Thursday Evening - The Weather Has Turned

It’s late afternoon on day two of the Great Ride, and it’s been a very good day. Team 1 rode from midnight to 6am – I didn’t get a chance to talk to them, but word from the ambulance was they had another strong run. It was a cold night, and team 2 found getting set to ride at 6am when it was minus 4 to be a challenge, but it started to warm up about 9:30am. By the time their ride was finished, Brian McGregor told me they had a fabulous ride.

Team 3 took over at Kremlin at noon – it was an idyllic day when they started out – 16 degrees, and not a single cloud in the sky. It was hard to believe the weather forecast calling – yet again – for snow tonight and cold temperatures. Not possible, I thought. This day felt like summer again. But by 6:00 when the transition between 3 and 4 happened near Hayes, it was another story. The temperature has dropped to 5 and the weather has hardened considerably. There’s an ill wind that blows ‘neath these Montana skies, and it could get ugly. My driver Marilyn and I have changed our plans to make sure we’re around for the midnight handover to see what team 5 has to encounter.

11:30 pm

I wouldn’t send a dog out on a night like this…

I am in the town of Jordan. It’s about 2 hours south of where I want to be. We tried to get a hotel near Grassrange, the town where the transition is to take place at midnight. There was one motel, just one, in the area – about 35 kilometres from the transition point. Of course, it’s full. Seems like hunting season is in full swing, and they don’t have to go far for deer! We counted over 50 on the highway tonight. Anyway, the next town with a motel is Jordan, and we’re ensconced at the Garfield – a rustic manor with deer and antelope heads on display in the lobby. The ride here was through high wind from the east (the absolute worst for the riders) and constant rain bordering on sleet. Team 4 is done at midnight and will have to drag their sodden bodies into the van and head here, as the innkeeper informed me that he’s got their rooms ready for them. I’ll have their stories in the morning.

Thursday Morning

An update on the projected storm in Montana... it didn't happen.

We were told there was a weather watch in effect for northern Montana - up to 10 centimetes of snow with high winds. Fortunately, we dodged the bullet, and had favourable winds, but dang, it was cold.

Team 1 - who started the ride yesterday - had 12 hours off in between their first two rides to get a couple of hundred kilometres up the road, find a place to sleep then be on the road last night at midnight. I spoke with Mike Eby in the ambulance this morning, and he said they had a very strong ride. Team 2 is on the road right now and will be arriving here in Havre in about an hour.

As I look ahead to the weather where we will be in the next couple of days, I see nothing but rain. I really hope our luck holds out.

Day 1, 12 hours in...

It’s finally arrived – a cold dry morning, a ceiling of grey but a lot of smiles in the Cyclepath parking lot in Calgary south.

30 cyclists, and about a dozen volunteers and over a hundred friends and well wishers stood around clapping their hands together to keep warm as the departure time of 9am crept forward.

Lots to do – last minute check on bags, on bikes, hurried kisses to partners and kids, then at precisely 9:00, the Peloton along with about 50 cycling friends left for the journey to Austin. By the time we hit highway 22x to take us out of the city, we were down to the six members of team 1 – 3 men and 3 women.

But there was something missing….

Then we realized, we had done over 40k and had not yet seen the ambulance or the Motorhome. The ambulance, with Don Fix and Mike Eby on first shift, was nowhere in sight. Turns out we took a strange little detour which took us down the road past the vehicles which were waiting for us just outside of Calgary.

Once we got hooked up with the ambulance and motor home, we were on our way again. Team 1 finished a very strong ride in Mossleigh. The 6 riders completed nearly 75 kilometres and were quickly on the road to Lethbridge where they’ll find some sleep before starting their first six hour shift, at midnight. This year for the first time, each team would commence with 3 hours on the bike, to get everyone quickly into the groove. They would have been Lethbridge bound sooner, but team 2 switched all the tags on their baggage. Team 1 promises revenge will be swift and direct.

Team 2 is on the road right now, and they have gone past the suggested transition point in Vulcan because things are still ahead of schedule. We plan to transition to team 3 in the wonderful town of Champion, Alberta.

8:15pm

Quick update because I have a chance to upload this to my blog…

Team 2 and 3 transitioned, all was well. Good ride by team 3, then we changed over to team 4 at Picture Butte. So far so good, as we’re running a few hours ahead of the past few years. It could be interesting though for team 1, as they rode from 9 to noon, and do their first full 6 hour shift starting at midnight. So that’s only 12 hours to get prepped for their first 6 hour ride.

A great thing happened in Coaldale – Marilyn and I stopped in to a bar called McLennans for supper. I was wearing my CKUA shell, and a gentleman came over to tell me he loves the station. As we talked, I told him about the CTAPP trip. It turns out that Vanessa from team 4 is sister in law with his wife, Elaine Harris. We ran out to the street just as Vanessa was coming by. A great reunion!

But…while we were there, Mike Eby’s wife called to say the weather office says there’s a change coming, and are predicting wind and snow in Montana, starting this evening. We’re all keeping our fingers crossed…..

More later.

6 Days to the Ride

Hello Everybody,

Welcome to the 2007 record of the CTAPP fundraiser for Cancervive. My name is don, and I'll be your host for this great journey. For the uninitiated, CTAPP stands for "Calgary to Austin Peloton Project". Started by Brian McGregor in 2005, it was a modest idea to put together a relay team to ride from Calgary to Austin Texas to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Why Austin? Brian's idea was to take part in Lance's annual Ride for the Roses.

So Brian, a testicular cancer survivor, and a few friends started hatching a scheme for a few of them to do this ride and raise, say, $5,000 dollars or so. In the end, 23 riders participated, and nearly $400,000 was raised. In 2006, the ride was refined, and 30 riders took part, raising another great sum of money. The proceeds have stayed in Canada, and Cancervive has been instrumental in assisting to build a Wellspring Centre in Calgary. It's a place people with cancer can go to receive psychological and physical care after completing Chemotherapy.

Cancervive has also made it a priority to bring people living with cancer (we call them Warriors) to Austin once the ride is complete so they can spend a weekend in the sun and warmth, and if they want to, to participate in some of the walks and rides that go on on the weekend of the Ride for the Roses.

On Wednesday October 3, 2007, 30 riders and about a dozen volunteers will be leaving from the Cyclepath on McLeod trail in Calgary to commence the third CTAPP ride. I will be along as videographer and will provide updates to family, friends and supporter via the world wide web.

Please pass this url along to anyone who wants to follow the progress. And please make a donation to cancervive.

Cheers,

don