Hollerin’ Headwinds on the Hill

[Wild West Ride Day 3 – Green River to Price Utah – 63 miles]

You how they used to say, “In my day, we had to walk to school, uphill, both ways, in knee deep snow.” That’s all I could think about this ride day. But for us, snow equaled wind. No matter where we went, left or right, uphill or downhill, it was a strong 20mph head wind.

After the previous ride day, our main concern was going to be traffic and shoulder size.  The traffic was much less, as I guess a lot of people stayed on the interstate to travel to their destination instead of a smaller highway, like 191. The shoulder was also much more practical. Plenty of room for us to stay a good distance from the path of traffic.

By the time we reached the first rest stop 25 miles in, many riders had the sense to take a support van ride to the host. It just didn’t make sense to struggle for so long. Putting in a significant effort to maintain 10-12 mph on flat land was quite disheartening.

Oh, and did I mention this wind battle was also on an uphill. Not exaggerating, the overall profile of the day’s ride was uphill. Shortly after rest stop 1, I came around a corner to see what looked like the wall of a bowl. Not a hill, but a wall. Like Truman Show style. I thought there was no way we were going up there. But, ha, yes, we were. (As pictured below, looking back at the valley I biked out of.)

I finally had to put on some music to have some distraction and motivation to pedal straight up. Upon reaching the top, the song “This is How We Do It” came on, which deserved a dance break. I took advantage of a large pull off area and cranked the music while shaking out all the aches and pains while hydrating. (See video on FB or IG for sweet moves)

Just beyond my dance break was an actual rest area with pit toilets. I don’t think I have the word smithing abilities to describe the relief I felt while sitting on the vault toilet, and the breeze blows up from the poopy cavern below. On a 90* day, after biking 30 miles uphill, with no relief from the blustery attack of the head wind, my underside expereinced this brief, sweet relief from that breeze, which on normal pit toilet visits wouold be a bit weird to notice or enjoy.

At rest stop 2, it was pointed out that the good news was we only had 15 miles left. But the bad news was we still had 15 miles left. On a normal day, that’d be an hour or less, with the rumored downhill into town ahead. But considering I’ve had to pedal on the downhills just to maintain 9-10 mph against the wind, 15 miles would take almost 2 more hours. Not music to my ears. But for some reason, my stubborn mind continued on.

As I continued riding & likely cursing this weather and topography, I was questioning everything. Why were we here? Why did we need to ride bikes to build houses for people? Who lives in the desert anyway? Why shouldn’t I just get in the van? What purpose does completing these miles serve?

After more snacks and more dance breaks, I cleared my mind and still didn’t have answers to those questions.  But I did think a lot about all the people who supported me to be able to take this trip.  They believed in this silly adventure and it’s greater purpose. They sent their hard earned money so we can raise awareness about the need and purpose of affordable housing. The least I can do is quit whining and ride my bike to hold up my end of the deal. I bike, [whine a little], and build houses, and they send money, love, and support. As Christina said, “All we have to do is ride our bike today.”

So, not to get all cheesy, but you guys actually kept me on the bike that day and finished the 63 miles. I can’t say I smiled much that day, but I got there! I’ll never be able to say thanks enough to everyone who follows along, sends words of encouragement, and, of course, donate the dollars to support the mission.

Our hard day was rewarded with a delicious meal provided by the local Fuller Center group at the park, with a local band providing live music! What a treat! More dancing to top off the day, with a light breeze rolling through the shaded pavilion!