The Ride is Over (July 20, 2019)

If it is not one body medical condition, it is another.

Two years ago I had to cut my Northwest ride with Kim short due to an inflamed prostate ... this year my ride has been shortened due to a dental problem which has caused my jaw to swell ... kind of looks like this guy, but only more pronounced.

So instead of doing the planned ride until August 4, I am flying back to Tucson, from Seattle, today.

Kim will be pedaling on for another several days prior to her return to Atlanta.

After a wonderful rest day in Spokane, we rode the 39 miles to a small town west of Spokane by the name of Davenport.  I mention riding west because the wind was definitely coming out of the west ... definitely!!  Tough day.

Upon awaking the next morning, my left jaw was quite swollen ... kind of like that Vito Corleone guy, but only MUCH more pronounced.  After riding the 20 miles (again, strong wind out of the west) to a breakfast cafe in Creston, WA, we made a decision to modify our plans and ride the 29 miles to Grand Coulee and rent a U-Haul truck (then drive to Seattle).  Again, LOTS of wind riding those 29 miles.

The road was very straight and seemingly aligned perfectly with the source of the wind.  The road was also seemingly forever going quickly down and slowly, painfully back up.

My attitude was not good.  On top of the disappointment of curtailing the ride due to my dental problem and an over all feeling of being physically tired, I had been dealing with a number of tire problems.

Okay, what else could go wrong?

About 8 miles outside of Grand Coulee, after the many, many, many short climbs, the road leveled off.  "This is good," thinks I.  Then the road sign all touring cyclists enjoy appeared (sign indicating 6% down slope, for next 4 miles).  "Whew," thinks I.  I am flying down the hill at a very controlled, comfortable speed of somewhere between 20 and 25 MPH ... "Happy, happy, happy," thinks I.

In a nano-second a gust of wind pushes me off the pavement into the 1 1/2" deep gravel, heading toward a ditch.  "Oh, shit!", thinks I. (A moment like this does not encourage civility of thought.)

In a situation like this, things really do seem to slow down, and different trains of thought co-exist:  1)  Do not brake too hard, just brake easy and try to keep the front wheel straight, 2)  Don't panic, just stay upright, and finally 3)  "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit."  Actually ... "finally" was hitting the ground with helmet, left forearm, left shoulder and left knee.  Years ago there was a great Daniel Day-Lewis movie called "There Will Be Blood".  Indeed.

Other than the blood, there was no real damage to body or bike ... seven hours later we had covered the 200 miles between Grand Coulee and North Bend, WA (30 miles from Seattle).  Smallest truck they had was a 20 footer ... more than ample space to place two bikes and assorted pannier bags.

Yesterday, after dropping Kim off so she could plan out her remaining days, I (and the lady Google hired to voice the Google Map directions) spent the day driving a 20' truck all over the Seattle downtown and Sea-Tac Airport areas ... quite a rude immersion back into the world of cars and trucks from the bike touring world.

Things happen that oft times can (and should be) prevented.  Plans change without prior approval.  But in the over all, it really does not impact worldly events very much.

But ... "Ah, shit!", thinks I.
_________________

Side note:  Due to having taken four years of English 101 in high school, I have never understood where a closing quotation mark should fall in relation to commas, periods, etc.  If, while reading my words, you feel uncomfortable with my lack of knowledge in this area, then I would suggest you re-think what may, or may not, be important in your world.

Tao (July 15, 2019)

Tao ... in Chinese philosophy means "the way or the path".

For me, the path(s) are definitely the way.  Since leaving Glacier National Park eight days ago, we have been blessed with a number of paved paths that allow for stress-free, car-free riding.  The Departments of Transportation of Montana and Idaho seem to have been very generous in their consideration for touring cyclists ... with one notable exception which I will discuss later.

Some of the paved paths run along side of the main highways, while others are wonderful rail-to-trail paved paths.  Fortunately for us, a few of the rail-to-trail paths the last few days included a slight downward slope and a slight tailwind ... nirvana to tired legs/bodies.  It would be wonderful if more states would embrace the philosophy of bike touring Taoism and provide separated bike paths ... but then I have often wished for World Peace and I doubt either will ever be achieved.

Since leaving Missoula (after a wonderful rest day), we have traveled the 36 miles to Alberton, the 47 miles to St. Regis, 67 miles to Kellogg (all in Montana), and finally yesterday the 56 miles to Post Falls, ID.

Post Falls is 10 miles west of Coeur d'Alene.  We stopped here so that I could spend some time with high school and college friend Phil Beckhelm, whom I had not seen in some 45 years. Spent a very enjoyable evening with Phil and his wife Libby ... unfortunately Libby had to put up with Phil and I talking about people and events that she did not experience.  But she smiled and allowed us to reminiscence about days long gone by, so she should be applauded.

I mentioned earlier about a notable exception (read:  great anger on my part!!) with the Idaho Department of Transportation ... so bear with me if I use some words that I would not say aloud around my grand kids.

So this is my story:  In order to avoid some of the less desirable routes suggested by Google Maps' bicycle routes (often dirt roads/trails with steep climbs) we have been riding the I-90 Interstate Highway.  Riding Interstates, while sounding dangerous, actually is very safe as the safety lane (to the right of the two travel lanes) is about 12' to 14' wide so we can ride well removed from the traffic.  Other than the constant noise, riding the Interstate is okay with me.  Also, other than the possibility of picking up small tube-piercing wires from disintegrated steel belt radial tires (of which I was guilty the other day), there is little risk.

So, we had been riding I-90 safely removed from two lanes of vehicles that most often are traveling at 75 to 80 MPH (them, not us).  At about mile 40 of yesterday's ride (and after a 45 minute grind to get over the 4th of July Pass), we came to an area where, due to west bound lane construction, the vehicles had to merge onto the right-hand lane.  At this point, there was a large sign indicating that bicyclists and pedestrians were to exit the Interstate and traverse the 7.5 mile detour (around a 2 mile +/- construction zone).  The detour included a dirt section of road and two fairly steep and long climbs ... let me say that again ... two fairly steep and long climbs.  Tired legs ... two fairly steep and long climbs.

I rarely get angry when bike touring, but I was beyond irate.  At some point there was a meeting with representatives of Idaho DOT and the contractor in which they decided that it was too dangerous for cyclists to ride through the construction zone ... keep in mind that the traffic in the now merged right travel lane was now traveling at 45 MPH and that the 14' safety lane was probably continuous through the construction zone ... and it was Sunday, so they were not even working!!  So it is okay to ride adjacent to vehicles traveling at 75 MPH, but not at 45 MPH!!!  Extremely irate ...a dirt section of road and two fairly steep and long climbs!!!

But as you can see, I have now gotten over it.  Ah, the unexpected joys of bike touring ... much like life itself.

So here we are in Post Falls, ID.  We will decide this morning if we take a rest day here or ride the 25 miles (on a paved path) to Spokane, then take a rest day there.

Either way, Idaho DOT won't have an affect my emotions.  Ergo, life is good.     

It's a Long Road (July 10, 2019)

 

But sometimes it is a joy.  The above video was taken by Kim on a paved path that runs parallel with Highway 93 south of Kalispell, Montana.  This path ran for 8 to10 miles, and while providing a safe haven from traffic, it also mostly provides pure joy to we touring cyclists.

Since leaving Whitefish, we have traveled quite a few miles which provided both great beauty and great trudgery (if that is indeed a word).  

From Whitefish, MT, we rode the 47 miles to Avalanche Campground in Glacier National Park. The primary goal for touring cyclists when coming to Glacier N.P. is to ride up the "Going to the Sun" road to Logan Pass.  

Due to the extremely narrow road and the predominance of cars and trucks that dominate travel within the Park, cyclists are not allowed on the road between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM in certain sections and directions.  Because of this time restriction, we needed to get an early start to traverse the 16 miles from the campground to Logan Pass ... the latter 11 miles at a continuous 5% to 7% slope (my estimation), which combined with the continuous impatience of those comfortably encapsulated in their climate controlled and motor powered vehicles can wear a person down.  If my bias against the restrictions placed on cyclists in order to better accommodate cars is obvious, then my words have been successful.

Anyway, we made it to the top in ample time.  It should be noted that we left our panniers at the campground so the ride was much easier than when I rode this back in 2010.

2010

2019

The time spent in Glacier N.P. was enjoyable, but it meant the end to our eastward journey from Anacortes, WA.  

From Glacier N.P. we have been riding south toward Missoula, MT, where we are today.  From Glacier, we rode 38 miles to Kalispell, 48 miles to Polson, and 66 miles to Missoula.  Certainly the high points of the three days of riding were the extended paved paths that run along side the major highways.  These paths, while not continuous are certainly a relief.  Speaking of a relief, the ride into Missoula was not an easy ride.  Lots of long shallow climbs (which can be very painful to tired legs) and warmer weather led to extreme "woe-is-me-ism" at about the 50 mile mark.  We were both running low on water, so we stopped at a bar to fill our water bottles.  While talking with the bartender and a well lubricated stool-sitter, I was told of the up-coming extremely downward 6 mile ride to come.  Having heard of such promises before, I was somewhat skeptical.  Six miles later the relief and smiles for both of us were extreme.

It is a rest day here in Missoula, with a visit to a few stores and to the Adventure Cycling Association facility planned.  Tomorrow we head westward.  Kim will be stopping in Seattle, then flying home to Atlanta later this month.  I will be continuing west from Seattle to ride on the north and west edges of the Olympic Peninsula ... down to Astoria, OR, then on to Portland from which I will fly back to Tucson on August 4.

It has been a long road, but an enjoyable road (for probably 90% of the time).

Glacier N.P. Eye Candy (July 10, 2019)

The ride up and down the "Going to the Sun" road, while hard or gleeful ... depending on going up or down ... provides one with incredible views.  Following are just a few of the vistas ... and it should be noted that the photos really do not capture the enormity, and beauty, of this area.  (As a reminder, an enlargement of each photo can be viewed by clicking on each photo.)

Hilly ... Most Hilly (July 4, 2019)

In the days of riding over the several Cascade Mountain passes, the climbs were long and tedious.  For the past several days the climbs have been short, but highly repetitive.

Since leaving Noxon, we have covered the 54 miles to Libby, 70 miles to Eureka, and the 56 miles to Whitefish ... all in Montana.  Today we are taking a rest day in Whitefish.  Since it is July 4th, I assume there will be a parade celebrating Independence Day ... but I have not seen any tanks, so they must not be taking it too seriously.

Hills.  Yes, hills.  To give a true picture of how hilly the terrain has been the past three days, I should construct a paragraph consisting of only the word "hill".  But this paragraph would consist of approximately 100 to 150 repetitions of the word "hill".  Then when one is tired of reading the word "hill", I will add another 25 or so "hills" ... but this paragraph would also include some rain and some headwinds.

As in previous days, the scenery is spectacular ... but come on ... some flat roads and a slight tailwind would be appreciated.

Tomorrow we enter Glacier National Park, then head south to Missoula.  I arrived in Portland about a month ago, and have covered about 1,000 miles in those 30 days.  The beauty of the Northwest is a constant companion.  Still somewhat amazed that I get to do this.

Speaking of beauty, the adjacent photo has nothing what-so-ever to do with bike touring ... it is simply a photo I saw on the Internet some time ago and found the simplicity of the photo to be quite beautiful.  If I knew who the photographer was, I would certainly give that person credit ... but I don't, so I won't.

For those amongst us who have not reached the vaunted status of retiree, I wish you a glorious 4th of July day-off from work.

Mistake's Happen (July 3, 2019)

In an earlier post, I attempted to provide a link to Kim's journal.

If there is one consistent trait in my life of late, it is my constant "inattention to detail" that plagues my being.

In creating the link, instead of inputting the URL to Kim's website, I re-entered the YouTube link to the Glacier N.P. video.  That has been edited in the previous post ... but in great humility, I now offer up the correct link to Kim's Biking With the Tailwind - 2019 journal.

I should point out that Kim is utilizing a different blog platform from her earlier biking and hiking journal entries.  Here is the link to her previous journal.

Along with my persistent character trait of "inattention to detail", I (more and more), have found myself searching for words that I know but can't seem to remember, while conversing with others.  The other morning, while carrying on a conversation with Kim, I could not identify a word that was critical to the context of my train of thought ... oh, the irony ... that word was "Alzheimer's".  'Tis easier to laugh than cry.

Vast Country (July 1, 2019)

Not so many days or miles since my last post, but it feels as though we have entered a different world.

We left Newport, WA, on Friday, June 28, and enjoyed the relatively easy 30 mile ride into Sandpoint, ID.  The easy ride and early arrival added to the "rest and recovery" planned for the following day.

Sandpoint is a very interesting town.  Located on the banks of Lake Pend Oreille, the town has a population of approximately 10,000.  Being the largest town in this part of Idaho, it is very much a vacation destination for both citizens of the U.S. and Canada who live in this general area.

Sandpoint is a very lively town, with a number of local brew pubs and restaurants which cater to the younger amongst us ... and since I am chronologically placed in the "elderly" classification, the "younger amongst us" comprises a large percentage of the population.  But the large number of bike riders, kayaks-mounted-on-car-racks, etc., seems to indicate a very active population of locals and visitors.  Very interesting town, and my experience in Sandpoint belies my general bias regarding towns/people located in what I consider "the hinterlands", as the general vibe is not that dissimilar to Southern California beach towns.

Anyway, the day-and-a-half of rest in Sandpoint did indeed allow for rest and recovery.

Sunday brought us to Noxon, MT ... a 52 mile ride from Sandpoint.  Included in the 52 miles was a 14 mile off-the-main-highway rural road that provided, for me, an other-worldly feeling due to the vastness of the scenery and the massiveness of the ice-age formed mountains.  Truly awe inspiring.  Truly a humbling experience, even for my massive "Leo" ego.  Again, I find myself thinking how fortunate I am to be able to experience all of this.

At the same time, I am reminded of just how thin of an edge we all live on in regards to our health and mobility.

In an email exchange with a good friend I learned of her biking accident, which has resulted in multiple broken bones, an extended stay in the hospital, and current confinement in a wheelchair.  Please understand that, for on old woman (her words, not mine), she is extremely fit and athletic ... she finished the last El Tour de Tucson 102 mile distance in a little over 5 1/2 hours.  But for a nano-second, resulting in her crash, she is now temporarily scooting around in a wheelchair.  A reminder for us all to celebrate our good health.

Today Kim and I head off to Libby, MT, and should be arriving at Glacier National Park in a few days ... then off to Missoula.  After Missoula I will be heading westward toward Seattle.  On the way I will be making a short stop in Post Falls, ID, for a visit with a high school friend (Phil Beckhelm), a then-close friend I have not seen in probably 45 years.  I think if we both are wearing our hearing aids, then we should have some joyful conversations.

So, here we are in a landscape that is most foreign to us both (Kim being from Atlanta, and I from Tucson), so I suspect the coming days will continue to fill our hearts with awe and gratitude.

Yep ... life is bountifully good.


  

Consistent ... Ever So Consistent (June 28, 2019)

It has been eight days of riding since we left Anacortes, WA, and there have been two elements of the ride that have had a consistent presense in our daytime travels.

The ever present beauty of the Cascade Mountain Range is sometimes overpowering ... from the towering mountains to a view as simple as a beautiful meadow.  After a while one seems to become numb to the beauty ... kind of a, "Oh yeah, just another scenic view worthy of capturing, but I just don't feel like taking the trouble to stop and snap the photo."  The beauty of traveling via a bicycle is that biking allows one to take in most of the beauty at a slow speed (as opposed to the 60 - 70 MPH of the passing vehicles).

Although I must admit, toward the end of most days I am quite envious of those traveling down the road at 70 MPH.

We have covered around 420 miles in these eight days, which if traversed on reasonably flat roads would bring much joy into one's remembrance of those eight days.  However, the majority of those eight days consisted of substantial climbing through the Cascade Mountain Range ... consistent climbing, I might emphatically add.  There are four or five major mountain-top passes between Anacortes and Newport, WA ... passes that typically require four to five hours of grinding the granny gear, upward at a wobbling 3 to 4 MPH ... consistently 3 to 4 MPH ... consistently painfull.

But that having been said, the down hills are filled with 30 MPH+ pure glee.

I rode this same route back in 2010 and I have discovered that unlike fine wine, the ageing process does not necessarily improve all things.  This 70 year-old body (particularly these 70 year-old legs) yearn for that that existed nine years ago.  Consistently ... late in the day ... yearns.

Oddly enough, one other physical change that has apparently occurred over these past years has been a reduction in body mass that used to exist between my "sit bones" and my bike's saddle ... much less cushion these days!

But the major climbs are behind us and Glacier National Park is about a week on down the road.  Today we will have a short 30 mile ride into Sandpoint, ID.  We will be taking a rest day in Sandpoint tomorrow that will allow our bodies to relax and partially recover from those grinding climbs.  Sandpoint is the first sizable town we have visited on this ride, so looking forward to browsing a few book stores and just enjoying a sense of urbanization.

After riding up the fabled Glacier N.P. "Going to the Sun" road (video of ride down the road), we will be heading south to Missoula, MT.  From there I will be heading west across central Washington with the goal of riding on the north and west sides of Olympic Peninsula, and then down to Astoria, OR.  After that ... don't know.  At this point Kim is undecided as to where her adventure will take her after Missoula, but she is considering several exciting options.

Speaking of Kim, she has been quite diligent in providing information about our daily experiences, so for a more detailed look at our ride, please visit her Biking With the Tailwind - 2019.

Sometimes I find myself wondering how I have become to be such a lucky individual so as to be able to experience the joys of long-distance bicycle touring at my age.  I would like to suggest that this is all due to living a sin-free life, eating a healthy diet and generally treating my body as a temple ... but unfortunately there are too many friends still alive who would laugh at such a suggestion.

Never-the-less ... life is good.

Eye Candy (June 22, 2019)

As indicated in the previous post, the climbing required to get over both Rainy Pass and Washington Pass in one day was very painful ... but it led to some incredible scenery.  Following are a few of the views that caught my eye.

Lost Ten Pounds (June 22, 2019)

Once again ... many days, many miles.

Quick summary of our daily miles and over-night locations:  Left Anacortes June 20, and rode to Concrete, WA ... 44 miles; next day, 46 miles to Colonial Creek Campground; today, 54 miles to Mazama, WA.

The route we are following is the initial leg of a cross-country route put together by the Adventure Cycling Assn., called 'The Northern Tier".  This leg of the route basically follows WA-20 highway ... and we will be following it for the next few weeks as we head to Glacier National Park.

For the most part, the first two days were flat rides, with much in the way of nice scenery.  I say, "For the most part", because the final ten miles of the second day provided ten miles of ass-kicking climbing ... ouch to the MAX!  But as I said, up to that point blissful riding prevailed.  The adjacent photo was taken west of Concrete when we were riding The Cascade Trail.  The Cascade Trail is a rail-to-trail hard-packed dirt/gravel multi-use path ... most enjoyable.

What was not enjoyable was today's ride, which included approximately 5300 feet of climbing in the initial 37 miles, which when added to the final ten miles of climbing the previous day resulted in ouch to the ULTRA UBER MAX.  Today we made it over both Rainy Pass and Washington Pass.  As the old adage suggests, "What goes up must come down."  And come down we did!  High-speed descent for a majority of the final 17 miles today ... screaming high-speed descent which brings great joy to cyclists who have spent most of the day climbing at 3 MPH.

There will be three or four more major climbs/passes in the next several days.  So my guess is that I will either be in great shape ... or ready to be placed in a local Emergency Room.

No doubt I am indeed losing weight, but the ten pounds I referred to in the title of this post has to do with the United States Postal Service and their Priority Mail service.  Guess when one waits until the last moment to pack for a bike tour, one is not very discriminating as to what one brings along for the ride.  We stopped at a USPS office in Burlington, and I became very discriminating as to what I really need.

Had I not off-loaded those ten pounds then I would most likely be posting this from the local E.R.

Off to Glacier N. P. (June 20, 2019)

Many a day and many a mile have passed since gloriously sailing down the west face of McKenzie Pass.

The fifty mile ride into Eugene, though tiresome, was relatively easy.  Spent a couple of enjoyable days in Eugene with Nancy O'Brien ... always enjoy my visits to the very bike-friendly city.

The next phase of travel started very early on Monday, June 17 ... 5:30 A.M. train to Seattle.  The train ride was very comfortable, arriving mid-day at the Amtrak King Station.  From there, I had the task of making my way through the downtown area to catch the Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island.  I had anticipated that this was to be a somewhat troublesome task due to my proclivity for getting myself misdirected.  As it turned out it was a mere ten minute, eight block ride.  I arrived at the preloading area for the ferry about five minutes prior to loading ... thirty minute boat ride and I was at my end-of-day destination.  Glory be, not an iota of misdirection adding to my day.

The following day I rode the forty five miles to Port Townsend, for which about 2/3s of the ride was enjoyable.  But, that remaining 1/3 was not high on my "let's do that again" scale.  Hills and enough misting rain to require donning rain jacket and pants ... off-and-on ... both the rain and the jacket/pants.  Thankfully, the final fifteen miles into Port Townsend was dry and sunny. 

After arriving at my motel, showering and resting, I walked to the old town section of Port Townsend.  Very interesting collection of architecturally ornate three and four story brick structures dating back to the 1880s.  Some have been beautifully restored (as the adjacent photo shows), while others await being saved. 

From Port Townsend I took the ferry over to Whidbey Island, then rode the thirty five miles to Anacortes.  My long time riding partner since 2012, Kim Basinger, had arrived in Anacortes the prior day after spending a couple of weeks on Vancouver Island.  It is a joy to reconnect after not seeing her since I abruptly stopped my participation, due to health issues, on our ride two years ago.  This trip is somewhat of a continuation of what we had planned for back in 2017.

So today we head out towards Glacier National Park ... two-and-a-half weeks (or so) of riding through the Cascade Mountain range.  I rode this route in 2010 ... wonder how my legs have aged. 

McKenzie Pass, What a Joy (June 14, 2019)

Oh what fun ... well worth the wait.

I left Sisters around 9:30 this morning, and enjoyed an easy eight or nine mile ride along a fairly flat road heading toward McKenzie Pass ... nice way to start a day's ride.  Not much in the way of wind and very little car traffic.  Nice and comfortable.

But as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end.  Not that things turned ugly, but rather things turned upward.  The next six miles or so found me comfortably moving at about 4 MPH, which can wear a person down.  Lots of other cyclists on the road, but most on lightweight road bikes moving at a much faster pace than I.

For the next few days a majority of the road over McKenzie Pass is closed to cars, so for we cyclist it is a joyful ride.  The adjacent photo was taken at the top of the Pass and shows just a very small area of the vast lava flow beds. (click on the photo for a better view)

For some cyclists, climbing brings them much joy ... not so much for me.

But flying down the glorious descent definitely puts a smile on my face.  Hard to describe the reason this is so joyful to those who have not experienced a great downhill run.  Maybe this YouTube video
of someone's ride down the west face of McKenzie Pass will provide understanding.  This cyclist was on a road bike and traveling at a greater speed than I, but it does show how wonderfully the road winds.  My downhill run lasted about 45 minutes ... what joy.

Tomorrow I ride into Eugene, then after the weekend it is off to Seattle via Amtrak.   

Earth Angels (June 13, 2019)

Here I sit in Sisters, awaiting word as to if the road over McKenzie Pass will be open to cyclists today.

Due to damage to the road as a result of last year's forest fires, Oregon DOT has been doing a lot of repairs to the road on the east side of the Pass.  Typically, when a road is closed due to construction, cyclists can walk their bike around or through the construction zone with the okay from the construction crew.  I spoke with people in the two Sisters bike shops, and they all indicated that the construction crews were not at all civil to cyclists who bypassed the "road closed to cars and CYCLISTS" signs.

So here I sit, awaiting word if the road will be open today ... I have been assured that it will be open to cyclists tomorrow.  We shall see.

Many a day has gone by since my last post.  Since I have pedaled this route several times before, there really isn't much new for me to write about.   The snow covered mountains are amazing, and the deep-green forests certainly are not akin to the Sonoran Desert.  The route taken includes Portland, Detroit, (Santiam Pass ... ouch!), Sisters, Bend and then to Bill Burk's place south of Bend ... then back to Sisters.

My visit to Bill's place, along with subsequent tours around the area, have shown me why Bend is quickly becoming a favored destination for living and/or vacationing.  When Bill was a wee lad, he grew-up in Culver, which is a (very) small town about 35 miles north of Bend.  In the 1950s, the population of Bend was around 10,000 people.  Currently approximately 100,000 people reside in the area, plus another 20,000 vacationers during the summer.  This population boom causes old Mr. Burk to become quite grumpy regarding these recent interlopers.  At the risk of being "unfriended" by Bill, I must say I find Bend to be a very attractive place for those looking for a new place to live.

Anyway, not a lot to say about the days since leaving Portland, other than a pretty amazing happening that occurred on my first day of riding.

I left Portland that first day by taking the MAX rail system out to Gresham, then riding the 45 miles to Ripple Creek Campground.  About three miles short of the Ripple Creek Ranger Station/store, it started raining.  Prior to leaving Portland I had been monitoring the weather reports for the area, so was not surprised by the rain.  What I was, though, I was deeply dreading the thought of camping in the rain that night and awaking in the rain, then riding all day on the the way to Detroit (50 miles) in the rain on the next day.

Prior to reaching the camp ground, I stopped at the Ranger Station/store to get water and a few food items.  When getting ready to pay for the items, I asked (with much hope in my heart), if possibly the owner of one of the two pickups out front might be so kind as to haul me into Detroit that afternoon.  Peggy, the cashier, said she would ask her husband (Ray) ... he said yes!!

Peggy and Ray are retired and work in the Northwest during the summer, and head to a RV park in Apache Junction, AZ for the winters.  We shared a very enjoyable conversation during this 50 mile drive to Detroit.  At one point I asked as to where they park their 5th-wheel trailer, thinking the RV park was somewhere in the Detroit area ... "Oh, we have a space back behind the Ranger station."

To suggest that I was flabbergasted that they would drive 100 miles just to help me out would be a gross understatement.  There really are angels on this Earth!!  An amazing act of generosity on their part.  Oh, and by the way, it rained all that night and all the next day, but I was tucked into an inexpensive motel for the duration.

So here I sit awaiting a probable day of idleness filled with not much to do.  Sisters is a town of around 2,000 people, so it won't take long to see the sights ... oh, but I did see a bookstore on the way through town yesterday, so that is promising.

Sometimes boring and quite is good.

Crashing Against the Rocks (June 10, 2019)

Currently I am relaxing at Bill Burk's wonderful home south of Bend, OR.  It has been four days since leaving Portland, and there are tales to be told about a few of those days.

However, my thought of the moment is to how the next several days will unfold.

The photo is of the McKenzie Pass area ... the road over the Pass runs between Sisters and Eugene, and the ride down the west face is one of my favorite rides ever ... 21 miles of pure bliss.  Here is another rider's description.

So here is my dilemma ... I have laid out a schedule that includes riding over the Pass this coming Thursday, but just received word that there is road construction scheduled for Thursday and that the road will be closed.  My current schedule has me arriving in Eugene on Friday in order to spend the weekend with Nancy O'Brien. 

So do I bypass McKenzie Pass and hold true to my schedule, or do I ride over the Pass on Friday and shorten my stay in Eugene by a day?  Not a major dilemma, but a decision is required.

In John Steinbeck's "Travels with Charlie", he talks of the beauty of flexibility concerning schedules when on a long-term trek.  He cautions that many a sea captain crashed his ship against the coastal rocks when steadfastly adhering to his scheduled headings.

So that is my dilemma ... and I hope to not crash against the rocks.

Reason to Celebrate (June 5, 2019)

Yes indeed, a good reason to celebrate.  After last summer's disappointing experience with Amtrak's shipping of my bike to Portland, I am happy (and muy pleased) that this year they successfully conveyed my bike between Tucson and Portland.

For an explanation of last year's debacle, go to the right of the photo to the Archive column, and click on 2018; June, and read the three entries starting with the "Ah Hell ...", June 12 entry.

So,  I am in Portland, OR anxiously (and nervously) getting ready to start this summer's journey ... starting tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow I start on a four day ride down to Bill Burk's place south of Bend, OR.  Then after a day of enjoying Bill's company, I will be heading toward Eugene, OR and pay a weekend visit with Nancy O'Brien ... I have my rain jacket and pants, so am ready for the usual Eugene weather.

From Eugene I will be taking the train to Seattle, on June 17.  This particular train, The Cascades, is set up for rolling one's bike on without having to put the bike into a shipping box.  Two days later I will be joining up with Kim in Anacortes, WA.  From there, we will be heading eastward to Glacier National Park (about three weeks +/-).

From there ... who knows?  We have discussed a few options, but decided to make a decision later.

So, am I excited, enthused, happy, elated, etc., to be on the cusp of another extended bike tour?  I suppose those emotions are floating around somewhere in my psyche ... but the dominating emotion is much like I suspect five year-olds feel on that first day of school.   Kinda unsettling.

But a good unsettling.