A cache to commemorate 15 years as a volunteer for the Lotoja (Logan-to-Jackson) bike race. 2019 marks my 15th time coming up to this remote and beautiful area for this 200-mile, one-day, three-state bike race.
I first volunteered to help out at the Strawberry Canyon Neutral Feed Zone in 2005. The race that year came to be known as “Snowtoja”, and it was an experience to remember! (Check out my nearby cache, Lotoja 2005, for the story and photos!)
Other years have had their memorable moments too. One year a friendly stray dog joined the race somewhere early in Strawberry Canyon. A volunteer got a new pet that year!
Another year dozens of racers encountered punctureweed seed pods scattered all over a stretch of road before Preston, ID. I think that wiped out the spare tire supply for all of Cache Valley!
Racers have had broken chains and derailers and tires and everything else that can break on a bike. They've had collisions and road rash and heatstroke and exhaustion and, sadly, fatal falls and heart attacks later in the race. There have been heat waves and brutal headwinds and rain and fog and of course snow.
Some years the fruit we've been given to hand out has been less than edible. (Green bananas, anyone?) I started bringing peaches to hand out at our feed zone several years ago, and I guess someone mentioned them to the race organizers because the last few years peaches have been included in our feed zone supplies!
A few times my coworkers volunteered too, and once, we brought grills and cooked up a hot breakfast for everyone while we waited for the racers. Let me tell you, pancakes and sausages taste pretty dang good at sunrise in the middle of the wilderness!
Here's to more years of seeing sunrises and cyclists in the Idaho mountains!
Congratulations to conrenae for the FTF, who has supported their son in 21 Lotojas! Amazing!