable and wonderful people, and we thank God for them! So here, for her family, is their beloved sister, niece, and cousin, to say hello.

Good night, one and all! Tomorrow it's back to some serious climbing. It's the only day for which no elevation chart was available, because at the time Ed Witvoet drove the route this particular section of road was closed due to snow. That should tell you something...And of course there are no stats today.

Jordanelle State Park, Utah

2008-07-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! The day is over, and I actually made it. It was by far the most difficult day, and I confess I was too tired to take a lot of pictures. In fact, I only took one. Breakfast was earlier today, as people were encouraged to leave in time for what we all knew would be a very long day, with 3 significant climbs.

The first 90 kms were easy, and brought us into Salt Lake City. The First CRC in Salt Lake treated us to refreshments, and it was hard to leave because we knew, and feared, what was coming. It began with a very short 14% grade, impossible to bike up the whole way, so most people (including myself) walked it. After that the grade became more gradual but steady. The first climb was known as Emigration Canyon, which took about an hour to scale. The picture below was taken from half way up, and if you look carefully in the lower center of the picture you can see the road below where we had to come from.

After an amazing downhill run we hit the interstate and faced a 9 km 7% grade climb. Combined with the heat - over 100 degrees F on the blacktop - it was totally brutal. There were umpteen transport trucks pulled over and overheated. When we finally hit the summit it was another glorious downhill run where I hit 72.9 kph (what a wimp, because a couple of kids hit over 85). The trouble with downhills is that they're always followed by another uphill.

When at last we were only 5 km from our destination and turned onto US highway 40, there was yet one more 7% grade, though not as long. But from conversations that took place once we finally arrived, it was clear that a record number of not so nice words were used when people saw that final grade. That number did not include me, by the way. I used up my share when I fell off my bike while trying to park at a gas station to get some more Gatorade.

All agreed it was the toughest day by far; and there were almost 40 people who had to be picked up by SAG vehicles because they were done. Now we're looking at next week, and thinking already about the first 4 days which will all be 140 km+ days.

At the moment, I'm not even at camp, but Diane and I and 2 others are staying for the weekend at the home of Pat Van Heist (nee Dykshoorn - you were right, Esther & Heather!) We've been royally fed with pork burritos and melon, and I'm currently enjoying my second ice cold Corona. Pat will be giving us a tour of Salt Lake City tomorrow, as I opted not to tour the city today, knowing the climbing we needed to complete. So we look forward to sleeping in a real bed, being able to pee in the middle of the night without having to worry about snakes and mice and thorns, etc., and enjoying a day of rest and worship with the folks in Salt Lake. It's hard to believe that the first 3 weeks are done, and we've all survived.

Diane's day was also very busy with shopping. Another $6000 was spent to feed the hungry bikers for another week. And man, do we eat, and eat well. Still, I'm losing weight (did I hear you say "hurray" mom?). But now we're off to bed, and can't wait...good night, all. And keep your comments coming; we love hearing from you.

Today's stats:

Distance: 158.87 kms
Average speed: 20.7 kph
Maximum speed: 72.9 kph
Time in saddle: 7.38.39
# of flat tires on tour: 2

Willard, Utah

2008-07-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

And the heat goes on…the heat goes on! It was another day in the upper 90’s, clear skies, with strong headwinds and rough roads. Almost 40 kms today were on a hard packed gravel road. The first part of the trip was on the interstate, and the picture below is of the longest hill looking back (the best view!).

Once we were off the interstate, we drove past a huge complex known as ATK Launch Systems. We met one of their employees along the road and were informed that they manufacture and test the booster systems for the space shuttles here. So here’s a picture I snapped along the way. Too bad we couldn’t attach it to my bike….

Although most of the trip was on rather dry and dull plains, near the end we approached the mountains around Brigham City and Willard, giving us a clue to what we can expect tomorrow. We are currently at a group campsite on Pelican Beach in Willard State Park. The pictures below are of the mountain in the background, the beach – and the little island in the distance that Diane and I swam to – as well as the picnic area that is buzzing with cyclists on computers and crowded with our bikes. Around me a few tires have popped because of the heat. I’m letting some air out of my tires to prevent it happening to me.

Dinner is almost on, and I suspect it will be an early night. Also a more restful night for us. In the very early hours of this past night in Snowville - 1:30 a.m. – Diane and I awoke with a sinking feeling: our air mattress had deflated. There’s a leak somewhere, and thankfully it’s a slow one. I inflated it again and we managed to sleep till 5:30. Diane bought a new mattress today in Brigham City.

Tomorrow we head for Salt Lake City, and our first night in a regular bed in 3 weeks. We are looking forward to it. And what better way to close than with a shot of Diane relaxing with a book by our tent before the storm of dinner hits…

Today’s stats:

Distance: 104.85 kms
Average speed: 22.3 kph
Maximum speed: 52.9 kph
Time in saddle: 4.40.46
# of flat tires: 2

Snowville, Utah

2008-07-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today was the longest day of the tour so far, and this time it did feel like it. The geography was barren, and the road – as you can see in the picture – was endless.

It was also mostly uphill, and there was a strong headwind, and did I mention that again it was sunny and hot? All in all, it made for a very tiring day. In fact, supper is over and today’s sweep team just arrived. We are now in a public park in the village of Snowville (where there is no snow, in case you’re wondering), and for the first time there are no showers available. So we created one. Using a huge tarp attached to a baseball backstop we built a shower stall, strung up a big hose underneath, and several people at a time – keeping the sexes separate of course – go in, change, get under the hose, scream and jump because the water is cold, soap up, then scream and jump once more as they rinse off. Very refreshing!! And it feels good to be clean.
Two incidents today, which could have been really scary. First, the food trailer came loose from its hitch. No damage done. Second, the port-a-potty on its trailer came loose from its hitch; fortunately, it came to a safe stop in the middle of the road without causing any damage to itself or anything else. Try to imagine being in a car, though, and seeing a port-a-potty come at you. It doesn’t take much imagination to know what your first words might be: “Oh, s___!”

On a more serious note, it looks like one of the tour members will no longer be able to continue. Arnie Issette, one of the older riders, tore his Achilles tendon on the second climb today. He’ll need to wait till Salt Lake City to get an estimate of how bad it is and if it requires surgery or not, but it’s pretty certain he won’t be able to continue. We all feel very bad for him.

I’m on sweep today, meaning I have to help the kitchen serve food and clean up this evening and tomorrow morning, then load the truck, and be the last to leave. Tomorrow, fortunately, will be a shorter distance. Now I’m pooped and signing off. The pictures below are of the last SAG stop and crossing the border into Utah, and of the Tracker Diane tools around in every day with her gang of girls.

Today’s Stats:

Distance: 138.23 kms
Average speed: 21.6 kph
Maximum speed: 57.5 kph
Time in saddle: 6.23.56
# of flat tires on trip: 2

Burley, Idaho

2008-07-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today was the longest day of the tour so far, though it didn’t feel like it. That was mostly because of 3 nice breaks along the way, and because of the beauty of the trip itself. The first extra break came half way to Twin Falls at the dairy farm of Ted Miller. He invited cyclists to stop for refreshments and tour his dairy farm if they wished. The milk he served was delicious, and though it was stored in bottles labeled low fat, I think I still know whole milk when I taste it. It was awesome. Ted currently milks 10,000 cows – amazing! And there were several other such large farms in this part of Idaho.

The second nice break was courtesy of Twin Falls Reformed Church. They provided lunch, beginning at 9:30 – not your usual lunch time of course. But by then we’d put in over 2 hours cycling already. They served ice cold milk, subway sandwiches, and ice cream bars for dessert. Sounds like a sure fire weight gainer, but the truth is that I’m losing weight. I just weighed myself on a scale in the men’s shower room at Burley High School, and if it’s at all accurate, I’ve already lost just over 10 pounds.

From the church it was on to view Shoshone Falls, which was not on our itinerary but only a short distance out of the way. It involved a steep descent, which means it requires a steep ascent. For that reason, and because it’s such a long day already, many of us, including myself, only went as far as the first view point, in order to save our energy for the distance to follow. What I saw I post below (first picture).

The following 2 pictures are of myself overlooking the Snake River canyon, and the other is the bridge over the canyon leading into the city of Twin Falls. You may remember that this was the canyon that now deceased daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump over. He didn’t make it, of course, though he was saved by his parachute, as I recall. I had no such inclinations to jump the canyon myself, in case you were wondering. I love my Argon 18, but it doesn’t come with wings or parachute.

Diane had a busy day as well. One of the RV’s needed repairs, so time was spent hanging out at a garage. One of the SAG wagons ran out of water, so Diane and the Tracker gang had to find water in one of the towns. I am also spoiled by the fact that Diane has gotten very proficient at setting up out tent and stuff, which means that on some days – such as yesterday - our tent is already up when I arrive. She also set up today because I was hot and tired. OK, I confess, I was a little crabby too. At the moment we are sitting in the shady corner by ourselves, with a nice breeze blowing. Weather today was again sunny and hot, and I think I probably drank the equivalent of 10 water bottles of various liquids today (milk, Gatorade, water, pop).
.
Today’s Stats:

Distance: 136.67
Average speed: 24.6
Maximum speed: 53.9
Time in saddle: 5.32.38
# of flat tires on trip: 2

Gooding, Idaho

2008-07-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

Surprise, surprise, the temperature was hot again. The day started off cloudy, and the first couple of hours featured very strong headwinds. At the halfway mark, or just past it, we can always count on finding Walter’s RV, where an awning provides shade and there’s lots of chair so we can sit down and rest a spell. There’s always a pretty good crowd there, as you can see below.
There was lots of climbing today. All pretty gradual stuff, but the heat makes it that much more difficult. Even so, about 2/3 of the way to our destination of Gooding, I was in a state of bliss. If you don’t believe me, check the picture. Pictures don’t lie, right? Diane wanted you all to know that the kitchen crew doesn’t only fill up bikers, they also fill up tires on occasion. Diane travels with a group of 4 women in a small Tracker over the route the bikers travel, and if there’s a need along the way, they jump in and lend a hand. I assisted in fixing 2 flats today, and had to fix one of my own as well. As with my last flat, this one also happened overnight. Beats me why. The tire was just flat in the morning, due to a small gash in the tube. I still haven’t had a flat while actually riding.

We are currently in Gooding, ID, at the local high school. Our tent is among a whole row of trees, the first time we’ve actually had shade. We’re sitting in our camp chairs reading and relaxing, and really feeling that we’re on vacation.

Yesterday Diane and I were interviewed by the local paper in Mountain Home, ID. We have no idea how that article will turn out, but we hope we gave a good representation of what the tour is all about and our part in it. Randy De Wolde spoke at yesterday’s peloton on the theme of providence, and we all sense God’s providence very strongly in many small events. We’re especially grateful for the great sense of unity and fellowship, and the safety and good health we’ve experienced to this point.

We also got a very nice surprise today. Someone from Salt Lake City called and asked one of the tour organizers to let us know that they’d like us to stay with them this weekend. The caller’s name was Pat, and I’m trying to figure out who you are. I’ve known several Pats, and am eager to know which one this is. Thanks for the invitation, Pat, we’re looking forward to it – and so is our dirty laundry (I mean that literally, of course).

Tomorrow will be a longer day yet, and everyone is looking ahead with some trepidation at day 6 this week, while we remind each other to take one day at a time.

Today’s stats:

Distance: 97.90 kms
Average speed: 21.7 kph
Maximum speed: 51.8 kph
Time in saddle: 4.29.23
# of flat tires: 2

Mountain Home, Idaho

2008-07-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

The temperature in Mountain Home, ID, reached 98 degrees F this afternoon, and the only relief from it is the shade of the school we’re staying at and a strong breeze that made setting up our tents a real challenge. We left Boise behind this morning, and the 89 km trip to Mountain Home was probably the least interesting in terms of geography and scenery. We rode by the state penitentiary and I cannot imagine a more forlorn looking place. It was 89 kms of sage brush and dry, desert like conditions. The majority of cyclists, including myself, were in town by noon, avoiding the worst of the heat, while a few others needed to be driven at least partway by SAG vehicles. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, except that we will be climbing steadily most of the day, no serious grades but definitely steady grades, as we begin to approach the Rockies.

Diane and I were interviewed by the local paper this afternoon, though I suspect we’ll never see their story, considering that we leave town first thing tomorrow morning again. The town of Mountain Home has a population of 14,000 or so, and the junior high school we’re staying at is air conditioned with normal shower heads for a change. Most school showers have these tiny shower heads that if you stand too close to them they practically shoot water right through you.

We have peloton meeting again following dinner, and since I haven’t mentioned these before….peloton meetings are held each evening, a time for everyone – cyclists and support crew – to get together and share the day’s statistics (# of flat tires, # of falls), as well as share any significant stories of stuff that happened during the day – people we met, opportunities to serve in local poverty related projects, etc. Clare Kooistra gives a mini lecture on the flaura and fauna we’re likely to see the following day, and Katrina Miller provides us with a weather report. These meetings are led by our head chaplain, Len Riemersma, and conclude in prayer, after which tour head honcho Ed Witvoet gives us a summary of the next day’s route and, on occasion, reads the riot act. Today, for example, a small band of cyclists took the interstate as a shortcut, which was not legal (though it was a whole lot easier!). Attendance is encouraged at these meetings and as a rule everyone does attend. The evening is closed with brief, or not so brief, small group meetings, after which every person does what is right in his or her own eyes. Well, you know what I mean. You hang out, or read, or go for a beer or ice cream, etc, before crawling into bed.

That’s it for today; hopefully tomorrow will be more interesting. Meantime, here's a picture of the kitchen crew, the only subject of any real beauty that I could find for today! (actually, the crew insisted on this...just don't tell them I told you).

Today’s stats:

Distance: 89.69 kms
Average speed: 24.3 kph
Maximum speed: 56.9 kph
Time in saddle: 3.41.05
# of flat tires: 1

Rest Day in Boise

2008-07-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

No one here in camp questions the fact that we were meant to work 6 days a week and rest 1 day. It’s so nice just to relax. The day began for Diane and I (following breakfast) with a 6 km walk to the city park where Valley Life Community Church hosted a wonderful celebration service, followed by a lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs and all the rest that goes with that. We walked back again – most folks biked, of course – in 90+ degree heat and took breaks in a couple of air conditioned stores along the way.

I forgot to mention that I was almost in a head on collision yesterday, with a cow! It was standing on the shoulder of the road; I was on my own at the time and approached it very slowly just as a pickup was approaching from the other direction. Suddenly the cow bolted right in front of me and hit the pickup truck along the side as the driver tried to speed up and avoid it. No such luck, and the truck ended up with a huge dent in its side. I was grateful – though I didn’t express it that way – that the cow went for the truck instead of me. I shudder to think of the damage it could have done.

We also received mail from mom and dad yesterday. That was great, and reminded us of our college/seminary days when letters from home were a regular thing. Thanks, mom and dad, we really appreciated it!

Yesterday I bragged about my free haircut, but the lady did such a bad job that something had to be done. So Barb Mellema – see picture – corrected all of her errors. It does mean, however, that my hair has never been so short. Sorry about that, Dad (he and our family know what I mean), but it will grow back.

For the rest, everyone in camp is relaxing in different ways: sleeping, swimming, cycling (yes!), etc. I thought I should feature some of the cooks in my blog again too, so for those of you who know and love them, enjoy their antics below.

There are no stats today, of course. Tomorrow we begin the longest week yet. I think we’re ready.

Boise, Idaho

2008-07-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

I won't bore you with weather details; let's just say it was hot again, sunny, and clear, and no one is complaining. It was a longer ride after a few short days, but I came in at 12.30, and with a large group of us had lunch at an outdoor cafe in Boise before heading to Timberline HS to set up camp. The ride today was up and down and very pleasant. I got my first flat tire today too, but not while I was riding. The bike was parked at our campsite and the air just came out, probably because of the heat. Anyway, it was easily repaired.

About halfway each day, Walter Vink sets up his RV and awning and we all stop for a chat and to have something to eat and fill up with water. Walter is a very gregarious, friendly guy and loves what he's doing. We all love him too. That's him in the picture with the yellow shirt.

I did our laundry today in a nearby laundromat. Beside the laundromat was a small massage and haircut place that was just opening and offering free massages (the legitimate kind, I hasten to add) and haircuts. It was very kind of them, of course, but I have to say that I would not have wanted to pay much for the haircut I got either, as you can see below. Oh well, it was free.

Tonight there is no peloton meeting, so Diane and I are going on a date as soon as she's finished cleaning up. We get to sleep in again, as church tomorrow in a local park begins at 10:30. We're looking forward to a day of rest. Love to all.

Today's stats:

Distance: 105.52 kms
Average speed: 22.0 kph
Maximum speed: 59.9
Time in saddle: 4.58.31
# of flat tires: 1

Last day in Oregon

2008-07-11T16:13:00.000-07:00

We are in Ontario, at last! OK, just kidding. Ontario is a town of 11,000 people in Oregon, just before the border of Idaho. It is hot again, but not as bad as yesterday, and the wind had died down somewhat. The wind was so bad last night in Huntington that one tent simply flew away across the school field, up a hill, and over the highway. It took quite a while before a posse of young guys was able to overtake the runaway tent. Many others also had trouble controlling their tents and simply set up their beds inside the school gym. Diane and I bravely stuck it out in our secure El Capitan. What a racket that wind made!

Today’s ride was the shortest so far. It began with a long uphill and then a glorious downhill. Love that speed! The geography remains about the same as the previous few days,
and as beautiful as it is we’re also looking forward to changing scenery. The only wildlife I saw today is captured in the following photograph. See how they're cheering us on!

We’re camped at another highschool and have entered a new time zone, so our clocks are moved up an hour. Diane and I explored the town but, frankly, it’s a rather dull town with not much to see. Internet is again unavailable, so I’m sitting on the sidewalk in front of the local library connected to their wireless. Most common question asked in camp everyday: “Is the internet working?” Most common answer: “No.” Sigh.

Today’s stats:

Distance: 57.24 kms
Average speed: 23 kph
Maximum speed: 72.3 kph
Time in saddle: 2.28.56
# of flat tires on trip: 0

Huntington, OR

2008-07-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

Diane and I are sitting in the shade of the small school in the small town of Huntington, OR, population 570. The school is K-12 and has a total of 90 students. They had 6 graduates last year. The town has one short street and 2 taverns/pubs that experienced a surge of business today. Can you count the bikes?
The people here are very friendly, and so excited to have us that a meet and greet is planned for tonight on the school’s football field, which is where we are camped. Can you find our tent in the picture?
It is unbelievably hot here at the moment; current temperature is 96 degrees F, with an occasional stiff breeze blowing.

Today’s trip was a short one, and mostly downhill. The terrain here is very hilly, as you can see from the picture, and very dry.
We reached our destination by 11 a.m. already, and tomorrow will be even shorter. Reason for that is that a weekend celebration is planned in Boise, Idaho, so the stops are planned in such a way as to get us there on Saturday. After this week, the daily mileage will be increasing. Today I rode with Theresa from Winnipeg, and we engaged in some interesting conversations about Christ and culture.

I’ve said some things about the cooking crew (and there will be more to follow), but you also need to know about Cory, who works for CRWRC in Grand Rapids. Cory drives the SAG vehicle that tows the Johnny on the spot. He doesn’t think it’s much of a job, but as Diane told him, Diane and the cooks put the food into the bikers, Cory provides them with a way to get the food out! In spite of what some might consider his lowly position, he is appreciated by one and all, and we make sure we let him know it.

Jake Kuipers is hovering over me and asking if I’m on the net or not, but no luck so far. I post my notes on Word file, and when internet is available, I simply cut and paste to the blog and hope that there’s enough time to post a couple of pictures.

Spirits are good. There’s a strong sense of unity, and everyone is encouraging of everyone else. We are having a lot of fun, and the work of setting up tents and equipment and taking them down every morning are simply becoming routine. Unless I’m on sweep team, I put the tent up and down and pack everything and I do the dishes for Diane and myself. Diane is busy enough in the kitchen at the time we usually arrive and when we leave so that’s the routine we’ve gotten into. It works well unless I come in late, then Diane puts up the tent. We sleep OK, but nights do get cold in spite of the hot days, and last night again a lot of trains came through town, blowing their horns at every imaginable crossing. So we catch brief naps where we can. We’re both feeling well, and thoroughly enjoying this adventure. Till tomorrow….

Today’s stats:

Distance: 75.96 kms
Average speed: 25.4 kph
Maximum speed: 65.7
Time in saddle: 2.59.11
# of flat tires on trip: 0

Baker City, OR

2008-07-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

For the first time, the camp's internet is working well, so here we are in the shade, Diane sitting beside me reading, checking our kids' messages and enjoying pictures of our grandchildren from their cottage vacation in Orillia, ON. We're at the local high school, camped out in the football field, after a short day. It continues to be hot, hot, hot, but if it's a choice between heat and rain, we'll take the heat.

We did not sleep all that well last night because the park we stayed at in La Grande was right beside a railroad yard, as we discovered to our chagrin several times during the night. The noise of train cars being coupled and uncoupled woke us and many others throughout the night, so there were a lot of tired people today. The climb we all feared today was not nearly as bad as anticipated, and most people arrived early. I was in Baker City before noon already.

We are having a good time getting to know everyone. It's hard to remember all the names but we're starting to know them all. The days all end the same, sitting in a circle in between their respective motor homes with the Vinks, Maarhuises, Betty Terpstra, Dini Meyerink, and a couple of the other kitchen crew, enjoying a glass of wine or a cold beer before we go to sleep. Erg gezellig!

I just took 2 shots today: one of the mountains we biked alongside today, and the other a self portrait with a rather dark theme.

Diane travels after breakfast cleanup with 3 other kitchen crew in the Vink's Tracker each day, encouraging the bikers along the way, especially this biker, and shopping when necessary. Yesterday, they picked up $700 worth of odds and ends. She begins work for supper at 3:30 and is finished at around 7. So it's no easy task being on the kitchen crew. The women all get along famously, however, so they have a lot of fun together. Got to keep the kitchen crew happy!

Today's statistics:

Distance: 82.87 kms
Average speed: 21.9 kph
Maximum speed: 51.7
Time in saddle: 3.45.57
Total # of flat tires: 0

P.S. All those who ask me to pass on greetings to others, be assured that I do so! Glad to hear, mom and dad, that you're getting copies of the blog too. We think of you often and hope you're not running out of eggs yet.

Kennewick to La Grande

2008-07-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

I promised pictures below, but can't send them due to poor reception. I'll try later. Sorry about that, computer connection situation is very frustrating.

JULY 6: Today was a rest day. Breakfast was at 8:30 a.m. so we got to sleep in. We were up by 7, though, and woke up with a swim in the Columbia River. Very cold, but very refreshing. At 10:30 the Kennewick church hosted a celebration service in the park, with members from other CRC churches within an 80 km radius also attending. Lunch was served by the churches, and in the afternoon we had our choice of activities, from water skiing to hiking to floating down the Yakima River to backyard pools. You can tell by the picture which one we chose. Being in a home gave us a chance to do laundry for free (!), and it was very relaxing. A zip line was also available, and Diane managed to make her way down without screaming and waking the neighbours. We’re back at the park now, waiting for supper (leftovers from the week past), and after that just hanging around.

Everyone is eager to begin cycling again. The weather continues to be sunny and very warm and there is no change in the forecast for the immediate future. Tomorrow we will be crossing the state line into Oregon. Brother John, you asked about my leg muscle pain. A drop of the saddle by half an inch must have been the trick, because I feel great. The week ahead will again not be all that long, but it’s all working up to longer weeks ahead.

JULY 7: On the road again! Just over 100 kms today, the first half into a strong headwind, and the second half over rolling terrain with lots of hills at just over 100 degrees F. We’re currently at a middle school in Pendleton, OR. Supper is over, and all around people are napping as we wait for our nightly peloton meeting. Basically, it’s a meeting attended by all cyclists, led by the head chaplain, Len Riemersma, in which we hear reports of the day’s trip, and statistics such as the day's number of flat tires and falls are announced. The route for the next day is also described, and we already know we will be climbing over 3000 feet in the space of about 10 miles in hot, hot weather. I confess, I can’t do all that in one shot. My regular cycling partner, Wiebo Maarhuis, and I have an agreement that on the really steep ascents we do 1 km. at a time and then rest for about one minute before doing another km. We are also on the sweep team today, which means we had to help the cooks tonight and tomorrow, pack up the gear truck, and be the last to leave, making sure everyone arrives safely at our next destination. OK, time to go, I’ve been called to the peloton meeting. After that, small group meeting and an early bedtime, I think……

The day’s statistics (I meant to start this from the beginning but forgot):

Distance: 116.66 kms
Average speed: 19.7 kph
Maximum speed: 53.6 kph
Time in saddle: 5.55.09

JULY 8: What a long day. I was on sweep team today, which means you have to make sure all the stragglers and strugglers get in OK. Our team left at 8:30 a.m., following clean up after breakfast and loading the gear truck. Three of us stayed with the slower two persons to the bitter end and finally arrived in camp at 5:17 p.m. There was a lot of climbing today, just over 3000 feet in a 16 km. span, and then another shorter climb. The two slowest persons have hybrid bikes rather than road bikes, making it even more difficult for them. But we had fun all the same. Half way to our destination, in the middle of nowhere, was a small general store, where we stopped for a cold beer. Boy, was it good, especially in the continuing heat we’re having. The couple running the store were a real hoot. When asked what the main industry was out there, the man replied: “growing pot.” He was kidding. When one of the cyclist was trying to turn on the light in the toilet, the lady of the store hollered that the light was the clapping kind, you clap your hands hard and the light goes on. In fact, the switch was on the outside of the restroom, and while the poor guy clapped loudly and often, she quietly turned on the switch. Same thing when turning the light off. No matter how often he clapped, nothing happened till the lady said “got to clap harder” which is when she turned off the switch. We had a good laugh at the cyclist’s expense.

As you can tell from the pictures, I hope, the country was big and beautiful for the first half, and heavily wooded the second half. The last 15 kms or so were all downhill, and I’d be hard pressed to tell you how good that feels after all that climbing.
Supper was good again, chicken and potatoes and vegetables and salad. The cooks are doing a great job feeding 170 people every day, and they work hard.

One accident today, fortunately nothing serious. Ed Witvoet’s (tour organizer and logistics guy) wife backed their trailer into a ditch and had to be pulled out with a tow truck. No injuries and all was well.

We are currently in a park in La Grande, OR, right by a huge swimming pool. Because the satellite is not working well most of the time, I’m in the local library, a beautiful, air conditioned place full at the moment of cyclists trying to blog, like me.

I hope to update you again in a day or so. Our love to our children and grandchildren – hope you’re hanging in there Janine! - and siblings and parents and church family and everyone else too.

Statistics for the day:

Distance: 93.3 kms
Average speed: 15 kph
Maximum speed: 66.2
Time in saddle: 5.55.42

Yakima to Kennewick

2008-07-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Because we haven’t been able to get internet access for a couple of days in camp, here’s a two day summary coming to you from a Starbucks in Kennewick:

JULY 4: Today was another easy day: 59 kms. Distances traveled depend a lot on places available for such a large crowd to stay overnight. I rode in a pace line of 5 persons today and what a difference it makes in terms of your speed. Since I was the oldest in the group by quite a few years, I had to work extra hard to keep up the pace, but my pride fueled my pumping legs! On the way from Yakima to Sunnyside we made a stop in Zillah, where Faith Community CRC provided us with coffee, juice, and fruit.

We are currently in the Sunnyside Christian High School, and are looking forward to a pork and beef roast provided by the CRC community here, as well as fireworks tonight and ice cream. It is, after all, July 4, Independence Day, which is a huge event here. It reminds me of a comment Will Willimon made in one of his books when he said that if you’re willing to die for your country they call you a hero, but if you’re willing to die for your faith they call you a fanatic. Wow, there’s my deep thought for the day!

Diane and the cooks get the day off today, and you can see from the attached picture that she had a blast today riding with Bill Den Harder, our camp supervisor (from Aylmer, ON), who supports the tour on his awesome Harley Davidson. She’s now convinced that we need to buy a motorbike as a second vehicle, both for the gas we’ll save and the fun we’ll have. We’ll see what she thinks when we come home! I’ve also posted a picture of Betty Terpstra (Chilliwack), one of the cooks, showing how they mixed up the Waldorf salad they made for supper yesterday.
That’s it for today. We appreciate all the comments, both because it’s fun to know you’re following along, and it keeps us connected to people back home, especially family and friends (but you’re all welcome and loved!!).

JULY 5: After another relatively short day – only 80 kms – we are currently camped in a huge park along the Columbia River in Kennewick, WA. The trip today was through rolling countryside that again resembled parts of the Okanagan, with the main crop being cherries, and the labour force being almost exclusively Mexican. In fact, if you’re reading Shifting Gears, you’ll remember that the population of Sunnyside, where we stayed yesterday, is 73% Latino. It felt like you were in Mexico, except the living conditions were better.

I haven’t had a flat tire yet, but have assisted in repairing 2 flats of others. It is expected that you stop to help someone in need and do not behave like the priest and Levite in that well known parable. Which reminds me of the boy who in response to his pastor’s question, “Why didn’t they stop for the man who had been beaten and robbed?” replied that it was because they saw that he had been robbed already, so there was no point. Ouch! But on tour everyone helps everyone else and that’s the way it should be.

The food on the tour, by the way, has been great. The cooks are a hardworking bunch, and one of them is particularly good looking…. Today Diane went shopping at Costco with 2 others: total bill was just over $4000. I hope to get a picture of their purchases so you get an idea of how food goes into these cyclists.

We also went swimming today in the Columbia River. The water was very cold for those wimpy Easterners, but of course for us Westerners used to ocean temperatures the water was positively warm. It sure cleared any cobwebs and soothed tired muscles. Which reminds me, the first week of the tour is past, and everyone survived. While many wondered if we could actually do this, we now realize that God has given the strength and ability and stamina to pull this off. It feels good, and it also feels good to settle into the rhythm of camp life. A number of people are being billeted tonight in the homes of CRC church members, but we’ve chosen our air mattress and tent over a comfy queen size bed. We might feel differently next weekend, we’ll see.

The weather was hot again today, but for the last 3 nights there have been brief thunderstorms. The rain is badly needed here, however, so no one is complaining, and it really hasn’t lessened our enjoyment of the tour. We expect rain some days, and are prepared for it. Alright, Diane is just finished her work, so it’s time to kick back and relax before sleep. Tomorrow is a rest day, with church at 10:30 a.m. here in the park, then lunch served by Kennewick CRC folks and an afternoon float on noodles down the Yakima River. Until tomorrow night….

Yakima Valley

2008-07-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

Hi all, and thanks for your comments. We appreciate hearing from you, and knowing that you're following our adventure and praying for us! Today was an easy day, 66 kms along the river in the Yakima Valley, with lots of downhill and two steep uphills, meaning great speed and fun going down. Top speed today: 68 kph. What a blast! Picture is of me (obviously, duh) on top of the steepest climb today, and you can see that it looks like the Okanagan. We arrived early, Wiebo and I, at 11:07 a.m. and everyone was in by noon. What a treat, to be in an air conditioned school, with the temperature in the high 90's F.

We also managed to get on TV today: a shot of Diane and Gerri Vink in action, and a group of us including myself coming in to the school on our bikes. We will surely be on the Yakima Yakkity Yak channel tonight! One serious incident today: Jake Kuipers hit an unexpected and bad bump and landed on his head. Aside from some nasty scrapes and a torn bike shirt (the one given him by his church) he's OK.

Everyone is in good spirits, as today is a sort of recuperation after 2 days of lots of climbing. Tomorrow will be a short day as well, giving sore muscles and chafed butts lots of time to heal for the coming days. The spirit in camp is great: very positive and friendly and helpful. We are truly blessed to be a part of this. We miss our family and friends, but what a bonus that Diane and I can do this together. Love you all, and signing off...

Blewett Pass

2008-07-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

Today we really blewett on Blewett Pass. We were up at 5:30 and on the road by 7:15 a.m. The sun was strong already and not a cloud in the sky. We were in for a 40 km climb to start, reaching an altitude of 4000 feet again. The grade wasn't as bad as yesterday, so granny gear was needed only for the last 3 kms. There is no describing the feeling of euphoria upon reaching the top of a pass. There was one other steep climb of "only" 5 kms before a long but not very steep downhill into the town of Ellensburg. The two consistent things we had to fight today were the heat - it is well into the higher 80's/lower 90's F - and the headwinds. My top speed going down from Blewett Pass was 67.4 kph, but only because the headwind kept you back. The great thing you discover after 3 days is that you can actually do this. In training while working you don't have time to do this kind of mileage 3 days in a row and you wonder how it will go. It's going really well, actually, and there are no saddle sores to speak of - yet. The Chamois Butt'r is working the way they told me it would. Something to be truly thankful for.

Again I'll post a few pictures taken today. Rather than try to get them in order, I'll briefly describe them. One is a kiss of congratulation on reaching Blewett Pass, a few of the kitchen crew at work, and one of myself at the top of the second pass we had to climb today (picture taken by Claire Elgersma). Hope you enjoy them!

Till next time....

Steven's Pass

2008-07-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

For the first time on our trip, 2 days in, we have internet access and I can begin my tour blogs! I'm sitting in front of the Icicle River Middle School in Leavenworth, WA. Everyone is relieved to be here after a long, long climb up Steven's Pass. We climbed 4000 feet of elevation at a 7% grade and it was tough, no question about it. Tomorrow we get to do approximately the same thing, just on a lesser scale. The bonus is that I'm developing buns of steel - ha! I partnered all day today with Wiebo Maarhuis, age 67 from Chilliwack; two of his children are members of our congregation. We're sticking together for the climb tomorrow again too. That's him in the picture with me in front of the Leavenworth sign.

Everything on tour is going well so far. The weekend orientation at University of Washington was OK but everyone was just anxious to get going. The send off breakfast at Puget Sound was great: great food, great people, great weather. We went out in our bike safety groups, each group consisting of 12 people. 20 kms in we had our first incident: Agatha, 77 years old, not paying attention, ran into a metal pole at an intersection, ended up with a concussion, so we had to call 911. She's OK but won't be biking for the next couple of days.

The big thing so far has been the weather. It was hot in Seattle, and it's hot inland. Today's temperature halfway down Steven's Pass was 102 degrees F. In that heat it's hard to put up a tent, much less make up your bed in it while you're sweating buckets. It's now later in the evening and it's cooled down somewhat.

Diane is enjoying the cook crew but struggles still at times with second thoughts about biking, still wishing she could have done it. It's hard for her to see the bikers coming in all excited and not being part of that. On the other hand, the cooking crew has a lot of fun together, and she's making a real effort to get to know everyone. She got to know one person particularly well yesterday. She was in a SAG vehicle directing cyclists near the end of the day, when she saw someone she thought was me, looking exhausted. She felt so sorry for "me" that she went over to "me" and expressed her sympathy and then gave "me" a kiss, except that it wasn't me! Whoever it was certainly appreciated the gesture!

I'll post a few pictures as well from the orientation weekend. A couple are of the De Wolde family who were in Seattle to see John's brother off and to see their pastor (me) off. It was great to see them there. I hope you enjoy the pictures! Now it's time to sign off and head for our tent. Tomorrow is another big day. Hope everyone is well...our love to you all... Ciao.

My New Seadoo

2008-06-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

With only one week to go, we decided it was time for a Seadoo, er, I mean a Sea to Sea "do." My lovely - and pregnant - daughter Janine eagerly agreed to perform the delicate operation required to get the right look. We weren't quite satisfied with the first result, and my dissatisfaction with what could be loosely termed a "Mohawk" probably shows. Finally, however, the desired result was achieved. Now I can leave my shampoo, blowdryer, and brush at home...

Wet and Windy

2008-06-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I decided to reverse the Abbotsford-Majuba Hill-Yarrow-Chilliwack-Agassiz-Mission-Abbotsford route. I left at 6:35 a.m. and returned at 1:15 a.m., logging 130 kms. When I left home it was dry, and the weather report was for clearing and sunny periods. Stupid me for believing weather reports. It began to rain about half an hour in and the last couple of hours were spent in a steady rain. And it was cold! I had to stop at a Timmy's in Chilliwack just to warm my feet, and several more times along the way I parked the bike and walked a couple of minutes to get feeling back in my toes. My longest break was at Case & Joyce Wiersma who provided a strong and hot cup of coffee for their unexpected visitor. It was hard to leave, as it meant going back into the rain for another hour. You are wondering, of course: Bert has a $200 special cycling rain jacket, and $45 booties to keep his feet warm if not completely dry, and $60 rain pants which he wouldn't have to pull up regularly as with the leg warmers he used. Did he not take any of these pricey items along to make the trip more comfortable just in case? This is a rhetorical question, and I think you know the answer. SIGH!!!!

All in all, it was a good taste of what cycling in bad weather is going to be like, assuming we'll get at least some rain along the way. But boy, I'm tired this evening, and trying to stay awake, looking forward to picking up Diane who's been in Ontario for 19 days to help daughter Alicia have and help care for her latest newborn. I will sleep well tonight.

Two Wired Monks

2008-05-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

What a gorgeous day today! I met Martin Contant at Sports Replay in Langley, where I picked up my booties. I don't mean the kind you shake, but the kind you wear over your cycling shoes to either keep your feet warm or dry. This was Martin's first ride of the season. We made our way to Crescent Beach, where 2 pastors stopped for lunch at a cafe called the Wired Monk. Really, we only had one beer each with lunch, so we were hardly what you call wired! From there it was through White Rock, which was very busy on this sunny, warm day with people strolling on the beach walk, the dock, and the strip of shops and restaurants. On the way home from there we took O Avenue, which borders the U.S., and Martin and I parted ways at 184th St. From there he returned to Langley and I returned home. I left this morning at 7:30 and made it home just before 3:30. Total distance today: 128.5 kms. My butt's a little sore, but all in all not too bad. The bike is getting more comfortable ride by ride.

Harrison Hot Springs run

2008-05-17T17:56:00.001-07:00

It was a hot, hot day today, so what more fitting place to bike to than Harrison Hot Springs? Weather was sunny, and pretty breezy. Lots of hills, but nothing too difficult. Trip length was 71 kms and it took me about 3 hours, which included 3 breaks of about 10 minutes each. I made another adjustment in my new saddle, lowering it a bit because of the new shoes and replaced clipless system I'm now using. That helped a lot, a little less pressure on certain sensitive parts (hah!). Diane met me in Harrison Hot Springs, where I got changed into looser and more comfortable clothes. We enjoyed a nutritious lunch of burger and fries, followed by a healthy dessert of double scoop ice cream cones from Baskin & Robbins. All in all, it was a confidence building trip, as the hills are becoming easier and the fit on the bike more comfortable.

2008-05-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.

It's still several weeks before the Sea to Sea tour begins but we figured we better open a blogsite now. Preparations are well underway. We have our means of transport, our home away from home (El Capitan 4 - sounds impressive, eh?), the donations we were required to raise, and are eager for the journey to begin. The attached picture is obviously a "before" picture; we can only hope that the "after" picture taken at the end will look even better! We hope to keep everyone who's interested informed of our experiences and impressions on a more or less regular basis, but do not promise to check in every day. We expect that some days we'll simply be too pooped to do so, and other days we may not have satellite access available to access and use this blog. Our adventure begins in with orientation in Seattle on June 28. Until then.......