Cabin in the Sky

I haven't blogged for a while, but it's never too late to start again, right?

I guess I must start with Bill and my latest adventure.  The purchase of our cabin in Heber, Utah.

It has been quite a whirlwind.  We have been interested for a while now in purchasing a second property and finally felt good about looking at cabins in Utah.  We felt like it was a win-win situation all around.  We get a fun place to come for vacations, we get to be closer to family, we might get to see the sun while we are there, and it's a winter play-ground, as well.

We first started looking during conference weekend in October when we came down to Utah to see a couple of sessions at the conference center.  We looked at about 4 or 5 houses and cabins at that time.  There was one in particular that stood out to us, so after taking Debra, Nick and Sarah for a second look, we all decided that this was the one.  We made an offer on it, and less than 2 weeks later it was ours!

Our goal was to be ready to host Thanksgiving for our inaugural stay.  oh my.....it was a lofty goal.  The cabin needed floors re-done, and needed to be furnished and stocked from top to bottom....all 5600 feet of it.

So, Bill and I came up with a plan.  We would take turns traveling to Utah every weekend until Thanksgiving.  There were 5 weeks to get everything done.

I started the first weekend out.  It was my job to pick out and purchase furniture and outfit the kitchen and bathrooms.  Luckily I have wonderful sisters who spent time with me at RC Willey, and just about every other furniture store in Utah Valley.  It was an experience like no other.  I've never picked out and bought furniture in that quantity and time frame before.  I'm sure I made the salesman's whole year when I purchased 6 bedrooms of furniture in one visit.  He was very attentive, to say the least....  I actually got the bulk of the furniture picked out that first weekend!  Now the challenge was to get it all delivered and up to the cabin at 8600 feet before snow started to fall.

Didn't quite make it.....Bill's weekend was next.  We had planned to have him drive to Utah with a load of stuff from our house.  We rented a small u-haul trailer, filled it full, and he was on his way!  He invited a friend from our ward, Adam Ferguson to go with him and it's a good thing he came!  Bill's weekend was nothing like mine.  Firstly, he hit snow the first night.  A huge snow storm hit.  They made it to the cabin just fine, but the snow made every trip down the mountain a challenge.  His job that weekend was to get the big screen tv and projector hooked up, get the cameras installed and switch out the thermostat for a wifi model.  Let's just say nothing was easy.  There were many snowy, long, trips to the hardware store ,and very little sleep was had by all.  Also, the furniture, that was to be delivered that weekend was not.  Too much snow for delivery trucks, so we had to put that on hold.

We only had the weekends, though, so we really had to rely on Nick and Debra for a LOT!  They ended up going up to the cabin that Wednesday (Halloween) and being there for the furniture deliveries.  Nick also checked out our new automobile we had to buy and made sure it was a good purchase, he got us two snowmobiles and a Polaris Ranger.  We also used Deb and Nicks house for our UPS drop-off station.  Bill and I ordered many, many, many things online for the bedding, the kitchen, the bathrooms, etc.  They were all delivered to Nick and Deb's house.  (we didn't want to take the chance of having UPS trucks not able to get up the mountain).  I really hope Debra took a photo of her garage at some point during this process.  I'm sure we had it packed to capacity.  The UPS man got to be Debra's best friend and Jiminy's worst enemy.  I'm sure he thought Debra was a compulsive shopper sitting there in her house watching the shopping network.

The next few weekends consisted of taking care of details.  Many shopping trips were made.  I think we hit up just about every store in American Fork.  Getting a bare kitchen so it's usable for a Thanksgiving dinner is no small task.  There were a million and one things that I needed to buy and kept forgetting to buy.  Just when I thought I had everything, there was always more.   The last weekend I was there, I tried to make a crock-pot dinner for all the men who were up helping me move furniture in.  I discovered I had forgotten to buy a can opener.  You should have seen Debra and I getting that can of cream of chicken soup open with a knife and some ingenuity.  Thank you Debra for showing me how to put a hole in the bottom of the can and blow the contents out.  (It really works!)

The last weekend I went up about 5 days before Thanksgiving to do the final move-in and details.  Bill and the boys stayed home for a few more days so they wouldn't have to miss as much school and work.  The floors had just been finished the day before.  That was a miracle in itself.  The floor guy came through!

So we needed to have 8 bedrooms, a dining room, a living room and a loft full of furniture moved into the cabin.  Up to this point it had all been packed into the garage and the shed waiting for floors.  I asked Nick, Russ and Derek to come and help move.  What a day!   Everyone worked their poor little bums off.  Russ had pulled an all nighter at his job the day before and he looked beat.  It'a a good thing I had lots of man power there.  We needed every bit of it, but they got the job done!  Bill arrived with the boys right at the end and helped with the very last piece of furniture....the sofa-bed that weighed at least 10 thousand pounds.  Us girls (me, Debra and Sarah) were all holding our breath while 4 extremely tired men heaved a million pound sofa-bed up the stairs and over the balcony.  Scary.

I'm still amazed that it all got done!

Thanksgiving was the best!  We had a large group.  Christy and her family couldn't make it, of course, and Russ and Mari had previous plans, and Malia too far away, but other than that, everyone else came!  It was so much fun.

Bill and I made the dinner and all the other sisters and mom brought pies.  It was a beautiful pie-stravaganza.

Lots of fun was had by all.  Snowmobiles were a blast.  Hiking at 8600 feet was exhausting.  But my favorite was playing Telestrations with the sisters late at night.  I laughed so hard my face hurt.  (note to self:  If I ever play that game with sisters again, make sure to sit next to Debra. It's a guaranteed win.)

Can't wait to get back to the cabin for Christmas and New Years!!

Thanks to all who helped make our cabin dream come true!





 

Tour de Forty

Tour de Forty. 

A Non-cyclist Extreme Cycling Adventure

What a crazy, crazy adventure this has been!!  I need to start before the actual vacation to really capture the enormity of this experience, and how it has affected our lives for the last three months.

It really started in early March when Bill and I put this whole trip together.  Bill had finally made the commitment of taking his sabbatical this summer, he is also turning 40, so it was the perfect time to do something out of the ordinary.  As we were planning all the fun things we would do this summer, I knew from day one that Bill needed to live his dreams of riding his bike through the famous Tour de France locations, but that I (not being a cyclist at the time) would go as a "non rider".  We even asked and made arrangements with the tour guide of "Tour de France Vacations", Simon, for me, the non-rider.  He was more than happy to make accommodations for me coming along.  That was the mind-set early on...

Then we decided that a biking trip to France would be even more enjoyable with someone to share it with.  We couldn't  think of anyone who fit the bill and would find this trip more of a dream come true besides Russ!  Perfect!  So we asked Russ if he and Mari would like to come with us to share in this adventure.  We were thrilled when they agreed!  

So, then came the reality.  We looked at the itinerary.  6 days of cycling.  Every day was a huge, huge climb, every climb was higher and longer than anything Bill had ever done.  He had been in contact with Simon and one of the pearls of wisdom he gave Bill to prepare was:  ride at least 100 miles a week in March and April, 125 in May, and 150 in June, and watch the scales!

Meanwhile Bill kept dropping hints that I should try and be a rider, too.  I am NOT (or should I say, WAS not) a cyclist.  I didn't have the handling skills, know how to use the cleats well, or ever gone on a ride much more than 10 miles in my life.  But for some reason, I finally decided that I should at least try.  Why not?  Besides, this was Bills big dream, so I should try my best to make it the most amazing trip possible.  So, I told him I was on board.  

We started our training early in March.  We decided we would try to do Simons goal of 100 miles that month and be on the bike 6 days a week.  March is not an ideal time in Seattle to ride a bike.  It's just not.  Rain, rain....more rain.  We used our bike trainers indoors an awful lot that month.  

I decided I needed to supplement my riding with time at the gym as well, in order to gain some much needed muscle.  I asked a friend in my ward, Vickie, if she would mind helping me to get in shape for this.  She is an avid athlete and runner.  I knew she would be perfect to work with.  She's very fun, bubbly, kind and super easy to be around.  She agreed, so we met at Duvall Fitness twice a week.  It worked out really well, and it made lifting weights somewhat bearable.  Thanks, Vickie!!

In April we were able to get outside a little bit more, but still found ourselves on the trainers more than we would like.  What I remember most about this month is muscle soreness.  EVERY DAY for 2 months solid!  My quads were in pain continuously.  Unrelenting quad torture.  But they were getting stronger!

May brought our best month in terms of weather.  We did many, many fun rides in May.  Bill had so many rides built up in his mind that he wanted to take me on!!  We were able to fulfill all Bill's biking in Washington dreams!  He would tell me each time we completed a ride that he was so happy to share that particular ride with me.  It was a dream come true.  He had done all these rides previous years with the Bishop, or the group of men who would ride every Saturday.  He is truly a wonderful and caring husband.  I am so lucky that he still thinks of me as his best friend and things aren't quite as great unless we share them. It was a month full of firsts.

In June Seattle decided to be typical Seattle, and we had a tough time finding good weather.  We pushed through a lot of rainy rides.  We felt blessed every time the sun came out, and cursed at every cloudy day.  It was interesting to find how much the weather effected our lives this year!  Despite the bad weather, we rode and rode and rode.  One of Bill's goals was to take me on a 100 mile ride across the valley, over Stevens Pass and on to Leavenworth.  We accomplished this goal in June!  We even saw the sun once we got over the pass :). 

One draw back that we found, however, though the course of these past few months is that we had to leave the boys more than we were used to.  It is good that they are old enough to take care of themselves, but I still felt a lot of guilt feelings each time we would ask, "you guys ok if we ride for a few hours?". But each time we needed to go, they were encouraging, and fine with us being gone.  I hope that they look back at this as a learning experience.  I hope they see that we made a goal, and worked really hard to make it happen.  I hope that they learned about perseverance, hard work, and being committed to something.  I also hope they learned that taking care of your body and being physical is important.  

So, July finally arrived, and with it a whole new level of craziness.  We knew it was going to be busy.  We had a lot to get done.  Bill's family had their semi-annual family reunion this year and it was planned for Seattle!  Bill and Marne were in charge.  Bill spent time trying to get details ready, design t-shirts and he and I were in charge of doing lunch.  The reunion was set for July 6th, and we were set to fly to France on July 7th.  Yikes!  So, between Bill's family staying at our house, the 4th of July, the family reunion, scout camp and getting ourselves and our boys ready for our trips, we had A LOT going on.

It really took almost an entire month to get prepared for this week in July to happen.  It was a time of careful planning.  Many lists were made.  As soon as the boys got out of school for the summer on June 22, I put them to work.

I knew we would be having lots of people staying at our house.  Between the reunion and Debra and Alisyn coming to be with the boys while we were gone, I felt like my house needed some TLC.  The boys and I spent a little time each day tackling a big project.  We deep cleaned each of their rooms....under beds, in closets, loads of junk to DI.  We also did the same to the guest room and the master.  We cleaned out the pantry, the fridge and both the freezers.  We went through all the food storage and Andy had the time of his life finding outdated food items. (just the job for a boy who loves details).  We power washed the driveway and the patio (an all-day project which also suited Andy very well), cleaned the grill and the smoker, tilled the garden area and took down a large tree that the wind had damaged.  (that tree managed to damage my wrist during the disposal thereof....still healing).  It felt like the more we cleaned, the more we found to clean!  But, it felt good to get some of this stuff done!

The week prior.....logistics nightmare.  

I won't go into all the details, but getting ready for the reunion, getting the house prepared, cooking all the reunion food, packing for 2 weeks in France with all the biking paraphernalia that comes with it, making sure Russ and Mari got to Seattle ok, packing the boys for scout camp...making sure we didn't forget any detail since we wouldn't be here to save them...making sure the boys were looked after the 2 days after we left, before they go to camp, packing for THAT, making sure we had a fun fourth of July with all the fireworks to fulfill Andy's pyro dreams.....the lists went on and on.....

The Staples Family at the Reunion - Great Fun!

I must write about one very cute and sweet thing that Ethan did:  the night before we left, he came to me with a note in his hands.  He said, "mom, when you get riding up a mountain, and it's just too hard and you can't go any longer, then I want you to pull out this note and read it".  So I packed it in my bag to save for that very special moment.  

Finally the big day is here.  It feels surreal to actually have arrived!  We met Russ and Mari at the airport.  Our flights went from Seattle to DC (about 5 hours), then a layover of about 2 hours in DC, then another flight from DC to Geneva, Switzerland (another 8 hours).  We knew that right when we arrive in Geneva we were to be picked up at the airport from someone from TdF Travel, drive another two hours to  our first stop, and then immediately climb the formidable Alp d' Huez.  So, we KNEW that sleeping on the plane was mandatory.  

Geneva from our airplane window

My body didn't get the memo.  I only slept, or should I say dozed, for a total of about 1/2 hour the whole flight(s).  Bill did better than me with about 4-5 hours of sleep and Russ and Mari were back there sleeping away soundly from the looks of it.  

So, Geneva happened, our guide (Fred) met us at the airport, along with a few others that were doing the same tour.  My distinct memory of this van ride was of one of the fellow riders (Warren) seeing all of us and remarking, "you can spot the cyclist easily with their gaunt faces and shaved legs".   From that moment I felt like the Sesame Street game of, "which one of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong".   Yep.  I don't quite fit the stereotypical cyclist.  Gaunt is not a word that describes me.  Ok....I DO have shaved legs, but I don't think that was what he was talking about.  To say I felt intimidated is an understatement, and when I get nervous, I kind of shut down.  So while everyone was chatting it up, small talking, and getting to know each other, I was in my corner of the van shaking in my shoes.  But I guess I didn't really need to say anything because Warren talked non-stop for the 2 hour drive from Geneva to our hotel at the top of Alp d' Huez.  I don't think he even took a breath.

Now, on to the cycling.   A quick check-in at the hotel, an hour cat nap, and 5 more cyclist arriving and we were on the bikes ready for our first ride.  Actually, before we got on the bikes we all went around introducing ourselves.  Every rider would say....i am so and so, I live in ________, and i am a very experienced cyclist.  Seriously?  Everyone had been riding forever except me.  "Hello, I'm Shelly and I have been riding for three months.....is there anyone who would like to pull me up the mountain?".

I am not going to go into much detail about the rides, but this was a death march for me.  I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open.  I kept up ok at first, but it was apparent at the first hill that I was going to be the slowest rider.  I knew that from the start.  My goal was just to do as much as I could do.  I had no illusions from the get-go that I would make every climb.  We rode for about 30K before getting to the base of Alp d' Huez.  I was bone tired.   

Me climbing Alp d' Huez

Here is a photo of the 21 switchbacks of Alp d' Huez

Bill helping me up the Alps

Oh......by the way.....I must add that we had DRIVEN up this mountain on the way to get to our hotel.  You could see in everyone's faces as we drove up........ "holy crap".......That sucker is STEEEEEEP.  An eerie silence fell over the car, even Warren was awestruck into silence for just a few seconds.  We watched the 21 switch-backs of the Alp d' Huez pass us by.  Our hotel was sitting at switch-back number 18.  Almost to the top, but not quite.  

So, back to the races.....we get to the base of the climb, I am the last one with Bill being the kind and loving husband that he is right in front of me.  He can see it in my face that I'm cracking even before we start up.  He encouraged me the whole ride up that sucker.  He stayed with me, put a hand on my back when I was too tired to go on, rested with me twice when my foot hurt too bad to continue, and got me up that mountain.  Simon, our tour director always brought up the rear of the group.  Needless to say, Simon and I got to know each other well.  He was also encouraging me up that climb.  I made it to switch-back number 18 where our hotel was, and just couldn't go any further, so I threw in the towel.

Of all the rides, and all the choices I made on this whole trip, this is the only one I regret.  I sooooo wanted to make it that last 3K, but I was completely and utterly wasted from jet-lag to go any further.  My foot also made that ride unbelievably unbearable.  I think the lack of rest did my foot in as well.  That was the hardest and most discouraging day for me.  It was, however, amazing to see and experience the iconic Alp d' Huez in person.  

Another quick detail.....it was apparent from our very first kilometer that Russ was going to kick everyone's butt.  He blew everyone away with his strength.  He even beat Julian, (our cycling guide who usually is in front giving us directions), up the Alp d' Huez.  The only person he didn't beat was Remy.  Remy is a 19 year old kid who is part of this outfit.  He is amazing.  Built for biking.  Tall, thin, light on top, and powerful underneath.  At the base of the climb Remy was at the back with me.  As soon as we got to the base, he went on ahead.  He passed every rider and still beat everyone to the top.  I think he also did some going up and down to check on other riders and still got to the top first.  Holy cow that kid can ride!  Bill did amazing too.  After leaving me at the 18K mark he also went on ahead and passed up a number of others in the group to get to the top.  But, Russ continues to blow away the field on a daily basis!  Holy Cavendish!  Wait, Cav is a sprinter and not that great on hills, so....Holy Wiggins!

Our hotel at the top of the Alp was fantastic.  So alpine-esque and beautiful.  The rooms were very small, but quaint.  Not a foot of space was unused.  I keep marveling at how these europeans can make such great use out of a tiny, tiny space.  I also loved all the hand-made furniture and the rustic feel. The view out our window was picture perfect.  The weather was beautiful.  The food....AMAZING!  For lunch we had an appetizer of cold-cuts, cheese and green salad and the main dish was lasagna, with lots and lots of beautiful bread.  It was very delicious.  Good thing we had a huge climb to work off all the calories!  

Our Hotel at the top of Alp d' Huez

Dinner that night was provided by our little hotel staff.  We had a choice of a creamy potato soup or a vegetable and goat cheese pastry.  I chose the vegetable pastry.  It was amazing.  Then we had a delicious pasta with a light pesto sauce with plenty of soft, crusty bread again!  So good!  Then a choice of tiramisu or flan for dessert.  Bill and I shared.  Both delicious.

Day two:  brought another huge challenge.  We were set to climb the Col de Sarenne, and the Col du Solude.  Two huge climbs in one day.  It started off pretty good, but it was HOT.  It was a steep climb as well.  I kept looking down at my Garmin to see what the percentage was.  It was continuously 10% or more.  It was closer to about 12% most of the climb.  I gave it all I had.  I was doing pretty good at keeping up the first part of the ride.  It really was a beautiful ride.  Gorgeous views across the Alps and onto the valley.  This was the ride that we had to go through 4 tunnels.  3 of them were fairly short. But one was longer and completely unlit.  It was an experience!  I loved it!  It was completely dark.  We only has very small headlamps on our bikes.  It was about 20 degrees cooler with water dripping from above.  A very unique experience.  After the tunnels I struggled.  I fell behind, but, of course, Bill and Simon stayed with me.  I called it quits about 5K to the top.  I just couldn't go any further.  My feet didn't hurt as bad that day, but I just haven't developed the quad strength for that percentage of a climb.  We have nothing to compare with it in Washington.  The climb up Stevens was about a 6% average, and this was more like 10%.  Also there was absolutely NO relief.  It never evened out or got the slightest bit less steep.  Just up, up, up forever!  My quads just gave out after that much climbing, so I told Simon I was throwing in the towel.  So, Bill went on ahead again, and Simon and I turned around and descended.

Climbing up Col du Solude

Cool Tunnel!

Valley from Col du Solude

Russ pointing to Alp d' Huez from Col du Solude

I am decent at descending!  I can hang with the big boys and even beat a few of them on the descents.  I don't have any issues there.  

Let me try to describe descending in the Alps.  It's CRAAAAAzAY!!  Crazy fun!  Never in all of your cycling experiences will you descend like an Alps descent.  They go on forever, they have more twists and hairpin turns than you have ever imagined.  The biker runs the show on the roads.  Cars watch for bikers, biker go down the middle of the roads.  The drivers here are crazy too!  But crazy good.  I swear, this would be so illegal in America!   Cars speeding around bikers on hairpin turns, bikers going around cars without having a good view of what's oncoming (you just assume the cars will make room for you). But, we haven't seen an accident yet!  It's just unbelievable.   But, our descent down the Tormalet was even crazier than what I just described, so be waiting in anticipation for the description of day 5.

So, back to the story.....Simon and I descend (we're going pretty fast).  We get to the big tunnel again and about 2 feet in realize that it is so dark you can't even see where the walls are.  We only have one tiny headlamp on my bike.  Simon suggests we get off and walk through.  Good suggestion.  

We get back down and Fred is there with the van.  Fred is our resident driver, chef, and all around do everything guy.  Man, that guy can cook!  I'll get to that later......  Anyway, he picks me up and I end up spending the afternoon with Fred getting groceries for lunch, getting lost with him and his van with no GPS.  He's finding directions off and old paper map!  He ends up asking for directions a number of times at gas stations. (we are trying to get to the spot where we will meet everyone else for lunch).  Keep in mind that Fred is from Toulouse and speaks very broken English.  Ok- he speaks very little English!  So we spent the afternoon trying to communicate in few words and many hand gestures.  It was an experience!  We finally get to the lunch spot and meet back up with a group of very tired riders.  We had a beautiful lunch of baguettes, meats and delicious cheeses.  We ate picnic style on a little grassy area by the side of a small stream.  

After lunch 2 more riders threw in the towel.  That day was just brutal.  So the three of us went back to the hotel in the van with Fred.

When the riders got back they were all exhausted....except Russ...he could probably do it one more time just for fun.  Bill was absolutely beat.  In fact, he told me that he was going to take a rest day the next day.  That climb was brutal.

I absolutely can't leave out dinner!  Fred was BBQ ing that night, and we didn't have no burgers or dogs!  The meal started out with foi gras and a green salad.  It was again unbelievable.  You wouldn't think that goose liver would be appealing, but it was melt in your mouth delicious, especially on a bit of baguette.  I though that was the main course, but no, there was more to come.  Barbecued duck was the next course with a potato baked in the coals.  I have never had duck, but if that is what duck tastes like...bring it on anytime!  It was like the best steak you've ever eaten.  The potato was cooked to perfection.  Next up (I guess the after the main course before the dessert course) was a round of Camembert cheese cooked in the fire till it was all gooey served with bread to dip in it.  Bill had died and gone to cheese heaven with this course!  So amazing.  Then lastly was a tray of cheese, goat and sheep, and fresh fruit.  What an amazing meal all cooked by our right hand man, Fred.  Let me describe Fred.  I bet you are thinking old guy, big belly, thinning hair.....right?  Not so much.  Fred is probably 27-30ish, well built, very hunky, typical gorgeous French man.  A French man who can cook!   You could tell Fred really loved to throw a party and loved to please people.  He always had a smile, and would check to make sure you were feeling happy.

We have noticed that each and every dinner seems to be an event.  They start late and last for hours.  I think this meal must have been a three hour event, much of the time being used for drinking wines.  We learned that white wine goes with foi GRAS and red with duck, but no wine tasting for us!  By the time this meal was over, we were all way too fat and happy, but in serious need of a bathroom and some sleep.

Day three:  We had to change hotels on day three, so we all packed our bags and had them ready to put on the vans.  The climb for the day started with Col de la Croix de Fer as the first climb and then the Col de la Madeleine was the second climb of the day.  Our second hotel was again about 5K from the top of Madeleine.  As we were getting up, looking at the climb, Bill and I decided that we both wanted to tackle just one of the two climbs that day.  We talked to Simon and he suggested that we do the last one up the Madeleine.  I think logistically it worked better for him to take us to that one.  Anyway, Bill got looking at the difficulty levels of the climb and thought the first one looked more suited to my abilities, and his level of exhaustion.  So he really wanted to try that one.  So we talked to Simon again and it turned out that just doing the first one was not really an option, but I could tell that Bill still really wanted to do that one.  So I made the decision to not ride that day.  Bill went and did the ENTIRE ride.  Logistically is didn't work out for me, so I spent the day with Remy in the van.  

It was actually a very long and beautiful drive.  Remy also speaks very little English, but he is such a cute, nice kid that it was fun to try and communicate with him.  Remy and I drove the van from Alp d' Huez to the Madeleine where our next hotel was located.

Our next hotel wasn't quite as quaint as our first one, but I felt like were getting a true European experience here!  It looks old and well used.  Our room is at the top of two tiny fights of stairs that only one person can go up or down at the same time on.  There are weird doors at the top of each stairway, and it's pretty dark.  The rooms are still all locked by old keys on wooden key chains.  The balcony in the room is about two feet by three feet.  Every inch of space in the tiny room is filled with furniture....everything you would need!  Not an inch to spare!  But the best, (depending on how European you want you experience to be) is the bathroom!  There is no shower like the last hotel had, just a teeny tiny tub with a hand held shower head that you can use to spray your head.  The tub is so small that it is comical!  Listening to Mari describing Russ in that tub was hilarious.  Appendages everywhere.  Arms and legs hanging out all over.  Not to mention that the ceiling above the tub is at an angle so there is not enough space to stand up.  The pictures don't even accurately show how tiny this bathroom is.  

So, Remy and I get to this hotel (after getting lost twice), and and I help him unload, then I take our stuff up to our room, take a bath in the teeny tiny tub, then lay down to read my book for a while.  I promptly fall asleep.  I honestly didn't wake up till the phone started ringing.  It was Bill.  He had made it up the Madeleine to the point where he knew the hotel was supposed to be, but didn't know how to get to it.  He was alone that day.  Russ and Julian (Julian was quickly becoming Russ' personal domestique) were up to the top first, then next up, Bill, without a guide.  Then the rest of the group was way behind with Simon and Remy.  (oh yeah, Remy dropped me off, got back on his bike, climbed up the mountain the opposite way, which is much harder, and met up with the group.  That kid is a machine!). So I tried to help Bill find the hotel with the help of the hotel manager who luckily spoke better English than most.

That night after everyone made it back, showered and tried to recover a little, we had another late night dinner served by this new hotel staff.  It was a simpler meal of pasta served with a chunky meat sauce filled with fresh zucchini and tomatoes.  (lots of yummy bread, of course) Dessert was a very interesting cantaloupe compote with a meringue like cookie and creme freshe.  Very satisfying and delicious.  

Day four:  I don't think anything can beat day four.  One of the most amazing days of my life.  I don't think I'll ever forget it.  Today we climbed Col du Grand Columbier.  

Before we left the hotel room I pulled out Ethan's note in preparation for my big ride.  It said, "Mom, keep on riding and I love you and miss you".  The perfect message to get me up that mountain that day.  I'm so glad I have an Ethan!  What a thoughtful boy.

We started out really, really early.  We had to be taken by van to the start, about an hours drive.  We all got out, did a long, rolling ride through the french countryside for an hour to the base of the mountain to warm up our legs and then started up the mountain.  

Me and the Pelaton!

Bill and I climbing Grand Columbier

The valley below

Aren't we adorable?

This is another one of the iconic climbs of the TdF.  It was also the same day as an actual TdF climb this year.  So, when got to base of the climb and to the small town at the bottom, it was absolutely filled with people waiting to see the tour come through.  We started up the mountain together, but of course, Russ was way out front with Julian in a matter of seconds and we never saw him again :). The rest of us were able to stay together for a short time, but quickly we all found our own pace.  Bill was my right hand man, as usual.  I cannot stress how amazing my husband is.  He never, never abandons me on a ride, makes sure he knows where I am at all times, and is always encouraging.  I couldn't have done this one without him.  

This ride was amazingly difficult, but a little more suited for my abilities.  There were some of the steepest sections we had seen yet on this mountain.  I looked at my Garmin at one point where it said 23% grade.  But it also had a little more variance in the grades.  My legs could get a quick break before it threw another 12% at me.  It was TOUGH.  Bill helped me at a few places where I was hurting by putting his hand on my lower back while we rode.  He was doing double-duty helping me up this mountain.  We didn't see Simon the whole ride which meant that I was NOT dead last this time.  

One of the things that made this ride so amazing is that it was a tour stage day.  The tour would be coming through this same road just a little later in the afternoon.  That meant that the rode was completely packed with people all the way up.  Campers and RVs everywhere with people picnicking on the side of the road.  Bikers in throngs were going up the mountain.  There were people in crazy costumes, people in very little clothing, a few crazy people jogging up the mountain and people yelling "Allez ,Allez, Allez!!" at you all the way to the top.  What a thrill!  

Bill and I slowly made our way up and finally reached the spot that our group had set up "camp" (Fred). Our little spot was only 3K from the top of the mountain.  I was happy to see that Bill and I were NOT the last ones up.  We collapsed on a tarp and got something to eat and drink.  We were covered in sweat from the climb, but the top of the mountain was quite chilly especially when your super sweaty body has a chance to rest.  It got pretty cold up there for a while.  Russ, Mari, Bill and I camped out by the fire that Fred had built.  We still had about 3 hours till the tour came through.  We ate, rested, Bill took a little nap, but soon the excitement started up!  

It's almost like a parade!  They close off the road at some point, and sponsors start coming up in their crazy cars (kind of like floats in a parade).  They throw little items out at the crowd and get the crowd all fired up.  We caught hats, bags, keychains, gummy candy.....all kinds of fun.  It's a lot of yelling, jumping, waving your arms in the air....so exciting!  There were some Danish guys up the road a bit in tiny gold lame' shorts, pink girlie, tights, wigs, etc, kind of making a spectacle of themselves.  Very entertaining.  You see flags from all over the world being proudly displayed, all kinds of people, from old men, to tiny kids.  It's just a huge party all the way up a mountain!

Then it was time for the real TDF riders to come through.  First you hear the helicopters, then you start seeing motorcycles come up the road.  Press motorcyclEs and TdF cycles, then the helicopters are right over-head.  Thats when we saw our first TdF rider come through...Thomas Voeckler.  The riders come through soooo fast!  You have to be ready to catch all the faces that you want to see!  Bill was ready with his camera and I was doing video with the iPod.  We saw them all!  Particularly Jens Voigt in the break-away, then came the leaders group with Wiggins, Cadel Evans, Frank Schleck,  all the big GC contenders.  Then we waited around a little longer to see the others, among them, world champion Mark Cavendish!  This was what I had been most excited about.  To see the real riders coming up Col du Grand Columbier!  It went by quickly, but what a thrill.  

I was amazed at how swiftly things cleared out!  People were up and gone on a matter of minutes.  There are two ways down that mountain, so it helped get people off fast.  Bill and I jumped on our bikes just a little earlier that the rest of our group to finish our ride to the summit.  We did the last three kilometers in no time at all.  We stood by the sign at the top and took our picture.  I think it as one of the best moments in our marriage.  We looked at each other and tears came to both our eyes.  We were there, at the summit of Col du Grand Columbier together.  We had worked for this moment for three plus months. It was a huge and momentous occasion for both of us. We kind of pulled ourselves back together as the rest of our group ascended.  We took some awesome pictures at the top with Russ, Mari, and others in our group, but then quickly got on our bikes and headed down.

I thought Bill was right behind me when I started out, but as I looked back, I couldn't see him.  I couldn't  stop or slow down.....these descents are too crazy for that.  I just kept on following the other guys in the group.  Luckily, he caught up with me not far down the mountain.  I guess his chain slipped at the top when he was getting on his bike and he had to do a quick fix.  But he didn't have too much trouble catching me.  

The descent this day was the best one yet!!  I absolutely loved it!  It was LONG, my fingers and forearms were begging for mercy, but it was amazingly exhilarating!  A huge huge descent...it took forever.  Then, when we got down to the bottom of the mountain, there was even more descending!  We the rode for another 30 or so kilometers to get to the place we were to have dinner that evening.  We had all put a fresh change of clothing in the vans that morning, so when we got there, the vans met us and there were showers available so we could get cleaned up before dinner.  

Dinner was at a small restaurant by the edge of a huge lake.  You could see the Col du Grand Columbier in the distance across the lake.  It was a beautiful setting and a thrill to be able to look at that huge mountain across the lake and think that we had climbed to the top of it just a little earlier that day.  

Freshly showered and ready to eat

Russ and Mari at the dinner table

View back across the lake to Grand Columbier 

View from the patio

Dinner was another long, drawn-out affair.  Drinks went on for hours.  We non-drinkers nursed a diet coke for ages.  It was another simpler dinner that night.  A choice of lasagna, salmon lasagna or pizza.  I went lasagna again.  It was good.  Then another tirmisu-like dessert.  Good, but waaaay too long!  We were all tired!  Then we still had another hour long van ride to get back to the hotel.  It was midnight by the time we got back, and about 1:30 till we were asleep, with another long ride to look forward to in the morning.  Exhausting, but such an amazing day.  I wouldn't trade that pain for the world :)

Day five:  this was the crazy of all crazy days.  Crazy good.....but some crazy not so good, too.  

Today we were to ride up the Col de Toussuire.  It was another Tour de France stage day with us riding up first and then watching the tour come through.  We were set to watch the tour from the very top of the mountain at the finish line!  

We left from the hotel this day.  A huge descent to the small town below the a short ride from there to the base of the mountain.  All goes as planned down the descent and through town, although descending down Madeleine is quite an experience each time we do it.  It's soooo long and soooo steep, killer on the hands, but so thrilling!

Then things went awry.  I was peddling through town with the rest of the peloton, (and can I add.... that when riding with the group on flats or undulating hills, I can keep up just fine!), and suddenly I hear a phsssssss sound.  My back tire.  Flat as a pancake.  Bill sees me, and stops with me, of course, (he is the best!). Luckily the van is just ahead on the road with Simon in it.  They were taking photos of us as we passed by.  So we stop to get the flat fixed.  Simon tells Bill to go ride ahead and tell Julian what is going on and then we will ride together with him.  Bill heard the ride ahead part to tell Julian, but assumed Simon wanted him to stay with the group, so didn't return.  Which was fine.  So Simon worked on my tire by the side of the road for about 20 minutes.  He could not get that tire off!  It was so tight.  Finally after waiting there for what seemed like forever, I suggested that we get in the van, catch up to the group and have one of the other guys help with the fix.  He agreed, so we got in the van and drove to the town at the base of the climb.  But, as we were driving through town Simon spots a bike repair shop, so we stop in there and he has them fix the tire.  Meanwhile, Bill calls me on my cell and asks how we are doing.  I tell him where we are and what is going on.  Then to my understanding, he tells me I'll be just fine riding up the mountain with Simon.  So I assume he is going ahead with the group.  He actually told me to keep in touch with him, and was expecting a call back, so our communication kind of got messed up.  

Now the tire is fixed, but Simon and I are probably an hour behind everyone else.  Not to mention that there is no Bill to ride with me today.  It's a long and difficult climb up that hill.  I go slow and steady, and with Simon sticking with me, I'm doing just fine.  My foot is having a hard day, but we stopped twice to pull the poor thing out of my shoe and let it rest for a minutes or two.  But, we finally made it to the top.  

When we get close to the top there are cops everywhere directing traffic, making people get off their bikes and walk and there are barricades put up for the last 2K of the race.  We can't ride on the road anymore, so we push our bikes up the outside of the barricades to get to the top where the rest of the group has a "camp" set up.  I get there fully expecting to meet up with Bill at the top.....no Bill.  I check my cell phone....9 missed calls!!!  Crap!  I hadn't heard my phone ring once the whole way up!  But, in my defense, I was pretty occupied at the time.  Getting up that mountain took all I had and more.  

So I immediately call Bill.  He answers first ring, cause that's the kind of guy he is.  Way more aware than me :( .  He is still halfway down the mountain waiting for Simon and I to ride by.  Somehow we missed each other riding up the mountain.  I didn't have any idea he was waiting, so I wasn't looking for him, either.  I felt so bad.  Now he has to still climb about 10K to get to the top, and it's getting late!  They should be closing the road at any time!  So I hang up the phone and let him get on with his riding.  

Then I stand there waiting and worrying.  I ask Simon if someone should go down and met him.  He says, "no, he'll be fine".  Then I worry about those last 2K where the road is blocked and don't know if he will know how to find our group.  So I can't just stand there and worry for an hour!  I decide to walk down the side of the barricades and meet him as he comes up so I can show him how to get to the group.  I walk and walk.  It's really hot, and I only have a pair of flip-flops on.  I walk about 3K and am trying to get him on the phone again the whole time I'm walking.  No answer this time.  Finally after I get down and past the barricades he answers the phone.  He tells me that he's gone the back way up to the top so he will miss all the blocked off road.  He is heading up the opposite direction.  Ok.  Awesome.  Now I am 3K down a mountain in flip flops.  I notice that some people are walking directly over the mountain on a grassy slope to get to the top instead of following the road around and to the top.  I figure this is better than walking all the way around, but it is dang steep.  So I climb up a mountain to get back to the top, and by the time I'm finished I'm breathing just as heavy as I was climbing the mountain on my bike.  

Bill and I finally meet back up at the top at our camp.  He's not too happy about the way things have gone that day.  I don't blame him.  It was a communication break-down for sure.  Not only that, but he has had an achy stomach all day and isn't feeling the best.  Not a great ride so far.  

We try and enjoy the rest of the day.  The scene at the top of this mountain is kind of like a carnival at the top of Whistler, or Park City.  Lots of booths to buy souvenirs, lots of shops, crowds of people, big screen TVs with the race showing, sponsors throwing swag again.....etc.   We check things out, walk around, wait for the racers to show up.  

At the "camp site" Fred has grilled up an amazing dinner over a fire.  Roast chicken, potatoes, an amazing vegetable dish that I could have eaten every bit of, and homemade cookies from Simon's mom.  A traditional Australian cookie, I can't remember the name, but so good!  I looked it up...ANZAC.  I couldn't stop eating them.  

Finally it's time for the riders to come through.  We can tell they're close because our amazing guides have set up a satellite dish and a TV at our tent with Phil Liggett and Bob Roll announcing the tour!  Yay!  We can hear whats going on in English!  (although I love the way the French announcer says, "Bradley Wigginzzzzah"!!)

Then, of course, we see the helicopters flying over.

Bill, Russ and I go over to the barricades to watch them all race in!  Very cool, and very fast!  It's another Frenchman, Rolland, in the lead today.  Both the stages were won by Frenchmen while we were in France!  So cool!  We get to see all our favorite riders come whipping by.  Frank Schleck looks like a skeleton on wheels.  Someone needs to give that boy a sandwich or two.  He did the schlook....right when Bill was taking his photo!  Classic!

RadioShack Bus

Team RadioShack

Rolland, winner of the stage

Frank doing the 'schloock'

When the race is over we try to go over to the winners podium, but it's already over and the podium is too crowded anyway.  The race finish was fun, but not as amazing as the day before.  Maybe just a little too crowded and crazy, or maybe we were just in kind of in a bad mood about the other debacles of the day.  But still a good day.

Now it's time to descend!  Back down the mountain we go!  This is the descent of all descents.  Simon is really careful about telling us to stay in a group this time.  Traffic is going to be much worse than last time because there is only one way off the mountain instead of two.  Right at the top, as everyone is starting off, Bill can't get his cleat to clip in.  It's been broken from all the walking on it that day.  There is no other choice but to head down anyway.  The rest of the group is already in motion.  So, right from the start, we are worried about Bill descending without being clipped in.  

Then we get about 1/3 the way down the mountain and traffic is at a standstill, but bikes are just going right past and down.  Not on the right side of traffic, because there is really no shoulder, but in-between the two lanes....and we aren't going slow!!  Every time a car comes up the other way people yell "car up" and we all either try to ride in-between the two cars, or come to a screeching halt and wait for it to pass.  I saw one member of our group (Rich) come within about a foot of being hit by a large van!  Scary!  

Then things got even more interesting.  All the police cars and motorcycles decided to come down the mountains as well at the same time.  So, then we had one lane of completely stopped traffic, and another lane of police coming down at break neck speeds with their sirens going (you know what European sirens sound like....put that sound into this mental picture I'm weaving), then you had cyclist coming down between these two rows of cars, not to mention having to make room for the odd car that was coming UP the mountain.  Keep in mind, this is only a very narrow two lane road.  Finally we all make it down in one piece, even Bill who is cycling with one shoe dangling.  I think it hurt, but he made it!

Next we go on a flat stage in an all out sprint.  I think the guys were feeling the need for some speed after a somewhat laborious descent....and a hotel where they could rest.  We got to some flat long roads and the guys put on the speed.  There was a lead group, with Russ (of course) Julian, and two other guys, then a middle group with me, Bill, Mari and Simon, then a few stragglers at the end.  Julian and Russ take a wrong turn and start down a different road, our group, with Simon, got on the right road.  They saw us immediately, but that wrong turn put our group in the lead.  It took Russ all of about 5 seconds to channel his inner Cavendish and speed past us all getting right to the front again.  He has got legs!  

We cycled to the van, and there was about 5 guys who were planning on NOT riding in the van, but cycling the Madeleine again up to the hotel.  That plan got nixed quickly as we looked at the clock and saw that it was already 8:30pm.  They would have be riding it in the dark.  So we crammed 10 people and 10 bikes in a nine person van with room to hold 8 bikes.  We were all pretty giddy with exhaustion by that time.  Things that normally wouldn't be funny were all of a sudden hilarious.  Rich said something like, "I have been so thirsty on this trip I haven't peed once.". That got Bill to laughing, and I don't think I'd seen him smile all day.  

We returned to the hotel and were all completely wiped out and HUNGRY.  Once again, dinner seemed to take forever to get ready and I think we started eating at 10:30.  Mari was so tired and when she heard we were having fondue for dinner (cheese....not her favorite)  she went directly to bed.  Bill, Russ and I stayed around for the most delicious fondue we have ever tried (Bill was in cheese heaven) along with a rack of meat.  Pictures are the only way to describe it.  After Bill and I got stuffed with bread, meat and cheese, we were too tired for more so we also ditched dessert and went to bed.

Rack of Meat

Day six:  this day was slated to be the most difficult yet.  Three ascents!  Col du Telegraphe, Galibier, and once again back up the Madeleine.  I had heard Russ describe it a couple of times before we even got to France.  I believe he even said, "I don't think I can even do this!  It's 10,000 feet of climbing in 90 miles.". I kind of knew I was doomed from the start.  If Russ was worried about it, I had no chance of getting through this one.  Yes, I worked hard to get here, I did all I could physically do so far, but I just knew this one was for a more experienced rider.   I decided to sit this one out.  

I felt good about all I accomplished so far on this trip, but I didn't want to totally miss out on the entire day.  Especially since we were going to see a TDF start that morning!  I decided to do the descent off of Madeleine with the group, ride the short, semi-flat ride to the small town of Saint Jean de Maurienne where the stage started, and then take the van back up to the hotel while the rest of the group climbed.  I felt ok about this decision.  It's always a bummer when you can't do all that you want, but you have to be realistic as well.  I needed another year of training before trying that ride.

Seeing the start of a race was kind of fun. We got to hang around the busses and see a few riders emerge and get on their bikes.  Levi Leiphiemer, Froome....but it was so crowded it was hard to get close to the actual start.  Russ and Bill got a better view being taller than I and also snapped a few good photos.

Then I headed back up the mountain with Remy driving me in the van.  The rest of the group went on up, up, up!  Incredibly, Remy dropped me off at the hotel, did the whole descent, rode to the climb, ect, etc and still made it back to the group at lunchtime.  Incredible.  

I however, did not.  

I took a shower, washed my hair, took an hour long nap, and then started writing.  I figured that I had a really good opportunity to get this all down in writing before it all flew right out of my head.  I knew I had a good 4-5 hours before people returned.  I wrote all afternoon!  I was still writing when I heard the van return from outside the balcony at about 7:30 pm.  All the riders except three had ridden back up the Madeleine in the van.  I don't blame them...I would have too!  The only riders to tackle the Madeleine for the second time were Russ (who came up first with Julian), Bill next (by himself) then came Chris with the support of Simon.  

It was great to see Bill come in from that ride!  He was really happy and had one of his strongest days of the trip.  From the photos it looks like fun, pain and suffering were had by all :)

Bill at the top of Galibier

Everyone got cleaned up, and we headed in to dinner, served by our hotel staff.

It was still pretty late for a dinner to start.  About 10pm.  Everyone was tired, but happy to have accomplished that huge feat!  

Dinner was amazing as usual.  We had a French version of funeral potatoes. I will call it potatoes au gratin since that seems like the French thing to do.  It was creamy, bubbly, and had a layer of crusty Camembert cheese on the top (I think).  Whatever cheese it was, it was delicious.  With that we had a green salad with balsamic vinegar, and crusty bread.  

Bill was pretty wiped out, and was eager to get to bed that evening.  We knew we had an early train to catch in the morning, and would have to get up at around 4 am, so, he went over to Simon to tell him we were going up to bed and to make arrangements for our ride to the train station the next morning.  Simon hinted around that he might want to stay around for a special dessert.  

While we waited Warren had to come hang out at our table just a few hundred more times.  Poor Warren.  I think he has a man-crush.  I couldn't help but notice that he seemed to always be hanging on to Russ' every word.  Can't blame him, though.  Russ is kind of a stud.....and a great guy to have a conversation with.  He's so knowledgeable and interested in all kinds of people, not to mention his hard-core biking skillzzzz.   No one could come close to his power.  

Just minutes later Julian, Remy, Fred and Simon all came into the dining room carrying a beautiful chocolate torte with a big fountain firework lit on the top.  Julian and Remy had only their bike bibs on on, Fred had his crazy little rainbow umbrella hat on, and they were all singing happy birthday to Bill in French!  Now that's a birthday he'll never forget!  We all gorged ourselves with cake, said our goodbyes, and went to bed.

Bill's Birthday Party (Simon, Julien, Fred, Remy)

The staff at TdF Travel was amazing!  Simon was super kind, very helpful and accommodating.  Couldn't help but love that Australian accent, as well :).  Fred was an outstanding cook and I was always amazed at how he got everything where it needed to be at the right time.  His food always blew us away!  We all loved Julian's smile... and Julian is just too cool for school.  So cool he doesn't even realize he has the cool factor going on.  Remy is the cycling power house and all around great kid!  He was so fun to talk to and if you gave him enough time, he could usually come up with the right English word he needed to communicate.  Remy is also a TdF expert!  Anytime we had a question about a rider.....ask Remy.  

Fred

Julien

Remy

What an unbelievable week!  So glad we got to experience this once-in-a-lifetime vacation.  I use the term vacation loosely because I think all four of us now need a vacation from our vacation.  We are sore, blistered, chaffed, bruised, and utterly exhausted, but I can honestly say that this has been a week we will never forget.  

It's funny how sometimes pain, hard work, overcoming obstacles, making hard goals, and following them through is always more rewarding than taking the easy way out.

I am glad I got to experience as much of this biking adventure as I did.  I can imaging that going as a non-rider would have been isolating and not much fun.  It was hard just being left out of the few rides that I didn't do!  If I had to do it all again I would only change one thing.....give myself more time to prepare!  But overall.........just WOW!