the 88er

stealth camp success. 

we rode an easy 14 miles into Bridgeport, a town surrounded by pastureland, and those pastures surrounded by mountains on every side. so glad we didn't try and ride in the night before when it was dark!

met up with a pair of cyclists from Melbourne (Shawn and Malcolm) that we'd seen in the pass yesterday, and swapped stories over some Mexican food in Bridgeport (two days in a row eating out, by the way, mark is already rubbing off on me) before going our separate ways. 

first two climbs were tough. it wasn't until Conway Summit that my body was starting to get back into gear after dueling with Sonora yesterday. from then on out, however, we cruised through a most spectacular day of riding. 

watch how this goes down. remember how I mentioned earlier that Laura at Kennedy Meadows told us to get in touch with her sister in Lee Vining? she runs a motel there that Laura assured us we'd be able to stay in for free. 

just before we get there, we stop into a visitor center outside of Lee Vining (Mono Lake's, for those of you keeping track back at home). we get to talking with the staff there, asking about campgrounds in the area, and the first one they mention is Benton Springs, a posh B&B with campsites and mineral water springs hot tubs. chyah, ok, i said, that's a little out of our price range and definitely not what we'd been used to on the road thus far. 

out minds still set on the free motel, we head over to the place Laura's sister owns. turns out she's not in, and the motel looks wicked expensive. as we charge up phones and make a few social network updates, mark gives the Benton Springs place a call. 

here's the deal. Benton Springs is still 46 miles out from Lee Vining, and we'd already done 42 that day. our initial plan was to just find a site a little ways down the road, but that was starting to leave us with some extremely long days across Nevada. Benton had HOT TUBS,   though, and if we made it there, the next few days in Nevada would break down a lot easier. 

so Mark, being the awesome guy that he is, calls up Benton Springs. turns out the owners, Diane and Bill, are touring cyclists themselves, and would love to put us up for free. what the what?

we were loaded up and ready to go in an instant, and the next 3 1/2 hours were the most enjoyable ride of the trip so far ('ride' not 'experience', that title still belongs to sonora). 

we caught tailwinds right off the bat, had some amazing long downhill runs, rocked the climbs, and soared down into Benton Springs just as the sky was turning a deliciously pink and purple behind the hills. 

oh, and we broke 50mph. 

Diane and Bill treated us to an outstanding salmon, rice, macaroni & salad dinner RIGHT AT OUR CAMPSITE RIGHT NEAR OUR MINERAL SPRING HOT TUB. 

does this sound like bike touring to you? it isn't I don't know what we did to deserve it, but thanks be to God, who in His abundance of blessings, has poured down on us today like we could never imagine it even hope for. had we never talked to Laura, we would have never stopped in Lee Vining and heard about Benton Springs. had Laura's sister been at the hotel, we might have stayed there instead. had we felt tired, or hit extreme uphills, or hit a flat tire (or four), we would have never made it to Benton Springs in the time that we did. This is the day that The Lord has made. we will rejoice and be glad in it. 

I'm in the tub now, stars are out, the valley's quiet, and think I'll slip all the way back in to the hot, rejuvenating waters one more time before I call it a night. 

until next time,

may the road rise up to meet you

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

mount doom

aka sonora pass. 

I know we are only a week in, but sonora's climb might end up as the most singular experience of the trip for me. mentally, physically, spiritually - it was a moment in my life I will never forget. 

the morning started out with yet another unanticipated (for lack of a better word) "problem" (these things can, and almost always will, happen on a bike adventure of this length, and so there not really "problems" per se, but just another part of the trek). the o-ring on my bike pump started to go, and wouldn't hold pressure into the tire. perhaps we just happened to be in pinecrest where there just happened to be a general store that just happened to have the right size o-rings (picture a 3/4" diameter rubber ring  about the width of a wedding band). I don't think all of that just "happened", but I'll leave the decision up to the readers. 

our first few hours were a glorious roller coaster of Sierra Nevada vistas and climbs. top speeds were around 40mph. the air was clear, getting cooler with each foot of elevation gain, and we saw our first clouds (non-forest-fire clouds, that is) in more than a week, which provided a luxurious shade when the giant redwoods and pines alongside of the road weren't as thick. 

a quick stop in Kennedy Meadows brought Laura, Heidi & Carter into our life, who recommended we look up Laura's sister in Lee Vining the next day on our way down from sonora (more on this encounter later, and how the Lord used it to spark a chain of events that lead to an unforgettable night just outside Nevada). Kennedy Meadows was that sleepy, old wooden town you'd always imagined would be nestled somewhere in a range like the Nevadas, and wouldn't mind being snowed in for a week or two if a storm so happened to roll through the pass. good company and good food. 

right outta Kennedy we hit sonora's first ascent. casual and serious bikers listen up: you probably have ridden a bike before with gears that shift so low you wonder why in the world someone would ever want to ride that slow. at the start (and finish) of sonora, I learned just how pivotal the difference between 1-2 and 1-1 on my gear set could be. 

the ascent was nothing less than a once-in-a-lifetime surreal journey, through breathtaking mountain passes (pun goes out to my bro Dave). no one makes it up that pass without prayers, songs of praise at every slightly-less-steep segment, and a full-on mental and physical determination that transcends what I thought I was capable of. 

you start to hit "zones". times when you can't believe your legs and heart are still going but they are. you can't stop, so you start singing and making up songs as you slog up the winding pass. 

your head stays up. sonora is chocked full of views you'll get nowhere else. even when a mountain thunderstorm takes you at 8000ft up, you are in awe of your surroundings (and grateful for the natural "cool down") and it becomes a catalyst to reach the pinnacle. 

can't say whether the start or the finish was the most challenging. both were around 27% grade (I think, mark will know for sure). if that's tough to imagine, picture your car. now tie a rope to your car and put it around your waist. find a hill you'd enjoy sledding on in the winter. now climb up to the top of that hill with your car in tow. twice. 

goodness, I almost think another blog is in order just for the descent. well, we made it to the top, donned some warmer gear and gloves, and bombed our way back down the backside at (often times) just as steep a grade as we climbed. a car brakes worst nightmare, and we gave out bikes' a few as well. 

hairpin turns, huge dips in and out of the rocky face of the mountain, long rolling stretches before we coasted to the plains below - was the climb worth it? I'm not telling (unless you ask me nicely), you'll just have to try it yourself someday. 

we'd hope to make it to Bridgeport on the other side of the pass by nightfall, but adrenaline and energy levels were starting to run low. we stealthed our first campsite just off the road behind some bushes, and after a quick dinner, slept beneath a sea of shimmering stars, the Milky Way in full swing doing its thing across the sky. 

another day, but a day unlike any other. thanks for your continued prayers - we've felt (and continue to feel) God leading us across this great nation, one pedal at a time. 

until next time,

may God hold you in the hollow of His hand

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

heads up

we are out into Nevada over the next 5-6 days, and it's highly unlikely we'll be posting that much until Zion. 

don't worry, we're safe, and have lots and lots of water.

thanks again for your prayers and support,

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

p.s. I have a few blogs from the last few days that I will try and get up if we hit service sometime between now and then

Day 7. 9.11.13. 88 miles from Bridgeport to Benton Hot Springs (best night ever!)

If I ever doubted that God had a plan for us to do this ride, finish the ride, and ride it well, tonight is the night that I will always look back on as the night God showed us that he has us in his hands. 

We took an early afternoon break at Latte' da in Lee Vining. Laura (a lady we met at Kennedy meadows) told us to meet the owner there who was her sister Kelly. Unfortunately today happened to be Kelly's day off. But while we were there drinking great coffee to fuel the rest of our day, I made a call to Dianne, the owner of Benton Hot Springs. We were both very tired from Sonora Pass yesterday, and already had 40 miles on the day so we weren't sure how much further we wanted to go, if at all. Dianne's place was about 47 miles from where we were. The kicker with the Hot Springs is that every site actually has it's own natural hot tub! Insane right? After Dianne, and Bill her husband, found out that we were bike tourists (they are also avid avid bike tourists) and that we were raising money for Guatemala (they spend lots of time in Nicaragua just next door, she said that if we could make it there we could have a free night! We decided to give it a shot, hoping to be there before dark. 

        The ride was absolutely marvelous and sparsely driven. So far it has been my second favorite road, next to 108 from Pinecrest to Kennedy Meadows (before the pass of course). After climbing for 15 miles or so up to 8139 feet, we began some rolling descents. I actually hit 51 miles an hour on one downhill, it was awesome because you could see the whole road so there were no sharp turns that could creep up on you. Needless to say the last 20 miles into Benton Hot Springs were pure bliss. The downhills were nothing near as deadly as the ones on 108. They were just perfect. We got to Benton Hot Springs around 7:15 PM. 88 miles, now our furthest day. Wow, what great timing. We met Dianne and Bill and chatted about bike touring for a while before we got into our site, with the natural hot tub! We set up camp and then slid right in to the best post-ride experience we could possibly encounter on this entire trip. How do I know that you might ask? Well, if the free site, and natural spring hot tub weren't enough, Bill made us a fantastic dinner and delivered it to us at our site... A huge piece of grilled salmon, rice, pasta salad, and a regular salad with gouda cheese (we think) and dried blueberries. I wish this night could last forever. 

120

Almost to the springs 

        I began thinking about how we could possibly repay Bill and Dianne. And unfortunately I came to the conclusion that we could not really do anything ourselves at the moment. But our Lord can. I thought about the biggest thing that God has done for me and I think that it is the fact that he has given me grace to live, and to live for him. I am praying that God's grace may fall all over Bill and Dianne and Benton Hot Springs. I hope that we can share with them in the morning and pray God's blessing over them. They have blessed us beyond belief with things that we have done nothing to deserve. I hope there is something down the road that we can do for them personally. 

        I am in awe of God, and will continue to be for quite some time, and when I find myself lacking in awe I will look back at this time where he completely blew us away with an unearthly experience. 

The dinner!!!

Our site

The beautiful natural hot tub

God Bless, 

Tailwinds, 

Mark

P.S. We will probably not have any service for quite sometime. We will still write blog journals, but they will probably have to be posted at a later date. Do not worry that we are not okay ;) God has us in his hands. 

Tomorrow we are shooting to make it to Tonapah, NV. We may stealth camp before we make it there though depending on what time we leave this amazing place in the morning. 

Us and Dianne. She was amazing. 

better late than never.... our detour round Yosemite

up. up. up. up. 

and over Yosemite. 

well, there's always our next bike trip to see yosemite. this morning we listened one more time to the park's recording (as to which roads were open). after hearing Tioga was still closed, we headed north on 108 to take Sonora Pass over the Sierra Nevadas instead. it wasn't an easy choice, skipping out on Yosemite, but after two mornings of smoke in the air 'til 2pm and knowing we'd have to backtrack our way out of Yosemite once we reached where the fires had closed the road, we headed for higher ground. within the first four hours north, God provided several clear signs that we'd made the right call. 

first, not twenty minutes into the ride, we passed our first bike tourer (Brian) who was coming down from sonora pass (our new route). in his words, "it's clear and beautiful up there, no smoke and pretty cool temperatures." 

second, on a provisions stop in sonora we ran into Neil, his wife Amy, and John. Neil and John were pastors on their way out to a conference near Big Oaks, and we were able to pray healing over Mark's hand and for safety throughout the remainder of our journey. was incredible to catch some of the fire they had for the Lord in our brief conversation. 

third, round about 4000' up route 108 (the road through sonora pass) we heard it from a chap running an Irish bed & breakfast that the forest fires have now jumped both sides of tioga pass. we knew then there was no way tioga would've been open in time for us, and felt even better about our decision to go north. 

finally, God put plenty of beauty outside Yosemite. we climbed to an incredible vista this afternoon, and finished the day with an ice cold (but oh so refreshing) plunge into lake pinecrest, nestled between the soaring mountains and tall pines of the stanislaus national forest. 

brian was right. the air has been clean, clear and definitely cooler as the sun has now set. we're psyched for even more climbing tomorrow, and so blessed to have the time and energy and support from all of you to take a trek like this. thank you. 

until next time, 

may the rains fall softly on your fields, 

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

Days 4,5. Rest. 52 miles from moccasin point to pine crest.

   Yesterday, coincidentally ended up being our Sabbath day. We slept in because of the hard day through the desert, and got our stuff ready by 11 to leave (bad idea with the 100 degree weather). Josh's tire was flat again, and we didn't have any more tubes, and we went through a big ordeal of having a taxi driver run to the store and deliver some tubes for us so that we could continue riding. Well that took so long that we just decided to take the day off instead of the next day. The fires are still raging through Yosemite so we opted to not even go there and just turn around and only lose a few miles instead of more than 100. We figured if we went to Yosemite we would want to see stuff, and it was so hot and smoky that we wouldn't have been able to see any mountains. 

Crazy house boats on Don Pedro Lake

at moccasin point. 

   So we turned to highway 108 "Sonora pass" instead. A bike tourist we met, brian, had just come down 108 and told us it was beautiful with no smoke! That's exactly what we wanted to hear :)

   We are now at about 6000 feet elevation at pine crest campground. It is a fabulous place. Pine crest lake is breath taking. 

Pine crest lake

   We rode 50 miles and almost all of it was straight up. It really was a fun ride though even through the tiredness. Our legs felt good and strong the whole day. Highway 108 is an amazing ride for anyone who might ever be interested. Haha. 

Looking right into the sun

Nice to have an open pass

 

A lookout point 

Riding uppppppppppp

   Of my friends, the only one other than josh that I think might so this highway ride with me would be Benny. The thing that is crazier is that tomorrow is when we actually make the pass climbing 4000 feet within 9 miles. That will be tough. But after that it's all downhill :) I'm honestly looking forward to it because it's something I have never done before. 

   Since the night of day one the fingers on my left hand lost a lot of strength. I figured it would just get better, but I finally asked mom about it and we found  out I had cyclist palsy. It's a nerve in my wrist that got inflamed from my riding position. It kinda stinks but it's getting better (don't worry about me haha). I got some extra padding from the guys at Sonora cyclery today (they were awesome guys!) , Merrick and Dave. Check out my new ride! Mom you'll love this. 

Riding In style 

Today at wal-Mart in Sonora, our restock before the mountain met some pastors, Neil, his wife Amy, and John. They were in Sonora for a pastors conference. I'll admit I was quite jealous. They all seemed so awesome. I really wish we could have hung out for a week. They prayed with us for our trip and also for my hand. Praise God. 

God has been providing us with everything we need, and it has been incredible. Even withy huge food needs, as Josh can attest to. I think I'm eating three times the food that he is. And like 3 times the food I normally eat. It's crazy. I feel like I could eat every half hour haha. 

Thanks for your prayers. Pray we make it over the pass tomorrow!

yosemite bound....

a few highlights of the day. 

dirt roads.

yep. believe it or not, walking out bikes across a few miles of sprawling californian ranches & fields put our country's size and scale in a whole new perspective. glad we will have a few wheels under us as we make out way across.

rivers.

ice cold. refreshing. renewing. right off the side of the road. right when we needed it. Jehovah Jireh.

bridges.

the last one we went over in particular, soaring several hundred feet over the Don Pedro Lake surrounded by Yosemite's foothills lit with a fierce red/orange sunset. plus, downhill at day's end always makes for happy bikers.

until next time, may the sun shine warm upon your face,

josh & mark,

the lifecycle team

Day 3. 9.8.13. 72.5 miles from Caswell State park to Moccasin Point Rec Area

Today was really really hot. It was Over 100 degrees by noon, and we didn't make it to our site until

8 PM

. We literally rode through farm fields, dust fields, and desert, all with no shade. Even our water was blazing hot so it wasn't necessarily thirst quenching.  

I'm sure this will go down as one of the most tiring days of the trip, solely because of the heat. What made it worse was that we had two dirt roads to bike on (thanks google maps) and I got a flat on one of them, and Josh got one on the other just as we were pulling in to the campground. 

We did run into a quickly flowing spring fed creek though, and we jumped right in and refreshed ourselves. That was around 5 PM after the worst of it all. 

The ride coming down into Yosemite along 120 was glorious though. It was quite the site, seeing, and smelling, the smoke from the huge fire. 

Yet again we were blessed by the Park Ranger, Tom, and he let us stay for free. That makes 3 nights, no fees, and 3 showers. Not bad at all. We are finding that we really just need to ask and just about anyone will get behind us and our cause. It is great to be so blessed for doing this. 

Almost in Desert. Farm fields first. 

 Love these signs...

Almost to Yosemite Road

Can you see the smoke?

 Don Pedro Lake

 My Tent, Josh already had his packed up. 

This afternoon we are heading into Yosemite Valley to then hopefully await an announcement saying that Tioga pass has opened. We will stay tonight and tomorrow night (taking a rest day) and probably doing some hiking/exploring. I hope we can get some good pictures, but the smoke is pretty thick. If Tioga does not open, then we will backtrack and head up to highway 88 or 104 to do the mountain pass. We will lose a day of travel, but will have seen Yosemite Valley so I think its a great backup plan. 

I read 1 Thessalonians this morning, and was encouraged to keep encouraging others in the faith. This is a big reason why we are doing what we are doing and I keep praying for more opportunities. 

Keep us in your prayers as we ride through the heat and smoke. Pray that Tioga opens, and that we can bless some more people in Jesus' name. 

God Bless,

Tailwinds,

Mark

the west, orange juice & our new/old route into Yosemite

day two of riding brought us in and out of Tracy, CA in a way that we couldn't have planned if we tried: a great leg workout in the AM (getting up out of the valley) followed by our easiest stretch yet in the PM (long gentle downhills as Mark mentioned). God knows our strengths and weaknesses, and it's certainly a LOT easier to start strong and finish easy than vice versa (as we saw on day one).

just a few quick notes on our ride from Del Valle to Caswell. 

the west lives on. 

we rode through miles of dusty fields, each one anchored at one of its corners by a ramshackle house built piecemeal from metal scraps/siding/roofing with even more metal scraps, wheels, tractors, swingsets and rusty old trucks strewn about the front yard. life's different  out here, and I'm itching to get some local perspectives. 

orange juice overdose = cramps

drank half a gallon of that stuff at lunch and my hands were cramping up two hours later like you wouldn't believe. legs followed shortly after, but weren't as bad as the hands, and by then, I'd discovered my mistake and got plenty of good 'ole water in me instead. 

the LORD opens roads as well as doors. 

in a completely unanticipated turn of events, 120 (our original route into Yosemite, closed because of its proximity to the wildfires) is now OPEN! we couldn't be happier :) continuing to pray for Tioga Pass as well, which would allow us to bike over the Sierra Nevada mountains on what is arguably the most beautiful pass through to Nevada. even a few days ago we were sure a trip to Yosemite would mean backtracking and going up and around the forest fires. we're hoping that's no longer the case. 

thank you all for your support and prayers, may the wind be always at your back,

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

Day 2. 9.6.13. Del Valle Rec Area to Caswell State Park

I realized I have made a huge mistake... going this long without posting a picture of John!!! Unfortunately, we took a picture with him, but it was with Josh's fancy DSLR camera so we can't post it. Lesson learned, take picturess of people with the iPhone. The picture we do have of John though  will go down in my memory book forever because I will remember how the iron man himself was about to put a whooping on us youngsters as he showed us the way around those insane hills

We woke up this morning and quickly thereafter, Paul (a neighboring camper) asking us if we wanted coffee and sweet rolls for breakfast. We said "absolutely!" It turns out he and his wife Sue were super solid Christians so we shared quite a bit about that. Paul gave us so much support and fresh food for the road. We couldn't believe how much God was blessing us already! On top of that the park ranger drove by to collect our money and Paul told them he wanted to pay for us, but instead after they found out what we were doing we got a free site =) We were sent off with some verses to remember from Psalm 67 from Sue, and a great prayer from both of them. Thanks Paul and Sue, you completely inspired our whole day, and trip for that matter!

Paul and Sue in the shadows. 

The ride began with an insane climb for 3 miles, but with some help from Mat Kearney blasting from my portable speaker we rocked it out. Then we bombed down the mountain, rode back through Livermore and onto Corral Hollow road which was fantastic! we road up steeply yet again for about 6 miles, but after that the rest of the day was bliss, full of tailwinds and slight downhill slants. We road by a huge off road vehicle park with tons of hill climbs and it made me think how much Pete would love it out here! Pete I couldn't stop thinking of you, there were so many crazy trails. Check it out. 

Pete these pics are for you. Love you little brother. 

We eventually made it to Caswell State Park. We found the park ranger, Joel, and asked if he gave bikers a special deal on a site. We explained what we were doing and he blessed us with a fantastic free site. This place is awesome, we are right next to a river with a beach! We cleaned ourselves (biodegradable soap of course, mom) and felt like a million bucks. 

I saw one of these signs today... I think it's the first of many, especially when we get to Nevada....

God is really blessing us on our ride thus far with campsites and wonderful helpful people. I don't think we could be doing anything better right now. Thanks everyone for your support! (I told you it'd be a better blog today)

*Josh got the first flat tire of the trip today too, but we changed it quick, and postively, and got back on our way. 

God Bless,

Tailwinds,

Mark

it's a very dangerous business, Frodo, stepping out of your door....

what a start.

Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise. Baker Beach where we dipped our tires in the great Pacific (and kick up a LOT of sand into our bikes). Sunlight shining down on us as we rolled back across the Embarcadero. 

John (our fearless and tireless guide to the Bay Area) lead us up and out of the steep winding streets of Oakland/Piedmont, saying farewell just outside the town of Danville. Mark and I were finally on our own, and by providence or divine intervention, our first turn was onto Camino. ("the way/path/journey" in Spanish, if I remember correctly from a Black Keys interview)

Cannot even begin to describe the scenery. You'll have to come over to our place when we get back and bug me to show you some photos. Huge rolling hills covered in tall grasses patched yellow from the western winds and heat. Impossibly green trees dotting the hill crests. Hundreds of cattle grazing right up to the side of the road. 

The last four miles proved the most difficult of the day. Without a well-earned and much-needed bananas / peanut butter break (tip to bikers: mailboxes are fantastic tables & bike stands) I don't think we would've made it. 

First two miles started with what looked to be a pretty difficult climb. Seeing a "KOM START" spray-painted onto the road a few minutes later confirmed our fears. (Scott, Andy, other Strava users, you know what I'm talking about)

The climb was worth it, without a doubt. Cruising down to the lake & campsite, we were blessed with a spectacular sunset bathing the valleys and hills in husky yellows and golds. 

Camp setup was same 'ol same 'ol, and I'll do my best not to bore you with the details because it's going to be a very similar story each night, regardless of whether we roll in before or after dark. (camper tip: headlamps for every camper, you won't regret it, I recommend Petzyl). Also, the stars are somewhat incredible. 

We've been blessed since day one of planning this trek, and our first day on the road was no different. God is good, and he provides for us in so many ways. 

May the road rise up to meet you,

josh & mark

the lifecycle team

p.s. after a long and difficult internal debate, I decided against mapping the entire trip on Strava. (apologies to Scott & Andy) 

Instead, I'll do my best to give a google maps screen shot of our progress each day, and I'm working on a way to track total elevation climbed right now too. 

Can't figure out a way to publish/update our website (lifecycleamerica.com) yet, but the numbers in our blog (lifecycleamerica.blogspot.com) will be accurate each day. 

Real day 1

(Sorry for the short journal. More later)

We began the day riding back to the Golden Gate Bridge again. It was so glorious at 6 AM. Definitely the highlight of the day, and maybe trip. We rode across the bridge and back and also dipped our tires in the pacific at Baker beach. 

I also have my first battle scars from the ride (day one I know ugh). I got caught on a trolley track. My knees are scraped. My bike also took its first ding in its frame (probably the sadest part). 

Then John led us out at 11:30. 78 miles later...

My legs are more than tired. After any ride that I have ever done I have only felt tired legs, I hadn't thought that until my experience today. When I finished the ride today (78 miles, with some insanly steep hills up to 14% grade) my legs just hurt. But after a shower, dinner, a cozy tent, and rolling my legs out they feel much better. I'm sure I will be ready to go tomorrow. I realize a lot of this is a mental game, and I'm in it to win it.  

Josh was a champ today and kept me going. He didn't seem to get tired until the final hill, which ranks with the toughest and longest I have ever done (probably is both).

We are camping at Del Valle Recreation Area. It is a cool place, although it's location is extremely not biker friendly. We climbed 2 miles straight up and then went 2  miles straight down. We will have to climb back out in the morning. 

John led us out today for the first 20 miles. We would have totally been lost without him. I think I biked the most beautiful road I have ever biked in the early afternoon with John and the redwood trees. 

It is  finally starting to feel real knowing that I will wake up early to ride again. 

I'm exausted and going to bed. Maybe we will pull in to camp earlier tomorrow. I sure hope so.