DAY 30: Cañon, Carnegie, & the grand Canyon of the arCansas

Howdy folks; Ethan here, reporting in on our teaching day in Cañon City, Colorado. After an absolutely beautiful bike ride yesterday and meeting our amazing host here, we turned in for the night and woke up ready to set up some epic workshops. We were treated to some delicious breakfast by our host Matt (Oh my gosh, yummy) and then we walked/drove over to the absolutely beautiful public library in town. We set up shop and met the librarians, then got ready for the kids. These guys were really fun to work with; I was incredibly impressed by how much so many of them already knew about Physics and spaceflight!

We ran our workshops and had lots of fun. Kawther’s workshop includes some artistic opportunities as the kids learn about rice, and Jonathan was pleased to see some of the kids representing his home state well.

I was genuinely so impressed with Cañon City’s kids and we had a blast getting to teach them and learn a little bit about their community and history.

The librarians helped us learn about the community, too! After we finished the workshops, one very friendly librarian showed us around the space and told us the history of the Cañon City Public Library; it was built using funds donated by Andrew Carnegie, making it one of 1700 built using donations from Carnegie during his lifetime. It was fundraised for and planned by the Women’s Club of Cañon City over a hundred years ago. Sections of the interior are almost entirely original and restored, from floors and windows to chairs, tables, and book racks. It’s a really gorgeous library and we loved learning all about it.

Afterwards, we mentioned our curiosity about the nearby Royal Gorge Bridge and Park and the librarians offered to try and help us find a way to get discounted tickets! We were so grateful for their kindness and they made calls to friends who might be able to help us see the incredible Gorge. Not only were these contacts willing to help, but we actually got free tickets to the park and the gondola too. Thrilled, we returned to Matt’s house for a quick lunch and drove over to the Royal Gorge to see what all the buzz was about.

It’s this. The buzz is about this.

The buzz is so valid, guys!

This place was so pretty.

We spent a lot of time exploring the park. They have everything there! A grand canyon, the Arkansas river, a zipline, a gondola, a (no-longer-functional) incline railway, an old-timey theatre, a water park, a playground, whatever you can imagine! Think of a thing, Royal Gorge probably has it. I really wanted to try out the Skycoaster or Zipline but ended up being pretty satisfied with the gondola ride on our tickets so I didn’t end up doing either of those extra things.

That red iron circle at the back is the original cable that held up the whole bridge.

Having a great time on the gondola.

GOATS!

GOAAATTSS!!

And yeah, we had to play on the playground and go on the carousel. We weren’t about to pass those options up.

We finished up the trip to the park by strolling back across the gorgeous suspension bridge and paying visits to each of our home states along the way. They had every single state flag! They had every single state flag, except for one!

Now, I know what you’re thinking. But Ethan, you’ll say. Utah barely changed its flag like a couple of months ago, surely you can’t expect Royal Gorge Bridge and Park to have adapted so quickly. They probably just only update them once every few years, and since Colorado is so close to Utah, surely they’ll notice it soon and swap it out when they can. But ah, mysterious reader in italic font, you are wrong. You see, RoyalGorgeBridgeandPark did have Minnesota’s spankin’ new flag up. So why my beloved beehive flag was missing, I cannot say.

Okay, rant over. Sorry.

A beautiful flag, designed and implemented before the Minnesota flag :)

Anyway, after we finished our amazing excursion to Royal Gorge, we returned to Cañon City and were treated by the brilliant Matt to the tastiest tofu curry you could imagine. We were over the moon about that one. I then packed up my stuff and got ready to depart for a time, and my teammates cried because they will miss me while I fly out to my great-grandpa’s 100th birthday. To my beloved teammates: It’s okay to miss me. It’s okay to cry. I’ll see y’all in Kansas. Have fun doing the rest of the Rockies for me.

The team (minus me) and the amazing, kind, gracious Matt!

Ta-ta for now.
Ethan

Day 29: Efficiency, Thunder & Stunning Views

Sup blog!

This is Eva :) Today was such a lovely day! We had a short and sweet ride with GORGEOUS views. 

STATS: Salida, CO -> Cañon City, CO (57 miles)

Biking on Hwy 50 next to the Arkansas River 🚵✨

The day started off perfectly in Sheena’s lovely home, which felt like it had been plucked straight from a fairytale. We kicked off the morning with a delicious Aztec latte and a warm bowl of oatmeal. Nothing beats starting the day with a warm breakfast and scenic views. While enjoying breakfast, we watched Sheens’s pups Daisy, Una, and Cedar roam around the garden. They made me think about my own dog, Kora. I miss her so much! 🐶💖

I had the most amazing view waking up, and I genuinely felt like a princess. 🏰✨

After talking to MIT Spokes about morning efficiency yesterday we made sure to have an efficient morning and were able to get ready to roll in only 90 minutes! Will made a vlog about our morning routine, head over to our TikTok @stanfordspokes to check it out! (We were very proud of our efficiency, hence it had to be included in the title of this blog post.)

Una looking majestic on the porch where we ate.

After sunscreening up, we set off in downtown Salida. I can’t emphasize how GORGEOUS and BREATHTAKING the scenery was. The first 30 miles were an absolute dream. Picture this: we were riding downhill the entire way, with breathtakingly beautiful scenery unfolding before our eyes. We followed a river that sparkled under the sun, and it felt like we were gliding through a postcard. 🌄🚴‍♀️

Midway through the ride, we stopped at a Sinclair gas station where we discovered a cutesy grocery store. We couldn’t resist picking up some super cheap fries and burgers, which we packed into our bike bags for a scenic riverside lunch. We enjoyed our meal while watching white-water rafters navigate the rapids—such a cool experience!

Just as we were cleaning up after lunch, the weather decided to change things up. The sun disappeared, and it started pouring rain. 🌧️ We huddled in the van and played the game “Contact” until the rain let up. It was a great way to pass the time and share some laughs.

Our shelter from the storm!! ☔️

When the rain turned into a light drizzle, we continued our ride under the gentle sprinkling of rain. There was something incredibly fun and refreshing about biking through the rain, although it was a bit nerve racking with rim brakes.

As we approached Cañon City, we had one last thrilling experience: biking up onto the edge of a mountain ridge. The view from there was nothing short of spectacular. And then, the downhill ride was exhilarating—talk about a rush of adrenaline!

We wrapped up the day with a well-deserved meal, thanks to our wonderful host Matt. 🍽️😊

Thanks for reading along our Day 29 adventure! 

Happy adventuring! 🚴‍♀️🌟

Eva :)

Day 28: Rocky Mountains + MIT

Hello! It’s Will, BACK for another consecutive day of blog! After leaving beautiful Crested Butte (Thank you, Heather, for hosting us, and for your wonderful home, oatmeal, and coffee!), we set off to Salida. The first 30 miles were relatively typical - beautiful Colorado views and rolling hills. The usual, daily routine of Stanford Spokes 2024. 

Mother Kawther biking

In mile 32, everything got flipped on its head by the “Hors Categorie” hill. Hunter had warned me about this hill, but this hill was truly a MOUNTAIN. 9 miles of straight incline took blasting house music, a bottle of water, and a Clif bar out of me.

Halfway up the massive mountain. It was steeper than it looks in the picture I swear

We were rewarded at the top with the Monarch Pass Trading Post, where we bought an assortment of goodies because money doesn’t matter when you’ve just biked up the Rocky Mountains. Goodies included chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, Sweet Spicy Chili Doritos, blueberry ice cream, and postcards. 

Us at Monarch Pass (Doritos, cookies, and ice cream not pictured)

Our struggles for the day were not over, however. We had been seeing gray clouds overhead for the past few days, and light rain began to fall as we enjoyed our treats at the summit. We quickly powered down the other side of the mountain, enjoyed our lunch, and biked in the rain for the second day in a row - a surprisingly enjoyable, main-character-esque experience. 

Tubb admiring the rural vibe after we escaped the thunderstorm

This was actually one of my favorite rides of the entire trip, despite the hellish incline. We are staying tonight a few miles outside of Salida, CO with Sheena. We are genuinely in rural heaven: Sheena has been so kind and gracious in sharing her home. Some of us are sleeping in her home, some of us in her Airstream, and some of us in the barn. Thank you very much, Sheena!!!

Rural heaven ft. Sheena’s beautiful dog

We also got the chance to meet MIT Spokes today, who kindly drove down an hour from their rest day in Buena Vista, CO, and they were actually amazing - Amulya, Jess, Rebecca, Varsha, Sophia, Clelia, Hank, and JD, you are all incredible people, and you have inspired us to be like you!!! We found several places of bonding between our trips, among a few other differences.

1. They all wear clip-in shoes.

2. They start much earlier than us (we need to be more efficient in the mornings).

3. They have 8 people.

4. They rent a van (four vans…)

5. They typically bike in a few separate groups.

Spokes besties for life

Spokes is such a unique opportunity, and it was a pleasure to bond with other students who shared a very similar experience to us. This was truly one of my favorite moments of the trip!!!

That’s all for now!! Good night from Sheena’s Airstream <3

Will (MIT Spokes lover)

Day 27: life update

Hello! Your favorite Spokester, Will, is back again for Day 27. Today was a pretty tough day. From Montrose to Gunnison, we climbed two pretty tough hills, which did a number on my legs. However, we were rewarded with one of my favorite descents of the entire trip, accompanied by a beautiful view and some thunderstorm danger (we escaped).

We’re staying in Crested Butte, CO, tonight, which is actually picture-perfect. I swear every state we visit on this trip, I want to move to (with the exception of Nevada, sorry you were super cute just a little empty!) San Francisco will always have a special place in my heart, but the natural beauty of Colorado genuinely takes my breath away. Every time we round a bend on our bikes, you can hear someone on the team let out a “Whoaaaaaaaaa” because it is just that pretty. I’m having too much trouble choosing which photos should go on Instagram.

Gorgeous Crested Butte. Literally a postcard.

Here are some updates with how things are going in bike-adjacent fields.

Currently reading: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. My dad bought this for me a few years ago for Christmas - I have been so excited about reading it because I’ve heard rave reviews about it. I’ve finally gotten the chance to crack it open, and it has not disappointed!!! I’ve read two stories from the book so far, and they are so heartfelt - Tan writes with such emotion and beauty. As a son of immigrants, I’ve related to a lot of the cultural references in the book, and it’s only made me more grateful for my connection to my family & Chinese culture. To my lovely family at home, I miss you all very, very much and can’t wait to see you again!

Simply the best

Currently listening to: The 1975, Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Mt. Joy, FISHER. These are some of my favorite artists to listen to on a daily basis back home, and All of them provide a lovely atmosphere for any biking environment - when there’s a speedy downhill, the electropop keeps me energized and excited. When we’re surrounded by nature, the indie rock helps me appreciate the beauty of Mother Earth. When we’re powering up a hill, I need the extra boost and heavy bass of the house music to keep pushing. 

A Mt. Joy kind of moment

Currently eating: the amazing spaghetti with bolognese sauce, zucchini, and avocado that our host and Stanford alum, Heather, made for us! We rarely get nice, warm veggies on this trip, and Heather’s zucchini was actually to die for. This trip has made me so grateful for every warm meal we receive - all of our hosts have been so incredible in cooking for us, and each post-bike dinner is very much appreciated. Thank you so much!!!

Tomorrow, we are climbing our first “Hors Categorie” hill - bike climbs are typically classified into Categories 1-4, with 4 being the easiest. Hors categorie apparently is “beyond categorization” - maybe when I round the bend before the hill tomorrow, my “Whoaaaaaaaaa” will be a little less exciting. I am a little scared, but we will push through. Off to get some rest!

What I’m imagining tomorrow’s hill looks like.

• Will

P.S. SHOUTOUT to Bluecorn Cafe in Montrose, CO for the best vegan bowl I’ve ever had. So so yum.

Days 25 & 26: Heat, Humidity, and Hospitality

Hello everyone! Days 25 and 26 were our first two full days in Colorado, and boy were they hot. As we left Grand Junction towards Montrose, the heatwave that ramped up over the last several days pressed on, with the dry heat once again approaching 105 degrees and sapping water from our bodies almost as soon as we took it in. Never have I more acutely experienced transpiration. But the heat didn’t stop our ride from being interesting—one could say that it augmented our experience.

On day 25, after we said goodbye to our hosts for the night Rebekah and Adam, two Stanford alumni named Jolie and Anna hosted us for the best breakfast we’ve had thus far on this trip. We filled up on delicious eggs, bacon, tofu, pancakes, fruit, potatoes, and other dishes. While we dined together, they regaled us with tales about their time at Stanford and the paths they took post-graduation.

After the blissful breakfast and hearing Kawther’s satisfaction at having gotten a warm meal, we set out. It was difficult amidst the heat to think of much else besides food, water, and the heat. Yet once we stopped for lunch and the temperature dropped to a pleasant 95 degrees, we experienced something long forgotten called humidity. It reminded me of the ancient debate about water being wet—we are all familiar with water, but we rarely stop to think about whether it’s wet. Similarly, we are all familiar with humidity but rarely consider how it’s situationally beneficial.

My second flat, marking two days in a row!

Lunch vibes.

Joy at the humidity

As we basked in the wetness, one of Tubb’s spokes broke and we learned a great lesson about our team’s namesake. Spokes on a bike hold the wheels together and determine their shape, but losing one spoke isn’t immediately detrimental if there are at least 24 spokes on the wheel. This means that (1) every member of our team is essential since we have less than 24 people on our team and (2) Tubb was able to keep riding with us for the last 20 miles of the day. Good to know!

The next day, a rest day in Olathe and Montrose, was wonderful. Tubb and I took a refreshing bike ride from Olathe to Montrose in the morning to finish the previous day’s mileage that was cut short by the heat and to bring his bike to a bike shop. For some reason, biking a bike to a bike shop is so much cooler (pun intended) than driving a car to the auto mechanic. Then, in the afternoon, while some of us rested with our Warmshowers hosts Andy and Gina in Olathe, the rest of us visited our third national park—Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The park, situated at 8000 feet, was a needed respite from the heatwave and a hidden gem of nature. If you ever happen to be in the vicinity of Grand Junction and Montrose, I highly recommend.

Will, Eva, and Tubb at the edge of the abyss

Lastly, I wanted to shoutout Gina and Andy for being such welcoming hosts. They shared their quaint home, delectable cooking (and kimchi recipe), biking wisdom, and gorgeous garden. We talked about everything from bleeding hydraulic disc brakes to growing silverberries. Olathe is a place I want to return to someday, if even just to try their famous sweet corn that we missed by several weeks (the season is late July to August, if you ever happen to be in the area then).

Thank you to Gina and Andy!

And with that, I leave you with an Olathe sunset. See you all in the next post!

Rays of sunshine + cow. How many sublime sunsets has this cow seen?

- Hunter

I Don't Want to Do this No Mo(ab)

Hi Spokesters,

We made it to Colorado! Home of the best airport in the world (Denver International Airport). We are officially in our fourth state, and it’s starting to feel like we’ve made significant progress! Woohoo.

Before crossing into Colorado, we spent our last day in Utah with a stunning hike through Arches National Park. It was my first time seeing red rocks, and although it was 100 degrees outside, the experience was transformative. There have been so many moments during this trip where I’ve been awe-struck by the natural beauty of America. It feels like every day I witness firsthand places that I thought only existed on postcards. Arches was one of these places. Even now, looking back at the pictures, the landscape feels unreal.

After our hike, the team split up for the rest of our rest day. Some of us headed to the pool, while others returned to Arches to explore more. We regrouped in downtown Moab—a very cool city I didn’t even know existed. Eva, Will, and I visited the food truck park and indulged in some overpriced food. My $9 smoothie felt very necessary at the time.

We ended the day in my favorite way—with a warm meal. Thai food, specifically. It was a healing meal. I always say I need a warm meal. The longer I go without one, the more I crave it. Every day that I’m forced to eat a dry Tofurky sandwich, I yearn more and more for a nice warm meal. All I want in life, all I need in life, is a nice warm meal.

The next day, we set out from Thompson Springs, Utah, aiming to reach Grand Junction, Colorado. The day was certainly eventful—we got three flats back-to-back, faced 105-degree heat, climbed almost 3000 ft of elevation, and rode 80 miles with nowhere to stay for the night.

Hunter was the only Spoke who hadn’t gotten a flat by that point, but he was the first to fall on this fateful day. There we were, on the side of the interstate, when he walked up carrying his deflated tire, sorrow written across his face.

He fixed it fairly quickly, and we were back on our way. Things were going well, aside from the blistering heat. We made a quick stop at the only convenience store in Cisco, Utah: Buzzard's Belly, where we met the most unexpectedly kind woman. Jean, the woman running the store, found out about our housing issues and did everything she could to ensure we had a place to sleep that night.

If you ever find yourself passing through Cisco, Utah, make sure to stop by and meet Jean. She’s amazing!

Back on the interstate, I felt that familiar slow drag of my bike that I know all too well. I was feeling my fourth flat of the trip. While I was disappointed, I can't lie—I’m very proud to lead in the number of flats. I'm also getting really fast at repairing them. My PR is five minutes right now. Hopefully, I’ll get it down to two minutes by the end of the trip.

We continued on our way and finally made it to Colorado. As we neared Grand Junction, bike paths materialized everywhere. They were so nice and smooth, especially after squeezing onto the shoulders of the interstate for so long. The best part was the paths that lined the Colorado River. Every time I ride, I say the current ride is the most beautiful I’ve ever done. Then, the next ride beats it for the most beautiful. As of now, I can say the Colorado River ride is the most beautiful ride I’ve done so far.

Just as I was enjoying the ride, we had to stop. Will had also gotten a flat. We were just five miles from Grand Junction, and we were wearing thin, so we just sat there for 20 minutes contemplating on the sidewalk and trying to muster the effort to fix the flat. After some reluctance, we finished up and headed to our final destination—a church.

When we started the ride, we only knew we were headed to Grand Junction. We didn’t have a precise location because we had no housing. But we ended up getting help from some nice people at a church. Shoutout to Rebekah, Adam, and their daughter Charlie for being such hospitable hosts and allowing us to stay in their church. We literally would have had no place to go without them.

We ended our night exhausted following our hottest day and our unending stream of bike problems. And just as we began to unwind, we accidentally set off the security alarm in the church at 11 pm. The alarm blared until Rebekah and the police showed up to turn it off.

A run-in with the police was definitely not something we had on our Spokes 2024 bingo card. But that's just how it is: we experience something new every day. In just the past four weeks, we've encountered so many unique problems, but every time that we run into something unexpected, we take comfort in knowing we can rely on kind strangers to help us through the difficult parts of bike touring. So to everyone who has helped us in any way during this trip: thank you, we couldn't do this without you.

All the best,

Kawther

DAY 21 & 22: I ❤️ Red + Our First Century

HELLO READERS!

Glad you are still staying in tune with our journey! The title of this blog has to do with the fact that I absolutely LOVE Utah and we officially completed our first 100 miles on Day 22. Utah is now officially my 2nd favorite state. (Behind my homeland of California of course). Our day 21 and 22 bike rides were my FAVORITE by far on this trip. Partially due to the fact I didn’t feel like I was heaving the whole time and mostly to do with the gorgeous scenery and fun stops along the way. (I don’t know if I’m getting stronger or if our route was just easier…)

Pretty Utah views (with a lil spot of red)

Let me give you a quick run down with some honorable mentions from these past 2 days:

Day 21: Midway, UT -> Helper, UT (66.40 miles & 3,946 ft. elevation)

We wake up in Midway, UT and have SCRUMPTIOUS waffles with whipped cream, strawberries, and raspberries made by Ethan’s mom. Then we reorganize the van, say goodbye to Ethan’s family, and head to our route a couple hours later than we hoped. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of the path and blasted throwback songs. Along the route we stopped at a gas station, filled our water bottles with ice, and I got my classic combo: a caramel frappe and sweet tart ropes. Luckily the end of our journey was mostly just downhill. Our favorite road sign is the downhill steep grade sign.

Best feeling ever!!

As we zoomed down the hill under the sunset we felt random bursts of cold wind (which was very soothing after biking under the scorching Utah sun). Entering Helper I felt like a mountain biker riding over bumps and taking sharp turns along a creek. We even rode over a bridge and saw a beaver dam! Finally, we made it to a classic Conoco Gas Station just before the light fell and ate fried rice at a local park. After dinner we shared ice cream with such an amazing and kind family in Price, UT willing to host us.

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Day 22: Helper, UT -> Thompson Springs, UT (100.18 miles & 3,100 ft. elevation)

THE day. We wake up especially early this time to avoid the heat and rush to get started where we left off at the Conco. Will, Tubb, and I took a necessary stop at McDonald’s to get caffeine (Tubb got an amazing under $5 deal). It hit 100 degrees so we made sure to stay diligently hydrated. Although it was hot, the wind hitting us made it feel tolerable. The ride was so enjoyable (except for a 5 mile stretch on an old road with lots of potholes). I think the determination to complete our first century helped propel us. We kept asking ourselves is this route easy or are we just stronger? To stay cool we took a break in a gas station, filled our bottles with ice and I devoured a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich. Later on our parents (Hunter & Kawther) surprised us with rootbeer and cream soda! We ended our ride in St. Thomas (a super cute town) and spent the night at a motel in Green River, CO. Interestingly, there were so many abandoned motels. We were super grateful that Sleepy Hollows let us stay in 2 rooms for FREE. I was so excited to finally sleep in a mattress and sleep in since the next day would be a rest day in Moab.

P.S. On a side note, I would like to share how easy it is for me to fall asleep since starting our journey. Normally it takes me a while to fall asleep and I resort to ASMR, but now every night I literally fall asleep within 5 minutes of laying my head down. I also now naturally wake up around 7am rather than my previous standard of 9am. My parents would be proud of my night owl to morning person transformation.

P.S. P.S. My favorite color is red and my favorite bike snack is ice.

Peace out,

Eva 

Days 19 & 20: Teaching, Trains, Trying Wakesurfing, and The Fiddler on the Roof

Hi blog…it’s Tubb! We’ve been quite busy the last week, but our readers definitely deserve an update on our teaching and rest days in Midway and Heber City UT, which are Ethan’s awesome hometowns. So here it is…

After a later-than-expected arrival last Friday night, we were forced to burn the candle a bit at both ends. We chowed on a belated fourth-of-July BBQ dinner and were ready to doze off when we collectively remembered the daunting challenge we’d face the next morning…doing our absolute best to teach impactfully to 150 (!!!) Utah kids ages 4-18. We quickly pulled out our laptops for some last-minute worrying, planning, scheduling, and confidence-building before finally hopping into the Scott’s super comfy beds.

The aforementioned bed…it brought me incredible joy and (more importantly) sleep

The next morning we woke up early, grabbed some last-minute teaching supplies, and set up the morning workshops, all of which were designed for kids 4-11. We had so much fun teaching rocket science, chemistry, cell biology, storytelling, and mindfulness techniques. See below for some awesome pics…

Huge shoutout to Beth for her expert slimemaking help!

After a much-needed lunch break (and slime cleanup with Ethan’s friend Beth), we taught physics, chemistry, sustainability, and cell biology to middle and high schoolers. We weren’t sure how some aspects of the workshops would work with older audiences, but things ended up going great! See more pics below…

After teaching, we went for a ride on the scenic and historic railroad Ethan used to work on…they even let him make a guest announcement about the exploding willow trees of some Utah forests. Then, after a quick stop at the nearby cheese store (top 3 grilled cheese of my life!), we watched an outdoor community production of Fiddler on the Roof (top 3 musical of my life!) starring Beth and one of the kids I taught rocket science. It was so awesome seeing the community come together to support and feeling like a part of that, even if only for a night.

This was not the train we rode…ours is the green one to the left

Meeting the cast!

On Sunday morning, everyone split ways for a few hours. Some slept in, some explored Park City, and I went to a beautiful Mass at St Mary’s church nearby. Once everyone was back together, we headed to the lake with Ethan’s dad and brothers and had a great time learning how to wakesurf.

THE LAKE!!!

We finished the night with some (more) of Ethan’s mom’s amazing food and headed to bed in anticipation for the long day the next morning. We couldn’t be more grateful for Ethan’s family and the wonderful communities of Midway, UT and Heber City, UT!