Brothers of Holy Cross - Midwest Province - Brother Lawrence Stewart's Bicycle Tript

I'm assuming that you all endured reading the descriptions of the 40-day 2438-mile Coast to Coast ride that we completed on Wednesday. Now that it is all over (and I have the opportunity to use my brother's computer here at the Farm in Bellevue, Ohio, I've put together a bunch of photos (with captions) of the bicycling adventure that we did...... Read and look on .......

-- Larry

March 16th -- Carlsbad, CA

Our 'assembling headquarters' at the Motel 6 in Carlsbad. The Wandering Wheels vehicles that we drove all the way from Upland, Indiana are: (a) the big yellow truck (that carried bikes, our duffle bags, tents, sleeping bags) as well as all the bike repair equipment and food; (b) the white kitchen trailer where Marilyn and Connie prepared our breakfasts and suppers; and (c) in the distance is the white 15-passenger van.

March 17th -- near San Diego, CA

The group started at the Pacific Ocean. I'm the fourth from the right in the front row.

March 20th -- near Glamis, CA

We pedaled through the southern California desert on the way to camping out south of Blythe, California. It was hot (near 90) and the blowing sand made the journey a 'challenge' sometimes. There was a convenience store in Glamis (where a large number of 4-wheelers run up and down the dunes) ... you had to pay $1 to use the rest rooms in the store!

March 21st -- in "Dry Camp" south of Blythe, CA

This is the morning sunrise over the Colorado River separating California from Arizona where we camped out the previous night. A magnificent colorful spectacle.

March 21st -- Blythe, CA

Our KOA campground where we spent the evening before riding on I-10 interstate into Arizona.

March 22nd -- on the way to Salome, AZ

Dick Lehman (left) [who has completed 15 coast-to-coast rides!] and me in the Arizona desert on the road. Later in the day, a big thunderstorm and heavy rain hit us and the temperature dropped into the 50s. It was in the 80s when this picture was taken with the saguaro cacti in the background.

April 2nd -- outside Alamogordo, NM

This is the sign 'warning' us what's ahead. We climbed to 9200 ft in the 16-miles to cross over the Rocky Mountains.

April 2nd -- climbing to Cloudcroft, NM

This is about half-way up to the top of the Rockies where Cloudcroft is located. In the distance you can see the White Sands National Monument that we visited the day before on our ride from Las Cruces to Alamogordo.

April 6th (Good Friday) -- on the road to Roby, TX

This was the hardest day on the road for me. We had to endure tempertures that started in the high 40s and dropped to 39. The headwind was the real challenge. 'Coach' Bob Davenport (in the helmet) came out in the scooter and led a draft line of 8 of us, to charge into the wind and endure the 96-mile journey.

April 7th (Holy Saturday) -- leaving Roby, TX

This was another challenge. Dick Lehman and I were the last to leave our "church home" for the night [since we always cleaned up the place, leaving it cleaner than when we found it]. The rain turned to sleet overnight and the temperature was in the mid-30s. We started off behind everyone and Dick's hands were numb. I told him (that's me and my bike) that my cheeks and lips were frozen, so we got on board the 'Sag Van' after 20 miles, to be sane and call it quits since the weather was getting worse.

April 7th (Holy Saturday) -- on the road to Breckenridge, TX

This is what developed later in the day. At least 2" of 'sticky snow' fell and trying to peddle with brakes that couldn't work and the derailleur gears frozen encouraged everyone to be picked up by this Wheels truck and the Sag Van. What an ordeal!

April 15th -- Monroe, LA

After breakfast we would gather (in a church/school or outside if the weather was good) and the day's map would be distributed and 'Coach' Bob Davenport (on the right facing the group) would discuss the day's adventure. You can see lots of grey-haired riders.

April 16th -- Vicksburg, MS

We crossed the Mississippi from Louisiana to Mississippi. Usually we are able to ride over the bridge on U.S. Route 80, but the bridge was under repair so we had to be carried across (in the van) on Interstate I-20 to get to Mississippi.

April 24th -- Waycross, GA

When we stayed within churches or schools, we would find convenient space on the floor in large halls or classrooms. I would search out "private" space though and was noted for finding tiny closets to put down my 2" foam pad (that Wheels' organization provided) and my sleeping bag. This is the closet I found at the First Methodist Church in Waycross, the final night of our journey.

April 25th -- last day, riding from Waycross, GA to St. Simon's Island, GA

Coach Bob Davenport is telling us that he just rode the scooter through the 'haze' ahead and it cleared up in "about a mile". The 'haze' is the smoke and yuck from the Okeefenokee Swamp Fire (that is still burning today). The five of us rode on through the smoke ... but it actually was 4.2 miles long before we got back into sunshine and blue skies. A number of people didn't want to ride through it and took the Sag Van. I told one person that the only thing he might breathe is the 'carcasses of dead alligators.'

April 25th -- the FINISH at St. Simon's Island, GA

The group photo in front of the lighthouse (the white column, not the gazebo) on the island. 14-year old Ethan Sopenski from Chardon, Ohio is in the front on the right. Vivian (a 64-year old farmer's wife from Michigan) is hunkering directly in front of me.

April 25th -- at the finish

My personal photo (and 'new body' -- about 6 pounds lighter with a loss of >2" in the waistline) completing my second (hence the no. 2) coast-to-coast ride. I did the first one 10 years ago on the same bike ... and this time received notoriety for being the ONLY one not to experience a flat tire on the ride. The record winner was Mike from Oswego, New York who had 24 flats. I doubt whether I'll attempt another one in 10 years, although the oldest one to complete a Wandering Wheels' coast-to-coast ride is 80 years old!