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.