A few errors have been pointed out to me regarding some of the observations I have made. I do not know if this has any regional implications, but the only individuals who have been insensitive enough to point out the error of my ways live in the Northwestern section of the United States.
Corrections are as follows:
1. Colorful plants that grow in areas other than tended gardens are not weeds, they are wild flowers,
2. The deer I saw (and had a stairing contest with) were not deer at all, they were pronghorn antelope, and
3. The picture I identified as Mt. Hood is actually Mt. Jefferson.
I would like to thank those who have so rudely reminded me of my limited knowledge ... however, Bill, one more and your off my Xmas card list.
Almost there ... (June 27, 2009)
One more day of riding and I will have reached Eugene. 1650 miles (+/-) ... as they say at AA, "Take it one day at a time."
Today's ride was quite varied. The roads are great, except for some of the road that was pointed upward ... took about two hours to get to the summit, but after that it was a glorious run downhill. There is great beauty in the wooded forests ... there has also been great devastation due to forest fires. I cannot imagine how nervous the National Forest Service people must get during dry spells.
There are also tremendous lava flows that run along the road for great distances. This is a reminder of how volcanically active this area is, and just how recent, geologically speaking, these flows occured. Balancing out the dark shades of the lava flows is the McKenzie River, which runs along quite a bit of the second half of today's ride. The McKenzie River is a fast moving, fairly shallow river, with lots of rapids. Lots of shades of blue and white when the sun shines on the river.
I am bedding down at a RV park in Rainbow tonight. In most cases, these RV parks have a small general store ... this one does not. I asked where the nearest store is, and the lady said one was about a mile and a half on down the road ... then asked what I was going to buy. I told her "A couple cans of beer and some stew." She told me to wait a minute, then came back with two cans of beer and some stew (no charge) ... later she stopped by my camping spot with some apple pie. Either she is incredibly nice, or I looked as though I was on my last legs. I prefer to think she is just very nice.
Not really a "small world" item: I was talking with a retired guy at the City of Sisters City Campground last night ... he is a retired Civil Engineer who had specialized in hydro-electric dams. I mentioned to him that the father of my sister-in-law, Carol, had been a top administrator/engineer when the Hoover Dam was built near Boulder City, NV. When I told him Ed's name, he responded that he had never met Ed, but he knew of him and had great respect for Ed's work and reputation. I never knew the Ed Nielsen this guy spoke of ... the Ed I knew was very unassuming, humble and probably enjoyed a good joke as much as anyone I have ever met.
It's getting late, and the light along the McKenzie River is growing dim ... time to squat into the tent and enjoy the discomfort of sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag.
But still, life is good.
Today's ride was quite varied. The roads are great, except for some of the road that was pointed upward ... took about two hours to get to the summit, but after that it was a glorious run downhill. There is great beauty in the wooded forests ... there has also been great devastation due to forest fires. I cannot imagine how nervous the National Forest Service people must get during dry spells.
There are also tremendous lava flows that run along the road for great distances. This is a reminder of how volcanically active this area is, and just how recent, geologically speaking, these flows occured. Balancing out the dark shades of the lava flows is the McKenzie River, which runs along quite a bit of the second half of today's ride. The McKenzie River is a fast moving, fairly shallow river, with lots of rapids. Lots of shades of blue and white when the sun shines on the river.
I am bedding down at a RV park in Rainbow tonight. In most cases, these RV parks have a small general store ... this one does not. I asked where the nearest store is, and the lady said one was about a mile and a half on down the road ... then asked what I was going to buy. I told her "A couple cans of beer and some stew." She told me to wait a minute, then came back with two cans of beer and some stew (no charge) ... later she stopped by my camping spot with some apple pie. Either she is incredibly nice, or I looked as though I was on my last legs. I prefer to think she is just very nice.
Not really a "small world" item: I was talking with a retired guy at the City of Sisters City Campground last night ... he is a retired Civil Engineer who had specialized in hydro-electric dams. I mentioned to him that the father of my sister-in-law, Carol, had been a top administrator/engineer when the Hoover Dam was built near Boulder City, NV. When I told him Ed's name, he responded that he had never met Ed, but he knew of him and had great respect for Ed's work and reputation. I never knew the Ed Nielsen this guy spoke of ... the Ed I knew was very unassuming, humble and probably enjoyed a good joke as much as anyone I have ever met.
It's getting late, and the light along the McKenzie River is growing dim ... time to squat into the tent and enjoy the discomfort of sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag.
But still, life is good.
Bright White ... (June 26, 2009)
Today’s ride was fairly easy … 40 miles of fairly flat road between Prineville and Sisters.
The City of Redmond is about half way between Prineville and Sisters, and provided me with one of the best sandwiches I have had for some time. A little sandwich shop in the downtown area includes raspberry mustard and pumpkin seeds in their sandwiches. The name of the shop is “Auntie Em’s”. What the shop has to do with the Wizard of Oz, I have no idea. I also should say that Redmond is indeed a city … 25,000 people … in Central Oregon, this is a huge number of people.
While the ride was easy, other than the scenery, it was quite uneventful. However … a word about the scenery.
Being a desert boy, I am unaccustomed to massive peaks covered with snow … particularly in June. Sure, I have experienced Camelback Mountain on those rare occasions when Phoenix gets snow, but I have to say that these mountains are huge and the peaks are covered with bright white snow … and are quite beautiful. My words cannot properly convey the awe of seeing Mt. Hood glistening in the morning sun. What an incredible, spectacularly beautiful site. See, my words don’t succeed.
Sisters, OR reminds me a lot of the Flagstaff area … lots of green, lots of pine trees, and quite comfortable weather. Also, lots of traffic passing through town.
I have insect repellent now … but there are no mosquitoes!
The City of Redmond is about half way between Prineville and Sisters, and provided me with one of the best sandwiches I have had for some time. A little sandwich shop in the downtown area includes raspberry mustard and pumpkin seeds in their sandwiches. The name of the shop is “Auntie Em’s”. What the shop has to do with the Wizard of Oz, I have no idea. I also should say that Redmond is indeed a city … 25,000 people … in Central Oregon, this is a huge number of people.
While the ride was easy, other than the scenery, it was quite uneventful. However … a word about the scenery.
Being a desert boy, I am unaccustomed to massive peaks covered with snow … particularly in June. Sure, I have experienced Camelback Mountain on those rare occasions when Phoenix gets snow, but I have to say that these mountains are huge and the peaks are covered with bright white snow … and are quite beautiful. My words cannot properly convey the awe of seeing Mt. Hood glistening in the morning sun. What an incredible, spectacularly beautiful site. See, my words don’t succeed.
Sisters, OR reminds me a lot of the Flagstaff area … lots of green, lots of pine trees, and quite comfortable weather. Also, lots of traffic passing through town.
I have insect repellent now … but there are no mosquitoes!
Friend indeed ... (June 25, 2009)
The highlight of today was not the ride.
Today's highlight was sharing time with a friend.
First the ride ... today had one long climb (10 to 12 miles) that occurred in the first third of the 50 mile ride. After reaching the summit, the road was one long downhill into Prineville. Some of the downhills were at very high speeds, some just an easy coast. Saw some beautiful scenery ... Central Oregon , although different, is equally as beautiful as Southern Idaho (Mitchell, however is in a very tight competition with Twin Falls).
The best part of the day was meeting up with Bill Sievers in Prineville. Bill is doing a coast-to-coast ride with a number of other riders. Bill, and Linda Matson (friends I met in Tempe, who then abandoned me when they moved to Tucson), were instrumental in getting me prepared, equipment-wise, for this trip of mine. Anyway, it was great to spend some time with Bill and share stories about their, and my, travels. Thanks, Bill.
Tomorrow will be an easy 39 mile day to Sisters (for me) ... Bill's group is covering 117 miles, or so, with two serious climbs (what's the uphill opposite to Woo-hoo?) to John Day; not going to be an easy day for them.
Life is good ... friends make it so.
Today's highlight was sharing time with a friend.
First the ride ... today had one long climb (10 to 12 miles) that occurred in the first third of the 50 mile ride. After reaching the summit, the road was one long downhill into Prineville. Some of the downhills were at very high speeds, some just an easy coast. Saw some beautiful scenery ... Central Oregon , although different, is equally as beautiful as Southern Idaho (Mitchell, however is in a very tight competition with Twin Falls).
The best part of the day was meeting up with Bill Sievers in Prineville. Bill is doing a coast-to-coast ride with a number of other riders. Bill, and Linda Matson (friends I met in Tempe, who then abandoned me when they moved to Tucson), were instrumental in getting me prepared, equipment-wise, for this trip of mine. Anyway, it was great to spend some time with Bill and share stories about their, and my, travels. Thanks, Bill.
Tomorrow will be an easy 39 mile day to Sisters (for me) ... Bill's group is covering 117 miles, or so, with two serious climbs (what's the uphill opposite to Woo-hoo?) to John Day; not going to be an easy day for them.
Life is good ... friends make it so.
Damn wind ... (June 24, 2009)
.jpg)
Today's ride, from Clyde Holliday State Park (Mt. Vernon) to Mitchell, would have been hard enough (65 miles with one serious climb and one not-so-serious climb), but the wind out of the west just added to the struggle. The area between the climbs is a high prairie with few trees to block the wind. The wind picked up when I was about 4 miles from the top of the serious climb (first climb of the day), and continued until I reached the summit of the second climb ... probably about 15 miles. This created a very tiring condition, and my spirits were suffering. Fortunately, once I reached the summit of the second climb, there was a (Woo-hoo) 5 mile downhill run into Mitchel. Spirits rising ...
I stayed in a small, historic hotel in Mitchell. The Oregon Hotel is an old two-story structure with about 10 or 12 rooms. Some of the rooms have a private bath, but the majority of the night's guests use the bathrooms down at the end of the hall. Each tread of the stairway to the second floor had a unique musical note ... no sneaking in after midnight would go unnoticed.
Unlike the major brand hotels, this hotel had a front porch that was made for conversing with the other guests. One couple that was staying for the night was from Edmonton. As it turned out, their daughter had played on some youth/high school sports teams with the daughter of Jan and Ed Jorgensen. Jan, Ed and I, along with others, rode the Oregon Coast and the RAGBRIA Iowa ride. Anyway, this "small world" experience brought great joy to me in an otherwise dismal little town.
While riding up the serious climb, I approached a very odd looking tree ... I could not figure out what kind of leaves/fruits were hanging from the limbs. On closer inspection, I realized that the tree had hundreds of shoes hanging from the limbs. Very odd. I asked around Mitchell as to the "why" of this oddity ... no one seemed to know why; apparently it "just is".
There was a nice pair of Nike shoes, but they were out of reach.
Weather is getting warmer, bordering on hot ... life is good.
I stayed in a small, historic hotel in Mitchell. The Oregon Hotel is an old two-story structure with about 10 or 12 rooms. Some of the rooms have a private bath, but the majority of the night's guests use the bathrooms down at the end of the hall. Each tread of the stairway to the second floor had a unique musical note ... no sneaking in after midnight would go unnoticed.
Unlike the major brand hotels, this hotel had a front porch that was made for conversing with the other guests. One couple that was staying for the night was from Edmonton. As it turned out, their daughter had played on some youth/high school sports teams with the daughter of Jan and Ed Jorgensen. Jan, Ed and I, along with others, rode the Oregon Coast and the RAGBRIA Iowa ride. Anyway, this "small world" experience brought great joy to me in an otherwise dismal little town.
While riding up the serious climb, I approached a very odd looking tree ... I could not figure out what kind of leaves/fruits were hanging from the limbs. On closer inspection, I realized that the tree had hundreds of shoes hanging from the limbs. Very odd. I asked around Mitchell as to the "why" of this oddity ... no one seemed to know why; apparently it "just is".
There was a nice pair of Nike shoes, but they were out of reach.
Weather is getting warmer, bordering on hot ... life is good.
Easy Day ... (June 23, 2009)
After yesterday’s ride, I had decided to take it easy today. Prairie City to Clyde Holliday State Park is only about 21 miles, and it is pretty much flat. The town of John Day is about 13 miles from Prairie City, so I used it as a food stop. And good food it was. For the record, I have no idea who Clyde and John were, nor what they did to warrant naming parks/towns after them. I am sure they did something in this area that is historic in nature. This reminds me, I saw a plaque in John Day today that said that in 1878 nothing happened at that location.
This area is high desert, and quite warm … which does me good. There are only a few clouds in the sky; I am hoping the warmth is here to stay for a while.
I bought a book at Betty’s Bookstore in Baker City (besides the semi-amusing alliteration, it is a nice independent bookstore). The book (Westward Vision by David Lavender) discusses how the Western United States (west of the Mississippi) was explored starting in the 1540s, and how the various overland trails were developed. Being a “C” student prohibits me from giving a concise summary of what I have read, but at the point I have reached, Mr. Lavender has been discussing the political and economic reasons that France, Spain and England were attempting to find a passage through North America to Asia. Interesting read. I should mention that being a “C” student also leaves me with the nagging thought that the name of the book should have been underlined, put in parenthesis, or italised.
Anyway, today has been an easy, restful day.
Warm is good.
This area is high desert, and quite warm … which does me good. There are only a few clouds in the sky; I am hoping the warmth is here to stay for a while.
I bought a book at Betty’s Bookstore in Baker City (besides the semi-amusing alliteration, it is a nice independent bookstore). The book (Westward Vision by David Lavender) discusses how the Western United States (west of the Mississippi) was explored starting in the 1540s, and how the various overland trails were developed. Being a “C” student prohibits me from giving a concise summary of what I have read, but at the point I have reached, Mr. Lavender has been discussing the political and economic reasons that France, Spain and England were attempting to find a passage through North America to Asia. Interesting read. I should mention that being a “C” student also leaves me with the nagging thought that the name of the book should have been underlined, put in parenthesis, or italised.
Anyway, today has been an easy, restful day.
Warm is good.
As advertised, almost ... (June 22, 2009)
The ride from Baker City to Prairie City was, as fore-warned by others, a difficult ride. Taking almost eight hours of riding time, it was a long day. Included in the 70 miles of riding were three long climbs … my speed up these climbs varied from 3 mph to 6 mph. But the down hills were sweet.
For the first time since Utah, I met up with a number of bike touring folks. They were all heading eastward, so they had a great time telling me about the climbs to come … but then I could do the same. Don’t know if they exaggerated, but I sure did. One thing that caught my attention was the varying amount of luggage the various riders were carrying. There were two college-age women who appeared to each have a small duffel bag strapped to their rear bike racks. They were headed to Chicago. My guess is that they were doing hotels exclusively. But later I talked to two older guys who were planning to camp that evening, and they each had only two small panniers … they were ultimately going to Virginia. Fortunately, for my pride, there were several other riders with as much, if not more gear than I. It has given me something to think about … what am I carrying that maybe I do not need? I did get rid of the Unabridged Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary that I have carried with me since high school.
I got a chuckle early on the first climb … a young guy came down this long hill on a single-speed fixed-gear bike. By way of explanation, on a fixed-gear single speed, if the rear tire is moving, so are the pedals. This guy’s feet were moving so fast you could barely see them; I am sure that his cadence was approaching 150 rpm!
Now, for the “almost as advertised”: the weather.com website had promised skies with no clouds or wind. Wrong! For most of the day the dark gray of the clouds blocked out the blue of the sky, and the wind (out of the west naturally), was coming at me at a pretty good pace. Up on the top of the three passes, it was downright cold … probably in the high 40s. But the views were spectacular. The country up in that area reminds me of the upper reaches of Mt. Lemmon (without the scars left by the fires back in 2003). Beautiful … but cold.
The final 7 miles of the day’s ride were a rider’s delight. Earlier in the day I had talked with a couple from Boston who said it took them about one hour and forty five minutes to get up the first climb of their day (they were headed east; me west). This downhill took me about fifteen minutes … and the weather was getting warm. Now that is the way to finish up a long day of riding.
Ahhhh, life is indeed good.
For the first time since Utah, I met up with a number of bike touring folks. They were all heading eastward, so they had a great time telling me about the climbs to come … but then I could do the same. Don’t know if they exaggerated, but I sure did. One thing that caught my attention was the varying amount of luggage the various riders were carrying. There were two college-age women who appeared to each have a small duffel bag strapped to their rear bike racks. They were headed to Chicago. My guess is that they were doing hotels exclusively. But later I talked to two older guys who were planning to camp that evening, and they each had only two small panniers … they were ultimately going to Virginia. Fortunately, for my pride, there were several other riders with as much, if not more gear than I. It has given me something to think about … what am I carrying that maybe I do not need? I did get rid of the Unabridged Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary that I have carried with me since high school.
I got a chuckle early on the first climb … a young guy came down this long hill on a single-speed fixed-gear bike. By way of explanation, on a fixed-gear single speed, if the rear tire is moving, so are the pedals. This guy’s feet were moving so fast you could barely see them; I am sure that his cadence was approaching 150 rpm!
Now, for the “almost as advertised”: the weather.com website had promised skies with no clouds or wind. Wrong! For most of the day the dark gray of the clouds blocked out the blue of the sky, and the wind (out of the west naturally), was coming at me at a pretty good pace. Up on the top of the three passes, it was downright cold … probably in the high 40s. But the views were spectacular. The country up in that area reminds me of the upper reaches of Mt. Lemmon (without the scars left by the fires back in 2003). Beautiful … but cold.
The final 7 miles of the day’s ride were a rider’s delight. Earlier in the day I had talked with a couple from Boston who said it took them about one hour and forty five minutes to get up the first climb of their day (they were headed east; me west). This downhill took me about fifteen minutes … and the weather was getting warm. Now that is the way to finish up a long day of riding.
Ahhhh, life is indeed good.
Taking a break ... (June 21, 2009)
I have pretty much parked my bike for the weekend, and have given the body a rest.
Baker City is hosting a regional bicycle stage race this weekend, and the town is full of very serious bike racers. The event, The Elkhorn Classic, ran Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and draws racers from throughout the Northwest and Northern California.
I spent Saturday downtown watching the time trials and the criterium races. Lots of fun. Had the opportunity to talk touring with a young couple, from South Carolina, who were passing through town. They gave me some worthwhile tips on routes and equipment. It was quite pleasurable to share the love of touring with these two. They are heading across country, and need to be back in South Carolina in mid August.
Sunday's race was to be a 105 mile road race, which was to go over three summits and then finish at a nearby mountain top. Another cold front, with cold rain, came through the area starting around midnight, Saturday night. The race officials ended up shortening this stage to 25 miles ... I would imagine the racers were greatly relieved as it was miserable.
I had planned on riding out to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, which is about 6 miles out of town. Needless to say, with the rain, I did not visit the Center. I did, however, walk over to the Baker City Museum and learned that the guy who started the Airsteam Trailer Company, Wally Byam, was born in Baker City. Now that's a piece of information that will probalby come in handy at some point ... can't imagine when, though.
Monday's ride will be a tough one ... 66 miles with three summit climbs ... summits are in the neighborhood of 4500' to 5200'; Baker City is 3450'. Weather projections call for sunshine all week, so that is good. It will be good to get off of Route 84, and on to some scenic roads.
Is this Idaho? ... (June 19, 2009)
Just when I thought I was in for some warm weather, it was deja Idaho, all over again.
When I left Fairwell Bend State Park, it was nice ... a little breezy maybe, but nice. The weather quickly changed as a cold front came roaring through Eastern Oregon. There are some spectacular downhill runs in the early stages of the ride to Baker City. With the headwind, I was streaking my way down these hills at 7 mph!!! I had figured on a relatively easy 50 mile ride; the weather gods had a differing opinion.
After about 10 miles of this devastating headwind, the rain started ... and it did not let-up for about 25 miles. The wind did soften about 8 miles into the rain phase.
For anyone reading this who may have a similar "lack of attention to detail" as I, may I explain the difference between "water-proof" and "water-resistant" materials. Water-resistant is synonymous with "water-conductive", or more clearly stated "not water-proof". My rain pants are water-proof; my rain jacket is not. When the rain stopped, the wetness of my long-sleeve jersey provided little warmth until the sun came out.
The last 15 to 20 miles were better and more enjoyable. Matter of fact, the last 10 miles were pretty much downhill (no headwind this time).
Baker City is a pretty town, with historic downtown and surrounding residential areas. This weekend, the area is awash in bicycles as they are holding the Elkhorn Classic Bicycle races. The Classic consists of four stage races ... two road races, one time-trial and one criterium. Lots and lots of very nice racing road bikes.
I plan on taking a couple of days off to watch the racing, then head across central Oregon.
Life is good.
When I left Fairwell Bend State Park, it was nice ... a little breezy maybe, but nice. The weather quickly changed as a cold front came roaring through Eastern Oregon. There are some spectacular downhill runs in the early stages of the ride to Baker City. With the headwind, I was streaking my way down these hills at 7 mph!!! I had figured on a relatively easy 50 mile ride; the weather gods had a differing opinion.
After about 10 miles of this devastating headwind, the rain started ... and it did not let-up for about 25 miles. The wind did soften about 8 miles into the rain phase.
For anyone reading this who may have a similar "lack of attention to detail" as I, may I explain the difference between "water-proof" and "water-resistant" materials. Water-resistant is synonymous with "water-conductive", or more clearly stated "not water-proof". My rain pants are water-proof; my rain jacket is not. When the rain stopped, the wetness of my long-sleeve jersey provided little warmth until the sun came out.
The last 15 to 20 miles were better and more enjoyable. Matter of fact, the last 10 miles were pretty much downhill (no headwind this time).
Baker City is a pretty town, with historic downtown and surrounding residential areas. This weekend, the area is awash in bicycles as they are holding the Elkhorn Classic Bicycle races. The Classic consists of four stage races ... two road races, one time-trial and one criterium. Lots and lots of very nice racing road bikes.
I plan on taking a couple of days off to watch the racing, then head across central Oregon.
Life is good.
Easy Schmeezzie ... (June 18, 2009)
Ontario to Fairwell Bend State Park ... I was expecting an easy day doing only about 25 miles. Easy stuff. Surprise, there are three or four massive climbs between Ontario and the state park. Plus a slight headwind ... no rain, though. What I had projected as an easy restfull day on the bike turned out to be quite a hard day, short though it was.
After arriving at Fairwell Bend State Park, I was reminded of one of the items Linda Matson had included on her "tour packing list" ... insect repellent! The mosquitoes had a feast, to say the least. The area around the lake/park, while quite barren, is quite beautiful especially at sunset.
This park got it's name, "Fairwell Bend" as it was the last camp the pioneers had prior to heading overland to the Columbia River. The wagon trains had followed the Snake River up to this point. I wonder if the pioneers remembered the insect repellent.
Oregon State Parks have special rates ($4 versus $15) for hikers/bikers, as well as a designated area away from the RV camping areas. So there I was over in an isolated area, all by myself. I should say that I did get a chance to talk with the RV folks as the "RV dump station" is adjacent to the hiker/biker area. Very pleasant ... the conversations, not the odors.
I did find out from one of the RV'ers that had I taken Route 201, instead of 84, I would have had a very nice scenic flat ride along the Snake River.
Live and learn.
Exit Idaho ... (June 17, 2009)
Today's ride was very much a shortened version of my ride through Idaho ... cold and wet at the beginning; warm and sunny at the end.
Riding at a leisurely pace, I rode the 48 miles between Meridian, ID and Ontario, OR in a little under four hours. There was little of distinction to note ... just a few small climbs, little wind and a little rain. Coming out of Meridian, it drizzled for about 6 miles ... just enough to put on the rain jacket and shower cap (shower cap over the helmet keeps the head dry and looks oh so fashionable).
Once the rain stopped, the weather turned warm. Arrived in Ontario (Oregon!!) mid-afternoon, and did a little shopping at a local bike shop. Always nice to talk bikes. This part of the country is high desert with vast (brown) vistas interspersed with green agricultural fields.
I have decided to take the "Central Oregon" route across the state. Will head up to Baker City, then head west. Rather than take on the 72 miles to Baker City in one day, I plan on riding about 20 miles to a state park tomorrow, then the remaining 52 miles Friday. The easy day will do my legs good.
I had hoped to get off of route 84 (interstate highway), but will be riding it until Baker City.
Looking forward to seeing what Central Oregon looks like, even if there are several challenging climbs between here and Eugene.
Riding at a leisurely pace, I rode the 48 miles between Meridian, ID and Ontario, OR in a little under four hours. There was little of distinction to note ... just a few small climbs, little wind and a little rain. Coming out of Meridian, it drizzled for about 6 miles ... just enough to put on the rain jacket and shower cap (shower cap over the helmet keeps the head dry and looks oh so fashionable).
Once the rain stopped, the weather turned warm. Arrived in Ontario (Oregon!!) mid-afternoon, and did a little shopping at a local bike shop. Always nice to talk bikes. This part of the country is high desert with vast (brown) vistas interspersed with green agricultural fields.
I have decided to take the "Central Oregon" route across the state. Will head up to Baker City, then head west. Rather than take on the 72 miles to Baker City in one day, I plan on riding about 20 miles to a state park tomorrow, then the remaining 52 miles Friday. The easy day will do my legs good.
I had hoped to get off of route 84 (interstate highway), but will be riding it until Baker City.
Looking forward to seeing what Central Oregon looks like, even if there are several challenging climbs between here and Eugene.
A good day to be riding ... (June 16, 2009)
Weather-wise, it was a good day to be riding.
The ride from Mountain Home to Meridian (5 miles west of Boise), was a day unmarred by weather factors. Not much in the way of climbs, either. Actually, other than the traffic in the Boise area, the ride was quite uneventful.
The terrain between Mountain Home and Boise reminds me of the area north of Cordes Junction on I-17.
The highpoint of the ride was time shared with two deer. The first deer I saw resulted in a five minute stair-down. I guess my neon-green shirt is quite noticeable to animals. After the stair-down (the deer won), I rode on ... the deer ran along parallel with the road for about a quarter of a mile. The second deer also ran along for a short distance, but then disappeared over a hill.
The other event of interest was my visit to a REI store in Boise. The ride through Boise, to get to the store, was interesting in that there was a lack of a bike lane for a good part of the ride. Stressful to say the least. The young lady who assisted me at the REI had just completed an Ironman event this past weekend ... boy did she walk funny. Odd how addictive running becomes ... even though she was hurting, she said she thought she could start running again in a few days.
Wednesday's ride looks to be a good one, both in regards to weather and distance/elevation changes. I am now re-thinking the route across Oregon. May go up to the Columbia River, or head directly across the central parts of the state. Will have to make that decision Wednesday afternoon when I reach Ontario, OR.
Wednesday's ride is the second day of week four ... will be over 1200 miles at the end of the day.
But it's a dry wind ... (June 15, 2009)
Finally, a dry day. No rain other than the three drops that I counted hitting me near Glenn's Ferry. What joy!
Today's ride, from Jerome to Mountain Home, was a long ride ... 74 miles. The first 30 miles were a joy ... dry, flat and no wind (no wind is second only to a tailwind on the "wind impact factors whilst riding a bike"). I was sailing along, with my shadow I might add, probably averaging somewhere around 16 mph. Ah, it would be a great day for riding.
Did I mention I was heading to a town named "Mountain Home"? A smarter person than I would deduce that if a town is called "Mountain Home", then it's elevation is probably higher than surrounding areas.
The last forty miles, or so, were impacted by a steady series of climbs and strong headwinds. This combination of riding factors teaches one to be patient and accepting of the factors presented. As I mentioned above, today's ride was a long day: six and a half hours actual riding time; eight hours total travel time ... stopping for eats, pictures and a flat. Getting back to the lessons learned riding into the climbs/headwinds ... and being so noble ... it is most discouraging to see that only 3 miles remain in the ride, yet you are only doing 7 mph ... most discouraging. As I said, long day! Tomorrow only 44 miles into Boise, so should be an easier day ... and the weather seems to be improving.
I must apologize to Twin Falls regarding my comparison to Ajo. I think my positive mindset had diminished to the point of being mean-spirited due to the four consecutive rain days. Reflecting back on the vistas around Twin Falls, I think the proper comparison would be Eloy.
I think I should also say something positive about "wind" after my disparaging comments regarding headwinds. Because of the constant "high winds" in this area, there are a great number of the gigantic wind generators scattered around the area. If there is a more elegantly designed structure introduced to the landscape in the past 10 years, I have not seen it. These structures, with three giant blades (think Mercedes hood ornament) spinning atop the slender support column, would be elegant enough. Add the bright white color of these structures and place them against the vivid darker colors of the mountains beyond ... ah, eye candy for those who enjoy structures.
Speaking of "bright white", I have come to understand that there are three things that bring joy into my life on this adventure ... coffee, WiFi, and bright white clean porcelain. What can I say, I am a city boy.
The joy in riding should return tomorrow ... Oregon is only two days away.
Today's ride, from Jerome to Mountain Home, was a long ride ... 74 miles. The first 30 miles were a joy ... dry, flat and no wind (no wind is second only to a tailwind on the "wind impact factors whilst riding a bike"). I was sailing along, with my shadow I might add, probably averaging somewhere around 16 mph. Ah, it would be a great day for riding.
Did I mention I was heading to a town named "Mountain Home"? A smarter person than I would deduce that if a town is called "Mountain Home", then it's elevation is probably higher than surrounding areas.
The last forty miles, or so, were impacted by a steady series of climbs and strong headwinds. This combination of riding factors teaches one to be patient and accepting of the factors presented. As I mentioned above, today's ride was a long day: six and a half hours actual riding time; eight hours total travel time ... stopping for eats, pictures and a flat. Getting back to the lessons learned riding into the climbs/headwinds ... and being so noble ... it is most discouraging to see that only 3 miles remain in the ride, yet you are only doing 7 mph ... most discouraging. As I said, long day! Tomorrow only 44 miles into Boise, so should be an easier day ... and the weather seems to be improving.
I must apologize to Twin Falls regarding my comparison to Ajo. I think my positive mindset had diminished to the point of being mean-spirited due to the four consecutive rain days. Reflecting back on the vistas around Twin Falls, I think the proper comparison would be Eloy.
I think I should also say something positive about "wind" after my disparaging comments regarding headwinds. Because of the constant "high winds" in this area, there are a great number of the gigantic wind generators scattered around the area. If there is a more elegantly designed structure introduced to the landscape in the past 10 years, I have not seen it. These structures, with three giant blades (think Mercedes hood ornament) spinning atop the slender support column, would be elegant enough. Add the bright white color of these structures and place them against the vivid darker colors of the mountains beyond ... ah, eye candy for those who enjoy structures.
Speaking of "bright white", I have come to understand that there are three things that bring joy into my life on this adventure ... coffee, WiFi, and bright white clean porcelain. What can I say, I am a city boy.
The joy in riding should return tomorrow ... Oregon is only two days away.
Four for four ... (June 14, 2009)
Another day of riding in the rain.When it came time to leave Burley this morning, it was raining. I waited half-an-hour, but it did not look as though the rain was going to stop, so I headed west. A steady drizzle fell for the first six miles or so. After the rain finally stopped, the wind and overcast sky remained for the next fifteen miles.
My cold body and tired legs prompted me to decide to cut today's ride shorter than I had planned. The rest of the day has been one of resting in Jerome, ID.
The area west of Burley is primarily agricultural ... great expanses of crops ... potatoes, don'cha know. It has often been said that there is an exception to every rule. Twin Falls, ID is the exception to Idaho beauty ... think Ajo.
Once again, I hope it does not rain tomorrow.
Rain, rain, go away ... (June 13, 2009)
One of the interesting things about long distance riding is that you can pretty much see what the weather is going to do to you ... and there really isn't a whole lot you can do about it.Today made it three days in-a-row that I have had the joy of riding in the rain. Yesterday, for four hours and thirteen minutes of four hours and eighteen minutes of riding, there was no rain. But for five minutes in Pocatello, there was such a heavy downpour that I could barely see twenty feet in front of me. Today, I got hit by about thirty minutes of rain as I was finishing up the ride into Burley, ID. I am not sure, but I think the word "Idaho" really means, "Feels like an Arizona January day." Temperatures have been running in the 50s and low 60s. I finish up the rides and immediately put on a sweatshirt, woolen socks and long pants ... I look around and see others in shorts and t-shirts. Yeah, well, at least I am warm, even if it is obvious I am from a warmer climate. Never thought I would say this, but I sure could go for a few 100 degree days.
Other than the rain episodes, this really is a terrific area. Most of the trails used by the pioneers who traveled to the West Coast, in the 1840s and 1850's, came through this area. Lots of history was made in this part of the country. Wonder if those pioneers complained about the rain?
Due to the cold and the rain, I have opted to spend more nights in motels than in campgrounds. The challenge presented to me is that just prior to opening the doors to the rooms of these $35 to $40 a night motels, one is filled with fear of what the condition of the room is going to be. For a guy who is used to La Quinta-esque hotels (thanks to my former employer), I find this to be a real challenge. Some of these places do not understand the concept of "non-smoking" rooms.
Today, I enjoyed two seperate conversations with two fellow cyclists. The first was with a 76 year-old gentleman who lives in the American Falls area. He rides an average of 40 miles a day, and is planning on a tour of Yellowstone Park with friends in August of this year. He provided me with quite a bit of information about the area ... was a fun conversation. The second conversation was with a young father (with two pre-teen boys), who had done extensive bike touring in his college days. The highlight of his trips was a ride from Ft. Collins, CO, all the way to Fairbanks. He, and his sons, were riding through one of the State Parks west of American Falls.
The riding continues, with rain projected for another three or four days, but I am still enjoying this adventure. Hope I stay dry today ...
Rain or Shine ... (June 11, 2009)
Mostly rain ... and very little shine. I think I saw my shadow three or four times today, but I saw/felt about 20 miles of rain. Fortunately, the rain was in the early parts of today's ride from Tremonton, UT to Downey, ID.
Even in the current overcast weather, this part of the country needs to be seen to be believed. I have not seen such deep, rich shades of green since seeing southwestern Ireland back in the mid-90's. The area of Idaho where I am today (south of Pocatello) is made up of massive mountains and wide, wide, wide valleys. With the sun breaking through the clouds, patches of green are highlighted; which, when combined with patches of yellow flowers (weeds), a beautiful landscape results.
Given the vistas enjoyed today, I must confess that I abandoned the peaceful and serene back roads and rode I-15. The weather reports predicted rain (they got that one right!), so I decided to take the most direct route available and rode the interstate. Ah, the joy of having a semi-truck go buzzing by me and being drenched by the road-water spray of the passing truck.
Had the joy of sharing a table and conversation with a fellow cyclist/runner when I stopped for lunch today. The young guy is a geologist who is currently doing some geological surveys in Idaho/Utah, but lives in the Washington D.C. area. It was so nice to have a conversation about bikes, touring and running events. He, Rob, is running a marathon this coming weekend, then flying back to D.C. He has set a goal of running a marathon in all 50 states (Idaho will be 27th state), and also plans on doing the Tempe Ironman event next fall ... and people think I am crazy!
Meteorologists are predicting rain through Wednesday of next week, but I will continue to push on. I am hoping to get over to the Portland area around the 22nd of June. Bill Sievers, a friend from Tucson, is starting a cross-country ride from Astoria, OR on June 22, and I am hoping we can meet-up somewhere in the St. Helen's/Portland area.
Other than doing a whole lot of pedalling, I am not sure I am getting much accomplished ... but in a very strange way I am feeling very satisfied.
Even in the current overcast weather, this part of the country needs to be seen to be believed. I have not seen such deep, rich shades of green since seeing southwestern Ireland back in the mid-90's. The area of Idaho where I am today (south of Pocatello) is made up of massive mountains and wide, wide, wide valleys. With the sun breaking through the clouds, patches of green are highlighted; which, when combined with patches of yellow flowers (weeds), a beautiful landscape results.
Given the vistas enjoyed today, I must confess that I abandoned the peaceful and serene back roads and rode I-15. The weather reports predicted rain (they got that one right!), so I decided to take the most direct route available and rode the interstate. Ah, the joy of having a semi-truck go buzzing by me and being drenched by the road-water spray of the passing truck.
Had the joy of sharing a table and conversation with a fellow cyclist/runner when I stopped for lunch today. The young guy is a geologist who is currently doing some geological surveys in Idaho/Utah, but lives in the Washington D.C. area. It was so nice to have a conversation about bikes, touring and running events. He, Rob, is running a marathon this coming weekend, then flying back to D.C. He has set a goal of running a marathon in all 50 states (Idaho will be 27th state), and also plans on doing the Tempe Ironman event next fall ... and people think I am crazy!
Meteorologists are predicting rain through Wednesday of next week, but I will continue to push on. I am hoping to get over to the Portland area around the 22nd of June. Bill Sievers, a friend from Tucson, is starting a cross-country ride from Astoria, OR on June 22, and I am hoping we can meet-up somewhere in the St. Helen's/Portland area.
Other than doing a whole lot of pedalling, I am not sure I am getting much accomplished ... but in a very strange way I am feeling very satisfied.
Rained Out ... June 10, 2009
And here I thought some of those 70 to 75 mile riding days were long. Today has been nothing but frustration and boredom.
It was raining all morning, so I decided to spend another day here in Tremonton, UT, at a hotel that advertises WiFi ... either my computer or their equipment is not working right. Can’t even do cross-word puzzles on-line … what’s a guy to do without the internet (other than head over to the McDonalds across the street where you can purchase WiFi time). I can only read for so long, or watch the news reports of the shooting at the Holocaust Museum for so long. Loooooooooong day.
So what's my the plan?
Tomorrow, rain or shine, I am heading towards Pocatello, ID, then westward to Twin Falls and Boise. From there, I will be heading up to the Columbia River and across Oregon to either Portland or the coast, depending on how the schedule goes. The end goal is to be in Eugene on the 29th of June. Depending on my state-of-mind at that point, I hope to then head across country towards the East Coast. We shall see …
So why am I doing this?
Still have not found a strong reason, other than I felt I needed to get out of the daily rut I had fallen into since retiring … coffee and newspaper, Internet, cross-word puzzle, avoid cleaning, run errands (bank, grocery stores, library, whatever) on my bike, read, nap … not much was getting done, but it was terribly comfortable. So I decided that I needed to do something to get out of my comfort zone … this trip has indeed successfully done that!
I am hoping that I will have some sort of epiphany, one of these days, which will bring some new energy to my life … after all, I figure I have another 20 to 30 years left on this earth. Best make those years productive.
Having said all that, I sure hope it isn’t raining tomorrow morning.
It was raining all morning, so I decided to spend another day here in Tremonton, UT, at a hotel that advertises WiFi ... either my computer or their equipment is not working right. Can’t even do cross-word puzzles on-line … what’s a guy to do without the internet (other than head over to the McDonalds across the street where you can purchase WiFi time). I can only read for so long, or watch the news reports of the shooting at the Holocaust Museum for so long. Loooooooooong day.
So what's my the plan?
Tomorrow, rain or shine, I am heading towards Pocatello, ID, then westward to Twin Falls and Boise. From there, I will be heading up to the Columbia River and across Oregon to either Portland or the coast, depending on how the schedule goes. The end goal is to be in Eugene on the 29th of June. Depending on my state-of-mind at that point, I hope to then head across country towards the East Coast. We shall see …
So why am I doing this?
Still have not found a strong reason, other than I felt I needed to get out of the daily rut I had fallen into since retiring … coffee and newspaper, Internet, cross-word puzzle, avoid cleaning, run errands (bank, grocery stores, library, whatever) on my bike, read, nap … not much was getting done, but it was terribly comfortable. So I decided that I needed to do something to get out of my comfort zone … this trip has indeed successfully done that!
I am hoping that I will have some sort of epiphany, one of these days, which will bring some new energy to my life … after all, I figure I have another 20 to 30 years left on this earth. Best make those years productive.
Having said all that, I sure hope it isn’t raining tomorrow morning.
Four Days to Northern Utah ... June 9, 2009
The last four days have brought a wide variety of terrain … extremely rural to big city.
The early stages of last Saturday’s ride found me riding through mostly flat agricultural areas. Still plenty of mountain views and still plenty of tail wind. The usual pattern seems to be nice weather in the mornings … not so nice weather in the afternoons. My destination was the Painted Rock Campground at the Yuba State Park. The State of Utah Park Administration had decided that one small sign reading “Yuba Reservoir” would suffice to alert travelers of the turn-off for the campground. It was insufficient notice for me … I rode on for an additional 5 miles, or so, before determining (guessing) that I had missed the turn. The return trip was into a very strong headwind. After making the turn into the Reservoir, and riding about an eighth of a mile, there was quite a nice big sign indicating that the Painted Rock Campground was just to right. Nice. Indeed, the campground was nice … once the wind finally died down.
Sunday’s ride was really quite pleasant. Pretty country and light winds … no rain. In the small town of Levan, I asked a guy for directions to a good local café. As the conversation went on, we discovered that he knew Sue Fassett, who leads the Saturday morning group ride in Tempe. He had gone to high school with Sue, and his dad had been a teacher at the same school. Small world.
The remainder of the ride was rather uneventful, but enjoyable. It was quite strange riding into the urban area south of Salt Lake City. Not having been in a predominately Mormon area before, I was unaware that everything is closed on Sundays. There were very few people outside of their houses, very few people driving on the roads … it was ghost town. I was to stay at Mary Lou and Randall Thackerey’s house, so I called Mary Lou for directions. She gave me the street names, etc., and mentioned that they were located at the top of a hill. I think this “hill” is used by automotive designers as a “test hill” to see if their four-wheel vehicles can climb the most severe mountains.
It had been probably 20 years since I had last seen Mary Lou and Randall. It is funny how, even though quite a bit life has happened to us all, the personalities and characters have not changed. They live, as I mentioned earlier, high up on the side of a mountain … the views all around their house are amazingly beautiful. My too short stay was very enjoyable.
Monday found me working my way through Salt Lake City, up to Bountiful. Rather than ride through SLC, I chose to take advantage of the public transit system (Ride the Yellow Line). SLC has two rail lines, one (TRAX) that runs from Sandy to downtown SLC, then the other (FrontRunner) that runs up to Ogden. You access the TRAX rail cars by climbing up four fairly steep steps … keep in mind that my bike/panniers weigh around 80 pounds. It was not a scene of great agility and grace. The transit system did work, however, and I eliminated a lot of riding in heavy traffic.
Heather Fowler’s favorite aunt, who lives in Bountiful, graciously offered to house me for the night. This lady was a real treat to spend time with … she is a self-described “old lady”. This “old lady” is one of the most interesting people I have met in a long time. At 70 (I think that is what she said), she has an ongoing massage therapy practice, she plays wonderful piano, she gave birth to 16 children … on and on the interesting facets of her life were disclosed. Lest you think she is just an old frail elderly lady … recently she was clocked by a policeman doing approximately 105 mph. Her excuse … she had the sun roof open on her car and her Springsteen music playing. Amazing lady.
Today, I took the FrontRunner train up to Ogden, then rode the 48 miles up to Tremonton. Very pleasant ride along the foothills just east of the Great Salt Lake. This road is lightly traveled, and there were a steady supply of beautiful old homes. I did have a race with a storm that hit Tremonton about 30 minutes after I arrived.
Which brings me to great nervousness about the coming days. Weather reports call for thunderstorms through the end of the week ... these storms are coming from the northwest, which means headwinds. The next town of any size is about 105 miles from Tremonton. The next few days are going to be a challenge, to say the least.
The early stages of last Saturday’s ride found me riding through mostly flat agricultural areas. Still plenty of mountain views and still plenty of tail wind. The usual pattern seems to be nice weather in the mornings … not so nice weather in the afternoons. My destination was the Painted Rock Campground at the Yuba State Park. The State of Utah Park Administration had decided that one small sign reading “Yuba Reservoir” would suffice to alert travelers of the turn-off for the campground. It was insufficient notice for me … I rode on for an additional 5 miles, or so, before determining (guessing) that I had missed the turn. The return trip was into a very strong headwind. After making the turn into the Reservoir, and riding about an eighth of a mile, there was quite a nice big sign indicating that the Painted Rock Campground was just to right. Nice. Indeed, the campground was nice … once the wind finally died down.
Sunday’s ride was really quite pleasant. Pretty country and light winds … no rain. In the small town of Levan, I asked a guy for directions to a good local café. As the conversation went on, we discovered that he knew Sue Fassett, who leads the Saturday morning group ride in Tempe. He had gone to high school with Sue, and his dad had been a teacher at the same school. Small world.
The remainder of the ride was rather uneventful, but enjoyable. It was quite strange riding into the urban area south of Salt Lake City. Not having been in a predominately Mormon area before, I was unaware that everything is closed on Sundays. There were very few people outside of their houses, very few people driving on the roads … it was ghost town. I was to stay at Mary Lou and Randall Thackerey’s house, so I called Mary Lou for directions. She gave me the street names, etc., and mentioned that they were located at the top of a hill. I think this “hill” is used by automotive designers as a “test hill” to see if their four-wheel vehicles can climb the most severe mountains.
It had been probably 20 years since I had last seen Mary Lou and Randall. It is funny how, even though quite a bit life has happened to us all, the personalities and characters have not changed. They live, as I mentioned earlier, high up on the side of a mountain … the views all around their house are amazingly beautiful. My too short stay was very enjoyable.
Monday found me working my way through Salt Lake City, up to Bountiful. Rather than ride through SLC, I chose to take advantage of the public transit system (Ride the Yellow Line). SLC has two rail lines, one (TRAX) that runs from Sandy to downtown SLC, then the other (FrontRunner) that runs up to Ogden. You access the TRAX rail cars by climbing up four fairly steep steps … keep in mind that my bike/panniers weigh around 80 pounds. It was not a scene of great agility and grace. The transit system did work, however, and I eliminated a lot of riding in heavy traffic.
Heather Fowler’s favorite aunt, who lives in Bountiful, graciously offered to house me for the night. This lady was a real treat to spend time with … she is a self-described “old lady”. This “old lady” is one of the most interesting people I have met in a long time. At 70 (I think that is what she said), she has an ongoing massage therapy practice, she plays wonderful piano, she gave birth to 16 children … on and on the interesting facets of her life were disclosed. Lest you think she is just an old frail elderly lady … recently she was clocked by a policeman doing approximately 105 mph. Her excuse … she had the sun roof open on her car and her Springsteen music playing. Amazing lady.
Today, I took the FrontRunner train up to Ogden, then rode the 48 miles up to Tremonton. Very pleasant ride along the foothills just east of the Great Salt Lake. This road is lightly traveled, and there were a steady supply of beautiful old homes. I did have a race with a storm that hit Tremonton about 30 minutes after I arrived.
Which brings me to great nervousness about the coming days. Weather reports call for thunderstorms through the end of the week ... these storms are coming from the northwest, which means headwinds. The next town of any size is about 105 miles from Tremonton. The next few days are going to be a challenge, to say the least.
Land Speed Record ... (June 5,2009)
What a ride I had today. For the second day in a row, I have had down hills and tailwinds. Spectacular wind today. The ride from Circleville to Richfield is 52 miles, and I did it in just over 3 hours riding time. That's around 16.6 mph average ... on a 30 pound bike with 45 to 50 pounds of gear.
The last 5 miles was quite flat ... I was cruising at around 30 mph! What a way to finish up a day's ride. Ahhhhh, what fun ... but I am tired of the camping in the wind.
I think tomorrow will be more of the same.
The area between Circleville and Marysvale looks as though it would be a great place to spend a week ... white water rafting, riding, and for those who enjoy such activities, hiking, fishing and ATVing. I have never seen so many ATVs in my life. It seems as though every member of every family has their own ATV. Consumerism lives.
Finding a rhythm ... (June 4, 2009)
Three more days have passed, and I feel as though I am finding a very comfortable rhythm ... a rhythm in the daily "camp breakdown", a rhythm in the riding, and a rhythm in eating. I am feeling much more comfortable about this whole adventure.
Tuesday's ride was partially fun, and partially alot of work. Leaving Jacob Lake, there is a tremendous downhill run into Fredonia (Fredonia is an Irish word for "the wind does blow, but not at your back). The downhill was payback for the 14 mile climb the previous day. Heading north out of Fredonia, I entered Kanab,Utah. This whole area is a geoligist's dream. Once again my "C" student background allowed me to utter such gems as "Look at that rock!"Oh yes, the hard work mentioned earlier was a very serious climb between Kanab and Mt. Carmel Junction. Fortunately, following that climb was a very exhilarating downhill run. The RV/Campground at Mt. Carmel Junction is associated with the Best Western Hotel, which has a pool and jacuzzi ... very nice indeed.
This section of Utah is just amazingly beautiful. There are rivers that actually have water running in them. The mountains are a variety of colors, and there are the most visually stunning meadows (horses, cattle, bison, green grass, yellow flowers (weeds) and the previosly mentioned rivers).
In Kanab I met a fellow bike-tourer that I had been told about back in Cameron. Albert, a 62 year-old guy from the Netherlands, is doing a tour of National Parks in Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and north to Banff/Jasper, then over to Vancouver, British Columbia. Albert first did this ride 35 years ago, and has toured extensively throughout Europe and the U.S. Interesting fellow. We crossed paths several times in the next two days, but he headed off to Bryce Canyon, so I do not know if I will be seeing again.
Not alot happened on Wednesday, just one serious climb. Spent the night in Panguitch ... a real town, as opposed to the majority of the places noted on the map (which are little more than a gas station). Panguitch is a town of maybe 2,ooo people, and the downtown area is being redeveloped. Looks to be a nice place to live.
Today's ride was a dream. Instead of taking a complete "non-riding" rest day, I have decided to just do a short ride (20 - 25 miles) at an easy pace. Today's ride was 28 miles ... almost all of which was downhill, and ... are you ready ... a strong wind at my back. Hooooooooray, a biker's dream. Tonight I am camping at an RV/campground in Circleville. This place is the nicest park I have seen so far. It is a very good evening.
Backing away from my previous post where I attacked people in cars ... I have decided that if a person is doing an extended road trip, it would probably be very nice to be in a small RV. You would not be sleeping on the ground, you would not be hauling suitcases into hotels every night, and your butt would be on a very comfortable seat/chair, as opposed to a few square inches of bicycle saddle.
As stated in an earlier post ... life is good
Tuesday's ride was partially fun, and partially alot of work. Leaving Jacob Lake, there is a tremendous downhill run into Fredonia (Fredonia is an Irish word for "the wind does blow, but not at your back). The downhill was payback for the 14 mile climb the previous day. Heading north out of Fredonia, I entered Kanab,Utah. This whole area is a geoligist's dream. Once again my "C" student background allowed me to utter such gems as "Look at that rock!"Oh yes, the hard work mentioned earlier was a very serious climb between Kanab and Mt. Carmel Junction. Fortunately, following that climb was a very exhilarating downhill run. The RV/Campground at Mt. Carmel Junction is associated with the Best Western Hotel, which has a pool and jacuzzi ... very nice indeed.
This section of Utah is just amazingly beautiful. There are rivers that actually have water running in them. The mountains are a variety of colors, and there are the most visually stunning meadows (horses, cattle, bison, green grass, yellow flowers (weeds) and the previosly mentioned rivers).
In Kanab I met a fellow bike-tourer that I had been told about back in Cameron. Albert, a 62 year-old guy from the Netherlands, is doing a tour of National Parks in Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and north to Banff/Jasper, then over to Vancouver, British Columbia. Albert first did this ride 35 years ago, and has toured extensively throughout Europe and the U.S. Interesting fellow. We crossed paths several times in the next two days, but he headed off to Bryce Canyon, so I do not know if I will be seeing again.
Not alot happened on Wednesday, just one serious climb. Spent the night in Panguitch ... a real town, as opposed to the majority of the places noted on the map (which are little more than a gas station). Panguitch is a town of maybe 2,ooo people, and the downtown area is being redeveloped. Looks to be a nice place to live.
Today's ride was a dream. Instead of taking a complete "non-riding" rest day, I have decided to just do a short ride (20 - 25 miles) at an easy pace. Today's ride was 28 miles ... almost all of which was downhill, and ... are you ready ... a strong wind at my back. Hooooooooray, a biker's dream. Tonight I am camping at an RV/campground in Circleville. This place is the nicest park I have seen so far. It is a very good evening.
Backing away from my previous post where I attacked people in cars ... I have decided that if a person is doing an extended road trip, it would probably be very nice to be in a small RV. You would not be sleeping on the ground, you would not be hauling suitcases into hotels every night, and your butt would be on a very comfortable seat/chair, as opposed to a few square inches of bicycle saddle.
As stated in an earlier post ... life is good
Will Ferrell ... (June 1, 2009)
As I mentioned to my brother last week, some of these long climbs remind me of Will Ferrell movies … they are extremely painful, but you know that at some point they will end. Today was a Will Farrell movie marathon.
Although today’s ride was fairly short (38 miles), it closed out with a 14 mile climb, with an elevation gain from approximately 4800 feet to 7921 feet. Average speed for the day was 7.7 mph. I’m cooked!
If it were not for the spectacular views there would be no reason for this area to exist, as far as I am concerned. I am spending the night in Jacob Lake, AZ. Jacob Lake is at the junction of 89A and the road to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is quite beautiful … pine trees, yellow flowers, and lots of naturally growing grass. But the most striking view was about 3 miles up the climb, looking back at the Vermilion Cliffs, and the plateau from which the easterly portion of the Grand Canyon is cut. At that point I was only half cooked, but I did not think to take a picture. I am confident my little “point and shoot” digital camera would not have captured the beauty. This area, called the Arizona Strip, is captivating in it’s beauty and it’s lack of human occupation … wide open spaces to say the least.
Talking with a couple, from England, at the view point mentioned above. They were planning on driving to Las Vegas today. Made me realize the difference in “time/distance” thinking between travel by car or by bicycle. It may sound elitist, but I somewhat feel sad for the car travelers, it looks as though they are not really seeing what is to be seen.
I was thinking today, “I wonder what the news of the past several days is?” Oh well, it will all be waiting for me at some point.
Although today’s ride was fairly short (38 miles), it closed out with a 14 mile climb, with an elevation gain from approximately 4800 feet to 7921 feet. Average speed for the day was 7.7 mph. I’m cooked!
If it were not for the spectacular views there would be no reason for this area to exist, as far as I am concerned. I am spending the night in Jacob Lake, AZ. Jacob Lake is at the junction of 89A and the road to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is quite beautiful … pine trees, yellow flowers, and lots of naturally growing grass. But the most striking view was about 3 miles up the climb, looking back at the Vermilion Cliffs, and the plateau from which the easterly portion of the Grand Canyon is cut. At that point I was only half cooked, but I did not think to take a picture. I am confident my little “point and shoot” digital camera would not have captured the beauty. This area, called the Arizona Strip, is captivating in it’s beauty and it’s lack of human occupation … wide open spaces to say the least.
Talking with a couple, from England, at the view point mentioned above. They were planning on driving to Las Vegas today. Made me realize the difference in “time/distance” thinking between travel by car or by bicycle. It may sound elitist, but I somewhat feel sad for the car travelers, it looks as though they are not really seeing what is to be seen.
I was thinking today, “I wonder what the news of the past several days is?” Oh well, it will all be waiting for me at some point.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)