Paul Anderson’s Cycling Challenge

We broke camp a little before eight this morning and drove to a nearby baseball stadium where it would be safer to start biking. It was VERY foggy, so we had to wait 45 minutes until most of the fog dissipated. Safety first!

But it was a beautiful day today! Blue skies and cool - although without overcast clouds, the sun can get pretty warm.

The road today was curvy and hilly, but the view was marvelous. Jeff and Judy Thompson joined us today and we still have Hoyt and Ruby. Michelyn scouts out the road ahead and places orange safety cones so the riders know where to turn, Sam and the road crew go on ahead to find suitable rest areas, while the Thompsons and the Henleys sag behind the riders to make sure all of them have what they need.

Up until mid afternoon, traffic was heavy and the sun was bright, but things were great! It was after then that everything got interesting…

First, we started biking up a mountain. Then Jonathon’s tire blew out and we struggled to get it fixed (Michelyn had to drive to the top where the trailer was stuck because it couldn’t turn around in order to get the supplies needed). Meanwhile, Hoyt and Ruby’s car battery died and we had to figure out a way to jump them off. On top of that, the riders started getting spaced out a bit, which is common going up steep hills, and Christian missed the turn to Amicalola Park. He thought maybe there was another turn since he didn’t see the trailer parked nearby (of course, there was nowhere for the trailer to park at the entrance, or anywhere really for a good little drive inside the park) so he continued, expecting to see another entrance. 15 miles later, he was surprised to find a honking car pull off the road right behind him - a strange car, with Drew at the wheel and Eric in the passenger’s seat (the car belongs to Michelyn’s mom). At that very moment, Drew was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher explaining our lost young man’s predicament when we happened upon him!

But now everyone is collected and snuggled comfortable inside their sleeping bags and tents. Just another day on the Paul Anderson Cycling Challenge.

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