June 29, 2008:  Finally the RideForJim duo have access to a computer at a campground halfway between Moran Junction and Dubois, WY so a more detailed blog can be entered.   Most of the bloggin has been done using Philip's iPhone which Jack's fat fingers have trouble typing on. 

 

We find ourselves moving along pretty much on target time wise.  The ride has been every bit as challenging as Jack expected but after three weeks in the saddle the days are becoming more routine and the legs and butt are now conditioned to spend seven to eight hours grinding out the miles.  Today was the second highest climb of the entire ride.  It was over Togwotee Pass at 9,658 feet.   The highest peak comes just past Keystone, CO in 9 days or so.   The climbs are just long and slow, going in the lowest gear at between 4 an 6 MPH.  The weather has been absolutely perfect except for the first three days when we had gloomy drippy cold to contend with and, you may recall, tire problems and tendon issues which still are not resolved. 

 

Some possibly interesting asides from the trip thus far: 

 

Jack has had ample time to take note of the various types of debris scattered along the road.  The most common article along the road side he has seen is bungee cords, especially in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.   Do the people in those states ever arrive with any of their bungess still attached????  They are everywhere along the road. 

 

In contrast the road sides in Montana are absolutely spotless.   Jack saw one bag of trash that must have escaped from a load and ONE plastic bottle along the road side.  That was it for the whole state.  If Lynn Watkins, our former neighbor who organized the twice annual road site clean up where we live in Doswell, is reading this,  you would LOVE Montana.   Bill would too,   well maybe not,  they do have winter there. 

 

Concerning road kill:   The most common victim in Montana is the skunk.  Hugh Campbell, can trap the skunk under our front porch you should bring it to Montana.  It must be an endangered species here. 

 

The tent used for camping on the trip is very high tech but, sadly did not come with satallite hookup, high def TV or a DVD player.   So Philip and Jack have been entertaining themselves reading portions of a couple books, mostly "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson.  They recommend it as a great read.  It is about Bill's attempt to hike the Appalacian Trail with a friend, but it is interesting that there are many points of commonality with a TransAmerica Bike ride.  For one example he notes that distances on foot  are much different than distances in a car.  The same is true on a bike.  Taking a 5 mile detour on a bike is something to think about.  He also has a deep concern about grizzely bear attacks.  Our duo is currenty in Grizzely Country south of Yellowstone with ample warnings on all picnic tables.  One night when Jack was camping alone at a very privitive site along the Bitter Root River, he barely slept thinking about Bill's description of bear attacks.   Actually that's not true at all.  He slept like a baby he was so tried and actually did not care if a bear attacked.  Bill Bryson also has a vivid description of Gatlinburg, TN which  P &J have decided could easily fit West Yellowstone, MO.   If you have never been there you probably don't need to make the effort.   This book is a great read and has provided many evenings of pleasant reading.  Fortunatly there is no one on the trip that fits the description of Katz in the book. 

 

Another random fact, a Bianchi Volpe, Jack's bike, is capable of catapaulting down a steep grade at 43.5 MPH. 

 

At most stopping points there is some curious onlooker who wants to know where Jack is riding to or from.  This happens at resturants, water stops, waiting for Old Faithful to erupt, or historical markers along the way.  In answering their questions we mention that the ride is in memory of our friend, Jim and give them a sticky note with the web site on it.  In several cases the people have given us a donation to the fund on the spot.  This morning a lady spoke to Jack at a rest area and mentioned that her sister died of breast cancer six months ago and gave him $20 for the fund.  One cook at a Minit Mart where Jack was having biscuts and gravey (B&G) in Montana,  had a lymphoma that was treated 18 years ago with a bone marrow transplant.  There are just a few of the many similar events that have occured. 

 

Many times Jack meets long distance riders coming from the other direction and the always stop to talk and compare information about what challenges have just passed and what lies ahead.   It is a sort of fellowship out there with a sort of instant bonding. 

 

Time for our duo to call it a day in order to ride on tomorrow. 

 

Thanks to all for your prayers and support  and interest in this adventure.  If any of  you were spelling bee winners the writer apologizes for the errors.  He never won a spelling bee in his life and hopes your eyes aren't bleeding from the typing errors and lack of a spell check.