Hopkins 4K for Cancer

May 31, 2004

Riding in the Rain!
Ride from Bedford, PA to Greensburg, PA
64.9 miles

Ride dedicated to Ester Graham (83 year old cancer patient), Barb Shoemaker (three year cancer survivor), and Katie’s friend.

The day began with incredible hospitality from our hosts at the Bedford First Presbyterian Church. Our first hot breakfast set our spirits high with eggs, bacon, homemade pancakes, fried potatoes, toast, and homemade jam! Around 8 am we left for our 65 mile trek to Greensburg, over the Appalachian Mountains and down beautiful valleys. Although the day was scattered with showers, the cool rain felt good on our over heated bodies. Our first feat was climbing Bald Knob, which brought us to an elevation of 2400 feet. The rain mixed with fog as we reached higher elevation. Riding through the fog made me feel like I was entering a different reality, closed off in a separate world that enveloped me only with the few feet of road stretching ahead. Along the way we kept our optimism high by singing songs such as Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, American Pie (which Dewey comprised some lyrics for Hope Lodge), It’s Raining Men, Here Comes the Sun, Sunshine on My Shoulders, The Boxer, and many others. Our next accomplishment was climbing Laurel Hill Summit, which brought us even higher to 2906 feet. The fog had subsided at this point, leaving us with somewhat clearer skies. When we reached the top, we took many pictures, including a crazy one where the guys, (Dan, Phil, Rob, Dewey, Will, Joe) held me up so I could point to the mileage sign. The rain came back and began to pour harder than before. Luckily we found a peaceful porch where we could escape for a few minutes. The hospitality of the countryside was overwhelmingly generous. Many cars passing by beeped with encouragement or yelled out positive comments from their car windows. The most captivating and euphoric moment of the ride was the 3.5 mile downhill at a 9 percent grade. The winding road and the wind against my face made me shout out many times with pure happiness. It was such a natural high. Once we reached the bottom we stopped at Monica’s (a fellow rider) van for a water break and also surprisingly met some town folk who were hanging out at local bar behind where Monica had parked. They all greeted us with excitement and offered us cold drinks (not alcohol of course!) The country music, worn down bar stools, off beat locals playing pool and drinking a cold afternoon beer, personified the laid-back atmosphere of the town. After that our journey comprised of slight hills and flat areas, which made the ride quick and gratifying. Once we reached Greensburg YMCA, all seven of us were ready for a hot shower after living in on-and-off rain showers for the past 8 hours. Following the unpacking of the gold van and a long, hot, massaging shower, I collapsed on top of my sleeping bag until I was awoken to receiving a scrumptious dinner from our hosts. Many activities followed later in the evening, with people swimming, hot tubbing, relaxing to a yoga stretching session, or just hanging out around the building or walking around the small town. It really was such an amazing, rewarding day.

Composed by Renee M. Bacino :)