2010 june 11-24 WORLD CUP: SOUTH AFRICA
1)NAME & address--- Mark Torguson, 517 2nd Street, Davis CA 95616
2)best memory---No doubt about it, falling down the steps of Pretoria being hugged by a chick after Donovans goal vs Algeria
3)elvis or patriot uniform---Patriot, more significant for USA v England
4)drink of choice--- Castle Draft, the legacy of Castle is being kept alive here in Sacramento
5)best game---USA v Algeria. I have been to about 25 world cup games, this was the best for me, great pre match, followed by the most amazing finish I have ever witnessed. Going home early, to group winners in the space of literally 5 seconds, quality, will never forget.
6)best fans--- USA, we took over Eastwoods that wonderful Wednesday afternoon
7)2nd best fans---Bafana, Bafana, South Africa v France viewed at Barons was a highlight
8)should have skipped----Absolutely nothing, everything experience was cherished.
9)should have done---Castle Lager, South Africa and the world's greatest football, that is everything that should have been done and it was. Who the heck goes to the World Cup to do anything else???
10)best surprise---my sister doing line dancing off the hood of a car in the parking lot of News Café. The BARON, what a place.
11)funniest moment---Another easy one, 5:00 am SMASHED, dressed as George Washington in the lobby of the Radisson, eating breakfast on the tab, then going to the VIP room to meet some guy who later turned out to be the Prince of Monaco
12)worst experience---coming home, the adventure was over. Some Tanzania guy passing out on my lap on the flight home. Not being able to see Robert Green spill the ball into the net USA v England, because somehow FIFA couldn’t get the scoreboards working in that dump called Rustenburg.
13)best adaption---hitckhiking to Rustenburg (well maybe not best, but we were in a real danger of not making that game). Dutch fans giving the garbage truck driver a beer. But best goes to me and Kev for getting a ride from the police after Spain v Honduras.
14)best looking---19 year old Afrikaan at Eastwoods, dreamy.
15)MVP of trip---Pat, kept energy high and was all systems go when it seemed like a good idea to don our costumes at 5:00 am for a drunken stroll down the streets of Sandton.
2nd MVP---Phil, but he was a wimp for only staying for 4 days, honorable mention to Kane and Eli for getting us to and from a number of games. The maid for making my room look good after I destroyed it for like 5 days straight. Kane, one suggestion, get a dryer.
16)best quote--- “bill that to room 2156,” “I have been married for 20 years, my advice, don’t do it”---Chris Coleman, former manager of Fulham, “its only about an hour to Rustenburg, shouldn’t be any traffic.” “Turn the music off its 4:00 am” Ya right, that wasn’t happening. Wasn’t there but “tilt, so no foam buddy” some chick while doing a beer bong out of the Vuvazela, I could also put that under “best adaption”
17)do differently---ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, except leave 12 hours earlier to Rustenburg, but we mite be dead if we spent more time there.
18)will go to brasil 2014---Already trying to book my flight
19)something nobody knew---George Washington dropped a deposit in Kane's Chineese neighbors garden one night.
20)word to describe group---What the World Cup is all about, people from different places coming together to celebrate the world greatest event.
21)funnest foreigner--- the gay guy sitting on Kanes lap the first night there. Good stuff Kane, that really was taking one for the team, those Africans women were stunning that night. And lets not forget DANGER MAN, Pierre was a close second, but lost points for taking a nap inside the bar he took us to.
22)scale i ranked this trip (1-5, 5 being highest)---5 are you kidding me!? Who could rank that any lower, I am coming by a couple people houses and BLARING Waining Flag at all hours of the night. WHEN I GET OLDER I WILL BE STRONGER, THEY CALL ME FREEDOM, JUST LIKE A WAIVING FLAG
2010 june 3-10 KILIMANJARO/SAFARI: AFRICA
I JUNE 3 (919') KC-Amsterdam (Kilimajaro) Depart KC after packing & preparing all night, no sleep. First time i felt guilty leaving on a trip. Freeman forgets shoes at home, taxis all over chicago & buys some. 6 hr layover in chicago before flight to amsterdam. slept 3 hours on amsterdam flight. started KLM blanket accumulation
II JUNE 4 (2900') Amsterdam-Kilimanjaro/moshi, Tanzania (2 long airplane flights) Met Rich & Renne in Amsterdam, 4 hr layover before flight to kilimajaro. renee seems like a perfect bachelorette, unafraid & open to an adventure. looking forward to getting to know rich, catching up with freeman & taylor. flying over africa, it was eerie how desolate the desert was. scavenged another 3 KLM blankets to keep me warm on mountain. Met our guide, victor, jumped in the landrover & drove in the dark 45 minutes to moshi. finally fell asleep after scarring the piss out of freeman. the mosquito nets over the bed were a nice touch. so far, bugs look 3x larger than ones we're used to.
III JUNE 5 (6500'-8860'--5 hrs/8 miles) Kilimanjaro Nat'l Park Gate-Mandara hut (rain forest) Awoke tired after 7 hr sleep & drove to Kili. saw the africa you see on travel channel. Tin roofs, people walking the highway, butchered animals, manual labor, & dirt roads except for main hwy. Picked up water & chicken for lunches on route & arrived at the nat'l park gate in a foggy, damp setting. Immediately the porters descended on us leasing everything important (treking poles, gaiters = $10) to things not important that we had already. It was like vultures on a dead carcass. finally we were set & went up to the registration lodge to enter. A few climbers were finishing & we were gleaning them for info. a marvelous journey lay ahead. We took wagers on how many people summit, who throws up first & what time to summit. winner guessed 80%, pat pukes & 8am summit. started climb at 6000' elevation & purposely went slow through the rainforest, ferns, drooping moss & wet jungle. the trail was smashed volcanic rock with multiple ant highways. We had cheeseburger & chicken for lunch while a red eyed mongoose got close to rich for scraps. saw very few people on trail until we got to mandara hut. walked to crater, had dinner & went to bed. an excellent day.
IV JUNE 6 (8860'-12,200'--6 hrs/9 miles) Mandara hut-horumbu hut (renee struggles) Awaking around 7am, we felt more refreshed & were treated to hot tea, oatmeal & some fruit we passed on. The hut we stayed in was an A-frame for 4 & had 3 of us. Rich & renee had their own. elevation 8860'. Today was a struggle for renee. we shared carrying her camelback & she experienced a chocking sensation everytime we stopped. we theorized maybe it was some allergy. victor & issac (back-up guide) didn't pay much attention, i guess they have seen it all? Renee's hip also bothered her maybe due to her pack not conforming properly? We left the beautiful rainforest with the occassional monkey overhead and encountered a more arid environment with clouds being on the trail. i constantly was adding & taking off a layer as the temp would fluctuate from 40'-60' due to sun or clouds. as renee struggled, we carried her like she had a tender ankle. she hung in there best she could & was a real tropper fighting through adversity. we could not see the summit yet, but it was beautiful scenery & clouds within us. we made horumbu hut, 12,200' elevation. had dinner & met an american named lovell, who i almost mistaked for a porter. after dinner renee announced she was withdrawing & the group came to a critical decision. stay on 6 day plan or push for 5 so time on back end for safari. the risk of pushing faster jeopordized the mission, but it had a nice payoff. after discussing/argueing, i went to ask the guide's advice. they said push on, we will be fine. i decided to pass that on, we took a vote & 3 said push on & 1 abstained (taylor). The first adaption of the trip & it raised the excitement for me. it was sad to splinter the group but renee was mature enough to follow her instincts. later that night, i stepped out to admire the milky way. it was so thick, pure & the most beautiful starlit night i have ever seen. we were above the clouds & except for renee, feeling pretty good. while everyone went to sleep, i selfishly packed & repacked. the previous night taylor killed the lights, this time i had my headlamp on.
V JUNE 7 (12,200'-15,420'--5 hrs/9 miles) horumbu hut-kibo hut (adapt & push) today we left renee & encountered less vegetation & more arid, plain rock. saw a few helicopter landing sites, used our last stream to reload & mix iodine pills. i shared lemon drops & beef jerky. saw an irish family that was pushing 13 yr old daughter too hard. going up, i asked the people coming down "how many days?---summit? to guage our decision of pushing. later had a box lunch with fruit drink, bread & chicken breast (tayor had a drumstick). after lunch taylor started up the mtn early, dropped his pants & played conductor to an imaginary orchestra. isaac(back-up guide) thought dan was co-coo, hilarious. We could see the summit, it seemed like we were hobbits glancing at mordor from a far away place, knowing we had not even touched the difficult part yet. we saw some dutch girls & heard stories of 1 girl summiting who threw up 4 times--impressive. wonderful weather, huge cloud shade. we talked about many things these last 3 days, very fun. we saw some people with arms locked running down the mountain--uh oh--altitute problems. we arrived at kibo hut which was a stone bunker with a room for a dozen people in bunkbeds & dining room. very basic. the cooking oil, kerosene & propane spell really added up here. upon arrival to each hut, you sign in & this sign in had all 3 smells penetrating your body. dan tried to nap & felt nausous so he moved to get some fresh air outside. this was the beginning of trouble & doubt & it would exponetially get worse later for every foot in elevation gain. for now, we were stable, but we knew the hard part was ahead of us. 2 dutch guys rolled in that were an absolute mess. they struggled to talk, kept rubbing their hair & had massive headaches. lovell rolled in too, he had struggled with a bad neck all trip but persevered through it. the porters treated him like a messiah who had arrived, it was great. these porters all weigh around 140 lbs & they are carrying 60 lb backpacks & another 40 lbs on their head. all the nighttime stuff & food for us and they are doing it with donated clothes & shoes from 1st world countries. very impressive. as we all settled down for bed, i avoided a disaster in the outhouse. my neckwallet with passport, world cup tickets, credit cards & cash almost fell into the toilet. i caught it from slipping into that sespool. rich said that would have been worth a trip to the embassy--classic. we had dinner & for the first time, i thought it was disgusting--altitude does make things taste more bland. it was spagetti, tea, bread & maybe some vegtables. rich & i stayed around & talked & i commented how good i felt & how suprising it was. i could not have been farther from the truth i discovered the next day. later that night while everyone was trying to sleep, i kept packing & repacking. taylor was pissed, sorry guys.
VI JUNE 8 (15,420'-19,340'--7 hrs/4 miles) kibo hut-summit (suffer & summit)
going down:(19,340-8,860----8 hrs/22 miles) summit-mandara hut
TOTAL = 15 hours/26 miles. Midnight arrived & we awoke to hot tea & some bread. the sleeping pills i have taken have worked great--about 4 hrs of strong sleep. we labored up the mountain in the dark & were behind most groups. my fingers were numb from the cold. i kept imagining i was in a hardward store & had to avoid walking into things like a table or aisle or whatever. the altitute was affecting me. after 2 hrs, we took a break at 17,000' near a small cave. i ate some beef jerky & started feeling nausous from stopping & immediately started throwing up. taylor commented that was a perfectly good waste of beef jerky. i started saying the rosary & when we stopped again at 18,000', i puked again. DANGER ZONE APPROACHING:i thought if i'm having this much trouble now, what's it going to be like at 19,000'? for the first time, doubt creeped into my brain, however the dutch girl getting sick 4x gave me slight comfort & we pushed on. i could keep nothing down, not even the pedialite in my camelback. i tried to say another rosary, but could not count & keep track of how many hail mary's i said. we all were struggling except for rich. whenever we took a break, we were all asleep in 10 seconds. Rich would then conjure us on. dan & paul felt like their heart was going to beat out of their chest because it was beating so fast & furiously. picture jim carey in the MASK. it was the first time i ever saw freeman as a regular, usually he is a mule carrying the group on his back. None of us talked, we all struggled internally to put one foot in front of the other, just like the song. we finally reached gilman's point around 19,000' elevation with sunrise around 5:30am. it was beautiful, but 2 more hours along the crater rim to the very top. it seemed like forever away & we saw some people coming back who already summited. it seemed like the end kept getting farther away & no progress was being made. i had on 2 layers of pants + 4 layers of tops (including elvis suit). eventually the glacier to our left came into view & we could sense we were getting close. as i unzipped my jacket & the gold sequined eagle on the elvis suit came into view, isaac asked if i was a prince. i was too tired to screw with him & said no. the path below us turned from volcanic rock to a ice/snow path. I imagined i heard a river, but it was just delirium. i felt nauseous & weak but no longer imagined i was in a hardware store dodging things because of the light. i was able to breath through my nose with my mouth closed & felt like my body was using the bare minimum of power to go forward, becuase it had nothing in the tank. it was miserable, but i noticed it was not numbing to my hands anymore since the sun was up. the treking poles, ninja mask, boots & gaiters were key equipment items. finally the summit in sight & we made it around 7:30am . we were on the top of africa. tears were shed, took a few quick photos & wanted to get down ASAP. we were all weak. i lagged the group coming down & taylor was blazing ahead. freeman was doing business on his blackberry. victor leapfrogged us to get to the bottom in 1 day. isaac stayed with us. Rich was below me & he would take the occassional spill on the scree (loose rock). i threw up again around 16,000' at 9am while descending. it has been 7 hours of getting sick, no food or water, when will it get better? kibo hut came into view, we arrived at 10:30am. 7 hrs up, 3 hrs down. isaac told me to sleep & the 2 1/2 hr nap paid dividends. lovell was a mess: diareaha, bad neck, no water, fear of death, but he made it. the 2 dutch guys even made it to gilman's point-very impressive considering their state a day ago. We left kibo hut around 1pm, treked to horumbu, picked up renee & continued to mandara. paul listened to dan's movie stories while rich & i theorized who would have made the summit or enjoyed this trip. we all agreed it was the most physically challenging thing we have ever done. we finished in 4 1/2 days & could have done it in 4, but i would advise 6 for cushion. we felt better as we descended, renee was strong & it was enjoyable doing it in the dark with monkeys holering in the trees. crashed at mandara hut & slept great. a glorious day.
VII JUNE 9 (8860'-6500'--2:47/8 miles) mandara hut-kilimanjaro nat'l park gate (celebration)
TOTAL = 26,000' elevation gain & loss--33:47 hrs(hiking)/60 miles roundtrip in 4 1/2 days
We finished the climb & it's an emotional roller-coaster of excitement-hope-doubt-accomplishment then short-term memory loss. you forget how hard it was, just 8 hours after suffering. i think the challenge & the unknown are all factors people pursue these initially or again.after checking out of the nat'l park, we drove toward our accommodation & detoured to a internet cafe to check flight possibilities to victoria falls. no luck so we went with victor & dan's rec of a safari at ngorongoro crater tomorrow. our goal today turned to celebration & we cancelled our original cheap hotel & stayed at a wonderful river lodge for $90/person. it was well deserved. many kili beers, wonderful dinner, laughter & said goodbye to paul sadly. a dutch baroness latched onto our group & finally went to bed tipsy & ready for another adventure.
VII JUNE 10 (safari: ngorongoro crater) this morning rich, renee & i rode to bank to pay for upcoming safari. rich had to withdraw over a million shillings ($1USD=1,450 tanzanian shillings) & commented that he was a millionaire, hilarious. it cost me $50 for r/t transportation & $350 for safari. we drove 2 hrs from arusha to ngorongoro nat'l park. we saw termite dirt piles 6' tall & several masai warriors tending cattle, walking the road, living off the land. it was overcast & raining at the park entrance, elevation 9000'. i was doubtful the weather would clear, but as we descended over the rim into the crater, everything cleared up & it was like a garden of eden. the crater is 12 miles in diameter & our guide drove us around for 5 hours watching elephants, zebras, lions, water-buffalo, hyenas, hippos, ect. i very much wished my family was with us, this was fascinating. like a zoo with no fences & animals interacting like they have for thousands of years. we were spoiled seeing lions & game at every turn. the range rover had a ceiling that would open up & you could stand on the floorboard or seats while capturing the iconic image of africa burned into your memory. as the sun was setting & we were leaving, it was the perfect setting to a wonderful trip. we drove 1/2 hr to our campsite, slept in the tents & awoke to the roosters that never shut up. 1 adventure down, another to begin.......pat ryan
1)name---Rich Coughlin
2)best memory---Sunrise near the top and the stars.
3)I knew I was screwed when--- I saw Freeman and Isaac halfway down the mountain screeing like mo'fos
4)things I imagined in the dark before summit---Sunrise and the summit . . . oh and a beer at the end of it all.
5)favorite snack---The Lemon drops , Popcorn, and the Jerky !
6)MVP of trip---Pat and Victor for the planning of the trip and attaching the sudden Safari at the end.
7)three most critical equipment, in order---1) Water Containers/Camel Back (2) Walking Sticks (3) Good Boots
8)waste of packing---Snow pants ... could have gone with a shell.
9)best quote--- of course 'Pants on the Ground', 'Keep the cart level for Lavelle', top 10 lists
10)confidence was dented when---Renee had to stay down. It sucks ... imagined we would summit together.
11)worst meal---That crap slop they served us over and over .... can still imagine that smell..gag. The final meals at the kibo hut and at the final night was terrible.
12)fellow hiker not in our group who sticks out---Lavelle - Definitely had a hard time...I feel for that guy and still think about the Irish a$$hole dad that was pushing the 13 year old daughter
13)favorite guide, porter, chef or Sherpa---Victor and the water bottle guy. Chef ... do we really need to call him a chef?
14)surprise of trip---(1)The River Trees place ... like an oasis. (2) surprised we completed in 4(+/-) days. I thought it would take a lot longer. (3) diverse flora and ecozones was really awesome.
15)on scale of 1-5(low-high) this was---4.5 awesome ... already figuring out the next mountain and Brazil 2014.
16)something nobody knew---How bad I felt coming down .... I actually gagged several times and was super dizzy at the Kibo hut. Was not sure I could keep going.
17)first thing I did when back home---Shower and clean comfortable clothes.
18)mental or physically more challenging---It was a good mix but have to say it was probably more physical.
19)best adaption---River Trees / Sudden Safari
20)what I would do different---Probably train more as I did not get a chance to train at all. It might of helped me coming down. I was spent when we got to the Kibo hut on the way down and felt terrible.
21)should have packed---umm beer
22)meet, exceed or fall short of expectation---Definitely exceeded
23)will do another continent summit in lifetime or not---Definitely!!!
24)what I miss---Fried African chicken mmm mmm good! and being a Moshi millionaire
25)word to describe this group---Great group everybody was really positive there was not one negative thought. Even when Renee had to stay down everyone was fine making a group decision to go forward ... well everyone except Dan
2009 august 20-23, LONGS PEAK: COLORADO
I Aug 20 (919') 11 people fly KC-Denver, meet others, caravan to Boulder University Inn & proceed to introduction ceremony per Pirate Bill. 1 MIA (Gregg Zaffaroni) & 1 AWOL (Tackleberry). This introduction ceremony took 12 hours to script & 2 hours to recon for Pirate Bill. PB (Pirate Bill) talks in character, introduces everyone & uses his deeply personal questionaire to keep everyone laughing & on the edge of their seat. With no alcohol involved, PB kicks off the evening better than anyone could have imagined. He now becomes the gold standard for all future trips. I'm sure people will ask, is pirate bill is going? if yes I'm in too. After auctioning off nicknames & "passing the trash" most of us realize we will never participate in a better master of ceremonies process. Thank you PB. Highligts incluce "$6 for stache ride", & "can I have some napkins" for $15. Souvenir jackets are passed out at dinner, everyone scatters for purchasing provisions & people try to sleep. Freeman & I got 30 minutes of shut eye.
II Aug 21, 01:00 (5400'): Everyone meets in the parking lot of hotel. We have 20 in our group + 5 more that participate & we all jump in 5-6 cars. Barflys are still having fun on the streets as we look like weird science dorks with our headlamps on. We caravan to the trailhead, everyone pisses on the side of the road about 15 minutes from our destination.
02:00: We all gather, say life preserving prayer per MacGyver (Scott Widman), & hit immediate bottleneck at sign-in 10 meters from the parking lot.
02:30: (9405' & 0 mile) The group begins the 15 mile r/t journey to the summit & back. 12 hours is the avg & I'm at the back with the Sobek's, Leon (lance) & Hyde (freeman). 2 nimble Koreans are behind us. The cool air & pines feel & smell great for most flatlanders like myself. The original pace seems too fast to me, but I'm a rookie so I don't really know for sure. Leon gives me his pack & Freeman & I carry that thing for about an hour. It weighed as much as 2 packs. Leon hooks up with MacGyver & Freeman & I start passing people. I think we were in the treeline for about 2 hours. We catch up with Silverfox (dave Lyle) & Breck. Silverfox sounded tired, but marches on. Next we run into hoarse, gear-head, thunder, chud, & neandertal (steve sobek, mike sobek, scott colangelo, sean powell, & jason tyrer). The group starts to spread out, neandertal walks in between hyde & I because he decided to join our group 6 hours ago, bad back & nike jordans in tow. The journey of headlamps going up the mountain is inspiring, it looks like a massive pilgrimage toward the sky.
05:00 (12,080' & 4.1 miles) first glimpses of sunlight, the stars fade from the sky & the boulder field comes unto view & beneath our feet. At this point, the easy part is over & the climb starts to become laborous. Tents & campsites in the boulder field come into view, this is where people acclimate to break up the trip & increase their odds of summiting. A solar port-a-potty is nearby. The sun's rays hit the keyhole & we see the little fort or refuge by the keyhole. Gard-dog, nandertal, hyde & I all trail A-lick (andy lyle) by about 100 yards. That boulder field sucked going up. It appears everyone has been hydrating good & eating at this point. I've already polished off my BLT from whole foods.
07:00 (13,150' & 6.25 mile) Crossing the keyhole, we approach what I thought was the narrows, but it's really the ledges. The Keyhole marks a very stark division in the hike to Longs Peak. Immediately after going beyond the Keyhole, the hike becomes serious. Serious views. Serious elevation gain. It makes you work and it wants you to pay attention. The hike becomes more of a climb now & you use the red & yellow bullseyes to traverse this area. We actually go down before we go up through the Trough. They should have called this place Mordor. It's steep, loose rock & long. This place sucked more than anywhere. I start to feel the pounding in my head & next thing I know I'm blowing chunks. The climbers below me all stay to the right. Freeman is cracking up & gard-dog & tyrer can't believe the volume coming out. We continue to ascend. Next up are the narrows, which are supposed to be the scariest. I personally prefer flat narrows with sheer drop-offs to the murderous trough. There has been beautiful scenery from the trough onwards & gets even better as we approach the homstretch. It's a scramble to the top & thought were close to summiting is a relief.
09:00 (14,259' & 7.5 mile) The four of us summit & meet Badger (steve simpson), his brother Jay & A-lick & his friend. Next comes donger (tom blake). We pull out the MU flag, take a few photos & I suck down some energy drink from jay simpson. We all know we're only half-way done & it's not a good feeling. The joy of summiting is great, but the unfinished business of descending sets in. Hoarse & thunder summit & then I have a most proud moment as we get off the summit. I see Chud, gear-head & squirb. I am so happy for chud (sean powell). For him to get this far is sheer willpower. Same with neandertal (jason tyrer). I take documenting photos & we start the butt-slide down the homestretch, then walk the narrows & approach the Trough. The four of us go slow & get passed by many. Donger is out of site down the mountain. We see the last soldier in our group, skuller (mike allegri). He reduces some gear & gard-dog takes it. I'm glad I'm not in his shoes I say to myself since he has another 2 hours to go before summit. We finally make it to the keyhole & it seemed like forever coming back through the trough. We have all been out of water for about 1-2 hours & we know the boulder field ahead of us will allow us to refil. Freeman gets their first & starts the process of iodine pills & water. As we are all resting, I feel another tremor in the belly & blow chunks again---you've got to be kidding me we all think, especially gard-dog as the shrapnel from my BLT hits him. I was too tired to move my own leg & puked on my pants. I could have put out most forest fires with the volume & trajectory. Now I start to realize I need to get down asap, before my body shuts down from lack of fuel. Freedog takes my camelback & I hightail it down the boulder field to the meadows. I cut directly through the switchbacks to save time. Eventually I catch Breck's friends, Bill LeBlanc & his wife who's a doctor. I feel better now, because I'm near a doctor if trouble hits me. I continue to sip the gatorade bottle, the trail seems forever & we hook up with Scotty, PB & Gomez. Eventually the tree line starts, the sun is glaring down & I feel better. Conversing with the LeBlanc's allowed me to take my mind off the long hike down. They mentioned the weather was so perfect, that maybe 2 days a year are this nice & lots of people have come out here. I speculate about 1000 people on the trail. We meander through the forest, over the stream & out of nowhere gard-dog is running down the trail. We are less than 1 mile away from finishing. We finish running, sign off we made it & see many people in the parking lot.
15:07 (15 miles r/t) Done. Badger generously brought cold bear for everyone & we pile in the cars & take off to the hotel. At this point, we all hate rocks & don't ever want to climb again. Most everyone is spent, including myself. Eventually we get to our hotel, shower & I go out to eat with PB, & the simpson boys. Later that night, everyone meets at the Foundry rooftop bar & we celebrate. Rings are given out & we all laugh, drink & carryon. Then we start to piece together 2 guys may be stranded on the mountain without cars (chud & skuller).
21:00 Macgyver & I drive out to check it out. Between me giving wrong navigating directions, falling asleep on the driver, & both of us slap happy, we manage to turn 45 minutes into 2 1/2 hours of driving the wrong way & turning back too early. We arrive at the trailhead, pick up the mountaineering stud Mike Allegri & look for Sean Powell. He had been waiting 6 hours for us & now he is MIA. The park ranger tells us to call him when we locate him, 2 weeks later, I realize this now I never called him back. Somehow Chud hitchiked home via Wendy's & was OK. We all get to sleep around 1am.
V Aug 22: We all rally together for an excellent breakfast. We realize 15 of 20 summited. Amazing & I feel so proud for the group. 75% success vs 30% for avg on Longs Peak. A gritty group indeed. With nothing planned, we bar-hop for 14 hours. We meet Finns, take pictures & have an absolute blast in downtown Boulder. Eventually we call it a night around 2am. What a blast, great personnel & wonderful role responsibility. It could not have worked out as glorious without everyone's role execution!
VII Aug 23: We say our goodbye's, & all wonder when the next adventure takes place. This will be hard to top, just like the previous ones..........pat ryan
1)Name--Scott Colangelo aka: Thunder
2)favorite memory--Reaching the parking lot at the end of the hike
3)worst moment--Coming around the corner to see the homestretch after passing every lying SOB that said, “You’re almost there. You made it past the hard stuff”. Liars.
4)best quote—“You can touch anything but my tie” Bartender at second bar before we went back and got the photo. BEST QUOTE #2 from the park ranger. “This is your first hike? You realize your buddy picked the hardest one in Estes for your first climb”. Thanks Pat.
5)scale I ranked myself for trip conditioning for pirate bill-- 9
6)scale I should have ranked myself for pirate bill-- 9
7)prettiest lady--Church going Brunette
8)I knew I was screwed when--- At the summit I was so tired I was thinking of ways in my mind to get down really fast. I know why base jumping was created. Noone wants to hike back down.
9)title of this adventure should be— The Homestretch.
10)best use of $-- Headlamp.
11)worst use of $-- Headlamp. Will NEVER be used again.
12)Things that were true that nobody knew— I debated turning back several times
13)best use of deposit $---Opening ceremonies
14)Climbing awards--All three medals go to Tyrer. Dude kicked most of our asses while being the least prepared one.
15)MVP of trip--Pirate Bill-anyone picks someone else should have their heads checked.
16)favorite pub on pub crawl--Not sure I remember any of them…..
17)what matters more: mental or physical for climbing mountain-- Mental
18)surprise of the trip- How hard it was.
19)did trip exceed, meet or fall short of expectation-- Exceed
20)what should have been done different--Hire a trip coordinator to come and take care of everything. I would suggest a 22 year old brunette…..
21)on scale of 1-5(low-high), what did adventure rank-- 5
22)will go on another adventure with us before death-- yes
23)will go on next adventure to Kilimanjaro or world cup in june 2010-- No
24)question I want to ask — How did no one die?
25)one word to describe this group of personnel-- Crazy
2008 aug 27-30, MO RIVER 400: MISSOURI
I Aug 27: Group starts arriving at hotel. Some drinking, gambling & excitement about the river. Colonel Taggart uses common sense to tie up "lake turd". Pirate Bill get's leader's jersey for his passion & shaving technique. I'm not sure what MJ & 40' mean. Maybe Michael Jordon is so cool, he's just above freezing temperature. I go to bed at 2:30am, laugh for 1 hour, fall asleep & wake at 4:30am.
II Aug 28: Wake, gather in hotel, everyone shows & Pierre observes that this group is special because everyone arrived even though most people had minimal sleep. We start consolidating 14 cases of beer (thanks jason tyrer), 8 cases of redbull/vodka (thanks paul freeman), tons of food (thanks scott widman & phil taggart) & countless other things I'm neglecting to give credit to. A reporter shows up, JD Calvin gives a good interview & we all plan to meet up on river 06:00. After walking 400 meters to the "lake turd" we shove off, head upstream & gard-dog & d taylor drive/navigate boat. Darkness turns to daylight, we watch the other boats drop into the water & helicopters circle overhead doubting our journey. We immediately hear of a "pincer movement" where martini (pierre) boat & calendar (jed taylor) boat circle the WTP & almost sink it, but manage to swamp some belongings? We all head down river for a glorious journey. Doh! The lake turd (ryan) boat, & the calendar boat have a few problems & jake taylor leaps into the engine like clark kent in a phone booth. Thermostat doesn't work?--rip it out then. 3 hrs into trip, Calendar boat rides up onto sand bar full speed, WTP boat sucks fuel like wives at shoe store, & lake turd fails. We tie up the turd in waverly after fueling & now the armada numbers 3. This was the best thing that happened. We drop a turd & consolidate into the speed boats. (Lance loses game of 1's & 2's to Pat & Kent) Tunes & redbull/vodka flow until we see WTP on sandbar for lunch. MacGyver (scott widman) has brats, buns & dogs ready like a champ. Tackleberry gets picked up in glasgow (stump Island) & we depart for what turns out to be the adventure of the trip. Clouds gather, brief rain hits & we're pounding drinks with the calendar boys. I talked to JUNE & JULY (burditt & beckett), but mostly with the others like me who are cover boy rejects (gardner, taylor & tackleberry). We went from 3 hours behind schedule, to 2 to 1, then to even as the Nor'easter tried to catch us. After blowing past I-70, the sands were wipped up like the sahara & I thought this day was going to be hard to beat. It was awesome. We roll into Cooper's Landing 17 miles ahead of schedule & drank & laughed until the Missourian reporter showed up. It also rained nuts, bolts, wrenches & such from the storm. After fun pics & interview with Hayley (Missourian) we rolled to Columbia, ate, went out & had more fun. Went to bed at 2pm.
(insert survival story from "Andrea Gale" ship aka WTP) I am not worthy to comment
III Aug 29: Woke, said goodbyes to pontoon & absorbed 1 member (lance noel) who defected from cuban boat. Arrived at dock, fueled & put Cuban Exile (lance), gard-dog & Tack onto Calendar/Columbia boat & lake turd refugee (myself) onto Martini (pierre) boat. We roll 40mph & enjoy every minute. Go up the Osage river arm, eat in Hermann, & see the Cubans in Washington. They were missing 3 who went downstream, I thought the capt mad them walk the plank. We see P Johnson, Burgess, & MacGyver having a blast floating a couple of miles. Later we all meet up on sand barge, laugh for 2 hours, Kent & I have CNN crossfire discussion (his arguement is hard to disagree with--things are looking favorable) & we all bond about the adventure. We fire up the boats, roll to St Charles & realize the chase vehicles are already waiting for us---perfect execution. The Calendar boys drank 3x more than anyone & set a new record for a lap around the track, but had 2 more to go before race was over. Ate a casino, casino was plush, saw club where I stuck out like a Huckleberry & went to bed at 1pm.
IV Aug 30: Woke up, went on 3 mile run to flush toxins out & met all in hotel lobby. Beckett & MacGyver correctly overruled us waiting for cars & we instead walked to them. Pierre had been cleaning boat for hours prior to this---thanks captain. The WTP welcomed a nice lady, Hayley, who interviewed them & their adventure. We blew from St Chuck to the mouth of the Mississippi. WTP discovered their "Wilson" football like from the movie "cast away" with tom hanks. It was reuniting joy for the football & the cubans I'm sure. Rode through lock system, Chef Burgess cooked some great grub & saw jumping fish (asian carp?). The Arch came in sight & everyone who didn't feel a sense of accomplishment hitting the Mississippi river, probably felt it now. We were there. Storms, engines, alcohol, sandbarges, ect could not deny this group adventure. We came upon the arch, chase vehicles at the ready & accepted that the best part of the trip was now almost over & a brief one was about to beigin: LAND. Parked at hotel, showered, gave Breck the flag to haze IL fans & migrated to game. D Taylor expirimented with the horn & a few of us almost fell over the rail. Tigers won, went out & most everyones battery was low. Hooked up with some at Sundeckers & went to Irish Pub with Taggart. Went to bed 3:30am..............pat
1)name & boat were on-- Pierre Barbeau--Party of Six (A.K.A Martini Boat)
2)favorite day & why---- Day 2. Sand Bar.
3)worst day--- Sunday. Going dry after 5 day binge sucks.
4)favorite trip experience--- The guys!
5)best surprise of the trip--- Navigation is easy. River is well marked. Gun it to 40 mph!
6)worst surprise of trip--- Sean's gas attacks. Something crawled up there and died.
7)meet, exceed or fall short of expectation--- Over the top.
8)favorite drink--- Rum Runner.
9)best quote--- This trip sucks. I want my money back.
10)waste of $--- The Turd. Blow it up. (Or, donate to local charity for tax deduction).
11)best meal--- Bison sausage with pepper jack cheese, please.
12)biggest regret--- Not continue down Ole' Miss to New Orleans to save souls from hurricane.
13)prettiest girl--- One blond and one dark hair dual action at Ameristar disco.
15)thing that nobody knows--- Sat next to roommate Jason in chase car as he combed over mags eating his bag of M&Ms.
16)MVP of Prologue in KC--- Taggart. SOS note on Turd so it would be there in the morning.
17)MVP of Stage I--- Scott Widman (MacGyver). Saving lives at Normandy beach.
18)MVP of Stage II--- Tom Clapp. Changed his propeller and 10x speed.
19)MVP of Stage III--- Haley, the reporter. Lots of guts to hang with the boys.
20)MVP of whole trip--- Pat Ryan. Spiritual leader.
21) Who do you want to depend on to organize MO River 400 II--- Taggart (if he brings Bison sausage again).
2008 june 12-23, EURO CUP: SWITZERLAND & AUSTRIA
1)name: Bernie Pfeifauf
2)Favorite day: its a toss up between fan zone in Bern and the last day/night in Basel
3)Surprise of trip: Pat didn't drown in a river (after he & tackleberry went bridge jumping)
4)Best meal: the finger foods walking down the streets of vienna
5)Thing I would not repeat: giving my ID, money, passport, key, ect...to another person to hold for me...it went well, but its not a good feeling.
6)Vivid memory: the columbian with a hand full of the berndog's dog
7)Waste of $: energy drinks...just vodka for me please
8)Glad I brought (besides elvis suit): thats all, just the suit
9)Should have brought: rain gear
10)Favorite city: vienna
11)Worst train ride: basel back to zurich to catch plane to vienna
12)favorite accomodation (zurich, basel or vienna): langnau peat moss bed in hardware store tent
13)Best hotel location: zurich
14)Most fun fans: Holland/Netherlands/Dutch...the orange ones
15)Worst fans: Portugal
16)Best kabob: basel
17)Favorite drink: vodka
18)Best quote: nothing to see here...move along
19)Silver Shoe Award winner (MVP): Pat
20)Uber fraulein: that one at the fan zone in that one city
21)Something nobody knew: u can't get into a fan zone with a bottle of vodka in your pocket
22)Funniest thing: changing into elvis in the dairy section of market
23)Should not have brought: anything
24)What I would do different: maybe just a splash of red bull/energy drink with my vodka
25)Best Pizza: basel hotel
26)Best Elvi' environment: Bern
27)Perfect Euro Cup: holland playing croatia in basel or vienna
28)Best excursion: out with lars and friends was my only excursion
29)Will go to Brasil 2014: absolutely
2007 aug 30-sept 1, BIKE KATY TRAIL: MISSOURI
I August 30: Beckett, Tack & Ryan head off at 9am after Columbia boys drove up. Tack has MTN bike, Beck has HYBRID & Ryan has ROAD bike. Eat breakfast & HY-VEE & Becket conceals the Vaseline in bag as he enters the bathroom to apply the jiffy lube job. Luckily no one double dips. After 8 miles (292 remaining), Ryan notices Tack going up Bannister Road near Bendix a little winded & says to himself, "that's not good, but it's Tackleberry so he'll be okay." We meander through John Knox Village, Lake Lotawana, & Lee's Summit. Dropped in a random house for more water. Then went south to HWY 50. Jumped on busy highway with large shoulder & enjoyed the drafting aspect everytime a large semi went by. That slipstream is nice. At 2pm, we arrive in Warrensburg (mile 60) & spend almost 2 hrs eating & buying cushy seat for Beckett's bike. Smartest decission of trip. On shoulder, I noticed all the caterpillars & pray for no flats. We start talking about all the doubters & how they are fueling us. To our suprise, we enjoy riding the rolling hills of HWY 50 so much, we stay on all the way to Sedalia. We arrive around 6pm & Tack had to climb that last hill up Sedalia on a flat. Beckett does a nice fall at intersection (first day in clamps--what a champ) & we all fix Tack's flat. I waste time getting bike light & new batteries. We leave the pavement & jump on the trail 7pm in Sedalia, 4 hours behind schedule. Excited about a new beginning we start in on the worst part--the darkness. The batteries work maybe 15 minutes & we avg about 4-5 MPH. Becket gets hit by a bat, & Ryan fails to tell tack about the Gate before he crashes into it. Tack immeadiately grabs his bike & says "Let's go". Ryan gets demoted to back & Beckett now becomes the leader. Kind of like Tom Brady taking over for Bledsoe. The team became stronger at this point. After 3 hrs in the dark, we arrrive in Booneville to the waiting Sherpa, Joe Bechtold. Luckily Joe knew how tired & unfun this was the last 3 hrs & picked us up when no one else stepped up. I spent night at Tack's, ate bowl of Spagetti, showered & crashed. Ass was very tender & walked like Grandpa. The worst was over. 130 miles, 14 hrs & 9 MPH
II Aug 31: Beckett, Tack & I depart Tack's house in Columbia 8:45. We feel like a million bucks, no pain, hydrated & fueled up. We avg 14 MPH for 3 hrs past McBaine, Cooper's Landing, Jeff City & finally Tebbetts. We stop & eat lunch & then notice Joe B roll in who caught us even though he left 1 1/2 hrs later. The 3 amigos roll off while Joe eats & I encounter my first flat. We speculate Joe will be here soon so we wait for him to fix it. He arrives, fixes it & the other 2 precede to take off before us. We catch them around Hermann & Tack just took another fall on the soft gravel. He looks like a Chinchilla who rolled in dust, but absolutely no complaining from him. Joe B & I take our time hydrating & take off after the previous 2. We never see them again on the trail. They hauled ass & avg 15 MPH for 34 miles. Joe B leads me the whole time as I draft off him & he changes 2 more flats. What a godsend. We eventually roll into Augusta, 110 miles later, 11 hours & 10MPH with 3 flats. Joe B even had to pump up every hour after lunch due to slow leak. Augusta Brewery & Beckett, Tack & Grant welcome us as we all settle in, drink, eat & talk about the day. We are riding high & tomorrow we are rolling to St Louis to collect on our bet with all the naysayers. Our accomodation is the Apple Gate INN & it's a perfect spot. Joe Be patches a few tires & I count our lucky blessings that this mission doesn't depend on me being pit crew today. Cold room & comfy bed soothe the sore ass.
III Sept 1. We wake at 5am, ride at 6am & I feel the chills for 2 hours. That's better than the heat at 11pm though. We roll 2 hrs at 15MPH, see deer, hear dove gunshots, & talk about how great we all feel. Grant joined us & now we number 5. After daylight breaks & it's not chilly, our group does a big jack-knife on the trail before I-64 as we meet Matt Luetje & Brett Gaither, aka Torch. Grant was so excited he locked up his breaks & Beckett did ABC's Wide World of Sports "Agony of Defeat". It was a bad fall & unfortunately I'm laughing. We all scoop up Beckett, he wipes it off & we take off. We soon said goodbye to the Katy Trail & jumped on Page Ave. This was the most enjoyable part of the ride for me as we rode over the MO river & through Creve Coeur County Park on biking/running asphalt trails. One hill climb up & we headed east toward our destination. Matt Luetje dropped off in U City & we rolled through Forest Park & Barnes Hospital. Luckily we were not patients there as Torch talked some sense into Tackleberry & I about running lights. We approached the city & Beckett was singing like Opera Man. I could totally relate to it, our performance was coming to a close & we were all happy & proud. We hit Market St & then saw the fans starting to congregate for the big game. Torch lead us south of Busch Stadium to a most fantastic diner. At the diner, we ate like sailors who had just landed. I think Tack had 8 eggs. We called the non-believers (Condict, Adam Beckett) & told them we had just finished 3 hours ahead of schedule. We did 60 miles in 4 hours. It was now 10am & we headed to the landing for 3 hours of camaraderie/celebrating & drinking. Dr Nick Bartulica, Condict & another Beckett joined us. It was a grand day & glorious ride. At this point I start to lose memory of the rest of the day. I believe MU won, but the real memories are with all the bike riders this Labor Day weekend.............pat ryan
1)Name & favorite trip experience? pat ryan--rolling through the streets of St Louis 3 hours ahead of Schedule
2)Surprise of the trip? Grant's excitement of seeing Torch/Master Luetje that caused jackknife on katy trail & Beckett's inevitable wreck.
3)Did trip exceed or fall short of expectation? Met expectation
4)Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3 better? Day 3
5)What you would have changed? Paid Joe B to join us Thursday, More HWY 50, less back roads early. Bat Repellant
6)Favorite strech of ride? Day 3 on Bike/Run trail in st louis before streets with Torch & Matt Luetje
7)Worst experience? 4MPH on Katy trial in dark from 8-10pm with bad batteries.
8)Best crash? Beckett Day 3 after Grant locked up brakes. Honorable mention: Tackleberry taking out "Gate" almost on Katy trail.
9)Favorite drink? Beer in augusta
10)Favorite addition? Joe B.
11)Best quote? "What ju talking 'bout?" Tack to me when I said trip was off 2 weeks prior.
12)Worst waste of money? New batteries at wal-Mart that worked 15 minutes, tops.
13)Best use of $? Matt Beckett's seat purchase in Warrensburg
14)Best & worst meal? Best---Breakfast at diner in St Louis. Worst=No dinner from Warrensburg to Booneville (2pm-11pm)
15)Biggest regret? Failure of "Gate" warning to Tack
16)1 thing would repeat? Anything with Becket & Tackleberry
17)Will join us in 2008 on MO River Float? I'm there as long as I can get 1 other person--shouldn't be problem.
18)Final comments/suggestions? 4 hours(9mph) late arrival Day 1, on-time(10mph) arrival Day 2, 3 hours(15mph) ahead of schedule Day 3. What a comeback!
19)Sight for sore eyes? Miller Lite Beer girl outside stadium after game.
20)Worth it/ not worth it? No question, can't wait til next adventure.
2006 june 9-19, WORLD CUP: GERMANY
I Friday June 9: It has finally arrived, 2 years of planning, 58 total people & truly a trip of a lifetime. Chris Widmer spent the night so we could leave for our KC-NY flight at 7am. We sported the Elvis outfits & had a great time. We met Sean Powell, Doc Ryan, Bernie Phiefauf, & Philippe. German TV (ARD) interviewd us at JFK in NY & we all watched Germany-Costa Rica (4-2). It was a blast getting to know everyone& wearing the Elvis suits were wonderful. We never slept on the plane & played ITunes & laughed all night. It definitely was a fun ride & I enjoyed reconnecting with old friends & starting new ones.
II Saturday June 10: We arrived in Dusseldorf, Germany about 7am & were tired, hung-over, & excited. After a long wait validating our German Rail pass, we rode the ICE train to Koln. Once in Koln, I prayed I could lead our group walking to our hotel. It worked beautifully, but any wasted walking would have been stressful to our tired group. The Fischmarkt are where Das Kleine Stapelhauschen Hotel was looked wonderful. Best spot in the city bar none. We checked in, rushed to England-Paraguay game & started soaking up the moment. The England game was a great eye-opener for football passion. I met Axel Schmimpff again (Germany 2000) & he helped navigate us to & from the game. After the game, we returned to the hotel, ate, partied & Matt Luetje & I secretly donned the Elvis suits for the night out. Eventually about 12 Elvi’ joined us & partied in the square (Fan Fests), applied tattoos, & played a football game of Elvi’ vs. the United Nations (anyone but Americans). The Elvi’ lost 7-6.
III Sunday June 11: After a long night of partying, we woke up & relished in our prime location. Many sausages from Red tent were purchased, had lunch in square & went to Netherlands-Serbia game at the Fan Fest. It was fun, met Miro, Kip, Jayme, Doc, Caged Gorrilla, June 9 & others. After the game, we ate & Phil Krause inspired everyone to wear Elvis outfits to Portugal-Angola game. It was VISIONARY! Elvis was loved at pre-game, game & post-game. Portugal fans were more fun & rabid than the England fans. After the game, we returned to the Fan Fest & to our surprise, many other friends met us in their Elvi’ outfits also. Gard-dog even found some white parachute pants to match the top. We partied all night & went home again & had 2-3 hours of sleep for the 4th consecutive night. Very tired, but excited.
IV Sunday June 12: Woke up still tired & laughed about funny stuff over last 3 days. If the trip ended now, it was a great trip. We were all excited for USA-Czech game & the logistics (train & bus) were horrible. The Elvi’ were in full force & the walk-up to the crowd in the square was rock starish. We ate, hydrated & made sure the Amsterdam boys (B ryan, Tackleberry, Kennaley, Powell, & St. Clair) were hanging in there. We interiviewed with the KC star Paper & ESPN2 before the game & had a blast in our Elvis suits. The game sucked, USA lost 3-0 & our team looked horrible. After the game, we rode the train to Koln & took it easy with old-man dinner at pizza joint. Crazy day.
V Tuesday June 13: Averaging 3 hours of sleep over 5 days is taking it’s toll. We left our wonderful hotel, rallied to Dusseldorf & flew to Ibiza. We met Tyrer, Freeman & Scotty & completed the group as we flew over the Mediterranean. We landed & took taxis to the Hotel Club Playa d’en Bossa. Paul brought 4 cases of Red Bull & lots of vodka. The island was less crowded than July & it showed on the beach, bars, & clubs unfortunately. That night we all wore Elvi’ gear & went to Pacha. It was a blast, saw the sun come up & slept 5 hours til noon. What a great night, Scotty tore it up at Bora-Bora (got kicked out) & everyone realized why he is called the “Mayor of Ibiza”.
VI Wednesday June 14: Probably the best day in Ibiza. We all rented mopeds & rode to San Antoni. There were about 12 of us & Bill Kennaley picked a great spot for dinner. The ambiance was great with Saxaphone, music, meal, beach scene & camaraderie. We rode back at night & since I had the slowest moped, I got separated, but Kennaley waited for me. It turned out to be a perk as we toured the old city & castle up high. We rode in the forbidden zone & were cracking up trying to power the moped up steps. Helpful neighbors came out & a lady who looked like Mary Ann was speaking to us from above. Later we met up with group at Space disco & I mentioned that we should go to Privilege. It was dead & a big letdown compared to 6 years ago (100 people vs 10,000). Things don’t start happening til July on this island. Earlier in the day, Phil Krause jumped in the pool with his elvis suit on & earned his stripes back for the previous nap he took. So far, Phil, Gardner, Doc Ryan & myself have been neglecting sleep way too much.
VII Thursday June 15: After another sunrise partying, we packed our stuff up & left Ibiza. We were all hurting & looking back, we should have skipped Ibiza since it wasn’t July & stayed in Germany for the Cup. After rectifying Bern-dogs airline ticket, we flew to Koln & we all took the 4 ½ hour train to Munchen, Germany. It was okay, Phil Krause was still in his Elvis suit, we started drinking again & when we landed in Munich, Univision interviewed us in the Marienplatz. It was great & we exchanged info for potential USA-Italy interviews. Raul & Alex were classy TV guys. That night we ate at the Hofbrauhouse—thank you Matt Luetje & later wore the Elvis gear. Not as big a deal here as in Koln. Paul Freeman flew to Jackson Hole, Wyoming & would return in 48 hours. Munich seemed as fun as ever.
VIII Friday June 17: Today we awoke excited for the Netherlands-Ivory Coast game in Stuttgart. About 10 of us were scheduled to go, but we all got separated. I got a haircut next to the hotel & raced to the train station. I met Sigler, Thompson, Salinardi & Luetje. I squeezed in a 6 mile run around Munich that morning to get the toxins out. The river, fountain, Marienplatz, & Viktualienmarkt were all wonderful. The train ride was 2 hours & then I met cousin Peter & his son JP. It was a festive game & we all enjoyed cheering with the Dutch. The game atmosphere , songs, competition & camaraderie are the best thing going along with the Elvis digs. Caged Gorrila bet with Kip & we all took the train back to Munich to say our good-byes to Kent Gardner & Matt Luetje. They were both solid leaders are had to leave tomorrow at 5:30am. I got my first good sleep of the trip.
IX Saturday June 17: Today was the group’s last game & it was USA-Italy. We all had fun shopping & drinking in the Viktualienmarkt & took the 4 ½ hour train to Kaiserslautern. On the way, Univision (Raul & Alex) interviewed us & Raul even had a custom Elvis suit made. By now the Elvis army had shrunk form 17 to about 7. Attrition had taken it’s toll. Entering K-town was much fun, about 51% support for USA vs Italy’s 49%. On the train, Kip left his bag on another train. We united, formed a recon team & retrieved it with military precision. Kip & Jayme now had their game tickets, Passports, Rail passes & cash back. The game was Italian laced with fake injuries. Kip was hilarious yelling at the Italians. A good game, but tied 1-1 with 3 red cards. The train ride back was hilarious with Scotty & Barry badgering Italian girls & horn blowing.
X Sunday June 18: Our last full day in Munich & Germany. I decided to drop the Switzerland sky-diving idea because the group was too fun vs. splitting off. I shopped with Phil & he bought some great stuff (Bavarian beer maid costume). I got shirts & met another Elvis who could sing from Australia. Philippe gave me a wonderful Tour de France Yellow jersey & we all enjoyed the Viktualienmarkt. Today’s game was Brazil-Austrailia in Munich & you could feel the vibe. That afternoon, we watched the game at a bar across from our Blauer Bock hotel. We all got drunk again & started talking about putting the band back together. So we did & about 11 Elvi’ showed up in the square dancing with the Brazilians. They are SO festive & entertaining. Phil Krause & I went for our standard late dinner at 1am & stayed out till sunrise.
XI Monday June 19: After a 2 hour nap, we checked out of the hotel at 5am & took the 5:30am train to Dusseldorf. Freeman joined us late last night & he & Scotty were hilarious PA guys on the horn in the train. We laughed all the way to Frankfurt & unfortunately had to break of from the group. I said my goodbye’s to everyone & valued our camaraderie for the last 11 days like we have been brothers for years. After years of building my hopes to the highest levels, this experience blew it out of the water. Unbelievable………Pat Ryan
1)Name & Favorite trip experience? Philippe Lechevin--one of the best trip ever
2)Surprise of the trip? Bern-dog birth, if Phil could tattoo the Elvis costume to his skin I think he would and of course Kent coming
out of the closet with Ronaldo from Brazil
3)Did trip exceed or fall short of expectation? you repeat yourself, exceed, exceed, exceed, exceed
4)Cologne or Munich better? tough question
5)What you would have changed? none
6)favorite game? all of them
7)worst experience? Phil stinky feet
8)funnest person? Freeman running in the street of Munich
9)favorite drink? beer or red bull vodka?
10)favorite country's fans? Brazil and Phil
11)best quote? ADAPT, IMPROVISE, & OVERCOME
12)worst waste of $ ? leaving Space to go to Privilege, thanks Pat
13)best use of $ ? stay in Space and not go to Privilege, thanks Pat
14)best & worst meal? which meal, we were on a liquid diet
15)biggest regret? bought a round trip ticket, should have bought a one way
16)will join us in 2008 in Switzerland/Austria for Euro Cup? tough question
17)prettiest Fraulein? viva Portugal
18)worth it/ not worth it? you repeat you self, exceed, exceed, exceed. thanks Pat for the best trip ever.
2003 july 9-18, RUNNING OF THE BULLS & TOUR de FRANCE: SPAIN & FRANCE
I July 9: While most Americans were avoiding travel this summer, my wife & the Freeman's were welcoming it. Paul & I embarked July 9 to France three days ahead of our wives for two, once-in-a lifetime events. We were going to run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain on July 12 & ride the hardest stage of the Tour de France (stage 8, 136 miles) in the French Alps (Sallanches) that same night. To pull this off, we had to execute our plan perfectly with zero errors.
Before this historic day, our journey had already become memorable. First, we were returning to the continent that had hosted us for three months backpacking in 1992 with 2 additional friends. And second, the first 15 hours brought the following: lost phone, sneaking onto trains, oversleeping on train & mopeding on the French interstate at 4am. Ironically for the first 8 hours, I was beginning to doubt how fun this trip would be, but I reminded myself how all previous Europe trips included the first day lows of confusion & sleep deprivation.
II July 10: We arrived in Biarritz, France via the train. Paul & I had to immediately scramble to secure mopeds for our three hour journey to Pamplona the next morning. We had the tourist office lady tell the moped shop to stay open for us since they were closing now & Paul found the shop after we decided to split up. It took 30 minutes to figure out how to start the bikes (must keep brake engaged) & we toured the glamorous town of Biarritz. Our stomachs had not had a good meal in two days & we devoured pizzas at the beach. We walked around town, called the wives & plotted our next day strategy. We finally laid down around midnight exhausted from averaging three hours sleep the previous two nights. At 3:00am I couldn't sleep because I was so excited. I heard Paul move & said, "Are you asleep?" He said, "No, are you?" I said, "Let's roll then!"
III July 11: We donned on our wick-away biking clothing from head to toe & got ready for the cold, ocean air at 3am. We looked like dumb & dumber in clown suits. We had on red-polka dot biking tops, leggings, & our backpacks on. After realizing the train station lockers were closed, we chose to leave our bags at the hotel we checked out of, instead of hauling them three hours & 70 miles to Pamplona. We jumped on the interstate & froze our body traveling 30mph next to the occasional semi. Between the loud semi horns & the dark, but perceived beautiful scenery, I felt like a true adventurer. We paid a toll to the surprised toll lady & couldn't believe we didn't get stopped. Later, we took the safer, but longer highway route till bad luck reared it's ugly head. Paul got a flat & ran it a full 2 miles to some town so we could lock it up. Then he jumped on my moped & dumb & dumber became official with the freezing snot flying off us. I started thinking about how we had already used up 3 hours & we were not even 1/3 there. We decided to find a Mario Amoretti cab driver in San Sebastian & have him drive us the 40 miles to Pamplona in 45 minutes. It was now 7am & the run started at 8am. I would have paid him my left arm, but we agreed on $95. I tipped him $5 because he got us there in 30 minutes.
We jumped out of the taxi & ran to the bull run. We dropped off our spare clothing & helmets at the Maissonave Hotel & jumped into the bull run 5 minutes before the start. Feeling like celebrities with our red polka-dot jerseys was quite flattering. Everyone loved them, but I didn't feel complete. I had to get the traditional red waist sash & neck bandana (superstition & local respect). After waving paper euros around & yelling over the fence to the spectators, we agreed on a price for the goods ($20). Now I was ready. Paul & I took a few quick pictures, stretched & picked our spot to start. The run is 800 meters long & the bulls typically take 2-3 minutes. Unless you are a college track star, it's hard to keep pace with the bulls from start to finish. I held my video camera in one hand (illegal) & got ready about a 1/3 from the beginning. We heard the rockets (bulls freed from pens) & waited. A first nervous wave passed us & then a real wave came with the bulls. I jumped in & don't remember much but apparently there were some awesome dangerous photo shots. They can be viewed at http://www.sanfermin.com/old/2003/galeria_enc.php?day=110703&zone=a. Look for the polka dot guy. The video camera was not used properly because I wanted to preserve my body & stay on this earth as a husband & father vs. risking a great video with a horn through my neck. I ran with the bulls into the arena, found polka-dot Paul easily & we high-fived each other for surviving. I couldn't remember if I got close & neither could he. It all happened so fast. Kind of like a car-wreck. Next we hopped into the 30,000 seat arena & watched the sanfermines (bull runners) play dodge-bull with a couple baby bulls in the ring. We then decided to say hello to some friends who were documenting the run for OLN TV back in the states. I had arranged a interview with them in 2000 when they worked for ESPN2. They saw us & asked us why we got these red polka-dot biking jerseys on. We told them we were going to France tomorrow to bike the hardest & most prestigious stage of the Tour de France. They loved the story & told us they would have interviewed us today if they knew that. My heart raced & I looked at Paul to see what he was feeling. We both agreed it would be awesome & somehow by the grace of San Fermin (patron Saint of the Festival) we were going to make all our logistic connections on time too.
Now it was primetime. We had a chance to run with the bulls, do a interview on national TV, & ride stage 8 of the Tour de France. We took a bus back to San Sebastian & walked around the beautiful beachfront to get my moped. We jumped on it (dumb & dumber) & took off to Paul's moped 10 miles away. Luckily his moped was only 1/2 mile from a repair shop. We bribed ($50) the mechanic to fix it now vs. 4 hours later due to siesta. We now were back on track & riding the gorgeous roads of the Basque coast at noon that previously we could only imagine in last night's darkness. We had a sardine lunch in St jean de Luz & could not believe how well things were moving now. We finally arrived in Biarritz, & lady luck visited us. They had 1 rental car available. Previously I tried booking one from the states but, they were sold out. This allowed us to drop our mopeds & use some real wheels to get places fast which was crucial to meeting all our connections the next day. We picked our packs up from the nice, surprised B & B lady, showered & plotted our next day to the minute, just like the TV show, the Amazing Race. Paul was our driver & navigator that night back to Pamplona. We noted the exact turn-offs & logistics so we could reverse them tomorrow for our 70 mile in 60 minutes deadline. Back in Pamplona we immediately realized it was more fun partying than watching, but we had no choice due to our 136 mile bike ride the next day.
IV July 12: We slept in our car from 3am to 6am. At 6am, we drove around the bull ring looking for a close parking spot. You could see the droves of people coming to the run as this was a Saturday. We found a spot a 1/2 mile from the bull ring (end of the run) which was perfect. We ran to the beginning of the run, ran again & survived, with no good web photos or homemade video for reasons mentioned above. We saw each other toward the end of the run, hopped the fence & met the OLN crew right there. The interviewer was an American blond and she kept getting her rear touched in the masses of people. She mule-kicked someone & that was the end of that. We did a nice interview & said goodbye & took off to the car. We jumped into the car & Paul put the petal to the metal for 50 minutes. Arriving in Biarritz, we split up, he fueled car & I shopped for food to stock up before the great bike ride. Made the 10:30am train to Paris with 5 minutes to go, whew!
In the train we counted our blessings & decided to play dumb when the conductor came by for our tickets because they were for another day & this train was sold out. Luckily he said nothing & we ate, hydrated & napped for 5 hours to Paris. Switched trains & stations in Paris in 1 hour & jumped on the 4pm train to Grenoble via Lyon. Now we started to feel the excitement seep back into our veins after it had left us from the bull run. We packed our most critical bike supplies (4 tubes, pump, lights, clothing, & maps) and arrived in Grenoble. Paul had just finished reading Lance Armstrong's book, "It's not about the Bike" and told me I should read it because it's very inspiring & timely. He could not have been more right. Instead, I had previously finished a Tom Clancy thriller, "The Paris Option" that took place in Spain & France so I didn't start his book yet, but in hindsight I should have, it's very inspiring.
Getting off the train in Grenoble, I felt relieved that we had arrived & Paul felt the same but, with some reservations about our bikes. He had reserved them from America at a mom & pop shop. We took a taxi to the store, metthe owner & Paul came through like a champ. He's one of the few people I would sub out that responsibility to because he is so dependable. Paul showered him with gifts from America ( polo shirt, & hat) & I made a verbal slip that we were departing tonight. He said no way & we changed our story to tomorrow morning real fast. Paul & I then biked to the train station to check on logistics to Sallanches (departure town stage 8). It was 2 hours 75 miles away. There were no bus connections unfortunately (train was out already), so we went to plan b: hire someone. I was asking anyone who pulled up in a car outside the train station & got shot down at least 10 times. However, a Frenchman named Cedric came up to me & asked what the going rate was. I asked him what he wanted. He said $165. Paul & I then played good cop, bad cop. Paul noticed he was smoking some hash & doubted his driving ability in the French Alps at night. Later, we found out it was just a rolled cigarette. We agreed on $130 & then decided to meet at a hotel so we could drop off our bags & he could tell his wife. I was afraid we might never see him again & then we would be screwed. Luckily he showed up in his 80's sedan, but it was full of camping gear & a mattress in the trunk. You've got to be kidding me I thought, why didn't he drop that crap off at home? We rearranged his trunk with the bikes, & put the mattress in the back with me. Paul sat up front & changed our first of 4 flat tires on the coming ride. During the ride it felt like Colorado as I drifted in & out of sleep & discussion with Paul & Cedric. Cedric turned out to be a helluva guy & was a park ranger in the area we were driving too. We arrived in Sallanches around 1am & said our goodbyes to our 3 hour friend. The only people up int the town were the bar flies pestering us as we prepared our bikes & maps. After 2 hours & a last check we were ready for our next adventure.
V July 13: "INTO THE DARKNESS" We departed at 3am with 136 miles ahead of us and only 6 1/2 hours ahead of the caravan which precedes the tour to clear the road for the riders. The riders departed at 11:30am. I assumed it would take anywhere between 15-18 hours & Paul guessed 12-14. Our guesses must have been influenced by our own ability we later realized. We made a bet that if we finished under 14 hours, I pay for celebration night & if over 14 hours, he pay for the celebration night. Leaving at 3am was bad because there was a real threat the Tour was going to catch us. We were 3 hours behind our goal of a midnight departure. Anyway, we departed, bike lights, polka-dots & all. This was epic, & I knew I would reflect on this night many more times in the future & count my blessings. The first 6 miles was uphill & we chugged up. So far sleep deprivation had not kicked in, but I knew it would come later. It didn't help we had averaged 3 hours of sleep per night for 4 nights & our accommodations were: plane, hotel, rental car & bike. It didn't matter, we were biking the world's greatest race with a full moon in the French Alps. One stirring memory is the scent of the pastry & bakery shops as we rode through the towns, you could smell the goodness a 1/4 mile before the shop. We enjoyed the ride & yelled out the towns as we passed them: Megeve, Flumet, Ugine & so forth. Paul advised we stop again to fix his second flat. We found a bright streetlight in the town for repairs & I followed my nose to a pastry shop. Over lots of background noise, a worker saw me & came over. I gestured that I wanted to buy some fresh bagettes right off the press & fill up our water bottles. He obliged & they were the best tasting breads I have ever had. Paul scarfed his down, like it was Scottish Haggis. Thank goodness Paul was efficient at these flats, I was clueless. We proceeded into the morning hours of 6,7, & 8am through Albertville, Aiguebelle, & La Chambre.
We saw our first riders around 9am at the St-Jeam-de-Maurienne. I tried to keep up with them, but fresh legs prevailed & they were soon out of our sight. The easy part of the ride was now over & we were beginning the highest climb in this years Tour (8,677 feet). There were a total of 5 inclines for this stage & 2 of them were H.C.'s (most difficult). We had climbed 2, & were starting 3. We started noticing riders joining in like a huge pilgrimage up the mountain. I felt I had maybe gone a little too fast to keep up with Paul & wondered if that pace would hold. We refueled in St. Michel de Maurienne around 9:30am. I noticed I was starting to labor more than Paul & decided to throw everything off my bike that wasn't critical to get lighter. Front & rear lights, wick-away shirt, batteries, reflectors, everything. The ascent had it's difficult moments, but I knew a greater mountain lay ahead of us. I occasionally had to walk it, Paul was strong & even pushed me a little. The fans became more frequent, lining the road in rv's & caravans. We made it to the top of Col du Telegraphe (5,137 feet), but still had way more to go. There was a nice ride for 3 miles downhill to a town called Valloire where we had lunch around 11am. I was tired & Paul could tell. It was a awesome ski hamlet & the riders started appearing like flies. It was like that Nike commercial where everyone joins in with the jogger. Some winos occasionally called me out for walking the bike vs. riding. I took the abuse, but in hindsight I should have flung it back. A fight or yell-off or getaway up the mountain would have distracted me & been a better story. Anyway, this was the picture I had been imagining for 6 months. Thousands of other riders going up the mountain with thousands of fans lining the side roads, with snow capped peaks above & winding rivers below. The top of our mountain, Col du Galibier was not even visible from here. It was above the clouds behind the other mountains. Paul had been patient with me since he was stronger & told me he had my back when I started getting confrontational with a fan for walking my bike. I felt like the visiting team's QB at Arrowhead. We moved on and Paul finally took my advice. I had told him to go on because my pace was not quick enough & the caravan was going to catch us. After my 10th request, he realized it was better to have 1 person finish than zero. I felt better since I no longer was holding him back. At this moment, we had no backup plan on meeting later, what to do about a flat, ect. We only had one mission & no other cares. I would trade walking with riding the switchbacks. Just when I thought I was near, the top, another switchback would appear. Walking was almost as fast as riding and I felt the crowd getting thinner & thinner with the caravan approaching. I begged for a few bottles of water & kept moving. "THE TOP OF THE WORLD" I was getting closer to the top & a cop told me to pull off. I did but kept walking on the sides. I got to the summit where all the press & TV crews & paparazzi were hanging out. Thousands of fans too. No structure except one building. We were way above the tree line and some clouds There were banks of snow. One year, they rerouted the Tour because it snowed here on Tour day. The mountain side was littered with steel, everyone had dismounted from their bikes & were anticipating the Tour. I felt like moving on even though I knew this was a prime vantage point to witness the 100 year anniversary of the Tour. The decent started & I went from overheated to cool because I had 30 miles of downhill ahead of me. How awesome, it was like looking back on a struggle & enjoying the fruits of your labor now. After 15 miles, I saw a group of riders waving me on through a tunnel & a cop telling me to pull off. I was a good boy & pulled off. Major mistake, unless a cop has you in his crosshairs, do what your fellow riders say & move on. I slowed down & was told we need to wait till the caravan & Tour passes us. That could be around 4 hours. What a horrible mistake I made. I briefly considered jumping on the bike & taking my chances, but I figured the odds were against me. I talked to the 50 or so other riders from South Africa, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, & so forth. It was like a mini UN Bike conference. I really enjoyed this "penalty box time" best I could. I napped a little & kept wondering how close Paul was getting to the finish line. I was happy for him. He definitely chose right. I briefly considered going down the gorge, through the river & up the gorge on the other side of the tunnel, but my lack of energy shot that idea down. After enjoying the world-wide biking camaraderie for 3 hours, the helicopters started circling above us. This meant the Tour was approaching. The sounds of the multiple rotor blades felt like war time here. Next, came the pit crew cars 80 mph down the straight-aways to the hairpin turns. I saw US Postal & Lance Armstrong go by at about 50 MPH & the rest of the Tour. After waiting another hour for the weak riders (who I could relate to), the cop waived us on after a 4 hour wait. I felt Paul must be near the finish line by now. I decided to draft behind 2 biking studs I had spent the last 4 hours with. No less than 5 minutes went by & I saw another polka-dot jersey, & some beat up shoes. By now, my neck was killing me & my views were of pavement because it was hard to lift your head. I thought it was Paul, but the shoes were too dirty. I looked at his face & it was Paul. "Freeman, what are you doing here?" I said. "Ryan, I'm so glad to see you, I got stopped by the cops after the tunnel!" responded Paul. We pieced our stories together & he got stopped an hour before me, but went up some one way roads leading to nowhere for 4 hours. I felt like talking, but I wanted to draft behind the 2 biker studs because as Paul & I had learned the previous 12 hours, drafting saves 30% of your energy, it's like getting pulled somewhat. We descended about another 10 miles to Barrage due Chambon to hydrate, neither of us had any water for 4 hours. The bar we walked into was broadcasting the Tour, the riders were less than 5 minutes to the finish line. I was wishing we were there, ride completed and all, but oh well. A Spaniard won that day & Paul & I jumped back in the saddle. We descended another 5 miles, totally spent. We reached Bourg d' Oisans around 6pm. We made a joint decision to stay here & wait for the girls who we assumed were at the finish line (original plan: meet at finsih line at 7pm). After not finding us, they should proceed to back-up plan: Meet here at 9pm. "THE WIVES" Not less that 5 minutes in the town for the guys & the girls, did we see both each other. It was so lovely seeing my wife who I had thought of non-stop since the descent. We hugged & kissed and shared our experiences over the last 24 hours. Paul & I were fatigued & wanted food, water & chair in that order. We had a mini-dinner & I jumped in a fountain to cool & clean off & we all decided to go back to Grenoble. I was so impressed the girls found us & did so well with the huge traffic in the area. Apparently, there were 600 thousand people at the finish line at Alpe d' Huez & at least another 400 thousand people lining the route, not to mention 100 thousand people riding portions of this stage. Europeans love their biking. Paul & I felt a little unfulfilled for not finishing the last 10 miles, but we gave it our best shot. As soon as our bodies hit the car seats, we were out. We went to Grenoble, Kathy & I had some dinner & crashed around 1am.
VI July 14: "THE REST OF THE TRIP" The next day we planned on splitting up with the Freeman's & going to Nice, France. The bike ride was over. Kathy had second thoughts & wanted to go to wine country instead. We caught the Freeman's in the lobby, joined them & went to wine country for Bastille Day. It was great. Paul & I started scheming on how to go back to the mountain & finish the last 10 miles without damaging the trip & girls. After many bottles of wine & fun fellowship for all day, the girls gave us a hall pass to do it this evening. We started back to Gremoble (the bikes were locked up there for next day return) and Paul told me we had a major problem once we were at the filling station. Half-crocked, I asked what's up. He said he filled the diesel rental car with unleaded gasoline. Not skipping a beat, we looked for a siphon with no luck & went undercover to another petrol station across the interstate & cut their air hose to use as a siphon. We came back & then went from the gastronomic equivalent of heaven to hell. We had just polished off some fine French wines & now we would be sucking out petrol from the car tank. After taking turns draining the tank for 4 hours & calling this a kick-butt time (our trip lingo for: this sucks) we filled it up with the right stuff. We said our prayers & turned the key over, so good so far. This episode derailed our plans to ride that evening so we went to the mountain for accommodations. This was like the day after the Super Bowl, so things were still very booked. At 1 am and our 7th attempt, a nice little lady answered the bell & let us in. It was a wonderful hotel, Les Grandes Rousses, at the top of Alpe d' Huez. We all crashed, I kept having out of body nightmares from sleep deprivation & finally fell asleep.
VII July 15-18: Paul & I woke at 7am, put on our biking clothes & descended down the mountain for 10 miles so that we could come right back up. There are 21 switchback turns and the category is H.C.(7.9% grade). I assumed 3 hours for us, but it was remarkable how fresh our bodies were compared to 2 days ago. We saw all the names painted on the streets: Patachi, Ullrich, Armstrong, ect. I could imagine the madness just 2 days ago. The ascent went great, it took me 1:38 & Paul 1:20. He got his fourth & final flat but our preparation & supplies saved the day with 4 spares. The finish was anti-climatic, but it was a finish nonetheless. We had a killer breakfast, took some picks and started enjoying the rest of the trip in a different way. We went from active participants to casual travelers. I much prefer the active side, it gives you a zest for life. We later went to Nice & Monoco, & met up with the Freeman's in Normandy. We toured the D-Day beaches, and stayed the night in Mont St. Michele. The next day we drove, trained & flew home. What an epic adventure, I'm already trying to plan the next one, but this will be hard to top. Aurevoir
