First, but not Last

By Daryl Olson

This was my first bike adventure with the Fuller Center, but I suspect it won’t be my last, especially because of an unexpected ending, more on that later. To be honest, riding with the Fuller Center was in my initial vision an inexpensive way to undertake a supported bike tour of our great country. At the same time there is the satisfying aspect that 89% of the entry fee is going to build housing for those who cannot afford decent, safe, or sanitary housing. In order to accomplish the goal of raising substantial funds, the bike adventure is described as a “minimalist” journey. Indeed at times that is the case and one undertaking a Fuller bike adventure must be prepared to be resourceful, tough, and not expect a chocolate on your pillow! But having said that, wow, some of the dinners put on by the local churches are fantastic. Sleeping on mats within churches works well and we had a shower available every night. 

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Strength

By Mike Scotty

The Fuller Center for Housing’s mission is giving people and families the impetus to strengthen their financial foundations and giving them the resources to sustain that strength through a livable home – a place to put down roots. A home gives all beings a sense of security that allows them to successfully manage the other endeavors that bring success and satisfaction to their lives.

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The Rustle

By Fred Smoak

Sometimes seemingly insignificant things can define a place or time. On these rides, every day begins with a sound I have named The Rustle. 

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Uphill Climb

By Mike Rutherford

Today we ventured out of the Arizona Desert and up to Williams, AZ, the gateway to the Grand Canyon. We were looking at 60 miles of headwinds leaving Peach Springs and the group wasn’t thrilled with dealing with the headwinds yet again. Thankfully, the route was a little more forgiving with less climbing, calm traffic, and it seemed the wind wasn’t quite in our faces. After the 65 miles of headwinds we turned east and joined I-40 to climb to Williams. 
 

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First Day Back After a Two Year Absence

By John Johnson

I really missed this group. Sometimes when you’re away, you get so busy with life that you forge tto breathe. From the day you see familiar faces and start seeing new ones, the FCBA renews your soul. It’s easy to start being a part of the group, even if you’ve been away.

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Hi! This is Dan!

By Dan Zassick

Everyday I get on my bike saddle, and everyday I am reminded of the previous 1000 some odd miles my legs have slugged me though to get from Portland, OR all the way on down here to Las Vegas.  It hurts.  My butt hurts.  My shoulders ache.  And usually somewhere between 35 and 40 miles my knee reminds me that it didn’t want to be left out of the party and starts to hurt too.  And yet we persist.  Every day we get right back on that bike and we press on. 

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A Real Adventure

By Bill Black 

It is impossible to overstate the beauty and grandeur of Yosemite National Park.  Seeing it for the first time is an experience like no other.  As a first time visitor, my expectations were high.  Growing up on the east coast, I was certainly aware of Yosemite.  I knew it was beautiful.  But I really didn’t know what was there.  In fact, I merged Yosemite and Yellowstone in my head and wasn’t sure which one had Old Faithful.  I think I learned more about Yellowstone recently from the movie Free Solo, about the rock climber who climbed El Capitan without a rope, than I did in my while live previously.

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Slow and Steady

By Brandon Gotha

This past week has been a fun and challenging one. We have had a lot of up hill climbing. Earlier in the week I posted to my facebook friends when I realized there were a couple different ways to get up a hill, one being slow and steady, and two being a sprint-and-rest method. However, the hills out here are way too big for that option. The third option that came to mind would be wait at the bottom for a person in a car to pick you up. I came to this theory when we were looking at two straight days of climbing with relatively little down hill. It is called the parks and peaks ride not the parks and peaks down hill tour. The climbing can’t be avoided. I went for the slow and steady option.

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