End of Chapter One ... (August 19, 2009)

And so endeth my first bike touring adventure.

I am back in Tempe after a quick drive from Salt Lake City to Phoenix. It is amazing how much distance one can cover in a car, after having spent almost three months doing an average of 55 miles per day on the bike.

The trip to Salt Lake City International Airport (to pickup the rental car), was somewhat of an adventure. Upon waking in Brigham City, I looked out the window and saw nothing but low black clouds and lots of water on the ground ... and lots of water heading toward the ground. Great ... one last ride in the rain. As it turned out, by the time I left the hotel the rain had stopped. It was a cold and wet ride none-the-less. Fortunately, I was able to cover the 2o miles to Ogden quickly, aided by a nice strong tailwind.

In Ogden I loaded the bike on to the Frontrunner ... the urban transit train that runs between Ogden and Salt Lake City. From the SLC station, I rode the bike the six or seven miles out to the airport. Traffic patterns at the airport (and to the car rental areas) were not designed with bicyclists in mind ... quite nerve racking. But I succeeded in running the gauntlet, and found my way to the rental car counter ... not many people wearing biking clothes at airports, are there?

Anyway, I rented the car and headed for Las Vegas. I was able to save about $100 by renting SLC-to-LV then LV-to-Phx, as opposed to SLC-to-Phx. Bit of a hassle, but well worth the savings.

Saturday I drove to St. George, UT and have very little to report about the drive other than the fact that I think I stopped at just about every convenience store along the way to buy some form of junk food. On Sunday I drove to LV, then on to Phx.

I had never been on the highway from SLC to LV before. As is to be expected, I saw quite a bit of desert. The area that is truly amazing is the Arizona Strip, the area where the highway (I-15) crosses through the northwest corner of Arizona. This drive is like driving down, in, and through the Grand Canyon ... it is spectacular (but I sure wouldn't want to ride a bike on that road). I am sure that the Arizona Department of Transportation - Road Building Division was not too excited about having to build the highway, as I am not sure there are any Arizona towns serviced by what had to be a very expensive road to build. (For you "advanced placement english class" students ... that last sentence was quite a sentence, eh? Diagram that one, you eggheads!)

The rest of Sunday's drive was taken at an easy pace (cruise control is wonderful). I took I-40 from Kingman to Ash Fork, then headed south through Prescott and down Yarnell Hill. It made for a longer day, but I did not want to arrive in the Valley of the Heat mid-afternoon. Arrived back home Sunday evening.

So it has been a couple of days of getting the bike cleaned up and gear stowed. And it is hot.

I have mixed emotions about having ended the ride. I realize that emotionally I was not prepared to continue the ride, but I do miss the daily riding adventure.

Was the ride a success? Yes, I think so.

Will I do any more bike tours? Definitely!

I have been asked what was the trip like ... my best answer is that it was much like any other long-term endeavor in that there were good days and bad days ... interesting/mentally stimulating days and some very mundane days. I met some very interesting people and really enjoyed seeing new territory and learning about the history of the Northwest. I also had the opportunity to get to know my cousin Larry and his wife Ilene ... which was one of the highlights of the trip.

I am not sure if I am able to properly convey stories about my cycling adventure. To me, the adventure was very much a "be here now" type of experience, and other than a few unique situations (example: the shoe tree), it is difficult to express what I experienced. Trying to convey the joy of long downhill runs, or the agony of long uphill climbs (or strong headwinds) is not an easy task ... nor is conveying the serenity of pedaling through beautiful country. Bill Sievers is correct ... bike touring must be experienced to be truly appreciated and understood.

The bike has been cleaned and is now at rest ... I look forward to my next cycling adventure ... anyone want to go for a ride?

Quick Trip Home ... (August 14, 2009)

Due to a lot of different rationalized reasons, I am opting to take an alternative means of transportation to get back to Phoenix.

This morning I am in a small motel in a town called Preston, ID. I will be riding into Brigham City, UT today, then tomorrow, heading directly to the Salt Lake City Airport to rent a car and return to Phoenix via Las Vegas. What would take approximately two and a half weeks on my bike will take two days in a car.

The last three days have found me in a profound funk, just pedaling the bike to cover the miles. The joy and excitement of seeing new things is no longer a passenger on this voyage. Yesterday I stopped along the road for my usual "in ride" snack of banana, fig bars and water only to realize that I had stopped directly across the road for similar reasons about two months ago.

So, rather than slog along and not enjoy the experience, I am taking the express lane home.

I did meet some interesting riders the other day in Blackfoot, ID (north of Pocatello). Amaya Williams and Eric Schambion have been riding for over two years, and are part of an organization called World Biking. They have set a goal of riding 80,000 kilometers through 80 countries. The organization's mission is to provide bicycles to people in third world countries. For more information, go to www.worldbiking.info. Funny thing is that when I stopped and talked with them, they did not say anything about their ride ... we just discussed the day's rides.

Time to pack-up the bike and head south.

We have a winner ... (August 11, 2009)

Included in my August 2 posting, I asked if anyone knew what the raft in the Lochsa River is ... after a few rather creative answers, I think I have received a true plausible answer.

Skip Atkinson, lead loon of the wilderness hikers I shared dinner with at Three Rivers Resort, provided the following: the raft is called a "weir". Fish are gently trapped in the rotating drum ... U.S. Fish and Game employees monitor the type, size and general health of the fish.

While I appreciate getting a plausible answer, I kind of liked my cousin Larry's offering ... it is an exercise wheel for trout ... similar to what is available for mice, rats and guinea pigs. Good one, Larry.

Stable Horse ... (August 10, 2009)

Like a horse heading back to the stable, I am heading for Arizona.

Yesterday I rode the 73 miles from Ennis, MT to West Yellowstone, MT. Made for a long day as it was primarily uphill (1700' gradual elevation gain) and into a slight headwind. This part of the country is quite beautiful ... heading into the the Rocky Mountains. Of particular interest is Quake Lake. In 1959, there was a landslide caused by an earthquake that completely blocked off the Madison River. The Corp of Engineers had to quickly open a waterway through the landslide debris so as to avoid a catastrophic flood of areas downstream. This lake is proof that the earth is still evolving.

Changes in plan again ... I had planned on riding through Yellowstone Park, then head south either east or west of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. But like a stable horse, I am looking to get home as quickly as possible. So I am going to head down to Idaho Falls, then back through Central Utah.

My thought is that next summer I will re-attempt a cross-country ride, and do Yellowstone Park at that time. Next time I will start riding in Oregon, not Arizona.

Today's ride to Ashton, ID. will put total mileage right at 3000 miles ... not too shabby for a 60 year-old. Actually, as of tomorrow, a 61 year-old. Ouch.

Time to head south ... hope the wind is with me.

Headed Home ... (August 8, 2009)

I made my decision last night ... I am heading back to Arizona. After studying a map of North America, I deducted that it would take me approximately 50 days to get back to Massachusetts. I just do not have the energy/motivation to take that on at this time ... so back to Arizona I go.

After a most enjoyable stay in Bozeman with Jen, Thad and Lilian, I headed west, then south, planning to make the 45 mile ride to Ennis, MT an easy day. Big surprise ... about 20 miles into the ride, when I turned south, I was greeted by a ferocious head wind. At this point, the road entered a canyon created by the Madison River. After battling the wind for about 6 miles, I decided to call it a day and set-up camp at the Red Mountain National Parks Campground. Having set-up camp around noon, I took the opportunity to weigh the pros and cons of the east coast versus the Arizona routes. Made my decision around 6:00 after taking a welcome nap (all that concentrating took a lot out of me).

The wind blew all day and all night ... plus more night-time rain. What a joy ... my lack of love for camping was reinforced. The campsite was quite beautiful as the Madison River was about 15' from my tent. This morning I got an early start and found a gas station some 8 miles into the ride. The coffee was stimulating; the conversation with a local truck driver was not.

The short 27 mile ride into Ennis, MT. was hard (long uphill) and joyful (long downhill). Observing the cloud buildup to the south, I decided to set-up camp in a cheap hotel. Ennis, a town of about 1,000 people, was holding an Arts Festival in the downtown park ... it got rained out around 4:00 PM (heavy, heavy rain and strong winds). Lovely weather we are having here in Southwestern Montana ... it is supposed to get down to 36 degrees in West Yellowstone tonight.

Weather aside, I must say that the beauty of the country west of Bozeman has relegated Southern Idaho to second place on my "most incredibly beautiful scenery" list.

Having made my travel plan decision, I feel much more at peace.

Dipping the Wheel ... (August 6, 2009)

As you may recall, awhile back I dipped the rear wheel of my bike in the Pacific ... today I dipped the front wheel in the Missouri River. Not the Omaha, Nebraska stretch of the Missouri River, but rather the Missouri River Headwaters ... west of Bozeman, MT.

Yesterday, after leaving Butte, MT, I set out at a fairly leisurely pace, and had planned on a peaceful 58 mile ride into Three Forks, MT. While there were predictions of rain, the sky did not look at all threatening. I passed over the Continental Divide (6393') about 10 miles east of Butte, then settled in at a very comfortable pace. Feeling good and rested, I decided to get off of I-90, and take one of the suggested "scenic routes" laid out for me by John at Adventure Cycling. At Cardwell, I detoured through Jefferson Canyon, which was one of the many areas explored by Lewis and Clark. The first 10 miles of this route was very enjoyable ... narrow road, but very little traffic. The second leg of this detour, about 20 miles, included such delights as road construction, no shoulders/bike lane, heavy traffic and head winds with sporadic heavy rain.

No fun ... very tense. Needless to say, I opted for a motel rather than camp in the rain.

Thursday morning I awoke to a flooded parking lot ... it had rained off and on all night. Weather reports called for heavy rains late in the day, so I got a very early start. The 35 miles into Bozeman did not look to be at all difficult, so again I rode at a very comfortable pace. Just a few miles into the ride, I took a short detour into the Missouri River Headwaters State Park. In-as-much-as I was debating if I would continue riding to the east or head back to Arizona, I figured I could always say I dipped the front wheel in the Missouri River ... just not say that it occurred in Montana, not the Midwest. As it turned out, the Interpretive Center was very interesting, and the information presented brought together many of the loose-ends generated by my reading about Native American history (prior to 1800) and the Lewis & Clark Expedition. I had a very enjoyable "scholarly" conversation with a young lady who works for the State Parks Department ... she was clearly "wowed" by the knowledge I had accumulated over the past two months. I did not have the heart to tell her I would probably forget most of the information before nightfall.

As I got closer to Bozeman, I stopped in a small town (Manhatten, MT) for lunch. I asked a guy along the street to recommend a cafe, which he did. After I finished my meal, and was preparing to leave the parking lot of the cafe, he approached me to see if I had a few minutes. He turned out to be a staff writer for a newspaper based in Belgrade, MT (a suburb of Bozeman). I was rather taken aback that he thought there might be a story in my travels ... see http://www.belgrade-news.com/news/view.php?article=11077 for the results of our discussion. Damn celebrity ... that's what I am!!!

Finally arriving in Bozeman, I had the joy of spending the evening with Jen Hermesmeyer, and her husband Thad, and one-year old daughter Lilian (hi ... hi ... hi). Truly an enjoyable evening. While Thad was out chasing a soccer ball and avoiding lightening strikes, Jen gave me a tour of Bozeman. The tour gave Jen and I an opportunity of getting caught up on what has transpired in our lives since she moved to Bozeman five or six years ago. After a very delicious bison burger and great conversation at a downtown restaurant, we all returned to their home for more conversation.

Jen and Thad, thank you. Once again, life is good ... friends make it so.

Mecca ... (August 4, 2009)

After the somewhat tedious stay at the KOA zoo, I started Monday with a visit to the Adventure Cycling Assoc.'s office in Missoula. Adventure Cycling is the premier organization for touring bicyclist. I stopped in to see if there are any suggested routes to Bozeman, which is not on any of the established maps.

I had a very informative discussion with the gentleman who organizes the tours ... he gave me a suggested route that would get me off of Interstate 90 and on to various back roads. His description of these back roads included such comments as "some climbing", "meandering/rolling hills", and other such pleasantly harmless sounding phrases.

I found that my mindset and body told me that a preference for fast travel was preferred. The thing about these back roads is that there is generally a lack of safe bike lanes, and the rolling hills/climbs are quite hard after awhile. I opted to stay on I-90.

Two days of long rides (Monday: 60 miles to Drummond, MT; Tuesday: 78 miles to Butte, MT) were very difficult days. Lots of wind ... either a headwind or a sidewind (which amounts to the same thing as a headwind). Other than the noise, riding on an Interstate is probably easier than riding the back roads ... the emergency lane along the Interstate is about 12' wide, so I can ride a good distance from the traffic lanes.

Quite often there is a frontage road running parallel with the Interstate. These roads are not continuous, but they do provide a less hectic riding alternative to the Interstate. I finally decided to get off of the Interstate and on to the frontage road about 10 miles north of Anaconda. This road provided 10 miles of less stressful riding ... except for one thing ... at the end of the ten miles you have to take a 5 mile detour to get back onto I-90 (less than half a mile from the start of the detour). Ouch. Fortunately, after the detour, the road turned to the east, which then allowed me to enjoy a tailwind. It was still 20 miles into Butte, but the tailwind was appreciated.

I am heading to Bozeman to visit Jennifer Hermesmeyer, and her husband and daughter. I rode with Jen when she lived in Tucson ... she was one of the "terrific threesome" young ladies who I met through the Leukemia Society's Team-in-Training program (the other two being Heather Fowler and Marcie Seery). It will be good to see Jen.

After Bozeman, I will be heading down to Yellowstone Park. At that point I will be making a decision as to if I continue east, or make a right-hand turn and return to Arizona.

Even though life continues to be good, I am getting tired.

Thoughts on Life ... (August 2, 2009)

"In twenty years you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover."

--Mark Twain
(Courtesy of Bill Burk)



"I tell you we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different."

--Kurt Vonnegut
(Courtesy of Robert Patterson)



"Fart away."
--Randy Garmon

No Go Lolo ... (August 2, 2009)

I do not have a clue what the raft in the picture to the right is ... it appears that the raft can be moved from bank to bank, and the large drum rotates due to water flow. My guess is that the rotating drum may be some kind of generator. Any thoughts, anyone?

I am currently in Missoula, MT, in a KOA Kampground Kabin for a kouple of days ... these facilities are really krappy, but cheaper than hotels.

The ride from Powell, ID to Lolo, MT on Friday was relatively uneventful, other than the 13 mile Lolo Pass climb to start the day. It took two hours and was not overly physically taxing, as compared with the 13 mile climb to get to Winchester, ID earlier in the week. Once over Lolo Pass, the ride was primarily downhill into Lolo ... total distance for the day was 51 miles.

The real highlight of the "Lolo experience" was the campground. I had a very large expanse of lawn all to myself ... unlike most RV parks. The evening was very quiet, and the temperature was very comfortable. Due to the fine weather, and no threat of rain, I did not attach the fly to my tent. Big mistake ... at 4:00 AM the sprinklers came on. I battled the sprinklers, in my boxers, for the better part of 25 minutes. Once the sprinklers finally stopped, I (cold and wet) bedded down into a wet sleeping bag. In this case, it was not a sleeping bag, it was a miserable bag.

Sooooo .... No Go Lolo ... ever again.

The next day, yesterday, I rode the 16 miles into Missoula, and got a Kabin at the local KOA. This place is insane. There is so much traffic, and the tent sites are so close together, that there is little in the way of privacy/quiet. I had a "two nights for the price of one" coupon, so I got a Kabin. I would guess that last night there were 6 tents within 5' of the exterior of the Kabin. A large number of the tent sites were filled with Harley-Davidson riders heading to Sturgis for the Annual Harley-Davidson get-together. While these guys are not the "Hells Angels" type of guys, the majority of them are in the 50+ year-old range, which means they have had years to practice their "snoring with volume" skills ... and skilled they were.

Today is a rest day ... I plan on going downtown to watch some bike racing, then come back to my Kabin and get caught up with laundry and accounting chores.

I will be going down to the Adventure Cycling Assoc. office tomorrow to talk to someone about suggested routes across Montana. I had planned on going through Yellowstone Park, but several riders have indicated that it is neither safe nor enjoyable to ride in Yellowstone.

Campsite conditions aside ... life is good

Stunningly Beautiful... (July 30, 2009)

Today's ride was 67 miles of riding along the stunningly beautiful Lochsa River ... I am happy to report that the water temperature allowed for several "not-fat dips" in the river.

A major part of the ride was dealing with road construction for the first 23 miles. The construction completed, to date, consisted of eliminating the shoulder (read "bike lane) for the full 23 miles. Fortunately, there was very light traffic, but the five areas restricted to one lane were a challenge. Again fortunately, the flagmen/women were very supportive of bicyclists, so these areas were not as risky as I had thought. I did welcome the return of the shoulder/bike lane like the return of an old friend.

Along the trail, I met a family heading east on a triple ... think "tandem bike built for three". Dorrie, Mike and son Gregory are on an extended bike trip, and plan to go to New Zealand in December of this year. They are from Northern California, and due to various economic turns, have completely liquidated/stored personal items ... the bike/panniers/trailer is now their "home". You can follow their adventure at http://www.tripleontour.blogspot.com/.

I was fortunate to spend an evening meal and morning breakfast with the family at a Lodge in Powell, ID. The conversation and demeanor was much more sane than the previous evening's meal. I have been invited to join the Williams in New Zealand ... therefore, I have established a fund-raising program to pickup the cost of first-class air fair (will consider business class). In-as-much-as accounting can be a chore, I am asking that one donor pickup the total cost.

I truly appreciate the friendship I experienced with this very interesting family. I hope we can get together again somewhere along the line.

The first 13 miles of the next leg of the ride is up ... up to Lola Pass. Should be fun.

Rowdy Friends of Mine ... (July 29, 2009)

Talk about a swing in terrain ... Today's ride from Winchester to Lowell, ID, took me from sky-island pine forests, to wheat growing prairie, to hot desert, and then to river/canyon forests. Quite a lot of variety in this 79 mile day.

The part of the ride through the Camas Prairie areas was very enjoyable ... small rolling hills which reminded me a lot of the Iowa RAGBRIA ride. The "Cadillac-on-a-stick" sign caught my attention ... I was told that at one time the lights worked, the wheels spun, and the car was a bright pink. This piece of road-side sculpture promoted a gas station/grocery store out in the middle of nowhere.

The ride was good today, highlighted by two meals.

For lunch I stopped at a bakery/restaurant in Kamiah, ID. Please understand that Kamiah, ID brings to mind the beauty of Twin Falls, ID or Clarkston, WA. However, the building was beautifully restored, the sandwich was very, very tasty, and the background music was very soothing. I did not expect to come away from the place humming the traditional English ballad "Greensleeves". Sure beats getting a song such as Bobby Vintons' "Mr. Lonely" stuck in your head.

So now to my rowdy friends. I stopped at the Three Rivers Resort ("resort" may be an over statement) and set up camp. I was graciously invited to join a group of seven guys for dinner. This group of loosely-connected family members (brothers, nephews, sons, husbands of cousins, etc.) were from the Lewiston, ID area, and were heading out on an eight day wilderness hiking trip. I think the word to accurately describe this dinner (and I do not think I have ever used this word to describe a dinner) is "raucous". There was much laughter, stories and general mayhem. I am just sorry that Uncle Mike (R.I.P.) was unable to defend himself against the accusations of non-musical skills, and general lack of sanity. It was a great evening, and I thank the group for allowing me to join them for dinner ... I hope their trip went well.

As to the camping ... two overhead street lights ... I need not say more.

Lady Bugs ... (July 28, 2009)

Leaving the harsh starkness of the Clarkston/Lewiston area behind, I started the 44 mile ride to Winchester, ID, in Arizona summer-like temperatures. Riding easterly along the Clearwater River provided some relief, but it stayed hot for most of the first twenty miles.

A point of interest along the river was a site where archaeologists had located a village that had been inhabited by the Nez Perce for about 10,000 years, with the height of activity from 2100 BC to 500 BC. This site was on one of the many major trade routes developed by the various Indian Nations long before Euro/Americans entered the Northwest.

The previously flat road to Winchester took a dramatic change in character at around mile 30 … a thirteen-mile-climb change to be exact. This climb started in a small town that goes by the name of Culdesac (elev. 2000’) and ends in Winchester (elev. 4200’). The road goes through Culdesac ... go figure that one out. Even though the grade was not all that steep, the climbing was continuous … at 4 mph, it took a little over 3 hours.

There were two items of note observed/experienced during the climb.

The first had to do with a rail line built in 1908. This line provided rail service from Lewiston, ID, up to the Camas Prairie area. The line is still in operation, and still utilizes the wooden-trestle bridges constructed in 1908/09. These bridges are a true study in structural beauty. Along with these bridge structures, seven tunnels were dug through mountains … one of the tunnels is horse-shoe shaped. Pretty impressive construction effort, if you ask me.

The other item of interest during the climb had to do with Lady Bugs. Because the road follows the path of the Lapwai Creek, at times there were continuous swarms of these bugs over long stretches of road. When you are traveling at 4 mph, the Lady Bugs have a tendency to land on your cheeks, nose, ears, sun-glasses, etc. This, in-and-of-itself, does not pose a problem; however, if you happen to be a mouth-breather (such as I) you end up with either a lack of oxygen or an abundance of protein (assuming that when Lady Bugs are ingested they provide protein).

Long climb, long day … but my fitness level is returning and my attitude continues to improve.