I woke up this morning to a half-rain, half-snow situation at the Border Inn Casino, perched right on the Nevada–Utah border.

*Note emergency contact info on helmet!*

I looked out the window, grabbed some breakfast, and had a nice chat with Alex (the Front Desk Manager) and James (the cook).

*The two best parts of the Border Inn Casino, Alex and James: Because I was behind the counter, I had to wear my helmet*

After that pleasant interaction, I returned to my room and accidentally took a nap. When I woke up, the rain/snow had cleared, the wind had died down, and the day suddenly seemed... possible.

I met a local sheriff’s deputy from Utah while he was filling up with gas. He told me, very casually, that he’d be happy to pick me up tomorrow if he found me on the side of the road. Comforting!

Today was the ride I’d been dreading since the beginning. This leg:

90 miles with zero services
Big hills
Possibly punishing headwinds

About 34 miles in, I made it over the first major pass and came upon a fenced-in compound with a small, square building. I’ve seen them every 50 miles or so along Highway 50. This time, there were two trucks parked out front, so I stopped and asked what the facility was—and whether I could top off my battery.

*Randy and Lawrence: People with charge to spare!!!*

Turns out, it's a fiber optic relay station. The guys—Randy and Lawrence—were working on an outage. We hung out while I added a little juice to my battery. Lawrence lives in the neighborhood I used to live in back in Park City. They said they’d seen me riding along the highway and were freaked out. The sagebrush blocked my wheel, so I looked like “a Power Ranger with a backpack flying down the highway.” Lawrence added that it would’ve been worse if they'd seen me at night.

Feeling cocky with a decent charge, I pressed on. Unfortunately, the wind returned with a vengeance, along with cold rain. By mile 87, my battery was nearly dead. I still had 10 miles to go, and the only gas station was closed.

That’s when I saw a guy burning something in front of a beautiful farmhouse, in the rain.

I rode up and asked if I could charge up just enough to make it to Delta. Not only did he say yes, but he also invited me inside, and I got to meet his family. They raise cattle and sell alfalfa seed all over the West. Their house was beautiful, with a huge family room and even bigger hearts. What a kind and generous group.

I made it to Delta—soaked, but intact—and took a long, hot shower.

Meanwhile, back home, my friends were busy being inspired in bizarre ways. We have a group chat, and they’ve started sending videos and texts showing how my senseless cross-country ride has sparked their own pointless adventures.

Apparently, Skip climbing his stairs in Brentwood (without oxygen) was a tipping point. Here's what followed:

Patty: Assembled some flat-pack furniture:
I'm proud of this act, but a reminder—proper eye protection should always be worn when using tools. Great job, and stay safe.

Stuart, a seasoned surfer, was filmed catching a wave:
While impressive, I worry he didn’t apply enough sunscreen. Even high coverage suits leave some skin exposed. He's a pro, though—he probably knows what he's doing. (he’s the one in the black at the end doing the complicated dismount.)

Stephanie: Configured chatGBT to be a Spanish speaking tutor. She is very smart.

Suzi learned a new piano piece:
I downloaded it and play it when I need encouragement. Beautiful.

Julie took on a technical challenge and made a latte with her new espresso machine: Remember, a burned tongue is a sign of impatience. SHes used to getting her coffee at Nordstroms

Carmen’s camera captured a cavorting coati.

Kurt: Tried swimming in the deep end: I hope you waited an hour after eating anything!

Eric: Walked home from his scenic design theater class. Remember, baby steps!

The following are lacking pictures. This does not mean they aren’t very significant. I ask, Is there a video of the Last Supper?

Kelly will jump right into the deep end versus using the stairs at the shallow end. Her dog will be with her
I hope everyone wore water wings. Even dogs can drown, you know.

Radhika is embarking on a solo car journey of her own in the Northeast:
Please stay hydrated! Take plenty of rests

Mike

“ I am sitting here at home doing nothing so I had to think of an equal endeavor. I have decided to do some extreme mowing. I have braved 70 degree weather with a 10 mph westerly gale, and shade!!! Yes the damn sun went behind my neighbors oak tree!!! In spite of all those challenges, 31 minutes later, I barely limped back to my couch. Now I know exactly how you feel. I had five beers, but seemed to lose two of them in the horrific weather conditions. They will turn up in the summer I am sure. Gonna nap now….”

Jeff

“Well, I was inspired to do a 5.75 trek up to the East Ridge in Redwood Park. Pretty much tops mowing the lawn and roughly the equivalent of riding cross country on a toaster (referring to my unicycle)”

I realized I forgot to include the photo that inspired this whole movement—Skip and his entourage of actresses shopping on Rodeo Drive in solidarity with me being in "rodeo country." He took a lot of risk doing this. What if his wife finds out.

*Skip with actresses or supermodels. They always seem to be with him.*

Bonus Highlight: Jeff Joins the Mission

Another great thing happened yesterday—my dear college friend Jeff reached out and asked if he could be a remote support resource, providing advanced info on the places I might visit.

Jeff and I met as RAs and head residents in college. Our mutual friend Whipper and I even planned his bachelor party. That party ended in a fistfight in the back of a U-Haul with guys trying to crash it. Good times.

Jeff’s brilliant. He retired from Microsoft while we were just getting our careers going. He’s the friendliest person I know and would make a perfect travel companion—except he’s too smart to do this kind of trip. He was a singer with Up With People as a side note. He still looks like an offensive lineman.

He’s currently immersed in the sport of Barn Hunt—yes, that’s a real thing. You train a dog to find rats hidden in a barn. (Don’t worry—the rats are safe inside PVC tubes.) His dog, Finn, is quite the competitor. Knowing Jeff, I’m not surprised.

Jeff called last night and asked where I’ll be tomorrow. I realized I had no idea.I should probably figure that out

Dependent on the kindness of strangers

Bonus Highlight: Jeff Joins the Mission

Day Whatever This Is: Delta to Kinda Close to Torrey

For no good reason