Day 3: Gumi to Suanbo - afternoon and evening

After checkpoint three, the mountain still loomed ahead of the riders. They climbed it slowly and steadily, each person reached the top to the cheers of the support team, and were greeted with apples and peanut butter and cups of gatorade. People who four or five months ago would never have been able to ride up the mountain now completed the whole climb in about 35 minutes. It was a moment of significant accomplishment for each of the team members, and we lingered at the overlook to watch the sun retreat lower and lower into the valley, and the clouds light up with a celebratory glow.

We finished a day of riding in good time, and were able to come to our final destination before the sun went down. The riders particularly enjoyed the sauna attached to the motel. They finished the evening with a worship and payer meeting in the local park, and settled in for the fullest night of sleep that we got since the trip began, relieved to be sleeping in until 7:00 the next day.