Now It's Our Turn to Say Thank You

All week long, y'all kept finding us. At the rest stops, around camp, at the finish line, out by the trailers after dark. You'd stop one of us, a volunteer, a staff member, me, and say thank you. You told us you couldn't believe how hard everybody was working, and that somehow every person you ran into was still smiling, still asking if you needed anything, still glad to see you. More than one of you said it felt like riding with good friends, the kind who care enough to make sure you're safe, sound, and having a great time.

We heard every one of those. They carried our crew through some long days, and we're grateful for them.

Now it's our turn.

You took time away from home, from work, from the people you love. You traveled, some of you a long way, to see for yourselves why we love the Arkansas Delta the way we do. You set up your tent every afternoon and packed it up again every morning. You rode the miles, rode them again the next day, and still had something left to look after the rider next to you. You put in real work out there too. We saw it, every bit of it, and we appreciate you for it.

Most of all, thank you for the welcome. Somewhere over those days, a field full of riders turned into a family, and you pulled every one of us into it like we'd always been there. Please know that goes both ways. Y'all are always welcome in ours.

We're also working through the photo and video galleries right now, and there is a lot to go through. We'll be sharing plenty of them over the coming weeks, along with your stories from the road. Follow along with us on Instagram and Facebook so you don't miss them, and don't be surprised if you spot yourself in a few.

Let's keep it going. There's an Arkansas Graveler club on Strava, and I'd love to see every one of you in it. Join up, post your rides, and let's keep cheering each other on wherever gravel takes us next, whether that's a back road outside your own town or somewhere none of us have ridden yet.

Join the Arkansas Graveler Strava Club

A quick note for anyone who booked a massage with Alison Taylor during the Graveler: if a weak signal kept you from paying her at the time, you can pay her on Venmo at @Alison-Taylor-113.

One last thing. Later this week, a short survey is coming your way by email. Please take a few minutes to fill it out. Your feedback shapes how we plan the next one, and we read every response as we work to make each Graveler better than the last.

Thank you, friends. We can't wait to see you down the road.