Day 4 Hesseltine to Whitmore Lookout: Hot Dam

After arriving at our starting point, we took a few quick photos and headed out on the road.  We knew the day would be long, hot, and smokey so we tried to start as early as possible.  Our ride began much like yesterday’s ended, long straight roads cutting  through wheat fields.  We had seen just about enough wheat for one lifetime and were on the verge declaring a gluten free lifestyle when slowly the terrain began to change.  

Before the change in scenery began we had a moment that I won’t soon forget.  While riding along HWY 174 we were passed by a semi truck which came within less than a foot form me.  I had to stop and gather myself and nerves before I could continue.  This moment reminded me why I am doing this, and what I am advocating for.  I don’t want to blame the truck driver for this, although my crew feels different.  There was on coming traffic and the truck was unable to move away from us and go into the other lane.  This is something that can and will happen.   If highway shoulders are not wide enough to accommodate the size of my chair,  I will be put into situations like this again.    

Once I was ready to continue on, we began a long descent into Grand Coulee, the wheat fields gave way to pine trees and beautiful hillsides embedded with rock formations.  We all welcomed the change.  The air became a little cooler (for a while at least).  Just before making a right turn onto HWY 155 at mile twelve, Jimmy put his running shoes away and got on his bike.  Shortly after joining HWY 155 we rode past the Grand Coulee Dam.  I’m not sure what I expected, but the magnitude of the Dam was impressive to say the least.

After passing the Dam we had to cross a narrow bridge, before following the Columbia River for almost the remainder of the day.  We were a little nervous about crossing the bridge, but we got some help from my mom in the support van.  She got behind us, turned on her blinkers, and made sure nobody messed with us.  Once across the bridge, we stopped and started to prep me for the heat we were about to face.   My Glacier Tek ice vest was put to use for the first time on the trip, and we made sure the spray bottle was full and ready to use.  

Once I was prepped to manage the heat we headed back out.  We found ourselves riding along a quiet road following the river.  This may have been the favorite part of today’s route for all of us.  The real heat hadn’t kicked in yet, there were very few cars, and the scenery was great.  This road also provided us a chance to talk to one another, which is usually difficult on highways and busy roads in general.  This little oasis didn’t last nearly long enough.  We were back on the highway after a few miles.

It seemed as if the temperature increased dramatically just as we got back on the highway.  Dr. B. started to increase the frequency of spraying me down, although he would have to ramp this up even more as the temperature approached 96 degrees Fahrenheit.  At one point along the road Jimmy was requesting to be sprayed as well, and I had to remind Jimmy that the name of the ride is Iansride, not Jimmysride.

Increasing the difficulty of riding on the noisy, hot highway was an odd feature of the highway I never encountered before.  Between the road and shoulder was was a narrow gap filled with tar.  The heat of the day made the tar soft and sticky.  Every time my left wheel would come in contact with the tar it slowed me and pulled me toward the highway.  I was constantly working to keep my chair straight, which was challenging.  I’m here writing the blog, so I can say I beat the highway.  #winning.

Relief from the highway came eventually as we turned onto a road that brought us back to the river at water level.  If it weren’t for the heat and smoke, we would have enjoyed the road and scenery more.  As it was, we could still appreciate what we were experiencing.  Other than the beauty of the river, there were very interesting rock formations for the final ten miles.  As an avid birder I am always looking and listening for birds.  This trip has allowed me to hone my skills.  We saw cormorants, red tailed hawks, and heard many sage grouse, but saw only one. 

Toward the end of the today’s ride I was feeling light headed and felt as if I may pass out.  When my body temperature gets too high, my blood pressure drops, and I feel light headed.  At one point I pulled off the road to tilt my chair to help with this.  For the last few miles we were very careful to increase the frequency of being sprayed.  And yes, Jimmy got sprayed more too.  We reached our destination to find a man named Joaquin who wanted to ask us some question about our journey, welcome us, and wish us well.  It was a very pleasant way to end our day, which was beginning to wear on us.

After our conversation, we hopped in the air-conditioned van, then headed back to Wilbur (near our starting point) where our hotel is.  Driving back to the hotel put in perspective the distances I am able to travel in my chair.  I sometimes impress myself.  Today’s route was 40.6 miles, thirty of which were powered by my new lithium battery.  This marks my longest single day ever.  

Back in Wilbur we went for dinner and drinks at The Alibi to celebrate the completion of another day.  While there some of the locals gave us a cash donation.  It’s those moments that mean so much to me.  The support we receive has been overwhelming.  People that meet me, get what we are trying to do.  The more people I can meet, the more people will get behind our cause.

I’d like to make a point before signing off that I dedicated today to one of my sponsors, Nelson Boyd Attorneys.  They have been behind us from the beginning, back when Iansride 2016 was just a crazy idea in my head.  They helped convince me this ride, this idea, is bigger than me.  They convinced me and helped me turn this into what we have now.  They are board members of my non profit.  I am so proud to call them friends.  they have done so much for me and my cause.  Today was a day I set aside to thank them and acknowledge their efforts.   

Day 3 Davenport to Hesseltine: Amber Waves of Grain

"Exercise? I thought you said extra fries!"

Chauncey (Josh S) laughed far too hard and suggested the phrase on a billboard outside a burger joint in Davenport should be the title of today's blog. He thinks he's soooo funny. This is why we don't let him near the computer.

Day three greeted us with more smoke in the air. The team debated whether conditions had improved from the day before or if we were just getting acclimated. My plan is to be like the frog in hot water - if the increase in temperature, as well as in this case smoke, is gradual enough the frog won't notice. "That's not true, you know," said Jimmy, perhaps a little disappointed in my analogy. "Eventually the frog is going to be like, 'enough of this,' and will get out. Assuming you've provided the frog with the means of escape." "Hmm, maybe that's what went wrong with my experiments..." I joked. Nobody laughed. I blame Chauncey, his terrible humor must be contagious. 

We gathered our things and left the airbnb, the cycling team proudly wearing their new Iron Goat t-shirts. It was nice to have the same home base for three nights, but it's time to move on. We settled into the routine from the 2016 trip: the team scrambles to get everything together, I do a bunch of interviews, and then goodbyes and well-wishes from those seeing us off. This time at the starting line we were greeted by Jeannie and Skip Salvini, the parents of my good friend Kenny (KennySalvini.com). I've said it before and I'll say it again: this trip wouldn't be possible without the support of so many friends and family. 

We rolled through golden fields of wheat, Chauncey singing "amber waves of grain" every once in a while. He promised to sing the next line when we got to the purple mountains. We had mixed feelings about this. It was quite bucolic, and the traffic on hwy 2 wasn't too busy. The drivers were all very friendly and encouraging, something I've grown to expect on this trip. At a stop on a small side road, a man got out of his truck and walked towards us. "I saw you guys on the news last night, I hoped I would see you today." He said that he had lost sons to Muscular Dystrophy, and was familiar to the challenges of the wheelchair life. He emotionally wished us well, and we were all humbled by the fact that what we are doing is so much bigger than us.

Almost abruptly, the farms disappeared and the terrain turned rocky, with sage brush dotting the landscape. The trees way off in the hazy distance almost looked like the skyscrapers of a bustling metropolis. Little marshy ponds offered some excellent birding opportunities, but we had no time to stop. We need to finish the day before the sun gets too low and starts blinding us as we head west.

Jimmy, lying down on the job

We ate a quick lunch at an abandoned antique mall. This part of the country is a little unfamiliar with different dietary practices, and the restaurant insisted that Dr. B, a vegan, would want cheese and mayo on his sandwich. Jimmy, who tries to keep his dairy intake low, also had cheese issues. Chauncey ate all the cheese because he grew up in Wisconsin.

Back on the road, the heat was starting to rev up to what we were expecting on this trip. I am unable to sweat, so the team started the misting regimen which basically consisted of spraying me with a squirt bottle every chance they got. The sun dried off my soaked shirt between mist applications as the landscape turned back to farmland, this time less golden and more brown.

We made it to Hesseltine Rd in great time and good spirits, with another 23 miles on the new Lithium battery. Again there was power remaining, so I'm feeling more confident about getting up and over the cascades (although I'm not looking forward to hearing Chauncey sing "purple mountain majesty" like a broken record). The people in the town of Wilbur are incredibly nice and accommodating (the cheese thing aside), exemplified by the greeting we got from the hotel:

There isn't a brewery in this area, so we ate at a diner and then repaired back to our rooms and dug into the cooler for a few cans of deliciousness. Don't get me wrong, I want to make an impact and advocate change in how we think about mobility, but sitting here with good friends cracking jokes between sips after a long ride, this is what life is about.

We are over 100 miles into our trip, yet there are many challenges that remain. There's a big fire near the Coulee Dam that could affect our route on Day 4. Stay tuned, and keep on rollin!

Day 2 Spokane to Davenport: Or Rather, Smoke-ane to Davenport

A very smoky dawn broke on my 650th consecutive day with a trail/road ride. Upon first seeing the haze, the coastal dwellers among us wishfully thought it was fog. The smoke seared at our nostrils as soon as we went outdoors. Visibility was highly limited, and that remained the case throughout the day.

After getting up and about on the early side, Ariana of KXLY interviewed me while the crew prepared for the day’s excursion. At the conclusion of a thoughtful and inquisitive interview, we all loaded up and drove to where the ride left off yesterday. Todd and Karen met us at the day’s start point, and Todd graciously accepted an interview with Ariana. 

Nan, a kind woman who we met along the trail the day before, showed up with her two grandkids to cheer us on at the outset. Ben Boyd joined us at the start and rode with us for the first 10 miles before generously returning to his logistically supportive duties to this venture. He has been schlepping people,  gear and bikes around since we began yesterday. Todd rode with us for the first mile or so, and that mile turned out to be the only part of the day that we were on a trail, except for a very short stretch shortly thereafter. We fast found ourselves on busy roads while Ariana and the cameraman leapfrogged us for a while, catching footage of our progress. 

We worked our way up a steady incline as we left the Spokane area and ventured toward a high plateau. We gradually left wooded slopes and moved into barley and wheat covered undulating fields that stretched as far as our eyes could see. The smoke restricted our views of distant highlands. The mid-August sun inevitably grew strong despite the constricting haze that blanketed the sky.

Because we can’t tell what kind of road surfaces are at play from maps, we ended up on a quiet washboard gravel road for a couple of miles. My wheelchair groaned and clanged as I attempted to weave it onto the smoothest strips of the road. This only lasted for a couple of miles before we again rode on asphalt. A large military plane lumbered over us as we approached the Fairchild Air Force Base on a side road by the name of Rambo before turning onto US-2. At this point, Jimmy stopped running at 13 miles and began biking. 

The entrance to the base was choked with traffic as big rigs and other vehicles relentlessly and closely passed us. For the rest of the day, we rode along the US-2, but for a brief detour onto the old, dilapidated Sunset Highway. This navigational attempt to get us away from the heavy traffic of the main highway led us to a cracked, bumpy, neglected roadway that we could not tolerate for long. But the brief spell on this tortured asphalt paid off as we came across a great horned owl who flew in front of us, then rested on a branch in full view. At the same time, a pileated woodpecker flew by, enlightening the birdwatchers in us.

Back on US-2, there were two times that my crew had to block off traffic to get through sections that had absolutely no shoulder. Both times, the drivers who were delayed by our actions were extremely considerate, and we were not placed in any unmanageable circumstances. It was nevertheless stressful for all of us.

As we continued along the wheat fields filled with the songs and flights of western meadowlarks, my lithium battery performed even better than it did yesterday. I got 23 miles out of it today, as opposed to 20 miles yesterday, with far more elevation gain: 1525 feet today versus 615 feet yesterday.

After arriving at our destination of the town of Davenport, our thirsty selves headed straight for Iron Goat Brewing Company. We were delighted by their beers, and I was given a brief tour of their barrel works. Greg, the head brewer and owner, was a generous host who provided a special tasting of some of their barrel aged efforts. We appreciate Iron Goat’s brewing flair, their range and quality of styles, and their magnanimity in hosting such an eclectic but eccentric group. Hats off to Iron Goat, keep up the good brewing work. This was a fine conclusion to a wonderful day 2.  

Day 1 CDA to Spokane: Rollin on the River

After all the planning and preparation, the decisions and indecision, the first day of Iansride 2018 is finally here.  We piled into the van, drove to Independence Point in Coeur d’ Alene, ID to get this thing started.  The starting point for this year’s ride was thoughtfully chosen because of what it represents.  Iansride is very much a result of my pursuit to live my life with independence.  Eight years ago I was challenged by my good friend and fellow quad Todd to live an independent life to the fullest.  I can confidently say I am now living my life this way.  Todd and his wife Karen joined us as we began our long journey back home to Port Angeles.  Todd rode the first eleven miles with us, while Karen biked the first nineteen.   

Our route for today was beautiful as we followed the Centennial Trail along the Spokane River for most of the day.  The river was absolutely beautiful.  The water was an intense clear green.  The trail winds in and out of ponderosa pines.  Along the way we were treated to water falls, multiple osprey sightings, beautiful bridges, and many warm and welcoming people.  I was happy to find the trail was used by a variety of people; bikers, runners, walkers, strollers, and yes we saw many chairs out there too (#getoustide).

One of the simple pleasures that come from these events is seeing people I don’t get to see often.  Today around mile twenty five I met up with an old friend from my days back at UCSC, Keren.  Keren and her two kids met us along the trail and gave me and my team the emotional lift needed, which is much appreciated around the twenty fifth mile.  This also provided my team a moment to rest, eat something, and hydrate.  Considering that Jimmy ran the first nineteen miles, and Dr. B enjoys complaining, this was much appreciated.

The ride finished as we navigated our way through Spokane to finish with a total distance of 39.6 miles (63.8 km for you metric supporters).  The distance is significant, since this is the furthest I have ever gone in this chair.  I have done longer days, but that required the use of my backup chair.  For those of you nerds who want an update on the lithium battery, I was able to get twenty miles out of it today.  

We were all very impressed with Spokane.  We were able to move through the city with ease.  The views were amazing, and the people very helpful.  There is an overall charm the city holds with its mixture of old and modern architecture, and its ability to combine the beauty of nature with a functioning big city.

We wrapped up the day with our usual trip to a Brewery for food and BEERS.  This was much needed, because Jimmy took over the complaining from Dr. B.  Jimmy was the “I need a beer” equivalent to being “hangry.”  We met back up with Todd and Karen, and Keren and her family at No-Li Brewhouse.  The food and beers were tasty.  No-Li gave my team some awesome shirts, so we can all look our best on Day Two.

Time for rest and recovery.  Until tomorrow…

Prologue: Trip to the Start

We pulled out of the driveway, leaving a small crowd of friends and family, including sponsors Nelson & Boyd cheering us on with pom-poms and bubbles. Turning left on 101 we heard an odd rubbing noise coming from the right rear tire region. We unanimously and silently voted to ignore it and hoped it would go away. It didn't, squealing a little whenever we bottomed out over a bump in the road. We couldn't remember if the van had ever carried this much weight before: three adult bodies, two power chairs, four bikes and whatever is in the Yakima up top.

The universe tried to help lighten our load: looking back, there was a towel stuck to the bike handlebars, flapping in the wind. We pulled over to check the storage unit, but it was mysteriously still closed. No time for playing detective, we added some tie-downs to keep the thing shut. 

While we were stopped, we took a piece of one of the power chairs to use as a lever, wedging the offending part of the van frame away from the tire.

Then it started raining. We packed for sunny and 90 degrees, but discussed the fact that we’d left the rain gear at home. 

After a few hours, the skies turned blue,  the terrain beige and flat, and that rubbing squeal only interrupted the travelling music once every ten minutes or so. 

The blue sky gave way to a dingy taupe from the smoke of a thousand fires. The van was repeatedly attacked by tumbleweeds. 

Meanwhile Jimmy and Josh B were lounging at a brewery, apparently too thirsty to wait for us.We found them at the No-Li brewery and loaded their cheery selves into the van. The added weight made the van bottom out with greater frequency, even with all of us leaning to the left. Happily we arrived at our airbnb safely and unloaded the poor overburdened vehicle. 

We fueled up with dinner and beer at Manito Tap House in Spokane, where we were joined by good friends Todd and Karen who will begin the ride with us tomorrow. It's great to have the team together, and we are all excited for the adventures that await us!