Monday, June 2, 2003

Portland to Bend, OR

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The day dawned cool and cloudy with much anticipation for the day's ride.  After a decent breakfast we headed to our vehicles to start our journey.  However, disaster struck in the form of a dead battery to the support truck.  The boys tried to jumpstart the diesel-sucking beast but it was all in vain.  After the boys had exhausted their efforts, the ladies gave it a shot using reserve power from one of the bicycles.  After this failure, it was decided to call AAA for a jump.  In short order, the diesel truck was up and running and we were on the road for our day's journey.

The ride was incredible.  Good weather, cool breeze and some of the most beautiful scenery we have seen to date.  We rode on in our usual "V" formation to ward off attacks by wild animals and errant drivers.  The ride taxed us with it's mostly uphill climb, but all of the boys came through intact although somewhat lacking in oxygen.  Bruce has developed a ritual of apply "bullfrog" sunscreen before each ride in an attempt to keep his fair skin from burning.  The tonic also seems to be an effective frog repellent since we saw no frogs during our ride.  Due to his daily use of bullfrog lotion and his ability to belch like a frog on command, Bruce has been given the nickname of "Frog".

As always, our support crew drove the vehicles while we rode.  Day after day Cheryl and Trish  provide all of the support including driving and other activities that help to keep us on the road. Without their help we would not be able to complete our rides.  Many thanks to Cheryl and Trish for all their hard work.

Along the way we were rewarded with a most spectacular view of Mount Hood.  Its grandeur and size dominated the landscape.  We spent more than  a few minutes taking pictures and staring in amazement at the mountain. Mark continues to amaze us all with his territorial prowess.

During our rides we always encounter others who are curious about our adventure.  It's good to talk to others about our trip and what it means to us.  We always have time to talk about amputees and our philosophy that a quality life can indeed continue after suffering a physical disability such as an amputation, stroke or other trauma.  Trish as always helped answer questions and provided the curious with pamphlets about our ride across the America.

In commemoration of Mount Hood, the boys posed as a totem pole signifying their admiration for the peak.  Here the boys imitate an ancient totem pole from the mo-ro-nic tribe in tribute to the sacred snow capped mountain.

At the end of our day we entered the town of Bend Oregon for a visit with Hanger Orthopedic.  With detailed ;instructions to the Hanger facility, Joe decided to give the crew a tour of the town of Bend (translation Joe was lost).  After half an hour wandering up and down the streets of Bend we finally arrived at Hanger .  We were warmly greeted by Joseph Sadowski the prosthetist, who gave us a tour of the facility.  After the tour, a news crew from an NBC affiliate (Z21) videoed our arrival and then interviewed Bruce for an evening newscast.

Our entourage will swing further East tomorrow as we cross the high desert country on our way to Burns, Oregon.