Traveling Down the Road, Feelin' Fine

We left 7 days ago yesterday. We've had a thoughtful send-off, scenery-packed days, tons of bagels, cheese, jars of jam, jelly bellies (thanks Sharon!) hard sleeping nights and sun-shine filled mornings. Wonderful people. What more could you ask for? A day off!

Here at Wasa Lake, hosted by friend Shauna, we're resting our routine and bodies for a day. I've turned 40, surrounded by super friends, several who are traveling with us for a time and several who made the drive out to make it a special day for me (and to see how we're thriving.)

Up to today we've traveled as a group of up to 12. Our friends the Swansons (Matt, Renee, Adam - 5 and Clare - 3) are traveling the first 2 weeks of the journey with us. We will drop them off at the train station at Sand Point Idaho next Tuesday for their return home to St. Paul, MN. Shannon joined up with us our 2nd day in "Don't leave me behind" she said as she found someone to cover her work. Then her partner Josh joined us three days ago. Tonight they returned back to Calgary, hopefully to join us again later in the trip. Then Robert from Australia, biking from Alaska to San Francisco joined us to celebrate by b-day and partake in the kid-fest/food smorgasbord.

Highlights thus far? The ride into the mountains out from Ghost Reservoir - viewing the mountains and finding ourselves inside them. Taking on the dirt/gravel crawl up to the Goat Creek Trail cooling off in the reservoir at it's summit, flying down from Sinclair Pass and landing at Radium Hot Springs, turning 40 and being surrounded by incredible people.

An entry from Sampson's journal:

July 23, 2009
This morning we woke up and had bagels for breakfast. We went to the beach and kayaked and swam the morning. Then we had peanut butter and jam for lunch. Then we swam and kayaked the afternoon. Then we went to Shauna's house and had pasta for dinner. After dinner we went to bed. We had a day off today.