June 29: rode 40 miles east from Marshfield, MO, but found our way north to Rolla by a mysterious turn of events
The events of today will be recounted as accurately as possible like always, but I have to say that I am having a tough time believing that this sort of story actually happened. Let me begin by saying that Larry has a friend and colleague who lives in Dixon, MO, which is north of the our bike route but not terribly far from two of our stops: Marshfield and Emimence. Larry wanted to catch up with him (Frank Chapman) last night but it was late so he decided to postpone...
The ride started very well. The temperature was a cool 61 degrees and sunny with a forecasted high in the mid 80s, and we even had a tail wind. We were making good time despite the steep grades of the road, and had come about 40 miles to the intersection of highways 38 and 95. Well, I was there to take a little break and wait up for Larry. After 5 minutes of waiting, I guessed that he was fixing a flat so I just looked over the maps. Then I sat my bike down and I also decided to sit. I put my head in my arms and sortif dozed for a bit since sleep has been tough to come by. When I snapped out of this trance, I looked at the time and realized that I'd been there for 45 minutes! Worried, I started to backtrack. Larry was 3 miles back in a driveway with BOB off and bike upside down. The cable to his rear derailer had snapped and he was trying to replace it but the thing wasn't cooperating. After fiddling with it for some time, another rider came along, and between the 3 of us we were able to set the bike in a low gear so that we could ride up to the intersection and call Frank or try to hitch a ride. There is no cell reception at the bottom of the hills so calls require high ground.
As we approached the top, a white SUV pulled over into the driveway of a church and the driver asked me if I was Charley, to which I replied, "Frank?". Sure enough, it was the one and only Frank! He left work early to try and catch us in Houston, but after some waiting decided to check along the route. We piled our stuff into his car and went first to his house for some water and melon. He hen drove us north to Rolla so that Larry could have his bike fixed by a shop he has used there. The shop was able to fix Larry's bike, and we were also able to share a meal and check into a hotel. On top of this wonderful treatment, Frank also helped us figure out a route for tomorrow that will put us back on the trail at the same pace as we have in the itinerary. Of all the places to have the cable snap and to have somebody willing to go so far out of his way, I'm glad that they were one in the same.
We'll head to Farmington tomorrow barring any ssues. Thank you so much, Frank, and I can't help but think that we were being watched over.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
We've found some hills again
June 26: 130 miles from Nickerson, KS, to Eureka, KS
We awoke at the B&B & exotic animal farm before the official breakfast, but the night manager showed us the kitchen so we helped ourselves to fruit and cereal. It's nice to have the healthier stuff, especially when you're eating lots of it.
We needed to get an early start because again the temperature was at record high levels. The high along our route was 103, and it stayed above 95 from 11a until 7p. This heat combined with the humidity made for some very tough riding. We've been very good about staying hydrated, but my big issue comes from sweat and sunscreen dripping into my eyes. You can only wipe so much out before your eyes are very irritated, leaving you blinded, angry, and generally not happy with your ride. Wiping sweat from the eyes is a bit dangerous, too, as you start to swerve on the road.
During the last 25 miles of the ride, I began to have my first bough with insanity. Between my butt and eyes burning I wasn't moving too quickly, and this really drove my frustration to the tipping point. I knew there was a town called Rosalia halfway between where I was and Eureka, and I knew that I needed to take a rest and wash my face a bit. I started yelling out loud, either at my legs, the road, or my bike computer (or a combination of the above): "13 MILES AN HOUR!"; "I'M COMIN', ROSALIA!"
Anyhow, I was very glad to get to Rosalia, where I downed two bottles of water at the cafe. The owners were really cool and chatted for a while, which helped me regain my sanity. They also had a guest book for cyclists or other bikers, in which I found the autograph of one Jack Haar from his ride last year! Seeing something familiar is really a treat.
June 27: 125 miles from Eureka, KS, to Pittsburg, KS
The weather, yet again, was not our ally. It was again over 100 degrees with plenty of humidity, and again over 95 from 11a-7p (this is info is gathered from digital signs in front of banks telling the time and temperature). This experience was pretty similar to that of the previous day, with plenty of eye irritation. I even bought some eye drops later in the day just in case I have this problem again.
We ate a late lunch at a little convenience store/restaurant in the town of Walnut, after a not-too-smart stent of riding during the hottest part of the day. After lunch, Larry and I were both so sleepy that we took a nap right there at the table. The owners were very kind not to wake us. We haven't been getting as much sleep at night because of the long days (spending like 14 hours on the road), and I think that's adding up...along with the whole heat, biking, and food thing. We were rewarded with a Chinese buffet in Pittsburg, though. They were playing 80s music on Satellite radio, which made me like the experience even more. As I began my third plate of food, I needed a bit of help to finish the bounty, and "Heat of the Moment" suddenly came on the radio to drive my jaws on this last challenge of the day; how perfect, as this song is by the band Asia.
Let me move on to some more important business related to homemade pie, though. For breakfast we stopped in Toronto, and couple of Swedish cyclists riding East to West came in as well. They warned us of road construction, but also informed us of a wonderful restaurant called Cooky's in Golden City, Missouri. I made a mental note and went on to the rest of the ride...
June 28: 122 miles from Pittsburg, KS, to Marshfield
The weather was really good today. High was around 85 and the humidity wasn't as bad as the past few. This was really excellent cycling weather and I'm very grateful to have had it.
We left about the same time as a couple of other cyclists from the hotel riding East to West, and they strongly recommended Cooky's in Golden City. Another mental note was made. As we crossed into Missouri, we stopped to take a picture of the welcome sign and a guy yelled out of his truck, "Stop at Cooky's!" Now I was excited for this place.
Cooky's diner is one of the few (if not the only) restaurants in Golden City, and it would certainly put any bakery out of business. They have a large selection of warm and cool pies, and a slice will cost you only $1.75 (plus $1 if you'd like a dallop of ice cream on top). Larry and I each endulged in several pieces: I had a slice of blackberry and a slice of blueberry, followed by a slice of strawberry for dessert. These three slices plus a glass of milk cost a whopping $6.59. You just can't beat that!
As if the awesome weather and pie weren't enough, I also ran into a friend from high school who I knew was riding East to West. Jeff Joyce and 4 of his college buddies (Dave, Pick, Doug, and another guy who apparently can't be trusted to give accurate info, haha) were crossing a construction site at the same time of the evening that we were, so we stopped to talk for a little while. These guys just graduated from JMU and seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly. They know every friendly church to stay in, and also every good swimmin' hole from Missouri to the Yorktown terminus. They are keeping a blog, too: zoobikes.blogspot.com, so check out their trip as well.
We awoke at the B&B & exotic animal farm before the official breakfast, but the night manager showed us the kitchen so we helped ourselves to fruit and cereal. It's nice to have the healthier stuff, especially when you're eating lots of it.
We needed to get an early start because again the temperature was at record high levels. The high along our route was 103, and it stayed above 95 from 11a until 7p. This heat combined with the humidity made for some very tough riding. We've been very good about staying hydrated, but my big issue comes from sweat and sunscreen dripping into my eyes. You can only wipe so much out before your eyes are very irritated, leaving you blinded, angry, and generally not happy with your ride. Wiping sweat from the eyes is a bit dangerous, too, as you start to swerve on the road.
During the last 25 miles of the ride, I began to have my first bough with insanity. Between my butt and eyes burning I wasn't moving too quickly, and this really drove my frustration to the tipping point. I knew there was a town called Rosalia halfway between where I was and Eureka, and I knew that I needed to take a rest and wash my face a bit. I started yelling out loud, either at my legs, the road, or my bike computer (or a combination of the above): "13 MILES AN HOUR!"; "I'M COMIN', ROSALIA!"
Anyhow, I was very glad to get to Rosalia, where I downed two bottles of water at the cafe. The owners were really cool and chatted for a while, which helped me regain my sanity. They also had a guest book for cyclists or other bikers, in which I found the autograph of one Jack Haar from his ride last year! Seeing something familiar is really a treat.
June 27: 125 miles from Eureka, KS, to Pittsburg, KS
The weather, yet again, was not our ally. It was again over 100 degrees with plenty of humidity, and again over 95 from 11a-7p (this is info is gathered from digital signs in front of banks telling the time and temperature). This experience was pretty similar to that of the previous day, with plenty of eye irritation. I even bought some eye drops later in the day just in case I have this problem again.
We ate a late lunch at a little convenience store/restaurant in the town of Walnut, after a not-too-smart stent of riding during the hottest part of the day. After lunch, Larry and I were both so sleepy that we took a nap right there at the table. The owners were very kind not to wake us. We haven't been getting as much sleep at night because of the long days (spending like 14 hours on the road), and I think that's adding up...along with the whole heat, biking, and food thing. We were rewarded with a Chinese buffet in Pittsburg, though. They were playing 80s music on Satellite radio, which made me like the experience even more. As I began my third plate of food, I needed a bit of help to finish the bounty, and "Heat of the Moment" suddenly came on the radio to drive my jaws on this last challenge of the day; how perfect, as this song is by the band Asia.
Let me move on to some more important business related to homemade pie, though. For breakfast we stopped in Toronto, and couple of Swedish cyclists riding East to West came in as well. They warned us of road construction, but also informed us of a wonderful restaurant called Cooky's in Golden City, Missouri. I made a mental note and went on to the rest of the ride...
June 28: 122 miles from Pittsburg, KS, to Marshfield
The weather was really good today. High was around 85 and the humidity wasn't as bad as the past few. This was really excellent cycling weather and I'm very grateful to have had it.
We left about the same time as a couple of other cyclists from the hotel riding East to West, and they strongly recommended Cooky's in Golden City. Another mental note was made. As we crossed into Missouri, we stopped to take a picture of the welcome sign and a guy yelled out of his truck, "Stop at Cooky's!" Now I was excited for this place.
Cooky's diner is one of the few (if not the only) restaurants in Golden City, and it would certainly put any bakery out of business. They have a large selection of warm and cool pies, and a slice will cost you only $1.75 (plus $1 if you'd like a dallop of ice cream on top). Larry and I each endulged in several pieces: I had a slice of blackberry and a slice of blueberry, followed by a slice of strawberry for dessert. These three slices plus a glass of milk cost a whopping $6.59. You just can't beat that!
As if the awesome weather and pie weren't enough, I also ran into a friend from high school who I knew was riding East to West. Jeff Joyce and 4 of his college buddies (Dave, Pick, Doug, and another guy who apparently can't be trusted to give accurate info, haha) were crossing a construction site at the same time of the evening that we were, so we stopped to talk for a little while. These guys just graduated from JMU and seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly. They know every friendly church to stay in, and also every good swimmin' hole from Missouri to the Yorktown terminus. They are keeping a blog, too: zoobikes.blogspot.com, so check out their trip as well.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Bed, breakfast, and exotic animals
June 25: 127 miles from Ness City, KS, to Nickerson, KS
It's hot in Kansas! The temperature was 100 on Wednesday and 104 yesterday; the high will be within that range again today, and we've moved into the more humid regions of Kansas. We've been leaving early to ride as much during the cool hours but the afternoons are boiling. After a few hours, my water bottles begin to heat up and warm water/Gatorade isn't the most refreshing.
We thought that a restaurant existed in Bazine, which would allow us to get in 10 miles before breakfast, but unfortunately there were no restaurants until lunch. It's a good thing I bought more pop tarts in Tribune. We ate in the farmer's co-op, where one of the farmers joked that I could get hash browns and pancakes from the vending machine. The wheat harvest is going on right now, so these guys are pretty busy and there are lots of trucks, often hauling farm equipment, on the roads.
We made it to Larned for lunch, just as it was really starting to heat up. After eating, the restaurant kindly cleaned out our water bottles and filled them up. It was broiling hot on our 60-mile remaining ride to Nickerson. The route took us on a "scenic byway" that looked more like a bug-filled swamp. The flies were vicious! We ran into some 2009 JMU grads on the way, though, who had good things to say about the areas ahead.
We are staying at the Hedrick's Bed and Breakfast, and exotic animal farm. We're in the llama suite. Ostriches greeted us on our arrival, but we were a bit too tired to explore the other crazy critters. We did explore some air conditioning.
It's hot in Kansas! The temperature was 100 on Wednesday and 104 yesterday; the high will be within that range again today, and we've moved into the more humid regions of Kansas. We've been leaving early to ride as much during the cool hours but the afternoons are boiling. After a few hours, my water bottles begin to heat up and warm water/Gatorade isn't the most refreshing.
We thought that a restaurant existed in Bazine, which would allow us to get in 10 miles before breakfast, but unfortunately there were no restaurants until lunch. It's a good thing I bought more pop tarts in Tribune. We ate in the farmer's co-op, where one of the farmers joked that I could get hash browns and pancakes from the vending machine. The wheat harvest is going on right now, so these guys are pretty busy and there are lots of trucks, often hauling farm equipment, on the roads.
We made it to Larned for lunch, just as it was really starting to heat up. After eating, the restaurant kindly cleaned out our water bottles and filled them up. It was broiling hot on our 60-mile remaining ride to Nickerson. The route took us on a "scenic byway" that looked more like a bug-filled swamp. The flies were vicious! We ran into some 2009 JMU grads on the way, though, who had good things to say about the areas ahead.
We are staying at the Hedrick's Bed and Breakfast, and exotic animal farm. We're in the llama suite. Ostriches greeted us on our arrival, but we were a bit too tired to explore the other crazy critters. We did explore some air conditioning.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Early to rise in Ness City, Kansas
June 24: 104 miles from Tribune, KS, to Ness City, KS
We left early to beat the heat as much as possible - high of 100 again. Anna, the very accomodating owner of our motel was up and about, too, and informed us that the Trails End has a myspace page. We chatted for a bit and then rode 22 miles to Leoti for a full breakfast. Along the way, we crossed into the Central Time Zone as we left Greeley County ( named for Horace Greeley) and entered Wichitaw County.
There was good spacing between towns so we stayed as cool and hydrated as possible. We made it to the Derrick Inn around 4:45 even after losing an hour. There was a Frigid Creme next door that rewarded Larry with a pineapple sundae and me with a limeade. As of this morning, Larry's ankle looks a bit better. Kansas continues to treat us well!
We left early to beat the heat as much as possible - high of 100 again. Anna, the very accomodating owner of our motel was up and about, too, and informed us that the Trails End has a myspace page. We chatted for a bit and then rode 22 miles to Leoti for a full breakfast. Along the way, we crossed into the Central Time Zone as we left Greeley County ( named for Horace Greeley) and entered Wichitaw County.
There was good spacing between towns so we stayed as cool and hydrated as possible. We made it to the Derrick Inn around 4:45 even after losing an hour. There was a Frigid Creme next door that rewarded Larry with a pineapple sundae and me with a limeade. As of this morning, Larry's ankle looks a bit better. Kansas continues to treat us well!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Rest day in Tribune, KS
June 20: 126 miles from Keystone, CO, to Canon City, CO
We had a wonderful breakfast at the Leichnetz residence, but I think we may have offended Athalie. She anticipated (based on Dr. Haar's ride the previous year) that we would want a farm-full of bacon, eggs, pancakes, etc. Larry and I, however, have been eating so much of that stuff that we really wanted to have cereal, fruit, English Muffins, and the like. We still ate a farm-full, don't worry.
The weather was cool and cloudy when we left, which was nice for the first part of our ride. We had 35 miles from Keystone to the top of the Hoosier Pass, which was our grand challenge of the day. The Hoosier Pass is 11,539 feet, and we sat around 9,000-10,000 feet. The climb was tough but manageable, and I was definitely a proud dude when we finished. The Hoosier is the highest peak that we climb on this journey, and a lot of downhill awaited through Pueblo, CO, which we wouldn't see until the next day.
At the top, we got a couple of pictures and enjoyed some delicious sandwiches prepared by Mrs. Leichnetz. Unfortunately, the weather became reminiscent of the Togwotee Pass in Wyoming. As we were eating it began to rain and the temperature dropped a little. We started descending the pass and it rained harder, then hailed for a few minutes, and then went back to rain for a total of 3 hours. This is miserable riding, as I've mentioned before, because you can't feel your hands or feet (not good when you need to brake), and your glasses are covered in raindrops so you can't see very well. There's a balance between moving quickly enough that you've covering some miles, and going slow enough to ride safely.
Around 5 the rain stopped, and the evening was very pretty. I actually dried out pretty well, too, and regained the feeling in my hands and feet.
It was late when we arrived in Canon City, and only the Burger King was open. Quite a downgrade from the past couple of days, but they do have shakes...
The weather cleared as we entered Canon City
Switchbacks climbing the Hoosier Pass
George and Athalie Leichnetz, our wonderful hosts. As I've said, they made us feel like we were on vacation!
June 21: 85 miles from Canon City, CO, to Fowler, CO
*Father's Day! Yes, Larry and I both called our fathers!
What a difference some elevation makes! After being at 6-11k feet, we're now in the 4000 feet of elevation range. There was a high temperature in the low 90s, and it was very sunny. The ride was also very flat, so it was not a challenging ride by any means.
We stopped in a small town outside of Canon City for breakfast, where we ate at the Two Sisters Cafe. The price was very reasonable, and the breakfast was DELICIOUS! I had these two eggs and two massive pancakes (pictured below) that were 10" in diameter. By the way, this was the "short stack".
We ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Pueblo, and met a guy who told us initially that he was a fisherman whose home port is in Astoria, OR - the beginning point of our trip. This was kinda cool that he knew about Astoria, and then he told us what kind of fishing he does. He's apparently a deck boss on a shrimp, tuna, and crab fishing vessel like you would see on the Deadliest Catch, who claims to have worked on the best boat: The Northwester (captin: Sig Hansen).
The rest of the ride wasn't too bad, and we had enough time to veg out for a while in the room, watch tv, and enjoy dinner. We wanted to stay in Ordway, CO, but the hotel was full, so we cut the day short by 16 miles to stay in Fowler. This meant that the next day's ride would be longer.
June 22: 138 miles from Fowler, CO, to Tribune, KS
The high was around 100, so we decided that an early start would serve us well, and it did. Other cyclists had this idea, too. We saw 10-15 of them riding East to West in the morning; before 9:00am, I think we saw more cyclists than cars.
There were two long stretches without any service stops, so we planned ahead. The first stretch was from Sugar City, CO, to Eads, CO. This was still morning, so it wasn't too hot and tiring. There were a couple of "towns" along the way, one of which was Arlington. Arlington has a small area with trees, a picnic table, and an outhouse (with guestbook). The shade was very nice for a little break.
We had lunch in Eads, and the shade and pitcher of water was lovely. From Eads to Tribune was another 58 miles, and we thought this stretch had no service stops but there actually was one half-way through at Sheridan Lake. It was hot but we had extra water and lifewater/gatorade (I like the lifewater, Larry likes the gatorade). The store is owned by a very nice man, and we got some soft-serve ice cream and cream soda. Yes, ice cream is awesome.
I haven't emphasized this enough, but the roads in Colorado aren't very good. The highways on which the map takes us are paved with chipshale, which is very grainy and slows you down (plus hurts your butt), and every 5-30 feet there will be a crack. The cracks slow you down and also hurt your hands + behind.
By 7:30p on this day, with 122 miles under our belt, we had had enough of these crappy roads. Entering Kansas was a welcome treat: the roads had been rumored to be wonderful and we found it very true. All of a sudden I switched from riding 11mph to 18mph, and my hind end didn't hurt nearly as bad. It was a physically- and mentally- satisfying end to the day. We arrived at like 8:45p in Tribune, and the very nice owner of the Trails End Motel took our picture and emailed it to our families. Kansas has treated us very well so far...
June 23: Resting in Tribune, KS
We're resting in Tribune because Larry's ankle is swollen and painful. We were very worried that it was an injury and would require extra rest days or possibly an end to Larry's trip. Fortunately, the clinic at the hospital was able to see us (quickly, I might add), and they found out that it was actually just some cellulitis. Larry's got some antibiotics and is good to go!
As I've said, Kansas has treated us well!
We had a wonderful breakfast at the Leichnetz residence, but I think we may have offended Athalie. She anticipated (based on Dr. Haar's ride the previous year) that we would want a farm-full of bacon, eggs, pancakes, etc. Larry and I, however, have been eating so much of that stuff that we really wanted to have cereal, fruit, English Muffins, and the like. We still ate a farm-full, don't worry.
The weather was cool and cloudy when we left, which was nice for the first part of our ride. We had 35 miles from Keystone to the top of the Hoosier Pass, which was our grand challenge of the day. The Hoosier Pass is 11,539 feet, and we sat around 9,000-10,000 feet. The climb was tough but manageable, and I was definitely a proud dude when we finished. The Hoosier is the highest peak that we climb on this journey, and a lot of downhill awaited through Pueblo, CO, which we wouldn't see until the next day.
At the top, we got a couple of pictures and enjoyed some delicious sandwiches prepared by Mrs. Leichnetz. Unfortunately, the weather became reminiscent of the Togwotee Pass in Wyoming. As we were eating it began to rain and the temperature dropped a little. We started descending the pass and it rained harder, then hailed for a few minutes, and then went back to rain for a total of 3 hours. This is miserable riding, as I've mentioned before, because you can't feel your hands or feet (not good when you need to brake), and your glasses are covered in raindrops so you can't see very well. There's a balance between moving quickly enough that you've covering some miles, and going slow enough to ride safely.
Around 5 the rain stopped, and the evening was very pretty. I actually dried out pretty well, too, and regained the feeling in my hands and feet.
It was late when we arrived in Canon City, and only the Burger King was open. Quite a downgrade from the past couple of days, but they do have shakes...
The weather cleared as we entered Canon City
Switchbacks climbing the Hoosier Pass
George and Athalie Leichnetz, our wonderful hosts. As I've said, they made us feel like we were on vacation!
June 21: 85 miles from Canon City, CO, to Fowler, CO
*Father's Day! Yes, Larry and I both called our fathers!
What a difference some elevation makes! After being at 6-11k feet, we're now in the 4000 feet of elevation range. There was a high temperature in the low 90s, and it was very sunny. The ride was also very flat, so it was not a challenging ride by any means.
We stopped in a small town outside of Canon City for breakfast, where we ate at the Two Sisters Cafe. The price was very reasonable, and the breakfast was DELICIOUS! I had these two eggs and two massive pancakes (pictured below) that were 10" in diameter. By the way, this was the "short stack".
We ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Pueblo, and met a guy who told us initially that he was a fisherman whose home port is in Astoria, OR - the beginning point of our trip. This was kinda cool that he knew about Astoria, and then he told us what kind of fishing he does. He's apparently a deck boss on a shrimp, tuna, and crab fishing vessel like you would see on the Deadliest Catch, who claims to have worked on the best boat: The Northwester (captin: Sig Hansen).
The rest of the ride wasn't too bad, and we had enough time to veg out for a while in the room, watch tv, and enjoy dinner. We wanted to stay in Ordway, CO, but the hotel was full, so we cut the day short by 16 miles to stay in Fowler. This meant that the next day's ride would be longer.
June 22: 138 miles from Fowler, CO, to Tribune, KS
The high was around 100, so we decided that an early start would serve us well, and it did. Other cyclists had this idea, too. We saw 10-15 of them riding East to West in the morning; before 9:00am, I think we saw more cyclists than cars.
There were two long stretches without any service stops, so we planned ahead. The first stretch was from Sugar City, CO, to Eads, CO. This was still morning, so it wasn't too hot and tiring. There were a couple of "towns" along the way, one of which was Arlington. Arlington has a small area with trees, a picnic table, and an outhouse (with guestbook). The shade was very nice for a little break.
We had lunch in Eads, and the shade and pitcher of water was lovely. From Eads to Tribune was another 58 miles, and we thought this stretch had no service stops but there actually was one half-way through at Sheridan Lake. It was hot but we had extra water and lifewater/gatorade (I like the lifewater, Larry likes the gatorade). The store is owned by a very nice man, and we got some soft-serve ice cream and cream soda. Yes, ice cream is awesome.
I haven't emphasized this enough, but the roads in Colorado aren't very good. The highways on which the map takes us are paved with chipshale, which is very grainy and slows you down (plus hurts your butt), and every 5-30 feet there will be a crack. The cracks slow you down and also hurt your hands + behind.
By 7:30p on this day, with 122 miles under our belt, we had had enough of these crappy roads. Entering Kansas was a welcome treat: the roads had been rumored to be wonderful and we found it very true. All of a sudden I switched from riding 11mph to 18mph, and my hind end didn't hurt nearly as bad. It was a physically- and mentally- satisfying end to the day. We arrived at like 8:45p in Tribune, and the very nice owner of the Trails End Motel took our picture and emailed it to our families. Kansas has treated us very well so far...
June 23: Resting in Tribune, KS
We're resting in Tribune because Larry's ankle is swollen and painful. We were very worried that it was an injury and would require extra rest days or possibly an end to Larry's trip. Fortunately, the clinic at the hospital was able to see us (quickly, I might add), and they found out that it was actually just some cellulitis. Larry's got some antibiotics and is good to go!
As I've said, Kansas has treated us well!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Enjoying Keystone with Leichnetz Family
We're here in Keyston, CO, with the George and Athalie Leichnetz, and have been treated like royalty! We had a short ride today that was made into a 1/2 resting day due to the rigor of the past few rides. I'll go over the details below, after summarizing the past few days as well:
More June 16 (rest day in Rawlins)
While walking back from the Carbon County Library after the last post, I ran into two mountainbikers named Kevin (son) and Bob (dad) riding north on the continental divide trail. They seemed to be in good spirits, and the wind blowing from the southwest was helping them along the way. They also met Tyler (from Dubois to Lander ride), who was staying at a hotel near ours. Unfortunately we didn't catch up with him, but it seems like he's moving along quickly.
June 17: 112 miles from Rawlins, WY, to Walden, CO
The day started with a strong tailwind that blew us east along the interstate, but this turned into a crosswind as we turned south. The wind blew very strong and did not give us a rest all day. A crosswind isn't as bad as a headwind, but it still slows you down and tries to throw you off balance when blowing 20 mph. The scenery wasn't very good, either, until we got to Colorado.
Despite the elevation, there were still plenty of cow pastures and standing water, which meant that mosquitos were abundant in Colorado. This is motivation to keep moving, and this was necessary for such a long ride. Also, restaurants in small towns like Walden close early. We had a very nice dinner, though, at the one restaurant that was open.
Along the road, we met several cyclists:
1) An older couple from Belgium who claimed to be famous. This was later confirmed by the group in (4). They were riding the Trans-Am from East to West
2) Trey, a college grad taking a year off between college and medical school (Texas Tech) riding north to British Columbia from San Antonio. His plan was to then ride south into California.
3) A guy named Dave from New Jersey, who was maybe in his late 20s. He was riding East to West along the Trans-Am currently. He started from Jersey, worked his way down to Virginia, and was doing the Trans-Am plus spent some extended time biking all over Colorado. His sister lives in Portland, and he's hoping to find a job there as well.
4) A couple riding towards Missoula before going along the Norther Tier route. The guy has been riding around 6000 miles, and the girl joined his ride and has put in 1500. He talked about the gray area between riding around the country and being homeless, and how he wasn't sure where he stood along the continuum.
June 18: 78 miles from Walden, CO, to Kremmling, CO
The original plan called for us to ride 120 miles from Walden to Silverthorne, CO, but after the previous day's ride we decided that this was too much. The trip to Silverthorne would be cut short, and we will make up the miles on some other days where we could afford the extra miles. In addition to the wind and hills, the road had large cracks in it that were definitely bad for the bikes and not too comfy on our butts. This had persisted throughout Wyoming and in our brief tour through Colorado.
The morning started with a continental breakfast at the motel, which had plenty to eat so we were happy (2 bagels, yogurt, applesauce, and a muffin for me - and I was hungry less than 2 hrs later). The ride began with a mild uphill plus a climb up the Willow Creek Pass (9,683 feet), which really wasn't bad. We enjoyed some sandwiches at the top, although we got a little bit of rain that cooled us down. Surprisingly there were mosquitos at this elevation! I couldn't believe it. This is where the rain was actually useful, because it took care of our mosquito problem.
The rain stopped shortly before we began descending from the pass. We descended for 18 miles, although at times we found a powerful headwind that would slow us down to 10 mph. After this descent was a 20-mile ride directly west to Kremmling. This was technically downhill as we lost elevation, but the wind was blowing so strong that it was a fight for every yard. We were glad to have made it to Kremmling, despite the improvement in road quality that our westward turn provided.
We arrived in time for Larry to check out the bike shop. He had a broken spoke in his rear wheel, which isn't good to ride with anyways, much less if you're riding long distances over questionable roads with a BOB trailer pushing down on the rear wheel hub.
June 19: 48 miles from Kremmling, CO, to Keystone, CO
After several recommendations from the townsfolk, we had breakfast at The Moose. It was pretty good, although nothing spectacular. The weather was great, though, and there was NO WIND! These conditions lasted all day and made for a smooth ride up to Keystone, which sits around 9000 feet of elevation.
We arrived at the Leichnetz residence around 12:45, and were greeted warmly by George and Athalie. Bella, the 2-year-old yellow lab, wasn't too keen on the bikes and BOBs, but she warmed up after we changed and provided some scratches. We ate lunch outdoors on the deck and for the rest of the day actually felt like we were on vacation. I ate 3 sandwiches, Larry ate 2, and we had plenty of chips with the special dip that Athalie makes. Grapes were also provided, and fruit has become a real treasure to plunder when available.
We were chauffered to several bike shops before finding one that could replace Larry's spoke. They were selling the spokes for a whopping $1 each, so he bought a few of them since the bladed spokes are tough to come by for a given wheel set. I got some new tires, as well.
Following the tour of bike shops, we checked out some of the gorgeous scenery in the area. Keystone, Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Dillon, and Frisco are all very close to each other and are somewhat centered around Dillon Reservoir. This is a 27-mile lake that adds even more beauty to this mountainous resort area. It makes for some nice pictures, I might add. We then headed up to the Loveland Pass, which sits at 11,990 feet. This is the highest we've been on the trip, and is higher than the Hoosier Pass, which is the highest point to which we'll ride (and is coming up tomorrow). Ooh, and the scenery isn't bad from up there.
Following the high bar set by today's lunch, Athalie and George cooked a wonderful dinner for us. I could probably write paragraphs about it, but I'd simply like to emphasize that it's nice to get a home-cooked meal complete with peach pie a la mode.
Pictures from Keystone
June 18, Ride from Walden to Kremmling
June 17, Ride from Rawlins, WY, to Walden, CO
Trey, the soon-to-be medical student
More June 16 (rest day in Rawlins)
While walking back from the Carbon County Library after the last post, I ran into two mountainbikers named Kevin (son) and Bob (dad) riding north on the continental divide trail. They seemed to be in good spirits, and the wind blowing from the southwest was helping them along the way. They also met Tyler (from Dubois to Lander ride), who was staying at a hotel near ours. Unfortunately we didn't catch up with him, but it seems like he's moving along quickly.
June 17: 112 miles from Rawlins, WY, to Walden, CO
The day started with a strong tailwind that blew us east along the interstate, but this turned into a crosswind as we turned south. The wind blew very strong and did not give us a rest all day. A crosswind isn't as bad as a headwind, but it still slows you down and tries to throw you off balance when blowing 20 mph. The scenery wasn't very good, either, until we got to Colorado.
Despite the elevation, there were still plenty of cow pastures and standing water, which meant that mosquitos were abundant in Colorado. This is motivation to keep moving, and this was necessary for such a long ride. Also, restaurants in small towns like Walden close early. We had a very nice dinner, though, at the one restaurant that was open.
Along the road, we met several cyclists:
1) An older couple from Belgium who claimed to be famous. This was later confirmed by the group in (4). They were riding the Trans-Am from East to West
2) Trey, a college grad taking a year off between college and medical school (Texas Tech) riding north to British Columbia from San Antonio. His plan was to then ride south into California.
3) A guy named Dave from New Jersey, who was maybe in his late 20s. He was riding East to West along the Trans-Am currently. He started from Jersey, worked his way down to Virginia, and was doing the Trans-Am plus spent some extended time biking all over Colorado. His sister lives in Portland, and he's hoping to find a job there as well.
4) A couple riding towards Missoula before going along the Norther Tier route. The guy has been riding around 6000 miles, and the girl joined his ride and has put in 1500. He talked about the gray area between riding around the country and being homeless, and how he wasn't sure where he stood along the continuum.
June 18: 78 miles from Walden, CO, to Kremmling, CO
The original plan called for us to ride 120 miles from Walden to Silverthorne, CO, but after the previous day's ride we decided that this was too much. The trip to Silverthorne would be cut short, and we will make up the miles on some other days where we could afford the extra miles. In addition to the wind and hills, the road had large cracks in it that were definitely bad for the bikes and not too comfy on our butts. This had persisted throughout Wyoming and in our brief tour through Colorado.
The morning started with a continental breakfast at the motel, which had plenty to eat so we were happy (2 bagels, yogurt, applesauce, and a muffin for me - and I was hungry less than 2 hrs later). The ride began with a mild uphill plus a climb up the Willow Creek Pass (9,683 feet), which really wasn't bad. We enjoyed some sandwiches at the top, although we got a little bit of rain that cooled us down. Surprisingly there were mosquitos at this elevation! I couldn't believe it. This is where the rain was actually useful, because it took care of our mosquito problem.
The rain stopped shortly before we began descending from the pass. We descended for 18 miles, although at times we found a powerful headwind that would slow us down to 10 mph. After this descent was a 20-mile ride directly west to Kremmling. This was technically downhill as we lost elevation, but the wind was blowing so strong that it was a fight for every yard. We were glad to have made it to Kremmling, despite the improvement in road quality that our westward turn provided.
We arrived in time for Larry to check out the bike shop. He had a broken spoke in his rear wheel, which isn't good to ride with anyways, much less if you're riding long distances over questionable roads with a BOB trailer pushing down on the rear wheel hub.
June 19: 48 miles from Kremmling, CO, to Keystone, CO
After several recommendations from the townsfolk, we had breakfast at The Moose. It was pretty good, although nothing spectacular. The weather was great, though, and there was NO WIND! These conditions lasted all day and made for a smooth ride up to Keystone, which sits around 9000 feet of elevation.
We arrived at the Leichnetz residence around 12:45, and were greeted warmly by George and Athalie. Bella, the 2-year-old yellow lab, wasn't too keen on the bikes and BOBs, but she warmed up after we changed and provided some scratches. We ate lunch outdoors on the deck and for the rest of the day actually felt like we were on vacation. I ate 3 sandwiches, Larry ate 2, and we had plenty of chips with the special dip that Athalie makes. Grapes were also provided, and fruit has become a real treasure to plunder when available.
We were chauffered to several bike shops before finding one that could replace Larry's spoke. They were selling the spokes for a whopping $1 each, so he bought a few of them since the bladed spokes are tough to come by for a given wheel set. I got some new tires, as well.
Following the tour of bike shops, we checked out some of the gorgeous scenery in the area. Keystone, Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Dillon, and Frisco are all very close to each other and are somewhat centered around Dillon Reservoir. This is a 27-mile lake that adds even more beauty to this mountainous resort area. It makes for some nice pictures, I might add. We then headed up to the Loveland Pass, which sits at 11,990 feet. This is the highest we've been on the trip, and is higher than the Hoosier Pass, which is the highest point to which we'll ride (and is coming up tomorrow). Ooh, and the scenery isn't bad from up there.
Following the high bar set by today's lunch, Athalie and George cooked a wonderful dinner for us. I could probably write paragraphs about it, but I'd simply like to emphasize that it's nice to get a home-cooked meal complete with peach pie a la mode.
Pictures from Keystone
June 18, Ride from Walden to Kremmling
June 17, Ride from Rawlins, WY, to Walden, CO
Trey, the soon-to-be medical student
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Pictures: Missoula, MT, to Rawlins, WY
June 9: Missoula to Anaconda, MT
The bike glove tan is goofy enough, and the extra tan from the bare area between my arm warmer and glove doesn't help either
Georgetown Lake, around 7000 feet of elevation
Approaching the Pintlar Mountains along Highway 2
A restaurant on the way advertising for a local festival
June 10: Anaconda to Nevada City
Montana is gorgeouS
The Nevada City Hotel
The Saloon inside of The Nevada City Hotel
June 11: Nevada City to West Yellowstone
Virginia City
June 12: West Yellowstone, MT, to Colter Bay, WY
Yellowstone
Yellowstone
Yellowstone
Yellowstone
The Grand Tetons and Jackson Lake
June 13: Colter Bay to Dubois
Road construction on the way up the Togwotee Pass
On top of the Togwotee Pass (elevation 9688 feet)
June 14: Dubois to Lander
A "motorcycle" of a guest staying at our hotel
Karen, Art, and Hans with the Ride for Jim team
June 15: Lander to Rawlins
We met a logger in Muddy Gap, who was traveling in a horse-drawn house/cart. He's been on the road for a couple of years
The website for his trip
Stormy weather to the north, about 25 miles northwest of Rawlins
Successfully attached the Ride for Jim flag to my BOB trailer flagpole. Visibility is key.
The Carbon County Library in Rawlins.
The bike glove tan is goofy enough, and the extra tan from the bare area between my arm warmer and glove doesn't help either
Georgetown Lake, around 7000 feet of elevation
Approaching the Pintlar Mountains along Highway 2
A restaurant on the way advertising for a local festival
June 10: Anaconda to Nevada City
Montana is gorgeouS
The Nevada City Hotel
The Saloon inside of The Nevada City Hotel
June 11: Nevada City to West Yellowstone
Virginia City
June 12: West Yellowstone, MT, to Colter Bay, WY
Yellowstone
Yellowstone
Yellowstone
Yellowstone
The Grand Tetons and Jackson Lake
June 13: Colter Bay to Dubois
Road construction on the way up the Togwotee Pass
On top of the Togwotee Pass (elevation 9688 feet)
June 14: Dubois to Lander
A "motorcycle" of a guest staying at our hotel
Karen, Art, and Hans with the Ride for Jim team
June 15: Lander to Rawlins
We met a logger in Muddy Gap, who was traveling in a horse-drawn house/cart. He's been on the road for a couple of years
The website for his trip
Stormy weather to the north, about 25 miles northwest of Rawlins
Successfully attached the Ride for Jim flag to my BOB trailer flagpole. Visibility is key.
The Carbon County Library in Rawlins.
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