12 July 2000, We had a late start from the Lexington Park/Patuxent Ward chapel in California MD. We were supposed to leave about 1 PM. There were troubles with the Henderson van. It was misfiring, in a short time Dennis Reed had it functioning properly. Once everything was loaded in the trailers (Mark Henderson’s and Ralph Gibson’s) and cars we proceeded to leave. Or at least we tried, my van decided it didn't like the new distributor cap I put on it earlier in the week. I have become quite adept at changing the Cap in short time. 15 minutes later we were on the road. We picked up more riders at the Mattawoman Beantown Road Park and ride. We also switched the bike trailer to the back of Jeff Heath’s big dodge truck. At this point Beth and Diana (in Diana’s car) did not have any riders in the car with them. We were probably a good hour and ½ behind schedule but it didn’t really matter. The next stop was the overlook outside of Frederick MD. We always stop to re-gather the convoy and pick up Brother David Gray and one of his sons. He has now ridden the ride with each one of his sons. This year it was his youngest son’s chance to go finally. He was ready too. At this point Beth and Diana now ended up getting passengers when the kids played musical car seats.

We had some new first timers this year, Bishop Carl Torgensen, Hyrum Shewell, Kyle Davis, Oscar Meza Jr., Phil Sprinkle and his son Garret, John Franklin, Martin and Mason Kearns. There were others, from North Carolina: the Dave Henderson and family and friends. Brother Dave Rice brought his grandson this year too. David Lyons and Ralph Gibson were the Trail Bosses for this year. Thursday night brother Robert Bailey was going to be picked up and join us as a trail boss too. Everyone arrived in Cumberland with no problems and we all had our last "Fast Food" for a couple of days. Soon we were on the trail.

In the first few minutes of the ride I knew we were going to have mud to contend with this year. The trail was in good condition but we had so much rain in the months and weeks before the trip that there was water in places where there wasn’t supposed to be any. We saw more mud in the 10 miles from Cumberland to the Spring Gap campsite than we did on the entire 1999 trip. The campground was in better shape this year though.

This was the first year I had my new Specialized Rockhopper A1 comp to ride. I also took my new 8’ x 8’ dome tent and a better air mattress to sleep on. To inflate the air mattress I had a battery-powered pump that did the job in a couple of minutes. I also used a fleece blanket style sleeping bag since a regular bag is normally too heavy for this time of year. So I thought I was all set. The evening was uneventful, except the kids seemed to have more energy than they had in the previous year. The ride from Cumberland is supposed to wear them out. It didn’t this year. Everyone hit the rack after the devotional by the two Bishops, Carl Torgensen and Dave Henderson, Mark’s brother. Some sleep before the first full day of riding on Thursday is always a good idea.

 13 July 2000, Breakfast was the usual staple, pancakes, bacon/sausage, and juice. While everyone else was getting ready Beth and Diana were taking it easy relaxing in their folding chairs. That will be the first picture you see when you review the pictures of the Bike Trip this year. Soon we felt a few drops and it started to rain as we were making the final preparations for the day’s ride. Carl walked nonchalantly out of the porta-john and loudly asked everyone if it had stopped raining yet. It had not! His cheerfulness and humor helped to ease the tension the rain causes. The rain was coming down, but not real bad. Beth took some pictures of Travis and I ready to go. Soon everyone was on the trail. Well, almost everyone, I was in the campsite waiting with Hyrum for Carl and Kyle. Travis left with the main group. Soon we were rolling too. It wasn’t long and we started to catch up with the main group. We were a few miles down the trail and decided the rain gear was too warm and cumbersome so we packed it away. At one point Kyle had his poncho up around his neck and it was flapping like a flag behind him. I wish I had my camera ready then. The ride went well, there was allot of mud but not the tire sucking kind we’d seen in previous years. The National Park Service’s trail maintenance has paid off. At one point in the morning Hyrum was riding along and saw a bike just off the trail. As he approached he noticed one of the kids laying stretched out. It seems that young fellow had underestimated the mornings ride and did not eat much breakfast. He was fine. He just needed some extra rest. Hyrum took his picture before he woke him up.

Everyone stopped at the Paw Paw Tunnel again this year for the 2^nd annual hill climb competition. I didn’t even try. I knew I wasn’t in good enough shape. I did have someone take a picture of me with the Tunnel in the background. See, I actually have been there! I went through the tunnel. I think Carl went over the top though. Lunch was a feast of lunchmeat, chips, cookies and Gatorade. There were gnats everywhere so we were all doing the Virginia wave. After lunch everyone was anxious to get back on the trail and away from the gnats. When the trail neared Hancock, we started being able to taste the ice cream. We were all muddy and wet. The store owners were still very helpful and cheerfully served each of us. Ice Cream, what a great treat before the last 10 miles of the day. Hyrum, Oscar (Sr.) John Franklin and I took a group of kids and headed down the paved rail trail toward Fort Frederick. I had never been to the end of that trail. This time I did to see if there is a cut over to the towpath, there isn’t. We had to turn around and double back to find it. I had asked people, but they left out details or didn’t know and pretended they did. We only had to backtrack a little, with only one other short wrong turn (my fault, again) before we found the trail again. A road hogging UPS truck almost made some bikes into hood ornaments on the detour. Soon we were at Fort Frederick.

Each year we seem to remember that Fort Frederick is around mile 110. It is not. It is about 111.5 where the main road is and about 112 is where the shortcut goes through the woods. This year there were a few people including Travis that went too far. They went to 110 and stopped there. Travis came back to find the camp and get help, I headed out to gather the rest of his group but they also backtracked and found the camp. My van was at Fort Frederick waiting for us when we arrived. Since there were more vehicles at the start point at Spring Gap than available drivers/Trail Bosses, Beth and Diana shuttled my van to Fort Frederick Thursday morning. Mark and Dave Henderson had to go back to get Dave’s van. While they were gone, dinner was served. No one saved any spaghetti for them.

Everyone seemed to think they would get dinner while they were picking up the van. That was a mistake we won’t make again. I felt really bad. The last of the noodles had been burned in the pan and the last of the meat had already been dumped before they returned. Mark and Dave drove into a nearby town and had to buy their dinner. The next day the vehicles would not be a problem. Phil and his son decided to not ride the rest of the trip so Phil was available to drive and so was Bob Bailey. Ralph met him and picked him up that night too. We all were indoctrinated in the fine art of potato shooting that night. Scott Henderson brought a homemade potato cannon with him. It was able to shoot all the way across the river almost. Eventually everyone had cleaned up in the river and sacked out for the night after some good joke telling and a spiritual thought. The second full day riding always seems to come too soon.

14 July 2000, The smell of Bacon and Pancakes wafted through the camp as most started to rise. There are always those hardy souls that seem to always get up early and help with the cooking too. I am thankful they do. I think I finally made it out of my tent in time for prayer. Scott Henderson was the bike mechanic extraordinare on the trip this year. Before we hit the trail Friday morning he probably did repairs to several bikes. I’m not sure about the number, I know he willingly helped many of the riders. He has really become a fine young man. Soon he will be a fine missionary too. Everyone left camp about the same time and headed to the front of Fort Frederick for some group shots. I took pictures of Carl, Hyrum and Kyle while we rode on the pavement to the fort. Outside the fort I took some candid shots of some of our group including Travis and his friends. Once we were on the trail we stopped for a short time at the Dam where they have cemented over a breach in the towpath and we stop each year. Once again I actually had someone take another picture of me. I think I had more pictures of me taken this year than all the others put together. That smile on my face is real and so is the mud on my body and bike. It was a good ride to McMahon’s Mill and the detour. It seemed a little longer this year but it was still a nice ride. The creek at the mill is a favorite place to rinse mud off bodies and bikes. Travis was in one of the early groups to get to the mill. I was in middle. We always wait for everyone before we take the detour. It is better to do it in a group. The detour’s roads are not very wide. They are hilly to start but seem to be in good condition though. I think most of the local citizens are used to cyclist on the roads and exercise due caution. It is still the cyclist responsibility to ride carefully and be alert! The descent back to the Towpath (Dam four, I think) is a very steep one and the sign says for cyclist to walk their bikes. Most don’t, they ride their brakes and if there is problem they are ready to bail. In the couple years before I started my trips there were people in the group that had accidents at the bottom. There is a sharp right hand turn. This year we did not have any problems. Some of the kids were concerned about the hill but everyone did well. Lunch was well prepared and well deserved. The vehicles, the trail bosses and the FOOD is always a welcome sight.

Following the break we headed down the trail to the cave. When we arrived at the cave there was a group of people coming out. At this point our group split up. Those of us that didn't do the cave headed toward Snyder's Landing. Before we knew it we were there. They didn't hang out at the cave for long so soon everyone was ready to take the ride up the hills and then down into Sharpsburg and Antietam.

There are a couple of hills that are always a killer on that leg of the trip. I always find it strange that these kids and sometimes adults that have these multi-speed bikes don't know how to use them to climb the hills. I guess that sometimes they chose to tuff it out and hope they don't blow out their knees in the process. We were all ready for the campsite at Antietam. The tents went up quickly and the swimsuits went on. The creek was running high and cold. It was also murkier than previous years. That never stopped the fun. The thunder did though. Dinner preparations had started but the rain came anyway. And it really poured. Lightning, thunder, wind, and hail, I had to go out in it to put additional guy ropes on my tent to keep the wind from collapsing it. I was soaked, that is when I noticed the pea size hail. Some of us wondered if we should have set up so close to the trees because of the lightning. This is also when I learned my new tent was not waterproof. If there was a spot to leak it did. Surprisingly the rain stopped as suddenly as it started and we were able to have dinner and the ice cream social under rain free skies. That was the end of the break though. The rain even washed out the fire we normally have on that night. With our tents partially dried we settled into them for the night. The rain started again, some went to the vans to sleep. What a smelly wet mess that turned into! Travis and some of his friends stayed in his tent. The only leaks he had were at the edge of the wall where it reaches the floor. I stuffed my gear into the middle of my tent, used my beach towel to try to cover the vent in the top, and used clothes to act as towels along the edges. Eventually I went to sleep even with thunder and lightning. I kept wondering what we would do if it didn't stop.

15 July 2000, Luckily it did stop raining eventually. We woke up to overcast skies but it was not raining. I was really slow getting ready for this final day of riding. I just didn't want to rush. My tent was probably the last to come down. I think I was just tired. I wasn't feeling well and even after the group left for the trail I needed to use the restroom. I rode alone on the roads from the campsite to the last turn back to the towpath. Scott Henderson, his cousin/friend and Dennis Reed all waited for me. Once on the path they cranked on it. I stayed with them until we had caught up and passed one group. Eventually I could not keep up the pace and dropped back into one of the other groups. I think Dennis and Scott were first into lunch that day. I ended up riding with a good group of kids, including Brandon Bailey, Doug Jackson, and Collin Edward. Doug took a couple of falls and I tried a couple times too. I actually did take one right at the end of an aqueduct. I had stopped to talk to young Mark Henderson and Wayne and as we were commenting on the sign that indicated a cyclist falling from the side I did. My fall was because I had one foot clipped in and got off balance. I stayed on the trail fortunately I stayed on the trail. The ride was at a good pace and the trail had some mud but nothing like 1998. All in all it was a great day riding. I do wish they would keep the weeds and trees cut back more. The wet summer has caused them to overlap the trail allot in wooded areas. My little riding group stopped at Great Falls to use the real restroom! As we headed for the last few miles we heard Carl shout to us as they were leaving the overlook area. We took the direct route rather than the short cut/detour. Following the rock crossing the restored path is beautiful and smooth. Before we knew it we were at Carderock. It was great to see Beth waiting there for us. I always look forward to kissing her at the end of the trail and smelling her perfume. I am so thankful for her supporting me on these trips each year. This was another great trip.