Flying Low and Flying the Flag

Today's ride started with a five mile trip south to the coast from the hotel. It was a wonderful quiet ride on deserted streets down to the Pacific Coast Highway. Almost as soon as I turned onto Highway 1 I caught the wheel of a local cyclist. (That's cyclist speak for riding closely behind him in his draft). With his permission he "pulled" me for almost 20 miles He was strong and fast, and most of the time we were doing 20-23 mph. I felt like I was fying. It was wonderful to tick off so many miles so quickly.

After he turned off to ride the beach path home, I stopped for a Starbucks, then rode on through Laguna Beach, and Dana Point to San Clemente, CA. The riding was easy. Traffic was light. Most of the time there was a nice bike lane. What a change from yesterday! I still felt like I was flying even without the pull. This "self-portrait" expresses how I felt about today's ride, compared to yesterday.


When the road ended at San Clemente, I got on a bike path that led south parallel to I-5. I was very thankful not to have to ride the shoulder of I-5, as the book I researched the ride in said I might. The path led to a state park. That was great riding with only a few cars at a slow speed. At the end of the state park you entered a narrow opening onto a bike path that looked as though it had been striped along the side of a landing strip or runway. I believe it may see occasional use by the Marines.

Finally, after going through a dark, narrow tunnel under I-5 I entered the north gate at Camp Pendleton. The Marine who greeted me at the gate was very nice. He asked where I'd come from and when I told him "Canada" we started chatting. Soon, however another vehicle pulled up behind me, so after a quick look at my driver's license I was waved onto to the camp roads.

I felt that it was a great honor to be able to ride through Camp Pendleton. Here, some of America's finest young men train to serve our country and defend our freedoms. I was choked up at the thought that some of those men who had trained here in just the past few years, had already given their lives to keep us secure from terrorism. As I rode past huge tent cities, obstacle courses, firing ranges, and on-base housing, I thought of the sacrifices they and their families make to serve our country and I thanked God that there are men and women who were willing to do that. I wished that I had an American flag to fly from my bike, to say "thank you" to those Marines, but the best I could do was a red, white and blue dew rag on my head.

The miles through Camp Pendleton went quickly, and before I knew it I was winding my way through the streets of Oceanside in order to get to the Hotel. It had been a fast, easy delightful ride on a gloriously sunny day, with a breezy tailwind, and I truly thanked God for it. What a contrast to yesterday.

This morning in the motel in Huntington Beach as we were getting ready for the day, Tom and I listened to the Lutheran Hour sermon. The guest pastor spoke on Matthew 10:34. "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.", Jesus said. Those seem like strange words from the one whose birth the angels heralded by saying, "Peace on earth, goodwill to men." As I rode through Camp Pendleton, I thought about how those fighting men must be ready for war in order to perserve the peace. In fact, yesterday I had seen a military man wearing a t-shirt with the latin motto saying "He who desires peace must prepare for war."

We may want to have peace in our lives here on earth, but if we boldly proclaim Jesus to be the Way, the Truth and the Life, it will not always bring peace. Many will be offended. Many will oppose such a message. Many will even seek to confine the message of the Gospel within the walls of the church. But our founding fathers did not envision a religion free society when they prevented congress from establishing a national church. Rather, they wanted everyone to be free practice and proclaim their faith. Otherwise freedom of religion and freedom of speech would not both be included in the First Amendment.

So, today as I rode through Camp Pendleton, I was not only thankful for the Marines who protect our freedom, but I was also thankful for freedom to tell others about Jesus, and I was praying that God would strengthen me to be ready to fight any battles necessary to continue fearlessly proclaiming the Gospel, so that others may have peace with God through faith in His Son.

In one way it seems this journey has been going on forever. In another way, I can hardly believe that tomorrow is my last day of riding. Tomorrow I go from Oceanside to San Diego. On the south side of San Diego I will reach the Mexican border. Tom and will snap a picture, we'll put the bike in the car and turn around to drive home. WOW! But before that, I still have to finish tomorrow's ride. Here's a map of the last ride of my journey.


Thank you again for all your prayers. Please keep them up, not just for the ride tomorrow, but for a safe return home. We probably won't be back before July 3rd, so we need your continued intercession for safety on the road. I'll try to post another blog tomorrow sometime, and a follow up with some statistics and thoughts. I've thought about keeping the blog going throughout the sabbatical, but I won't make any promises right now.

Hope you all had a blessed Sunday with Our Lord. May his peace be with you, regardless of the circumstances in your life. Can't wait to see you again, Rebekah and Elijah. Hang in there, MaryBeth and William. We'll be there in three weeks. See you tomorrow, Diana. My love to all of you, and to God's people at OSLC.

Mosaic of Life

Today may have been the most challenging ride of the entire journey. It started off very well, retracing my route through the quiet residential streets of Santa Monica that had brought me to the hotel. The first thing I noticed was this house. I couldnt help but stop and take a picture. The entire house was covered with mosaics. Not just one side, but every side. Here's the front of the house.


What I didn't realize then, was that this would become a symbol of my ride today through the streets of LA. I saw everything imagineable. After making my way back to the coast I started out on the LA beach bike path. Then I got back into city traffic as I made my way to the NE around Marina Del Rey. Those streets took me to another bike path that completed the horseshoe around the Marina (several miles). After that I got back on the beach bike path. This was great riding because it is open only to bikes. There are no stoplights or intersections so it's almost like a freeway for bikes.

For the first time I saw a "beach sweeper." It was a large tractor pulling a device with long teeth that dug down into the sand. The sand came up into the machine and all the trash, watches, rings, wallets, sandals, etc are sifted out. Then the clean sand is deposited back on the beach in a nice smooth path. It was pretty slick.

Next came Venice Beach. If you're into people watching, this is the place the do it. On Venice beach you could see any imagineable example of humanity. It would be like going to the aquarium to see every possible variety of fish. It was sometimes hard not to stare.

After Venice beach I got back on the bike path and rode to "The Strand" where the wealthy shop and gather. It was dripping with money. Even the sidewalk glittered (on purpose I'm sure).

After that the riding got more difficult. I wound up in heavy traffic on busy streets in LA. I rode through commercial districts, industrial parks, past refineries and the huge port of Anaheim. Then, to avoid some impossible traffic, I got back into a residential area where I was quite isolated, ethnically speaking. As I rode along I noticed a black car with two men following closely behind me. This continued for several blocks, whether I rode faster or slower. I was truly thankful that Tom was just a few blocks ahead of me and noticed them also. He stopped and I got off the street onto the sidewalk. He rolled down the window and I was ready to jump in the car and carry the bike outside until we could get to safety. However, when they saw that I wasn't alone they quickly turned off onto another street and took off. I am convinced they were intent on grabbing my bike and anything else they could get off me. But Tom and I were both diligently praying, and the power of Christ and His light is greater than any force of darkness.

As I rode on, the barrios turned into commercial districts, then suburban streets, shopping malls, marinas with restaurants and tourist traps, then again into suburban neighorhoods and shops. During the course of the day, I truly saw it all. It was like one giant mosaic of life. Everything imagineable.

There is a church in LA that has called itself Mosaic. They intentionally try to reach all kinds of people for Christ. It's a great name of an LA congregation. It's got to be one of the biggest human mosaics on earth.

One of the reasons today's ride was so exhausting was because of the constant stop and go. Red lights. Stop signs. Pedestrians. You name it, there are constant reasons to have to stop. And everytime you have to stop you lose all your momentum. You have to start again from zero. And it's even worse when you don't remember or have time to downshift before you stop. Then you have to stand up and push hard to try and get going again against a big gear. All of this left me exhuasted and hungry. So after a shower, Tom and I went to the Lazy Dog Cafe for a great supper. Here's a shot of us enjoying our well earned reward.


Tomorrow's ride is 57 miles to Oceanside. It will be 90 percent along the coast and and yet still mostly urban riding. Please continue to uphold me in prayer. After all of today's stop and go, my right knee is quite sore. I need a good night's rest and strength for tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Rebekah! Can't wait to get home and celebrate together. Love you, Diana. Hope you and Janet are having fun. God bless all of you dear ones at OSLC. I'm praying God's protection for you and your leaders as well. God's peace be with you all!

Urban Cowboy

As Tom and I looked at the route and the ride for today at the hotel last night we both realized that it would be over 90 miles of mostly urban riding. We agreed that would just be too much. So this morning we got up early and went out to breakfast at IHOP. Then we went back to the hotel and got ready for the ride. We got in the car and drove 101 to Ventura, CA. I started the ride on Harbor Rd. in Ventura and continued from there to Santa Monica, a total of 62 miles.

Almost half of the ride was through Malibu along the Pacific Coast Highway. There was a nice wide shoulder but unfortunately there were so many beaches and so many people using the beaches, and so many workers parked outside of fancy Malibu homes doing painting and plumbing and landscaping, that most of the time there was no shoulder left. I felt like an "urban cowboy" as I weaved my way in and out of "herds" of traffic on my "trusty steed" Madone. It was really rather dangerous, now that I think about it. But as I have every other day of the ride, I prayed before leaving and frequently during the ride, and God answered prayers and kept me safe.

Finally at Wil Rogers State Beach I was able to get off Highway 1 and onto a bike path that ran along the beach. I stopped and shot this typical scene, with umbrellas everywhere like a crop of blue mushrooms on the beach.

When it came time to exit to Santa Monica, I was thankful that Tom had told me about a pedestrian bridge over CA 1. It was much easier than trying to fight my way through traffic into the left turn lane to get onto the Calfornia Incline and up to Santa Monica.

In Santa Monica I rode about three miles through a quiet, pretty residential neighborhood in the bright sunshine. It was the best part of the ride the whole day. I was tired of playing "urban cowboy." It worked out well that we shortened the ride, since the miles I did were hard enough, and we got in early, about 2 PM. That was a blessing because when I got to the hotel I realzed that my back wheel was binding because it was out of true. Fortunately we found a Trek dealer only three blocks from the hotel who was willing to true my wheel right away. By 3 PM I was riding my bike home from the bike shop in A-1 condition.

As I rode through Malibu today and saw the numerous multi-million dollar mansions, some of which undoubtedly belonged to celebrities, others to various wealthy individuals with more private lives. I wondered what their lives were like. I noticed that near the beach, there would be lines of cars parked along the road. One would be a Jaguar, the next a 15 year old Ford Aerostar van, then a Mercedes, followed by a pickup truck. I notice a Porsche competing for a coveted parking space with a 1980's Toyota. The Toyota won out.

It seems the beach is the great equalizer. I'm sure there are many wealthy people in Malibu who have private beach access and don't have to compete for a parking space, but for many others their money and status don't help. They have to line up with all the others. I thought of what Peter said in Acts 10: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all." I was reminded that the wealthy celebreties and entrepreneurs of Malibu need Jesus every bit as much as you and I, and that the homeless man sitting on the bench by the beach was loved by God every bit as much as any celebrity.

We need to remember that as members of the body of Christ. God doesn't love only those who love and serve him. He doesn't love only those who look, talk, act or think the way we do. He loves them all and wants thm all to receive his grace by faith. We should try to do everything we can to reach anyone with whom we have a relationship, whether rich or poor, black, white, brown or yellow. God is no respectere of persons. Just like the parking spots in Malibu.

Here's a map of today's ride. Tomorrow's ride is short, only 47 miles to Huntington Beach. I'm thankful. I can sleep in for a change. Please say a special prayer for my riding in the city. There are so many more dangers. I need all the prayers I can get.

God's love, mercy, peace, hope and joy be with you all. You are precious to me. Above all you,Diana. Elijah, congrats on your first swim lesson. My, how you are growing up! MaryBeth, take good care of yourself and baby Seth. I love you all. God bless.

Tough and Tired

Today's ride started early, and it's a good thing. It seemed I was climbing and fighting a headwind from the get go. I just couldn't seem to get any speed. Finally I got outside of Santa Maria and settled into a rhythm. Then it got tougher. There were a series of difficult climbs going south on 135 and CA 1 all the way to Vandenberg AFB. At that point I thought I had only a few more miles to Lompoc, but the climbing wasn't through. I was so thankful to see the Starbucks in Lompoc and stop for a coffee and a doughnut.

After leaving Lompoc, the climbng resumed and the temperature rose. I took off my jacket and tights, but it didn't make the climbing any easier, nor did the rough "chip seal" pavement. Finally, I crested the coastal range and had a fun two mile descent down to the coast. Here's a profile of the complete ride. You can see the climbing that I did.


The rest of the ride on 101 into Santa Barbara was much easier and I was thankful for that. When I saw this sign I couldn't resist stopping for a picture. I also needed some more "Chamois Butt'r", something that I've found to be an absolute necessity when touring.


Somewhere along the line, I saw one of many "Adopt a Highway" signs with the name of the organization keeping that section of the road clean. It was the "Crucified Life Church". I liked that name. Not many of us think of putting the words "crucified" and "life" together, but they should be. Jesus told us that if we want to follow him we have to take up our cross daily. The cross is an instrument of death, and when we daily die to self, to our sinful nature, and to the flesh, then we can truly live in Christ and for Christ. I don't think riding my bike 78 miles is really "crucifying" myself, but the discipline of making my body to hard, even painful things when I'm tired and don't really want to go on is valuable. It makes it easier to pursue the crucified life that will glorify Christ. I'm glad I saw that sign. The name of that church helped me hang tough even though I was tired and really wanted to quit. Pray that Christ will help you live the crucified life for him!

Incidentally, I'm the one who's supposed to be in harm's way each day on the bike, but last night Diana fell and hit her head in the guest room at Tom and Janet's house. She was initially in a lot of pain, and slightly confused so Janet insisted that she go to the ER. Just as a percaution they did a CT scan. Thankfully, everything was Okay, and DIana is feeling better today. Thank you for your prayers for safety for both of us. I'm sure God's holy angels protected her from serious injury because you were faithful in prayer.

Tommorrow's ride is the last long one, about 85 miles into Santa Monica (LA area). Please pray for strength and safety. God bless and keep you all.

A Nice Ride (Again!)

After an early morning goodbye to my sweetheart, Diana, Tom and I drove to Cambria, where I would have ended my ride yesterday, had the road been open. I rode south to Morro Bay in a cool breezy fog off the ocean. It was impossible to see Morro Rock until you were almost on top of it. Along the way I continued to notice beautiful flowers and plants that I have never seen before. This is one example, from Morro Bay.


I also had a rest stop at "Dinosaur Cave Park" in Shell Beach. This is a location where a 1950's entrepreneur created a huge concrete dinosaur to attract people to an 80 foot tunnel studded with fake gemstones leading to caves formed in the cliffs by wave action on the soft rock. He regaled tourists with tales of dinosaur remains found in the caves, although that was never the case. Here's a shot of the scenic cliffs and park.


From there the ride took me south through San Luis Obispo, and on to Pismo Beach. Tom and I had lunch at the Rock & Roll Diner, that consisted of two old dining cars on a railroad siding, alongside of Highway 1. They were decorated with a 50's rock and roll theme, so I'm please to say that it was "a little before my time" since my rock was the 60's era. :-)

The ride continued south through Oceano, then down to Guadalupe and into Santa Maria. It was only 2631 feet vertical gain for the whole 70 miles, and included only one climb that was challenging at all. I was very thankful to God to feel strong and well on the bike again. I truly enjoyed the ride. I hope the remaining five days go as well, although the first two are both around 85 miles. Please pray that I can continue to complete each ride down to Mexico, with joy and in safety.

No Bike, No Net, No Blog

Thanks to an update from Microsoft, I was unable to get online for the past two days, until I spent two hours on the phone with tech support this afternoon. Now I finally have an internet connection and can do a blog again. Sorry about that!

Yesterday was supposed the be the big ride from Monterey to Cambria on the Pacific Coast Higway. As I said the day before yesterday, fires shut down the road so I took advantage of the change to take a real day off.

Diana and I began our day with a visit to Cannery Row in Monterey, CA. Unfortunately, her pictures are still in her camera so I can't share any of them. After a drive to our friends house, I used the rest of the afternoon for maintenance on my bike. I replaced both tubes and tires, and cleaned and lubricated the entire drive train. I wiped off some of the crud from the first 1000 miles, and was ready to go again. Here's a shot of me in action in Tom's back yard.


We had a wonderful back yard barbeque with our friends and got ready to have a new "soigneur" for the rest of the ride. In case you don't know, a soigneur is a personal assistant to a Tour de France rider responsible for food, clothes, personal gear and escorting the riders whenever they are off the bike. Actually, I haven't made either Diana or my friend Tom do that much for me, but they have been wonderful assistants in many ways. If you're a soigneur to a top notch rider like Lance Armstrong you are very well paid.

I was thinking about what a true soigneur might or might not do for a rider who employed him. Then I got to thinking about what Jesus does for us, and has done for us, all by sheer grace. He paid the price for all our sins by his death on the cross. He opened the gate to eternal life by his rising from the grave. He rules all things from his throne in heaven for our benefit, as members of his body, the Church. And he continually intercedes for us before our Father in heaven. And he does it all for free! I think I'll skip the soigneur and be satisfied with my Savior. Praise God for Jesus.

Tomorrow's ride is planned to be 70 miles from Cambria to Santa Maria. Please keep Diana in your prayers while we're apart, and continue to lift up my ride for safety and strength each day. I deeply appreciate your prayer support. May God bless and keep each one of you.

P.S.: I miss you already, Diana. Elijah and Rebekah, I really miss you! MaryBeth and William, I miss you and look forward to seeing you next month.

Plans Fulfilled and Plans Changed

Today was a planned "rest" day with only 48 miles of riding. I woke up feeling good and got ready for my ride. Like almost every day since the trip began I had to "layer up" because of the temperature. Yes, even though we are in "sunny Santa Cruz" CA on June 23rd, we woke up to 50 degrees and fog. I put on shorts and tights, an upper base layer, plus long sleeved jersey and jacket before heading out, the way I typically dress for early spring rides in Puyallup, and I remained comfortable all day! I've had only one day during the entire ride when I could begin and end in jersey and shorts. Not at all what I expected! But then, a lot of things about this journey are not what I expected.

Today, however, went as planned. It was a wonderful ride, with some rolling hills, none over 250 feet, and a lot of flat land. The morning was spent in urban riding through Santa Cruz, Soquel, and Aptos. I had forgotten how slow urban riding is with traffic, stop lights, stop signs, pedestrians, etc. I did get a chance to have only my second Starbucks of the trip. It was a real treat. Then the urban riding ended and I entered the strawberrry fields of Monterey County. As I rode on mile after mile through strawberries (and a few artichokes), the old Beattles song "Strawberry Fields Forever" kept playing in my head (shows my age!). At one point a worker on a tractor was spraying chemicals on the berries. He was wearing a respirator and the spray was blowing my way. I was surprised when he saw me coming that he stopped the tractor and shut off the spray until I rode by. I thanked him with a wave of my hand.

Diana and I met for a wonderful lunch of fish and chips at Phil's Fish Market and Eatery in Moss Landing (a very famous local establishment that people drive miles to frequent).

The food was excellent! After lunch I got back on the bike and headed for Monterey. I took advantage of a wonderful bike path that ran for many miles alongside the CA 1 expressway. Diana said she saw me on my bike from the car.

After we checked into the motel, we did some laundry and shopping,then went and got a bite to eat. In the drugstore on the way back to the motel, we saw a newspaper with big front page headlines, "Big Sur fires close road, force evacuations." The plan was to ride CA 1 south tomorrow from Monterey, through Big Sur and on to Cambria. So, even though today's plan was fulfilled with a wonderful ride from Santa Cruz, tomorrow's plan will have to be changed.

God's plans are always better than ours, even when they seem worse. I have been looking forward to doing the Big Sur ride which I did in 2005 for several months. At the same time, I've found myself being more and more tired on the bike each day. I realize now that in planning this ride I made some mistakes. I took my known ability to ride 70 or 80 miles on any given day and extrapolated it into the ability to do the same thing for three weeks straight. They are not the same thing! Over the last fifteen days I have ridden every day, covering nearly 1000 miles. I planned two "rest" days of 50 miles each, but haven't had a single day off the bike. I planned it that way in part because I didn't want to be away from Elijah (and Rebekah) at home any longer than necessary. But my planning was too ambitious. I overestimated my strength and condition. So, in light of the news about Highway 1 being closed, Diana and I talked it over and decided to make tomorrow a true rest day. We will sleep in, have a nice brunch and drive to our best friends' house. Diana will be staying there for the last week of the trip and Tom will take over driving the "sag wagon" for me, as we head down to southern California.

Once again, God knows best. I don't believe he caused the fires that closed Highway 1 just to keep me off it, but I do believe he used that situation to tell me to take a day off -- a REAL day off. I hope that all of you who pledged support for Day 16 of my ride won't feel cheated. To help you cope, I'll include a profile of the ride from 2005 so you can see what I did then. At least you'll know I've done it once. Here's the profile.

Even if I chose to ride tomorrow, finding alternatives is difficult. Bicycles aren't allowed on 101 or I-5, and there aren't any other "through" alternative routes other than Highway 1. So, sometimmes our plans are fulfilled and sometimes they are changed, but when we're trusting God, it's all good.

Diana is looking forward to a few days of well earned rest with her good friend Janet, and I'm looking forward to another week on the coastal roller coaster, all the way to the border. Please pray that God will keep us safe while apart, and that Tom and I will make a good team for the remainder of the ride.

We love and miss you all, including our OSLC family. Yes, I do miss ministry already, even though I am enjoying my sabbatical immensely. May God bless and keep every one of you, friends and family alike, whether in the Northwest, Texas, the Midwest or elsewhere. We look forward to seeing all of you again. Thanks for your support, your comments, and your prayers. They are deeply appreciated.

Another Challenging Day

Yesterday's ride into San Francisco was gorgeous, sunny and warm. This morning San Francisco proved true to its nature. After reading Scripture and praying together with Diana in our hotel room, I started my ride. It was 50 degrees, and the wind was whipping the fog in off the ocean. You could hardly see anything, and I knew I couldn't be seen from very far off, even with two strobing tail lights on me and my bike. I said a special prayer for God's protection and started climbing to get "down" to the ocean. I actually had to climb for several miles before making a harrowing descent through the fog down to sea level.

Just a few miles south of San Francisco Highway 1 narrowed to two lanes with no shoulder, and I started another windy 700 foot climb over one of the many mountains by the sea. With the fog this five mile stretch was very scary, with fog blowing in my face, and cars whipping by constantly. But God was faithful and got me through this difficult section safely.

After this the climbs became shorter and less steep, and the shoulder wider so things got a little easier. Diana and I met in Half Moon Bay for a nice lunch. One of the wonderful things of riding a bike in new territory is moving slowly enough to appreciate all the unique trees and flowers that God has created. I shot this picture on my way out of town after lunch. I've never seen a tree with red "puff balls" on it before.


As I rode down the coast it got windier and windier. Fortunately, most of the time he winds were from the side or they were a tail wind. A few times, while racing down a descent they nearly knocked me off the bike. This is something I have learned to be prepared for as I descend to sea level and the road is open to the beach. The cross winds are terrible then. There are people who love it, though. Today there were hundreds of wind surfers and kite surfers taking advantage of the strong winds. Diana snapped this picture.


Somewhere along the line on one of many climbs I suffered a mild groin pull on the right side. As it grew worse with each climb, it made the final miles painful. Between the wind and the pain I was happy to get off the bike. Santa Cruz is a wild beach town, with a boardwalk amusement park and casino on the beach. Surfers and motorcycles galore! I don't think we'll have a quiet night in the motel room, which is right on the main drag down to the boardwalk. We can see the roller coaster from our hotel room. No, I won't be riding it. I've been on my own roller coaster for two weeks!

One of the Scriptures we read this morning was Lamentations 3:22-23. "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." This trip has really brought that verse to life for me, with God supplying new mercies every morning of our trip. I pray that God will make this Word of prommise true in your life as well.

Tomorrow is another "rest" day, and I am thankful for it. The plan is to ride to Monterey, before the big ride along the famous stretch of coast by Big Sur on Tuesday. Here is a map of tomorrow's ride. Please give thanks and praise to God for protection today in the fog, and pray for healing overnight so that I can ride strong tomorrow. May God bless and keep you all in his loving care.


P.S. Thanks to you who have left comments on the blogs. We love them! Through my mother-in-law I found out that not everyone knows you can click on a picture to make it full size. They are much better "blown up." I guess I should have said these things two weeks ago.

What A Birthday!

Yesterday I gave Diana and me a belated anniversary present, and today I gave myself a birthday present. I had planned to ride 78 miles from Bodega Bay to San Francisco. Instead I slept in a little later and drove with Diana about 30 miles to Olema, CA and got on the bike there. The shortened rides on three of the last four days has helped a lot, and today's ride went very well. I felt good, even in the saddle, all the way to the end. With God's help I should be able to resume my full distances tomorrow.

Today's ride was a study in contrasts. It started in the golden hills of farmland and pasture, and continued on through Redwood forests into the suburbs of San Francisco, and finally into the busy traffic and hills of San Francisco itself. Everything from winding country roads with a wide shoulder, to no shoulder winding through the woods, to fighting buses, traffic, stoplights and hundreds of other cyclists in the city.

The highligt of today's ride was crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. What a thrilling birthday celebration. It was a glorious, sunny day, with temps over 100 out in the hills, 90 in the city, and in the 70's over the bridge. I asked a tourist from England to take this picture of me on the Golden Gate Bridge.

As I crossed the bridge I thought about having seen a bridge under construction farther north on 101. It was amazing to see what those men had to go through to build that bridge. I thought of the sacrifices of the men who built the Golden Gate so that I could so easily ride my bike straigth across San Francisco Bay. It made me think about our spiritual forefathers and mothers who paved the way for our faith by their sacrifices. They are like a great cloud of witnesses cheering me on as I ride, and cheering on our faith as we go through life (Hebrews 12:1).

Diana arrived safely at the hotel ahead of me, and I wound my way through the up and down streets of San Francisco to join her. We enjoyed a wonderful birthday dinner at Outback Steakhouse, and are praising God for the great day he gave us.


Tomorrow I will be riding along the coast to Santa Cruz. Here is a map of the planned route tomorrow. It should be about 70 miles. Sorry for two postings on one day, but we didn't have internet to post yesterday.


Please keep us in your prayers. So far all driving and riding has been safe, but we are aware of the dangers everywhere and need your prayers to keep God's angels busy. We love and miss you all. God bless each of you.

A Belated Anniversary Present

Yesterday's ride was the hardest 78 miles I have ever ridden. I told Diana that our anniversary present would be no alarm. I slept till nearly 9 AM. I was exhausted. We got up and had breakfast in the room and took our time getting ready to head out. We didn't leave the historic Mendocino Hotel until almost noon.

I'm sure this was God's plan, because the 97 miles I had planned to ride would have been impossible. I rode the California coast from Monterey to Cambria in 2005, but I had never ridden the Shoreline Drive of the North Coast. They are completely different. On the central coast they have "high" brdges over the rivers and creeks that flow into the ocean, so you don't have to go all the way down to sea level every time you cross one. On the north coast the old, short bridges at sea level are in place, which means you have to descend right down to the ocean and climb back up to over 400 feet every time. It's difficult, demanding, and dangerous. Thank the Lord he wanted us to enjoy each other on the morning after our anniverary. If I would have followed my original plan it would have been a disaster.

We drove down the coast to the historic Fort Ross, an original Russian colony in California. While Diana looked around I got ready to ride. I got on the bike and rode the rest of the way to Bodega Bay, where we stayed the night. Diana caught this shot of me in action, climbing one of the many hills along the way.


This trip has taught me the importance of planning, and the importance of being willing and able to modify plans as necessary. Someytimes it's important to stick with a plan, even when it's hard. But there are times when you have to modify plans or face utter failure. When my "backside blues" began I could have tried to force the issue and forge ahead. Had I done that I probably would have developed saddle sores that would have made it impossible for me to continue at all. Instead I shortened a couple of days and have been able to go on.

Both planning and flexibility with plans are important in our personal lives, in our jobs and for the church. But we always have to trust God. James reminds us: "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." (James 4:13-15)

Tomorrow's plan is to ride from Bodega Bay to San Francisco. We'll see what God has planned. God be with you all. We love and miss you. We are blessed by God with great joy in our journey, and a great adventure of faith.

The Odd Couple

Today was our 37th wedding anniversary. I brought Diana “breakfast in bed” from the continental breakfast bar at the hotel. Then we headed south on Highway 101. Today’s ride was the hardest 79 miles I have ever ridden. The ride on 101 was fine when it was expressway, but it frequently went through the Redwoods where it became a narrow, winding, two lane road with no shoulder at all. The problem was that you still had the same traffic as on the expressway—trucks, motor homes, and many cars. I had to be constantly alert to what was coming up from behind and hold a straight line as close to the edge of the road as possible. It was exhausting with all the up and down through the Redwood forests.


We stopped in Legget, where a couple on their motorcycle took this picture of the two of us. “The Odd Couple” in this instance refers not to Diana and me but to my lightweight Trek Madone carbon fiber bike with the huge, padded, full-suspension touring saddle. That seat on this bike makes an odd couple, but it saved the day. I was able to complete the 79 miles without too much pain from the backside. My legs were very tired however, from climbing to 1855 feet to cross the coastal range. When I thought I was done climbing and foolishly told myself that I had this ride about wrapped up, along came another 600 foot climbing before getting down to the ocean. The temperature while I was making that first major climb reached 95 degrees. I was thankful for the cool ocean breezes when I finally reached the coast. My pride in thinking I had sewed up the ride before the last big climb reminded me of the warning in Proverbs, “Pride goes before the fall.” How foolish it is of us to let pride puff us up. Habakkuk tells us that the proud man “is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous will live by his faith.”

After a rest stop with Diana in Westport, the last 25 miles to Mendocino went more quickly than I expected. I told Diana I would meet her at the hotel around 5:30 PM. I got there at 5:00, expecting her to be there since it was 2:45 when we left our rest stop and she had only the same short mileage to drive. The Mendocino Hotel was an historic inn opened in 1878. The room was beautifully decorated and furnished with antiques. I couldn’t wait to have us enjoy our anniversary getaway together. I called Diana’s cell phone and got only voice mail. Finally, about an hour later (and two messages on voice mail), Diana called me very briefly to say she was in front of the place. I went downstairs and waited. No Diana. About a half hour later, I had my best friend Tom try to call her. He called once and got her voicemail, then pushed redial and got a man who said he had the wrong number. When Tom told me this I became very concerned. By 6:45 I was frantic, and I contacted the Mendocino county sheriff’s office to report Diana missing. Finally at 7:00 PM Diana drove up, and my fears were relieved. Her cell phone had died, and she was given incorrect directions to the wrong hotel!

We flagged a Sheriff’s car on the street thinking it was the deputy who had been dispatched to get more details on my “missing person.” It turned out to be the Mendocino County Sheriff himself. We all had a good laugh together, and he gave Diana his “Sheriff” lapel pin, along with a business card, as a memento of our memorable anniversary. I decided to give us both an anniversary present. In the morning we will sleep in and I’ll drive the first few miles of my 97 mile ride along Highway 1 to Bodega Bay with Diana, before getting on the bike. Through the years Diana and I have had many memorable anniversaries, but this will rank among the most unforgettable.

Backside Blues and Rising Redwoods

Today's ride started with an adjustment on my rear derailleur at a bikeshop in Arcata, CA. I wish I could have had my own rear end adjusted, because that's what ended my ride early today. The backside got so sore that I just couldn't go on. The legs weren't strong enough to stand and pedal the whole way, and the seat wasn't tough enough to take it anymore. I met Diana in "The Victorian Village of Ferndale" after only 32 miles of pedaling, and we toured this quaint little town, did some shopping and had a nice lunch. This is just one example of the great victorian homes and shops.

After leaving Ferndale we stopped at a bike shop in Fortuna, where I bought a Specialzed "Expedition" touring saddle with suspension. We'll find out tomorrow whether it was worth the investment. From there we toured "The Avenue of the Giants." Diana found a poem called "The Redwoods" by Joseph B. Strauss. This is an excerpt.

Here, sown by the Creator's Hand,
In serried ranks, the redwoods stand;
No other clime is honored so,
No other lands their glory know...
To be like these, straight, true and fine,
To make our world, like their, a shrine,
Sink down, Oh, traveler, on your knees,
God stands before you in these trees.

I was reminded of Psalm 104: Praise the Lord, O my soul, O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty... The trees of the Lord are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all."(vv. 1, 16 & 24a). If the Psalmist could have visited here I'm sure he would have written about the Redwoods of Humboldt County. The pictures don't do them justice!


Tomorrow we continue our journey through the redwoods, then head down to the coast. It should be a VERY CHALLENGING ride, based on the shape of the roads on the map. Lots of curves and switchbacks. I understand the descent from Leggett to the coast on Highway 1 is amazing. Here's a map of tomorrows's ride.


Special prayers for safety on the winding roads tomorrow will be appreciated. God bless all of you.

A Long Day

Today was a long day. The alarm went off at 6AM and I was out cold, the first day I haven't awakened before the alarm. I finally got up at 6:30 and we were on the road about 8:30. When I left Brookings the coast was cool and overcast. The sky soon cleared and there was bright sunshine the rest of the day. A few miles south of Brookings, OR I crossed the border into California. Got my bike by the sign at least!

I had Diana wait for me in Crescent City, CA. When I rolled into town I called and asked where she was. She was so fascinated by watching whales spout that all she could tell me was to "Come to where you're gonna fall in the water." I wanted to tell her that with water along the whole Pacific Coast, that wasn't particularly helpful. I finally got a street name out of her and we both got to see the whales together.

Our next stop came after the first big climb of the day, over 1200 feet. It was at Trees of Mystery. Here I am by a carving of an Indian called "End of the Trail."

Unfortunately, I was only 45 miles into a 106 mile day, and not anywhere's near the trail's end. I left there and immediately encountered a 1475 foot climb. All of this made for two harrowing descents that were thrilling and exhilirating.

I was tired but determined by the time we stopped in Orick, CA for a cool drink, but it took another two and one half hours to finish up. So tonight I'm trying to recover from a "mile high century" (almost 6000 feet of climbing and 106 miles of distance). Here's a profile.


Tomorrow's ride is 76 miles along the Avenue of the Redwoods. It should be beautiful.

Diana's Discoveries:
- Brookings, OR is the "Banana Belt" of the Oregon Coast because of a jet stream that keeps is particularly mild year round.
- Almost all Easter Lillies in US come from bulbs produced in Brookings, OR.
- Diana saw grave markers from the early 1800's in Crescent City, which specified where the settlers had come from. Many died young.
- In 1942 the Japanese bombed the Oregon coast with an incendiary bomb hoping to ignite wild fires. A wet year kept it from working.
- Jurassic Park II was filmed at the Trees of Mystery near Klamath, CA.

We love and miss you all. God's blessings to each of you.

Flirting with Disaster

Every day is a new adventure. I've found after eight days on the bike that I'm frequently bringing to mind new scenarios of how I might end up in a wreck. Sometimes its the rock in the road that you fail to avoid, the pothole you didn't see, the close brush with a logging truck going 60 mph, or a crosswind that almost pushes you over, but there's always something to remind you that life is a precious gift that could be lost at any moment. I am so thankful for your prayers for my safety. I know they have been effective, because there have been many close calls.

I spotted a couple of other things along the way that made me think about wrecks. It's easy to make a wreck of our lives when we're where we shouldn't be. Like this old boat. David found that out. In the spring of the year when Kings go off to war with their armies he stayed back at the palace and wound up committing adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1).

Another way we can make a wreck of our lives is when we just give up on our faith. I saw this boat today, that someone just gave up on. Peter urges us to add to our faith so that we will not become ineffective and unproductive. (2 Peter 1:5-8)

I realize that to keep from making a wreck of this ride, I not only need the prayers of God's people, but I also have to ride in a state of constant alertness. I also have to take special care since I don't know the roads I'm riding. Although I love a full out descent, I only allowed myself one today, when I was on new pavement and could see the road straight ahead to the bottom of the hill, and knew that it was sheltered from the wind on both sides. I hit 42 MPH. FUN!

Today's ride was a rest day--only 55 miles--just four hours on the bike. Tomorrow's planned ride is 97 miles. I am tired tonight and know that I will need God's help and strength to make it. Please pray for me. Here's the map for tomorrow.


Happy Birthday, MaryBeth! We love you. God's blessings to all of you in our family, and to all of our family at Our Savior. Good night.

Father's Day

Today’s ride was a very hard one, physically. I woke up exceptionally tired. Within a few miles of being on the road my backside was extremely sore. Diana waited for me at North Bend, about 22 miles from Reedsport, and I stopped and swapped the lightweight saddle on my Madone for the cushier saddle from my Giant. I wasn’t even sure I could go on, but Elijah lifted my spirits with a Father’s Day call, singing “Happy Father’s Day to you” over the phone. It was wonderful! He called to tell me that when I get back he is going to ride his own bike with me on the trail, “just like Papa.”

I got back on the road by reminding myself of the words on my Road ID tag, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Then things really got tough. I followed the Oregon Coast Bicycle Route away from Highway 101, and ended up on “Seven Devils Road.” I’m convinced that a cyclist named it for seven difficult climbs, each of which had been labeled for cyclists with paint on the roadway – “Devil #1” etc. The steepest grade was 19%, but much of it was 10 to 15%. It was a long, hard grind. To keep myself going I was singing hymns and praise songs, glorifying God as I struggled to keep going. Diana waited for me again in Bandon by the Sea. As I rode into town the wind was so strong it nearly knocked me off my bike. We could hardly stand up in the full force of the wind. I ate a couple bites of food with Diana taking shelter from the wind in the car, then got back on my bike. The reward of the day was meeting Diana again at the Langlois Market, about 15 miles down the road. There she had a homemade hot dog with homemade mustard that was of this world. I had a chocolate ice cream cone, before riding the last 15 miles to Port Orford. Here’s a profile. The high section in the middle represents “Seven Devils.”


Today’s ride totaled 84 miles, eight miles farther than expected because of the change of route, with a total of 5254 feet vertical gain. Thankfully, tomorrow is a “rest” day. We will sleep in, have a nice breakfast in Port Orford, and ride just 56 miles to Brookings.

Thank you for your faithful prayers. God has protected Diana and me, although we have seen both a bicycle and a motorcycle accident. Please continue to pray. Happy Father’s Day to all of you who share that privilege. I couldn’t help but think today about the story on the Ride4US video about the young man who came into CareNet with his girlfriend. When the technician told him that the baby had hiccups, he remembered that his mother told him that he had frequently had the hiccups in her womb. That day, he decided to be a father to that baby. I’m so thankful for the father that my second grandson, Seth Alan will have. William is a wonderful husband who will be a great father. He’s truly excited about his son to be born in late October. Not all young men are so excited to become fathers. “Illuminating Hope,” is the motto of Ride4US. My prayer on this Father’s Day is that God will use ultrasounds of unborn babies to give many fathers hope. 4US.org now has my fundraising page up. I believe you can navigate to it from the “Donate” tab on their home page. Thanks to all of you who have pledged to help me raise nearly $10,000 for Ultrasound Machines for CareNet through Ride4US. All of you helped make a tough ride on Father’s Day very worthwhile! God bless you all.

Sandboxes

Today's ride was a fun one. The first half of the ride was a long series of "rollers," hills where you roll down one side so fast that you almost don't have to pedal up the next. The early miles literally rolled away. Then we got to the first significant climb of the day which ended with a tunnel. Diana followed me through but I should have had her lead and drafted her. There was a strong headwind through the tunnel. We had lunch by Sea Lion Caves, and could see hundreds of sea lions basking in the sun. Here's a shot of them.

Along the way we finally had somemone snap a picture of us together. Up to this point we've either been taking pictures of each other, or been apart and asked someone else to take a picture of one of us. I happened to come upon Diana parked at a viewpoint and we got this snapshot.

The second half of today's ride was spent in the Oregon Dunes National Seashore. It reminded me alot of Michigan where I grew up with the huge sand dunes on Lake Michigan. I was continually being passed by people with their "toys." ATV's, 4X4 Jeeps, Dune buggys, you name it and people had it. I was reminded of how much fun it was to play in the sand box as a boy. Guess what? God is the originator of the sand box -- and on a grander scale than we could ever imagine. I believe God created places like the Oregon dunes simply because he delights in our pleasure!

Today's ride ended with a long climb. It seemed higher than it was, probably because I was more tired today. Here's a profile of today's ride. 4842 feet vertical gain. That's a lot of climbing, but not nearly the most I will have during the ride.

Finally here's a map of tomorrow's ride to Port Orford. Another 75 mile day.

We are praying daily for all our family. We love and miss you all -- in Michigan, Indiana, Texas and at OSLC. Please continue to pray for healing for Tom Peter's and for safety for Tammy Peters in Swaziland. Pray for MaryBeth's safe return to Houston after the wedding in Chicago, and for Rebekah and Elijah, as Rebekah has to work this weekend. Elijah, keep the comments coming. Papa loves them. God bless and keep you.

A New Adventure Every Day

The wonderful thing about riding your bike to new places is that you never know what's coming next. At one point today I started climbing and with each turn of the road I expected to see the summit of the hill. Instead with each turn I kept seeing more and more climbing (over 760 feet of climbing on that one hill alone.) At another point I was riding through a town and was greeted by this friendly fellow.
Of course, there's always unexpected danger as well. I was riding in traffic in a town when suddenly I hit a hole in the road that I couldn't see because of the car in front of me until it was too late. I almost went down. My water bottles flew out of their cages and onto the ground. I had to get out of traffic and stop quickly to retrieve them. It was kind of scary, like the time a gust of wind caught me from the side on a 43 mph descent and almost blew me off my bike. I don't think I could undertake an adventure like this if I didn't have faith.

In many ways, an adventure like this is exactly what life is like. We get up every morning having no idea what the day holds or whether it will be filled with triumph and blessing or tragedy and sorrow. I don't know how people who don't have faith in our faithful God can live each day. I can not only live, but even add adventure to my life because I know that my God created the heavens and the earth. He created time itself, and so I don't have to worry about the future because God is already there. Someone has said, "I don't know what the future holds, but I know Him who holds the future." That's enough for me.

At one point in my ride today, I stopped to ask a man to take a picture of me. He asked where I was going and when I told him "Mexico" he said, "You're kidding! Where are your clothes?" He had noticed that I wasn't carrying any gear on my bike. I told him that my wife and I were on the perfect trip together. "I love to ride my bike and she loves antique shops. It's a great arrangement! She doesn't have to pedal the bike and I don't have to look at the antiques." Here's a picture of Diana practicing her other favorite activity on this trip -- taking pictures! Right then she was taking a picture of Agate Beach on the Pacific Ocean from our hotel room. Right now I'm watching the sunset. The hotel room is angled perfectly to see it. What a blessing, Lord!
I rode 72 miles today with 3766 feet vertical gain, and a 15 mile per hour average speed. Tomorrow is almost the identical mileage, from Newport to Reedsport, OR. Please continue to keep us both in your prayers. You might want to look at Elijah's comment on the night before last's blog. It's cute. I would also ask you to pray for MaryBeth, our "mommy to be." She is in Chicago to serve as bridesmaid at a friend's wedding. She is expecting our second grandson, Seth Allen in late October, early November. God bless you all.

What a glorious day!

Day four of our trip began with overcast skies and cool temperatures, like the first three. Diana snapped a picture of me just south of Long Beach as I headed for Astoria on the bike.Within a couple of hours the clouds went away and the sun appeared. It was a glorious day, with perfect temperatures for riding (66) and a tail wind (Thanks to the Board of Discipleship's prayers!). The first 70 of 84 miles almost flew by, and even the last 14 were not bad.

On yesterday's blog, Elijah posted a comment asking for a picture of Diana. Here's the only picture of her today, atop the highest climb, overlooking the Oregon coast. Manzanita, Manhattan and Rockaway beaches are laid out like a string of pearls along the shore of the Pacific. If we had a more appropriate picture of Diana it would have been inside an antique shop.

Before we ever got to Oregon, Diana made an historical detour to Cape Dissapointment State Park in Washington. While I continued across the Astoria bridge, Diana visited the lighthouse. While she was there a man slipped off a cliff and fell into the ocean. Rescuers were called immediately. Suddenly Diana was surrounded by emergecy vehicles, boats and a hellicopter. So many people were involved, willing to risk their lives for one person. When Diana told me the story it reminded me of one of the purposes of my ride, to save the lives of unborn babies by illuminating hope through ultrasound (Ride4US). Interestingly, Diana had just stopped before the state park to take a picture of a World War II Monument. The first words on the plaque were "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend." (John 15:13). Jesus is the ultimate rescuer who illuminates hope through his death for our sins, and his resurrection so that we can live eternally.

Today's ride had lots of up and down (as coastal rides always do) with four significant climbs including the one over the Columbia River bridge. You actually climb to 200 feet on the bridge so that ocean going vessels can pass under. The highest climb gave the most spectacular view of the Oregon coast (the one in Diana's picture).

Here's a screen shot of tomorrow's ride. It's about 70 miles. I think I'm getting stronger each day, so we'll see how it goes. Our destination tomorrow is Newport. I am praying each day for my ride sponsors. Please keep both Diana and me in your prayers for safety. God bless you all. Rebekah and Elijah, we miss you both terribly.

God's Plans and Ours

I frequently tell people who ask me to pray for good weather that "I'm in sales not management." Once again today God clearly reminded me of that fact. Weather is one of God's ways to remind us that we are not in control. Today, I made the biggest weather mistake of all - I believed the forecast. I got up and checked the weather forecast for Shelton. 44 degrees (brrrrr!), with a WSW wind at 10 mph (a headwind for most of today's ride), but overcast with no rain. The forecast was the same for Long Beach. I dressed warmly and got on the bike early since I had over 100 miles to ride today. Within five miles of Shelton it was pouring rain. Within a few minutes I was soaking wet and freezing cold. I felt like a drowned rat in the Arctic Ocean! By the time I got to the first rest stop, I was nearing hypothermia. My hands were so numb I could barely use my cell phone to call Diana. I was shivering uncontrollably. Needless to say, I was in trouble. Diana came and got me in the car, wrapped a blanket around me and turned the heater on blast. As we drove on to the next town of any size I gradually warmed up. When we got there I changed into dry clothes, but all my cold and wet weather riding gear was already dirty and soaking wet. We decided to stop at a local diner and have brunch, then we made a trip to the laundromat.

That's me taking gear out of the washer to put in the dryer. Since much of my riding time was already shot, Diana and I toured a local carriage museum, then I got redressed in dry gear and got back on the bike and rode the rest of the way to Long Beach.

Someone has said, "If you want to make God smile just tell him your plans." Obviously, God's plan for the first few days of this adventure was not the same as my plan. But God has promised us in his word, "I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11) Today it was easy to see what God's plans were for our day. He wanted me off the road and spending some quality time with my wife. We had been pushing so hard to get ready before the trip, and for the first couple of days of our journey, that we hadn't even enjoyed being together. No I didn't get to ride all of the miles I planned for today, but God knew what was right for me to ride today. It's disappointing to me that on two of the first three days, things did not go as planned, but we have to trust that God's plans are best.

Sometimes it's easy to see the good that God plans to bring out of a change of plans in our lives. That was the case today. Even though I was miserable when cold and wet on the bike, God brought a good day out of it for Diana and me. Other times, it's very difficult - even impossible - to see how God's plans for us are good, especially if they involve great suffering or loss. Yesterday I got a prayer request for one of our member's whose son was seriously injured in an automobile accident. His friend died. Trying to see God's good plan in such circumstances is almost impossible. It's then that we have to trust that the God who loved us so much that he did not spare his own Son, will surely give us all good things along with him (Romans 8:32).

I have faith that God is with me, even though he has modified my plans thus far, and I will continue to trust in him as I embark on another day's ride tomorrow. Thursday, my plan is to ride the bridge to Astoria over the Columbia River, then continue south along the Oregon coast to Tillamook. We'll see what God has planned. Here's a screen shot of tomorrow's ride. 81 miles are planned, including one of two tunnels on the Pacific Coast Highway. I plan to have Diana meet me there, and follow me through the tunnel with her flashers on. Otherwise, Diana's been having a ball frequenting museums, antique shops, and many other points of interest. She's been busy taking picutres and having a fun time. Why is she having more fun than me? Because she didn't have any plans. So much for the wisdom of planning. God bless you all.

Junuary!

Early this morning I received Tim Ihssen's email to the Our Savior Youth. The word for the week was "Junuary". That's exactly what we had in Port Townsend this morning. The temperature was 44 degrees as I was setting up my bike, and I could see my breath! It was also raining steadily and continued to rain for three hours.

Yesterday, someone asked me how far I could go on a cheeseburger. I told him that I could probably go farther on a cheeseburger than he could on a gallon of gas, and for less money! When I got the the junction of Highway 20 and 101 south of Port Townsend I saw the ultimate cheeseburger. I'll bet I could go all the way to Mexico on that one!

As the day progressed the rain eased up and the showers were mixed with little sun breaks. Because of all the layers of clothes I had to wear, and the rain, as well as over 4000 feet of climbing, it took longer than expected to get to Shelton. Here's a profile of today's ride. The big climb in the middle is Mount Walker. The climb was 700 feet and five miles long, so it wasn't too steep, but a long grind anyway.

The following map is a screen shot of tomorrow's ride. It's a long one, with a very hilly stretch between Montesano and Raymond.


At this point my old faithful Giant OCR1 (my "rain" bike) is dirtier than it's ever been, but from the looks of the weather report it will probably be at least one more day before I break out the Madone.

Diana's been having fun along the way collecting post cards and stopping at the visitor center for the Olympic National Forest. It's late and I'm tired and need an early start, so that's all for tonight. God be with you all.

The Journey Begins

Sunday night Diana and I finished our preparations at home and loaded the car to drive to Lynden, Washington, about five miles south of the Canadian border. We spent the night in a windmill at the Dutch Village Inn. Early this morning we set out on our journey. The border crossing was still closed at 7 AM so we had to settle for pictures of Canada.
Before departing we prayed Psalm 91 for our niece Tammy Peters who is on a mission trip in Swaziland, Africa, for Tom Peters our brother-in-law (her dad) who had emergency lung surgery, and for my safety. Thank God he answered our prayer because Diana saw a bike accident just a few miles ahead of me. Not everything went as planned, however. About an hour into the ride it started raining hard and continued for the rest of the ride. With a strong south headwind and heavy rain, it was slow going. I also gave Diana a wrong turn in her directions (yes, she graciously forgave me) and it took us a while to get back together. As a result I had to stop riding just past Deception Pass on Whidbey Island and have Diana meet me. We drove the rest of the way in orde to make it to the Keystone-Port Townsend Ferry for our 3:00 ferry resrvation. As a result I only rode 60 of the 80 miles I planned to ride today.

As I reflected on this trying first day, I thought about all the prayers I had said for months asking God for favorable weather. Instead, He gave me March in June. The weather reminded me that although God hears and answers our prayers, he does not always do so as we would like. Instead he orders our lives according to his perfect plan. Isaiah 50:7 says: "Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame." The weather forecast for tomorrow is for rain again, so I will get on my bike and "set my face like flint" for Mexico and trust God to give me strength to persevere. Here's a screen shot of today's ride:Yes, it's small in the blog, but click on the image and you can see it full size. The ride today included 2745 feet vertical gain, and in spite of the rain and wind I averaged 15 miles per hour.

Tomorrow we travel south on State Highway 20 to US 101 for a total of 75 miles to Shelton. It's a simpler route than today's so we shouldn't get lost, and we aren't dependent on a ferry, so I should be able to ride the whole distance, our Sovereign Lord willing! When things don't go as planned, remember that God's plans for us are always perfect, even when they don't match our plans. I plan, by God's grace, to persevere tomorrow even if God plans for rain. I think that's one of the things he is sovereignly trying to teach me. Please keep us in your prayers!