The Hills Are Alive

Wow ... would love to see a little more flatland for the last few days. :-) Although the hills the second half of yesterday and today were a bit more gradual than earlier ones, one of today's hills went on for a mile. Then we stopped for lunch in Munising and had one more lovely slope to climb to get to the hotel. Knees are sore, bottoms are chaffed, necks are notted up and skin is sunburned (well, only for the those who ignored motherly advice to apply sunscreen) ... but we're having a great time. :-)

It is again quite late, and with 50+ miles awaiting us tomorrow at 7 a.m., I will have to make this a short one again (I hope that the rest of Day 8, all of Day 9 and most of Day 10 pics will upload to picasaweb.google.com/bikeup2008 while I write).

Today (Monday) was a long day ... 78 miles that started quite early (we ate in the dark) with an interesting group ride through a tight three-mile construction zone. We traveled as a group on this first leg for safety reasons, and were followed by one of our vehicles. We had numerous amazing views of Lake Superior and related lakes and bays as we journeyed from Baraga to Munising ... we also had numerous flat tires (thank goodness for Kevin Williams) due to the rough-at-times shoulder littered with lots of road "trash" (tire parts, glass, metal pieces, etc.). We all made it to Munising in time for lunch and a quick shower before boarding the Picture Rocks cruise in Lake Superior. It was a beautiful evening. You'll see some of the unique rock structures in Day 10 photos.

Looking back ... After a beautiful Saturday evening in Baraga (during which time we accepted the invite to participate in the annual "Christmas in July" bike parade through the campground ... with decorated bikes and all :-)), we spent Sunday morning worshipping with a welcoming Lutheran church community in a nearby town. (We did Pastor Scott Williams about 12 hours notice that his church may have a few uniquely-dressed visitors the next day, to which he warmly encouraged our presence. Thank you to the United Lutheran Church!)

After church we headed east for a 40-mile trip to Van Riper State Park (Campion, MI) with a quick stop at Canyon Falls (see pics) roadside park. Another beautiful Michigan state park, this one located on Lake Michigamme. FMYers enjoyed the lake, beach, bathrooms (very important) and other ammenities.

We had a wonderful evening of worship and sharing in Van Riper, that started with an interesting game of "Hi-Ya" (you'll have to get an FMYer to explain) and songwriting (see closing comment).

Greg asked us all to compare the various aspects of our biking journey with our spiritual journey. A few excerpts:

Clair Brendel: Like my spiritual journey, the challenges of the bike journey make me stronger - physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally.

Hannah Groves: Thanking God for the discomfort of being cold and going up hill, so that we can better appreciate being warm and the joys of going down hill.

Della Field: Regardless of the detours and repairs that delay us, it's so satisfying to complete a ride. The reward is matched by the effort, on the ride and in our spiritual journey.

Greg Groves: I'm thankful for his life's traveling companion, his wife, Sue, who encourages him on his spiritual walk like our SAG support team encourages us on this trip.

Okay, must stop for now. :-) To close I share a profound verse written by Shawn Cox's Saturday-Sunday riding group, sung to the army marching chant/song "I don't know what I've been told," etc. (each group was asked to make up a verse based on the trip):

If you want to hear two men scream,
Take away their chaffing cream.
Barber and Hoag,
Monkey Butt (hope no one is offended, but the cream is called "Anti-Monkey Butt Cream" :-))
Weebly, weebly wobbly wutt.

Three riding days left with Mackinac Island looking ever so promising, but many of us are trying to enjoy every day of this once (possibly twice for me and others)-in-a-lifetime experience ... Robyn