I don't have much to say about my ride today. I didn't take any pictures, although the ride was very scenic. We rode along a busy highway, a bike path lined with cherry trees and along side vineyards and hazelnut groves. This climate seems to favor flowers, especially petunias and roses, but also many other species I don't recognise. The farmers are harvesting wheat and the fields have more of a golden color than the grain fields at home.
Tomorrow I will see the Pacific Ocean for the first time, and we will travel over the headlands overlooking the sea. We have 3 big hills to climb, but not mountains, and all three of us are traveling at a more relaxed pace. We only have to do about 50 miles per day to finish Tuesday morning. When we reach Astoria, we will take each other's pictures, I will go to a bike shop and arrange to have my bike shipped home, and then make my way to the Portland airport. By Wednesday or Thursday morning I'll be home.
I did not get much sleep last night, I've found that I sleep much better in my tent than in a strange motel room. I tossed and turned most of the night thinking about my trip. I met so many nice people on this trip, and only a very few jerks. I've made some very good friends in Pat and Charlie. Pat and I have traveled together for over half the trip, and Charlie for only slightly less. I feel extremely lucky to have shared my ride with them. I could not have hoped to to have teamed up with a more compatible group. I think I would have finished the ride without them, but it would have been a long and lonely road.
I plan to have some post cards made from the picture of myself at the finish, and send them out with a note of thanks to a long list of people I have encountered along the way. I hope I can express how grateful I am to them.
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Friday, July 21, 2017
July 21 update
It's been over a week since I posted on my blog, and I've covered a lot of ground. I'm only about 200 miles from the finish at Astoria. Between not having internet service, and just being to tired to post, I have gotten way behind on my posting, but I'll briefly try to catch up.
On the fourteenth we got to Baker City, a town of about 10,000 people. We stayed in a very nice hostel just opened this year by a very hard working couple who seemed to have a lot of irons in the fire. We were pretty tired and the hostel was so nice that we decided to stay an extra day. The town was having a big celebration and parade the day after we got there so that was extra incentive to stay. We got so excited about the event that we entered the bed race after the parade. This was a one block sprint pushing a bed on wheels with a pretty girl in the bed. We took second place in the event and our picture and the trophy bed now resides in a place of honor in the hostel. To be honest, there were only two entries, but we had the prettiest girl in our bed.
The next morning we had a long ride of about 75 miles to John Day, Oregon, where we camped in a park. Then on the seventeenth, we had a short ride of about 40 miles to Dayville, Oregon, where we stayed in a Church hostel. The town did not have any restaurants open, but the hostel had a kitchen, so I cooked cowboy stew for dinner. I guess it turned out okay because we consumed a huge pot full.
On the eighteenth, we had another short day to Mitchell, Oregon where we stayed in one of the nicest hostels of the entire trip. The hostel was run by a middle aged couple who were members of the Assembly of God Church. They had felt called to reopen this failing church as a Church for the locals and as a hostel for bikers and other passers by. The have done a wonderful job with the hostel upstairs in the old sanctuary and a kitchen and new small sanctuary downstairs. The couple, while not seeming to be overly zealous, seemed to have a very strong sense of purpose.
One kind of funny thing happened while we were in Mitchell. The only open restaurant in town sold beer, but could not serve it, however, the town allowed open containers anywhere outside in the town. We bought a six-pack and went across the street to the park to drink it. While we were there, a guy in a pickup truck drove up and went in to the restroom shouting for, what we thought at the time, his dog. He drove empty handed back down the street, and returned walking and shouting a few minutes later. As he approached us, he shouted "have you seen my wife", and with his hands spread out wide, said " she's A big girl". As he seemed a bit distraught, we denied any knowledge of her whereabouts. She finally showed up, and with a less than stellar display of marital bless, they walked away. Well, it was funny at the time.
On the Nineteenth we had a long ride to Redmond, and on the next day we made our last big climb up to McKenzie Pass. This was one of the best rides of the entire trip. The 15 mile climb up from Sisters, Oregon was on a scenic road with vehicle size restrictions that allowed bicycles to use the entire lane. The last five miles to the top ran along side a lava field from an eruption some 1500 years ago. There were great views of Oregon 's big snow covered peaks. Then, at the top, we climbed to the old observatory where there were 360 degree views of the lava field and peaks.
For me, the best part of the day was the 3000 ft descent over 20 miles to the McKenzie river. This was a fast hairpin fall through what became an increasingly dense and shaded northern rain forest. The mostly huge pine forest of the East side gave way to spruce/for and western red cedar and then, on the lower scoops gigantic redwoods.
After the long descent, we camped in a National Forest Campsite beside a good sized stream. We were surrounded by the tallest trees I have ever seen. The campsite did not have showers, so we bathed in the cold creek, and I ate ramen noodles for dinner.
Today we rode 87 miles to Corvallis, Oregon, a big college town with motels and lots of good places to eat. By our standards, it's quite luxurious. We only have about 200 miles to go and should be finished by Tuesday. I may be at coffee at Ellie's on Wednesday morning!
On the fourteenth we got to Baker City, a town of about 10,000 people. We stayed in a very nice hostel just opened this year by a very hard working couple who seemed to have a lot of irons in the fire. We were pretty tired and the hostel was so nice that we decided to stay an extra day. The town was having a big celebration and parade the day after we got there so that was extra incentive to stay. We got so excited about the event that we entered the bed race after the parade. This was a one block sprint pushing a bed on wheels with a pretty girl in the bed. We took second place in the event and our picture and the trophy bed now resides in a place of honor in the hostel. To be honest, there were only two entries, but we had the prettiest girl in our bed.
The next morning we had a long ride of about 75 miles to John Day, Oregon, where we camped in a park. Then on the seventeenth, we had a short ride of about 40 miles to Dayville, Oregon, where we stayed in a Church hostel. The town did not have any restaurants open, but the hostel had a kitchen, so I cooked cowboy stew for dinner. I guess it turned out okay because we consumed a huge pot full.
On the eighteenth, we had another short day to Mitchell, Oregon where we stayed in one of the nicest hostels of the entire trip. The hostel was run by a middle aged couple who were members of the Assembly of God Church. They had felt called to reopen this failing church as a Church for the locals and as a hostel for bikers and other passers by. The have done a wonderful job with the hostel upstairs in the old sanctuary and a kitchen and new small sanctuary downstairs. The couple, while not seeming to be overly zealous, seemed to have a very strong sense of purpose.
One kind of funny thing happened while we were in Mitchell. The only open restaurant in town sold beer, but could not serve it, however, the town allowed open containers anywhere outside in the town. We bought a six-pack and went across the street to the park to drink it. While we were there, a guy in a pickup truck drove up and went in to the restroom shouting for, what we thought at the time, his dog. He drove empty handed back down the street, and returned walking and shouting a few minutes later. As he approached us, he shouted "have you seen my wife", and with his hands spread out wide, said " she's A big girl". As he seemed a bit distraught, we denied any knowledge of her whereabouts. She finally showed up, and with a less than stellar display of marital bless, they walked away. Well, it was funny at the time.
On the Nineteenth we had a long ride to Redmond, and on the next day we made our last big climb up to McKenzie Pass. This was one of the best rides of the entire trip. The 15 mile climb up from Sisters, Oregon was on a scenic road with vehicle size restrictions that allowed bicycles to use the entire lane. The last five miles to the top ran along side a lava field from an eruption some 1500 years ago. There were great views of Oregon 's big snow covered peaks. Then, at the top, we climbed to the old observatory where there were 360 degree views of the lava field and peaks.
For me, the best part of the day was the 3000 ft descent over 20 miles to the McKenzie river. This was a fast hairpin fall through what became an increasingly dense and shaded northern rain forest. The mostly huge pine forest of the East side gave way to spruce/for and western red cedar and then, on the lower scoops gigantic redwoods.
After the long descent, we camped in a National Forest Campsite beside a good sized stream. We were surrounded by the tallest trees I have ever seen. The campsite did not have showers, so we bathed in the cold creek, and I ate ramen noodles for dinner.
Today we rode 87 miles to Corvallis, Oregon, a big college town with motels and lots of good places to eat. By our standards, it's quite luxurious. We only have about 200 miles to go and should be finished by Tuesday. I may be at coffee at Ellie's on Wednesday morning!
Thursday, July 13, 2017
July 13 Update
The internet connections have been a bit spotty, and I've been pretty tired, so I hve not posted in about a week. Here's where I've been and what I've seen.
Pat and Charlie and I are still traveling together, and we will probably finish up together. We all are of about equal ability and we spend a great deal of time drafting. Each of us takes about a ten minute turn at the front, while the other two have a slightly easier time following closely behind. We seem to get along pretty well, sharing war stories and talking about our families. I'm going to miss them when the trip is over.
We got to Missoula, Montana on the seventh. This is a bit of a milestone, because it is the home of the American Cycling Association, the organization that promotes bike touring and produced the maps we are using. Missoula is an interesting town, a lot like Asheville, NC with a mix of hippies and yuppies. It was very hot there, and I was glad to leave the next morning.
On the eighth, we traveled up the Lolo valley, a long but scenic up hill to the pass where we entered Idaho.We dropped down the other side into the Lochsa River valley and camped At the Lochsa Lodge. The next day we continued down the valley to Lowell on the Clearwater River where we stayed in a small motel.
The morning of the tenth, as we were traveling on down river, we stopped to speak to a 67 year old lady who was walking to North Carolina. She was pulling a small wagon and rough camping whenever she stopped. I felt ashamed to be traveling in such luxury. We continued on to Stites where we had the toughest climb we've had since we left Kentucky. After the climb, we traveled over a high prairie adjacent to the Nez Pierce Indian reservation. Almost all of the land was planted in beautiful golden wheat. We rode in to Grangeville, Idaho where we camped in the back yard of a warm showers host.
On the eleventh, we left Grangeville and after a fairly steep climb we reached a pass overlooking Hells Canyon on the Salmon River. The descent down to the river was about as exciting as it gets. The 8 mile grade was as steep as 7% and extremely fast. The descent was on a major graded road with long sweeping curves. I breaked enough to keep my speed down to about 35, but I could have easily hit over fifty if I had the nerve.
Someone said that Helps Canyon is actually deeper than the Grand Canyon, but not as dramatic. It was quite spectacular, with high peaks on either side and the Salmon River along side of us. We camped that night at Riggins in a nice RV park. Even though it was hot during the day there, as soon as the sun set behind the high peak to the West, it cooled off quickly.
The next morning we had a 40 mile climb up the Little Salmon River to New Meadow, where we ate breakfast. We had a nice chat with the local coffee klatch characters at the restaurant. We got lots of conflicting advice. We moved on and after an 85 mile day, we spent the night in Cambridge, Idaho.
This morning We left Cambridge at 6:00, made a quick 15 mile climb and then had a steep winding descent into the Snake River Hells Canyon where we entered Oregon. We traveled along the river to Oxbow and then turned South and climbed about 12 miles to Halfway, Oregon, a pretty little town with a nice restaurant and a decent motel where we are staying.
We are now in Pacific time and we are leaving for Baker City at 5:30 in the morning. We have only about 600 more miles to go.
Pat and Charlie and I are still traveling together, and we will probably finish up together. We all are of about equal ability and we spend a great deal of time drafting. Each of us takes about a ten minute turn at the front, while the other two have a slightly easier time following closely behind. We seem to get along pretty well, sharing war stories and talking about our families. I'm going to miss them when the trip is over.
We got to Missoula, Montana on the seventh. This is a bit of a milestone, because it is the home of the American Cycling Association, the organization that promotes bike touring and produced the maps we are using. Missoula is an interesting town, a lot like Asheville, NC with a mix of hippies and yuppies. It was very hot there, and I was glad to leave the next morning.
On the eighth, we traveled up the Lolo valley, a long but scenic up hill to the pass where we entered Idaho.We dropped down the other side into the Lochsa River valley and camped At the Lochsa Lodge. The next day we continued down the valley to Lowell on the Clearwater River where we stayed in a small motel.
The morning of the tenth, as we were traveling on down river, we stopped to speak to a 67 year old lady who was walking to North Carolina. She was pulling a small wagon and rough camping whenever she stopped. I felt ashamed to be traveling in such luxury. We continued on to Stites where we had the toughest climb we've had since we left Kentucky. After the climb, we traveled over a high prairie adjacent to the Nez Pierce Indian reservation. Almost all of the land was planted in beautiful golden wheat. We rode in to Grangeville, Idaho where we camped in the back yard of a warm showers host.
On the eleventh, we left Grangeville and after a fairly steep climb we reached a pass overlooking Hells Canyon on the Salmon River. The descent down to the river was about as exciting as it gets. The 8 mile grade was as steep as 7% and extremely fast. The descent was on a major graded road with long sweeping curves. I breaked enough to keep my speed down to about 35, but I could have easily hit over fifty if I had the nerve.
Someone said that Helps Canyon is actually deeper than the Grand Canyon, but not as dramatic. It was quite spectacular, with high peaks on either side and the Salmon River along side of us. We camped that night at Riggins in a nice RV park. Even though it was hot during the day there, as soon as the sun set behind the high peak to the West, it cooled off quickly.
The next morning we had a 40 mile climb up the Little Salmon River to New Meadow, where we ate breakfast. We had a nice chat with the local coffee klatch characters at the restaurant. We got lots of conflicting advice. We moved on and after an 85 mile day, we spent the night in Cambridge, Idaho.
This morning We left Cambridge at 6:00, made a quick 15 mile climb and then had a steep winding descent into the Snake River Hells Canyon where we entered Oregon. We traveled along the river to Oxbow and then turned South and climbed about 12 miles to Halfway, Oregon, a pretty little town with a nice restaurant and a decent motel where we are staying.
We are now in Pacific time and we are leaving for Baker City at 5:30 in the morning. We have only about 600 more miles to go.
Snake River
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| Bell's Canyon Salmon River |
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| Overlooking Salmon River, Hell's Canyon |
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| Note the population |
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| The Lochsa Lodge |
Thursday, July 6, 2017
July 6 update
Pat and Charlie and I got up early on the fourth, ate breakfast and headed out for an early 2000 ft climb. We rode for about eighteen miles on a moderate uphill grade, and then began the real climb of about 4 miles to the pass. After topping out the pass, we zoomed down to Virginia City, Montana. I thought this was the Virginia City of Bonanza fame, but someone corrected me on Facebook. It's actually Virginia City, Nevada in the TV show.
Going on down the valley there was evidence of gold and silver mining all along the creekside. We had a down hill slide for miles through a rocky canyon and then a straight downhill run into Twin Bridges. The grade was so gradual that we barely had to pedal for about 15 miles. Pat said it almost put him to sleep.
Pat had booked a room in Twin Bridges, but Charlie and I decided to push on to Dillon so that we would not have such a long day on the fifth. We had a tough time of it. It was slightly uphill for the 28 miles into Dillon, but the real problem was a mean headwind.
Charlie and I split a room in Dillon, Pat got up early and met us in Dillon about 7:00. As soon as we left Dillon, I knew I would be in for a tough day. We had a long moderate uphill climb followed by back to back climbs over two passes. By the time we reached Jackson, I was toast!
Jackson is not much of a town, just a few houses, a hotel/birdhouse where we stayed, and a cafe which was rustic, but had good food. The doors of the cafe were open and a couple of dogs wandered in and out. I don't really mind, I wish every restaurant were like that.
Here's a story my friend Cathy told me about a dog at My Mitchel State Park. She said, while waiting to be seated, a lady with a small dog asked the hostess if dogs were allowed in the restaurant. The hostess in a slow mountain drawl said: "I want you to listen very carefully. Could that dawg be a service dawg?" The lady thought for a minute, and replyed: " well I suppose it could be. " "Well come on in then" said the hostess.
We spent the night in the Bunkhouse dormitory, and got a good night's sleep, although we were awakened by a strong earthquake around midnight. I woke up well rested, and as soon as I got on my bike I realized I would have a good day. We rode to Wisdom, Montana, where 9 riders including ourselves ate breakfast, and then rode uphill through a beautiful wooded valley for about 24 miles, and then had a pretty steep climb up to Chief Joseph pass at 7400 ft. From there we dropped 2000 ft over 9 miles to Sula, Montana and then had an easy downhill to Darby , where we are staying.
We are spending the night with a warm showers host along with 4 other cyclists who are staying here. The host is really going all out for us, cooking dinner, providing shower and beds for all of us. He's hosted 24 others in just the last few weeks. It's almost unbelievable how nice people have been to us and others we have talked to.
Going on down the valley there was evidence of gold and silver mining all along the creekside. We had a down hill slide for miles through a rocky canyon and then a straight downhill run into Twin Bridges. The grade was so gradual that we barely had to pedal for about 15 miles. Pat said it almost put him to sleep.
Pat had booked a room in Twin Bridges, but Charlie and I decided to push on to Dillon so that we would not have such a long day on the fifth. We had a tough time of it. It was slightly uphill for the 28 miles into Dillon, but the real problem was a mean headwind.
Charlie and I split a room in Dillon, Pat got up early and met us in Dillon about 7:00. As soon as we left Dillon, I knew I would be in for a tough day. We had a long moderate uphill climb followed by back to back climbs over two passes. By the time we reached Jackson, I was toast!
Jackson is not much of a town, just a few houses, a hotel/birdhouse where we stayed, and a cafe which was rustic, but had good food. The doors of the cafe were open and a couple of dogs wandered in and out. I don't really mind, I wish every restaurant were like that.
Here's a story my friend Cathy told me about a dog at My Mitchel State Park. She said, while waiting to be seated, a lady with a small dog asked the hostess if dogs were allowed in the restaurant. The hostess in a slow mountain drawl said: "I want you to listen very carefully. Could that dawg be a service dawg?" The lady thought for a minute, and replyed: " well I suppose it could be. " "Well come on in then" said the hostess.
We spent the night in the Bunkhouse dormitory, and got a good night's sleep, although we were awakened by a strong earthquake around midnight. I woke up well rested, and as soon as I got on my bike I realized I would have a good day. We rode to Wisdom, Montana, where 9 riders including ourselves ate breakfast, and then rode uphill through a beautiful wooded valley for about 24 miles, and then had a pretty steep climb up to Chief Joseph pass at 7400 ft. From there we dropped 2000 ft over 9 miles to Sula, Montana and then had an easy downhill to Darby , where we are staying.
We are spending the night with a warm showers host along with 4 other cyclists who are staying here. The host is really going all out for us, cooking dinner, providing shower and beds for all of us. He's hosted 24 others in just the last few weeks. It's almost unbelievable how nice people have been to us and others we have talked to.
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| Godley skull bleaching? |
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| Skull bleaching "quick service" |
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| Our warm showers house |
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| The bar where we rehydrated when we got to town. An old bank with a chainsaw motif |
Monday, July 3, 2017
July 3 update
We had a good night in Lander Wyoming, a very nice couple put us up in their house and made sandwiches to take with us on our trip to Dubouis.
We had a hard ride into Dubouis, because the weather channel called for thunderstorms after lunch. We nearly got into town when the storm came in. I talked to my friend Malcolm who I rode with earlier in my trip. He is ahead of me by about a day, and he got caught in the storm at the high pass we crossed the next day. He said it rained and hailed on him at the top of the pass, and he nearly frooze.
Once again, we lucked out. Pat found a motel, and Charlie and I stayed in the Episcopal church fellowship hall. They didn't have a shower, but their was a car wash, laundromat, and a pay shower down the street. We washed out clothes and paid for a shower, maybe the car wash would have been cheaper.
The next day we climbed to the 9600 Pass and then descended into the Grand Teton valley, and on into Yellowstone. We stayed at Colter Bay where they reserve sites for bikers even if the campground is full. We were worried about bears, but did not see any bears nor buffalos in the park. We did see a small herd of Elk right in our campsite, about 7 adults and 5 calves. The road into Yellowstone was uphill with hardly any shoulder, and the traffic was terrible. There's nothing like being passed by a huge RV pulling a car, driven by some old fart even older than me, when I'm going 4 mph and barely staying upright, while he is doing 55 and so close you can touch him.I
The next day we rode to Old Faithful where we stood with about 5000 other people waiting to see the next eruption. We ate some breakfast and then moved on to West Yellowstone. We had a good shoulder to ride on, but the traffic, both ways, was even worse than the day before. Riding a bicycle through Yellowstone on the forth of July weekend is not for the faint hearted.
At the town of West Yellowstone, we stopped at the visitor center and asked the lady at the counter to help us find a place to stay. She said we could stay in her back yard, but she lived in Idaho, so we asked for something closer. She found us a small RV park right in town, and we were glad to get a place to stay there. The town was a typical tourist town, but we found a good restaurant, with cold beer and good food. We had plenty of both.
Today we had a great ride to Ennis Montana. We rode 74 miles, but it was almost all downhill with a tailwind. We are camping behind the Willies Distillery. No shower, no restroom after closing, but there's shade and grass.
The library was closed, so I walked across the street to an insurance agency and asked to use their internet. The owner offered me a chair and a beer and said have at it.
Tomorrow morning We have a tough 2000 ft climb in the first eight miles, so we will get an early start. I tend to struggle in the early morning, but I'll get over the pass if I have to walk.
I don't want to over stay my welcome, so I will post some pictures on this post later.
We had a hard ride into Dubouis, because the weather channel called for thunderstorms after lunch. We nearly got into town when the storm came in. I talked to my friend Malcolm who I rode with earlier in my trip. He is ahead of me by about a day, and he got caught in the storm at the high pass we crossed the next day. He said it rained and hailed on him at the top of the pass, and he nearly frooze.
Once again, we lucked out. Pat found a motel, and Charlie and I stayed in the Episcopal church fellowship hall. They didn't have a shower, but their was a car wash, laundromat, and a pay shower down the street. We washed out clothes and paid for a shower, maybe the car wash would have been cheaper.
The next day we climbed to the 9600 Pass and then descended into the Grand Teton valley, and on into Yellowstone. We stayed at Colter Bay where they reserve sites for bikers even if the campground is full. We were worried about bears, but did not see any bears nor buffalos in the park. We did see a small herd of Elk right in our campsite, about 7 adults and 5 calves. The road into Yellowstone was uphill with hardly any shoulder, and the traffic was terrible. There's nothing like being passed by a huge RV pulling a car, driven by some old fart even older than me, when I'm going 4 mph and barely staying upright, while he is doing 55 and so close you can touch him.I
The next day we rode to Old Faithful where we stood with about 5000 other people waiting to see the next eruption. We ate some breakfast and then moved on to West Yellowstone. We had a good shoulder to ride on, but the traffic, both ways, was even worse than the day before. Riding a bicycle through Yellowstone on the forth of July weekend is not for the faint hearted.
At the town of West Yellowstone, we stopped at the visitor center and asked the lady at the counter to help us find a place to stay. She said we could stay in her back yard, but she lived in Idaho, so we asked for something closer. She found us a small RV park right in town, and we were glad to get a place to stay there. The town was a typical tourist town, but we found a good restaurant, with cold beer and good food. We had plenty of both.
Today we had a great ride to Ennis Montana. We rode 74 miles, but it was almost all downhill with a tailwind. We are camping behind the Willies Distillery. No shower, no restroom after closing, but there's shade and grass.
The library was closed, so I walked across the street to an insurance agency and asked to use their internet. The owner offered me a chair and a beer and said have at it.
Tomorrow morning We have a tough 2000 ft climb in the first eight miles, so we will get an early start. I tend to struggle in the early morning, but I'll get over the pass if I have to walk.
I don't want to over stay my welcome, so I will post some pictures on this post later.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
June 28 update
On Tuesday we had a long ride from Rawlins to Jeffrey, Wyoming. We started early because we seen that we would have strong headwinds by about 10:00. Sure enough, at 10:00, about 45 miles into a 65 mile day, the wind began to howl. We formed a 3 man paceline with each of us rotating a 10 minute turn at the front. After about 2 hours of this I was excited to see Jeffreys, Wyoming, one of the most God forsaken towns in the country. But, even the pitts has its perks.
We stopped at the Split Rock Bar and Grill, a place opened in the fifties, and not swept since. We ordered a couple of dusty Coors from Bill, our somewhat slow or intoxicated bar keep, and washed away the trail dust.
After quenching our thirst, we rode over to the church hostel. It is a good sized place that is rough by Concord standards, but it had a kitchen, showers, and separate rooms with mattresses on the floors. The walls were covered with notes from bikers who had stayed there, there were literally thousands of comments.
After we got established in in our quarters and took a brief nap, we headed back to the Split Rock for dinner. The cast of characters in the bar by this time was reminiscent of the bar scene from Star Wars. One fellow who's hair looked like he had had electroshock treatment walked in dragging his new puppy on a piece of rope. He called him Come on Dammit. I went outside to take a picture just as a family drove up with grandpa. They got out of the car and two of the men tried to help grandpa inside. Before they got to the door, he collapsed to the ground and they struggled to get him back to his feet. I thought something was seriously wrong with him, but it turned out he was just drunk. They got him propped up on a barstool (fortunately one with a backrest) and went about their business, two of them off to shoot pool, and the rest, including grandma set down at a table.
We had a pretty good dinner there, but fortunately, I couldn't see the kitchen from my seat. It took Bill a good bit of time to get our bill together as he was well into his cups by then. They made us a sandwich to go because we did not have any place to eat on our next ride
This morning, we got up at 4:00 and began our ride at 5:30, again to beat the wind. The temperature was in the low forties, and my hands were cold for the first hour or so, but the ride was spectacular with a beautiful sunrise and some amazing vistas. At one point we arrived atop a high plateau which overlooked a distant valley and the snow covered Wind River range off on the horizon. From the top of the plateau we had a six mile descent at a 6% grade. Our bike speed was never under 30mph on the ride down. The rest of the trip traveled through impressive rock formations and red rock hills. Sure enough, about 10:00 the wind came up and we were back to drafting again, but by then we were close to Landers.
Landers is nice old western town with lots of shops and bars, and an excellent library where I'm sitting now. Tonight we are staying at a warm showers host house, which is a reciprocal housing arrangement for bike travelers. This will be my first try at one of these, I understand the host has a teepee and a tree house to stay in. I'll take pictures and give an account.
A wall inside the church
I did not get a picture of grandpa, I thought that would be gouch!
We stopped at the Split Rock Bar and Grill, a place opened in the fifties, and not swept since. We ordered a couple of dusty Coors from Bill, our somewhat slow or intoxicated bar keep, and washed away the trail dust.
After quenching our thirst, we rode over to the church hostel. It is a good sized place that is rough by Concord standards, but it had a kitchen, showers, and separate rooms with mattresses on the floors. The walls were covered with notes from bikers who had stayed there, there were literally thousands of comments.
After we got established in in our quarters and took a brief nap, we headed back to the Split Rock for dinner. The cast of characters in the bar by this time was reminiscent of the bar scene from Star Wars. One fellow who's hair looked like he had had electroshock treatment walked in dragging his new puppy on a piece of rope. He called him Come on Dammit. I went outside to take a picture just as a family drove up with grandpa. They got out of the car and two of the men tried to help grandpa inside. Before they got to the door, he collapsed to the ground and they struggled to get him back to his feet. I thought something was seriously wrong with him, but it turned out he was just drunk. They got him propped up on a barstool (fortunately one with a backrest) and went about their business, two of them off to shoot pool, and the rest, including grandma set down at a table.
We had a pretty good dinner there, but fortunately, I couldn't see the kitchen from my seat. It took Bill a good bit of time to get our bill together as he was well into his cups by then. They made us a sandwich to go because we did not have any place to eat on our next ride
This morning, we got up at 4:00 and began our ride at 5:30, again to beat the wind. The temperature was in the low forties, and my hands were cold for the first hour or so, but the ride was spectacular with a beautiful sunrise and some amazing vistas. At one point we arrived atop a high plateau which overlooked a distant valley and the snow covered Wind River range off on the horizon. From the top of the plateau we had a six mile descent at a 6% grade. Our bike speed was never under 30mph on the ride down. The rest of the trip traveled through impressive rock formations and red rock hills. Sure enough, about 10:00 the wind came up and we were back to drafting again, but by then we were close to Landers.
Landers is nice old western town with lots of shops and bars, and an excellent library where I'm sitting now. Tonight we are staying at a warm showers host house, which is a reciprocal housing arrangement for bike travelers. This will be my first try at one of these, I understand the host has a teepee and a tree house to stay in. I'll take pictures and give an account.
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| Red rock formation |
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| Sunrise over Wyoming |
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| Plateau |
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| Casting a long Wyoming shadow |
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| The plateau overlooking the Wind River range |
Monday, June 26, 2017
June 26 update
After leaving Silverthorne, Pat and I had a good 60 mile ride to Brandby, Co. Where we split a Motel room for the night. The motel was old but clean. We had a little trouble reserving the room because the owner was fishing when he took out call. On the way, we passed through a canyon that is on one of the Amtrak routes. After going through Hot Sulfur Springs we followed the headwaters of the Colorado river up to Branby.
The next morning we rode up a beautiful valley with lush pastures that have way to wooded mountain sides along Willow Creek. We had a 22 mile climb up to the pass over to the Eastern side of the continental device where the landscape changed dramatically. The eastern side is much drier and much more open. The total mileage for the day was 58 and there was not a single open store or a place to get water.
We rolled into Walden, Co around 1:00 in the afternoon. It was a big weekend in Walden, they were having a rodeo and a street festival, so all of the motels were booked. We camped in the city park where we ran into Charlie, a fellow traveler we met in Breckenridge two days before. We also met three German motorcyclists who were camping in the park. The six of us drank a few beers and then walked up town to have dinner together. We really had a great time talking to them about there impressions of America, and our cultural differences.
The next morning Pat, Charlie and I headed out for Riverside, Wyoming, only about a fifty mile ride. Riverside only has a population of about 50, but it had a very nice campground, two bars and a store. We got there fairly early, and we all got a good rest, dinner, and a belly full of beer.
Here's a little background about Charlie, now a part of our team. Like Pat, he is 64 years old, married with children, and recently retired. He has toured some, but this is his first tour of this magnitude. Charlie is fairly small, at least compared to Pat and me, but he is a strong rider. I am probably the weakest link in the chain, but I can hold my own on all but the toughest climbs.
Today the three of us headed out for Rawlins, Wyoming, about a 60 mile ride. We pacelined all the way to Rawlins, so I only took one picture. If you state at it for 4 hours, you will get to enjoy the entire ride. We had calm winds and not many bad uphills, so we averaged 16.5 miles per hour, which for loaded touring is very fast. This will probably be the fastest time of our entire trip.
Pat stayed in a Motel tonight, and Charlie and I are sharing a KOA cabin. Charlie and I walked down to the local saloon to have a beer and dinner. The dinner menu only listed four items, so we both opted for the 16 oz ribeye. There are a lot of cows in Wyoming so you get a lot of beef for your buck!
Tomorrow we are facing a 68 mile day into bad headwinds, we may have to cut the ride short of it gets too bad. The Weather Channel has predicted 20 mph with gusts to 30. We will see how it goes.
The next morning we rode up a beautiful valley with lush pastures that have way to wooded mountain sides along Willow Creek. We had a 22 mile climb up to the pass over to the Eastern side of the continental device where the landscape changed dramatically. The eastern side is much drier and much more open. The total mileage for the day was 58 and there was not a single open store or a place to get water.
We rolled into Walden, Co around 1:00 in the afternoon. It was a big weekend in Walden, they were having a rodeo and a street festival, so all of the motels were booked. We camped in the city park where we ran into Charlie, a fellow traveler we met in Breckenridge two days before. We also met three German motorcyclists who were camping in the park. The six of us drank a few beers and then walked up town to have dinner together. We really had a great time talking to them about there impressions of America, and our cultural differences.
The next morning Pat, Charlie and I headed out for Riverside, Wyoming, only about a fifty mile ride. Riverside only has a population of about 50, but it had a very nice campground, two bars and a store. We got there fairly early, and we all got a good rest, dinner, and a belly full of beer.
Here's a little background about Charlie, now a part of our team. Like Pat, he is 64 years old, married with children, and recently retired. He has toured some, but this is his first tour of this magnitude. Charlie is fairly small, at least compared to Pat and me, but he is a strong rider. I am probably the weakest link in the chain, but I can hold my own on all but the toughest climbs.
Today the three of us headed out for Rawlins, Wyoming, about a 60 mile ride. We pacelined all the way to Rawlins, so I only took one picture. If you state at it for 4 hours, you will get to enjoy the entire ride. We had calm winds and not many bad uphills, so we averaged 16.5 miles per hour, which for loaded touring is very fast. This will probably be the fastest time of our entire trip.
Pat stayed in a Motel tonight, and Charlie and I are sharing a KOA cabin. Charlie and I walked down to the local saloon to have a beer and dinner. The dinner menu only listed four items, so we both opted for the 16 oz ribeye. There are a lot of cows in Wyoming so you get a lot of beef for your buck!
Tomorrow we are facing a 68 mile day into bad headwinds, we may have to cut the ride short of it gets too bad. The Weather Channel has predicted 20 mph with gusts to 30. We will see how it goes.
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| We've seen hundreds of Antelope, but this is pretty much the land around them |
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| The North Platte River on the way to Rawlins |
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| Pat and Charlie |
Thursday, June 22, 2017
June 22 update
Pat and I worked our way to Canon City, the prison capitol of America. There is a huge Federal Prison there as well as a State prison. They even have prison museum in town as well as a prisoner made craft shop. The town itself is very nice, with a wide main street and lots of shops and restaurants. I got a haircut while in town from a lady Barbour who must have been at least 80 years old. She cut it very short, and was not gentle. I'm glad she didn't use a razor to tidy up around my ears and neck.
John's brother, Mike, who lives in Aurora, Co. met us in Canon City and carried our gear for us the next day. This really worked out well for us, because we really hit the mountains after leaving Canon City. The town sits at about 5500 feet in altitude, and we had to climb over a pass at 9400 feet to get to Hartsel, about 60 miles away. Our total climb for the day was 6800 feet, most of it against a stuff headwind. I also struggled with the altitude as we got up over 6000 feet. Over all, it was the toughest day I've had so far.
Today, we crossed the Western Continental Divide by going over Hoosier Pass at 11,400 ft. After yesterday, I was really concerned about the higher altitude, but, although I had to pace myself up the final 4 miles to the top, the climb was not too bad.
I got my reward on the ride down the Western side! There was a 12 mile screaming descent with hairpin turns down to Breckenridge where I was seldom going less than 30 mph. I did not impede traffic!
We stopped in Breckenridge for lunch and then rode the final 17 miles on a terrific paved bike path to Silverthorne, Co. The path wove along the Blue River, a small stream at Breckenridge, but a raging river at Frisco where it enters the Dillon Reservoir. I must have seen 10,000 bikes today, on the path, in the towns, and atop of cars.
Here's a few pictures.
John's brother, Mike, who lives in Aurora, Co. met us in Canon City and carried our gear for us the next day. This really worked out well for us, because we really hit the mountains after leaving Canon City. The town sits at about 5500 feet in altitude, and we had to climb over a pass at 9400 feet to get to Hartsel, about 60 miles away. Our total climb for the day was 6800 feet, most of it against a stuff headwind. I also struggled with the altitude as we got up over 6000 feet. Over all, it was the toughest day I've had so far.
Today, we crossed the Western Continental Divide by going over Hoosier Pass at 11,400 ft. After yesterday, I was really concerned about the higher altitude, but, although I had to pace myself up the final 4 miles to the top, the climb was not too bad.
I got my reward on the ride down the Western side! There was a 12 mile screaming descent with hairpin turns down to Breckenridge where I was seldom going less than 30 mph. I did not impede traffic!
We stopped in Breckenridge for lunch and then rode the final 17 miles on a terrific paved bike path to Silverthorne, Co. The path wove along the Blue River, a small stream at Breckenridge, but a raging river at Frisco where it enters the Dillon Reservoir. I must have seen 10,000 bikes today, on the path, in the towns, and atop of cars.
Here's a few pictures.
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| Pat and John |
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| We saw lots of these |
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| Canon City |
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| On the way to Hoosier Pass |
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| Me |
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| Hoosier Pass 11,400 ft |
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| Mt. lincoln, I think. |
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| We are quite proud of ourselves at this point |
June 19 update
On June the nineteenth, we left Ordway to ride through fairly deserted country to pueblo, Co. Outside of pueblo, riding into Boone, Co, I had a flat, so I decided I was due for a new rear tire. Pat and John and I stopped at the bike shop in Pueblo, left our bikes, and went to lunch. Pat stayed over at a Motel while John and I went on to Lake Pueblo State Park on the Arkansas River.
The park didn't have much shade, but each picnic table had a cover that wrapped around to the ground on the West side to provide shade in the afternoon. I slept on my sleeping pad on the table, and John pitched a tent. The air cooled off quickly, and I got a good night's sleep. The next morning, John took a rest day, so I said goodbye and ride off to meet Pat at the park entrance.
The park didn't have much shade, but each picnic table had a cover that wrapped around to the ground on the West side to provide shade in the afternoon. I slept on my sleeping pad on the table, and John pitched a tent. The air cooled off quickly, and I got a good night's sleep. The next morning, John took a rest day, so I said goodbye and ride off to meet Pat at the park entrance.
Sunday, June 18, 2017
June 18 update
This morning We slept late, didn't get up till 5:30 and went to breakfast at 6:30 at the restaurant next door. Although it is Sunday, the lady who owns the restaurant opened up just for the cyclists in town. There were about ten of us, some racers and some like us going west.
We pulled out of Eads around 7:30 with a light breeze behind us and temperature so cool I wore a jacket. We spent most of the morning rolling up and down long easy hills with either a tail wind or a cross wind. The land really had a western feel to it. In sixty miles we only saw a few houses and passed through two small communities where nothing was open. The sky was a pure light blue with some gray cloud banks early which turned into high fluffy clouds later in the morning. About 25 miles into the ride we spotted Pikes Peak barely visible in the distance. As we got closer to Ordway it loomed larger and you could see snow on the peaks. The peak must have been at least 100 miles away when we first saw it. The terrain between Eads and Ordwayis mostly grassland with small sunflowers, primrose, and some kind of squash plant in bloom, and large sunflower plants not yet in bloom. We ride alongside a railroad track almost the entire way, with low telephone poles with the glass insulators, but no wire beside the track. About 30 miles into the ride we saw a section about 100 feet long where the tracks had been washed out. It was only then that we realised that the tracks had been abandoned for years.
We got into Orway about 1:00 and checked into the Ordway Hotel and then went to lunch at the Sand and Spurs Restaurant. A little later, Pat and I checked out the local pulse at the Columbine Bar. I took a few pictures today. I hope I can get them posted below.
City park across from Hotel. The white flag just below the American flag proclaims Ordway to be a "Tree City"!
Lobby of Ordway Hotel
Bits and Spurs Restaurant
Pikes Peak in background
We pulled out of Eads around 7:30 with a light breeze behind us and temperature so cool I wore a jacket. We spent most of the morning rolling up and down long easy hills with either a tail wind or a cross wind. The land really had a western feel to it. In sixty miles we only saw a few houses and passed through two small communities where nothing was open. The sky was a pure light blue with some gray cloud banks early which turned into high fluffy clouds later in the morning. About 25 miles into the ride we spotted Pikes Peak barely visible in the distance. As we got closer to Ordway it loomed larger and you could see snow on the peaks. The peak must have been at least 100 miles away when we first saw it. The terrain between Eads and Ordwayis mostly grassland with small sunflowers, primrose, and some kind of squash plant in bloom, and large sunflower plants not yet in bloom. We ride alongside a railroad track almost the entire way, with low telephone poles with the glass insulators, but no wire beside the track. About 30 miles into the ride we saw a section about 100 feet long where the tracks had been washed out. It was only then that we realised that the tracks had been abandoned for years.
We got into Orway about 1:00 and checked into the Ordway Hotel and then went to lunch at the Sand and Spurs Restaurant. A little later, Pat and I checked out the local pulse at the Columbine Bar. I took a few pictures today. I hope I can get them posted below.
Lobby of Ordway Hotel
Bits and Spurs Restaurant
Columbine Saloon
Bikes at breakfast
Downtown Ordway
Morning sky outside Eads
Saturday, June 17, 2017
June 17 Update
John and Pat and I have found ourselves to be compatible riding partners. Pat and I seem about equally fit although Pat has a 40 pound weight advantage over me. He is about an inch taller than me but 40 pounds lighter than me. He started in New Jersey and wound around Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio before joining the Trans-Am trail. He started around May fifth.
John started outside of St Louis and worked his way down the Katy Trail to join the Trans-Am. He is going into Colorado, but his destination is undetermined. John started later than us and does not quite have his legs under him yet, although he is doing quite well. I think Pat and I are working him pretty hard but he is hanging in. John is a vegetarian and doesn't drink so he does not join Pat and I for our afternoon beer and glutinous amounts of food.
Yesterday we rode into Ness City, Kansas where Pat had booked a room at the "Elite Suites" B and B, so John and I booked the "Kansas Suite" and the owner out in a tool out bed for me. The place was rustic to say the least, but clean enough. I ended up sleeping on the sofa because the rollout bed in the kitchenette was too warm. Pat and I walked up to the Cozy Corner Bar for some refreshments and to put our fingers on the pulse of the community. It was a working man's place, with low ceilings, one TV playing Jeopardy, and a collection of loud but very friendly patrons. We had a couple of beers and our second meal in about 3 hours and headed back to the Elite Suites. About six o'clock that afternoon we had a heck of a storm with hail as big as golf balls and enough rain that we could have canoed down main street.
This morning We got on the road about 6:00, to beat the heat, and had a fairly easy 54 mile ride. The terrain was very flat although we gained almost a thousand feet in altitude during the ride. We rode into the city about noon, ate a good lunch, and John and I went to find the Hostel at a local private athletic club, kind of like the Sports Center in Concord, but not quite. It is a good place to stay with showers, a pool, and a racket ball court to sleep in. They gave us the run of the place, and a code to get in if we go out after the place has closed. I'm sitting here in the office with my feet proped up after everyone else has gone home. I would not want to live here, but there is a lot to be said for small town America.
Tomorrow we are headed for Colorado with a 75 mile ride into Sheridan Lakes State Park, then in about two days we will be in Pueblo, Co, and my journey will be half over. Although the days have flown by, it seems like I've been gone forever. I'm really looking forward to the next month or so, getting to see the Rockies, Yellowstone, and the Pacific Coast. I hope I'm ready for the mountains.
June 17 update.
John and Pat and I got up this morning at 4:00 and began our ride to Sheridan Lake at 5:00. We rode for over an hour in the dark with only our bike lights to guide us. Traffic was very light and it was cool, only about 60 degrees when we started, so we made good time and arrived in Sheridan Lake , Colorado around noon. We had ridden about 75 miles, but we weren't too tired, so after lunch we decided to push on another 25 miles to Eads, Colorado. It became very warm after lunch and it was about 98 degrees when we reached Eads . A person can really eat when ridding a hundred miles, I ate five times today and drank a couple of gallons of liquid including 3 beers. We continued to see East bound riders in the Tran-Am race today. Every one of them had that zombie without look and the ones we saw off the bike looked a bit stumble drunk. I admire there perseverance, but I don't envy their task. Imagine doing over twice the mileage we did today for 18 or so straight days.
We also met a pair of West bound riders, Bob and Rick, who we rode with awhile, took pictures of each other at the Colorado border, and ate one of our dinners with. The lady who owns the restaurant where we ate dinner told us that she doesn't normally open on Sunday, but that she would be there in the morning to serve us breakfast. How nice is that! We will see Bob and Rick then, and probably start out riding with them. We are headed to Ordway, Co. tomorrow. It's only 65 miles away and it will be very cool and we will have a tailwind. It should be an easy ride, and we will be able to see Piles Peak in the distance.
John started outside of St Louis and worked his way down the Katy Trail to join the Trans-Am. He is going into Colorado, but his destination is undetermined. John started later than us and does not quite have his legs under him yet, although he is doing quite well. I think Pat and I are working him pretty hard but he is hanging in. John is a vegetarian and doesn't drink so he does not join Pat and I for our afternoon beer and glutinous amounts of food.
Yesterday we rode into Ness City, Kansas where Pat had booked a room at the "Elite Suites" B and B, so John and I booked the "Kansas Suite" and the owner out in a tool out bed for me. The place was rustic to say the least, but clean enough. I ended up sleeping on the sofa because the rollout bed in the kitchenette was too warm. Pat and I walked up to the Cozy Corner Bar for some refreshments and to put our fingers on the pulse of the community. It was a working man's place, with low ceilings, one TV playing Jeopardy, and a collection of loud but very friendly patrons. We had a couple of beers and our second meal in about 3 hours and headed back to the Elite Suites. About six o'clock that afternoon we had a heck of a storm with hail as big as golf balls and enough rain that we could have canoed down main street.
This morning We got on the road about 6:00, to beat the heat, and had a fairly easy 54 mile ride. The terrain was very flat although we gained almost a thousand feet in altitude during the ride. We rode into the city about noon, ate a good lunch, and John and I went to find the Hostel at a local private athletic club, kind of like the Sports Center in Concord, but not quite. It is a good place to stay with showers, a pool, and a racket ball court to sleep in. They gave us the run of the place, and a code to get in if we go out after the place has closed. I'm sitting here in the office with my feet proped up after everyone else has gone home. I would not want to live here, but there is a lot to be said for small town America.
Tomorrow we are headed for Colorado with a 75 mile ride into Sheridan Lakes State Park, then in about two days we will be in Pueblo, Co, and my journey will be half over. Although the days have flown by, it seems like I've been gone forever. I'm really looking forward to the next month or so, getting to see the Rockies, Yellowstone, and the Pacific Coast. I hope I'm ready for the mountains.
June 17 update.
John and Pat and I got up this morning at 4:00 and began our ride to Sheridan Lake at 5:00. We rode for over an hour in the dark with only our bike lights to guide us. Traffic was very light and it was cool, only about 60 degrees when we started, so we made good time and arrived in Sheridan Lake , Colorado around noon. We had ridden about 75 miles, but we weren't too tired, so after lunch we decided to push on another 25 miles to Eads, Colorado. It became very warm after lunch and it was about 98 degrees when we reached Eads . A person can really eat when ridding a hundred miles, I ate five times today and drank a couple of gallons of liquid including 3 beers. We continued to see East bound riders in the Tran-Am race today. Every one of them had that zombie without look and the ones we saw off the bike looked a bit stumble drunk. I admire there perseverance, but I don't envy their task. Imagine doing over twice the mileage we did today for 18 or so straight days.
We also met a pair of West bound riders, Bob and Rick, who we rode with awhile, took pictures of each other at the Colorado border, and ate one of our dinners with. The lady who owns the restaurant where we ate dinner told us that she doesn't normally open on Sunday, but that she would be there in the morning to serve us breakfast. How nice is that! We will see Bob and Rick then, and probably start out riding with them. We are headed to Ordway, Co. tomorrow. It's only 65 miles away and it will be very cool and we will have a tailwind. It should be an easy ride, and we will be able to see Piles Peak in the distance.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
June 13 update
I didn't quite get to finish my Pastor Joe story, so here it is along with what has happened since then.
Pastor Joe continued on with his life story as I sat in a chair opposite of him with one of his dogs asleep on my lap. I was semi-asleep by this time, and had not had a bath, so the dog and I decided to just spend the night in the chair. I explained to Joe that I needed to leave at daylight so that I could get to the Eureka Post Office before they closed at ten o-clock, so he got up about 5:00 and fixed breakfast for me and I was out by six.
I knew in theory I could make the 44 miles in four hours, but that it was going to be very windy and I didn't know what the terrain would be like, so I really pushed hard to get to Eureka. It's good that I did because it was much more hilly than I expected and there was a heck of a cross wind. This is beautiful country side with rolling pastures and an expansive view from every hill top. Unfortunately, I was in too much of a hurry to take pictures. The last 15 miles was on state highway 54, a good two lane road with a wide shoulder, but a 65 MPH speed limit. Cars and trucks really whiz by when I'm going 8 MPH up a hill and they are moving at the speed limit plus. One of the things I've noticed here is that, because the roads are so straight, when a county road intersects with a state road, they build a curve into the county road so that a driver doesn't blow right through the intersection.
I got into Eureka with time to spare, but to no avail, because my package wasn't there, so I'm stuck here until Monday when I can either get my mail or have them forward it on to another town. After I left the library, I'm sitting outside a Sonic Drive in getting ready to check into a motel to wait for my mail when a lady walks up and introduces herself an asks if I have a place to stay. Turns out that Robyn has a spare house that she opens as a hostel for bicyclists. So, I follow her to the house where I'm staying until Monday. It's really nice, with a good shower, comfortable bed, and an very well stocked kitchen. In gratitude, I offered to take her out to dinner, but instead, we bought a couple of steaks and ate here at the house.
There is another rider coming in this afternoon, so she is cooking lasagna and I have volunteered to make a couple of fruit custard pies. This is only the second test day I've taken off since I started nearly a month ago, and it feels mighty good.
About 1:00 on Sunday, two riders show up within about a half hour of each other. One of them ,John, I met several days before and he had caught up because of my layover day, and the other, Patrick, is a 64 year old Retired attorney from New Jersey. He has been riding since May 5th and he has been down to Maryland, up to Pittsburgh, down the Ohio Valley and now on the Trans-Am to Oregon. John has come down from the St. Louis area and is headed to somewhere in Colorado and then back towards home. He is riding a beautiful 1984 Schwinn Letour touring bike.
On Monday morning both Pay and John left before me because I had to wait on the post office to open, and I had a flat tire. I fixed my tire, got my package at the post office, changed my seat, and finally left Eureka about 8:30.
I caught up with John around lunch and we rode together to a park out side of Newton Kansas where we camped. We got up at 4:00 this morning and started out in the dark to beat the heat. We stopped in the grocery store in Newton and then at the bike shop which would not have been open, but the leaders of the West to East Grand-Am bike race were coming through this morning and the bike shop is an official stop. When we got there they were interviewing the guy in second place and we had to wait until they finished. After we got what we needed we had squandered our early start, so we had to endure the heat and wind. We stopped in Buhler around 10:00 to get something to eat, and there was Pat sitting down to breakfast.
The three of us finished out our days ride together and we are staying at Hedricks Exotic Animal Farm and B&B. I'm going out now to take a few pictures of the place for you.
Pastor Joe continued on with his life story as I sat in a chair opposite of him with one of his dogs asleep on my lap. I was semi-asleep by this time, and had not had a bath, so the dog and I decided to just spend the night in the chair. I explained to Joe that I needed to leave at daylight so that I could get to the Eureka Post Office before they closed at ten o-clock, so he got up about 5:00 and fixed breakfast for me and I was out by six.
I knew in theory I could make the 44 miles in four hours, but that it was going to be very windy and I didn't know what the terrain would be like, so I really pushed hard to get to Eureka. It's good that I did because it was much more hilly than I expected and there was a heck of a cross wind. This is beautiful country side with rolling pastures and an expansive view from every hill top. Unfortunately, I was in too much of a hurry to take pictures. The last 15 miles was on state highway 54, a good two lane road with a wide shoulder, but a 65 MPH speed limit. Cars and trucks really whiz by when I'm going 8 MPH up a hill and they are moving at the speed limit plus. One of the things I've noticed here is that, because the roads are so straight, when a county road intersects with a state road, they build a curve into the county road so that a driver doesn't blow right through the intersection.
I got into Eureka with time to spare, but to no avail, because my package wasn't there, so I'm stuck here until Monday when I can either get my mail or have them forward it on to another town. After I left the library, I'm sitting outside a Sonic Drive in getting ready to check into a motel to wait for my mail when a lady walks up and introduces herself an asks if I have a place to stay. Turns out that Robyn has a spare house that she opens as a hostel for bicyclists. So, I follow her to the house where I'm staying until Monday. It's really nice, with a good shower, comfortable bed, and an very well stocked kitchen. In gratitude, I offered to take her out to dinner, but instead, we bought a couple of steaks and ate here at the house.
There is another rider coming in this afternoon, so she is cooking lasagna and I have volunteered to make a couple of fruit custard pies. This is only the second test day I've taken off since I started nearly a month ago, and it feels mighty good.
About 1:00 on Sunday, two riders show up within about a half hour of each other. One of them ,John, I met several days before and he had caught up because of my layover day, and the other, Patrick, is a 64 year old Retired attorney from New Jersey. He has been riding since May 5th and he has been down to Maryland, up to Pittsburgh, down the Ohio Valley and now on the Trans-Am to Oregon. John has come down from the St. Louis area and is headed to somewhere in Colorado and then back towards home. He is riding a beautiful 1984 Schwinn Letour touring bike.
On Monday morning both Pay and John left before me because I had to wait on the post office to open, and I had a flat tire. I fixed my tire, got my package at the post office, changed my seat, and finally left Eureka about 8:30.
I caught up with John around lunch and we rode together to a park out side of Newton Kansas where we camped. We got up at 4:00 this morning and started out in the dark to beat the heat. We stopped in the grocery store in Newton and then at the bike shop which would not have been open, but the leaders of the West to East Grand-Am bike race were coming through this morning and the bike shop is an official stop. When we got there they were interviewing the guy in second place and we had to wait until they finished. After we got what we needed we had squandered our early start, so we had to endure the heat and wind. We stopped in Buhler around 10:00 to get something to eat, and there was Pat sitting down to breakfast.
The three of us finished out our days ride together and we are staying at Hedricks Exotic Animal Farm and B&B. I'm going out now to take a few pictures of the place for you.
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