It has been a busy month for the Whetstone community. Some good things like Adventure Week, a graduation with a young man able to go home with his family and a staff members’s family grew in number with a birth of a baby girl. There has also been some bad things. We lost a ranch truck in a flash flood. It had gotten stuck coming through a sandy portion of the river bottom in 2″ of water that swelled to 2′ of water in a couple of minutes. Fortunately no one was hurt and it was insured. A couple of weeks ago the main air conditioner for the house finally died. One can only imagine 9 sweaty boys plus a couple of staff members coming back from a two mile run, the heat index approaching 100 degrees and the house is hot. It did not smell pretty. It took about nine days for the unit to be replaced but it is running well and everyone in the house is happy again.

There is a point to this and it is that we had to put the A/C unit on a payment plan for a few months. This got me to thinking about what I could do to help the ranch out even more. One of the joys of my life is to be able to ride my bicycle to work and to many other places. Over the years I have ridden in a variety of cycling events that were fundraisers and have raised thousands of dollars that way. So I thought how I could use my love for cycling to benefit the ranch.

 

So this August 10th, I am returning to La Veta, CO for the annual Stonewall Century ride. It’s a 104 mile out and back event that has an elevation gain of around 7500 feet. The ride starts In La Veta (7100 ft) (and climbs to Cuchara Pass at 9,995 feet and drops to Segundo (6500 ft) and then reverses. The last mile and a half up to the pass is over 10 grade and has a fun 17 mile run to finish in La Veta.

If you would like to be a part of helping out Whetstone Therapeutic School and Ranch, please go to the website: whetstoneboysranch.com and click the donate button.

In September, I plan on riding in another century ride in St. Charles MO. I’ll post more about that after this ride.

Missouri has about 16 century rides per year and I would love to partner with you in benefiting Whetstone. I will also ride in this particular century ride each year ‘just because’.

 

Thanks for perusing,

 

Gary

So one of the ways that we help out at Whetstone is having one of the boys over for dinner and spending time with them at the ranch playing disk golf or other games. On Tuesdays, I have the privilege of talking at chapel and we have staff meetings every Wednesday morning. We also take care of the staff children from time to time as needed.

This last week was Adventure Week for the newer boys and the ones who have been here were able to go home for a visit. Adventure Week lived up to its name but that is for another post. We had the job of driving to the Springfield airport to this last weekend pick up the boys back from home visits. Originally we were to pick up 3 but one of them had their flight cancelled due to weather so he stayed in the San Antonio airport overnight.

Here is one of the boys on Saturday.

And here is Kristin with the one on Sunday fresh from San Antonio.

 

On Wednesday, I helped one of the interns with his car. Right before Adventure Week he was on his way to our house to hang out but instead had a flat tire and ruined the rim trying to find cell service in order to call me for help. We were able to get his car to our house while he was gone. So on Wednesday, I drove him to Springfield to purchase a new wheel then to West Plains to buy a tire and then back to our place to install said tire and wheel. In all, a 212 mile adventure complete with a thunderstorm for most of the journey.

 

We are so blessed to be here and to be able to help out as needed.

Thanks for perusing,

 

Gary

 

So I’ve been in southern Missouri Ozark country now for about 3 months. I believe that’s enough time to become an expert on the roads around here and give a report for fellow cyclists.

We live 1 mile north of road N which is a paved road with a speed limit of 55 and no shoulder.

This is looking to the west. To the east is a slight hill that is supposed to have a 35 MPH speed limit. I’ve almost been hit here while driving in my Jeep. A motorcyclist was killed here in 2014.

While I’m not afraid to ride on a road like this, I have promised Kristin that I would stay off of the road except to cross. In various places around the county we have signs like this.

I also don’t ride here. I’ve only seen water up to the 1 foot level so far.

So, since the closest paved road that I can ride on is a 6 mile car drive, I am left to ride on gravel roads made up of crushed limestone and flint. Here are some examples.

For the picture on the right, the grade going down is 14.4 percent and then rising up 13.6 percent with a river at the bottom that also floods. This road has washed out several times in our time here. It’s also the road we take to Whetstone Ranch.

So far, I’ve experienced 12 flats on both of my bikes. It doesn’t seem to matter whether the tires are tubed or tubeless. Usually they occur at the bottom of a hill complete with some standing water and mosquitoes. A pleasant place to repair a tire. Last week, I experienced 2 flats 10 feet apart and had the privilege of walking 3&1/2 miles home. I’ve been working on a house that is only 3 miles from our house so I refuse to drive such a short distance. I had my bike trailer with me in order to carry some tools home and wanted to get in some extra miles. It was only 95 that day with a heat index of 103 and 92% humidity. A most pleasant day to walk home pushing a bike with a trailer attached and loaded with tools. It all helps get me in shape and keep me young.

I continue to explore the best routes and the countryside. It is a most beautiful place if one can stand the obvious and not so obvious hindrances. Here are some of the sights on my 34 mile round trip ride to church.

So here are the last pictures I want to share. This is our 1/3 mile driveway. It is it’s own adventure. Interesting enough, I have not had a flat on this goat trail.

 

Thanks for perusing,

 

Gary