The weather report forecasted temperatures to be twenty degrees (Fahrenheit) lower than yesterday. I mention Fahrenheit because we are a global sensation and must be specific with temperature units. We were all very excited about this. The Joshs needed to wear extra layers as we started rolling. I’m a little tougher than they are. The route today contained no trails which made me a little nervous following some rough roads and hot days recently. It turns out today’s riding was very pleasant for the most part. Roads were relatively smooth with little traffic. When we did encounter cars we were given plenty of room. The temperature remained relatively mild and we were treated to beautiful scenery with a cloud scattered sky capturing our attention the entire day.

The mild temperatures allowed me to ride the entire day umbrella-less, which worked out great since my umbrella mount was destroyed yesterday. While we were enjoying the wonderful views, my mom was on the hunt for a new umbrella (Versa-brella) we had seen my friend Joe use early on in our trip. She managed to find the umbrella and bought two. She looked like she had found a unicorn and was so excited. Speaking of excited, Dr. B. is extremely excited about trying out the new umbrella. By “trying it out” I mean throw it off a bridge because as he puts it “umbrellas are the Devil’s rectal thermometer.”

We really felt the support of everyone we met today. We were met by many friendly honks and waves. A woman stopped ahead of us and said she’s been following us and she’s inspired. I’m very happy people are getting behind me and enjoying what me and my team are doing. We had one individual however who didn’t seem all that supportive, although there’s a chance his message was lost in translation. I didn’t catch his name. While we we enjoying the sights and sounds of the road a black dog ran through a gate barking and began chasing us. The two Joshs sprinted away and left me behind. One of them yelled “we don’t have to e faster than the dog, just faster than you.” Okay, that was a lie.

We made it to Castle Rock, which was our original destination for the day. After eating a delicious lunch at a local bakery we decided to keep on moving. The weather, the roads, the scenery were ideal for putting some miles on the chair. We made it about seven miles beyond Castle Rock when my chair rain out of juice going up one final hill. I knew it was coming, but wanted to push my chair to the limit. Dr. B. gave me a little push to get to the peak and I coasted to a shady area and waited for super mom to pick us up and get us to the brewery. We all had a good laugh. This was the furthest I have ever ridden on a single charge, 32.5 miles in five hours. To finish out the daily stats, we had an elevation gain of 1200+ (feet, not meters). My lips are tired.

Shortly after arriving at Ashtown Brewing Company we were joined by my brother Adam who will be riding the last two days with us. I’m very excited he’ll be with us as we finish our journey. I think Dr. B and I drank a teeny tiny bit more than we should have. Don’t judge us. Josh S. behaved responsibly, because someone has to. The brewery was very generous and provided us with our uniforms (t-shirts) for tomorrow. The atmosphere in the brewery was great. We met a lot of new people interested in my story. When we went to pay for our drinks we were told our tab had already been paid. We’re not sure who the made this kind gesture, but we think we know. I’ll just thank everyone we met for providing us with a good time and making us feel welcomed.

We ended our night on the town with a delicious dinner at a Chinese restaurant a couple from the brewery had recommended. We ordered five dishes. Three of the dishes were for Josh S. Adam, my mom, and I to share. The other two were for the pain in the ass vegan Dr. B. I don’t know where he puts all that food.

Looking back I would give today a huge stamp of approval. Good riding, good company, good beer, good food, good spirits. Onward to Portland!