Finito!

The final day! Again, bittersweet victory! The winds were howeling between Boise and Mountain Home, so with a heavy heart, but happy tush, we made the decision to not travel in the high and dangerous crosswinds. Our traditionally fun downhills, were downright dangerous and only able to sustain 6-7 mph. So, our final SAG was at hand. Gail and Dennis Daugherty lifted us up and out of the windy foothills and up to Hailey. Blackjack was ready to go, and we took our 'victory lap' up a beautiful perfectly manicured and wildflowery trail towards Sun Valley. We were all set to surpise Hannah and Mommy with our early arrival, and wouldn't you know it...their flight was cancelled and delayed a day. BIG BUMMER! But, that's how the cookie crumbled for us. The weather was perfect, and a couple hours of relaxed riding (although the altitude started to effect me, a little embarrassing for a Colorado guy don't you think?) and there was our turn off for Elkhorn/Sun Valley. Dylan and Riley were ready to be done, but excited for next year. I'm so sad that it's over, but VERY happy to see Kelly and Hannah....we pulled into the Burnham's driveway, and poetically I think, we weren't too quick to dismount. We just sat there for a moment quietly, trying to fully realize the moment. Just then, up popped Bill Burnham's face in the window, quickly followed by Kaye's. Let the champagne and Sprite bottles open! Reality now starts to set in, I'm stunned that we made it, literally, stunned. I can honestly say, Riley and Dylan never complained once. They have proven to be tougher than their Dad (which isn't saying much), they are cooler than their Dad, better than their Dad. When I grow up I want to be just like them!

The end is near....

Bittersweet, that's all I can say. With the end in sight, for our first stage across the U.S., I'm sad to see it coming to an end, but excited to cross our finish line. In my head, I'm trying to figure out a way to convince Kelly to come next year and hook up Hannah, doubt that'll happen. It's painful to be away from them for so long, but, we've had a blast! A few are interested in my equipment and experiences physically, so heeeere we go....

1. Blackjack, who's real name is Hase Pino Tour. Not a flat on the trip, no problems whatsoever, except for a front clamp that gave me fits at the beginning. It held the kids crankset on, but we got 'er handled. The weight of this goliath was insane, so all the chain problems, shifting stress and concerns and braking issues never materialized.

2. Garmin 705 GPS. If you love biking, buy this, it was amazing. The only bug came into play when we had to travel on the Interstate for a few legs. It's programming was set to, rightfully, avoid interstate travel, so it kept trying to kick me off on strange side routes with our mapping. Otherwise, a very cool and useful toy.

3. Sidi shoes, can't say enough about them. They fit and perform great. I am still nursing my sprained ankle (at times, it was throbbing), so my Shimano clips had to be set very loose on my left, worked out ok. Pearl Izumi shorts, great fit of course, had to wear 2 pair during our long days for extra padding, tired tush, but no saddle sore issues throughout. Arkel packs. If you are planning a tour, get Arkel, I researched the heck out of bags and these treated me VERY well. Black Diamond Skyview ultra-light tent rocked, and even held up to our pounding as we killed dozens of mosquitos against the inside. The boys clipped in with Fly kids SPD shoes and they worked well, this kept their feet safe whenever they dozed off too.

4. Assos Chamois cream...magic in a bottle!

5. 'Superfly' camp stove, ultralight and worked extremely well. REI should sign me as their new spokesman. Heck, if Jared can sell sandwiches for Subway....

Maybe we overpacked, but not by much. The rural nature of much of the ride had me worried, so we did overpack water and food just in case. The ultralight Thermarest bed rolls were good, but I wished they were a bit more comfortable and lighter for the cost. Our REI sleeping bags were magnificent and very light/easy to pack. All in all, it was fun to research every component for the trip, and to see how they performed, I don't see any regrets with our equipment choices. Graduating from the kids bracket to the adult front crankset will sure be nice, the boys say they're ready for next year...I hope I am!

4:45am? Dad...?

The heat wave was cramping our style, so the only way for us to try and stay on schedule was to leave at dawn. So, the alarm went off at 4:45am and we broke camp and were pedaling by 5:45. We were met with a perfect morning, as we left for Ontario and perhaps Caldwell. We took a few shortcuts and cut through acre after acre of farmland, following the Snake River and the tremendous amount of water they have in the region for irrigation. The heat did shut us down around 10am, so Ontario we stopped. We checked out the new Pixar movie, Wall-E, loved it, and the boys got to play in a Carl's Jr Playground for awhile, life is good. Off to Caldwell to meet up with the Daughertys, then to Meridian for some Boondocks Amusement Park fun. A storm blew in, so the boys had to endure an extended couple of hours at Boondocks, how unfortunate for them. A quick evening trek to Boise with the end now in sight. I'm sad that it's coming to an end, we're having a blast, but are really missing Hannah and Kelly a lot.

I got one! I got one!

The hot, hilly and sage brush covered areas of Eastern Oregon led us all through the Oregon Trail. When we stopped in Baker City to visit the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center (a must see if you're in the area, what a well done visitor center), we too started to feel like those dusty covered wagon travelers ( I had a yoke with two Oxen named Riley and Dylan pulling our load!). A few SAGs were needed to bring us up some unpassable passes above Pendleton and LaGrande, but we worked our way South East to the 105 degree Farewell Bend State Park. Even with the temperatures soaring, we decided to pick up a couple of fishing poles and drop our lines. Dylan yelled, "I got one! I got one!", and promptly reeled in one of his 7 Crappies. Riley also faired well with 6, one fewer than Dylan (they kept an accurate count), but to keep things even, Riley did manage to land the biggest mother at a whopping 8 1/2 inches! (For this Dad, watching your boys reel in a fish is about the most perfect feeling in the World!) Tent camping couldn't have been more fun, if you notice, Dylan's BIG HAIR after climbing out of the sack the second morning (I kept thinking of our friend Timolyn that reminds us to 'let your freak fly.) Lucky for us, Grandma and Grandpa pulled into Farewell Bend with their Air conditioned Motorhome. This gave both Dylan and me one heckuva great 2 hour midday nap! By the way, No cell phone coverage, which I now find as a true luxury! Dehydrated food stinks...avoid it at all costs...

Hey everyone, it's Kelly here! Ryan and the boys spent last night in Boise!! They're doing well after a long day of riding! They didn't have cell phone access for a few days so Ryan hasn't been able to update the blog. However, I wanted to let you know that they plan to be in Sun Valley tomorrow night or Thursday morning!!! Hannah and I are so excited to see them! I'm sure Ryan will update as soon as he can!