Kim's Take on this Summer's Ride (Sept. 1, 2012)

Honest ... every word I offered up in my various posts was the truth (hope FactCheck does not get envolved), but for those of you who enjoy reading of other's travels, and apparently have endless hours to do so, I give you the link to Kim's journal.

"Kim's Journey Begins" is hosted on the "Truth Be Told" website.  The "Truth Be Told" organization is an Austin, TX based group that helps women who have either recently been released from prison, or who soon will be released.  Kim's ride across the continent was used as a fund raiser for this organization ... click here to visit the home page of this organization.

When comparing Kim's version of an event with my version, keep in mind that all things, as told by me, are truthful (to the best of my somewhat suspect memory ... the Ronald Reagan defense).


The End is Past (September 1, 2012)

Done, but not forgotten.  For what ever reason, I have not closed-out this summer's journey's journal.  Quite possibly I just do not want to admit that it is over.  Or quite possibly I am just lazy.  Probably a little of both.

In the previous posting, I indicated that Kim and I were riding the final day to reach the Atlantic Ocean, and that I would bring the journal up to date as to the previous days of riding.

We indeed reached the Atlantic Ocean in Ocean City, Maryland on August 22nd.  That day's ride was an easy ride of 29 miles ... flat roads and a light tailwind made for a nice way to finish the trans-continental ride ... lord knows there were not many easy days similar to this in the past three months.  There is a tradition for cross-country cyclist ... dip a wheel in both Oceans ... so Kim dipped her wheel in the Atlantic, much to the amusement of some of the many beach-goers.  Once again mention of the accomplishment brought joy to those understanding the ritual of "wheel dipping".  I had not dipped my wheel in the Pacific, so I did not dip my wheel in the Atlantic.  My sense of accomplishment existed, but I just did not feel it was appropriate to partake in the finish of a ritual that I did not begin.  Besides that, I did not feel like carrying my bike across the sand.

Upon completion of the dipping, etc., and a restful evening, we headed back to our respective airport cities the next day ... Kim was to fly out of Baltimore and I from Washington D.C.  Two-and-a-half days after leaving Ocean City, we found ourselves at the end point of our summer of riding together.  This was not an easy moment for me as sharing the summer's adventures and misadventures with Kim was something I will always treasure.  Rarely does a person enter one's life so quickly that so quickly develops into such a strong friendship.  We both had much to offer to the other in the way of how we live our respective lives ... lessons in living that may have life-long benefits.  Anyway, we did the usual things friends do when departing and not knowing when next we would meet ... said those things that need to be said ... and as usual for Kim, tears flowed.  Me?  Guess there are plants down the road from our departure-point that cause allergic reactions (watery eyes and runny nose). This sad day was Saturday, August 25.

The flights back to our respective domiciles was on Tuesday, August 28.  I spent two very satisfying days playing the role of tourist in Washington D.C.  Saw many of the usual sites.  The most overwhelming site visited was the Library of Congress building.  Having been in the construction business for over 35 years, I have grown accustomed to the "budget-controlled" plainness of most new structures.  The Library of Congress structure is simply magnificent.  The degree to which this building is detailed is just mind-bending.  Beautiful, simply beautiful.

I had hoped to tell of the days of riding between Ohiopyle, OH and Salisbury, MD, but there were too many days and too many not-so-remembered-memories to accurately retell.  The riding of the GAP rail-to-trail and the C&O Canal tow path does warrant retelling.

As mentioned in my posting of August 15, the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail is wonderful.  A great trail to ride between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, MD ... well maintained path and lots of small towns that are easily accessed.  I would say "yes" to anyone considering riding this trail.  The C&O Canal tow path would not receive such a recommendation from me.  The C&O Canal ran from Cumberland to Washington D.C. Where as the GAP trail is well maintained, the C&O is a very rough trail.  Being that it is so flat, drainage of rain water is a non-occurring event.  The tow path trail consists of two parallel 18" wide dirt paths separated by a 24" grass barrier and grass on each outside edge of the two paths.  Because of the grass, all accumulated water pools until soaked into the dirt.  Mean while, cyclist ride through the many pools of standing water, which results in small ruts and ridges in the paths.  So, as I say ...  very rough riding.  At one point we opted (love that word) to ride an adjacent highway.  A word or two about the highways (other than Interstates) in southeast Ohio, northeast West Virginia, southwest Pennsylvania and western Maryland ... for me, extremely difficult; very short ups-and-downs; very steep short ups-and-downs; very "no shoulder" steep short ups-and-downs; very large-truck-traffic "no shoulders" steep short up-and-downs.  Rarely do I feel as though the roads we ride are unsafe.  This section had me worried.  Not-so-amusingly, Kim seemed to enjoy the highway far more than riding the C&O.  Thankfully, Kim saw the fear in my eyes and agreed to return to the C&O.

The story gets better (in telling, not experiencing).  Shortly after returning to the trail, Kim noticed her rear tire getting softer.  Being the insecure person that I am (in addition to being a butt-head), I immediately felt as though somehow I was to blame for the flat tire.  Ah, sweet insecurities.  So after replacing the tube, we continued on.  Earlier I mentioned that the small towns on the GAP trail were numerous and easily accessed.  In-as-much as these small towns valued the money riders of the trail carried, they advertised the town's existence well in advance of the town's turn-off road.  Not so on the C&O.  For one thing, small towns along the tow path are almost non-existent. Between Cumberland and Hancock (a 61 mile stretch) there were reported to be two small (and I mean small) towns.  Unfortunately we missed both.  Due to this we did not get the chance to sit and consume a nutritious lunch.  Of course we had our usual mix of healthy snacks and unhealthy snacks, so we were able to stay reasonably fed.

The condition of the trail and the lack of urbanization were two factors that made the day's ride unenjoyable, but the main event has yet to be recounted.  Starting recounting now ... after exiting the 3000' tunnel at the possibly-mythical burg of PawPaw, we noticed very black storm clouds.  The clouds did nothing to belay our fears of heavy rain ... rain it did.  PawPaw is approximately 25 miles from our projected finish town of Hancock, and there are no alternate towns or routes.  After experiencing the thorough drenching back in Pittsburgh, we both understood what was to come.  As it started to pour, I noticed a resigned smile on Kim's face.  So we headed on down the path, riding through three-to-four inch deep pools of water ... pools that would typically be twenty-to-thirty feet long.  So for the next three hours we rode through mud and water.  We have camping gear along with us so we could have stopped and set-up camp, but one of the common beliefs shared by Kim and I is that even on a beautiful day, neither of us like camping.  So we rode on ...
thinking that things could not be much worse.  Along the trail we came upon two cyclist fixing a flat (their second in the past hour) in the pouring rain.  Life lesson:  no matter how bad things seem, they can always get worse.  End of story is that we found lodging at a Super 8, cleaned up, went to Pizza Hut and survived to ride another day.

So, the summer's ride has been completed ... about three months of riding and a tad over 4800 miles.  Many good memories.  Sorry that it had to end.

I am now back in Tucson, and have moved my meager belongings out of the self-storage unit to my rental unit.  Feels good to be in familiar surroundings and have a wider choice of clothing (but I must admit my wardrobe is similar to my belongings ... meager).  Still unpacking; still getting things in order; still wishing I were still out riding the unknown (to me) roads; still thinking about next summer's possible routes.

Still... life is good.


Almost to the Atlantic (August 22)

Today's ride of 30 miles, or so, will take us to Ocean City, MD ... to the Atlantic Ocean.

Traveling via bikes since late May ... traveling through beautiful days and scenery and sometimes through rain-soaked days and "anywhere USA" urban areas.  Mostly enjoyable; sometimes tedious.

All-in-all, very enjoyable.  Which is why I choose to spend my summers traveling around the U.S. on my Surly.

It has been many a day since I last posted, and will try to catch up with the events of those days in a later post.  But for now, know that the Atlantic is but half a day away ... then it is back to Washington D.C. and a flight home on August 28.

Frank and Roger have completed their rides and are now in Maine.  McKinley and Patrice indicated they would be reaching Yorktown, VA yesterday or today, and Andrew is expecting to arrive in Washington D.C. sometime in the coming week.  So all either have or will soon be completing their individual treks.  For some it is the first complete ride across the country; others of us the second.  Doing this is not easy ... but then it is not hard either. 

For Kim, reaching the Atlantic is the culmination of several years of planning and one summer of new experiences/challenges.  Reaching the Atlantic can be, and in most cases is, a very emotional event.  Riding the last few miles is overwhelming ... but extremely joyous.

The following quote was sent to Kim yesterday by one of her law-firm partners, and accurately summarizes this summer's trek:

“Once a journey is designed, equipped, and put in process, a new factor enters and takes over. A trip, a safari, an exploration, is an entity, different from all other journeys. It has personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless.
"We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. Tour masters, schedules, reservations, brass-bound and inevitable, dash themselves to wreckage on the personality of the trip.
"Only when this is recognized can the blown-in-the glass bum relax and go along with it. Only then do the frustrations fall away. In this a journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” -- John Steinbeck

One of my favorite quotes which motivates me was sent to me by Bill Burk four summers ago:

 "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones 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

Time to head to the Atlantic (although we have been heading to the Atlantic since late May!).

 

 

Love Those Trails (August 15,2012)

Don’t necessarily love those roads …

The last four days have been “love” and “love… not so much”.  Coming out of Cleveland was a day of bike touring “love“.  Of the 68 miles of riding to Canton, OH, about 58 of the miles were on a tow path.  The path followed the original Ohio and Erie Canal that ran from Cleveland (Lake Erie) south to the Ohio River.  As is to be expected, the tow path was fairly flat, and the lush growth of the wooded areas spectacular.  This day’s ride was on a Sunday, which meant that there were a lot of cyclist and walkers on the trail … which meant there were numerous near misses, but it was refreshing to see so many people out exercising.

Day two, 65 miles from Canton to Chester, WV was one of the “love … not so much” days.  I had asked at a local Canton bike shop for suggestions for a route to Chester … “My wife and I recently rode Route 172 to Lisbon, OH, and it was really nice“ was the advice received from one of the employees.  Obviously, “my wife and I” enjoy unrelenting short climbs with little or no shoulder.  After about the 40th repeat of “slow laborious climb, followed by fast down-hill”, my joy of bike touring tends to dissipate.  This day was hard.  Combine tired physical bodies with the frustration of trying to find our way in East Liverpool … by the time we got across the bridge and into a small hotel in Chester, it had definitely become a world record “love … not so much” day.  Little did I know of what the next day held in store.

Day three consisted of 66 miles from Chester to Clairton, PA (a suburb south of Pittsburgh). Following the directions provided by Google Bicycle Map, in order to leave Chester, we took a right off of Chester Avenue onto 6th Street.  Little known fact:  Steve McQueen refused to drive his Mustang on this road because it was too steep (up, up, up!).  Knowing our limits, we decided to go over to Route 30, and head out of town on the much busier highway.  As we passed under the “Bicycles Prohibited” sign, I thought we were on a better route.  True, it was less steep, but the truck traffic was heavy, and the West Virginia Transportation Department did not think it was important to include safety/bicycle lanes.  Pretty scary stuff, even though it only lasted four or five miles.  The “Welcome to Pennsylvania” sign was indeed a welcome sight, as safety/bicycle lanes were something they included (there is, however, one county in Pennsylvania with a Transportation Engineer who thinks the best place for an 18” wide rumble strip is centered in the 3’-0” safety/bike lane). 

The ride into the Pittsburgh area went pretty well, and due to my stubbornness, we opted to ride the Montour Trail.  This rail-to-trail runs south from the northwest side of Pittsburgh, then loops around the southern edge and connects to the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail, which we intend to take into Washington D.C. Was it a wise choice versus riding through the metropolitan areas … don’t know.  Other than getting partially lost a couple of times, it went pretty well … oh, an early afternoon light rain thoroughly “wetted” us … oh, and a late afternoon downpour (deluge … think Noah) that was just ridiculous, soaked us through and through.  Out on the trail with no cover in sight, the only thing you can do is just stand in the downpour and smile (grimace?).  We eventually made it to an inexpensive motel, got cleaned up, fed and put to bed.  All in all, partially “love bike touring” and partially “(well beyond) love … not so much”.

But today proved to be back to the good side of touring.  I won’t go into the frustration of lack of directional signage in the Pittsburgh area, but please understand that the 10 miles from the motel to the GAP Trail did not go well.  However, the remaining 56 miles of rail-to-trail riding was again spectacular.  Makes you forget the bad times.

Tonight we are in the small town of Ohiopyle, PA.  This town has been a tourist/white water rafting mecca for many many years.  Very nice relaxing atmosphere after having experienced Cleveland, Canton, Chester and Pittsburgh (suburbs). 

Not may days left of riding to get to the Atlantic Ocean, but most of those days will be on either a rail-to-trail or tow path.  Good … love those trails and love bike touring.

Thinking of Frank (August 12, 2012)

As we biked through Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and a large part of Nebraska there were two certainties.  The first was that Frank was the strongest and fastest rider in our group ... Frank would arrive in the day's finish town well in advance of the rest of us.  The second certainty was that if there was a McDonald's in that town, we would most certainly see his smiling face camped out at a table at that establishment ... air conditioning and WiFi, plus various non-nutritious items having all been enjoyed.

When leaving Cleveland this morning, Kim and I passed the magnificent structure (adjacent picture) housing the ever busy burger-peddling emporium, and my heart sank with the realization that Frank's path would not afford him the luxury of going into this luxurious Mickey Dee's. 

Frank is the main factor in my enjoyment of the travel through the states listed above.  He had taken the time to put together a town-by-town itinerary that got us all to Iowa in time to ride RAGBRAI.  He was the unifying personality in the disparate group ... he is the always smiling Frank. 

Frank ... thank you.   

Wet and Cold (August 11, 2012)

Sometimes the days seem to meld into one-another.  Sometimes the days do not inspire.  Sometimes I get lazy.  Sometimes ...

After leaving Toledo, we have traveled many a mile to reach Cleveland ... 72 miles to Avery/Milan and 64 miles to Cleveland.  Both days were somewhat similar in that there were things of interest, yet things that were seemingly unremarkable.

The highlight of the ride to Avery/Milan was once again the result of a chanced-upon conversation with a local ... Bill was installing American flags and other Viet Nam related flags on the main street of Elmore, OH in preparation for the next day's arrival of the replica of the Viet Nam Memorial Wall.  We asked him for directions to a town south of Elmore that would get us on the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier route.  He asked where we were headed ... once again, with a gentle smile and local knowledge, we were directed to a paved rail-to-trail that started  less than a block away that would save us miles and miles all the while providing a car-free ride.  We stopped in to a bike shop located next to the trail and had numerous conversations with employees and customers.  It is amazing and amusing how much joy our travels bring to others.

While standing out on the trail, another touring cyclist came from the east, and without his stopping we exchanged a quick "where from/where to".  I then heard a young lady who was standing nearby say that she had never heard such an exchange and was smiling broadly because of the exchange ... she was filled with joy.  She returned the joy in that she suggested a very nice little eating establishment in the next town.  Life is filled with these joyful occurrences while on the road ... I wonder if it is because conversations with strangers are more open, or if when living the usual day-to-day we just do not take the time to talk with strangers?

The ride into Cleveland was good for the first 5 miles (quiet road and tailwind), interesting along the shoreline road (massive homes and a tree-lined avenue) and finally, torturous getting through Cleveland.  The roads in Cleveland had no bike lanes, but had many, many pot-holes.  Made me yearn for the roads of Tucson.

We have taken two rest days here in Cleveland.  Yesterday we took a bus from the hotel, which is about 10 miles south of downtown, to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  The bus ride lasted about an hour, and was an eye opener for me ... traveling through some of the more depressed areas and sharing the ride with those who live in these areas reminded me as to just what a blessed life I live.

The Hall of Fame was interesting ... lots of memories.  The high point for me was watching a movie about the Beatles which highlighted songs and comments about and from each album they put out.  As I say, lots of memories and such ... lots of gray-hairs sharing my recollections.  A good day filled with great music.

Today is a day of rest ... a day to ease into my 65th year.  A day of communicating with family and friends in celebration (or at least acknowledgment) of my birth date. Family and friends ... I am indeed blessed.

A common theme of discussions with family/friends in Arizona was the heat in Arizona ... today in Cleveland it is rainy and about 65 degrees.  Cold and wet for me as I mailed warm and rain proof clothing home several weeks ago ... cold and wet.

Life Lesson # 64 (August 7, 2012)

When out bike touring, there are many different methods in charting a course.  Some will lay out an itinerary well in advance of leaving home, some will wake on the morning of the ride and go which ever way the wind is blowing (as Benny told me of a friend of his).

The method Kim and I have chosen, in the quest to stay in the present, is to plan out the day's ride as we go.  Generally, we talk about the day's ride, and where we want to go the next day ... then we spend the evening considering routes for the following day.  Last night I studied the Michigan State Highway map along with the State Bicycling maps to put together a plan.  Guess work all the way as there is only so much one can learn from one-dimensional maps.

So anyway, after having breakfast this morning in a small cafe (heavy on the 1950's memorabilia), we headed over to an adjacent gas station to get some water and miscellaneous snacks for the day's ride.  We were individually cornered by a group of 5 truck drivers who were very interested in our biking travels.  Very good natured guys ... just road-travelers who were interested in our mode of travel.  After a lengthy and enjoyable conversation, one of them asked about our planned travel route for the day.  I told him what I had planned from my hour and a half studies from the night before.  He smiled and said if we had a map he could show us a straight and flat route.  I, being the butt-head that I am, suggested that we had heard about supposedly flat roads before.  He gently and knowingly informed me that he had spent a lifetime hauling goods over these roads and that he knew about hills.  Case closed ... we took the route he suggested ... today's ride may have been the easiest and most enjoyable 68 mile ride we have taken this summer.

Life lesson #64:  know where you want to go (what you wish to achieve), plan it out ... but be knowledgeable enough so as to recognize wise advice and flexible enough so as to adjust your plans.

So today's ride of 68 miles from Hillsdale, MI to Toledo, OH was good.  The real bonus of following the gentleman's advice was a glorious patch of sunflowers along side the roadway.  Kim has mentioned several times that sunflowers are her favorite flower ... I do not know which of us was filled with more joy ... Kim gleefully dancing around the flowers or me watching her gleefully dancing.  Joy is somewhat contagious.

It has been several days since our arrival in Milwaukee (the last posting to this journal).  After the enjoyable afternoon of experiencing downtown Milwaukee, we took the next day very easy ... a short ride to the ferry ... a quick boat ride across Lake Michigan ... and a short ride to a campground in Muskegon, MI.  Maybe a total of 12 miles of bike riding. We followed this easy day with a 54 mile ride to Grand Rapids, MI (another delightful rails-to-trail path), a 68 mile ride to Battle Creek, MI, then a 52 mile ride to Hillsdale, MI.  It has been a few days since those rides, so memory fails me as to specifics of the rides other than the beauty of Southern Michigan, which should be experienced by all.  The small towns one passes through are quite enchanting ... the architecture of the old downtown buildings enthralling.  One particular town stands out ... Homer, MI ... you will just have to see it to understand.

The day of the ride from Muskegon to Grand Rapids did have two occurrences that are easily remembered.  The first was that we met Debbie and Bob Powers for breakfast at a place in Muskegon called "Russ's".  Debbie and Bob are friends that I ride with in Tucson ... sharing time with friends is most enjoyable after being out on the road.  I can not thank them enough for taking the time to drive up to Muskegon and share breakfast with us.  The second item to remember goes like this ... after leaving the restaurant, Kim and I pedaled off toward a rail-to-trail that Bob had recommended.  After riding toward the trail for about 45 minutes, Kim stopped to check the map/GPS.  While she was doing such, I looked into my handle-bar bag and realized that my phone, my wallet (license, credit cards and $300 +/-) and coin purse (yeah, yeah ... I carry a coin purse ... so what!??) were not to be seen.  Left them back at Russ's.  Pardon my choice of words here, but ... "Oh, shit!!!!".  Called Russ's with Kim's phone ... yes, they found the items (back of my mind was screaming, "Oh thank God ... how about the $300??).  About that time, Debbie and Bob came by as we pedaled back toward the restaurant ... saviors ... gave me a quick ride to recover my items ... money was intact ... the waitress who found my things tried to refuse to accept any "thank you money", but I persisted ... 25 cents well spent, eh?

The realization that the end of the ride is near is becoming more-and-more part of our daily conversations.  We are hoping that we might be able to meet-up with McKinley and Patrice (two young ladies Kim rode with back in Oregon).  We are wondering where Andrew might be. Andrew, last we heard, was heading to Washington D.C. on the TransAm trail ... Andrew, Kim and I shared a most enjoyable evening camping along the Madison River back in Montana.  I have been following Frank and Roger's continued travels toward Maine.  It is all coming to a close ... which is both sad and joyful.  Three weeks from today and I will return to Tucson ... sad and joyful.

Which brings me back to the fact that there are life lessons to be learned ... both sad and joyful ... but in the end, life is good. 

More Bike Paths (August 2, 2012)

Oh, what joy to ride and not have to deal with traffic.  Another day of primarily riding bike paths made the 23 mile flat ride from Waukesha to Milwaukee an easy ride.

When I was a kid growing up in Iowa, my favorite professional baseball team was the Milwaukee Braves ... Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn, et al. Today we finished the ride into Milwaukee on the Hank Aaron Multi-use path ... the little boy in me rejoiced.

We decided to make a short day of riding, which allowed an afternoon of walking around downtown Milwaukee.  Kim worked her magic in booking hotel rooms, so we are in the downtown Hilton for the price of a low cost motel out on the fringes ... crazy.  Pure opulence and luxury up here on the 15th floor.  Beats the hell out of camping.

Spent the afternoon walking around downtown Milwaukee, and enjoying the architecture of buildings old and new.  The adjacent picture is the Milwaukee Art Museum building which is beautifully located on the waterfront.  I am afraid the picture does not do the structure justice ... the affect of this structure is stunning after walking through the claustrophobic grays, browns and faded whites of the downtown buildings.  Having lived my entire life in the southwest, I have not been exposed to the overwhelming beauty of stately structures built in the 1890s to 1920s.  These older structures are magnificent to observe, but limited time did not allow for the indepth study necessary to really take-in the ornate detailing presented. I spent a glorious afternoon craning my neck and taking not-so-good pictures ("Say buddy, been off the farm long?")

Tomorrow we board the Lake Express ferry for a two and a half hour trip across Lake Michigan, landing in Muskegon, MI.  Hope to see Debbie and Bob Powers on Saturday ... they live in Grand Haven during the summer and Tucson during the winter.  Bob has provided some route information for getting across Michigan to Toledo which should prove to make for good riding.

So tomorrow we go a-boating on a lake bigger than some states. Won't be long before we are to the Atlantic.

Another Wonderful Ride (August 1, 2012)

Another great ride on another great rail-to-trail path.  Today's 72 mile ride to Waukesha, WI was primarily on the Glacial Drumlin Trail, which connects Madison to the Milwaukee area.

Two days of not having to deal with traffic makes for some wonderful biking.  Tomorrow we are heading to downtown Milwaukee, so will definitely be dealing with traffic.  Friday we will be taking the ferry across Lake Michigan to Muskegon, MI, then it will be on to Cleveland.

This part of the Midwest is quite beautiful ... rolling hills covered with wooded areas and corn fields.  Lots of lakes, and the sky has been an incredible shade of blue dotted with white clouds (as opposed to dark menacing clouds).  Smiles all around.

The adjacent picture is from yesterday's ride on the Badger State Trail, and shows me entering the 1200' tunnel.

The ride continues, but the end-point is looming in the back of my mind.

A Wonderful Ride (7-31-2012)


Three days out of RAGBRAI.  No more waiting in endless lines for anything.  No more worrying about possible collisions with other cyclists.  No more high-priced everything.  RAGBRAI is fun, but it is nice to be back to fairly normal touring again.

The first two days of riding after the end of RAGBRAI were relatively short and relatively easy.  The 30 mile ride from Clinton, IA to Savanna, IL was on the Great River Trail, although I think the name of the trail should be "The Great (the river is somewhere to the west) River Trail.  Nice ride, but for the most part it was just less traveled roads, not the path-adjacent-to-the-river-providing-wonderful-views.  The second day's ride, 47 miles to Freeport, IL, was on a more heavily traveled highway.  Lots of rolling hills and less bike lanes.  We stopped for lunch in the small town of Shannon, and was told of a back road that offered better riding and less traffic to Freeport. This route made for a much more enjoyable ride.  I was thinking it would be wonderful if there were a website listing secondary roads that are appropriate for touring ... maybe I will try to develop such a site ... probably not.

We are learning the value of asking locals for riding advice.  This morning, while leaving Freeport and searching for the Jane Addams Trail, Kim talked to a gentleman by the name of Tiger.  Tiger owns a bike shop, and races recumbent bikes (he showed us pictures he carries in his wallet of his racing days of 20 to 30 years ago).  Tiger led us out to the trail, which made for a much easier start of the ride.  The Jane Addams Trail is a 13 mile long rail-to-trail path that connects with the Badger State Trail (rail-to-trail leading to Madison, WI).  So today's 74 mile ride to, and through, Madison was primarily on a traffic-free path.  A wonderful ride indeed.

Included on the Badger State Trail is a 1200' tunnel, which is pitch-black for most of the length of the tunnel.  As we were entering, two touring cyclists were coming out of the tunnel.  We had a nice chat with the couple, and shared some information, etc.  Always nice to talk with other touring cyclist.

The crushed rock trail gave way to a nicely paved trail about 8 miles out of Madison.  This trail led directly into the heart of Madison, and was a joy to ride.  I have not seen so many cyclists using a trail in all of my travels.  It is so nice to have a dedicated trail, rather than having to share a road with cars and trucks.  After leaving the trail, we rode east on a major road ... but the bike lane was about 10' wide, so very low stress factor.

I recognize that Tucson is making great gains in improving bike travel infrastructure, but this town is tops in my book.  I also read in USA Today that Madison is one of the top places for "seniors/retirees" to live.  Bet it gets cold, tho ...

Tomorrow we head to Milwaukee on another rail-to-trail.  Should be another wonderful ride.


RAGBRAI 2012 (July 29, 2012)


RAGBRAI 2012 comes to an end.  Seven days of riding.  Seven days of sometimes great, sometimes not so great.  Seven days of overpriced (for the most part) not so great food. Seven days of joy.

Once again, Carey and Mike Jensen, and Beth and Ben Johnsen, were very generous in including me in their traveling circus ... 20 to 25 friends riding and busing across Iowa during the 470 mile, 7 day RAGBRAI adventure.  To say that the event is crazy is an understatement, but the activities in and around the bus are much more sedate ... kinda.  Carey, Mike, Beth and Ben have been doing RAGBRAI for many, many years (Carey 16 years, I think), and offer we newcomers a level of friendship, advice, laughs, conversation, snacks, drinks, etc., etc., etc. that makes for a great experience.

This is the third RAGBRAI I have experienced with this group, and I think it was the hardest.  The mileage of three of the middle days were in excess of 90 miles ... each day with the temperatures in the 104 range ... humidity in the 200% range, and headwinds.  Arizona heat doesn't even come close to what Iowa heat feels like when it is this hot and humid.  Very, very energy draining.  Fortunately, the last two days the temps dropped, and the enjoyment increased.

Kim had made the decision back in South Dakota to experience RAGBRAI ... and experience it she did.  She too traveled with Carey's troupe ... a real test to be inserted into a large group of high-energy people after having biked over 2500 miles in relatively low-energy surroundings.  Add that to riding with 15,000 other riders and, as she said, "It feels very claustrophobic!"  Her opinion of RAGBRAI went from "never again" to "maybe it's not so bad" to "I'm kinda glad I have experienced RAGBRAI ... but probably not again (except for the root beer floats!)".  A big part of the improvement in attitude towards RAGBRAI (I think) was that Kim and several of the bus-ites became friends.  I had no idea how many fans of the TV program "The Amazing Race" there are ... guess I have missed something not having seen the show.  Not only are these people fans, but many of them want to be on the show.  Amazing ...

A big part of RAGBRAI is the daily search for food and liquids.  The basic approach is you get in line and hand $5.00 to $7.00 to the money taker, then eat the massively-produced average food handed back to you.  Water is usually $1.00 for a 12 ounce bottle, and Gatorade $2.00.  You get the opportunity to purchase some pretty bizarre food items ... the oddest I saw was "bacon-on-a-stick" ... one slice of bacon on a skewer.  Fortunately there were some very tasty smoothies offered, and the root beer float delight became a daily treat for Kim and I.

A very strong positive of the trip was the overnights that had been arranged.  Five or six of the overnights were at homes of friends of the bus core group.  Part of the RAGBRAI tradition is that residents of the overnight towns play hosts to large groups (such as our group).  At three of the homes a magnificent spread of food was included.  Also often included was the offer of sleeping in the air conditioned houses.  Sweetness, indeed.  The generosity of the hosts was over the top ... the question a number of we non-Iowans asked of ourselves was if we would agree to allow a busload of strangers into our house for a night.  Something to think about ...

Upon watching the above video, I realized that it captured two Tucsonians ... Carol and Peter.  I happened to talk with them on the last day's ride into Clinton.  For those of you who regularly ride in organized Tucson rides, Carol and Peter are the couple with the "chaise lounge" bike.  They are the couple on a tandem at the very start of the video in long-sleeved white shirts ... odd coincidence that they are on the video.  In addition to Carol and Peter, I bumped into a number of Phoenix and Tucson area friends, and spoke with a number of other riders wearing Arizona or GABA jerseys.  Great fun.

So RAGBRAI 2012 is over ... now we are heading into Illinois and Wisconsin, then taking a ferry across Lake Michigan to the Grand Haven area.  At this stage we have logged just under 3,000 miles over the past two months ... approximately 1,000 miles lay between Clinton, IA and Washington D.C. 

And now it is off to the Atlantic Ocean!

RAGBRAI Awaits (July 20, 2012)

How very nice of all of the people of Iowa to welcome me back the the State of my birth.  After a week of trudging eastward through Nebraska, I am looking forward to the coming week ... starting Sunday is the week-long RAGBRAI (Register Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa ... The Register is the Des Moines news paper) bike ride.  15,000 or so cyclist huffing and puffing up and down the rural roads of Iowa, passing through so many small towns that names become immaterial.

The joy of RAGBRAI  is interacting with the local residents and the many co-riders.  This event is a huge fund-raiser for the small towns ... imagine 15,000 people passing through a town of 1,000, or even 100.  Great joy.  And the conversations you have with other riders is always interesting.

The last two days of riding in Nebrasksa (O'Neill to Osmond ... 58 miles, and Osmond to Sioux City ... 75 miles) were fairly forgettable, other than we went from flat-straight-smooth to rolling-straight-rough roads).  Yesterday's ride was one of those rides where there is great joy in finishing and getting off the bike.

The real stories, such as they are, for the two days have to do with food.  Dinner in Osmond was consumed at the one restaurant available.  While the food was okay, it was the small dinner salad that caught our attention.  When ordering a salad, one envisions lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and maybe some other varied vegetables.  Not so ... shredded lettuce ... that was it!  I felt guilty sprinkling on some black pepper in-as-much-as the salad was so pure and unblemished with any foreign elements other than the shredded lettuce.  Kim ordered her salad without tomatoes and onions, so maybe she is the one responsible for the barren  dish.  One good thing did come of the meal ... one of the waitresses recommended a breakfast place 9 miles east of Osmond.

The Hill Top restaurant is the yen to the previous night's dinner's yang.  The food was outstanding ... but what was extra special was the conversation with Joe Hansen, son of the owner of the Hill Top, and local farmer.  He talked about the irrigation systems (sprinklers) we had observed, and the affect the drought was having on the Ogallala aquifer.  But the most enjoyable elements of the conversation was the interest he has in bike riding.  Both of his brothers are avid cyclist, and he had read a book by a touring cyclist that had really caught is attention.  Joe was most animated in the discussion.  It really seemed as though he wants to ride, but somehow feels that his farming responsibilities precludes such a frivolous activity.  Most enjoyable breakfast.

An observation:  When touring cyclist stop in small towns, it is very common for local residents to initiate conversations about other cyclists who have come through town.  In O'Neill, one gentleman provided us with information about a cyclist he had talked with the previous day who had started his ride in Portland, Oregon and was riding all the way to Portland, Maine.  What was interesting was that this gentleman had taken possession of the story as if the travels were his own ... and seemed to be proud of the accomplishment.  This attitude is not unique to this gentleman ... and my comment should not be construed to be a negative accusation, but rather an observation.  For the most part, I think we touring cyclist bring a sense of joy and freedom to those we meet.  I, for one, enjoy spreading the joy.  Oh, and the touring cyclist this gentleman was describing is our own Frank Preston.


Back to the riding ... hot and humid ... and lots of long rolling hills.  We are now in Sioux City, IA for a rest day, then on to Sioux Center tomorrow.  Lots of errands to ride to today.  Frank and Roger took an alternative route yesterday ... Laurel, NE, to Vermillion, SD, to Akron, IA ... to await the start of RAGBRAI.  I think Mohammed and Mundasir are here in Sioux City.

It seems unreal that the end of July is approaching ... this summer is going very quickly.  

Putting in the Miles (July 17, 2012)

As glamorous as this bike touring is, sometimes it is only about putting in the miles.  Sometimes, even though the scenery has changed from vast vistas of seemingly endless empty spaces to vast vistas of corn, soy beans and cattle, it is still mind-numbing.

Such is the case as we trudge across northern Nebraska.  It is hot ... it is tedious ... it is strangely beautiful.  But it is mind-numbing none-the-less.

Fortunately, there is a lot of road construction on this highway, which has provided us with a very smooth bike lane.  Fortunately, of late, the winds have been kind to us.  Fortunately the heat of the day does not occur until hours after we are off of the road.  Fortunately, Kim has the fortitude and persistence to find low cost, comfortable motels; ergo, I sit in a spacious air conditioned room, typing into the strong WiFi signal of a $40 a night motel ... very comfortable.

  
There is a whole lot of "nowhere" out here ... and seemingly the locals are proud of this fact.  Today's ride of 68 miles from Ainsworth to O'Neill, NE was long, but compared with rides in Wyoming, easy.  In this area, there are small towns every 10 miles or so, so there is always a short-distance goal to ride to.  Not so back in Wyoming.  We stopped in one small town, Stuart, for a short snack break.  It seemed as though the whole town was empty.  We sat in the shade of a beautiful church, but not much other than a barking dog seemed to be happening.  Don't know what people who live in these towns do, but whatever it is, they seem to do it elsewhere.

Two more days of riding to get us to Sioux City, IA.  We plan on taking a rest day in Sioux City on Friday, then head on to Sioux Center on Saturday to meet-up with the group on the "Pearl Snaps" bus (or what every they are calling themselves these days).  Pearl Snaps refers to the buttons on western shirts, which a number of the group wore several years ago.  First time I did RAGBRAI with this group, they called themselves "Slow Spokes".  Great group of friends ... I am smilingly looking forward to seeing them once again.

Heard from Mohammed and Muntasir ... they are a day ahead of us and plan on taking a rest day in Sioux City on Friday as well.  Don't know Frank and Roger's plans prior to RAGBRAI ... hope to see then in either Sioux City or Sioux Center.

Currently, life is a trudge ... but a good trudge.

Rested (July 16, 2012)

Two complete days of rest in Valentine, NE ... two days of non-bike ... two days of reading, cross-wording, local site-seeing, napping, eating.  Two days of extreme relaxation.

When we left Gordon, NE several days ago, our goal was to ride the 54 miles to Cody, and overnight there ... one look at Cody prompted Kim and I to undertake the additional 38 miles to Valentine ... total for the day was 92 miles.  Frank and Roger were deep into a conversation with a local and intended to camp in the City Park there in Cody ... Mohammed and Muntasir were unsure of their plans for the evening (they expressed discomfort with the fact that you can not smoke in most city parks).  After Kim and I had lunch at the Husker's Hub diner in Cody, we took off for Valentine ... 38 more miles which proved to be easier than either of us anticipated.  Smooth roads and forgiving winds allowed us to ride at a comfortable pace.  Upon arriving in Valentine, we settled into the local McDonald's, and proclaimed ourselves to be super-human to have arrived in such good time and (seemingly) such good physical shape..  Actually, we just said we were proud of ourselves, but the super-human fact remains.

Valentine, the "Heart City of Nebraska" (get it??  Valentine ... Heart City) is a town of around 2700 people.  Nice place, but not a lot of activities for the non-car crowd.  We settled into a locally owned motel by the name Motel Raine ("Sleep in the Raine" is their motto).  The owners, Dana and Tim, were most accommodating.  Tim even loaned us his car so we could go out to one of the local "must see" tourist spots.

As a group, the six of us have all been aiming for the start of RAGBRAI (cross Iowa bike ride), which starts in Sioux Center, IA, on Sunday, July 22.  Realizing we had eight days in which to complete five days of riding, Kim and I decided to take a rest day in Valentine.  Because the accommodations were so relaxing, we decided to make it a two-day rest stop.

Frank and Roger are now one day in front of us (a day closer to Iowa), and I do not know where Mohammed and Muntasir are ... hopefully we will all be able to reconnect in Sioux Center prior to the week of bicycling madness known as  RAGBRAI.  I had long planned on taking a different route than Frank and Roger once RAGBRAI was complete, but it seems we have already "split the sheets", so to speak.  Frank and Roger rejoice in camping ... not so with Kim and I.  As far as Mohammed and Muntasir are concerned ... no smoking; no camping.  Sad to lose the traveling companions, but then that is the beauty of self-contained bike touring ... adults making adult-like decisions.

So, after two days of rest, Kim and I are now back on the road, which feels good.  For some time prior to reaching this segment of the trip, we had planned on riding the Cowboy Trail, a 135 mile rail-to-trail bike path starting in Valentine.  We rode out of Valentine on the path, and crossed the bridge (adjacent picture).  Very impressive bridge, but pales in comparison to the bridge in Whitehorse, ID.  Anyway, we rode the path for about 5 miles, but found the crushed-rock path to be uncomfortable to ride (rock was not compacted).  Wider tires would have made the ride comfortable; installing wider tires is not an option.  So we jumped onto Highway 20, which runs parallel with the path, and rode the remaining 46 miles to Ainsworth, NE.  The wind and the road surfaces were agreeable, so this day's ride was also very agreeable.

With the temperature projected to get up to 105 today (is this really Arizona, and I just don't know it??), keeping a supply of water becomes very important.  One oddity that we have discovered is that in these small towns (double-digit population), if there is no store there is certainly a bar.  On the ride from Cody to Valentine, we stopped in a bar ... lady barkeep and four customers.  Great conversation regarding our trek, and great ice-cold water.  The stop could not have been more satisfying.  Today we stopped in another bar ... I noticed a few wall-hanging award plaques indicating that Ruth Something-or-other was a champion bowler.  I asked the young lady tending bar if she was Ruth.  No, she was Ruth's niece.  She then told us of her family's many successful bowlers (her second-cousin had even been on TV for a State High School Tournament).  Again, ice cold water ... and the realization that if you just talk with people as equals (I am a Leo after all, and better than the rest of you), even the most seemingly struggling people have something of which they are proud.  (Old salesman's trick ... look at the client's pictures/plaques and get the client to talk/boast about their accomplishments.)

So we are presently in Ainsworth, NE ... three days out of Sioux City.  I have been out here riding for a little over 50 days now, with another 38 days of riding left to get to Washington, D.C.  Summer is going fast, but enjoyingly so ... dare I say it ... life is (once again) good.

Into the Midwest (July 12, 2012)

Having logged a little over 2,000 miles, our little traveling troupe has finally reached the Midwest ... corn fields aplenty and many, many windmills.  The wheat fields seem to have been harvested, but the corn is only about 3' high.

The one element to remind us of recent rides was yesterday's ride into a wind.  The 58 mile ride was difficult ... very hot and windy.  Once again we rode along the most unpleasurable SD 79 highway.  Constant rollers made each climb feel like groundhog day.  Again, not much in the way of services.  Fortunately, gambling casinos are not legal in Nebraska.  Due to this, there was a casino/restaurant at the South Dakota side of the state line ... thankfully ... air conditioning and a cold drink does wonders when riding in upper 90 degree weather.  Upon reaching Chadron, NE, we all gathered at the local McDonald's ... again air conditioning and cold drinks.

Once again Kim worked her magic and found a locally owned motel with very inexpensive rooms ... I am a sucker for air conditioning and cold drinks (liquor store across the street, don'cha know).

Today's 48 mile ride to Gordon, NE was much improved ... and this is where the visuals of the Midwest became evident.  Corn fields, wind mills, harvested wheat fields, water towers sending out the message that a small town is near, and cattle.  I particularly like the water towers because the sight of the tower (or sometimes grain elevators) means you will soon be near cold water.  Wyoming did not offer such relief.

One thing that Wyoming did offer was the repeated occurrences of  antelope running (or rather "bounding") along beside us as we moved down the road.  One thing Wyoming did not offer, which Kim, Frank and I saw today, was a cow galloping along in an adjacent field ... and I mean to say this cow was "hoofing it".  All out sprint!  Four years of touring, and the most I have ever seen a cow do is turn it's head to stare as I passed by.  Very, very odd.

So now we are heading east along Hwy 20, heading across the northern part of Nebraska.  It is hot, but not unbearably so ... and we still have the hope of one day having an honest-to-goodness tailwind.

Hope springs eternal.

Good Sign (July 10, 2012)

Sometimes, while out riding, one detects a good sign.  The adjacent sign is definitely goooooood.

When preparing to leave Keystone for our ride to Hot Springs, we had planned on taking the scenic route, however we met a local bike rider who advised us that the scenic route is very hilly and very dangerous ... she had been hit on this road.  She was very convincing, so we took the route she suggested ... 62 miles along SD 79, which is a divided highway.  Very tough ride due to lack of services and, as usual, a consistent headwind. 'Tis a shame, Frank and Roger both rode the scenic route and said is was wonderful.

But the one thing they missed was the goooood sign ... 15% downhill.  I am not sure I have ever descended such a steep road.  Scenic route be damned, that short section was incredible.  Unfortunately, the remainder of the ride made that forgetable by the end of the day.

Long ride, painful ... but woo-boy 15%.

Looking Presidential (July 9, 2012)


Being the butt-head that I am ... while we were at Mount Rushmore, a group of 50 (or so) bicyclist arrived.  They were on a supported tour, and were putting in some serious miles ... while there, one of them, Bob Hauck, was taking pictures of his co-riders.  Again, being the butt-head that I am, as a joke, I posed  in the spot that others had posed.  Bob was gracious enough to take a few pictures and e-mailed them to me ... thank you Bob.

Sometimes being a butt-head pays off in a positive way.  Not always ... but sometimes.

Artwork Extraordinaire (July 9, 2012

Three days from Douglas, WY to Mount Rushmore, SD ... three days as different as can be imagined.

Day one out of Douglas, was a long day ... over 70 miles.  the scenery was as we have become accustomed ... barren and brown, but the winds were kind to us for the initial 47 miles.  The nastiness of nature (head wind) hit us as we made a right-hand turn and headed toward South Dakota.  Nasty, nasty, nasty!!  We were all pretty well wasted upon arriving in Edgemont, SD.  Edgemont is a lot like many small towns in this area ... small.  There had been a serious forest fire in the area, and the annual Redneck Rally was being held, so all of the in-town motel rooms were full, and most of the camp sites were also full.  Kim did hear of some rooms 6 miles out of town, to which she and I quickly agreed to take after looking at the proximity of the camping area to the railroad tracks.

The owners of the Sunrise Ranch Lodge came into town and hauled us and our bikes back out to the ranch.  Wonderful accommodations and wonderful hosts.  It was so quite, and so beautiful (sunsets and sunrises) that it was extremely good for our tired souls (not to speak of the tired butts).  This is one evening that won't be forgotten for some time.

The next morning, after being hauled back into town, we headed toward a campsite north of Custer, SD.  The early miles of the 55-mile day were on the main highway ... which was okay except for the long, slow climbs.  There is a rail-to-trail path running from Edgemont that passes by the chosen campsite for the evening.  Having grown tired of the continuous climbing, we decided to ride the path (the George Mickelson Trail).  Turns out it was a most enjoyable ride in-as-much-as most rail lines never exceed 4% slope.  Add in the fact that the scenery is stunning ... and for the most part quiet.  Included in the events of the day was a stop at the Crazy Horse Memorial mountain sculpture.  The scale and scope of the work being done is immense, and the affect of the entire experience (on me) can not be conveyed in these words.  As magnificent as the primary sculpture is, the story of  Korczak Ziolkowski and his wife Ruth is even more magnificent.  I won't attempt to tell of their life stories ... one picture of them joyfully dancing in their living room captures the joyous love and vitality they shared.  If only we could all capture that spark.

For information about the Crazy Horse Memorial, go to:  http://crazyhorsememorial.org/

Anyway, back to the riding ... we finished up at the USFS campsite and joined Frank to celebrate his 55th birthday.  Frank had a can of mixed vegetables, Kim threw in a can of Campbell's Vegetable Soup, and I had two packets of pre-cooked rice ... throw in sliced apples, some water, and you have a gourmet meal.  Kim and I had planned on treating Frank to a birthday lunch, but he is back on his form and finished his riding day about 4 hours earlier then we.

So we stretched the birthday celebration into the early part of today.  After re-packing the bikes, we headed toward Hill City to find a high-quality breakfast cafe ... but when we saw a sign indicating that for $2.50, you could eat all the pancakes you could handle, we quickly forgot quality for cheapness. The food was  passable, and the side dishes very expensive, but we enjoyed a delightful birthday breakfast bash none-the-less.

The remainder of the day, for Kim and I, consisted of a 17 mile ride up to Mount Rushmore and down to Keystone, SD.  Frank stopped off at the local KOA for a visit with Muntasir and Mohammed, and I think, after visiting Mount Rushmore, rode to Hot Springs.  We intend to catch up to Frank and Roger in a few days in northwest Nebraska.

Our visit to Mount Rushmore was interesting, but did not have the impact of yesterday's visit to Crazy Horse.  The entire facility is very impressive, but just does not have the magical feeling and sense of awe that I experienced yesterday.  Plus, as the adjacent picture shows, only George Washington was working today ... the other three had the day off ... something about budget cuts.

So, the ride continues tomorrow, heading to northwest Nebraska. Go east, old man, go east. 

The Good and the Bad (July 6, 2012)

Actually, the order should be the bad and the good.  Sometimes, for no apparent reason, you just do not have a good day.

After a nice rest day in Casper, we all headed to Douglas, WY … a 50 mile ride.  The day did not start well as we rode in the rain for the first 45 minutes or so.  While there was a nice bike path getting us out of Casper, the next several miles did not offer much in the way of safe bike lanes.  Once past the outlaying industrial areas (Halliburton, everywhere … it should be mentioned that there is sizable oil/gas exploration going on in these parts), we enjoyed a relatively nice ride into Glenrock.  Google maps indicated that the route to take after Glenrock was on a county road called Tank Farm Road.  While we were stopped at a store, I received a text from Frank suggesting that we consider taking Interstate 25 … seems the county road is dirt for most of the 20 miles of this road.  We opted for the Interstate.

Interstates, while noisy, are very safe to ride on as there is a 12’+ safety lane.  This particular section of I-25 consisted of long rolling hills, which translates (in my mind) to long slow climbs.  This is where the bad comes in … for whatever reason, I did not have the usual leg strength to “motor” up the climbs.  When this happens, you just need to grit your teeth, shift to an easy gear, and gut it out.  Did I mention the ever present headwind? I received a lesson in “diminishing perspective” from Kim.  Seemed every time I crested a rise, she and her bike were smaller until she was but a dot on the road far ahead.  I was cooked, and very glad to reach the KOA in Douglas.  Not a good day … but that happens from time-to-time.

Now the good.  The next morning Kim, Frank and I met for breakfast in Douglas.  Upon leaving the restaurant we spoke with a local you advised us that the old highway runs parallel with I-25 (which we thought we would need to be on).  This 10 mile section of the day’s 60 mile ride was definitely the best riding we had experienced for a week or two … no traffic, nice tailwind and downhill.  Much smiling and gleefulness.  The remainder of the ride into Lusk proved also to be a good ride.

The previous evening Frank had slipped on a wet floor and landed on his hip.  Because of the soreness, he rode with Kim and I (usually he is well out in front due to him being a very, very, very strong rider).  At times there were headwinds, so the three of us rode so as to take advantage of drafting.  Frank stayed at the back and Kim and I took turns at the front.  As I say, this day was good. 

The best of this good day happened in the town of Lost Springs.  We stopped into the general store/post office/antique store for a cold drink.  The town sign coming into town indicated that the population of Lost Springs is 4.  While milling around downtown (which is also uptown), Kim became involved in a discussion with a lady who had just picked up her mail.  There are many, many moments of road magic when touring, but this proved to be a golden magic moment.

Aida (spelling??) Wright is 92 years old.  She has lived in (actually a mile outside of) Lost Springs for about 70 years.  The conversation was most entertaining, and she was a delight.  Frank asked her how long a previous town had been abandoned … she responded by remembering when the last resident of that town died.  We asked her about the residents of Lost Springs … she responded by saying one guy lives here (the store), another guy lives in a trailer next to the park, and the third guy lives at the bar.  She said their names, but I do not remember the names.  The way she said “lives at the bar” I was not sure if she was referring to his living location or his drinking habits.

She was greatly interested and enthused that Kim was riding across country.  As we were leaving, we invited her to get on her bike and come with us … she responded by saying that she had never ridden a bike because when she was a girl, “girls did not ride bikes” … and besides, she did not have any brothers.  Grand lady, she.

The remaining miles into Lusk were very good, with the exception being that I suffered my first “soft tire” of this trek.  Just over 2000 miles before the first tube change … not bad.

We got into town early, opted for an inexpensive motel, and did some basic bike maintenance.

All-in-all, a very good day.  Heading into South Dakota tomorrow.  Good riddance Wyoming.

Travel Mates (July 4, 2012)

A big part of the magic of bike touring is the amazing people you meet along the way.  Early on we met a young guy by the name of Andrew.  Andrew rode with us off and on from the Oregon coast to Grand Village, WY ... he is now headed to Colorado on the TransAm route with Washington D.C. as his finish point.  Andrew is a multi-talented artist, designer and interesting conversationalist.  Recently we rode for a few days with a very experienced touring cyclist from the Neatherlands ... Kees.  Kees is now headed to Denver.

Back in Jackson Hot Springs, we camped along side the two young guys in the adjacent picture ... Mohammed (on the left) and Muntasir.  They, along with Kim, are now a part of our traveling troup.

Mohammed and Muntasir (due to we English speakers' difficulty in pronouncing his name correctly, he has allowed us to call him "M") are from Bangladesh, and are riding across country monitoring the amount and types of trash along the roadside.  I would try to explain it all, but better you should visit their website: http://www.trashmaniac.com.  They are also heading to Washington D.C.

In my previous posting regarding the ride from Riverton to Hiland, I mentioned the "town" of  Moneta ... the town with the huge Confederate flag.  As Mohammed approached the fenced area with a request for water,  Kim, Roger and I were joking about the flag ... M asked the significance of the flag.  After we explained about the probable "white supremacist" residents, M commented that Mohammed rather looked like a Mexican. 

Both Mohammed and M are very gentle souls, and a joy with whom to share this adventure.  They ride (and often push) their Bike Friday tandem ... loaded down with somewhere around 140 pounds of gear.

The magic of the road continues.


Plenty of None-Thing-Ness (July 4, 2012)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words ... out here in Central and Eastern Wyoming this picture is worth about a million acres.

The initial 22 miles of the 64 mile ride from  Riverton to Hiland, WY was pretty nice ... smooth roads and no wind with which to be concerned.  What was of concern was that after this 22 miles into Shoshoni there were reports of no services (water, food, camping sites) for the approximately 100 miles to Casper.  That and a headwind!  After leaving Shoshoni loaded down with extra water and severe doubts about a campsite for the coming evening, Kim and I headed out.  We shortly met up with Roger, and the three of us endured what can only be said as a testing and miserable ride to Hiland.  The wind never did decide on a direction, so at one moment you have a headwind, the next a side wind, the next a tailwind.

As the accompanying picture shows, there are no trees to provide shade.  At one point we approached the town (as shown on the Wyoming road map) of Moneta ... glory be, trees and structures ... hopes of a place to sit in the shade and refuel.  The town of Moneta consisted of a fenced area (said tree was in the fenced area), a nasty sounding dog, and one of the largest Confederate flags I have ever seen.  We decided to move on.

Later in the day the skies clouded up, and distant rain storms were visible.  Suddenly a very strong and unexpected wind from the right hit us ... it was so quick that it blew both Kim and I out to the center yellow line ... fortunately there were no trucks coming from behind at that moment.  As I struggled to get my self and bike back over to the bike lane, I saw Kim fighting a similar battle ... her bike was at about a 45 degree angle to the road, and she was also struggling to get out of the road.  Up the road Roger was off in a ditch.  Then it started to rain.  Not hard, but rain none-the-less.  Just one more unique experience of riding the white line.

The day seemed to go on for ever.  We had received word earlier that there might be a convenience store open somewhere along this desolate road, and finally after cresting a small hill, I espied what looked like a store.  Roger and Kim were about a half mile ahead, and my heart sank as they seemed to be riding past the structures ... but (with great glee) I saw them turn into the parking lot.  Glory be!!!!

Turns out this store/town (Hiland, WY) consists of said store along with a bar, small eating establishment, an abandoned house (which became a campground for the night) and a totally unexpected motel.  This operation was run by a lady by the name of Mary ... she did it all, and with great graciousness (although there were a few mentions of Stephen King(ish) elements to the area).  Kim asked to take a look at the motel room, which turned out to be very nice ...  at $50 per night, she did not hesitate.  Kim was her typical generous self ... use of her shower/bathroom was extended to we campers.  Pure luxury after a very difficult day.

Yesterday's 60 mile ride into Casper, while not overly difficult, was tiring due to the previous two days' hard rides.  100 degrees and a little windy.  Did I mention desolate?  Today is a rest day ... Kim and I once again opted for hotel rooms and the others are at an RV park.  Comfortable is good.

Tomorrow we head toward southwestern South Dakota to make visits to Chief Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore.  I will say one positive thing about this area of Wyoming ... it makes you yearn for South Dakota.

My travel plans have changed.  Rather than finishing up in Maine, I will be heading to Washington D.C.  Time constraints, due to my son's wedding in San Diego on Sept. 15, prompted the change, and the change feels good.  Getting back to Tucson in late August (as opposed to early Sept) will allow me to get re-settled into my housing, and get prepared for the gala events in San Diego.  Less hectic.

So today is a day of rest.  Was thinking about going to the local fireworks display, but since the sun sets around 10:00 PM, and I typically can't get past 9:30 ...

Aaaahhh, sweet rest.

What Happened??? (July 1, 2012)


What happened to the beauty?  What happened to the green and the blue and the softness? What happened?

Central and Eastern Wyoming … that’s what happened.  The change in flora is equaled by the change in geology.  Where once there were brilliant hues of green, there are now drab shades of brown and gray.  Where once there were rolling hills backed with towering snow covered mountains, there now are vast expanses of treeless flat lands and wind ravaged spires.  Where once there were skies of soft blues and whites, there are now smoke filled gray/tan hazes.  Where once there was enjoyment of riding through visual delights, there now are workman-like days.

Two mornings ago we broke camp at Hatchet USFS campground and immediately started the climb to Towgatee Pass (9658’).  The climb, while not overly difficult was continuous.  Unique to this particular climb, as compared with the many other climbs we have performed over the past month, was the ride in the back of a pickup truck.  There is a 3 mile stretch that is under construction (read dirt, mud and heavy construction equipment).  The ride in the truck was not optional unless we wanted to wait until the end of the construction day.  Not an option desired.  To say that it was interesting riding on the side rail of the pickup while bracing the bikes is an understatement … but having 3 miles deducted from the long climb was not at all disagreeable to me.

This climb and descent was quite beautiful and all-in-all very enjoyable.  This day’s ride of  48 miles ended in Debois (pronounced Dew-boyz), WY at a KOA Kampground (how klever).  About 10 miles out from Debois I looked around and thought that I had been through some sort of time/location warp … I thought I was suddenly on I-40, about 60 miles west of Albuquerque. Suddenly I was in a desert setting and the hills were multi-colored in striations. Quite stunning but also quite barren.  Debois sits along side the Wind River, and the geological formations in this area are know as Wind River formations.  As is usual, the kamping conditions at the KOA were krowded and generally pretty krappy.

The first 10 or 15 miles on today’s 78 mile ride to Riverton followed the Wind River through some exceptionally stunning geological formations.  This area has been subject to wind erosion which has exposed many shades of red, brown, tan and rust … imagine Sedona on a lesser scale (and no traffic circles).  The remainder of the ride could pretty much be referred to as “hard work”.  Temperatures were in the mid 90s, and the skies were filled with smoke from some local Wyoming fires.  There is very little of anything out here.  One of the towns listed on the map, Morton, consists of about 300’ of highway frontage.  I think in the 78 miles traveled today there were only two gas stations/stores in which we could replenish our water supply and boost our spirits. 

And based on conversations with touring cyclist who traveled the roads we will be on the next two days, there is even less for us to enjoy in the very near future. 

Two evenings from tonight we will be in Casper for a day of rest … July 4.  After that we will be heading up to South Dakota to see the Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore mountain sculptures.

July 4th already … summer is going quickly … if only this part of Wyoming would disappear as quickly.

Calm After the Storm (June 29, 2012)

The weather gods have relented … four days of brutal wind-related riding is now a thing of the past.  All is well with the world (for now).

After having been beaten almost senseless by the wind, the rest day in West Yellowstone was most warranted … and most appreciated.  We did the tourist think (IMAX, museums, etc.) and the chore things (clean and lube chain, do laundry, pay a visit to the ATM, reconcile financial accounts) and the resting thing.  A most productive day topped off by a nice Italian dinner and a DQ ice cream cone.  Ice cream is being consumed in quantities most shocking.

Yesterday’s ride of 58 miles from West Yellowstone to Grant Village Campground was pure joy.  Beautifully calm warm day of riding … the common statement about riding through Yellowstone Park being “very dangerous” did not hold true for us.  The first half of the day took us to Old Faithful (again doing the tourist thing).  Pretty impressive show of the power of nature … also impressive was the quality of the food we consumed … one of us finished off with ice cream … me, I had a giant cookie and (more) coffee.  Hard to believe I am losing weight.

I should note that the day did not start out as a real happy-go-lucky day for me.  First the young man taking breakfast orders would not allow me to substitute hash browns for the bacon (“It says no substitutes right there on the menu, sir.”)  Turns out the young man did not realize I had yet to have my first cup of coffee.  I made my amends, and all ended well (he did not charge us for coffee). 

The next confrontation occurred at the entry gate into the Park.  Being an old guy who carries a “National Parks Senior Pass”, I (according to the rules as I understand them) and two guests are able to enter a National Park at no charge.  I presented my card and was allowed free entry … then the Ranger said that Kim would need to pay.  When I asked about “… and two guests …” he stated that that only applies if the two guests are in a vehicle with the card holder.  My response was immediate and did not fall into the ranks of showing respect for a man in a uniform.  Anyway, he let her enter at no cost … probably just to get my ass down the road.  I still think he was not correct, but it matters little at this stage.

Anyway, back to the riding.  The afternoon’s ride on to Grant Village was spectacular.  It was a wonderful day of riding.  Met back up with Roger and Frank, whom we had not seen in several days.

Today’s ride to Hatchet USFS Campground (59 miles) was again a magnificent day.  Weather, although on the warm side this afternoon, was most agreeable.  Exiting Yellowstone Park and entering the Grand Teton National Park took us through such scenic beauty that one almost stops appreciating what is seen.  That held true until rounding a curve and being overpowered by the view of the Grand Teton mountain range on the far side of a massive lake.  Plain and simple … awe inspiring . I have been on the road now for a little over a month, and have pedaled the bike through some truly beautiful country in Oregon, Idaho, Montana and now Wyoming … but the Grand Teton range takes the trophy.

Life is good.  I realized at one point yesterday that I was completely at peace.  What an amazing experience … a “gift” is what Kim called it, and I tend to agree.  I am not a religious man, but …

So tomorrow we head to Dubois, WY … another 50 + mile day.  However we will be confronted with an approximately 3,000 foot climb over Togwatee Pass.  At 9658’, it will be the tallest pass I will have traversed (assuming I make it) on a bike.  Should be a moment to savor.

If you (the reader) are a cyclist, get you and your bike up here and experience what is offered to those who travel slowly.  If you (the reader) are not a cyclist, then come up here anyway. 

Pictures taken by my pocket-digital camera or by my iPhone can not capture what is seen by the eye … ‘tis a shame because I wish I could adequately share what I have seen over the past two days.

As I say, life is good.






30 Second Summary (June 26, 2012)

30 seconds of your time will give you an idea of what we have been dealing with over the past four days.  For the past three days the bulk of the days have been riding into this type of headwind (20 to 25 mph w/ gusts up to 45 mph) ... also enjoyed was riding with the wind coming from the side.

This morning Kim, Andrew and I were packing our gear at 5:30, or so. and hitting the road ... four hours later we had covered a little less than 20 miles.  Brutal.

Rest day in Yellowstone Park tomorrow.  AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Air Assault (June 25, 2012)


The past three days of riding has been extraordinary. Not in the sense of being nice and awe inspiring, but in the sense of being “ah damn” inspiring.

Friday’s ride of 54 miles from Lost Trails Resort to Jackson Hot Springs included two passes of 7014’ and 7264’. Actually the two passes were close together, so officially should be considered only one pass … but what the hell, it sounds more impressive to speak of two passes. The second pass, Chief Joseph Pass is also the Continental Divide. It should be noted that the effort of climbing so demolished me that I did not see the very large “Continental Divide” sign. The downhill to Wisdom (this seems to be contradictory to the oft characterized “climbing a mountain to reach the guru who will share some wisdom” cartoon) … anyway, the downhill to Wisdom, MT was quite beautiful and absolutely a rider’s delight. With only 19 miles to go, it seemed as though the day was pretty much done and pretty much enjoyable. Not so.

The 19 miles from Wisdom to Jackson Hot Springs rides thru an exceptionally flat and exceptionally wet area … wet as in “the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes” wet. You think you can deal with these pests until you can’t. Kim and I tried various techniques including swatting, spraying, long sleeves and pants, etc. … pretty much to no avail. To worsen the situation, Kim (who has been having to deal with flat tires for much of the past week), once again had to deal with the rear-tire rim being at pavement level. The thought of attempting to replace the tube did not appeal to her, so she employed the “pump-and-ride” technique. Mosquitoes … air assault #1.

We all camped at the Jackson Hot Springs Resort, where Roger, Frank and Kim finally determined that the problem with Kim’s rear tire (repeated flats) was that the rim tape was defective. Watching them all wrestle with the rim, tape, tubes and tire prompted me to ask (being the wise-ass that I am), “How many cyclists does it take to change a light bulb?” Kim responded, “If it is my light bulb, more than one.” Or something like that. Frank and Roger’s looks at me conveyed another response. Kim commented that she is very grateful for the many bike-maintenance skills she is learning from Frank and Roger … these guys know their stuff. Me … I guess my stuff most of the time.

Air assault #2 came around 9:00 PM that evening … as we all headed into our respective tents for a quiet night of sleeping, the country western band fired up their amps.

The next day’s ride to Dillon (52 miles) included two passes of 7400’ and 6760’. These passes would be difficult enough, but 20 mph winds (I might be exaggerating here) made the climbs extremely difficult. For most of the first climb the wind was directly into our faces, the second pass had the wind coming from the south. While the head wind makes riding difficult, the side wind makes the riding scary. Continual buffeting from the side pushes you sideways when you least expect the push, or doesn’t push you when you expect it (air assault #3). Reaching Dillon was a great relief. Camped at the KOA and was serenaded by the announcer of the nearby Senior Rodeo.

Day three (49 miles to Alder, MT) did not include any passes, but the wind did not give us a pass. The initial 28 miles to Twin Bridges was easy … strong tailwind out of the south; the final 21 miles to Alder were very difficult. Even though this area is extremely flat, I could only manage about 7 mph … very strong headwind indeed. When we reached Alder, Frank, Kim and I stood outside a store. Kim espied a motel across the street, checked it out, and returned with the news that rooms were available, the rooms were very nice, and the rooms were only $50. It did not take me long to consider this option versus camping in the wind at the local KOA … decision made instantly. Comfort is good.

So the last few days have been good (great riding group, and beautiful scenic country) but difficult due to the air assaults … and today‘s ride looks to be equally windy. Oh joy!!

But all-in-all, ‘tis a good way to spend the day/summer.





Odd Tan Lines (June 21, 2012)


Finally, some warm dry days. It is ever so nice to stop to take off layers of clothing as opposed to adding layers … ever so nice.

After a productive and restive day in Missoula, we have been heading south on U.S. 93, heading into the Rockies. Lots of snow covered mountains surround us, but for the most part the path has been warm and dry.

We (Kim, Andrew, Roger, Frank and I) met up yesterday morning at the Adventure Cycling office in Missoula. Traditionally, touring cyclist stop by the office to pose for pictures and generally celebrate the joy of touring. One wall is covered with Polaroid pictures of recent visitors … it was a joy to see pictures of many fellow cyclist we have met over the past three weeks.

Yesterday’s ride was very nice … 58 miles to Hamilton, MT. Hamilton is a town of around 3,000 population, but there seemed to be a sophistication (public facilities, restaurants, retailers) of a much larger town. Kim had contacted a lady listed on the Warmshowers website about lodging for the night … so we five pitched our tents in Terry and Carl Tignor’s backyard. Their son had crossed the U.S. on his bicycle several years ago and had received much kindness on his trek … as a result, Terry has offered lodging (and much kindness) to touring cyclist. Besides her graciousness, she provided us with home baked cinnamon rolls, lemonade, wonderful conversation, and “strong-gets-you-started-in-the-morning” coffee.

Terry has been offering lodging since 2009. In our conversation, she was relating a story about a couple who had spent the night back in 2009 … a couple who had been traveling through Europe, Africa, and (at the time) had crossed the U.S. When she mentioned that the couple was now in Borneo I realized that she was talking of Amaya and Eric, a couple that had stayed with me when I lived in Phoenix. Another chapter in the “it’s a small world” book.

Today’s ride of 42 miles brings us to the base of the climb over Loss Trail Pass. We are currently at an elevation of 5225’ and the Pass is at 7014’. Shortly after cresting this Pass, we will then head up and over Chief Joseph Pass at 7264’. This climbing will begin immediately at the start of tomorrow’s ride … ouch.

As I mentioned, today was a warm day, which felt wonderful. But I realized upon toweling off my face that the helmet air vents also allow sun to penetrate onto my un-tanned forehead … striped tan-line on my forehead. Guess I will need to go helmetless one of these days to even out my appearance. That, or wear a very odd tan line

January??? (June 19, 2012)


Years ago there was a movie by the name of Endless Summer. It is my assumption that the screen writer was not from the Idaho/Montana area. Man, this cold wet weather just seems to follow us as we head east.

Today is a rest day in Missoula, MT. Overcast with light drizzle from time-to-time ... mid 50s. Longing for some of that desert heat.

The previous three days of riding were through some of the most scenic areas I have witnessed on this summer's (winter's???) trek. Shortly after leaving Grangeville, we descended 4 to 5 miles of extremely steep winding thrilling fun exhilarating fantastic down hill. Little-to-no traffic ... most excellent. Did I mention fun? The rest of the day's 51 miles into Lowell, ID was along various rivers which were stunning ... stunning to the point that after a while you just forget about stopping to take pictures. It seemed that every turn of the road presented another Kodak moment. Camped in the Three Rivers RV Resort ... guess what ... rain.

The next day's ride into Powell presented 65 miles of slight up hill riding with intermittent rain. Once again, most beautiful. Once again, wet and cold (at times). The day's ride ended at the Lochsa Lodge, which has been remodeled since my last visit four summers ago. Very nice lodge/restaurant, beautiful surroundings, and no electricity upon waking. Being the road warriors/pioneers that we are (as well as coffee addicts), I broke out the camp stove and Starbucks instant coffee. The two couples immediately adjacent to my cabin were equally addicted, so we shared a wonderful morning chat session fueled by coffee and love of traveling on two wheels. They are headed to Alaska on motorcycles. While our days consist of 50 to 60 miles, they think in terms of 350 to 400 miles per day.

Finally the extreme hardship of no electricity was halted, and a wonderful breakfast consumed. Awaiting after breakfast, right out of the chute, was a 13 mile climb up and over Lolo Pass. While the climb is not too extreme, the return of wet and cold made the ride less than enjoyable. The positive is that the rest of the day's 58 mile ride was primarily down hill ... slight tailwind ... cruising at around 20 mph ... aahhhh.

Traveling with Frank, Roger and Kim as been a joy. Frank, being the strong rider that he is, usually pulls ahead quickly. Roger, being the Roger that he is, rides along at an easy pace observing any and all things viewable. While Kim and I ride at a fairly similar pace, it not uncommon for her to slowly pull ahead. But we all seem to end up in the same area for lunch and/or night's gatherings. Oh, and yesterday Andrew (who withdrew from the road for a week or so back in Mount Vernon) has rejoined the group. Good times await us all.

So today has been restive and somewhat busy taking care of various errands. My day has also been filled with trepidation of the coming week's ride to Yellowstone. Even though I have gained a very good level of fitness, the three or four giant climbs are messing with my confidence. I sincerely hope that by this time next week I will be thinking that the passes were not as difficult as I feared.

I am also hoping I will be cursing summer heat.