For most people Gilead Nebraska is just a dot on a map, if it's even a thought at all. With a population of 30 something, just inside Thayer counties eastern border on highway 136, it's a town you're not expected to know exists let alone the daily strifes, struggles and goings on of it's citizens. Hell to be honest if it weren't for gravel cycling and the Lazy Horse Gravel Grind, I too would be oblivious to it's existence but because of those things I know it exists and because I do it and it's people have become part of the extended gravel family. The last remaining business in that town is the Pioneers Inn, an old limestone building that looks like it's barely standing on a good day, but it's also the heart of a community that somehow seems to have beaten off death more times than they care to recall and maybe that's part of it's charm. The building itself was built in 1886 to house and feed railroad workers on the Rock Island Line, once Rock Island abandoned it's line through Gilead it became various other businesses in it's life until in 1986 the Keilwitz family open up the Pioneers Inn restaurant. In a town of 30 something people you'd think keeping a restaurant open would be a struggle and you'd be right but the community refuses to let it die. Several years ago, Karen and family thought about closing it's doors for good but the community outpouring and generosity kept her from shuttering the place. In August a storm rolled through the area lifting the roof off the building and depositing pieces of it throughout the town. Because of the age of the building insurance only covered the contents of the building and not the structure and estimates on a new roof were in excess of $100,000... closing the Pioneers Inn once again became a real possibility. Yet, once again, the village and surrounding communities heralded the call to help keep the Inn from fading into just another defunct old building in an almost defunct rural farm community. Several different groups got together and started raising funds for a new roof, the village offered up the community center as a temporary home for the Inn where they were able to server meals, asking only for good will donations. Because of all the support and rallying of the people around Gilead, there was a new stay of execution for the Pioneers Inn and plans to rebuild were formulated.
Jackie and I recently took the reins of the Nebransas Gravel Grinder when Justin and Julie moved out of state, having passed through Gilead many times on different rides we decided that this year the Nebransas would contribute to helping if it could. We moved the start of the annual event from Diller to Gilead, started a Go-Fund-Me and asked that anyone participating bring a $25 cash entry this year to ride, all money going to the Pioneers Inn. For a traditionally free event with a reach not much broader than SE Nebraska and SE Kansas we were pretty amazed at the traction that the event page was getting and from the donations contributed. A bit over $3,100 at last count I believe but they are still trickling in. Last I heard total donations from all sources have exceeded $30,000 and work on the new roof has already begun. What started as a flat roof in 1886 and converted to a pitched roof sometime after will once again be reborn as a flat roof.
The weather for the ride could not have been any better with temps only reaching the lower 70s and winds in the single digits. The route itself offered up tasty dirt roads by the spoonful.
We also had fantastic SAG support from Matt's wife and mom, Melissa and Carol, who spent many hours driving some of those same roads to make sure the riders had what they needed. You can't buy support like that, which is a good thing because monetary compensation isn't in the budget for a free event.
After a long gravel season on the single speed, this ride was just what I needed. Advertised as a casual ride it actually lived up to that billing and most of the long course folks rode the entire course as one big group. Sometimes Strava stats are great and all but nothing beats friendship and camaraderie.
Even managed to make a new friend on the ride, he was a bit stinky but I helped him across the road so he didn't become gravel pizza.
Thanks to all that came down to ride and all those who donated to the roof fund in one manner or another. Karen appreciates it, we appreciate it and the village of Gilead and surrounding communities appreciate it also.
