We woke up at 5:45 a.m. to Brian drumming his little heart out with a pot and wooden spoon. I can’t say it was as well-received as Brad gently serenading us on the guitar, but it did the job well. By day five, we’ve successfully cut down our morning routine to an hour and a half. For those of us living in co-ops next year, it’s all great practice— Alex learned just two days ago how to fry an egg!
Today was our first chance to put emergency protocol to use. I know the parents reading this just audibly gasped, but not to worry, we’re all intact and as energized as ever. One wrong turn led Alyssa and me down a bumpy dirt road into a vineyard. Sadly, the toll for taking the scenic route was two flat tires, both on Alyssa’s bike. Props to Alyssa’s optimism and grit though. She tried (and failed) to pump her inner tubes for probably an hour and half, all with the most genuine smile, happy from the distant singing we could hear from the fieldworkers.
Contacting the rest of the team took a while because it required trekking up a few hills to get cell reception, but Rachel (designated driver) and Brian somehow managed to find us. A friendly worker named Armando even offered to shuttle Alyssa and me back up to Shenandoah Road on his tractor so that we wouldn’t have to walk up those hills again. The compassion and readiness to help of a small town like Plymouth has refreshed our team and will continue to warm our hearts thinking back on this trip.
10:36 am: So all is set. No lost bikers and a ton more hills to tackle as we start climbing the seemingly endless and impossibly steep Sierra Nevada’s.
Brian zooming towards the Sierras
12:09pm Lunch: meal-prepped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, quinoa with cucumber and craisins. Everyone was famished, and even Brian, the triathlete and only “real” biker, who I don’t think anyone’s seen break a sweat, was panting. We took a longer break than usual to fuel up. Meanwhile we returned the kindness of Pastor Cruz by helping a lost driver find her way to a camping ground.
Knocked out!
7:40pm: We’re learning a lot of about adapting today. Middlefork Campground was completely booked, and we scrambled around looking for different sites. Rachel might have just been the MVP of the day: shuttling back and forth to find team members along the route while relying on paper maps and dodgy gps signals to navigate. I learned how my teammates handle stress. Rachel, Alyssa, and I found out later that the guys created a “helmet cult” in a state of delirium while they waited for us to find shelter; but I don’t think that moment is something anyone else can really fully understand or one that can be explained. Try to picture three young guys spinning around in circles, linking arms, and clanging helmets into each other...
It was a long day to say the least, but as they usually do, things worked themselves out. We found a small camping site on the side of the road near Bear Lake, set up a tent, and crowded around a bowl of pasta we cooked. By 9:30 the six of us were cozily tucked into sleeping bags side by side.
Tonight was my first time camping ever. When I couldn’t sleep, I looked up and saw a deep blue sky, bright stars, and looming trees instead of the white concrete ceilings I slept under for my first year of college. I couldn’t be more content and grateful to sleep on this ground tonight next to all these wonderful friends.
Love, Olivia