PICTURES

 Hey everyone! Guess what...we're going to CANADA tomorrow! These last few weeks have been absolutely amazing. Here are the best of the pics with the best descriptions I can provide. Thank you all again for your support because this summer wouldn't be possible without you!

Julia looking BEAUTIFUL

Kyle descending Washington Pass

Glacier National Park, before we climbed the pass

Climbing Logan pass at Glacier! We were as high as the snow- there's Erik.

View of the Going-to-the-Sun road at Glacier

Emily, Julia, and me at Glacier..I can't believe how high we climbed.
Look at those mountains!

Bike and Build men at the end of "Stache-tana" where they
grew out moustaches for the state of Montana.

Awesome road we climbed going up Washington Pass!

Emily and my dance party at the top of the pass

Beautiful Lake Diablo on the way down the Washington Cascades

Well it's been a whirlind of a week going through the best part of Montana! I could rave about Glacier National Park forever...if you haven't been it's 100% worth the trip of traveling to northern Montana. Never have I seen beauty on such a vast scale before! But instead of trying to convey an indescribable feeling of climbing and descending the Glacier pass, I will post my pictures as soon as the internet connection gets better- I figure they will speak for themeselves.

It's our last night in Montana and apparantly we are in the lowest point of the state right now-- tomorrow promises to be a large climb into Sandpoint, Idaho. Goodnight to all and I'll try to get back on soon!

Wind Power

Hi there!

We made it to Montana! Finally we hit the west and are only 3 weeks away from Vancouver!! We still have so much to look forward to, namely Glacier National Park in less than a week, but also multiple mountain passes in Washington that are bound to be some of the most picturesque spots of our trip. Eastern Montana has been flat and windy so far which makes me really crave the mountains. Yesterday we rode into Glasgow in the most windy conditions we have experienced yet. It was at the point where Steph and I were cracking up while descending a hill at 10 mph..while pedaling. On a day where you could have cried it was so tortuous to ride we worked hard to find the positive aspects of a headwind. They are as follows:
1. Your hair is never in your face- not even a little tickle on your neck.
2. There is no reason to feel silly for stopping every 10 miles on the dot for a rest.
And 3. Lunch tastes like the greatest meal you've ever had.

Wind conditions have SUCH an impact on a ride. Yesterday it was killer, but a couple days before while riding into Williston we picked up an amazing tailwind that swept us at a consistent above 25 mph pace. It was so effortless! That day ended with our entire team circled around a donated Dairy Queen ice cream cake devouring it bite by bite until it was all gone. The image of us all crowded on a gym floor, forks in hand is absolutely priceless.

Its also been a week of cultural activity along our route! On sunday we rode through an Indian reservation to Wolf Point just in time for their annual traditional Pow Wow. Unfortunately we were asked not to record the ceremony but I'm glad we got a peak into the Native American traditions! Plus, their outfits and headdresses were super cool.
After our taste of the Pow Wow we ended up at a local carnival and rodeo in Glasgow the following night. It was so fun and different from the east coast- I can hardly explain the events or the scoring of them but they are definitely entertaining. The rodeo announcer gave a nice shout out to Bike and Build, our cause, and our 30-strong attendance.

Although the rodeo was so fitting of Montana, the biggest news from our new state is that tonight we begin our process of allocating our fundraised money towards affordable housing programs. We have received a couple dozen grant applications from programs across the country, so as a group we will read them and discuss how we are going to donate our money. It's an incredibly exciting process for us to be so closely involved with. Thank you again to all my sponsors and I look forward to updating you with the progress of our grant approvals!

We've now completed day 6 of our 11 day riding streak in Montana with 4 more days untill Glacier! Let's hope for less headwind so our legs will be warmed up nicely for the ROCKIES!!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Speaking of Route 2...

Julia, Kyle, and me entering "legendary" North Dakota

My favorite picture of ND- awesome colors

Sunrise in Devil's Lake, ND

...we've now been traveling on the same road for a week through Minnesota and North Dakota! It's flat with few towns amongst it, but the traffic unfortunately hasn't thinned much even though we are heading to less populated areas. I guess because Route 2 is the only major road out here, everyone is heading west on it- including us. So because of our limited route options our cue sheets, which give us our directions for the day, have been very simple: get on Route 2, ride all day, get off Route 2. On Saturday we completed our longest ride of the summer: 116 miles into North Dakota, 114 of those miles were on the same road!

That long ride entering North Dakota has been my favorite ride of the summer, and the picture on the left sums up why. North Dakota is (surprisingly) beautiful! It has gorgeous greens in the grass, fields, and trees and then the ND sky is the biggest sky I've seen. Don't be fooled by my ND excitement because it kept me going through many miles on my bike today!

Other highlights from the week included:
- Our day off in Crookston, MN where a group of us played soccer in the morning and woke up to incredibly sore legs the next day..I guess biking and running use more different muscles than I thought.
- While at our lunch stop on Tuesday we met a European couple biking across the country west to east, although tackling the US was only one continent in their 3 year bike trip around the world! They told us we were cheating by having a trailer with our food and clothes (their bikes weighed 80 lbs each with all their gear).
- The North Dakota sky keeps to excite me day after day :)
- Coming into Rugby, ND we passed the marker of the "cornerstone of North America". It meant we were standing at the center longitude and latitude of our continent. Alright Rugby, we'll take it!
- And that we're 3 days away from entering Montana!!!! Finally, the west!

Brad at the cornerstone of North America

 

 

 

 

Today we had a very meaningful build day in Minot, ND where all the flooding occurred a month ago. We split into three groups and each entered houses that were ruined by six feet of water. In order to rebuild on the existing frame, everything but the framing needed to be removed from the house, so we gutted drywall, insulation, and floorboards today. It's so sad to think we were tearing apart a house down to the nails that was a place of so many memories for the homeowner, but I'm glad we had the opportunity to help out the folks of Minot.

That's it from ND, I'll be writing next from Montana! Bye all!

Debris-lined street in the flooded Minot, ND

 

 

 

 

Gutting a house

That's me with the orange backpack

Bluffs of Wisconsin

PICTURES! I tried to include ones of us actually riding this time so you'd get somewhat of a feeling for what we do the majority of our days. We hit some incredible bike paths in Minnesota that make a day so fun without the worry of cars. They have also been along some of the most beautiful forests and meadows...I can't get enough! Today we started our week-long relationship with Route 2 West which we rode for 80 miles today and will be on for many more miles. It's no bike path but it still is simple and pretty serene.

Entering St. Paul, Minnesota

Early morning bike trail

Bike trail!

Cliffs we found in MN to jump off of

Riding through the trails

Hey all,
I must first give you the stats from Wednesday's ride from Wisconsin's capital to Soldiers Grove, mainly because since the east B&B Northern has lost a little bit of its killer street credit, but this ride definitely put us back on the map.
We rode;
103 miles
in 105 degree heat
through a 15 mph headwind
over major hills
...and I got 4 flat tires.

Ha actually I unfortunately didn't get to finish my first century ride because after 98 miles my tire had blown for the 4th time and I couldn't find what was causing it. Turns out there was a hole in my tire siding that required me to replace the entire tire yesterday. But even though the ride was brutally long and hot, it was awesome to see our team push through such a challenge. Haha at one point around mile 65 Emily and I saw a sign for a McDonalds 5 miles down the road, and after we decided that's where we'll stop, I've never searched for the golden arch harder in my life. We passed many places with AC and water but we HAD to get to our goal before we gave into the heat for the time being. I will never look forward to a McDonalds like that again.

I am writing you from a cute Italian style coffee shop 15 miles from our destination for the night. Its been a fun, easy ride today as our last day in WI. Happy Friday all!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Winnetka, IL

I also was fortunate to bike through Winnetka, IL, the town where my mom grew up! I couldn't believe that I had just biked from the east coast to her hometown. My uncle and grandma still live there so it was an absolute joy to spend the afternoon and evening with family. Here I am above with my cousins Pete, Pat, and Katie. Such a great day!!



Beauitful Michigan sunrise (there's Emily)



It's been a great couple days through Michigan, Indiana and Illinois and now, Wisconsin! After our one night in Michigan in the small town of Camden, we biked into Indiana through a beautiful morning sky. We hit our first true country roads today too, meaning we could ride in a more relaxed manner on straight roads with few cars. My riding group of the morning played word games until we made it to lunch...pretty solid. For some reason, though, we hit quite a spell of road closures and detours in the midwest, forcing us to re-route while already on the road. Coming from Camden, MI we were had to get a little creative by climbing over some road construction as you can see below. But what's the fun when everything goes to plan?

6/11: If you can't go over it, you can't go under it, you gotta go through it!


Coming into South Bend, Indiana we hit our first thunderstorm of the trip! We were riding straight into the darkened skies, with no rain at first, but all of a sudden the wind picked up (almost to the point where I was blown off my bike) and the rain dropped on us. Brad, Emily, Julia and I immediately clicked out of our peddles and took shelter on a nice person's porch until the storm wore over. Surprisingly, it was our first rain since the east, and refreshing because I love thunderstorms! We had to stop twice more on our route that day because we spotted lightening again, but by the time we arrived in South Bend and were riding through the campus of Notre Dame, the weather was beautiful again.

Our build in South Bend was one of our best so far. While one grouped roofed, another worked on installing windows, and another finished the framing inside to prepare for drywall. All in all it was a productive day. 



South Bend build site

We found a kitten on the build site, who Kyle
decided fit nicely in his tool belt

The best view of the skyline in the city!

We've also crossed our first time zone!! On Wednesday morning we woke up early enough so that we were on the road to Chicago as soon as the sun rose. That meant I was putting sun screen on in the pitch dark morning, which I found hilarious. Julia and I decided our legs felt pretty good after a build day's rest and were eager to get to Chicago, so we tested our speed and were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves riding incredibly faster than we did on flats back in NH. Some teammates claim we must have quite literally "had the wind at our backs" today because we were all flying to Chicago. Once we passed through the south city we spotted views of the skyline along the bike path we were traveling on, except it was hilarious because the first time we saw the view we stopped to take pictures, but as you can imagine, we kept getting better views as we traveled closer to the city! So I have a series of Chicago skylines on my camera by size haha.
    

Chicago is an absolutely amazing city right on the coast of Lake Michigan. We saw it on a perfect day where everything from the sky to the water to the skyscrapers were a beautiful blue. Our group had people tour the Sears tower, the Art Institute, the zoo, and Navy Pier so it was a great stay! Unfortunately though 2 teammates of mine got their bikes stolen in the city even though they were locked. It's a bummer to leave to the city on that note and a terrible loss for them. They're handling it as well as anyone could in that situation though and are going to buy new bikes once we reach Madison.



Bishnu, Paul, Julia, Emily, me, and Kyle



Mirror bean in Millenium Park

Now we're in Wisconsin and headed to Madison tomorrow. We've heard a heat wave is coming so luckily our milage is shorter and we'll be able to watch the women's world cup final in the city. GO USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moving right along

Hey all!
Since my last post we've celebrated the 4th of July over Niagara Falls, had breakfast in New York, lunch in Pennslyvania, and dinner in Ohio over the span of one day, completed our longest ride yet, and have plunged into Lake Erie. It's been a great week and we're about to say goodbye to Ohio as we head into Michigan on Sunday!

Thanks for coming Grandpa!

During the weekend in Niagara Falls I got to spend a day with my Grandpa who stopped through! We explored downtown Niagara a little bit which unfortunately has lost a lot of industry over the past couple decades, now seeming to rely solely on tourism and casino business, but regardless, the Falls are spectacular! We walked around them for awhile and got surprisingly close to the American Falls. Enjoy the pictures, and Grandpa--seeing you was such a treat, I really appreciate seeing a familiar face!

                

                        Paul, Elizabeth, and me riding into Niagara...the Falls are on the left 

Sooo much water...there's Canada on the right!

Jon messing around on our sweep day

Everyone in the group is doing great--on Thursday I was on "sweep" meaning my partner Jon and I had to be the last riders for the day, and we are so proud of our group who all completed the 93 miles in good time. Sweep is there to make sure everyone makes in it at the end of the day, acting as an insurance out there on the road...it's nice to know that no matter what you'll always have 2 teammates behind you. So Jon and I rode 93 miles at a slower pace (we spent about 7 hours just on the saddle) but the day ended up being amazingly fun! When normally we like to push ourselves at a faster pace, on Thursday we had no pressure and got to explore a lot more. The route even took us through the heart of Cleveland that day which was beautiful! I never thought that riding 90 miles a day would feel normal, but it is quickly becoming less intimidating!

Our hosts here in Avon Lake, OH have been absolutely wonderful the past two days. Instead of our normal routine of laying out our thermarests and sleeping bags in the a church hall or sanctuary, these kind community members have hosted us in their homes! Thank you so much to the Forbes family for hosting Emily and me!! Our build day today took place in Loraine, OH where we worked on finishing 3 homes so they could be put on the market. I spent my day cleaning windows and power washing the outside of the houses (so fun!) while others worked on planting a community garden across the street. All in all a great day that makes us weary of saying goodbye to Avon Lake!
Here are a couple more pictures that sum up Bike and Build pretty well. It's been an incredible 3 weeks already on this trip of a lifetime! We're headed to Michigan in a day and are hoping the roads will be a little smoother than here in Ohio, but until then, have a great weekend all!

Emily, Brittany, and Erik relaxing at the Bernet's who hosted us
at their beautiful lakeside home for lunch one day

Emily, me, and Bishnu entering Pennsylvania!

And, naptime.

Rochester #2

Just got into our second Rochester of the trip, this time in NY. We're coming to the end of a long and demanding week of riding and very much looking forward to spending July 4th in Niagara Falls! Have a great weekend everyone!

Latest pics

Hey all! We've finally got some good internet here in Palermo, NY. Enjoy these pictures from the last couple days. Tomorrow we have our first 90 mile day...so goodnight!

From 6/26: BnB (and Dartmouth) alum John Beck rode with our group today and gave us great advice for the rest of our journey

From 6/26: Some teammates and me flexing our muscles after climbing Bethel Mountain

From 6/27: My favorite farmhouse in VT!

From 6/27: BnB does the ferry across Lake Champlain...you can see NY in the background

At orientation we painted our trailer...here is what it looks like!

From 6/28: On our ride leaving the beautiful Lake George

This post is from yesterday

Hello all! Ahh upstate New York is so green and beautiful! When most of us think of NY we picture NYC, but I have come to believe the real treasure of this state is in the hills far north of the city. Last night we had the great treat of staying at the YMCA on Lake George in Silver Bay, and let me tell you, this was no ordinary YMCA. If any of you have seen the movie Dirty Dancing, this place was very much like the family camp in that film :). We had rooms and beds to stay in (a nice and unexpected change from our thermarests), a lake and beach to enjoy, and even, my favorite, a fruit fruit salad bar for breakfast. Needless to say, we were totally spoiled last night. We are so gracious for the camps' ability to house us for a night! I am totally in love with this part of the state and am excited to explore the area more someday.

Today marked our toughest day of riding yet. Whereas other days have had tough sections, today was 56 miles of consistent hills..we were climbing straight to the end! Absolutely brutal. But we did ride along some beautiful rivers today, one which was the Hudson. It's amazing to think that the river that makes Manhattan what it is flows so peacefully and uninhibited up here.

Cell phone service and internet are scarce up here in NY, but as soon as I get a chance I'll upload some pictures from the past couple days. Goodnight all!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

It's been great, VT

Currently waiting for the Fort Ti ferry to cross over Lake Champlain from VT into NY! The ride so far today has been absolutely amazing..sun shining, rolling hills, and miles of green farmland. It's been a great stay in VT- even though Bethel mountain fiercely tested our strength yesterday. We climbed 9 miles to the top but enjoyed a lengthy descent into the cute town of Rochester where we spent the night.

So long VT..onto the Empire State!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Hey all- just finished a great build day in Lebanon, NH where I learned how to sheetrock! We finished the sheetrock in two bedroom ceilings today and learned a lot about house foundations. Then while walking back to our host church we all got free ice cream from Dairy Twirl! Perfect end to a long build day. Bike and build encourages us to spread awareness of our trip and our cause to local businesses because like I said before, the less money we spend on food and housing, the more we can donate to the cause in the end. We call it "donation magic". Free ice cream may not directly relate to affordable housing BUT it does exemplify the kindness of the folks here in NH and their willingness to support us!

Yesterdays' ride to Lebanon was super short and super fun. We rode through the rain (for the third day in a row!) but the rode was absolutely beautiful and quiet. Last night I even got to go to Dartmouth last night! Billy, Bishnu, and I soaked up the last hours we'd have in the Upper Valley for the summer before we head to VT tomorrow. It'll be our first border crossing!

Shout out to John Beck and Maddy Sturm, two Dartmouth Bike and Build alums, for coming to hang out with the group and share some wise words of what's to come ahead! John told me the most important thing along the route will be to do exactly what you want when you feel like doing it. That could mean riding quickly or slowly one day, or riding alone, or stopping at everything that catches your eye. Thank you two for sharing your bike and build enthusiasm!!

Cruising through NH

 Hey family, friends, super fans, and bike and build junkies! I am writing you from New London, NH in great spirits after our second successful day of riding! So much has happened in the past couple days that it is tough to explain it all, but I will do my best to fill you in on a day in the life of a bike and builder.

To begin, bike and build wouldn't be possible without the gracious hospitality of the local residents at our hosts sites who welcome us with warm showers, cooked meals, and use of their facilities for sleeping. Every night we are housed in a church, school, or community center (mostly churches though) and usually have dinner and breakfast the next morning cooked for us on their dime. With such generosity from the local residents, the more money we raised as riders can go to the affordable housing cause in the end. It has been humbling to be received in such a manner and I hope our team can inspire more residents along the way. Tonight we even got spiritual support as we partook in a "blessing of the bikes" ceremony at the First Baptist Church in New London!

In the Atlantic! 

As far as riding goes...NH is super hilly! Our first two ride days have been 54 and 33 miles respectively (relatively low for a day's worth) but have been smattered with hills here in NH. Luckily I was able to do my training on this terrain so after a couple days my legs still feel pretty good beneath me! I've found biking in a team like ours to be so fun because of the variability of who you can ride with. The first day as we rode from Portsmouth to Concord, NH I must have ridden with a dozen teammates at different points along the way! Who you're riding with, and what speed you're riding with is constantly morphing, but it is something I appreciate with a large group.

Meet the NUS'11 team

I have some great pictures from Portsmouth where we kicked off our journey yesterday to share with you. We biked a couple miles east to the Atlantic Ocean where we had a "wheel dipping ceremony" and dipped their back tires in the Atlantic, with plans to do the same when we reach the Pacific at the end of the summer. It was beautiful as ever in NH that day!

Build site enthusiasm!!!!!

Before we hopped on our bikes though, we spent two days in Portsmouth going through a little orientation and then completed our first build. About once a week we'll spend an entire day in a town building with the local affordable housing group, so in Portsmouth we partnered up with Southeast New Hampshire Habitat for Humanity. Here's a picture of some group members digging around an almost finished house!

Our group has 33 riders total, all unique in their own way, who I cannot wait to get to know better! The first two rides have been rainy most of the way so our bikes are a little grimy with sand and dirt but hopefully some nice weather is coming our way. I'd love to leave NH on a good note before I head west and leave my comfort of New England for the summer!
Thank you again to all my sponsors for allowing me to experience this trip of a lifetime- I am so excited for what is to come in the next couple months and I owe it to you. Lights out here...goodnight!

The Dartmouth gang, Billy, Bishnu and me about to begin our trip on the coast of NH