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Photo Information

Senior Master Sgt. James Frigo and his son, Bubba, sweat it out on the first day of their ride across the U.S. Maj. Zack Jensen accompanied them until they reached Pine Valley, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Maj Zack Jensen)

Photo by Maj Zack Jensen

Frigo's Big Challenge begins

1 Jul 2010 | Maj. Zack Jensen

Wow, what a day! My family and I left March at around 6:30 a.m. When we arrived,  everyone was setting up in the parking lot; donuts and coffee were provided, thankfully!

Once there, we caught up with the Frigo family. They had been BUSY in the past couple of days! In addition to the ride preparations, Bubba graduated high school, so there were parties and other events to attend. They were also dealing with weather conditions that were making it difficult to attach the "Frigo's Big Challenge" vinyl wraps to the side of the RV, but they finally got them on in time to head to San Diego the night before the kickoff.

After a late night for prep, the family had just settled down for a couple of peaceful hours of sleep when the beach patrol informed them the lot they were parked in was closed from 2 to 4 a.m. Eventually, though, they were able to get a little sleep before the big event started.

The start of the trek was delayed due to preparations, but it gave all of the well-wishers (family, friends, co-workers) time to talk, take pictures and walk on the beach. After the send-off, the crew headed to the ocean to begin the trek, loaded up on the bikes and took off:

The first six miles was pretty smooth. We started off with a small group of family and friends, eight in all. The majority of the pack rode as far as Qualcomm Stadium before saying good bye, which left just the Frigos and me. After the stadium, we started to hit the hills.

Hills might be the official geographic classification of what we climbed, but the word seems much more mundane than they really were. The initial hills weren't too bad, because the tough climbs were followed by some great downhills. As long as the traffic lights didn't slow us down, we could keep some momentum going. After a quick water and food break, we headed out again.

The next section of road took us toward the small town of Alpine. Instead of rolling hills, we were faced with a deceptively long climb. James and Bubba tackled it like champions! We met on the other side of the town and took a quick rest. I skipped this part of the leg, and rode along with my family in the car to the next checkpoint. That climb was brutal! I can't even imagine what it's going to be like for them on the actual mountain passes they must climb.

After a quick nap at the check point, James and Bubba decided to keep pushing until dark. Ocotillo was the day's goal, and we were still short, due to the late start.

The last stretch was nice. After a more moderate climb, we hit a nice downhill into the town of Pine Valley. Unfortunately, we hit the downhill with no sunglasses, and the bugs were out in force. Bubba got quite a few bug hits, and managed to ingest a few before we slowed down in the town. I was hit three times in the eye, but only ate one bug, and the speed gained was worth it.

After the long day, we reached Calvin's Steak and Seafood and had a much deserved dinner. The restaurant gave us a great meal and provided a place to park the support vehicle, we even had some entertainment with the earthquake that happened that night. My family and I headed back to March; the Frigos and two friends are continuing east. They are off to a great start, and the ride should prove to be quite an adventure.