So let me tell you a story about an adventure... It all starts at the City Museum in St. Louis; If you don't know, the city museum is one of the most incredible places ever to have been created. It was built by an artist (Bob) who has ideas- incredible ideas, that he follows... To give you an idea of the museum I'll say this, there's a 17ft Praying mantis on the roof, along with a school bus and a crane (12 stories up). The inside has caves, re bar tunnels, hollowed out trees, and a gigantic whale in the middle of it (originally the museum was going to be an aquarium)... Anyway, you can climb on or through ANYTHING. Meaning if you can fit, you can go. The only rules were "the City Museum is not responsible for injuries, no running, have fun" Needless to say it is a giant playground for the young and the old. I loved it, every second. I woke up a little sore from all the climbing, but it was so worth it.
On to Concrete land: we were leaving St. Louis after hearing of Bob's next project; Concrete land. Naturally we wanted to find it, all we had heard is its incredible, there are two lakes and Bob goes there to bulldoze all the time. Off of our bike path we see it. So it was time to explore. We went through the gate to find a massive amount of stuff... Stuff being abandoned school buses,a couple planes, dilapidated buildings, piles of trash, etc etc... We begin to explore, make our way higher for a better view when the art begins to shine through. Some of the old buildings have been transformed into Castles. They'd taken rubble and re built it on the outside to resemble outstanding structures. From there we see a chimney. A huge tower hovering over the rest of "Concrete land." Below the chimney is a bulldozer, accompanied by a man with a distraught look on his face. It was Bob. And his 'Dozer' was stuck. We had to meet him. So we went down to say hello (Adam had already introduced himself and begun helping Bob with his dozer). We walk up and the first thing Bob says is "your doing a trip about experience, huh?" "You should go climb the chimney." Andy and I looked at each other, then back at Bob and said "is that ok? See ya in a few" and raced off to conquer the feat.
After 170 ladder rungs (270 feet) one begins to realize how difficult it actually is
to climb a ladder. We got to the top and saw a view of the city skyline that few people have seen. Then my arms cramped up. We spit a couple times and dropped some pebbles, then were ready to climb down. Half way down Bob yells up "there's some loose bricks at the top you can throw down if you'd like" (but it we were already on our way down).
Bobs plan is to build all the abandoned buildings into castles, make a spiral staircase up the chimney, and flood the whole area with water. Then he wants to take targets and place them in the water so people can throw stuff from the top of buildings and try and hit the targets... He's also going to connect all the buildings with bridges...
I was inspired. I want to help Bob build this incredible place. It was an adventure and a half- and so close to home.
Ryan C. Kolegas
PS we'll be stopping in the Chicago land area in like two days... I'm so stoked.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Scott: Just Giving a Shout Out
Uhhh. . . yeah. I'm just giving a shout out to Margaret and Becca. We met them in Kansas City.
Not to be confused with Maggie K. and Becca S.
Not to be confused with Maggie K. and Becca S.
STUART: The deadliest trees are the dead trees
We set up camp in a city park and I decided to sleep under the stars on top of a concrete picnic table. At about 12:30 I woke up to some enormously large winds and watched the trees above my head sway from the gusts. There was a live tree by my feet and a dead one by my head. I figured if I saw them start to fall on me, I'd just roll under the table. The gusts got faster and louder in the next 15 minutes and were accompanied by lightning. Little thuds kept getting closer and closer to me and gave me the impression that an animal was coming towards me. The steps were irregular and came from different areas, but as the thuds started getting alarmingly close and I saw what they were, with the illumination of lightning. They were pieces of bark from the dead trees being blown down to the earth. I realized how unsafe my situation was so I got up from the table and hopped in my sleeping back over to the covered area, taking my water, Louis L'amour book, and left my wallet (good prioritizing). I had only covered ten feet with my hopping before a giant piece (4 feet long and maybe 2 feet wide) was blown off the tree and landed a couple feet from where my head was on the table. Glad I moved.
STUART: Obamarama
We stopped in a supermarket in Lincoln, Kansas and a man came up to Scott and me. This is the conversation that ensued.
“Where you guys from?”
“Chicago.”
"Scotland?"
"Chicago."
“Ah, Obama country, eh? You like that guy?”
“Yeah. Do you not?”
“I don't like either of them, but I sure as hell don't want no Muslim for president,” and then he drove away.
“Where you guys from?”
“Chicago.”
"Scotland?"
"Chicago."
“Ah, Obama country, eh? You like that guy?”
“Yeah. Do you not?”
“I don't like either of them, but I sure as hell don't want no Muslim for president,” and then he drove away.
Andy: Chicago
Well, after around 70 days on the road, and what will be over 4300 miles, I'm pretty sick of bicycle touring. That's why I've decided to end my Summer tour early in Chicago (my home). The rest of the gang will be going on to the East, but I'll be moving to New York in a couple months, and want to spend some time at home with my family and Chicago friends before taking off for that other big city.
Touring was fun, and I have no regrets. Actually, I plan on biking solo to New York in October, so I'll get my coast to coast ride, with a nice little breather. It's not what we planned, but oh well.
As far as I know, the rest of the gang is going the distance, all the way to DC as originally planned, and I'm sure they'll have a great time. While I'm sad to leave my friends, I'm really happy to leave my friends.
Thanks for the support! USA! USA!
We'll be in Chicago between the 26th and 29th. See you then!
PS if anyone know a bikable route to New York from Chicago that doesn't get a lot of snow, shoot me a message.
Touring was fun, and I have no regrets. Actually, I plan on biking solo to New York in October, so I'll get my coast to coast ride, with a nice little breather. It's not what we planned, but oh well.
As far as I know, the rest of the gang is going the distance, all the way to DC as originally planned, and I'm sure they'll have a great time. While I'm sad to leave my friends, I'm really happy to leave my friends.
Thanks for the support! USA! USA!
We'll be in Chicago between the 26th and 29th. See you then!
PS if anyone know a bikable route to New York from Chicago that doesn't get a lot of snow, shoot me a message.
Kansas my Beautiful
Ok, so this is dedicated to all the amazing people we've met in Kansas.
I want to start off by saying our expectations for Kansas- downhill (or flat at least) filled with a tail wind and incredibly quick days (this is why I don't like expecting things because expectations are rarely fulfilled).
In Reality- Kansas is filled with rolling hills and a wind coming from the south east (Which was exactly the direction we were heading). Everything was made ok because of the people we've met.
Lets see what I can remember since there has been so much incredibleness.
• First full day in Kansas we're riding down the street and a truck (about three or four blocks down the road) is waiting at an intersection to turn left. We're all saying to ourselves, "you have time... you can turn... We're not that fast...you still have time" so he waits all the way until we pass so that he can clap for us as we pass... it made my day.
• Lunch Break- Oakley swimming pool. The day was already filled with happiness, but for the first time over the summer I felt like a real boy (thank you blue ferry). We went off diving boards, water slides, had a hand stand competition, it was like a normal summer day. (sorry side tracked).
• That night we stayed in a city park. Winds got up to 85 mph, Stu almost died (according to him, I don't think he would have died. I'll let him tell you the story)
• Following day- We met the Mayor of Zurich. We were simply riding like normal, and a man yells "You're in Kansas! Whoo! Want a beer?" Stu immediately stops and we all go over to join the man for a beer. Then as we were leaving he said, "when you come back make sure to stop back by the mayors house!"
• That night- Paradise Kansas lived up to its name. We ride up (right at/after sunset) and find the Jeep. We see a man driving across the street (and were slightly confused). Apparently his neighbor had seen the jeep and thought she was being followed, so the man grabbed his gun just in case... He came over and saw five guys in spandex and immediately put his gun away. We told him we were going to the city park so he said he'd call the mayor and make sure the bathroom doors were open. We get to the park and he says "hang tight, let me see if I can find a place for you guys to stay." As we're waiting outside in the mosquito infested park the man drives to see if we could stay in his son's vacation house. Sure enough he comes back and leads us to his son's vacant vacation house. We had showers, cooked our pasta on a stove, watched the Olympics, and slept on one of the nicest, most comfortable couches I've ever experienced. When the man was asked why he showed us such incredible kindness, he responded "That's just what we do. I wouldn't want to sleep out there with those mosquitos." We told him we'd be out by 9am, but didn't end up leaving until 11am... Paradise is incredible.
• I know this is getting long, but I told you Kansas is remarkable. So we rode from Paradise to Lincoln (46mi) and were going to stop for lunch and keep going. Their pool was closed, but we went to a grocery store where we met a man who invited us to his bar (which he's selling if anyone is interested, its a sweet place) for a beer and to tell him about our trip. Before we knew it we were all playing instruments (including the man and his son) and the sun was quickly falling. He then invited us to camp in his back yard. When we arrive at his house, he invites us to sleep in his house. So again we get warm showers, an opportunity to watch the Olympics (not to mention swap stories with this incredible dude) and beds for us to sleep in! Lincoln is spectacular...
Pretty much Kansas his been filled with weather that we didn't expect, hills that we thought would be plains, and some of the most incredible people we've met on the road so far. I've left out some key interactions, but I'm sure the gaps will be filled in eventually. We're almost out of Kansas though, and let me tell you Missouri, you have a lot to live up to.
Ryan C. Kolegas
PS We rode through clouds of gnats (they looked like fog from a distance it was insane), I saw a hawk from like 10 ft away (it was huge), there are lots of dead turtles, And there's a crazy jumping spider that I've seen several times that has a body the size of a quarter and very long legs (it reminds me of the spiders from arachnophobia, but it jumps). And the kids we've met at pools are hilarious.
I want to start off by saying our expectations for Kansas- downhill (or flat at least) filled with a tail wind and incredibly quick days (this is why I don't like expecting things because expectations are rarely fulfilled).
In Reality- Kansas is filled with rolling hills and a wind coming from the south east (Which was exactly the direction we were heading). Everything was made ok because of the people we've met.
Lets see what I can remember since there has been so much incredibleness.
• First full day in Kansas we're riding down the street and a truck (about three or four blocks down the road) is waiting at an intersection to turn left. We're all saying to ourselves, "you have time... you can turn... We're not that fast...you still have time" so he waits all the way until we pass so that he can clap for us as we pass... it made my day.
• Lunch Break- Oakley swimming pool. The day was already filled with happiness, but for the first time over the summer I felt like a real boy (thank you blue ferry). We went off diving boards, water slides, had a hand stand competition, it was like a normal summer day. (sorry side tracked).
• That night we stayed in a city park. Winds got up to 85 mph, Stu almost died (according to him, I don't think he would have died. I'll let him tell you the story)
• Following day- We met the Mayor of Zurich. We were simply riding like normal, and a man yells "You're in Kansas! Whoo! Want a beer?" Stu immediately stops and we all go over to join the man for a beer. Then as we were leaving he said, "when you come back make sure to stop back by the mayors house!"
• That night- Paradise Kansas lived up to its name. We ride up (right at/after sunset) and find the Jeep. We see a man driving across the street (and were slightly confused). Apparently his neighbor had seen the jeep and thought she was being followed, so the man grabbed his gun just in case... He came over and saw five guys in spandex and immediately put his gun away. We told him we were going to the city park so he said he'd call the mayor and make sure the bathroom doors were open. We get to the park and he says "hang tight, let me see if I can find a place for you guys to stay." As we're waiting outside in the mosquito infested park the man drives to see if we could stay in his son's vacation house. Sure enough he comes back and leads us to his son's vacant vacation house. We had showers, cooked our pasta on a stove, watched the Olympics, and slept on one of the nicest, most comfortable couches I've ever experienced. When the man was asked why he showed us such incredible kindness, he responded "That's just what we do. I wouldn't want to sleep out there with those mosquitos." We told him we'd be out by 9am, but didn't end up leaving until 11am... Paradise is incredible.
• I know this is getting long, but I told you Kansas is remarkable. So we rode from Paradise to Lincoln (46mi) and were going to stop for lunch and keep going. Their pool was closed, but we went to a grocery store where we met a man who invited us to his bar (which he's selling if anyone is interested, its a sweet place) for a beer and to tell him about our trip. Before we knew it we were all playing instruments (including the man and his son) and the sun was quickly falling. He then invited us to camp in his back yard. When we arrive at his house, he invites us to sleep in his house. So again we get warm showers, an opportunity to watch the Olympics (not to mention swap stories with this incredible dude) and beds for us to sleep in! Lincoln is spectacular...
Pretty much Kansas his been filled with weather that we didn't expect, hills that we thought would be plains, and some of the most incredible people we've met on the road so far. I've left out some key interactions, but I'm sure the gaps will be filled in eventually. We're almost out of Kansas though, and let me tell you Missouri, you have a lot to live up to.
Ryan C. Kolegas
PS We rode through clouds of gnats (they looked like fog from a distance it was insane), I saw a hawk from like 10 ft away (it was huge), there are lots of dead turtles, And there's a crazy jumping spider that I've seen several times that has a body the size of a quarter and very long legs (it reminds me of the spiders from arachnophobia, but it jumps). And the kids we've met at pools are hilarious.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Andy: Families (The Truth)
WARNING to PARENTS. This Blog contains the FACTS. If you're not ready to let you children know the TRUTH, then throw you computer AWAY, because I can't be held responsible for your FEAR.
Hey Kids!
When I tell you little guys about how we stayed with some of Stu's family in Denver, I get a lot of confused looks and vacant stares. “Family” that's a tough one, huh. We've been hearing an awful lot about “families” on the news recently, and I know it might be weird or awkward to talk to you parents about it but before you go getting “family” tattooed on your knee, or carving “family” into the mantle above your fireplace underneath all the bones, I think you ought to know exactly what a family is.
A family is a perfectly natural thing, everybody has them for the most part and it's nothing to get upset over or giggle about. Still,before you shut off your Desktop and hit the snooze button on your brain, you should know that I'm a cool dude. I recognize that talking about families of people might be a bit strange so I'll just be talking about families of pandas.
Say you have this panda. Now, if this panda has a panda best friend, then that's a family. (not too tough huh, buds.;-)) Now, if these two pandas have a pet of some kind, like a cat, or a two cats, then that's not a family, unless one of the pandas or both of the cats smokes. If I take a Panda, cut it in half, and then two pandas grow, but one of them if the inverse of the first one, then that's not a family, unless they have a cat, or neither of them smokes. A panda and a pack of cigarettes are a family. Not two cats though, unless they have pet panda. If a panda eats a cat, and a cigarette, then smokes, then that's a family.
Got it?
Now that we've got that cleared up, we stayed with Stu's family in Denver, they were incredible and I love tacos.
Hey Kids!
When I tell you little guys about how we stayed with some of Stu's family in Denver, I get a lot of confused looks and vacant stares. “Family” that's a tough one, huh. We've been hearing an awful lot about “families” on the news recently, and I know it might be weird or awkward to talk to you parents about it but before you go getting “family” tattooed on your knee, or carving “family” into the mantle above your fireplace underneath all the bones, I think you ought to know exactly what a family is.
A family is a perfectly natural thing, everybody has them for the most part and it's nothing to get upset over or giggle about. Still,before you shut off your Desktop and hit the snooze button on your brain, you should know that I'm a cool dude. I recognize that talking about families of people might be a bit strange so I'll just be talking about families of pandas.
Say you have this panda. Now, if this panda has a panda best friend, then that's a family. (not too tough huh, buds.;-)) Now, if these two pandas have a pet of some kind, like a cat, or a two cats, then that's not a family, unless one of the pandas or both of the cats smokes. If I take a Panda, cut it in half, and then two pandas grow, but one of them if the inverse of the first one, then that's not a family, unless they have a cat, or neither of them smokes. A panda and a pack of cigarettes are a family. Not two cats though, unless they have pet panda. If a panda eats a cat, and a cigarette, then smokes, then that's a family.
Got it?
Now that we've got that cleared up, we stayed with Stu's family in Denver, they were incredible and I love tacos.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Andy: Yellowstone National Theme Park
In my life, I can think of three times when I knowingly walked into a situation where I knew I was being ripped off but didn't turn away:
1.
When I was very young Jimmy Milashus offered me a Hertz Doughnut for 50 cents. I knew it wasn't going to be a doughnut, but I didn't know it was going to be a punch in the butt. RIPOFF!
2.
When I worked at Family video, one of my fellow employee's boyfriend came in with an "incredible deal" featuring fancy watches, sunglasses and cologne that he had on sale for an "amazing price." The watch had a bunch of dials on it, which I was assured were "very important and useful" and I soon realized were "very glued on and false." I wasn't going to buy the watch, but then this man with a gun busted in and told everyone to hit the floor. He fired two shots into the ceiling and that let in a flock of pigeons which started eating all the New Releases (starting with Zoolander and Sexy Sci fi B-movie starring someone named "Zeusy") This dude was serious, and after I hit the panic button I informed him that he had five minutes before the cops showed up and busted his ass. He was all "I have no idea how long that will be," and then we became friends just because we did. His name was Bruno. I bought the watch package for my new friend, Bruno, and started the timer. 5 minutes to go. Oh no! But the hole in the ceiling! It's too bright! Good thing I bought that sweet pair of knockoff Raybans so I could see the cash register while Bruno grabbed the cologne spraying it liberally at the vicious pigeons which, upon finishing the Nearly New section, had the discerning taste to spare the Foreign and Classic films and went straight for the cash.
We escaped from that hellhole with 2 million in unmarked bills. But I paid 25 for that watch and it broke the next day. RIPOFF!
3.
My Family and I went to Gatlinburg Tennesee for vacation. RIPOFF!
There is one more time that exists in recent memory:
Yellowstone National Park is one of our country's greatest treasures, which is probably why it has been hijacked by pirates who charge 12 dollars at the gate per head, for bikers. That's not too unreasonable though, if camping is included. No no though, this isn't "Reasonable Land where everything makes sense." This is Yellowstone National Park, land of beautiful horizons and fascinating natural phenomenon, all surrounded by luscious rusty fences and sweet stuffed things that cost more than uninsured hip replacement surgery (which, at least when it's done, you have a new hip, and a sweet scar (instead of a wallet with more space for long, fee-decorated camping receipts. )). So, anyways, camping cost us a collective 33 bucks (a new record!)
At Old Faithful, Stu bought the most expensive cup of Ramen I'd ever seen and when he asked at the cafe for a cup of hot water, he was told something to the extent of 'No way, we have whole families of Asians trying to pull that one on us.' This man would not give us a CUP OF HOT WATER at OLD FAITHFUL! HOT WATER LITERALLY SHOOTS UP FROM THE GROUND EVERY HOUR HERE!!!!!
Unacceptable.
The Moral of the Story is:
Those who go to Yellowstone.... shouldn't.
61 days till DC (or someplace near there.)
1.
When I was very young Jimmy Milashus offered me a Hertz Doughnut for 50 cents. I knew it wasn't going to be a doughnut, but I didn't know it was going to be a punch in the butt. RIPOFF!
2.
When I worked at Family video, one of my fellow employee's boyfriend came in with an "incredible deal" featuring fancy watches, sunglasses and cologne that he had on sale for an "amazing price." The watch had a bunch of dials on it, which I was assured were "very important and useful" and I soon realized were "very glued on and false." I wasn't going to buy the watch, but then this man with a gun busted in and told everyone to hit the floor. He fired two shots into the ceiling and that let in a flock of pigeons which started eating all the New Releases (starting with Zoolander and Sexy Sci fi B-movie starring someone named "Zeusy") This dude was serious, and after I hit the panic button I informed him that he had five minutes before the cops showed up and busted his ass. He was all "I have no idea how long that will be," and then we became friends just because we did. His name was Bruno. I bought the watch package for my new friend, Bruno, and started the timer. 5 minutes to go. Oh no! But the hole in the ceiling! It's too bright! Good thing I bought that sweet pair of knockoff Raybans so I could see the cash register while Bruno grabbed the cologne spraying it liberally at the vicious pigeons which, upon finishing the Nearly New section, had the discerning taste to spare the Foreign and Classic films and went straight for the cash.
We escaped from that hellhole with 2 million in unmarked bills. But I paid 25 for that watch and it broke the next day. RIPOFF!
3.
My Family and I went to Gatlinburg Tennesee for vacation. RIPOFF!
There is one more time that exists in recent memory:
Yellowstone National Park is one of our country's greatest treasures, which is probably why it has been hijacked by pirates who charge 12 dollars at the gate per head, for bikers. That's not too unreasonable though, if camping is included. No no though, this isn't "Reasonable Land where everything makes sense." This is Yellowstone National Park, land of beautiful horizons and fascinating natural phenomenon, all surrounded by luscious rusty fences and sweet stuffed things that cost more than uninsured hip replacement surgery (which, at least when it's done, you have a new hip, and a sweet scar (instead of a wallet with more space for long, fee-decorated camping receipts. )). So, anyways, camping cost us a collective 33 bucks (a new record!)
At Old Faithful, Stu bought the most expensive cup of Ramen I'd ever seen and when he asked at the cafe for a cup of hot water, he was told something to the extent of 'No way, we have whole families of Asians trying to pull that one on us.' This man would not give us a CUP OF HOT WATER at OLD FAITHFUL! HOT WATER LITERALLY SHOOTS UP FROM THE GROUND EVERY HOUR HERE!!!!!
Unacceptable.
The Moral of the Story is:
Those who go to Yellowstone.... shouldn't.
61 days till DC (or someplace near there.)
Ryan: Lovely Luscious Lander, WY
We made it to Lander, WY- Which we've heard very good things about. It took us two days to get from Yellowstone to Lander, and in the mean time Andy had a rough day and the group split up once again...
Anywho, we arrive in Lander for a long awaited rest day at 4p.m. In the first ten minutes we found a place to shower, do laundry, camp (for free in the city park) and a Dominos (which has a 3 for $5.55 deal- sweet when you're on a budget)... Andy and Matt ended up making it to Lander by 7:30p.m. (after riding 113mi) and we'd accomplished most of the Chores that needed to get done.
The real story comes after we saw "Wanted" (which I worked on (as a PA)for a Day- its a crazy movie, but I was entertained, movies are great when you're biking 80 to 100mi a day).
Anywho, we go back to camp around 11:30p.m, talk with Andy a little bit and start tossing a frisbee (since there's a light in the park and no one was really tired). We're about ready to retire for the evening and a girl walks over. Everyone sits down and begins to talk with the girl about nothing special. Stu and Andy were just talking (about nonsense mostly: I'm pretty sure Hand-Underwear was discussed) and the girl (Afton) was laughing at the extremely strange conversation.
After about 15 or 20 minutes I realized we still had no idea of her story. Apparently her bike had just gotten stolen and she is in the process of running away from the "group home" (I don't really understand what that means). Someone asks, "So what brought you this way" and she responds "I was hoping to find a place to sleep tonight."
At this point I see everyone's face droop a little and no one really knows what to do. We're all tired and soon enough Andy says he's going to his tent, and Scott and Stu do the same. I see the girl curl up against the tree to go to bed... I didn't want her to freeze and since I was kicked out of the three person tent 'cause I roll and kick so much, I had room in my tent. I gave her my sleeping bag for the night and bundled up so that I wouldn't freeze either.
She was kind of bummed about her position in life right now because she has no family to go to but is trying to start a life of her own. I told her if she starts looking at it like and adventure then she's set. She's so FREE! No financial responsibility, no home, all she has to worry about is eating- she can do whatever she wants! (I was kind of fascinated about the whole situation).
So the conversation ends and we're about to fall asleep when we hear whispers (I assume its Adam and Mark setting up the their tent). All of a sudden somebody jumps on my tent. I holler, "What the f*ck?" and get out of the tent as quick as I can unzip and climb out.... problem was my glasses weren't on so the sounds of people running are not accompanied by images so there was nothing I could do...
My tent poles are bent and everybody gets out to search for the culprit... Probably some punk kids playing a joke. Then, Afton explains that the first of the month is "Gang initiation day" (which in a town of less than 7000 people is a strange thing to think about)...
The rest of the night we hear noises of horses outside (and keep thinking its the punk kids coming back)... then it slowly gets colder and colder and I become more aware of how much I like my sleeping bag and how I only have so many layers to put on to make up for lending it out for the night(tonight I'm wearing socks)...
The next morning, everyone wakes up and attempts to wake me up. I only had about a half hour of sleep so once the sun came up and it got warmer I just wanted to keep sleeping... sure enough there's construction right next to the park. go figure.
So today my fingers were crossed that she finds somewhere else to stay so that I can actually sleep somewhat before we ride tomorrow. Then we find out another factor to the story. A woman approaches Adam and asks him if that girl had a bike, he says "I think she did, but it got stolen." At his point Afton sees the woman and begins to walk away. The woman sees this, says, "She's on the move," and snaps her fingers. Two other girls (who are pretending to rest in the middle of the field) start to head her off...
I haven't been back to camp yet, and I don't know the whole story, but it looks like Afton is no longer there. She has, however, left us with a Crazy night in Lander and an unexpected experience.
Long blog. Thanks for reading...
Ryan C. Kolegas
Anywho, we arrive in Lander for a long awaited rest day at 4p.m. In the first ten minutes we found a place to shower, do laundry, camp (for free in the city park) and a Dominos (which has a 3 for $5.55 deal- sweet when you're on a budget)... Andy and Matt ended up making it to Lander by 7:30p.m. (after riding 113mi) and we'd accomplished most of the Chores that needed to get done.
The real story comes after we saw "Wanted" (which I worked on (as a PA)for a Day- its a crazy movie, but I was entertained, movies are great when you're biking 80 to 100mi a day).
Anywho, we go back to camp around 11:30p.m, talk with Andy a little bit and start tossing a frisbee (since there's a light in the park and no one was really tired). We're about ready to retire for the evening and a girl walks over. Everyone sits down and begins to talk with the girl about nothing special. Stu and Andy were just talking (about nonsense mostly: I'm pretty sure Hand-Underwear was discussed) and the girl (Afton) was laughing at the extremely strange conversation.
After about 15 or 20 minutes I realized we still had no idea of her story. Apparently her bike had just gotten stolen and she is in the process of running away from the "group home" (I don't really understand what that means). Someone asks, "So what brought you this way" and she responds "I was hoping to find a place to sleep tonight."
At this point I see everyone's face droop a little and no one really knows what to do. We're all tired and soon enough Andy says he's going to his tent, and Scott and Stu do the same. I see the girl curl up against the tree to go to bed... I didn't want her to freeze and since I was kicked out of the three person tent 'cause I roll and kick so much, I had room in my tent. I gave her my sleeping bag for the night and bundled up so that I wouldn't freeze either.
She was kind of bummed about her position in life right now because she has no family to go to but is trying to start a life of her own. I told her if she starts looking at it like and adventure then she's set. She's so FREE! No financial responsibility, no home, all she has to worry about is eating- she can do whatever she wants! (I was kind of fascinated about the whole situation).
So the conversation ends and we're about to fall asleep when we hear whispers (I assume its Adam and Mark setting up the their tent). All of a sudden somebody jumps on my tent. I holler, "What the f*ck?" and get out of the tent as quick as I can unzip and climb out.... problem was my glasses weren't on so the sounds of people running are not accompanied by images so there was nothing I could do...
My tent poles are bent and everybody gets out to search for the culprit... Probably some punk kids playing a joke. Then, Afton explains that the first of the month is "Gang initiation day" (which in a town of less than 7000 people is a strange thing to think about)...
The rest of the night we hear noises of horses outside (and keep thinking its the punk kids coming back)... then it slowly gets colder and colder and I become more aware of how much I like my sleeping bag and how I only have so many layers to put on to make up for lending it out for the night(tonight I'm wearing socks)...
The next morning, everyone wakes up and attempts to wake me up. I only had about a half hour of sleep so once the sun came up and it got warmer I just wanted to keep sleeping... sure enough there's construction right next to the park. go figure.
So today my fingers were crossed that she finds somewhere else to stay so that I can actually sleep somewhat before we ride tomorrow. Then we find out another factor to the story. A woman approaches Adam and asks him if that girl had a bike, he says "I think she did, but it got stolen." At his point Afton sees the woman and begins to walk away. The woman sees this, says, "She's on the move," and snaps her fingers. Two other girls (who are pretending to rest in the middle of the field) start to head her off...
I haven't been back to camp yet, and I don't know the whole story, but it looks like Afton is no longer there. She has, however, left us with a Crazy night in Lander and an unexpected experience.
Long blog. Thanks for reading...
Ryan C. Kolegas
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