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.
Rest Day in Rawlins, Wyoming
June 13: 66 miles from Colter Bay, WY, to Dubois, WY
Colter Bay sits on the opposite side of Jackson Lake from The Grand Tetons. These are gorgeous mountains so long as you're warm enough to enjoy them. The temperature in the morning was in the upper 30s and warmed to the low 40s by the time we left, and made me appreciate the idea of staying in hotels vs. camping. Colter Bay is a small stop within the Grand Teton park, and has almost like a small resort feel. There is a restaurant, souvenir/outdoors-shop/grocery store, gas station, and the cabins/campground area.
While stuffing our faces at the buffet breakfast, we saw some very cold-looking cyclists coming in to begin stuffing their faces before the day's ride. It was a group of 3 riders doing the Trans-America trail (which we are also following): Karen, Hans, and Art. Karen is an art professor at Shepardstown College in West Virginia, Hans is a dentist from Holland, and Art is also from Holland but somehow I missed what he does. They were camping in Colter Bay and looking forward to some warm coffee. When we shook hands they remarked that our hands were so nice and warm, while we remarked that their hands felt like ice packs. Their destination for the day was also Dubois, so we were sure to see them again.
The ride was not very long, but included a ride up the steep Togwotee Pass (reaching an elevation of 9,688 feet). This climb was not too bad because it did have some flat sections that are marvelous and really help you to recharge or stop to grab some water without having difficulty regaining moment. The weather was cloudy going up, started to lightly rain after I got to the top. There was plenty of snow, and even 2 cross-country skiers with their dog around the top of the pass.
We took some pictures up there, and then rode down as we heard thunder and the rain began to get heavier. Normally I would appreciate a 20-mile descent, but when it's raining and the temperature is in the mid-40s this is not desirable. My hands were numb from around 3:30 until 6 that day with the cold and wet weather. Also, your glasses become pretty much useless with the rain on them. On top of this, I got a flat tire and had to stop change it, which is not fun when your hands are freezing to begin with. Needless to say, I was very glad to reach Dubois. When I was signing in at the hotel, the woman asked if my pen was working okay, to which I replied that it was but my hands were too numb to function.
Fortunately, though, the rain had stopped by this point and we were able to get a good dinner (wonderful strawberry-peach pie with exactly a dallop and a half of ice cream on top) and get some laundry done.
June 14: 77 miles from Dubois, WY, to Lander, WY
The restaurant next to our hotel opened at 6am, and we ate there soon after. The menu items were okay, but the donuts were out of this world! I've never had a donut so good in my life: a boisenberry donut with vanilla frosting, with so much boisenberry filling that it poured out after every bite.
After 2 days of rain and the possibility of rain every afternoon for the next week, I was a bit on edge about this ride. I was also suspicious of my rear tire needing to be changed, so I switched the front and rear tires for today's ride. The rear tire takes much worse of a beating that the front because it's the one carrying all of my weight plus the weight of the BOB trailer.
Fortunately the weather was nice all day, but unfortunately my front tube went flat after 30 miles. This told me that it was officially time to get a new front tire, so I put on my spare one at a rest area. As I was doing this, a tour group from "Southern Alabama" riding a bus around the western states began crowding around. They were asking lots of questions, and Larry and I soon realized that we were the tourist attraction - good PR for the Ride for Jim.
Along the route we met up with an older rider named Tyler, who was ride all over the country over the course of several months. He was from ouside of Los Angeles, where he began his trip, and had ridden up to Oregon, all around the Western states, and was now following the Trans-America for a bit. He left in early May and planned to have his wife pick him up in Washington, DC, on September 5. He was very nice and we saw him a couple of more times throughout the day.
We got to Lander in the afternoon, which was early for us, and spent a couple of hours doing some much-needed bike cleaning. The rain makes everything grimy on the bike and this can be pretty corrosive with time and use...and we're getting lots of use out of our bikes.
We had dinner with Karen, Hans, and Art, followed by some ice cream from the Scream Shack that night, and bid them farewell since they were resting in Lander and also taking 2 days to get to Rawlins.
June 15: 130 miles from Lander, WY, to Rawlins, WY
The weather forecast called for this day to have the worst thunderstorms all week. The region to which we were heading had had reports of large hail, thunderstorms, and even some tornados earlier last week, and the weather channel predicated the possibility of this stuff all week long. What we though we'd try was to split this distance into 2 days: Rawlins to Jeffrey City (58 miles), and then go the rest of the way to Rawlins on Tuesday. Unfortunately, there is really nothing along this entire route, so Jeffrey City is the only such opportunity for a motel that we knew of (although we later found out that Muddy Gap has a place to stay and is an 80-mile ride from Lander). We got to Jeffrey City without any problems, but I was worried because we had been unable to reach the motel previously and there was no cell phone reception along the route.
The wind maintained a 10-20 mph speed all day, which started as a cross-wind and became a tail wind 15 miles before Jeffrey City. When reaching Jeffrey City, we found the Split Rock cafe, which is owned by the woman who also owns the hotel and is more importantly the site where Dr. Haar had the best hamburger of his entire trip on the 2008 Ride for Jim. Naturally, we stopped and enjoyed the delicious Split Rock burger. Let me say that again: DELICOIUS! Unfortunately, the motel was full because of some workers coming through the area, but a very nice guy who owns the Monk King Bird pottery store offered to let Larry and me stay at his place. With the winds in our favor, though, we decided we could make it to Rawlins and enjoy a Tuesday of rest. Also, the weather was actually nice so we lost the fear of thunderstorms.
With the strong wind, we burned up 22 miles to Muddy Gap in no time. We were moving between 25-30 mph on the flat plains, which is twice as fast as we'd gone previously except down steep mountains. Hauling a trailer or panniers makes for slow movement usually, so I was grateful for such a good opportunity. At Muddy Gap, though, this turned into a slight cross-wind because of the road's course, so we resumed our regular speed.
25 miles outside of Rawlins we saw a lot of storm clouds to the North and Northeast, and some lightning between Northeast and Southeast. We were moving Southeast, so this was a bit scary and we slowed it down. The visibility was probably 10-20 miles, and we were fortunately able to watch the storm move north. Between waiting for the storms to move and a 7-mile uphill stretch 15 miles outside of Rawlins, we didn't reach town until after dark (9:30p). McDonald's was the only thing open, but anything was good to have. We were so exhausted but glad to know that a rest day awaited.
June 16: Resting in Rawlins.
We're just relaxing and doing a few errands. I got some food at a grocery store for breakfast and though I'd share this with everyone. My breakfast consisted of: 8 wheat rolls, 1/2 lbs. of turkey, and 1 bunch of grapes. It's nice to have something other than a high-fat breakfast while still keeping up the calories, although I'm still dreaming of the boisenberry donut from Dubois.
Colter Bay sits on the opposite side of Jackson Lake from The Grand Tetons. These are gorgeous mountains so long as you're warm enough to enjoy them. The temperature in the morning was in the upper 30s and warmed to the low 40s by the time we left, and made me appreciate the idea of staying in hotels vs. camping. Colter Bay is a small stop within the Grand Teton park, and has almost like a small resort feel. There is a restaurant, souvenir/outdoors-shop/grocery store, gas station, and the cabins/campground area.
While stuffing our faces at the buffet breakfast, we saw some very cold-looking cyclists coming in to begin stuffing their faces before the day's ride. It was a group of 3 riders doing the Trans-America trail (which we are also following): Karen, Hans, and Art. Karen is an art professor at Shepardstown College in West Virginia, Hans is a dentist from Holland, and Art is also from Holland but somehow I missed what he does. They were camping in Colter Bay and looking forward to some warm coffee. When we shook hands they remarked that our hands were so nice and warm, while we remarked that their hands felt like ice packs. Their destination for the day was also Dubois, so we were sure to see them again.
The ride was not very long, but included a ride up the steep Togwotee Pass (reaching an elevation of 9,688 feet). This climb was not too bad because it did have some flat sections that are marvelous and really help you to recharge or stop to grab some water without having difficulty regaining moment. The weather was cloudy going up, started to lightly rain after I got to the top. There was plenty of snow, and even 2 cross-country skiers with their dog around the top of the pass.
We took some pictures up there, and then rode down as we heard thunder and the rain began to get heavier. Normally I would appreciate a 20-mile descent, but when it's raining and the temperature is in the mid-40s this is not desirable. My hands were numb from around 3:30 until 6 that day with the cold and wet weather. Also, your glasses become pretty much useless with the rain on them. On top of this, I got a flat tire and had to stop change it, which is not fun when your hands are freezing to begin with. Needless to say, I was very glad to reach Dubois. When I was signing in at the hotel, the woman asked if my pen was working okay, to which I replied that it was but my hands were too numb to function.
Fortunately, though, the rain had stopped by this point and we were able to get a good dinner (wonderful strawberry-peach pie with exactly a dallop and a half of ice cream on top) and get some laundry done.
June 14: 77 miles from Dubois, WY, to Lander, WY
The restaurant next to our hotel opened at 6am, and we ate there soon after. The menu items were okay, but the donuts were out of this world! I've never had a donut so good in my life: a boisenberry donut with vanilla frosting, with so much boisenberry filling that it poured out after every bite.
After 2 days of rain and the possibility of rain every afternoon for the next week, I was a bit on edge about this ride. I was also suspicious of my rear tire needing to be changed, so I switched the front and rear tires for today's ride. The rear tire takes much worse of a beating that the front because it's the one carrying all of my weight plus the weight of the BOB trailer.
Fortunately the weather was nice all day, but unfortunately my front tube went flat after 30 miles. This told me that it was officially time to get a new front tire, so I put on my spare one at a rest area. As I was doing this, a tour group from "Southern Alabama" riding a bus around the western states began crowding around. They were asking lots of questions, and Larry and I soon realized that we were the tourist attraction - good PR for the Ride for Jim.
Along the route we met up with an older rider named Tyler, who was ride all over the country over the course of several months. He was from ouside of Los Angeles, where he began his trip, and had ridden up to Oregon, all around the Western states, and was now following the Trans-America for a bit. He left in early May and planned to have his wife pick him up in Washington, DC, on September 5. He was very nice and we saw him a couple of more times throughout the day.
We got to Lander in the afternoon, which was early for us, and spent a couple of hours doing some much-needed bike cleaning. The rain makes everything grimy on the bike and this can be pretty corrosive with time and use...and we're getting lots of use out of our bikes.
We had dinner with Karen, Hans, and Art, followed by some ice cream from the Scream Shack that night, and bid them farewell since they were resting in Lander and also taking 2 days to get to Rawlins.
June 15: 130 miles from Lander, WY, to Rawlins, WY
The weather forecast called for this day to have the worst thunderstorms all week. The region to which we were heading had had reports of large hail, thunderstorms, and even some tornados earlier last week, and the weather channel predicated the possibility of this stuff all week long. What we though we'd try was to split this distance into 2 days: Rawlins to Jeffrey City (58 miles), and then go the rest of the way to Rawlins on Tuesday. Unfortunately, there is really nothing along this entire route, so Jeffrey City is the only such opportunity for a motel that we knew of (although we later found out that Muddy Gap has a place to stay and is an 80-mile ride from Lander). We got to Jeffrey City without any problems, but I was worried because we had been unable to reach the motel previously and there was no cell phone reception along the route.
The wind maintained a 10-20 mph speed all day, which started as a cross-wind and became a tail wind 15 miles before Jeffrey City. When reaching Jeffrey City, we found the Split Rock cafe, which is owned by the woman who also owns the hotel and is more importantly the site where Dr. Haar had the best hamburger of his entire trip on the 2008 Ride for Jim. Naturally, we stopped and enjoyed the delicious Split Rock burger. Let me say that again: DELICOIUS! Unfortunately, the motel was full because of some workers coming through the area, but a very nice guy who owns the Monk King Bird pottery store offered to let Larry and me stay at his place. With the winds in our favor, though, we decided we could make it to Rawlins and enjoy a Tuesday of rest. Also, the weather was actually nice so we lost the fear of thunderstorms.
With the strong wind, we burned up 22 miles to Muddy Gap in no time. We were moving between 25-30 mph on the flat plains, which is twice as fast as we'd gone previously except down steep mountains. Hauling a trailer or panniers makes for slow movement usually, so I was grateful for such a good opportunity. At Muddy Gap, though, this turned into a slight cross-wind because of the road's course, so we resumed our regular speed.
25 miles outside of Rawlins we saw a lot of storm clouds to the North and Northeast, and some lightning between Northeast and Southeast. We were moving Southeast, so this was a bit scary and we slowed it down. The visibility was probably 10-20 miles, and we were fortunately able to watch the storm move north. Between waiting for the storms to move and a 7-mile uphill stretch 15 miles outside of Rawlins, we didn't reach town until after dark (9:30p). McDonald's was the only thing open, but anything was good to have. We were so exhausted but glad to know that a rest day awaited.
June 16: Resting in Rawlins.
We're just relaxing and doing a few errands. I got some food at a grocery store for breakfast and though I'd share this with everyone. My breakfast consisted of: 8 wheat rolls, 1/2 lbs. of turkey, and 1 bunch of grapes. It's nice to have something other than a high-fat breakfast while still keeping up the calories, although I'm still dreaming of the boisenberry donut from Dubois.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Update from Lander, Wyoming
Finally there is some wireless Internet in Wyoming that actually works! We've been in some pretty rural country and although Lander and Dubois both have public libraries they've been closed when we were around. This post is again from my iPod touch:
June 12, 95 miles from West Yellowstone, MT, to Colter Bay, WY
We paid the $12 cyclist fee to enter both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and I was glad that the bastion of ecology and conservation takes Visa. The first half of the ride was very pretty as we saw a bald eagle and several herds of bison within a stone's throw. It made me think of the movie Dances with Wolves, and I decided that my Native American name for the day was Bicycles with Bison.
We had lunch at Old Faithful and the weather turned cold (mid 50s) and cloudy. Shortly after leaving from lunch it began to rain and did so for a little over 2 hours. I was actually glad for the mountain passes as we rode along the continental divide (at elevations over 8000 feet) because the work of climbing was the only thing keeping me somewhat warm. I didn't lose the numbness in my feet until showering that night. We did stop in Grant's Village for a bit and that helped, until we left and I saw that my rear tire was flat. The rain had stopped but it was still very cold.
The ride ended well in Grand Teton after the sun came out and there was some pretty scenery following the Madison River. Also, there was construction on the road so we had to ride in the back of a truck for a 2-mile stretch. Larry loved it because it was 2 miles of climbing but I kindof feel like it was cheating. For the record, it still counts.
It's late and we're heading to Jeffrey City tomorrow early to beat the impending thunderstorms so I'll fill in more later from the past two days. We'll rest in Rawlins, WY, where there is a public library for picture posting, on Wednesday, although I may be able to do so Tuesday if we get there early enough.
June 12, 95 miles from West Yellowstone, MT, to Colter Bay, WY
We paid the $12 cyclist fee to enter both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and I was glad that the bastion of ecology and conservation takes Visa. The first half of the ride was very pretty as we saw a bald eagle and several herds of bison within a stone's throw. It made me think of the movie Dances with Wolves, and I decided that my Native American name for the day was Bicycles with Bison.
We had lunch at Old Faithful and the weather turned cold (mid 50s) and cloudy. Shortly after leaving from lunch it began to rain and did so for a little over 2 hours. I was actually glad for the mountain passes as we rode along the continental divide (at elevations over 8000 feet) because the work of climbing was the only thing keeping me somewhat warm. I didn't lose the numbness in my feet until showering that night. We did stop in Grant's Village for a bit and that helped, until we left and I saw that my rear tire was flat. The rain had stopped but it was still very cold.
The ride ended well in Grand Teton after the sun came out and there was some pretty scenery following the Madison River. Also, there was construction on the road so we had to ride in the back of a truck for a 2-mile stretch. Larry loved it because it was 2 miles of climbing but I kindof feel like it was cheating. For the record, it still counts.
It's late and we're heading to Jeffrey City tomorrow early to beat the impending thunderstorms so I'll fill in more later from the past two days. We'll rest in Rawlins, WY, where there is a public library for picture posting, on Wednesday, although I may be able to do so Tuesday if we get there early enough.
Friday, June 12, 2009
A quick update from West Yellowstone, Montana
June 9, 109 miles from Missoula to Anaconda, MT
Following directions from a book Larry had previously read, we began a route to West Yellowstone that took us off the Adventure Cycling path. The reasoning was that it would save us a day, but on the downside we had to take I-90 for 30 miles this day and 20 miles the next. Riding on the interstate is legal in Montana and a few other states, and the road shoulder was 10 feet wide so we didn't feel unsafe, but did have to listen to trucks all that time. After getting off the interstate in Drummond, we had lunch at the Bull's End cafe and rode on beautiful Hwy 1 for the rest of the day. There was a steep pass between miles 76-81 going up from Philipsburg to Georgetown Lake, but the view overlooking the lake and the Pintlar Mountains was spectacular. About 10 miles before Anaconda I got my first flat tire of the trip, and as I was changing it another rider named Ray stopped by to chat. Ray is from Anaconda and was told us about the potential of seeing bighorn sheep in the area. We didn't see any, however, on our remaining ride. We slept well that night after the long day's ride instead.
June 10, 97 miles from Anaconda to Nevada City, MT
Another cold morning in the Rockies, where less than a week ago this region of SW Montana saw snow. We fortunately haven't seen rain since Saturday, and were able to appreciate the beauty of this state (after getting off the interstate). The interstate shoulder had a cbunch of rocks and was undergoing construction in Butte, so we had to endure this for a few miles before exiting onto Hwy 2. We followed this over the Pipestone Pass (a very easy 3-mile climb) to Hwy 41 that took us to Twin Bridges in the gorgeous Ruby Valley, where we rejoined the Trans-America trail. The Ruby Valley and Alder Gulch is famous for it's cowboy/outlaw past. As we got on Hwy 287 and rode to Nevada City, we passed Robber's Roost and other Old West historical sights. Nevada City and Virginia City are preserved Old West towns, and our hotel (The Nevada City Hotel) was an old saloon and boarding house. It was a cool time warp.
June 11, 90 miles from Nevada City to West Yellowstone, MT
This ride started with a tough climb up a 7% grade that was rough first thing in the morning. We did, however, get a spectacular view and a long descent. On the descent, we stopped at the parents of one is Larry's friends for a visit. The were very nice, made us roast beef sandwiches, and have a wonderful view of the mountains near Big Sky and the underlying valley. There isn't much else to say about the riding - it was simply beautiful in Montana!
We got to a bike store in West Yellowstone so that Larry could have one of his spokes replaced, and got a big dinner. The public library was closed and doesn't open until 10 today so I'm pirating Internet from an adjacent motel. Then on to Colter Bay!
Following directions from a book Larry had previously read, we began a route to West Yellowstone that took us off the Adventure Cycling path. The reasoning was that it would save us a day, but on the downside we had to take I-90 for 30 miles this day and 20 miles the next. Riding on the interstate is legal in Montana and a few other states, and the road shoulder was 10 feet wide so we didn't feel unsafe, but did have to listen to trucks all that time. After getting off the interstate in Drummond, we had lunch at the Bull's End cafe and rode on beautiful Hwy 1 for the rest of the day. There was a steep pass between miles 76-81 going up from Philipsburg to Georgetown Lake, but the view overlooking the lake and the Pintlar Mountains was spectacular. About 10 miles before Anaconda I got my first flat tire of the trip, and as I was changing it another rider named Ray stopped by to chat. Ray is from Anaconda and was told us about the potential of seeing bighorn sheep in the area. We didn't see any, however, on our remaining ride. We slept well that night after the long day's ride instead.
June 10, 97 miles from Anaconda to Nevada City, MT
Another cold morning in the Rockies, where less than a week ago this region of SW Montana saw snow. We fortunately haven't seen rain since Saturday, and were able to appreciate the beauty of this state (after getting off the interstate). The interstate shoulder had a cbunch of rocks and was undergoing construction in Butte, so we had to endure this for a few miles before exiting onto Hwy 2. We followed this over the Pipestone Pass (a very easy 3-mile climb) to Hwy 41 that took us to Twin Bridges in the gorgeous Ruby Valley, where we rejoined the Trans-America trail. The Ruby Valley and Alder Gulch is famous for it's cowboy/outlaw past. As we got on Hwy 287 and rode to Nevada City, we passed Robber's Roost and other Old West historical sights. Nevada City and Virginia City are preserved Old West towns, and our hotel (The Nevada City Hotel) was an old saloon and boarding house. It was a cool time warp.
June 11, 90 miles from Nevada City to West Yellowstone, MT
This ride started with a tough climb up a 7% grade that was rough first thing in the morning. We did, however, get a spectacular view and a long descent. On the descent, we stopped at the parents of one is Larry's friends for a visit. The were very nice, made us roast beef sandwiches, and have a wonderful view of the mountains near Big Sky and the underlying valley. There isn't much else to say about the riding - it was simply beautiful in Montana!
We got to a bike store in West Yellowstone so that Larry could have one of his spokes replaced, and got a big dinner. The public library was closed and doesn't open until 10 today so I'm pirating Internet from an adjacent motel. Then on to Colter Bay!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Rest Day in Missoula, Montana: a good opportunity to update the blog!
We're concluding our rest day here in Missoula, MT, after 8 straight days of riding. Tomorrow we'll head out again, heading southeast with the destination of West Yellowstone, MT, after a few days. For now, please enjoy some pictures from the past few days as well as our rest day here.
The mountains surounding Missoula. High schools put their school letters up on the mountainside, so look for the "L" (left) and "M" (right) on the adjacent faces.
Downtown Missoula
We ate lunch at the Staggering Ox in Missoula today.
Larry and his tremendous sandwich at the Staggering Ox
A steer ranch as we entered Lolo, MT, on June 7
The border of Idaho and Montana at Lolo Pass (5,233 feet), where Pacific Time changed to Mountain Time and the temperature was in the low 40s. June 7.
The gorgeous Idaho countryside at elevation, looking towards the Blue Mountains on June 5.
Look for the big "C" on the top of the mountain. Taken in Clarkston, WA, on June 5 as we left for Idaho.
The mountains surounding Missoula. High schools put their school letters up on the mountainside, so look for the "L" (left) and "M" (right) on the adjacent faces.
Downtown Missoula
We ate lunch at the Staggering Ox in Missoula today.
Larry and his tremendous sandwich at the Staggering Ox
A steer ranch as we entered Lolo, MT, on June 7
The border of Idaho and Montana at Lolo Pass (5,233 feet), where Pacific Time changed to Mountain Time and the temperature was in the low 40s. June 7.
The gorgeous Idaho countryside at elevation, looking towards the Blue Mountains on June 5.
Look for the big "C" on the top of the mountain. Taken in Clarkston, WA, on June 5 as we left for Idaho.
Top: On the road from Dayton, WA, to Clarkston, WA
Middle: Lunch in Walla Walla, WA, on June 3
Bottom: The desert of Eastern Washington on June 2, between Lyle and Umatilla.
Top: The Columbia River (from the Washington side) on June 1, from Portland to Lyle.
Bottom: A chiliburger from The Cornerstone Cafe in Ranier Washington on Day 1 (5-31-09), from Astoria, OR, to Portland, OR.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
June 5, 6, and 7
June 5: 88 miles from Clarkston, WA, to Kamiah, ID.
I forgot to mention after the last posting that we finished our first map out of the cross-country set that Adventure Cycling puts together. This map ended in Clarkston, and is a nice marker of progress in my opionion!
Clarkston (WA) & Lewiston (ID) are very warm cities. In the summer they have temperatures between 95-105, and summer has come early to this region. It is because of this dramatic temperature that Larry and I left around 6:30a to avoid the heat. The route calls for an 11-mile climb over which we gained >1000 feet to an elevation just under 4000 feet in Winchester, ID; this followed a less-steep elevation gain of around 700 feet from Clarkston. We ate lunch at a great restaurant in Winchester (it was also the only restaurant there), and enjoyed the sight of evergreen trees for the first time since Monday, as we were entering the Blue Mountains. There may have also been a brief stop just before our 11-mile climb for strawberry-frosted donuts... The scenery was absolutely gorgeous from the top, and we were riding country roads that undulated atop the mountains before finally descending again into Kamiah, ID. The area was pretty remote, although full of farms growing possibly wheat or something similar. The temperature at elevation was perfect - around 75 degrees - and then got warmer - to a bit over 90 degrees - as we entered Kamiah after a long descent.
After some showers at the Kamiah Inn, we walked over to Palenque, the Mexican restaurant in Kamiah where we had an awesome dinner. Larry ordered a "macho" plate that looked like a 20-inch hubcap filled with Mexican food, which he devoured like a true champion! After dinner, we stopped at the grocery store to grab some ice cream, naturally. For those who don't know, cyclists are actually just ice cream fiends who use cycling as an excuse to eat this delicious and high-calorie food.
June 6: 94 miles from Kamiah, ID, to Powell, ID.
We decided to move on to Missoula for a rest day instead of taking one in Kamiah, despite the 40% chance of showers on Saturday. So Saturday morning we got breakfast at the Hearthstone Bakery, picked up a package of sticky notes and Ride for Jim flags for our BOB trailers from Perfect Tire that were sent by Pam @ Massey, and headed to Powell, ID, to stay at the Lochsa Lodge. Let me first say that if you are ever in Kamiah, whether cycling through or checking out historic Lewis & Clark landmarks, make sure to stop at the Hearthstone Bakery. The food was delicious and the restaurant is beautiful. It is an old western pharmacy that was renovated in 2003, and retains much of the charm of the old west. Large chandeliers hang from the tin ceilings, which must rise to 20 feet or so, and the old woodworkings for the counter are still in place. The food was fantastic and the bread selection to choose from as a side is great (it is a bakery, after all). Larry and I have both commented that we are likely gaining weight as opposed to trimming down. Apologies to his wife and my girlfriend.
After this wonderful breakfast, however, lay a tough ride. We gained about 2000 feet in elevation over the entire course of the day; the road gradient was imperceptible by sight, although our legs were certainly aware. We followed route 12 along the Clearwater River the entire way to the Lochsa Lodge (which is essentially synonymous with Powell, ID), and were rained on twice. We actually put our rain jackets on, as well, after Lowell, ID, which was a bit over halfway there and the last place for food and water. We also watched several boats full of gutsy whitewater rafters coming down the river, who we later found out were sortof headquartered out of the Lochsa Lodge. Between the rain and climbs, this was easily the second-hardest day after the ride from Lyle to Umatilla, and a close second at that. It was cold, too, at the high elevations, and around 50 degrees by the time we arrived in Powell around 7pm.
Nevertheless this was a good day despite the hardships of the ride, because we finally ran into some other long-distance cyclists. There was a group of 3 recumbant cyclists and one person in a sag van riding from Portland to "wherever we feel like in Montana" and then back. In Lowell we were all stopped and one of them wanted to show us his recumbant, so I took it out for a spin but was not doing well. The restaurant had a gravel parking lot so the only spot to ride it was highway 12, which scared me a bit, so after a few attempts I let Larry try. He just wanted to sit on it to see how it felt. We both agreed that it was much nicer on the be-hind and hands than a traditional bike. Those two sections of the body actually take the worst beating and cause us to stop much more often than from leg muscle fatigue, and these were the main reasons that those riders from Portland had become such big fans of their recumbants. The guy who let us try his out already has 18,000 miles on his! Apparently his first ride after purchasing it was from San Diego, CA, to Jacksonville, FL. They were very nice and were camping that night about 20 miles before Powell. I hope they stayed dry enough. One more thing: this section of Idaho is very remote and rural, so we had no cell phone reception after Kamiah until today in Montana. I'm glad those guys had a sag car.
Getting to the Lochsa Lodge was tough, but we were rewarded with a wonderful dining and lodging experience. The room was great and the food was even better...and also larger, dare I say, than the night before! I finally got a big Idaho potato, along was sauerkraut, fried apples, and pork chops that took all of my concentration and Italian genetics (mom's side) to put down. My brother Louie worked for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game last year and strongly recommended that I get my hands on a legit Idaho potato, and he was totally right. Larry's plates (yes, the second plate was just for the 1.5 pints of mashed potatos, and yes I mean 1.5 pints) were so huge that he saved half for breakfast the next day. This brings me to the other great thing about the Lochsa Lodge: they allowed Larry to save his leftovers in their kitchen's refridgerator and they reheated them for him the next morning for breakfast. Who could fathom such wonderful service?
June 7: 59 miles from Powell, ID, to Missoula, MT
After a long sleep to wait until it warmed up, we awoke for breakfast and then left Lochsa around 10a. Larry had his leftovers and I had pancakes, eggs, and spicy bison sausage. We continued east along highway 12, still following the Clearwater River, for 12.5 miles to Lolo Pass (5233 feet). This was pretty steep and was a little over 2000 feet in elevation gain. At the top of the pass was some snow (a temperature in the low 40s around noon) and the border with Montana, which meant that we crossed from the Pacific to the Mountain time zone. The weather was a mix of sun and clouds with no rain, so very much an ideal day for biking, and after this climb we descended the rest of the way. Oddly enough, there was still a wind blowing from east to west, which "never happens" as everybody says, but has persisted for the week where I've been riding. Every time I hear somebody talk about how weird it is that the wind isn't blowing west to east it gets on my nerves a bit, but I'll try not to become too big of a crybaby just yet. Also, we were moving downhill so it just means that you go a bit slower but aren't really working hard.
We stopped for lunch in Lolo Hot Springs around 2p (Mountain Time), where there was the Love Your Mother (Earth Festival) was being held. There was plenty of live music, booze, and some swimming in the hot springs. The crowd was exclusively hippies, and we chatted with a few guys about biking and the hot springs. It was good lunch spot.
The rest of the descent was very beautiful and followed by a relatively flat ride through Lolo and into Missoula. We passed several horse, steer, and cattle farms and got a couple of photo ops. In addition, we caught a glimpse of Lolo Peak, which is a bit over 9000 feet and very much snow-covered. I'm glad we were moving into Missoula where the temperature here is in the mid-60s.
Tomorrow I promise we'll take a rest day, and I'll also post some pictures of the past week. We haven't had access to any computers that will allow us to upload pictures so hopefully the Missoula public library will.
I forgot to mention after the last posting that we finished our first map out of the cross-country set that Adventure Cycling puts together. This map ended in Clarkston, and is a nice marker of progress in my opionion!
Clarkston (WA) & Lewiston (ID) are very warm cities. In the summer they have temperatures between 95-105, and summer has come early to this region. It is because of this dramatic temperature that Larry and I left around 6:30a to avoid the heat. The route calls for an 11-mile climb over which we gained >1000 feet to an elevation just under 4000 feet in Winchester, ID; this followed a less-steep elevation gain of around 700 feet from Clarkston. We ate lunch at a great restaurant in Winchester (it was also the only restaurant there), and enjoyed the sight of evergreen trees for the first time since Monday, as we were entering the Blue Mountains. There may have also been a brief stop just before our 11-mile climb for strawberry-frosted donuts... The scenery was absolutely gorgeous from the top, and we were riding country roads that undulated atop the mountains before finally descending again into Kamiah, ID. The area was pretty remote, although full of farms growing possibly wheat or something similar. The temperature at elevation was perfect - around 75 degrees - and then got warmer - to a bit over 90 degrees - as we entered Kamiah after a long descent.
After some showers at the Kamiah Inn, we walked over to Palenque, the Mexican restaurant in Kamiah where we had an awesome dinner. Larry ordered a "macho" plate that looked like a 20-inch hubcap filled with Mexican food, which he devoured like a true champion! After dinner, we stopped at the grocery store to grab some ice cream, naturally. For those who don't know, cyclists are actually just ice cream fiends who use cycling as an excuse to eat this delicious and high-calorie food.
June 6: 94 miles from Kamiah, ID, to Powell, ID.
We decided to move on to Missoula for a rest day instead of taking one in Kamiah, despite the 40% chance of showers on Saturday. So Saturday morning we got breakfast at the Hearthstone Bakery, picked up a package of sticky notes and Ride for Jim flags for our BOB trailers from Perfect Tire that were sent by Pam @ Massey, and headed to Powell, ID, to stay at the Lochsa Lodge. Let me first say that if you are ever in Kamiah, whether cycling through or checking out historic Lewis & Clark landmarks, make sure to stop at the Hearthstone Bakery. The food was delicious and the restaurant is beautiful. It is an old western pharmacy that was renovated in 2003, and retains much of the charm of the old west. Large chandeliers hang from the tin ceilings, which must rise to 20 feet or so, and the old woodworkings for the counter are still in place. The food was fantastic and the bread selection to choose from as a side is great (it is a bakery, after all). Larry and I have both commented that we are likely gaining weight as opposed to trimming down. Apologies to his wife and my girlfriend.
After this wonderful breakfast, however, lay a tough ride. We gained about 2000 feet in elevation over the entire course of the day; the road gradient was imperceptible by sight, although our legs were certainly aware. We followed route 12 along the Clearwater River the entire way to the Lochsa Lodge (which is essentially synonymous with Powell, ID), and were rained on twice. We actually put our rain jackets on, as well, after Lowell, ID, which was a bit over halfway there and the last place for food and water. We also watched several boats full of gutsy whitewater rafters coming down the river, who we later found out were sortof headquartered out of the Lochsa Lodge. Between the rain and climbs, this was easily the second-hardest day after the ride from Lyle to Umatilla, and a close second at that. It was cold, too, at the high elevations, and around 50 degrees by the time we arrived in Powell around 7pm.
Nevertheless this was a good day despite the hardships of the ride, because we finally ran into some other long-distance cyclists. There was a group of 3 recumbant cyclists and one person in a sag van riding from Portland to "wherever we feel like in Montana" and then back. In Lowell we were all stopped and one of them wanted to show us his recumbant, so I took it out for a spin but was not doing well. The restaurant had a gravel parking lot so the only spot to ride it was highway 12, which scared me a bit, so after a few attempts I let Larry try. He just wanted to sit on it to see how it felt. We both agreed that it was much nicer on the be-hind and hands than a traditional bike. Those two sections of the body actually take the worst beating and cause us to stop much more often than from leg muscle fatigue, and these were the main reasons that those riders from Portland had become such big fans of their recumbants. The guy who let us try his out already has 18,000 miles on his! Apparently his first ride after purchasing it was from San Diego, CA, to Jacksonville, FL. They were very nice and were camping that night about 20 miles before Powell. I hope they stayed dry enough. One more thing: this section of Idaho is very remote and rural, so we had no cell phone reception after Kamiah until today in Montana. I'm glad those guys had a sag car.
Getting to the Lochsa Lodge was tough, but we were rewarded with a wonderful dining and lodging experience. The room was great and the food was even better...and also larger, dare I say, than the night before! I finally got a big Idaho potato, along was sauerkraut, fried apples, and pork chops that took all of my concentration and Italian genetics (mom's side) to put down. My brother Louie worked for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game last year and strongly recommended that I get my hands on a legit Idaho potato, and he was totally right. Larry's plates (yes, the second plate was just for the 1.5 pints of mashed potatos, and yes I mean 1.5 pints) were so huge that he saved half for breakfast the next day. This brings me to the other great thing about the Lochsa Lodge: they allowed Larry to save his leftovers in their kitchen's refridgerator and they reheated them for him the next morning for breakfast. Who could fathom such wonderful service?
June 7: 59 miles from Powell, ID, to Missoula, MT
After a long sleep to wait until it warmed up, we awoke for breakfast and then left Lochsa around 10a. Larry had his leftovers and I had pancakes, eggs, and spicy bison sausage. We continued east along highway 12, still following the Clearwater River, for 12.5 miles to Lolo Pass (5233 feet). This was pretty steep and was a little over 2000 feet in elevation gain. At the top of the pass was some snow (a temperature in the low 40s around noon) and the border with Montana, which meant that we crossed from the Pacific to the Mountain time zone. The weather was a mix of sun and clouds with no rain, so very much an ideal day for biking, and after this climb we descended the rest of the way. Oddly enough, there was still a wind blowing from east to west, which "never happens" as everybody says, but has persisted for the week where I've been riding. Every time I hear somebody talk about how weird it is that the wind isn't blowing west to east it gets on my nerves a bit, but I'll try not to become too big of a crybaby just yet. Also, we were moving downhill so it just means that you go a bit slower but aren't really working hard.
We stopped for lunch in Lolo Hot Springs around 2p (Mountain Time), where there was the Love Your Mother (Earth Festival) was being held. There was plenty of live music, booze, and some swimming in the hot springs. The crowd was exclusively hippies, and we chatted with a few guys about biking and the hot springs. It was good lunch spot.
The rest of the descent was very beautiful and followed by a relatively flat ride through Lolo and into Missoula. We passed several horse, steer, and cattle farms and got a couple of photo ops. In addition, we caught a glimpse of Lolo Peak, which is a bit over 9000 feet and very much snow-covered. I'm glad we were moving into Missoula where the temperature here is in the mid-60s.
Tomorrow I promise we'll take a rest day, and I'll also post some pictures of the past week. We haven't had access to any computers that will allow us to upload pictures so hopefully the Missoula public library will.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
June 3 & 4
June 3 (85 miles from Umatilla, OR, to Dayton, WA)
After the last posting in Walla Walla, WA, we finished the ride around 4:30 in Dayton. The ride was pretty through the grain fields and round hills of Eastern Washington. We left the Columbia River along with the desert before Walla Walla and the new scenery was nice. We stayed at the Dayton Motel, which was possibly built in the early 20th Century and redecorated in the 1970s. I'm guessing this based on the olive green shag carpet and a well-used recliner that may have been Archie Bunker's. Downtown Dayton was very nice, though. It has a wonderful small town feel and the beautiful Columbia County courthouse sits proudly in the center, guarded by two old cannons. For dinner we ate at a great restaurant called the Weinhard Cafe that had a excellent menu and some excellent blackberry cobbler with a dallop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
June 4 (67 miles from Dayton to Clarkson, WA)
Another pretty ride today through the grain fields up until ~10 miles outside of Clarkston, where we re-entered the high desert along the Snake River. Although we had some climbing earlier, the ride ended with a magnificent 20-mile downhill/flat section. Our departure from Dayton was around 6:15a to avoid the afternoon heat, which was a good move except that we had to eat power bars and some fruit purchased the night before for breakfast. We stopped in Pomeroy (9 miles before the last of the climbs) for brunch around 10:30a, which had some great pancakes for me and an great-looking omlette + hashbrowns for Larry. There were a couple of guys from Iowa in the restaurant, as well, and chatted with them for a while. They were delivering a trailer from Iowa to somewhere in Western Washington that one of the guys had sold and simply decided to deliver himself. Did I mention that they were riding motorcycles for the trip, which they estimated would last 8 or 9 days? They were very nice and had lots of funny stuff to say. They appeared to be regular motorcycling buddies, as one of them commented that "our wives kick us out once a week so we just go riding". Better than a chore list, I guess.
We arrived here in Clarkston around 2:30p after a headwind and some bad roads made the last 5 miles tough (despite the downhill and flats). Clarkston is adjacent to Lewiston, ID, and Lewiston has a couple of bike shops so we made a quick stop at one of them to get some supplies. Larry's tire wall suffered a gash this morning so he needed a new one, despite the fact that they had kevlar reinforcement. He purchased an armadillo and I also got a spare tire (armadillo, too). Tonight we plan to eat next door at the Italian restaurant recommended by Dr. Haar, and possibly grab dessert at the Baskin Robbins (also next door, and also recommended by Dr. Haar). Tomorrow there will be a steep climb to start the day but this will be followed by some good downhills to Kamiah (pronounced Kam-ee-eye), where Pam has sent more sticky notes and flags for the BOB trailers with the Ride for Jim logo! We're making a rest day of Kamiah, too, which will be well-deserved.
After the last posting in Walla Walla, WA, we finished the ride around 4:30 in Dayton. The ride was pretty through the grain fields and round hills of Eastern Washington. We left the Columbia River along with the desert before Walla Walla and the new scenery was nice. We stayed at the Dayton Motel, which was possibly built in the early 20th Century and redecorated in the 1970s. I'm guessing this based on the olive green shag carpet and a well-used recliner that may have been Archie Bunker's. Downtown Dayton was very nice, though. It has a wonderful small town feel and the beautiful Columbia County courthouse sits proudly in the center, guarded by two old cannons. For dinner we ate at a great restaurant called the Weinhard Cafe that had a excellent menu and some excellent blackberry cobbler with a dallop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
June 4 (67 miles from Dayton to Clarkson, WA)
Another pretty ride today through the grain fields up until ~10 miles outside of Clarkston, where we re-entered the high desert along the Snake River. Although we had some climbing earlier, the ride ended with a magnificent 20-mile downhill/flat section. Our departure from Dayton was around 6:15a to avoid the afternoon heat, which was a good move except that we had to eat power bars and some fruit purchased the night before for breakfast. We stopped in Pomeroy (9 miles before the last of the climbs) for brunch around 10:30a, which had some great pancakes for me and an great-looking omlette + hashbrowns for Larry. There were a couple of guys from Iowa in the restaurant, as well, and chatted with them for a while. They were delivering a trailer from Iowa to somewhere in Western Washington that one of the guys had sold and simply decided to deliver himself. Did I mention that they were riding motorcycles for the trip, which they estimated would last 8 or 9 days? They were very nice and had lots of funny stuff to say. They appeared to be regular motorcycling buddies, as one of them commented that "our wives kick us out once a week so we just go riding". Better than a chore list, I guess.
We arrived here in Clarkston around 2:30p after a headwind and some bad roads made the last 5 miles tough (despite the downhill and flats). Clarkston is adjacent to Lewiston, ID, and Lewiston has a couple of bike shops so we made a quick stop at one of them to get some supplies. Larry's tire wall suffered a gash this morning so he needed a new one, despite the fact that they had kevlar reinforcement. He purchased an armadillo and I also got a spare tire (armadillo, too). Tonight we plan to eat next door at the Italian restaurant recommended by Dr. Haar, and possibly grab dessert at the Baskin Robbins (also next door, and also recommended by Dr. Haar). Tomorrow there will be a steep climb to start the day but this will be followed by some good downhills to Kamiah (pronounced Kam-ee-eye), where Pam has sent more sticky notes and flags for the BOB trailers with the Ride for Jim logo! We're making a rest day of Kamiah, too, which will be well-deserved.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
June 2 - 110 miles from Lyle, Wa, to Umatilla, OR
Yesterday was rough and tiring. We rode through the desert of eastern Washington through a 15 - 20 mph headwind. We averaged a sluggish 11 mph and had to carry extra water due to the lack of rest areas (two 40-mile stretches without them). In total we were ou for 13.5 hours. Nevertheless, the last mile coming into Umatilla was pretty at dusk and the desert flowers had a wonderful scent. We slept soundly after a quick dinner, and left this morning after a massive breakfast. The wind has been with us today and we've already done 55 miles to Walla Walla, where we are dining in the beautiful downtown and taking avantage of the Internet. Only 30 miles to Dayton!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Portland to Lyle, WA
Yesterday (June 1) we rode through the beautiful cascades from
Portland to Lyle, WA. Getting to route 14 in Camas, WA, took us over
some rough roads but from there it was gorgeous. We ate a great lunch
at the Little Viking drive thru in Stevenson, WA, where Larry got a
milkshake for extra strength! We stayed at the Lyle Hotel, which was
an old railroad hotel that supported the sheep herding industry at the
turn of the 20th century. The hotel recently came under new ownership
by a couple from Portland who were very accomodating with fruit and
filtered water. In total we rode 93 miles. This blog is being posted from Wishram Heights, 17 miles east of Lyle.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Ride for Jim 2009 Begins
Yesterday Larry and I flew in to Portland where we met his relatives Kirk & Beverly at the airport. They graciously transported us to The Bike Gallery in Lake Oswego (just outside of Portland) to pick up our bikes, and then made us a wonderful steak dinner. Their oldest daughter Kirby made a delicious strawberry pie, as well, from fresh strawberries picked that day. They have been wonderful hosts and are housing Larry and I again tonight. They allowed us to keep the BOB trailers at their house today so we were able to ride without BOBs, but will begin riding with them up tomorrow. It was a nice way to begin the ride, and we were able to ride the entire 95 miles to Portland because of this.
This morning K & B drove us to Seaside, OR, to view the mighty Pacific Ocean before our trek. It was a gorgeous beach, although the weather was relatively cold (low 60s) - biking in that weather is ideal, though, so no complaints from this end. After a brief visit on the beach and some picture time, we headed to Astoria for the official trip departure. We managed to find a boat landing in the Columbia River from which we could dunk our tires in the water and begin the trek east on Route 30, which we followed the entire way to Portland today.
The weather started off cloudy and cool in Astoria, and as we crossed the coastal mountain range the cloud cover departed and the weather heated up to a high of 86. We had good (and gorgeous) tree coverage for the first 15 miles through the coastal mountains, and the road gradients were cyclist-friend. After crossing the coastals, the riding was as flat as Eastern Maryland (shout out to the Perdues and the Salisbury Century) so we kept a stronger pace than anticipated and made it about 50 miles to Ranier, OR, for lunch. There was a climb up to Ranier, but we were rewarded with a nice descent into this picturesque town with Mount St. Helens in the backdrop. Hamburgers, a homemade strawberry shake for Larry, and a Brownie Sundae for me made the perfect lunch - and the quaint outdoor dining.
The riding was hot but extremely flat for the rest of the journey after Ranier. We stopped in St. Helens (70 miles from Astoria) at The Bike Shop to see if I could have my bike computer fixed because it is brand new but was not working after I installed it last night. Unfortunately the shop was closed so Larry and I rested for a minute to contemplate the appropriate plan of action for the computer. Within a few minutes, though, a red car arrives from which a woman emerges and unlocked the door to the shop. I walked in, told her my problem, and she called another guy (Paul) who came over in about 5 minutes. He couldn't get it to work so he suggested I check Walgreens (down the street) to make sure that the battery wasn't the problem. I did this, and unfortunately the new battery did nothing. As I was fiddling with it, he pulls up and asks "is it working?" and I replied "unfortunately no", so he generously offered me one as a "sponsorship". We then went back to the shop and Paul installed it on my bike - all at no cost to me - so I let him my computer. He may try to have the company replace it. This was such a positive way to start the trip and I am eternally grateful to him for that gift.
Speaking of gifts, upon our return to Portland, we left our bikes at Kirk's posh downtown office and were treated to a delicious chicken and pasta w/pesto dinner, followed by ice cream with berries. All-in-all, this was a wonderful way to begin the trek.
- Charley Nottingham
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