[Written/posted by Peg Grabowski, after telephone interviews.] Our intrepid cyclist phoned in a report to the dispatch center in Ann Arbor this afternoon. Facing fierce headwinds for the last 50 miles today, Ruth stopped for a break in Davenport, WA, to update her blog followers.
Summary report: the scenery is great, the people are great, the food is great, the tour company is great, and she’s having a great time. Giddy is the word we used on Sunday to describe her mood as she headed out after lunch (the last of the group to leave the break just before getting on US2 eastbound for Skykomish).
Now the details: The first two days were relatively short rides (relative being the key word: Everett to Skykomish in 68 miles then on to Wenatchee in 78). Paved country roads with little traffic, blue sky, mountains, and rivers swollen with snow-melt made the miles slip easily under two wheels. Support for the riders has been wonderful: breakfasts hearty to kick-start the day’s ride, water breaks mid-morning, then a great soup for lunch on Sunday, more water breaks mid-afternoon before pulling into camp at the end of the day for showers, tent setup and dinner.
The first day included a great welcome by the locals who gave the riders postcards along with stamps and address labels. The riders will tell little stories of their trip then mail them back to the kids who spend most of their lives in their hometowns. What a great way to get the kids excited about the world beyond their near horizons.
“Camp” on the night of day two (Monday) was at the Skykomish Elementary school – you could sleep inside on the gym floor or out on the outfield of the baseball diamond under the stars. The Spokane digs on Wednesday night (day 4) will be the dorms of Gonzaga University – a most welcome chance to sleep on a real bed after two long days on the road, just about 200 miles from the camp in Skykomish (yes, you did the math right, two 100-mile days in a row). Ruth reported that she started out today with a three-mile climb BEFORE she got breakfast! She told me it was exhilarating to start the day off like that. Obviously, she hadn't had her coffee yet!
Camilo is keeping her updated on World Cup events, mainly via text messages sent to her cell phone. Network access has been spotty in the middle of the state though. She did manage to watch a very small part of the USA/Algeria game today when she stopped briefly at a restaurant but didn’t get to see the winning goal.
Access to the digital world is limited, so far. The daily mileage needed to stay on track with the tour keeps her busy on two wheels. Then it’s tent set up or tear down, eating, or sleeping. She reports that she hasn’t read anything so far on the trip but hopes to remedy that once she sets off on her own in early July. She’s seen book stores and internet cafes along the way so far, which makes her hopeful for more leisurely access in the weeks ahead.
Submitted by her sister, Peg, Ann Arbor, who’s been following along using maps and a lot of imagination.
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