Done ... (September, 18, 2010)

My feelings can not be described ... happy ... relieved ... satisfied ... content. These, and many more emotions poured forth when dipping the front wheel of my bike in the Atlantic Ocean (just east of Orleans, MA ... a small community on Cape Cod).

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... my ride is done! Just under 5400 miles and just under 16 weeks.

Bike and panniers are packaged and on the way back to Arizona. I will be flying back to the warmth (extreme heat??) of the desert on Tuesday, Sept. 21.

New England and Cape Cod are stunning ... leaves are beginning to change, but "peak change" is probably three weeks away. Not seeing the "peak" this year will allow me to return in the next couple of years.

I am spending time with friends (Nancy McCarthy and Peg & Wayne LeProsta) in Cape Cod ("Thank God the tourists are gone", as we locals say.) Weather is beautiful ... first ride in a vehicle other than my bike is a boat ride on Pleasant Bay ... a pleasant ride it is.

Back to Arizona ... looking forward to some bone-warming heat ... looking forward to seeing friends and family ... looking forward ...

Indeed, life is good.

Almost Done ... (September 15, 2010)

Three more days of riding and I will be in Cape Cod. Three more days!!

Having been on this trek since June 1, I am ready to put the bike aside and travel via cars, buses, and planes ... whatever it takes to get home.

I have decided to not head north for "leaf viewing". Arizona is on my mind a good part of each day of late. Time to go home.

After having enjoyed the relative flatness of the route near Lake Erie and along the Erie Canal, the last few days have been a real shock to my legs. I remember talking with a cyclist along the Erie Canal, and mentioning that I was heading to Cape Cod. His remark was, "Oh, that means you will be going through the Berkshire Mountains ... but if you rode through the Rocky Mountains, then you shouldn't have a problem." Wrong. The Rocky Mountain climbs were long, but at a steady pace. The Berkshires are a constant up-and-down, with no repetition of grade nor length of climb. It is impossible to find a comfortable cadence. Lots of slow-going "ups" followed by short blasts downhill.

The difficulty of yesterday's ride was compounded by my faith in Google Bicycle mapping. I have had good luck in using Google for directions, but yesterday was not a lucky day. As I was following the directions, and heading up a fairly steep paved road, I passed a lady who was putting her trash along side her driveway. As I passed her she said, "You're going over the mountain????" Filled with innocence, pride and lack of knowledge I answered in the affirmative ... she just stared and shook her head. Shortly thereafter, the pavement turned to dirt. Not a bad dirt road, but dirt none-the-less. It was not the first time Google had put me on a dirt road, so I continued. After a couple of miles of reasonably good dirt, the quality of the surface began to deteriorate. According to the directions, there was a junction coming up in a mile or two, so I continued on. Welllllll, continuing on led me onto an extremely steep and rocky road ... a road I would hesitate to drive a two-wheel drive vehicle on. After dismounting and pushing several times, and after guessing at junction road directions, I was becoming quite concerned. The thoughts of serious injury and/or getting lost began to seep into my consciousness. I knew how to backtrack if needed, so I set a time limit on this path. Fortunately, I eventually came to an intersection where I talked with a local guy in a car ... he assured me I was on the right road ... the quality of the road had returned to smooth dirt and was heading downhill. I was greatly relieved (under statement). It had taken me two hours to travel six miles. It turns out the map had sent me through the October Mountain State Park Wilderness area. Worst two hours of this whole trip.

Anyway, three more days to Cape Cod. Life, while not great, is getting better. And meeting up with long-time friend Nancy McCarthy in Cape Cod will be a joy. What is really putting a smile on my face is the thought of being off the bike and back in Arizona by this time next week.

Bike touring is great, but sixteen weeks is too long for me.

Erie Canal ... (September 9, 2010)

Over the last week or so, I have been riding the tow path of the Erie Canal. Some of the stretches of the canal are still active, others have been abandoned since the 1850's. The common element on all of the paths is that there are no cars or trucks. Some of the paths are heavily used by other cyclists and walkers; some areas are almost empty of others.

And other than riding in the rain today, the riding has been most enjoyable.

The history of the Erie Canal is captivating. First envisioned by a former mill owner (who suffered financial ruin in the early 1800's, and served several years in paupers' prison), the full length canal (from Albany to Buffalo) was opened in 1825. The result was that the Midwest was then opened up to much cheaper transportation ... what had cost $100 a ton to transport via wagons could now be hauled at around $2.50 a ton. This allowed much trade between East Coast manufacturing and Midwest agriculture. The Canal was critical to the economic and population growth of the Midwest.

The size (depth and width) of the Canal was expanded in the 1850s and 1910s, but the development of the railroad system spelled the end of the Canal as a viable means of hauling goods. Today the Canal is primarily used for pleasure boats and cruise/vacation barges.

The surface of the tow paths consist primarily of crushed stone, which makes for easy riding.

I am in Rome, NY today, heading on toward Albany, then Cape Cod. I plan on arriving in Cape Cod on September 18. I have reached a point where I am quite tired of the non-riding elements of this (almost 15-week) trek ... camping, hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. I really do not know if I will continue on to the northern areas of New England (to see the changing of the leaves) after reaching Cape Cod. Guess I will see how I am feeling at that time ... which is only a little over a week from now.

On a side note, I saw a sign out in front of a church that said, "Autumn Leaves ... Jesus Stays." I would imagine that whoever is responsible for putting up these messages must get quite bored and crazy, so tries to get creative. Caught my attention, anyway ...

A bit of an odd feeling over-took me earlier this evening ... I went into a Walgreen's drug store here in Rome ... it is exactly the same layout as the Walgreen's store at Campbell and Fort Lowell Roads in Tucson ... exactly. While everything else about this area differs from Arizona, good ol' Walgreen's brought me the comfortable feeling of home.

This trek across the country has been exceptional. I will be coming back to the upper Midwest and the New England areas again ... just not only on a bike next time.

Tourist (September 2, 2010)

I am, along with a great number of others, a tourist here in Niagara Falls, Ontario. I find it hard to believe how many people are in this area purely for the reason of looking at the Falls.

The streets leading to the Falls are much like a carnival. Loud music and lots of wax museums and other such typical "tourist attractions". After being out in the hinterlands of Ontario, following the Lake Erie shoreline, I find this area to be quite a shock to my senses. I am not quite sure what the attraction of "The Falls" is, other than it is one of those "must see" geological features. Since this is Labor Day Weekend, the place is packed.

My ride across Ontario has been quite enjoyable ... lightly traveled roads and attractive landscapes. There is much more agriculture than I had anticipated ... lots of tobacco, peppers and corn. At times I thought I was in Indiana, but the huge lake off to my right always brought me back to Ontario.

I am heading across the Rainbow Bridge back into the U.S. today. Think I will find a cheap hotel and take another day of rest. The New England area is expecting to get hit by a hurricane, so I am thinking that being in a tent is probably not a great idea ... also I am tired, so think a day of comfort is in order.

Cape Cod is about 600 miles away, so the end (actually the Atlantic) is getting close. I am not at all sure about hanging around, after Cape Cod, to see the leaves change color ... Arizona is calling.

International Cyclist ... (August 27, 2010)

Here I am ... made it into Canada and will be heading south to Lake Erie tomorrow. After three months of saying "... then across the Canadian shoreline of Lake Erie ...", I am finally here.

The adjacent photo is of the Blue Water River, where I crossed into Canada via a ferry at Marine City, MI. The river is indeed "blue water". Really stunning (the color of the water does not really show in the photo, but believe me, it is a stunning shade of light blue).

I am coming to realize that the Atlantic Ocean is getting close ... about three more weeks, or so, and I should be at Cape Cod. I have decided (for the moment, anyway) to head north toward Maine after Cape Cod, to see the changing of the leaves. After that, return to Arizona and move to Tucson ... I am looking forward to getting off the road. I am not tired of riding, just tired of the off-bike travel (camping, hotels, eating establishments, etc.).

There are some incredible high spots that have occurred on this trek. The latest occurred two days ago. Jane and Jim Hoover live about four miles north of Capac, Michigan. Capac is on an Adventure Cycling route, and Jim has seen cyclist riding past their home for years. He had an opportunity to talk with a cyclist earlier this summer, and decided that he and Jane would offer camping to cycling tourist. What a wonderful and generous thing for them to do. I spent the late afternoon and early evening talking with Jim ... he is not a cyclist, he hikes. He has been hiking the Appalachian Trail the past several years, two-to-three weeks at a time (and yes, he has read "A walk in the Woods"). He said he has received numerous acts of generosity while hiking the Trail, so thought the "cyclist campground" would be a way to "give back". What a great thing to do. Jim is heading off this coming Wednesday for the next section of the trail. Happy hiking, Jim.

Lake Erie awaits.

Ridin' the Trail (August 23, 2010)

Today's ride along the Pere Marquette Rail Trail was a thing of joy ... 34 miles of smooth, relatively flat and car-less riding, under an overcast sky.

Yesterday and today's rides both ended up being in the 75 mile range, even though I had planned on doing shorter rides. Last night I camped at Sunrise Lake Campground ... along with a group of beer drinking, loud-music listening, shouting, staying-up-til-2:00 PM campers. Needless to say, I did not get much sleep. I thought about going up to their camp and asking them to be quiet, but thought that personal safety over-ruled personal sleep. Due to the lack of sleep and general discomfort, I have elected to camp in a hotel this evening. Ahhhh, much better, indeed.

Back to today's ride ... for a good section of today's ride, I was on a "rails-to-trails" path. The State of Michigan is far out in advance of the other states I have been in, in that there are a great number of bike paths running along side of highways, or on former railroad lines. Earlier this summer I talked with a couple from Belgium who spoke of bike paths along side the highways throughout Europe. Great idea for all involved ... drivers do not have to accommodate bike riders, and bike riders do not have to focus on not becoming a hood ornament. Here's hoping more states provide bike paths along the major highways.

I am in Midland, MI tonight ... Midland is the site of the World Headquarters for Dow Chemical Corporation. Most all of the community facilities (arena, concert hall, baseball stadium, etc.) have the name "Dow" emblazoned on the side of the structure. As one local bike shop operator told me, "As goes Dow Chemical, so goes Midland." Midland is a pretty town ... one of many cities and towns of which I have been unaware. One of the true benefits of this summer's ride is having my eyes opened to the beauty of the Midwest (excluding what I saw of Illinois and Indiana).

Short ride tomorrow (I hope); rest these tired legs.

Travel by Whim (August 22, 2010)

I have been following a northerly route based upon conversations I have had with other travelers. For the past three or four days, if two or three separate people suggest a similar route, I have headed that direction. Makes for interesting travel.

The adjacent picture was taken as a result of a conversation I had with Rick and Kim (fellow cycling tourists), at Van Buren State Park. It seems that sometime in the late 1800's (I think), there was a monumental snow storm that completely immobilized travel in and out of the Glenn, MI area. A very large number of people were stranded in Glenn. Food supplies were consumed quickly ... however, just prior to the storm, a very large shipment of pancake batter was received (why, I do not know). Glenn, MI celebrates this arcane piece of historic fact with an annual Pancake Festival ... pancakes are a big deal to the local Chamber of Commerce!

Another piece of area history ... we are all aware, no doubt, of the great Chicago fire of 1871. That same summer, a very large segment of the northern area of lower Michigan was also devastated by fires ... from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. A very large percentage of Holland, MI and Manistee, MI (two pretty mid-size towns that I was not aware of prior to following the shoreline) were also destroyed by fire.

The logging industry was the dominate economic engine for the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan from the 1830s to 1900, or so. This area is very interesting, and I intend to come back here, sometime in the future, for additional bike touring.

In the past I have felt quite isolated when surrounded by travel trailers and RVs at campgrounds, but last night and this morning I had a different experience. Conversations were shared with a couple from Germany, who are on an East Coast-to-West Coast RV trip, and also with a couple from the Chicago area. Denise and Glenn (the couple from the Chicago area), invited me into their travel trailer this morning for coffee. What a great way to start the day ... sitting on a comfortable couch, drinking delicious coffee, and sharing a great conversation. Denise and Glenn have done considerable travels over the past 23 years in the Wisconsin and Michigan area, so they were a great source of information about the area. Next best thing to sharing a table and coffee with old friends is making new friends.

So today I am heading eastward toward Lake Erie. I had thought about continuing north, but I think I will save these northern rides for another time ... plus the wind is to be out of the northwest at 10 to 20 mph.

Travel by whim ... or rather, by wind.

Lake, my ass ... (August 17, 2010)

To paraphrase Lloyd Benson, "I've seen lakes, and Lake Michigan ... your no lake." I have seen the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans; Lake Michigan ... you are an ocean!!

Had a wonderful ride up the shoreline of Lake Michigan (I call it a coast, but I guess that is incorrect), riding from St. Joseph to South Haven. Easy ride on wonderfully smooth and wide bike lanes. Even though there was a slight headwind for most of the day, the weather (cool and dry) was a joy.

Spent last night at the Van Buren State Park, where the adjacent picture was taken. Had the good fortune to meet up with a couple who are doing a five day ride around Central Michigan. They live in the Grand Rapids, MI area, so they were a great source of information ... not to mention laughs and great conversation. Kim and Rick have been touring this part of the country on their tandem since 1993. Very enjoyable evening.

I will be heading on up the coa ... er, shoreline to the Muskegon area, then heading east toward Port Huron. My plan has always been to see the changing of the leaves in New England. But now I am thinking that I will be getting into the Massachusetts area about a month early. Talking with a bike rider yesterday, he suggested riding up along the St. Lawrence Seaway prior to coming back down to Massachusetts. His reasoning is that the leaves change earlier the further north you go ... sounds interesting. I have quite a bit of time to decide as the fork-in-the-road (go north or continue east) won't occur for another couple of weeks. Something to think about.

English Quiz:
Answer A: "... further north you go ..."
Answer B: "... farther north you go ..."

I am writing this posting in a coffee shop in South Haven ... a coffee shop with WiFi and white porcelain.

Question: Could life get any better?
Answer: Yes, if friends were sharing the table.

Never-the-less, life is good.

Ahhh ... Water (August 15, 2010)

After almost a month of seeing little more than corn and soy bean fields, I have reached Lake Michigan. I am sure the pioneers of the 1850's had similar feelings upon reaching the Pacific Ocean ... or maybe not.

The route through the Midwest, while enjoyable (riding on low-traffic farm roads), provides views that are extremely repetitive. The best aspect of riding these roads is viewing the housing at the many farmsteads. The quality of housing varied from dilapidated mobile-homes up to palatial estates. Being a basically lazy individual, it struck me how vast the areas of mowed lawns are that surround most of the homes. As if the farming families do not have enough to do, they usually have a very large expanse of lawn which needs to be mowed on a regular basis. I have never seen so many riding lawnmowers in my life.

Many of these homes include a fair-sized pond for swimming and fishing. And of course, the one element common to all of these houses is the TV/internet satellite dish.

Today I rode from Elkhart, IN (home to the manufacturers of 95% of domestic RVs and trailers) to Benton Harbor, MI. Adjacent to Benton Harbor is the town of St. Joseph, which provides a "beach town" feeling to this area. I spent the afternoon riding and walking along the shore area and the "tourist trap" commercial area. What with the cool breeze coming off of the Lake, the warm temperatures and the beach-attired crowds, I felt as though I was in Pacific Beach, CA ... a very welcome break from the "riding lawnmower" landscapes, believe-you-me.

I am looking forward to riding up the shoreline of Lake Michigan, then heading east to Lake Erie. I am also looking forward to returning to Arizona ... having put in just under 3,800 miles, I am ready for this adventure to end. That is not to imply that I do not intend to complete the trip to the Atlantic, it is just a fact that I am looking forward to seeing familiar places and faces.

The weather is cooler, and for that I am grateful.

Placid (August 10, 2010)

There are times and places where we should take the time to realize just how good life can be ... where conditions are such that the pure enjoyment of life needs to be contemplated and embraced.

Last night I camped at Lake Fletcher, IN. This was definitely not a night for contemplating and embracing! Temperatures in the 90's and humidity also in the 90's (I think). No breeze what-so-ever. Sitting in the shade and reading resulted in rivulets of perspiration on every inch of my skin. Sleeping (or rather trying to sleep) in such conditions was not at all enjoyable.

For every down experience, there seems to be an up ... yesterday I ended my ride in Iroquois, IL, a village of approximately 250 people. They have a very nice park on the edge of town; simple, but quite beautiful. After looking at spots to camp, I walked across the street to a cafe to ask about whom to talk with to get an okay to camp in the park. The waitress said she would call the mayor, and he would meet me over by the Village Town Hall.

Mayor Jack Karr, who has been mayor for 21 years, drove up and unlocked his office. He told me I could set-up in his office ... he then turned on the air conditioning. The shower and bathroom were also available for my use. He then advised me that, in the morning, I should go back over to the cafe for a free breakfast (the local banker pays for cyclists' breakfast). On the wall of the mayor's office there are notes of thanks from cyclist who have stayed in these facilities. Quite amazing to receive such generous hospitality ... the mayor shook his head when I told him of being chased out of city parks in other towns.

Two words about riding through Illinois and Indiana ... quite boring. The Adventure Cycling map takes riders off of the main highways onto the farm roads. I think the entire Midwest is covered by farm roads on a one-mile grid. Following this route allows you to see corn on the left and soy beans on the right ... or soy beans on the left and corn on the right ... or corn on the left and corn on the right ... or soy beans on the left and soy beans on the right. Exciting stuff.

Tonight I am in a hotel (air conditioned) in Wabash, IN and will be heading to Fort Wayne, IN tomorrow. Weather forecasts call for rain ... great way to spend a birthday, riding in the rain.

Getting closer to the Atlantic Ocean ... life is humid.

Refreshed and on the Move (August 6, 2010)

On the move and feeling good.

The final day of RAGBRAI was a pure joy. There was such a party atmosphere as we glided down the final hills into Dubuque that I found myself smiling and laughing along with the other riders and the citizens of Dubuque who lined the streets. Great fun. I look forward to future RAGBRAI rides, and thank the other members of "Team Pearl Snaps" for making the week such a joy. By way of explanation, "pearl snaps" refers to the snaps/buttons on the western-style shirts worn by some of the denizens of the bus.

After saying my good-byes to one-and-all, I loaded-up my bike with my panniers and headed south along the Mississippi River to Bellview, IA. After a somewhat confusing "campground" quest, I ended up at the Bellview State Park. After setting-up my tent, I joined some other campers for a few beers and conversation. Subsequent to the beers, I headed to the shower-house ... took a great hot shower only to discover (while drying off as best as one can with the high humidity) that I was in the women's shower. Oh well, guess it gave the lady something to talk about (although I thought the pointing and laughing was rude on her part).

The next two days I enjoyed 40 mile days riding on the Great River Bike Trail on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. These two days proved to be just what I needed ... easy days to allow my body to regroup. On Tuesday, I pedaled into Davenport and was picked-up in the downtown area by my cousin Larry. Larry and Ilene live in a very nice and comfortable house in Davenport. Two days of resting and seeing the sites of Davenport were also what my body and mind needed.

So here I am, back out on the road and heading east. Spent last night in Kewanee, IL after an easy 40 mile ride, and will be heading to Henry, IL today ... another easy 40 mile day. I have decided to do the rest of my journey in short mileage days and try to soak up some history along the way. I am guessing that I have about 1500 miles remaining and think I will be getting to Cape Cod sometime in Mid-September.

Hopefully wi-fi will be available more often than in the recent past.

I am feeling good, and very enthused about the remaining ride. Dare I say it ... life is good.

RAGBRAI (July 30, 2010)

What happens in the corn field stays in the corn field ... and with my love of coffee, Gatorade and water, along with my enlarged prostate, I have left a lot in the corn fields.

Tomorrow is the last day of the week-long RAGBRAI ride across Iowa. It has been said that if a person has participated in RAGBRAI, no explanations are required ... and if a person has not participated, it cannot be properly explained. I agree; however, just to give a quick "taste" of what the ride is like, the video shows a little over one minute of riders ... it goes on like this for five to six hours. Pretty amazing ... upwards of 15,000 riders per day. As to "tasting", the clicking sound in the background is made by gas-powered ice cream making machines ... I can attest to the fact that the peach ice cream was delicious.

The week has been a joy; I have spent the week with an amazing group of friends ... the rides have been mostly enjoyable ... and as a bonus, my 50 pounds of clothing and camping gear have been carried in the bus (as opposed to hanging off of my bike racks).

Phase two (or maybe phase three) of this year's trip will be starting next week ... heading east from the Mississippi River. Total miles now just over 3050.

Oh, one other thing. If, like me, you have disparaging opinions of towns and cities in Iowa, you really need to come back here and take a look at this part of the country. It is true that there is a lot of corn and soybeans, but the towns and cities (and people) are very much different from my previous thoughts. I spent this afternoon walking around the older part of Dubuque; there are structures that are comparable to structures I have seen in Paris and London ... stunningly intricate detailing.

'Tis late ... time for sleep ... life is good.

Eye of the Beholder (July 21, 2010)

Rich and I have pretty much finished up our tour of North and South Dakota. Rich met-up with his family today in Yankton, SD, and will be spending a couple of days with them prior to starting the RAGBRAI ride on Sunday.

This segment of my ride, which started in Williston, ND on July 8, has been very hard on me. We ended up doing much longer days (mileage-wise) than I usually do, and this caused me to experience a great amount of leg-muscle fatigue and sagging spirits. The increase in mileage was due to my having set a schedule based on highway maps, as opposed to the Adventure Cycling route map that we used. Adventure Cycling routes take riders off of the primary and secondary roads onto meandering and hilly roads, and greatly increase the total miles and difficulty of the daily rides. Add in quite a bit of camping and I was not a very nice person to be around ... my apologies to Rich.

Eye of the beholder ... due to my mental state, I did not find most of North Dakota and South Dakota to be a visually attractive area. In contrast, Rich said he thought the entire ride was beautiful. Kind of tells me that how we feel greatly affects what we see ... I will have to make sure that my feelings in general are positive toward life.

The next two days will be low mileage days, getting me to Sioux City, IA in time to participate in the annual RAGBRAI ride across Iowa. I think my legs should be back in good shape by Sunday.

The adjacent picture is of a Catholic Church located in Marty, SD. The structure is stunning, both inside and out. It was built in 1942 at a Catholic boarding school for the children of tribes in the Midwest. The stone was quarried and shaped in Indiana, then shipped to South Dakota. Usually the first thing you see when approaching a town is the water tower. In this case, the spire of the structure rose to much greater heights than the water tower. Pretty amazing structure ... sitting out in the middle of a reservation.

Major rain storms hitting this area today and tomorrow ... we got drenched riding into Yankton today (but it is a warm rain). Hope to stay dry tomorrow.

I will have about 2700 miles in this summer's ride when I reach Sioux City, then another 400 miles or so after RAGBRAI. Hopefully my legs and spirits will be such that I will head farther (further??) east in early August.

Following the Missouri (July 12, 2010)

After about five weeks of riding eastward, I am now heading south.

Rich finally completed his "Tour de Denver Airport", and arrived in Williston on Wednesday, July 7. I spent the day lounging around the City Park, watching World Cup soccer, and generally riding around Williston ... a good rest day.

Currently, Rich and I are in Bismarck, ND ... lounging in the comfort of a Motel 6. The past four days of riding have been hard on me. On July 8, we rode the 74 miles eastward to Stanley, ND, followed by 65 miles to Minot (rhymes with "why not"), then 71 miles south to Pick City. Yesterday we continued on to a campsite 61 miles south of Pick City. Today's ride into Bismarck was a much needed rest-ride ... 29 miles. My legs and my spirits are weary.

Camping has been the rule of the nights of late. Most of the towns allow camping in the city parks, so we have been setting up the tents adjacent to swings and swimming pools. It is a less expensive way to travel, but amenities (coffee, wifi and white porcelain) are sadly lacking. In Minot, we were paid a 10:00 PM visit by a park police officer advising us that camping in the park is against city laws ... but he said that since we were already set-up, we could stay as long as we left reasonably early. I had chatted with this same guy around 7:00 PM; I think he may have received a complaint from a local citizen.

I said good-by to the various riders I had been traveling with over the past week or two. Sean and Dave, Wes and Martin, Tom and the group of seven ... they were all continuing east on the Northern Tier route. Sorry we parted ways as it was enjoyable having a small community of riders with which to share experiences.

As mentioned, we are heading south. We are following the Lewis and Clarke route, which follows the Missouri River ... our ultimate goal is Sioux City, IA. I made a short stop at a historic site ... Double Ditch Village. This site was occupied by the Mandan Indian tribe from 1480 until 1790. There were about 10,000 Mandan Indians in this area prior to the population being reduced to 1200 by small pox in the 1780's. Think about that ... this site was an active community for over 300 years. Phoenix was founded a little over 150 years ago. The history of the North American tribes still leaves me in awe.

Weather calls for storms and rising levels of heat. Guess the glory days of cold and wet travel are through. All of the rain that this part of the country has been receiving has provided a most wonderful green landscape ... really quite beautiful.

Tomorrow we head 56 miles, or so, to another campsite ... ah, more sleeping on the ground.

Life ain't so good sleeping on the ground.

Travel Nightmare (July 7, 2010)

No, I am not referring to my travels on the bike.

I am in Williston, ND today, waiting for the arrival of Rich Torkington. Rich had a flight out of Phoenix yesterday at 6:00 A.M., which was to make a connection in Denver. When he arrived in Denver, he found that he had been "bumped" from his flight on to Williston. As of about midnight last night, he was still in the Denver airport. A true travel nightmare.

Several of the others I have been riding with over the past week are taking a rest day here in Williston, so guess I will hangout with them and await Rich's arrival.

We "eastward-bound" riders have benefited from tailwinds over the past three days of riding. The 56 miles to Wolf Point, 60 miles to Culbertson and 49 miles to Williston were all made spectacularly easier by this wonderful atmospheric occurrence. We have shared city-park campgrounds with riders who are heading west (falls under the banner "Travel Nightmare") ... to say that they do not share our enthusiasm with the wind-patterns of the past several days would be an understatement. The adjacent photo is of a gentleman by the name of Don with whom we camped in Culbertson ... I told Don I would caption the photo "That poor son-of-a-bitch who is riding westward into the headwinds". I think we all try to extend some sympathy, but secretly are very thankful that the wind has been with us.

When riding toward Culbertson the other day, I reconnected with Tom. Tom and I rode together between the towns of Concrete, WA and Libby, MT. It is good to see Tom ... seems like we are long-time friends even though we only rode together for about two weeks or so. I am not sure what causes the "bond" with other riders ... maybe it is the mutually-shared discomfort of trying to get up and out of the tents in the morning, or trying to not hear the ever-present train horns throughout the nights. Whatever the reason, a real bond does develop.

So, the plan for the day is rather undecided this morning. The Germany vs. Spain World Cup soccer match is on TV early afternoon, so may try to catch that with some of the others. Maybe a haircut and browsing the only bookstore in town. The day of rest is probably needed, but I feel bad that Rich's adventure is getting off to such a bad start.

Road Warriors (July 3, 2010)

It's a nasty battle out here on the road. The enemy attacks unceasingly ... dawn and dusk are the favorite times to attack, but daytime random attacks also occur on a regular basis. The marks left on my body are clear evidence of these blood-sucking attacks. But I fight back ... swinging both arms and hands, and most effectively, spraying on the bug repellent. Damn mosquitoes are everywhere.

The last three days have been "scenically" somewhat unexciting, but that is not to say there is no beauty ... it is just much more subtle. The 48 miles from Havre to Harlem, 51 miles on to Malta and 72 miles to Glasgow have all been heavily affected by the winds. The ride to Malta was highlighted by a change in weather/wind direction with 20 miles remaining. Prior to the change, there was a slight side wind, but within a few seconds, the temperature dropped about ten degrees, and a very powerful tailwind developed. These last 20 miles took about 45 minutes ... flying and smiling.

Yesterday's 72 mile ride also had a strong tailwind. I averaged almost 15 mph for the entire ride ... again, flying and smiling.

The past several nights I have been camping in city parks, which allows one to meet other cycling tourists. It is odd, there is this small community of riders out here ... riders that ride at different paces and take rest days at different towns. Because of this, we all tend to meet one another along the road. Tonight, there are five different groups/individuals camping in an RV campground here in Glasgow. The conversations have been lively and very entertaining. My social experience on this year's ride is much improved over last year's ride.

I have met riders from New Zealand, Belgium, France, England, Czech Republic, Alaska, Washington, California, Utah, Minnesota, Michigan, New York and Massachusetts (not necessarily in that order). Great people all.

The two guys in the adjacent photo I first met back in Sandpoint, ID, then again this evening. They are heading to Madison, Wisconsin for the national "transplant" games. Sean (on the right), had a kidney transplant last year. Dave is a dialysis technician who worked with Sean prior to the operation. They are riding the Northern Tier to promote Cycling for Organ Donation ... learn more at www.cyclefororgandonation.com. I am fortunate to have met these two guys ... it has been a joy sharing time with them.

Lots of different stories and lots of different life views ... most entertaining and educational.

Two thoughts come to mind: 1) Life is good, and 2) hope the wind is at our back tomorrow.

Plain Plain (June 30, 2010)

Not a lot to say about the past two days of riding. Other than lots of green and brown rolling hills, trains (115 cars is my record count to-date), grain towers and small towns, there just isn't much to observe.

There are a number of dinosaur-related archeological sites scattered throughout the area, but I have chosen to not take the side roads to the sites. The metal artwork is outside of the town of Raymond, MT ... definitely a point of interest on today's ride.

Yesterday's ride, a 70 miler from Shelby to Hingham, was longer than I had planned. Originally I had planned to stop in Joplin, which would have resulted in a 54 mile ride. However, I met three touring cyclist in Chester, and they intended to camp in Hingham. I arrived in Joplin early afternoon, and still felt good, so I opted to travel on to Hingham and join the three in the City Park. Was a fun evening accentuated by a massive wind/rain storm in the early evening.

Today's ride into Havre was an easy 36 miler. Havre is a town of approximately 10,000 people, which makes it the largest town I have seen since Sandpoint, ID. I opted to hotel-it and take the afternoon to do some much needed shopping. It was quite enjoyable riding my bike around town without all of the panniers/weight. Found a very nice used book store, which was like an oasis of culture in this windblown lightly populated area of Montana.

Just a few more days until I meet-up with Rich in Williston. I am looking forward to riding with him along the Missouri River.

Hope the wind is with me.

Expand Pictures

I just discovered that if you click on the picture included with each posting, the result is a larger version of the picture ... then click on the enlarged picture, and an even larger picture is provided.

Example: if you click on the picture of me at Logan Pass (June 27 posting), you will be able to clearly see the bags under my eyes by clicking twice.

Design Question

During the ride up to Logan Pass, I observed these benches. The questions that popped into my head were, "Why are the benches facing away from the amazing view? Why are they facing the restroom facilities?"

I must admit, however, the restroom facilities were very attractive.

Wheeeeeeee (June 28, 2010)

Oh, bless you tailwind.

More changing of plans. I had planned on taking two easy days ... the first from Browning to Cut Bank (33 miles), then on to Shelby (26 miles) the second day.

When I awoke this morning, I could tell from the way the tent was moving, that there was a fairly strong wind coming out of the west. After eating and packing, I got out on the road. Oh, my ... what a joy. Hardly pedaling and cruising at 25 MPH.

Not a lot to see out here, mostly grasslands and various types of agriculture.

With the strong wind, I found myself in Cut Bank about an hour and a half after starting today's ride, so I pressed on to Shelby ... made it in record time, even though the wind slowed. One thing that has changed is that it is no longer cool/cold ... it is hot ... not Arizona hot, but hot none-the-less.

Feels good to be out of the mountains and into a new phase of the ride. Another week and I will be meeting-up with Rich Torkington in Williston, ND. Looking forward to seeing Rich.

Life is good ... hot, but good.

Glacier National Park (June 27, 2010)

If you have not been, you need to go!

Got up early this morning to start the 16 mile climb to Logan Pass ... about 3,000 feet of climbing. So as not to endanger cyclist, they prohibit bikes on this road between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Me thinks it is not the safety of the cyclists as much as it is the inconvenience for the cars ... don't want to slow these folks down in their quest to see the Park from the temperature-controlled confines of their vehicles. Sorry for the sour-grapes, but the restricting of bikes just pisses me off.

Back to the ride ... simply amazing, is all I can say. Pure beauty of nature. The climb is not overly difficult, just persistently present ... 2 hours and 45 minutes of 4 mph climbing. Sure felt good to get to the top, and the ride down the other side was exhilarating, to say the least. No attempt will be made to try to describe the scenery; suffice it to say it is astonishingly beautiful. Met three other cyclist at the Pass, so was able to share the "victory" moment.

Finished the day's ride in Browning, MT, after a total of 68 miles of riding.

I became aware of a very strange, to me, geological transition after leaving the Park. Coming out of the Park at St. Mary, I took a right-hand turn and hit a 4 mile climb. At the top of the climb, I stopped and took a look back at the Rocky Mountains of Glacier National Park. I then turned 180 degrees to look out at the Great Plains (flat level horizon). Kind of amazing and found myself thinking about what the early pioneers must have thought after traveling in the relatively flat terrain for so long, only to see the Rocky Mountains.

So, I have passed over multiple Passes in the Cascades and Rocky Mountains ... and now to the flats of the Plains.

Hope the winds are out of the West!

Change in Plans (June 26, 2010)

What a terrific day!

Prior to leaving Kalispell, I used the "Bicycle Directions" setting of Google Maps, and queried how to get to West Glacier Village. My plan was to ride to the Village in time to watch the U.S./Ghana World Cup match, then head south to Essex. The directions provided by Google put me into some amazingly serene and beautiful farming areas. The 35 mile ride, from Kalispell to West Glacier Village, was a pure joy, and I made it to a sports bar in time to watch the match (so sad ...).

After the game ended, I headed out toward Essex, which skirts to the south of Glacier National Park. Over the past week and a half that I rode with Tom, he had been speaking of the "Highway to the Sun", and I had heard others speak of it in glowing terms as well. Due to my lack of attention to detail, I thought that if you rode the "Highway to the Sun", you then rode into Canada. Now, I have nothing against Canada, I just was not interested in going there at this juncture. So, while heading to Essex, I stopped and took a look at the map ... low-and-behold, I could do the ride and still stay on schedule, heading eastward.

I then did a u-turn, and headed into Glacier National Park. Stopped for some information, then found a campsite 16 miles up the road, which left a 16 mile climb to Logan Pass for the next day. Met-up with two other cyclist in the campground and enjoyed their company.

Beautiful country, but as usual, a little on the cool side ... plus there are lots of bears ... sleep tight if you can.

Hard Day at the Office (June 25, 2010)

Today was a hard day ... 92 miles from Libby to Kalispell, MT.

I had originally planned to head north to Eureka, then come back south to Whitefish ... two days of riding. As mentioned previously, I will be meeting up with Rich Torkington in North Dakota on July 6 ... however, I was running a day late. Rich has been most gracious in indicating that my arriving on July 7 is not a problem, but I have this thing about being on time (as my Momma taught me).

So I decided to make a long day of it and ride the 92 miles to Kalispell, which is a few miles south of Whitefish. After thanking Tom for his companionship over the past week and a half, and wishing him happy and safe travels, I headed out.

Long-ass day ... lots of climbing ... several sections of the highway without a shoulder wider than the 8" white line ... times of sever headwinds ... as I say, long-ass day (8 hours and 45 minutes riding time).

Even though there were a few scenic views, I did not stop to take any pictures. Suffice it to say that there were mountains, hills, valleys, lakes, trees (lots of trees), and an abundance of green grass. So what's new.

Tomorrow I again head east, but plan on a shorter day of riding.

Amazing Scenery (June 24, 2010)

The scenery on the past two days' rides has been nothing short of amazing.

The 56 mile ride from Sandpoint to Noxon, and the 52 mile ride on to Libby were beautiful to the point of over-saturation. Much of this area has been set aside as a preserve, so the usual resultant ugliness of the logging industry is nowhere to be seen. Throw in snow covered peaks and massive lakes and you have an unblemished landscape ... stunning.

My ride to Noxon was highlighted by a slight mechanical problem ... the front derailleur bracket loosened ... can't pedal the bike when this happens. After a frustrating 30 minutes of trying to find the right derailleur position, I managed to get the shifting from middle ring to small ring (and back) to operate. I only use the big ring when blasting downhill, so no great loss. Tom and I were riding together out of Sandpoint, so I suggested he travel on rather than sit and watch me work on my bike. We then met-up in Hope, ID where he had stopped for lunch

That evening we shared our campsite with a couple from Belgium, who have been bike touring since late March of this year. They started in Phoenix and traveled up through Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. They will be finishing their tour in Seattle in July. Interesting couple ... they have done extensive bike touring in Europe, as well as North and South America. Back at the time of the attack on the World Trade Center, they were touring in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Backpacking treks have also taken them to Asia. The discussion regarding the differences in social services offered in Belgium versus the U.S. was very interesting.

The ride into Libby, other than the landscape, was not very exciting. A short hike in to see the Kootenai Falls was a welcome break. It felt good to feel the mist of the falls on this warm day.

Tomorrow Tom and I will be heading in different directions, so we will be saying our "goodbyes and safe travels". Tom has been a joy to ride with, and I wish him an exciting and memorable bike ride.

I will be heading to Kalispell, MT tomorrow ... 90 miles or so ... yikes!!

The weather has been great for riding ... life continues to be good.

Rest Day ... ahhh (June 22, 2010)

Takin' the day off. I've been riding since June 1 ... three weeks of hills, passes, rain, snow ( only 20 minutes or so, but never-the-less ... snow in June!!) and cold. Feels good to take the day off and just relax.

Yesterday we rode from Newport, WA to Sandpoint, ID ... 36 miles of moderate climbing and the usual rain and cooler weather. Today the sun has actually penetrated the gray cloud cover a few times, and there must be less depth to the cloud cover because the general brightness is illuminating the adjacent lake and mountains to a greater degree. Or maybe my spirits have improved due to the lack of pressure pushing on my butt by the bike's saddle.

Anyway, doing some of those things that free time allows ... laundry, browsing in a bookstore, casually eating lunch in a nice restaurant, and taking care of the ever present financial concerns.

Sandpoint sits on the Pend Oreille (pon-da-ray) Lake ... quite a large lake with 111 miles of shoreline and a depth of 1,158 feet. Quite a pretty area ... can only imagine how pretty it would be if the clouds disappeared. I was told the other day that Pond Oreille means "ear lobe" in French ... decency precludes me to discuss "Tetons".

Tomorrow, Tom and I head eastward. The other three fellow riders (Sheryl, Phillip and John) headed back to Seattle this morning. Sorry to see them leave. Tom is planning on riding up into Glacier National Park (I'm not), so if the passes in the Park are open, Tom and I will be heading different directions next weekend. Tom is a great traveling companion, so I will be saddened if we head different directions.

Another two weeks and I will be meeting up with Phoenix-area friend Rich Torkington in Williston, ND. Rich and I will be riding south through North and South Dakota along the Missouri River, intending to reach Sioux City, IA in time to participate in the RAGBRAI insanity. It will be good to see Rich's smiling face.

Rest days are good.

'Tis Still Wet (June 21, 2010)

Well, at least I am getting my money's worth out of the rain jacket and pants that I purchased last year.

Not a lot to say about the past two days of riding, other than to say "Idaho approaches".

Saturday's 50 mile ride from Colville to Ione was supposed to be an easy day, but it turned out to be moderately difficult ... no major climbs, just several shorter, slow climbs. I did not see a major Pass called out on the map, but I did see one roadside sign calling out a Pass by the name "Do Not". Pretty easy climb to this sign.

I am thankful to be traveling with Sheryl, Phillip, John and Tom. We spent the night at a wonderful RV Park outside of Ione. Met two touring bicyclist from New Zealand ... Joan and Heinrich. They are also traveling on the Northern Tier route; they rode across the U.S. 30 years ago. It would be good to meet up with them again somewhere along the road.

Yesterday's ride wound along the Pend Oreille (pon-da-ray) River for 55 miles or so, ending in Newport, WA. Beautiful scenery, and for a while, miserably cold and wet riding. As is usual, once you put on all of the various waterproof items of clothing the glorious sun breaks through the clouds, which then converts the uncomfortableness from wet and cold to steamingly-hot temps contained within the waterproof clothing. Finished the ride in a short sleeve jersey and shorts ... ahhh.

This past evening I stayed in a $45-a-night motel here in Newport. There was only one room available, so my riding partners headed to another motel in town. There was only one room available because there is a group of bicyclists staying here as well. This group of 24 riders (or so) started their ride yesterday morning in Spokane and are heading up into Canada, returning to Spokane around July 1. I shared dinner with four of the riders ... also shared much laughter and delightful conversation. I think the act of bicycle touring relieves so much of the everyday stress it encourages animated conversations.

This group's ride is organized through the Bicycle Adventure Club, a non-profit organization in which tours (throughout the world) are organized and led by members. Information about the organization is available at their website at www.bicycleadventureclub.org.

We are heading on to Sandpoint, Idaho today ... no surprise, weather projections call for rain. Sheryl, Phillip and John will be heading back westward in the next day or two, and Tom and I will continue east. Sorry to see the three departing as they have been a joy. Sheryl, Phillip, John ... thank you for your friendship. Hope we can share some riding adventures sometime in the future.

I received an e-mail from Tucson friend Sally Krusing yesterday; she has been touring England for a couple of weeks. She commented on the fact that it has been consistently cold and wet, which is something with which I can relate. Sally, thanks for sharing my discomfort.

Time to start packing up the panniers, load the bike and head out into the moist weather. Weather aside, life continues the be good.

Seemingly Endless Climbs (June 18, 2010)

I am pleased to say that the seemingly endless climbs are over for a few days. Climbed up-and-over Sherman Pass (5575') today ... only took about 4 hours of climbing at 3.5-to-4.0 mph. Endless. But as the adjacent picture illustrates, one does get the opportunity to view some spectacular scenery ... I just found myself desiring to pass this beautiful scenery a little bit quicker.

As seems to be a tradition in this area, I was once again provided with the joys of riding over the pass in a constant downpour. The rain started about 10 miles from the top of the pass, and continued for about 6 miles after the pass. This latter six miles was at a fairly consistent downhill of 6% ... makes for somewhat tense/exciting descending.

Near the end of today's ride, I passed over Roosevelt Lake (just west of Kettle Falls, WA). This lake is formed by damming the Columbia River ... the same Columbia River that I rode along last year riding east from Portland, OR. Once again my inattention during my school geography studies allows me to be surprised ... I did not realize the Columbia River ran south from this far north of the Oregon/Washington state line.

The possible highlight of today's 52 mile ride from Republic to Colville occurred on the climb up from Roosevelt Lake to Kettle Falls ... another 4 mph climb of a 2 to 3 mile stretch into Kettle Falls. What I perceived to be a light drizzle turned into a 20 minute drenching downpour. Unfortunately, I did not put on my rain gear ... one layer of jersey and shorts did not provide much protection from the wet/cold. Damn, not fun!

The previous day's ride, a 63 mile ride from Omak to Republic included (unsurprisingly) another Pass to ride over ... Wauconda Pass (4310'). This climb was easier as it was a gradual climb over a distance of approximately 24 miles. But what made the climb enjoyable was the re-connecting with the four friends I met back in Concrete, WA.

I was very happy to meet up with them late morning just south of Tonasket. As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, they are traveling east with three of them riding, and the fourth driving the car. Sheryl and Phillip have a car with a very distinctive small trailer ... I was very pleased when Phillip pulled up next to me and said that Sheryl, John and Tom were about 2 miles behind me. We met-up in town and shared a very welcome lunch break at a pizza place. Food was delicious, the conversation enjoyable. We then headed out on the 24 mile climb. There is a great difference in climbing alone vs. sharing ongoing conversations ... much easier to complete the ride when thinking about things other than climbing.

John, Sheryl and Phillip will be heading back to Seattle after reaching Sandpoint, ID (a couple more days of riding). John will be flying back to LA; Sheryl and Phillip will be driving back to Mariposa, CA (actually, I think the name of the town is Mariposa-near-Yosemite ... kind of similar to Stratford-on-Avon). Tom is intending to ride the complete Northern Tier route, ending in Maine. Tom's ride can be followed at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/tomwild. I feel very lucky to have met these four. They are extremely nice people ... a joy to share time/riding with them.

No more extreme climbs for a while ... good.

But it is a Dry Pass (June 16, 2010)

Another day, another Pass to climb. Today's ride included riding up and over Loup Loup Pass ... approximately 2400' of climbing in 7.5 miles. The nice thing about today's climb, as compared with yesterday's climbs, was that there was no rain/snow up at the pass. Dry road surface on most of the way down (14 miles or so) allowed for a very fast descent ... 36 mph max!

The rest of the day's 60 mile ride from Mazama to Omak was somewhat unexciting. Rain on and off, and reasonably nice scenery ... but the constant overcast leaves a grayness that diminishes the greenness. The flora has transitioned from thick wooded forest to grass-covered rolling hills. Rode past a vast cherry orchard just west of Okanogan.

There was one moment of "excitement" as I approached Okanogan. As I was plodding along (legs tired at this point), I heard the "boom" of two cars colliding about 300 yards up the road. I stopped, along with some others, to assist with traffic control and such. Fortunately, no one was injured. I spoke with the driver of the car that caused the accident (according to her). She said she has been working long hours and fell asleep at the wheel. This I found quite disconcerting as she had passed me about 10 seconds before hitting the other car. Yikes!

Will be heading off tomorrow toward another climb, this time over Wauconda Pass ... a 24 mile/3300' climb. Oh boy. Another day of gray and wet.

The statue figures are in a small city park in Whisp, WA. I did not see a plaque explaining topic or artist ... I just found the art interesting.

Snow!!!! in June (June 15, 2010)

The world has gone crazy ... snow in June. My world is out of whack.

Lots of miles have seen the rubber-side of my bike since I last posted. All types of weather and terrain.

Probably the highlight of the past days (other than riding in the snow today) was the joy of meeting up with my former brother-in-law on Whidbey Island. Ned was waiting at the ferry landing in Keystone, WA; he is very familiar with that part of the island, so we took some of the more scenic back roads on our way to Oak Harbor. Very enjoyable ride. We found a bar (somewhat of a dive) that had the USA/England soccer match on TV. This gave us an opportunity to semi-watch the game, share a beer and carry-on a very enjoyable conversation. We had not seen one another for somewhere around 15 years, and having been good friends back in the early 70's, we had a lot to catch up on ... Ned is one of the great story tellers, so I had a wonderful time.

After the match ended, I headed north and Ned headed back to Keystone. I ended the day's ride just short of Anacortes, WA, heading east the following day. Since then, I have ended days in Concrete, Colonial Campground and tonight, Mazama, WA. Since leaving Eugene two weeks ago, I put in abut 660 mile.

About today's ride ... started the day with 27 miles of climbing to Rainy Pass (4855'), then an additional 5 miles to Washington Pass (5477'). Snow at both Passes. Long-ass climb, to say the least. After passing over Washington Pass, there was an 18 mile downhill to Mazama ... the initial 7 miles at 7%, which is quite terrifying when the road is very wet (remember the rain and snow), and the brakes are also wet. It is hard enough on your fingers to be working the brakes constantly, but if you throw in frozen digits, it becomes quite painful and, quite frankly, not fun.

I am most fortunate to have met four fellow riders in Concrete (actually one lady and three guys), and another guy yesterday ... we all opted for a hotel here in Mazama, and shared a wonderfully entertaining meal and conversation.

What can I say, new friends and a warm/dry sleeping arrangement. Dare I say it ... life is good.

Out of the Woods (June 12, 2010)

I feel quite the seafaring traveler these days.

After the 32 mile ride from Tacoma to Bremerton, then the 50 miles to Port Townsend, I am feeling quite like a traveler of the waterways. Yesterday, I rode the ferry from Port Orchard to Bremerton, then today I will be on the ferry from Port Townsend to Keystone (on Whidbey Island). Still have not suffered through any sea-sickness.

The ride from Tacoma to Bremerton was a very hard ride. In the first mile I had to go up a very steep street (think the car-chase on the San Francisco streets in the movie Bullet). I ended up pushing the bike up this hill ... first time in all of my travels that I had to get off and push. Later on, I was riding a nice bike path only to be confronted by a "trail closed" sign. Managed to navigate this closure after a somewhat tense moment. The rest of the day consisted of a lot of short climbs and too quick downhills. Yesterday's ride to Port Townsend was equally as "up/down", which can wear a person down in a hurry. The highpoint of yesterday's ride was that the sun actually broke through the seemingly ever present cloud cover for the last hour of the ride.

As I prepare to pack-up and get over to the ferry landing, there is not a cloud in the sky ... should be a wonderful day riding in the warmth.

Hope to catch some of the USA/England soccer match today.

Feeling good.

Why Travel by Bike? (June 11, 2010)

There are, I suppose, many many reasons to travel the countryside by bike. One reason I enjoy the adventure is that a bike rider sees and hears things that a person, in a car traveling at 70 MPH, won't see/hear.

The waterfall in the adjacent photo is on a side road north of Centralia, WA. It is a very small natural feature, but the sound and the beauty of the waterfall brought me much joy.

Riding the Backroads (June 9, 2010)

Oh, how nice it is getting off of primary highways. For the past three days, I have been riding some of the less traveled roads of western Washington. While these roads typically have a lot more short climbs than the major highways, they offer a much more scenic and less hectic day of riding.

On Monday, I rode the 35 miles from Cathlamet to Castle Rock (Gateway to Mt. Saint Helens). This proved to be a very hard ride ... lots of climbing. Tuesday's 42 mile ride to Centralia was a very nice ride. This ride took me through some very scenic valleys, home to many small farms and small towns. I even got the chance to see the world's largest egg (concrete statue) in one of the small towns. Wednesday's 52 mile ride to Tacoma was half good/half uncomfortable.

The first half of the day's to Tacoma was a joy. About 13 miles into the ride I discovered a bike/pedestrian (paved) trail that allowed me to travel parallel to the highway, without having to worry about cars and trucks. This 13 mile ride into Yelm, WA was very enjoyable, slight tailwind, slight downhill and no rain. Just as I came to the end of the trail, it started to sprinkle ... followed by one of the hardest rains I have seen in a long time. This storm was one of those types of storms where the rain drops are falling at a 45 degree angle ... the type of rain that you are unable to see 20 feet in front of you. I mean to say it was a major downpour.

Fortunately, there was a small cafe at the end of the trail, into which I entered during the sprinkling phase ... hot coffee and a dry spot to watch the storm made me think once again, life is good.

The second half of the ride into Tacoma was wet, cold and highly trafficked. I was glad when this day's ride ended.

Tomorrow I head toward Bremerton and Port Townsend. I will be meeting up with my ex-brother-in-law in Port Townsend on Saturday for a day of riding. I am looking forward to seeing Ned, as it has been a great number of years since we have seen one another.

Next Sunday, I start riding east on the Northern Tier route.

And the sun is supposed to be shining for several consecutive days ... something else to which I look forward.

The Yin - Yang of Long-distance Riding (June 6, 2010)

The days on the road are all separate, all days unto themselves. Some days have no distinguishing moments and some days are embedded in my memory for ever (or at least as long as my memory lasts).

For me the last two days represent the Yin and Yang of memorable rides.

Yesterday was a day of great beauty ... blue skys and sunlit shafts penetrating the dark roadside forests. A day of meeting other riders. A day started with a joyful conversation with the wife of a south bound rider (she is providing SAG support for her husband ... check out his journal at www.crazyguyonabike.com/billstone). The conversation with this lady was a great way to start the day.

Included in this magnificent day were some very challenging climbs that provided spectacular vistas. The only negative to the day was the headwind that blew for the second half of the 47 miles from Tillamook, OR to Seaside, OR. My legs were cooked, and these tired muscles overruled my thoughts of camping when I encountered the roadside hotels in Seaside.

So much for the Yin. Yang (today) presented grayness and not much in the way of joy. Today's 51 mile ride from Seaside to Cathlamet, WA was, quite truthfully, the pits. Rain all day long, highlighted by the spray of thousands of vehicles returning from the beach-towns to Portland. Throw in several nasty climbs and you end up with a day impossible to forget. Again ... nasty, nasty day.

There was one event today that was enjoyable; to get across the Columbia river at Cathlamet, you have to take a ferry. The ferry ride lasted about 10 minutes, but was fun none-the-less ... and I did not get sea-sick.

By-the-way, Cathlamet rhymes with Willamette, which rhymes with well-dam-it.

While crossing the Columbia River on the ferry, I realized once again, that even though there are these days of grayness, life is still pretty good.

Just Keep Pedalin' (June 4, 2010)

Sometimes it feels as though some of these climbs go on forever. Sometimes it feels as though there is no end. Sometimes the legs hurt and the butt aches ... but the downhills are always rejuvenating.

Yesterday and today featured some nasty climbing, but unlike the previous days' rides, there was no rain ... lots of sweat-inducing humidity, but no rain.

Yesterday, I rode the 46 miles from Dallas, OR to Lincoln City, OR ... crossing the Coastal Range. It was an enjoyable ride, with several small climbs and one very challenging climb. Upon arrival in Lincoln City, I hastily booked a room (with a view of the ocean) and spent the evening watching large amounts of water fall from the sky. Once again, not gon'na camp in the rain, don'cha know.

The rain fell all night and into the early morning. Walking over to get some breakfast, I noticed the flags flapping in the wind ... pointing due south. Unfortunately, I was to be riding north. This does not make for a very comfortable feeling whilst eating breakfast.

Finally got motivated and started riding the 47 miles to Tillamook, OR.

A couple of personal historical notes: 1) several years ago, I had the good fortune to ride the Oregon Coast with a group of friends. We had a vehicle with us (thanks Peg), so we did not have to carry our gear on our bikes, and 2) In 2001, I participated in the Santa Fe Century Ride ... due to the prevalent and physically stressful riding conditions, I came up with a phrase worthy of a country western song, that phrase being "Hills and Headwinds".

The reason for noting these two items is that I spent a great amount of time riding up a long climb that I remembered "riding down" when we rode the coast ... and yes, today there were headwinds to go along with the upward slant of the road.

Best part of the day was seeing the blue sky this afternoon. No, I take that back, best part of the day was getting my tired legs and sore butt off of the bike.

Life is good.

The Price of Green (June 2, 2010)

Two days of riding through some incredibly beautiful green country. Left Eugene on Tuesday (6/1), and rode a mostly flat 47 miles to Corvallis. This was an excellent way to start this adventure ... light tailwind, and only about 30 minutes of light drizzle. Arrived in Corvallis just in time to watch the start of a steady rain.

Woke this morning to more of the same ... steady rain, so I clad myself in all of my waterproof clothing and headed out into the rain. In some strange way this was enjoyable, for the first hour anyway. After 32 miles of riding in the rain, I decided to cut the day short and get into another weather-tight hotel room. The wind and rain is really making the outdoors un-enjoyable, I suspect, for those unlucky enough to be camping. Guess I am just a wimp.

Tomorrow I am heading over to the Oregon Coast ... Lincoln City area. Weather projections call for "the storm of the decade" hitting the coast tomorrow night.

And so, the price of green ... lots of rain. Hope I can stay relatively dry tomorrow.

Coming Soon ... Chapter Two (May 7, 2010)

Ah, the lure of the road does call.

I will be heading back to the Northwest the end of May (flying this time!!), and starting this summer's bike tour the first week of June. Planned route includes the coast of Oregon and Washington, then linking up with the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier route in Anacortes, WA, north of Seattle. From there, east across Washington, Idaho, Montana and in to North Dakota. At Williston, ND, the road heads south on the Lewis and Clark route (again, Adventure Cycling ... http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/index.cfm) down to either Sioux City, IA or Omaha. The annual week-long RAGBRAI ride (insane ride across Iowa with 15,000 other cyclists) starts on July 25.

After reaching the Mississippi River, the route will then somehow (yet to be determined) head east to Massachusetts.

The bike is still hanging on the wall, so we will just have to see where the ride goes and ends ... but the road does call (and it is starting to get hot in Phoenix).