Ryan's Final Blog

Hello everyone, by now I assume that you have all read about the nearly averted tragedy that befell Anthony and Zach just a few days ago. As I know that many of you are very concerned for their well being I will begin with a quick update on both of them. Both are still staying in Colorado Springs and will remain their in the very capable care of the Phelps until at least Friday. Their injuries are healing well although soreness and medication are still very much a part of everyday life. Two things that are not beaten at all are their morale and their resolve to finish this trip. For more updates on their recovery stay tuned to the blog where they plan on updating you in more detail shortly.

As for me, my solo trip started out exciting and challenging but also somber and lonely. Then, on Saturday, I was given a call that would forever alter my trip and my life, followed by an event that would do the same. The call was about Anthony and Zach’s hit and run accident; the event was a high speed bicycle crash of my own that is seemingly marking the end of my journey across the states, but before I get ahead of myself I will start at the beginning.
I began to ride ahead of the other guys after an early start from Garden City where I rode into Colorado early in the afternoon. As I stopped by the "Welcome to Colorado" sign I experienced my first lonely moment. I looked at the sign and had a strange urge to dance across the state line while somebody spoke a meaningless monologue about Kansas into a camera. Instead, I propped my bike up against the sign, snapped a picture with my throw away camera, and biked on.

Aside from the sadness that accompanied the lack of a jig into Colorado, I quickly realized how much I had come to depend on my teammates on a daily basis. For example, the first night in my new tent I found myself starring aimlessly at the ceiling unable to fall asleep despite my extreme fatigue. Over the last 5 weeks I transformed from feeling uneasy with the tight quarters of our three person tent to dependent on it. How was I supposed to sleep with out the sound of Anthony and Zach trading movie quotes and eventually, the deep breathing of the bear that we call Big Daddy. I also did not like the idea of making all the decisions on my own. Team LOCO had reached a point where every decision was discussed and made as a group. Everything from where we would stop for breaks to whether we would eat Chinese or Mexican food. Suddenly, the burden of being the only decision maker overwhelmed me and I found myself pushing myself a little too hard in the first several days. However, I learned to cope with my solitude and push on always prayfully thinking of the two friends that followed close behind.

After spending four days riding across Colorado I have decided with out a shadow of doubt that it is by far the most beautiful and diverse state that I have had the pleasure of seeing on my trip thus far. The east side of Colorado was as flat as Kansas and even more disserted. In fact, at one point there was a 72 mile stretch of road with no towns, no gas stations, no food stops, no cell phone coverage, not even farms or houses. There were however an abundant amount of dead rattlesnakes on the side of the road which begged me to ask one question…where are their alive brothers? After the prairie, Colorado took a very different turn as I began to run into the southern Rockies. Riding through the La Vita and Wolf Creek Passes were not only two of the most physically challenging parts of my trip but also the most rewarding. The views from the peaks were phenomenal, the rides down the backsides life changing, and the sheer feeling of accomplishment when you crest a mountain that tops out at 10,000 + feet in elevation is unparalled.

Unfortunately, the serenity of my surroundings were about to be violently interrupted by two ensuing events, the first being a simple phone call. I received the phone call just as I had crested the Wolf Creek Pass and was about to take a picture of myself holding a snowball. It was my Aunt Emy and she had just read the blog about Zach and Anthony’s hit and run ordeal. Although the blog assured me that my friends were alive and well I went into a state of controlled panic. I began calling whoever I could in failed attempts to get in touch with my fallen comrades. After about 30 minutes of unsuccessful attempts I decided what had to be done. I would ride down the 9 mile decent of the Wolf Creek Pass and continue another 10 miles into the town of Pagosa Springs where I would get a hotel for the night. From there I could try to get in touch with Anthony and Zach and decide how I should proceed. However, the Wolf Creek Pass had other plans.

It did not take long after I began my decent down the back side of Wolf Creek Pass to realize that this was an intense ride. During the first 4 miles of the decent I reached speeds estimated at about 60 mph. After about 3 miles I began to get on the breaks hard in an attempt to stop at a scenic overlook. It took me the better part of a half mile to come to a stop and I instantly decided to take it a bit slower on the second half of the decent. After a short break at the overlook I continued once again down the hill, this time, a car following me would tell me later that I was traveling between 45 and 50 mph. All was well until I rounded a corner and saw a biker’s worst nightmare, a gap in the middle of the road about 3 inches wide. To a car this crack would go unnoticed but on a bike the crack was just large enough for my front tire to slip into leaving me with out control of my bike. The last thing that I remember was thinking… "I may actually pull this off with out an accident." What followed that thought was me being tossed from the bike towards the cement retaining wall on the side of the road. My right side of my shoulder and hip took the initial blow quickly followed by my head smashing into the retaining wall. What followed was a series of tumbles and flips as my head and body bounced down the road.

In the interest of keeping this under 5 pages long I will fast forward through some of the painstaking details. Thanks to my sweet Trek helmet and the fact that I was wearing it allowed me to walk away with limited head injuries despite the fact that my helmet was shattered and my head acted as a battering ram for over 20 yards. Other than that, my injuries were limited to extreme road rash and major bruising in my knees, hip, and lower back. The other main reason that I am alive and well has to deal with the amazing couple and their son who were following me at the time of the accident. Not only did they stop and make sure that I was alive but they also drove me and my gear into Pagosa Springs, called the EMT’s, stayed with me while I was getting checked out, and then drove me another hour and a half to the city of Durango where they made sure that I got a hotel room and that I was safe and sound before they parted from me. They are seriously the main reason that I made it through this ordeal and I will forever be in their debt. May God Bless them for they are truly an answer to prayer!

That was Sunday; now let’s fast forward to Tuesday. After shipping my busted bike home I caught a 15 hour Greyhound bus to Colorado Springs where I was once again saved by none other than the Phelps and yes, sitting in the back seat were the other two members of Team LOCO. I was never so happy to see the guys in which I had started this journey and we quickly greeted each other with handshakes only since hugs would instantly inflict an immense amount of pain on each other. Since then we have been hanging out with the Phelps and their extended family nursing our wounds and seeing the beautiful Colorado Springs area.

Today is Wednesday and it is 11:25 pm mountain time, which means that in less than 12 hours I will be for the first time in over a month and a half heading east. The fall that I took put me out of commission and off a bike for at least a week and maybe more. With the career that I have to be back to that makes it impossible for me to finish the trip on time. For that reason, the Phelps have driven me to Denver where tomorrow I will be on a flight back home. I would be lying to you if I said that I am not disappointed, even slightly depressed. However, the last month and a half have been life changing and I would not trade that time for anything. Even the crash itself gave me an opportunity to spend the last few days of my trip back with my friends in a beautiful area of the country that I would not have seen otherwise. As for those of you who know me best, you all know that I will finish this trip! As soon as I have a chance I will fly to Colorado with my bike, begin where I had my crash, take two weeks, and finish my trip. For now I will return home knowing that I rode as far as I possibly could before I was stopped by two fateful events.

I would like to thank everyone for their constant support both verbally and financially. It was YOU not us that have made this trip a success. I hope that you all continue to keep Anthony and Zach in your thoughts and prayers as they complete their journey. Thanks again and I look forward to seeing many of you soon. God Bless!