It just keeps getting better.

Ever since Colorado, the views have been absolutely amazing. Majestic mountain ranges, surreal lakes, never ending valleys, turquoise rivers…the list goes on and on.

Wyoming was awesome. Great small towns that were really fun to check out. All the locals were incredibly nice too. There were days that had strong head winds which would make things difficult but the views were too gorgeous to care about anything else. One of my favorite days thus far was crossing the continental divide and biking down the other side of the mountain with the Grand Teton mountain range off in the distance. Slowly throughout the day, the mountains got closer and more majestic and defined. There were a lot of great days in small mountain towns, and we met a lot of really great people that were very generous with helping us out. When we finally crossed the border into Canada, it became incredibly surreal with how far we have actually gone so far. The days seem to last forever, but when looking back they had all gone by so fast. We started to work our way through Canada and saw some really great sights. I’ve seen plenty of bears, moose, fox, and other wild animals.

If you have not read about the “Rockies Dease Lake Challenge” from someone else’s blog yet, then I suggest you read them all. 7 riders (Scott, Geoff, Mike, Trent, Alberto, Ivan, and myself) all set off from Meziadin Junction with our sights set on Dease Lake, BC. The idea to ride three days in one was started a few years ago from a past team, and it has been a tradition ever since. It all started with a 4 AM wake up and an emotionally strong ride dedication. The atmosphere that morning was a moment I will never forget. The intensity, focus, and determination in the air was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. I packed God-knows-how-many powerbars and gel packs, along with one change of cloths and my collapsible fishing pole that I have been hauling around all summer. We headed out as the sun was coming up in the freezing cold Canadian air. The ride was gorgeous, the wildlife was plentiful, and we (thank GOD) had great weather during the day. I saw about 3 moose, 4 bear (3 black, 1 grizzly), 2 fox, 1 wolverine, and countless other animals along the ground and flying through the sky. We ended up riding for about 15 hours that day, and the feeling of accomplishment that I had in the end could not be replaced by anything. Above everything else, the best part was all 7 of us started, and all 7 finished. For the next few days we stayed in apartments above Mama Z’s Restaurant and bused tables and cleaned dishes for room and board. Big thanks to Mama Z and her great staff for their open-arms generosity.

So far, HANDS DOWN the best experience on this trip that I have been able to experience is the generosity and appreciation that people along the way have given us. So many people have gone above and beyond what I expected. A large part of this great generosity that I have experienced began a while ago with all the countless donations and support from close family and friends. I thought it was going to be pretty hard to raise the $4,500, but I felt confident and set a $6,000 personal goal for myself. Over $9,000 later, my jaw was hitting the floor as I felt so unspeakably grateful for the support from all my donors. Also, hundreds of people have opened up their houses, schools, churches, backyards, campgrounds, apartments, and school dorms across North America. On top of it all, many have given us more than enough gourmet food than we know what to do with. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, burgers, steaks, salads, pizza, salmon, trout, moose/bear stew…you name it and we have been lucky enough to enjoy it. All of these donations are incredible after pedaling for what seems like an eternity, and we usually have to eat the same old PB&J and rice and beans meals. Also, being able to shower and have laundry is great. I’ve gotten used to washing my cloths in a sink, but nothing beats an actual washer and dryer. I really cannot thank those enough that have helped us. We have had amenities such as school dorms at Oklahoma Christian University, full body massages and the works in Ft. Collins, CO, working at Mama Z’s Restaurant in Dease Lake, BC for room and board, free showers at a middle of nowhere Canadian RV Park, and EVERYTHING in between.

We are now in Beaver Creek, YK and will be crossing the US border tomorrow. My experience in Canada was amazing, but I can’t wait to see the Star Spangled Banner flying again.

I cannot thank you all enough for the support you have given me. Thank you, thank you, thank you all, and God bless.