Editor's Note: Haverford College volleyball rising junior Abby Keller will be doing a weekly blog on her 3,600 mile bike journey across the country as part of the Bike and Build program. For more information on the organization, check out Bike and Build's website.
Blog Entry No. 1 – 6/8/2015
This summer for 72 days, a group of 28 other 18-25 year olds and I are embarking on 3,600 mile journey of biking and building across the country. The program is called Bike and Build where eight cycling trips are sent from the East Coast to the West Coast to raise money and awareness for Affordable Housing. My group raised over $165,000 to go to Affordable Housing, and we started in Nags Head, N.C. and will finish in San Diego, Calif., on July 24th.
In addition to spending about 55 days biking, an average of 70 miles a day, we also work at build sites across the country with Affordable Housing affiliates like Habitat for Humanity and Mountain Housing Authority. An average biking day begins by waking up between four and six a.m., depending on the mileage, packing our bins (4,500 cubic inches maximum), packing the trailer (a van and trailer follow our group as support and storage of our belongings and food), eating breakfast, and cleaning up the host site. We usually stay in churches, community centers, or YMCAs.
After setting off, we will bike in groups of 2-5 cyclists. The terrain and mileage varies every day, but it has been an incredible way to see the country. Once we arrive at our host around 4 p.m., our group will shower (sometimes a hose or sink), eat dinner, and usually give a presentation about the Affordable Housing crisis and our trip. We also have build days with a similar schedule without the biking. My favorite build day was in Chapel Hill, N.C., where we spent the entire day on a roof nailing in shingles. I definitely have lots of blisters on my hands from all of my hammering usage.
Some of my favorite moments on the trip have been the hardest ones. We biked the Blue Ridge Parkway and through the Great Smoky Mountains throughout a 67 mile ride in the Appalachian Mountains. Our group climbed about 7,700 feet that day including a stretch of 18 miles uphill (with no leveling off or decline for a little break). It was definitely the hardest thing physically I have ever done, but the stunning views and hitting 41 miles per hour going downhill made the climb so worth it. The giant sweaty hugs at the top of the first mountain (conveniently also the North Carolina and Tennessee border) are something I'll never forget. In addition to the great times we have had like jumping into Lake Lure mid-trip, jet skiing with one of our generous hosts, and watching the sunrise every morning during route meetings, the trip has also had its scary moments. Biking into downtown Durham in the pouring rain so that you could barely keep your eyes open, having copperheads leap out in front of you while biking into Asheville, and dealing with reckless drivers almost daily have made this trip a true adventure.
Just three weeks into the trip, I know that this is the best thing I have done or probably will ever do. Spending 24 hours a day with a group of hardworking, selfless, diverse, and inspiring individuals is more valuable than I could have hoped for. It is the little things like the smell of the 6 a.m. air in the mountains, the copious amounts of peanut butter I have eaten, and throwing old cans of vegetables into a pot for an impromptu chili dinner are what make this trip so special.