July 26-30 on the TransAm

It looks like I’ve got some catching up to do… 

The last I wrote we were bedding down in Hartsel, CO. Shawn, a lovely local lady, had offered for us to stay in a barn near where we’d set up camp since a storm was coming through. We were thrilled with the prospect of sleeping under cover. However, when we walked over to check it out we noticed that the roofing had weathered away leaving nothing more than slats. In other words, there wasn’t a dry spot in all the building. So we ended up sleeping in our tent after all. 

July 26

We woke up at 6:30 and I really wanted to stay in bed adn wait for the sun to dry off our rain fly and bikes. But as the sky gave no hope for such a plan the only option was to get out bed and get on the road. So by 7:15 we were packed up and on our bikes ready for a 58 mile ride to Canon City. Besides a few challenging hills we expected a pretty easy ride. 

We’d arranged to stay at Mark and Susan Helms, a warmshower host outside of Canon City, and to meet Chantry and the girls there as well. I had not yet located Susan’s house but figured she was outside of town since she had 36 acres. I figured on looking on my phone for her address when we got to the junction of Hwys 9 and 50 but about 2 miles north of that junction I felt a sudden prompting to stop and check now. What if she was this side of that junction? We’d have to turn around–which is never desirable. So I pulled over immediately and put her address into my phone. Would you believe it? We’d stopped directly across from her house! She was on the other side of the hill so we had to backtrack 1/4 mile back to the driveway. What wonderful providence. 

Since the ride was so easy we’d showed up 12 PM. Susan wasn’t expecting us until 3 or 4 so when I called her (she was in town) to say we’d arrived, she was caught unprepared. I assured her that she dind’t need to rush home on our account; we’d just eat our lunch and hang out in the yard. By 2 PM Susan and her mother pulled up and greeted us warmly and within 15 mins Chantry and the girls showed up. 

As a humorous side note… Susan’s mother know from my warmshowers profile that I was a Presbyterian pastor. She commented that like my kids, she was also a PK (a pastor’s kid). She told me that her father was a Pentecostal pastor. I replied that I was familiar with pentecostalism and used to be a Pentecostal. What!? she said. (I wish I could’ve captured the look on her face). “And you left Pentecostal for Presbyterianism!?” For the remainder of her visit she never used my name again. Instead she called me “Presby.” I just smiled. I didn’t mind the label. 

Mark and Susan were wonderful hosts, feeding us all dinner and then taking us to Royal Gorge Park so we could get an amazing view of the gorge and the suspension bridge stretching across it. We got some amazing pictures of the clouding sky with the sun struggling to shine through whatever gaps it could find. Thank you Mark and Susan! Mark even took a couple of nice family shots. 

Mark and Susan are in the middle of building their house while living in a camper trailer. The house is rough framed as they work to complete the siding and roofing. So they decided to put us all in the large master bedroom spread out all over the floor on mattresses, air mattresses, and cots. The roofing was probably 3 feet shy of being finished on what was essentially a shed roof running the entire length of the house. The rafters ran from the back wall across the house up to the front wall. Got the picture? 

You might remember that we had to dig our rain gear out of our bags as soon as we crossed over into CO. Apparently they’ve had more rain and storms in these last two weeks than they’ve had in many years at this time. So as the rain clouds brewed over the Helms’ home and a few drops fell from the sky Susan suggested that it would likely blow over. Nevertheless, should it rain Susan was pretty confident that we’d stay dry in the house. We turned the lights off at around 10 PM. Forrest and Chantry decided to sleep under the large porch overhang. I was sure they’d get wet from the blowing rain and suggested they come inside with the rest of us but they were determined otherwise so I let them be. The storm outside really started to build. The rain was falling hard and the lightning show was spectacular. 

It all started at 11:45 when I awoke from a half-sleep to the sound of “drip, drip, drip” and Schylie calling out, “Terra! Wake up! I’m getting wet!” Rain was coming in through the roof and dripping down the rafter onto their air mattress. I got up and moved their bed away from that rafter and went back to bed. Thirty minutes later I was called to Sandy’s bed where she was getting dripped on. Stil awake, I moved Sandy to a drier spot in the room. Rocky smiled that he was still dry. All this while the largest leak was from one of the rafters which ran over my and Chantry’s mattress. It seemed determined to drip only in that spot, but as it grew I looked at it and said to Chantry, “It’s coming for us dear.” “I don’t care,” she said. “Come to bed.” You guessed it. Thirty minutes later I awoke from another half sleep to a soaking wet ankle. Where in the world am I to move a queen sized mattress in this leaking house!? I squeezed it into the living room in front of the water tank. Ah… maybe now we can get some sleep. But a few minutes later I got up to go to the bathroom and was called back to the room where the kids were. Terra was getting dripped on. Schylie was getting dripped on. Sandy was getting dripped on. And yes, Rocky was finally soaked. You’d think we’d all wet our beds. Our beds were wet. Our blankets were wet. We were wet. ––And all the while Forrest and Chantry, the two I was sure we’re going to get wet were not only dry but sound asleep. In all our shuffling, in all our talking and I can’t believe they never woke up. Furthermore, I was trying not to wake up Susan and Mark adn their two Great Danes sleeping in the trailer next door.–– I was out of options now. The only dry place left was the porch. I cleared the porch area as best as I could and moved Schylie, Terra, and Sandy onto it. There were no dry rafters left in the house so I angled Rocky’s cot on a 45 degree angle between drips and went to bed. When I finally crawled back into bed it was 2PM and Chantry and I just laughed. What else could we do? We were living the dream! We laughed so much. Then I turned towards her and said happy birthday dear and proceeded to sing 😀 

July 27

We woke up to clear skies at 6:45 and decided that despite the adventure we’d better find a hotel for the next two nights. We cleaned up, packed up, and drove into town for breakfast. We had a great meal at the Village Inn restaurant and then drove over to the Quality Inn to secure 2 adjoining rooms for the next 2 nights. With that in place we headed to Rye, CO to see the legendary Bishop Castle, a castle still being built, single-handedly, by Jim Bishop. It was a truly amazing spectacle. The kids really enjoyed touring it while I had a memorable conversation with Jim himself. Several people/tourists crowded him to ask questions and take photos but I felt drawn to just talk with him. I left when the crowds encroached but came back later when he was alone. I sat down unobtrusively and he looked up and said, “There you are James.” I sat closer and watched him add rocks to the wall of his castle. I asked about his wife, Phoebe. He told me she was battling cancer for the 2d time but he was continuing to pray for God to heal her. We talked about Jesus as our only hope and as our all in all. As I was getting ready to leave I asked him how long he’d be working today. He said he’d work until about 6 PM and then go home to see Phoebe. “I’ve never cooked in all my life,” he said. “But now I make dinner for her because she can’t do it anymore.” “That’s good Jim,” I said. “You’re keeping you’re vows.” At those words Jim stopped cold on his scaffolding, his eyes filled with water. “You promised to love her as Christ loved the church and that’s just what you’re doing. You’re showing her the love of Jesus and that pleases God.” I so badly wanted to keep talking but I knew my work was done. “I’ve got to go Jim. But maybe I’ll see you again one day.” “You do that James. You’re welcome back any time.” “Well Jim, it’s like they say, I’ll see you here, there, or in the air.” With that Jim smiled real big and I turned and left. God had blessed us both. Jim’s well known for his eccentricity, for his anti-government attitude, and for his extravagant one man project. But all that aside, I felt as though I’d met a man who truly loved Jesus. I pray that under that thick skin he does indeed belong to the Lord and I’ll see him again. If he doesn’t yet know the Lord then maybe my time with him will be the instrument to bring him into the fold. 

The ride up to Rye and back was truly goregeous. When we got back to town we headed to Subway for lunch and then over to the hotel to check in. We dropped off the girls’ stuff and headed to Susan’s to pick up our bikes and gear. We expected to see Susan so we could tell her how our night and share a few laughs over it all but she wasn’t yet home. She’d left with Mark at 6:30 AM and was still away. So we left her a thank you note and signed the cyclists’ “guest post.” 

On the way back into Canon City we took Skyline Drive, a one way drive across the ridge line of a range which runs parallel to Hwy 50 leading from Royal Gorge Park into Canon City. The drive was laid by prisoners in 1932 and boasts some amazing views overlooking the valley and Canon City. It was an extremely narrow road for our wide Suburban and I had fun teasing Chantry and the kids by riding closer to the edge than their comfort zone allowed 🙂 Once back at the hotel the kids went swimming until dinner and we settled down for the night under another dark, lightning-filled sky––this time with a bit more assurance that we’d wake up dry. 

July 28

We started the day off with a complimentary hot breakfast at the hotel. After a sweet time of family worship we headed off to Colorado Springs with 3 missions in mind: 1) something fun to do; 2) a visit to REI with hopes of finallly getting my stove fixed or replaced; 3) get some Kangen water. We had no idea what we’d do for fun but Susan had recommended we visit Cave of the Winds so Chantry looked it up online during our drive and we headed straight there. We had a great time at their outdoor “theme park” which included a rock climbing wall, a ropes course, and a seated–catapulting–zipline ride. We were there for about 3 hours and then headed to Chick-fil-A for lunch before filling up our bottles at a Kangen water store nearby. Our final stop was REI. I didn’t know what I needed, whether I was missing a seal or now, but one way or another I needed a new stove pump as mine stopped pressurizing. I explained my situation to one of the employees and about fell over when he took a new pump off the shelf walked up to the customer service desk and told them to exchange my defunct pump for a new one. I’d called REI from Dubois, WY and they refused to replace it so his doing so without a hitch was both a surprise and a blessing. My stove had been broken since Colter Bay Village, WY. Thank you Lord. 

We headed back to the hotel for a quick swim before going out to Chilis for a wonderful dinner. It was a great 2 1/2 days with the family and I was sad that it was coming to an end. 

July 29

Only July 27, after we’d picked up the bikes from Susan’s, we’d arranged to meet Karolina in Canon City. We wanted her and the girls to meet. So we met up for an hour or so at the public library. Chantry and Karolina hit it off and enjoyed a great talk. Before we parted Chantry prayed for her in a way that I think really blessed her. During our talk about where we’d be biking to next Karolina suggested that we aim for a warmshower host in Ordway, CO. She said it was only 80 miles away. So I looked it up and once we were back at the hotel booked our stay with Gillian Hoggard in Ordway. 

Waking up on Saturday July 29 was hard because I knew we wouldn’t see the girls again until we got home and we wouldn’t see Schylie again for over a year. Be that as it may, we ate breakfast together, called upon the Lord for His blessing upon us all, hugged and cried, and then put our heads down and pedaled on. I took the lead and headed out strong. It was already 8:00 and we had 80 miles to ride with an accumulated 1200 ft of elevation gain before heading down again. Rocky was trailing behind and seemed to be under a sad cloud though maybe he was just tired. In any case, I texted Schylie and suggested they do a drive-by on their way East. I was hoping this would cheer Rocky up and I knew it would be a blessing to us all. So soon after we passed Wetmore heading to Pueblo the girls came up behind us with plenty of cheers while waving the “I love you” sign. We smiled big, waved back, and rode on with a smile knowing that the next 6 weeks would go by as fast as the last and we’d soon see them again. 

The 48 mile ride into Pueblo was really nice but the coolest part was that it brought us to the end of our 6th map of 12 maps. That means it’s the halfway point (2061 out of 4228 miles). We stopped at the end of the map, gave high 5s around, cheered for ourselves, and took a selfie. The party ended as soon as it’d begun. I put map 7 in my waterproof sleeve and geared up for the rest of our trip to Ordway. That’s when reality hit. I quickly added up the miles from Pueblo to Ordway and the total came to 50. What!? 50? That means a total of 98 miles… But Karolina said it was only 80. Bummed at the new information the boys suggested we stay in Pueblo. No more happy about it than they were I decided we needed to press on. It should be mostly, if not all, flat. Besides, we had a warmshower in Ordway and there wasn’t much at all in between here and there. So we pressed on with determination and with as much speed as we could. I took the lead to set a good pace and break the wind.

Thirty miles shy of Ordway my left knee started hurting. Two thousand miles and tens of thousands of feet of climbing and now my knee hurts? What cha gonna do? I prayed for the strength to finish the ride and kept pealing, putting extra umph on my right leg to relieve the left. Fifteen miles later my right knee started hurting. I’d run out pinch hitters now. So I kept praying and pedaling, surrendering the lead to the boys and trailing behind instead. It was very painful and teeth clinching ride to Ordway. I was so glad when we finally pulled into town. 

We stopped by the store to buy food for dinner and breakfast and headed through town to Gillian’s warmshower. We arrived at 7:45 after 99.2 miles of cycling. We agreed that we’d round up and call it our first century. I’d called Gillian from the store and she greeted us as we came down the driveway directing us to the “cyclists trailer.” We parked our bikes, unloaded our gear, and headed into the house to make dinner and get a shower. Gillian was quiet at first but soon started up with questions and opinions that took our fruitful conversation well into the night. We did manage to get our dinner eaten and our showers taken but by the time we left the house it was pouring outside amidst lightning and thunder claps. We got to bed around 11 PM. 

Before the evening was over Gillian suggested we visit River of Life church in town and put me on the phone with Jeb Brown, the pastor. We enjoyed a warm conversation and I expressed to Jeb that since we weren’t biking on Sunday’s we’d need a place to stay Sunday night and asked if he might be able to help us. He said he’s work on it and look forward to meeting me in the morning. 

July 30

I woke up around 6:30 and headed to the house for a shower and some reading time before starting on breakfast and waking up the boys. Gillian’s m.o. is to have the cyclists she hosts do 15 mins of work on her farm in return for her hospitality. So after breakfast she took the boys out to do some work. I think they had more fun than work but at least it met the requirements. She showed them around the farm and introduced them to her goats, chickens, and horses. They even got a short ride on the horse. 

Church started at 10:45 and although we walked in a few minutes late they had yet to start. We got a quick drink of water and took our seats near the front. The contemporary worship began and we were led in the singing of praises to God. After a couple of songs we were directed to meet and greet those around us. That’s when Jeb Brown walked over and introduced himself to us. I immediately liked him. He bore a warm smile, spoke with a Texan accent, and was genuinely happy to meet us. He invited us to stay after the service for lunch so we could visit more. The VBS planning group was having a potluck before meeting together for final preparations. 

He was finishing up his preaching series on Jonah but preached his summary of Jonah from the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. He likened God in Jonah to the father in Lk 15, Jonah himself with the older brother in lk 15, and the Ninevites in Jonah with the younger son in Lk 15. He made the point that God was pursuing Jonah with patient grace no less than He was the Ninevites and that God was pursuing the older brother in Lk 15 with patient grace no less than He was the younger brother. Why? Because the one was no better than the other. They were each in the wrong adn they each needed the same grace. I thoroughly enjoyed his powerful message. It reminded me of Sinclair Ferguson’s powerful book, “The Whole Christ” and hit on themes I’d covered in our study of “The Marrow” in our evening study. He ended by pointing out the interesting fact that both Jonah and Luke 15 stand open-ended in the Bible. It leaves us at a cliffhanger wondering what would be Jonah’s response if there were a Jonah 5 and what would be the older brother’s response if there were a Luke 15.33. He ended the sermon by asking, “What’s’ your Jonah 5? What’s your Lk 15.33? Are you going to stand on your own merits outside of what Gods’ doing or are you going to dive into the amazing grace of God that patiently and relentlessly pursues sinners?” 

Afgter the service Jeb and I had a great talk. He told me how the Lord had raised “dropped” him into this pastorate and that his only training was Grudem’s Systematic Theology and John Piper. He said he’s increasingly coming to the Reformed Faith and is hungry to learn more. I really enjoyed our conversation together and look forward to more. He’s been at the church all day in the midst of meetings for VBS, which begins tomorrow. But after lunch he led us over to his house so we could relax, do laundry, and I could work on this blog. Before he left he asked if we wouldn’t mind staying here tonight. I was very thankful for his offer and told him we’d love to. I look forward to good Christian fellowship and pray the Lord will use me to be a tall glass of cold water for his soul–as I trust he’ll be for mine. The bond of the Spirit is Oh! so sweet isn’t it? 

We’ll be traveling to Eads tomorrow and then on Tuesday to a warmshower in Scott City, KS. 

Thanks for praying and thanks for following. 

Until next time… 🙂