We woke up on day 7 to a huge thunderstorm. A front was coming through the area, and most of the riders camped out at the hotel for an extra hour and waited out the storm. We got rolling late, around 8:30, but luckily day 7 is a short day- just 54 miles to our picnic lunch at 1 pm in Pennington but we would need to bike efficiently to get in. The skies were cloudy, but there was no rain in the morning forecast and a threat of thunderstorms later. We made sure to vocally remind ourselves to be extra careful today, as day 7 on the Anchor House ride has had its share of biking accidents, some of them very serious. And the roads were very wet.
Before we knew it, we were biking across the Delaware River into Phillipsburg NJ. What gave you the first sign that we were approaching a bridge??
We rolled through the lovely northwest NJ countryside, over very familar roads from previous rides.
All was going well as we cruised south along the Delaware River approaching Stockton, when one of our cycling buddies went down real hard as he crossed a really slick set of railroad tracks. It was clear to us that he had likely suffered a concussion and a separated shoulder, but since none of us were doctors, we could not know the full extent of his injuries. As any of us would do, our friend insisted that he was fine to keep biking. My friends DJ, Chrissie and I stuck to our guns, pointing out the cracked helmet and his lack of memory of anything since before the fall, and we initiated a 911 call for an ambulance. Our logic and insistence prevailed, and within the hour, our friend was on his way to the hospital, still not convinced that he needed to go (turns out he did- more later). High praise to Chrissie and DJ for loyally staying with our friend as the three of us negotiated our way through this potentially dicey situation with our good friend. Turns out another rider had fallen at an earlier railroad crossing and suffered a broken hip.
Having lost an hour on an otherwise shortened riding day, Chrissie, DJ and I put our heads down and worked together to pound out the remaining 34 miles to the picnic. We got there with 30 minutes to spare and quickly wolfed down lunch.
At the picnic, we learned that the House had raised over $460,000, well on our way to our $500,000 plus goal. If you'd like to give but haven't had a chance, it's not too late (www.anchorhouseride.org/donate). At the picnic, awards were also given out, including a Spirit award to "Team Youts". So proud of our Youts!!
Before leaving the picnic, we heard from our friend that he indeed had a concussion and a separated shoulder but that he was being released and would see us at the mall. That made us very happy of course, and the parade route to the finish at Quakerbridge Mall was festive as we biked the last ten miles with a police escort.
The mall ceremony was short and sweet, with hundreds of family and friends cheering us on.
We saw our friend, his arm in a sling and smile on his face, as we picked up our bags and bikes and said our goodbyes. All in all, it was a wonderful week of cycling, camaraderie, and caring for one another and for the kids of Anchor House. Incredibly, not a drop of rain and lovely cycling temperatures all week in what had promised to be a wet week. Clearly someone was smiling down on us. This ride makes me appreciate my close friends and Anchor House riding buddies, the amazing volunteers who make this ride happen, and my favorite Anchor House cycling partner, my son, Adam.
Stay tuned for charity ride number two- the Pan Mass Challenge starting July 31. I hope my ravenous appetite subsides before then, otherwise I'll be carrying some extra weight up those Berkshire mountains...
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