Texas 4000 Day, August 13, 2010

Lauren (front row-purple jacket) and the Texas 4000 riders during the welcoming ceremony after they crossed the finish line in Anchorage.

The Moment Arrived And What A Beautiful Moment It Was

Somewhere in your life, I hope you are able to experience a beautiful moment in time........a moment in time, which surpasses description.

That moment came for me on Friday, August, 13th. There were actually three beautiful moments; first and foremost was when after 70 days, I saw Lauren running towards me as I got out of the car. Her arms wide open, tears streaming down her face, and I being embraced in one of the sweetest hugs of my life. Her words softly spoken "You're finally here......I'm so glad you are here!".

Secondly was when Lauren and the Rockies and Sierra riders of the Texas 4000 allowed me in to their last ride dedications circle; this took place the morning of their last ride together; in a town about 40 miles from the finish line in Anchorage. When the riders left Texas back on June 5th, they would start off their days going forward with a ride dedication ceremony, so to speak. As each team of riders would link arms, they would one by one speak of those they would be riding for that day; they would carry that name with them throughout their day's ride.

As each rider took their turn, I kept hearing how "we" as cancer survivors are their warriors and heroes. But, let me tell you..........those 52 young people, who sacrificed their summers to ride 4,687 miles over 7o days from Texas to Alaska, through blazing temperatures, strong headwinds, forest fires, accidents and flat tires to help raise cancer awareness, THEY are "our" warriors and heroes!

And finally, the moment when all of those 52 young, dedicated riders crossed the finish line in Anchorage, Alaska. A moment filled with cheers and laughter knowing that they had finished what they started out to do; but, also a moment filled with bittersweet tears, knowing that they soon would be leaving the "family" with which each team had become over those 70 days.

As our last day here in Alaska draws near, and the girls and I prepare to fly back home to Texas, I will hold these moments forever in my heart. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to be with all of those strong 51 young people, the other one being Lauren. All of them......strong in spirit and strong in mind.

Love to all
~K~

2005 Texas 4000 Riders ~ Riding In To Anchroage And Crossing The Finish Line

Tom Petty's "Learning To Fly"...this is a video of the 2005 Texas 4000 riders crossing the finish line in Anchorage. Turn up your volume and enjoy. ; )

2008 Texas 4000 Tribute

This takes a few seconds to start playing.

Lauren ~ Day 65 Thru Day 70 ~ Northway to Anchorage, Alaska

Lauren and the rest of the Texas 4000 riders left Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory on August 8th and crossed over in to Northway, Alaska. From there, this is what the ride looks like going forward to August 13th, when they will cross the finish line in Anchorag.

Aug. 9th ~ Northway, Alaska to Tok, Alaska

Aug. 10th ~ Tok, Alaska to Chistochina, Alaska

Aug. 11th ~ Chistochina, Alaska to Glennallen, Alaska

Aug. 12th ~ Glennallen, Alaska to Sutton, Alaska

Aug. 13th ~ Sutton, Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska

I actually spoke with her this evening via telephone, and it was good to hear her sweet voice! ; ) She said that everyone is doing well, and getting anxious to finish up the ride; camping out for the past five days and eating no telling what seems to be getting the best of all of them! lol I do believe they are all ready to see "civilization" once again! And the mosquitoes; which are the size of sedans up there in the northwest wilderness, are enough to carry them off at night. She said "if you aren't slathered in mosquito repellent and have on full covering, it is certain you're going to get bitten!".

Both teams usually do a "race across the border in to Alaska; both teams, guys vs. girls. They guys made it through and over in to Alaska with no problems. However, on the girls teams, Lauren said that a group of girls riding up front had a crash/pile up when one of the girls hit road debris. She evidently hit her breaks, fell and hit her head hard enough that now she has a concussion. Unfortunately for the girl, the medical facility in Tok was more like a "clinic" with only a Physician's Assistant; and not equipped for x-rays/ct scans. Lauren said that when the girl woke up this morning with severe nausea and confusion, they knew she needed to get further medical attention; she and a couple of others took her to the hospital in Fairbanks (4 hours north of Tok), where she was diagnosed with a severe concussion, but luckily no broken bones, etc. She will not be able to finish the ride for safety sake, but at least she will be able to cross in to Anchorage in one of the support vehicles. Please pray that the remainder of the trip will go smoothly for all the riders and support teams.

Here is a little information on the towns:

Northway, Alaska ~ Northway has a population of 95, and is 42 miles from the Canadian border. The development and settlement of Northway was due to the construction of the airport during WWII.

Tok, Alaska ~ Tok was started as a camp during the construction of the Alcan and Glenn Highways in the 1940's. Winter temperatures average -30 to -70 degrees F.

Chistochina, Alaska ~ Chistochina, Alaska is a midway point between the Canadian border and Anchorage. The town began as a fish camp and a stopover place for traders and trappers. Chistochina is home to the Cheesh Na Tribe.

Glennallen, Alaska ~ Located along the Glenn Highway, 189 northeast of Anchorage, the town sits at the forks of the roads to Valdez and Canadian border.

Sutton, Alaska ~ Sutton was founded around 1918 as a station on the Matanuska branch of the Alaska Railroad.

Anchorage, Alaska ~ Anchorage is the largest of the cities in Alaska; in 1912, Alaska became a United States Territory. Anchorage's latitude causes summer days to be very long and winter daylight hours to be very short.

As the old song goes......"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go". However, I have decided that this Southern girl cannot possibly pack all of her items in a small carry-on bag; this Southern girl must have her accessories, and besides, I never know what outfit I may want to wear! LOL ; )

I finally gave up and decided to just pack everything in the larger of the two suitcases and check it. A few more errands to run tomorrow (ooops...just realized it's morning : 0) and then I'm done.

Liz and I will fly out Wednesday around 1:30 p.m., then to Houston and from there Anchorage; we are to arrive around 7:30 Alaska time. When I informed Liz of this, she realized it will be midnight our time; makes for a long day! LOL We will return home on the 18th.

It's hard to believe that the time has come; June 5th, and the remainder of this summer have flown by, but we are so excited to see Lauren and meet up with the other riders and their families. I will post another blog or two about the activities and festivities while we're there.

Lauren.... ..I hope you have had an awesome and awe inspiring time of your life. Everyone here is so proud of you and all that you and the other riders of Texas 4000 have accomplished. We will see you soon, and may the moon tuck you in with a smile on your face! ; )

Love you much ~ Mom

Lauren ~ Day 59 Thru Day 64 ~ Teslin, BC to Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory

Last I left you, and the Rockies crew were headed towards Teslin, BC. They crossed in to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory on August 2nd, and had the day off in Whitehorse on the 3rd. This is also where they finally met up with the Coastal (Sierra) Route riders; they have not seen each other since leaving Lampassas, Texas on June 6th. I still have not heard from Lauren; from the looks of the interactive route map that is on the Texas 4000 website, they are still somewhat "out in the wilderness"; I'm wondering if those peanut butter sandwiches and canned chili for lunch and dinner are starting to get old; perhaps they have been able to catch some fresh salmon from the lakes nearby. ; )

Here is how the rides have gone thus far......

Aug. 2nd ~Day 59 ~ Teslin, BC to Whitehorse, YT ~ 100.0 miles

Aug. 3rd ~ Day 60 ~ Rest in Whitehorse

Aug. 4th ~ Day 61 ~ Whitehorse to Haines Junction, YT ~ 93.0 miles

Aug. 5th ~ Day 62 ~ Haines Junction to Burwash Landing, YT ~ 75.0 miles

Aug 6th ~ Day 63 ~ Burwash Landing to Lake Creek, YT ~ 50.0 miles

Aug. 7th ~ Day 62 ~ Lake Creek to Beaver Creek, YT ~ 50.0 miles

And, here's a little information on those towns......

Teslin, Yukon Territory ~ A small town with a population of about 450. Settled in 1903 when a trading post was established to serve the Tlingit Indians.

Whitehorse, Yukon Territory ~ Known as Land of the Midnight Sun during the summer. Whitehorse was established as a trans-shipment point during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. Originally given the name by gold miners who thought the rapids at Miles Canyon looked like the manes of charging white horses.

Haines Junction, Yukon Territory ~ The establishment of Haines Junction dates back to 1942 and the construction of the Alaska Highway during WWII. With a culturally diverse population of over 800 people, Haines Junction lies on the Shakwak Valley of southwestern Yukon.

Burwash Landing, Yukon Territory ~ Burwash is a small community on the southern shore of Kluane Lake; it is home to the Kluane First Nation.

Lake Creek, Yukon Territory ~ Not much information on Lake Creek; Yukon government campground along the Kluane Lake.

Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory ~ Beaver Creek is just a few miles from the Alaska border on the Alaska Highway; it is the most westerly settlement in Canada. It is also home to the White River First Nation. Beaver Creek has a population of 140 year-round and 200 in the summer months (makes you wonder where those other 60 people come from during the summer).

7 days until we see Lauren and the rest of the riders of Texas 4000 cross the finish line in Anchorage; what a joyous and beautiful moment that will be! They have ridden fast, and hard, and they have remembered those for whom this ride was all about. Well done thy good and faithful servants...well done.

Lauren...may the moon tuck you in with a smile upon your face. We love you and we'll see you soon!

Love you much ~ Mom

Lauren ~ Days 55 Thru 58 ~ Dease Lake Teslin, BC

Sorry...just realized I posted one of the pictures twice.

I am not sure if Lauren and the Rockies crew were able to finish riding north on Highway 37 towards the Yukon Territory border or not; the surrounding area not far from where they have been, has been battling forest fires, due to a very dry season thus far. I spoke with her night before last, and she informed me that they were supposed to hear updates from firefighters and forest rangers as to what would be the best route for them to take; I haven't heard from her since, but believe they were to take the support vans and travel back south, then over to another highway (I'm not certain which one), then travel north again towards the Yukon Territory border. They of course would ride in the support vehicles due to the fact that there would be no way they could bike that far without compromising their time; they are to meet up with the Sierra crew in Whitehorse, YT on the 3rd.

Anyway......Lauren sounds good, and is getting excited about seeing Momma and Liz next week; it's hard to believe that next week we'll be boarding the plane to Alaska! Where did the summer go? I've attached some pictures of her that have been posted by others on the crew to Facebook; I'm not sure where/when they were taken, but enjoy. ; )

Remember Lauren......ride fast, ride hard, remember those for whom you ride and may the moon tuck you in with smile on your face. We'll see you in Alaska! ; )

Love you much ~ Mom