Blacksburg, VA
With mixed feelings, Alex and I ended our summer bicycle adventure yesterday (Wednesday). We were on the road for 54 days and 3522 miles on our journey from Seaside, OR to Danville, KY.
It was our original goal to ride directly from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, but that was revised when Alex decided to attend graduate school at North Carolina State and needed to be in Raleigh, NC by August 15. We revised this goal once again last week, when we realized that the mileage we were doing was not going to be adequate to get us to Raleigh by August 15. We instead wanted to make it to the state of North Carolina. However, luck or the bicycle gods were not with us this week. Upon entering Kentucky on Monday, we were constantly being challenged by the weather and other riding conditions. We rode Monday and Tuesday in heat over 100 deg (the actual temperature, not even the heat index!), humidity, and either a headwind or no wind at all (which is sometimes even worse than a headwind, as the wind helps you cool down when you are riding). Additionally, we encountered some of the steepest and most numerous hills of the trip. I hate to admit it, but I had to walk my bike up a hill on Tuesday. We did the hardest 50 mile ride of the trip on Tuesday when we rode from Shelbyville to Harrodsburg.
These things combined were making riding miserable, and we felt no reason to torture ourselves. Riding was no longer fun for us, and the point of this trip was to have a fun and crazy adventure. The decision to end the trip was not made lightly.
Although there was no fanfare or sense of closure at ending the ride, we were at least able to end it on a very positive note that seemed to characterize the entire trip. The friendliness of complete strangers and their willingness to assist us once again came to our rescue! We made the decision to end the trip in Harrodsburg on Wednesday morning and then set about the complicated task of working out the logistics. We found out that our friend Katie (who we are living with once we get to Raleigh) is out of the country until Sunday and therefore we would not be able to immediately go to Raleigh. After many phone calls and text messages, we found a way to end our trip. We found a car rental place in Danville, Kentucky, about 10 miles away. We decided to rent a car and make our way to Blacksburg, Virginia, where Alex and I have a mutual friend, Jeff. Jeff was willing to let us stay with him for a few days until we figured out how to get to Raleigh. However, the Enterprise car rental place in Danville did not have any vehicles that would carry our cargo available and they put us on a waiting list. We decided to ride to Danville anyway and talk to them in person. After arriving there, they still did not have anything available, and we decided to go to a nearby deli for lunch and to wait for a reply from Enterprise. After waiting for an hour or so, a couple came into the deli that seemed interested in our bikes and came to talk to us. We told them our story and how we had decided to end the trip that same day, but how we couldn't get a car at the rental place. The man whipped out his phone and called Enterprise. Next thing I know, we have a car that can fit our things and they even waived the normal fee for crossing state lines! Turns out the man was the lawyer in town and happened to be a bicyclist himself and have an entire family that also bicycles! He also offered us a place to stay when we come back to Danville to finish our trip!
I have continually been amazed at the many ways that people have helped us along the way. There have been friends and family that have gone out of their way to give us a hand. Thank you to:
-Both of our families, who have done numerous favors for us and been there for us in any way possible!
-My mom, for maintaining this blog through pictures and text messages from me
-David, my friend in Portland who let us stay with him for a few days, showed us around Portland, and then drove us to the coast
-Ashli, a good friend from Iowa State, who let us stay in her new house in Dubuque when she wasn't even there
-Jeff, who took us in without any notice and is letting us crash at his place for a few days in Blacksburg, Va
-All of our friends and family who have come to visit us at some point during our journey
There have been people we met along the way that extended their friendship and went above and beyond to help us:
-Randy, the bicyclist from WV, who we rode with for more than a week and who is going to pick us up and take us to Raleigh on Sunday
-Randy and Cheryl from Montana, who offered us a safe haven from mosquitos, food, and excellent company on the 4th of July
-Rick from South Dakota, who let us stay in his home when he wasn't even there, then took us on an amazing kayak trip down the Missouri River
-the gas station attendant who drove Alex almost 40 miles total to find his wallet that fell out of his handlebar bag
-the people from Prophetstown, Illinois, for taking a great interest in us (doing a newspaper story!), and giving us detailed bicycling information and maps
-Mayor Jack and the people of Iroquois, Illinois, for giving us food, shelter, a shower, and being amazingly hospitable
-And all of the other people we have crossed paths with who have extended offers to help in anyway way and who have made this trip an absolutely amazing experience!
Many more people than were mentioned above deserved to be thanked, so THANK YOU! This trip would not have been possible or enjoyable in any way without you! Also, thank you to all of the readers of this blog for extending your encouragement and support. This has been an incredible experience and it has been great to share it with everyone.
So, what is next for Alex and I? Randy has graciously offered to pick us up in Blacksburg and drive us to Raleigh on Sunday. Alex will start grad school on Monday. I will be resuming the job search I left off in May and will have an interview in Raleigh on Wednesday. We are both excited to start the next phase of our lives, but we do want to be clear about one thing: we WILL finish this ride at some point. It is unclear when that will be, but it will be completed! We figure we have about 10 days of riding left to get from Danville, KY to the Atlantic Ocean. We plan on taking the Adventure Cycling Trans-America bicycle trail from Danville to the coast...when the weather is more favorable and after I purchase an actual touring bike so that I will have gears low enough to get me (and my gear) over the Appalachians.
Meanwhile, my dad cannot wait to start his next tour and a cross-country tour is still at the top of his list of things to do! I loved being able to share the first part of this ride with my dad, and hopefully I can join him for part of his next tour.
Also, be watching for links to the final set of pictures from this trip. Both Alex and I will work on uploading pictures when we get settled in Raleigh and will post the links on this website!
-Andrea
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Shelbyville, KY August 10
Shelbyville, KY. Today we encountered the trifecta of difficult bicycling: heat, hills, and headwind. We passed several temperature readings on banks and such of over 100 deg! It didn't help that we got a late start this morning due to a wild scavenger hunt around Madison for mace. We eventually found some at a gun shop after almost 10 miles of searching. We then crossed the Ohio River into Kentucky. After all we've heard about it, we were expecting the worst. The only thing we have found to be true thus far is that there are hills, lots of hills, in Kentucky. We did struggle with the heat and headwind today, though. Every mile was a struggle, which is why we chose to go to Shelbyville, and not Frankfort. On the way into town we accidently took a brand new highway "Freedom's Way" that wasn't open yet. That took us to another road, which led us to what felt like a gold mine in Shelbyville: pool, showers, and campground. After dinner we took a dip in the pool and we are slowly cooling off. Tomorrow's supposed to be just as hot!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Clifty Falls State Park, Indiana Aug 8
One of the waterfalls in Clifty Falls park. You can't see any water? This mighty falls is only a dribble...
The past few days we've been making our way south. We've been hindered by head winds, but we are still making progress. We finally realized and accepted that we will not be able to ride into Raleigh, and that our trip will have to come to an end because "real life" is calling. Since we realized we won't make it, we have scaled back our daily mileage a little to make our days more enjoyable. Yesterday (Sat) we rode from Chesterfield to St. Paul, IN, about 64 miles. St. Paul was one of the most lively towns we've come through. As soon as we got into town, we saw a big group of people on Main St playing bags and hanging out. We stopped to ask them how to get to the grocery store, and before we knew it everyone was flocking around us to hear our story. Someone offered to buy us a beer at the tavern next door and we were whisked off into another group of people who were enthralled by us. We went from group to group talking and it was definitely one of the most enjoyable entrances to a town that we've made! The only thing I can
compare it to would be a Friday afternoon FAC in Ames. If we hadn't needed to find camping, a shower, and food we definitely could have mingled for much longer! Today (Sun) we rode to Madison, IN, which was about 69 miles and is right on the border with Kentucky. I think we've officially said good-bye to the plains! As well as the changes in landscape, we have also started to see changes in people...let's just say we saw our first confederate flag today! Tomorrow we will head into Kentucky, the land of big hills and vicious dogs. We've been warned by more than 1 person about both and we'll be picking up some mace before we leave town tomorrow. We're staying at Clifty Falls State Park tonight, which has a huge canyon and some waterfalls. Definitely a change from the cornfields... Our last week on the road has started!
Madison, IN Aug 8
No post, phone call from Madison, Indiana in a state park. Temps in the 80's, getting antsy to get to North Carolina. Phone call to Randy about pick up time later this week. Entering Kentucky today and we prepared them for the heat wave coming! Riding across Kentucky this week.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Chesterfield, IN August 6
Chesterfield, IN. It's been a long couple of days. Yesterday (Thurs) we rode 82 miles from Iroquois to Rossville, IN. Rossville was a very pleasant town. I think it helped that we met one of the town's councilmen and reserve policemen in the first 10 min of being there. He was able to bend the rules a little and let us stay in the city park, something not normally allowed. There weren't any showers there, but I convinced one of the residents living across the street from the park to let us use her hose in the driveway. Probably the most fun shower I've had yet! The night was made when better when Anne, a mutual MatE friend of ours from ISU who now lives in Indy, drove up to hang out with us and take us out to dinner. It was great to see a famil
iar face, especially since we have been in Iowa- and RAGBRAI- withdrawal.
Today (Fri) we did 86 miles from Rossville to Chesterfield. The biggest highlight from today was eating at a roadside diner for lunch. We thought Sherill's Eat Here and Get Gas diner was just a normal place-that is until they got the call from the Food Network, while we were there, asking them to be featured on an upcoming episode of a show about diners. Everyone got a little crazy in the restaurant after the call came in and we have been invited back for the filming and the episode showing party...we'll see if we can make it! Our original plan was to stay in Anderson tonight at Mounds State Park. However, we were turned away when we arrived late in the day because the campground was full. It's unfortunate, but this has been our most unpleasant encounter with locals. The park ranger was downright rude to us and it caused some frustration and anger on our part. Fortunately, there was another campground about 5 miles away that did have room (although 25/night!). I just have to remind myself that for every rude person we've encountered, including people who shout at us on the road, there are at least twice as many
who go out of their way to help us. And, in the end, we got showers and even laundry done here. Tomorrow we head south!
iar face, especially since we have been in Iowa- and RAGBRAI- withdrawal.
Today (Fri) we did 86 miles from Rossville to Chesterfield. The biggest highlight from today was eating at a roadside diner for lunch. We thought Sherill's Eat Here and Get Gas diner was just a normal place-that is until they got the call from the Food Network, while we were there, asking them to be featured on an upcoming episode of a show about diners. Everyone got a little crazy in the restaurant after the call came in and we have been invited back for the filming and the episode showing party...we'll see if we can make it! Our original plan was to stay in Anderson tonight at Mounds State Park. However, we were turned away when we arrived late in the day because the campground was full. It's unfortunate, but this has been our most unpleasant encounter with locals. The park ranger was downright rude to us and it caused some frustration and anger on our part. Fortunately, there was another campground about 5 miles away that did have room (although 25/night!). I just have to remind myself that for every rude person we've encountered, including people who shout at us on the road, there are at least twice as many
who go out of their way to help us. And, in the end, we got showers and even laundry done here. Tomorrow we head south!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Iroquois, IL August 4
Iroquois, IL. We finally found the tailwinds! After battling winds from the south and heat the past couple days, we have finally found some relief. Yesterday (Tue) we got a late start due to thunderstorms (we actually had to move our tent into the pig sties in Princeton) and found ourselves in the blistering heat later in the day. We stopped at a gas station for a break and found out we were under a heat advisory with a heat index of 110! I felt like I was back in Africa for a day...We stopped after only 62 miles in Streator. The campground there was very bicycle friendly and let us camp for free under their pavilion and they even gave us ice and a fan! Today (Wed) has been a very good day. At our breakfast stop in Cornell we came across another touring cyclist and discovered we had stumbled onto Adventure Cycling's Northern Tier route. This bicyclist had the same idea we did for the western part of the country- he followed the Lewis & Clark trail to Sioux City and then did RAGBRAI. He is now following the Northern Tier to Maine. He started 10 days after us near Portland and turns out he even heard stories about us (he heard about the sprinklers going off at 8 pm instead of 8 am on us in Winnett, MT)! He also told us about another cyclist going the other direction that had a great time in Iroquois the night before. Later in the day the winds shifted to be from the east, then the north, so Alex and I decided to push for Iroquois tonight. Turned out to be a good choice! After 87 miles today, we were met on the highway outside of town by a guy in a car who directed us to follow him. We later found out that he is the mayor of the town and he had heard 2 cyclists were headed his way, so he came to meet us! He took us to the city park, where his office is, and showed us where we could stay- IN his office. There's a bathroom with a shower (and clean towels), a garage where we can put our bikes, and a nice office with AIR CONDITIONING to sleep in! This town really rolled out the welcome mat! To top it off, the banker in town pays for all bicyclists to eat breakfast at the local cafe! We really hit the jackpot here and this town definitely takes "the most bicycle friendly town" award in my book! We are not the only ones to think so, either. There's a whole wall full of thank-yous, notes, and postcards from other bicyclists that have passed through. Hopefully the winds from the north continue tomorrow and we can make some progess south. For now, Alex and I are going to enjoy this wonderful town!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Hennepin Canal Trail August 3
Alex changes his 3rd flat tire (of the entire trip) on the Hennepin Canal Trail.
Princeton, IL August 2
Alex and I are back to having random adventures and meeting all sorts of people on the road again! We forgot what it was like to be "unique" on the road during RAGBRAI, but the last couple days have been good reminders of how friendly everyone can be when you are touring.
Yesterday we rode from Dubuque to Clinton, about 65 miles. We had planned to go farther but right after we crossed the bridge into Fulton, IL my chain got caught in my derailleur, breaking my chain and bending my front derailleur. Alex was only able to temporarily fix it, leaving me stuck in my grannies. We met a nice older couple at a gas station who were very helpful and with their help we found a nearby camping spot. This morning we called around at 8 am and found a bike shop that was willing to repair my bike immediately. 2 hours and a new chain later, we were able to hit the road again. Today we biked from Clinton to Princeton, IL, about 70 miles. In Fenton we met a guy who just did his 32nd RAGBRAI (!) and offered his house and services to us. Unfortunately, it was too early for us to stop for the day. Next we stopped in Prophetstown for lunch, which turned out to be one of the most friendly stops we have made thus far. We met a nice man (that I regret we did not get his name) who told us about a great bike path going east across IL and then went home to get maps to give us about the trail and about bike routes in the state. We decided to try to hook up with this trail- the Hennepin Canal Trail. We also met another man who interviewed us and took our picture for the local paper! Mom, be expecting a copy of the paper in the mail! We are now officially celebrities! We made it to Princeton and swung by the police station to get the word on camping. We've discovered that the police know some good spots and they can also bend the rules and let us stay at places we wouldn't normally be able to camp. Tonight we're at the county fairgrounds with the whole place to ourselves- all showered and for free! Tomorrow will be another adventure on the canal trail!
Yesterday we rode from Dubuque to Clinton, about 65 miles. We had planned to go farther but right after we crossed the bridge into Fulton, IL my chain got caught in my derailleur, breaking my chain and bending my front derailleur. Alex was only able to temporarily fix it, leaving me stuck in my grannies. We met a nice older couple at a gas station who were very helpful and with their help we found a nearby camping spot. This morning we called around at 8 am and found a bike shop that was willing to repair my bike immediately. 2 hours and a new chain later, we were able to hit the road again. Today we biked from Clinton to Princeton, IL, about 70 miles. In Fenton we met a guy who just did his 32nd RAGBRAI (!) and offered his house and services to us. Unfortunately, it was too early for us to stop for the day. Next we stopped in Prophetstown for lunch, which turned out to be one of the most friendly stops we have made thus far. We met a nice man (that I regret we did not get his name) who told us about a great bike path going east across IL and then went home to get maps to give us about the trail and about bike routes in the state. We decided to try to hook up with this trail- the Hennepin Canal Trail. We also met another man who interviewed us and took our picture for the local paper! Mom, be expecting a copy of the paper in the mail! We are now officially celebrities! We made it to Princeton and swung by the police station to get the word on camping. We've discovered that the police know some good spots and they can also bend the rules and let us stay at places we wouldn't normally be able to camp. Tonight we're at the county fairgrounds with the whole place to ourselves- all showered and for free! Tomorrow will be another adventure on the canal trail!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Illinois August 1
We made it to Illinois! Crossing the bridge at Clinton, IA. right after we crossed the bridge my chain got caught in my derailleur...don't think we'll be going much farther today...yes, welcome to Illinois!
Dubuque, Iowa
RAGBRAI came to an end yesterday and left us in Dubuque, Iowa with all of our gear attached to our bikes again. Alex and I had a great time riding with Team High Life and our riding companions will be missed in the weeks to come. Also, as much as we despised it at the time, the 6 am wake-up call (bugle followed by Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash) will also be missed. We are already back to our old habits of getting up late and trying to hit the road by 9 am...
We were joined at various times last week by a number of friends and family. My friend from college, Lando, rode with us on Sunday and then rode yesterday as well. My brother, Kyle, rode with us on Wednesday and Thursday. My mom, dad, and grandma came to visit on Thursday night in Waterloo. Alex's friends from his internship at Rockwell and his roommate from Iowa State also came on Thursday night to hang out with us. We are definitely going to be in people withdrawal this week!
Some other highlights of the week include getting poured on for all of Friday morning (hey, all that rain gear we bought finally came in handy!), a monstrous 19% grade hill outside of Dubuque known as Potter's Hill (probably the steepest hill we've climbed with the exception of the random bike path hill in Bismarck, ND), and random run-ins with friends also doing the ride.
Now we are getting ready to start the next phase of our adventure. Today we will leave for Illinois. We no longer have Adventure Cycling maps to aide us, so we will be following highway maps and tips from locals from here on out. We will try to take the most direct route possible to Raleigh, as we only have 15 more days of riding left to get there. We are both excited and still exhausted from RAGBRAI at the same time.
Lastly, thank you to Ashli and Tony for letting us stay at their new house in Dubuque last night to recover a bit and do some laundry! Onward we go!
We were joined at various times last week by a number of friends and family. My friend from college, Lando, rode with us on Sunday and then rode yesterday as well. My brother, Kyle, rode with us on Wednesday and Thursday. My mom, dad, and grandma came to visit on Thursday night in Waterloo. Alex's friends from his internship at Rockwell and his roommate from Iowa State also came on Thursday night to hang out with us. We are definitely going to be in people withdrawal this week!
Some other highlights of the week include getting poured on for all of Friday morning (hey, all that rain gear we bought finally came in handy!), a monstrous 19% grade hill outside of Dubuque known as Potter's Hill (probably the steepest hill we've climbed with the exception of the random bike path hill in Bismarck, ND), and random run-ins with friends also doing the ride.
Now we are getting ready to start the next phase of our adventure. Today we will leave for Illinois. We no longer have Adventure Cycling maps to aide us, so we will be following highway maps and tips from locals from here on out. We will try to take the most direct route possible to Raleigh, as we only have 15 more days of riding left to get there. We are both excited and still exhausted from RAGBRAI at the same time.
Lastly, thank you to Ashli and Tony for letting us stay at their new house in Dubuque last night to recover a bit and do some laundry! Onward we go!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Charles City, IA July 28
The breakfast of champions: breakfast burrito, girl scout cookies, and PBR! (best girl scout fundraiser ever!) Swaledale, Iowa
Blog update: 7/28, Charles City, IA. RAGBRAI is in full gear and we are headed eastward again! Alex and I are riding with Team High Life and are enjoying all RAGBRAI has to offer. The ride has been relatively easy and we are exploring other sides of the ride besides bicycling! As we've been saying, this week is our vacation from our vacation. We had no qualms about ditching the gear and riding unloaded for the week! We are even getting more ambitious and did the first century of the summer on Monday. It's been great to be back in our home state. We spent several days with Alex's family in Sioux City, visited friends in Ames last week, rode with my brother a few days on the ride this week, had dinner with my mom, and will see more of the fam tomorrow in Waterloo. Everyone has been excited to see us and hear stories from the road. We are also beginning to realize that, come Sunday, we will have to push pretty hard to get to Raleigh, and we will not be assisted by the helpful Adventure Cycling maps.I think we're up for the challenge! Raleigh or bust!
Rockford, IA July 28
In front of the house in Rockford where Andrea's mom grew up. Our handprints are probably on that sidewalk.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Ragbrai Day 1 July 25
on the road again! alex and i leave on ragbrai 2010 from alex's house with our friend lando, who rode today (but wishes he could do the whole week!)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Andrea's pictures
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2404529&id=16900117&l=6ae8ae6bb1
A link to Andrea's facebook photo album
A link to Andrea's facebook photo album
Alex photos
You are invited to view a photo from alexander.n.smith's photo album: Bicycle across America
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Message from alexander.n.smith:
Hi everyone,These are the pictures that I have taken during my cross country bicycle trip from Seaside, OR to Sioux City, IA. Once I have finished and made it to Raleigh, NC I will be adding the rest of the pictures I take. I will be joining up with RAGBRAI starting this Sunday to cross Iowa and then will continue from Dubuque to Raleigh. Feel free to share with anyone else you may think is interested. Best Wishes!Alex
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Message from alexander.n.smith:
Hi everyone,These are the pictures that I have taken during my cross country bicycle trip from Seaside, OR to Sioux City, IA. Once I have finished and made it to Raleigh, NC I will be adding the rest of the pictures I take. I will be joining up with RAGBRAI starting this Sunday to cross Iowa and then will continue from Dubuque to Raleigh. Feel free to share with anyone else you may think is interested. Best Wishes!Alex
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Sioux City July 20
7/20, Sioux City, Iowa
We made it to Sioux City! Now Alex and I are officially on break until RAGBRAI (or should I say until August 1...we don't expect RAGBRAI to give us much of a challenge after what we've already done).
We've had a good past couple days. On Sunday we took our first rest day. Our bicycling friend, Rick, was extremely hospitable to us and showed us a really great time in Yankton. After having a relaxing day and taking care of some other business (my bike got a much needed tune-up by Rick's son, who works at the local bike shop in Yankton), Rick and his girlfriend Pam took Alex and I kayaking on the MIssouri River. It was a big ordeal arranging the logistics, such as placing cars at both the drop in and ending locations and getting everyone to the drop in area. We didn't end up getting on the river until about 8:30, but it turns out this was a great time for a kayak trip. We saw the sun set over the river, paddled through dusk, and then the last half of the trip by moonlight. Rick has been kayaking on the river for the past 30 years and knew the river like the back of his hand. He showed us the "shoots/chutes?" (narrow parts of the river where the current is strong and you can really get going in the kayak), some of the sandbars, and other cool parts of the river. At one point the river was over a mile wide! Alex and I really enjoyed ourselves and hope to be able to do some more kayaking in the future! We paddled about 11 miles, and finished our trip down the Missouri at 11:30. This was by far the most fun side adventure we have had yet! Thank you so much to Rick and Pam!
We left Yankton at noon yesterday, managing to avoid most of the rain and thunderstorms that passed through the area. We had the flattest day of biking yet into Sioux City and made decent time, at least compared to other days in the past week. We were disappointed when we arrived in Iowa, however. Iowa was the first state we have biked into that hasn't had a sign to welcome us. We figured we came in on a road that wasn't traveled enough, so when we got to Sioux City we backtracked a little on Hwy 12 back into South Dakota to try to find a sign that we could pose with. No such luck! Alex and I had to drive to a bridge on the interstate today to get a picture with the Iowa sign. I feel like we cheated, but only a little.
Alex's parents greeted us when we arrived (they even had a "welcome" sign on the door!) and we had a delicious pork chop dinner. We have spent today relaxing in the air conditioning and running errands (by car, of course!). It will be strange to not be going on any day long rides this week, but I really think my body needs some time to recover before we start the last 3 weeks of the trip. Alex and I are planning a trip to Ames this week to try to visit some friends. Since there will be no major biking occurring this week, I probably won't be writing any more updates for awhile. Alex and I are trying to get some pictures posted, so I will post some links later for everyone to check out!
We made it to Sioux City! Now Alex and I are officially on break until RAGBRAI (or should I say until August 1...we don't expect RAGBRAI to give us much of a challenge after what we've already done).
We've had a good past couple days. On Sunday we took our first rest day. Our bicycling friend, Rick, was extremely hospitable to us and showed us a really great time in Yankton. After having a relaxing day and taking care of some other business (my bike got a much needed tune-up by Rick's son, who works at the local bike shop in Yankton), Rick and his girlfriend Pam took Alex and I kayaking on the MIssouri River. It was a big ordeal arranging the logistics, such as placing cars at both the drop in and ending locations and getting everyone to the drop in area. We didn't end up getting on the river until about 8:30, but it turns out this was a great time for a kayak trip. We saw the sun set over the river, paddled through dusk, and then the last half of the trip by moonlight. Rick has been kayaking on the river for the past 30 years and knew the river like the back of his hand. He showed us the "shoots/chutes?" (narrow parts of the river where the current is strong and you can really get going in the kayak), some of the sandbars, and other cool parts of the river. At one point the river was over a mile wide! Alex and I really enjoyed ourselves and hope to be able to do some more kayaking in the future! We paddled about 11 miles, and finished our trip down the Missouri at 11:30. This was by far the most fun side adventure we have had yet! Thank you so much to Rick and Pam!
We left Yankton at noon yesterday, managing to avoid most of the rain and thunderstorms that passed through the area. We had the flattest day of biking yet into Sioux City and made decent time, at least compared to other days in the past week. We were disappointed when we arrived in Iowa, however. Iowa was the first state we have biked into that hasn't had a sign to welcome us. We figured we came in on a road that wasn't traveled enough, so when we got to Sioux City we backtracked a little on Hwy 12 back into South Dakota to try to find a sign that we could pose with. No such luck! Alex and I had to drive to a bridge on the interstate today to get a picture with the Iowa sign. I feel like we cheated, but only a little.
Alex's parents greeted us when we arrived (they even had a "welcome" sign on the door!) and we had a delicious pork chop dinner. We have spent today relaxing in the air conditioning and running errands (by car, of course!). It will be strange to not be going on any day long rides this week, but I really think my body needs some time to recover before we start the last 3 weeks of the trip. Alex and I are planning a trip to Ames this week to try to visit some friends. Since there will be no major biking occurring this week, I probably won't be writing any more updates for awhile. Alex and I are trying to get some pictures posted, so I will post some links later for everyone to check out!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Yankton, SD July 18
7/18, Yankton, SD
Alex and I successfully reached Yankton yesterday! However, the day of riding was extremely challenging, as temperatures reached 100 deg and we put in close to 90 miles, making it our 2nd longest day of the trip so far. We tried to get an early start to beat the heat, but as has been mentioned a few times previously, we have a hard time with early starts. We did make it on the road just before 8, though. We stopped in Springfield, 50 miles from Pickstown, for a break and to evaluate whether we could make it the additional 40 miles to Rick's house east of Yankton. There, Alex discovered his wallet had fallen out of his handlebar bag at one of our roadside breaks 18 miles back. After evaluating our options, we decided NOT to ride back to find it. Alex got lucky and convinced a convenience store worker at our rest stop to drive him back. We have been exceedingly lucky with meeting kind and generous people on this ride. The only compensation Alex's driver would accept was that we would promise to "pay it forward", or return the favor to someone else when they need it. Alex was successful at locating the exact patch of grass where we sat and found his wallet in some tall grass.
We tried to stay out of the worst of the heat, and took a few hours of break at Springfield. We hit the road again by 4 and rolled into Yankton around 7. Rick, our friend from Snake Creek, is letting us stay at his house. He, however, is not here. He finished his ride to Sioux Falls and is now taking care of some RAGBRAI business in Sioux City. He told us how to get into his house, and we have been enjoying all the amenities of a real house! Alex's parents drove up from Sioux City last night to take us out to dinner. It was nice to see some familiar faces and it made us even more excited about reaching Sioux City!
Today we are taking a much needed rest day in Yankton. It has been nice lounging around and I'm realizing how exhausted my body actually is after 35 consecutive days of riding. Today should have been the 90 mile day! The temperatures dropped and there is plenty of cloud cover. Rick is supposed to return this afternoon and hopefully we will be able to do something fun, like kayaking. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy a midmorning nap.
We estimate one more day of riding to get to Sioux City! Should arrive tomorrow!
Alex and I successfully reached Yankton yesterday! However, the day of riding was extremely challenging, as temperatures reached 100 deg and we put in close to 90 miles, making it our 2nd longest day of the trip so far. We tried to get an early start to beat the heat, but as has been mentioned a few times previously, we have a hard time with early starts. We did make it on the road just before 8, though. We stopped in Springfield, 50 miles from Pickstown, for a break and to evaluate whether we could make it the additional 40 miles to Rick's house east of Yankton. There, Alex discovered his wallet had fallen out of his handlebar bag at one of our roadside breaks 18 miles back. After evaluating our options, we decided NOT to ride back to find it. Alex got lucky and convinced a convenience store worker at our rest stop to drive him back. We have been exceedingly lucky with meeting kind and generous people on this ride. The only compensation Alex's driver would accept was that we would promise to "pay it forward", or return the favor to someone else when they need it. Alex was successful at locating the exact patch of grass where we sat and found his wallet in some tall grass.
We tried to stay out of the worst of the heat, and took a few hours of break at Springfield. We hit the road again by 4 and rolled into Yankton around 7. Rick, our friend from Snake Creek, is letting us stay at his house. He, however, is not here. He finished his ride to Sioux Falls and is now taking care of some RAGBRAI business in Sioux City. He told us how to get into his house, and we have been enjoying all the amenities of a real house! Alex's parents drove up from Sioux City last night to take us out to dinner. It was nice to see some familiar faces and it made us even more excited about reaching Sioux City!
Today we are taking a much needed rest day in Yankton. It has been nice lounging around and I'm realizing how exhausted my body actually is after 35 consecutive days of riding. Today should have been the 90 mile day! The temperatures dropped and there is plenty of cloud cover. Rick is supposed to return this afternoon and hopefully we will be able to do something fun, like kayaking. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy a midmorning nap.
We estimate one more day of riding to get to Sioux City! Should arrive tomorrow!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Pickston, SD July 16
7/16, Pickston, SD. We are getting so close to Iowa we can almost taste it. We have been meeting more and more people with Iowa connections and coming by more Iowa products (Sioux City sarsparilla!). Yesterday, my birthday, was made brighter by a meeting with another touring cyclist and Sioux City native, Rick. We met him at the restaurant at our campground after a challenging 75 mile ride from Ft Thompson to Snake Creek Rick had an interesting story-he had planned to be touring from Missoula to RAGBRAI (he's the captain of Team Road Booty) but his plans had been derailed when he was hit by a car in Okoboji on June 27. However, he deemed himself recovered enough to join some friends on a "Faces to Falls" (Mt Rushmore
to Sioux Falls) despite having a fractured skull and probably 50 stitches in his head. Rick, who now lives in Yankton, SD, invited us to stay at his house tomorrow when we go through Yankton. He also invited us to go kayaking on Sunday. Rick plans to retire next year and start a kayaking and bike touring business and we offered to be some of his guinea pigs. So, what could have been a just frustrating birthday was salvaged by the company of a random stranger. We breakfasted with Rick this morning and rode with him to the first time before he split off on his own route. We plan on seeing him tomorrow night in Yankton, though. That is, if we make it. We have an 80 mile day planned for tomorrow and it's supposed to be 100 deg. Today was close to that temp, but we only had a 55 mile ride to Pickstown. We plan on starting early (for us that means before 8...) and trying to get in as many miles as we can before it gets hot. If we end up kayaking and taking a rest day on Sunday, that will delay our arrival in Sioux City until Tuesday. But it will be
worth the adventure! (end)
to Sioux Falls) despite having a fractured skull and probably 50 stitches in his head. Rick, who now lives in Yankton, SD, invited us to stay at his house tomorrow when we go through Yankton. He also invited us to go kayaking on Sunday. Rick plans to retire next year and start a kayaking and bike touring business and we offered to be some of his guinea pigs. So, what could have been a just frustrating birthday was salvaged by the company of a random stranger. We breakfasted with Rick this morning and rode with him to the first time before he split off on his own route. We plan on seeing him tomorrow night in Yankton, though. That is, if we make it. We have an 80 mile day planned for tomorrow and it's supposed to be 100 deg. Today was close to that temp, but we only had a 55 mile ride to Pickstown. We plan on starting early (for us that means before 8...) and trying to get in as many miles as we can before it gets hot. If we end up kayaking and taking a rest day on Sunday, that will delay our arrival in Sioux City until Tuesday. But it will be
worth the adventure! (end)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Fort Thompson, SD July 14
Our luck seems to have returned, at least in terms of weather. Both yesterday and today the winds have shifted and are from the northwest, so we have been having a nice tailwind. Yesterday we made it to Pierre. We stayed on a picture perfect spot alongside a lake. Both the camping and the showers were free. We even found a church group giving out free food in the park! I found Pierre to be very quaint and enjoyed meeting people in the park. Today we rode to Ft. Thompson, about 75 miles.Turns out South Dakota has some of it's own mountains...we had 5 ginormous hills today that were on par with a certain stretch in Montana after Roger's pass. Ft Thompson is on one of the Indian reservations and we have already met some interesting people. We convinced the local grocery store to cook us a pizza so we had a nice picnic out behind the store for dinner tonight.
Now we are drinking a pre-birthday bottle of wine at the campsite waiting for the water to come back on. Yes, the water here stopped running right after we got here and we narrowly missed getting a shower. Hopefully this bit of bad luck is confined only to campsite luck and not on the weather. I'll take a tailwind anyday! I say that now but after this wine is gone, this might be a different story. Tomorrow we are headed into the middle of nowhere again. Our destination is some random recreation area about 75 miles away. In terms of other cyclists, we've met a few groups in the last few days. We met a couple from Wisconsin biking out to Oregon (and moving there as well), a group of high school students from St. Louis doing the Lewis and Clark trail from St. Louis to Seaside with their teacher, and an older couple jumping to national parks and doing the exact same tour they did last summer. We are getting excited for Sioux City and RAGBRAI! We estimate our Sioux City arrival on Monday. Thanks to my mom for typing in 14 text messages to the blog so we can be updated! Post by Andrea
From Mom- Happy Birthday to my favorite girl! 25 years old July 15!
Now we are drinking a pre-birthday bottle of wine at the campsite waiting for the water to come back on. Yes, the water here stopped running right after we got here and we narrowly missed getting a shower. Hopefully this bit of bad luck is confined only to campsite luck and not on the weather. I'll take a tailwind anyday! I say that now but after this wine is gone, this might be a different story. Tomorrow we are headed into the middle of nowhere again. Our destination is some random recreation area about 75 miles away. In terms of other cyclists, we've met a few groups in the last few days. We met a couple from Wisconsin biking out to Oregon (and moving there as well), a group of high school students from St. Louis doing the Lewis and Clark trail from St. Louis to Seaside with their teacher, and an older couple jumping to national parks and doing the exact same tour they did last summer. We are getting excited for Sioux City and RAGBRAI! We estimate our Sioux City arrival on Monday. Thanks to my mom for typing in 14 text messages to the blog so we can be updated! Post by Andrea
From Mom- Happy Birthday to my favorite girl! 25 years old July 15!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Mobridge, SD July 12
Hello from the middle of nowhere, SD. The past couple days have been nothing short of challenging. Here's a recap: Saturday was hot. Really hot. We had wanted to go the 84 miles from Bismarck to Pollock, but it was so hot (almost 100) that we only made it 50 before giving in to the heat. We found a campground nearby and promptly passed out for several hours. We met some fisherman friends camped next to us and they fed us steak, potatos, and beer. We take all the hospitality we can get! Yesterday was actually a pleasant day of riding, despite all the hills. We rode 74 miles to Mobridge, SD.
Today was an entirely different beast. Of the 64 miles we rode today, the first 54 were directly into a 20-30mph headwind. It took us 6 and a half hours to do the first 54 (my computer said an 8.5 mph average).
To top it all off, we had a 10 mile stretch of gravel. Needless to say, we are tired tonight. Tomorrow we head to Pierre and we're supposed to have another headwind. This is the time when I'm wondering if we actually are crazy.
I will not update as much as dad did. I do not have Internet on my phone like he did, so updates will come when I can get online, like tonight at the back of a convenience store on wifi with Alex's itouch.
Now, time to rest up for more headwind! - post by Andrea
Today was an entirely different beast. Of the 64 miles we rode today, the first 54 were directly into a 20-30mph headwind. It took us 6 and a half hours to do the first 54 (my computer said an 8.5 mph average).
To top it all off, we had a 10 mile stretch of gravel. Needless to say, we are tired tonight. Tomorrow we head to Pierre and we're supposed to have another headwind. This is the time when I'm wondering if we actually are crazy.
I will not update as much as dad did. I do not have Internet on my phone like he did, so updates will come when I can get online, like tonight at the back of a convenience store on wifi with Alex's itouch.
Now, time to rest up for more headwind! - post by Andrea
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Washburn, ND July 8
Wasburn, ND -- Thursday, July 8
Today, with great sadness, my great adventure ended. It ended by pedaling
65 miles traveling in all directions the compass will point on a nearly picture perfect day. All also has gone splendidly well regarding my logistical return to the Iowas City area as my friend, Bob, accidentally discovered the three of us on the road towards Washburn as he was exploring the Lewis and Clark historical sites around the area. Everything has happened as planned, except that I will likely need a seven step withdrawal plan to recover from the addiction this adventure has created.
I truly wish that I could go on. After 26 days and 1620 miles, I find that my body and mind have adapted to the rigors of a bicycling tourist and the simple freedom that it brings. It has been over twenty five years since I've last gotten lost for an extended period of time from the world, from my job, from the daily cares of life. This adventure has done all that and more, including the opportunity to see a portion of the country up close and meet some of its people.
Although I don't believe this adventure has been a life changing experience, it has been an experience best described as "priceless".
Spending nearly a month in constant companionship with my daughter and her boyfriend was a once in a lifetime opportunity. There are many memories and stories of this adventure that we will all share for many years to come. I'm extremely grateful to both of them for this gift. For me, it was an emotional end; an end not only to my great adventure but also the symbolic hand off of my daughter to her boyfriend and potential future partner. It was a moment of mixed emotions.
As for the day, despite the miles logged our forward progress was only slightly more than 30 miles as we navigated around Lake Sakakawea. In doing so we crossed Garrison Dam, the 5th largest dam in the U.S. It was a beautiful area providing many pass through towns (a novelty compared to the past several weeks) and many picture taking opportunities. Our pace today was generally leisurely which was boosted by a slight breeze when traveling east.
We also had our 5th flat of the trip as Andrea's B.O.B (her bike trailer) feel victim to a sliver of metal from the cord of a truck tire casing.
We've been very fortunate to date in not having similarly related flats as these casings litter the shoulders of carrying heavy truck traffic. If you are a bicyclist you soon learn to dislike wide shouldered roads as this space is littered with all kinds of debris (rocks, tire casings, broken glass, wrenches, straps, staple removers, shoes, panties, etc.). Despite the annoyance of the flat, it did prove to be timely as we discovered that my bike pump was the only bike pump of the three that could inflate both presta and schrader type valves.
Since my adventure has now ended, my bike pump is now mounted on Andrea's bike. In fact, after we arrived at the campsite in Washburn, Andrea and Alex had a feeding frenzy on trading up on my equipment. Andrea will now be pulling the Burley trailer that I bought in Portland, Alex will use my thermarest, and Andrea my pillow. There are numerous other items that have traded and or confiscated. Hopefully I will my equipment's return for my next great adventure.
As my time at the campsite came to a close (I hoteled it in Bismark), Andrea and Alex were again joined by the French Canadians. Although they have general kept to themselves, a certain bonding has begun to develop, despite some language barriers. As they are also following the Lewis and Clark trail with similar overnight stops, I suspect that Andrea and Alex will share other times together. I'm hopeful that when they leave the Lewis and Clark trail somewhere near Sioux City and travel through parts of Iowa that their journey takes them through Iowa City and they take me up on my offer to overnight at my house.
In addition to the French Canadians, The group was joined by couple in their early 60's pedaling from Pierre, SD to Williston, ND. I would have loved to have stayed and shared stories of our respective travels. My departure did prove fortunate for them as their camp stove had failed.
They now have our second stove that was going home with me. What we have experienced and what we have heard from others that in times of despair that has generally been fortune.
Lastly, this is my last entry into this blog. Andrea and Alex will continue to update this site with photos and text messages but not in the same volume as the past 26 days.
Today, with great sadness, my great adventure ended. It ended by pedaling
65 miles traveling in all directions the compass will point on a nearly picture perfect day. All also has gone splendidly well regarding my logistical return to the Iowas City area as my friend, Bob, accidentally discovered the three of us on the road towards Washburn as he was exploring the Lewis and Clark historical sites around the area. Everything has happened as planned, except that I will likely need a seven step withdrawal plan to recover from the addiction this adventure has created.
I truly wish that I could go on. After 26 days and 1620 miles, I find that my body and mind have adapted to the rigors of a bicycling tourist and the simple freedom that it brings. It has been over twenty five years since I've last gotten lost for an extended period of time from the world, from my job, from the daily cares of life. This adventure has done all that and more, including the opportunity to see a portion of the country up close and meet some of its people.
Although I don't believe this adventure has been a life changing experience, it has been an experience best described as "priceless".
Spending nearly a month in constant companionship with my daughter and her boyfriend was a once in a lifetime opportunity. There are many memories and stories of this adventure that we will all share for many years to come. I'm extremely grateful to both of them for this gift. For me, it was an emotional end; an end not only to my great adventure but also the symbolic hand off of my daughter to her boyfriend and potential future partner. It was a moment of mixed emotions.
As for the day, despite the miles logged our forward progress was only slightly more than 30 miles as we navigated around Lake Sakakawea. In doing so we crossed Garrison Dam, the 5th largest dam in the U.S. It was a beautiful area providing many pass through towns (a novelty compared to the past several weeks) and many picture taking opportunities. Our pace today was generally leisurely which was boosted by a slight breeze when traveling east.
We also had our 5th flat of the trip as Andrea's B.O.B (her bike trailer) feel victim to a sliver of metal from the cord of a truck tire casing.
We've been very fortunate to date in not having similarly related flats as these casings litter the shoulders of carrying heavy truck traffic. If you are a bicyclist you soon learn to dislike wide shouldered roads as this space is littered with all kinds of debris (rocks, tire casings, broken glass, wrenches, straps, staple removers, shoes, panties, etc.). Despite the annoyance of the flat, it did prove to be timely as we discovered that my bike pump was the only bike pump of the three that could inflate both presta and schrader type valves.
Since my adventure has now ended, my bike pump is now mounted on Andrea's bike. In fact, after we arrived at the campsite in Washburn, Andrea and Alex had a feeding frenzy on trading up on my equipment. Andrea will now be pulling the Burley trailer that I bought in Portland, Alex will use my thermarest, and Andrea my pillow. There are numerous other items that have traded and or confiscated. Hopefully I will my equipment's return for my next great adventure.
As my time at the campsite came to a close (I hoteled it in Bismark), Andrea and Alex were again joined by the French Canadians. Although they have general kept to themselves, a certain bonding has begun to develop, despite some language barriers. As they are also following the Lewis and Clark trail with similar overnight stops, I suspect that Andrea and Alex will share other times together. I'm hopeful that when they leave the Lewis and Clark trail somewhere near Sioux City and travel through parts of Iowa that their journey takes them through Iowa City and they take me up on my offer to overnight at my house.
In addition to the French Canadians, The group was joined by couple in their early 60's pedaling from Pierre, SD to Williston, ND. I would have loved to have stayed and shared stories of our respective travels. My departure did prove fortunate for them as their camp stove had failed.
They now have our second stove that was going home with me. What we have experienced and what we have heard from others that in times of despair that has generally been fortune.
Lastly, this is my last entry into this blog. Andrea and Alex will continue to update this site with photos and text messages but not in the same volume as the past 26 days.
Bismarck, ND July 9
Today was our first day riding without Dad. It seems as if more than just a person is missing from the ride; it actually seems as if the whole atmosphere has changed. Maybe that's due to the fact that Alex and I had to adsorb a lot of what Dad was carrying and now we are more weighted down and have to push harder to do the same distance, or maybe it was just the slight headwind and the sun blazing down. Either way, things have rapidly gone wrong since our arrival in Bismarck. First, I flipped the unflippable Burley. No one was hurt, but it was a close call. I just hit the side of a curb and over she went. Funny how dad rode with it for a whole month and never flipped it and I do it on the first day...Next, I did something I have never done before: walked my bike up a hill. I feel ashamed saying it, but there was no avoiding it. The bike paths in Bismarck are not well planned and out of nowhere, there was a hill with what must have been more than a 20% grade. It looked like a vertical wall rising in front of us as we turned a bend on a bike path on the route. I tried to build up momentum, but it was no use and soon I was standing in my lowest gear and still almost falling over. I was lucky to clip out before the whole bike fell over! Then, to make things even more fun for us in Bismarck, my front derailleur stopped working. After a few stops fiddling with things at the side of the road, it appears to be at least functioning, but I foresee some definite mechanical work tonight at our campsite. Luckily, I think Alex has the know-how to (hopefully) fix this problem. Finally, to top things all off, tomorrow we HAVE to do 80 miles south (there is nothing between Bismarck and the next town, Pollock, SD) and we just learned it will be 94 with a wind from the south. I'm suddenly starting to feel about North Dakota what I felt about Montana.
Maybe Dad was just our good luck. Maybe he should think about just rejoining the ride. Who needs a job anyway? Regardless, he is greatly missed on the ride and it just doesn't seem the same without him. - post by Andrea
Maybe Dad was just our good luck. Maybe he should think about just rejoining the ride. Who needs a job anyway? Regardless, he is greatly missed on the ride and it just doesn't seem the same without him. - post by Andrea
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Garrison, MT July 7
Garrison, MT -- Wednesday, July 7
What a day! We managed to lasso a nice tail wind when we were traveling east to pedal 84 miles to this great lake side park/camping area 8 miles east of Garrison. Although the camping area does not have any showers, it does have running water allowing us the clean up with soap and water by the hydrant or to take a bucket bath in the woods. I used a combination of both, especially the woods and the 'kitchen sink' to bath my 'whiter' side.
While here we also got to view a full rainbow and the faint outline of its matching mate.
Our route today was punctuated by bright colored yellow fields on relatively lightly traveled roads, excepting the first 19 miles. Because of the concerns about the traffic during the first leg of our journey, we left early today (7:30 AM) on a full stomach. We had planned to leave earlier, and were on track to do so; however decided to delay our departure and have breakfast to allow the sun to be higher in ths sky to avoid having the glare of the morning sun affect their visibility.
The first 10 miles of the route were indeed tortuous and dangerous; thereafter the road traffic calmed down. This was fortunate as the shoulder was pot holed and in poor condition all of which was further exacerbated by a constant stream of rumble strips just to the outside of the white strip which narrowed the useability of the shoulder. We were all relieved to turn into a cross wind and leave this gauntlet. Thereafter, the rest of the ride was peaceful and enjoyable.
On today's ride we once again found the French Canadian bicyclists as well as the two young dudes. In talking to the two young dudes we learned that he had hit a pothole on the "tortuous highway's shoulder and had taken a spill into the highway. Fortunately it occurred at a time when traffic was not around.
One of the memorable moments today was cooking the evening meal. It was a picture perfect setting and a great way for me to end my final night of camping. For once we did not combat wind, did not feel rushed, nor were we threatened by mosquitos or rain. Although it did briefly spit rain later, the full rainbow was like tying a bow on the nearly completed great adventure package. What a great final evening!
What a day! We managed to lasso a nice tail wind when we were traveling east to pedal 84 miles to this great lake side park/camping area 8 miles east of Garrison. Although the camping area does not have any showers, it does have running water allowing us the clean up with soap and water by the hydrant or to take a bucket bath in the woods. I used a combination of both, especially the woods and the 'kitchen sink' to bath my 'whiter' side.
While here we also got to view a full rainbow and the faint outline of its matching mate.
Our route today was punctuated by bright colored yellow fields on relatively lightly traveled roads, excepting the first 19 miles. Because of the concerns about the traffic during the first leg of our journey, we left early today (7:30 AM) on a full stomach. We had planned to leave earlier, and were on track to do so; however decided to delay our departure and have breakfast to allow the sun to be higher in ths sky to avoid having the glare of the morning sun affect their visibility.
The first 10 miles of the route were indeed tortuous and dangerous; thereafter the road traffic calmed down. This was fortunate as the shoulder was pot holed and in poor condition all of which was further exacerbated by a constant stream of rumble strips just to the outside of the white strip which narrowed the useability of the shoulder. We were all relieved to turn into a cross wind and leave this gauntlet. Thereafter, the rest of the ride was peaceful and enjoyable.
On today's ride we once again found the French Canadian bicyclists as well as the two young dudes. In talking to the two young dudes we learned that he had hit a pothole on the "tortuous highway's shoulder and had taken a spill into the highway. Fortunately it occurred at a time when traffic was not around.
One of the memorable moments today was cooking the evening meal. It was a picture perfect setting and a great way for me to end my final night of camping. For once we did not combat wind, did not feel rushed, nor were we threatened by mosquitos or rain. Although it did briefly spit rain later, the full rainbow was like tying a bow on the nearly completed great adventure package. What a great final evening!
New Town, ND July 6
New Town, ND -- Tuesday, July 6
Today's 75 mile ride will be primarily be remembered for two things: trucks and Lund's Landing. It was perhaps one of the most demanding sharing the road with truck experiences that I have ever had. When this journey started - we were primarily concerned with the sharing the road with the logging trucks of OR and WA. That experience pales in comparison to our experience today on our ENTIRE route.
The devil for today's ride is the petroleum boom in northwestern MT. There is 'black gold' in this hills and oil wells are being everywhere. We were told by one of the locals that by the time a virgin site is developed into a producing well an over of 500 trucks carring equipment, earth moving equipment, rock, etc will enter the site. This does not include the daily/weekly maintenance that a producing well may need. Prior to staring our journey from Williston, we w told that we should avoid the once peaceful route that we were taking. We explored other options, but all of the alternatives took us far off course. By the time our pedaling ended for the day, our nerves were a little frazzled. If one took away the trucks, it would be a gorgeous route.
One of the pleasant surprises today was lunching a Lund's Landing about 25 miles east of Williston on Hwy 1804. This was a surprise find, as we did not expect, nor did we find, any other services during our entire trek.
Lund's Landing is a lodge/marina/cafe on the Missouri River. The husband and wife owner built the place with their own hands beginning 22 years ago.
It has received recognition in many national magazines. It was a great homey place to stop. We meet the owners and learned its origin and history. It is perhaps best known for its 'June Berry' pies. It claims that it is the only restaurant to serve June berry pies year round.
Contrary to past form we each had a different type of June berry pie, ale mode of course. We learned that this was going to be a costly mistake when a passersby stopped to buy a whole June berry pie and was quoted a price of $28. All of us gulped when we heard that price.
With that said we did receive one benefit as to owner gave us specific direct ons along our route where we could pick fresh June berries to eat.
Twenty miles later we were 50' off the road well into the ditch, escaping from the truck torture eating June berries. What a treat.
Our camping location tonight is on the lower end of our past camping experience. It is at a marina. The owner has placed us near the top of a hill where the wind blows with gail force. Making the evening meal was a fright to watch especially as bikes were blowing over, burners were being blown out and the contents on top of the picnic table strewn across the camp site as a front with high gusting winds moved through the area. The water if you could find it was not drinkable. To top it off, this experience cost us $20!
Two other notable points for the day include meeting the two young dudes ( the 12 flat tire guy) attempting to average 80 miles a day and learning that the first 19 miles of our route tomorrow will be worse than today.
Regarding the young dudes, if they are seeing us, they are not meeting their goal. In fact, they are likely somewhat disappointed to see us - after all, they can barely keep pace with an 'Old Guy' and a 'young woman' on a bicycle. The experiences and problems that they have had would make a good comedy series; including the day that they pedaled over 120 miles but only after they had pedaled to 1:00 AM. As for the first 19 miles of our route tomorrow, we learned that two bicyclist were killed last year somewhere in this stretch by one of the trucks associated with the oil boom. This has us all a little worried.
Today's 75 mile ride will be primarily be remembered for two things: trucks and Lund's Landing. It was perhaps one of the most demanding sharing the road with truck experiences that I have ever had. When this journey started - we were primarily concerned with the sharing the road with the logging trucks of OR and WA. That experience pales in comparison to our experience today on our ENTIRE route.
The devil for today's ride is the petroleum boom in northwestern MT. There is 'black gold' in this hills and oil wells are being everywhere. We were told by one of the locals that by the time a virgin site is developed into a producing well an over of 500 trucks carring equipment, earth moving equipment, rock, etc will enter the site. This does not include the daily/weekly maintenance that a producing well may need. Prior to staring our journey from Williston, we w told that we should avoid the once peaceful route that we were taking. We explored other options, but all of the alternatives took us far off course. By the time our pedaling ended for the day, our nerves were a little frazzled. If one took away the trucks, it would be a gorgeous route.
One of the pleasant surprises today was lunching a Lund's Landing about 25 miles east of Williston on Hwy 1804. This was a surprise find, as we did not expect, nor did we find, any other services during our entire trek.
Lund's Landing is a lodge/marina/cafe on the Missouri River. The husband and wife owner built the place with their own hands beginning 22 years ago.
It has received recognition in many national magazines. It was a great homey place to stop. We meet the owners and learned its origin and history. It is perhaps best known for its 'June Berry' pies. It claims that it is the only restaurant to serve June berry pies year round.
Contrary to past form we each had a different type of June berry pie, ale mode of course. We learned that this was going to be a costly mistake when a passersby stopped to buy a whole June berry pie and was quoted a price of $28. All of us gulped when we heard that price.
With that said we did receive one benefit as to owner gave us specific direct ons along our route where we could pick fresh June berries to eat.
Twenty miles later we were 50' off the road well into the ditch, escaping from the truck torture eating June berries. What a treat.
Our camping location tonight is on the lower end of our past camping experience. It is at a marina. The owner has placed us near the top of a hill where the wind blows with gail force. Making the evening meal was a fright to watch especially as bikes were blowing over, burners were being blown out and the contents on top of the picnic table strewn across the camp site as a front with high gusting winds moved through the area. The water if you could find it was not drinkable. To top it off, this experience cost us $20!
Two other notable points for the day include meeting the two young dudes ( the 12 flat tire guy) attempting to average 80 miles a day and learning that the first 19 miles of our route tomorrow will be worse than today.
Regarding the young dudes, if they are seeing us, they are not meeting their goal. In fact, they are likely somewhat disappointed to see us - after all, they can barely keep pace with an 'Old Guy' and a 'young woman' on a bicycle. The experiences and problems that they have had would make a good comedy series; including the day that they pedaled over 120 miles but only after they had pedaled to 1:00 AM. As for the first 19 miles of our route tomorrow, we learned that two bicyclist were killed last year somewhere in this stretch by one of the trucks associated with the oil boom. This has us all a little worried.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Williston, ND July 5
Williston, ND -- Monday, July 5
I've reached my initial goal of pedaling from Seaside, OR to Williston, ND three days ahead of schedule. As such, I will have the opportunity to pedal 200 miles into ND before my bicycling adventure ends on July 8.
Our ride today was relatively short (45 miles) and excepting a few hills relatively flat. It was an easy ride, especially when I compare it to the riding in eastern MT during the past several days. Although I enjoyed MT, I (we) were sure glad to leave the state.
Our departure from MT was under cloudy and raining skies from a mosquito infested campground; however, we were given a grand send off by Randy and Cheryl (our camping neighbors) as they prepared breakfast for us consisting of eggs, pancakes, links and sausage. As noted in my July 4 post they made the stay at the campground a great, remembering experience.
Today, we also lost the WV teacher who had been traveling with us for nearly a week. He hoteled it in Sidney on July 4 and decided to lay over an additional day to give his butt some rest time. All of the long days of riding had created a few tender spots.
Williston was a great overnight. We were allowed to stay in its city park and use the showers in the community center - all without charge. The city has a big community center and a wonderful city park all of which was very close to a grocery store and laundramat which we took full advantage. We also had our best evening meal yet, BBQ pork chops and grilled vegetables which we prepared on one of the park's grills.
Given that we lost the WV school teacher and had not seen the French Canadians since early on the 4th, we fully expected to be camping alone in the park. We were pleasantly surprise when two independent groups of two bicyclists rolled into the park about 1 hour from each other doing Adventure Cycling's Northern Tier route. This route and the Lewis and Clark route have one common point in Williston. Both groups of riders had a tremendous day doing 135 miles and 147 miles respectively. They we're able to do this because of their relatively flat route which traveled due east for the entire day and aided by a 25 mph tail wind. We were benefited by that same wind for a portion of our ride but not to their extent. Like always, it was great to share stories and meet people with the same passion. I continue to be amazed at how we continue to hook up with like minded souls in the middle of nowhere. This is neat!
Our ride tomorrow will be over 70 miles. It could be a challenging day depending on the wind, terrain, and temperature.
I've reached my initial goal of pedaling from Seaside, OR to Williston, ND three days ahead of schedule. As such, I will have the opportunity to pedal 200 miles into ND before my bicycling adventure ends on July 8.
Our ride today was relatively short (45 miles) and excepting a few hills relatively flat. It was an easy ride, especially when I compare it to the riding in eastern MT during the past several days. Although I enjoyed MT, I (we) were sure glad to leave the state.
Our departure from MT was under cloudy and raining skies from a mosquito infested campground; however, we were given a grand send off by Randy and Cheryl (our camping neighbors) as they prepared breakfast for us consisting of eggs, pancakes, links and sausage. As noted in my July 4 post they made the stay at the campground a great, remembering experience.
Today, we also lost the WV teacher who had been traveling with us for nearly a week. He hoteled it in Sidney on July 4 and decided to lay over an additional day to give his butt some rest time. All of the long days of riding had created a few tender spots.
Williston was a great overnight. We were allowed to stay in its city park and use the showers in the community center - all without charge. The city has a big community center and a wonderful city park all of which was very close to a grocery store and laundramat which we took full advantage. We also had our best evening meal yet, BBQ pork chops and grilled vegetables which we prepared on one of the park's grills.
Given that we lost the WV school teacher and had not seen the French Canadians since early on the 4th, we fully expected to be camping alone in the park. We were pleasantly surprise when two independent groups of two bicyclists rolled into the park about 1 hour from each other doing Adventure Cycling's Northern Tier route. This route and the Lewis and Clark route have one common point in Williston. Both groups of riders had a tremendous day doing 135 miles and 147 miles respectively. They we're able to do this because of their relatively flat route which traveled due east for the entire day and aided by a 25 mph tail wind. We were benefited by that same wind for a portion of our ride but not to their extent. Like always, it was great to share stories and meet people with the same passion. I continue to be amazed at how we continue to hook up with like minded souls in the middle of nowhere. This is neat!
Our ride tomorrow will be over 70 miles. It could be a challenging day depending on the wind, terrain, and temperature.
Somewhere in North Dakota July 7
We just hit 1500 miles for the trip! Middle of no where, ND. (15 miles south of Parshall)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
Sidney, MT July 4
Sidney, MT -- Sunday, July 4
What a day! The original story line was how we rocketed 84 miles over hills and some extended flat areas propelled by the favorable wind direction and speed we could have hoped. Our travels today first were to the NE and then nearly straight E with winds strongly out of the SW. High temperatures in the high 70's/low 80's made our riding conditions nearly ideal.
Although the ride was ideal we had many variables to content with including the availability of services, due to the holiday, and camping location.
Since we were off the designated route today we had very little information to guide us. Our first town Richey - 30 miles out - was figuratively a ghost town today. All the businesses were closed and a few people could be found. Fortunately we had fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and water to re-fuel and get us to the next town, Lambert, 21 miles further.
It is here we struck pay dirt arriving just as the town parade had ended and free food (a donation was suggested) was being served. It was like a RAGBRAI town. We had great conversation, great entertainment, great food, and even great pie!! We spent a lot of time in this town and enjoyed every minute.
Despite the long trek, we arrived in Sidney at about 4:00. We had hoped the find a place to stay in town to catch the evening fireworks. With the exception of a dump of an RV park that wanted to charge us $30 to camp nothing could be found. We even sought advice from the sheriff's department without success. In the end we ended up camping at Rosalin Park five miles out of town but somewhat on tomorrow's route. We had been warned that Rosalin had no running water and As it was next to the river it is mosquito infested.
What we had learned was true. Almost immediately when we got off the bikes we were swarmed by mosquitos. Andrea immediately proclaimed "This is the worst fourth of July ever". We were all wondering how we could possibly manage not only setting up our tents but cooking our meal in this infestation. As I was surveying the situation I noted two campers 150' away enjoying the late afternoon under the protection of a mosquito net.
In my usual voice, knowing my voice carries, and in response to Andrea's proclamation, I stated that maybe we would get lucky and the campers would invite us over. A few moments later we were invited over and, after quickly setting up the tents, accepted their offer.
Randy and Cheryl are the names of our saviors this evening. What had started out as near disaster turned into a wonderful experience - one of those kindness of stranger moments. Randy and Cheryl shared their vodka, wine, and dinner. We ate like kings! Fresh caught catfish, burgers, and salad. We could bring little to the table, except a cork screw for the wine bottle which they did not have. We even made a beer run into Fairview with me driving a 4-speed 1966 Ford PU (Randy was the passenger as he was to drunk to drive). What a trip! This will be one of those moments that I will remember for a long time.
Lastly we had our own independent fireworks display. The display put on by other nearby campers and the $5 display the Alex had assembled from a vendor in a Sidney grocery store parking lot. Yes, a day to remember.
What a day! The original story line was how we rocketed 84 miles over hills and some extended flat areas propelled by the favorable wind direction and speed we could have hoped. Our travels today first were to the NE and then nearly straight E with winds strongly out of the SW. High temperatures in the high 70's/low 80's made our riding conditions nearly ideal.
Although the ride was ideal we had many variables to content with including the availability of services, due to the holiday, and camping location.
Since we were off the designated route today we had very little information to guide us. Our first town Richey - 30 miles out - was figuratively a ghost town today. All the businesses were closed and a few people could be found. Fortunately we had fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and water to re-fuel and get us to the next town, Lambert, 21 miles further.
It is here we struck pay dirt arriving just as the town parade had ended and free food (a donation was suggested) was being served. It was like a RAGBRAI town. We had great conversation, great entertainment, great food, and even great pie!! We spent a lot of time in this town and enjoyed every minute.
Despite the long trek, we arrived in Sidney at about 4:00. We had hoped the find a place to stay in town to catch the evening fireworks. With the exception of a dump of an RV park that wanted to charge us $30 to camp nothing could be found. We even sought advice from the sheriff's department without success. In the end we ended up camping at Rosalin Park five miles out of town but somewhat on tomorrow's route. We had been warned that Rosalin had no running water and As it was next to the river it is mosquito infested.
What we had learned was true. Almost immediately when we got off the bikes we were swarmed by mosquitos. Andrea immediately proclaimed "This is the worst fourth of July ever". We were all wondering how we could possibly manage not only setting up our tents but cooking our meal in this infestation. As I was surveying the situation I noted two campers 150' away enjoying the late afternoon under the protection of a mosquito net.
In my usual voice, knowing my voice carries, and in response to Andrea's proclamation, I stated that maybe we would get lucky and the campers would invite us over. A few moments later we were invited over and, after quickly setting up the tents, accepted their offer.
Randy and Cheryl are the names of our saviors this evening. What had started out as near disaster turned into a wonderful experience - one of those kindness of stranger moments. Randy and Cheryl shared their vodka, wine, and dinner. We ate like kings! Fresh caught catfish, burgers, and salad. We could bring little to the table, except a cork screw for the wine bottle which they did not have. We even made a beer run into Fairview with me driving a 4-speed 1966 Ford PU (Randy was the passenger as he was to drunk to drive). What a trip! This will be one of those moments that I will remember for a long time.
Lastly we had our own independent fireworks display. The display put on by other nearby campers and the $5 display the Alex had assembled from a vendor in a Sidney grocery store parking lot. Yes, a day to remember.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Circle, MT July 3
Circle, MT -- Saturday, July 3
Today's ride was a roller coaster ride lasting 66 miles. We seldom varied in elevation by more than 200' and at the end of the day we were at the same elevation as we started. There was very little flat land riding, excepting the last 10 miles. As soon as we crested one hill we began our descent into the next valley to begin yet another climb. Our day was made easier by a slight tail wind for most of the journey as well as a cool overcast day.
Today's ride was made interesting not by the countryside but by Alex's intestinal issues. Let's simply say that many sage brush received unexpected fertilization. All of this was most likely caused by Alex drinking the water in Jordan despite warnings by the locals yesterday not to drink the water. Alex chooses to drink the water because Andrea boldly stated that, based upon her experience, people over react to bad tasting water. Outside of the bad taste the water is generally fine. I suspected we might be in for a problem when Alex filled his water bottles from the tap in the Jordan grocery store. Upon noting this, the store attendant strongly encouraged the he replace the water with water from the water purifying machine at the back of the store. Although we all took advantage of the offer, Alex had already indulged in the local water the evening before. Go figure, this is what happens when you have a young environmental engineer in your group. You should note that Dad did not listen to his young environmental engineer daughter.
In Circle we are camped in their little used city park with three other cross country bicyclists (the WV school teacher and the two french Canadians). This city park has a swimming pool on site but it has long been closed because of vandalism. The people in this town are friendly and accustomed to having bicyclists stay in town. The WV school teacher, Randy, arranged showers for us at the Sheriff's office. At least I wasn't being asked to spend the night. It was a nice experience.
For the next two days we will be deviating from the published Lewis and Clark route. Instead of traveling to Poplar we will be traveling to Sidney, MT. We believe the road will be better and the opportunity for services in the pass through towns much better. This route will also put us another day ahead of schedule and provide us a good opportunity to see a significant fireworks display.
Lastly for the first time in many days, the evening weather is calm and dry and the camping area has fewer than expected mosquitos. This all adds to a more enjoyable experience. This has been my 21st day of riding. What a neat experience it has been. I will be a little sad to see it end in a few more days.
Today's ride was a roller coaster ride lasting 66 miles. We seldom varied in elevation by more than 200' and at the end of the day we were at the same elevation as we started. There was very little flat land riding, excepting the last 10 miles. As soon as we crested one hill we began our descent into the next valley to begin yet another climb. Our day was made easier by a slight tail wind for most of the journey as well as a cool overcast day.
Today's ride was made interesting not by the countryside but by Alex's intestinal issues. Let's simply say that many sage brush received unexpected fertilization. All of this was most likely caused by Alex drinking the water in Jordan despite warnings by the locals yesterday not to drink the water. Alex chooses to drink the water because Andrea boldly stated that, based upon her experience, people over react to bad tasting water. Outside of the bad taste the water is generally fine. I suspected we might be in for a problem when Alex filled his water bottles from the tap in the Jordan grocery store. Upon noting this, the store attendant strongly encouraged the he replace the water with water from the water purifying machine at the back of the store. Although we all took advantage of the offer, Alex had already indulged in the local water the evening before. Go figure, this is what happens when you have a young environmental engineer in your group. You should note that Dad did not listen to his young environmental engineer daughter.
In Circle we are camped in their little used city park with three other cross country bicyclists (the WV school teacher and the two french Canadians). This city park has a swimming pool on site but it has long been closed because of vandalism. The people in this town are friendly and accustomed to having bicyclists stay in town. The WV school teacher, Randy, arranged showers for us at the Sheriff's office. At least I wasn't being asked to spend the night. It was a nice experience.
For the next two days we will be deviating from the published Lewis and Clark route. Instead of traveling to Poplar we will be traveling to Sidney, MT. We believe the road will be better and the opportunity for services in the pass through towns much better. This route will also put us another day ahead of schedule and provide us a good opportunity to see a significant fireworks display.
Lastly for the first time in many days, the evening weather is calm and dry and the camping area has fewer than expected mosquitos. This all adds to a more enjoyable experience. This has been my 21st day of riding. What a neat experience it has been. I will be a little sad to see it end in a few more days.
Jordan, MT July 2
Jordan, MT -- Friday, July 2
Today's ride was all about the weather. When we left Winnett this morning it was a picture perfect day. It ended with strong winds, hail and rain and a severe thunderstorm warning until 11:30 PM. As I write this post at 8:30 PM I'm sheltered in my tent. Meanwhile outside, it is raining, thundering, and the winds are strongly blowing. It is a good thing that I improved the coaring on the tent fly yesterday, else wise, all of us would be sitting in a pool of water. Because of the strong winds at the city park campsite, we decided to dine at a nearby cafe. Just as we were getting ready to leave, the clouds let loose with pea sized hail and rain.
At least it did not let loose on our walk back!
When we began our ride this morning I thought I was living a dream and could do this bicycling touring for a long, long time. When we left this morning, Andrea was at the top of her game. She was in the riding groove and she made it almost impossible for Alex and I to match her pace for the first 43 miles. By the end of our 76 mile ride today, my fantasy of doing this for a long time had been shattered and Andrea's groove had long been lost been replaced by this grouchy, irritable, let this be over person.
Our culprit today was 33 miles of constant hills while battling a 25-30 mph cross wind in a blazing hot sun. It was ceaseless and never ending, in fact, it still continues. Towards the end of our ride we could see the storm that would dump on us this evening developing in the western sky. We had hoped the find a campsite with showers this evening to remove the layers of sweat, sun screen and dust from the ride; however, this was not a benefit available any place in town (motel excepted). For Alex and I our shower was relegated to lathering up at a nearby outdoor hydrant, while Andrea's was from our portable 'kitchen sink' behind a nearby bush. Yes, it was a trying day.
There were many good things about the day. The pancakes at Winnett were fantastic. We had one town - Sand Springs - (more like a store and post office in the middle of nowhere) to provide a mid ride refueling stop and near picture perfect morning weather. The store in Sand Springs was quirky but neat. As bicyclists, we were all asked to log in so that the attendant had a record of the bicyclists that passed through. There was a very limited selection of food on the shelves; however, the store did have a freezer of frozen pizzas which one could bake and eat on site. Since
the store was also a post office we used the time while the pizza was baking to write and send postcards. The store attendant was very accommodating to bicyclists. This break helped us get us through the day.
Lastly while eating dinner at a cafe we struck up a conversation with the Garfield County Sheriff. We shared some good stories and humor and learned more about our route tomorrow as well as the severe weather alert. Randy, the WV teacher, is still camping with us. He had a tough day too. Despite leaving 45 minutes before we did this morning he arrived at the site 90 minutes later.
The winds are supposed to cease tonight and tomorrow is supposed to be a good day. We are hoping so as it is a 68 mile ride to Circle with a constant stream of short hills and no services. It will be a challenging day.
Today's ride was all about the weather. When we left Winnett this morning it was a picture perfect day. It ended with strong winds, hail and rain and a severe thunderstorm warning until 11:30 PM. As I write this post at 8:30 PM I'm sheltered in my tent. Meanwhile outside, it is raining, thundering, and the winds are strongly blowing. It is a good thing that I improved the coaring on the tent fly yesterday, else wise, all of us would be sitting in a pool of water. Because of the strong winds at the city park campsite, we decided to dine at a nearby cafe. Just as we were getting ready to leave, the clouds let loose with pea sized hail and rain.
At least it did not let loose on our walk back!
When we began our ride this morning I thought I was living a dream and could do this bicycling touring for a long, long time. When we left this morning, Andrea was at the top of her game. She was in the riding groove and she made it almost impossible for Alex and I to match her pace for the first 43 miles. By the end of our 76 mile ride today, my fantasy of doing this for a long time had been shattered and Andrea's groove had long been lost been replaced by this grouchy, irritable, let this be over person.
Our culprit today was 33 miles of constant hills while battling a 25-30 mph cross wind in a blazing hot sun. It was ceaseless and never ending, in fact, it still continues. Towards the end of our ride we could see the storm that would dump on us this evening developing in the western sky. We had hoped the find a campsite with showers this evening to remove the layers of sweat, sun screen and dust from the ride; however, this was not a benefit available any place in town (motel excepted). For Alex and I our shower was relegated to lathering up at a nearby outdoor hydrant, while Andrea's was from our portable 'kitchen sink' behind a nearby bush. Yes, it was a trying day.
There were many good things about the day. The pancakes at Winnett were fantastic. We had one town - Sand Springs - (more like a store and post office in the middle of nowhere) to provide a mid ride refueling stop and near picture perfect morning weather. The store in Sand Springs was quirky but neat. As bicyclists, we were all asked to log in so that the attendant had a record of the bicyclists that passed through. There was a very limited selection of food on the shelves; however, the store did have a freezer of frozen pizzas which one could bake and eat on site. Since
the store was also a post office we used the time while the pizza was baking to write and send postcards. The store attendant was very accommodating to bicyclists. This break helped us get us through the day.
Lastly while eating dinner at a cafe we struck up a conversation with the Garfield County Sheriff. We shared some good stories and humor and learned more about our route tomorrow as well as the severe weather alert. Randy, the WV teacher, is still camping with us. He had a tough day too. Despite leaving 45 minutes before we did this morning he arrived at the site 90 minutes later.
The winds are supposed to cease tonight and tomorrow is supposed to be a good day. We are hoping so as it is a 68 mile ride to Circle with a constant stream of short hills and no services. It will be a challenging day.
Winnett, MT July 1
Winnett, MT -- Thursday, July 1
What a day. We had a relatively easy 54 miles. Although we had a slight head wind, it did not significantly impact our ride. The most challenging part of the day was the first nine miles as we climbed out of Lewistown.
Once that was over it was close to downhill or flat the rest of the way.
The biggest challenge was pedaling the 54 miles with out any services. As we have throughout our journey, we purchased a variety of fruit, vegetables, and packaged meat to snack throughout the ride and stop for a roadside (aka ditch) lunch. The scenery also added some good flavor today as well.
Our biggest highlights today did not come from riding but from our overnight town of Winnett. It was here that we were threatened with severe weather and rain, camped in city park where the sprinkler system malfunctioned in the early evening and began bathing our tents in water, and discovered that Winnett is the second cross road for transcontinental cyclists (Missoula being the other, at least on this day. As with the past few days we've managed to dodge the most severe weather and heavy rain.
More rain is expected tonight. Fortunately, in Lewistown, I purchased a can of silicon and re-sealed the fly on both our tents. As a result our tents have stayed dry through the rain brought by nature and lawn sprinkling systems.
Today Winnett has been a meeting place for cross country bicyclists. In mid afternoon, at the only cafe in town we met two young English lads pedaling to Vancouver. Their route is undefined and changes day-by-day.
Whereas ours is slightly more structured, theirs is free spirit. They have been on the road 40 days and have only paid for overnight tenting/accommodations twice. I marvel at this free spirit. I wish I had more of that in me. On the other hand, some of that free spirit comes with questionable judgment. They planned to overnight in a town 23 miles away and left for that town just as the severe weather was fast approaching. I suspect they were caught in the storm. Shortly thereafter, two Canadian riders pulled into town after pedaling from Denton (93 miles). They were a little beat. This is something that we contemplated but Andrea and Alex vetoed. If it had not been for the arrangements that we made with the city (we are camped next to the pool) to leave the pool unlocked for the night they would have been without showers or restroom facilities. They have been following the same route that we have. Whereas we have dodged the severe storms, they have been hit twice. Hopefully having them camp with us doesn't cause our luck to change.
Winnett is a town of 184 people. It is the county seat of the largest county in MT. Its claims it has the lowest per capita population of any county in the contiguous 48 states. Its total population is less than 1000. Given all of that its sole cafe was recognized in 2006 by Gourmet Magazine for its big, thick, fluffy pancakes and was recognized by The Missoulan as having some of the best pies in the state. We've already sampled the pie, tomorrow we plan to sample the pancakes.
Lastly, throughout our ride all of us have noted numerous crosses placed along the road ways. Some of these have been highly decorated, others bare. The crosses represent highway accidents and deaths. At one location yesterday we counted 10 crosses and at another 4. We've heard that MT at one time had no posted speed limit on any of its roads. Currently, the speed limit is 70. Still far to fast. Presently that has not been a problem for us. We hope that continues for a few more days until we reach ND and a western sporting goods store.
The scenery today was varied and good.
What a day. We had a relatively easy 54 miles. Although we had a slight head wind, it did not significantly impact our ride. The most challenging part of the day was the first nine miles as we climbed out of Lewistown.
Once that was over it was close to downhill or flat the rest of the way.
The biggest challenge was pedaling the 54 miles with out any services. As we have throughout our journey, we purchased a variety of fruit, vegetables, and packaged meat to snack throughout the ride and stop for a roadside (aka ditch) lunch. The scenery also added some good flavor today as well.
Our biggest highlights today did not come from riding but from our overnight town of Winnett. It was here that we were threatened with severe weather and rain, camped in city park where the sprinkler system malfunctioned in the early evening and began bathing our tents in water, and discovered that Winnett is the second cross road for transcontinental cyclists (Missoula being the other, at least on this day. As with the past few days we've managed to dodge the most severe weather and heavy rain.
More rain is expected tonight. Fortunately, in Lewistown, I purchased a can of silicon and re-sealed the fly on both our tents. As a result our tents have stayed dry through the rain brought by nature and lawn sprinkling systems.
Today Winnett has been a meeting place for cross country bicyclists. In mid afternoon, at the only cafe in town we met two young English lads pedaling to Vancouver. Their route is undefined and changes day-by-day.
Whereas ours is slightly more structured, theirs is free spirit. They have been on the road 40 days and have only paid for overnight tenting/accommodations twice. I marvel at this free spirit. I wish I had more of that in me. On the other hand, some of that free spirit comes with questionable judgment. They planned to overnight in a town 23 miles away and left for that town just as the severe weather was fast approaching. I suspect they were caught in the storm. Shortly thereafter, two Canadian riders pulled into town after pedaling from Denton (93 miles). They were a little beat. This is something that we contemplated but Andrea and Alex vetoed. If it had not been for the arrangements that we made with the city (we are camped next to the pool) to leave the pool unlocked for the night they would have been without showers or restroom facilities. They have been following the same route that we have. Whereas we have dodged the severe storms, they have been hit twice. Hopefully having them camp with us doesn't cause our luck to change.
Winnett is a town of 184 people. It is the county seat of the largest county in MT. Its claims it has the lowest per capita population of any county in the contiguous 48 states. Its total population is less than 1000. Given all of that its sole cafe was recognized in 2006 by Gourmet Magazine for its big, thick, fluffy pancakes and was recognized by The Missoulan as having some of the best pies in the state. We've already sampled the pie, tomorrow we plan to sample the pancakes.
Lastly, throughout our ride all of us have noted numerous crosses placed along the road ways. Some of these have been highly decorated, others bare. The crosses represent highway accidents and deaths. At one location yesterday we counted 10 crosses and at another 4. We've heard that MT at one time had no posted speed limit on any of its roads. Currently, the speed limit is 70. Still far to fast. Presently that has not been a problem for us. We hope that continues for a few more days until we reach ND and a western sporting goods store.
The scenery today was varied and good.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
No posts July 1 & 2
Out of cell phone range for a couple days. Headed northeast to Williston, ND on highway 200 in Montana.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Lewistown, MT June 30
Lewistown, MT -- Wednesday, June 30
We had two ride options today: take a partial rest day and ride to Lewistown (40 miles) or continue onward to Winnett (93 miles). As noted above, we choose the easier of the two options. Although it was not a difficult day (we were in town by noon), it was not easy. We fought headwinds, a few challenging climbs, and dodged rain along the way. A I write this we are having a thunderstorm and severe weather is projected through the late evening.
Both Andrea and Alex and I have discovered that our tents are not as dry as we would like. We have drips, which become puddles of water on the tent floor where the tent fly touches the inner tent. Unfortunately, no matter how we tighten or secure the tent, we cannot correct the problem.
Hopefully we won't wake up in a pond tomorrow morning. Tonight we are staying at an RV park. This is not the most attractive park; however, the manager of the park placed us away from the road and traffic. The manager also gave us a great rate for the four of us. The main office building has great showers, a laundry area, and a kitchen. We took advantage of the kitchen during a rain storm to cook our evening meal, however, both Alex and I got caught in the rain fetching the food for the meal. Ah, life on a bike!
Although our journey across the west has been slow, we've generally been able to watch the scenery change. As we approach eastern MT, the scenery is changing very slowly. A spatterring of buttes and valleys and an immense sky. We work hard at gaining elevation first though long gradual climbs culminated by long step climbs only to loose it quickly and begin repeating the process a few miles down the road. In some aspects the scenery and the climbs are becoming more monotonous than we would like. Of course, some would saw getting on a bicycle and pedaling hours on end day after day is the very definition of monotonous.
Tomorrow will be another relatively short day to Winnett. Tomorrow will set the stage for two long days with few services between towns. We are keeping our fingers crossed for slightly overcast skies and fair temperatures.
We had two ride options today: take a partial rest day and ride to Lewistown (40 miles) or continue onward to Winnett (93 miles). As noted above, we choose the easier of the two options. Although it was not a difficult day (we were in town by noon), it was not easy. We fought headwinds, a few challenging climbs, and dodged rain along the way. A I write this we are having a thunderstorm and severe weather is projected through the late evening.
Both Andrea and Alex and I have discovered that our tents are not as dry as we would like. We have drips, which become puddles of water on the tent floor where the tent fly touches the inner tent. Unfortunately, no matter how we tighten or secure the tent, we cannot correct the problem.
Hopefully we won't wake up in a pond tomorrow morning. Tonight we are staying at an RV park. This is not the most attractive park; however, the manager of the park placed us away from the road and traffic. The manager also gave us a great rate for the four of us. The main office building has great showers, a laundry area, and a kitchen. We took advantage of the kitchen during a rain storm to cook our evening meal, however, both Alex and I got caught in the rain fetching the food for the meal. Ah, life on a bike!
Although our journey across the west has been slow, we've generally been able to watch the scenery change. As we approach eastern MT, the scenery is changing very slowly. A spatterring of buttes and valleys and an immense sky. We work hard at gaining elevation first though long gradual climbs culminated by long step climbs only to loose it quickly and begin repeating the process a few miles down the road. In some aspects the scenery and the climbs are becoming more monotonous than we would like. Of course, some would saw getting on a bicycle and pedaling hours on end day after day is the very definition of monotonous.
Tomorrow will be another relatively short day to Winnett. Tomorrow will set the stage for two long days with few services between towns. We are keeping our fingers crossed for slightly overcast skies and fair temperatures.
Geraldine, MT June 29
This is lunch yesterday in Geraldine, MT with Randy, another touring bicyclist who's on a similar schedule to us and on the Lewis and Clark trail until Williston.
Denton, MT June 29
Denton, MT -- Tuesday, June 29
Today was supposed to be a relatively easy day. It was anything but.
Despite being an average mileage day (62 miles) we battled headwinds, a very challenging 2 mile climb complete with 2 sections of gravel where we were dusted by two large trucks passing in our direction of travel and three semis in close succession in the opposite direction of travel, and warm temperatures, especially when the sun was not blocked by clouds.
The day was also made challenging by a gradual 15 mile climb to start the ride as well as my 2nd flat, this one at the starting gate. In addition, our overnight camping area was infested with mosquitos. It was difficult to pack up and have breakfast with involuntarily donating a pint of blood to the insect world.
With that stated there were some very good moments. We stopped in Geraldine, 26 miles from Fort Benton, to eat and found the cheapest cafe around. Despite it being 11:00 AM we all choose to have a 'biker's sized' breakfast. Total cost - $18.50. What a bargain, what a meal. The other surprise is our campsite this evening. We are camped in the town's City Park, next to the pool. Total camping cost including showers - $2.00 and the site is nearly mosquito free. What a deal, especially when compared to Fort Benton.
Our day today was likely saved by the mostly overcast skies. If we would have had cloudless skies, like yesterday, today's ride would have been tortuous. Fortunately, the skies were generally overcast and at times threatening rain in the distance.
We are once again camped near Randy, the WV school teacher. Although we don't ride together we generally have good companionship during the evening. We will likely camp together during the next 4-5 days until our paths diverge (The Northern Tier trail vs. The Lewis and Clark Trail) in Williston. He plans to be back in WV in early August and has offered to pick up Andrea and Alex wherever they may be in their transcontinental journey to get them the Raleigh, NC by August 15. This would be great if it works out.
The other nice thing about today is that we made it to the overnight town near 4:00 PM (our general arrival time is closer to 6:00 PM). This allowed us to shower and eat dinner earlier and then casually drink a bottle of wine while watching the sun go down. This is something that we have seldomed experienced.
Today we also surpassed the 1000 mile marker for this adventure. We are averaging 61 miles per day. I consider this exceptional given the slow start that with injuries and all that we had in the first five days. With that said, our legs are feeling a little tired and our butts overly sore.
As sort of a semi-rest day we will only be going as far as Lewistown (42 miles). Hopefully this will provide some brief respite as well as set us up for the rest of the sojourn across MT. We have some long, dusty, hot days ahead.
Today was supposed to be a relatively easy day. It was anything but.
Despite being an average mileage day (62 miles) we battled headwinds, a very challenging 2 mile climb complete with 2 sections of gravel where we were dusted by two large trucks passing in our direction of travel and three semis in close succession in the opposite direction of travel, and warm temperatures, especially when the sun was not blocked by clouds.
The day was also made challenging by a gradual 15 mile climb to start the ride as well as my 2nd flat, this one at the starting gate. In addition, our overnight camping area was infested with mosquitos. It was difficult to pack up and have breakfast with involuntarily donating a pint of blood to the insect world.
With that stated there were some very good moments. We stopped in Geraldine, 26 miles from Fort Benton, to eat and found the cheapest cafe around. Despite it being 11:00 AM we all choose to have a 'biker's sized' breakfast. Total cost - $18.50. What a bargain, what a meal. The other surprise is our campsite this evening. We are camped in the town's City Park, next to the pool. Total camping cost including showers - $2.00 and the site is nearly mosquito free. What a deal, especially when compared to Fort Benton.
Our day today was likely saved by the mostly overcast skies. If we would have had cloudless skies, like yesterday, today's ride would have been tortuous. Fortunately, the skies were generally overcast and at times threatening rain in the distance.
We are once again camped near Randy, the WV school teacher. Although we don't ride together we generally have good companionship during the evening. We will likely camp together during the next 4-5 days until our paths diverge (The Northern Tier trail vs. The Lewis and Clark Trail) in Williston. He plans to be back in WV in early August and has offered to pick up Andrea and Alex wherever they may be in their transcontinental journey to get them the Raleigh, NC by August 15. This would be great if it works out.
The other nice thing about today is that we made it to the overnight town near 4:00 PM (our general arrival time is closer to 6:00 PM). This allowed us to shower and eat dinner earlier and then casually drink a bottle of wine while watching the sun go down. This is something that we have seldomed experienced.
Today we also surpassed the 1000 mile marker for this adventure. We are averaging 61 miles per day. I consider this exceptional given the slow start that with injuries and all that we had in the first five days. With that said, our legs are feeling a little tired and our butts overly sore.
As sort of a semi-rest day we will only be going as far as Lewistown (42 miles). Hopefully this will provide some brief respite as well as set us up for the rest of the sojourn across MT. We have some long, dusty, hot days ahead.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Fort Benton, MT Monday June 28
Fort Benton, MT -- Monday, June 28
Today was a relatively short day (52 miles) with nearly all of the miles on Hwy 228 from Great Falls. It was a great route (very little traffic) except for two major climbs, one of which equaled our toughest climb yesterday, the other bested it. Today was also the hottest day that we have had (90 degrees). Unfortunately, due to a 11:30 AM start, most of our ride was in the hottest part of the day.
This part of MT is wide open country. Several times today you could see your next challenge from three miles away. All this open countryside means there is generally not a tree to be seen nor any shelter from the sun the be found. Because of the scarcity of services between overnight towns, we generally carry enough food to have a mid-ride lunch. Today's lunch stop was in ditch grass with full exposure to the beating sun. After our last big climb we passed through Highwood and stopped at a gas/service station (not to be confused with a convenience store). Although this gas station had nothing more than one refrigerator, it did stock a small selection of gatorade and refrigerated snicker bars. We all enjoyed both as well as the two people at the store whose sole job it appeared was to watch who and what passed through town.
Fort Benton is not only a friendly place but a place where 4 separate cross country riding groups have converged at the same time. It is here we found the WV teacher that we camped alongside on Saturday night, the two young guys (the 12 flat a day group) traveling to MI and beyond and an older couple pedaling a recumbent. All of this certainly makes the road less lonely. As for friendly, before we could make it th grocery store I was stopped by a Forest Ranger wanted to know more about our ride. He was a bicyclist himself. He is from Minneapolis, knows about RAGBRAI, and is here for seasonal work. We had a great conversation. While I was distracted, Andrea and Alex also became distracted by someone in the grocery store parking lot.
There are many reasons for our slow start this morning; however the primary reason was to allow Alex to recover from a strong headache induced by water dehydration yesterday. While Andrea and I both carry two water bottles plus 70 oz. of water in a Camelback, Alex only has three water bottles. We helped improve that situation today by adding two water bottle cages and bottles to the B.O.B. trailer using the mounts provided. Alex returned to his normal self later in the day as evidenced by a 'bike path' stroll with Andrea on Hwy 228 (remember this road had few cars). It was as if the two were on a bicycle riding date. Matching this casual slow speed about drove me nuts. With five miles to go, I decide to leave them be and ride ahead at a more reasonable pace.
Lastly, although this is a nice town, the mosquitos are plentiful, swarming, and voracious for blood. It has caused us all to find refuge in our tents early. As we look ahead, the next several days will be below our average day. This is due to the spacing of towns and services. The only other option is for 80+ mile days. No one likes that option.
Today was a relatively short day (52 miles) with nearly all of the miles on Hwy 228 from Great Falls. It was a great route (very little traffic) except for two major climbs, one of which equaled our toughest climb yesterday, the other bested it. Today was also the hottest day that we have had (90 degrees). Unfortunately, due to a 11:30 AM start, most of our ride was in the hottest part of the day.
This part of MT is wide open country. Several times today you could see your next challenge from three miles away. All this open countryside means there is generally not a tree to be seen nor any shelter from the sun the be found. Because of the scarcity of services between overnight towns, we generally carry enough food to have a mid-ride lunch. Today's lunch stop was in ditch grass with full exposure to the beating sun. After our last big climb we passed through Highwood and stopped at a gas/service station (not to be confused with a convenience store). Although this gas station had nothing more than one refrigerator, it did stock a small selection of gatorade and refrigerated snicker bars. We all enjoyed both as well as the two people at the store whose sole job it appeared was to watch who and what passed through town.
Fort Benton is not only a friendly place but a place where 4 separate cross country riding groups have converged at the same time. It is here we found the WV teacher that we camped alongside on Saturday night, the two young guys (the 12 flat a day group) traveling to MI and beyond and an older couple pedaling a recumbent. All of this certainly makes the road less lonely. As for friendly, before we could make it th grocery store I was stopped by a Forest Ranger wanted to know more about our ride. He was a bicyclist himself. He is from Minneapolis, knows about RAGBRAI, and is here for seasonal work. We had a great conversation. While I was distracted, Andrea and Alex also became distracted by someone in the grocery store parking lot.
There are many reasons for our slow start this morning; however the primary reason was to allow Alex to recover from a strong headache induced by water dehydration yesterday. While Andrea and I both carry two water bottles plus 70 oz. of water in a Camelback, Alex only has three water bottles. We helped improve that situation today by adding two water bottle cages and bottles to the B.O.B. trailer using the mounts provided. Alex returned to his normal self later in the day as evidenced by a 'bike path' stroll with Andrea on Hwy 228 (remember this road had few cars). It was as if the two were on a bicycle riding date. Matching this casual slow speed about drove me nuts. With five miles to go, I decide to leave them be and ride ahead at a more reasonable pace.
Lastly, although this is a nice town, the mosquitos are plentiful, swarming, and voracious for blood. It has caused us all to find refuge in our tents early. As we look ahead, the next several days will be below our average day. This is due to the spacing of towns and services. The only other option is for 80+ mile days. No one likes that option.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Great Falls, MT Sunday June 27
Great Falls, MT -- Sunday, June 27
We have a pattern that we need to stop. It seems as if that if we have a day of big hills we also have a big ride. Today we crossed the Continental Divide at Rogers Pass on Hwy 200. We thought that this would be our biggest hill of the day. It turned out that there were other significant hill challenges ahead.
We knew before we started to ride that when we left Lincoln we had 56 miles to go before the next services of any kind, food or water. For this portion of the ride we provisioned well and managed to get to our planned overnight stop (Simms) just as we depleted most of our water. During the first 45 miles on this stretch we had long, slow, grinding crawls up four significant hills. The views during this portion of the ride were big. I guess this is why they call MT the 'Big Sky' state. The trees have been replaced by a vast openness of distant mountains and undulating hills.
In planning today's ride we had considered going overnighting in Great Falls; however, great falls was 89 miles from Lincoln. Forty miles into the ride, we were almost certain that Simms would be our overnight. When we arrived at Simms at 3:00 PM, looked around and took note of the relatively flat elevation maps, we decided to make a run for Great Falls.
It was a good decision. The ride was relatively flat, the late Sunday afternoon traffic on Hwy 200 was manageable, and the general sightseeing less than ideal. In addition, the lay over would allow us to do laundry in the early AM. In the end we rode 97 miles. We had chosen to tent at a KOA campsite on the eastern edge of Great Falls (we approached from the west.
Our plans changed when we arrived at KOA at 7:30 and wanted to charge us $57 to camp. Although we had to pedal back into Great Falls 2 miles, we found a motel room for nearly the same cost, granted it is next door to 'The Sleazy Lady'. Although I did not personally verify what the Sleazy Lady is, the name speaks for itself. Although none of us wanted to continue riding once we arrived at the KOA, the motel is within blocks of a grocery and laundry, setting us up well for Monday's ride to Fort Benton, approximately 55 miles away.
Lastly, I had my first flat today, a mile from the motel. :-(
We have a pattern that we need to stop. It seems as if that if we have a day of big hills we also have a big ride. Today we crossed the Continental Divide at Rogers Pass on Hwy 200. We thought that this would be our biggest hill of the day. It turned out that there were other significant hill challenges ahead.
We knew before we started to ride that when we left Lincoln we had 56 miles to go before the next services of any kind, food or water. For this portion of the ride we provisioned well and managed to get to our planned overnight stop (Simms) just as we depleted most of our water. During the first 45 miles on this stretch we had long, slow, grinding crawls up four significant hills. The views during this portion of the ride were big. I guess this is why they call MT the 'Big Sky' state. The trees have been replaced by a vast openness of distant mountains and undulating hills.
In planning today's ride we had considered going overnighting in Great Falls; however, great falls was 89 miles from Lincoln. Forty miles into the ride, we were almost certain that Simms would be our overnight. When we arrived at Simms at 3:00 PM, looked around and took note of the relatively flat elevation maps, we decided to make a run for Great Falls.
It was a good decision. The ride was relatively flat, the late Sunday afternoon traffic on Hwy 200 was manageable, and the general sightseeing less than ideal. In addition, the lay over would allow us to do laundry in the early AM. In the end we rode 97 miles. We had chosen to tent at a KOA campsite on the eastern edge of Great Falls (we approached from the west.
Our plans changed when we arrived at KOA at 7:30 and wanted to charge us $57 to camp. Although we had to pedal back into Great Falls 2 miles, we found a motel room for nearly the same cost, granted it is next door to 'The Sleazy Lady'. Although I did not personally verify what the Sleazy Lady is, the name speaks for itself. Although none of us wanted to continue riding once we arrived at the KOA, the motel is within blocks of a grocery and laundry, setting us up well for Monday's ride to Fort Benton, approximately 55 miles away.
Lastly, I had my first flat today, a mile from the motel. :-(
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Rogers Pass, Continental Divide June 27
Rogers Pass, continental divide, 20 miles outside Lincoln, Mt on Hwy 200, June 27
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Lincoln, MT June 26
Lincoln, MT -- Saturday, June 26
Simply put, today was a neat day! The weather was near perfect. We had a great tailwind assist for 2/3s of of 61 mile day to counter balance our constant uphill climb as we approached the continental divide which we will cross at Rogers Pass (5615') in the AM tomorrow. We crossed paths with another cross country cyclist (a 60 year old male 5th grade teacher from WV) and shared many stories. We visited Garnet, an old mining ghost town, eleven miles off our route and 1500' higher in elevation. And lastly we had this great, late afternoon lunch at the Stray Bullet Cafe in Ovando.
If this cafe were near Iowa City it would be a frequently visited by many of the bicyclists that I know. And at the end, we found an RV Park with showers and a great green space to set up tents. It would be hard to have a better day than this.
The trip to Garnet was a spontaneous 2 hour detour. We were no more than 10 miles into our ride this morning when we came across a round side sign stating that today was Garnet Ghost Town Day. We pulled into the area only to learn that Garnet was an 11 mile uphill ride; however a free shuttle ride was being provided to the top. The shuttle van driver offerred to haul our bikes to the top (bikes, trailers and all) and then let us ride down. About 4 miles into the upward journey, the paved road turned to gravel. With that change the driver also agreed to drive the bikes back down. To do this meant we had to leave our biks on the shuttle while it went back down the mountain to pick up more people while we spent an hour touring this ghost town, having hand churned ice cream using ice blocks that had been cut from a nearby lake in January and stored in an ice house using sawdust as insulation. It was a great diversion.
The Stray Bullet Cafe in Ovando was also off the beaten path but by only a 1/2 mile. In this town it was as if someone turned back time with a General Store, a museum and the cafe. I probably had the best cold meat sandwich that I've had in a long time that was garnished with all sorts of fresh cut vegetables and trimmings. The old west ambiance of the place was amazing with all sorts or historical photos and artifacts adorning the walls. The bicyclists that we meet at our campsite in Lincoln had other great stories to tell about the town too.
I've been surpised at the number of other cross country cyclists that we have been meeting over the past 5-6 days. All have their stories and adventures as well as the stories and adventures of thei encounters with other bicyclists. Randy, who we meet today (we saw his picture on the Adventure Cycling wall yesterday) carries a 45 caliber hand gun in his front handlebar bag to help ensure his safety (he is riding alone) and told the tale of having to almost use it on a moose near Kamiah, that he was in a standoff with on the road going out of town. We've had no such enounters.
As noted earlier, tomorrow we are crossing the Continental Divide. It will be the highest pass that we will cross. Based upon our maps it does not appear to be as steep or long as the other passes that we have crossed. We hope that is the case. If all goes well, we should be in Great Falls on Monday, three days ahead of schedule. This sudden change from being behind schedule by approximately 1 1/2 days to being ahead is due to a course change. We are still doing an Adventure Cycling route; however it is a route that is more direct from Missoula to Great Falls. If the schedule holds (60 - 70 miles per day) my new ending point will be somewhere in mid ND.
Simply put, today was a neat day! The weather was near perfect. We had a great tailwind assist for 2/3s of of 61 mile day to counter balance our constant uphill climb as we approached the continental divide which we will cross at Rogers Pass (5615') in the AM tomorrow. We crossed paths with another cross country cyclist (a 60 year old male 5th grade teacher from WV) and shared many stories. We visited Garnet, an old mining ghost town, eleven miles off our route and 1500' higher in elevation. And lastly we had this great, late afternoon lunch at the Stray Bullet Cafe in Ovando.
If this cafe were near Iowa City it would be a frequently visited by many of the bicyclists that I know. And at the end, we found an RV Park with showers and a great green space to set up tents. It would be hard to have a better day than this.
The trip to Garnet was a spontaneous 2 hour detour. We were no more than 10 miles into our ride this morning when we came across a round side sign stating that today was Garnet Ghost Town Day. We pulled into the area only to learn that Garnet was an 11 mile uphill ride; however a free shuttle ride was being provided to the top. The shuttle van driver offerred to haul our bikes to the top (bikes, trailers and all) and then let us ride down. About 4 miles into the upward journey, the paved road turned to gravel. With that change the driver also agreed to drive the bikes back down. To do this meant we had to leave our biks on the shuttle while it went back down the mountain to pick up more people while we spent an hour touring this ghost town, having hand churned ice cream using ice blocks that had been cut from a nearby lake in January and stored in an ice house using sawdust as insulation. It was a great diversion.
The Stray Bullet Cafe in Ovando was also off the beaten path but by only a 1/2 mile. In this town it was as if someone turned back time with a General Store, a museum and the cafe. I probably had the best cold meat sandwich that I've had in a long time that was garnished with all sorts of fresh cut vegetables and trimmings. The old west ambiance of the place was amazing with all sorts or historical photos and artifacts adorning the walls. The bicyclists that we meet at our campsite in Lincoln had other great stories to tell about the town too.
I've been surpised at the number of other cross country cyclists that we have been meeting over the past 5-6 days. All have their stories and adventures as well as the stories and adventures of thei encounters with other bicyclists. Randy, who we meet today (we saw his picture on the Adventure Cycling wall yesterday) carries a 45 caliber hand gun in his front handlebar bag to help ensure his safety (he is riding alone) and told the tale of having to almost use it on a moose near Kamiah, that he was in a standoff with on the road going out of town. We've had no such enounters.
As noted earlier, tomorrow we are crossing the Continental Divide. It will be the highest pass that we will cross. Based upon our maps it does not appear to be as steep or long as the other passes that we have crossed. We hope that is the case. If all goes well, we should be in Great Falls on Monday, three days ahead of schedule. This sudden change from being behind schedule by approximately 1 1/2 days to being ahead is due to a course change. We are still doing an Adventure Cycling route; however it is a route that is more direct from Missoula to Great Falls. If the schedule holds (60 - 70 miles per day) my new ending point will be somewhere in mid ND.
18 miles east of Missoula, June 25
A Renegade Campsite along Hwy 200, 18 miles east of Missoula, MT --Friday, June 25
Today I felt as if we Lewis and Clark heading towards a provision post in Missoula, MT after being in the wilderness for many weeks. Our situation pales in comparison to Lewis and Clark; however we have been traveling in areas where towns and services are 60-80 miles apart and where cell phone service is not available.We've been anxiously awaiting Missoula to obtain medical advice forAndrea's nagging seat problem as well as a better bicycle seat for her. In addition, we needed a few other supplies, tire patches, a new Camelbackbladder, and an opportunity for me to receive my work e-mail and providec omment on a legal document that is being filed today. In short we had a lot to accomplish while at the same time make significant progress on our trek across the West. We also wanted to stop by the headquarters of Adventure Cycling, the publisher of the maps that we are using and anorganization that I have been a donating member of since 1978. We accomplished all of the above by spending nearly 6 hours in Missoula while still pedaling nearly 64 miles. On top of this schedule we had our first flat tire. It happened not once, but twice. They both happened onAlex's bike on separate tires. One was caused by a small metal wire, likely from the cord of a large truck tire. The other was caused by a 5"spike. Alex had never successfully changed a flat before. Fortunately, I've changed many and was able to provide some guidance. We also had our first fast food on the trip. This also happened twice. This is not my idea of good bicycling nourishment. For the last 18 miles I continually belched gas from that Wendy's burger. I went with the flow on this one. This ride is Andrea's and Alex's trip too. With that said, we generally have been eating good foods. In fact our last stop in Missoulawas at an Albertsons where we bought peaches, apples, bananas, strawberries, and carrots for our breakfast and lunch tomorrow. We had a great stop at Adventure Cycling. Our picture is now on the wall with others who have passed through the headquarters (about 200 rider todate). We spent about two hours there meeting the staff and other riders who were also passing through on this day, including one of the young female riders that we met yesterday. We also met a rider who had learned of Andrea's accident through the rider chain. I found this movement/exchangeof information fascinating.The route today was nothing remarkable. Pedaling 25 miles down into Lolo this morning was picturesque; however, the remaining miles offer high traffic volumes and nothing remarkable. Lastly, we are camping tonight in an area that says no camping allowed.This is contrary to what information our route sheets provided. Given the lateness in which we arrived (7:45 PM) and the prospects of finding any other campsite within range, we decided to be 'renegades'. Although thesite does have a pit toilet and water which is hand pumped from a well, there is no shower. It should be a quiet night unless the wild critters getwind of our food.
Today I felt as if we Lewis and Clark heading towards a provision post in Missoula, MT after being in the wilderness for many weeks. Our situation pales in comparison to Lewis and Clark; however we have been traveling in areas where towns and services are 60-80 miles apart and where cell phone service is not available.We've been anxiously awaiting Missoula to obtain medical advice forAndrea's nagging seat problem as well as a better bicycle seat for her. In addition, we needed a few other supplies, tire patches, a new Camelbackbladder, and an opportunity for me to receive my work e-mail and providec omment on a legal document that is being filed today. In short we had a lot to accomplish while at the same time make significant progress on our trek across the West. We also wanted to stop by the headquarters of Adventure Cycling, the publisher of the maps that we are using and anorganization that I have been a donating member of since 1978. We accomplished all of the above by spending nearly 6 hours in Missoula while still pedaling nearly 64 miles. On top of this schedule we had our first flat tire. It happened not once, but twice. They both happened onAlex's bike on separate tires. One was caused by a small metal wire, likely from the cord of a large truck tire. The other was caused by a 5"spike. Alex had never successfully changed a flat before. Fortunately, I've changed many and was able to provide some guidance. We also had our first fast food on the trip. This also happened twice. This is not my idea of good bicycling nourishment. For the last 18 miles I continually belched gas from that Wendy's burger. I went with the flow on this one. This ride is Andrea's and Alex's trip too. With that said, we generally have been eating good foods. In fact our last stop in Missoulawas at an Albertsons where we bought peaches, apples, bananas, strawberries, and carrots for our breakfast and lunch tomorrow. We had a great stop at Adventure Cycling. Our picture is now on the wall with others who have passed through the headquarters (about 200 rider todate). We spent about two hours there meeting the staff and other riders who were also passing through on this day, including one of the young female riders that we met yesterday. We also met a rider who had learned of Andrea's accident through the rider chain. I found this movement/exchangeof information fascinating.The route today was nothing remarkable. Pedaling 25 miles down into Lolo this morning was picturesque; however, the remaining miles offer high traffic volumes and nothing remarkable. Lastly, we are camping tonight in an area that says no camping allowed.This is contrary to what information our route sheets provided. Given the lateness in which we arrived (7:45 PM) and the prospects of finding any other campsite within range, we decided to be 'renegades'. Although thesite does have a pit toilet and water which is hand pumped from a well, there is no shower. It should be a quiet night unless the wild critters getwind of our food.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Lolo Hot Springs, MT June 24
Lolo Hot Springs, MT -- Thursday, June 24
We did it! We've crossed our highest pass (5250') - Lolo Pass. It was 47mile climb today for the approach followed by a 5 mile climb totalling2000'. The final 5 miles was brutal - maxing out my lowest gear to crawl 5miles and hour. Since Andrea was having a difficult day with her bottom aswell as the climb, I took about 10 lbs from Andrea's load (her tent). Thishelped her and about killed me.Getting to the peak was a cherished moment. All of us were exhausted andsweating out massive amounts of fluid. While there we were rained upon,making the descent a little challenging. After crossing the pass wecontinued on for an additional 8 miles making it a sixty mile day. Wechose having a hot shower at an RV park, which had more tenters and cabindwellers than RV, than continue onward for a USFS camp site.For about 40 miles this morning we continued to follow the Lochsa River.It was as beautiful as it was yesterday. Today we also encountered two 25year old women who also were pedaling across the country. +n their travelsthey were researching the quality of rural healthcare and had arrangedstops and visits at many hospitals. We also encountered a family that waspedaling coast to coast but supported by their mother in a large SUV.Needless to say our journey would we a whole lot easier if we weren't eachpulling the 40-60 lbs of gear. All in all it was an OK day. We are alllooking forward to our pass through Missoula, MT tomorrow to visistAdventure Cycling, explore the bike shops for a new seat for Andrea andother assorted things.
We did it! We've crossed our highest pass (5250') - Lolo Pass. It was 47mile climb today for the approach followed by a 5 mile climb totalling2000'. The final 5 miles was brutal - maxing out my lowest gear to crawl 5miles and hour. Since Andrea was having a difficult day with her bottom aswell as the climb, I took about 10 lbs from Andrea's load (her tent). Thishelped her and about killed me.Getting to the peak was a cherished moment. All of us were exhausted andsweating out massive amounts of fluid. While there we were rained upon,making the descent a little challenging. After crossing the pass wecontinued on for an additional 8 miles making it a sixty mile day. Wechose having a hot shower at an RV park, which had more tenters and cabindwellers than RV, than continue onward for a USFS camp site.For about 40 miles this morning we continued to follow the Lochsa River.It was as beautiful as it was yesterday. Today we also encountered two 25year old women who also were pedaling across the country. +n their travelsthey were researching the quality of rural healthcare and had arrangedstops and visits at many hospitals. We also encountered a family that waspedaling coast to coast but supported by their mother in a large SUV.Needless to say our journey would we a whole lot easier if we weren't eachpulling the 40-60 lbs of gear. All in all it was an OK day. We are alllooking forward to our pass through Missoula, MT tomorrow to visistAdventure Cycling, explore the bike shops for a new seat for Andrea andother assorted things.
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