Getting to Colorado Springs
After saying good bye to the cuz and Carrie, I checked my Google Maps route on my phone once more and set off south from their house. I snaked through another park and passed no less than 5 different bike lane designs within the first few miles. Before long, the city gave way to residential neighborhoods, suburbs and really nice mountain views...
It was a perfect day to ride a bike. Warm but not hot, sunny but not too bright, dry but not arid. Google wound up taking me along a bunch of hidden bike paths as I made my way out of town. I'd definitely ride them again. And because I was following the Google bicycle directions, I ended up on top of a giant network of mountain bike trails and cow paths, just NE of Daniel's Park. Turned out that one of the paths that I was supposed to follow was a two-track gravel stretch but it was gated on both ends and had barbed wire running along side, demarcating some fields I guess. I had to back-track a way to get back on the road and over to busy Santa Fe Drive. I was glad to be off that road as there was a bunch of road work happening and big trucks.
Water and Dog House. Eventually I got on Perry Park Rd, just as it was getting hot. I didn't realize how rural that road would become and found myself running out of fluids, very fast. Finally I did run out of things to drink and did what I had to do (no, not drink my own pee. gross.), I went up to the next house I saw that looked inhabited to see if I could get some more water. Down a dirt road, I stopped at a little white farm house and buzzed the gate intercom. No reply. After waiting a bit, I pushed another button and the gate opened up to the rest of the driveway. So, slowly I rolled up to the house and after passing a bushy tree, two german shepherds started barking like crazy at me from inside the house on the other side of a pane-glass door. I figured that would certainly alert someone to my presence but it didn't. I knocked on the front door just to double-check, but whoever lived there was dead or just wasn't home. There's no way they could have slept through the noise the dogs were making. Still waterless, I looked around for a spigot or hose or anything that looked like a source of water. I noticed they had a full birdbath and then I found the hose nearby. I let it run for a sec to let the hot water pass through since it had been sitting in the sun all day but cold water never arrived. It was hot and it just stayed hot. With no alternatives, I filled up my five bottles and got out of there as quick as I could. The whole situation was uncomfortable. I didn't mention that on the same property, there was an older, abandoned house with all the windows and doors smashed in. I think the roof was caving in too.
At the end of the dirt road, I pulled over in the shade of a tree to have a snack, try to get down some of my new fluids, and generally cool off. It was really hot by now and there was little respite from it all. After an apple and peanut butter, I reluctantly got back on my bike and headed south again towards the Springs. After another few hours of riding, I started noticing that I wasn't sweating very much, if at all anymore. That was not a good sign. I started walking my bike to try to cool off but it didn't really work. My water was so hot still that I couldn't drink much of it and it did next to nothing to cool me down. I did have to pee though and so I found a spot in the trees and took a leek. My urine was dark orange, which was the darkest I've ever seen it before. Yet another not great thing to see.
At the end of the dirt road, I pulled over in the shade of a tree to have a snack, try to get down some of my new fluids, and generally cool off. It was really hot by now and there was little respite from it all. After an apple and peanut butter, I reluctantly got back on my bike and headed south again towards the Springs. After another few hours of riding, I started noticing that I wasn't sweating very much, if at all anymore. That was not a good sign. I started walking my bike to try to cool off but it didn't really work. My water was so hot still that I couldn't drink much of it and it did next to nothing to cool me down. I did have to pee though and so I found a spot in the trees and took a leek. My urine was dark orange, which was the darkest I've ever seen it before. Yet another not great thing to see.
Allie, my newest best friend in the whole wide world. I kept walking my bike, albeit very slowly down the road hoping I would start to feel better. I was mildly nauseous too at this point and just wished I wasn't so hot. Finally I gave up as the sun started making its way lower in the sky and as sense started being more persuasive. I had never hitch-hiked before but I figured there was really no time like the present to try it out. Also, I had noticed that the cars were passing me at ever greater intervals, I assumed, because it was getting later and a majority of people driving home from work had already gotten home. The sooner I found a ride, the better, and with that in mind, I stuck out my thumb.
Well, not just any vehicle can accommodate a bicycle, a ton of gear, and a human being all of a sudden, so after many, many failed attempts, a young woman finally stopped to see if I was "ok." She thought I might have had a flat but after explaining my situation to her in a surprisingly weak and raspy voice, she gave me a lift to a town called Monument, about 35 miles north of Colorado Springs. Turned out she rode bikes too, as evidenced by the bike rack on her car. She had also just landed a job as a chaplain at one of the area hospitals. Fortune and God were on my side that afternoon it seemed. She dropped me off at the grocery store in town and after thanking her immensely, I proceeded to head straight to the ice-cream section. I bought two of the mini store-brand ice-creams and two big, cold Gatorades and consumed all of said purchases methodically but deliberately. I had never experienced heat exhaustion before and I hope I never have to do it again. The weariness was bad enough, but a pretty severe head-ache had sprung up too, all from the dehydration.
I spent about an hour in the air-conditioning, eating my frozen life-saver items and telling my friend Luke (whom I was going to be staying with in the Springs) that I was probably going to miss his party that night on account of my terrible day, which made me then feel even worse because I told him I was going to be there for it. I eventually collected myself and got on my bike towards the highway. It took about three pedal-strokes before I knew I just physically couldn't ride worth a damn anymore. I got to the entrance ramp of I25 and once again stuck out my thumb in hopes of getting a ride for the last leg of the day.
Well, not just any vehicle can accommodate a bicycle, a ton of gear, and a human being all of a sudden, so after many, many failed attempts, a young woman finally stopped to see if I was "ok." She thought I might have had a flat but after explaining my situation to her in a surprisingly weak and raspy voice, she gave me a lift to a town called Monument, about 35 miles north of Colorado Springs. Turned out she rode bikes too, as evidenced by the bike rack on her car. She had also just landed a job as a chaplain at one of the area hospitals. Fortune and God were on my side that afternoon it seemed. She dropped me off at the grocery store in town and after thanking her immensely, I proceeded to head straight to the ice-cream section. I bought two of the mini store-brand ice-creams and two big, cold Gatorades and consumed all of said purchases methodically but deliberately. I had never experienced heat exhaustion before and I hope I never have to do it again. The weariness was bad enough, but a pretty severe head-ache had sprung up too, all from the dehydration.
I spent about an hour in the air-conditioning, eating my frozen life-saver items and telling my friend Luke (whom I was going to be staying with in the Springs) that I was probably going to miss his party that night on account of my terrible day, which made me then feel even worse because I told him I was going to be there for it. I eventually collected myself and got on my bike towards the highway. It took about three pedal-strokes before I knew I just physically couldn't ride worth a damn anymore. I got to the entrance ramp of I25 and once again stuck out my thumb in hopes of getting a ride for the last leg of the day.
Despite the amount of cars at that intersection, the possible ride-givers were few and far between. I waited for about an hour with no results, watching the sun start to set over the mountains. Pretty much out of nowhere, two girls, probably 16 or 18 yrs old or so wandered up to me because they claimed they had seen me standing there as they drove past a while ago. They were headed to a bible study class and wanted to check on me. One of them offered me $10 in case I needed some money, I said I didn't, but they were insistent. They said I was welcome to come by the church if I didn't find a ride and I said I would. I watched them leave and continued my thumbing efforts as the sky started getting more and more orange.
The "sense of urgency" meter in the sky. It was just about dark before I had any luck. A guy in a Honda Ridgeline pulled over as he was getting on the entrance ramp to the highway. I explained what had happened and he said he was headed the same way I was. He got out and helped me load up my stuff and we took off South. I don't recall his name, but he was an archeology masters student and was getting ready to move his family over to China as part of a big dig project out there in the desert. I offered him the $10 the girls gave me and he instantly seemed more personable. I became a normal guy that just needed a ride instead of a homeless, broke bum. After talking about all kinds of randomness, we arrived at Luke's place on Hancock Ave. I unloaded my stuff from saviour #2's truck and sighed the biggest sigh of my life as I walked up the stairs to Luke's front door.
Luke had told me via text to let myself in and so I did. I quietly snuck in because the party was a birthday party for one of his roommates and everyone in attendance was saying what they liked/loved in turn about Donavan, the birthday man. I quietly listened and continued to drink as much fluid as possible with as much ice as possible. I had recovered enough by this point that my appetite had started to come back with a vengeance. Much to my pleasant discovery, it was also the group's first annual "salsa-off," and everyone had brought a home-made salsa to compete for top honors. The never-ending salsa and chips made for a perfect medley of things to snack on while everyone continued the circle of comments.
Eventually the party got more party-ish again and I got to meet many of the main characters, including Luke's roommates, or housemates as it were. I helped eat some cake and I cracked open a beer, but not before I ate more food and drank more water. The night was cool and they had a little fire pit outside on the porch that a bunch of us sat around and chatted. After the party more or less disbanded, I took a much-needed shower and the guys set me up with an air-mattress in the living room. It didn't take long for me to pass out like a rock. I was glad for that day to be very far behind me.
Luke had told me via text to let myself in and so I did. I quietly snuck in because the party was a birthday party for one of his roommates and everyone in attendance was saying what they liked/loved in turn about Donavan, the birthday man. I quietly listened and continued to drink as much fluid as possible with as much ice as possible. I had recovered enough by this point that my appetite had started to come back with a vengeance. Much to my pleasant discovery, it was also the group's first annual "salsa-off," and everyone had brought a home-made salsa to compete for top honors. The never-ending salsa and chips made for a perfect medley of things to snack on while everyone continued the circle of comments.
Eventually the party got more party-ish again and I got to meet many of the main characters, including Luke's roommates, or housemates as it were. I helped eat some cake and I cracked open a beer, but not before I ate more food and drank more water. The night was cool and they had a little fire pit outside on the porch that a bunch of us sat around and chatted. After the party more or less disbanded, I took a much-needed shower and the guys set me up with an air-mattress in the living room. It didn't take long for me to pass out like a rock. I was glad for that day to be very far behind me.
Birthdaying! Luke is in the middle with his hand in front of his face.
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