A HUGE Congratulations to Chuck, Mike, and Tim.
What an accomplishment.
We are so proud of you!
Friday, August 29, 2014
Fun Pics
 |
| Almost there |
 |
| Saying goodbye to Hyder |
 |
| Mike found a new friend |
 |
| We saw a lot of these signs. "YEAR ROUND", Really? |
 |
| "I heard I could find "Meals on Wheels" over here somewhere? ~ Ted E. Bear |
 |
| Got that right, not after 1700 miles! |
A Few Late Posts
The guys have had some communications challenges. Tonight I've received posts that are late, but I think worthy of sharing because it captures what they have experienced and have been feeling. So, hopefully you can make sense of these and enjoy them for what they offer. Here we go:
Day 27
Day 26
Good News:
Not-So-Funny Story:
We met another local who told us about Gordy who was eaten by a Grizzly several years ago. Said he was a cook across the street (seafood restaurant) and after cooking all day he left to go home (smelling like fish) and didn’t make it across the street. They have no police in Hyder so they had to call the game warden.
There was a wager made whether there’d be a Tim Horton’s and/or Subway in Stewart or Hyder. There was neither, nor was there any other kind of fast food. In fact there was one gas station in Stewart and none in Hyder. At the border there was a guard station going into Canada and everyone had to stop but NOTHING going into the USA. Hmmmmmmm, interesting.
PS: It’s COLD here and my body really hurts.
As you know I'm 66 and feel much closer to 86. My whole body aches, but let’s get to the specifics. My cut knee is healing nicely. I have a big scab about they size of a silver dollar and just as hard. My left should still hurts big time if I try to raise my left arm. Other than that it’s not bad. For some reason I don’t seem to have much strength in my fingers, I tried again to cut my fingernails with a fingernail clipper and can’t squeeze hard enough to cut them. Even tough cutting a fried egg this morning with a fork - can’t push hard enough. My right knee hurts after we’ve ridden over 20 miles in a day. My eczema is flaring and I want a MASSAGE IN THE WORSE WAY! Other than that I’m fine! Mike: He said he’s getting tired of the ride day in and day out. Starting to take a toll on him. Said his body is numb! Two nights ago he fell asleep at 8PM and slept until after 6AM. We know he was asleep cause we heard the snoring. He is the youngest of the group at 62 so he shouldn’t have too much to complain about.
Tim: He is the OLDEST of the group at 66 (one month older than me). He claims he’s getting stronger every day (other than his cold setback). He takes arthritis medicine and states that he could hardly walk 50 feet a couple years ago. I do have to say he’s one of the best dancers I’ve every seen (just kidding Nancy).
We met a guy yesterday, Jerry Woods, who stopped us on our bikes and asked where we were going, etc. He was a very nice guy and incredibly he is 76 years old and had triple by pass last summer and hopes to be climbing mountains next year. We told him we might go to Stewart. He said you have to see the grizzly bears down at the creek scooping the salmon out of the water. We said; really? He said yeah it’s incredible. That makes our decision much easier and I think we’ll head to Stewart and then over to Hyder, Alaska. If we see what he tells us we will for sure get pictures Mike said he’d even snuggle up close for a picture!
Special note: Monster Cookies.
Day 27
We are on our way home! Below is the final count of walking and riding for the entire trip. We left Hyder, Alaska, at 7:30 AM and ended the day in Smithers, BC, at 7:15 PM. 650 miles. The first hour we made 36 miles. That’s how mountainous it is. At the end we thought we were going to run out of gas. We were going from Prince George to McBride (approximately 94 miles). There was one gas station in between and the gas was $8.00 per gallon. They suggested we just get what we need to get to McBride which they said was 74 miles away. It turned out to be 94 miles away and we were close to running out. One gas gauge does not work on the motor home and the other is inaccurate!! The last tank of gas we figured we got about 3-4 MPG…guess it was the way the driver was driving (wasn’t me). The 10 gallons we put in at $8.00 per gallon gave us 7.2 MPG…better (I was driving). The normal price us here is about $5.60 per gallon and the further south we go the lower the price becomes. We quickly set up camp and tried to get football on the radio (Sirius) or my computer. We were somewhat successful and got to follow one game - A winner by the way!
 |
| One the way out of Hyder |
 |
| We are in awe of the beauty |
We hit the hay early and looking for a big day tomorrow. We were unable to communicate so we have to apologize for all the info and the pictures you haven’t received yet. They are amazing, however, agreed?
Day Walk Ride Total
Day Walk Ride Total
(8/2 Sat.) 7.5 55 62.52
(8/3 Sun.) 1 60 613
(8/4 Mon.) 5 52 574
(8/5 Tue) 4 14.8 18.85
(8/6 Wed) 8 60 686
(8/7 Thur) 8 47.1 55.17
(8/8 Fri) 12.5 60.2 72.78
(8/9 Sat) 28 35.2 63.29
(8/10 Sun) 7 30 3710
(8/11 Mon) 16 53.9 69.911
(8/12 Tue) 4 57 6112
(8/13 Wed) 18 50.4 68.413
(8/14 Thur) 11 49.4 60.414
(8/15 Fri) 14 61.1 75.115
(8/16 Sat) 15 55 7016
(8/17 Sun) 6 62.6 68.617
(8/18 Mon) 16 60.2 76.218
(8/19 Tue) 17 64 8119
(8/20 Wed) 2 60.5 62.520
(8/21 Thur) 11.5 50 61.521
(8/22 Fri) 16.6 52.6 69.222
(8/23 Sat) 2 75 7723
(8/24 Sun) 7 80.6 87.624
(8/25 Mon) 8 88.9 96.925
(8/26 Tue) 10 72.4 82.426
(8/27 Wed) 3 66 69
TOTAL 258.1 1473.9 1732
Day 26
Good News:
No, GREAT NEWS! We are in Alaska!!!! Hyder, Alaska! I have to tell you this is beyond belief. I promise you that this is something like I’ve never seen before. Now, I know I’ve said that before (like in Jasper, and I meant it) but this is beyond a picture, beyond a description. It brought tears to my eyes. I can tell you this - if you take a vacation and come to Stewart, BC and Hyder, Alaska, you must drive up 37 and over on 37A and it will be the most incredible experience you’ll ever have. (check out the pictures)!
Bad News:
Bad News:
Another accident/fall. We went out to where you view the bears eating the fish and I was walking along on some wood timbers and took a nose dive onto the asphalt parking lot, face first. My face got the worse of it, but both hands and one knee were also bleeding. I had onlookers that came forth to help. I was very fortunate that I missed my eye by fractions of an inch. Quite a bit of blood, and some ouches that will hurt more tomorrow. Maybe even a black eye?
More Good News:
 |
| No pain, no gain! |
More Good News:
Today in Hyder we went 20 miles up a gravel road (awful) to see the Salmon Glacier (along with 20 more). It was the worse road trip in a long time. The 20 miles took 1 hour to complete. BUT it was worth it (see the pictures)
Even Better News:
Even Better News:
After the Glacier viewing we went back to the salmon stream where the bear frequent. It is run by the US National Parks. Turned out it cost $5 each to walk out the boardwalk down the stream. The ranger told us it was real iffy this late in the season that we’d see bear. We left and talked about it and Mike said if I was at the casino I’d make the $5 bet and not think twice. We went back to pay our way in and the ranger said “What is the Grace Fund?” We told him yes and low and behold he let us in free. We waited for awhile (with lots of other people) and then BOOM! someone called out BEAR! He was way down the stream. My camera wouldn’t pick him up, but sure enough he walked up the stream and I got some fabulous pictures of this huge grizzly eating salmon. WOW WOW WOW or how about OMG (better Paula?). Hopefully the pictures will tell the story better. My trip was complete. We got back to the campsite about 7:30 PM and we are getting to bed early and heading south tomorrow.
Not-So-Funny Story:
When we checked into an RV park in Hyder, Alaska, we asked the lady where the salmon stream was that the bears frequent? Told her we might just ride our bikes up there. She said, “NO NO NO NO! You will not do that...that’s called meals on wheels.”
We met another local who told us about Gordy who was eaten by a Grizzly several years ago. Said he was a cook across the street (seafood restaurant) and after cooking all day he left to go home (smelling like fish) and didn’t make it across the street. They have no police in Hyder so they had to call the game warden.
There was a wager made whether there’d be a Tim Horton’s and/or Subway in Stewart or Hyder. There was neither, nor was there any other kind of fast food. In fact there was one gas station in Stewart and none in Hyder. At the border there was a guard station going into Canada and everyone had to stop but NOTHING going into the USA. Hmmmmmmm, interesting.
PS: It’s COLD here and my body really hurts.
~Chuck
Day 22
Day 22
What a Saturday. We had to hustle today - need to make tracks with Tim back in the saddle. He is finally health wise ok…obviously a 24 hour bug? Today the temperature was cold. When we went out to take off on our bikes we had to go back in and put on sweatshirts/jackets our caps, etc. before we took off. That’s a first for us (with the extra clothing). You can see us adorned in our cold weather gear in one of the pictures for today. WE will make Burns Lake today. The smoke and the hills/mountains are back. Hopefully the pictures will tell the story.
I want to update you on our physical condition: I’ll start with the worst - ME!
I want to update you on our physical condition: I’ll start with the worst - ME!
 |
| Mike (AKA "Sleeping Beauty") |
Tim: He is the OLDEST of the group at 66 (one month older than me). He claims he’s getting stronger every day (other than his cold setback). He takes arthritis medicine and states that he could hardly walk 50 feet a couple years ago. I do have to say he’s one of the best dancers I’ve every seen (just kidding Nancy).
Now let’s talk appearances: Tim: No change. Mike: A little slimmer in the middle.
They both shave and shower almost daily so no appearance changes or bad odors. Chuck: Slimmer (but I think you’ll still recognize me Sandi and kids). My beard is longer — maybe keep it this way? My hair is also longer: matts down during the night.
They both shave and shower almost daily so no appearance changes or bad odors. Chuck: Slimmer (but I think you’ll still recognize me Sandi and kids). My beard is longer — maybe keep it this way? My hair is also longer: matts down during the night.
We met a guy yesterday, Jerry Woods, who stopped us on our bikes and asked where we were going, etc. He was a very nice guy and incredibly he is 76 years old and had triple by pass last summer and hopes to be climbing mountains next year. We told him we might go to Stewart. He said you have to see the grizzly bears down at the creek scooping the salmon out of the water. We said; really? He said yeah it’s incredible. That makes our decision much easier and I think we’ll head to Stewart and then over to Hyder, Alaska. If we see what he tells us we will for sure get pictures Mike said he’d even snuggle up close for a picture!
Special note: Monster Cookies.
Mike and DEBBIE made 5 dozen monster cookies for our trip? These are made with oatmeal, M&M’s, corn syrup, butter, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and pasteurized milk. They are AWESOME! You can’t eat too many (the are monsters in size) and we STILL have a couple dozen left. Debbie, you may want to send the receipe. I strongly recommend and endorse them. Thanks DEBBIE (and Mike).
~Chuck
~Chuck
Driving Home - Day 28
Day 28
We just finished our 2nd day driving home. We went from McBride to Jasper and then we stopped and went to Tim Horton’s (free wifi) and tried to send emails. After 90 minutes we had only sent 10 emails with pictures out of 40. We had to get on the road so we took off with hopes of finding a spot tonight with better wifi. We headed south (a new route) and drove thru Banff National park thru the rockies. Beyond belief (again) as we went thru the mountains for 100 miles. We got a bunch of pictures that hopefully we can send. We are now just east of Calgary. Approximately 1200 miles from home.
One thing we talked about today was what we’d try to remember if we had to do this over. How about the following that we don’t have:
What we remembered that was critical: Your prayers for us! I only took 4 falls (all bad) but still walking. Miraculously. Mike hasn’t fallen or had any accidents - A MIRACLE! Today it rained ALL day! Incredible how we missed 99% of that weather. We hope to be home in 2.5 to 3 more days! We are ready!
PS: Part of that once in a lifetime vacation you must go to Stewart/Hyder! In addition you have to drive thru Calgary and up thru Banff National Park (thru the Rockies). You won’t believe anything could be better than that until you get to Stewart, BC, and Hyder, AK.
We have quite a slide show to play which we will at the "Party of the Century" prior to the White Sidewalls playing. You are in for a treat!
Love you all and God bless. Keep praying till we get home.
We just finished our 2nd day driving home. We went from McBride to Jasper and then we stopped and went to Tim Horton’s (free wifi) and tried to send emails. After 90 minutes we had only sent 10 emails with pictures out of 40. We had to get on the road so we took off with hopes of finding a spot tonight with better wifi. We headed south (a new route) and drove thru Banff National park thru the rockies. Beyond belief (again) as we went thru the mountains for 100 miles. We got a bunch of pictures that hopefully we can send. We are now just east of Calgary. Approximately 1200 miles from home.
One thing we talked about today was what we’d try to remember if we had to do this over. How about the following that we don’t have:
- toaster
- spatula
- thermometer
- Binoculars
- crock pot (that was Tim’s addition which I veto)
- clock
- better camera (telescopic). Well needed on this trip.
- Tim’s bike (his wife, Nancy, told him to bring it. He didn’t)
- Our wives
What we remembered that was critical: Your prayers for us! I only took 4 falls (all bad) but still walking. Miraculously. Mike hasn’t fallen or had any accidents - A MIRACLE! Today it rained ALL day! Incredible how we missed 99% of that weather. We hope to be home in 2.5 to 3 more days! We are ready!
PS: Part of that once in a lifetime vacation you must go to Stewart/Hyder! In addition you have to drive thru Calgary and up thru Banff National Park (thru the Rockies). You won’t believe anything could be better than that until you get to Stewart, BC, and Hyder, AK.
We have quite a slide show to play which we will at the "Party of the Century" prior to the White Sidewalls playing. You are in for a treat!
Love you all and God bless. Keep praying till we get home.
Chuck & Mike
THEY MADE IT!!!
Woo Hoo the guys DID IT! They made it to Hyder, Alaska!!
(insert fireworks, confetti, balloons, and marching bands here). WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They actually made it there as planned, in on piece, no major mishaps or obstacles, in less than one month. Truly amazing. I have to say I'm very impressed. What a fantastic accomplishment. A HUGE congratulations from all of us back in Luck, WI and beyond.
Chuck sent me these pics but I have yet to get his blog post, so I apologize for lack of details at the moment (I'm sure I will receive them tonight sometime). They are probably out celebrating, and who could blame them. In fact, I really hope they are. They deserve to relish in every bit of their moment...and what a beautiful place to do it, too.
(insert fireworks, confetti, balloons, and marching bands here). WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They actually made it there as planned, in on piece, no major mishaps or obstacles, in less than one month. Truly amazing. I have to say I'm very impressed. What a fantastic accomplishment. A HUGE congratulations from all of us back in Luck, WI and beyond.
Chuck sent me these pics but I have yet to get his blog post, so I apologize for lack of details at the moment (I'm sure I will receive them tonight sometime). They are probably out celebrating, and who could blame them. In fact, I really hope they are. They deserve to relish in every bit of their moment...and what a beautiful place to do it, too.
 |
| Downtown Hyder, Alaska |
 |
| WE DID IT!! |
 |
| Bad omen? He showed up just before I took a digger ~ Chuck |
 |
| Hyder harbor |
 |
| Hyder harbor |
 |
| More Hyder harbor... |
 |
| The rock slide we came upon. |
 |
| This one had Mike's name on it...(look closely). Poor Mike. |
 |
| Salmon Glacier |
 |
| More of Salmon Glacier |
 |
| Big 'ol Grizzly looking for fish |
 |
| "I'm looking for a man named Chuck, have you seen him"? ~ Ted E. Bear |
 |
| "Sorry, my name is Boo Boo. Yogi will be here shortly" ~ Boo Boo |
Approaching the End - Day 27
Hi everyone,
I haven't heard from Chuck since Tuesday. I've only received three pictures - two of glaciers and one that leads me to believe it's the road into Alaska. I heard a rumor they made it already, but you know how rumors go. Until I hear from them myself, I'm not going to post this as fact. The pics came with little details, so I'll share with you what I have.
In case some are still wondering, the men decided to go to Stewart, BC (which is on the Canada-US border) instead of Prince Rupert. It made for easier AK entry.
 |
| In awe of the beauty! |
 |
| Here we go! |
 |
| Approaching Stewart |
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Day 25 and Finally Rain!
DAY 25!
Guess what? It’s raining out this morning. Let’s hope by the time we take off it will have stopped.
Guess what? It’s raining out this morning. Let’s hope by the time we take off it will have stopped.
It rained all night. We finally took off about 8:30 AM as it had let up. We made it about 8 miles and it started sprinkling (or is that sprinklering Sandi?). It got a little harder and we finally had to seek shelter under a tree at about 11 miles. My head and heart are no longer swollen. The rest of the day continued in the same fashion . Not a down pour but hard sprinkles enough to make us stop and take shelter. Fortunately today Tim followed us in the motor home so-to-speak and we were always close enough to catch up and seek shelter there. We realize how fortunate we’ve been. If we would have had weather like this off and on throughout the trip we’d probably be back in Edmonton! Ouch.
As long as we're talking about rain, let’s talk again about trains. Mike counted one with 151 cars (he’s been going nuts since I counted one with more than he had counted). He wins! About time he won something!?
GOOD NEWS: We made 82 miles today and we have only about 70 to go tomorrow to reach Stewart. It looks very mountainous however. We’ll see. WE ARE SUPER EXCITED. And, we are told Hyder is a community of old hippies so we might just fit right in!? (at least Tim and Mike will). We are also anxious to see if we can see Grizzlies getting salmon in the river. Mike says they probably aren’t there now...what a naysayer.
COMMUNICATION: Jim Larson saved the day. Tim Bradwell knew Jim as a computer expert and a customer and suggested I call him with my communication/computer problems (which were serious). Anyhow, spending almost 30 minutes on the phone with Jim as I tried (sitting in McDonald's) to get my computer to communicate. Trying to do this over the phone really makes it tough. Jim came through and somehow by the end I was communicating again. If you need an expert call Jim. My HERO!
We’ve learned that as we draw closer to Stewart and Alaska communication is going to be even tougher...so if there’s a black out period that’s why.
HOME: Our trip home might be just as adventurous as the trip out as we are going back to Jasper and then south to Calgary and into the states. That’s lots of mountains and I hope this old buggy can make that. If not we will hang our hopes on Tim "Mr. Fixit" Bradwell to come to the rescue.
~Chuck
As long as we're talking about rain, let’s talk again about trains. Mike counted one with 151 cars (he’s been going nuts since I counted one with more than he had counted). He wins! About time he won something!?
GOOD NEWS: We made 82 miles today and we have only about 70 to go tomorrow to reach Stewart. It looks very mountainous however. We’ll see. WE ARE SUPER EXCITED. And, we are told Hyder is a community of old hippies so we might just fit right in!? (at least Tim and Mike will). We are also anxious to see if we can see Grizzlies getting salmon in the river. Mike says they probably aren’t there now...what a naysayer.
COMMUNICATION: Jim Larson saved the day. Tim Bradwell knew Jim as a computer expert and a customer and suggested I call him with my communication/computer problems (which were serious). Anyhow, spending almost 30 minutes on the phone with Jim as I tried (sitting in McDonald's) to get my computer to communicate. Trying to do this over the phone really makes it tough. Jim came through and somehow by the end I was communicating again. If you need an expert call Jim. My HERO!
We’ve learned that as we draw closer to Stewart and Alaska communication is going to be even tougher...so if there’s a black out period that’s why.
HOME: Our trip home might be just as adventurous as the trip out as we are going back to Jasper and then south to Calgary and into the states. That’s lots of mountains and I hope this old buggy can make that. If not we will hang our hopes on Tim "Mr. Fixit" Bradwell to come to the rescue.
~Chuck
 |
| We are in the mountains again! |
 |
| Downhill is good. |
 |
| What a view! |
 |
| I'm always ahead of Mike |
 |
| We could not ride this road. |
 |
| Beautiful. |
 |
| Here we go! |
Communication Challenges
 |
| Signs sometimes cause confusion: we didn't know where we were suppose to go? |
Hi everyone,
Chuck and Mike apparently are having communication challenges, so Chuck's posts are lighter than normal. In fact, the Day 23 post was cut off at the bottom and apparently I missed some information (which is kind of funny if you read it and compare it to the Day 24 post). Chuck just emailed me with concern asking me to post what was missed, so here ya go:
"Today we also saw another helicopter carrying a big bucket below it; we’re sure this has something to do with the fires. Another gorgeous day, couldn't be better. We have been so blessed in that regard.
On a negative note, we can’t communicate...something with the server I think. I called Cosby (my son) and he suggested the same and maybe wait till we get a different server? Keep your fingers crossed.
I’m too tired to write much more; hopefully we’ll be able to communicate soon and the pictures will help tell the story.
THANK YOU: We think it’s about time we said a HUGE Thank You to Paula Elert, our editor, our blogger, our creator, our coach, etc.. Paula was the inspiration and the spark behind the blog. Without her it wouldn't be. She keeps us going. Thank you Paula!!"
Awww, thanks Chuck. It has been my pleasure. There are so many people to thank, I'm sure it's hard to remember to name everyone. So many of you have helped, supported, and cheered Mike and Chuck on in some way. I know it means the world to them and I know they are looking to thanking all of you in person when the get back home!
More pics and stories to come, I'll get them posted as soon as I can.
~Paula
Monday, August 25, 2014
Day 24 - The End is in Sight
Day 24
This isn’t just beautiful it is AWESOME!! The glacier. The smoke and the smoke disappearing. The beautiful dog. The helicopter carrying the buckets of water. The waterfalls coming down from the glacier. We are nearing the end and we are about at the end!
We are having fun, getting to know each other and Canada a lot better. Did we tell you about the trains? Lots and lots of trains. We’ve frequently seen trains with 100+ cars (today there was one with 132 cars). There have been many train stops where you had to wait for the train to pass for more than 5 minutes. When in Jasper, there were two trains passing (one going each way) and it took over 10 minutes. Reminds me of when I was a kid and had long waits for a train to pass. Anyone else remember that?
A bit of trivia - with all these miles you have a lot of time to think. I have counted the number of cars going past me (my side of the road) many times and have calculated that almost 50,000 cars have whizzed past us while riding through Canada. We had one pass yesterday that was the closest ever. We were on a shoulder that was 3’ wide at best. This SUV was pulling a bigger camper that stuck out on the sides and the camper missed me by about 12”. It wasn’t a thrill. It was a stunner! Mike just said, "WOW"! Yeah, wow.
Rain - This may be the most incredible thing to happen yet. It is raining right now (fairly hard actually). We finished our walking, after our riding, about 15 minutes ago, with no rain at all during either. Last night it rained almost all night but stopped early this morning. In our prescheduled and unchanged days of riding while training there were 42 days scheduled for riding (during the months of June and July) and we never had to face rain during that period. During the past 24 days in Canada we have not faced rain yet during the day. Wouldn’t you agree our God is and Awesome God!?!
We plan to reach Alaska in two days (or maybe the 3rd day). Yes, TWO DAYS! We are a little ahead of schedule for three reasons: 1. No Rain! 2. Getting in shape and picking up the pace. 3. It is actually 73 miles closer than predicted to Alaska.
A few special THANK YOU's...
Please Please pray for us during the next two days. God Bless You! We hope to see you all SOON!
~The Grace Fund Crew
This isn’t just beautiful it is AWESOME!! The glacier. The smoke and the smoke disappearing. The beautiful dog. The helicopter carrying the buckets of water. The waterfalls coming down from the glacier. We are nearing the end and we are about at the end!
We are having fun, getting to know each other and Canada a lot better. Did we tell you about the trains? Lots and lots of trains. We’ve frequently seen trains with 100+ cars (today there was one with 132 cars). There have been many train stops where you had to wait for the train to pass for more than 5 minutes. When in Jasper, there were two trains passing (one going each way) and it took over 10 minutes. Reminds me of when I was a kid and had long waits for a train to pass. Anyone else remember that?
A bit of trivia - with all these miles you have a lot of time to think. I have counted the number of cars going past me (my side of the road) many times and have calculated that almost 50,000 cars have whizzed past us while riding through Canada. We had one pass yesterday that was the closest ever. We were on a shoulder that was 3’ wide at best. This SUV was pulling a bigger camper that stuck out on the sides and the camper missed me by about 12”. It wasn’t a thrill. It was a stunner! Mike just said, "WOW"! Yeah, wow.
Rain - This may be the most incredible thing to happen yet. It is raining right now (fairly hard actually). We finished our walking, after our riding, about 15 minutes ago, with no rain at all during either. Last night it rained almost all night but stopped early this morning. In our prescheduled and unchanged days of riding while training there were 42 days scheduled for riding (during the months of June and July) and we never had to face rain during that period. During the past 24 days in Canada we have not faced rain yet during the day. Wouldn’t you agree our God is and Awesome God!?!
We plan to reach Alaska in two days (or maybe the 3rd day). Yes, TWO DAYS! We are a little ahead of schedule for three reasons: 1. No Rain! 2. Getting in shape and picking up the pace. 3. It is actually 73 miles closer than predicted to Alaska.
A few special THANK YOU's...
To our coaches and gear experts, Frank and Duane, at Cyclova in St Croix Falls. The gear they sold to us:
- Gloves
- Long sleeve shirts and short sleeve shirts
- Funny hat
- Shoes
- EXCELLENT bike (will last the whole trip and worked and wore well)
- Hand pump
Please Please pray for us during the next two days. God Bless You! We hope to see you all SOON!
~The Grace Fund Crew
 |
| I went for my prayer walk outside the campground and this guy came up and nipped at me a little bit then followed me for over 2 miles running out and then always back to me. I got back to the campground and he followed me to out site and sat outside the door and waited. Finally I came out to do my computer update and he just sat there with me. I never fed him or gave him water or anything. The owner of the RV park came with a rope and took him away and tied to a tree. He was a beautiful dog, if I could have I’d have brought him home. |
 |
| We are staying in Glacier View RV park. What you see is a glacier. AMAZING. We just sit and keep staring. |
 |
| As we pulled into Smithers you could see the ski slopes. |
 |
| This is our arrival late yesterday in Smithers. That’s a glacier in the back ground. |
Day 23
We saw our first bear today! It was a black bear off in the field and he ran across the road in front of us. Unfortunately we couldn’t get a picture. Next time. We think we are down to five day before we reach Alaska. The days are getting colder, we are getting older, but the bikes are holding up well. We are trying to be at par with them. We road over 70 miles yesterday and we can smell the finish line. Walking didn’t keep up as only put up 2 miles doing daily prayers of thanksgiving and safe requests for the future. Please keep praying for us, it is making a difference. Thank you!
Here is our recorded miles for the 1st 3 weeks and 1 day:
Day-Walk-Ride-Total
1 (8/2 Sat.) 7.5 55 62.5
2 (8/3 Sun.) 1 60 61
3 (8/4 Mon.) 5 52 57
4 (8/5 Tue) 4 14.8 18.8
5 (8/6 Wed) 8 60 68
6 (8/7 Thur) 8 47.1 55.1
7 (8/8 Fri) 12.5 60.2 72.7
8 (8/9 Sat) 28 35.2 63.2
9 (8/10 Sun) 7 30 37
10 (8/11 Mon) 16 53.9 69.9
11 (8/12 Tue) 4 57 61
12 (8/13 Wed) 18 50.4 68.4
13 (8/14 Thur) 11 49.4 60.4
14 (8/15 Fri) 14 61.1 75.1
15 (8/16 Sat) 15 55 70
16 (8/17 Sun) 6 62.6 68.6
17 (8/18 Mon) 16 60.2 76.2
18 (8/19 Tue) 17 64 81
19 (8/20 Wed) 2 60.5 62.5
20 (8/21 Thur) 11.5 50 61.5
21 (8/22 Fri) 16.6 52.6 69.2
22 (8/23 Sat) 2 75 77
TOTAL 230.1 1166 1396.1
Here is our recorded miles for the 1st 3 weeks and 1 day:
Day-Walk-Ride-Total
1 (8/2 Sat.) 7.5 55 62.5
2 (8/3 Sun.) 1 60 61
3 (8/4 Mon.) 5 52 57
4 (8/5 Tue) 4 14.8 18.8
5 (8/6 Wed) 8 60 68
6 (8/7 Thur) 8 47.1 55.1
7 (8/8 Fri) 12.5 60.2 72.7
8 (8/9 Sat) 28 35.2 63.2
9 (8/10 Sun) 7 30 37
10 (8/11 Mon) 16 53.9 69.9
11 (8/12 Tue) 4 57 61
12 (8/13 Wed) 18 50.4 68.4
13 (8/14 Thur) 11 49.4 60.4
14 (8/15 Fri) 14 61.1 75.1
15 (8/16 Sat) 15 55 70
16 (8/17 Sun) 6 62.6 68.6
17 (8/18 Mon) 16 60.2 76.2
18 (8/19 Tue) 17 64 81
19 (8/20 Wed) 2 60.5 62.5
20 (8/21 Thur) 11.5 50 61.5
21 (8/22 Fri) 16.6 52.6 69.2
22 (8/23 Sat) 2 75 77
TOTAL 230.1 1166 1396.1
Sunday, August 24, 2014
More Pics - Day 22
 |
| Cold weather gear |
 |
| Scenery is changing... |
 |
| Terrain & Traffic |
 |
| Mountains are getting closer again and so is more smoke... |
Friday, August 22, 2014
Day 22
Day 22
This has to be the most beautiful day we’ve had. Hard to say that because there have been so many, but the day started cool (that’s ok) and following that there was not a cloud in the sky and very little breeze. PERFECT.
We had a new situation to deal with: Illness. That’s right; Tim woke up with a cold (thought he felt hot the night before and then cool and then hot again). We stayed put and had him stay in bed all day which he did. He slept all afternoon: WOW. Tonight he feels much better. Whew! So, Mike and I rode down the highway east and then back. Then went for a walk. We put on some good miles without much forward progress.
Sidenote: When Mike and I rode past the local school the teachers were picketing. School hasn’t started yet and there were no cars in the lot, etc., so seemed kinda lame, but whatever (Chad). Anyhow, we stopped and asked a teacher striking what they were striking about - he said too many students in the class, too many special needs kids in each class, and not enough money! He said the supreme court has already approved all of this but the government hasn’t acted. I said good luck, my wife used to be a teacher and he immediately said, “where did she teach?” I said we are from Wisconsin and he laughed and said then you understand. ?????
I don’t.
This has to be the most beautiful day we’ve had. Hard to say that because there have been so many, but the day started cool (that’s ok) and following that there was not a cloud in the sky and very little breeze. PERFECT.
We had a new situation to deal with: Illness. That’s right; Tim woke up with a cold (thought he felt hot the night before and then cool and then hot again). We stayed put and had him stay in bed all day which he did. He slept all afternoon: WOW. Tonight he feels much better. Whew! So, Mike and I rode down the highway east and then back. Then went for a walk. We put on some good miles without much forward progress.
Sidenote: When Mike and I rode past the local school the teachers were picketing. School hasn’t started yet and there were no cars in the lot, etc., so seemed kinda lame, but whatever (Chad). Anyhow, we stopped and asked a teacher striking what they were striking about - he said too many students in the class, too many special needs kids in each class, and not enough money! He said the supreme court has already approved all of this but the government hasn’t acted. I said good luck, my wife used to be a teacher and he immediately said, “where did she teach?” I said we are from Wisconsin and he laughed and said then you understand. ?????
I don’t.
~Chuck
 |
| Scenery change - we are now out of the mountains (for awhile anyway). |
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Route Change? - Day 20
 |
| Contest: Find Mike in the picture. Good Luck. Winner will be announced at the Party of the Century with a prize |
 |
| No shoulder - a bad problem to have! |
The Lord blessed us with a beautiful day! A little cool but it’s better than the other way.
We headed to our destination for the day: Vanderhoof, BC. We made it! We rode 50 miles today and stepped it up on our walking to 12 miles. A GREAT DAY!
We had a serious problem once we hit Prince George. Other than being very congested and lots of construction,we ran out of shoulders. There were places where the shoulders (pavement outside the white line) were 16-24” wide. And others (like on bridges) where there were no shoulders. That is toooooo dangerous to ride on or walk on. Since leaving Prince George it has improved but not like it was east of here. Something we have to consider when moving forward.
Another option has reared itself (it’s both good and bad): We did some checking on the ferry’s in Prince Rupert. It appears its going to cost over $300 to take the ferry and it’s a 7.5 hour trip each way with hotels needed in Ketchikan plus finding a place to leave the motor home/trailer. On top of that, several of the days around when we should arrive the ferry is sold out! Another option that we are looking at...going to Stewart, BC. It is on the Alaska border (across from a town called Hyder, AK) It is actually 12 kilometers closer than Prince Rupert and we will be able to actually ride our bikes into Alaska! We are told by locals that the highway off Hwy 16 to Stewart was recently paved and it is fantastic as far as breathtaking views. We are considering this option and will keep you updated.
Again, as always, please keep praying for us as we are for you.
God Bless,
Again, as always, please keep praying for us as we are for you.
God Bless,
~Chuck
Prince George - Day 19
DAY 19
ROADS: The traffic has diminished greatly since we got past McBride. Lots of long gradual hills both up and down. We are having a tough debate over what we dislike the most, the hills or the wind. I think for me it’s the hills and for Mike it’s the wind. Not much we can do about either except the wind doesn’t seem as strong earlier in the morning so we try to get going as early as possible: Sometimes as early as 6:30 AM.
LOCATION: We are just short of Prince George, BC. Went 60 miles riding today and only 2 miles walking. We saw more salmon today, they are such an amazing thing to see!
WEATHER: The weather is much colder now. A couple days ago we had the AC on in the motor home and last night we had the heat on. It is very cool in the mornings and evenings. We understand it will continue to get colder. We still haven’t encountered rain while riding (I do believe God had a hand in that) but we have seen some at night. Still quite windy when riding; usually in our face!
WEATHER: The weather is much colder now. A couple days ago we had the AC on in the motor home and last night we had the heat on. It is very cool in the mornings and evenings. We understand it will continue to get colder. We still haven’t encountered rain while riding (I do believe God had a hand in that) but we have seen some at night. Still quite windy when riding; usually in our face!
ROADS: The traffic has diminished greatly since we got past McBride. Lots of long gradual hills both up and down. We are having a tough debate over what we dislike the most, the hills or the wind. I think for me it’s the hills and for Mike it’s the wind. Not much we can do about either except the wind doesn’t seem as strong earlier in the morning so we try to get going as early as possible: Sometimes as early as 6:30 AM.
Pictures: It has been disappointing sharing pictures that don't do justice to what we are seeing. There is so much that is beyond description that the camera doesn’t convey. Sorry. Mike has taken more pictures than I, but we can’t upload them to his computer (no cord). Maybe we’ll do a slide show at the Party of the Century!
STORY: I have a story to tell you. Yesterday while watching the salmon running in Velamount, we went by a bike rental store. Mike and I thought we should probably take advantage of the opportunity to see if we can get our bikes checked out; everything tight that should be tight, chains greased, etc….so we stopped in and met the owner Shawn. We and asked if he could check out our bikes and give them a tune up, he said sure and give him 45 minutes and come back. So we left and walked around. While walking around we came across a wood carver using a chain saw on aspen logs. He has just finished about an 18” bear. We thought it was very cute and maybe we should buy it and bring it back and auction it at the Party of the Century! So, after Mike and I picked up the bikes (Shawn had cleaned them, checked them over, and greased the gears telling us all was OK except there was something funny with my derailer. Not wanting to appear smart I asked what is a derailer and he said that’s what shifts the gears. Anyhow, I mentioned I had taken a couple of falls, but the bike seemed to work OK after that and I never use that half of the gears anyway. So, it should be OK for the rest of the trip. So Mike and I are back in the campground talking to Tim, and I said, "What do you suppose he charged for the work on the bikes?" Tim said, "$20!" Believe it or not, Tim guessed right and hit the number on the head (which I thought was a more than reasonable price). So then I said to Tim, "OK Mr. Price-is-Right (telling him about the bear carving we were considering buying) how much do you suppose they want for it?" (ha, I thought I had him). He said, “$80.00” and was right on the penny AGAIN! GRRRRRRRR!!
STORY: I have a story to tell you. Yesterday while watching the salmon running in Velamount, we went by a bike rental store. Mike and I thought we should probably take advantage of the opportunity to see if we can get our bikes checked out; everything tight that should be tight, chains greased, etc….so we stopped in and met the owner Shawn. We and asked if he could check out our bikes and give them a tune up, he said sure and give him 45 minutes and come back. So we left and walked around. While walking around we came across a wood carver using a chain saw on aspen logs. He has just finished about an 18” bear. We thought it was very cute and maybe we should buy it and bring it back and auction it at the Party of the Century! So, after Mike and I picked up the bikes (Shawn had cleaned them, checked them over, and greased the gears telling us all was OK except there was something funny with my derailer. Not wanting to appear smart I asked what is a derailer and he said that’s what shifts the gears. Anyhow, I mentioned I had taken a couple of falls, but the bike seemed to work OK after that and I never use that half of the gears anyway. So, it should be OK for the rest of the trip. So Mike and I are back in the campground talking to Tim, and I said, "What do you suppose he charged for the work on the bikes?" Tim said, "$20!" Believe it or not, Tim guessed right and hit the number on the head (which I thought was a more than reasonable price). So then I said to Tim, "OK Mr. Price-is-Right (telling him about the bear carving we were considering buying) how much do you suppose they want for it?" (ha, I thought I had him). He said, “$80.00” and was right on the penny AGAIN! GRRRRRRRR!!
THANK YOU: We’d like to all thank our wives. We know what a hardship we've put them under to be home alone without us for a month! We’re sure it’s almost been un"bear"able (that reminds me we still haven’t seen a bear yet in the wild - or anywhere else I guess). Anyhow, THANK YOU Sandi, Debbie and Nancy. We could not have been able to do this without your support. We love you!
~Chuck
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)