Coast to Coast for a Cure

Farmington-Milford Bike Route

2006-08-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Here is the bike route for our ride to Milford on September 2nd. Again, we'll leave the UConn Health Center at 8AM on Saturday morning and ride down to Gulf Beach in Milford (at the intersection of Old Field Ln and Gulf St).

Please join us for our Welcome Home party at Archie Moore's in Milford from 12-5 on Sat. 9/2! For driving directions go to http://archiemoores.com

Here is a link to the map of our bike route, written directions follow:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=387736

Leave the UConn Health Center and travel West on Rt. 4 (Farmington Ave.) 2 miles to the junction with Rt. 10.

Follow Rt. 10 South all the way through New Haven to the Long Wharf Area. Turn Right onto Kimberly Ave. just before the I-95 underpass. 35 mi.

Here the directions get a little complicated but if you just keep the Long Island Sound on your left you will get there! The ride finishes at Gulf Beach in Milford (at the intersection of Old Field Ln and Gulf St)

Turn Left onto First Ave. (Turns into Beach St)

Turn Right onto Washington St. then immediately Left onto Captain Thomas Blvd. 38mi. Captain Thomas Blvd will turn into Ocean Ave.

Turn Left onto New Haven Ave (Rt. 162). 41 mi.

Turn Left onto Merwin Ave. 42 mi. Merwin turns into Edgefield Ave, then into Melba St, then Bayshore Dr. Continue straight until you reach a T-intersection.

Turn Right onto Westland Ave. 44 mi. Then turn immediately Left onto Welch's Point Rd.

Welch's Point Rd turns into Gulf Street. Gulf Beach will be on your Left at about 46 mi total riding distance (at the intersection of Gulf Street with Old Field Ln).

At Gulf Beach you can join us as Ben and I dip our front tires in the Long Island Sound to complete our cross-country journey. To continue to Archie Moore's from Gulf Beach simply continue straight on Gulf Street (or, take a Left onto Gulf Street out of the Gulf beach Parking Lot).

Turn Left at the first light onto New Haven Ave.

When you first get into downtown Milford (you'll see the Town Green ahead) Turn Left onto Factory Lane. Archie Moore's is just a stone's throw from the intersection of Factory Ln with New Haven Ave. Total Distance: 47 mi.

I hope to see you all there, at Archie's if not for the ride itself!

Home Sweet Home

2006-08-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry for any delays for those living vicariously, but we made it home last Thursday afternoon!! We were greeted by the honking horn of my parents, brother, and Stacie coming down route 4 in Farmington with homemade signs reading "coast to coast: congratulations!" It is great to be home.

From our last post, we continued our way across northern PA passing by the beautiful Susquehanna River. Here, it got very hilly. The river was zigging, but the road wasn't zagging, and we climbed the steep river banks of the Susquehanna at least 4 times (see picture below to see the altitude we gained). We piled on back-to-back 130 mile days just to be sure that our last two rides would be short and sweet.

Our penultimate ride finally got us into New York where we climbed up and over the beautiful Southern Catskill Mountains (see Jeremiah's glowing face below). We stopped in New Paltz (where Sue Ristau was a proud student at SUNY back in her wild, and crazy college days) for lunch and then it was just a short jaunt to Poughkeepsie where we stayed our last night in a hotel for what I hope is a long long time!

Then, on Thursday, we started our ride home. Unfortunately, we slightly underestimated the mountains in Western CT. They are formidable bike climbs. Though shorter (only a mile or two), they certainly get an award for being steep. Below, I celebrate our passage into the homeland. I never thought I'd be so glad to see a welcome to Connecticut sign...

In Goshen, we met up with Jeremiah's aunt who generously fed us before the last leg of our journey. From Goshen, the hills of Western CT became a bit more tame and we coasted into Farmington (and actually on to Hartford) to get home.

DON'T FORGET!!! THE FINAL RIDE!!!

When: Saturday 9/2

What: Ben and Jeremiah will ride from Farmington, CT to Milford, CT to dip our wheels in the Atlantic

Ride Details: We wil be leaving the UConn Health Center in Farmington at 8AM and heading down to Milford. Jeremiah will be posting directions shortly.

Celebration Details: 12PM - 5PM at Archie Moore's in Milford...$20 at the door all goes to Lea's Foundation. Drink Specials and Appetizer buffet included.

Tell all your friends and families. Anyone who would like to ride with us is welcome! If you don't feel up to riding, come help us celebrate down in Milford! We'll be riding into the sunset...

The Home Stretch

2006-08-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

We left Louisville, KY on Wednesday 8/9 to begin the final week of our trip. Well, actually its more like 9 days. We have decided to forego our final rest day in order to get home a full week ahead of schedule on Thursday 8/17. To be frank, we are eager to get home. Yes, I know that spending all day outdoors enjoying the beautiful scenery is a great way to enjoy a summer but the combination of 8 hours a day on a bike and living out of a suitcase for almost 2 months can get old like anything else. Thus, we decided to average 115 miles/day across Ohio. The landscape was rolling hills and farms like the one above.

Throughout most of Ohio, we were lucky to have friends and family to stay with. In Cincinnati I got to meet my long lost cousin, Greg Landsman. I had never met this side of my family so it was great to get in touch and Greg took great care of us in Cincinnati. Then, in Columbus we stayed with Kevin and Sandy Grady (relatives of Ben's girlfriend Jenn Grady). Sandy made us an amazing dinner and we really appreciate the hospitality we were shown.

Yesterday, we left Ohio (insert cheer here) and crossed the Pymatuning Reservoir into PA. It was absolutely one of the most beautiful days of our ride. 75 and sunny, you can't beat that. (Picture above)

In short, we were glad to be in Pennsylvania (only two states away from home). The scenery started to feel familiar. On the whole, Pennsylvania is pretty hilly but has so far been very fun to ride. Below is the Acock Inn in Pittsfield where we stopped for lunch today (Sunday). Trust us, they make a mean sanguitch. Also below, our trusty steeds chill out in the ivy by the Inn while we eat.

Our final destination today was Warren, PA. Below, Ben climbs a hill on the way to Warren.

Our itinerary for the rest of the trip is as follows.

Monday - Warren, PA to Mansfield, PA

Tuesday - Mansfield, PA to Harford, PA

Wednesday - Harford, PA to Poughkeepsie, NY

Thursday - Poughkeepsie, NY to Hartford, CT

Special thanks to Tim Grady for putting us up in Holiday Inns along our last leg both in Warren, PA and Poughkeepsie, NY.

See you soon!!

All the best,

Jeremiah and Ben

Piling on the states...

2006-08-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

Missouri welcomed us with rolling hills, trees, and turns in the road: things you might take for granted until you've biked through Kansas. Initially, the hills were roller coaster-like, with the downhills providing almost enough momentum to get over the next crest and so on. But before long, we hit the Ozark mountains. The Ozarks aren't mountains like to Rockies or even the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Rather, they are a series of steep hills and depp ravines through which rivers run. They were beautiful. Below, you can se me posing with the Ozarks in the backgound before descending into Eminence, MO.

Eminence is a small tourist town known for its eclectic cowboy feel. For many, it is a country vacation heaven with the confluence of the Current and Jack Fork Rivers running through the town. We arrived later in the evening due to a long mileage day. Looking for a place to spend the night, we swung by the Riverside motel and cabins. They didn't have a room, but absolutely bent over backwards trying to find a place for us to stay. After calling everyone in town, they found the Maple Tree Inn B & B who was willing to help us out. It ended up that the Riverside Motel gave us $20 towards a room for the night and the Maple Tree Inn knocked $20 off the price of our room so that we only had to pay $10 for the night. Their help and unselfishness definitely did not go unnoticed. Thank you so much to the Riverside Motel and the Maple Tree Inn. You made our night so much better and left us with an extremely positive view of Eminence. After settling in at the Maple Tree, we had some amazing BBQ. Below is a picture of one of the tables at the BBQ joint in Eminence.

Eventually, we did have to leave Eminence and push on. After a few days of riding, we made it to the Mississippi and crossed into Illinois. It was bittersweet because, although Jeremiah and I are both excited about cominghome, I think I speak for both of us when I say that we had a phenomenal time in Missouri. The terrain and people definitely made our ride through the state enjoyable. Below is the Mississippi and our crossing into Illinois.

We crossed the Mississippi at Chester, IL. I never knew, but Chester is the home of Popeye. To celebrate, we made sure to order spinach on our subway lunches.

Statue of Popeye in Chester, IL

The states are smaller as you go east, so we spent only a day in Illinois before crossing into Indiana. Much of Illinois and Indiana were flat and we made great time. However, there are a few hills interspersed. Below, we cross into Indiana and Jeremiah poses by the Ohio river before climbing an Indiana hill. Incidentally, we were on Indiana route 62, a beautiful road that parallels interstate 64. If you have time and are going through Indiana, I'd highly recommend skipping the highway and taking this backroad (also called the Ohio River scenic byway).

After our longest day of riding yesterday (131 miles), we made it into Louisville, KY where we are staying with Jenn 's (my beautiful girlfriend) family. They have been extremely hospitable and I hear that Allie (aka the best pasta chef in kentucky) has baked us a mean lasagna dinner for tonight. Thanks Allie!!

Tomorrow we head out to the Cincinatti area. A rough itinerary for the rest of our journey is as follows.

8/9 Louisville to Cincinatti, OH

8/10 to Columbus, OH

8/11 to Millersburg, OH

8/12 to Andover, OH

8/13 to Warren, PA

8/14 to Mansfield, PA

8/15 REST

8/16 to Harford, PA

8/17 to Gardiner, NY

8/18 to Farmington, CT

Thanks for keeping up with us. See you in a week and a half.

All the best,

Jeremiah and Ben

A Brief Update

2006-08-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot has happened in the last two days since we posted in Newton, KS. We continued our streak of 100+ mile days to arrive in Pittsburg, KS yesterday. Today is our much needed rest day. Even though there is not a whole lot of exciting news, it seemed wasteful not to make use of the great computer lab at the Pittsburg Public Library to say hello to everyone following our progress.

Below is a pretty good picture that encapsulates most of what we've seen in Kansas. We are looking forward to crossing into Missouri tomorrow and getting into the Ozark Mountains the next day.

We've been riding in the middle of a heat wave here in Kansas, with temperatures getting into the low one hundreds. It was great that we got to stop one day at Toronto Lake (Below), a pretty darn big lake by Kansas standards. At the grocery store by the Lake we had a long talk with some locals who told us all about the corn farming, oil-drilling (apparently WWII was fought with Kansas oil), and the process by which the Verdigris River was dammed to make Toronto Lake in the 1960's.

After talking about wheat, corn, soy beans, and oil, one of the Kansans asked Ben and I what Connecticut produces. We responded with blank stares. After an awkward silence and some shuffling of feet we managed to come up with tobacco and submarines.

Yesterday morning we almost hit a snake in the road. Again. (This was the third time) I tried to get my camera out to document this one but he was quick and got away. Below, Ben looks for the now absent snake. To be honest, I don't think this one was a rattler; I did not see a rattle.

But he did have fangs.

We'll try and take more pictures through Missouri. We've heard from other bikers that the Ozark Mountains are pretty tough (though small, they are apparently pretty steep). We suspect that this information is skewed because West-bound riders have not yet experienced the 14% grades of Utah. We'll keep you all updated.

Happy Birthday to Sean Tracy! (Jeremiah's brother)

Peace,

Jeremiah and Ben

Little House on the Prairie

2006-07-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

No this isn't the uplifting story of a plucky young girl and her family making their living on the unforgiving Great Plains of turn of the century America. This is a different "Little House on the Prairie."

Ours version doesn't have much of a plot. It goes like this...

Two mid-twenties guys wake up, then ride bikes for 8 hours in the middle of a heat wave; they sweat profusely, eat lots of trail mix, and drink lots of gatorade. After that they sleep. Repeat. Since we left the scenery of the Rockies, we have been all about putting miles behind us. We are working on getting another day ahead of schedule and plan to be in Golden City, MO on Monday night (this will put us 2 days ahead on the itinerary posted previously.)

The riding has been pretty fun, although the days are long. We've averaged better than 110 miles per day over the last 4 days. It actually feels kind of good to cover so much distance after all of our 70 mile days through the mountains.

Jeremiah Sweats, Eats Trail-Mix, and Drinks Gatorade (Sheridan Lake, KS)

Ben Celebrates Our Passage Into the Central Standard Time Zone (We are now only 1 hour away from everyone on the East Coast! kind of...)

I don't know who called the Dairy Queen in Scott City, KS and told them to put this sign up but I appreciate it.

Oddly enough there are Camels in Kansas. I don't really have an explanation for this picture. It just feels right to close this Blog entry with Camels.

Peace,

Jeremiah and Ben

Over and Out

2006-07-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

In the last week we have biked most of the way across Colorado. Below, Ben and I celebrate crossing the Continental Divide with a cup of bad coffee on top of Monarch Pass. This is the highest elevation we'll reach on our trip and the start of a BIG downhill (see the second picture below).

I Snap a Picture On-the-Go as we Descend the Rockies

We added on some mileage for a few days and managed to get to our rest day in Pueblo, Colorado a day early. In Pueblo we hung out with Ben's dad, Steve.

The Proud Pop and his Boy

Steve drove us up to Colorado Springs on the rest day. We ate lots of good food and drove to the top of Pike's Peak: a 14,000+ foot mountain. It felt good to take a ride up a mountain instead of pedaling for once. At the top we talked to some very cool people: Carol, from Denver, and Stan, from Ohio.

After our trip to Pike's Peak, Ben's brother, Aris, met us in Colorado Springs for a Ristau family Reunion. Below, we enjoy some drinks and a refined yet casual atmosphere at the Broadmoor. Later, The Ristau Boys and I had a night on the town in Colorado Springs .

The next day was back on the bike. We laid down a huge 120 mile day - with the wind in our faces yet again. Everything I've heard is that the winds blow from the West across the plains. I guess the wind hasn't heard that.

The View in Eastern Colorado (or, What We'll Be Seeing for the Next Week and a Half)

In Eads we had a room donated for the night by the friendly people of the Econolodge - Eads, CO. While doing our blogging in the Econolodge lobby the gentleman below, J.J. Williams, asked us what we were doing. He raises quarter horses in Texas and travels all around the West with his combines during harvest season. He had some very cool stories.

Today we have another big day: 105 mi to Scott City, KS (or 130 mi to Dighton, KS if we are feeling bold). It is threatening to rain right now so its definitely time to get rolling.

Until Next Time,
Here's to New States and New Time Zones!

-Ben and Jeremiah

Odds and ends...

2006-07-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

Since we had some technical difficulties lately, here are some pics to catch you up on recent goings-on.

Pretty shady

The Buddha and the boys at Mesa Verde National Park

Thousand-year-old Cliff Dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park

Blue Mesa Reservoir - the largest lake in Colorado

Black Canyon of the Gunnison River

Goodbye Desert, Hello Colorado!

2006-07-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

Since leaving Blanding, Utah we have had Gerry Tracy, aka Jeremiah's Dad, aka The Buddha, cruising along with us in his sporty Pontiac Vibe (rental). Without the bags the weight of our bikes has dropped from over 80 pounds to about 35. Needless to say, we have been flying! In addition to the decreased weight, the Buddha also brings lots of food and meets us along the way, which enables us to ride faster (and generally makes us happier).

On Tuesday we left Blanding and averaged about 16mph to Dolores, CO. Goodbye Utah, Hello Colorado! I can't explain how happy we have been to get out of the desert. In Colorado the towns are only 20 miles apart (as opposed to 70 in Nevada and Utah). Plus, there is plenty of water meaning trees to provide shade. You folks back on the East Coast may take your trees for granted, but trust me, they make biking MUCH more pleasant.

Below, Ben and I celebrate our passage into the exciting new land of Colorado

After a great stay in Dolores, CO at the Lebanon School House B&B (Thanks, Dad!) we took off for Telluride, Colorado. This involved a 3,500ft climb in elevation to Lizard Head Pass.

Below, we stop for some food and navigation at the only establishment in Rico, CO (pop. 203)

Fortunately road builders in Colorado are much nicer than those in Utah. The cimb really seemed like nothing because it was so gradual: nowhere near as steep as what we saw in the Sierras or in Utah. Even though it was an easy ascent, Lizard Head Pass (10,220 ft) offered some pretty great views:

Below, Ben catches both Tracy's: Jeremiah on Cannondale T800 touring bike, Gerry in sporty Pontic Vibe. Nice.

Here both Tracy's enjoy the calm before the storm.

You can see some grey cloads in the above picture. After snapping it, the thunder struck and it was time to move on. Luckily, Telluride was a quick 12 miles downhill. We got into town just as some showers started. Now we have rest day #3, marking week #3 of the journey complete. On the agenda for tomorrow, some bike maintenance and a lot of eating.

Wishing you all the best!

-Ben and Jeremiah

Utah!

2006-07-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

We both felt rejuvinated after our rest day in Panguitch and ready to tackle some more of Utah. Friday (7/14) took us out of Panguitch and on to Calf Creek Campground, just outside of Escalante, UT. Again, the scenery was breathtaking. First, we soared through Bryce Canyon (see above pic). I can only speak for riding a bike because I have never driven it, but there is definitely something about racing down through a canyon at 40mph with the wind blasting by your ears that gives you some kind of high. This put together with the natural beauty made for a great morning.

Until...we got to Henrieville, UT. In the event that anyone is going through Henrieville, DO NOT STOP at the local post office. We swung by to mail a few things, eat some trail mix, and take a short break. The woman at the post office would have none of it. She would not let us use her garbage pail (instead we had to walk 1/2 mile up the road to find "the dumpster"), nor would she allow us to use her hose to fill up our water bottles. As if that weren't enough, she proceeded to threaten calling the sheriff if we did not get off her sidewalk. We were "blocking her customers" (of which there were none). Anyway, I apologize for the rant, but come on lady. Loosen up!!

Jeremiah cruisin'

Back to the trip...from Bryce, we climbed yet more elevation before spiraling down through another Utah canyon. If you look closely in the picture on the bottom left side, you can see where the road ends up.

Eventually, we ended up at Calf Creek Campground, where we took a quick dip. The creek ran right by our campsite.

Calf Creek

Here's the synopsis for Saturday's ride from Calf Creek to Hanksville, UT
Temp: 102 F
Climbing: 6000 feet
Distance: 97 miles

It was one heck of a day! Here's a photo (below) towards the end of the ride (about 25 miles west of Hanskville). It's pretty wild how rapidly the scenery changes, usually depending on the nearest water supply. Here is was very dry and hot!!

Sunday (7/16), we though we had an easy day to a great destination: Hite Recreation Area and Lake Powell. It was only a 50 mile ride from Hanksville. But the temperatures were soaring. Once we got to Hite, the manager of the gas station there quoted is at over 110 degrees. We were lucky that it was such a short ride! The biggest disappointment was the "lake." It turns out that Lake Powell is only a lake when Colorado has several continuous winters with lots of snow. Otherwise the "lake" is really just the Colorado river (see picture below).

To make matters worse, there was no shade to be found. So we hung out in the convenience store all afternoon until he closed up, then found some shade on one side of the store. But it was so hot, that neither of us could fall asleep. I probably slept for about an hour total last night. So rather than face the heat and seeing as how we were both awake, we tried our luck at leaving early...2:15AM early. The now infamous 2AM - 10AM ride. We made it safely, and much more temperately, to Blanding, UT and were off the bikes by 10:15. Tonight, we meet up with Jeremiah's dad and look forward to a few days without the 40lb panniers on the bikes. Thanks Gerry!!

Ben coming through the red rocks

'Til next time, we'll keep pedaling,
Ben and Jeremiah

The rest of the itinerary...

2006-07-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Some have expressed an interest in having our itinerary posted here. It is only a rough itinerary and depending on how we feel, we may go farther on any given day. Without further adieu, here goes...

7/13 Rest day in Panguitch, UT
7/14 Panguitch, UT to Calf Creek Campground (near Escalante, UT) - 82 miles
7/15 Calf Creek, UT to Caineville, UT - 80
7/16 Cainville, UT to Glen Canyon/Lake Powell, UT - 67
7/17 Glen Canyon/Lake Powell, UT to Blanding, UT - 74
7/18 Blanding, UT to Cortes, CO - 66
7/19 Cortes, CO to Telluride, CO - 67
7/20 Rest day in Telluride, CO
7/21 Telluride, CO to Montrose, CO - 62
7/22 Montrose, CO to Gunnison, CO - 66
7/23 Gunnison, CO to Garfield, CO - 49
7/24 Garfield, CO to Westcliffe, CO - 64
7/25 Westcliffe, CO to Pueblo, CO - 57
7/26 Rest day in Pueblo, CO
7/27 Pueblo, CO to Eads, CO - 112
7/28 Eads, CO to Scott City, KS - 105
7/29 Scott City, KS to Alexander, KS - 75
7/30 Alexander, KS to Nickerson, KS - 103
7/31 Nickerson, KS to Cassoday, KS - 87
8/1 Cassoday, KS to Chanute, KS - 97
8/2 Rest day in Chanute, KS
8/3 Chanute, KS to Golden City, MO - 93
8/4 Golden City, MO to Marshfield, MO - 81
8/5 Marshfield, MO to Summersville, MO - 85
8/6 Summersville, MO to Graniteville, MO - 86
8/7 Graniteville, MO to Chester, IL - 70
8/8 Chester, IL to Eddyville, IL - 102
8/9 Rest day in Eddyville, IL
8/10 Eddyville, IL to Evansville, IN - 77
8/11 Evansville, IL to Louisville, KY - 120
8/12 Rest day in Louisville, KY
8/13 Louisville, KY to Rising Sun, IN - 89
8/14 Rising Sun, IN to Blanchester, OH - 78
8/15 Blanchester, OH to Columbus, OH - 77
8/16 Columbus, OH to Canton, OH - 119
8/17 Canton, OH to Andover, OH - 85
8/18 Andover, OH to Warren, PA - 94
8/19 Rest day in Warren, PA
8/20 Warren, PA to Galeton, PA - 91
8/21 Galeton, PA to Towanda, PA - 73
8/22 Towanda, PA to Niagara, PA - 84
8/23 Niagara, PA to Gardiner, NY - 78
8/24 Gardiner, NY to Farmington, CT - 88
9/2 Farmington, CT to Milford, CT - 42

We'll be leaving at noon on 9/2 to head down to Milford. There will be a party at Archie Moore's in Milford when we get there. People are welcome to participate in the last leg of the bike ride and definitely to celebrate our homecoming with us at Archie Moore's.

All the best,
Jeremiah and Ben

Against the wind...

2006-07-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

Hey gang! Jeremiah and I have successfully made it to another state (Utah) and crossed our first time zone! Just after our last update, we caught some original cowboy music at the Eureka Opera House (see below). Don Edwards was playing the lonley cowboy blues. After the show we had a chance to chat with him a bit about life on the road and get a picture with the man himself.

The two of us with the man himself.

From Eureka, we pressed on to Ely, a bustling metropolis of 4000 people. The ride was uneventful, but pretty. The landscape changed (there were some spotty trees), which was a welcome respite from the aforementioned sea of sagebrush. In Ely, we were put up by the lovely folks at the Bristlecone Motel.

On Sunday (7/9), we had a relatively short day (65 miles). So we decided to stop at a bar in Majors Junction (actually the only free-standing structure there) to catch the final game of the wolrd cup. Go Italia! The people there were pretty suspicious of us when we walked in with our bike gear on, asking about soccer. However, they warmed up to us and eventually we had everybody (all 8 people) in the place cheering for the game. Afterwards, it was on to Baker, our final stop in Nevada.

We stop at the Great Basin National Park Information Center right outside Baker, NV

The next morning, we caught the sunrise during the beginning of our 85 mile trek to the first of two Milfords along our route. Along the way, we ran into a few friends. (Incidentally, the rattler was definitely perturbed by me passing by and coiled to strike. It gave me a good adrenaline rush for the rest of the day).

Finally, after climbing over three 7000 foot mountains, we made it to Milford, UT; not as cool as place as Milford, CT (where Jeremiah grew up) but they did have a gas station that sold frozen burritos! Hmmmm... Although, we were over 2500 miles away, we celebrated the homecoming (of sorts).

Yesterday, (7/11) we took off from Milford and headed to the big city. Cedar City was our destination and it was a mere 50 miles away. We expected a comparatively easy day. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing in our face at 25mph for the entire 5 hour ride. Jeremiah put it best: "The wind is my arch-nemesis." But eventually, after battling the elements for 6 hours, we made it to Cedar City. The population there is 20,000 and there are at least 6 stoplights in town (it's funny how these things excite you when you haven't seen them for a while). Better yet, they have an all-you-can-eat Chinese Buffet. It might not be there anymore, though, we might have put them out of business.

This morning, we left Cedar City and promptly climbed from 6000 to 10,500 feet (promptly=about 3.5 hours including two rest stops to stretch out and dry-heave). The morning was a bit difficult. Just picture 25 miles uphill with grades as steep as 8% and you'll get the idea. Thank God the weather was in our favor with the wind mostly at our backs. Despite all the whining above, the climb was completely worth it. The vistas were amazing and we had a chance to stop in Cedar Breaks National Park (see pictures). We are both grateful to be out of Nevada and into some different scenery...with trees!!! At day's end, we made it to Panguitch, UT (rhymes with Sanguitch) passing by beautiful Panguitch Lake, a big salt lake surrounded by mountains.

And now for a brief fundraising update. You might be asking yourself why Ben and Jeremiah have been toiling in the desert making their way across the lonliest highway in America on bicycles (if you haven't yet you should, there are stretches of 85+ miles without food, water, or people!). We have hit the $20,000 mark in our fundraising efforts! Thank you so much to all who have donated. Your kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated.

We are still looking to hit our goal of $50,000. Everyone knows of someone who's life has been touched by cancer. The money we are raising will go to very promising research and patient care at the UConn Health Center. If you or anyone you know is interested in donating for this great cause, please see our website at www.leasfoundation.org and click on "coast to coast for a cure." You can also call Jaime Rotatari directly at 860-280-8371 to make a donation. Again, thanks so much for your support.

Tomorrow is a well-deserved rest day here in Panguitch, UT. Our butts, legs, and feet need it...

All the best,
Ben and Jeremiah

The Loneliest Highway in America

2006-07-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday July 4th, we left Fallon, NV and rode the 50 miles to Middlegate (it was a short day because we rode extra the day before). We are taking US-50 all the way across Nevada, which has been dubbed "The Loneliest Highway in America." You can see in the picture above that it has certainly earned this title. Below, I cruise sublimely over the first of many ranges we will have to summit in Nevada.

After racing across the salt flats and keeping a worried eye on the weather, we arrived at Middlegate just as the skies opened up. It really poured. Middlegate, NV has a population of 17 and is literally a bar/restaurant/convenience store and about a half-dozen trailers hooked up to a generator (oddly enough they do have DSL internet access wired across the mountains, convenient). While small, Middlegate was a great time. The people were very friendly and offered a "bunkhouse" for us to sleep in and even let us use the town shower behind the store. In addition, they make one mean bacon double cheeseburger and some very tasty french fries.

When the storm passed we got a picture of this rainbow over the mountains.
Unfortunately we could not stay at Middlegate forever and the next day (Wednesday 7/5) we rode on to Austin, NV. Austin is also a cool little town (see picture below). However, it is located on the side of one steep freakin hill. By the time we got there we were beat, which was OK because the following day (Thursday 7/6) was our well-earned day off. If you are ever in Austin, NV be sure to stop by the International Bar and say "Hi" to Fly the bartender there. He will give you a crash course on all things Nevada. For starters the state name is pronounced with all short "a" sounds (like rad).

From Austin we rode to Eureka, NV, a slightly larger town than Austin that Ben describes as being full of hob-knobbing and frivolity. Indeed it does seem to be "bustling" after the peace and quiet of Austin and Middlegate. Tonight we look forward to hearing some "Original Cowboy Music" at the Eureka Opera House.

Tomorrow we ride 75 mi to Ely, NV, a good sized town of about 4,000 people. Until next time,

-Ben and Jeremiah

Up, Up, and Away

2006-07-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we left from Somerset, CA (at 2,000 ft elevation) and promptly dropped back down almost to sea level. We then spent the rest of the day toiling uphill in the Sierra Nevadas. We averaged about 6 mph and biked for about 8 hours. The scenery was really beatiful but there wasn't much in the way of ammenities. We needed to stop about every hour to refuel and so we ate an awful lot of dried fruit and trail mix.

At about 6:30 we finally reached our destination, Silver Creek Lake in CA (elevation 8,000 ft) . We had planned to ride another 5 miles to Kirkwood but the Lake just looked too inviting. We camped at a beautiful camp ground and had the coolest neighbors. Steve, Nancy, Nick, and Eric were camping nearby and they shared some delicious spaghetti with us and invited us to join in celebrating Eric's birthday. Happy Birthday Eric!

Monday we left early and climbed the last bit of the Sierras. We came over Carson Pass (see picture) at about10 AM and then had a solid 20 miles of downhill. That was exhilarating! We wanted to stop and get some pictures but we were busy cruising down the mountains at speeds topping 40 mph. Not a bad little morning, really.
That afternoon (Monday) we had lunch in Carson City, NV where we noticed the strong West wind blowing down off the Sierras. We decided we should ride while the wind was at our backs. We ended up riding 35 miles farther than planned, to Fallon, NV. Total mileage: 124. The coolest thing about riding down wind is that we were going 20-30 miles per hour, but it was utterly silent. When the wind is going with you there is no wind in your face, and you can't feel it. Its almost eerie, though good for making time.

We ended in Fallon where Pranav Morar, the General Manager at Comfort Inn Fallon offered us a free room. It was excellent to get to sleep in a clean bed after all that riding. Today we go over some smaller mountains up to Middlegate, NV. It will be a short day, but we could use the break!

Happy Independence Day!

-Jeremiah and Ben

Of Walnut Trees and Strawberries...

2006-06-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hello all!!!

Jeremiah and I arrived in San Fransisco Wednesday evening. Of course, this wouldn't be a true adventure unless it began with one from the get-go. We were standing by the baggage claim to collect our stuff. Our bikes, Jeremiah's bags, and one of my bags made it. But my rear panniers were nowhere to be seen! It turns out that going across the country wasn't enough traveling for them, so they decided to make a trip up to Seattle before the journey even began. No worries though, we picked them up the following day and everything was accounted for.

Yesterday, Mick, the guy we stayed with in San Fran, showed us around the city (see above). It was great to have an insiders point of view into the city. Many thanks to Mick for showing us a great time in San Fran and for being a great host. In the afternoon, we went down to Long Beach to dip our wheels in the Pacific to begin our trip. We also has our first experience with some podium girls just like at the Tour de France.

This morning, we woke up early (5:30AM) to ride down to the ferry which we took across the San Fran Bay to Vallejo. Once there, we began the trek out to Davis, CA where we are now. We stopped for lunch in Vacaville (literally cow town) and had great sandwiches at a deli. Walnut trees, which we originally though were Kiwi trees, lined the streets for miles and we stopped at a roadside stand for some out-of-this-world strawberries. We arrived in Davis at 4PM to stay with Mike and Maggie Wilkes (Mike is a former UConn Med Grad, holla!), two folks that Jeremiah knows. They have been great, allowing us to take a dip in their pool and essentially eat them out of house and home! Thanks guys!! The total mileage for the day was 79 miles.

Tomorrow we head out to Somerset, CA and then on to Kirkwood, CA on Sunday. Kirkwood is going to be a tough day because it's all uphill (the Sierras). So on your "day of rest," channel some energy our way.

That is all for now...thanks for keeping up. We'll try to update as much as we can!

All the best,
Ben and Jeremiah

2006-06-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

"You might be asking yourself, where did that golf ball go? Gillette Ridge was definitely a challenging course, but in the end, it was all for a great cause. Thanks to everyone who came out to support Lea's Foundation in this great event. Special thanks to the 50/50 raffle winner who generously donated his winnings back to Coast to Coast for a Cure. Not too far now until the riding begins..."

-Jeremiah and Ben

2006-05-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

"Med school has been keeping us busy, but we've been able to keep up our training a bit. We have been logging a few 30 mile days per week with a longer rides on the weekends. We're very excited about our upcoming interviews on local morning radio shows as well as the local news!! Many thanks to Lea's Foundation for their continued and dedicated support. Stay tuned for more updates..."

-Ben and Jeremiah

2006-05-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

"We had a highly successful wine tasting event with Lea's Foundation at Blue Smoke in Bloomfield, CT on Sunday, April 30. Thanks to all who attended and made it such a great time!"

-Ben and Jeremiah

2006-05-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

"Thanks for visiting the website! Our training is underway and we are pumped for this adventure and for the benefits that it will have for cancer research. Stay tuned for more updates. All the best!"