Day 44 Laramie, WY to Saratoga, WY

What a difficult but rewarding day.  I woke up sick, knowing that I would have to climb a mountain.  Not exactly the most ideal conditions to do so much climbing, but I wasn't about to give up just yet.  Today I rode with Patricia, Joanna, and Mitch.  While the first part of the ride was relatively flat (some rolling hills), we all knew what was coming soon.  I think also the gradual but steady climb in elevation really got to us.  By the time we approached the mountain, we were a bit tired and I was cold.  Thankfully there was a very nice store (actually called the Friendly Store) in a small town right before the climb began.  Believe it or not, as everyone started taking their jackets off as they became hot (including Emily Lake and Katrina, who are always the last ones to take their jackets off), I bought a hot tea to drink.  I wasn't shivering or anything like that, but I was definitely cold.  At that point I decided to continue with the climb, sick or not.  It was our first major climb in the Rockies and I couldn't let it pass without at least attempting it.

About a mile into the climb (still feeling pretty good), Patricia, who was feeling really light headed, decided to get into the van.  Unfortunately at that point, we had told Joanna and Mitch to go on ahead of us since we were slowing them down.  Instead of letting the water van go ahead and ask them to wait for me, I decided for some reason to use what little energy I had left to sprint up the mountain as fast as I could, killing both my lungs and legs to bridge the gap.  Thankfully the water van caught up to Joanna and Mitch anyway and asked them to stop and wait for me.  Unfortunately, by that point I had exhausted myself and was totally out of breath.  Now, perhaps at that point I should have gotten into the van... but of course I didn't and so commenced the hardest climb on the trip yet.  The climbs in Pennsylvania were definitely technically more difficult, but on those I don't think I ever considered quitting or vanning, but today I thought about it a number of times.  I'm grateful for all the teammates I had with me who motivated me to keep going and made sure I was feeling ok(ish).  The climb wasn't particularly steep, it just went on forever and ever, and since I had a terrible cough I had a lot of trouble breathing (again, not helped by the high elevation).

While it was truly a struggle, we made it to the lunch stop (which was 3-4 miles from the very top).  I was really grateful to have a break from the climbing, and I lost track of how many times people asked if I was okay or if I wanted to van the rest of the climb (since there were only several miles left).  I decided I would continue, and while I can't say with certainty it was the smartest thing to do, I can say it was worth it.  The top of the mountain (Snowy Range) was incredibly beautiful and nothing like we've seen before.  Not only were the rock formations amazing, but there was even snow and we threw snow at each other, something I've never had a chance to do in my life in July.

View right before the summit I think... gradual climb, but loooong (ended up being around 12 miles I believe)

Cold, out of breath, fatigued, but worth it at the top

Emily Lipsitz and me... yes we have our silly moments...

Tribute to Jamie at the top of the mountain

 Precisely because the view was so beautiful and amazing, it was also very emotional as we couldn't help but think about Jamie and how she couldn't be here.  These moments on the trip can be depressing (to be frank about it), but in the end we're always glad that we kept on going, that despite the fact that she can't be here with us in person, we'll keep her memory alive by continuing to ride her bike to the places we know she would have loved to have seen.

After spending what seemed like an eternity at the top, we finally made our descent (always the reward after a hard climb).  Just like the ascent, the descent was gradual but long.  In fact, even longer than the way up (17 miles I think vs 12 miles or so).  We checked everyone's brakes to make sure they were tight / closed for safety reasons, and one by one we went... only to be surprised by some unexpected uphills on the way down from the mountain.  I have to say, some of those uphills, as tiny and gradual as they were, made me question whether I was going to actually make it all the day down the mountain.  Fortunately the hills were gone after just a few miles, and after that it was all an amazing downhill.  I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to cover 17 miles in such a short amount of time.  To be honest I think I preferred the short but ridiculous steep descents of the Appalachians (3-4 miles at 10-15%) to the Rockies (17 miles around 5-6%), but it was an amazing experience nonetheless, especially the spectacular views (I finally concede that the scenery in the West is better...)

Despite telling Kelsey and Jocelyn (van drivers for the day, who I think were afraid that I would just pass out on the way down) that I would just coast most of the way, I ended up pedaling quite a bit on the way down.  When I finally finished the 17 mile descent, both of them looked at me and demanded I get into the van.  At that point common sense finally kicked and while I joked about finishing the last 16 miles or so, I got into the van.  Even though it was disappointing to not finish, I'm grateful to have had such amazing teammates who motivated me to climb up and down the mountain, the big challenge for the day.

We arrived at the hosts for the night, the Saratoga Alliance Church.  Dinner was delicious and much needed after the climbing.  The generosity and sincerity of the church was really obvious in every manner, but I want point out one particular act of kindness that really meant a lot to the team.  One of our teammates, Chelsea, had really struggled with the high elevation and had become incredibly dehydrated on the way down from the mountain, to the point that she wasn't able to finish the descent.  One of the church members, who I believe was a paramedic, actually gave Chelsea an IV to rehydrate her and it became incredibly obvious how dehydrated she was, as we saw the drips just flow into her.  That kind of medical care is definitely not cheap and to have someone at the church just do it without any hesitation really means a lot to the team.  Thankfully Chelsea recovered quickly.  Saratoga Alliance Church may be first year hosts, but I know 4K will do everything to come back one day... including me, whether via 4K or just as a cyclist or a random traveller in Saratoga, WY.

Dehydration Recovery (note the IV to the right!)

Tonight I'm actually staying with Pastor Scott Stinson and his family right next to the church.  Despite being sick still, I really felt so much better and rejuvenated by the dinner and the church's kindness toward us.  The Stinson Family and I had a really nice conversation about everything... not just 4K and the funny stories we have, but the rides coming up in Wyoming, Yellowstone, the former town that was Jeffrey City, and so much more.  As I've said before, it really means a lot to me to be able to actually talk to our hosts and learn about their lives.  Saratoga might be a small dot on the map, but I know I'll never forget it.