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.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Saturday June 20 - Mountain stage



I didn't really know what my plan was today...but after Tim and I failed to meet up to start the day, I headed out from Ashland toward Mt. Ashland, the local ski area...about 25 miles and 5000 feet of climbing away. It was a cool cloudy morning, so the climbing (with intervals every 30 minutes - Michelle's orders!) was good. I actually punched through the clouds after about 20 miles and had incredible views South into California. Good old Mt. Shasta greeted me, and the clouds were spilling over the pass behind me; out of the Rogue Valley and into the Colestine Valley.
I arrived in the Mt. A parking lot in just under 2 hours (a personal best). The ride back down was bone-chilling. I took a right at Emigrant Lake and started climbing the Greensprings (a perfect grade up the other side of the South end of the Rogue Valley). I hit the top and decided not to do the Lakes Loop, but to descend back into the Valley, as now I had climbed 2 of the 3 climbs of the "triple challenge."
After a quick bite back in Ashland, I headed up Dead Indian Memorial Road (yes, that is actually the name...and yes, it is 2009) and (after seeing Kate speed past me in her car) I bagged the third peak of the day and headed for home. All said, it was 100 miles, 12,000 feet of climbing, and just over 6 and a half hours of riding. I think I burned a ton of calories too, as I just seemed to eat for the rest of the
day until I fell asleep.

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