Day 69: Santa Rosa, CA to Mill Valley, CA

• Distance: 47.61 mi
• Elevation: 1,729 ft
• Dedication: Bailey, Shelby, Greta, and Sydney, the four cancer survivors on the team
• Ride group: Collin, Eli, Mike, MJay, and Briana
• Host: Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church

It feels impossible to believe, but it’s here: our last full day of riding on 4K. It started out as a day of both firsts and lasts: I had Santi rooster this morning as a joke because he usually ignores the rooster, sleeps in, and wakes up anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes before dedication circle. He woke everyone up and then went back to sleep.

After our dedication circle this morning we had a team superlatives ceremony. I was named “most likely to be called 10 different names in one day” (I have accumulated a truly outrageous number of nicknames on this trip) and “most likely to make it up a climb” with Bailey and Grace (Lo and The Knees!). Some superlatives were really funny, others were really wholesome, and only a few were a little awkward…

Most of the team then biked a short distance to a cafe my dad had recommended to me. It crossed my mind that he and Beth might be there too, and sure enough there they were! Dad generously covered breakfast for everyone which was much appreciated– the table nearest us gave a group “thank you Larry’s dad” in unison, which was only a little scary and very sweet.

The rest of the day, much like the past few days, was very slow. We made several stops with another group that was a little bit ahead of us which slowed us down a lot. We weren’t really in a rush, but at a certain point I really just want to get to the host! We only had one water stop today and I felt a little bad because the first group moved very fast today, which meant Glenn and Tori had to sit in the van waiting for the last two groups for several hours. They weren’t upset about it though and we rolled from the stop quickly so they could get on their way.

Today was also a big day because I found my first ever road beer (a High Noon, but still)!!! I follow this guy on TikTok who is constantly finding unopened drinks on his bike rides and I’ve been keeping my eye out for one since Day 1. There have been several false alarms, so when I saw the High Noon I almost didn’t stop because I didn’t get a good look at the seal. But when Mike asked “was that High Noon sealed?” I immediately hit my brakes and turned around for it. It was such a small and stupid thing but finding one on the last full ride of the trip made my entire day. It was about a thousand degrees from sitting in the sun so I tucked it in my jersey pocket and saved it for later :)

We were on a nice trail getting to Mill Valley, complete with traffic lights just for bikes at the intersections! At one point we crossed a bridge that didn’t really go over a whole lot of water, but we caught our first glimpse of the San Francisco Bay. My group stopped to admire the not-so-great view and relish the fact that we have so very nearly biked from coast to coast.

Tonight we’re staying at a church in Mill Valley, only a few miles from San Francisco. After showering (and a semi-covert trip to REI and Target with Maggie) I took some time to work on my paper plate creations– earlier in the week we drew names and were tasked with decorating a paper plate for that person however we saw fit. We later gathered as a group and shared our plates and a few kind words or memories for our person. I drew Glenn’s name and decorated his plate with an outline of his iconic beard (with Bailey’s help); Santi drew mine and drew a goose and some funny memories/sayings from the summer. It was a really sweet activity and made us all very emotional– there were a lot of tears as we all hugged afterward!

The rest of the evening was spent sharing 4K confessions, signing jerseys, and just enjoying our time together. Later I drove with Grace, Santi, and Jack to pick up a special guest for tomorrow: Chase!!! He was able to get away from medical school for the weekend and join us for arrival which is so great! I made sure to close my eyes when we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge so I can see it for the first time tomorrow :)

We’ve all come to have so much love and appreciation for this team and tonight was a heartwarming but bittersweet last night with everyone together. I feel like we’ve all become just a bit closer and appreciative of this journey in the last few days as we’ve realized how imminent the end is. I’m trying to ignore the fact that this is our last sleep together!

Until tomorrow– our last day :) :(

Lauren