Ride Bikes All Night: The DC-PGH 24-hr Relay 2012

Over beers after the Carrie Furnace ride, my friend Mark mentioned that he was doing a 24-hour relay ride between DC and PGH. It didn't take much more than that simple explanation for me to be intrigued and want to participate. A couple Fridays ago I tried to stay up all night. I tried to sleep all day Saturday. (It didn't work; I was up by 11 a.m.) And by 8:30 p.m. I was setting off on my bike toward Edgewood, where I'd join my team for the second leg of the relay, from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. We didn't get to Cumberland until after 11:30 p.m., and once there we eagerly awaited the arrival of the first team, who had started in Georgetown at noon. They were tasked with riding the C&O Canal, much rougher and a bit longer than the Great Allegheny Passage. We saw the first set of headlights close to 1 a.m., and the first members of our team set off into the night. I didn't get my first go at the trail until the third leg (which was really fine with me, as the first two legs were the uphill journey that I didn't reeeeeallly want to undertake). So, at around a.m., with the temps in the 40s and darkness obviously surrounding us, my partner and I took off down the GAP. We had a series of lights on our bikes and helmets, but still could only see about 10-15 feet in front of us. When we entered into patches of fog, the visibility was cut to only a few feet. It was kind of terrifying, but also incredibly fun. We needed to keep going at a fairly quick pace to not fall behind a very tight schedule that would get our team into Pittsburgh before the 24-hour period was up. When we rolled into Rockwood, we were ahead of schedule. The next pair of riders took off, and I devoured a peanut butter sammich, several handfuls of Cheez-Its, and then I passed out in the back of the van until it was again my turn to ride, sometime around 7 a.m. As the miles counted down on my second leg, I felt myself slowing down. A combination of lack of sleep, the cold, and the race against the clock were wearing down my legs and my stamina, and any plans I had of joining the final leg into Pittsburgh were quickly fading away. I had mentioned so much when we got to the van when the leg was over, and a couple of my teammates scoffed and said I would do it. I just shook my head and started shoveling all food possible into my mouth. But they were right. By the time we got to the Boston Bridge, 22 miles away from the Point, I was ready to go. We had two hours to go 22 miles, so the pace wouldn't need to be killer to make it by noon. Three of us set off toward Pittsburgh, and - after a quick bathroom break at the Waterfront Eat N Park - we were on the Eliza Furnace Trail, quickly heading toward the end. My ride partners had me lead the charge into Point State Park, and it was an overwhelming feeling of awesome to get there and to finish the 24-hour relay with time to spare. It was an even awesomer feeling to get to Over The Bar and drink beer and eat food and sit around a huge table with both teams recounting stories and having some great laughs. After meeting my dad and brother for a beer (okay, a margarita and a beer) in Market Square, I was home, on the couch, and ready to watch the Steelers game. Of course, I slept through it, and through the next fifteen hours. 

I didn't take many photos. In fact, I don't think I took any until after my second leg ended. And then the ones I did take were while I was riding my third and last leg into Pittsburgh. But, enjoy.

Doug and Mark, my partners for the last leg of the relay.

Supposedly, the trail is going to be done by Spring 2013. I hope so. Jumping the fence after Sandcastle and then traversing the makeshift "trail" by the railroad tracks was annoying.

Oh, hey! I'm doing it!

Bikes in the back of the van.

Cumberland--Pittsburgh team: Doug, Chris, Mark, Me, Mark, Mary, and Mike. No one warned me that bright-colored jerseys were required. But, now I know for next year.

This was very honestly one of the best things I have done since moving back to Pittsburgh. I'm sure everyone has tired of hearing me espouse the joys of biking, but it really has given me something I can be proud of. This ride - moreso than either of the solo treks I've done on the same trail - showed me how strong I've become and how much I can accomplish when I'm determined. It was a total blast.

Things have been a little slow on EvBetPGH lately. I hope that changes soon. I'm almost over the cold that sidelined me post-relay. And it's fall. As much as I enjoy summer in Pittsburgh, the fall...it can't be beat.

Happy (Belated!) Birthday, Blog!

Holy crap! The heat has definitely infected my brain, because I totally missed EverythingBetterPGH's birthday! I am not one to forget an anniversary (seriously, I celebrate the weirdest things every year because I can't forget the dates), so I feel kind of bad about this. Sorry, blog.

Let's celebrate!

I can't believe I've been doing this for a year now. It's been a very strange year for me personally. Only a handful of posts were published before my mom passed away, which means this blog exists in the shadow of that life-altering event. This was one of the hardest years of my life. For a long time there, nothing was going right. Every morning I woke up and wondered what horrible thing would happen that day. That's dramatic, I know. But seriously: In the span of a few weeks the following things happened to me: got in a bike accident with another biker and totally messed up my knee, was nearly assaulted (i.e., hit with an umbrella) when someone tried to steal my cellphone at a trolley stop in BETHEL PARK, and was the unfortunate person sitting next to the guy in the theater whose ladyfriend gave him a handy during Crazy Stupid Love.

I digress.

In order to survive the past year, I've had to live with a very "full throttle" attitude toward getting through the day to the next day to the next day until the day when I would stop being sad. I still don't know if I'm there yet, but I'm starting to really appreciate the present, which means I'm starting to slow down a bit. Living in the moment, and all other such sayings.

When I look back at these things I've written about or taken pictures of throughout the past year, I'm so so so glad I made myself keep this blog going. I have this awesome collection of memories now, and I can look at them and realize that through all the sad stuff, there was a heck of a lot of fun. In celebration of EverythingBetterPGH's first birthday, here are ten of those fun moments, ones that I would go back and relive in a heartbeat.

(In no particular order.)

Why Not? Biking Pittsburgh at Night with Flock of Cycles

Paddling Pittsburgh: Kayaking the Allegheny and the Ohio

Kennywood's Open (For Terror and Fun)

PGH's Best Night of the Year: The Bloomfield Halloween Parade

Halloween Miracle #2: STEELERS BEAT THE PATRIOTS

The Only Fear You Have to Overcome is Getting the Nerve to Do It

Malkamania: Penguins 8, Tampa Bay 1

Winter Camping Feels Like Spring to Me

Sitting in the Splash Zone: A Saturday Night on the South Side

My Idea of Vacation: The GAP and C&O - Days 3 & 4

Tonight, at midnight, I'm going to go see The Dark Knight Rises. I promised myself I would keep this blog going until I could write a post about seeing the movie that I watched being filmed on my streets.

I can't wait to write that post. And so many more after that.

Thank you for reading!

My Idea of Vacation: The GAP and C&O - Reflections, Tips, and Thank You

Now that I've recapped the trip, I thought I'd close out the week with reflections, tips, and other things. Bear with me. (But I'm peppering photos of my time in Washington, so it won't be a total bore.) Our regularly scheduled PGH-programming will be back next week (dinos, t-shirts, and Pirates - oh my!).

Last time I was here, I was freezing, had been standing around since 4:30 a.m., and was watching our President take the Oath of Office. I like coming to D.C. for excellent reasons.

New Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

First: Reflections.

• Last year, when I told people I was planning on riding my bike to Cumberland from Pittsburgh, I had no idea if I could actually do it. It was something I just kind of said one day, and when people believed me, I had to follow through. When I did, I felt super accomplished. Then, this year, when I told people I was planning on riding my bike to Washington, D.C., from Pittsburgh, I really had no idea if I could actually do it. It was more than twice the mileage and more then twice the nights camping by myself. Having completed the GAP and C&O in their entireties, I feel like there is nothing stopping me from accomplishing whatever I set out to do now. This trip was physically exhausting and mentally taxing, but I have never felt this refreshed, focused or determined. 
• I am a worrier. There is nothing I can do about it. I worried from the moment I left until the moment I carried my bike across the threshold of Rob's apartment. I worried about snakes, I worried about bears, I worried about flat tires, I worried about getting struck by lightning, I worried about losing control in a mud pit, I worried about my knees. I worried. But, with every day I was on the trail, I worried a little less. And when I did worry, I was able to rationalize. Snakes? Now not a big deal. Bears? Probably all in my crazy head. Flat tires? Didn't get one. Struck by lightning? Nope. Losing control in a mud pit? A couple times I came close, but managed to stay upright. My knees? Well, only time will tell. I probably won't ever stop worrying about things, but now I know I am capable of managing the worrying and focusing on what is happening, instead of everything that COULD happen.
• I don't know if I'm capable of feeling lonely. I spent six days alone in the woods and never felt like I needed someone with me. I'm sure I can be lonely, but so long as I have a project I'm working on, something to write with and some blank paper, I'm a happy camper (PUN!).
• I can take care of myself, in a variety of situations. Whether it was dealing with knee pain, dealing with fallen trees, or dealing with scary spiders and gross slugs, I never really needed help. (Except for when I got to Georgetown and had two lovely guys carry my bike with all its crap on the back up two flights of stairs so I wouldn't have to unpack and repack for the fourth time that day.) I like knowing that I am capable of this.

FDR Memorial is a hidden gem, in my opinion. Though I can't deny a love of the Lincoln Memorial, this one is adventurous, which was more Teddy's style and more mine too.

This looks like my dad's dog, Rocky. And I thought it was incredible they put FDR's dog in a memorial. If I have am memorialized, please make sure my cats are in it. Better yet, use this as a guide (direction given to Eric Lidji, who then drew this, what should be considered "the best thing ever"):

Now: Tips.

• Some useful things to bring: small bungee cords (these came in handy for SO MANY THINGS), large garbage bags (the best use? covering up the back of the bike when the rain comes), Advil/Aleve (all of it, you will be sorry without it), Terrible Towel (useful for so many things at camp, and a good little way to Stand Up and Tell 'Em You're From Pittsburgh!)
• Make sure you do some riding with your gear on the back of your bike a few times before you go. Even though I did a trip like this last year and knew what to expect, it still took me several miles to get used to the added weight on the bike. 
• Make room for a variety of things to read. I might not have brought the Trailbook (which, honestly, you don't even need after you plan out your route), but I had several Gary Paulsen books and Joan Didion with me. So, you know, best of both worlds.

Jefferson Memorial

Rob and I used the bikeshare to get around the Mall and Downtown after taking the train to that area from his place in Columbia Heights. Was cool to try it out, but I still have concerns about a system like this working in Pittsburgh.

Honest Abe

Finally: Thank You. 

• Thank you to the fine folks of REI in the South Side Works and Trek in Shadyside. Whether it was for this trip or last year's, you helped me prepare for this endeavor. 
• Thank you to Corey and Carrie, who made me an awesome breakfast that morning I left and for taking me to Waterfront. I was nervous! But you guys made me feel as calm as possible in that situation.
• Thank you to all the nice people I met along the way. To the other campers, bikers, and users of the trails: I enjoyed our conversations, however long, informative, or awkward. 
• Thank you to that snake that did not attack me in the dark when I camped right next to its woods.
• Thank you to those lovely dudes who carried my bike with all its crap on the back up two flights of stairs in Georgetown. Words cannot express my gratitude in that moment.
• Thank you to ROB! Who was my gracious host upon my arrival. He didn't even bat an eye when he found me on a corner in Georgetown covered in dirt, sweaty, and completely braindead. We must have looked a strange pair sitting there at that ritzy cafe on the harbor drinking beers. Him in his nice, crisp and clean shirt and slacks. Me whose last shower was five days prior. He caught me up on all the cannibal/zombie news, which was seriously like the fourth or fifth thing he told me.
• Thank you to MY DAD! Who drove from Pittsburgh to D.C. to pick my ass up and drive me and my bike and all my crap back home. I could've taken a train, but would have missed out on an awesome night of beers, steak dinners, and a rock concert in our nation's capital with my old man. On the way back, we took a detour - a good kind of detour! - into Boonsboro, Maryland, where he had grown up and went to high school. I saw the house where he lived when he was a kid. It was totally awesome. And totally appreciated.
• Thank you to MY BIKE. Seriously: Bike, you are a goddamn trooper. 332 miles and not a SINGLE issue. You appear to have superhero-like qualities, and that is pretty awesome.

If you're thinking of undertaking any part of the GAP or C&O and have questions, I'm happy to answer given the experiences I've had on my two trips. I wouldn't consider me an expert in either biking or camping, but I survived both trips. And if I can do it, you can too.

Send me an email!

everythingbetterpgh @ gmail . com 

My Idea of Vacation: The GAP and C&O - Days 5 & 6

The last installment of my biking adventures!


My Idea of Vacation: The GAP and C&O - Day Five
Date: Wednesday, May 30
Departed from: Cacapon Junction Hiker/Biker Campsite, milemarker 134 of C&O
Camped out: Horseshoe Bend Hiker/Biker Campsite, milemarker 80 of C&O
Total distance biked: 54 miles

I left my campsite and a few miles later I found myself in Hancock, MD. Along the C&O there are not many easily accessible towns (most had you going off the trail a little too far for my liking, and places like Harpers Ferry you had to dismount and leave your bike and gear on the other side of the Potomac - again, not to my liking), so an easy exit from the trail with a great bike shop right there was totally awesome. There was an outlet outside, so I juiced up my phone and called my dad and work to let them know I was alive. I bought and downed a bottle of Powerade, refilled my tires, and talked a couple guys from Cleveland who were also making the trek from Pittsburgh to DC.

Once I was back on the trail, several obstacles, in the form of fallen trees, were in my way. The storm the evening and night before had been pretty bad, and by the time I was on the trail, the tractors and trailkeepers hadn't been by to clear away the mess. The first fallen tree was a doozy. It looked like several trees because of the immense branches, so I had to unpack everything from the back of my bike (I'm kinda strong, but not strong enough to lift what amounted to an 80-pound bike over quite the large obstacle) and carry it over piece by piece. When I was done, I thought, "Yes! That's done! Onward!" Of course, about a mile down, there was another fallen tree. This one I burrowed a hole big enough to fit through with my bike, but it left me a bit scratched up. Whatever. Moving on. Oh, wait, no. There was still one more fallen tree to get around, and this one I ended up clearing off the trail mostly  by myself, until I had enough space to push my bike through. By the time I had cleared the three miles where these trees had fallen, I was filthy, a little bloodied, and exhausted.

At the bike shop, I had checked the weather and it called for mostly clear skies and only a ten percent chance of rain, so I told myself to bike until at least 5 p.m. and then determine where I'd sleep once I hit that point. I'd intended to stay around milemarker 105, but ended up going an extra 25 miles to milemarker 80. This included a detour off the trail throughout some farmtown in the middle-of-nowhere Maryland, but it was paved roads and only a few excruciating hills. By the time I was back on the trail proper, I needed to rest and wound up at the next available campsite.

As it turned out, that would be my last night sleeping outside in a tent for the trip.

Things I saw along the way - Day Five:

This is not what you want to see while you're making good time.

Bike shop in Hancock, Maryland. This is where I got my weather news.

Oh, um. This is not good.

Ok, um. Not as devastating as the tree before it, but still - UGH.

Getting under 100 miles felt like - well, getting under 100 miles! Felt great to know I was within reach.

First detour on the trail. For about ten miles before I hit this, many walkers and joggers stopped to warn me of its existence. 

Though there were some annoying hills and some slightly terrifying people in trucks passing me at very fast speeds, it was lovely to be on a paved road after the bumpiness of the C&O.

After moving the entire forest off the trail, I treated myself to an appetizer of white rice before my main course of kluski noodles. I literally inhaled this. Probably the hungriest I was on the whole trail.

I took this before the THIRD tree I had to maneuver around (that is, the tree I cleared from the trail all by myself). Dirty, scratched, exhausted, and a little bloody. Felt great. (Honestly, sometimes getting mucked and beat up is good for you.)

My Idea of Vacation: The GAP and C&O - Day Six

Date: Thursday, May 31

Departed from: Horseshoe Bend Hiker/Biker Campsite, milemarker 80 of C&O

Arrived at: Georgetown, Washington D.C., milemarker 0 of C&O

Total distance biked: 80 miles

So, this was kind of a crazy undertaking, and one I won't do again too soon, but I woke up on Thursday morning knowing that the forecast called for a picture-perfect day. It was going to be the coolest day I'd had on the trip (75 instead of 85 or above, which it had been averaging) and there was very little humidity. I also knew that the next day called for severe thunderstorms, and the prospect of finishing the trip in the rain and on a mucky mucky trail was not appealing. After about twenty miles, I called my friend Rob, who I'd be staying with in DC and make sure it was OK to show up a day early. He said yes, so I readied myself for the longest day of riding I've ever undertaken. 

Eighty miles separated me from re-entering civilization, but it would not be easy. I nearly overdosed on Aleve (not reading the directions, I exceeded the recommended intake of three capsules in my first dosage alone), rode through fifteen miles of mudpits (which started to get seriously frustrating and I had to calm myself down a few times before completely losing it), and about twelve miles outside of DC had to deal with another annoying detour. This time, I had to unpack and repack TWICE to carry my bike and all my gear up and down two flights of stairs. 

I listened to some of my favorite albums to keep me motivated (Get Up Kids, Bloc Party, Oasis (Be Here Now, with all its coke-fueled guitar solos), and Japandroids) and got into Georgetown around 6 p.m. When Rob found me I was covered in dirt from the waist down, disoriented, and braindead (basically). We found a place on the river to have a couple beers and a snack and caught up on things and life and stuff. There was a luxurious yacht docked right across from us playing what had to be a '90s Sirius radio station, which treated us to Third Eye Blind, Incubus, Nirvana, and other such gems.

Sitting there, finally dismounted with a delicious beer in hand, I still couldn't believe I had done it. I rode a bicycle from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. 

Things I saw along the way - Day Six:

Family of turtles. There were so many turtles in this pond/swamp.

During the last forty miles or so, I needed the classics to get me through.

The mighty Potomac.

Hey! It's another detour. But this one was total bullshit. Twelve miles out and I had to take everything off my bike, walk it all up two flights of stairs for a temporary mile-and-a-half trail and then everything off again and everything down two flights of stairs. I wanted to cry. But, I didn't. Because...

...with ten miles to go, and the last for songs of the new Japandroids album on repeat, and I was determined.

And determination got me Yuengling harbor-side with a yacht blasting '90s music. Thank. Goodness.

The end.

My Idea of Vacation: The GAP and C&O - Days 3 & 4

Continuing on with my biking adventures...


My Idea of Vacation: The GAP and C&O - Day Three
Date: Monday, May 28
Departed from: Rockwood, Husky Haven Campground, milemarker 44 of GAP
Camped out: Evitt's Creek Hiker/Biker Campsite, milemarker 180 of C&O
Total distance biked: 48 miles

I woke up at Rockwood and felt kinda like crap. My knees hurt, my back hurt. Here's the thing, between Pittsburgh and the Continental Divide (about 23 miles from Cumberland, MD) the trail goes at a slight uphill grade. It's so slight that you can't see it while you're biking, but after 100 miles or so of it, you FEEL it. At least, I felt it. Hardcore.

The upside of Day Three was that it was my favorite stretch of the trail that I had done before. Between Rockwood and Cumberland are several really cool sites: Salisbury Viaduct, Continental Divide, PA/MD border, and the Big Savage and Borden tunnels. Without these things along the way, I might not have made it. That's how much pain I was in.

I'm not a religious person by any means. But last year on this trip, I felt like I experienced the closest thing to a religious moment when I crossed the Continental Divide and started the descent into Frostburg and Cumberland. At that moment, I knew my goal was in sight and that I would accomplish something I set out to do. This year, I needed that religious moment earlier, and it came in the form of a group of Mennonites (I think they were Mennonites) literally bounding out of the woods in front of me and crossing the Salisbury Viaduct at the same time as me. The children were barefoot and as I passed on my bike they all waved and said hello. It was exactly the thing I needed to wake me up, clear my head, and shake off the extreme pain I was feeling in both of my knees. The last ten miles leading up to the Divide were still hell (especially the five or so unshaded miles leading up to the Divide), but seeing such an odd sight and being greeted so warmly by these children and their parents was wonderful.

However, when I got into Cumberland, I was in such pain that I could barely walk. I had been led to believe that there was a campsite right in Cumberland, and when the Visitor's Center people told me I had another four miles to go before reaching the closest site, I almost broke down in tears. I called my dad while I hobbled to a Sheetz for more Advil and told him I wasn't sure if I could finish the trip. I had never ever felt pain so severe before, and I was seriously worried about doing major damage to my knees. My dad just had his first knee replacement surgery, so the prospect of doing damage to mine this early on in life was a little scary. But he gave me the usual dad peptalk, including the common refrain "shake it off," and I told him I would call him the next morning if I wanted to be picked up.

I went to the only place open in Cumberland for dinner (it was Memorial Day; everything was closed), which was the same place that was the only thing open last year on the Fourth of July when I pedaled into town. Formerly a Japanese fusion place, it was now a Mexican joint! This pleased me greatly as I filled up on tacos, chips, salsa, and a margarita before suffering those last four miles to camp.

Of course, as soon as I came up on the campsite, a huge snake was crossing the trail into the woods right next to where I'd be sleeping. Tired and grumpy and unable to continue on to the next site, I reasoned aloud with the snake: I won't bother you, if you won't bother me. Setting up my tent and getting ready for the night took way longer than usual, because I could barely walk or bend my legs. But I managed and slept like a rock with my rainflaps open for the first time. The combination of tons of rest and fresh air seemed to do the trick, because I woke up the next morning ready to tackle another leg of the trip.

And I ended up far surpassing my mileage goal for the day. Proof that margaritas and tacos are the cure-alls for everything.

Things I saw along the way: Day Three

This little guy!

My hatchet - not the best, but it did what I needed it to do.

This is from Gary Paulsen's The Hatchet. And it is awesome.

Husky Haven - Recommend times a billion.

Packed up and ready for day three's very exciting trek.

Some of the Mennonites.

These were the best thing! Sadly, I only had one pack.

Before the Continental Divide is what I like to call the Shade Desert.  I found a small patch and stared up at this hawk until I was ready to make a final push toward the Divide.

Yeah - wanna know what's bullshit and what will kill your knee? Three solid days of gradual uphill. Read that right to left.

It's all downhill from here. (Kinda)

Big Savage Tunnel - definitely a favorite of mine on the trail.

Atop Big Savage (saw another snake about three seconds after taking this).

Yeeeeeah! (Note: Terrible Towel was specifically bungeed to the back of my packs for this exact purpose.)

When it rains, you hop off your bike and throw a garbage bag over your tent and sleeping pad and hope they stay dry.

The Canal! Coming into Cumberland.

Banksy in Cumberland?

In Cumberland, I ate food. I inhaled tacos and chips and salsa and margarita. It was glorious.

Sometimes, you have to figure out a way to entertain yourself when you are kinda bored and really alone.

My Idea of Vacation: The GAP and C&O - Day Four
Date: Tuesday, May 29

Departed from: Evitt's Creek Hiker/Biker Campsite, milemarker 180 of C&O

Camped out: Cacapon Junction Hiker/Biker Campsite, milemarker 134 of C&O

Total distance biked: 46 miles

So instead of quitting, I overshot my mileage goal for Day Four by about ten miles. 

This was my first real day on the C&O, and I quickly learned that it's as rough as I had been advised. The GAP is very nicely cared for and pretty comfortable to bike. The C&O is much more primitive. You're basically in the woods throughout, which means, rocks, fallen branches, mud pits, and other fun things like that making for a bumpy ride. Your butt. It will hurt. 

I woud've gone farther, but as I frantically tried to find cell signal, when I could see a main road to my left, to let my dad know I was still alive, I hear rumblings of thunder and knew I needed to find a campsite, and fast. Here's the really great thing about the C&O Canal: there are plenty of hiker/biker campsites throughout the trail. They are well marked and each have treated water (a definite plus), a port-a-potty, a fire pit, and even - in some cases, firewood sort of provided. Each site tells you how are away from the two closest other sites, so you can make quick determination of if you want to call it a day or keep trucking along to the next site. I knew I was only a couple miles from the nearest site as a result, so I sped along and managed to get to the site, throw up my tent, and gather as much firewood as possible before the rain and kinda bad thunderstorm hit. I was exhausted from the ride and the frantic setting up of camp, so I again napped through almost the entire storm. 

Things I saw along the way: Day Four

They told me I wouldn't miss this coming out of Cumberland. And by the smell, I knew it was the sewage treatment plant.

SEE THAT THING IN THE TRAIL? THAT IS A GODDAMN SNAKE. A BIG ONE. AND I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CAMP RIGHT THERE KNOWING ITS EXISTENCE.

Doing laundry, cause everything started to stink. Like, real bad.

I beg to differ.

Best part of breakfast? Advil. Always with the Advil.

Pigman! As in, Tyler Kennedy's campsite. I did not stay here, but it I do this again, I surely will have to.

This is the Paw Paw Tunnel. However,  I vote we rename it the Piece of Shit Tunnel. Hated. This.

You can't see a THING for 3,000 feet. Miserable. No way to ride a bike through this. It was pitch black and kind of terrifying.

I so so so looked forward to this dinner, which I had to make and eat in my tent because of the rain,

I hatched those larger logs myself! Woo!