Day 4: July 13th, Binghamton, NY to Clarks Summit, PA

Hills, hills, hills. Luckily, I love hills. I actually prefer to ride a rolling terrain than all flats. We saw on our cue sheet that SAG 1 was at mile 16 (usually it is at least 20 miles in) and knew that wasn't a good sign- those first 16 miles must be worthy of some relief. And boy were we right. Right from the start of the ride, we were climbing. Our first ten miles were total hills. Sweat was pouring from our helmets even though it was 7am and the weather was overcast. At mile 6, the hill was so steep you could see the curve all the way up to the bright blue clouds ahead. By SAG 1, we had climbed a significant amount and were ready to rehydrate. Between SAG 1 and 2, we immediately started climbing again. Our cue sheet even said "begin climbing 5 mile hill." Luckily, the hill was a rolling terrain. The first excitement of the day happened during this 5 mile climb - we spotted a bear and her cubs! I pulled over to take a picture of a pretty lake and in front of me a rider informed me that he spotted a bear. We let the bear cross the street and then continued on (although a little hesitantly). SAG 2 was a BLAST! It was the most fun SAG so far. People were in a good mood and psyched about the pretty route and conquering the hills. At SAG 2, they had gator pong which was a spin off of beer pong but with gatorade. They also blasted music and we did the Macerana on stage - even Bernie!!! It was a sight and the talk to the day. We also got our hair sprayed blue because it is the Anchor House color. All around the enthausism was high and the day was very difficult but beautiful. SAG 2 to SAG 3 was 20 miles straight on one road. It was somewhat of a boring stretch after such a happening SAG. SAG 3 had a beautiful view of a cow farm with a BBQ stand. This provided us with plenty of shade to get ready for the hardest part of the day. From SAG 3 into Clarks Summit was UPHILL. As you can imagine, we were going to a town with the name Summit in its name so there was no way around the hills. We rode through Keystone College which was a nice stretch, but it was one hill after the next. Even the last 2 miles of the ride through a country club was a muscle burner - your legs are shaking and the pull is so intense to get up the hill. In fact, one rider came halfway down a horrendous hill to warn other riders about loose dogs at the crest of the hill. The riders commented that by the time they passed the dogs, they were going so slow because of the hill that the dogs were just standing there wagging their tales, bored. It wouldn't have been a fun chase :) Today was hump day - we are officially over halfway done the 500 miles which is promising. Today was considered the hardest day of the ride, but I especially enjoyed it because I love the challenge of the hills mixed in with the beautiful scenery of the states of New York and Pennsylvania as well as the enthusiasm among everyone that were breached the halfway barrier.

Day 3: July 12th Corning, NY to Binghamton, NY

Day 3 was a much more gentle day than day 2 which was a 90 mile scorcher. The first twenty miles breezed by and we pulled into a nice school for SAG 1. It was Anchor House Remembrance Day so a lot of the riders wore purple to specifically remember Ray, John and Team Silly. At SAG 1, there was a remembrance board for riders to write down the name of someone special who passed away. It was a very happening sag as everyone was surprisingly energized. After SAG 1, we rode through the town of Erin (how fitting!) through one of the most scenic portions of the ride this far- the mountain ranges and open fields and farmlands were absolutely gorgeous. As one point, you could see the patchworks of fields that went on for miles and miles... felt like an airplane view except we were on our bikes. The downhills were incredible. This stretch was on all back country roads and the traffic was minimal. We even saw a very cool "man cave" barn made of large metal caps. After FINALLY finding SAG 2 and being chased by a dog, we enjoyed the lake while rehydrating and snacking. At SAG 2, the support staff was giving out free fake tattoos which we had fun putting on for each other. SAG 2 to SAG 3 was very busy as we went through the town square of Owego, NY. We passed over a very cool bridge, but the traffic was so intense it was hard to take in the scnene. SAG 3 was nice but the sun was really hot at this point in the afternoon. Debbie, Bern, Barb and I enjoyed the shade and a swinging chair here to get ready for our last 16 miles of hte day. The last stretch was along a very busy bike route 17 which was similar to a highway. It was a very bad urban stetch with a lot of confusion and congestion because of road construction. There were several incidents with cars and riders that were not ideal. To get into the hotel, we got to go over a foot bridge where no cars are allowed... it was a cool ending to a rough 20 mile stretch. The end of the day was the complete opposite of the beginning of the day. The sun was so hot at the end of the day as we pulled into the city of Binghamton. At the end of the day, most riders gather around our luggage truck which we call "the yellow truck" and enjoy a soda or beer. However, this day we got scorched while sitting around enjoying the end of another 80 mile day for the kids of Anchor House. It was a good recovery day from the brutal 90 day on Monday because the hills were mild and the terrain was somewhat easy... but riding 80 miles is 80 miles.

Day 2: July 11th, Olean, NY to Corning, NY

Today was the longest day we will face all week. It was 89 miles and wound up to be long and tough. The first twenty miles were completely flat on the same road - talk about boring. Actually, the whole 90 miles were pretty much on three road totals. There was a lot of traffic and the road was VERY chopped up - lots of pot holes, bumps and horse manure stood in our way throughout the day. There were three big climbs that ran into each other. It was very scenic at the top of each climb, but the downhills were rough because of the road surface. We were actully chased by the most adorable kitten while climbing a hill today. We felt so bad because the kitten chased us so cutely, unlike the dogs who usually attack. I never expected to see a kitten run eagerly after us.
Today was Anchor House ride jersey day so many of the 175 riders were sporting Anchor House logos of some sort. As a result of the many riders and the Anchor house jerseys, many people along the route were wondering what we were riding for. Two seperate drivers pulled over to ask our riders what was going on and wound up giving donations right on the spot. One of the drivers had a child with a disability in her front seat with her so it was very touching that she donated money to perfect strangers to other children in need. Unfortunately, one of our new riders had a fall at mile 6 and dislocated her shoulder. The police and EMTs showed up to assist her and the police captain joked that our support crew should take their time cleaning her up because he "gets paid overtime for this." Of course he was kidding and inquired what we were doing. He then reached into his pocket and gave all the money he had on him as a donation. Our SAG (support and gear) stop 2 was located next to a gas station. The owner of the station allowed us to use the bathroom and was very interested in our ride. He told all of his customers to give a donation. Many of the resturaunts we visit also give donations. It is stories like this that keep us going and riding and you realize the generosity that runs throughout our country. Many of us train heavily leading up to the ride, but our longest planned training route is only 52 miles. 90 miles today was exhausting. The last leg - 30 miles to the end - seemed especially draining. We were all feeling the burn in our legs and the fatigue throughout our bodies. Not to mention that there wasn't much around and not many places to stop and eat. The little subway 10 miles from our destination was a slice of heaven- a 6 inch sub never tasted so good. Despite the long day, the afternoon heat and the 3 major hills, wer made it to the small town of Corning - a very quaint and old American walking town that you might see in a Judy Garland movie. We enjoyed their flourishing resturaunt district for an Italian meal and ice cream. We have "yellow truck" awards each night to poke fun of each other and the events of the day. I actually won a yellow truck award for "dropping" Bernie during our ride today. Everything about today was long. The hills were long, the flats were long, the miles were long and heck even the downhills were long. With the longest day behind us, I am encouraged for what the rest of the week holds.

Day 1: July 10th, Jamestown, NY to Olean, NY

After our big sendoff at Waterfront Park in Trenton, NJ on Saturday, July 9th followed by a long 8 hour bus ride, we finally arrived in Jamestown around 4 pm to retrieve our bikes, grab dinner and get ready for the week ahead. Everyone was eager to get back on the saddle and start the ride. It was hard to sleep Saturday night in anticipation, excitement and a little bit of anxiety for the week ahead - I heard this from riders who have been doing this ride for 20 plus years and first year riders. It reminds me of the night before the first day of school... you can never sleep. Many said Saturday (travel day) was a long, long day and they just wanted to get started with the bike.

The fog lifted early this morning before 6 am and it was very chilly as we headed out of Jamestown. Many riders had arms warmers and jackets on and the breeze flowed consistently for the first 20 miles - ironically we drifted through a town called "Freeze" bury - and the name was fitting. It was a very rural area - there were many dogs running the streets at our wheels and very little people/owners around... many of the towns looked run down and a lot of businesses were closed. Yet, the terrain and views were gorgeous - there was a very gentle feeling to the rolling hills, many farms, valleys and little mountains. We even passed through an Indian Reservation at about mile 40. All 3 SAGS were in great locations. The first 60 miles were surprisingly easy - we moved along all morning. It wasn't until mile 63 that we faced our first big challenge - climbing Humphries Hill. At this point in the day, it was just past noon and the sun was shining as we climbed up the 10 percent grade. The road condition was awful and it was so hot - this made the climb extra hard. The sweat was pouring off our faces. Tom, Joe and Lou were playing a little jazz set at the top of the hill for all the riders. It was our own personal band. When I felt like my legs couldn't go any more, I heard the music playing and knew the end was near. 1.7 miles really felt like a 4 mile hill! After a pretty intense downhill, we had just under 10 miles until the day was over. We pulled into the hotel in Olean having completed 73.4 miles. The group who I ride with, Bernie's Babes :) , rode 73.4 miles in 5 and a half hours, averaging almost 14 miles per hour. All in all, it was an excellent day- it was a good day to get us in the groove for much more challenging biking that lies ahead - 89 miles, our longest day, is tomorrow and looks to be a long one.