On my way (well, almost)

View of Second Mesa from
Kykotsmovi, AZ 

Hopi Leadership Program
Logo

Although the ride doesn't begin until September 25th, I started my journey to Bellingham, WA last week. On Sept. 10^th I flew from Baltimore, MD to Phoenix, AZ. From there I made the 5 hour drive to the Hopi Reservation where I spent the first part of the week as a participant in the Hopi Leadership Program (HLP). This 15-month capacity building program aims to cultivate a cadre of strong, effective, and culturally-grounded Hopi professionals able to run organizations and perform grassroots community work using models based on the Hopi culture and western education.  It was an amazing 2 ½ days and I feel blessed to be part of the 2012-2013 HLP cohort. 

The second half of the week was spent working with local members of the HPV project team, Olivia Dennis and Lorene Vicente.  Olivia is the HPV project coordinator who manages on-site operations and Lorene is the HPV health educator and case manager.  Both ladies do an amazing job keeping the project on track and responsive to the needs of the Hopi community.  This 5-year project is part of the Collaborative to Improve Native Cancer Outcomes (CINCO), an NIH-supported P-50 Center for Population and Population Health Disparities at the University of Washington. The project includes two studies covering the lifespan of HPV prevention and screening. In partnership with the Hopi Tribe, the first study aims to increase HPV vaccination rates among Hopi & Tewa girls between 9 and 12 years of age. The second study examines the efficacy and acceptability of an in-home HPV test that we hope will increase the number of Hopi & Tewa women getting screened for cervical cancer. We'll begin recruitment for the second study in about a month and we are busy finalizing project materials and preparing for the launch of recruitment.  

The "Moneyball," biscuits and gravy
topped with an egg over easy. 

After a busy week on the reservation, I departed Phoenix bound for Portland, Oregon where I'm spending the week before the ride. Although I’m excited to get started, I'm happy to spend some time enjoying the city known as Beervana. I'm not a beer-drinker, but Portland is also a foodies paradise and I’ve enjoyed some amazing meals, including this photo of breakfast at Pine State Biscuit. Yum! The weather has been perfect and I hope to get in a couple of training rides before the start of my Pee-Wee Herman-like big bicycle adventure.  I'll need it after spending the week in a city that boasts more food carts per capita than any other city in the U.S. Its amazing what the talented cooks in these little travel-trailer sized trucks can produce, catering to all culinary tastes and gastronomic trends.