Pedersen always looks forward to RAGBRAI

by KATHY PIERCE

REPORTER STAFF WRITER

Jan Pedersen of rural Boone will be on RAGBRAI once again, an event she has partaken in for 30-plus years.

Although she can’t recall the specific year, she has one vivid memory of her first ride. “I just rode two days,” said Pedersen and as I was on my own, so I connected with a co-worker and her team. The first day was from Fort Dodge to Marshalltown. ‘I thought, oh, my gosh! Is this hill ever going to end?’ when we went through Dolliver State Park.”

One year she missed out due to a work trip in Hawaii, and there were times she only did a partial ride. 

“To go on RAGBRAI, you have to really like people,” she chuckled, “because there are always tons of them around you.” 

As far as overnight accommodations she and her team usually seek out people they know or acquaintances of friends or family in the overnight towns. But last year they submitted a form to the housing committee asking to be matched up with someone. “And it was great. Our group of five (all that could fit in our support vehicle) stayed in a beautiful home outside one of the towns.”

Pedersen said what she finds most interesting now is visiting with the people they stay with. One of her more interesting stays was at the airport in Emmetsburg. “The airport manager was gone, but his wife and family were staying home. Their house is located on the airport grounds. A bus full of guys who had just a liiiiitle too much to drink, pulled into the airport area. The family was very uncomfortable having that group there, so they asked if we could stay inside the house with them.  We gladly accommodated. The next morning was super cold. Imagine that - in July! We had to put on three layers of clothes to start the day.”

She has paired up with four friends for this year’s ride: Penny Tam from Boone, Sue Spencer from Ames, along with her sister from Texas, and Carolyn Brune from Illinois.

When they come through Ogden Tuesday, they’ll be hitting up the local vendors. “When we pull into a town, we like to ask vendors what organizations they are supporting, then try and give them our business,” Pedersen explained.”

The Ogden Reporter will try and catch up with them Tuesday when they come through, “but there are no guarantees” she says. “With everyone using their cell phones, it is hard to get calls to go through.” 

And finding them among the thousands of riders may be a challenge.