Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013
Made it!!!! Dipped the front tires into the Atlantic to complete the trip. 3,943 miles. 75 days. And a lot of work. Lots of feelings going on. I feel happy, sad, proud, humble, ecstatic, thankful for all of the support and help. Tomorrow, I don't know if I will know what to do with myself. Really looking forward to getting back home. I was supposed to be figuring out what to with retirement while doing this trip. Still don't know, but it doesn't seem to matter. Things will come, and life will go on. Looking forward to whatever it brings.
Til next time.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
Friday, Oct 11, 2013
Ate in an amazing diner in Waldoboro, Maine. In the same family since 1927. Really busy. I felt sorry for the Asian restaurant across the street. Two cars. About 30 cars in this parking lot. Hard to find a table, but I got in right away by sitting at the counter. Went with the seafood platter. When in Maine. Nice sayings on the wall - things like. "Pie makes all things better". They sold pie not by the slice, but by the Slab. Giant pieces.
It was fun.
Saw the strangest roadkill yet. A Starfish. It was on the shoulder and it was flattened. But, I'm pretty sure that it didn't get there without some help.
Today's drama was leaving my leg warmers by the side of the road. I stopped to take them off and decided to eat a bit as long as I was stopped. I guess I can't do more than one thing at a time. Luckily, I was only a mile or so up the road when I figured out that they were still back where I took them off. They are important. My only warm piece of riding clothes for the legs. It has been in the high 30's and low 40's when I get on the road in the morning.
Two more riding days. Hard to relate to that. Excited, emotional, relieved. All mixed together.
Nice riding days. Cold in the morning, but nice soon after. Still too many hills for my preference, but really beautiful. I think I will go with seafood of some kind tonight also.
Til next time.
Ate in an amazing diner in Waldoboro, Maine. In the same family since 1927. Really busy. I felt sorry for the Asian restaurant across the street. Two cars. About 30 cars in this parking lot. Hard to find a table, but I got in right away by sitting at the counter. Went with the seafood platter. When in Maine. Nice sayings on the wall - things like. "Pie makes all things better". They sold pie not by the slice, but by the Slab. Giant pieces.
It was fun.
Saw the strangest roadkill yet. A Starfish. It was on the shoulder and it was flattened. But, I'm pretty sure that it didn't get there without some help.
Today's drama was leaving my leg warmers by the side of the road. I stopped to take them off and decided to eat a bit as long as I was stopped. I guess I can't do more than one thing at a time. Luckily, I was only a mile or so up the road when I figured out that they were still back where I took them off. They are important. My only warm piece of riding clothes for the legs. It has been in the high 30's and low 40's when I get on the road in the morning.
Two more riding days. Hard to relate to that. Excited, emotional, relieved. All mixed together.
Nice riding days. Cold in the morning, but nice soon after. Still too many hills for my preference, but really beautiful. I think I will go with seafood of some kind tonight also.
Til next time.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Wednesday, Oct 9, 2013
Interesting two days. Yesterday I got lost again. The maps I use don't necessarily align in a north/south direction. It gets me in trouble sometimes. Stayed in an incredibly elegant bed and breakfast in Naples, Maine. The dining room was all decked out. China, several sizes of glasses, ringed napkin holders. All color coordinated, of course. 5 tables of 8 places per table. But since it is off season, I was the only one at breakfast. Normally, I couldn't afford to stay in such places. I looked at it on line and decided to call anyway. They gave me an incredible deal. Very nice people.
Back to live wild turkeys (although these turkeys were very reserved and standoffish- kind of like the people I have met in Maine) and roadkill porcupines and raccoons.
Today's dilemma was a detour. I will have a different take on detours from now on. In a car they are usually no big deal. On a bike, it is usually a BIG deal.
Maine is different. I can't put my finger on it yet. Lots of tree's and hills. Very pretty. But there is something different about it.
Am in Brunswick, Maine. In many ways you could say I have completed the coast to coast thing. But my trip ends in Bar Harbor. So, I will be hugging the coast for the next four days.
Still good, but I am getting tired of riding over hills and I am definitely looking forward to coming home.
Til next time.
Interesting two days. Yesterday I got lost again. The maps I use don't necessarily align in a north/south direction. It gets me in trouble sometimes. Stayed in an incredibly elegant bed and breakfast in Naples, Maine. The dining room was all decked out. China, several sizes of glasses, ringed napkin holders. All color coordinated, of course. 5 tables of 8 places per table. But since it is off season, I was the only one at breakfast. Normally, I couldn't afford to stay in such places. I looked at it on line and decided to call anyway. They gave me an incredible deal. Very nice people.
Back to live wild turkeys (although these turkeys were very reserved and standoffish- kind of like the people I have met in Maine) and roadkill porcupines and raccoons.
Today's dilemma was a detour. I will have a different take on detours from now on. In a car they are usually no big deal. On a bike, it is usually a BIG deal.
Maine is different. I can't put my finger on it yet. Lots of tree's and hills. Very pretty. But there is something different about it.
Am in Brunswick, Maine. In many ways you could say I have completed the coast to coast thing. But my trip ends in Bar Harbor. So, I will be hugging the coast for the next four days.
Still good, but I am getting tired of riding over hills and I am definitely looking forward to coming home.
Til next time.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Monday, Oct. 7 , 2013
Riding in and over the White Mountains has been challenging and wet. Yesterday, I made it into North Woodstock , N.H. just before it started to rain. Then it rained during almost all of the ride today. The disappointing part was that I couldn't see the vista's . There were several pullouts that advertised as being great views. Except all that one could see were clouds and fog. Right now I am in Conway, N.H. right across the border from Maine. The good news is that tomorrow promises to be warmer and clear. So looking forward to riding into Maine tomorrow.
Til next time.
Riding in and over the White Mountains has been challenging and wet. Yesterday, I made it into North Woodstock , N.H. just before it started to rain. Then it rained during almost all of the ride today. The disappointing part was that I couldn't see the vista's . There were several pullouts that advertised as being great views. Except all that one could see were clouds and fog. Right now I am in Conway, N.H. right across the border from Maine. The good news is that tomorrow promises to be warmer and clear. So looking forward to riding into Maine tomorrow.
Til next time.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013
The mountains of Vermont have been challenging and beautiful. The big event of the last few days happened yesterday. I rode into Bethel, Vermont and didn't know where I was going to stay for the night. I had tried to call earlier to find a place, but the phone connection was bad. So, I got there and tried to chase down a place to stay. None were available. I was exhausted after climbing over a mountain pass and was at a very low point. I was sitting in front of a convenience store eating so that I would have enough energy to figure out what to do next. A woman came over and started talking with me. It turns out that she had passed me on her bike earlier. She is a triathlete and was out for a training ride. Long story short, I stayed with her and her husband and their three kids (and two dogs, three cats and a fish). They fed me and got me back on my feet. We had a lot of fun. It was a great connection.
Today, going over another pass, the rode was closed. The detour was all dirt and gravel. So it was uphill with a not very forgiving surface to ride on. Turned out to be only about 6 miles out of the way. The rest of the day was great. Am in Fairlee Vt. Across the river from Orford, New Hampshire. Recalculated and I think I have about 8 days of riding left. The weather has turned really unpredictable. Rain the and like in the forecast. We will see what it will bring.
Feeling good. A bit worn out, but good anyway. I can't be complaining. Casper got slammed by a snow storm. At least I'm not in that.
Til next time.
The mountains of Vermont have been challenging and beautiful. The big event of the last few days happened yesterday. I rode into Bethel, Vermont and didn't know where I was going to stay for the night. I had tried to call earlier to find a place, but the phone connection was bad. So, I got there and tried to chase down a place to stay. None were available. I was exhausted after climbing over a mountain pass and was at a very low point. I was sitting in front of a convenience store eating so that I would have enough energy to figure out what to do next. A woman came over and started talking with me. It turns out that she had passed me on her bike earlier. She is a triathlete and was out for a training ride. Long story short, I stayed with her and her husband and their three kids (and two dogs, three cats and a fish). They fed me and got me back on my feet. We had a lot of fun. It was a great connection.
Today, going over another pass, the rode was closed. The detour was all dirt and gravel. So it was uphill with a not very forgiving surface to ride on. Turned out to be only about 6 miles out of the way. The rest of the day was great. Am in Fairlee Vt. Across the river from Orford, New Hampshire. Recalculated and I think I have about 8 days of riding left. The weather has turned really unpredictable. Rain the and like in the forecast. We will see what it will bring.
Feeling good. A bit worn out, but good anyway. I can't be complaining. Casper got slammed by a snow storm. At least I'm not in that.
Til next time.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Thursday, Oct. 3 , 2013
Still recovering from yesterday's ride. But today's went well. Made it to Middlebury. Nice town. Another ferry ride. Officially in Vermont. Today was catchup day. Laundry, shopping, walking
around town. Chilling out.
Girding myself for tomorrow's mountain climb. The tree's are still great, just not quite as far along as in the Adirondacks. I imagine as I go up, the colors will increase. Met a couple from Nebraska who came out here to chase the fall colors. Small world. They have a son who lives in Ames.
Til next time.
Still recovering from yesterday's ride. But today's went well. Made it to Middlebury. Nice town. Another ferry ride. Officially in Vermont. Today was catchup day. Laundry, shopping, walking
around town. Chilling out.
Girding myself for tomorrow's mountain climb. The tree's are still great, just not quite as far along as in the Adirondacks. I imagine as I go up, the colors will increase. Met a couple from Nebraska who came out here to chase the fall colors. Small world. They have a son who lives in Ames.
Til next time.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
The fall foliage has been stunning. Hard to take pictures of, but easy to appreciate and have one's breath taken away.
I ate breakfast with a group of photographers who meet somewhere in New England every fall to take photo's together. They come from all over the country to spend time together each year. They said that this is the most vibrant and colorful they have seen in all the years they have been getting together. I feel lucky and blessed.
Today was one of those days when the best plans didn't turn out that great. I had planned to ride 50 miles and then stay in a bed and breakfast in a town a bit away from others. I even tried to call the B&B. Got a recording, but they used the name of the B&B in the recording. Phone service was spotty and I lost the call. So, I rode to the town and was told that the B&B had closed.
So I rode an extra 25 miles. That is harder to do in the hills. Tonight, I will sleep well.
Tomorrow, Vermont. Passing through Ticonderoga, N.Y. on the way. Big mountains coming up.
At the most, two weeks left in the trip. Partly depending on the weather.
Feel good (and tired).
Til next time.
The fall foliage has been stunning. Hard to take pictures of, but easy to appreciate and have one's breath taken away.
I ate breakfast with a group of photographers who meet somewhere in New England every fall to take photo's together. They come from all over the country to spend time together each year. They said that this is the most vibrant and colorful they have seen in all the years they have been getting together. I feel lucky and blessed.
Today was one of those days when the best plans didn't turn out that great. I had planned to ride 50 miles and then stay in a bed and breakfast in a town a bit away from others. I even tried to call the B&B. Got a recording, but they used the name of the B&B in the recording. Phone service was spotty and I lost the call. So, I rode to the town and was told that the B&B had closed.
So I rode an extra 25 miles. That is harder to do in the hills. Tonight, I will sleep well.
Tomorrow, Vermont. Passing through Ticonderoga, N.Y. on the way. Big mountains coming up.
At the most, two weeks left in the trip. Partly depending on the weather.
Feel good (and tired).
Til next time.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Tuesday, October 1 ,2013
I am writing this at the start of the day. Hard to get Internet service. The fall colors have bloomed. It was kind of stunning to see how fast things changed. Lots and lots of trees and color. And hills to enjoy the vista's.
Was in Pulaski. It is salmon season. I have never seen so many people in streams and on bridges trying to catch fish. You would think the salmon would get scared away. It has been good to get away from that craziness.
Spent last night in Boonville, N.Y. More climbing today.
Til next time.
I am writing this at the start of the day. Hard to get Internet service. The fall colors have bloomed. It was kind of stunning to see how fast things changed. Lots and lots of trees and color. And hills to enjoy the vista's.
Was in Pulaski. It is salmon season. I have never seen so many people in streams and on bridges trying to catch fish. You would think the salmon would get scared away. It has been good to get away from that craziness.
Spent last night in Boonville, N.Y. More climbing today.
Til next time.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Saturday, Sept 28, 2013
Today was a great day riding. Not too cold in the morning. About 60 in the "heat" of the day. The roads were great. At the end of the day, the shoulder was wider than the lane for the cars. It is getting hillier.
Lots and lots of orchards. And thousands of trees just barely turning into fall colors.
Roadkill - 1 possum (and he wasn't "playing" dead).
In Wolcott, New York. A small town close to Lake Ontario. I may be out of touch for a while. Heading for the mountains. Sometimes phone and Internet service gets patchy.
Doing great. The tendinitis is still lingering, but seems to be getting better.
Til next time.
Today was a great day riding. Not too cold in the morning. About 60 in the "heat" of the day. The roads were great. At the end of the day, the shoulder was wider than the lane for the cars. It is getting hillier.
Lots and lots of orchards. And thousands of trees just barely turning into fall colors.
Roadkill - 1 possum (and he wasn't "playing" dead).
In Wolcott, New York. A small town close to Lake Ontario. I may be out of touch for a while. Heading for the mountains. Sometimes phone and Internet service gets patchy.
Doing great. The tendinitis is still lingering, but seems to be getting better.
Til next time.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Friday, Sept 27, 2013
Friday, Sept. 27, 2013
Happy birthday to my brother a day early!!!
The biking has been good the past two days. Got to see the power of Niagara Falls, and a bit of history by riding for 40 miles next to the Erie Canal.
The tough part of the past two days has been logistics. Finding places to spend the night. Finding good things to eat. Finding a Laundromat before the clothes started to smell like a road-kill skunk. The biking is the easy part.
Got lost yesterday. Still don't know how it happened. Once I knew I wasn't where I was supposed to be, I tried to find someone to give me directions. That turned out to be a young flagman on road construction. Found out about a generational thing. He had no clue how to get me back to where I needed to be. He always relied on the GPS on his phone. Except it wasn't working. So he asked an older worker(30 instead of 22). He knew for sure. And gave me some incredibly confusing directions. I understood the first part, so I headed in that direction. Flagged down a 60 year old guy, and he whipped out a map and showed me where to go. Just up my alley. Turns out I was only about two miles off course. Maybe I need to get with it and get a smart phone with GPS.
Am currently in a town southeast of Rochester, NY. Will start to head up to Lake Ontario tomorrow, and then over to the Adirondacks.
Frustrated about logistics, but the outlook usually seems brighter after a good night's sleep and getting on the bike in the morning.
Oh, the animal report. Blue Heron haven along the canal.
Til next time.
Friday, Sept. 27, 2013
Happy birthday to my brother a day early!!!
The biking has been good the past two days. Got to see the power of Niagara Falls, and a bit of history by riding for 40 miles next to the Erie Canal.
The tough part of the past two days has been logistics. Finding places to spend the night. Finding good things to eat. Finding a Laundromat before the clothes started to smell like a road-kill skunk. The biking is the easy part.
Got lost yesterday. Still don't know how it happened. Once I knew I wasn't where I was supposed to be, I tried to find someone to give me directions. That turned out to be a young flagman on road construction. Found out about a generational thing. He had no clue how to get me back to where I needed to be. He always relied on the GPS on his phone. Except it wasn't working. So he asked an older worker(30 instead of 22). He knew for sure. And gave me some incredibly confusing directions. I understood the first part, so I headed in that direction. Flagged down a 60 year old guy, and he whipped out a map and showed me where to go. Just up my alley. Turns out I was only about two miles off course. Maybe I need to get with it and get a smart phone with GPS.
Am currently in a town southeast of Rochester, NY. Will start to head up to Lake Ontario tomorrow, and then over to the Adirondacks.
Frustrated about logistics, but the outlook usually seems brighter after a good night's sleep and getting on the bike in the morning.
Oh, the animal report. Blue Heron haven along the canal.
Til next time.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Wednesday, Sept 25 , 2013
Am in Fort Erie, right across the bridge from Buffalo, New York. Tomorrow, headed towards Niagra Falls. Ended the day on 20 miles of great bike path and start the day tomorrow with another 20 miles. I LOVE good bike paths.
Biked for a while with a fellow bike camper. He instantly diagnosed my leg/foot issue. Tendinitis. I have had issues for about a week. I can bike ok, but by the end of the day, my leg and ankle are swelled up like a balloon, and I can't walk without a lot of pain. The good news is that the pain and swelling are getting better. I stopped taking pain medication. So hopefully, it will gradually go away. One of my tires blew out. After the riding was over for the day. Better than if I were on the bike, I guess.
I've really enjoyed Canada, but am ready to get back home to the USA.
Til next time.
Am in Fort Erie, right across the bridge from Buffalo, New York. Tomorrow, headed towards Niagra Falls. Ended the day on 20 miles of great bike path and start the day tomorrow with another 20 miles. I LOVE good bike paths.
Biked for a while with a fellow bike camper. He instantly diagnosed my leg/foot issue. Tendinitis. I have had issues for about a week. I can bike ok, but by the end of the day, my leg and ankle are swelled up like a balloon, and I can't walk without a lot of pain. The good news is that the pain and swelling are getting better. I stopped taking pain medication. So hopefully, it will gradually go away. One of my tires blew out. After the riding was over for the day. Better than if I were on the bike, I guess.
I've really enjoyed Canada, but am ready to get back home to the USA.
Til next time.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Tuesday, Sept 24, 2013
Great rhythm with the bike today. It was a treat to ride next to Lake Erie most of the day.
Saw three signs today warning of turtles crossing the road.
Passed the 3,000 mile mark. That is a lot of miles.
Was missing eating veggies, so I went on the prowl for a salad bar. Success.
Currently in Port Dover. A few more days in Canada. The riding has been great. Nice roads, and the drivers have been incredibly accommodating. Also clear and cool. A bit too cool early in the morning, but better than too hot.
Til next time.
Great rhythm with the bike today. It was a treat to ride next to Lake Erie most of the day.
Saw three signs today warning of turtles crossing the road.
Passed the 3,000 mile mark. That is a lot of miles.
Was missing eating veggies, so I went on the prowl for a salad bar. Success.
Currently in Port Dover. A few more days in Canada. The riding has been great. Nice roads, and the drivers have been incredibly accommodating. Also clear and cool. A bit too cool early in the morning, but better than too hot.
Til next time.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Monday, Sept 23, 2013
There are little things that give notice I am in a different country. The streets aren't named Washington or Jefferson or Madison. More along the lines of Trafalgar, Nelson, and King George. Then there is the whole thing with flying the flag. I saw so many American flags flying on this trip. Now there are just as many flags, but they are Canadian flags. It is just different. A lot of farmers fly the flag. And there are signs about supporting the troops, just like back home.
Lots of apple orchards. Harvesting going on. The trees are really short, and FULL of apples. One orchard today had the trees trimmed so they looked more like being part of a vineyard. But with LOTS of apples.
Dogs were after me today. Until the end of the day there was an interesting pattern. The dogs would give chase, but they wouldn't come into the road. I got a bit confident that ALL dogs in Canada were like this until the last dog today. By then I was assuming that I didn't have to worry about being attacked. Of course that is when the dog came after me on the road. And it was a big dog.
Besides the apple orchards, there were hundreds of pumpkins being harvested. And the usual corn, soybeans, etc.
There were llama's again. But the intriguing animals on the road were snails. I didn't see one of them squished. But lots. Seeming to be headed for the other side of the road.
Lake Erie is BIG, like the other Great Lakes. I am in Port Stanley. You can tell it is a big touristy area, but this time of year it is mostly deserted. I was one of two people on the whole beach.
Had some brief conversations with some locals. There is definitely an accent going on. Can't really place what it is, but it is a lot more pronounced than I expected.
Met another cyclist today. From Ontario, just taking advantage of the clear weather to do a bit of biking and camping.
Tired, but feeling good.
Til next time.
There are little things that give notice I am in a different country. The streets aren't named Washington or Jefferson or Madison. More along the lines of Trafalgar, Nelson, and King George. Then there is the whole thing with flying the flag. I saw so many American flags flying on this trip. Now there are just as many flags, but they are Canadian flags. It is just different. A lot of farmers fly the flag. And there are signs about supporting the troops, just like back home.
Lots of apple orchards. Harvesting going on. The trees are really short, and FULL of apples. One orchard today had the trees trimmed so they looked more like being part of a vineyard. But with LOTS of apples.
Dogs were after me today. Until the end of the day there was an interesting pattern. The dogs would give chase, but they wouldn't come into the road. I got a bit confident that ALL dogs in Canada were like this until the last dog today. By then I was assuming that I didn't have to worry about being attacked. Of course that is when the dog came after me on the road. And it was a big dog.
Besides the apple orchards, there were hundreds of pumpkins being harvested. And the usual corn, soybeans, etc.
There were llama's again. But the intriguing animals on the road were snails. I didn't see one of them squished. But lots. Seeming to be headed for the other side of the road.
Lake Erie is BIG, like the other Great Lakes. I am in Port Stanley. You can tell it is a big touristy area, but this time of year it is mostly deserted. I was one of two people on the whole beach.
Had some brief conversations with some locals. There is definitely an accent going on. Can't really place what it is, but it is a lot more pronounced than I expected.
Met another cyclist today. From Ontario, just taking advantage of the clear weather to do a bit of biking and camping.
Tired, but feeling good.
Til next time.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Sunday, Sept. 22 , 2013
In Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada. The trip today was good. Got to ride on bike trails again. It certainly makes a difference. It didn't rain today!!!! And it does look clear for 5 days or so. A bit cool this morning - low 40's. One more day of cool weather and then it will start to warm up a bit.
It is definitely fall. I finally found a store that sells long underwear. In Michigan they don't think it is cold enough yet.
Ontario is similar to the Michigan that I just left. Agricultural. Rode by some fairly large apple orchards. Then we have the usual corn, soybeans, etc. The speed limit seems to be lower here, so I feel a little safer on the road. I will need to practice my kilometer estimations. So far I haven't been good at it.
Very courteous people helping me to get where I need to be.
I am getting a bit homesick. The biking is still really good. It would just be nice to be around familiar things. Now at least 2/3 of the way done. Almost 3/4. In two days I will hit the 3,000 mile mark. Feels good.
Til next time.
In Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada. The trip today was good. Got to ride on bike trails again. It certainly makes a difference. It didn't rain today!!!! And it does look clear for 5 days or so. A bit cool this morning - low 40's. One more day of cool weather and then it will start to warm up a bit.
It is definitely fall. I finally found a store that sells long underwear. In Michigan they don't think it is cold enough yet.
Ontario is similar to the Michigan that I just left. Agricultural. Rode by some fairly large apple orchards. Then we have the usual corn, soybeans, etc. The speed limit seems to be lower here, so I feel a little safer on the road. I will need to practice my kilometer estimations. So far I haven't been good at it.
Very courteous people helping me to get where I need to be.
I am getting a bit homesick. The biking is still really good. It would just be nice to be around familiar things. Now at least 2/3 of the way done. Almost 3/4. In two days I will hit the 3,000 mile mark. Feels good.
Til next time.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Had a great surprise this morning. Someone from Frankenmuth ended up riding with me for the first hour. It had been a while since I had ridden with other cyclists, and it was really uplifting. Bill from Frankenmuth. We talked about hunting wild turkeys and pheasants. Michigan. Roads. Kids. Life. It made my day. I hadn't realized how much I missed that commraderie(sp).
It rained again, after the weatherman promised 5-6 days of clear skies.
Rode through Vassar, Brown(city), and am staying in Yale.
More bike trails today and a few more on the horizon tomorrow.
Last day in Michigan tomorrow. On to Ontario, Canada.
Til next time.
Had a great surprise this morning. Someone from Frankenmuth ended up riding with me for the first hour. It had been a while since I had ridden with other cyclists, and it was really uplifting. Bill from Frankenmuth. We talked about hunting wild turkeys and pheasants. Michigan. Roads. Kids. Life. It made my day. I hadn't realized how much I missed that commraderie(sp).
It rained again, after the weatherman promised 5-6 days of clear skies.
Rode through Vassar, Brown(city), and am staying in Yale.
More bike trails today and a few more on the horizon tomorrow.
Last day in Michigan tomorrow. On to Ontario, Canada.
Til next time.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Friday, Sept. 20 , 2013
Today was a combination of the sublime and the miserable. The sublime involved riding on the bike trails. Fantastic. And a lot more than I thought originally. Three different trails. Not much road kill on bike trails. Animal theme of the day - rabbits.
A totally different Michigan today. Completely agricultural. Corn, soybeans, etc. No lakes.
The miserable related to rain and wind. Fighting a headwind for a lot of the day. The rain was light, but still wet. So now it is supposed to be cłear for a few days. Yeah!!!!
I finally got out the painkillers. After taking a day off a week ago, I had a hard time getting my form back. I have somehow aggravated my shin. Feels like shin splints, but I don't know. I think it is getting better. We will see.
In general the day felt more on the sublime side. Will be in Canada starting Sunday. In Frankenmuth, Michigan.
Til next time.
Today was a combination of the sublime and the miserable. The sublime involved riding on the bike trails. Fantastic. And a lot more than I thought originally. Three different trails. Not much road kill on bike trails. Animal theme of the day - rabbits.
A totally different Michigan today. Completely agricultural. Corn, soybeans, etc. No lakes.
The miserable related to rain and wind. Fighting a headwind for a lot of the day. The rain was light, but still wet. So now it is supposed to be cłear for a few days. Yeah!!!!
I finally got out the painkillers. After taking a day off a week ago, I had a hard time getting my form back. I have somehow aggravated my shin. Feels like shin splints, but I don't know. I think it is getting better. We will see.
In general the day felt more on the sublime side. Will be in Canada starting Sunday. In Frankenmuth, Michigan.
Til next time.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Thursday, Sept 19, 2013
The past two days have been great. Fantastic roads. Little traffic. And some real inspirational scenery. The tree canopies were like cathedrals again. Lots of small lakes. Similar to Wisconsin.
I forgot to mention the crops the other day. There were lots of orchards. Apple and pear and others that I couldn't tell because they had no fruit left. There were fields of sunflowers, which was surprising. Also lots of vegetables, with frequent road side stands.
Road kill counts - 4 porcupines, two raccoons.
Lots of deer and a huge number of flocks of wild turkeys.
Great conversations with motorcycle riders. They LOVE their state. Great scenery for them too.
It has rained for part of the last three days. Tomorrow it will rain about half of the day. And then it is supposed to be clear for 5 days or so. Cold, but clear.
Got a chance to ride on a bike trail today. Tomorrow I will get back on that trail for about 35 miles. That will be really nice.
Am in Clare, Michigan, heading mostly east now.
Til next time.
The past two days have been great. Fantastic roads. Little traffic. And some real inspirational scenery. The tree canopies were like cathedrals again. Lots of small lakes. Similar to Wisconsin.
I forgot to mention the crops the other day. There were lots of orchards. Apple and pear and others that I couldn't tell because they had no fruit left. There were fields of sunflowers, which was surprising. Also lots of vegetables, with frequent road side stands.
Road kill counts - 4 porcupines, two raccoons.
Lots of deer and a huge number of flocks of wild turkeys.
Great conversations with motorcycle riders. They LOVE their state. Great scenery for them too.
It has rained for part of the last three days. Tomorrow it will rain about half of the day. And then it is supposed to be clear for 5 days or so. Cold, but clear.
Got a chance to ride on a bike trail today. Tomorrow I will get back on that trail for about 35 miles. That will be really nice.
Am in Clare, Michigan, heading mostly east now.
Til next time.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Tuesday, Sept 17,2013
Two much better days after spending Sunday in the rain. This part of Michigan has been hilly. Makes for some nice vista's, but I'm not too hot about climbing hills. Saw lots of deer. A raccoon ran into the road, looked the other way and then turned my way. He scooted back into the woods.
As in Minnesota, came upon 3 alpaca's or maybe llama's this time.
Ran into my first closed campground. They closed it on Sunday for the season. It could make it interesting if I run into too many more of them. Last night I spent in a county park campground right on the Lake Michigan shore. Not many in the campground. It was COLD again. Down to 41 this morning. Decided I need to get some more warm clothes.
Now the issue is to find a store. I went through Traverse City today, but I didn't know where the stores were. And it is hard to negotiate larger cities.
I missed a turn again today, but this time I caught it before going too far out of the way.
Spending the night in Interlochen, Michigan. Will start wending my way east and south to make it to the Canadian border. Going well.
Til next time.
Two much better days after spending Sunday in the rain. This part of Michigan has been hilly. Makes for some nice vista's, but I'm not too hot about climbing hills. Saw lots of deer. A raccoon ran into the road, looked the other way and then turned my way. He scooted back into the woods.
As in Minnesota, came upon 3 alpaca's or maybe llama's this time.
Ran into my first closed campground. They closed it on Sunday for the season. It could make it interesting if I run into too many more of them. Last night I spent in a county park campground right on the Lake Michigan shore. Not many in the campground. It was COLD again. Down to 41 this morning. Decided I need to get some more warm clothes.
Now the issue is to find a store. I went through Traverse City today, but I didn't know where the stores were. And it is hard to negotiate larger cities.
I missed a turn again today, but this time I caught it before going too far out of the way.
Spending the night in Interlochen, Michigan. Will start wending my way east and south to make it to the Canadian border. Going well.
Til next time.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Sunday, Sept 15,2013
Not much to report today. It started raining at 5 this morning and except for a 30 minute break that allowed me to take the tent down, it rained all day. Hanging out in Petoskey, Michigan. If it weren't for the rain, I think this would have been one of my favorite rides. Lots of coastline. Plenty of trees. And some incredible homes. Harbor Springs had several miles of huge, stately homes looking out over the bay.
I keep running into people who LOVE their state.
Til next time.
Not much to report today. It started raining at 5 this morning and except for a 30 minute break that allowed me to take the tent down, it rained all day. Hanging out in Petoskey, Michigan. If it weren't for the rain, I think this would have been one of my favorite rides. Lots of coastline. Plenty of trees. And some incredible homes. Harbor Springs had several miles of huge, stately homes looking out over the bay.
I keep running into people who LOVE their state.
Til next time.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013
Today was a break day. Went to Mackinac Island and looked around for a good part of the day. Only horses and bicycles on the island, so it was right up my alley. My total mileage for the day was 13.13 miles. Interesting that yesterday was 9/13/13. My lucky number is 13 .
The island was a bit touristy, but fun and interesting all the same. On the boat ride to the island they took us underneath the Mackinac Bridge and gave us some history. Used to be the biggest suspension bridge in the world.
Am spending tonight in a campground on the mainland side of the bridge. Right next to Lake Huron this time, with a view of the bridge again.
I pulled into the campground right into the end of a 7 day biking trip sponsored by the organization that printed my maps (Adventure Cycling Association). They were up in the UP also, so we told some good biking stories - of course about how it rained every night for 5 straight nights. It was good to touch base with other cyclists. And they all had big smiles on their faces from having a great trip. Even the guy who locked his keys in his car.
Tomorrow wiłl be back to somewhat normal riding, but not too far for a while - it doesn't fit in with finding a place to spend the night.
Til next time.
Today was a break day. Went to Mackinac Island and looked around for a good part of the day. Only horses and bicycles on the island, so it was right up my alley. My total mileage for the day was 13.13 miles. Interesting that yesterday was 9/13/13. My lucky number is 13 .
The island was a bit touristy, but fun and interesting all the same. On the boat ride to the island they took us underneath the Mackinac Bridge and gave us some history. Used to be the biggest suspension bridge in the world.
Am spending tonight in a campground on the mainland side of the bridge. Right next to Lake Huron this time, with a view of the bridge again.
I pulled into the campground right into the end of a 7 day biking trip sponsored by the organization that printed my maps (Adventure Cycling Association). They were up in the UP also, so we told some good biking stories - of course about how it rained every night for 5 straight nights. It was good to touch base with other cyclists. And they all had big smiles on their faces from having a great trip. Even the guy who locked his keys in his car.
Tomorrow wiłl be back to somewhat normal riding, but not too far for a while - it doesn't fit in with finding a place to spend the night.
Til next time.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
Two great days. The biike riding has been sweet. Not much traffic at all. And the camping has been great. Last night I spent at a state camp ground - Hog Island State Forest Camp ground Right on the LAKE. Beautiful views. Quiet. Nice people. I met two couples from the non UP part of the state who said that the campground was their favorite and that they love UP. There were a few drawbacks - no shower and no flush toilets, but small potatoes compared with the rest.
It did rain again, but only after 8:00 which is around my time to hit the hay anyway.
Oh, and it was COLD. I just put on three shirts and a jacket and dusted off my ear warmers.
today was a much shorter ride. We got off the main road for a while and it was like back in Wisconsin. Great road. No traffic. And trees arching over like a gothic cathedral.
Tonight I am in a campground across the road from the LAKE, but with access to the LAKE. We have a great view of the Mackinac Bridge. Going over to Mackinac Island tomorrow. The campground is still about 4 miles from the ferries,but they have a free service to pick people up at this campground. Loaded bike and all. Which is great news. I tried riding the bike into town to buy groceries. It is a little crazy. Supposedly there is a gigantic truck rally happening tomorrow.
I settled for a convenience store. Had my first pasty. My sister-in-law, Dee, would love them. They are all made with rutabaga's. Basically, it is dough stuffed with meat and veggies (I had the veggie one). It was good.
Til next time.
Til next time.
Two great days. The biike riding has been sweet. Not much traffic at all. And the camping has been great. Last night I spent at a state camp ground - Hog Island State Forest Camp ground Right on the LAKE. Beautiful views. Quiet. Nice people. I met two couples from the non UP part of the state who said that the campground was their favorite and that they love UP. There were a few drawbacks - no shower and no flush toilets, but small potatoes compared with the rest.
It did rain again, but only after 8:00 which is around my time to hit the hay anyway.
Oh, and it was COLD. I just put on three shirts and a jacket and dusted off my ear warmers.
today was a much shorter ride. We got off the main road for a while and it was like back in Wisconsin. Great road. No traffic. And trees arching over like a gothic cathedral.
Tonight I am in a campground across the road from the LAKE, but with access to the LAKE. We have a great view of the Mackinac Bridge. Going over to Mackinac Island tomorrow. The campground is still about 4 miles from the ferries,but they have a free service to pick people up at this campground. Loaded bike and all. Which is great news. I tried riding the bike into town to buy groceries. It is a little crazy. Supposedly there is a gigantic truck rally happening tomorrow.
I settled for a convenience store. Had my first pasty. My sister-in-law, Dee, would love them. They are all made with rutabaga's. Basically, it is dough stuffed with meat and veggies (I had the veggie one). It was good.
Til next time.
Til next time.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Yesterday I only remember passing one lake. Today I only did encounter one lake, but it was a LAKE and it will take me a few more days to pass it. Lake Michigan is impressive. And I am only going by a small section of it.
Even though I am only slowly going north ( mostly east) I can tell that the tree's are gradually changing to evergreens. Still pretty. Still a lot of them.
Am trying to dodge the weather. It should be better tomorrow and for a few days. We have had a lot of unpredictable rain. Luckily last night and tonight I finished before the rains got here.
Road kill account. Another Porcupine!!. And frogs and snakes. Not much to report, really. I was on a major highway most of the day. Spending the night in Manistique. Michigan.
I think one of the best things about the trip is how much I am learning about the country. I have glanced at Michigan on the map, but didn't really know anything about it. I was listening to the weather last night and they were talking about two "lake effects" at the same. One from Lake Superior and one from Lake Michigan. Makes for interesting weather.
Thank you everyone for all of the birthday greetings ( mostly on Facebook).
Til next time.
Yesterday I only remember passing one lake. Today I only did encounter one lake, but it was a LAKE and it will take me a few more days to pass it. Lake Michigan is impressive. And I am only going by a small section of it.
Even though I am only slowly going north ( mostly east) I can tell that the tree's are gradually changing to evergreens. Still pretty. Still a lot of them.
Am trying to dodge the weather. It should be better tomorrow and for a few days. We have had a lot of unpredictable rain. Luckily last night and tonight I finished before the rains got here.
Road kill account. Another Porcupine!!. And frogs and snakes. Not much to report, really. I was on a major highway most of the day. Spending the night in Manistique. Michigan.
I think one of the best things about the trip is how much I am learning about the country. I have glanced at Michigan on the map, but didn't really know anything about it. I was listening to the weather last night and they were talking about two "lake effects" at the same. One from Lake Superior and one from Lake Michigan. Makes for interesting weather.
Thank you everyone for all of the birthday greetings ( mostly on Facebook).
Til next time.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
So what do I do for my birthday? Ride 75 miles on the bike to Escanaba. Michigan. It was a great ride. The road improved a lot today. Great road. Not much traffic. It was overcast most of the day - kind of a carryover of the rain from yesterday. It is supposed to rain again tonight. Then I hope it calms down.
Still lots of trees. Not quite as closed in as in Wisconsin, but still nice. A few more fields of alfalfa, and not much water ( a few rivers, but I think only one lake).
More flocks of turkeys. After so many days of no road kill, we had some today. A porcupine ( first since North Dakota) and surprise of surprises a wild turkey. The turkey was a bit of a shock. The ones that I passed by were either too skittish or seemed too road smart to end up as road kill.
More nice people. I was stopped next to the side of the road eating some lunch and a guy pulled over to see if things were ok. He volunteered to go get some ice water from his house. We just chatted for a while. It was great.
Picked up a spare tire at the Post Office in Escanaba ( Leslie sent me one from home). So now I feel more prepared for emergencies. The next few days will be shorter in distance ( a result of where there are places to spend the night. I think I will take a day off when I get to Mackinaw Island. Spend some time roaming around.
We switched to eastern time today. One result is that I can't start riding until 7:30 or so. I'll just sleep on in the morning. Feeling great on my birthday.
Til next time.
So what do I do for my birthday? Ride 75 miles on the bike to Escanaba. Michigan. It was a great ride. The road improved a lot today. Great road. Not much traffic. It was overcast most of the day - kind of a carryover of the rain from yesterday. It is supposed to rain again tonight. Then I hope it calms down.
Still lots of trees. Not quite as closed in as in Wisconsin, but still nice. A few more fields of alfalfa, and not much water ( a few rivers, but I think only one lake).
More flocks of turkeys. After so many days of no road kill, we had some today. A porcupine ( first since North Dakota) and surprise of surprises a wild turkey. The turkey was a bit of a shock. The ones that I passed by were either too skittish or seemed too road smart to end up as road kill.
More nice people. I was stopped next to the side of the road eating some lunch and a guy pulled over to see if things were ok. He volunteered to go get some ice water from his house. We just chatted for a while. It was great.
Picked up a spare tire at the Post Office in Escanaba ( Leslie sent me one from home). So now I feel more prepared for emergencies. The next few days will be shorter in distance ( a result of where there are places to spend the night. I think I will take a day off when I get to Mackinaw Island. Spend some time roaming around.
We switched to eastern time today. One result is that I can't start riding until 7:30 or so. I'll just sleep on in the morning. Feeling great on my birthday.
Til next time.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Three days to catch up on again. Seems to be a pattern. For some reason, Wifi is hard to find up here in the north woods.
Roads have continued to be great. On Saturday had some trouble. Road construction. Total of about 6 miles with new gravel and then some other surfaces to boot. I was confused at one point. The sign said road construction, but there were no flaggers and the equipment was on the road. I had a scraper and a water truck coming at me at the same time, covering both sides of the road. Luckily, the water truck was slower than the scraper and I moved into the other lane. Interesting.
Saw a flock of wild turkeys. Actually I sneeked up on them and surprised them as I went by. 10-12 turkeys scattering and flying into the trees a bit panicked.
Ended up staying at the Loon Lagoon campground. Aptly named. I never saw a loon that day, but they were looning away ( or whatever you call their vocal outbursts).
The dew was really heavy on the tent in the morning. The wettest I have experienced in a tent. Took me two extra hours to dry out the tent before I could get going.
The roads yesterday were great again. Discovered quite few bike paths around Boulder Junction. Lots of riders out enjoying the freedom from cars. Was enjoying the bike paths so much I missed a turnoff. All of a sudden there was a lake next to the bike path and the map didn't have the lake located there. So I ended up going an extra 8 miles. Was already going 60 miles, so the extra 8 wasn't appreciated by my tired body. I was just having too much fun to notice my mistake.
Today it rained most of the day. I had noticed on the weather map that rain was in the forecast, but when I asked the locals, they didn't think it was going to happen. Oh well. It wasn't a hard rain, just wet.
Today was another day for turkeys. Three flocks. All had from 8 - 10 birds. Not so skittish. They calmly waited until I passed and then continued crossing the road, even splitting up the flocks.
It was a treat.
Today I am in Michigan. I noticed lots more smokers. Roads not as in good a shape, but still great scenery. Kind people. Crystal Falls, Michigan. Escanaba tomorrow.
When I get to Escanaba, it will be in the eastern time zone. Something to mark for those who call me. I tend to go to bed early.
Tomorrow is also my birthday. The big 60!!!!!
Til next time.
Three days to catch up on again. Seems to be a pattern. For some reason, Wifi is hard to find up here in the north woods.
Roads have continued to be great. On Saturday had some trouble. Road construction. Total of about 6 miles with new gravel and then some other surfaces to boot. I was confused at one point. The sign said road construction, but there were no flaggers and the equipment was on the road. I had a scraper and a water truck coming at me at the same time, covering both sides of the road. Luckily, the water truck was slower than the scraper and I moved into the other lane. Interesting.
Saw a flock of wild turkeys. Actually I sneeked up on them and surprised them as I went by. 10-12 turkeys scattering and flying into the trees a bit panicked.
Ended up staying at the Loon Lagoon campground. Aptly named. I never saw a loon that day, but they were looning away ( or whatever you call their vocal outbursts).
The dew was really heavy on the tent in the morning. The wettest I have experienced in a tent. Took me two extra hours to dry out the tent before I could get going.
The roads yesterday were great again. Discovered quite few bike paths around Boulder Junction. Lots of riders out enjoying the freedom from cars. Was enjoying the bike paths so much I missed a turnoff. All of a sudden there was a lake next to the bike path and the map didn't have the lake located there. So I ended up going an extra 8 miles. Was already going 60 miles, so the extra 8 wasn't appreciated by my tired body. I was just having too much fun to notice my mistake.
Today it rained most of the day. I had noticed on the weather map that rain was in the forecast, but when I asked the locals, they didn't think it was going to happen. Oh well. It wasn't a hard rain, just wet.
Today was another day for turkeys. Three flocks. All had from 8 - 10 birds. Not so skittish. They calmly waited until I passed and then continued crossing the road, even splitting up the flocks.
It was a treat.
Today I am in Michigan. I noticed lots more smokers. Roads not as in good a shape, but still great scenery. Kind people. Crystal Falls, Michigan. Escanaba tomorrow.
When I get to Escanaba, it will be in the eastern time zone. Something to mark for those who call me. I tend to go to bed early.
Tomorrow is also my birthday. The big 60!!!!!
Til next time.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Friday, August 6, 2013
Wisconsin has been incredible. Almost all of the route has been on back roads. Quiet, peaceful. Almost no traffic. And trees, trees, trees. There is shade most of the day.
Sttayed in Birchwood last night. City campground next to a lake. An older gentleman came by in the evening and we chatted about farms, the Twin Cities, and life in general. Kind, gentle, considerate, friendly. It was an absolutely clear night. Stars were out in force.
I seem to be in lake country. Lots and lots of small lakes with the shores dotted with cabins and homes. All of the advertizing is for "resorts". Some of them have one cabin to rent, some have 15 to rent, but they all want to be called "resorts".
Most places have a personal familly sign out front with some kind of original art or design.
The Johnnsons - Fred, Mary, Pete and Linda, with a painting of their house or boat or trees.
Lots of names that end in .......son.
No road kill. Nada. None. A result of back roads,little traffic and slow speeds, I assume.
A bit of bad luck today. Another spoke popped. Back wheel again. It was wobbly, but allowed me to ride the last 28 miles into Clam Lake. I was a little forward in Clam Lake, since there are no bike shops for a while. The first place I stopped, I asked if someone could loan me a cresent wrench to put in a new spoke. Sure enough, a guy loaned me the right wrench, told me where to find his shop, and told me to put the wrench in the front door when I got done - unlocked, of course.
I put in a new spoke ( it wobbles, but not as bad as before), put on a new tire, and a new chain and didn't even say very many bad words. You who know me, realize that I am not a very good mechanic. I will do it, but it usually takes 3 times as long as it should.
Today was the offical ( for mileage) half way point of the trip. Feels good. The riding is going great. It is supposed to rain on Monday, but that leaves two good days to ride until then.
Til next time.
Wisconsin has been incredible. Almost all of the route has been on back roads. Quiet, peaceful. Almost no traffic. And trees, trees, trees. There is shade most of the day.
Sttayed in Birchwood last night. City campground next to a lake. An older gentleman came by in the evening and we chatted about farms, the Twin Cities, and life in general. Kind, gentle, considerate, friendly. It was an absolutely clear night. Stars were out in force.
I seem to be in lake country. Lots and lots of small lakes with the shores dotted with cabins and homes. All of the advertizing is for "resorts". Some of them have one cabin to rent, some have 15 to rent, but they all want to be called "resorts".
Most places have a personal familly sign out front with some kind of original art or design.
The Johnnsons - Fred, Mary, Pete and Linda, with a painting of their house or boat or trees.
Lots of names that end in .......son.
No road kill. Nada. None. A result of back roads,little traffic and slow speeds, I assume.
A bit of bad luck today. Another spoke popped. Back wheel again. It was wobbly, but allowed me to ride the last 28 miles into Clam Lake. I was a little forward in Clam Lake, since there are no bike shops for a while. The first place I stopped, I asked if someone could loan me a cresent wrench to put in a new spoke. Sure enough, a guy loaned me the right wrench, told me where to find his shop, and told me to put the wrench in the front door when I got done - unlocked, of course.
I put in a new spoke ( it wobbles, but not as bad as before), put on a new tire, and a new chain and didn't even say very many bad words. You who know me, realize that I am not a very good mechanic. I will do it, but it usually takes 3 times as long as it should.
Today was the offical ( for mileage) half way point of the trip. Feels good. The riding is going great. It is supposed to rain on Monday, but that leaves two good days to ride until then.
Til next time.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
September 4, 2013
A few days of being out of internet service and mostly out of phone service.
So, spent Monday biking with the guys from Boston (Jerry and Frankie). They invited me to stay with them in Sauk Centre. We stayed at the Palmer House. Classic, old hotel with great
personality. They let us put our bikes in the breakfast room, and were incredibly
helpful. They washed our clothes for us and were generally welcoming. The Palmer
House has been on some tv show dealing with ghosts. We didn't see any, but supposedly
the hotel is haunted. Answer to the trivia question about a famous author from Sauk
Centre - Sinclair Lewis.
Continued to ride on the bike trail (Lake Wobegon). Great riding. Jerry and Frank
were fun to ride with. I learned a lot about Boston and Massachusetts. They continued
towards Minneapolis and I split off to follow the Northern Tier Route.
Ate in an amazing cafe in Bowlus. Cyclists get off the trail and head straight for the cafe. There were waves and waves of cyclists stopping and having lunch or a treat.
In some ways it was too many people for me. I thought about camping there (across the street from the cafe). Ended up riding another 20 miles to a farm house called Alice's Attic. She has remodeled her barn to show off her antique business and has allowed bikers to spend the night on mattresses on the floor. It was peaceful and restful.
The animal theme has changed to domestic animals. Cattle, horses, and now that we are in farm country - dogs. Chased by 4 dogs yesterday. Today my heart beat a bit faster as I watched a Doberman start to give chase from a ways away. Fastest I have moved for a while. I'm glad it wasn't as close as the other dogs. Also passed 3 alpaca. Unusual.
Great riding. Small country roads with little traffic. The drivers that are there are accommodating.
Yesterday I spent the night at the Adventure Cycling Bunkhouse( near Dalbo). Fantastic. Converted barn with bunks, pads to sleep on, pillows, a shower heated by the sun, lots of room, and pictures and stories from the many cyclists who stop by.
I had just arrived and was looking around when Don(the farmer/owner) came out to greet me and invite me to lunch. Another refreshing evening.
Today's ride was good. Still cool, although the heat is coming back on Friday. I rode on some newly improved roads. These had rumble strips on the shoulder and also on the center line. No wandering around on the roads in Minnesota.
In St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. Minnesota was great. I hope Wisconsin is just as good.
Til next time
A few days of being out of internet service and mostly out of phone service.
So, spent Monday biking with the guys from Boston (Jerry and Frankie). They invited me to stay with them in Sauk Centre. We stayed at the Palmer House. Classic, old hotel with great
personality. They let us put our bikes in the breakfast room, and were incredibly
helpful. They washed our clothes for us and were generally welcoming. The Palmer
House has been on some tv show dealing with ghosts. We didn't see any, but supposedly
the hotel is haunted. Answer to the trivia question about a famous author from Sauk
Centre - Sinclair Lewis.
Continued to ride on the bike trail (Lake Wobegon). Great riding. Jerry and Frank
were fun to ride with. I learned a lot about Boston and Massachusetts. They continued
towards Minneapolis and I split off to follow the Northern Tier Route.
Ate in an amazing cafe in Bowlus. Cyclists get off the trail and head straight for the cafe. There were waves and waves of cyclists stopping and having lunch or a treat.
In some ways it was too many people for me. I thought about camping there (across the street from the cafe). Ended up riding another 20 miles to a farm house called Alice's Attic. She has remodeled her barn to show off her antique business and has allowed bikers to spend the night on mattresses on the floor. It was peaceful and restful.
The animal theme has changed to domestic animals. Cattle, horses, and now that we are in farm country - dogs. Chased by 4 dogs yesterday. Today my heart beat a bit faster as I watched a Doberman start to give chase from a ways away. Fastest I have moved for a while. I'm glad it wasn't as close as the other dogs. Also passed 3 alpaca. Unusual.
Great riding. Small country roads with little traffic. The drivers that are there are accommodating.
Yesterday I spent the night at the Adventure Cycling Bunkhouse( near Dalbo). Fantastic. Converted barn with bunks, pads to sleep on, pillows, a shower heated by the sun, lots of room, and pictures and stories from the many cyclists who stop by.
I had just arrived and was looking around when Don(the farmer/owner) came out to greet me and invite me to lunch. Another refreshing evening.
Today's ride was good. Still cool, although the heat is coming back on Friday. I rode on some newly improved roads. These had rumble strips on the shoulder and also on the center line. No wandering around on the roads in Minnesota.
In St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. Minnesota was great. I hope Wisconsin is just as good.
Til next time
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Sunday, September 1 ,2013
A few days to catch up on. The animal theme of 4 days ago was still dead frogs. Only about a hundred instead of hundreds and hundreds. Still seeing lizards/salamanders. Seems strange to see either frogs or lizards on the road.
Made it to Valley City. Stayed in city campground. It was nice. Good shade and all. The thing that struck me was the number of peope who seem to be living in campgrounds. It has been an issue from the first day of the trip. Most city campgrounds have some kind of regulations to discourage people from coming and staying long periods of time. Something along the lines of 15 consecutive days being the limit. At Valley City they did the opposite. They actually had monthy rates posted. Most of the people I had met earlier were who were living in campgrounds were living in campers,trailers etc. In Valley City there were those who were also living in tents.
I met one of them. Very nice guy. Came home from his job and took a shower. Ate dinner and then the next morning got up and walked to work. His wife stayed back at the campground in the tent.
I don't know why people find themselves in this situation. Economy. Tight housing market. Could have been this way for the last several years and I didn't know about it. It is just something new for me. Something I didn't know was going on.
Next day very, very foggy. The ride into Fargo was about 60 miles. Good ride and I was glad to get to a bigger city, although I had to ride the last 6 miles into Fargo on the sidewalk. Busy, busy road.
Had a great time in Fargo. Stayed with Leo ( cousin of Rich W. of Casper). Great time talking about books, movies, politics, religion, etc. etc. Leo's house was built in the late 1800's. That was fun.
On to Minnesota. The landscape changed. Trees are once again a riding companion. Lots of green. lakes and ponds everywhere. The roadkill of the day were turtles. Not a bunch, but it catches your eye to see a dead turtle next to the road.
Today was an increible day. I was riding against the wind at the end of the day yesterday. The wind shifted and it cooled down. The whole day was cool and I had a tailwind ALL DAY LONG. Rode most of the day on rail trails. No cars, cool and wind at the back. Couldn't be much better.
Rode with two guys from Boston most of the day. That has been a lot of fun. They are both my age and really fun. Ended up riding 93 miles today. Tired, but the wind helped a LOT. Spending the night in Sauk Centre, MN. Trivia question. What famous author grew up on Sauk Centre?
Great, Great day.
Til next time
A few days to catch up on. The animal theme of 4 days ago was still dead frogs. Only about a hundred instead of hundreds and hundreds. Still seeing lizards/salamanders. Seems strange to see either frogs or lizards on the road.
Made it to Valley City. Stayed in city campground. It was nice. Good shade and all. The thing that struck me was the number of peope who seem to be living in campgrounds. It has been an issue from the first day of the trip. Most city campgrounds have some kind of regulations to discourage people from coming and staying long periods of time. Something along the lines of 15 consecutive days being the limit. At Valley City they did the opposite. They actually had monthy rates posted. Most of the people I had met earlier were who were living in campgrounds were living in campers,trailers etc. In Valley City there were those who were also living in tents.
I met one of them. Very nice guy. Came home from his job and took a shower. Ate dinner and then the next morning got up and walked to work. His wife stayed back at the campground in the tent.
I don't know why people find themselves in this situation. Economy. Tight housing market. Could have been this way for the last several years and I didn't know about it. It is just something new for me. Something I didn't know was going on.
Next day very, very foggy. The ride into Fargo was about 60 miles. Good ride and I was glad to get to a bigger city, although I had to ride the last 6 miles into Fargo on the sidewalk. Busy, busy road.
Had a great time in Fargo. Stayed with Leo ( cousin of Rich W. of Casper). Great time talking about books, movies, politics, religion, etc. etc. Leo's house was built in the late 1800's. That was fun.
On to Minnesota. The landscape changed. Trees are once again a riding companion. Lots of green. lakes and ponds everywhere. The roadkill of the day were turtles. Not a bunch, but it catches your eye to see a dead turtle next to the road.
Today was an increible day. I was riding against the wind at the end of the day yesterday. The wind shifted and it cooled down. The whole day was cool and I had a tailwind ALL DAY LONG. Rode most of the day on rail trails. No cars, cool and wind at the back. Couldn't be much better.
Rode with two guys from Boston most of the day. That has been a lot of fun. They are both my age and really fun. Ended up riding 93 miles today. Tired, but the wind helped a LOT. Spending the night in Sauk Centre, MN. Trivia question. What famous author grew up on Sauk Centre?
Great, Great day.
Til next time
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Have gone about 1500 miles in about 30 days. So seem to be on schedule.
No more squashed porcupines. Yesterday saw quite a few lizards. None of them squashed. They seem to flit away and stay safe.
Missed running over two snakes. Seems like distinguishing between road tar squiggles and snake squiggles is getting easier.
Still looking for Giants in the Earth kind of flat. There have been glimpses, but for the most part, North Dakota is full of hills.
Stayed in a campground in Steele last night. It was hot, hot, hot. The campground owner saw me melting into puddle like the wicked witch of the west and took pity on me. He invited me into his air conditioned shop. Turns out he collects and repairs old American and French clocks ( as in 1700's/1800's). We got on e-bay and he showed me some interesting clocks that tell time in fascinating ways. One was a clock that indicated the passing of time by how fast it burned whale oil.
I got a good education and stayed cool at the same time.
Big storms last night. We were under a tornado watch. A little spooky in a tent. So we got rained on and the wind put up some good gusts. The tent held up well. People who have been through tornado's often describe the sound as that of a train. That made it interesting. As usual, the campground was next to train tracks. So, we had several trains going by during the storm. Usually I hate it when the trains use loud warning signals going through towns. This time it was comforting. I knew it was a train.
Today, there were hundreds of dead frogs on he road. There were quite a few ponds/ small bodies of water next to the road for most of the day. It was just strange to have so many frog road kill.
Expecting more storms tonight. We have a pattern going of hot, hot, hot. Followed by storms. We will see what happens.
Will be in Minnesota in a few days. North Dakota has been great. Minnesota will feel familiar as I spent lot of time as a kid coming up north to Minnesota from Iowa to go fishing with my parents and grandparents. Good memories.
Til next time
Have gone about 1500 miles in about 30 days. So seem to be on schedule.
No more squashed porcupines. Yesterday saw quite a few lizards. None of them squashed. They seem to flit away and stay safe.
Missed running over two snakes. Seems like distinguishing between road tar squiggles and snake squiggles is getting easier.
Still looking for Giants in the Earth kind of flat. There have been glimpses, but for the most part, North Dakota is full of hills.
Stayed in a campground in Steele last night. It was hot, hot, hot. The campground owner saw me melting into puddle like the wicked witch of the west and took pity on me. He invited me into his air conditioned shop. Turns out he collects and repairs old American and French clocks ( as in 1700's/1800's). We got on e-bay and he showed me some interesting clocks that tell time in fascinating ways. One was a clock that indicated the passing of time by how fast it burned whale oil.
I got a good education and stayed cool at the same time.
Big storms last night. We were under a tornado watch. A little spooky in a tent. So we got rained on and the wind put up some good gusts. The tent held up well. People who have been through tornado's often describe the sound as that of a train. That made it interesting. As usual, the campground was next to train tracks. So, we had several trains going by during the storm. Usually I hate it when the trains use loud warning signals going through towns. This time it was comforting. I knew it was a train.
Today, there were hundreds of dead frogs on he road. There were quite a few ponds/ small bodies of water next to the road for most of the day. It was just strange to have so many frog road kill.
Expecting more storms tonight. We have a pattern going of hot, hot, hot. Followed by storms. We will see what happens.
Will be in Minnesota in a few days. North Dakota has been great. Minnesota will feel familiar as I spent lot of time as a kid coming up north to Minnesota from Iowa to go fishing with my parents and grandparents. Good memories.
Til next time
Monday, August 26, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
After Medora and the badlands, the terrain changed dramatically. From 10-15 miles east of Medora, immediately it became farm country. Lots and lots of grain, hay making, some corn, and now we are into sunflowers. I am especially drawn to the fields of sunflowers. Bright and different.
We had a few more episodes of the "parting of the grasshopper sea" today. The part that I don't like about it is when they end up all over me.
Spent last night in Glen Ullin ( I think that is how you spell it). The campground host was originally from Minnesota. Very friendly. Has a son who works in Casper of all places. He used the expression "you betcha" about 10 times during our five minute conversation. Brings me back.
Today it was cooler and rainy most of the day. Not much rain, but enough to keep me wet for long periods of time A good contrast to the hot, hot , hot of the last few weeks.
Today's stangeness involved porcupines(sp?). There were at least 7 maybe 8 dead porcupines on the road. I think I have only seen one other porcupine that had been hit by traffic in my whole life. So, it seemed rather strange to find so many today.
In Bismark, which a stark contrast to where I have been for most of my trip. Too much traffic. It is a nice city. Just different when you see it on a bike. Supposed to be big thunderstorms tonight, so I got dry and am enjoying a tentless motel stay. We'll see what the weather bring tomorrow.
Til next time.
After Medora and the badlands, the terrain changed dramatically. From 10-15 miles east of Medora, immediately it became farm country. Lots and lots of grain, hay making, some corn, and now we are into sunflowers. I am especially drawn to the fields of sunflowers. Bright and different.
We had a few more episodes of the "parting of the grasshopper sea" today. The part that I don't like about it is when they end up all over me.
Spent last night in Glen Ullin ( I think that is how you spell it). The campground host was originally from Minnesota. Very friendly. Has a son who works in Casper of all places. He used the expression "you betcha" about 10 times during our five minute conversation. Brings me back.
Today it was cooler and rainy most of the day. Not much rain, but enough to keep me wet for long periods of time A good contrast to the hot, hot , hot of the last few weeks.
Today's stangeness involved porcupines(sp?). There were at least 7 maybe 8 dead porcupines on the road. I think I have only seen one other porcupine that had been hit by traffic in my whole life. So, it seemed rather strange to find so many today.
In Bismark, which a stark contrast to where I have been for most of my trip. Too much traffic. It is a nice city. Just different when you see it on a bike. Supposed to be big thunderstorms tonight, so I got dry and am enjoying a tentless motel stay. We'll see what the weather bring tomorrow.
Til next time.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Sort of took the day off. Went about 27milles and am staying with friends of a friend. So, I took it really easy, got up late. Rode with an easy pace, and am refreshing (shower, laundry, etc.)
It rained last night, and we had some lightning and scattered showers. Surprising considering what we have had for the last week (the forecast was for "slight" chance of showers).
A new experience today. Lots and lots of grasshoppers. Sometimes it was just a few at a time. At other times, it was thick. As I came through the bunches, it was like a parting of the grasshopper sea. The would be trying to jump to the side to get away. Most of them made it. Some of them got squished or sliced up in the spokes. Quite a few of them made it onto me, which wasn't great fun. A new experience for sure.
On through Dickinson tomorrowand then towards Bismark.
Til next time.
Sort of took the day off. Went about 27milles and am staying with friends of a friend. So, I took it really easy, got up late. Rode with an easy pace, and am refreshing (shower, laundry, etc.)
It rained last night, and we had some lightning and scattered showers. Surprising considering what we have had for the last week (the forecast was for "slight" chance of showers).
A new experience today. Lots and lots of grasshoppers. Sometimes it was just a few at a time. At other times, it was thick. As I came through the bunches, it was like a parting of the grasshopper sea. The would be trying to jump to the side to get away. Most of them made it. Some of them got squished or sliced up in the spokes. Quite a few of them made it onto me, which wasn't great fun. A new experience for sure.
On through Dickinson tomorrowand then towards Bismark.
Til next time.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Back to normal. The body forgave me. The winds died down ( a bit of headwind, but mostly cross wind and not too bad at that). North Dakota is kind of beautiful. There is such a thing as the Badlands here, but most of western N.D. has been badlandish. Great buttes and beautiful rock formations. Colorful and dominating.
Rode on the interstate highway for the first time today. It was really good. Not a whole lot of traffic. Wide, wide shoulder. Not much debris/junk on the shoulder. And a nice rumble strip between me and the cars passing me. I was most pleasantly surprised at how well it went.
Still plenty hot. It has been in the 90's for several days and looks like it will be on into next week. It is hard to fathom how much I drink. But I guess it is necessary.
In Medora.
Til next time.
Back to normal. The body forgave me. The winds died down ( a bit of headwind, but mostly cross wind and not too bad at that). North Dakota is kind of beautiful. There is such a thing as the Badlands here, but most of western N.D. has been badlandish. Great buttes and beautiful rock formations. Colorful and dominating.
Rode on the interstate highway for the first time today. It was really good. Not a whole lot of traffic. Wide, wide shoulder. Not much debris/junk on the shoulder. And a nice rumble strip between me and the cars passing me. I was most pleasantly surprised at how well it went.
Still plenty hot. It has been in the 90's for several days and looks like it will be on into next week. It is hard to fathom how much I drink. But I guess it is necessary.
In Medora.
Til next time.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
The headwind taketh away.
The last two days have been incredibly challenging. Yesterday it was headwind for 5 miles followed by very stong and gusty cross-winds. My hands were really sore by the end of the day from trying to control the bike in the gusty winds. It was especially challening when big trucks went by - in either direction really. It was just hard to know what the wind was going to do.
Spent the night in Circle, Mt.. Campground not really meant for tents and no shower. But met Tom from Manchester, England who had the same issues I did and suffered a flat tire to boot. So, I can't complain too much.
Today was the worst day of biking I have ever had. One of those days where I question what I was thinking when I decided to do this cross country thing. Today it was all headwinds - the toughest I have ever ridden in. It took me 7 1/2 hours to go 50 miles. Hard peddling all the way. Very physical and also very mental. I feel physically beat up. My whole body is sore and I am wind burned.
But I am recovering. Had a shower, which works wonders. Eating and drinking to replenish. After a good nights sleep, I will be ready to go tomorrow. On to North Dakota.
Til next time.
The headwind taketh away.
The last two days have been incredibly challenging. Yesterday it was headwind for 5 miles followed by very stong and gusty cross-winds. My hands were really sore by the end of the day from trying to control the bike in the gusty winds. It was especially challening when big trucks went by - in either direction really. It was just hard to know what the wind was going to do.
Spent the night in Circle, Mt.. Campground not really meant for tents and no shower. But met Tom from Manchester, England who had the same issues I did and suffered a flat tire to boot. So, I can't complain too much.
Today was the worst day of biking I have ever had. One of those days where I question what I was thinking when I decided to do this cross country thing. Today it was all headwinds - the toughest I have ever ridden in. It took me 7 1/2 hours to go 50 miles. Hard peddling all the way. Very physical and also very mental. I feel physically beat up. My whole body is sore and I am wind burned.
But I am recovering. Had a shower, which works wonders. Eating and drinking to replenish. After a good nights sleep, I will be ready to go tomorrow. On to North Dakota.
Til next time.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
And the trains came! Not quite as many as in Chester. Maybe 12 or so. They were really, really loud. I woke up for good about 4 a.m. Up until then it seemed like most of them were headed west. At 4, they changed directions and came fast. About every 10 minutes a train came rumbling through going east. Then at 5:15 or so, they stopped. Made for a peaceful breakfast. The Whiporwhills(sp) started serenading, and the night was clear, starting to show the morning light.
Today was the first day of school. Now I know for really, truly that I am retired. Feels good.
Animals for the day included mosquitoes that swarmed when I stopped for a drink or rest, cows that bellowed a lot, and a fairly good sized herd of sheep. I also ran over a snake.
The bike was going downhill at a good clip. I thought I saw a normal tar squiggle ahead, but when I was on top of it, it moved. It gave me a start.
Another wind aided day. I discovered the benefit of flip-up sunglasses. Most mornings I am looking directly into the sun, so sun glasses come in handy. Sometimes that makes it hard to see the pavement in front of me. If I put the slip-ups half way up, it blocks the sun and I can also see the pavement at the same time. It looks dorky, but works. At this point in the trip, the looking dorky doesn't seem to matter much.
20 days in and 1,000 miles behind me. About 1/4 of the way to the goal. Feels fine, and just about what I had estimated.
Thought of my Scottish friend,Michael, as we got into Glasgow, MT.
Many thanks to the Nicol family. They were gracious enough to host me in Glasgow. They were great company, fine hosts, and saved me from the mosquito swarms.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Got out early. Great for the cool of the day and light traffic. Today was a light day. About 50 miles. It seems strange to refer to 50 miles as a light day. But it feels that way. The next few will be the same. It is just the way it goes for places to stay. I'm not up for 100 miles of loaded biking just yet. So we will stay with 50 until North Dakota and see what happens after that.
Feeling great!! In Wolf Point MT.
And the trains came! Not quite as many as in Chester. Maybe 12 or so. They were really, really loud. I woke up for good about 4 a.m. Up until then it seemed like most of them were headed west. At 4, they changed directions and came fast. About every 10 minutes a train came rumbling through going east. Then at 5:15 or so, they stopped. Made for a peaceful breakfast. The Whiporwhills(sp) started serenading, and the night was clear, starting to show the morning light.
Today was the first day of school. Now I know for really, truly that I am retired. Feels good.
Animals for the day included mosquitoes that swarmed when I stopped for a drink or rest, cows that bellowed a lot, and a fairly good sized herd of sheep. I also ran over a snake.
The bike was going downhill at a good clip. I thought I saw a normal tar squiggle ahead, but when I was on top of it, it moved. It gave me a start.
Another wind aided day. I discovered the benefit of flip-up sunglasses. Most mornings I am looking directly into the sun, so sun glasses come in handy. Sometimes that makes it hard to see the pavement in front of me. If I put the slip-ups half way up, it blocks the sun and I can also see the pavement at the same time. It looks dorky, but works. At this point in the trip, the looking dorky doesn't seem to matter much.
20 days in and 1,000 miles behind me. About 1/4 of the way to the goal. Feels fine, and just about what I had estimated.
Thought of my Scottish friend,Michael, as we got into Glasgow, MT.
Many thanks to the Nicol family. They were gracious enough to host me in Glasgow. They were great company, fine hosts, and saved me from the mosquito swarms.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Got out early. Great for the cool of the day and light traffic. Today was a light day. About 50 miles. It seems strange to refer to 50 miles as a light day. But it feels that way. The next few will be the same. It is just the way it goes for places to stay. I'm not up for 100 miles of loaded biking just yet. So we will stay with 50 until North Dakota and see what happens after that.
Feeling great!! In Wolf Point MT.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Sunday, August 18, 2013
The tail wind giveth. I went a long ways today, but a great deal of the credit goes to a nice tail-wind.
Have to take advantage when it comes. Havre to Malta, MT. The secenery changed a lot on the east side of Havre. From Chester to Havre it was just grass- wheat and grazing. On the east of Havre it was more farming. There were lots of trees owning to the fact that the route followed the Milk River. Wherever the river went, there were trees. Lots and lots of alfalfa. There was some real time making of hay. There was even a good looking corn field. I coulda been in Iowa.
A bit more about Chester - two nights ago. After posting on the blog, I spent a lot of time with a Belgian couple - Gilles and Sophie. It was really fun talking about what we could both expected from the upcoming parts of our trips. I was going east where they had been. And they were going west where I had been. We got out the maps and told some good stories about what was coming up. It was the most fun I have had with other cyclists. Picked up the spirits for sure.
I also had a great meal in Chester. At Spuds Cafe. Just the kind of local eatery we look for. A varied menu. Great service. Great Food. and reasonably priced.
This part of Montana is called the hi line. It was populated because of the railroad that was put through up here. There are a LOT of trains that use those tracks. I swear there were 20 trains that passed through Chester in that one night. And we weren't even close to the tracks. Tonight, the tracks are right by the tent area of the RV park in Malta. Should be a LOUD night.
A few more nights in Montana, and then on to North Dakota. Montana has been great. Really varied. Still more to come in the next few days.
A variety of Crickets and Grasshoppers and lots of chiping birds were the wild life for today The side of the road was buzzing all day long.
Til next time.
The tail wind giveth. I went a long ways today, but a great deal of the credit goes to a nice tail-wind.
Have to take advantage when it comes. Havre to Malta, MT. The secenery changed a lot on the east side of Havre. From Chester to Havre it was just grass- wheat and grazing. On the east of Havre it was more farming. There were lots of trees owning to the fact that the route followed the Milk River. Wherever the river went, there were trees. Lots and lots of alfalfa. There was some real time making of hay. There was even a good looking corn field. I coulda been in Iowa.
A bit more about Chester - two nights ago. After posting on the blog, I spent a lot of time with a Belgian couple - Gilles and Sophie. It was really fun talking about what we could both expected from the upcoming parts of our trips. I was going east where they had been. And they were going west where I had been. We got out the maps and told some good stories about what was coming up. It was the most fun I have had with other cyclists. Picked up the spirits for sure.
I also had a great meal in Chester. At Spuds Cafe. Just the kind of local eatery we look for. A varied menu. Great service. Great Food. and reasonably priced.
This part of Montana is called the hi line. It was populated because of the railroad that was put through up here. There are a LOT of trains that use those tracks. I swear there were 20 trains that passed through Chester in that one night. And we weren't even close to the tracks. Tonight, the tracks are right by the tent area of the RV park in Malta. Should be a LOUD night.
A few more nights in Montana, and then on to North Dakota. Montana has been great. Really varied. Still more to come in the next few days.
A variety of Crickets and Grasshoppers and lots of chiping birds were the wild life for today The side of the road was buzzing all day long.
Til next time.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
The area between East Glacier and Browning was stunningly beautiful. First of all, there was always the backdrop of the mountains of Glacier National Park. The rolling grasslands were drier than the other side of the mountain, but still green and somewhat lush for this time of the year. A buffalo herd surprised me as I struggled up one of the hills. And the road was great. Early morning and almost chilly. A great way to start the day.
Stark contrast with the riding on the other side of the mountains. No shade ( except provided by the small bill of my bicyle helmet). And that also meant that what I had come to rely upon for bathroom breaks (bushes and trees) no longer were an option. That may have been the hardest adjustment.
A had a hawk staring me down and chattering in my direction from a fence post along the road.
Easier riding, because I spent a great deal of the day coming down in elevation. It was still a hard day since I ended up going 72 miles. But I had some good motivation. My son came up to visit me in Shelby last night, and that was certainly a treat.
Mosquitoes came out last night and continued the barrage this morning. Up to this point, mosquitoes haven't been an issue.
Today I took it easy after two long distance days. Am currentlly in Chester MT at the local library, catching some respite from the heat and catching up here.
Small birds and mosquitoes make up the animal theme for today. Every time I stopped, the mosquitoes swarmed and poked, making each stop a little shorter than planned. Chester doesn't seem so bad for mosquitoes. We will see tonight.
I thought I would write a little about bike/ car etiquette and interaction. For those non cyclists, I want to put down some thoughts about why cyclists ride in the road where they do.
For safety reasons, I have always been told to ride out into the lane at least 1/3 out from the shoulder. Cars have a tendency to slow down and pass in the other lane when we take up that much room. The people in the car might lose 15 - 20 seconds of time, but it makes for a much safer environment. If the driver decides to cut it really close to the cyclist, the room that we have between us and the shoulder can be used to get out of the way and still be safe.
If cyclists hug the right side of the road, drivers tend to not slow down and many of them zoom right next to us, leaving little margin for error. That also gives us no wiggle room to the right.
Sometimes there is a great shoulder to ride on, but we don't use it. Why not? There is a lot of "stuff" on the shoulder. Glass, chunks of tire, wire, broken headlights, broken tie-downs, cans, and anything that might fall off of a car. If I were to pick up all of the lug nuts I find on the shoulder, I could start a store called "Lug Nut Heaven" and make a pretty good go of it. There is lots of "stuff" that is not good to run over with bike tires.
Today, I rode 10 miles with the entire shoulder cut out as a rumble strip. I also spent a good deal of time on a road today that had recently been resurfaced. That is great if one is riding on the road part of the surface. The gravel and rocks have been pushed down into the new layering of asphalt. Easy and fun to ride on. However, the gravel and rocks on the shoulder are still sitting on top of the new layering of asphalt. Which means that it is like riding on a gravel road. Not such a good thing for tires or low rolling resitance.
Just my little piece of explanation for where cyclists ride on the road. Thanks for your patience.
Til next time. Tomorrow, Havre
The area between East Glacier and Browning was stunningly beautiful. First of all, there was always the backdrop of the mountains of Glacier National Park. The rolling grasslands were drier than the other side of the mountain, but still green and somewhat lush for this time of the year. A buffalo herd surprised me as I struggled up one of the hills. And the road was great. Early morning and almost chilly. A great way to start the day.
Stark contrast with the riding on the other side of the mountains. No shade ( except provided by the small bill of my bicyle helmet). And that also meant that what I had come to rely upon for bathroom breaks (bushes and trees) no longer were an option. That may have been the hardest adjustment.
A had a hawk staring me down and chattering in my direction from a fence post along the road.
Easier riding, because I spent a great deal of the day coming down in elevation. It was still a hard day since I ended up going 72 miles. But I had some good motivation. My son came up to visit me in Shelby last night, and that was certainly a treat.
Mosquitoes came out last night and continued the barrage this morning. Up to this point, mosquitoes haven't been an issue.
Today I took it easy after two long distance days. Am currentlly in Chester MT at the local library, catching some respite from the heat and catching up here.
Small birds and mosquitoes make up the animal theme for today. Every time I stopped, the mosquitoes swarmed and poked, making each stop a little shorter than planned. Chester doesn't seem so bad for mosquitoes. We will see tonight.
I thought I would write a little about bike/ car etiquette and interaction. For those non cyclists, I want to put down some thoughts about why cyclists ride in the road where they do.
For safety reasons, I have always been told to ride out into the lane at least 1/3 out from the shoulder. Cars have a tendency to slow down and pass in the other lane when we take up that much room. The people in the car might lose 15 - 20 seconds of time, but it makes for a much safer environment. If the driver decides to cut it really close to the cyclist, the room that we have between us and the shoulder can be used to get out of the way and still be safe.
If cyclists hug the right side of the road, drivers tend to not slow down and many of them zoom right next to us, leaving little margin for error. That also gives us no wiggle room to the right.
Sometimes there is a great shoulder to ride on, but we don't use it. Why not? There is a lot of "stuff" on the shoulder. Glass, chunks of tire, wire, broken headlights, broken tie-downs, cans, and anything that might fall off of a car. If I were to pick up all of the lug nuts I find on the shoulder, I could start a store called "Lug Nut Heaven" and make a pretty good go of it. There is lots of "stuff" that is not good to run over with bike tires.
Today, I rode 10 miles with the entire shoulder cut out as a rumble strip. I also spent a good deal of time on a road today that had recently been resurfaced. That is great if one is riding on the road part of the surface. The gravel and rocks have been pushed down into the new layering of asphalt. Easy and fun to ride on. However, the gravel and rocks on the shoulder are still sitting on top of the new layering of asphalt. Which means that it is like riding on a gravel road. Not such a good thing for tires or low rolling resitance.
Just my little piece of explanation for where cyclists ride on the road. Thanks for your patience.
Til next time. Tomorrow, Havre
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
I got to Glacier today and couldn't take all of the cars and people. It was crazy. So I went round Glacier to the south. I think it was the middle fork of the Flathead river the we followed(I refer to "we" sometimes in reference to me and my bike).. Much, much better as per the crazy cars and people. Struggled today with not knowing when to refuel and rehydrate. Part of that had to do with the lack of the number of people(not as many places to get food, etc.)
I had planned to camp at the summit of the pass(Marias?), but when I got there the signs indicated that it was bear country and to use hard sided bear proof containers for food. When in Washington, the bear proof containers were part of the camp site. This turned out to be a bring your own situation. As I didn't have any, it was off down the pass to East Glacier. A few too many miles today, but such is the life of a vagabond cyclist.
Radical change in the vegetation on this side of the mountain. I will have to be much more aware of carrying enough water and not riding into the hot afternoon. This stage of riding will be much, much different. The mountains will be in my rear view mirror. Hello plains. How do you do.
Til next time.
I got to Glacier today and couldn't take all of the cars and people. It was crazy. So I went round Glacier to the south. I think it was the middle fork of the Flathead river the we followed(I refer to "we" sometimes in reference to me and my bike).. Much, much better as per the crazy cars and people. Struggled today with not knowing when to refuel and rehydrate. Part of that had to do with the lack of the number of people(not as many places to get food, etc.)
I had planned to camp at the summit of the pass(Marias?), but when I got there the signs indicated that it was bear country and to use hard sided bear proof containers for food. When in Washington, the bear proof containers were part of the camp site. This turned out to be a bring your own situation. As I didn't have any, it was off down the pass to East Glacier. A few too many miles today, but such is the life of a vagabond cyclist.
Radical change in the vegetation on this side of the mountain. I will have to be much more aware of carrying enough water and not riding into the hot afternoon. This stage of riding will be much, much different. The mountains will be in my rear view mirror. Hello plains. How do you do.
Til next time.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
A few great days. The area around Lake Koocanusa (created by Libby Dam) is beautiful, but it got a bit boring. That is one huge lake. Ended up in Eureka (about the most northwest you can get in Montana). Stayed in the city campground, which was great in some aspects, but had its drawbacks - it turned out to be the hangout for all of the young people in town. So, constant trucks coming in and out of the park. Lots of guys and girls trying to meet and impress each other. I never felt threatened, but it put me on edge. I can sleep anywhere, so I did fall asleep. I woke up with a start around 12:30 and felt something was wrong. IT WAS FINALLY QUIET! Ate a tremendous meal at a restaurant on the Main Street. Green Curry which was one of my favorites in Casper. It was tremendous. I ate it slowly and savored every bite.
Today I find myself in Whitefish, MT. The ride from Eureka was great again. Followed another river valley. The last 4 miles into town were the worst yet. No shoulder, lots of traffic - including BIG trucks, and the beginning of crazy traffic related to Glacier and the Flathead Valley. But I made it. The Glacier bike shop helped with some bike issues ( I think I finally have that behind me). I am staying in a hotel tonight (It feels good, finally). It has a laundry, which i needed about as much as a shower. I was beginning to be able smell myself ( not a good sign).
Whitefish is beautiful. Great mountains, and a nice sized lake with a beach and boating, etc. Really a nice vibe. For you Montanan's, I had a great pizza at the MacKenzie River Pizza Company. Multi-grain crust and lots and lots of veggies. MMMMMMM.
Tomorrow I head for Glacier. Not sure what direction I will be going in. Wanted to do the Going to the Sun Highway, but all indications are that the traffic and craziness will drive me away from that and more towards a route around Glacier. We will see how it goes tomorrow.
Having a great time!
A few great days. The area around Lake Koocanusa (created by Libby Dam) is beautiful, but it got a bit boring. That is one huge lake. Ended up in Eureka (about the most northwest you can get in Montana). Stayed in the city campground, which was great in some aspects, but had its drawbacks - it turned out to be the hangout for all of the young people in town. So, constant trucks coming in and out of the park. Lots of guys and girls trying to meet and impress each other. I never felt threatened, but it put me on edge. I can sleep anywhere, so I did fall asleep. I woke up with a start around 12:30 and felt something was wrong. IT WAS FINALLY QUIET! Ate a tremendous meal at a restaurant on the Main Street. Green Curry which was one of my favorites in Casper. It was tremendous. I ate it slowly and savored every bite.
Today I find myself in Whitefish, MT. The ride from Eureka was great again. Followed another river valley. The last 4 miles into town were the worst yet. No shoulder, lots of traffic - including BIG trucks, and the beginning of crazy traffic related to Glacier and the Flathead Valley. But I made it. The Glacier bike shop helped with some bike issues ( I think I finally have that behind me). I am staying in a hotel tonight (It feels good, finally). It has a laundry, which i needed about as much as a shower. I was beginning to be able smell myself ( not a good sign).
Whitefish is beautiful. Great mountains, and a nice sized lake with a beach and boating, etc. Really a nice vibe. For you Montanan's, I had a great pizza at the MacKenzie River Pizza Company. Multi-grain crust and lots and lots of veggies. MMMMMMM.
Tomorrow I head for Glacier. Not sure what direction I will be going in. Wanted to do the Going to the Sun Highway, but all indications are that the traffic and craziness will drive me away from that and more towards a route around Glacier. We will see how it goes tomorrow.
Having a great time!
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Saturday, August 10,2013
The theme of the day yesterday was Blue Heron. Lots of lots of Blue Heron around Clark Fork Idaho. The theme of the day for the day before was deer, deer, deer. The ride of Thursday was the best yet, until today. It was cool, not much traffic, not too many hills, and the aforementioned deer. Really really good. 61 miles on that day, and it just felt good. It is still really hot in the afternoon, so I have been trying to get on the road at first light. Today finds me in Libby, Montana(God's country according to Leslie). There is a riverfront blues festival today,which can at times make it hard to find a place to sleep. But right next to where i am typing this (in the deli section of a grocery store) is a small camp ground that just fits the bill.
The theme of the day on Wednesday was moose.
I wanted to mention something I went by on my trip over Sherman pass. It was on a small acerage next to the road. It became obvious that it was a sacred place. Very large eyes and other symbols were painted on half of a barn. There were also several wooden signs posted on poles. These also had what were obvious sacred symbols painted on them. At the end of the land there was a body raised on a platform high above the ground, suspended by stilts/poles. The body was wrapped and there was a ssedond skull placed right next to the skull of the body. I seem to remember that this was a Crow ritual, but I could be wrong. It was good to be able to go by it so slowly(as I was climbing the pass). I didn't take a picture. It felt wrong to disturb the sacredness of the place.
Now to set the record straight ( I can hear my men's group calling me on this one) - Sherman peak was 5,500 feet, but the climb up was only 3,000 feet.
Quite often the biking is challenging mentally. Physically it is also challenging, but I have more issues with the mental aspect. For example, the ride up Sherman Pass was tough, so I had to think of a time that was similarly tough and use it as a way to help me to the top.
My solution was to think about those weekends when the Casper Storm hockey team (of which I am a member) played in tournaments. We would play 5 to 6 games in one weekend. I thought it was insane at the time, but it turned out to be the thing that helped me get to the top of the pass. As I got closer to the end, I would think of how I dealt with the fatigue towards the end of that 5th or 6th hockey game.
Today was the best riding day. Coming up the Bull River Valley was my definition of nirvana. Beautiful meadows, great scenes of mountains all around, very few cars, the humming of my tires. Cool and refreshing. Good stuff.
Until next time.
The theme of the day yesterday was Blue Heron. Lots of lots of Blue Heron around Clark Fork Idaho. The theme of the day for the day before was deer, deer, deer. The ride of Thursday was the best yet, until today. It was cool, not much traffic, not too many hills, and the aforementioned deer. Really really good. 61 miles on that day, and it just felt good. It is still really hot in the afternoon, so I have been trying to get on the road at first light. Today finds me in Libby, Montana(God's country according to Leslie). There is a riverfront blues festival today,which can at times make it hard to find a place to sleep. But right next to where i am typing this (in the deli section of a grocery store) is a small camp ground that just fits the bill.
The theme of the day on Wednesday was moose.
I wanted to mention something I went by on my trip over Sherman pass. It was on a small acerage next to the road. It became obvious that it was a sacred place. Very large eyes and other symbols were painted on half of a barn. There were also several wooden signs posted on poles. These also had what were obvious sacred symbols painted on them. At the end of the land there was a body raised on a platform high above the ground, suspended by stilts/poles. The body was wrapped and there was a ssedond skull placed right next to the skull of the body. I seem to remember that this was a Crow ritual, but I could be wrong. It was good to be able to go by it so slowly(as I was climbing the pass). I didn't take a picture. It felt wrong to disturb the sacredness of the place.
Now to set the record straight ( I can hear my men's group calling me on this one) - Sherman peak was 5,500 feet, but the climb up was only 3,000 feet.
Quite often the biking is challenging mentally. Physically it is also challenging, but I have more issues with the mental aspect. For example, the ride up Sherman Pass was tough, so I had to think of a time that was similarly tough and use it as a way to help me to the top.
My solution was to think about those weekends when the Casper Storm hockey team (of which I am a member) played in tournaments. We would play 5 to 6 games in one weekend. I thought it was insane at the time, but it turned out to be the thing that helped me get to the top of the pass. As I got closer to the end, I would think of how I dealt with the fatigue towards the end of that 5th or 6th hockey game.
Today was the best riding day. Coming up the Bull River Valley was my definition of nirvana. Beautiful meadows, great scenes of mountains all around, very few cars, the humming of my tires. Cool and refreshing. Good stuff.
Until next time.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Another good day. Some climbing to start with(not my strength). But once at the top, it was beautiful riding. Lakes, streams, trees meadows. It was also cooler -mostly because I rode earlier in the day.
Ran into three women from the east coast coming this way. It is always good to touch base with other riders. They were young and enthusiastic -strong riders. I met them at the top of a hill that they were climbing. They weren't breathing hard. Not the case for me.
In Ione, Washington. Great campground. Mostly set up for RV's, but the tent situation is fantastic. And they even have wi fi.
I think I have a day of riding in valleys tomorrow. That will be different. It has been mountain passes for a long, long time.
Having some issues with the bike, but there are three bike shops in Sandpoint, Idaho. So I can hopefully find some help there. I've done mechanical things on the bike, but I am not very good at it. And it is a different kettle of fish out here on the road.
It has been good to not hear the news. The news for me is related to the weather and the people I meet. Different way of looking at things. Til next time.Might be a few days without the internet.
Another good day. Some climbing to start with(not my strength). But once at the top, it was beautiful riding. Lakes, streams, trees meadows. It was also cooler -mostly because I rode earlier in the day.
Ran into three women from the east coast coming this way. It is always good to touch base with other riders. They were young and enthusiastic -strong riders. I met them at the top of a hill that they were climbing. They weren't breathing hard. Not the case for me.
In Ione, Washington. Great campground. Mostly set up for RV's, but the tent situation is fantastic. And they even have wi fi.
I think I have a day of riding in valleys tomorrow. That will be different. It has been mountain passes for a long, long time.
Having some issues with the bike, but there are three bike shops in Sandpoint, Idaho. So I can hopefully find some help there. I've done mechanical things on the bike, but I am not very good at it. And it is a different kettle of fish out here on the road.
It has been good to not hear the news. The news for me is related to the weather and the people I meet. Different way of looking at things. Til next time.Might be a few days without the internet.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
I should have been at work yesterday, so I actually feel like I am offficially retired. Yeah!
I was all ready to import pictures into this blog. I downloaded all the pictures from my camera onto the IPad, but for some reason, the blog is not giving me the choice of importing those pictures. So, I will forgo that. Today was somewhat great and somewhat brutal. I went over Sherman Pass (5,500 feet). and ended up doing 56 miles all together. And it was in the high 90's.
But things are still going well. I can't believe I complained about the cold and wet earlier. I guess that is the beauty of being outside and in the weather. Put the coat on, take it off. Get the rain gear ready, use it or not depending on what happens.
Meeting all kinds of people. A couple from Germany and a couple of guys from Slovenia yesterday. I think what is interesting is that the conversations have little to do with our lives outside of biking. We want to know where others stayed. What kind of camp places were available. How bad were the passes to get over. That kind of thing. Lots and lots of kind and nice people. I was running out of water today and a retired tech teacher from Vancouver dug into his stash of water and saved my butt.
A coyote ran across the road in front of me yesterday. A treat. I'm getting to know the bug kingdom on personal level.
The tent has been great and campgrounds fantastic.
Spending the night in Colville, Washington. I don't have any more giant passes to go over, but tomorrow still will be a day of climbing. The last one for a while.
I'll look into what is going on with the picttures.
I should have been at work yesterday, so I actually feel like I am offficially retired. Yeah!
I was all ready to import pictures into this blog. I downloaded all the pictures from my camera onto the IPad, but for some reason, the blog is not giving me the choice of importing those pictures. So, I will forgo that. Today was somewhat great and somewhat brutal. I went over Sherman Pass (5,500 feet). and ended up doing 56 miles all together. And it was in the high 90's.
But things are still going well. I can't believe I complained about the cold and wet earlier. I guess that is the beauty of being outside and in the weather. Put the coat on, take it off. Get the rain gear ready, use it or not depending on what happens.
Meeting all kinds of people. A couple from Germany and a couple of guys from Slovenia yesterday. I think what is interesting is that the conversations have little to do with our lives outside of biking. We want to know where others stayed. What kind of camp places were available. How bad were the passes to get over. That kind of thing. Lots and lots of kind and nice people. I was running out of water today and a retired tech teacher from Vancouver dug into his stash of water and saved my butt.
A coyote ran across the road in front of me yesterday. A treat. I'm getting to know the bug kingdom on personal level.
The tent has been great and campgrounds fantastic.
Spending the night in Colville, Washington. I don't have any more giant passes to go over, but tomorrow still will be a day of climbing. The last one for a while.
I'll look into what is going on with the picttures.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
sat. august 2, 2013
It has been a wet and cold beginning. So far each day has started with the mountains/hills shrouded with fog that hasn't really burned off until way later in the day. It rained two days. But the good news is that my rain gear works, and it was mostly just drizzle. Kept me in the tent for 5 hours on Thursday morning. But right after i decided to go for it, the rain quit for 30 minutes, which allowed me to get the tent down and head on my way. Camping every night so far. Last night used the bear proof storage for the food. No encounters. I had more encounters with a bunch of drunk college kids who strayed into my sight looking for the bathroom.
Currently in Winthrop, Washington. Really busy town. It is Saturday and the locals tell me that Canadians have a holiday. There also seems to be a motorcycle rally going on. Lots and lots of bikers(the other kind). Winthrop styles itself as an old west kind of town. Wooden boardwalks all along the center of town. Had lunch at "The Schoolhouse" (can't get away from it). Nice patio overlooking the river that goes through the center of town.
Broke a spoke on my rear tire yesterday. Limped into Winthrop and got it fixed at a bike shop. For me, the rear spokes are a big challenge, so better to have someone who knows what they are going take care of it.
Getting the hang of how much to eat and when. I need to eat more. I just keep riding and then discover that my energy supply is too low.
Beautiful mountains, but I am not very good at climbing. Maybe I will get better at that as I go along.
A day early, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Mom!!!!!!!!!! Til nextt time.
It has been a wet and cold beginning. So far each day has started with the mountains/hills shrouded with fog that hasn't really burned off until way later in the day. It rained two days. But the good news is that my rain gear works, and it was mostly just drizzle. Kept me in the tent for 5 hours on Thursday morning. But right after i decided to go for it, the rain quit for 30 minutes, which allowed me to get the tent down and head on my way. Camping every night so far. Last night used the bear proof storage for the food. No encounters. I had more encounters with a bunch of drunk college kids who strayed into my sight looking for the bathroom.
Currently in Winthrop, Washington. Really busy town. It is Saturday and the locals tell me that Canadians have a holiday. There also seems to be a motorcycle rally going on. Lots and lots of bikers(the other kind). Winthrop styles itself as an old west kind of town. Wooden boardwalks all along the center of town. Had lunch at "The Schoolhouse" (can't get away from it). Nice patio overlooking the river that goes through the center of town.
Broke a spoke on my rear tire yesterday. Limped into Winthrop and got it fixed at a bike shop. For me, the rear spokes are a big challenge, so better to have someone who knows what they are going take care of it.
Getting the hang of how much to eat and when. I need to eat more. I just keep riding and then discover that my energy supply is too low.
Beautiful mountains, but I am not very good at climbing. Maybe I will get better at that as I go along.
A day early, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Mom!!!!!!!!!! Til nextt time.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
July 30, 2013
Night before the start. Excited, scared. Relieved that it is finally here. Went to Anacordes to scouut out the route. It is beautiful. Trees. Water. Cool breeze. Will dip the back tire into the water at Washington Park which is at the far west end of Anacordes. Don't know the availability of internet for the next few days. Heading into the mountains. Right now REALLY EXCITED!!!!
Friday, July 19, 2013
July 19, 2013
Getting packed for the long haul across the US. Need to take enough stuff to make it good without taking too much stuff to make the biking more difficult. My bike will look something like this with a lot more stuff added to it. The back tire should be in the Pacific in about 2 weeks. So I am still getting the hang of this and can't figure out how to have the text go above and around the picture. We will see what is available.
Now I am starting to get the hang of it. Hope to get more in here as i go along.
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