Posting one day late due to connectivity issues.
ALS belongs to a wider group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are caused by gradual deterioration (degeneration) and death of motor neurons.
We arose early and gathered at our home in Topsfield at 5:45am and were on the road by 6:08. A bit of a murky overcast day was much better than riding in the dreaded "heat dome" that we experienced the last few days. The “Fab Five”, as coined by Steve started out from Topsfield with the destination of York, ME. The riders consisted of Steve Lopez, Charlie McIlvaine, Susan Warner, Matthew Sullivan and me – Dolly McIlvaine. Once again, we were blessed with an amazing LG crew of Rose Lockwood, Mark Warner and Doug McIlvaine.
We have three goals for this 4-day trek – raise aware of ALS; raise fund to find a cure for ALS; and to create and build a sense of community amongst ourselves and others as we ride to make a difference in the lives of so many facing this fatal disease.
We had a beautiful ride through the lush green roads of Topsfield, Ipswich, Rowley, Georgetown, Byfield and Newburyport as we then headed over the bridge on Route 1 and headed for the coast. Out first rest stop was Star of the Sea Church in Salisbury. Rose was ready for us with all that anyone could want at a water stop. Our spirits were high as the first leg was smooth sailing.
We headed up the NH seacoast through the beautiful towns of Hampton and Rye as we enjoyed the sights including a sand castle building competition. We battled but were not deterred by a slight head wind and dropping temperatures. It soon became evident that Mark was taking his LG role very seriously. It almost felt like we were being followed by a body guard as every mile or so, Mark would magically appear either passing us, circling back to find us or stopped along the side of the road watching us pass by. He soon earned the nickname of Waldo as 2-3 minutes would pass and Steve would ask – “Where’s Waldo” and Mark would magically appear.
Rose called an "audible" for the second rest stop as there was plenty of parking at Prescott Park so we got to enjoy real bathrooms rather than porta potties. Doug brought a special delivery of blonde brownies from our neighbor Joanne Spofford which soon became a fan favorite and Rose had stopped at one of the best bakeries in Portsmouth, The Elephantine. It’s not too hard to realize why we don’t seem to lose weight on these rides! The cool coastal winds soon brought in a chilly mist and most of the riders donned a windbreaker as we heading north into Maine.
Matt was feeling a bit apprehensive about the hills outside of Kittery as some old injuries were causing some angst however he tackled the hills and the last 18 miles with ease We soon were rolling into Nubble Light, which is always a highlight of this route. While most of us enjoyed more treats from the LG;s, Charlie soon realized that the rocky shore provided another fun outlet on his mountain bike and much to my dismay, began traversing the boulders on his bike! Oh to be 18 and fearless!
Another short mile and ½ and we were at our final destination for the day, the home of our dear friend Ellen Fisher and her rescue pup Nate. Ellen is an amazingly kind, compassionate, generous and gracious hostess and Nate is just a love. Ellen opened her home to us and surprised us with ALS Ride for Hope II hats. She had an amazing spread of food both for lunch and dinner and had ALS Ride for Hope Stickers spread throughout her home. She is one of the most passionate and enthusiastic supporters anyone could ever imagine and we are blessed to call her a friend. After much food, drink, fellowship and continuously checking the weather app, we headed for bed and prayed that the thunderstorms that are forecasted for the morning never materialize…
Thanks for checking in on us. If you are interested in donating, here is the link to Team Hope's page.
https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/TR/Endurance/Massachusetts?team_id=414726&pg=team&fr_id=16384
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