|
The Big News |
|
|
|||||
|
|
The Big News |
|
| Before the Ride | During the Ride | After the Ride |
| Pre-ride #1 | Spokane, WA | Post-ride |
| Pre-ride #2 | Missoula, MT | |
| Pre-ride #3 | Townsend, MT | |
| Pre-ride #4 | New Castle, WY | |
| Pre-ride #5 | Brookings, SD | |
| Mankato, MN | ||
| Chagrin Falls, OH |
Click Here to Read My Full Journal
Greetings Friends,
Well, I bet you were starting to wonder what happened to me! Somewhere along the way, I got my life back and all the fun stuff that goes along with it. Between getting myself back down to Texas, getting my stuff out of storage, moving into a new house, starting a new job, etc., the time since the ride has just flown by. I started writing this message weeks ago but wanted to have my journal and photos on-line before I sent it and well, here it is the middle of September.
The good news is, thanks to a generous gift by Seattle Filmworks, all of my photos from the entire trip (over 400) are on-line! Not only can you view them, but you can order reprints right from their Web site if you so desire. From my Big Ride Web site (http://www.cris.com/~tkralphs/big_ride.html), you will find links to my photos page as well as my on-line journal entries from each day of the trip. The photo page and the journal entries are full of links to pictures from the trip, as well as links to pages of thumbnail pics from each roll of film for a summary view of the entire trip. It took me a long time to put this all together so please check it out and tell me what you think!
The last week of the ride was easily the most challenging but also the most exciting and rewarding of the entire trip. The hills of PA are by far the steepest we encountered. The Rockies may be taller but they have nothing on PA for difficulty! Fortunately, PA came at the peak of our collective strength as riders and we conquered those hills with enthusiasm. As the ride began to wind down, there were feelings of excitement at being reunited with loved ones, as well as feelings of anxiety at being thrust back into the rigors of everyday life and being separated from the community we had built during our adventure. Crossing the finish line was emotional for everyone, a huge feeling of accomplishment for all. The closing ceremonies and the good-byes went by so quickly that I felt as though I didn't really have a chance to absorb it all.
In the weeks since the ride, I've been trying to come up with something profound to say about it that would really convey the true nature of the experience. I know these e-mail updates have been one big sappy cliché, so I wanted to avoid saying something like "The ride has changed my life and I will never be the same for having done it..." But I guess the truth is that being on the ride and being away from life for a while did change my outlook and the way I think about things in ways that will continue to affect me. What did I learn? Well, they may be clichés but some of them ring true.
=================================================
ALL I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW, I LEARNED ON THE BIG RIDE
=================================================
1. If you play nice, other people will play nice too.
It's hard to believe that more than 150 strangers from all walks of life, with vastly different personalities, and with more quirks and idiosyncrasies than you can shake a stick at managed to get along with each other in confined quarters for 7 weeks, but it happened.
2. You can get by with a little help from your friends.
I still can't believe the support I've had from friends and family while completing this project. I couldn't have done it without your help.
3. On the other hand, believe in the kindness of strangers (well, as long as they aren't riding away on your bike yelling "See ya later sucker!").
I can't tell you how many stories I heard of strangers offering people food and drinks, rides, the use of a washing machine, or just plain encouragement.
3. Everything you really need to live fits in a 2 ft X 2 ft X 3 ft space.
It's amazing how little you miss everything else...
4. Everyone has something to offer if you give them a chance.
On the ride, I got to know people that I'm not
sure I would have tried to
get to know in "the real world." And everyone of them
had something
interesting to say and a story to tell. Getting to know someone
you would
normally have blown off can open your eyes...
5. No matter how you slice it, not working beats working any day.
Everyone should take a vacation from life at some point...
6. If you change your address every night, only
the people you want to can
find you :).
No junk mail, no telemarketers...
7. Anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
Well, I had to throw that one in. I guess it goes without saying...
That about wraps it up. The adventure is over. Thanks again for all your help and support. It's been tremendous. Those of you whose e-mails have gone unanswered, I will be starting to wade through all that soon and I promise a reply. Those of you who I promised to send things to, I'm working on that too! I still haven't even finished unpacking from the move yet so bear with me.
Take care,
Ted
Dear Friends,
Hello from Chagrin Falls, Ohio! It's hard to believe, but the ride is drawing to a close -- there are less than 500 miles to go and seven more days of riding. I have mixed emotions about the end. I am tired and ready to be done with the riding, but I am not so ready to leave the community I've been a part of and the friends I've made over the last six weeks (that long?!). I have to admit, though, that there are very few things about "civilization" that I miss. It's been nice to be away from the news and television and all that for a while.
Since I last wrote, we've crossed through several more states and the riding has eased a little, but not as much as some of us thought it would. We've continued to have many tough days, especially in Wisconsin which has the steepest hills we've seen so far! However, the scenery was equally as gorgeous and well worth the effort.
Since my last update, we have also crossed the Mississippi River into the East. This is the longest time I've spent in the East since moving to Vegas -- I had almost forgotten about the heat and humidity here, as well as the constant threat of summer thunderstorms. We have had unusually warm temperatures the last week but have continued to have good luck with the rain -- only a few storms to report. There are many features of the East (such as the humidity) that riders from the West coast have never experienced. One of the most intriguing is the fireflies. Some people have never actually seen them! As a native "Easterner," it's been fun to observe the Westerners as we travel through this part of the country.
The people I've met and the small towns we've been through have continued to be the highlight of the trip for me. It's so easy to lose faith in humanity living in the "big city." My faith has been restored by the many kind acts I've witnessed and heard about. I have gotten enough friendly smiles, waves, and honks on this trip to last me a lifetime! People I don't even know have offered my food, drinks, rides, and even donations for the Lung Association out of the goodness of their hearts. Whole communities have opened their arms to us. Rarely have I felt the need to lock my bike when going into a store or restaurant. It's a wonderful feeling.
The next time you hear from me will probably be after the ride is over. We will have some tough times crossing the Appalachians but then it will all be done. Thanks again for your support and good wishes! I'll talk to you soon.
Yours from the road,
Ted
Hi Folks,
Greetings from Mankato, Minnesota! We're taking a pits stop at a Dairy Queen here this morning for a "media event." The Lung Association is presenting Dairy Queen with a plaque to thank them for their support of our ride. It seems like no matter how far away from civilization we get, there is always a DQ around the corner for refreshment! They have become an icon for us on the ride. The ALA is trying to get them to sponsor next years's ride so we have to smile and wave for the media.
We've covered about 1900 miles now and have about 1300 to go. It seems hard to believe that we are that far along. Up until now, I haven't allowed myself to think about what it will be like when the ride is over but now I am starting to think about that day and the emotions are bittersweet, as you can imagine.
The terrain we are in now is flat with lots of
farmland. It's very pretty, though sometimes a bit monotonous. We
spent our rest day yesterday in New Ulm, a very picturesque
little German community near Minneapolis. This weekend was their
Heritagefest, a bit like a mini Oktoberfest. It was great fun and
the beer was definitely flowing. I also got to see a familiar
face, as Theresa Wise came down for a visit with her newborn,
Anna. The townspeople in New Ulm were so receptive to us that
some actually took
people into their homes for meals, showers, and laundry. What a
great little friendly town!
We now start a stretch of 6 more days of riding before our next rest day in Lisle, IL, near Chicago. The riding should be much easier now as we are into the calmer weather and flatter terrain. We still haven't seen much rain to speak of so keep your fingers crossed! See you on down the road!
Yours from the road,
Ted
Dear Friends,
We are passing through Brookings, South Dakota on our way to Tyler, MN tonight and I managed to get Internet access at South Dakota State University. Things are still going very well on the ride. I'm holding up well, though this long stretch of riding has tired me out and given my knees some troubles. I'm definitely looking forward to our next rest day! The good news is that yesterday, we hit the halfway point of the ride just outside Miller, SD. They threw us a huge celebration with bands, great food, free massages, the works -- it was great to have that support. The whole town turned out. It's nice to be counting down the miles instead of counting them up, as we have been doing.
The weather has been great so far, though we have had very strong winds all the way across South Dakota, fortunately, they have been at our backs the majority of the time but we've had some really slow days with the headwinds. We've also had some thunderstorms but the rain has held off during the day most of the time.
Well, it's time to hit the road and head towards the Minnesota border -- one more state down! Talk to you soon.
Yours from the road,
Ted
Dear Friends,
Well, we're finally out of Montanna! Tonight, we are in New Castle, Wyoming, on our way to Rapid City, SD tomorrow for a much-needed rest day. Four states down, eight to go! Actually, I think we have completed about 1300 miles by now so the halfway point is in sight!
I've really started to get used to life on the road but our ambitious riding schedule is starting to wear on me a bit. My knees have started to complain about the miles but I think they will get me to the East Coast. Although we all thought the riding would get easier after crossing the Divide, yesterday turned out to be our toughest day yet. We rode 115 miles from Sheridan to Gillette, Wyoming and it was very hilly and windy. Overall, it was one of the most challenging days I've ever had on a bike. Tomorrow is supposed to be almost as tough. We are getting into longer stretches of riding now, with our next stretch lasting six days. Hopefully, it will flatten out as we head towards Minnesota.
I can't begin to tell you the neat things I have seen and the interesting people I have met so far on the road. I am amazed at support we have gotten and how friendly people are in these small towns. We have been in the paper or on the news nearly everywhere we go so people usually know who we are as we pass through. The media coverage really goes a long way towards promoting our cause and I am proud that we are able to bring this much attention to the Lung Association and its good works. Because of the media coverage, we sometimes run into people who have set up little rest stops for us along the road with cookies and lemonade for sale. A few times, we have run into little kids selling lemonade by the side of the road and it's just so much fun to talk to them. I have taken to stopping in the small bars and stores along the route and talking to the locals. Yesterday, we stopped in a little town whose only building was a bar and house combined. The owner made us all hamburgers and there was a woman in there from the next town over celebrating her birthday. We all sang Happy Birthday to her. I think it made her day.
I bought a little American flag which I am now flying on the back of my bike each day. It's a little thing, but as I'm riding along and waving at people, it makes me feel proud to be an American and I'm continually amazed at the great and diverse country we live in. We are also continuing to pull the "Dream Machine" with the "Chain of Hope" in it and every time I see it on the road, it makes me feel good to think of the good work we are doing. I thank you all, for none of this would have been possible without your generosity. I also want to thank all of you who have sent e-mail and/or regular mail to me during the trip. I can't tell you how much it means to me to have your support. I'm sorry that I cannot respond individually but keep those e-mails coming!
Well, I have to get back to camp for dinner. Hope all is well with each of you. Happy Fourth of July!
Yours from the Road,
Ted
P.S. We are going to see fireworks over Mount
Rushmore for the fourth!
Should be great!
Dear Friends,
Tonight we are staying at a school in Townsend, MT and they are allowing us to use their library to access the Internet so I have time to send a quick update. The last two days and the two days coming up constitute probably the toughest days we will have on the ride. Three out of these four days are around 100 miles with lots of climbing. Today, we went over the Continental Divide and there was much rejoicing! As we have been joking around camp, "it's all downhill from here!" We have a pretty good climb tomorrow before we're out of the Rockies and then we should have relatively smooth sailing until we hit PA. The weather in this area is extremely volatile and there was a lot of concern about the crossing this morning, as they were calling for severe weather including snow at the pass. It rained all night and we expected the worst. However, it seems that the weather gods were smiling on us -- just as we left camp, it stopped raining and we had perfectly clear (but still very cold)weather over the pass. We narrowly missed a few thunderstorms on the way into Townsend, but overall, it was a very successful day. Tomorrow is supposed to be "blustery" so we may have to pull out the winter gear again but the summit tomorrow is not as high as today.
That's about all I have time for today. I'm off to bed!I'll talk to you at our next rest day in Billings, MT! Thanks for your support!
Yours from the road,
Ted
Dear Friends,
Well, it's hard to believe it but we're having another rest day already. Today, we're in Missoula, MT. I can't believe we've been to three states and traveled almost 600 miles already! The weather has slowly gotten cooler and cloudier as we've gained altitude until finally, we had our first big day of rain yesterday. Rain presents probably the biggest challenge of the ride in many respects because it just makes everything MUCH more difficult. To begin with, tearing down a tent in the rain and packing everything up with out getting it soaked is just about impossible. I kept everything in the tent until the last minute but between the rain fly being soaking wet already and the time it takes to get everything packed away, everything got wet. At least it wasn't a total downpour. I finally did get everything put away and got to breakfast and then came the ride itself. Finding the proper combination of rain gear to keep the water off but not get too hot or cold took a while but after I got going, I was actually pretty comfortable. I wore clear glasses to be able to see when a car or truck would come whizzing by and spray water on me. All in all, it was a challenging day for all as we got used to how to deal with the rain and stay warm. What made the whole thing even more challenging was that it was our first 100 mile day. Coming up, we have quite a few longer days. After we leave Missoula, we'll cross the Continental Divide which will really be challenging.
One neat thing that we have been doing on the ride is making the "Chain of Hope." Everywhere we go, we collect the names of people who are suffering from lung disease and make them into a long chain which we carry each day in a bike trailer called the Dream Machine. Each day, a different person on the ride pulls it along. It's really neat to see the trailer moving along with the group and it reminds us of what we are doing this all for each day.
The food on the ride has continued to impress with local community groups coming out and really putting on a show in most places. Between that and having the shower truck following us, I've managed to live pretty well so far. I think when we get into the hotter weather and the humidity of the East, that will get more difficult but for now, life is good. My knees have started to hurt me a little so I'm concerned with how that will affect my riding but I hope that ice and ibuprofen will keep it under control.
Well, my computer time is just about up so I have to sign off. Once again, I apologize for not being able to respond to your messages individually but rest assured that I am reading them and appreciate your support!
Yours from the road,
Ted
Hello Everyone!
I'm coming to you from the Spokane public library in Eastern Washington. I'll have to keep this relatively short since I can only get the computer for an hour. I apologize for not being able to reply personally to each of your e-mails but Internet access has been a little hard to come across so far. We have done four days of riding so far and have made it almost all the way cross the state of Washington. Tomorrow we'll be in Idaho to begin the ascent of the Rockies. So far the ride has been going very well. The first two days were very challenging as we climbed through the Cascades in very hot weather (around 100 degrees) -- unusual for Washington. However, the scenery was just beautiful and made up for all the pain! After the first two days, I think many people were wondering if they would ever make it to D.C.! The third and fourth days, however, were cooler with less climbing and everyone (including me!) has begun to feel better about making the trip. Fortunately, we have so far encountered no rain or cold at all (very lucky!) but since most of my gear is for either rain or cold weather, I'm wondering why I'm carrying it!
Camp life is really interesting. We have a little rolling city that is erected each night wherever we're staying. We have a shower truck, a toilet truck, a meal tent, a medical tent, and an office for the staff. There is also a gear truck to carry our stuff while we ride. Each night when I get done riding, I go to the gear truck and get my stuff, set up my tent, shower, and then go to dinner. In the morning, the whole process reverses. It's amazing to see the little tent city go up and down each day. Meals have been really good for the most part. So far, we have had a community group or caterer from wherever we are staying fixing our meals each day. That has worked out well since the groups have really been aiming to please. I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my life! Each night, I stuff myself until I'm ready to bust to get enough calories. On the road during the day, we have to take care of our own food which means either eating energy bars or hitting a local restaurant on the route. So far, we've stayed in both regular campgrounds and on the grounds of schools. People usually go to bed early (around 9:00 PM) and get up really early (around 4:00-5:00 AM) to get an early start. I try to sleep as late as I can but with all the noise, it's difficult.
The people I've met on the ride so far have been really great. There are about 200 of us so it's taking me a while to learn names, but there is such a range of ages and backgrounds! Ages range from 16 to 76. There is one 70 year old man who had an aneurism and was in a coma and had to learn to walk all over again just a year ago and is now doing the ride. Pretty amazing.
Since we have today off from riding, we had the chance last night to sample one of the local brew pubs. There were at least 20-30 riders hanging out in the pub when a local band took the stage and made up a song about our ride impromptu. It was great fun!
Don't forget, we have a reporter on the ride with us who will be filing reports from the road so you can follow what we're doing. Check it out at http://www.bigride.com/Riders/riders.html. Also, you can check out my friend's Web site at http://members.aol.com/ALABigRide for daily route info, etc.
Thanks to those who have sent messages to my cell phone. It's great to have your support! I'll talk to you again as soon as I can!
Signing off from Spokane,
Ted
Well, I'm getting ready to move out! I leave Las Vegas for good on Friday. My forwarding address for the summer will be
17655 Henderson Pass #834
San Antonio, TX 78232
(210)545-6118
I will also be reachable on my cell phone throughout the summer at (702)493-8575.
While on the ride, I can receive mail at any of the rest stops along the way by addressing it as follows:
Ted Ralphs
Big Rider #124
General Delivery
Town, State, Zip
Mail can be sent to any town on the route where we will have a day off (listing below). If you feel the urge, I'm sure it will be nice to get mail while on the road. Make sure you send it 3-5 days ahead. Also, listed below is the entire final route with mileages for those who are curious.
And the winner is...
Nathan Edwards won a shirt for putting me over
the $3500 mark.
Amy and Greg Mahoney won a shirt for putting me over the $5000
mark.
The free trip was won by Theresa and Jim Wise.
Thanks again to all who have supported me! I'll keep you posted!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the list of rest days:
6/18 Spokane, WA
General Delivery
Spokane,WA 99210
6/22-6/23 Missoula,MT
General Delivery
1100 W. Kent Ave., Missoula, MT 59801
6/28 Billings,MT
General Delivery
841 S. 26th St., Billings, MT 59101
7/4 Rapid City, SD
General Delivery
500 East Blvd.
Rapid City, SD 57701
7/11 New Ulm, MN
General Delivery
New Ulm, MN 56073
7/18 Lisle, IL
General Delivery
Lisle, IL 60532
7/23 Sandusky, OH
General Delivery
2220 Caldwell St.
Sandusky, OH 44870
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the entire final route and mileages for the trip:
Camp City Day
Date
Daily Mileage
Easton
1
6/14/99 81
Vantage
2
6/15/99 68
Odessa
3
6/16/99 82
Spokane
4
6/17/99
88.7
Spokane
5
6/18/99 0
Sandpoint
6
6/19/99 81
Thompon Falls 7
6/20/99
87.4
Missoula
8
6/21/99
99.9
Missoula
9
6/22/99 0
Missoula
10
6/23/99 0
Avon
11
6/24/99
97.1
Townsend 12
6/25/99 62.2
Harlowtown 13
6/26/99 97
Billings
14
6/27/99 94.5
Billings
15
6/28/99 0
Hardin
16
6/29/99 51.5
Sheridan
17
6/30/99 86.3
Gillette
18
7/1/99
113.1
Newcastle 19
7/2/99
73.6
Rapid City 20
7/3/99
85.2
Rapid City 21
7/4/99
0
Kadoka
22
7/5/99
106.3
Pierre
23
7/6/99
93.3
Miller
24
7/7/99
71.9
DeSmet
25
7/8/99
77.5
Tyler
26
7/9/99
77.2
New Ulm
27
7/10/99
88.7
New Ulm
28
7/11/99
0
Owatonna 29
7/12/99
70.1
Winona
30
7/13/99
87
Viroqua
31
7/14/99
64.9
Madison
32
7/15/99
105.7
Belvidere
33
7/16/99
79.9
Lisle
34
7/17/99
64.3
Lisle
35
7/18/99
0
LaPorte
36
7/19/99
102.1
Kendallville 37
7/20/99
88.3
Napoleon
38
7/21/99
69
Sandusky
39
7/22/99
83
Sandusky
40
7/23/99
0
Chagrin Falls 41
7/24/99
75
Canfield
42
7/25/99
56.5
Indiana
43
7/26/99
99.8
Hollidaysburg 44
7/27/99
66.4
Miflintown
45
7/28/99
76.3
Gettysburg
46
7/29/99
64.3
Frederick
47
7/30/99
81
DC
48
7/31/99
56
I hope this e-mail finds you all well. Things are certainly getting hectic around here! With the date of the ride fast approaching, I wanted to offer you all a chance to actually participate in the ride -- not as a rider but as a crew member! Anyone can volunteer to travel on one or more segments of the ride and help out. If you have the summer off or can take some vacation time to see America and support a good cause, let me know! It would be great to have some familiar faces around camp.
I've now raised $5100 for the ALA thanks in
large part to your generosity (and quite a few fundraising BBQ's
and Car Washes!). I'm happy to be this close to my goal and thank
each and every one of you for your contribution. However, I still
have some work to do to get to $7000! For those who are still
considering a sponsorship, I will have to discontinue some of my
incentives at the end of this week. These include the raffle for
the round-trip on America West and the polo shirt/baseball cap
offer. If you want to participate in either of these sponsorship
programs, I need to receive your pledge form by Saturday at the
latest. I will be drawing the winner of the round-trip on America
West a week from today!
Thanks again to everyone who has helped and supported my efforts so far!
I'm now in my final drive to reach my fundraising goal of $7K! I have raised approximately $4100 dollars to this point, and I have several fundraisers coming up that should help raise that total. However, I still need your help -- if you've been putting off sending in your pledge, now is the time to do it!
As an added incentive, I am personally giving away a free round-trip on America West to one of my supporters. If you send your pledge to me by May 15th, you will get one chance to win for each $10 contributed. That goes for those of you who have already sent in your pledge too!
If you lost your sponsor form, you can download a new one at
http://www.cris.com/~tkralphs/sponsor.doc (in Word format).
Please e-mail me if you have any problems or can't read Word files.
Once again, thanks for your support!
Welcome to the second installment of the Big News! I'm continuing to make preparations for the Big Day on June 14. My fundraising just topped $3K, almost halfway to my goal! The closer I get, the more excited (and nervous!) I become both about reaching my fund raising goal for the ALA and about finally hitting the road with my fellow Big Riders. The experience of being involved in a charity event of this scale has certainly been both interesting and rewarding so far.
Here is the latest Big News:
Once again, I want to thank you all for your tremendous support of my efforts, whether through your contribution or simply through positive words of encouragement. Feel free to drop me a line anytime -- every little bit helps! And don't forget to visit my Web site for the latest (address below).
"I get by with a little help from my friends..." -- The Beatles
Thanks to those of you who have already sent back sponsor forms -- I've gotten a great response so far! Preparations are going well, and my excitement is building. It feels great to be involved in such a positive project and to have such great support from my friends. I still have a ways to go to reach my goal but I am confident I can do it. Here are some news items about the ride.
Thanks again for your support!
This page modified January 12, 2002