Hopkins 4K for Cancer

July 23, 2005

Tonopah, NV
Chaos! This was the only way to describe the morning, and night for that matter, of Warm Springs, Nevada. We were played throughout the night by a raging thunderstorm that we thought would last only 30 minutes as we camped at the foot of the town’s former store, the only one. Even with rain tarps covering the tents, about half the team was still soaked by dawn. I had decided to sleep outside awning of the building, which kept my surprisingly dry, but introduced me to another danger. At approximately 330AM, I felt something crawl on my leg and brushed it off with my left hand. I screamed immediately waking half the group when I felt a sharp sting on my finger. I stood up to look around for the spider that I thought had stung me, thinking it was perhaps the poisonous Brown Recluse. Jessica deLeon in the tent closest to me handed me a flashlight, and I saw it. A yellow scorpion about an inch in length, sitting on the middle of my sleeping bag.

“Van keys, van keys!! Who has the van keys!” I yelled as I sought to retrieve the snake/bug bite kit from the medical bag locked away in the van. By now, everyone was wide-awake, but wondering what was going on. Steve posed the question in groggy and annoyed voice, “David, what exactly is going on?” The word ‘scorpion’ brought everyone to silence for a second as they all creeped out of their tents to look around their respective areas. We made the decision to go to Base Camp, a supposed military installation with medical facilities only 10 miles away and away I went accompanied by deLeon, Chris, and Franca. Aaron had taken pictures of the scorpion and let me borrow it for evidence.

The road to Base Camp was somewhat hazardous because the clouds had completely blocked out the full moon above, leave the free-range cattle to meander as they please along the road (we did see a trio on shoulder). I hoped the shooting star I saw was a sign of better things to come. Arrival at Base Camp was like passing through a small village when expecting a giant metropolis, there were only a handful of buildings with no checkpoint or medical facilities. One resident whose door we knocked on said that if I did not have symptoms at the moment, then I was in the clear. He did, however, advise to visit the ER in Tonopah just in case. I would hear later that at the same time, people were going to pee in the woods in groups of four. I saw another shooting star on the way back; I knew the day would be fine.

I stayed in the van from when we came back until wake up near 500AM, it was warmer and less hazardous. Everyone was tired and ready to hit the road as soon as possible. Van drivers were left to pack all group gear as people only wanted to use bathrooms at the final The mealike zombies, Steve went around the side of the building that we camped around to relieve himself and discovered a rattlesnake coiled up right at his feet. More yelling ensued along with more frantic movement. There was no morning meeting, clothes and tents were still wet, half the team skipped breakfast, and the other riders hit the road as soon as possible. As a precaution, I took the day off and resolved to make peanut butter-cracker sandwiches for the water breaks. Riders loved them. I was given the 100% clear at the Tonopah ER and looked forward to starting a fresh day of the 4K.

David


After a rough night in the desolate town of Warm Springs, we woke up at 5 AM and were eager to welcome a new day by quickly setting off to Tonopah. The thunderstorm during the night made it difficult to get a restful night of sleep. Encounters with a scorpion and a rattlesnake also made us very nervous and ready to leave. My group, still half-awake, decided to hit the road as soon as the tents were broken down and our bags were packed. Everyone seemed uptight and cranky after a stormy and eventful night… and I was glad that we started the day quickly as biking provided a positive outlet that enabled us to physically work off the inner tension.

Today’s ride was dedicated to Pat, our generous host at the AleInn in Rachel. The motorcyclists we met yesterday had told us that there are for hills between Warm Springs and Tonopah. Similar to the hills we’ve encountered recently, these were not major climbs, but rather very gradual ascends. At mile four, our one of vans has caught up to us and gave as a chance to grab something for breakfast and apply sunscreen. My team has decided to take short breaks and try to get to Tonopah as soon as possible. Jessica Lee joked, “maybe we’ll make it in time for breakfast at Mickey D’s!!”

With our goal in mind, the ride went smoothly as we excitedly peddled towards Tonopah. We did make it in time for breakfast, but once we got to McDonald’s we fell victim to the old habit and could not resist getting milkshakes instead.

Mail drop today!! As we arrived at the Silver Rim Elementary School,, riders who came in earlier were already happily reading letters and inspecting the contents of the packages they received from friends and families. The postcards and boxes of goodies that I got from friends made my day. More importantly, it gave us a much needed dose of the “real world” since we all feel somewhat disconnected from the world simply because we are on the road all the time. A big thank you to pastor Joel Cofer of First Baptist Church for not only providing us with a place to stay but also shuttling us to take showers. Your generosity really went a long way in renewing our spirits after a rough night!

The local Vietnam War veterans hosted a BBQ for us for dinner. Not only were there chicken and ribs on the grill, the veterans of Tonopah also organized a raffle to help us fundraise. The meal was delicious, and I was really moved to see so many people gathered there for one common cause. Thank you Tonopah !!

Jennie