Tragedy on ME2SB

While cruising along the Pacific Coast Highway with my parents I saw a post that left my heart more broken than when I said goodbye to my fellow SUSer's. Patrick Wanninkhof, a leader on the Maine to Santa Barbara route and Bridget Anderson, a rider, had been struck by a car from behind and Patrick pronounced dead on the scene. Bridget is in critical condition and the whole ME2SB team is struggling to get through this next to impossible time. Patrick was a UF grad and teacher in the Bronx when we wanted to become an advocate for AH.

It impacted our entire team so much and  we can't even imagine what they are going through on the road right now. Although we had some accidents and scary close calls, we were fortunate enough to all reach the Pacific safely. As a team we immediately decided that we had to do something for ME2SB and were each given a rider to write a letter to. I've been assigned Bridget, a fellow Floridian (and current UF student) whom I've never actually met but whose cousin I've played water polo with/against throughout college. We may live different lives and be on different routes, but she still feels like family and her injury still hits so close to home. 

Now for the PSA- The driver in the accident was reportedly "distracted by her phone" when the accident occurred that has already affected so many. The hard part is realizing that we've all done it at one time or another- sent a quick text, changed the song on Spotify, or sent a silly pic to a friend at a stop light. To put it simply, it's not worth it. Never can those actions be undone and although this story is tragic for everyone involved, we have the power to be the change we want to see in the cycling world (that's how Gandhi put it, right?). Our thoughts are with Bridget, all of the families involved and all of the Maine to Santa Barbara riders. Rest easy, Patrick.

Xoxo,

Emily

SUS'15

I have added a link to the full report below

http://bikeandbuild.org/Patrick%20Letter.pdf

Saying Goodbyes

We were allowed to stay at our host in Monterey for two nights upon our arrival and although we had to say goodbye to a few Sunday morning including Lisa, Noah, Rowan, Lauren, and Margaret- we got most of the gang for one more night. Tucker ran in the San Fransisco Half Marathon Sunday morning (but still came back for dinner that evening) and most of us spent the day packing up our bikes and exploring town. 

It was ridiculously weird waking up and not having anywhere to be or anything to do in anticipation for the next town we were going to be in. I gave my bike a solid degreasing that day because 'why not?' We drank coffee without worrying if the sweeps would catch up to us and went thrifting without thinking of if the stuff would fit in our bins. Almost like normal life.

Saying goodbye on Monday morning was one of the harder things I've ever had to do. I must admit that as I fell asleep on Sunday night I teared up in anticipation of Monday. Letting each member of this family so close to my heart and knowing that I was equally close to theirs hurts so much when we realized that we will forever be scattered around the country never again living in the moments we were about to leave behind.

Josh walked me out to the car while my parents had gone in and said their own goodbyes and we stood there as distraught as ever. I was headed South with them towards San Diego to see family and he was headed North to San Fransisco to catch a flight back to Ohio. Unfortunately there's no guide book on how to say goodbye to the most genuine, loving, and good hearted person you meet on a cross country cycling trip for affordable housing so we just didn't say it (dodged that bullet, am I right?).

All of our group chats buzzed here and there throughout the day and the Snapchats still haven't slowed down, but we have all recognized that this summer's journey has come to a close. We are always a part of Bike and Build and always will have these 28 people to depend on no matter what, but Natalie left us with this while at the Grand Canyon and I thought it'd be appropriate to share now-

“It occurred to me, as it sometimes does, that this day is over and will never be lived again, that we are only the sum of days, and when those are spent, we will not come back to this place, to this time, to these people and these colors, and I wonder whether to be sad about this or to be happy, to trust that these moments were meant for some kind of enjoyment, as a kind of blessing. And if feels, tonight, as if there is much to think about, there is much we have been given and much we have left behind.” - Donald Miller

MONTEREY

I thought I'd give you guys a few days worth of suspense in anticipation of this post- but also we've just been all over the place!

The whole gang woke up around 5:30 (got to sleep in) on our last ride day at the YMCA in Hollister, CA. We had a slow breakfast and then long route meeting as we discussed details for the day. Lisa's dad texted us his last News Update, Josh made a poem of facts for Monterey and our Program Director Natalie had a few words for us near the end. She spoke about how although we were ending this summer long adventure, we'd forever be a part of this special group of people that can always relate to 4am wake ups, having first lunch at 9am, and riding with a group of 29 of your new closest friends. There was a lot of sentiment in her words but we still haven't had to time to properly comprehend them and understand it all. We then ended with a mashup of all of the epic chants from the summer. I'd like to really emphasis the word epic...

I rode with Sarah, Jenna, Neil, Josh, and Noah- a full crew and wouldn't have wanted it any other way. We had a shorter 48 mile day. It started with a 1000 foot climb that was on a terrible road surface but once we reached the top we saw it- like the curtains being raised on the revealing of a new car, the Pacific Ocean. We hit bad headwinds but stopped for Costco pizza to slow down the ride and keep our spirits up. Although we knew the end was in sight we wanted to draw it out for as long as possible. 

We met up with the rest of the team about 2 miles out from the beach, so we could all ride that portion together. We were on a very busy boardwalk and felt like a huge inconvenience at times but the "we biked here from Florida"s made it all okay.

We arrived at the beach to be greeted by family and champagne and signs galore. We repeated the mashup chant and then pranced into the water. It wasn't as cold as we expected but enough to get weird looks from bystanders. We didn't care much at that point because WE BIKED HERE FROM FLORIDA!!!

After the ceremonial wheel dip we had subs, fresh fruit, and beer that parents picked up and some bicycle cookies that my mom found at a local bakery.

We then had a few hours to shower, change, and then meet back up on the beach for a Rider's Only bonfire. Chipotle donated burritos, Sarah's aunts got us a cake, Tucker's mom the fireword, and more families donated drinks. It was a beautiful evening that I can't put into words because it will only take away from how purely excellent it was. We all went back to our host in Montery for our final night together and more dancing (always).

The last few days

These last few days have been a whirlwind- everyone knows and understands that the trip is winding down but doesn't necessarily want to accept it. After our last build day in Modesto the Bike and Build Program Director arrived for our finish, a true sign that our trip is coming to a close. Our rides have been such a blast, even the climbs I take with a smile as I know that I can conquer them just like I have done with all of the others. Today we made stops for donuts, In-N-Out, and for fresh fruit, and still made it to the host before 4, and got to enjoy even the smallest of moments with each other. For a little while my ride group was going around 30 mph on flat land after an energy surge and I couldn't help but have a massive smile on the whole time. If someone told me I'd be able to do that at the beginning of the trip I'd just smile and laugh at them.

This evening was hands down one of my favorite Bike and Build nights. It started off with Margaret and myself dancing to throwbacks in a room of people just sitting around for a good hour and turned into a dance party that rivaled high school prom. We used flashing bike lights  and the YMCA's stereo system and after about four hours of dancing we finally called it quits. Half of it was pure happiness and the other half was acknowledging that on our last real night together, we are something more than 29 people trying to reach the Pacific- we are a family of 29 deep that have grown so attached to one another that we hesitate dipping our tires in the Pacific because it will mean that this journey is over.

I will try and post about tomorrow as soon as possible but the next few days are guaranteed to be hectic so I hope you will cut me some slack. I also vow not to get too emotional, but could potentially/will probably break that. Thanks for all of the support thus far- the texts, letters and posts make my day everyday. 

Modesto

On our ride to Modesto we went down a rode that is apparently the 2nd steepest in California- called Old Priest Grade. We didn't know this at the time but for 1.5 miles I squeezed my handle bars so tight that I now need to replace my brake pads. This route had never been taken by a Bike and Build trip before so there weren't notes on the route. Two riders had accidents- Justin, whose tire popped and fell (minor road rash, he was fine) and Stephanie M, who slid on gravel and hit the guardrail, totaling her bike and injuring herself as well. She had pretty bad road rash and leg pain but is a total champ and after a long day in the hospital, was ready for a cup of coffee and a warm shower. She will hopefully be able to ride into Monterey with us but until then she's off of the bike- especially hers as her front fork and seat post snapped and both wheels are bent pretty badly.

The hosts in Modesto were amazing- very willing to help and eager to please. There were always snacks in the form of watermelon and popcorn out and fresh coffee in the pot.

We built with the local Habitat for Humanity, doing a few different projects in a 21 home Habitat community that they are in the process of building. I was on fence duty again because I learned that I am somewhat decent at it. We had to remove the old fence first which turned into a game of 'who could smash the panels out the most dramatically' and then put in the new fence. 

We finished at about 2:30 and got back to the host early to do laundry, family meeting, and work on grant applications. We are given 18 proposals and $50,000 to allocate to the Affordable Housing organizations that are requesting money.  We finished that process in Modesto which was a huge weight off of everyone's shoulders. I know from my experience on the Sport Club Exec Board just how stressful allocating funds can be but this was pretty mild in comparison.

Yosemite

The night after we got out of Death Valley we had Bike and Build Prom- which was a night of playing dress up and bowling with our "dates". I asked Kalli during one of our Death Valley rides during lunch with a semi choreographed song and dance. 

Our rides into Yosemite were filled with beautiful California weather in the low 80's. We heard intimidating things about the climb in through Tioga Pass but as we conquered it we recognized that it wasn't as bad as some of our past mountain climbs. This was both a relief and a little eye opening, realizing that the hardest parts of our trip were behind us. Once we were in the park we followed a two lane road for 60+ miles with no shoulder and a very windy path. It was so tempting to race down the dips and banks but I was riding wth Sarah and Jenna, and Sarah is terrified of downhills (to put it nicely) so we took it slow. Traffic was bad and not a ton of cars wanted to pass so we had to utilize the pull off points along the road. 

We stayed at a family camp with permi tents and cots just outside of the park and spent our off day in the valley hiking trails and chasing waterfalls. Brian, one of our leaders, had 6 permits to hike Half Dome but I figured I should save that hike for a day that I can afford to be sore afterwards. Yosemite was a gorgeous place to spend an off day and I can't wait to go back... preferably in a car next time though.

To the Valley of Death

We had a big hump to Parhump, NV that gradually got us up to 5,000 feet and then a downhill that pretty much mirrored the uphill. It wasn't the worst uphill ever, and I went at it alone so I could take my time. We were supposed to have home stays with different community members once we arrived but due to a critter infestation, I stayed at the laundromat with the leaders for an extended period of time to eradicate the problem and cleaned all 29 rider's clothing thoroughly. We didn't get to bed until after midnight and were up at 3:30 sorting out everyone's belonging and mentally prepared for our ride into Death Valley.

Our first Death Valley ride was into Furnace Creek where it topped 117 degrees upon our arrival. We were camping and our only escape from the heat was at the visitor's center. Luckily I killed two birds with one stone and as I waited I became a Death Valley Junior Park Ranger. It felt like the heat just followed you everywhere but I did get the chance to run errands in the van in the afternoon and snag some real A/C. Camping was beautiful, we didn't even need tents and slept under the stars- hands down the brightest I've ever seen.

Death Valley day two was the new hardest day of the trip- we started the morning at 3:30am and around 200 feet below sea level. By 11:00am we were 4,956 feet up and in 100+ heat. The van planned water stops very regularly but because riding through the park is new for Bike and Build, we didn't know what to expect until we got out there. It was no easy task climbing almost 5,000 feet in 17 miles but (as always) we got it done. We ended in Panamont Springs (camping under the stars again) and had our own mini air show put on by an Air Force fighter jet at sunset.

Vegas Baby

The ride into Las Vegas was another rough one- with temps in the 100's and lots of climbing. I was prepared to keep moral up with my trusty water gun, shooting people as I past them on hills. That's right- Emily Aron is passing people on hills. Miss Florida does it again. Once we got into town we planned our route around the 7-Elevens that were on the way to the host. 7/11 is a major holiday for us at home and we celebrate accordingly, attempting to hit as many 7-Elevens as possible from 11am to 7pm. There were more than ten but we could only stop at 6 for free Slurpees as we were approaching host dinner time.

We stayed in a transformed Econo Lodge for disabled and homeless veterans called Veterans Village that was actually down Las Vegas Blvd. On the day that followed we built with them and did some housekeeping items like cleaned windows and guard rails and painted parking lot lines. They seemed to really appreciate our work but we went back into our rooms feeling like we should've helped more.

I then got dressed up and met my very own sister down on the strip! Alex got a flight with work for the night so we grabbed dinner at a shnazzy Italian restaurant and walked around a bit. We each spent $10 on penny slots and I hate to brag but I may have doubled my earnings. We had a big mountain to climb the next day so we had to part ways early but it was great to spend time with her and introduce her to some of my B&B family.

Tour de Slurpee participants 2015

Finishing up in Utah

I had my final sweep day with a rider named Dylan out of Zion National Park. We stopped for a few cups of coffee of our way out to kill some time and then hit the road. We flew through the 40 mile day as most of it was downhill- averaging about 25 mph with minimal stops. When we got to the city we went thrifting and hit the first In-n-Out of the trip. It felt good to have so much time to catch up on fun activities like that.

We built with Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Utah and they treated us like royalty. Especially after camping for two nights in a row, all of the food was magnificent. We worked on a project called A Touch of Kindness, which completes small projects for those unable to complete them. We built a fence for a disabled Air Force veteran and then went to the Habitat Restore for lunch and a community event.

We rode out of St George and into Overton, NV only to be greeted by 100 degree heat, headwinds, and terrible climbs. And we thought Arizona was bad...

Arizona and more of Utah

I'm slacking on the posts a bit I'm sorry- but I'll get everyone caught up in a matter of minutes. We rode through Jacob Lake and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon last week and spent 3 nights in a row camping. There was a 15 mile climb up a mountain towards Jacod Lake that took close to 2.5 hours as we made our way up most of it at 5 or 6 mph. Luckily there were delicious Oreo milkshakes at the top that made the climb pretty worth our while. 

We had a day off in the Grand Canyon which a majority of us used to either hike or rest. I did a combination of the two, with a short morning hike to Bright Angel Point and then worked on my bike in the afternoon. There was no phone signal and zero wifi so for about 4 days we felt pretty out of touch with society. I did manage to score my official Junior Park Ranger badge (available at all National Parks) and see two beautiful sunsets over the canyon.

Afterwards we made our way towards Zion National Park and spent the night in Kanab, Utah. We camped the night after that in Zion after a really short ride into the park. Since we all got there around 11, we had time to get our Junior Park Ranger badges from Zion and hike Angel's Landing- a 'strenuous' level hike that went up 1,500 feet in elevation and used chains to help hikers through very narrow and difficult rock structures. It took about 3 hours round trip but the view from the top was a game changer. So many of us wished that our day off had been in Zion because after that, there was so much more we wanted to see. One of our riders took a pretty bad fall off of a 25 foot rock while hiking the Narrows and had to be taken by EMS to the hospital. Luckily she only has a fractured tailbone but that also means she'll be off of the bike for a bit. Rowan is super strong and resilient so knowing her I'm sure she'll be back in a few days.

At a lookout point at the Grand Canyon

On the top of Angel's Landing

Big shoutout to mom for pimping my ride on the Forth of July!

No caption needed

At the Grand Canyon on the Forth of July- we felt so free

Navajo Nation

Spending four days and three nights riding through the Navajo Reservation was exactly how you'd imagine- long, hot days followed by different reservation chapter houses in the evenings with limited resources available to us. We've been making 95% of our meals lately and being on dinner crew has been exhausting- cooking for 29 is no easy task. While in Kayenta, AZ, our hosts made Navajo tacos, with delicious fried tortillas and boy, were we grateful for that meal!

We rode through the famous Monument Valley and around some amazing rock structures that you couldn't help but be captivated by throughout the ride. Amongst all of the orange sand and desert rock, I'm definitely missing the flat, green landscapes and pools of water along every turn.