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!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
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!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Day 38 - Thursday October 1st
Mammouth, WY (Gardiner, MT) to Bozeman, MT
89.32 miles
6:33.19hrs
26.7 max
13.6 avg
This morning I woke up and felt amazingly well! I did not have trouble getting out of bed and was eager to see what the day had to offer. It did take me a little while to get everything together and packed up because my bike was outside and all my gear was scattered out in the basement of the church. Well, it wasn't scattered all around but I wanted to make sure that I had it all very organized for when I set out on the road again.
After saying adieu to Sally and Jim, I calmly road by the heard of elk on the motel lawn next door and gazed up at the snow capped mountains that surrounded me. I spent a little extra time in town to call my father and give him an update that everything was alright and I was deciding to continue on my way. I know that everyone thought that I was snowed in but that was not the case.
Due to the previous days experiences with the weather I made sure that I had plastic bags to put over my socks and hands in case it started to rain. Rain was not really expected in the forecast but I was not going to take any more chances. To make sure I was warm I was also wearing, an underarmour sleaveless shirt and arm warmers under a polar fleece long sleave shirt under a cycling jersey under a heavy duty cycling rain jacket under a windproof/water resistant vest. I had legwarmers on with cycling shorts under my rain pants. I wore a thick pair of wool socks with my shoes and toe warmers over my shoes. I put my extra large pearl izumi gel biking gloves over my wind proof cycling gloves and with that combination, I was very warm. I tried to get a feel for how cold of conditions I could bike in with this setup but I did not know the current temperature to guage it by. I would say that I could probably bike in 40-45 degree weather fairly comfortably with all that gear on. I might have to stop at Walmart and buy a temperature guage for my own safety.
The day was gorgeous! The mountains were beautiful and leading all the way up to Livingston I had a slight tail wind which allowed me to make great time. Besides a flat tire (my rear tire has now been replaced along with the tube) and the cold at the top of the pass leading into Bozeman... it was a great day! My legs are now a little sore after climbing to the pass. I just hope that they will hold up for tomorrow's ride to Helena (107 miles I believe but there are no large climbs!)
As you can see, I am changing up my route a little bit. I am no longer looking strictly for the scenic route and am highly considering elevation changes due to the cold. Mountain passes no longer look like a good challenge. They are more of a dangerous misshappening that will slow my pace and prevent me from making good time. It is unfortunate that things have come down to this but I don't think that Glacier National Park is a wise choice for travel as well. I will have to see how the next few days go and if the weather starts to turn around or not but I am not expecting it to be sunny and 70 any more.
Tonight I am staying with a guy I met on Couchsurfing.com. It is a great site that I would highly recommend trying if you are looking to do some travel and can't afford a hotel or just want to meet some amazing people. Alex gave me a place to stay and his roommate made a great pasta meal to boot! Hopefully I can utilize this website more often for this trip, at least until I get to the coast where temperatures are a little better for camping.
I just ran the figures on my average mileage for the trip thus far and I come in at just shy of 83 miles per day of riding.
89.32 miles
6:33.19hrs
26.7 max
13.6 avg
This morning I woke up and felt amazingly well! I did not have trouble getting out of bed and was eager to see what the day had to offer. It did take me a little while to get everything together and packed up because my bike was outside and all my gear was scattered out in the basement of the church. Well, it wasn't scattered all around but I wanted to make sure that I had it all very organized for when I set out on the road again.
After saying adieu to Sally and Jim, I calmly road by the heard of elk on the motel lawn next door and gazed up at the snow capped mountains that surrounded me. I spent a little extra time in town to call my father and give him an update that everything was alright and I was deciding to continue on my way. I know that everyone thought that I was snowed in but that was not the case.
Due to the previous days experiences with the weather I made sure that I had plastic bags to put over my socks and hands in case it started to rain. Rain was not really expected in the forecast but I was not going to take any more chances. To make sure I was warm I was also wearing, an underarmour sleaveless shirt and arm warmers under a polar fleece long sleave shirt under a cycling jersey under a heavy duty cycling rain jacket under a windproof/water resistant vest. I had legwarmers on with cycling shorts under my rain pants. I wore a thick pair of wool socks with my shoes and toe warmers over my shoes. I put my extra large pearl izumi gel biking gloves over my wind proof cycling gloves and with that combination, I was very warm. I tried to get a feel for how cold of conditions I could bike in with this setup but I did not know the current temperature to guage it by. I would say that I could probably bike in 40-45 degree weather fairly comfortably with all that gear on. I might have to stop at Walmart and buy a temperature guage for my own safety.
The day was gorgeous! The mountains were beautiful and leading all the way up to Livingston I had a slight tail wind which allowed me to make great time. Besides a flat tire (my rear tire has now been replaced along with the tube) and the cold at the top of the pass leading into Bozeman... it was a great day! My legs are now a little sore after climbing to the pass. I just hope that they will hold up for tomorrow's ride to Helena (107 miles I believe but there are no large climbs!)
As you can see, I am changing up my route a little bit. I am no longer looking strictly for the scenic route and am highly considering elevation changes due to the cold. Mountain passes no longer look like a good challenge. They are more of a dangerous misshappening that will slow my pace and prevent me from making good time. It is unfortunate that things have come down to this but I don't think that Glacier National Park is a wise choice for travel as well. I will have to see how the next few days go and if the weather starts to turn around or not but I am not expecting it to be sunny and 70 any more.
Tonight I am staying with a guy I met on Couchsurfing.com. It is a great site that I would highly recommend trying if you are looking to do some travel and can't afford a hotel or just want to meet some amazing people. Alex gave me a place to stay and his roommate made a great pasta meal to boot! Hopefully I can utilize this website more often for this trip, at least until I get to the coast where temperatures are a little better for camping.
I just ran the figures on my average mileage for the trip thus far and I come in at just shy of 83 miles per day of riding.
Wednesday, September 30th
I woke up early this morning to hit the road with the goal of at least making it to Livingston, MT. After packing up my gear along with my wet tent, I made it all of 5 miles to Gardiner, MT before my hands and feet were wet and cold and my face hurt from getting pelted by the miniature hail coming down!
For this reason I decided that I would stop in Gardiner and do some online research of the current and forecasted weather. This was very difficult because it was a small town and every place that had computers with internet service was charging by the minute. I then proceeded to look for a pair of waterproof gloves (of which I could not find) and some plastic bags to put between my socks and shoes to prevent my feet from getting wet. I was able to obtain some plastic bags but no place in town seemed to have air dryers in their bathrooms of which I could dry my socks. Eventually I happened to talk the people at the Best Western to allow me to use their business center computer so that I was not left stranded in this city without anywhere to sleep/go. After researching the weather/hotel rates/people in the area that I might know or someone I know might know... I decided that I was just going to have to suck it up and get a hotel room. I was checked in upon at this time by the desk clerk. She wanted to know if I had found anything ... she also wanted to inform me that they usually charge non-guests to use the computer and wanted to make sure that I was actually doing what I was saying I was doing. I appologized to her for taking so long and explained to her that I was not having much luck and she said that I could go ahead and use it as long as I needed.
As I left the computer lab, 10 min later, the clerk asked again if everything was alright and I gave her a little more information on my situation. You know ... birthday, westyellowstone, cancer research, etc. She then told me of the church down the street that sometimes would allow people to stay overnight if in need. I thanked her for this information and headed in the church's direction.
Long story short, I stayed at the church, met some great people and had an overall pleasant experience. Unfortuneatley I did not have such a great first impression with the paster of the church but that story will have to come another time. Don't worry, the pastor and myself are now on good terms!
For this reason I decided that I would stop in Gardiner and do some online research of the current and forecasted weather. This was very difficult because it was a small town and every place that had computers with internet service was charging by the minute. I then proceeded to look for a pair of waterproof gloves (of which I could not find) and some plastic bags to put between my socks and shoes to prevent my feet from getting wet. I was able to obtain some plastic bags but no place in town seemed to have air dryers in their bathrooms of which I could dry my socks. Eventually I happened to talk the people at the Best Western to allow me to use their business center computer so that I was not left stranded in this city without anywhere to sleep/go. After researching the weather/hotel rates/people in the area that I might know or someone I know might know... I decided that I was just going to have to suck it up and get a hotel room. I was checked in upon at this time by the desk clerk. She wanted to know if I had found anything ... she also wanted to inform me that they usually charge non-guests to use the computer and wanted to make sure that I was actually doing what I was saying I was doing. I appologized to her for taking so long and explained to her that I was not having much luck and she said that I could go ahead and use it as long as I needed.
As I left the computer lab, 10 min later, the clerk asked again if everything was alright and I gave her a little more information on my situation. You know ... birthday, westyellowstone, cancer research, etc. She then told me of the church down the street that sometimes would allow people to stay overnight if in need. I thanked her for this information and headed in the church's direction.
Long story short, I stayed at the church, met some great people and had an overall pleasant experience. Unfortuneatley I did not have such a great first impression with the paster of the church but that story will have to come another time. Don't worry, the pastor and myself are now on good terms!
Day 37 - Tuesday September 29th
Cody, WY to Mammouth, WY
73.13 miles
5:11.42 hrs
41 max
14.o avg
Due to the fire in Yellowstone and the inability to camp on the eastern side of the park, Jim and Mary drove me up just inside the Eastern gate of Yellowstone and saw me off. It was such a pleasure to meet the Hilger family and I really appreciate everything that they did for me!
With the wildfires burning in the park the air smelled of smoke and made it a little difficult to breathe! I did not let this ruin my day because, after all, it is my birthday! I could not have asked for better weather. The temperature was 60 degrees and the sun was shining! I saw tons of wildlife and met some really cool people. I of course took my time getting through the park and made MANY stops! I was very happy to be in Yellowstone on my birthday. It would have been amazing to see Old Faithful on my birthday and stay in West Yellowstone at a BandB that I had set up but for some reason God did not have that in my cards. Instead he pushed me North towards Mammouth, MT where I ended up having a lovely dinner and spending the night at a campground that only cost me $5 because I was on a bike (Why don't more camp grounds do that?)!
I am now a Quarter of a Century old! Yikes!
73.13 miles
5:11.42 hrs
41 max
14.o avg
Due to the fire in Yellowstone and the inability to camp on the eastern side of the park, Jim and Mary drove me up just inside the Eastern gate of Yellowstone and saw me off. It was such a pleasure to meet the Hilger family and I really appreciate everything that they did for me!
With the wildfires burning in the park the air smelled of smoke and made it a little difficult to breathe! I did not let this ruin my day because, after all, it is my birthday! I could not have asked for better weather. The temperature was 60 degrees and the sun was shining! I saw tons of wildlife and met some really cool people. I of course took my time getting through the park and made MANY stops! I was very happy to be in Yellowstone on my birthday. It would have been amazing to see Old Faithful on my birthday and stay in West Yellowstone at a BandB that I had set up but for some reason God did not have that in my cards. Instead he pushed me North towards Mammouth, MT where I ended up having a lovely dinner and spending the night at a campground that only cost me $5 because I was on a bike (Why don't more camp grounds do that?)!
I am now a Quarter of a Century old! Yikes!
Monday September 28th
I spent today exploring Cody, WY. Through Mr. Hilger, I received free admission into the Cody Museum and had a splendid time. I biked around the city checking out the area and could have spent WAY too much money at the Sierra Trading Post! Don't worry, I didn't spend anything, I just wanted to! The day and weather are gorgeous and it was fun to have an extra day with the Hilgers! Thank you for everything Jim and Mary! Next time I am in the area I will definitely look you up, and I hope that you do the same!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Day 36 - Sunday September 27th
Ten Sleep, WY to Cody, WY
110.66 miles
9:07.06 hrs
25.8 max
12.1 avg
Last night Mr. Taylor called up one of old friends in Cody and arranged a place for me to stay tonight. The ride was once again long, hard and pretty boring until the very end. At the end of the ride I saw wild mustangs and witnessed an amazing sunset over Yellowstone that I would later on come to find that the reason it was so magnificent was because of the fires going on in the park!
The Hilger family was extremely nice to me! They opened their house to me, fed me and provided me with anything my heart desired! Well, not exactly but it was great to stay with them. The provided me with a relaxing and fun atmosphere where I could let loose and just joke around for a while. Upon my late arrival into Cody I received the bad news that I could not camp anywhere within yellowstone that was biking distance from Cody and there were fires in Yellowstone that may get in my way (aka. cut off my route to Old Faithful and West Yellowstone). After much research and deliberating, it was quite clear that if I wanted to spend my birthday in Yellowstone I would have to be escorted up to the entrance the morning of the 29th. So, this meant an extra day in Cody.
110.66 miles
9:07.06 hrs
25.8 max
12.1 avg
Last night Mr. Taylor called up one of old friends in Cody and arranged a place for me to stay tonight. The ride was once again long, hard and pretty boring until the very end. At the end of the ride I saw wild mustangs and witnessed an amazing sunset over Yellowstone that I would later on come to find that the reason it was so magnificent was because of the fires going on in the park!
The Hilger family was extremely nice to me! They opened their house to me, fed me and provided me with anything my heart desired! Well, not exactly but it was great to stay with them. The provided me with a relaxing and fun atmosphere where I could let loose and just joke around for a while. Upon my late arrival into Cody I received the bad news that I could not camp anywhere within yellowstone that was biking distance from Cody and there were fires in Yellowstone that may get in my way (aka. cut off my route to Old Faithful and West Yellowstone). After much research and deliberating, it was quite clear that if I wanted to spend my birthday in Yellowstone I would have to be escorted up to the entrance the morning of the 29th. So, this meant an extra day in Cody.
Day 35 - Saturday September 26th
Buffalo, WY to Ten Sleep, WY
66.62 miles
6:14.03 hrs
43.o max
10.6 avg
I woke up early this morning to make sure that I could make it down to the bike shop shortly after they opened at 8. Of course the regular bike mechanic was not in the shop but someone else helped me out. It took him a little longer than usual to do the task needed and there were some issues with truing the wheel but everything worked out in the end. I also walked away from that Shop, The Sport and Lure, with about 55 dollars (very good deal) in cycling apparel that would come in very handy in the near future (warm wear!)!
It was not till 11 am that I actually headed out on my bike and I was very nervous because this was the first VERY large mountain that I would have ever climbed. I had no idea what to expect nor did I know how long it would take to complete.
After 5 hours of brutal climbing I finally made it to the top. I thought I made pretty good time, maybe someone else can confirm or deny that claim? The last 8 miles were the hardest because the winds had picked up and they were blowing right into my face. My legs screamed as I peddled my bike over the summit, but I would not be defeated by this mountain.
It is crazy to think how much better of condition I am in now compared to how I was when I crossed over the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It would have taken me at least 2 days to get over the Big Horns if I had started out with them at the beginning of the trip. I might not even had made it over them? Who knows! I went from having to take a break every 5 min of climbing to climbing for 45 min between breaks. Now, that is an endurance shift if I have ever seen one!
While I was biking near the top of the summit I think I experienced the closest thing to a woman's hot flashes as possible. In the shade I was freezing and when the sun would shine through some trees my body and arms would almost roast, if it were not for the couple feet of shade from the next tree I would have had to shed layers.
The way down the Western side of the mountain was some of the most gorgeous scenery I have ever laid eyes on. Words cannot describe its beauty... well at least not my words at 12:30 in the morning! Lets just say that you should go and look at my pictures on photobucket (there is a link on my website at www.icycleagainstnegligence.moonfruit.com). The photos are not labeled but many should have the date on them. It was a gorgeous ride down the switchbacks thorough a magnificent canyon. The Sunset that broke the mouth of the canyon near the end of my decent took my breath away. The delicate shades of pink, blue and purple were jaw dropping. If you ever have the chance to drive down, or up, the western side of 16 over the Big Horns... DO IT!
Tonight, as I was riding out of the canyon towards Ten Sleep I decided that I would give in and just purchase a motel so that I could get a good nights sleep for a ride well done! Much to my amazement, I did not have to do so. About 2 miles outside of Ten Sleep a lady, Mrs. Taylor, pulled up beside me in her car and asked if I had/needed a place to stay. She had some cabins that she typically rented out to hunters that she offered to me for the night. I met her at her house and she showed me my living quarters. There were three cabins all outfitted with bunk beds and antiques. They were small and quaint, just perfect for me! Mrs. Taylor allowed me to come in and take a shower; always a treat for a biker, and after hearing the story about my trip we conversed for a couple hours over a nice slice of peach pie! (photos of the cabin on my website as well)
66.62 miles
6:14.03 hrs
43.o max
10.6 avg
I woke up early this morning to make sure that I could make it down to the bike shop shortly after they opened at 8. Of course the regular bike mechanic was not in the shop but someone else helped me out. It took him a little longer than usual to do the task needed and there were some issues with truing the wheel but everything worked out in the end. I also walked away from that Shop, The Sport and Lure, with about 55 dollars (very good deal) in cycling apparel that would come in very handy in the near future (warm wear!)!
It was not till 11 am that I actually headed out on my bike and I was very nervous because this was the first VERY large mountain that I would have ever climbed. I had no idea what to expect nor did I know how long it would take to complete.
After 5 hours of brutal climbing I finally made it to the top. I thought I made pretty good time, maybe someone else can confirm or deny that claim? The last 8 miles were the hardest because the winds had picked up and they were blowing right into my face. My legs screamed as I peddled my bike over the summit, but I would not be defeated by this mountain.
It is crazy to think how much better of condition I am in now compared to how I was when I crossed over the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It would have taken me at least 2 days to get over the Big Horns if I had started out with them at the beginning of the trip. I might not even had made it over them? Who knows! I went from having to take a break every 5 min of climbing to climbing for 45 min between breaks. Now, that is an endurance shift if I have ever seen one!
While I was biking near the top of the summit I think I experienced the closest thing to a woman's hot flashes as possible. In the shade I was freezing and when the sun would shine through some trees my body and arms would almost roast, if it were not for the couple feet of shade from the next tree I would have had to shed layers.
The way down the Western side of the mountain was some of the most gorgeous scenery I have ever laid eyes on. Words cannot describe its beauty... well at least not my words at 12:30 in the morning! Lets just say that you should go and look at my pictures on photobucket (there is a link on my website at www.icycleagainstnegligence.moonfruit.com). The photos are not labeled but many should have the date on them. It was a gorgeous ride down the switchbacks thorough a magnificent canyon. The Sunset that broke the mouth of the canyon near the end of my decent took my breath away. The delicate shades of pink, blue and purple were jaw dropping. If you ever have the chance to drive down, or up, the western side of 16 over the Big Horns... DO IT!
Tonight, as I was riding out of the canyon towards Ten Sleep I decided that I would give in and just purchase a motel so that I could get a good nights sleep for a ride well done! Much to my amazement, I did not have to do so. About 2 miles outside of Ten Sleep a lady, Mrs. Taylor, pulled up beside me in her car and asked if I had/needed a place to stay. She had some cabins that she typically rented out to hunters that she offered to me for the night. I met her at her house and she showed me my living quarters. There were three cabins all outfitted with bunk beds and antiques. They were small and quaint, just perfect for me! Mrs. Taylor allowed me to come in and take a shower; always a treat for a biker, and after hearing the story about my trip we conversed for a couple hours over a nice slice of peach pie! (photos of the cabin on my website as well)
Day 34 - Friday September 25th
Upton, WY to Buffalo, WY
121.54 miles
8:43.50 hrs
30.1 max
13.9 avg
The road was long and boring! There is not a whole lot to say about this day besides I was fortunate enough to receive a free place to pitch my tent at the local YMCA. I will have to remember to look for more YMCAs along my way.
Thank goodness I started bright and early today because it allowed me to get into Buffalo before too late. I did pull in just as it was getting dark but it allowed me to stop at the grocery store and pick up some necessary food, set up my tent and try and fix my bike. Since I was sitting right in front of the Big Horn Mountains I figured that I should probably fix my spoke before I rode onward to conquer them! I figured that I would be able to take it off myself using my pliers but boy was I mistaken. After taking off the wheel and messing around with the rear cassette for about 30 min or so, I gave up. I was hoping that I didn't need the special tooling that they use in a bike shop to take the cassette off but I guess I was mistaken. Crap, this meant that I needed to find a bike shop in town that I could bring to tomorrow morning before I rode out. In other words, by taking off my tire and messing around with it, I now was not going to be able to get off to an early start the next day as planned.
After checking online, via my blackberry, I was fortunate enough to be only 4 blocks away from the only bike shop in town. Whew! That was a close one!
I think I am going to make it to Yellowstone for my birthday! I can't wait! It will be nice to have a B&B to stay at on my birthday! It will keep it from being so lonely!
121.54 miles
8:43.50 hrs
30.1 max
13.9 avg
The road was long and boring! There is not a whole lot to say about this day besides I was fortunate enough to receive a free place to pitch my tent at the local YMCA. I will have to remember to look for more YMCAs along my way.
Thank goodness I started bright and early today because it allowed me to get into Buffalo before too late. I did pull in just as it was getting dark but it allowed me to stop at the grocery store and pick up some necessary food, set up my tent and try and fix my bike. Since I was sitting right in front of the Big Horn Mountains I figured that I should probably fix my spoke before I rode onward to conquer them! I figured that I would be able to take it off myself using my pliers but boy was I mistaken. After taking off the wheel and messing around with the rear cassette for about 30 min or so, I gave up. I was hoping that I didn't need the special tooling that they use in a bike shop to take the cassette off but I guess I was mistaken. Crap, this meant that I needed to find a bike shop in town that I could bring to tomorrow morning before I rode out. In other words, by taking off my tire and messing around with it, I now was not going to be able to get off to an early start the next day as planned.
After checking online, via my blackberry, I was fortunate enough to be only 4 blocks away from the only bike shop in town. Whew! That was a close one!
I think I am going to make it to Yellowstone for my birthday! I can't wait! It will be nice to have a B&B to stay at on my birthday! It will keep it from being so lonely!
Day 33 - Thursday September 24th
Oreville, SD to Upton, WY
77.37 miles
5:31.36 hrs
40.3 max
13.9 avg
I saw Crazy Horse Monument in the morning and was not overall impressed. They wanted $5 to get into passed the gate and I decided against that. All I wanted was to see the monument, which isn't even near done, and take a picture. I didn't understand how Mount Rushmore doesn't charge anything for cyclists and Crazy Horse does. I feel like it should be the other way around.
The decent out of the Black Hills was great! There were a couple climbs on the way out but nothing of any significance. Entering Wyoming was a good feeling because I felt that I was really making progress on my trip! This feeling lasted for the first hour where I truly felt I was in "Cowboy Country" with the desert and scenery like you would see in an old western! After that hour, when things flattened out it kind of sucked!
I have spent the last 4 days without my iPod. It really allows you to think clearer and pay attention to your surroundings. I feel like I got a good sense of the Black Hills because I didn't use my iPod.
Hopefully I can update this more in the next couple days... Until then I have to get to sleep as I have quite a bit of biking to do tomorrow!
77.37 miles
5:31.36 hrs
40.3 max
13.9 avg
I saw Crazy Horse Monument in the morning and was not overall impressed. They wanted $5 to get into passed the gate and I decided against that. All I wanted was to see the monument, which isn't even near done, and take a picture. I didn't understand how Mount Rushmore doesn't charge anything for cyclists and Crazy Horse does. I feel like it should be the other way around.
The decent out of the Black Hills was great! There were a couple climbs on the way out but nothing of any significance. Entering Wyoming was a good feeling because I felt that I was really making progress on my trip! This feeling lasted for the first hour where I truly felt I was in "Cowboy Country" with the desert and scenery like you would see in an old western! After that hour, when things flattened out it kind of sucked!
I have spent the last 4 days without my iPod. It really allows you to think clearer and pay attention to your surroundings. I feel like I got a good sense of the Black Hills because I didn't use my iPod.
Hopefully I can update this more in the next couple days... Until then I have to get to sleep as I have quite a bit of biking to do tomorrow!
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