BearPa Challenge

Wayne did it!! His 200 mile, mostly uphill, bike challenge from Bearlake to Park City is just a memory now with only aches and pains and a bum that is finally un-numb to show for it.    He trained hard and he is definitely a climber on his bike.

 I did the first 50 around Bear Lake and then it wasn’t fun anymore, so I got in the car.   But Wayne just kept at it through hills and head winds.  It was impressive.   

We had a great time  biking with the Belnaps, Martins, Lakes and Lallis.   We borrowed Terry and Cyrrena’s suburban so we could all fit in just 2 cars. We got motel rooms in Bear Lake for the first night.  The reservations got mixed up so the Belnaps and us ended up in a nice condo instead.  It was so nice and the motel rooms were so “Bate’s Motel”  yucky that we didn’t dare tell the other 3 couples. 

We went and saw Juanito Bandito at the Pickleville playhouse.  We laughed and laughed and once again we have sayings and jokes that will carry us through til next summer….”You underestimate my awesomeness”…say this with a Spanglish accent. 

The weather was great… The first day I rode my  50, then joined the pit crew of the other wives.  We would go to the different bike rest stops to cheer and help with whatever the guys needed…  It was great to spend two days in a car with one of my besties Laura.  We have had busy summers so a lot to catch up on.   ON the top of the first canyon pass form Laketown into Randolph some how, we locked the keys in the Suburban and laughed and then spent the next hour trying to figure out how to get in and who could help us without driving keys up from Farmington…thank good ness a nice service guy out of Laketown helped us.  It’s crazy how easy it is to break into cars if you have the proper tools…kind of scary.

Scott Keller, Marcie, Wayne, Diane Lake, Bob Lake, Kevin Martin, Eric Belnap

We stayed in Evanstan in a nice Hampton hotel…which helped to "make up" for the first night.  The bikers came literally dragging in the first day, with crampy legs etc…wondering how they would ever do this again the next day.  It was Wayne’s first completed Century ride…which is a big deal….but he was going to do it again on Saturday.  After a nights sleep they were back on their bikes going from Evanston to the Mirror Lake Highway up the East Fork of the Bear River. 

  It really is just one big gradual climb for a bout 30 miles, then straight up Mt. Baldie to the summit of almost 11,000 feet.  I didn’t think Eric Belnap was going to survive…but he did.  Wayne was a biking machine.   He stayed up at the front of the pack and helped pull many riders in.   What a celebration!  We lunched at the top then it was still 50 more miles and one more canyon before getting into Park City.  

This ride was all to benefit the children at the Shriner’s hospital in SLC.  We ride for those who have disabilities and all money gathered in goes to get  modified bikes for the kids…some with hand cranks etc.  They had 3 bike recipients at the end of the ride and it was really teary.    IT was a great weekend… I’m thinking about riding more of it next year.  Wayne is not thinking about next year quite yet…it’s kind of like having a baby.  Once the memories of pain fade away, it’s time for another.  Wayne has now done two Century rides….Love this guy!