Today was the first day of the 2002 GRABAAWR ride. We decided not to do the 100 mile century ride, since we were invited to go to Ingrid’s sister Ruth and her husband David’s cabin in the afternoon. The ride went well, although it got a little warm in the afternoon. Today was only about 50 miles so it was shorter than most of the days will be, but it was a good way to start. After the usual first day logistics of getting our bikes ready for use after their 3 day cross country journey, we got started about 7:40, only a few minutes later than planned. The first picture is of the whole group of bikers, but it doesn’t include Patti Guilford or Ruth Lauritzen who are key members of our group.
We had no major mechanical or physical issues, other than Dick Burkley, who broke a chain, and got a surface cut on his leg, while repairing the chain. I am happy to report that with Dick’s chain tool, and Terry Hackney’s repair expertise, we were able to repair the chain and not need the services of a Sag vehicle.
Patti and Ruth prepared a scrumptious meal for lunch, which we ate in the shade by the side of the road, and used some picnic tables provided by a homeowner in the woods. We had delicious sandwiches, juice, fruit and cookies. Our setup looked so inviting that another biker stopped and tried to buy a banana from us.
Early in the afternoon we stopped at a lake along side the road, took off our shoes and went wading in the lake. It was very refreshing. See picture 2. We also met John Taska who John, Ingrid, and I hadn’t seen in over 20 years from when we lived in Illinois. We overcame the heat and hills and got to Cranden, WI and to the Main Street Inn where we are staying for the night. After showering and resting, we used our Sag wagons to drive to David and Ruth’s cabin on a lake nearby and had a pleasant afternoon enjoying the view and their hospitality. The 3rd picture is of Ingrid and Ruth at their cabin on the lake. Afterwards we went to dinner. The first restaurant had an air conditioning problem, so we went to a nearby golf course for a very
enjoyable dinner. All in all it was a good first day. Tomorrow we are starting at 6:00 am to try and beat the heat.
kws
Pictures from Day 1:
{{popup day1lineup.jpg day1lineup 1134×466}}Day 1 Lineup
{{popup ingridruth.jpg ingridruth 1023×764}}Ingrid and Ruth
{{popup wade1.jpg wade1 836×615}}Wading