And So It Begins
On July 13th, 2016, I set out on an 86 miles ride from Jackson, Wyoming to Idaho Falls, Idaho. Yesterday, I finally completed that stretch of my cross country cycling ride.
The day started out waking up to the sound of rain, so I wasn't sure how the ride would go. The rain, on top of a chilly morning, didn't help to calm my nerves at all. Oddly enough, this is similar to how my ride 2 years ago began. The forecast yesterday told of the rain subsiding quickly and the sun coming out soon. I prayed that this would hold true, and it did.
Prior to stopping in at Idaho Mountain Trading, I wanted to take a drive out to the site of the collision. Sarah, Dad, and I went to place some flowers at the site for Anne and mentally prepare for the ride ahead. The Johnson's and the cycling community have been taking really good care of the angel bike.
When I arrived at Idaho Mountain Trading, I was so amazed at the work Davin had put into making the Collision to Coast kick off a success! The local YMCA donated their bus so that cyclists could shuttle to the memorial site, which worked out perfectly! There were so many cyclists ready to ride out with me and finish those final 10 miles. They were also raffling off a bike and selling pint glasses to help fund our ride. I mean, how cool is that?! Davin, Lynne, Cindy, and the rest of the staff are SO kind!
When we arrived at the memorial site, I was once again amazed. The site was flooded with cyclists and other community members who wanted to show their support of Collision to Coast. Brian, who had donated the angel bike for Anne, had displayed a banner he had made for our ride. He organized a small ceremony to honor Anne and to encourage change in Idaho to make cycling safer. I was so encouraged by his kind words!
When it came time to ride out, the weather was perfect! The sun was bright and it had warmed up a tad. The ride into Idaho Falls was relatively flat. I enjoyed a comfortable ride to Idaho Mountain Trading with my teammates and fellow cyclists. With a police escort and chase car, I again felt comfortable cycling on the road in Idaho Falls.
And the journey continues! Today we leave to continue our trek across the country from Dillon, Montana. It is a rainy morning again, which is exactly how we left Yorktown, Virginia two summers ago. The road awaits!
Laura
