San Diego, CA to Tijuana, Mexico
28.00 miles
2:38.16 hrs
37 max
10.6 avg
Total Mileage: 6225.9 +
There was a day when my odometer was not working correctly and a couple days where I rode around without my cateye connected for a couple miles at the end of my route. I predict that these miles add up to about 50 unaccounted miles.
With that being said I am now in the stage of COMPLETION OF TOUR DE AMERICAS! My three country tour has now come to an end. What do I do now?
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Day 84 - Thursday December 10th
Encinitas, CA to San Diego, CA
63.92 miles
5:18.53 hrs
30.6 max
12.0 avg
63.92 miles
5:18.53 hrs
30.6 max
12.0 avg
Day 81 - Saturday December 5th
Camaillo, CA to Santa Monica, CA
53.78 miles
3:44.07 hrs
35.2 max
14.3 avg
53.78 miles
3:44.07 hrs
35.2 max
14.3 avg
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Day 80 - Friday December 4th
Santa Barbara, CA to Camarillo, CA
60.31 miles
3:45.09 hrs
30.8 max
16.0 avg
Day 79 - Thursday December 3rd
Oceana, CA to Santa Barbara, CA
97.08 miles
7:10.22 hrs
37.6 max
13.5 avg
Day 77 - Tuesday Decemeber 1st
Monteray Bay, CA to Kirk Creek CG
76.13 miles
6:20.18 hrs
35.9 max
12.0 avg
Day 76 - Monday November 30th
Santa Cruz, CA to Monteray Bay, CA
60.6 miles
5:16.12 hrs
30.2 max
11.7 avg
Day 75 - Sunday November 29th
Pacifica, CA to Santa Cruz, CA
66.79 miles
5:01.26 hrs
37.7 max
13.2 avg
Leaving Pacifica was like leaving home. I have become well acquainted with my new found family and familiar to the idea of living in the San Fran area. I do have my eyes set on getting to Ventura by Thursday though to meet up with my mother who is teaching in the area this weekend.
The ride today felt long and slow. Most of the route was flat and the grades were not nearly what they were north of San Fran but todays ride was not easy. The time that I spent off the bike definitly made things hard as my legs were no longer used to cycling every day. They were used to playing wii for numerous hours!
A memorable moment of today was a red tail hawk sitting on a telephone pole and as I passed by it curlled it's body up into a torpedo shape and dove down into the garden below only to arise with a rabbit in its talons! It was quite a site to see! Other than this the ride was pretty boring.
It was great when I arrived in Santa Cruz though. I met up with two college friends and spent the rest of the day joking around and catching up.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday - Saturday, November 16th - 28th
I only expected to spend 3 days in the Bay area but it obviously turned out to be much longer than that! The new plan is to leave this area on Sunday November 29th and head towards San Diego with a couple days stop in LA to visit friends! But what exactly did I do in San Fran that motivated me to stay for such a long period of time, you ask? Well, let me tell you!
Monday: Walked around Downtown SF - Immediately after getting off the BART I found out that Wicked was playing at the Orpheum and I decided that it was about time that I saw the production. I was determined see it before leaving SF, no matter what! The rest of the day was spent being a tourist, watching street performers and checking out the scene at the warf. Near the end of the night I heard some live music that pulled me into a bar. I sat down and listened to Albert Niland play acoustic guitar for about an hour. After I fell in love with his music, I purchased his CD and proceeded to talk to him about my fancy of his music and my trip. He shared that he was also a cyclist and was dreaming of doing a trip like mine (but in europe) in the near future. He agreed to exchange guitar tips for cycling tips.
I couldn't leave the downtown area without riding on the historic trolley! I took the trolley back to the Bay Area Rapid Transit. It was a very cool experience and I met some great people along the way that were very interested in my story.
One thing that upset me while I was down there was the number of homeless people in San Francisco. My experience would have been a lot brighter if it was not for the mass quantities of people asking for money. It saddened my heart to see them there in such 'desperate need'. It did not take long before my feelings of sadness turned into annoyance. How many times can you be asked for money or to buy a newspaper to support the homeless before you go insane... 1392 times is the answer!
Tuesday: Visited Berkeley. The school is gorgeous but the local area is thriving with homeless people still. I decided, while I was walking around the campus that I would check out the engineering department as a potential place to attend grad school. My experience was frustrating! I asked around and finally found the engineering office for graduates. I then talked to a lady about attending grad school there, just to be told that they have no information to give out about the program, they would not allow me to tour any of the facilities because all lab work is proprietary, they wouldn't introduce me to any faculty and I had to go online to get all my information about anything! Great! That is exactly what I was looking for when I decided to check out the campus in person!
That night we went to Trivia at a irish bar downtown - 2nd place, alright!
Wednesday: I was given a choice today of weather I wanted to go to Yosemite or see Wicked. I chose Yosemite! We drove the 4 hours to get there on Wednesday so that we could play around all day on Thursday. We slept in a heated tent and had a wonderful meal at the lodge (thanks Chris!)!
Thursday: Chris and I played around in Yosemite. We woke up early and hiked to Yosemite falls, Vernal falls and Nevada Falls. The views were amazing and the hikes long. I could not help myself but have a huge smile on my face all day! Unfortunately this 'play time' took quite a toll on our bodies and both of us had sore knees and legs the next few days.
Friday: Chris and I entered our names in the Wicked lottery. My name was the first one pulled, it was just meant to be! We met up with Barbara and saw Wicked. The seats were horrible. I think I had the worst seat in the whole theatre, but I moved back for the second half and it was phenomenal. I will just have to go again sometime, oh shucks (that's sarcasm for all you who don't know me well enough to understand that I will use this as an excuse to see it again)!
Saturday: Attended the Lupis Dance Benefit in downtown SF. Before the benefit we had burritos at la cumbre in the mission. Supposedly this is where the first burrito, as they are known today was made.
Sunday: Biked to Golden Gate Park and found a pickup ultimate game going on, so I joined in! It was fun to meet some locals and play a game that I have long missed since the start of my trip.
Monday: Helped Chris in the garden, Out the door, Saw 'This Is It" at a theatre downtown. The documentary of the concert was really good. If there was one thing that I wish it would have contained it would have been a dress rehearsal. Rainy
Tuesday: BIG GARDEN DAY followed by game night. I helped Chris install rock walls in her garden... the next day my upper body was a little sore and it took me a couple minutes to realize that it was due to gardening!
Wednesday: Drove down to Palo Alto to check out Stanford and visit Don and Doris (my grandmothers younger sister's house). Stanford was an amazing university. From the architecture to the landscape there was a welcoming and studious feeling about the place. At Don and Doris's house we had a lefsa making party! I rolled lefsa for the first time and it turned out that I am, in Wii terms, at a near professional level. Nobody believed that I had never done it before. Well, now that I think of it there may have been a time about 15 years ago that I may have rolled a piece or two at my uncle Mike's house in New London, WI. Who knows...
Barbara went to pick up her daughter Rachel at the airport for Thanksgiving. This made me a little nervous because I did not her to come home and feel like I had taken her family away from her so I made myself scarce for a while after she came home. I needed to see how she acted around the house before I said or did anything. In the end, everything was good and
The night ended with me reassembling my bike and replacing the chain followed by staying up till 3:30 in the morning playing Wii with Chris.
Thursday: Thanksgiving with the Lorents Family. FUN!
Friday: Updating Blog, Played a bunch of Wii, watched a movie. Just hanging out and having fun!
Saturday: Packed up all my stuff and prepared for an early morning departure. Then Chris, Barbara, Rachel and myself went to The Sound Of Music Sing Along Movie in the Castro.
Sunday: Predicted departure time is 8am
I only expected to spend 3 days in the Bay area but it obviously turned out to be much longer than that! The new plan is to leave this area on Sunday November 29th and head towards San Diego with a couple days stop in LA to visit friends! But what exactly did I do in San Fran that motivated me to stay for such a long period of time, you ask? Well, let me tell you!Monday: Walked around Downtown SF - Immediately after getting off the BART I found out that Wicked was playing at the Orpheum and I decided that it was about time that I saw the production. I was determined see it before leaving SF, no matter what! The rest of the day was spent being a tourist, watching street performers and checking out the scene at the warf. Near the end of the night I heard some live music that pulled me into a bar. I sat down and listened to Albert Niland play acoustic guitar for about an hour. After I fell in love with his music, I purchased his CD and proceeded to talk to him about my fancy of his music and my trip. He shared that he was also a cyclist and was dreaming of doing a trip like mine (but in europe) in the near future. He agreed to exchange guitar tips for cycling tips.
I couldn't leave the downtown area without riding on the historic trolley! I took the trolley back to the Bay Area Rapid Transit. It was a very cool experience and I met some great people along the way that were very interested in my story.
One thing that upset me while I was down there was the number of homeless people in San Francisco. My experience would have been a lot brighter if it was not for the mass quantities of people asking for money. It saddened my heart to see them there in such 'desperate need'. It did not take long before my feelings of sadness turned into annoyance. How many times can you be asked for money or to buy a newspaper to support the homeless before you go insane... 1392 times is the answer!
Tuesday: Visited Berkeley. The school is gorgeous but the local area is thriving with homeless people still. I decided, while I was walking around the campus that I would check out the engineering department as a potential place to attend grad school. My experience was frustrating! I asked around and finally found the engineering office for graduates. I then talked to a lady about attending grad school there, just to be told that they have no information to give out about the program, they would not allow me to tour any of the facilities because all lab work is proprietary, they wouldn't introduce me to any faculty and I had to go online to get all my information about anything! Great! That is exactly what I was looking for when I decided to check out the campus in person!
That night we went to Trivia at a irish bar downtown - 2nd place, alright!
Wednesday: I was given a choice today of weather I wanted to go to Yosemite or see Wicked. I chose Yosemite! We drove the 4 hours to get there on Wednesday so that we could play around all day on Thursday. We slept in a heated tent and had a wonderful meal at the lodge (thanks Chris!)!
Thursday: Chris and I played around in Yosemite. We woke up early and hiked to Yosemite falls, Vernal falls and Nevada Falls. The views were amazing and the hikes long. I could not help myself but have a huge smile on my face all day! Unfortunately this 'play time' took quite a toll on our bodies and both of us had sore knees and legs the next few days.
Friday: Chris and I entered our names in the Wicked lottery. My name was the first one pulled, it was just meant to be! We met up with Barbara and saw Wicked. The seats were horrible. I think I had the worst seat in the whole theatre, but I moved back for the second half and it was phenomenal. I will just have to go again sometime, oh shucks (that's sarcasm for all you who don't know me well enough to understand that I will use this as an excuse to see it again)!
Saturday: Attended the Lupis Dance Benefit in downtown SF. Before the benefit we had burritos at la cumbre in the mission. Supposedly this is where the first burrito, as they are known today was made.
Sunday: Biked to Golden Gate Park and found a pickup ultimate game going on, so I joined in! It was fun to meet some locals and play a game that I have long missed since the start of my trip.
Monday: Helped Chris in the garden, Out the door, Saw 'This Is It" at a theatre downtown. The documentary of the concert was really good. If there was one thing that I wish it would have contained it would have been a dress rehearsal. Rainy
Tuesday: BIG GARDEN DAY followed by game night. I helped Chris install rock walls in her garden... the next day my upper body was a little sore and it took me a couple minutes to realize that it was due to gardening!
Wednesday: Drove down to Palo Alto to check out Stanford and visit Don and Doris (my grandmothers younger sister's house). Stanford was an amazing university. From the architecture to the landscape there was a welcoming and studious feeling about the place. At Don and Doris's house we had a lefsa making party! I rolled lefsa for the first time and it turned out that I am, in Wii terms, at a near professional level. Nobody believed that I had never done it before. Well, now that I think of it there may have been a time about 15 years ago that I may have rolled a piece or two at my uncle Mike's house in New London, WI. Who knows...
Barbara went to pick up her daughter Rachel at the airport for Thanksgiving. This made me a little nervous because I did not her to come home and feel like I had taken her family away from her so I made myself scarce for a while after she came home. I needed to see how she acted around the house before I said or did anything. In the end, everything was good and
The night ended with me reassembling my bike and replacing the chain followed by staying up till 3:30 in the morning playing Wii with Chris.
Thursday: Thanksgiving with the Lorents Family. FUN!
Friday: Updating Blog, Played a bunch of Wii, watched a movie. Just hanging out and having fun!
Saturday: Packed up all my stuff and prepared for an early morning departure. Then Chris, Barbara, Rachel and myself went to The Sound Of Music Sing Along Movie in the Castro.
Sunday: Predicted departure time is 8am
Day 74 - Sunday November 15th
Point Reyes, CA to Pacifica, CA
55.31 miles
5:45.00 hrs
36.4 max
9.6 avg
What a gorgeous day! I woke up with a layer of frost on my tent and was I frigid cold! I delayed riding out at 7:10am by stopping at a bakery until the sun cam up and it had a chance to warm the unusually cold air.
As can be seen with my slow pace, I had a crap ton of climbing to do today but it was all worth it due to the continued gorgeous cliff side scenery that I was experiencing.
Today I encountered my second wipe out of the trip. This was not much of a wipe out, as I was climbing a hill and was motionless at the time my bike was tipping over. The story goes like this: I looked behind me as a ascended a large climb. The view behind me overlooked a coastal bay with beaches and cliffs as far as the eye could see. There lay a lake in the back ground, behind a strip of houses that separated the two bodies of water. I thought to myself, I must capture this view. As I looked ahead I scoped out the point of which I wanted to capture this photo. My vista was no more than 30 feet ahead of me at the beginning of a guard rail protecting a blind corner. When I reached my destination I brought my bike to a halt, unclipped my right foot with ease and twisted my left leg in a similar fashion in an attempt to unclip my left foot so that I may place it down on the ground for stabilization, as I had thousands of times. That was all this action was though... and attempt.
The clip on the bottom of my cleat had come loose and did not allow the generation of enough torque to unclip. Moments later I found myself in a frenzy of thoughts, trying to fight the slight motion that my body had already made to lean the bike to the left; into traffic. As I slowly tip over and I try to counter act this motion, my mind focuses in on all the sounds around me. The sound of silence gave me reassurance that no cars were coming from behind, "ahhh... safety". Once defeated by the inevitable force of gravity, I gave into falling and started concentrating on relaxing my body in preparation for impact. The fall did not hurt physically but as I lifted my body from the ground, a cyclist appeared from behind me; my pride was dented.
The rest of the ride into SF was amazing. The saddest part of this day was when I climbed up a large hill, with one of the largest grades I have ascended, to take a near necessary amazingly beautiful photo of the golden gate bridge just to find my camera battery dead.
The rest of the jaunt into Pacifica, CA (where I have extended family and where I am staying a couple of days) was very hilly and I ended up exhausted by the time I found myself at my final destination.
55.31 miles
5:45.00 hrs
36.4 max
9.6 avg
What a gorgeous day! I woke up with a layer of frost on my tent and was I frigid cold! I delayed riding out at 7:10am by stopping at a bakery until the sun cam up and it had a chance to warm the unusually cold air.
As can be seen with my slow pace, I had a crap ton of climbing to do today but it was all worth it due to the continued gorgeous cliff side scenery that I was experiencing.
Today I encountered my second wipe out of the trip. This was not much of a wipe out, as I was climbing a hill and was motionless at the time my bike was tipping over. The story goes like this: I looked behind me as a ascended a large climb. The view behind me overlooked a coastal bay with beaches and cliffs as far as the eye could see. There lay a lake in the back ground, behind a strip of houses that separated the two bodies of water. I thought to myself, I must capture this view. As I looked ahead I scoped out the point of which I wanted to capture this photo. My vista was no more than 30 feet ahead of me at the beginning of a guard rail protecting a blind corner. When I reached my destination I brought my bike to a halt, unclipped my right foot with ease and twisted my left leg in a similar fashion in an attempt to unclip my left foot so that I may place it down on the ground for stabilization, as I had thousands of times. That was all this action was though... and attempt.
The clip on the bottom of my cleat had come loose and did not allow the generation of enough torque to unclip. Moments later I found myself in a frenzy of thoughts, trying to fight the slight motion that my body had already made to lean the bike to the left; into traffic. As I slowly tip over and I try to counter act this motion, my mind focuses in on all the sounds around me. The sound of silence gave me reassurance that no cars were coming from behind, "ahhh... safety". Once defeated by the inevitable force of gravity, I gave into falling and started concentrating on relaxing my body in preparation for impact. The fall did not hurt physically but as I lifted my body from the ground, a cyclist appeared from behind me; my pride was dented.
The rest of the ride into SF was amazing. The saddest part of this day was when I climbed up a large hill, with one of the largest grades I have ascended, to take a near necessary amazingly beautiful photo of the golden gate bridge just to find my camera battery dead.
The rest of the jaunt into Pacifica, CA (where I have extended family and where I am staying a couple of days) was very hilly and I ended up exhausted by the time I found myself at my final destination.
Day 73 - Saturday November 14th
Salt Point SP, CA to Point Reyes, CA
62.28 miles
4:53.59 hrs
41.7 max
12.6 avg
The scenery the past couple of days has been nothing of what I expected. Most of the land up here is desert farmland. I had expected gorgeous scenery with forests to my left and cliffs on my right. Unlike my fathers stories, the coastal highway 1 doesn't even compare to the Oregon coast! Well, this was my thought at least up till today.
Today, I rode on some of the most gorgeous coastal highway that a man could possibly dream off. Words cannot explain the views that I experienced. Even pictures have a hard time expressing the feeling that goes through your body as you climb and descend 12% grades, 400 feet above the sea, 2 feet away from the edge of the cliff leading into the treacherous waters bellow, gazing over green lands, tangent to bright blue waters; all this while you are totally vulnerable to the elements and cars zooming by. What a rush!
At this point I have realized that I am not going to make it to Santa Cruz for even one day of the ultimate tournament, but I am content with that because the weather is great and I am having the time of my life making my way into SF!
62.28 miles
4:53.59 hrs
41.7 max
12.6 avg
The scenery the past couple of days has been nothing of what I expected. Most of the land up here is desert farmland. I had expected gorgeous scenery with forests to my left and cliffs on my right. Unlike my fathers stories, the coastal highway 1 doesn't even compare to the Oregon coast! Well, this was my thought at least up till today.
Today, I rode on some of the most gorgeous coastal highway that a man could possibly dream off. Words cannot explain the views that I experienced. Even pictures have a hard time expressing the feeling that goes through your body as you climb and descend 12% grades, 400 feet above the sea, 2 feet away from the edge of the cliff leading into the treacherous waters bellow, gazing over green lands, tangent to bright blue waters; all this while you are totally vulnerable to the elements and cars zooming by. What a rush!
At this point I have realized that I am not going to make it to Santa Cruz for even one day of the ultimate tournament, but I am content with that because the weather is great and I am having the time of my life making my way into SF!
Day 72 - Friday November 13th
Van Damme SP, CA to Salt Point SP, CA
68.21 miles
5:09.50 hrs
42.9 max
13.2 avg
Another broken spoke! And I have the tooling to fix it! DUN DuN dun! Friday the 13th lingers around my head as I think about potentially horrid things could happen during today's travels. I made it a point to only let these thoughts into my head early on in the day and to forget about them immediately after. The problem with making a point of something like that is that the more you try and forget, the more you think about them. So, I failed miserably!
With all the hype of Friday the 13th my day was exceptionally pleasant! Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant day for another biker that I met along the way. Dave was his name. I ran into him around noon as I came over a hill to find him with his panniers removed and brand new bike upside-down on the side of the road. Of course, I when I approached him I asked if everything was all right and he explained how he had a bent rim. He was going to try and ride to the next city with a bike shop and I thought that I should probably take a look at his bike before he left. I, on one hand, do have quite a bit of experience with truing wheels, broken rims and broken spokes. I offered to look at the bike for him and he was happy to have what he called a "personal roadside mechanic". After inspection, his spokes were SOO loose! No wonder he bent it! I then set to work truing the wheel to the best of my ability. My goal was not to make it perfect, but make it as true as possible so that he could have a safe ride into the next bike shop to get it looked at by a professional. I was very happy with the my results and would have felt comfortable riding away on the wheel myself. I was a little worried that the wheel was no longer concentric and had a little lump in it but that was not something that I felt like I could fix. Dave was very happy to be on his way but not before we exchanged information. I look forward to hearing about how the rest of his trip went when he finishes. Hopefully he didn't have any more issues with the wheel and it held up till he was able to get it checked out!
Even though this occurrence took up a decent chunk of time out of my day I still managed to get in a decent amount of mileage and talked to numerous people during the day who all seemed eager to donate to my cause. It did prevent me, however, from getting to the SP that I wanted to camp at that night. My only option was a SP that was VERY full and did not have hiker/biker sites. There was another campground just 1/4 mile down the road with h/b sites, but thanks to Arnold (CA gov.) it had been closed. As I slowly cycled around the nearly full campground, looking for a place to possibly pitch my tent, a woman walking the opposite direction that I was moving said, "You can stay at our camp site if you like". Without much anticipation I accepted the invite and she accompanied me back to where I would end up pitching tent. This night was probably one of the most enjoyable nights I had thus far. I ended up meeting 6 lovely people (who were all avid cyclists) and we exchanged stories about cycling adventures over an adult beverage of choice. It was truly an enjoyable night!
Overall, one hell of a day (in a good way)!
68.21 miles
5:09.50 hrs
42.9 max
13.2 avg
Another broken spoke! And I have the tooling to fix it! DUN DuN dun! Friday the 13th lingers around my head as I think about potentially horrid things could happen during today's travels. I made it a point to only let these thoughts into my head early on in the day and to forget about them immediately after. The problem with making a point of something like that is that the more you try and forget, the more you think about them. So, I failed miserably!
With all the hype of Friday the 13th my day was exceptionally pleasant! Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant day for another biker that I met along the way. Dave was his name. I ran into him around noon as I came over a hill to find him with his panniers removed and brand new bike upside-down on the side of the road. Of course, I when I approached him I asked if everything was all right and he explained how he had a bent rim. He was going to try and ride to the next city with a bike shop and I thought that I should probably take a look at his bike before he left. I, on one hand, do have quite a bit of experience with truing wheels, broken rims and broken spokes. I offered to look at the bike for him and he was happy to have what he called a "personal roadside mechanic". After inspection, his spokes were SOO loose! No wonder he bent it! I then set to work truing the wheel to the best of my ability. My goal was not to make it perfect, but make it as true as possible so that he could have a safe ride into the next bike shop to get it looked at by a professional. I was very happy with the my results and would have felt comfortable riding away on the wheel myself. I was a little worried that the wheel was no longer concentric and had a little lump in it but that was not something that I felt like I could fix. Dave was very happy to be on his way but not before we exchanged information. I look forward to hearing about how the rest of his trip went when he finishes. Hopefully he didn't have any more issues with the wheel and it held up till he was able to get it checked out!
Even though this occurrence took up a decent chunk of time out of my day I still managed to get in a decent amount of mileage and talked to numerous people during the day who all seemed eager to donate to my cause. It did prevent me, however, from getting to the SP that I wanted to camp at that night. My only option was a SP that was VERY full and did not have hiker/biker sites. There was another campground just 1/4 mile down the road with h/b sites, but thanks to Arnold (CA gov.) it had been closed. As I slowly cycled around the nearly full campground, looking for a place to possibly pitch my tent, a woman walking the opposite direction that I was moving said, "You can stay at our camp site if you like". Without much anticipation I accepted the invite and she accompanied me back to where I would end up pitching tent. This night was probably one of the most enjoyable nights I had thus far. I ended up meeting 6 lovely people (who were all avid cyclists) and we exchanged stories about cycling adventures over an adult beverage of choice. It was truly an enjoyable night!
Overall, one hell of a day (in a good way)!
Day 71 - Thursday November 12th
Leggett, CA to Van Damme SP, CA
59.62 miles
4:55.27 hrs
35.8 max
12.1 avg
Come to find that if I would have continued cycling and yesterday and not had the broken spokes I would have had to climb a crap ton of large hills and had to rough it in the woods! Although, the climbing would not have been so cold, as I woke up this morning and my tent had frost on it! I didn't think I would run into that along the CA coast.
I started my ride this morning no more than a quarter mile from the epic 'Highway 1'. Highway 1 has symbolized the last and supposedly most gorgeous part of my journey. Even though I have over 1000 miles to go the end feels near and I am excited to be in this gorgeous landscape.
I had heard my father speak many times of how he adored Highway 1. He expressed his fond memories of traveling along this road during a college roadtrip. I have thought about these stories many times and I can't wait to experience what he was talking about, although my experience may be a little different since I will be on a bike and not in a car.
Ever since I left Arcata, my route has taken me away from the coast. It was not until today that I was reacquainted with gorgeous coastal scenery. Like my fathers stories, you unexpectedly come out of the cold and dense forest, round one corner, and all of a sudden the ocean opens up to your eyes. The sun hits your face and you are instantaneously warm again! I will never forget the view I had as I ate an early lunch sitting there on the guard rail. Nor the sound of the waves crashing against the mountainous cliffs north of where I sat. Nor the thousands of seals floating amongst the waves upon which I later come to find were not seals at all but seaweed! Nor the feeling that I had when I realized that I left my titanium spork where I ate; even though I thought about the probability of forgetting the utensil as I placed it next to me.
Oh, what fond memories I have made of Highway 1 already. And, I am not even a 100th of the way down it!
59.62 miles
4:55.27 hrs
35.8 max
12.1 avg
Come to find that if I would have continued cycling and yesterday and not had the broken spokes I would have had to climb a crap ton of large hills and had to rough it in the woods! Although, the climbing would not have been so cold, as I woke up this morning and my tent had frost on it! I didn't think I would run into that along the CA coast.
I started my ride this morning no more than a quarter mile from the epic 'Highway 1'. Highway 1 has symbolized the last and supposedly most gorgeous part of my journey. Even though I have over 1000 miles to go the end feels near and I am excited to be in this gorgeous landscape.
I had heard my father speak many times of how he adored Highway 1. He expressed his fond memories of traveling along this road during a college roadtrip. I have thought about these stories many times and I can't wait to experience what he was talking about, although my experience may be a little different since I will be on a bike and not in a car.
Ever since I left Arcata, my route has taken me away from the coast. It was not until today that I was reacquainted with gorgeous coastal scenery. Like my fathers stories, you unexpectedly come out of the cold and dense forest, round one corner, and all of a sudden the ocean opens up to your eyes. The sun hits your face and you are instantaneously warm again! I will never forget the view I had as I ate an early lunch sitting there on the guard rail. Nor the sound of the waves crashing against the mountainous cliffs north of where I sat. Nor the thousands of seals floating amongst the waves upon which I later come to find were not seals at all but seaweed! Nor the feeling that I had when I realized that I left my titanium spork where I ate; even though I thought about the probability of forgetting the utensil as I placed it next to me.
Oh, what fond memories I have made of Highway 1 already. And, I am not even a 100th of the way down it!
Day 70 - Wednesday November 11th
Burlington SP, CA to Leggett, CA
49.47 miles
4:12.44 hrs
48.0 max
11.7 avg
Waking up surrounded by redwoods was awesome! I met two ladies this morning cooking breakfast next to my site. It was nice to talk to them for a while and found out that they were on a significantly detoured (they left from Seattle) trip to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving.
I made it out of the campsite in a timely fashion and was looking forward to a great ride. Cycling through the rest of the redwoods was amazing! I love this place! The trees are just so wise and majestic that time flew by.
After leaving the redwoods I had quite a bit of climbing to do but this did not bother me because I was utterly happy to be where I am. Sadly, this feeling of happiness did not last too long. I broke another spoke about 25 miles into my trip. The break was on my rear wheel and I did not hesitate to stop and try and fix it. In anticipation of cycling on my own again I purchased a cassette bolt (to remove the cassette from the freewheel) and an extra piece of chain that I figured I could use with a piece of cloth as a chain whip (I had aspirations to make my own chain whip when I got the chance). Much to my disappointment this method did not work and I could not produce enough torque to loosen the cassette from the freewheel. The According to the cyclists pamphlet that I had there was a shop in a town just 6 miles away. So, I used my Kevlar spoke to temporarily true the wheel.
At first I thought all I needed was a pliers big enough to grasp my cassette remover bolt. So, I stopped at a hardware store to check out potential tooling. I did not want something heavy, bulky or expensive and the first place I went did not have anything that met those needs. I then proceeded to the bike shop where I came to find that they did not have the tooling I needed either. To top it off, the mechanic was only there on Mondays so I couldn't even pay to have it fixed! I could not believe that California would produce a cyclist map that said there was a bike shop in this city when they were only open 1 day a week, without any notification on the map. Sounds like a proper place for the usage of an asterisk (*)!
I asked the clerk if I could use some of their equipment to fix my wheel and the lady said, "NO!" I was quite struck by this answer and then proceeded to tell her a little more about exactly what I was doing. You know the whole I am raising money... blah... blah.. blah... schpeel! Much to my surprise, she held her ground. I definitely approached the whole thing the wrong way but I didn't think it would really matter all that much, I was mistaken! I asked about other shops that might have the tooling what I was looking for and she pointed me in the direction of NAPA auto parts.
I found a locking pliers on sale at NAPA (cheapest and lightest option), purchased it and attempted to fix my wheel. (Very nice people at NAPA, they let me try out a couple of pieces of tooling before purchasing any of them) I found my method of wrapping a piece of cloth around the end of the chain and holding onto it, to be a poor alternative to chain whip. A few bloody fingers latter from the chain slipping off the cassette, I was in a very poor mood! I put my wheel back on and went back to the bike shop to purchase the ridiculously expensive chain whip ($25). Upon returning to the bike shop I went behind the counter looking for anything that I could purchase as an alternative to the chain whip. As I was sifting through a couple boxes of bike parts, an older gentleman approached me asking if I needed help finding anything. I then find out that he is the bike mechanic at the shop and was in for about an hour while the clerk went to lunch.
After talking to him for a bit he allowed me to use any and all of his tooling to fix and true my wheel. After all that I spent the next hour fixing my wheel. With this experience behind me I decided that I should suck it up and purchase the expensive chain whip.
I left that town two hours after I entered with all the tooling I needed to fix my own wheels from now on. About 13 miles down the road my purchases made up for themselves due to another broken spoke that I was able to fix in about 20 min.
What a day! I should have been able to ride for another 2 hours and had high goals of cycling 80 miles. I guess I will have to make up for it tomorrow! I did have free lodging in an abandoned church yard though!
49.47 miles
4:12.44 hrs
48.0 max
11.7 avg
Waking up surrounded by redwoods was awesome! I met two ladies this morning cooking breakfast next to my site. It was nice to talk to them for a while and found out that they were on a significantly detoured (they left from Seattle) trip to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving.
I made it out of the campsite in a timely fashion and was looking forward to a great ride. Cycling through the rest of the redwoods was amazing! I love this place! The trees are just so wise and majestic that time flew by.
After leaving the redwoods I had quite a bit of climbing to do but this did not bother me because I was utterly happy to be where I am. Sadly, this feeling of happiness did not last too long. I broke another spoke about 25 miles into my trip. The break was on my rear wheel and I did not hesitate to stop and try and fix it. In anticipation of cycling on my own again I purchased a cassette bolt (to remove the cassette from the freewheel) and an extra piece of chain that I figured I could use with a piece of cloth as a chain whip (I had aspirations to make my own chain whip when I got the chance). Much to my disappointment this method did not work and I could not produce enough torque to loosen the cassette from the freewheel. The According to the cyclists pamphlet that I had there was a shop in a town just 6 miles away. So, I used my Kevlar spoke to temporarily true the wheel.
At first I thought all I needed was a pliers big enough to grasp my cassette remover bolt. So, I stopped at a hardware store to check out potential tooling. I did not want something heavy, bulky or expensive and the first place I went did not have anything that met those needs. I then proceeded to the bike shop where I came to find that they did not have the tooling I needed either. To top it off, the mechanic was only there on Mondays so I couldn't even pay to have it fixed! I could not believe that California would produce a cyclist map that said there was a bike shop in this city when they were only open 1 day a week, without any notification on the map. Sounds like a proper place for the usage of an asterisk (*)!
I asked the clerk if I could use some of their equipment to fix my wheel and the lady said, "NO!" I was quite struck by this answer and then proceeded to tell her a little more about exactly what I was doing. You know the whole I am raising money... blah... blah.. blah... schpeel! Much to my surprise, she held her ground. I definitely approached the whole thing the wrong way but I didn't think it would really matter all that much, I was mistaken! I asked about other shops that might have the tooling what I was looking for and she pointed me in the direction of NAPA auto parts.
I found a locking pliers on sale at NAPA (cheapest and lightest option), purchased it and attempted to fix my wheel. (Very nice people at NAPA, they let me try out a couple of pieces of tooling before purchasing any of them) I found my method of wrapping a piece of cloth around the end of the chain and holding onto it, to be a poor alternative to chain whip. A few bloody fingers latter from the chain slipping off the cassette, I was in a very poor mood! I put my wheel back on and went back to the bike shop to purchase the ridiculously expensive chain whip ($25). Upon returning to the bike shop I went behind the counter looking for anything that I could purchase as an alternative to the chain whip. As I was sifting through a couple boxes of bike parts, an older gentleman approached me asking if I needed help finding anything. I then find out that he is the bike mechanic at the shop and was in for about an hour while the clerk went to lunch.
After talking to him for a bit he allowed me to use any and all of his tooling to fix and true my wheel. After all that I spent the next hour fixing my wheel. With this experience behind me I decided that I should suck it up and purchase the expensive chain whip.
I left that town two hours after I entered with all the tooling I needed to fix my own wheels from now on. About 13 miles down the road my purchases made up for themselves due to another broken spoke that I was able to fix in about 20 min.
What a day! I should have been able to ride for another 2 hours and had high goals of cycling 80 miles. I guess I will have to make up for it tomorrow! I did have free lodging in an abandoned church yard though!
Day 69 - Tuesday November 10th
Arcata, CA to Burlington SP, CA
57.63 miles
4:20.28 hrs
33.1 max
13.2 avg
Late last night Alex and Nick told me that they were going to stay an extra day in Arcata, CA. This was not the news I wanted to hear for if I would have known that earlier on today I would have continued riding yesterday to make it to San Fran so that we could meet up later. It turns out though that if I would have done that I wouldn't have an ultimate tournament to look forward to in Santa Cruz!
So, today I set off towards the great city of San Francisco, alone. Late departure was inevitable since I had a spoke to repair that morning and I didn't want to wake everyone during the process. I waited till most people were up and then proceeded to take care of the important task at hand. Of course after repairing my wheel everyone was making breakfast so I stayed around a little longer to eat and socialize.
By 11am I was finally off and I had two options in route. With high hopes of making it to Santa Cruz by the upcoming weekend for an ultimate frisbee tournament, I opted for the shorter route on 101, avoiding the large climbs of 'the lost coast' and the extra 30 miles. I thought long and hard about this decision, constantly asking myself if I would regret not going on the lost coast. When it came down to it there was nothing in the wilderness of the lost coast that I could not see on my next trip out west and it would give me something to look forward to. Plus, with the overcast and rainy weather the ride along the lost coast may have been very limited in view.
So, instead of setting my hopes on the potentially gorgeous views and untouched landscapes of the lost coast I opted to make it to the majestic redwood forest. Upon arriving at the redwoods and touching my wheels to the pavement of the "Avenue of the Giants", I felt reassured that I had made the right choice in route. I ended up camping at the Burlington SP. The camp site was gorgeous, with massive redwoods all around in a hazy mist. It looked like a scene that you would find in Lord of the Rings.
57.63 miles
4:20.28 hrs
33.1 max
13.2 avg
Late last night Alex and Nick told me that they were going to stay an extra day in Arcata, CA. This was not the news I wanted to hear for if I would have known that earlier on today I would have continued riding yesterday to make it to San Fran so that we could meet up later. It turns out though that if I would have done that I wouldn't have an ultimate tournament to look forward to in Santa Cruz!
So, today I set off towards the great city of San Francisco, alone. Late departure was inevitable since I had a spoke to repair that morning and I didn't want to wake everyone during the process. I waited till most people were up and then proceeded to take care of the important task at hand. Of course after repairing my wheel everyone was making breakfast so I stayed around a little longer to eat and socialize.
By 11am I was finally off and I had two options in route. With high hopes of making it to Santa Cruz by the upcoming weekend for an ultimate frisbee tournament, I opted for the shorter route on 101, avoiding the large climbs of 'the lost coast' and the extra 30 miles. I thought long and hard about this decision, constantly asking myself if I would regret not going on the lost coast. When it came down to it there was nothing in the wilderness of the lost coast that I could not see on my next trip out west and it would give me something to look forward to. Plus, with the overcast and rainy weather the ride along the lost coast may have been very limited in view.
So, instead of setting my hopes on the potentially gorgeous views and untouched landscapes of the lost coast I opted to make it to the majestic redwood forest. Upon arriving at the redwoods and touching my wheels to the pavement of the "Avenue of the Giants", I felt reassured that I had made the right choice in route. I ended up camping at the Burlington SP. The camp site was gorgeous, with massive redwoods all around in a hazy mist. It looked like a scene that you would find in Lord of the Rings.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Day 68 - Monday November 9th
Big Lagoon NP to Arcata, CA
31.59 miles
2:43.55 hrs
33.7 max
12.0 avg
We made it to Arcata in no time, despite the rain and cold. After visiting 2 bike shops and making some phone calls, Alex found the rim he wanted in stock at a bike shop in Eureka. Therefore, Nick and Alex don't have to wait around for an extra couple days for an ordered rim to arrive. Meaning, I am going to stay in Arcata tonight and head out tomorrow with Nick and Alex as company. Matt has opted to stay an extra day to catch up on correspondence and blog updates.
Nick and Alex biked down to Eureka to pick up the rim, have it installed and bike back to Arcata since we have a connection, for a place to stay through warmshowers.com (a cyclists version of couchsurfing.com). It does seem like another short day in the crapper but with the rainy weather and chance for companionship all the way to San Fran, I feel that it is well worth it!
31.59 miles
2:43.55 hrs
33.7 max
12.0 avg
We made it to Arcata in no time, despite the rain and cold. After visiting 2 bike shops and making some phone calls, Alex found the rim he wanted in stock at a bike shop in Eureka. Therefore, Nick and Alex don't have to wait around for an extra couple days for an ordered rim to arrive. Meaning, I am going to stay in Arcata tonight and head out tomorrow with Nick and Alex as company. Matt has opted to stay an extra day to catch up on correspondence and blog updates.
Nick and Alex biked down to Eureka to pick up the rim, have it installed and bike back to Arcata since we have a connection, for a place to stay through warmshowers.com (a cyclists version of couchsurfing.com). It does seem like another short day in the crapper but with the rainy weather and chance for companionship all the way to San Fran, I feel that it is well worth it!
Day 67 - Sunday November 8th
Fort Dick, CA to Big Lagoon SP
64.28 miles
5:06.39 hrs
35.7 max
12.5 avg
The Redwoods are AMAZING! I was hoping to have the opportunity to ride through one of the tree 'tunnels' but they did not exit on the path that we took. Maybe later on in CA there will be one?
The rest of the group is planning on staying in Arcata tomorrow, and the next couple days, until Alex gets his new rim in. I am thinking that I will set off on my own to San Fran so that I can meet back up with them after I spend a couple days exploring the 'golden city'. Originally the group was going to spend a couple days in SF but with the rim delay, they have decided not. By setting off ahead of them then I might have the opportunity to ride with them from San Fran to San Diego... could be fun!
64.28 miles
5:06.39 hrs
35.7 max
12.5 avg
The Redwoods are AMAZING! I was hoping to have the opportunity to ride through one of the tree 'tunnels' but they did not exit on the path that we took. Maybe later on in CA there will be one?
The rest of the group is planning on staying in Arcata tomorrow, and the next couple days, until Alex gets his new rim in. I am thinking that I will set off on my own to San Fran so that I can meet back up with them after I spend a couple days exploring the 'golden city'. Originally the group was going to spend a couple days in SF but with the rim delay, they have decided not. By setting off ahead of them then I might have the opportunity to ride with them from San Fran to San Diego... could be fun!
Day 66 - Saturday November 7th
Humbug NP, OR to Fort Dick, CA
71.51 miles
6:04.47 hrs
37.1 max
11.1 avg
Momentous day! I broke the 5000 mile barrier and entered CA! I am SO excited to be this far in the trip. Even though the last few days have been pretty short I am happy with my progress. The landscape out here is gorgeous and the hills prevent a cyclist from just flying through. It is giving me more time to take in the scenery. I can't wait until tomorrows ride through the redwoods!
We stayed in the backyard of a church after talking with the Pastor and his wife. It was nice to have a free place to stay. Although, I can't really complain about paying $3 for a campsite now that we have 4 people in our 'peleton'.
71.51 miles
6:04.47 hrs
37.1 max
11.1 avg
Momentous day! I broke the 5000 mile barrier and entered CA! I am SO excited to be this far in the trip. Even though the last few days have been pretty short I am happy with my progress. The landscape out here is gorgeous and the hills prevent a cyclist from just flying through. It is giving me more time to take in the scenery. I can't wait until tomorrows ride through the redwoods!
We stayed in the backyard of a church after talking with the Pastor and his wife. It was nice to have a free place to stay. Although, I can't really complain about paying $3 for a campsite now that we have 4 people in our 'peleton'.
Day 65 - Friday November 6th
Bandon, OR to Humbug Mountain, OR
33.5 miles
3:??.?? hrs
? max
? avg
With a little misfortune, Alex broke his rim, we only made it 33.5 miles today. I also accidentally deleted my stats for the day before I could write them down. Oh well! It rained a LOT today and I broke another spoke. After spending so much money having bike shops repair my spokes I decided to take things into my own hands and use Matt's tooling to repair this one myself. After changing my own spoke for the first time, I have decided that I will never pay for someone else to change my spoke again! I think I will have to invest in some tooling once I separate from this group of guys.
My knee was hurting pretty bad today but Matt bought some arthritis creme for me... it would be great if it works!
33.5 miles
3:??.?? hrs
? max
? avg
With a little misfortune, Alex broke his rim, we only made it 33.5 miles today. I also accidentally deleted my stats for the day before I could write them down. Oh well! It rained a LOT today and I broke another spoke. After spending so much money having bike shops repair my spokes I decided to take things into my own hands and use Matt's tooling to repair this one myself. After changing my own spoke for the first time, I have decided that I will never pay for someone else to change my spoke again! I think I will have to invest in some tooling once I separate from this group of guys.
My knee was hurting pretty bad today but Matt bought some arthritis creme for me... it would be great if it works!
Day 64 - Thursday November 5th
Sunset Bay NP to Bandon, OR
27.87 miles
2:45.53 hrs
30.4 max
10.0 avg
Can't do much when there are 50+ mph headwinds and your knee is in intense pain. It was very difficult trying to ride portions of this short jaunt with only my left leg. We opted to stay at a RV park in Bandon that allowed us to stay in their ''typhoon shelter'' with a pool table and cable for $5 each! Can't get much better than that! Feels like I am falling farther and farther behind schedule though. Traveling with four guys is hard because everyone seems to have bike trouble at different times and it really slows down the ride.
Paired together we are traveling very slow and spend way too much time at grocery stores but the comedic personalities really make it all worth it. We all seem to have different preferred paces of travel and commonly get separated and have to wait up for each other every 10 miles or so... as you can imagine, not very efficient. Maybe this will change? Probably not.
27.87 miles
2:45.53 hrs
30.4 max
10.0 avg
Can't do much when there are 50+ mph headwinds and your knee is in intense pain. It was very difficult trying to ride portions of this short jaunt with only my left leg. We opted to stay at a RV park in Bandon that allowed us to stay in their ''typhoon shelter'' with a pool table and cable for $5 each! Can't get much better than that! Feels like I am falling farther and farther behind schedule though. Traveling with four guys is hard because everyone seems to have bike trouble at different times and it really slows down the ride.
Paired together we are traveling very slow and spend way too much time at grocery stores but the comedic personalities really make it all worth it. We all seem to have different preferred paces of travel and commonly get separated and have to wait up for each other every 10 miles or so... as you can imagine, not very efficient. Maybe this will change? Probably not.
Day 63 - Wednesday November 4th
CGWNP to Sunset Bay NP
73.27 miles
5:46.02 hrs
36.max
12.6 avg
The morning started off with a cool ride through a rock tunnel. Upon emerging from the opposite side of the tunnel, the sound of a couple thousand seals rang through the air. In a clearing we had a great view of a beach full of at least 4 thousand seals basking in the sun and playing in the surf! It was fun to watch them body surf with such grace!
Once again, great scenery paired with some new found company. It really is easier to travel with company, although it does not allow for much time by yourself to loose yourself in the ride and ponder the what the vast universe has to offer. It is a trade off though because getting to know new people has rewards beyond value.
73.27 miles
5:46.02 hrs
36.max
12.6 avg
The morning started off with a cool ride through a rock tunnel. Upon emerging from the opposite side of the tunnel, the sound of a couple thousand seals rang through the air. In a clearing we had a great view of a beach full of at least 4 thousand seals basking in the sun and playing in the surf! It was fun to watch them body surf with such grace!
Once again, great scenery paired with some new found company. It really is easier to travel with company, although it does not allow for much time by yourself to loose yourself in the ride and ponder the what the vast universe has to offer. It is a trade off though because getting to know new people has rewards beyond value.
Day 62 - Tuesday November 3rd
Lincoln City, OR to Carl G. Washburne SP
62.42 miles
4:37.03 hrs
31.8 max
13.5 avg
The coast is SO beautiful. I could not ask for a better day for riding along the coast! The sun is shinning brightly. I was a little camera happy today and therefore my ride went very slowly. I stopped around every corner to take a picture of the coast... probably a little overkill. A LOT overkill. I just couldn't help myself because I was so happy just to be on 101 traveling down the coast again. I feel like I have lost a bunch of time with the bum knee but the end just feels so near now; even though I am still a couple thousand miles away.
I saw some gray whales frolicking in one of the bays and I had to of spent at least half an hour watching them.
About 2/3 the way through the day I ran into three bikers who were also heading down the coast. Matt, a chap from England, was doing an around the world tour that has taken him 20,000 miles thus far in 18 months! Pretty amazing! If you want to check out his webpage go to www.worldwidebikeride.com to learn about his amazing adventure. His trip makes mine look like a cake walk! I do have to say I am a little jealous. Ok, a LOT jealous! Maybe I will meet up with him later on in his four year journey to explore more of Africa or Europe?!?!?
Alex is traveling from Tacoma, WA down the coast to La Paz where he will meet his girlfriend and fly back home. Nick is joining Alex for a portion of the trip. He plans on going as far as he can towards San Diego and then hitching the train back to Tacoma, WA a couple of days before Thanksgiving.
I am looking forward to having some companionship for the next few days and potentially all the way down to San Diego. We will just have to see how things work out.
62.42 miles
4:37.03 hrs
31.8 max
13.5 avg
The coast is SO beautiful. I could not ask for a better day for riding along the coast! The sun is shinning brightly. I was a little camera happy today and therefore my ride went very slowly. I stopped around every corner to take a picture of the coast... probably a little overkill. A LOT overkill. I just couldn't help myself because I was so happy just to be on 101 traveling down the coast again. I feel like I have lost a bunch of time with the bum knee but the end just feels so near now; even though I am still a couple thousand miles away.
I saw some gray whales frolicking in one of the bays and I had to of spent at least half an hour watching them.
About 2/3 the way through the day I ran into three bikers who were also heading down the coast. Matt, a chap from England, was doing an around the world tour that has taken him 20,000 miles thus far in 18 months! Pretty amazing! If you want to check out his webpage go to www.worldwidebikeride.com to learn about his amazing adventure. His trip makes mine look like a cake walk! I do have to say I am a little jealous. Ok, a LOT jealous! Maybe I will meet up with him later on in his four year journey to explore more of Africa or Europe?!?!?
Alex is traveling from Tacoma, WA down the coast to La Paz where he will meet his girlfriend and fly back home. Nick is joining Alex for a portion of the trip. He plans on going as far as he can towards San Diego and then hitching the train back to Tacoma, WA a couple of days before Thanksgiving.
I am looking forward to having some companionship for the next few days and potentially all the way down to San Diego. We will just have to see how things work out.
Day 61 - Monday Novemeber 2nd
Tigard, OR to Lincoln City, OR
84.89 miles
6:02.27 hrs
41.2 max
14.0 avg
Great day for riding! The scenery was not all that great to the coast but it was fun watching the coastal mountains grow right in front of me. The mountains were my destination marker, giving me ongoing energy to climb them and be at the ocean!
Unfortunately, I did not see the ocean post-climbing the 720' summit but I did find a coupon in the local newspaper for a hotel room at the Historic Anchor Inn. $29 for a room and free hot breakfast was not a bad deal! This place had the best breakfast I have ever eaten at a hotel! If you ever find yourself in this city make sure to stay at the HAI! You won't be disappointed!
84.89 miles
6:02.27 hrs
41.2 max
14.0 avg
Great day for riding! The scenery was not all that great to the coast but it was fun watching the coastal mountains grow right in front of me. The mountains were my destination marker, giving me ongoing energy to climb them and be at the ocean!
Unfortunately, I did not see the ocean post-climbing the 720' summit but I did find a coupon in the local newspaper for a hotel room at the Historic Anchor Inn. $29 for a room and free hot breakfast was not a bad deal! This place had the best breakfast I have ever eaten at a hotel! If you ever find yourself in this city make sure to stay at the HAI! You won't be disappointed!
Sunday November 1st
One more day in Tigard with the Alverez family. It was a pleasure playing with the little girls of this family. They are so cute and fun! Thank you to the Alverez family for putting me up and allowing my leg to heal.
After a test ride, my leg was only at 80.5% and I feel that I should at least be 81% to try and make it to the coast. This day should allow me full recovery... at least for a little while. I went on a pre-test bike ride and was granted the privilege of viewing 4 out of 5 mountains that I wanted to see. Rainier was the only one that was too far away to see! Thank you to the weather gods for this glorious clear day! Luckily tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful too!
After a test ride, my leg was only at 80.5% and I feel that I should at least be 81% to try and make it to the coast. This day should allow me full recovery... at least for a little while. I went on a pre-test bike ride and was granted the privilege of viewing 4 out of 5 mountains that I wanted to see. Rainier was the only one that was too far away to see! Thank you to the weather gods for this glorious clear day! Luckily tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful too!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday October Halloween!
I lay in bed this morning gazing out the window. The bright sun shining down on the leaves across the yard bring thoughts of missfortune. I slowly move my leg back and forth as I experience a dull pain on the medial side of my right calve. Cycling did not seem wise but the thought of putting off my departure for one more day made my stomach tie into a knot. Shortly thereafter my mother called wondering how my knee was doing. After explaining the situation to her she reaffirmed that she did not think it wise to continue to strain it for fear of permanent damage. The ever-wise lady suggested that I stay in Tigard and get some therapy performed on it while I still had a comfortable place to stay.
Taking her advice I began researching my options for Therapy. Since PTs and OTs generally don't work on Saturdays, I opted for a deep tissue massage and boy was it deep! I was in some major pain during the massage and it is very tender post-massage! I have high hopes that it progressively feels better all the way up to tomorrow morning. In the mean time I must go and ice my wounds to promote a speedy recovery!
Happy Halloween!
I am very eager to get back on the road. I have many days of great riding ahead of me once I get to the coast! The weather forecast looks like mostly cloudy for the next 3 days and no rain in sight! Can't ask for much better riding conditions this time of year in the coastal northwest!
Taking her advice I began researching my options for Therapy. Since PTs and OTs generally don't work on Saturdays, I opted for a deep tissue massage and boy was it deep! I was in some major pain during the massage and it is very tender post-massage! I have high hopes that it progressively feels better all the way up to tomorrow morning. In the mean time I must go and ice my wounds to promote a speedy recovery!
Happy Halloween!
I am very eager to get back on the road. I have many days of great riding ahead of me once I get to the coast! The weather forecast looks like mostly cloudy for the next 3 days and no rain in sight! Can't ask for much better riding conditions this time of year in the coastal northwest!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Day 60 - Friday October 30th
Vancouver, WA to Tigard, OR
27.11 miles
2:24.23 hrs
35.8 max
11.2 avg
Yesterday evening I found out that I was missing my camera. I spent all of this morning looking for it. I went through all my stuff with no luck; I was devastated. I lost not only a very nice camera but all the photographs from Mount Vernon, WA to Portland, OR. Since I feel that it is necessary to document the trip, I ended up purchasing another camera, spending way more than I probably should have. I just didn't see any sense in buying a camera that I would never want to use again after the trip, so I opted for a pretty nice camera that I do not like the aesthetics and usability of. If I had the time, I would have purchased the exact camera that I wanted online but being on the road does not allow for such novelty.
As you can imagine, this happening put a damper on my day. The camera incident, paired with the overcast day, my medial leg pain coming back and leaving the comfort of the Donnelly household, made my departure from Vancouver, WA difficult and gloomy. Not to mention I did not get to say a proper goodbye to many of the people here in the Portland area because of our scheduling differences.
On a positive note: I am staying at my friend Jenny's house (a friend from camp Avanti!) and I had the opportunity to meet her lovely family and put her eldest child to bed!
Hopefully tomorrow will bring a better day. Less depressing would be nice!
27.11 miles
2:24.23 hrs
35.8 max
11.2 avg
Yesterday evening I found out that I was missing my camera. I spent all of this morning looking for it. I went through all my stuff with no luck; I was devastated. I lost not only a very nice camera but all the photographs from Mount Vernon, WA to Portland, OR. Since I feel that it is necessary to document the trip, I ended up purchasing another camera, spending way more than I probably should have. I just didn't see any sense in buying a camera that I would never want to use again after the trip, so I opted for a pretty nice camera that I do not like the aesthetics and usability of. If I had the time, I would have purchased the exact camera that I wanted online but being on the road does not allow for such novelty.
As you can imagine, this happening put a damper on my day. The camera incident, paired with the overcast day, my medial leg pain coming back and leaving the comfort of the Donnelly household, made my departure from Vancouver, WA difficult and gloomy. Not to mention I did not get to say a proper goodbye to many of the people here in the Portland area because of our scheduling differences.
On a positive note: I am staying at my friend Jenny's house (a friend from camp Avanti!) and I had the opportunity to meet her lovely family and put her eldest child to bed!
Hopefully tomorrow will bring a better day. Less depressing would be nice!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday October 29th
I woke up this morning all ready to hit the road. Ok, that's a lie. I woke up and had a lot to do so that I could hit the road. After I got everything packed up and ready to go I took the bike out for a spin to test out my leg. The leg felt pretty good for the extent of the 1-2 miles with no noticeable pains. The only pain was the ice cold rain falling on my face and numbing my legs.
After checking the weather for the next few days I decided to stay in Portland for one more day. I am eager to get on my way with the trip but I would really like to leave Portland on a good note during a 'nice' day.
I will use this day to catch up with e-mails, make some phone calls, figure out health insurance, stretch, watch the Yankees and just relax in good company.
After checking the weather for the next few days I decided to stay in Portland for one more day. I am eager to get on my way with the trip but I would really like to leave Portland on a good note during a 'nice' day.
I will use this day to catch up with e-mails, make some phone calls, figure out health insurance, stretch, watch the Yankees and just relax in good company.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday October 26th to Wednesday October 28th
I have spent the last three days exploring Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA.
I have met up with Avanti friends over dinner (thank you for dinner Sharron!), visited the Portland Zoo, Climbed up a to the top of a waterfall while pretending to be from a different country as I said hi to every hiker I passed, Watched the Yankees advance to the World Series, Met Chris's family (Sharron's Husband), been treated to many meals (Thank you to all that cooked!), experienced Voodoo doughnut, purchased a new pair of pants for the trip, played with one of the cutest high energy kids in the world (Joe, Sharron's son), applied to jobs online, went grocery shopping, bought a book at Powells book store, visited Washington Park, socialized, went hot tubbing, received a treatment for my leg from an amazing PT, completed laundry, fixed another broken spoke on my bike, and 'most importantly' caught up on my blog!
Sounds like a great trip to me! The only question left is how will my leg feel tomorrow when I jump back on my bike? Hopefully very well! I will be sad to leave such great company though, my trip to San Fran may be very boring compared to what I have experienced in this lovely city! I still am looking forward to seeing CA though. Come on Redwoods!!! In the mean time... more socializing and enjoying my time with the Donnnelly's.
I have met up with Avanti friends over dinner (thank you for dinner Sharron!), visited the Portland Zoo, Climbed up a to the top of a waterfall while pretending to be from a different country as I said hi to every hiker I passed, Watched the Yankees advance to the World Series, Met Chris's family (Sharron's Husband), been treated to many meals (Thank you to all that cooked!), experienced Voodoo doughnut, purchased a new pair of pants for the trip, played with one of the cutest high energy kids in the world (Joe, Sharron's son), applied to jobs online, went grocery shopping, bought a book at Powells book store, visited Washington Park, socialized, went hot tubbing, received a treatment for my leg from an amazing PT, completed laundry, fixed another broken spoke on my bike, and 'most importantly' caught up on my blog!
Sounds like a great trip to me! The only question left is how will my leg feel tomorrow when I jump back on my bike? Hopefully very well! I will be sad to leave such great company though, my trip to San Fran may be very boring compared to what I have experienced in this lovely city! I still am looking forward to seeing CA though. Come on Redwoods!!! In the mean time... more socializing and enjoying my time with the Donnnelly's.
Day 59 - Sunday October 25th
MONW, WA to Vancouver, WA/Portland, OR
42.9+ miles
3:19.26+ hrs
34.7 max
11.4 avg
Well the mileage and time of riding today are off due to me not resetting the odometer at the beginning of the day so I just listed the mileage recorded after I hit the reset button. This is the first time it has happened but I am not worried because my system records the overall mileage as well so my end calculations will be correct when I end the trip.
Not a great day of riding today. My knee wouldn't stop hurting, I got a flat, it was overcast and it was rainy!
Sharron, in her typical generous form, offered to come pick me up from anywhere if I needed it. At first, there was no way I was not going to allow her to drive out of her way to unnecessarily pick me up, but after I got a flat while climbing up a large hill (900') my right leg froze up and became useless again. I had thought of getting a hotel for that night and just waiting till I could cycle into Portland on my own free will, but after much thought... I decided that it was better to save the money (of potentially a couple hotel nights) and just get a ride to a place where I could heal. So, I gave in and opted to be picked up. I still don't know how I feel about the decision to be helped into Portland but I feel that I will be able to come to terms with it. Maybe I will bike back up there and continue on my way... but if I do that then I should probably ride back up to Seattle and ride over the portion of the trip when I got a lift when my bike was broken and un-ride-able; not going to happen.
It was great to see Sharron again and meet her lovely family! They are SO nice and I can't wait to spend some time in Portland exploring the local area and catching up with Sharron.
42.9+ miles
3:19.26+ hrs
34.7 max
11.4 avg
Well the mileage and time of riding today are off due to me not resetting the odometer at the beginning of the day so I just listed the mileage recorded after I hit the reset button. This is the first time it has happened but I am not worried because my system records the overall mileage as well so my end calculations will be correct when I end the trip.
Not a great day of riding today. My knee wouldn't stop hurting, I got a flat, it was overcast and it was rainy!
Sharron, in her typical generous form, offered to come pick me up from anywhere if I needed it. At first, there was no way I was not going to allow her to drive out of her way to unnecessarily pick me up, but after I got a flat while climbing up a large hill (900') my right leg froze up and became useless again. I had thought of getting a hotel for that night and just waiting till I could cycle into Portland on my own free will, but after much thought... I decided that it was better to save the money (of potentially a couple hotel nights) and just get a ride to a place where I could heal. So, I gave in and opted to be picked up. I still don't know how I feel about the decision to be helped into Portland but I feel that I will be able to come to terms with it. Maybe I will bike back up there and continue on my way... but if I do that then I should probably ride back up to Seattle and ride over the portion of the trip when I got a lift when my bike was broken and un-ride-able; not going to happen.
It was great to see Sharron again and meet her lovely family! They are SO nice and I can't wait to spend some time in Portland exploring the local area and catching up with Sharron.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Day 58 - Saturday October 24th
Hoquiam, WA to Middle of No Where, WA
59.28 miles
4:47.56 hrs
36.7 max
12.7 avg
With a good nights sleep and all my gear dry I had high hopes for my leg. I was not granted such luxury. My leg continued to produce large amounts of sharp pain at times and I continued to cycle using only my left leg for the majority of today's trip. I did find that if I stood up while climbing that I was able to use my right leg. This only lasted for about 2 hours though then I could no longer use it for climbing.
Oh, not to mention the scenery over the past couple days has been gorgeous and it would have been so fun to go over all these rolling hills gazing off at the mountains/large hills if I were 100%! I am having fun with it though, it is all mental at this point. I just have to keep a positive mind frame.
At the end of the trip I heard some loud music coming from a house in the middle of no where. There was a husband and wife outside having a fire and drinking some beers. They waved to me as I slowly glided by and I second back to ask them about camping in the local area. The family offered up their land to me and I spent the night socializing and helping the family set up the new computer that they purchased... fair trade? I thought so considering if they were to hire someone to come in and set up their system it would have cost them about $30 an hour!
59.28 miles
4:47.56 hrs
36.7 max
12.7 avg
With a good nights sleep and all my gear dry I had high hopes for my leg. I was not granted such luxury. My leg continued to produce large amounts of sharp pain at times and I continued to cycle using only my left leg for the majority of today's trip. I did find that if I stood up while climbing that I was able to use my right leg. This only lasted for about 2 hours though then I could no longer use it for climbing.
Oh, not to mention the scenery over the past couple days has been gorgeous and it would have been so fun to go over all these rolling hills gazing off at the mountains/large hills if I were 100%! I am having fun with it though, it is all mental at this point. I just have to keep a positive mind frame.
At the end of the trip I heard some loud music coming from a house in the middle of no where. There was a husband and wife outside having a fire and drinking some beers. They waved to me as I slowly glided by and I second back to ask them about camping in the local area. The family offered up their land to me and I spent the night socializing and helping the family set up the new computer that they purchased... fair trade? I thought so considering if they were to hire someone to come in and set up their system it would have cost them about $30 an hour!
Day 57 - Friday October 23rd
Humptulips, WA to Hoquiam, WA
25.67 miles
2:20.56 hrs
27.1 max
10.9 avg
I woke up i the middle of the night and found a mini lake in my tent. Part of my footprint (tarp under the tent) was sticking out of the rain fly and collected a bunch of water and allowed it to funnel, collect and seep into my tent from underneath. There was nothing I could do to save much of my gear besides fix the footprint and hope that it did not continue to leak in for the rest of the night.
I ate breakfast with my local neighbors at the campsite that morning and got to an early start biking. To top off the morning my leg was in more pain than ever and I ended up riding the 25.67 miles into Hoquiam with my right foot behind me, on the rear rack of my bike as to provide stability and a nice place to rest. With as much pain as I was in and with all my gear wet, I decided to cut my ride really short and get a hotel room. I was able to talk the guy at the econo-lodge down to $45 dollars a night and spent the rest of the day drying my gear out in front of the heater and resting.
25.67 miles
2:20.56 hrs
27.1 max
10.9 avg
I woke up i the middle of the night and found a mini lake in my tent. Part of my footprint (tarp under the tent) was sticking out of the rain fly and collected a bunch of water and allowed it to funnel, collect and seep into my tent from underneath. There was nothing I could do to save much of my gear besides fix the footprint and hope that it did not continue to leak in for the rest of the night.
I ate breakfast with my local neighbors at the campsite that morning and got to an early start biking. To top off the morning my leg was in more pain than ever and I ended up riding the 25.67 miles into Hoquiam with my right foot behind me, on the rear rack of my bike as to provide stability and a nice place to rest. With as much pain as I was in and with all my gear wet, I decided to cut my ride really short and get a hotel room. I was able to talk the guy at the econo-lodge down to $45 dollars a night and spent the rest of the day drying my gear out in front of the heater and resting.
Day 56 - Thursday October 22nd
HOH National Rain Forest, WA to Humptulips, WA
68.13 miles
5:14.07 hrs
29.3 max
12.8 avg
Yes, I did choose today's destination because of the name... immature, but at the time I found it hilarious! I stopped at Ruby Beach for an hour or so and had a great time taking some pictures of the ocean and dipping my feet in the frigid waters! It was very scenic and it felt good to finally be at the ocean with large waves and high cliffs!
My leg is progressively getting worse and at the end of the day I had severe pain running through my leg with each stroke. NOT GOOD! I spent the last 30 miles of the trip pedaling with only my left leg. I almost gave in and purchased a hotel room so that I might allow proper healing but the elevated rates of the motel in Amanda Park convinced me to continue riding to free camping just outside of Humptulips, WA. Good idea? We will find out...
68.13 miles
5:14.07 hrs
29.3 max
12.8 avg
Yes, I did choose today's destination because of the name... immature, but at the time I found it hilarious! I stopped at Ruby Beach for an hour or so and had a great time taking some pictures of the ocean and dipping my feet in the frigid waters! It was very scenic and it felt good to finally be at the ocean with large waves and high cliffs!
My leg is progressively getting worse and at the end of the day I had severe pain running through my leg with each stroke. NOT GOOD! I spent the last 30 miles of the trip pedaling with only my left leg. I almost gave in and purchased a hotel room so that I might allow proper healing but the elevated rates of the motel in Amanda Park convinced me to continue riding to free camping just outside of Humptulips, WA. Good idea? We will find out...
Day 55 - Wednesday October 21st
Port Angeles, WA to HOH Rain Forest, WA
80.86 miles
6:03.07 hrs
30.3 max
13.3 avg
This was the first day that I really got to test my new rain jacket and it was amazing! Great to be fully dry while it was down pouring! I am not complaining about the rain because it really enhances your awareness of the ride and allows your whole body to feel it with every drop that hits your skin/clothes!
The ride around Lake Crescent was AMAZING and I really wish I had someone to share that ride with. The mountain tops were covered by foggy clouds, the lake was clear as glass and it was just gorgeous. During this portion of the trip I thought about Kevin McGinnis's request to do a bike trip in the future and I started planning it out as I rode. Can't wait for that trip and I am not even close to done with my own!
People have started to contact me about potential jobs, of which I have been applying to weekly. Hopefully they can wait a little while to hear back from me and are willing to put off interviews until I am done with the trip?!
At the end of this days journey my right leg started hurting on the lateral side of my knee. It is a dull pain that would be very annoying if it continues. At least it did not last all day! The pain started right after I went through Forks, WA (no, I sadly did not see any vampires!) but I was glad to continue on and make it to HOH where I had free camping!
80.86 miles
6:03.07 hrs
30.3 max
13.3 avg
This was the first day that I really got to test my new rain jacket and it was amazing! Great to be fully dry while it was down pouring! I am not complaining about the rain because it really enhances your awareness of the ride and allows your whole body to feel it with every drop that hits your skin/clothes!
The ride around Lake Crescent was AMAZING and I really wish I had someone to share that ride with. The mountain tops were covered by foggy clouds, the lake was clear as glass and it was just gorgeous. During this portion of the trip I thought about Kevin McGinnis's request to do a bike trip in the future and I started planning it out as I rode. Can't wait for that trip and I am not even close to done with my own!
People have started to contact me about potential jobs, of which I have been applying to weekly. Hopefully they can wait a little while to hear back from me and are willing to put off interviews until I am done with the trip?!
At the end of this days journey my right leg started hurting on the lateral side of my knee. It is a dull pain that would be very annoying if it continues. At least it did not last all day! The pain started right after I went through Forks, WA (no, I sadly did not see any vampires!) but I was glad to continue on and make it to HOH where I had free camping!
Day 54 - Tuesday October 20th
Seattle, WA to Port Angeles, WA
69.29 miles
5:33.49 hrs
33.7 max
12.4 avg
I woke up at 9am today and rushed off to REI. I bought a couple extra stakes for my tent and was tempted to by a new tent all together. I would really like to have a tent of my own anyways and what better of a time to get one when I am going to be able to use it MANY times! In a common shopping fashion I am putting off the purchase until I am fully convinced that I need one.
After REI I wanted to stop by the post office but was running late on time to make the ferry to Bainbridge Island, across the Puget Sound. Fortunately, the ferry was late arriving, for I would have missed it and been delayed in Seattle for another hour or so. The ferry ride was really cool, I enjoyed taking in the scenery without having to do any work! Very relaxing!
I am still worried about my rear wheel even though my chain does not produce as much slack when I stop pedalling as before. I can't believe that I have broken so many spokes! I am going to have to take up all my issues with the assumed responsible parties after my trip. In the mean time I need to concentrate on riding!
With high chances of rain today, fog engulfed Seattle this morning. After crossing 'The Sound', the weather almost cleared up before turning extremely foggy again. I had small glimpses of the mountains around me and the ride ended up being very pleasant! Even more pleasant than the ride was the company that I had found on Couchsurfing.com to put me up for the night. I was given a nice shower, food and some music lessons on the harmonica that I purchased back in the Black Hills! Hopefully I will be able to go back to Port Angeles in the near future, visit my new friends and be well enough versed in Harmonica to have a little jam session!
69.29 miles
5:33.49 hrs
33.7 max
12.4 avg
I woke up at 9am today and rushed off to REI. I bought a couple extra stakes for my tent and was tempted to by a new tent all together. I would really like to have a tent of my own anyways and what better of a time to get one when I am going to be able to use it MANY times! In a common shopping fashion I am putting off the purchase until I am fully convinced that I need one.
After REI I wanted to stop by the post office but was running late on time to make the ferry to Bainbridge Island, across the Puget Sound. Fortunately, the ferry was late arriving, for I would have missed it and been delayed in Seattle for another hour or so. The ferry ride was really cool, I enjoyed taking in the scenery without having to do any work! Very relaxing!
I am still worried about my rear wheel even though my chain does not produce as much slack when I stop pedalling as before. I can't believe that I have broken so many spokes! I am going to have to take up all my issues with the assumed responsible parties after my trip. In the mean time I need to concentrate on riding!
With high chances of rain today, fog engulfed Seattle this morning. After crossing 'The Sound', the weather almost cleared up before turning extremely foggy again. I had small glimpses of the mountains around me and the ride ended up being very pleasant! Even more pleasant than the ride was the company that I had found on Couchsurfing.com to put me up for the night. I was given a nice shower, food and some music lessons on the harmonica that I purchased back in the Black Hills! Hopefully I will be able to go back to Port Angeles in the near future, visit my new friends and be well enough versed in Harmonica to have a little jam session!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday October 19th
I spent the day exploring Seattle. I biked to REI to get my bike fixed, again. It is finally in working order. I need to take the broken spokes up with the bike shop I bought the wheel from. What is it with me and transportation systems? Something negative always seems to happen!
I loved all the coffee shops around town and it was fun to walk around the pike place market! I ran into a couple at the Pike Pub and Brewery and ended up spending the late afternoon together conversing over a beer and a bowl of "non-dairy clam chowda". It was great to connect up with some random people and learn about their lives instead of having the focus always be on me and my trip. Although, I did give them my website and they had a bunch of questions for me.
The evening was spent wondering around the city trying to figure out how I could catch a glimpse of Mt Rainier. I was going to go up in the Space needle but was advised by the ticket salesman that if I wanted to see Rainier it was not going to happen from the space needle with the current weather conditions. So, instead I visited a couple local hotspots and soaked in the Seattle demeanor. The whole time I was wandering around I could not help but constantly think about "Sleepless in Seattle". Flashbacks to the movie kept on popping into my head; I need to watch that movie again!
There are still somethings around Seattle that I would like to do but I don't think that it would be worth sticking around town for another full day just to check them out. I have a feeling that it could be but by not visiting them it will ensure that I make it back out to this area again sometime in the near future! I do really enjoy this area and if it wasn't for the darn weather I would highly consider moving out here. If I love Seattle I can't even imagine how much I am going to love the other cities on the West Coast. Although, I have a feeling that Seattle is probably going to be the most outdoorsy of all of them.
A special thanks to my host this evening for supplying me with a home cooked meal! It was very gracious of you to offer me dinner! Also, thank you for putting me up for the past two days! Your location was perfect and your company even better!
I loved all the coffee shops around town and it was fun to walk around the pike place market! I ran into a couple at the Pike Pub and Brewery and ended up spending the late afternoon together conversing over a beer and a bowl of "non-dairy clam chowda". It was great to connect up with some random people and learn about their lives instead of having the focus always be on me and my trip. Although, I did give them my website and they had a bunch of questions for me.
The evening was spent wondering around the city trying to figure out how I could catch a glimpse of Mt Rainier. I was going to go up in the Space needle but was advised by the ticket salesman that if I wanted to see Rainier it was not going to happen from the space needle with the current weather conditions. So, instead I visited a couple local hotspots and soaked in the Seattle demeanor. The whole time I was wandering around I could not help but constantly think about "Sleepless in Seattle". Flashbacks to the movie kept on popping into my head; I need to watch that movie again!
There are still somethings around Seattle that I would like to do but I don't think that it would be worth sticking around town for another full day just to check them out. I have a feeling that it could be but by not visiting them it will ensure that I make it back out to this area again sometime in the near future! I do really enjoy this area and if it wasn't for the darn weather I would highly consider moving out here. If I love Seattle I can't even imagine how much I am going to love the other cities on the West Coast. Although, I have a feeling that Seattle is probably going to be the most outdoorsy of all of them.
A special thanks to my host this evening for supplying me with a home cooked meal! It was very gracious of you to offer me dinner! Also, thank you for putting me up for the past two days! Your location was perfect and your company even better!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Day 53 - Sunday October 18th
Mount Vernon, WA to Seattle, WA
22.88 miles
2:02.36 hrs
31.8 max
11.2 avg
Today was supposed to be a very long day (95 miles) but turned into a very short day with a little bike trouble. 20 miles into my trip I was climbing a hill and I heard a "pop". I immediately connected the noise with a broken spoke. I looked down at my spokes as I rolled along slowly and did not notice any of them broken. I then contributed the sound to a slip in the gearing; as sometimes I get a "ting" noise when I am changing gears under high tension of the chain. Due to the whobble in my tire from the previous day I decided to stop for lunch and true my wheel.
Once off my bike, with sandwich in hand, I noticed that I actually had 4 broken spokes all on the opposite side of the cassette. To me this meant that the bike shop that I purchased the wheel from did not tighten the spokes properly after receiving the wheel from the manufacturer! I will be taking this up with the bike shop at a later date. Upon realizing that all the bike shops on the island were closed (Sunday!) I immediately proceeded to look up the location of the nearest REI, 40 miles away. Being that I could not safely ride my bike to the store I resorted to old school tactics: I put on my "help me face" and went to the side of the road where I proceeded wave to strangers passing by with my thumb. Now, hitch hiking may be hard enough with only a backpack but imagine the frequency of someone wanting to pick up a hitch hiker with 120 lbs of gear with him! Sue enough, after about 15 min of watching traffic zoom by me and giving me looks of disgust, a nice Reverend picked me up in his minivan and drove me all the way down to Clinton so that I could fetch the ferry over to the mainland. From there I took the bus to the mall where the REI was located. I almost was not allowed on the bus with all my stuff but the bus driver was very understanding of my story and said that I could do it "this one time".
The people at REI fixed my wheel but took about 2 hours to do so. They put a beginner tech on the job and at some point during the process he placed the plastic guard on wrong and it made the cassette catch and spin with the wheel. Nobody could figure out what was wrong with it and they sent me off with an imperfect bike saying that I should bring it down to corporate REI when I got to Seattle and have them look at it. They mentioned that I was covered by REI's insurance policy and therefore if they truly did mess something up in the hub (their current diagnosis was that they tightened the cassette down to hard and ruined the hub) they would give me a replacement wheel for free.
Fortunately, I had a contact in the local area who was willing to come and pick me up and bring me into Seattle from REI. She even treated me to dinner at my favorite restaurant that I have found on my trip thus far. I don't stop at nearly any restaurants while biking but this restaurant is one of my favorite of all times! It is called "........" (I forgot the name but will get it and let you all know later). They make their noodles from scratch, their dumplings from scratch and have amazing green beens!!! Unbelievable food! Thank you Melissa for treating me to that wonderful food and giving me a ride into Seattle! You are a life saver!
22.88 miles
2:02.36 hrs
31.8 max
11.2 avg
Today was supposed to be a very long day (95 miles) but turned into a very short day with a little bike trouble. 20 miles into my trip I was climbing a hill and I heard a "pop". I immediately connected the noise with a broken spoke. I looked down at my spokes as I rolled along slowly and did not notice any of them broken. I then contributed the sound to a slip in the gearing; as sometimes I get a "ting" noise when I am changing gears under high tension of the chain. Due to the whobble in my tire from the previous day I decided to stop for lunch and true my wheel.
Once off my bike, with sandwich in hand, I noticed that I actually had 4 broken spokes all on the opposite side of the cassette. To me this meant that the bike shop that I purchased the wheel from did not tighten the spokes properly after receiving the wheel from the manufacturer! I will be taking this up with the bike shop at a later date. Upon realizing that all the bike shops on the island were closed (Sunday!) I immediately proceeded to look up the location of the nearest REI, 40 miles away. Being that I could not safely ride my bike to the store I resorted to old school tactics: I put on my "help me face" and went to the side of the road where I proceeded wave to strangers passing by with my thumb. Now, hitch hiking may be hard enough with only a backpack but imagine the frequency of someone wanting to pick up a hitch hiker with 120 lbs of gear with him! Sue enough, after about 15 min of watching traffic zoom by me and giving me looks of disgust, a nice Reverend picked me up in his minivan and drove me all the way down to Clinton so that I could fetch the ferry over to the mainland. From there I took the bus to the mall where the REI was located. I almost was not allowed on the bus with all my stuff but the bus driver was very understanding of my story and said that I could do it "this one time".
The people at REI fixed my wheel but took about 2 hours to do so. They put a beginner tech on the job and at some point during the process he placed the plastic guard on wrong and it made the cassette catch and spin with the wheel. Nobody could figure out what was wrong with it and they sent me off with an imperfect bike saying that I should bring it down to corporate REI when I got to Seattle and have them look at it. They mentioned that I was covered by REI's insurance policy and therefore if they truly did mess something up in the hub (their current diagnosis was that they tightened the cassette down to hard and ruined the hub) they would give me a replacement wheel for free.
Fortunately, I had a contact in the local area who was willing to come and pick me up and bring me into Seattle from REI. She even treated me to dinner at my favorite restaurant that I have found on my trip thus far. I don't stop at nearly any restaurants while biking but this restaurant is one of my favorite of all times! It is called "........" (I forgot the name but will get it and let you all know later). They make their noodles from scratch, their dumplings from scratch and have amazing green beens!!! Unbelievable food! Thank you Melissa for treating me to that wonderful food and giving me a ride into Seattle! You are a life saver!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Day 52 - Saturday October 18th
Bellingham, WA to Mount Vernon, WA
30.34 miles
2:32.03 hrs
29.8 max
11.9 avg
This morning was full of contemplation. "It is raining hard, should I start riding now or should I wait to see if it settles down a little? Since I have a connection in Bellingham should I stay another day, tomorrow it is supposed to clear up a little? Should I push myself to ride all the way to Seattle tonight or should I break up the ride?" Of course this morning was no different than any other morning on my trip when I wake up and decide exactly what I am going to do. The only difference was that I am no longer in a HUGE rush to get over the Rockies so I have a little more freedom in what I do and where I decide to take a day or two off.
As I woke up it was raining pretty heavy and I had a huge urge to get down to Seattle! Before I could do so I wanted to stop at my favorite Co-op I have run into thus far on my trip to restock on some almond milk, granola and my new favorite kind of chocolate bar; "Equal Exchange Chocolates". After purchasing my special items, I sat outside staring at a map trying to figure out the logistics of getting to Seattle. It really didn't make sense to me to push myself 120 miles in the rain. Instead, I decided to ride down to Mount Veronon and spend the night at the Moffitt's again. This would take 30 miles off the commute to Seattle and give me better weather while riding across the islands.
Luckily, Kit and Charlotte were more than happy to allow me to stay at their place again! So, I set out for Mount Vernon around 1:30pm ,allowing ample time to take in the scenes and find a new memory card for my camera (found an 8 gig card for $18 at Target! The card might not be that fast but I am not taking action photos or anything). Oh, I also bought a new raincoat that was on sale for 60% off with the money I received from my birthday! What a gift! Thanks Grandma!
Of course, tomorrow is Seattle... I can't wait!
30.34 miles
2:32.03 hrs
29.8 max
11.9 avg
This morning was full of contemplation. "It is raining hard, should I start riding now or should I wait to see if it settles down a little? Since I have a connection in Bellingham should I stay another day, tomorrow it is supposed to clear up a little? Should I push myself to ride all the way to Seattle tonight or should I break up the ride?" Of course this morning was no different than any other morning on my trip when I wake up and decide exactly what I am going to do. The only difference was that I am no longer in a HUGE rush to get over the Rockies so I have a little more freedom in what I do and where I decide to take a day or two off.
As I woke up it was raining pretty heavy and I had a huge urge to get down to Seattle! Before I could do so I wanted to stop at my favorite Co-op I have run into thus far on my trip to restock on some almond milk, granola and my new favorite kind of chocolate bar; "Equal Exchange Chocolates". After purchasing my special items, I sat outside staring at a map trying to figure out the logistics of getting to Seattle. It really didn't make sense to me to push myself 120 miles in the rain. Instead, I decided to ride down to Mount Veronon and spend the night at the Moffitt's again. This would take 30 miles off the commute to Seattle and give me better weather while riding across the islands.
Luckily, Kit and Charlotte were more than happy to allow me to stay at their place again! So, I set out for Mount Vernon around 1:30pm ,allowing ample time to take in the scenes and find a new memory card for my camera (found an 8 gig card for $18 at Target! The card might not be that fast but I am not taking action photos or anything). Oh, I also bought a new raincoat that was on sale for 60% off with the money I received from my birthday! What a gift! Thanks Grandma!
Of course, tomorrow is Seattle... I can't wait!
Day 51 - Friday October 16th
Vancouver, BC to Bellingham, WA
72.67 miles
5:41.23 hrs
37.7 max
12.7 avg
Another day that starts out raining really hard and makes me rethink my travels for the day and then all of a sudden lightens up! If there is one thing that I am learning, and learning well, about weather forecasting in the NorthWest, it is that the weatherpersons need to find different jobs. No, it is not their fault, the weather is just so unpredictable up here... winds are never constant and are always changing direction so you can never tell where a storm system will really end up.
After a delayed start due to weather, I headed up to the University of British Columbia and rode around the campus. The campus was gorgeous and it made me really jealous that I didn't look around more at other campuses around the nation before picking SLU. Of course, SLU was gorgeous as well but UBC was a LOT larger! Don't worry, I am still glad I went to SLU, this was just a thought that I remember having when riding by UBC.
The rest of the trip to Bellingham was long and pretty boring. I went through a bunch of residential areas that did not provide much scenery. Although I did see a bunch of really interesting houses. I even drove by a house where a film was being shot... I am pretty sure that I saw Ridley Scott! How exciting!
I didn't get into Bellingham till about 9pm. This meant that I spent quite a few hours riding in the dark. At times there were no cars on the road at all for miles and miles. This was good and bad for it would have sucked if something would have happened to me while riding but it was nice to ride in the middle of the lane where the surface conditions were a little better. Not to mention that there was not shoulder on the road I took so if there was a lot of traffic it may have been a little dangerous.
The end of the night worked out well, I stopped in at a motel just to see what rooms were going for in Bellingham and when I told him that I would pass because I was on a budget he pretty much gave me a room for what I told him I could afford! He even upgraded my room so that I could fit my bike in there comfortably. The rooms were very nice and I am going to have to go online to hotels.com and write a favorable excerpt for him! Too bad more people aren't as gracious as this fellow, he didn't want me sleeping out in the rain (I was totally ok with it though). I had a church yard picked out and ready for me to pitch away!
72.67 miles
5:41.23 hrs
37.7 max
12.7 avg
Another day that starts out raining really hard and makes me rethink my travels for the day and then all of a sudden lightens up! If there is one thing that I am learning, and learning well, about weather forecasting in the NorthWest, it is that the weatherpersons need to find different jobs. No, it is not their fault, the weather is just so unpredictable up here... winds are never constant and are always changing direction so you can never tell where a storm system will really end up.
After a delayed start due to weather, I headed up to the University of British Columbia and rode around the campus. The campus was gorgeous and it made me really jealous that I didn't look around more at other campuses around the nation before picking SLU. Of course, SLU was gorgeous as well but UBC was a LOT larger! Don't worry, I am still glad I went to SLU, this was just a thought that I remember having when riding by UBC.
The rest of the trip to Bellingham was long and pretty boring. I went through a bunch of residential areas that did not provide much scenery. Although I did see a bunch of really interesting houses. I even drove by a house where a film was being shot... I am pretty sure that I saw Ridley Scott! How exciting!
I didn't get into Bellingham till about 9pm. This meant that I spent quite a few hours riding in the dark. At times there were no cars on the road at all for miles and miles. This was good and bad for it would have sucked if something would have happened to me while riding but it was nice to ride in the middle of the lane where the surface conditions were a little better. Not to mention that there was not shoulder on the road I took so if there was a lot of traffic it may have been a little dangerous.
The end of the night worked out well, I stopped in at a motel just to see what rooms were going for in Bellingham and when I told him that I would pass because I was on a budget he pretty much gave me a room for what I told him I could afford! He even upgraded my room so that I could fit my bike in there comfortably. The rooms were very nice and I am going to have to go online to hotels.com and write a favorable excerpt for him! Too bad more people aren't as gracious as this fellow, he didn't want me sleeping out in the rain (I was totally ok with it though). I had a church yard picked out and ready for me to pitch away!
Day 50 - Thursday October 15th
Langley, BC to Vancouver, BC
42.84 miles
3:41.02 hrs
32.3 max
11.6 avg
Vancouver is GORGEOUS! It was so much fun riding around Stanley Park, visiting Granville Island (the beer is great at the brewery!) and people watching at a locale cafe'. The whole experience reminded me of a tamer, downscaled NYC with more of an outdoor adventure persona. The differences being that the buildings were not nearly as tall, nor as close together and the mountains are just a couple km away meaning that the city is surrounded by green!
There was a lot of culture in the food and different areas of the city. I loved walking around trying to figure out which locale flavor I wanted to experience while visiting.
It would be a great city for anyone who loves the outdoors but still wants a big city feel. Someone that likes culture, great ethnic food and a semi-high energy atmosphere. Overall... I could see myself living here for a while. Maybe grad-school?
42.84 miles
3:41.02 hrs
32.3 max
11.6 avg
Vancouver is GORGEOUS! It was so much fun riding around Stanley Park, visiting Granville Island (the beer is great at the brewery!) and people watching at a locale cafe'. The whole experience reminded me of a tamer, downscaled NYC with more of an outdoor adventure persona. The differences being that the buildings were not nearly as tall, nor as close together and the mountains are just a couple km away meaning that the city is surrounded by green!
There was a lot of culture in the food and different areas of the city. I loved walking around trying to figure out which locale flavor I wanted to experience while visiting.
It would be a great city for anyone who loves the outdoors but still wants a big city feel. Someone that likes culture, great ethnic food and a semi-high energy atmosphere. Overall... I could see myself living here for a while. Maybe grad-school?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Day 49 - Wednesday October 14th
Mount Vernon, WA to Langley, BC
64.26 miles
4:18.20 hrs
33.2 max
14.9 avg
As I woke up this morning things looked pretty murky! I was not excited to start the day out in rainy weather. After slowly getting out of bed and eating breakfast, the sun had come out and the rain had gone away. Well, not fully but I immediately became excited and rushed to get everything together so I could head up towards Vancouver.
I found myself out the door by 10:30 with one planned stop in mind. I needed to go to the bike store to purchase some fenders for my bike. I had been planning on making this purchase somewhere on my journey and since I am in "the city that never stops rainning", I figured now was a good tiem. I was very decisive about the fenders that I bought but what delayed me in th ebike shop was deciding if I needed a new rain jacket and installing the fenders. The bike shop had a bunch of overstock $220 trek rain jackets on sale for $99. I know that I have a rain jacket but it leaks and my ride would be so much more pleasurable if I stayed fully dry.
In the end I decided that I would rough it to Vancouver and test out all my gear to see what exactly needed to be purchased. After the trip I have decided that I need a new rain jacket. The only question in mind is what kind, how much and where do I get the best deal. I could buy an all purpose rain jacket from REI or Patagonia and spend a crap ton of money or I could by a cycling specific jacket and spend a crap ton of money. Either way I need to find a HUGE sale. I will look tomorrow when I am in Vancouver for a deal and if I don't find one up here then i will purchase the jacket that is at the bike shop in Mount Vernon.
All this deliberation meant that I didn't leave Mount Vernon till about 1pm. I figured timing was still ok because the ride was supposed to be flat... it sort of was. There were quite a few stretches of flat but highway 11 into Bellingham (amazing views by the way!) was pretty hilly. It was nothing compared to the mountains I went through in the previous days but it wasn't a cake walk either.
With all my delays, I also stopped at a local co-op in Bellingham to get some food, I finally arrived in Langley, BC at 7:08 pm. The family that I am staying with, The Bay Family, have been nothing but wonderful to me. They gave me some food, a shower, access to laundry and most importantly a relaxing environment to socialize and have fun! Funny enough, nobody can figure out the connection/relation that lead to this arranged situation. All anyone knows is that it is a friend of a friend of a friend. Maybe someone can fill in the missing links?
64.26 miles
4:18.20 hrs
33.2 max
14.9 avg
As I woke up this morning things looked pretty murky! I was not excited to start the day out in rainy weather. After slowly getting out of bed and eating breakfast, the sun had come out and the rain had gone away. Well, not fully but I immediately became excited and rushed to get everything together so I could head up towards Vancouver.
I found myself out the door by 10:30 with one planned stop in mind. I needed to go to the bike store to purchase some fenders for my bike. I had been planning on making this purchase somewhere on my journey and since I am in "the city that never stops rainning", I figured now was a good tiem. I was very decisive about the fenders that I bought but what delayed me in th ebike shop was deciding if I needed a new rain jacket and installing the fenders. The bike shop had a bunch of overstock $220 trek rain jackets on sale for $99. I know that I have a rain jacket but it leaks and my ride would be so much more pleasurable if I stayed fully dry.
In the end I decided that I would rough it to Vancouver and test out all my gear to see what exactly needed to be purchased. After the trip I have decided that I need a new rain jacket. The only question in mind is what kind, how much and where do I get the best deal. I could buy an all purpose rain jacket from REI or Patagonia and spend a crap ton of money or I could by a cycling specific jacket and spend a crap ton of money. Either way I need to find a HUGE sale. I will look tomorrow when I am in Vancouver for a deal and if I don't find one up here then i will purchase the jacket that is at the bike shop in Mount Vernon.
All this deliberation meant that I didn't leave Mount Vernon till about 1pm. I figured timing was still ok because the ride was supposed to be flat... it sort of was. There were quite a few stretches of flat but highway 11 into Bellingham (amazing views by the way!) was pretty hilly. It was nothing compared to the mountains I went through in the previous days but it wasn't a cake walk either.
With all my delays, I also stopped at a local co-op in Bellingham to get some food, I finally arrived in Langley, BC at 7:08 pm. The family that I am staying with, The Bay Family, have been nothing but wonderful to me. They gave me some food, a shower, access to laundry and most importantly a relaxing environment to socialize and have fun! Funny enough, nobody can figure out the connection/relation that lead to this arranged situation. All anyone knows is that it is a friend of a friend of a friend. Maybe someone can fill in the missing links?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Day 48 - Tuesday October 13th
Newhaven, WA to Mount Vernon, WA
64.47 miles
4:05.30 hrs
31.8 max
15.7 avg
Today, I broke the 4000 mile marker on my trip and theoretically completed a cross country tour. I have not yet seen the ocean but I am only 15 miles away from touching my toes into the deep blue that they call the Pacific. I highly contemplated traveling the extra distance today just to jump in to the frigid waters, to feel the accomplishment of traveling ocean to ocean. Unfortunately, unless I want to be freezing cold and wet tomorrow during my ride to Vancouver, I will have to wait until I get up to Vancouver to jump in.
According to local weather forecasts it sounds like it is going to be raining all tomorrow, and for the next week. Fortunately, it was supposed to be raining today and I didn't feel a drop! Maybe the weather people can be wrong for the rest of the week?
Since I got to sleep really early last night I woke up on my own and felt pretty good. I was happy to find that the food that I hung up on the pavilion beams was still there and no little creatures appeared to have tampered with it. Much to my dismay I found out that I had consumed all of the coconut milk and therefore could not have cereal like I had been looking forward too all night long! So, I improvised and ate some dry granola with a bowl of chili... I know, not much of a substitute. Nonetheless, still good! I was very happy to get an early start this morning and thought to myself that it may be a good idea to try and get to bed that early every night so I am as productive every morning.
As I was doing my morning duties, I happened to walk down by the river with all the dead fish of which I had convinced myself, the previous night, they were poisoned. As I took a closer look, during a time when there was actual light, I noticed that all the fish were salmon. Upon further examination of the waters at my feet, I noticed hundreds of live salmon swimming around. Heck, I said to myself, if I would have known that there were salmon I would have tried to catch a few for dinner last night (and filled up my water bottles).
The views of the countryside leading out of the Northern Cascades were gorgeous. I no longer had to worry about any massive climbs, the roads were newly paved (or so they seemed) and I knew that I did not have far to travel to the coast! All these circumstances lead to a very nice day of riding (not to mention that it was not raining!). I also knew that I could take my time getting into town because the people I was staying with were not going to be home till 5pm and I had a comparatively early start!
The day went by pretty fast and allowed for many pitstops along the way: coffee at Cascades Organics, browsing at a local bike store and even a lunch break on a bridge where I watched the salmon frolic around in the current. Overall, a great day!
Not to mention the Moffitt's hospitality. It is always great to have some good company and conversation at the ends of a days ride. Not to mention treating me with one of my favorite meals in the whole world: fresh caught salmon! What a way to be welcomed to the coast! Thanks you two!
64.47 miles
4:05.30 hrs
31.8 max
15.7 avg
Today, I broke the 4000 mile marker on my trip and theoretically completed a cross country tour. I have not yet seen the ocean but I am only 15 miles away from touching my toes into the deep blue that they call the Pacific. I highly contemplated traveling the extra distance today just to jump in to the frigid waters, to feel the accomplishment of traveling ocean to ocean. Unfortunately, unless I want to be freezing cold and wet tomorrow during my ride to Vancouver, I will have to wait until I get up to Vancouver to jump in.
According to local weather forecasts it sounds like it is going to be raining all tomorrow, and for the next week. Fortunately, it was supposed to be raining today and I didn't feel a drop! Maybe the weather people can be wrong for the rest of the week?
Since I got to sleep really early last night I woke up on my own and felt pretty good. I was happy to find that the food that I hung up on the pavilion beams was still there and no little creatures appeared to have tampered with it. Much to my dismay I found out that I had consumed all of the coconut milk and therefore could not have cereal like I had been looking forward too all night long! So, I improvised and ate some dry granola with a bowl of chili... I know, not much of a substitute. Nonetheless, still good! I was very happy to get an early start this morning and thought to myself that it may be a good idea to try and get to bed that early every night so I am as productive every morning.
As I was doing my morning duties, I happened to walk down by the river with all the dead fish of which I had convinced myself, the previous night, they were poisoned. As I took a closer look, during a time when there was actual light, I noticed that all the fish were salmon. Upon further examination of the waters at my feet, I noticed hundreds of live salmon swimming around. Heck, I said to myself, if I would have known that there were salmon I would have tried to catch a few for dinner last night (and filled up my water bottles).
The views of the countryside leading out of the Northern Cascades were gorgeous. I no longer had to worry about any massive climbs, the roads were newly paved (or so they seemed) and I knew that I did not have far to travel to the coast! All these circumstances lead to a very nice day of riding (not to mention that it was not raining!). I also knew that I could take my time getting into town because the people I was staying with were not going to be home till 5pm and I had a comparatively early start!
The day went by pretty fast and allowed for many pitstops along the way: coffee at Cascades Organics, browsing at a local bike store and even a lunch break on a bridge where I watched the salmon frolic around in the current. Overall, a great day!
Not to mention the Moffitt's hospitality. It is always great to have some good company and conversation at the ends of a days ride. Not to mention treating me with one of my favorite meals in the whole world: fresh caught salmon! What a way to be welcomed to the coast! Thanks you two!
Day 47 - Monday October 12th
Twisp, WA to Newhaven, WA
84.96 miles
6:25.24 hrs
38.4 max
13.2 avg
With the amount of climbing ahead of me today and the bitterness of the morning cold, it seemed as if today was going to last forever. Unlike yesterday, I knew what terrain was ahead of me and this allowed me to mentally prepare myself for it.
In the end, the day was not so bad. The scenery was gorgeous and with the smart purchase of handwarmers/toewarmers at the beginning of the day I did not feel like I was going to lose my fingers or toes on the long descents off the two passes. It did get very cold at the top of the passes and I would have been in some major trouble if I did not decide to splurge on the heating pouches.
Throughout most of the day I had the thought of a nice shower and warm bed to sleep in concluding my days journey. I was unhappily informed, about 20 miles outside of my final destination, that the town I was going to stop in that evening was not home to such a motel. This upset me thoroughly because it is supposed to rain tomorrow and I do not want to start the day out wet!
The man who gave me this information, a motorcyclist who pulled up beside me and continued to have a 5 min conversation as we glided alongside devil's lake, did locate a place for me to camp that night and gave me a great connection in Bellingham if I need it.
I stayed in a national park tonight, under a pavilion that would keep me out of the rain when it came overnight. I knew that this was not allowed but considering that there was one person on all of the campgrounds besides myself, what were they going to do? Kick me out? (what a rebel!) The camping was free, because there was no water and this unfortunately was not optimal given my low H2O situation! I was not overly worried due to the fact that there was fast and free flowing river no more than 20 yards from my camp site. After setting up camp I went down to the waters edge to find dead fish lining the shores. Not wanting to catch some deadly disease that would hospitalize me (my COBRA insurance has been "terminated" by the way) I decided to use my last water bottle sparingly instead of risk using a water filter.
After eating a great meal of chili, hanging up my food from a rafter on the outside of the pavilion and finishing my nightly routine I fell asleep very early (9pm). This early bed time was partially due to the fact that my mind was playing tricks on me about different animals that might attack me during the night, it was easier just to close my eyes. If it was not for the banks lined with fish I probably would have been a little more worried and maybe hung my food a couple campsites away.
84.96 miles
6:25.24 hrs
38.4 max
13.2 avg
With the amount of climbing ahead of me today and the bitterness of the morning cold, it seemed as if today was going to last forever. Unlike yesterday, I knew what terrain was ahead of me and this allowed me to mentally prepare myself for it.
In the end, the day was not so bad. The scenery was gorgeous and with the smart purchase of handwarmers/toewarmers at the beginning of the day I did not feel like I was going to lose my fingers or toes on the long descents off the two passes. It did get very cold at the top of the passes and I would have been in some major trouble if I did not decide to splurge on the heating pouches.
Throughout most of the day I had the thought of a nice shower and warm bed to sleep in concluding my days journey. I was unhappily informed, about 20 miles outside of my final destination, that the town I was going to stop in that evening was not home to such a motel. This upset me thoroughly because it is supposed to rain tomorrow and I do not want to start the day out wet!
The man who gave me this information, a motorcyclist who pulled up beside me and continued to have a 5 min conversation as we glided alongside devil's lake, did locate a place for me to camp that night and gave me a great connection in Bellingham if I need it.
I stayed in a national park tonight, under a pavilion that would keep me out of the rain when it came overnight. I knew that this was not allowed but considering that there was one person on all of the campgrounds besides myself, what were they going to do? Kick me out? (what a rebel!) The camping was free, because there was no water and this unfortunately was not optimal given my low H2O situation! I was not overly worried due to the fact that there was fast and free flowing river no more than 20 yards from my camp site. After setting up camp I went down to the waters edge to find dead fish lining the shores. Not wanting to catch some deadly disease that would hospitalize me (my COBRA insurance has been "terminated" by the way) I decided to use my last water bottle sparingly instead of risk using a water filter.
After eating a great meal of chili, hanging up my food from a rafter on the outside of the pavilion and finishing my nightly routine I fell asleep very early (9pm). This early bed time was partially due to the fact that my mind was playing tricks on me about different animals that might attack me during the night, it was easier just to close my eyes. If it was not for the banks lined with fish I probably would have been a little more worried and maybe hung my food a couple campsites away.
Day 46 - Sunday October 11th
Okanogan Family Fair to Twisp, WA
73.87 miles
5:49.24 hrs
36.6 max
12.6 avg
First off, this day was freakin' cold! Specifically at the end of my trip when I was rolling into Twisp well after sunset. I thought that today's ride was supposed to be downhill at first (13 miles) and then all flat from then on out. Boy, was I mistaken! Little did I know I had a 3100' climb near the end of my ride. I thought that I had plenty of time to dillydally around in Tonasket but I definitely paid for it later!
About 6 miles into climbing the 4000' pass I finally took out my map and realized what I had ahead of me and what time this would put me into Twisp. At this point though, there was no turning back. After going through the closest thing to hell that I have experienced on this trip, I decided to treat myself to a motel in Twisp. One redemption point of the night was that the grocery store I stopped at to pick up dinner had $1.99 10" peach pies that were delicious! I consumed half for dinner and half for breakfast. I also had other food as well, including a 1/2 off 2-lbs pre-cooked pork chop!
73.87 miles
5:49.24 hrs
36.6 max
12.6 avg
First off, this day was freakin' cold! Specifically at the end of my trip when I was rolling into Twisp well after sunset. I thought that today's ride was supposed to be downhill at first (13 miles) and then all flat from then on out. Boy, was I mistaken! Little did I know I had a 3100' climb near the end of my ride. I thought that I had plenty of time to dillydally around in Tonasket but I definitely paid for it later!
About 6 miles into climbing the 4000' pass I finally took out my map and realized what I had ahead of me and what time this would put me into Twisp. At this point though, there was no turning back. After going through the closest thing to hell that I have experienced on this trip, I decided to treat myself to a motel in Twisp. One redemption point of the night was that the grocery store I stopped at to pick up dinner had $1.99 10" peach pies that were delicious! I consumed half for dinner and half for breakfast. I also had other food as well, including a 1/2 off 2-lbs pre-cooked pork chop!
Saturday October 10th
At first I was only planning on staying at the fair for one night. It did not take much convincing to get me to stay an extra day! The combination of the need for a days rest, lack of sleep from the previous night and the cold temperatures in the morning made a convincing argument to spend another day with my new found friends.
Day 45 - Friday October 9th
Republic, WA to Okanogan Family Fair (13 miles East of Tanasket)
30.56 miles
2:41.34 hrs
35.8 max
11.3 avg
Not much to say about this day besides that the Okanogan Family Fair came a lot sooner into today's journey than expected. I thought that it was going to be in Tonasket, not 13 miles before Tonasket.
The people at the front gate of the fair liked the fact that I did not use any gas to get to the fair and they therefore waived the $40 camping cover. After locating the crew that I met the previous day, I quickly was assigned the name "Biker Dave". It was fun to spend the night in a fair atmosphere with live music, good food and good company!
30.56 miles
2:41.34 hrs
35.8 max
11.3 avg
Not much to say about this day besides that the Okanogan Family Fair came a lot sooner into today's journey than expected. I thought that it was going to be in Tonasket, not 13 miles before Tonasket.
The people at the front gate of the fair liked the fact that I did not use any gas to get to the fair and they therefore waived the $40 camping cover. After locating the crew that I met the previous day, I quickly was assigned the name "Biker Dave". It was fun to spend the night in a fair atmosphere with live music, good food and good company!
Day 44 - Thursday October 8th
Colville, WA to Republic, WA
61.00 miles
5:27.25 hrs
40.8 max
11.1 avg
Today was a great ride! I had a 5575' mountain that I thoroughly enjoyed climbing. While climbing I lost myself in thought and ascended 3/4 of the mountain, at a good rate, without even realizing it.
3 miles from the top of the climb I ran into a bus that was overheating. Post-inquiry of their troubles and destination, I had a bunch of people to hang out with (camp with) at the "family fair" in Tanasket, WA for the following couple days.
At the end of the day I was graciously granted a room at a local motel for $20. It is amazing how people will open up if you spend the time to converse and befriend them!
61.00 miles
5:27.25 hrs
40.8 max
11.1 avg
Today was a great ride! I had a 5575' mountain that I thoroughly enjoyed climbing. While climbing I lost myself in thought and ascended 3/4 of the mountain, at a good rate, without even realizing it.
3 miles from the top of the climb I ran into a bus that was overheating. Post-inquiry of their troubles and destination, I had a bunch of people to hang out with (camp with) at the "family fair" in Tanasket, WA for the following couple days.
At the end of the day I was graciously granted a room at a local motel for $20. It is amazing how people will open up if you spend the time to converse and befriend them!
Day 43 - Wednesday October 7th
Sandpoint, ID to Colville, WA
110.11 miles
7:33.39 hrs
35.5 max
14.5 avg
With a days rest under my belt, a new wheel, a new chain and a full belly I was ready to take the rest of the trip on with force! I had a few things to take care in town before I left and this lead to a late start, once again. The day was gorgeous and I was not worried about anything! I was heading towards the coast and was only one state away from completing an amazing feat in itself (cycling coast to coast).
I had a connection in Colville, WA from a dear friend and had a long way to to today. Of course with my late start and the recent loss of time via time zone change I had to accept the fact that I would be pulling into my final destination well after dark. It is now dark at 7pm and I was 20 miles, and a 2500 foot climb away from Emily's (friends contact's) house. As I climbed the mountain under the rubber of my tires I was spooked by a sudden ghostly white face looking at me from the ditch of the road. After collecting myself, I realized that the side of the roads were not fenced and there were random cows around many of the corners both in the ditches and on the road. At this point on my accent I was not using a headlight because there were no cars on the road and the stars and moon above were bright enough for me to see the road clearly. After a few of these scares from black cows with white faces, I decided to use my headlamp about half way up the accent.
Once I reached the top of the mountain, I was in awe of the stars and moon. The scenery must have been gorgeous during the day but there was no point in fretting over not seeing it because my experience that night was different than anything else I had seen thus far on the trip. It was so peaceful and meditative to be riding in such conditions. Not that you should meditate while riding a bike, in the cold and dark. If it was not so cold I would have loved to ride like that every night!
I pulled up to Emily's family's house cold, wet and with my legs feeling pretty worn out. It was about 8:30pm and was warmly welcomed by some great people! It was a pleasure to get to know the McBlair family. I appreciated the food and lodging they supplied immensely! They definitely went out of their way whenever they could to make sure I was in a good place. They also supplied me for some more potential connections for the rest of my trip. Many thank yous to the McBlair family!
110.11 miles
7:33.39 hrs
35.5 max
14.5 avg
With a days rest under my belt, a new wheel, a new chain and a full belly I was ready to take the rest of the trip on with force! I had a few things to take care in town before I left and this lead to a late start, once again. The day was gorgeous and I was not worried about anything! I was heading towards the coast and was only one state away from completing an amazing feat in itself (cycling coast to coast).
I had a connection in Colville, WA from a dear friend and had a long way to to today. Of course with my late start and the recent loss of time via time zone change I had to accept the fact that I would be pulling into my final destination well after dark. It is now dark at 7pm and I was 20 miles, and a 2500 foot climb away from Emily's (friends contact's) house. As I climbed the mountain under the rubber of my tires I was spooked by a sudden ghostly white face looking at me from the ditch of the road. After collecting myself, I realized that the side of the roads were not fenced and there were random cows around many of the corners both in the ditches and on the road. At this point on my accent I was not using a headlight because there were no cars on the road and the stars and moon above were bright enough for me to see the road clearly. After a few of these scares from black cows with white faces, I decided to use my headlamp about half way up the accent.
Once I reached the top of the mountain, I was in awe of the stars and moon. The scenery must have been gorgeous during the day but there was no point in fretting over not seeing it because my experience that night was different than anything else I had seen thus far on the trip. It was so peaceful and meditative to be riding in such conditions. Not that you should meditate while riding a bike, in the cold and dark. If it was not so cold I would have loved to ride like that every night!
I pulled up to Emily's family's house cold, wet and with my legs feeling pretty worn out. It was about 8:30pm and was warmly welcomed by some great people! It was a pleasure to get to know the McBlair family. I appreciated the food and lodging they supplied immensely! They definitely went out of their way whenever they could to make sure I was in a good place. They also supplied me for some more potential connections for the rest of my trip. Many thank yous to the McBlair family!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday October 6th
I spent the day exploring Sandpoint while I was waiting for my new rear wheel to come in. Karen's friend Krista and her family were great to hang out with. This was a great resting place for me as Krista and her family are avid travelers and really opened my eyes to some things on and about my trip that I have overlooked. My trip was coming together and I was continuing to further my understanding of the importance of this endeavour; both for myself and for others.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Day 42 - Monday October 5th
Thompson Falls, MT to Sandpoint, ID
90.24 miles
6:05.48 hrs
30.3 max
14.7 avg
What an interesting day! When I started the day out, about 10 min into my ride, as I was leaving the town of Thompson Falls, MT, I noticed an increased cyclic noise coming from my rear wheel. I noticed a lower decible cyclic noise the previous day but when I looked briefly at the wheel I did not notice anything significant. Today, the amplitude of the noise was 10 fold. I immediately stopped and thoroughly examined my wheel. I found that the seam of the wheel had fractured and the wall of the rim had peeled away from the tire like a corner of a sheet of paper being lifted off the surface of a table. I spent the majority of the morning trying to located a bike shop in the local area and with little luck I was told that the nearest shop was in Sandpoint, ID (90 miles away).
I got in touch with one of the bike shops in Sandpoint and had them order a new wheel. Of course it was going to take 2 days to get it in so I was forced to take a break in Sandpoint, ID. The bike shop told me that the wheel that I had should still be under warrenty and that Trek should replace it for free. Since I am on tour, this was not that easy and I opted to order a new wheel and lose one day versus waiting 2 weeks for Trek to send me a new wheel.
With little to lose (the wheel was already past repair) I changed the tire back to an old defective tire and performed ductape surgery on my rim. After placing the "fixed" wheel back on the bike I rode off with the rear brake unconnected.
Two broken spokes later I pulled into Sandpoint, ID with news that I passed my mom's cousin's house about 10 miles back. This was on purpose as nobody informed me that I had relatives in this area. After a phonecall from my mom I connected up with my mothers cousin Karen and she gave me a contact to stay with in Sandpoint while I waited for my wheel arrive.
90.24 miles
6:05.48 hrs
30.3 max
14.7 avg
What an interesting day! When I started the day out, about 10 min into my ride, as I was leaving the town of Thompson Falls, MT, I noticed an increased cyclic noise coming from my rear wheel. I noticed a lower decible cyclic noise the previous day but when I looked briefly at the wheel I did not notice anything significant. Today, the amplitude of the noise was 10 fold. I immediately stopped and thoroughly examined my wheel. I found that the seam of the wheel had fractured and the wall of the rim had peeled away from the tire like a corner of a sheet of paper being lifted off the surface of a table. I spent the majority of the morning trying to located a bike shop in the local area and with little luck I was told that the nearest shop was in Sandpoint, ID (90 miles away).
I got in touch with one of the bike shops in Sandpoint and had them order a new wheel. Of course it was going to take 2 days to get it in so I was forced to take a break in Sandpoint, ID. The bike shop told me that the wheel that I had should still be under warrenty and that Trek should replace it for free. Since I am on tour, this was not that easy and I opted to order a new wheel and lose one day versus waiting 2 weeks for Trek to send me a new wheel.
With little to lose (the wheel was already past repair) I changed the tire back to an old defective tire and performed ductape surgery on my rim. After placing the "fixed" wheel back on the bike I rode off with the rear brake unconnected.
Two broken spokes later I pulled into Sandpoint, ID with news that I passed my mom's cousin's house about 10 miles back. This was on purpose as nobody informed me that I had relatives in this area. After a phonecall from my mom I connected up with my mothers cousin Karen and she gave me a contact to stay with in Sandpoint while I waited for my wheel arrive.
Day 41 - Sunday October 4th
Missoula, MT to Thompson Falls, MT
111.27 miles
7:13.09 hrs
36.2 max
15.4 avg
With the cold weather moving in fast and snow falling in the mountains the course of action has changed for my route. I, sadly, am no longer going up to Glacier National Park. Instead I am taking route 200 from Missoula, MT towards Sandpoint, ID.
The ride today was very gloomy. I felt very poor for the first half of the trip. It must have been a combination of weather and stress from the trip. Or, it could very well have been from the snickers bars that I consumed in the early morning. I have noticed the effect that candy bars and nutritionally deficient food has on my body.
As I was pedalling along, the scenery along the river kept getting better and better. There are many moments of this trip that are engraved in my memory for eternity! It would have been an unbelievable ride if the weather was a little different. If the temperature was raised 20 degrees and the sun was out I can't imagine much better of a ride!
Tonight I am staying with a connection I made on CouchSurfing.com. They have put me up in a little cabin in the woods and it is great to be able to cook my own food on a real stove and have a 'large' space (comparative to my tent) where I can relax on my own. Thank you to the Gross family for allowing me to stay in your cabin, supplying me with some food and good company!
111.27 miles
7:13.09 hrs
36.2 max
15.4 avg
With the cold weather moving in fast and snow falling in the mountains the course of action has changed for my route. I, sadly, am no longer going up to Glacier National Park. Instead I am taking route 200 from Missoula, MT towards Sandpoint, ID.
The ride today was very gloomy. I felt very poor for the first half of the trip. It must have been a combination of weather and stress from the trip. Or, it could very well have been from the snickers bars that I consumed in the early morning. I have noticed the effect that candy bars and nutritionally deficient food has on my body.
As I was pedalling along, the scenery along the river kept getting better and better. There are many moments of this trip that are engraved in my memory for eternity! It would have been an unbelievable ride if the weather was a little different. If the temperature was raised 20 degrees and the sun was out I can't imagine much better of a ride!
Tonight I am staying with a connection I made on CouchSurfing.com. They have put me up in a little cabin in the woods and it is great to be able to cook my own food on a real stove and have a 'large' space (comparative to my tent) where I can relax on my own. Thank you to the Gross family for allowing me to stay in your cabin, supplying me with some food and good company!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Day 40 - Saturday October 3rd
Helena, MT to Missoula, MT
142.73 miles
9:05.56 hrs
43.6 max
15.6 avg
Even though I broke my record for the longest ride in a day I am too exhausted to really think anything about it. The day started out with a decent size climb (1800') and then it was pretty much down hill from there. OR so I thought!!! When I turned north northwest onto 141 I was greeted by a couple hills to climb and a nasty side wind that prevented me from cruising along at the 20 mph that I have been starting to become accustomed to. The 33 miles on this stretch of 141 tool way longer than I hoped and was not fun!
What was fun was cruising along at 22-25 mph on route 200 into Missoula. With a strong back wind, and a slight descent, I was able to make great time during this portion of the trip. If it was not for the climb at the beginning of the day and the strong side wind on 141 I would not have been surprised if my average speed would have ended up around 22 mph.
Erica Weekes was able to hook me up in Missoula with a place to stay. Noah and Lydia are great hosts and are very fun people to talk to. Thank you so much for allowing me to stay at your place! I really appreciate it!
Tomorrow it looks like I will have favorable winds out of the East South East! Maybe another day of high pace. Hopefully I can take a little time tomorrow downtown Missoula to check out the sites since I did not get in today until dark. Oh, did you know that T-mobile does not work in Missoula? WTF? I guess Verizon has a monopoly on this area or something. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon I will have reception.
The article that came out in the Hudson Star Observer came out last Thursday and I finally got to see/read it! It feels pretty good to be in the news. I am not used to be putting in the spotlight like that. I have received a comment from someone in Hudson who read the article, looked up my website and gave me some encouraging words! Hopefully more people will read the article and get involved!
One more thing that I spend my time thinking about on a daily basis: How can I raise more money for this cause? If anyone has any bright ideas please let me know. I am thinking of having a dinner fundraiser when the trip is through. That will raise some money but not nearly enough! Whoever comes up with the best idea I will take out to dinner when the trip is over!
Enough of my random babble! Time for bed... Peace out!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Day 39 - Friday October 2nd
Bozeman, MT to Helena, MT
112.59 miles
6:40.50 hrs
30.7 max
16.8 avg
As I hit the road this morning I quickly noticed how cold my hands got and thought that I must stop somewhere and purchase some gloves that are a little more adaptable to the colder conditions. I opted for some cross country ski gloves because they are light weight, wind proof and provide a decent amount of insulation. As always making a decision on which ones to buy was difficult for me as I hate making wrong decisions. I found a store that actually had the gloves on sale 25% off! It is not that they were all that expensive to begin with but it always makes you feel better when you find what you need on sale. I would have liked to get some water proof gloves but in order to do so I would have had to spend in excess of $60 and I was not about to do that. I will just have to utilize the inexpensive plastic bags from a gas station next time it starts raining!
Of course as soon as I purchased the gloves and stepped outside it was much warmer out and I really didn't need to wear the gloves I had just purchased... but I did anyways. Well, at least for about 20 min until I really started sweating and didn't want to make the soaking wet. I would like to use my new gloves for something so that I feel like I made a good purchase but at the same time, if I never had to use them I would be pretty darn lucky!
People are asking me what I tend to think about during those long hours on the road. So, to give you a little insight to my thought processes while biking I will list off some of the topics that I thought about today and typically think about a little bit every day.
Career - I thought a lot about graduate school, specifically dental school and how this trip is preventing me from applying for the Fall 2010 semester at University of Minnesota. This topic sometimes makes me question if I should be doing this trip or concentrating on my future a little bit more. This trip is a dream for me but so is going back to school and doing something that I love. Maybe this trip is to prevent me from going back to school for a while so that I can explore and learn more about myself. I will be looking (not actively) for an opportunity to present itself that explains why it is that dental school may not be in my future, at least for Fall 2010.
Relocation - I thought about where it is that I want to go after I finish this trip. There are specific destinations that I need to visit in order to collect my life again but there is a lot up in the air about where in the US I will locate myself after this trip. I am nowhere near figuring this one out but things tend to shape up a little more every day.
History - There is a lot of time on the road to think about my past. My past jobs, past relationships, past choices. It is good to think about these things so that I can come to terms with myself on the decisions that I have made in life thus far. It allows me to hopefully realize where things may have gone wrong or what I could have potentially done to resolve a conflict or what I may have done different if I could do it all over again.
Oh crap! (enter object found on road here)! - This is a common thought that crosses my mind when I am pondering other things. It typically comes tot me in a dramatic, frantic and very expressive fashion. I guess that is gods way of saying "Pay attention to the road idiot!". It is never that dramatic but I think you get the picture. When I am looking around at the gorgeous scenery or deep in thought I sometimes may get distracted from the important task of watching the road in front of me. I have only run over 2 forms of roadkill thus far. One was a possum and the other was a dead bird. Hopefully I won't make that a common occurrence. When I am not lost in thought I am very frequently looking at the road, looking at my "rear view" mirror for cars and then repeating the process over, and over, and over again!
I thought about what I would be doing right now if I was not sitting on the bike for 6 hours a day peddling. This one is an open book because the options are endless. I could be in numerous places doing numerous things. It is kind of fun to think about this one, except for when I come up with one that I really would like to be doing at the moment instead of biking.
I think about my future in general and what I want out of life. I analyze what is important to me and try to visualize myself in different situations to see if I would be happy doing "x" and "y".
I think about finances and if I can afford to do this trip. I think about bills that I have to pay. I think about sports. I think about my family. I think about my friends. I think about what others are going through in life. I think about what I am going to eat next. I think about when I will have to stop at the bathroom next. I think about where I am going to sleep that night (when I don't already know and have decided to wing it, which is pretty often). I think about where the next possible place is that I am going to go that has bears (there is money on the table that I am going to be eaten by a bear). I think about happiness. I think about sadness. I think about how I want to live my life! And that is about it... If I change demeanor and start to think about important things while biking, I will let you know. What would you be thinking about if you were on a bike for 6-8 hours a day? Send me your thoughts to 7153381039 via text or email me at dlshirley@gmail.com. I will be able to reply to both while I am on the road (thank you blackberry).
The rest of my day went pretty well. I kept shedding layers and my pace was outstanding! After about 2 hours of cycling (my typical warm up cycle) I maintained a pace of at least 21+ mph for a good 2-3 hours. Once I stopped to use the rest room it took me a little while to get back into that pace but when I pulled into Helena, MT my average pace was 17.1 mph. When I started out I thought that I was holding a great pace when I was going 14-15 mph for a brief moment in time. It has now developed into thinking that 18-20 mph is a great pace and 14-15 is lagging! I wonder what my pace will be when I finish my trip?
As it has been brought up, my route has changed a little. Due to the weather I will no longer be going up to Glacier National Park and will be trying to find ways to get to the coast faster. With winter fast approaching in the Rockies it would be wise of me to stay as low as possible and out of the high altitudes so that I do not lose my fingers and toes. This means that the total length of the trip will most likely change. I have not really analyzed the route yet but it could be increased or decreased length and duration by the path I so choose. I also have decided that I will not be riding in rain, at least until I get to the coast. I do not want to die of hypothermia, although that would mean that someone could win some money from the 'going to be eaten by a bear bet'!
Tonight I slumber in the Cortez family household. They are relatives of my friend Sharron's husband. Thank you to both families for allowing me to stay in Helena tonight! It is very much appreciated!
Goodnight all!
112.59 miles
6:40.50 hrs
30.7 max
16.8 avg
As I hit the road this morning I quickly noticed how cold my hands got and thought that I must stop somewhere and purchase some gloves that are a little more adaptable to the colder conditions. I opted for some cross country ski gloves because they are light weight, wind proof and provide a decent amount of insulation. As always making a decision on which ones to buy was difficult for me as I hate making wrong decisions. I found a store that actually had the gloves on sale 25% off! It is not that they were all that expensive to begin with but it always makes you feel better when you find what you need on sale. I would have liked to get some water proof gloves but in order to do so I would have had to spend in excess of $60 and I was not about to do that. I will just have to utilize the inexpensive plastic bags from a gas station next time it starts raining!
Of course as soon as I purchased the gloves and stepped outside it was much warmer out and I really didn't need to wear the gloves I had just purchased... but I did anyways. Well, at least for about 20 min until I really started sweating and didn't want to make the soaking wet. I would like to use my new gloves for something so that I feel like I made a good purchase but at the same time, if I never had to use them I would be pretty darn lucky!
People are asking me what I tend to think about during those long hours on the road. So, to give you a little insight to my thought processes while biking I will list off some of the topics that I thought about today and typically think about a little bit every day.
Career - I thought a lot about graduate school, specifically dental school and how this trip is preventing me from applying for the Fall 2010 semester at University of Minnesota. This topic sometimes makes me question if I should be doing this trip or concentrating on my future a little bit more. This trip is a dream for me but so is going back to school and doing something that I love. Maybe this trip is to prevent me from going back to school for a while so that I can explore and learn more about myself. I will be looking (not actively) for an opportunity to present itself that explains why it is that dental school may not be in my future, at least for Fall 2010.
Relocation - I thought about where it is that I want to go after I finish this trip. There are specific destinations that I need to visit in order to collect my life again but there is a lot up in the air about where in the US I will locate myself after this trip. I am nowhere near figuring this one out but things tend to shape up a little more every day.
History - There is a lot of time on the road to think about my past. My past jobs, past relationships, past choices. It is good to think about these things so that I can come to terms with myself on the decisions that I have made in life thus far. It allows me to hopefully realize where things may have gone wrong or what I could have potentially done to resolve a conflict or what I may have done different if I could do it all over again.
Oh crap! (enter object found on road here)! - This is a common thought that crosses my mind when I am pondering other things. It typically comes tot me in a dramatic, frantic and very expressive fashion. I guess that is gods way of saying "Pay attention to the road idiot!". It is never that dramatic but I think you get the picture. When I am looking around at the gorgeous scenery or deep in thought I sometimes may get distracted from the important task of watching the road in front of me. I have only run over 2 forms of roadkill thus far. One was a possum and the other was a dead bird. Hopefully I won't make that a common occurrence. When I am not lost in thought I am very frequently looking at the road, looking at my "rear view" mirror for cars and then repeating the process over, and over, and over again!
I thought about what I would be doing right now if I was not sitting on the bike for 6 hours a day peddling. This one is an open book because the options are endless. I could be in numerous places doing numerous things. It is kind of fun to think about this one, except for when I come up with one that I really would like to be doing at the moment instead of biking.
I think about my future in general and what I want out of life. I analyze what is important to me and try to visualize myself in different situations to see if I would be happy doing "x" and "y".
I think about finances and if I can afford to do this trip. I think about bills that I have to pay. I think about sports. I think about my family. I think about my friends. I think about what others are going through in life. I think about what I am going to eat next. I think about when I will have to stop at the bathroom next. I think about where I am going to sleep that night (when I don't already know and have decided to wing it, which is pretty often). I think about where the next possible place is that I am going to go that has bears (there is money on the table that I am going to be eaten by a bear). I think about happiness. I think about sadness. I think about how I want to live my life! And that is about it... If I change demeanor and start to think about important things while biking, I will let you know. What would you be thinking about if you were on a bike for 6-8 hours a day? Send me your thoughts to 7153381039 via text or email me at dlshirley@gmail.com. I will be able to reply to both while I am on the road (thank you blackberry).
The rest of my day went pretty well. I kept shedding layers and my pace was outstanding! After about 2 hours of cycling (my typical warm up cycle) I maintained a pace of at least 21+ mph for a good 2-3 hours. Once I stopped to use the rest room it took me a little while to get back into that pace but when I pulled into Helena, MT my average pace was 17.1 mph. When I started out I thought that I was holding a great pace when I was going 14-15 mph for a brief moment in time. It has now developed into thinking that 18-20 mph is a great pace and 14-15 is lagging! I wonder what my pace will be when I finish my trip?
As it has been brought up, my route has changed a little. Due to the weather I will no longer be going up to Glacier National Park and will be trying to find ways to get to the coast faster. With winter fast approaching in the Rockies it would be wise of me to stay as low as possible and out of the high altitudes so that I do not lose my fingers and toes. This means that the total length of the trip will most likely change. I have not really analyzed the route yet but it could be increased or decreased length and duration by the path I so choose. I also have decided that I will not be riding in rain, at least until I get to the coast. I do not want to die of hypothermia, although that would mean that someone could win some money from the 'going to be eaten by a bear bet'!
Tonight I slumber in the Cortez family household. They are relatives of my friend Sharron's husband. Thank you to both families for allowing me to stay in Helena tonight! It is very much appreciated!
Goodnight all!
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