I have been training since February 2009 with the goal of completing a cycling tour from Portland, Oregon, to Tybee Island, Georgia in 30 days. The PAC Tour group embarked on July 5th and we are traveling about 3600 miles and climbing approximately 124,000 cumulative feet. Please enjoy sharing my journey across America.
I am asking friends, family, and anybody else interested in following the trip to consider supporting this trip by making a donation to Seattle Children's Hospital, Research, and Foundation. Art and Kristin Reeck have made Children's a priority in their philanthropic efforts over the years, and I laud their achievements. I encourage donations to the Uncompensated Care Fund, to help pay the bills for children without insurance, or with inadequate insurance to pay their bills...lifting the financial and emotional burden from the children and their families. Indicate Jay Across America as the occasion for the donation so we can total the money raised.
Hopefully, someday, we won't have to raise money for causes like this. For now, however, I thank you for your support.
The donation total will be updated occasionally...Consider a donation per mile or vertical foot climbed...and follow on the GPS link, where you can see the route, the speed, the ride profile, the weather, and-yes-my heart rate.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Big weekend

SATURDAY

Last Saturday I departed from Medford at 0600 and set out Northwest, climbing into the hills past Butte Falls and Prospect (two small towns I have heard of, but never seen). The roads were quiet, and kind folks in quick-marts and a restaurant were happy to fill my water. After fueling up on a fresh huckleberry turnover...and beef jerky, and snickers, and coke, and fig newtons, I pressed on, riding along the headwaters of the Rogue River, past the entrance to Crater Lake. I climbed and climbed until reaching the summit near Mt. Thielsen and Diamond Lake...There I looked up and barely saw Mt. Thielsen completely shrouded in DARK clouds...and noted the road was soaking wet about a quarter mile in front of me. Batting away the
mosquitoes, I quickly suited up head to toe in my rain gear, and then headed into the COMPLETE DOWNPOUR for the next hour (hence no pictures of Mt. Thielsen or Diamond Lake). I made the turn from the Rogue Valley and started my descent into the Umpqua Valley and basically rode downhill for 40 miles (into the heat and sun)...and after a hot dog and chocolate milk, a car slowly pulled up beside me and someone held out a Cliff Bar and yelled, "Allez, allez!" What do you know, Jonathan, Denison, and Elsa Lee spotted me on the road as they were cruising during their North Umpqua camping and boating weekend! Next thing you know, Dea Collins came riding up the road looking for me (Mind you this is all at the end of a 138 mile ride from Medford.)
We all headed to the camp on Canton Creek, where Elsa showed us how much she loves malted beverages...soon Robb and Ed-the-dog showed up from their mountain-bike adventure. A leisurely dip in the river to cool off and clean up was refreshing, but couldn't keep me from napping before our 5 course meal at the Steamboat Inn - complete with the winemaker himself telling stories (sometimes even about the wine). After 5 courses, 5 wines, and more than 5 stories from our neighbors at the table, we walked back to camp and snoozed 'til the morning...

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