Friday, July 18, 2008

A brilliantly designed shower.
The bustling downtown of Snowville.
Horizontal pace line?
The tandem: Rita and Bill Wybenga.
A touching moment.

We continue on.
We pedaled 86 miles yesterday to the smallest town of the tour—Snowville, Utah. Today we passed through Brigham City and are camped at a State Park on a warm, murky fresh water lake adjacent to the Great Salt Lake. Swimming is good, tent sites are lumpy. We swam to an island that was farther away than it looked (as always). On the other side of our camp is the beginning of the Wasatch Mountain range—foreshadowing tomorrow’s climb.

Yesterday in a café, some of us heard the story of a farmer, who considers himself impoverished because of increasing gas prices and decreasing potato prices. I doubt our listening ears were enough to satisfy him.

Yesterday we also were able to enjoy a homemade tarp shower--quite the bonding experience. Ingredients: tarp, webbing, softball backstop, and a hose.

Beautiful full moon last night.

Also, yesterday was a difficult day for morale. It was a hot and long day with a steady headwind and no scenery except for farms and sagebrush. There were several grueling uphill climbs that looked so innocently gradual. I kept checking to make sure my brakes weren’t rubbing or my tires weren’t flat--how could I be crawling so slowly? The outhouse fell off the van and landed in the middle of the highway, and the kitchen truck door opened on the road.

Also, there were a few injuries, including Arnie, who partially tore his achilles tendon. Please pray for him as he goes home soon to see if he needs surgery.

Thankfully, today’s ride was very smooth as far as I know—through farms, salty “marshes,” and lots of roadside fruit stands. No “R-rated” movies in the theaters.

Pray for us tomorrow—95 miles ending with a climb into the mountains. It will be a long day for everyone.

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