Day 10 -- White Pine, NV

We rode 80 miles over 4 summits to Ely, Nevada. It was a cold morning, and even with tights and an undershirt, I was shivering for the first hour uphill. My gloves didn’t cover my fingers and I felt like they were going to frostbite. I don’t think I had sensation in my toes for most of the morning. The last few days in Nevada have been gorgeous. Our arrival into White Pine wasn’t too eventful, although we did have a hamburger dinner sponsored by the student council.

Perhaps more importantly, however, I rode with a new pace-line today. It made me realize a lot of things about my team and the motivations different people have for doing the Journey of Hope. For some, it’s about challenging yourself to do something great. For others, it’s all about the physical prowess and doing pushups for every mile they bike. More still don’t know what to expect, myself among them. I’ve noticed some people are distant at friendship visits, almost awkward. I guess with a trip like this, it’s hard to expect that everyone wants to grow in the same way. I'm just going to put myself out there as much as possible and see what comes of it.

PS. You can find more pictures of the trip at the following address:

Flickr North Team