Tuscaloosa to Prattville, AL + Thanks

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Columbus, MS to Tuscaloosa, AL + Giving

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Winona to Columbus, MS

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Crossett, AR to Greenville, MS

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Magnolia to Crossett, AR + Cholera in Haiti

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Paris to Texarkana to Magnolia, AR

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Sherman to Paris, TX

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Decatur to Sherman, TX

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Graham to Decatur, TX

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Dave

Haskell to Graham, TX

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Post to Haskell, TX - 110 miles!

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Denver City to Post, TX

New post available on the Pedal for Haiti Website - just click to go!

Don't forget to check out Monty and Don's blogs as well. There's three sides to every story!

See you down the road!

Alamogordo, New Mexico

New Mexico is a beautiful state with wonderful people. I've enjoyed the hospitality very much. In Las Cruces we had the privilege to spend the evening with Quinlan Family who were great hosts and took good care of his. Mr. Quinlan shared some local history and I was able to talk fish with him for a littlewhile as he's a hobbyist and has bred quite a few different tropical species. He also told me about the Oryx herds which inhabit the plains around LasCruces/Alamogordo. They're neat critters. Check em' out by clicking here. They were introduced from Africa. Unfortunately we didn't see any while we riding, but they tell us they're out there in large numbers. Very cool stuff.

In the morning we departed Las Cruces for Alamogordo. Our first task of the day was to climb about 2000 feet to the San Augustin pass which put us about 5800 feet above sea level. It was a little bit chilly in the morning but outside of that it was the perfect climb. I dropped it into a little gear, put my

head down and just kept pedaling. Had I known what was going to greet me at the summit, I might have pedaled a little faster. After we took the picture to the right and celebrated a good climb we looked over the other side and were stunned with th

e view. Hard to capture in a photo. I'm told that you can see 100 miles from the summit there and I believe it. To the Northeast we could see the White Sands of Alamogordo and across the landscape we could also see theWhite Sands Missile Range. There was also a very cool Nike Missile at the summit with a some cool info. After we took it all infor a few moments we hoppedon our rides and headed down towards the valley - always a rush zipping down those mountain passes. I was able to hit 34 mph although I probably could have passed 40 but I'm too chicken (gotta survive the whole ride - don't want to blow it hot rodding down a mountain pass!). When we got to the bottom we were faced with about 40 flat miles of route 70 into Alamogordo. By itself,that would have been awesome. Unfortunately, our

old friend the headwind was back and we were treading wind for all 40 miles or so.....exhausting.....but

we survived and rolled into Alamogordo at a reasonable hour. It's a good thing we did when we did because Monty's rim got all out of whack, started rubbing on the frame and we had to seek out the best bike shop in town to get that thing fixed. A big thanks to the guys at Outdoor Adventures in Alamogordo, NM - they were awesome, fast and inexpensive. They fixed Monty up in less than 15 minutes and we were on our way. Once the rim was fixed up we headed over to the Miller home for a fantastic meal and some great fellowship. We were also able to watch a little college football which was pretty cool - although I'm not a big football fan I enjoyed watching the game and relaxing.

Off to bed early on Saturday night and up early for church on Sunday morning. The Millers took us to their church, Bethel Baptist and we were able to share some info about the bike ride and the need in Haiti. It was a great time of sharing and the people of Bethel Baptist were very welcoming.

After church we headed back to the Millers for a great lunch and more fellowship with some new friends. Cool stuff. Meeting folks and sharing has been a big bonus of this journey.

So here we are in Cloudcroft, NM. Its an absolutely beautiful mountain town with a touch of western history. We're staying in a small hotel with simple rooms and simple decor. I love it. It was 54 degrees when we arrived and I suspect it will be in the high 30's when we depart in the morning. I've got my warm undershirt, full length pants and full finger gloves ready for the decent out in the morning. We're looking at a 92 mile day as we head out to Artesia, NM. The good news is that our Specialized Armadillo tires are holding up quite nicely and I am fairly confident we won't spend the day changing flat tires. It should be a good ride and great start to the new week.

Ok....tomorrow comes fast so I'm gonna pack it up and hit the hay. We'll head out from Cloudcroft bright and early.

Thanks for your continued support!

See you down the road!

Dave

Tired.....of changing flats

The race is on! As quickly as we eat, shower and visit with our always gracious hosts - we jump on our computers to share the days happenings. You'll have to read all three to get a well rounded view on our day. I'll add the links to their blogs at the bottom of this page.

In short, today's activities were characterized by one word - "Flat". The ground was flat, the wind was flat and our tires were constantly flat. By the numbers we covered approximately 60 miles and experienced 9 flat tires between us (you'll definitely need to check out Don's blog - he took pictures of a few of the changes). That's a flat tire every 6.5 miles or so - very frustrating stuff. Now you're probably wondering what causes all these flats.....here's my thoughts on that one......

• Older tires (they were about a month old when we started)
• Really poor quality shoulders on the highway
• Lots of "shrapnel" from re-tread tires on the shoulder

By the time we finally rigged, patched and/or repaired every tire we could possibly find we rolled into Las Cruces. It's a beautiful city in a valley just outside the Organ Mountain Range. I was glad to be done with what I thought was going to be a short day. In the end, I changed

more flats today than I've changed during the last three months combined! Amazing. As soon as we arrived in Las Cruces we sought the first bike shop we could find. We ended up at Ride On Sports on Telshor Rd. They were very helpful and recommended the Specialized Armadillo tires. We bought new sets for each of us and also picked up liners for the inside of the tires just for added security. Changing 9 tires today really scarred us! Once we arrived at the Quinlan home we took their garage over and proceeded to install the new tires and liners. We're hoping for much better performance on the road to Alamogordo. I have high hopes. That said, I'd like to give another big note of thanks to the Schaeffner family - if it weren't for their donation of 100 tubes I don't know where we'd be. I think we're down to around 75 or so and we used up 10% or just today!

A cool highlight of the ride was crossing the Rio Grande River - I've seen it on a map and read about it in books, but today I got to see it.......heck....I got to pedal over it. Very cool. Here's a pic of Monty and I.

That reminds me - I don't think I've said how much we appreciate having Don here to support us. He's been such a great deal of help. Whether it's plotting the next stop, helping us fix a flat or just plain providing comic relief....I'm very grateful for Don and his support. He's sacrificing his time and energy for the cause and I really appreciate it. Thank you Don.

Ok - it's bed time. 80 miles and a 2000 foot climb await us tomorrow as we head into Alamogordo, NM. Should be a great flat free day (better be!). We're looking forward to just plain pedaling and nothing else. I imagine that once we hit 6,000 feet or so I'll have to come up with a new John Denver song for Monty. I'm thinking Annie's Song, but I'm not sure yet. We'll see what inspires me.

By the way.....the grasshoppers seem to have disappeared.....not sure how that all works. I don't miss them though......they were pretty gross. Who'da guessed we'd schedule the ride during giant scary grasshopper mating season....ewwwww.

Thanks for all your support, prayers and giving! We appreciate it!

See you down the road!

Dave

Grasshoppers.......everywhere!!!

Since leaving the Duncans in Willcox we've been battling monster grasshoppers along the shoulder. We're talking big and abundant! These are not your typical grasshoppers my friends.

It seems the further we got into New Mexico, the more abundant these guys became. After a while it was practically impossible not too smoosh them as your pedaling along. At one point I had a flat tire and while I was repairing it a grasshopper jumped right up on the sprocket - no fear! It was crazy. Here's one sitting on my bike seat.....just staring at me! There must have been thousands of them - no kidding! Check out Monty's blog too - he has more pics and some funny comments.

The ride from Willcox to Lordsburg was pretty quiet although the wind still seems to want to go East to West......I wish it would decide to go West to East for once. It's like your working 4x as hard to move forward...sheesh. Nonetheless it's still a lot of fun and I haven't lost site of the goal. We went through a time zone change when we entered New Mexico so we had to start an hour later this morning - which meant we were able to sleep in an extra hour (which was nice). As we set out for Deming the wind greeted us almost immediately. I became a little frustrated but shook it off and kept pedaling. By the mid-point it had calmed down quite a bit and we were able to maintain 17-18mph for some distance. Today was some of the best cruising we've had since last week's rides. I'm hoping tomorrow is the same!

Once we arrived in Deming we checked in and headed out for some supplies. Nothing much just odds and ends. After that we headed back to the hotel and I was able to get some PetSmart work done for the first time in a few days. Thank goodness! I was getting frustrated because my email server was full and all I could do was receive messages but not send them. Speaking of work, I am so very grateful for Mary and Karen who managing Pet Care while I'm away (they do it while I'm there too). Mary and Karen are fantastic and I appreciate them very much. Nothing beats having a passionate team to work with.

The picture at the top of this post is me at the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide is.....well...click here for the Wikipedia link...they say it much better than I do. For me, it was one of the things I was looking forward to achieving. Glad I made it. Monty and Don made it too!

We also took a few minutes to visit a piece of property my parents own here in Deming. They've never seen it so I was able to stop and take some pictures. It was pretty cool. Very peaceful and some pretty views of the mountains. I never thought I'd see it before them....who'd a thunk?
New Mexico is going along quite well and it's a beautiful state. The people have been very nice as well. Tomorrow we'll be staying at another home which is always cool. Monty's made all the arrangements so each stop is a new introduction for me and Don (sometimes Monty too).

Tonight we went back to Wal-Mart to get a few additional things. I know, why Wal-Mart, right? I'm not a fan either but I haven't seen a Target since I left Phoenix. Anyway, it appears I either have allergies or a cold so I picked up some tissues and DayQuil as well as a few cards because the Kless family has some special occasions coming up. Not being home for them is going to be tough. I am grateful for a family that makes sacrifices with me. I love you so much Christy, Jacob, Matthew and Aaron. Monty and I got our own plastic cups for Diet Pepsi too - this way we can buy a two liter and split it. They were 2/.50 - what a bargain. Unfortunately, they are the same color so I wrapped electrical tape around mine.

For dinner we went to a place on Main St. called Si Senor - it was pretty good and very inexpensive. Monty, Don and I all ate well for $18 - that's another bargain! If there was a John Denver song for bargains I woulda been singing it.

Tomorrow morning comes early so I should call it an evening. I want to thank everyone for their kind words, thoughts and prayers - it means the world to us. We leave for Las Cruces in the morning - short ride - only 60 miles. Praying for a West to East wind pattern!

See you down the road!

Dave

Against the Wind......

The last two days have been quite the test. We've been getting a headwind from the east that wouldn't let up. Coming out of last week and averaging 16-17 mph, the drop to 11-12 mph has been a real bummer. The best way to illustrate it is to imagine treading water or riding on mostly flat tires. It's like doing all the work and receiving only 1/4 of the reward. Oh well - enough negative stuff - it's all good.

We got into Tucson Monday night and had the privilege of spending the evening with the Burnett Family. What wonderful people. Although I must admit every family we've spent time with has been fantastic. Great hospitality, great food and great fellowship. Mrs. Burnett (Claudia) which is pronounced "clowdya", because she is Brazilian, cooked us a chicken stroganoff meal from Brazil that was absolutely amazing. I'm so grateful that we're burning so many calories each day - it allows me to go back for seconds! After dinner we had a pineapple dessert that was equally awesome! Sheesh - it was good! Thank you Claudia! Pastor Bret and his family were a lot of fun and it was nice to watch a little Monday Night Football and relax after having the wind in our faces for 4 hours straight.

Tuesday started much like Monday ended. The wind was right in our faces and didn't appear to want to give up. Monty had read online that it was supposed to change mid-day so we were praying for an early reprieve. It's amazing how much wind impacts your pedaling (and your mood). With approximately 75-80 miles ahead of us we put our heads down focused on the next few feet and just kept pedaling. We came out of Tucson and climbed as high as 5,000 feet. The higher desert is very pretty and we noticed the scenery change as the miles fell behind us. All of the sudden I found the need to belt out some John Denver again. Monty's not a fan of that because then the song gets stuck in his head all day and he can't think of anything else. Kinda funny......

Somewhere around hour five in the saddle the wind began to shift. We climbed to our maximum elevation at a rest stop named "Texas Canyon" which had some very cool rock formations. We took a short break and then busted out down a 800-900 foot decline. I was able to get the bike up to 37mph which is the fastest I've been since last week. It was awesome! It sort of reminded me of descending the hill out of Julian last Tuesday - which, by the way, was another day I serenaded Monty and Bruce with John Denver songs. What a blast....

That was it for tough pedaling and we spent the last 18 miles casually cruising into Willcox, AZ. Sitting at 4200 feet and founded in the late 1800's, Willcox is an old cattle town of about 4000. I am enjoying learning about the towns we pass through. The highway was lined with small sunflowers and monster crickets (probably true grasshoppers). These critters were big! They were at least 10x bigger than the little brown guys we see in Phoenix. As your pedaling along they're sitting on the shoulder just staring at you. They're neat critters.....I must've been hungry or delirious because I found myself thinking hmmmm...bet you a couple of these guys would make for a fine meal......

In Willcox we are staying with Pastor Kyle Duncan and his family. His wife Kris prepared an awesome meal of pasta and chicken with vegetables. Again, I had seconds. Can't pass up great food! Then there was the strawberry dessert......(again...seconds). Home cooked meals are the best. I'm really enjoying learning about our hosts and their families as well as the pastors churches and some of the things they are doing.

Alright....heading to bed.....75 miles and we crossover into New Mexico, our third state of the trip. Looks like we'll be changing time zones too. What a journey!

Don't forget to think about helping us support 100 kids by donating. Currently we're at about $2400 with a goal of $36k so we need your help. You can click on the donate button on this page or go to http://www.pedalforhaiti.org and donate. Either way is good. We appreciate you! Thanks for your giving and your prayers.

See you down the road!

Dave

Week One - Complete

Here I sit. It's Sunday and we're getting ready to embark on a life-changing 6 week adventure. The first week was incredible! We learned a lot, met some great people and are so excited to do it again. The biggest weight on my shoulders (and I'm sure Monty's too) - is leaving our families again. Tougher than the pedaling, tougher than the heat, tougher than anything else is being away for so long.

Last we talked the team was heading from Gila Bend to Eloy on Friday. It was scheduled to be a relatively uneventful 75 miles across quiet desert and for the most part it was. The landscape was atypically Sonoran with Saguaros all around and Creosote Bush in the air. Two reasons why I'm a big fan of the desert. Becca and Susan - now an expert chase vehicle crew were ready for anything and practically able to anticipate our needs at each stop. They were awesome! What none of us anticipated were desert pirates!

That's right.....At one point along the way we stopped for fresh water along the side of Route 8 and were almost immediately greeted by Customs and US Border Patrol. It was like a scene from the reality series on the NatGeo Channel. They swooped in with hands on weapons (not drawn, of course) and begin to ask questions. After seeing all these guys do, it's amazing anything gets across the border! The main officer informed us that the chase vehicle had stopped in one of the most dangerous human/drug smuggling areas of Arizona and that we needed to move along right quick. Car jackings and kidnappings weren't uncommon for this area he told us. We obliged and met back up with the chase vehicle about 10 miles down the road. It was our second experience with the law in 5 days. Hope we're not setting the standard for the rest of the trip!

Just prior to that we came upon two riders pedaling along in much the same fashion we were. They were heading in the same direction and looked equally as road worn as us - turns out they were suffering a little worse having spent the night in a noisy campground. You've got to check these guys out. Jacques and Brad call San Diego home and have pretty cool stories. They are riding to raise funds for an orphanage in South Africa (www.beautifulgate.org) and from their website it appears they've got a strong following. They seemed like really nice guys and Monty and I hope to run into them again along they way.

Check out their website: www.irideyougivetheylive.org

Here's one of the things I'm learning - although the learning been going on for a couple of years now. Poverty is real. It's a horrible thing and it affects people all over the world. It shows itself in many ways and none of them are attractive. You can be here in the states or in a 3rd world nation people can't find on a map. It's everywhere. Until you smell it, see it in person or let your heart be affected by it, it has a sinister way of not appearing real. Believe me, it's real. It's ugly and it kills children every single day. Jacques and Brad were impacted - so they are pedaling for the Beautiful Gate in South Africa. Monty and I are impacted and we're pedaling for Haiti. We can each do our part to stop this awful plague wherever it touches us. It's not God's job - that's not how He works. We are to be God's hands and feet in the world and we are to make a difference. Our faith, our belief, our love for God should drive our action. Let it drive yours - step out and take a risk. In the Book of James, James writes that our faith should drive action (2:26). Again, let it drive yours. Small steps and big steps - it doesn't matter - just take steps.




This is Wildnel - he's 10 years old and lives in Croix des Per, Haiti and attends the school in Concrab - at 10, he has statistical significance. He's won a lottery of sorts. Most children born in Haiti don't live to see the age of 5 more or less 10. Through your generosity we can equip Wildnel with the education and immunities he needs to take the next steps. Wildnel could be the next change maker in a nation that needs great leaders of integrity. Although I have never met him, I believe in Wildnel and I'm asking that you do as well. The children of Haiti need a hand up and yes, there are hundreds of different organizations doing that already, but it's going to take more. Help us help Wildnel and the other children at the Concrab School.

Tomorrow morning we drive down to where we left off on Friday and we begin our journey again. I hope you'll do a few things - (1) Pray - pray for Monty, Don and I and pray for our families who really have the hard work with us away. Pray for Haiti and it's beautiful people as well. (2) Follow us - I'll note the different options for following us below. (3) Spread the word. Help us get the word out. Help us connect with others to make the needs of Haiti known. Let's not allow Haiti to fall back into obscurity.

Thanks for reading.

Blogs:

Monty - montysbikeride.com
Don - donsblogstuff.blogspot.com

Facebook: Pedal for Haiti

Twitter: pedalforhaiti

See you down the road!

Dave
James 2:26