Trip Pictures

"Oh the places you'll go."

"Daddy rides for those who died."

Finally, something steep to ride!

Denver PD Detective Donald Young's name on my bike & the Memorial

Cyclists arriving at the Memorial

A page from the play book.

Chamonix visits the riders in DC

A Beautiful Maryland Day

No, it's not real

What else?

Luggage in the trucks no later than 6.

The well-stocked repair trailer.

"What, I'm rooming with the old granola lady from Boulder?"

"Riders, 2 by 2 and stay to the right."

In the Holland Tunnel

Jefferson Memorial Baricades - No Swimming Allowed

May 15 - Peace Officers Memorial Day

Quote of the day: "I thank those who wear the nation's uniform for working hard to make America a peaceful place for those of us who live here." President George W. Bush

May 15th marked the 25th anniversary for the FOP sponsored memorial service held on the lawn of the Capitol. It was an amazing trip to the Capitol. I donned my dress uniform and got on the subway in Arlington. At each stop, the train cars began to fill with uniformed officers from around the country. At the Capitol South station, the doors opened and a sea of blue flowed from the cars.

We made our way to the lawn, passing by the intense security and began milling about on the lawn. We formed a line of honor for the survivors and I stood, geographically appropriately, between the California Highway Patrol and New Jersey. As at the candlelight vigil, bus after bus of survivors pulled up and we stood at attention as they walked into the VIP area. There were the usual songs and speeches, but the highlight for the survivors was the personal greeting for each of them by the President.

Then came the roll call of names. The names were read by state, with all officers from each state saluting for the duration of the readings. Watching Chicago's Officers and Color Guard, LAPD's 60+ Officers and NYPD's 100+, it felt pretty lonely being the only uniformed officer from Colorado saluting as Donny Young's name was read.

It's been an amazing week.
I will be ever grateful to the friend that planted the Police Week seed.
I am indebted to all those who sponsored my ride and helped the Tour raise the million dollars that it did this year.
I also want to thank all of my friends & family who've supported my efforts in many different ways.

Candlelight Vigil

Quote of the week: "Thank you" - Survivors, friends, bystanders & random people on the metro

A candlelight vigil was held at the National Law Enforcement Memorial on Saturday night. Friends from the ride encouraged me to volunteer for escort duty, telling me it would be the best and hardest part of the week. They were right.

National Park Service Color Guard

Color Guards from all across the country stood at the end of the reflecting pool, flags raised and changing out about every 10 minutes. Honor guards and other Officers stood vigil on each side of the reflecting pool. Those of us on escort duty stood opposite them on the walk, creating two rows of Officers to meet the survivors as they arrived by bus. I didn't count the busses, but they just kept coming. The escorts would provide a single rose to adult female survivors and walk them to their seats. I escorted a number of survivors, but the last one will not soon fade from my memory.

Off the last bus stepped a young girl, maybe 3, her face was frozen and she looked totally overwhelmed. She was given a rose and clutched a single penny in her right hand. As we walked between the rows of Officers she didn't look around or say much when I talked to her. As we reached the seats, I handed her off to her mother, who replied with "Thank you."


During the vigil, a special tribute was paid to Fairfax County Police Detective Vicky Armel whose memorial service was Saturday morning. Detective Armel was killed in a gun battle in the Police station parking lot on May 8. Officer Michael Garbarino was critically injured in the same attack. News of Det. Armel's death reached the riders at the Candlelight vigil in Florham Park before we left, much like the news of Denver Police Detective Donny Young's death reached the send off ceremony in 2005. During the vigil ceremony, Craig Floyd reminded us that a police officer is killed in the United States on average once every 53 hours. Five Officers lost their lives in the line of duty since I started my trip from New Jersey to Washington DC. - Update - While at the United ticket counter, getting ready to fly home, I learned about the 6th line of duty death during my trip. Although he appeared to be improving, Officer Michael Garbarino died in the early hours of May 17th.

Day 4 - Annapolis MD to Washington DC

Quote of the day: "We appreciate what you do." - Bystander as we entered D.C.

Thursday night's deluge cleared out and Friday dawned bright and sunny for our ride into Washington D.C. The route took us through more of the beautiful Maryland countryside and we were joined along the way by the riders from the South New Jersey Chapter of the Unity Tour. The route was hilly, causing some to complain, but cresting the last hill gave a great view down E. Captitol Street toward the Washington Monument.

We rode through the streets of DC with a few new motor escorts from Oklahoma, some the same as those who escorted the cross-country riders in Oklahoma. We wound our way to the polo fields along the Potomic for a break and to wait for the Virginia Chapter to arrive. Some friends drove down from Philadelphia to meet me and they said it was amazing to watch the long line of cyclists coming in.

The Virginia Chapter arrived and after a few more minutes of greetings and picture taking, it was time to leave for the National Law Enforcement Memorial. For our last time together, we took to the streets, riding two by two. As we entered the Memorial, we split to ride down each side of the walls of names. As I entered the right side, I thought I heard my name, but couldn't stop and look for fear of crashing. I put my bike up and returned to applaud the remaining riders. I then sought out the names of Donald Young, Jeff Christensen and Greg Boss on the memorial. I was taking a picture of Jeff's name when I heard my name again, it was Mark Magnuson, Chief Ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park where Jeff worked and died. I showed him the memorial bracelet with Jeff's name on it that I wore during the ride. I then got to meet with Jeff's family and gave the bracelet to his mom.

Me with Jeff's brothers, Brian & Jason, sister-in-law, Jenny, and parents Chris & Dale

A welcoming ceremony followed the arrival of all the cyclists. The Police Unity tour raised one million dollars for the National Law Enforcement Memorial this year and has pledged another five million toward the building of the National Law Enforcement Museum. The ceremony concluded with each rider giving a single dollar in memory of those who can no longer ride.

Stats for the day:
Miles ridden: 44
Time: 3.5 hours
Total riders arriving at the memorial: ~750
Dollars raised for the memorial by the tour: 1 milllion

Day 3 - Wilmington DE to Annapolis MD

Quote of the Day: "What a beautiful day for a bike ride" - Me
Alternate quote of the day: "I can't believe we're getting soaked in the last 100 yards." Cyclist near me

The theme of the day was weather. The predicted heavy rains didn't really come until the last 100 yards or so of the ride. We did have a few showers in the last 15 or so miles, but nothing like the deluge that started down as we neared Annapolis. There were also many complaints about the winds, but even that didn't seem too bad if you just took a moment to look around the beautiful scenery of eastern Maryland.

The day started in Wilmington with a lap around downtown Wilmington where it looked like all of the city and state dignitaries came out to great us. DuPont CEO Chad Holliday was also present and honored for a $3 million donation to the National Law Enforcement Memorial. I didn't know this was happening until I heard the sounds of bagpipes echoing amongst the tall buildings. When we rounded the corner, the crowd was there, including an entire Police recruit class standing at attention as we rolled by. In addition to our usual 2 and 4 wheeled escort, we also had air support from the Delaware State Police helicopter.

Once we got into Maryland, the winds started to pick up, but I got into a nice echelon of 4 riders that made things easier, then spent time either leading into headwinds or blocking crosswinds for a couple of riders who were having something less than a great day on the bike.

Fortunately for us, the state of Maryland will not close the bay bridge for us to cross, so we were bussed over the last few miles, in an absolute downpour. The Motors came through again, as always, providing us with safe passage, but they got very wet.

The stats for the day:
miles ridden: 93.56
hours in the saddle: 7:44
flat tires: 1
miles not ridden for time in repair trailer: 5-ish

Day 2 - Edison NJ to Wilmington DE

Quote of the day: "I'm absolutely amazed at how much work these support people do." - First time support volunteer

Today we rode 90 some miles from Edison NJ to Wilmington DE. We were in the saddle around 7.5 hours. We started with overcast skies, which cleared, making the whole day a beautiful day for a bike ride. We probably caused hate and discontent for drivers, especially when we got the southbound lanes of the NJ turnpike to ourselves for a few miles this morning and the whole John Barry Bridge this afternoon. For those of you following with the Google Earth Files, the track really should be continuous and we didn't ride off a bridge, my GPS was having some issues.

The ride took us through a number of small communities. The community support was amazing. Local Police departments lined the streets and citizens waved and high-fived from the curb.

With 400 riders to watch out for, I'm grateful for the support crew that consists of general logistical support, EMS and Motors. The Motors have been doing a superb job at traffic control for us. They leap frog ahead of us to close off every conceivable intersection where cars my come through. In closing one intersection, the leap-frogging didn't quite work and three motorcycles were involved in an accident. Fortunately no one was hurt, but it was a close call that reminded us all of the hazards that we face on the road.

The logisitcal support volunteers make sure we are well fed and hydrated at each rest stop and make sure our luggage makes it to the right hotel (and the right room). All the volunteer support members do an outstanding job.

Day 1 - Floraham Park to Edison via Ground Zero

Quote of the Day: "There's way too many cops here for you to be talking smack son" Motor Officer blocking an intersection to an unknown young man

Last night the town of Florham Park sent us off in style with a BBQ followed by a candlelight vigil. For a description and great pictures, take a look at the Cross Country rider's blog.

This morning's ride started off with breakfast in the park, in the dark. We rolled out of Florham Park around 7:30 and headed toward New York City. Our route took us through Jersey City and over the Hackensack River. On December 25, 2005, Jersey City Police Officers Robert Nguyen and Shawn Carson were killed when they drove off the bridge in foggy conditions. The bridge span had been opened to let a barge pass, but the warning lights and safety bar did not activate. We paused briefly at the bridge to honor their memories before traveling on.


We rode through the Holland Tunnel into New York City and then to Ground Zero. The Port Authority Police hosted a memorial ceremony and we were given time to reflect on the tragedy and loss at the site. The whoopin' & hollerin' of the first trip through the tunnel was absent on the return trip.




We paused for lunch before continuing on to Edison New Jersey for the night. We covered 62 miles at a not-to-blistering pace of 10.4 mph. Lots of pothole dodging and braking for the inevitable slowing and quickening of a group of 400 cyclists who've never ridden together before. From the experienced folks I've talked to, the ride will get faster and smoother.

Wrenching in New Jersey

The flight and the transfer to the hotel was pretty uneventful. Did have an interesting ride in what we dubbed the 'clown car.' A 9 passenger van into which we packed 11 people, 5 bike boxes and lots of luggage. Still not as bad as the epic the riders from California had. It took almost as long to drive to the hotel from LaGuardia as it did to fly from California.


Of course a bus load of riders also meant a bunch of bikes to put together.


A small crew of volunteer bike mechanics were assembling bikes when I got in. Following a quick bite to eat at a dinner sponsored by the Mayor of Florham Park, I ended up helping by unpacking bikes and pumping up tires. The mechanics were only supposed to stay until midnight, but ended up leaving after 1 a.m. Most of the bikes are assembled and only one will need some more serious repair work following a shipping mishap.

Special thanks to Sal, the owner of the Madison Bicycle Shop, who's come through, not only in wrenching late on a Sunday night, but also for having a well stocked shop to help those who forgot to bring a few things, like shoes... (no, not me)

Packing & Updated Links

Not much riding this week in the cool & damp of Springtime in the Rockies. I may take a little spin later today then clean & pack the bike for the flight to New Jersey tomorrow.

I've re-arranged & updated the links on the side. One of the new links has information on memorial funds for Detective Young, Ranger Christensen and Special Agent Boss. For those who've played with Google Earth, I've also added a link to a page that includes GPS tracks of some of my training rides and will later have tracks from each day of the Police Unity Tour. I've also tossed in links to a couple of local bike shops that have seen a lot of me recently.

More later from New Jersey.

Hawai'i by the numbers

As my little condo-construction/vacation/training camp comes to an end, here are a few numbers:

Miles ridden: 285
Longest ride: 70
Shortest ride: 12 (not all roads that appear on maps are actually built yet)
Most elevation in one strech: ~2600'
Best Beach at which to end a ride: Hapuna (Mauna Kea resort would be first, but they don't let bikes on the property)

Hawaii County Police Officers Killed in the line of duty: 3
Officer Manuel Cadinha was killed in 1918 during an arrest.
Officer Ronald "Shige" Jitchaku was killed in 1990 while trying to break up a brawl.
Officer Kenneth Keliipio was hit by a car and killed in 1997 while assisting a stranded motorist.

Engraving Day

April 25 was engraving day at the National Law Enforcement Memorial. 466 new names were added to the Memorial. 155 of them were Officers killed in the Line of Duty in 2005. The rest were Officers killed in previous years. Eight names from Colorado were added to the Memorial:

Officer Thomas Tobin, Colorado Department of Corrections. Killed in 1899 during the search for an escaped inmate.

Night Captain John B. Russell, Colorado Department of Corrections. Killed in 1913 in a shootout with an escaped inmate.

Officer Victor Bryan McMillin, Colorado Department of Corrections. Killed in 1961 in a correctional farm accident.

Sheriff Westley A. McDonald, Washington County Sheriff. Killed in an ambush in 1952 while attempting to arrest a suspect.

Deputy James L. Jackson, Washington County Sheriff. Killed in the same ambush as Sheriff McDonald.

Detective Donald Ray Young, Denver Police Department. Shot and killed May 8, 2005 while working an overtime assignment.

Seasonal Park Ranger Jeffrey A Christensen, Rocky Mountain National Park. Fell to his death July 29, 2005 during a backcountry patrol.

Special Agent Greg Ray Boss, U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Killed November 8, 2005 in a road rage incident.

Kaloko-Honokohau National Park

Sunday's ride plan was to go to the north end of the island. The winds were higher and gustier than Saturday, so I cut short my plan for a long ride and settled for 40 miles, ending at Hapuna beach for a dip in the ocean and a sunburn on my back. Despite the wind, a nice ride, considering Winter has returned, if only briefly to Colorado.

While heading north from Kona my rides have passed by the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park, pictured above. From the highway, it's not much to look at. The visitor's center is in the middle of a brown lava field, across the road from an industrial area famous for Costco and Home Depot. Beyond the visitor center, however, is a wealth of natural beauty on the coast. Ancient fish ponds are now significant wetlands and a haven for birders. Green sea turtles are abundant along the beaches and the off shore reefs are home to numerous species of fish. Even though access to the site is easy from either the Marina or the highway, the area is quiet and can feel quite remote. The Park is actually within the Kailua-Kona limits and brings with it more urban law enforcement issues. On December 12, 1999 Ranger Steve Mukuakane-Jarrell was shot and killed while responding to a report of aggressive dogs.

Training Camp

Since being accepted to ride in the Police Unity Tour, I've been focusing my training to be able to complete the entire ride, which consists of 4 days of riding. The mileage breakdown by day is about 60, 100, 100 and 40. I started with a fair aerobic base and strive to increase my mileage by about 10% per week, gradually getting my body used to long hours in the saddle. Over the winter I used the trainer a lot on weeknights when it was too dark and too cold to ride outside. Not a fun way to increase hours, but pretty effective at intervals and sustained efforts over shorter periods.

The front range winter was fairly mild, but windy as ever. Rides were fun with a tail wind, but a tailwind inevitably means a headwind somewhere along the way and cross-wind gusts could be scary. So, taking a page from the pro cyclists who go someplace warm for 'training camp,' I'm on the big island of Hawai'i for a week to ride. (actually to continue with some ongoing improvement projects on property we own, but the idea of riding in Hawai'i sounds pretty good doesn't it?). As any Hawai'i IronMan athlete can tell you, the bike route is usually windy. Somehow the wind wasn't so bad on a different route in full view of the ocean. My first loop ride took me along the coast, up through some pretty pasture lands and back through the hills above Kona. I took a GPS along and turned it into a file for Google Earth. By the numbers: 69 miles, ~2600' elevation gain over 12 miles and a mostly gradual descent back.

Why the Police Unity Tour?

Those of you who are reading this may already know a little about the Police Unity Tour, since I've probably hit you up for a donation. Since I'm not out training today, I thought I'd share a little bit of the story behind my participation.

About a year ago a friend of mine who is retired from law enforcement on the east coast was talking up Police Week in Washington DC. My friend said that it is something you should attend at least once in your career, so I started to look into it. I happened upon a reference to the Police Unity Tour, a 300 mile bike ride over 4 days from New Jersey to Washington D.C. This seemed like a much more meaningful way to participate than to simply fly to D.C. and attend the various ceremonies and events.

As I looked into it further, I learned that the chapter of the Tour that I wanted to ride with only accepted 400 riders, with each rider expected to raise $1500 in donations and sell $200 in raffle tickets. I was pretty sure I could get the donations. I was less sure about selling raffle tickets to people in Colorado for a car to be raffled in New Jersey. I also wasn't too sure about making the 400 rider cut. I did not want to apply before I knew I could get the time off from work. (Police Week in D.C. falls during our Spring Riot Season, so time off is difficult to get). I did get the time off and was accepted to ride, but only after a phone call from the Executive Director to make sure I understood the commitment to raise money and be in shape for the ride.

I didn't really set any fund-raising goal other than to meet the $1500 minimum and sell those raffle tickets. Through the incredible generosity of friends, colleagues and family I've raised around $4500 in donations and sold even more than the minimum number of raffle tickets.

Between minor injuries, work and family commitments over the past few weeks, I'm a little shy of my goal of increasing training miles by 10% each week. I've still put in around 1500 miles since New Years and hope to put in a few hundred more before leaving for New Jersey on May 7.

We Ride for Those Who Died

April 16th, 2006 seems like a good day to start a blog about my participation in the upcoming 10th Anniversary Police Unity Tour. From May 9 to 12, we'll ride 300 miles from Florham Park New Jersey to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C. The ride raises awareness of Law Enforcement Line of Duty deaths and raises funds to support the National Law Enforcement Memorial.

April 16th, 2006 was a beautiful spring day in the Colorado Front Range.

April 16th, 2006 was Easter and fell in the middle of Passover. My training ride took me past yards where friends and families gathered to enjoy the warmth of the day.

April 16th, 1994 was the day Boulder Police Officer Beth Haynes was killed in the line of duty responding to a violent domestic.