Ride for Hunger

2009-08-24T22:49:00.001-07:00

More Photos from Oshkosh

Thank you to Fonda Cox and C J Anderson for the wonderful pictures.

2009-08-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

Baptism Photos

Here are some photos from Taylor's baptism last week. Was it really only one week ago? Wow!!

Have a Happy Sabbath.

Pictures from Robert's Return Home

2009-08-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos from Robert's return. The third one from the top shows Robert and his wife Cindy. Of course she was VERY glad to see him! The photo at the bottom shows Robert sharing stories from the road with a few of the folks who were waiting to welcome him back.

As Robert mentioned earlier, the total mileage for the trip was 6,272. Total donations and pledges at the moment I write this are $6,273! Of course if you still haven't contributed, it's not too late. Click here to donate in honor of this project now (mention "Ride for Hunger" in the comments). This trip will make a big difference for many needy families, and you can be a part of that with your gift.

Thank you so much to Robert and everyone who has supported this trip. It makes a huge difference at a time when the need is great.

Brian Vistaunet
Development Associate, PACS

2009-08-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

Caldwell, ID to Battle Ground, WA

This morning I left Caldwell, ID on the last leg of the Ride for Hunger and headed for home. It was a beautiful day for a ride. During one stop at the rest area west of Baker City, OR I met some people who were traveling back from the Pathfinder Camporee and had a nice conversation. A couple of friends (John Wesslen and David Giles) joined me in Hood River to ride the last hour with me. We rode into PACS, the last stop of the ride, before heading home. As we rode into Portland the traffic slowed us down and we were a little later than expected.

Riding down Halsey was the above sign welcoming me back. There were a few staff and volunteers around to share ice cream and stories with. They even had a reporter there that took some pictures and asked me a few questions.

I truly appreciate the support I have received through this project and many people thanked me for what I did for PACS. I did the riding but God will make this project successful. His presence was felt the entire way. Yes, there were some obstacles along the way but the Lord was definitely with me on this ride. I am thankful for His patience with me on this project as I tried everything I could think of to forget about the fund-raising matters but He would not let the idea go away until I gave Him control for this project. I am very hopeful that this ride will be beneficial for PACS. How can it not be successful if the Lord is behind the scenes working through our insecurities?

The total trip was 6,272 miles and I rode through 23 of the 24 scheduled states. The only one I missed was Illinois.

While the Ride for Hunger is officially complete, please stay tuned for further updates on the fund-raising and baptism photos.

8-20-09 Stats

425 miles
6,272 miles down
0 miles to go
100% complete
States - ID, OR, WA

2009-08-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

Baptism Update

I do not have any pictures of the baptism yet and will post them as soon as I can. If you are interested in watching a video, you can find it at http://meadowglade.adventistnw.org/video-archives .

2009-08-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

Idaho Falls, ID to Caldwell, ID

After my adventure yesterday and with a short ride scheduled for today, I needed to sleep in a little today. This was nice.

Now I am not a big fan of Idaho, but there are a lot interesting things to do and see. I traveled entirely on the interstate highway system (I-15, I-86, I-84), most of the time paralleling the Snake River. I did not spend time sight-seeing as I wanted to get into Caldwell and get rested for the last leg of the ride tomorrow.

Thank you for your interest in this project. It has been a very rewarding and faith-building experience for me and hopefully for you through the blog reports and pictures.

If anyone is interested there will be a couple of people joining me in Hood River, OR tomorrow at about 2:30 pm. We will meet at the McDonald's, just off I-84, and ride into PACS to complete the Ride for Hunger.

8-19-09 Stats
303 miles
5,848 miles down
425 miles to go
93.2% complete

2009-08-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

Miles City, MT to Idaho Falls, ID

I apologize for the tardiness of this report and when I am finished you should understand why it is late. Yesterday's ride was the day I anticipated the most since my scheduled route would take me through some of the most beautiful scenery this country has to offer.

I left Miles City, MT on my way through Billings, south to Red Lodge, up and over the Beartooth Highway (U.S. 212), and into Yellowstone National Park. Thankfully, I missed the First Family's visit by a couple of days or I would still be traveling through the park. The trip for the day ended in Idaho Falls, ID, my last night to spend in a motel!!!

Unfortunately this picture does not accurately portray the scene. The Beartooth Highway is much better than the descriptions I have heard, but how can you accurately describe it? The road goes straight up the side of the mountain with awesome switchbacks and curves that make you think you'll go over the edge. The weather was a little cloudy so it was cold and a nice change of pace from the heat on the first half of the ride. They were doing some road work higher up and there were several road bikes that were doing duty as dual sports. Several miles of the highway were torn up and basically were dirt roads. This made for some interesting gyrations to keep everything on two wheels, which we all survived without falling over. Coming over the top of the pass and heading down into Cooke City, WY was some of the most awesome scenery I had ever seen. I did not get any pictures because I saw a sign that said "This is Grizzly Bear Country" and I was not interested in providing some grizzly bear with an afternoon snack.

I stopped in Cooke City, just outside of Yellowstone National Park, for gas and again had to traverse a few more miles of the highway that was converted to a dirt road. I have never been to this little community and was impressed with the setting amongst some amazing mountains.

And then came Yellowstone. Just to travel through the park cost $20 but I made sure to get my moneys worth. The "scheduled" route was to take me from the northeast entrance to the west entrance, a total of 96 miles. I guess the park decided that I needed to see more of the beautiful, diverse scenery that was available because they closed down the one key road I needed to complete my "scheduled" route. According to my calculations there are approximately 250 miles of roads through Yellowstone and I traveled more than 175 miles before I was able to exit the park. What I expected to do in a couple of hours turned into a four or five hour odyssey. To be honest I lost track of time as I was trying to find my way out of the maze. I finally found Old Faithful and missed an eruption by about five minutes. This is awesome country and there are so many different eco systems that to do this park justice one needs at least a week to explore it. I think I will chalk it up as a reconnaissance mission since there are tentative plans for my family to make a trip here next summer. If my memory is still good I should be able to get around, unless they decide to close another road for repairs. Did I mention the maximum speed limit was 45 mph and there were several times I got stuck behind a line of vehicles that were going considerably slower.

I think what interested me the most is that Yellowstone used to be one GIANT volcano and the whole park sits on the floor. Now I cannot even put that into perspective, only to say I would not want to be around if Old Faithful decides to become Old "un"Faithful. As I mentioned there is so much to see and I highly recommend this spot for a future vacation.

I did manage to find the exit I needed and headed toward Idaho Falls. This took approximately two hours, the longerst two hours of the trip as the sun was setting rapidly and I had to finish it in the dark, something I tried to avoid during the ride. By the time I reached the motel I was wasted and the internet connection was not working correctly. I got something to eat at Denny's and went straight to bed.

8-18-09 Stats

475 miles scheduled + 81 miles unscheduled
5,545 miles down
727 miles to go
88.4% complete
States - MT, WY, ID

2009-08-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

Milbank, SD to Miles City, MT

I saw this sign as I was leaving Milbank, SD this morning. Yesterday I traveled on U.S. 12 through Minnesota and into South Dakota, so I had to have a picture. This morning I decided to take I-29 north to Fargo and I-94 west to Miles City, MT. The route today covered 592 miles and was the longest day of the ride, as well as a new record for the most miles that I have ridden in one day.

The weather conditions today covered everything from sunshine to rain. The most difficult had to be the wind. As soon as I got onto I-94 in Fargo the winds were blowing constantly, with some big gusts just to make sure I was awake, until I hit the Montana border almost 350 miles later. I can still hear the wind blowing as my ears are ringing even though I used ear plugs.

I did come across the Theodore Roosevelt National Park about 30 miles east of the Montana border, check it out at http://www.nps.gov/thro/index.htm . Included in this park is the Painted Canyon which has a few spots just off the freeway that would make some awesome photographs. The best way to describe it is that it looks like a mini Grand Canyon. This is another spot on my list of places to visit with a camera.

Everyone made it home from the camporee even though there were some snafus with the transportation to the airport. As I understand the situation, the buses to transport the Meadow Glade Pathfinders and staff to the airport arrived more than 1 1/2 hours late. On the way one of the buses had mechanical problems and needed repairs. The club transferred half of the group onto the one good bus and headed for the airport leaving behind 20 pathfinders and 4 staff. The good bus made it to the airport approximately 25 minutes before their flight was scheduled to leave and the staff at the Southwest counter had the baggage claim tickets and boarding passes ready when they arrived and quickly processed them through the check-in and security process. Meanwhile, the group that was left behind finally got underway to the airport but there was no way they were going to make it in time to catch the plane. Attempts to get on other flights were unsuccessful as all flights were booked full until Tuesday. The rest of the details are a little fuzzy but somehow the flight was delayed until the rest of the group were able to board and the entire club arrived in Portland on the same flight, just a couple of hours later than expected. Praise God!!

8-17-09 Stats
592 miles
4,988 miles down
1,203 miles to go
80% complete

States - SD, ND, MT

2009-08-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Oshkosh, WI to Milbank, SD

This morning broke early as we had to get up at 5:00 am and break down the camp for the Meadow Glade Pathfinders. It is a huge task to manage a club as large as Meadow Glade and it was surprising to see how quickly everything could be taken down and packed away.

I waited around until the buses had left for the trip to Chicago Midway Airport and headed for home. After about 30 to 45 minutes into the trip it started to rain but I had a "long way to go and a short time to get there" so I put on my rain pants and pushed on. The rain was not too bad, but the heavy winds made things more interesting. One gust hit so hard I thought it was going to push me off the motorcycle. The weather got better the farther west I went today. I hope that trend continues the rest of the week.

8-16-09 Stats
467 miles
4,396 miles down
1,795 miles to go
71% complete
States - WI, MN, SD

2009-08-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

Pathfinder Camporee

Oshkosh, WI

Check out http://www.adventistyouth.org/cts/ for more information and pictures.

What an awesome experience and spiritual high for our Pathfinders. You really need to experience this event for yourself because the energy level lifts kids of all ages (one lady who attended was in her 90's) as they learn more about God and meet new people from around the world. The theme this year was Courage to Stand and focused on the story of Esther.

With more than 35,000 in attendance it is amazing to find people you have not seen in a long time. While I was waiting for the baptisms I was drafted to help fill up the balloons the baptismal candidates released after they were baptized. As I was leaving I noticed a t-shirt and commented to the individual that I had passed through their town on my way to Gentry, AR a couple of days before. He said that he was the pastor for that church and that he had also gone to Ozark. I asked him what year he graduated and when he said he graduated in 1984 you could've knocked me over with a feather because I graduated in 1983 and we were friends all those years ago. You never know what will happen, you can be standing next to a stranger for almost 30 minutes and then find out that he was a friend from more than a.... well, let's just say a long time ago.

The camporee was held at the same airfield that holds one of the largest airshows in the U.S. One of the highlights was a trip to the air museum. Check it out at http://museum.eaa.org/ . While there I met a member of the security team and we had a very nice conversation. He mentioned a friend of his who has leukemia and since he was working I told him I will be praying for his friend. Please join me in praying for his friend Eric McLean. Aaron, thanks for taking some time out of your busy day, it was my pleasure to meet and talk with you.

While there were alot of things to do and see at the camporee, the one thing that makes this whole trip worthwhile is that Taylor was baptized on Sabbath. She was 1 out of 550 that were baptized that day. Yes, I am a little biased but that was the high point of the whole camporee. I had fun trading pins, checking out the booths, meeting new and old friends, and even helping feed the Meadow Glade Pathfinder club. No, I did not have to cook, but it was still hard work. To watch your young daughter publicly give her heart to Jesus is the best thing a father can see. Taylor, your mother and I are very proud of your decision and pray that you will continue to grow closer to Jesus. As soon as I get some pictures, they will be posted.

I include the pictures above as visible evidence that the Pathfinders had heavenly protection throughout this camporee. These pictures were taken during the Sabbath evening program and even though the quality is not that great, I think you will see what I am talking about.

2009-08-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Des Moines, IA to Oshkosh, WI

When I awoke and turned on The Weather Channel the forecast called for "abundant sunshine". Now that sounded really promising but as I went out to load up the motrocycle it started to rain. Thankfully it stopped and the storm passed on. I started east on I-80 and on the horizon was another more menacing storm, It looked to be north of Des Moines and moving my way. I focused on the clearing I could see beyond the clouds and kept moving. As I stopped for gas the clouds moved over Des Moines behind me and it looked like there was a lot of rain coming down. I was glad to be out of reach and enjoyed clear skies the rest of the way to Oshkosh.

It was good to finally arrive at the turning point of this journey. From here on the roads will bring me closer to home.

Unfortunately, there was a GPS error and I missed my turn off to ride into Illinois. The error? I misread the Google map directions and missed the turn off to cross over the Mississppi River into Illinois. By the time I realized what had happened I was already into Wisconsin and behind schedule so I decided to bypass Illinois. Instead of 24 states, I will ride through 23 states on this ride but will reach my goal of hitting all states west of the Mississippi River, except Alaska and Hawaii.

8-12-09 Stats
400 miles
3,929 miles down
2,262 miles to go
States - IA, WI

2009-08-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

Siloam Springs, AR to Des Moines, IA

Despite my disappointment about not making my goal yesterday most of the day there was beautiful weather. It was a little humid until I hit NW Arkansas when the storm hit. The forecast for today was expecting scattered thunderstorms and when I awoke I expected to see some rain. I was pleasantly surprised to see the rain had stopped and the skies were fair with a front approaching. I was able to get out and visit Ozark Adventist Academy this morning and even had a chat with a former teacher who is still on the faculty after 28 years. This was my first visit to the campus since I graduated and while there were some changes the campus was mostly as I had remembered. I even got to here the old bell tower chime as I was leaving.

Ok, enough nostalgia. The weather could not have been better today. It was nice to get away from the humidity and heat. After I left Ozark I headed north on Arkansas 59 and crossed over into Missouri. The only problem was that I got stuck behind a truck that was hauling chickens to the local Tyson plant which drastically slowed me down through some very promising curves. I would recommend traveling through this stretch of highway if you get the chance, just be sure to pass the chicken trucks at the earliest opportunity. I continued north towards Kansas City and through St Joseph, MO on I-29. Just past the Iowa border I turned west through Nebraska City, NE and followed U.S. 75 north into Omaha and finally back east on I-80 into Des Moines, IA. 553 miles makes for a very long day and as the sun was setting behind me I finally made it to my hotel for the night.

I understand that those who were traveling, from the Meadow Glade Pathfinder club, have made it to Oshkosh and if all goes as planned I should join them tomorrow afternoon or evening. I am not sure what the internet availability will be when I get there and will provide updates as much as possible throughout the camporee.

Yesterday I passed the halfway point as far as the number of traveling days and today passed the halfway point as far as the number of miles. I can only thank God for getting me this far safely. I know that your prayers on my behalf have been heard. I am very grateful for these prayers and thankful that the weather has cooperated thus far. Even yesterday's storm had a silver lining as I was able to connect with a former teacher from Ozark.

8-11-09 Stats
553 miles
3,529 miles down
2,662 miles to go
57% complete
States - AR, MO, KS, NE, IA

2009-08-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Jefferson, TX to Siloam Springs, AR

After spending the weekend with my parents, it was time to head north to Oshkosh. Today's ride was scheduled to go into Neosho, MO but due to a thunderstorm in Siloam Springs, AR I came up 57 miles short which will make tomorrow's ride a little longer than expected. My original idea was to go through Gentry, AR, just a few miles north of Siloam Springs, and visit Ozark Adventist Academy where I spent my high school years. I actually started north and decided to turn around when I saw a wall of rain ahead and lightning strikes all around. I thought I could wait the storm out since there was some clearing skies to the west and then the storm changed directions and started moving south. It made for some interesting sights as I waited and after more than an hour of lightning, thunder, wind, and rain it was apparent that the storm was going to last for a while. I waited for a lull and got a room at the local Best Western. It looks like I might get some rain early tomorrow and then it looks to start clearing up by the time I hit Kansas City.

The pathfinders are starting to arrive at Oshkosh and tomorrow my wife and oldest daughter will be traveling. Please join me in remembering those who are still traveling and those who have already arrived. I pray that this experience will bring everyone involved into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.

8-10-09 Stats

352 miles - 57 miles short of goal

2,976 miles down

3,215 miles to go

48% complete

States - TX, LA, OK, AR

2009-08-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

Childress, TX to Jefferson, TX

I just want to thank the Lord for a beautiful day of riding. The skies were clear most of the way and there was no rain or lightning. After leaving Childress, I headed south to Wichita Falls and then east to Paris. Yes, now I can say that I've been to Paris (Texas that is). As I traveled east the scenery got better and better. East Texas is quite a bit different than West Texas or the Panhandle. It was still hot and humid, but at least there was more to look at than miles and miles of open space. It is hard to believe that my travel time today was approximately eight hours and I am still in Texas.

I made it safely to my parents house and will spend the weekend with them before heading north towards Oshkosh and the Pathfinder Camporee.

I want to thank all of you for your generous contributions. Thanks, Brian, for the update. It is truly amazing what God can do if we allow him to lead.

Have a Happy Sabbath!

8-07-09 Stats
388 miles
2,624 miles down
3,567 miles to go
42.4% complete
States - TX

At Least $4,670!

2009-08-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

A quick update from PACS on gifts and pledges: So far, at least $4,670 has been donated or pledged to provide food and health care to needy families! Thank you so much to everyone who has partnered with Robert to help those who are struggling during the recession.

If you have not joined Robert in this effort yet, it is not to late. You can download and print the response form or simply donate online (be sure to mention "Ride for Hunger" in the comments).

Robert, we have enjoyed your posts and pictures immensely here at PACS, and we look forward to seeing more as your trip continues!

Brian Vistaunet
Development Associate, PACS

2009-08-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Albuquerque, NM to Childress, TX

After a brief interruption I am back in the saddle again, so to speak. Albuquerque was an interesting stop as we had good meetings and I was able to reconnect with a cousin that I have not seen since I was three years old. I discovered New Mexican food, pretty much the same as Mexican food with a few more chiles. Not too bad.

There is not much to say for the ride today. After getting through the mountains just east of Albuquerque the road into Amarillo, TX did not have a lot of excitement. The one thing that I should have done is make a little side trip to Madrid, NM. Some of you may remember this town from the movie Wild Hogs that was filmed in the area. Oh well, I definitely will do this next time. The weather was awesome, just a little warm, and there were no storm clouds on the horizon today.

For those who may have played Rail Baron in the past, I jumped onto Route 66 through Tucumcari, NM. It was kinda like going back in time, too bad some of the old businesses are not operating anymore. The ones that are still open leaves you with a little nostalgia for the good ol' days.

8-06-09 Stats
405 miles
2,236 miles down
3,955 miles to go
36.1% complete
States - NM, TX

2009-08-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of photos that I have not posted yet. Enjoy. The ride will resume on Thursday, August 6, 2009.

2009-07-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

Blanding, UT to Albuquerque, NM

Stage 5 of the Tour de Oshkosh began in Blanding, UT and retraced the last few miles of my trip yesterday. I decided to change the intended route for the day and backtrack to get a picture of a rock formation that I saw as I was leaving Bluff, UT. The picture above shows a rock formation known as the Navajo Twins. From there I headed east to visit the Four Corners Monument. Apparently somebody messed up when it was surveyed and the actual four corners is a couple of miles away but it was fun watching people try to stand in four states at one time.

After that I headed towards Cortez, CO and then turned south on U.S. 491 to Gallup, NM where I actually rode on a small part of Historic Route 66 - "The Mother Road". Route 66 parallels I-40 across New Mexico and I will hopefully have a chance to travel a few more miles on it next week.

Well this brings me to my first interruption of this journey as I have business meetings next week in Albuquerque beginning on Monday. Next Thursday the ride will resume as I head out across Texas to spend the weekend with my parents. Hopefully the weather will cooperate as it has thus far.

Apparently there were some technical difficulties regarding the ability to post comments but I believe those are ironed out now.

Thanks for the prayers. They are working as I have been able to avoid most of the afternoon storms that tend to pop out of nowhere around here. I know it is because of your prayers that they are staying just out of range. Each of the last three afternoons I thought I was going to get really wet and except for the one shower yesterday afternoon I have only had a few drops on my windshield. The clouds and showers have been a blessing as that has helped to keep things cooler than I was expecting.

Have a Happy Sabbath.

7-31-09 Stats

1,831 miles down - 4,360 miles to go - 29.6% complete
States - UT, AZ, NM, CO

2009-07-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Cedar City, UT to Blanding, UT

Stage 4 of the Tour de Oshkosh started today from Cedar City, UT following UT-14 into the Dixie National Forest. I wish I had more time to stop for pictures because there was some awesome scenery as I climbed up to over 9,900 feet. Two of the pictures above are from Monument Valley and the other picture was taken at a lookout, near the top of the pass, where you can see into Zion National Park.

The route turned south to Page, AZ. After stopping for lunch, I headed east to Kayenta, AZ and then north into Monument Valley where I stopped for a couple of pictures. There are some great photos from this area, but you really must experience this country up close and personal. Heading north from Kayenta I got my first dose of heavy rain for about 10-15 minutes and then it cleared up and I was dry the rest of the way. This area has options galore for sightseeing and other recreational pasttimes. There were so many places to stop and take in the sights. One could easily take a couple of weeks and still not see or do everything. I am pretty sure that it will be hard to surpass the scenery I saw today, at least until I return to the Northwest.

Thanks to everyone for your support and prayers. At the end of each post is an option for to you submit a comment. Please do so as I would really like to hear from you.

7-30-09 Stats

Start Time - 8:30 am MT

End Time - 4:15 pm MT

1.471 miles down - 4,720 miles to go - 23.8% complete

States - UT, AZ

2009-07-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

Fallon, NV to Cedar City, UT

Stage 3 of the Tour de Oshkosh is a wrap. Today I followed U.S. 50 from Fallon to a few miles east of Ely and then U.S. 93 south to Nevada 319/Utah 56 into Cedar City, UT (463 miles).

"'It's totally empty,' says an AAA counselor. There are no points of interest. We don't recommend it.' The 287-mile stretch of U.S. 50 running from Ely to Fernley, Nev., passes nine towns, two abandoned mining camps, a few gas pumps and the occasional coyote. 'We warn all motorists not to drive there,' says the AAA rep, 'unless they're confident of their survival skills.'" This is an excerpt from Life magazine (July, 1986) describing Nevada's U.S. 50 as the Lonliest Road in America.

This does not give one a lot of confidence as you start out across this stretch of highway. While there are long stretches between any form of established civilization it does not do justice to this area. I found the route very interesting as it parallels the historic Pony Express Trail and the towns of Austin and Eureka had some really neat architecture (late 1800's era) if you are into that sort of thing. There were some other interesting things to see if I had the time, such as the petroglyphs and Hidden Cave tours at Grimes Point, Cold Springs Pony Express Station, and even a shoe tree (I'm not sure how I missed it because there are not many trees along U.S. 50).

In my opinion the above description more accurately represents U.S. 93. I jumped on a few miles east of Ely and followed it through 90+ miles of almost nothing. According to the signs I saw this is supposed to be a scenic route. Sorry, not even close. The only thing interesting about this highway was watching the storms come in around me. There were a few drops but not what I could've experienced by looking at the skies.

I can not thank all of you enough for your prayers and well wishes.

7-29-09 Stats

Start Time - 8:00 am PT

End Time - 7:30 pm MT

1,121 miles down - 5,070 miles to go - 18.1% completed

States - NV, UT

2009-07-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

Weed, CA to Fallon, NV

Well, Stage 2 of the Tour de Oshkosh finished in Fallon, NV today. Did you know that the Navy Fighter Weapons School is located in Fallon? Maybe you will recognize it under a more famous name, TOPGUN. If you ask me this is a strange place for the navy right in the middle of the desert.

It is hard to believe that it was cooler in Nevada today than Portland, OR. According to the Weather Channel it was 106 degrees back home and it is expected to be hotter tomorrow. And I thought I was riding into the heat not away from it.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day and I need to get up early, so good night for now.

7-28-09 Stats
Start Time - 9:30 am PT
End Time - 4:30 pm PT
658 miles down - 5,533 miles to go - 10.6% complete
States - CA, NV

2009-07-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

Battle Ground, WA to Weed, CA

This weekend the 21 stages of the Tour de France were completed with Alberto Contador winning. It is time to focus on the 15 stages of the Tour de Oshkosh with PACS benefitting from the funds that have been/will be donated. Thank you for your generous support of PACS through this project.

Today Stage 1 is in the books (sorry for the bad accounting pun) and what a day for riding it was. The route today was pretty straight forward rolling down I-5 all the way to Weed, CA in the shadows of Mt Shasta. If only the weather were a little cooler. I overheard someone at the gas station in Medford say that the thermometer showed a temperature of 108 degrees. I understand that the entire length of the I-5 corridor had triple digit temperatures. Whose idea was it to do this during the summer? I guess this is training for later in the week when I travel through Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Thank you all for remembering me in your prayers and I humbly ask that you continue to do so.

July 27, 2009 Stats

Start time - 10:00 am PT

Finish time - 5:30 pm PT

376 miles completed - 5,815 miles to go - 6% complete

States - WA, OR, CA

2009-07-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Ride for Hunger blog. Please follow along with me over the next few weeks as I travel by motorcycle to the International Pathfinder Camporee in Oshkosh, WI and back. Along the way I hope to raise funds for the Portland Adventist Commuity Services.

The journey is currently planned to cover almost 6,200 miles and will include 15 riding days and 10 non-riding days.

Day #1 - 7-27-09 - Battle Ground, WA to Weed, CA - 376 miles

Day #2 - 7-28-09 - Weed, CA to Fallon, NV - 282 miles

Day #3 - 7-29-09 - Fallon, NV to Cedar City, UT - 463 miles

Day #4 - 7-30-09 - Cedar City, UT to Blanding, UT - 350 miles

Day #5 - 7-31-09 - Blanding, UT to Albuquerque, NM - 360 miles

Day #6 to #10 - Albuquerque, NM - No travel scheduled

Day #11 - 8-06-09 - Albuquerque, NM to Childress, TX - 405 miles

Day #12 - 8-07-09 - Childress, TX to Jefferson, TX - 388 miles

Day #13 to #14 - Visiting parents - No travel scheduled

Day #15 - 8-10-09 - Jefferson, TX to Neosho, MO - 409 miles

Day #16 - 8-11-09 - Neosho, MO to Des Moines, IA - 496 miles

Day #17 - 8-12-09 - Des Moines, IA to Oshkosh, WI - 400 miles

Day #18 to #20 - Pathfinder Camporee - No travel scheduled

Day #21 - 8-16-09 - Oshkosh, WI to Milbank, SD - 467 miles

Day #22 - 8-17-09 - Milbank, SD to Miles City, MT - 592 miles

Day #23 - 8-18-09 - Miles City, MT to Idaho Falls, ID - 475 miles

Day #24 - 8-19-09 - Idaho Falls, ID to Caldwell, ID - 303 miles

Day #25 - 8-20-09 - Caldwell, ID to Battle Ground, WA - 425 miles