Day 13

I woke up in a warm room. It was still early and I felt tired but not cold. We did the morning routine of getting everything packed up and onto the bike. It was extremely cold in the mountain air and in the distance clouds met with mountains in a white mist.
The morning riders' meeting proceeded in the freezing cold. Dad opened it up in prayer and it started after the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. It went by quickly and before I knew what was happening we were getting ready for the road.
All the chaplains had come back from the accident the day before. Now all four of us were on our bikes, ready to confront the freezing cold weather and the hundreds of miles that lay ahead.
We set off and the wind that blasted our faces was filled with moisture, making the ride more miserable. I had my hands in my coat the whole time.
We got through the mountains and to the plains, where it warmed very little. But now our concern was the rain that was straight ahead, so thick it almost looked like fog.
We did not stop. We did not get our rain gear on. We just kept riding.
Somehow we missed it, just barely, and got to Raton, where we stopped. I got some breakfast there and put my rain gear on.
The sky finally cleared and it warmed up enough to be comfortable. We crossed into Colorado and the desert became prairie. I was in my home state.
We stopped in La Junta for lunch. The rest of my family and some friends had come to meet us, since we were so close to home. Even my Grandmother and Grandfather, who had been in their winter home in Texas for months came and surprised us! We had a great time and when we left, the family followed along with some friends as well. They would camp with us that evening.
As we left my three very best friends and their mom said hello and goodbye with one wave as we turned the corner heading north to Limon. I hadn't even thought they knew about Run For The Wall! But apparently they did, and I was happy to know they had come as well.
The next leg was nice with an even temperature and clear skies. We stopped after a hundred miles for gas and things were going well. I got my rain gear off in the time I had before we left.
But the wind kicked up and we were cold all the way to Burlington, where we had dinner, talked some more with the family, and got tents set up for the night. Since family was with us that night, the parents got their own tent, my sister got her own tent and my brother and I shared one. It looks like a good end for the day.