Yelm was the first stop for 31 bicyclists taking part in the 1,500-mile, 23-day deCycles Pacific Coast biking trip from Seattle to Los Angeles.
The bikers kicked off their journey, Wednesday, June 19, in Seattle and rode 70 miles to Living Water Church in Yelm, where they stayed overnight.
This summer marks the 31st annual summer bicycle trip for deCycles, a nonprofit ecumenical youth leadership program based in Bloomington, Indiana. Members ride every day, often for over 100 miles, to learn about themselves physically, mentally and spiritually.
“For me, it’s really about the people I get to meet and travel with. The bonds are amazing. It’s basically a trip of the mind, body and spirit,” veteran deCycles bicyclist Doug Snow said. “It’s very special, and I’ve never done anything quite like it. You watch these students grow and mature and change before your eyes, and they’re gonna be much stronger cyclists after 1,500 miles. They understand teamwork and are much better people.”
Many of the riders train in Bloomington and ride over 500 miles to prepare for the deCycles trip. Oscar Ihnen, a 13-year-old participating in his first ride, is looking forward to completing the eventful trip, which includes visits to Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, the Oregon coast, Crater Lake and to San Francisco on Independence Day.
“I’m not nervous about the bike part. I’m nervous about being sore and stuff,” said Ihnen, who is joined by his father on the trip and whose mom and uncles also participated with deCycles. “I hope to just become a better bike rider and to make friends.”
Craig Morrow said he joined deCycles to satisfy his desire for adventure as an adolescent and to bring him closer to God.
“Whatever your vision of God is, it brings you closer to him. There’s hills and days that you don’t know if you’re going to make it, and you have to ask God for help,” he said.
After arriving in Yelm, the bikers enjoyed a cookout before heading to Toledo the next morning. Their trip will conclude on July 11 in Los Angeles, where Snow said the team, especially the newer riders, will have a stronger mind.
“You have to ride essentially every day. When you start on day one, you know you have 1,500 miles to go, but you just do it one mile at a time,” he said. “You make it into bite-sized, manageable pieces. For the students, what an incredible accomplishment and undertaking and being audacious enough to believe they can do it. There’s going to be some challenges, and the accomplishments and the sense of achievement is amazing.”
To follow the bikers’ journey through the Pacific coast, visit the deCycles Pacific Coast 2024 Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/deCycles2024. For more information about deCycles, visit https://decyclesindiana.org/index.html.
