July 8th, Waving the white flag.

Some fellow riders on my last day.

Well, I'm very disappointed in myself, but I've decided to cut this trip short on the advice of family and friends, and the better part of valor.

In the end, I rode 615 miles in 11 days, far short of the 2047 mile border to border ride I had intended. This is one of the great disappointments of my life, and I want to apologize to those who supported my efforts with donations, words of encouragement, and acts of kindness, especially Jim Fine and his wife Deb, and those who offered to come pick me up in Florence. I'm very grateful to ALL of you.

Not to make excuses, but here are some photos that illustrate some of the reasons I decided to call it a day. The crash was the least of the issues. In the end, lack of sleep was the biggest issue for me. I don't believe I slept more than 2-3 hours max/night. Too many people snoring. I began feeling really foggy, and no longer trusted my ability to navigate, and ride safely.

Both legs were vascular from training before departing. Both legs were swollen 5 days in.