Day 89: We've Run The Race

Ladies and Gentlemen - the Guys on Bikes have completed their journey!

I will spill all the details, but first we need to catch up. We last left you in Dayville, OR. We spent the next day pounding out the miles to the top of Ochoco Divide Campground. It was a day almost entirely uphill and somewhat brutal. We camped out in style, however, and took over almost half the campground with our tents and giant campfire. Funny how few people camp out at the top of a mountain pass on a freezing cold Wednesday night in September.

We rode a disappointing downhill out of Ochoco in the morning and headed off to Sisters, named after the three snow capped peaks that typically dominate the horizon when it's not raining. Unfortunately it was raining. Jonathan and I went ahead and Daveyray and Johnny stayed behind, so when this lady stopped us on the side of the road and told us we had stay at her house and that she'd been hosting cyclists for 20 years, we weren't sure what to do. Where were Johnny and Daveyray? We trusted our instincts, accepted her offer, threw our BOB trailers into the back of her pickup truck and headed off into town to see if we could find the other dudes. Of course we hadn't seen them for hours, but Patty ran into them in the half mile back to her house. We got an elated phone call on the cellphone. I can only imagine the conversation - "I have your friends' things! You're staying at my house! Oh! I don't even know their names!" The Lord works in some fun ways.

So Jonathan and I ordered pizza in town to be delivered to the house and headed back to Patty's house to eat it. What a great house! Her and her husband Jim built it and we were spoiled once more. Fresh towels, hot pizza, internet access... all the things the Guys on Bikes need.

We destroyed breakfast the next morning in Sisters. We ate at the Gallery and knew there would be no stops for the better part of the day, so Jonathan treated us to one of our last breakfasts. We each ordered two - there were twelve dinner plates on the table when the smoke cleared. Good thing, too - McKenzie Pass was HORRIBLE. It rained all day on the way up to the pass, which wasn't the worst as the sun would peek through the clouds to warm us up. Upon reaching the top we were welcomed with a frigid wind that froze us right through. We stopped and met some ladies hiking over the pass that had camped out in the watchtower, and they shared their soup and coffee with us. Probably saved our lives. Johnny skipped the stop and headed on to the campground. On the way down the other side of the pass, my head was filled with emergency plans in case hypothermia took hold. If you think I'm joking, Jonathan, Daveyray and I huddled in a National Forest outhouse for half an hour just to regain feeling in our fingers and toes so we could control the brakes on the steep downhill. That was a low moment. We did make it to McKenzie Bridge that evening, soaked and freezing. We couldn't really stay at a campground as all our stuff would be wet again the next morning... but all the lodging was booked! Jonathan and Daveyray met Kent and his wife at a restaurant in town, and they offered to put us up for the night. Kent drove us and our bikes to his house and we borrowed his wife's car to get ourselves over there! We enjoyed a giant pizza at the restaurant Kent was doing the finishing work at, and all crashed comfortably on beds and inflatable matresses and the floor. They made us breakfast in the morning! It went from a dire situation to a wonderful experience in a matter of moments. Kent is also the interim pastor at the Church of Christ in McKenzie Bridge if you're ever passing through. Incredible how the Lord is taking care of us.

Day 87 we rode from McKenzie Bridge on to Eugene! We stayed at Peter and Patricia's in Eugene and they treated us like KINGS! They pampered us for our last day's ride, right up to two bottles of champagne for the big moment! We can't thank them enough.

We rode from Eugene to Florence after a late start, with a couple of pace cars in tow. What a treat riding without a 75 pound duffel bag in tow! We made it to Florence around 4:30 and couldn't find the beach. We headed down the famous highway 101 and turned off at the South Jetty. I was so excited to get to the water I actually fell off my bike into the sand. Luckily no one saw. We all saw the Pacific and raced down to the parking lot. Daveyray was the first one over the dunes and there lay the Pacific.

We took a ton of pictures with the bikes, with our friends who came to meet us, and then ran into the Pacific. Why not? Jonathan insisted we swim.

I guess we had a long time to think about this moment, so maybe it was tough to believe we were actually there. We were definitely elated, but in the back of our minds we wondered about tomorrow. What happens now?

The good news is that I think we all take it home with us. I know all of us have learned a lot about ourselves and what we are capable of. I myself am looking forward to the next challenge. The hard part is to think that the Guys on Bikes are no more. I think we'll always think of ourselves as a team, even though our journey is over.

We celebrated in Florence care of Jonathan's dad. It was just right - we even met up with George from Kentucky! (George is FROM Texas, but we met him in Kentucky). We uncorked the champagne and unwound. At the end of the night, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.

I suppose if this were a movie, this is the part where we would each have our own theme music playing and a short prologue would show on the screen explaining where each person ended up. I'll try my best.

Jonathan (We Are the Champions by Queen rocks loudly)

Jonathan is taking a couple days to get up to Portland with Sara and Daveyray. From there they will fly back to DC and Jonathan will go back to work. He'll be planning next year's ride, I'm sure.

Daveyray (Eye of the Tiger by Survivor - Rocky Theme)

Daveyray is not sure where he's headed. He was planning on heading home, but he might detour through California. From there he'll end up back in DC looking for his next career move. Any thoughts?

Johnny (All You Need is Love - Beatles)

Johnny is heading back to the Philly area to figure out his next move. He's got plans to buy an ice cream shop, to maybe teach again, and to train for several Ironman Triathlons in the next year.

Ryan (Indiana Jones Theme Song)

The adventure continues. Another week of fun in Oregon, and then my Dad is coming to pick me up in my van. We'll head down the coast and drive back cross country, and then I'll probably go back to work. If I have to.


Lord, thank you for a fantastic trip. You've been in every part of it, from planning to safety to places to stay to what we ate to the relationships between us. We've learned to enjoy your splendor and not to worry about tomorrow. I pray that we'll know you're watching over us all after this trip just as much as you did while we were on it. And bless the next adventures.