Today’s blog begins with Ishaq’s anecdote from the middle of the night. He woke up to what he thought was Tian’s (my) new, unlocked snoring pattern. He shone a light outside his tent and saw 3 raccoons on the tree next to him. Never in his life has he been so close to a raccoon. One raccoon stared deep into his soul. He felt seen in a way we, Spokies, have never seen him.
I also had my nighttime adventures in my tent. For some reason, I kept falling in and out of sleep. Ramona was awakened in the middle of the night (out of character for her) by a nightmare featuring a realistic-looking snake. I don’t think I did much to comfort my tentmate.
The piercing Utah sun awakened me from my slumber, and Ishaq immediately implored me to charge my phone. Although he didn’t know what today would hold, he believes that some Star Realm battles would be necessary, and there goes my emergency portable battery. I suppose entertaining ourselves can be considered an emergency. I walked over to my bike, intending to charge my bike computer, where I found my handlebar bag opened and the plastic cover ripped. Turns out, the snacks from my bike bag were not the only things ravaged by these stealthy raccoons. A half-eaten bagel in the grass was also the last remnant of our stolen bag of bagels. After Ramona returned from her walk, she told us about the ripped trash bag she had to clean up and the open cooler.
After a demure morning of breakfast and indecision, we decided to let Sarah and Greta run their errands (laundry and dinner shopping) before we collectively go on a scenic drive. The rest of us camped in the visitor center of Capitol Reef National Park to get some stuff done with their WiFi. I hid in the movie room with a film of Fruita showing every 30 minutes. The rest of the Spokies spread out across the visitor center. There wasn’t really a good place to work. The center should seriously consider renovating to accommodate work-starved bikers. I had many emails to send, so I was typing away at my laptop. Planning for a cross-country trip never stops.
After 3 hours of running errands, our troopers finally returned. We were momentarily distracted by the Which Spokie are you? quiz. Inspired by Spokes 2024, Charles was trying to create a bigger and better version of the quiz. Only in the late afternoon did we actually set out on the scenic drive. Unfortunately, Capitol Reef welcomed a tough crowd. While I loved the scenery, not everyone was satisfied with rock after rock. Ishaq chose to sleep during the drive. Greta regretted not buying a geology book to learn more about Utah’s rocks. Everyone was wiped out by the end of the drive, but I got some cool solo pictures.
Greta volunteered to be the head chef for tonight’s dinner. Ramona, Ruth, and I helped prepare dinner while everyone else went off on side quests. Cutting vegetables at the campsite was so serene, in part because some key players were missing. I could be cutting vegetables with the girlies forever.
When the rest of the crew returned, Charles and Ishaq proclaimed, “We were robbed”. The national park grocery prices were no joke. Greta related to their dismay. She made a fire bean salad for dinner, but ran out of steam when it came to the potato salad. Thankfully, Ruth and Charles came to the rescue(?) and cooked up some delicious(?) concoctions.
We rushed towards a sunset trail point to do some last-minute hiking, and didn’t even manage to see the sunset. At least the stars were nice. The night was surreal. I thought I was trapped in a dream or memory. I couldn’t remember if I had ever seen so many stars in my life. The stars wrapped around the night sky much like a planetarium. Stars were lining the horizon, too. I suddenly recalled a play I watched in San Francisco where two characters were lying down on the roof of their car while watching the night sky. I didn’t understand the allure two years ago, but lying on the too dirty ground, I finally understood that scene. The wonder of the night sky and the people that you choose to share that moment with are special. To live is to experience, and there is much more to come.
Green River State Park, UT to Capitol Reef National Park, UT — 94.4 mi, 4,440 ft
Ishaq is driving today, which means his strategy for waking people up is to yap loudly until we get too annoyed to stay in our tents. He’s been in his blasting Alvin and the Chipmunks out the speaker era, so I pop my AirPods in and start packing up.
Today is a slow morning. Tian’s missing a glove, so she goes back to the nearby laundromat to hunt for it. She finds her glove in the washer, which is totally not my fault since I totally was not in charge of laundry yesterday (I’m sorry). Meanwhile, Ishaq is complaining about the breakfast dishes not being clean and Sarah and Joseph’s tent not being taken down, then promptly starts dancing around. Ramona, the kindest soul, takes dishes into her own hands, while I take the tent down, which guilts Sarah into also helping take her tent down. Joseph is nowhere to be found.
Ramona and I finally leave once I assure her that she has contributed enough for the morning, and we embark on our 94 mile day. The beginning is uneventful, and we skip the first rest stop because Ishaq is slow. We continue biking, at some point passing a slightly concerning sign:
I decide to play a fun game with Ramona to make her stop asking me questions about credit cards: make her guess how far a geological structure is. I point out a massive pile of rocks in the distance and she guesses 6 miles. I mock what I think is a ridiculously small distance, so she modifies it to 3-30 miles, earning my agreement. After a couple miles, we turn right, and the rocks are still very much in the distance. I guess we’ll never know how far they really are 🤷♀
At the completely barren rest stop 2, I declare I’m going to pee in front of the car to shelter myself from potential highway peepers. After some debate (i.e. Charles loudly stating that he doesn’t want my pee to flow anywhere he’d have the slightest chance of seeing and/or stepping on it), I find the least sad bush around to cover me. Ramona later pees in the exact same spot, then proceeds to ask Charles questions about credit cards.
The day is long, and though all 10 of our climbs are very demure, it’s hot out and therefore easy for us to get dehydrated. We are also almost out of individual electrolytes. Luckily, we were gifted big packets of fruit punch electrolytes early on the trip, and the gallon batches have been carrying me for the past few days. I began to ponder: what percentage electrolyte am I? So, I did the math:
Charles and Greta + Sarah and Joseph catch up to us, and we do a rare 6 person bike ride (Tian is very far ahead of us, per usual). We debate about who would win a Spokes hunger games. Initially we decide that no one could kill Ramona because she’s Ramona, and ramona couldn’t kill anyone because she’s Ramona, so we introduce the caveat that everyone is definitely bloodthirsty. We still think Ramona would win because she’s basically Katniss (she did archery in middle school!!). Sarah would definitely die first while running to the cornucopia. Tian would win the hearts of the sponsors and silently kill people with her secret supplies. Ishaq would hide with his iPad and a sprite. Charles might make it far but would definitely forget some essential part of a not-so-very thought out attack plan. Greta is fast and would outrun all the crazy animals being released. She would also probably kill a lot of people. Joseph without sponsored tools is screwed, but Joseph with sponsored tools may be lethal. Apparently I would build a mightily fortified treehouse and hide there until falling victim to something or someone that causes me to die tragically in Ramona’s arms. All in all, an entertaining discussion.
I decide to induct Charles and Greta in the “how far is that geological structure” game. Charles guesses 20 miles, Ramona jokes 2 miles, and Greta unironically guesses 2.5 miles. I smartly avoid giving a number to avoid the unavoidable clowning of a terrible guess, which Charles received when we discover the rocks are a mere 3.5 miles away.
nothing. for miles.
the rocks that were actually 3.5 miles away
pretty sky
we made it!!!
ooo striped rock
RAMO
At the next rest stop at Bull’s market, we run into a fellow cross-country biker. He’s doing a solo self-supported trip from Denver to someplace near the Pacific, so his struggles are both similar and very different from ours. Our mouths were agape as he talked about camping on the side of the highway and biking starting at 3am. We could never.
After the next rest stop, Ramona and I separate from the rest of the group again and talk about our family. I discover that her dad has a slightly different last name due to gendered Latvian nouns, and she discovers that my middle name is my dad’s first name. Her uncle and his dad and his dad all have the same name (Arnolds Treimanis, if you were curious). I don’t tell her this, but there are actually 3 Ruth’s in my slightly extended family.
Since today is such a long day, we’re planning on eating out using money that Spokes 2019 graciously gave us. At the next rest stop, we’re informed that the restaurant closes at 9pm. It’s 6:30 and we have 10 miles left. Ishaq pushes me away from the car, literally, and Ramona and I lock in for the final stretch. I’ve gotta say, seeing the Capitol Reef sign after 90+ miles was such almost euphoric.
We enter the campgrounds and the first thing I notice is deer! There are so many deer! Deer here and deer there, deer deer everywhere.
After delighting over the deer, Ramona and I head to the car, where Ishaq and Tian have already put all our tents up—u da best. We’re informed that there are no showers. NO. SHOWERS. I’m stinky and sweaty, so Ramona and I head to the bathrooms and wash ourselves in the sink. A lot more effective than I expected. Once everyone arrives, we squish in the car with 5 other stinky bikers and head to the Mexican restaurant. The roof rack is empty and is flapping insanely in the wind, so we take it down as soon as we get there.
gettin jiggy wit it
The restaurant was tons of fun. We have $25 to spent per person, which is enough for me to get a drink, dinner, and dessert. Sarah and I bond over our delicious horchatas. Thank you, Spokes 2019!
horchata
HORCHATA!!!
socks & sandals?!?
shame her
greta’s dirty nails
my fish and shrimp tacos
We leave at 9:30, meaning the restaurant should’ve kicked us out half an hour ago. We go to the grocery store to buy some ice, leave, realize we forgot firewood, drive back to the grocery store, and buy firewood (we’re not locked in). I’m extremely hyper at this point for no apparent reason, but I can already tell I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight.
When we arrive back at the campground, the car starts beeping. More like shrieking. I’m pretty sure we woke everyone up. It stopped just as suddenly as it started, and we discretely continue driving to our area, hoping no one noticed.
We start prepping for bed when I discover a missing tent. I ask tian if she pitched all four tents and she says yes. If it’s gone, it’s gone. I sulk away, fairly certain I’ll have to sleep in the car. But alas, what’s that in the distance? A couple feet away, hiding in some tall grass, is a single tent, suspiciously isolated. Charles walks over, circles it, seems satisfied, then carries it back to our area. He seems to think the wind took it away, but I’m pretty sure it was the deer.
To wrap up the night, we sit around a campfire and contemplate life.
Ramona: Are we on Earth or Mars? Charles: You know, it’s a cosmic coincidence that the sun and moon are same size—they’re different on other planets Ishaq: The side of the moon we see is always the same Ruth: 🎵the dark side of… the mooooon🎵 Ramona: Do you think the stars look the same from Mars as they do from Earth? Greta and Ruth: No Everyone else: Yes Charles: The moon is proof we’re on Earth
Right at our peak philosophical moment, we hear scurrying. We whip our heads and shine a bright light on a guilty looking raccoon with a bag of bagels in its mouth. Our bagels. The raccoon stole our bagels. We might be hallucinating, so maybe it’s time to sleep. The festivities conclude, our fire dwindles, and we bid each other farewell until morn.
I’m unfortunately wide awake, so Charles and I end the night with our trusted camping card game, gin rummy, which I promptly lose so badly that he spares adding the loss to our ongoing record. I’m still not tired, but I let Charles sleep because I’m kind like that. I sit with my thoughts, which include wondering if we’ll all be stinky tomorrow, as well as debating whether the shuffling sound outside the tent was raccoons foraging through our belongings. I ultimately decide that, yes, we will all smell bad, and yes, those are raccoons. Too lazy to shoo them away, I finally drift to sleep.
It’s that time of the week again, its Joseph’s blogging day! But it’s also my driving day, woot woot. This morning, we would finally leave the Schmitt’s, who pretty much enabled us to go full vacation mode while in Moab. It would be back to reality for us. The thing was, the people weren’t ready. In fact, the spokies were very disorganized today and locked out. As people were leaving, Charles remembered that he shipped his cycling shoes to Moab, then spent half an hour finding if they were shipped to the Airbnb we stayed at. Simultaneously, everyone decided last minute to go to a cafe in Moab before the first rest stop, but Ramona never got the message. I too pulled up to the cafe, partially to hang out but also because I was ravenous from a smaller than usual breakfast. I got myself a fire sandwich.
Sarah’s mom recording the Spokies’ departureeating said fire sandwichinside Moab Garage Co.
After Charles eventually realized his cycling shoes weren’t delivered, he too started heading towards the cafe. Hearing this news, I also remembered that Ramona was nearly at the first rest stop and I still needed to get groceries before I left Moab. You see, Moab is a bit of an oasis in the desolation of southwest Utah. Green River, our destination for the day, was a lot smaller and I suspected there wouldn’t be as much variety in groceries. I rushed to the grocery store to buy ingredients for today’s dinner, a gnocchi and rigatoni soup, as Ishaq went off on his own sidequest: buying new Specialized tires. Ishaq’s tires may have been slightly leaky, but it wasn’t enough to warrant getting new tires. This was entirely a luxury purchase (Ishaq paid for it himself of course). Ishaq delivered me his new tires as I was walking out of the grocery store. I then rushed over to the first rest stop, where I was sure people were already waiting. Ramona had long since passed the first rest stop after refilling her water and I figured she was going to get to the second rest stop before me. The big issue here is that our last two rest stops were in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road, meaning that the bikers wouldn’t be able go self supported. This meant that I really had to be able to support the bikers and be there, especially in the heat. This is the start of my driver struggles. I get to the first rest stop, a gas station, where everyone but Ishaq is waiting for me. I get them all sorted, then wait for Ishaq to eventually show up. While he was getting himself sorted for the next stretch, I went to fill up on gas and realized that gas was pretty darn expensive out here, so I only put in like 5 gallons. It’s enough to get me to Green River.
bike path out of Moab
After Ishaq left, I rushed to meet Ramona at the second rest stop, passing the bikers along the way. They seemed to be struggling a bit. This road was heavily trafficked, high speed, and there was almost no shoulder. This is probably the worst possible combination of conditions for a biker, and I was a bit worried for them. Charles was stopped on the side of the road, seemingly to take a breather from the stressful biking. I eventually make it to the second rest stop, but then realize that making a sharp left turn on this single lane highway with cars going 80 was going to be impossible. I pass the stop and pull off a bit later. I prepare to make a very scary u-turn. It’s like making a U-turn on an interstate, but you can’t even see the cars coming until half a mile away. I manage not to die and finally meet Ramona, who had been waiting for around 15 minutes. This is where everything goes wrong. Ramona’s back derailleur cable had snapped, leaving her unable to shift gears. This wasn’t something we could fix ourselves, so Ramona’s bike would have to get to a shop. This was very inconvenient. There were no bike shops in Green River and tomorrow was not a rest day, but a long cycling day through a desolate part of Utah, meaning that driving a long distance for a bike repair was not an option. Our only two options were to either have Ramona be a passenger princess until we reached Escalante three days later or to speed back to Moab, where bike shops were abundant. We decided to speed back to Moab. As we were preparing to drive back, some of the bikers arrived and I was able to serve them, but for those who were further behind, I left them a care package of waters and food that I would later pick up. The plan was to drop Ramona off in Moab, drive the 40 miles back to rest stop 3, then drive back to Moab to pick Ramona up, then drive all the way to Green River to set up camp. This was going to be complicated and very annoying for me, the driver. But alas, this is part of the job.
Ramonaa loading her broken bike onto the carcare package shaded under a bush
I drive back to Moab and drop Ramona off, then prepare to make the drive back. This is when I receive a text that the bikers had found a wacky alien themed gas station/convenience store, where they were able to fill up on water. I ask if everyone’s good with me staying in Moab, as this would make the day a lot easier logistically. I do worry about Greta, as she chose to take a stint on a dirt road to avoid the scary highway and she wouldn’t pass by the ufo store. This meant doing 30 or so miles in the Utah heat self supported. She said that she was fine with it, so I decided to stay. I go back into the bike shop and see Ramona intently watching the mechanic do his thing. She really likes this mechanic, he’s very down to earth and knows what he’s talking about. I go to the food truck park that we had stopped at two days ago and grab myself a fire quesadilla. I’m just able to finish my quesadilla when Ramona finally comes out with her fixed bike.
waiting for Ramona as I munch on a bean and cheese quesadilla
ufo gas station
lets split up and search for clues!
kachow
snazzy tian
a comrade’s beverage of choice
commie Charles!?!?
We rush out of Moab, hoping to catch the bikers before they reach the third rest stop, but then realize it’s a pointless effort and change course straight to the campground. We arrive and see half of the cyclists sitting around, waiting for us. We set up camp relatively quickly and laze around for a bit. We actually have electricity and good signal for once, which is a nice change from most of our camping. Some people go for a dip in the Green River and I eventually start to set up dinner. Ruth goes to a laundromat and I cook up a feast. There’s not much else to report for the night, it was pretty calm following a bit of a hectic day. I got good sleep, rare for camping nights. See you next time, where we ascend into Zion’s backcountry!
“Greta, do you fear being 3 blogs behind?” Tian asked me this the last time I was two, almost three, blogs behind.
Yes. Yes I am.
Unfortunately, today officially marks my descent into “three blogs behind” territory. BUT I am determined it will also be my last day on the dark playground of blog procrastination. I have to start somewhere, so I’m starting with today. Day 44 and…uh…Day 36…. will be coming shortly. My deepest apologies to all our devoted readers.
I woke up early this morning to finish up the last of my interviews for MITEC Hack Director positions. My first alarm went off at 6:30, at which point I was still planning to sleep for another 15-20 minutes. Ishaq, however, HATES hearing alarms. So, instead of letting me enjoy my morning snooze in peace, he engaged in a terror campaign to force me out of bed before my next alarm went off.
My wakeups are very important to me, and this nearly set my day off on the completely wrong course. To reset the karmic balance, I pulled on my lucky socks and took a long swig of water. Water solves everything.
Properly hydrated, I hopped on my computer and got to it. It’s my first time being on the other side of an interview process, and I’ve found it very eye-opening. Luckily, everyone I have talked to has been amazing! Starting to coordinate a major event while on the road has been stressful, but I can’t wait to get back to campus and get the planning into full swing.
I was considering going for a run after my calls, but I got hit by an overwhelming wave of hunger, so I decided to eat breakfast instead. I spent the first six weeks of this trip curating a perfectly linear running graph on my Strava progress tab, but I finally gave up this week. Turns out running 20 miles in a week on top of biking through the desert isn’t the most appealing activity. I’ve run 5. Oops.
On the upside, I ate a lovely breakfast (my go-to: greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and granola with a lavishly buttered cinnamon raisin bagel on the side) and appreciated a rare moment of solitude on the condo balcony. After enjoying such a peaceful morning, I took it upon myself to destroy everyone else’s peace. “Rise and shine!” I tried my best to offer my sleeping Spokie friends a warm welcome to the waking world, but I fear it was not particularly well received. Alas.
Eventually, the rest of the team rubbed their groggy eyes and pulled their aching limbs out of bed. Sarah’s mom, Jennifer, has been cooking us incredible food all weekend. This morning, she prepared a lox bagel bar, complete with capers, red onions, and smoked salmon. While eating, we started a jam on Spotify which I curated impeccably until Ishaq joined and decided to completely destroy the vibes. Notable additions to the queue include Funkytown and Bad Day by Alvin and the Chipmunks. I absolutely did not sing along…
lox bar!
teddy bear ishaq
ruth-in-a-box
Luckily, Ishaq’s terrible music choices succeeded in propelling us all out the door and onto our excursion for the day: a hike in Canyonlands! Before Spokes, I considered myself a pretty bad driver. I probably still am one, but I’ve found I actually really like driving the minivan to and from our rest day excursions. Ruth, Charles, and Ishaq joined me in the van and we spent the hour and a half ride scheming for Charles’ next blog: a “Which Spokie are You?” quiz. We generated lots of question and answer ideas, many that will (and some that will not), be included in the quiz. Keep an eye out. 👀
We arrived to the trailhead right at noon, which everyone knows is the perfect time to start a hike. Especially in July. Especially in Utah. Before leaving the house, Joseph, our most experienced hike, implored us all to bring LOTS of water. Don’t tell him I said this, but we were all grateful we listened to his advice. It was HOT out there.
We all like to think we’ve gotten in pretty good shape biking across the country, but our hikes the past two days have given us some serious doubts. How is “just walking” possibly so exhausting?! Besides getting slightly humbled physically, the hike was incredible. The hike was a six mile out-and-back weaving in and out of towering rock structures to get to a viewpoint of “The Needles”. At the viewpoint we could see not only “The Needles”, a set of towering sandstone spires, but also hazy blue mountains and dark red plateaus–all from just one spot. I only wish I knew anything at all about Utah’s geology. Unfortunately, our collective knowledge amounts to “some sort of erosion probably caused this”.
star of the show
okkkk model
awww
hydrate or diedrate
#pickydrinker
The other nice thing about hikes is that we get lots of time to talk! (You know we’re normally pretty short on that…) Actually, we’re getting to the point where itseems like we should be running out of things to talk about, but we never quite get there. Today, we spent a good amount of time discussing each other’s Hogwarts houses: (Joseph/Ravenclaw, Tian/Slytherin, Charles/Hufflepuff, Ramona/Ravenclaw, Ishaq/Slytherin, Ruth/Hufflepuff, Sarah/Hufflepuff, Greta/Gryffindor) We accused many team members of being “funny weird” rather than “funny haha”. And we (rather unsuccesfully) played Guess The Tune. I was also (somewhat succesfully) gaslit into believing octopi aren’t born with all eight legs. Tough.
I knew I’d probably fall asleep when I got back in the car after hiking, so I asked Charles to take over driving for a bit. Sure enough, I curled up in the back and took an epic car nap. I woke up feeling quite refreshed (and Charles was looking… not quite alert) so I switched back to the driver’s seat and gave Charles a chance to rest as well. He later reassured me that “we were never in any real danger…”
sleepy time
more sleepy time
hi cricket!
yummy leftovers
Back at the condo, we dispersed to work on our respective tasks. I blogged, Charles and Tian took a quick trip to the grocery store, Ishaq bonded with Sarah’s dad, Mike, over music. Jennifer cooked us another mouthwatering dinner of mango orzo salad and flank steak with chimmichuri sauce. We were all quiet around the table for at least five minutes, the surest sign of a good meal. Thank you so much Jennifer!!
Since we hadn’t gotten enough heat during the day, after dinner, we all went across the street to hit the jacuzzi. Little did we know, the pool also had our favorite game–cornhole! For some reason, Charles wanted to play against Ruth and I again after his complete and utter humiliation at Vail. Joseph had already left, so Ruth and I teed up against Charles and Ishaq. Let’s just say… Charles can’t claim Joseph is the weak link. Final score: 21-3.
Charles and Ishaq nursed their wounded pride over smores and we all finally headed back up to the condo just before 11. I think I heard somewhere “late to bed, late to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. What a nice quote.
Clock ticking towards 12, we showered off and started our preparations for the next morning. Slowly, like usual, with plenty of time for giggling.
“I’m just high on friendship,” I heard Ishaq say from across the room. “Awww that’s so sweet,” I said. “Shut up, dude,” he closed the bathroom door.
One Schmitt, two Schmitt, red Schmitt, blue Schmitt. Today I was struck with the cruel reality that I cant just call Sarah by her awesome nickname Schmitty because we have two more Schmitties with the gang today. Sarah’s lovely parents, Jennifer and Mike (dubbed mother and father Schmitt) got the team an Airbnb for two days and treated us to quite possibly some of the most fun and adventurous rest days of the trip. Sadly twin sister Schmitt could not join us 🥲.
We had potential plans today for an early morning hike, however, the group collectively decided in the morning that we were not built for that so we all enjoyed some delicious cinnamon rolls made by mother Schmitt then Ramona and I hit the pool for a morning swim. Later, a few of us hit the town to go to a bike shop and book store. We all did our business and Tian introduced me to some game on her phone that she really loves. I, looking at bike tires the first round, was not locked in so Tian easily defeated me. But of course that round was just the training so I proceeded to destroy her the next two games. We hurried back to the Airbnb to set off for our group white water rafting trip on the Colorado river.
Our rafting guide, Jonah, got to know us all and gave us the run through on raft and kayak safety. I really wanted to flip a kayak, but they ened up being pretty much unflippable. The ride down the river was pretty relaxing. We saw 3 bald eagles, an otter den, and even a stunning otter impression from Ruth flailing in the water. I started out in the raft and really wanted to take a turn at the paddles. So I got into the captain chairs and started rowing. Now some would say I was just bad a rowing, but the raft was initially in quite the difficult position near the river bank in almost still water making it pretty difficult to navigate back to the flow in the middle. Charles stepped in to assist, each of us with one paddle and we eventually found the bubble line and started zooming. Others tried, Ramona getting the most praise from Jonah for her steady pace and good navigation. Personally, I believe she received the oars when the raft was already in steady currents due to the labors of all who came before her, but I could never hate on Ramo so I sat there while she was praised, only making a small off-handed political comment about inheriting a good economy to Charles. During this process of us spokies learning how to row a boat, mother and father Schmitt wisely chose to flee to a kayak, avoiding a series of terrible raft maneuvers with one of us spokies in the captains seat. When it was finally my turn in a kayak, Ruth and I locked in. Utilizing her years of rowing experience and my raw power, we successfully paddled around in circles and were far slower than Charles and Tian in the other kayak 😐. But we did have a good time navigating through a few of the rapids and swimming around in calmer areas. All in all, rafting was a great experience for the team, after packing up all the boats at the end we started heading back to moab and hit our spokes signature move: napping in the van.
After our return, we set out on yet another adventure: Arches National Park. We went on a short sunset hike to the delicate arch and I gotta say, it don’t look all that delicate to me. Liiiiiiiike a bunch of birds were pulling up and perching on it and nothing happened 🤷🏾♂️. The hike up was pretty nice and it wasn’t too hot anymore. Ruth enjoyed seeing germans, because apparently every time you go on a hike there will be germans. She has some strange obsession with them for no reason, even though she barely speaks the language. Everyone enjoyed me tripping and falling on the way up because they’re all fake friends with no care as to if I was okay. Seeing the arch itself was pretty breathtaking. I would’ve loved if the amphitheater around it didn’t have as many people so the entire area would be more serene, but I suppose Jean Paul Sartre put it best: hell is other people (I’m just being dramatic, but i would have loved to be there at like 3 am with no one else around). Charles, Joseph, and I got some solid pictures of the men of the group looking fly as heck, but we were photobombed by Greta who couldn’t resist destroying out vibes (She’s evil, simple as that). Tian of course got her entire photoshoot with all of her signature poses as usual, actively kicking away any spokies who wanted to join her bc she gotta maintain her solo traveler reputation. After some cute full group photos we all headed back down and had a great conversation about REDACTED. Tian and Ruth have quite interesting opinions about the topic, then we took the convo to the van ride back to Moab.
🙂Me exiting tian’s photo shootTian being a poserGetting SchmittyyyyyyMen looking fine as heckGreta’s evil photobombingus posing like we love each otherWhat are they staring at???Not so delicate archThe setting sun
Our final event of the day was hitting an upscale Italian restaurant. Now I LOVE Italian food, but the menu was my worst nightmare: too many options. Everything looked phenomenal, I didnt know what to order and started scrambling to organize a bunch of shared plates with other spokies so I could try everything. Bc the team is fake as heck no one wanted to go splitsies on 2-3 dishes so i had to make a choice. Once the waitress got to me I asked a wealth of questions about the dishes but was hit with the curveball of more dinner specials on the board behind me which i hadn’t seen. Naturally I asked her to come back to me after this revelation. Everyone else orders. Most notably Joseph gets the Josephina ravioli, very fitting I know. Once the zero hour finally arrived and I was forced to make a decision then and there, I did not take a chance on the ravioli, nor did I spring for the tortelloni. I, a man of class and high standards, ordered their mac and cheese. No toppings, no meat, no nothing. Just cheesed-up mac. As the other ordered started rolling in I started to get scared because they all looked absolutely scrumptious. All of the complex artisanal pastas made my dedication to my mac and cheese waver, I nearly even felt some regret. Then set before me was the finest plate of dairy coated pasta I have every witnessed. The consistency, the aroma, the perfectly browned layer of cheese on top. Taking my first forkful caused a single tear to trickle down my face. C’est tres bon. C’est magnifique. One could say it had a certain je ne sais quoi. But as they do whenever you find something truly sacred, the fiends began to swarm. Greta and Ruth started by simply asking for a taste, to which I agreed – I am a chill guy who likes to share food after all. But then, without warning, they began to descend on my cheese sauce with handfuls of garlic bread, dunking and swiping, leaving streaks of emptiness where rich cheese sauce once was. I continued to eat and revel in the meal, but the crows were flocking. In the end, my plate was decimated, not a spec of noodle or cheese sauce remaining. While I’m sure everyone enjoyed their own meals, everyone who tried mine surely had regrets about their ordering choices afterward.
My reaction to receiving my mac and cheeseSpokies at the Spoke on Center
After dinner we headed back to the Airbnb, another successful day for the spokies, very generously funded by mother and father Schmitt. All parties, tired, speedily headed to bed in preparation for an even longer and more arduous day tomorrow.
Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT — 114.1 mi, 4,019 ft
if you read the byline, you probably realized that sarah is about to tell you about the 2ND LONGEST ride of our spokes journey.
and if this day wasn’t going to be long enough already, it decided to start BEGRUGINGLY early at 4 in the morning, as i was woken up by red, itchy bug bites all over my body. it seems no matter where we are, the bugs decide to attack me the most consistently. i think they realize that, being from the barren desert, i have the most untainted, fresh blood. you’re welcome, my fellow spokies 😌
anyways, enough with the dramatics. i actually got up and out of bed around 6:30am: we had 114 miles of biking ahead of us, so we had to get started as early as we could (or at least try to). last night we stayed in our warmshowers’ host greg’s “project house”: a house he was currently in the process of renovating. this worked out perfectly for us: we could spread out and sleep wherever, had plenty of room for bikes, and got to be the first to test out the showers! i chowed down 2 bowls of CTC and a banana before heading out right before 8am.
leg 1 was a tame ride out of grand junction mostly on bike paths far from the busy roads. i usually put on music when i’m alone, but this morning i decided to listen to the world around me instead (as well as save my battery for the long day). i passed a sign at the entrance to the city and quickly snapped a photo for the blog and my old high school pole vault coach: she went to school and vaulted for the college in grand junction! i got the rare chance on a rest day in colorado springs to meet up with her (and her husband) and catch up for the first time since she moved away last july. i truly couldn’t have made it to MIT without her—if you’re reading this, gabby, it was SO nice to see you again! (and thank you jason for helping coordinate the surprise!) 💗 joseph and tian eventually catch up to me, and we make it to the 1st rest stop of the day—a cafe (my favorite)! after my order got messed up (and fixed, even though i was nervous to ask for a redo…) i walked out with my usual iced chai, a strawberry cheesecake cookie, and an extra latte, which ended up being taken by ruth, who was hyper for the rest of the day. i think the energy on such a long day was appreciated, though :))
bye bye, grand junction!
bridge into town
cafe-goers
my pre-114-miler treat
knowing the scarcity of society for the day, i stepped into the restroom real quick before heading out for leg 2, and when i came back out, i see that everyone had already left (except for joseph): uh, rude much? 😐 anyways, the two of us set out to officially leave grand junction—and civilization. we spot another cyclist on the road, and while joseph keeps insisting it’s ramona, i know it’s not (it isn’t her). i decide to call my parents to check in on things: i haven’t mentioned it yet, but i would be seeing my parents in moab!!! long story short, we had a housing gap in moab for quite a while, and they decided to fill it in! they have been meaning to go to moab for a while, and it would also be a good chance to be with me for a bit since i would be gone all summer…sorry :(( they came in the night before, and i hear that they are getting settled and already starting to prep for dinner that night! with rest stop 2 being only a few miles away, i see a suspicious clump on people on the side of the road ahead of me. joseph and i pull over and realize that ramona was having tire issues. the car was also stopped and packed with water, food, and supplies, so we collectively decided to make this an unofficial rest stop 2 and move on to “leg 3.”
this is when we start making our way into more desert scenery—what i’ve been joking is “my territory.” even ramona commented on the actual excessiveness of shrubs: having made a quick stop in nevada herself, she (and i) know what REAL desert will look like. we start chit-chatting, and some of us come up with 4-lined poems, to pass the time. we hit a bit of gravel (tian’s least favorite thing ☹️), but there’s an unexpected bathroom at the top! then, after a quick, short climb, we speed down to the sign signaling that we had made it to utah!!! i was a bit sad, since from here on out all the states will be old news to me, but was comforted knowing that i actually would be seeing new areas within these “old” states. even so, traveling by bike really gives you a truly unique perspective on places and the communities that occupy them, so i realized i was actually excited to get to see familiar places in a new light! i ate my first of 2 sandwiches (my 1st double sandwich day), we took some pictures, and set off into the sands of utah 🦂
we’re here!!!
casual with it
juice
bathroom view
the gang
more tire troubles :((
various spokies with fruit, courtesy of ruth
hello camera-woman!
leg 4 was a longer one—17 miles. by this point though, the whole team was together, so we chit-chatted, played a bit of biker leap frog, and just tried to make it through the chaos of I-70. as various signs warned us that there were no services for the next bajillion (read: 40-50) miles, we realized we were truly in the middle of NOWHERE. this is where i started to feel it: i was consistently just a tad uncomfortable in my saddle, the wind was just a bit too intense, the sun a bit too bright, the road ever so slightly inclined, AND my podcast wasn’t that interesting to me. the fact that we were just going straight for MILES also bothered me: my biggest dread is making a turn and garmin telling me to keep going for some 10+ number (where there’s no decimal that counts down faster). for the first time EVER, though, there were quite a few ENCOURAGING honks from cars on the interstate!!! this was so fun, and an instant mood-booster for the whole group. we power through and eventually exit to find ruth on the side of the road attempting to make a call, grab some food, water, and MUCH cherished AC, and set off once again—half-way through.
a selection of our 4-line poems
leg 5 was definitely the most mentally challenging of the day. the terrain was once again quite barren, but the winds were AWFUL 😔 joseph and i attempted to draft off each other, but that wasn’t even possible due to the fact that it was a mix of head and cross winds. finally though, we hit a left turn, and after some small hills, we see the canyon we are to enter draw closer and closer—the winds, now in our favor, helping us speed along. rest stop 5 is only 5 miles before an opportunity to dip in the colorado river, so we only rest for a few short minutes before heading on, but not before saying hello to ruth’s germanswiss european friend she’s on the phone with. i don’t normally partake in getting wet mid-ride, but this was MUCH needed (and i changed into swim bottoms so my chamois wouldn’t get soggy and give me sores when i eventually hopped back on the bike…eventually…) the current of the mighty colorado was, as expected, pretty strong, so we didn’t drift too far from shore. we tried (and failed) to play human bowling. we settle for finding larger rocks to prop ourselves up against and rest, allowing the cool water to wash over us. at this point, i realize that it’s late afternoon and we are still pretty far from moab, so i get out and get changed and pray the others will follow soon (and swiftly). i munch on more of my sandwich(es), and the group sets off for the canyons 🏜️
attempted selfie w/ ishaq
trees!
almost thereee
honestly, legs 7-9 were in short succession, and towards the end of this long, hot, and quite eventful day…so, a bit of a blur. what i definitely remember though was the views FINALLY starting to improve, changing pretty quickly from barren, monochromatic desserts to towering, colorful canyons. surprisingly (to some people), the desert can actually be quite spectacular and beautiful! besides maybe charles, i’m the only one who has seen views like this, and—unlike anyone—i’ve lived in them. so, it was a treat to get to see my teammates experience the stunning sights for the first time: it made me feel a bit of fresh wonder and awe for the yet increasingly familiar terrain of the southwest 🧡 even though the views we’re wonderful, it was hard to ignore our increasingly declining physical conditions: things we’re starting to hurt more, water was running low, hunger (for a real meal) was growing exponentially, and there was still about 20-30 miles to go. however, the road goes on, and so do we.
yesss red rocks
moab SOON
hi ishaq and tian!
as we begin the final, 10.5 mile leg, we get into single-file, hit a bike trail, and its full steam ahead to moab proper. AND, after hours and miles without service, the bars come back!!! this is especially important because it’s been WAY too long since we were able to update my mom on our whereabouts, and (as i predicted), after we were over half an hour late to dinner, she had sent my dad out to backtrack our route by car to make sure we were ok. while we were expected at 7pm, we came rolling in in two waves around 8:45pm…sorry for worrying you, mom! surprisingly, i managed to be apart of wave 1, even with a 2 mile climb in the home stretch—what can i say, i was VERY excited to see my parents, and VERY excited to SIT. DOWN.
while my fellow spokies helped to start arranging things at our place for the next few days, i was on a mission to track down my parents. i find my dad in the back, and (after a short walk) my mom at the grill making the final preparations for dinner. eventually, both meet at the grill, and i start excitedly debriefing about the day, showing them my cool uniform in-person—generally catching up. we bring back and serve dinner—chicken and vegetable skewers, pita and bagel chips, and hummus! while i was worried the energy would be low after such a long, gruelling day (something i warned my parents about in advance), there is conversation and laughter to be heard all-around. it was very interesting to see two very different groups of people in my life interact, but i’ve since heard all parties had a lovely time, which makes me very happy :))
thanks mom!!!
YUMMY
after some “heated” (yet, of course, laughter-filled) debates over the bed situation in the non-tian-and-ramona room (that i was dubbed moderator of due to it being the “schmitt’s” place), some DELICIOUS berry crisp for dessert, and a shower at SOME point, i crashed in a solo top bunk to prepare for some rafting and hiking the following day. i wish i could end this with some of my usual thought-provoking rambling, but it’s just 11pm, this blog is late enough as it is, and i have 94 miles to bike tomorrow. i will say, though, that this trip has solidly reinstated the gratitude i have for the wonderful people in my life who have gotten me to this point in it. i have to pinch myself every day when i think about where i am, what i’m doing, and who i’m doing it with—spokes and beyond. to ALL of you—thank you :))
with that, i’ll catch you next time for our rest day in bryce canyon! 🌵
Vega State Park, CO -> Grand Junction, CO, 60.9mi, 1551ft
I woke up after Ishaq but before everyone else our cosy campsite overlooking the Vega Reservoir. I biked to the bathroom and saw a bunch of geese going for their morning swim in the reservoir. I sat there for a bit. The sun kissed mountains, the geese in the water and me. I couldn’t imagine needing anything else.
Of course I did not have my phone to take a picture for you guys, however Ishaq came in a clutch with these pictures from the morning.
The view ❤ (can’t see the geese 😦 )Tian struggling with the sleeping padMe eating breakfast!
After some food, we packed up our stuff and I headed out with Ruth, my trusted companion. We attempted to speak only German for the first part of the day, an idea we had the day before. It was possible to string together sentences, but it definitely limited our conversation.
- Wie hattest du geschlafen? - Gut, gut... aber leider habe ich keine Träume. - Ah, ja. Träume? - Träume. Dreams. - Ah, klar. Ja, ich habe auch keine Träume.
The conversation was also made difficult because after we got out of the park, it was all downhill for quite a while. That also meant that the first rest stop came super quickly. We filled up on ice at a gas station and spent some time scheming how to make up for a deficit in water bottles (some were lost in battle with gravel yesterday) and electrolytes.
Soon after we headed out, we missed a turn, going fast downhill, but we saw a deer and then corrected our course. I drafted Ruth until the next major turn, but Ruth was without navigation, so then Ruth drafted me. It was still downhill, but there was a fair bit of headwind and the road was fairly busy. The shoulder was good, but lots of debris. Was good, but tiring.
me and Ruth going downhill
Then we turned on i-70, which was even more busy. So I was glad when we turned off it, only to be faced with a gravel hill and after that something that could only be described as not a road and very steep.
Me and Ruth let others know about this scam, but ultimately decided to climb the hill in hopes that there would be an existing road somewhere on the top of the hill. It took us solid 20 minutes to climb the less than 0.2 mile long stretch. There were times I thought that if my foot slipped, I would probably roll back down with all my bike, hit the prickly bushed and I was not sure I would have it in me to try again. But we persevered and made it up. And, guess what, there was a gravel road up there after all.
the “road”
And to make it better, the gravel soon turned to asphalt and we were back in business. The next rest stop was in a sweet little ice cream place in Palisade that was also space themed, called the Milky Way. I got some coconut and some peach ice cream, the latter of which was very good. But the rest stop soon turned a little sour by a discussion about budget and Spokes spending. The team ended up giving Charles and Tian space to discuss and headed further. They were there for over two hours. Poor ice cream shop. But these are conversation to be had in a project like this, so huge thanks to Tian and Charles for taking it on.
Then we arrived at a rest stop by the Colorado River and what I think was Corn lake, where we took a dip first in the lake and then in the river for the full experience. The current in the Colorado really is powerful, as we have found out on multiple occasions. But it was also more refreshing than the lake. After this we were almost exclusively on bike paths and continued so up until Grand Junction.
At the very end, we climbed a hill, short but not easy, only to find out from Steph that its the wrong house and we did not need to climb the hill. Once we descended and got to right house, we met Greg, who showed us the house they had been renovating for 3 years, which featured a frige full of fruit and electrolyte drinks, so we successfully rehydrated. Greg and Steph made us some amazing vegan burritos, let me tell you, I was so happy about the veggies, it’s always difficult to get enough of them on the road. And their friends, both of whose names started with K, but I cannot recall them exactly, brought us brownies!!! After nourishing our bodies, we spent the evening talking with Greg about our trip and hearing his incredible stories from travel and work. At some point I did all my evening tasks and went to sleep. I could hear Greg starting to talk about peaches and how they need cold temperature, but not too cold, and how in Palasade the geography makes it possible with Million Dollar Wind and the gas law and … I dozed off. I later heard the conversation continued about peaches and travel. Laying on my sleeping pad, I was thinking. I aspire to have that amount of wonder and awe for the world around us that Greg seems to have. A perfect peach, a solar eclipse, a beautiful road. All the things beautiful things in life I so often take for granted, that are actually quite remarkable. I think most people actually have the wonder, the interest in the world around, I definitely have had it, but somehow it tends to get burried in school, college, the future, plans, the past, whatever else and generally trying to do the right things in life. But it is also something that this trip is helping me find. Appreciation for the things around me right where and when I am.
It was during this train of thought that I fell asleep.
The next day, somewhere during our 115 miles, many of which we spent looking at a bleak, dry and flat landscape around us, I did a redo of a famous poem as a way to say goodbye (at least for now) to the Rockies, which we officially exited when we left Grand Junction. Here it goes.
Whose lands these are I do not know. The mountains vast, the river cold. I stop mid climb, awe fills my bones; If I stayed right here, could i skip the low?
These peaks and valleys They make me dream, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.
Glenwood Springs, CO -> Vega State Park, CO — 56.6 miles, 4887 ft
Sometimes on Spokes we are faced with tough decisions. Which lesson should sit out at the upcoming learning festival? When should the driver leave rest stops on days when everyone gets spread apart? Do we end Spokes today and just stay with our hosts forever until the end of time? Unfortunately on the last count, while the answer is clear, the decision to leave our hosts is always a tough one. It was hard getting out the door in the morning and saying bye to Barb, Lindsey, Birdie (their dog), and their fantastic cooking, but we all eventually lumbered towards our bikes and headed towards our first rest stop of the day, a free hot springs a few miles out from town.
The hot springs were surprisingly hot (I know, not sure what I was expecting). The Rs (Ruth and Ramona) got there first and changed into swimwear and bathed for a bit. The rest of us (minus Tian, who skipped the stop) pulled up a short while after and waded.
View leaving Grand Junction
Our fav dynamic duo hits the hot springs first
dap…..?
DAP!!!!!
Drying off
Once again, we peeled ourselves away from a place we could stay forever and biked together to the next stop. For some reason, we often ride together when Sarah is the driver for the day. It’s not on purpose, I think…? Or perhaps Sarah has some deep, sinister vibes that subconsciously poison the will to form a seven-rider peloton when someone else is driving 😬
I was feeling a bit slower today on the bike and my chain was making weird noises, so I troubleshooted at the second rest stop. I also found out the sushi wrap that Ruth had made me last night went missing! Not a great rest stop. And right before we set out again, Ruth broke the news that Ozzy Osborne had died. After explaining to some of the team who he was (and also why it was incredible that he made it to 76 in the first place), I put in my AirPods and played my favorite Black Sabbath songs. RIP Ozzy
In between rest stops 2 and 3 lay a long gravel climb. Despite the surface and the elevation, the climb was a reminder of how far we’ve all come as bikers since the start of the trip. When all of us are getting faster and more skilled on the bike, it’s hard to tell how much I’ve improved sometimes; however, I know a climb like this would have obliterated me on the first week of the trip. Now, it’s quite manageable. We reached the top and waited for one another. I took a scenic piss.
At the top of the climb
Tian selfie
Greta cannot figure this 0.5 selfie thing out
Ruth nails it first try
After leaving the last rest stop for the day, I biked with Greta and Ishaq to the campground. I finished my Ozzy tribute ride and took my earbuds out, Greta marveled about the Earth being round (?), and we tackled the final climb with some help from Fiona Apple over Greta’s speaker. The views coming into Vega State Park were gorgeous and our campsite was right next to the lake.
Ramona went for a shower/swim. The others went for actual showers. I helped Sarah chef up her signature Spokes meal — grilled cheese. After taking some very involved, personalized orders, we decided that the meal sounds a lot better advertised as custom melts instead of just grilled cheese. When it was my turn, I put literally every possible topping available on my two melts, made my bowl of tomato soup, and rocketed off to heaven. After dinner, Ruth, Joseph, and I drove to the campground facilities (rather far away since we were at the other end of the lake) and I showered while they did the dishes. I came out to see the sunset bathing the sky in warm red, yellow, purple, and pink hues. I helped out with the last few dishes, joining what was easily the most scenic dish washing experience I’ve ever had. Ruth and I also tried the tiny playground slide and I stung her with a nasty shock at the bottom. It was bad. Joseph heard and saw the spark from 20 feet away. We both screamed.
Dinner ████████▒▒ 80%
Campfire ft. Ramona making smores
Golden hour views from the dish washing station
Greta and her garbanzo beans
Late night campfire relaxation
When we got back, some of us sat around the camp fire, relaxed, and stared at the mesmerizing flames. Ishaq broke the tranquil trance from inside one of the tents by cracking a Sprite. After chatting for a bit, we dispersed for bed. Ruth and I played a couple hands of Gin Rummy with a cheeky hanging iPhone flashlight rig. Another Spokes day in the books — I feel maybe our coziest yet!
**EDIT: migrated the quiz to a new site! the old quiz was buggy, but has all the bios at the end if you’re curious.
Drop in the comments which Spokie you are most similar to!!
P.S. Sorry about the late blog! I officially entered (and am now exiting) the three-blogs-behind club 😞. Because I am vain and need the blog views (and I worked hard on the quiz :)), I am leaving this blog up at the top of the blog page and I will backdate it when someone else publishes a more recent blog.
Tian (I) woke up today with amazing sleep. Yesterday was a bit rough for me because my mind became very foggy and confused by the end of the ride. It might have been due to dehydration, a lack of calories, or a sudden rise in temperature, but today I’m back, better than ever, for a learning festival day blog!
Barb (Greta’s relative) made us an amazing breakfast of fruits, croissants, and peanut butter with banana on toast for me. The bread was so good! It reminded me of how much I miss a really good piece of bread. Sarah and Joseph (the learning festival floaters for the day) shooed us out the door in a timely fashion. They were so responsible, and that made me so happy. Honestly, how much we have grown as a team makes me shed a tear. What the people say about growing together might be true.
We arrived in the Garfield County Public Library in Glenwood Springs in a timely fashion and discovered that we would all be teaching in the same room! Cons: students are distracted by other workshops, and noise can be overwhelming. Pros: Spokies get to see each other run workshops, which builds camaraderie and togetherness. This is our 7th learning festival to date, and everything just ran as smooth as butter. Signups happened, groups were created, and we even tried a new rotation today due to Greta’s suggestion and Charles’ support. The small group size made the rotation work well, and I taught one less session! During my break, I sabotaged joined other Spokies’ workshops. In Ramona’s workshop, I made a Caesar cipher wheel and finished the cipher sheet (I wasn’t sure I could do it). In Greta’s workshop, I made oobleck for the first time and punched it. I was also regaled by Ishaq’s Tour de France talk and became interested in the race. We watched some of the highlight recap together, and I became more educated about the world of professional cycling.
Ishaq flexing his researchAmazing space for our 7th learning festival
The library had amazing facilities and also treated us to takeout lunch. We do love good Asian food and decided to all order from Kedai Pho & Japanese Cuisine. I am always craving Asian food, and the udon did not disappoint. There was a food mishap where Ishaq and Joseph’s meal didn’t arrive. Thankfully, this situation was resolved quickly by the library staff. Meanwhile, Ruth shared some of her meal with Ishaq.
Ishaq obviously loved the food
Ishaq and I have a machine learning festival workshop that we perfected over the past seven festivals. At first, other Spokies were skeptical about the fun-ness and hands-on nature of our class; however, we adapted our workshop to be engaging for all ages, from kindergarteners to highschoolers. We started each session with a presentation of how AI is present in our lives through ChatGPT, Snapchat filters, and self-driving cars. Then, we broke down machine learning into three simple steps: data, algorithm, and decisions. The majority of our class included four amazing activities/games courtesy of Ishaq and me.
Activity 1 trains students as pretend AI models. They are shown images that belong in category A and category B. They are then tested with new images that they designate as category A or B. We reveal what the categories are at the end of the exercise and score their accuracy. We review concepts like data cleanliness and AI’s pattern recognition. Activity 2 encourages students to draw happy and sad faces to train an online AI model. Students get to see in action how the lack of data often leads to misclassification and how difficult it is to produce good data. Activity 3 introduces the concept of unsupervised machine learning models. A pretend AI student classifies the drawings of their peers into categories with no guidance. Finally, Activity 4 introduces reinforcement learning where a pretend AI-robot student is guided by their peers through a maze, with a goal and a bomb. Other students give a number between -100 and 100 based on how the student robot is doing on the map. The student robot uses this number to decide its next move. A positive number rewards the student robot for doing well, and a negative number punishes the robot.
We worked out so many kinks in this workshop that I believe we have the best version yet. The activities are simple enough to scale down for a younger audience. I felt so happy and not as drained as I usually am after learning festivals. It is partially because the workshops went well; I taught 3 sessions instead of 4, and there were less students.
After the festival, Ishaq, Greta, Sarah, and I ditched the rest of the Spokies and headed back to Barb and Lindsey’s place, each with our own goals of napping, snacking, chilling, and blogging. I am in awe of Barb’s beautiful home and decorations. Soon, more of Greta’s relatives showed up, and Greta held a baby for the second time on this trip! I could never. We had the most delicious lentil coconut curry topped with mango chunks (courtesy of my amazing knife skills). This dinner was thanks to Barb’s hard work. During dinner, Joseph and Ishaq regaled me with Dragon Ball Z lore. Honestly, the lore was so ridiculous that I don’t know if they are lying to me or not. But, the creativity behind characters born in a no longer existing vegetable planet makes me believe that they didn’t make the story up.
I returned upstairs for my second serving of food and realized that birthday celebrations were in order for Ishaq. I returned downstairs to converse with Ishaq while everyone slowly trickled upstairs. Finally, I made the excuse of wanting to see what everyone else were up to and quite easily tricked Ishaq to follow me. Ishaq unsuspectingly walked into his birthday surprise. Happy 22, Ishaq!
Just as I thought the day was ending, we shuffled our way over to the freezing Colorado River. We played man in the middle, a game created by Charles, similar to dodge ball, except that the team escaping the bean bags was in the middle of a square play area. Ishaq took out Ramona with a hit to the face, which frightened Sarah enough to end the game. Luckily, she was fine. The Spokies entered the freezing river and swam along the current. Two pet ducks who were out for their evening swim also joined the Spokies.
Soon enough, the evening hit, and we were just about to leave when an ice cream truck pulled up out of the darkness. The duck owners were also trying to leave, but since the road was only one car wide, the ice cream truck and the duck owners had a faceoff. Unfortunately, the ice cream truck lost, but Greta and Charles acquired ice cream!
Well, everyone! Birdie just came into my room to sleep. I have been kicking this poor dog out of its bed for the last two days. That means it’s time for me to sleep too! Cheers to a blog published on time.
Frisco, CO to Glenwood Springs, CO — 93.9 mi, 3,266 ft
The morning is uneventful. We wake up, take down the tents in the backyard we didn’t even end up using, and wash dishes we were too lazy to do last night. I clean the rice pot 😫(cleaning the rice pot is not fun).
The bike ride starts off with amazing mountain views, ones that rival those I’ve seen in Switzerland — yes I did study abroad there thanks for asking. I’ve loved biking through Colorado and would honestly consider moving here, which is a pretty big deal because I’ve only ever considered the coasts before.
For our second rest stop, we enter an extreme tourist trap a cute market area called Vail Village. We hop off our bikes and thread our way through the crowds. I love markets and I love crowds, so I’m very excited about this rest stop. Once we park the bikes, we disperse. Sarah consumes a $6 loaf of banana bread and a lemonade with berry tea and passionfruit boba of an undisclosed price. Ishaq also finds himself with a most definitely overpriced drink. I don’t think I see Tian but I’m sure she’s having a great time.
I’m planning on laying in the sun and peacefully listening to the live music when Charles starts inquiring if anyone wants to play cornhole. I decide that yes, I do want to play cornhole, despite the fact that I suck at throwing and despite my fear of Charles trash-talking the fact that I suck at throwing.
Greta and I team up against Charles and Joseph. Ramona spectates. The rules are that a bean bag on the board is 1 point, and a bean bag in the hole is 3. The winner is the first to get 21, and opposing teams’ scores cancel each other out each round (e.g. if I get bean bag in hole but Joseph gets bean bag on board, the score is 2-0 not 3-1). Charles and Greta are standing across from me and Joseph. My memory is a bit foggy, but here is my best recollection of the events that took place:
Joseph starts out strong with bean bag straight in the hole. Greta and I think we’re cooked.
We shortly realize that was just a lucky shot and Joseph is in fact not good at cornhole.
Charles is also not good at cornhole.
Greta and I are good at cornhole.
Joseph almost gets bean bag in hole but it stops short. I shouldn’t be able to get my bean bag in hole without knocking his in, but against all odds I manage the impossible.
Charles gets a rare bean bag in hole, but Greta follows through with her own bean bag in hole, cancelling out all of Charles’ effort.
The score is 18-? (some low number). Greta and I need exactly 3 points to win. Joseph shoots. Bean bag off board. I shoot. Bean bag on board. +1 point. Joseph shoots. Bean bag off board. I can’t get a bean bag in the hole without going over 21 points, so I aim for bean bag on board. I get bean bag on board. +2 points. Joseph needs to get something if his team wants any hope of winning. Bean bag off board. I breathe deep. I hope for bean bag on board… bean bag hits grass… bean bag BOUNCES ONTO BOARD! +3 POINTS!! WE WIN!!!
If you didn’t read any of that, all you need to know is that Greta and I crush Joseph and Charles at cornhole.
Honestly, the middle of the ride was kind of forgetful compared to the epicness that occurred at Vail Village. The scenery turned more desert-y, and the air got a little warmer. I call my dad at rest stop 3, and he watches me eat spaghetti in front of the massive USPS sign I’m sitting in front of. It’s his brother’s birthday tomorrow, so my parents are preemptively celebrating at his house. I wave hi to my uncle and cousins, and they also watch me eat spaghetti in front of the massive USPS sign.
For the next stretch, I draft Greta for a while since I’m feeling lazy, then we catch up to Ishaq, and the three of us bike together.
I forgot to mention it’s Ishaq’s birthday!! Woo. We are secretly planning on getting him a cake, but Greta feels bad when Ishaq inquires about it. She cryptically responds with “good things come to those who wait,” which clearly indicates to Ishaq that we are in fact planning on getting him a cake. Good job, Greta👍
Rest stop 4 is actually laughable. We break at Dulce Tentacion, a very pink dessert shop. Everybody sits there silently for an uncomfortable amount of time, too tired to say anything. Except actually, Ishaq and I are full of energy so we’re just looking around and laughing at everyone else. I have no idea what’s wrong with the group but I’m having a great time.
Ramona and I continue biking together. We go through a tunnel with a sign that says “make noise through tunnel.” So of course we scream. (Since then Ramona and I shout anytime we’re in a tunnel together.)
Rest stop 5 is nearly is laughable as 4. Everybody is actually passed out, particularly Sarah and Joseph. Tian is nowhere to be found. I’m hungry so I eat mayo with rice — yes it was good. I have way too much energy for my own good, so Ramona and I head off again.
It’s so warm out that we start scheming to find a body of water to jump into. We did it yesterday, so why not two days in a row? We find a great spot to hop in the Colorado River. Unable to swim due to the speedy current, we resign ourselves to squatting. Ramona sees a fish, and I’m jealous so I also try to see a fish. Ramona is greedy so she wants to see another fish. We keep hearing splashing but turn our heads too late to see anything. After 5 minutes of fish hunting, we decide to give up on the elusive aquatic creatures and keep biking.
As we approach Glenwood Springs, Ramona expresses her disdain for the seven do not enter/one way/wrong way signs lined up next to each other at one road. I reply with “Americans are stupid.” She nods.
We finally arrive at Greta’s aunt’s house in Glenwood Springs. Barb and Lindsay greet us warmly, as well as their demure dog, Birdie. We have an incredible dinner of vegan quinoa curry, one that is also laughably silent and one that Ishaq yet again attempts, and fails, to revive. Oh, and apparently none of the nearby stores carry the type of fruit cake/tiramisu that picky Ishaq likes, so he actually will have to wait. Happy birthday, dude!
MIT Spokes 2026 