Sea to Sound 2019 – Day One

Kicking off S2S 2019!

The band was back together again! Jimmy and Dr. B flew up from California. My dad flew up as well. We had three big vehicles raring to go at 8:30 AM (that's really early for me!). As we headed out to the Camp Creek trailhead from Port Angeles, we experienced a light drizzle and got a bit concerned of what the day had in store for us. Once we got out there, we could really care less. The beauty was breathtaking. We were surrounded by huge trees, ferns, moss galore, and that beautiful reddish-brown color of the leaf litter scattered throughout the forest floor. To top it off, there was the smoothest trail one could imagine going on for 15+ miles through this beautiful isolated area.

Couldn’t ask for much better scenery

When we arrived, we were greeted by numerous volunteers ready to rock. My awesome grandmother was in charge of the registration table. Other participants slowly started trickling in. We didn't expect a lot of folks, because we were out in the middle of nowhere, but we had two other wheelchairs, my crew, and a number of other cyclists. One of the biggest challenges for the day was the lack of cell service. We had anticipated this in our scouting and had radios at every aid station so we could provide support if anyone needed it. The biggest highlight of those first 5 miles came from a young woman named Makyla who rode her wheelchair past the first aid station with an enormous smile on her face. Her happiness was contagious to us all and we had a wonderful time underneath the huge trees chitchatting and taking in the beauty that was all around us.

Perfect fit!

We crossed the Sol Duc River and could hear the current flowing by through much of the first 5 miles. We saw Garter snakes, kingfishers, a bald eagle, a baby mouse, and the famous running Jimmy powering along in his sneakers. Another wheelchair joined us at the first aid station. We all snacked, filled up our water bottles, and chatted some more before heading off to aid station number two (AS2). It was smooth sailing through this section, we crossed the 101, had a few elevation changes, and came down some switchbacks. We arrived at AS2 to lots of chalk encouragement on the pavement and a wonderful family running the station. We had more snacks, lively conversation and headed on to that day's finish line. Here I would like to mention another special guest appearance of the day. Jeff Bohman. Jeff is the president of the beneficiary of this ride, the Peninsula Trails Coalition. His support, optimism, and presence was much appreciated by all of the riders. Big thanks to him for joining us.

Snacks and topping off our water bottles!

Through the last segment, we continued on the silky-smooth trail where we would get beautiful glimpses of the stunning Lake Crescent through the scattered trunks of enormous trees. We were continually uplifted by the sounds of birds and smell of forest around us. The final stop was just about 15 miles from where we started and we arrived to cheers and sandwiches after the day's ride. Running Jimmy jumped in the lake, our good friend Denise was there to greet us, and we enjoyed a well-earned lunch. We shuttled a number of people back to the starting point, some riders continued the entire distance to the Elwha bridge (Dr. B jumped in the lake at Devils punch bowl), and a few of us chair users decided to finish the last mile or so of pavement before getting a lift to the Elwha bridge.

Some great people happy to be outside

When we arrived at the Elwha bridge we were greeted by a few great friends, Sandra Boggs, and Todd & Karen Stabelfeldt. Kenny Salvini and Marsha Cutting also joined after riding their chairs all day with us. We explored the area, discussed the day's events, and waited for our three cyclists who were riding the final 25 miles of single track and highway that were not wheelchair friendly. We greeted them with shouts and cheers before all heading off to celebrate the day at Barhop Brewing.

Marsha Cutting admiring Lake Crescent

A couple things I have to mention about the after party… Barhop was kind enough to brew a beer special for our ride and even named it the Sea to Sound Session IPA. We were all thirsty and thoroughly enjoyed this beer. Big thanks to everyone at Barhop and Josh Blue for brewing this tasty beverage. The other big highlight was that Barhop was putting on a fundraiser while we were there for a woman who recently became paralyzed. Her name is Sara Hanson, better known as Chew, and she just got out of rehab earlier that week. The courage to come out in the public so recently after that kind of trauma is truly inspiring to me. The fundraiser seemed like a huge success and it was an honor to get to meet Chew in person. I'm really looking forward to spending more time with her once she's settled.

Altogether, we saw over seven wheelchairs throughout our day. We had 20+ cyclists and probably a total of 40+ people in our group.

Check in tomorrow to see how the second day of Sea to Sound 2019 went. It was a doozy!

Day one finish line for wheelchairs. Next year we should be able to make it all the way around Lake Crescent!

Sea to Sound 2019 – The Inaugural Ride

Big trees, ferns, and a smooth surface!

When planning my ride for 2019, we wanted to do something closer to home and find a way to give back to the community that has been so supportive. We decided to focus on getting people out on the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT). It's my home trail. So our goal was to show people the beauty of the North Olympic Peninsula, get them outside, examine the accessibility of the whole trail, and raise some money for the Peninsula Trails Coalition which benefits the ODT. It seemed like easy planning. We didn't have to drive across the state, figure out lodging for 10+ nights, or deal with all the logistical challenges that a cross state ride brings. As it turned out, planning the S2S was more challenging than any of my previous rides.

Supermom: Teena Woodward

How could you not?

This was our first time planning a lengthy, multi-day group ride. We wanted to provide aid stations at regular intervals, have swag related to the ride, get sponsors, and provide shuttling for anyone, anywhere, anytime if they needed it. We know our area is remote and logistics can be difficult, so we wanted everyone to know that we would take care of them and get them where they needed to be. This required finding lots of volunteers and organizing everything down to a T so everyone could be on the same page. It was mindbending. Fortunately, with the help of some amazing people, we were able to wrap our head around what needed to be done and turned this whole idea into a reality. Really big thanks to my amazing grandma, Beverly Dawson, Gary Weber, Lorrie Mittman, Josh Sutcliffe, Terry Gallagher, Buddy Depew, and of course my beautiful girlfriend, Celina Smith. Then there is one person who deserves a blog post entirely dedicated to her because of the amazing time and energy she put into this. I'm speaking of my mom, Teena Woodward. This whole thing would've never got off the ground without her. Thanks Mom!

The route we planned was the entirety of the completed sections of the ODT. It's currently over 70 miles and we wanted to encourage cyclists and non-wheelchair users to do parts that weren't so accessible. The ride began Friday, August 23, about 10 miles West of Lake Crescent just off Highway 101, at a trailhead called Camp Creek. It would finish a couple days later on Sunday, August 25 in Port Townsend.

Swag bags!

It was an exciting three days. If you want to read the whole story, stay tuned! I'll be posting all about day one's adventures tomorrow.

Ride the Willapa

A month or two back, my mom approached me with an event, in June, she had read about that she said was right up my alley. Although my June was swamped, I was intrigued and started looking into it. She was not wrong. The event is called Ride the Willapa and it kicks off in Chehalis, WA, which is about 30 miles south of Olympia. This was the fourth annual ride for this event. It is 31 miles from one end to the other, and I knew I had to be part of it. It's advertised as "an all-ages and all-levels leisurely-paced bike ride on the Willapa Hills Trail", which is Washington state's newest rails to trails project. I quickly cleared my calendar for June 22 and 23rd.

My biggest concern for this ride involved the surface. There are wonderful pictures on the website, http://ridethewillapa.com/, but many of them showed a dirt or gravel surface. I was willing to ride on some unpaved surfaces, but I needed more information. I reached out to Chris Brewer, the ride coordinator for this event and asked him to give me a rundown on the trail surface. He responded quickly and thoroughly letting me know that the first five and a half miles were paved, but after that it was going to be an off-road experience. He explained that after the paved section, I would encounter 7 1/2 miles of really nice compact gravel, followed by 5 miles of slightly more loose gravel. That would take me to mile 18. Miles 18 – 22 would be deeper gravel, but hopefully the many riders in front of me would pack it down. The 9 miles past that are used by equestrians and he could not confirm that they would be doable by me. After going over all the information that Chris Brewer provided, I decided I had to give it a try and go the furthest distance I'd ever traveled on a non-paved surface.

Ready to ride!

I knew my mom was on board, but I needed at least one more person for support on this undertaking. My delightful girlfriend Celina was my first choice, she was quick to agree. We rented a hotel the night before, charged the batteries, and prepared ourselves for what was bound to be a beautiful ride.

Finding friends from the start

We managed to get a few winks before heading off to the trailhead around 9 AM on Saturday morning. We were thrilled to see people of all ages heading off on the trail as we pulled up. Lots of children on bikes, parents pulling trailers with young tykes in them, and some older folks who were ready to put some serious miles on their bikes. I was the only wheelchair. We quickly unloaded and prepared ourselves for the day to come. While doing this, we were approached by a couple who follow my story and got a lot of encouragement which only motivated us more to undergo this challenge. After registering, we got our helmet numbers, used the facilities, and steeled our resolve for the day ahead.

Bridges, transitions, and plenty of riders

As Chris promised, the first 5 miles were smooth and spectacular. We traversed farmland, seeing lots of cattle, old barns, and beautiful bridges. Some of the transitions from the pavement to the bridges were a little jolting, but totally doable. We crossed beautiful rivers, heard eagles overhead, and saw verdant understory beneath towering maples. The last 100 yards of this first section ended up being the most difficult, some thick gravel with a very uneven surface. We then crossed the highway, did a brief stop at the first aid station, and spent the rest of the day on dirt or gravel.

Having a blast!

I was a bit nervous on what the bumps would do to my chair and body, my worries were eased after traveling a quarter mile on this new surface. It was very hard packed with a bit of leaf litter that further softened the ride. We crossed a few more rivers and soon came into a marshier biome. Scrub Jays flitted across the path, red-winged blackbirds and white crowned sparrows were heard all around us, and a headwind started to pick up. We enjoyed the exceptional scenery and conversed with other riders as they passed. We were charmed by the kiddos riding by us using good trail etiquette and announcing their presence, "on the left".

On to the dirt

The terrain changed again, and we found ourselves in more of an oak woodland with the occasional wildflowers and woodpeckers drumming away. We were now traveling along a river on our left and the sounds of moving water added more charm to the ride. However, the wind was still at our face, and I was starting to feel a bit cold. We pulled off, took my temperature and realized I was down to 94.5°. Living in the Pacific Northwest and loving the outdoors as much as I do, my temperature drops somewhat frequently, but this was lower than I prefer. We looked at the map and realized we had a couple miles until the next aid station where there was access to a road. We put the hammer down and continued to our next stop where I could send my mom for the van so I could sit inside with the heater to get my core temperature up. Celina and I amused ourselves watching the various people out enjoying the ride, and being outdoors. It took about an hour and a half to get me close to 97°, but the weather had warmed, and the wind had died down. We decided to push on.

Enjoying the trail with this beauty

Since we had the van, we decided my mom would drive 5 miles up to the next aid station and then start riding back towards us so she could experience more of the trail. Celina and I powered on by ourselves, enjoying the now quieter, less trafficked trail since we were at the back of the pack. My temperature and spirits were higher, the trail was still smooth, and we got to ride side-by-side enjoying the day. After a couple miles of this, the trail left the river and got into a more prairie like setting. More barns in the distance, meadowlarks singing their song, and unfortunately, deeper gravel. I kept it at full speed to ensure I wouldn't get stuck, but it had gotten bumpy and noisy from my tires rolling through this deep stuff. We finally made it to the third aid station, mile 15, met up with my mom and discussed what to do from there. We could get in the van, call it a day, or we could try to keep pushing through this deeper gravel. We spoke with the people at the aid station and they told us about a bluegrass band and a beer garden about 5 miles up and we knew we had to make it at least that far. Celina was game, my mom drove off in the van to the next spot, and our adventure continued.

Getting rougher

Those last 5 miles had a myriad of terrain and even more deep gravel. It was taking a toll on my battery, so we switched to the backup and I did my best to keep the chair on the trail. I was fishtailing all over at this point, and I will admit that I spun out a couple times. However, with bluegrass and cold beer in our future, we were well motivated. We came across some minor elevation change that brought us to a nice overlook of the river, the brambles and shrubs made a tunnel out of the trail. The surface had become more weedy and was becoming less developed with every mile. My shoulders were aching from the bumps, the chair was rattling more than usual, my concern was growing, and I was getting thirsty for a beer. Then we finally came to a lovely creamery, which had booths, lots of campers, a bluegrass band, and the beer we had ridden so far to enjoy. We had come 20 miles and decided to call it a day.

Triumphant!

There were 11 more miles that we could've explored, however, being heavily used by equestrians, having lots more gravel, and increased elevation change, my body nor my chair were ready for that. So instead, we sat around a table enjoying the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. We had seen some beautiful sites, been charmed by the variety of ages using the trail and shown that a power wheelchair could traverse the majority of this event. We were all delighted by the day and got a lot of praise from other riders and event volunteers. We had shown that this event was not just for all ages, but also for a variety of abilities. It was a ride to remember and I plan to be there again next year, hopefully I have demonstrated that chairs can enjoy this event and in 2020 I won't be the only wheelchair user Riding the Willapa.

The True Heroes of Ian's Ride

It's been a few months since the last blog post and in that time I came down with a nasty case of the flu and spent a lot of time watching snow fall. I've been really wanting to put out a few blog posts but just couldn't get in the right headspace. However, I've drug my feet long enough and we're going to start with this one.

2018 was another big year for me. We finished building my home and I finally got to move in. I got to spend a few days at our nation’s capital, with dozens of other chair users, to advocate for disability rights. I rode my wheelchair another 365 consecutive days, made a productive trip to California, and of course was able to get in another big ride. However, one of the most significant things to happen to me in 2018 was the formation of a little nonprofit called Ian's Ride. There are some really special people who came together and donated their time, knowledge, and support to get this thing off the ground. I’d like to spend a little time here acknowledging them.

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First, let me start with the two people who have been with me since the very beginning of this Ian's Ride journey. I'm talking about Deborah Nelson and Jeff Boyd. We first met a couple years back during my 2016 ride. They are both avid cyclists and love being outside. It was a fast-made friendship. Nearly two years ago they approached me and brought up the idea of starting a nonprofit so that I could continue to advocate for more outdoor accessibility. I loved the idea of doing more of these rides but was a bit intimidated by the administrative side. I've always been much more comfortable in the break room than in the board room. However, it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up and I will never be able to thank them enough for all they've done. Since then, I've been able to do regular trail runs/rides with Deborah to help her train for her lofty goal of a half marathon every month of 2018. We love getting some miles in on the Olympic Discovery Trail and it's always a great opportunity to catch up and share our fondness for the outdoors. I don't get to see Jeff as much, but we are both gear heads, and he is always super helpful in making suggestions to enhance my wheelchair's performance. He was pushing for those lithium batteries from the get-go. Deborah is the president of our Board of Directors, and Jeff is the Vice President. They're both great people and great friends.

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Next, I'd like to mention the man who undertakes the secretary role on the Ian's Ride board, Quentin Wildsmith. Quentin is an attorney out of Seattle and has done so much of the legwork to get this nonprofit off the ground. The administrative pieces to putting a nonprofit together were way over my head, but this guy handled it like an expert. Everything from the application, bylaws, incorporation, and the tax exempt filing were managed by Quentin. He always has good suggestions and keeps me informed on relevant Ian's Ride events on the peninsula. I don't know Quentin as well as some of the other board members, I really hope we'll spend more time together in 2019. I respect Quentin tremendously and look forward to getting to know him better.

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Lena Washke is the next heavy hitter on the board that I really want to tell you about. Lena is an accountant here in Port Angeles and our families have connected numerous times in the 10 years I've lived here. She holds down the treasurer role and has been unbelievably helpful with keeping track and managing our finances. This is an area where I fail miserably and having someone incredibly knowledgeable on the subject has been a godsend. She has sacrificed so much of her time and patience and has been all around wonderful. She spearheaded the setup for T-shirts and even a mass mailing that we tried. It's truly an honor to know her and her incredible family.

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Another standout director to mention is Steve Stratton. Steve's background is insurance and is the owner of Wenner-Davis & Associates Insurance in Port Angeles. I've known him for some years, and he was a big supporter of the 2016 ride. He's been an outstanding advisor on all the various insurance questions that come up when planning a wheelchair ride across the state. He is a friendly, down to earth man who always makes you smile when you're around him. I was thrilled to have him join us at my house for the culmination of this year's ride and quite chuffed to share a victory beer with him minutes after the rides completion. He also dabbles in brewing, which makes me that much fonder of him.

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Finally, I'm honored to have Laurie Stewart as one of the directors for Ian's Ride. Laurie is the CEO of Sound Community Bank and has so many awards and accolades associated with her it's dizzying. Just recently, she was named American Bankers Community Banker of the Year and her name was in lights in Times Square. She has been quite valuable in helping with bank issues and just sharing her expertise, which she has no shortage of. It truly is a pleasure having her on board.

These are the true heroes of Ian's Ride. I'm just a guy who loves being outside and enjoys long rides in his wheelchair. The people I've mentioned do the real work and are always helping behind the scenes. These are busy, professional people who take time out of their hectic schedules to help me advocate for a more accessible outdoors. I most definitely could not do what I do without their help. I don't know how I ever got so lucky to be associated with such special people. It's been a real pleasure to mention how great they really are.

That’s enough for now. I will be posting again soon to tell you all about my recent trip to California.

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Thanks to the Supporters and the Crew

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Oh how time flies when you're having fun. I can't believe it's been over a month since I made it home from the big ride across the state. I will admit, it took me at least a week to decompress and rest my body after all those days on the road. After catching up with all the e-mails, messages, social media posts, and life in general I'm finally ready to express some post-ride reflections. But it can’t be done all at once. I need to start with the good people that were part of this. And there's quite a few who helped make Ian's Ride 2018 a success.

Chair adapter extraordinaire!

The brains behind our electrical modifications.

First off, I want to thank a few people who really helped in the background and haven't got the acknowledgment they deserve. I'll start off with Steve Smith and Russ Woodward. These two were the brains and muscle behind adding the lithium battery to the back of my chair. I never could have put the daily miles I did without the incredible ingenuity these two contributed. Steve is super handy with anything electronic, and Russ never ceases to amaze me with his incredible fabricating skills. Big thanks to both of you for all you did to help me in this endeavor. The next person I want to acknowledge is Kayleigh King. I met Kayleigh through my friends at Nelson Boyd Attorneys during my 2016 ride. She was a tremendous help with social media and even joined us at one of the breweries with her family. She is really awesome! Anyway, she came through again this year and really helped us out with aspects of the website and blog that we could not have dealt with ourselves on the road. She has a wonderful eye for design and a technical knowledge that proved invaluable. Thank you so much Kayleigh!

Now onto the crew… These are the people that were with me in the trenches. They put up with heat, smoke, long days, roadside food, and a slow 7 mph crawl across the state. They each set aside two weeks of their precious summer to spend time with me, and I couldn't have asked for a better group. I love each of them dearly, and the memories I have with them and this trip will be strongly cherished for the rest of my life. I'll try not to prattle on too long about each of them…

Josh Blaustein (Dr. B)

All smiles.

When it comes down to it, Dr. B is the reason I do these rides. He brought me on my first bike touring trip back in 2006 and has been one of my closest friends ever since. After I became paralyzed, he would schedule bike touring trips, so they would begin or end near my home in Port Angeles, so I could still feel like part of the crew. He's got one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know, has a sharp wit that keeps me on my toes, and has the kind of attitude that makes you want to be around him constantly. I'm so fortunate to have this man in my life, and as I've said before, he is truly the heart of these rides.

Josh Sutcliffe (Chauncey)

Josh really enjoys a good beer.

There is a lot to say about this guy. I met Josh several years ago when he was interviewing with me for a job as an attendant. I rarely hire males, but everything about Josh made me smile, and his keen interest in outdoor athletics made him the perfect match for me. I have never once regretted bringing him on the team. However, he is so much more than an employee. He is a close friend and really part of the family. His jovial demeanor, constant optimism, and willingness to help makes him someone I'm proud to have in my life. His willingness to go out on an adventure at the drop of a hat, and his physical ability to do so, makes my life a lot better. This guy can run dogs in the morning, climb a mountain with me in the afternoon, and still star in a Shakespeare show at the end of the day. He really keeps us all smiling during the rides and is always there for me when I need a hand. Thanks for everything Josh, I'm lucky to have you.

Jimmy Quenelle

Sorry ladies, he’s taken.

That brings us to Jimmy… Oh how I love to give this guy hell. I do so because the damn guy is perfect in every way. I mean for Pete's sake, riding his bike across the state wasn't enough; he had to run more than 180 miles of the way! He is an animal, physically, and one of the kindest, friendliest, most thoughtful people I know. His vast knowledge of natural history, beer, and all things outdoors keeps me in awe. He has taught me so much in our nearly 14-year friendship and some of my fondest memories are while in his presence. I've made a trip to California every year, for 10 years straight, to visit him and his family and I hope to do so for the next 10 years. He means the world to me. Cheers Jimmy, here's to an amazing friendship.

Ben Boyd

Ben cracking wise.

I have known Ben longer than I've known any of the other guys. We met back in 2002 when we were both attending Santa Barbara City College. We were both young and ornery and had a common interest in drinking beer, chasing girls, and playing disc golf. We became fast friends. He is a guy you can always depend on, super faithful to his friends, and has a never-ending fun-loving energy. He is not a distance cyclist, but he wanted to help and be part of the ride anyway. His contribution turned out to be critical to the success of our ride. Despite all the planning we never considered that the weight of people, wheelchairs, and gear were more than my minivan could handle. Ben really came to our rescue with the U-Haul truck he drove across the state. He was able to haul the bikes, gear, and an extra person to and from the start and end points of each day. Even more, he would deliver our stuff to the awaiting hotel room and make sure that the facilities were accessible. To top it off, he would take care of extra errands (such as beer runs, he is also a beer aficionado) we needed ran, check on us riders during the day, and he even got out there and put a bunch of miles in with us. He was essential. I don't get to see Ben as often as I would like, and to be able to spend two whole weeks with him was awesome! Thanks for everything Ben, I love you like a brother.

Teena Woodward (Mom)

She is awesome!

That brings us to my mom. She is always the hardest for me to write about because I could never illustrate in words just how amazing she is. She is my hero, my role model, and my best friend. She has done everything she could in the past 10 years to push me to succeed in life as a paralyzed man. The role she played in this year's ride demonstrates just how incredible she is. Every morning, she would wake up well before I to get started with the morning routine. She would stretch me, prepare the wheelchair, proofread the blog, make sure the crew was all up and moving, get me in my chair and ready, and all of this before she could even have her breakfast. She would then drive us to the starting point of the day and begin managing all the publicist duties and the social media aspects of this endeavor. She would have an hour or two before needing to bring Jimmy his bike and delivering us all lunch. That is just what she had to do before noon, the afternoons and evenings could get even crazier. The amazing thing about my mom, is she did all this without complaint and with a smile on her face. I love you mom, and I know how lucky I am to have you.

Trail time with T.

Love these guys!

Before I wrap this up, I'd like to thank a few others that deserve an honorary mention. I'll start it off with Todd Stabelfeldt, the Quadfather. He and his beautiful wife Karen drove all the way out to Spokane so they could start the ride with me. They both were also there on the final day to see me through the finish line. I love them both and was thankful to have them be part of the journey. Next, I'd like to thank Denise Smith-Irwin, Joe Meyer, and Tyler Schrenk. These three wheelchair users joined me on day 11 and really lifted my spirits. It was wonderful having some other chair users join me along the way to remind me of the importance of accessible trails. Next, big thanks to my dad, brother, uncle Al, and cousin Jason for driving/flying all the way to Washington so they could be there for the finish of the ride. My uncle Al drove all the way out from Wisconsin and the rest flew up from San Diego. I've got some great people in my family. I'd also like to thank one of my very best friends Matt Marks for also flying up to be part of this. Lots of love brother. Finally, a shout out to Kenny Salvini, Jesse Collens, Bonnie Richardson, and Marsha Cutting for making the final day that much better. Thanks guys for helping to represent the wheelchair trail riding community.

I could not do what I do without the love, support, and enthusiasm of the people in my life. Those mentioned here are just a few.